NOV 05 Clayton Pioneer 2004 by Pioneer Publishers

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

925.672.0500

Pierce, Manning and Walcutt defend council seats JILL BEDECARRÉ AND TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Against the backdrop of a close and controversial national race for the presidency, Clayton voters chose to stay the course and re-elect three incumbents to the city council. Julie Pierce was the top votegetter with 3,892 votes, Manning followed with 3,327 and Walcutt with 2,906. Challenger Jim Diaz received support from 2,478 voters. Pierce hosted an election party at her home following the Tuesday evening’s council meeting. Manning, Walcutt and Diaz attended the gathering as well as friends, family and city officials. Absentee ballot results started coming in 30 minutes after the polls closed and the incumbents gathered around the computer to check out the results. At that time Pierce led with 30.7 percent of the votes. With the three incumbents

well on their way to successfully defending their council seats, the mood at the party was celebratory and upbeat. “It’s great to have all of our friends around,” said Pierce, referring to the party atmosphere. “It was really a very civil campaign.” While Diaz campaigned to bring more creativity and new ideas to the issue of downtown development, the incumbents agreed that plans for more retail in the downtown area are moving ahead. Pierce said she will first direct her attention to the city’s finances and then to the commercial development of the downtown area. Since the newly-elected council members share a similar vision for the city’s future, residents will likely see such issues as traffic enforcement, increasing the sales tax base, preserving Clayton’s small town ambiance and landscape maintenance on upcoming council agendas.

CITY COUNCIL

INCUMBENTS,

Visible valuables make easy targets of opportunity JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

The holidays are just around the corner. Do you know where your valuables are? Police Chief Pete Petersen is on a mission to make sure that your valuables don’t wind up as stolen goods. “Property crimes are up 35 per cent and numbers usually spike this time of year,” Petersen explains. Most of the thefts have been vehicle burglaries and the victims themselves, are their own worst enemy. In 16 of the vehicle burglaries, Petersen explains, owners left their cars unlocked

or they locked their car but left valuables like a purse, computer or wallet in plain view. He reports that vehicle burglaries are occurring on residen-

“Residents come home, park their car, leave the door unlocked and leave their valuables in plain view. Thieves cruise the streets and look for these targets of opportunity.” Pete Peterson

Chief of Police Clayton Police Dept.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Manning, Walcutt and Pierce, watch as early results point toward victory.

tial streets throughout the city. Residents come home, park their car, leave the door unlocked and leave their valuables in sight. Thieves cruise the streets and look for these “targets of opportunity.” If the criminals see valuables on the car seat, they will break a window and steal the merchandise. “It is rare when we get a report of a vehicle burglary where the owner had locked his or her car, rolled the windows up and removed the items of value from view,” Petersen said. While Clayton has one of the lowest crime rates in California, the increase in property crimes is of some concern. “Some of

our residents have a false sense of security. They take a risk when they leave their car doors unlocked and keep valuables on the dash or car seat,” he says. Petersen lists three ways residents can avoid being victims this holiday season. Lock your cars. Don’t keep valuables in plain view. Park your car in a garage and close the garage door or park your vehicle on a well-lit street. “If you plan to CHIEF PETERSON be out of town for the holidays, call the police and request a vacation house check.” Petersen also urges residents to be active and call if they notice any unusual activity or strange people in their neighborhood.

Quarry fire destroys building, vehicles JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

“It was the biggest fire nobody knew about,” said Captain Dave George of Contra Costa County Fire

SEVEN

District Station 11 on Center Street in Clayton. George was describing a recent fire that ignited at RMC Pacific Materials Quarry off Mitchell Canyon Road on Oct. 14 at about 1:30 a.m.

Seven fire units from the county fire district responded to the blaze that destroyed a 5,000 square foot hillside building and three vehicles parked inside. There was no water source near the structure so firefighters

courtesy of the RMC Quarry

UNITS RESPONDED

to quarry fire which threatened the dry, grassy hills.

had to bring water up to the blaze. “We used 13,000 gallons of water and every drop was shuttled up to the storage facility at the quarry,” said George. He described the fire as a very dangerous one with intermittent explosions from inside the building. The structure housed three one-ton quarry trucks, supplies and maintenance equipment. The exceptionally hot fire threatened the areas of dry grass nearby, as well as some oxygen tanks. An adjacent trailer was also in danger. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. The fire was initially reported by a resident of Mount Etna Drive and took approximately four hours to contain. This was the first fire in the quarry’s 58-year history. According to plant clerk Shelley Doppe, plans are in the works to re-build the facility.

Concord man arrested in bike shop robbery TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Quick thinking by a store employee and the lucky coincidence of a cop passing by foiled a Concord man’s midday attempt to steal a new bike last week. On October 26 at around 2:30 p.m., the 33-year-old man parked his car at the Shell Station on Clayton Road and entered the Clayton Bike Shop next door. He picked out a bike he liked and asked to ride it around the block. When store employee, John Kramer, asked for the man’s driver’s license for security, he said he didn’t have it with him and gave Kramer $150 in cash instead. According to Clayton PD Sergeant Rich Enea, after his test ride, the suspect parked the bike at the front door of the bike shop and asked to see another one. While Kramer was getting the bike down from the display, the suspect grabbed his

$150 and the bike at the front door and ran for his car. Kramer gave chase, catching up to the man in the parking lot. The suspect landed a punch on Kramer and jumped in his car. Kramer got up, ran for the suspect’s car and reached inside grabbing the keys as the suspect hit him again. Just as the action was unfolding, Clayton officer, Jason Russo happened to be driving by the Shell Station on his way back from a morning in court. He called for assistance and turned his car around, arriving at the Shell Station just in time to chase the suspect around the corner, catching him in front of Linguini’s. The man was arrested and charged with strong-arm robbery. He had an outstanding warrant for grand theft and a search of his car turned up two bags of methamphetamine, which added drug charges to the robbery and probation violation charges.

No Prop. 40 park grant for Clayton TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Dreams for a downtown park faded a bit last week when Clayton failed to qualify for a Proposition 40 statewide grant for $685,000 to fund the project. The California Department of Parks and Recreation received 211 applications for

projects totaling $419 million. The $130 million available in the competitive grant program went to blighted low income urban areas with high youth crime. “When you look at the reasons we were denied, I guess we wouldn’t want to trade them for $685,000,” said City Manager Gary Napper.

See Park, page 5

Page 2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

Around Town Trelawney Housman and Daniel La Bar say “I do”

Clayton songbirds sing at Carnegie Hall

A toast to the hosts

Trelawney Housman and Daniel La Bar were married in the Yosemite Chapel at Yosemite National Park in a morning ceremony on October 9. The wedding was followed by a buffet luncheon of American and Japanese cuisine at the historic Wawona Hotel, where guests from London, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, New Mexico and all over California enjoyed a memory slide show celebrating the couple's growing up years. Trelawney is the daughter of Gay Mitchell of Angels Camp and Jim Housman of Pleasanton. She attended schools in Belmont, California and graduated from Chico State University in 2000. She is a teacher at Fairview Elementary School in Orland, California.

Two Clayton students, 11-year-old Kristyn Lorentzen, who is home schooled, and 10-yearold Zackary DeFazio of Mt. Diablo Elementary School sang at New York's Carnegie Hall in June. They also performed together in "A Musical Review" at the Lesher Center for the Arts in

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer Raising a glass to the new Gonsalves Stadium are from left, Steve and Debra Gonsalves, Concord Mayor Helen Allen and CVHS Girls Athletic Director Pat Middendorf and husband, Jim.

Daniel La Bar and Trelawney Housman Daniel is the son of Dick and Lynda La Bar of Clayton. He attended Clayton Valley High School and graduated from Chico State University in 2002. He is Community Program Coordinator for the Butte County Department of Education and is Head Coach of the Chico State University Women's Club Volleyball Team. The bride wore a strapless diamond white silk satin floor length gown trimmed with a champagne silk taffeta cummerbund, and a trilevel fingertip petal veil. Trelawney's Maid of Honor was Alison Munro of Benicia. Her sisters, Carolyn Housman of London, England, and Ana Sperow of Belmont served as bridesmaids. All of the attendants wore floor length strapless two-piece satin dresses. The Maid of Honor was in lavender and the bridesmaids were in champagne. Daniel's best man was Larry Yocum of Marysville, California. Groomsmen were his brother Ken La Bar of Colorado and George Lenz of Minnesota. Both groomsmen attended Clayton Valley High School with Daniel. The couple honeymooned on the East Coast.

Steve and Debra Gonsalves opened their lovely Roundill Place home last week to celebrate the official dedication of the new CVHS track and field facilities, Gonsalves Stadium which was named in their honor. The Gonsalves were major donors for the project. Friends and family, CVHS administration and faculty, stadium supporters and Concord and Clayton city officials were among the more than 100 that gathered at the Gonsalves home after the Friday night game in which the CVHS Eagles trounced the Antioch Panthers 41-6. Pictured, 1. Clayton Mayor Julie Pierce and husband Steve, 2. Matt Gonsalves of Conco Cement and granddaughter, Ashley 1 Watson, 3. CVHS Varsity Football Coach Herc Pardi and former CVHS baseball coach Tom DiMercurio, 4. CBCA Past President Howard Geller and current President, Ed Hartley, 5. Matt Mazzei, 6. Cathy Gernhardt and 7. CVHS Track Coach Joe Sullivan. 2

KRISTYN LORENTZEN AND ZACKARY DEFAZIO

Walnut Creek in July. The children are members of the Contra Costa Children's Chorus in Walnut Creek, directed by Iris Lamanna. "Performing there (at Carnegie Hall) was really amazing," Kristyn said. "Working with master teacher Dr. Janet Galvan was a great experience." "Even though it was a lot of hard work and practice," said Zackary, "it was also a lot of fun." They both said that being there and seeing all the people in the audience was something they will never forget. Upcoming Chorus events include A Medieval Madrigal Dinner in Danville on Nov. 20 and the 21st Annual Winter Concert in Walnut Creek on Dec. 18. For tickets or more information, call 925-945-7101 or go to www.childrenschorus.org.

Montecito - This almost new 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath Turismo model is located on a large corner lot with fully landscaped yards. You will find the master suite on the main floor, formal dining room and living room with lovely arched doorway, family room with wood burning fireplace and a $839,980 gourmet kitchen with oak cabinets.

Mitchell Canyon Estates - Park like setting with pool and covered patio on a huge lot with RV parking. This 3 bedroom single story has a large great room for entertaining, spacious kitchen with breakfast bar and garden window. Walking distance to nearby elementary school.

Windmill Canyon - Located on a large premium lot in Oakhurst with pool. This 4 bedroom, 2

Meadow Creek - Charming single story home shows pride of ownership in new neighborhood. 3 bedrooms, two full baths with den/office. Quality features include tile flooring, designer window treatments, family room with fireplace and much more. Close to shopping, schools and parks. $525,000

½ baths, updated throughout with designer touches. Gourmet kitchen with beautiful Cherry Wood cabinets, Viking appliances, Granite countertops, hardwood & tile flooring. A Must See!

$769,980

$679,980

Mark your Calendars For our 2nd Holiday

Open House

Saturday, December 4th 3:00 to 6:00 Photo's with Santa, Food & Raffle Prizes

November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Around Town... RMC hosts annual lunch

What’s up “Around Town” Weddings, births, anniversaries, special honors, out of town guests, great events . . . Let us know what is happening "Around Town," and we'll share the news. Drop off the details and a color photo at the Pioneer office , 6200 F Center Street, or e-mail tamara@claytonpioneer.com

From left Taylor, Brittany and Zachary Kendall enjoyed the scenery, food and hayride. The kids are the grandchildren of RMC neighbors Sandy and Bob Strickland.

The air was crisp, the sun was shining and neighbors, employees and friends came out to enjoy lunch and each other's company. It was the perfect recipe for a successful outdoor fall party. Each year for the past 10 years, RMC Pacific Materials

on Mitchell Canyon Road has hosted a luncheon to say thank you to their employees for their service and to the nearby residents to for their patience during the early morning truck traffic. The annual event has become a tradition.

The Pioneer travels East with the Cozart’s

Vintage debuts new CD Bill and Sharon Cozart are serious about keeping up with the news in their family's hometown. The Pioneer recently went on vacation with them, traveling aboard the Regal Princess and visiting New York City, Newport, Boston, Halifax, New Brunswick, Quebec and Montreal. The Cozart's are the parents of Christopher and Kami Cozart and grandparents of Kristiana and Cameron Cozart of Clayton. Santiago Martinez, Joyce Novicky Martinez and Roxanne Pardi

Clayton's own Vintage Trio introduced their new Christmas CD on October 16. Santiago Martinez, Joyce Novicky Martinez and Roxanne Pardi entertained family and friends at

a small concert and early evening reception at Endeavor Hall. The program included original works by Santiago along with sophisticated arrangements of old Christmas favorites.

Vintage will perform their Christmas program in a free concert at St. Bonaventure's Church on Tuesday, November 30 at 7:30. The public is invited.

FOUND

HVAC INSTALLER: 3 yrs. minimum experience. Good DMV and EPA certified. Call 925-673-3776

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

HAIR STYLISTS. New Fantastic Sams Salon. Cuts, color, perms, free education, flex hours, fun atmosphere. Base plus commission. Great Concord location. Call Aaron, 925-899-8687A.

TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER Co-Publishers

HELP WANTED

TAMARA S TEINER Editor

PETS NEEDS A GOOD HOME: Three female Russian Blue kittens, 3 months old, spayed, tests negative, shots current. Call Mary, (925) 672-2529.

J ILL B EDECARRÉ Assistant Editor and Display Advertising

SERVICES

J IM Z EWAN , Sports

PIANO LESSONS : Cynthia West, a Clayton Valley High School senior with ten years of playing experience and two years of teaching experience, is accepting beginning piano students for individual lessons. In each half-hour lesson, students are taught proper piano technique and theory in a comfortable environment. For more information call Cynthia at (925) 673-5026.

HOW TO PLACE AN AD Go to our Web site, claytonpioneer.com. Click on the Classified Advertising tab on the left side of the page. Complete the form to submit your ad. Mail a check for the number of insertions to P.O. Box 1246, Clayton, CA 94517. Or, call the Clayton Pioneer, 925-672-0500 to place your ad over the phone. Or, come by the office at 6200 Center Street, Suite F, Clayton between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Rates are $12 for 30 words and 20 cents for each additional word. Classified deadline dates are printed above. The Clayton Pioneer will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. We reserve the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable. All classified ads must be paid for in advance.

Directory of Advertisers Aames Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-862-1947 Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 ACME Auto Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-8495 Aegis Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5838 Aircloud Wireless Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 Alise Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 All Bright Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5900 Apronstrings Pet Sitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7621 Aragon, Al - Wells Fargo Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . .287-6921 Asemi, Hamid - State Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6622 B.J.'s Groom & Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550-5626 Benton, Mureleen - American Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Blimpie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9531 Blondie's Comics & Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7783 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 Call, J. Richard - Mortgage Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-2300 Candy Bouquets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6818 CBCA Holiday Home Deocrating Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2272 Christmas Craft Fair-Contra Costa County Fair . . . . . . . .756-1845 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4664 Clayton Hair Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1500 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 ComUnity Lending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5363 Concord Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9530 Concord United Methodist Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-5260 Contra Costa Termite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7665 Country Crafts Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-8283 Country Dog Boutique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6100 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . . . . . . .524-5100 Donna's Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2440 East County Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-664-4527 Flannery,Patty - Coldwell Banker Real Estate . . . . . . . . .210-7480 Fleury's Floor Covering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-1010 Fox and the Fiddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1333 French, Lynne - Coldwell Banker Real Estate . . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Graham Family Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-1333 Gregory, Cynthia - Permanent Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-5162 Haydon, Cynthia - Avon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8262 Heads Up Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-2277 Help You Sell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-4950 Home and Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-7227 HomEquity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1119 IMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-2200 Instant Imprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9815 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Linguini's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6868 Law Office of Richard Littorno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Lyone Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .827-1520 Marcia & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6890 Dr. Christina Mason, D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1559 Mavericks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602-5600 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Miller, Thomas C.P.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354-1385 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . . . . . . .280-8563 Network Service Center (NSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5009 Norman Joyal Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0059 Northgate Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-8711 Nu Image Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1777 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Pacific Coast Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429-2123 Pro Home Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-3300 Pro Tech Heating and Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-3776 R&M Pool, Patio & Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207 Robin's Nest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 Robin's Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7323 Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .947-6105 Smith Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6461 Something Special . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3666 Sparkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7123 St. John's Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855 Straight Line Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335-9801 Sweet Bakery & Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0936 T&K Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0010 Team Power Tractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .443-7600 The Dog Smoothies & Sausages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5415 The Dunn-Wright Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8460 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Totah, Sam - Crocker Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-641-2895 Truesdell, Lisa - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-4747 Van-Fleet-Bronson, Remax Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4333 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4433 Walcutt, Bill - Prudential Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437-5535 We The People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-0370 Wine Thieves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4003 Young, Susan - All Natural Nails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .963-0893 Zandonella's Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-1700

LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Clayton resident. You will find the appropriate form for your announcement on our Web site. Also on our Web site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Clayton Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be less than two double spaced pages and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” You can also e-mail your letter to tamara@ claytonpioneer.com

Classified 2 ADULT CATS on Morgan Territory Road. One dark gray long-haired and one black with white mittens. (925) 6722529

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P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B ETH N EUDELL , Administrative Assistant Member of the California Newspaper Publishers Assoc.

GEORGE VUJNOVICH, Broker 6160 Center Street, Suite E, Clayton 94517 Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated.

Tel: (925) 672-4433 Fax: (925) 672-4424

georgevujnovich.com Clayton Market Update Provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty

ADDRESS

PRICE

SALE DATE

479 Obsidian Way 3089 Windmill Canyon Dr 522 Mt. Davidson Court 302 Windmill Canyon Pl 5020 Raven Way 30 Fleming Court 1021 Feather Circle 3908 Coyote Circle 1240 Buckeye Terrace 260 Stranahan Circle 5830 Del Trigo Lane

$809,480 $615,000 $685,000 $739,000 $620,000 $810,000 $599,000 $499,000 $605,000 $549,000 $565,000

10/22/04 10/18/04 10/15/04 10/13/04 10/13/04 10/08/04 10/08/04 10/08/04 10/01/04 09/30/04 09/30/04

2,981 1,816 2,325 2,313 2,053 2,368 1,886 1,595 1,639 1,663 1,659

BED/BATH

4/2.5 3/2 3/2 4/2.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 3/2

ADDRESS

PRICE

SALE DATE

1025 Feather Circle 1505 Tara Court 5127 Keller Ridge Drive 22 Long Creek Circle 341 Saclan Terrace 996 Kenston Drive 26 Nottingham Circle 704 Anizumne Court 9 Clark Creek Circle 3093 Windmill Cyn Drive 7016 Molluk Way

$539,000 $585,000 $720,000 $415,000 $555,000 $645,000 $685,000 $529,500 $385,000 $625,000 $590,000

09/30/04 09/28/04 09/27/04 09/27/04 09/22/04 09/17/04 09/16/04 09/15/04 09/14/04 09/14/04 09/14/04

1,338 1,739 2,313 1,376 1,991 1,682 2,210 1,749 1,050 1,816 1,816

BED/BATH

2/2 4/3 4/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 2/2 3/2 3/2

ADDRESS

PRICE

SALE DATE

63 Antelope Court 3305 Coyote Circle 550 Mt. Dell 641 Mt. Duncan Drive 586 Mt. Dell Drive 25 Atchison Stage Road 566 Mt. Dell Drive 1558 O'Hara Court 336 Saclan Terrace 370 Blue Oak Lane 25 Long Creek Circle

$885,000 $420,000 $450,000 $729,980 $435,000 $690,000 $440,000 $565,000 $590,000 $769,000 $439,900

09/13/04 09/10/04 09/10/04 09/09/04 09/09/04 09/08/04 09/07/04 09/03/04 09/03/04 09/02/04 09/02/04

3,162 1,252 1,423 2,481 1,423 2,275 1,423 1,739 1,929 2,515 1,378

All information contained herein is deemed reliable but not guaranteed

BED/BATH

5/2.5 2/2.5 3/2. 5/3 3/2 4/2 3/2 4/3 3/2.5 4/2 3/2.5

Page 4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

The Van Fleet-B Bronson

Personal Service Make s the D ifference

Family

Featured H ome Curb Appeal and So Much More! Come see this lovely home located in a quiet court and walking distance to K-12 schools. Home features 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2,028 sq. ft. of living space. The garage has been converted into a very nice family room with a raised brick hearth and wood burning stove. Separate living room with a fireplace, dining area, master bedroom, master bath with tub with jets, central heat/air, ceiling fans and a whole house fan. The back yard has an inground swimming pool with solar heat and cabana. Nicely landscaped front and back with fruit trees. You'll enjoy those hot summers on the large deck built around a beautiful shade tree. $569,950

Karen Riessen, Josie Van Fleet-Bronson, Miroslav Bronson, Erika Maes, Colby Chambers, JoAnn Danilson, Kim Chambers, Darren Banke, Kathy Frame.

J o s i e V a n F l e e t -B Bronson For superior service and a successful real estate transaction in Clayton or surrounding communities, call Josie, a 20-year Clayton resident and area specialist — The Van Fleet-Bronson Team.

Properties A vailable

Specializing in: Real Estate Sales Residential and Investment Loans/Refinancing Property Management

A Classic Victorian, circa 1876. Located in San Jose's coveted Willow Glen neighborhood. Two years in restoration. 4,600 + square feet, 4+ bedrooms, 4+ bathrooms. The kitchen is a gourmet cook's delight with brand new, yet appropriate, appliances, formal entry, music room, formal dining room & living room, laundry rooms, fabulous basement recreation room with large built-in bar and large screen television viewing area, wrap around front porch and second story balcony, crystal chandeliers and other tasteful appointments throughout. Too many features to list. For more information on this special home, please call our office or better yet, come by and see the many other features this once in a life time home has. $1,550,000

2003/2004 Better Business Honor Roll Ranked #56 worldwide of 90,000 RE/MAX Realtors 2004 Heritage Registry of Who’s Who Member, Concord Chamber of Commerce Member, Oakhurst Country Club

RE/MAX Real Estate Professionals 1536 Kirker Pass Road, Suite D Clayton, CA 94517

Watch the Deer in Your Own Back Yard! Roll up you sleeves and reap the benefits of this cosmetic fixer upper located in a very desirable Moraga neighborhood. Home features include: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, absolutely beautiful hardwood floors, formal dining area, living room with fireplace, 1,661 square feet of living space and 11,235 square foot lot. You'll enjoy views of the lush hills in this quiet area. There is so much potential to this wonderful property. $724,900

ING COM N SOO

925-672-4333 www.CallTheVanFleetTeam.com

Backs to Open Space with Views of Rolling Hills in Your Own Back Yard! This home has so many great features including: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,553 sq ft of living space, formal living room, dining area, family room, kitchen with newly refinished beautiful wood cabinets, tile counter tops, new microwave, new window box kitchen window, pantry and breakfast bar. Family room has a wood burning fireplace and slider to a landscaped back yard that backs to open space.

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Enjoy a wonderful dinner at The Fox and The Fiddle, downtown Clayton, when you refer a successful buyer or seller to Van Fleet-Bronson, RE/MAX Real Estate.

Pending Properties 991 Almaden Circle 1621 Bruce Street 1345 Columbia Street 21 Kingswood Drive 4130 Meadow Lake Street

1374 Shell Lane 118 & 120 Crivello Avenue 4460 Shannondale Drive 2806 Stirrup Drive 770 Beatrice Street

Back Yard to Die For! This is just a stunning home and property with beautiful front and back yards with pool, fountain and pond. Property backs to open space and is located in a great neighborhood. Home features include: 2,233 square feet of living space, a spacious family room with cathedral ceiling, wonderful kitchen and dining area, brick fireplace, breakfast bar, formal living and dining rooms, vaulted ceiling, master bedroom suite with slider to your private spa. Back yard features include: beautiful walkways, decks, landscaping with automatic sprinklers. Don't miss the refrigerated wine room and vault. Hurry! This one won't last. $524,950

SALE ING PEND

Coming Soon 1061 Westmont Court 375 Grovewood Loop 5324 Olive Drive 2037 Sierra Rd #7

3984 Cottonwood Drive 75 Hardie Drive 4236 Mc Dermott Court

Concord sales on the Clayton side of town Address

Price

Sale Date

Bed/Bath

Address

Price

Sale Date

Bed/Bath

1133 Via Doble

$586,500

10/13/2004 1840

4&2

1812 Mahoo Lane

$523,000

9/30/2004

1465

4&2

5530 Pennsylvania Blvd.

$429,950

10/5/2004

1158

3&2

5164 White Oak Court

$435,555

10/15/2004 1103

4&2

1884 Palomino Place

$610,000

10/8/2004

1782

3&2

5262 Grasswood Court

$421,000

10/1/2004

2&2

957 Shadybrook Drive

$885,000

10/5/2004

2778

5&3

5273 Clearbrook Drive

$545,000

10/15/2004 1676

3 & 2.5

5494 Wilke Dr

$515,000

10/15/2004 1338

3&2

5506 Alaska Drive

$480,000

10/13/2004 1252

3 & 1.5

5510 Pennsylvania Blvd.

$575,000

10/1/2004

1582

4&2

2066 Bluerock Ct.

$575,000

10/14/2004 1764

4&2

5333 Park Highlands Blvd. #37 $340,000

10/1/2004

1104

2 & 1.5

5140 Red Oak Drive

$440,000

10/13/2004 1103

3&2

5418 Paso Del Rio Court

$612,000

10/7/2004

2135

4 & 2.5

5502 Kelrose Court

$425,000

10/8/2004

1018

3&1

5294 Ambleside Drive

$900,000

10/27/2004 3168

4 & 3.5

5379 Concerto Circle

$435,000

10/6/2004

1441

3 & 2.5

5309 Oak Point Court

$999,950

10/20/2004 2835

5 & 3.5

5392 Concerto Circle

$450,000

10/22/2004 1037

2&2

5450 Kirkwood Dr., #B2

$360,000

10/6/2004

1274

2&2

5330 Lightwood

$545,000

9/15/2004

1928

4&2

5393 Aspenwood Court

$895,000

10/15/2004 2778

5&3

1683 Dugan Court

$605,000

9/24/2004

1944

3&2

5376 Meadow Wood Place

$575,000

10/13/2004 1411

3&2

5261 Crystyl Ranch Drive

$1,017,150

9/15/2004

4300

5 & 4.5

5121 Myrtle Drive

$600,000

10/1/2004

3&2

5313 Oak Point Court

$979,950

9/12/2004

2418

4&2

5468 Roundtree Place, #T

$264,000

10/19/2004 914

2 & 1.5

1739 Tennyson Drive

$542,000

9/14/2004

1313

3&2

5278 Pebble Glen Drive

$450,000

10/1/2004

3 & 2.5

2170 1683

974

All information contained herein is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 5

‘The Bee’s Knees’ exhibit opens at Clayton Museum JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

When Oscar Tellez of Concord called the Clayton Historical Society looking for a special place to display his antique trunk, Mary Spryer, Museum Curator jumped at the opportunity. In fact, Tellez’s donation got Mary’s creative juices flowing and another interesting museum exhibit was born. “The Bee’s Knees” exhibit depicts the best of the Roaring Twenties including entertainment fashion, inventions, art, sports and news events of the decade.

photos by Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer MUSEUM CURATOR MARY SPRYER shows off a crazy quilt silk duster on loan from Willmetta Mann, an antique trunk and wool bathing suit, all part of “The Bee’s Knees” exhibit.

KIRSTEN SPRYER models a Cloche hat from the 1920s.

The antique trunk is a focal point of the exhibit and dates back to the early 1920’s when Tellez’s dad, Hilario who worked as an extra in movies, purchased the trunk in Hollywood where he worked as an extra in movies. Oscar, his son, inherited the antique from his dad when he died. Since Concord has no museum, Tellez wanted the trunk to be displayed in a place where others could appreciate it. And what better place than in our THIS BASEBALL UNIFORM belonged to Will own museum on Main Frank who played on the Clayton baseball Street. team in the 1920s. As in the past, Mary turned once again to her own or ‘cool’ was called ‘the bee’s family to enhance the exhibit. knees’ in the twenties,” said When you visit “The Bee’s Spryer. The phrase “the bee’s knees Knees” exhibit you’ll see her Auntie Bertha Strand’s striped means the height of excellence” wool bathing suit and a cloche and became a popular cliché in hat from her great aunt, Irma the 1920’s. The exhibit which Heck. There’s also a wedding runs through May of 2005 gives dress and other items of cloth- you a sense of what life was like ing from the roaring twenties in Clayton when the most popuera. “What my daughter, lar song was ‘Five Foot Two, Kirsten, would today call ‘spiffy’ Eyes of Blue’ and a postage

Park, from page 1 Last January, the City Council approved the design for the park, which includes a playground, picnic grounds and a gazebo donated by the CBCA. Total cost of the project is $1.3 million. The City has $710,000 in the bank, leaving a $590,000 funding gap. “The loss of the grant is a huge disappointment for the

city,” said Napper. “We have been counting on the park to jump-start an economic revitalization of the downtown area.” There are other grant possibilities, said Napper. However, the Prop. 40 grant had the largest pool of money available. The City may have to look to a voter approved one-time special assessment to fund the park.

There are about 4000 parcels in Clayton, explained Napper. A one-time assessment would amount to about $150 per household. It might also be possible to take the money that the City already has and do the park in increments. “It’s a huge disappointment,” said Napper. “We’re still licking our wounds and trying to decide where to go from here.”

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Karen Hansen-Smith is the new Acting Branch Librarian for the Clayton Community Library. She was born in Denmark and grew up in a small community where her parents had a farm raising milk cows and pigs. Hansen-Smith graduated from the library school in Copenhagen and worked for 14

KAREN HANSEN-SMITH

years as a librarian at the Sydthy Public Library. She specialized in general reference, outreach services and managed a small branch. She met her husband Derrick while she was vacationing in Amsterdam. He lived in San Francisco and the couple later married and settled in California. Hansen-Smith has been employed by the Contra Costa County Library system for the past 14 years. She began working at the San Ramon Library and later moved to the Central Library in Pleasant Hill. She was a reference librarian and conducted training for new library staff. “I have used this library (Clayton Community) frequently with my family so I am familiar with its excellent staff,” she said. The Smiths have a 12year-old son, a beagle dog, Hans and they live in Concord. “The Clayton community supports its library in a big way,” she said.

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stamp cost two cents.” The Museum is located at 6101 Main Street and is open Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. Special tours can also be arranged by appointment. For more information on the museum and the new exhibit call 672-0240.

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Page 6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

Are you talking to me? JENNY ROSENQUIST

PARENTING

I hear from many parents who are concerned that their child may be delayed in their speech and language development, sometimes based solely on their gut instinct. Maybe their child has no interest in

communicating, or perhaps is child isn’t developing at the same rate as a brother or sister. In my experience, concerned adults are generally concerned for a good reason, and it is always worthwhile to investigate a bit to determine if the child really is delayed in communication development. Children differ tremendously in how and when their language skills will develop. However, there are lots of language milestones that are good indicators of whether or not a child is

developing on track with other children their age: At a very early age, from about 2 months until close to their first birthday, babies make all kinds of noise — cooing, gurgling, babbling and imitating what they hear. This is a critical stage of speech development and its importance can’t be overstated. At this stage, babies practice making the sounds and patterns of sound development that will help them form their first true words. Many parents report in hindsight that their

speech-delayed kids were “quiet” as babies. It’s also important to keep a close check on their hearing status, particularly if the child has recurrent ear infections. As first words and early phrases develop, from about 12 months to 24 months, children start to acquire words at an ever increasing rate. They have different “functions” for their language — to label familiar things, to show that they want something or to tell you they don’t want something (the start

Lifestyle can put you at risk for diabetes Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The chronically high level of blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction and failure to various organs; especially eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels. When DM is poorly controlled, it will decrease one’s life span by five to six years. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or stroke than their nondiabetic counterparts. The prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed Diabetes in the United States is about 6.5 percent. Diabetes is in the group of metabolic disorders where the blood sugar is improperly utilized. Diabetes type 2 (DM2) results in a compensatory hyperinsulinemia (high level of insulin), as opposed to Diabetes type 1 (DM1), where insulin is lacking or its production is insufficient. In DM2, body tissue becomes resistant to insulin and doesn’t respond to its stimuli. As a response, the pancreas produces more insulin, which can’t work due to resistance and leads to further metabolic disarrangement, namely dyslipidemia and more body fat storage. This vicious cycle may be aborted by increased physical activity. Even a small weight loss can make a significant difference. Diabetes type 2 became a new epidemic due to the contribution of lifestyle changes over the past few decades. WHAT

ARE THE WATCH FOR?

RISKS

Unfortunately, at the time of diagnosis, disease is far in progression. These facts need to be addressed to prevent and possibly delay a disease progression. WHAT ARE SOME WARNING SYMPTOMS?

JANA TOMSKY, MD

YOUR HEALTH

Hispanics, American Indians, Pacific Islanders) z High blood pressure z High cholesterol z Sedentary lifestyle/ lack of exercise z Family history of Diabetes z Women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) Patients who are already diagnosed have frequently had diabetes for several years prior to it. Symptoms may or may not be present at the beginning.

Thinking About

Jana Tomsky, MD, can be reached at the Clayton Valley Medical Group, (925) 672-6744

Remodeling?

FACTORS FOR DIABETES

z Keep

your weight down (BMI below 25) z Regular exercise (walking at least 30 minutes or other workout 2-3 days a week) z Improve eating habits and make healthy choices (limit/avoid fatty food and sweets, increase fiber, fruits and vegetables, lean meat) z If you smoke, please, quit! z See your doctor for recommended screening. If you are diagnosed, take your medication as directed z Know your numbers: - HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) - target level < 7 - Fasting blood sugar (target 70-100) Lipid profile - Blood pressure (target is below 135/85)

As children move through all of these stages, they will continue to refine their sound repertoire, moving from simple to more complex sound combinations. Many children develop their sound repertoires without difficulty; others develop those same sounds a bit more slowly. Any child who appears to have difficulty making sounds should be seen by a licensed speech-language pathologist who specializes in working with young children. Every child is unique, and none will develop exactly as another. However, general milestones show the predictable course that language development should take. Parents who have concerns regarding their child’s speech and language development should always err on the side of caution and consult a licensed speech-language pathologist. Jenny Rosenquist, MA, CCC-SLP, is Director of Therapy Services at We Care Services for Children. Contact her at (925) 671-0777 x20 or send email to jrosenquist@wecarebmcc.org

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The American Diabetic Association recommends screening for all high-risk patients. All people over age 45 years and anybody with BMI (body mass index) over 25. Other risk factors are: z BMI >25 (obesity) z Ethnicity (African-Americans,

Frequent urination, excessive thirst, fatigue, blurred vision, weight change and more. Diabetes type 2 used to be known as an adult onset disease, but unfortunately there is an epidemic of obesity and children are also becoming affected. It is an alarming fact that we are putting young ones at risk of premature death. If you or any of your family members may be at risk, please do not delay a doctors’ visit ASAP. Knowledge is a power for prevention!

TIPS TO MODIFY YOUR RISK

of the “Terrible Twos”). They should be interested in communicating — they have lots of thoughts they want to express! Even if the verbal words are slower to develop, these kids should be gesturing and trying to communicate. An undermotivated child may need help finding things that are motivating to communicate about. As children move from their second to third birthday, their vocabulary growth should be hard to keep track of. They should be developing a rich repertoire of nouns, verbs, descriptive words, and pronouns in their vocabulary. They begin to answer questions, pose questions and engage in communicative turn-taking. They love to use their language to assert themselves, and they get a kick out of talking on the telephone. This is the stage where adults report they were able to have a simple but “real conversation” with their child…a wonderful, fulfilling and exciting stage of language development.

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November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 7

I yam what I yam… or maybe not PART ONE OF TWO Each fall, sweet potatoes crowd the vegetable bins at our local markets in a bounty of autumn color. Some of us reach for the garnet yams, known for their moist succulent flesh. Yams, you say? Not so, I say. Few, if any, of us have ever seen a true yam, let alone tasted one. Let’s unravel this tangled web. Yams are part of the scientific family Dioscorea. They are large tubers — a fleshy part of the plant that grows below the soil. Native to Africa, they are huge — some can grow to be more than 7 feet long and weigh up to 150 pounds! Yams actually have more natural sugar content than sweet potatoes. Unlike sweet potatoes, however, true yams must be cooked because they are toxic if eaten raw. In contrast, the sweet potato originated in South America. It is the root of a vine related to the morning glory. Perhaps you can figure out how the name “potato” was derived

when you look at the sweet potato’s scientific name — Ipomoea batatas. The yam/sweet potato confusion began about 50 years ago. Around that time, orangefleshed sweet potatoes were introduced in the United States. To distinguish them from their light-fleshed counterparts, retailers gave them the name “yam.” Archaeologists have found evidence of sweet potato cultivation in Peru going back some 4,000 years, and fossilized sweet potatoes have been carbondated to 10,000 years ago. Although the Spanish first introduced the sweet potato to Europeans in the late 15th century, it was already being grown in Polynesia. In fact, it was a staple food among the Maori when Captain Cook discovered New Zealand in the late 1700s. Modern-day Scandinavian explorer Thor Heyerdahl once theorized that sweet potatoes were introduced by Peruvian Indians navigating the oceans. Whether truth or coincidence, it’s interesting that the Maori

refer to sweet potatoes as “kumara,” while Peruvians call them “kumar.” In the late 16th century, King Henry VIII of Great Britain so enjoyed sweet potatoes that he had them added to his favorite spice pies. When the colonists arrived in the New World, they learned the trick of Native Americans who roasted them in the hot ashes of a fire. In her Virginia cookbook in 1824, Mrs. Randolph gives a recipe for a meat and potatoes dish consisting of halved sweet potatoes covered with slices of Virginia ham, then one or two cut up chickens, seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs and baked for an hour or two. Broiled with butter, mixed with molasses, combined with fruit, and even incorporated into ice cream, sweet potatoes charmed the European immigrants to America. Today, sweet potatoes are grown and enjoyed in cuisines around the world — with the major producers found in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Uganda. They grow

best in hot, moist climates (as compared to cooler weather that Irish potatoes prefer) and are a major root crop, second only to cassava and manioc. Some countries are engineering varieties that thrive in more temperate areas, like southern Russia. There are around 400 varieties of sweet potato. Its flesh can be white, beige, yellow or orange, while its skin can be yellow, orange, red, beige or purple. The color of the skin doesn’t always correlate to the flesh inside — the Okinawan sweet potato has a beige skin and a lavender flesh that cooks to brilliant purple! The shape also differs, from round and squat like an Irish potato to long with tapered ends. Sweet potatoes are a favorite in Asian curries. This is a tasty dish: COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN 1 onion, thickly sliced and diced 1 Tbsp olive oil 4 Tbsp red curry paste 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced

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Heloise’s homespun cleanup tips LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

2 cups diced uncooked sweet potato ½ cup raisins 2 cups chicken stock 1½ cups coconut milk (unsweetened) 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro 1 Tbsp chopped mint (optional) In pre-heated frying pan, warm oil and toss in onions. Stir-fry until they begin to become translucent, about 5 mins. Add curry paste and cook 1 to 2 mins., until very fragrant. Add diced chicken and sweet potatoes. Cook, stirring often for 2 minutes. Add stock, coconut milk and raisins. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes (test chicken and sweet potatoes to be sure they are cooked through). Sprinkle with cilantro and optional mint. Serve over basmati rice as a main dish. Next time, we’ll look at the nutritional properties and promise of sweet potatoes. Linda Wyner is an attorney in Walnut Creek by day, and an accomplished chef and “foodie” by choice. Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

Cleaning up fast is not easy when you have to decide among the dozens of cleaning products on the store shelves. But there are a few basics that you probably already have in your house that can tackle numerous homecleaning projects. Here are Heloise’s top picks for quick cleanups. Ammonia is often the base ingredient of many cleaning products, including window and glass cleaners. To make your own batch, stir 1/2 cup sudsy ammonia (which contains detergent) with enough water to make one gallon of all-purpose cleaner. (Regular, nonsudsy ammonia also cuts grease and won’t streak. It’s good for windows and mirrors, too.) Use baking soda as an allaround deodorizing product. It also cuts into grime with its bubbling action. Add four tablespoons baking soda to one quart warm water. Sponge on kitchen appliances, refrigerator shelves, counters and chrome plumbing fixtures to clean and deodorize. Vinegar (white or apple-cider) is not only the safest and most versatile product to keep in the home, it’s by far the cheapest. Here are just two uses: Put out a bowl or two of vinegar in a freshly painted room to dispel the odor. If your hands smell from handling fish or an onion, wash them in apple- cider vinegar, which you can get at the supermarket. Odor gone!

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

Home Protection Plan is a good idea LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE

When something malfunctions in your home, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could pick up the phone, request a service call, pay a nominal service charge and have the problem fixed. In theory, this is how a home protection plan works. A home protection plan — also called a home warranty — is an insurance policy that insures homeowners against

defects in the major systems of their home. Precisely what is covered will vary from one company to the next. Most policies cover the heating, plumbing and electrical systems as well as built-in appliances like the stove, dishwasher and garbage disposal. Some companies will cover movable appliances like the refrigerator, washer and dryer for an extra charge. And some policies even include air conditioning, roof and pool and spa coverage for an additional fee. Policy terms are usually for one year, and they are renewable. The annual cost of a policy varies, but you might expect to pay about $350 for a moderate-sized home. Protection

replaced for the nominal cost of a service charge. Home warranty service charges vary, but they are often in the range of $35 - 40 per call. Some sellers offer to pay for a home protection plan to cover the home for the buyer for one year. If problems arise during that year, the buyers simply call the warranty company and pay the service charge. The warranty company pays for the repair or replacement. Be sure to read the policy carefully because there are exclusions from coverage. For example, pre-existing conditions are not usually covered. So if the furnace hasn’t worked properly for years, it probably won’t be covered by

plans are available for both single-family residences and condominiums. The plans are offered in most states. Home protection plans are popular in the home sale industry because they provide a relatively inexpensive way to take care of home defects that develop soon after the home sale closes. For example, let’s say the water heater quits working the day after closing. Depending on the terms of the purchase agreement, the seller may be responsible for replacing the water heater. A new hot water heater can cost several hundred dollars. However, if there is a home protection plan in place at closing, the hot water heater will probably be

the buyer’s home protection plan. Also, there are limitations on coverage. For instance, some policies offer roof coverage, but only up to $1,000 of work. Seller coverage is also available to cover the home during the listing and sale period. Seller coverage works the same as buyer coverage except that there are usually more limitations on the coverage. For example, the furnace is usually covered under both buyer and seller coverage. But, the amount of coverage offered under seller coverage is often less than the amount that’s available to the buyer if the furnace breaks down after closing.

Turn that spare room into a home recording studio Everybody’s doing it. Well, maybe not everybody, but lots of people are. Doing what, you ask? Why building a recording studio in their home, of course! Not too many years ago, building a recording studio was a daunting task. It wasn’t realistic to think in terms of building one in your own home, unless, of course, you had a huge house with ample space for recording. Usually, home studios were exclusive to rich rock stars who could afford them. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were often required for microphones, tape recorders, speakers and other recording equipment needed to make decent sounding recordings. And while that much and more

can still be spent today in building a studio, lots of great recordings are being made in people’s bedroom studios that cost in the neighborhood of $5,000 to build. Suddenly, home recording has wide appeal. The main reason for the dramatic drop in prices for recording equipment has to do with the digital age. Digital equipment, computers and music software all combine to make the recording of music less a function of hardware and machinery (such as large reelto-reel tape recorders) and more about sound bytes and “musical information.” While good microphones are still a key component and necessary expense in the recording chain,

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new “toys.” But classes are available that will help, and if you’re good at reading and absorbing operating manuals for high-tech equipment, you can get up and running with your home studio relatively quickly. The purpose of this article isn’t to provide a blueprint for building your own studio. Yet, with some cash in your wallet (or even a credit card) you can head to any number of professional music and recording equipment stores in the Bay Area, and with the help of an eager salesperson, put together a studio to fit virtually any available space and budget. If you’re a bargain hunter, there’s lots of new and used equipment available online at Web sites such as

JIM HUDAK

MUSIC NOTES after that, your primary concerns are good hard-drive storage space, memory and speed from your computer. You will need to allow time for the learning curve required to get comfortable using your

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eBay, and you may even find that the old pair of speakers sitting in your garage might make good monitors when playing back your studio recordings. The proof is in the music. It’s often hard to tell the difference between recordings made in home “project studios” from the recordings made at studios costing hundreds of dollars per

One seller who had signed up for seller coverage was able to have some of the defects that were discovered during the buyer’s inspections fixed by the home protection plan company for the cost of a service charge. This was a great deal for the seller because it saved him money, and he didn’t have to pay the policy premium until closing. Seller coverage is usually charged by the day. The cost varies, but it can run about 75 to 85 cents a day. If the seller of a home you’re buying does not offer to pay for a home protection plan, you can pay for one. Be sure to order it before the closing date. For any real estate needs or questions contact Lynne at: Phone (925) 672-8787 or E-mail: Lynne@LynneFrench.com

hour. Whether your purpose is to make solid sounding demos of your own music to send out to record companies or to use your studio as the hub for your own independent record label, a quick bit of math suggests that creating your own home studio might be a financially prudent thing to do. Jim Hudak’s Music Notes column appears regularly in the Pioneer. Contact him at jimmydak@pacbell.net. His piano music CD’s are available from his Web site at www.jhudak.com or at amazon.com.

November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

DVMS has new vice principal

Glasbergen Chuckles

We’re pleased to present the cartoons of Randy Glasbergen who needs little introduction. His cartoons appear in syndication as “The Better Half ” comic strip. Look for a Glasbergen cartoon in every issue of the Pioneer.

Why advertise in the Pioneer? Here’s one reason: “My business (Clayton Valley Bowl) has been advertising in the Pioneer for awhile and I am very pleased with the results of our ongoing ‘Freaky Fun Day on Sunday’ program that was mentioned in the paper. I want to personally thank the Clayton Pioneer and their great staff in helping my business continue to grow. I hope my new ‘Thirsty Thursday’ program has the same kind of success!” Paul Thompson, General Manager, CLAYTON VALLEY BOWL

Patti Bannister is the new vice principal at Diablo View Middle School. She’s worked in the Mt. Diablo School District for the past 14 years as a math and science teacher. This is her fifth year as a vice-principal. “I have to first say how fortunate I feel to be part of such a welcoming and supportive school and community,” Bannister said. Her teaching career began after she graduated from St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame in Indiana. Bannister taught fifth grade for three years in her hometown of Detroit,

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Michigan. She later got married and settled in California and took time off from teaching to raise her six children. “My belief is that parents are always the first teachers,” she said. She holds a California Teaching Credential from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, and Administrative Credentials and Masters degree from Cal State Hayward. Bannister is currently an adjunct professor at Chapman University teaching classes to future teachers. Five of her children are graduates of the University of

School News

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL “Viet Rock” is an all school production of Megan Terry’s venture into transformational theatre and her chilling vision of war playing Nov. 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door (except for student nights). Drama teacher Tom Wills directs the production. An original and gutsy piece of theatre which challenges and ambushes the audience with an assault on social and political issues revolving around this country’s propensity for military intervention on a world scale. These issues were evident in Vietnam, before Vietnam and, unfortunately have continued since Vietnam. All 22 actors will play numerous roles in an everchanging view of events both

PATTY FLANNERY

Be with the best!

Page 9

comical and tragic from our own storied American past and present. Rehearsals will be a potpourri of improvisation, roleplaying and structuring until Megan Terry’s and our statements and perspectives on war and the human experience bleed from the stage. Subscribe to Clayton Valley’s award-winning scholastic newspaper, The Talon. Send a check for $15 to CVHS Talon, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord, CA 94521. The Talon staff will mail the monthly newspaper to your home, business or office. The first edition is scheduled for publication on Oct. 15. The student staff must raise all printing costs for the newspaper. Advertising rates are available by calling 925-682-7474

Notre Dame and Bannister is looking forward to her youngest child’s graduation next May, also from Notre Dame. “I love “middle schoolers,” she said. “For many parents this might sound quite absurd. I love young adolescents’ energy, enthusiasm and so often unpredictable behavior.” Bannister’s advice for parents as their children move into the teen years is “to stay involved in their lives, be there to listen, be patient and love them every day no matter what the challenges might be.”

ext. 2602. Please support student journalism and stay informed on Clayton Valley High School events and issues. DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL There are still many Entertainment Books unaccounted for. There is still time to purchase the book you have. Return the envelope with $20 to your child’s core teacher. If you don’t want to buy the Entertainment Book please have your child return it to school in the envelope. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL “Taste of Kindergarten” Wednesday, November 17 at 7:00 St. Francis of Assisi School in Concord is accepting Kindergarten applications for the 2005-2006 school year. Join

PATTI BANNISTER

us for an information night while your kindergartner gets a “Taste of Kindergarten”. Children will be in the classroom enjoying story time and crafts while parents attend the information session with the Pastor, Principal, and Kindergarten teacher. Reservations requested 682-5414. MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY Attention Safeway Shoppers: sign up for the eScrip program. Safeway donates a percentage of your purchase to our school. It costs you nothing! You’re shopping anyway, make it pay. Please call 1-800-801-4973 or visit www.escrip.com. Group Name: Mt. Diablo Elementary Parent Faculty Club. Group ID: 0137104689 Questions? Contact Katie Kreske at 672-3760 or katiekreske@sbcglobal.net.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

“Let’s get the atonements out of the way first....” Thanks to those alert informants that took the time to write or call me. I know there are more of you out there, but we’re off to a good start, so keep it up. Onward…

JOE ROMANO

SO ANYWAY Let’s get the atonements out of the way first, shall we? I received a telephone call from a senior and apparently persnickety member of the Tahoe Sipping Club mentioned in my last column. She reminded me that their official name is The Chamber’s Landing Awesome Sipping Society. These older Chamber’s Landing folk are so particular. As an honorary member you’d think I’d know this, but you see, we Dollar Pointers don’t go much for semantics. Consider the record straightened.

name, and apparently the majority ruled with the Medieval Pumpkins. Orange jerseys sparked the pumpkin idea and Jordan’s dad, Andres, says that Jordan got the “Medieval” idea from a Game Cube game. And who says video games stifle the imagination? So there you go — great pumpkin mystery solved. Watch for the Medieval Pumpkins to squash the competition. TELEPHONE ANYONE?. The first (and possibly last if folks don’t start writing in) Who’s On First award goes to my daughter (to be referred to in any future columns as “the girl”). Explaining that I am currently working for a company by the name of Neil & Associates, she asked if I make hamburgers. Naturally confused, I asked why I would be making hamburgers. Her reply: “You said you work for Meal & Associates.” You want fries with that? AN ENEA BY ANY OTHER NAME.. The news that Sgt. Rich Enea (pronounced Eh, knee ya. Takers? Anyone?), one of Clayton’s finest for the past 14

UPDATE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES… More on the infamous Medieval Pumpkins soccer team item. Seems proud pumpkin Jordan Bergero is credited with coming up with the name. Says Coach Stu Symonds, “Most Interesting Name, yes. Most Disturbing Name, no. We’re just a bunch of old pumpkins.” Stu says he likes the kids to choose their own

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years, will be turning in his badge this December and retiring to Crescent City, is causing a bit of a panic amongst our less informed town folk who cannot fathom the idea of going Enea-less. Fear not good citizens. Rich Enea Jr., sworn in this past May, is on the streets, ensuring us many more years of quality Enea service. And I hear that Sgt. Jason Russo and his wife just had a baby boy, so we’ve already begun the possible next generation of Clayton’s boys in blue. Relax folks, we’re in good hands. POLICE STORIES CONTINUED… For an “only in San Francisco” item, I read recently that Baghdad by the Bay is having trouble with a gentleman referred to as Naked Yoga Guy. George Davis, a self-professed naturist, has apparently been dropping trou in high tourist areas like Fisherman’s Wharf and giving, in addition to an eyeful, demonstrations of his naked yoga technique and lifestyle choice, which of course is nudism. Oh, I guess he also has a book on the subject. What’s the trouble, you ask? Apparently being naked on the streets of San Francisco is not a crime so long as it does not involve “lewd conduct,”

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the fest will return. There’s no question about my yen for a brat. And if you good folks with the CBCA need help interviewing potential St. Pauli Girls for next year, you know how to reach me. Bitte? Bitte schoen? See you next time. Prost!

(and authentic Fraulein, Effie Cartan, who claims to have experienced a few minutes of genuine homesickness whilst in the beer tent) our recent Oktoberfest was a big success. Blindsided by a sudden craving for a bratwurst that Saturday, I fully intended to join the masses in said das Bier tent, but unfortunately our weekend was once again chock full of “prior commitments,” so if any other Oktoberfest-er has a good story, pass it along. Hopefully

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November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 11

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., NOV. 8 FOR THE NOV. 19 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT FALL YMCA Adult and Youth programs @ Clayton Community Gym Adult programs include flag football, ultimate kickball and volleyball. Youth sports programs include flag football, soccer and cheerleading. Sign up at www.mdrymca.org or call 889-1625. Clayton Community Gym 700 Gym Court, Clayton. THRU

ONGOING Art at the YMCA @ Clayton Community Gym Art program starts at the YMCA - sculpture, painting, drawing for beginners, advanced drawing.and Children's books, writing illustrating and publishing. For information contact instructor Seth Ahonen at 889-1612 or 889-1600. ONGOING After School Programs @ Clayton Community Gym 3-6 p.m., After school program for Diablo View Middle students. Homework help, sports and art activities. Fun, safe environment. Call Liz Travers for information at 889-1600. Clayton Community Gym, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. ONGOING Dance Classes @ Clayton Community Church Wednesdays 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. Dance Technique Class, ages 8-adult, a fun multi-level dance class open to the community, $5 per class. Fridays 5:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Devotion in Motion, Pilates-based body-spirit mat exercise class for adult women, free. Wednesdays 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Praise Dance Class, ages 4-7, Free.Clayton Community Church, 6055 Main Street, Clayton. Ongoing - May 25, 2005 "The Bee's Knees", The Best of the 1920s @ Clayton Historical Society Museum Special exhibit featurs the best of the 1920s including film, entertainment, fads, fashion, photos, art, literature, music, inventions, sports, and world events of the 1920s. The Clayton Museum also features special kitchen and quilt exhibits, a mining exhibit, outhouse and Clayton's early 1900s jail. Free. Sundays & Wednesdays 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM, and by Appointment.Phone-(925) 672-0240/www.claytonhs.com. Clayton Historical Society Museum, 6101 Main Street, Clayton. OCT 5 - NOV. 16 Road Trip! Teens Read 2004 @ Clayton Community Library Read 15 hours to complete the journey. For grades 6-12. Prizes for all finishers- Carl’s Jr. coupon, classic car keychain, paperback book, Exploratorium guest pass, Blackhawk Automobile Museum Pass. All finishers will also be entered into a countywide drawing to win one of 1,600 additional prizes. See librarian for details. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. OCT. 15 - NOV. 7 Romeo and Juliet @ Diablo Valley College The passion and violence of a 16th century blood-feud in the Italian city of Verona ends with the loss of its citizens’ most precious treasures- their children. DVC drama season 2004-2005 opens with its inventive and unorthodox production o f Shakespeare’s classic. Performances Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10-12m, high school students $5. Call DVC ticket office 925-687-4445 for information. NOV. 5, 12, 19, 26 Digital Thunder Bowling @ Clayton Valley Bowl 4-6 p.m. Bowling on Friday afternoons for kids includes music, lights and bumper lanes. 689-4631, Clayton Valley Bowl, 5300 Clayton Road, Concord. NOV. 8 - DEC. 31 "Annie" @ Willows Theatre The classic family musical based on the adventures of the popular comic-strip heroine. Annie follows the story of the young orphan as she finds new family wtih billionaire Daddy Warbucks and dog Sandy. Directed by Richard Elliott. $20-35. Willows Theatre, Willows Shopping Center, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. 925798-1300, www.willowstheatre.org. NOV. 10 Science, Pseudo-Science and Creationism Lecture @ Concord Campus of Cal State Hayward. 3:30 p.m. Philip Gasper, professor of philosophy, will use the evolution vs. creation controversy to discuss what makes an idea scientifically credible and what distinguishes science from pseudo-science. $3.00/free for SCHOLAR-OLLI members. Concord Campus of Cal State Hayward, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Concord, 6026772, www.ccc.csuhayward.edu/events.htm.

NOV. 12, NOV. 13 Holiday Boutique & Bake Sale @ Clayton Community Library Nov. 12, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Nov. 13 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Unique creations by members of the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. Baked goods and cookie walk. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. NOV. 17 Puppets and Judy Show @ Clayton Community Library 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. National Children’s Book Week celebration. 673-0659, Clayton Community Library 6125 Clayton Road. NOV. 17 Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremony @ Safeway, Clayton Station 5:00 p.m. Yearly tree lighting ceremony for Hospice of Contra Costa. Mt. Diablo Elementary School Chorus will sing. NOV. 17 Church Music Concert @ Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church 7:30 p.m. The Nevsky Vocal Ensemble, a classically trained group from Russia, will sing folk and sacred music. They have been visiting churches around the United States. Come and enjoy this special music. Their website is www.nevskyst.ru. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road. NOV. 18 Thanksgiving Wines @ The Concord Senior Center 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Herbert Eder of CSU Hayward lectures about choosing wines for Thanksgiving. $8.00/$5.00 for SCHOLAR-OLLI members. Registration for programs required. Register at 6026776 or visit www.ccc.csuhayward.edu/events.htm. Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord. NOV. 18 What Really Causes Cancer Lecture @ CSU Hayward, Concord Campus 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. James Felton, Sr. Biomedical Scientist will discuss role of genetics and environment in causation of cancer. 6026772, www.ccc..csuhayward.edu/events.htm. Concord campus of Cal State Hayward, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road, Concord. NOV. 19 Prime Time Performances in Cinema @ Concord Campus of Cal State Hayward 7 p.m. A salute to film actors including Burt Lancaster, Don Ameche, Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Art Carney, Jessica Tandy, George Burns and others, using a variety of classic films. 602-6772, www.ccc.csuhayward.edu/events.htm, Concord Campus of Cal State Hayward, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Concord.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS ONGOING - JAN. Knights of Columbus Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest Say No to Drugs contest is underway. “Drug Awareness & Abuse”and “Alcohol Awareness & Abuse” categories. Ages 8-11 and 12-14. Entries will be judged by school, local council, district State and International competition. Posters must be original, 11 x 17, color or black or white. Contact Claire Tryon, Youth Director, at 673-8564 for entry sheet, rules and more details or e-mail grey_eototo@man.com. NOV. 4, 11, 18, 25 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m., 5 & 6:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in & meeting on Thursday. 800/326-8450 x2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord. NOV. 4, 11, 18, 25 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thursday for breakfast meeting that usually features a speaker.www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 689-7640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. NOV. 9 Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Meeting @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church 10 a.m., Business meeting, refreshments served. Call Lois, 6851876 or Jackie, 672-8103 for information. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Ygnacio Valley Road and Alberta Way, Concord. NOV. 9 Diablo Valley Lioness @ Back Forty Restaurant Diablo Valley Lioness meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Help plan community fundraising events. For more information call Lisa King, President at 330-1260. Back Forty Restaurant, 1918 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill.

NOV. 11 Clayton Valley 4-H Club @ Mountain View Elementary 6:30 p.m. The club is open to youth ages 5-19 and adults. Various projects, conferences, 4-H camp, leadership, citizenship and community service opportunities. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month, September to June. Call Candy Hogan, Community Leader, at 969-1325. Mountain View Elementary, 1705 Thornwood Drive, Concord. NOV. 18 CBCA (Clayton Business & Community Association) Meting @ Oakhurst - City Council Candidates Forum Monthly business meeting includes election of officers for next year. Oakhurst Country Club, last non-holiday Thursday of the month. Reservations due by Tuesday noon prior, 672-2272. Ed Hartley, President.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT NOV. 9, 23 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Library 7p.m. City of Clayton Planning Commission meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 6737304, Clayton Library Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. NOV. 9, 16, 23 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. County Board of Supervisors holds regular weekly meetings Tuesday mornings. Open to the public. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez. NOV. 11 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 6737304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton. NOV. 2, 16 Clayton City Council Meeting@ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday 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. NOV. 16 Friends of Diablo Creek @ Farm Bureau Hall, Concord 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Volunteers are documenting Mt. Diablo Creek’s natural and man-made features using GPS equipment. Aspen Madrone of the Contra Costa Watershed Forum will present the results of the recent field survey. Refreshments provided. Friends of Mt. Diablo Creek, Farm Bureau Hall, 5554 Clayton Road, Concord.

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION ONGOING - DEC. 2 Adult Education Class @ Mt. Diablo Adult Education Thursdays 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Room B-1. Building Healthy Families, an informative series of classes to discuss topics relevant to parenting today. $5 per class or $35 for all 8 classes. Childcare provided for ages 18 months and up for an additional fee. Join at any time. Mt. Diablo Adult Education, 1266 San Carlos Avenue, Concord, 685-7340. NOV. 16 Parent Faculty Club (PFC) Meeting, @ Mt. Diablo Elementary 7 p.m. Please join us and help make a difference! Child care is provided for this event. If you would like to have a specific item included on the agenda, please contact Rosy Straka at rosystraka@yahoo.com or 672-3200. 7304. Mt. Diablo Elementary. NOV. 17 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Diablo View Middle School 7 p.m - 8:30 p.m. Join us and get involved in the issues efffecting your childrens’ education. Please contact PFC President Carolyn Hartnell at 672-4146 or crhartnell@earthlinnk.net if you want an item on the agenda.

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Page 12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

Clayton Sports Clayton Soccer Club has roots in the British Isles Part 1 of 2: The “Other” Clayton Club JIM ZEWAN Clayton Pioneer

Town, the Orient, the Wanderers, the Rovers and the Royal Oaks.

Clayton is known not only for its walking trails, its Western roots, and majestic views of Mt. Diablo, but it is also known for its “soccer connection” to the British Isles and to everywhere soccer is played throughout the world. Very few communities can say the same. The “other” Clayton Club is the Clayton Soccer Club, established in 1987. There are a total of five teams in the club, which plays in the East Bay Senior Soccer League, formed in 1974. There are currently 42 teams in the EBSSL, which indicates the popularity of senior soccer in the Bay Area. The five teams in the CSC include the Clayton

THE HISTORY OF CSC In the 1970s and 80s, a rather large number of English computer nerds came to the United States to fill a void in our nation’s economic structure. They went to work for companies with extensive computer networks and aggressive strategies. They worked hard during the day, and at night, as was their custom, they went to the pub. In this case the pub, or what the Brits often refer to as their “local,” was TR’s in Concord. Their names were Jeff Green, Rob Sears, Al Pearson, Trevor Dimond, Phil Quinlan, Steve Pratt, Davey Dews, Pepe, Steve Callaway, Des Docherty, Mike

Pleass, Rich Norman and Dave McGeough. They were otherwise known as The B of A Brits, as in, Bank of America. The group’s first practice took place in August 1984 at Ygnacio Valley Park in Concord. Green, Sears, Pleass and Pepe showed up for this first practice and will be remembered as the founders of Clayton Soccer Club. After 20 minutes of twoon-two, they went to TR’s. A few pints later, after a load of discussion on what the team should be called, the boys decided to name themselves the Rovers. They know that they did this for some specific reason, but to this day nary a one of ‘em remembers why. But Rovers were the first “over 30” soccer team in the area. The first “official” games for the Rovers were played against other pub teams including the

Sports Shorts CLAYTON/CONCORD BRANCH OF YMCA Have fun, improve fitness and compete in a safe and positive environment. Beginning on November 7th the Clayton / Concord Branch of the Mt. Diablo Region YMCA will be hosting a number of exciting adult and youth sport programs based out of the Clayton Community Gym at the Diablo View Middle School off Marsh Creek and Clayton Roads. All adult leagues are eight weeks long plus playoffs. Winners of post season tournament receive champion t-shirts. All youth leagues are eight weeks long and all participants receive a t-shirt and medal. The “Y” will also be hosting sport camps during winter break. The following programs are available: PRE-K – 8TH GRADE BASKETBALL LEAGUE January 15th – March 19th (Saturdays) Kindergarten – 8th grade Indoor Soccer League March 7th – May 9th (Mondays) Pre-K – 1st grade Floor Hockey League March 7th – May 9th (Mondays) Pre-K – 8th grade Soccer League April 16th – June 11th (Saturdays) Adults (18 +) Men’s 5-on-5 basketball league November 7th – Jan 23rd Adults (18 +) Coed Volleyball December 2nd – February 3rd (Thursdays)

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1st – 6th grade Winter Basketball Camp December 20th – 23rd 1st – 6th grade Super Sports Camp December 27th – 31st For more information on all of the YMCA programs call 889-1600. TERRAPINS HIGH SCHOOL PRE-SEASON TRAINING PROGRAM The program begins Mon. Nov. 11/15 and runs through Feb. 4th. Get a jump on the High School swim season. Training includes technique work, base training for HS events and optional competitions to gain race experience. One month or two month option. Program to be held at the Concord Community Pool (i.e.Cowell Pool) and Liberty HS Pool in Brentwood. For more information call 925-680-8372 ext. 206 or log onto their web page at terrapinswim.com.

Got Sports Shorts? Let us know what is happening in local sports. Drop off the details about upcoming events and sporting activities at the Pioneer office or send e-mail to sports@claytonpioneer.com

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THE CLAYTON SOCCER CLUB consists of five teams: the Clayton Town, the Orient, the Wanderers, the Rovers and the Royal Oaks. San Jose Britannia Arms. They even organized a few tournaments with these local pub teams. The Rovers wore white in those days because they got their kits (otherwise known as uniforms) at a reasonable rate from Fruit of the Loom. They knew they were here to stay, however, when they had their first Christmas party in 1984 and all 13 original players showed up. In 1985 they held their first Awards Banquet. It took place during a Christmas brunch at the Sheraton Hotel in Concord. Three special awards were presented that day, the MVP, the MPP and the MIP. Rob Sears was selected as the Most Vomited Player and received a bucket. Dave McGeough was voted the Most Prettiest Player and received a sequined jock strap. Finally, Steve Callaway was presented with a walking stick as his reward for being selected Most Injured Player. The CSC has continued this tradition, holding a well-attended Awards Banquet every year since. Practice continued to take

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top A division. Eventually, club meetings began to take place in a pastry shop owned and operated by Kevin Moran, who was in the process of putting together an English pub in Clayton called the Royal Oak. Many of you longtime Clayton residents may recall when the Royal Oak occupied a spot near the current Clayton Pioneer office and later in the old Pioneer Inn restaurant in town center in the late 1980s. When this establishment opened in 1989, the Clayton Soccer Club and the Royal Oak became synonymous, and Clayton became home to several men’s soccer teams. It was just like in the “old country” where men were men, and they played soccer! Many “locals” in England sport their own soccer, rugby or cricket teams. So, Clayton has its roots not only in the “old American West” but also in the “old country” of Britain! As of this writing, the Royal Oaks were tied for third place in Division E. Next issue: Part 2 – “the rest of the story.”

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place at TR’s over this period of time. One day a large, cuddly sort of fellow drinking a pint of Guinness overheard some conversation regarding the English League and came over to the bar. From that day forward Big George Peters has been the team’s most faithful supporter. In 1986, difficulty in finding fields caused the boys to move practice to Pine Hollow School in Concord, a field technically adjacent to Clayton (but close enough) to be thought of as Clayton. In an effort to reduce the amount of time between “the end of practice” and “the pub,” operations after practices were moved to a new “local,” Aladino’s in the Clayton Shopping Center. After all, Aladino’s had the basic requirements, Bass and Guinness. In 1987 the Rovers joined the EBSSL. Little did they know at that time that the Rovers and Clayton Soccer Club would have such a big impact on the league. Historically, the Rovers have been one of the powerhouses in the league, and as of Oct.15, they were in third place in the

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November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports

Bring your lower body into the swing

DAVE GRAY GRAY ON GOLF Most professional athletes are gifted with great eye and hand coordination. Baseball, tennis and hockey are sports that need a stick or pole to propel an object that is moving towards them. Now with golf, that silly object is just sitting there waiting for us to blast it into eternity. But in all of these sports, there is one common denominator. When striking an object that is moving towards you, you have to move your lower body weight (waist down) from your right side to your left side just before impact. When a baseball player takes

a cut at a ball flying over the plate, he must step into it to achieve a solid hit. In other words, you can’t swing at a baseball with your hands and arms alone anymore than you can swing at a golf ball that way. The lower body must participate in the swing or you will experience indifferent results. From the top of your back swing, you must devise a method of moving your weight to your left side. This is not the end all to the golf swing, but it certainly helps. I think one of the next ideas is to forget about your hands and arms at the top of your swing, and think of turning your left hip towards your target—this being the move to start your downswing. Your hands and arms will then drop into a natural slot moving through the impact area. Try this at the practice range, and then with confidence, take it out on the course.

Dave Gray is a teaching professional at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. E-mail your questions or comments to him at sports@claytonpioneer.com

Page 13

Build your new deck the right way Will your new redwood deck that you just spent thousands of dollars to have built or replaced still be around in 10 years? A deck done the right way is a very important part of your home. A question that comes up all the time during the course of a wood-destroying organisms’ inspection report is, “How come my deck only lasts 10 to 15 years, then fungus sets in and the deck rots away?” There is probably more than one reason. Decks with untreated framing many times won’t even last 10 years. The reason is that they are built with Douglas fir framing. Douglas fir framing is not a good choice of wood for decks if it is untreated. It will quickly absorb moisture, then fungus sets in and the framing rots away, leaving you with a big mess. Treated wood, which should be used for framing (including Douglas fir treated wood, which is dark green wood and is rated “in-ground use”), will last 30, 40, even 50 years in some cases, before it is attacked by fungus and rots. When you have a deck built, it should have treated Douglas fir framing, joists and upright supports. At Contra Costa Termite Control, we put in a thin layer of water-resistant tar (usually about 3/8 – ½-inch thick) on top of all the framing, joists and girders. Then we install galvanized caps on top of the tar. We have built decks this way for a number of years now. When the decking is nailed or screwed down to the framing, the tar seals the holes in the framing. The galvanized caps keep moisture off of the framing and joists. The decking, usually 2x6 redwood, should be of a good grade, with few knots and very little white wood. White

wood in the redwood is actually a pitch wood, which is highly susceptible to fungus attack. Also, make sure whether your deck is newly built or replaced that the 2x6 decking are spaced. We like to space our decking at least ½ inch apart. This allows the decking material to dry out much faster so as not to absorb moisture and gives it less of an opportunity to rot. Spacing of the decking is very important, especially if you live in wooded areas where there is a great chance of debris such as

leaves building up in between the deck boards. This also holds moisture into the boards longer than it should, and fungus will attack the boards. In some cities, the only pressure-treated framing you can use is Douglas fir. As a matter of fact, it is the only framing you can use. There are about three different types of pressuretreated wood members that you can buy. There is Hem fir, which is very light green in color, and the pressure-treated material (usually Copper Napthenate) does not penetrate the wood much more than about ½ inch. There is Douglas fir, which is very dark green – almost black in color. This is rated “inground use” and seems to last about three times longer than the rest. Then there is orange or

LARRY DOMINA HOME WORK pink pressure-treated wood, which can be treated by various unknown chemicals. It is important to use a deck sealer right after the deck is built, but not when the deck is wet. I usually like the solventbased deck sealers as they seem to penetrate the decking faster and deeper and last much longer. If the deck is exposed to a lot of sunlight, it should be treated with deck sealer every year.

We have been building decks this way for approximately 10 years (tar, galvanized caps, pressure-treated materials, etc.) This, in my opinion, is the only way a good deck should be built. Although it costs a little more to build a deck this way, you will find it usually lasts about three times longer. Also, make sure when your contractor builds your deck that all cut ends of pressure-treated wood are soaked for at least an hour in Copper Napthenate and that there are no earth/wood contacts after the deck is built. There should be no debris left under the deck, as this will quickly attract subterranean termites. In columns to come we will discuss redwood decks vs. synthetic decking material. Larry Domina is the owner of the Contra Costa Termite Control Company in Concord. He can be reached at 925-680-7665.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

‘Tis the season to protect your four-footed friends.

MARYBETH RYMER,

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As we prepare for the holiday festivities we should be aware of potential holiday hazards. Holiday cooking not only adds pounds to our pet’s figure but can also kill. Chocolate, especially the baker’s chocolate, has killed more than one pet. The stimulant in cocoa can cause heart arrhythmia, shock, confusion, seizures and coma. Toxicity can occur with as little as five ounces of baker’s

chocolate in a 50 lb. dog. Because there is less of the stimulant in milk chocolate, it would take up to three pounds to be toxic. There is also the risk of the wrappers causing intestinal obstruction. That turkey stuffing with onions and garlic can also kill by inducing a fatal anemia in our cats. Our rich holiday food can cause pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas usually due to the ingestion of unusual or fatty foods, in both dogs and cats. If your pet eats your discarded leftovers, he or she may develop “garbage can” gastroenteritis, inflamed stomach and intestines, from spoiled food. Meat bones and strings can cause gastrointestinal obstructions. The symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, not eating, dehydration and fever are the same for all these diseases. Diagnosis is made with x-rays, blood work and often ultrasound.

Treatment will consist of IV fluids, antibiotics, and medications to control vomiting. If there is an obstruction from a foreign body, surgery will be required. Our festive decorations also appeal to our pets. Mistletoe, holly berries, poinsettia plants and the preservative we use for our Christmas trees can be toxic – to say nothing of the tree lights that some pets have been known to chew on (an enlightening experience). Ornaments and tinsel don’t pass through the intestinal tract well, if at all, nor do sewing needles or decorative ribbons. Some kitties look at climbing the Christmas tree as a frivolous activity so be sure to secure it to the wall if you have a climber. Don’t spill that antifreeze when you work on your car. Be aware that ethylene glycol is very toxic. Pets are attracted to its sweet taste. Licking up a

November 5, 2004

few drops will cause severe kidney failure and death. Vomiting and disorientation will be the first signs. Early treatment may save your pet’s life. If you suspect that your pet has ingested a toxic substance or a foreign body, call your veterinarian immediately. Keep the local animal emergency clinic phone number available for those holiday hours your regular vet is closed. You may also wish to keep the ASAP Animal Poison Control Center Hot Line number, (888) 426-4435, handy. There is a fee for this service. Last but not least, if your pets are outside make sure they have a warm dry place to retire and they always have fresh, not frozen water. By avoiding these hazards you and your pets can enjoy a wonderful holiday season. Just keep your pets out of that holiday punch—they get drunk too. Marybeth Rymer, DVM, can be reached at Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital, Concord. 672-1100.

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Walnut Creek during adoption hours: 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Foster Volunteers are life-saving heroes for the animals. Want a companion but can’t commit for a life time? Maybe fostering is for you! Visit ARF’s Web site to learn more and sign up for a volunteer orientation. Add love to your life with companion animals. (925) 256-1ARF www.arf.net.

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November 5, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I am the recording secretary for the Clayton K-9 Coalition and I am writing to let the public know that we have a reenergized group of volunteers working hard to bring improvements to Clayton’s dog park. Many people may be asking “what dog park?”. For those of you who don’t already know,

there is a one-acre dog park located along the creek trail that runs parallel to Marsh Creek Road directly across from the Clayton Community Gym. A water meter was installed for the use of the dog park a little over a year ago, however we still need to run a water line from the meter to the dog park, a distance of about 400 feet. We are now

soliciting bids for the installation of the water line that will finally give us the water we need for our canine friends. We are very optimistic that we will have the water line installed and operational before the end of this year. As soon as we do get the water line installed, we intend to plant a few fast-growing shade trees in the vicinity of the two existing benches and the picnic table. In addition to the water and the shade trees, we are making arrangements to

have a new layer of woodchip/leaf-mulch mixture laid down. This is intended to provide a forest floor type footing. We know that many dog owners will still prefer to use the turf area at Concord’s dog park, but we would like to point out several advantages to Clayton’s dog park Beautiful setting along a nice walking trail with a view of the open spaces and Mt. Diablo. Never closed for lawn mow-

Page 15 ing or other maintenance. Never closed due to rain or soggy turf. Water drains quickly away with the wood chip/leaf mulch surface. Closer to your homes As soon as the water is in, the Clayton K-9 Coalition will host a “Turn on the Spigot” event at the park. In the Spring, we hope to begin hosting other events with guest speakers, such as veterinarians and dog trainers that can provide helpful tips and advice.

We are also looking for new members who would like to become involved with the Coalition to help make the dog park a more inviting, attractive and user-friendly park. For information on the Coalition, or dates and times of our meetings, please contact me at 672-7815. Thank you. Linda Pinder Secretary Clayton K9 Coalition.

Socially responsible investing gaining popularity with women Now more than ever, women are taking an active role in investment decision making. As this trend has increased, so has the demand for investment choices that demonstrate not only financial soundness, but also a concern for quality of life. This investment philosophy, known as socially responsible investing (SRI), has become increasingly popular with women. WHAT IS SRI? Women investors who adopt a SRI strategy believe their investments should be governed more by social issues than economics. This often means refraining from purchasing stocks of companies that produce products or offer services the investor disapproves of regardless of the company’s profitability and potential future value of its stock. It can also mean investing in companies that promote workplace diversity, actively participate in community volunteer programs or work to improve the environment. While there is no standardized criteria for a socially responsible company or investment, socially responsible individuals and SRI mutual fund managers typically choose investments using one or a combination of three strategies: screening, community investing and shareholder activism. Screening is the exclusion or inclusion of companies based on company practices. Community investing includes

investing in community-based companies or institutions that support development initiatives in local or under-privileged areas, and shareholder activism describes shareholder efforts to submit and vote corporate proxy resolutions as a means to influence company behavior. PROS AND CONS As with all types of investing, there are tradeoffs. Those who practice SRI may be more able to align their investment choices with their core beliefs than other investors. However, socially responsible investors must balance this benefit with limiting their ability to make financial choices based on diversification strategies and/or investment return. It can often be challenging for socially responsible investors to find potential investments that are consistent with their principles and at the same time produce solid returns. To make the task easier, there are many SRI mutual funds to select from which combine companies that many socially responsible investors support. Some particularly discriminating socially responsible investors may find that it is difficult to invest in SRI mutual funds because not all the companies comprising the fund meet the standards they have set. That’s why, unless you want to research and select individual stocks, it may be necessary to compromise and be open to a give and take philosophy when shopping for SRI mutual funds.

MURELEEN BENTON FINANCIAL SENSE GETTING STARTED If you’re interested in becoming a socially responsible investor, the first step is to determine your financial goals and consider SRI within the framework of your overall personal economy. Next, identify your most important social concern and determine the companies that fit your investment criteria based on your beliefs. Decide what financial risk and return your investments can accept and compare this to the potential social return. Finally, select investments that best meet both your financial and social goals. BUILDING A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PORTFOLIO To ensure that you are

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your current investments fit with screening standards for choosing SRIs and brainstorm with you on options for future investments that satisfy both your personal economic goals and your desire to invest ethically and responsibly. This information is provided for informational purposes only. The information is intended to be

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Knights of Columbus sponsor substance abuse poster contest The Knights of Columbus invite all young people to participate in their Seventh Annual Knights of Columbus Substance Abuse Poster Contest, “Say No to Drugs” The two contest categories are “Drug Awareness and Abuse,” and “Alcohol Awareness and Abuse.” Four winning entries will be chosen from the two age groups 8 to 11 and 12 to 14. The contest will be judged at the school, local council, district, state and international levels. Winners at the district, state and international competition will be awarded savings bonds. Please call Claire Tryon, Youth Director and Poster Chairman, 925-6738564, or e-mail grey_eototo@man.com. for contest rules and an entry form. Father Michael J McGivney, who is currently under consideration for sainthood founded the Knights of Columbus at St.

Mary’s Church in New New Haven, Conneticut in 1882. He brought about what has become the world’s foremost Catholic men’s fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and longterm care programs and assistance is offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious and social welfare programs. The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members from one council in 1882 to more than 15,000 councils and 1.7 million members in 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama,

Church News CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Join us for our Men’s Ministry Breakfast, Nov. 6, at 8 a.m. at our office at 6055 Main Street Clayton. THRiVE Authentic Living Simulcast for Women, Nov. 13 from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., cosponsored by and held at Clayton Valley Church, 5430 Michigan Blvd., Concord. Advance ticket purchase required. Tickets are $49 and include a continental breakfast and catered lunch. To purchase tickets phone Clayton Community Church at 673-9060. W.O.W. (Women of the Word) Bible Study group for women meets every Wed., 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at Clayton Community Church, 6055 Main Street, Clayton. We will be studying the book of Ephesians Sept. 22 – Dec. 8. Childcare is available. Join us for worship Sundays 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. at Diablo View Middle School. Children’s programs at both gatherings, Jr. & Sr. High meet at 10:45. Call 673-9060 for more information. CLAYTON VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church is located at 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton, CA 94517; telephone: 925-6724848/fax, 925-672-4849; cvpres@sbcglobal.net. Services are at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH New worship time, effective Sunday, Oct. 3 is 9 a.m.

Worship will be followed by a fellowship time with classes for all ages beginning at 10:45 a.m. 5353 Concord Blvd., Concord, 798-5905. There is a new group beginning this Sunday, Oct. 10 at 10:45 a.m. Are you curious about Jesus? We He a great teacher, mystic, healer? Come hear the eyewitness accounts and ask your tough questions in an open atmosphere. “Meeting Jesus” at Crossroads Church – a ten-week group experience. ETERNAL LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH All are invited to join us in giving thanks to God for all his blessings during the month of November. Sunday, Nov. 7 will be our Fall Festival of Thanks. A light lunch and games and activities for the whole family, beginning at 12:30 p.m, will follow the 11 a.m. service. A Thanksgiving Eve worship service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. Eternal Life Lutheran Church meets at the County Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord and is served by Pastor Will Kant. The regular weekly schedule of worship and study includes Sunday school and Bible class, 9:45 a.m., Sunday worship at 11 a.m.; Home Group Study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH Have any leftover yarn and don’t know what to do with it? Women of Holy

the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan. In 2003 the Knights of Columbus donations to charity totaled more than $130 million and member volunteer hours exceeded 61 million. Supreme Headquarters contributed more than $21.5 million to charities all over the world. The Knights of Columbus sent over 200,000 copies of “Armed with the Faith” a Catholic prayer used by all faiths, to U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East. The Knights of Columbus, Concord Council 6038 was chartered February 27, 1968 in Concord. There are currently 158 members. Membership meetings are the first Tuesday of each month at The Odd Fellows Hall on Cowell Road at 7:30 p.m. Special social meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at various ven-

ues. Charitable projects for the Knights are many and multifaceted. The Knights support the Catholic parish communities of St. Bonaventure and St. Agnes and charitable needs and programs of the community. Profits from the “Keep Christ in Christmas” Christmas Card sales benefit charities of the parishes of St Agnes and St Bonaventure. The annual Blue, Gold Red and Silver Breakfast honors the Police, Firefighters, Highway Patrol and Sheriff ’s Department officers for their contribution to our safety. Each April, The Knights help young people from local parishes travel to Mexico for the Youth Building Homes Project where they build homes, schools and churches. Other Knights of Columbus programs include BBQ /Cook for Charitable organizations for their charitable events, ongoing blood drive, wheel chair foundation for landmine victims & people with disabilities in Afghanistan, visiting veterans in hospitals, the sick and bereaved, ministering to the infirm, ministering to those in prison.

Cross collect yarn for making infant layettes for newborns. Please call 686-2000. ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH In keeping with the holiday spirit, St. John’s is once again participating in the Holiday Adopt-a-Family program. In participation with the Monument Crisis Center (formerly the Cambridge Community Center)in Concord, St. John’s will be helping to brighten several families’ holiday season. Community members are most welcome to participate in this program. Contact the church and you’ll be “matched” with a family to “adopt.” First names, (names indicated on the posted lists), age, gender, sizes, and gift ideas for your family will be provided. Then go shopping to brighten the holidays for some otherwise unknown brothers and sisters in our human family. Drop off times and deadlines will be provided. Monetary donations are also accepted. Last year the church helped brighten the season for a dozen families. The Church invites the wider community to

join them in sharing the spirit of the holidays with all in need amongst us. For more information, contact the church at 5555 Clayton Rd, Clayton, or call 672-8855. Information is also available online at www.saintjohnsparish.org. Saint John’s Parish’s annual Holiday Wreath fundraiser for local ministries is currently underway. Beautiful fresh wreaths from the Northwest can be shipped direct to your home or office, or picked up at the church on Dec. 5. There are three varieties and prices available. A full-color descriptive brochure is available by calling the church, or viewing online at www.saintjohnsparish.org. ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC CHURCH On Oct. 15 the St. Bonaventure Men’s Spiritual Network, at the Annual Bill Szehner Memorial Golf Tournament held at the Boundary Oak Golf Course, honored the late Bill Szehner, of Clayton. Gail Szehner and her sons, Colin and Cameron, were the honored guests at the dinner, along

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THE NEVSKY VOCAL ENSEMBLE

The Nevsky Vocal Ensemble from Russia will perform in an American tour at the Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church on November 17 at 7:30 p.m. The free concert will include a variety of music selections including folk and sacred. The ensemble was founded in 1997 and consists of graduates and students of the St. Petersburg State

Conservatory. Their repertoire features music by Rachmaninov, Chesnokov, Taneev and others. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church is located at 1578 Kirker Pass Road, off Ygnacio Valley Road near Clayton Road. Admission is free, however donations will be gratefully accepted.

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The Pioneer wants to know what is happening in your parish, congregation, temple, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship. Tell us about your ministries, upcoming activities or notable members. Send your news items to Clayton Pioneer, PO Box 1246, Clayton 94517 or e-mail religion@claytonpioneer.com.

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Lord Teach Us To Pray

When the storms of life are raging…Do you turn to prayer? How do you pray? Are you looking for a closer relationship with God?

Pastor Rob Kirk and the Concord United Methodist Church Family invite you to join us November 12th at 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. and November 13th at 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. for a Prayer Seminar titled "Lord Teach Us To Pray" Join us as we examine how to take another step in our prayer. A variety of activities challenge encourage us to have a richer and deeper relationship with God.

(925) 685-5260

November 11, 2004

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Christmas Cookie Competition What's more inviting about the holidays than Christmas cookies? They bind together families, friends and neighbors and create warm memories that linger through the year. The Clayton Pioneer is sponsoring a special holiday event--our First Annual Christmas Cookie Competition on Tuesday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Endeavor Hall in downtown Clayton. The public is invited to view the judging and enjoy the post-competition cookie sampling. Three winners each will come from

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the Master Baker (age 12 and up) and Junior Baker (ages 5-11) categories and winning recipes will be appear in the December 17 issue of the Clayton Pioneer. Our panel of judges will rank entries on taste and appearance. The competition is open to residents of our circulation area; only one cookie recipe per contestant. Bring at least a dozen cookies to the competition. Fill out the entry form below and send it to the Clayton Pioneer, P.O. Box 1246, Clayton, CA 94517, or drop

it at our office at 6200 F Center Street, Clayton. Competition limited to the first 40 contestants to enter. So, dig out Aunt Maudie's old molasses drop or bourbon ball recipes and bake a few practice rounds.

Christmas Cookie Competition ENTRY FORM

Name

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________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number ___________________________ I am entering as a (check one)

Master Baker (12 and older) Junior Baker (Ages 5 to 11) Your age ______ Parent's Signature (for Junior Bakers)

________________________________________

Contestant agrees to being photographed at the competition. Recipes used from published books must identify source.

Deadline to enter is November 25. Mail your entry to: the Clayton Pioneer, PO Box 1246, Clayton, CA 94517; or drop off at our office at 6200 F Center Street, Clayton.

Page 18

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Book Review

November 5, 2004

: ‘The Stowaway’ offers masterful dramatic tension

CYNTHIA GREGORY Clayton Pioneer

This isn’t the type of book I ordinarily seek out, but from page one, Robert Hough’s masterful “The Stowaway” seized my attention and didn’t let up until the very last sentence. It felt as if I held my breath the entire time that I inhabited this strange and dangerous world, and it was a bittersweet relief to arrive at the conclusion. The book provides a vision of a completely foreign universe on water — not through the rosy pink champagne glasses of a cruise ship social director, but a glimpse into a man’s sort of world where machines and muscle and malevolence mark the voyage from one continent to the next. It is a story of hope and hopelessness; it is a story of frigid inhumanity and

inscrutable courage. The book opens when the Taiwanese officers of the cargo ship Maersk Dubai discover two Romanian stowaways who had jumped onboard in Spain, force them onto a hastily constructed raft and tell the terrified men that “Morocco is just ninety kilometers away and they have a raft and all they have to do is hold on and the tides will carry them in.” This is a lie, of course, and soon the men are sucked under the massive ship’s wake and drowned, while the mostlyFilipino crew watches in powerless horror.

Much of the crew is traumatized by this event, but no one more so than boson Rodolfo Miguel. A deeply religious man who misses his wife and children, Miguel agonizes over the cover-up that seems to be allowing the officers to get away with murder. At great risk to his own safety, he meets in secret with other Filipino members of the crew and, as they try to find a prudent way to deal with an inequitable situation, they become uncomfortably aware of the fact that no one onboard is truly safe. Meanwhile in a parallel storyline, Hough presents the tale of

another two Romanians and provides the reader a glance at a world that provides motivation for men to risk their lives as stowaways for the promise of a passage to America, a mythic place where all dreams are possible. Daniel Pacepa lived his entire life in a kind of numbed shock, enduring the grinding force of political oppression under Ceausescu. He hooks up with a rather dimwitted man named Gheorghe, and the two of them find refuge in a mission in Algeciras, Spain, where they only need to pretend to be Christian to receive bed and board. The two men hold on to a naive belief that they only need to jump onboard the right ship to solve all their problems, carrying them to a carefree and prosperous life in America. The fact that they choose the Maersk

Dubai is a potentially fatal turn of fate. When Bosun Rodolfo Miguel discovers a terrified, stinking, cowering Daniel in a dank corner of the ship, his heart sinks, for he realizes his already-precarious position has just taken a perilous turn. In spite of all the differences in language and culture, the two men share a strange sort of bond: “You know we are brothers, you and I,” Miguel tells him. “We are both from places ruined by a stupid man and his greedy wife. We are brothers.” The pace is sure and the dramatic tension is masterful. Hough creates a world seldom seen or felt by the privileged citizens of Western culture. We come to love Daniel and his implausible dream, and we respect and fear for Miguel, understanding that his danger is as acute as that of the stowaway

Don’t get caught by the ‘phishermen” Ever get an e-mail from your bank asking you to verify account information and wondered why you’re getting such a request? What went wrong with your last credit card or bank transaction? Were you over limit; did a check or a deposit bounce? Well, no, none of the above. It’s just a cyber-criminal “phishing.” Schemes exist today that are designed to acquire sensitive banking information from unsuspecting Web users and use the information for identity theft. Their goal includes theft of your bank balance, charging on your credit cards, mortgaging your home and absconding with the money. They leave you holding the bag, of course, and you want no part of it. How do you protect yourself from such scam artists? Phishing fraud is big and affecting millions of unsuspecting e-mail recipients. According to U.S. Bank, “cyber-criminals have copied the logos [of the

target bank] and the content styles of widely known and respected financial institutions in an attempt to elicit a response from a recipient who may or may not be a customer of that financial institution.” I received a notice from Wells Fargo Bank that looked totally legitimate. They wanted me to log into their Web site to verify my account information. I was suspicious, so I called my local Wells Fargo. They have received hundreds of calls from customers inquiring if the e-mail was real. It wasn’t, and those who were too trusting lost money. According to U.S. Bank, “’Phishing’ refers to a person or a group of cyber-criminals who create an imitation or copy of an existing legitimate Web page to trick users into providing sensitive personal information. Responding to ‘phishing’ e-mails put your accounts at risk.” According to Bob Sullivan,

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technology correspondent for MSNBC, the problem is worldwide. “The targets are global, too, ranging from the Bank of England to Australia’s Westpac bank,” he said. “UK-based NatWest was hit so hard (recently) that it was forced to temporarily take down its online banking site.” How do these cyber-criminals find you? It’s really simple to find unsuspecting targets by sending spam or dropping executable (.exe) programs and spy key loggers. This is the type of e-mail one receives everyday, but the content of the message seems to hit home to the recipient. According to Sullivan, “When an e-mail arrives that appears to be sent by a company consumers often work with, it’s pretty hard to ignore, and many consumers don’t. Up to five percent of recipients respond, according to the AntiPhishing Working Group. ‘Some of them are really, really good,’ said the group’s chair-

man, Dave Jevans. ‘That’s why people fall for them.’ The notes appear to be personal, referencing an open account at a bank or Web site, but they are really just spam. Sent to a wide enough audience, an e-mail referencing Citibank or eBay will hit plenty of people who really are account holders.” Virus, Trojan and malicious code writers are making matters worse by circumventing security in your computer. There was a time when you could trust your browser’s address bar to tell you where the link came from, but not anymore. It has been compromised. How does one stay safe? Well, the best protection is a jaundice eye. Banks won’t ask you to verify information over the Internet. They will not send you dunning notices or requests to log on to their Web site by “just click here.” Don’t believe anything you read in e-mail, and verify any requests or suspicious activity with your bank by

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WILL CLANEY TECH TALK phone. Then, follow up in person. If anything needs changing, go to the bank and change it. You must have – not it would be nice to have, but must have – a virus scanner with a current subscription. When a virus scanner ends its subscription period it QUITS WORKING, so be sure yours is current. I am currently recommending McAfee’s Internet Security Suite 2004 (or 2005). Drop by your local computer store and get it today! Install all of the options including spam protection, learn to use it. Don’t be afraid to learn to protect yourself. Seek the assistance of

whom he hides. Hough gets deep inside the minds and hearts of the crewmembers, probing the very human conflict they feel between generosity and personal safety. Based on a true story, Hough created a fictional version of the tale, providing motivation, extraordinary characters and an environment where the notion of not merely doing wrong, but fighting for what is right is presented with alacrity and insight. If you’re looking for warm and fuzzy, choose another novel. But if you’re craving an amazing adventure, you couldn’t do better than “The Stowaway.” Cynthia Gregory teaches English atS olano College. A freelance writer, she has received national awards for her short stories. Her work has appeared in the Writer’s Digest, the Sun, Santa Barbara, and the Chicago Tribune. She is currently at work on a novel.

a Bureau of Electronics Repairs (BEAR) licensed contractor if you need it. You need spyware and malicious code protection in addition to antivirus. Install Ad-Aware SE personal edition by Lavasoft ( w w w. l a v a s o f t u s a . c o m / software/adaware) or Google “ad-aware” and use Download.com to get it. Get the latest definition files by updating it. Run it. Next, get SpyBot by Kolla. Google “spybot” and use Download.com to get it. Update, immunize and perform a Search & Destroy. I have found many of the other programs, like Spy Hunter, actually install spyware. Stay away from “free” desktops, wallpaper and free music (Kazaa, Morpheus, WinMX, Bearshare, Limewire, etc.). Don’t be the catch of the day; be safe, be secure, and be smart. But most of all, use your jaundiced eye to spot a cybercriminal who’s out phishing. Will Claney is the owner and operator of Computers USA! in the Clayton Station. Contact him at 925-672-9989.

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Page 19

Vines can accessorize your fence, arbor or trellis

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Vines are an object of desire for many Clayton Gardeners. Their limber stems can be trained upward, outward or over, accessorizing fences, arbors and trellises. Some creative gardeners may use vines as groundcover. Our weather makes choosing a vine rather difficult. The winter frost prevents us from enjoying some really beautiful vines. Bougainvillea, Mandevilla and Thunbergia, which include Black-Eyed Susan and Sky Flower vines, are risky selections to enjoy in our climate zone. The frost can kill the foliage all the way to the ground and sometimes kill the plant. If the

gardener is expecting a vigorous growth, the hardy selection is the better choice. Vines like the Pink Bower Vine, Yellow Butterfly Vine and Blue Dawn Morning Glory all can take our extreme conditions. The Pink Bower Vine is a Clayton standard. Every year this predictable plant performs. It has glossy, deep green, basilshaped leaves and trumpetshaped soft pink blooms with deep mauve throats, grouped in small clusters almost nine months of the year. For the past two Decembers, my Pink Bower Vine had some blooms. This vine thrives in full afternoon sun. Water and fertilize regularly during the growing season, May through October. For more interest, you can try the Variegated Bower Vine. The green and gold variegation adds so much to this plant. The bloom is the same as its big sister, Pink Bower Vine. Both of these vines climb using their pliable, twining arms. The frost of 1998 left the Pink Bower Vine sparsely bruised with frostbite, but the damage was considered slight. Hardenbergia is a vine com-

monly called the Lilac Vine. This evergreen blooms with an explosion of purple that last for a few short, wonderful weeks. Hardenbergia violacea is the hardiest of the family. Happy Wanderer is a tough, vigorous selection that takes full to part sun and seems to love poor conditions. This plant does great in our high wind gardens. The foliage of this vine is as durable as it looks. Train your Lilac Vine by twining around a trellis or line. This plant may become woody and need annual trimming after it blooms to encourage constant, fresh growth. Fragrance is often a motivator in choosing a vine. Common selections such as Star Jasmine and Honeysuckle are liberally planted and enjoyed by many. Lonicera japonica is common garden honeysuckle. Halliana is the most commonly used as bank or ground covers and for erosion control. The bloom is pure white that ages to yellow. L. Hildegrandiana, or Giant Burmese Honeysuckle, has glossy, dark green leaves on ropelike stems. Huge 6-7 inch twolipped flowers open white, mature to yellow, and age to dark

orange. Thin out old growth and remove growth that has bloomed. This will encourage rebloom. Honeysuckle will need annual

TRUMPET VINE

pruning, and in some cases severe pruning. Plant in full sun, preferable with drainage in mind. This plant becomes drought tolerant once established. Everyone knows and loves the white potato vine. Solanum jasminoides is that white flower that hangs over the fence that you and your neighbor share. For a hardy change, plant the

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variegated variety. The yellow and cream foliage contrasts nicely with other dark greens. This vine is great planted against

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dark, old fences. The bright yellow leaf adds a gentle touch of light. The bloom of the variegated potato vine is white, just like its solid green relative. The variegated potato does better when given intense morning sun and afternoon shade. Perfect near pools, the blossom attracts few bees. Some may find the potato vine with the dark green foliage and purple bloom to be desirable. This cousin of the traditional white potato vine is less vigorous, but very interesting with its orange eye. Deciduous vines are desirable, as well. These are hardy vines because they have no foliage to freeze during the frost. Vines like Wisteria and Trumpets are dramatic and enjoyable, yet they lose their leaves every year. The common name trumpet vine is used to describe the shape of the bloom. The trumpet that I am referring to is in the wonderful family of Campsis. Balboa Sunset is a new scarlet trumpet

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vine with spectacular clusters of up to 12 red flowers, each stretching up to 4 inches long. Irresistible to the hummingbirds, blooms begin in late spring and trickle summer through fall. This vine grows by self-clinging, but needs a little assistance when young. Plant this vigorous vine in full sun. It’s not too paticular about soil and moderately drought tolerant. Wisteria is planted for sentimental reasons. This woody vine is valued for its pendulous clusters of extremely fragrant violetblue flowers. The bloom appears before the leaf in the spring, creating a scene. This vine is perfect for covering patios, arbors or fences; some can be trained or bought as a small tree. A gardener must not be scared of wisteria. Pruning during the growing season sometimes stimulates repeat blooms. The Chinese Wisteria, Cookes Purple, is an excellent selection to grow here; it has proven to be a reliable bloomer year after year. Vines can be mixed when planted. Climbing roses look great when planted with clematis. Pink Jasmine and White Bower Vine make a nice combination. Lady Banks Climbing Rose and Blue Dawn Morning Glories make an excellent match. When creating combinations, keep in mind the bloom times, and always pair an evergreen vine with a deciduous one. Water and feed your vines; it takes a lot of energy to sustain 30 feet of plant. Know a little about the vine before you plant. This way you are not disappointed. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at GardenGirl94517@aol.com

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

November 5, 2004

Outdoors 101: Are you prepared for an emergency? with basic motor skills, so I realized it was probably worth a trip to the emergency room. Broken shoulder, negative. CT scan, negative. Blunt force head trauma with a massive amount of abrasions, affirmative. In a nutshell, I was lucky to have escaped serious injury, but I want to illustrate a few key reasons why I was so fortunate. First: I was wearing a helmet, and this was not by accident, because every time my butt hits the seat, the brain bucket fastens over my noggin. If anyone out there doesn’t believe that helmets save lives, come over and examine me. Second: I was riding with a friend from work. Sometimes I do hike and bike alone, but whenever possible it is a good idea to use the buddy system,

KEVIN PARKER

AVID OUTDOORSMAN Unfortunately, this week’s topic is motivated by a personal event that has forced me to think carefully about preparation and safety during outdoor activities. The narrative depicted below is not some scare tactic, but a true story with an auspicious outcome. Friday evening after work I was finishing up a 10-mile mountain bike ride on Mount Diablo. As I descended my way out of Mitchell Canyon, I met the pavement and quickly picked up the pace while racing down Mitchell Canyon Road. Just prior to the Pine Hollow Road intersection, I jumped the curb, swerved sideways and somehow did not see the mailbox as it firmly planted its metal carcass into my arm and handlebar. Twenty-nine miles per hour of pure velocity was suddenly redirected as I flew sideways, tried to refocus while upside down and landed directly on my shoulder and head. I laid there banged up, bruised and dazed until I could muster enough equilibrium to remount my barely road-worthy bicycle and head for home. This accident was followed by confusion and problems

INSIDE OF KEVIN’S HELMET after his Mitchell Canyon crash. Lines point to cracks caused by the impact.

especially out in the backcountry. Third: I told my wife where I was headed before leaving for the ride. She might not know the exact location of Deer Flat, but if for some reason I was injured in an unknown location, at least she has information on my whereabouts, which

could assist in a search and rescue effort. The moral to this story? Wear proper safety equipment and take necessary precautions before you hit the trail. I don’t care if you are bicycling, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding or even skateboarding, get a brain bucket and have a plan; it could save your life! This applies to hiking, as well. For most of us who are tackling a short, friendly hike in a well known and heavily traveled area, careful planning and preparation are not as important as they would be if you were heading into Desolation Wilderness (Lake Tahoe) for the weekend. However, forming smart habits every time you hit the trail can only help in those rare occasions when things take a turn for the worst. Think of the four groups of hikers who were all rescued a few weeks ago in various wilderness areas around California. In every case, with the exception of the rock climbers on El Capitan, all hikers involved were found, and more importantly, found alive. What was the common denominator for these groups of people? Experience and general preparedness in every instance. ESSENTIAL TIPS THAT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE

Whether you are attempting a day hike or heading out to go backpacking overnight, here are a few tips that might save your life: Tell a family member or friend, where you are headed, when you are leaving and when you should arrive back home.

Bring a compass and map and know how to use them both. Don’t depend on a GPS because the batteries could fail when you need them most. If you get lost and cannot find your way, do one important thing: STAY WHERE YOU ARE! It is common knowledge that search and rescue teams find people who do not continue to wander a lot faster than those who do otherwise. Here is a list of things that should be in your pack for any given adventure. Obviously, with factors such as destination, time and distance, you can add or delete items, but remember, even Gilligan’s Island began as a three-hour tour. Metallized Mylar Emergency Space Blanket Locking blade knife (Leatherman Multi-Tool is optimal) Moleskin (for blisters) Pen and paper (waterproof is best) Food and water. Food that is easy to pack such as energy bars are a good idea. Remember, you can live for weeks without food, but you can only go a few days without water. Sunscreen, SPF 25 or greater Sunglasses and a wide brim hat Extra clothing. Think layers when putting on clothes (Capilene-type long underwear with rain- and wind-proof outer layers). Do not wear cotton because it keeps you wet or damp. Think “c = cool for cotton“ and “w = warm for wool.”

WHETHER ON A DAY HIKE or a camping trip, make sure your backpack is stocked for an emergency.

Small roll of toilet paper/wet wipes 36 inches of duct tape (roll the duct tape onto itself) Signaling device (small mirror or heavy duty tin foil) Compass and map. Make sure you know how to use them. First aid kit (latex gloves and CPR shield should be included). Waterproof matches and dryer lint soaked in petroleum jelly (insta-fire) 30 gallon garbage bags 20 feet of 1-inch nylon cord (some recommend 100 feet of parachute cord)

Avalanche whistle Flashlight (head-lamp is ideal) Carabiner (a rock climbing fastening device) Insect repellent (at least 35 percent DEET is recommended) *Almost all of the items can be found at REI. However you can probably save a few bucks by checking out an army navy/surplus store for some of the items. Good Luck! For comments on this article or suggestions for future hikes, contact Kevin at kaypee@sbcglobal.net

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