East Bay Regional Parks Guide
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IT’S YOUR PAPER
www.claytonpioneer.com
KEITH HAYDON
MAYOR’S CORNER
June 8, 2018
Time lays claim to historic cypress trees
Moving service a true tribute to our veterans
Clayton’s annual Memorial Day Observance was another sign that summer is coming. We are grateful that this memorial ceremony is annually organized and sponsored by the Clayton Veterans of Foreign War, Post 1525. This year, the large crowd was looking for shade on the hottest day of the year so far. We were treated to another excellent program with patriot- Old-age has claimed one of the two iconic cypress trees in The Grove. The tree was removed last week. A second tree is ic music and speeches. Chuck also showing signs of failing. The city is “watching it closely,” says city staffer, Laura Hoffmeister Kohler, a Pearl Harbor survivor, gave a moving talk about honor, service and his memory of that eventful day. His firsthand recollections really captured the crowd’s attention.
925.672.0500
DEBBIE EISTETTER
THE WAY WE WERE
One of the two iconic cypress trees in The Grove on the corner of Main and Marsh Creek was removed last week and the other may follow soon. Arborists deemed both trees in very ill health, rotting from the inside likely because of old age. No one is sure when they were planted. Estimates put the age of the trees at 100-150 years. The trees mark Block 3, Lot 7 as laid out on the 1857 Clayton town map. Jacob “Jake” Rhine’s Hotel and Saloon was on the site, providing lodging and refreshment to
See Cypresses, page 5
CVCHS drama draws ire of County Board TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Nearly five weeks after the abrupt departure on May 11 of Clayton Valley Charter High School Executive Director David Linzey and his wife Eileen Linzey, the school’s chief program officer, the governing board is still stubbornly silent on why. In a hastily called special meeting May 14, the agenda listed an item for “Public Employee: Discipline/Dismissal/Release,” followed by Steve Pierce a separate item for “ConferPearl Harbor survivor, Chuck Kohler shared his poem “A Tour ence with Legal Counsel” of Remembrance” at VFW over two cases of anticipated Memorial Day event litigation. After 90 minutes in closed New maintenance supervisession, the board took no sor: Our city organization experienced a changing of the guard in the Maintenance Department last month with the retirement of Mark Janney. The maintenance supervisor ended his 28-year career with the city on May 17. Janney plans to relocate for his retirement, and his smiling face and warm personality will be TAMARA STEINER missed. Clayton Pioneer Assuming the helm is Jim The Planning CommisWarburton, who worked in a sion rejected an ordinance to similar capacity for Lathrop for allow parolee housing in four years. He also worked for Clayton at the May 22 meetAntioch as a park supervisor ing, sending the hot button for 11 years and in other park issue on to the City Council maintenance and landscaping for action. roles for seven years. Prior to In August 2016, the city this stint, Warburton served as received an email from a nona lead gardener for Contra profit looking to house Costa County – maintaining parolees in Clayton. With the See Mayor, page 7 Municipal Code silent on the issue, a parolee home can locate in any residential neighborhood in the city, subject to few regulations. What’s Inside The Public Safety and Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Realignment Act (AB109) Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 passed in 2011 allowed for Community Calendar . . . . .13 the early release of some Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 inmates and transferred their Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 management to the counties. Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Contra Costa County has been increasingly using group homes to supervise the parolees. To give staff time to draft an ordinance regulating the location of parolee homes, the council passed a one-year
action on the closed session items and further tabled an item to approve a legal services agreement with a San Francisco law firm specializing in employment law. The day after the meeting, the board issued a curtly worded statement that simply said David and Eileen Linzey had left CVCHS and would not be returning. On May 21, the board again met in closed session. They removed David Linzey from all bank accounts and approved an interim executive director. Again, the board stayed silent on the Linzeys’ departure. According to Interim Director Bob Hampton, both David and Eileen Linzey are
on paid administrative leave until the end of their contracts in August 2019. In 2015, David Linzey’s salary was $241,426, with 3 percent annual increases. In December 2017, the board hired Eileen Linzey at an annual salary of $169,000. CVCHS has seen more than its share of drama since inception in 2012, with a string of staff upheavals, lawsuits and turnover. The school had four principals in one 12-month period. On April 20, Chief Innovation Officer Ted Meriam resigned. The board has consistently denied public records requests for the Linzeys’ current contracts and that of Assistant Superintendent Ron
Leone – a county superintendent candidate, despite being instructed by the county Board of Education to provide the documents. Linzey hired Leone without board approval in December 2017. In a June 1 email to the Pioneer, Leone said he was hired for $42,000 to oversee a program that gives failing students a chance to make up credits and to provide assistance with discipline and other supervision as needed. His contract expires June 30, and he will not be returning. According to BOE comTamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer munications director Terry David Linzey in September Koehne, as of June 3, the 2012 at the CVCHS ribbon CVCHS board had still not cutting to celebrate the
moratorium in October 2016 and extended twice. The moratorium expired last October and the issue of how to control parolee housing is now on the front burner. An outright ban on parolee housing is illegal and would subject the city to costly litigation. In order for the city to have some control, Community Development Director Mindy Gentry asked the Planning Commission to recommend the Council adopt an ordinance allowing parolee housing in neighborhoods zoned for multi-family density and not within 300 feet of a school, daycare, library, park, hospital, group home or any place licensed to sell alcohol. “I say we do nothing,” said Clayton resident Bob Deiss during the public hearing. “Let them sue. The community would welcome the challenge.” “We live in a state that ignores federal law,” said
another resident. “Why do we have to do anything?” The planning commissioners were on the same page. None were in favor of recommending the Council adopt the ordinance.
“None of us wants to have this next to us,” Chairman CW Wolfe said. “We can see the level of discomfort. We just don’t have enough information to make an educated decision.”
The vote was to recommend the Council not adopt the ordinance. The issue is tentatively on the agenda for the July 17 City Council meeting.
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
tors of the facility, hosted a second information meeting on May 23 to solicit community input. They may have gotten more than they bargained for. Many of the 40-50 community members attending the meeting appeared opposed to the Grand Oaks project, which they say is too big and will overwhelm the small downtown. Efforts to find a retail business for the vacant parcel have been fruitless, says Ed Del
Baccaro, the city’s real estate broker. He has spent three years trying to woo the likes of a Trader Joe’s or Starbuck’s, but he says there aren’t enough people in Clayton to support a retail business. Trader Joe’s had no interest – even if the city gave them the land for $1. The Grand Oaks project includes 70,000 sq. ft. in two, three-story buildings for the living center and memory care
See Linzey, page 6 opening of the newly chartered school.
Council to consider regs for parolee housing Assisted Living project meets with community opposition The developers of a proposed assisted living and memory care facility for the cityowned 1.7 acre parcel on Main Street have hit the pause button on the 95-unit project, says Fulcrum Development president David Ford. Fulcrum, which is in the pre-application stage of the project, and Cornerstone Living Centers, owners and opera-
See Assisted, page 3
Postal Customer ECRWSS
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 8, 2018
New museum garden alive with history
FAITH BARNIDGE
HEARTS & MINDS
How our garden grows: Volunteers from the Clayton Historical Society and the Clayton Valley Garden Club (CVGG) are coordinating the finishing touches of a new history garden. Adjacent to the Clayton Museum, the garden is inspired by the blacksmith shop and livery originally located at the site. Garden decorations will reflect that history with a “wagon wheel” circular plaza surrounded by engraved bricks (sold out, thanks to generous donors), a seat wall, white picket fence and graceful welcoming arbor. Antique horseshoes and blacksmith tools are embedded within the concrete entry paths, contributed by Daniel Dole and Chris Niemer, present-day blacksmiths. Nancy Niemeyer, CVGG’s native plant expert, donated plants and herbs used by Native Americans for food and medicinal purposes. Steve Lane designed the garden. The historical society generated funds at events like the recent garden tour featuring the lovely gardens of Linda and Frank Fribley, Toni and Doug Hegemier, Lynne Volgensen, Curt Jacquot and Joan Thisius.
The Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) recently donated $15,000 and a 1937 steelwheeled tractor for a planned agricultural and mining exhibit in the garden. Donisi Construction is contractor for the project. CVGC will maintain the garden plants, and Diablo Lawnscape will donate time and materials to maintain the garden grounds in the future. Visit the Clayton Museum 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays at 6101 Main St. The next exhibit will feature local stories, photos and artifacts in remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Residents are invited to contribute items for the exhibit. Contact curator Renee Wing at 925-212-0940 or reneewing@sbcglobal.net. Volunteers are always appreciated to welcome visitors to the museum, train as docents to lead public and school tours, and create and mount exhibitions. Visit www.claytonhistory.org. Clayton’s fan club: CBCA members include residents, local business and community leaders who actively support Clayton, enjoy making new friends and love to have a good time with their neighbors. Membership is only $60 per year and requires members to volunteer for at least two neighborhood events throughout the year – but you will want to participate in them all. Opportunities include the Art and Wine Festival, Clayton Golf Tournament, Oktoberfest, holiday activities and the Clayton BBQ Rib Cook-Off. Proceeds from these events support the community. The Rib Cook-Off on July
14 will feature more than 40 BBQ master chefs competing for prizes, with live music, craft beer and food vendors. Call 925-276-2209 or visit claytoncbca.org.
Service Above Self: Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise Rotary Club members puts their motto of Service Above Self into everything they do for our community. Through Cars2ndChance and Clunkers4Charity, the club manages car donation programs and makes contributions to local charitable organizations. Cars2ndChance accepts donated working vehicles, while Clunkers4Charity accepts nonworking vehicles to be auctioned for parts. They welcome vehicles of all types, in any condition, and arrange for vehicles to be towed free. Each donor receives a tax-deductible receipt. The best part of this transaction is that donors may choose which charity they wish
to support with the sale proceeds. Charitable organizations chosen will receive 50 percent of the sale proceeds. To learn more, call 925-326-5868, email jack300z@aol.com or visit cars2ndchance.org. Other Rotary service projects include the Adopt-A-Family Program during the holiday, youth leadership summer camps, the Dictionary Project for third-graders, volunteering Tuesday mornings at the Food Bank, funding batting cages for the Junior Optimist Baseball League, supporting Markham Park and Arboretum in Concord, picking up litter on Clayton Road between Ayres and Ygnacio through Concord’s Adopt-A-Block program and maintenance of the Cabin Trail in Mt. Diablo State Park. The club meets 7 a.m. Thursdays at Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Lane, Clayton. New members are always welcome. Visit claytonvalleyrotary.org or call Ken at 925-683-0278.
Photo courtesy of Clayton Valley Woman’s Club
The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club’s presented funds at its Celebration of Giving. From left, scholarship recipient Melanie Carniglia; Bill Shaw, Judy Stillman and Will McGarvey of Winter Nights; Carol McCrary and Tiffany Speerbrecker of Contra Costa ARC; Karen Hansen-Smith of the Clayton Community Library; and Karen Mangini and Lind Higgins of the Concord Historical Society.
Celebration of Giving: The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club (CVWC) held its Celebration of Giving at Diamond Terrace in Clayton on May 8. Each year, the club presents money raised by fund-raising activities to selected community organizations. Club members furnish wonderful appetizers and desserts to celebrate the event. This year, the group presented checks to Winter Nights, Contra Costa ARC, Diamond Terrace, the Clayton Library, and the Clayton and Concord historical societies. CVWC also provides a Diablo Valley College scholarship for a woman with a financial need, excellent grades, community involvement and leadership skills who is transferring Clayton Worsdell to a four-year university to purClayton Valley Sunrise Rotary’s Cars2ndChance program featured a sale-ready donated car at the Red Devil Restora- sue a degree. Melanie Carniglia, a graduating student from Diation Car Show in Concord. From left, Rotarians Rich Leuck, Irene Davids-Blair, Bob Sundberg, Bill Kinsey, Dave Kemnitz blo Valley College, was this year’s recipient. She has been and David Litty. Proceeds will benefit the Mt. Diablo High accepted into San Francisco School auto shop program.
State to continue her studies as a psychology major, with a goal of becoming a licensed psychologist. She plans to advocate for women’s mental and physical health in the future. Club members give time, money and items to various organizations throughout the year, such as Read Across America, Vision Screening, Blue Star Mom’s, Heifer International and Pennies for Pines. Guests are welcome to attend meetings and social events. Call Sheila at 935-672-7947 or Linda at 415-652-3503 or visit www.claytonvalleywomansclub.org. Helping young families in crisis: The Bay Area Crisis Nursery (BACN) in Concord is the only nonprofit organization in the Bay Area offering parents in crisis free, temporary, emergency residential care for infants and kids through age 11.
See Barnidge, page 3
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Clayton Market Update ADDRESS
Stunning Lassen Model in Eagle Peak at Oakhurst Country Club. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx 2944sf with an attached 3-car garage. Upgraded/updated throughout. Premium golf course view lot features built-in BBQ, lush lawn area, custom fire pit, relaxing fountain & multiple entertaining areas. Must see. $1,075,000
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Clayton Resident Cal BRE #01446062
Desirable Nantucket Model in Peacock Creek at Oakhurst Country Club. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths approx 3600sf with a 3 car garage. Huge level prime view lot on a quiet court setting with an in-ground freeform pebble tech pool & raised spa. Exquisite upgrades throughout. Coming Soon Charming Single Story in Park Pavilion tucked away at the rear of the development fronting open space! 3 bedrooms, 2 baths approx. 1200sf with a 1 car attached garage. Walking distance to shopping, dining & transportation. $529,000
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June 8, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Barnidge, from page 2
Families experiencing a sudden health crisis, accident, the loss of a loved one, loss of a job or home, domestic and/or child abuse, or divorce may not be able to give their children the best care. Sister Ann Weltz founded the nursery to give these children a safe home until their parents work things out. BACN depends on the generosity of neighbors and local business and receives no government funding. Paid staff and volunteers manage two residences for children. The nursery houses children under 5, while Dahlstrom House is for children 6-11. See this warm and loving environment for children for yourself at an Open House and reception at Dahlstrom House, 3:30-7 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 1506 Mendocino Dr., Concord. Weltz will welcome guests and invite them to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. RSVP at 925-685-6633 or bayareacrisisnursery.org. Volunteers who care about children are always welcome. Administrative help is appreciated too. Email
s t r e c Con
volunteer@bayareacrisisnursery.org to learn more. Save the date: The Alan David Vasilauskas Memorial Golf Tournament benefitting BACN will be Sunday, Aug. 26, at Boundary Oaks Golf Course in Walnut Creek, followed by a celebratory dinner with raffle prizes and an auction. Cost is $145 for golf and dinner, $35 for dinner only. Register before July 20 and receive five raffle tickets. Call Destination Wealth vice president Bill Sawyer, right, preMichele Vasilauskas-Conforto sented a check to Sister Ann Weltz, founder of the Bay Area Crisis Nursery, left, and Catherine Dieterich, the nursery’s at 925-260-3290. Help from Home Match: Senior citizens living alone on a fixed income may appreciate a little help around the house, extra money to pay for basic necessities or just a little companionship with the Home Match program managed by Covia (formerly Episcopal Senior Communities) and funded by the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. Homeowners 55 and older are matched with roommates over 18 who need affordable housing as students or for their jobs as teachers or at non-prof-
Assisted, from page 1
and an additional 4,500-5,000 sq. ft. of subsidized retail space fronting Main Street. Much of the commercial space downtown is currently vacant, and many wonder if subsidizing the rents for the “amenity-type” businesses Cornerstone proposes would have a negative impact on current business. Ford visited most of the downtown businesses to
Page 3
explain the project and gauge support. “They are excited,” Ford told the Pioneer. “It (Grand Oaks) will bring more people downtown, staff and visitors. This can only be a good thing.” There is no formal land use application in process, although there have been pre-application discussions with city staff. “The developer is still in its due diligence stage and deciding
G e rove h T n i Saturdays 6 to 8:30 p.m.
At the Gazebo in The Grove
Set up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m.
development director.
its. The program has begun in Concord, Clayton, Walnut Creek and Martinez. Home Match interviews applicants, performs background screening and provides assistance with housing agreements. Senior homeowners receive extra income as rent, usually $500 per month or more, in exchange for a little help around the house and companionship. This program enables seniors to continue to age in place in their own homes. For more information, call
whether to continue with the investment,” city manager Gary Napper said in an email. The City Council and Planning Commission have come under fire on social media for not being present at the meeting to answer questions. Napper said they are prohibited by the Political Reform Act of California from weighing in at the concept stage of a land use project. “Should a member of council say now that they hate the project, when it comes
925-451-9890, visit homematchsf.org, or email info@homematchsf.org. Covia has served 50 years as a nonprofit, public benefit organization helping seniors. Visit www.covia.org or call 925-956-7400. Hearts and Hands shares news, events and opportunities for all of us to learn more about our community, have some fun, and combine our resources and talents to help others. Send items to faithbarnidge@pioneerpublishers.com.
time to hear and decide on the project, they could be declared biased by the developer and under law must step down,” Napper explained. “The council member would not be able to vote on the matter.” Ford said he and Cornerstone are discussing whether to go ahead with a formal application in light of community reaction. Should they proceed, there will be public hearings at both the Planning Commission and City Council before any decision is made.
8-piece variety dance band plays rock, blues and dance music of today.
June 23
The Fundamentals
High-energy stage show: 3 dynamic lead vocalists, horns & 4-piece rhythm section.
July 7
Pride and Joy
Pop/Soul band sings sounds of Motown including the Temptations & Supremes.
July 21
Female-fronted southern rock band gives wild ride from ZZ Top to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Aug. 4
Diamond Dave
Bay Area favorite, covers classics of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Timberlake, Lady Gaga and others
Aug. 18
This powerhouse band delivers dance & rock classics from 60s to today’s top 40.
Sept. 1
Best of Steely Dan and Chicago performed with love of harmonies and classic horns.
Sept. 15
East Bay Mudd
San Ramon
$487,000
The Vintners — Tastefully updated. Light filled kitchen with white cabinets & appliances, and new slab granite counters. Laminate hardwood flooring on main level. Newer carpets upstairs, fresh paint throughout most of the home. Great location, backs to greenbelt, community pool and work out room. Kelly McDougall (925) 787-0448 KMcDougall@windermere.com Cal BRE#01156462
Clayton
$785,000
Apple Z
Steel n’ Chicago
10-piece cover dance band with four-man horn section
For information go to www.cityofclayton.org
ING
Windermere Lynne French & Associates is excited to announce that
Oakley
$395,000
Downtown — Highly desirable location in the center of downtown. From this charming Victorian style home you can walk to restaurants, concerts and festivals. Spacious 2,148 square foot home including 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, a Gourmet kitchen with granite slab and stainless steel appliances. Michelle Gittleman (925) 768-0352
Oakley Ranch – With a little TLC, this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home will really shine! Great floor plan with living room, half bath, kitchen, dining room, and eat-in kitchen/family room on the main level. Small loft can be used as a work/play area. Close to shopping, schools, and parks. Bonnie Manolas (925) 216-8162
Cal BRE# 01745325
Cal BRE# 01857217
MichelleGittleman.com
Southern Comfort
Please, no glassware, BBQs, water balloons, beach balls or silly-string. Please clean up before leaving. This is your park - help keep it clean & safe. $$ THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS $$ Your donations are the primary source of funds for next year’s Concerts in The Grove. We thank Republic Services and CBCA for their on-going and generous support. Send donations to: Concerts in The Grove—Saturday Concerts, c/o City of Clayton, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, CA 94517
D EN
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Take 2 Dance Band
June 9
GetRealwithBonnie@outlook.com
Morgan Boneberg has joined our office
Clayton
$699,000
Dana Ridge — Updated patio home with great views of Mt Diablo. 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, remodeled baths, and inside laundry room. Remodeled kitchen with granite counters, crown molding and pantry. Engineered hardwood floors thoughout, newer hot water heater, furnace and roof. Great backyard with covered patio, deck and spa.
Brentwood
$590,000
Garrin Ranch — Spacious home including 5 bedrooms and 3 baths on quiet cul-de-sac. Nearly 2,600 square foot home with owned solar and 3 car garage. Light and bright with plantation shutters, dual pane windows dual zoned heat/AC and soaring ceilings. Eat in kitchen with Corian counters, island, pantry and hardwood flooring.
Lynne & Kelly offer free staging on ALL LISTINGS
Oakley
$669,980
Ranch Property — Situated on 1.75 acres, this property is perfect for horse lovers. This flat lot offers 20 covered stalls, an arena, an outbuilding and so much more. Charming 2 bedroom, 1400 sq ft home with numerous upgrades. Gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances, wine frig. & granite counters gorgeous laminate flooring, recessed lighting, dual pane windows and remodeled bathroom. A perfect 10!
Realtor®
Cal BRE# 02056436
(925) 330-8140
MorganBoneberg@Windermere.com
Assisting More Buyers & Sellers than Anyone Else *Statistics based on Clayton/Concord and Contra Costa County Closed sales by volume (1/2014-12/31/2014). Data by Maxebrdi
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Page 4
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Around Town
Clayton Boy Scouts bring report to City Council
Students step up to ‘Do the Right Thing’
Julie Pierce
DTRT ‘Integrity’ students and teachers from left: MDES teacher Rebecca Carcamo, Marco Tredinick. teacher Melissa Fail, Madison Bautista, Mayor Keith Haydon, DVMS Logan Gonzales, Lily Wilcox, PrincipalPatti Bannister.
Six local students were singled out by their teachers for their personal integrity and presented with certificates by Mayor Keith Haydon at the May 1 City Council meeting. The recognitions were of the Do the Right Thing community wide initiative that emphasizes six character traits throughout the year: Integrity, Courage, Responsibility, Respect, Kindness and Selfdiscipline. From Mt. Diablo Elementary, 4th grader Marco Tredinnick was nominated by his teacher Rebecca Carcamo for his integrity. “Marco holds himself to a very high standard,” Carcamo said. Marco is very kind to his peers, leads by example and is a good influence on other students. “He is a true role model,” his teacher said. Also in the 4th grade, Madison Bautista was nominated by
June 8, 2018
her teacher Melissa Fail who said “to have integrity means to have the qualities of honesty, decency, sincerity and strong moral principles.”I can count on Madison to do the right thing even if it’s difficult.” all. Diablo View Middle School principal Patti Bannister called up 8th-graders Lily Wilcox and Logan Gonzales. “Lily is the perfect choice for the quality of integrity,” Bannister said. “She’s student body president and our go-to gal. She keeps the place afloat.” Logan is a teaching assistant in his Spanish class, Bannister said. “He’s an excellent student, always responsible and always so kind. A great all around kid.” CVCHS students Rita Mohammed-Ewaz and Colin Cox were also recognized for Integrity but were not present at the meeting.
Local Boy Scouts were at the April 17 council meeting to present the colors and bring council members up to date on scouting activities since 2015. Scouting begins with the youngest Tiger Scouts and progresses up the age ladder to Webelos, Cubs, and Scouts. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America began accepting girls into the program. In 2019, the name will change to Scouts BSA. Since 2015, local scouts have contributed 5,594 service hours to the community picking up trash, cleaning up trails and parks, erecting park benchJulie Pierce es, assisting at events and step- Clayton Scouts, Jamie Laverick, Theo Small, Mason Saliping up wherever needed. nas, Mayor Keith Haydon, Heath Borst, James Harrington, and Kenneth Harrington
MDEA honors parent volunteer
Laney King led the effort to create the outdoor education program at Mt. Diablo Elementary School.
The Mt. Diablo Education Association recognized Laney King as Parent Volunteer of the Year at the MDEA Academy Awards on May 10. The staff at Mt. Diablo Elementary nominated King for her work over the past three years. She is the driving force in the creation of an outdoor education program that includes several school gardens, an outdoor classroom, a mobile kitchen and a beautiful mosaic at the school entrance. King has made it a priority for every student at the school to have an active part in all aspects of the garden. Each student has worked in the garden and had the opportunity to prepare and cook vegetables from the garden. Each student also painted a rock for the kindness rock garden, and each class attends garden lessons throughout the year. She has also helped the school create a recycling and composting program to reduce waste schoolwide. This award recognizes King as the most outstanding parent volunteer for the entire Mt. Diablo Unified School District for the 2017-’18 school year.
Birthday at the top
The Pioneer made the trip to Macchu Picchu with Lisa and Todd York to celebrate her 50th birthday.
www.LeighKlockHomes.com
Descendants of early and very early Clayton families keep history alive at museum
RAY STRONG AND CHARMETTA MANN
Two dedicated Clayton Museum docents, Ray Strong and Charmetta Mann, share a lighthearted moment on the front porch. Ray, the great, great grandson of Joel Clayton, is a veteran of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley and of thirty years with the Niles Canyon Railroad. Charmetta is a descendent of pioneering families, a lifelong Claytonian, and a walking encyclopedia of local lore. Ray and Charmetta love to entertain visitors. Come to the Clayton Museum and enjoy a slice of history. Or better yet, become a member of our volunteer family and know the joy of sharing the knowledge of Clayton history with others in the community and beyond. The museum is open from 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays. For more information, go to www.claytonmuseum.org.
925.212.5593
852 McElroy Court, Concord
373 Blue Oak Lane, Clayton
This beautifully updated 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home with 2,089 sq feet of living space is light and bright with soaring ceilings, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. The kitchen is open to the family room which has a wall of windows and sliders leading to the private yard that is an entertainer’s dream, offering a sparkling pool, decking, and lush landscaping. Don't miss this ideally located home less than 1 mile from Trader Joe’s and about 3 miles from the Pleasant Hill Bart Station.
This Stunning Eagle Peak home offers 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with 2,981 square feet of living space. Be inspired in the chef's kitchen with island, granite counter tops, and open floor plan. The master bedroom boasts a fireplace and luxurious updated spa inspired en suite. Relax and enjoy the private, lush backyard and serene rolling hills view.
SOLD
Offered at $775,000
Leigh Klock, Senior Real Estate Specialist Accredited Staging Professional
CalBRE# 01874255
Leigh@LeighKlock.com
Realtor
Offered at $989,000
June 8, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Library Volunteers of the Year
Cypresses, from page 1
Julie Pierce
From left: Library Foundation president, Shirley Boyd, Mayor Keith Haydon, and volunteers Joan Chesterman and Ray Dodd.
Three Clayton Library volunteers were recognized by the City Council at the April 17 meeting for their long outstanding service to the library with a total of 9,351 volunteer hours. Volunteers of the Year, Elaine Grab and Ray Dodd have each served since 1996; Joan Chesterman since 1995. Grab was not present at the meeting. Library Foundation president Shirley Boyd received
Page 5
the certificate on her behalf. According to Boyd, last year library volunteers contributed 6,525 hours. Volunteers shelve and mend books, read to children, deliver books to shut-ins, work on computers and serve at the Creekside Arts Festival and the two annual book sales. Last year the Foundation raised over $35,000 including $2000 donated to the city to cover extra Sunday hours.
Pioneer goes from Bay to Breakers Clayton residents Pete Laurence and daughter Alisa Bowron ran together in the Bay to Breakers race May 20. The 7.46-mile run starts at The Embarcadero in San Francisco and finishes at the Ocean Beach.“It was a great daddydaughter day,” Pete said. “It was a challenge for me, but Alisa runs marathons so it was ‘baby steps’ for her.”
the men who worked in the Black Diamond coal mines over our northeastern hills. Thomas Edison’s “Improved Phonograph” came out in 1888, and the one that belonged to Jake’s allowed patrons to listen to popular songs on wax cylinders for a nickel. The two-story structure was built in the 1870s, and remnants of the basement could still be seen 70 years later. The cypresses may have stood as farmers and miners
came into town to “blow off steam,” with help from saloonkeepers “Buck” Mitchell and George Schwartz. George and his son Otto were fine musicians and directed cornet bands made up of horn players and drummers, playing music for all residents to enjoy. Or perhaps our cypresses were planted around 1905 – after a fire burned the structure. Norma Bloching Dempsey’s grandmother remembered the Jake Rhine
Winds lead to tree removal at bocce courts
Last week’s high winds further damaged a majestic locust tree at the Ipsen Family Bocce Park, resulting in the tree’s removal. Following an overnight wind storm last fall, a major branch fell and took down a light pole and several strands of lights at the downtown Clayton site. According to Ed Hartley of the Clayton Business and Community Association, Waraner Tree Experts assessed the tree last fall and was scheduled to do major pruning on the tree in mid-June. “The high winds yesterday resulted in another branch falling,” Hartley said on May 31. “Luckily only our groomer, Brent Dawson, was around and the branch telegraphed its actions by loudly cracking before it fell.” As a precaution, the May 30 match on Court 4 was canceled. After continued heavy winds of 4050 mph, bocce officials
ACTIVE DISCOVERY CRUISES
Dance Hall and Saloon (as she called it), and Norma’s father remembered a brewery and butcher shop at this same location years later. When Norma was growing up in the ’40s and ’50s, only the ruins of the basement and foundation remained. She and her brother were forbidden to play in this area because their parents were afraid their climbing would cause the old walls to collapse. Eventually, invasive trees of heaven took root and the walls disappeared. In the 1970s, Clayton residents referred to this corner as “the Morgan Wood Lot.” Downtown Clayton still has a few trees that have lasted
Michael Nicosia, Managing Partner John & Sharon Ouimet • Don & Bea Ouimet
4125 Clayton Road, Concord, CA 94521 925.682.4242 • fax 925.682.4281
Celebrating 60 years in Concord called Waraner out on May 31 to examine the tree. “We decided that the only viable option in dealing with this tree was to cut it down and not prune it down,” Hartley said. “This was Skip’s (Ipsen, founder of Skipolini’s) favorite tree,” Hartley said. The stump was saved in hopes it may have a future as a carving.
SPRING Selling Season
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Offered at $834,990
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Debbie Eistetter is membership chair of the Clayton Historical Society and can be reached at tdsb@sbcglobal.net The Clayton Museum is open 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays at 6101 Main St. Admission is free.
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Everyone travels to see new things, but many travel to do new things as well. Active Discovery river cruises offer excursions for varying interests and all energy and fitness levels, and guests’ can tailor a vacation to suit their interests and pace.
much longer than most of its old wooden buildings: the eucalyptus at the museum parking lot, the palm near the Royal Rooster and the pepper trees at the Clayton Community Church office, for example. So we bid a fond farewell to the giant that greeted generations of people as they arrived in our town and wait for word on the other old friend.
Offered at $3,950/mo.
Clayton Lease Opportunity. Fabulous 5 bedroom/2.5 bath home with lovely remodeled kitchen and baths. Nestled adjacent to trailheads w/Mt. Diablo views. Wonderful, fantastic, BEAUTIFUL grounds.
COMING SOON 5741 Pepperidge Place
Opportunity is knocking for you to live in a sprawling Dana Farms home. 4 bedrooms/2 baths, lovely chef’s kitchen update, hardwood floors. Expansive end of cul-de-sac lot. Call for pricing
STEPHANIE LOPEZ ASP Stager@ / Relocation Specialist
925.305.9099
www.HousesbyStephanie.com Realtor®, BRE#01370548
Page 6
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 8, 2018
L.A. market a magnet for celebrity homeowners Q: I always enjoy your articles about celebrity real estate. Do you have more interesting facts about them? A: I also love housing trends from the rich and famous. No matter what the real estate market is doing, they are always on the lookout for the latest status symbols and toys. Real estate is always hot, and they have cash in hand. I will report on Bay Area celebrity real estate in another column, but today it will be Southern California. The area’s delicious waterfronts create a true luxury market where the sky is the limit. These buyers are looking for cool pocket listings that don’t go on the MLS. These are people who buy and sell a lot of homes – like Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen DeGeneres. Here are some celebrity scoops: For a mere $13 million, you can buy the gated home
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LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS
Rihanna has been renting on a private Pacific Palisades knoll. The eight-time Grammy winner was forking over $65,000$100,000 a month for the privilege of living there. It’s sleek, sexy and super clean, with seven bedrooms and nine
bathrooms in 11,000 sq. ft. of living space connected by an elevator. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West recently purchased a home in Hidden Hills with a front-yard vineyard – the latest must for celebrity buyers. The home can easily host a 500person fundraiser, and that includes parking for all 500 on the property. One problem was there was an ugly shack of a home looking down on their backyard. So, the couple bought it for an additional $3 million. “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston has also been busy in real estate. He built a beach house on the Ventura County coast that is totally green and uses all sustainable materials.
Cranston tore down the old property on the land to make way for his new pad that is run via solar and wind energy. Even the treatment on the walls is green and malleable, so nicks or scratches can be massaged out of it. It might be the future of celebrity real estate. Speaking of “Breaking Bad,” Bob Odenkirk (Saul) sold his mid-century modern in the Hollywood Hills for $2.5 million and bought another older, Spanish style home for $3.3 million. He’s a good investor. It’s a better location, but they’re both tricked out, tastefully done homes. Scarlett Johansson snatched up a new estate in Los Feliz, and she was really smart to buy in that area. She’s had some
School included lectures and live-action scenarios that guided officers through how best to respond and engage an active shooter. The training highlighted the fact that everyone needs to be prepared to respond to these types of events. Often, law enforcement is minutes away from these events – and it is in these critical first minutes that causalities are common. While waiting for law enforcement to respond, there are things you can do to protect yourself. The federal government’s guidelines include:
confronted by an active shooter. Run and escape if possible; hide if escape is not possible. Your last resort when you are in immediate danger is to defend yourself. Commit to your actions and act aggressively to stop the shooter. Ambushing the shooter together with makeshift weapons such as chairs, fire extinguishers, scissors and books can distract and disarm the shooter. After be safe: Help law enforcement, seek medical help, help others survive and seek help to cope with psychological trauma.
We all should prepare for active shooter incidents
Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the recent school shootings. School shootings and active shooter incidents at public locations seem to have become a common occurrence in recent times, leaving us all asking why. The FBI has designated 50 shootings in 2016 and 2017 as active shooter incidents. Twenty incidents occurred in 2016, while 30 incidents occurred in 2017. While we all hope this will never occur in our community, the reality is we all need to be prepared. As your local law enforcement agency, we are preparing ourselves with specialized training. Our first step took place in early May, when all officers attended an active shooting course conducted by an industry expert. The retired sheriff ’s sergeant had more than 25 years of experience. The course is approved by the California Peace Officers Standards and Training, and the curriculum is considered the national standard. The training at Diablo View Middle
Now prepare: If you see suspicious activity, let an authority know right away. Sign up to receive local emergency alerts and register your work and personal contact information with any work-sponsored alert system. Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers. During survive: Run, hide, fight. Make a plan with your family. Ensure that everyone knows what they would do if
SUNNY SOLOMON
BOOKIN’ WITH SUNNY
Once again, I loved it – but find it hard to describe exactly why. It is perfect for the newly in love, or the reader dating that special person or the heartbroken “I’ll never love again!” reader. The book includes a few illustrations, and they are generally inventive and give the reader pause. He’s a thoughtfully funny guy. Chapters are not numbered but rather titled, as in the first chapter: Romantic Fatalism. The chapters are then broken down numerically by paragraph. Romantic Fatalism’s first paragraph begins, “The longing for a destiny is nowhere stronger than in our romantic life.” What follows is a philosophic riff on that first sen-
Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
ELISE WARREN
FROM
THE
CHIEF
ration by law enforcement officers and citizens alike. We here at the Clayton Police Department hope that this community never has to face an active shooter situation, but we are doing all we can to be ready to respond and save as many lives as possible should the situation present itself. The Contra Costa County Chief ’s Association is also working with the county Board The FBI reports that in of Education to come up with 2016 and 2017, armed and best practices and how best to unarmed citizens engaged the share information. shooter in 10 incidents. They More resources can be found safely and successfully ended www.ready.gov/active-shooter and the shootings in eight of those www.sandyhookpromise.org. incidents. Their selfless actions likely saved many lives. The enhanced threat posed Email comments and questions to by active shooters and the elise.warren@claytonpd.com. swiftness with which active shooter incidents unfold support the importance of prepa-
Avoiding the philosophical novel? Take a chance on one of these Philosophers write more novels than you might think. Voltaire, Camus, Sartre, Kierkegaard, Huxley – it’s a lengthy list. In an essay in the Guardian, Sean McGrady writes: “The philosophical novel is the continuation of philosophical reflection by other means.” Now I better understand why such novels were my least favorites of those on high school and college required reading lists. I discovered Alain de Botton in 1997, when we at Bonanza Books couldn’t keep his “How Proust Can Change Your Life” in stock. I ambivalently bought a copy. And even though I had slogged my way through Proust, my unread copy of that de Botton book has taunted me ever since. Then I came across a used copy of his “The Consolations of Philosophy” and bought it only because its low price enabled me to cash in on my discount coupon. I read it, loved it and reviewed it on Bookin’ with Sunny, vowing I would read more of philosopher de Botton. At one of my favorite used book stores, Green Apple in San Francisco, I found de Botton’s “On Love, a Novel” and felt duty-bound to buy it.
mishaps with her real estate, but she got a relatively good price on this house. The $3.88 million home is a traditional Spanish Colonial on a good chunk of land. It’s extremely private, thanks to its walls and hedges. The home is also at the end of a cul-de-sac and accentuated with lots of mature foliage. With her husband living in Paris and her busy A-list schedule, Johansson doesn’t have a money pit – but rather a manageable 3,500 sq. ft. crib.
tence. Thereafter, each paragraph is numbered. The love story begins in paragraph three when the first-person narrator meets Chloe, his seatmate on a homebound flight from France to England. Inside the novel, de Botton has written a crash course on the philosophy of love. It has a beginning, a middle and sort of an end. We’ve all experienced at least some of the incidents within the story. The first numbered paragraph of each chapter tells the reader what might be coming, both in plot and philosophy. It really is a novel: They meet, they date, they question themselves, they date heavily, they, on occasion, cohabitate, they meet others, they date and then? I can’t tell you if Chloe and the narrator find happiness, but you will have found yourselves so often in this book, and laughed so hard and picked up enough serious philosophy that even Sartre might be next on your to-read list. Sunny Solomon is a freelance writer and head of the Clayton Book Club. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latest recommendations or just to ‘talk books.’
Linzey,
from page 1
provided any documentation or explanation for the Linzeys’ abrupt departure. “The silence is a continuing concern,” Koehne told the Pioneer in a June 1 interview. “All we have now is conjecture.” The day after the May 15 board meeting, county BOE Associate Superintendent Bill Clark notified governing board chair Kristy Downs that the county would be conducting both a forensic financial audit and an audit of the school’s hiring policies. He further warned the school not to destroy any financial records or documents pertaining to contracts and hiring. According to Koehne, the financial audit will begin on June 12. A third letter to the CVCHS board called into question the school’s plans for staffing in light of the recent senior administration departures and the stated interest of several staff moving to a new technical charter school in Antioch. The letter also asked the board for assurance of compliance with the Brown Act. After talking with school officials, Koehne said the BOE is satisfied that the school can meet its 2019 staffing needs.
June 8, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517
TAMARA
AND
R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers
TAMARA S TEINER , Editor
P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design
B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor
J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports Editor
PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration, Calendar Editor
S TAFF W RITERS : Pamela Wiesendanger, Jay Bedecarré, Bev Britton
C ORRESPONDENTS : Kara Navolio, John T. Miller Remembering Jill Bedecarré February 24, 1950 - June 17, 2007
PIONEER INFO CONTACT US
Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 www.ClaytonPioneer.com
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schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a resident in our home delivery area. Submit on our website and be sure to attach a JPG photo that is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on the website are forms for calendar items, events & press releases. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Both Pioneer newspapers welcome letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have
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Total circulation of the Clayton Pioneer is 5,500 to ZIP code 94517, all delivered by US Mail to homes and businesses. We cannot start or stop free delivery to individual addresses. This must be done directly through the Post Office. The Concord Pioneer is delivered monthly to 30,500 in Concord by carrier. Papers are delivered once a month on a Friday morning near the end of the month. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are NOT receiving the Pioneer, please check the distribution map on the website. If you live in the shaded area and are not receiving the paper, please call us or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are not in the shaded area, please be patient. We will come to your neighborhood soon.
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Letters to the Editor To Bee or Not To Bee As we are sure most of you have seen while in downtown Clayton, we have some bees who LOVE the pepper trees on our church property. In an effort to understand the bees and ensure the safety of our community we have had a bee expert from the MDBA (Mt. Diablo Beekeepers Association) come out and discuss with us extensively the positives and negatives of having the bees here and what we can do to help keep everyone safe. Since they are honey bees and are great for the farming and vegetation of our community we are trying to do everything we can to preserve them. The MDBA has assured us they are completely harmless unless they feel their home is threatened. This is why we removed a bench that was directly under the branch from where they are coming in and out. We hope this keeps the bees and the community happy and living in harmony. The
MDBA says there is no need to be afraid if you see activity around these trees. As long as you are not swatting at them or poking at their home they will not bother you. Thanks for helping us keep our town pollinated! Your friends at Clayton Community Church Memorial Day Observance Many thanks for a splendid celebration of the lives of those who have given theirs that we might live ours. Pearl Harbor Survivor, Chuck Kohler, so inspired me with his riveting story of the attack. Well done! Blessings and gratitude to all who participated in this event. So proud to be a member of this great community. Steve Stewart CAPT, CEC, USN (Retired) Seabees Khe Sanh, 1967 Tet Offensive Hue 1968
Proposed Senior Housing Development in Downtown Clayton
The plan calls for a 3-story 40 ft. tall building to house just 95 seniors and provides only 36 parking spaces for residents, staff, vendors and visitors. What about the thousands of other seniors who would be deprived access to this public land, not to mention everyone else in Clayton? A massive development like this for just 95 people? Is that the best we can come up with? A major feature of this development is the ability to “subsidize” the commercial spaces at below-market rates to attract tenants. When the developers were asked who would occupy these commercial spaces, they could only show illustrations of population densities that could potentially support hypothetical
businesses like a wine bar or a tap room. They were unable to say whether any businesses have shown any interest to date. It sounds like a hope and pray build-it-and-they-willcome proposition. If the developers are willing to basically give away the commercial spaces, then they really don’t care if they are filled or not as they will make their money on the residential units. And the city will get its property tax. This development has nothing to do with what’s in the best interest of Clayton and its citizens, and it’s not the best use of prime public land, which is owned by us the citizens of Clayton. Matt Huber Clayton resident
Mayor, from page 1
Doug Van Wyck
CLU ChFC, Agent Insurance Lic. # 0586396
6200 Center St. Ste. A Clayton, CA 94517
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landscaping and irrigation systems and budgets for 23 county sites. We look forward to him putting those extensive skills to work for the benefit of our Clayton community.
THE CITY’S NITTY-GRITTY I want to continue with the overview I promised describing how the local government of Clayton is organized and functions. Next up is a description of the makeup and responsibilities of the fivemember City Council. City Council members are elected to overlapping fouryear terms every two years, with the council annually selecting one of its members to serve as mayor. The council’s authority includes approval of the city’s annual budget and setting employee compensation, the levying and collection of appropriate taxes, liabilities and disbursements, and enacting policies and local laws (ordinances) governing and regulating the municipal services in Clayton. The council also serves as the board of directors for the Oakhurst Geologic Hazard Abatement District, a separate special district that monitors and manages that geological hazard abatement area within the city – using assessment revenues received from the real property owners. In addition, the City Council reviews and rules on revisions to the city’s General Plan, Specific Plans and Zoning Codes by ordinance, as well as related proposals for certain land development within the city, upon recommendations from the Planning Commission and Community Development Department – with input
from Clayton residents via the public hearing process. Council members also appoint citizen members to the Planning Commission and the Trails and Landscape Committee. Each member of the City Council has a number of assignments to represent your city’s interests in standing and ad-hoc committees and liaisons within the city, county and region. These include the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD), the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (CCCTA), the East Bay Division of the League of California Cities, the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, the Central Contra Costa County Transportation Partnership and Cooperation (TRANSPAC) Committee, Contra Costa County Mayors’ Conference, Clayton Library Foundation, the Clayton Trails and Landscape (TLC) Committee, and subcommittees for Council Budget and Audit, Downtown Activities and Economic Development. As this list indicates, they perform quite a bit of work on behalf of the city, working closely with the city manager, beyond the Tuesday meetings twice a month. We each have a busy, broad range of duties and responsibilities as the primary management and policymaking body overseeing the operation of the city. I look forward to sharing more information with you about Clayton items and activities in upcoming months. See you out on the trails, and as always, feel free to send comments to me at khaydon@ci.clayton.ca.us.
Page 7
Directory of Advertisers Area code 925 unless otherwise indicated
Business Services/Employment
Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . .672-8717 Construction and Trades
Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144 Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500 J.A. Ronco Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872-3049 Dining and Entertainment
Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440 Education
Clayton Community School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0388 Events
Pacific Coast Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . .949-3276 Financial, Insurance and Legal Services
Van Wyck, Doug – State Farm Insurance . . . .672-2300 Funeral
Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Health and Wellness
Smile Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-1130 Home and Garden
Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299 Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Skim ‘n’ Dip – Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-5609 Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323 Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing Services
The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Real Estate and Mortgage Services
Bennett, Nancy – Keller Williams . . . . . . . . . . .606-8400 Clayton Fair Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-0324 French, Lynne – Windermere Real Estate . . . .672-8787 Germain, Julie – Rossmoor Realty . . . . . . . . . .849-2884 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Lopez, Stephanie – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . .305-9099 Mazzei, Matt – Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . .567-6170 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . .672-4433 Recreation and Fitness
East Bay Regional Park District . . . . . . .(888) 327-2757 Oakhurst Tennis Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207-0948 Terrapins Swim Team . . . . . . . . .www.terrapinswim.com Senior Services
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Page 8
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 8, 2018
Carondelet, DLS rule diamond; CVCHS boys 3rd in State JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
De La Salle did a threepeat and Carondelet broke a 19-year drought as the two local parochial schools won North Coast Section championships last Saturday on the diamond while Clayton Valley Charter boys used runner-up finishes in three events to take third at the CIF State track and field championships the same day. Carondelet hadn’t won the NCS softball title since 1999 but the Cougars blanked Bishop O’Dowd 6-0 in the Division II championship game. For De La Salle it had just been 12 months since they last conquered the NCS baseball tournament and their overwhelming sweep through this year’s tournament was capped with a six-inning 11-0 rout of East Bay Athletic League rival Foothill. CVCHS track and field has had some impressive achievements the last couple of seasons but taking third at the CIF State Meet tops them all. And yet the Eagles were one injury away from shocking the prep track world with a team championship. TRACK & FIELD Clayton Valley Charter got top 5 performances in several events to accumulate 28 points and a third-place finish behind Southern Section teams Murrieta Mesa (35) and Great Oak (30). The Eagles had the best NCS boys team performance since Castro Valley was second
Photo courtesy CVCHS track and field
Last Saturday evening was graduation for Clayton Valley Charter High School at the Concord Pavilion. A handful of CVCHS seniors were 170 miles away at Buchanan High in Clovis with the school’s track and field team at the CIF State Meet. The Eagles boys team finished third in the State and two of them donned their cap and gown on the State Meet podium. Representing CVCHS were, front row from left, Jordan Francis, Bryan Ruiz, Cameron Reynolds, coach Keisha Lowe, coach Mark Hicks; back row, Sean Malley, Nick Muller, Bryson Benjamin, Justin Lowe, James Ward and Daylon Hicks. Not pictured but also there to root on his senior classmates and Ugly Eagles teammates was injured star hurdler Aidan Jackman.
and De La Salle third in 2014. Juniors Cameron Reynolds (400 meters) and Daylon Hicks (high jump) each took second in their specialties while the Eagles 4x400 relay was also runner-up in the country’s most competitive high school track and field championships. Reynolds set a personal
best in winning the Diablo Athletic League meet last month at 47.09 in the 400 and was just off that pace while taking second at State in 47.27. He ran his two fastest ever times in the 200 meters at Clovis and was fifth in the finals. Hicks tied his personal best of 6-10 at State, taking second
to defending champion Sean Lee of Trabuco Hills who cleared 7-2. The quartet of James Ward, Justin Lowe, Reynolds and Bryson Benjamin was second to team winners Murrieta Mesa in the 4x400 relay for coach Keisha Lowe’s Eagles. Coach Lowe told the
Pioneer, “Clayton Valley boys did an amazing job this weekend. Overall Clayton Valley placed 3rd in state. The 4x400 team is second in California and seventh in the nation. Hard work and determination led this team to their success. We are now looking ahead to next year as we set our sights on state again.” The glow of such a high finish at State was slightly tempered by the sight of senior Aidan Jackman wearing street clothes at Clovis rooting on his teammate and skipping CVCHS graduation last Saturday evening. Jackman was the state’s top hurdler in both the 100 and 300 meters plus a ranked high jumper and 4x400 relay member. He began feeling hamstring issues at the Arcadia Invitational in April but had to pull out at the league meet so he wasn’t eligible to continue to NCS and State, where he would have been a major factor in both hurdles, likely scoring enough points for CVCHS to win the state title. Lowe added, “Winning state would’ve made a big statement for North Coast Section because state is dominated by the southern teams. They didn’t see Clayton Valley coming. We flew in like an eagle and snatched up several points.” The other local downer was NCS champion Kelly Kern’s performance in the pole vault finals. The Carondelet vaulter tied for first at 12-6 in Friday’s prelims before having a rough
Saturday, missing twice at 11-6 and then going out at 12-0. The sophomore from Clayton hadn’t been under 12-0 (except for two dual meets where she posted a winning vault and then stopped) since the first meet of the season Mar. 3. DLS junior Connor Livingston was sixth with a personal best of 9:03.75 in the 3200 meters. Pittsburg outscored CVCHS at the NCS Meet of Champions for the boys title. Carondelet was seventh on the girls side. Reynolds won the 200 and was second in 400 at NCS MOC. Livingston was third in the 3200 while Carondelet took second in the 4x400 relay, De La Salle won the 4x100 relay and Kern won the pole vault. Hicks won the high jump and the Eagles the 4x400 relay while Northgate’s, Jean-Peter Michiels and Graham Michiels were third and fifth for Northgate in the HJ. Swimming – Moldovan Olympian Alexi Sancov of Northgate won the 200 freestyle at the CIF State Meet in Clovis and led off two Bronco freestyle relay teams that finished fifth. Northgate was eight in the boys standings. Clayton Valley Charter junior Niklas Weigelt was eighth in the 100 free. De La Salle’s Daniel O’Connell was sixth the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 50 free. Carondelet diver Courtney Klausen took sixth in the one-
See Titles, page 11
Diablo FC teams win 3 championships at 25th Concord Cup
Diablo FC 06 captured the under 12 boys championship of Concord Cup XXV with a stout defense that allowed only one goal in four games as the team won its second consecutive Concord Cup title. Diablo FC 06 had three victories and a 1-1 draw in its final game to claim the title in a round-robin bracket. The team is coached from former club standout player Arnol Arceta. Diablo FC 06 includes, front row from left, Araad Vafaeenia, Jameson Martin, Fito Castro, Kevin Martinez, Victor Metkowski; back row, coach Arceta, Noah Santos, Diego Cortes, Aiden Burgham, Misael Chavez, Niles West, Davis Sostenes and Angel Perez.
Diablo FC 07 Premier won the under 12 red division at Concord Cup XXV last month by avenging a 2-1 loss in the opening rounds with a 3-0 shutout of PHMSA United in the championship game. Playing up a year, Diablo FC 07 Premier girls added the Concord Cup title to championships in the Halloween Kick or treat Classic and the Davis Legacy tournament. The U11 team coached by Miguel Gonzalez includes, front row from left, Kiara Walker, Mikayla Agnew, Naomi Chrobak, Mahayla Zandonella-Arasa, Carly Lopez; back row, Julianna Amaya, Gabbi Garcia, Hailey Stuart, Luz Hernandez and Ari Upson.
Photos courtesy Diablo FC
Diablo FC 09 Premier wrapped up first place in the under 10 girls division at Concord Cup XXV while playing up one age group. The local competitive U9 team won three and drew one while outscoring its four opponents 13-4. Coach Miguel Gonzalez’s team includes, from left, Maya Barrett, Peyton Whitwam, Taylor Turner, Genevienne Perry, Juliet Selva, Natalia Brunal, Ava Jara, Delaney Fraser, Isabella Ibanez and Kelsey Collins. They won the championship game 5-2 over PHMSA Avalanche 08.
June 8, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Sports
Athlete Spotlight
Jimmy Costello Grade: Senior School: CVCHS Sport: Swimming
Costello has been a committed student athlete during his four years at Clayton Valley Charter and has shown that trait through four years on the Eagles varsity swimming team. He lists the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle as his favorite events. During the past two years he has been a member of CVCHS relay teams at North Coast Section. He anchored the 200-yard free relay in the
finals at NCS last month. He tried both cross country and water polo while at Clayton Valley but swimming remains his favorite sport. Over the summers, Costello swam on the Gehringer Park, Oakhurst Country Club and Dana Hills swim teams. In his final summer rec season he is swimming for Ygnacio Wood. “A leader by example, Jimmy works harder and inspires others every
day,” says CVCHS swim coach Adrian Lohse. Costello was a swim team captain for two years and has received multiple Scholar Athlete awards as well as the team’s most inspirational award. “My favorite part of competing as an athlete for Clayton Valley is pushing myself to achieve new bests and watching as my teammates and friends do the same.” The hardworking student athlete maintains a 4.1 GPA and is a part of the Public Service Academy. He will attend DVC this fall, where he will swim and prepare to continue his academic and swimming careers at a fouryear university. CVCHS student journalist Sydney Skow wrote this Spotlight.
The Clayton Pioneer congratulates Jimmy and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@claytonpioneer.com.
Page 9
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Athletes of the year, spring all-league teams honored as school year concludes JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Local schools announced their athletes of the year as the 2017-18 season has drawn to a close and the graduating seniors reflect on their high school careers and look ahead to a new chapter of their life in college.
CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER Male Athlete of the Year: Dylan White completed his third varsity cross country season and fourth year on the Ugly Eagles varsity track team as a senior. White has been team cross country MVP and made first team all-league for both teams. He earned all-NCS honors three years in cross country, placing fifth at NCS cross country his sophomore and senior years, qualifying for the CIF State Championships. He was 75th as a sophomore, 51st at State as junior and 23rd this past season. He ran the 1600 and 3200 meters during track season, clocking a 4.17 mile. Beyond being a threesport athlete (he also played soccer at CVCHS) as part of the Public Service Academy he had a GPA of 4.17. Female Athlete of the Year: Kelly Osterkamp is one of those rare athletes in this era with four years of varsity participation in three sports. She was part of CVCHS varsity cross country, basketball and track since her freshman year and in 11 of those 12 seasons she was part of North Coast Section competition. She also received all-league recognition 10 times and was her Eagles team MVP five times. Osterkamp didn’t let all this athletic participation impact her classroom studies as she compiled a 4.33 GPA. She will attend San Diego State in the fall to begin her nursing studies.
BEREAN CHRISTIAN Female Athlete of the Year: Becca Jones was Berean’s only three-sport athlete this year, she began her senior athletic journey by breaking the school record for assists in volleyball and helped lead the team to the school’s first State Tournament as the Eagles advanced to the semi-finals, losing to the eventual state champions. She was named allleague for three years. She also played basketball and threw the shot put and discus in track and field. She finished with 11 varsity letters at Berean and headed to William Jessup to play volleyball. Male Athlete of the Year: Will Batz missed his senior football season due to a wrist injury but he stepped up and played a key role on the Eagles basketball team, primarily because of his hustle and competitiveness. This spring he was one of the team leaders on one of Berean’s best baseball teams ever. He had an ERA of 2.20 with six wins as a pitcher while batting .455. He was voted the Diablo Athletic League Valley Division co-MVP. He also broke the school’s stolen base record and finished with six varsity letters at Berean.
CARONDELET Senior Athlete of the Year: Angela Bagasbas was a four-year varsity starter on the Carondelet golf team. She contributed to her team’s fouryear league record of 59-5, including one undefeated season. Bagasbas helped her team to four NCS championship appearances, two NCS Division I titles, three NorCal tournament appearances and two CIF State appearances. Individually, she was a four-year first team all-EBAL selection and 2015 NCS individual champion. She will continue
DYLAN WHITE KELLY OSTERKAMP CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER
ANGELA BAGASBAS CARONDELET
her education and golf career at UC Irvine.
DE LA SALLE Athlete of the Year: Peyton Omania stood out at a school known for its athletic accomplishments. The senior became the first Spartan to win a CIF State wrestling championship, capping a distinguished four-year career where DLS swept every NCS dual and team championship. The 5-5 Omania made history for his school and is also just the second wrestler from a Concord school to win a State championship in the past 40 years. A four-time league and three-time NCS champ, he was seeded No. 1 at 145 pounds at State but had to survive two cliffhanger matches in the semi-finals and finals to claim his title. Omania is headed to the Big 10 at Michigan State this fall knowing he accomplished something all the Spartan greats who came before him couldn’t do. Clayton Valley Charter and Northgate (Diablo Athletic League), Carondelet and De La Salle (East Bay Athletic League) all-league honorees: BASEBALL
DAL Foothill MVP Pitcher – Ian Villers (Northgate). First Team- Chris Rogan, Nico Zeglin, Kevin Clancy, Brock Rudy (NG). Second Team – Nick Oldhan, Telly Hill (Clayton Valley Charter), Danny Shaffer, Evan Tomlinson, Luke Saunders (NG). Honorable Mention – Mitch Hofer, Ryan Pierce (CVC), Jonathan Gazdar (NG). Gold Glove- Doug Bermudez (CVC), Max Michels (NG). EBAL De La Salle MVP PitcherKyle Harrison. First Team- Trace Tammaro, Nick Cirelli, Austin Elder, Taison Corio. Second Team- Chris Santiago. Honorable Mention- Ryan Costeiu, Dominic Grupalo.
PEYTON OMANIA DE LA SALLE
BOYS GOLF
DAL Foothill First Team- Jack Feliciano (NG). Valley Second Team- Liam Mason, Logan Fong (CVC).
LACROSSE
DAL Boys: First Team-Jason Madden (NG), Ryan Alimagno, Torin Neal (CVC). Second Team – Gunner Oakley, James Essex (CVC), Zach Lentz (NG). Honorable Mention-Dakota Harman (CVC), Connor Richardson, Todd Tobol, Josh Sharp, Lucas Burgoyne (NG). EBAL Boys De La Salle First Team- Michael Balousek, Nathan Rumpf, Trey Akabane. Honorable Mention-Justin Barton, Josh Thuma. DAL Girls: Second Team – Madison Maiakoff (NG), Marlinda Ramirez (CVC). Honorable Mention- Caroline Welch (NG). EBAL Girls: MVP – Abbi Young. First Team – Brianna Dunn, Payton Wallahan. Honorable Mention: Shannon Bailey.
SOFTBALL
DAL Foothill First Team- Hannah Brajkovich, Olivia Lee (NG), Sophie Wheeler (CVC). Second Team – Aislyn Schwartz (CVC), Katie Hicks, Haley Randall (NG). Honorable Mention – Amaya Lee, Allison Harvey, Jazmyn Hanley (NG), Lauren Friedman, Jordyn Williams (CVC). EBAL Carondelet First TeamGabriella Williams. Second Team - Sophia Earle, Makenzie Miller, Jesse Juinio. Honorable Mention Alexandria Schwenger, Keleva Salt, Julianna Bridges.
SWIMMING & DIVING
DAL Boys First Team-Zach Ledesma, Connor Seip, Adrian Dulay, Andrew Rodriguez, Alexi Sancov (NG). Second Team – Niklas Weigelt (CVC). Honorable Mention-Cal Brown, Jimmy Costello, John Parker, Anthony Vizental (CVC). EBAL Boys De La Salle First Team-400 Free Relay. Second Team - Daniel O’Connell, 200 Free Relay. Honorable Mention – Ryan Iannaccone. DAL Girls Second Team – Maile Andresen, Emma Smethurst
See Honors, page 10
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 8, 2018
Sports
Clayton Valley Charter mountain bikers end 2nd season Races are similar to those you see in Olympic crosscountry mountain bike racing A couple years ago Eric with multiple laps on Skow went to Clayton Valley track/courses where each lap is Charter High School athletic approximately five miles (start director Eric Bamberger to discuss starting a mountain bike team at the school. After the AD cleared the program through the school administration, Skow set about establishing a team, which began competing a year ago on a club basis with five boys on the team. This season the team has expanded to 12 bikers who competed in six races capped by the California High School Cycling State Championships in Petaluma last month. CVCHS has already performed well enough to finish in the middle of the pack in races with up to 48 JACK GALLAGHER schools involved.
and finish are at the same location) on challenging courses that are uphill and downhill. Skow and his staff of Casey Cline and Jack and Kathy Verderame are building a program that enjoys club status in the CVCHS athletic department with the athletes eligible to earn varsity letters. The team is part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association and competes in the NorCal High School Cycling League Southern Conference. The team began training for this season in December riding on Mount Diablo (Mitchell Canyon) and at Lime Ridge Open Space They also travel around the Bay Area on Saturdays to ride at places like China Camp State Park (San Rafael), Camp Tamarancho
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Sports Shorts
(Fairfax), Crockett Hills Regional Park (Crockett) and Rockville (Vacaville). This year’s squad had only three upper classmen. Senior and second-year letterman Branden Busby was high point on the
area’s premier soccer club is offering this new fall season program that includes two practices per week and one game per weekend. Volunteer parent coaches get free registration for their child. The 8-10 game season includes coaching education proUGLY EAGLES HOLDING BASKETBALL CAMPS vided by Diablo FC staff. Additional free clinics run by DFC NEXT 2 WEEKS coaches for rec players are offered in addition to team practices. Head coach Eric Bamberger and his record-setting Clayton Fee includes a uniform. Visit diablofc.org for details. Valley Charter High School coaches and players are offering two Ugly Eagles Basketball Camps this month for boys and girls. The CONCORD AYSO ACCEPTING sessions for incoming second through eighth graders are June FALL SOCCER REGISTRATIONS 11-15 and June 18-22. Sessions run from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. with the Concord AYSO has begun accepting registrations for their gym open an hour before and after the formal camp for pickup fall soccer program online. The fall season starts Aug. 1. There play. The camp includes offensive and defensive instruction and will be in-person registration on June 21 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at games. For more information and to register contact coach Concord Bible Church, 4975 Concord Blvd. The registration fee Bamberger by phone 726-9999 or email includes a uniform, ball and insurance. Visit concordayso.org to uglyeaglebballcamp@att.net. register and get more information.
KOHLER MAKES INTERNATIONAL DEBUT IN SINGLE SCULLS AT WORLD CUP IN SERBIA
2 DE LA SALLE SOCCER PLAYERS MAKE COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
Clayton’s Kara Kohler represented the U.S. last weekend in the first of three World Rowing Cups in Belgrade, Serbia in the women’s single sculls. Kohler, who won a bronze medal in the women’s quadruple sculls at the 2012 Olympics, competed in the single for the first time internationally. She recently won the women’s single at the USRowing National Selection Regatta I and followed that up by winning the double sculls with Felice Mueller in the National Selection Regatta II, finishing just over two seconds ahead of the reigning world championships’ silver medalists. After that race Kohler said, “We’re going to hop back in the singles and train a full week here and then we’re both going to race at World Cup 1 in Serbia, so that will be fun to be back in the single and spend some time there,” Kohler said.
DLS senior soccer players Luke Guisto (UC Davis) and James Person (St. Mary’s College) have made their college commitments official. Guisto was MVP of the East Bay Athletic League and part of the Spartan team that claimed the school’s 13th NCS championship this winter and a berth in the first-ever Northern California Regionals. Person and Guisto were three-year varsity members for DLS. Person, a three-time all-EBAL honoree, is also a member of the Diablo FC 99 competitive team.
TERRAPINS SUMMER SESSION BEGINS MONDAY; YEAR-ROUND REGISTRATION OPEN TOO
BRANDEN BUSBY
team while his classmate Jack Gallagher won the team Coaches Award and junior Luke Paschall was most improved. Skow is hoping that the roster grows again next year and is especially interested in adding
female bikers to the team. The CVCHS athletic boosters, Clayton Bikes and Mt. Diablo Landscape Center have helped fund the team. Visit cvchsmtb.com for more information on the program.
grades. Campers of all skill levels are invited to attend and learn proper football technique and develop individual confidence within a team philosophy. Campers will be instructed by head coach Ben Ballard and the Northgate football coaching staff with the most current football techniques. Camp fee includes camp shirt, snacks, fundamentals and techniques, competition, offensive and defensive instruction, individual awards, personal written evaluation and professional trainer on site. Visit northgatebroncos.org for more info and to register.
BEREAN CHRISTIAN TRAP TEAM SEEKS FUNDS FOR US OPEN TRAVEL
Coach Richard Walshin of Clayton has setup a Go Fund Me effort to raise funds for his Berean Christian High School trap shooting team to go to Las Vegas for the US Open competition July 9-14. The team includes seven girls and seven boys. The Open includes trap, skeet and sporting clay competitions. Visit GoFundMe.com and enter Berean Christian Trap Team to contribute.
CLAYTON VALLEY JR. EAGLES APPLICATIONS FOR FOOTBALL, CHEER OPEN UNTIL JULY 15
Boys and girls can register until July 15 for the fall Clayton Valley Jr. Eagles football and cheer programs. Football is open to boys and girls born between July 30, 2003 and July 31, 2012. Online registration is underway at cvaajreagles.com or email cvaajreagles@gmail.com.
CHECK WITH ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUES FOR SUMMER, FALL PROGRAMS
Youth leagues, clinics and tournaments are scheduled by All Terrapins summer session for Orange Group runs June 11- Out Sports Leagues in Clayton this summer and fall. For comAug. 9 at Concord Community Pool. Two practice time options plete information on All Out Sports programs, visit alloutsport(morning or late afternoon) are available for the Monday to sleague.com. CARONDELET GIRLS SPORTS CLINICS IN JULY Thursday sessions. The USA Swimming competitive team is INCLUDE 4 AT NEW SPORTS COMPLEX CONCORD COBRAS FOOTBALL, CHEER always open for new year-round membership. Visit the team Carondelet High School is offering summer sports clinics in website terrapinswim.com or call 680-8372 for more info. SIGNUPS TAKEN ONLINE July for incoming middle school girls in basketball, dance, Concord Cobras tackle football and cheer programs are taklacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The lacrosse, DIABLO FC OFFERS COMPETITIVE ing signups for the fall season online. The football and cheer soccer, swimming and tennis clinics will be held at the new TEAM SOCCER EVALUATIONS programs are open to youth six to 14 years of age. The Cobras Carondelet Athletics Complex in Walnut Creek with the others Diablo FC 8 under through under 19 competitive soccer cheer program is returning this year. For more info on football on the school’s Concord campus. The advanced sports clinics teams (birth years 2000-2011) have held formal tryouts for the email concordyouthfootball@yahoo.com or call 917-0785 and are for experienced middle school athletes looking to improve 2018-19 season. Players interested in joining Diablo FC should for cheer email CYFcobrascheer@gmail.com or call 383-1146. their skills and prepare for high school competition. Carondelet email director of coaching Zach Sullivan at Visit concordyouthfootball.com for more info. coaches and athletes will work on sport-specific fundamentals docdiablofc@gmail.com with any questions about the club or to and skills. Sessions are in the afternoon and early evening. Visit DE LA SALLE HOSTS SUMMER CAMPS arrange a player evaluation for players in birth years 2000-2011. carondeleths.org/summer for details and to register. Visit diablofc.org to get more info. BEGINNING THIS MONTH De La Salle High School hosts summer camps to provide a TERRAPINS SWIM TEAM OFFERING SUMMER STROKE 23RD ANNUAL RED DEVIL GOLF CLASSIC fun, skill-building week for boys and girls in June, July and AND RACING CLINICS AT NEW AQUATIC COMPLEX RETURNS JUNE 22 August. Appealing to local youth with a variety of athletic interTerrapins coaches Dan Cottam and Doug Reed will be teaching The Mt. Diablo High School Red Devil golf committee is ests, De La Salle will offer sessions for football, basketball, track four sessions of stroke and racing skills for the summer recreational holding its 23rd annual golf tournament on Friday, June 22, at and field, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, water polo, socswimmer. The goal is to help all participants improve/refine strokes. Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Registration starts at 11 cer, swimming, theatre/broadcasting, rugby and strength and In addition, the sessions will enhance racing skills like starts, breaka.m., followed by lunch, golf, dinner and raffle/silent auction. conditioning. DLS Camps are open to K through incoming outs, turns and finishes. Each session is two weeks, three days a Proceeds go to help academic and athletic programs at Mt. Dia- ninth graders. For more info email summercamps@dlshs.org or week (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). The sessions are June blo. Those interested in participating in the golf or dinner visit dlshs.org/athletics/camps-clinics. 11-21, June 25-July 5, July 9-19 and July 23-Aug. 2. For more info should contact Lou Adamo 212-9332 or louadamo@gmail.com and to register visit terrapinswim.com. MDSA FALL RECREATIONAL SOCCER PROGRAM or Ralph Vallis 825-7593 or rv76667@aol.com. For more information check reddevilclassic.com. GUARANTEED PLACEMENT ENDS JUNE 26 DIABLO FC FALL REC SOCCER PROGRAM Registration for Mt. Diablo Soccer Association’s fall recreREGISTRATION OPEN NORTHGATE YOUTH FOOTBALL TECHNIQUE ation program for boys and girls born 2000-2014 is open. Players Boys and girls of all skill levels in the 6U-19U (1999-2014) CAMP NEXT WEEK must register by June 26 for guaranteed placement on a team for age groups are invited to sign up for the Diablo FC fall rec socNorthgate High School’s Youth Football Technique Camp is fall league. Games begin mid-August. See mdsoccer.org for more cer program which runs from August through October. The next week, June 12-15, for players entering second through ninth info and to register. Serving Northern California for Over 30 Years
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Honors, from page 9
(NG). Honorable Mention- Caroline Levy, Victoria Stahl (NG), Gianna DuLong (CVC). EBAL Girls Carondelet First Team – Courtney Klausen, Jessica Davis. Honorable Mention- Kate Cilley, 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay.
BOYS TENNIS
DAL Second Team – Jonathan Louie/Levy Pikovskiy, Jay Bass/Jack Doggett (NG). Honorable Mention-Justin Emery (CVC), Noah Zakatlia (NG).
TRACK & FIELD
Ed and Patsy Waraner and Wyatt
DAL Foothill Boys First Team – Cameron Reynolds, Kyree Williams, Daylon Hicks, Andrew McGallian, Bryson Benjamin, Jordan Francis (CVC), Lorcan
Gabby Anderson (NG), Katie Rangel (CVC). EBAL Girls Carondelet First Team- Kelly Kern, Ariya ChestnutMcCormick, Austin Kresley (NG). Lockett. Second Team – Aryel Second Team- Justin Lowe, Bryan Coats, 4x100 Relay, Jayme Rodriguez, Sean Malley, James Blackard. Honorable MentionWard (CVC), Michael Wheeler, Kiersten Fouts, Mia Avila, 4x400 Jean-Peter Michiels (NG). Honor- Relay. able Mention – Scott Hashimoto, William Sornberger, Simon Lee, BOYS VOLLEYBALL Alex Young (NG), Dylan White, DAL Foothill MVP - Miks Isa Bennett (CVC). EBAL Boys De La Salle First Ramanis (NG). First Team-Jason Team- Miles Duncan, Connor Liv- Rupert (NG). Second Team – ingston, 4x100 Relay, 4x400 Brendan Thio (NG). Honorable Relay. Second Team – Armando Mention- Nicolas Lerma (NG). Nearez, Kyle Johnston. Honor- Valley First Team- Levi Hansen, able Mention- Cameron Ross, Cyrus Rajeski (CVC). Second Team – Matt Gabler, Kaleb Amir Wallace. DAL Girls First Team – Kayla Hansen (CVC). Honorable MenTurnage (CVC), Amy Christensen tion – Ken Guan (CVC). EBAL De La Salle First Team (NG). Second Team- Sofia Villa, Logan Bassi, Tyler Henderson. Jessica Ogu, Giselle Phelps, Glorianna Escobar (CVC), Eliza Second Team - Kyle McGrath. Cashman, Madison Cassidy Honorable Mention – Bryson Pat(NG). Honorable Mention – terson.
June 8, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 11
Velvet ant has a fiery personality
Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt, who specializes in stinging insects, wrote a book recently that became a wild best-seller – to the surprise of the publishing industry and readers around the world. Schmidt is qualified to write “The Sting of the Wild: The Man Who Got Stung for Science.” He’s been stung – sometimes by design – more than a thousand times. He has developed a widely used system called the Schmidt Pain Scale to rate stings from 1 to 4. An insect he rates as a memorable 4 is one you’ve seen while out hiking but may not have recognized: the velvet ant. Schmidt describes a 4 as “incapacitating” and “debilitating. It just takes you down.” While it may not do any real damage, it inscribes an unforgettable caution deep in your brain. The name velvet ant is
WILL CLANEY
TECH TALK
Edward may have said it best back in the 19th century when he quipped, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Of course, I am referring to Edward Murphy – who is associated with Murphy’s Law. Bay Area commuters know the law well. If you move into the lane that is moving, it will stop moving as soon as you arrive. Murphy’s Law at work. The same law applies to crashing hard drives or computer infections that wipe out all your data. Most users never think about their data disappearing – unless they have experienced it – so they make no provisions for recovering the most precious computer resource of all: you. Sure, a good tech can reload your operating system like Windows, reinstall Office,
wingless female wasp on the prowl for prey and a place to lay her eggs. Those colors are a warning: Stay away. Schmidt notes that velvet ants possess the longest, most agile stinger found within the insects. “Female velvet ants literally are micro-tanks on six strong, short legs,” he says. “They are as hard as a rock, sometimes so hard that entomologists bend the steel pins used to mount insects for study.” The males look so different that they are not usually noticed by humans, let alone identified. Schmidt says they appear “more like slow, furry, ill-defined flying insects.” The female does actually The velvet ant’s bright colors are designed to ward off inget a chance to fly, but not on terlopers. It’s sting rates a “4” on the Schmidt Pain Scale. her own power. At mating time, that furry, ill-defined descriptive but not helpful in enormous furry ant decked out male – which has wings but no identifying the bug. Sure in hazmat orange or yellow and stinger – may give her a lift for enough, it does look like an black. But it’s really a fierce, up to two hours. They mate in
Remembering Murphy– Don’t ignore data backups get your connection to email reestablished or load your favorite applications. But what about the stuff you were working on before the great disaster hit? One cannot retrieve data that isn’t there any longer. Yes, data recovery from your hard drive may be retrievable – but at a dear price and at great loss of productive time. There are several methods of backup. And you know, you should back up your stuff. But do you? No, you don’t. OK, some of you do. But many think it’s such a hassle and waste of time that backups frequently get skipped. I will spare you the eyeglazing details of the multiple methods of backup available. So here’s a brief overview. You could buy an external media (hard drive), install the software and set it to back up your files. You’re done – if your drive is connected and you’ve configured the software correctly. That’s about 22 cents per day. You could use commercial-
Titles, from page 8
STACI HOBBET
ON THE MOUNTAIN
tion, and she lets nothing get in the way of her headlong hunt. Because she has such a wicked sting, she can afford to take the quickest routes right out in the open – which is why we see these wasps crossing the trails so often.
Staci Hobbet is a docent with the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association; mdia.org.
Joe Ronco/Owner 925-872-3049 jaroncoconstruction.com
35 years Clayton/ Concord resident Lic#844344
ly available programs like Mosy, Carbon Copy or Drop Box. You still need to set up and monitor the backups yourself, which no help from them frankly. That’s about 36 cents per day. You could use a backup service that does it for you, but which one? Have you priced them? Or are you so uninterested in your data that you haven’t even checked? Let’s say there was a solution that does all the work for you. A professional will set up and monitor your backups, always. This service would
automatically back you up, never bug you about it, give you a daily report by email, make it easy to retrieve data should you lose it, be off-site and comply with all current government regulations and have HIPAA compliance as well. Would you spend 33 cents per day? Well, I wonder. Send an email and let me know about your backup nightmares. William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.
opener, the only game of their six playoff victories where they failed to reach double figures. They shattered the school record with 29 homeruns this spring. CVCHS returned to the NCS playoffs and won its opener 4-2 over Monte Vista before being eliminated by fourth seed Heritage in the quarterfinals. Boys Golf – De La Salle came up one shot short of first-place Campolindo in the NCS tournament but then went on to win the Northern California championship, this time edging Menlo by one stroke. The Spartans finished their year at the State Championships where they took fifth. Justin Hopkins paced DLS
at NorCals with a one over par scored good for fifth overall. At State, Garrett Coleman and Jack Gardner were the low meter. Her freshman teammate 500 free. scorers for DLS at +4. Jessica Davis was sixth in the Other NCS finalists were Lacrosse – Defending 100 backstroke. Cal Brown of CVCHS and Division I Section champion At the NCS championships Ryan Iannaccone of DLS. De La Salle (18-6) fell behind Carondelet was 5th in the girls Baseball – De La Salle will San Ramon Valley (22-2) 6-0 in standings while Northgate end the year as the No. 2 or 3 the first quarter and lost 15-7 (5th), De La Salle (7th) and ranked high school team in in the NCS boys championship Clayton Valley (9th) were Top California after their offense game. 10 on the boys side. rolled up four straight NCS CVCHS boys lost in the DI Sancov won the 200 and opponents by a combined 42-3 opening round. 500 free NCS finals and his scored with the last three In the girls tournament Bronco 400 free relay were also games all called early on the Northgate and Carondelet champions. Davis won the 100 10-run rule. Spartan pitches competed in the DI champiback, as did Weigelt in the 100 only allowed 13 hits over the onships with Northgate losing free (he also took eighth in the four games. to eventual champ Novato in 200 free). O’Connell won the Coach David Jeans’ team its opener and the Cougars 100 fly and was second in the won 21 of its final 22 games reach the quarterfinals. 50 free. that also included the East Bay Softball – Carondelet was Carondelet’s Christy Athletic League playoffs. They seeded fourth in the NCS DII Neufeld was third in the NCS scored nine runs in their NCS softball playoffs and the Cougars rode a little bit of luck all the way to the school’s first softball title in 19 years. The Cougars defeated four lower seeds as the top three seeds all fell before potential meetings with Carondelet. The Cougars won by at least four runs in each of their NCS outings. CVCHS was ousted in the opening round of the DI playoffs. Boys Volleyball – De La Salle was second seed in the Photo courtesy De La Salle Athletics NCS tournament and lost a De La Salle High golf had quite the post-season run by winning the EBAL tournament and four-set match to No. 3 IrvingNorthern California championship while missing out on the North Coast Section title by a single shot. The champion Spartans included, from left, head coach Terry Eidson, coach An- ton in the semi-finals. Irvington then beat defending champ drew Roberts, Jack Gardner, Mackade Mangels, Justin Hopkins, Brendan Hopkins, Mitchell Hoey, Garrett Coleman, coach Joe Rhodes and coach Jim Collins. The team took fifth at the Amador Valley the finals. recent State tournament.
mid-air while she gazes at the scenery. He drops her off someplace new, accomplishing the dispersal of genes she can’t do by wandering overland on foot. It’s astonishing to witness the ceaseless activity of these land-based female wasps. It’s also frustrating because it’s nearly impossible to take a good still photo of an insect that won’t hold still. It runs along frenetically like the White Rabbit, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” And it’s true: She may be too late. She’s an ever-hungry wasp full of eggs and needs several other insects’ nest to lay them in. The season is short, so there is an edge of despera-
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
T HE ARTS
June 8, 2018
New takes on ‘Freaky Friday,’ ‘Quixote’ and the Bard
SALLY HOGARTY
STAGE STRUCK In a change of pace from its usual musicals and dramas, Center Rep presents Disney’s “Freaky Friday” through June 30 in Walnut Creek. It’s based on Mary Rodgers comedic children’s novel that turned into several films and finally a stage version. The show tells of a disorganized, angst-filled teen unhappy about her mother’s impending marriage. Her mother, a widow, is the total opposite – organized to a fault as she runs her catering business. The day before the wedding, the two have another terrible argument. But as they play tug-of-war with a large hourglass, the glass breaks and the two magically change places. Needless to say, the daughter is not thrilled being in her mother’s body. Lots of fun characters, much craziness and more than a little understanding transpires before the magic can be undone.
Kevin Berne
Emilio Delgado, Juan Amador and Michele Apriña Leavy appear in Cal Shakes world premiere of “Quixote Nuevo” at the Bruns Theater in Orinda.
The music and lyrics of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (of “Next to Normal”) keep the action humming, along with fun dance sequences choreographed by Jennifer Perry. Jeff Collister directs a multi-talented cast headed by Lynda DiVito (mother) and Olivia Jane Mell (daughter). It was a nice surprise to see 10-year-old Tyler Patrick Hennessy (son). I had the fun of interviewing him and his family as he performed around the country in the national tour of “Finding Neverland.”
Kevin Berne
Olivia Jane Mell and Lynda DiVito share the stage in Center Rep’s “Freaky Friday” through June 30.
This is a family-oriented, feel good musical with lots of fast action, colorful costumes and another fantastic set by the amazing Kelly Tighe. The Lesher Center for the Arts is at 1601 Civic Dr. For tickets, call 925-943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. California Shakespeare Theater opens its season with a non-Shakespeare selection: the world premiere of “Quixote Nuevo.” Former Bay Area playwright Octavio Solis created a music-filled, contemporary retelling of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel “Don Quixote.” The action moves to a fictional modern-day border town where an aging Don Quixote loses himself in stories of chivalrous escapades. Emilio Delgado, best known for his long-running role as Luis on “Sesame Street,” plays Quixote. “Quixote Nuevo” runs June 13-July 1 at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda. Call 510-809-3290 or go to www.calshakes.org. Meanwhile, the Bard takes center stage at the Lesher Center as two different productions get ready to open.
Disappointing ‘Deadpool’– I expected something better JEFF MELLINGER
SCREEN SHOTS
Have you ever been watching a movie and wondered what the creators were thinking when they made it? “Deadpool 2” tells you several times. Ryan Reynolds’ fourth-wallbreaking, unkillable, foulmouthed “superhero” returns in a much more personal film than its predecessor. Director David Leitch (“Atomic Blonde”) pulls off an impressive feat with what could be considered a modest budget of $110 million when compared with other Marvel films. Deadpool becomes somewhat humanized, yet the film has its drawbacks. One thing both “Deadpool” films do extremely well is dark comedy. “Deadpool 2” doubles down on that aspect by really trying to get you to laugh during some very gloomy moments. Suicides, dismemberments, child abuse and the death of a teammate are all entwined with comedy. Reynolds and gang truly do have a great comedic timing.
It is certainly a nice break when you can bust your gut laughing at a superhero movie. But without giving too much away, I will say it is difficult to feel pathos during the one scene that actually calls for it. Deadpool is driven by vengeance and grief throughout the film. It is this drive that makes him look inward when he sees himself in a fiery, teenage mutant named Rusty. Rusty/Firefist (Julian Dennison) is angry because the doctors at his home for mutant children are severely abusing him. He’s so enraged that he keeps having episodes where he cannot control his abilities. Pulling double bad guy duty after being Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War,” Josh Brolin does a nice turn as the uptight enforcer, Cable – who shows up from the future trying to kill Firefist. Deadpool feels it’s his duty to calm the kid down and to keep him from murdering anyone. It’s nice to see Deadpool find his own humanity, but in the end, I wish it could have led to something deeper. The winking, subversive look into the X-men/Marvel universe continues to be a high point of the “Deadpool” films. The fact
that there’s hardly anyone there every time Deadpool goes to the X-mansion continues to be quite funny. The forming of X-force, while basically stalling the main plot completely, is also a hilarious bit. With its relatively low budget, “Deadpool 2” bites off more than it can chew in the effects department. Some of the major visual effects fall flat, looking like they belong in a superhero ripoff film. Fox Studios is absolutely rolling in money. It’s a joke that they couldn’t spare some more millions to make the effects look proper. Despite its shortcomings, “Deadpool 2” returns us to a universe that I want to see more. The introductions of Cable, Domino and X-force are intriguing for what the future holds. I hope things will be taken at least a little more seriously. As a fan of X-force comics, I want to see Deadpool fit into that universe – rather than overwhelm it. B
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
First, it’s Tony Award-winning actor Len Cariou, known for his Broadway triumphs in “Sweeney Todd,” “A Little Night Music” and “Applause,” as well as on television as Tom Selleck’s father on “Blue Bloods.” Cariou performs his one-man show, “Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare and Song,” June 21-24. In this evening of verse and song, Cariou combines his two great loves – Shakespeare and American musical comedy. For tickets, call 925943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. Then July 12-14, a very different type of Shakespeare comes to the Lesher as the comedy improv troupe of Syn-
ergy Theater performs “Spontaneous Shakespeare,” a completely improvised, two-act play in the style of the Immortal Bard. “We do our best to emulate the style rather than send it up,” explains Kenn Adams, Synergy Theater’s artistic director. “We try to figure out just what makes Shakespeare Shakespeare. As it turns out, his plays are full of outrageous comedy – bawdy humor, double-entendres, wild disguises, mistaken identities, broad physical humor and a lot of very groan-worthy puns and wordplay.” For an evening of mayhem, mirth and merriment, call 925943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. Clayton Theatre company’s Summer Stage 2018 begins July 9. The three-week
Carol Rosegg
Len Cariou stars in his acclaimed solo show, “Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare and Song,” at the Lesher Center.
musical theater camp for ages 6-16 concludes with a performance of “Seussical, The Musical Jr.” on July 26. For more information, call 925222-9106, email claytontheatrecompany@comcast.net or go to www.claytontheatrecompany.com. So many shows begin this time of the year but, unfortunately, it’s also a time of saying good-bye. Pittsburg Community Theatre held a Celebration of Life for Betty Brown in May, and now June brings another remembrance of a larger-than-life theater personality. Kip Wixon, who performed for decades throughout the East Bay, lost his battle with cancer on May 24. I had the privilege of performing opposite him in the Altarena Playhouse’s production of “The Gin Game.” He often drove me crazy, but he also constantly amazed me with his talent. We became close friends, and I will miss our long talks and the plans we had for doing one more show together once he got stronger. I imagine he’s doing that show in another arena now, with a heavenly selection of Broadway stars for my part. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. June 15 at All Saints Catholic Church, 22870 2nd St., Hayward. Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com
Plot out a floor plan before buying furniture
JENNIFER LEISCHER
DESIGN & DÉCOR
It’s movie night, and there’s nothing better than cuddling up with family and friends on super comfortable furniture that’s perfectly placed within your great room. The sectional, the fireplace and the television are all perfectly aligned. A leather upholstered ottoman is used as a coffee table and the height is just right – a perfect place to kick up your feet. There are tables on either side of the sectional for you to place your beverage and bowl of popcorn, and ambient lighting is placed in key locations for a warm and cozy glow. The perfect movie night indeed. Getting to this ultimate comfort zone means you have done your due diligence and created a living space that was thoughtfully pulled together. There’s no such thing as an instant floor plan. But if you thoughtfully planned out your living space and shopped with that plan in mind, you can have a space that gently sighs “Ahhhhhh.” Shopping for furniture means more than visiting your favorite furniture retailer, online or in person, to find your furniture style and color. There are several steps to ensure that the furniture you purchase will not only look
Comfy and cozy décor that fits the room make movie night a hit with family and friends.
good, but also will fit into your living space. Measuring your living space should be the first step when setting out to buy new furniture. Whether you’re measuring for a single piece of furniture or a room full, take the time to make sure you have accurate dimensions. Consider design elements like windows, doors, fireplaces and other things that protrude into the living space or could make furniture placement a challenge. Also plan how you will get your new furniture into your living space. Sometimes furniture is just too big to fit into certain living spaces due to ceiling heights, turning radiuses or doorway entrances. Once you have verified your living space dimensions, or floor plan, you’re ready to start shopping – that’s the fun stuff. Sofa or sectional? Lounge chair and ottoman or recliner? Leather or fabric? Upholstered or slipcovered? Plain or patterned fabric? A typical frame depth of 36 inches or a more luxe and fabulous frame depth of 42 inches or more? These are questions you’re going to be hit with as soon as you start your
furniture search, and they are important decisions that will determine how your living space ultimately comes together. But not to worry. You have your floor plan, so you know what pieces will fit in your living space and what won’t. You also have an idea of color and texture. And at the top of your furniture list, you know the functions that will take place in this living space. You’ve got this. Using your newly created floor plan, start the designing process: a pair of sofas facing each other, a grouping of four leather chairs anchored by an incredible round coffee table, a sectional that fits your living space just right with enough seating to accommodate your son’s entire baseball team. Whatever size your living space may be, whatever aesthetic and whatever flow you’d like to create, use your floor plan as a guide to your living space success. Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com.
June 8, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Page 13
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cessfully in “Helping seniors live suc their own homes.”
Monthly Mixer
Everyone Welcome –
Members, volunteers, and just plain curious. Your chance to join CVV and reap the benefits
Tuesday, June 19, 4-6 p.m.
Clayton Club 6096 Main St., Clayton No Host Bar – No Reservations Needed Free Appetizers
Clayton Community Calendar
For more info
925-626-0411 or www.claytonvalleyvillage.org
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. JUNE 27 FOR THE JULY 8 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
IN CLAYTON
Saturdays: June 9, 23 Concerts in the Grove
6 – 8:30 p.m. Grove Park. Free. ci.clayton.ca.us. For a complete concert series list, see Page 3.
Saturdays Farmers’ Market
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 6095 Main St. pcfma.org.
June 13, 27 Wednesday Classic Car Show
Car show and DJ music. 6 – 8 p.m. 6099 Main St. Free. ci.clayton.ca.us.
July 4 Pancake Breakfast and Parade
Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St.; parade on Main Street at 10 a.m. Breakfast: $7 adults; $5 kids. No registration for Kiddie Parade. Register for main parade at ci.clayton.ca.us.
IN CONCORD
Tuesdays Farmers’ Market
Year round, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza. cityofconcord.org.
Thursdays Music and Market
Thursday night live music and farmers’ market. Music: June 14, Dakila; June 21, Lumberyard; June 28, The Highway Poets; July 5, Mariachi Mexicanisimo. Market 4 – 8 p.m.; music 6:30 – 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza. cityofconcord.org.
Second Thursday of the Month Advance Health Care Directives
Legal clinic to prepare and notarize advance health care directives for seniors 60 and older in Contra Costa County. 9:15 11:30 a.m. Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle. Free. Call for appointment (925) 671-3320.
3rd Sundays Antique Faire
Antiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concordantiquefaire.com.
June, July Concerts
The Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road. See full concert schedule for 2018 at livenation.com. June 13: Chicago, REO Speedwagon, 7:30 p.m. June 21: Chris Brown, 7 p.m. June 22: Kevin Hart, 8 p.m. July 1: Spirit West Coast, 3 p.m. July 14: KIDZ BOP, 6 p.m. July 24: Imagine Dragons, 7 p.m.
June 14 Emergency Communications Class
Learn about HF or VHF/UHF portable operations. Held by Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club. 7 - 9 p.m. Salvation Army, 3950 Clayton Road. Free. Register at mdarc.org/activities/education/auxiliary-classes-2018.
June 16 Corvette Car Show
Hosted by Diablo Valley Corvettes. 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free to spectators; $25 car entrants. For more information, contact Bill at coupe66@gmail.com or (510) 332-5669.
July 4 Celebration
Pancake breakfast, Stars and Stripes 5K fun run/walk, parade, unveiling of statue of Don Salvio Pacheco to celebrate Concord’s 150th anniversary, festival, fireworks. Events start at 7:30 a.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. For more details, go to starsandstripesrun.com and concordjuly4th.com.
ON AND AROUND THE MOUNTAIN
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve programs are available for registration through ebparks.org. Parking fees may apply. For additional information, contact Black Diamond Visitor Center at (510) 544-2750 or bdvisit@ebparks.org.
June 9 Edge of Night
Walk in a mountainous park known for wondrous surprises. 5 – 9 p.m. Meet at Morgan Territory Staging Area.
June 10 Mine Open House
Self-guided tours through newly expanded mine passageways. 12 – 4:30 p.m.
June 17 Oak Apples
Discover the not-so-tasty truth behind these and other weird fruits and make an oak-y craft to take home. 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Meet at Black Diamond Mines.
June 23 Snakes, Fast and Slow
Take a walk and learn how endangered creatures rely on parks like these. 9 – 11 a.m. Meet at Black Diamond Mines.
June 24 Owl Barfology
Swoop in to see how owls are our allies. 1 – 2 p.m. Meet at Black Diamond Mines.
June 30 Great Granites to Glass Bottles
Investigate the mysteries of sand. 9 – 11 a.m. Meet at Black Diamond Mines.
Mount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free with the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click on Event Calendar for more information.
June 10 Round the Mountain Hike
Stunning views in all directions. 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Meet at Juniper Campground.
June 10 Snakes and Reptiles
3:30 p.m. Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $10 suggested donation. Reservations requested: mkting@cocohistory.org or (925) 229-1042.
June 17 Escher String Quartet
Presented by Chamber Music San Francisco. 3 p.m. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $50. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
June 21 – 24 “Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare and Song”
Featuring Len Cariou. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $40. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
June 23 “Tribute to the Music of John Denver”
Starring Jim Curry. 2 and 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $12-$29. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
June 29 – July 1 “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Presented by Broadway Repertory Theater. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $14-$25. elcampaniltheatre.com. Drop in to meet several local snakes. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Summit (925) 757-9500. Museum.
June 22 Common Poorwill Bird Walk
Hike and listen to the birds of the early evening. 7 – 10:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required: blkittiwake@yahoo.com.
June 23 Solstice Evening Hike
Hike begins at Coulter Pond looking for toads and frogs. 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required: sweettrails00@gmail.com.
June 30 “Roots from the West”
Presented by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. 7 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $25. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
FUNDRAISERS
2nd and 4th Sundays Pancake Breakfast California Red-legged frog
Save Mount Diablo’s Discover Diablo is a free public hike series. Go to discover-diablo.eventbrite.com for more information.
June 9 Mangini Ranch Evening Tour
Find out what wakes up once the sun goes down on the Mangini Ranch property. 7 – 10 p.m. Meet at Crystyl Ranch hiker gate. Reservations required.
June 23 Castle Rock Family Hike
Leisurely stroll along Pine Creek. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Meet at Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area. Reservations required.
July 7 Wright Canyon Evening Property Tour
Beat the summer heat. 7 – 10 p.m. Meet at Wright Canyon. Reservations required.
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thru June 23 “A Doll’s House”
Adapted for B8 Theatre Company by Annie Potter. 2292 Concord Blvd., Concord. $15-$25. b8theatre.org. (925) 890-8877.
Thru June 30 “Freaky Friday”
An overworked mother and her teenager daughter magically swap bodies. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38-$79. centerrep.org. (925) 943-7469.
June 9 Summer Cabaret Series
Spencer Day performs. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $18-$20. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 7579500.
June 10 Concert
Benjamin Beilman, violin. Presented by Chamber Music San Francisco. 3 p.m. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $50. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
June 10 June Demonstration
Presented by The Ballet School. 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $28. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
June 15 – 16 “The Show 2018”
Presented by Dance Fusion Company. 7 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $25. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
June 16 History Talk and Book Signing
“Highway 21: The Farm Road that Became an Interstate” presented by local historians John Mercurio and Steve Minniear. 2 –
Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfwpost1525.org.
June 16 Bowl to Benefit Families
Proceeds go to the C.O.P.E. Family Support Center. 6 p.m. Clayton Valley Bowl, 5300 Clayton Road, Concord. $25. copefamilysupport.org. (925) 689-5811.
June 16 Plant Sale
Plants selected for the pollinators in our summer-dry climate. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Markham Regional Arboretum Society Nursery. 1202 La Vista Ave., Concord. Free admission. markhamarboretum.org.
AT THE LIBRARY
The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonlibrary.org or call (925) 673-0659.
June 11: Clayton Knits, 1:30 p.m. June 11: Clayton Library Book Club, 7 p.m. June 11: Road Scholar Ambassador Presentation, 7 p.m. June 21: Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea craft, 4 p.m.
The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or (925) 646-5455.
Thru Aug. 4: Summer Reading Program June 9: AARP Tax Help by appointment, (925) 405-5135 June 10: Mystery Book Club, 1 p.m. June 11: Teokalli Aztec Dancers, 7 p.m. June 13: Tween Giftables, 4 p.m. Registration required. June 14: Write from the Heart, 6 p.m. June 19, 21, 26, 28: Lunch in the Library, 1 p.m. June 20: School’s Out: An Afternoon Outside, 3 p.m. June 21: Travel Adventures with a Road Scholar, 6 p.m. June 23: Finance Workshop, 11 a.m. Registration required. June 25: Protecting Yourself from Fraud and Scams, 4 p.m. June 30: Bicycle-Friendly Driver Workshop, 2 p.m.
GOVERNMENT
1st and 3rd Tuesdays Clayton City Council
7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. (925) 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission
7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. (925) 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
Meeting dates and times for local clubs and organizations are listed at claytonpioneer.com. Click on ‘Links’
Page 14
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Resendiz Farms bring familiar faces to the Clayton Market
Customers flock to the Resendiz Farms booth for quality produce. DEBRA MORRIS Pacific Coast Farmers Market
The Clayton Farmers Market is now open for the season, operating 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday downtown. The market offers a nice variety of fruits and vegetables, baked goods, eggs and hot food. While you’re there, stroll over to the Resendiz Farms
SUSAN SAPPINGTON
CLOTHESUP
Much of men’s style advice revolves around suiting up or whatever’s trendy this season, but that’s not what many men want. They want to make a better first impression on people they
booth and you’ll be greeted by family members watching over their just-picked produce. This time of year, they’re providing luscious apricots, peaches and nectarines, to be followed in the coming months by plums, pluots, apriums and tomatoes. In the late summer, watch for their fabulous melons and grapes. Francisco Resendiz, patri-
arch of this multi-generational farming endeavor, was brought to the United States to work the fields. He returned home for a short while, where he was discouraged about not finding a job he could believe in. One day he saw a logo that said “Agriculture Feeds the World,” and he was inspired to start his own farm. He saved every penny he could and bought land. Finally in 1988, with some acreage planted and ready to harvest, he was able to open the Resendiz Family Fruit Barn with one cooler and a small roadside stand. Soon he realized he was doing well enough on the farm to expand to a full shop. They now have a popular retail shop in Hughson that offers all the wonderful produce they grow. In addition, they sell at many Bay Area farmers markets throughout the year with produce that spans the seasons, including pumpkins, dried fruits and nuts. “We love to go to all the farmers markets,” he says. “We have been going to farmers markets for over 20 years. We always try our best to bring the freshest fruit to each one.” They take special care to select and grow specific varieties that emphasize flavor, with a focused determination
It’s time to man up, fashion-wise meet in everyday life. They want to look good without looking too flashy. Really, they just want a better-dressed version of themselves. And that version still likes to keep it casual. Here are some tips for guys who want to look sharp outside of a suit and tie. Stop dressing like a boy. Many men aim to look youthful. But if you want to look
well-dressed, you should always aim to look mature. After all, maturity is what separates the men from the boys. Maturity shows masculinity and commands respect, and it’s a quality you want people to see in you. That doesn’t mean you have to dress like your dad; it just means you have to avoid
See Clothes, page 18
Mature men should aim for a finished look. But don’t give up your jeans and t-shirt. Opt instead for a a Henley shirt with straight leg jeans in the right length. Or mix up that jeans look with a pair of gray chinos.
to bring the best-tasting produce to market. Their products are pesticide-free and sustainably grown, ensuring that they maintain healthy communities.
Olive oil to taste Honey to taste Salt and pepper to taste
Wrap ricotta in cheesecloth and let sit until cheesecloth is CROSTINI WITH damp, about 15 minutes. This GRILLED PEACHES will thicken the ricotta. 1 French bread loaf, sliced Remove cheesecloth and mix 4 yellow peaches, cut into ricotta with a dash of salt and wedges lemon zest. Refrigerate ricotta 2 c. ricotta until you are ready to spread it Zest from one lemon on the crostini.
Get up and go – on a safari
June 8, 2018
Brush sliced bread with olive oil. Grill both sides until crusty. Toss the peaches with salt, pepper and olive oil. Grill over high heat until there are sear marks on both sides. Remove from heat and let them come to room temperature. Spread ricotta onto grilled bread. Layer on the peaches and drizzle with honey. Recipe courtesy Cookin’ the Market, PCFMA
Virtuoso
On safaris, travelers can see wildlife in their natural habitat – such as this giraffe in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
ROBERT CASEY PLACES TO GO
On May 19, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked down the aisle in the most anticipated wedding of the year. And their reported royal honeymoon on an African safari illustrates a rising trend in travel. According to Travel + Leisure magazine, the royal couple have reportedly chosen to honeymoon in Namibia and go on a safari, an experience that has become a “bucket list” item for many travelers. A source tells the magazine that the couple will be staying at the southwest African nation’s newest luxury camp, Hoanib Valley Camp. The camp is described as “the world’s only African-wide giraffe conservation organization.” Decades of population growth, poaching and loss of habitat have wreaked havoc in many areas of Africa, so conservation has become a prime focus for leading safari outfitters, such as Micato Safaris and Abercrombie & Kent. Safaris have come a long way from the days of gamehunting expeditions in colonial Africa, when Hollywood depicted travelers in elaborate safari suits and sun helmets. As officials designate more national parks and emphasize conservation, there are exciting new safari options – including “glamping,” sleeping in luxurious tents set up in remote areas for better views of wildlife migrations.
925.348.5609 Nick Eisenbart
Owner/Service Provider Concord resident
Here are some details of Africa’s 10 most popular safari destinations, according to Fodor’s guides: Maasai Mara National Reserve. Africa’s most popular safari destination features dramatic game viewing, including a July-October migration of millions of wildebeest that makes the ground vibrate. Safaris to this Kenyan destination often include neighboring Tanzania. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve. This Ugandan area is home to about half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The landscape is spectacular, with volcanoes and waterfalls shrouded in mist. Etosha National Park. Home to Africa’s tallest elephants, the endangered black rhino and cheetahs, this Namibian preserve features Onguma Treetop Camp built on stilts in the treetops. Chobe National Park. Situated in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Chobe is a major location for spotting wild dog, cheetah and brown hyena. Hwange National Park. You will find one of the world’s largest populations of elephants here on the banks of Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River. Kruger National Park. One of Africa’s oldest and bestmaintained parks, this South African preserve is known as the easiest place to spot the Big Five: lions, elephants, Cape buffalo, leopards and rhinoceros. Volcanoes National Park. This park features misty rainforest, volcanoes, grasslands and tranquil lakes over three nations: Rwanda, Uganda and Congo, where gorillas are the featured attraction. Zambezi Valley. Zambia’s national parks are a haven of hippo, elephant and bird life. Serengeti National Park. Perhaps the best-known park in Africa, the Serengeti annually hosts 1.5 million wildebeest
and 250,000 zebras migrating through Tanzania. Lions are abundant, and the Grumeti River has some of the largest Nile crocodiles in the world. Gorongosa National Park. This is Mozambique’s flagship reserve, once attracting more visitors than South Africa and Zimbabwe combined. After years of war, the area is regaining its reputation as a game-viewing destination.
Robert Casey is president of Fair Winds Cruises & Expeditions in Clayton. You can contact him at 925-787-8252 or by email at caseyrdc@gmail.com. Or visit the website fairwindscruises.com.
If You Go
Va c c i n a t i o n s . While your safari location and personal health history are factors, the World Health Organization generally recommends vaccinations for yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and rabies. Malaria is also a risk, so talk to your doctor about ways to avoid mosquito bites. Documentation. In addition to a U.S. passport valid for at least three months after your return, a number of countries, including Kenya, require a visa. Check the State Department’s website at travel.state.gov for more information. Travel insurance. This is a must for exotic adventures such as safaris. Select a policy that covers medical cancellation, illness, emergency evacuation and associated hospital treatments.
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June 8, 2018
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Senior Living
Snoring — The nighttime buzzkill
Maggie Lemmon magine my chagrin when the new love of my life nudged me awake on one of our first sleepovers because I was snoring. Loudly. Yes, ladies we do it too. Men snore more until the big M –
I
menopause – equals the playing field and women show an increase in the nightly habit. Snoring is caused by a restriction in the airway during sleep. Tissues in the throat flop around, creating a cacophony of other wordily sounds and whistles that can wreak havoc on our health and relationships.
Sleep experts maintain that the sound of snoring can vary from 60 to 100 decibels – on par with a vacuum cleaner or, in extreme cases, a motor bike or chainsaw. No wonder many partners cover their ears with pillows or head to the serenity of another bedroom in their quest for some good ZZZs. Snoring gets worse as we age. People over 60 are twice as likely to snore as the general population. Weight gain is a common reasons for age-related snoring. “As we get older, the pattern of weight gain changes and we often gain weight around the neck – so the throat space becomes narrower,” says Raphael Pelayo of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center. “Muscle tone also decreases; that’s why we snore more. For women, menopausal hormonal changes contribute to weight gain and snoring increases.”
Relationships and intimacy can suffer. With chainsaw noises going on in the bedroom, it’s difficult to bring the sexy back. It also doesn’t help if we are fuming and resentful because our partners sleep soundly and noisily, oblivious to our lack of sleep. Jennifer Ross Taylor, who has written extensively about snoring, calls it the “silent relationship killer.” “Lots of times, snoring is accepted as ‘just is’ with not many solutions to the problem – leaving many couples creating more distance and problems within their relationship,” she says. Running to separate bedrooms or shaming the snorer doesn’t help, says Ross Taylor, who suggests communication is the key to helping resolve the problem. “Talk to the snorer about how snoring is adversely affect-
Senior moment... or more? often hear my contemporaries puzzle about where their glasses are (usually on the tops of their heads) or where they put the book they were reading or, even worse, what book were they reading. Is memory loss really a foregone conclusion as we age? An interesting theory I heard not too long ago (and remembered) was “the older you are the more information you have stored in your brain, therefore, it takes longer to fer-
I
ret out the answer you’re seeking.” As satisfying as it is to think I have so much stored facts and figures in my noggin’ that it takes me longer than younger people to come up with the answer I desire, I just don’t buy it. This hypothesis might ring true if all human beings had been acquiring the same amount of knowledge at any given stage of life but we seem to be experiencing forgetfulness at different ages and at varying rates.
Christine Kogut The Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University has found that RbAp48, a protein in the hypocampus, decreases as we age, therefore contributing significantly to “senior moments.” Dr. Scott Small reports the finding should allay fears that normal mild cogni-
and become part of our friendly, caring and active community. Member benefits include
• A wide range of services provided by screened volunteers – transportation, handyman services, technical support and more. • Social and educational programs – monthly mixers, birthday luncheons, lunch-and-learn programs, day trips, and special interest groups. • Monthly Newsletter and Member Website.
tive impairment, or forgetfulness, may be a precursor to dementia but not to Alzheimer’s Disease, which is caused by the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. If you have difficulty recalling the whereabouts of your glasses or book, that’s pretty common. But if you become fuzzy about where you live, then you need some help. Hopefully feeding our brains with the nutrients they need, like any other organ in the body, might stave off absentmindedness. Spinach, eggs, lean beef, walnuts, Yerba Mate tea, lentils, beets, oats, sardines, and flax are all touted as idea-inspiring brain foods. There is no single test that proves a person has Alzheimer’s. A diagnosis is made through a complete assessment that considers all possible causes. If you suspect you or a loved has Alzheimer’s, talk to your doctor. For more information on Alzheimer’s or to find a support group, go to https://www.alz.org. Christine Kogut has lived in the area for more than 40 years and is a former marketing director for the Concord Senior Citizens Club.
Yearly dues are reasonable:
$600 per year per individual or $900 per year per household. Dues can be paid monthly: $50/month per individual, $75/month per household.
For less than $2 a day, you can feel more secure, never isolated, and enjoy life more fully. For more information, contact us at 925-626-0411 or village.clayton@gmail.com
Visit our website at
www.claytonvalleyvillage.org Clayton Valley Village is a 501c3 non-profit organization run by an elected Board of Directors.
ing the relationship, but also try to be sensitive and understanding,” she says. “Most importantly, make sure it is not sleep apnea – as that is a serious medical condition and needs medical attention.” For natural solutions to snoring, doctors recommend losing weight, avoiding alcohol near bedtime, sleeping on our backs while keeping the room free of allergens and quitting smoking. Other solutions include nasal strips, chin wraps and a CPAP machine, which is usually used for more serious conditions. The American Academy of Seep Medicine recommends a
snoring mouthpiece as a first treatment option for seniors, such as the aptly named MAD (Mandibular Advancement Devices) or TSD (Tongue Stabilizing Device), which is particularly effective if you wear dentures. With a mind-boggling amount of products available to help aid snoring, Ross Taylor says there is no reason that couples have to live with snoring at all. Send questions or suggestions for future topics to editor@pioneerpublishers,com
Village It takes a Faith Barnidge
oday’s seniors are creating new retirement options that defy the expectations of previous generations. Thanks to medical advances leading to a longer quality of life, sound retirement planning and the will to maintain control over their lives, single and coupled seniors are finding that they can continue to live comfortably in their own homes as they age – with a little help from their friends and neighbors. Senior homeowners have established a new retirement community model that fits their lifestyle and independence by banding together as homeowners in established neighborhoods and agreeing to help each other age in place as long as they are able. This village concept features neighbors who volunteer to help each other with local transportation, shopping and referrals while creating opportunities for group social activities. After starting in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, the village model has grown to more than 400 sites across the nation – including nearly 100 in California. For seniors who seek to choose and manage their own care and rehabilitation services at home, the village is an alternative to assisted living residences. Most villages are in urban or suburban communities, including three in our own backyard.
T
Managed independently, Clayton Valley Village, Lamorinda Village and Walnut Creek Village have formed a Diablo Villages partnership community for members to enjoy social and educational events together. Clayton Valley Village (CVV) is a member-funded nonprofit organization representing a group of senior citizens in Clayton and south Concord who have created a local framework for neighbors to help neighbors age in place in their own homes. “The concept of neighbors helping neighbors with our screened volunteer services is one of the cornerstones of Clayton Valley Village, an intergenerational community organized to help members remain active, involved and independent in their own homes,” said Clayton resident Sonja Wilkin, a member of the initial task force and now president of the CVV board. “At the same time, CVV provides educational, cultural and social activities,” she added. “We have learned that forming this community and making new friends has been as important as the services offered.” Members invest funds in their local village to offset insurance and other expenses, including website maintenance, speakers and venue rental. CVV membership is $600 a year per person. Village members enjoy neighborhood camaraderie and social activities that stave off boredom and isolation, volunteer to help each other with small chores, and refer vetted homeowner and home health services to other members. Scores of member activities are included in monthly newsletters on an up-to-date website, www.claytonvalleyvillage.org. Villagers participate as a group in community events, such as the Clayton Art & Wine Festival, Clayton Cleans Up, Oktoberfest, bocce teams and marching in the Clayton Independence Day Parade. New members are always welcome. Prospective members can attend coffees, mixers and other social activities, including a monthly social opportunity on the third Tuesday afternoon each month. Save the date for a Meet & Greet on July 19 on the Clayton Club patio. Village members will also make themselves available for questions at the Clayton Farmers Market throughout June and July. Register your interest on the website or contact Wilkin at 925-6722689 or sonjawilkin@gmail.com.
Schools
Page 16
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 8, 2018
CVCHS honors shining stars with Altair awards Two Clayton residents are among the four Altair award winners at Clayton Valley Charter High School this year. In 1960, Clayton Valley’s first graduating class named the awards Altair for the brightest star in the Constellation Aquila – also known as the Eagle. Clayton resident Natalie Johnson received this year’s Leadership Altair. Teacher Gregory Rosewell, who presented the award, said Johnson intuitively understands that the way you make people feel matters. “People do their best work when they feel challenged and supported by a community of people who genuinely care for them, and the Leadership Altair has practiced this with me for the past four years,” Rosewell said. “She has worked to create experiences for others that build them up and help them discover who they are as
Julia Urteaga
Carondelet High School
Congratulations on your Graduation. We are very proud of you and your accomplishments. We know that you will do wonderful things at UC Davis. Work hard and dream big!
Lots of Love, Mom & Carly
BEN BREON GRAND ALTAIR
people and as leaders.” Rosewell, who has a daughter and is expecting another, said he now looks at his students as role models for his own children. “Natalie Johnson is a powerful example of who my daughters will hopefully someday become.” Meanwhile, teacher Sayad Anwar said Service Altair winner John Cook of Clayton exemplifies selfless community involvement. “This student has worked hard to make this school and community a better place by per-
forming countless hours of community service,” Anwar said. “This student stands out for how much he cares about his school and community by initiating numerous programs, such as the gardening club and Pennies for Patients to raise money for children with leukemia.” Anwar said Cook is known for his character and intelligence. “He is a born leader and able to lead his peers without an ego.” Scholarship Altair winner Priyanka Sai combined hard work and dedication to achieve a GPA of 4.39. She has taken 13
The Clayton Business and Community Association rewarded 11 high-achieving seniors with a total of $35,000 in scholarships to Clayton resi-
dents based on grades, community service and need. All recipients are graduating from CVCHS this month except Ryan Sheffield who graduates from De La Salle. The following students each received $4,000: Mackenzie Curtis will attend DVC in the fall and plans to be an elementary school teacher. Ethan Floyd will attend The Master’s University in Santa Clarita and major in kinesiology. Logan Schoffstall will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis where he will major in Aeronautical Engineering. Jared Xia will major in biophysics and biochemistry at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Sarah Concepcion and Ryan Sheffield each received $3,000. Sarah will attend St. Mary’s College and major in Allied Health. Ryan will be an Economics major at Ohio State University. Receiving $2,600 scholarships are: Katherine Amos will attend Western Washington University and major in Biology; Carly Lynch will major in Liberal
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AP & Honors courses and been part of the Medical Academy for four years. “She is funny, determined and creative,” said teacher Elizabeth Hawkes. “It is not often that I have a student who is so dedicated and passionate about her chosen field and who has worked so hard to attain these goals. It’s also rare that I have a student who wants to bring a pig brain home with her after a dissection.” Sai will attend UC Berkeley to major in biochemistry and molecular biology. “She has a
bright future in store and will make a great contribution to the health-care field,” Hawkes said. Members of the senior class select Altair candidates, and a committee of student leaders and teachers make the final vote. The 2018 committee presented the Grand Altair, the highest award, to Ben Breon. Anwar, one of Breon’s teachers in the Public Service Academy, has enjoyed watching Breon mature over the last four years. “The student receiving this
PRIYANKA SAI SCHOLARSHIP ALTAIR
award is wise beyond his years, and he has always led by example,” Anwar said in presenting the award. “This student exemplifies leadership and service. He genuinely cares about his community, and he has worked every year to make this school and his community a better place.” Anwar said Breon is always willing to help his peers and community. “His peers and teacher hold him in high esteem, and we often depend on him to set the best example of an outstanding student at our school.”
Local seniors awarded CBCA scholarships
Summer Program
Congratulations on an outstanding four years. You’ve been a joy and an inspiration to all who know you. We love you and can’t wait to see the next chapter.
NATALIE JOHNSON LEADERSHIP ALTAIR
65 Clayton OR Concord 100 Clayton AND Concord Send text and photo with contact information to
tamara@pioneerpublishers.com Concord Pioneer — June 22 (Deadline June 13) We will contact you for payment information.
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
CBCA Scholarship recipients: Back row: Ethan Floyd, Henry Smith, Logan Schoffstall, Ryan Sheffield, and Jared Xia. Front row: Kate Amos, Mackenzie Curtis, Sarah Concepcion, Carly Lynch, Samantha Tuohey, and Madison Webster.
Studies at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo; Henry Smith will attend UC Berkeley and major in Engineering. Samantha Tuohey will attend UC San Diego and major in neurobiology. Madison Webster will major in
Political Science at St. Mary’s College. The CBCA sponsors the Art and Wine Festival in the spring and the Oktoberfest in the fall and is runs the Clayton Bocce Federation. Funds
raised during the year are contributed back into the community in the form of grants and scholarships. For more information on the CBCA, go to claytoncbca.org or call (925) 672-2272.
Wrestler heads to DVC with scholarship
Christopher Palacios is the winner of this year’s Clayton Valley Charter High School Wrestling Scholarship from Clayton broker Pete Laurence. “Chris has had an impressive commitment to wrestling, from starting as a sophomore, improving each year and qualifying for varsity and to compete in the North Coast Sectionals,” Laurence says. Palacios plans to attend Diablo Valley College, where he will major in physics and work toward his goal of getting an aerospace engineering degree and then join the Air Force. He hopes to transfer to UC Davis and join Air Force ROTC to serve our nation. Coach Kyle Behmlander says Palacios is a “battler” on the mat. “He doesn’t know the
word quit.” Palacios says wrestling pushed him physically and mentally to a point he didn’t know he was capable of reaching. “It gave me a sense of what hard work was, and it built upon my work ethics,” he says. “This was noticeable not only on the mat, but in the classroom as well. I found it easier to apply myself to challenging work.” Although wrestling is an individual sport, Palacios enjoyed being part of a team. “It taught me about the benefits of working together with others to accomplish a goal,” he says. “I think this is something that will benefit me throughout life.” The $2,000 scholarship will be presented in $1,000 incre-
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Pete Laurence with his chosen scholarship recipient Christopher Palacios. Palacios plans to attend DVC in the fall.
ments during his first two grad and the school’s first state semesters of college. Lau- wrestling champion, has given rence, a 1963 Clayton Valley the award for 30 years.
June 8, 2018
NELLIE MEYER
MDUSD
SUPERINTENDENT
Last month’s Principal for a Day event provided an opportunity for local leaders to work alongside Mt. Diablo Unified School District principals to experience first-hand the daily challenges principals face – and to share their own leadership challenges. The event dramatically exceeded our expectations and changed outcomes in a way we couldn’t anticipate but that was overwhelmingly heartening. The guest principals included people from local businesses, higher education and social services, as well as elected officials and regional policy-makers. At a post-event luncheon and debrief, we heard repeated-
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 17
Guest principals share ideas, show appreciation
accomplishments of students and staff they hadn’t previously known. One of my favorite comments was from a Realtor. After spending hours at Sun Terrace STEM magnet, she said her new first-hand knowledge of the school would help her inform families considering moving into the neighborhood about the wonderful programs and leadership at the school. Having community and business leaders shadow our principals was the equivalent of executive coaching. The guest principals offered ideas on building community and Pioneer Editor Tamara Steiner, left, joined Principal Patti Bannister at Diablo View Middle School during the Principal pathways to progress in the next century. for a Day event. We thank all who participated and are excitedly planly how eye-opening their expe- important validation of hard ning next year’s event. riences were. Many said the work well-done and leadership day’s events changed misper- skills well-demonstrated. Our Dr. Nellie Meyer is Superintendent ceptions about local schools or school leaders were moved by enhanced the positive experi- the appreciation as total of Schools for MDUSD. Email or comments to ences they’d already had. strangers, now partners, talked questions For our principals, it was an about the potential and the meyern@mdusd.org
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Teacher instills values in CV students When I think of a teacher who has made a lasting impact on my life, I think first of Greg Rosewell. Of course, I’ve had many other amazing, wonderful teachers that have taught me lessons that apply to places much further than the classroom. However, Rosewell’s outlook on life and his passion for service stand out and make him a role model for students and other teachers. Rosewell is a member of the Concord community, where he lives with his wife Maggie and daughter Nora. They are expecting their second child this August. He has taught at Clayton Valley for six years. He primarily teaches English but has also taught journalism and creative arts in the past. This year, he joined the Public Service Academy teaching staff and teaches the PSA freshman English class. Additionally, he has been the Associated Student Body leadership advisor for the past few years. Though he will always enjoy teaching English, he says ASB is his favorite class to lead. Rosewell grew up in Warwick, R.I. Throughout his ado-
SYDNEY SKOW
CVCHS
CORRESPONDENT
lescence, he enjoyed reading and writing. It was his own English teachers in high school, particularly his male teachers, who taught him the most and inspired him to pursue his career in education. He graduated from the University of Vermont with a major in environmental studies with a minor in English and earned his master teaching credential from UC Santa Cruz. He discovered that teaching was his calling when he came to the realization that “everything that I wanted to do and everything that I enjoyed doing was a perfect teacher lifestyle.” He says that teaching makes him a better person. “I
grow in confidence, in public speaking ability and I grow in my own critical thinking when I engage and have meaningful conversations with my students,” Rosewell reflects. Clayton Valley’s ASB students feel just as passionately about service and leadership as Rosewell does, and they attribute many of their accomplishments to his help. “I have had the privilege of knowing him since my freshman year and he has guided me to discover the person I am today,” says ASB president Natalie Johnson. “Mr. Rosewell has a way of making each and every person he interacts with feel valued and appreciated. He has a kind soul and truly bring out the best in everyone. I don’t know where or who I would be today without his impacts.” ASB stage manager Nick Carvalho has formed a close bond with Rosewell over the past four years. “To me, Mr. Rosewell is more than a teacher. He will listen and support you through everything. I’ve been extremely thankful for his wisdom and counsel on many occasions, and Mr. Rosewell has impacted my life in more ways
Students delve into variety of topics for senior projects
JEFF ANDERSON
CVCHS PRINCIPAL
As the school year ends, all graduates are experiencing an important event at Clayton Valley. The senior project is a graduation requirement that students must complete to be able to walk across the stage on June 2. In addition, the projects give teachers satisfaction that all their hard work is yielding something special. Students choose a topic that is of interest to them and then explore and create an experience
that will be of educational value to them and their classmates. The students must hit a rigid sequence of benchmarks and deadlines to get a passing grade. The main construction of the project occurs in the senior English classes, and topics can range from “How to Train a Service Animal” to “Considerations When Planning to Hike the Pacific Trail.” Senior English teachers Maureen Allan and Matt Foster talked about the variety of topics their students addressed. Allan related a project where a student questioned: “Is Jazz Dead?” His physical product was to write a melody that he played during his presentation as background for him to play five instruments to the melody during the presentation. Allan said the senior taught himself to play at least two new instruments for this project. Another of Allan’s students set a goal to break his coach’s time in the mile. His goal was to run a 4:51 mile, which would be one second faster
than his coach’s best time. He achieved that goal and made a wonderful video to illustrate his accomplishment. Foster talked about a project where the goal was to change the lens through which people view those who come to seek a better life in the United States. The student asserted that we must “look at the person, not the immigrant.” Through multiple personal interviews, a powerful visitation and a thorough research paper, the student told the immigrant story in an enlightening, eye-opening manner. As is evident by these examples, the seniors at CVCHS are not only preparing to depart for the next phase of their lives, they are being prepared to engage the world in a proactive and thoughtful manner. The senior project is an ideal capstone that is a deeply satisfying experience for students as well as the teachers who guided them.
Send comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com
that I could ever explain.” Clayton Valley is undeniably lucky to have a teacher like Rosewell leading students and preparing them for their future. Rosewell has helped me grow as a student and as a person; he helps me endlessly with all of my projects in ASB and gives me amazing advice when I bring him issues about my life. I can’t imagine my high school experience without him.
Sydney is a junior at CVCHS. Send comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com
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Listing agent: Matt Mazzei
$1,090,000
Listing agent: Rula Masannat Buyer Representation
SOLD
• 187 El Camino Dr., Pittsburg
$421,000
3 bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, approx. 1161 sq. ft. Listing agent: Rula Masannat
Buyer Representation
mazzeirealty.net
Matt Mazzei, Jr.,
Paula & Rod Johnstone
Rula Masannat
BRE# 01881269
DRE# 00797857
DRE# 01923757
Broker/Owner 925-766-6745 matt@mazzeirealty.net
Broker Associate Paula 925-381-8810 Rod 925-286-5765
heypaula10@gmail.com
Sales Agent 415-310-2905 rulawithmazzei@yahoo.com
Page 18
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 8, 2018
Start with Calandrinia for a hot summer display One of the raised beds in the nursery’s parking lot is planted with Calandrinia, which creates a dramatic display when in full bloom. This robust, succulent-type perennial is a superb installation for any Clayton Valley bed, border, rock wall or large container. This outstanding introduction, commonly called Rock Purslane, comes our way from the mountains of Chile. This matters to Clayton Valley garden lovers since the mountains of Chile can get cold, and it is good to know that a succulent can tolerate cold temperatures. Calandrinia spectabilis can withstand temperatures as low as 25 degrees, making it a safe installation for many local gardens and landscapes. From early spring through summer, tall, thin stems stretch 24-36 inches above Calandria’s foliage, which is powdery gray and fleshy to the touch. These blooms are 2 inch wide, fivelobed flowers of bright magenta that dangle on small stems scattered along each stalk. Each plant will produce
dozens of flowering stems. Mix Calandrinia spectabilis with yellow-blooming Calylophus for a striking combination along a rock wall. Calylophus is a hardy, long-blooming Texas native that likes the weather hot. Butter yellow, cup-shaped flowers dance along whispy stems that are filled with tiny leaves. Calylophus is a perennial groundcover, and you can expect piles of flowers May through August. During winter, Calylophus will rest as it stores up energy for another productive blooming season. For raised beds in full sun, combine Calandrinia with
Popsicle series Kniphofia, Rudbeckia Autumn Shades, Salvia Leucantha and Amazing Red Phormium. Together, these perennials will make your summer garden sizzle. Popsicle Kniphofia is commonly called dwarf hot poker plants. Look for Mango Popsicle, Dreamsicle and Papaya Popsicle. They’re repeat bloomers and absolutely delightful. Rudbeckia Autumn Shade is a tall, daisy-shaped flower that measures 4-5 inches wide. It has lots of movement in the garden. Look for plants in six packs and install 3-6 in each hole for maximum impact. Salvia Leucantha is commonly called Mexican Sage and features bushy gray foliage topped with fuzzy purple spiking flowers July through October. Amazing Red Phormium is an excellent choice to give an area structure. The reddish, bladed foliage will contrast nicely with the other hot colors in this garden bed. Calandrinia makes a great container installation. Plant in a large pot, and it will fill the
exposed soil in the pot and run over the sides. Place large pots of Calendrinia within a poolscape for a cool look. Calandrinia will one day be too large for your area or pot. When this happens, simply cut the plant back hard and it will regrow from the center. Save some of the cut pieces and replant in other areas of the
landscape or share. They are easy to propagate. When installing Calandrinia, it is best to use a planting mix designed for succulents. This mix has a concentration of sand and pumice stone to encourage drainage. After Calandrinia’s initial flower surge, you’ll have to deadhead this perennial to
keep it looking tidy and to free up additional energy for a large rebloom. Fertilize your Calendrinia using fish emulsion to keep the plant healthy.
the character is a man-child, an actual child or a slacker. Opt for solid, one-color Tshirts, striped tees or Henleys You might also consider wearing polo shirts or casual dress shirts. A simple white shirt looks great with a pair of dark blue jeans. Find jeans that make you look good. Jeans are the go-to casual legwear for any guy. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Many men ask me about moving on from the T-shirt and jeans look. But jeans can look amazing, as long as you’re wearing the right pair. Avoid baggy jeans. You don’t want to have to pull up your jeans every two seconds. They should keep themselves up without a belt. Also, they should not pool around your ankles. Avoid embellishments. That means: no excessive distress, no rips and none of that bleaching nonsense. And finally, avoid big logos
on your butt. In fact, no big logos anywhere on your outfit – period. Keep your jeans simple. Go for a clean, dark-blue pair that fits well. You might have to try a few to find which fit works best for you. If you’re an athletic guy with big thighs, the athletic fit might be a dream come true for you. For guys with a more average build, any of the others work well. I’m partial to slim-fit jeans. But if you’re packing some weight, straight fit is probably your
best option. Change it up. Jeans are great, but they all look kinda the same. Add some variety to your wardrobe by investing in one or two pairs of chinos. An outfit will look completely different worn with chinos, which gives you a lot more variety. Adding just one pair to your wardrobe doubles the amount of outfits you can create. Add one more, and you triple that number. I suggest one basic pair in camel or gray. And get one colored pair to change things up.
Wearing color below the waist is something few men do, so it stands out. These are some basic tips to help you dress casually, but look great. More tips to come next month. P.S. I’m having a huge women’s sample sale June 2125.
NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL
Clothes, from page 14
portraying yourself as a teenager. Everything overly flashy becomes inappropriate past a certain age. Give up the graphic tees. Funny or cartoony tees are a definite no-go. Also, avoid anything with slogans. Just look at the movies. You’ll never see a tough, masculine action hero or a suave rom-com heartthrob wearing a graphic tee. The only time you’ll see a graphic tee is when
CALENDRINIA ROCK PURSLANE
Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with questions or comments by email at Gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
Susan Sappington is a J.Hilburn personal wardrobe stylist and a W by Worth stylist for women. Contact her at susan@sappingtonfam.com.
Nancy E. Bennett 4486 Camstock Ct. – Concord
4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1842 sq. ft. Beautiful and spacious Crossings home is move in ready. Gorgeous laminate flooring, updated kitchen with granite counters, dual paned windows and a brand new roof. Spacious living room with vaulted ceiling, gas fireplace and a formal dining room. Fantastic backyard with shaded arbor perfect for enjoying the outdoors.
Offered at $795,000
COMING SOON
1248 Clover Ln. – Walnut Creek
1749 Humphrey Dr.. – Concord
4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2643 sq. ft. Stunning single-story newly constructed craftsman home with hardwood floors throughout. Updated kitchen with custom cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplash, and large island. Open concept living space with formal dining area and family room. This beauty sits on an expansive lot with a circular driveway, huge patio and large shed.
3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1680 sq.ft. Charming single-story move-in ready Concord home with pool, featuring hardwood and terracotta floors, brick fireplace, open beam and vaulted ceilings and updated paint. Spacious living room and formal dining. Eat-in kitchen with vaulted ceiling and bay windows. Master bedroom includes en-suite bath with walk in closet.
• Concord – 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1680 sq. ft. Single-story home • Concord – 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2159 sq. ft. Two-story home • Concord – 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1308 sq. ft. Single-story home
Offered at $1,285,000
What our clients say
“Just a note to tell you we appreciated your help and understanding with the sale of my Parents River Ash Ct home. We felt this project was in excellent hands at all times and we are very grateful. Sincerely Jim B. & Family”
CEO, The Bennett Team #1 Agent in Concord for the last 6 years combined
CalBRE #01399870
Offered at $585,000
925.606.8400
Nancy@BennettBetter.com
BENNETTBETTER.COM
Selling more than 8 times as many homes as the average realtor.