OCT 22 Clayton Pioneer 2010.pdf

Over the past month or so,six kids have killed themselves asa result of bullying in the UnitedStates alone. Two of these werefrom California.

The kids, ranging in age from11 to 19, could no longer takethe relentless bullying. Whetherthey were taunted because theywere thought to be homosexualor were seen as being different,these children took their lives

because they couldn’t live withthe abuse.

This past spring, I joined agroup of Clayton Valley HighSchool students as volunteercamp counselors for AyersElementary School’s fifth-gradeCamp Sea Lab in Monterey.Upon my arrival, I realized thattimes had changed. There wereno hand games and singing“Wheels on the Bus.” Instead,

these kids were singing songswith references to alcohol andsex.

After I got home from camp,I found that several of the kidshad “friended” me on Facebook.Though I questioned why fifth-graders had Facebook pages, Iaccepted the requests.

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com October 22, 2010 925.672.0500

PR

SR

TS

TD

US

PO

STA

GE

PA

IDC

LA

YT

ON

, C

AP

ER

MIT

190

Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Community Calendar . . . . . . . .16Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . .5Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . .21From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Holiday Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . .7Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Mayor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Police Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Take a Hike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

What’s Inside

HANK STRATFORD

MAYOR’S CORNER

Don’t lose sleep on street project

I’m guessing you wake up inthe morning wishing you knewmore about Clayton’s streetmaintenance. Since the city isabout to start a $1.3 millionstreet project, I thought I wouldgive you some information youcan use as you stand around thewater cooler at work.

In order to qualify for stateand federal funding for streetprojects, the city is required tomaintain an acceptable pavementmanagement program. As part

See Mayor, page 20

Clayton Valley High continues to leadway in Save High School Sports effort

As families rally to savesports in the Mt. Diablo UnifiedSchool District, the secondannual Save High School Sports5K Run/Walk at Newhall Parkin Concord raised $75,000.

Clayton Valley High Schooltook a leadership role in theUnited Mt. Diablo AthleticFoundation, which was formedin 2009 to spearhead the SaveHigh School Sports fund-raisingefforts. At the second annualrun/walk Oct. 10, CVHS hadthe most registered participantswith 450 runners or walkers.Decorated former Eagle runnerNathanael Litwiller once againthe first runner to cross the fin-ish line of the 5K course aroundNewhall Park in a time of16:31.46.

Last year, families and com-munity members were told theymust raise more than $1.2 mil-lion so athletes from the six highschools can participate in boysand girls sports.

Photo by Mike Dunn

THE FAMILY FUN RUN/WALK was a highlight of the second annual Save High School Sports 5K event at Newhall Parkin Concord. Over 1600 runners and walkers, plus some of the four-legged variety, took part in the event helpingraise approximately $75,000 to fund sports a the six high schools of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Runnersand walker wearing the school colors of Clayton Valley, Concord, Northgate, College Park, Ygnacio Valley and Mt.Diablo high schools included students, parents, teachers, school staff, alumni and community supporters.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

See 5K Run page 13

See Forum page 17

The Halloween Ghost Walk,an annual Clayton favorite, ismarking its 30th anniversary thisyear.

Clayton historian RichardTaylor leads the hauntingly funtour from Endeavor Hall. Thefirst Ghost Walk was really a his-tory field trip. Taylor taught aclass called “Clayton Past andPresent” for ClaytonCommunity School, an after-school program at Mt. DiabloElementary School.

He walked 24 students andparents around Clayton, sharinginteresting stories of Clayton’s

history. The abundance of scarystories coincided with it beingHalloween that day, earning hima command performance thefollowing Halloween. Word andinterest spread and by the thirdyear, 500 people showed up forthe ghost walk.

Today’s crowd averagesabout 200 people. The city ofClayton sponsors the event, andPolice Explorers escort thecrowd safely through the streets.

Taylor’s mother assisted withthe walks until she died in 2005.His father kept the ghouls andgoblins satisfied at home by hand-ing out candy to trick-or-treaters.

Attracting more businessesto the downtown was the centralissue at last Monday’sCandidates’ Forum sponsoredby the Clayton Pioneer and theClayton Library Foundation andmoderated by Concord MayorGuy Bjerke.

Dave Shuey, an attorney, isrunning for a third term andHank Stratford, a businessmanand CPA is running for a sec-ond.

Challenger Ted Meriam is aMicrosoft executive currentlysitting on the PlanningCommission and Jim Diaz is abusinessman with a security andlaw enforcement background.This is his third run for CityCouncil.

Shuey and Stratford areessentially conducting a singlecampaign and say their skills andexperience are needed in somecritical areas. Shuey brings legalexpertise to the city’s ongoing

Downtownbusinessdevelopment,potentialconflictsaddressed atCandidates’Forum

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

See Ghostwalk page 18

Take action against online bullying now

Museumevent bringshistory intoperspective

Whispers of local peoplefrom the past were clearly wit-nessed at the Clayton Museumon Oct. 9.

The “whispers” were visualclues seen with the help ofChristine McCollum, a localarchaeologist and 1994 ClaytonValley High alumnus.

McCollum and museumcurator Mary Spryer created anengaging and interesting focus

Photo by Mike Dunn

FIONA SUNDY watches as hersister Branna grinds seedsinto a pulp at the ClaytonMuseum. Looking on is AidenDvorak.

MIKE DUNN

Clayton Pioneer

The year’s Ghost Walk marks 30years of ghoulish goings-on

SARAH ROSEN

TEEN SPEAKSee Bullying, page 18

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

FOR 30 YEARS, RICHARD TAYLOR has led the annual HalloweenGhost Walk through the streets of Clayton. At the Oct. 19 CityCouncil meeting, Taylor was honored for his efforts.

See Museum, page 6

Have a HappyHalloween

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 22, 2010

What’s happeningAround Town?We want to know what’s

happening in your families andin your neighborhoods.

Send your news of births,engagements weddings,anniversaries, celebrations, etc.to [email protected].

Please attach your photos tothe email as JPEG files betweenbetween 3MB and 6MB andinclude a caption to identifypeople in your photos.

Around Town

CCllaayyttoonn MMaarrkkeett UUppddaattee pprroovviiddeedd bbyy GGeeoorrggee VVuujjnnoovviicchh ooff BBeetttteerr HHoommeess RReeaallttyy

5920 Herriman Dr.....................$615,000 . . . . .3614 . . . . .5/3 . . . . .9/30/10

473 Obsidian Way ....................$655,000 . . . . .2455 . . . . .4/2 . . . . .9/30/10

5850 Pine Hollow Rd................$445,000 . . . . .1494 . . . . .3/2 . . . . .9/30/10

5222 Keller Ridge Dr................$689,900 . . . . .2894 . . . . .4/3 . . . . .9/24/10

8028 Kelok Way .......................$630,000 . . . . .2237 . . . . .4/2 . . . . .9/22/10

379 Mount Sequoia Pl..............$670,000 . . . . .3216 . . . . .5/3 . . . . .9/21/10

5210 Keller Ridge Dr................$680,000 . . . . .3079 . . . . .4/3 . . . . .9/20/10

3030 Windmill Canyon Dr ........$605,000 . . . . .2313 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . .9/15/10

53 El Portal Dr..........................$608,150 . . . . .2857 . . . . .5/3 . . . . .9/14/10

3307 Coyote Cir .......................$370,000 . . . . .1595 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .9/8/10

1015 Feather Cir ......................$450,000 . . . . .1638 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .9/8/10

51 Tule Court............................$430,000 . . . . .1749 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .9/3/10

ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE

HHeellppiinngg ffrriieennddss,, nneeiigghhbboorrss && nneewwccoommeerrss bbuuyy aanndd sseellll

tthheeiirr hhoommeess ssiinnccee 11997799

66116600 CCeenntteerr SStt..,, SSuuiittee EE,, CCllaayyttoonn

Each Office Is IndependentlyOwned & Operated.

((992255)) 667722--44443333

GGEEOORRGGEE VVUUJJNNOOVVIICCHHBBrrookkeerr

Windmill Canyon/Ironwood! Supersingle story “Augusta” model withviews of rolling hills!

3 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 1816sf. Large combina-

tion living & dining room with semi vaulted ceiling & neu-

tral carpet. Eat-in kitchen features tile counters &

island, upgraded tile floors, maple cabinets, built-in

recipe desk & pantry, plus nook with views! Family room

with cozy fireplace & custom built-in media cabinet.

Spacious master suite with views of hills. Low mainte-

nance lot offers a brick trimmed aggregate patio, lawn

areas & views of rolling hills. $495,000

Clayton

Clayton

Clayton

georgevujnovich.com

Regency Woods! Great single storytucked away at the end of a quietcourt backing to open space! 4 bed-

rooms, 2 updated baths, approx. 1895sf . Updated

kitchen boast gorgeous slab granite counters, gleam-

ing hardwood floors & breakfast nook with Bay win-

dow! Combination step sown living and dining room.

Family features hardwood floors a brick fireplace with

raised hearth & slider to yard! Roomy master suite

offers dual closets with extensive organizer system &

slider to private patio. Large totally private .20 acre lot

backs to open space and features multiple patio areas,

lawn area & mature lush landscape! $499,000

Oakhurst Country Club! PeacockCreek! Fantastic “Nantucket”model backing to open space!

4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, plus an downstairs den andan upstairs loft! Approx. 3820sf, inside laundry & 3 cargarage! Upgraded flooring and lighting with neutraldécor & plantation shutters throughout! Gourmet eat-inkitchen! Expanded family option with stacked stonefireplace! Spacious master overlooks opens space andridgeline. Private lot features a custom salt washedpatio & walks, relaxing spa, nice lawn area & lots oftrees! $795,000

Clayton

Oakhurst Country Club! PeacockCreek! Stunning “Coronado” on apremium view lot backing to open space withun-obstructed breath taking views of oak dotted hills,canyons/valley & Mt. Diablo. Private quiet court set-ting! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths plus a loft, approx.3308sf & 3 car garage! Rare & desirable first floormaster suite! Elegant living & dining room with fire-place. Spacious gourmet kitchen opens to large familyroom with soaring ceiling, fireplace & wall of windows.Meticulously maintained professionally landscapedhuge level lot features a sprawling lush lawn, custompatio, palm trees & a variety of ornamentals!

$829,000

Better Homes DRE#00933393

ClaytonOakhurst Country Club! PeacockCreek! Sensational single story“Lenox” model on a prime view lot!

tucked away at the top of Peacock Creek with views of

hills, ridgeline & canyons!. 3 bedrooms plus a den, 2

baths, approx. 2748sf, inside laundry & 3 car garage!

Spacious gourmet kitchen boasts slab granite counters

and center island with breakfast bar. Adjoining large fam-

ily room with fireplace flanked by custom built-in media

cabinets. Spacious master suite with Huge walk-in clos-

et! Large level private lot features a custom patio, lush

lawn areas & an assortment of ornamentals and offers

beautiful views and refreshing spa! $729,000

PENDINGPENDING

PENDING

Fay Bowerreceives Holy

Names FacultyAward

Dr. Fay Bower was presentedwith the 2010 Holy NamesFaculty Award at the 37thAnnual Alumni AwardsCeremony on Oct. 1. She wasrecognized for her outstandingservice and loyalty to the univer-sity.

Dr. Bower is chairpersonand a professor in theDepartment of Nursing at HolyNames and is an award-winninghealthcare professional. In 2009,Cambridge Who’s Who recog-nized Dr. Bower for demon-strating a lifetime of dedication,leadership and excellence inhealthcare education. She is anexpert on evidence-based prac-tice, research and communityhealthcare and a founder of theCenter for Third Age Nurses.

Dr. Bower lives in Clayton.

Rotary Goes HollywoodThe Clayton Valley/

Concord Sunrise Rotary Clubwent Hollywood with theirannual dinner and charity auc-tion fundraiser on Sat. Oct. 9th.

Among the Clayton folksattending in character were theScarecrow and Charlie Chaplin(Al & Renee Martin), Bugsy

Siegel and his Vegas showgirl(Pete & Sheri Lawrence). Manyother Clayton celebrities walkedthe red carpet, posed for thephotographers and actively bidon the many fine auction prizes.Following dinner, they dancedto music by Clayton musicianSantiago Martinez and his band.

Julie and Steve Pierce – ‘bestfriends’ celebrate 40 years

Julie and Steve Pierce cele-brated their 40th weddinganniversary on August 8 with

dinner at Moresi’s Chophousefollowed by cake and cham-pagne at their home inClayton Joining them wereJulie’s father Wil Barnes andson Robert and his wife Jennieand grandchildren Gavin andEllie. Son Shawn and wifeJaime and granddaughtersAshlyn and Sadie live inNipomo and were unable toattend.

Julie and Steve met inAmes, Iowa, where they werehigh school sweethearts. “Westarted out as best friends over43 years ago,” says Julie, “Andwe still are.” DR. FAY BOWER SYDNEY ALCOCK

KinderCare has new directorSydney Alcock has been

named Director of ClaytonKinderCare on Main Street. Anative of Clayton and graduateof CVHS, she has worked forKinderCare since 2007.

“I have always loved workingwith children and my heartwarms as they grow and discov-er the world around them,” saysSydney.

Sydney is the daughter ofMike and Susan Fossan, also ofClayton.

From upper left: Cindy Haydon and Debbie Mullins; Bob and KarenDeiss, Al and Renee Martin dine and dance at Rotary Hollywood dinner

October 22, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Resident & Broker Owner

1824 Princeton Court, Concord $449,800Down a Private Lane – Wonderful 3BD/2.5BA offer-ing fabulous kitchen & vibrant gardens galore with aquiet creek. Ample space for your RV/Boat/Toy park-ing. 1824PrincetonCourt.com

JUST LISTED!

2238 Southwest Court, Martinez $399,800Diablo View – Quiet cul-de-sac location backing toopen space makes for great privacy. 3BD/2.5BA withupgrades galore including landscaping, windows, paint &deck. SouthwestCourt.com

5561 Maryland Drive, Concord $350,000Clayton Valley Highlands – 3BD/2BA has large,fenced front yard and a spacious living room with diningarea, all with fresh wood laminate floors. Updatedkitchen with gas range & dining nook. Close to schools!

4323 Briones Valley Road, Brentwood $580,000Ranch Property – 4BD/2.5BA appointed on nearly 7acres is once in a lifetime deal! Enjoy chef ’s kitchen,travertine tile in dining & family rooms. 2 barns w/tackrooms & more! BrionesRanch.com

4903 Keller Ridge Drive, Clayton $289,000Diablo Ridge – Located adjacent to 7th hole atOakhurst, this home offers 2 master bedrooms & 2.5baths. This is a perfect place to relax w/a drink on thepatio. Easy living, low maintenance at a great price.

5741 Tamarack Way, Concord $508,000Dana Farms – Clayton schools w/this single-story3BD/2BA. Cozy fireplace in family room & updatedkitchen with pantry, bay window & hardwood floors.TamarackWay.com

DRE# 01122025

JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED!

NEW PRICE

328 Mt. Washington Way, Clayton $539,000Dana Hills – Single-story home with 4BD/2BAincludes office/retreat off master. Convenient built-incabinets in living & family rooms. Plush backyard withspa. MtWashingtonWay.com

170 Brandywine Place, Clayton $839,000Peacock Creek – Located on a prime, corner lot,4BD/3BA plus den has over 200K in superior upgrades.Impeccable landscaping & outdoor kitchen & spa.170Brandywine.com

Marcia and Harvey Maslin mark 50 yearsMarcia and Harvey Maslin celebrated

their 50th anniversary last month with acruise to the Greek Isles and Turkey and arenewal of their wedding vows on Aug. 21.

Marcia wore her original wedding gownand veil at the celebration held at the homeof their oldest daughter and her husband.The evening, attended by family and friends,included an outdoor dinner party with musicand dancing.

The couple met at Tucson High School,when Marcia was a freshman and Harvey wasa senior. She asked Harvey out to a girl-ask-boy party, but they did not see each otheragain for three years. They courted duringHarvey’s junior year in college and after theymarried, Marcia began the University ofArizona as a freshman and Harvey was a sen-ior. He received the “Cradle Robbing Award”that year from his fraternity before startingthe University of Arizona Law School.

They live in Clayton.

MARCIA AND HARVEY MASLIN

SUSAN AND DAVID SISSONBOB AND JANET STICKLE

Around Town

Sissons travel to ChinaSusan and David Sisson

recently returned from Chinawhere they took this photo atthe Terra Cotta Warrior site inXi’an They spent 12 days tour-ing and visited the Great Wallof China, The Forbidden City,Tiananmen Square, the ThreeGorges area of the YangtzeRiver and the Three GorgesDam.

In September, Bob and JanetStickle of Clayton traveled toFrance and visited theNormandy Beaches, includingUtah, Omaha and Point du Hoc.They took the Clayton Pioneeralong with them and took thispicture at Ste. Mere – Eglise, thelittle town where the 82ndAirborne and 101 AirborneDivisions parachuted and landedto begin the liberation of north-ern France on June 6, 1944.

Bob retired as a Commanderafter serving 20 years in theNavy and Naval Reserve. Theyhave lived in Clayton for 38years and have raised both theirchildren here.

The Pioneer visits the NormandyBeaches with the Stickles

Supporters of the CVHSmusic programs gathered atEndeavor Hall for a wine andcheese and a bit of socializingon Oct. 8.

On hand to provide back-ground music during the“Symphony of Flavors”fundraiser were members ofCVHS String Orchestra,Heather Raymond and JessicaUntalan, Latin percussionistArthur Jones and the five-mem-ber electronic “Gregg FoggBand.”

The event, designed to bring

needed attention to the CVmusic department drew nearly150 to the event.

“We wanted more than any-thing to just gather music sup-porters together and getfocused at the beginning of theyear,” said CV music teacherMaundy Viar. “This did it.”

‘Symphony of Favors’ draws CVHSmusic supporter for a common cause

WENDY AND ERIC MOORE; Karenand Richard Vales were amongthe supporters.

BRIAN FOGG, PIANO AND ARTHUR JONES, DRUM. The two played togeth-er for the very first time, with no rehearsal, at the fundraiser.

Photo by Donna Price

EVENT ORGANIZERS SANDY FOGG, Mundy Viar, LindaMinorsky and Andrea Raymond.

In honor of a local family,the city is proclaimingNovember as PulmonaryHypertension Awareness Monthin Clayton.

In conjunction with thenational event, the local effort ison behalf of the Groebner fam-ily. They ended up in Clayton –far from their home in

Minnesota -- because their 8-year-old daughter, Katie Grace,started receiving medical care atStanford in 2008.

“Alone, not knowing anyoneand with little hope for ourdaughter’s life, this city hasembraced us and made us one oftheir own,” mom KathyGroebner says.

Pulmonary hypertension is arare disorder causing intolerableblood pressure levels in thearteries between the lungs andheart. Upon diagnosis, manypatients are told they have sixmonths to live.

“But with earlier diagnosisand new treatments, manypatients are living five, 10, even20 years with this illness,”Groebner notes. “Hope fortomorrow is even better.”

Groebner cites advancessuch as eight FDA-approvedtreatments, 230-plus supportgroups, 6,000 PH-treating med-ical professionals and $9 millioncommitted to PH research.

In an effort to raise aware-ness, the city of Clayton urges allresidents to recognize the seri-ousness of the disease and themeritorious work of thePulmonary HypertensionAssociation to find a cure.

Among the communityefforts on behalf of theGroebners are local real estateagent Lynne French making heroffice a kissing booth forPuckerUp4PH and ClaytonValley High School students run-ning the Race for a Cure atStanford.

“I am proud to call Claytonmy new home and I can notthink of any better place to endup in our situation,” Groebnerconcludes.

For more information, visitphassociation.org.


Leia Herbst (925) 765-8245

50% off Cut or

Complimentary Cut with chemical service

For first-time customers. Mention this ad when making appt.Offer expires 11/05/2010

Located at Althea Corrin Salon & Day Spa,

5458 Ygnacio Rd, #30, Concordnext to Peet’s in the CV Shopping Center

Stylist in town

�� Cutting edge or classic�� Color specialist

New

925-693-0757 (Main)925-766-6745 (Direct)

925-693-0752 (Fax)[email protected]

DRE# 01881269DRE# 01879806

Clayton residents

since 19596160 Center St. Suite #C, Clayton

mazzeirealty.net

With interest rates at an all-time low, now is a

good time to buy.

Short Sales, REO’s,Foreclosures or

Loan Pre-Qualification?Call Matt for a free

Consultation.

Matt Mazzei, Jr.Broker/Owner

Matt Mazzei, Sr.Sales Agent

4411 Morgan Territory Rd. Clayton

Nestled back off Morgan Territory Rd. Single story

4BD/2 BA upgraded ranch-style home. Detached 4 car

garage. Small animals welcome. Horses possible.

$3,000/month

Lease Listings

Coming Soon

1486 Yosemite Cir., Clayton.

Beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bath home in Clayton. 1,500 sq.

ft., hardwood floors, new paint on the inside and out,

A/C, fireplace, pool. Relaxing backyard with a pool and

HUGE overhang for shade. Rent includes pool care

and landscaper. $2500/month Call for availability.

Coming Soon

Obituary

Joyce Krieger SchilpOctober 5, 1939 – October 14, 2010

Joyce Krieger Schilp died in the care ofHospice of the East Bay on October14 after a short, but valiant battlewith cancer.

She was a noted musicianand singer and a 40-year mem-ber of the MasterworksChorale at Diablo ValleyCollege. She sang with thelocal Clayton choir,Yesterday’s Kids, and theBlackhawk Chorus inDanville.

She was an accomplishedpianist, organist and choirdirector at the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter DaySaints on Alberta Way inConcord.

Her friends and family rememberher for her warm, straightforward, “no-nonsense” way and her ever-present sense ofhumor.

Joyce was a quilter and loved to trav-el. She played golf and was an avid

hiker. And she loved her family,said daughter Linda. “She was

my best friend forever.”A newlywed, Joyce is sur-

vived by her husband ofone year, William Schilp,her daughter Linda Smithof Brentwood and sonsWendell Doman and SteveDoman, 11 grandchildrenand two great-grandchil-dren.

Friends and familyremembered Joyce at a

memorial service on Oct 20 atthe LDS church on Alberta Way.

Memorial donations can be madeonline to Hospice of the East Bay,

www.hospiceeastbay.org, or by check to3470 Buskirk Ave., Pleasant Hill, CA 94523.

City proclaims November asPulmonary Hypertension month

KATIE GRACE GROEBNER, left, joins the Piranhas soccer team asthey wear blue lips to boost awareness of pulmonary hyper-tension.

Morgan Territory residentsorganize for fire protection

Morgan Territory and MarshCreek area residents are gearingup for a fight to keep the CalFire Sunshine Station on MarshCreek Road open.

State funding for the stationwill end after this fire season,and the station is set to go darkat month’s end.

“Our goal is to keep theSunshine Station open,” CherylMorgan told the crowd of morethan 100 who met on Oct. 11 tohear their options for fire pro-tection and emergency servicesduring the off-season. “We need

to keep that as the focus.”She urged the group to exert

pressure on the East ContraCosta Fire Protection District(ECCFPD) to draw on its $4million in reserves to coveroperating costs of the stationNovember to April.

“We are a community with ashared interest. Just laying backand letting the station close isnot an option,” Morgan said.

The off-season contract withCal Fire costs $366,000. Arearesidents pay more than$400,000 to East County for fire

protection.“The (budget) shortfall does

not come from the MorganTerritory area,” acknowledgedErick Stonebarger, president ofthe East County board of direc-tors. “You have more thanenough to pay for it.”

He said it was an issue of allo-cation of resources. “Tax rev-enues are down and the district isrunning out of money. Without aparcel tax measure, we will runout of cash in 2½ years,” he said.

See Cal Fire Contract pg 7


Auto

Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900

Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739

Construction and Trades

Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700

Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423

Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212-3339

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

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

Mitolo Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2460

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

Dentist

Renner, Jason D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800

Rissel, Richard D.M.D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800

Dining and Entertainment

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

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

Events

Contra Costa County Fall Faire . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-4400

Contra Costa Home & Garden Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.capitalshowcase.com

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

Financial and Insurance Services

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

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

Travis Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-877-8328

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

Funerals

Moore’s Mission Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-1100

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

Home and Garden

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

Alexander KAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .977-1616

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

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

Diablo View Flooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700

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

Navlet’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-0550

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

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

Mailing and Shipping

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

Personal Services

Frontier Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6900

Leia Herbst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .765-8245

Main Street Nail Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933-8606

Pet Services

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

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

Rodie’s Feed and Country Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541

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

Morucci, Kimberly - J. Rockcliff Realtors . . . . . . .437-1650

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

Recreation

All Out Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4303

Castle Rock Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-7661

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

Earthquake Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-7454

Retail

East Bay Work Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-9900

Scary Decorations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8099

Sport Chalet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-7009

Senior Services

Aegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5838

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

The Chateaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-1700

Services, Other

A & H Limousine Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200-2824

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

College Planning Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-1704

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

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

NextEnergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-0600

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

Travel

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

Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840

Directory of Advertisers

P.O. Box 12466200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorRANDY WENGER, Display Advertising PETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignBEV BRITTON, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA WIESENDANGER, Administrative Assistant

STAFF WRITERS: Denisen Hartlove, Lou Fancher, NicciShipstead, 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]

Randy [email protected]

Send ads [email protected]

Send Sports News [email protected]

Send Club News [email protected]

Send Church News [email protected]

Send School News [email protected]

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.

ClassifiedHelp Wanted

Reporter/WriterReporter, feature writer needed to cover events, news

and people for Clayton and the Clayton Valley. Must be alocal resident and have good community connections.Excellent writing skills using AP style guide. Send summa-ry of experience and writing sample for a news story and afeature or personal profile to [email protected].

pruning and fertilizing services.

Plant suggestions and installation.

If you want more flowers this year,

call or email Nicole Hackett 673-

1746, or

[email protected].

VOLUNTEERSNEEDED

Help Fight Hunger

Anna Chan ~ AKA: The Lemon

Lady needs your help!

Volunteers are needed to haul

donated produce from Farmers'

Markets to food pantries throughout

the area. 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 hair-

[email protected].

Hospice of the East Bay –

Anna’s Attic

Volunteer at Anna’s Attic Thrift

Shoppe, located at 5350 Clayton

Road. It's a way to make a mean-

ingful difference. You’ll have the

opportunity to help customers,

stock shelves and prepare merchan-

dise for sale. For information call

(925) 674-9072.

Funds raised by the Hospice

Thrift Shoppes benefit Hospice of

the East Bay.

Established in 1977, Hospice of

the East Bay is a not-for-profit

agency that helps people cope with

life-limiting illnesses by providing

medical, emotional, spiritual, and

practical support for patients and

families, regardless of their ability

to pay. To learn more about volun-

teering for Hospice of the East Bay

please contact (925) 887-5678, or

email

[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. No expe-

rience or extensive knowledge of

Clayton history is necessary. 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.

Shelver - to shelve and sensitize

library materials. Various

days/times. Tutors - no prior expe-

rience necessary! You determine the

grade level and subjects you are

comfortable with and the

days/times. Requires good commu-

nication skills, patience and a desire

to help students in the community.

Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or

email: [email protected].

Free shuttle service for major repairs

Official smog check and repair station

SMOG Special$69.88

+ cert.

FREE RE-TESTMechanical, electrical repairs and diagnostics including 30K, 60K, 90K factory maintenance on all European,Imported and domestic vehicles.

LLUUBBEE,, OOIILL && FFIILLTTEERR20off$ 20off$15off$

WWIINNTTEERR SSAAFFEETTYYIINNSSPPEECCTTIIOONN

Clayton Valley ShellFull Service Auto Care

Offers may not be combined and expire 11/04/2010

SSPPEECCIIAALLSSBACK TOSCHOOL

CLAYTON VALLEY SHELL

Includes 5 qts. of Oil, Filter and Inspection.

Amir Jameson Gary Alex Peter

Corner of Clayton Road & Kirker Pass Road � (925) 672-3900

WithCouponOnly. With

CouponOnly.

WithCouponOnly.

BBrraakkee WWoorrkk

ASE Certified Technicians

Notice to Advertisers and Readers

Clayton Pioneer and TheConcordian not affiliated

The Clayton Pioneer and The Concordian have been underseparate ownership since December 2009 and are not affiliat-ed in any way.

During 2008 and 2009, Pioneer publisher Tamara Steinerwas co-publisher and owned a half interest in TheConcordian. In December, Andre Gensburger became thesole owner of the The Concordian. There is no editorial,advertising or financial connection between the two papers.

The Clayton Pioneer is a community newspaper, publishedtwice a month. Circulation is by direct mail and home deliveryto 5400 homes in Clayton and 7200 homes in Concord.

HELP WANTED

Bus driver: Class B license. Good

driving record. 30 hours/week

transporting Seniors to appoint-

ments/outings. Able to assist and

transfer clients. Aegis Living 692-

5838, ext 207, 4756 Clayton Road,

Concord.

Real Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French is

expanding and interviewing for a

few agents. Call her today (925)

672-8787.

SERVICESGirl Gardening

Garden care for your roses, peren-

nials and ornamentals. Monthly

Not that long ago, a diagno-sis of breast cancer was hiddenfrom friends and relatives. Andthe word “breast” was neverused in polite company.

Today, a brief survey ofClayton residents found thatevery person asked knew at leastsomeone who had been diag-

nosed or been diagnosed withthe disease themselves.

Maria Sousa, executive direc-tor for the Susan G. KomenRace for the Cure’s SanFrancisco Bay Area affiliate,acknowledged that preachingawareness is no longer a strug-gle.

“I think part of it is that theattitude toward breast cancer hasreally changed in our society andin our country,” she said.

“Women are much more open ifthey have been diagnosed or ifthey are survivors.”

That’s a considerable changesince National Breast CancerAwareness Month was con-ceived by drug manufacturerAstraZeneca 25 years ago.

“I really do think thatNational Breast CancerAwareness Month was helpfulwhen it was first established,”noted breast cancer researcher

Dr. Susan Love. “But at thispoint, I believe it has outlived itsusefulness.”

SIFTING THROUGH

THE STUDIES

The billions of dollarspoured into research and earlydetection campaigns havehelped raise five-year survivalrates for early detection from 74percent to 98 percent of diag-noses. Yet today some sacredcows are being sacrificed, andwomen are finding that they aretheir own best advocates in wad-ing through the conflicting stud-ies and recommendations.

Mammograms used to be thegospel preached by breast cancerawareness groups throughoutthe land for early detection. Butin 2009, the U.S. PreventativeServices Task Force came outwith recommendations that rad-ically contravened current wis-dom. No longer should womenbe taught to do breast self-exams, said the group, because ifdone wrong, they could lead toanxiety, distress and unnecessarytesting.

Nor were routine mammo-grams indicated until age 50, lestwomen incur unnecessary radia-tion.

Soon afterward, a study fromNorway showed that mammo-grams accounted for the declinein only a third of breast cancerdeaths, with the rest attributedto increased awareness and bet-ter diagnostic skills in physicians.

The American Congress ofObstetricians and Gynecologistswasted no time in issuing its ownopinion. “The college continuesto recommend that fellowsadvise mammography screeningfor their patients aged 40 andolder and that they counsel theirpatients that BSE (breast self-examination) has the potential to

detect palpable breast cancerand can be performed,” thegroup stated.

The congress further notedthat the task force’s recommen-dation would have implicationsfor insurance coverage of mam-mograms for many women.

Tamara Steiner, owner andeditor of the Clayton Pioneer, isa breast cancer survivor. Shelearned of her diagnosis at age48, a few months after startinghormone replacement therapy.During a mammogram appoint-ment, a vigilant technician spot-ted a dent on her breast. Furthertesting found a small but aggres-sive tumor.

After more than two years oftreatment that included a mas-tectomy, chemotherapy and radi-ation, Steiner has been cancer-free for 13 years. Steiner notedthat if she’d waited until she was50 to have a mammogram, I’d bedead.”

‘KNOW YOUR BODY’The amount of information

on the types of breast cancer,from ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS) to infiltrating and inva-sive tumors, as well as the meansof detection and treatmentoptions, can be dizzying.

Risk factors include somethat can’t be controlled -- such asage, racial background and fami-ly history – but also factors somebelieve can be managed. Alcoholintake, obesity and lack of exer-cise have all been linked to high-er rates of breast cancer. Somehormone therapies have alsobeen found to be connected toincreased risk.

“It’s hard to quantify a lot ofthat because they’ll (the scien-tists) associate a lot of differentlifestyle habits with increased ordecreased risk. But you can’t addthem all together,” said certified

physicians assistant ElizabethSivesind.

She noted as an example thehigher number of diagnoses inwomen with college educations.“But you can’t say college causesbreast cancer,” added Sivesind,who sees female patients everyday in the Walnut Creek officeshe shares with ob/gyn Dr.Margaret Craig.

Julie Durand, manager of theMuir Cancer Institute CancerProgram, also suggests takingmany of the studies with a grainof salt.

“I just don’t think there’s oneset of rules – I think every per-son is different. And dependingon their family history, you haveto look at all the componentsthat are part of your history,”Durand said. “It’s hard to justcome out with a golden rulereally.”

Both experts counsel womento get information from morethan one source and suggestedWebsites including the AmericanCollege of Obstetrics andGynecology (acog.org) and theAmerican Cancer Society (can-cer.com).

In the meantime, mostwomen surveyed plan to contin-ue having mammograms everyyear or two after they turn 40.

“The alternative is, I think,far worse,” Clayton residentKelly Tuohey, 42, said of herdecision. “How else are yougoing to catch it if they’re sayingdon’t even do self tests? I don’tknow what the answer to thatis.”

In addition to regular mam-mograms, Duran said the answeris often self-awareness.

“The bottom line is you justneed to know your body, nomatter what,” she said. “There’sa danger there when we don’tknow our own bodies.”


4.49%New / Used / Refi nance

APR* for60 months

As low as

*APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is based on applicant’s credit history and other underwriting factors. This rate reflects the 0.25% discount for automatic payment and 0.75% for being a valued TCU member for more than six months or a new member with TCU checking and monthly direct deposit(s) that total at least $500. For example, at 4.49% APR for 60 months, payments are $18.65 per month per $1,000 financed, based on $0 down on a vehicle that is 10 years old or newer. All loan rates are subject to

change daily without notice. Please visit www.traviscu.org for current rates on vehicle loans. TCU vehicle loans are not eligible for refinancing. **The interest on your vehicle loan will continue to accrue from the date your vehicle loan is funded and transferred.Everyone who lives, works, worships or goes to school in Contra Costa county is eligible to join. Certain membership requirements may apply.

Yes. You can join.® (800) 877-8328 www.traviscu.org

Clayton Valley: 5442 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 10Concord: 1257 Willow Pass Road

�� No payments for 90 days**

�� Up to 125% fi nancing

�� Rate applies to NEW cars

�� Rate applies to USED cars (2000 or later)

�� Rate applies to REFINANCING (for non-TCU fi nanced vehicles)

Sara saved $200 a month

Low, lowpayments

(925) 348-1704wwwwww..CCoolllleeggeeFFuunnddssNNooww..ccoomm

KNOWLEDGE � SERVICE � INTEGRITY � RESULTS

Pete Laurence, Broker, Realtor, GRI

2950 Buskirk Avenue, Ste. 140, Walnut Creek

Direct 940-2777 � Cell 890-6004 � Fax 937-0150

Now is the time to buy.

DRE#00344166

MITCHELL CANYON ESTATES, LARGE LOT!Brand new, 40-

year roof. This sin-

gle-story ranch-

style home has

beautiful hardwood

floors, new granite kitchen, and freshly painted.

12,000 sq ft lot with some views $509,900!

A Custom Rancher in Concord'sdesired St. Francis Park! This luxurious 2,500

sq ft home portrays

quality from its

stately corner court

location with tasteful landscaping, to its hard-

wood floor living and formal dining rooms! 3

Spacious bedrooms plus a bonus room! Huge,

level lot, close to Cowell Park! Get into one of

Concord's best areas for only $549,000!

For a personal showing, call PETE at 890-6004.

ON THE GOLF COURSE at $525,000!This detached 2-story Oakhurst

C.C. home on the 10th tee has

a new granite kitchen, new tile

entry, baths & laundry room,

vaulted ceilings a huge Master-suite. RV Parking

Pending

DANA RIDGE LIVING AT ONLY $340,000!This detached

single story, 3

bedroom, 2 bath

Clayton home

has new dual

pane windows, an upgraded kitchen, formal din-

ing, a vaulted ceiling living room with fireplace

and an ideal setting next to the greenbelt!

Pending

Pete can sell

yours too!

More than awareness needed to fight breast cancer DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

for the second annual“Whispers of the Past” event.Children from two fourth-gradeclasses at Highlands and Mt.Diablo elementary schools wereinvited to join in as a field trip tothe museum.

“October is archaeologymonth in California,” Spryernoted. “Last year was the firsttime we had it and we heardabout that through Christine.”

During a demonstrationbehind the museum, McCollumshowed off the tools of thearchaeologist’s trade – including

brushes, small tools and meas-uring devices. Some archaeolo-gists even use GPS units.

Inside the museum, childrenand adults were asked to matchup ancient tools, toys anddevices to their current counter-parts.

McCollum, a resident ofSacramento, has been involvedwith archaeology for about 10years. She was inspired tobecome an archaeologist whilereading her grandmother’sNational Geographic magazines.

“It’s very important to study

science. Science is a very bigpart of what we do, obviously,”McCollum said. “Being reallystrong in the sciences and beingcomfortable being outdoors areimportant. Those are two thingsone needs to focus on.”

According to McCollum,field work is essential in her pro-fession. “You need to go outand learn the field methods andat least get a bachelor’s degree inanthropology. If you want tocontinue this as a career, youneed to get a master’s degree,”said McCollum, who has anundergraduate degree from UCDavis and a master’s from CalState Sacramento.

Museum, from page 1

After graduating fromClayton Valley High School in1994, Michael Busbee set outto make it in the music busi-ness.

“Our Kind Of Love,” asong he co-wrote, recentlyascended to No. 1 on theBillboard country musiccharts. He also has producedand written music for numer-ous recording artists and isnow known professionally asjust Busbee. “It’s for brandingpurposes,” he says.

The 34-year-old musician,composer and producer hasamassed a large body of workin a relatively short time. He’sworked with artists such asKaty Perry, Timbaland, Tony

Braxton and LadyAntebellum. He’s placed hismusic into films and commer-cials and has released two soloalbums as an EP with hisband, GoNorthToGoSouth.

Busbee was born in Walnut

Creek, then spent the rest ofhis early years in Concord andPittsburg. He attended CVHSfor all four years. He beganstudying jazz trombone at anearly age, citing CVHS banddirector Steve Ernest as theperson who introduced him tojazz.

“I never intended to be anartist,” says Busbee. “I wascommitted to being a behind-the-scenes guy.”

Eventually, Busbee foundhis way into the world of popmusic. He came to realize thatit was music “with its ownsophistication.” He decided itwas a good vehicle for com-municating to more people,whereas “jazz was more akin

to fine wine.”Jon Bendich, a teacher in

the East Bay and SanFrancisco, further guidedBusbee’s journey into popmusic. Through Bendich,Busbee met Eric Valentine, anestablished rock/pop produc-er from the Bay Area who wasmoving to Los Angeles. In2000, Busbee moved to L.A.to become Valentine’s assis-tant.

“After moving to LosAngeles, I signed a music pub-lishing deal and that prettymuch changed everything. Itallowed me to write songsfull-time, which is what I lovethe most,” Busbee explains.“The next big thing was hav-ing my first hit song, a songcalled ‘Summer Nights’ thatwas recorded by RascalFlatts.”

Talking with Busbee, I cansense his pride and determina-tion, yet a certain down-to-earth quality remains. He’sgrateful that business hasbeen pretty steady and urgesaspiring musicians to keep atit.

“I would rather speak topeople who have a talent anda passion and say that somuch of it is just showing up.I mean, there are a lot of tal-ented people out there, butshowing up, working hard andbeing a good person to workwith and a person of integrity– those things have all mat-tered and have opened doorsfor me,” he says. “I’ve hadperseverance and I’ve builtrelationships with people andI haven’t given up.”

Songwriting is extremelycompetitive, and it took morethan eight years in Los

Angeles before things reallybegan to happen for Busbee.It was refreshing to hear thatthe basic values of persever-ance and treating people righthave guided him in a cutthroatfield that leads many peoplewith dreams to give up tooquickly.

“No one particularly needsmy songs,” he notes. “Thereare a lot of great songwritersout there. But I’ve built rela-tionships in an open waybecause I tend to love people.It’s been a long story in themaking.”

Clayton resident Jim Hudak isa noted musician, recording artistand composer. You can mail him [email protected].

October 22, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

During the fire seasonApril to November, fire pro-tection and emergencyresponse services out of theSunshine Station are funded bythe state. During the off-sea-son, these services have beencovered by a contract betweenECCFPD and Cal Fire.

To help close this year’sbudget gap of $1.8 million, theEast County directors decidedin June not to renew the 2010-’11Cal Fire contract. Thatleaves the MorganTerritory/Marsh Creek areawithout a nearby fire stationfor six months out of the year.Emergency response duringthe off-season will come fromAntioch, Brentwood orClayton – increasing responsetimes for structural fires, med-ical emergencies and auto acci-

dents by as much as 20-30minutes.

Property owners havealready seen skyrocketinginsurance premiums, as muchas 300 percent. Some residentswon’t be able to get insuranceat all. Debbie Bell, who liveson Leon Drive, will be withoutfire insurance Nov. 1. Othershave seen premiums increasefrom $1,500 to more than$4,000 a year.

“We didn’t know what theresponse time would do toinsurance rates,” Stonebargernoted.

Property owners were notaware of the station closinguntil insurance bills began toarrive. The only public noticeof the decision was in the EastCounty Times, a paper with nocirculation in the affected area,

Morgan said.The East County board will

hear from area residents at theNov. 1 meeting, when the issueis on the agenda. They mayreconsider the decision andcould decide to draw onreserves to keep the stationopen, said Stonebarger. “Talkto us, tell us the issues.”

“Spread the impactaround,” said one member ofthe audience. “Why should wehave to take 100 percent ofthe impact?”

East County is looking atoptions for raising additionrevenue including putting aparcel tax on the June ballot.

The board meeting is at 6:30Nov. 1 at the ECCFPD office,3231 Main St., Oakley.

CalFire Contract, from page 4

CVHS grad hits No. 1 on country music Billboard

JIM HUDAK

MUSIC NOTES

VOTE FOR LIBERTYFar too often in these pages

we read the opinions of sup-posed knowledgeable authori-ties who impart their views andvision for Clayton as one that is“central” and “important” toour future. They talk about the“need for more revenues” as ifthat is something the govern-ment creates when in fact it isthe people’s property that theyseek and wish to con-scribe.

These individuals feel com-pelled to advise us to follow andvote in manner to support theirvision of Clayton because sup-posedly their service entitlesthem to a profound knowledgethat they alone know what’sbest for us. Our foundersbelieved in limited and account-able governance and theyrevered the rights of individualsand organizations especiallywhen it came to the use of pri-vate property and hard-earnedtreasure. As you evaluate yourvote why not ask what do theywant these revenues for? Whydo they need more? And, why istheir “vision” and “Plan” theonly one you should consider?

– Glenn D. Miller Clayton, CA

MICHAEL BUSBEE

Letter tothe Editor

Submit your letter to theeditor on this or any othersubject from our Website atwww.claytonpioneer.com oremail to [email protected]

The Pioneer -- It’s your paper!

QMy family is thinking aboutinstalling a pool in our back

yard. We have plenty of room inour yard and we all love wateractivities. We have never had apool before. Would this be agood investment?

AA pool is not a financialinvestment, but it is an

investment in your quality of life.Since you have never had a

pool before, you should investi-gate what it might entail both inexpense and upkeep. In an arealike ours, where you will getmany months’ use, a pool can bean attractive feature when sellinga home. Some buyers only wanta home with a pool.

On the other hand, somebuyers won’t consider a homewith a pool. These are often peo-ple who have had a pool in thepast and don’t want the upkeepany longer.

If you simply want one foryour family’s enjoyment, then gofor it after checking out the actu-al expense.

The first thing, of course, isinstallation fees. On the very lowend, that could be $25,000-$50,000 and up, depending onthe options you want. Expertsestimate that pools can cost$3,000-$5,000 in maintenance ayear. If something goes wrong,say the filters or pump need tobe replaced, costs can quicklyadd up. When it needs to beresurfaced, it could cost morethan $10,000. If you wanted toupgrade the tile, decking or plas-ter, that could cost up to$20,000. If at some point youwanted to remove the pool, itcan cost more than $15,000.

Knowing all this, pools arestill always in demand. They maybe costly, but quality of life ispriceless.

QWhat is all this I am hearingabout banks suspending

foreclosures? Is this a strategy toimprove the housing market? I

am trying to time the sale of myhouse.

AThis moratorium on fore-closures isn’t a strategy to

control the market, but it willdefinitely affect the market. InCalifornia, most foreclosuresare conducted as non-judicialforeclosures or trustee sales.This means that they don’tinvolve a court process to fore-close. Twenty-three states thathave judicial foreclosures aresuspending them due to prob-lems with the signing of decla-rations in connection withthese.

Bank of America, however,has suspended theirs in 50states to see if lenders havecomplied with other legallyrequired procedures. They wantto insure that homes weren’timproperly foreclosed on andare following state law. Otherbanks may follow suit. Somelegislators are pushing for anationwide moratorium onforeclosure sales.

In the short run, this couldimprove the market because

there won’t be as many fore-closed properties on the marketfor competition. The problem isthe “shadow inventory” will stillbe increasing. These moratori-ums will postpone the recoverybecause we need the inventoryto be absorbed to begin normalappreciation.

QAre there any new “healthand safety” items I need to

know before I sell my home?

AOne new law is coming upsoon. Gov. Arnold

Schwarzenegger recently signedinto law Senate Bill 183, whichwill require the installation ofcarbon monoxide detectors insingle family homes by Jan. 1,2011.

Send your question and look foryour answer in a future column. E-mail [email protected] is the broker/owner ofWindermere Lynne French &Associates and a Clayton resident. Forany real estate needs or questions, con-tact her at 672-8787 or stop in at6200 Center St., Clayton.


wwwwww..ccaassttlleerroocckkaarraabbiiaannss..ccoomm

LLeeaarrnn ttoo RRiiddee

Established 1971

1350 Castle Rock Rd.Walnut Creek

(925) 993377--77666611

CChhiillddrreenn,, TTeeeennss,, AAdduullttssEEnngglliisshh,, WWeesstteerrnn && TTrraaiill

SSccoouutt SSeessssiioonnss//RRiiddeerr’’ss BBaaddggeeApproved by Girl Scouts of N.California with required insurance BBiirrtthhddaayy PPaarrttiieess

See website for details

TThhaannkkssggiivviinngg

WWeeeekk CCaammpp

November 22

23, 24, 26

RSVP to (925) 935-7447

1610 Locust St., Walnut Creek

www.cruiseadventuresunlimited.com

Cruise Adventures UUnnlliimmiitteedd

Serving all cruise linessince 1987

Enter to win a $500 gift certificateCelebrity Cruises Special Offers, 10/28 - 11/04

• $100 OBC for Veranda bookings made 10/28

• $50 per person value booklet

• $80 Spa Robe for any Europe booking

• $50 OBC for Europe Sailings

• $200 OBC for Alaska Cruisetour bookings

Royal Caribean Special Offers, 10/28 - 11/04

• Reduced Deposit on all sailings

• Passport to Savings Booklets

(valued up to $150)

• Bath Robes for any Junior Suite or higher

Owners Valerie O’Connell (Clayton resident, 30 years) & daughter Colleen O’Connell

Meet the Rep DayOct. 28: 11:30 am to 2 pmat

CST

2074

362-40

Pool is a fun option,if you consider all costs

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS

What doesn’t kill them makes them strongerThe kids are back to school

and I am not sure if I am happyabout it or not. On one handthey are out of the house for 7hours a day, but on the otherthere is homework, schoolprojects, soccer, piano, etc. Ican’t keep up. Then I think on

the other facet of fall. Thoselittle Petri dishes we call chil-dren are repeatedly passinggerms amongst themselves andbringing them home. It makesme want to put up a decontam-ination room in our entrywayfor the kids to go throughwhen they get home each day.Fall is also the time of yearwhere we see a rise in the num-ber of patients who travel totheir doctor’s office and to theemergency room requestingantibiotics for a cough, runnynose etc.

Remember back in the daywhen you would go to yourdoctor and they would give youantibiotics at a drop of the hat?“You have a cough and runnynose for one day? Here, have a10 day course of antibiotics.”

“You feel like you may begetting sick? Let me write youa prescription.”

Well, the times havechanged. Now in order to getantibiotics, you practically haveto beg, plead, and cry.However, your doctor shouldhold firm to the AmericanMedical Association criteria,the CDC and the World HealthOrganization’s recommenda-tions by withholding suchantimicrobials unless they areabsolutely indicated.

OVERUSE CREATES

SUPER BUGS

The reason for this is thatwe have created, and we arecontinuing to create, a legion ofsuper bugs; bacteria that areresistant to many and some-times all of our antibiotics –bacteria like MRSA (methicillinresistant staphlococcus), VRE,gonorrhea, penicillin resistantstreptococcal pneumonia, andsome strains of tuberculosis.

These bacteria are mutatingat alarming rates far exceedingour ability to create new antibi-otics. The medical community’soveruse of antibiotics has setabout Darwinism on a cellularlevel. What doesn’t kill themmakes them stronger.

As in animals, bacteria

select out and propagate thosetraits that improve the chanceof survival for all like bacteria.For example, if an antibioticdoesn’t kill a bug because ofthe bacteria’s cell wall make up,that bacteria will create more ofits kind. This leads to superbugs. The more super bugsthere are the more likely theywill share their special resist-ance genes among bacteria andthe more likely they will spreadamong humans. Likewise, theoveruse of broad-spectrum“strong” antibiotics (thoseantibiotics that kill a number ofdifferent bugs) can lead tocross-resistance. This meansthat if certain bacterium isresistant to a certain antibiotic,it will also be resistant to otherantibiotics in the same class.That is why if your doctor doeschoose to use antibiotics it isimportant for her to use antibi-otics that have a narrow spec-trum of activity so that ifresistance does develop it willbe to fewer antibiotics.

It is important to note thatantibiotics are only effectiveagainst bacteria and not virusessuch as the common cold andyour typical stomach flu. Aswell, not all bacterial infections

DR. DAVID BIRDSALL

YOUR HEALTH

See Health, page 17

Pittsburg Office:2211 Railroad Ave.Pittsburg, CA 94565Phone: (925) 432-4211www.LittornoLaw.com

Clayton Office:6160 Center St., Suite DClayton, CA 94517Phone: (925) [email protected]

LLaaww OOffffiicceess ooffRRiicchhaarrdd AA.. LLiittttoorrnnooLLeeggaall SSeerrvviicceess::�� PPrroobbaattee aanndd TTrruusstt AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn

aanndd LLiittiiggaattiioonn�� LLiivviinngg TTrruussttss aanndd WWiillllss�� MMeeddii--CCaall && VVAA PPllaannnniinngg�� EEllddeerr AAbbuussee LLiittiiggaattiioonn�� CCoonnsseerrvvaattoorrsshhiippss�� TTaaxx PPllaannnniinngg && PPrreeppaarraattiioonn�� GGeenneerraall BBuussiinneessss TTrraannssaaccttiioonnss�� AAsssseett PPrrootteeccttiioonn SSttrraatteeggiieess

Since 1979


FFoorr rreesseerrvvaattiioonnss oorr iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn ccaallll

((992255)) 667722--99884400CCllaayyttoonn SSttaattiioonn SShhooppppiinngg CCttrr..

55443399 CCllaayyttoonn RRdd..,, SSttee.. FF

EExxppeerriieennccee tthhee ddiiffffeerreennccee!!

LLuuxxuurryy TToouurr EExxppeerrttssCST #2033054-40

IItt’’ss aa ggrreeaatt ttiimmee ttoo bbooookk aa 22001111 EEuurrooppee ccrruuiissee aanndd llaanndd && sseeaa vvaaccaattiioonn!!

SSuummmmeerr bbaallccoonnyy uuppggrraaddeess ffrroomm jjuusstt $$9999..**SSuummmmeerr bbaallccoonnyy uuppggrraaddeess ffrroomm jjuusstt $$9999..**

Don’t miss this chance to experience captivating Europe from your own balcony stateroom, with uuppggrraaddeess ffrroomm jjuusstt $$9999 ppeerr ppeerrssoonn!!

Enjoy an amazing Venice sunset or the stunning scenery of the Norwegian fjords — all from the tranquility of your balcony stateroom. While in port, explore theancient wonders and the calming cliff-sideviews of the Mediterranean or the majesticcastles, cathedrals and picturesque land-scapes of Northern Europe and Russia.

Onboard you’ll discover freshly-prepared cuisine, warm wel-coming service and a relaxed, rejuvenating retreat for whichPrincess Cruises® is renowned.

Hurry! This offer won’t last — contact your travel agent to bookyour 2011 Europe cruise and land & sea vacation today!

* “From $99 upgrades” refer to an upgrade from lead-in unobstructed oceanview staterooms to balcony staterooms for select sailings. Upgrades for other sailings may be higher. This offer is capacitycontrolled and may not be combinable with any other public, group or past passenger discount, including shipboard credits. See the applicable Princess Cruises’ brochure or princess.com for terms,conditions and definitions that apply to all bookings. Please reference promotion code: RGA/RGB. ©2010 Princess Cruises. Ships of Bermudan Registry.

BATHROOMS

KITCHENS

DOORS

WINDOWS

(925) 672-2460Serving the Clayton community for 20 years

FIREPLACES

MOLDINGS

DECKS

LIGHTING

K e n M i t o l oC O N S T R U C T I O N

CA Lic. #531028, Est. 1987

CertifiedWeed & FireAbatement

MMoonntthhllyy//WWeeeekkllyy LLaawwnn && LLaannddssccaappeeMMaaiinntteennaannccee PPrrooggrraammss

Clayton Resident

� Lawn, Shrub & Garden Care

� Irrigation Repair

� Tree Service – ISA Certified

Arborist on Staff

FREE ESTIMATES

Save 15% offAll Yard Clean-Up

Not valid with any other coupon.

$50 OffAny LandscapingService of $300 or more.

Not valid with any other coupon.

Main StreetNail Studio

6064 Main Street in Clayton

FALL SPECIALS

*New clients only

933-8606Lisa Tonti

864-7944Grace Pruett

672-4975Main

$10 off*acrylic new set$5 off*acrylic fillRefer 2 friends to Lisa, get 1 acrylic fill free

1950 Market Street, Suite I, ConcordLocated behind Park & Shop,next to Fry’s,across from BMW.

Work ClothesMedical ScrubsBack to School

Mon. - Fri. 10am - 8pm Sat. 10am - 7pmSun.11am - 5pm

687-9900

Mention this ad &

Receive a FREE giftwith purchase while supplies last

New shop in Concord offers theright clothes for the right job

East Bay Work Wear is afamily affair, with owner

Glenn Moffatt and his wifeRobin managing the store andson Nick ordering and updat-ing the website from college.

This is the Moffatts’ “first

retail thing,” although theyhave been in the business ofgood customer service for 15years with Glenn’s Auto Bodyin Antioch. After selling that

business, Glenn recognized aniche for one-stop shoppingfor work clothes – heavy duty,safety or uniform-specificattire, accessories or footwear.

Customers of work-specif-ic clothing are brand loyal toinsure quality, safety and com-fort. “If a tow truck driver hasto lie down in the pouring rain,he doesn’t want to get wet,”says Robin. “A welder doesn’twant to catch on fire. Theyneed clothing to protectthem.”

Ordering parts for the autobody business prepared theMoffatts for purchasing differ-ent brands, sizes and styles ofclothing and footwear for theirnew business. Networkingresulted in the right vendorcontacts. East Bay Work Wearopened three months agobehind the Park ’N’ Shop cen-ter in Concord.

“A lot of people knowwhat they want, they just haveto find the store,” says Robin.

East Bay Work Wear is at1950 Market St., Concord. Formore information, call 687-9900.GLENN AND ROBIN MOFFATT, OWNERS OF EAST BAY WORK WEAR, with sales manager Gary

White bring a legacy of good customer service to new venture.

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

Seniors a high risk group in flu season

The flu is a contagiousinfection of the nose, throatand lungs caused by theinfluenza virus. In temperateclimates, influenza A usuallyarrives between early winterand early spring. Influenza Bcan appear at any time of theyear.

The most common way tocatch the flu is by breathing indroplets from coughs orsneezes. The flu can also bespread by touching a surfacesuch as a door knob or phonethat has the virus on it andthen touching the eyes, nose ormouth.

Symptoms can appear one

to seven days later, but mostcommonly within a few days.The flu spreads through the airand is very contagious. It oftenstrikes a community all atonce, causing an epidemic ill-ness. This results in manyschool absences and missedemployment.

Seniors who live in a seniorliving community need to bediligent about hand washingand wiping down surfaces asthis is a community in itself.

Tens of millions of peoplein the United States get the flueach year. Most get betterwithin a week or two, butmany become ill enough toneed a stay in the hospital.About 36,000 people die eachyear from complications fromthe flu.

The flu usually beginsabruptly with a fever of 102-106 degrees. Often an adultwill have a fever lower thanthat of a child. This fever canlast for a day or two but canlast as many as five days.

Other common symptomsinclude body aches, chills,dizziness, headache, lack of

energy, nausea and vomiting.Between two and four days,the “whole body” symptomsbegin to subside and respirato-ry symptoms increase.

The most common respira-tory symptom is usually a dryhacking cough. Runny noseand sneezing are also among

these symptoms, which usuallydisappear within four to sevendays. Other symptoms mayinclude loss of appetite, mus-cle aches, stiffness and sweat-ing.

Treatment for a mild case

of the flu and for those not athigh risk includes plenty ofrest, taking medications thatrelieve symptoms and help yourest, drinking plenty of fluids,and avoiding aspirin (especiallyteens and children), alcohol,tobacco and antibiotics (unlessnecessary for another illness).

Most individuals who getseasonal flu will likely recoverwithout needing medical care.Those at high risk, such as sen-iors, should talk to a doctorabout getting a flu vaccine.The shot is normally given atthe beginning of the flu sea-son, late October or earlyNovember in the UnitedStates. The flu shot isapproved for those individuals6 months and older.

During this season, takeevery precaution to stayhealthy. Talk to your doctorand take steps to be the bestyou can be this winter.

KELLY FERRO

SENIOR MOMENTS

Kelly Ferro is a marketing direc-tor for Aegis Living. Send commentsor questions [email protected]

“The flu spreadsthrough the air and isvery contagious. Itoften strikes a commu-nity all at once, caus-ing an epidemic illness.This results in manyschool absences andmissed employment.”

As parents age, it oftenbecomes more difficult for themto live independently and man-age their own affairs withoutoutside help. The thought ofmom or dad leaving the comfortof the family home can be apainful and challenging proposi-tion for everyone involved, but ifit’s no longer safe or practical forthem to live alone, adult childrenoften need to intervene and helpfind an alternative living arrange-ment. At that point, the questionbecomes whether you shouldinvite Mom or Dad to live withyou in your home or help facili-tate a move to a nursing home orother senior living facility.

Consider the following whendeciding how to address an eld-erly parent’s living situation.

THE EMOTIONAL

ROLLER COASTER

It helps to realize you’re

entering a very emotional terri-tory – for you and your parents– when you broach the subjectof a move. Adult children typi-cally experience feelings ofworry, guilt and sadness. Youmay also be frustrated by a par-ent’s lack of cooperation orcombativeness. For the parent,there most likely will be a degreeof sadness and, in some cases,anger. Understandably, parentswill mourn their status as inde-pendent adults, which may becompounded by grief over alost spouse, failing health or theprospect of dying. Be patientand respectful of one anotherand avoid rushing the decision-making process as best you can.

AVAILABLE

ACCOMMODATIONS

Before you ask Mom or Dadto move in with you, thinkabout the realities of this sce-nario. Does your home have the

necessary space and amenities?You may need to remodel toaccommodate special needs,such as a ramp for wheelchairaccess, safety bars in the bath-rooms and so on. Many seniorliving communities are designedwith these needs in mind.

LOCATION, LOCATION,LOCATION

It’s safe to assume your par-ent would prefer to remain closeto the old neighborhood andexisting support systems such asfriends, place of worship,healthcare providers and soforth. If moving in with youmeans moving across town (oracross the country), the transi-tion may become all the moredifficult for your parent.

THE PRECARIOUS NATURE

OF RELATIONSHIPS

How well you get along withyour parent can also help youdecide whether living togetheragain (after all these years) is asmart move. If your relation-ship was contentious, it proba-bly won’t get better in closequarters. Then again, if yourparent is opposed to living insenior housing such as a nursinghome, living together may bethe only option to keep thepeace. But wait — you also needto consider others living in yourhome. Before you settle on adecision, be sure to have anopen and frank discussion withthe other members of yourhousehold about the implica-tions of having Mom or Dadmove in.

LEVEL OF CARE REQUIRED

Be honest with yourselfabout how much care you cangive on your own. If your par-ent moves in with you, will yoube able to provide the appropri-

ate level of supervision, assis-tance with daily cares and dosesof medication, rides to the doc-tors’ office and more? Are youready to make and serve threemeals a day, manage the addi-tional burden on your laundryand tolerate the invasion ofyour privacy? You may have thetime, energy and willingness tojoyfully take on these responsi-bilities. Or you may not. Avoidtaking on more than you canhandle and seek the help of pro-fessionals if you are able to doso.

THE COSTS AND WHO

WILL PAY THEM

Whether you open yourhome to a parent or help find asuitable alternative, there will becosts involved. If your parentneeds to rely on you for finan-cial assistance, a financial advi-sor can help you sort out theramifications to your budget ofhaving another boarder underyour roof or contributing to thecost of nursing home care. Ifyou are paying for more thanhalf of a parent’s living expens-es or paying for medical expens-es, you may be eligible for a taxbreak. Talk to your tax preparerto see if you qualify for deduc-tions.

DON’T HESITATE TO SEEK

HELP WITH THE DECISION

No one can tell you what todo when the time comes todecide on new living arrange-ments for an elderly parent.Rally extended family members

Remodeling Specialist

Kitchens

Bathrooms

Concrete

Luigi BarberioGeneral Contractor

License #570107

[email protected] (925) 682-9941


MURELEEN BENTON

FINANCIAL SENSE

What to consider in decidingwhere aging parents should live

See Financial, page 15

Keep trick-or-treating safe – and fun

Most people look forward toHalloween each year, especiallykids. Children like dressing up incostumes, but mostly they liketo get the candy and treats thatare given out at each house theyvisit.

However, the excitement

that this holiday creates cansometimes cause trick-or-treaters to engage in unsafeactivity while trying to get asmuch candy as possible.

Historically speaking, acci-dents and injuries are more like-ly to occur on Halloween nightthan on other nights of the year.As a result, I have provided afew common sense and simpleideas to help you protect your-self and your kids while trick-or-treating on Halloween.

� Know the trick-or-treatroute that your kids will take.

� Wear light-colored or reflec-tive costumes.

� Younger children should beaccompanied by an adult.

� Kids should go out in a

group and stay together.� Take a cell phone and flash-

light with you.� Do not enter a stranger’s

house or car for any reason.� Look both ways before

crossing the street.� Carefully examine your

treats before eating them.Don’t eat any treat that lookslike it has been tamperedwith or looks suspicious.

� Vandalism is not cool.Throwing eggs at cars orhouses can cause injuries orproperty damage. If you seeanybody engaged in this typeof criminal behavior, reportthem to the police immedi-ately.

I firmly believe that by

incorporating these basic, com-mon sense safety tips into trick-or-treating, the risk of accidentsor injury will be greatly reducedthis year. By keeping Halloweena fun and safe adventure, youand your kids will look forwardto many happy years ofHalloween fun in the future.

Contact the Clayton PoliceDepartment at 925-673-7350, 9a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, ifyou have questions or can offeradditional ideas for a saferHalloween.

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]

AACCCCIIDDEENNTTSS7:18 p.m. Oct. 2, Clayton

Rd./Washington Blvd. Non-injury collision.

8:15 a.m. Oct. 7, ClaytonRd./Atchinson Stage Dr. Non-injury collision.

AARRRREESSTTSS9:52 a.m. Oct. 1, Mt.

Olympus Pl. A 43-year-oldClayton man arrested for out-standing warrant.

5:58 p.m. Oct. 1, ClaytonRd. A 40-year-old Claytonwoman arrested for petty theftafter call for service.

8:52 p.m. Oct. 1, Main St.A male juvenile arrested forreceiving stolen property andpetty theft after call for service.

7:06 p.m. Oct. 2, ClaytonRd. A 51-year-old Oaklandman arrested for commercialburglary and robbery aftercall for service.

8:30 p.m. Oct. 3, Main St.A 48-year-old Concord manarrested for domestic battery,DUI, evading an officer and aprobation violation after callfor service.

10:03 p.m. Oct. 6,Clayton Rd./El Camino Dr. A33-year-old Clayton womanarrested for possession ofmarijuana after stop for vehi-cle code violation.

8:15 a.m. Oct. 7, ClaytonRd./Atchinson Stage Dr. A 30-year-old Clayton man arrest-ed for driving on suspended

license after traffic collision.2:07 a.m. Oct. 9,

Clayton Rd./MitchellCanyon Rd. A 20-year-oldClayton man arrested forpublic intoxication afterbeing contacted by officersin the roadway.

12:31 p.m. Oct. 10,Marsh Creek Rd./Clayton Rd.A 40-year-old Concordwoman arrested for drivingon suspended license afterstop for vehicle code viola-tion.

2:30 p.m. Oct. 13,Clayton Rd. A 34-year-old LosAngeles woman arrested forcruelty to animals after call forservice.

6:15 p.m. Oct. 14,Clayton Rd. A 40-year-oldman arrested for commercialburglary after call for service.

BBUURRGGLLAARRIIEESS//TTHHEEFFTTSS8:52 p.m. Oct 1, Main St.

Petty theft.5:58 p.m. Oct. 2, Clayton

Rd. Petty theft.7:06 p.m. Oct. 2, Clayton

Rd. Commercial burglary,robbery.

11:20 p.m. Oct. 2, CenterSt./Oak St. Robbery.

9:15 a.m. Oct. 3, MainSt./Morris St. Grand theft.

5:04 p.m. Oct. 6, DiabloView Lane. Petty theft.

11:15 a.m. Oct. 14,Heritage Trail. Petty theft.

VVAANNDDAALLIISSMM8:13 p.m. Oct. 8,

Oakhurst Dr./Indian Wells Dr.3:25 p.m. Oct. 8,

Stranahan Dr.6:03 a.m. Oct. 10, High

St./Oak St.

Police Report

“Let Us Light Up

Your

Life”

For all your Electrical Needs.

www.burkinelectric.netAll work done by owner

Serving Contra Costa since 1991

More than 30 years experienceLicensed l Lic. # C10-631523

925.212.3339

Recess

Lights & FanSpecials

Call for details

Call Jim

�� RReemmooddeelliinngg �� DDeecckkss �� OOvveerrhhaannggss�� WWiinnddoowwss//DDoooorrss�� CCrroowwnn MMoollddiinngg�� SSiiddiinngg�� TTrriimm

�� RReemmooddeelliinngg �� DDeecckkss �� OOvveerrhhaannggss�� WWiinnddoowwss//DDoooorrss�� CCrroowwnn MMoollddiinngg�� SSiiddiinngg�� TTrriimm

General ContractorGeneral Contractor Clayton ResidentClayton Resident

Declan Woods 925.216.2679

Noel O’ Meara925.518.0821

license# 783799, B, HIC

free estimatesfree estimates

Recommended by

“Realtor of the Year”

Lynne French

Recommended by

“Realtor of the Year”

Lynne French

Specializing inBathrooms andKitchens

Specializing inBathrooms andKitchens

Laura Kelly’s dog Ryleyalways finds the biggest treebranch possible to carry homefrom a walk. So she was not sur-prised when the 5-year-oldgolden retriever dashed into thebrush off the fire trail inOakhurst and began snufflingaround one day in mid-September.

But this time, the treasurebegan to move. That is howKelly’s companion became thefirst Clayton canine to rescue anendangered species – a deserttortoise.

“The turtle went half wayinto his shell. It seemed a littlestartled, but then kind offriendly,” she said.

Kelly picked up the 10-inchdiameter shell like a football andbrought it home to her twoboys, Nicholas, 5, and Brayden,3. They named the green, wrin-kled prehistoric-looking crea-ture Yoda in honor of the char-acter in one of their favoritemovies, “Star Wars.”

“I thought he was a babygiant tortoise like we see atMarine World,” Kelly said. “Thekids were all excited. Wepropped up a plastic swimmingpool in the backyard and hewent under there.”

Kelly promptly called theLindsay Wildlife Museum,researched a tortoise rescuegroup and called a couple of petshops hoping to find a missingpet report. After about twohours, she assumed she wouldhave the tortoise overnight. Soshe called LindsayRehabilitation Hospital again to

find out how to care for it. Thistime, someone recalled a reportfrom Aug. 5 regarding a missingtortoise from a neighboringstreet in Clayton.

Kelly contacted the Marrfamily, who was excited to gettheir long-time family pet back.John Marr estimates the deserttortoise is more than 50 yearsold.

John’s brother, Jim, was gift-ed Sugar at the age of 5 follow-ing good behavior at a dentalexam. When the adult Jim’shome could not accommodatethe pet with a projected lifespanof 80-100 years, it moved to themother’s home in Palo Alto –where it once escaped. Whenshe moved to a retirement facil-ity, Sugar moved to John’s homein Clayton.

John’s 14-year-old son couldnot bear to call the reptile by itsoh-so-sweet name and dubbedhim Torti. While the Marrs

vacationed, Torti made his sec-ond escape on Aug. 2.

“We searched for more thanfour weeks and posted signsaround the neighborhood,” saidLeslie Marr. “We didn’t want totell Jim. But after six weeks, wewere resigned he was gone andgetting ready to tell him.”

Then the Lindsay WildlifeMuseum left a message report-ing Torti had been found.

“We had him checked by alocal vet. He had an eye infec-tion and scratches on his undershell,” Leslie reported.

The Marrs had searcheddownhill, thinking Torti hadgone in search of water.However, the tortoise rescuegroup Kelly contacted explainedthat they usually travel east.Kelly said that, in fact, the tor-toise was headed uphill throughtall, thick and stickery under-brush – or eastward.

“I think he was headed tothe top for the view,” Kelly said.“After planning his escape formore than 50 years, he’s foundjust yards from his destinationby a young golden … it makes agood headline though,” shesaid.

Clayton Girl Scouts CaseyMitchell and Miranda Hansenof Troop 31895 are collectingpet supplies for Tony LaRussa’s ARF at Pet Food

Express, 5404 Ygnacio ValleyRd., Concord, from 11 a.m. to3 p.m., Nov. 6-7.

Help the girls earn their GirlScout Silver Award by donatingcat and dog toys, treats, litterboxes and scoopers and pettoys. Customers who purchasean item to donate from PetFood Express will receive acoupon for 20 percent offtoward a future purchase. Theirgoal is to collect at least 75items to help ARF care for dogsand cats rescued from shelters.

The Girl Scouts are also col-lecting gently used suppliesincluding towels and blankets.Drop these donations off atDiablo View Middle Schoolduring the month of October.

For more information, callChristine Mitchell (925) 348-3925.

Wagging tails aren’t always asign of joy.

A wag expresses the manystates of a dog’s mind and is asnuanced as a smile. It’s capableof expressing not only happi-ness, but also anxiety, confusion,mischief, excitement and ambi-

guity. To tell which, look at thewhole tail and not just themovement.

The height of a dog’s tailwag is an indicator of arousal. Alow wag, when the tail dipsbelow the dog’s back, indicatesuncertainty -- perhaps at theapproach of a distant figure orwhen going someplace new. Arelaxed dog, wandering in forbelly rubs, wags about level withits back. An excited dog seeing asquirrel or anticipating someonethrowing a tennis ball has a high(above back level) wagging tail.A high tail wag can also predictextreme behavior such as charg-ing rather than trotting or walk-ing to greet.

The rate of the wag express-

es a dog’s level of self-control.It’s similar to laughter. A fastwag is like the giggles, which canhappen during moments ofextreme happiness but also dur-ing extreme nervousness. Theslower the tail wags, the moreaware the dog is of his environ-ment. When a dog is veryfocused, while hunting or per-ceiving a potential for danger,for example, his tail might notwag at all. A dog whose tail iswagging wildly might be totallyunaware as he smacks the furni-ture or clears a coffee table.

The stiffness of a dog’s taildirectly relates to the dog’s levelof relaxation. The dog’s wholebody usually corresponds withthe tail’s rigidity. A dog that is

very tense will have a stiff tail,with perhaps only the tip wag-ging or an intermittent wag. It’sthe sign of a dog deciding whatto do next. A tail that wags insloppy sweeping motions showsthat a dog feels comfortable inits environment.

Observing the combinationof all three factors gives a betterpicture of the meaning of thetail wag. For example, when adog greets another dog with ahigh, stiffly wagging tail, expectsudden action – usually a

pounce or play bow. This is adog that’s very excited andtense, evaluating whether theother dog is safe or not. If a doghas a low but quickly waggingtail during the greeting, he’snervous, unsure what to do andis waiting for the other dog toact in order to decide on fight,flight or play.

Looking at the whole dog,including the tail, is the bestevaluation of a dog’s feelings. Adog with a rigid body, a closedmouth and a low wagging tail is

tense and focused and not readyfor petting. A happy dog notonly loosely wags its tail at backheight, he will also have arelaxed body, squinty eyes andan open mouth, with the cor-ners pulled back into an unmis-takable easy grin.

It’s the same expression withwhich your best friend greetsyou at the front door.

One-year-old Aerial Paradeis a flurry of life and activity.She is a bright, outgoing Basenjimix who will do best with anadopter who can provide dailyactivity to satisfy her mental andphysical energy demands. AerialParade’s agility and intelligencewill make training her a joy.View her video atyoutube.com/tlrarf.

The adoption fee for adultdogs is $225 and includes 60percent off one 7-week dogtraining session.

Motta is a social butterflywho loves tons of attention.This friendly, playful Siamesewould make a great addition to abusy family looking for anattentive companion. Three-year-old Motta may enjoy kittenfriends as well. She is suitable

for a first time cat owner.The adoption fee for adult

cats is $50.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m.Thursday and Friday, Noon to 5p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Theprimary caretaker must be pres-ent to adopt. ARF also encour-ages kids 16 and younger andcanine family members (dogadoptions only) to be presentduring the adoption process.

Would you like to be part of theheroic team that saves the lives of res-cued dogs and cats? Can you shareyour talents to connect people and ani-

mals? ARF volunteers are making adifference! For more information seeour website, www.arf.net, or call925.256.1ARF.

MOTTA

AERIAL PARADE


earthquakearabians.com

WWeesstteerrnn && EEnngglliisshh,, BBeeggiinnnneerr ttoo AAddvvaanncceedd

SSttaattee ooff tthhee AArrtt,,BBooaarrddiinngg FFaacciilliittyy,,wwiitthh CCoovveerreedd AArreennaa

MMOOVVEE IINN SSPPEECCIIAALL$$339955//mmoo..

ffoorr tthhee ffiirrsstt 33 mmoonntthhss(Oct. through Dec.)

PPrriivvaattee RRiiddiinngg LLeessssoonnss -- 11//22 pprriiccee lleessssoonnss ffoorr OOcctt//NNoovv

($32.50 reg $65)

925-360-7454 �� 3141 Morgan Territory Rd.

Aerial Parade and Motta are ARF’s Adoption Stars

Extraordinary Care for your Pet

Josie Van Fleet, Owner and Operator

(925) 432-PETS (7387)671 Willow Pass Road #6, Pittsburg

visit our website at www.PetSuitesInn.com

Staffed

24/7

FALL SPECIAL

25% off Boarding & Grooming services

FREE Pick up & DeliveryFirst time customers Must bring this ad. 1 per customer, exp. 12/31/2010

Come check us out

The tail tells the story – from excitement to anxiety

ELENA BICKER

PET PALS Elena Bicker is the Executive Directorof Tony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation. She can be reached at (925)256-1ARF (1273)

SUGAR, A 50-YEAR-OLD DESERT TORTOISE escaped from his Claytonhome in early August and was on the run until mid-September.The Kelly family’s golden retriever Ryley discovered Sugar whileon his daily stick-hunt. Sugar is now home with his owners.

Canine thwarts endangeredescapee just yards from freedom

NICCI SHIPSTEAD

Clayton Pioneer

Girl Scouts collect petsupplies for ARF

Casey Mitchell and MirandaHansen earn their SilverAward with ARF fundraiser.


Clayton Sports

Doug Van WyckCLU ChFC, AgentInsurance Lic. # 05863966200 Center St. Ste. AClayton, CA 94517925-672-2300

Protect your family for less,

build cash value or even get

your premiums back if the

death benefit has not been

paid out at the end of the

level premium period.

925.689.4631925.689.4631

visit: claytonvalleybowl.comvisit: claytonvalleybowl.com

Clayton Valley Bowl5300 Clayton Road �� Concord, CA

Clayton Valley Bowl

Nifty $1.50 Nights for everyone$1.50 games, Mon. thru Thu.

9pm to midnight

Freaky Funday on Sundays 5pm to midnight - $6 cover charge gets you $1-games, shoes, hotdogs, sodas & small beers.

Kid’s Fall LeaguesAges 5 to 18. Sign up NOW

Digital Thunder Glow Bowling5 BIG DVD SCREENS

Ask about High End Digital Private PartiesFRI 4 pm - 6 pm (kids), 10 pm - 1 am, Sat 10 pm - 1 am

Saturdays at 10:30 am

Water polo alumni games show mixed results

CVHS Hall of Fame welcomes second class of inducteesThis is the second in a three-part

series about the 2010 Clayton ValleyHigh School Athletic Hall of Fame.

An incredible array of ath-letes, coaches, teams and com-munity leaders from the 1960s,’70s and ’80s will be permanent-ly memorialized at the secondClayton Valley High SchoolAthletic Hall of Fame inductionceremony on Saturday, Oct. 30,at Centre Concord.

A committee of long-timeCVHS coaches and alumniselected a distinguished Class of2010 to join the inaugural Hallof Fame Class from 2008 dur-ing the Concord school’s goldenanniversary. Plans call for spe-cial displays in a new Wall ofFame in the multi-use room atCVHS featuring athletics, artsand academic Hall of Famers.

The inductees this year are:

Coaches: Howard Marshalland Roger Zino.

Athletes: Jenny Bader Baker,Kris Colchico, Brook KnightConstable, Jeri Pournaras Feuer,Dave Gotz, Lisa BarbieriHobson, Tom Hook, KellieRuiz Leffle, Craig Marble,Gilbert Martinez, CourtneyNelson Murrell, Vernon Rogers,Ray Santucci, Todd Skow, FrankSnyder, Karey Sheehan Venegas,Steve Villa and MickeyWharton.

Teams: 1960 boys basketball,’60s-’70s girls Pioneers, 1974football and 1988 girls basket-ball.

Community Leadership:Laurie Anderson Rose and MikeRose.

Hall of Fame co-chairs DeeBilleter and Bill Nelson gath-ered nominees from the generalpublic during the past year.Making the final selections withthe chairs were RalphBelluomini, Dennis Bledsoe,

Pete Carpino, Ron Clark, TomDiMercurio, Dick Ellis, DebraGonsalves, A.J. Hanson, KarenJohnson, Kim Lackey, JohnMillar and Herc Pardi. Lackey isa 2008 inductee.

CVHS grad Terry Newberrywill be master of ceremonies atthe induction ceremony.

Tickets are $50 and may be pur-chased through mdusd.k12.ca.us/claytonvalley, click on Web store, or bysending a check to CVHS Hall ofFame, P.O. Box 203, Clayton CA94517. Contact Billeter at 672-6379 or Nelson at 672-4092 formore information.

The longest running alumnigames at Clayton Valley HighSchool are the annual waterpolo matches at ConcordCommunity Pool, which are fol-lowed by a barbecue for currentand former Eagle polo players.This year, the Clayton Valleygirls’ alumni defeated the varsi-ty team 16-11, while the CVHSvarsity boys wore down the for-mer Eagles to claim a 17-11 win.

The girls’ alumni squad fea-tured players going back to theclass of 1995. Scoring goals forthe winning grads were LindsayKiyama, Allison Johnstone,Natalie Jennings, Meghan Pardiand Natalie Nelson, while DaniDeBoever got in the pool forthe first time in years and madenine saves in goal for the alums.

The varsity boys’ team wonagainst an alumni team with themajority of the players from the1980s and ’90s. The oldest play-er in the pool was VernonRogers, who is going into theCVHS Hall of Fame thismonth and graduated in 1979.

Long-time CVHS polocoach Dennis Bledsoe, whohosted the post-game meal, saidthe alums “ran out of gas” inthe fourth quarter and the varsi-ty, in the midst of its season,powered to victory.

Photo credit: Kathy DeBoever

CURRENT AND FORMER CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WATER POLO PLAYERS mixed it up in the pool at the annual CVHS Alumni Game recently at Concord CommunityPool but then got together for a post-march BBQ. Taking part in the alumni game were, front row Natalie Nelson, Ally Johnstone, Natalie Jennings, Casey Adams(Soph), Ashley Richman; bending over second row, Cherlyn Brock (Sr), Kimi Anderson (Fr), Sara Johnson (Fr), Sarah Abele (Fr), Avery Van Horn (Sr), CheyenneColomb (Jr), Alexis Lamareaux (Jr); standing, Ashley Jennings, Ally Hansen (Sr), Michelle Lutz (Soph), Taylor Ryle (Soph), Logan Shaw (Jr), Hannah Polshuk, GabbyCreamer (Sr), Gina Devecchio, Dani DeBoever, Meghan Pardi, Sabrina Inloes, Kayla Butler, Lindsay Hansen and Lindsay Kiyama.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CO-CHAIRS

BILL NELSON AND DEE BILLETER have spent countless hoursresearching potential members of the Hall of Fame. CVHSyearbooks were a good source of information as they fol-lowed up on nominations submitted by the public. The Hall ofFame Class of 2010 induction ceremony is Oct. 30 at CentreConcord. Nelson and Billeter spent a combined 69 years onthe Concord campus as teachers, coaches and athletic direc-tors before both retired in 2003.

Kellie Ruiz LeffleVolleyball-softball, 1980

Kellie entered Clayton ValleyHigh in 1976, playing four yearsof varsity volleyball and softballwhile winning seven leaguechampionships. While at CVHS,her teams won three leaguetitles in volleyball and, as afrosh, her Eagles were NorthCoast Section 3A champions.

She was named All-League andNCS All-Tournament. The1976 volleyball team wasinducted into the CVHS Hall ofFame in 2008.

Volleyball went on to repeatas NCS champs in her sopho-more and senior years. The1979 team went to the firstround of the state tournament.

2010 CVHS Hall of Fame inductees

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

See Hall of Fame, page 14

CVHS athletic director PatMiddendorf, who chairsUMDAF, said that the $75,000exceeded the group’s projections.“All in all, we thought it was avery fantastic event,” she said. “Itwas pretty evident that the ath-letes themselves showed up ingreat number to support thisevent.”

Following Clayton Valleywith the most registered partici-pants were College Park,Northgate, Concord, Mt. Diabloand Ygnacio Valley high schools.

CVHS coach MichelleHowisey’s Eagles cross countryteam was well-represented in the15-19 and 10-14 age groups. “Allmy athletes participated in the5K. They weren’t racing, but allran,” Howisey said. “They werevery organized and dressed in ajungle theme, which includedthem meeting in advance tomake costumes together. Weeven had quite a few parentsrun.”

Six of the top 10 girls in the15-19 age group are on theCVHS cross-country team.Sarah Litwiller (1st), AlexandraTate (2nd), Megan Mayhew(4th), Melissa Del Bene (5th),Brigitte Leblow (7th) and NingNing Hu (10th) all placed in thetop 10. Rachel Preeg was secondin the 10-14 age group.

On the boys’ side, Claytonfreshmen Danny Condon andTaylor Linzey placed among thetop six in the 10-14 age group.Sean Wanket of Concord wasfirst. Clayton’s Johnny McCluhanand Braden Hart were leaders inthe boys 9 and under race.

Litwiller, now at SacramentoState, ran both races and thensaid he needed to run six moremiles for his team workout. Hehoped to make it back before theawards ceremony was over. Ofcourse, he did.

“An outstanding runner andperson, we are really proud herepresented CV again this timeas an alumnus,” Middendorf saidof Litwiller.

In the adult categories, Katie

Wanket of Pleasant Hill was thefirst overall woman in a time of19:28.65. Shannon Carr andPatricia Sackett were Concordrunners in the top six of women20-29. Ursula Reynosa ofConcord was first in women 30-39, Mary Trumble of Concordand Carina Fryer of Claytonwere in the top five 40-49;Kimberly Tank of Concord andJennifer Roe of Clayton were topsix in 50-59.

On the men’s side, local run-ners Aaron Takahashi, TapinderSingh, Kevin Dixon and ShaneelKumar were top 20-29 finishers.Abel Vanegas of Concord wasthird in men 30-39, while KevinWhite, Dan Wanket, TimLlacuna and Mark Catalanowere top 8 at 40-49. The men’s50-59 group was dominated bylocal runners with ThomTrimble, Chris Ware, BillHermens, Michael Smidebush,Bob Hermens, Keith

Christensen, Bill Svoboda andStan Roe all in the top 10. Inmen 60-69, Fortwnato Perez,Rex Takahashi, Rees Markhamand Tony Pawlowicz posted toptimes. Bryan Holmes was theNo. 1 70-79 runner.

“Our second annual SaveOur Sports 5K run was a magicalmorning of our communitycoming together to support ath-letics in our high schools,” saidevent co-chair Marci Finley. “Wehad a total of 110 volunteerscoming from all of the six highschools, including 30 providedby Diablo Futbol Club.”

According to Finley, thesense of urgency created by theinitial announcement of theschool board cutting the fundingof sports has waned.

“What the public is missing isthat we are in the exact sameposition as we were last year. Weneed to raise $1.2 million to con-tinue athletics in MDUSD or the

board will cancel sports,” Finleynoted.

“Sunday’s 5K was a success.The six high schools and thecommunity came together tomake a difference and we did.Now we just have to keep at it.”

Adding to the color and fes-tivities at Newhall Park were SanFrancisco radio station KMELblasting music while cheerleadersand school mascots from severalschools, including the CVHSEagles, were dancing and playingwith the crowd. The Mt. DiabloHigh Tahitian dancers made arepeat appearance. The schoolmascots led off the kiddie raceand had a dance contest to con-clude the morning’s festivities.

“We had more sponsors thisyear, but had about 600 fewerrunners,” said Middendorf, whowas still reviewing figures. “Itappears the adult runners werethe category that dropped themost.”


Clayton Sports HHeellpp tthhee PPiioonneeeerr ccoovveerr tthhee llooccaall ssppoorrttss sscceennee..Send competition results, story ideas, announcements,sports shorts, etc. to [email protected]. Pleaseattach a high-resolution photo whenever available.

CVHS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION OCT. 30The second Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame

induction ceremony and dinner will be Saturday, Oct. 30, at CentreConcord. The event will honor athletes, coaches, teams and commu-nity leaders from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.

Tickets are $50 and may be purchased at mdusd.k12.ca.us/clay-tonvalley (click on Web store) or send a check to CVHS HofF, P.O.Box 203, Clayton CA 94517.

For more information, call Dee Billeter at 672-6379 or Bill Nelsonat 672-4092.

YOUTH FUTSAL, OTHER TEAMS FORMING ATCLAYTON GYM

Indoor soccer, aka futsal, is coming to Clayton Community Gymthis winter. Boys teams in the under 10, 12 and 14 age groups areforming a league for the five-a-side game. The league will run Nov.6-Dec. 30. There will also be an under 14 girls tournament at thegym Nov. 27-28.

Other November events at the Clayton gym include a youth win-ter basketball academy for boys and girls second to ninth grades, anadult winter volleyball league and total body fitness for adults.

For more information or to register, visit their website atalloutsportsleague-clayton.com.

DIABLO FC WINTER SOCCER ACADEMY STARTS JAN. 6Diablo FC is holding its 10th annual Winter Soccer Academy

Jan. 6-Feb. 17, 5-6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at Willow Pass ParkNo. 5, adjacent to the Willow Pass tennis courts in Concord.

The renowned Diablo FC professional coaching staff will teachboys and girls 5-12 basic dribbling and juggling skills, passing andreceiving the ball and ball striking. Youth of all skill levels fromnovice to those ready for competitive soccer are invited to attend.There are no tryouts; sign up at diablofc.org.

DIABLO FC U8-U11 COMPETITIVE TRYOUTS IN JANUARYDiablo FC tryouts for the 2011-’12 season for under 8 through

under 11 competitive teams will be held Jan. 23-30 in Concord. Boysand girls born between Aug. 1, 2000, and July 31, 2005, are invitedto try out.

There is no charge to try out; pre-register at diablofc.org.

Clayton resident, Mike Rose, has been in

business for over 36years and has always

provided quality repairwith excellent

customer service!

Antioch(925) 755-1739

Brentwood(925) 634-6366

Concord(925) 686-1739

Pittsburg(925) 432-9910

Walnut Creek(925) 210-1739


Mike Rose’s Auto Body

Concord (925) 689-1739

Six otherSix other locations to serve youlocations to serve you

Visit our website WWW.MAUTOBODY.COM

I Car Gold and ASE certified technicians

Approved by most major insurance companies

Office (925) 203-5626 � Fax (925) 672-4303

Register online at

www.alloutsportsleague-clayton.com

Coed Adult Volleyball league in October

Total body fitnessclass for adults inOctober

Youth WinterBasketballAcademy

Youth Futsal(indoor soccer)league for U10,U12 and U14 Boysin November

Girls FutsalTournament U14,Nov. 26 & 27

YYoouutthh aanndd

AAdduulltt ssppoorrttss aatt tthhee

CCllaayyttoonn CCoommmmuunniittyy GGyymm

GGoo AAllll OOuutt!!GGoo AAllll OOuutt!!

See website or call for details

Proudly servingthe Diablo

Valley for over25 years –

“experiencecounts”

Jason M. Renner, D.D.S.

Richard C. Rissel, D.M.D

925-689-2800

Dentistry for Infants, Children & Teenagers

wwwwww..ddiiaabblloovvaalllleeyykkiiddss..ccoomm

22887755 WWiillllooww PPaassss RRdd..,, CCoonnccoorrdd

Required kindergartenscreening – complimentary

Less than 5 milesfrom Clayton

Camille Condit has always enjoyedmusic and the Clayton Valley High seniorhas been in the school choir for four years.However her biggest notoriety in highschool has come on the volleyball court.She was introduced to the sport when older

sister Amanda signed up for club volleyballand the girl’s mom enrolled younger sisterCamille too. The Condit sisters playedtogether for one year at CVHS whenCamille was just a freshman and made thevarsity squad. Four years later she leads the

team in kills, is second in blocks and third inaces and digs. She’s also “one of the firstplayers in the gym for practice or back fromwater breaks, and can be found hitting orserving extra balls,” according to her coachLisa Barbieri Hobson, herself a formerEagle standout. Camille was first-team all-DVAL last year and has hopes of attendingthe US Naval Academy next year.

AthleteName: Camille ConditAge: 17Sport: VolleyballTeam: CVHS Volleyball

Sport Chalet congratulates Camille Conditand rewards her achievement with a Sport Chaletgift card.

DDoo yyoouu kknnooww aa yyoouunngg aatthhlleettee tthhaattsshhoouulldd bbee rreeccooggnniizzeedd?? PPeerrhhaappss hhee oorrsshhee hhaass sshhoowwnn eexxcceeppttiioonnaall ssppoorrttss--mmaannsshhiipp,, oorr rreemmaarrkkaabbllee iimmpprroovvee--mmeenntt,, oorr ggrreeaatt hheeaarrtt ffoorr tthhee ssppoorrtt..SSeenndd yyoouurr nnoommiinnaattiioonn ffoorr tthhee PPiioonneeeerrAAtthhlleettee SSppoottlliigghhtt ttoossppoorrttss@@ccllaayyttoonnppiioonneeeerr..ccoomm..

of theWeek

5K run,from page 1

Photo by Mike Dunn

THE BROTHER-SISTER COMBO OF SARAH AND NATHANAEL LITWILLER was all smiles after posting toptimes at the second annual 5K Run benefiting the United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation inNewhall Park. Nathanael Litwiller, who now runs for Sacramento State and is an alumnus ofClayton Valley High School, repeated as the fastest overall runner in the 5K race with a time of16:31.46. Sister Sarah Litwiller, a CVHS senior, was the top 15-19 female runner with her20:47.58 time, which barely edged her Eagle teammate Alexandra Tate.

Sports Shorts

I will take the time to listen to you and understand your dreams,

then find the appropriate financial solutions that can help you

reach your individual goals. Because every dream is personal,

and needs a personal plan.

To start a conversation, call me at (925) 685-4523

MMuurreelleeeenn BBeennttoonn,, CFP®, Financial Advisor5356 Clayton Rd., Suite 211, Concord, CA 94521(925) [email protected] License #0692378

Financial planning services and investments available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.Member FINRA and SIPC. Your meeting will include a review of your existing financial situation andpotential opportunities, gaps, or general strategies. You will not receive a comprehensive review or finan-cial planning services for which fees are charged. © 2010 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

I can help youreach your milestonesand all the mile-pebbles

MORE WITHIN REACH SM

Kellie was first team all-league for her final three yearsin volleyball and softball.Softball placed second in NCS.In her senior year, Kellie wasCVHS softball MVP and All-East Bay.

She received a softballscholarship to Cal StateFresno.

Lisa Barbieri HobsonVolleyball-basketball-track, 1989

Lisa moved up to varsityvolleyball as a freshman forthe playoffs and went on toplay middle blocker on the var-sity for the next three years.She also played two years ofJV and one season of varsitybasketball and four years onvarsity track.

During Lisa’s sophomoreyear, the volleyball team wonthe league championship witha 25-1 record and went to NCSplayoffs. Lisa was voted team

Most Improved and All-DVAL. Her junior year, volley-ball finished second in DVALand fifth in NCS playoffs. Lisawas again All-DVAL.

She played center/forwardon the basketball team thatfinished second in NCS andwent to the NorCal playoffs.Lisa was again chosen MIPand first team All-League. Shestill holds school record formost rebounds (376) in a sin-gle season. She finished sec-ond in the high jump at DVALand third at NCS.

As a senior, Lisa was cap-tain of the volleyball team thatfinished second in the new BayValley Athletic League andfifth in NCS. Lisa was MVPand first team All-BVAL.

She was high jump champi-on at BVAL track finals andfinished her career at ClaytonValley winning the 1989Athlete of the Year Award.

Lisa received a full scholar-ship for volleyball atUniversity of the Pacific andher team was second in thenation as a freshman and inthe top 10 each of her finalthree years. She currently is thegirls’ head varsity volleyballcoach at CVHS.

Brook KnightConstable

Tennis-soccer-track, 1988Brook played three sports

for Clayton Valley. She earnedthe No. 2 tennis singles spotand was team captain her sen-ior year. Soccer became a sportin her junior year and she wasAll-DVAL and league scoringchamp. As senior captain, shewas instrumental in securingthe Eagles their secondstraight DVAL championship.

She made her mark as afreshman high jumper andwould go on to three moretrack seasons, racking up acco-lades such as DVAL, NCS andMeet of Champions winner.She finally ascended from 16th

to fifth place at CIF StateMeet.

By the end of high school,Brook was 1988 FemaleAthlete of the Year, letteringnine times.

Brook excelled at FresnoPacific College in track andvolleyball (a sport she took upin college) and finished withan NAIA National qualifica-tion in high jump and led theSunbirds to an NAIA NationalTournament fourth place involleyball.

She returned to ClaytonValley to teach English andleadership for 12 years. Shealso coached soccer and trackfor many seasons.

Howard MarshallCoach, 1980-’93

Howard coached girls’ bas-ketball at Clayton Valley for 13years – 11 years at the varsitylevel. He has the longesttenure for a head varsity girls’basketball coach in CV history.He also has the distinction ofbeing the first Clayton Valleybasketball coach to take a teamto the North Coast Sectionchampionship game and thefirst to go to the NorthernCalifornia Championships.

He coached his ClaytonValley teams to 195 wins for acareer .635 winning percent-age.

Before the 1982 season,Howard and Roger Zinoswitched places on the girls’basketball staff with Howardtaking over the varsity reins. Infour seasons from 1985-’88,the team won three DVALchampionships and was sec-ond once. The 1988 team wasrunner-up at NCS and went tothe Northern CaliforniaChampionships.

The coach always had agreat love for the game of bas-ketball and was an excellentteacher. With his skill andknowledge, he was able toinspire and motivate his ath-letes.

His son Steve was inductedinto the CVHS Hall of Famein 2008 as part of the 1977State Champion wrestlingteam.

1988 Girls’ Basketball Team

The ’88 girls’ basketballteam was the first ClaytonValley basketball team, boys orgirls, to play in the champi-onship game of the NorthCoast Section. They were alsothe first team to go on to theNorthern CaliforniaChampionships.

The DVAL championshipteam, under head coachHoward Marshall and assistantRoger Zino, featured seniorsKricki Bader, Michelle Jones,Amy Lunsford, Erin Schriefer,Kristie Van Fleet and BeckyVigil and juniors Lisa Barbieri,Bridget Billeter, CourtneyKenworthy and AmyRufenach. They won DVALwith a 14-2 record, finishedwith an overall record of 23-9and made it to the NCS cham-pionship game.

They received an at-largebid to the NorCalTournament, where the Eagleslost to eventual the state cham-pions, Fremont High ofOakland.

Barbieri, Bader, Jones andVan Fleet were All-DVAL andVan Fleet was chosen DVALPlayer of the Year and All-East Bay.

Karey SheehanVenegas

Tennis-volleyball-basketball-softball, 1980

Karey, a versatile, talentedathlete who played four varsitysports, still has her name onthe basketball record board inClayton Valley Gym 30 yearsafter graduating. She holds

records for most career points(1236) and assists (442).

As a freshman, she playedbasketball and tennis and bothteams won league champi-onships. The basketball teamtook third at the NCS champi-onships. Her sophomore year,Karey played volleyball, bas-ketball and softball. Volleyballwon league and NCS champi-onships, while softball tookleague and came in second atNCS.

Karey’s junior year, the vol-leyball team won league againand she was All-League andNCS All-Tournament. Kareywas the basketball captain andMVP. She was first team All-League, league leading scorerwith a 22.1 average, All-East-Bay second team and ConcordTranscript Girls Athlete of theYear.

She was captain of thesoftball team, which wonleague for the third straightyear, and she was on her thirdAll-League team with a battingaverage of .453.

The accolades continued inKarey’s senior year. She wasvolleyball captain and MVP,winning league and NCSchampionships. Karey wasagain an NCS All-Tournamentselection and the team went tothe state tournament.

Basketball brought anotherleague championship as shewas captain and MVP, averag-ing 23 points per game. Herhonors included All-League,All-East-Bay, Big C Athlete ofthe Year, 1980 CVHS Athleteof the Year, All-NorthernCalifornia and All-America byScholastic Magazine.

After graduation, she wentto UC Berkeley and then SantaClara. Her senior year, she wasSanta Clara basketball captainand MVP.

Courtney NelsonMurrell

Diving, 1987Courtney entered CVHS in

the fall of 1983 and was MostValuable Diver and captain ofthe diving team for four years.She ended her first high schoolseason setting a school recordand placed second at NCS.During her sophomore andjunior years, Courtney wasleague champion, placed atNCS meet, was third in theNational Junior Olympicswhile doing well enough toqualify and compete in theSenior Nationals.

Courtney earned All-America honors as a juniorand senior. Her final year, shewon the league and NCSchampionships and represent-ed the United States in theJunior World Championships.Courtney finished her highschool career as 1987 Athleteof the Year.

In college, she won 11 All-America honors and wasinducted into the BYU Hall ofFame in 2001. Courtney was amember of the U.S. NationalTeam 1989-’92. In 1989, shecompeted in the U.S. DivingNationals and, through a voteof coaches and peers, was pre-sented the Phillips 66Performance Award.

In 1992, Courtney compet-ed in the Olympic Trials on the10-meter platform and 3-meter spring board. She placedsixth and fifth in these events.

Jeri Pournaras FeuerTennis-basketball-track, 1985The three Pournaras sib-

lings, Jeri, Dean and Shawn,played tennis together atClayton Valley. Jeri lettered 10times at Clayton Valley andwas 1985 Athlete of the Year.She was on varsity tennis fouryears, competed in varsitytrack her freshman throughjunior years and was varsitybasketball her last three years.

On the tennis courts, shewas DVAL runner-up in No. 1doubles for two years, No. 3singles runner-up her junioryear and league champion asNo. 3 singles player her senioryear.

Switching to the basketballcourt, she was MVP as a soph-omore and senior and twiceAll-DVAL. As a senior, shewon the Oakland TribuneAthlete of the Year award. Sheled CVHS to the DVAL cham-pionship her senior year andstill holds the record for mostassists in a game at 14. Sheaveraged 15.7 points, 5.6rebounds, 3.8 assists and fivesteals per game.

As a freshman, Jeri wasfourth in the NCS triple jump.She was first at the DVALmeet in the mile relay, 100meters and triple jump. Shetook second in the long jump.In 1983, she was track andfield MVP.

Jenny Bader BakerVolleyball-basketball, 1986Jenny still holds three

records on the CVHS basket-ball board in the gym. She setmarks for most careerrebounds (831), rebounds in agame (22) and career freethrows (301).

Jenny began earning hon-ors early in her athletic career.As a freshman, she was select-ed MVP for JV basketball. Hersophomore year, the first timeshe played volleyball, she wasJV MVP. She played varsityvolleyball her junior and senioryears and was on varsity bas-ketball as a sophomore, receiv-ing Most Improved Playeraward.

Her junior year, the basket-ball team won league andplaced sixth at NCS. She wasfirst team All-League and NCSAll-Tournament.

During Jenny’s senior year,the team won the Tracy Lion’sClub Tournament and she wasnamed tourney MVP. Theteam repeated as DVALchamps and sixth place atNCS, with Jenny as co-captainand team MVP. She was namedAll-League first team, NCSAll-Tourney and All-East Bayfirst team. She received theOakland Tribune DVAL GirlsBasketball Player of the YearAward and San FranciscoExaminer Bay Area All-StarHonorable Mention. Sheended her high school careeras 1986 Girls Athlete of theYear.

Jenny attended LosMedanos College and playedbasketball for two years, win-ning Coast Conference All-Conference honors and votedLMC MVP. Her sister Krickyis also being inducted this yearas a member of the 1988 bas-ketball team.

Laurie Anderson Roseand Mike Rose

For decades, Clayton ValleyHigh graduates Mike andLaurie have given their time,talent and financial support totheir alma mater. Their gen-erosity, creativity and hardwork have benefited CVHSprograms in many areas. TheRoses are staunch supportersof athletics and, through theirefforts, the annual boosters’golf tournament was started.

Mike and Laurie and theirbusiness, Mike’s Auto Body,have worked in all aspects offundraising with the CVHSAthletic Boosters Club and thelist of their activities anddonations is extensive. Theirenthusiastic and generousresponse to the many and var-ied requests over the years hasbeen phenomenal.

Laurie is also being induct-ed this year as a CVHS GirlsSports Pioneer for her softballand basketball excellence.


Clayton Sports

Looking for a better Mailbox?Secure 24-hour access, plus it’s a real street addressfor all your deliveries.

3 MONTHS FREE mailbox services

with a twelve-month agreement.

The UPS StoreIndependently owned and operated

Clayton/Concord Location:Vineyard Shopping Center

5100 Clayton RoadConcord, CA 94523

ph: 925-689-6245

Notary, Packaging, Fax and Copy Services are available too!

Store HoursM-F 8-7Sat 9-5

whereyou need it,

whenyou need it,

No phone lines or cable access required

925-260-4119 ext. 2 www.aircloud.comairCloud Broadband Services � Your local Internet Service Provider

Servicing Contra Costa County since 2001

Now faster Speeds

LaminateFlooringINSTALLED!

startingat only$4.99

per sq. ft.Stop by the store or call for details

1051 Detroit AvenueConcord 925-681-4747

Photo courtesy of the Barbieri Family

LISA BARBIERI HOBSON, 1989CVHS Athlete of the Year

Hall of Fame, from page 12

11117700 BBuurrnneetttt AAvvee..,, SSttee.. EE,, CCoonnccoorrdd

Contra Costa Floors Showroom hours: MM--FF 99--55 SSaatt 1100--44

Flooring & Interiors

CCaarrppeettSpecials

includes removal ofold carpet and pads

$$11..9999 sq.ft.

LLaammiinnaatteeSpecials10 colors to choose from

$$..9999 sq.ft.

HHaarrddwwooooddSpecials

in-stock and ready forimmediate installation

$$22..9999 sq.ft.

YesYou can have it all today!

You want a new floor that’s beautiful, long lasting and affordable. Let the experts at Abbey show you how easy

it is to get the perfect floor for your lifestyle and your budget,

all at prices that will floor you!

992255--668866--99990011

I could tell Kigali was a placein Africa from the cover of“Baking Cakes in Kigali,” butuntil I turned the book over andread the blurbs, I had no ideaabout the story.

When I read that the protag-onist, Angel Tungaraza, aTanzanian woman living withher family in Rwanda, was akindhearted soul who befriend-ed many people in the processof running her home businessof baking cakes, I was intrigued.

But don’t let the blurbsabout Angel Tungaraza foolyou. Author Gaile Parkin, awhite South African who spenttwo years in Rwanda after thegenocide, may have created acharacter who is kindhearted,but sweet Angel is also savvy,inherently wise, gutsy and a col-lector of stories the reader willnot soon forget.

Kigali is Rwanda’s capitalcity and was the heart of the1994 genocide. Parkin has notsoftened Kigali’s history. Shehas written the story of onewoman who becomes a well-spring of stories depicting thehuman condition.

Angel, a Catholic, lives withher Muslim husband, a consult-ant to a local university, and hergrandchildren (her own children

are dead) in a compound hous-ing foreigners helping rebuildRwanda. She is an entrepreneurwho bakes cakes for almost any-one celebrating almost anyoccasion.

Parkin wastes no time (pageone) in showcasing Angel’s busi-ness acumen when describingher awaiting an important cus-tomer: She “had dressed smart-ly for the occasion, in a state ofgreat anticipation of the bene-fits that it might bring.” Makeno mistake, “benefits” is anoth-er word for money.

Each customer must cometo the Tungaraza apartment sothat Angel can determine exact-ly what kind of cake she willbake. This requires her cus-tomers to reveal a great dealabout themselves and the eventto be celebrated.

There is enough humor inthe novel to ease any readerthrough its most difficult tales.A hidden reference to HIV as“the problem” is raised by onecustomer and Angel must thinkof a tactful way to respond. Inso doing, her “eyebrows rushed

to consult with each otheracross the bridge of her nose.”

What is most striking inParkin’s writing is the respectand warmth she shows for hercharacters. Most of the worldknows Rwanda by its violence,and Parkin does not skirt thisissue. Her characters deal withmurder, prostitution,HIV/AIDS, the effects ofcolonialism, female genitalmutilation, lack of sanitation,education of women and infi-delity. They also deal with afierce love of family, a keen andforgiving understanding oftheir neighbors, and a deter-mined insistence to find waysaround the obstacles thatwould prevent them from mov-ing past the horrors they’vesurvived.

Rwanda’s population isattempting peace throughUnity and Reconciliation, aprogram similar to SouthAfrica’s Truth andReconciliation. Parkin weaves atale in which even Angel mustcome to accept her own familytruths before she can reach astate of forgiveness and recon-ciliation. She gains this under-standing after she tells her ownstory to a young, and wise,prostitute she befriends.

Parkin has an ear and eyefor capturing the essence ofher characters, both in theirstrengths and weaknesses. Youwill laugh out loud, probablycry and often recognize your-self.

The reader will not forgetthe women who populate thisnovel. They are strong, loving,resilient and pragmatic. Theycome from many parts ofAfrica and the world. Shouldanybody wonder if feminism is

alive and well, read this book. Itis time to take a much closerlook at the continent and peo-ple of Africa.

Handyman

ServicesLet me

completeyour “Honey

Do” list.

at Handyman Prices

General ContractorDerald Clearwater Clayton Resident � Contracting since 1988

Bonded & Insured � Lic. # 524547 (925) 639-4209

(925) 820-870020 Regency Dr., [email protected]

Locally owned and operated by 30-yearClayton residents Keith and Mike Baker

Floors To Go Danville has a new name.We are now: Free shop

at homeservice!

• Free custom baseboardswith all hard surface orders! OR

• Free upgraded padwith any new carpet order!

• Hardwood on sale now!

Hardwood, Tile, Carpet, Laminate

Shop at Homewe bring thesamples to you

Retirement Community

Call today for a personal tour & complimentary lunch

(925) 524-5100

6401 Center Street Clayton CA 94517

www.diamondterrace.net


KKiimmbbeerrllyy MMoorruuccccii((992255)) 443377--11665500

[email protected]

Clayton resident & ranch property owner.

President’s Award DRE #01356365

3155 Morgan Territory

Road, Clayton. French

Country Style Ranch Home on

9 Acres, Long Private Drive,

Exceptional Views of Mt.

Diablo. REDUCED Now just

$1,242,000

211 Tumbleweed Ct., Clayton

Absolutely incredible

Gentlemen's Ranch. Flat 1 acre

+/-, with Exquisite Home,

Remodeled Grand Kitchen,

Landscaped Back Yard with

Pool, and Well Thought Out

Horse Set-Up. Incredible Mt.

Diablo Views, Quiet Court

Location, City Water. Don't

Miss This Dream Come True!

REDUCED Now just

$984,000

1701 Trail Ride Road,

Clayton. Live On Mt. Diablo.

Incredible Horse Property In

Private Gated Community.

Private Trails, Direct Mt.

Diablo Trail Access, Club

House, New Pool, Paddocks,

Hay Storage, Arenas, Updated

3 Bedroom 2 Bath Home, with

4 stall Barn & Pastures and

Views Forever!

Priced at just $699,000

Also Available:

1384 Springbrook Rd, Walnut Creek,

REDUCED Now just $749,000.

1714 6th Street, Concord,

Priced at 825,000.

Book Review

‘Baking Cakes’ a backdrop for worldly lessons

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

Sunny Solomon is the “BookLady” for the Clayton CommunityLibrary Book Club. She holds anMA in English and Creative Writingfrom San Francisco State University.Her poetry and prose has been pub-lished in literary journals andmagazines. You can each her [email protected].

As we enter the busy sea-son of shopping and parties,we may need to be remindedabout “safety first.”

First, here are a few tipswhen going shopping – notjust for holiday gifts but evengrocery shopping.

Women should place hand-bags in the trunk of the carbefore leaving home. Take intothe store only the creditcard(s) you need or the appro-priate cash. Do not broadcastto people hanging aroundparking lots that you have yourpurse in the trunk.

Be careful of those behindyou at the checkout counter,because people with cellphones could take a picture ofyour credit card and make afraudulent card.

After shopping, place allarticles in your trunk; do notleave them inside of your car.Holiday gifts, groceries, etc.should be placed in the trunkand out of sight.

Next, it’s time to thinkabout rotation of emergencysupplies. The CommunityEmergency Response Team

suggests rotating water storedfor emergencies every sixmonths. Do it at the same timeyou replace smoke alarm bat-teries. Most folks will do thisat the switch from standardtime to daylight saving timeand vice versa.

Some people who use pre-scription drugs place a smallemergency supply in the car’sglove compartment. Heat canchange the chemical contentof some drugs, so be carefulabout storing and rotating thedrugs. Also, dispose ofexpired drugs properly.Pharmacies do not have “take-back” programs. However, wehave a program in Clayton todispose of unwanted drugs,including vitamins and liquids(cough syrup, etc). Place theitems in a plastic bag anddeposit them in the containeron the second floor of CityHall. There is also a containerfor sharp objects, such as usedneedles.

Following are the monthlyrecommendations for emer-gency preparedness:

1. Obtain a container andmake it your Family EmergencyContainer (FEC). Place it in areathat is easily assessable, near theprimary exit of the home.

2. Place a minimum of athree-day supply of food andwater for each family member inthe FEC. Consider food thatdoes not require water, such aspeanut butter, crackers, cannedtuna or meat.

3. Place a pair of shoes andflashlight under each familymember’s bed.

4. Develop an emergencyescape plan and practice at leastonce a month.

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

Keep safety at the top ofyour holiday shopping list

and wise family friends toexplore your options and decidewhat may be the best route,given the circumstances. Enlistthe insights of your financialadvisor and tax preparer todetermine how expenses will bemanaged and potentially shared

by you and the parent involved.Keep a positive attitude andtake advantage of the opportu-nity to help make things easierfor your parent at this stage oflife. By giving the situationproper care and thought, youcan find a solution that works.

Financial, from page 10Mureleen Benton is a CertifiedFinancial Planner. Call her withquestions at 685-4523

This information is provided for informa-tional purposes only. The information is intend-ed to be generic in nature and should not beapplied or relied upon in any particular situationwithout the advice of your tax, legal and/or yourfinancial advisor. The views expressed may notbe suitable for every situation.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.,Member NASD and SIPC, part ofAmeriprise Financial, Inc.


CLAYTON EVENTS

Oct. 25Pros and Cons of the Nov. 2 Ballot PropositionsFeaturing a speaker from the Diablo Valley League of WomenVoters. Sponsored by the Clayton and Concord branches of theAmerican Association of University Women. 7:30 p.m.,Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St. All interested voters wel-come. Contact Carolyn at 672-0700.

Oct. 28California Garden Clubs MeetingThe Clayton Valley Garden Club will host the Diablo FoothillsDistrict meeting and luncheon. Gary Gragg will speak about“Subtropical Plants for Bay Area Gardens.” 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.,Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr. $25. ContactShelia at 682-7887 or [email protected].

Saturdays through OctoberFarmers Market8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main andCenter, downtown. pcfma.com or 800-949-3276.

Nov. 6Community Emergency Response Team DrillThe drill will include Incident Command System procedures andSearch and Rescue. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Endeavor Hall, 6008 CenterSt. claytoncert.org.

HALLOWEEN

Oct. 31Halloween at Rodie’s Feed StoreGet a free photo of your dog and enter the costume contest.Free door prizes, treats and awards. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 8863Marsh Creek Road, Clayton. Call Sarah at 672-4600.

Oct. 31Halloween at the Fire StationFor pre-K to fifth-graders; children must be accompanied by anadult. 5:30-7:30 p.m., 6500 Center St., Clayton. Free. ContactEmily at 941-3505.

Oct. 31Ghost Walk7:30-10 p.m. Meet at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton.Free. Bring a flashlight; costumes optional. Contact Richard at228-9144.

EVENTS/ENTERTAINMENT

Nov. 6“Reach for the Sky”The Contra Costa Wind Symphony opens its 30th season with aprogram featuring brass, music with an outer space theme andDick Callahan, a voice familiar to sports fans. 8 p.m., WalnutCreek Presbyterian Church, 1801 Lacassie Ave. $15.ccwindsymphony.org.

Nov. 6-7Gem and Rock ShowJewelry, gems, minerals, fossils and gold, plus rock painting forkids. Sponsored by the Contra Costa Mineral and Gem Society.10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days, Centre Concord, 5298 ClaytonRoad. 289-0454.

Through Nov. 7“Sleuth”The Willows presents a mystery thriller with plenty of plot twistsand turns. $22-$32. Campbell Theatre, 626 Ward St.,Martinez. 798-1300 or willowstheatre.org.

Through Nov. 14“Becoming Britney”A caustic, but loving PG-13 fable that chronicles the rise, thedip and the salvation of a foolhardy celebrity phenom. $25.Center Repertory Co., 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. center-rep.org or 943-SHOW.

Through Nov. 20“Dracula”Experience the gothicclassic as you’ve neverseen it, presented byCenter Repertory.$36-$42. 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek.centerrep.org or 943-SHOW.

Nov. 29-Jan. 16“Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class”The Willows Theatre presents everybody’s favorite nun, starringDeborah Del Mastro. Campbell Theatre, 626 Ward Street,Martinez. willowstheatre.org or 798-1300.

FUNDRAISERSOct. 23“Music, Masquerade and Fine Arts”Food, wine, dancing, costumes, art auction, live music. $50;$25 is tax-deductible. 7-10 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church,5555 Clayton Road, Clayton. 672-8855.

Oct. 30“Viva Arts!”Civic ArtsEducation stu-dents will per-form, includingthe DiabloRegional YouthOrchestra’sLeadershipEnsemble, DiabloBallet’s profes-sional intermedi-ate program and the Youth Theatre Company. Silent and liveauctions benefit art scholarships for low-income county resi-dents of all ages. 6:30 p.m., Shadelands Auditorium, 111 N.Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. 939-2787 or friendsartsed.org.

SCHOOLSOct. 27Panda Express FundraiserTo benefit the Clayton Valley High School Music Boosters. 3-8p.m., 2280 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek. Download a flierat claytonbands.org.

Oct. 30Clayton Valley High School Clean-up DayBring gardening gloves and tools to help spruce up the school.9 a.m.-noon, 1101 Alberta Way. Email Micki at [email protected].

Nov. 3Tavo’s Pizzeria FundraiserMention Mt. Diablo Elementary School and the restaurant willdonate 15 percent of the purchase to the Parent Faculty Club.11 a.m.-9 p.m., 5434 Ygnacio Valley Road, Concord.

Nov. 4Highlands Elementary School Holiday BoutiqueLocal vendors and crafters, raffle drawings, food and bakesale. Also, the Gold Refinery will purchase gold jewelry 2-5p.m. Sponsored by the Parent Teacher Association. 2-8 p.m.,1326 Pennsylvania Blvd., Concord. Contact Vixen at 681-3382.

Through Dec. 17Box Tops for Diablo ViewGirl Scout Emma Hall is collecting box tops for the middleschool. Bring box tops to the Diablo View office, 300 DiabloView Lane, in a ziplock bag with your child’s full name andgrade on it. Students will compete for prizes. Residents withoutstudents can bring box tops to the Clayton Community Library,6125 Clayton Road, or State Farm Insurance Agency, 6200Center St.

“Building a Pathway to Success”Families can purchase a personalized brick for the pathway tothe flag in front of Mt. Diablo Elementary School. Prices beginat $55. Order forms at mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelemen-tary. Contact Michelle at [email protected] or 672-1257.

HEALTHOct. 23Bone Marrow Donor DriveCo-sponsored by state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier and the AsianAmerican Donor Program. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Seafood CitySupermarket, 2030 Diamond Blvd., Concord. 942-6082.

Nov. 1“Diabetes Dialogue: A Taste of Good Health”5:45-8:30 p.m., Ball Auditorium, John Muir Medical Center,1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. Free. Register byOct. 25 at 941-4141. johnmuirhealth.com/index.php/dia-betes.html.

Nov. 6John Muir Medical Center Open HouseIncludes tours of the new Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower,a health fair, local food vendors, activities for kids, music andmore. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 2540 East St., Concord. john-muirhealth.com.

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

Through Oct. 27Guess the Pumpkin’s WeightThe person with the closest guess without going over wins thepumpkin. For children through age 12.

Through Nov. 18“Clayton Reads”All residents are invited to read “The Tortilla Curtain” by T.C.Boyle. Pick up a free copy at the library.

Oct. 23“Mexican Immigration: Past and Present”Professor Manuel Gonzales takes a look at legal and illegalimmigration since the Mexican Revolution. Part of the “ClaytonReads” program. 2 p.m.

Nov. 7“Tortilla Curtain” Book DiscussionLibrarian Karen Hansen-Smith will moderate a discussion. Partof the “Clayton Reads” program. 2 p.m.

Nov. 8Folktales from MexicoPerformer Michael Katz tells tales from Mexico. A “ClaytonReads” program for the whole family. 7 p.m.

Nov. 15“Tortilla Curtain” Book DiscussionLibrarian Karen Hansen-Smith will moderate a discussion. Partof the “Clayton Reads” program. 7 p.m.

Tuesdays through Dec. 7Patty CakesStory time for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiv-er. Drop in 11 a.m. Tuesdays.

WednesdaysBook BuddiesReading to 4- to 7-year-olds. 3-4 p.m.

Thursdays through Nov. 4Picture Book TimeStory time for 3- to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without care-giver. Drop in 11 a.m. Thursdays.

MEETINGSOct. 26; Nov. 9, 23Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Oct. 26Mt. Diablo Unified School District7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org.

Nov. 2, 16Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us

CLUBSClayton Business and Community AssociationMeets 6:30 p.m. last Thursday of the month, except holidays,Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. CallSue at 672-2272.

Clayton Valley Garden ClubMeets 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, DiamondTerrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. On Nov. 10, Lew Thompsonwill present “Crazy for Chrysanthemums.” Contact Nancy at673-3522 or claytonvalleygardenclub.org.

Clayton Valley Woman’s ClubMeets 9:30 a.m. for coffee, 10 a.m. meetings, second andfourth Tuesdays of the month, Holy Cross Lutheran Church,1090 Alberta Way, Concord. Call Shirley at 672.1163 or clay-tonvalleywomansclub.org.

Clutch Busters Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Willow Pass Community CenterHall, 2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Contact Karen at 686-3774.

Concord Stompers Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Willow Pass Community Center,2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Call Jennie at 672-9676 orangelfire.com/id/stompers.

Contra Costa Chess ClubMeets 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 uschess.org.

Contra Costa Mineral and Gem SocietyMeets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, CentreConcord, 5298 Clayton Road. 779-0698 or ccmgs.org.

Creekside Artists GuildMeets 7-8:30 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, ClaytonLibrary Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artformsand both emerging and experienced artists welcome. ContactArlene at 673-9777 or [email protected].

Diablo Valley Democratic ClubMeets 7-9 p.m. third Wednesday of the month, Ygnacio ValleyLibrary, 2661 Oak Grove Road., Walnut Creek. On Nov. 17,Polo Morales of Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting CommunityOrganization and Mark Silverman, director of ImmigrationPolicy for the Immigrant Legal Resources Center in SanFrancisco, will discuss the essentials of good immigrationreform. Contact Pat at 946-0469 or dvdems.org.

Knights of Columbus, Concord Council 6038Meets 7:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month, except holidays,Cauchi Hall, St. Agnes Catholic Church, 3966 Chestnut St,Concord. Contact George at 685-9547 or visit kofc6038.org.

Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord SunriseMeets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 PeacockCreek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. 566-8166 or claytonvalleyrotary.org.

Scrabble ClubMeets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of themonth, Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton.All ages and skill levels welcome. $3 fee. Call Mike at 639-1987 or scrabble-assoc.com.

Sons In Retirement (SIRs)Meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Crown PlazaHotel, 45 John Glenn Dr., Concord. 429-3777.

Soroptimist International of Diablo VistaMeets 12:15 p.m. first, second and third Wednesdays of themonth, September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road,Concord. Contact Nicole at 692-2224.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. OCT. 27 FOR THE NOV. 5 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]

Madeline H. D. Brown and Eugene Brancoveanu in “Dracula,”

presented by Center Rep.

Clodagh Martin willperform with the Diablo

Regional Youth Orchestraat the Oct. 30 Civic Arts

Education fundraiser


6096 Main Street, Clayton, 673-0440

Oct. 22, 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Relyks

Oct. 29, 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Whiskey River

www.claytonclubsaloon.com

Entertainment from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Music Video

Happy Hour

Mondays 4pm to 8pm

2 for the price of 1Beer only. Good anytime withoriginal coupon. Exp. 11/14/10

Karaoke Wed. nights

Open Mic Thur. nights, 8 to 11 p.m.

Oakhurst landslide litigation.Stratford brings neededaccounting and financial skillsto a city faced with the worstrecession in recent memoryand continued state take-aways.

Meriam, although new topolitics, serves on thePlanning Commission andsays he will bring a “fresh per-spective” to the Council. Diazlikes to “think outside thebox” and says the city needsto find new ways to cut costs,including outsourcing land-scape maintenance.

The four candidates sharea common vision for thedowntown – a bustling MainStreet lined with shops,Western storefront buildingswith no vacancies, pedestrianwalkways and the ka-ching ofsales tax revenues.

But, say Meriam and Diaz,the city hasn’t done enough torealize this vision.

“The city needs to domore to create a businessfriendly environment andengage with current business-es,” Meriam said.

Shuey, running for a thirdterm, countered their claimwith a list of major projectscompleted by the city duringhis terms. “We’ve brought theconcerts in, which drives traf-fic downtown. We’ve built aCVS drugstore, the GrovePark, Flora Square and nowthe Creekside Terrace Projectis ready to go to a developer.”

“We’ve changed the build-ing requirements to allow big-ger buildings on smallerparcels and revised the park-ing requirements to encour-age new business.”

Diaz says the city shoulduse Redevelopment Agencymoney to offer incentives toattract new business. “I’veseen this done in other cities,”he said, “It works,” but agreedthat it could cause some fair-ness issues with existing busi-nesses.

PROPOSED CHURCH PROJECT

All four were asked abouttheir position on the ClaytonCommunity Church’s proposalfor a worship center on theirMain Street property.Approval of the project willrequire an amendment to theTown Center Specific Plan.

As sitting Council mem-bers, Shuey and Stratfordwould not prejudge.

“This is an important anddivisive issue. Hank and I haveboth been careful not to do orsay anything that we wouldhave to recuse ourselves for.”

Diaz and Meriam, howev-er, were less reticent.

“I do not favor the churchas a church, but I would beopen to reviewing the proj-ect. We need to be openminded,” said Meriam.

“I don’t think it’s the rightplace for it,” said Diaz. “But Iwould be open to workingwith the church to find otherland in the city. It should beoutside the commercial area.”

CONFLICT QUESTIONS

All four candidates werequizzed as to any potentialconflicts of interest they mayhave with current or pro-posed projects.

City officials may not par-ticipate in decisions on proj-ects within 500 feet of wherethey live. Meriam’s home onOak Street is within 500 feetof the Creekside Terraceproject and he will not be ableto participate in or vote onthe development. His 500 ft.radius does not touch thechurch’s property on MainStreet and expects to partici-pate in the church projecthearings and decisions.

However, said Shuey,because the project requirespublic parking in downtown,this may bring the scope ofthe project within 500 feet ofMeriam’s home. Meriam saidhe would seek the advice ofthe California Fair PoliticalPractices Commission ifthere was any question ofconflict.

None of the other candi-dates live within 500 feet ofthe Town Center.

All of the candidates agreethat the city has done a goodjob balancing the budget andcontaining costs without cut-ting services. But all are look-ing for the “biggest bang forthe buck.”

Meriam says the city couldsave money if they withdrewfrom the CalPERs pensionplan and went to a 401k plan.

“This is a hot topic withno easy answer,” Stratfordsaid. ‘The city has alreadyreduced retirement benefitsby going to a Tier 2 plan.Scrapping the CalPERS planaltogether would cost the city$1.5 million in unfunded lia-bilities and without it, itwould be difficult to attractquality employees.”

Meriam is opposed tousing public funds to pay forthe concerts downtown andsays the city should call onalcohol sponsors and sales tosupport the event.

Candidate’s Forumfrom page 1

Think Palm Desert for a ‘cool’ time

It was 100 degrees inClayton and we were heading toPalm Desert, where it wasbound to be a lot hotter.Fortunately, the weather turnedout to be perfect – 75 to 80degrees each day. It was greatfor sightseeing, shopping, sun-bathing and sitting outdoorswhile sipping local libations.

We had booked a week at aresort more than a year ago anddecided to go in spite of theweather. The drive fromClayton is a relatively easy oneas the majority of the trip is onInterstates 5, 210 and 10. Withstops to fill up the tank (bothfor the vehicle and us), we madeit in about seven hours. Thanksto an audio book and snacks,the time went by quickly.

The Agua Caliente Band ofCahuilla Indians was drawn longago to the canyons of theCoachella Valley, which providean oasis of palm groves, naturalwaterfalls and hot mineralsprings at the base of toweringmountains. It is a rich agricul-tural area, where 95 percent ofthe nation’s date crop is grown.

After buying some dates atHadley’s Fruit Orchard inCabazon (which was featuredon the Food Channel), we canattest to their delicious quality.If you have one of their “dateshakes,” it supposedly makes

you a local.Also in Cabazon are three

buildings housing 150 outletstores in case you need toupdate your wardrobe and 3,200wind turbines that power elec-tricity to about 200,000Southern California homes.This area is the best place in theUnited States to harness windpower.

HEAD FOR THE HILLS

The best heat-beater in thesummer is to take the PalmSprings Aerial Tramway to Mt.Jacinto State Park. The trip takesonly 10 minutes aboard a rotat-ing tram car that travels up to8,516 feet of pristine wilder-ness. Once there, it’s 30 degreescooler than in the parking lot

where you left your car. Thereare spectacular views of the val-ley floor and surrounding areas.You can hike on the 54 miles oftrails, bring a picnic or havelunch at the restaurants.

Even with a couple of hun-dred people at the top, it wasquite quiet. Everyone seemed tohave a reverence for what wewere viewing. From there youcould see the San Andreas Faultwhich runs down the middle ofthe valley, the Salton Sea – thelargest lake in California, and ona really clear day, all the way toLas Vegas.

STAR SEARCH

This area is one of theworld’s premier golf destina-tions. With more than 350 days

of sunshine, mild winters andmore than 200 golf courses inthe valley, it becomes a havenfor “snowbirds” from Octoberthrough May. One source toldme it takes 800,000 to 1 milliongallons of water per day to keepall those courses green.

It has been a magnet forHollywood stars since the1930s, when Bing Crosby andRalph Bellamy founded the firsttennis club in Palm Springs.Other 1930/1940s stars knownto stop by were Mary Pickford,Judy Garland and HumphreyBogart. The ’50s and ’60sbrought Frank Sinatra, DeanMartin and the rest of the RatPack, along with famous folksfrom Washington such as JFK,Eisenhower and Nixon.

We took a celebrity hometour along with two couplesfrom Britain who were ecstaticwhen we entered the home ofElvis and Priscilla Presley at 845West Chino Canyon Road. Oneof the women was an Elvisdevotee and knew more abouthim than the tour guide. Thiswas the highlight of her trip tothe United States.

EATING ON THE CHEAP

A walk along El Paseo, theRodeo Drive of Palm Desert,brings you past every kind ofupscale retail store you canimagine. From clothing, to jew-elry, fine art and even finerprices, it is definitely a fun placeto window shop. When you gettired of walking, there is a littleyellow golf cart that gives com-plimentary rides up and downthe street.

Forever in search of a goodmeal deal, we sought out manyof the Happy Hour offerings inthe area. Just about every

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO

Photo: gowestusa.com

THE PALM SPRINGS AERIAL TRAMWAY traverses the rugged ChinoCanyon These high tech rotating tram cars give every visitordesert and mountain views during the ten minute ride to the top.

See Travel, page 18

require antibiotics as our bod-ies are quite capable of fightingthem off on their own. As anexample in ear infections,based on recent studies,Pediatricians are now with-holding antibiotics in mostpatients for two days to assesswhether or not the infectionclears on its own. Surprisingly,a large number of those infec-tions disappear without the aidof antibiotics.

PREVENTION IS KEY

The best way to defeat bac-teria and to avoid antibioticresistance is to prevent theinfection from developing inthe first place. This can beaccomplished through the useof immunizations, discardingsuspicious foods, having a safewater supply, and practicinggood hygiene; wash yourhands. These simple acts aresurprisingly and dramaticallyeffective. As an example, dueto immunizations we have vir-tually eradicated many diseasesin our country, diseases thathad plagued our parent’s gener-

ation. In our own children weare also seeing a fast decline inthe incidence of bacteria thatcan cause life threateningpneumonia and meningitis.Immunizations work and thebenefits far outweigh the risksso please do not be influencedby alternative opinions.

To summarize, listen toyour doctor and don’t be upsetif you don’t receive the antibi-otics you think that you need.Your physician is really lookingout for your best interest. Aswell, remember to cover yourmouth when you sneeze orcough, remember to wash yourhands, and practice basic goodhygiene. If not, we will see youdown the road at John MuirConcord.

Dr. Birdsall is the MedicalDirector of the EmergencyDepartment and Chief of Staff ofJohn Muir Hospital in Concord.He lives in Walnut Creek with hiswife, Dr. Marian Birdsall, and twochildren. Please email him [email protected]

BUILDING A PATH

TO SUCCESS

Clayton Valley Garden Clubmembers delivered a secondelevated raised bed that allowswheelchair and other disabledstudents access to gardeningclasses at Diablo View MiddleSchool. Garden club member

Neal Richmond built the twoelevated raised beds. Soil andvegetables ready for plantingwere also donated to theschool. Shown here are specialed teacher StephanieBarambani, Richmond andDavid Walters of the schooldistrict.

Club news Health, from page 8

AApppplliiaanncceeRReeppaaiirrssbbyy BBrruuccee,, IInncc..

We repair all major appliances,

most major brands, and we’re local

35 years experience“We do a dog gone good job”

- Zoey & BruceBruce & Holly Linsenmeyer30 year Clayton residents

Office: (925) 672-2700Cell: (925) 956-8605State of California B.E.A.R license #A44842

http://appliancerepairsbybruce.com

VICIOUS COMMENTARY

A few weeks ago, I had oneof those “what has happenedto the world?” moments. I waschecking Facebook when Isaw a picture of myself withdozens of smiling kids fromCamp Sea Lab on one of thekid’s Facebook pages. I smiledas fond memories flooded mymind – but then I read thefifth-graders’ comments.

My joy turned to astonish-ment followed by anger sodeep, I felt physically sickened.I couldn’t comprehend theutter barbarity of the wordsthese kids used to refer to theirpeers. The worst attacksfocused on a disabled class-mate.

At camp, I felt proud ofthe way some of the studentshad treated this child, butbehind his back, others foundthe “courage” to call himnames. I wonder where these10-year old children learnedthis language – words I didn’teven know existed when I wasin fifth grade.

Then I saw a commentfrom one of the mothers.“Leave him alone ... Be nice ...I hope he is not your friend onFacebook, cause if he is heknows now you guys don’t likehim.”

That was it. Even after herson had joined in on the com-mentary. I wondered how aparent could under-react tosuch blatant bullying that wascontinuing nearly six monthsafter camp ended.

Just because a child isunaware of the hatred spreadbehind his back doesn’t meanhe’s not suffering the effects atschool. One minute, he couldbe friends with somebody, and

the next, they’re making facesat him or calling him thenames created by the cyber-bullies.

ESCALATING TREND

Retired third-gradeteacher Maxine Buxbaum,who began her career inChicago during the 1950s,stated in an interview that theextreme nature of bullyingtoday mimics the extremenature of our society.

“The growing pressures tohave material things, drugs,teenage drinking and morepermissive parenting go handin hand with the escalations inour behaviors in society,” shenoted.

Perhaps parents are morepermissive nowadays becausethey’re more concerned aboutbeing “buddies” with theirchildren. Little do they know,their permissive attitude couldlead to the demise of anotherchild.

According to a recent studyby the National Institute ofHealth of 7,000 students,cyber bullying can cause high-er levels of depression sinceone may feel more helpless.The experts state that mes-sages posted on the Internetare difficult to remove and canreach thousands of studentswith one click of the mouse.Often, the student being bul-lied is unaware of why theattacks against him are grow-ing.

Sameer Hinduja, co-direc-tor of the CyberbullyingResearch Center, says cyber-bullying is now the most com-mon form of bullying becausekids are attracted to hidingbehind a screen.

FEW LEGAL OPTIONS

The California Departmentof Education code section 48900(r) allows for suspensionor expulsion of a bully andasks that parents report cyberbullying to law enforcementofficials or the local Internetservice provider.

California passed renewedlegislation SB719 in October2003 that treats bullying as apunishable crime. However,according to Clayton Valleyassistant principal SharonBrockman, it’s extremely diffi-cult to prosecute bullies.

“Because kids have troublegetting enough evidence, pros-ecutors have difficulty buildingenough of a case,” Brockmanstated.

She advises students tonotify the school immediatelyupon being bullied and to saveall evidence supporting theaccusation, including texts,phone records and Facebookpage printouts.

A CALL TO ACTION

While schools have poli-cies aimed at protecting stu-dents who have the courageto report bullying and statelaws support citizens provid-ing sufficient evidence, Ibelieve there’s a giant, missinglink to solving a problem thatis claiming so many younglives.

I’m reminded of a CNNarticle about the suicide of a13-year-old child fromTehachapi. Seth Walsh, anopenly gay eighth-grader, hadbeen teased since fourthgrade.

“He was teased in fourthand fifth grade and by sixthgrade the kids got reallymean,” said his mother,Wendy. “By seventh grade,Seth was afraid to even walkhome from school, and in

September, he ended his mis-ery and hung himself in hisbackyard.”

At his funeral, which 600people attended, his youngerbrother, Shawn, remarked: “Ijust wish people could havebeen nice to him, like mymom taught me.”

Considering 600 peoplefrom this tiny town attendedthis boy’s funeral, I can’t helpbut wonder where they werewhen the bullying was takingplace.

What will it take for us torecognize our own accounta-bility? The giant, missing linkis each of us who turn a blindeye to nasty remarks, hatefulslurs and physical attacks. It’sthose of us who don’t urgechildren to stand beside thebullied and not the bully.

Technology is here to stayand we, as a society, mustrespond to its rapid growth ina responsible manner. Will webe the next community toshow our support after a childtakes his life? Or will we, as acommunity, stand beside thischild at the start of trouble?

Sarah Rosen is a junior atCVHS. You can e-mail her [email protected].


(925) 457-5423 www.belfastplumbing.com

LLiicceennssee.. 990066221111

�elfast

�lumbing

Installations – RepairsToilets � Faucets � Water heatersGarbage disposals � Clogged drains

Credit Cards accepted: Visa, MasterCard, Discover

Office: 925.975.5255home & fax: 925.672.0541email: [email protected]

DRE#00906625

Patty FlanneryYour local neighborhood REALTOR

since 1986

Complete Landscape Design & Installation�� Lawn & Plant Installation�� Retaining Walls �� Drainage�� Paver Patio & Walkway �� Low Voltage Lighting

925-672-9955wwwwww..nniicchhoollssllaannddssccaappee..ccoomm

LLiicc.. 554422881122 FFuullllyy IInnssuurreedd

Boyce Nichols - OwnerClayton Resident

FREE ESTIMATES

It could be a virus or itcould just need a tune-up.

Prevent problems caused by viruses and spywarewith Regular proactive maintenance.

TTOOTTAALL DDEESSKKTTOOPP CCAARREE && SSEERRVVEERR WWAATTCCHH

Low cost, fixed feeservices thatmonitor & maintainyour networkto minimize IT problems

Call Mark 925.672.6029 or

[email protected]

CONCORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

The church will host its Bell Bazaar Nov. 5-6. The event includesthe sale of handmade items, crafts and home-baked goods, plustickets for raffle prizes. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-1 p.m. both days.

The bazaar will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m.Saturday. The church is at 1645 West St., Concord. For more infor-mation, call 685-5260.

Church News

Taylor moved to Antiochwith his parents from Kansasin 1955 and then to Clayton in1961. His parents were schoolteachers drawn to the areawhen friends relocated toMartinez. Taylor is a teacher,writer, illustrator and actor.

When he heard about vari-ous shootings in Clayton’s past,Taylor started collecting arti-cles and other tales abouttown. He excitedly retells theseevents, with one rolling intothe next – from creepy burialgrounds and bloody buggyaccidents to deadly bar fights.

Taylor tracks live celebritysightings as well, such as seeingRobert Redford in a localrestaurant.

Spectators of the spectersare thrilled by guest ghost

appearances on the walk.Taylor sets the macabre moodby donning a top hat and capelike an undertaker. Walk partic-ipants receive an “I Survivedthe Ghost Walk” certificate.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” saysTaylor. Because many regularstake the walk, “I can’t leave outany stories.”

For more tall tales of thetown, see “Ghosts and OtherCelebrities of Clayton” byRichard Taylor at the library.Be prepared to wait; copieskeep “disappearing” from theshelf.

Gather for the Ghost Walk at7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at EndeavorHall, 6008 Center St., Clayton. Thewalk is 8-10 p.m. Bring a flashlight.Costumes are optional.

Ghost Walk, from page 1

restaurant has half-price spe-cials on drinks and food –some starting at 11 a.m. andgoing to closing. But themajority of the places we visit-ed had a 4-7 p.m. timeframe.

We enjoyed some deliciousdishes such as mussels in garlicwine sauce, crab sliders, chick-en pot pie, chopped salads andmac and cheese with baconand mushrooms. All the disheswere plentiful enough to shareand allowed us to try things wemight not order otherwise.Certain nights will also get youbottles of wine at half price.

After a week of indulgingourselves in the pleasures thatPalm Desert and the sur-rounding cities had to offer, itwas time for the trip home anda plan to return soon to a

place that has become a newfavorite spot to visit.

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].

Travel, from page 17

Support Hotlines

The Trevor Project,24-hour support for gayyouth, 866-4UTREVOR.

24-Hour Youth CrisisLine, 800-843-5200.

Contra Costa CrisisCenter: 24-hour suicidehotline, 800-SUICIDE or800-273-TALK.

Bullying, from page 1

What’s happening in your place of worship? New pastor or choir director? Special projects?

Active ministries? Send your news of community interest [email protected].

Travel TipIf you are flying to a new

city and don’t know where togo or what to do when youarrive, ask your flight atten-dant for dining, shoppingand sightseeing advice. Mostcrews have up-to-the-minuterecommendations gleanedfrom layovers and they aremore than happy to sharethe information.

Recycle this paper

Everybody’s favorite nun is back at theWillows Theatre. Billed as a “one Nun-sensemusical event,” “Sister Robert Anne’sCabaret Class” stars Willows’ veteranDeborah Del Mastro as the tune-belting,wise-cracking, trumpet-playing nun who lefther sandal prints over all the previousNunsense musicals.

“Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class” isthe Willows’ holiday musical offering, open-ing Nov. 29 in Martinez. The show featuressongs from all the “Nunsense” shows and isdirected by Dan Goggin, the creator of allseven (so far) “Nunsense” musicals.

“Danny Goggin made the Willows anoffer that we couldn’t pass up: the WestCoast premiere of a ‘Nunsense’ special,written specifically for Deb Del Mastro,”said Willows general manager ChristineMarshall.

Del Mastro and Goggin premiered“Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class” in July

at the Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport,Conn., where it played to full houses and gotsuperb reviews. The Willows is the first WestCoast theater to produce the show.

Del Mastro, a “singing nun with a differ-ence,” is a longtime member of Goggin’sfavorite nunnery, the Little Sisters ofHoboken. She originated Sister Robert Annein “Nunsense Jamboree,” “Nuncrackers,”“Meshuggah-Nuns” and “Nunsensations,”all of which played at the Willows over theyears, many as world premiers. She can beheard on all the original cast CDs.

Del Mastro filmed “Nunsense Jamboree”with Vicki Lawrence, “Nuncrackers” withRue McClanahan and “Nunsensations” withthe original cast. She is also a Beach BlanketBabylon alumna. And as a U.S. Navy Bandveteran, she really is the one playing thetrumpet.

“Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class” playsNov. 29-Jan. 16. at the Campbell Theatre, 626Ward Street, Martinez. Tickets available at willow-stheatre.org or 798-1300.


Beautifully updated throughout. 4 bedroom 2 full bath withgorgeous new kitchen and master bath. Single level with pool &yards. $2,300/mo. Includes pool and yard maintenance

3743 Gainsborough Dr., Concord

Beautiful single family detached home in Clayton! HardwoodFloors, single level, vaulted ceilings, large yard, sparkling clean,light and bright! Offered at $395,000

www.OharaCourt.com

SAVE THE DATEJoin us, first Saturday in Decemberfor a horse and carriage ride throughlovely downtown Clayton!

INSPIRED REAL ESTATE

Considering

Downsizing?

Fabulous Northgate estate on private 1 acre beautifully land-scaped lot. 6 bedrooms 3 1/2 bath with downstairs master suite.Offered at 1,399,900

www.3699OakCreekCt.com

Mt. Diablo Recyclingwww.mtdiablorecycling.comWe’ll buy back your recyclables!8 a.m. to 4 p.m.Open Monday - Friday925-682-4518, Please call for prices

1300 Loveridge Road,Pittsburg

Brought to you by

Concord DisposalRecycle yourwaste at ourplace

Concord Disposal WILL BE picking up on Thanksgiving!

Recycling Center & Transfer Station

www.contracostawaste.comOpen 7 days a week,

7 a.m. to 6 p.m.925-473-0180 Please call for prices

Theatre

Pursue the mystery with Willow’s ‘Sleuth’Reviewers do not allow theater compa-

nies to tell them what or what not to write.So it’s not the Willows Theatre Companythat’s holding the reins of a reviewer’s pen:it’s Anthony Shaffer, the playwright of“Sleuth,” the Willow’s current production.

Since the play’s original 1970 staging inLondon, audiences have been asked toremain mum about the plot. “Sleuth” is amurder mystery with multiple layers ofdeceit and deception. A tell-all would spoilhalf the fun of seeing the show.

Many may already have seen the play oreither of the two movies – a 1972 versionwith Laurence Olivier and Michael Caineor the 2007 film starring Caine and JudeLaw. Yet due to Shaffer’s skillful playwrit-ing and the popularity of the mysterygenre, there’s still good reason to buzzover to the Campbell Theatre in down-town Martinez.

Director Richard Elliott spins out anefficient tale, with enough humor and dan-ger to satisfy the nearly sold-out housesthe production is attracting.

What can be told about the plot is sim-ple. Andre Wyke, a wealthy thriller writer,invites young Milo Tindle to his home fora drink. Over scotch, Andrew reveals thathe knows about the affair his wife is hav-ing with Milo. He suggests a devilish planto rid himself of a tiresome wife and grantMilo his heart’s desire.

Of course, there’s something fishy inAndrew’s motivation and in Milo’s partici-pation, but that’s where the expositionmust come to a halt.

Shaun Carroll as Andrew Wyke isvibrant. He’s not as haughty as Olivier oras gritty as Caine, but his portrayal of awronged spouse gains depth as the playprogresses.

Especially in the first act, Carroll bounds

across the Campbell’s diminutive stage withthe dexterity of a gymnast. Although thisenergizes the production, it detracts fromhis character’s claims that he needs Milo’shelp because he, an older gentleman, is lessagile. It’s a small point, but an importantone early on, when the plot is still depend-ent on an old cliché: Seeing is believing.

Eric Inman is an enchanting blend ofgullible lover and resentful, pouty, youngprofessional. As Milo, he’s deft at comedicmoments: climbing into a clown suit withall the delight of a 6-year-old at Halloweenand in other scenes too far into the play’s“protected plot” to describe.

The kitschy set is full of visual charm,

from a collection of colorful masks to abubbling fish tank to the 4-foot tall fisher-man doll that laughs upon the press of abutton. Elliott demonstrates once again hisaffinity for humor, even amidst the bloodand bullets.

If you know the plot, it’s still a delightto watch how human desire for love orrevenge leads to … well, I can’t tell youthat part. You’ll have to go and see foryourself.

“Sleuth” plays through Nov. 7 at theCampbell Theatre, 626 Ward St., Martinez.Tickets are $22-$32. For more information, call798-1300 or visit willowstheatre.org.

Photo credit, David Faustina.

SHAUN CARROLL AND ERIC INMAN star in the Willows Theatre production of Sleuth,Oct. 4-Nov. 7 at the Campbell Theatre in Martinez.

LOU FANCHER

Clayton Pioneer

Britney and friends play it out in Center REP showHow does a pop sensation wind up bald

and trapped in her own musical?“Becoming Britney” is a caustic (but lov-ing) PG-13 fable that chronicles therise…the dip…and the salvation of a fool-hardy celebrity phenom.

Produced by Center REP and directedby Daya Curley, the show features elevenoriginal songs that pay homage to multiplemusical theatre genres including shows like“Annie” and “Rent,” and composers likeRodgers and Hammerstein among others.The songs include a comical waltz betweenBritney and K-Fed as they both agree theother is, “The Love of My Life (So Far),” ashow-stopper called “Push It Out” inwhich Brit has two babies and “Out ofControl,” a swingin’ jive number about herdownward spiral with the help of friendsLindsay and Paris.

NY Fringe Festival award winning

actress Molly Bell wrote the book, musicand lyrics and also stars in the show. Bellwas recently seen in Center REP’s “AMarvelous Party.”

Performances run from Oct. 28 throughNov. 14 in the Knight Theater, LesherCenter for the Arts, Walnut Creek. Ticketsare $25. For more information go toCenterREP.org or call (925) 943-SHOW(7469), or go to the LCA Ticket Office at1601 Civic Drive or the Ticket Office Outletat Barnes & Noble in Walnut Creek.

Willows toasts the holidays with new ‘Nunsense’ musical

GARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

DEB DEL MAESTRO stars as Sister Robert Anne,a part written especially for her, in the latestWillows Theatre “Nunsense” production,opening Nov. 29 at the Cabaret in Martinez.

“Becoming Britney” opens at theCenterREP Oct. 28.

The Pioneer -- It’s your paper!


Creating electricity on your rooftop haslong been a popular idea. But solar has hadserious limitations that kept most homeown-ers from taking the plunge.

Panel efficiency was low, reputable instal-lation companies were few and far between,and product choices were limited. One-by-one, these limitations are melting away. But apersistent limitation is also the most vexing:the high up-front cost.

The solar industry is finally getting its acttogether and providing a creative array offinancing options for homeowners.

The first and best option to finance asolar electric system is a home equity loan.This secured financing product usually hasthe lowest interest rate, and a percentage ofthe payments can be deducted from yourtaxes. However, fewer people have muchequity in their homes these days, and somefolks are upside-down on their mortgages.So it’s time to get creative.

There has been a recent flourishing of“no money down” financing, such as thesolar lease and the solar PPA (power pur-

chase agreement). The lease is much like acar lease in that the buyer has no up-frontcost and pays a monthly lease payment for10-18 years.

This is one of the lowest cost ways to getsolar on your home. The savings is usuallysmaller than if you bought the system, andmost leases have a yearly payment escalator.Most leasing installers also provide a per-formance guarantee where they pay the dif-ference for the expected solar production ifthe system doesn’t perform as promised.

In the PPA, the buyer agrees to rent roofspace to a company, who then pays thehomeowner in the form of reduced rates forelectricity. These power purchase contractscan range 10-20 years. The installation com-pany will maintain the system and make surethe panels are clean.

Even more creative are the Same As Cash(SAC) programs and a variety of unsecuredloans. With SAC, the buyer would not haveany payments or have interest accrue for aspecified period of time – 90 days to a year.The cost of this money is usually absorbedby the solar installation company to enticepeople to buy their product. However, buy-ers must pay the balance off in full at the end

of that term or re-structure the principleinto another loan.

The most creative unsecured loan pro-gram is a five-year term with a balloon pay-ment at the end. Although most balloon pay-ments make people nervous, this programoffers homeowners flexibility. The paymentsare amortized over 10-15 years to keepmonthly payments low. Monthly paymentsare made for five years and then there iseither a balloon payment or refinancing ofthe loan balance.

It’s a relatively easy qualification processand the interest rates vary depending oncredit qualifications. The loan can also be re-amortized when the buyer gets that 30 per-cent federal tax credit, making the monthlypayments even lower.

These are just a few of the financinginnovations that are taking place in the solarindustry today. The idea is to make solaraffordable for more people than ever before.And given PG&E’s propensity for rate hikes,a solar electric system will be more valuablein the coming years.

Hamilton is a senior solar consultant atNextEnergy Solar.

Sponsored by NextEnergyby Doug Hamilton

Finally, creativefinancing for solar

Save Mount Diablo is host-ing the first public tours of thespectacular 320-acre IrishCanyon property on Oct. 24and Nov. 14.

The land is marked by threespring-fed branches of IrishCreek, a blue oak woodland, avalley oak savannah and grass-land heading toward KreigerPeak. Steep slopes are sculptedby landslide slumps.

The property supportsmore than 400 species ofplants and animals, providesworld-class views and has a richhistory, including two home-

stead sites. Bob Jones, the firstprofessional baseball playerfrom Contra Costa County, wasborn in Irish Canyon. Jonesplayed for the Detroit Tigerswith Ty Cobb.

Save Mount Diablo (SMD)has been unable to lead publichikes on the property for thelast three years due to accessrestrictions. A recent acquisi-tion by the East Bay RegionalPark District bridged the gapfrom Clayton open space toIrish Canyon and BlackDiamond Mines RegionalPreserve.

During the spring, SMDbuilt two trails that provideaccess to some of the morerugged areas on the property.Although Irish Canyon isclosed to the public, SMD willlead public hikes at 9:30 a.m.Oct. 24 and Nov. 14. Toursbegin at the carpool lot atPeacock Creek Drive andClayton Road in Clayton. Thehike is about six miles roundtrip.

To reserve a spot on a tour, call(925) 947-3535. For more informa-tion, go to www.savemountdiablo.com

of this program, each street inClayton is evaluated and given anumeric score based on its condi-tion. A firm specializing in thesetypes of evaluation performs theevaluation and scoring.

Our streets were recentlyscored. Our weighted averagescore was 76, putting us in the“very good” category – the highestof the Pavement Condition Index.In the county, only Brentwood,Contra Costa County, Oakley andConcord scored higher.

We are able to use the streetscoring to select which streets toinclude in improvement projects.We selected the 34 worst residen-tial streets, based on scoring, to beincluded in the project. For thefirst time, this included some ofthe Oakhurst streets. (Thank you,Oakhurst residents, for drivingcarefully and making your streetslast longer.)

We also included what isreferred to by some as Old MarshCreek Road, the stretch of roadthat runs from downtown to themiddle school. We began to seefailings in the pavement and, sincethis road is heavily traveled, wewanted to make sure that our arte-rial roads are in good condition.

One of the signs of pavementfailure is the presence of alligatorcracking, or fatigue cracking. I likethe sound of alligator cracking

better. It’s a series of interconnect-ed cracks, giving the appearance ofalligator skin. Other cracking canbe sealed, but once alligator crack-ing appears, a more extensionrepair is required.

The work to be performedwith our current project rangesfrom adding an overlay to grind-ing and repaving, depending onthe street’s condition. One of theexciting parts of the project, andsomething you will want toremember to mention at the watercooler, is the use of rubberizedasphalt on Old Marsh CreekRoad.

Rubberized asphalt is made oftraditional asphalt and ground upold tires. In addition to the envi-ronmental benefit of recycling oldtires, rubberized asphalt is quieterand requires less thickness thantraditional asphalt. Caltrans hasbeen using rubberized asphalt onmany of freeways.

Over the next few months,you will be seeing paving crewsworking on this current project.As funds become available, we willcontinue to maintain and improveour streets.

I hope when you wake uptomorrow morning that you feelyou know a little more about ourstreet maintenance.

You can contact the mayor [email protected]

Mayor, from page 1

Photo by George Phillips

Two guided hikes will follownew trails at Irish Canyon.

TTAAKKEE AA HHIIKKEE

Save Mount Diablo leads firstpublic hikes in Irish Canyon

Ornamental grasses can cre-ate movement and add textureto a Clayton Valley landscape orgarden. This time of year, orna-mental grasses take center stagein many yards around town.

Whether it’s the common redfountain grass or the uniquelystriped zebra grass, they are hereto be enjoyed and the season tonotice them is now.

Red fountain grass may bethe reason that ornamentalgrasses have become so popular.About 10 years ago, tufts of red-dish-bronze foliage began pop-ping up here and there. At first,they did not command muchattention. But as the seasonwore on and summer peaked,stalks of fuzzy pinkish plumesappeared above the grassyfoliage. These plumes addedmuch to the look of the plant, asthey swayed in the slightestbreeze.

GO BIG, OR A BIT SMALLER

Red fountain grass is identi-

fied as Pennisetum Rubrum. Thisornamental can reach 3-4 feettall, with plumes that stand eventaller, so planing in the rightplace is important.

Red fountain grass has asmaller brother, PennisetumRubrum Dwarf. This would be agood selection for someonewith less planting area. Thedwarf red fountain grass has allthe same features but is justslightly smaller. It reaches 2-3feet tall and wide, with theplumes 16-18 inches taller thanthe foliage.

For gardeners who cravegreen foliage but want the samelook, there is Pennisetum Orientale.This ornamental will reach 2-3feet tall and wide, with ivoryplumes as the bloom.

If you want more color withfountain grass, Fireworks wasreleased last year and has reallyhit it big this planting season.Bright red, pink and bronze var-iegation runs along this plant’sgrassy foliage. The bloom ismore like the red fountain grass,and the size of this selection isabout 2 feet tall and wide.Fireworks fountain grass is nicein a landscape and equally asnice in the ground.

ZEBRA GRASS A BOLD MOVE

Miscanthus sinensis Zebrinus iscommonly called zebra grass. Ithas green blades with horizontalstripes of yellow positionedevery inch or so along its length.This grass is extremely appealingand unique. It satisfies that urge

to grow something different.However, be cautious when

planting zebra grass. This orna-mental can reach 5 feet tall andwide. Picture it taking up anentire fence panel.

Placement is important. Ifyou don’t have room within youryard, consider installing zebragrass in a large container. Itwould make a dramatic state-ment on a patio or in the dis-tance of the landscape.

Calamagrostis acutiflora KarlFoerster is another large orna-mental grass selection that looksfabulous when installed in theright spot. Dark green, grassyfoliage will reach 3 feet tall, andbeige plumes of blooms stand5-6 feet tall.

This grass is exceptional.Karl Foerster could be used as abackdrop for a dry garden orcreekbed. It also makes a niceprivacy screen or living wall.

CLUMP IT UP

If you need a smaller orna-mental grass, consider the fami-ly of Carex. It has selections ofgreen, orange and variegatedfoliage. Some are runners, so becareful not to select those. Theclumping varieties are fantasticin a landscape.

Carex testacea is an all-timefavorite of mine. It will grow 18inches tall and 24 inches wide.During fall, the color of theblades changes and become arusset orange, which is desirablethis time of year.

Carex testacea Prairie Fire is a

newer selection with a bolderorange color. It is definitelyworth a try.

The Northern Lights grasscalled Deschampsia cespitosa isgood for those who crave pink.This clumping grass will reach 8-12 inches tall and wide, makingit a great border plant.

Ophiopogon planiscapusnigrescens is commonly calledblack mondo grass. This smallclumper has almost black bladesand reaches 8 inches tall andslightly wider with age. It is ever-green and very conversation-worthy. Install in the ground orin a container.

Acorus variegatus ogon is a yel-low-bladed ornamental grass.Acorus is exceptional in a con-tainer or in the ground. FescueElijah Blue is a great grayfoliage grass. Those who thinkthey know fescue grass shouldreally try this selection – it’smarvelous.

Ornamental grass season ishere, so get planting.


Flooring

Furniture

� home of exotic hardwood flooring

� over 150 species of solid & engineeredwood including green products

� Installation

� Refinishing, repair & refurbishing

� maple, oak, ash,cherry, mahogany,bamboo, walnut,exotic african woods

2995 Ygnacio Valley Rd.


License # 775713

� Over 6000 sq. ft. of showroom

� Over 5000 pages of catalogs

� Largest selection of rusticfurniture

� Leather and upholstery sofa,love seat and accent chair

� Living room furniture

� Bedroom and dining room sets

� Kids bedroom sets

� Authentic Persian rugs

� Lamps and accessories

Where Quality meets Affordable Pricing

Get creative with ornamental

grass selections

Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden Contact her with questions,comments or suggestions at [email protected]

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Advertise in the Pioneer 672-0500

It’s time for the crepe escape

Tired of the same ol’ pan-cake for breakfast? A tortillafor lunch? A dosa for dinner?It’s time to escape the routineand go back to the past by mak-ing a crepe.

Crepes originated centuriesago in Brittany, a region innorthern France. They weremade from buckwheat, whichisn’t wheat at all – it’s a gluten-free grain. Breton crepes werethe staple bread of the peasantclass.

As sweeter, less coarsewhite flour became available tothe middle and lower classesaround the start of the 20thcentury, the more familiarcrepe emerged and is nowwidely regarded as the nationaldish of France.

Crepes also have a tradition-al religious role in France. LaChandeleur or Candlemas cele-brates the Virgin Mary’s bless-ing on Feb. 2 each year. It’s alsoknown as avec crepe day, a tra-ditional offering of crepes withhistorical roots dating back towhen peasants gave crepes tolandowners as a sign of alle-giance. The goal of avec crepeis to hold a coin in one handand flip the crepe in the panwith the other. A successful flipportends financial success inthe coming year.

Crepes rapidly became theculinary darling of neighboring

European countries. There’sthe crespella of Italy (the basisfor meat-based cannelloni),palacsintas in Hungary, filloasin Spain, pannekoeken in theNetherlands, blintzes on Jewishtables and blini in Russia.Crepe’s cousins are easily rec-ognized around the world: theAfrican injera, the Indian dosa,the Mexican sope and theMandarin pancake for Chinesemoo shu pork.

Simply made of flour, eggs,butter, milk and seasonings, thecrepe gallette is the Frenchsavory pancake filled withmeat, poultry, cheese, vegeta-bles, seafood and sauces. Whensugar and sometimes spices areadded, a sweet crepe sucresemerges – begging to be filledwith jam, fruit and cream.

A crepe batter is simple toprepare but requires planningbecause the batter must rest forat least an hour before cooking.The resting period allows thebubbles to subside and mini-mizes the risk of tearing duringcooking. Most batters may berefrigerated for up to 48 hours.

Here’s a successful recipeadapted from renowned FoodNetwork personality AltonBrown:

BASIC CREPE BATTER

2 large eggs¾ c. milk½ c. water1 c. flour3 T. butter, meltedButter, for cookingPulse all ingredients in a

blender for about 10 seconds.The batter should be like thickcream; don’t worry if there aresmall lumps of flour. Cover andrefrigerate the batter for an hour.

Preheat a small nonstick panover medium to medium-highheat – not so hot that the butterbrowns or burns when added tothe pan before the batter. Pourabout 2 T. batter into the but-tered pan and swirl to create around shape of even thickness.Cook about one minute, thenloosen with a thin spatula andturn, cooking another 30 sec-onds.

Remove to a platter. You cancontinue to pile on the cookedcrepes, separated by sheets ofwaxed paper. Cooked crepes canalso be frozen; defrost beforeuse.

Suggested fillings includepoached chicken in Mornaysauce or shirred eggs and mincedham. Let your imagination runwild.

Sweet crepes can also berolled in warm syrup, folded infourths and served with a com-pound butter or flambéed inliqueur. French chef HenriCharpentier is credited with cre-ating the famous dessert dishcrepes Suzette, possibly namedafter an attractive young womanwho accompanied a Europeanroyal to dinner at the restaurantwhere he worked. The battercontains lightly grated orangepeel and the cooked crepe isdoused with orange liqueur orbrandy and ignited for a spectac-ular presentation (and taste).

CREPES SUZETTE

Basic Crepe Batter2½ T. sugar1 tsp. vanilla extract2 T. rum or orange liqueurGrated zest of one orange

FOR THE SAUCE:¼ lb. butter2 T. sugar3 oz. favorite liqueur4 scoops vanilla ice creamPrepare crepes following

Basic Crepe directions. Foldthem in half and half again sothey are in the shape of a trian-gle. Melt half the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat.When it foams, stir in the liqueurand sugar. Use tongs to transferthe crepes back to the pan andturn to coat.

Remove to serving plateswith the ice cream. Return thepan to the heat, add the remain-ing liqueur and tilt the pan.Ignite the liqueur with a longmatch and spoon some of theflaming liquid over the crepes.

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Linda Wyner, a local attorney andfoodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmetcookware store and cooking school inPleasanton.

Direct your suggestions or questionsto [email protected]

A & H Limousine Service

A & H Limousine Servicehas been owned and oper-ated by Clayton resident,Sanjay Behal since 2005. A& H offers 24-hour serviceto all Bay Area airports atno extra charge. Limos,party buses, Hummer

Limos, sedans and mini-vansare available. Experienceddrivers will take you to onwine tours, to proms, birthdayparties or a night out in SanFrancisco. Get to holiday par-ties, concerts, weddings or anyspecial event in style. Seniorscan take a 10 percent dis-count for any round-trip book-ing. Please call (925) 200-2824 or [email protected].

Contra Costa County Fall Faire

Christmas is just around thecorner and its time to get ahead start on your holidayshopping. The 2010 ContraCosta County Fall Faire isNov. 13-14 at the fairgroundsin Antioch. Join us for this twoday event that will showcaseall that Contra Costa Countyhas to offer...quality arts andcrafts, carnival, food, bever-age, local businesses, commu-nity services, Santa, kids’zone, and even an amateurcookout contest. Applicationsare available online atwww.contracostafair.com foranyone who might be interest-ed in participating in thisevent.


Fall Faire at the Fairgrounds in

Antioch

November 13 & 14Hours: Sat. 10-5pm, Sun. 10-4pm

Crafts � Cookout � Carnival

Free ParkingTickets: 13 and Over - $5

12 and Under - FREE

� Arts and Crafts� Carnival� Santa� Live Entertainment

� FREE Kids Zone� Amateur Cookoff

contest (Saturday)

1201 West 10th St., Antioch � (925) 757-4400 � [email protected]

www.contracostafair.comSPONSORS

Bring this

ad & receive

$2 offSunday admission

11/14/2010

AA&&HH LLiimmoouussiinnee SSeerrvviicceeYour Friendly Service

Call Sunny for reservation (925)200-2824 or (925)[email protected]

WWWWWW..AAHH44LLIIMMOO..CCOOMM

Limo and executive car service for business or pleasure. Airport service to Oakland, San Jose, SFO daily.24 Hour Service with no extra charge.

Mini-Vans / Limos / Town Cars

ClaytonResident

TCP#23286

$10 discountfor round trip booking(mention this ad)

Concerts � Sporting Events � Birthdays � Anniversaries � Weddings � Proms

for Men, Women, Kids and Pets. 100’s of Halloween

props, decorations, gifts and special effects.

including Rubies, Forum, Rasta Imposta and more.

We also carry Leg Avenue, Dreamgirl and

Secret Wishes Sexy Ladies Costumes.

to view our large selection of realistic

Animatronic props and Halloween decorations.

4383 Clayton Road, Concord (Next to Starbucks)

925-672-8099 www.ScaryDecorations.com

Locally Owned and Operated. Shop in

confidence as we will meet or beat

any price on identical items*

Scads of scary costumes and accessories instock!

Open 7 days a week

Mon-Th: 9 to 9

Fri-Sat: 9 to 10

Sun: 10 to 8

*See store

for details

(925) 672-4600 �� 8863 Marsh Creek Rd. in Clayton

Thru Nov.5

Thru Nov.5

$34.99

Choose from

$27.99

Lamb & Rice Chicken & Rice Skin & Coat

PremiumEdge 35 lbs.

AvoDermChicken & Rice, 30 lbs.& AvoDerm Lite, 28 lbs.“Itch Relief Food”

HOT BUYS on Dog Food

$26.99Nyjer Thistle - 20 lbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$17.99Small Black Oil Sunflower Seed - 20 lbs. . . . . . .$11.99Western Delight Value Mix - 40 lbs.

Enter your dog in our Costume Contest *

�� Free Doggie Photos�� Free Prizes for Winners*Dogs should know basic obedience.

Sunday Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

$3 offPet Tags

With couponexp. Nov. 5, 2010

Complete Supply of Wild Bird Feed,Feeders and Many Products to Attract Wild Birds to your Back Yard.

Wild Bird Feed

Reg Tags: $6.99 �� Premium Tags: $9.99

Many tag designs to choose from.Jeweled tags available

Custom Engraved Pet Tags

Four more opportunities

to advadvertiseertise in the

Pioneer Holiday Shopping Guide.Call 672-0500for more information

OCT 22 Clayton Pioneer 2010.pdf

Documents

Transcript of OCT 22 Clayton Pioneer 2010.pdf