IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009 925.672.0500

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

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

Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

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

Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . .16

Deal with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . .5

Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

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

Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Holiday Shopping Guide . . . . . .10

Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

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

Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

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

Theatre Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

What’s Inside

JULIE PIERCE

MAYOR’S CORNER

Boundary issuesfinally put to rest

I want to thank our city stafffor the considerable time andeffort they’ve spent workingwith another regional agency,LAFCO. That’s the LocalAgency FormationCommission, a state-createdcommission in each countyresponsible for overseeing localgovernment boundary changes,including incorporation, annex-ations, and special district for-mations.

Every five years LAFCOconducts Municipal ServiceReviews (MSR) of all cities andspecial districts to determinewhether the established bound-aries continue to be appropriate.

See Mayor, page 5

Holiday ShoppingPage 10

Big event raises funds to save sports

New Explorer joins dad and brother at Clayton PD

The McEachin family mayhave the bluest blood inClayton. Police blue, that is.

Members from three gener-ations have served in lawenforcement, and three mem-bers of the same family are cur-rently part of the ClaytonPolice Department. Just a fewweeks ago, Whitney, 14, fol-lowed in the family traditionwhen she joined her dad andolder brother in the Claytondepartment.

The family’s patriarch,retired police chief RichardMcEachin, originally served asan officer in Antioch. He laterbecame a chief in Kansas andthen Washington State beforeretiring 38 years later. His son,Richard Jr., went on to joinClayton’s police department.Richard Jr.’s children, Richard

III and Whitney, have donnedthe uniforms that identify themas part of Clayton’s elite teamof volunteer Police Explorers.

McEachin Jr. described theExplorers program as a win-winsituation for its members andthe city. “We really rely on thoseExplorers,” he said. “Being asmall department, we need allthe help we can get.”

He cited the Explorers’work at Clayton’s three biggestevents, the Art & Wine Festivalin May, the 4th of July paradeand Oktoberfest.

The volunteer program wasbrought to Clayton in 1991 bythen Sgt. Rich Enea to givelocal teens insight into the lifeof a police officer. The seniorMcEachin says Explorers – andvolunteers in general – gaininvaluable experience just bythe act of giving their time.Photo courtesy of Richard McEachin Jr.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR with the McEachins as Whitney McEachin (right) joins herbrother Richard III (left) in the Clayton Police Explorer program. Dad is Clayton Officer RichardMcEachin Jr., Whitney and Richard III are the third generation to serve in law enforcement.

Photos by Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer

OVER 2,000 TURNED OUT LAST SUNDAY for the Save High School Sports 5K Run/Walk at Newhall Park. The event drewmore than twice the anticipated participants and raised an estimated $50,000 for MDUSD athletic programs.

Assistant tocity managerto run forcounty office

With a measure of cautiousenthusiasm and a tinge of regretat leaving her Clayton post ifshe is successful, LauraHoffmeister, Clayton’s assistantto the city manager, is planningto vie for the county supervisorseat that will be vacated nextyear.

The current District 4 super-visor, Susan Bonilla, is making abid for Tom Torlakson’s seat inthe California Assembly.

The election primary nextJune could well run off into aNovember election, with the

Two Concord men, 18 and19, were arrested and a babytaken into custody on Oct. 1when a botched burglary inPeacock Creek ended at police

gunpoint after a short pursuitby Clayton Police Cpl. RichardEnea.

According to police, the vic-tim was in his Inverness Wayhome about 4 p.m. when heheard noises outside. When hewent to investigate, he found

that the side door had beenkicked in and there was a manin his garage. He confrontedthe burglar, who punched thehomeowner and ran to a wait-ing car.

The homeowner flaggeddown a neighbor and the two

followed the suspects, callingpolice along the way.

Enea was just leaving thepolice station when he got thecall. He caught up to the sus-pects at Ygnacio Valley Roadand followed them downClayton Road to Bailey Road,

where the suspects pulled over.Enea held the men in the

car at gunpoint until Sgt. TimMarchut of Clayton PD andHollie Sanson of the ConcordK-9 unit arrived. As officers

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

They said it with their partic-ipation and in the colors of theirshirts.

The effort to Save HighSchool Sports in the Mt. DiabloUnified School District receivedits biggest community boost lastSunday at Newhall Park whenover 2,000 people turned out forthe inaugural 5K Run/Walksponsored by United Mt. DiabloAthletic Foundation, thefundraising and support groupheaded by Clayton Valley HighSchool athletic director andClayton resident PatMiddendorf.

Event organizers originallyhoped to attract 1,000 partici-pants. By last Saturday nightthey closed off advance onlineregistrations at 1,221. OnSunday they ran out of the2,000 runner/walker numbersthey had printed due to all thewalk-up registrants. FormerClayton Valley High starNathanael Litwiller, who ran an

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

Resident spies burglar; police arrest twoTAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

LAURA HOFFMEISTER

See Burglar, page 4

See Walk, page 8

See Hoffmeister, page 7See Police, page 9

When Brandee Caldwellplaced a hummingbird feederon the porch of her DiabloStreet home, she had no ideashe would become the perma-nent dining spot for a rarewhite hummingbird.

With its black beak and feetand white feathers, Brandee’sLeucistic Hummingbird is nota true albino, but is nonethe-less extremely rare, according

to the hummingbird Websitewww.rubythroat.org.

The white hummer nests inthe oak tree on the hill by theelementary school and feedsabout every 15 minutes duringthe day.

The white hummer is one of15 that regular feed at Brandee’sfour feeders.

“They swarm me when I goto fill the feeders. ‘Hurry, hurryup, they cheep.’”

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

Around Town

Clayton Resident & Broker Owner

421 Diablo Creek Place, Clayton $659,980Cardinet Trail – 3BD/2BA has master suite w/fabu-lous master bath! New decks, solar pool/spa.www.DiabloCreekPlace.com

170 Brandywine Place, Clayton $859,000Peacock Creek – Single-story w/3,030 s.f. on corner lothas over $200K in upgrades & incredible landscaping.www.170Brandywine.com

27 Mirango Court, Clayton $608,000Regency Woods – 4BD/2.5BA rancher with .32 acrelot, heated pool/spa & cozy living & family rooms.www.MirangoCourt.com

785 Bloching Circle, Clayton $578,500Regency Woods – Value priced 4BD/2.5BA ready fora quick close! Well-maintained home w/Mt. Diablo outyour door. www.785BlochingCircle.com

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3104 Coyote Circle, Clayton $299,000Diablo Ridge – Updated & private 2BD/2BA condow/bedroom & deck views and two garages.www.3104CoyoteCircle.com

1278 Shell Circle, Clayton $448,800Chaparral Springs – 3BD/3BA town home on golfcourse w/views. Amenities galore – feels like home!.www.1278ShellCircle.com

350 Blue Oak Lane, Clayton $729,000Eagle Peak – Sought-after 2,448 s.f. Diablo modeloffers single-story luxury, 4BD/2.5BA, on corner lot.www.BlueOakLane.com

1267 Quiet Circle, Concord $599,000Custom Pine Hollow – Elegant 4BD/3BA down a pri-vate lane offers heated pool/spa & 2,802 s.f.www.1267QuietCircle.com

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Emmi parties hearty with Garden Girl

OOnn OOccttoobbeerr 44,, NNiiccoollee HHaacckkeetttt,, tthhee GGaarrddeenn GGiirrll,, was the entertainment at Emmi Johnson’s fourthbirthday party. Emmi is pictured above, in front, in the princess dress. Nicole is standing in theback. Emmi celebrated her big day in the garden with family and friends at their home inOakhurst. The children planted colorful zinnias and nasturtium seeds in pots decorated with rib-bons and balloons.

Reunion with Carol Burnett a memorable experience

I met Carol Burnett whenshe and I attended UCLA in theearly ’50s. At the time, I com-muted daily between my homein the Hollywood area and thecampus. She also was a com-muter and lived about twoblocks above HollywoodBoulevard.

One day, a friend of oursasked if I would give Carol aride home. In my hand-me-down 1948 Studebaker, I droveher to the Spanish-style apart-ment building where she livedwith her grandmother andmother.

Fast forward to Oct. 1,2009. Having enjoyed watchingher for years, I was thrilled tolearn she would have a one-night appearance at the

Oakland Paramount Theatrebilled as “A Conversation withCarol Burnett.” I bought tick-ets, contacted the productioncompany, told my story andthey put me and my wife,Barbara, on the list of guests tomeet her backstage after theshow.

I presented her with lettersof greeting from my friendswho appeared in UCLA pro-ductions with her, as well asphotos from some of thoseproductions. One photo sched-uled to be printed in the DailyBruin was returned with a noteon the back asking for the iden-tity of “the girl.” Of course, itwas Carol. She certainly hascome a long way since then!

Carol was so welcoming andgracious and was utterlydelighted to have the letters andphotos. She instantly named all

the actors, the productions andthe years in which they tookplace.

The hour and half showwas a great evening consistingof questions from the audience,a variety of film clips from hermany shows and some hilariousstories. I never knew that doingsomething seemingly unevent-ful like giving someone a ridewould lead years later to a mostmemorable evening.

RON JACOBS

Special to the Pioneer

Photo courtesy of Rob Jacobs

Barbara and Ron Jacobs (left) enjoyed a reunion with oldfriend and classmate, Carol Burnett, at the Paramount Theaterrecently. Ron and Carol attended UCLA together in the fifties.

What’s happeningAround Town?Send your news and pho-

tos of your births, engage-ments weddings, specialrecognitions, etc. toinfo@claytonpioneer.com.

Photo courtesy of Ron Jacobs

This photo appeared in theUCLA Daily Bruin circa 1954.Carol Burnett is third fromthe left

Rare whitehummer nests

in town

Every year, the staff andagents at Windermere LynneFrench and Associates par-ticipate in a community serv-ice day. One year the staffplanted trees at the elemen-tary school, another year theydid some well-needed main-tenance work at a Pittsburghomeless shelter. This year,the staff joined with theContra Costa Food Bank ona food drive.

“With the strain onemployment and income fora lot of people, the foodbank is actually DOWNabout 35 percent and in des-

perate need of help,” saidmanaging broker AngeliqueBooth.

The staff collected 2,645pounds of food and workedat the Food Bank all morningon Oct. 16, sorting, baggingand distributing.

The bonny green of CountyKildare in Ireland was the set-ting for the wedding of JonelleDerickson of San Ramon andCarl Littorno of Clayton on July8.

The ceremony, which wasperformed by the bride’s uncle,included a “Celtic Knot” tradi-tion where family and friendstied a ribbon around the cou-ple’s clasped hands, then eachshared a special wish for thecouple.

Jonelle is the daughter ofJack and Candace Derickson ofBreckenridge, Colorado. Shewore an ivory satin gown with abeaded lace bodice and carriedred roses. She was attended byJenna and Joanna Dericksonand Margie Calvin.

The groom is the son of

Nancy and Richard Littorno ofClayton. Mark Hayes, CalvinThompson and SteveMcGlasson served as grooms-men.

The wedding was followedby a reception, dinner anddancing.

Jonelle attended high schoolin Sugarland, Texas and is agraduate of Texas A&MUniversity. She is a sales opera-tions manager.

Carl graduated from ClaytonValley High School and NCTIparamedic school. He is cur-rently in the firefighter programat Los Medanos College and is afirefighter and paramedic withthe Benicia Fire Department.

The couple honeymooned inIreland and will live in Dublin,California.

Five Claytonians wereamong the more than 2,000that gathered at Heather Farm

Park in Walnut Creek on Oct. 4to complete a two-mile walk forthe Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation. The walkers andtheir supporters came from allover the Bay Area and raisedmore than $400,000. Over 100families and 34 corporate andcivic groups walked as teams.

“The good news is that ourwalk has grown from dozens tothousands,” said walk chairmanStan Pachura or Danville. “Thebest news is our progress inresearch was measured in years,but now it’s measured in weeksand days,” Pachura added.Pachura’s grandson has Type 1diabetes.

The event raises money forresearch and treatment forjuvenile diabetes, one of thefastest growing medical prob-lems facing the nation. Formore information visitwww.CureType1.org.

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 3

Around Town

Encina / Clayton

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Joe and Marty Maganaremembered the important stuffwhen they traveled to Greecethis summer. “We took the goodole Clayton Pioneer along withus to Santorini.”

Thousands walk for diabetes research

Rosalie Christensen, Christy DeAngelo, Alex Treshler, FrankEnciso and Michelle Treshler, all of Clayton, participated in acharity walk for diabetes research on Oct. 4.

Pioneer says‘Opa’ to Greek

vacation

Jonelle Derickson and Carl Littorno exchange vows

JONELLE DERICKSON AND CARL LITTORNO

Lynne French team helps out at the Food Bank

For their annual service day, the Lynne French Team collect-ed over 2,600 pounds of food for the Contra Costa Food Bank.

Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

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Halloween should be filledwith surprise and be an enjoy-able experience for everyone.However, trick-or-treating canbecome dangerous because of anumber of factors.

The Clayton PoliceDepartment, the NationalSafety Council and theAmerican Academy ofPediatrics offer some basic safe-ty tips to parents, trick-or-treaters and homeowners:

Parents should make surethat children eat dinner beforesetting out.

Young children should beaccompanied by an adult.

Instruct children to travelonly in familiar areas and alongan established route.

If children go out on theirown, make sure they have awatch that can be read in thedark and have them carry a cellphone and flashlight.

Although tampering is rare,tell your children to bring thecandy home to be inspectedbefore consuming anything.Look at the wrapping carefullyand toss out anything that looks

suspect.Establish a return time.Trick-or-treaters should walk

on sidewalks, if available, not onthe streets.

Remind them to look bothways before crossing streets,checking for cars and trucks.

Always carry a flashlight tolight your way.

Wear light-colored or reflec-tive costumes so you are morevisible.

Use or buy only fire-retar-dant materials for costumes.

Costumes shouldn’t be solong as to create a tripping haz-ard.

Visit homes that are familiarand well lit.

Be cautious of animals andstrangers.

Homeowners should makesure that yards are clear of haz-ards, such as children’s toys,hoses, Halloween decorationsor flower pots, that might causeyoung ones to trip. Changeburned-out light bulbs.

Pets get frightened onHalloween. Protect them fromcars or trick-or-treaters by

bringing them inside.If you use outdoor candles,

make sure they are placed awayfrom where trick-or-treaters willtravel.

Healthy food alternatives fortrick-or-treaters include pack-ages of low-fat crackers withcheese or peanut butter filling,packaged fruit rolls, mini boxesof raisins and single-serve pack-ets of low-fat popcorn that canbe microwaved later.

If you have questions orwish to report any suspiciousactivity associated withHalloween, call the ClaytonPolice Department at 673-7350.

DAN LAWRENCE

FROM THE CHIEF

Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s PoliceChief. Please send your questions,comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci.concord.ca.us

Have a spook-tacular,but safe, Halloween

Clayton may soon see somerelief from the latest round ofstate raids on local tax revenues.

At the October 6 regularmeeting, the City Council votedto participate in a structuredfinancing arrangement whichwould pay off the property taxesborrowed from the local govern-ments by next May, rather than inthe three years required by law.The bill has passed both theAssembly and the Senate and isawaiting the governor’s signature.

In 2004, the voters passedProposition 1A, which prohibit-

ed the state from diverting for itsown use, property tax revenuesfrom cities, counties and specialdistricts, except in an emergency,or a “severe financial hardship.”

The $26 billion budget gapfaced by the state this year creat-ed a financial hardship, and thelegislature looked to local agen-cies to fund the shortfall, “bor-rowing” from property tax rev-enues and seizingRedevelopment Agency funds.

Clayton’s loan to the state is$139,195, a receivable which thestate is required to repay in threeyears at 2 percent interest.

Under the securitization pro-gram, the city will sell its receiv-

able to California Communities,a joint powers authority, whichwill issue tax-exempt bonds tofinance the purchase. The netresult to the city is 100 percentpayback of the $139,195 in twoinstallments – one on Jan. 15,2010 and another on May 15,2010. In return for the quickrepayment, the city waives anyright to interest.

The resolution passed unani-mously.

“It’s a no-brainer,” saidMayor Julie Pierce.

Redevelopment Agencyfunds taken by the state are notconsidered a loan and not eligiblefor the securitization program.

FARMERS MARKET COSTUME CONTEST

8 A.M. – NOON

Kids, start the day early. Prizes for best cos-tume. Sign up at 10 a.m., judging begins at 11 a.m.First prize is a gift certificate to Skipolini’s. Firstand second place winners will both receive a giftbag of Farmers Market goodies.

HALLOWEEN AT THE FIREHOUSE

5:30 – 7:30 P.M.Kids, pre-K through fifth grade, come see the

fire engine, visit with Sparky the Firedog and haveyour picture taken with the firefighters. Learn fire

safety with games like Stop, Drop and Roll andFirefighter Boot Toss. Win prizes playing theWheel of Fire and learn how to call 9-1-1.

YMCA “BOO” NIGHT

6-8 P.M. AT THE CLAYTON

COMMUNITY GYM.Come join us for our Annual Boo Night.

Come in costume! The evening will include pump-kin carving, Halloween games, the Bounce House,Halloween Costume contest, face painting, trick-or treating, and decorating a bag, all free. New thisyear is a Haunted House. “Boo” Night is free;however a donation to benefit the YMCA StrongKids Campaign of $2 is requested for theHaunted House. For more information call 889-1600.

29TH ANNUAL

HALLOWEEN GHOST WALK

BEGINS AT 7:30 Take a spooky walk through history and visit

with celebrity ghosts along the way. Bring a flash-light. Led by Clayton historian Richard Taylor, thetour begins and ends at Endeavor Hall and includes10 stops. For more information, call 228-9144.

Financing plan could pay backlocal governments as early as May

Upcoming Events

were handcuffing the men, theburglary suspect told them hisbaby was in the backseat. Thechild was turned over to ChildProtective Services.

Also in the car were a num-ber of items from an earlier res-idential burglary in PleasantHill. All stolen property was

recovered.The two men were arrested

and charged with two counts offirst-degree residential burglary,child endangerment and con-spiracy. Bail was set at $270,000.

Enea credits the successfuloutcome to the victim’s quickthinking and cool head. “He did

an excellent job of not wantingto be a victim,” Enea said. “Hetook matters into his ownhands by calling police andkeeping himself out of dan-ger.”

In a statement to the press,Marchut praised Enea. “(He)did an amazing job during thisinvestigation at each step. Hedid not take any shortcuts and itclearly paid off.”

Burglar, from page 1

OOccttoobbeerr 3311EEvveerryytthhiinngg FFOORR HHAALLLLOOWWEEEENN

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

That includes reviewing our citylimits boundary and our Sphereof Influence (SOI) and howthey relate to the voter-approved Urban Limit Line.Each city has a SOI which isdefined as the plan for the prob-able physical boundaries andservice area of a local agency.For more information on howthat is determined you can visittheir Website atwww.ContraCostaLafco.org.

During this year’s MSR,LAFCO staff recommendedshrinking Clayton’s SOI tomatch the Urban Limit Line(ULL). This would haveremoved the area east of townincluded in our Marsh CreekSpecific Plan which has severalparcels actively seeking tobecome part of our communityso they can receive the waterand sewer service they need.

It would also have removedthe Cemex Quarry from ourSOI. The quarry is an activemember of our community andwe feel strongly that we need tomaintain that relationship in anofficial capacity. In the future,when that land is no longer usedfor a quarry, it should logicallybecome a part of the city ofClayton. LAFCO staff also rec-ommended removing the 50-acre portion of Mt Diablo StatePark that was within our SOI.We agreed with that part oftheir recommendation.

As the former chair of theContra Costa Shaping OurFuture Plan, I was also ouractive representative at theUrban Limit Line negotiationsin which those same boundarieswere hotly contested. At thehearings, I politely remindedour colleagues on the LAFCOBoard that we should not fightthat same battle all over again.They remembered the battles of

the ULL and agreed to maintainour SOI, only removing the Mt.Diablo parkland as we request-ed. Good job done by all - thankyou.

UNUSED DRUGS DROP OFF

I’m excited about a newservice we will be offering toour community. We are in theprocess of setting up an unusedpharmaceutical and Sharpsdrop-off location. The serviceis being organized by theCentral Sanitary District to helpkeep these items out of thesewer system and landfill wherethey leach into our water sup-plies or present a safety hazard.Disposal of these products haslong been a problem as therehas been no legal place to dis-pose of them. They cannot gointo the garbage, down thedrain or even to the hazardouswaste collection. Allied Waste(now Republic Services) is gen-erously buying the secure con-tainers that will be located atour Clayton Police Station onthe second floor at City Hall.We will accept your unusedpharmaceuticals and Sharpsproducts during regular busi-ness hours. I’ll let you know assoon as the service is available -should be very soon. This pro-gram is a good example of howa regional agency can offermuch-needed services to ourcommunity.

As always, you can contact me atJulie_Pierce@comcast.net. Let meknow what you think.

DONATIONS NEEDEDClayton YMCA

The Y is seeking donations of sup-plies and items for use in the after-school programs. Please callJennifer Beck at 925-692-2364 ifyou have books for all ages, oldmovies (PG and G rated), all typesof board and interactive games andanything else that would be appro-priate for kids.

HELP WANTEDReal Estate Agents

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

LEGAL NOTICEMeeting Date Change

This is a notification from theContra Costa ResourceConservation District, 5552 ClaytonRd., Concord, 94521. Effectiveimmediately, the Board of Directorswill hold it’s regular meeting on thethird Tuesday of the month. Pleasecontact Teresa Hunter, OfficeAdministrator at (925) 672-6522x107 with questions.

SERVICESExperienced Tutor

Available for Students K-10.Specialties include Math (Basic,Algebra & Geometry), English(Grammar & Writing), andHomework Help. Located inClayton. Lessons to take place inyour home or mine. FREE CON-SULTATION! $30-$40 per hour.Call 415-845-0203!

VOLUNTEERSWANTED

VOLUNTEERS WANTEDMeals on Wheels Drivers

673-0300 or hairbyjim@sbcglob-al.net.Anna’s Attic Volunteers

Call 674-9072 or (925) 766-5066.Hospice of the East Bay

Call Volunteer Dept. at (925) 887-5678 or email volunteers@hos-piceeastbay.org. Clayton Historical Society

Museum

Call the museum at 672-0240. Clayton Community Library.

673-9777 or email:akikkawa@ccclib.org

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 5

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Construction and Trades

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Grover Electric Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .783-3839

Michael Dwyer & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3980

Olde World Mill & Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .915-0822

Outback Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-1244

Smith & Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0138

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

Dentist

Bradburn, Keith D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110

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

Chong, Jenny D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .827-5595

Gardner, Randell D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110

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

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

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

La Veranda .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011

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

Educational Services

Katherine Palau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510-207-7467

Financial and Insurance Services

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

CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900

Ferrante Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .674-1755

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

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

Funerals

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

Home and Garden

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

Bee Hive Ovens, Al Fresco Imports . . . . . . . . . . .672-9547

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

Floors to Go Danville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700

Keenan Heinz Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288-0159

Lewis & Lewis Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .939-2145

Pacific Coast Flooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609-2151

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

Pans on Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .600-7267

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

Welcome Home House Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . .584-5980

Mailing and Shipping

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

Personal Products and Services

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

Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123

Sport Clips Haircuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368-4264

Pet Services

Aussie Pet Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-738-6624

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

O’Brien Family Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-7354

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

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

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

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

Kavanaugh, Mike - RE/MAX Town & Country . . .383-6102

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

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

Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .280-8563

Rahimzadeh, Helen -Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . .932-7375

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

Recreation

Clayton Bicycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2522

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

Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737

Senior Services

Aegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5853

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

Services, Other

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

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

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

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

The Cutting Edge Knife Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2723

Shopping

Donna’s Quilting Loft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0401

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

The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025

Travel

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

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

Worship

Crossroads Covenant Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-5905

Directory of Advertisers

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

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorANDRÉ GENSBURGER, Reporter and Feature WriterPETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignBEV BRITTON, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRE, Sports BETH NEUDELL, Advertising Sales CHRISTINA SCARLOTT, Administrative Assistant

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

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

words, $.20 each additionalword

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

We will not accept any ad that dis-criminates on the basis of race, color,sex, religion, nationality, family statusor disability. The Clayton Pioneerreserves the right to reject any adver-tising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

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

Also on our Web site are formsfor submitting Community Calendaritems and press releases for yourorganization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Clayton Pioneer welcomesletters from our readers. As a generalrule, letters should be 300 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.

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E-mail your letter in a Worddocument to tamara@clayton-pioneer.com. Letters MUST be sub-mitted via E-mail.

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Mayor, from page 1

The holiday season – thattime from Thanksgiving to NewYear’s – is a time to give thanks,to rejoice and spread goodcheer. For many, however, theholidays can be a time of grief.

Hospice of the East Bay isoffering a workshop for peoplewho have experienced the deathof a loved one, and find the hol-iday season to be a sad andstressful time of the year.

The Pleasant Hill workshopis Wed., Nov. 4 from 7-9 p.m. atHospice’s administrative office,3470 Buskirk Avenue, PleasantHill. The Brentwood workshop

is Tues., Nov. 10, 10 a.m. untilnoon at 350 John Muir Parkway,Brentwood.

“In our society, so muchemphasis is placed on gifts andglitter that there is an enormousamount of heightened expecta-tion, making it difficult for any-one to admit they hurt,” saysLee Ann Morgan, Manager ofhospice’s Center for Grief andLoss. “Coping with theHolidays provides a forum forpeople to share concerns andideas and learn helpful, positiveways to manage holiday grief.”

This workshop is offered fora fee and requires pre-registra-tion. The fee is waived for thosewho cannot afford it. For fur-ther information, and/or to reg-ister, please call: (925) 887-5681.

Established in 1977, Hospiceof the East Bay is a not-for-prof-it agency that helps people copewith life-threatening illnesses byproviding medical, emotional,spiritual, and practical supportfor patients and families, regard-less of their ability to pay. Tolearn more, or to make a dona-tion of time or money, please con-tact (925) 887-5678, or visitwww.hospiceeastbay.org.

Clayton and the rest of theBay Area experienced a majorearly season storm on Oct. 13.As strong as the winds were, itwas the amount of rainfallassociated with this weathersystem that broke many longstanding October records.

After reviewing some dataavailable on the internet, theBay Area rainfall measure-ments showed some astonish-ing totals. For example, manyweather stations reportedbetween two and six inches ofrain; a station in the SantaCruz Mountains received over10 inches of rain that one day.

A few days after the storm,I visited the Clayton Post

Office. In the lobby a fewpeople were sharing theirstorm stories, and someonementioned that they measuredover six inches of rain. Afriend who lives a few milesaway reported 5.3 inches in hisbackyard rain gage.

It occurred to me that per-haps many Clayton Pioneerreaders have rain gages intheir back yard. It would beinteresting to see how muchvariation in rainfall there wasin the Clayton area for thisevent.

So, I have a request to sub-mit to our readers. If youhave a rain gage and measuredrainfall on Oct. 13, pleasewrite down the informationrequested in the table belowand send me the informationin an email. I will compile thedata received and summarizethe results in my next column.

If you don’t know the exacttime you took your reading, esti-mate the best you can. Pleasesend your information by Oct.26 so that we can present theresults in the Nov. 6 issue.Email to Woody Whitlatch atclayton_909@yahoo.com, or

drop off or mail to the Pioneeroffice, 6200 H Center St.,Clayton 94517.

Clayton Community Librarywill once again join the ContraCosta Libraries “One City, OneBook” program. The programencourages everyone in a com-munity to focus on one topicalbook with reading, discussionsand presentations.

This year, the book is GregMortensen’s widely acclaimed“Three Cups of Tea,” the truestory of one man’s dedication tobuild schools and better thelives of people in Pakistan andAfghanistan.

Starting October 19 andcontinuing while the supplylasts, readers can pick up a freecopy of the book along with ahand made, culturally relatedbookmark designed by theCommunity Service Interns.The Clayton LibraryFoundation, which is sponsor-

ing the event, only asks that youread the book and pass it alongto someone else when finished.

Karen Hansen-Smith,Senior Librarian, along withthe Foundation has planned avariety of related programs, allof which are free. These pro-grams are listed in the At theLibrary section in theCommunity Calendar of thePioneer and in a flyer availableat the library. Take advantageof a chance to read a thought-provoking book and shareideas with others.

The Clayton CommunityLibrary is located at 6125Clayton Road and is openMonday and Wednesday, 1-9p.m., Tuesday, Thursday andSaturday, 10 a.m.-6p.m. andSunday, 1-5 p.m. Closed Friday.

Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

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Oct. 31Halloween-themed eveningLive music begins at 6 p.m.

In honor of CaliforniaArchaeology Month, theClayton Historical Society andMuseum are hosting“Arrowheads and Acorns: aJourney Back in Time,” a work-shop for kids to learn about thenative Miwok people who oncecalled Clayton home.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, aCalifornia archaeologist will beat the Clayton Museum to con-duct workshops about theMiwok tribe and local archaeol-ogy, including what life may

have been like in Clayton thou-sands of years ago. Children willbe encouraged to participateand help solve some of theproblems real-life archaeologistsencounter.

Registration begins at 2 p.m.for the 2:20 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.workshops. Admission is free,but space is limited. Parent sig-nature required for participa-tion.

For more information, call 672-0240.

Miwok historyprogram for kids atClayton Museum

Weather guy calls for readerparticipation in rainfall survey

WOODY WHITLATCH

WEATHER WORDS Woody Whitlatch is a meteorolo-gist with PG&E. Email your ques-tions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

Clayton Readschooses “ThreeCups of Tea”

Hospice workshopcan help the grievingto cope with holidays

winner ultimately in place the fol-lowing January. It is a game ofmusical chairs played to politicalovertures as Hoffmeister, who isalso the current mayor ofConcord, goes up against fellowCouncilwoman Helen Allen, aformer mayor of Clayton andConcord; Karen Mitchoff, thecurrent vice mayor of PleasantHill; and Mike McGill, a ContraCosta Central Sanitary Districtboard member.

“I looked at this when Susan

Bonilla was running about fouryears ago,” Hoffmeister said,“but Concord was in the middleof the (Naval Weapons Station)base reuse with a long way to go.I felt it was important that Istayed with that.”

That project is in its latterphases now, with a mid-2010wrap-up expected before thenext phase begins. “That doesn’tinvolve us as much,” she noted.

Having been with Clayton for10 years, Hoffmeister would

carry with her a wealth of knowl-edge about the city and the issuespresent. “I’m excited,” she said,“although I have mixed emo-tions.”

The supervisor seat is a full-time job, which means giving upboth her Clayton job andConcord council spot. She’s beenwith the Concord City Councilfor 12 years.

“I’ve worked in other cities aswell,” Hoffmeister added. “I’veworked for the city of Martinezas well and so I understand thedifferences in the county on aregional basis.”

Q I am hearing about “greenliving” lately. In preparing

my home for sale, will “green”upgrades increase the value?

A There is approximately 20percent of the market who

will only buy “green.” Another25 percent will at least look forthese features.

A modest green-related

investment for utility savings canenhance the value in the eyes ofmore and more buyers. Just likewith cosmetic upgrades to yourhome, you need to weigh theexpense against what you willget back.

With this type of upgrade,most homeowners don’t knowwhere to start. An energy auditcan help you evaluate yourexpense related to your energysavings. You can search for pro-fessional firms on the Internet.One site is energystar.gov.

There are a whole host ofinsulation type upgrades toenhance the “sustainable living”

feature that people would appre-ciate. Just as with cosmeticupgrades, one should do themearly in their ownership so theycan enjoy them before they sell.

Q I have been consideringreal estate as a career for

quite some time. I am thinkingof becoming an appraiser. Is thisa lucrative undertaking?

A If you have the interestand the work ethic, any

field of real estate can be lucra-tive. Appraisal can be fascinatingif you enjoy details and statistics.In the present environment,unfortunately, there are politicsinvolved as well.

There are a host of new lawsgoverning appraisal, and someare affecting the appraiser’s fees.One of these is the requirementof an appraiser being paid a“customary and reasonable fee.”In this market, appraisal man-agement companies have beencreated. They don’t distinguishbetween an independentappraiser and a managementcompany, and they are paid thesame. So the appraiser whoworks for the management com-pany gets paid half of the fee.

Many FHA loans, which arepopular these days, are requiredto use these management com-panies. This takes work awayfrom the independent apprais-ers. Many independent apprais-ers are not able to stay in busi-ness these days. This is one ofthe unintended consequences ofsome of the new governmentrules governing appraisals.

I would suggest you talk to afew seasoned appraisers aboutthe business before you makeyour decision.

Q You and others seempessimistic about the real

estate market’s rebound. Aren’twe at the bottom.

A I am not pessimistic. I amalways excited about the

possibilities in every market. Iwant people to be optimistic but

not to have unrealistic expecta-tions.

I am trusting that there willbe more steps implemented toslow the potential damage thatthe growing number of foreclo-sure properties will have on themarket. However, here are somefacts that have me worried:� 13.54 percent of the 44.7 mil-

lion mortgages tracked by theMortgage Bankers Associationare delinquent.

� 7.57 million homeowners aredelinquent, applying the samepercentage to the 11.2 millionmortgages not tracked by theMBA (55.9 million total mort-gages in the United States).That means 10 percent of allhomeowners in the countryare delinquent.

� Based on historical trendanalysis by Amherst Securities,6.94 million homes that arealready delinquent will be liq-uidated. That’s more than aone-year supply of distressedsales poised to hit the marketin 2010 and 2011. During thefirst quarter of 2005, that fig-ure was only 1.27 million.

� Defaults continue to grow atthe rate of approximately300,000 per month, assuringthat the number of distressedsales will grow and will contin-ue through 2012.

Though this isn’t great newshaving to do with price appreci-ation, there is a lot of pressureon banks to not flood the mar-kets all at once to really driveprices down. There are also newguidelines from some of thebanks for appraising bank-owned property for marketwhich will not deflate the pricesas much as before. Interest ratesare still historically low, so it is agreat climate for buyers.

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 7

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Finding someone to talkabout health care and theirthoughts on the Obama plan isnot an easy task. For one thing,people are quick to establish theirpolitical viewpoints and ally theiropinion on the health plan withthose views and yet equally quick-ly complain about the currenthealth care situation.

“It’s criminal,” Margie Folaksaid at the Clayton Starbucks.“My premiums have increased 60percent in the last year.”

Folak said she had to increaseher deductible in order to lowerthe premium. “For the amount ofmoney I pay, I get nothing unlessI wind up in the hospital withsomething major.”

Don Wexler is unhappy withthe bailouts of the insurancecompanies. “We bail them outand they still spend recklessly,” hesaid.

Wexler, a Republican, doesnot think that the Obama healthplan will be realized. “It’s all poli-tics,” he added. “I don’t think Iwill get better coverage than Ihave now.”

“This is America,” said HarvJensen. “I think like any business,health companies have the rightto a profit. They insure risk.People want to have everythingfor free. I think we’ve had it toogood for too long and are justspoiled.”

The Obama plan proposes astandardized federal health bene-fit system that will preventpatients from being droppedbecause they are ill, will cap outof pocket expenses and end dis-crimination against people withpre-existing conditions.

While most Americans agreethat the current health insurancesystem is flawed, agreement onhow reform should emerge issplintered. The end result of revi-sion and compromise may pro-duce a plan that contains onlysome of the original compo-nents, however, it may well bethat any plan offers the promiseof further revision.

“I just wish they get some-thing passed,” Folak said. “I’mrealistic enough to know that itwill only be a marginal change,but at least it will be a change.”

For more information about theObama plan, visit barrackobama.com.

Locals share views onhealth plan over coffee

Hoffmeister, from page 1 Recyclethispaper

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

According to McKinsey &Co., a global management con-sulting firm, there will be 10 bil-lion people in the world of2100. Based on current trends,about 8 billion people will livein urban centers – an increasefrom today’s 3.3 billion.

Megacities holding morethan 20 million inhabitants willbe commonplace; cities likeBeijing or Mexico City will fur-ther swell. While opportunitieswill be great, the road towardfinding a balance will involvehardship. Income inequity andthe movement of people fromrural areas into cities changesthe landscape of society’s struc-ture.

It is expected that of the7,000 or so languages presenttoday, only a few hundred maysurvive – with English as themajor medium of communica-tion for most of the planet. InAsia, it will hold second place.

Given the deplorable finan-cial state of the country, theglobal recession and the sinkinglevel of education and skilledworkers, could the future reallyhold promise as a balanced soci-ety?

I am a science fiction fanand from the many stories ofthe future, one can see the trendranging from abject poverty and

chaos to the almost utopian“Star Trek” missing only a vir-tual John Lennon singing“Imagine.”

Yet the reality of the presentoffers global climate change –whether it is a disaster or mere-ly a planetary realignment – andthis itself shifts the geographyof formerly hospitable terrainwhile restoring lush vegetationto former deserts. Talk about abrave new world.

We are used to our individ-ual rights in this country, and asthe fabric of society is stretchedin numbers not to mention fur-ther diversity, maintaining thoseindividual rights may be moredifficult to maintain. Orderwithin society often meansimposing rules upon the massesthat can almost certainly be seen

as a violation of individualityand the rights of individuals.How do we cope with that?

In 2000, we were fearful of“Y2K” – that rollover of thedouble digits that had formerlyrepresented years transformednow into the more formal four-digit version. Y2K never causedmuch in the way of a problem,although many a bankerwatched the New Year’s celebra-tions from New Zealand, hoursbefore the United Statescrossed that dateline – gleefullynoting an absence of blackoutsand no aircraft falling from thesky.

In 1900, society was happywith the light bulb, invented in1879 and now in wide use as afilament bulb. And yet penicillinhad not been discovered (1928)and the world was almost prim-itive by today’s standard. Or wasit more civilized? I can never besure.

The 1800s were the start ofthe industrial revolution, withfactories using mass produc-tion. Horses on treadmills oftenpowered larger machinery.

The year 1776 was impor-tant in America, and if you donot know why I will not destroyyour happy lack of knowledgein this article.

The 1600s offered the Early

Modern period of Europe, theBaroque cultural movement andthe Thirty Years War.

From our vantage point in2100, that period was a short500 years in the past. The glob-al population was estimated at500 million people.

To go from 500 million to10 billion people in 500 years isa significant leap. To go fromsailing boats to supersonic air-craft is equally daunting. To gofrom candle power to laserbeams, from wild herbs to pow-erful medications, single horse-power to hundreds of horse-power and much more is a stag-gering growth curve.

If we are the sum of ourexperiences, then the futureneed be wary of the present forwe have regressed in manyareas. I am amazed at the inge-nuity that I see emerge fromsimple people of no pretense. Iam appalled at the corruptionand deceit that I see from polit-ical people of great pretense.Somewhere in the middle lies akernel of truth. And the futurewill have to deal with it.

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

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8K race the day before for hisSacramento State team,returned to Newhall Park to winthe competitive 5K race in a timeof 16:10. The course was modi-fied to be less hilly than the nor-mal layout used for meets,CVHS cross country coachMichelle Howisey explained.

But Sunday wasn’t aboutwinning times. It was about thecommunity coming together todemonstrate their resolve to savehigh school sports at the sixMDUSD high schools – ClaytonValley, College Park, Concord,

Mt. Diablo, Northgate andYgnacio Valley.

It was the colors of thoseschools (red and blue forClayton Valley, purple forCollege Park, green and gold forConcord, red and green for Mt.Diablo, crimson and gold forNorthgate and navy blue andgold for Ygnacio) proudly wornby athletes from every sport andtheir parents that stood out onthe beautiful fall morning.

There were football jerseysgalore along with shirts for crosscountry, water polo, basketball,wrestling, tennis, golf, volleyball,swimming, soccer, track andfield, baseball, softball, lacrosseand sports medicine – all jeop-ardized by lack of funding.

Last spring, the MDUSDboard, facing the need to makesevere budget cuts, took theextraordinary action of eliminat-ing funding for these extracurric-ular activities that draw a partici-pation of over 5,000.

Superintendent Dr. DickNicoll not only helped sponsorthe event with a $500 donationbut was also a runner, finishingamongst a large group of run-ners, including many studentsunder his charge.

The major benefactors whoprovided the UMDAF with it’sinitial $100,000 seed money,Steve and Debra Gonsalves,

were part of the walk followingthe competitive run.

“Unbelievable” was the firstword out of Steve Gonsalvesmouth while surveying the largeturnout after he completed hiswalk in a group that includedClayton Valley High footballcoach Herc Pardi and his wifeRoxanne.

The Fun Run and Walkincluded dogs, strollers, parentsand grandparents and a wheel-chair contingent fromStonebrook Healthcare Centerescorted by Concord High foot-ball players.

Former Oakland Raider tightend Jeremy Brigham spoke tothe assembled crowd before therun explaining how high school

sports enabled him to get ascholarship to the University ofWashington and then the oppor-tunity to play pro football. He issponsoring a celebrity golf tour-nament Nov. 12 to help fundUMDAF efforts.

Based on the $20 entry feeand the amount of sponsorpledges turned in by high schoolstudents prior to race day, it’slikely the event fundraisingexceeded $50,000 as theUMDAF continues one step at atime to reach its requirement ofraising $1.2 million to ensureevery high school sport takesplace this school year.

For more information onUMDAF and upcoming events visitwww.unitedmtdiabloathletics.org.

Walk, from page 1

Protecting the future from the past is a mind-numbing prospect

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

DEAL WITH IT

André Gensburger is a staffreporter and feature writer for thePioneer. His email address isandre@claytonpioneer.com

FORMER CVHS STAR NATHANAELLITWILLER was the first runneracross the finish line at the SaveHigh School Sports run lastSunday.

STEVE GONSALVES (LEFT) AND HIS WIFE DEBRA (center) made adonation of $100,000 to give the Save High School Sportsfoundation its initial funding. UMDAF Foundation presidentPat Middendorf oversees foundation activities.

Preparing for quake – before, during and after

It’s hard to believe it’s alreadythe 20th anniversary of the 1989Loma Prieta earthquake.

I’ve written about earthquakepreparedness before so this arti-cle will be a refresher on pre-paredness. I’ve also added whatyou should do during and afteran earthquake.

Many experts predict therewill be an overwhelming likeli-hood of another Loma Prietatype earthquake in the Bay Areawithin 20 years. Unlike other nat-ural disasters, you can’t predictwhen an earthquake will occur.

Unless you are an expert onwhat to do next, the surprise andshock of an earthquake will beconfusing to the senses and youmay not know how to react. The

following can minimize yourshock and help you take the beststeps to remain safe.

BEFORE A QUAKE HITS

Be sure to repair defectiveelectrical wiring, leaky gas linesand inflexible utility connections.Get appropriate professionalhelp, especially when dealingwith gas or electrical lines.

Bolt down and secure yourwater heater, refrigerator, fur-nace and gas appliances to thewall studs. Contact PG&E abouthow to get an automatic gasshut-off valve installed that istriggered by strong vibrations.

Place large or heavy objectson lower shelves and fastenshelves, mirrors and large pictureframes to walls. Always bracehigh and top-heavy objects.

Store bottled foods, glass,china and other breakables onlower shelves or in cabinets thatfasten shut.

Anchor overhead lighting fix-tures and be sure your home isfirmly anchored to its founda-

tion.Install “flexible” pipe fittings

to avoid gas or water leaks. Thesefittings are more resistant tobreakage.

Locate safe spots in eachroom under a sturdy table oragainst an inside wall. Do drillswith your family to get familiarwith these places and rememberto practice drop, cover and holdon.

DURING A QUAKE

Minimize your movementsduring an earthquake to a fewsteps to a nearby safe place. Stayindoors until the shaking hasstopped and you are sure exitingis safe.

If you are indoors when anearthquake hits, take cover undera sturdy desk, table, bench oragainst an inside wall and holdon. If there isn’t a table or desknear you, cover your face andhead with your arms and crouchin an inside corner of the build-ing. Stay away from glass, win-dows, outside doors and walls or

anything that could fall, such aslighting fixtures or furniture.

If you are in bed when theearthquake strikes, hold on andprotect your head with a pillowunless you are under a heavylight fixture that could fall. Inthat case, move to the nearestsafe place.

Use a doorway for shelteronly if it is in close proximity toyou and if you know it is astrongly supported, load-bearingdoorway.

Stay inside until shaking stopsand it is safe to go outside. Mostinjuries during earthquakes occurwhen people are hit by fallingobjects when entering or exitingbuildings.

Be aware that the electricitymay go out or the sprinkler sys-tems or fire alarms may turn on.

If you are outdoors, don’t go

indoors. Move away from build-ings, streetlights and utility wires.

In a moving vehicle, stop asquickly and as safely as possibleand remain in your vehicle.Avoid stopping near buildings,trees, overpasses and utility wires.

If you get trapped underdebris, do not light a match. Donot move about or kick up dust.Cover you mouth with a hand-kerchief or clothing. Tap on apipe or wall so rescuers canlocate you. Use a whistle if one isavailable. Shout only as a lastresort, because shouting cancause you to inhale dangerousamounts of dust.

AFTER A QUAKE

Always be ready for after-shocks. These quakes are usuallyless violent than the main quakebut can be strong enough to do

additional damage to weakenedstructures.

Cautiously open cabinets andbeware of objects that can falloff shelves around your home.Stay away from damaged areas(inside or outside) unless police,fire or relief organizations haverequested your help.

If you are near a coastline, beaware of possible tsunamis (alsoknown as seismic sea waves).Stay away from the beach if atsunami warning has been issuedand always assume that danger-ous waves are on the way.

For more information, visitclaytoncert.org/eqprep.htm.

Harun Simbirdi is a member ofthe Clayton Citizen Corp Council,part of CERT, and a resident ofClayton. His email issimbirdi@yahoo.com.

HARUN SIMBIRDI

SAFETY ZONE

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 9

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Located 3 doors from Mt. Diablo state park it hasawesome views. A 9-Hole putting green, it’s own regu-lation horseshoe pit, granite outdoor kitchen with Barand BBQ, a 9’x12’ inground Spa, a burning pit, Barn,rose garden, room for a pool, and it’s own secludedmeadow and trailsfor your ownprivate park!

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Take charge ofwhere you sit!

If you were to ask the air-lines if the legroom betweenseats is shrinking, they wouldtell you that it is not. However,once you find yourself in thedreaded middle seat with theseat in front of you fullyreclined and the tray table hit-ting you in the midsection, youwould probably disagree.

Where you sit on a longflight can make or break thetrip, or your back. If you aremaking your own air travelplans, how do you get the bestseat? Easy, you ask for the seatyou want.

A recent Wall Street Journalarticle reported that some ofthe new planes being deliveredto airlines such as American,Delta and Continental haveadded anywhere from 10 to 12more coach seats. Since mostplanes used to have 32 to 33inches of legroom, it will nowbe more like 31 inches. JetBluehas the most legroom of thedomestic economy flights with34 to 38 inches between seats.United is close with 34 to 36inches in their Economy Plussections.

If you want a specific seat, itis important to select it as soonas possible. You can usually dothis at the time you purchaseyour ticket. If you happen toend up with an undesirable seat,try to request a better one atcheck-in and if that doesn’twork, try again at the gate. Ifyou book online, you can callthe airlines immediately aftercompleting your booking andspeak with a real person. Of

course, they may charge you afee for doing so, but it could beworth it if you can get the seatyou want. Exit rows and bulk-head rows have the mostlegroom, but most airlines willnot allow you to book an exitrow until the day of the flight orunless you are one of their elitestatus customers.

Sometimes airlines willswitch the type of plane they aregoing to use, so it cannot hurt tocall the week before your flightto see if that is the case. It’spossible that you have been re-assigned and the seat you socarefully selected is no longeravailable. However, it could alsomean that other desirable seatscome up for grabs.

If Business and First Classsections are not completely full,the gate agents will allowupgrades for other passengers –usually those who have elite sta-tus or are full fare passengers.This then leaves some preferredeconomy seats available. If youinquire about these newly avail-able seats, you may have theopportunity to snag one ofthem.

But how do you know whatseat to ask for? Until recently,the most commonly usedWebsite for fliers to access waswww.seatguru.com. This site

allows you to scope out theplane’s best and worst rows. Itcontains information on 95 air-lines and includes 683 seatmaps. However, you need toknow the model of aircraft foryour flight. They use colorcoded seat maps and when youscroll over the seat location,there are comments related tothe location, legroom and win-dow placement. If you fly a lotor within small, overseas coun-tries, this is a good site for you.They have recently partneredwith FrequentFlier.com andtherefore have updated infor-mation and ideas on how tomake the most of your frequentflier awards.

A competing site, www.seat-expert.com is even easier to use,especially for the leisure travelerwho plans to fly in NorthAmerica or Western Europe.You type in your airline, flightnumber and departure date, andthe site will retrieve the seat mapfor your flight. This site, too,has color coded seat maps thatrate which seats are best, good,bad or awful for 57 different air-lines. You’ll also get the scoopon whether or not it is near astinky bathroom (so that youdon’t smell like the lavatorywhen you arrive at your destina-tion), if you have access to awindow, or if you are the lastone to get off the plane. Youcan also ask questions of the“Seat Expert” and the answersare posted on the site for all tosee.

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO

Recently retired, Clayton residentPeggy Bidondo now has the time toindulge her passion in travel planningand writing.

Send your questions and columnideas to Peggy Bidondo at timetogo@claytonpioneer.com.

“Whenever somebody vol-unteers to help somebody else,it’s a sense of self-satisfaction,”he said. “It’s a feeling that kidswho don’t volunteer don’t have.

“Youth who are exposed toall different facets of life pickup, I call them, street skills thatthey can use to communicate orget by or further themselves inlife,” he added.

Richard III (who goes byTrey) is in his third year as an

Explorer. Between theExplorers, membership inschool choir and band and apart-time job at Burger King,he’s busy. He remains enthusias-tic about the Explorers, howev-er.

“I’ve learned a lot of peopleskills and how to accomplishwhat needs to be accom-plished,” he said.

Although the Explorers arecarefully shielded from con-

tentious situations, Trey hasseen potentially belligerent sus-pects calmed down by the offi-cers’ communication skills.

“I’ve seen a lot of tactics,ways of talking in certain situa-tions – convincing people to dowhat you need them to do,” hereported.

Asked his advice forWhitney, Trey said that payingattention is crucial. “Take noteson everything,” he said. “Thesecops do not mess around. Theyknow their stuff – they knowwhat they’re doing. You canreally learn so much.”

Police, from page 1

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Page 10 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009 October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 11

AL FRESCO IMPORTS WWW.ALFRESCOIM-

PORTS.COMFounded in 2004, based in

Clayton, and run by husbandand wife team, Fiona and LarryHughes, Al Fresco Imports pro-vides outdoor lifestyle products tocustomers across North America.

Their flagship product is theBon Appétit Magazine award-winning terracotta Beehive Oven,imported from Portugal, where itis hand-crafted by third-genera-tion artisans. Sold throughout theUSA and Canada, the BeehiveOven is a self-contained andportable wood-fired oven on aniron stand with wheels, that letsyou experience the pleasures ofwood-fired cooking anywhere inyour yard.

The Al Fresco Imports BeehiveOven cooks delicious pizzas inonly two minutes, as well as ten-der breads, succulent meats,desserts, fish, and caramelizedvegetables - all touched by themagic of wood fire.

Al Fresco Imports also offersaccompanying terracotta cook-ware, tablecloths, and a range ofpizza and wood-fired oven tools.Toll free: 866-305-2675

BELLA MIA SPAWHERE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

Come let us pamper your body,mind and spirit in our luxuriousday spa. Slate walls evoke thesense of Old Italian ruins, whilewater fountains, cupid fairies,and grapevines add to theItalian-inspired atmosphere.

There are four treatment

rooms, two pedicure stations, onemanicure table, and a sunlesstanning area in the spa. Relaxingmusic plays in each room andtreatment areas. The spa’s cus-tomized European Facial incorpo-rates a cleansing, exfoliation,face, neck, and shoulder mas-sage, extractions (if necessary), ahydrating facial mask, and aro-matic moisturizer and sunscreen.

Our massage therapy and spabody treatments are of the high-est quality and are customized toyour personal health and beautyneeds. We specialize in profes-sional skin care providing facials,manicures, pedicures, waxing,microdermabrasion, cellulitetreatments, airbrush tanning andbody wraps.

Let our friendly professionalstaff guide you through the jour-ney to total relaxation.

CD FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

CD Federal Credit Union is amember-owned, not-for-profitfinancial cooperative providing afull range of financial services toeligible members. Due to its not-for-profit structure, the creditunion is consistently able to pro-vide higher dividends on savingsand lower interest rates on loansthan most banks or savings andloan institutions.

PRODUCTS/SERVICESSavings AccountsAdvantage CheckingSecond Chance CheckingBusiness Advantage CheckingHome BankingMobile BankingBill Pay

E-StatementsATM/VISA Debit CardYouth Accounts-Looney Tunes &

CDYAVISA Credit CardsMoney Market AccountsShare CertificatesIndividual Retirement AccountsOverdraft ProtectionNew and Used Auto LoansPersonal LoansHome Equity LoansCO-OP/STAR ATM AccessFinancial Planning SeminarsScore Enhancement Sessions Discounted Theme Park/Movie

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DR. KEITH BRADBURN &DR. RANDELL GARDNERConveniently located in the

heart of downtown Clayton, ournewly remodeled office offers thelatest in dental technology andthe comforts of home.

Dr. Bradburn and Dr. Gardnerare highly skilled dentists who arecompassionate towards theirpatients and to their needs andwants, to create the healthiestsmile possible!

We know your time is valuablemaking multiple dental appoint-ments a challenge. For that rea-son, our office provides one sin-gle appointment for crowns. Wealso offer an in-office teethwhitening process known asZOOM, which can dramaticallywhiten your teeth in just abouttwo hours.

We are always welcoming new

patients! We understand andembrace the importance of fami-ly and community. You can beassured that you will receive thehighest standard of quality andcare!

Please stop by our office for atour or to ask us any questions orcall us at 925.672.0110. (Mon.-Fri. 8-5; some Sats.)

DONNA’S QUILTING LOFTAfter almost two years of offer-

ing friendly and knowledgeablequilting advice, notions and ahuge quantity of quilting fabric,Donna’s Quilting Loft will closeDecember 31.

In the meantime, the store ischock full of exquisite quiltingfabrics, so stop in now to takeadvantage of an incredible sale,currently 40 percent off all mate-rial. This is an unbelievableopportunity to stock up on fabricfor quilting projects for this year’sholidays and for projects foryears to come.

Donna will continue to offerquilting services on her GammillClassic Long Arm computerizedquilting machine. She will workher magic providing the finishingtouch to your quilting projectsnow and in the future. Stop in tosee how she works and the quiltsshe’s made. You might just getbitten by the quilting bug.

PANS ON FIREPans on Fire is full of unique,

entertaining and exciting ideasfor the holidays!

Try a cooking party! Gather agroup of friends or co-workersand cook up some fresh pasta

and sauces, or learn how to puton a full Thanksgiving dinner inthree hours.

With our fun daytime orevening classes you’ll learn howto prepare the entire menu, thensit down to enjoy your creations(even with wine, if you wish!). Weoffer several classes open to thepublic each month, too.

Need a turkey brine, a fruityolive oil (now being served atChez Panisse), a Swiss-made non-stick (non-teflon) pan, or a cook-ing gadget ensemble for kids?We’ve got everything for the seri-ous as well as wanna-be cook.

Pans on Fire is located in olddowntown Pleasanton, just a halfan hour from Walnut Creek. Seeus online at www.pansonfire.comor call us at (925) 600-PANS.

SPORT CLIPS HAIRCUTSWhen a guy needs a haircut,

where can he go? His choicesused to be limited to a local bar-bershop or the salon where hiswife went. Unfortunately, barber-shops are disappearing and thesalons are full of chemical smellsand one-hour haircuts. Now guyshave a place that’s just for them.Sport Clips Haircuts is where guyscan go to have a championshiphaircut experience.

Sports on TV Guy smart stylists.Steamed towels.Shoulder and back massages. That’s what guys want and

that’s what Sport Clips delivers.You won’t find chemical smellsbecause we don’t perm or color.We just cut hair the way that guys

want it cut. Check us out at theClayton Valley Shopping Center(925) 673-5686. We are betweenBronze Buddha and Tavo’s Pizza.Ask for the MVP treatment.

DR. JENNY CHONG D.D.S.Dr. Chong and her staff focus

on the priorities of her patients,providing that individual and per-sonal care only available at asmall private practice.

Worried about pain, costs, ortime? We have “The Wand”, anouchless shot. We accept mostinsurance, our fees are alwayscompetitive and we provide inter-est-free financing. Ask about ourrecession-conscious promotions.

In most cases there’s no waitand we have the latest digital x-ray to make your appointmentefficient and fast. There’s no sub-stitute for quality chair time andDr. Chong sits with each patientfor a comprehensive consultation.

Dr. Chong graduated from theUniversity of Michigan School ofDentistry and has practiced foreight years. More about our officeis found atwww.drjennychong.com. We cantypically book appointments with-in a week, so call us today: (925)827-5595. Our local office isconveniently located on ClaytonRoad, near Alberta Way (Acrossfrom Kmart).

NICHOLS LANDSCAPEThe winter months are a great

time to reevaluate your home’slandscaping. You’ll have plenty oftime to plan and plant your newgrasses, trees, and shrubs before

the blistering heat of the summer. Nichols Landscape is a full-serv-

ice landscaping company featur-ing state-of-the-art techniques,professional employees andheavy-duty equipment to handleall your landscape needs fromstart to finish. “We specialize in allkinds of installation, including theinstallation of sod and plantings,”says Nichols. “We can installpavers, concrete, patios, arbors,decks, sprinkler systems, low-volt-age, lighting and retaining walls.We can also do awesome stuff likewaterfalls and bridges.”

Don’t trust your lawn and land-scaping to amateurs! When youneed a contractor you can trustwith the design, appearance anduniqueness of your yard, call theprofessionals at NicholsLandscape.

For a free estimate call (925)672-9955, or emailNicholslandscape@msn.com, orvisit www.nicholslandscape.com.A complete photo gallery is avail-able to view online.

THE ROYAL ROOSTERTired of the same old look

available in every national chainstore? The Royal Rooster has bothhard-to-find antiques and cus-tom-order furniture to fit yourneeds.

Not just a furniture shop, TheRoyal Rooster also sells uniquegifts for friends and family of allages, including the popularWebkinz and a line of Melissaand Doug Toys.

Their French Country specialtiesinclude gorgeous stationary and

bath items for every occasion,including distinctive lines such asThymes Bath & Body, Caldrea,Lollia, Sonoma Lavender andLaLavande French Soaps.Corporate gifts and personalshopping services are also avail-able.

The Pantry is stocked with deli-

cious gourmet foods includingStonewall Kitchens, BarefootContessa, A Perfect Pear andElaine’s Toffee.

The Royal Rooster is located atthe corner of Center and DiabloStreets in Clayton, behind Cup O’Jo Coffee House.

(925) 672-2025.

Four more opportunities to advadvertiseertise in the

Pioneer HolidayShopping Guide.Call 672-0500for more information

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Clayton Valley High Schoolathletes enjoyed a banner year in2008-’09, with teams and indi-viduals achieving tremendoussuccess in many sports. Part ofthe reason for this success wasthat the North Coast Section’speriodic realignment of schoolsreturned CVHS to the DiabloValley Athletic League in the fallof 2008.

This made for a geographi-cally convenient grouping ofseven Concord, Pleasant Hilland Walnut Creek high schoolsand moved perennial powers DeLa Salle and Carondelet to theEast Bay league.

But for girls golf, the realign-ment has been anything but agood thing. Golf coach JenMoore bemoans the realign-ment as this year’s DVAL girlsgolf season really only involvedClayton Valley and Northgatefielding full squads.

Concord High only had fourgolfers (five are needed to score)so they had to forfeit all theirmatches. College Park is defend-ing DVAL champion but didn’thave a coach until after the sea-son started. Ygnacio Valley, Mt.Diablo and Berean Christian didnot field teams.

This made for a “bummerseason” for the senior-ladenEagles team. In order to accom-modate some of the teamsunable to perform at fullstrength, Moore set up the teesat 200 yards (or less on the parthrees) for all of the Eagles’nine-hole home matches atOakhurst Country Club. “Wewanted to make the courseplayable for the girls,” Mooreexplained.

“Next year, if the existingschools don’t field teams, wewill be forced to seek out otherleagues for competition,” sheadded.

Megan Sullivan has been theNo. 1 player for the Eagles thisyear. Along with fellow seniors

Maggie Patterson, SarahJonathan and Nicole Kallas, shewas aiming to earn a spot in theNCS qualifier next Monday dur-ing the DVAL tournament earli-er this week at Boundary Oak.

Northgate was favored towin the league title and, asDVAL champions, would quali-fy their team for NCS. Moorewas hoping her golfers would tieup the three individual spotsavailable to DVAL golfers noton the championship team,should the Eagles be unable toupset Northgate in the teamcompetition.

Moore speaks passionatelyabout the sport. She’s been ateacher at Clayton Valley since1998 and began with the golfteam in 2000.

She started golfing in her20s. Her family had planned a1996 vacation to Scotland andshe wanted to be able to golfwith them. “There was no girlsgolf when I was in high school,”she reported.

She now takes part in Fore

Women Golf Associationevents around the area. “Ibelieve in the sport. It teachesdiscipline. It’s the only sportwhere you call a penalty onyourself,” she said. “You cantake great pride in your achieve-ments. Women are taken seri-ously for their accomplishmentsin golf.”

She thanks Oakhurst CountyClub and pro BarretHendrickson for allowing theClayton Valley girls team on thecourse every Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday dur-ing the fall at no charge. “Wegenerally have matches onTuesday and Thursday and prac-tice on Wednesday. Oakhurstalso provides us with range timeand free range balls.”

She’s hoping for a strongturnout of new girls next year.“Sophomore Kelly Sullivan andjunior Rachel Anderson are theonly non-seniors on our squad,”she noted. “Barrett says a cou-ple of scratch golfers are fresh-men at Clayton Valley and will

be coming out next year.”Her most pleasant surprises

this year were Elise Canevascini,who improved tremendouslyafter starting with the team ayear ago, and Patterson, a first-

time player who also demon-strated lots of developmentduring the season. All thegolfers on this year’s squadexcept Kallas are from Clayton.

Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

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Clayton Valley girls mentored by water polo pioneer

As the Clayton Valley HighSchool girls water polo teamcompetes in the Diablo ValleyAthletic League tournamentnext week, looking to bolstertheir record to earn a berth innext month’s North CoastSection playoffs, they will be ledby veteran coach DennisBledsoe.

And Bledsoe is someonewho can truly say he’s seen it allwhen it comes to high schoolwater polo in NorthernCalifornia. He was at theAlberta Way school before andduring the startup for both theboys and girls water polo pro-grams.

Bledsoe began teaching atClayton Valley in 1965, when hewas also the swim coach. Boyswater polo began in 1970, but itwas a quarter of a century laterbefore girls water polo wasoffered as a high school sport.He had two different stints ascoach of the swimming andboys water polo teams. He tookover the girls polo team in 1996.Although Bledsoe retired fromteaching a decade ago, he con-tinues to coach CVHS girlspolo.

In order to keep this aquaticsheritage alive, Bledsoe annuallyhosts alumni water polo gamesbetween the varsity teams andpast Eagles players. This year’srenewal of those games washeld recently, with the boys var-

sity winning for the second timein a row (the first wins ever forthe varsity) by a 12-11 score.

The alumni girls gave a lesson totheir younger foes by a 28-10margin. The girls alumni was

loaded with former collegiateplayers, including AllisonJohnstone (UC Davis), Kristen

Langford (UC San Diego),Meghan Pardi (LoyolaMarymount) and Lindsay

Kiyama (an All-American at UCDavis).

Bledsoe hosts a barbecueafter the alumni games to fosterties between current and pastEagle polo players. MattVecchio, the Eagles head boyscoach, played for Bledsoe whenhe went to Clayton Valley andpulled time in the pool for thealumni team this year. Topalumni boys scorer was DannyBoessenecker, anotherClaytonian.

The girls varsity is in thehome stretch of its season.They played their final DVALleague game this week aftertaking part in the WesternStates Tournament last week-end in Modesto. That tourna-ment is the largest women’swater polo tourney inCalifornia, with 80 teams com-peting.

The Eagle girls water poloprogram has been a regular par-ticipant in NCS. The school wasin 10 consecutive NCS tourna-ments through 2004, reachingthe semi-finals in 2002. Theyhave been in the past two NCSfields as well, so they hope theirshowing in next week’s DVALtournament will help themsecure an at-large berth thisyear.

Bledsoe is disappointed thatNCS backed off plans to havetwo divisions in the water polotournament (based on school

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Pam Jones

THE ANNUAL CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH ALUMNI WATER POLO GAME WAS HELD RECENTLY AT CONCORD COMMUNITY POOL. The players gottogether for a BBQ after the game, which was won by the alumni. Taking part in the game were, front row from left, CheyenneColomb, Olivia Chernyk; second row, Brittany Chestnut, Taylor Ryle, Casey Adams, Lauren Jones, Alexis Lamoreaux; third row,Gabby Creamer, Jody Cabral, Ashley Jennings; back row, Aislen Wray, Amber Branske, Lindsay Kiyama, Meghan Pardi, KimKeck, Allyson Hansen, Jessica Brandt, Kristen Keck, Logan Shaw and Cherlynn Brock.

See Water Polo, page 13

Eagle golfers face less competition after league realignment

Jay Bedecarré/Clayton PioneerThree of CVHS girls golf team’s seniors, from left, SarahJonathan, Nicole Kallas and Elise Canevascini, took theirswings at the Oakhurst driving range in preparation for theDVAL league tournament.

In 2006, coaches SuzanneBeck and Rick Ortega organ-ized the girls’ tennis programfor the first time. Among thegirls signing up were fivefreshmen who had little tennisexperience but looked at thesport as a way of gettinginvolved in athletics at theirnew school.

Katie Hill, Katie Marchant,Kristin Gleason, Sam Mazzaand Natalia Ong began the2006 season on the Eagles jun-ior varsity. Four years later,they are in the final days oftheir high school tennis careers– helping lead the Eagles varsi-ty to a successful season.

Next Tuesday throughThursday, the Diablo ValleyAthletic League tournamentwill be held in Walnut Creek,with berths at the North CoastSection championships on theline.

Beck is the head coach ofthe girls’ team and assistsOrtega in the spring, when heis head coach of the CVHSboys. Ortega plays a key role indeveloping both teams as healso is a coach at OakhurstCountry Club – where many ofthe players got their first expo-sure to tennis and continue toplay in the off season.

Team co-captain Hill took

up tennis after a medical con-dition precluded her playingother sports. She was No. 1 orNo. 2 singles on JV that firstyear and is now the No. 4 var-sity singles player.

“I liked being able to get toknow all the girls on the tennisteam. We’re really a ‘tennisfamily’ now. Everyone is soencouraging to the other play-ers,” says the senior, whoplans to go to Sonoma Stateand major in business nextyear.

Hill is undecided aboutplaying competitive tennis incollege but is certain tenniswill be a part of her life formany years. “It’s wonderfulexercise and a great sport youcan play anytime to keep inshape.”

Marchant and Ong met inseventh grade at Diablo ViewMiddle School. They decidedto sign up for tennis at ClaytonValley when someone from thehigh school visited DiabloView to tell eighth gradersabout programs they couldparticipate in at CVHS. Theyplayed all that summer atOakhurst under the watchfuleye of Ortega to get ready fortheir first taste of competitivetennis.

Right-hander Ong uses herserve as her best weapon whileplaying in the No. 3 singlesspot. She is going to San Jose

State next fall to study anima-tion and hopes it leads to her“dream job” at Pixar. She tookcomputer graphics and cre-ative writing at Clayton Valley,which sparked her interest inthe animation field. Ong hasbeen involved with martial artssince she was 7 and still doesthat as well as tennis.

Marchant, the other co-captain, credits her “positiveattitude to stay upbeat” on thetennis court. For the last threeyears, she’s concentrated onsingles play and is No. 2 on thevarsity this year.

Fellow senior AmberLucero holds down the No. 1spot for the Eagles. Bria

McKinney and Aman Nijjarround out the eight seniors onthis year’s squad.

“We love our coaches,”Marchant says. The senior isundecided about which col-leges she will apply to in thenext month but wants to pur-sue a medical career.

The team was 8-1 in DVAL

play entering a busy final weekthat included matches againstMt. Diablo, Northgate andYgnacio Valley. The Eagleswere second to Northgateentering play this week.Clayton Valley played fournon-league matches, going 2-2,and went 3-2 in a round-robintournament hosted byFreedom High.

Beck speaks fondly of thisyear’s team. “We began theseason with 18 players, 12 onvarsity and six JVs. The skilllevel of the junior varsity play-ers increased rapidly and allthe girls now have some varsi-ty matches under their belts toprepare for next season.”

While many of her playersdidn’t begin tennis until theirteens, Beck was an adult whenshe took up the sport. “Mostof my family played tennis, butI was a skier and horsebackrider,” she said.

She is also involved withtennis at Oakhurst, both onthe USTA women’s team andin mixed doubles. The EastCoast transplant is a Claytonresident.

“It’s a great story how theseniors began as new tennisplayers four years ago at thesame time Rick and I took theteam over. The girls havedeveloped along with thewhole tennis program atCVHS,” the proud coach says.

enrollment) and instead willhave a single field of 20 teams.

Junior Allyson Hansen, whowas the high scorer in the alum-

ni game for the varsity, hasscored the most goals anddrawn the most ejections fromopponents this season as one of

three CVHS captains. Her twosenior captains are Lauren Jonesand Ashley Jennings. Jones hasthe most steals for the Eaglesand Jennings has set up themost assists.

Other regular starters forCVHS are senior goalie BrittanyChestnut, Ashley Richman andOlivia Chernyk. Two under-classmen, Logan Shaw andCasey Adams, have also earnedspots in the starting lineup.

Clayton is well-representedon varsity by Adams, Jennings,Shaw, Richman, CherlynnBrock, Alexis Lamoreaux,Hannah Polshuk and TaylorRyle.

Bledsoe used to coach waterpolo on a club basis in the sum-mer. Since he’s stopped doingthat, the number of Eagles whoplay the sport beyond the fallhigh school season has droppedto just a handful on varsity.“Used to be that 20 or so wouldbe playing club polo,” Bledsoenoted.

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

Clayton Sports HHeellpp tthhee PPiioonneeeerr ccoovveerr tthhee llooccaall ssppoorrttss sscceennee.. Sendcompetition results, story ideas, announcements, sportsshorts, etc. to sports@claytonpioneer.com. Please attach ahigh-resolution photo whenever available.

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SENIOR CAPTAIN ASHLEY JENNINGS (6) is the assist leader for theClayton Valley water polo team. She fires this shot over alum-nus Aislen Wray (left) in the annual CVHS Alumni game.

Water Polo, from page 12

Senior Eagles completing four-year journey with coaches

Photo by Mike Dunn

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH TENNIS COACHES SUZANNE BECK AND RICK ORTEGA began at the school fouryears ago. The five seniors completing their fourth year on the girl’s team under the coaches’tutelage are, from left, Kristin Gleason, Katie Marchant, Katie Hill, Natalia Ong and SamMazza.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

FRIDAYS THROUGH NOV. 6DIABLO FC SOCCER FALL SKILLS ACADEMY

Diablo FC, in partnership with Mt. DiabloSoccer Association, is holding a Fall SkillsAcademy every Friday afternoon from 5:30-6:30p.m. at Boatwright Sports Complex in Concord.The renowned Diablo FC professional coachingstaff will teach boys and girls 5-10 years old basicdribbling and juggling skills, passing and receivingthe ball and ball striking. Youth of all skill levelsfrom novice to those ready for competitive soccerare invited to attend. You can sign up at www.dia-blofc.org or come to the next session. Cost is $10per session.

LACROSSE CLUB SEEKING CLAYTON PLAYERS

FOR U13 & U15 TEAMS

Walnut Creek Warriors Lacrosse Club is seek-ing to set up Clayton-based boys and girls teams inthe Under 13 and Under 15 age groups. Claytonresident Leslie Hunt is recruiting players to devel-op teams in the middle school age groups. “Theteams will practice at Clayton Valley High

School. The objective in starting up the Claytonarea team is to grow the game, offer good coach-ing and lots of playing experience for the kids andmake it as convenient as possible by holding prac-tices in the area. We are doing this with the helpof both Clayton Valley boys and girls lacrossecoaches.” Registration is now open at www.wal-nutcreeklacrosse.com or call Hunt at (925) 673-5206.

SHOWTIME SEMI-PRO BASKETBALL

IS COMING TO CLAYTON.The public is invited to the first game on Sat.,

Oct 24 at 2 p.m. at the Clayton Community Gym.The event is free, but donations to the YMCAStrong Kids campaign are requested.

“We are excited about our progress from abunch of guys playing REC ball together to a cer-tified team in the 09-10 American BasketballAssociation season,” says head coach EarlWilliams. All home games will be at the ClaytonGym. Watch the Pioneer for a complete gameschedule.

Sports Shorts

Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

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Church NewsCONCORD UNITED

METHODIST CHURCH

The annual Church BellBazaar will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m.Friday, Nov. 6, and 9 a.m.-2 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 7. There will becrafts and baked goods for sale,along with collectibles and a raf-fle. Lunch can be purchased11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. both days.

Proceeds benefit missionsfor children, women and youtharound the world. The church isat 1645 West St., Concord. Formore information, call 685-5260.

BAHA’IS OF CLAYTON

All are invited to a talk andevening of fellowship on Friday,Nov. 6. Tony Faustini will speakabout “A Framework forTransforming Society.” Faustini

works in the software industryand is now a principle in thestart-up company Cloudscale.

The program starts at 7:30p.m. with interfaith devotions atthe Toloui residence in Clayton.For more information anddirections, call 672-6686.

CLAYTON VALLEY

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH/ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL

PARISH

The two churches are team-ing up to present the award-win-ning film “Caring for Dying:The Art of Being Present” at6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at St.John’s, 5555 Clayton Road,Clayton. The film uses the realstories of three people whocared for loved ones to offerwisdom about what they learnedfrom the experience.

Filmmaker MichellePeticolas will show the 30-minute documentary and lead aconversation after the screening.Peticolas is a sociologist, film-maker and long-time student ofSufism.

Suggested donation is $10.For more information, call 672-8855.

ETERNAL LIFE

LUTHERAN CHURCH

To follow up on theLutheran Reformation on Oct.31, the church will focus on“Positively Lutheran: A SimpleStatement of What LutheransBelieve.” The study will be held10- 11 a.m. Sundays inNovember.

At 7 p.m. Wednesdays in

November, the group study willlook at the message and musicof some contemporaryChristian hymns with a studycalled “Sermons in Song.”

The congregation meets at5554 Clayton Rd., Suite 1B, inConcord.

For more information,please go to the websiteEternalLifeLutheranChurch.org

It was all aboutfur, fluff and big earson Sunday, Oct 4,when St. John’s Parishcelebrated the feast ofSt. Francis of Assisiwith the annualBlessing of theAnimals.

Dogs and cats andbunnies, some lead-ing, some led; andchildren carrying pho-tos of assorted tur-tles, hamsters andgoldfish, approachedthe altar where St.John’s priest, Fr. PeterChampion, bestowedblessings, prayers anda tasty treat on thecritters.

Pets go to church on feast of St. Francis,blessed and honored in special service

CVHS small learning communitiesstruggle to survive despite budget cuts

The new fiscal realities ofpublic education in Californiahave affected the ClaytonArtsAcademy and the Public ServiceAcademy, the two small learningcommunities within ClaytonValley High School.

Formed in 1998 with a stategrant of $250,000, theClaytonArts Academy teachesspecialties in art, drama, pho-tography and video arts. Theacademy, which consists of 120-130 students led by a faculty ofsix teachers, is now functioninglargely on district funds of only$3.50 per student supplementedby parent donations.

“We’re in the same boat asall the teachers at CVHS,” saysdepartment chair JeffHagerstrand, “but there areadditional expenses associatedwith the academy.”

Each year, academy stu-dents undertake three or fourcooperative learning projects.On Nov. 7, the students willpresent “An EntrepreneurialConvention,” which, ironically,highlights this year’s theme ofeconomics. Student groupshave developed an originalproduct or service and will becompeting for investor fund-ing, as determined by facultyjudges.

“Our projects are fundedprimarily by parents and that is

tough, because everyone is suf-fering in this economy,”Hagerstrand notes.

Technology purchased in1998 with the academy’s initialgrant needs to be upgraded, thephoto lab has yet to go digital,and the campus cafeteria dou-bles as the theater.

The Public Service Academyis the lone survivor of severalcareer-based academies begunat CVHS in 2003. The PSA isnow a community of service-minded students and faculty.

Like the ClaytonArtsAcademy, PSA students sharecore classes in social studies andEnglish. PSA students devise

personal service programs inthe fall semester, donating atleast 15 hours to public serviceand to group public service pro-grams in the spring semester.

“We like to describe our stu-dents as super citizens,” saysPSA department chair NeilMcChesney, “but money hasalways been an issue for thePSA.”

The four PSA faculty mem-bers put in many hours prepar-ing a state grant application sim-ilar to the grant that initiallyfunded the ClaytonArtsAcademy. “The state was in theselection process when all fund-ing was pulled for this academic

year,” McChesney explains.The PSA has had to scale

back academy programs andfield trips and put on hold plansfor new technology.

According to McChesney,no core services have beenaffected. “Under these tryingeconomic conditions, we havebeen amazed by the level ofparental support we havereceived,” he notes.

“We really appreciate thestudent enthusiasm and theactive participation of the par-ents,” Hagerstrand says.

“We are managing so far,”Hagerstrand adds. “We havestudents who are committed tothe program and that is a greatadvantage.

Small learning communitieslike PSA and ClaytonArtsAcademy have been shown tobe effective in preparing stu-dents for college by providing amore intimate learning experi-ence. However, these academiesmay need to find new sources offunding to continue to providethe unique experience academystudents enjoy.

“It is just frustrating that theseniors who helped develop avision for how the PublicService Academy needs to growwon’t be able to help enact thatvision due to fiscal reasons,”McChesney says.

For more information, visitmdusd.k12.ca.us/claytonvalley.

CVHS ACADEMY INSTRUCTORS, Jeff Hagerstrand (left) and NeilMcChesney remain enthusiastic about the small learning com-munities and rely heavily on parent support to continue.

MATTHEW BROWN

Special to the Pioneer

MT. DIABLO

ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

The school’s food drive tobenefit the district’s food pantryends Friday, Oct. 23. The pantryprovides boxes of food toneedy families in the school dis-trict. Each box contains enoughfood for three to four days for afamily of four.

Community members maydrop off non-perishable food inthe collection bins in the Mt.Diablo multi-use room, 5880Mt. Zion Dr., Clayton.

***The school is having its

annual Holiday VendorBoutique/Secret Shopper event1-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec 2.

Potential vendors areencouraged to apply early. Tablecosts vary. For more informa-tion, email Cheryl Childs ateaglespress@pacbell.net.

CLAYTON VALLEY

HIGH SCHOOL

On Wednesday Oct. 28, 25percent of all yogurt sold atYogurt Shack in Concord willbe donated to the CV men’swater polo team. Customers justneed to mention CVHS whenmaking a purchase.

The store is at 5438 ClaytonValley Road, Concord.

***The CVHS fall drama pro-

duction is an original creationwritten and staged by the stu-dent actors. “Awkward? Yes! Butthe Penguin’s Still Drumming”chronicles the antics and travailsof 18 awkward folk who are justtrying to make it through theirlives with a little help from AA(Awkward Anonymous).

The play will be performed7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, 29 and 30 inthe CV multi-use room, 1101Alberta Way, Concord. Ticketsare $5 at the door.

MT. DIABLO UNIFIED

SCHOOL DISTRICT

The district is required tohave an approved TechnologyPlan by the CaliforniaDepartment of Education to beeligible to receive technologyfunds and E-rate savings.MDUSD will be submitting itsnew five-year plan in December.

Staff is requesting student,staff, parent and communityinput. A draft copy of the 2010-’15 Draft Technology Plan isavailable for viewing atmdusd.org. Send questions, sug-gested revisions and/or addi-tions to Stephanie Roberts atrobertss@mdusd.k12.ca.us orfax to 685-4032.

The Draft Technology Planwill be brought to the SchoolBoard on Oct. 27 for informa-tion and Nov. 10 for action. Theboard meets at 7:30 p.m. at 1936Carlotta Dr., Concord

Clayton Valley High Schoolseems to have a renewed energythis year as students, parents,and faculty pull together to reju-venate the appearance of thecampus to reflect the school’s

recent accomplishments.In the past, CVHS morale

has not always reflected theschool’s noteworthy achieve-ments. High achieving studentsgraduate and go on to some ofthe top colleges in the country.In 2008, there were 12 studentsaccepted to UC Berkeley, andthis year a CV graduate isattending Columbia. The boys’baseball team won the finalNCS game against AlamedaHigh at the Oakland Coliseum.For the first time in a decade,the Clayton Valley Orchestrawas awarded first place andgiven a superior rating last yearat their Music in the Parks per-formance in Great America.One would think that all ofthese achievements would bringa positive view of CV with it,but this does not seem to be thecase.

CVHS is not without flaws,but we’ve been working hard todemonstrate that the positiveoutweighs the negative. It istime for the community tocome together to start makingCV look like a place we can trulybe proud of!

On the outside, our 51-year-old campus is starting to showits age. Between the gum cakedon the hallway floors and thepeeling paint on the walls, thereis plenty of room for improve-ments. This is where a newgroup called Project Pridecomes in. Project Pride is a col-

laboration of parents, students,and teachers coming together tobuild pride in education andpride in our school. ProjectPride held a campus clean-up tohelp beautify our run-downcampus on October 18. They’veset goals that include removingthe gum, painting walls andcement borders, sprucing up theplanter boxes, and plantingtrees.

As Clayton Valley watchesas teachers, classes, sports, andother programs are cut, theschool bands together to bringhope for the upcoming sportsseasons. In the midst of thechaos, students and teachers

have put together events to helpmake the situation a little lessstressful. The MDUSD 5Krun/walk, held on Oct. 18, willhelp raise money to replace themissing funds for the sportsprograms. Students, teachers,and parents throughout the Mt.Diablo School District cametogether in support of sports. Itis hoped that funds raised fromthe registration fees and thesponsorships will be enough tocarry the winter and springsports.

Sarah Rosen is a sophomore atCVHS. Email her atsarah_rosen@claytonpioneer.com.

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 15

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CV accomplishments givestudents reason to be proud

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CV STUDENTS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS work together at theProject Pride clean up day on Oct. 18. The project is part ofthe “new attitude” at CVHS.

New DVMSprogram tohelp studentshelp others

Sometimes teenagers haveso much on their plates withschool, friends, sports and allthe pressures of daily life thatit’s hard to find time to stop,sit down and think of others.Every so often we are facedwith the difficult decision ofwhether to put ourselves orsomeone else first. The DiabloView Middle School Characterin Action program (CIA) aimsto help kids understand whatit means to be considerate andthoughtful toward others andto give back.

CIA is a program thatfocuses on character building.Mrs. Jill Curtin attended a CIAworkshop over the summerand brought the program backto DVMS. Each month, CIAwill focus on a different givingactivity. In September, stu-dents made bookmarks forsick patients at Children’sHospital in Oakland toaccompany donated books.Students from each gradedelivered the bookmarks andthe 2,018 donated books tothe hospital. In October, CIAfocused on supporting ourtroops by organizing HolidayHugs. Students were encour-aged to bring canned andpackaged goods, along withsmall entertainment items forholiday stocking stuffers.

CIA is helping DVMS stu-dents understand and increasetheir awareness toward givingback. The planned activitieshelp build character, and bringstudents together to accom-plish a goal.

It will be interesting to seehow DVMS students willanswer the question, “How doyou get to a point where youare not selfish?” It is difficult,sometimes, to grasp the con-cept that you don’t always geta pat on the back or praise foran action. Instead you just dosomething kind to help othersor the world. If everyonecould do this, the world wouldbe a better place. Everyonewould be just paying forward,instead of paying back orexpecting admiration.

Robbie Parker is a student atDVMS. Send comments toRobbie@claytonpioneer.com

ROBBIE PARKER

DVMS REPORTER

School NewsDE LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL

The school’s drum majors for the marching band are bothgraduates of Diablo View Middle School in Clayton.

Tim Santos, a senior at DLS, played the flute in the DiabloView symphonic band. Lincoln Crane, a DLS junior, played thesaxophone. Both students have great memories of middleschool band under the direction of Karl Kaiser.

TIM SANTOS, LEFT, AND LINCOLN CRANE are the drum majorsfor De La Salle’s marching band. Both attended DVMS.

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Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

In ClaytonOct. 25“Arrowheads/Acorns: A Journey Back In Time”The Clayton Historical Society and Museum is hosting a workshop forkids to learn about the native Miwok people. Clayton Museum, 6101Main St. Registration begins at 2 p.m. for the 2:20 p.m. and 3:20p.m. workshops. Free, but space is limited. Parent signature required.672-0240.

Through OctoberClayton Farmers MarketSpecial Halloween activities this month. 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays,Diablo Street in downtown Clayton. pcfma.com or 800-949-3276.

Close byOct. 23-Nov. 16“Over the Riverand Through theWoods”Diablo Actors’Ensemble presents thefunny and heart-warming tale of a not-so-typical family. $10-$25. 1345 Locust St.,Walnut Creek. dia-

bloactors.com or 866-811-4111.

Oct. 28-30CVHS Fall Drama Production“Awkward? Yes! But the Penguin’s Still Drumming” is an original cre-ation written and staged by the students. $5 at the door. 7:30 p.m.nightly, Clayton Valley High School multi-use room, 1101 AlbertaWay, Concord.

Through Oct. 31“The Texas Chainsaw Musical”Takes the classic movie beyond any ordinary realm. Willows Cabaret,636 Ward St., Martinez. willows-theatre.com or 798-1300.

Through Nov. 1“Broadway Bound”The third part of Neil Simon’s autobiographical trilogy, with OnstageTheatre. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.943-SHOW or lesherartscenter.org.

Through Nov. 7“Oliver!”Contra Costa Musical Theatre presents Dickens’ classic tale. LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-SHOW orccmt.org.

Through Nov. 8“Barefoot in the Park”Neil Simon’s nostalgic look at newlyweds. Willows Theatre, 1975Diamond Blvd., Concord. 798-1300 or willowstheatre.org.

Nov. 14Contra Costa Children’s ChorusA concert of liturgical, classical and folk selections. 4 p.m., St.Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1955 Kirker Pass Road, Concord.childrenschorus.org or 945-7101.

Nov. 15Contra Costa Wind SymphonyA concert with trumpet soloist Ben Loomer of Alamo and guest con-ductor Larry Widener of Deer Valley High School. 7:30 p.m.,Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Dr., Lafayette. $10 atthe door. ccwindsymphony.org.

Through Nov. 21“Witness for the Prosecution”Center REPertory Company presents the Agatha Christie drama. 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $18-$41. centerREP.org or 943-7469.

Nov. 21Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale & OrchestraFestival holiday music for brass and choirs. 8 p.m., Diablo ValleyCollege Performing Arts Center, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill.$20, or $25 at the door. 687-4445.

FUNDRAISERSThrough Oct. 23Mt. Diablo Elementary School Food DriveTo benefit the school district’s food pantry. Community members maydrop off non-perishable food in the collection bins in Mt. Diablo’smulti-use room, 5880 Mt. Zion Dr., Clayton.

Oct. 24, Nov. 7Blue Star Moms Holiday Donation DriveDonations most needed are small toys, plus items for service dogs.10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 24, Concord Veterans Building, 2290 WillowPass Road. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 7, Wal-Mart, 1021 Arnold Dr.,Martinez. ccbluestarmoms.org.

Oct. 25Breakfast with the Veterans of Foreign Wars8-11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays, Veterans Memorial Hall,2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $4 adults, $2 children under 12.

Oct. 28Yogurt Shack Benefit for CVHS Water PoloMention Clayton Valley High School and the Yogurt Shack will donate25 percent of all yogurt sold to the boys water polo team. 5438Ygnacio Valley Road, Concord.

Nov. 4Holiday BoutiqueMore than 20 vendors, free entertainment and food/bake sale tobenefit Highlands Elementary School. 1-7 p.m., 1326 PennsylvaniaBlvd., Concord. Contact Stephanie at 783-1238.

Nov. 21Holiday BoutiqueSponsored by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.,Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Call Peggy at 672-2043.

CLASSESNov. 3“Could It Be Dyslexia?”Learn about the classic warning signs and solutions to the struggleswith reading, writing and spelling. Presented by April McMurtrey, adyslexia specialist. Sponsored by Mt. Diablo Adult Education. 7-8p.m., Mt. Diablo Elementary Multi-Use Room, 5880 Mt. Zion Dr.,Clayton. Free. 685-7340.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Community Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Most pro-grams are free. 673-0659 or clayton-library.org.

Through Nov. 19Clayton ReadsThe second annual Clayton Reads features “Three Cups of Tea” byGreg Mortenson. A free copy of the book may be picked up at thelibrary as supply lasts. Readers are encouraged to pass the book onto friends and neighbors. Events include: “Islamic Contributions toCivilization,” 7 p.m. Oct. 26; “The Miseducation of Pakistan,” 7 p.m.Nov. 2; “Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum,”7 p.m. Nov. 4; “Midwives on a Mission of Service,” 2 p.m. Nov. 8;“Daughters of Afghanistan,” 7 p.m. Nov. 9; “Three Cups of Tea” bookdiscussion, 7 p.m. Nov. 16; and a Tea Party, 4 p.m. Nov. 19.

Through Dec. 1Patty CakesStory time for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver.Drop-in 11 a.m. Tuesdays.

Through Dec. 3Picture Book TimeStory time for 3- to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiver.Drop-in 11 a.m. Thursdays.

YMCARegister at mdrymca.org or 889-1600. Or, contact Jennifer at 692-2364 or jbeck@mdrymca.org.

Nov. 7-Dec. 19Youth BasketballFor preschool through fifth grade. $113, or $123 non-residents.

Nov. 7-Dec. 19Youth Flag FootballFor first through sixth grade. Contact Brittney at 692-2362 or ccypro-grams@mdrymca.org.

Through June 17Middle School After-School ProgramFun, safe, supervised environment for children with indoor/outdooractivities, homework help, healthy snacks and monthly special events.$220 a month for three days a week; $300 a month for five days.

NATUREOct. 25Flaming EcologyLearn about fire on a two-mile moderate hike. Meet 9 a.m. at MP#42 Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. No registrationrequired. ebparks.org.

Nov. 8Save Mount Diablo’s Trail AdventureIncludes a half-marathon, 10K run, family hike and lunch. 9 a.m.,Castle Rock Park, Walnut Creek. $35 before Oct. 28, or $40. save-mountdiablo.org.

MEETINGSOct. 27, Nov. 10, 24Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 orci.clayton.ca.us.

Oct. 27, Nov. 10Mt. Diablo Unified School District7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org.

Nov. 10Diablo View Middle School Parent Faculty Club9 a.m., Community Room, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

Nov. 3, 17Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 orci.clayton.ca.us.

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

Clayton Valley Garden ClubMeets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Contact Dorothyat 672-2526 or visit claytonvalleygardenclub.org.

Clayton Valley Woman’s ClubMeets 9:30 a.m. for coffee, 10 a.m. meetings, second and fourthTuesdays of the month, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 AlbertaWay, Concord. Membership drive is Oct. 27. Call Joyce at 672-3850.

Clutch Busters Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Mt. Diablo Women’s Club, 1700 FarmBureau Road, Concord. Contact Dorothy at 754-8117.

Concord Stompers Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Mt. Diablo Women’s Club, 1700 FarmBureau Road, Concord. Call Jennie at 672-9676 orangelfire.com/id/stompers.

Contra Costa Blue Star MomsMeets 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Countrywood Clubhouse, 1706Countrywood Court, Walnut Creek. Members have sons and daugh-ters in uniform. ccbluestarmoms.org.

Contra Costa Chess ClubMeets 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road,Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mike at639-1987 or uschess.org.

Creekside Artists GuildMeets 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, ClaytonLibrary Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms andboth emerging and experienced are welcome. Contact Arlene at673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com. Or creeksideartists.org.

Diablo Valley Macintosh Users GroupMeets 6:30-9 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. BancroftElementary School, 2700 Parish Dr., Walnut Creek. 689-1155 ordvmug.org.

East Bay Prospectors ClubMeets 7 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month, 1021 Detroit Ave.,Unit D, Concord. Clayton resident Doug Junghans is president. east-baygpaa.webs.com or 672-1863.

Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord SunriseMeets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 PeacockCreek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. Contact Chuckat 689-7640 or claytonvalleyrotary.org.

Sons In Retirement (SIR)Meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Oakhurst CountryClub, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. 429-3777.

Soroptimist International of Diablo VistaMeets 12:15 p.m. the first, second and third Wednesdays of themonth, September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road, Concord.Clayton resident Sue Manning is president. 672-2727.

Widows/WidowersMeets for dinner, brunch, theater, etc. This is not a dating service noris it a grieving class - just a way to meet other people. Contact Lori at998-8844 or lori@lorihagge.com.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. OCT. 28 FOR THE NOV. 6 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

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Theatre Review

Willow Theatre Company’s“Barefoot in the Park” is worththe ticket price for the laughsalone.

Playwright Neil Simon’sknack for piercing the heart ofmarital matter, drawing chucklesinstead of blood, made him anicon in the industry. The well-known American comedyopened on Broadway in 1963and ran for four solid years. In1967, Jane Fonda joined RobertRedford, who appeared in the

Broadway production, to star inthe popular film adaptation.

Corie (Melissa Quine) andPaul Bratter (Brady Woolery) arenewlyweds. Living in their firstapartment at the top of six killerflights of stairs in New YorkCity, they discover the truthabout long-term love: oppositesattract, except for when theydon’t.

While dodging Corie’s well-meaning mother and a sexuallycharged but harmless neighbor,the Bratters do-si-do throughtheir too small, too cold newhome. Expectedly, toes arestepped on and feelings arebruised when they have theirfirst doozy of a marital spat.Corie labels Paul a stuffed shirt,and Paul announces a zero toler-ance policy for his wife’s free-spirited ways.

Adding woe to worry, Corie’smother ends up in the arms (androbe!) of the overly boisterousneighbor. Simon works the hilar-ity angle to its limits.

Richard Elliott directs theWillows’ production with cus-tomary simplicity. He’s at his bestin the comic moments, display-ing an instinctive sense of timingfor Simon’s one-liners. NinaBall’s set is all angles, with theskewed lines adding to the play’stension.

Quine moves with impressiveease across the raked stage, andWoolery does a convincing meandrunk. Both could be moreextreme: Quine more wildly exu-berant, Woolery carrying morestarch in his posture and delivery.Greater contrast would maketheir eventual spat convincing,instead of fabricated.

Sally Hogarty, as Corie’smother, is wonderfully wobblyand warm, and Lawrence RobertRose’s portrayal of VictorVelasco boldly rides the linebetween lecherous and lovable.

Gary Grossman nearly stealsthe show with two brief appear-ances as the phone repairman,Harry Pepper. He captures the

mixed nuances of intonation andexpression that bring zest to livetheater.

The Willows Theatre does afine job and Simon’s humoroustake on cohabitation, althoughnostalgic, remains refreshinglyrelevant.

“Barefoot in the Park” playsthrough Nov. 8, Willows Theatre,1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. Formore information, call 798-1300 orvisit willowstheatre.org.LOU FANCHER

Clayton Pioneer

‘Barefoot’ treads on marital bliss

Movie Review

Book Review

In “The Invention ofLying,” Ricky Gervaise imaginesa world of complete honesty.People spout off whatever theyare thinking, no matter howcruel or insensitive.

All the social conventionsthat exist to spare people’s feel-ings are unheard of in this imag-inary world. Gervaise plays adowntrodden writer namedMark Bellison who must bearthe bluntness of his beautifulblind date Anna (JenniferGarner) telling him exactly whatshe thinks about him at firstglance, coworkers telling himthat they think he’s a loser to hisface rather than behind his backand waiters being openly rude.

It’s a clever concept and theabsurdities of such a world pro-vide some good laughs. Sinceacting, or pretending to besomeone you are not, doesn’texist here, people narrating his-torical texts have replacedmovies as entertainment.

Religious beliefs also get skew-ered in this film.

Mark becomes the first per-son to figure out that he can saythings that aren’t true and goesfrom being the ineffectual buf-foon to a powerful, almost mes-sianic figure. When people willbelieve whatever he says, thepower that deception hasbecomes clear.

At the center of all this,Mark’s romantic pursuit ofAnna drives the story. Althoughhe could win her over with asimple lie, it’s the one lie herefrains from – preferring towin her love honestly. No mat-ter how much power he gainsover the rest of the world, theone thing he wants remains outof reach.

Gervaise is a British comedi-an known for his award-winningwork on “The Office” and theHBO series “Extras.” The prob-lem with this film is that it’s justnot funny enough. It shouldhave been hilarious and insteadit’s merely amusing.

Tina Fey and Rob Lowe havesome great bits as mean-spiritedco-workers but in order for theromance to work, JenniferGarner’s Anna should havebeen more likeable. As a sweet

innocent untouched by decep-tion, Anna would appeal toMark. Instead, she comes offmostly as beautiful and dumb.

Although complete honestyis acceptable in this world, itdoesn’t make sense that shewould prefer to marry Lowe’segotistic control freak. But shewants her children to haveLowe’s good genetics ratherthan have “snub-nosed fat kids”with Mark so she puts up withLowe’s verbal abuse. Not exact-ly an endearing quality and yetMark continues to be infatuatedwith her.

Although it has a few laughs

and a good supporting cast,“Lying” doesn’t have what ittakes to be a great comedy.Gervaise and fellowwriter/director MatthewRobinson had a funny idea butfailed to make it work as a full-length feature.

PG-13 for language and acouple references to sex anddrug use

DON PEDRO CRUZ

AT THE MOVIES

Don Pedro Cruz is a local free-lance writer and graphic designer.Send your comments todpvc2000@gmail.com

���������

‘Lying’ fails to invent hilarity

Warner Bros. Pictures

Anna (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Ricky Gervaise) seekromance without deception in ‘The Invention of Lying.’

“Magician’s Elephant” a richread for adults as well as kids

Oh, what a pleasure to rec-ommend a new Kate DiCamillobook. Don’t be fooled by itsbeing targeted to mid-dle readers, whichmeans kids between 10and 13. “TheMagician’s Elephant”is a book for anyonewho loves a goodstory superbly writ-ten. It also gives mea chance to strong-ly encourage adultreaders to serious-ly look at chil-dren’s books.DiCamillo isnear the top ofmy list of writ-ers for young people (frompicture books to middle readers)whose work adults will findimmensely satisfying.

If you’re not sure about

committing time to non-adultbooks, start with DiCamillo’s,“The Tiger Rising,” then move

onto “The MiraculousJourney ofE d w a r dTulane,” butdon’t missh e rC h r i s t m a spicture book(a gem),“Great Joy.”I’m oftenamused whenfriends and cus-tomers ask why Iwould expectthem to read chil-dren’s literature. Ithink that if thewriting is good,

why let a publisher’s marketingdepartment select one’s readingmaterial?

And so we come toDiCamillo’s most recent book,“The Magician’s Elephant,” asmall, but rich telling of a talethat wastes no time in pullingthe reader into the story. “At theend of the century before last,in the market square of the cityof Baltese, there stood a boywith a hat on his head and acoin in his hand.” The boy isPeter Augustus Duchene and heis as dear a boy as any reader, ofany age, could ask for. The ele-phant, though key to the tale,does not have a name. This canbe interpreted as meaning that ifyou are pivotal in the lives ofmany people, as this elephant is,maybe a name is not important.It is not so much what the ele-phant does, as what her magicalpresence means to those shetouches and those who touchher. But the magician, upon

causing this poor elephant tofall through the roof of theopera house in Baltese, isimprisoned for most of thestory.

Leo Matienne, a wise andcaring fellow, is a policemanwho has the soul of a poet,“and because of this, he likedvery much to consider questionsthat had no answers.” Questionssuch as, “What if ? and Whynot? and Could it possibly be?”were posed by this good manthroughout the tale. There ismuch to be accomplished in

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

See Books, page 19

Willows Theatrepresents

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While humans revel in fes-tivity by hanging decorationsand donning costumes, animalsare environmentally sensitiveand prefer to keep to the statusquo. Any changes or interrup-tions to their normal, pre-dictable routine can cause themstress. With Halloween startingthe holiday season, it’s time tostart preparations for the safe-keeping of our pets.

Costumes and high jinks canfrighten our furry friendsbecause they can’t distinguishbetween make-believe and reali-ty. Animals rely on body lan-guage to communicate andunderstand their environment,and costumes can be confusing.Dogs encountering other dogsin costumes might react unpre-dictably, even to their friends,since they are unrecognizable

and unreadable in their disguis-es. Their own costume may notbe much better: visibility can belimited, they can overheat, andelastic or rubber bands can bindand injure. A dog that is uncom-fortable, frightened or confusedcan become irritable and bite.While dressing up can be cute,many pets just don’t appreciatethe practice as much as theirhuman counterparts.

Keep animals indoors duringthe holidays. Be careful of Fidoor Fluffy scurrying out into thenight amidst the excitement ofarriving guests. During trick-or-treating hours, keep pets in aback room with a television orradio on at low volume to dis-tract them from the ringingdoorbell and stream of visitors.Keep a quiet time-out area

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

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Is your Best Friend set for Winter?

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Edison is a true terrier—abusy bee who is always on thego! Rated for homes with chil-dren five years and older,Edison is looking for a terrier-experienced family with thetime to devote to his need ofphysical and mental exercise.Edison is three years old and isgood with other dogs.

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

Khampa is a sweet two-year-old who loves to bebrushed. His emerald green eyesare likely to put you under hisspell, while his adorable headbutts are guaranteed to meltyour heart. Khampa wouldappreciate a calm, quiet house-hold, and is suitable for a firsttime cat owner.

The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

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Tricks and treatmentsfor the holiday season

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PAWS AND CLAWS

Oscar, the “spokesdog” andhis handler, Joanne Lefson, bothfrom South Africa, brought theWorld Woof tour to Clayton lastweek at a reception for local dogsand owners in The Grove. Thereception followed their appear-ance at ARF in Walnut Creek.

Barking from the heart, Oscarspeaks passionately about theneed for adoption and against thewholesale euthanasia of unwant-ed animals. He, himself, was with-in hours of certain death in aSouth African animal shelterwhen Lefson rescued him.

“I caught his eye and startedlaughing,” Lefson recalls. “Herolled over on his back. I washis.”

“The point is,” Lefson contin-ued, “is how many Oscars don’tget adopted.”

Accompanied by a camera-man, the two are filming a docu-mentary and writing a book onthe need for spaying and neuter-ing to reduce the number ofunwanted animals worldwide.They were recently in Chinawhere Oscar received special per-mission to walk the Great Wall.Two days later, they were walkingacross the Golden Gate Bridge.

“It’s been an amazing trip,”said Lefson. “Everyone lovesOscar. He’s perfect for the job.And everyday, there are newsniffs.”

For more information on theOscar and the World Woof Tour,visit www.worldwooftour.com orcall Nancy Janes of theRomanian Rescue Foundation at672-5908.

World Woof Tour promotes pet neuteringand adoption; makes quick stop in Clayton

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON DOG LOVERS GATHERED in The Grove at an informal reception to welcome the World Woof Tour.

OSCAR, SPOKESDOG for the WorldWoof Tour, with Nancy Janes(left) of the Romanian AnimalRescue Foundation and handler,Joanne Lefson.

See Paws, page 19

Happy Days, Ward’sRuby and George L. Taber

are just a few of the awesomeazaleas that Clayton Valley gar-deners have the opportunity toenjoy. Autumn is an ideal timefor the installation of this ever-green shrub with showy spring-time flowers.

Azaleas are familiar and canbe extremely successful in ourlandscapes if installed in a suit-able location while followingappropriate planting instruc-tions.

When considering azaleas,think about sun exposure andsoil. These two elements canmake your planting a triumph ora disappointment.

HERE COMES THE SUN

Plant labels have the tenden-cy to be misleading becausegrowers do not swap out plantlabels per nursery location.When Monrovia labels its plants

for delivery, the sametags are sent to Clayton as fornurseries in Berkeley andOakland. But we all know that

Clayton is much hotter Berkeley,so adjust the plant’s placementaccordingly.

In the Clayton Valley, azaleascan only tolerate part-sun situa-tions in the spring and summer.They can handle morning sun,filtered afternoon sun or blastsof late afternoon sun success-fully.

Soil is also an importantcomponent for a flourishingazalea. The garden lover mustbe ready to amend the heck outof an area for the survival ofthe plant.

Azalea plants are usuallyhappiest beneath large trees,where eons of leaf debris hasbuilt up to create a lighter, rich-er soil environment. You haveto emulate these conditions fora fabulous azalea.

FORGOT THE CLAY

Before installing, prep thesoil. Dig larger that averageholes that are about 1½ times asdeep as the plant’s container andtwo-three times the width.Discard the sticky clay; azaleashate to have their roots boundup and stuck in clump.

Use a planting mix for acid-loving plants. Our native soiltends to run on the alkaline side,so extra acid is necessary.

It is also a good idea to flingin a handful or two of bark toencourage oxygen at the roots.The bark eventually breaks

down and becomes acidy organ-ic matter for the soil.

Growers tend to plant theirstock in light soil so they growfaster and they can sell themfaster. When you install theseplants, remove as much of thegrower’s soil as you can – espe-cially with azaleas.

The loamy, peat-like mediumneeds to be stripped from theroots. Use a pail of water so thesoil can be removed with ease.Be gentle with the roots, yetmean to the soil.

Plant your azaleas high in thehole; you need to see the rootsentering the earth. As you waterto establish your selection, or asthe rain falls, the new plant willsettle into place, rather thanfinding itself over-buried, a mis-take that can be fatal to anyinstallation.

COLORFUL CONTRIBUTIONS

Now we can talk about thefun part, choosing colors thatrepresent you. Happy Days ismy favorite double-bloomingazalea. This plant is easy to keep

green and tidy. Double,dark purple blooms appear inabundance during the earlyspring.

Happy Days can reach 3-4feet tall and wide, making it anice size plant to install ingroupings. You can expect anice fall bloom display as well.

Ward’s Ruby is another awe-some azalea. Small, tight, darkgreen leaves line these uprightbranches. Dwarf by nature, thisazalea may only reach 2-3 feettall and wide. It is lovely plantedbeneath lacy foliage trees, likeMimosa or Japanese maple.

During the middle of spring,miniature, single dark red flowersburst from the stems. Ward’sRuby is the reddest azalea that’savailable. Not dark pink, but red.

George L. Taber is an excel-lent older variety. It sprawlsthrough the landscape withlarge blossoms of blush-coloredpetals freckled with dark pink.This plant can easily reach 3 feettall and eventually 5 feet wide.You may find this shrub as a

bushor grafted as atree. Either way, it isshowy in the proper land-scape.

Cherry drops are a dwarfselection of azalea, maturing to12 inches tall and 3 feet wide.Phoenicia is fabulous with large,dark purple single flowers. It’sprobably the most-sun accept-ing azalea – not full sun, but atouch more than the others.

The overall stability of thisevergreen shrub makes the azal-ea an appealing selection as afoundation planting or decidu-ous plant support. The vastcolor choices are also exciting.

The season for azalea instal-lation is now. Choose your loca-tion, prep your soil and getplanting.

In 2009, the majori-ty of Clayton residentsdid an excellent job ofsaving water asCalifornia weathered itsthird year of drought.Overall, summertimewater use in CentralContra Costa Countywas reduced by about18 percent, as com-pared to summertimewater use in 2005, 2006and 2007. This overallreduction surpassed the15 percent goal set by

the Contra Costa Water District’s Drought ManagementProgram.

Summertime is the peak water-use season because mostlandscapes need to be watered regularly. So now that winter isupon us, you might be wondering if water conservation is stillnecessary. The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Evenif we have a wet winter and spring in 2010, it’s unlikely thatenough snow and rain would fall on the state to undo the lastthree years of drought. If we don’t have a wet winter andspring, we will have another dry year and the state’s water short-age will intensify, making water conservation even more impor-tant than it has been.

It is extremely important for everyone to conserve waterthroughout the winter. Water supplies must last until thedrought ends, and no one knows when that will be. The water

we conserve today is water that stays in reservoirs and is avail-able to ensure everyone’s health and safety at a later date.

The District offers a variety of incentives and services tohelp you conserve water. These include rebates for replacingolder toilets and clothes washers with new high-efficiency mod-els, one-on-one conservation surveys of your home or business,and plenty of tips and good advice. For more informationabout the District’s water supply, incentives and free conserva-tion services, visit www.ccwater.com or call (925) 688-8320.

When checking your home for possible water waste thiswinter, don’t overlook the timer on your automatic sprinklersystem. During the winter months, sprinkler timers should beturned off and landscapes should be watered manually only ifthere is an extended dry period and the plants start to showsigns of stress. Sprinkler timers that are not turned off in thewinter are a common water waster, especially when they turnon the sprinklers in the rain.

If it rains regularly during the months of October,November and December, you can have your sprinklersturned off. If there is a dry spell, use the following irrigationschedule to set your timer:

Lawns ShrubsOctober: 2 days a week 1 day a weekNovember: 1 day a week 0 days a weekDecember: 0 days a week 0 days a week

It is best to set your timer to water in three short cycles earlyin the morning. This results in the best water penetration and thehealthiest lawns. If there is an extended dry spell this winter,water manually and only as needed.

October 23, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 19

Sponsored by the

Contra Costa Water District

The drought continues and waterconservation is still necessary

Tip: Set your sprinkler timer to water three short cycles early in the

morning on each watering day. This will help the water soak in and

result in a healthier lawn and landscape.

For information on CCWD Water Conservation Services,

call 688-8320 or visit www.ccwater.com/conserve

Lawn overwatered?Beat the drought this fall by

adjusting your sprinkler timer

WATERING DAYS PER WEEK*

Month Oct. Nov. Dec.

lawn 2 days 1 day 0 days

shrubs 1 day 0 days 0 days

*suggested watering-days per week for lawn and shrubs.

Schedule may need to be adjusted to meet Drought Water Budget.

throughout the holiday seasonwhere animals can go to escapeloud conversation and the extraactivity associated with celebra-tions. Ample exercise beforefestivities begin can also helpanimals relax.

Decorations pose a changein the environment that dogsand cats will want to investigate.Delicate tchotchkes should bekept out of reach, as shouldobjects made of string or fiber,like decorative spider webs ortinsel. Lit candles, though fra-grant and decorative, should beplaced out of range of curiouspaws and wagging tails. Holidayplants are often poisonous and

can be hazardous to pets as well.Animals find holiday treats

as hard to resist as people do.Keep candy—especially anypotentially deadly chocolate—away from Fluffy and Fido.Teach children to put wrappersin a trashcan with a lid on it, andstore Halloween candy in a cab-inet or drawer. Discourageguests from feeding your pets.This makes it hard to monitorthe quantity consumed. Dogsacting lethargic with a distendedstomach should be taken to thevet immediately to confirm theydo not have bloat, a conditionthat can kill in less than an hour.

It is always better to be safe.

Make sure your animals haveidentification in case they slipoutside. Most vets can implantmicrochips. Keep the phonenumber of your regular veteri-narian and an emergency veteasily accessible. The numberfor California Poison Controlshould also be by the phone toprotect both pets and children.For more information on howto handle pet emergencies, signup for a pet first aid class likethe one offered at ARF. Classavailability can be found atwww.arf.net/resources/pet-first-aid. With a little cautionand preparation, the holidayscan be happy for all.

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

Paws, from page 18

Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden Contact her with questions,comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

WARD’S RUBY HAPPY DAYSGEORGE L. TABER

Azaleas a colorful option but beware of sun conditions

DiCamillo’s story: a mostunlikely reunion between twoorphaned siblings; the healingof a gargoyle-sculpting stone-cutter; the freedom of animprisoned magician; and thetaking back of a magical actthat impossibly occurred inthe first place.

DiCamillo’s writing is fluidand mature as any seasonedstoryteller’s should be. Thoseare some of the characteris-tics that move her writinginto the world of literature.Words such as “presaged,”“wrest,” “reciprocal,”“largesse,” “elucidating,” and

“respite” are used with suchunassuming aplomb that anyparent or grandparent readingthis story aloud will immedi-ately realize that DiCamillodoes not “dummy down” forher marketed readership. Inthis day of tweeted messagesthat come to us punched outin minimalist word use, it is aheady experience to read anauthor who loves the lan-guage in which she writes.

“The Magician’sElephant” is illustrated byYoko Tanaka in muted blackand white drawings thatcharmingly add to the almost

dream-like quality of the tale.DiCamillo stories often dealwith a world in which itscharacters are not afraid toquestion those people andevents that wear them down,and this tale is no different.Will Peter listen to his heart?Will the injured countess findroom for forgiveness? Doesthe policeman’s wife darehope again for a family of herown? Welcome to KateDiCamillo’s world.

Sunny Solomon holds a Master ofArts in English and Creative Writingfrom San Francisco State University.She is a poet, published author and thereviewer-at-large for Clayton Books.Email her with questions or commentsat memorie3@yahoo.com

Books, from page 17

apple, sugar and spices—andsometimes bits of meat) and inthe famous Cumberland sauce,a fine condiment for roastedmeats, particularly wild game.Scandinavians love them in fruitsoups, and the Austrians employthem in their famous Linzertorte.

The 1861 Book ofHousehold Management offersa fresh fruit salad recipe thatstands the test of time: com-bine 1 ½ pints of fruit with 3ounces of pounded sugar, 6large tablespoons of wine orbrandy (or 3 tablespoons ofliqueur) and a little poundedcinnamon. “Lightly stir [so]that the wine and sugar may beequally distributed.” Simplysubstitute granulated sugar andground cinnamon for the ingre-dients and you have a tasty sidedish or dessert.

Pure red currant jelly is quiteeasy to make, although not inex-pensive. (My $4 box of cur-rants reflects their scarcity—100 years ago I would havebought a couple of boxes for 25cents along with my 35 cents fora dozen Bartlett pears.)

RED CURRANT JELLY

4 lbs red currants6 ½ c sugar1 c water4 oz liquid pectinCrush currants (gently to

avoid a cloudy jelly) in a largenon-reactive stockpot. Addwater and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for10 minutes. Strain the liquidthrough a jelly bag or colanderlined with cheesecloth.

Measure out 5 cups of juiceand reheat to boiling. Stir in thepectin and boil for an additional30 seconds. Remove from heatand skim any foam. Ladle intosterilized jars and process in awater bath for 10 minutes.Makes about five ½ pint jars.

The English Earl ofCumberland enjoyed wild gamewith a fruit sauce highlighted bycurrants. Of German origin,the sauce was probably servedto English royalty because oftheir roots in Hanover(Northern Germany). Celebritychef Emeril LaGasse hasdevised a Cumberland saucefortified with a little Scotchwhisky to accompany pheasant.I like it on lamb.

WHISKY-CUMBERLAND SAUCE

1 c Scotch whisky½ cup fresh orange juice2 Tbsp grated orange zest1 c red currant jelly¼ tsp saltPinch cayenneIn a medium saucepan, com-

bine the whisky, orange juice,and orange zest, and bring to aboil. Lower the heat and sim-mer, stirring occasionally, untilreduced by 50 percent in vol-ume to about 3/4 cup. Add thecurrant jelly, salt, and cayenne,and stir well. Cook until thick-ened, about 2 to 3 minutes.Remove from the heat and pourinto a decorative bowl. Coolslightly before serving.

Tailor your ownCumberland sauce to your owntastes—add cloves, ginger, drymustard, golden raisins, etc.

Page 20 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com October 23, 2009

Clayton Market Update provided by

George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty

Helping friends, neighbors and newcomers

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With the abundance offarmer’s markets in the area, it’snot too difficult to find unusualproduce. Some bright redberries caught my attention theother day—currants. These tartfruits are part of the gooseber-ry family and are esteemed inEuropean, particularly French,cuisine.

Fresh red currants (there arepink, black and white varieties)are completely different from“dry currants” which are noth-ing more than raisins from theZante grape, a venerable plantcultivated by the ancientPhoenicians in theMediterranean region.

Native to Europe, westernAsian, and parts of NorthAmerica, the fresh currant is arelative newcomer on the culi-nary stage, first appearing inrecipes around in the 1400s.They were the first berriesgrown by European settlers inNorth America, showing up onthe table in the MassachusettsBay Colony in the 1600s.

Like most berries, currantsare a nutritional powerhouse,having significant amounts ofvitamin C, phosphorus andiron. Medicinally, currants areused to treat sore throat (justsimmer two tablespoons of thefruit in a couple of cups ofwater, strain and gargle); as afever-reducer, diuretic anddigestive aid and to treat goutand rheumatism (sweeten withhoney or sugar and drink).

Perhaps one of the mostwell-known uses for the fruit iscassis, a liqueur distilled fromthe juice of the black currant.

I recall being particularlyfond of currant jelly as a smallchild. I loved the bright redcolor and sweet-tart flavor.Although my jelly was fromSmuckers, Bar-le-Duc jelly fromLorraine province in France wasone of Europe’s most highlyprized condiments (sadly, nolonger made commercially).

Red currants are found inEnglish mincemeat recipes(along with raisins, dried fruits,