IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
September 11, 2015
925.672.0500
Small town, big Relay PAT MIDDENDORF Special to the Pioneer
Tamara Steiner
We Remember On a quiet September morning 14 years ago, nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives in the worst terrorist attack in American history. As we look back on the events that took place in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, it is important to remember the people we lost and to honor the heroic men and women who rushed to the scene as first responders and saved countless lives, even when it meant giving their own. Every year since 2002, the firefighters of Station 11 have set 343 small flags in the grass in front of the station to remember each of the firefighters and law enforcement officers lost in the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. The flags will be up through the weekend. The public is encouraged to visit the memorial and spend a few minutes in gratitude for the 343 Photo courtesy of Relay for Life first-responders who lost their lives A jubilant Nancy Salmon (center) announces that the Clayton Relay for Life met its fundraising goal. With that day. her are leadership team members Kathy DeBoever (left) and Sydney Alcock (right).
The luminarias may be out now, but that doesn’t mean that the light from the 2015 Clayton Relay for Life isn’t still burning bright. While the 24-hour walk-a-thon to help fund cancer research is significant in communities across the nation, there is something unique that happens here. What makes Relay for Life of Clayton, which ran Aug. 15 and 16, so successful, so magical, so meaningful and memorable for so many? Why does it have such an overwhelming impact on each participant? It may not be in strength of numbers, but in the passion of the local participants. “This awful disease has taken too many lives from me!” says Nancy Salmon, one of the tri-leads for the event. Clayton is one of the smallest towns in the Bay Area to participate in Relay for Life yet their fundraising dollars are double and even triple that of more affluent and even much larger cities in California. More than 60 survivors of cancer walked in the Clayton Relay this year. A mere 15 teams participated and about 300 people took on the 24-hour challenge. These are not huge numbers, statistically they may be even less than surrounding communities. Yet Clayton’s Relay raised more than $90,000.
See Big Relay, page 6
Two Clayton men die in Marsh Creek accidents PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
The winding Marsh Creek Road east of Clayton proved doubly tragic last week as separate accidents claimed the lives of two local 21-year-old men. Early in the morning on Sunday, Aug. 30, Clayton resident Marcus Muskat was killed when his motorcycle veered off the road and crashed into a street sign just west of Morgan Territory Road. The following Thursday morning around 3:10 a.m., Clayton Valley Charter High School graduate and Clayton resident Jeremiah Corey died when the Mercury Mountaineer he was driving east on
Mayor Shuey is on hiatus this issue. He will be back on the frontpage in October. What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Community Calendar . . . . .13 Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 School News . . . . . . . . . . .15
JEREMIAH COREY
Marsh Creek Road, just east of Morgan Territory Road, drifted into the westbound lane and off the roadway. He was pro-
crash, it was too early at press time to determine the cause of Corey’s crash, or if alcohol or drugs played a role in either of the accidents, said CHP Lt. Steve Perea. Still, most local drivers know that the two-lane roadway — used as a link between Central and East County — can be dangerous, especially at night as more wildlife roam. “Marsh Creek Road was never intended to become a MARCUS MUSKAT commute corridor, though we all know that over time it has nounced dead at the scene. become just that,” says Clayton While the California High- City Council member Julie way Patrol has determined that Pierce, President of the Assospeed was a factor in Muskat’s ciation of Bay Area Govern-
ments and a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “The completion of Highway 4 East through Brentwood should help to alleviate much of that traffic as the freeway will be a quicker route to destinations in the 680 corridor and beyond. That said, it is likely that Marsh Creek Road will always be a ‘shortcut’ for many. The road is designated as a two-lane scenic corridor and due to environmental constraints is highly unlikely to ever be widened beyond that.” She says that while no major safety improvements are currently planned by the coun-
ty, there may be a future funding opportunities for minor improvements such as left turn pockets. “As with any other road, people need to slow down and pay attention while driving that route,” she said. Perea echoes that sentiment. “Drivers have to be cautious on that road,” he said. While there are some straight sight-lines, there are also blind curves, and it is important to pay attention, he said. Any distraction could cause a driver to veer off the road, or into oncoming traffic.
See Accidents, page 6
Rotary Club pledges $300,000 to fuel CV auto shop JOHN T. MILLER Clayton Pioneer
Things are revving up at Clayton Valley Charter High School’s auto shop, thanks to a $300,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Clayton Valley. Club president Dave Kemnitz, who owns D & H Auto Repair with two shops in Concord, recognized that the state of auto repair instruction was broken at the high school level. “With no new blood coming into the industry, we find ourselves in a position where the average age of a shop owner or journey level technician is 56 years old,” said Kemnitz. “With more than 60,000 jobs available, we see
the need to put fire in the bellies of young people. It’s become necessary to grow our own help.” The beneficiary of the upgrade, CVCHS shop teacher John Ouimet, is understandably excited: “There have been very little updates to the program since the early 1960s,” he said. “For example, we can’t even service many of the tires on newer vehicles.” Ouimet, who came to teach at Clayton 10 years ago after a career in engineering, sees the upgrades as a way for his students to get a leg up on further training and employment. “Our program, even with
Tamara Steiner
See Auto Shop, page 3
CVCHS STUDENTS KADEN NIEPRASCHK, STEPHANIE DERICKSON, teacher John Ouimet, Allyn Moise and Jerron Miller gear up for new auto shop gear, thanks to a Rotary Club grant
Postal Customer ECRWSS PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190
Page 2
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
September 11, 2015
Around Town DeSaulnier Town Hall meeting draws big audience
Mudville joins Clayton’s heart brigade
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier wrapped up a busy day in the District last week with a Town Hall meeting at the Clayton Library on Sept. 3. It was his 10th Town Hall meeting since taking office in January. More than 100 constituents crowded into Hoyer Hall for the 90 minute meeting. During the first half hour, the freshman congressman covered the basics – an overview of the district demographics, support services available at the district office and a rundown of his work in the House of Representatives this year. DeSaulnier then took questions from the audience on topics that varied widely including endangered species legislation, student loan debt, sanctuary cities, fracking and the decline of the middle class. The last half hour was devoted to a discussion of the Iran nuclear arms deal. At the time of the meeting, DeSaulnier said he
CITY COUNCILMAN, JIM DIAZ, Mudville owner Ed Moresi and Interim Police Chief Doug Koford
Ed’s Mudville Grill can now offer up more than just great eating. The restaurant is the latest recipient of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) provided by the CBCA and Clayton CERT. With this addition, there are now five public access locations: City Hall — 3rd Floor, Clayton Library, Clayton Police Department has three AEDs in vehicles, Skipolini’s and Ed’s Mudville.
was leaning toward supporting the deal. Earlier in the day, the congressman visited the Loma Vista Adult Center and Ygnacio Valley Elementary School to view new cafeteria and kitchen equipment purchased recently with USDA grants. DeSaulnier is sponsoring legislation that would expand the grand program and modernize cafeterias to improve federal nutritional standards.For questions and comments, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s District Office, in Walnut Creek, 101 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Ste 210, (925) 933-2660, on Facebook at RepMarkDeSaulnier or through the website at www.desaulnier.house.gov.
Tamara Steiner
CONGRESSMAN MARK DESAULNIER ADDRESSED a packed house in a Town Hall meeting at the Clayton Library last week. The majority of the audience questions were concerning the Iran nuclear weapons deal.
Spring Bocce League finishes with spirited match
New pastor for CV Presbyterian Clayton Valley Presbyterian church is welcoming the Rev. Dr. Barbara Barkley to the congregation. Rev. Barkley has worked for the last 19 years as both a pastor and a musician. She has a strong commitment and passion for social justice and has done peace and assistance work in Brazil, Alabama, North Carolina, New Mexico and with immigrants, women and the homeless population in the San Francisco Bay Area. She values and appreciates
different kinds of worship and has started several Praise services and Taize services within different congregations as well as enjoying traditional worship styles. Rev. Barkley loves working with children and often uses her music, dance, drama and sign language skills to engage them. She is a parent to three children, ages 15, 12 and 10. While spending most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has also served churches in Arizona and Ohio.
Photo courtesy Clayton Bocce Federation
DR. BARBARA BARKLEY
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TWO-TIME LEAGUE CHAMPS, Ed’s Mudville Grill No. 9: (Back) Sam Savage, Ricky Nolen, Larry Mullen, Aldo Ricetti and Mike Ghelfi. Front row, Carol Ricetti-Nolen, Linda Mullen and Julie Ghelfi
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BED/BATH SALE DATE ADDRESS . . . . . .5/2 . . . . . . .8/31/15 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .8/28/15 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . .8/25/15 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .8/21/15 . . . . . .4/2 . . . . . . .8/21/15 . . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . .8/21/15 . . . . . .2/2 . . . . . . .8/2015
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The spring season of the CBCA Clayton Bocce League ended in July with dramatic matches held at the Ipsen Family Bocce Park between the four top teams in the 70-team league. Ed’s Mudville Grill No. 9 won the gold medal and has now won back-to-back leagues including the 2014 Fall League. Weeballs, an all women’s team in their first season, won the silver medal for second place. The bronze medal for third place was won by Dieci Amici. The Ipsen Family Bocce Park is operated and maintained by the CBCA. The Summer League is currently underway and will end on Nov. 1. The park is open for free and rental play when not in league use. For more information please visit www.claytoncbca/bocce.
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BED/BATH SALE DATE . . . . . .5/3.5 . . . . .8/14/15 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .8/14/15 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .8/13/15 . . . . . .3/3 . . . . . . .8/11/15 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . .8/7/15 . . . . . .5/2.2 . . . . . .8/6/15
September 11, 2015
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Clayton woman returns to horse competition with her friend Ben
Around Town Derby Day in Clayton
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Teri Vanderhey
AT THE END OF THE DAY, the winners of each heat claim their trophies and gather for a group photo to celebrate CC Church’s 13th Annual Labor Day Derby and Car Show.
In most towns, racing down Main Street will get you a ticket. But, on Labor Day weekend in Clayton, a couple hundred kids “race the Main” with parents, townsfolk, the mayor and even the local police cheering them on. The 13th Annual Clayton Community Church Labor Day Derby and Car Show once again drew big crowds. Vintage cars lined up for judging and pint-sized Mario Andrettis donned helmets, climbed in the little soapbox-style cars, leaned forward and raced for finish line. The soapbox cars are donated by local businesses and the event is free. To learn more about Clayton Community Church, go to www.claytoncc.com
Auto Shop, from page 1 older equipment, is still viable, but can only get better,” said Ouimet. “This will give the students a better tool kit to start with and allow them to move up the employment ladder quicker.” Ouimet teaches two intro and one advanced auto shop class, while also teaching
Page 3
Principles of Engineering in the Engineering Academy at CVCHS. One of the real positives from the planned improvements, says Kemnitz, is the issue of sustainability, a major concern for Rotary International. “Currently, there are only 20 high schools
Katelyn Galvin bought a Percheron thoroughbred named Benvolio Amichevole when she was growing up in Texas and competing in horse competitions. After high school she moved west to attend UC Davis where she was on the Aggies equestrian team. While she was in college she met and eventually married Brock Galvin, a member of the Aggies football team from Clayton. The couple moved to Pasadena while she attended Fuller Theological Seminary, where she got her master’s in marriage and family therapy last year. They relocated to Clayton and Katelyn Galvin began training again with her horse Ben. Last month she had her first competition on Ben, now 15-years-old, since leaving Texas after high school. The duo came away with the blue ribbon at the Woodside Summer Horse Trials three-day meet. They competed in dressage, show jumping and cross
country against participants from throughout California as well as out of state. Katelyn Galvin started riding at the age of five in her native Tyler, Texas. She purchased Ben from Kentucky when she was 16. She now trains three to five times a week with Joe McKinley at his Skylark Equestrian Center on Marsh Creek Rd. In Woodside, besides her husband, she had a rooting section that included her grandmother Patti Secunda, her husband’s grandmother Adrienne Galvin and his parents Russ and Yvonne Galvin of Clayton. She will be competing next weekend at the September Horse Trials in Paso Robles. In her spare time, the soon-to-be 26-year-old is a Pilates instructor and therapist. She also enjoys hiking regularly on Mt. Diablo. You can also find her supporting her husband’s Concord Minutemen football team on Friday nights. Brock Galvin, a fourth generation Clayton resident, is coaching football for the sec-
ond year at Concord High, where he lettered for three years and was team MVP as a junior and senior. He earned four all-league honors as a tight end and defensive end for coach Brian Hamilton and also nabbed all-East Bay recognition before his 2007 graduation.
At UC Davis, he was second team All-Great West Conference as a defensive tackle and, more importantly, earned a scholarship as a sophomore. He began his coaching career as varsity offensive and defensive line coach at CIF semi-finalist John Muir High School in Pasadena.
in California who can even qualify for automotive industry grant money. This will put Clayton Valley in the running to be certified to qualify for these grants.” Raising the money was relatively easy for Kemnitz and his wife and business partner, Mary Kemnitz. “Over 90 percent of the money is pledged from phone calls to the business associates we’ve done work with over the years. When we told them what it
was for, they opened their checkbooks and jumped in.” Some donors wrote large checks, while others donated computers, monitors, software and other equipment. One prominent Concord auto dealership offered a car. Many of the donors prefer to remain anonymous. One upgrade the donations will provide is a computer repair order program. Previously, with no computer in class, students had to
handwrite repair orders. “Since the advanced students grade is dependent on the work they do during the semester, this will give them a way to understand and learn the process much better, and it will give me a more accurate look at what they’ve done,” Ouimet says. Another outcome of the upgrades is that Ouimet will find himself in need of more training. “It will make me work harder,” he said, “but I
don’t have a problem with that since it will make my job so much more rewarding.” The project will take about a year-and-half to two years for everything to happen, and should increase student interest. Next on the list for the Rotary Club will be to upgrade the program at Concord High School. The current yearly budget for the auto program at Clayton is $700, which amounts to less than $10 per student.
Cl ho
Photo courtesy Galvin family
KATELYN GALVIN ON HER PERCHERON THOROUGHBRED Benvolio Amichevole took first at the Woodside Summer Horse Trials three-day competition last month. The Clayton resident competed in dressage, show jumping and cross country with participants from throughout California and out of state.
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Peacock Creek — Luminous 4BD/2.5BA 3,307sq.ft. boasts charm and elegance on a picturesque setting. Gourmet, garden-view kitchen with family room. Back yard is entertainers delight with outdoor kitchen/BBQ grill, built-in spa and breathtaking panoramic views.
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Willow Walk — Two story home featuring 3 Bedrooms 2.5 Baths at 1,326 sq. ft. Upgraded with Laminate floors, plantation shutters, and crown molding throughout. Beautiful fireplace located in the living room. Kitchen has tile counters, gas range cooktop stove and island. Located in the great Willow Walk community which has close proximity to Downtown Concord.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Schaefer’s PAINTING
Funds available to reduce fire risk
Fall S pecia l
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any exter interior or ior pa i n ment t j ob ion
The Diablo Fire Safe Council has received a $170,680 grant from CalFire and is looking to share it. Morgan Territory residents looking to reduce hazardous fuel that can go up in flames in a matter of seconds can apply for $5000 in matching funds for risk reduction projects. Memories of the 2013 Morgan Fire are fresh in the minds of residents looking for ways to stay safe and protect their properties in an area that is tinder dry and loaded with tight, dense fuel just waiting for a spark.
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Of the total grant, $62,790 is earmarked for community defensible space projects and chipping days. Residents can apply for up to $5000 in aid for removing underbrush, chipping waste, thinning trees or cutting away underbrush if they are willing to match the cash with dollars or sweat equity. “The grass on these hills is so dense you can’t get your hand through it,” says Mike Marcucci, CalFire’s Sunshine Station Battalion chief. “Residents need to go the extra mile in clearing the 100’ defensible
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area around their homes.” In addition to the defensible space grants, $57,275 will go towards improving the fire roads. SRA FEES AT WORK The grant is funded from the State Responsibility Area (SRA) fees assessed to property owners in high-risk, wildfire areas. Morgan Territory is in the SRA zone. Starting in July 2014, residents began paying an additional $152.33 per habitable structure on top of their normal property taxes for fire protection. “This grant is the SRA fees at work,” says Diablo Fire Safe Council Executive Coordinator Cheryl Miller. Miller is working with area stakeholders to develop a Fire Safe Action Plan which includes outreach and education and community projects as well as hazardous fuel reduction and fire road maintenance. Miller is looking for more suggestions and ideas for potential projects eligible for grant funding. So far, she has met with representatives from CCCFPD, ECCFPD, Save
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
MIKE MARCUCCI CALFIRE BATTALION CHIEF
Mount Diablo, the City of Clayton, and the Contra Costa Animal Services County Supervisor’s offices. Applications for cost-sharing are available online at www.diablofiresafe.org along with a schedule of deadlines for applying. Applications for fourth quarter 2015 funding are due Oct. 8. For more information on the Diablo Fire Safe Council, selection criteria and the application process, contact Cheryl Miller, DFSCMiller@comcast.net. (925) 510-282-1265.
Suspect sought in bold GNC robbery A lone clerk was the target of a brazen, daylight robbery at the GNC store in the Clayton Station on Sept. 1. According to Clayton Interim Police Chief Doug Koford, around 7 p.m., a tall male entered the store and approached the clerk, asking for change. When the clerk told him company policy prohibits making change without a purchase, the suspect moved around the counter and grabbed the clerk
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from behind, forcing her to open the register. He did not show a weapon. He escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash, Koford said. The clerk was unhurt and was able to provide police with a detailed description. “She did a great job of composing herself,” Koford said. The man is described as a 6foot, 3-inch to 6-foot, 5-inch African American in his 30s, weighing about 230 pounds, with short hair and crooked or
missing teeth, and wearing a gray sweatshirt and short gray pants. Police believe they have a good lead on the suspect who was seen walking around the center before the robbery and was caught on a surveillance video from Safeway. The Clayton Station is a busy place at 7 p.m. on a weeknight. Anyone who may have seen the suspect or observed anything strange is asked to call Photo: Clayton PD Clayton Police Department at Image of GNC robbery suspect 925-673-7350. caught on video
Clayton Resident
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 5
Local attorney sheds light on UC Berkeley’s spirit PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
After a few years as a designated signatory of the UC Regents and Director of the UC Berkeley campus-wide Business Contracts Office, Concord resident Brian Donohue had a couple of questions. “How did this place come to be?” “What is the driving force?” Like many of the questions posed on the UC Berkeley campus, these were not easy to answer. But like the students who studied there, he gave it a shot, and the result, after 15 years of research and photography, is a beautiful and insightful coffee table book, “The Spirit of Fiat Lux. “‘The Spirit of Fiat Lux’ is the story of the past, present and future of higher education in our state and nation,” Donohue says. “It is told through the story of the Uni-
versity of California, Berkeley, chronicled from its birth, through the decades of growth, its maturity into excellence, the development of its international reputation for research, and the current collapse in state funding.” The hard-cover book is 168 oversized pages of brilliant color and black and white images interspersed with
BRIAN DONOHUE
prose, poetry and quotes of the day. But even more than looking nice, the book reports on serious challenges and crises that have confronted and still confront the university and higher education in general, Donohue says. The main one, he says, is the reduction of state support to higher education across the state and the country. “But the message of my book is new and a bit controversial,” he says. “Public higher education is sitting on enormous assets: labs, equipment, software and intellectual property that are not being used in the university’s traditional original mission of service to the public.” “‘Fiat lux’ is the spirit of doing good in the community and engaging the wicked social problems facing the public, of teaching excellence to its students, and of researching the
‘THE SPIRIT OF FIAT LUX’ CHRONICLES THE CHALLENGES faced by UC Berkeley from birth to present in photographs and narrative in a 168-page coffee-table book by Concord attorney and humanitarian, Brian Donohue.
boundaries of knowledge and science,” Donohue says. “I focused on changing public universities back into their original mission of service to the public.” Although he was never a Cal student, Donohue’s work
at the university spurred his interest. The attorney and Army captain has always believed in the power of public service, and has been involved in many civic activities, including Mt. Diablo Park, and many leadership
roles through rotary. In 1998, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors awarded Donohue and his wife Dellyn the Humanitarians of the Year Award. Currently, Donohue leads the Enterprise 501c3, a non-profit corporation, which represents UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, Stanford University and the University of Moscow, as well as the Public Health Institute. “The Spirit of Fiat Lux” can be purchased at www.SpiritofFiatLux.net, or at bookstores throughout the East Bay and Berkeley. There will be four book signing events Sept. 17 at the Concord Main Library, Oct. 5 at the Clayton Library, Oct. 22 at Diablo Ranch atop Mt. Diablo, and date TBD at St. Matthew’s Church in Walnut Creek. Each event starts at 7 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, email FiatLux.info@gmail.com
Detention Facility ‘underutilized’ says Grand Jury TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
In a report issued May 28, 2015, the Contra Costa Civil Grand Jury says overcrowding at the Martinez jail could be alleviated by transferring up to 100 inmates to the Marsh Creek Detention Facility (MCDF) just south of Clayton, a proposition that doesn’t sit well with Supervisor Karen Mitchoff. “The MCDF is 73 years old and was never meant to be a jail,” Mitchoff said in a telephone interview with the
Pioneer. The facility is for inmates serving out their sentences. “You can’t have prisoners awaiting trial out at Marsh Creek.” Those awaiting trial need need to have quick and convenient access to the court house. Currently, Marsh Creek houses an average of 52 inmates per day. By replacing the floors in two dormitories, adding medical staff and increasing security, the Grand Jury says the facility could host up to 160 inmates, thereby relieving some of the overcrowding at
the Martinez jail. In response to the Grand Jury Report, the County has completed repairs to Wing B and added a pharmacy and 24-hour medical staff. In August, the Board of Supervisors applied to the State of California for $90 million in construction funds under SB 863 to build a 240bed mental health and reentry program facility at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond. The Board, however, failed to get a unanimous vote to approve the applica-
Clayton Police Activity Report Police Activity for two weeks ending Sept. 3, 2015 ARRESTS: Aug. 22, Ygnacio Valley Rd./Alberta Wy. Warrant; Probation Violation. 40-yearold Bay Point male. Aug. 22, 5400 Clayton Rd. Possession Controlled Substance Paraphernalia; Probation Violation. 26-yearold Clayton male. Aug. 23, Mt. Sierra Pl. Battery on Spouse/Cohab/Etc. 42-yearold Clayton female.
Aug. 23, Windmill Canyon Dr. Warrant; Probation Violation. 37-year-old Clayton male. Aug. 25, Marsh Creek Rd./Stranahan Cr. Battery With Serious Injury. 28-yearold Walnut Creek male. Aug. 28, Peacock Creek Dr. Threaten Crime With Intent to Terrorize; Battery; Assault With Stun Gun/Taser; Probation Violation; 21-yearold Clayton male. Battery; 19-year-old female.
Aug. 29, Cardinet Dr. Corporal Injury to Spouse/Cohab/Etc. 55-yearold Concord female. Sept. 1, Clayton Rd./Ayers Rd. Drive While License Suspended for DUI; Probation Violation. 33-yearold Concord male. Sept. 2, Kirker Pass Rd./Allegro Ave. Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance; Possess Burglary Tools. 31-year-old Concord male.
BURGLARIES/THEFTS: Sept. 1, 5400 Clayton Rd. Robbery.
tion and it’s uncertain if Contra Costa will get the grant, says Mitchoff. In the event the state grant is denied, the Grand Jury is recommending that the sheriff ’s office should consider broadening the classification of inmates that could be housed at Marsh Creek. Known locally as the “farm,” the facility was built in 1942 to house low-level, non-violent offenders who were serving out relatively short sentences. Security is minimal. Cam-
eras monitor only the holding cells. There is one sergeant and two deputy sheriffs on duty around the clock. The facility is surrounded by a barbed-wire topped fence. Inmates at Marsh Creek can take classes, complete GED requirements, gain job skills and work outside during the day, making it a far more desirable place to stay than the overcrowded Martinez Jail. “However,” Mitchoff notes, “we have a very different kind of prisoner today than 30 or 40 years ago.”
The County Sheriff classifies prisoners and it’s a “huge criteria process,” she explains. “By definition, if an inmate is not at Marsh Creek, then they don’t qualify.” “I’ve read the report and trust that the Sheriff will act accordingly,” Mitchoff said. “You don’t just broaden a classification. It’s a much deeper process.” To read the full Grand Jury Report 1508, go to www.cccourts.org and click on the Jury/Grand Jury tab on the left side of the page.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Bob and Sandy Strickland celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Grant for WCDF fails to get unanimous vote
A Vow Renewal Ceremony was held in the small Concord church where they were married. Congratulations, Mom and Dad.
We are so proud of you and love you very much — Rob and Anne
September 11, 2015
KAREN MITCHOFF
COUNTY SUPERVISOR Why is it important to move 420 beds to the West County Detention Facility (WCDF) There are two main reasons: 1) the Main Detention Facility (MDF) in downtown Martinez (a maximum security facility) has been overcrowded for
many years and 2) vital mental health services can best be provided at the WCDF. The MDF was built in 1978 and was designed as a state-ofthe-art facility for the time in that inmates would be housed in a single cell. This was a safety feature for both the incarcerated individual and the deputy guarding each module. For a variety of reasons, a majority of inmates have been double celled for many years. Because of the unique design of the MDF, there is limited space and square footage available for the provision of services. And a sad state of affairs is that our local jails (and prisons for that matter) have become de facto mental health facilities. When the WCDF was opened over two decades ago, it
was designed as a medium-security facility. The terms “maximum” and “medium” by the way describe the security design, not the type of inmate to be housed in either facility. As an example, inmates who are not high security risk are housed at the MDF because their case is in trial at the Martinez courthouses and it makes more sense to keep them close for transport. So the WCDF was always planned, and indeed the infrastructure is already in place, to add space when necessary and appropriate. Opponents of moving inmates from MDF to WCDF have coined this as an “expansion”: the Sheriff is not expanding (increasing) the inmate population … the Sheriff is proposing to move inmates out of the crowded,
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Get ready for food, fun, dancing and lots of “Opa’s” as St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church presents the 37th Annual Greek Food and Wine Festival Sept. 18,19 and 20. Food and wine are traditional Greek art forms, and St. Demetrios is lucky to have some of the best artisan chefs in the world — the “Yia-Yia Sisterhood,” scores of Greek grandmothers, Nounas, aunts and others who are preparing the meals. All the food, including traditional pastries, are prepared on the church premises.
Throughout the years, the popular festival has been known for its “keffee,” the sense of community spirit that organizers say spreads throughout the three-day event. Besides food booths, the festival offers wine, crafts and activities for children. The wine bar offers rich reds and whites from the Greek Isles, and festival-goers are urged to pair them with Greek dishes like Moussaka, Souvlaki or the popular Gyros. There will also be live bands and lively Greek dances
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Sydney Alcock and her father Mike Fossan, the other two tri-leads of Clayton’s Relay, have been deeply touched by cancer. Fossan and his wife Susan are both cancer survivors. Alcock said this year’s Relay would always be special to her. “Everyone could feel the love
and support for the survivors, caregivers and those still fighting their battle with cancer.” When participants say this race is personal, the meaning goes beyond that a family member or friend has fought the cancer battle. The common bond that affects every person who walks in any Relay across
Accidents, from page 1 “Speed does kill,” he says. basic training in the Navy. The “Especially on two-lane high- two were to be married in ways.” December. Services for Corey were ‘READY TO HELP ANYONE’ held Thursday at St. BonavenCorey, who lived all his life ture’s Catholic Church, and he in Clayton and attended Mt. is buried at Oakmont CemeDiablo Elementary, Diablo tery next to his brother Justin, View Middle School and who died in 1996 after being CVCHS, is remembered by his hit by a car when he was 12. mother Nancy Randolph as “a Besides Randolph, Corey is great kid.” survived by his sister, Janelle “Jeremiah was loved by a McKinney of Martinez, and lot of people,” she said. “He two nephews, Rocky, 10, and was always ready to help a any- Waylon, 1. one. Whenever any of his friends were going through a ‘ALWAYS LAUGHING’ News of Muskat’s death rough patch, Jeremiah would always try and help them shook not only the community of Clayton, where he was a through it.” He recently got engaged to popular employee at Moresi’s girlfriend Keirstan Faulkner of Chophouse, but also in the Martinez, who had just left Walnut Creek community last week for Illinois to attend where he grew up and graduat-
double-celled MDF to space to be built to accommodate the same population. New construction would provide housing for these inmates, a visiting center for families, and most critically, appropriate and adequate space to provide critical mental health services. Another argument against this construction is the county needs to provide $9 million in matching funds to a grant request for $89 million and that those matching funds need to be used for other needs in the community. Please know that this is a competitive grant proposal available to all counties. The grant funds will be appropriated, and I strongly believe that Contra Costa should receive one of the grants because we have real needs here. To pass up a funding opportunity is foolhardy. The Board also heard impassioned pleas about social justice and a disproportionate number of people of color in jails. I concur with those concerns, but not building a muchneeded facility will not correct those issues. That is a discussion for another time and another legislative venue. While the grant application received a majority vote, it needed four votes; and Supervisor Gioia did not support the matching county dollar funds. I am extremely disappointed that Contra Costa’s application will not receive the maximum points we could have received because we didn’t attain the required 4/5th’s vote.
Festival-goers are also encouraged to visit the Byzantine-style church with its handcarved icon screen and fivefoot tall egg-tempera icons. Besides supporting the church’s activities, the festival also benefits the community, as St. Demetrios donates 10 percent of proceeds to local charities. The festival runs from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. St. Demetrios is locat- County District IV supervisor. Email or comments to ed at 1955 Kirker Pass Road in questions karen.mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us Concord.
the country is magnified in this small town by the impact of recognizing everyone — the survivors who walk, the caregivers and everyone touched by cancer, each with their own personal stories. When Kate Amos spoke to the crowd, she was speaking to her friends and neighbors. When Terry Newberry brought the crowd together with laughter and music, every-
one knew that he will also make the 24-hour journey with them again this year. So it appears that size just may be the biggest factor in the success of this Relay event — but in the reverse. The uniqueness of Clayton’s Relay is not its strength in numbers, but the strength of the participants. This event takes place again next year on Aug. 13 and 14.
ed from Northgate High School. He was attending Diablo Valley College, and besides Moresi’s, he worked as a trainer at Fitness 19 on Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. “Marcus was always happy, always willing to help out members, and always laughing,” says Fitness 19 manager Jerry Sameshima. “The staff is taking [his death] really hard. We’ve set up a memorial at the front desk, and we are collecting donations to give to the family.” Other friends also remembered Muskat’s infectious laugh and happy spirit. “Marcus always made me smile when he was over,” says Valerie Hansen of Walnut Creek, whose son Ged was one of Muskat’s good friends. “There is an idiom that is usually used to describe an economy that is doing well —
‘a rising tide lifts all boats.’ But it reminds me of Marcus because Marcus was a high tide that lifted you up and made you happy you got to see him that day. That Marcus flair was infectious.” Many friends expressed their sadness and appreciation of Muskat’s life. “There aren’t enough words to describe Marcus Muskat as a human being, a friend, a brother, and everything else he was to so many people,” said his friend Zachary Kowalski. “He is the definition of unique.” Moresi’s held a candlelight vigil at the Grove Park on Aug. 31 to honor Muskat, and two memorial services were held this week. He leaves behind his father Mike, mother Michelle Celsi and two younger brothers, Mitchell and Max.
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Obituaries
James Calvin Bradt
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517
February 24, 1942 – August 8, 2015
TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design P EGGY S PEAR , Copy Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration, Calendar Editor S TAFF W RITERS : Peggy Spear, Pamela Wiesendanger, Jay Bedecarré
C ORRESPONDENTS : John Jackson, Kara Navolio, Patricia Romero, John T. Miller We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse
PIONEER INFO CONTACT US Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 www.ClaytonPioneer.com Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send School News to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a resident in our home delivery area. Submit on our website and be sure to attach a JPG photo that is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on the website are forms for calendar items, events & press releases. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Both Pioneer newspapers welcome letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will
have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print anonymous letters. E-mail your letter to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters must be submitted via E-mail. CIRCULATION as of Sept. 2014 Total circulation of the Clayton Pioneer is 5,500 to ZIP code 94517, all delivered by US Mail to homes, businesses and post office boxes. We cannot start or stop delivery to individual addresses. This must be done directly through the Post Office. The Concord Pioneer is delivered monthly to 30,500 in Concord by carrier. Papers are delivered once a month on a Friday morning near the end of the month. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are NOT receiving the Pioneer, please check the distribution map on the website. If you live in the shaded area and are not receiving the paper, please call us or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are not in the shaded area, please be patient. We will come to your neighborhood soon.
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Society. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, RV camping with Dorothy, photography, astronomy and model railroading. Jim will be greatly missed by his family, friends and community. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity on Jim’s behalf.
Events CBCA – Oktoberfest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2272 Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . .800-949-3276 St. Demetrios – Greek Festival . . . . . . . . . . . .676-6967 Financial, Insurance and Legal Services Archvest Wealth Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215-5600 DuRee, Daniel – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . .210-1400 Littorno, Richard – The Law Office of . . . . . . . .432-4211 SAFE Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . .safecu.org/homeloans Van Wyck, Doug – State Farm Insurance . . . .672-2300 Flowers A Floral Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .705-3088
Veronica Ann Pardi September 23, 1926 - July 13, 2015
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Veronica Ann Pardi passed away peacefully on July 13 with immediate family by her side. Veronica, 88, matriarch of the Pardi/Scheving family lived a challenging, rich and full life, sharing her kindness with family and friends. She was born on a farm in Hensel, North Dakota, Sept. 23, 1926, to Mary and Einar Scheving as the only girl of eight children. Veronica lost both her parents by the age of 15. She graduated from St. Alphonsus High School in 1944, where she lived with the nuns in Langdon, North Dakota. Veronica worked her way through high school, picking up the mail, polishing the floors in the office and library, where she read EVERY book! In July 1944, she moved to Richmond, Calif. with her Aunt Sigga and Uncle Harry Scheving. Veronica worked at
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Jim passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 8 after a short, but aggressive battle with esophageal and lung cancer. Jim was born in Saginaw, Michigan to Fern and Fenton Bradt on Feb. 24, 1942. Jim graduated Arthur Hill High School in 1960, going on to graduate from Delta College in 1966 with an Associates Degree in Chemical Engineering. Jim is survived by his wife, Dorothy Bradt, son James Jr. Bradt (Trisha), grandchildren Cassandra, Lydia and David; son Mike Bradt (Morina), granddaughter, Amelia and sister Susan Kerns (Fred) and brother David (Pat). Jim was an avid hobbyist who enjoyed being a member of the Diablo A’s Club and California Historical Radio
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Rheem Manufacturing, where she was a welder and made bomb casings for WWII as a “Rosie the Riveter.” She was laid off when the war ended. She then worked for AT&T in Richmond in 1945 and accepted a transfer to Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, where she worked as an operator for 12 years. Veronica met and then married the love of her life, Hercules Pardi in 1947. In Pittsburg, “Ronnie” was embraced by the Pardi family and friends in the Italian traditions. The family moved from Pittsburg to Clayton in 1960. Veronica was very active in the St. Bonaventure Church and served on many committees including the Giving Tree. In 1970, she went back to work at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Walnut Creek in the communications department until 1992. Throughout her journey in Clayton, the Pardi family made long lasting friendships in the Clayton Valley area. Veronica loved gardening, was an avid reader, great cook, and an incredible baker. She hosted family holidays and events up until the day she passed. Veronica was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Hercules and their son John. She is survived by her children Herc Pardi (Roxanne), Cathy Jacobus (William), and Dino Pardi, grandchildren “her pride and joy,” Meghan Pardi, Louie Jacobus, Kaila Pardi, and Nate Pardi. To know her was to love her. “Our hearts are fallen as we will never have another Mrs. Pardi,” says Matt Mazzei, a long-time family friend. Services were held Sept. 5 at St. Bonaventure Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made directly to Clayton Theatre Company, P.O. Box 991, Clayton, CA 94517 or to St. Bonaventure Church 5562 Clayton Rd., Concord, CA 94521
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September 11, 2015
Sports CV Charter fall sports seasons underway JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Six fall sports are now underway for Clayton Valley Charter High School teams competing for the last time in the current setup of the Diablo Valley Athletic League. DVAL competition started this week in water polo and girls tennis. Next week, girls golf and volleyball begin DVAL matches with cross country league center meets starting Sept. 30 and football the last to begin league action Oct. 9. Concord, Clayton Valley Charter, College Park and Northgate are fielding teams in all fall sports. Berean Christian is part of DVAL cross country, tennis and volleyball. Mt. Diablo, the league’s senior member school, will not be fielding golf or water polo teams and Ygnacio Valley is not in water polo. To fill out the water polo schedule Pinole Valley, St. Vincent/St. Patrick of Vallejo and Hercules highs join four DVAL schools in the league.
FOOTBALL Tim Murphy is in the first few weeks of his fourth season at the helm of CVCHS football. During that time his high-powered teams have lost six games. Three came in post-season playoffs and the other three have been in season openers against tough Division I opponents. The 2012 Eagles lost their first game against perennial power Pittsburg and the following season opener in a battle of defending NCS champions De La Salle beat CV Charter. This season three missed two-point conversion attempts proved the difference as Clayton Valley lost 27-26 at State DII champion Folsom, a team which hasn’t lost a regular-season game since 2011. The Ugly Eagles twice took leads over the state champs. Murphy was pleased with many aspects of the opener against Folsom, including a strong defensive effort that held down the state’s leading passing offense of 2014, but the local team suffered a crushing blow when junior Jalen McKenzie suffered a season-ending knee injury on
experienced coaches. They will be tough to beat at all levels, but our team should stay in the thick of things. Last year our boys’ team was tied for first going into DVAL finals, when a bout of flu virus took its toll on both the girls and boys. Concord should be competitive this year and Berean Christian always represents well given the small size of its student body.” DVAL has three Wednesday center meets before the DVAL championships on Halloween at Hidden Valley Park in Pleasant Hill to qualify for NCS Nov. 21 and the state meet a week later.
Photo by Jason Rogers
RAY JACKSON III (23) WAS A FIRST-TEAM ALL-DVAL PLAYER as a sophomore at College Park. Due to eligibility issues about his transfer he sat out last year before bursting on the scene in the Clayton Valley Charter opening game with 225 yards rushing in a 27-26 loss to State Division I champion Folsom.
the second play of the year. The Eagles bounced back last Friday with a 35-0 shutout of Tracy and have their home opener this Friday evening hosting Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa. The run-happy Ugly Eagles rushed for 710 yards from scrimmage in the first two games with senior Ray Jackson III leading the way with 408 yards. New quarterback Luis Ramos is next with 151 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson has four TDs in the two games.
DE LA SALLE TEXAS LOSERS De La Salle suffered through a lightning delay and then a slew of turnovers and mistakes that cost them in a Jay Bedecarre 26-21 defeat to Trinity-Euless SENIOR ERIN WARDLE has taken over the No. 2 singles posiin the Spartans first-ever visit tion for Clayton Valley Charter. New head girls tennis coach Sayed Anwar is excited by his six strong senior class to Texas. DLS dominated the game members plus nearly two dozen new players who joined the program this fall. Wardle was second team all-DVAL as at times but lost two fumbles and an interception and then a junior.
missed on a tight end pass to a wide open receiver in the end zone in the final seconds to lose their first game since the 2013 State championship. Last Friday DLS rebounded at traditional rival Serra of San Mateo for a 37-21 victory that saw the Spartans grab a 28-0 first-quarter lead and then get outscored 21-9 in the final three quarters. This Friday they host the first of three Southern California foes when Servite of Anaheim comes to Concord. CROSS COUNTRY Clayton Valley Charter cross country coach Anthony Munch is expecting his boys and girls teams will be title contenders this year after not being hit too hard by graduation last spring. Sayed Opeyany was the team’s fastest runner as a junior and he will get help from Michael Cox and JJ Perez, a
Diablo FC appoints Zach Sullivan to its director of coaching position JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Zach Sullivan has been named the new director of coaching for the Diablo Futbol Club, the area’s premier youth soccer competitive program. Sullivan stepped down as head men’s soccer coach at Merritt College to accept the DOC position at Diablo FC, where he has been coaching teams since 2011. Diablo FC was formed in 2008 with the merger of Diablo Valley Soccer Club and Mt. Diablo Soccer League. Sullivan was also a DVSC coach in 2005-06. The new DOC succeeds Brian Voltattorni who held the position for seven years since the inception of the club. He is remaining with Diablo FC as director of youth development and community outreach, focusing on development and advancement of the new recreational program, community outreach and the San Jose Earthquakes-Diablo FC RDS system. Sullivan says, “Diablo FC prides itself on emphasizing player development. I hope to continue to prepare our soccer players for a potential college opportunity. Our track record for placing players on college teams speaks for itself. The coaching staff is one of the best in the business.” Diablo FC coaching directors Scott Alexander, Richard Weiszmann, Marquis White and Henry Foulk will be working with Sullivan. Weiszmann, White and Foulk are former professional players who have 40 years combined service with the club
COACH ZACH SULLIVAN
since DVSC started in 1991. Sullivan was head coach at Merritt from 2008 until this summer. He was the 2013 coach of the year in the 11-team Bay Valley Conference. He has also coached at Solano College and his alma mater Chico State plus at Justin Siena and Chico high schools. The new DOC got his bachelor’s degree and then a master’s in kinesiology at Chico State, where he was on the intercollegiate lacrosse and club soccer teams. After beginning his youth
soccer club coaching career at DVSC he was the under 11-U14 technical coordinator at Lamorinda Soccer Club for four years before returning to Diablo FC. He has been the DFC assistant girls director as well as coaching Diablo FC 98, 99 and 03 girls premier teams this year. “I am very excited for my new role at Diablo FC. DFC is one of the elite soccer clubs in Northern California and has the potential to continue its growth. We are a true community-based soccer club with a real family feel,” Sullivan said.
Club president Dan Pauline of Clayton says, “Diablo FC has become the regional leader in affordable youth soccer player development. As our director of coaching Zach, along with our highly-qualified and experienced coaches and training staff, plans to develop a deep and talented player pool. His enthusiastic training sessions will allow our players to do the work it takes to accelerate their development while having fun. His personality, demeanor and knowledge will lead our club to new heights.” The club has competitive girls and boys teams from under nine through U19, with all age groups competing at the highest National Premier League level. They have a United States Soccer Development Academy U14 boys team, one of only 88 such teams in America. They also have an exclusive RDS affiliation with the Major League Soccer Earthquakes and offer recreation and academy programs with professional coaching for youth starting at five years of age. Diablo FC—-and DVSC before it—-has developed dozen of State Cup champions plus sending teams to the USYSA, US Club Soccer and Super Y-League national championships as well as prestigious tournaments all over the United States. About 100 former Diablo FC players have played college soccer. Currently, Chris Wondolowski and Stefan Frei are former club players in MLS. For more information visit diablofc.org.
pair of juniors. Munch reports, “Senior Anthony Maytum was lost to injury last season, but is running strong now. Sophomore Dylan White is coming off of a very strong rookie track season. Ben Schoffstall and Branden Busby will also be bolstering the ranks.” Kelly Osterkamp and Oliva Villa were both allDVAL as freshmen last year and look to repeat those efforts this year. Senior Claire Olson along with juniors Natalie Ruzicka and Sarah Verderame figure to be big scorers for CVCHS. Sophomore Karina Linzey is new to varsity after a good frosh/soph season last year. She will join freshman Jessica Hevener and junior Jessica Chapman as varsity newcomers. Munch adds, “As usual, College Park and Northgate are very solid programs run by
GIRLS WATER POLO Veteran CVCHS water polo coach Dennis Bledsoe says his girls “will probably improve significantly. They are a young group with only one senior. “ He says his top returning players include three second team all-leaguers— juniors Caitlin O’Leary and Bailey Reading and sophomore Rebekah Reynolds. Junior goalie Skyy Burney is up from the JV team and figures to be a big contributor along with the lone senior Terra Rose Zuniga-Miller, Melissa Olson and Kimi Svoboda. New players up from the JVs are Jenna Armstrong, Jenny Vonnegut, Amber Curley, Skylar Maltbie, Brooke Johnson and Hayley Darr. New to Clayton Valley this year are Margaret York, Emma Skow and Sydney Skow. The team lost seven graduates including league MVP Katie VanTuyl but Bledsoe and co-coach Kelsey Carrigan say the league championship will probably come down to Clayton Valley vs. Northgate.
2 MDSA teams take 3 tournament titles
Photos courtesy MDSA
MDSA PHOENIX UNDER 11 TEAM had quite an August winning two tournaments. The local girls were first at the Creek Cup Silver Edition in Walnut Creek after earlier taking the gold medals in the Soccer By The Bay. The team includes, front from left, Sophia Sinclaire, Laine Moraes; middle row, Brooke Rickenbacher, Mipo Okeowo, Katelynn Brown, Melia Fabriquer, Ashlyn Albert; back row, coach Chris McNevin, Kaitlyn McNevin, Brooke Stanton, Jacklann Bellamy, Emily Beeson, Sarandon Kamrud, Hawah Opeyany and coach Heidi Brown.
MDSA BARCA UNDER 10 BOYS ELITE TEAM won the San Ramon Copper Select tournament at the end of August in their second tournament ever. They were fourth at the Stanford Classic the previous weekend. The team includes, front row from left, Cooper Whiten, Connor Velez, Mateo Alcantara, Diego Castaneda, Cody Liming, Nicholas Anderson, Michael DoAmor; back row, coach KC Anum, Max Anum, Skye Megyesi, Jesse Morales, Ben Hosler, Michael Albert and coach Javier Castaneda. Not pictured, Dylan Lynch.
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Sports Athlete Spotlight Jenna Grigsby and Alexa Kallas Grade: Senior
School: CVCHS
Jenna Grigsby and Alexa Kallas are more than just two seniors on the CVCHS varsity tennis team. These two young ladies are also making a difference off the court as members of the school’s Public Service Academy. Tennis captain Kallas has been part of varsity tennis and PSA since her freshman year, is the student body vice president and is a member of the French Club. Surprisingly, she picked up a tennis racket only two weeks before her first practice as a freshman while she was on a family vacation. She’s played lacrosse at CV every year
Sport: Tennis
after taking up the sport in seventh grade. She says she was inspired to play tennis and lacrosse because it was something her sisters had never done. “What I love most about tennis is that it is such a unique sport and it really allows me to get to know everyone on my team. I probably have the strongest bonds with people that have been on the team and still are on this team. I know it’s cheesy but we are a family. I still talk to past players who have graduated and I intend on still keeping in touch with these girls after I graduate.” Growing up, four-year tennis player
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El Niño is Coming Grigsby played soccer and danced competitively and, like Kallas, picked up a racket for the first time before her freshman year. Since she was a freshman, she has received a student-athlete award annually for tennis and was the PSA department winner last year. “Balancing everything is super tough. Tennis is my stress release. I love going to practice and laughing off a stressful day with my teammates. Like most high school students, I have those nights where I stay up late studying or I work late on school nights. Having good friends and a good support group really helps to keep me motivated and staying positive.” Grigsby also volunteers at Ayers Elementary School once a week and plans on becoming a first-grade teacher. The Clayton Pioneer congratulates Jenna and Alexa and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@claytonpioneer.com.
Prepare now for heavy rains
This summer’s Dana Hills Swim Team celebrated the 25th anniversary of installation of the pool that transformed the Clayton team into a powerhouse by taking third at the 55th annual Contra Costa County Swimming Championships in Lafayette last month. The Otters finished third in the team standings, one position higher than their fourth place a year ago. In 2012 and 2013 they were fifth. The local team’s best-ever finish at county was second in 1995 and 2011. There were 53 teams who scored points at county this year. A week earlier, Dana Hills won its 23rd Concord City Championship in the last 24 years. The streak, not coincidentally, started two years after
the Otters began training in their new pool in 1990. The 25-yard, eight-lane pool came about by a community effort led by the Mazzei Family to replace a 17-yard pool that was built when the Dana Hills subdivision opened. The swim team started in 1977 as the Aquaducks. Forest Park of Concord won the County Division II championship this year, something Dana Hills did in 1998. Crow Canyon Country Club was first overall at county for the 11th year in a row with Round Hill second ahead of DHST.
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Molly Boland won both her individual events for Dana Hills to take high point in 7-8 girls with gold medals in butterfly and individual medley. Ryan Levy in 15-18 boys was second in backstroke and fifth in freestyle. His teammate Anthony Vines was fourth in free and third in fly in the oldest age group. Niklas Weigelt was second in 13-14 IM and fifth in fly. Other top three finishes for DHST were by Paige Landstrom third in 11-12 back, Ryanne Boland runner-up in 11-12 free and Erica duLong second in 15-18 IM. Nine Otter freestyle and eight medley relay teams placed in the top 10. The 11-12 NIKLAS WEIGELT was the co-high-point winner at the girls quartet of Landstrom, City Meet for Dana Hills and Sophia Miller, Karlie Seastrand then was second in the 100 and Ryanne Boland were secindividual medley for 13-14 ond in the medley and third in free relay. The 13-14 girls with boys at county.
Photos courtesy Dana Hills Swim Team
MOLLY BOLAND won 7-8 girls high-point awards at the city and county swim meets this year for the Dana Hills Otters.
Gabi Mancini, Brooke Johnson, Gianna duLong and Isabella Samardzic took second in the free relay and, with Melissa Cark in place of Johnson, fourth in medley. The 15-18 girls with Abbie Kubota, Julie Wickware, Kate Madigan and Erica duLong were second in the medley and third in free relay. The 15-18 boys with Joe Snyder, Vines, Levy and Shawn Broussard were runner-up in free relay and fourth in medley with Sean Thomas in place of Broussard. Other top 10 finishers for Dana Hills were Madelyn Cottam, Michael Albert, Caela Hetherton, Gianna duLong, Samardzic, Abbey Keller, Thomas Borbely, Teddy McGee, Will Miller, Sophia
Kristian Ipsen goes to Rio after winning 12th national diving title Every top-flight diver in the world dreams of being in Rio de Janeiro next August for the Summer Olympics. Getting a head start on that schedule, Clayton’s Kristian Ipsen was in Brazil this past week as part of a training session with America’s elite divers. The USA intentional team used the trip to get acclimated to the South American country and the Olympic venue less than a year from the Games. Maria Lenk Aquatics
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Centre was constructed for the 2007 Pan American Games and will be used for diving and synchronized swimming at the Rio Games. Ipsen is about to start classes at Stanford as he finishes up his college studies this quarter. His next major competition will be Dec. 1520 at the USA Diving Winter National Championships in Indianapolis. Following placing sixth and seventh in his two events at the FINA World Champi-
onships in Russia in late July he went directly to Orlando for the USA Diving AT&T National Championships and won the three-meter springboard championship. The 3M title was the Clayton diver’s 12th senior national championship—five individual and seven synchro titles. He also has 16 US junior national gold medals. Ipsen was second after the 3M prelims in Orlando but led through the semi-finals and finals to claim his 12th title.
Miller, Madigan, Colton Seastrand, Mancini, Kayla Conger, Kubota, Zoe Lahanas, Diego Castaneda and Cark. Other top 10 relays for the Otters were six and under boys free, 7-8 boys and girls medley and free, 9-10 boys free, 13-14 boys medley and free. Additionally the Otters 1112 and 13-14 girls had two relays in both events finish in the top 12. Oakhurst Country Club got top 10 finishes in 7-8 breast by Brooke Koller (fourth girls) and Finn Cleary (seventh boys).
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
September 11, 2015
Sports
NFL season starts for 49ers, Raiders
6 Diablo FC teams win Jenna Betti Memorial championships
The NFL season is officially upon us. The Raiders open the season at home against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday and the 49ers begin play at Levi’s Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings in a Monday night game. Here is a brief outlook for each team: Raiders – The Raiders are finally starting to look like a competitive team. GM Reggie McKenzie has had his ups and downs, but he’s assembled a roster with a lot of young, talented players that he expects will satisfy diehard Raider Nation at O.co and on the road. Derek Carr has been surrounded with weapons in his second season as the Raiders signal caller. Despite a historically bad running game and weak receiving corps last season, Carr still put up respectable numbers with 21 touchdown passes and 3,270 yards through the air. Carr’s growth this year is going to be pivotal. He now has the No. 4 overall draft pick Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Mychal Rivera and rookie tight end Clive Walford as targets.
Diablo FC celebrated its second annual Jenna Betti Memorial Tournament by winning six championships in the all-girls event honoring former club player Betti. The host club had captured three titles in the inaugural Betti Memorial a year ago and doubled that total last month. The under 12, 13, 14 and 17 Diablo FC Premier NPL Academy teams each won premier division Betti championships. Diablo FC 02 Blue captured the U13 silver division while DFC 99 Blue took the U16 gold crown. Diablo FC 02 Premier NPL Academy team defended its Betti title with a 5-1 victory over Impact 02 in the U13 finals. The team was also second at the Pleasanton Rage Showcase last month. The U13 silver division was claimed by Diablo FC 02 Blue with a 2-1 win over DeAnza Force 02 Yellow. The team had won three games prior to winning the finals. The U12 DFC 03 Premier NPL Academy team blanked Martinez-Pleasant Hill FC Lightning 4-0 in the finals, their fourth consecutive shutout. Diablo FC 01 girls also shut out all four teams at the Betti tournament to take first place in a lightly contested U14 premier division. Earlier the team
On the defensive side of the ball new head coach Jack Del Rio hopes Khalil Mack is a terror for opposing teams after beefing up 20 pounds in the offseason and moving to defensive end. Mack looked unblockable in week three of the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals. 49ers – The 49ers have a lot to prove coming into this season. The majority of the coaching staff turned over and owner Jed York promised the San Francisco faithful that his changes will equate to a winning team. New head coach Jim Tomsula was given the short end of the stick to start his tenure. The 49ers lost Mike Iupati, Frank Gore, Crabtree, Dan Skuta and Perish Cox in free agency. Linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland retired, as well as offensive tackle Anthony Davis. On top of all this, the 49ers released troubled linebacker Aldon Smith. Wide receiver Jerome Simpson was also suspended six games by the NFL. If the 49ers are going to have any chance of being competitive this year, Colin Kaepernick has to step up and become
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TYLER LEHMAN SPORTS TALK a consistent quarterback. Free agent Torrey Smith will be a great deep-threat weapon, but it is up to Kap to be more accurate on deep throws. In 2014, Kaepernick completed only 33.3 percent of his passes 20 or more yards downfield. Overall – The 49ers and Raiders will have their share of ups and downs throughout the season. It would be fair to say that both teams probably finish with between six and eight wins this year. Both are going to be reliant on growth from their quarterbacks and both will need big things from their new coaching staffs. Tyler Lehman is a senior at San Francisco State University and a 2012 CVHS graduate. He is majoring in print/online journalism and wants to be a sports writer. Email your comments or questions to tyler@claytonpioneer.com.
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DIABLO FC 02 PREMIER NPL ACADEMY TEAM won its second consecutive title at the Jenna Betti Memorial this month. The under 13 team includes, front row from left, Megan Gherlone, Alexys Canas, Lauren “LJ” Utne; middle row, Rylie Velez, Molly Maxwell, Andraya Spyrka, Olivia Kreamer, Kylee Gregory, Alexa Avelar; back row, coach JT Thompson, Maddie Thompson, Ryan McNevin, Jenny Linderman, Caleigh Olgeirson, Hailey Fanner, Kali Myers, Miranda Fedrizzi-McGlasson, coach Tafa and Dena Betti, mother of Jenna Betti. Not pictured, Evelyn Martinez.
won the premier division title at the prestigious Pleasanton Rage Showcase Tournament by blanking all four opponents at the end of July. Going into Sunday’s game, the team needed a win or tie to advance to the finals and they did that with a scoreless draw with San Diego Surf Academy. They then won a narrow 1-0 championship match over host Pleasanton Rage U14 ECNL team. The U16 gold division was another competitive bracket with Diablo FC 99 Blue win-
ing Monday until Dec. 11 at Concord Community Pool. Six-year-olds through high school swimmers can train under the professional Terrapin staff for three months. Limited clinic regFALL, WINTER PROGRAMS OPEN AT istration is now being taken online at terrapinALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUES swim.com. The Terrapins year-round USA Programs for youth and adults are now open Swimming program is also accepting applicain Clayton offered by All Out Sports Leagues. tions now for its fall season. Call 680-8372 for Youth basketball and volleyball begins at the more info or visit the club website. end of the month. Thanksgiving and Christmas SHUFFLE THE CARDS FOR break basketball clinics for boys and girls in first CVCHS FOOTBALL BENEFIT OCT. 3 through 10th grades are accepting signups. CVCHS football is hosting its fourth annual There’s a basketball shooting lab every Sunday Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament and dinner from 9-10 a.m. at Clayton Community Gym. on Sat., Oct. 3, benefiting Ugly Eagles football For complete information on All Out Sports program. Prize money of up to $500 for first programs, visit alloutsportsleague.com. place will be offered for the tournament. TickST. BONAVENTURE CYO ets for poker and dinner or dinner only are CROSS COUNTRY NOW TRAINING available. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with poker St. Bonaventure CYO cross country is open at 8 o’clock at Shadelands Arts Center in Walto boys and girls in 2nd-8th grades in the St. nut Creek. Dinner is catered by Lisa V and DeeBonaventure attendance area. Cross country is a Licious. Tickets: claytonvalleyfootball.com. Or short, family-oriented season with practices call 348-3452 or 260-8304 for more info. Mon., Wed. and Fri. at 5:30 p.m. Parents are ST. BONAVENTURE CYO BASKETBALL encouraged to run too. Meets begin in late SepTAKING SIGNUPS UNTIL SEPT. 18 tember on Friday evenings with the Oakland Online registration will be active until Sept. Diocese meet in mid-October. The team meets 18 for St. Bonaventure CYO basketball for boys at Newhall Park near children’s play area. and girls grades 2 through 8. Player fees go up Signups will be taken at practice or visit $10 after Aug. 31. If you have any questions or stbonaventurecyo.com for more info. would like to coach or volunteer, please contact DFC FALL REC SEASON STARTING UP Tim O’Hara at 672-5774. The season runs from Diablo FC is holding its fall rec league Sept. through Feb. with postseason playoffs. through Oct. 20 in Concord at Newhall Park. Registration online at stbonaventurecyo.com. Training for boys and girls under five, U7 and U9 age groups with parent coaches and profes- DFC POKER NIGHT FUNDRAISER OCT. 9 Diablo FC will hold a fundraising Poker sional staff is on Tuesdays with games on SatNight on Friday, Oct. 9. There will be a 6 p.m. urdays Sept. 12-Oct. 24. Visit diablofc.org. dinner and gaming starts at 7 o’clock at Pleasant TERRAPINS FALL CLINIC, YEAR-ROUND Hill Community Center. The poker tournament PROGRAM TAKING SIGNUPS following the tri-tip and chicken dinner will The Terrapins Swim Team will be hosting its have gift certificate prizes up to $500. For more annual Fall Stoke Improvement Program start- info or to register visit diablofc.org.
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ning the championship in a three-way tiebreaker. The oldest Diablo FC titlist at the Betti Memorial was DFC 98 NPL Academy in the U17 premier division. The Jenna Betti Memorial Tournament honors Jenna Betti, a Diablo FC player who tragically passed away in March of 2014. Proceeds benefit #hersmile, an organization established by the Betti family to help people survive and thrive despite life’s harshest circumstances. Visit hersmile.org for details.
September 11, 2015
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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How reliable are home sale contingencies? Q. There is no way I can buy another property without selling my current one. Are the sellers accepting offers contingent on the sale of a buyer’s property? A. It seems that the home sale market is slowing down lately. If it slows down enough for properties to stay on the market a long time a seller might consider an offer continLYNNE FRENCH gent on you selling your home. REAL ANSWERS Another way to look at a contingency is for you to put your home on the market con- of your choice before you tingent on you finding a home would accept an offer. Your buyer would have to wait until
you find a house. There should be a deadline for you to find a house on this type of contingency. Two weeks to 30 days are common. Let’s review what a home sale contingent offer is. It is an offer you make on a property that is contingent on you selling your home. You, the buyer, will include a contingency form stating that if your home sells you will buy their home as long as the escrow on your home closes. A seller’s agent will look at your home to see how
saleable it is. Is it priced right for the condition and location it is in? If your home doesn’t sell, your good faith deposit will be returned. Considering these things, most sellers would prefer a non-contingent offer. It’s less risky. To construct an attractive contingent offer, you probably won’t be able to negotiate the price much. In the contingency form you also would give the sellers an escape or release clause. These are usually 72 hours but can be more or less.
New Windows is a perfect 10
WILL CLANEY
TECH TALK Microsoft released its latest Windows version to a willing audience of awaiting fans, and it is proving to be a big success. Consumers are flocking in droves to what is being hailed as the holy grail of the PC industry. This is quite possibly the best launch of a Windows operating system in history. According to betanews Windows 10 had 14 million installations in the first 24 hours. “After a mere 24 hours of being publicly available, there are already 14 million computers running the operating system,” the story said. “Keep in mind, this number is going to explode as time marches on. The first 24 hours of Windows 10 has been magi-
cal, and Microsoft is sharing the details.” Yusuf Mehdi, a Microsoft spokesperson, said, “It has been an incredible 24 hours for Windows and our fans. We’re humbled and grateful to see the response to Windows 10.” Even with this massive start there is still a long way to go to get the rest of the world upgraded to the new operating system. The 14 million users only represents about 1-2 percent of all Windows users around the world, so there is still much work to be done. Microsoft announced that they will be working around the clock to make sure the Windows 10 launch is successful. I have been working with Windows 10 for more than a year now, and have been pleased with its progress over that period of time. Now that I have the latest release (build 10240) I am excited about using, and playing with, my computer again. It is like a new lease on life. Speaking of which… Did you know, you don’t really need a new computer to enjoy the benefits of Windows 10? While manufactures of
CPUs like Intel are not thrilled that their old CPUs work great on this new operating system, users should be thrilled. I have taken the time to test Windows 10 on all sorts of computers and find that one of the benefits is your old computer runs better than it did when it was new. Of course there are some restrictions and a condition to just how “old” old is. But, if you have a computer running Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.x, your box is likely to be fine. There are a few checks to be sure. You need a minimum of 4GB RAM (memory), about 50GB of hard drive space, and a good connection to the Internet. Really, that’s about it. No need to spend a pile of money on a new computer, unless you want to. The Windows 10 upgrade is free to existing licensed users of Windows 7 and 8.x. All others need to purchase a new license that costs around $150. Not bad considering the alternatives. If you need more RAM or hard drive space that is the easy part and not too expensive either. The upgrade is quite smooth
compared to any other upgrade you have ever encountered. Microsoft took the time and worked at great lengths to make the process as smooth as possible. Nearly all existing programs (apps) will work and perform better under this upgrade, automagically. Most settings will be preserved as well. Although there are some exceptions. For those with Windows XP who want to upgrade, we suggest using a professional if you intend to preserve your programs and data. The whole process includes wiping your drive clean and starting over. If you don’t have the license keys to your software, most keys are recoverable by a professional and can be reinstalled. Have them save your data and marry it back to the program after the upgrade is completed. Really, that’s all there is to it. What you get in return is exquisite. Contact your computer professional today and start upgrading. William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to will@claytonpioneer.com.
That means that the seller will keep their home on the market after they accept your offer and if they get another offer that they want to accept, they will send you a 72 hour notice to perform. If you are able to qualify to buy their house without selling yours, you must show them the proof of funds. Maybe an offer will come in within the 72 hours and you can remove the home sale contingency. In this case make sure that it is still contingent on your house transaction closing. This should be agreed upon when you first write the offer. If your offer is contingent on the close of your home, make sure you don’t accept an offer that is contingent upon anoth-
er house selling. On the other hand if a buyer of your home accepts a contingency from you for you to find a replacement property for a period of time, you might have to negotiate a price that favors the buyer’s because of the uncertainty for them to be able to buy your property. These type of home purchases should include much guidance from your realtor and lender. But they can be done. Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
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Fostering pets provides unique rewards
DEBBIE DEMELLO
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Next to owning a dog or cat, there is nothing more rewarding than fostering an animal from your local shelter or rescue group. Even if you already have a pet at home, you might be able to fit in a temporary tenant, a dog or cat making the transition from shelter to a new family. Local shelters everywhere are bursting at the seams with dogs, cats, kittens and puppies. Rescue groups are on hand to help these animals get out of the shelter but rely on foster homes to provide them with love and care until a permanent home can be found. It's a very rewarding position to be in, knowing you've helped an animal through a difficult time in their lives and into adoption. Many families are happy and excited when they find out there is a really good “forever home” waiting for their foster pet. Here are some things to keep in mind about fostering: • There is a time commitment for fostering. You may be asked to foster a dog or cat for anywhere from two weeks to two months depending on circumstances. You may also be asked to bring your pet to local adoption events to meet potential adopters.
• There are different kinds of ing. Foster parents may need fostering. Shelters and resto devote some time to cue groups need foster parbreaking bad habits to help a ents for kittens and puppies, dog be adoptable. for animals needing medical • You may be asked to nurse a care or for dogs with behavdog or cat back to health. ioral issues. That doesn't That could require giving mean you have to be able to medication at certain times foster all of these kinds of or perhaps giving periodic pets, you might want to just baths. If you have your own foster kittens or puppies. pets at home you may have But foster parents are needto keep them separated ed in all those categories and from your foster if the fosrescues typically offer orienter dog or cat is contagious. tation or instruction to help Before taking in a animal you deal with each situation. that's recovering from an ill• You may also be asked to ness check with your veteriwork with a dog on some narian if you have concerns basic training or temperaabout your own pet. ment issues. Some might There's no question that need work on house train- foster programs are impor-
tant to the success of shelters and rescue groups. Many shelters are overcrowded and are continually in need of room for incoming animals. Foster programs are there to help animals who are at risk at a shelter because they are old or sick or just scared. These animals need time out of the shelter environment to be treated and rehabilitated and then adopted. Consider opening your heart and home to a deserving animal. You can save a life.
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September 11, 2015
Performing Arts
A.C.T. ventures into a delightful ‘Wilderness’
CTC moves fall production to Lesher Center’s Knight Stage Clayton Theatre Company (CTC) has a slightly different and certainly enjoyable way to raise money. The group has combined forces with Encore Medspa in Walnut Creek for an evening of being good to your body while also helping support the local theater company and its fun productions at Endeavor Hall in Clayton. The fundraiser takes place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. According to artistic director LaTonya Watts, the spa will be offering discounts on products and treatments purchased during the fundraiser. “There will also be amazing raffle prizes with the ticket proceeds going directly to CTC,” she says. For more information on the fundraiser, call 925-222-9106 or email claytontheatrecompany@comcast.net. The company’s next production, “Urinetown,” should resonate with local audiences in a rather personal way. The satirical musical takes place in a Gotham-like city where residents are dealing with the effects of a 20-year drought. Water is so precious that private toilets have been banned and people must pay (and
SALLY HOGARTY
STAGE STRUCK
Photo Courtesy of Role Players Ensemble
SAMANTHA BEHR PLAYS STELLA AND ROB AUGUST IS STANLEY in Role Players steamy production of Tennessee Williams’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’
stand in long lines) to use the public facilities. “I’ve wanted to do this musical since I first saw it in New York,” says Roxanne Pardi, who co-directs with Watts. “With our on-going drought in Northern California, it seemed like the perfect time to do this show.”
The show, however, will not be performed at the group’s usual venue, Endeavor Hall, but at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. “It’s very difficult to do a fullscale musical at Endeavor Hall. The stage is very small, and we have no wing space,” Pardi explains. “We think moving to
Innovative ReOrient Festival showcases Middle East themes
GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTIONS’ COMPANY
San Francisco’s Golden Thread Productions, the country’s first theater company focused on the Middle East, is announcing the fall showing of its popular ReOrient Festival of Short Plays. ReOrient 2015, running through Oct. 4 at Z Below and Z Space, will turn the Bay Area into a Mecca for innova-
tive, spirited and thoughtprovoking theater from and about the Middle East. The festival of short plays and the accompanying two-day forum of panels and discussions features performances and artists from Armenia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the U.S. “Nowhere else in the U.S.,
and certainly not anywhere in the Middle East, will you be able to see such a diverse collection of plays from and about the Middle East on one stage,” says Founding Artistic Director Torange Yeghiazarian. “But at the end of the day, ReOrient is more about us here in the U.S. than a changing Middle East that is thousands of miles away. Bay Area audiences of all backgrounds will find themselves reflected in these intelligent and warm plays.” ReOrient 2015 is much more than just a festival of short plays. With talkbacks, panels, roundtable conversations, a family show, and a recital for Arabic music lovers, ReOrient 2015 is an artistic celebration and political exploration of this transforming region for curious and engaged theater lovers and those passionate about international themes. For a full list of ReOrient events and to purchase tickets and passes, visit goldenthread.org/reorient2015.
Why Book with a
TRAVEL AGENT?
the Lesher’s small theater [Knight Stage III] will allow us to reach a larger audience base and afford our actors the experience of performing at the Lesher.” For tickets to “Urinetown,” call 925-943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. Role Players Ensemble more than matches the East Bay’s warm weather with a steamy production of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Names Desire,” running through Sept. 19 at the Village Theatre, 233 Front Street, in Danville. It seems fitting that the company would select this American classic set in New Orleans as the nation commemorates the 10th anniversary of Katrina. While the story of Blanche DuBois, her sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley isn’t a Category Five hurricane, it certainly stirred things up when it debuted in the late 1940s, making Marlon Brando a household name. George Maguire directs with Samantha Behr as Stella, Rob August as Stanley and Melanie DuPuy as Blanche. For tickets, call 925-314-3400 or go to www.roleplayersensemble.com. A plethora of talented locals join forces to present the incredible story of a deaf, dumb and blind kid who plays a mean pinball. Of course, I’m referring to “The Who’s Tommy” presented by OMG, I Love That Show! at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts Sept. 18 through Oct. 11. The exhilarating story of hope, healing and the resilience of the human spirit features Chris Aceves, Jenny Angell, Sydney Chow, Mariah Heath, Melissa Heinrich, Tyler Hennessey, Jacob Judd, Marcus Lance, William Lipton, Zachariah Mohammed, Benjamin Pither, Paul Plain, Jason Rehklau, Miguel Samonte, CC Sheldon, Jennifer Stark, Monica Turner and Keaton Wilkerson. Ryan Cowles directs. With so many wonderful musical and dance numbers, this is one not to be missed. For tickets, call 925-943SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org.
Hailed as “a valentine to hearty turn-of-the-20th-century American life” by the Washington Post, American Conservatory Theater continues its 2015–16 season with “Ah, Wilderness!,” Eugene O’Neill’s passionate coming-of-age classic. “Ah, Wilderness!” is a tender portrait of a sensitive teenage poet whose experience of first love leads him into the raptures of romantic poetry and the pain of heartbreak. As the Miller clan prepare for their Fourth of July celebrations, their idealistic, literature-quoting 16-year-old son, Richard, is struggling with what it means to be young and in love. As Richard’s attempts to sow his wild oats intersect with small-town gossip, hilarious misunderstandings ensue. Full of the vibrant nostalgia of first love and other youthful
discoveries, “Ah, Wilderness!” is a humorous portrait of a family’s attempts to stay united in the midst of growing pains. “‘Ah, Wilderness!’ is a play by a young artist with glorious roles for young actors,” A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff says. “That’s what I love about it. Later in his life, O’Neill would write about his family from his father’s perspective, but here he writes so poignantly and wittily about what it is to be a 20-something in love, trying to navigate adulthood and feeling completely overwhelmed. “ The play runs Wednesday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Nov. 8 at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco. Single tickets (ranging from $20–$100) are available now at the A.C.T. Box Office at 415749-2228 or online at www.act-sf.org.
New works, classics and the return of favorites mark Diablo Ballet 2016 season Diablo Ballet will open its 22nd season of the “Power of Dance” on Nov. 13 at the Del Valle Theatre with a Diablo Ballet premier of the pas de deux from “Tchaikovsky Dances” set to the score from the opera “Eugene Onegin.” The new season features works by George Balanchine, Val Caniparoli, alumna Tina Kay Bohnstedt and a new production of “Carnival of the Animals” by resident choreographer Robert Dekkers. To usher in the holidays, the company will bring a new take on an old favorite with “A Swingin’ Holiday” performed by the Diablo Ballet Swing Orchestra Nov. 13-15. For the full season information go to www.DiabloBallet.org. For season subscription
Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is also the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com
Robert Dekkers in Diablo Ballet’s “Apollo” to return in 2016. Aris Bernales
information, call Diablo Ballet, (925) 943-1775 or to purchase tickets to individual performances, go to LesherArtsCenter.org or call (925) 943-7469. The Del Valle Theater is at 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek.
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Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. SEPT 30 FOR THE OCT. 9 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
IN CLAYTON Thru Sept. 11 9/11 Remembrance A flag and information about each firefighter and police officer lost in 9/11 will be placed in the lawn at Clayton Fire Station 11. The public is welcome and encouraged to visit and pay their respects. 6500 Center St., Clayton.
Saturdays thru Sep. 19 Farmers’ Market 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Diablo Street between Main and Center streets, downtown Clayton. pcfma.com/clayton.
Sept. 12 Saturday Concerts in the Grove East Bay Mudd. 6 – 8:30 p.m. The Grove park, downtown Clayton. Free. cityofclayton.org.
Sept. 14 Stroke Support Group
Sept. 18 – 19 Craft Supply Sale
Dr. Jim Otis discusses “A Stroke Survivor’s Guide to Consistent Sleep.” 7 – 9 p.m. Sterns Conference Room, John Muir Medical Center, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. Free. Contact Ann Dzuna 376-6218.
Material, yarn, notions, beads, paint, buttons, kits, patterns and more. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Concord United Methodist Church, Rooms 1 and 2, 1645 West St., Concord. concordumc.org. 685-5260.
Sept. 16 – Nov. 22 “Monstress” Exploring the resilience of a community struggling to find a home in the ever-shifting sands of the American dream. Strand Theater, 1127 Market St., San Francisco. $35-$95. act-sf.org.
Sept. 18 - 19 “Dance Series One” Presented by Smuin Ballet. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $56-$73. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Sept. 18, 20 “Pied Piper of Hamelin”
Oct. 2 – 4 Oktoberfest Sponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association. Music by The Internationals, biergarten, food, arts and crafts, carnival. 6 – 10 p.m. Fri., carnival only; 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun. Downtown. Free admission. claytonoktoberfest.com.
IN CONCORD Pavilion Concert Schedule The Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. theconcordpavilion.com. Shows start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Sep. 20, Counting Crows
Mondays Off the Grid Rotating lineup of eight food trucks; live music from local musicians. Food trucks 5 – 9 p.m.; music 6 – 8 p.m. Grant Street between Salvio Street and Willow Pass Road, Concord. offthegridsf.com.
Tuesdays Farmers’ Market Tuesdays year round. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.
Thursdays Music and Market Thursday night live music and farmers’ market. Music: Sept. 17, The Best Intentions after dedication of new archways to the park at 6:15 p.m. Market 4 – 8 p.m.; music 6:30 – 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.
3rd Sundays Antique Faire Antiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concordantiquefaire.com.
Sept. 26 Gardening Class Learn how to grow your own fall and winter vegetables. 10 a.m. Navlet’s, 1555 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. free. navletsgardens.com. 681-0550.
Oct. 10 – 11 Icing with the Stars Contra Costa Cake and Sugar Art Society Cake Show and Competition. Open to the public. All levels of expertise welcome for competition. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sun. First Lutheran Church, 4000 Concord Blvd., Concord. $5; children 4 and under are free. Entry forms at cccsas.org. Email questions to cccakeandsugarart@gmail.com.
ON THE MOUNTAIN Mount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free with the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click on Events Calendar for more information.
Presented by El Campanil Children’s Theatre. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $8-$12. elcampaniltheatre.com.
Sept. 18 – Oct. 11 The Who’s: “Tommy”
Presented by Trapped in a Rumor. 8:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $15. lesherartscenter.org. 9437469.
Sept. 12 “Improv Comedy Corner” Presented by Commander Doug Productions. 8:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $15. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Sept. 13 “In My Life” A musical theatre tribute to The Beatles. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $39-$90. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs, pancakes, sausage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525, 2290 Willow Pass Rd, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfwpost1525.org.
Sept. 18 “The Goonies”
Sept. 19 Plant Sale
Performance by Shang. 8 p.m. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $18-$21. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.
Sept. 19 Delta Blues Festival Music, arts, crafts, gift items, food. 12 – 7:30 p.m. Antioch’s Rivertown District, off 2nd Street between G and I streets. Free admission. deltabluesfestival.net.
Sept. 19, 27 “Around the World in 80 Minutes” Performed by Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. 2 p.m. Sept. 19, El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $7-$15. elcampaniltheatre.com. Sept. 27, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$30. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Sept. 20 “Passport to the World” Opening night of the California Symphony. 4 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $75. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Sept. 21 Stand Up Comedy Headliners from the Bay Area hosted by Mean Dave. 7:30 p.m. Vinnie’s Bar & Grill, 2045 Mt. Diablo St., Concord. Free. Must be 21 or older. vinniesbar.com. 685-9515.
Sept. 25 – 27 Black Diamond Follies Entertainment for all ages. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $15-$20. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.
Sept. 27 “Flamingo Court” A slice-of-life comedy presented by The Vagabond Players. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $10-$15. elcampaniltheatre.com.
Oct. 3 “A Salute to the Eagles” Performed by Hotel California. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $25-$27. elcampaniltheatre.com.
Oct. 9 – 11 “Moon Over Buffalo”
Oct. 9 – Nov. 7 “The Full Monty”
Sept. 11 “Improv 9-1-1”
2nd and 4th Sundays Pancake Breakfast
Sept. 19 Comedy
Come have a close encounter with these fascinating and totally harmless spiders. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Summit Museum.
Triumphant musical about legendary Rosemary Clooney. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $37-$63. centerrep.org
FUNDRAISERS
Presented by OMG, I Love That Show! Productions. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $39. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Madcap comedy. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $10-$25. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.
Thru Oct. 10 “Tenderly”
Over 20 local agencies provide information on services available to seniors and their families. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. St. Bonaventure, Large Hall, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. Free. For more information, call Carol at 672-4383.
Outdoor movie benefiting students and staff at Mt. Diablo Elementary School. Festivities at 6 p.m.; movie at 7:30 p.m. Set up chairs after 4 p.m. MDES baseball fields, 5880 Mt. Zion Drive, Clayton. Free admission; refreshments for sale. Contact mdemarquee@gmail.com with questions.
Sept. 20 The California Tarantula
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sept. 19 Senior Information Faire
Heartwarming, upbeat comedy performed by Contra Costa Musical Theatre. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $45-$60. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Oct. 11 “Hidden Treasures” Diablo Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 53rd season with a sparkling program of hidden classical music gems. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $33. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
CHURCHES AND RELIGION Sept. 13 Flute and Guitar Concert Performed by Duo Boheme. 4 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. $15 suggested donation. cvpresby.org.
Sept. 16 Rosies Hear the personal stories of the Rosies who are honored for their contributions to WWII. 11 a.m. Sherrill Hall, Concord United Methodist Church, 1645 West St., Concord. Free. concordumc.org. 685-5260.
Second-to-last sale of the year. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Markham Regional Arboretum Society Nursery. 1202 La Vista Ave., Concord. markhamarboretum.org.
Sept. 27 Sunday Supper and Silent Auction Fundraiser for Clayton Valley Village. 5 – 9 p.m. La Veranda, 6201 Center St., Clayton. $40 due by Sept. 17. Contact Sonja Wilkin at 672-2689.
Oct. 3 Poker Tournament Texas Hold’em poker tournament benefiting Clayton Valley Charter High School football. 5:30 p.m. dinner; 8 p.m. tournament. Shadelands, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. $35 dinner; $75 dinner and gaming. claytonvalleyfootball.com.
Oct. 17 Auction/Dinner Help the Concord Historical Society complete the Concord Museum and Event Center. 5 – 9 p.m. Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord. $50. concordhistorical.org.
Oct. 17 Swinging on a Star Live music by students, dinner and auction benefiting Clayton Valley Music Boosters. 5 – 10 p.m. Shadelands, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. $30. claytonbands.org.
Oct. 24 Two-Bit Auction and Dinner Dinner, entertainment, auction, dessert raffle hosted by Soroptimist International of Diablo Vista. 6 p.m. Back Forty Texas BBQ, 100 Coggins Drive, Pleasant Hill. $50. Contact Jan Townsend at 8271050 or Karen Jameson at 858-8611 by Oct. 16 for tickets.
AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonlibrary.org or call 673-0659. Sept. 12: Hypertufa Workshop, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 28: Clayton Knits, 1:30 – 4 p.m. Sept. 14: Clayton Library Book Club, 7 p.m. Sept. 16: Stargazing, 7 p.m. Sept. 28: Clayton author Gary Carr, 7 p.m. Oct. 1: Clayton Reads begins Oct. 5: Clayton author Brian Donohue, 7 p.m. The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or 646-5455. Sept. 14: Marshmallow Engineering, 7 p.m. Registration required. Sept. 15: Minecraft, 3:30 – 6 p.m. Registration required. Sept. 18 – 20: Book Sale, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Fri. and Sat.; 1 – 3 p.m. Sun. Sept. 21: Movie Night, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Sept. 24: The Psychology of Spending, 6 p.m.; 7:30 p.m. in Spanish Sept. 26: Arts Café, 10 a.m. Registration required. Thursdays, starting Oct. 1: Drum Quest, 3:30 p.m. Registration required. Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 2: Art Journaling, 1:30 p.m. Registration required. Oct. 13: Art Demonstration, 12 p.m.
GOVERNMENT 1st and 3rd Tuesdays Clayton City Council 7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
Page 14
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Clayton board members help lead new performing arts academy JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Since receiving its charter authorization in July, the new Contra Costa School of Performing Arts has its governing board in place and agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the Contra Costa County Board of Education. Three of its founding board members are Clayton residents. Executive Director Neil McChesney said the search for a temporary home is ongoing for the public charter school that expects to open next August. McChesney is looking at local sites to begin operating next summer while he continues dialogue with the city of Concord concerning place-
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ment and construction of a permanent site for the charter school on the grounds of the Concord Pavilion. The governing board appointees include Clayton residents Alison Bacigalupo, Jim Wickware and Sherrie Sarna plus Lisa Kingsbury and Gabriela Rowland. They began meeting last month. Bacigalupo worked with McChesney at Clayton Valley High School, was involved in the conversion of CVHS to Clayton Valley Charter and served on its founding governing board. From humble beginnings in a small Mississippi town, Sarna’s family moved to Southern California where she attended public schools in south-central Los Angeles. She relocated to the Bay Area in 1985 and has had a 26-year career in law enforcement. Sarna has been a county
resident for over 18 years and has raised six children in the public school system. She has two sets of identical twins currently attending local. Wickware has lived in the East Bay for almost 50 years. After attending public schools and then graduating from UC Berkeley in 1980, he worked for three international companies in statisALISON tics, manageBACIGALUPO ment and sales before starting his own firm in 1994. He’s been a board member at First Lutheran School and on the parent faculty club at Mt. Diablo Elementary School.
Rowland co-founded with another parent an afterschool enrichment program, DramaMama Productions, which worked with middle school and elementary school children. As a director and owner of DramaMama Productions, she worked with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and city of Concord. Additionally the charter has an advisory council that currently includes Janet Gower, Kristin Avila, Donn K. Harris and Milton Reynolds. A month after receiving a maximum five-year charter authorization from the county school board, McChesney was back before the board in August to seek approval of a MOU. “This agreement essentially sets forth the conditions for us to open,” McChesney explains. He was quizzed by board
members about how the school will be funded. McChesn e y explained that the SHERRIE SARNA school is seeking donations and grants but will rely on a factoring loan based the expected daily attendance funds that will come from the state once the school opens next fall. The expectation is for at least 300 students spread across grades 6-10 in the first year. Ultimately the organizers project 750 students from grades 6-12. For more information and to contribute to the school’s fundraising drive visit the website: charthousepublicschools.org.
Secrets abound ‘In a Dark, Dark Wood’ Ruth Ware’s debut novel, “In a Dark, Dark Wood” (Gallery/Scout Press; August, 2015), possesses all the best elements of a thriller: a remote country estate, a bachelorette party and a group of frenemies that really, really should have scrubbed their email lists and left each other well enough alone after those terrible school days. But then, where’s the pleasure in that? The story is narrated by Nora, an author who specializes in crime thrillers. Back in school, she was called Lee, short for Leonora. Only one person ever called her Leo, and it was her first love, James. But then he broke up with her — via text — and she moved on. Ten years later, Nora is mostly okay, writing novels and living a fine, urban single life. Then one day out of the blue, she receives an invitation to an old friend’s wedding. Surprised, she feels a little sorry for Clare, thinking that maybe she has no other girls to invite, hav-
CYNTHIA GREGORY
FOR
THE
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ing to dredge back 10 years for her bachelorette do. Nora is undecided about whether or not to attend the hen, but her invite is followed quickly by an email from Nina, who is also wary of Clare’s motives. “If you go, I will,” she says. Nora agrees and they somehow wind up traveling to the remote English countryside together. Nina hates the country and misses her girlfriend, and Nora is straightway filled with dread by their accommodations: a modern glass box dropped
unceremoniously in a meadow at the edge of a dark and menacing wood. The house belongs to Flo’s aunt and feels to Nora like a dangerous cage, though it is only a country estate, complete with a shotgun hung over the living room fireplace. Miles from anywhere, cell reception is sketchy and the revelers are coolly irritable. When Clare announces to Nora that the reason she was invited to the hen and not the wedding is because the groom-to-be is the infamous James, the weekend really takes a turn. It doesn’t help that Flo’s hen party games involve embarrassing details about the bride and groom, shaming and humiliating Nora repeatedly. And then it snows. And then the land lines go out and the hen fete devolves into a churlish clutch of drunken, paranoid hostages. Fun. When the phones go down, Melanie decides to bail, a welcome excuse to return home to her infant son. Flo is alternately weepy and aggressive toward
anyone who isn’t into the spirit of the weekend. Tom would rather be home with his husband but stays on, drinking gin and taking well-aimed shots at Nina and Nora. Clare plays referee, keeping anyone from coming to actual blows. After two days of slowly escalating hell, Nora wakes up in a hospital confused, horribly bruised, and under police watch. She is suspected of murder, but she can’t remember what happened. The harder she tries to recall, the more the truth evades her. Novelist Ware has created a deft and ominous page turner in this fabulous thriller, replete with plot twists, red herrings and a truly scary villain. If you’re still looking for provocative poolside reading to finish the summer, this novel should do nicely. Cynthia Gregory is a North Bay nonprofit leader, writer of short fiction, and author of a blog. Email comments and questions to Editor@ConcordPioneer.com
‘Compton’ loses its beat on screen Growing up listening to the relatively safe rhymes of RUN DMC and Beastie Boys, it’s safe to say that at 10-years old, the first listen to N.W.A. was an earopener. Sneaking around with a Walkman, trying to keep mom from hearing, didn’t last long. Eventually, the tape was taken away. Yet N.W.A. had a lasting effect, both on me and the rap world itself. They hit hard, loud and some would say, obscenely. They also lived the same way. F. Gary Gray’s new biopic “Straight Outta Compton” chronicles the brief career of what many call the greatest rap
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group in history. At two-and-ahalf hours, the film drags on a bit. However, Gray manages to keep it interesting with the help of fine acting and, of course, the music. In 1986, Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) and Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are three young black men trying to survive in Compton. Dre spins records at a local R&B club, Cube writes lyrics while still in high school, and E sells drugs. The movie opens with what feels like a by-the-numbers introduction for our three main rappers. The writing here feels clichéd and forced. Yet, once we start to see their lives unfold, the beginnings of N.W.A. start to take shape. Dre realizes that with his production skills and Cube’s lyrics, they should all be laying down tracks. One frustrating thing about the process is we never see how the actual beats and music come about. Gray chooses only to show numerous recording booth rap sessions. After some hilarious attempts at rapping by E, he finally hits his stride and the first hit, “Boyz in Tha Hood” is born. N.W.A. was full of several very distinct personalities. “Straight Outta Compton” struggles a bit in giving equal screen time to each of the band members. MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) did not have the solo careers or the outspoken personalities of the other three. Brown and Hodge do a fine job but the characters aren’t given much to do besides joke and rap, respectively. Founding member Arabian Prince did not even get a men-
JEFF MELLINGER
SCREEN SHOTS tion in the film. Dre, Cube and E are the real backbone of the group and the film. They all deal with their own problems while trying to handle outside issues like police harassment, crooked record deals, and the violence that surrounds them. Hawkins flexes his acting range when Dre breaks down dealing with family strife and when he stands up to menacing producer Suge Knight (R. Marcos Taylor). We get a sense Dre is a more complicated character than what we see on screen. Jackson Jr. steps right into his
father’s shoes and inhabits the brooding, sometimes violent Ice Cube. However it is Mitchell that steals the show. Mitchell is at times menacing and heartbreaking as E. His friendship with shady producer Jerry Heller (a smarmy Paul Giamatti) may have been what ultimately ended N.W.A. From hardcore drug dealer, to rich husband, to dying of AIDS, Eazy-E lived a short and turbulent life. Despite the quibbles one can find earlier in the film, Gray handles this stage of the film beautifully. Whatever comeback may have been in the works in 1995 was snuffed out forever by the death of Eazy-E. Yet, N.W.A. will eternally live on as the grandfathers of gangster rap. “Straight Outta Compton” is a great starting point for those who have little to no knowledge of the band. It is also fine nostalgia piece for those of us who followed N.W.A. Here’s wishing the film hit equally as hard as the music. B
Corbis
‘STRAIGHT OUT OF COMPTON’ tells the story of young black rappers trying to survive in Compton. From left: DJ Yella, MC Ren, Eazy-E, and Dr Dre.
September 11, 2015
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Schools New year brings important ‘Challenges’ Throughout our first years, we have observed an incredible transformation and are fortunate for the teachers, staff and parent volunteers who are an instrumental part of our special community. DAVID LINZEY is quite remarkable to conVOYAGE OF THE EAGLE siderIt that our 2016 senior class began their high school journey Clayton Valley Charter High as our first freshman class when School began our fourth year CVCHS initially opened its with another exciting Back to doors as a new charter in 2012. School month.
We certainly have much to celebrate. CVCHS sponsored numerous events and activities for our new and returning students, each designed to build a connection among our students and to fulfill Clayton Valley’s vision that every child feels safe, loved and celebrated in a positive learning environment. CVCHS owes special thanks to Sarah Lovick, student Link
Crew leaders and our counselors for their tireless efforts hosting the amazing activities during Freshman Transition Week. This group of dedicated staff and students provided the support and encouragement for all of our 500 new freshmen students to become a proud CVCHS Eagle. Last week, CVCHS sponsored our fourth annual “Challenge Day” program that includ-
CVCHS considers eliminating the four employee positions from governing board JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
As it starts its fourth year, Clayton Valley Charter High School is considering major changes in the structure of its governing board. Since CVCHS came into existence, its nine-member governing board has included four members who are school employees. In theory this gives teachers with two positions plus the administration and classified employees a voice and vote in all school matters. In practice it means that those four members can’t discuss or vote on issues involving salaries, personnel and other related topics, leaving the remaining five (or fewer) board members to make such decisions. It especially makes for awkward situations when the board is in closed session —
sometimes for hours —to deal with issues where the recused members have to leave the meeting room. The two teacher positions on the board have been vacant since faculty representatives Amber Lineweaver and Dana Tarantino resigned in May. They both left CVCHS after the past school year ended. At the board’s August planning session there was a discussion about the possibility of eliminating all the employee positions from the board, thus removing the need for so many recusals on routine matters. This issue was among the list of recommendations made in the report to the Contra Costa County Office of Education stemming from complaints about CVCHS sent to the county office last year. This idea was to be discussed at the September board
meeting this Wednesday. BOARD RESPONSE TO COUNTY FINDINGS Executive Director Dave Linzey and a governing board member met with Contra Costa Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata after the release of the CCCOE report. The school reports, “they were very pleased with the discussion and progress made addressing issues contained in the CCCOE report.” Linzey filed a response to the “recommendations” made by the law firm hired by CCCOE, based upon the assumption that any complaints were “not false.” CVCHS is outlining how the school is already compliant with many of the report’s recommendations and is also demonstrating how the school has made minor policy adjust-
ed the entire sophomore class of 450 students along with 25 adult volunteers and trained Challenge Day professionals. For the past three years, CVCHS students participated with parents, counselors, teachers and community leaders to discuss sensitive issues surrounding teasing, bullying and stereotyping. The bonds established this week will provide our students with a network of supportive friends and staff throughout their high school years. We are indebted to Susanne Renner for her leadership in paving the way for our students to participate in this life changing experience. Susanne is a CVCHS parent leader and is
responsible for organizing the Challenge Day program at CVCHS. “Challenge Day provides our students with tools for peaceful conflict resolution and how to express emotions in a healthy way,” she says. “As a result, it builds empathy and community on campus by igniting a movement of compassion and positive change.” By the end of the program, students make a commitment to create change on campus and in their community. The entire program is both inspiring and awakening. David Linzey is executive director of CVCHS. Contact him David.linzey@claytonvalley.org
ments to comply with some of CCCOE’s requests. Linzey report that they “were very pleased with our meeting with Superintendent Sakata and our mutual plans for proceeding forward with adjustments, demonstration of compliance and evidence that many complaints were indeed false.” NEW SCHOOL YEAR, PRINCIPAL
The fourth year of Clayton Valley Charter sees new principal Jeff Eben in charge. Linzey reported at the August board meeting — held one week after the opening day of school — that the “new school year is off to a great start with much enthusiasm expressed by staff, students and parents. Our new principal has been well-received and is doing a great job leading the staff forward. We have much to be proud of and much to be thankful for as we begin another successful school year.”
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Back-to-School Fundraisers at DVMS NATALIE PURSCHE
DVMS CORRESPONDENT It’s that time of year again! The time of year kids dread most, waking up early in the morning and the long days. What a lot of students don’t realize is many schools lack the money they need to continue programs such as art and music. Schools could use every penny they can raise through donations and fundraisers. Diablo View Middle School’s PFC (Parent Faculty Club) has organized the ‘Dollar a Day’ fund to help improve our educa-
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tion by supplying school supplies, as well as technical advances such as projectors in classrooms. Also, the school organized a ‘Back to School BBQ’ on September 25 to raise money for after school programs. Tickets cost $13 each and must be bought by September 11th. The night will be great with delicious food, great entertainment by the school Jazz Band, and a great time to interact with fellow DVMS families. Other ways to help can be collecting ‘Box Tops’ found on tissue boxes and soup cans. You can turn these box tops into the collection box in the office. Last year the school raised almost $500 from the box tops alone. You can also help the school at Jamba Juice. You can use a
Jamba Juice preloaded payment card and a portion of your purchase can be donated back to the PFC. The DVMS Dispatch also can inform you of “Jamba Fridays” where your child can enjoy an 8 oz. smoothie for only $2. Jamba juice will donate 20% of the proceeds to the DVMS PFC. Last but not least, you can shop at Lucky’s, Food Max and SaveMart to help DVMS. When you swipe your card, S.H.A.R.E.S will donate 3% of the proceeds to the PFC. There are many ways to help our school. Every penny counts. Natalie Pursche is in the seventh grade at Diablo View Middle School. She is an avid reader, enjoys writing, and loves to spend time with her friends and family. Send comments to natalie@claytonpioneer.com.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Clayton Valley Village presents our Second Annual
Sunday Supper & Silent Auction
Sun. Sept . 27
Gad-Zukes! It’s zucchini season
5-9 pm
La Veranda, 6201 Center St., Clayton •Full Dinner with Wine
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$40 per person; in advance or at door; reservations strongly suggested. Proceeds Support Development of CVV
Tickets and Info: Sue Manning 925-672-2727 Sonja Wilkin 925-672-2689 Rita Pardella 925-798-9561
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September 11, 2015
LINDA WYNER
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Our hot, dry summer days are perfect for growing zucchini . . . often too many zucchini if you don’t watch it. If you happen to be on a first-name basis with zucchini (singular: “zucchina) you should know that’s only one of its monikers. When I was growing up, we called it green Italian squash. In fact, it was the Italians who developed this variety of squash from the seeds Christopher Columbus brought back to the Mediterranean from his New World journeys. Zucchino, or small squash, is very popular in Italy. It was avoided in France for centuries until cooks started using the smaller varieties (zucchini as large as seven-feet long, weighing 70 lbs. have been grown). The French courgette is also a term used by British and other European cooks. The actual term “squash” came from a Native American term skutasquash,
meaning “green thing eaten green.” A relative of the cucumber and watermelon, zucchini is about 95 percent water. The other 5 percent is pretty remarkable — a standard size (six-inch) zucchini has about 20 to 25 calories, has more potassium than a banana, and is loaded with beta-carotene, lutein and lots of vitamins. I side with the French and believe that smaller zucchini are better and tastier than large ones. And don’t forget the flowers — stuff, batter and deep fry them for an unusual but tasty hors d’ouevre. However, if you do end up with a baseball bat in your garden, grate it and drain it, which will mask its otherwise watery, insipid flavor.
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS Serves 8 4 zucchini, grated or shredded 2 tsp. salt ½ cup flour ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 eggs, beaten 4 Tbsp. olive oil Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add salt and gently toss to combine; let sit for 10 minutes then transfer to a clean dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all moisture. In a large bowl, combine
zucchini, flour, Parmesan, garlic and egg; season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and add tablespoonfuls of batter, cook until golden brown on the bottom, flip and cook the other side, about 4 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve. Zucchini isn’t just a side dish; it’s also delicious in desserts and all manner of baked goods. One of my favorites is chocolate zucchini bread.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans (8 ½-inches x 4 ½-inches) and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Add in the olive oil and yogurt and mix well. Add cocoa and mix with a spatula. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Sift into the egg mixture and stir until just moistened. Add the prepared zucchini and use a spatula to stir into the batter until just incorporatCHOCOLATE AND YOGURT ed. Do not overmix. If using ZUCCHINI BREAD the chocolate, gently fold in ¾ Makes 2 loaves cup of the chips. 2 eggs Split the batter evenly 1 cup sugar between the two prepared loaf 1/3 cup olive oil pans. If using, sprinkle the ½ cup yogurt remaining chocolate chips over 1 ½ cups flour the tops of the two loaves. 1/3 cup cocoa powder Bake for 65 minutes (until 1 ½ tsp. baking powder toothpick comes out clean). ¼ tsp. salt The loaves must ideally 1 tsp. vanilla extract cool completely before slicing 3 cups grated and and serving. squeezed zucchini Linda Wyner owns Pans on (measured after Fire, a gourmet cookware store and squeezing) cooking school in Pleasanton. Send Optional: 1 cup chocoemail to lwyner@pansonfire.com late chips with questions or suggestions.
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Logic tells us to be practical and not waste money on fashion trends that are here today and gone tomorrow, particularly when it comes to expensive jewelry. Let me assure you, a colossal cascading necklace, bedazzled choker, chandelier earring or chunky bracelet that will take your Plain-Jane outfit to show-stopping brilliance is indeed available in your price range and is both a sensible and sensational addition to your accessory wardrobe. Statement jewelry is any jewelry that makes a big impact. How do I know that it is here to stay? Stylish women have worn fabulous jewelry, both real and faux, throughout history. Hollywood and the celebrity elite are as close as we in the U.S. come to royalty, and many stars have
adorned themselves with precious jewels. As a society, we tend to adopt the trends we see in the media, the movies, magazines, and on the concert stage. Big, bold and beautiful pieces are not just for the runways or red carpets. What could be better than layering a sparkly necklace over tee-shirt and jeans? Everyday outfits go from dull to brilliant when we mix in a statement necklace. The white button-down shirt is a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. Not only does it go with every skirt, pair of pants or jeans, but also the variety of necklaces we can wear with it is almost endless. Open the collar to expose a peek of your necklace or wear a long pendant outside the collar. The choice is yours. Jewelry can transition your
clothes from day to night or PTA to Cocktail Hour in the blink of an eye. If you do not have time to run home between events, take your accessories with you and change on the fly. Rather than remembering rules when it comes to jewelry, a better bet is to think about some great tips. One good rule of thumb to remember is: High neckline, long necklace; low neckline, short necklace. Let’s take a look at necklines. While just about anything goes, if you are conflicted or not quite sure, these tried and true pairings work: V-Neck: You can select a necklace that fills the space. Shorter pendants will bring the eye to the collarbone and neck area, while longer necklaces and layered strands can emphasize the cleavage. Just make sure your
necklace rests above or below the base of the “V”— you will not want the necklace to get caught behind the fabric. Boat: Try long multistrands or pendants almost to the waist. Cowl: No necklace, go for the statement earrings. Crew: A bib or collar necklace always works. Halter: Slim pendants look best. Scoop: Fill the space with feminine details – pearls, gemstones. Square: Angular lines are your friend, or a short choker. Strapless: Big and bold necklace, or none at all and go for statement earrings. Turtleneck: Substantial pendants, chains, beads. Avoid looking dated and frumpy with too dainty and delicate. Necklaces should be bold and chunky or multi-strand. Have fun and try different looks. I hope I started your wheels turning and thinking about ways to use beautiful statement pieces to your advantage. Susan Sappington is the Area Development Manager and Wardrobe Consultant for ETCETERA Clothing of New York. Send comments to susan@etcstyles.com.
September 11, 2015
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 17
Tips for safely sharing parks’ bike trails CAROLYN JONES
PARK IT The Bay Area has long been a hub of mountain biking, beginning with the sport’s origins on Mt. Tamalpais in the 1970s. Great weather, an abundance of trails and natural beauty, and an athletically-inclined population have made the Bay Area one of the most popular regions in the world for this challenging and fun sport. The East Bay Regional Park District boasts hundreds of miles of trails that are open to mountain bikes. Overall, most mountain bicyclists, hikers and equestrians share the trails with few problems. But, with ever-increasing numbers of park visitors, occasional conflicts are inevitable. Here’s a quick refresher on trail rules
for bicyclists, hikers and equestrians alike: Mountain bikes are allowed on any trail over eight-feet wide, and most paved trails. They’re also allowed on a handful of narrow trails throughout the district, including the Heron Bay and Swallow Bay trails at Del Valle; Zeile Creek trail at Garin; Panorama trail at Mission Peak; Clyma trail at Morgan Territory; Brandon trail at Lake Chabot; Brushy Peak Loop trail at Brushy Peak; and a variety of narrow trails at Briones, Redwood and Sibley. Check maps and www.ebparks.org for details. A few areas are off-limits to bikes entirely because of narrow trails, crowds or sensitive habitat: Claremont Canyon, Huckleberry, Ardenwood, and portions of Coyote Hills, Mission Peak, Sibley, Tilden Nature Area and Eastshore. Crockett Hills Regional Park offers almost 13 miles of outstanding single-track trails
The latest EBRPD acquisition is the 362-acre former Wiedemann Ranch on the western edge of San Ramon. The parcel will connect Bishop Ranch Open Space Preserve and Dublin Hills Regional Park.
that are open to mountain bikes. Throughout the Park District, the bike speed limit is 15 mph. Bicyclists should call out if they’re passing a hiker or equestrian. Most collisions happen when hikers are caught off guard, or can’t move out of the way fast enough. “If you’re hauling down a hill doing 25 mph, even if you
do call out a hiker won’t be able to move fast enough,” said East Bay Regional Park District Police Lt. Lance Brede. “And if the hiker’s wearing headphones, they might not hear you at all.” In general, all trail users should be courteous and accommodating, and remember that everyone wants to have an enjoyable experience at
the park. Safety and consideration should be everyone’s priority. Staying on the trail is important, as well. Creating bootleg trails or shortcuts causes erosion, degrades the landscape, and can be costly to repair. In other news, the EBRPD Board of Directors voted unanimously earlier this month to enter into an option to acquire 362 acres of the former Wiedemann Ranch on the western edge of San Ramon. The stunning, pristine parcel will connect Bishop Ranch Open Space Preserve and Dublin Hills Regional Park, preserving one of the most visible hilltops in the San Ramon Valley and providing a critical link in the popular
Calaveras Ridge Trail. The Park District bought the property from the Wiedemann family for $2,048,000, its appraised fair market value. The funding will come from Measure WW, a $500 million bond approved by Alameda and Contra Costa county voters in 2008 to preserve open space and wildlife habitat in the East Bay. The property will eventually become part of Bishop Ranch Open Space Preserve, nearly doubling the park’s size to just over 800 acres. Until a land-use plan is completed and approved, the Wiedemann property will be land-banked. Carolyn Jones is public affairs officer for East Bay Regional Parks. Email her at cjones@ebparks.org.
Club News
CBCA: Rib Cook-off steams ahead GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer
The annual Clayton Business and Community Association’s Rib Cook-off was a success this year, but look for big changes cooking for the 2016 event and beyond, the CBCA learned at its Aug. 27 meeting at the Oakhurst Country Club. Cook-off co-chair Rory Richmond reported that 30 teams participated in the Aug. 8 event, helping raise more than $3,000 above last year’s total for CBCA. The Clayton event gained some national recognition in cook-off circles,
and Richmond is shooting for 50 teams next year. That will be possible if some major changes are made to the format, most importantly moving to a new venue. The Clayton Club’s Steve Barton announced that the saloon has decided to bow out of hosting the cook-off, amplifying Richmond’s comment that if the event is to grow, it must move to a larger venue that can accommodate more people. Barton was applauded for the Clayton Club’s crucial assistance in growing the Rib Cook-off from just an idea to one of the best in the East Bay. In order to bump up the
Clayton event to national prominence, Richmond plans to bring in trainers from the Kansas City Barbecue Society to hold a school for judges. Classes will train judges in four categories: ribs, chicken, pork and sausage. Help for Kids: In other news, CBCA Cares packed more than 200 backpacks this year for distribution to school kids through Vestia, a nonprofit agency helping children in need. In addition, the club voted to help fund the Junior Achievement programs at Mt. Diablo Elementary. Oktoberfest is Coming:
Looking forward to the 12th annual Oktoberfest, Oct. 3 and 4, the CBCA learned that Sardine Family Circus will return once more to perform each afternoon, and the stalwart oom-pah band, The Internationals, will set the tone for fun, beer and bratwurst. For more information on the CBCA and its activities, visit the club’s website: www.claytoncbca.org.
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Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise Rotary Club exchange student The Clayton Valley Con- exchange student from Bern. Her native language is cord Sunrise Rotary Club wel- Switzerland. Sophie is from German, but she also speaks comes Sophie Etter, their new Zollikofen, a small town near French and English. She is one of 12 exchange students from around the world that are living for a year with host families in Rotary District 5160 (North Central California). Sophie is enrolled at Clayton Valley Charter High School where she is already actively involved playing on the school water polo team and carrying a full class load, including algebra 2, French 3, American government, English and beginning Spanish. Sophie resides with a host Clayton Worsdell family from Clayton Valley EXCHANGE STUDENT SOPHIE ETTER is a member of the Charter and attends the SunInteract Club at CVCHS, the high school organization of rise Club’s Thursday morning Rotary International. Pictured: Natalie Ruzicka, vice presibreakfast meeting each week dent; Sophie Etter, Reed Crutchfield, co-president; Lynette along with several of her InterCox, secretary and Melissa Cox, co-president. act Club classmates.
ACTIVE LISTING
Mike Spellman and Ella Wolfe take the audience on a musical excursion making them laugh, reflect and imagine during “Songs from a Suitcase” from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Diamond Terrace in Clayton for the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club annual fall fundraiser. The club presents a delightful afternoon of music, appetizers and desserts. Proceeds benefit select community charities and scholarships. Spellman’s background includes performing with The Vagabond Players, producing and performing his tribute to Through the 60s.” Wolfe has performed for Frank Sinatra and co-starring with Ella Wolfe in “Feelin’ over 20 years as a professional Groovy! A Musical Trip vocalist and actress in numer-
ous nightclubs, concert venues and theater companies. Both have been nominated for Shellie Awards. Diamond Terrace is at 6401 Center St., Clayton. Admission is $25. Reservations are required as seats are limited. For reservation information, call Aleta Huck at (925) 6729448. The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club meets at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month, except July and August, at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 5555 Clayton Road, Clayton. Guests are welcome to attend meetings and social events. For more information, go to claytonvalleywomansclub.org.
5143 Sutherland Dr. Concord
$535,000
3 Bed, 2.5 Bath + Den, Approx. 2021 sq.ft. Listing agent: Paula Johnstone
513 Falling Star Dr. Martinez
Paula Johnstone Broker Associate DRE# 00797857
925-381-8810 heypaula10@gmail.com
$499,000
3 bed, 2.5 bath Approx. 1572 sq.ft. Listing agents: Matt Mazzei/Kyle Garcia
PENDING
Save the Date for the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Fall Fundraiser
1417 Bel Air Dr. Concord $285,000
2 Bed, 1.5 Bath, Approx. 1122 sq.ft. Listing agent: Rula Masannat
5111 Paul Scarlet Dr. Concord
$620,000
Rula Masannat
Sales Agent 6 Bed, 3 Bath, DRE# 01923757 Approx. 2631 sq.ft. 415-310-2905 Listing agent: Matt Mazzei rulawithmazzei@yahoo.com
40 & 50 Carquinez Scenic Dr. Martinez $760,000 Fourplex unit, 2 Bed, 1 Bath Listing agent: Paula Johnstone
415 Bay Crest Dr. Pittsburg
$295,000
3 bed, 2.5 bath Approx. 1643 sq.ft. Listing agent: Paula Johnstone
3822 Shasta Cir. Pittsburg
$254,900
3 bed, 1.5 bath Approx. 1053 sq.ft. Listing agent: Matt Mazzei
mazzeirealty.net Clayton residents since 1959
925-693-0757 (Main)
Matt Mazzei, Jr. Broker/Owner DRE# 01881269
925-766-6745 mazzeirealty@yahoo.com
6160 Center St. Suite #C, Clayton
925-693-0752 (Fax)
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Advertise in the Clayton Pioneer 672-0500 “I do all work myself. I am the only person that will be in your house.” - Leah Gomez Owner, Clayton Resident
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MANY REFERENCES Est. 1991
Mix up those grasses for droughttolerant drama all year around This time of year our summer landscapes surrender themselves to the swaying plums of ornamental grasses. These grasses can be seen throughout our city providing texture, movement and grace where ever planted. Unlike flowers, groundcovers and many trees, the slightest breeze brings an ornamental grass to life. Installing ornamental grasses to a landscape, hillside or container will add much needed interest to the site’s overall look. Red Fountain grass is quite possibly the most popular ornamental grass installation for the entire area. Folks adore the reddish brown foliage and rose-colored
Pioneer Photo Album
MaryMac Propersi snapped this awesome shot of an unusual lenticular cloud formation on Aug. 28. She and husband John were on a walk in Dana Hills. She shot the photo from her Galaxy Samsung phone.
September 11, 2015
“I give credit to my daughter Hannah, who can name literally every cloud there is and has taught me a new appreciation for these ‘fluffy cotton balls’ in the sky.”
The Pioneer is proud to spotlight our readers’ photos. Email your photo in a high-resolution format to tamara@claytonpioneer.com with a description of the photo, where and when it was taken and a little about why you like it. Include your name and phone number. Then look for it in the next Pioneer.
NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL plumes. Pennisetum Setaceum “Rubrum” is the botanical name for this fountain-like ornamental. At maturity, you should expect Red Fountain grass to reach five-feet tall and wide. Red Fountain grass dies back during the winter months. The blades become brown and dry. This is part of its cycle. Resist cutting your Red Fountain grass back until the middle of March, if you can. The dry foliage protects the center of the plant from taking on too much winter rain water. Occasionally, extended period of freezing temperatures may kill your Red Fountain grass entirely. It won’t happen every year, and the summer success makes that ornamental almost irresistible and worth the risk. Mexican Feather grass is a trendy ornamental grass with a silky, thread-like texture. This selection provides tons of movement in the landscape. Many use Mexican Feather grass to highlight a walkway, dry river bed, oversized boulders or retaining walls. Stipa tenissima is the botanical name for Mexican Feather grass and you can expect your clumps to grow almost two-feet tall and 12-18-inches wide. It likes full to partial sun and is drought tolerant once established.
Karl Foester Calamagrostis is commonly called Feather Reed grass. This selection makes an awesome hedge or screen, reaching six-feet tall while in bloom. The purplish plumes of Karl Foester pairs nicely with its deep green foliage. This ornamental grass is both deer and drought tolerant. Karl Foester Calamagrostis grows from the center out, and will need to be divided every few years to prevent the hole-in-the-doughnut effect. It may sound like extra work, but the results are worth it. Blue Fescue and several selections of Carex grasses have become quite the rage since many are removing their lawns and opting for waterwise plant material. Blue Fescue is a predictable ornamental grass, depending on the selection you can expect growth from 8-16-inches tall and wide. The color of the foliage is what sells the Blue Fescue. The bluer the better. Look for
selections such as Boulder Blue, which has a metallic blue color, or Elijah’s Blue which is a true blue. Carex is available in greens, variegated, bronze and orange. Folks get ornamental grasses and grass-like plants confused. Phormium, also known as New Zealand Flax, and Cordyline, known commonly as Yucca, are not ornamental grasses. Rather they are evergreen plants with grass-like foliage. Ornamental grasses incorporated in a landscape adds a lot of interest to the area. They are readily available, drought tolerant and easy to grow. Read up on mature sizes of your considerations, and also if you should expect and self-sowing, just to make sure you are completely happy with your selections. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with questions or comments by email at Gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
Fountain and Mexican Feather grasses massed together for maximum effect.