MAR 11 Clayton Pioneer 2011.pdf

Cal State University East BayConcord Campus, “the bestkept secret in Contra CostaCounty,” celebrated its 30thanniversary late last month.

The ceremony drew nearlyevery elected official from the

area and included the conferringof an honorary doctorate tobusiness and civic leader SilGaraventa Jr.

Cal State presidentMohammad H. Qayoumi and aprocession of two dozen facul-ty, staff and alumni in cap andgowns ascended a temporarystage at the Hilton Concord

Hotel for the stirring anniver-sary ceremony. The commemo-ration of the founding of theConcord campus included shortcommentaries and a perform-ance by the Cal State East BaySingers.

The lunch’s highlight waswhen Robert Linscheid, vicechair of the Cal State board oftrustees, and Qayoumi con-ferred the honorary doctor ofhumane letters degree toGaraventa. Linscheid, anAntioch native, recounted howhe attended Diablo ValleyCollege at the same time as hismother, but “my mom alwaysgot better grades than me.” Hefinally took to heart her admoni-tion that he needed to “attendclass and study” in order to dowell in school.

The honorary doctorate wasfitting for the homegrown civicleader, who was also celebratinghis personal victory over cancer.

Cal State officials calledGaraventa last spring when hewas on a long-planned familyvacation in Italy to accept thedegree at the June 2010 com-mencement. He had recently

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com March 11, 2011 925.672.0500

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DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER

City budget healthyat mid-year

Nothing monumental goingon so taking a stroll around afew items of interest to some, ofno interest to others, and pro-ducing a “yawn” to most.

We had our mid-year budgetreview meeting. Our FinanceDirector, Merry Pelletier,together with a Council sub-committee, reviewed, crunchednumbers and adjusted as neces-sary, before giving a written andoral report to the Council at theMarch 1 meeting.

All of the public who wereat the meeting (“zero” withoutcasting aspersions) know, butthe rest of the 11,431 in the city

See Mayor, page 7

See Easement, page 5

Bike safety program brings‘Peace on the Streets’ to DVMS

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

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

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

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . .15

Director of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . .5

DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

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

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

Pioneer Photo Album . . . . . . . . . . .16

School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

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

Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

What’s Inside

Kids at Diablo View MiddleSchool are a whole lot more“road wise” this week after a 5-day bike education programsponsored by 511 ContraCosta.

“Peace on the Streets...RideOn” kicked off on Monday,Feb. 28, when students gath-ered on the basketball courtsfor some basic bike safety les-sons. Students learned how tocorrectly don their helmets andhow to do a quick bicycle safe-ty check by bouncing theirbikes on the ground beforemounting.

“You know your bikes bet-ter than anyone,” said instruc-tor Diane Sarafine. “Listen forloose screws or rattles beforeyou take off.”

Students then climbedaboard imaginary bikes and fol-lowed instructor Matt Dovearound a short course wherethey learned to enter the roadfrom a driveway and to safelynegotiate intersections and tomove across three lanes of fastmoving traffic.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

See Bike Safety, page 6

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

A WEEK-LONG BICYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM SPONSORED BY 511 CONTRA COSTA received an enthusiastic reception at DVMS.Students learned to negotiate tricky road conditions on a short course that simulated the approach and intersectionin front of the school. At the end of the week, they were rewarded with a BMX stunt show by the Clayton Bikes team.

Cal State East Bay anniversaryincludes honor for Garaventa

Creekside Arts bringsart and nature together

“Inspirations for a BetterWorld…Past, Present, Future”was the theme for the 8th annu-al Creekside Arts Celebration,which also marks the 16th

anniversary of the ClaytonCommunity Library. The festivaldrew more than 30 artists,

Photo by Stephanie Secrest, CSUEB

CONCORD BUSINESS AND CIVIC MAINSTAY SIL GARAVENTA JR. (cen-ter) was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Lettersdegree from Cal State East Bay President MohammadQayoumi (left) and Robert Linscheid, vice chair of the Board ofTrustees of the California State University. The recent ceremo-ny at Hilton Concord Hotel was in commemoration of the 30thanniversary of the Concord Campus. See Garaventa, page 8

WATERCOLOR ARTIST LESLIE WILSON SET UP HER EASEL outsidebehind the Keller House for a Plein Air Painting demonstra-tion. Plein Air simply means painting outdoors, she explained.She kept up a running discussion of color and light with spec-tators and soon the old barns began to materialize on hercanvas. Wilson took both a first and a third place in the MixedMedia category of the juried art show and walked away withthe award for Best Composition.

MDUSD has agreed togrant Clayton an easementneeded to expand the ClaytonCommunity Park parking lot.The trustees approved theeasement 4-1 at their boardmeeting last week, just daysahead of the deadline for thecity to submit its applicationfor the Measure WW moneythat will fund the project.

Earlier, the school districtstaff had turned down Clayton’srequest for the easement. CityManager Gary Napper believesthe district was holding up theeasement until the city paidsome $11,000 in disputed custo-dian fees for the ClaytonCommunity Gym.

The two issues are unrelatedsays Napper, and should neverhave been linked.

The city and MDUSD arecurrently negotiating the disput-ed charges. “We’re moving for-ward,” says Councilwoman Julie

MDUSDgrants easementfor parking lotexpansion

See Creekside Arts, page 3

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com March 11, 2011

What’s happeningAround Town?

Let us know what’s happening in yourfamilies and in your neighborhoods.

Send your news of births, engage-ments weddings, anniversaries, cele-brations, etc. to the Pioneer [email protected].

Please attach your photos to the emailas JPEG files between between 3MB and6MB and include a caption to identifypeople in your photos.

Around Town

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Redneck Chili takes first at annual chili contestThe 10th annual Clayton

Club chili cook-off on Feb. 27bubbled with entries featuringall kinds of ingredients – includ-ing wild elk.

Contest judges Police ChiefDan Lawrence, Bob Steiner, co-owner of the Clayton Pioneer,and Vice Mayor Howard Gellerwere charged with finding thebest chili among the 18 entries.They tasted and slurped andtasted again, finally whittling theentries down to three. After ahalf-hour of discussion, theesteemed judges revealed thethree winners.

Concord residents Clint andMissy White took first place,winning $300. Ryan and JenniferLowe of Clayton went homewith second place and $200.The father-son team of Vaughnand V.K. Sobajian of Claytoncame in third for $100.

“I can’t believe I won,” saidfirst place winner Clint Whitecrediting his killer chili to hismother, who passed away fiveyears ago. “We would all comerunnin’ when Mom was makingchili.”

White was reluctant to giveup his mom’s recipe, but he didsay the two secret ingredientswere elk meat and ale. He alsouses fresh jalapenos fried upwith onions to “take the heat

out.” He always uses fresh elk orvenison in his chili.

“He’s a good hunter and goodcooker,” says wife Missy. “I stirredthe pot, but it’s all his doing.”

The chili recipes were judged

on aroma, color, taste and spici-ness. After the judging, the audi-ence finished off the chili potswith cheese and jalapeño fla-vored corn bread.

-Mike Dunn

Photo by Mike Dunn

CLINT WHITE ACCEPTS A $300 CHECK FOR HIS FIRST PLACE “REDNECK CHILI” in the Clayton Club’sannual chili contest. He is flanked by his wife Missy on the left and Vice Mayor Howard Gellerand Clayton Club owner Steve Barton on the right.

Madison Simbirdi performstitle role in “Annie”

Madison Simbirdi, daughterof Tamara and Harun Simbirdi.recently performed the lead inthe musical “Annie” at the DelValle Theater in Walnut Creek,

directed by PhyllisGurnett. The show waspart of an after schoolenrichment class held atClayton CommunityChurch.

The DVMS 7th-grader has already gar-nered a host of per-forming credits includ-ing Belle in “Beautyand the Beast” at Mt.Diablo ElementarySchool and Esther in“The Story of Esther”at St. Bonaventure’s.

Two years ago,Madison sang theNational Anthem toopen the Clayton July 4

parade.She currently sings with

Broadway Kids Chorus inPleasanton. Her goal is tosomeday perform on“American Idol.”

On Feb. 20, weheaded east to theDaytona 500 with SteveWalker and SusieHodges. It was a “buck-et list must see” saysSteve and very excitingto watch 20-year-oldTrevor Bayne eat up thetrack. Bayne is theyoungest driver ever towin the Daytona 500.

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14 Nottingham Circle, Clayton $479,000Jeffrey Ranch – Enjoy a spectacular backyard withpool, waterfall & stone firepit. Landscaped to please!This 4BD/2.5BA has dual pane windows, spaciousrooms & a large master suite.

212 Mountaire Parkway, Clayton $625,000Dana Hills – Largest model offers 5BD/3BA, vaultedceilings, sparkling pool & Mt. Diablo views. Roomymaster suite; flexible-use loft!

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Drivers approachingClayton last week were likely tohave seen the wordINTEGRITY on a banner atthe city entrances at Oak Streetand on Oakhurst Blvd.

The banner is one elementof the character building pro-gram, Do the Right Thing, acommunity-wide effort that

has beenembraced by thelocal schools,the policedepartment andthe city ofClayton.

The programemphasizes sixkey charactertraits throughoutthe year. Everycouple of

months, the trait changes and abanner supporting that trait willhang in the triangle for oneweek.

In May, look forCOURAGE.

The banners were donatedby the Clayton Business andCommunity Association.

City supports DtRTwith banner signs


A proud and exhausted Jim Frazier stands with his wife Tina anddaughter Sydney in front his new Hair by Jim salon on Main Street.Frazier and crews worked all night to ready the new digs for the grand re-opening on Saturday where friends and customers celebrated with a BBQand live music.

“This will be a good move for me,” says Frazier. “And probably notsomething I would have done without a fire under my seat, pardon thepun.”

A Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed the historical building next doorwhere his old shop was housed. Arson is suspected, but no arrests havebeen made.

Up from the ashes

Creekside Arts CelebrationJuried Art Show Results

JJuuddggeess:: Carrie Brewster, Director of the Hearst Art Gallery at St.Mary’s College, Jacquelyn Smith of Presentation Art Concepts,Inc., and Christine Callahan of the Arts and CulturalCommission of Contra Costa County.


CONTRA COSTA WATERSHED COORDINATOR, MICHELLE LUEBKE, left,helps Milaad Nabi, 5, look for bugs in the water sample gath-ered earlier from the creek. What they found in the waterhelped them gauge the effects of pollution on Mt. DiabloCreek as they looked for “inspiration for a better world.”

artisans, performing artists,wildlife experts and naturaliststo the library.

The weekend opened with ajuried art show on Fridayevening. For results, see Sidebar.

Creekside Arts, from page 1

After three year wait, Fresh & Easy is ready to goThe Fresh & Easy store in the Clayton

Valley Shopping Center is set to open March16.

Originally planned for a 2008 opening,the store has been mothballed during therecession.

With signs that the economy is in recov-ery, the British owned company hit the pave-ment running this year with 11 new stores inNorthern California set to open by the endof April.

The San Jose store opened last monthwith record crowds, says Fresh & Easy assis-tant manager, Kyle Burke. “The lines wereall the way down the aisles. It was a greatreception.”

Burke attributes the popularity to com-pany’s core values of service and communi-ty. “You get back what you put in,” he says.

At around 10,000 square feet, the storesare simple and small. The Fresh & Easyname signals the two things it wants shop-pers to think of it for – freshness and con-venience. All fresh food is dated and the

stores are easy to shop.Perhaps more important, however is

price. With extreme energy efficiency, a“lean, green” operation help keep prices low.According to the company’s marketingmaterial, the smaller stores will bring “bigbox prices without the big box store.”

TNS Retail Forward, a research firm,reports Fresh & Easy prices are up to 30percent cheaper than conventional marketchains. Fresh & Easy store-brand goodsaccount for about half the products on theshelves and contain no artificial ingredientsor preservatives. All meats, cheeses and pro-duce are delivered daily and everything isdated.

The Clayton Valley store will open with38 employees, all of them local and livingwithin minutes of the store.

Pet Food Express manager Peter Grubbsis looking to Fresh & Easy to increase foottraffic and help increase business for every-one. “They will definitely help the wholecenter,” Grubbs says.

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TEAM LEADERS KYLE BURKE AND MIGUEL

CASTILLO stock shelves in preparation forthe store’s opening March 16.

Blockbuster Video in theClayton Station will close April 10.

According to a press releaseissued on Feb. 11, the debt-ridden,Dallas-based company failed in itsefforts to reorganize under bank-ruptcy protection and has enteredinto a purchase agreement withCobalt Video Holdco, LLC for$290 million.

According to industry sources,the purchase agreement calls forthe closing of 609 of its 3,400stores by the end of April. Thecompany currently has about halfthe stores it had in early 2010.

“The trend toward kiosk andNetflix rentals is apparent com-pared to rental stores,” said KurtScherf, principal analyst withDallas-based market research firmParks Associates. “Blockbusterseemed to be particularly slow to

react to mail-order DVD/Blu-rayrentals and the convenience andlow-cost rental of kiosks.”

Although the Clayton Stationstore will close on April 10, thePleasant Hill and Concord storeswill remain open. All merchandisein the Clayton Station store is forsale and many DVDs still line theshelves. Store rentals are no longeravailable, but previously-viewedDVDs are on sale for $9.99. Blue-

ray discs are 15 percent off.Cobalt is funded by key

Blockbuster creditors and is a“stalking horse” in the bankruptcyauction, designed to set the mini-mum bid in a bankruptcy auction.

The deal still requires federalcourt approval and is expected tomeet serious opposition fromother key investors, includingDisney Company and ParamountStudios.

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Police have arrested a Claytonman in connection with a stringof pharmacy robberies that beganlast month and included a Feb. 25hit at the CVS store in Clayton.

According to the store’s sur-veillance video and eyewitnessaccounts, Taylor Hughes, 19,allegedly entered the store around5 p.m., headed for the pharmacywhere he jumped over the count-er and grabbed five bottles ofcodeine cough syrup.

The robbery was just one in aseries of similar hits on Rite Aidand CVS pharmacies in Concord,Orinda and Pleasant Hill thatbegan last month.

Hughes was arrested after atraffic stop by Police Chief DanLawrence on March 3.

According to Lawrence, offi-cers were “working some promis-ing leads” when they located thesuspect on Clayton Road. Asearch of the vehicle yieldedenough information to get searchwarrants for two residences, onein Concord and one in Clayton.

A second suspect is sought inthe string of robberies, althoughpolice say Huges acted alone inthe Clayton CVHS hit.

The second suspect isdescribed as a black, male, 20-22years old, 6’4”, 180 lbs with shortblack hair and last seen wearing along sleeved dark shirt and darkpants. Anyone with informationis asked to call the Concord PD at(925) 603-5867.

According to Lawrence, afailed attempt to rob the pharma-cy at the Safeway store at 3 a.m.the day before may be connected.Two suspects were scared off byemployees. It appears they weretrying to steal cough syrup.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton manarrested inCVS robbery

After being alerted byConcord police about a possibleburglary on Feb. 23, ClaytonOfficer Rich Enea tracked downthe suspect’s vehicle and discov-ered eight catalytic converters onthe back seat floor.

Concord police reported thata “possibly silver Buick” was seenon Jefferson Drive, headingtoward Concord Boulevard about4 a.m. A short time later, Eneasaw a gold Buick exit the Shellparking lot and go east onClayton Road.

Knowing that silver and goldlook similar in the dark, Eneafollowed the car. The driverturned right onto Old Marsh

Creek Road and pulled overbefore Enea activated his over-head lights. The occupantswaved at Enea, and heapproached. The driver said thathe was lost and asked for direc-tions to Stockton.

Enea notified Concord offi-cers that he had a possible match-ing vehicle stopped. AfterClayton Sgt. Richard McEachinarrived, Enea searched the vehi-cle. He asked the driver, who ison parole, why he had the catalyt-ic converters in the car. The driv-er was vague and did not have agood explanation.

While Clayton and Concordofficers were with the suspects, a

call came in about the theft ofcatalytic converters from twoToyota Tacomas parked neareach other in Concord.

According to ConcordOfficer James Roberts, one ofthe suspects admitted they stolethe catalytic converters fromvehicles throughout the night.

“Because of his knowledgeand keen observations, Enea wasable to help Concord PD solveseveral grand thefts,” notedClayton Chief Dan Lawrence.

“He likely prevented similarcrimes from being committed inClayton as the suspects workedtheir way back toward Stockton,”McEachin added.

Quick action by Clayton copthwarts converter thieves

Clayton Blockbuster one of 609stores to close in bankruptcy deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dentist

Children’s Dentristy of Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . . .938-2392

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

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

Contra Costa Musical Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .943-7469

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

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

Financial and Insurance Services

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

Hunhoff, Ashley - AAA Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .287-7265

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

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

Miller, Tom, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354-1385

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

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

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

Funerals

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

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

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

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

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

Son Bright Window Cleaning Service . . . . . . . . .674-9455

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

Mailing and Shipping

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

Other

Clayton Community Development Department . .673-7340

Pet Services

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

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

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

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

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

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

Recreation and Fitness

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

Ghost Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-1913

Retail

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

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

Senior Services

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

Services, Other

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

Butler Limousine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-5466

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

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

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

Travel

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

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, Administration

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

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

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

Tamara [email protected]

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.

ClassifiedSERVICES

Vacation Rental

Kings Beach, Calif. (NorthShore, Tahoe). 3 bedroom, 2.5bath, sleeps 6. Three blocksfrom the Lake; 2 blocks fromgrocery. Call for rates: 827-2587.

Girl Gardening

Garden care, monthly pruningand fertilizing services. Plantsuggestions and installation.Call or email Nicole Hackett673-1746, or [email protected].

WANTED

Real Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French isexpanding and interviewing fora few agents. Call her today(925) 672-8787.

VOLUNTEERSNEEDED

Help Fight Hunger

Anna Chan ~ AKA: The LemonLady needs your help! Weeklycommitment appreciated. Pleasecontact Anna at 672-1988 [email protected].

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers andrelief drivers needed for deliv-ery of Meals on Wheels in EastCounty. Call Jim at 673-0300 ore-mail [email protected].

Hospice of the East Bay –

Anna’s Attic

Volunteer at Anna’s Attic ThriftShoppe, located at 5350 ClaytonRoad. For information call (925)674-9072. To learn more aboutvolunteering for Hospice of theEast Bay please contact (925)887-5678, or email [email protected].

Clayton Historical Society

Museum

The Clayton Historical SocietyMuseum needs a greeter for twohours per month from 2-4 p.m.Wednesdays or Sundays. Callthe museum at 672-0240 andleave your name.

Clayton Community Library

Needs volunteers. Minimum age13. Minimum commitment is 6months. Some training provid-ed. Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777or email: [email protected].

For Sale:Affordable Housing UnitThe City of Clayton Redevelopment Agency is accepting applications

from qualified households interested in purchasing an affordable single-

family home in the City of Clayton. This existing single-family residence

is within the Agency’s Affordable Housing Program.

This affordable home is being offered to a qualified low-income household. The

home is located in the Stranahan Subdivision, an attractive planned unit develop-

ment in Clayton. It is centrally-located and within easy walking distance of the

Clayton Town Center. The home is approximately 15 years old. It is a single-story

residence. The living space measures approximately 1,355 square feet in area, plus

there is a two-car, attached garage. The residence has 3 bedrooms and 2 bath-

rooms. Program restrictions require a minimum household size of 3 persons and that

the successful applicant has not held a home ownership interest within the prior 36

months. The sale price would be approximately $200,000 (assuming a low-income

household with 4 persons), with the final price based upon various factors including

the following: income category, prevailing interest rate at the time of purchase,

household size, and gross household income of the selected household.

The 2010 maximum qualifying household income limits for purchase of

this affordable home are as follows:

Persons in Household 3 4 5 6

Low Income Limits (Minimums) $40,651 $45,151 $48,801 $52,401Low Income Limits (Maximums) $58,000 $64,400 $69,600 $74,750

To ensure the long-term affordability of the residence, a deed restriction will be

recorded at the time of sale. The deed restriction will establish a formula for the

maximum resale price of the home, establish a cap on the maximum income of

future buyers, and be in effect for 45 years. Applicants must meet the household

income restrictions for the income category selected as described above as well

as other applicable requirements listed in the application materials.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m., Fri., March 25, 2011, and extended, if

necessary, until an eligible household has been identified for the purchase of this

home. For an application visit the City’s website at

www.ci.clayton.ca.usor contact the Clayton Community Development Department at

(925) 673-7340

Letter to the EditorThis will refer to your issue

of Feb 25, and relates to thetravel article on Puerto Vallarta.

Please make your readersaware that it is not a good idea toeat or drink from street vendors.The water is not safe and thesevendors do not use bottled water

for washing their fruits, prepar-ing their food or drinks

Travelers take the risk of get-ting sick

- Mariana Behdjet, CTCClayton Valley Travel

Every year the Contra CostaCounty Fair crowns one of thecounty’s lovely, poised, and ener-getic young women as the FairQueen, to serve as hostess dur-ing the county fair.

The Fair Queen competitionis not a pageant; it is a panelinterview process to determinewhich applicant will best repre-sent the youth of the county.The contest is open to unmar-ried women between 18 and 25who live in Contra CostaCounty. The Fair Queen willwin cash and hold the title of

2011 Contra Costa County FairQueen and reign over the fairevents from June 2-5 and makespecial appearances at manycommunity events.

To enter, fill out the applica-tion on the Fair’s website atccfair.org and return to the fair-grounds by 5 p.m. March 28.The interviews and judging willbe March 31.

Please contact Jennifer Burror at(925) 757-4400 or [email protected] for more infor-

mation.

Queen competitionlooks for ‘fair’-est

Pierce. “We’re negotiating ingood faith and we have allagreed to keep the talks out ofthe media until the issue isresolved.”

With the easement in place,the city can move ahead with the$400,000 parking lot expansion.The 100 new spaces will relieveparking and traffic congestion inthe surrounding neighborhoodsand is expected to ease DiabloView Middle School pick-upand drop-off congestion.

Easement, from page 1

Retirement Community

6401 Center Street Clayton CA 94517

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Top o’ The Morning to You!

St. Patrick’s Day Open House

Drop in for special St. Patrick’s Day treats

and a personal tour of ourmodel apartment homes.

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“What do you see when youlook at people driving?” Doveasked the students. “What arethey doing?”

“Texting,” said one student.“Eating,” said another.“Right, they’re looking every-

where except at the road,” saidDove.

“Students really don’t get anykind of road education until theyget in a car to learn to drive,” says

511 event coordinator MunniKrishna. “We aim to change that.”

The program also encourageskids to get off the couch and getoutside. “Biking is good for brainhealth,” says Sarafine. Kids aresmarter when they ride their bikesto school. Their brains have moreneural connections. They get toschool primed to learn.”

Students were encouraged tobike, walk or carpool to school onThursday and those participatingwere eligible to win a $200 giftcertificate at Clayton Bikes.Homerooms with the highest par-ticipation were rewarded withYogurt Shack gift certificates foreach student.

Clayton PD Officer Allen

White spoke to parents at a meet-ing on Wednesday with sugges-tions on how to improve the con-gestion during pick up and dropoff times at the middle school.

On Friday afternoon, the kidswere rewarded with a BMX stuntshow and safety presentation bythe team from Clayton Bikes.

Bike safety and healthier kidsare just two of the goals of511.org. The program, which isfunded by a grant from the BayArea Air Quality Managementand by the Measure J half-centsales also aims to reduce trafficcongestion air pollution byencouraging bicycling, walking,car pooling and using publictransportation.

For more information on the Peaceon the Streets program, go tohttp://511contracosta.org/


KNOWLEDGE � SERVICE � INTEGRITY � RESULTS

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2950 Buskirk Avenue, Ste. 140, Walnut Creek

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

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MITCHELL CANYON ESTATES, LARGE LOT!Brand new, 40-year roof. This single-storyranch-style home has beautiful hardwoodfloors, new granite kitchen, and freshly painted. 12,000 sq ft lot with some views

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This luxurious2,500 sq fthome portraysquality fromits stately cor-ner court location with tasteful landscaping, to itshardwood floor living and formal dining rooms! 3Spacious bedrooms plus a bonus room! Huge, levellot, close to Cowell Park! Get into one of Concord'sbest areas for only $539,000!

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

PendingSale

Pete can sellyours too!

If you’ve got talent, don’t be afraid to let it shine

Many people in the worldpossess great talent. Actors,musicians, singers and othersuse their gifts to become well-known.

However, others have greatabilities and don’t show anyonebecause they are afraid of beingridiculed or don’t believe inthemselves. For some students,it is almost impossible to per-form in front of an audience ofpeers. They know others willtake any chance to make a snideor derogatory comment.

Imagine how destructive onenegative comment could be to atalented student’s confidence.

Yet those who enjoy singing,playing music or performing willtake that chance to show whatthey can do.

On Feb. 24, Diablo ViewMiddle School held its 7th annu-al Talent Show, and all of theacts were entertaining. Studentssang, danced, played instru-ments and showed other cre-ative talents. I enjoyed seeingtheir skills and felt proud.

It takes a lot of guts to dosomething creative. Many peo-ple could never get on stage andperform in front of the entirestudent body. Just the merethought of standing up in frontof others can completely freaksome people out. They areafraid of being embarrassed ormessing up on stage. I know Icouldn’t get up there and sing infront of 700 peers. Let’s face it,students in middle school can becritical.

Queenie Chin was amongthose who had the confidenceand poise to perform. She gavea great performance as she sangand played piano.

“I wasn’t really afraid the

whole day, until it was my timeto play,” Queenie said. “Rightafter the person before me wasfinished … I became nervous.”

Queenie felt great after shecompleted her act and waspleased to show everyone hertalent.

Despite some students whohave the audacity to ridicule oth-ers, I realize it is better to havehad the chance to show your tal-ents – no matter how nervous

or worried one can becomeabout things that might happen.

The truth is, most peopleprobably wish they had what ittakes to stand up in front of anaudience and perform. Even if astudent has mediocre talent,having the desire and determi-nation to get up and show oth-ers is a real accomplishment.

If you have a talent, don’twaste it – especially if you enjoyit. As Ben Franklin once said,

“Hide not your talents. They foruse were made. What’s a sundialin the shade?”

Following your passion andhaving the courage to performcan lead you to achieve yourgreatest dreams.

See School News below for resultsof the talent show.

Robbie Parker is an eighth-grader at Diablo View. Send com-ments to [email protected]

ROBBIE PARKER

DVMS REPORTER

DIABLO VIEW

MIDDLE SCHOOL

The 7th annual Talent Showwas a huge hit on Feb. 24. Withthe theme “Add Color to YourLife,” teacher Jennifer Ruff andthe Leadership Class encour-

aged students to express them-selves by showcasing theiramazing talents.

The student acts consisted ofdancing, singing, playing the gui-tar or piano and ventriloquism.

The Most Creative Performancewas by sixth-grader Garret Tong,who solved the Rubik’s cube inone minute and 25 seconds. TheBest Dance went to EmmaKeneipp, an eighth-grader whodid a wonderful version of“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga.Eighth-grader Jared Vance wroteand played his own song on thepiano and won BestInstrumental Performance.Marcella Pittam, a seventh-grad-er, sang to “Rolling in the Deep”by Adele to take Best SingingPerformance. Eighth-gradeLeadership won Best LeadershipPerformance dancing to“Footloose” by Kenny Logginsagainst the seventh-gradeLeadership Class dancing to“Cooler than Me” by MikePosner.

School News

Parents and students show their school spirit during a cleanup day at CVHS.

CLAYTON VALLEY

HIGH SCHOOL

The school’s annual cleanupday was coordinated to bring thestudent and family communitytogether to beautify the campus.

The effort was supported bythe Parent Faculty Club under theguidance of president AllisonBacigalupo, along with CampusBeautification co-chairs MickiWalls and Mary-Ellen IwucMcGrane and Megan Mayhew, aCVHS junior and member of the

Leadership Class.Volunteers picked up trash,

removed forgotten bike locks andadded 85 drought-tolerant plantsand black bark in empty planters.The Clayton Valley Garden Clubdonated plants, along with the gar-dening expertise of NicoleHackett. Meanwhile, CarlaMcNeer continued her gumremoval effort.

Last year, 12 new bencheswere purchased for the schoolcampus thanks to the Clayton

Business and CommunityAssociation. This year, theCampus Beautification committeewould like to add more benchesand picnic tables as well as awheelchair accessible table.Donations can be made to thePFC.

A spring cleanup day isplanned for Saturday, March 26.For more information, [email protected] [email protected].

Bike Safety, from page 1

Remodeling Specialist

Kitchens

Bathrooms

Concrete

Luigi BarberioGeneral Contractor

License #570107

[email protected] (925) 682-9941

Always Fresh, Always Italian� Traditional & specialty

ravioli and pasta

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Items change dailyEat in or take out

4375 Clayton Road, Suite G, ConcordNearest cross street Treat

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Tucked in a corner ofConcord near the Clayton borderis a school that brings hope to 16hard-working students and theirfamilies.

Jesse Rule-Williams is one ofthe students at Hope Academy.At 12½ years old, his interestsinclude drawing Transformers(Bumblebee is his favorite),learning about “blowing thingsup” in science class and readingthe “Star Wars” series of books.In other words, he’s a normal kid.

But like all of the studentswho attend Hope Academy, Jessesuffers from dyslexia. The lan-guage processing disorderplagues one out of every fivepeople. People with dyslexia mayhave difficulty connectingsounds with letters and strugglewith reading, writing or evenpronouncing words correctly.

Although some manage ontheir own, a smaller group needsextra help learning to “decode”language. Hope Academy is asmall private school where stu-dents with dyslexia learn the lan-guage decoding skills that willhelp them succeed in life.

Darien Rule, Jesse’s mom,described a conversation with ateacher at Jesse’s previous school.At the time, Jesse was 10 yearsold and struggling with readingeven three-letter words.

“One teacher said to me, ‘Itried four different reading pro-grams this year. I just really don’tknow what to do,’ ” said Rule. “Ithought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is myson’s life!’ ”

Judy Davies founded HopeAcademy in 2007 to help stu-dents like Jesse and her owndaughter Emily. Emily was diag-nosed with dyslexia after attend-ing kindergarten at a highly ratedlocal private school.

Emily’s teachers said shewasn’t learning her letters, andunlike others in her class, shecouldn’t rhyme words like “cat”

and “hat.”“She would read the word

‘cat’ on one page, verypainstakingly slowly; then therewas the word ‘cat’ again and itwas brand new,” Davies said.

Davies immediately pulledEmily from school and hiredtutors who specialized in work-ing with children with dyslexia.But Davies wasn’t ready to stopthere. She surrounded herselfwith education experts andteachers, and shortly thereafter,a school was born.

“My passion for my own kidsturned into a compassion for allof the kids who were in a class-room, like (Emily), and not suc-ceeding,” she said.

Today, students from thirdthrough seventh grades attendHope Academy full time. Theyare taught everything from thebasics of reading and math tomusic and art using an approachproven to work with dyslexiclearners.

For instance, students beingtaught to recognize letters maymake the sound of the letter “a”along with the teacher, while theteacher draws the letter in the airin front of them. They thenwrite the letter on a sheet of

paper while saying the letteraloud once more.

Davies said the school’s goalis having students re-enter main-stream academic environmentsequipped to learn.

Perhaps as importantly asteaching the students to read andwrite, Hope’s faculty aims torebuild self-confidence. Manychildren with dyslexia are bulliedby other students, suffer anxietyand dread going to school eachmorning.

But it has been proven thatthese students are every bit ascapable of learning as anyoneelse. People with dyslexia havebecome politicians (GavinNewsom), actors (PatrickDempsey) and singers (Cher).Steve Jobs, founder of AppleComputers is reportedly ‘mildly’dyslexic.

Terri Lynn Genovese’s 10-year old daughter Sophia startedat Hope two years ago. Genovesedescribed her daughter as essen-tially a “non-reader” when shestarted. Today, Sophia has a pileof books she reads from on aregular basis.

“Going from not even want-ing to look at a book because it isso fearful and laborious for herto not only picking it up butwanting to read out loud is hugefor her,” said Genovese. “Huge!”

Rule knew they were on theright track with Jesse shortly afterhis last birthday. “This year,(Jesse) read all of his birthdaycards to me,” she said. “He couldeven read ‘Love Aunt Pat’ writ-ten in script.

“It was the most amazingtransformation. At that moment,I thought, ‘This is worth everysingle penny.’ ”

For more information, visit hopea-cademyconcord.org or call 687-7555.


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

687-9900Work Clothes

Medical Scrubs

ALSOON SALE NOW!All Wrangler Rugged Wear, Cowboy Cut Jeans,High-Tech Jackets & Vests

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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 Hours

M-F 8-7

Sat 9-5

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]

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see their dentist by their first birthday.

Small school caters tostudents with dyslexia

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

can see the report online at ourwebsite at www.ci.clayton.ca.us.The short version is this —despite the doom and gloom athigher levels, we remain “onbudget.”

This is notwithstanding hav-ing to, under vehement protest,remit over $400,000 to the stateunder their seizure of our localproperty taxes. This means wearen’t playing fast and loose withyour (and our) money! We aredoing what we can to ensure wedon’t spend what we can’t pay. Ionly wish we could loan out (verybriefly mind you as we needthem) Merry and our staff to thestate so we could fix their prob-lems. Of course, we remain waryof further nightmares fromSacramento that may change ourstatus, but I remain confident thatif anyone can handle whatevercomes next, it is our city!

And speaking of how differ-ent we are from the state, did youknow that all politicians, boardand committee members inCalifornia have to take an ethicscourse and a test every few years?The difference with Clayton isthat most state politicians fail thistest their first time (ensuring re-election), while those of us inClayton just can’t seem to fail nomatter how many times we take it.Think about it before you emailme.

PLAY BALL

“Put me in coach, I’m ready toplay!” Spring is just around thecorner and Little League baseballis ramping up, so get ready to hearthe “ping” of the metal bats soon.This is my favorite time of theyear and this year is going to beextra special as my new son,Charlie is playing. Since they didnot have baseball in his nativeUkraine, this will be his first year.It should be fun for him and theother 650+ kids getting ready toplay ball. Sorry for the personaldigression, but it just makes mefeel great, and it is my column.

HAPPY TRAILS

And speaking of pet peeves.(Was I?) Uh, anyway, you all knowabout our wonderful system oftrails throughout the city thatallow runners, walkers, bicyclists,dog-walkers, kid-walkers, cat-walkers, and small-varmint walk-ers to enjoy our beautiful city.While I know 98 percent of youdog-walkers (and 37 percent ofcat-walkers) pick up after yourpets, it really irks a lot of people(not me as I am just a prettyspokesperson) when thosescofflaws leave their pets’ pres-ents scattered on the trail for oth-ers to enjoy. And just becauseyour pet’s present is left “off ” thetrail in the grass doesn’t mean mykids (uh, I mean those people Iam speaking for) don’t leave thetrail in their exuberance, only tofind those presents and trackthem through someone’s house.Come on people — let’s not ruinour trails for others. And I amsorry if the feline coalition feelspicked upon here, but I am just aspokesman.

Remember, if you have noth-ing good to say, become a politi-cian so everyone has to listen. No,that is not what I meant to say, isit? Oh, well, I am out. Email meat [email protected].

Mayor, from page 1

SOPHIA GENOVESE (LEFT) AND JESSE RULE-WILLIAMS benefitfrom some one-on-one help from Hope AcademyFounder Judy Davies (left) and teacher Debbie Booker.Davies founded the school specifically to help dyslexicstudents learn the de-coding skills needed to overcomethe learning disorder.

Oakmont Senior Living hasselected Integral Senior Livingto manage Montecito inConcord.

“Their expertise and experi-ence make them the best possi-ble choice in terms of care, cus-tomer service, facilities manage-ment and the overall experiencefor all of our residents and fam-ilies,” says Bill Gallaher, founderand principal of OakmontSenior Living.

Montecito, formerly knownas Aegis of Concord, offersseven floor plans featuring nine-foot ceilings with crown mold-ing and private balconies.Montecito provides independ-ent and assisted living, with 153

apartments for rent.In April, Montecito will

unveil a new section calledTraditions, which will feature 24apartments to meet the growingneed for care and support formemory-impaired individualsand their families.

“Integral Senior Living isdedicated to the developmentand operation of successful res-idential living environments forthe senior community,” saysPolly Miller, chief marketingofficer. “We are committed toworking with companies likeOakmont Senior Living becausethey share our core values ofdignity, autonomy and choicefor senior residents.”

Aegis Senior Livingnow Montecito as newmanagement takes over


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Balance brings positive life changesBalance is essential to life. I

find meaning in balance as phys-ical joins spiritual to enrich themind. That is why I believe sostrongly in the benefits of self-love, which basically translatesto self-care.

Achieving balance is noteasy. While it is a constant strug-gle, it is an enlightening journeythat brings one closer to self-awareness and control.

An enlightened teacher andcompassionate soul, the DaliLama, says: “In transformingthe mind starts the journey forthe soul. What becomes impor-tant in the understanding … is agenuine awareness of one’s ownpotentials and the need to utilizethem to their fullest. Seen in thislight, every human actionbecomes significant.”

As a personal and rehabilita-tive trainer, I see how balanceplays an important role in everyhuman life – in the physical and

metaphysical senses. I haveclients who literally need physi-cal help restoring their equilibri-um and physical balance,whether blind, suffering fromcerebral or motor-interferingdiseases such as multiple sclero-sis or arthritis, continuous back-hip-knee injuries, evenamputees.

Restoring their physical bal-ance always transcends torestoring their metaphysical bal-

ance. They become increasingsecure with the process torestore their physical balance.They feel stronger, even rein-forced as they embark upon ajourney that renews their com-fort and their drive for life.

As clients diligently managecareers, families and the never-ending list of responsibilities,they lose their physical andmetaphysical balance. Theywork to regain control over theirphysical body and begin torelease tension and stress. Theylearn to refocus their extraneousenergies in more active, positiveways. They begin to find that thephysical transformationachieved through greater bal-ance transcends to their meta-physical outlook and well-being.

Folks who once limitedthemselves because they lackedphysical balance eventually learnto fly. They encourage theirfamilies to exercise and partici-

pate more actively in life. Theyjoin cycling clubs, runmarathons, take salsa (Zumba)and some even learn to spin inthe air on silk tissues.

They happily find time tolive more, love more, worry lessand enjoy the wonders that bal-ance has brought to their lives.

I believe fitness is the bestvehicle for self-empowermentand for uplifting the humanspirit. A strong, fit, healthy bodybuilds confidence and promotesother positive changes. Fitness isabout how you use your body toachieve goals and restore bal-ance.

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Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fit-ness certifications. Her new fitness cen-ter, Levity, will open in the spring indowntown Clayton. Email Ilima [email protected]

Young women learn to ‘getreal’ in planning for life

More than 170 local highschool senior girls learnedabout the life skills necessaryto “get real” about adulthoodduring a seminar on Feb. 28.

“It definitely changed myperspective on how I want todress, act and manage mymoney,” said Janelle Partida, asenior at Clayton Valley HighSchool.

Local SoroptimistInternational clubs organizedthe Get Real Academy held atBoundary Oaks in WalnutCreek. The day started withbreakfast and keynote speakerAimee Lohr, community rela-tions representative at ConocoPhillips.

The young women thenbroke into four groups forworkshops: Managing Moneyand Credit, Getting a Job andKeeping It, Health Issues andViolence Awareness, and YouWant to be a CEO/MockInterviews. They discussedsensitive but essential issuessuch as sexual harassment,healthy relationships, women’shealth and image – online aswell as in person.

FBI special agent ChristineLoscalzo spoke at lunch abouther life challenges and success-

es. Teens gave a fashion showin the afternoon, wearingproper and not-so-properwork attire for comparison.Alumni told their stories ofsuccess. One lucky youngwoman won a $500 scholar-ship.

Nicole Adler of theSoroptimist of Diablo Vistaparticipated in the mock inter-views. The intention was tohelp the girls, but Adler foundit inspirational as well. “Theirdreams and aspirationsabsolutely touch your heart,”she said.

The academy started eightyears ago after TerryComiskey, founder region fel-lowship director district II,attended a Soroptimist confer-ence in Sonoma called Hit theRoad Jane. That involved onlyone high school, so Comiskeyevolved the program here.This year, the academy invitedall senior women from the 37high schools in their clubareas. Attendance grew from80 the first year to 173.

Planning took six months,with two members from eachof the seven clubs finalizingthe day’s logistics, speakers,registration, materials andsponsors. Fifty club memberskept all activity flowingsmoothly the day of the event.

Soroptimist International’smission is “to improve thelives of women and girls, inlocal communities andthroughout the world.” Itbegan in 1921 in Oakland byStuart Morrow. He was tryingto organize an Optimist Club,which originated as a men’sclub. He met with local busi-nesswomen and formed theservice club namedSoroptimist for soror (sister)and optimus (best), otherwiseknown as what is “Best forWomen.”

Soroptimist Internationalhas 95,000 members in 120countries and SoroptimistInternational of the Americashas 40,000 members. Theclubs give time and donationsto community and internation-al projects that benefit womenand girls.

Leanne Rodriguez of theEast County Soroptimistssums up the aim of the acade-my. “Our goal is that the girlswill be better motivated,inspired and prepared to tacklelife’s demands after high school,which in turn will help them tobecome successful and produc-tive women in society.”

For more information aboutSoroptimist International, go tosifounderregion.org.

been diagnosed with a recur-rence of cancer but didn’t wantto spoil the trip, so he delayedstarting his treatment (and pub-lic acknowledgement of hiscondition) until after the vaca-tion. Knowing he was in for aprolonged treatment and recov-ery period, he declined the offerand asked the school if he coulddefer the honor for a year.

CSUEB officials said theyhad even a better idea: Theywould tie it to the 30th anniver-sary celebration planned forearly 2011. Garaventa is nowcancer free and done with anexcruciating period of treat-ment, so his non-stop smile onthe dais throughout the ceremo-ny had double meaning.

Garaventa has been CEO ofhis family’s GaraventaEnterprises since 1998 when hisfather, Silvio Garaventa, died.The younger Garaventa hasserved as president of theConcord Chamber of

Commerce and Rotary Club ofConcord as well as chairing theCSUEB Concord CampusAdvisory Board.

“He has made importantcontributions to the economicvibrancy and the quality of lifefor citizens in both the city ofConcord and Contra CostaCounty,” the college reported.

In his acceptance comments,Garaventa said the need forcommunity involvementinstilled in him and his siblingscame from their father and theirgrandfather, Andrea Moresco,who founded the disposal busi-ness now called GaraventaEnterprises. The seniorGaraventa was awarded an hon-orary doctorate of public serv-ice in 1994 from the Universityof Portland, where GaraventaJr., his brother Joe and sisterMarie all attended. His motherMary, wife Patty and sons Silvioand Robert were on hand forthe Hilton ceremony along with

many of his siblings, nieces,nephews and cousins.

The elected officials in atten-dance included state Sen. MarkDeSaulnier, AssemblywomanSusan Bonilla, Supervisor KarenMitchoff and three of her col-leagues from the Contra CostaBoard of Supervisors, ConcordMayor Laura Hoffmeister andthree Concord councilmenincluding newly appointedcouncilman and former mayorDan Helix, as well as formerConcord mayors Guy Bjerkeand Helen Allen. Garaventa willbe able to line his office wallswith all the proclamations hewas presented at the luncheonfollowing the ceremony.

Executive director EmilyBrizendine gave a capsule histo-ry of the Concord campus,which opened in 1992 after 11years since the fall of 1981 onthe former site of Pleasant HillHigh School. It was through thevision of two-term CSU trusteeDean Lesher and the indefatiga-ble efforts of stateAssemblyman and Sen. DanBoatwright that the land was

secured and the Concord cam-pus took shape.

Boatwright recalled after theceremony how he twice had todefeat bills (once in theAssembly and another in theSenate) to sell the Concordproperty set aside for the cam-pus. “We were the largest coun-ty in California without a four-year college campus,” he noted.

Garaventa Jr. led thefundraising drive which sawyouth sports fields built on anundeveloped portion of the CalState campus leased to the cityof Concord. The area wasnamed the Daniel E. BoatwrightYouth Sports Complex andhosts play for thousands ofyouth baseball and soccer play-ers annually.

Today, the Concord campusofferings have grown to 11bachelor’s and five master’sdegrees, certificate programsand teaching credentials.Tomorrow, the Concord NavalWeapons Station redevelopmentplan calls for a 150-acre, four-year CSUEB campus.

Garaventa, from page 1

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer The Spring Junior RangerProgram on Mt. Diablo willbegin April 30. The program forkids 7-12 meets on Saturdayafternoons at various locationsaround Mt. Diablo State Park.The sessions include presenta-tions, hands on activities and ahike. This year’s topics includeThe Mountain in PrehistoricTimes, California Indians,Wildlife Education andGeology. Each session is hostedby a park docent and meetsfrom 1 – 4 p.m. Each child mustbe accompanied by an adult.

There is no charge for theprogram, but participants mustpay the Park’s entrance fee of$10 per car.

For more information or toregister, call Steve Elliott at(925) 362-8697 or [email protected]. Advanceregistration is required and reg-istration is limited to 15 childrenplus their parent or guardian.The program is sponsored byMount Diablo State Park incooperation with the MountDiablo Interpretive Association.

California State Parks doesnot discriminate against individ-uals with disabilities. Prior toarrival, participants with disabil-ities who need assistance shouldcontact Ranger Dan Stefaniskoat (925) 855-1730.

Junior Rangerprogram on Mt.Diablo beginsApril 30

With art and sauerkraut,wine and oom-pah bands, therevels will return to downtownClayton.

On the surface, it’s all funand frivolity. But underneaththere’s a serious purpose – it’sthe way the Clayton Businessand Community Association(CBCA) raises funds for a vari-ety of community projects.

The CBCA has set thedates for its major 2011fundraising events. The Art &Wine Festival will run April30-May 1 downtown. The 25thannual Clayton Classic golftournament is set for June 13at Oakhurst Country Club.

And, the 8th annualOktoberfest will be held Sept.23-25 downtown.

The Art & Wine Festival fea-tures arts and crafts, rides andgames, and a pleasant place tostroll and sample food and, ofcourse, many varieties of beerand wine.

This year, Oktoberfest gets ajump on the bier und wurst sea-son with a September event.The dates for Oktoberfest canvary based on the availability ofthe popular band theInternationals, who have playedat all seven previousOktoberfests.

“The Internationals are oneof the premier Oktoberfestbands in the U.S. and considerClayton’s Oktoberfest as one oftheir favorites,” notes CBCA

president Ed Hartley.Without the help of hun-

dreds of volunteers, none of thefundraising events could hap-pen, according to KeithHaydon, CBCA vice presidentfor programs.

Recent CBCA grants haveincluded funding for uniformsfor the Clayton Valley HighSchool girls lacrosse team andscholarships for CVHS choirstudents to attend a nationalcompetition in New Orleans.

CBCA also approved arequest for scholarships to helpneedy CVHS choir membersattend a national competitionthis spring in Seattle. Anotherdonation will help the CVHSgolf team with tournament feesand equipment, including 10sets of rain gear.

CBCA’s support for CVHSsports, arts and academic activi-ties is annually returned in theform of dedication to commu-nity service by these samegroups, along with parents,teachers and coaches who vol-unteer to help with CBCAfundraising activities.

In keeping with its motto“For the Good of the ClaytonCommunity,” the CBCAencourages local non-profits toapply for a CBCA grant. Theprocess begins with the filing ofa Contribution Request Formavailable at claytoncbca.org.

Anyone who lives in Clayton oron the border with Concord is eligi-ble for CBCA membership, as wellas any owner of a business locatedin Clayton or serving Clayton resi-dents. Dues are $48 per year andmonthly dinner meetings that areopen to the public are held on thelast business Thursday of themonth. More information is avail-able on the Website or by calling672-2272.CLAYTON VALLEY

SUNRISE ROTARY

Seven club members journeyed to San Felipe inBaja California, Mexico, in late February. Theyjoined members of the San Felipe Rotary Club tocomplete projects paid for by a Rotary Foundationmatching grant.

The Rotarians constructed an emergency exitramp and staircase at a school for children withmental and physical disabilities. They also restoredand repainted hand rails at the school.

In addition, the grant funds will equip a car-pentry workshop and a kitchen classroom andprovide scholarships for needy students.

Club members then participated in the 5thannual Walk against Cancer sponsored by the SanFelipe Rotary. The Clayton group contributed

$1,000 to the only local cancer clinic for the townof 15,000 residents. The Clayton Valley Rotarianswere instrumental in starting the clinic by donatinga mammography machine.


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

Two-year-old Hobbes is an extra affec-tionate big boy who can’t get enough oflove, love, love! He’s generous with headbutts and even likes to rub noses.

The adoption fee for adult cats is $50.Meet your forever friend at Tony La

Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adop-tion hours: 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday,Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Theprimary caretaker must be present to adopt.ARF also encourages kids 16 and youngerand canine family members (dog adoptionsonly) to be present during the adoptionprocess.

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Club News

Fourteen Clayton Valley Garden Clubmembers came out in the rain to pot plantsin preparation for the Spring Plant Sale,which will be May 14 next to the FarmersMarket in downtown Clayton. Pictured areTed Meriam, Ingela Nielson, Steve Lane,Mitzi Schenke and Debbie Eistetter.

Rotary members Larry Hutchings, left, ClayGardner, Fred Nelson, Bob Sundberg, RichardLueck and Clayton Worsdell present a $1,000contribution to a cancer clinic in San Felipe,Mexico.

SPRING PLANT SALE

CLAYTON VALLEY

GARDEN CLUB

A group of hearty Clayton Valley Garden Clubvolunteers spruced up the butterfly bed at the backof the Clayton Library and transformed the bed tothe right of the main entrance. Workers includedMarsha Harris, Mary Ann Knets, Mitzi Schenkeand Peggy Arundell, as well as Ingela Nielsen, RoryRichmond and Steve Lane.

CBCA launches fundraising season with annual Art & Wine Festival

GARY CARR

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CV girls basketball flies into N. California playoffsCoach Bernard Barnes and his staff

knew they had the makings of an excel-lent girls basketball team when ClaytonValley High School began the 2010-2011season and even a pair of early-seasonlosses didn’t deter those expectations.However it would have been quite theoptimist among them who would thinkthat after that second loss they would runoff 20 consecutive victories to reach theNorth Coast Section Division 2 champi-onship game and in the process qualifyfor the Northern California champi-onships this week.

This season’s Eagles team has carriedthe torch of a proud CVHS girls basket-ball program going back to the 1970s.The 1977 Eagles were third in NCS whilecoach Howard Marshall’s Hall of Fameteams dominated the DVAL in the midto late 1980s, culminating with the 1988team which took second in NCS and wasthe first Clayton Valley basketball team toreach the Northern California champi-onships. Ten years later the Eagles wontheir first NCS hoops title and the nextseason, 1998-99, the Eagles last took aleague crown before this year’s teambroke through again.

The Eagles lost a heartbreaker 46-45for the NCS championship last Friday inthe home gym of top seeded DoughertyValley in San Ramon.

Eagles senior center Sarah Nelsonwas a stalwart in the title game with 12rebounds, eight points and four blocks.But she missed two free throws with .9seconds remaining that could have tied orwon the game as the Eagles nearly upsetthe No. 4 team in the East Bay.

Of the 10 NCS championship bas-ketball games only the girls Division 2matchup was not held on a neutral court.

Dougherty Valley is a four-year-oldschool that made it to the NCS Division3 basketball championship game a yearago and whose girls soccer team won theNCS title at the end of February for theschool’s first-ever section title. TheWildcats had an identical 26-2 record tothe Eagles entering the championship tilt,unbeaten since two December defeats atthe prestigious Nike Tournament ofChampions in Phoenix and sporting anunbeaten home record.

BOOKING NORCAL BERTH

The top four D2 finishers at NCSautomatically qualify for NorCal, so bydefeating their DVAL rivals Northgate64-56 in the quarterfinals Clayton Valleybooked their place in NorCal for the firsttime since 1998 when they won theschool’s only section title in the sport.Beating the Broncos for the third time infive weeks, the Eagles accomplished a tri-fecta over the team which rang up a 28-game winning streak in DVAL playbefore the first of the Eagles winssnapped that run.

The NCS quarterfinal between sec-ond seeded CVHS and No. 7 Northgateended up being much closer than eitherof their league matchups. It didn’t seemlike it would be any harder than the dou-ble-digit winning margins Clayton Valleyhad in league when the Eagles took a 53-36 edge into the fourth quarter.Northgate, which reached the NCS finalsin 2010, showed its character by rallyingto within five points in the waning min-utes before CVHS righted itself.

Nelson had a double-double with 10points and 14 rebounds while sopho-more flash Ashley Allen topped the scor-ing charts with 19 points as the Eagles,who were awarded a first-round bye,ended a two-year run of losing at the firststep of NCS play.

TOUGH SANTA ROSA MATCHUP

In the semis, Clayton got to host itssecond section game against North BayLeague champion Santa Rosa, the thirdseed. Assistant coach Kris Pascoe saidthat Santa Rosa was a tough matchup forthe Eagles. “They are very athletic andhave two tough post players, somethingwe haven’t seen too many times. It was aphenomenal matchup for our girls toface as they had strengths matching ourstrengths.”

Junior Karley Menez took advantageof the non-stop defensive attentionSanta Rosa paid to Allen and essentiallytook over the game. After a two-pointgame at halftime coach Barnes told histeam they were mere minutes away fromthe NCS championship finals and theyhad to seize this opportunity. He had theEagles go to a half-court trap defense toincrease the pressure on Santa Rosa andget the home gym crowd, which was half-filled with Panther fans, into the game.Helped by Eagle post players Nelson andMolly Kommer, Menez led a third-quar-ter 12-2 blitz that gave Clayton a littlebreathing room.

Santa Rosa answered back in thefourth quarter but Menez nailed her thirdthree-point shot of the contest and twofree throws in the last couple of minutesto seal the 52-46 win. Menez had 23points, one less than her career high andnearly double her season average. “I’m sohappy for Karley. She’s such a competitorand realized her dream of playing so wellin a game that meant so much,” Pascoesaid.

DVAL MVP Allen had a dozenpoints, 10 in the first half, while Nelsongrabbed seven rebounds and four blocksand Kommer added two steals, twoblocks and three assists.

Photo by Mike Dunn

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATES ASHLEY ALLEN (LEFT) AND MOLLY

KOMMER JUMP FOR JOY after beating DVAL rivals Northgate for the third timethis season in the quarterfinals of the North Coast Section playoffs 64-58 atDan Della Gym on the Concord campus. Kommer and Allen later combinedfor 29 points in the Eagles 46-45 loss in the NCS championship game.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Oakhurst Orcas announce new 2011 coaching staff

Aquatic director SergeVictor appointed Zach Harmonas head coach of the OakhurstCountry Club Orcas for thissummer’s recreation swim sea-son.

Angela Bradley will be theassociate head coach in her fifthyear with the Clayton swimteam. Rounding out the staff arefirst-year assistants Sam Protichand Allison Gargalikis.

Harmon has been involvedwith swimming all his life, start-ing his career at Dana FarmsSwim Team – where he helpedyoung teammates with strokesfrom the time he was 15. Hegraduated from Clayton ValleyHigh School, coached Oakhurstin 2009 and got his first headcoaching opportunity last sum-mer with the Vista DiabloDolphins Swim Team. A junior,he swims the 200 and 400 indi-vidual medley and 100 freestylefor Principia College in Illinois.

“Zach genuinely loves work-

ing with children of all ages,”Victor says. “He is an excellentteacher as well as coach. He hasalways been a true example ofbeing a hard worker with a greatdeal of focus, determinationand dedication. In addition, he’sthe most positive and kind per-son. He will definitely be an out-standing role model for ourswimmers.

“Zach will also provide nec-essary leadership to our team toachieve new goals and maintaincontinuous improvement,”Victor adds. “We feel extremelyexcited and fortunate to havehim with us.”

Bradley has worked the pastseveral years at Oakhurst withhead coach Jane Robinson andteam manager Victor. She’s“very excited to be a part of theOakhurst coaching staff andhoping to continue the successof our team by allowing theswimmers to have fun whileteaching and improving impor-tant aspects of their swimming.”

She’s been involved in thesport for many years as a swim-

mer and coach at East CountyStingrays, where Victor washead coach from 1998-2010. Inaddition, she has been workingwith him at numerous strokeclinics at Oakhurst.

First-year assistant Protich“has an abundance of energy,passion for the sport and truecare for swimmers,” Victorreports. Protich also previouslyswam and coached at EastCounty. In addition, he coachedin the fall program at Oakhurstlast year.

Protich is a sophomore atDe La Salle High School, wherehe’s looking to qualify for theNorth Coast Section meet latethis spring. As a recreationswimmer, his accomplishmentsinclude numerous Contra CostaCounty championship finals.

Gargalikis, also in her firstyear at Oakhurst, began swim-ming with Victor when she was4 and continued for nine yearswith the Stingrays. As a recre-ational swimmer, she wonnumerous Contra Costa Countychampionships while setting

meet records. Her 50-yardbreaststroke time for 11-12 girlsstill stands.

She joined year-round USASwimming with the Terrapins in2006. She’s been on theTerrapins National Team forfour years and has participatedat USA Junior NationalChampionships for three yearsin a row. In 2009, she placed sec-ond in the 100-meter breast andsixth in the 200 breast. In 2010,she won the 100 breast.

Gargalikis is a member ofthe USA Junior National Team,where the top two swimmersunder 18 in each event in thenation qualify. She has compet-ed in numerous internationalmeets for the USA, including inBerlin, Stockholm andBarcelona. She already qualifiedto compete at the 2012 U.S.Olympic Trials.

She is a senior at CarondeletHigh School. In 2010, alongwith three teammates, she brokethe U.S. national high schoolrecord in the 200 medley relay.Swimming World magazine

named her 2010 national highschool champion. This fall, shewill be attending UCLA on afull-ride swimming scholarshipand plans to study nursing.

Sign-ups for the Orcas areongoing. There will be a Meet

Team Coaches Night nextTuesday, Mar. 15, from 6:30-8p.m. at Oakhurst and the finalorientation/sign-up meetingthere on Wednesday, Mar. 30,from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Mackenzie Olson courtesy Principia College

ZACH HARMON HAS BEEN NAMED HEAD COACH of the OakhurstOrcas Swim Team for this summer’s recreation swim season.He is a Clayton Valley High grad now competing in the 200and 400 individual medley and 100 freestyle for PrincipiaCollege in Illinois.

In an era when many highschool athletes concentrate on asingle sport the AthleteSpotlight nomination ofMelissa Del Bene by ClaytonValley High School athleticdirector Pat Middendorf is spe-cial. “She is the third athlete in adecade to get a blue letter atCVHS for earning 10 varsity let-ters. This award is an anomalyas in the last 10 years it has beenawarded only to Eric Petersenand Lindsey Vanderstraeten.Melissa could be the only ath-lete in the school’s history toreceive 11 letters if she lettersthis spring in track. So far she

has four varsity letters in crosscountry and three each in soc-cer and track. She’s the defini-tion of a self-made athlete. Icoached her one year in soccerand she asked me what sheneeded to do to make the varsi-ty team and how she couldimprove. I have never had aplayer respond like she did. Sheimmediately became an impactplayer on the team. I watch herin awe as she has become a well-rounded team member andchampionship player.”

Her cross country coachMichelle Howisey says, “I havecoached Melissa since the sum-

mer before her freshman yearand now will be coaching herfor an eighth varsity season intrack this spring. As an incom-ing freshman she immediatelyjoined the varsity team in crosscountry and has remained oneof the top runners throughouther time at CV, earning all-league honors four years. Shehas helped lead both the trackand cross country teams to bet-ter finishes each year. She is anall-around fantastic athlete.Her natural athletic talent andability are impressive. She is ateam player, an integral part ofthe track and cross country

teams and the only person Iknow to always run with a smileon her face.”

Eagles soccer coach ScottBooth adds, “The first thingyou notice about Mel is she isalways smiling. However, donot let the smile fool you. Sheplayed almost every minute ofevery game at right defenderand Mel is everything you wantin a defender/player. She iscalm on and off the ball. Shewins balls in the air and on theground. She finds her playerswith passes and she gets up onthe attack when needed. I trulyfeel Mel was the best defenderin the league and she made firstteam all-league. Mel is just a joyto coach and a great teammateto have.”

The Clayton Pioneercongratulates Melissa DelBene and rewards herachievement with a gift cer-tificate to Ed’s MudvilleGrill.

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

Concord high schools De LaSalle and Carondelet claimedNorth Coast Section soccer

championships with local play-ers providing key contributionsto the respective East BayAthletic League teams’ sectiontitles runs.

Rogan Dolan was the EBAL

MVP and continued her strongplay through the playoffs for theCougars. Dolan has committedto play soccer this fall at UCDavis after concluding hercareer with Carondelet andDiablo FC 92 club team.Sophomore Hilary Buchanan ofClayton, who also plays forDiablo FC and Carondelet,which won its first NCS soccercrown in 10 years.

Carondelet won the title 1-0in overtime over No. 2 andperennial NCS champs SanRamon Valley as the Cougarsjustified their top seed in thetournament. The close finalecame after three straight NCSvictories for Carondelet by acombined 15-2 margin withDolan continuing her season-long scoring blitz.

For De La Salle this was itsthird straight and fifth overallNCS title for coach BrianVoltattorni. Anthony DeCosta ofConcord scored the winningSpartans goal in the champi-onship game for the second yearin a row. The Diablo FC 93 play-er was also a first-time all-EBALchoice. DLS took fourth inleague play and had to defeatthree EBAL foes to reach theNCS championship match as the

eighth seed. The finale was a 2-0win over No. 2 NewarkMemorial. Earlier in the tourna-ment DLS beat top seededCalifornia on penalty kicks andthey also had an overtime win enroute to a season mark of 18-6-3including four NCS victories.

A year ago DeCosta scoredthe winning goal in a 1-0 winover California in the NCSfinals when DLS was the No. 1seed and defending champ. Inthe 2009 championship gameClayton’s Matt Biel put in agolden goal in overtime for theSpartans as they defeated SanRamon 1-0 for the title clincher.Both De Costa and Biel werecoached by John Badger onDiablo FC teams.

Numerous players from thelocal Diablo FC again dot theDLS roster. Anthony Martin,Dan DePolo, Bradley McNell,Conrad Rowling, Sullivan Tobin,Andrew Plumer, Carlo Eikani,Kyle Williams, Mike Guerrero,Sean Hart, Nic Bob, TommyLisiak, Isaiah Dargan and soph-omore goalie AndrewKonstantino join DeCosta,named man of the match for hisoffensive and defensive work,from Diablo FC. Eikani got thesecond goal of DLS.


Clayton Sports

AthleteTo sponsor this feature, call theClayton Pioneer at (925) 672-0500

Name: Melissa Del Bene

Age: 17

Sport: Cross Country, Soccer, Track

Team: Clayton Valley Cross Country,

Soccer, Track

of theWeek

SPRING PROGRAMS STARTING AT CLAYTON GYMYouth tee ball and volleyball leagues offered by All Out Sports

League are getting underway at Clayton Community Gym, runningthrough April 23. Tee ball is for boys and girls 3-6 years of age, whilevolleyball is for youth 8-14. Men’s basketball league starts Mar. 13.

The comprehensive Clayton Youth Summer Slam program is tak-ing shape with indoor floor hockey league, junior golf camp, basket-ball league, summer day camp, cheer/dance/hip hop and flag foot-ball camp.

For more information or to register for any program offered by All OutSports at the gym, visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com.

CLAYTON VALLEY ATHLETIC BOOSTERS

CRAB FEED MAR. 19The largest fund raising event on the calendar for the Clayton

Valley High School Athletic Boosters is the 17th annual Crab Feedand Auction on Saturday, Mar. 19, at Centre Concord. The eveningfeatures dinner, auction, raffles and dancing. Doors will open at 5:30p.m. with dinner served at 7. Guests must be at least 21 years of age.All proceeds go directly to CVHS athletic programs. To order tick-ets visit cvhsboosters.org. Call (925) 672-5945 for more information.

CV LITTLE LEAGUE READY FOR MAR. 19-20OPENING WEEKEND

An annual rite of spring, the beginning of little league baseball,returns to the area as it has done every year since 1964 when ClaytonValley Little League has its opening ceremonies on Sunday, Mar. 20.The 10 a.m. ceremony will take place in Dan Della Gymnasium onthe campus of Clayton Valley High School. On Saturday, Mar. 19,the majors baseball and softball jamboree will be on the fields atCVHS from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. For complete information visit cvll.org.

DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM TAKES

SIGNUPS MAR. 13-23The 18-time Concord City Champion Dana Hills Swim Team

will hold signups for the upcoming summer season at the Dana HillsCabana Club on Mountaire Parkway in Clayton Mar. 13 and 19 fromnoon-4 p.m. and Mar. 23, 7-9 p.m. For complete information visitdanahillsotters.com.

DIABLO FC U15-U19 COMPETITIVE

SOCCER TRYOUTS APRIL 12-21Diablo FC tryouts for the 2011 season for under 15 through

under 19 competitive teams will be in Concord April 12-21. Boysand girls born between Aug. 1, 1992 and July 31, 1997 are invited totry out. There is no charge to try out; for a complete tryout sched-ule and to pre-register visit diablofc.org.

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CARONDELET WON THE WINTER CLASSIC TOURNAMENT, East BayAthletic League and North Coast Section titles this school year.The championship Cougars team included, from left, juniorMeggi Fisher, league MVP Rogan Dolan and Clayton sopho-more Hilary Buchanan.

Carondelet, De La Salle sweep NCSsoccer crowns aided by local players

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

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At the beginning of thewrestling season, Clayton ValleyHigh coach Kyle Behmlanderwas optimistic. “If everythinggoes right, I think we can pushfor top 20 at NCS,” he said,adding that he hoped to havefour Eagle wrestlers qualify forthe state meet.

The coach missed the markon both counts, but you can bethe still has a big smile on hisface. His team finished seventhat the North Coast Sectionmeet. In the process, threeEagles earned berths in the statemeet, which was held last week-end in Bakersfield. Troy Lakin(103 pounds), Aaron Swift (171)and Ben O’Connor (189) cameaway from NCS with top fourfinishes, booking their places inthe ultimate California wrestlingmeet of the year.

Lakin was coming off aDiablo Valley Athletic Leaguechampionship in the smallestweight class when he enteredNCS. He lost in the semifinals in

sudden death overtime to ChrisCaldwell of Las Lomas butrebounded to defeat JohnEberle of Foothill 9-3 to claimthird place.

O’Connor also took third ashe defeated Mick McElvogue ofhost Newark Memorial 17-1 ona technical fall. Earlier,O’Connor was bested by three-time NCS champion LukeSheridan of De La Salle in thesemi-finals.

Swift was the third Eagle togain a spot at state, coming infourth at 171. He lost to NicoLarez of Northgate in the third-place match after earlier knock-ing off the third seed.

The Eagles had not had awrestler medal (1st-8th position)at NCS in the past three yearsand the last Eagle to reach statemeet was in 2006, when RonnieMcCoy won the 171 NCS title.

“Troy and Ben went 5-1,Aaron 7-2 and we had five others(Matt McCoy, Bryan Jimenez,Dakhota Cramer, Timmy Tranand Ethan Smith) each at 2-2,”Behmlander said. “We are veryproud of our wrestlers.”

Using every one of thoseresults, the Eagles scored 114.5points, one-half point ahead oftwo challengers to claim seventhplace.

Clayton Valley athletic direc-tor Pat Middendorf was at theNCS finals in Newark.“Amazing. It took my breathaway. I was swept away by thededication and intensity thisteam and athletes displayedthroughout the weekend,” shesaid. “I was on the mat with thecoaches for several of thematches. It was unbelievable. Idoubt they even knew I wasthere as they were emotionallylocked into have their bestmatch.”

According to Middendorf,there were thousands of fanswatching hundreds of competi-tors. “Just think, we are a D2school that took seventh placein championships that includeall six NCS divisions. We beatperennial champs Foothill,Freedom, Antioch, Las Lomasand Monte Vista,” she said. “Wehave never had a more hard-working, dedicated wrestling

staff led by Kyle Behmlander inall the years I have been atClayton Valley. Fourteen ath-letes contributed to this effort.And in the end, three great ath-letes will go on to the statechampionships.”

Middendorf said the athletesworked for years to reach thismoment. “I have never beenmore proud to be the athleticdirector at Clayton Valley,” sheenthused.

De La Salle won its thirdstraight NCS team champi-onship. Clayton junior JoeyMoita won at 125 pounds forthe Spartans, after he was 103titlist a year ago.

The previous weekend,Clayton Valley had four champi-ons at the DVAL meet – Lakin,McCoy (125), RadcliffHumphrey (142) and O’Connor.Another quartet took second:Jimenez (137), Tran (162), Swiftand Smith (287). Danny Condin(114), Skyler Kaplan (121), JesseDavis (132), Bobby Rodriguez(147), Cramer (154) and LoganBangert (217) finished third,qualifying for NCS.

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CV winter athletes dominate league MVP honors

Clayton Valley High Schoolenjoyed a banner winter sportsseason, and the Eagles team suc-cesses were reflected whenDiablo Valley Athletic Leaguepost-season honors were doledout.

League coaches selectedElisama Padilla Jr., ChristianPedraza, Kelsey Booth andAshley Allen for DVAL MVPlaurels. The MVP winners fromboys soccer and girls basketballand soccer all representedClayton Valley DVAL teamchampions as well.

For Bernard Barnes’ girlsbasketball squad, all five starterswere given post-season recogni-tion. Sophomore Allen was theleague most valuable player,while her junior teammatesMolly Kommer and KarleyMenez were first-team all-DVAL. Seniors Sarah Nelsonwas second team and Gina DelBene honorable mention.

The Eagles survived twotough duels with two-timedefending champion Northgateenroute to the first basketballleague title since 1999 for theCVHS girls. The Eagles boysteam missed out on the NorthCoast Section playoffs for thefirst time in three years, butcoach Troy Sullivan’s team washonored with senior KunleFashola on first-team all-DVAL,Craig Ihle on the second teamand Noel Russell honorablemention. Both Russell and Ihle

are juniors.Clayton Valley’s boys soccer

team had its second straight 17-win season and made it to thesemi-finals of the NCS playoffsthe first time in school historythe boys made it that far, a featthe girls achieved in 2009. Theleague champs of coach RoryGentry had both the offensiveMVP in sophomore Padilla anddefensive MVP Pedraza, a jun-ior. One senior and seven more

underclassmen garnered all-DVAL soccer notice. PlaymakerJoshua Gomez, Kevin Sanchezand Yojay Basulto were on thefirst team, senior goalkeeperChristian Duenas, AdolfoMartinez and Zachary Jacobsonwere second team while RyanPhillips and Moises Torres werehonorable mention.

Padilla established someschool records this year seasonwith 19 goals in DVAL play

(previous record was 14), 28goals overall (previous mark 20)and five hat tricks (previous wasthree). He led all East Bay scor-ers. The team finished with 72goals scored (down four fromlast year) and 25 allowed (threeless than last year). Gomez ledthe team with 13 assists, secondin the East Bay. Kevin Sanchezfinished with 16 goals and nineassists.

Booth, who recently signedto play soccer at San DiegoState, and Tori Kobold werelauded as team captains andfour-year varsity starters whohelped shape the team culture inthe past few years. Booth wasnamed DVAL MVP whileKobold, Melissa Del Bene andShayana Gois were first-teamall-league. Marissa Merrigan,Megan Elms and Kaila Wakidawere second team and SamanthaBoeger honorable mention.

The Eagles will have lots ofholes to fill next year as 12 sen-iors leave the program. Theteam surrendered only 14 goalsin 24 games and didn’t give up asingle goal in league play.

Coach Scott Booth said histeam overcame many challengesas they strove all year to reachand succeed at NCS. His staff“learned what the girls werecapable of and how they adapt-ed to various situations. I haveto say that I was impressed withthis group of young ladies andtheir ability to step up whenneeded. We felt that with ourrecord and accomplishments we

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy of Clayton Valley High School Soccer

EAGLES SOCCER SUCCESS BUILT ON BACKS OF SENIOR DOZEN. CVHigh School has won three straight league championships ingirls soccer, the last two years without losing a match. Theteam will start up next season missing 12 graduating seniorgirls. Bottom row, Jessie Goodrich, Taylor Price, LindseyParscal, Melissa Del Bene, Victoria Kobold; middle row, AliciaRoberts, Breana Partida, Kelsey Booth, Shayana Gois; top row,Bella Enriquez, Renee Roccanova and Kaila Wakida.

Eagles wrestling trio reach state meet

See MVP Honors, page 16

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The Willows TheatreCompany returns to its originallocation in the WillowsShopping center this monthwith the gloriously upliftingmusical “Once on This Island,”the calypso-flavored retelling ofthe traditional “Little Mermaid”tale.

Set on a Caribbean islanddivided by social prejudice,“Once on This Island” revolvesaround Ti Moune, a poor peas-ant girl, who falls in love withDaniel, an upper class boywhose life she saves after a carcrash. A panoply of spirits con-trols the peasants’ lives, includ-ing the gods of Love, Earth,Water and Death. This charm-ing musical adventure presentslove triumphing over bothpoverty… and wealth.

The Willows production,with a cast of 14, is directed byEric Inman, with musical direc-tion by Pat Parr and choreogra-phy by La Tonya Watts. Thestar-crossed lovers, Ti Mouneand Daniel Beauxhomme, areplayed by Khalia Davis andTrevor Moppin, with ActorsEquity stalwarts Kieleil-DeleonFrazier and Linda Dorsey takingon the roles of Tonton Julianand Asaka, Mother of the

Earth.Book and lyrics are by Lynn

Ahrens and music by StephenFlaherty. During its Broadwayrun, “Once on This Island” wasnominated for eight TonyAwards, including Best Musicaland Best Musical Score.

Inman, the Willows’ artistic

director, comes right off direct-ing the Willows’ previous musi-cal, the very successful “Rags”at the Campbell Theatre inMartinez.

The Willows Theatre, now inits 38th year, was forced to closethe Concord location last yearwhen ticket sales and donations

were hard hit by the recession. Ithas continued to operate itsCabaret Theatre in Martinez.

The company slashed costs,reducing staff from nine to two,and the city of Martinez forgavea $40,000 loan for costs relatedto the Cabaret operation. Thecombination has allowed the

company to reopen their theatrein the Willows Shopping Centerin Concord.

“We are thrilled to be cominghome,” say managing directorDavid Faustina. “We’ve alwaysthought of the Willows as ‘every-one’s theatre’ and we are stillcommitted to keeping ticketprices within everyone’s reach.

The newly refurbishedConcord theatre promises someexciting experiences for long-time Willows patrons, Inmansays, including the show’s per-formers accompanied by a liveband.

“Once on This Island” previewsMarch 21-23, opens on March 25,and runs through April 17 at theWillows Theatre, 1975 DiamondBoulevard in Concord. For ticketinformation, go to www.willowsthe-atre.com.

The relationship between amother and a daughter is myste-rious. In “Juno’s Daughters,” themagical San Juan Islands ofWashington state provide aremote location that perfectlyreflects the texture of LiseSaffran’s debut novel.

Jenny Alexander was some-thing of a wild child in heryouth, running away from home

to follow a rock and roll musi-cian. The lifestyle was allbohemian love and romance,until it wasn’t.

When Jenny’s first loveturned sour and then violent,she gathered up her courage andher girls and fled to FridayHarbor, a place both idyllic andsecluded. The Alexander girlslive on beautiful San Juan, atourist’s paradise in the summermonths but an isolated spot forthe remainder of the year. It’s aplace where Jenny can watchover her girls, protecting themfrom the outside world.

Lilly is 17 and achingly streetwise, having apparently inherit-ed her mother’s wild side. She iseager to leave not just the nest,

but the entire Pacific Northwest,to live with her aunt in MarinCounty and really start her life.Sweet Frankie is just 13, inhabit-ing the murky waters betweenchild and adult and contentwithin the limits of island life.

As summer begins, touristspredictably pour off the inter-island ferry to populate theirquaint world. Seemingly overnight, the restaurants, cafes andB&Bs fill with strangers.

Friday Harbor, like manysmall towns, is a place where thelocals make their own entertain-ment. The island’s annualShakespeare production luresactors from as near as Seattleand as far as New York to jointhe local free spirits for the sum-

mer theater.For many seasons, Jenny has

been assistant costume designer,

but this year she, Lilly andFrankie are cast in “TheTempest” as the three spirits:Juno, Ceres and Isis. Trinculo isto be played by a handsomeactor from New York, with alocal aging hippie as Prospero.Fey Ariel alights from just acrossthe Sound in Seattle. When theplay is ready, the players willtravel to Lopez and Shawislands, after a performance onSan Juan.

The book’s plot leads toquestions. Would Lilly have triedto seduce a man old enough tobe her father if Trinculo had notbeen cast in the local produc-tion? Maybe. Would Trinculohave been scandalized to learnthat the spirit he had a crush on

was the mother of the girl whowas trying to shag him? Almostcertainly. These complicationsare not required threads of aShakespeare production, butthey seem wholly organic.

“Juno’s Daughters” is a quietlittle book that steals yourbreath. Jenny is damaged, butshe is a fighter. It is certain thatLilly will smash her mother’sheart, but the real surprisecomes when tender Frankieruns away from home. It is thenwe see Jenny’s true character.


Book Review

Theatre

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR THE BOOKS

Cynthia Gregory writes bookreviews, award-winning short storiesand a blog. Visit her at www.twogirlstakeonlove.com or write [email protected]

‘Daughters’ an earnest portrayal of relationships

‘Everyone’s Theatre’ returns to Concord with sprightly musicalGARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to open atthe Lesher Center on April 1

Bay Area veteran actor DanHiatt will take the leading roleof Atticus Finch in the CenterRepertory Company’s stageadaptation of the Harper Lee’snovel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”opening April 1 at the LesherCenter for the Arts.

The American FilmInstitute named Atticus thegreatest hero in the history ofAmerican movies. And librari-ans have voted Lee’s originalwork the best American novelof the 20th century.

“I pretty much cut a differ-ent figure than Gregory Peck,”Dan Hiatt explains, making itclear he’s not going to imitatethe Academy Award-winningstar’s performance.

Hiatt, a veteran Bay Areaactor, isn’t intimidated to playa role considered so heroic.He’s returning to Lee’s original1960 novel to create a moredetailed, maybe more subtlecharacter.

“I’m not even sure Atticusis really the central character ofthe story,” Hiatt says. “It’s all

from the point of view ofScout, his daughter. It’s a pow-erful story, with importantthings to say about the historyof race relations in this coun-try. But it’s also a very sweetcoming-of-age tale.”

The play, adapted byChristopher Sergel, follows awhite attorney who defends ablack man, Tom Robbins,unjustly accused of rape.

“Atticus isn’t a saint, or ahero, or whatever you mightwant to call him,” Hiatt says.“You definitely want to see theflaws, the humanity. I think itcomes out pretty well in thebook. He’s not wild aboutdefending Tom Robbins. It’shis code of ethics and honorthat demand that he take onthe job.”

As he re-read the book,

Hiatt was struck “with howmuch Atticus seems kind ofwounded.” It’s between thelines of Lee’s novel, the adultperspective beneath Scout’spoint of view.

“He lost his wife aboutfour years before the storystarts, and he’s trying to keepeverything going for his familyduring the Depression,” Hiattnotes. “And he feels like anoutsider in his own communityto a certain extent.”

While Hiatt loved the Peckmovie, he’s staying away fromthat “indelible” performancefor his own interpretation.“There’s a way in which youmight want to see more ofAtticus’ frustration. He’s not aman who’s a broad-shoulderedpillar of the community fromthe beginning.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” playsApril 1-30 at the Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. Tickets start at $36. Formore information, visit centerrep.orgor call 943-SHOW.

David Burnhamheadlines gala

celebration The Willows Theatre

Company marks its return toConcord with a special galare-opening event on Sat.,March 12, featuringBroadway star DavidBurnham inc o n c e r t .B u r n h a mhas won BigA p p l eacclaim forhis starringroles in them u s i c a l s“Wicked,” “A Light in thePiazza,” and “Joseph andthe Amazing TechnicolorDreamcoat.”

Festivities begin at 7 p.m.with a cocktail reception.Tickets are $50 per personand include reception andshow. Call (925) 798-1300or buy online at www.willow-stheatre.org

LAMOND RIDGELL AS PAPA GE AND TREVOR MOPPIN AS DANIEL will open the new season in “Onceon this Island” when the Willows Theatre returns to the Concord Mainstage.

DAN HIATT WILL BRING ATTICUS FINCH to the Walnut Creek stagein CenterRep’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” opening April 1.

Most dog owners take fullresponsibility for the propercare of their dogs. Thatincludes, but is not limited to,insuring that pets are licensed,have the required shots, are fedon a regular basis, receive ade-quate hygiene care and exercise,along with appropriate shelter.

Being a good neighbor isalso important with respect tobarking. Many dogs “nuisancebark” because they are lonely orbored while their owners areaway from home. These prob-lems are usually solved themoment the owner returnshome. Although the ownernever hears the nuisance bark-ing, neighbors do.

Many times, the continualbarking leads to a frustrating sit-uation for neighbors who maybe trying to sleep, especially if itoccurs at 3 a.m. Continual nui-sance barking is a violation ofCounty Animal ServicesOrdinance 416-12.202.

The city of Clayton con-tracts with county animal servic-

es to investigate and resolvethese issues. The police depart-ment is usually the first toreceive a report of a barkingdog and frequently responds tosuch complaints.

We receive about three tofive calls each week from frus-trated residents who report a sit-uation involving a continualbarking dog while their neigh-bors are away. These calls areusually at night or on the week-ends.

Although these investigativecalls take officers away fromother duties, our goal and policyis to keep the peace and to assistcitizens in maintaining goodneighborhood relations.

When the police dispatcherreceives a call about a barkingdog, a Clayton officer is typical-ly dispatched to investigate. Theofficer will try to contact thedog’s owner and leave an infor-mational card describing theowner’s responsibilities pur-suant to the county dog barkingordinance. If the dog continuesto bark, the victim is referred tothe county animal services toaddress the issue.

The process includes the fol-lowing steps:

First complaint. A stronglywritten letter is sent to the dogowner with information aboutthe county dog barking ordi-nance and possible legal actionif the barking continues. Thisstep usually resolves most dogbarking issues.

Second complaint. An ani-

mal services officer will makepersonal contact with the dogowner in order to reinforce thecounty dog barking ordinance.The animal services officer willconfirm if the victim is willingto pursue further legal action.

Subsequent complaints. This

may result in mediation or a cita-tion and referral to the districtattorney’s office for possiblefurther action.

Although enforcement ofbarking dog laws may seem atrivial matter to some, I assureyou that victims of nuisance dog

barking feel just the opposite. Ihope this article is helpful forboth dog owners and victims ofcontinual nuisance barking.

For more information or if youhave other animal issues, please con-tact animal services at 335-8300 or

the Clayton Police Department at673-7350.

decides to sell a bond beforematurity, this could result in aloss of principal value.

� Revenue risk – bonds that aredependent on revenuestreams from specific proj-ects such as toll roads andbridges may be reliant on theability of the project to meetrevenue projections (notethat many municipal bondsare backed by the taxingauthority of the issuer, ratherthan a revenue source as out-lined here).

� Inflation risk – investors typ-ically are locked into theinterest rate paid on munici-pal bonds. If inflation shouldrise dramatically, the after-inflation return on bonds canbe negatively affected. As aresult, the bond would likelylose value in the open market.

� Liquidity risk – the ability tosell a bond in the open mar-ket requires a buyer. Somebonds, from smaller issuers inparticular, may not havebroad appeal to investors,potentially driving down theprice in the open market.

MAINTAINING

PROPER BALANCE

Regardless of market circum-stances, investors are usually welladvised to make sure their port-folios are effectively balanced toavoid significant risk in any sec-tor, whether it be stocks, bondsor other types of investments.

While some investors in high-er income tax brackets may beinclined to put a large percentageof their money into municipalbonds to take advantage of tax-free income, the risks must beconsidered. Perhaps more thananything else, an investor whoconcentrates too much of a port-folio into bonds is subject to therisks of rising interest rates. Thisis of particular concern in thecurrent environment, whererates are only modestly abovehistorically low levels. In general,bond prices decline when inter-est rates rise, so current bond-holders or bond mutual fund

investors may face higher-than-normal risk in today’s market.

STRATEGIES GOING FORWARD

Each individual investorneeds to assess his or her ownobjectives and circumstances todetermine the best course ofaction. But some general recom-mendations may apply to mostinvestors:� Review your current holdings

to determine if bond posi-tions are consistent with yourrisk tolerance level andinvestment objectives;

� Consider owning well-man-aged municipal bond fundswhere professionals canassess the credit risk of spe-cific issuers, rather than own-ing individual tax-free bondswhere you must conduct yourown research to determinethe credit quality of theissuer; and

� Protect yourself against thepotential risks of owningbonds by maintaining abroadly-diversified portfolio.Even investors focused ongenerating income need to becareful not to put too muchmoney to work in bonds. Ifinterest rates should rise orcredit defaults become morecommon, bond positionsmay be at risk of losingmoney over a short time peri-od.


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Take a smart approachwhen investing in munis

MURELEEN BENTON

FINANCIAL SENSE

Mureleen 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.

Investors seeking a tax-advantaged source of incomehave long been attracted tomunicipal bonds. The appealcenters on the fact that municipalbonds offer income that is gener-ally not subject to federal incometax and sometimes is free ofstate and local tax liabilities aswell. Since the bonds are typical-ly issued by state or local govern-ment entities (often supportedby the authority to levy taxes tofulfill their debt obligations), theyhave always been considered arelatively safe haven for income-oriented investors.

In recent times, the percep-tion of municipal bonds haschanged. With governmentsacross the country facing seriousbudget challenges at many levels,some analysts have suggestedthere is an increased risk ofpotential defaults by numerousmunicipal bond issuers in thecoming months. Whether we willsee defaults in significant num-bers remains an open issue, butthe threat has had an impact.Many are taking a more cautiousapproach to investments inmunicipal bonds and in somecases are actually selling positionsin tax-free bonds and bondfunds.

A SOLID HISTORY

Bonds are, in essence,“IOUs” from an issuer to the

investor. The issuer promises topay interest and principal on atimely basis. Failure to do soresults in the issuer defaulting onthat promise. Some may makethe assumption when this occursthat the bond’s underlying valuebecomes worthless, but that isnot typically the case.

The municipal bond markethas seen some high-profiledefault cases in the past. In the1990s, Orange County,California, a large bond issuer,defaulted on its bonds. However,courts ultimately required thecounty to fulfill its obligations toinvestors who held its debt.Municipal bond investors maybenefit from the fact that manyissuers have the authority to gen-erate tax revenue to make goodon their “IOUs.”

In fact, investors shouldremember that default risk is justone factor that comes into playin municipal bond investing.

OTHER RISKS WITH MUNICIPAL

BONDS

While municipal bonds havea strong track record over time,there are a number of risks thatmust be factored in beforeinvesting. They include:� Interest rate risk – if rates in

the market rise, the underly-ing market value of existingbonds with a lower yield candecline. If the investor

How to deal with your neighbor’s barking dog

Security concerns dominatethe first major upgrade, orpatch, for Microsoft’s Windows7 operating system.

The upgrade, available as afree download from theWebsite, is the first majorupdate for Windows 7 since itsrelease more than two years ago.

There is no reason to wait toinstall this upgrade. Computersdo not heal themselves and wait-ing to upgrade, patch or other-wise perform routine mainte-nance will cost you dearly in lostproductivity, time and security.

You could have a profession-al prepare the computer, removepotential roadblocks and glitch-es and download and install theservice package (SP-1), or youcould do it yourself. If you’rebrave and want to install it your-self, there are a few things youneed to know.

The computer must run cor-rectly before you attempt theupdate. If there are unresolvedproblems, slowness or quirkyactivity, resolve them before

attempting this process. Havingan infected computer or onewith incomparable software willcause an unrecoverable crash.

It’s also important to make abackup copy of important databefore attempting any upgrade,as this may be the only thingsurviving if the update goeshorribly wrong.

Generally, the update worksas advertised from Microsoft ifnothing disturbs or interruptsthe process. Certain programs

are known problems. If youhave a virus protection program(anti-virus scanner) running,uninstall it. Completely removethe application and remove alltraces (keys) from the registryand file system. Reinstall theanti-virus program after theupdate is successful.

You also need to run a mal-ware scan. AntiMalware byMalwareBytes, or your favoritebrand, may do the trick andremove any trace of malware orcookies. Security programs suchas BlackIce, ZoneAlarm, etc.should be removed or disabled.

You should now be ready toproceed to the Website anddownload between 60Mb tomore than 900Mb of software.The size of the download willdepend upon your regular main-tenance frequency. The moreyou have downloaded andinstalled prior to this servicepack, the less time is needed todownload.

While updating, refrain fromaccessing the Internet for any

purpose other than download-ing this update.

Once the download com-pletes, the Windows update willautomatically begin. It takesabout a half hour for the pro-gram in install and configureafter the download is complete.This part works pretty neat ifthe computer is in good shape.If not – well …

If you have old hardwaredrivers, update any Intel videodrivers before the update isattempted. It appears that mostother drivers can be successfullyupdated after the service pack isinstalled.

This update release is stillbeing evaluated by profession-als, which means not all theproblems are known. You couldstill run into problems even ifyou follow these hints.

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

It may be time for Windows 7 upgrade

WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

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]

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. MAR. 16 FOR THE MAR. 25 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]


IN CLAYTON

April 16Clayton Cleans UpHonor Earth Day with atown spring cleaning.Help pick up trash, pullweeds and share incommunity spirit. Agreat activity for clubsand organizations,school projects or just a

family outing. Meet at City Hall at 9 am, rain or shine. T-shirts and barbeque at 11:30 a.m. for volunteers.Sponsored by the Clayton Pioneer and the city of Clayton,with donations from Allied Waste. 672-0500.

April 30-May 1Clayton Art & Wine FestivalPremium wine and beer, 125 arts and crafts exhibits,Kiddieland and live entertainment. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. April 30and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 1, Main Street. Free admission.Sponsored by the Clayton Business and CommunityAssociation, with proceeds supporting community groupsand projects. 672-2272.

ENTERTAINMENTMarch 11-13“Always … Patsy Cline”The Vagabond Players present a show with down-homecountry humor and unforgettable songs. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-7469.

March 12Mike Wollenberg and Julian SmedleyFeaturing jazz guitar and violion. 7:30 p.m., WalnutAvenue United Methodist Church, 260 Walnut Ave., WalnutCreek. $10 or $25 per family. Proceeds benefit Imagine NoMalaria. Free child care. 933-0888.

March 12Contra Costa Wind SymphonyAn encore of Steven Reineke’s “New Day Rising.” 8 p.m.Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, 1801 Lacassie Ave.$10. ccwindsymphony.org.

March 18-April 16“Hairspray”A young girl in 1960s Baltimore tries to win the affection ofa TV heartthrob. Presented by Contra Costa MusicalTheatre. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. 943-SHOW or ccmt.org.

March 26Diablo SymphonyBritish Isles music featuring cellist Jerry Liu. 2 p.m., LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$20. 943-7469 or lesherartscenter.com.

April 1-30“To Kill a Mockingbird”Center Repertory presents the timeless classic about igno-rance, prejudice and integrity. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $36-$42. 943-SHOW orcenterrep.org.

May 13-22“The King & I”The Vagabond Players and El Campanil Children’s Theatrepresent the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. ElCampanil Theatre, 602 West 2nd St., Antioch. 689-3368.

FUNDRAISERS

March 12Markham Nursery Plant SaleShrubs and perennials for spring and summer bloom, plusCalifornia natives and plants from outside vendors. 10a.m.-2 p.m., 1202 La Vista Ave., Concord. 681-2968 ormarkhamarboretum.org.

March 12Concord Rotary Spring Fling“An Affair to Remember” with old Hollywood glamour.Silent/live auctions, gaming tables, dinner and dancing. 6p.m., Concord Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd. $65, or $600for table of 10. Call Kimberly at 947-4459.

March 13, 27Breakfast at the VFW8-11 a.m. second and fourth Sundays, 2290 Willow PassRoad, Concord. Eggs, pancakes, sausage plus a beverage.$4, $2 children under 12.

March 18Mt. Diablo Elementary School AuctionDinner/dancing with a Speakeasy theme, sponsored by theParent Faculty Club. 5 p.m., Centre Concord, 5298 ClaytonRoad. $50. Online auction through March 13.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary.

March 19-20Clayton Valley Band/Orchestra Raffle Ticket SalesTickets are $5 or five for $20. Proceeds support instrumen-tal music at CVHS. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Safeway, ClaytonStation.

March 19Clayton Valley Athletic Boosters Crab FeedAuction/dinner benefiting athletic programs at CVHS. Mustbe 21 or older. $60. 5:30 p.m., Center Concord, 5298Clayton Road. cvhsboosters.org.

March 19Salvation Army Crab FeedCrab or chicken, plus pasta, salad, bread and dessert.Proceeds benefit youth and social services programs. 6-9p.m., Salvation Army Church Fireside Room, 3950 ClaytonRoad, Concord. $40 adults, $25 children, $20 pasta only.Contact Tina at or 676-6180, ext. 12, or [email protected].

March 22Clayton Valley Music Boosters/Fuddrucker’sPrint a flier at claytonbands.org and the CVHS MusicBoosters will receive 20 percent of the sale. 5-9 p.m., 1975Diamond Blvd., Concord.

March 23AAUW Spaghetti FeedDinner/silent auction sponsored by the Clayton AmericanAssociation of University Women to fund scholarships andTech Trek sponsorships. 5:30-8 p.m., Endeavor Hall, 6008Center St., Clayton. $10, $5 for kids under 12, childrenunder 6 free. Beer/wine for purchase. Call Judy at 672-4620.

April 2Festival of Tables & FashionSponsored by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club, with fash-ions by Coldwater Creek. A benefit for the Food Bank ofContra Costa and Solano Counties. 11 a.m., ConcordUnited Methodist Church, 1645 West St. $35. Call Doris at672-1696 before March 28.claytonvalleywomansclub.org.

April 9Clayton Valley Music Boosters East Meets WestA dinner/auction catered by Panda Express, with entertain-ment by CVHS instrumental music students. 6-8:30 p.m,CVHS Multi-Use Room; 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. $15.RSVP by April 1 to claytonbands.org or [email protected].

April 30United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation Vegas NightTo raise money for all sports in the Mt. Diablo UnifiedSchool District. 6-midnight, Concord Hilton, 1970 DiamondBlvd. www.unitedmtdiabloathletics.org.

SCHOOLSMarch 15, 29Mt. Diablo Unified School District Board7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org.

March 18Eagle Arts ExpoDrawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video,digital/computer and mixed media. 6-9 p.m., ClaytonValley High School, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.

CHURCHES & RELIGIONMarch 16Concord United Methodist WomenPastor Sungho Lee’s wife, Hyesung Hong Lee, will speak.Lunch served by Lydia Circle. 11 a.m., 1645 West St.,Concord. Guests welcome. RSVP to Laura at 458-3309.

March 20-April 17“Grief and Loss”Lindsey Reed will lead a Lenten study group, 11:45 a.m.Sundays (after morning worship), Clayton ValleyPresbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. 672-0882.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs arefree unless otherwise noted. 673-0659 orclaytonlibrary.org.

March 14Clayton Library Book ClubSunny Solomon leads a discussion about “Of HumanBondage” by W. Somerset Maugham. 7 p.m.

March 15, 22“Paws to Read”Children in grades 1-5 can read aloud to a therapy dog toimprove reading skills. 4:30-5 p.m. Parent registrationrequired.

March 19“Winter Watercolors”“A Study in Shadow and Light, Portraiture,” with AnneSackman. 10 a.m. Attendees must provide materials.Experienced students 17 and up. Register athttp://ccclib.org/programs/index.html.

March 24Magician Alex RamonThe illusionist has been the ringmaster in the Ringling Bros.and Barnum and Bailey Circus. 4 p.m.

March 30 “Your Career Transition and Your Finances”Hosted by financial advisor William Pollak. 2-3:30 p.m.Register at ccclib.org/programs.

April 6Author talk with “The Lady Killers”Penny Warner and Diana Orgain talk about their newbooks, “How to Survive a Killer Seance” & “Formula forMurder.” 7pm

April 15-17Library Foundation Used Book SaleMost books $1. 4-7 p.m. April 15 for Library Foundationmembers. Join at door for $10. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 16and noon-4 p.m. April 17. Half-price 2-4 p.m. April 17.673-9009.

CITY MEETINGSMarch 15Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road.673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

March 22Clayton Planning Commission7 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 holi-days, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr.,Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272.

Clayton Valley Garden ClubMeets 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, DiamondTerrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. On April 13, KathyEchols from Diablo Valley College will talk about gardenmyths. Contact Nancy at 673-3522 or claytonvalleygarden-club.org.

Clayton Valley Woman’s ClubMeets 9:30 a.m. second Tuesday of the month except Julyand August, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 AlbertaWay, Concord. 672-1163.

Clutch Busters Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Willow Pass Community CenterHall, 2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Contact Karen at686-3774.

Concord Stompers Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Willow Pass CommunityCenter, 2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Call Jennie at672-9676 or angelfire.com/id/stompers.

Contra Costa Chess ClubMeets 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 KirkerPass Road, Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels wel-come. Contact Mike at 639-1987 or uschess.org.

Contra Costa Genealogical SocietyMeets 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month, LDS Church,1360 Alberta Way, Concord. [email protected].

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,Library Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All art-forms and both emerging and experienced artists welcome.Contact Arlene at 673-9777 or [email protected].

Diablo Valley Democratic ClubMeets 7-9 p.m. third Wednesday of the month, YgnacioValley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road., Walnut Creek. 946-0469 or dvdems.org.

East Bay ProspectorsMeets 6:30 p.m. first Thursday of the month, OasisChristian Fellowship, 2551 Pleasant Hill Road, PleasantHill. Clayton resident Douglas Junghans is president. 672-1863 or eastbaygpaa.webs.com.

Knights Of Columbus, Concord Council 6038Meets 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of the month, St.Bonaventure Church, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord.Officers meet third Wednesday at St. Agnes Church, 3966Chestnut St., Concord. Contact Rayce at 683-9717 [email protected].

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

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

Sons In Retirement (SIRs)Branch 19 meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month,Crown Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr., Concord. 429-3777. Branch 146 meets 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. secondThursday of the month. Boundary Oaks, 3800 Valley VistaRoad, Walnut Creek. Call Jack at 933-7998 or sir146.com.

Soroptimist International of Diablo VistaMeets 12:15 p.m. second, third and fourth Wednesdays ofthe month, September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow PassRoad, Concord. Contact Nicole at 692-2224.

Word Weavers ToastmastersMeets 7-8:15 p.m. Mondays, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord.Visitors welcome. Contact Marion at 686-1818 or [email protected].

in many areas. Weather recordsindicate that Bay Area tempera-tures were the coldest since1932.

On the other end of thetemperature spectrum was theheat wave of July 2006. Thisevent was like no other heatwave event in more than a cen-tury for many reasons. Usually,the Bay Area is spared long-livedheat waves since the process ofheating the land creates a strongtemperature differentialbetween the cool ocean coastand the hot interior. The pres-sure gradient force that devel-ops pulls marine air toward thehot interior, and temperaturesmodify.

In 2006, it took nearly aweek for the sea breeze to devel-op. This resulted in several con-secutive afternoons of wellmore than 100 degree heat andminimum temperatures thatstayed in the 70s to low 80s. Thecombination of extreme heatand the amount of power need-ed to meet the air conditioning

load stressed power transform-ers to a point that many failed.

My brief list doesn’t includethe several droughts, El Ninos,La Ninas, floods and lightningstorms that also made life as aPG&E meteorologist interest-ing. I was able to work withalmost every department andmade friendships that will last alifetime.

Now, I’ve got a full job jar athome, a rusty golf swing, trailsthat need to be hiked, family andfriends to spend more time withand unseen places to explore.And whether I’m getting paid todo it or not, I’ll always be check-ing on the weather.

In May 1978, a thin, pony-tailed meteorology student fromSan Jose State began an intern-ship at PG&E’s weather officein San Francisco. Almost 33years later, plus a few poundsand minus a bit of hair, I’vedecided to take the weatherforecasting dartboard off thewall and call it a career.

Readers who have retired,especially those who spent aconsiderable amount of time ata single place of employment,know how surreal it is to walkout of the office for the lasttime. I had an overwhelmingfeeling that I was unbelievablylucky. The work was challengingand fun, but it’s time to move onand let others enjoy the ride.

During the last half of mycareer, my main focus was pre-dicting and analyzing weatherevents that caused power out-ages. The better we forecastedthe strength and timing of astorm, the better prepared theutility was in restoring power.Post-storm analyses helped usforecast the amount and loca-tion of resources needed forfuture storms.

In my 33-year tenure, we’vehad a variety of severe weatherevents. The first that comes tomind is the wind and rainstormof December 1995. Earlier thatyear, two significant stormscaused considerable damage. Inthe aftermath of those storms,our meteorology staff teamedup with the outage restorationgroup and developed a stormstrength classification systemcombined with a pager-basedwarning component.

The first time we used thesystem was December 1995, andthe first storm we sent outadvanced warning for was forone of the strongest windevents of the last 50 years. Iremember driving into SanFrancisco during the height ofthe storm and seeing scaffoldingget ripped off the side of abuilding under construction andfly through the air like a wound-ed kite.

The storm was so destruc-tive that more than a millioncustomers lost power, and ittook weeks to put the electricsystem back together. In theend, data from that storm andmany other less destructivewind events helped us developthe more advanced storm out-age forecast model that is usedtoday.

Another record-breakingweather event was the cold snapof December 1990. This eventwas caused by an abnormal jetstream pattern that pushed coldArctic air from northern Canadainto California. Overnight tem-peratures dipped into the teens


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Pioneer Photo AlbumMike Harms took this photo of the February snow on Mt. Diablo from downtown

It’s Your Paper, sosend in your cute pets,funny kids, great land-scapes, favorite sites intown or whatevermakes your heart beata little faster. Emailyour photo in a hi-res-olution jpeg or tif for-mat to [email protected] with adescription of thephoto, where andwhen it was taken anda little about why youlike it. Include yourname and phonenumber. Then look forit in the Pioneer.

WOODY WHITLATCH

WEATHER WORDS

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

would be seeded fifth or sixthfor NCS playoffs, only to beconfused when they ranked us10th. The girls used this as extramotivation and proved theirposition by beating the seventhseed, Liberty, in the first round.”

CVHS faced San Ramon inthe quarterfinals and no longerhad Kobold, who tore her ACLlate in the league season. “Thegirls were very nervous in thefirst half but settled in andattacked during the second half.In the end, we lost 2-0 but theteam played extremely wellagainst a top-notch opponent.”

Carondelet ended up defeat-ing San Ramon in the finalminute of the NCS finals.

“Overall, the girls met ourexpectations for the season andin many ways surpassed them,”Booth added. “All of the coach-es are optimistic for the futurewith many young, talented play-ers joining the team.”

MVP Honors,from page 12

Watching the weatheris now just a hobby

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Concord Council 6038 issponsoring the California EssayContest for Catholic Youth.

The contest is open to stu-dents in 4th-7th grades in publicand private schools. Winnerswill receive $50 savings bonds atcouncil and regional levels ofcompetition.

Topics are: 4th-6th grade,“How do you live a Christian life

in your school?” 7th grade,“What does the picture of the‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’ tell us?”

Entry forms and rules areavailable at the St. Bonaventureparish office, 5562 ClaytonRoad, Concord. Deadline isApril 9. For more information,contact Claire Tryon at 673-8564 or [email protected].

Church News

BMX riders fly through the air

The Clayton Bikes BMX team delivered a thrilling stunt showon Feb. 27 at the store on Clayton Road. BMX team memberand Clayton resident Ryan O’Connel does some extreme rid-ing at the event which drew about 50 participants.

Now through April, the sapin maple trees begins to flow upfrom the roots to the branches.North American Indians learnedhow to tap the sap and boil itdown as a sugar source, and theytransferred this knowledge of“sweetwater” to the Europeancolonists.

Much of the same techniqueis used today. A couple of tapscollect the dripping sap in galva-nized metal buckets, troughs andbags. It takes about 40 gallons ofsap to make one gallon of maplesyrup.

Canada produces about 80percent of the world’s maplesyrup, but Americans are dulyproud of their million gallonproduction from Vermont,Maine, New York andWisconsin. Although maple treesare found on other continents,such as Europe, the winter dor-mancy of the trees is not con-ducive to collecting the sap run.

Derived from dehydrating thesap, maple syrup became animportant sweetener during theCivil War when cane sugar andmolasses, produced mostly bySouthern slaves, was largelyunavailable. It was also a sugarsubstitute during World War IIwhen sugar supplies were quitelow.

Maple syrup has a unique fla-vor: silky smooth with a sweetcaramel-toffee taste. There arevarious grades of maple syrup

that can help guide you in pur-chase decisions. Grade A is alight amber color with a mild,subtle flavor. Grade A Medium isa little darker with a mellow fla-vor. It is the most popular ofsyrups. Grade A Dark has ahearty flavor and deeper color.Grade B is very dark with arobust molasses-light flavor.

Imitation maple flavor isderived from sotolon, a naturallyoccurring flavor and taste chemi-cal that resembles maple in lowconcentrations and fenugreekand curry in higher amounts. It issweetened with high fructosecorn sweetener to make syrupslike Mrs. Butterworth’s and LogCabin. Products like this are farthicker than real maple syrup.

As a topping, maple syrup islargely a breakfast staple for pan-cakes, French toast and waffles.Pancakes without real maplesyrup are unheard of in mykitchen.

As a sweetener, it’s found inbaked beans, candied sweet pota-toes, baked goods, tea and hottoddies. It’s even been used as areplacement for honey in thevenerable wine known as mead.

At Pans on Fire inPleasanton, we carry a number ofproducts from a local company –Gil’s Gourmet. A recent intro-duction, maple balsamic vinegar,

was featured in a cooking class.Maple syrup was used to roundout the flavors of the dishes,including a surprisingly wonder-ful ice cream dessert.

PORK TENDERLOIN

Serves 2-3

1 pork tenderloinSalt and pepperOlive oil¼ c. Gil’s Gourmet maple

balsamic vinegar1 T. pure maple syrupTrim silver skin from tender-

loin. Rub with olive oil and sea-son liberally with salt and pep-per. Preheat an oven-safe non-stick skillet over medium highheat and preheat oven to 425.Add pork to the pan and sear onall sides until nicely browned,about 5-8 minutes. Place pan inoven and roast the pork untilmedium (145-150 F), about 12minutes. Remove pan and trans-fer pork to a platter; keep warmwith foil.

Put pan over medium heat(be careful of the hot handle!)and add the vinegar. Stir todeglaze the pan, then stir in thesyrup and simmer until the mix-ture thickens. Roll the tenderloinin the sauce to glaze andrewarm. Slice and drizzle withremaining glaze.

GREENS WITH MAPLE

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Serves 2-3

8 oz. salad greens1 shallot, minced1-2 tsp. Dijon mustard, to

taste2 T. Gil’s Gourmet maple

balsamic vinegar1 T. pure maple syrup3 T. olive oilSalt and pepper to tasteWhisk together the shallot,

mustard, vinegar and maplesyrup. Continuing to whisk,drizzle in olive oil to form asmooth emulsion. Add salt andpepper to taste and toss dressingwith the greens.

CINNAMON ICE CREAM WITH

GINGER COOKIE CRUMBS &MAPLE BALSAMIC DRIZZLE

Serves 4

1 qt. vanilla ice cream1 tsp. ground cinnamon2 T. Gil’s Gourmet maple

balsamic vinegar1 T. pure maple syrup4 crisp ginger cookies (try

Trader Joe’s)Soften the ice cream and stir

in cinnamon. Refreeze until solid.Stir together vinegar and

maple syrup. Divide ice creamamong four dishes. Crumblecookies on top and drizzle withvinegar-syrup mixture.


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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Wall Street Journal is read by the peo-ple who run the country.

The Washington Post is read by people whothink they run the country.

The New York Time is read by people whothink they should run the country and who arevery good at crossword puzzles.

USA Today is read by people who thinkthey ought to run the country but don't reallyunderstand The New York Times. They do,however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.

The Los Angeles Times is read by peoplewho wouldn't mind running the country, if theycould find the time -- and if they didn't have toleave Southern California to do it.

The Boston Globe is read by people whoseparents used to run the country and did a poor

job of it, thank you very much.The New York Post is read by people who

don't care who is running the country as long asthey do something really scandalous, preferablywhile intoxicated.

The Miami Herald is read by people who arerunning another country, but need the baseballscores.

The San Francisco Chronicle is read bypeople who aren't sure if there is a country orthat anyone is running it.

The National Enquirer is read by peopletrapped in line at the grocery store.

The Contra Costa Times is read by peoplewho buy fish or own birds.

The Clayton Pioneer is read by people whoactually should be running the country.

From cyberspace

Who reads newspapers?

Fragrance can be just asimportant in a garden as theflowers and leaves, and theClayton Valley climate is perfectfor many wonderfully fragrantshrubs and plants.

Inhale the perfume of a clus-ter of Daphne blossoms and it

will take you back to where youwere the first time you canremember that smell.

Here, we are lucky to enjoythe Daphne odora marginataduring the winter months. Thisevergreen, once happy, willgrow 3-4 feet tall and wide.During February and intoMarch, clusters of pink flowerbuds open to white stars. Onceopened, the flower has a thick,layered bouquet. It’s sweet likecitrus, yet perfumed like a garde-nia. You can smell this blossomfrom miles around.

Sometime in March, theSarcococca begins to bloom.This shade-loving evergreen iswinter-hardy, deer-resistant andhandsome. Its tiny white flowersbecome intensely fragrant.

You’ll hardly notice

Sarcococca until it blooms. Theplant itself doesn’t demand a lotof attention.

SWEET SMELL OF ORANGES

Those desiring fragrance inthe garden could incorporateChoisya Ternata, which bloomsfrom April into May. This shrubis commonly called Mexicanorange blossom. You can enjoythis selection is an area that getsmoderate morning sun, or 3-4hours of the latest day sun.

This shrub has dark greenleaves that are divided into fiveround leaflets. It is very attrac-tive. Eventually, the Mexicanorange will reach 4-6 feet talland wide. It makes a lovely fencecover or background plant.

Choisya Ternata has a flowerthat resembles and smells like itscommon namesake. These flow-

ers are born in masses andwill cover this shrub. Flowerblossoms last a solid four weeks.

Once the bloom begins tofade, the white flowers will turnbrown. Then it is time for a lightpruning. Removing a coupleinches from each stem willalmost always ensure a nice sec-ondary bloom later in the sum-mer.

TOUCHY – BUT WORTH IT

Gardenias are among themost widely planted fragrantshrubs. However, they are needyand touchy. Gardenias choosewhen and where to be happy, butonce you have found that place,they are the longest bloomingfragrant shrubs available.

Some gardenias are easier tokeep looking good. Find selec-tions with smaller leaves

because they looktidier longer and are easier tokeep green. Gardenias need lotsof care, too much to mentionhere. Ask questions of the nurs-ery professionals. They willguide you back to green leavesand fantastic smelling blossoms.

As the evenings stay warmduring the summer months, theblossom of the Osmanthus fra-grans takes center stage.Commonly called sweet olive,this tiny, insignificant flowersmells of sweet apricots. It isunbelievable!

Like with many of the best-smelling shrubs, the Osmanthuswill hardly be noticed until itflowers. You’ll have to inspectthe shrub to see where the fra-grance is lurking. Consider thiswhen you install any of theseshrubs. They are only shows-

t o p p e r swhen youinhale their sweetperfumes.

HARK, THE

ANGELS SING

The Angel Trumpet, orBrugmansia, is another shrubthat is fragrant during summernights. This shrub may grow tobecome a small tree, but thatwill take some time. It is alsovery frost-tender and poisonous.With all that aside, this shrub isremarkable.

The fragrance is thick andrich. It may hit your senses on ahigher level. Unlike the othershrubs mentioned, the AngelTrumpet has a fantastic, dramat-ic flower. This large trumpetflower hangs down and lookslike a bell.

You can find AngelTrumpets in white, peach, laven-der and pink. Occasionally, youcan find a double flower.

Incorporating fragrance intoyour yard or garden is a fun ele-ment to consider. It can be wel-coming near the entry. Fragrantplants also are nice near sittingareas or spas and under bed-room windows.

There is much more toplants than meets the eyes.Sometimes it’s our noses thatenjoy the garden.

SPRING HIKE THROUGH

MANGINI RANCH

On March 13, SMD’s JohnDavid Ogden will lead a springhike through the spectacularMangini Ranch in Concord.

Expect to see green rollinggrasslands, budding wildflowers,buckeyes and a rare desert olivegrove. Bobcats and coyoteshunting for breakfast, burrow-ing owls and quail will likely beamong the wildlife. This is a

two-hour, four-mile hike withone moderately strenuous hillclimb.

The 268 property includesthe headwaters of the GalindoCreek and is not open to the

public. The ranch is home to theSave Mount Diablo HeritageTree program and hikers can seethe trees that are available tocommemorate a special personor event.

Meet at 10 a.m., Sunday,March 13 at the hiker gate onCrystyl Ranch Dr. betweenAutumn Oak Circle and RollingWoods Way. RSVP to DavidOgden at [email protected].

WEED PULLING IN

IRISH CANYON

On March 17, join SMD inthe beautiful Irish Canyon inClayton for a day of weedpulling to remove the non-native grasses and thistles thatthreaten the native oaks andbuckeyes. Workers will inven-tory the recently planted trees,check out the creek for rarewildlife and watch for soaring

raptors.Depending on the weather

and road conditions, workersmay have to hike the three milesin to the restoration site.

Bring water and lunch, wearhiking boots, long pants andsleeves. Dress in layers andbring a rain jacket.

To RSVP and find out whereto meet, call George at (925)947-3535 or [email protected].

Save Mount Diablo is a non-profit dedicated to preserving openspace on and around Mt. Diablo. Formore information, visit their website,www.savemountdiablo.org.


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Mangini Ranch hike March 13 honors Arbor Week

Mangini Ranch photo by ScottHein

This month, the trees takecenter stage at Save MountDiablo with two eventsscheduled to celebrateCalifornia’s Arbor Week.

CHOISYATERNATA

Photo by Cliff SumnerFragrant plants bring new

dimension to garden

Documents

MAR 11 Clayton Pioneer 2011.pdf