There is a new face in townat the Clayton Post Office. Ver-lina Grimmett joins the familiarclerks and carriers as officer incharge.

She fills the vacancy left byretiring Postmaster JohnnieJohnson in December. It is aninterim position, until the U.S.

Postal service decides to fill theposition.

Grimmett was chosen basedon a recommendation approvedby the district manager, and isnot new to Clayton. She shad-owed Johnson for one week andmet most of her coworkers pre-viously during an assignment toadjust routes for local PostOffices, including Clayton.

Grimmett was hired by the

Postal Service in 1989 aftercompleting four years of activeduty in the Navy. Leaving herhometown of Astoria, Queens,in New York, she was stationedin Alameda during her service.

Grimmett started with thePostal Service as a carrier in Fre-mont. In 2003, she was promot-ed to a supervisor position inPittsburg where she workeduntil transferring to Clayton.

Grimmett says the familiarityand fewer routes made it easierto transition. A strength shenotes with the Clayton PostOffice is higher revenue com-pared to other Post Offices ofsimilar size due to solid businessfrom stamp sales, packing sup-plies, Click-N-Ship and regularmailings like the ClaytonPioneer.

And she adds with a smile,“A lot of customers love ourclerks.”

Pittsburg’s Postmaster CinaKreisel says she would haveliked to work with Grimmettlonger, but “you can’t get any-body better. She’s more thanready for the position. She hasgreat integrity.”

Grimmett lives in Oakleywith her husband, Kerry, and12-year-old daughter, Kierra.Her older daughter, Manisha, isattending Spelman College inAtlanta, GA. The family enjoysmovies, bowling and a competi-tive game of wii with familymembers living out of state.

Grimmett is prepared tocompete for the postmasterposition. She says, “I like theClayton Post Office a lot. I’llput in for the job if it comesavailable.”

The city says Clayton Com-munity Church must come upwith an additional $68,000 tocomplete the EnvironmentalImpact Report (EIR) for theirproposed worship center com-plex downtown.

In a split decision, the CityCouncil added $48,000 to thecontract with LSA Associates,the environmental consultants,and another $20,000 in estimat-ed city staff costs to completethe EIR process.

The added costs are becauseof a much higher than expectednumber of responses to thedraft EIR issued in May, saidLSA Managing Principal DavidClore.

Clore said the church proj-ect had generated the secondhighest number of responsesof any EIR the company hadcompleted; second only to a

private school proposed for aresidential neighborhood inOakland.

CITY ATTORNEY MALA

SUBRAMANIAN addressesClayton Community Churchconcerns over increased feesto complete EIR for their pro-posed worship center com-plex on Main Street. TheCouncil approved the addi-tional costs in a 3-2 vote atthe Jan. 17 meeting.

City Council sayschurch must payincreased fee tocomplete EIR

It’s approved! Followingmonths of legal wrangling, a PRwar from both sides, and at leasta small forest worth of paper, ata meeting packed with over 400people, the Contra Costa Coun-ty Board of Education over-turned the MDUSD’s denial,and unanimously approved theClayton Valley High Schoolcharter petition.

Cynthia Ruehlig, President ofthe Contra Costa County Boardof Education, described herlogic in voting for the petition assimply following the law. “It’s likeinnocent until proven guilty,” shesaid. “It’s approved until you cansay why it will not succeed. That’spart of the educational systemhere in California.”

The school is expected toopen as a charter for the fall2012 semester, making it one ofonly two charter schools in thedistrict, and one of three con-version charters in the entireBay Area.

Sherry Whitmarsh, whorecently replaced Gary Eberhartas president of the MDUSDBoard of Education was prag-matic. “It is what it is,” she com-mented immediately after the

I once read the three C’s oflife are: “You must make thechoice, to take the chance, ifyou want anything in life tochange.” When a core group ofcommitted teachers and localparents were unhappy with thelack of strong leadership and adisconnected school district, aperfect storm was brewing.Supported by strong alumni anda community that wanted bettereducation for our future leaders,the quest was born for a charterschool to evolve at Clayton Val-ley High School.

Pat Middendorf, NeilMcChesney, Alison Bacigalupo,Dylan Perreira, AmberLineweaver and CouncilmanDavid Shuey, a combination ofeducators and concerned citi-zens, started the dialogue thatwould move this goal to victory.

HOWARD GELLER

MAYOR’S CORNER

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

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .16

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

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Community Calendar . . . . . .14

Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5

Estate Planning . . . . . . . . . . .6

Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . . .8

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

Food for Thought . . . . . . . . .16

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .18

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Living Well . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Pioneer Photo Album . . . . . .17

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

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

What’s Inside

PRSRTSTD

US POSTAGE

PAID

CLAYTON, CA

PERMIT190

See Mayor, page 8 See Charter, page 9

See Church EIR, page 3

Community effort leadsto Charter success

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012 925.672.0500

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

Thumbs up for charter school

Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer

CHARTER SCHOOL SUPPORTERS RAISE A GLASS IN A VICTORY TOAST AT MORESI’S CHOPHOUSE after the County School Boardoverturned the MDUSD denial and approved a petition to convert CVHS to Clayton Valley Charter High School. Backrow: CVHS teacher and charter school organizer Pat Middendorf, Clayton City Councilmember David Shuey, CVCHSBoard Member Ted Meriam; Front row: City Councilmember Julie Pierce, CVHS teacher and charter school organizerNeil McChesney, Concord City Councilmember Laura Hoffmeister and Clayton City Councilmember Joe Medrano.

VERLINA GRIMMETT, NEW OFFICER IN CHARGE, fits right in behind the counter at the Clayton PostOffice. Grimmett plans to apply for the postmaster position previously held by Johnnie Johnsonwho retired in December.

Postal veteran Verlina Grimmett takeson interim head spot at Clayton PO

Six local kids were recog-nized by the City Council last

week for showing great acts ofkindness toward others. The

students were nominated bytheir teachers and received acertificate from Mayor HowardGeller.

The recognitions for Kind-ness are a part of the commu-nity-wide Do The Right Thingprogram which has adopted sixcharacter traits to emphasizethroughout the year. The cur-rent trait is Self-discipline.Others are Integrity, Respect,

Courage and Responsibility.Program leaders hope to

involve the community in theprogram through the 1000Acts of Kindness website.Community members whohave been the recipient or havewitnessed a “random act ofkindness” toward someone, areencouraged to share atwww.Clayton DTRT.com.

Alicia Morrissey will marryScott Lundgren in the spring of2013. They were engaged onNov. 11.

Alicia is a preschool teacherin Concord. She graduated fromCVHS in 2005. She is thedaughter of Matt Morrissey andBeth Hamm of Concord and

Kim and JR Yasay of Com-merce, Georgia.

Scott is a service manager atEast Bay Tire in Pittsburg. Hegraduated from CVHS in 2004.His parents are Chris andKendra Lundgren of Clayton.

Alicia and Scott live in Pitts-burg.

CCllaayyttoonn MMaarrkkeett UUppddaattee pprroovviiddeedd bbyy GGeeoorrggee VVuujjnnoovviicchh ooff BBeetttteerr HHoommeess RReeaallttyy

9 Donner Court ....................$187,000 . . . .1050 . . . . .2/2 . . . . . . .1/12/12

968 Tiffin Drive ....................$489,000 . . . .1670 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . .1/3/12

1288 Shell Circle .................$315,000 . . . .1367 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .12/27/11

8114 Marsh Creek Road......$680,000 . . . .3717 . . . . .4/3 . . . . . .12/27/11

1538 O’Hara Court .............$295,000 . . . .1436 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . .12/23/11

719 Tally Ho Court ...............$625,000 . . . .2300 . . . . .5/3 . . . . . .12/22/11

374 Blue Oak Lane..............$590,000 . . . .3008 . . . . .4/3 . . . . . .12/22/11

1181 Shell Lane ...................$330,000 . . . .1709 . . . . .3/3 . . . . . .12/19/11

510 Raven Place .................$490,500 . . . .2053 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . .12/16/11

317 Saclan Terrace..............$375,000 . . . .1749 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .12/15/11

606 Golden Eagle Place......$445,000 . . . .1816 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . .12/15/11

356 Blue Oak Lane..............$641,000 . . . .3146 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . .12/13/11

ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE

HHeellppiinngg ffrriieennddss,, nneeiigghhbboorrss && nneewwccoommeerrss bbuuyy aanndd sseellll

tthheeiirr hhoommeess ssiinnccee 11997799

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

Each Office Is IndependentlyOwned & Operated.

((992255)) 667722--44443333

GGEEOORRGGEE VVUUJJNNOOVVIICCHHBBrrookkeerr

Walnut Creek

georgevujnovich.com

Custom Single Story Rancher builtin 1998!

4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 2138sf & 2 car garage!

Large kitchen opens to spacious family room with fire-

place. Formal living/dining. New paint & carpet & neu-

tral décor throughout. Private lot features a deck and

lush lawn area. Tucked away on a private lane.

Centrally located near shopping, dining & commute.

$524,900

Better Homes DRE#00933393

Clayton4.58 Acre Horse Property! Countryliving right on the edge of town!

4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 2306sf! Large Living

room with vaulted beam ceiling & fireplace offers fantas-

tic views! Country kitchen. Big family room with fire-

place & wet bar. 3 stall barn & arena area. Panoramic

views abound. Plenty of room for all your toys!

$594,000

Pleasant HillCharming Two Story on a large corner lot!

4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 1921sf & 2 car garage.

Open floor plan features living, dining and family room.

Newly updated bathrooms! Downstairs bedroom and full

bath. New carpet and paint. Great court location.

Approximately .23 acre lot features a covered patio and

in-ground pool! $449,900

ClaytonCharming Single Story Rancher!

4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, inside laundry & 2 car garage!

Kitchen opens to family room with fireplace. Living &

dining rooms. Huge .36 acre level backyard with

views of hills & Mt. Diablo! Possible RV parking.

$498,900

ClaytonChaparral Springs at OakhurstCountry Club! “Manzanita” model

3 bedrooms, 2.5

baths, approx.

1,355sf, fireplace,

inside laundry & a

2 car attached

garage. Neutral

décor throughout!

Cozy private

patio. Walk to

community pool &

spa as well as

downtown!

$255,000

ClaytonFalcon Ridge at Oakhurst CountryClub! Exquisite Expanded“Serenade” model!

on a quiet court. 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 3,143sf,

inside laundry & 3 car garage. Extensively upgraded.

Granite kitchen. Large family room with fireplace &

built-ins. Downstairs bonus room or bedroom. Great

views! Professionally landscaped lot! $599,000

PENDING

PENDING

PENDING

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

Around Town Alicia Morrissey engaged to

Scott Lundgren

Clayton’s Anna Chan hasreceived another award to addto the growing collection on heroffice wall. Chan was honoredby the Daughters of the Ameri-can Revolution, Anne LoucksChapter, with their CommunityService Award. She is shownhere with Helen Primus (left)and Kathy Watson (right) at thegroup’s monthly meeting onJanuary 12.

What began as a quick ideafor collecting unharvested fruitfrom neighborhood trees anddonating to the local foodpantry has gained nationwiderecognition. Last May, Chanappeared in People Magazine asone of their Home TownHeroes. She has been featuredin Diablo Magazine and was a2009 winner of the JeffersonAward for Public Service.

Anna Chan receives DAR Award

Pioneer goes to Iceland

Six local kids recognized for exceptional kindness

While Clayton was lamentinga bone-dry December, Reyk-javik, Iceland was having arecord winter snowfall. Clayto-nians Linda Shoemaker-Haskinsand husband, Will, were right inthe thick of it while they werevisiting her family over the holi-days.

This photo was taken in theheart of the city while standingon the frozen Tjörnin Lake.

“The locals call this area ThePond and the church in thebackground is the iconicFríkirkjan Church with its char-acteristic green roof.

“In general, the buildings inReykjavik are of different,rather bright colors,” says Will.

The church was built in 1902

and is constructed of wood cov-ered with metal, “a prime exam-ple of the Icelandic vernaculartradition.”

Pictured with Mayor Howard Geller are Molly Moylan and JackDress from MDES; from Mt. Diablo Elementary School; BrettRiessen (behind Jack) – DVMS; Ben Linzey and Zoey Dow –CVHS and Sierra Heuser from DVMS.

Vladan and Gita Lunacekwere treated to a rare wildlifesighting last week when a bigbobcat visited near their CrystylRanch home. Because of its sizethey thought it was a mountainlion.

The two cats are physicallyvery different. A mountain lion(also called a puma or cougar) isa tawny color with has a broadhead and wide set, black-tippedears and a very long, thick tail. Itcan be up to eight feet long.

The bobcat is smaller than amountain lion — about the sizeof a boxer dog, with a short tailand dappled rump that is higherthan its shoulders. Bobcats onMt. Diablo are generally largerthan those in other areas, saysSeth Adams, Land ProgramsDirector for Save Mount Diablo.

Both mountain lions andbobcats are very shy and sight-ings are rare. Adams, whospends most of his time out-doors, says he has never seen amountain lion on Mt. Diabloand has seen only two or threebobcats in 10 years.

Park officials will sometimes

post mountain lion warnings ifthey have reports of a sighting.However, “most ‘mountain lion’sightings in the area are reallybobcats,” explains Adams.

A single mountain lion willrange over 50,000 acres anddoesn’t like to share its territory.“There are maybe three or fourwandering through the wholearea from Brentwood to Oak-land at any one time,” Adams

estimates.While it is rare to seem them,

it is not unusual behavior for thebobcat to be in a neighborhoodlike Crystyl Ranch, which backsup to the SMD Mangini Ranchopen space.

“They behave like big house-cats,” he says. “They like to liearound near trails and roadswhere they can watch things goby.”

After weeding out duplicatecomments and those coming inafter the deadline, the consult-ants are left with 88 letters and315 comments that must beaddressed in order to completethe EIR.

The original contract con-tains a provision for amendingthe costs based on higher-than-expected response to the draftreport.

The church objected to theadded costs, saying that theconsultants are professionals

who should have known therewould be a high level ofresponse to the controversialproject and should be held tothe original contract.

In a five-page letter to thecity dated November 11,church attorney Ed Grutz-macher chastised the city for its“inability to manage the City’sconsultants,” and said if theconsultants didn’t waive theextra costs, the city should paythem.

The city can’t absorb the

costs, according to City Attor-ney Mala Subramanian. “Thiswould be considered a gift ofpublic funds and against feder-al law.”

Grutzmacher admitted hewas wrong in his demand. “Imust own up to a lack of clientcontrol on that one…my bad,”he quipped.

The Council was divided 3-2 in its approval of the amend-ed contract.

Julie Pierce, Howard Gellerand Hank Stratford approvedthe increase at $48,000.

“I don’t know very manycompanies that would eat

$48,000,” Pierce said. “Theamount is reasonable. Peopleare passionate on both sides ofthe issue and they deserve aresponse.”

Joe Medrano wanted theconsultants and church to con-tinue to “try and work some-thing out.”

David Shuey agreed that theconsultants should be paid forthe extra work – but only$30,000, a number he acknowl-edged was arbitrary.

“I’m not happy with eitherparty,” he said.

“I didn’t like the tenor ofthat letter,” he said to Grutz-

macher, referring to hisNovember 11 letter. In that let-ter, the church accuses the cityof “bias” and “risks violationof RLUIPA,” a federal law thatprohibits using land use laws asa means to restrict free exerciseof religion. (Religious LandUse and Institutionalized Per-sons Act of 2000.)

“I take that as a threat –throwing RLUIPA at us,”Shuey bristled. “Threats won’twork.”

However, he said “LSAunderbid the project; it appearsto be an attempt to gouge.”

So, they should “split the

baby,” he said, voting againstthe $48,000 amendment.

With the amendment andan additional deposit towardcity staff time, the church willneed to come up with $68,000to complete the EIR, anamount CCC Pastor ShawnRobinson says the churchdoesn’t have.

“We will have to go to ourchurch family and ask them tocome up with the money,” hesaid.

“But, this is our baby, andwe are prepared to go the dis-tance. There is no turningback.”

Come join the #1 Office in Clayton & Concord.*

Call for a Confidential Interview!(*Data EBRDI, Trendgraphix 1/11-12/11)

DRE#01122025

718 Anizumne Court, Clayton $389,000Black Diamond Duet – Two-story3BD/2.5BA with large yard & paver patioon a cul-de-sac offers sizeable kitchen, fire-place in living room. Master suite offerssoaking tub, double closets.

Heather Gray (925) 765-3822

#1 agent in Concord, Clayton

When you list with Lynne you not only get fantasticplacement in the Clayton Pioneer but your propertywill be on the top internet sites for buyers. We offer aSeller Protection Plan, an experienced short saledepartment & free legal consult.

2997 Bella Drive, Concord $399,000Solar Home – Lovely 4BD/3BA plus spacious loftarea & laundry room. Custom touches throughoutmake this home special: built-in cabinets, surroundsound, dual zone HVAC. Near to BART & shopping.

4290 Morgan Territory Road, Clayton $398,000Lot & Land – Beautiful 5 acre parcel has panoramicviews of Mt. Diablo & hills. Build your dream estatenear other upscale ranches. Public water & utilities atstreet.

Lynne is offering FREEconsultations with a REAL ESTATEATTORNEYon matters ofShort Sale, Foreclosure & Tax implications.To take a step forward, you need the right guide.Don’t wait another day! Call to hear about Lynne’sTotal Protection Plans.

Schedule an Appointment!

(925) 672-8787

Coming S

oon

Just Liste

d

Call Angelique Booth (925) 673-2183

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 3

Around Town Girl Scouts remember moms at STAND shelter

When Clayton Senior GirlScouts from troops 31895 and31100 learned that the childrenin a local domestic violenceshelter operated by STAND forFamilies Free of Violence hadreceived donated gifts for

Christmas, but that not manyhad come in for the moms, theywent into action.

With contributions from thetroop families and donationsfrom the community, theyassembled bright, festive gift

bags containing $500 worth ofbeauty items and Target giftcards for the women. The girlsbrought the gift bags to the shel-ter’s holiday party where theythen entertained the childrenwith face painting and balloons.

GIRL SCOUTS BREANNA KEARNEY, Emily Rabbitt, Monishaa Suresh, Casey Mitchell, Sarah Owen,and Emmy Hurley made Christmas a little brighter for domestic violence victims.

Rare bobcat sighting in Crystyl Ranch

Short tail and high rump are characteristic of the bobcat

Church EIR, from page 1

The East Contra Costa FireDistrict’s plan to put a $197 par-cel tax on the June ballot hascome under fire by the ContraCosta County Grand Jury.

In a report issued December23, the grand jury agrees thatECCFPD must find a way toraise additional revenue if it isgoing to maintain the currentlevel of service, but that the$197 proposed is too much – 50percent too much even for theexpanded services that the dis-trict plans over the next fiveyears.

The district wants to expandfrom six stations to eight,adding 24 firefighters and first-responder paramedic services.

The grand jury report saysthat the district’s current level ofservice is adequate and that theboard should look at options

other than the parcel tax to raiserevenue.

ECCFPD says the grandjury’s findings fail to take intoaccount needed funds to replaceaging equipment. They say theyhave cut everywhere they canand have examined all options,including a failed effort last yearto form a Benefit AssessmentDistrict.

Despite closing two stations,cutting staff costs and deferringequipment replacement, the dis-trict will completely exhaust allreserves by the end of the 2012fiscal year.

“Many parts of the districtbelieve that station closures andcuts already made in 2010caused services to become inad-equate,” District Chief HughHenderson said in his staffreport to the board at the Janu-ary 9 meeting.

“Moreover, due to geogra-phy, some parts of the district

believed that service was inade-quate even before the 2010cuts,” Henderson said.

The grand jury recommendsthe board go back to the draw-ing board and come up withother options, including con-tracting out fire services to Cal-Fire, before deciding to put theparcel tax on the ballot. “Onlyone approach to solving theproblem is being presented inpublic information sessions,”say the jury’s findings.

“The board was reallyaggressively unhappy with thereport,” said Board MemberCheryl Morgan. “Everythingthey said we should do, we haveeither already done or are in theprocess of doing, except gettinga CalFire bid.”

Last year, the district askedfor a quote from Contra CostaCounty to take over fire protec-tion in East County, but thecounty’s cost was more than the

district is spending now for thesame level of service.

Morgan says the board didnot ask Cal-Fire for a quotebecause there are too many dif-ferences in the service levels.

Without the increased rev-enue generated by the parcel tax,the district will be forced to cutcurrent fire protection servicesby half, closing three of its sixstations and reducing firefight-ers from 48 to 24.

The district plans to put theparcel tax on the June ballot.Passing the tax will be an uphillbattle, says Morgan. “The coun-ty told me there are 20 otherparcel tax measures on the sameballot.” Approval requires atwo-thirds majority of thosevoting.

For more information, including aschedule of public information meet-ings on the parcel tax, the staffreports and the grand jury report, goto www.eccfpd.org.

A rose bush in a yard or gar-den is a Clayton Valley land-scape staple. You find themplanted in front and back yards,on hillsides and in containers.They add a formal touch to our

walkways when planted as atree and they edge our propertylines with a rambling nature.Roses are easy to care for, butthey can be so much more. It’sJanuary, so this is my annualrose column, the one where Iexplain how to prune the dif-ferent varieties, and fertilize.

Most of the roses bushesfound throughout our ClaytonValley landscapes are thehybrid-tea and floribunda vari-eties. Hybrid tea roses willreach 3- to 5-feet tall and wideand grow like a vase. Hybrid-tearoses were developed to havesuperior beauty, and are chosenfor cut flowers. The roseblooms on a hybrid tea havelarge centered buds on straight,long stems. Floribunda rosesare shaped like stiff shrubs.You can expect 3- to 4-foot talland wide from this selection ofrose. Floribunda roses have aprofusion of flowers, born inclusters. Gardeners who enjoyrose trees, are enjoying a flori-bunda or a hybrid tree rosegrafted onto a trunk. For thosewho have ground cover roses intheir landscape, these trimmingrules do not apply.

PRUNING SEASON

January is the time of theyear that we drastically pruneall of our roses, hybrid tea andfloribunda alike. This is a veryimportant pruning. With therapid growth of a rose bush,and the extended blooming sea-son, it is one of the only timesof the year to really get controlof our rose bushes. Pruningyour rose bushes this yearmaybe slightly scary since manyof them still are full of leavesand may be blooming. Butyou’ll have to get over it, andjust do it.

The basic ideas of pruninghybrid tea or floribunda rosesare to control the growth,remove old canes and crossingbranches, and shape the shrub.

When I prune roses, I geton my knees and look at thebottom branch habit, and Ibegin to cut down the canes,removing all but 14-16 inchesof each. The gray-colored,knobby old canes are complete-ly removed. In a perfect world,you leave five-to-seven nicestraight, strong canes. Thesefundamentals apply when prun-ing a rose tree, except you leaveless cane on each plant.

One very important tip is tonot leave any of 2011 leaves onyour rose bush. They are fin-ished. Once it rains they will be

the first on the plant to get dis-ease and fungus.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

When your roses are allpruned, it is time to fertilize. Ido not believe that there is oneproduct out there that gives allthe proper nutrients to yourroses in one box, so twice yearlywe mix together this formulaand feed the heck out of ourroses. This feeding is forground-grown roses bushessuch as hybrid tea, floribunda,tree roses, grandiflora (if anyonestill grows these) and climbers:½ cup of 16-16-16 multi-pur-

pose granular fertilizer – thisfeeds the rose from the bot-tom up;

½ cup of F.S.T., Iron-plus, orDr. Iron granular – thishelps keep all the leavesgreen;

½ cup of Alfalfa meal – this willgenerate basil bud growth,which turns into new canes;

½ cup Epsom Salt – this willintensify bloom color;

½ cup Bone Meal – this feedsthe blooms.Every year I advise the same

formula and each year I hear

back about the stunning results.Yes, this feeding is time con-suming, and no, don’t premix alarge quantity – how would youknow if you apply the correctamount to each rose? Afterapplication, use your hand culti-vator and work the mix into thefirst couple inches of the soilsurrounding the entire drip lineof the rose as it was at itsbiggest.

The final step is to top-dressthe fertilized area with a coupleof inches of soil conditionerhigh in nitrogen. Doing this willhelp keep the product on theground. Then water thoroughly.Hand-water or sprinkler a cou-

ple times of week around thenewly fertilized roses, if itdoesn’t rain.

If you are tending to con-tainer grown roses, you need tocut the quantity of fertilizer in

half. Groundcover and minia-ture roses should be fed at halfthe recommended amount, andthey only need to be shapedwith pruning.

I always try to get the rosespruned between SuperbowlSunday and Valentine’s Day.

One extra note that doesn’thave anything to do with rosepruning: don’t be tempted to cut

away any frost-damaged plantmaterial. It is too early and thethreat of frost is on goingthrough March. Leave the dam-aged leaves where they are.Water plants when there is athreat of frost, spray Wilt-Stopor cover plants with a fabriccover.

Happy Gardening.

Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

www.myDynamicRealtors.com

LEIGH KLOCKRealtor®, DRE#01874255

925.212.5593

STEPHANIE LOPEZRealtor®, DRE#01370548

925.932.7329

Prime Lafayette location - downtown and10+++ schools just steps from your front door! 3bedrooms 2 baths - gorgeous custom kitchen!Soaring plank ceilings and huge master suite!Offered at $789,000

3399 St Mary's Road

Sophisticated 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, singlestory. Prized Eagle Peak location w/sweepingviews of Mt. Diablo and valley. All solar home.Lovely yards include complete Tiki bar hut withcable TV. Offered at $669,000

www.AhwaneeLn.com

www.588TimberleafCt.com

Spectacular flagship lot with private gate.4b/2.5ba single level beauty with pool! Hugemaster suite/walk-in closet and more.

www.112LaEncinalCt.com

VIEWS!

SOLD

PENDING

Gorgeous remodeled 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath,Walnut Creek beauty! New kitchen, baths, designerpaint, finished garage & more. Offered at$389,000

www.CountrywoodCt.com

SOLD

INSPIRED REAL ESTATE

Fabulous Rancho Paraiso Home with primecourt location. 4 bed/3 bath with luxurious firstfloor master and spa bath, office, bonusroom,gorgeous yards, patios, built-in spa, andmuch more! Offered at $1,025,000

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

925-672-9955www.nicholslandscape.com

LLiicc.. 554422881122 FFuullllyy IInnssuurreedd

Boyce Nichols - OwnerClayton Resident

FFRREEEE EESSTTIIMMAATTEESS

925-822-5144738 Bloching Circle, Clayton

SPECIAL

10% Off for Clayton

residents only

Kitchens BathroomsWindows MouldingsDecks SidingPainting interior & exterior

“Excellent job. Attention to detail.Fair price. We’re totally pleased

with Kevin's work.”– Kathy & Gary Carr, Clayton

DiabloViewConstruction.com

� Kevin Schmidt, Clayton Resident � Family Owned and Operated

license 962284

Remodeling Specialist

Grand jury investigation questionsECCFPD proposed $197 parcel tax

To bloom in June, prune in the gloom

CUT CANES 1/4 INCH ABOVE an outward-pointing bud at a 45-to 60-degree angle.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

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

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

January is the monthto cut and feed rosebushes

Auto

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

Business Services

Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . . .672-8717

Construction and Trades

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

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

Black Diamond Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .777-3440

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

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

J&J’s Final Coat Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-5849

Steffan Smith Kitchen & Bath Remodeling . . . . .914-0497

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

Dentist

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

Memo’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .691-6200

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

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

Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-1300

Financial and Insurance Services

Dawn King Bookkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933-0553

Held, Chris - Wells Fargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609-9415

Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . .432-4211

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

Prosperitas Wealth Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7700

Snyder, Ken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270-3617

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

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

Funerals

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

Home and Garden

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

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

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

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

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

Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323

Mailing Services

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

Optometry

Foresight Optometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4100

Pet Services

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

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

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

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recreation and Fitness

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

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

Diablo FC Soccer Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-4625

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

Senior Services

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

Services, Other

Ararat Exterminators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-7020

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

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

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

Specialty Shops

Blessed Brides by Sarah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1200

Travel

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

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

Living Well

Bella Mia Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7792

Clayton Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010

Coflin Chiropractic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6500

Levity Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2995

Massage Envy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3689

SNAP Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0110

Thin Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-3255

Directory of Advertisers

ROOM FOR RENTOne bedroom apartment.

Beautiful view of Mt. Diablo. Large

kitchen and living area; marble

counter tops. Large bathroom; dou-

ble sinks. $1395/mo. Off Morgan

Territory Road. Apply now. Call

Paula 674-9214.

LOSTVery special bracelet somewhere

in the downtown area.

Gold chain and heart designed for

me by my husband who passed

away recently. Please call (925)

524-0305 or turn it in to the Pioneer

office, 6200 Center St., Suite H.

NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

SERVICESGirl Gardening

Garden care, monthly pruning and

fertilizing services. Plant sugges-

tions and installation. Call or email

Nicole Hackett 673-1746, or gar-

dengirl94517@yahoo.com.

WANTED

Come join Mazzei Realty!

Currently interviewing and hiring

new and experienced real estate

agents. Call 693-0757 for details.

Real Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French is

expanding and interviewing for a

few agents. Call her today 672-8787.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Help Fight Hunger

Anna Chan – AKA: The Lemon

Lady needs your help! Weekly

commitment appreciated. Please

contact Anna at 672-1988 or

AnnaAndAva@gmail.com.

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers and

relief drivers needed for delivery of

Meals on Wheels in East County.

Call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail hair-

byjim@att.net.

Hospice of the East Bay –

Anna’s Attic. For information call

674-9072. To learn more about vol-

unteering for Hospice of the East

Bay contact 887-5678, or email

volunteers@hospiceeatbay.org.

Classified

P.O. Box 1246

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

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

STAFF WRITERS: Denisen Hartlove, Lou Fancher, NicciShipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

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

Tamara Steinertamara@claytonpioneer.com

Send ads toads@claytonpioneer.com

Send Sports News tosports@claytonpioneer.com

Send Club News toclubnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send Church News tochurchnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send School News toschoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

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 a Clay-ton resident. You will find the appro-priate form for your announcement onour Website. Attach your photo to theform. Make sure the image size you areabout to send is at least 3 MB but notbigger than 6MB. The only format weaccept is JPG. You can also mail orbring your print to the office and wecan 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 tamara@clayton-pioneer.com. Letters MUST be sub-mitted via E-mail.

Self DisciplineDo the Right Thing

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 5

Brian Quinn of Clayton diedat home on January 13after a long battle withlung cancer. Hiswife, Diana waswith him.

Brian attend-ed high school inthe South Bay.He graduatedfrom SonomaState Universitywith a degree inEnglish. He was asales representativefor over 30 years in theoffice machine industry.

Brian loved living in Claytonand spending time at his cabinin Calaveras Big Trees. He was amember of Ebbetts Pass MooseLodge #1123 in White Pines,

California. Brian’s passion wasgolf. He was able to fulfill

his dream of going toIreland twice, playing

golf there on his60th birthday.

He was aworld traveler,loved cruising,and taking annualtrips to Maui. Heloved all sports

and was an avid49er and Giants fan.

He is survived byhis wife Diana Quinn,

stepchildren Julie and BrianBerruto, his mother and foursisters.

Funeral services were heldon January 24 at OakhurstCountry Club.

Obituary

Brian George QuinnMarch 10, 1949 – January 13, 2012

UUTTOOPPIICC GGAARRDDEENNSS

MMAAXXIIMMIIZZEE!992255--552244--00005555DESIGN & INSTALLATION

LIC. NO. 898331 Fully Insuredwww.UtopicGardens.com

The Clayton CommunityLibrary Foundation is seekingparticipants for its 9th annualCreekside Arts Celebration asthe library celebrates its 17thanniversary with the theme,“Bringing People & PlacesTogether.”

The event, which supportscultural diversity and environ-mental education programsthrough the arts, is a majorfundraiser for the ClaytonLibrary Foundation.

The weekend featuresentertainment for all ages,including interactive work-

shops in visual and performingarts, art sales, cultural perform-ances, storytelling, celebritypoetry, authors and music,environmental educationgroups and an exploration ofMt. Diablo Creek.

Awards will be given toartists who creatively interpretthis year’s theme juried by TheHearst Gallery, Art Concepts,Inc., and Arts & Culture Com-mission of Contra Costa Coun-ty. New this year is a guided tourof artwork located throughoutdowntown Clayton, a ukulelejam session and art and photog-

raphy presentations byrenowned locals.

The event begins on Fridayevening, March 2, at the ClaytonLibrary and continues through-out the weekend.

Artists are requested todonate $30 for space to sell theirwork for the weekend as well asa 20 percent of their profitstoward this fundraiser to benefitthe environmental educationprograms in the library wildlifehabitat and related library mate-rials. Artists solely enteringjuried artwork donate $15 for upto 3 pieces.

Obtain forms at: the library orwww.claytonlibrary.org . Deadline forsubmission is Feb. 18. For more infor-mation, contact Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen, Event Director, (925) 673-9777, e-mail: akiksen@aol.com.

Lending money to familymembers can be a great way tohelp them out without worryingabout gift and estate tax liability.But before you get out yourcheckbook, it pays to do a littleplanning to avoid some poten-tially significant tax pitfalls.

If your loan is $10,000 orhigher, you must charge interestat a rate that’s at least as high asthe applicable federal rate. Ifyou don’t, interest may be

imputed to you – and treated astaxable income to you and as ataxable gift to the borrower.

Be sure to document theloan in writing and follow theterms of the agreement. Other-wise, the IRS may argue that theloan amount was nothing morethan a disguised gift, whichcould trigger gift tax liability.Even if you expect to forgive aportion of the loan in thefuture, it’s best for the borrowerto make at least a few paymentsto help demonstrate that theloan was legitimate and avoid anIRS challenge.

If the borrower defaults,make an effort to collect. Thiswill help support your argumentthat the loan was legitimate and,

if you can’t collect, may allowyou to take a bad debt deduc-tion. If you decide to forgivesome or the entire loan, try todo it in increments no greaterthan the annual gift tax exclu-sion ($13,000 for 2010).

There’s a common miscon-ception that you can avoid theseissues by guaranteeing a loan toa family member rather thanlending the money directly. Butthe IRS views a loan guaranteeas a transfer of value subject togift tax.

Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

FFoorr rreesseerrvvaattiioonnss oorr iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn ccaallll

((992255)) 667722--99884400

CCllaayyttoonn SSttaattiioonn SShhooppppiinngg CCttrr..

55443399 CCllaayyttoonn RRdd..,, SSttee.. FF

CCllaayyttoonn,, CCAA

EExxppeerriieennccee tthhee ddiiffffeerreennccee!!

LLuuxxuurryy TToouurr EExxppeerrttss

CST #2033054-40Port order and content for all itineraries may vary due to final berth or anchorage availability. © 2011 Princess Cruises. Ships of Bermudan registry.

From Alaska’s glacial wonders and Hawaii’sisland gems to the magnificent PanamaCanal and beyond., you can explore someof the world’s most intriguing destinationswith Princess Cruises® on itineraries that sailconveniently starting and/or ending from theamazing City by the Bay – San Francisco!

Sailings Roundtrip from San Francisco: Spring 2012-Spring 2013

An array of convenient options throughout the Pacific

AAllaasskkaa IInnssiiddee PPaassssaaggee:: 10 days.San Francisco, Juneau, Skagway or Haines,scenic cruising of Glacier Bay NationalPark or Tracy Arm Fjord, Ketchikan, Victoria,B.C., San Francisco. 22001122:: May 13, 23; Jun 2, 12, 22;

Jul 2, 12, 22; Aug 1, 11, 21, 31. Ship: Sea Princess®

MMeexxiiccoo:: 10 days. San Francisco, Catalina Island, PuertoVallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas,San Diego, San Francisco.

22001133:: Mar 31. Ship: Grand Princess®

22001122:: Apr 3; Sep 26. Ship: Star Princess®

HHaawwaaiiiiaann IIssllaannddss:: 15 days. San Francisco, Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai (Nawiliwili),Maui (Lahaina), Ensenada, San Francisco. 22001133:: Mar 16; Apr 10, 25. Ship:

Grand Princess®

22001122:: Apr 13, 28; Oct 6, 21; Nov 5, 20. Ship: Star Princess®

THE HOUSE OF PIPIAN

Adelio and Ivalina (925) 914-0395

2118 Mt. Diablo St., Concord

memoscuisine.com

Unique cuisine� Catering � Take-out� Vegetarian, vegan friendly & gluten free� As featured on KQED’s “Check Please”

Tue-Fri: Lunch 11-2

Dinner starts at 4:30

Sat & Sun: Dinner only, starts at 4:30

FINE DINING

Father and Daughter Owned & Operated

Free appetizerwith this ad (Exp. Mar 29. 2012)

Follow us on Facebook andTwitter for more promotions

For reservations online visit us at

Creekside Arts Celebration seeking artistsand artisans for March event

Equipped to handle allyour electrical needs

No job is too big or too small.

For a free estimate give us a call.

925-777-3440 Jake Pauline, Owner

Clayton Resident

www.BlackDiamondElectric.com

New constructionRemodelTrouble ShootingLow Voltage

Wiring

SpeakersMulti Media

Alarm Wiring& Monitoring

We can do it all!

Ca. License # 724171

Consider IRS rules whenmaking a family loan

If you’ve ever suspectedirresponsible, unethical, orwasteful practices in countygovernment and wished some-thing could be done about them,you may be interested in servingas a member of Contra CostaCounty’s watchdog agency, theCivil Grand Jury.

The county is currentlyaccepting applications to serveon this investigative body, whichis an arm of the Superior Court.Unlike a criminal Grand Jury,this jury does not hear cases, butkeeps watch over variousaspects of the county govern-ment, including education,healthcare, law enforcement andfire fighting agencies.

A new Grand jury is selectedevery year. Recent Grand Jurieshave uncovered questionablepractices and issued reports onsuch things as the county’s manypension problems, dwindlingresources for elder care, fosterchildren in jeopardy, truancy,and impropriety in local govern-ment. The Grand Jury alsoshines a light on the good workbeing done by various entitieswithin the county.

To be a Grand Juror, youmust:

Be a citizen of the UnitedStates, age 18 or older and a res-ident of the county for at leastone year;

Possess ordinary intelligence,sound judgment and fair charac-ter;

Possess sufficient knowledgeof the English language;

Never have been convictedof a felony, malfeasance orother high crime;

Be able to commit to 20hours a week to this undertak-ing;

It is beneficial to be able towork collaboratively and to feela genuine interest and connec-tion to the tasks at hand. For-mer Grand Jurors say that whilethis year-long commitment ischallenging, it is also gratifying.

To apply, download an applica-tion from the Contra Costa CountyGrand Jury website (www.cc-courts.org/grandjury). The applica-tions for 2012-2013 must be submit-ted by April 16, 2012.

County looking forGrand Jurors

RICHARD LITTORNO

ESTATE PLANNING

Richard A. Littorno is an attor-ney specializing in estate planning.He has offices in Walnut Creek andPittsburg. Send your questions toRichard@LittornoLaw.com.

The original ClaytonSchool stood on two acres atthe end of Pine Hollow Road.The land was deeded to Clay-ton for $1 by Joel Clayton tobe used for a “public school.”Mt. Diablo Elementary Schoolis located on the original site.

The two room woodenbuilding opened in 1863 andfunctioned continually until1947 when it was torn down tomake way for the current facil-

ity. In the early days, studentscame to school on horseback,in wagons or on foot — some-times barefoot. By 1890 therewere 111 students enrolled.But, when the school closedafter 84 years of continuousoperation there were only 13students attending full time. In1974, while the new schoolwas under construction, Clay-ton students attended schoolin Concord.

The Way We Were

Clayton School

IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF

IT’S A QUESTION OF

WHEN . . .you protect yourself and your family from thepotential emotional andfinancial hardship oflong-term care costs.

Let’s talk about your options...

Ken Snyder, CLTCLong Term Care

Insurance AgentCA License #0H12142

(925) 270-3617

www.Genworth.com/KennethSnyder

IF

Please Recycle this paper

Q. Will I save money byrepresenting myself whenbuying a home instead ofusing a real estate agent? Ifso, how should I go about it?

A. First of all, I want you tobe aware that the commissionsfor properties on the MultipleListing Service (MLS) are paid bythe seller. They are paid to thelisting agent. The listing agentwill pay the buyer’s agent a por-tion of that commission uponclose of escrow. Usually it is 50percent. For instance, if thecommission is 6 percent of thepurchase price, the buyer’sagent’s share would be 3 percent.

It seems that you are asking ifyou can have the 3 percent toreduce the purchase price. Thatcould be decided by the listingagent and the seller in a negotia-tion. But per the listing contractthe listing agent gets the whole 6percent.

Real estate purchase transac-tions are very complicated andgetting more so all the time. Thereal estate market is particularlylitigious. In the “hot” market in2004 and 2005, there were many“For Sale by Owner” and buyersrepresenting themselves. Conse-quently, the amount of lawsuitsfrom that period went throughthe roof. A lawsuit can easilywipe out much more than youmight have saved. Unless youare up on all the real estate laws,I can’t imagine why you wouldwant to go into such an impor-tant transaction without a guide.

Further, the seller hired aRealtor to list their home. Obvi-ously they believe the transac-tion should be handled by pro-fessionals. In addition, the list-ing agent is also more comfort-

able negotiating with anotherRealtor. A buyer without anagent to fight for their interestsis at a disadvantage. Represent-ing yourself usually won’t equateto a lower price.

If you represent yourself,who would write your offer anddraw up associated paperwork? Ifthe listing agent does it for you itis considered “dual agency,” andthe listing agent is entitled to thefull commission. Many Realtorswon’t participate in a dual agency.Their fiduciary responsibility is tothe one they have a contract with.That is the seller.

Finally, a couple morethoughts: If you want to buy aproperty for a 3 percent dis-count, have your Realtor reflectthat in your offer. Also, if youare in a multiple offer competi-tion, most sellers and theiragents would rather work with abuyer who is represented by anagent – preferably one with agood reputation for getting thetransaction closed.

Q. Do I have to put adeposit into escrow whenpurchasing a property? If so,how much? Will I get it backif the home sale transactiondoesn’t close?

A. You don’t legally have toput a “good faith” deposit intoescrow, but it is customary. Itwould be difficult to get anoffer accepted without it. Adeposit becomes part of yourdown payment when you close.In our area the deposit norm is1 to 3 percent of the purchaseprice. The reason it is capped at3 percent is because there is aclause in the purchase contractcalled “Liquidated Damages.”This clause reads that if thebuyer defaults, the most moneythat is at risk is the amount ofthe deposit or 3 percent of thepurchase price, whichever islower. This clause puts a limit

on damages that could beawarded to the seller.

An example of default couldbe that the buyer removes alltheir contingencies and subse-quently backs out. Sometimesthe initial buyer deposit is 1 per-cent of the purchase price whenthe offer is accepted by the sell-er. After the contingencies areremoved (usually 17 days fromacceptance) the deposit isincreased, ideally to 3 percent.

If you are in a multiple offersituation or you simply wantyour offer to be presented well,a full 3 percent good faithdeposit is impressive. It couldeven make up for a less than 20percent down payment such asin an FHA loan where only 3.5percent is required.

In the case of an offer on ashort sale, which is numerousthese days, it is negotiablewhether the deposit is put intoescrow when the seller signs theoffer or after the bank approvesthe sale. Some Realtors and theirsellers are requiring a deposit beput into escrow from the start todiscourage buyers from makingoffers on more than one shortsale at the same time. Theywould still get their depositreturned if the sale didn’t gothrough, but their depositmoney would be tied up untilthat occurred.

In a dispute over depositmoney it is a good idea to getlegal advice. In our practice weprovide that for our clients.Some real estate companies arestarting to do the same.

Send your question & look for youranswer in a future column. E-mail:Lynne@LynneFrench.com. LynneFrench is the Broker/Owner of Winder-mere Lynne French & Associates and aClayton resident. For any real estateneeds or questions contact her at (925)672-878 7 or stop in at 6200 CenterStreet, Suite E, in Clayton.

Yes. You can join.® (888) 698-0000

Apply online: www.traviscu-realestate.com

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

Mon.–Fri., 10am–5:30pm; Sat., 10am–2pm

NO POINTS,NO FEES

Take advantage of record-low interest rates and refi nance

your current home loan to a new 30-year fi xed rate. You’ll

enjoy lower monthly payments and free up more cash

for other things.

30-year fixed Aslow as 4.49%

APR3

Refinance your home loan!

15-year fixed Aslow as 3.99%

APR2

Rates haven’t been this low since the 1950’s. Refi nance

to a low-rate 10-year, or 15-year mortgage and you’ll

pay less interest over the life of your loan. Depending on

your current mortgage, you could cut years off your loan

payments and own your home sooner.

10-year fixed Aslow as 3.75%

APR1

1. APR as low as 3.75% fixed for 10 years, based on 80% loan-to-value or less. For $200,000 loan, payment would be $2,001.22. 2. APR as low as 3.99% fixed for 15 years, based on 80% loan-to-value or less. For $200,000 loan, payment would be $1,478.37. 3. APR as low as 4.49% fixed for 30 years, based on 80% loan-to-value or less. For $200,000 loan, payment would be $1,012.18.

Rates as of January 20, 2012, subject to change until locked. Financing available up to $417,000 (or the conforming loan limit for your county) for owner-occupied California primary residence properties only. Applies to no cash-out refinances. With cash-out, loan-to-value limit is 75%. Payment example does not include insurance or taxes. Property insurance required. Some restrictions may apply. If impound account for taxes and insurance is desired, you are responsible for those set-up amounts and any charges assessed byyour current lender such as reconveyance fees, payoff demand fees, pre-payment penalties and any interim interest collected at closing. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of interest and charges. Offers cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. Everyone who lives, works, or attends school in Contra Costa or Alameda County, part of our 12-countyarea, is eligible to join. Certain membership requirements may apply. NMLS registered. Equal Housing Lender

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 7

www.diamondterrace.net6401 Center Street, Clayton CA 94517

(925) 524-5100

Call today for yourComplimentary Lunch & Tour

An affordable, independentretirement lifestyle.

Casino TripCasino Tripon aJoin us

Friday, Feb. 24bus departs Diamond Terrace

at 9:30 am & returns 4:30 pm.

$27 - Open to the public. Reserve your spot & payfor your trip by Feb. 9.

Meet at 9am for complimentary coffee & donuts

Please call (925) 524-5100 for reservations.

The risky business ofrepresenting yourself

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS

CLAYTON VALLEY-CONCORD SUNRISE ROTARY

Kash 4 Klunkers, a vehicle donation program,raised $32,000 for the Clayton Valley-Concord Sun-rise Rotary Charitable Fund in 2011. All vehicles,running or not, as well as boats, trailers and RVscan be donated. Donations are tax deductible. Thedonation program was initiated and is managed byDave Kemnitz of D&H Enterprises in Concord.One hundred percent of the donation is given tothe Rotary for distribution to local and internation-al charities such as Project Second Chance, FoodBank of Contra Costa and Solano, We Care Ser-vices for Children and the Automotive ServiceCouncils of California Educational Foundation.With increased marketing this year, Kemnitz esti-mates Kash 4 Klunkers will generate $100,000 min-imum in donations. Kemnitz says, “It’s the bestsource of income for everybody and it’s doingwhat’s right.”

For more information, call Kemnitz at 360-5260.

MARY ANN AND DAVE KEMNITZ of ClaytonValley-Concord Sunrise Rotary present agenerous donation to Maylan Newton ofAutomotive Service Councils of California.Funds were raised by the Kash 4 Klunkersprogram.

Club News

Our bodies are very similarto our parents, teachers, bossesand coaches. They demand wemake responsible choices andwork hard to be successful.They expect us to wake up ontime, show up when we’re sup-pose to and hand things in whenthey’re due. Our bodies are justas demanding. Our bodiesexpect us to eat balanced mealscontaining complex carbohy-drates, protein, fruit and vegeta-bles, healthy fat, and goodiesevery now and then. They alsothrive on smaller meals through-out the day, the proper amountof calories for our body size andactivity, and all the little thingssuch as not eating at all hours ofthe night, not skipping mealsand not loading our bodies withinnutritious meals.

You must always considerthe consequences for youractions. Your mom yells at youwhen you don’t wake up ontime. Your boss threatens to fireyou if you don’t hand in thenext assignment on time. Yourbody does the same thingthrough extra weight, decreasedenergy and low self-esteem – allresults of irresponsible choicesin our nutrition habits.

We are successful in so manyother areas of our life – career,parenting, education, relation-ships and hobbies, but when itcomes to eating healthy we areabout as successful as that 12thgrader who did whatever theywanted in high school. Youknow, the one who realized waytoo late you can’t have instantgratification all your life if youwant to be successful. After real-izing this, they hoped to turnthings around the last couplemonths after spending theirentire high school career makingirresponsible choices.

How many times have wetried a fad diet or insisted wewere going to eat healthy for afew weeks in hopes of changingall of our bad habits over theyears?

It doesn’t work that way in

life and it doesn’t work that waywith our bodies if we want to besuccessful. Why don’t we go tothe casinos more, sleep in untilnoon, not do laundry, stay uplate at night? Because there areconsequences. Why do we eat2,000 calories in one sitting, skipbreakfast, eat junk food all daylong and neglect the nutrientsour bodies crave?

Demand more of yourselfwhen it comes to nutrition. Ourparents, teachers, bosses andcoaches demand more and holdus accountable. Do the same foryourself. Be tolerant and under-standing of your imperfections,but don’t justify and forgiveyourself every chance you get.The most important conse-quences of our lives are staringus in the face – our healthy orunhealthy bodies.

Be creative when it comes tonutrition. Make it fun. Gettogether with friends and familyand figure out ways to help eachother. We do this at work,school or for a social club, whyshouldn’t we do it for our No. 1priority – ourselves?

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

Happy New Year & how about a new home for you!

Fantastic custom-built home in

2002, with 4,022 sq ft of ele-

gance plus a 500 sq ft basement!

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, gran-

ite & marble, 3 fireplaces, 3 car

garage & Clayton’s best neigh-

borhood! A nature lover’s para-

dise with 1.26 acres of heritage

oaks, redwoods & fruit trees, 7

patios, meandering trails your

own lush meadow, and awesome

views!

CUSTOM ESTATE HOME AT A SUPER PRICE!only $939,000!

FOUR BEDROOM RANCHERFOR ONLY $339,500!

Pete Laurence,Broker, Realtor, GRI

Cell 890-6004Fax 937-0150

2950 Buskirk Ave.,Ste.. 140, Walnut Creek

� KNOWLEDGE� SERVICE� INTEGRITY� RESULTS

DR

E#00344166

This clean 4/2 with family room,

dual pane windows, Pergo flooring,

sky-light and central air is vacant and

ready to sell with a regular seller!

Call Pete to see Today!

Pending

Pete can sell

yours too!

1026 Oak Street, Suite 200 � Clayton, CA 94517 � (925) 672-7700

www.ProsperitasWM.com

We are committed to serving the Clayton Community.

California Insurance License #: 0C99169 Securities offered through Investors Capital Corporation Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Investors Capital Advisory.

Retirement.Do you have a written plan in place

for the orderly distribution of your assets?

We can help you get organized.

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

Walnut Creek Office:3100 Oak Road, #300Walnut Creek CA 94597Phone: (925) 937-4211Richard@LittornoLaw.com

RRiicchhaarrdd AA.. LLiittttoorrnnooLLIITTTTOORRNNOO LLAAWW GGRROOUUPP

LLeeggaall SSeerrvviicceess::�� PPrroobbaattee aanndd TTrruusstt AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn

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

Assisted over 4,000 Families since 1979

As you may have noticed,hemlines have come down.Maybe it’s the recession (skirtswent long in the Great Depres-sion), but whatever it is, I’m

happy about it. The key is know-ing how to wear those hemlines.

In my opinion, the bestlength for women our age is ator just below the kneecap. It’sideal for work or cocktails. Ifyou’re tall, wear a slightly longerlength (two inches below thekneecap). If you’re short, hemthe skirt to just above thekneecap to give the illusion oflonger legs and wear as high aheel as you can stand.

In winter, it’s best to wearhosiery; either narrow ribbed,sheer black or opaque in a jeweltone. Avoid all-over busy pat-terns in hose, and lace is defi-nitely out.

Nothing looks better with aknee-length skirt than a classypump. The heel can be stacked,square, slim or chunky. Flats arenot an option here. Always –and I mean always – wear thislength with a heel.

Mid-calf is another option.A long, lean pencil skirt will flat-ter most women because itdraws an elongated line. A wooltweed would be perfect with acrisp cotton shirt and a rich,

clunky necklace. Tall, sleekboots look best with this length.And, please, no flats, booties orstrappy sandals.

The maxi made a big come-back last year. Diane Keaton isthe patron saint of this look.Think about menswear fabricsin a column shape. Almost anyshoe goes with this look; flats,wedges, boots (which are myfavorite). Just make sure youwear a heavy shoe. A maxi needsheft and presence to balance theweight of the style.

You’ve never had morechoices when it comes to skirtlength. So make it a point to trysomething new. You may be sur-prised at the reaction.

Live long and pester!

Judith Marshall is the author of“Husbands May Come and Go butFriends are Forever,” available at theRoyal Rooster in Clayton.

JUDITH MARSHALL

FASHION OVER 50

DIANE KEATON

Like a rolling stone, the momen-tum picked up and their supportgroup increased. They never fal-tered through the arduous tasklaid before them. Donationscame in, t-shirts were created andteachers and the communitywere polled. The resoundingresult is a charter high school inplace to enhance the educationof our youth.

In the media we read of thetrials, tribulations and barriers toovercome by these unwaveringand dedicated people. I will notbe repetitive of these obstacles.Instead, I take my hat off to allof you; no matter how big orsmall a part you played in gettingthe Contra Costa County Boardof Education to approve theClayton Valley Charter HighSchool. I hope to see all of youat the ribbon cutting later thisyear.

PARK CITY

I recently took a drive to ourClayton Community Park to see

the city’s expanded parking lotproject. Our new parking lot iscompleted. Diablo View MiddleSchool parents now have accessoptions to pick up and drop offtheir children through this lot.The additional parking is benefi-cial to the many sports teams thatuse the fields and will alleviateoverflow event parking in nearbyneighborhoods.

My heart swelled seeing thebeauty our city has to offer. Ourfields glistened as the sun beganto set. People were walkingdogs, families were cleaning upafter their outing and childrenwere playing on the tot lot andin the fields in the fresh crisp air.If you have not visited ourCommunity Park to see all theamenities it has to offer, put thison your to-do list. Located nextto Diablo View Middle School,this action packed, three-tieredpark now has plenty of parkingand convenience. You might besurprised to see how much itoffers to all ages.

CREWS CONTROL

Our maintenance crews con-tinue to clean up after MotherNature. In preparation forspring, they are raking, pruning,replanting and repairing sprinklersystems. It’s a never-ending job.If you pass our crews out therein the streets, please slow down.Wave or give them a friendlysmile in appreciation of the greatjob they do.

THE RIGHT KIND

Recognizing students for our“Do The Right Thing” programhas turned out to be one of myfavorite responsibilities at CityCouncil meetings. This month, itwas my honor to recognize stu-dents that exemplified the trait of“kindness.” The following stu-dents received certificates: MollyMoylan, Jack Dress, BrettRiessen, Sierra Heuser, BenLinzey and Zoey Dow.

In closing, a quote fromFDR, “We can’t always build thefuture for our youth. But, we canbuild our youth for the future.”

Email questions and comments forthe mayor to HGeller617@aol.com

Mayor, from page 1

Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fit-ness certifications. She trains at LevityFitness studio in Clayton. Email Ilimaat IlimaHeuerman@levityfitness.com

ILIMA HEUERMAN

FIT WITH LEVITY

Let your body boss you around

Hemlines are headingsouth this winter

Vineyard Shopping Center5100 Clayton Rd., Concord

ph: 925-689-6245

Clayton/Concord Location:

Vineyard Shopping Center5100 Clayton Rd., Concord

ph: 925-689-6245

Store Hours

Mon - Fri

8 am - 7 pm

Sat

9 am - 5 pm

You don’t need anappointment.

A notary is on staff whenthe store is open

The UPS StoreThe UPS StoreIndependently owned and operated

Thomas J. Miller,

Certified Public Accountant

(925) 354-1385 �� tac.light@gmail.com

Local resident

America Counts on CPAsSM

HHiigghh qquuaalliittyy pprrooffeessssiioonnaallttaaxx pprreeppaarraattiioonn aatt aa

rreeaassoonnaabbllee rraatteeTax Preparation, Planning & IRS Representation

“Let Us Light Up Your Life” Residential � Commercial � Industrial

Serving Contra Costa since 1991More than 35 years experience

All Work Done by Owner

Professional Installation of:

www.BurkinElectr ic .net

Bonded & Insured

Lic.#C10-631523

James Burkin

Sole Proprietor

� Ceiling Fans, Recessed & Track Lighting � Kitchen or Bath Remodel � Exterior/Security/Landscape Lighting � Electrical Service Upgrade � Complete Home Wiring - Old & New � Spa Installation

HHuurrrryy!! TThhiissSSaallee EEnnddssFFeebb.. 99

No charge for measures

or samplecheck

outs

Armed with sweetly scentedhand sanitizer in one hand and aClorox wipe in the other, I makemy way down Clayton ValleyHigh’s germ-infested hallways,fighting bacterium one by one.This pretty much sums up my lifeas a germaphobe during cold andflu season.

To help shed some light onjust how germaphobic I am, letme tell you, my readers, whatChanukah gift was bestowedupon me this holiday season. Myparents, being the wise peoplethey are, remembered that withmy leaving for college next fall,I’m going to be in the midst of“Germ City.” Thus, they invested

in a UV light toothbrush cleaner.Pathetic? Maybe so, but I will goto great lengths to stay healthy.

At the start of each schoolyear, I make my annual pilgrimageto Bath and Body Works to stockup on the necessity of everygermaphobic student: hand sani-tizer. Scented hand sanitizer, to beexact. My goal is that if surround-ing peers smell the sweet andintoxicating scents of my sanitiz-er, they will be so inclined to askto use some of it, thus stoppingthe spread of their germs.

With school being a cesspoolof germs and bacteria alike, I liketo prepare myself for what startsjust before winter break andtoward the end of the first semes-ter-cold and flu season.

Cold and flu season is justabout the worst time to be a stu-dent. If you cram 30-40 studentsin a confined area, close the doorsand windows to keep out the win-ter chill, and throw in one studentwith a cold, or a cough even,what do you get? A school-widecold epidemic and half-full class-rooms with the few remaininghealthy students on the cusp ofgetting sick and those few stu-dents who are too stubborn toadmit they’re sick and choose toreturn to school anyway.

I bitterly write this article frommy cozy bed in the middle of aschool day, tissue box at my sideand hot tea on my nightstand.Each time I call out, “Mom!” itsounds as if I’m croaking out,

“Bob!” I have been hit by theinfamous cold. Despite my bestefforts I have been infected bythose few stubborn students whorefuse to just stay in bed to getwell, rather than attend schooland infect everyone else.

This article serves as a pleato you people out there. Youknow who you are. May this bea reminder to get those flushots, use that hand sanitizer,and maybe even use a Cloroxwipe to clean off that desk youso chose to fall asleep and droolon during math class. Wegermaphobics thank you.

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 9

The award-winningConcord High SchoolMinutemen Band stu-dents and the ConcordHigh Band Boostersinvite all to their annu-al dinner-dance-auc-tion-raffle-entertain-ment fundraisingevent: “The Red & White Ball.”Honorary chair for this post-Valentine celebration is Wendy

Tokuda, well-knownanchorperson andreporter in the BayArea for nearly 30 years.

The ball is at 6 p.m.on Saturday, Feb.18, inConcord High School’sMultipurpose Room at4200 Concord Blvd.,

Concord.Proceeds benefit the CHS

Instrumental Music Program

supporting Concert Band, WindEnsemble, Stage Band, JazzEnsemble, Rally Band andMarching Band.

Tickets are $30/person throughJan. 31, then $35/person. Sponsorsare requested for donations toward theevent also. Contact Sol Cuenco fortickets and/or sponsorship informa-tion at sscuenco@gmail.com or 676-5905.

Wendy Tokuda to chair ConcordHigh’s Red and White Ball

College-bound seniors whosefamilies belong to the TravisCredit Union can get a boost withtheir college expenses, as theVacaville-based credit unionannounced it is offering $20,000worth of scholarships.

Each applicant must be a highschool senior with a minimumGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, boundfor a two- or four-year college oruniversity and a member ofTravis Credit Union in goodstanding. Students who live inTravis Credit Union’s 12-countyservice region and are not yetmembers may join the creditunion and apply for a scholarshipat the same time.

“In the last eight years, wehave received a tremendousresponse from young memberswho have exhibited a commit-ment to academic excellence andcommunity service," says PatsyVan Ouwerkerk, Travis CreditUnion president and CEO. "Welook forward to recognizing evenmore of our deserving youngmembers this year,”

The credit union will award 20scholarships of $1,000 each.

In addition to a completedapplication, other requirementsinclude a 250-word essay, a certi-fied high school transcript and aletter of recommendation from ateacher. Completed applicationsmust be received no later than theclose of business Monday, March12, 2012.

Scholarship applications areavailable at any branch location orstudents may apply online at Travis Credit Union’s website,www.traviscu.org.

Travis CreditUnion offersscholarships

One of the most interestingstudies in a region’s history isthat of its local cemeteries, andthe Clayton Library will high-light that when it hosts authorTraci Parent, who will talk abouther new book, “Rose Hill: AComprehensive History of aPioneer Cemetery.”

This new book, publishedthis year by the East BayRegional Park District, looks atRose Hill, now a part of BlackDiamond Mines Regional Pre-

serve in Antioch. Parent is aSupervising Naturalist for thepark district, and the book isbased on her 30 years ofresearch into the history of thepeople buried there.

From the 1860s to the turnof the 20th century, Black Dia-mond was the site of Califor-nia’s largest coal-producingregion. Known as the MountDiablo Coal Field, the area onceboasted the five thriving com-munities of Nortonville,

Somersville, Stewartville, WestHartley and Judsonville.

Rose Hill Cemetery was cre-ated in the early 1860s andserved as a Protestant burialground for the coal field fami-lies. Although over 200 burialshave been documented throughresearch, it is likely that moreinternments exist. Once the siteof neglect and vandalism, thecemetery and many of its grave-stones have been painstakinglyrestored over recent decades byPark District rangers.

Researched over threedecades through newspaperaccounts, obituaries, and familyhistories, “Rose Hill: A Compre-hensive History of a PioneerCemetery” is the only compre-hensive account of the peopleinterred in the cemetery.

Parent’s presentation will beat 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29,at Hoyer Hall. For more infor-mation, visit the library’s websiteat www.claytonlibrary.org.

For more information aboutobtaining the book or visiting BlackDiamond Mines Regional Preserve,contact the East Bay Regional ParkDistrict at www.ebparks.org or bycalling the Park District at 888-327-2757.

New book looks at history of Rose Hill Cemetery

3141 Morgan Territory Rd., Clayton 925.360.7454

Western & English

For all Levels of Rider

Horsemanship

Full-Service Training

Competitive Show Team

Certified Instructors

Private Riding Lessons

Birthday Parties � Camp

www.EarthquakeArabians.com

Offering All-SeasonTraining & Riding Instruction

vote. “Hopefully the charter willwork with the district so that theother students in the district willbe held harmless.”

According to charter steeringcommittee member DavidShuey, that’s their intention.

“We want to reach out andheal the wounds,” he said at arecent Clayton City Councilmeeting, suggesting the chartermay form a committee thatwould meet with the schoolboard and city representatives acouple of times a year to iron outissues. “We want to take the highroad.”

Questions still remain as tothe amount of money someclaim the charter will siphon

from the rest of the district. Theestimates range from $1.7 millionto over $4 million. At the countymeeting, however, Superinten-dent Steven Lawrence said thatthe financial impact of the char-ter is as yet undetermined.

“We believe at the end of theday, at the end of the first yearwe will know all of the fundingimpact of the charter,” he said.

Now that the hurdle ofapproval has been overcome,charter organizers have a long to-do list before opening as a char-ter in fall 2012. The twelve con-ditions set by the county in itsapproval include a summer tran-sition program including specifictargeted instruction for English

learners, a revised student expul-sion policy and proof of thecharter’s $2 million line of credit.

Charter school organizer NeilMcChesney remained unfazed.“There’s a ton of work to do,” hesaid. “We realize the scope ofwork is massive, but there are somany people jumping on boardand ready to lend a hand, it’samazing. I have no fear that wewon’t accomplish all of our tasksand do a better job than everbefore.”

In addition to county require-ments, the task of finding anexecutive director to guide theschool looms large. The nation-wide search process has alreadybegun with the job descriptionposted on various job boards.According to McChesney, within48 hours of posting, the commit-

tee tasked with finding the exec-utive director was already receiv-ing resumes.

“We’re looking for a dynamicindividual who’s got experience.A people person, a good com-municator and a leader,” saidMcChesney. ”Someone whopeople will want to follow... andsomeone who inspires otherpeople to lead, as well.”

Meanwhile, Clayton MayorHoward Geller is ecstatic overwhat the future holds for thecommunity overall.

“With the support of such astrong alumni and community,the transformation of CVHS hasbegun,” he said. “I have 100 per-cent confidence in the charterschool’s board, and can’t wait forthe ribbon cutting of our newcharter school.”

Charter, from page 1

SARAH ROSEN

TEEN SPEAK

Sarah Rosen is a senior atCVHS. You can e-mail her atsarah_rosen@claytonpioneer.com.

WENDY TOKUDA

I was a teenage germaphobe

THE ROSE HILL CEMETERY in Black Diamond Preserve is the rest-ing place for many local pioneer families.

A Clayton Pioneer Publication

Hours: 5 a.m. – 10 p.m., M-F7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun

Family owned 10+ years.

50+ years trainingexperience

Seniors • High schoolWeekends • Kaiser

Clayton Fitness Center1516 Kirker Pass Road

In the Clayton Station

(925) 672-2010Frank Lagau, CPT/Owner

www.CCllaayyttoonnFFiittnneessssCCeenntteerr..ccoomm

Tanning Packages

Boot camps - M/W/F,

5-6 am & 8:30-9:30 am

Coming Soon: 5:30-6:30 pm

Personal Training

Special pricing for

MMoonntthhllyy mmeemmbbeerrsshhiippss aavvaaiillaabbllee wwiitthh nnoo yyeeaarrllyy ccoonnttrraacctt rreeqquuiirreedd!!

1 WEEK FREELLooccaall RReessiiddeennttss.. FFiirrsstt ttiimmee vviissiitt oonnllyy..

With Coupon. Not valid with other offers. Exp. 3/31/2012

1026 Oak Street in Clayton

925.672.2995 � info@levityfitness.com

www.levityfitness.com

Sitting fence

fitnessprogram?

on the

about beginning

a new

Email us to set up

a free touror stop by for a tour plus a voucher for a

free trial class

Email us to set up

a free touror stop by for a tour plus a voucher for a

free trial class

Personal training with a Pilates Infusion

Classes include:� TRX Boxing � TRX Circuit � TRX Burn� Zumba � Hula � Pilates Mat

wwwwww..tthheebbeellllaammiiaaddaayyssppaa..ccoomm

RReecceeiivvee aa RReellaaxxaattiioonn

FFaacciiaall,, aa 11//22 HHoouurr

MMaassssaaggee && EExxpprreessss

PPeeddiiccuurree aallll ffoorr $$9999

VVaalleennttiinnee’’ss DDaayy SSppeecciiaall PPaacckkaaggee

55443399 CCllaayyttoonn RRdd..,, SSttee.. EE,, CCllaayyttoonn

Where Life is Beautiful

THREE HEALTHY HABITS AT THREE INVITING PRICES

$ Introductory 1-hour customized massage session*

$ Introductory 1-hour healthy skin

facial session*

$ Introductory 1½-hour Hot Stone

therapy session*

*Session includes massage or facial and time for consultation and dressing. Prices subject to change. Rates and services may vary by location. Additional local taxes and fees may apply. ©2009 Massage Envy Limited, LLC.

Franchises Available | MassageEnvy.com | Convenient Hours.

Now you can create the wellness routine you’ve always wanted with Massage Envy Spa. Where some healthy habits are

hard to hang onto, our therapeutic services remain a pleasure at the perfect price. So what’ll it be: customized massage,

healthy skin facial, or Hot Stone therapy? Every day holds a new choice at Massage Envy Spa.

(925) 672-ENVY (3689)

59

Open 7 days. M-F 8am-10pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm

49 98

CONCORD/CLAYTON5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd

Clayton Valley Shopping Center

THREE HEALTHY HABITS AT THREE INVITING PRICES

$ Introductory 1-hour customized massage session*

$ Introductory 1-hour healthy skin

facial session*

$ Introductory 1½-hour Hot Stone

therapy session*

*Session includes massage or facial and time for consultation and dressing. Prices subject to change. Rates and services may vary by location. Additional local taxes and fees may apply. ©2009 Massage Envy Limited, LLC.

Franchises Available | MassageEnvy.com | Convenient Hours.

Now you can create the wellness routine you’ve always wanted with Massage Envy Spa. Where some healthy habits are

hard to hang onto, our therapeutic services remain a pleasure at the perfect price. So what’ll it be: customized massage,

healthy skin facial, or Hot Stone therapy? Every day holds a new choice at Massage Envy Spa.

(925) 672-ENVY (3689)

59

Open 7 days. M-F 8am-10pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm

49 98

CONCORD/CLAYTON5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd

Clayton Valley Shopping Center

THREE HEALTHY HABITS AT THREE INVITING PRICES

$ Introductory 1-hour customized massage session*

$ Introductory 1-hour healthy skin

facial session*

$ Introductory 1½-hour Hot Stone

therapy session*

*Session includes massage or facial and time for consultation and dressing. Prices subject to change. Rates and services may vary by location. Additional local taxes and fees may apply. ©2009 Massage Envy Limited, LLC.

Franchises Available | MassageEnvy.com | Convenient Hours.

Now you can create the wellness routine you’ve always wanted with Massage Envy Spa. Where some healthy habits are

hard to hang onto, our therapeutic services remain a pleasure at the perfect price. So what’ll it be: customized massage,

healthy skin facial, or Hot Stone therapy? Every day holds a new choice at Massage Envy Spa.

(925) 672-ENVY (3689)

59

Open 7 days. M-F 8am-10pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm

49 98

CONCORD/CLAYTON5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd

Clayton Valley Shopping Center

Now you can create the wellness routine you’ve alwayswanted with Massage Envy Spa. Where some healthy habitsare hard to hang onto, our therapeutic services remain apleasure at the perfect price. So what’ll it be: customizedmassage, healthy skin facial, or Hot Stone therapy? Everyday holds a new choice at Massage Envy Spa.

THREE HEALTHY HABITS ATTHREE INVITING PRICES

Franchises available | MassageEnvy.com | Convenient hours.

open 7 days: M-F 8am-10pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm

*Session includes massage or facial and time for consultation and dressing. Prices subject to change.Rates and services may vary by location. Additional local taxes and fees may apply. ©2009 MassageEnvy Limited, LLC.

CONCORD/CLAYTON

5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Clayton Valley Shopping Center

(925) 672-ENVY (3689)

49$

IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTOORRYY11--HHOOUURR

CCUUSSTTOOMMIIZZEEDDMMAASSSSAAGGEE SSEESSSSIIOONN**

59

IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTOORRYY11--HHOOUURRHHEEAALLTTHHYY

SSKKIINN FFAACCIIAALL SSEESSSSIIOONN**

$

98

IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTOORRYY11 11//22--HHOOUURR HHOOTT SSTTOONNEETTHHEERRAAPPYY SSEESSSSIIOONN**

$ Weight loss,

nutrition, gentle

detox & cleanse.

Free Intro. Class Feb. 8th. Call now to register.

(925) 672-6500

5444 Clayton Rd., Suite B, Concord

Neck & back pain specialist

Coflin Family Chiropractic

A NEW YEAR, A NEW YOU!

Dr. Dan Coflin, D.C., Sarah Coflin, RN, & Amanda Sadler

Partners with CambiatiCleanse Program

49erSpecialA

sk about ourDo you have a pinched nerve?

We can help.

Special 10% Discountwith this ad

925-693-0110

Clayton66220000 CCeenntteerr SStt..,, SSttee.. GG

snapfitness.com/claytonca*See our guarantee at

www.snapfitness.com/guarantee

FREE ENROLLMENT

Valid for first 50 new members

Expires 2/28/2012

Limit one per household. No cash value. Access card fee,other fees and some restrictions may apply. Valid only forlocal residents on first visit at participating clubs. ©2012

Snap Fitness, Inc.

Results Guaranteed or Your Money BackNNeeww YYeeaarr,, NNeeww YYoouu

FREE PERSONALTRAINING SESSION

30 DAYS FREE

– plus –

– or –

Learn your FITNESS SCORE

& get on a workout plan.

($100 value)

FDA Warning: None of these products or statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. THis product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

What is it harder to do — lose 20 pounds insix months or keep it off for a year?

Many will pick the short-term loss, as they remember theagony of breaking bad eating habits and being hungry all thetime. There’s no doubt that it’s tough to do. But keeping thatweight off is even harder. About half of all Americans wholost weight on a short-term plan gained it all back in a year,while even more gained it all back within five. Keeping the fatoff is one of the most important things to do for your health,and exercise is a critical part of any long-term strategy to loseweight. If you want to fight fat long-term, you need to exer-cise long-term.

The key to making exercise an ongoing part of your life isto treat it like a hobby, not a chore. To make exercise some-thing you will stick with, don’t look for the activities that make

you sweat the most, find the ones that you’ll actually do!Maybe it’s golf, gardening, hiking, softball, cycling, or dancing.These can all be mixed in with more “traditional” exercise tokeep things interesting. Once you’ve identified your newhobby, here are some ideas to keep you engaged:

Learn it. Hobbyists enjoy learning more about their interestand there are a lot of ways to do that. For any activity, thereis a magazine, newsletter, blog, website or book to help.

Share it. Joining a club or class with like-minded “exercisehobbyists” will allow you to make new friends with a groupthat will motivate you and keep you interested long-term.

Record It. Don’t just weigh yourself when starting your fit-ness hobby. Take a few measurements of your waist, hips andlegs. and write them down. Come back every once in a whileand do it again. Success is not always measured in pounds.!

When exercise equals fun, it doesn’t sound as hard, does it?

When it comes to weight loss foods, celery and dry toast may bea classic. But the fact of the matter is you won’t lose weight nibblingon scant amounts of those items. In fact, your body will just thinkit is starving and hang onto those extra pounds! Rather, to loseweight effectively and permanently, you need to eat. And eat smart.Here are 10 of the best foods for easy weight loss.

YogurtThis creamy, tangy snack is loaded with calcium — and studies

show that calcium may curtail weight gain by hindering the absorp-tion of fat in the small intestine

EggsTurn breakfast into a fat-burn-

ing morning boost by skipping thestack of pancakes and feasting on acouple of eggs instead. Accordingto a study, huevos beat out carbswhen it came to helping folks feelfull longer and helping them beatback snack attacks later in the day

PistachiosNuts may be high in fat, but it’s a healthful unsaturated kind of fat.

Like all nuts, pistachios offer lots of hunger-curbing protein and fiber.

GrapefruitOf all the foods rumored to

boost weight loss, grapefruit is likelythe most famous. And research con-firms that this fruit’s get-slim celebri-ty status is for real. One study in par-ticular revealed that eating half agrapefruit before each meal helpeddieters shed more pounds than peo-ple who skipped the tart appetizer.

MushroomsIf you want to try an easy and tasty calorie-cutting trick, then

replace the meat in your favorite recipes with mushrooms. You’llautomatically cut about 420 calories out of a meal, partly becauseyou’ll skip all the belly-padding saturated fat contained in meat.

AvocadoThis green goddess of heavenly,

creamy taste can help you whittleyour waist. It’s true! Researcherssuspect that the unsaturated fat inavocados may ratchet up body lev-els of the hunger-halting hormonecalled leptin — a hormone that letsyour brain know that you’re full, soyou stop eating.

Olive OilThis rich-tasting oil found in salad dressings and marinades con-

tains a hunger-busting monounsaturated fat called oleic acid —which triggers a complicated process in the gut that ultimately tellsyour brain you’re full and makes you want to stop eating.

Whole GrainsReady to trade your belly bulge for a flat tummy? Then toss your

refined grains into the garbage, and eat more whole grains instead.Research shows this one move can help whittle your middle. We’retalking brown rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, whole-grain cereal, and100 percent whole-wheat bread and pasta.

Red PepperAdd some heat to your meals and you’ll

boost not only the taste but also the effective-ness of your weight loss diet. A dash ofcayenne pepper or some diced jalapeno orred peppers will do the trick. They all containcapsaicin — the heat-inducing compound inred peppers that, according to research,tamps down appetite and curbs food intakelater in the day.

Fava BeansCreamy and hearty, fava beans are a lean protein source bursting

with flavonoids. And in a 14-year study, these special antioxidantswere shown to help hinder the accumulation of extra belly fat.

Source: RealAge

If your clothes don’t match, someonemight have teased you about being colorblind. But some people really are color blind.

It doesn’t mean they can’t see any color atall, like a black and white movie. It meansthat they have trouble seeing the differencebetween certain colors.

Being color blind can make it tricky tomatch your shirt and pants, but it’s not a seri-ous problem. People who are color blind cando normal stuff, even drive. Most color-blindpeople can’t tell the difference between redand green, but they can learn to respond tothe way the traffic signal lights up — the redlight is generally on top and green is on thebottom.

Cones and ColorTo understand what causes color blind-

ness, you need to know about the cones inyour eyes. Cones in your eyes? Yes, butthey’re very small. These cones are cells onyour retina, an area the size of a postagestamp that’s at the back of your eye.

You have “red,” “blue,” and “green”cones, which are sensitive to those colorsand combinations of them. You need allthree types to see colors properly.

When your cones don’t work properly, oryou don’t have the right combination, yourbrain doesn’t get the right message aboutwhich colors you’re seeing. To someonewho’s color blind, a green leaf might looktan or gray.

Color Blindness Is Passed DownColor blindness is almost always an

inherited trait, which means you get it fromyour parents. You get inherited traits throughgenes, which determine everything aboutyour body, including how tall you’ll be andwhether your hair will be straight or curly.

Eye doctors (and some school nurses)test for color blindness by showing a picturemade up of different colored dots, like the

one above. Someone who can’t see the pic-ture or number within the dots may be colorblind.

Boys are far more likely to be color blind.In fact, if you know 12 boys, one of them isprobably at least a little color blind. So, girls,the next time a boy asks you if somethingmatches, you’d better lend him a hand!

Source: Laura Evans from the documentary“No Such Thing as Color,” kidshealth.org

Long-Term ExerciseStrategies to Keep

the Weight OffBy Mike Monahan,

SNAP Fitness

What it’s liketo be color blind

Eat these 10 and shed the pounds

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 11Page 10 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

�� Youth T-ball�� Youth basketball academy �� Youth volleyball

�� Youth Cheer�� Adult volleyball

�� Adult coed softball�� Adult dodgeball

ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUE

AOSL PRESENTS

Registration Information–

or call (925) 203-5626

Registration now open for

2012 SPRING LEAGUES

GYM RENTAL

AVAILABLECall for details.

www.alloutsportsleague.com

SSttuuddeenntt--AAtthhlleettee WWeebbssiitteess aavvaaiillaabbllee

NNooww ooffffeerriinngg PPeerrssoonnaall TTrraaiinniinngg ffoorr kkiiddss

Kelsey Brassil hasn’t everhad a summer vacation.

It’s not to say she hasn’ttaken trips with her family, orthat she doesn’t enjoy themonths of June, July andAugust.

But for this Clayton native,summer has always meant thepool and swim team. Dana HillsSwim Team, to be exact. Fromthe time she was three until shewas 18, she swam on the team,and was an assistant coach forsix seasons.

“I think there’s chlorine inmy blood,” she says.

But this year, the Carondeletand University of Oregon grad-uate is moving from her homedeck in Clayton down Ygnacio

Valley Road to take over as headcoach of the Woodlands SwimTeam in Walnut Creek.

“I am thrilled,” she says. “Inever expected this to happen.It’s like it was meant to be.”

“It” was a head coachingposition. Brassil had alreadyalerted the Dana Hills coach-ing staff and board that shewould not be returning in thesummer of 2012, seeking tostart pursuing her teaching cre-dential. But when Woodlandshead coach Eric Wyles sudden-ly resigned, the stars began toalign.

“It suddenly made so muchsense to me,” Brassil says. “I amlooking forward to the new chal-lenge, both a new team and anew job as a head coach. Wood-lands is a lot like Dana Hills in itstradition of excellence and its

sense of involvement.”It’s a sentiment shared by her

new team. “We couldn’t haveasked for better fit than Kelsey,”says Julie Henderson, director ofWST. “She gets it that recre-ational swimming is so muchmore than just a sport; it is alifestyle than includes the wholefamily, and it has to be fun andrewarding.”

It was that sense of traditionthat drew Brassil to the Wood-lands and her new job. Estab-lished in 1962, the 50-year-oldteam is one of the oldest in thecounty, and has been a WalnutCreek powerhouse throughoutthe years. Last year, it took firstplace in the Contra Costa ValleySwim Conference league meet,and second overall at the WalnutCreek City Meet. Its alumsinclude many Olympians and

Junior Olympians.But it is also known for its

strong sense of family, some-thing Brassil knows well fromher years at Dana Hills.

“When I was in high school,I went to Carondelet, so I calledDana Hills my summer family. Igrew up there, and I won’t for-get everything I learned.”

One of the things that everyswim coach has to learn at sometime or another is how to dealwith pesky parents. Luckily,Brassil says that doesn’t scareher.

“The trick is getting to knoweveryone, understand the familydynamics. Once I have thoselines of communication open,it’s generally easier to relate toeach other.”

Clayton’s Kelsey Brassil to lead Woodlands Swim Team

The 2011-2012 season isentering the last few weeks forthe Clayton Valley Eagles girlssoccer team, and for the seniors,the end of their high schoolplaying careers. For senior Ali-son Marines, the season is theculmination of a long and ful-filling journey that began 12years ago in 2000.

Marines had started out par-ticipating in jazz and balletdance for two years, until shesigned up for U8 soccer withConcord AYSO. With fatherRuss Marines coaching her, Ali-son quickly found soccer to be asport that matched her compet-itive spirit with the love of play-ing team sports. Interestinglyenough because of playing catchwith her dad, she initially startedout playing goalkeeper, but herspeed and endurance made her anatural on the field and shequickly found a spot on the for-ward line.

“I love playing up topbecause it allows me to use myabilities to my advantage,” shesays. “And scoring is pretty funtoo.”

VELOCITY ORIGINAL

Marines quickly excelled inAYSO youth soccer and playedon a U10 Concord select teamthat went on to win several tour-naments, including the DavisWorld Cup. During the spring of2002 Marines was undoubtedlya fast rising player and it was

time to make the move to acompetitive team. She tried outand made the U10 class I teamsat Walnut Creek and MDSL, andchose MDSL because AdamCooper, head soccer coach ofthe recent “Elite Eight” St.Mary’s Gaels, was the technicaldirector of the club at that time.MDSL Velocity became one ofthe club’s founding members,and in fact Marines is the onlyone of the original 11 girls thatstarted hat team to remain forall nine years of Class I compe-tition.

MDSL Velocity U10-U14seasons included two first placeand two second place gold fin-ishes in GSSL league, and twoconsecutive appearances in theCYSA State Cup semi-finals.

During the transition to U15and the subsequent merger withDVSC to form Diablo FutbolClub, Velocity continued to beone of the most dominantteams in the club with consis-tent top 10 rankings in North-ern California, and Marines hasbeen a big reason for that suc-cess. She has led the team ingoals several seasons, but themany assists she had providedto teammates demonstrate whata play maker and team playershe is.

She has also played as a guestplayer for a Diablo FC team inNational Championships in Vir-ginia, scoring three goals in thetournament, and has travelled toshowcase tournaments up anddown the West Coast. Over thepast two seasons her DFC teamhas been coached by another StMary’s college coach, ScottAlexander. Marines creditsAlexander in part for becomingthe player she is today, saying“Scott has taught me how toexcel at my positions and how to

take advantage of that whencollege coaches watch. Healways looks out for us andhelps us as much as possiblewith the college process.”

Likewise Alexander spokehighly of his player. “Ali is aquick, creative, and very danger-ous player. She has been a solid

and consistent goal-scorer forthis team over the past severalyears and is a great leader whoconsistently demands the mostof herself,” adding that he hasno doubts she can play at thenext level. “She is fully capableof continuing her playing careerat the collegiate level, it’s simply

a matter of Ali continuing theprocess and finding the best fitfor her,” he added, noting thatshe has received interest fromseveral schools, including St.Mary’s.

TEAM LEADER

At Clayton Valley Marines

has been a Varsity player forthree years and has been aninvaluable contributor to thesuccess of the girls team. Varsi-ty Coach Scott Booth says ofMarines, “Alison is a dynamicplayer with the ability to “shake”her opponents with ease. Shehas predominately played as aforward, however this year weare playing her as an attackingmid. Her moves and lethal strik-ing ability make her a real threatin this position. This year as asenior she was selected by herteammates as team captain, andthose leadership qualities havebeen on display on a squad withfew seniors.”

Moving to a new position ascenter attacking midfielder ,Marines has been impressive inthe attack, assisting on a largenumber of goals, but still find-ing the net herself with regular-ity.

Looking back at her club andhigh school career, Marinesacknowledges the friendshipsand relationships she has built.She recalls the fantastic goalsshe scored, including a gamewinner against State ChampionsSan Juan and Mustang Ram-page. Marines hopes to continueher soccer career by playing col-lege ball after graduation. Shehas received interest from sever-al schools including Chico Stateand University of Miami, and isalso considering other schoolssuch as Chapman, UC SantaCruz and San Jose State. Wher-ever her future takes her,Marines looks back on her soc-cer playing career fondly.

“Soccer has really made methe person I am today,” shesays.” It gave me confidence, adrive, a sense of loyalty, a sec-ond family, a way to stay healthy,and so much more. “

RANDY ROWLAND

Special to the Pioneer

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

Sports Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

See Brassil, page 13

Sports editor Jay Bedecarré is taking ashort leave. In his absence, please sendsports items to sports@claytonpioneer.com.Jay will be back in February.

Eagles star Alison Marines keeps her goals in mind

� Remodeling� Windows/Doors� Crown Molding� Decks � Overhangs� Siding� Trim

Clayton Resident

Noel O’ Meara925.518.0821

Declan Woods 925.216.2679

FREEestimates

Specializing in Bathrooms and Kitchens

Tipperary Construction Inc.General Contractor, license# 783799, B, HIC

Photo credit: Kim Wakida

ALISON MARINES MAKES HER MOVE playing for Diablo FC ‘93 Velocity in the Las Vegas showcasetournament in November.

CLAYTON NATIVE, KELSEY BRASSIL, will move from her home deckat the Dana Hills Swim Club to the Woodlands Swim Club inWalnut Creek in 2012, where she will be their first womanhead coach. She is shown here at the City Meet awards dinnerlast August with Dana Hills swimmer, Jack Skow, 7.

Senior soccer stand-out reflects on herlong career whilelooking ahead

The 15th Annual ClaytonValley Invitational wrestlingtournament was held theweekend of Jan. 14-15, in Con-cord, and for the first time inthe history of the event, thehome team Eagles took teamhonors and won first place.

The Invitational attractsteam from all over the BayArea and Northern California,and this year was no exception,as teams from West ValleyHigh in Redding and BearCreek of Stockton spent theweekend grappling on the matsof the large and small gyms atCVHS. The event features 14weight classes from 106 to 285pounds.

Clayton Valley High Schoolhad 35 wrestlers participatingin the event. Of those, seventook individual honors, includ-ing three gold medals won bySeniors Troy Lakin in the 106-lb. division, senior BryanJiminez at 132 pounds, andMatt McCoy at 138 pounds.Another senior, Ethan Smith,placed 5th overall at 285pounds, as did junior LoganBangert at 182 pounds, andsophomore Michael Nocerinoat 152 pounds. Another soph-omore, Danny Condon, fin-ished in 6th place in the 120-lb.division.

HOME-TOWN COACH

The Eagles wrestling pro-gram continues to improveunder the leadership of CoachKyle Behmlander, who is in his11th season with the school,and seventh as head coach. Asa Clayton Valley alum, and aproud member of the commu-nity, his ties to the program gobackthree decades. As a stu-dent, Behmlander wrestledfour years from 1986-1989.When he came back to theprogram in 2002 the programwas struggling and the numberof wrestlers dwindling. In a lit-tle over a decade the programhas grown to this 2011/12 sea-son where 35 boys are a part ofthe team, and Clayton Valley isgaining respect around thearea as a team to be reckonedwith.

Currently, the Eagles areabout halfway through theirseason, and Coach Behmlan-der hopes their success at thetournament is a springboardfor success the rest of the way.

“Last year the Invitational wasa turning point in our season,”Behmlander said, “and we arehoping to do that this year andhitting our stride at the righttime.”

The home tournamentproved to be a suspense-filledand dramatic event, with thehome town Eagles comingfrom behind and ending thetournament with a 2-1/2 pointedge over second place CollegePark. Livermore finished theteam scoring in 3rd place.“Every point was important,and we could not have wonwithout every one of theseboys contributing,” said Behm-lander.

COLLEGE-BOUND LAKIN

The team championshipcame down to Lakin’s finalmatch at 106 pounds againstJoey Vigil of Heritage. Lakinpulled out a 20-5 win afterscoring a technical fall overVigil. Lakin, who qualified forthe State Championships as ajunior after a top-4 finish atthe North Coast Sectionals,has become one of the leaderson the team.

Lakin began wrestling atthe Concord Youth Club andenjoyed it so much he tried outat Clayton Valley and has beenon the Varsity squad for fouryears. As he continued toimprove both his strength and

technique, he became one ofmost consistent and strongestwrestlers in the county, andBay Area. Last year at Statewas “an awesome experience,and being able to compete atthat level was incredible,” saidLakin. He hopes and expectsto meet the challenges aheadand qualify, and this time,place at the State meet thisyear.

Lakin already has an overallrecord of 24-3 and recentlywas invited to the prestigiousDoc Buchanon Invitational inClovis, where he took fifthplace against some of the bestwrestlers in the state, includinga loss to the #1 rankedwrestler from St. John Bosco.

Lakin has really enjoyed hispast four years competing forthe Eagles and is consideringwrestling in college. He hasexpressed interest in CentralCollege of Iowa for hiswrestling and university future.Meanwhile, he is going to con-tinue to work hard for the restof this campaign and reach allof his goals.

“All of the hard work, andbeing able to succeed, get aranking and recognition, isreally cool,” he says.

Behmlander for his part isthrilled to have Lakin, notinghis state top-4 ranking, andnumber ranking in the section.He thinks Lakin can compete

at the next level.“It is up to him,” said the

coach, “but he has the driveand ability to do that.”

TEAM EFFORT

However Behmlander isequally proud of all of thewrestlers in his program. “Thisgroup, I can say, I am veryproud of. We had a goodgroup of freshmen, and every-one is working hard and show-ing how to lead.”

He cites senior RadcliffHumphrey, who was comingoff an injury but scored valu-able team points at the CVInvitational. Other examplesare freshman Mustafa Sherdil,who won in his first varsitymatch, and sophomore Con-don who is only in his secondyear of wrestling.

“He has high energy andnever quits,” Behmlander saidof Condon. “He wrestledtough, he has a great attitude,and is a quiet leader.”

The coach is confident theteam will qualify most of itsteam for NCS, and improve onlast year’s seventh place finish.“Hopefully we are hitting ourstride. We surprised a lot ofpeople last year, and with thehard work, blood, sweat andtears, we are pushing,” Behm-lander said.

The St. Bonaventure 5th grade Boys American BasketballTeam raised $500 for the Bay Area Crisis Nursery fromtheir recent tournament at the Clayton Community Gym.The team, coached by Brian McCoy, Jenni Brennan and BillMorrissette, played against teams from St. Perpetua, St.Agnes, Queen of All Saints, St. Isadore, Christ the King andSt. John Vianney.

Front: Eric Blaettler, Sr. Ann, Luke Greer, Jaden Watt, JakeBrennan, Diyar Kudrat, Back: Brandon Cuneo, ZacharyStorn.

Brassil, from page 12CVHS wrestlers have noproblem grappling with success

RANDY ROWLAND

Special to the Pioneer

Sports January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

St. Bonnie’s boys basketballgives big to Crisis Nursery

“Over andabove yourexpectations”

2010 recipient of 7 national Customer

Service AwardsConcordVia de Mercados* 689-1739Fremont St. 686-1739Walnut CreekN. Broadway 210-1739N. Main* 979-1739

Brentwood* 634-6366Antioch 755-1739Pittsburg* 432-9910

*Open Saturdays

7 locations to serve youAll (925) Area Code

24 hr. Towing Service(925) 822-2494

5300 Clayton Rd,

Concord, CA ���� 925.689.4631925.689.4631

visit: visit: claytonvalleybowl.comclaytonvalleybowl.com

Clayton Valley

BowlClayton Valley

Bowl

“Super Bowling Special”Super Bowl Sunday - Feb. 5, 10am - 5pm

$2 games and $2 shoes for everyone.Watch the Super Bowl on our big screens over the lanes

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

Nifty $1.50 Nights for everyone$1.50 games, Mon. thru Thu. 9pm to midnight

Open Lanes Everyday Reservations

Welcome

Photo credit: Rhonda McCoy

CLAYTON VALLEY’S TROY LAKIN takes down Taco Coronado of Firebaugh High at the Lemore meetin December.

Brassil has already met withthe Woodlands’ five assistantcoaches, and hopes to gettogether with the team’s teenageswimmers soon.

“The 15-18s are the heart ofthe team, and it can be discon-certing to have a new coachcome in,” she says. “I just wantto make sure they are comfort-able with me.”

One thing that stood out toBrassil is that she is the firstfemale head coach the team hashad in nearly two decades.

“While it’s not unusual to

have a female swim coach, menstill far outnumber the womenin that role, at least aroundhere,” she says. “ I look forwardto being a good role model forthe younger swimmers.”In fact, being a role model wasone of the things that first droveBrassil to coaching. “When Iwas younger, I thought my swimcoaches were gods,” she says. “Ireally looked up to them. Itmakes me happy that I might beable to motivate kids like that,and be a positive influence intheir lives.”

� Tree Service – ISA Certified Arborist on Staff

� Clayton Resident

Commercial & Residential

Design InstallationMaintenance

License # 958849

5 year guarantee

� Acoustic removal, texture� Wallpaper removal� Cabinet repainting

Mention this ad to

925-625-5849www.jandjfinalcoatpainting.com

for residential andcommercial clients

Lic. # 630408Clayton

ReferralsAvailable

Expires 2/29/12

(925) 935-74471610 Locust St., Walnut Creek

www.cruiseadventuresunlimited.com

CST 2074362-40

Cruise Adventures UUnnlliimmiitteedd

Serving all cruise linessince 1987

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

Sailings in Fall 201215 nights10/6, 10/21, 11/5 and 11/20Special pricing, wine and shipboard credits on all sailings

CALL FOR DETAILS

San Francisco Roundtrip

to Hawaii

Princess Cruises®

IN CLAYTONFFeebb.. 22SSoocciiaall HHoouurrHosted by Oakhurst Business Network. Join this newly-formed group forhosted hors d’oeuvres and drink specials. 5 – 6:30 p.m. Diablo View Room& Terrace, Oakhurst County Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr. 672-9737.

FFeebb.. 1122CCaammeelllliiaa TTeeaa38th annual celebration. Coffee, tea and treats to honor Clayton’s pio-neering families. 1 – 4 p.m. Clayton Museum, 6101 Main St. claytonhis-tory.org.

EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENTJJaann.. 2277,, 2288““SSnnooooppyy””Civic Arts Education’s Youth Theatre Company performs a musical aboutSnoopy. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $14-$16.50. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

JJaann.. 2277,, 2288““TThhee WWaaiittiinngg PPeerriioodd””World premiere of Brian Copeland’s new solo play about his personalstruggle with depression. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $40. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

JJaann.. 2277--2299““TThhee GGoonnddoolliieerrss””Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta involving a pair of handsome Venetiangondola oarsmen and a mix up of identities at birth. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $48-$63. lesherartscenter.org.943-7469.

JJaann.. 2277 tthhrruu FFeebb.. 2255““AArrmmss aanndd tthhee MMaann””A charming tale of romance going awry. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38-$43. centerrep.org. 943-7469.

JJaann.. 2288““AAnn EEvveenniinngg ooff SSAAKKII””The short stories of H. H. Munro. A reader’s theater celebrating the mis-chievous, witty and sometimes macabre short stories of Saki. 8 p.m. CueProductions Live, 1835 Colfax St., Concord. $20 in advance. brownpa-pertickets.com.

JJaann.. 2288CCoommeeddyy aatt CCaammppbbeellll’’ssComics Joe Klocek and Myles Weber plus award-winning a cappellagroup Houseblend perform. 8 p.m. Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St.,Martinez. $18. willowstheatre.org, 798-1300.

JJaann.. 2288FFaammiillyy HHiikkee aatt MMaannggiinnii RRaanncchhFour-mile hike with one strenuous climb. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Meet at hikergate on Crystyl Ranch Drive. savemountdiablo.org.

JJaann.. 2299MMoossss RRoocckk HHiikkeeFive-mile hike with 900-foot elevation gain/loss. 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.Meet at Clayton park-n-ride at corner of Peacock Drive and ClaytonRoad. savemountdiablo.org.

JJaann.. 3300TTooaassttmmaasstteerrss OOppeenn HHoouusseeMeet those who can help improve speaking and leadership skills. 7 p.m.Montecito – Oakmont Senior Living, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord.400.toastmastersclubs.org, Marc Ventura 524-0443.

JJaann.. 3300 tthhrruu MMaarr.. 33““AA LLiigghhtt iinn tthhee PPiiaazzzzaa””Romance and intrigue in Italy during the summer of 1953. WillowsTheatre, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. willowstheatre.org, 798-1300.

TThhrruu FFeebb.. 55““FFrraannkkiiee aanndd JJoohhnnnniiee iinn tthhee CCllaaiirr ddee LLuunnee””This bittersweet comedy combines poignancy and laughter as it traces anunlikely romance. Diablo Actors’ Ensemble, 1345 Locust St., WalnutCreek. $15-$25. diabloactors.com.

TThhrruu FFeebb.. 1100““RReenntt””Rock opera about a group of impoverished young artists and musiciansstruggling to survive and create. 8 p.m. Las Lomas High School Theatre,1460 S. Main St., Walnut Creek. $14-$17. diablotheatre.org. 324-7359.

FFeebb 22--44““IItt’’ss AAllll GGrreeeekk ttoo MMee””Five clever and imaginative one-act plays based on Greek mythology.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$14.50.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

FFeebb.. 33,, 44WWiinntteerr PPrrooggrraammSmuin Ballet. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.$54-$67. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

FFeebb.. 1100 tthhrruu MMaarr.. 33““TThhee PPhhiillaaddeellpphhiiaa SSttoorryy””Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $22. lesher-artscenter.org. 943-7469.

FFeebb.. 1100 tthhrruu MMaarr.. 33

““LLeeggaallllyy BBlloonnddee””Elle Woods proves being true to yourself never goes out of style. LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $34-$48. lesherarts-center.org. 943-7469.

FFeebb.. 1111CChhaammbbeerr MMuussiicc SSFFThe Tokyo Quartet. 2:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. Tickets on sale Feb. 10 at 12 a.m. lesherartscenter.org.943-7469.

FFeebb.. 1122DDiiaabblloo SSyymmpphhoonnyy OOrrcchheessttrraaBay Area violinist Karen Shinozaki performs. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$20. lesherartscenter.org.943-7469.

FFeebb.. 1144TThhaatt’’ss AAmmoorreeA romantic evening of international music and song performed by cele-brated musician and singer Naresh Michael. 7:30 p.m. CampbellTheatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $25. willowstheatre.org, 798-1300.

CHURCHES AND RELIGIONFFeebb.. 1100Baha’i, interaction, fellowship and discussion. Speaker: Dr. Diane Hill.7:30 p.m. Free. For directions, call 672-6686.

SSuunnddaayyss tthhrruu FFeebb.. 1122““TThhee FFoouunnddaattiioonnss ooff WWeesstteerrnn CCiivviilliizzaattiioonn””Group discussion based on video. 9 a.m. Clayton Valley PresbyterianChurch, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. 672-4848.

FUNDRAISERSFFeebb.. 44CCrraabb FFeeeeddKnights of Columbus #6038. All you can eat. Raffle. 6 p.m. St.Bonaventure Large Hall, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. $38.Reservations required. Pat Deplazes 685-0573 or Bob Maluccelli 674-0920.

FFeebb.. 1188RReedd && WWhhiittee BBaallllConcord High School Band Boosters’ post-Valentine’s Day celebration. 6p.m. CHS Multi-Use Room, 4200 Concord Blvd. $30 by Jan. 31; $35after. sscuenco@gmail.com, 676-5905.

FFeebb.. 2255AAnn EEvveenniinngg iinn NNeeww YYoorrkk -- BBrrooaaddwwaayy BBoouunnddClayton Valley High School bands’ evening of entertainment, dinner andauction. 6 p.m. CVHS Multi-Use Room, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.$15 by Feb. 10; $20 after. claytonbands.org, linminmailbox-music@yahoo.com.

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

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

FFeebb.. 11SSAATT EEssssaayy WWoorrkksshhoopp7 – 8 p.m. Register with the library.

FFeebb.. 11--2299GGoo BBaannaannaass ffoorr BBooookkssChildren kindergarten through third grade. Pick up reading record atInformation Desk. Color banana for each book read. Pick up prize after29 books.

FFeebb.. 77,, FFeebb.. 1144,, FFeebb.. 2211,, FFeebb.. 2288,, MMaarr.. 66PPaawwss ttoo RReeaaddGrades 1 through 5. Read aloud to a dog to encourage children to read.Maximum three sessions. Registration required. 4:30 p.m.

FFeebb.. 1133BBooookk CClluubbSunny Solomon leads discussion of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The EpicStory of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson. Open to any-one interested. 7 p.m.

TThhrruu MMaarr.. 66PPaattttyy CCaakkeessStory time for babies to three-year-olds. Attend with caregiver. Drop in at11 a.m.

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

22nndd aanndd 44tthh TTuueessddaayyss CCllaayyttoonn PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiissssiioonn7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 orci.clayton.ca.us.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. FEB. 1 FOR THE FEB. 10 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE

SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

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

Life insurance shouldn’t wait.

Even though life is busy, take

a moment to reflect on what’s

most important. For peace of

mind, protect your family with

State Farm®

life insurance.

Like a good neighbor,

State Farm is there.®

CALL ME TODAY.

0901038.1

State Farm Life Insurance Company (Not licensed in MA, NY or WI)

State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (Licensed in NY and WI)

Bloomington, IL

Less than 10 min. from Clayton

Randall E. Chang, DDS, Inc.

Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry

3050 Citrus Cir., #110, Walnut Creek

www.cd-wc.com

We Specialize in the Treatment of Infants, Children and Young Adults

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends

that children see their dentist by their first birthday.

Mention the Clayton Pioneer & receive awith new patient visit!

(925) 938.2392

Ever thought about whatyou would do without electrici-ty, power or gas for more thana couple of days?

Batteries die because youcan’t charge them in yourhome. No mobile phone/cell/smartphone or, potentially,landline service or coverage.Definitely no WiFi or digitalmedia. Darkness at night – youlaugh but try it sometime andyou’ll know what I’m talkingabout. No gas, so that meanscold nights during the winterand no air-conditioning duringthe summer to escape the heat.No TV or satellite. The kidscan’t watch a DVD or play withthe computer – oh no! Andyou can’t use any social mediato see what’s happening or tostay in touch. Imagine thechaos!

So how can you stay con-nected to the outside worldwhen you can’t use anythingwith an ON/OFF switch orbutton? Do you have a plan?How will people you know indifferent parts of the coun-try/world know you are okay?How will you survive the daysof quiet and being disconnect-ed? How will you cope with thereal world now that you can’t“plug in,” so to speak?

These are very real things tothink about. I recently finishedreading an excellent book called“One Second After” by WilliamR. Forstchen. If you enjoy nov-els, this one is riveting and veryinformative and an easy three-day read. Heck, you might evenget a few ideas of your ownabout how to make the best ofa disaster.

Bottom line, have a planwith your family that includeswhere to meet in case you can’treach each other electronically.Get to know your neighborsand advise them of your plans,and vice versa. You may evenconsider establishing a centrallocation and times for all ofyour neighbors to “swap infor-mation” and to keep updatedon the latest developments.

Invest in an AM/FM transistorradio – even consider a short-wave radio to get the latestupdates. Make sure your stockof batteries (AA, AAA, C, D,and 9 volts) are in a place withyour spare flashlights. Remem-ber, you may not be able torecharge those rechargeableswithout any power so havingstandard batteries is essential.

With respect to your fami-lies or friends that are out oftown, you should provide themyour plans on meeting pointsand vice versa so they knowwhere you may be or that youeven have a plan. Two-wayradios or walkie talkies are veryhelpful, so be sure to invest in afew of those. Our CERT teamperforms regular drills withtwo-way radios and can com-municate effectively through-out Clayton.

Use common sense andplan today. Doing so will makea chaotic situation more calm –especially if others that careabout you know that you have aplan or what that plan may be.

Harun Simbirdi is a resident ofClayton and member of the City ofClayton Citizen Corps Council (C5-CERT). He can be reached at sim-birdi@yahoo.com.

There’s a new cat in town,and you want to make surethings stay neighborly. A slow,respectful introduction to theoriginal feline residents is thebest way to keep everyone intheir comfort zone.

Take the first step towards apeaceful multi-cat household bydesignating separate spaces for

each pet. Your resident cat justlearned that he’s no longer sher-iff in town, while the wholeworld has been turned upside-down for the new addition. Hewill need a cozy spot in which toacclimate to your household.Make a laundry room or guestbathroom comfortable with hisnew kitty belongings. Providefood, water, a litter box, toys,bedding, and a place he can hidewhen he finds it necessary, like acat condo. Allow about oneweek for the new cat adjust to

this space before trying to intro-duce him to any other four-legged friends.

Your cat community willquickly figure out that there isanother feline present, but givethem several days to sniff eachother through the door. Anoth-er great way to familiarize themwith each other is to exchangetheir bedding so each cat cancapture the other one’s scent.After the sniff test, it’s time fora meet and greet through acracked door.

Be sure to spend qualitytime with the cats separately.They each need your comfortto reassure them so they canbe happy and relaxed in theirsurroundings.

When it’s time for your petsto meet whisker to whisker,watch their body language care-fully. Look for signs of discom-fort, like tail flicking, back-turned ears, hissing, growling, orswatting. If any cat displays oneof these behaviors, everyonegets a time out in their owncomfort zone. First meetings arenot always successful, so it’sessential to be patient. Try intro-ductions more than once, withplenty of time to relax and recu-perate in between. Each intro-duction should be brief (10-15minutes) and supervised. Itmight take several days for yourcats to learn to tolerate eachother, and weeks or months forthem to become at ease withone another. Take it slow andpay attention to each pet’s com-fort level.

Cats show stress in variousways including urination outsideof the litterbox, over-grooming,and lack of appetite. If your catis displaying one or more ofthese behaviors, don’t hesitate totake a trip to the vet.

Once your cats have becomeacquainted with each other,keep the doors open. This willallow them to interact on theirown terms, but make sure thereare plenty of hiding places andescape routes.

Finally, help your cats enjoyliving together. Spend play timewith them together and sepa-rately. Although there might besome initial competition overtoys, rewarding appropriatebehavior with treats or bits ofchicken can help each felinebuild positive associations withthe other.

Any new relationship takestime and effort to grow andstrengthen. Respecting yourcats’ individual boundaries andproviding them plenty ofpatience and love will ensure asuccessful forever friendshipand a happy home

Nine-month-old Smores is aplayful, happy-go-lucky Rat Ter-rier mix with a big bubbly per-sonality in a small body! Heloves to find new toys, play fetchwith his humans, and play chasewith his doggie friends. Smoreswould prefer a home with olderor no children.

The adoption fee for adultdogs is $225 and includes 60%off one 7-week dog training ses-sion.

Maggie has an easy goingpersonality. Like her namesake

Maggie Simpson, this Maggiehas a habit of sucking on herarm. We think it’s pretty cute!Maggie enjoys some gentle pet-ting and playing with toys,though she would really preferjust to hang out near you.

The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: Noon to 5 p.m.Wednesday, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs-

day and Friday, Noon to 5 p.m.Saturday and Sunday. The pri-mary caretaker must be presentto adopt. ARF also encourageskids 16 and younger and caninefamily members (dog adoptionsonly) to be present during theadoption process.

Would you like to be part of theheroic team that saves the lives of res-cued dogs and cats? Can you shareyour talents to connect people and ani-mals? ARF volunteers are making adifference! For more information seeour website, www.arf.net, or call925.256.1ARF.

Smores and Maggie areARF’s adoption Stars

SMORES MAGGIE

Josie Van Fleet, Owner and Operator

(925) 432-PETS (7387)

671 Willow Pass Road #6, Pittsburg

PetSuitesInn.com

Resort, Spa, Salon

ExtraordinaryCare for your Pet

Exotic PetsWelcome!

� FREE pickup & delivery � Now Open Sundays, 10-5

� Fully staffed & monitored 24/7

20% off Boarding & Grooming serviceswith this ad

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 15

Bringing a new cat into thefamily takes time and patience

(925) 457-5423

www.belfastplumbing.comLLiicceennssee.. 990066221111

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

�elfast�lumbing

Credit Cards accepted: Visa, MasterCard, Discover

6096 Main Street, Clayton, 673-0440

Jan. 27, 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bollinger Station

Feb. 3, 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Desert Moon

www.claytonclubsaloon.com

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

Music Video

Happy Hour

Mondays 4pm to 8pm

Feb. 5, 3-7 pmSuper Bowlparty

2 for the price of 1Beer only. Good anytime withoriginal coupon. Exp. 2/9/12

Karaoke Wed. nights

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

5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd. #180925.672.4100

CLAYTON VALLEY CENTERNext door to Jamba Juice

Most insurance plans accepted

*Thru 2/29/12 – some restrictions apply

Dr. Jeanette Hochstatter

foresightoptometry.com

Ed WaranerClayton Resident

Licensed and Insured

Serving Northern California for Over 30 Years

24 HOUREMERGENCY

SERVICE

Residential &Commercial

� Specializing in Large Hazardous Trees

� Crane Service� Tree & Stump Removal� Arborist Reports� Pruning/Cabling� Fire Abatement� Custom Milled Lumber� Chainsaw Carvings

(925)831-2323CCCCCC CCeerrttiiffiieeddFFiirree AAbbaatteemmeenntt

FREEESTIMATES

Cell: (925) 250-0335Lic. #642272 – Certified Arborist WC – 3386/WE-7735A

Major credit cards accepted

ELENA BICKER

PET PALS

Elena Bicker is the Executive Directorof Tony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation. She can be reached at (925)256-1ARF (1273)Have a plan in place

before the lights go out

HARUN SIMBIRDI

SAFETY ZONE

FREERegular6” Subwhen you buy a

6” Sub of equal or greater price & 21 oz. drink

Plus tax. Excludes premium or double stacked subs. May not be combined with any other discounts, coupons & great

meal deals. Valid only at this location.

BBrruuccee&& ZZooeeyy

BBrruuccee && HHoollllyy LLiinnsseennmmeeyyeerrClayton residents

OOffffiiccee:: ((992255)) 667722--22770000Cell: (925) 956-8605

State of California B.E.A.R l license #A44842

http://ApplianceRepairsbyBruce.com

35 years ExperienceWe repair all major appliances, most majorbrands, andwe’re local

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

Prevent problems caused by viruses and spywarewith Regular proactive maintenance.

TTOOTTAALL DDEESSKKTTOOPP CCAARREE && SSEERRVVEERR WWAATTCCHH

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

Call Mark 925.672.6029 or

info@netsolutions-ca.com

A friend of mine asked methe other day if I’ve ever hadsublimely delicious tepary beans.That launched me on one of myculinary investigations into newand interesting foods – at least itwas a new food to me, but as itturns out it is an ancient food toNative Americans.

Native species of beans arefound around the world but inNorth America it’s the tepary. Itwas an early crop of prehistoricpeople of the arid Southwestand Mexico. Grown in arroyoswhere moisture was more readi-ly available, we now know thetepary (Phaseolus acutifolius) isvery heat-tolerant, thrives indrought-ridden areas and isexceptionally productive.Grown with corn and squash(together “The Three Sisters”),the tepary and most other beansprovide a complete protein thatminimizes the need for animalhunting or husbandry.

Investigators found theTohono O’odham (Papago) andPima peoples growing thesebeans and their language gaverise to their name: pawi trans-lates to “bean,” while “T pawi”means “it’s a bean.”

The interest in heirloomplants has turned to the teparyin recent years, but getting seeds

forp l an t i ng

and finding thebean for cooking remains diffi-cult. Mail-order houses are justabout the only place to findthem, but if you’re traveling inArizona, you should find bagsof the beans in Indian shops.

Teparies are very small beansthat come in a variety of colors.They are not eaten as a greenbean but instead are dried andsometimes lightly roasted. Thismeans they require long soakingand slightly longer cookingtimes to bring them to tooth-some perfection with a nutty,rich flavor. They would make abowl of refried beans or beansoup shine.

REFRIED BEANS

3 cups dried tepary beansWater to soak3 Tbsp. vegetable oil1 cup chopped onions1 Tbsp. chopped garlic1 finely minced jalapeno1 Tbsp. ground cumin2 tsp. dried oregano1 Tbsp. chili powder3 Tbsp. lard or vegetable oilSaltChopped fresh cilantro for

garnishCover the beans with

enough water to extend oneinch above the level of thebeans. Soak for 12 hours. Drain

and rinse; discardsoaking water.

Heat a large soup pot orDutch oven over medium heatand add the oil and onions.Cook, stirring often, until theonions are just becoming soft.Add the garlic and jalapeno andcontinue to cook until the veg-etables are tender, withoutbrowning them.

Add the beans, cumin,oregano and chili powder andenough water to just cover thebeans. Bring to a boil and reduceto a simmer. Cover and cook,stirring from time to time, untilbeans are completely tender.Add water as needed to keep thebeans from drying out but notso much to become soupy.

MASH THE BEANS.In a clean pan, melt the lard

or heat the oil or medium-highheat. Add the mashed beans andfry until they have lost most oftheir moisture. Season with saltto taste (don’t under-salt thesebeans because you won’t be ableto enjoy their true flavor). Servewith chopped cilantro as a sidedish or incorporate into otherMexican or Southwestern dishes.

TEPARY SOUP

3 cups dried tepary beansWater for soaking8 oz. salt pork, diced1 onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1 cup chopped celery1 cup grated carrot1 russet (baking) potato,

diced

1 to 3 tsp. crushed red pep-per, to taste

Salt and pepper to tasteSoak teparies in water (one

inch over surface of beans) for12 hours. Drain and rinse beans;set aside.

Heat a stockpot over medi-um-high heat and add salt pork.Sauté until crisp and fat has ren-dered out. (Reduce heat if need-ed to keep salt pork frombrowning.) Remove salt pork topaper towels to drain.

Keep about 3 Tbsp. of thefat in the pan and discard thebalance. Reheat the fat and addthe onion, garlic and celery.Sauté until vegetables begin tosoften, then add beans and 6cups of water. Bring to a boiland simmer until beans are ten-der, about three hours. (Addmore water if needed to keepsoupy consistency.) Add potato,carrot and red pepper and sim-mer until the potato has turnedto mush. Taste and add salt andpepper to balance the flavorsand serve hot.

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Linda Wyner, a local attorney andfoodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmetcookware store and cooking school inPleasanton.

Direct your suggestions or questionsto lwyner@pansonfire.com

“The Baker’s Daughter” bySarah McCoy is about as com-plex a novel as the title is simple.

The “daughter” is ElsieSchmidt of Garmisch, Ger-many. The novel’s prologueintroduces us to Elsie’s mother,not only the wife of a baker, butthe keeper of secrets. Germany,July 1945 should set off alarms,but McCoy doesn’t take themost direct route to her story,jumping ahead in Chapter Oneto El Paso, Texas, November of2007.

The novel has two protago-nists: Reba Adams, who left herfamily in Virginia to pursue a

writing career in El Paso, Texas,and war-bride Elsie SchmidtMerriwether, once of Garmisch,Germany, but now also of ElPaso.

Reba, a journalist for a localEl Paso magazine, is assigned tointerview Elsie, the owner of apopular El Paso German bakery,for a piece on German Christ-mas traditions. McCoy does notso much weave the stories ofthese two women together asshows their lives in parallel.Elsie’s life as a baker’s daughterliving in Germany as it nearsdefeat is told through letters andflashbacks, and Reba’s as ayoung writer finding her voiceand her way in the world is toldin a troubled present. When thetwo women meet and the inter-views begin, their stories contin-ue to be told side by side. Thelines do not cross until the inter-view stalls and Reba wonders ifshe will make her deadline.McCoy nails it with the observa-

tion: “It was the Nazi thing.”Not just for Reba, but for thereader as well. We all know par-allel lines can never meet, butMcCoy proves this rule wrong.

This is a novel of mothersand daughters, sisters (andgrandmothers), of romance,love, war, fear, insecurity, patri-otism, cowardice, lies, despair,and, ultimately, truth and under-standing. Elsie’s courage is notonly in surviving the ThirdReich, but in recognizing thatGermany was no longer thecountry she loved as a girl; andher story echoes in Reba’s strug-gle to deal with the reality of herlife as a writer and as the fiancéeof Ricki Chavez, a Border PatrolOfficer involved in the roundupand detention of illegal immi-grants. The 62 years between1945 and 2007 become uncom-fortably clouded. Reba’s maga-zine article becomes somethingvery different from what sheintended to write.

McCoy’s novel is not aboutthe culpability of a nation, butrather the understanding ofhow human hearts can remainunmoved in the face of inhu-manity. In spite of someunevenness, I think the novelsucceeds. What brought the twowomen together, while sharingcoffee and fine baked goods,was the sharing itself, which isalways a path to understandingourselves and each other. Theinclusion of recipes for some ofElsie’s baked treats at the end ofthe book was a distraction forthis reader, but who knows? Ifeven one of the recipes turnsout, eaten with a good cup ofcoffee or tea, it may get me tothinking; and what novelistcould ask for more than that?

Book Review

Sunny Solomon is the former BookLady from Clayton Books andcurrently heads up the Clayton BookClub. Visit her websitebookinwithsunny.com for her latest rec-ommendations or just to "talk books."

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

A unique recipe for friendship

�� Specializing in finish carpentry�� All work done by Steffan & Sons�� Clayton resident �� Local references Call for FREE ESTIMATE or

Remodeling Advice 914-0497

by Steffan Smith

General contractor with 25 years of hands-on experience “We finish

your job before starting the next one.”

Lic

en

se

#B

80

11

49

Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012

Always Fresh, Always Italian

4375 Clayton Road, Suite G Concord, Nearest cross street Treat

Owned and operated by Clayton residentsCarol & Jim Rackel • Tami & Ernie Campora (925) 689-3819

Dine in or Take Out, All Entrees $7.99

Cannoli availableeveryday

• Spaghetti & Meatballs• Italian Pork Pot Roast w/Polenta• Beef Tri-Tip in Wine Sauce

w/Polenta• Chicken Marsala w/Polenta

Daily Entrée Selection

Now servingbeer & wine

Every Tuesday: Senior Citizen DayFree cup of coffee

& a cookie with each meal

Open Until 8 PMTue through Sat 10 am - 8 pm

• Baked Spaghetti• Baked Ravioli• Minestrone Soup• Ravioli Soup

VVaarriieettyy ooff RRaavviioolliissHHoommeemmaaddee

FFrreesshh PPaassttaass

We can tell your story.We can tell your story.

No matter what it isNo matter what it is

Rising MoonMarketing &

Public Relations,(925) 672-8717

in Clayton, CA

www.RisingMoonArts.comGary Carr, Principal, carrpool@pacbell.net

�� Performing Groups�� Organizations�� Authors

925-766-6745mazzeirealty@yahoo.com

WE WANTYOUR

LISTINGS!We realize thatselling your homeis one of the mostimportant thingsyou will do in life.We will save youmoney in doing so!

Call us today tohear about ourdiscounted listingrates.

Clayton residents since 1959

mazzeirealty.net

Matt Mazzei, Jr.Broker/Owner

DRE# 01881269

6160 Center St. Suite #C, Clayton

925-693-0757 (Main) � 925-693-0752 (Fax)

PENDING

Fourplex located in downtown Pittsburg.

Great investment property.

Beautiful one story rancher in

Clayton! 3BD/2BTH on a Large

lot. Hardwood floors throughout

and much more. Spacious

backyard with an in-ground pool,

covered patio and large side yard. Call for info.

A darling 1 story rancher on a

quiet court location. 4BD/2BTH

Over 2300 sq. ft. of living

space on top of almost a

12,000 sq. ft. premium lot!

Oversized 2-car detached garage with R/V parking. Massive back-

yard! HUGE master suite and more. Home has plenty of potential!

4113 Tulare Ct. Concord $269,000

Stunning two story rancher in

a cul-de-sac, court location.

Formal living and dining room.

Hardwood floors, dual pane

windows and possible RV

parking. Enormous land-

scaped backyard with grass

and sport court. Much much more! Close to downtown Clayton!

330 Roundhill Ct. $529,900

1486 Yosemite Cir. Clayton $379,000

405 E. Santa Fe, Pittsburg $195,000

PENDING

New Listing

PENDING

PENDING 1876 Cartier Dr., Livermore $272,0001561 167th Ave, San Leandro $190,000

Pioneer Photo Album

In keeping with our motto, “It’s Your Paper,” the Pioneer is proud to spotlight our reader’s photos. Send inyour cute pets, funny kids, great landscapes, favorite sites in town or whatever makes your heart beat alittle faster. Email your photo in a hi-resolution jpg or tif format to album@claytonpioneer.com with adescription of the photo, where and when it was taken and a little about why you like it. Include yourname and phone number. Then look for it in the next Pioneer.

Scott McFarlandtook this beautifulshot of the LydiaLane bridge whilewalking on the Car-dinet Trail.

“We loved the pat-tern, colors and shad-ows of the oldbridge,” said wifeAdair. “We arepleased that so muchof Clayton’s historyhas been preservedfor future generationsto enjoy.”

All 2011 Party Dresses 50% Off

Blessed Brides By Sarah 5438 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 40(925) 672-1200 www.MyBlessedBrides.com

Bridal GownsFlower Girl & Bridesmaid Dresses

Mother-of-the-Bride DressesProm & Special Occasion gowns

Quinceanera Gowns

Gowns by David Tutera by Faviana, Bonny Bridal, Eden Bridal, Blush, Modeca,

Mia Solano, St. Patrick by Pronovias, Liz Fields & Bari Jay, Shimmer. Sizes 0-32

All 2011 Party Dresses 50% Off

Now offering Tuxedo Rentals & Gown Preservation

services

Boy meets girl in “The Lightin the Piazza,” a stunningromantic musical set in Florenceand Rome in the summer of1953. Problem: the young cou-ple’s future together is consid-ered by everyone to be impossi-ble. Resolution: gorgeous music,splendid characters, and loveitself.

A young American tourist,Clara Johnson, meets and fallsfor young Italian Fabrizio Nac-carelli. When Clara’s motherMargaret learns of the affair,she opposes it for reasons thatonly gradually become clear tothe audience.

Deborah Del Mastro returnsto the Willows stage as MargaretJohnson, mother of the youngClara. Del Mastro was last seenin a very different kind of role atthe Willows – as the wise-crack-ing Sister Robert Anne in Nun-set Boulevard. She will continuethe national tour of that showlater in the year.

Coincidentally, the role ofFabrizio is being played byRobert Dornaus. In the U.S.National Tour, the role wasplayed by Broadway pro DavidBurnham, who starred in hisown solo show The Willowsearlier this month.

Rachel Robinson, who takeson the role of Clara, is also theWillows’ staff musical director.Teressa Byrne, last seen as thelead in the Willows’ productionof Rags, plays Signora Naccarel-li. She is paired with long-timeWillows favorite JonathanSpencer, who plays Signor Nac-carelli.

The book, by Craig Lucas,with music and lyrics by AdamGuettel, is based on the novellaby Elizabeth Spencer. The Wil-lows production is directed byaward winning artistic directorEric Inman, with musical direc-tion by Kim Vetterli.

CurtainUp called the musicala “gorgeously staged and musi-cally sophisticated adaptation...the Guettel sound is plush andenjoyable with a genuine musical

theater sensibility.” The Broad-way production garnered numer-ous Drama Desk Awards and aTony Award for Best Score.

Says director Eric Inman,”this is the most sophisticatedmusical score I’ve heard in along, long time. Audiences aresure to be thrilled, as musicaldirector Kim Vetterli and I havebeen, by its pure lushness,paired with the beauty of thelyrics.”

Movie-goers will remember

the 1962 non-musical version ofthe story that starred Olivia deHavilland and Yvette Mimieux.

The Light in the Piazza previewsat the Willows Mainstage Jan. 30through Feb. 1, and opens Friday,Feb. 3. The show runs through March3 at The Willows Mainstage, 1975Diamond Boulevard (in The WillowsShopping Center) in Concord. Ticketsare $30-$36 and are available atwww.willowstheatre.org or 925-798-1300.

Center REPertory Compa-ny latest production, “Armsand the Man,” brings the mas-ter of wit and social comedy tothe Lesher Theatre beginning

Jan. 27.What makes a hero?What makes a good hus-

band?Does Raina choose Captain

Bluntschli — the practical manwho prefers chocolates to car-tridges — or Sergius, the dash-ing hero of the mistaken cavalrycharge that sent Bluntschliclimbing into her bedroom win-dow at night?

Shaw is at his most enter-taining and romantic in thischarming tale of romance goingawry with unexpected turns,mistaken identities and, ofcourse, the playwright’s alwayssurprising opinions on war, mar-riage and everything else.

Directed by Nancy Carlin,“Arms and the Man” runs Wednes-days through Sundays, Jan. 27through Feb. 25. For tickets, call(925) 943-SHOW (9469) or go towww.centerrep.org.

GARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

Theatre

Center REP opens with Shaw’s“Arms and the Man” Jan. 27

Willows to stage lush “Piazza”

“That’s Amore,” is the per-fect date night, featuring anevening of international musicand song performed by cele-brated musician and singerNaresh Michael.

Naresh has been called “TheAndrea Bocelli of Tango,”singing a romantic internationalstyle of music inspired by MarioLanza and Placido Domingowith the modern flavor of JoshGroban and Michael Buble’.His repertoire spans traditionaltango, opera, Broadway hits, andtimeless standards from Bocelli’s“Time to Say Goodbye” toDean Martin’s “That’s Amore.”

Accompanied by piano,Naresh plays guitar and sings inthe languages of romance - Ital-ian, Spanish, as well as English.One of his trademarks is playingthe bandoneón, the Argentineconcertina, an essential instru-ment of the tango orchestra.

Prepare for a sexy and dan-gerously romantic evening.

One show only – Tuesday, Febru-ary 14 at 7:30 p.m at The CampbellTheatre, 636 Ward Street in Down-town Martinez. Tickets are $25,available at www.willowstheatre.org or925-798-1300.

It’s a dangerouslyromantic Valentine’sDay in Martinez

Photo credit: Judy Potter

MARGARET JOHNSON (DEBORAH DEL MASTRO) AND HER DAUGHTER

CLARA (RACHEL ROBINSON) star an American mother anddaughter caught up in a seemingly impossible romance inItaly in “The Light in the Piazza,” opening Jan. 30 at TheWillows Theatre in Concord.

Photo Credit: Ryan Montgomery

CRAIG MARKER, MAGGIE MASON, AND GABRIEL MARIN star inArms and the Man at Center REPertory Company

NARESH MICHAEL

January 27, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 17

Hiking boots dusted off...check! Water bottle…check!Map…check! Spirit of adven-ture…check!

I am glad to be back in thepages of the Pioneer after whatwas ultimately a five-year sabbat-ical, during which time the Park-er family grew by three boys. I

am back and fully motivated toget back out there and writeabout hiking. (Note: I’ve been“out there,” just not as much,and yeah, I didn’t write about it.)

URBAN WILDS

Could a park located ninemiles from downtown Oaklandbe what you are looking for? Iknow what you might be think-ing, and I was thinking the samething until I visited JoaquinMiller Park on a gorgeous Sun-day in January. It offered drytrails, no crowds, nice weatherand a little bit of nature not farfrom home base.

Named for a pony express

rider, lawyer, judge and teacherwho was known as “Poet of theSierras,” Joaquin Miller Park isnestled into the Oakland hills,and I’d call it your “little bit ofeverything park.” Where elsewould you need to go to find atot lot, The Cascades Fountain, adog park, Nature Plant Nursery,Woodminster Ampitheatre,Chabot Space and Science Cen-ter and my personal favorite, thetrails and tributaries of SausalCreek Watershed?

Parking near the Ranger Sta-tion and Community Centermade it an easy jump-off spot toget directly into the heart of thepark. Within minutes I had stum-bled onto the Sinawik Trail andwas immediately impressed bythe lush greenery, stunning red-wood groves and open meadows.

I quickly linked up to theSunset Loop Trail and foundmyself heading straight up WildRose Trail, which is one of thefew trails that do not allow bicy-cles. With a few impromptu rest-ing spots along the trail – not tomention spectacular peek-a-boovistas of Oakland and San Fran-cisco in the backdrop – I knewthis was the right trail to be on.

FLORA, FAUNA AND FUN

I followed Sequoia-BayviewTrail until I reached Fern RavineTrail and followed it back downto where I started. The creekswere dry during my visit, notcommon for this time of year,but my hope is with the comingrains, they will be flowing in notime. Visit the website and checkout a trail map, you’ll see I barelyscratched the surface in terms ofhiker-friendly trails. Some popu-lar hikes listed on the trail mapinclude: Dimond Canyon Shortand Long Loops, Shepard

Canyon Loop and Palos Col-orados.

With more than 200 speciesof native plants and some localwildlife if you can spot them,want my advice? Spend sometime wandering – you won’t getlost in this 500-acre paradise!

As time permits, you can also

visit Redwood Regional Park andRoberts Recreation Area, both ofwhich are adjacent to JoaquinMiller. And the final bonus, foryou dog lovers, is this park allowsdogs on all trails (on leash is therule, but most people seemed tobe fairly relaxed about it). Thissmall detail allowed the entire

family to participate in somegood old outdoor fun, which canbe a tall order to fill these days.

Visit the website: www.oak-landnet.com/joaquinmillerpark.

Morgan Territory RegionalPreserve is growing larger as twoof Save Mount Diablo’s (SMD)properties are transferred to theEast Bay Regional Park Districtin the next few weeks. BothMoss Rock, 20 acres acquired in2010, and Joseph Galvin Ranch,62 acres acquired in 2003, will beadded to the Preserve thanks tofunding from the East ContraCosta County Habitat Conser-vancy. Both parcels have lovelystretches of Marsh Creek, criti-cal habitat and a wildlife corridorfor both common and rarespecies such as California red-legged frog. The Mount Diabloglobe lily and Diablo sunflower,both found only in the MountDiablo area, have been found onthe properties as well.

Joseph Galvin Ranch,marked on Morgan TerritoryRoad by two white bridges, isespecially rich in biodiversitygiven its mosaic of habitatsincluding the creek’s riparianvegetation, chaparral, grasslandand blue oak woodland.

Moss Rock, which is sur-rounded on three sides by pro-tected land, will maintain theuninterrupted oak-bay wood-land rising from the creek intoMount Diablo State Park. Theseresources make the lands a highpriority for preservation.

“Their locations make theproperties excellent additions tothe Park District,” said SMDExecutive Director Ron Brown.

“Both the habitat and locationsmake the parcels fantastic forrecreation.”

“We are very pleased to beable to acquire these lands thatare strategically located adjacentto existing preserved lands,allowing us to link existing andfuture trails and habitat corri-dors,” said EBRPD Board Presi-dent Beverly Lane. “The GalvinRanch parcel, about 61 acres ofpristine habitat, is especiallybeautiful.”

SMD secures land whenopportunities arise, thanks to thesupport of individual donors,holding them until a long termmanaging agency, like the EastBay Regional Park District, canadd them to their park systemoften with the help of publicfunds, like those of the East

Contra Costa County HabitatConservancy.

Even though the propertieswere bargains, their values havedeclined steeply since they wereoriginally acquired. SMD istransferring the properties at thediscounted value.

“The transfers represent asmall donation to the RegionalPark District. We want the pub-lic to have access as soon as pos-sible,” said Brown.

Although the propertieshave transferred to the East BayRegional Park District they willnot be open to the public untilmanagement plans are in place.

SMD will lead guided hikes onMoss Rock on Sun., Jan. 29, andJoseph Galvin Ranch on Sat., Feb. 4.For more information visitSaveMountDiablo.org.

CanariesCockatoosBudgiesLorikeets

MacawsAmazonsConuresEclectus

GreysFinchesCockatiels

Quality cages for any bird at low prices

ShelterKittens

for AdoptionFamily owned & operated since 1981

(925) 672-4600 �� 8863 Marsh Creek Rd. in Claytonwww.rodiesfeed.com

(925) 672-4600 �� 8863 Marsh Creek Rd. in Claytonwww.rodiesfeed.com

RED TAG

SALE

50% OFF

Bird toys, dog toys,

cat toys and much more!

Hundreds

of items

marked at

Our passion is pets.

Open 7 days �� Mon - Fri 10 to 6 �� Sat 9 to 6 �� Sun 10 to 4

Halo Dog & Cat Food

$10 OFF any 28# bag

$5 OFF any 10, 14, 15# bag

$3 OFF any 3, 4, 6# bag

PLUS VitaGlo Dream Coat

supplements

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE$25.99 for 16 oz, $16.99 for 8 oz

Formulas for puppies, adults &seniors from The Blue Buffalo Co.

$8off any bag24 lbs. or larger

Only redeemable at Rodie’s Feed. exp. 2/9/2012

$25.99/bagReg. $29.99

$5Off

Nyjer ThistleWild bird feed

20# bag

For more information on this hikeor other outdoor experiences, contactKevin at hikershaven@claytonpioneer.com.

KEVIN PARKER

HIKER’S HAVEN

A hiking treasure high in the Oakland hills

Photo credit – Brad Heckman

JOSEPH GALVIN RANCH, recently transferred to the EBRPD isunique in its mosaic of habitats including chaparral, grasslandand blue oak woodland which allows the land to supportwildlife requiring more than one type of habitat.

Kevin Parker/Clayton Pioneer

Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland Hills.

SMD transfers two MorganTerritory properties to park district

This year theConsumer Elec-tronics Show in LasVegas had two stand-out electronic mar-vels out of more than20,000 products exhib-ited. One of the stand-outs focus on advances withsmart phones and the other is allabout the ultra-thin notebooks.

SLIM IS IN.The first ultra-thin was first

introduced by Apple Computernearly two years ago. Apple’sMacBook Air was much enviedby many manufacturers and theyhave responded with a Windowsversion for everyone. The newultra thins are fast, sleek, light-weight and inexpensive.

Let’s see what you get, andwhat you don’t, in an ultra thin.First, as the name implies youget a sleek, thin notebook com-puter. Most ultra thins laptopson the market today are aboutone-half an inch high (or about13mm) at the hinge side of thenotebook. That’s about half thethickness of the current versionof notebooks. This advance wasbrought about by Intel, a majorU.S. chip manufacturer and oth-ers, who have trimmed the sizeof their chips so they take upless space and height whenmounted inside the notebook.This re-engineering, along withother strides in the industryhave resulted in this thin suc-cess.

Speaking of the Intelinside (meaning anIntel CPU), theseCPU’s are quick and

efficient giving theusera

delight-ful response to

commands, launchingprograms and web surfing. Theclock speed isn’t as important asyour perception of speed. Youshould be delighted with thespecs, but remember notebooksare not desktops and can’t per-form at the desktop or worksta-tion level. (Note: Do you wantto know why they can’t performlike a desktop? Drop an emailto the Clayton Pioneer andrequest this topic.)

Most ultra thin notebookssport a 14- to 15-inch screen sothey stay light-weight. The com-pact size also gives them a bitmore durability. However, largerscreens, up to 17 inches areavailable. The graphics and richcolor fills will thrill the moststolid among you. Say hello tomini HDMI, the new twist onthe high-def video out on mostmodels.

Performance features,including instant on and instantaccess to your favorite web por-tal, is achieved by keeping thecomputer in standby mode forup to 50 hours and full opera-tion for an estimated sevenhours. So, you switch it on andthe computer screen pops back

exactly where you left it in yourlast session. In addition, theswitch from hard drives to solidstate drives is most evident withultra-lights, providing longerbattery life and more impactdurability.

But wait... There’s more.Actually there’s less. Ultra-slimsare truly remarkable, however,don’t expect the ultras to be thesame as most laptops becausethey lack features like CD ROMdrives, high speed cooling sys-tems, USB links, video outputsand printer connections. Thesehave been eliminated so theycan be thinner and lighter.

These computers areremarkable, reliable and fun touse. Along with the ultra-slimsize and light-weight designyou’ll enjoy bright full screens,Dolby sound and years of serv-ice life. With features like theseit is understandable that ultra-lightweight notebooks were oneof the two showstoppers of theCES show this year.

WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

William Claney is an independ-ent tech writer and former owner ofComputers USA in the ClaytonStation. Email questions or com-ments to will@claytonpioneer.com.

Notebooks: Never tooslim or too powerful

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com January 27, 2012