SEP 16 Clayton Pioneer 2011.pdf

Clayton's lazy Labor Dayheated up in a big way lastweek when a wind-fueled fireroared through a residential

neighborhood near ClaytonValley High School, destroyingone home and severely damag-ing two others.

No major injuries werereported, and fire investigatorsare still investigating the cause.

Firefighters responded tothe two alarm blaze at the topof Skyler Court, located justacross Alberta Way fromCVHS, at about 4:40 p.m.Monday., Sept. 5. The house at

the top of the hill on SkylerCourt was under constructionwhen it ignited, and it wastotally destroyed.

David Bolstad was a bitluckier, as his house onMarvue Court just east of thefire sustained fire and smokedamage, but is structurallyokay. His neighbor wasn't aslucky, as his house sustainedmore major damage.

Bolstad saw the fire out his

window, and quickly grabbed isgarden hose to try and wetdown his own property. “Butthe heat was too much, theflames were too big. I told mywife to grab the dog and meetme down at the bottom of thehill.”

A classic car buff, Bolstadhurried to save his 1932 Ford,backing it slowly down the hilleven while its roof was on fire.“Not only do I have fire dam-age to my home, but to my car,too.”

He and a neighbor movedhis two other cars to the bot-tom of the hill, but after that,firefighters wouldn't let himback up, as the blaze was toosevere.

The towering flames on thehot holiday afternoon drew alarge crowd of onlookers, andBolstad said he was lucky itwas a holiday and he was hometo help save his possessions.

Contra Costa Fire officialsbelieve the fire started at thehome being constructed onSkyler Court and a westernwind fanned the flames toMarvue Circle. As of presstime, Contra Costa CountyFire District Battalion ChiefRandy Champion said therewere no further updates, butthe investigation is still goingon.

Nearly 30 firefightershelped fight the blaze, whichwas contained in about anhour. But for Bolstads, theclean-up is just beginning.

“My wife and I plan to stayhere through the renovations,'he said. “The workers may notappreciate us underfoot, but Ifeel safer staying put.”

“It is better to light a singlecandle than to curse the dark-ness,” said Father PeterChampion of St. John’sEpiscopal Parish at the TenthAnniversary of 9/11, quoting aproverb.

There, in front of ClaytonFire Station 11, more than athousand people – young andold, Democrats andRepublicans, Christians andBaha’is – prayed, sang and litcandles together to rememberthose who lost their lives duringthe terrorist attacks on theWorld Trace Center ten yearsearlier, and the lessons learnedsince then.

Following the NationalAnthem and an opening prayer,the Honor Guard accompaniedby bagpipers raised a tatteredAmerican flag – one that hadflown at Ground Zero – to halfstaff.

Clayton Mayor David Shueysaid the gathering was for all.

“The city and I as mayor arenot looking at this in any way asChristian or Muslim or Jewish

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER

Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Community Calendar . . . . . .16

Concert Schedule . . . . . . . . .3

Clayton Cooks - NEW . . . . .3

CVHS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .8

Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5

DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .8

Fashion Over 50 - NEW . . .13

From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . .15

Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . .5

Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Take a Hike . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .14

What’s Inside

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

Sometimes the timing of mycolumns is just slightly off andby the time you read this col-umn the event has happened.Well, better late than never forsome things!

Once again, the ClaytonCommunity Church hosted itseighth annual Labor Day Derbyand car show on main streetdowntown. More kids than eversigned up to ride down mainstreet in cars donated by localbusinesses. It is a true familyevent, one of my favorite daysin Clayton, and truly conjures upimages of Norman Rockwell'sideal vision of small townAmerica. Congrats and thanksto CCC for this free communityevent. (Note, over under is 5!This cryptic note will beexplained next column to keepyou in suspense).

PRSRTSTD

US POSTAGE

PAID

CLAYTON, CA

PERMIT190

See Mayor, page 18

It all happenedin Clayton

See 9/11 Service, page 20

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

Community honors 10th anniversary of9/11 with service and candlelight walk

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CCFPD HONOR GUARD STANDS AT ATTENTION WHILE MORE THAN 1,000 GATHERED at the Clayton fire station on Sunday ina community remembrance of the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Tip a stein and get readyto polka at Oktoberfest

Labor Day fire guts one home, damages two others

On Saturday and Sunday,Sept. 24 and 25, Clayton’s down-town area will take on the fla-vors of one of the most cele-brated festivals in the world asthe Clayton Business &Community Association present

its eighth annual Oktoberfest.The two-day event – featuringmusic, beer and great Germanfood – attracts visitors from allover the Bay Area.

Photo by Marinemom

POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING the cause of a Labor Day fire that destroyed a Skyler Ct. home.

Two-alarm blazeroars through neigh-borhood near CVHS

See Oktoberfest, page 14

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com September 16, 2011 925.672.0500

Coming Soon: Clayton Almanac

Dozens of cage-free eggs sup-plied by 4-H brothers Isaac andJacob Hall were used in a myriad ofcreative and healthy recipes by thecompetitors. The challenge wasjudged based on presentation, taste,creativity, and following the healthyguidelines

Armed with their culinary skillsand imaginations, mayors and repre-sentatives from 15 cities gatheredlast Saturday in The Grove Park tocompete “Iron Chef ” style for thecoveted Mayor’s Healthy Cook-offtrophy.

Concord won the cook-off withan original Fiore-Bravo egg dishwith savory salsa. The team, led byMayor Laura Hoffmeister with herchef Habib Eljacifi of Fiore andBravo Bistro in Concord, Mt DiabloHigh School Principal KateMcClatchy and Serendipity sous-chef Valeria Guerrero, will keep thetraveling trophy until next year’scook-off. As the winning teamMDHS will have a garden built fortheir school by Whole Foods, inconsultation with the MasterGardeners of Contra Costa.

Clayton’s own Mayor, DavidShuey, teamed with chef AnisMaamari, owner of Clayton’s LaVeranda restaurant, and CVHSPrincipal Sue Brothers, prepared anEggs Benedict dish, using Portobellomushrooms and artichokes servedwith fresh fruit salsa and green beanswith hollandaise sauce.

All of the recipes used in thecook-off will be published in abooklet to be available to the public

The annual competition pro-motes healthy eating and was spon-sored by the Wellness CityChallenge, Pacific Coast FarmersMarket, American HeartAssociation, Whole Foods, MasterGardeners of Contra Costa, Big CAthletic Club, Eco-Village Farm,Connect Well, 4-H and The Grange.

Mais Oui, ParisCecily Sotomayor (center) and her

mom, Lisa Arellanes, and dad, RobLewis, traveled to Europe this summerand took the Pioneer along for company.Here we are in front of Notre DameCathedral in Paris.

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Clayton Valley Orthodontics turned a trip to the orthodon-tist into a party last week when they hosted their annual icecream social for patients, family and friends. The parking lot wasfilled inflatables, activities and games. By far, the most popularwas the dunkin’ tank where Dr. Stephen Ludwig cooled morethan his heels to the delight of the crowd

We tagged alongwith DVMS 7th grader,Bridget Hyland and herfamily on their houseboat vacation to LakePowell in Arizona inAugust. Nothing beatsa summer vacation onthe lake – lazy days justfloating under the sun.

After the memorial service for her recently deceasedhusband Kim, Sonja Wilkin and her grandchildren took aweek long trip to Disneyland in celebration of family. Fromleft, Maddie, Sonja and Jack.

Clayton hosts Mayor’s Healthy Cook-offAround Town

Pioneer Travels

Dr. Ludwig screams for icecream . . . and mercy

When Madison Caldwell, 8, and herbrother Chase, 6 went with their parentsRhonda and David Caldwell to visit theirgrandparents’ ranch in Graeagle thissummer, we tagged along to go hiking,swimming and rafting on the river.

When Bali Hai calls, go

At Grandma’s place

On Lake Powell

In the Teacup at Disneyland

We joined Shirley and Chuck Parent on their recentvacation on the island of Moorea. Cook’s Bay and Bali Haiare in the background. The Parents have a timeshare onMoorea and visit often “for the beautiful scenery.”

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com September 16, 2011

Clayton Cook-off team: Sue Brothers, Principal CVHS, Serendipitysous chef, Mayor David Shuey and Anis Maamari, owner of LaVeranda.

Saturday At the Gazebo in

The Grove.Last Concert of

the SeasonSeptember 17 -The Hot Rods

Rock and roll fromthe 50s and 60s

Note Specialtime: 5 pm to

7:30 pmSponsored by the cityof Clayton, CBCA andAllied Waste Services

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4044 Burbank Drive, Concord $339,000Walnut Woods – Upgrades in this 5BD/2.5BA home willplease you. Brazilian teak flooring, custom fireplace infamily room. Enjoy crown & base trim, new blinds & fix-tures and kitchen with pantry.

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More than 75 participantson seven teams took turnsaround the park as part ofClayton’s first-ever Relay ForLife, the successful AmericanCancer Society Fundraiser thatwas held Sept. 1 and 2.

The 24-hour event hadwhat is considered a “cold

start,” meaning the organizersdid not take teams from any ofthe other area Relay for Lifeevents. The Clayton teamswere all new, made up of busi-nesses in Clayton, friends, fam-ily and neighbors and St. John’sChurch.

Relay for Life is a combina-

tion of celebration, remem-brance and call to action. Par-ticipants pledge to do all theycan to fight back against can-cer.

The first part of the relay isdone by cancer survivors. Clay-ton had 15 survivors participat-ing in this special lap.

At dusk on Saturday, partic-ipants celebrated the Luminar-ia, a special ceremony toremember lost loved ones andhonor others still battling can-cer. All walkers carry a glowstick and walk a lap in silence.

At the conclusion of therelay, participants are encour-aged to pledge to fight backagainst cancer for the next 364days by being tested (mammo-grams/prostate screenings), eat-ing healthier, exercising and quit-ting smoking. Walkers then walkone final lap, carrying the eventbanner and celebrating a week-end of fun and fundraising.

Clayton Relay draws many hit by cancer

Photos by Wayne MillerCancer Relay participants pledgeto live healthy and stay currentwith cancer screenings beforewalking the final lap.

Candlelight circles the Clayton Community Park as the nightteams settle in to await their turn in the relay.

Toll Brothers opened its newsales center at Diablo Estates inClayton last month. Site prepa-ration is complete and the firstmodel home will be open laterthis year.

The 25-acre luxury homecommunity is located in theRegency Woods neighborhood,just above Rialto Drive. Theproperty, once known as Semi-nary Hill, backs up to Mt. Dia-blo State Park. Toll Brothersacquired the property last year.The Clayton Planning Commis-sion gave its final OK in July,which paves the way for the

home construction to begin.“Diablo Estates will be the

first new home community inthe area in a long time,” said

Steve Danforth, ProjectManager for Toll Brothers. “Wefeel there is a pent-up demandin the East Bay and this newcommunity has been specificallydesigned to meet that need in athoughtful and well designedway.” Money Magazine recentlyranked Clayton as one of the100 best small towns to live inthe United States.

Diablo Estates will feature24 single- and two-story homes

on large home sites. DiabloEstates is on schedule to com-plete its first move-in during thesummer of 2012.

“If you look at the area, thefirst thing that becomes appar-ent is the lack of options for abuyer in the market for newconstruction,” said Danforth.“There has not been anythingnew built in Clayton in severalyears, so a move-up buyer, a newfamily, or someone looking for alarger new home now has anopportunity with our communi-ty, Diablo Estates.”

Construction begins on new luxurydevelopment on Seminary Hill

Got a favorite recipe? Is your meatloaf legendary? Doeseveryone ask for your chili? Is there a “grandma’s special”somewhere in your family?

“Clayton Cooks” is your chance to share your joy of cook-ing with Pioneer readers. Email your recipe, a photo and a fewcomments to [email protected].

Our first “Clayton Cooks” comes from Howard Gellerwho found this recipe for Strawberry Pizza at a roadside standin Alabama. “Any fruit and fruit glaze will work,” says Howard,“but strawberries are the best.”

Strawberry PizzaOne tube of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough8-10 ounces of cream cheese1/3-1/2 cup powdered sugarTwo small jars of strawberry glaze2-3 cups sliced strawberries

Spread the cookie dough on a pizza pan and bake at 375degrees to a light golden brown. Cool.

Soften the cream cheese and mix with the powdered sugar.Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cookie. Refriger-

ate for 20 minutes. Spread one container of the glaze over thecream cheese. Mix the second container of glaze with thestrawberries and spread on top of the pizza.

Slice and serve.“Eat it all,” says Howard. “It doesn’t keep well, but I’ve

found that leftovers are rare.”

Clayton Cooks

Concert in

the Grove

September 16, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

At their regular meeting onAug. 16, the Clayton City Coun-cil voted unanimously toappoint Gregg Manning to thePlanning Commission to fill theseat vacated by Tuija Catalano.

Catalano resigned in July toaccept a job in Finland. She hadone year remaining on her term.

Manning has a long recordof public service in Clayton,beginning with a PlanningCommission appointment in1986. Following the PlanningCommission, Manning served

as an elected member of theCity Council for 22 years. Man-ning was on the Council whenthe city created the General Planand the Town Center SpecificPlan.

The Clayton CommunityChurch wants to amend bothplans in order to build a 42,000square foot complex downtown.

The proposal is complicated andcontroversial.

“We have a tough year aheadof us,” said CouncilmanHoward Geller. “I want theexperience Manning brings.”

Councilwoman Julie Pierceagreed. “We have a ‘throw themin the deep end’ year coming up.We need someone who can hit

the ground running.”Manning joins Commission-

ers Bob Armstrong, DanRichardson, Sandy Johnson andKeith Haydon.

The Planning Commissionmeets the second and fourthTuesday of the month at 7 p.m.in Hoyer Hall at the ClaytonCommunity Library.

Clayton residents JamesVeatch, 69, and his wife Sheila,68, died Sunday morning, Sept.4 when their home-built KitFoxairplane crashed right after take-off from the Caldwell airport inCanyon County Idaho, about 20miles west of Boise.

According to a KTVBreport, the couple apparentlylost power and crashed nose-first into the ground. The causeof the crash is still under inves-tigation.

The couple lived in DanaHills, but both were originallyfrom the Magic Valley area inIdaho. According to sources inIdaho, they had been visitingfamily and were on their wayhome.

James Veatch was a 30-yearemployee of AT&T and SheilaVeatch was a bookkeeper.

They are survived by sonsJeff Veatch of Hercules andScott Veatch of Vallejo.

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In his 12th year of business, Thomas H. Payne, FinancialAdvisor and Owner, enjoys meeting people and helpingthem make smart choices with their finances. He is licensedto provide comprehensive retirement planning andinvestment management,, including stocks, bonds, mutu-al funds, ETFs and alternative investments. He also offerslife, disability and long-term care insurance from a widevariety of companies. Married, with five children, Tom hasbeen an active member of the local community since 1971.

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Clayton couple perishesin Idaho plane crash

DANA HILLS RESIDENTS, SHEILA AND JOHN VEATCH, were killedwhen their small home-built place crashed on Sept. 4.


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Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144

H&L Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4046

Handyman Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .639-4209

LHI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9941

Smith and Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0138

Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679

Dining and Entertainment

Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440

Ravioli’s Italian Market Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-3819

Subway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0621

Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .957-2500

Events

Pacific Coast Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9090

Financial and Insurance Services

Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . .685-4523

Kommer, Paul - Merrill Lynch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .988-2111

Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463

ProFit Business Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-1025

Prosperitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7700

Snyder, Ken - Genworth Financial . . . . . . . . . . . .270-3617

Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300

Funerals

Acacia Cremation and Burial Society . . . .1-877-916-4779

Neptune Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-5100

Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242

Home and Garden

Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901

Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245

Danmer Shutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202-1220

Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757

Just Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4747

Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955

R & M Pool, Patio, Gift & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207

Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055

Mailing and Shipping

The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245

Personal Services

Hair Now Styling Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5665

Pet Services

Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100

Pet Suites Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387

Rodie’s Feed and Pet Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787

Klock, Leigh - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593

Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004

Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329

Mazzei, Matt -Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757

Toll Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0400

Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433

Recreation and Fitness

All Out Sports League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203-5626

Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631

Devil Mountain Cyclery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7477

Levity Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6931

Senior Services

Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100

Montecito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5838

Services, Other

Air Cloud Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 x 2

Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989

Contra Costa Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .688-8320

Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029

Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180

Travel

Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447

Directory of Advertisers

Girl Gardening

Garden care, monthly pruning and

fertilizing services. Plant sugges-

tions and installation. Call or

email Nicole Hackett 673-1746,

or [email protected].

TUTORS NEEDEDProject Second Chance, Contra

Costa County Library’s adult lit-

eracy program. Tutor training

class begins Sept. 21.

ccclib.org/psc or 927-3250.

Diablo Valley Literacy Council,

English tutors. Tutor training

class begins Sept. 24. Call

Maureen 685-3881.

WANTEDCome join Mazzei Realty!

Currently interviewing and hiring

new and experienced real estate

agents. Call 925-693-0757 for

details.

Real Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French is

expanding and interviewing for a

few agents. Call her today 672-

8787.

VOLUNTEERS

NEEDEDHelp Fight Hunger

Anna Chan ~ AKA: The Lemon

Lady needs your help! Weekly

commitment appreciated. Please

contact Anna at 672-1988 or

[email protected].

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers and

relief drivers needed for delivery

of Meals on Wheels in East

County. Call Jim at 673-0300 or

e-mail [email protected].

Clayton Historical Society

Museum

The Clayton Historical Society

Museum needs a greeter for two

hours per month from 2-4 p.m.

Wednesdays or Sundays. Call the

museum at 672-0240 and leave

your name.

Clayton Community Library

Needs volunteers. Minimum age

13. Minimum commitment is 6

months. Some training provided.

Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or

email: [email protected].

SERVICESMommy’s Helper

I’m a loving, caring and responsi-

ble adult with lots of experience. I

am looking to help a family for a

few hours a week with child care,

light housework, shopping and

running errands. Available 3-4

days/wk. $18/hr. Darlene Stone,

(925) 323-0361.


P.O. Box 1246

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorPETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignPEGGY SPEAR, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA WIESENDANGER, Administration

STAFF WRITERS: Denisen Hartlove, Jay Hartlove, Lou Fancher,Nicci Shipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

Tel: (925) 672-0500Fax: (925) 672-6580

Tamara [email protected]

Send ads [email protected]

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CLASSIFIEDSClassified rates per insertion:Non-profit: $12 for first 30

words, $.20 each additionalword

Individual/non-commercial:$18 for first 30 words, $.30each additional word

Commercial: $48 for first 30words, $.40 each additionalword

To place your classified ad over thephone, call the office at (925) 672-0500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your type-written ad and credit card informa-tion to (925) 672-6580. All classifiedsmust be paid for in advance by creditcard (Master Card or Visa)

We will not accept any ad that dis-criminates on the basis of race, color,

sex, religion, nationality, family statusor disability. The Clayton Pioneerreserves the right to reject any adver-tising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

saries, births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric of ourcommunity. Please let us know ofthese important events. We ask onlythat the announcement be for aClayton resident. You will find theappropriate form for your announce-ment on our Website. Attach yourphoto to the form. Make sure theimage size you are about to send is atleast 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB.The only format we accept is JPG. Youcan also mail or bring your print to theoffice and we can scan it for you.

Also on our Website are forms forsubmitting Community Calendar itemsand press releases for your organiza-tion.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORThe Clayton Pioneer welcomes

letters from our readers. As a generalrule, letters should be 250 words orless and submitted at least one weekprior to publication date. Letters con-cerning current issues will have priori-ty. We may edit letters for length andclarity. All letters will be published atthe editor’s discretion.

Please include your name, addressand daytime telephone number. Wewill not print letters from “anony-mous.”

E-mail your letter in a Worddocument to [email protected]. Letters MUST be sub-mitted via E-mail.

ResponsibilityDo the Right Thing

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Clayton FountainLandscaping

My first thought when I sawwhat looked like a mess at thefountain on the corner ofOakhurst and Clayton Road was“ What in the world are theydoing?”

I have to admit how wrong Iwas to prejudge the work.During the Labor Day weekendI drove by the fountain, whichwas running full bore, and I was

blown away. Not only is thelandscaping beautiful it alsoappears to be quite eco friendly.

My hat is off to the Claytonlandscaping crew. Not only didyou do a wonderful job in land-scaping that corner, you did itwith limited funds. And thankyou for keeping our public land-scaping trimmed and clear oflitter and other stuff that does-n’t belong there.

Dennis Woodard

Letter to the Editor

Q. I heard that the con-forming loan limits are goingto be lowered. How will thisaffect the housing market?

A. Fannie Mae and FreddieMac, who back 90 percent ofthe loans in this country, willreduce the size of the loans theybuy from lenders. It is currently$729,000 in high cost areas suchas ours, but will drop to$625,000 unless an extension isgranted. Many banks havealready reduced their limit to$625,000 in anticipation of thismove. This will make it moredifficult for some buyers to pur-chase homes in our market andit will put a lot of buyers out ofthe market, altogether.

Currently one can get anFHA loan up to $729,000 withonly 3.5 percent down. This willdecrease to $625,000. To qualifyfor a loan higher than that, youwould need a 20 percent downpayment.

The National Association ofREALTORSÒ and othergroups are urging Congress to

enact a two- year extension tomaintain the former loan limit.But of course it is difficult toget Congress to agree on any-thing. I will keep you informed.

Q. I am trying to buy anew house without selling myformer house. I want to rent itout. The rent I will receivealmost pays my mortgageand my property taxes. Ican’t qualify for a loanbecause I am told that thelender can’t count my rentalincome. I have little equity. I

was told that I have to have 30percent or more equity in myhome before they can countit. This makes no sense tome. Could you explain this?

A. Lenders feel that if youdon’t have a large equity cushionyou might buy another houseand then short sale or forecloseon your current house, whichpeople often try to do. Somepeople have even faked a rentalagreement to qualify for thenew house. Now the lendershave tightened that up. Withinterest rates so low these daysthough, some people still canqualify for both homes withoutusing the rental income.

One thing buyers can do isactually move out and rent thehouse for at least five or sixmonths to prove that it is actuallya rental property. There will be arental history to show the lender.It changes from Departing resi-dence to Investment property.

This does involve two movesbut the buyer then can qualifyfor their new house.

Q. Is there anything newon the loan modificationfront to help underwaterhomeowners keep theirhomes?

A. There is quite a bit oftalk about a program banks canoffer that looks promising. Ihave heard of one bank thatalready launched it.

If you qualify, thelender/investor will reduce theprincipal on the mortgage fordelinquent borrowers. The bor-rower will enter a “sharedappreciation modification pro-gram” with the investor. Laterwhen the house is sold or refi-nanced the borrower must share25 percent of the appreciationwith the investors who own theloan. The borrower keeps 75percent of the gain.

Homeowners would bemore likely to keep up their pay-ments if they are no longerupside down.

Send your question & look foryour answer in a future column. E-mail: [email protected]

Lynne French is theBroker/Owner of WindermereLynne French & Associates and aClayton resident. For any real estateneeds or questions contact her at (925)672-878 7 or stop in at 6200 Cen-ter Street, Suite E, in Clayton.

What’s happening with allthose boulders on the hill atthe corner of Clayton andMarsh Creek roads?

It’s the Daffodil Hill beauti-fication project, an ongoingjoint operation of ClaytonBusiness and CommunityAssociation and the City ofClayton that kicked off in2008. CBCA membersapproved a $60,000 commit-ment to the project, whichwould include design, installa-tion of hardscape and land-scaping. Due to plan changes,CBCA’s commitment grew tomore than $65,000 in 2009, andwould not include landscaping.

Beset by drought, the reces-sion and water district land-scape restrictions, the projecthas met with twists and turns,but both the city and theCBCA Daffodil Hill Commit-tee continue to slog bravelyonward.

The hardscaping is finished(thus the boulders). The irriga-tion system is in. The waterdistrict has removed its restric-

tions, and the city has secured awater source through a well.The CBCA has now developeda landscaping plan to finish theproject and has put the planout to bid.

The city has confirmed thatno public funds are available tofinish the landscaping. So, at itsAug. 25 meeting, CBCA mem-bers voted to continue with theproject “at the estimated coststo be revealed when bid pack-ages are revealed.” The firstcall for landscaping bids result-ed in only one response, so thebid process is being reopenedto attract additional proposals.

The CBCA “Hill” commit-tee, led by Mary AnnLawrence, has worked up aproposal to present to themembership in September foran approval vote. If passed, thelandscaping of Daffodil Hillwould be completed sometimein the late fall.

A professional landscapearchitect at the meeting saidthat once all the planting iscompleted, the current roughappearance of Daffodil Hillwill be softened, and the boul-ders will incorporate into thelandscaping. No more Stone-henge.

On the education front,CBCA hosted another 2011scholarship winner. Clayton

resident Taylor Hunziker, aJune graduate of Carondelet,who was awarded an academicscholarship to help her attendOregon State University. Sheplans to study to become aphysical therapist.

This year’s college scholar-ship awards totaled over$20,000.

CBCA supports communityprojects with funds raised byevents like the Art & Wine Fes-tival and Oktoberfest, which iscoming up Sept. 24 and 25.Volunteers

are needed to sell tickets,pour beer and wine and set-upand clean-up, say co-chairsCecelia and Ed Hartley. Nospecial skills required except asteady hand, a cheery smile, adesire to help the community,and the ability to count to 10.Lederhosen optional.

In addition to Bier undWurst, Oktoberfest brings backThe Internationals, one of thepremier Oktoberfest bands inthe U.S. and a Clayton favorite.

Membership in CBCA isopen to anyone who lives inClayton, or on the border withConcord, as well as any ownerof a business located in Clay-ton or serving Clayton resi-dents. More information isavailable at 925-672-2272 orwww.claytoncbca.org.

LYNNE FRENCH

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Loan limits may affect local sales

DiabloWomen’s chorale needsnew singers forupcoming season

Diablo Women’s Chorale islooking for new singers of allvocal ranges. Upcoming per-formances include a new pro-gram of traditional holidayfavorites, Broadway songs and ajazz ensemble.

Rehearsals are on Mondayevenings from 7 – 9 p.m. andbegin Sept. 12.

The 69th annual holidayconcert is on Sun. Dec. 11.

DWC is a supportive groupof community singers of allages and abilities. Rehearsalsinclude training in sight singingand opportunities for smallgroup and solo singing. Formore information and to sched-ule an informal placement audi-tion please call Director MarySorenson, (925) 890-8680 orBarbara Burkhardt, (925) 945-0853 and visit diablowomen-schorale.org.

CBCA continues the longclimb up Daffodil Hill

GARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

Committee activelyseeking bids forlandscaping


Did you know that lawnirrigation accounts for morethan 25 percent of the wateruse in Contra Costa County?For many homeowners, lawnsconsume more than 50 percentof their household water use.

In addition, lawns typicallyrequire regular chemical fertil-izers and herbicides, and theyrequire weekly mowing. Incontrast, yards landscapedwith water-efficient plants willuse less than half the water oflawns, and don’t require chem-icals and mowing. For exam-ple, converting a 30’ x 30’ footlawn can save more than25,000 gallons per year. Andsaving water means saving onyour water bill, which is alwaysa good thing.

Another benefit of con-verting the lawn is eliminatingthe need to mow every week,

which can save time andmoney. So instead of mowingon Saturday morning, you cango hit the golf course. Ohyeah, eliminating the need torun a lawn mower helps reducegreenhouse gases, which isgood for the planet.

Finally, lawns often requireapplications of chemical fertil-izer and herbicides. In con-trast, water-efficient plants donot. So by eliminating thelawn, you can also eliminatethe need to use these chemi-cals.

For a limited time, ContraCosta Water District is offer-ing rebates to encourage cus-tomers to replace their water-thirsty front lawns with water-efficient landscaping. Single-family residential customerscan receive a rebate of up to$500, and commercial andmunicipal customers canreceive a rebate up to $5,000when they replace their front

lawns and other publicly visi-ble lawns with water-efficientlandscaping.

The program is open toresidential, commercial, andmunicipal customers in theDistrict’s service area, whichconsists of Clayton, Clyde,Concord, Pacheco, Port Costa,Martinez, Antioch, Bay Point,Pittsburg, Oakley and parts ofPleasant Hill, Walnut Creekand Brentwood.

The rebate is fifty cents persquare foot of lawn replaced.The maximum rebate is $500for single-family residentialcustomers and $5,000 for com-mercial and municipal cus-tomers. The program is notretroactive, and propertiesmust be pre-approved byCCWD before any work isstarted in order to be eligiblefor the rebate.

Complete program details can beobtained by visiting

www.ccwater.com/conserve, or bycalling (925) 688-8320 for a pro-gram brochure.

Michel Stalcup loves all vet-erans, but can especially con-nect with those of the warsagainst terrorism in Iraq andAfghanistan.

"I tell them, I know whatyou were fighting for, becauseI was in a plane a mile and ahalf away when the secondplane hit the twin towers."

Stalcup is a commercialpilot, and was piloting a char-ter flight that fateful Tuesdaymorning in 2001.

"I was profoundly affectedby 9/11, so I help these veter-ans come to grips with whatthey did for our country."

The 62-year-old Claytonresident has spent the last 10years working with various vet-erans' organizations, and fromOct. 2 to 9 he is taking it a bitfurther by participating in theRide 2 Recovery, a "challenge"for disabled veterans.

Held in partnership withthe Fitness Challenge Founda-tion, Ride 2 Recovery raisesmoney to support SpinningRecovery Labs and outdoorcycling programs at militaryand Veterans Affairs locations

throughout the U.S., aiming tohelp injured veterans over-come obstacles they face.According to Ride organizers,

the event and cycling in gener-al are important parts of therecovery and rehabilitationprogram.

Part of the Ride 2 Recoveryis participating in differentchallenges, and Stalcup is par-ticipating in the 450-mileGolden State Challenge, a bikeride from San Francisco to LosAngeles. He is acceptingpledge donations with a goalof $5,000.

It's not an unusual feat forStalcup. He joined the Army in1968, and served in Vietnamfrom 1968-1970. He was anInfantry solider and servedwith the Fifth Infantry Divi-sion in Northern I Corp. onthe DMZ, and also was with aSpecial Forces OperationsGroup.

He was wounded in com-bat, and awarded the PurpleHeart and the Bronze Star forValor. He still suffers disabili-ties from his injury, but theydid not stop him from becom-ing a commercial pilot and amortgage banker. His last jobwas with Golden West Finan-cial in Oakland, and he retiredafter 16 years with the compa-ny.

He and his wife, Linda,have lived in Clayton for morethan nine years, and in theClayton area for more than 15years. His two children, Chris-tine, 26 and Matthew, 21, bothattended Clayton Valley HighSchool.

His work with veterans, andespecially as a mentor with theConcord Vet Center's ElderWarrior program, is whatintroduced him to Ride 2

Recovery. He purchased aroad bike four months agoand has been training at thegym and on local streets forhis ride in October.

"I want veterans to knowthey are appreciated," hesays. "We were not treatednice when we returned fromVietnam, and I want thesemen and women today toknow that we care."

His own injuries havemade him also sensitive tothe needs of disabled veter-ans, and he loves some of hisfellow riders. "There is onerider who is blind, and hasno arms or legs. He'll behelped by a rider with onlyone leg. It is so inspiring tosee."

To sponsor Stalcup's ride,visit www.ride2recovery.com, orsend a check to: Fitness Chal-lenge, 23679 Calabasas Road,Suite 420, Calabasas, CA91302-1502. TID is202252840.

Clayton veteran takes a ride for recovery

Purple Heart recipient, Michel Stalcup will ride 450 miles fromSan Francisco to Los Angeles to raise $5,000 for rehabilitationand support for severely wounded veterans.

Purple heartrecipient helpsother vets adjustto life at home

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

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September 16, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Returning Clayton Valleystudents were greeted by morechanges than usual on the firstday of school this year. Newprincipals, new rules and a newdress code, all in addition to thetypical mob of fresh faces andan unfamiliar class schedule. Butfor me, the biggest change thisyear was my little brother’sarrival on campus.

Three years apart in age, thelast time my brother and I wentto the same school was back inelementary school. School hasbeen my home turf in the sixyears since then, the only placethat is solely my terrain. So thefirst time I passed my brother inthe hall after parting ways fromour car that morning I did adouble take, having forgottenthat we would be sharing thefield this year. Whether it’s mysubconscious resisting his pres-ence or a six-year-old mentalityputting up a fight, I just can’tseem to wrap my head around it;I’m still trying to adjust to seeinghim in between classes to thisday.

But during the rare occa-sions when I manage to not gointo “Oh my goodness, I can’tbelieve you’re afreshman!”shock mode, it’s been

interesting to consider and hearabout high school from a ninthgrade perspective again. Muchto my surprise, he’s dealing withconcerns and frustrations nearlyidentical to the ones I experi-enced when I was an incomingfreshman. We’ve been oppositespretty much our entire lives.He’s athletic, I’m academic. He’solive toned, I’m fair-skinned.He’s loud and outgoing, I’mreserved and well-mannered.The list is practically endless,and largely because of thesemany differences, we’ve neverquite seen eye to eye. But all ofthat seemed to go away once hejoined me at Clayton Valley andbecame an ugly eagle. SuddenlyHE was the shy one, nervousabout friends, teachers, and“Freshmen Friday.” Where to

hang out? Who to hang outwith? What if the teacher hatesyou? And what about lunch?Being the savvy senior I pretendbe, I of course took pity uponmy sibling and took the time topass along a little wisdom.

With each piece of advice Igave and every experience Ishared, I relived a bit of highschool. My group’s Spanish bak-ing video freshman year, makingfriends in Honors Chemistry,lacrosse games and pasta feeds,article interviews and nights outwith friends. He left every talkappearing a bit more confidentand I a bit more satisfied withmy last few years at Clayton Val-ley.

Anyone who reads this col-umn could tell you that I’m per-petually looking towards the

future, specifically towards col-lege. But talking with my broth-er about high school and nowwatching him experience it forthe first time really made mestop and appreciate my highschool experience. All in all, I’vehad a pretty good three years atClayton Valley looking back; itjust took my younger brother ofall people to help me realize it.

So with all the excitement ofmy former freshman self, Iembark onto senior year tomake memories that I will smileabout three, six, and many moreyears down the line.

Choose balloons for the longterm – they will lift you up

In some ways, it’s a freshstart for me as a 9th grader atClayton Valley High School. I’mcoming to a place where I don’tknow my way around or whoanybody is. I’m now going toschool with roughly 2000 stu-dents, and more than a third arefreshman. Most of the time I tryto think positively, but I knewthe odds of having friends withthe same schedule were slim tonone. As I walked on campusthe first day of school, I noticedso many new faces. I expectedthe majority of people I’d seewould be upperclassmen, but Iwas surprised to see all the ninthgraders. Heading to their classes,

most looked as astonished andconfused as I felt.

As the day progressed,teachers had students do theusual “getting-to-know-each-other” activities. I talked withteens from Pine Hollow, ElDorado, and many other middleschools. I still have my bestfriends from DVMS, but at thesame time, this is a chance forme to make new friends. I alsoremembered some time agobeing given advice that choosingthe right kind of a friends inhigh school is very important.

I look upon these choices offriends as either balloons oranchors in life. Decisions aboutwho you choose to associatewith can be positive or negative.Some people feel like they haveto make friends just to fit in;others don’t have anyone else tosocialize with. I know badfriends can distract me from mygoals or responsibilities. I don’twant to hang out with peoplewho put me down, bad-mouthme, or lower my self-confidence.People like this are anchors; theykeep you down and inhibit youfrom being your best. Every-body has, or has had, an anchor

in their life. When I meet some-body, within a few minutes I candecide if that person is going tohold me back.

At the same time, if I sur-round myself with positive,loyal friends, they will help mestay successful. My friends willact like the balloons in my lifeand stick to me like static whenI need it most. They’ll bring meup when I’m feeling down, andback me up no matter howtough life may get.

In the end, my future experi-ences at CVHS will really beabout choices. I choose to belifted up and supported by thoseclosest to me and not to bebrought down by others. All inall, there are two kinds offriends; balloons and anchors.Get stuck on anchors, and you’llbe bogged down and gonowhere. Surround yourselfwith balloons, and you will soarto great heights. Great friendswill help you reach new placesthat never seemed possible.

Robbie Parker is a freshman atClayton Valley High School. Send comments to [email protected]

ROBBIE PARKER

CVHS REPORTER

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Seeing high school through fresh eyes

Taylor Tovrea is a senior atClayton Valley High School. She is aregular contributor to the Pioneer.You can Email her at [email protected]

TAYLOR TOVREA

TEEN SPEAK

DVMS welcomes newteachers and staff

The DVMS 2011-2012school year so far, is off to agood start, giving a warm wel-come to new teachers: TinaDemetriou (Math and Science;6th grade), Cheryl Johnson(Algebra, Pre-Algebra, andComputer Applications),Miriam Laxamana (Special DayClass), Laurie Parker (7th GradeCore), Jen Pelosi (Spanish andHands On Technology), andPam Thornton as an additional7th grade core teacher.

Also joining the staff, isNancy Brenner (Librarian),Orielle Couttien (StudentServices CoordinatorAdministrator), Sheryl Dean(Special Education Assistant),Karen Harless (SpecialEducation Assistant), JenniferHildreth (Psychologist), BertaShatswell (Office Manager), andGalen Ryan as the CafeteriaManager.

We interviewed the newSpanish and French teacher,

Madame/Señora Maclean. Weasked her what it is like to teachnot one, but two languages. “It’schallenging. It can be hard,because in my brain I have it allset, from what I want to sayfrom Spanish to English orfrom French to English and alsohow to teach it. I have to makesure I say it right, and not tomake it confusing for the stu-dents.”

Eighth grade student, KianaVanEpps, talks about her newteachers, Mrs. Johnson andSeñora Maclean. “The new staffat Diablo View are really nice.Señora Maclean is a great

Spanish and French teacher. Sheis nice and helps kids when theyneed help with their work. Sheknows how to control her kids.Mrs. Johnson is a wonderfulalgebra teacher and she is goodat teaching math. She also helpskids with their work and she hasgood math methods for her stu-dents.”

Congratulations, DVMSStaff and Teachers- we hopeyou enjoy it at Diablo View!

Celine Herrera is an eighth-grader at DVMS. Send commentsto. [email protected].

CELINE HERRERA

DVMS REPORTER

Celine Herrera

Seventh grader Hannah Kommer, learns a new method for hermath homework from her pre-algebra teacher, Mrs. Johnson.


You remember when yougot your puppy. You got theright equipment and food, youtook it to the vet, and you gotadvice. Everyone said it, “Yourpuppy needs socialization.” So,for a few weeks, you and yourpuppy attended “puppy kinder-garten.” The two of youlearned some basic obedience,and your puppy learned to playwell with others.

That was weeks ago. Yourdog no longer needs to playwith other dogs, and may noteven want to. Many dogs out-grow puppy-like play, just as wehumans outgrow toddler-likeplay. And, many dogs live fulllives with minimal exposure toother dogs.

When you were young, did

your parents take the familydog to play with other dogs?When you walked your dog, didyour dog greet every dog thatyou encountered? If you areover 30, you probablyanswered, “No, to these ques-tions.” Yet, you realize, yourdog was perfectly happy.

Today, it’s different. Dogparks are everywhere. Dogs goon play dates and to doggiedaycare. And, when walkingyour dog, you encounter

strangers who expect your dogand their dogs to meet.

ENSURING YOUR DOG’SSAFETY

If you decide to allow yourdog to meet other dogs, thentwo things need to happen whenyou encounter a strange dog.First, assess the situation.Second, control the way yourdog approaches the new dog. Asa dog trainer, I can’t stressenough the importance of hav-ing a command routine as partof the meeting process. Thisroutine is not just for your dog’ssafety. It also strengthens yourposition as the one in charge, anecessity for a dog living in ahuman-run world.

Teach your dog to alwayswalk on a loose leash, and to sitwhenever you stop. Mostimportantly, teach it to alwayscome immediately when called.These skills will greatly improveyour chances of keeping yourdog safe when it comes in con-tact with other dogs.

Dogs, like humans, haveestablished social rules. Olderdog pack members will tolerateyoung puppies that run up to,and jump on, them. However,this toleration ends once pup-pies approach adolescence. Itseems that dogs consider it to bebad manners – much like behav-iors which are tolerated inhuman toddlers but not inadults and teenagers.

GREETING ETIQUETTE

Every dog, like every human,has its own sense of personalspace. Some can handlestrangers coming right up tothem, others cannot. Don’tassume that a dog which is walk-ing calmly with its human isfriendly towards other dogs.Think about people who appearfine near strangers, but becomeverbally, or even physically,aggressive when the mostinnocuous contact is initiated.Dogs can be the same way. So,before allowing your dog toapproach another dog, ask theother dog’s guardian if her/hisdog is okay with it.

Be understanding andrespectful if s/he says, “no.”

While you’re checking withthe other guardian, observe thedegree of control he has overhis dog. If his dog is ignoringits guardian’s attempts to get itunder control, it would besafest for all concerned to skipthe dog meet-up.

Once you’ve agreed upon ameeting, come to an agree-ment with the other guardianas to the extent of the meeting.Will it be a simple mutualsniffing, or an off-leash romptogether? Whatever the case,be respectful of the otherguardian’s wishes. Upon agree-ing, give your dog its releasecommand. At the conclusion ofthe meeting, call your dog backto you, and continue on yourway.

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All Out Sports League nosooner held championshipgames for its summer basketballleague than it tips off fall leaguethis Saturday at ClaytonCommunity Gym.

The Celtics won the Pee Weedivision championship while theWarriors claimed the MightyMites title and the all-girls Lady

Knicks overcame the all-boysClippers for the Bantam cham-pionship.

All Out Sports founderCasey Copeland lauded all theparticipants. “Our leagues pro-vide a family fun atmospherewith good basketball, goodmusic and good food. My hatsoff to the Clayton parents—-they really know their basket-ball!”

He proudly added, “We sawevery single child in our pro-

gram improve their basketballknowledge and play. If you wantyour child in an organized, semi-competitive program, you haveto bring them to the AOSL pro-gram.”

Fall league runs on Saturdaysthrough the end of October andthen winter league is held Dec. 3until Feb. 11. Registration is nowbeing taken for the winter pro-gram at www.alloutsportsleague-clayton.com.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

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AOSL summer basketball league crowns 3 champions

THE MIGHTY MITES DIVISION WENT TO THE WARRIORS after the completion of summer league play-offs. The Warriors were, front row from left, Christian Nomellini, Lauren Utne, Jaxon Trotter,Tayvion Dean, Maci Sekander, John Paul Tuano; back row, coach Mike Danzi, Cauley Schulz,Bella Hutalla, Logan McMillan and coach Mike Jamie.

Photos by Mike Dunn

THE CELTICS TOOK HOLD OF THE PEE WEE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP at the end of the All out SportsLeageu summer season. The team included, front row, Desiare Solares, Daniel Sanna, DeanDeonte, Benny Hernandez, Chappie Lisle, Angelo Hernandez, Lorenzo Solares, Ryan Buddie,Jackson Spalding; back row, coaches Gil Hernandez and Lalita Hernandez.

THE ALL-GIRLS LADY KNICKS BEAT THE CLIPPERS, AN ALL-BOYS TEAM, for the AOSL summer title. TheLade knicks were, front row from left, Erin Tomlinson, Julienne Paredes, Mia Mudaliar; backrow, Alison Maglinte, Hanna Lopez, Mary Mrarovich, Cassidy Woodward, Jordan Karmann,coach Richard Tomlinson, Brooklyn Copeland, Jonadel Sarol and coach Marty Maglinte.

CVHS HALL OF FAMER

KIM LACKEY WINS

NATIONAL TENNIS TITLES

Kim Lackey of Clayton madeher mark in tennis at ClaytonValley High School and then atCal State Bakersfield but she did-n’t stop participating in the sportshe loves and this summer she

won two more national champi-onships in the women’s 50 singlesand doubles at the SummerNational Senior Games presentedby Humana in Houston. TheClayton netter plays at BerkeleyTennis Club and qualified for thenationals through a tournamentin Hawaii. She lost only two

games while rolling to the singlescrown with three straight-set vic-tories including 6-1, 6-0 overDiane Werner of Kansas in theSenior Games championshipmatch. Her doubles title camewith partner Roberta Sung in atiebreaker in the finals.

Lackey was inducted into theCVHS Hall of Fame in the inau-gural 2008 ceremony. She lostonly one DVAL league match infour years and came back tocoach girls and boys tennis atClayton Valley and also for over adecade at Diablo Valley College.She has previously won nationaltitles in other senior tennis agegroups.

CLAYTON GYM BASKETBALL,VOLLEYBALL FALL LEAGUES

START SATURDAY

Clayton Community Gym isgetting ready for fall basketballand volleyball starting thisSaturday, Sept. 17, through Oct.29. All Out Sports League is stilltaking sign-ups for volleyball.Visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com for more details.

DIABLO FC BENEFIT GOLF

TOURNAMENT SEPT. 23The 4th annual Diablo FC

Benefit Golf Tournament will beon Friday, Sept. 23, at DiabloCreek Golf Course in Concord.Tournament chairman GeneDolan is accepting sponsors, raf-fle prize donations and golfers tosign up. The tournament providesfunding for scholarships to needyfamilies wishing to participate inDiablo FC’s unique youth soccerprograms and also helps supportthe drive to get additional facilitiesfor the club. Information and reg-istration forms are available atwww.diablofc.org or [email protected].

FALL SWIM STROKE & SKILLS

PROGRAM AT OAKHURST

Local swim coach SergeVictor, who is in charge of theaquatics program at OakhurstCountry Club and head coach ofthe championship Dana HillsSwim Team, is offering the NewWave Fall Swim Stroke and SkillDevelopment program. The fallsession runs through Dec. 1 atOakhurst. There are age groups

for boys and girls 7-8, 9-11 and 12and older teaching participantsthe basics of swimming as well asadvanced skills and concepts. Forinformation email Victor [email protected] orcall (925) 672-9737 ext. 207.

DIABLO FC U8 ACADEMY FALL

SOCCER PROGRAM UNDERWAY

A new comprehensive soccerprogram for girls and boys 6-8years of age has been introducedthis year with the Diablo FC U8Academy. The next session is run-ning on Wednesdays and Fridaysthrough Nov. 11 at BoatwrightSports Complex in Concord.Boys and girls 6-8 are invited toattend a session. Camp DirectorBrian Voltattorni says theAcademy is a developmental soc-cer program that includes psycho-motor skills, coordination exercis-es, technical training with the balland free play. The Academy isscheduled so that players can alsoparticipate in an AYSO recreationprogram during the fall. For com-plete details and to register visitdiablofc.org.

Last chance for St.

Bonaventure CYO basketballsignups Boys and girls in secondthrough eighth grades may still beable to sign up for the 2011-2012CYO basketball season at St.Bonaventure. Basketball practicebegins this month with leagueplay starting the first weekend inNovember.

For more information and latesignups call athletic director TimO’Hara (925) 672- 1979 or visitstbonaventurecyo.com.

NEW 10 UNDER BASEBALL

TEAM FORMING IN CLAYTON

All Out Sports League 10Under travel baseball team basedin Clayton is now taking signups.The team will play in tournamentsthroughout Northern Californiaand Nevada and practice atClayton Community Park.Tryouts for the 2012 season willbe held Sept. 4 and Oct. 9 from3–6 p.m. There is no fee to tryout.Players need to be born afterApril 30, 2001 in order to qualifyfor the 10U age group. For moreinformation call (925) 203-5626or visit alloutsportsleague-clay-ton.com.

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Concord native and former ConcordHigh football standout Rick “Boomer”Reger launched his professional mixed mar-tial arts career at the Gladiator Challenge“Unleashed” cage event at the end ofAugust with a devastating second-roundknockout of Sacramento kick boxer KyleDavey at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln.

The “Boomer,” as his grandfathernamed him years ago, won in decisive fash-ion. Reger enjoyed an outstanding amateurcareer with a 5-0-1 record before turning hissights to the professional ranks. Not only ishe pursuing a pro fighting career he is nowin the process of starting his own apparelline appropriately named Fightkore.

Reger, 24, is married to his high schoolsweetheart April and they have two childrenand a third due next month.

He trains at the Martinez Fight Club with

“Team Fightkore.” Reger currently workswith head coach Sean Sharkey, who alsoserves as his manager. Ryan Elrod and KimoMarch provide specialty coaching support aswell. Together, Reger and Sharkey developeda fighting style which Reger brings into thecage. He is well-known for his varied cross-fit style of training which cannot bedescribed as anything but hardcore. Thisregimen provides him with endurance to gothe distance, if necessary, in his fights.

Reger started to focus his MMA trainingtwo years ago. Prior to that, he worked outat the Gracies Gym. In his younger years,Reger trained in boxing, which set the pathfor his future MMA passion. He is also pop-ular on YouTube, where most of his fightaction can be seen.

The partnership between Reger andSharkey extends beyond the ring. The pairare partners in a Fightkore apparel company.Currently, they offer a line of attractive andstylish t-shirts.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

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Jaden Ornellas began ridinga dirt bike when he was three-years-old and was racing BMXin Roseville and dirt bikes atSacramento Raceway before hewas four. In his first two raceshe came in last but it was somuch fun for him that it

seemed he had the love of thepower of a dirt bike in hisblood. When he was four hewould go with his family toSacramento for Friday nightmotocross racing. He has pro-gressed to higher classes ofmotocross while generally rac-

ing against boys a couple yearsolder. He is now on a Cobra 50and finished the spring seriesin July first overall in the sevento eight year old class and the50cc open class, which he isnow leading for the currentsummer series. The Ornellas

family---dad Danny, momSusan plus younger siblingsJenna and Jace--- enjoysmotocross together. Jadenfinds time to play AYSO soc-cer, CYO basketball, loves toride BMX and stays active withall his neighborhood friends aswell as keeping up with his sec-ond grade class at Mt. DiabloElementary.

The Clayton Pioneer congratu-lates Jaden Ornellas and rewards hisachievement with a gift certificate toRocco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria.

Do you know a young athletewho should be recognized? Perhapshe or she has shown exceptionalsportsmanship, remarkable improve-ment or great heart for the sport.Send your nomination for the Rocco’sPioneer Athlete Spotlight today [email protected].

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ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUE

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Local MMA fighter wins pro debut by KO

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The good news for Clayton’s KaraKohler is that she and three American team-mates won the gold medal in the Women’sFour event earlier this month in Bled,Slovenia at the World RowingChampionships. What could be bad aboutthat? Since only seven countries entered therace for the third year in a row this event byrule of the governing body of internationalrowing, FISA, has eliminated it from future

world meets.“We thought about that,” said Sara

Hendershot (West Simsbury, Conn.), who,along with Kohler, Emily Regan (Buffalo,N.Y.) and Sarah Zelenka (Itasca, Ill.), wasrowing in her first senior worlds. “We werekind of thinking, if we can win this race,we’ll be the women’s champions forever.”

The Team USA women ended up with avictory in the W4-, which saw the crew of allfirst-time senior world championship rowersbattle back at base following a slower startand race to victory as they controlled the

race from the 1000M mark onward.After winning the preliminary race for

lanes by 10 seconds, the U.S. women repeat-ed the feat and rowed out of second place inthe first quarter to first place in the final1,500 meters to capture the gold medal onLake Bled. Australia came on with a “crazysprint” at the end to give the Americans allthey could handle for the win by a mere .81seconds. The Netherlands was third for thebronze medal.

Kara Kohler wins gold for USA in herfirst Senior World Rowing Championships

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Normally a coach would beupset when his team surrendersonly one goal in a tournamentbut it’s the championship point.Clayton’s Jack Boeger, however,can’t be too disappointed as hisDiablo FC 99 Blue under 12girls team took their clubmatesDiablo FC 99 all the way to thelimit in the title game at theNapa Wine Country Classic atthe end of August before falling1-0. Boeger’s silver team wasconsidered an underdog tocoach Richard Weiszmann’sgold team from the local com-petitive club but each team dis-tinguished themselves throughthe tournament with threeshutout victories apiece to reachthe final game.

Diablo FC 99 Blue girls lose championshipgame…to sister team Diablo FC 99

Photo courtesy Diablo FC

See Kohler, page 12

The teams posed together afterwards with the champions in white and Diablo FC 99 Blue final-ists in black uniforms. Front row from left, Amanda Zodikoff, Lindsey Osmer; kneeling, SusannaGarcia, Ashley McClearnen, Sophie Wheeler, Santana Merryfield, Stephanie Neys, IsabelHough, Katie Christman, Alli Moody, Marianna Giovannetti, Katie Rangel, Kylie Schneider,Gabrielle Hair; standing, coach Weiszmann, Caroline Chouinard, Janet Lopez, Lauren Robinow,Sam Gotz, Carly Agostino, Sophia Jones, Rajneet Sahota, Daniela Suarez, Nicole Lanfranchi,Francesca Monti, Rebecca Phelan, Rozalyn Marzocco, Maaeva Dwiggins, Emma Hough,Mackenzie Lyall, Cassie Silva, Jenna Betti, coach Boeger and Payton Mannie.


And for a coach like TomTerhaar, not having the four inthe world championships is a

loss. “It’s a shame, because it’sbeen good to us,” Terhaar said.“It’s been our development

boat. Kids who row in collegedon’t have time in the small boatand it’s a perfect transition tothe small boat. It’s a little bit ofa shame because it’s a goodevent.”

Kohler was interviewed withher teammates following therace and said, “I am a very inter-nal person so calling the racereally helped me break out ofmy shell. Each race we’ve pro-gressively gotten better. We gotoff the line a little slow and weredown at 500 meters but wecame on from there. The greatthing about it is, this was ourbest piece, each piece we'vedone together we've gotten a lit-tle better. It's great to have thisone be the best one.”

The Cal rower was part of agold medal USA boat in theUnder 23 World Championshipslast summer.

Her parents Mike and CaryKohler “were up again at 3:30a.m. watching a live stream ofthe championships on UniversalSports” at their Dana Hillshome. After a brief visit homethis month Kohler plans oncontinuing her training regimegeared to earn a berth in a USAboat for next summer’s LondonOlympics.

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The Clayton Valley Coyotes, a travel baseball team, finished their season with a secondplace win at the USSSA Back to School Challenge two day tournament in Fremont Aug 21-22. On the second day the Coyotes beat the number one seed 9-7 to advance to thechampionship game where the Coyotes finished second overall.

Front: Chase Graves, Eric Zimmer, Clayton Mahloch, Ryan Muniz, Seth Gwynn, JoeyWheeler; Back: Coach Eric Enos, Manager Ryan Covalt, Quinton Mahloch, Joe Course,Mason Covalt, Braulio Martin, Charlie Pesmark, Jake Enos, Coach Kevin Zimmer, CoachJohn Mahloch.

Coyotes howl at Fremont tourney

Kohler, from page 11

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CVHS Cross Countryteam members Ben Linzey,Rachel Preeg, Ted Hall,Kelsey Fagerlin (holding tro-phy) were at the Aug. 16 citycouncil meeting to ask coun-cil members and city staff tosupport the MDUSD 5K“Save Our Sports” run/walkon Oct. 9 at Newhall Park.

This important fundraiserhelps the United Mt. DiabloAthletic Foundation(UMDAF) raise the $1.2 mil-lion needed to keep athleticsgoing on in the Mt. DiabloUnified School District. Lastyear and the year before,CVHS won the trophy for thehighest participation.

Three years ago the dis-trict cut funding for all athlet-ic programs at the six highschools (Clayton Valley, Col-lege Park, Concord, Mt. Dia-

blo, Northgate and YgnacioValley). The 5k is the mostimportant opportunity toraise the necessary funds tokeep these sport programsalive.

The 5K is a great familyand community event. Peo-ple of all ages can participatein either the competitive runat 9 a.m. the fun run/walk at9:45 a.m. or the Kiddie run (8and under) at 10:30 a.m.Medals and prizes will beawarded for various agegroups and there will be plen-ty of food and entertainment.The event begins at NewhallPark in Concord.

Registration fee is $25 forpre-registration, $30 to regis-ter the day of the event, $10for kids 8 and under. Registerat www.unitedmtdiabloathlet-ics.org. For questions, oppor-

tunities to volunteer andsponsorship information con-

tact Marci Finley [email protected].

MDUSD 5K Run Walk set for Oct. 9.Foundation needs to raise $1.2 million

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“The times they are a-changin’,” said Bob Dylan. Well,perhaps he wasn’t talking aboutthe computer business, but it isrelevant. Take a close lookaround and you’ll noticechanges ranging from the waywe buy and use computers tothe way we care for them. Andmore change is on the way,some good, some not.

For better or worse you’llnotice many local computercompanies are out of business.Recently I saw two good localcomputer companies call it quitsand exit the computer cus-tomization and repair business.One reason may be that thepublic is embracing big boxstores, which offer game con-soles, smart-phones and gener-al-purpose computers at big dis-

counts.While this may seem like a

good idea, be sure to do yourresearch. The big box storesoffer inexpensive standardizedproducts for consumption bythe general public. Add a

plethora of kiosks offering sleekgame devices, smart-phonesthat double as a computers, andlow prices, and it becomes easyto see why buyers flock to thesestores for their basic needs. Butwill you get what you need interms of service, training andother intangibles?

For instance, some large bigbox chains are offering freecomputer diagnostics, but often-times the associates aren’t asknowledgeable as those in localstores dedicated only to theseitems.

A good local shop can offera variety of services, productsand guidance. Your shop shouldbe able to offer virus cleaning,tune-ups, data recovery, applica-tion installations and datamigration services. Standard,

semi-custom and custom builtor built to order (BTO) offer-ings should also be included.Today’s computers are morecomplex than ever before andexperienced technicians willhelp you select just the rightconfiguration for your needs.Many terms that are used todescribe a CPU, for example, areconvoluted and involved.Similar names can have very dif-ferent meanings, costs and per-formance. The knowledge gapcan be huge. Seasoned profes-sionals will advise you where tospend your money.

Fortunately custom shopsdo still exist, and of course, Iencourage you to patronizethem because they offer solu-tions from simple repairs tofully integrated turnkey systems.

More often than not all itemsoffered locally are at competitiveprices. You will nearly always getgood advice from these pros. Ifyou have a competitive bid froma big box store, take it to yourlocal professional for secondopinion.

Meanwhile, we have a lot tolook forward to. Coming soonare smart-phones that workmore like desktop computersand the desktops that take onthe ease of use of the smart-phones. Hey, did you hear aboutWindows 8 yet? It is the mostsignificant improvement inoperating systems – ever. Themerge of smart-phones andcomputers is here. One operat-ing system, only one thing tolearn. It sounds great. Staytuned, because change is alwayscoming.

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Glamour up this fall season

Finally, the lost-art of dress-ing like an adult is back in style.You’ll be able to find hemlines

at or below the knee and sheerdark stockings are making acomeback (great for hidingthose knee-replacement scars).Snap clutches, hats and glovesadd to a look of sophistication(okay, maybe not for a night outat the Clayton Club, but still…).Think old Hollywood – spikeheels, high-waisted trousers,scarlet lips.

As for color, lots of mus-tardy hues showed up on therunway; not wearable for most,but if you have the right com-plexion, you can positively glowin these golden shades. Polka-dots are the pattern of choice.

In jewelry, chokers replace ropenecklaces.

So how can we fab womenover 50 embrace these newtrends?

First, it’s important to knowyour body shape. Analyze yourbody. Take a look in the mirror(naked if you can stand it.) Areyou short-waisted? Do you loveyour long legs? Do you hateyour upper arms? Identify whatyou want to emphasize and whatyou want to conceal.

Then start slowly – switchout your bulky shoulder bag fora sleek under-arm clutch (theycan make you look ten pounds

thinner.) Consider a pair of wide-leg

trousers and worn with a fittedsweater or tailored blouse.

Try on a silk dress with aPeter Pan collar (yes, they’reback too), soft sleeves, and abelow-the-knee hemline.

Add a polka dot blouse orscarf to your wardrobe.

The bottom line is you don’thave to be young to look stylish.

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Attachment Parenting:Making me a better parent

For many years, my friendswith kids asked me whether Ithought they were good parents.Being a therapist has its perks;having to analyze your socialnetwork is not one of them.Often, I would stammer awk-wardly in response and providesome benign yet vague com-mentary about how their littleone was lovely and my friendwas doing the best job shecould. I easily assured them thattheir kids would turn out justfine.

While I might have had a dif-ferent opinion, I knew betterthan to offer it unless I thoughtthe child was in harm’s way. Ialways decided against offeringfeedback because no parent

likes to be judged or criticized,however well-meaning theintentions. I also thought I hadno grounds in evaluating whatwas effective parenting becauseI myself was not yet a parent.Offering guidance as a therapistgrounded in child developmenttheory is one thing, offeringsupport as a fellow mom in thetrenches is a much better thing.

As a therapist, I tend to seeeffects that the good, the bad,and the ugly parenting practiceshave on people and their inti-mate relationships years later.Every week, I seem to comehome and declare, “Okay, that isone more thing I am not goingto do as a parent.” Once Ibecame pregnant, I felt anxiousabout how the therapist in mewas going to decide what kindof parent I wanted to be.

Finding what works for meAs a new mom, I went on an

information quest to find a par-enting style that fit my clinicalexperience, my maternal

instincts, and was backed up byscience. That tall order led me toAttachment Parenting (AP) andit is something I now use inboth my personal and profes-sional lives. Overall, AP worksto create strong, healthy emo-tional bonds between parentsand their children. By fulfillingchildren’s needs for trust, empa-thy and affection, these childrengrow up into adults with healthyrelationships. Parents who adoptAP practices strive to be respon-sive, predictable, and positive:there are no time-outs, no com-mands, no yelling and no physi-cal use of discipline. For morespecific information on AP, visitattachmentparenting.org.

Some of the lessons I havelearned from both the booksand the trenches include the fol-lowing. One, treat your childrenas you would want to be treated,which is with empathy, respectand dignity. Two, children actout or misbehave because offeeling disconnected from their

parents. All children want to beclose with their caregivers andfeel loved and adored uncondi-tionally. If you do not give themthe attention and nurturing theyneed, then they will seek it out inother unhealthy ways. Three,you can only give your childwhat you can give yourself. Ifyou are running on empty, los-ing your temper, or getting outof touch with the joys of par-enting, then something has tochange. Trust me, your child willthank you one day.

STEPHANIE HO

MIND MATTERS

Stephanie T. Ho is a licensed psy-chologist. She has a private practiceoffice in Walnut Creek and alsoworks at UC Berkeley. She can bereached [email protected].

Philosophy stressesrespect and dignity,not physicaldiscipline

Are big box stores smart for computers?

WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

William Claney is an independ-ent tech writer and former owner ofComputers USA in the ClaytonStation. Email questions or com-ments to [email protected].

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If you play golf you knowthat you need to practice yourputting to say nothing aboutperfecting your iron game. Playtennis? How about your back-hand or your serve? If you area competitive swimmer youmust prefect your strokes andflip turns. What does it take?

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sonal safety? Particularly whenit comes to emergency proce-dures. I had a friend tell me,“practice like it the real thingso when an emergency occursyou know what to do, andyou’ll do it as if it is secondnature.” Just like your golfswing, you should practiceenough so you do not have tothink about it. That’s the way itshould be when it comes to anemergency situation, and youwill be calm and execute a saferesponse.

There are two main thingsyou should practice so itbecomes second nature inemergency situation:

1. Where to meet in theevent of a fire in your home.Do you practice your evacua-tion plan once a month? Ifyou and your family membersagree to meet at a predeter-mined place, such as the houseacross the street, practice andmeet at your determined loca-tion. Nothing is worse thannot knowing if everyone is outof the house in a fire andsending a fireman back inwhen in fact the person whodid not go to the determinedlocation is at some other loca-tion. Do you have an escapeplan?

2. Who do you call in the

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On the day I was born, myfather left on a troop ship forthe Normandy coast of France.I have always wanted to visit theplace where he fought and sus-tained the injuries that earnedhim a Purple Heart and aBronze Star. By the time hereturned from the war, I was 18months old.

So for the second week ofour trip to France, we boardedour river cruise ship whichwould take us up and down theSeine River to Normandy.Along the way we would visitmany French towns of histori-cal interest as well.

First stop was Auver-s-Oise,final resting place of VincentVan Gogh. Our tour guide hap-pened to be Dutch so was veryfamiliar with his life and wasable to demystify many of thestories about him and hisfamous ear.

We then docked in Rouen,the town where St. Joan of Arcwas burned at the stake. It wasfrom there that we drove toNormandy and the D-Daybeaches. What a truly movingexperience. The Americanbeaches of Utah and Omaha,the British beaches of Swordand Gold and the Canadianbeach of Juno all stretched outon the French side of the Eng-lish Channel. You can still seethe German bunkers in thehedgerows and understand howthe troops became so vulnera-ble. The monuments to all whogave their lives there are awe-inspiring. It was on OmahaBeach where my dad landed inJune 1944, so I called him fromthere and scooped up a smallhandful of sand to bring back tohim since, at almost 92 years of

age, he was unable to make thetrip.

The Normandy AmericanCemetery and Memorial containsthe gravesites of 9,000 Americansoldiers. All of the crosses are ofwhite marble and face the USA.Each one is inscribed with thename, rank and state from whicheach soldier came. The groundsare so well cared for and you cansense the atmosphere of respectand solemnity that permeates thegrounds.

Back on board the RiverBaroness, we headed for Hon-fleur, our favorite little town,

with its beautiful harbor anddelicious mussels served in thewaterside restaurants. Then itwas on to Giverny, home ofClaude Monet. The magnificentgardens were in bloom withbeautiful spring flowers and wewere able to cross the actualbridge so evident in many of hispaintings.

After a week in a very smallstateroom, we were ready toonce again be on land, eventhough we were going to missthe 5-star dining and unlimitedwine on board our cruise ship.

Next stop: Southern France

and the little town of Limoux inthe Languedoc region.

Travel Tip: The small sparebutton bags that come with newclothes are the ideal size for pillsand vitamins. Use them as dailypill packs. You can also purchasepackages of bags at the drugstore or a craft store in differentsizes.PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO

Trip to Normandy is a moving experience

Recently retired, Clayton residentPeggy Bidondo is a tireless traveler witha passion for travel planning and writ-ing. Send your questions and columnideas to Peggy Bidondo at [email protected].

Something must be wrongwith my calendar. I woke up thismorning and noticed it said“September.” How could thissummer have flown by so quick-ly? Technically it’s still summerfor a few more days, but formost of us summer is defined asJune, July and August.

For the second summer in arow, the Clayton area has beenspared from experiencing thestrong heat waves that usuallyaffect the Bay Area. Local resi-dents will not soon forget theblast furnace style heat wave ofJuly 2006. Nothing close to thathappened this summer.

Last month I wrote aboutthe updated 30 year normaltemperature statistics that wererecently published by NOAA.For the first time, this publica-tion includes a local site, Con-cord Airport. Assuming thatdata is representative of Clay-ton, we can compare data meas-ured during the last few sum-mers to get an idea how thissummer compared to last sum-mer and historical normals.

There are a number of statis-tical temperature comparisonsthat can be made. The followinganalyses will concentrate on

maximum afternoon tempera-tures since that is when mosthuman outdoor activity occurs.Summer is defined as themonths of June, July andAugust.

The average maximum tem-perature this past summer was83.3 F. That is 2.5 degrees cool-er than the 30 year average sum-mer maximum temperature.Interestingly, the average maxi-mum temperature last summerwas also 83.3 F. From thatstandpoint both summers werecooler than normal.

Another way to compareseasonal differences is to look atthe number of hot and very hotdays recorded each summer. Iarbitrarily chose days with maxi-mum temperatures between 90and 99 F to represent a hot dayand afternoons when the maxi-mum temperature equaled orexceeded 100 F to representvery hot days.

During the last ten years(2001-2010) Concord recordedan average of 27 hot days andsix very hot days each summer.This past summer there were 25hot days, but only two very hotdays. The hottest temperaturethis summer was 101, far belowthe 112 maximum reported ontwo consecutive days during theJuly 2006 heat wave.

How did this summer com-pare to summer 2010 withrespect to the number of hot andvery hot days? There were threedays that fell into the very hot daycategory last summer, with amaximum summer reading of106. Only 14 days were classifiedas hot, almost half as many asreported in the last decade.

In summary, both this sum-mer and last summer were cool-er than normal in our area.Although the average maximumtemperature for the past twosummers was identical, there is asignificantly higher number ofhot days this summer comparedto last. Certainly this summerwas cool, but it’s easy to see whysummer 2010 seemed evencooler.

Still, cool or warm, the sea-sons seem to pass by tooquickly.

Some like it hot

WOODY WHITLATCH

WEATHER WORDS

Woody Whitlatch is a meteorolo-gist with PG&E. Email your ques-tions or comments to [email protected]

New data confirmswe had mild summer

Prepare for the worst, over and over

Herb Yonge is a volunteer withthe Clayton Police Dept. & a mem-ber of the city of Clayton CitizenCorp Council, CERT Team. Hecan be reached at 673-7355 or byemail at [email protected].

HERB YONGE

SAFETY ZONE


In the Bavarian tradition,the keg tapping ceremony willtake place in the Biergartenafter the parade on Main Streetat noon on Saturday. Food willbe served Saturday from 11a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11a.m. to 5 p.m.

Then, prepare to raise yoursteins and toast to the flavorsof fall as the Biergarten bub-bles over with the spiritedentertainment and wonderfulsounds of The Internationals.Also on Saturday, you will

enjoy authentic German folkdancing by the Nature FriendsSchuhplattlers. Polka fans cankick up their heels and danceto your heart’s content.

Plan to do some holidayshopping and indulge yourselfas Main Street bustles withunique and wonderful artisansproviding their crafts andwares for your pleasure. Therewill also be German-style hatsand trinkets available at theC B C A - s p o n s o r e dMarketplatz. Street performers

will be on hand to delight withshows for both days of theFestival.

The Oktoberfest carnival,featuring the rides of rides ofthe Paul Maurer Show, opensat 6 p.m. on Sept. 23 and willbe operating through theweekend. Tickets are 20 for$10 and will be pre-sold atlocal merchants, including Ed’sMudville Grill, Hair by Jim,Hair’s The Place, the RoyalRooster and Skipolini’s Pizza.

Money raised by this andother CBCA events goes backinto the community and vari-ous local charities.

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So, do you think yourtough enough for Plyomet-rics? An explosive form ofpower calisthenics, Plyomet-rics is not for just anybody. Itrequires good muscle controland core awareness as it pro-vides the body with the idealchallenge to spice up anyworkout routine. Plyometricsoffers functional trainingbenefits and is guaranteed tomake you strong, lean andfast while improving youroverall body conditionthrough impressive powermovements.

What is Plyometrics? It isa term that describes exercis-es that allow muscle to pro-duce maximum force in theshortest time. The exercisespre-stretch the muscle whichallows the muscle to storeelastic energy which is thenreleased during muscle con-traction. This happens ineveryday activities like walk-

ing and stair-climbing, how-ever during Plyometric train-ing the intensity of thesecontractions is increasedthrough drills.

Plyometric training isexcellent for adding explosivepower to muscles. The exten-sive power movements usedcan not only strengthen thebody but improve the confi-dence to condition further. Itincreases the strength in con-nective tissues leading to lessinjury while performing vari-ous activities. Plyometricscan get at muscle tissue nottypically trained by weights.It can improve balance, pos-ture, dynamic flexibility andresponse time.

Because the intensity levelis great, sufficient training orlifting experience is recom-mended. Due to the intensityand nature of plyometricexercises, they can beextremely stressful on thejoints, muscles, and body as awhole. To prevent injury donot over-train. Be sure towarm up with light jog, step-ping or calisthenics. Limit the

amount of fatigue you bringto your Plyometric training asit will take away for yourbody efficiency and musclepower. Save the stretchingfor after your workout and becareful not to do too muchtoo soon.

Always start low and aimhigh. A sensible programprovides for progression.Gradually increase yourintensity by switching from atwo leg stance to a single legone or perhaps perform eachmovement at a faster paceeach time, even increase theheight of your jumps andeventually add weight.

Never do more than twoplyometric sessions within aweek. Always wear goodshoes for lateral stability andbe sure to perform only onsurfaces that absorb shockwell. Proper technique isessential as Plyometricsimpacts the spine significant-ly.

Performing Plyometricsproperly usually requires apartner, especially whenusing equipment like medi-

cine balls. Movements likethe Side Throw, the MedicineBall Push Pass, and StandingChest Pass require a partnerfor catches and tosses. Whileexercises like the PushUp/Hand Clap, Single/Dou-ble Leg Stick Landing Jumps,and 180-Degree Jumps usual-ly require a partner in orderto help maintain techniqueand body alignment through-out the routine.

So, on your next trip tothe gym, ask about Plyomet-ric Training. It’s a wonderfulway to shake up a stale exer-cise routine while it propelsyour physique to greaterheights.

One of the primaryresponsibilities of the CityCouncil is to approve a yearlybalanced budget. Each year’sbudget usually includes theapproval to purchase newequipment that replacesunserviceable equipment. Forthe police department, thismight mean the purchase of anew police vehicle.

Recently, the Ford MotorCompany (FMC) announcedthat it plans to shut down theCanadian factory that pro-duces the Ford Crown Victo-ria, making the 2011 CrownVictoria the last model year.This move has spelled the end

of production for America’smost ubiquitous police car.Over 75 percent of all lawenforcement agencies utilizethe Crown Vic for their fleets,including the Clayton PoliceDepartment.

One of the primary rea-sons that the FMC enjoyedsales success with the CrownVictoria was its bullet proofstructure and robust auxiliarycomponents. Vehicles that areutilized for police patrolsrequire strengthened coolingsystems, larger than stockelectrical systems and suspen-sion systems that provide thepolice officer the capacity forhigh speed pursuit driving, ifand when necessary. All ofthe police car emergencyequipment; lights and siren,computers, and radios, drawgreat amounts of amperesfrom the electrical system,while the many hours of slowpatrol driving and idling canquickly overheat a car withouta larger cooling system. As aresult, the Ford Crown Victo-ria was a proven player thatwas built to withstand thesevere life it would live as apolice car. The Crown Victo-ria police vehicles were verycapable and accumulated over100,000 miles. At the end oftheir useful police car life,

many smaller cab companiespurchased them from publicauctions, repainted them, andran them for another 100,000miles of cab duty.

So, which new vehicle willreplace it, and what will itlook like? Well, the answerwill probably come from oneof America’s three major carcompanies who have devel-oped new vehicles that theyfeel are very capable ofreplacing the iconic CrownVictoria. The ChevroletCaprice, Dodge Charger andFord Taurus are all vehiclesdesigned and manufactured tobe used as police interceptorvehicles capable of severeduty required for police use.The Dodge Charger is theonly interceptor vehicle thathas been in service for at leasttwo years. The other newvehicles are now being offeredfor the first time. Each carmanufacturer offers a vehiclewith different styles and capa-bilities, compared with theoutgoing Crown Victoria.Unfortunately, the reliabilityand durability of these newervehicles is unclear andremains to be determined.

Several larger police agen-cies, such the California High-way Patrol and the Los Ange-les Police Department, are

conducting tests to determinethe best vehicle for policeduty. Tests results will deter-mine which vehicle mostpolice agencies, including theClayton Police Department,will purchase for their next.Because we currently have amaintenance contract with theConcord Police Departmentto service our police vehicles,the future Clayton police vehi-cle will possibly depend onwhich manufacturer the Con-cord Police Departmentchooses for their next policecar.

In order to bridge the gapbetween the old and the new,this year we were able to pur-chase one of the few remain-ing 2011 Ford Crown VictoriaPolice Interceptor vehicles inorder to replace a vehicle thathad accumulated over 110,000miles on the odometer. Thenext Clayton police car willdefinitely have a new and dif-ferent look, and like every-thing else in life, will probablycost a bit more as well.

Say goodbye to iconic police cars

DAN LAWRENCE

FROM THE CHIEF

Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s PoliceChief. Please send your questions,comments or topics you’d like to see covered to [email protected]

Ford will ceaseproduction onCrown Victoria

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Clayton Community CalendarIN CLAYTON

SSeepptt.. 1177,, 2244FFaarrmmeerrss MMaarrkkeett8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Centerstreets, downtown. pcfma.com.

SSeepptt.. 1177CCoonncceerrtt iinn TThhee GGrroovveeThe Hot Rod Band. 5-7:30 p.m. (Please note earlier time.), TheGrove, downtown. Free. cityofclayton.org.

SSeepptt.. 1177SStt.. JJoohhnn’’ss AArrtt AAuuccttiioonn aanndd WWiinneeGGaallaaSilent auction of crafts, originalpaintings and photographs byStephen Stuntz, who studied withAnsel Adams. Heavy hors d’oeuvres,beverages and live music. 7-10 p.m.St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5555Clayton Road. $50. 672-8855.

SSeepptt.. 1188BBrriiddaall FFaaiirreeFashion show, gifts, sample floral arrangements and linens, give-aways. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. OakhurstCountry Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr. Free. RSVP 672-9737, ext.217 or [email protected].

SSeepptt.. 2244--2255OOkkttoobbeerrffeessttSponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association.Music by the Internationals, biergarten, food, arts and crafts, car-nival. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.Downtown. Free. claytonoktoberfest.com.

EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENTTThhrroouugghh OOcctt.. 11““TThhee WWiizzaarrdd ooff OOzz””Join Diablo Theatre Company in Dorothy’s classic journey toEmerald City. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. $17-$48. 943-SHOW, diablotheatre.org.

TThhrroouugghh OOcctt.. 99““SSmmookkeeyy JJooee’’ss CCaaffee””Center REPertory offers the Tony Award-winning tribute to leg-endary songwriters Leiber and Stoller. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. centerrep.org, 943-SHOW.

SSeepptt.. 1166--1188GGrreeeekk FFeessttiivvaallGreek food, wine tasting, live music. St. Demetrios Church, 1955Kirker Pass Road, Concord. $5. 676-6967, ccgreekfest.com.

SSeepptt.. 1166--OOcctt.. 11““AA FFeeww GGoooodd MMeenn””Diablo Actors Ensemble’s courtroom powerhouse questions if thereexists a higher code than the Marine code and if there are timeswhen good soldiers must disobey orders. 1345 Locust St., WalnutCreek. $22-$25. diabloactors.com.

SSeepptt.. 2200““LLoovvee SSttoorryy””Chanticleer shares this enchanting and disturbing emotion, withmusic spanning six centuries. 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW.

SSeepptt.. 2222--OOcctt.. 22““WWaakkee UUpp,, YYoouu’’rree WWeeiirrdd””Emmy-nominated “Sesame Street” puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph presents a wild and whimsical adventure. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. lesherartscenter.org,943-SHOW.

SSeepptt.. 2244MMoottoowwnn TTrriibbuutteeFeaturing the songs of Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the FourTops, Smokey Robinson, the Supremes and more. The Sing forYour Supper Concert benefits the Food Bank of Contra Costa andSolano. 8 p.m. Willows Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd.,Concord. $25. willowstheatre.org, 798-1300.

SSeepptt.. 2244--2255CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa CChhaammbbeerr OOrrcchheessttrraa“The Three Bs: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.” 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24,Los Medanos College Recital Hall, 2700 E. Leland Road, Pittsburg.7:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $5-$30. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW.

OOcctt.. 11MMtt.. DDiiaabblloo PPeeaaccee CCeenntteerr AAwwaarrddssDinner/Dance. 6-10:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Cultural Center, 1700School St., Moraga. 933-7850.

OOcctt.. 11CCVVHHSS 2200tthh RReeuunniioonnClayton Valley High School Class of 1991. 7 p.m. Marriott, 2355N. Main St., Walnut Creek. $90. Call Kara Manning at 408-0749.

OOcctt.. 22DDiiaabblloo SSyymmpphhoonnyy OOrrcchheessttrraaFeaturing pianist Daniel Glover. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW.

OOcctt.. 33--3311““CChheessss,, tthhee MMuussiiccaall””Willows Theatre Company offers this adventure from the com-posers of “Mamma Mia!” 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. willow-stheatre.org, 798-1300.

OOcctt.. 66--OOcctt.. 3300““EEddwwaarrdd IIII””Butterfield 8 Theatre Company presents the story of a king con-trolled by his passions. $10-$18. 1835 Colfax St., Concord.b8company.com, 800-838-3006.

OOcctt.. 2233MMuurrddeerr MMyysstteerryy DDiinnnneerrSponsored by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. Featuring ClaytonMayor Dave Shuey and Vice Mayor Howard Geller, ConcordMayor Laura Hoffmeister, Clayton Chief Dan Lawrence, real estateagent Lynne French, Chris “Mac” McCormick of Ed’s and Moresi’sChophouse and Rocco Biale of Rocco’s. 4 p.m. Boundary Oak,3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek. $45. RSVP by Oct. 4 toAleta at 672-9448.

CHURCHES AND RELIGIONSSeepptt.. 2200MMaassss aanndd HHeeaalliinngg SSeerrvviicceeFather Richard McAlear and Father Richard Mangini offer hope,healing, love and peace. 7:30 p.m. St. Bonaventure Church,5562 Clayton Road, Concord. 287-0246.

FUNDRAISERSSSeepptt.. 1177MMDDEESS SSttaammppeeddeeOne-mile and three-mile run/walk to benefit Mt. DiabloElementary School. Gates open at 7 a.m. 5880 Mt. Zion Dr.,Clayton. $10. mtdiabloelementary.mdusd.org.

SSeepptt.. 2211CCVVHHSS//PPaannddaa EExxpprreessssBring in a flier from claytonbands.org and Panda Express willdonate 20 percent of the purchase to the Clayton Valley HighSchool Music Boosters. 3-9:30 p.m. 2280 Oak Grove Road,Walnut Creek.

SSeepptt.. 2288MMDDEESS//YYoogguurrtt SShhaacckkMention Mt. Diablo Elementary School, and the Yogurt Shack willdonate 25 percent of the purchase to the Parent Faculty Club.11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Clayton Valley Shopping Center, 5438 Ygnacio Valley Road, Concord.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are freeunless otherwise noted. 673-0659 or claytonlibrary.org.

TThhrroouugghh SSeepptt.. 3300CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy WWoommaann’’ss CClluubb EExxhhiibbiittDisplay includes Pennies for Pines certificates, a list of club proj-ects, a proclamation from the city, pictures from the 2011 Festivalof Tables, a Presidential Award, a signed letter from PresidentObama and a lapel pin awarded to the club for education service.

WWeeddnneessddaayyssBBooookk BBuuddddiieessA volunteer will read stories for children of all ages. 1-2 p.m.

TTuueessddaayyss tthhrroouugghh NNoovv.. 2299PPaattttyy CCaakkeessStory time for babies to 3-year-olds. 11 a.m.

TThhuurrssddaayyss tthhrroouugghh NNoovv.. 1177Picture Book TimeStory time for ages 3-5. 11 a.m.

SSeepptt.. 2211MMeeeett MMiissss DDeellaaccoouurrttA talk with author and entrepreneur Heidi Ashworth of the MissDelacourt romantic comedies. 7 p.m.

SSeepptt.. 2288““WWhhaatt’’ss HHaappppeenniinngg aatt tthhee GGaarrddeennss aatt HHeeaatthheerr FFaarrmmss””Garden director Patrice Hanlon introduces upcoming classes. 7p.m.

OOcctt.. 33AAuutthhoorr WWoorrkksshhooppFive local authors discuss their writing journeys and offer tips foraspiring writers. Featuring Barbara Bentley (“A Dance with theDevil: A True Story of Marriage to a Psychopath”), NannetteRundle Carroll (“The Communication Problem Solver”), Jon Cory(“A Plague of Scoundrels”), Alfred J. Garrotto (“The Saint ofFlorenville: A Love Story”) and Judith Marshall (“Husbands MayCome and Go but Friends are Forever”). 7 p.m.

OOcctt.. 1144--1166FFaallll BBooookk SSaalleeSponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation.Member preview 4-7 p.m. Oct. 14; memberships available at thedoor. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday. 672-3672.

SCHOOLSSSeepptt.. 1177DDVVMMSS CCoommmmuunniittyy SSeerrvviiccee DDaayyHelp beautify the landscape at the Diablo View Middle Schoolcampus. 9 a.m. 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

GOVERNMENT11sstt aanndd 33rrdd TTuueessddaayyssCCllaayyttoonn CCiittyy CCoouunncciill7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

22nndd aanndd 44tthh TTuueessddaayyssCCllaayyttoonn PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiissssiioonn7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONSAAmmeerriiccaann AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff UUnniivveerrssiittyy WWoommeennMeets 7 p.m. Sept. 26, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St.,Clayton. Three Diablo View Middle School girls will share theirrecent Tech Trek experience and Rose Lock of the Mt. DiabloUnified School District will speak about charter schools. 672-0700.

CCllaayyttoonn BBuussiinneessss aanndd CCoommmmuunniittyy AAssssoocciiaattiioonnMeets 6:30 p.m. last Thursday of the month except holidays,Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. CallSue at 672-2272.

CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy GGaarrddeenn CClluubbMeets 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, February throughNovember. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. ContactNancy at 673-3522 or claytonvalleygardenclub.org.

CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy WWoommaann’’ss CClluubbMeets 9:30 a.m. second Tuesday of the month except July andAugust, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord.672-1163.

CClluuttcchh BBuusstteerrss SSqquuaarree DDaannccee CClluubbMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Willow Pass Community Center Hall,2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Contact Karen at 686-3774.

CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa CChheessss CClluubbMeets 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker PassRoad, Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome.Contact Mike at 639-1987 or ccchess.com.

CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa GGeenneeaallooggiiccaall SSoocciieettyyMeets 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month, LDS Church, 1360Alberta Way, Concord. [email protected].

CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa MMiinneerraall aanndd GGeemm SSoocciieettyyMeets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord,5298 Clayton Road. 289-0454, ccmgs.org.

CCrreeeekkssiiddee AArrttiissttss GGuuiillddMeets 7-8:30 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Library StoryRoom, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emerg-ing and experienced artists welcome. Contact Arlene at 673-9777or [email protected]. creeksideartists.org.

DDiiaabblloo VVaalllleeyy DDeemmooccrraattiicc CClluubbMeets 7-9 p.m. third Wednesday of the month, Ygnacio ValleyLibrary, 2661 Oak Grove Road., Walnut Creek. 946-0469,dvdems.org.

EEaasstt BBaayy PPrroossppeeccttoorrssMeets 6:30 p.m. first Thursday of the month, Oasis ChristianFellowship, 2551 Pleasant Hill Road, Pleasant Hill. Clayton resi-dent Douglas “Pucky” Junghans is the founder. 672-1863, east-baygpaa.webs.com.

KKnniigghhttss ooff CCoolluummbbuussMeets 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday, St. Bonaventure Church,Multipurpose Room, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. kofc6038.org.Or, 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday, St. Agnes Church, Cauchi Hall, 3966Chestnut St., Concord. Contact Rayce at 683-9717 [email protected].

RRoottaarryy CClluubb ooff CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy//CCoonnccoorrdd SSuunnrriisseeMeets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 PeacockCreek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. 566-8166,claytonvalleyrotary.org.

SSccrraabbbbllee CClluubbMeets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of themonth, Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Allages and skill levels welcome. $3. Call Mike at 639-1987 orscrabble-assoc.com.

SSoonnss IInn RReettiirreemmeenntt ((SSIIRRss))Branch 19 meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, CrownPlaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr., Concord. 429-3777. Branch 146 meets 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. second Thursday of themonth. Boundary Oaks, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek.Call Jack at 933-7998 or sir146.com.

SSoorrooppttiimmiisstt IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall ooff DDiiaabblloo VViissttaaMeets 12 p.m. second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month,September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road, Concord.Contact Nicole at 692-2224.

VVeetteerraannss ooff FFoorreeiiggnn WWaarrssBreakfast 8-11 a.m. second and fourth Sundays, 2290 Willow PassRoad, Concord. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. $4, $2 chil-dren under 12.

WWoorrdd WWeeaavveerrss TTooaassttmmaasstteerrssMeets 7-8:15 p.m. Mondays, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord.Visitors welcome. Contact Marion at 686-1818 [email protected].

YYggnnaacciioo VVaalllleeyy RReeppuubblliiccaann WWoommeennMeeting Sept. 21. 10 a.m. Social, 10:15 am Business meeting,11:15 guest speaker Tom DelBeccaro, chairman of the CaliforniaRepublican party. Lunch following, $25 per person. OakhurstCountry Club. RSVP Barbara Allen @ 925-672-5061.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. SEPT. 21 FOR THE SEPT. 30 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]


Local author JudithMarshall’s award-winning novel,“Husbands May Come and Gobut Friends are Forever,” wasselected as one of SpiritedWoman’s Top 12 Summer BookPicks.

Spirited Woman (www.thes-piritedwoman.com) is a leadingwomen's empowerment com-munity founded in 2002 with ademographic of 40-60 year oldwomen primarily. The bookpick list was started in 2010 as away of showcasing the manySpirited Women writers in theworld. The list is by invitationonly.

Author Judith Marshall haswritten an ambitious novel inwhich one of the mostentrenched problems of mod-ern-day womanhood is explored– our rigid clinging to controlover our personal and profes-sional lives and our reluctance toreach out for help when wemost need it.

“Husbands May Come and

Go but Friends Are Forever”introduces readers to the unfor-gettable character of Elizabeth(Liz) Reilly-Hayden. About toturn 60, Liz has a safe and pre-dictable life planned out: a long-term significant other, a hard-earned executive position at ahi-tech firm, and a quintet ofwomen whose decades-longfriendship has carried themthrough multiple marriages,

divorces, teenagers, andmenopause. Her life comesapart when Liz finds herself avictim of downsizing at hercompany, her sweetheart movesacross the country for a job pro-motion, and she learns thatKaren, her best friend and con-fidant, has been killed in a suspi-cious motorcycle accident.

The group of lifelong palsgathers at Lake Tahoe to attendto the funeral arrangements oftheir beloved friend and tries tounravel the mystery of herdeath. Through their sharedtragedy, Liz learns how disap-pointment and grief can bloominto healing and hope. Hilariousmoments vie with heartbreakingones in this memorable novelthat celebrates fresh hopes, sec-ond chances, and the anything-but-simple art of relationships.

The book has been optionedfor the big screen and is avail-able in print and as an eBook onAmazon and in paperback at theRoyal Rooster in Clayton.

American ConservatoryTheater opens its 2011-12 sea-son with a revival of the daz-zling George S. Kaufman andMoss Hart 1930 comedy “Oncein a Lifetime,” a witty satire onold Hollywood.

In “Once in a Lifetime,” atrio of down-on-their-luckvaudevillians head west to pulloff the ultimate con: posing asvocal coaches to help Holly-wood stars make their speaking

voices as beautiful as their glam-orous mugs as silent filmsevolve into “talkies.”

This witty satire by theBroadway luminaries behindsuch comedy classics as “TheMan Who Came to Dinner” and“You Can’t Take It with You”will be directed by A.C.T. Asso-ciate Artistic Director MarkRucker and will feature anensemble cast of 15 who willtake on 70 roles. The production

will incorporate period film clipsand cinematic backdrops thatmeld the worlds of theater andfilm, giving audiences a newexperience with “moving pic-tures.”

“Once in a Lifetime” runs Sept.22 through Oct. 16 at the AmericanConservatory Theater, 415 GearySt., San Francisco. Tickets start at$10and are available by calling theA.C.T. Box Office at 415-749-2228 or at act-sf.org.

DAE brings‘A Few GoodMen’ to WCstage

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A.C.T presents a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ show

Photo by Kevin Berne.

Vaudevillians Jerry Hyland (John Wernke, left), George Lewis (A.C.T. Master of Fine ArtsProgram graduate Patrick Lane, center), and May Daniels (Julia Coffey) see a moneymakingopportunity when the silent movie stars are forced to speak on camera with the advent of the“talkies.”

Local author captures spot oncoveted Spirited Woman list

Theatre


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From award winning screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, and thecritically acclaimed DiabloActors Ensemble comes thepowerful courtroom drama thatquestions if there exists a for aMarine a higher code than thatof the US Marine Corps.

At what point, if ever, doeshe turn his back on that code inorder to protect those he’s dutybound to protect? Don’t missthis engaging and entertainingmasterpiece in the intimate Dia-blo Actors Ensemble Theatre.Thursdays through Sundays,Sept. 16- Oct.1.

For more information or to pur-chase tickets, please visit www.dia-bloactors.com

Photo by Jay Yamada

Samantha Fryer, NickChildress and Jerry Motta in“A Few Good Men.”

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Mt. Diablo ElementarySchool’s Office Manager HelenBendoyro has grape expectations.

She is the brainchild behindthe school’s grape harvest, aunique fundraising event thatbrought in $1,200 for the school.

It’s a simple concept for thoseof us living near one of theworld’s best grape growingregions. On Aug. 20, children andadults were invited to Bendoyro’shome to cut grapes. The fruit wasthen taken to a machine thatstripped the grapes off the stemsand dropped into a bin, wherethey waited to be stomped on.Then the fun began, as everyonewas invited to take their shoes off,get into the vat and begin stomp-ing. Just like the legendary I loveLucy episode.

“It’s wonderful for thekids,” said Bendoyro, who wasborn in Sparta, Greece andraised in Sydney, Australia. “Welive in California but how manyof us have done this?”

Her late summer harvestparty was a different type offundraiser for the school, which

usually raises money throughauction events.

“I thought of a harvest partywould be a good fundraiser,”Bendoyro said. “I had thoughtabout it for my church, actually,but we never got around todoing it. I thought, why not raisemoney for the kids?”

Bendoyro’s back yard is largeenough for such an event and ishome to 97 grape vines plantedwith chardonnay sauvignon, zin-fandel and sangiovese. She hashad parties that featured thegrapes and wine from her vine-yard before for friends but is the

first time for a fundraiser for theschool.

“It’s very squishy, very, verysquishy, a little moist, not reallywhat I expected but it’s a wholelot of fun,,” said Colleen Martinof Clayton after she stomped abit. “It’s my very first time butnot my last.”

Bendoyro served wine fromher very own vineyard as well asGreek and American food.Representatives from the schooldistrict, teachers and administra-tors from several schoolsattended the event to show theirsupport.

MIKE DUNN

Clayton Pioneer

Another past item when youread this is Clayton’s hosting ofthe Third Annual Mayor’sHealthy Cook-Off Challenge atour downtown park. All 19 citiesin the county as well as severalfrom outside the county will becompeting in this event to raisecommunity awareness for healthyeating. Each Mayor, includingyours truly, will work with a localchef and a school principal toshop at our Farmers Market andprepare a healthy brunch meal,competing “Iron Chef ” style.Working with me is chef AnisMaamari from our own LaVeranda and Clayton Valley HighSchool Principal Sue Brothers.Let’s hope when you read this wewill be flush with victory.

And on Tuesday September13 the MDUSD Board will be

making it long awaited decisionon the charter petition forClayton Valley High School. Wehope that even more of our com-munity will be in attendance atthis hearing than the huge num-bers at the public hearing lastmonth.

On the upcoming front, let’snot all forget that our eighthannual Oktoberfest is being helddowntown on Sept. 23-25. Thisawesome event is put on by ourClayton Business and CommunityAssociation and is one of theirtop fundraisers for the year. Allproceeds are then put back intoour community by the CBCA.Volunteers to help are alwaysneeded so please go to their web-site, www.claytoncbca.org/okto-berfest and sign up to help. Sothanks to them and let’s make

sure and all go out and spendsome charitable money. Pssst, Iheard there will be beer there.Giving money to a charitableorganization and getting beerback in return sure seems like awin-win to me. And one of theperks of being Mayor is that I getto tap the first keg!

Also, remember that AOSLis our parks and recreationprovider and offers many greatsports activities for kids of allages (ie. adults also). Youthsports include basketball, T-ball,volleyball, youth sports camps,birthday parties and private les-sons. Adult activities includebasketball, volleyball and coedsoftball. Go to www.alloutsport-sleague-clayton.com and sign upyour whole family. Tell ‘em Isent you and you will get noth-ing but it will confirm my “pitchman” skills.

And on the sports front,here is a shout out to my fellowold and slow (OAS) softballteam that just got our behind’sblasted in softball by a bunch ofyoung bucks. If humility growsyou as a person, we are growingexponentially. As Woody Allenonce said, “When we playedsoftball, I’d steal second base,feel guilty and go back.” Yeah,just like you I can’t visualizeWoody playing softball either.

To close in honor ofOktoberfest, the brilliantBenjamin Franklin once said,“Beer is proof that God loves usand wants us to be happy.” Emailme at [email protected].

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Mayor, from page 1

Kevin Keeler

RACERS READY TO ROLL wait on the ramp for the starting flag inthe annual CC Church Labor Day Derby.


First school grape-stompputs the “fun” in fundraiser

Mike Dunn

MT DIABLO ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL, IRENE KEENAN stomps grapeswhile Julie Gonzales of San Jose takes a break.

Growing a backyard orchardis a wonderful way to bringfresh, healthy fruit to your fami-ly’s table. Cherries, peaches,plums and apples are simplygrown in any sunny Clayton Val-ley landscape, and the rewardsare delicious. Autumn is anexcellent time for gardeners to

install fruit trees for their back-yard orchard.

Dwarf and semi-dwarf fruittrees easily lend themselves toClayton Valley landscapes. Thesetrees are highly productive, with

eventual sizes that make theirbounty reachable to typicalhomeowners. You can expectdwarf fruit trees to reach 4-6’ talland wide, and the semi-dwarfvarieties to reach 8-10’ tall andwide. You can maintain theheight of your fruit trees bypruning in the summer after thelast fruit has formed. Summerpruning is done to control theheight of your trees and thinningwill be needed for air circulation.

Peaches are a favorite ofbackyard orchards. I prefer theselections will little to no fuzz onthe skin. Babcock White is asemi-dwarf selection that is self-fruitful. This terms means you’llnot have to plant another peachof a select variety for the cross-pollination, thus saving onroom. This peach will be readyin early July for harvest. You willenjoy 4-5-inches freestonepeaches with white flesh, andgolden orange skin. DonutPeaches will also be ready to har-vest in early July.

Apricots are one of myfavorite fruits. The Blenheimvariety is self-fertile, easy togrow, and will bear large crops ata young age. You can expect toharvest this apricot in mid-June.Apricot trees have lovely fall leafcolor as well, extending theinterest of this tree.

Cherries are expensive tobuy, so growing your own is veryappealing. When you think ofcherry trees, most people maythink of the Bing variety. How-ever, Bing cherry trees need across-pollenizer for fruit pro-duction. A Lapins is flavorful incomparison to the Bing, yet self-fertile. A Lapins Cherry tree pro-duces heavy crops of sweet, darkred cherries in May.

Fuji Apples are self-fertiletrees that are available in thesemi-dwarf size. The Fuji applehas a flavor combination ofsweet and tart, with a nice crispto the flesh and lots juice. Fujiapples ripen in late September,early October.

People who enjoy plumsshould grow the Santa Rosa vari-ety. This selection has a dark red-dish skin and amber flesh, theflavor of this plum is tangy andsweet. Santa Rosa Plums aregrown on semi-dwarf tree stock,making them perfect for a sunnylocation in your Clayton Valleygarden.

Tending to your own back-yard orchard will take someTLC. You will have to spraytrees during the upcoming dor-mant season. Trees such asplums, apricot, peaches and nec-tarines are very prone to peachleaf curl. Applying a fungicidewill help control the problems.Fungicide can be organic, or not.Ask at your nursery for recom-mendations.

Fertilizer will need to beapplied to your backyardorchard. This time of year, a lowdose feeding 8-4-4 can be givengranularly. In late January orearly February another dose offertilizer should be applied. Usea 12-12-12, or an 16-16-16. Thiswill get the tree’s juices flowing.Once the tree’s flower buds areshowing, apply a granular 0-10-10, or a liquid soluble 2-10-10.This will begin feeding the fruit,not the tree.

Growing a backyard orchardis rewarding, fun and healthy.

[email protected]

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A 19th century scientificexpedition to Mount Diablodescribed tarantulas as “attain-ing the size of a half grownmouse, possessing fangs the sizeof a rattlesnake’s, and deliveringa bite generally consideredfatal.” Fact or fiction? Join Mt.Diablo Interpretive Associationdocents for a spider talk and

nature walk in search of MountDiablo’s giant spiders. These areeasy hikes, most are about 2-1/2miles round trip. Reservationsare required. RSVP [email protected]. $6park entrance fee. Meet at theMitchell Canyon Visitor Center,96 Mitchell Canyon Road Clay-ton, CA 94517

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Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden and the 2011 ClaytonValley Garden Club president.Contact her with questions, com-ments or suggestions at [email protected]

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Brenda Benkly is an adven-turer. She’s climbed the moun-tains to Machu Picchu in Peru,repelled down waterfalls in thejungles of Central America,and toured the wilds of Africa.

For her latest inspirationaladventure, however, she rodeBart across the country. Bartthe horse, that is.

For nine weeks this lastspring, from May 24 to July 18,the Clayton woman and Bart,along with 35 other peoplewith their horses, dogs andassociated crew members, fol-lowed the path ridden in the1860s by the fabled PonyExpress.

The original Pony Expressriders made the 2,000 mile tripbetween St. Joseph, Missouriand Sacramento on horsebackin nine to 11 days, covering250 miles each day to delivermail.

Although it only lastedabout 19 months, until thetelegraph made it obsolete, the

Pony Express has been roman-ticized since in movies, books,and apparently, trail rides.

Benkly and her group trav-eled at a more reasonable pacethan the original riders. Fol-lowing GPS coordinates andinstruction sheets, ridersmaxed out at 50 miles a day forfive out of every seven days.They traveled, alternatinghorses and followed by crewswith supplies for the horsesand riders alike, then stayed intrailers at night.

In total, they traveled 875

miles by horseback, and anoth-er several thousand miles morethrough backroads in theirtrailers. The trip lasted eightweeks.

Benkly was pleasantly sur-prised by the warm welcomeof residents as her group trav-eled through the countryside.

“What I noticed, travelingin that manner, traveling theback roads, there were thefriendliest people,” she said.

At one point during theirjourney, while the group madetheir way through Nebraska,tornado warnings were issued.Rain flooded the roads, andlightning flashed silently, thewind moving too fast for thun-der to be heard. Local towns-people stepped in, and helpedthe riders and crews find shel-ter.

“I would never have gonethrough those backroads oth-erwise, seen those people, see-ing how ‘open door’ theywere,” Benkly said.

When she’s not climbingmountains or zip-liningthrough jungles, Benkly staysmore than busy working as a

dental hygienist, training mus-tangs, and volunteering as amember of the East BayRegional Mounted Patrol,where she helps patrol parktrails.

“You get so caught up ineveryday life, you don’t seewhat’s around you,” she said.

But over the course of thePony Express ride, despitelong days in the saddle, Benklybecame meditative.

“I found my calm,” shesaid. “I had never had thatbefore. Even though it washard work, it was simple. Youjust had what you had thereand you had to work with it.”

Asked what she learnedfrom her experiences adven-turing around the world,Benkly suggested people fol-low their hearts.

“I’ve always felt like I need-ed to live every day like thenext day wasn’t going to bethere,” she said. “Life is soshort. People say it a lot, hearit a lot. But it is true.”

That’s her advice to others:“Do the things that bring hap-piness to yourself.”

BRENDA BENKLY AND BART on the last day of the 40-day PonyExpress Ride from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento. The slowpace of the ride gave Brenda a chance to meditate. “I foundmy calm.”

BRENDA AND BART take abreak for a leg soak in the N. Platte River in Nebraska.

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton woman saddles up for Pony Express ride

or anything like that,” he said.“This is a remembrance offallen Americans and worldcitizens.”

Other local leaders, includ-ing Clayton Chief of PoliceDan Lawrence, Hugh Tolouiof the Clayton Baha’iCommunity, Pastor ShawnRobinson of ClaytonCommunity Church, andFather Richard Mangini of St.

Bonaventure Catholic Church,spoke of the value of commu-nity. “This is a remembranceof fallen Americans and worldcitizens.”

Other local leaders, includingClayton Chief of Police DanLawrence, Hugh Toloui of theClayton Baha’i Community,Pastor Shawn Robinson ofClayton Community Church,and Father Richard Mangini of

St. Bonaventure CatholicChurch, spoke of the value ofcommunity.

“It’s important to rememberto come together as a communi-ty, and to find the sharedstrength in our unity,” saidRobinson.

Toloui, who came toAmerica from Iran in 1957, wastravelling in Austria when theattacks occurred. He spoke ofthe outpouring of supportworldwide for Americans fol-lowing the attacks.

“We gathered in the town

square, and I bought a wholebunch of candles,” he said.“We lit the candles andmarched through the mainboulevard. It didn’t matter thatit was an attack on America, itwas an attack against humanity,against decency. It was quiteimpressive how many peopleshowed up.”

After a last bell alarm rangfor the 343 firefighters who losttheir lives that day, people liteach others candles and, led bythe Honor Guard, processedquietly – faces solemn in the

flickering candlelight – to theflagpole at the end of MainStreet.

The crowd stood in thought-ful silence for a few momentsbefore joining the CVHSWomens’ Ensemble in “GodBless America.”

Pastor Aaron Gonzenbachof Crossroads Church closedthe remembrance with a prayerand the Honor Guard retiredthe colors.

“Look around you,” saidPastor Robinson, addressing thecrowd one last time. “This is

community.”The event was organized by

Clayton Community Church, St.Bonaventure’s

Catholic Church, St. John’sEpiscopal and Clayton ValleyPresbyterian.

The remembrance will con-tinue on Sept. 17 with aCommunity Service Day.Teams of volunteers will workaround the community pullingweeds, sorting food for thefood pantry and washing cityvehicles. To help, be at TheGrove at 9 a.m.

911 Service, from page 1


SEP 16 Clayton Pioneer 2011.pdf

Documents

Transcript of SEP 16 Clayton Pioneer 2011.pdf