Crown your Dad King for a Day See page A4
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IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
925.672.0500
Native garden attracts migrating birds BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPES When selling at Ar t and Wine and Oktoberfest, Clayton photographers Teresa and Keith Peters mak e sure their stoc k includes plenty of local works. If you w ant a shot of the Pumpkin F arm, the Cla yton Club or the Post Office, they’ve got it. Then there’s Twin Peaks, Eagle P eak, Mitchell Cany on and Mt. Diablo. And don’t forget the wildf lowers and oak trees.
June Chambers’ front yard isn’t lik e the other w ell-manicured lawns on her Dana Hills street. No, she isn’t one of “those” neighbors whose yard is filled with w eeds and g rass g one to seed. Yet, it isn ’t the English country g arden she en visioned when she tore out the yard’ s drought resistant landscaping. There are h ybrid tea roses and Oriental lilies , but they are now outn umbered b y hummingbird sage salvia and bunc h grass – as Chambers stri ves to convert to all native plants. “I had to be pulled kic king and screaming into nati ve g ardening, because I lo ve that grass-green color,” she says. “So many nati ves are g ray-green, because that is what keeps them from dying.” But with constant researc h, she is able to satisfy her “colorful” nature while also remaining true to California. She adores her wild, blueviolet penstemon and the light lavender g rinnelli v ariety. “I’m busy planting them ev erywhere,” she enthuses . “It’s so beautiful – and it looks lik e a regular garden plant.” She also raves about her garrya elliptica, which she says can be found growing in the wild on the trail behind the Cla yton Library. “In J anuary, they are hung with what looks lik e strings of pearls,” she sa ys. “Oh, it’s just glorious.” Chambers was struck by the native bug after seeing an article in A udubon mag azine about the plight of migrating birds. “I read that the birds were starving as they crossed Califor nia because they couldn ’t see enough native plants, particularly along the coast,” she reports. These da ys, her yard is a haven for birds. They especially enjoy the ber ries of the nati ve Rhamnus californica, or coffeeberry. “I can’t tell you all the birds who are fighting here for food,” she says with pride. She also has her eye out for the pipevine sw allowtail butterfly, which uses her pipevine plant as a host for its caterpillar. Meanwhile, a quiet corner of her front yard is home for many local quail. Perhaps they saw the sign on the nearby fence, noting
See Art, page A4
See Native, page A3
DAVE SHUEY
MAYOR’S CORNER Funding park is a thorny issue Who w ants a do wntown park? Hold on – rhetorical question only. The answ er w as already given in November 2000, when the question was put to the voters and 55.7 percent indicated they wanted the downtown parcel to be a park (as opposed to a mixed used park and commercial). Now, there are at least 43 people who will read this and say they didn ’t vote for a park, or that the City Council ask ed the wrong question. Well, some people didn ’t lik e the question and some won’t like the answer, but that doesn’t change reality. Based upon this v ote, and after months of investigation and planning, a beautiful park was designed b y volunteer residents led b y a y outhful, energetic, suave, dashing and debonair chair. Figure out who it was? Come on, it can’t be that hard based on the description. More clues needed? OK, loud, weird laugh...car ries his winter weight year -round...Fine, it’s me. The committee w as an excellent cross-section of the community, and we did a g reat job. You can go to City Hall and see the design sitting on an easel. So naturally, I have a personal and council interest in seeing the funding for the park approved b y the residents this November. It will be the cornerstone of a revitalized downtown. But if a park w as already voted for , why hasn ’t the City built it? Since y ou asked, I will tell y ou. In an interesting twist to that v ote, a second question asked: “If you w anted a park, See Mayor, page A4
What’s inside SECTION A
Around Town . . . . . . . . . .A2 Upcoming Events . . . . . . .A3 Classifieds and Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .A5 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Home Work (new writer) . . .A7 Food for Thought . . . . . . .A8 EcoFocus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Tea for You . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Crossword Solution . . . . .A10 Weather Words . . . . . . . . .A11 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Sharing History . . . . . . . .A12
SECTION B
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 School News . . . . . . . . . . . .B4 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .B6 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . .B7 Church News . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Community Calendar . . . . .B9 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . .B11 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . .B12
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
YELLOW TIDY TIP, BRIGHT ORANGE CALIFORNIA POPPIES AND LAVENDER PENSTEMON add color and texture to June Chamber’s back yard. The Clayton gardener is moving toward an all native plant garden at her Dana Hills home.
Local artists ramp up for Ar t and Wine BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
For Cla yton resident Cath y Chatterjee, ceramics are a “hobby gone crazy.” “When w e g o out of town for trips , it’s lik e withdra wal,” says Chatter jee, who lik es to spend a few hours a da y in her home studio . “It’s just something that I enjo y so m uch that it’s not a dr udgery to w ork on my crafts.” Chatterjee will be among the vendors at this w eekend’s Ar t and Wine Festival in downtown Clayton. Although she dabbled in ceramics 35 years ag o, she started the craft up in ear nest two years ago. In her Dana Hills studio, colorful drag onflies poke out of a flowerpot while lazy tur tles wile away the hours on a nearb y shelf. Vases, teapots, birdhouses and f lowerpots fill nearly ev ery available space. “It’s just fun to w atch something emerg e,” she sa ys of her creations, “to think about, ‘What am I g oing to do different? W hat’s this one g oing to look like?’ ” Chatterjee begins with liquid
clay, called slip, which she pours into molds. Once set, the greenware m ust be fired at 1,940 degrees F for fi ve to six hours . After glazing them with colorful paints, she cooks them for
small electric kiln last year. “It’s nice to be able to do it all m yself and see it that da y,” says Chatterjee, who even has a baby monitor so she can hear the “bee p” when her ceramics
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
CATHY CHATTERJEE is hard at work in her Dana Hills studio in preparation for 2006 Art and Wine Festival. another four to six hours , this time at about 1,840 deg rees. She used to ha ve her ceramics fired at the Mt. Diablo Adult School in Concord, but things are easier since she purc hased a
are properly cooked. This is Chatter jee’s second Art and Wine Fest, and she also sells at Oktoberfest. Although she felt that the car nival drew crowds away from the v endors
last fall, she was rewarded with the prize for Best Decorated Booth. But for Chatter jee, the rewards aren’t really monetary. “When I put this m uch into it, I can’t even think about what my time is w orth, because y ou just don ’t g et y our retur n on that,” she says. She tries to ha ve a variety of items on hand to pique the crowd’s interests . “Last year , earthy colors were very popular. But you never know – someone may just be looking for that raspberry color ,” she sa ys, pointing to a vase on the shelf.
Miwok residents fed up with neighborhood speeding TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
“Miwok has become lik e 680,” said Chuc k Bidondo addressing the Cla yton City Council. Bidondo, who li ves at 3043 Miw ok and sev eral of his neighbors, including Da ve Gra y and Ho ward Chrisman, appeared before the Council at the April 18 meeting to ask police to crac k do wn on motorists speeding down the hill toward Eagle Peak Drive in their residential neighborhood. “It’s like Daytona,” said Gray,
who li ves at 3031 Miw ok W ay, “someone’s going to get hurt.” Chrisman, who resides at 3054 Miwok, said “it’s the worst street I’ve ever lived on. And the problem def lates the v alue of our homes.” The neighbors cited sev eral instances of speeding cars r unning over the trash cans at curbside and swerving into oncoming traffic because they were coming around the curve too fast. Residents w ant quic k police intervention and suggested parking a decoy police car on Miwok, using the por table radar unit to
clock speeds , posting more speed limit signs and ultimately ticketing offenders. Meeting briefly with the residents follo wing the meeting, Police Chief Dan Lawrence suggested that a unifor med officer go door to door in the neighborhood with printed materials aimed at g etting dri vers to slo w down. He also ag reed to occasionally parking a deco y car in the area. “These (speeders) are clearly your neighbors,” said La wrence. “The k ey is a wareness—to jar them into a sense of safety.”
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Police Chief Dan Lawrence addresses speeding concerns with Miwok Way residents Chuck Bidondo and Dave Gray.
Page A2
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
Around Town Russo leaves Clayton for Citrus Heights
Grant Meylan honored for Clayton Cleans Up graphic Grant Meylan, 10, received recognition from the City Council on April 18 for his winning log o design for this year’s Clayton Cleans Up . The logo appeared on f lyers, posters and T-shirts. Grant’s design was selected from a field of more than 25 entries. Casey Mitchell, 8, and Mark K assicieh,7, each received honorable mention. All three are students at Mt. Diablo Elementary School. At right: Mayor Dave Shuey with Grant Meylan.
Local singers to appear with Masterw orks Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Chief Dan Lawrence, Officers Allen White and Rich Enea, Jr. and Sergeant Jason Russo of Clayton PD.
Sergeant Jason Russo of the Clayton PD has accepted a position with the newly for med Citrus Heights P olice Department. His last da y with Clayton was April 25. “Jason w as m y first contact with Cla yton,” muses Chief Dan La wrence who w ent on a
“Ride-Along” with R usso prior to his acce pting the position of chief last Se ptember. “Citrus Heights is a g reat oppor tunity for him, but he’ll really be missed, here,” said Lawrence. “I’ve really liked working for a police de partment that is so well suppor ted b y the comm u-
nity,” said Russo. Fellow officers treated Russo to a Mexican dinner at the Guadalajara Grill the night before he left the de partment. Pictured abo ve are Chief Dan Lawrence, Officers Allen White, Rich Enea, Jr and Russo.
Members of the Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale and Orchestra will mark their 38th year on May 13, with a performance of Maurice Dur ufle’s “Requiem” and great Easter choruses from G . F. Handel’s “Messiah” at Diablo V alley College Performing Arts Center.
The audience is encouraged to bring their scores from the “Messiah” and join in singing some of the more memorable choruses. There are 11 members of the 60 v oice c horal g roup that live in the Cla yton and nearb y Concord area. The g roup per-
forms classical as w ell as contemporary m usic. The Chorale performs under the direction of Dick K amprath. They rehearse Monday ev enings at Diablo Valley College and perfor m two concerts ann ually in the F all and Spring. For ticket infor mation call 925-687-4445.
Zsenai sisters achieve academic honors The Zsenai sisters , daughters of Cindy and John Zsenai of Clayton, have both ac hieved academic distinction this year. Amy is a junior at Drake Uni versity in Des Moines, majoring in AMY ZSENAI Business and Manag ement with a concentration in Business La w and Insurance . She made the President’s List for the fall semester with a 4.0
GPA. She is a 2003 g raduate of Clayton V alley High School. Younger sister , Sara, attends Nor thern Arizona University in Flagstaff , AZ. She is a freshman, dual majoring in Elementar y Education and Special Education. Sara made Dean’s List for the fall semester with a 3.5 GP A Sara g raduated SARA ZSENAI from CVHS last June.
From left: Dick Kamprath, Kris Porcella, Joyce Krieger, Jim Zewan, Marcy Zewan, Veronica Pisani, Deborah Schnick, Linda Manzeck, John Kick, Leonard Tilton, John Manzeck and Ed Krieger
$829,980 Clayton Dana Hills – Mt. Diablo State Park, views and trails are at y our door in this 4 bedroom, 3 bath home . Family room w/wet bar and fireplace, first floor guest room, spacious gourmet kitchen. Private yard & deck with arbor.
$849,980 Clayton Ironwood @ Oakhur st – Stunning 4 bedroom, 2.5 home features a master suite with walk-in closet and balcony. Gourmet kitchen, family room & bon us room – designer touches in the for mal living & dining rooms.
Clayton $639,980 Oakhurst Duet – Upgraded 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath is light & airy w/ dramatic ceilings, pristine floors & walls. Gourmet kitc hen with island and pantr y. Landscaped yard with deck. Low maintenance living!
Concord $975,000 Merritt Estates – On a .36 acre lot near the Cla yton border is this majestic 4 bedroom, 3 bath w/ a g reat floor plan, sleek red oak floors, bed/bath on the 1st level and a master suite. Wonderful rolling hills views.
Clayton $815,000 Jeffrey Ranch – Updated 4 bedroom, 2 bath home has new paint, dual pane windo ws, and a master bedroom w/built-in cabinetry. Kitchen w/garden window, vaulted ceilings and skylights. Large yard w/ pool & g azebo.
Clayton $1,249,980 Peacock Creek @ Oakhurst – Stately Nantucket 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath dreamhouse features teakw ood f loors, built-in entertainment center, kitchen w/granite & 2 fireplaces. Beautifully landscaped w/lights & fountain.
Clayton $849,980 Regency Meadows – 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home on a cul-de-sac has a master suite w/ soaking tub & w alk-in closets, formal dining & living rooms w/vaulted ceilings and a gourmet kitchen. Lovely landscaped backyard!
Clayton $684,980 Windmill Canyon – Single-story 3 bedroom, 2 bath in Oakhurst has a fabulous , open great room with v aulted ceilings, fireplace and for mal dining . 3/4” hardwood floors throughout and an eat-in kitc hen w/bay window.
Lynne offers FREE Professional Staging with all her listings Concord $859,980 Davis Ridge – Custom 5+ bedroom, 3 bath includes bonus room, formal dining & living rooms, family room, a mastersuite, and closets g alore. Valley views from the gourmet kitchen and breakfast area veranda.
May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Around Town Two honored as library’s Volunteers of the Year Sandi Watson and Cleo Reed have been selected as the 2006 Volunteers of the Y ear at the Clayton Community Library. Watson has volunteered at the library since February 1995, rack-
Upcoming Events ART AND WINE FESTIVAL
help out with the new monthly knitters program.” Reed also has v olunteered at the librar y since F ebruary 1995. Through 2005, she had w orked 1,888 hours.
Believe it or not, it’s that time again. The annual CBCA Art and Wine Festival is the w eekend of April 30-May 1. Art and Wine . . . when the streets of Clayton are lined with ar tisans and the air rings with the continuous m usic of live bands . Try some of the area’s best premium wines and beers and eat y ourself silly in the Food Cour t. Get a jump on your Christmas shopping with unique , one of a kind gifts for ev eryone on y our list. Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Native, from page A1
CLEO REED AND SANDI WATSON
ing up 1,779 hours through 2005. Her duties include c hecking in the book drop and shipment, shelving materials and re placing AV containers as needed. As the Monda y after noon lead v olunteer, she k eeps the workflow going steadily and efficiently on a usually busy day. The Monday after noon crew is known for socializing outside work –especially on Monda y holidays. According to Karen HansenSmith, senior branc h librarian, Watson is alw ays willing to tak e on extra tasks . “When I needed someone to lead a book discussion g roup for the Califor nia Stories Unco vered g rant, she stepped up to the c hallenge,” says Hansen-Smith. “Most recently, she v olunteered to be one of the exper t knitters to
Her duties include c hecking in the mag azines and newspapers, cleaning the computers and circulation desk. She also k eeps the public infor mation area handouts org anized and mak es sure the transit company handouts are up-to-date . A special assignment for Reed is the annual shifting, labeling and w eeding of magazine back issues. As the Tuesday morning lead volunteer, she has a g reat overview of the work that needs to be done and k eeps her crew well organized. “Cleo has been a roc k to her group,” says v olunteer Louise Wall. “With almost all of her crew experiencing illness and life changes, she has been there – a caring voice, a strong shoulder. I look forw ard to her c heering welcome every week.”
that the area is a cer tified Backyard Wildlife Habitat. Chambers ac hieved that status from the National Wildlife Federation. After admiring the beautiful native plants on her many hik es on Mt. Diablo, Chambers learned more about g rowing them through a six-month habitat stew ardship course through Life Garden. The nonprofit educational org anization promotes sustainable land use and ecolog y education. “We w ent here and w e w ent there, and w e sa w all kinds of things,” Chambers sa ys of the class, which was taught by Walnut Creek resident Judy Adler. Through trial and er ror, Chambers now focuses on plants native to the Central Oak Woodlands. “But w e’re on the border of the Coastal Scr ub, so some of those plants also do well here,” she notes. She has her fing ers crossed about her mimulus, which is more common in coastal regions . “It’s been doing fine for two years,” she says. “It has these beautiful, enormous butter-yellow blossoms.” Chambers urg es nati ve g ar-
Page A3 CLAYTON GARDENS TOUR
The Clayton Historical Society’ s annual Clayton Garden T our , May 12 and 13, will again feature five of Clayton’s loveliest gardens and several home interiors as well. Garden lovers can tour the homes from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days and can either begin or end their self guided tour with a Garden Party in a lovely Clayton rose garden. All proceeds will benefit the Cla yton Historical Society. Tickets are available at the Cla yton Museum on Main Street on W ed. and Sun. from 2 to 4 p .m. and at R & M P ool, Patio and Garden, 6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton. Or, send your check for $20 per tic ket to Cla yton Historical Society , PO Box 94, Clayton, 94517 and your tic kets will be w aiting for you on the da y of the tour . Advance purc hase tic kets are $20. Tickets purchased the da y $25. The of the tour are Garden Party is $10. Please, no children under 12 closer to native, Chambers has set her sights on next year’ s Bringing Back the Nati ves Garden T our. Kathy Kramer of San P ablo organizes the tour for Alameda and Contra Costa counties . Native plants in 64 gardens will be featured during free , self-guided tours on Sunday, May 7. “This is a g ood time to come see nati ve g ardens because they are still fresh,” Kramer notes. Kramer, who has a bac kground in water pollution prevention, launched the tour tw o years ago to encourag e others to g o native.
deners to purchase from nurseries that specialize in nati ves. Her favorite is Las Pilitas Nurser y in Santa Margarita. “I’ve been buying from him for three years , and I’ve only lost one,” she says. Because of the w et, wet spring, her g arden is about a month behind schedule. “My garden should be a bloom of color right no w. This is a wful,” she moans during a tour of her yard on Earth Day. Still, color pops in and out of the g orilla hair-covered landscape . The bright orange Califor nia poppy , and its reddish cousin the wind poppy , are spread across the yard. Her “pride and joy,” the cream-colored hartwegii iris , is in bloom near the back fence. Her native Pacific Coast iris is one of many plants in her yard that doesn’t require any water in summer. “It’s a PACIFIC COAST IRIS requires no watering during the hot dry summer months. monster,” she sa ys of the “Native plants are just perbush with the dee p pur ple f lowfect,” she sa ys. “They don ’t ers, “but I’m scared to dig it up and divide it like I should because require the pesticides and they are water-conserving.” it has, like, 50 blooms on it.” Like Chambers , Kramer As her g arden mak es its w ay
struggled to figure out what plants w orked best when she started her o wn nati ve g arden. She sug gests that if people are looking for ideas, they should tour gardens in their climate zone. “It w on’t do any g ood for a Clayton g ardener to g o to Berkeley,” she sa ys. For w arm weather gardeners, she particularly recommends visiting the Granada Nati ve Gardens in Livermore. “Just figuring out what plants will do w ell is a tremendous boost,” she adds. For sunny areas of Clayton, Kramer offers these “no-fail” native options: hummingbird fuchsia, yarrow, bunch g rass, sage, buckwheat, California lilac and manzanita. For shadier areas of your Clayton yard, try Douglas iris, coffeeberry, gooseberry, sedge, columbine and toyon. In addition to offering gardening tips on her W ebsite, w w w. b r i n g i n g b a c k t h e n atives.net, Kramer also added a new link to connect local gardeners. “My hope is that people will use it and find other local people to w ork with and help each other ,” she sa ys. “They can share seeds or cuttings and do work exchanges.”
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Page A4
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Art, from page A1
This photo of an old oak in Mt. Diablo State Park is only one of dozens of local photos Teresa Peters will exhibit for sale at the Art and Wine Festival.
Mayor, from page A1 would y ou be willing to pa y for it?” And this was voted down. As I have told you in the past, I believ e the council has been very responsible in deciding that the park should not be built without a funding mec hanism for maintenance. Funding for the park w as placed within the Measure M landscape v ote in 2005, which was voted down. No, let’s not talk about whether it should ha ve been included in the first place .
Moving forw ard, the council is placing a separate park funding measure on the November ballot. The T rails and Landscape Committee and city staff are working on the specifics of this measure, including costs , methods of funding and co verage. Some public outreac h meetings have been held and, I m ust sa y, sparsely attended. In addition, we have received very little feedbac k on the issue via telephone or email. I admit I
“We lo ve nature , and then we photog raph whatev er else we think is neat about the area we live in,” she says. The photog raphers will also shoot scenic areas upon request. “Often, people are looking for a specific thing that they just can’t find,” she says, citing Martinez’s Mt. Wanda as an example . “I didn’t ev en kno w it w as there until someone requested it.” Although Keith doesn’t “do flowers,” they often g o on photo shoots tog ether. Since they ha ve different w ays of looking at things, they rarely end up with the same frames. The P eters offer their photos in most standard sizes, from as small as the 2-inc h by 2-inch wildflowers. Most prints dis-
played at sho ws are in simple black frames, with neutral matting, but customers can select custom frames or matting. “Appreciation for nature leads to preservation” is the motto for their business , T&K Imag es. Their photo of a Mitchell Canyon trail w as featured in the 2006 Contra Costa County W atershed calendar. They also donate 10 percent of their profits to organizations like Save Mt. Diablo and the John Muir Heritage Trust. “I think that’ s really important,” she sa ys. “We’re really lucky to live in this area with all the land preser ved, or I’d ha ve nothing to photograph.” For a complete catalog of the P eters’ works, visit www.imagesbyTK.com.
have had a few critical emails from residents and one long continuing email discussion with a friend of mine who has some very strong ideas on wh y we are making mistakes. Guess what – criticism is vital to the process , as is praise and also just plain questions on the issue. The time is now to iron out the kinks, before w e finalize the details and present it for a v ote. Whether my friend and I will ever ag ree on all the issues or even some of the issues , he is making all of us consider other viewpoints and ideas – whic h
makes for a strong er proposal in the end. And just because w e can’t ag ree on all things , my buddy and I will still ha ve a beer together at the end because he and I know it is part of the political process. The deadline for the city to submit the final ballot proposal to the county for inclusion in the November election is Aug. 11. So there is not m uch time to finetune. Please get your thoughts to us by g oing to www.cityofclayton.org or email me at shuey@rankinla w.com. Constructive cor respondence is best, but we will take what we can get. At the end of the process, my friend and I will have a beer with you. Although you might have to buy since the city manag er won’t let me use city funds …. anymore (kidding, of course). In honor of my retired father, Ben, and all you other retirees out there, I ask this question: Why are retirees so slo w to clean out the house? Because they know as soon as they do, one of their kids will want to store stuff there. Any retirees without kids who have space, give me a call and let’s talk! Have a great week.
Crown your Dad King for a Day
D
ads are a wesome. They teach us how to ride a two wheeler, how to pla y catch and how to solv e quadratic equations. They can fix anything from a brok en bicycle chain to a garbage disposal and they’ll get rid of the bugs in the bathtub that w e don’t want to touch. This F ather’s Da y, show Dad just ho w m uch you appreciate him. Write an essa y telling us wh y your dad should be cro wned King for a Da y and win a royal package containing Six free games at Clayton Bowl Pizza dinner for six at R occo’s Ristorante A free oil change at Clayton Valley Shell A shampoo and haircut at Hair b y Jim
May 5, 2006
$50 gift certificate from R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Cookie Bouquet from Cookies by Design Essays must be between 200 and 400 words and contain y our name , age, address and tele phone number. You must be under 18 to enter. Please send y our essa y (in a W ord or W ord Perfect format) electronically to essay@claytonpioneer.com or drop it off (CD, diskette or typewritten copy) at the Clayton Pioneer, 6200 F Center Street, Clayton. Essays m ust be submitted no later than Monday, June 5. Winning essay and photo of you and your King will appear in the J une 16 issue of the Pioneer.
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GORGEOUS HOME BUILT IN 2005! CUSTOM UPGRADES!
LOVELY GATED COMMUNITY STONE HARBOR!
Concord home with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. Gourmet kitchen, beautifully landscaped front and back yards with pond, waterfall and built in BBQ and bar. Listed for: $859,000
4 Bedrooms, 2 baths. 1,707 sq ft of living space in Concord. Home was built with many cus tom upgrades including hardwood floors, marble counter tops and cherry wood cabinets. Listed for: $774,900
BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC VIEWS OF MT. DIABLO AND GOLF COURSE!
Located in Clayton this 2 bedrooms, 2 bath home is approximately 1,026 square feet of living space. Washer, dryer and refrigerator are included. Walking distance to sparkling community swimming pool. Listed for: $475,000
BEAUTIFUL
A 10!
3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1,344 Sq Ft of Living space. Many Upgrades. Private Landscaped front and back yards. Washer, dryer and refrigerator are included Listed for: $474,900
Home features include: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath and approximately 1,028 square feet of living space. Tiled kitchen with skylight, living room with wood burning fireplace. Cute back yard with a gazebo. Community Swimming pool and Spa. Listed for: $424,900
BEAUTIFUL SUMMERSET HOME ON THE 7TH FAIRWAY!
2 bedrooms, 2 bath single story built in 2003 with many custom upgrades throughout. Approximately 2,297 sq ft of living space, with 8 rooms total, including den. For a list of custom upgrades please call office. Listed for: $824,000
Expect the BEST when you choose The Van Fleet-Bronson - Intero Real Estate Team
May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Classified
STUDY GROUP
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Readers of The Urantia Book will start a new study group this spring. The group will meet in a downtown Clayton café. New and seasoned readers will explore the book by topics. The group will decide the time (hour and day). Email urantian@mac.com or call 925672-4689 and ask for Tery.
SERVICES Mrs. Brown, age seventy-two, just spent her last dollar on her nursing home bill. Avoid being a burden to your children with long-term care protection. 24-Hour free recorded information. (800) 835-1871 Ext.1112.
shelves in order to ensure the correct placement of books...must be familiar with the Dewey decimal system. Tutor - (min.age 13 years) to tutor one-on-one or give homework help at the library to local students in our community. You choose the age range, subjects, remedial help or light homework help, and the days/times. Call Arlene at 673-9777, e-mail akikkawa@ccc.lib.org.
The Clayton Community Library Foundation is currently seeking to fill the following volunteer positions: Shelver - (min. age 13 years) to shelve and sensitize books in the library. Will train, day/time is Tues.10 a.m. -2 p.m. or 2 – 6 p.m. and Sat.10 a.m. –1 p.m. Book Processor - (min.age 13 years) to handle detailed work with labeling and marking books. Hours are Wed. 1 – 5 p.m. Book Mender - (min.age 13 years) to handle detailed work mending worn books. Hours can be chosen between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thurs. Shelf Reader - (min.age 13 years) to read the library
Perennial Garden Design by Nicole Hackett AKA The Garden Girl Personal consultations regarding plant choices, placement, identification, fertilizing and maintenance. Spring is just around the corner. Call or email for information and pricing. 925-673-1746 (leave message) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.
Clayton Historical Society Museum Greeter. Greeter needed the second Sun. of each month from 2 - 4 p.m. Training is provided. If interested, call 672-0240, email claytonmuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum between 2 and 4 p.m. on Wed. or Sun.
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F Clayton, CA 94517 Office: 925.672.0500 Fax: 925.672.6580 TAMARA
AND
R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers
TAMARA S TEINER , Editor
VACATION RENTAL
J ILL B EDECARRÉ , Assistant Editor and Display Advertising
Cozy cabin in South Lake Tahoe. Two bedrooms, 1 bath, 1 car garage. Great for a family or two couples. Ten minutes to Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake, casinos, skiing, and hiking. Please call Mike Risso at 925-8904623.
B ILL WAGONER , Sports Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor and Feature Writer Member of the California Newsp aper Publishers Assoc.
Schaefer’s PAINTING
Because the Finish Counts
Try the Pioneer Classifieds. Go to
(Cell)
10
www.claytonpioneer.com
260-6065
bpaintingdog@sbcglobal.net
Any % of fu f or e ll inter xter i ior j or exp. ob 4/6 / 06
Licensed Bonded Insured
Bryan Schaefer Clayton resident since 2000
Lic. #708321
W
he
re
Go
od
Fr ie
nd
T e a Cottage s ' d n u l g n E presents
“Mom and Me Princess Tea” For Mothers & Daughters of all ages! Sunday, May 7 at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. $15 for girls 10 & under, $25 for adults includes:
Tiara Choice of beverage:
lemonade, coffee, iced
or hot tea Freshly made finger sandwiches Warm scone w/jam & Devonshire cream (Tea cookies for children) Fresh fruit kebob Assorted desserts Moth er Reser ’s Day vatio ns Avail able
Make a memory that neither of you will ever forget! Reservations required
Join us between 9-11 a.m. for a light breakfast, or from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. for a delicious lunch or afternoon tea time!
HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD Go to our Website,
claytonpioneer.com. Click on the Classified Advertising tab on the left side of the pag e. Complete the form to submit your ad. Mail a c heck for the number of insertions to P.O. Box 1246, Clayton, CA 94517 or call the office with y our credit card information. Rates are $12 for 30 words and 20 cents for eac h additional word. For deadlines , go to the Publication Dates pag e on the Website. Use the later of the two deadline dates. Classifieds MUST be submitted via the Website. The Cla yton Pioneer will not acce pt any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. We reser ve the right to reject any adv ertising we believ e is unsuitable . All classified ads m ust be paid for in advance.
LET US KNOW
B ETH N EUDELL , Administrative Assistant
Cabin in Blue Lake Springs (Arnold, CA). Sleeps 6, fully remodeled, quiet, use of recreation facilities. $150/night, $950/week. Call Kevin Parker @ (925) 383-9430 or http://www.vrconnection.com/parkerpaw.
PIONEER INFO
sG
ath
er
Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all w eave tog ether as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these impor tant events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Clayton resident. You will find the appropriate form for your announcement on our Website. Attach y our photo to the form. Also on our W eb site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for y our organization.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Clayton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers. As a g eneral r ule, letters should be less than tw o double spaced pages and submitted at least one w eek prior to publication date. Letters concerning cur rent issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include your name, address and da ytime telephone n umber. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” E-mail y our letter in a Word Document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.
Advertise with the Pioneer 672-0500
Page A5
Directory of Advertisers
Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Aircloud Wireless Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 Alexander Video Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0911 Applause Staging and Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 All Loving Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0752 Apronstrings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7621 Aqua Pro Pool & Chemical Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7000 Asemi, Hamid - State Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .726-0154 Bay Arts Custom Children's Murals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323-9323 Benton, Murlene - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 California Reverse Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-3511 Calkins, Bill - Charlotte Clifford Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9164 Candy Created Bouquets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6818 Carol Keane & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-5200 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Clayton Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4664 Clayton Home Inspection Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9405 Clayton Mind and Body Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0686 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4848 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Clayton Valley Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8401 Clip n Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-9355 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 ComUnity Lending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5363 Cookies by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-1137 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Denim & Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0345 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . . . . . .524-5100 Dromlewicz, Kim - Century 21 Diablo Valley Realty . . . .682-4663 Dryclean USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5653 Eagles Peak Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465-0435 Englund's Tea Cottage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8327 Eternal Life Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 Fashion Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-9005 Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windemere Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Galaxy Nail Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8668 Garaventa, Les - American Financial & Tax Services . . .676-3400 Golden State Granite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-5888 Help You Sell Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-4950 Highfill, Lynne - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7335 Hudak, Jim - Pianist and Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7293 Joanna's Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-8911 Kelly Marshall Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0327 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 Lela's Hair Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Lerner Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-1130 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Merrigan, Deanna - Team Mount Diablo Realty . . . . . . .890-0430 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Mingham, Pete - Elite Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .906-8166 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Dr. Steven Moon, Chiropractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-8400 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . . . . . .280-8563 Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings . . . . . . . . . . . . . .906-9222 Neptune Society of Northern California . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-5100 Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737 O'Hara's Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7438 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Padgett Business Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-704-7716 Pasta Primavera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-5300 Postal Annex + of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8900 Rahimzadeh, Helen - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7375 R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207 Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123 Robin's Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7323 Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .947-6105 Schaefer's Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065 Silvester, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-0777 Skin Care by Trina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Smith Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6461 Sobotka Heating & Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-9300 SPA'tique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437-1712 Sposito, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7334 Steffen, Tim - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-4407 Steve Youse Painting and Decorating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6945 St. John's Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855 Stone Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-2094 Straight Line Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335-9801 Swint, Brad - Team Funding Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .997-2691 Talmadge, Brad - Home Loan Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .759-8971 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 The Pool Shark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-7585 The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Travel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-5000 Tullis, Shanan - Team Mount Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . .286-1268 Van-Fleet-Bronson, Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . .672-4333 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Vasona Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-0216 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . .672-4433 We the People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-0370 What's My Home's Value.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-9489 Williams, Mike - Williams Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5363 Wooden' It Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5595
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Page A6
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
MDES makes Distinguished School list JOE ROMANO Special to the Pioneer
“The Little Sc hool on the Hill” has reason to celebrate . The school, known to most of us as Mt. Diablo Elementar y, has been selected as a California Distinguished Schools for 2006. This is the first time Mt. Diablo has recei ved this prestigious honor , says Principal Linda Hutc herson. But she’ s quick to point out that she’ s “only telling the stor y that had already begun” with past principal, and friend, Linda Schuler. “I’m writing about what’s in place no w, but the creation began with Linda. I’m following her legacy,” says Hutcherson. There are more than 2,000 eligible sc hools in Califor nia, and nearly 1,000 applied for the honor. The state selected 368 elementary schools, six of them
from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Created in 1985, the California Sc hool R ecognition Program was designed to publi-
LINDA HUTCHERSON
cize and suppor t the priorities of the state Superintendent of Public Instruction and the state Board of Education. It honors
schools that ac hieve outstanding results with reg ard to state and national policies and whic h reflect a quality educational program. It also helps to ha ve “it” – that certain quality that just tells you there’ s something special about your school. “My first day (at Mt. Diablo Elementary), I told Linda Schuler that w e w ere g oing to become a Califor nia Distinguished Sc hool,” Hutcherson re ports. “I star ted visiting the classrooms and talking with the students and teachers and I told her w e ha ve ‘it’ and w e’re g oing to be w aving that flag in Clayton.” Hutcherson credits many people with bringing the Distinguished Sc hool f lag to Clayton: the application writing team of Jo Currier and Jennifer Blazer, the teac hing staff , who
offered ideas and suggestions to the writing team, and the Clayton community at large. “Our student’ s come to us successful,” Hutcherson notes . “They come from families who value education and spend a great deal of time enric hing their c hildren’s life experience and that is reflected in the classroom.” Hutcherson and her team are looking forw ard to the award ceremony , which will take place at Disneyland this month. According to Hutcherson, next to Disneyland, school should be the happiest place on earth. She says she and the staff will continue to do all they can to ensure that the school remains a place where c hildren can g row and lear n in a secure , loving environment – and where that flag continues to wave.
Learn to live peacefully with wildlife County Symposium” in Walnut Creek. The county’ s Fish and As Wendy Conte sits on her Wildlife Committee (FW C) is porch, a feral pig roots under a sponsoring the free ev ent from tree on the nearby hillside. 1 to 4 p .m. May 9 at the Conte isn ’t bothered b y the Shadelands Arts Center, 111 N. pigs that r un rampant through Wiget Lane . Registration opens her old w alnut orc hard on at 12:45 p.m. Morgan Territory Road. Wildlife experts will pro vide “They just think they’ve died information, answer questions and g one to hea ven, because and sug gest strategies for manthey love the walnuts,” she says, aging human/wildlife encounlaughing. ters. From 1 to 3 p.m., there will “If I had a la wn, I’d proba- be presentations b y the Animal bly be upset, ” adds Conte, who Services De partment, the appears at ease with the wildlife Mosquito and V ector Control that live on her property. District, the De partment of In fact, the coyotes and her Agriculture, the Califor nia two German shepherds have an Department of Fish and Game unwritten and the pact and a L i n d s a y clear ter ritoW i l d l i f e rial line withMuseum. in the “We w antorchard. ed to gi ve resi“ I ’ v e dents a clear seen m y dog answer about and a co yote which org anipeeing on Photo courtesy of CSUH zation to call CALIFORNIA FERAL PIG different for eac h kind sides of the of problem,” same tree ,” she sa ys. “They says K ae Ono of the county’ s know exactly whose side is Community Dev elopment whose.” Department. The horses on her The seminars will be folMorningSide Horse F arm also lowed b y a one-hour session are at peace with the co yotes. where attendees can visit with “I’ve seen a co yote standing presenters to ask questions spewithin a stone’ s thro w of the cific to their situations. paddock, howling its head off , The FWC also has a booklet, and the horses are completely “Wildlife in Y our Bac kyard,” unfazed,” Conte reports. that outlines common strategies While Conte has a lifestyle to prevent unwanted encounters and mindset that blends with with wildlife in urban neighborher wild surroundings, others in hoods. Copies are a vailable semi-rural areas ma y be troufrom the Animal Ser vices bled b y these close encounters . Department, the East Ba y For them, the answ ers can be Municipal Utility District, the found at next Tuesday’s “Living Lindsay Museum and online at with Wildlife in Contra Costa h t t p : / / w w w. c o . c o n t r a BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
COYOTE
costa.ca.us/depart/cd/water/F WC/index.htm. Keith Bornemann is another Clayton resident who has grown accustomed to li ving with wildlife since mo ving from his Dana Hills home . His family now shares their land off Morgan T erritory R oad with a small herd of deer. “They slee p close to the house in the summer to sta y cool,” he reports. “They eat all the flowers and the g rass when it’ s g reen. It’s hard to g row f lowers – they’ re pretty expensive deer food, ” he says, laughing. “I’m not landscaped like most of the houses, so it hasn ’t really caused too many problems.” Although they ha ven’t had any neg ative encounters with animals, his tw o y oung bo ys found a fa wn last year and carried it up to the house . “They thought something was wrong with it because it couldn’t w alk v ery w ell,” says Bornemann, who w as able to lead the fawn back to a safe area. Conte also is content to coexist with the deer , but she isn’t as fond of the ground squirrels.
“The side of the hill looks lik e Swiss c heese,” she sa ys. “They are definitely a nuisance because they have no predators.” The o wls can also create problems for Conte . She has lost sev en or eight c hickens in the last year . “The ha wks tend to just take off with them.” Meanwhile, the ha wks soaring over the far m aren’t causing a r uckus. “We ha ve a nest of Cooper’s ha wks that has been here long er than I ha ve,” she says. “Occasionally, we see them nail a pigeon and we say ‘Yea!’ ” For more infor mation on the Li ving With Wildlife Symposium, call K ae Ono at 335-1230 or email kono@cd.co.contra-costa.ca.us.
May 5, 2006
Taking Care of Families
Corky Francis Senior Loan Officer 1st Sgt. US Army, Retired (925) 899-3511, fax: 798-5144
TOLL FREE: 888-910-9500
corkvet@comcast.net
May 14th is Mother’s Day
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May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
What to do if a deal is falling apar t
Only $869,000
In heated real estate markets, buyer’s remorse tends to be the leading reason that home sales collapse. After they’re told they got the house , nervous buyers have second thoughts and bac k out. Say, for example , that a hot new listing hits the mark et. The owner has pre pared the home for sale, and it shows beautifully. The o wner and her ag ent set a reasonable list price , hoping it will attract multiple bidders. The seller decides to w ait a week after the brok er open house to listen to offers . Four offers materialize, some for significantly more than the asking price. The winners w ere ecstatic until they awoke the next morning and realized that they had far exceeded their comfor t level for ho w m uch they should be paying for a home. Should y ou suffer a sev ere case of remorse, your best bet is to discuss this with the seller or their ag ent as soon as possible .
his fantastic Martinez home has views across the valley to Mt. Diablo! Also a terrific pool & T spa, granite kitchen & wet-bar, 4 large bedrooms,
2.5 baths, new roof, heat & air, dual pane windows & on a quiet court!
Knowledge, Service, Integrity, Results PETE LAURENCE Broker-Owner, Realtor, GRI
Page A7
Office: 939-7920 Fax: 939-1939 VM 24 hr: 940-2777
1511 Treat Blvd. #100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ESTATE Ask to be released from the contract and ask for y our deposit back. If the sellers ha ve bac k-up buyers w aiting in line , your chances of a release without financial penalty are high. In the abo ve situation, the seller w as happy to release a nervous buyer so that a more eager buyer could proceed with the sale. A failed sale is never a pleasant experience , but it’ s usually best to ha ve a deal fall apar t
sooner rather than later. Two other common dealbreakers are inspections and financing. Most buyers ha ve homes thoroughly inspected as a condition of the purchase. No home is completely free of defects. Buyers often o verlook minor defects, but major , unexpected defects can cause a roadbloc k that kills the deal. Many buyers and sellers attempt to resolv e proper ty problems if the buyers still want the house and the defects can be fixed. The solution ma y involve financing assistance from the seller. Or the seller ma y fix the problems. With disclosure la ws in our area, defects disco vered during inspections must be disclosed to other buyers. It behooves sellers to w ork out a resolution with the first buyer , because future buyers will also be concer ned about the problem. The deal also could collapse if the buyers are unable to qual-
ify for a mor tgage. Sellers can protect themselv es b y making sure the buyers are preapproved for the mor tgage they’ll need. If they’re not, the counteroffer should require that the buyer be pre-approved within five days of contract acce ptance or the deal can be canceled. Two other financing issues can wreak ha voc with a home sale. If the appraisal comes in low, the lender w on’t appro ve the mor tgage for the amount requested. Or, if the lender objects to something in the property title searc h, this could cause the loan to be tur ned down. Buyers don ’t lik e bac kup offers. But it may be worthwhile to acce pt bac kup if you’re the first bac kup in a m ultiple offer competition. Clayton resident Lynne French is a r ealtor with W indermere Real Estate. For any r eal estate needs or questions, call 672-8787 or email Lynne@lynnefrench.com.
Does your pool look more like a swamp? It’s that time of the year when many residents start thinking about their swimming pools. Some ha ve k ept their pool water sanitized and usable all year long and just may have to do a little sprucing up by vacuuming and cleaning the filter. But those who ha ve let their pools g o are facing a full-blo wn “sw amp” clean-up. The first step is to shock (oxidize/sanitize) the w ater until all algae are killed. Oxidizers come in both liquid and granular form. Once the algae are dead (and this does not necessarily mean the w ater is clear), you need to
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drop all of the dead alg ae and debris to the bottom of the pool. This is done b y f locculating the suspended particles with a chemical that coagulates the debris , causing it to become heavier and drop to the bottom. At this point, the pool w ater is crystal-clear and ready for vacuuming. Unlike vacuuming in the traditional sense (using y our skimmer, filtering system, etc.), an auxiliary pump will be needed here. The dead alg ae and debris are too small and will b ypass most filtering systems. Then, the debris will circulate right bac k into your crystal clear water.
loss of 3 to 4 inches. After bringing the water to a proper level, it is time to balance the w ater chemistry. I will co ver that in a future article. In the meantime , consider the cost and headac he of cleaning that sw ampy pool vs . the decision to k eep the pool balanced year -round. The later is the most cost-effecti ve approach.
JASON MCKILLIP
HOME WORK The use of an auxiliary pump means that v acuumed w ater is leaving the pool and not circulating bac k, with an a verage w ater
Clayton resident Jason McKillip is the CEO of Aquapro Pool & Chemical Inc. He has been in the swimming pool industry for more than 22 years. For more information, call 673-7000.
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Page A8
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Whiskey and cream: An Irish friend’ s m um used to settle her c hildren’s upset stomachs b y mixing tog ether a little whisk ey with cream. The problem w as that if not consumed quickly, it se parated and sometimes coagulated. In 1974, R.J. Baileys of Dublin, Ireland, solved those problems and turned the liqueur market on its head with Baileys Irish Cream. Baileys is g rain whisk ey mixed in just about equal proportions with cream. But there’s really more to it. According to www.webtender.com, Baileys also contains eg gs and c hocolate. A friend of mine, an industry insider and for mulation expert, agrees on the eg g content but also rec kons that it has caramel coloring and f lavoring, vanilla and a small amount of natural (not dutc hed) cocoa powder. Apparently, under liquor regulations, these ancillar y components don’t have to be declared because it is (at least in par t) a distilled beverage. Some helpful soul figured out the nutritional value (such as it is) of roughly 1½ oz. of Baileys: 117 calories , 7.4 g carbohydrates, 20 percent sug ar and 15 percent fat. Its alcohol content is 17 percent by volume. I guess that’s the price to pay for something so sinfully delicious. You might think that with all that cream, Baileys should be refrigerated. But as long as y ou keep it in a cabinet at constant cool room temperature (41 to 77 F), it should be smooth and tasty for about two years. Baileys claims to be the highest-selling liqueur brand in the world, with 130 countries and a
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an Irish marriage New Y ork Eg g Cream, so it doesn’t seem very likely. Although I’m a fan of Irish cream o ver ice , there are any number of cocktail recipes that have grown up around this libation. This one is par ticularly good.
70 percent mark et share . One can easily find competition in local stores, including Carolan’s, Bushmills, O’Mara’s and Emmets. The Baileys brand, however, has cor nered most of the mark et and contin ues to expand. To satisfy the “alco-pop” consumer (y ounger drink ers who want something sweet with less alcohol), the company introduced Baileys Glide . It has 4 percent alcohol by volume. A limited edition caramel version and a c hocolate mint flavor have also been introduced in the last couple of years. During the ’80s , college students in Europe spread an urban legend about the dang ers of mixing Irish Cream and tonic asserting that the tw o ing redients solidify into a dense mass and cause potentially deadly constipation. Scientists ha ve disa vowed these alleg ations and note that whenever milk with any fat content comes into contact with a weak acid, such as tonic water or any carbonated drink, the casein in the milk will coagulate into a somewhat g elatinous pudding . I’ve never seen that happen in a
MARY MCGINTY 2 oz. Irish Cream ½ oz. cream de cacao ½ oz. coconut milk ½ oz. cream Blend and ser ve o ver ice . Serves 1. And, of course, it’s very tasty when paired with coffee. IRISH CREAM CAFÉ ½ oz. Irish Cream ½ oz. Kahlua ½ oz. Frangelico (hazeln ut liqueur) ¾ c. coffee Whipped cream and cinnamon to taste Combine liqueurs and top with coffee, cream and cinnamon. Irish cream also can be incorporated into sweet recipes. It works in baked goods too, but I would use a f lavoring product in cak es because the alcohol content ma y interfere with the leavening process for a light and airy product. Never fear in bro wnies, though, because bakers generally w ant a dense and intensely flavored result. This recipe fits that bill nicely. IRISH CREAM BROWNIES ½ c. butter 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
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Just Listed: 10004 Shanna Way Elk Grove, CA
LINDA WYNER
FOOD
FOR
THOUGHT
¼ c . semi-sweet c hocolate chips 1 c. sugar 2 eggs ¼ c. Irish cream liqueur 1 tsp. vanilla ¼ tsp. salt 1 c. flour Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch square pan (or line with foil for ease in removing brownies). In hea vy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter . Add chocolates, vanilla, salt and sugar. Stir until c hocolate is melted and sug ar is w ell-incorporated. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until mixture becomes glossy . Stir in f lour until just incor porated. Bake 25 to 30 min utes. Cool on wire rack. FROSTING 1/3 c. Irish cream liqueur 8 oz. white chocolate While bro wnies are cooling, heat Irish cream to a simmer and add white c hocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until thic kened, about 30 min utes, stirring occasionally. Spread o ver cooled brownies. Linda W yner is an attor ney in Walnut Cr eek by day , and an accomplished chef and “foodie” by choice. Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com
Offered at $678,000
Bill Calkins
Clayton Resident & Neighbor
Helping People Find Their Way Home!
Call for more information 925-673-9164
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May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Diablo Valley Realty Kim Dromlewicz,
Biofilia and an enduring love of nature make us who we are
FREE, no obligation, market evaluation of your home
Standing on the bare ground my head bathed by the b lithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I am par t or par cel of God. … I find something mor e dear and connate than in str eets or villages. In the tranquil landscape , and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful his own nature.
Realtor®
Individual personal attention. I speak Polish. direct (925) 945-2602 Kim@homes4ewe.com
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– “Nature,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson Most of us are drawn to the beauty of nature. So m uch so that w e often bring it indoors in the for ms of houseplants, sunrooms, exotic animals , stonework, wooden fur niture, marble and g ranite surfaces , water fountains , outdoorsscented air fresheners, recorded sounds and the designs and colors of our interior spaces. Nature has inspired poetr y, paintings, sculptures, novels, photography and scientific inquiry. When w e are in a pristine natural setting (b y design or accident), we become filled with a sense of peace and euphoria of belonging and well-being. Such well-being has even been quantified in ter ms of measurable health benefits. In short, we seek out nature and we are nurtured by it. Such a familiarity and fondness for nature is bor n of genetics. We are dra wn to the conditions and settings that have promoted our sur vival. Thus, our lo ve of and affinity
with zzing g u B s i in arket e Spr The M nset of th you make the o t us help ove! e art m on. L a Se s r next sm u yo
Spectacular single level with beautiful pool and views! Don’t miss this 4 bedroom 2 bath plus den. Located in quiet culde-sac near cabana and walking trails. Designer touches throughout. Formal living room, dining room, family room, plus bonus den. Awesome landscaping and sparkling pool! Offered at $849,000 with a $10,000 credit back to you to help you add your own touches! Gorgeous and updated throughout, this 3 bedroom 1.5 bath home shines inside and out. HUGE lot with dazzling pool and landscape. Wonderful great room with solid oak hardwood floors! Wonderful formal dining room. Make your best memories entertaining in this wonderful outdoor oasis! Priced to sell at $765,000
This single level custom Rancher features 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and AWESOME living room, dining room and great room! Vaulted ceilings and skylights bring the magnificent outdoors in. Beautiful pool sparkles next to your own private spa. Large grass, deck, gardening, AND play areas. Cozy up in your wonderful window seat in your extra large bedrooms. This is what Clayton is all about! Resort like setting is the backdrop for this BEAUTIFUL 3 bedroom 2 .5 bath duet in Black Diamond. Sparkling clean and ready for you to enjoy. Offered at $649,999
Coming soon! Clayton 972 Oak St. 4 bedroom plus den, 2 large baths. This downtown beauty is located in one of the most highly desirable neighborhoods.
Antioch 4504 Deer Way
Antioch 2327 Camelback Dr. Charming 4 bedroom 2.5 bath in popular Mira Vista Hills. Wonderful touches throughout. Mid $500,000’s
Page A9
ENORMOUS, warm, and inviting. Grand staircase makes a statement as you enter this stunning 4 bedroom 3 bath plus spacious rec/bonus room. Don’t miss at only $684,000
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for natural settings has been evolutionarily derived via natural selection. Our senses, and the areas of the brain that process them and set up contemplati ve modes , have been positively reinforced by our continued survival. Our love of lawns and g ardens is based on our human history in the African savannas. We sur vived better when w e could see long distances o ver relatively flat grassy areas. This meant oppor tunities to more easily detect potential predators and prey. Our love of forests is bor n of our past needs to g ather fruits and nuts, to hunt animals for food and to find somewhat protected and camouf laged places to live. The shores w ere also a source of natural abundance of food in the for ms of shellfish and other in vertebrates, fish, marine mammals and seaweeds. Our v ery sense of adventure is link ed to the need to explore, to ensure future survival. Exploration opens up new oppor tunities. It presents potentially new and better resources, while decreasing population stresses deri ved from too high n umbers. It leads to the finding of new sources of food and shelter. Some settings provide needed things in abundance , while others are less nourishing and providing. For this reason, both wandering (nomadic) and nonwandering g roups of humans developed. Where resources are continually and predictably plentiful,
rewards are high and sta ying put is the result. Such peace is shattered b y violent w arfare, when one g roup attempts to intrude on and confiscate another’s resources. When rew ards are f leeting and shifting, nomadic lifestyles become the norm. Regardless of the sta y-athome or wandering essences of different peoples , all share the commonalities of being drawn to natural settings and desiring and questing associations with other life forms. This latter phenomenon is what is no w ter med biophilia, the affinity of all life forms for associations with other life forms. Biophilia and a lo ve of nature ha ve become cor nerstones of modern mankind. They are literally “in our blood.” The interesting thing about the aesthetics of natural systems is that health y systems , those in proper ecological balance, look the best to us . We are dra wn to their inherent diversity of forms, colors and textures – qualities attributable to the di versity of a habitat’ s physical structure and associated life forms. In g eneral, when a system being view ed is disturbed and ill, it is no long er appealing to our senses. Even without conscious realization, we are subconsciously a ware of the underlying patholog y and thus develop a natural a version to the setting. Such a versions ha ve adaptive v alue for our sur vival and are genetically codified by natural selection.
925.932.7375 Helen
925.932.7329 Stephanie
homes@helenandstephanie.com
ECOFOCUS We all can tell tales of a “gut” level natural disgust for damaged ecosystems , even as we desire to fix them. One case in point that w e all in Cla yton share is the continuing, miningbased destr uction of Mt. Diablo’s neighboring hillside. I remember first becoming aware of this cancer in our community in the fall of 1998. My family and I w ere out with fellow comm unity members picking out a pumpkin at the Clayton Pumpkin Farm. In the shadow of the dev eloping blight, we w ere commiserating about the assault on our community’s natural aesthetic. Since that time , the illness has spread – ripping the v ery poetry out of part of our community. As if that w ere not enough, many of our streets are often co vered with the powdered residues of pulverized roc ks. This residue is symptomatic of the unhealthy, airborne par ticles that enter our lungs , and those of our children, as w ell as our w etlands and streams. We all kno w it’ s not right. Our g enetically conditioned aesthetic appreciation screams that out to us ev ery time w e look up. Gerard M. Capriulo, Ph.D., is a Fletcher J ones Pr ofessor of Biology and Envir onmental Science at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga.
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Page A10
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Memories of Mom and tea all blend together
PAM BARNETT
TEA
FOR YOU
As the soft rain falls outside my window, I stare into my teacup and ponder ho w different Mother’s Day will be this year. My dear mother lies in the other room recuperating from open-heart surgery, waiting for me to bring her a soothing hot cup of tea. “Here you go, Mom,” I say as I hand her the pink c hina teacup. “It’s white pear tea, one of the healthiest drinks on the planet.” She ging erly sips the tea and looks up at me with a smile . “Did y ou see ho w nice m y new teapot looks in the hutc h?” she asks.
I move to the cabinet and survey the lo vely teapot with roses that I recently gave her. Next to it sits a matc hing cup with “Mother” etched on the side , from last Mother’s Day. Nearby is the china “Grandmother” cup she received from m y c hildren at Christmas. There’s also a bask et filled with sugar tongs, tea samples and tiny spoons souv enirs of each visit she has made to our tearoom in Clayton. This is the w oman who g ave me my first taste of tea and started me on the path of pachado, a passion for the w ay of tea. She loves to tell the story of me handing her my baby bottle and lisping: “Tea in da bottle , Ma, tea in da bottle!” From c hildhood, it has been m y fa vorite bev erage whether hot or cold. Throughout the years , she would make its varying forms. As I set the table for dinner , I’d see Lipton teabags stee ping in a saucepan of water before she’ d pour it over sugar and ice it. We’d spend many summer after noons
swimming in the backyard as a jar of sun tea brewed nearby. From ear infections to monthly cramps, Mom would make me a cup of hot tea to help me feel better. Whether it w as the soothing elixir itself or the feel of her soft hand stroking my hair, somehow I always felt comforted. No w onder it seemed appropriate today to make her a cup of tea and sip it tog ether. When it came to star ting m y tearoom business , Mom has always been m y c heerleader. I could tell her all the details of the planning, the w oes of opening delays and the excitement of finally opening and being a success. She’d ask questions as if she were a par tner, live each situation vicariously and proudly tell others all the details. Just a few w eeks ag o, I sat holding her hand in the hospital as she had the tubes remo ved from her c hest a few da ys after her bypass operation. She clenc hed my hand through the pain and said, “Tell me a funny story about the tea cottag e. Tell me all about
Randy Glassbergen
May 5, 2006
Crossword solution for April 21
the girls (who w ork there).” And so I did. One of my best memories is of Mom w orking alongside me , wrapping gifts and g reeting the guests last Thanksgiving weekend. She proudly k ept her little teapot full and cor nered every customer with a tiny sample cup . She painstakingly tied perfect bows on every package. She knew w e’d be busy and just wanted to help. Or maybe she just wanted us to be tog ether. I lost m y belo ved mother -inlaw to pancreatic cancer sev eral months ag o, and I miss her deeply. She taught me the tr ue meaning of giving unselfishly and of forgiveness. But her passing also taught me to treasure my own mother ev en more while I ha ve the chance. So here’ s to y ou, Mom. May your hear t quic kly mend so that we can enjo y our tea tog ether for many more years. Pam Bar nett was an Eng lish major in college and a teacher before becoming co-owner with Sally Eng lund of Englund’s T ea Cottage in the Clayton Station. Email her at Pammbarnett@aol.com
Dan Rosendich
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Looks like the rain may finally go away
Est.1972
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Roofing
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Richard D. Silvester,
J.D., LL. M.
Attorney at Law CERTIFIED SPECIALIST: Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization ESTATE PLANNING LIVING TRUSTS TRUST ADMINISTRATION PROBATE
Page A11
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In early F ebruary, the famous P ennsylvania g roundhog Punxsata wney Phil came out of his hole , looked around and sa w his shado w. Then he went back in his bur row to prepare for six more weeks of winter. If a groundhog’s perception of weather was an accurate predictor of what w as ahead, the Bay Area counter part to Phil would have drowned. A few months ag o, I referenced the quote “Climate is what y ou expect, weather is what you get.” Looking back at March and continuing into midApril, what we got was nowhere near what we expected. It rained hard, it rained long and it rained often. Many March rainfall records fell. Downtown San F rancisco has the long est continuous history of rainfall measurement in California, dating bac k to the gold rush days of 1849. Prior to this Marc h, the record n umber of days with rain w as 23, set in 1904. This March, there were 25 days with measurable rainfall breaking the all-time record. Other cities that brok e the all-time rain day records include Oakland, Santa R osa and San Rafael. San Francisco also recorded the second w ettest Marc h in
terms of total rainfall, with 8.65 inches. Not only was March wet, but it w as quite cool. At sev eral Northern Califor nia w eather stations, including San Francisco, San J ose and Sacramento, it w as the coolest March on record in ter ms of average temperature. At many locations in our area, the average March temperature was also cooler than a verage temperatures for J anuary and February of 2006. It may not be of much consolation to Cla yton residents who have had golf, baseball and gardening schedules affected b y the w et w eather, but w e w ere not alone in ha ving abnor mal weather during the past six weeks. March 2006 w as the driest on record at many locations , from Virginia to Florida. Across the P acific, several areas had unusual March weather. Record rainfall was re ported in Ha waii, and sev eral tropical cyclones (we call them hur ricanes) hit Australia. When w eather researc hers see abnor mal w eather patter ns persisting in various areas of the world, the answer usually lies in changes in the jet stream. You can think of the jet stream as a ri ver of air in the
Club News VWF
Members of Clayton’s Lt. Jerry No vakovich VFW P ost 1525 will be distributing Buddy Poppies at the Safew ay store located in Cla yton Station and the store at Cla yton and Deckinger R oads on F ri. May 19 and Sat. May 20. Buddy Poppies will also be distributed on Fri. May 26 and Sat. May 27 at Alber tson’s on Alber ta and Walgreens in Cla yton Station. VFW b y-laws require all proceeds from the distribution of Buddy Poppies be used to ben-
efit disabled and needy v eterans, widows and or phans of deceased v eterans located in the Cla yton/Concord Community.
WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS atmosphere, typically located about 15,000 to 20,000 feet above sea lev el. Due to the earth’s rotation and g eographical features, the jet stream does not f low in a straight line from west to east. It looks more like a wave; a series of ridges and troughs that circle the globe between the equator and poles. If you watch the nightly TV weather, you often hear references to the jet stream in ter ms of high pressure ridges and low pressure troughs . Ridges and troughs are kinks in the jet stream. When there is a ridg e o ver California, the strong est jet stream winds are nor th of us. When a trough is o ver California, the strong est jet stream winds are over us. In general, sunny, warm and dry w eather is associated with
CLAYTON VALLEY WOMAN’S CLUB
The Cla yton V alley Woman’s Club is a non-profit organization that focuses on local donations of time and money. Regular monthly meetings are held on the second and fourth T ues. of the month, with coffee at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting at 10 a.m. CVWC is participating in the Macy’ s Concord community shopping day on May 12, and $10 tickets are a vailable from club members. Anyone interested in purchasing a tic ket or lear ning more about the Woman’s Club, please call Joyce at 672-3850 or Sheila at 672-7947. Holy Cross
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jet stream ridg es, and cloudy , cool and wet weather is associated with jet stream troughs. Scientists believe the unusual weather patter ns of the last six weeks o ver the P acific and United States are due to a temporary shift in the jet stream. Preliminary analysis indicates that the tropical cyclone acti vity in the A ustralia area trig gered a shift in the jet stream location in the western Pacific. This in tur n shifted the jet stream pattern enough to cause troughs to reside for an extended period of time o ver Ha waii and California. Further east, a dry high pressure ridg e is anc hored over the southeast. The result is g enerally w et and cool w eather o ver Hawaii and California, with generally w arm and dr y w eather over the southeast. But it seems relief is in sight. Long-range forecast models show a return to the ridging pattern o ver Califor nia this w eek. By the time y ou read this , the sun should be shining . Golfers should be g olfing, pitchers should be pitc hing and g ardeners should be gardening. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG &E. Email y our questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com
Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Concord Council 6038 of Concord and Cla yton has moved their monthly membership meeting place to St. Agnes Parish Hall on 3966 Chestn ut Ave, Concord. The Knights meet the first T ues. of each month at 7:30 p .m. Monthly officers meeting is the last Tues. of each month also at St. Agnes Parish Hall, at 7:30 p.m. Look forw ard to seeing our brother Knights there. Submit your Club news items to clubnews@ClaytonPioneer.com.
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ana Hills? D d r y o t o u couldn’t aff Though ONLY $700,000
Lori Hilts-Galvin & Roger Galvin
Members of CCAR - Contra Costa Association of Realtors DAR - Delta Association of Realtors WCR - Women's Council of Realtors, CREIA - California Real Estate Inspection Association, ASHI - American Society of Home Inspectors & elected officers for the Golden Gate chapter of CREIA
desireable neighborhood near swim club. Enjoy spectacular views from the 11,000+ square foot level lot. Plenty of room to expand, single level, light, bright, open floor plan Best value in
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Call Anytime 800-634-4505, ext. 1112 for info or showing.
Page A12
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
Memories of Presidio still vibrant for Clayton resident For many of us, it’s hard to three young men in a sailboat imagine the Ba y Area without capsize in the bay. He lowered the Golden Gate Bridg e. But the lighthouse boat on his Doris Hallberg, 85, grew up at own and rowed more than 300 San Francisco’s Presidio years yards through the squall to before the bridge was built. save the men. Two were cling“It w as all mine for the ing to the capsized boat and going at the Presidio . I li ved the other w as badly w ounded right where on a training w all the Golden in the bay. Gate Bridg e “This is such an stands toda y honor for our famfor the first ily,” Doris sa ys as 14 years of she sho ws me a my life ,” model of the ship. Doris recalls . “I remember hear“I w ould r un ing about the stor y around the when I w as v ery fort, wave to young, but to ha ve COLLEEN ELWY the ships , it all acknowledged s u b m a r i n e s SHARING HISTORY this way is wonderand destro yful.” ers coming When Doris into the ba y and I had all the was 14, she and her parents beaches to myself. moved to San Dieg o and later “But because our home to Visalia, where she met her was right at the ba y’s rough husband Lewis in 1942. Lewis waters and jag ged roc ks, no was training to be a fighter one from sc hool would allo w pilot, and Doris also took up their c hildren to come pla y flying at the time. with me there ,” Doris adds . “I w as adv enturous,” she “My three brothers w ere says, smiling. “In fact, I took much older than me and li ved up a lot of things and my poor away by this time, so I became mother alw ays thought I w as
Colleen Elwy/Clayton Pioneer
DORIS HALLBERG
very self-sufficient and learned to do many things on my own.” Exciting news recently renewed Doris’ childhood memories of the Presidio. Her father, George Cobb, was the first assistant lighthouse keeper of the P oint Bonita Lighthouse Station there. “My family found out that two years ag o a Coast Guard ship w as named after m y father and is doc ked in San Pedro,” says a beaming Doris . “He was awarded a Silver LifeSaving Medal in an act of courage when he rescued, without assistance , three men from dro wning in the San Francisco Ba y in December 1896.” That da y, the ba y w as heavy with storm rains and 50 mph winds . Cobb witnessed
going to get hurt.” The couple mo ved many times, including stints in Alaska and V enezuela, while Lewis w orked for Chevron Oil. “I actually have moved 43 times in my life, so it’s hard to
Hallberg’s father, George Cobb, was the first assistant lighthouse keeper of the Point Bonita Lighthouse Station
remember ev erything,” she says. “But I loved it and never had to clean out a closet since I didn’t have time to build up things to clutter it.” Doris shared her life with Lewis for 42 years before he died. They had two sons and a daughter along the w ay. Their second son, Bruce, was bor n in Alaska on a day when it was 64 deg rees belo w zero . Their daughter Ann lives in Arizona and son R oger, a member of the Green Beret, has been Missing in Action since the Vietnam W ar. Doris also has six g randchildren and tw o great-grandchildren. Doris contin ues to sew all of her own attractive clothing and also does w atercolor and pastel painting . A beautiful watercolor of the Presidio house and the Golden Gate Bridge decorate her w all at Diamond Terrace. “Sometimes when I ha ve gone bac k to the Presidio , I walk around where I played as a c hild,” Doris ref lects. “The fort is still there, but my house is gone now. People have been picnicking there on the g rass where the house used to be and I w ant to tell them, ‘Hey you are enjo ying no w the exact place where I grew up.’ ”
Photo courtesy of Doris Hallberg
Doris Hallberg’s childhood home sits where the Golden Gate Bridge is today. This photo was taken around 1930. The bridge construction began in 1934.
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Near freeway and shopping. Adorable 2 Bedroom 1 Bath Condo. Spacious Family Room, Kitchen with Newer Appliances, Light Oak Pergo Flooring, Slider to Balcony Patio. Quiet Tranquil Setting. Complex has Pool, Laundry Facility and Security Entrance. Call for Additional Information.
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Walnut Creek office, 1280 Civic Dr., Suite 200, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 280-8500
May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page A13
CD Federal offers different way to bank JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Professional Nail Salon For Men and Women
W
e're proud to welcome you to our beautiful new nail spa. You will find our highly trained staff to be experienced in all phases of nail care and enhancement, facials and waxing. In pursuit of the utmost in cleanliness and comfort, we are pleased to offer LaFleur spa chairs, the latest in cleanjet no-pipe technology. Our goal is to pamper you in a spa-like environment so that you feel relaxed and rejuvenated every time you visit.
UÜ|Çz|Çz çÉâ à{x uxáà Éy uxtâàç $10 off
any deluxe manicure or pedicure
Concord salon only. 1 coupon per customer. Cannot be combined with any other of fers.
Exp. 5/19/06
Concord 4436 Clayton Rd, Suite G Across from FoodMaxx
(925) 676-8668
$5 off
any service over $20 Concord salon only. 1 coupon per customer. Cannot be combined with any other of fers.
Exp. 5/19/06
Also located in San Ramon: 130 Sunset Dr., (925) 866-0666
When y ou ste p inside the glass doors at CD Federal Credit Union on Second Street in Concord, you immediately realize that this is a v ery different style of banking. To the right of the entrance, is a special customer cor ner complete with cozy c hairs, a desk and computer with Internet access, books on banking, a c hildren’s pla y area and even a bathroom for customer use only. Tellers greet customers who come through the front door by their first name. This customer friendly atmosphere has worked well for CD F ederal o ver the years . While other credit unions ha ve grown b y one or tw o percent, CD Federal boasts a six percent
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
CD Federal is nearing completion on a 5,500 square foot addition to their Second Street building. Addition includes high tech office space, conference rooms and employee gym.
growth rate in memberships in the past year alone . “Current members are our best adv ertisers,” says CEO and Clayton resident Mark Roddenberry. Once a family member joins the credit union through an approved g roup or association, it’s only a matter of time before other family members come on board, explains Mark. “Half of our membership growth is from families,” he adds. “You wouldn’t bring a family member to a place that you didn’t like,” Mark says with a smile. CD F ederal Credit Union had modest beginnings , operating out of a tiny house on Second Street in 1954. There w ere actually tw o credit unions in the earlier years, Concord Ci vil Ser vice and Diablo Schools Employees, and they ser viced four sponsors including the City of Concord and the Concord P olice Department. The two merged in 1994 to become CD F ederal which has g rown over the years to its cur rent staff of 22 employees, 50 members and a new 5,500 square foot addition of high tech office space. The new addition includes conference rooms , employee mini g ym, storage areas , more parking spaces , training areas and a fountain bearing a plaque with the names of CD Federal’s
founding fathers. According to Mark, family banking at CD F ederal spans about three g enerations. “Some families have banked with us for over 40 years ,” he adds . “We
MARK RODDENBERRY
consider our credit union a family,” says Mark. Along with the new ph ysical structure and high tec h services, what attracts g roups and associations to credit unions rather than banks? Mark is quic k to respond that credit unions are non-profit and income g oes directly to a v ariety of services for customers and employees. CD F ederal offers free checking, bill pa yment and Internet banking, including free
CD Federal Credit Union Serving our members with a smile since 1954 Call Jenn Irwin at (925) 825-0900 ext. 314 to find out how to become a member today . We’re a full service Financial Institution waiting to serve you!
Old-Fashioned Service with Modern Technology
1855 Second St. Concord, CA (925) 825-0900 www.cdfcu.org
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ATM use throughout the country plus a v ariety of other free services. While banks are owned by stoc kholders, credit unions are owned by its members. Mark is proud of CD Federal’s v ariety of free educational prog rams from job fairs for y outh and real estate seminars to colleg e financial aid information nights . The credit union has a special y outh program where y oung people can open their o wn accounts and learn ho w to manag e their money as w ell as prog rams for seniors that offer discounts on loans with expanded mor tgage and checking options. Keeping employees happy at CD Federal is just as impor tant as k eeping members happy , Mark explains. “More than half of our staff has worked here for five years or more. Some of our employees have worked here for the past 20 years . I’m v ery pro employee,” says Mark. CD Federal nurtures its staff in the same friendly w ay that it takes care of its members with extra da ys off during the holidays, great benefits pac kage and fun nights for emplo yees and their families . “We create an environment that mak es them want to stay,” he adds. Mark is ex cited about CD Federal’s commitment to the community. Mark is acti vely involved in the Concord P olice Activities League (P AL) whic h caters to under privileged y outh in the area through after sc hool activities, camps and dr ug information prog rams. Other employees are also connected to various non-profit g roups and causes in the Concord area. Even though Mark’ s new office is located upstairs on the second level, it doesn’t keep him from mingling with customers and staff on the first f loor throughout the da y. He’s committed to customer satisfaction and to CD Federal’s motto “Old fashioned ser vice with moder n technology.” See ad this page.
6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton
deluxe accessory package worth $500 Includes special orders. Offer ends 05/19/06.
· 672-0207
Closed Mondays
Page A14
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
georgevujnovich.com
Trust your home to
GEORGE VUJNOVICH , Broker Helping friends, neighbors and newcomers buy and sell their homes since 1979
Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated.
Tel: (925) 672-4433 6160 Center Street, Suite E, Clayton 94517
PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!
Mortgage Market Update
JUST LISTED! Custom Built Sensational Single Story. 3 bedrooms plus a den, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,700sf,
2 fireplaces & 3 car garage! Extensively upgraded throughout from the floors to the crown molding! Upgraded diagonal laid tile entry. Formal living & dining room features Tuscan columns, designer paint, marble fireplace & plantation shutters. Den of fers a custom built-in maple cabinetry/bookcase & French doors. Chef’s delight gourmet kitchen boasts upgraded tile floors, granite tile counters with full backsplash, oversized center island, maple cabinets, pantry & lar ge eating area. Spacious family room features custom built-in maple media cabinets, wet bar with granite counter & glass panel display cabinets all centered around a stunning granite tile fireplace with raised hearth & mantle. Enormous master suite of fers a sliding glass door to private patio, sitting area & luxurious bath featuring a Jacuzzi jetted tub, separate stall shower & huge walk-in closet with extensive or ganizer system. Professionally landscaped level lot of fers the utmost privacy & features an exposed aggregate patio, lush lawn, magnificent array of colorful flowers & roses, cascading waterfall with pond & lar ge hidden garden area side yard with raised planter beds! $1,125,000
Conforming $417,000 or less (no points)
Jumbo $417,001 and up (no points)
30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . . . .6.5% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . .6.625% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.5% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.75%
30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . . . .6.5% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . . .6.75% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.625% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.0%
Clayton Market Update
PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!
JUST LISTED! Fabulous “Nantucket model” backs to open space. 4 bedrooms, plus den & loft, 2.5
baths, approx. 3,820sf. 2 fireplaces & 3-car garage! Designer colors, neutral carpet, upgraded window coverings, crown moulding & so much more! Living room with views to Delta & upgraded optional fireplace. Formal dining room with upgraded chandelier . Expanded family room features fireplace, custom built-in wet bar & plenty of room for a pool table or play area. Gourmet kitchen with upgraded tile floors. Tile counters, island & built-in recipe desk, an abundance of maple cabinets & a pantry . Downstairs den with French doors. Huge master suite overlooks open space! Lar ge private level lot features a gor geous in-ground freeform pool, separate spa, custom salt washed patio, slate topped entertainment island with custom trellis cover, cozy lawn area & huge paved side yard! $1,200,000 OAK HOLLOW AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!
Former “San Francisco” model on premium golf course lot! backing to 7th fairway with course, hillside &
wooded views! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 1,639sf, inside laundry & 2 car garage! Upgraded tile floors in entry & kitchen. Upgraded hardwood floors in living & dining rooms including hardwood insert in family room. 2-way tile fireplace shared by living & family rooms. Kitchen features tile floors , counters & upgraded appliances. Master suite with window seat overlooking tranquil views! Huge private pool-size flat lot with large lawn area, patio, side yard with roses, lots of flowers & ornamentals! $729,500 CHAPARRAL SPRINGS AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!
“Mazanita model” with Mt. Diablo Views!
3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 1,430sf, inside laundry & attached 2 car garage! Upgraded marble tile entry with soaring ceiling. Step down living room with vaulted ceiling & plantation shutters shares a two-way marble tile fireplace with separate dining area. Kitchen features tile counters & laminate wood floors. Spacious master suite offers views of Mt. Diablo! Cozy patio with stamped paver look, trellis cover & raised aggregate planter. $539,000 PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!
Spectacular Custom Home on a prime ridgeline view lot!
backing to open space with commanding views of oak dotted hillscanyons & ridgeline! 5 bedrooms + den, 3.5 baths, approx. 3,850sf, 2 fireplaces & 2 car garage with work area & storage closet. Grand scale entry with impressive mahogany double doors, granite tile entry & ornate light fixture. Downstairs guest suite with private full bath. Elegant living room features a granite tile fireplace. Banquet size formal dining room. Enormous gourmet kitchen features 18” tile floors, huge eating area & granite tile counters & island. Spacious family room boasts a gor geous natural slate tile fireplace & custom built-in cabinetry. Luxurious master suite of fers dual French sliding glass doors leading to balcony overlooking exhilarating & inspiring views! Private lot features an expansive random pattern stone patio & lawn area that blends into open space. $1,250,000 CANYON CREEK!
JUST LISTED! Mediterranean Beauty!
largest floor plan “Royal Oak” model! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,539sf, inside laundry & 2 car garage! Enormous family room with fireplace, wet bar & dramatic vaulted ceiling! Large eatun kitchen features tile counters, center island, oak cabinets & bay window eating nook. Spacious master suite overlooks wooded open space, hills & valley. Private & quiet backyard backs to open space with a brick patio & of fers an assortment of unique trees & plants. Enjoy lush community greenbelts, playground & tennis courts! $764,000
Provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS
PRICE
SALE DATE
SF
301 Meredith Ct 316 Mt. Washington Wy 5915 Wallace Dr 3505 Coyote Circle 15 Clark Creek Cir 130 Mt. Shasta Court 377 Blue Oak lane 4775 Morgan Territory 202 Falcon Place 20 Ohlone Lane 1111 Peacock Creek Dr 232 Jeffry Ranch Pl 1338 Shell Lane 1224 Bridlewood Ct 5607 Lassen Court 508 Hamburg Circle 2 Rialto Drive 3046 Miwok Way 112 Forest Hill Drive 374 Blue Oak Lane 1546 O'Hara Court 540 Mt. Davidson Ct 5191 Keller Ridge Dr 1467 Indianhead Circle 3003 Coyote Circle 9007 Elk Drive 718 Anizumne Court 2 Mt. Wilson Way 1164 Moccasin Court 8019 Kelok Way 5120 Keller Ridge Dr 1124 Whispering Pines 5017 Raven Way 5175 Keller Ridge Dr 5007 Raven Way 1032 Pebble Beach Dr 90 Mt. McKinley Ct 107 El Portal Place 104 Mt. Whitney Way 905 Arrowhead Terr 410 Chupcan Place 107 Jeffry Ranch Ct.
$849,950 $815,000 $834,000 $482,500 $520,000 $749,000 $1,111,724 $975,000 $789,900 $749,000 $1,150,000 $815,000 $545,000 $1,041,000 $629,950 $829,300 $820,000 $1,034,000 $1,055,000 $922,000 $684,000 $780,000 $760,000 $593,000 $505,000 $890,000 $680,000 $499,950 $670,000 $890,000 $739,000 $1,175,000 $825,000 $899,000 $750,000 $1,060,000 $799,000 $915,000 $825,000 $665,000 $715,000 $760,000
04/28/06 04/26/06 04/19/06 04/19/06 04/17/06 04/14/06 04/14/06 04/13/06 03/31/06 03/30/06 03/30/06 03/30/06 03/29/06 03/28/06 03/24/06 03/24/06 03/23/06 03/22/06 03/17/06 03/16/06 03/15/06 03/14/06 03/10/06 03/10/06 02/2806 02/28/06 02/28/06 02/23/06 02/22/06 02/22/06 02/17/06 02/17/06 02/16/06 02/13/06 02/10/06 02/09/06 02/07/06 01/31/06 01/24/06 01/17/06 01/06/06 01/03/06
2,011 2,619 2,095 1,252 1,457 1,919 3,162 2,753 2,313 1,877 3,599 2,005 1,367 3,615 1,443 2,391 1,648 2,944 3,335 3,008 1,549 2,342 2,543 1,430 1,252 2,543 1,904 1,378 1,343 2,542 1,877 2,700 2,467 3,079 1,835 3,335 1,919 2,857 2,566 1,797 1,991 2,150
BED/BATH 4/2.5 6/2.5 3/3 2/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 4/2.5 4/3 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 4/2.5 2/2.5 5/4.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2 4/2.5 4/2.5 4/3 3/3 4/2 3/2.5 3/2.5 2/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/3 4/3 4/3 3/2 4/2.5 4/2 5/3 5/3 3/2.5 3/2 4/3
CLAYTON PIONEER May 5, 2006
Section B
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page B1
Control possible for MS, but cure still eludes BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
If Clayton resident Mik e Parker g ets stressed about his home and w ork oblig ations, he hops on his bik e or takes a hike up Mt. Diablo. But when he bik ed 75 miles in the T op Hat Classic Bik e Tour last month, he had a different goal – to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society . His wife, Lori, was diagnosed with MS at age 18. “He is in a pretty helpless spot as far as w atching me g o through this ,” she sa ys. “The bike ride gi ves him something he can do to help fight MS .” Mike Parker, a financial analyst for Dreyer’ s, recruited coworkers for his Rocky Road bike team. The April 22 ev ent w as their sixth ride tog ether, and they have raised almost $40,000. Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central ner vous system. It is thought to be an autoimm une disorder, in whic h the imm une system incor rectly attac ks the person’s healthy tissue. It can cause blur red vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speec h, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue , problems with memor y and concentration, paralysis and blindness. These problems ma y be per manent, or they ma y come and go. In the fall of 1991, in her freshman year at the Uni versity of the Pacific in Stoc kton, Lori Parker beg an ha ving symptoms – double vision, the loss of hot and cold sensations on her right side, fatigue.
“I w as diagnosed fairly quickly,” she re ports. “You’ll hear about people who have MS and it tak es years to g et diagnosed. That is g etting better with MRIs.” The piano perfor mance major w as fairly symptom free until the fall of 1998. “I would get some n umbness and tingly feelings, but I w as pretty m uch in denial that I had MS.” However, while w orking on her master’s of music at the San Francisco Conser vatory, she could no long er ignore the fatigue that was setting in. “When y ou sa y fatigue in
MS, it’s different than ‘I’m tired.’ It’s just this hea viness and y our body just stops and y ou are just drooping around, ” she sa ys. “The fatigue has been a constant and has drastically changed our lives.” WALKING TOWARD A CURE Like Mik e P arker, former Clayton resident P erry Ann Jeveli also hits the road on her crusade to find a cure . Jeveli, who was diagnosed with MS 11 years ago, will be walking in the society’s fund-raiser this w eekend in Alameda. “When my Mom was driving me home from my diagnosis, by
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
NEW MS
DRUGS
make it possible for Perry Ann Javeli to play tennis.
my house in Walnut Creek, there were all these people w alking in T-shirts,” Jeveli recalls. “I asked my Mom what w as g oing on and she said, ‘You’re not g oing to believ e what their T -shirts say. They’re on an MS walk.’ “That w as suc h an aber ration in my neighborhood, that I was sure it w as a sign, ” adds Jeveli. So, she vowed to par ticipate in such a walk some day. At that time , however, she couldn’t ev en w alk without assistance and had severe vision trouble. “I could see imag es, but I had optic neuritis ,” she says. “I could see that there w as a person there, but I couldn’t tell who it was.” When she w as diagnosed in 1995, there weren’t any medications to treat MS – other than steroids for the inf lammation. Because her husband W ayne, a Naval officer , was ready to be shipped out, she mo ved bac k home so her parents could help care for her. Jeveli was pursuing her MBA at Saint Mar y’s Colleg e in Moraga when her health nosedived. “I was not g oing to drop out of school. I w as determined,” says Jeveli, who earned her degree in 1996. THE ROAD TO RECOVERY With w eekly shots of Avonex since its FD A approval in 1996, Jeveli has reg ained much of her mobility and vision. The drug slows the progression of physical disability and reduces the n umber of relapses. In addition to the MS w alks, she w alked in the Big Sur marathon on April 30, does
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
MIKE PARKER, pictured here with Lori and Luke, and his Dreyer’s coworkers have raised over $40,000 for MS research.
Pilates exercises twice a week, is an avid downhill skier and pla ys tennis at Oakhurst Countr y Club in Clayton. The 41-year-old Jeveli works part-time in business dev elopment and real estate , while also helping raise funds for other organizations such as John Muir Hospital and Children at Risk. And she cares for her tw o children, 7-year-old Sk ylar and 5year-old Tucker. Yet, the prolong ed heat of Clayton’s summers w as wearing on her, and affecting her vision, so she and her family mo ved to Lafayette last fall. She balances her w eekly injections around her “social schedule,” due to the dr ug’s flulike side effects that last at least a da y. But she remains optimistic about her prognosis. “If you’re going to have MS, now is the time to ha ve it,” she
states emphatically , “because there are therapies to help slo w the progress of the disease. I’m able to pla y tennis because of that.” NO TWO CASES ALIKE Since MS is unpredictable and affects eac h patient differently, Parker didn’t find success with Avonex. For her , the side effects w ere unbearable . She switched to daily injections of Copaxone after the bir th of her daughter Sier ra 4 ½ years ag o. She also tak es Pro vigil to help counter the fatigue. When Luk e came along a year and a half ago, the Parkers moved to Clayton to be close to her parents. They have hired an au pair to help care for the c hildren. “This w ay, I ha ve help with
See MS, page B5
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lasting impact through her long-running real estate career. By working her hardest and providing the most possible options, she has helped many Discover the Possibilities in the East Bay Area real estate market. Whether you’re buying or selling, Lynne French and her team are the ones to know for a higher level of service. Give them a call today and experience the difference for yourself.
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Page B2
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
Clayton Sports DeWitt family is Home, Home on the (driving) Range BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer
The DeWitt family of Clayton rev olves around g olf, with three bo ys on the Cla yton Valley High School team. Junior twins Mark and Michael DeWitt help anc hor the CVHS g olf team, while freshman brother Donny is w orking his way into the mix. Cousin Bobb y Bucey of Concord rounds out the CVHS foursome that links to mater nal grandfather and longtime Oakhurst Country Club member Ed Lexon. Lexon speaks fondly about the transition from Little League baseball to g olf about five years ago. Although they first attended an Oakhurst golf camp at age 7, it w asn’t until the twins w ere about 12 and beg an lessons at Boundary Oaks and Diablo Creek that the game took hold. “They knew I loved golf,” he reports while on v acation in Arizona. “I’ve been g olfing for over 30 years and it’ s kind of a passion with me . It’s become a family thing -- a perfect fit.” Ed’s daughter Lenette and husband Don li ve just a few doors down from him on Eagle Peak, and Lexon makes it a point to g reet his g randsons as they wrap up their matc hes at Oakhurst’s No . 9, just a shor t walk from their homes. Lexon typically dri ves the boys to their away matches and even calls home with regular updates for Mom. “I’ve only missed two matches o ver the past tw o years ,” he says, noting that both w ere during his recent Arizona trip. FAMILY COMPETITION All three DeWitt bo ys pla y right-handed although Michael, a left-handed hitter in baseball, will still occasionally hit lefty at the driving range. At 5-3 and just more than 100 pounds, Mark is the smaller in stature, but the best scorer in the g roup – posting rounds in the low 40s. His 17-year-old fraternal twin Mic hael, who has a bit of a size adv antage, often
Bill Wagoner/Clayton Pioneer
DEWITT
BROTHERS
MARK, MICHAEL
shoots in the mid 40s while gunning for his brother. “I’ve beaten him twice ,” Michael points out during a c hat at Oakhurst. At 5-6 and 126 pounds , 15year-old Donny, is first to raise his hand when the brothers are asked who’s longest off the tee. All three hands g o up, however, when they’ re ask ed who can beat their father. “Our dad doesn ’t get to pla y too often, ” Mark explains . “He can still outdri ve all of us when he gets hold of one.” Michael inter jects: “I’d sa y me, when it comes to the shor t
Sports Shorts CLAYTON VALLEY YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP
June 26-30. Fundamentals and T echniques of Football. Open to bo ys g rades 5 through 9. Clayton Valley High Sc hool 1101 Alberta Way Concord. Herc Pardi- Football Camp director, Jerry Coakly- Asst. Camp director. Camp practice time 9 am-2 p.m. Camp Fees: Two separate checks for $125 and a 75$ deposit for equipment made out to “Cla yton Valley Football” (refunded on the last day of camp with the return of the equipment). Fees include instr uction, camp, practice, practice jersey, trainer and camp evaluation. Camp flyers are available at the Clayton Valley High Sc hool Main Office during sc hool hours . 925-682-7474 x3115.
AND
DONNY get in their swings at on the Oakhurst Country Club golf course.
game.” Although Mark has a few things to say about that. “Michael’s g ot a g ood touc h around the g reen, especially the chipping,” Mark admits with a grin, “but I’ve got the edg e with putting.” CVHS g olf coach P aul Meyer, a Clayton resident, recalls a defining moment of Michael’s short game.
“Against F reedom, Michael shot his personal best at Shadow Lakes and c hipped in from 50 feet off the g reen to win the match,” Meyer re ports. “We were down by three strokes, and Michael pic ked up four strok es coming in for the team to win by one.” CLOSE TO HOME Meyer has li ved in Cla yton
for 20 years and raised four c hildren through the local sc hool system. Although it’s rare these days for a coach to be a member of the school’s faculty, Meyer is
See Golf, page B5
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Clayton Sports YMCA adult volleyball scores a hit at Clayton gym BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer
Volleyball players flock to the Clayton g ym tw o nights a w eek for both league pla y and drop-in action. “That upper lev el skill factor is impor tant to us ,” reports Clayton resident Sandra Bohn. “It keeps the better players coming bac k. That’s wh y w e ha ve returning pla yers from Suisun
Players rang e from those in their early 20s to some pla yers well into their 50s . Several couples have been vital to the ong oing stability , including Oakhurst residents Ron and Kim Buck. The Bucks are “charter members” of the league and longtime volleyball pla yers. Ron officiates Division II and Di vision III college v olleyball in Nor thern California as well as youth soccer in Cla yton. He is also a for mer
Bill Wagoner/Clayton Pioneer
CLAYTON
VOLLYBALL VETERANS
Kim Buck, Ron Buck, and Sandra Bohn
City, Brentwood, Antioch and Pleasant Hill coming all the w ay out to little ol’ Clayton.” Launched in the fall of 2004, the Concord/Cla yton YMCA Adult Co-Ed V olleyball League plays four year -around seasons . YMCA’s Delise Y oung o versees the prog ram, although par ticipants enthusiastically point to Bohn as the “glue” that k eeps this league vibrant. “We started drop-in play during the spring of 2004. It took a few months to get enough teams together for a league,” says Bohn. The league has g rown from four teams to six in the cur rent season, with about 50 pla yers total. They spor t colorful team names lik e Myassis Drag on, Demolition Crew and R otating Devils. League r ules require tw o women per side , and a w oman must touch the ball on eac h side of play except in the ev ent of a direct hit. Games are best tw o out of three rally scoring. Clayton resident Gar y Allen, a 30-year v eteran of the g ame, prefers to combine indoor with grass v olleyball as the seasons and w eather c hanges. Others, however, remain dedicated to the indoor g ame and the feature of fewer variables. Bohn’s challenge is to recr uit coaches and fill out teams to keep the league impro ving. “The teams in our cur rent league are better than in most seasons past,” Bohn says. “We love it that way.”
Junior National Champion in badminton, going back to age 13 when his family pla yed out of Chicago. Into his 20s , Ron w as ranked 8th in U .S. men’s singles and 4th in doubles. Ron and Kim ha ve produced two outstanding v olleyball pla yers, with their daughters also earning sc holastic honors at the very top of their Clayton Valley High School graduating classes. Stephanie, now 21, is a 2003 Clayton Valley High School who earned first team BV AL v olleyball honors her sophomore , junior and senior seasons. That final year was capped b y the ultimate honor – being voted BVAL Most Valuable Player. “Stephanie possesses g reat athleticism and, like her father and y ounger sister , has g reat vision on the cour t,” says her mom.
Stephanie is pursuing psychology and biolog y studies at UC San Dieg o and is wrapping up her junior year in an exchange program at the Uni versity of Grenoble in F rance. She’ll be home to visit Cla yton this summer, then back to San Dieg o to wrap up her undergraduate work in the fall. Amy Buc k is g raduating CVHS at the top of her class this June. She has thrived in three seasons of varsity volleyball, including second-team all-league voting her senior year. “Nobody has more hear t than Amy,” says her mom. “She really loves the game.” Amy is playing on the Golden Bear 18U club team out of Cal, with practices three times a week in Berk eley. She also is in the midst of a qualifying season for the Junior Olympics. Club season r uns J anuary through early July, right up to the Junior Olympics. Amy’s team has seen action in Los Ang eles, Baltimore and Reno. “Volleyball has tak en hold, ” Kim sa ys. “To be successful, it requires playing year-around.” Drop in v olleyball from 7:30 to 10 p .m. on Tuesdays draws a dozen or so pla yers to the Clayton g ym eac h w eek. It’s a great stag e for Bohn to recr uit new pla yers. The fee is $4 for Clayton residents and $6 for non-residents, with additional savings via the YMCA drop-in punch card. As players arrive for the third game of the ev ening, scheduled for 9 p .m., one w oman is o verheard sharing a common theme: “Everyone else is at home in pajamas … and I’m dri ving to volleyball!” The Clayton gym is located at 700 Gym Cour t (next to the Diablo View Middle Sc hool) in Clayton. For more infor mation on adult v olleyball, contact Delise Young, Program Director, dyoung@mdrymca.org, (925) 889-1600.
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Page B4
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
School News Two Mt. Diablo fifth grade classes gi ve up party to start a new “Clean up Clayton” tradition
MRS. GOLDSMITH’S AND MR. BUITRAGO’S FIFTH GRADE pizza at Skipolini’s after “Clean Up Clayton” day.
CLASSES
were treated to
On F ri. Apr. 14 tw o fifth g rade classes from Mt. Diablo Elementary forfeited their spring par ty for a c hance to help clean up Clayton. 63 students from Mrs. Goldmith and Mr. Buitrago’s classes met city w orkers on the trail behind the sc hool and proceeded to collect 64 bags of garbage. The city provided rak es, bags and glo ves and the students supplied the hard labor . Skipolini’s opened their doors for the students to feast on pizza and drinks after an after noon of community service. Both teac hers w ork hard to instill the spirit of community and ha ving a sense of pride in one’s work and this project pro vided a hands on life experience. The students were amazed at ho w m uch g arbage they found and how much more could be done. This outing w as so successful that the teachers hope to make it an annual tradition. The city is on board and Skip’s is anxious to participate. A new tradition has been bor n.
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DramaMama brings Dear Edwina to DVMS The vision of one local parent has become reality , bringing drama to Clayton’s middle sc hool. Patti Pratt, founder of DramaMama Productions has been an acti ve par t of Mt. Diablo Elementary productions , is impressed with the Cla yton V alley High Sc hool Drama Academy, but distressed to find no drama prog ram at Diablo View Middle School. Pratt dev eloped an after sc hool enrichment program that includes all ability and talent levels.” The Diablo View PFC has officially sponsored the prog ram and Alison Bacigalupo, PFC president w as pleased at what she hopes will just be the star t of DVMS after school enrichment programs. This year’s show, Dear Edwina is set in the garage of Edwina Spoonapple, advice giver extraordinaire. The story covers many complex issues including sibling ri valry and manners , all addressed through a song and dance style
talent show with fabulous music. DramaMama is already looking forward to next year’ s production with a surprise sho w. Look for new classes and announcements at the show. Performances are Thurs. May 18 at 7p.m. and Fri. May 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for c hildren 5-12. Also in the news...DVMS has a new electronic sign courtesy of the Parent F aculty Club (PFC).
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Back row from left: Adam Agronow, Chris Lopez, Kayli Costner, Eric Pederson; Middle row: Chris Strader, Cristina Pratt, Camilla Rowland; Front row: Marisa Khachadoorian, Cameron Bacigalupo, Blake Smith
students in middle sc hool and g rade 9. Families may obtain the registration material at each middle school office, next to the summer school material. Students will take two enrichment classes, choosing from ar t, band, string orc hestra, show c hoir, guitar, dance, and drama. Summer Ar ts Prog ram will be held on the Cla yton V alley High School campus from J une 26 - J uly 25. For more infor mation, contact Mr. Mundy Viar at 682-7474 x 3125, or at ClaytonBands@aol.com. Across the United States , the moder nday high school marching band has taken a theatric perfor mance approac h. Close to home, Clayton Valley High School is the only local high school that offers this
type of contemporary pag eantry experience that has its histor y in parades and football halftimes. Students that like to perfor m, as well as students that have not had the oppor tunity to perform but want a new experience , are strongly encouraged to join this award-winning team. We want boys and girls for our color guard section (formerly known as the “drill team” or “tall f lag squad”), for our drum line , and for our band, in g eneral. Clayton Valley has w on n umerous a wards for creative designs, excellent performance, and interesting music arrangement. To register and to recei ve the summer and fall 2006 sc hedule, contact Mr. Mundy Viar at Cla yton V alley High Sc hool, 6827474 x 3125, or at ClaytonBands@aol.com. Registration will close in May. Beginners and students with no experience are welcome.
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Clayton Valley High School Clayton V alley High Sc hool’s P arent Faculty Club is hosting the first ann ual Benefit for Technology to raise money to upgrade and re place the sc hool’s aging computers. The Cinco de Ma yo Fiesta Benefit and Dinner Dance will be held on May 5, from 6 – 11 p .m. in the Grand Ballroom at Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road, Concord. The evening will include a Mexican dinner buffet, live m usic, DJ, cocktails, black jack for fun, silent auction, dessert auction, and raffle. Tickets are $50 each. For more infor mation or to mak e a donation contact Mindy Moore at 6720930. The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is offering a summer ar ts pr ogram for
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MS, from page B1
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my kids and I can rest when I need,” says Lori, who usually spends several hours during the day in bed – not necessarily sleeping, but resting. In order to focus her attention on her family, and her own health, she gave up her career as a piano teac her after Sier ra was born. “I was having g ood days and bad days, and I just couldn’t count on feeling g ood. And there w as alw ays this stress of having to cancel a lesson, ” she says. She also had to stop leading the music at Sanctuary Ministry in Concord, a non-denominational church where her father , Clayton resident Jim Shields , is pastor. Although she hopes to k eep music in her life , the 33-year old Parker feels that her future remains unclear. “We just don ’t know. That is the difficulty with MS, because there is so m uch uncertainty,” she says.
HOW TO HELP To contribute to Mike Parker’s Rocky Road team, visit https://www.nationalmssociety.org, click on Sponsor a Participant, enter Mike Parker and follow the prompts or email Mike Parker at MEParker@dreyers.com. To contribute to Perry Ann Jeveli’s Pear’s Pack, visit www.pearspack.com. For more information on MS, visit www.nationalmssociety.org or call 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867).
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
DESPITE HER MS, Lori Parker hopes to keep music in her life.
“Being a Type A, driven person, then having this come into my life, it’s been very difficult to not ha ve control of my life ,” she adds . “I just ha ve to tr ust that God is in control of all of this.” LOOKING FOR ANSWERS Researchers do not yet know what trig gers the disease . But there are sev eral contributing
Golf, from page B2 member of the faculty , in her seventh year as a math teac her. “Oakhurst is the toughest course in the BV AL,” Meyer notes, “and I believe it’s the best home course in the league . They’re very kind to us as a team … just super for us.” It’s also helpful when pla yers can work at the course and pic k up complementar y pla ying time along with a pa ycheck. Twins Mark and Mic hael along with cousin Bobb y w ork at the car t barn at Oakhurst. Because the bo ys all enjo y the game, Meyer says he doesn’t need to force them to practice . “Returning from Easter break, most players talked about having played four to fi ve times that w eek. That mak es m y job real easy,” says Meyer. “They practice a lot and they have their o wn pros ,” he adds .
Page B5
“If I tell them anything, it could be the opposite of what their pro is telling them. So I back off and deal more with the mental aspects of the g ame. Some of the kids ha ve been g oing to the same pros for four to fi ve years.” Meyer praises Lex on for his support of the bo ys and their golf. “He would be humbled in a v ery proud w ay to ha ve his grandsons beat him.” Lexon plans a tw o-week vacation in Lak e T ahoe eac h summer, revolving around – you guessed it – g olf. “I ha ve 12 g randkids,” Lexon explains . “We break it into tw o se parate visits , golf with the Bucey family one w eek and the DeWitt boys the next. A little tour nament, usually pla ying two days each week.” Last year, the old guys played
factors, including genetics, gender (more w omen are affected) and en vironmental trig gers – such as vir uses, trauma and heavy metals . It occurs more commonly among people with northern European ancestry. To help solve the MS puzzle, Jeveli is participating in a genetic researc h study at UC-San Francisco. She spent April 27 at UC, being pok ed and prodded and answering all sorts of questions. “I do g et an absolutely cutting-edge MRI for free . And I can ha ve it tw o years in a ro w, for comparison, ” notes J eveli. The MRIs c hart the g rowth of inflammatory lesions that damage the central ner vous system.
Since 1946, the MS Society has in vested more than $460 million in search of a cause and cure. Jeveli’s P ear’s P ack fundraising team, named after her nickname of Pear, will pass the $100,000 mark with this w eekend’s walk. Because of Pear P ack’s status as the No . 2 fund-raising team in Nor thern Califor nia, Jeveli is able to request that 100 percent of her money go directly to researc h. UC-San Francisco is the top recipient of such funding from the society. “So I’m g oing to the clinic where they are doing the study that the money I’m raising is going to,” she says, enthusiastically. “It’s so cool.”
against the kids and w on. “That was probably the only year ,” Lexon concedes. “They’ve really improved and they can probably beat Poppa this year.” When it comes to coac hing, Lexon defers to Bob Ament, a teaching pro at Oakhurst Country Club who has w orked with the boys. “Other than that, they pretty much w ork it out themselv es,” Lexon sa ys. “Their passion is golf.” When not on the g olf course or w orking to maintain their strong g rades, Mark and Michael have picked up the guitar in the past year , courtesy of father Don’s tutelage. They regularly jam with cousin Bobby. “Mostly ’80s stuff ,” Mark says of the guitar sessions. “And we g et tog ether to pla y a lot of poker and pic k-up football, too.” Donny also finds time to play on the CVHS bo wling
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Pool Inspections Weekly/Monthly Maintenance Quality Service & Repair New Construction/ Remodel Solar Installation & Repair
Serving Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Clayton, Alamo, Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Antioch, Pittsburg, Oakley, Brentwood & Discovery Bay
Spring is here ! Want a fresh new look, new spring colors? How about a bright, new home. Re-do the dining room drapes & the table runners. Re-upholster the old sofa with fabulous new fabric for a fresh look for spring.
License No. 671549
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Call Joanna at (925) 673-8911 Clayton Resident
OFF THE COURSE
Mark’s biggest victory, however, came off the links. “The whole to wn of Clayton w as pra ying for him when he battled Hodgkin ’s disease as a four th-grader,” mom Lenette recalls. “Five months of chemotherapy and radiation caused Mark to miss half of the fourth grade.” “That’s when Mark and I really bonded, ” Grandpa remembers. “I would help tak e Mark for his treatments. He was the bra vest little kid, with the blood draws, the MRIs and all, and he just w anted to g o g et something to eat afterw ard. He never complained once . He’s just a great young man.” Lexon’s big gest thrill is watching the kids play golf. “I’d rather w atch them pla y than play m yself. I’m just so proud of them.” The Eagles g olf team wrapped up a 12-2 season and a solid second place in the BVAL. The team split matc hes with perennial rivals De La Salle and Liberty. The only thing that kept the three schools from finishing in a three-w ay tie w as DLS’ two wins over Liberty. On Marc h 30, Clayton Valley brok e De La Salle’ s 79match BV AL winning streak, dating back to 2000, with a 202206 win. Bobby Bucey led the way with a 37. It wasn’t until the final four putted out that T yler Archer’s 42 and Mark DeWitt’ s 44 ear ned the Eagles the hug e victory. The second-place BV AL finish vaults the Eagles into the league tour nament at Ranc ho Solano in Fairfield and an automatic bid to the Nor th Coast Section qualifier at Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland on May 8. As expected, Lexon has rearranged his work schedule to accommodate these events. “It’ll be a g reat season next year, also,” Lexon concludes . “It’ll be a thrill with three senior grandsons heading up the team next year.”
“HomEquity was a great choice!”
friendly staff, relaxing environment
Dr. Gardner Dr. Bradburn And Staff
Clayton Family Dentistry 672-0110
6123 Main Street in historic downtown Clayton
“Over the years, Greg Farrand of HomEquity has done several refi’s for us, sold our home and secured the financing for our new home. Greg has truly been a tremendous resource! His communication, follow up and negotiation skills place him at the top of his profession. HomEquity’ s commitment, integrity and genuine care make them a pleasure to work with. Best of all, they saved us $9,487 on the sale of our home!”
- Dave Shuey,
Buyer, Seller, Refi client, Clayton
We do it all to help you. . .
⌧ Sell your home ⌧ Find you a new home ⌧ Find you the best new mortgage Greg Farrand, resident/Broker
5354 Clayton Rd, Suites B1 & B2, Concord phone: (925) 673-9737 fax: (925) 798-2100
email: email: gfarrand@homequity.us gfarrand@homequity.us www.homequity.us www.homequity.us
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Don’t forget to add pet supplies to your emergency kit MARYBETH RYMER,
PAWS
AND
DVM
CLAWS
In the aftermath of the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake, I felt it w as important to address ear thquake tips for animal o wners. Being prepared will help you and your pet survive the next major quake. Most impor tant on y our preparation list should be an evacuation plan for you and your pets. As w e lear ned from Hurricane K atrina, pets left behind can suffer from star vation, dehydration, injury and death. Human shelters will not tak e pets due to lac k of space and concerns of disease transmission. Therefore, you will need to think ahead as to ho w y ou will shelter your animals. Arrange for an out-of-to wn contact for your family, as well as an emerg ency location for y our pets. Consider making ar rangements ahead of time to k eep them at a kennel (but the kennel may be destroyed as well). Plan ho w to transpor t y our pets to these locations but also be prepared to shelter in your house, a self-made shelter or in y our car without electricity or water. Arrange with a neighbor to check on your pets if you are not home when disaster strik es. Place a sign on a front windo w or door stating that pets live here and list ho w many, their breed, sex, age and color. Maintain current photographs of your pets in your w allet/purse and sev eral other locations for identification if you are separated. Proper pet ID alw ays includes a collar and tag . But since these ma y split off , a permanent alter native w ould be to
have y our v eterinarian place a microchip in the animal. Pet o wners should alw ays store enough food and water for three to14 da ys. Store your pet’s supplies in a w ater-resistant backpack with y our own kits so you can easily g rab and run. House y our pet where they are as safe as possible from falling objects. Buy appropriatesized, hard plastic, durable airline crates for housing and control. For cats, keep pillowcases in your emergency kit for a temporary quic k restraint. For dogs , keep a leash/harness handy. Write your name, pet’s name and contact infor mation on the leash and on the side of carriers and crates. Also post any medical conditions on the carriers/crates. Keep a bolt cutter handy to cut a pet free from a kennel. If your family practices emergency drills , be sure to include your pets in the routine. Animals will often sense danger before it happens , and they will instinctually r un to safety. If an earthquake strikes, do not tr y to hold your pet during the shaking. Your pet may unintentionally bite or scratch. Your pet will be as stressed and frightened as you are. If they hide, give yourself and your pet time to calm down, and they will eventually return. Keep on hand their fa vorite food and to ys to help attract them. A w ell-trained dog is priceless at a time lik e this. Cats will be harder to cor ral, but tr y to talk and act calmly while placing them into their car riers. Keep y our animals inside if possible or under control with a leash or in a crate . If you m ust shelter outside, be aware to provide shade if temperatures are hot. Don’t let you pet drink contaminated water. If you must evacuate and you
cannot find your pet, leave out a large supply of dry food and fresh water. Return when it’s safe to look for them. If you can, access the Internet to find W ebsites where pictures of lost pets can be posted. Depending on the amount of damage suffered, local animal services and veterinarians will do the best they can to help recover pets. Contact these facilities to help find your pets, house homeless animals y ou ha ve found or to volunteer. I ha ve compiled a list of national, state and local emergency n umbers and W ebsites. Browse these sites so y ou are familiar with them and k eep this list in a plastic bag with y our emergency kit. American Veterinary Medical Foundation: www.avmf.org/ html/index.asp. Veterinary Medical Assistant Teams: www.vmat.org; 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360l; 847-925-8070, ext. 600. Humane Society: www.hsus.org; West Coast Regional Office, P.O. Box 417220, Sacramento, CA 95841-7220; 916-344-1710; fax 916-344-1808. Governor’s Office of Emergency Services: www.oes.ca.gov; 3650 Schriever Ave., Mather, CA 95655-4203; 916-845-8510; fax 916-845-8511. California Department of Food and Agriculture: www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/ah/ disaster_prepared_dogs_cats_ owners.htm; 1220 N. St., Sacramento, CA 95814-5607; recorded info 916-654-0466; Public Affairs Office 916-6540462. California Veterinary Medical Association Disaster Response Program: www.cvma.org; 1400 River Park Dr., Suite 100,
EMERGENCY DISASTER KIT FOR YOUR PET:
Backpack Food and treats Water Medication Medical records, with vaccination history First aid supplies Blankets, towels, bedding Brushes, combs Pooper scooper Portable litter box, litter Leash Toys Cleaning supplies , such as paper to wels, disinfectants and garbage bags Sacramento, CA 95815; 916649-0599; fax 916-646-9156. Martinez Animal Shelter: http://contra.napanet.net/de part/animal; 4800 Imhoff Place, Martinez CA 94533; 335-8300. Pinole Animal Shelter: http://contra.napanet.net/de part/animal; 910 San Pablo Ave., Pinole CA 94564; 510374-3966. Animal Rescue Foundation: www.arf.net; 2890 Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94598; mailing address: P.O. Box 30215, Walnut Creek, CA 94598; 256-1273.
Marybeth Rymer, DVM, can be reached at Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital, Concord. 672-1100.
May 5, 2006
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Antoinette and Madeleine are ARF’s adoption stars
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Two-year-old Antoinette is a sw eet and g entle girl. She would love a quiet place to curl up and purr for hours. Seven-month-old Madeleine is a sensiti ve and quiet girl. She is lik ely to bond quickly to her new family members and follo w them around like a little shadow. Bring everyone who will live
with Antoinette or Madeleine – including any canine family members for Madeleine – to meet them at T ony La R ussa’s Animal R escue F oundation, 2890 Mitc hell Dri ve, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p .m. Thursday and F riday, Noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit www .arf.net or call (925) 256-1ARF for more
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information. Would you like to be par t of the heroic team that sa ves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can y ou share y our talents to connect people and animals? ARF v olunteers are making a difference! F or more infor mation see our W eb site , www.arf.net, or call (925) 2561ARF.
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May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Dining Around If you want a special place to dine, you might want to stop by PASTA PRIMAVERA at the corner of Clayton Road and Treat Blvd. in Concord. We recently enjoyed lunch there and commented on just how charming the dining room is with the dark cherry wood chairs and tables and mirrored back wall. The relaxing ambiance is matched by a delectable menu that offers a variety of items from antipasti and salad to pasta, seafood chicken and veal. Our party of three each tried a different lunch entrée. The Linguine with garlic and mushrooms in virgin olive oil arrived at our table piping hot and smelling absolutely delicious. It was the personal favorite of our lunch partner and that was plain to see…every last noodle was devoured. Jill had the blackened salmon and Caesar salad. The salmon was mouthwa-
joy An Italian En Fe
tering and the salad fresh and crisp with just the right amount of dressing. The soup that accompanied the salad was cream of broccoli…perfect texture and very tasty. Another favorite was the seafood salad featuring shrimp and scallops on a bed of spinach in a warm lemon Dijon sun-dried tomato dressing. For salad lovers who enjoy their salad as main course, this is for you. Prices are very reasonable which make Pasta Primavera a perfect choice for any occasion. Recently featured in Diablo Magazine’s “At The Table” section, LA VERANDA CAFE received raved reviews from restaurant reporter Melissa Swanson. La Veranda serves a Northern Italian menu of pasta, pizza, chicken, veal and fish starting at $8.50 for Bruchetta with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil.
ast at Ou r
Mon. – Thurs. Co zy P fé 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. asta Pr avera Ca im Fri. 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sat. 12 noon – 10 p.m. / Sun. 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Fine Italian dining with an extensive menu • Weekend Special - grilled steaks • Gourmet desserts and fine wine s Very reasonable prices
4425-F Treat Blvd. Concord, CA 94521
687-5300
www.pastaprimaveracafe.com
Pasta dishes range from $9 for Penne All’arrabiata to $11.75 for Spaghettini Frutti di Mare. “...make no mistake;” said Swanson, “this is no spaghetti and red sauce throwback. The quality of La Veranda’s food sets it apart.” If you haven’t yet had brunch at La Veranda, you are missing a real treat. The menu includes all the popular breakfast choices, Eggs Benedict and Florentine, omelettes and pancakes. A new twist on the tried and true Joe’s Special will leave you begging for more. All are served with potatoes, toast and fresh fruit. This popular spot is a perfect place for a lovely, quiet Sunday morning brunch where you are likely to run into friends and neighbors. La Veranda opens on Sunday at 10 a.m. and is open daily for lunch and dinner. Don’t be mislead by the name of this delightful family restaurant just over the hill in in the Citrus Marketplace. MARY’S PIZZA SHACK is
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MARY’S PIZZA SHACK menu offers far more than just their legendary pizza. definitely NOT a shack, and you can find a lot more on the menu than just pizza-although the pizza is a fine choice, indeed. Mary’s Pizza Shack serves up a delicious array
La Veranda Café Northern Italian Cuisine in downtown Clayton Fresh soups, salads, antipasti, pizza and pasta Dinner and lunch daily Brunch on Sunday Children’s menu and take out service available
For reservations call (925) 524-0011 6201 CENTER ST. CLAYTON
of their legendary pizza and Italian dishes with both a luncheon and dinner menu. Mary’s loves families so bring the kids. Pizzas range from $7 for a small Napoletana to $20.50 for the large Mary’s Combination. A pasta lunch will run you $7.25-$9.25; dinner $10.75-$13.25. A little more on the casual side and a great place to take the kids is ROCCO’S RISTORANTE at 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. Voted the best pizza in the Bay Area by a Contra Costa Times Reader Poll, Rocco’s serves up a killer house specialty. The Dominator, piled high with pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, ham, linguica, sausage and onions, is not for the faint of heart. At
$19.97, this large pizza will feed a small army. Rocco’s also has several choices of classic Italian pasta, homemade minestrone and several salads. All pasta dishes are served with fresh bread. Top your pasta dinner off with a glass of wine and you’re well fed and satisfied for well under $20 (tax and tip included.) Rocco’s opens every day at 11 a.m. And, ROCCO’S NEW SPORTS BAR is now open. With a full bar and 12 big flat screen TVs, sports fans might just think they’ve found heaven. And for those who need a little break from sports, check out the beautiful new fresh water acquarium behind the bar. See you at Rocco’s.
Open at 11 a.m ., 7 days a week
Banquet Rooms Patio Dining
Rocco’s New Sports Bar NOW Open
Locally owned by Rocco Biale & family
Full Bar Available
12 Flat Screens, 16 Draft Beers,
Team Parties
Watch all the games 8-10 out of market major league baseball games per night
Corporate Catering
2909 Ygnacio Valley Rd. at Oak Grove Rd. in Walnut Creek (925) 947-6105 • Fax (925) 947-6106 www.roccospizzeria.com
Sunday, May 14, 2006 Seatings at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM Our picturesque golf course and elegant clubhouse will provide the perfect backdrop, while our delicious cuisine including Seafood Newberg, chicken with garlic cream sauce, braised tri-tip and roasted pork loin will impress even the most discriminating guests. $34.99* $19.99* Children ages 3-10 *plus service charge and sales tax
Reser vations required.
Please reserve your place by May 6th by calling 925.672.9737 X. 217
Page B8
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Church News ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL
May 5, 2006
The Pioneer -- It’s your paper!
the cards to be used b y WELS Prison Ministries. Eternal Life’ s regular Sun. schedule is: Sun. school and Bible study at 10 a.m.,worship at 11:15 a.m. Bible study is also held on W ednesdays at 7:15 p .m. Eternal Life Lutheran Church is located at 5554 Cla yton Rd., Suite 1B, in Concord. Please call 524-0295, or visit the c hurch W eb site at www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org for more infor mation.
INTERFAITH DEVOTIONS AT DIAMONDTERRACE
Please join us Ma y 7 for devotional r eadings and prayers from v arious religious traditions . Feel free to bring your o wn fa vorite readings or pra yers. Music and refreshments provided. The first devotional meeting will be on Sun. Apr. 2 from 10 - 11 a.m. downstairs, in the movie room.
HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH
CLAYTON VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce that Chris Emigh has joined Cla yton Valley Presbyterian as the new Music Director . Mr. Emigh has Master of Arts degrees in Music Histor y and Literature and Ger man Literature. He has lectured at Mount St. Mary’s Colleg e and the University of Southern Califor nia and w orked for the Mount Diablo and Los Ang eles Unified Sc hool Districts. He also has extensi ve perfor mance experience . Dale Scovill, former Music Director, will remain as org anist.
to follow the risen Christ by studying His Word, to live God's love through service to others, to nurture our church family, to accept all who enter our doors, to tell others about God's grace, and to be a shining light in our part of the world.
Sundays 10:30 a.m.
www.cvpresby.com
10 am Sunday School & Bible Class, 11:15 am Worship
Bible-based & Christ-centered worship, education & fellowship
5554 Clayton Rd., Concord (in the Farm Bureau building) (925) 524-0295 William Kant, Pastor
www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org Member of WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)
We can help with personal care, respite care, light housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation & catering personnel.
A R EFERRAL AGENCY
Caregivers/CNA’s House cleaners Catering servers Party/kitchen helpers
y ng
our peace
ind of m
ETERNAL LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH
call for a free assessment
925.672.0752 fax: 9 2 5 . 6 7 2 . 2 6 9 4 mobile: 925.457.0954
P.O. Box 688, Clayton, CA
do
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Eternal Life Lutheran Churc h will host a marriage enrichment seminar on Sat. May 20 from 9 a.m. - 3p.m. Dr. Kevin Leman ’s video series “Making the Most of Marriage: Building a Relationship that Will Last a Lifetime” will be the basis for learning and discussion. Husbands and wives will be encourag ed to understand their differences and to build healthy relationships with lo ve and g race. They will find practical, biblically-sound guidance on being lo ving, caring, and effecti ve mar riage partners and parents . Cost is $10 per couple. A light lunc h will be served. Please call Pastor William K ant, 524-0295, for infor mation and to register. Space is limited. Eternal Life is collecting used Easter g reeting cards. All from the community are in vited to recycle Easter and other greeting cards by bringing them to the Farm Bureau building, 5554 Clayton Rd., or call 524-0295 to ha ve them picked up. Ladies of the Lutheran W omen’s Missionary Society at Eternal Life will pre pare
What’s happening in your house of worship? Starting a new ministry or outreach program? New classes? New pastor? Membership drive? Send your news of general interest to churchnews@claytonpioneer.com.
CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH
Annual Day Camp is planned for July 17-21. It is a one week mor ning camp 9 a.m. to noon. Kids 3 years old to grade 5 are welcome. Call the church office for more information 798-5905 ext. 201. Ask for Laurey . Crossroads Covenant Church, 5353 Concord Blvd., Concord.
MISSION STATEMENT
er
CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH
We would like to invite the community to join us as we celebrate our 10-year anni versary with a banquet at the Concord Hilton on May 19 from 6:30 - 9 p.m. Please call our office at 673-9060 to let us know if you will be able to join us. We meet ev ery Sunda y at 9 and 10:45 a.m. at Diablo View Middle School.
Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church 925-672-4848 1578 Kirker Pass Road
ST. BONAVENTURE’S
The Third Mother and Daughter Tea will be held on Sat. May 6 at 1:30 p.m. in the parish larg e hall. Treat your grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, and daughter to a fun tea party which includes tea, light sandwiches, dessert, and beautiful piano enter tainment b y P atti Leidec ker. Patti Collyer and her daughter Shannon will be speaking on the Legacy of Motherhood while the little girls create an ar ts and crafts project. Proceeds and gift bask et raff le will benefit T he Gabriel Project of Northern Califor nia (an org anization whic h provides the needed emotional, physical and spiritual suppor t during a crisis pregnancy and after the bir th of the bab y). Tickets: ladies $10; young ladies ages 5 - 10 years. $5; under 5 are free. For more information call Linda Vesneski (925) 6861352.
i
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
All women of faith are invited to attend May Friendship Day on Fri., May 5 at the Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church in Clayton. Registration begins at 11 a.m. Potluck salad lunch and program will follow. May Friendship Day is an annual celebration sponsored b y Church Women United, as a sho w of thanksgiving for suppor tive friends . The V aliant W oman Award will be presented and the fiftieth anni versary of the Fellowship of the Least Coin will be obser ved. For more information and to reser ve c hild care contact Lenita Shumaker, (925) 672-1053. (Childcare reser vations m ust be made by Apr. 29.) Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton.
embra c
Crucifer Da vid McCall leads the w orship procession folowed by Rt. Rev. William Swing at Saint J ohn’s Episcopal Church in Cla yton. Rev. Swing is Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California. Bishop Swing made his last visit to Saint J ohn’s on April 23, shortly before his pending retirement after tw enty-seven years of ministry in the Bay Area.
Holy Cross is sponsoring a garage sale on Sat. June 3; from 9 a.m. to 12 p .m. Tables or space is a vailable for $10. Make c hecks pa yable to Holy Cross Lutheran Churc h. Deadline for sign up is Ma y 30. We will be setting up in the courtyard beginning at 7 a.m. on the da y of the sale , so reserve y our space no w. Applications are a vailable through the church office. Please call 686-2000. Join the Nifty Fifty Seniors Tues. May 23rd on their outing to F airfield where they will tour the Anheuser -Busch Brewery. At the beginning of the tour, they will explain the wonders of the natural brewing process while you enjoy complimentary tasting of fine beers providing you are 21 years of age, which shouldn’t create a problem with our group. Choice of restaurant will be decided later . Meet at c hurch at 9:30 a.m., we lea ve promptly at 9:45 a.m. Tour is sc heduled for 11:00 a.m. For more information, please call 686-2000. Holy Cross Lutheran Churc h will hold their ann ual Vacation Bible School Mon. June 26 through F ri. June 30, from 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration fee is $20 per c hild or $30 per family . Cost is $25 per c hild if you register the first day of school. Please call 686-2000 for more infor mation.
ra
La z a ro , ma n
ag
web: alllovingcare.com
4820 Burgundy Drive Oakley, CA
(925) 625-1123 e-mail: contact@robertaclaire.com www.robertaclaire.com
Ask about our Wedding Special
May 5, 2006
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page B9
Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., MAY 10 FOR THE MAY 19 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH MAY 13 CCMT’s Production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast @ Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts A tale as old as time...the legendary show is based on the Academy Award winning film. This Disney musical extravaganza is filled with technical wizardry, special effects, dazzling production numbers and memorable songs. Call 943-7469 for ticket and show information or buy tickets online at CCMT.org. Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.. THROUGH MOTHER'S DAY Tea For Two, A Collection of Teapots @ Clayton Historical Society 2-4 p.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays. Clayton Historical Society member, Kathleen Bailey, has generously loaned us her collection of teapots for this display. We hope you enjoy the wide variety of over 50 teapots, which are included in this beautiful exhibit. Both vintage and modern teapots are included in this special exhibit, which include bone china, metal and ceramic teapots in a variety of shapes and sizes. Photo by Brad Shackleton. Clayton Museum, 6101 Main St., Clayton. MAY 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Scrap Booking @ Diamond Terrace 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Join us on Tuesdays this month for scrap booking classes. Bring your photos and join the fun. Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living, 6401 Center Street, Clayton, 524-5100. MAY 4, 11, 18, 25 Open House @ Diamond Terrace 4-5 p.m. Join for an Open House Social. Refreshments will be served. Come and enjoy. Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living, 6401 Center Street, Clayton, 524-5100. MAY 4, 18, 25 "Songs to Delight our Senses" @ Diamond Terrace 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Marsha Joy from the Mt. Diablo Adult Education Program will lead us in song. Come join us. Bring a friend and enjoy. Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living, 6401 Center Street, Clayton, 524-5100. MAY 5 Cinco De Mayo Fiesta Benefit Auction for Clayton Valley High School @ Centre Concord 6 - 11 p.m. The Clayton Valley High School Parent-Faculty Club presents the first annual benefit auction for technology. The evening will include a Mexican dinner buffet, music, dancing, gaming, auction and raffle at Center Concord. The goal is to put at least one reliable networked computer in each classroom. For tickets please call Carolyn Hartnell at 672-4146 or Melinda Moore at 672-0930. MAY 6, 9, 13 English Tutor Training Workshops @ Diablo Valley Literacy Council The Diablo Valley Literacy Council is looking for volunteers to help nonEnglish speaking adults learn to read, write and speak English well enough to function in our society. There is a $15 non-refundable registration fee. For more information or to register, please call Jane at 925-938-0139. DVLC, 4000 Clayton Road, Concord. MAY 9 Knitters at Clayton Community Library 3-5 p.m. The Clayton Community Library hosts knitters the second Tues. of every month. For beginners and experienced alike. Bring patterns, resources, tips and tales to share. Experienced knitters will be available for help and inspiration, and there will be plenty of books to check out. For ages 8-108." Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. MAY 9 Living With Wildlife in CCC @ Shadelands Arts Center 1-4 p.m. The Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee is hosting a symposium to educate the public about safely living with wildlife in urban areas. The symposium will bring together wildlife experts to provide information, answer questions and suggest strategies for managing human/wildlife encounters. This is a free event and no reservations are necessary. Contact Kae Ono of the CCC Community Development Department at 335-1230 or e-mail kono@cd.co.contra-costa.ca.us for information. Shadelands Arts Center, 111 North Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek MAY 10 First Clayton Creekside Artists Association Meeting @ Clayton Community Library All artists welcome. The meeting is to organize the group. Its purpose will be to bring artists together to communicate, inspire and help each other. All art forms are welcome - sculpture, jewelry, painting, photography, etc. No charge, applications are available at the library. For more information leave a message or email for Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen, Community Events Coordinator, 673-9777 or akikkawa@cclib.org. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. MAY 11 Mrs. L's Precious Mother's Day Story time and Craft @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Make a Mother's Day gift that every Mom will treasure. Bring a
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duplicate wallet size photo of yourself to use in the craft. Recommended for kids in grades K-3, but all are welcome! Please register by calling the library at 925/673-0659. MAY, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26 Clayton Valley High School Drama's "Willie's World" @ CVHS 7:30 p.m. Willie's World is CVHS's second lip-sync musical. In Willie's World (written and orchestrated by Tom Wills) we meet Viola, a high school teen who is struggling with an English assignment directing her to memorize a Shakespearean monologue. She is transported her to a fantastical world inhabited by characters who spend their days recreating scenes from some very famous plays as well as breaking into numerous songs (Eagles, Beatles, Train, Rent, Cats, etc.). A good time will be had by all. Clayton Valley High School, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord, MU Rm. $5 at the door. MAY 18, 19 DramaMama Productions Presents “Dear Edwina” @ Diablo View Middle School May 18 at 7 p.m. and May 19 at 8 p.m. Dear Edwina is a light hearted musical set in the garage of Edwina Spoonapple, advice giver extraordinaire give advice on a wide array of subjects to the delight of all. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 3-12. Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. MAY 20 Spring Into Health Family Fair @ We Care Services for Children 12 - 4 p.m. The event will feature healthy living and child safety information and health screenings; and will introduce the Autism Family Support Project (AFSP), We Care's new program for families living with autism. There will be food, raffles, games, bounce houses and face painting. For additional information about We Care Services for Children, please visit www.wecarebmcc.org or contact Barbara Langsdale: (925) 671-0777, ext. 13, e-mail: langsdale@wecarebmcc.org. We Care Services for Children, 2191 Kirker Pass Rd. across from the Chronicle Pavilion.
CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS MAY 6 Ygnacio Valley Republican Women Fashion Show and Lunch @ Oakhurst County Club 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Republican Women are hostessing a fashion show, lunch and boutique at Oakhurst Country Club. The price for everything is only $30.00. Please join us for a day of fun, good food and camaraderie. Reservations required. Call Barbara Allen at 672-5061 or 676-6065 by May 5. Make checks payable to YVRW. Call Liz Hansen at (925)672-1379 with questions. Hope to see you there! MAY 7, 14, 21, 28 Concord Mystery Book Club @ Concord Library 2:30 - 4 p.m. All mystery readers are invited to participate and explore a different genre each month. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street, Concord, 646-5455. MAY 8 Clayton Valley 4-H club @ Mt. Mike’s Pizza 7 p.m. 4-H is open to youth ages 5 - 19 and adults. Projects in small and large animals. Learn new skills including cooking, photography, arts/crafts etc. Opportunities in leadership, community service, conferences, 4-H camp, fairs. Contact Candy Hogan at 925- 969-1325 for more information. Meetings held on the second Monday of the month Sept. - June. Mt. Mike’s Pizza, 5358 Clayton Road, Concord. MAY 9, 16, 23, 30 Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Meetings every Tues. All are invited to check us out and be our guest for lunch. Massimo’s Ristorante, 1604 Locust St., Walnut Creek. for more information call Sam Totah, 941-1536. MAY 9, 23 The Clayton Valley Woman's Club @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church 9:30 a.m. coffee, 10 a.m. meeting. Regular monthly meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Anyone interested in attending or learning more about the Woman's Club, please call Joyce at 672-3850 or Sheila at 672-7947. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord. MAY 10 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace 7 p.m. The Clayton Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of the month at Diamond Terrace. Every meeting has an informative program concerning some aspect of gardening. The speaker this month will be a parent from Diablo View Middle School. She will be talking about a student garden project. Last month, our club members planted flowers in the planter boxes on Main Street. Take a look, they are blooming! Anyone interested in gardening is welcome at our meetings.Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. Call Jeff at 672-7579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information. MAY 11, 18, 25 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting on Thurs.. 800-326-8450 x 2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord.
MAY 11, 18, 25 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast meeting that usually features a speaker. Feb. 16 is the Annual Valentine's Day breakfast. Members can bring their spouses/partners/sweethearts for a program that celebrates affection and romance. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 6897640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. MAY 17 Ygnacio Valley Republican Women @ Oakhurst Country Club Meeting at 10 a.m., program at 11 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m. Lunch is $18. YVRW is a non-profit club that meets the third Wed. of the month. Marianne Haydon, President of the California Federation of Republican Women will speak on Republican issues of today. The public is invited. RSVP to Barbara Allen at 672-5061 by Mon. Apr. 17. E-mail www.yvrwf.org for additional club information. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Road, Clayton, CA. MAY 24 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the 4th Wednesday of each month. Blue Star Moms is a support and service group for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. 1792 Elmhurst Lane, Concord. Call 676-3654 for information. MAY 25 CBCA (Clayton Business & Community Association) Meeting @ Oakhurst 6:30 p.m. Monthly dinner meeting, last non-holiday Thurs. of the month. Reservations due by Tuesday noon prior, 672-2272. John Rubiales, President. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. JUNE 1 Sons in Retirement, Branch 19 @ Oakhurst Country Club 11:30-1:30 p.m. Speaker and lunch every first Thursday of the month. SIRs is dedicated to promoting the independence and dignity of retirement. Open to all men retired from their primary job and/or not seeking full-time work. For more information about joining us for a SIRs meeting, call Al Brunner at 687-0594 or Membership Chairman, Carl Sisson, at 672-6418.
BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT MAY 9, 16, 23, 30 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. County Board of Supervisors holds regular weekly meetings Tues. mornings. Open to the public. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez. MAY 9, 23 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Library 7p.m. City of Clayton Planning Commission meets 2nd and 4th Tues. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton Library Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. MAY 9 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thursday of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton. MAY 16 Clayton City Council Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. City Council meets on the first and third Tues. of the month. Open to the public. Agendas posted at the following locations: City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, Ohm's Bulletin Board, 1028 Diablo St., Clayton, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION MAY 9 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Diablo View Middle School 9 a.m. Meeting to be held in the Gym Community Room. All parents welcome. Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. MAY 16 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Mt. Diablo Elementary 7p.m., Multi Use Room. Make a difference in your child's education. For items to be included on the agenda, contact Stacey Wickware 673-1999, the5wicks@sbcglobal.net or Kristy Smith 673-1795, kristinsmith@yahoo.com, PFC Co-Presidents. Childcare is available. Watch website for details.! http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary/. MAY 18 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @Clayton Valley High School 7:00 p.m. If you show your child that you care about their school, your child will care too. Together we can make a difference! The meeting will be held in the school library. Clayton Valley High School, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Time’s running out for Windows software pirates Aarrrgh, pirate users of Microsoft’s popular Windo ws XP softw are m ust g et a licensed version. . .or else. In an attempt to wring out the pirates in the softw are industry, Microsoft is w arning users that they m ust comply with tightening license rules or the fak e softw are will quit working. On April 27, Microsoft expanded its anti-piracy efforts by un veiling a tool that puts “nag” messages on the screens of computers r unning bogus copies of Windows. The “Windows Gen uine Advantage Notifications” tool displays the following message when users of counterfeit Windows log on. “It appears that y ou could be a victim of software pirac y. The copy of Windows installed on this computer is not consider ed to be genuine by Micr osoft,” the initial dialog box message reads. According to TechWeb.com, the notification will contin ue to display until y our computer is r unning g enuine Microsoft
Windows. This is not a pilot prog ram, and Microsoft is serious about its efforts. In several other countries, Microsoft already requires users of fake Windows to purc hase a legitimate copy and reinstall the software. For some users this could be catastrophic – as data may be lost in the process. For a limited time , Microsoft is bending to consumer pressure in the United States to pro vide an upg rade path that is not as har mful or destructive as it has been in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. But there’ s a catc h. To a void paying full price for a new copy of Windows, which could run as high as $279, you must co-operate with Microsoft’s anti-piracy drive. “Users stuc k with a counterfeit copy can apply for a free edition,” said a Microsoft spokesperson. They m ust, however, provide proof of purchase, send the bogus CD to Microsoft in R edmond, Wash., and fill out a piracy report “with details of the transaction.”
“Customers should first seek remedy from whoev er sold them the product, ” the spokesperson added. “Only then will Microsoft step in.” It’s sur prising ho w many illegitimate copies of Windows are in circulation. My experience with East Contra Costa computer companies rev eals two fake copies for ev ery genuine one. In m y opinion, these “cheap” companies are crooks, and consumers should be angry. If you are buying softw are, first ask if the company is licensed by the state Consumer Affairs Division known as the Bureau of Electronic R epair (Cal BEAR). Then ask to see their Microsoft Certification. Make sure y ou g et a hologram version of the Windows CD and a license stic ker for your computer. Microsoft won’t be extending this offer much beyond the second quarter of this year, so you should act quic kly. After this offer expires , your software will be susce ptible to Internet hoolig ans pumping out malicious code with the intent to disrupt your computer and compromise your data. Microsoft also will quit
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TAX TIPS Millions of people mo ve each year, often during the summer months when c hildren are out of school. If you’re considering a mo ve this summer , be aware that mo ving can ha ve some impor tant tax consequences. If you have a retirement plan at w ork, you ma y ha ve sev eral choices upon leaving a job. You can roll y our retirement funds into an IRA, possibly roll the money into a new emplo yer’s plan or perhaps ev en lea ve the money in y our for mer employer’s plan. Keep in mind that any
qualifies under both the IRS distance and time tests , you can deduct the costs of moving your household g oods and your family. When y ou sell y our home , you can exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your taxes. The exclusion amount is $500,000 for married couples filing a joint return. To qualify for the full
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WILL CLANEY TECH TALK updating y our fak e softw are soon, making future security breaches inevitable . Antivirus software will not protect you. Remember, only a legitimate copy of Windows will work. If you think y ou’ve been victimized, Microsoft will provide a re porting link along with its “nag” message. Or you can call me at 672-9989 and I will try to help you. The messag e is this: Become legal, turn in the perpetrators, and only deal with reputable and licensed practitioners. Why would you tr ust your data to anything less? Will Claney is the owner and operator of Computers USA! in the Clayton Station. Contact him at 925-672-9989.
exclusion, you m ust ha ve owned and occupied the house as your main home for two out of the fi ve years prior to its sale. A par tial ex clusion ma y apply if you fail the tw o-year test due to a job-related mo ve. Carol Keane is a Cer tified Pub lic Accountant in W alnut Cr eek. Email her at carol@carolkeanecpa.com.
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If you’re moving, it may have some tax implications amount distributed directly to you is subject to automatic 20 percent income tax withholding, and you may also face a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty. If you are facing a la yoff or new job and need cash, tap into your 401(k) balance only as a last resort. If you ha ve an existing 401(k) loan, pay it off . If you leave y our emplo yer and can ’t repay the loan within a preset time, the loan balance is considered a withdrawal. As such, you’ll be hit with income tax es and possibly a 10 percent penalty. Expenses incur red to searc h for a new job are tax-deductible, even if your job searc h doesn ’t land y ou that co veted position. To qualify, you must be looking for a job in the same occupation. If your job-related mo ve
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Compelling characters spell out success in ‘Bee’ I’m a bit prejudiced about the subject matter of the family film “Akeelah and the Bee ,” put out by Lionsgate. I entered my sc hool’s sixth-g rade spelling bee and did fairly w ell.
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JANE MAILANDER
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And like most bee veterans, I can no w f lawlessly spell the word that tripped me up at the time precipitation. “Akeelah and the Bee” focuses on the ScrippsHoward National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., the same subject matter as the 2002 documentary “Spellbound.” This new film tur ns into a “Rocky” for w ord g eeks, filtered through an ABC After School Special type plot. Even so, it’s good to see a family film with a core of intelligence. Eleven-year-old underachiever Ak eelah Anderson (Keke P almer) has a shoddy
inner-city sc hool, an o verworked mother, a teen-mother older sister and a budding gangbanging brother . But she also has a w ell-worn Scrabble board, and she aces spelling tests without studying. One night, Akeelah goes to turn off ESPN and happens to catch the Scripps Bee winner gleefully waving her big trophy. At this point in the film, the plot points tur n up lik e tent pegs, with nothing to co ver their function. At the sc hool bee , Akeelah beats everyone handily on relatively easy w ords. Then Dr . Larabee (Laurence Fishbur ne, who’s also the film’s producer), an academic c hum of the school principal, starts hurling bigger, harder w ords at Akeelah and she fields them well. Could she be g ood enough to train for the National? Like Har ry P otter, Akeelah soon deals with a strang e new set of friends and adv ersaries in the w orld of the spelling intelligentsia as she w orks her way up the ranks to ward the D.C. event: implacable coac h Larabee, cheery 13th-placer Javier, grim automaton Dylan and his relentless father. At first, her mother W anda (Angela Bassett) is among her
Photo credit XXX XXXXXX ???????????????
Lawrence Fisburne as Dr. Larabee
adversaries. She wants Akeelah to do her homew ork for other subjects, which con veniently never rear their heads at all in this film. Wanda ev entually capitulates during the film’ s funniest scene. Javier stalls and stalls on an easy w ord (“Could y ou use it in a song?”) so Akeelah won’t lose her place in the bee lineup while she settles things with her mother backstage. One plot tent peg has Akeelah in volving the whole neighborhood in her coac hing – mainly to ha ve a g angbanger talk about poetry and rap. The plot is for mulaic, with
three strategically placed vulgarities to g arner the co veted PG rating for an otherwise G film. But the y oung actors do very w ell with the material they’re given. Palmer is a natural as Ak eelah, as are J .R. Villarreal as J avier and Sean Michael Afable as Dylan. It’s Fishbur ne’s for midable Larabee, however, who dominates the film in a v ery g ood way. He may be the best reason to see “Akeelah.” Jane Mailander is a secretary and a freelance writer . She’s written movie r eview and short stories and appears for 10 seconds in the film “Trekkies 2.” Email her at movies@claytonpioneer.com.
Marketing your CD is key to success The idea w as that once I finished my new CD, “Bridging Textures,” I w ould ha ve more time for other things in m y life and career. The reality is that I find myself busier than ever. As much as I love music and the m usic business , I caution
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anyone who thinks they might want to g et into this industr y that it’s absolutely all-consuming. But if you can’t li ve without it, you’re just g onna do it anyway. I know how that works. If you’re thinking about recording a CD , I urg e y ou to put some money aside for marketing and promotion. Many musicians put their hear t, soul and hard-ear ned money into recording the tracks, paying for the studio , session m usicians and ar twork, CD duplication and so on. By this point they’re so emotionally and financially exhausted, the idea of marketing their record is too daunting. So, they sell a few CDs to friends and family members , give a f ew away t o media people and end up with about 900 CDs in their g arage or closet. My sug gestion is to somehow get that extra cash, several thousand dollars if possible, for mark eting. There are radio promotion specialists and print media publicists to help market CDs and music. These days, you can do a lot on y our o wn. The Inter net allows y ou to reac h people all over the world in unprecedented fashion. That’s the g ood news. The bad news is that the Net is overcrowded with artists
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MUSIC NOTES live inter views on radio stations, with several others still to follow. Radio, newspaper and magazine people are inundated with new products . Assuming that your CD is w ell-recorded and worth promoting in the first place, the mark eting and promotion people can help these media people sor t through the piles of CDs sitting on their desks. It’s a long, expensive road. But for us , using CD promotion specialists w as the right choice. Jim Hudak’s Music Notes column appears r egularly in the Pioneer. Contact him at jimm ydak@pacbell.net. His piano music CD’s ar e a vailable fr om his W eb site at www .jhudak.com or at amazon.com.
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and sites promising the same thing: “Get y our m usic heard by a worldwide audience.” Great stuff, but with ev erybody under the sun doing it, it’s tough to stand out abo ve the crowd. When promoting the CD , we first hired a print media specialist to “w ork the record” by contacting more than 200 music magazines and online “ezines,” asking them to either review or make mention of the CD. Our specialist got about 20 to 25 publications to write reviews. If you do an Internet search under “Jim Hudak” or “Bridging T extures,” you will find all sor ts of links and sites with related infor mation and/or reviews. We also hired a radio promotion specialist, who has managed to get tracks from the CD played on nearly 100 radio stations around the w orld. It would ha ve been vir tually impossible for me to accomplish this on my own. There are lots of radio promotion specialists out there , so be sure to choose one who specializes in y our style and g enre of music. Slowly but surely , the cost of this promotion is translating to CD sales . There ha ve been
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
May 5, 2006
Add color and variety to your garden containers There are many new plants and some g reat old faithfuls available to mak e container plantings unique, successful and beautiful. Some g ardeners ma y be interested in planting a container to focus on f lowers, others on foliag e. Planters ma y be located in full or par tial sun. Most g ardeners desire blooming perennials and ann uals in their seasonal container gardens. The Calibrachoa, Diascia and Nemesia families have high f lowers from Ma y through October. Calibrachoa is a g roup of plants with the common name Million Bells . This relati vely
DIASCIA
short-lived g roup of plants pretty m uch blooms until the day that it dies , which is normally during the winter during its second or third year of life. The free flowering plant has a f lower that resembles a small petunia. Most of the Million Bells reac h betw een 2 and 6 inches high. All are great trailing or cascading. A cascading plant with flowers makes a great addition to any garden vessel. The Million Bells tolerate full to half a da y’s sun. It will not bloom in too much shade.
NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL Cherry Pink is the most popular color. It’s hard for any gardener to pass b y the bright intense pink blossom with a deep magenta center. However, my personal fa vorite is Superbells Red. This newer selection has a little more height and body than the traditional Million Bells . Superbells R ed has a primary red color bloom that thrives in the sun and heat. Tequila Sunrise is a new introduction to the Superbells side of the family. The color resembles the past two years’ terra cotta color – a yellowish orang e with dark veining. The color of Callie Sunrise sways more to the apricot to orange shades . Superbells Blue is an excellent dark pur ple variety. With occasional trimming and regular w atering and fer tilizing, Million Bells will give gardeners lots of flowers to enjo y for a long time. Meanwhile, the o verall style
of growth of the Diascia is medium height and spra wling. Most g row betw een 6 and 10 inches tall and reach in all directions, poking their way through a container. The colors of Diascia tend to be in the reds , peach and apricots, with the occasional white, if you are luc ky to find one. Coral Bell offers the perfect shade of peach. Flying Colors Red is another w arm-colored bloomer. Its color is m uted, almost lik e a dusty red. Strawberry Sundae has strawberry pink-colored f lowers that look g reat planted with g ray foliage. The Diascia family has a hardy root stoc k, making it great for containers , hanging baskets and w ell-amended perennial beds. Nemesia is a recognizable , astonishing addition to any container planting. Tiny to medium sized, two-lipped f lowers top delicate stems that reach 4 to 12 inches tall and 16 inc hes wide . It blooms April through October. Blue Bird is the v ariety of Nemesia that has been available the long est. It’s the first that I can remember ha ving blue flowers with yellow centers. Compact Innocence is a miniature white selection, reaching only 4 inc hes tall. Kelm has a tr ue blue f lower. Tapestry is a collection of larger flowering pinks, oranges and yellows. The Sunsation Collection is a newer group of hybrids that emphasize the bolder colors and showier smaller blooms of the Nemesia family . Also k eep your eyes open for Coconut, which is white with a splash of yellow.
MILLION BELLS
Peach has a cream y light yellow and soft violet f lowers that look g reat planted with other la vender f lowers. Finally, there is Raspberry, a dark reddish pink that complements red
BIDENS SOLIARE YELLOW
foliage nicely. Nemesia is a long-blooming perennial that ma y reseed, spreading the w ealth to other areas of your yard. Another selection that m ust be mentioned is the Scavola New W onder. This f leshy stemmed, cascading ev ergreen perennial will thrill the planter from April through No vember. Its fan-shaped, dark pur ple flower with yello w eye adds dominion and contrast to y our container. Lotus is another g reat cascading perennial. The soft g ray foliage is a high contrast to the bird of paradise shaped blossoms of hot reds to f laming oranges.
Bidens Soliare Yellow is an excellent sprawling daisy shaped flower that lo ves the middle of a container, so it can sho w off its stuff. Bacopa has tw o h ybrid selections introduced this year – Snowstorm Blue and Snowstorm Pink. Since the parent v ariety is Snowstorm White, I don ’t see ho w these two new colors can miss. With so many flowers to talk about, I didn ’t ha ve space to discuss the foliag e c hoices for container planting . That will have to wait until next time. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at GardenGirl94517@yahoo.com
“Look Who’s Selling Clayton!” HELP-U-SELL REAL ESTATE SERVICES
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4918 Clayton Rd., Concord, CA 94521 (925) 680-4950 50 Saved $36,6 SOLD Seller
107 Jeffry Ranch Court
My wife and I were very pleased with the way Help-U-Sell completed the sale of our property. They were there to answer our questions from the moment we first contacted the office to the final closing of escrow. They handled every detail quickly and efficiently. Thank you, Matthew, for the friendly service and for the Thousands of dollars we saved. -Frank & Janet Rossini
$759,000
Pending!
1295-A Kenwal Road
$330,000
1737 Oakmead Drive
$465,000
Sell Fast! Save Money
$499,500
Concord
Concord
Concord
4 Bedrooms & 3 Baths, approx. 2,150 sq. ft. Desirable cul-de-sac location! Spacious formal dining room with high vaulted ceilings, family room with granite faced wood burning fireplace, and bonus room addition done with permits. Bright kitchen with tile counters, oven, stove, dishwasher, breakfast bar, white cabinets, pantry, separate eating area, wet bar and recessed lighting. Convenient inside laundry room and monitored alarm system!
2 Bedrooms & 1 Baths, approx 915 sq. ft. Desirable end-unit with vaulted ceilings, dual pane windows and central heat and air! In unit laundry and the appliances will remain. Tile flooring in bathroom and buyer will receive credit for carpet. Pets are allowed and HOA fees include water and garbage.
3 Bedrooms & 2 Baths approx. 1,176 sq. ft. Built in 1955 and has a new roof done in June of 2004. Tract lighting kitchen which is eat-in, carpet throughout, and fireplace in living room. A beautiful new double front door. Wall heater and AC. Has a two car carport.
Located within minutes of downtown, close to parks, farmers market, restaurants and library. Kitchen with tile counters, pantry and garden window. A credit for dual pane windows, fireplace and new roof. Washer and dryer included with laundry hookups in garage, hardwood floors, fireplace and central heat/air. Just minutes away from Pixie Playland Amusement Park .
aved $8932! Sold Seller S
Pending!
Home! Lovely Town
1454 Wharton Way #F
$369,000
4805 Clayton Road #17
$378,900
1344 Vermont Ave.
$599,995
5071 Bonwell Drive
$595,000
Concord
Concord
Concord
Concord
2 Bedrooms & 1 Bath approx. 899 sq. ft. Large wraparound balcony with views of Newhall open space! New microwave, new dishwasher, refrigerator & built-in oak cabinets. Convenient inside laundry and one car attached garage with one space. Community pool and green belt area!
2 Bedroom & 2 Baths, approx 908 sq.ft. This gorgeous upstairs end unit in back of securitygated complex has it all! Wood burning fireplace, new paint, new carpet, Pergo floors and new water heater. Beautiful built-in China cabinets with glass doors in dining room, garden window in kitchen, vaulted ceilings, mirrored closets doors and inside laundry. Garage and 1 assigned parking space. Washer, Dryer and Refrigerator included! Make an Offer-Won't Last Long!
4 Bedrooms & 2 Baths, approx. 1,360 sq. ft. Completely remodeled, everything is new! New windows and roof. Freshly painted inside and out. Beautiful fireplace and custom tile work. Walking distance to schools, and close to shopping and Mt. Diablo!
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, approx. 1,400 sq. ft. Owner wishes to carry the first trust deed. Below market terms, fixed rate, quick and easy to qualify. Low or no down possible. Large lot with separate out building, great for storage or workshop.
ance! Country Eleg When I first contacted the office, I was immediately put in touch with Matthew Marks. My first impression upon meeting Matthew was of a professional, friendly and likeable person, not a slick salesman out to make a quick dollar at my expense. Those impressions were reinforced during the process of selling my home. If I were to sell a house again, I would definitely use HELP-U-SELL again and ask for Matthew Marks, my “personal real estate agent for life.” -Marie-Claire Starr
1950 Altura Drive
Clayton
3370 Northwood Dr. #C
$379,000
1613 El Campo Drive
$685,000
Concord
Concord
3 Bedrooms and 1.5 Baths, approx. 1,240 sq. ft. Newer air conditioner, heater and water heater. Full bathroom has been updated and whole house has fresh paint. Water, garbage, 4 community pools, tennis, basketball courts and clubhouse.
4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, approx. 1,649 sq. ft. Updated kitchen and bathroom, dual pane windows throughout! New french doors with 4 openings. Refrigerator included with newer appliances. Recessed lighting in kitchen and halls. Hard wired ADT Security System. In ground pool with aqua jet vacuum, yard fully landscaped with automatic sprinklers, front, back and sides.
Pending!
3455 Moretti Drive
$549,950
1705 Greer Ave
$550,000
Concord
Concord
4 Bedrooms & 2 Baths, approx 1136 sq ft. This family home has an in-law suite with outside entrance and huge backyard! New hardwood floors, updated kitchen and new inside paint. Close to BART, parks and is a great commute location! New front landscaping is a gardener's paradise.
3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath , approx 1072 sq ft. Newly updates kitchen with wood cabinets, gas range, disposal, microwave, and pantry. Dining area with patio doors leading to large patio. Additional patio adjacent to bedroom and garage. Single car garage with work bench, side yard access and dog run!
You Could Save $27,050! By selling your home with Help-U-Sell instead of with brokers who charge a 6% commission* (the savings are based on a home selling for $600,000).You can select from many fine real estate professionals.Why not choose one that will also save you money when you sell? *Commissions are negotiable and not set by law.
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