DEC 18 Clayton Pioneer 2009.pdf

It was a strange sight forClaytonians last week, when thewhole town turned white underthe first measurable snowfallsince 1976.

Big, fat, fluffy flakes startedfalling on Dec. 7 around 1 a.m.and by dawn a dozen or more“snowpeople” stood guard inthe park and on lawns and hill-sides all across town.

Kids and adults, some still inpajamas under their ski parkasand wrapped to their noses withscarves and hats, poured intothe streets and neighborhoodsand shrieked with the cold assnowballs hit their targets.

Snowboards and sleds foundtheir way out of summer stor-age and onto the slopes of theOakhurst hills.

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com December 18, 2009 925.672.0500

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

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

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

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . .18

Cookie Contest Winners . . . . . . .17

Deal With It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

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

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Holiday Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . .13

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

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

Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

What’s Inside

HANK STRATFORD

MAYOR’S CORNER

New mayor shareshopes for coming year

Shortly after I becomemayor, Tamara Steiner, the edi-tor and publisher of this paper,let me know that my first col-umn would be due the followingWednesday, six days later.

My first question was, “Howlong does the column need tobe?” She replied that I shouldtry to keep it to less than 750words. She misunderstood myquestion – I wasn’t worriedabout the maximum length, butI wanted to know if there was aminimum. I also wondered ifthe font size could be increasedif necessary. Writing this col-umn is one of the mayoralresponsibilities about which Iwas most worried.

Originally I thought I wouldoffer an introduction and makesome recognitions. However, Idecided that I would like tointroduce a couple of ideas that

See Mayor, page 18

See Council, page 18

Happy Holidays

from all of us

to all of you

Clayton lights up for the holidays

The annual tradition of thedowntown tree lighting Dec.5drew a large crowd of about athousand people fighting offthe rapid chill-down that led tothe amazing snowfall twomornings later.

With the angelic songs ofthe Mt. Diablo ElementarySchool choir under the guid-ance of Michael Hanna at thegazebo, carriage rides aroundthe square and visitors gather-ing at local eateries as they wait-ed for Santa, the chill seemed tobother no one – adding instead

to the holiday charm.“This is really cute,” said

Lindsay Bradburn, holding littleBrook as she stood against apark bench so she could see,with daddy Keith and sisterLindsay by her side. “It’s amaz-ing,” said Keith.

New to the festivities this

year, was the horse and carriagesponsored by local Realtor,Stephanie Lopez and EdMoresi, owner of Moresi’sChophouse and Ed’s MudvilleGrill.

Over 100 riders clip-clopped their way around townin the the old-fashioned car-

riage lit up with white lights.“This is such a fun way to

give back to the community,”said Lopez.

Farther down Main Street,Geri Engberg, Michael Hanna’swife and their dog Blue, decked

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Pete Barra

HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDES SPONSORED by Stephanie Lopez and Ed Moresi added to the festive atmosphere downtown as Clayton’s annual TreeLighting officially kicked off the holiday season.

Linda Pinder

A DEC. 7 SNOWFALL TURNED THE VIEW FROM CANDACE BASS’ OAKHURST backyard into a Courier and Ives postcard. Snow on Diablo isnot unusual during the winter months, but the last time locals can remember measurable snow in downtown was 1976.

Historic snowfall blankets downtown, hillsidesTAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Stratford tofocus oncharacterdevelopment

The Clayton City Councilunderwent its annual reorgani-zation on Dec. 2 with the elec-tion of Hank Stratford as mayorand Dave Shuey as vice-mayor.

Stratford, who was elected tothe council in 2006, will take upthe gavel from Councilwomanand four-time mayor, JuliePierce.

Clayton, a general law city,does not elect the mayor in anopen election. Rather the largelyceremonial seat traditionallyrotates between members. Themayor has no more authoritythan the other four electedcouncil members.

See Lights, page 2

See Snow, more photos, page 6

out with antlers, waited for thecrowds to work their way to thetree.

Twenty-one-year old JeffHolmes was also waiting, as hepaced and climbed ladders to theroof of the Clayton CommunityChurch – where his handiworkof technological organization inthe form of 13,000 lights need-ed finishing adjustments for theshow that the church would puton after the tree lighting.

“It’s three years for medoing this,” Holmes said enthu-siastically, “and two years at thechurch.”

He got interested afterwatching a similar setup onYouTube, the online video por-tal. “The first year I did it at myhouse,” Holmes said. “Thenthe pastor (Shawn Robinson)saw it.”

Holmes says Robinson hada “big vision.” The churchshow choreographs musicalnumbers to the lights, whichinclude light-emitting diodesthat allow images to form as

well as letters.The show runs through

Christmas, every night at 6, 7and 8 p.m. thanks to the com-puter system that controlseverything and requires onlyminimal work to maintain. “It’sall automated once we set theprogram,” Holmes said.

In his 90 or so shows, therehave only been two glitcheswhich he confesses to beingcaused by his last-minute

adjustments.At the tree, the crowd waited

for Santa. Kids were perchedatop parent shoulders, vaporfrom a multitude of openmouths creating a winter mistagainst the few street lights.

With an adjustment of hishat, Santa ordered the lights onand the tree lit up – a pretty jewelof light in the heart of whatwould soon become a winterwonderland.

As people moved away, thechurch came to life and familiesbraved the cold to stay andwatch. Off to one side, Holmesenjoyed his handiwork. This is apassion for him and one that hehas turned into what he hopeswill be a business.

“It takes a community ofpeople to make this work,” hesaid. “Without all the peoplehere who helped get it all togeth-er, it wouldn’t happen.”

Across the street at the oldpizza joint, families huddledbeneath the gas heaters so thatthey could watch the show.

“You’re drinking cold wine,”one passer-by shouted to awoman standing up. “I know,”she said. “Can’t be helped.”

“It’s a wonderful life,” saidMariette Hammond, whowatched the lights with hergrandson Jacob. “This is whatClayton is all about.”

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 18, 2009

Around Town for the Holidays

[email protected]

[email protected]@windermere.com

[email protected]

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]@[email protected]

Michelle

GittlemanREALTORTM

(925) 768-0352(DRE#01745325)

Carol van-

VaerenberghREALTORTM

(925) 672-1772(DRE#01221965)

Nancy

D’onofrioREALTORTM

(925) 998-7705(DRE#01353299)

Vickie CokerREALTORTM

(925) 939-7259(DRE#01085216)

Walter

MerlinoREALTORTM

(925) 672-5044(DRE#01415750)

Bonnie

ManolasREALTORTM

(925) 216-8162(DRE#01857217)

Sophia

DuranREALTORTM

(925) 586-0948(DRE#01372317)

Heather GrayREALTORTM

(925) 765-3822(DRE#01329100)

Shelly GwynnREALTORTM

(925) 207-3069(DRE#01467993)

Maria

SanchezREALTORTM

(925) 864-3556(DRE#01745325)

John

SilvesterREALTORTM

(925) 980-2896(DRE#018396570)

Julie

ClairmontREALTORTM

(925) 639-7906(DRE#01336618)

Stacy Hengemihle,Buyers Specialist;

Lynne French, Top-Producing

Agent/Owner/Mentor;

Inge Yarborough,Client Care/Staging

ProfessionalLynne French Team

Lights, from page 1

Downtown Tree Lightingphotos, clockwise from upperleft:

Clayton Community Church glit-tered with more than 13,000 lights setto music, designed by Jeffrey Holmes.

Photo by Pete Barra

Local dentist Keith Bradburn andwife Lindsay with Brooks andAlyssa. Photo by Andre Gensburger

The park sparkled withChristmas lights and it seemed thewhole town turned out.

Photo by Pete Barra.

Rachel Siver checks the bulbs onthe town’s menorah at the end ofMain Street. Photo by Tamara Steiner

“Ten, nine, eight . . .” In his firstofficial duty as mayor, HankStratford joins Santa in the count-down. Photo by Julie Pierce

December 18, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com


101st bash for Diamond Terrace residentTwo days before her 101st birthday,

Diamond Terrace resident Marjorie Scottwas given a surprise party by fifth-gradersfrom Ygnacio Valley Christian School.

She shared how she was born prema-turely, at only 2 pounds, in a Montanafarmhouse during one of the worst bliz-zards of the time. Before the age of incu-bators, her parents put her in a boot boxand laid it on top of a wood-burningstove.

Marj’s life was filled with volunteerism,including more than 70 years in theSalvation Army. She offered her secretweapon for beating illness and stayinghealthy – oatmeal for breakfast everydayfor as long as she can remember.

These days she goes by manynames, usually associated withher blog site The Lemon Lady,but Anna Chan can add JeffersonAward recipient to the list ofaccolades she has received forher work.

The award which shereceived Dec. 1 from local affili-ate CBS-5 is a huge honor, arecognition of public servicenamed after the country’s thirdpresident, Thomas Jefferson,that awards both national andlocal recipients.

Chan, a one-woman cam-paign against hunger, began herprogram of asking for excessfruit from neighborhood trees ayear ago. She has collected anddelivered more than 13,000pounds worth herself, as well asmore from the many volunteers

who transport their own excessto places like the Food Bank ofContra Costa and Solano.

“The accolade is nice,” Chansays, “but I don’t want the focusto be on me; it is about gettingthe fruit and vegetables to those

who need it. Did you know thatthe Food Bank accepts freshfruit?”

Apparently many people donot, assuming that only non-per-ishable items are needed. “Whenthe hungry get to eat somethingfresh, they are getting a farhealthier meal,” Chan says.

The Jefferson Award com-mittee had tried reaching her byphone but was unable to.Instead, CBS-5 producerStephanie John emailed her thenews. The segment which airedon Dec. 9 allows Chan to high-light the excess of fruit that shesees daily throughout the county.She hopes that people will callher to come and get it.

While she does not get paidfor what she does, Chan is both-ered that some people think thatthis is a paying job. “There areother groups out there where itis,” she says, “but for me this isabout giving.”

Her route includes theConcord and Clayton farmersmarkets, where she yields about$2,000 worth of produce from

The Pioneer travel journals

The Pioneerspent some time withJerry, Stacey andSarah Okimoto onthe East Coast thissummer. Here we areat the WWII monu-ment in WashingtonD.C

The Pioneer loved the tenthwedding anniversary cruise withBrian and Diana Quinn. Wecruised to Italy, Croatia,

Montenegro, and Greece. Afterspending two nights in Venice,we all boarded the CostaFortuna for Mykonos.

“The three weeks were filledwith once in a lifetime experi-ences,” says Diana Quinn,“including being without ourluggage for 18 days.”

The two met in cyberspaceand were married at OakhurstCountry Club in Clayton. Theyhave two children, Julie Berrutoof New Jersey and BrianBerruto who lives in Clayton.

FOOD BANK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LARRY SLY WITH ANNA CHAN as CBS-5 reporter Kate Kelly and cameraman prepare for her interview.

Clayton activist receives Jefferson AwardANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

MARJ SCOTT, bottom row, second from left, was honored ata 101st birthday party at Ygnacio Valley Christian Schoolon Dec. 7. Other Diamond Terrace residents attendingincluded Marie Sutton, Bob Case and Fred Stromberg.

During September andOctober, we went along on anextended road trip to the OuterBanks of North Carolina withJeanne and Don Boyd.

Along the way, we allstopped at Mount Rushmore inSouth Dakota.

Jeanne and Don’s bluetickhound Pepper traveled with us.

Around Town

If you were at Endeavor Hall last Saturday for Dessert with Mrs.Claus, you couldn’t help wonder if anyone was left holding the fort at theNorth Pole since Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with all the elves, were at theCBCA event. Assisting were Jodie Sparks and event coordinator SydneyAlcock (standing) with elves Lauren Sparks and Mikayla Alcock.

See Chan, page 20

Dessert with Mrs. Claus

HELP WANTED

Advertising Sales

Experienced salesperson needed tohelp with advertising sales for theClayton Pioneer. Part time or fulltime. Generous commissions. Send resume to [email protected], or drop off at thePioneer office, 6200 H Center Street.,Clayton.

Servers

Diamond Terrace in Clayton is seek-ing energetic servers for dining serv-ices. Serving breakfast and lunch toresidents. 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 pm.Excellent work environment. Benefitsavailable for all staff. $8.25 - $8.75per hr. Apply in person. 6501 CenterSt., Clayton. No phone calls, please.

Real Estate Agents

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

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers and reliefdrivers needed for delivery of Mealson Wheels in East County. Call Jim at673-0300 or e-mail [email protected].

Anna’s Attic Volunteers

Anna's Program. To volunteer at theHospice of the East Bay thrift store at5350 Clayton Road. Call store man-ager, Debbie at 674-9072 or LamontCampbell at (925) 766-5066.To applyfor free training, call Hospice of theEast Bay at (925) 887-5678 or [email protected].

Clayton Historical

Society Museum

Greeter for two hours per month from2-4 p.m. Wed. or Sun. No experienceis necessary. Call the museum at672-0240 and leave your name.

Clayton Community Library

Needs volunteers. Minimum age 13.Minimum commitment is 6 months.Some training provided. Shelver - toshelve and sensitize library materials.Various days/times. Tutors - no priorexperience necessary! You determinethe grade level and subjects you arecomfortable with and the days/times.Requires good communication skills,patience and a desire to help studentsin the community. Contact: Arlene@ 673-9777 or email:[email protected]


Auto

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

Diablo Car Wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .691-4529

Dirito Brothers Concord Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . .887-6000

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

Niello Infinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .866-443-1740

Children’s Services

Music Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .946-2990

Construction and Trades

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

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

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

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

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0110

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

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

Dining and Entertainment

Canesa’s Brooklyn Deli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .691-4529

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

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

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

Fitness

Butterfly Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4238

Coach Terry Fit Body Boot Camp . . . . . . . . . . . .586-3649

Snap Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0110

Funerals

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

Gifts

Gift Baskets by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-8878

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

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

Home and Garden

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

Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299

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

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

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

Postal Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5246

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

Personal Products and Services

A Perfect Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8261

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

Clayton Mind and Body Connection . . . . . . . . . .673-0686

Permanent Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8990

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

Sport Clips Haircuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5686

Susan Cardoza C.M.T. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .746-4710

Weight Watchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-379-5757

Pet Services

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

Vet Tech Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-7354

Peace of Mind Pet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9781

Rodies 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

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

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

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

Inner Trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-862-0960

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

YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .889-1600

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

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

Shopping

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

Rose Liquor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1010

Sports Chalet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-7009

Travel

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

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

Worship

Clayton Presbyterian Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4848

Eternal Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295

St. Bonaventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5800

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 BEDECARRÉ, Sports BETH NEUDELL, Advertising Sales CHRISTINA SCARLOTT, Administrative Assistant

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

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

Tamara [email protected]

André [email protected]

Beth [email protected]

Send ads [email protected]

Send Sports News [email protected]

Send Club News [email protected]

Send Church News [email protected]

Send School News [email protected]

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

words, $.20 each additionalword

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

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

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

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

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

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

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

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

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

Classified

Winter Kids Camp! Dec. 28 - 30

Only 5 minutes from downtown Clayton!

Day Camp (ages 6-10)9 a.m. – 3 p.m., $200

Overnight Camp (ages 11-16)9 a.m. Dec. 28 – 5 p.m. Dec. 30, $250

For more info or to register visit www.innertrails.com

or call Chris Harvey 510-862-0960

or email [email protected]. No horse experience

necessary. Registration end date: 12/24/09.

Horseback riding, hiking,

cooking, arts & crafts

(925) 932-7375Email: [email protected]

www.HelenandHomes.com

RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE

May the New Year 2010 be filled with Health, Happiness,and Prosperity for all of you!

During the holidays our homes take on even greatmeaning to us as we fill them with the sights and sounds of the season!

My pride and integrity is based on making this possiblefor you to enjoy all year long!

Warmest regards, Helen Rahimzadeh

WWiisshhiinngg aallll ooff yyoouu tthhee bbeesstt

dduurriinngg tthheessee jjooyyoouuss HHoolliiddaayyss

Upcoming EventsDEC. 31

CLAYTON COUNTS DOWNCelebrate New Year’s Eve with the whole family this year at the

annual Clayton Counts Down no-alcohol celebration at theClayton Community Gym. Begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 9, leavingplenty of time for grown-up celebrations later in the evening.BBQ, games, crafts and Crazy Hat Contest. Sponsored by the cityof Clayton and the YMCA. For more information or to volunteercall the city of Clayton at 673-7300.


The school bus got stuck inthe snow on Oakwood Circleand had to be towed. No kidswere on board, though.

Clayton police officer AllanPike was on duty around 3 a.m.

“He couldn’t even get to the topof Keller Ridge,” said SharonMcNulty. “There was too muchsnow!”

Marsh Creek Road was park-ing lot at the Divide as surprised

commuters braked to get a bet-ter view of what looked a lotlike Tahoe.

Friends, family and associ-ates from “real” snow countrysnickered as Clayton went nutsfor a day.

“It will all be gone tomor-row,” laughed Sheri Laurence.“Just the way I like my snow.”

The National WeatherService does not keep statisticsfor Clayton, but estimates putthe snowfall downtown at aboutthree inches. There was at leasttwice that on the higher hillsaround town and at the Divideon Marsh Creek Road.

So, why did it snow in a townwhere mud is the expected win-

tertime groundcover? For anexplanation of the weather con-ditions that caused this snowyphenomenon, see WoodyWhitlatch’s Weather Words col-umn on page 8.

Share your memories andweather records with Woodyand help him compile a “snowhistory” for Clayton. Send your

information [email protected] ordrop off at the Pioneer office,6200 H Center Street.

The Pioneer received morethan 150 photos of this historicday and we sincerely thankeveryone who sent their pic-tures. We wish we could haveprinted them all.

Snow, from page 1

Let it snow

Let it snow

Let it snow

Nicole Hackett

Linda Pinder

Linda Pinder

Russ Kauter

Bob Strickland

Rita Howe

Steve Pierce Allen White

Mike Dunn

Tiffany Welker

Allen White

Tamara Steiner

Sharon McNulty

Tamara Steiner

December 18, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

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Rare snowstorm puts a positive spinon stressful holiday for local family

The Enders family ofClayton wasn’t looking forwardto this holiday season. Just aweek before Christmas, theyhave to move out of the Claytonhome they’ve lived in for the pasttwo years and are going to tem-porarily cram their entire familyinto a two-bedroom apartmentin Concord.

In the midst of this uproot-ing, in the early morning hoursof Dec. 7, 12-year-old daughterSophia shrieked for her mom tolook outside. When Jill Enderssaw snow falling, it didn’t takelong for her to spring into action.

Since this is such a rareoccurrence in our corner of the

world, the Clayton mom, whohome-schools her children, bun-dled up her kids with makeshiftsnow gear and escorted themand the family puppy out to play.It was just past 2 a.m., but Jillwanted her children to have achance to experience the unusualsnowfall in Clayton first-hand.

Joining their sister Sophia inthe snow were Tristan, 14, andNicholas, 4. The Enders beganconstructing a snowman andmaking snow angels in the snow.It was a great time for a family inthe midst of a stressful transi-tion.

The only problem was it wasvery early in the morning and aneighbor called the ClaytonPolice about a loud commotionoutside their home. Officer AllanPike drove up in his black andwhite and told the Enders theyhad to tone down their fun. Itwas obvious how much fun thefamily was having and he had abig smile on his face while pos-ing for a photo with the wet andhappy kids.

Husband Randy, who wastaking time off from his vicepresident’s position with a majorbrokerage firm to finish the fam-ily move, wasn’t too keen onplaying in the snow. However, hebrewed hot chocolate and wasready to warm the three kids andmom when they came inside all

wet, cold and happy.The Enders moved to

Clayton two years ago afterspending a dozen years in thePleasant Hill area. The homethey were renting went into fore-closure and they attempted topurchase it from the owner on a“short sale” transaction. Instead,the landlord twice sold the houseto someone else, only to see eachdeal fall apart. The landlord final-ized a third sale and the Enderswere given 60-days notice tovacate, with the final date right

before Christmas.Like so many others in these

perilous economic times, theEnders were forced to moveagainst their will as they continueto search for a home to buy. “Iprobably know every propertyon sale in Clayton,” Jill Enderssays.

“I was sure it was not goingto be a good Christmas,” sheadds. “However when this(snowfall) happened, it showsthat what matters most is family.Ordinary Christmas miracles arenot dependent on fickle finance!And Officer Pike was so won-derful. We have loved Claytonand hope we are able to stayclose by when all is said anddone.”

On so many levels, this willbe a Christmas the Enders willlong remember.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photos courtesy of the Enders Family

OFFICER ALLAN PIKE was called out to a noise complaint in agenerally quiet Clayton neighborhood during the early morn-ing hours of Dec. 7. It turned out the Enders family was frol-icking in the rare snow storm that hit the area. From left,Tristan, Sophia and Nicholas Enders

JILL ENDERS CALLED the earlymornng snow experience“priceless” as her family facesa difficult holiday season.

Q. My husband and I areconsidering a short sale. OurRealtor is going to negotiatewith the bank to accept a lowerpayoff than what we owe. Howmuch will we be taxed on thesettled debt? – D.N., Clayton

A. Assuming this is yourprincipal residence, you may notbe taxed at all on the debt reliefamount. The Mortgage ReliefAct of 2007 generally allowstaxpayers to exclude incomefrom the discharge of debt oftheir principal residence. Thisapplies to debt forgiven in 2007through 2012.

The lender forgiving thedebt will send you a form 1099-C Cancellation of Debt. Youwill file this as well as a form

982 on your tax return.There are other instances

where you might be able toexclude income due to debtrelief for other matters such asstudent loans and credit carddebt. You can read Publication4681 on the IRS Website orconsult with your tax profes-sional.

Q. Is the current market abetter time to buy or sell ahouse? – M.B., Clayton

A. I believe that there is alittle envelope of time rightabout now where it is the besttime to buy and to sell. Thisdoesn’t happen very often in thehousing market. It is especiallygood for the first-time buyerand the move-up buyer.

For sellers, there seems to bea pause in the decline in prices.There have been moratoriumson foreclosures all year. Theinventory is down. Prices arepretty stable for now.

Buyers are anxious to take

advantage of some of the gov-ernment programs which havebeen extended and expanded.For example, the “up-to” $8,000tax credit for first-time buyersor anyone who has not owned ahome in the past three years.Interest rates are historicallylow, though they have gone up atick recently.

A move-up buyer mighthave to accept less on their pres-ent home than they hoped forbut will more than make it upon the purchase of the moreexpensive home because theseare the homes that have lostmore value. They are alsopotentially eligible for a new taxcredit program.

Q. Should I wait until themarket goes up before I sell myhome? – D.F., Concord

A. If a seller chooses towait until the market goes up

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE

Short sale could endup being a tax benefit

See Real Estate, page 20

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All conditions met forour perfect little storm

Entire family benefitsfrom end of life care

We hear the word hospiceand automatically think of theworst, when in fact this amazingservice can be a help to allinvolved in this difficult time.

End of life care is designedto facilitate a “good death” – onethat is free from avoidable dis-tress and suffering for patients,families and caregivers and is inline with patient’s and families’wishes.

There is a growing concernabout older individuals nearingthe end of their lives.. Comfortcare is crucial. Knowing thatyour loved one’s pain is beingmanaged gives one peace ofmind in a stressful situation.

Rather than trying to cure anillness, hospice aims to make theterminally ill patient comfort-able, ease pain and other trouble-some symptoms and support thefamily through a sad and difficulttime.

A hospice care program triesto provide the best possible qual-ity of life by providing a holisticapproach. Spiritual, emotional,

mental and physical comfort areprovided to patients, their fami-lies and other caregivers.

Hospice allows individuals tolive out the rest of their liveswith dignity while offering thephysical comfort and counselingtheir families need. Hospice willaccept a case when a person isconsidered to be in their last sixmonths of life. Sometimes a per-son in hospice care does make arecovery, in which case hospicewill simply and happily close thecase.

These wonderful profession-als and volunteers honor the endof life. I have seen this manytimes and always feel at peacewhen I know a hospice organiza-tion is involved. The supportprovided and resources availableare more valuable than you canrealize.

Often families do not feelthey are ready for hospice, butthe benefit of having theminvolved far outweighs any inse-curities one may have. Needinghelp and support is not a weak-

ness. Utilizing their expertise andembracing their emotional sup-port can be just the comfort afamily and loved one may need.

Please consult your doctorwith any questions you may haveor contact one of the hospiceorganizations in our area.Hospice of the East Bay – 887-5660, Asera Care – 798-5791 orVitas Hospice – 930-9373.

Living with dignity is impor-tant; dying with dignity is just asimportant. Make sure you haveall the information that is avail-able in order to make the bestdecision possible for you andyour loved ones.

KELLY FERRO

SENIOR MOMENTS

Kelly Ferro is MarketingDirector for Aegis of Concord. Sendcomments or questions [email protected]

Several times each winterClayton residents wake up to thesight of snow on the peaks of Mt.Diablo. Once in a great whileatmospheric conditions are justright to produce measurablesnowfall in the neighborhoods ofthe valley floor. Monday, Dec. 7was one of those rare mornings asa blanket of fresh white snowcovered the area.

The typical questions meteo-rologists receive after an unusualevent like this are: ‘Why did thishappen?” and “When was thelast time it snowed so much?”

The easier question to answeris why it snowed. There are threeingredients necessary to producesnow at low elevations in the BayArea, an exceptionally cold airmass, a source of moisture and amechanism to lift the air. OnDec. 7, all three conditions weremet, and a rare event occurred.Snow fell at elevations below 500feet in Clayton.

The cold air was supplied afew days prior to the snow event.The jet stream associated with astrong ridge of high pressureover the Gulf of Alaska pushed

a mass of cold dry air fromCanada to California. A secondsurge of cold air followed, butthis cold air mass containedsome moisture.

On the days prior to ourwhite morning surprise, an upperlevel low center formed in thecold air portion of the jet stream.The low moved off the coast ofOregon, picking up moisturefrom the Pacific. That pocket ofcold air did not stay over theocean long enough to greatlymodify the temperature of theair mass. When the jet streamdirected the cold and wet airback over land in the Bay Area,two ingredients for low elevationsnowfall were in place.

A combination of upwardmotion in the center of the lowitself combined with the lift sup-plied by topographical featuresof the Bay Area, like Mt. Diablo,triggered precipitation coldenough to form snow crystals.The overnight snow stuck to thealready cold ground, and all theingredients for our white wake-up call were in place.

Many children born andraised in the Bay Area have neverexperienced the sight of snowout their bedroom window.Parents documented the rareappearance of snow angels andsnowmen in their back yards.

Years from now the next genera-tion of children will hear storiesof the great snow event of ’09.

But what about previoussnow events? That question isdifficult for meteorologists toanswer. The National WeatherService does not keep records ofsnowfall at low elevation sites.Even in this Google-knows-allInternet age, the best resourcefor determining when snow fellin Clayton is the memories oflong term residents.

During the last week I’veheard quite a few stories of snowevents in the area. I’d like to puttogether a climatology of snowevents, and once again requestthe help of Clayton Pioneerreaders.

Please send me an emaildescribing snow event that youremember. If possible, let meknow how deep the snow was.Don’t worry if you don’t remem-ber the exact month or day. I’llcompile the responses and sum-marize them in the next WeatherWords article. Thanks, readers, inadvance, for any information youprovide.

WOODY WHITLATCH

WEATHER WORDS

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


BELLA MIA SPAWhere Life is Beautiful.Come let us pamper your

body, mind and spirit in ourluxurious day spa. Slatewalls evoke the sense ofOld Italian ruins, whilewater fountains, cupidfairies, and grapevines addto the Italian-inspiredatmosphere.

There are four treatmentrooms, two pedicure sta-tions, one manicure table,and a sunless tanning areain the spa. Relaxing musicplays in each room andtreatment areas. The spa’scustomized European Facialincorporates a cleansing,exfoliation, face, neck, andshoulder massage, extrac-tions (if necessary), ahydrating facial mask, andaromatic moisturizer andsunscreen.

Our massage therapy andspa body treatments are ofthe highest quality and arecustomized to your personalhealth and beauty needs.We specialize in profession-al skin care providingfacials, manicures, pedi-cures, waxing, microder-mabrasion, cellulite treat-ments, airbrush tanning andbody wraps.

Let our friendly profession-al staff guide you throughthe journey to total relax-ation. 5439 Clayton Rd.,Ste. E, Clayton. 680-7792.

BUTTERFLY CLAYTON A Women’s fitness, Weight

Loss and Yoga Center.We are the only all

women’s fitness center inthe Concord/ Clayton areathat features weight resistantmachines, free weights, per-sonal training , weight lossand Yoga, along with over50 different exercise classes.

People always ask “Whypersonal training?” Theanswer is simple “if youcould do it yourself youwould have already doneit!” Personal training canjump start your health andwellness program by givingyou one on one attention,and most importantly,accountability, strength andflexibility.

Dr. Oz says, “PracticingYoga will make you lookand feel younger. It will helpclean your blood, improveyour lungs and focus yourmind.” Come experience

supportive Yoga for theback, and relieve your painand stiffness, and gainstrength and flexibility.

Butterfly Clayton is ownedby a woman and run bywomen; women who under-stand women. Why exercisewith men?

5439 Clayton Rd.,Clayton. 672-4238.

CANESA’S BROOKLYNSTYLE DELI

Established 3 years ago,Canesa’s Brooklyn Style Delilocated inside Cup O’ Joserves it up right. All sand-wiches are hand craftedupon ordering using Boar’sHead brand meat. Creatinghot and cold New York styleheros from Hot Pastrami toa Stromboli – the truemeasure of East CoastItalian., there is somethingfor everyone. Sides rangefrom antipasto to freshhomemade Tomato Salad.To further enhance yourexperience this little piece ofthe East Coast features WisePotato Chips shipped fromNew York.

Don’t forget aboutCanesa’s during the holi-days. They offer gift basketsand party platters for allyour entertaining needs.

Hours Mon. - Sat. 10:30-6:00 (925) 852-1650, call-in orders welcomed.

Having moved into Claytonjust three months ago, wewould like to thank all of ourcustomers for their continuedsupport, and the communityfor making us feel so wel-comed. Happy Holiday’sfrom the Canesa’s!

CD FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Exceeding ExpectationsSince 1954.

CD Federal is a member-owned, not-for-profit finan-cial institution. Being amember makes you anowner! That means we giveback to our members asmuch as we can in any waypossible. Whether it isincome, time, education,resources, great rates, andlow fees-whatever we cando to help our members befinancially successful.

At CD Federal membersare NOT just another facein the teller line. In the lasteight years, CD Federal'semployees and assets havedoubled. Yet we still pride

ourselves on per-sonal, excellent, and accu-rate services. This HolidaySeason we are thankful forour member’s support thathas contributed to the growthand the success of CDFederal Credit Unionthroughout the years. 18552nd St., Concord. 825-0900.

CLAYTON FURNITUREFamily owned and operat-

ed since 1988, ClaytonFurniture has an unrivaledselection of furnishings in its15,000 square foot show-room located at 3400/3410Clayton Road. Whether youare looking for adult or chil-dren’s bedroom furniture, acoffee table, or furnishingan entire room, ClaytonFurniture has what you needno matter what your budg-et. And, with the ability tospecial order from a widevariety of catalogues, youare almost certain to findwhat you are looking foreven if it is not on the show-room floor.

Over the years, ClaytonFurniture has built its repu-tation on service, integrityand value. The store has afriendly, knowledgeablestaff ready to help you withyour furniture decisions.Stop in for the biggestThanksgiving sale everNovember 27–30 and findbeautiful furniture at greatprices. Delivery service isavailable.

CLAYTON MIND & BODYCONNECTIONS

Where YOU are a VIP.You are invited to come

and enjoy a full 60 minutemassage for only $45, 90minutes for $65 or 30 min-utes for $25. Massages aretailored to each individualand include Swedish, DeepTissue and Shiatsu. Bothmale and female massagetherapists are available.

Other services includefacials, herbal body wraps,salt scrubs, hot stone mas-sages, hand or foot treat-ments and waxing.

You may combine any ofthe services that we provideto create a special spa dayor take advantage of apackage we already offer.From the “Quick Start”, apackage which includes ahalf hour massage andmini-facial to our “I DeserveThis” package which takes

about5 hours, wehave just what youneed.

Remember that gift certifi-cates do not expire. You canbuy gift certificates online atwww.mind-and-body-con-nections.com. We alsoaccept SpaFinder GiftCertificates.

Clayton Mind & BodyConnections is located at6200 Center St, Suite IClayton, right behind Ed’sMudville Grill. Call 925-673-0686 or visit us onlineat www.mind-and-body-connections.com.

COACH TERRY’S HEALTHAND FITNESS

So now you have all threeparts of the synergy of sup-portive nutrition, strengthtraining and cardio basedintervals for a 1-2 knock-out punch for permanenthealthy fat loss. You canachieve the same results asthe hundreds just like youwho trained with CoachTerry and achieved phe-nomenal results.

When you follow a pro-gram or attend a bootcamp that has all these ele-ments then you are guaran-teed success.

Coach Terry has animpressive grasp of what ittakes to help a client reachhis or her goals through acombination of effectiveexercise, proper nutritionand a championship atti-tude. He also makes itunderstandable and fun. E-mail question are answeredthe same [email protected]. Sign up for the next gro-cery store tour on January22nd. 925-586-3649 www.coachterrysfitness.com

CONCORD/CLAYTON YMCA

The Clayton Valley YMCAis pleased to announce thestart of Health and WellnessClasses! These classes willbe held at Endeavor Hall(6008 Center Street,Clayton, CA 94517) startingon Monday, January 11,2010. Please join us foran open house on Saturday,January 9, 2010 atEndeavor Hall to learnmore about the classesbeing offered, meet the

instruc-tors, and ashort demonstra-tion of each class. We willbe offering, Zumba, ZumbaGold, a Yoga Stretch Class,Boot Camp I and II, andSports Conditioning classes.Saturday, January 16, 2010is the start of the WinterYouth Basketball League forages 4-13. Adult Volleyballand Adult Basketball willalso begin new leagues inJanuary. For more informa-tion please contact Brittney

Allenat 925.692.2362 [email protected]; or Jennifer Beck at925.692.2364 [email protected]. Youcan also visit our website formore information.http://mdrymca.org.

New to the YMCA

Health & Wellness Classes for the whole family.� Zumba Gold for Seniors� Zumba, a Yoga Stretch Class and Boot Camp I

and II classes for Adults� Sports Conditioning for Middle &

High School Students

Classes will be held at Endeavor Hall

Clayton Community Gym700 Gym Ct., Clayton

Open 9 am to 6 pm

General info: 889.1600Jennifer Beck: 692.2364Brittney Allan: 692.2362

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Continued on page 10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 18, 2009 December 18, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 11

your home’s landscaping.You’ll have plenty of time toplan and plant your newgrasses, trees, and shrubsbefore the blistering heat ofthe summer.

Nichols Landscape is afull-service landscapingcompany featuring state-of-the-art techniques, profes-sional employees andheavy-duty equipment tohandle all your landscapeneeds from start to finish.“We specialize in all kinds ofinstallation, including theinstallation of sod andplantings,” says Nichols.“We can install pavers, con-crete, patios, arbors, decks,sprinkler systems, low-volt-age, lighting and retainingwalls. We can also do awe-some stuff like waterfallsand bridges.”

Don’t trust your lawn andlandscaping to amateurs!When you need a contractoryou can trust with thedesign, appearance anduniqueness of your yard, callthe professionals at NicholsLandscape.

For a free estimate call(925) 672-9955, or [email protected], or visit www.nicholsland-scape.com. A completephoto gallery is available toview online.

PERFECT TAN AND BODY WRAP

Perfect Tan opened itsfourth location in Clayton!Owner run and operated byJocelyn Jensen, Perfect Tan’sstaff focuses on getting youfast and natural lookingbronze results with tanning

beds, stand up booths andUV free spray tans. Tannershave higher vitamin D levelscompared to non-tanners.

Perfect Tan and Body Wrapis constantly growing andimproving, adding newequipment and remodeling.There are now NINE tanningrooms at the Clayton Stationlocation.

Not just a tanning salon,Perfect Tan also offers bodywraps to help you lose inch-es. Our wraps, soaked inwarm minerals and herbs,are all natural. We measureyou before, wrap you, andhave you relax for 45 min-utes. When we remove thewraps, you’ve lost perma-nent inches! The wrapdetoxifies, tightens andtones your skin.

Perfect Tan & Body Wraphas a friendly, trained staffready to help you get thatholiday glow. www.perfect-tanonline.com or call 672-8261

PERMANENT SOLUTIONEstablished in 1993,

Permanent Solution is a fullservice, family orientedsalon located in the heart ofdowntown Clayton. Offeringhair, nail, and waxing servic-es, Permanent Solutionoffers you the ability to com-plete your holiday look withjust one stop saving youtime and money. Salonmanicurist, Becky Walker, iscurrently offering holidayspecials for all your mani-curing and pedicuringneeds.

Shop owners Ann Weltyand Wendy Trimble, both

Clayton residents, take pridein the fact that their team ofStylists have all been withthe shop for several years.You get quality hair careand consistency, somethingthat is missing at manysalons today. So, stop in andlet them create a look whichfits your lifestyle and is easyto recreate. The stylists atPermanent Solution haveexperience working with allhair types, and all ages.Don’t be bashful, men arewelcome too. Close, con-venient and friendly. GiftCertificates are available.

POSTALANNEX+Last September, Urmila

Patel had a plan when shetook ownership of thePostalAnnex+ location onClayton Road: turn the storearound so that the people ofClayton would have a placethey could depend on for alltheir small business needs.

Sean Hilly, Senior VicePresident of parent compa-ny, Annex Brands, Inc. feelsPatel accomplishes thatgoal: “Urmila was able totake a failing store and dou-ble its sales”. But Urmilaknows that continuing cus-tomer satisfaction is a dailyproject. “We want our cus-tomers to drop in for helpwith any of their tasks,” saysPatel. “I urge everyone tocome see what ourPostalAnnex+ offers.” It allcan be found in one con-venient spot…Packaging &Shipping, mailbox rentals,notary, faxing, copying,office supplies, businesscard printing, and so many

more products.PostalAnnex+- 5433Clayton Road, Suite K,Clayton. (925) 673-5246.Mon- Fri, 9am - 6pm, Sat9:30am - 4pm.

ROSE LIQUOROne of Concord oldest

and best know liquorsstores, Rose Liquor is a localfavorite. They offer a vastselection of liquor, spirits,wine and fine cigars as wellas a wide assortment of rareand hard to find liquor andsmoking accessories.

Do you have a Cigar afi-cionado in your life? Stop inand pick out a premiumcigar or two from the wideselection stored at the per-fect humidity and tempera-ture within our humidor.

Conveniently located in theClayton Shopping Station at5434 Ygnacio Valley Road,Suite 110, Rose Liquor offersa friendly, knowledgeablestaff and ample parking.

With a well stocked store,great prices on majorbrands and in store specials,why would you go anywhereelse?

THE ROYAL ROOSTERTired of the same old look

available in every nationalchain store? The RoyalRooster has both hard-to-find antiques and custom-order furniture to fit yourneeds.

Not just a furniture shop,The Royal Rooster also sellsunique gifts for friends andfamily of all ages, including

Continued on page 12

DIABLO CAR WASH ANDDETAIL CENTER

Diablo Car Wash andDetail Center is a full servicecar wash servicing theConcord/Clayton area.They offer a full array ofquality car washes to fitevery budget. From anExpress (exterior wash) totheir Premium Full Servicecar wash to Custom DetailServicing, they do it all.Their detail services rangefrom a quick professionalhand wax while you wait toa Full Detail Package thatincludes buffing, waxing anda complete interior detail.You can also visit their CircleK store for any incidentalsyou may need. Make sureyou try their Food Mill cook-ies. The Food Mill has beenbaking cookies since 1933.Come read the story andsee pictures of where andhow it all began in 1933.Ask about their FundraisingProgram that has been help-ing schools, churches andother organizations alike.Don't forget a gift certificatefor any car wash service is agreat stockingstuffer/Christmas present.

GIFT BASKETS BY DESIGNFirst established in 1995 in

Walnut Creek and nowrecently relocated toConcord, Gift Baskets byDesign has been producingelegant gourmet food andwine baskets for our cus-tomers for nearly 15 years.

We are a small family-runbusiness that takes greatpride in every single gift

basket we create. Our chiefdesigner and “Basket Guru”Lino Amaral chooses onlythe finest ingredients avail-able in the specialty foodindustry for his designs.

Our gift baskets are notmass-produced as most arethese days. Every basket ispainstakingly hand-wrappedwith high-quality cellophaneand beautifully topped offwith one of our signaturehand-made bows.

We will NEVER wrap ourbaskets in shrink wrap asthe heating process associ-ated with shrinking the cello-phane can actually damagethe food and beverage itemsinside the basket...and wecertainly do not want that!

We ship Nationwide andoffer hand-delivery in theSan Francisco Bay Area. Formore details visit www.gift-basket.com or call925.687.8878 today!

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

focus on the priorities of herpatients, providing individ-ual and personal care that isonly available at a small pri-vate practice.

Worried about pain, costs,or time? We have “TheWand”, an ouchless shot.We accept most insurance,our fees are always competi-tive and we provide interest-free financing. Ask aboutour recession-consciouspromotions.

In most cases there’s nowait and we have the latestdigital x-ray to make yourappointment efficient andfast. There’s no substitute for

quality chair time and Dr.Chong sits with each patientfor a comprehensive consul-tation.

Dr. Chong graduated fromthe University of MichiganSchool of Dentistry and haspracticed for eight years.More about our office isfound at www.drjenny-chong.com. We can typicallybook appointments within aweek, so call us today: (925)827-5595. Our local officeis conveniently located onClayton Road, near AlbertaWay (Across from Kmart).

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

heart of downtown Clayton,our newly remodeled officeoffers the latest in dentaltechnology and the comfortsof home.

Dr. Bradburn and Dr.Gardner are highly skilleddentists who are compas-sionate towards theirpatients and to their needsand wants, to create thehealthiest smile possible!

We know your time is valu-able making multiple dentalappointments a challenge.For that reason, our officeprovides one single appoint-ment for crowns. We alsooffer an in-office teethwhitening process known asZOOM, which can dramati-cally whiten your teeth in justabout two hours.

We are always welcomingnew patients! We under-stand and embrace theimportance of family andcommunity. You can beassured that you will receive

the highest standard ofquality and care!

Please stop by our officefor a tour or to ask us anyquestions or call us at925.672.0110. (Mon.-Fri.8-5; some Sats.)

KEENAN HEINZLocated in downtown

Concord, Keenan HeinzCompany is truly a uniqueretail shop. Inside you willfind such a diverse collectionof items for home and gar-den that many customerssay visiting the store is likebeing on vacation or goingto a museum. As a matter offact; they got their tag line'Really Cool Stuff' from cus-tomers walking in andexclaiming "Wow! That'scool".

As you enter the smallbuilding your life will betransformed into an escapefrom all the pressures ofeveryday life. Keenan HeinzCompany is dedicated toproviding a new kind ofshopping experience; one inwhich beauty, art, function,and informal sophisticationare combined in a veryfriendly and casual setting.Filled with hand-pickedtreasures Keenan HeinzCompany offers unique giftsfor you and your friends.

Relax, breath deep, andstop to rub Buddha's belly.Life is too short to shop atthe mall. 1700 East St.www.keenanheinz.com,288-0159.

NICHOLS LANDSCAPEThe winter months are a

great time to reevaluate

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One Hour is $50 (Regular $60)

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Monday – Friday10am – 7pm

[email protected]

Our friendly staff will help you get your gifts

packaged and delivered on time, safe & sound.

Notary, Stamps, Postal, Copy and Fax Services are also available.

Clayton/Concord Location:

Vineyard Shopping Center, (next to Lucky supermarket)

5100 Clayton Road, Concord, 925-689-6245

The UPS StoreIndependently owned and operated

TM

Holiday Hours:

M-F 8-7, Sat. 9-5

Open Sunday

Dec. 13 & 20, 11 - 3

$1 OFFPACKAGING SERVICE or SHIPPING SUPPLIES

Limit one coupon per customer. This offer is not good in

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6123 Main Street, Clayton, ca 94517

phone 925.672.0110 fax 925.672.0365 email [email protected]

Dreaming of aWhite Christmas?

In-Office Bleaching

Bring in this ad and receive:

OFFER EXPIRES JANUARY 31 , 2010.

CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER .

$595 (Reg. $9.95)

Exterior Wash &

Outside Window Wipe Down

$1195 (Reg. $16.95)Wash & Hand Dry

Windows Cleaned Inside & OutVacuum Carpet & Mats

Wipe Down Console, Dash & Doorjambs

*One coupon per customer. Large Vehicles extra.

No cash value. Expires 3/1/10

DIABLO CAR WASH

& DETAIL CENTER

Gift Certificatesare available for car washes and make perfect holiday gifts. Give a present everyone

will really appreciate – a CLEAN car! We use environmentally friendly soaps and waxes.

FundraisingDiablo Car Wash and Detail Center supports our local community by helping with fund-

raising programs. For a limited time, we are giving organizations more net profit for your

fundraiser. Call 691-4529 or 708-9332 for details.

1024 Alberta WayAt Ygnacio Valley925-691-4529

Open 7 days, 8 am – Dusk

EXPRESS EXTERIOR WASH*

FULL SERVICE WASH*

Rose LiquorsClayton Shopping Center

(925) 672-1010 Wide range of Wines

Buy 1 Get 1 FREE*

CigarettesCartons $43.99*

(with this ad)Limited to Marlboro, Camel &

Newport. Reg. $45.99

$5 off anypurchase

of $25 or more*(excludes all items in this ad,

Lotto and Lottery, cigarettes

and cigars)

Korbel Brandy 1.75L . . . . . . .$11.99 reg. 16.99

Jack Daniels 750ml . . . . . . . .$16.99 reg. 20.99

Smirnoff Vodka 750 ml . . . . . . .$9.99 reg. 11.99

Capt. Morgan

Spiced Rum 750 ml . . . . . . . .$11.99 reg. 17.99

Ketel One Vodka 750 ml . . . .$17.99 reg. 26.99

Crown Royal 750 ml . . . . . . .$16.99 reg. 21.99

Bailey’s Irish Cream 750 ml .$17.99 reg. 23.99

Sauza Tequila 1.75L . . . . . . . .$24.99 reg. 29.99

Cigars: Buy 2get 1 FREE*

*Bring this ad for any of these offers.

Now AvailablePremium Cigars Wide Selection

Huge variety

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Tue.-Fri.: 10 to 5Sat.: 10 to 5Sun.: 11 to 5

Complimentarygift wrap with any purchase

Why work out with men?Start your new year resolution now.

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savings ofover $150

One FreeYoga classwhen you

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We now have personal training also!

5439 Clayton Rd.Clayton, CA 94517

992255--667722--44223388Across from Blockbuster

Owned by a woman,Run by women.Women who understand Women

Gift

Certificates

Available

Offers expire 01/15/2010

Buy 1 Month, get

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672-8261www.perfecttanonline.com

Buy one Tan, get 2 FREETan for the Holidays

Gift CardsAvailableA Perfect Tan & Body Wrap5435-L Clayton Rd.in Clayton Station (near Walgreens)

aatt CCuupp OO''JJoo

Catering, Cold Cut Platters& Party Heros

Mon.-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.Call In Orders

Welcomed

6054 Main Street,Clayton, CA

(925) 852-1650

We Accept Most Insurance

We also have Specials on

* Invisalign &

* ZOOM Whitening

Promotions End Jan 31, 2010

Near Clayton Valley Highschool, on Clayton Rd. in Concord

(925) 827-5595 www.drjennychong.com

New Patient Special * Full Exam

* Cleaning

* Digital X-rays

$89

Continued from page 9

Pioneer Guide to Holiday Shopping

the popular Webkinz and aline of Melissa and DougToys.

Their French Country spe-cialties include gorgeousstationary and bath itemsfor every occasion, includ-ing distinctive lines such asThymes Bath & Body,Caldrea, Lollia, SonomaLavender and LaLavandeFrench Soaps. Corporategifts and personal shoppingservices are also available.

The Pantry is stocked withdelicious gourmet foodsincluding StonewallKitchens, BarefootContessa, A Perfect Pearand Elaine’s Toffee.

The Royal Rooster is locat-ed at the corner of Center

and Diablo Streets inClayton, behind Cup O’ JoCoffee House. (925) 672-2025.

SNAP FITNESS!Happy Holidays from

SNAP Fitness! Sabrina,Mike, Shaun, Don, George,Emily and Bob invite you tojoin in the celebration ofthe anniversary of ourbeautiful fitness club. We’llshow you how to makefeeling good a way of life-from more energy andstrength to improved car-diovascular health.Whatever your fitness level,we have something for you!We have a comfortablefacility that’s safe andfriendly. Work out whenYOU want to – we’re open4:00 am to midnight, 365days a year! You’ll leavefeeling refreshed andrecharged. Our equipmentis state-of-the-art, with per-sonal entertainment on allcardio machines. OurFitness Professionals willhelp you reach your goalseven faster. Best of all,we’re convenient—rightdowntown, with easy park-ing. Stop by, meet ourfriendly staff, and takeadvantage of our anniver-sary offers! Why not givethe gift of fitness with a giftcertificate? The success sto-ries are growing—make thenext one yours!

SNAP Fitness is at 6200Center St. in Clayton. (925)693-0110.

SPORT CLIPS HAIRCUTSWhen a guy needs a hair-

cut, where can he go? Hischoices used to be limitedto a local barbershop orthe salon where his wife

went. Unfortunately, barber-shops are disappearing andthe salons are full of chemi-cal smells and one-hourhaircuts. Now guys have aplace that’s just for them.Sport Clips Haircuts iswhere guys can go to havea championship haircutexperience.

Sports on TV Guy smart stylists.Steamed towels.Shoulder and back mas-

sages. That’s what guys want

and that’s what Sport Clipsdelivers. You won’t findchemical smells because wedon’t perm or color. We justcut hair the way that guyswant it cut. Check us out atthe Clayton Valley ShoppingCenter (925) 673-5686.We are between BronzeBuddha and Tavo’s Pizza.Ask for the MVP treatment.

SUSAN CARDOZAMASSAGE THERAPY

Remember me? I havemassaged many Claytonresidents since 1998, whenI began working as aMassage Therapist at thenewly opened Clayton Mind& Body Connections, withthe original owner.

Since 2000, I have hadmy own business, locatedone mile from downtownClayton. My clients lovebeing home within minutes,after their massage.

During the past 11 years,my clients have thanked mefor helping them feel better,naturally, while dealing withmigraine headaches, sportsinjuries, and recovery fromsurgeries. And everyonefeels more relaxed and rest-ed with the traditional mas-sage techniques of Swedish

and Shiatsu, as well as myspecialties of PregnancyMassage, LymphaticDrainage, and MassageCupping (tm). www.mas-sagecupping.com.

Call my Mobile (925)788-9764 and speak withme directly. Or call myOffice (925) 746-4710, anytime, to hear my currentavailability.

Hours: 10am-7pm,Monday-Friday. 168 Mt.Etna Drive.

Gift Certificates Availablefor Any Occasion.

THE UPS STOREDo you have packages

that need to be mailed?Pressed for time? Then stopby The UPS Store in theVineyard Shopping Centerand let owner Tricia Tamuraand her knowledgeablestaff help you get your giftsdelivered safely and ontime. The UPS Store offersboth packing and mailingservices so you don’t needto waste your time lookingfor the right size box.Working seamlessly with theUS Postal service, they canoffer you options on how toship your gifts.

With ample parking anda multitude of services, TheUPS Store can save you thehassle of long lines andmultiple stops. Besides ship-ping they can assist youwith copies (B&W or color),FAXing, Notary Services,Passport photos, Mailboxes,Document Services &Binding and much more.

Stop by and let The UPSStore help you make yourholiday season more enjoy-able. Call Tricia at 689-6245 with any questions.

Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 18, 2009

Continued from page 11

Pioneer Guide to Holiday Shopping

Full Set . . . . . . . . . . .$35Acrylic Fill . . . . . . . . .$25Spa Pedicure . . . . . .$30Pedicure . . . . . . . . . .$25Mini Pedicure . . . . . .$15Manicure . . . . . . . . .$15

$5 offany service*

Ask for Cheryl,

Wendy or

Michelle

(first time clients only)

NAILSby Becky Walker

672-0515

HAIRA Full Service Salon

*No need to cut the coupon,

just mention this ad.

Permanent Solution6200 Center St., Ste. C (Next door to Ed’s Mudville Grill)

667722--88999900

Gift Certificates Available

SHIPPING$$55 OOFFFFUPS/FEDEX (AIR ONLY)

PACKAGING20% OFFPACKAGING SUPPLIES

MAILBOXRENTAL6 MONTHSFREE RENTALFIRST 50 CUSTOMERS!

In Clayton StationSome restrictions apply

Expires 01/14/2010

Going Out of Business Sale

Final Day is December 30

$9.99 Fabric now $5.00/yd *

$8.99 Fabric now $4.50/yd*

$7.99 Fabric now $4.00/yd*

All Notions 50% OFF

All Books 75% OFF

All Thread 75% OFF

*with this ad. 1 yard minimum. Exp. 12/30/09

FINAL SALE50% to 75%

OFF

No contracts, no hassles, no riskaffordable rates month-to-month

Open every day right nearbywork out 365 days a yearin a clean, safe and secure environment

Fast workouts, fast resultsget in, get out fast

Call and ask about our Anniversary Specials

Village Oaks Center6200 Center St.

Clayton (Next to Ed’s)

www.snapfitness.com/claytonca(925) 693-0110

Give the giftof Fitness -Certificates available forNew/Existing members

Give the giftof Fitness -Certificates available forNew/Existing members

THE WORKOUT

FACILITY YOU’VE

BEEN LOOKING

FOR!

Clayton Furniture, Inc.Family Business Since 1988Lowest Prices GuaranteedSuat Atkin

925-686-22993400/3410 Clayton Rd., Concord

FREE HomeTheatre with purchase of $999or more.

FREE HomeTheatre with purchase of $999or more.

Mon. – Sat. 10 – 7,Sun. 12 - 6

Holiday Sale

Holiday Sale

$1,099

Bella MiaTTHHEE

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Where Life is Beautiful5439 Clayton Rd., Ste. E, ClaytonAcross from Blockbuster Video

Christmas Specials

Holiday Package1/2 hr massage, EuropeanFacial and Express Manicureand Pedicure, all for $135

Express Mani/Pedi combo

Buy three 1/2 hr.massages for

a full body spray Tan

$$4400

$$110055

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992255--668800--77779922

925.687.88782190 Meridian Park Bl., #C Concord, CA 94520

www.gift-basket.com

I was sorely disappointed inyour “Teen Speak” article in theDecember 4 issue of thePioneer. While there are a num-ber of non-Santa Claus believ-ers in the world, there are agreat many more believers.Clayton is a family based com-munity, and I know a number ofyounger children that read thepaper, my younger sister includ-

ed. Now, I understand com-pletely that the author did notsee the reason to believe inSanta Claus to make her holidayseason merry. Yet, the papershould realize that the numberof children who will start toquestion their belief by readingthe paper, will very likely havetheir own holiday season ruined.

There are few mysteries left

in our changing world, andSanta Claus is one of the onlythings that allows for wonder-ment in the life of a child. . . .whether or not a personbelieves in Santa Claus, the spir-it of Santa cannot be denied.This spirit lives in the eyes ofevery young child on Christmasmorning, and in the hearts ofthose who appreciate the joychildren bring to the holidayseason.

Cristina Lloyd

This holiday season, TravisCredit Union members andemployees are reaching out to thecommunity and people in need bytaking part in the Solano andContra Costa Food Banks annualfood drive, Christmas Wish 2009,and the 2009 Children’s MiracleNetwork Holiday StockingCampaign.

Each year Travis CreditUnion helps the working poor,

seniors, single parents, and thehomeless in Contra CostaCounty through their annualfood drive. Credit union employ-ees, members and the generalpublic are encouraged to bringnon-perishable foods to allTravis Credit Union branches inContra Costa County Monday,November 23 through, January31, 2010.

Another way Travis Credit

Union is helping others this hol-iday season is through the 2009Children’s Miracle NetworkHoliday Stocking Campaign.Travis Credit Union employeesand members can purchase andsign as many paper stockings asthey want for $1 each to supportthe health needs of children.The stockings are available forsale and will be displayed atTravis Credit Union branchesfrom November 30 throughDecember 23, 2008. Proceedsfrom this year’s campaign will goto UC Davis Medical Center inSacramento and Oakland’sChildren’s Hospital. Last yearmembers and employees donat-ed more than $6,200.

Take food donations or pickup Children’s Miracle Networkstockings at Travis Credit Unionin the Clayton Valley ShoppingCenter.

December 18, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

KKiimmbbeerrllyy MMoorruuccccii((992255)) 443377--11665500

[email protected]

Clayton resident & ranch property owner.

President’s Award 2007 DRE #01356365

Situated on Nine Oak StuddedAcres, this Exquisite Single LevelEstate Home Offers 5 SpaciousBedrooms, 3 Full Bathrooms,Childs Play Area and BilliardRoom. Ideally Situated at the Endof a Long Private Paved Driveway,Over a Seasonal Creek, This HomeOffers Unparalleled Views Of Mt.Diablo from Almost Every Room. .Stamped Concrete andLandscaping Provide an ElegantEntry. Gentle Rolling HillsStudded with Oak Trees Invite Nature's Friends! Deer, Wild Turkey and Other Friends Visit Daily.All This and Still Plenty of Room for a Barn, Shop, Arena and the Convenience of City Water.The Possibilities are Endless! Offered at $1,380,000

Magnificent Morgan Territory EstateJUST LISTED

Fabricated violencecan sometimes beconfused with reality

With all the extreme violencein life, one would think that thereality would turn people offfrom enjoying fake violence. Iread enough about the harsh real-ities of violence in the news, and Idon’t see the entertainment insimulating death in a video game.

Some justify their chosenform of entertainment by stating“it’s not real.” However, it’s feed-ing a growing desire to be a partof violent ordeals.

Last week while walking to thegrocery store, I noticed a largecrowd around two boys. I realizedone of them wanted to fight theother. When nothing was happen-ing, one of the viewers told oneboy that he had a crowd waitingfor him to hit the other and if hewasn’t going to hit him, he shouldjust leave. Nobody cared to solvethe issue; they just wanted to seesomeone bloody their hands.

I talked to some of my peersto gain insight on the appeal ofwatching a fight or playing violentvideo games.

“I find fights to be stupid butstill entertaining,” says ClaytonValley sophomore Ryan Dodge.“I like seeing the competition, justlike in boxing.”

CV freshman Tim Myersstates: “Violent video games arefun because they’re imaginative.It’s the same basis as for why peo-ple like action movies, except vio-lent video games are more inter-active.

“Violence in real life is notentertaining to the regular person.It’s just that movies and videogames are so obviously fake thatit’s OK to enjoy it,” he adds. “If amovie were real footage of a per-son being murdered, no onewould like it.”

Glorified violence is oftenviewed as heroic in movies, but it’sstill based upon occurrences inreality. One doesn’t need to travelfar to find extreme violence; too

often it’s found in our own com-munity. There is nothing enter-taining about real people dyingand their families losing a lovedone, so why are we quick to disas-sociate ourselves from violencethat doesn’t directly affect us?

Audrey Van Horn, a CV jun-ior speaks out against violence.“Sure, fights are entertaining, butmost of the time they are for stu-pid reasons and nothing goodcomes from them,” she says.“Violent video games are teachingchildren that shooting people is afun thing, when it’s not.”

Our society is becomingincreasingly violent and aggres-sive, as we display anger at theslightest annoyances and becomeaccepting of an impulsivelyaggressive society. Blame may beplaced on parents for poorlyinfluencing their children.

I coached a youth soccer teamthis past fall. During one of the

games, an argument between par-ents on each team’s side grewunmanageable. When talking to aparent, he said: “If the refereegets in my face again, I’ll have noproblem pulling my knife and slit-ting his throat right there.”

Immediately, his solution tothe disagreement was violence.What example was he setting forhis grandson?

This isn’t teaching kids any-thing about successfully solvingthe issue at hand. Rather, it mere-ly engraved the image of thethreatening violence in the child’sminds.

We are losing ourselves in thefabricated world of violence, andI wonder how long it’ll be until wefind the line between reality andfantasy again.

SARAH ROSEN

TEEN SPEAK

Sarah Rosen is a sophomore atCVHS. Email her [email protected].

Letter to the Editor

Travis Credit Union meets localneeds for food, money, toys

TRAVIS STAFFERS sort through toys for Christmas Wish

Bible-based & Christ-centered worship,

education & fellowship

10 am Sunday School & Bible Class, 11:15 am Worship

Join us this Christmas for a traditional message in a non-traditional setting

5554 Clayton Rd., Concord (in the Farm Bureau building)

(925) 524-0295 Member of WELS William Kant, Pastor

www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Dec. 24, 7:30 p.m.

Christmas for Kids, Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pastor Gail Doering925-672-4848

[email protected]

1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton

"Open Hearted, Open Minded"

Christmas Eve Service 5:30 p.m.

Lessons and Carols

with candles, choir

and children

Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church

Christmas Eve Masses - Thursday, December 24

3 PM Early Childhood Christmas Pageant & Mass

5:30 PM Children’s Christmas Pageant with Children’s Choir & Mass

8 PM Nativity of the Lord : Vigil11 PM Nativity of the Lord :

Midnight Mass

Christmas Day Masses - Friday, December 25

8 AM Nativity of the Lord : Dawn10 AM Nativity of the Lord : DayNoon La Natividad del Señor :

El Dia

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Community

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Clayton Sports Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 18, 2009

Falcons cap undefeated Pee Wee football season with title

It was quite a season forthe Clayton Valley Falconsthis fall, with the four localyouth football teams winning35 of their 45 games – punc-tuated by the Pee Wee squadcapping a 13-0 undefeatedrecord with a 35-0 victoryover Redwood PAL GoldenBears in the SuperChampionship game thismonth in Napa.

“We are very proud,”Falcons athletic director TonyGuarino said in summing upthe year. “We were one ofvery few organizations out ofthe 18 in our Diablo ValleyYouth Football Conferencethat sent three football teamsto the playoffs.”

He added that the Falconscheer squads also had muchsuccess this year.

For the Pee Wees andcoach Doug Brigance, thisseason was truly one toremember. After more than 20years with the Falcons,Brigance announced this washis final season. He’s coachedat all levels of youth football,where teams are categorizedby a combination of age andweight. Pee Wee players are 9-11 years old and weigh 75-120pounds at the beginning ofthe season.

The Falcon Pee Wees fin-ished the regular season 9-0,which moved them into theconference playoffs. There,they won games with WestPittsburg and East County.The McCann-Griffanti TurkeyBowl DVYFC championshipgame pitted the Falconsagainst their arch-rivals, SanRamon T-Birds, at San RamonValley High School Stadium.The Pee Wees scored animpressive 28-12 win over theT-Birds to become 2009 con-ference champions.

The Turkey Bowl titleallowed the Pee Wees to playone more game, the SuperChampionship pitting the bestPee Wee team from the NorthBay Youth Football and CheerConference against theDVYFC champion Falcons atJustin Siena High in Napa.Like all their previous oppo-nents, the Redwood PALGolden Bears were no matchfor Clayton Valley as theFalcons posted a 35-0 victoryto send Brigance off with anundefeated season.

Only against Benicia, when

Clayton Valley won 16-14, wasthe Pee Wee team held to lessthan a two-touchdown marginof victory during the season.

The Junior Midget team ofcoach Jim Walker also reachedthe Turkey Bowl. This groupis the next older after PeeWee, with players 10-12 yearsold and 85-135 pounds.Walker’s coaching experiencewas a factor as the JuniorMidgets finished the regularseason 8-1 and then scoredshutout playoff wins overWest Pittsburg and SanLeandro.

In the Turkey Bowl, theFalcon Junior Midgets mettheir match in a well-playedgame against the East CountyLions, 12-0. The team endedthe year with a 10-2 record.

Tony Brigance, son ofDoug Brigance, handles theJunior Pee Wee team (8-10years old, 60-105 pounds).They finished the regular sea-son 9-0, moved on to the con-ference playoffs and were win-ners in the first round over theWalnut Creek Marauders 32-6.

In the semi-finals againstone of the Falcons’ big rivals,Antioch Bobcats, the JuniorPee Wee s were defeated 13-6in a close contest decided onthe last play of the game.

Signups for the 2010 fall seasonwill start in February or March andcontinue through Aug. 1. Interestedplayers and cheerleaders can visitcvaafalcons.com or call 927-7377 forfurther information.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by HomeTeam Sports Photography courtesy CVAA Falcons

CLAYTON VALLEY FALCONS PEE WEE DIVISION TEAM WAS 13-0 THIS FALL CAPPED BY WINNING THE TURKEY BOWL AND SUPER CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL. The team and its cheer-leaders include, Front row, from left, Ashlynn Hengemihle, Shelbylyn Messier, Katarina Strong, Julia Kiester, Melissa Williams; Second row, Caroline Noble,Valerie Valerio, Jonathan Sullivan, Edwin Mundo, Nicolas Murcurio, Isaiah Ortiz, Sarah Levine, Erica Abbas; Third row, Jake Peralta, Sam Shorr, AnthonySweeney, Luis Reyes, Cheer Coach Melissa Davis, Nohely Reyes, Cheer Coach Amanda Schiff, Jack Lilly, Richard Peralta, Curtis Oxman, Evan Gittleman; Fourthrow, Armani Dickerson, William Hogan, Neil Gabe, Coach Miguel Dickerson II, Cheer Coach Caitlin McCluskey, Coach Dominguez Dickerson, Keith Tracy, CaseyRoquermore, Robert Klarman; Back row, Joseph Nguenti, Zak Sandelin, James Dempsey, Tony Guarino, Coach Miguel Dickerson, Coach Zack Sims, Coach RichPeralta, Teiauni Guarino, Harold Tidwell, Nico Craft.

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DEC. 21 – 23BASEBALL SKILLS CAMP

For players ages 7 to 15. Get ready for tryoutsand the upcoming spring season. The camp isthree days, Dec. 21-23 from 9 a.m. – noon, rain orshine. Cost is $100. Contact Coach Ralston [email protected] for more informationand an application form. Visit www.eaglebasebal-lacademy.com for information on the coaches,facility and FAQs.

CLAYTON VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE

SIGN-UPS CONCLUDE JAN. 4Signups are being held now through Jan. 4 for

2010 Clayton Valley Little League teams. CVLLincludes baseball for five to 16 year-olds and soft-ball for six to 15 year -olds. In-person registrationfor new players will be at Holy Cross LutheranChurch, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord on Saturday,Dec. 19, from 9 a.m. – 12 noon. For more regis-tration information on Clayton Valley LittleLeague, including residency requirements, feesand schedule, visit www.cvll.org.

JAN. 9CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH BOOSTERS

CRAB FEED

Clayton Valley High School Athletic BoostersClub will be hosting its 16th annual Crab Feed &Auction on Saturday, Jan. 9, 6 p.m. at CentreConcord. This major fundraiser directly benefitsall the athletic programs at CVHS. Seating is lim-

ited and tickets are on sale now for $50 at theschool or online at www.cvhsboosters.org. Raffleand auction item donations are accepted by email-ing [email protected].

JAN 11. – FEB. 18DIABLO FC SOCCER WINTER ACADEMY

Diablo FC is holding its ninth annual WinterSoccer Academy Jan. 11 through Feb. 18 everyMonday and Thursday from 5-6 p.m. at WillowPass Park in Concord. The renowned Diablo FCprofessional coaching staff will teach boys andgirls 5-12 years old basic dribbling and jugglingskills, passing and receiving the ball and ball strik-ing. Youth of all skill levels from novice to thoseready for competitive soccer are invited to attend.There are no tryouts for Soccer Academy. You cansign up today at www.diablofc.org.

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH

2010 HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS

Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall ofFame committee is accepting nominations for the2010 induction class. The initial Hall of Fame cer-emony was held during the school’s 50th anniver-sary year in 2008. Individuals can nominate stu-dent athletes and coaches to the Hall of Fame.The requirement is that the nominee was a CVHSgrad or coach in the years 1960-1989 who was all-league in at least one sport. Requests for a nomi-nation form can be sent via e-mail to the CVHSAthletic Hall of Fame committee at [email protected]. Include a mailing address andan application form will be mailed to you, accord-ing to chairperson Bill Nelson.

Sports Shorts

Clayton Valley High Schoolathletes earned 41 places on All-Diablo Valley Athletic Leagueteams for the eight fall sports.Among the Eagle honoreeswere league MVPs VinceBuhagiar in football andAlexandra Tate in cross country.

Although no CVHS teamwon a team championship dur-ing the fall, the school’s athletesgarnered a fair share of All-DVAL spoils – which are select-ed by the league’s coaches. Infact, seven of the eight ClaytonValley teams had first team All-DVAL players.

The Eagles football team,which advanced to the secondround of the North CoastSection playoffs, had their two-

way standout Buhagiar share theleague MVP award with TravisRaciti of College Park. LinemanJonathan Carlson earned All-DVAL laurels on offense anddefense. Holden Nakamura wasa defensive first-team choice,while Jeremy McKillip wasnamed on offense from coachHerc Pardi’s squad.

Kenny Johnson and goalieDerek Anderson, both juniors,were All-DVAL first teamers inboys water polo. The water poloteam coached by Matt Vecchioalso won its first NCS playoffgame in many years. That per-formance earned Anderson andJohnson honorable mentionAll-NCS awards.

The other boys fall team,cross country, had three runnersearn All-DVAL honors butnone on the first team.

All five girls teams nabbedAll-DVAL awards. MeganSullivan was a first team all-lea-guer for golf coach JenniferMoore’s second-place team.

The tennis team of SuzanneBeck had top singles playerKatie Marchant and the No. 1doubles team of Aman Nijjarand Tatiana Guzman on the All-DVAL first team.

Dennis Bledsoe’s water poloEagles made it to the NCS play-offs before losing a one-goalmatch in the opening round.Junior Allyson Hansen was rec-ognized for her scoring exploitswith a first-team berth and shealso earned All-North Bay/EastBay honors.

Outside hitters CamilleCondit, a junior, and CelestePiper were coach Lisa Hobson’sAll-DVAL first teamers for the

Eagles volleyball squad.The girls cross country team

coached by alumnus MichelleHowisey was second at theDVAL championship meet.Tate won the varsity race andwas named league MVP. Herteammates Melissa Del Beneand Megan Mayhew also werefirst team All-DVAL.

The Eagles football teamrecently held its awards dinner.As expected, Buhagiar was theteam MVP while Carlson wasthe outstanding lineman andNakamura was named Mr.Defense. Three players,McKillip, Ruben Carbajal andT.J. Bossett, shared the MostImproved award. Nick Fabrisand Ethan Ray were MostInspirational. The Eagle Scholar

Diablo Valley AthleticLeague co-MVP VinceBuhagiar and two-way All-DVAL lineman JonathanCarlson have been selected tothe East Bay team, which willbe playing at Grant HighSchool in Sacramento on Dec.26 in a post-season all-star highschool football game for thefirst time matching Sacramentoand East Bay teams. CVHSteammate Holden Nakamura isan alternate on the East Bay

squad. Buhagiar had 92 tacklesand two interceptions this yearon defense and tied a schoolrecord set in 1994 by DomDeMartini with 21 touch-downs. Carlson’s 69 tacklesincluded seven sacks and twocaused fumbles. He also made15 “key blocks” on offense,each leading to a TD.Sacramento high schools havefour of the five top-ratedteams in Northern California,along with De La Salle.


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Boom Boom Powplaces third at Area Cup

Photo courtesy of MDSA

MDSA BOOM BOOM POW COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL FALL SOCCER SEASON with a third-place fin-ish at the AYSO Area Cup. Coach Stephanie Cicconi’s under 12 girls defeated a Pleasant Hill Martinezteam 2-0 in the third-place game, avenging a loss to the same team by the identical score earlier in thetournament. Playing as Senegal, the team placed second in the MDSA World Cup to qualify for AreaCup. Boom Boom Pow includes, front row from left, Suzy Schofield, Cristina Daly, Jaycie Cellini, IvyTurner; middle row, Lauren Reagan, Riley Travers, Kaytlyn Coyne, Chanel Taliaferro; top row, assistantcoach Nicole Hotaling, Tori Klock, Hosna Opeyany, Savanha Groebner and Cicconi.

41 Clayton Valley athletes receive All-DVAL honors for fall sports

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

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See Honors, page 16

While I was growing up, myfather frequently chastised mefor making assumptions aboutthings. It was, he pointed out, amistake to assume anything inlife; life is too complex to beunderstood by a single assump-tion.

To further punch this lessonhome, he pointed out that ifyou split the word “assume”into segments you would findthat if you “assumed” some-thing you would make an “ass”of “u” and “me.”

I have always rememberedthat little gem and althoughmaking assumptions is a naturalhuman trait, I have endeavored

to limit it as much as possible.People like to simplify obser-

vances and understandings andfrequently there is insufficienttime to truly understand thecomplexity of a task or a deci-sion. As a media-oriented socie-ty, we are spoon-fed informa-tion in easily digestible bits andthis does us a disservice in thehabit we form as a result.

A poll some years agoshowed that visual assumptionsplayed a large part in somepoliticians getting elected. “Ilike the way he looked,” onepollster reported, while another“liked the sound of his voice.”

Likewise in the courtroom,jurors are admonished to dealonly with the facts – even whilethe interplay of counsel swaysjurors on an emotional level.Often the jury is instructed to

get past the impression of guiltbecause the accused looks“mean.” The wrong impressioncan have a profound effectupon a jury.

Another study involving twoblack men dressed in urbanwear walking down a streetpassing people of differentraces and genders found thatmany assumed the men werethreatening and intimidatingeven though no words wereexchanged. The men, they laterlearned, were police officersinvolved in a social experiment.

Similarly, when Americanshear people with British accentsthe natural assumption is thatthe Brits sound more intelligent.This applies to the accents ofpeople from the poorest partsof Liverpool – you know thecity of the Beatles.

Salespeople are taught not todisqualify potential sales frompeople they assume have nomoney, for often these turn outto be the better sales.

When I write this column, itis not with the assumption thatthe reader will hang on my everyword. What I find frequently,however, is that readers willmake assumptions about theintent of my column and aboutme as a person. In truth, mostof the time the assumptions Ilearn of are not correct.However, if you read my col-umn regularly, I will just smileand deal with it.


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Awards went to Adam Lee and Dominic Garaventa.

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL ALL-DVAL ATHLETES

Second Team and Honorable MentionTennis: Amber Lucero, honorable mention.Girls water polo: Ashley Jennings, Lauren Jones, second team;

Ashley Richman, honorable mention.Boys water polo: Kevin Adams, Taylor Bredell, second team;

Jack Loflin, Aaron Blatter, honorable mention.Football: Jake Looney, Garaventa, Carbajal, second team; Zack

Bangert, Rudy Ellison, Lee, Bossett, honorable mention.Girls cross country: Sarah Litwiller, Brigitte Leblow, second

team; Marlena Alvarez, Mariah Llacuna, honorable mention.Boys cross country: Ben O’Connor, Adrian Capinpin, second

team; Bryan Carbajal, honorable mention.Girls volleyball: Kelsey Rudd, second team; Michelle Stiller, hon-

orable mention.

CVHS EAGLES ATHLETES EXCEL

IN THE CLASSROOM, TOO

This school year has started off strong for achieving studentathletes at Clayton Valley High School.

The just-concluded fall season found 17 of 18 CVHS teams,including all eight varsity squads, receiving the North CoastSection Distinguished Scholar Athlete Team award for maintain-ing a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

“We almost reached our goal of 100 percent NCS scholarteams,” noted athletic director Pat Middendorf. “Only one teamdid not make it and they had a 2.9 GPA.”

Football player Adam Lee, sporting a 4.2 GPA, won theContra Costa County/Northern California Chapter LinemanScholar Athlete award from the National Football Foundationand College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Program.

“Since 1962, Clayton Valley has had five winners of this pres-tigious award,” said coach Herc Pardi. The previous Eagle win-ners are Jack Duncan (1970), Paul Belluomini (1974), CameronWoolridge (1975) and Brett Ballard (2002). The award will be pre-sented in February at a dinner in Burlingame.

Last year, during the school’s golden anniversary, Middendorfreported that 50 of the 56 Eagles sports teams earned NCSDistinguished Scholar Athlete Team awards.

Honors, from page 15Club NewsSONS IN RETIREMENT

Beginning Jan. 7, Chapter19 will hold its monthlyluncheon meetings at a newlocation – the Crown PlazaHotel, 45 John Glenn Dr.,Concord.

The chapter has beenholding its meetings atOakhurst Country Club inClayton. The new locationshould benefit more mem-bers who live in diverseplaces.

SIRs is a non-profit publicbenefit corporation forretired men. The purpose isto assist men in renewingfriendships and making newfriends through SIR activi-ties. There are no dues or ini-tiation fees.

Guests are welcome at allmeetings. For more informa-tion, call 429-3777.

Making assumptions can sendyou down the wrong path

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

DEAL WITH IT

André Gensburger is a staffreporter and feature writer for thePioneer. His email address [email protected]

ChurchNews

CLAYTON COMMUNITY

CHURCH

Christmas Eve CandlelightServices at Diablo View MiddleSchool will be at 5 p.m. and at 7p.m. The 5 p.m. service will be afamily gathering with carols, sto-ries and activities. The traditionalCandlelight Service is at 7 p.m.

December 18, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 17

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And a very cookie time was had by all

Warm, buttery, spicy aromasmet me just as I entered thelibrary on December 10. It wasan instant reminder (not that Ineeded one) that Clayton’sannual Christmas cookie com-petition was about to get under-way. A privilege it is for me tohead the judging committee andI was more than prepared to letmy belt out another inch to beable to savor the entries of theevening.

A nice crowd of adults andkids filled the conference room,and a long, long table groanedwith competition entries.Another table courageously held

the cookie buffet that would fol-low the judging.

The tension of the momentin the audience melted as soonas Vintage with Santiago andJoyce Martinez and RoxannePardi began singing carols. Anew teen a capella group,Vivace, joined in the musicalfestivities, getting the audienceup and moving with “TheTwelve Days of Christmas.”

The judges, City CouncilmanHoward Geller, Clayton PoliceOfficer Shanna DeCoite,Jennifer Beck from the YMCA,Cookies by Design ownerDebra Nork and two teensRobbie Parker and former con-test winner Peter Prattstood by eyeing allthe cookies asthey were setout andlabeled forthe competi-tion. Theire xc i t e m e n twas palpable.

When giventhe go-ahead, the

judges jumped into their roleswith glee. Seriously approachingeach cookie, they examined theappearance, texture and taste ofeach entry. Soon, the smallplates that held the cookie tast-ings were overflowing. I couldhear muted “ooh”s and “aah”sand “yum”s as the judgesplowed through their duty.

Finally the judging was over,tallies were made and the resultsannounced. We are pleased topresent the winners and theirrecipes here.

Enjoy.

SOFT GINGER COOKIES

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour2 tsp ginger1 tsp baking soda¾ tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp ground cloves¼ tsp salt¾ cup butter½ cup white sugar½ cup brown sugar1 egg1 Tbsp orange juice (fresh

preferred)¼ cup dark molassesGlaze (see below)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, ginger, bak-ing soda, cinnamon, cloves andsalt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, creamtogether the butter and sugaruntil light and fluffy. Beat theegg, then stir in the water,orange juice and molasses.Gradually stir the sifted ingredi-ents into the molasses mixture.

Refr ig era tefor 30

minutes.Shape the dough into walnut

sized balls and place 2 inchesapart on an ungreased cookiesheet. Flatten to ¼ inch.

Bake for 8-10 min. Allow thecookies to cool on a bakingsheet for 5 minutes beforeremoving to a wire rack. Allowto cool completely. (Source:Allrecipes.com)

Glaze:½ cup butter1 cup powdered sugar½ tsp vanillaZest of one large orangePinch of salt1 tsp orange juice (fresh pre-

ferred)Mix together, then pipe or

drizzle glaze onto cooled cook-ies. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoonsof powdered sugar.

CHERRY-COCONUT BARS

Pastry:1 cup sifted flour½ cup melted butter3 Tbsp powdered sugarWith hands or fork, mix

until smooth. Spread evenly inan 8” pan sprayed with Pam.Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25minutes until golden brown.

Filling:2 eggs1 cup white sugar¼ cup flour¼ tsp salt¾ cup chopped nuts ½ cup shredded coconut½ cup quartered candied red

cherries

Stir filling ingredients intobeaten eggs. Spread over top ofbaked pastry (no need to cool.)Continue baking about 25-30minutes until set. Cool and cutinto bars. Sprinkle with pow-dered sugar. (This is an old fam-ily recipe from Grandma ClaraHimes, Sarah’s granddaughter.)

MARTHA’S PECAN

BUTTER COOKIES

1 c butter, room temperature½ c sugar½ tsp vanilla1 ¾ c flour½ c chopped pecans2 drops almond extractPinch of saltPreheat oven to 325 degrees.Cream butter and sugar till

fluffy. Add vanilla and salt, thenmix. Gradually add flour andmix well thenblend in

a lmondextract. Stir inpecans. Divide dough into twoequal amounts. Roll into logs,wrap in plastic wrap and chillthe dough 1 hour. Slice ¼” to½” thick and place onungreased cookie sheet.Bake at 325 degrees for15 minutes.

Teen HonorableMention went toCherilyn Brock forher mouth-wateringWhite Chocolate,Blueberry MacadamiaNut Cookies.Unfortunately, the recipe was

unavailable.

CHOCOLATE MINT DREAMS

¾ c butter, softened1 c powdered sugar 2 squares (1oz. each)

unsweetened chocolate, meltedand cooled

¼ tsp peppermint extract1-1 ½ c all-purpose flour1 c miniature semisweet

chocolate chips

ICING2 Tbsp butter, softened1 c powdered sugar¼ tsp peppermint extract1 to 2 drops green food col-

oring1 to 2 Tbsp milk

DRIZZLE½ c semisweet chocolate

chips ½ tsp shortening

Preheat oven to 375degrees.

In a large bowl,cream butter andpowdered sugaruntil light andfluffy. Beat inchocolate ande x t r a c t .

Gradually addflour and mix well.

Stir in chocolate chips.(Dough will be soft).

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2”apart on an ungreased bakingsheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or

until firm. Coolfor two

minutes before removing towire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine thebutter, powdered sugar,extract, food coloring andenough milk to achieve thedesired consistency; spreadover cooled cookies. Let set. Ina microwave, melt chocolatechips and shortening; stir untilsmooth. Drizzle over cookies.

c o o k i e s .

CHRISTMAS CHERRY CHIP

COOKIE DROPS

1 (18oz.) tube sugar cookiedough

½ c dried cherries1/3 c white chocolate chips¼ c chopped nuts½ tsp vanillaPreheat oven to 350

degrees.Mix all the ingredients in a

large bowl. Drop rounded tsp.sized dough on ungreased cook-ie sheet. Flatten with palm. Bake10-12 minutes or until edges aregolden brown.

Post Script: Before I waddledout of the library after the judg-ing, I stopped to speak withOfficer Shannon. I asked face-tiously if she’d taken the “DonutShop Break” class in police acad-emy. She laughed and said no,but thought that the ClaytonPolice ought to add a “Judgingthe Cookie” course to its contin-uing education programs.Sounds like a plan to me! MerryChristmas and Happy Baking!

JUNIOR BAKER

Hon. MentionDAWSON & GRAYSON

MCDONALD

JUNIOR BAKER

FIRST PLACEGRAYSON WRIGHT

TEEN BAKER

FIRST PLACESARA POSTON

MASTER BAKER

Hon. MentionSARAH BROOKS

MASTER BAKER

FIRST PLACEKATHY CHISHOLM

Cookie contestbrings out the bestfrom local bakers

LINDA WYNER

Clayton Pioneer

1ST PLACE MASTER

SOFT GINGER COOKIES

1ST PLACE TEEN

MARTHA’S PECAN

BUTTER COOKIES

1ST PLACE JUNIOR

CHOCOLATE MINT DREAMS

SANTA JOINED CONTEST JUDGES Linda Wyner, Shanna Decoite,Robbie Parker, Debra Nork, Andrew Geller and Jennifer Beckfor a post-judging photo.

Photos by Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

VINTAGE SINGERS Santiago and Joyce Martinez and RoxannePardi brought their unique harmonies to traditional carols.

ALTHOUGH NOT an officialjudge, Santa neverthelesscollaborates with DebraNork at the judging table.

have been on my mind for thepast few years.

First, I want to say that I amhonored to serve as the mayorof Clayton for this next year. Acouple of years ago, I was givinga tour of City Hall to a group ofyoung Scouts. As part of thetour, I explained how our citygovernment works – how wehave an elected City Councilwith a rotating mayor but ourcity manager and staff handlethe main business of the city.

I explained that the citymanager oversees and runs the

day-to-day activities. After thisexplanation, one of the Scouts,Garrett, raised his hand andsaid: “So, basically the city man-ager does all the work and themayor gets all the credit.” Ithought he was pretty insightful.

Fortunately for us, we havean excellent city manager andcity staff, including our policedepartment. One of the greatesttraits of our employees is theirlove for Clayton. I could go onand on about our city employ-ees, but suffice it to say that weare fortunate to have a great

group of people working for us.I also want to thank the other

members of our City Council.They are all good to work withand have the best interest ofClayton in mind. I want to espe-cially thank Julie Pierce, the out-going mayor. If Julie seemed atease serving as mayor, it isbecause she has now served fourtimes in that position. Julie doesa tremendous amount forClayton within our city limits aswell as in the region.

Now for a couple of ideasthat I would like to pursue duringthis year. The first is a communi-tywide character developmentprogram that would emphasize

the development and practice ofgood character. It would buildon what our schools are doingand would include the businesscommunity and the city. Theother idea is to promote onenight a week as family night. Theobjective would be to encouragefamilies to carve out some timeduring the week to spend togeth-er. I would hope some of therestaurants and businesses intown would offer family nightspecials. I’ll devote futurecolumns to these two ideas.

Thank you for this opportunity toserve. If you have any suggestions,questions or feedback, feel free to emailme at [email protected].


Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. DEC. 30 FOR THE JAN. 8 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE

SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]

HOLIDAY EVENTSThrough Dec. 20“Swingtime Canteen”A holiday musical revue from Diablo Actors Ensemble. 1345 LocustSt., Walnut Creek. $10-$25. 866-811-4111 or diabloactors.com.

Through Dec. 20“A Christmas Carol”Center REPertory Company presents Charles Dickens’ classic tale.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.CenterREP.org or 943-7469.

Through Dec. 25“The Northern Lights”View more than 13,000 bulbs during a 15-minute light and musicpresentation. Tune in to 91.3 FM to hear the music. 6, 7 and 8p.m. nightly, Clayton Community Church office, 6055 Main St.,Clayton. 673-9060 or claytoncc.com.

Dec. 31“Hollywood and Ward/New Year’s Party”Includes show, games and champagne toast. 9 p.m.-midnight,Willows Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $50. 798-1300 or wil-lowstheatre.org.

Dec. 31Clayton Counts DownFamily and kids activities in an alcohol-free environment withrefreshments, food, games and prizes. 6-9 p.m., ClaytonCommunity Gym, 700 Gym Court. Contact the city clerk at 673-7304 or [email protected].

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENTThrough Jan. 10“Hats: The Musical”Willows Theatre presents a rollicking tribute to the Red Hat Ladies.636 Ward St., Martinez. $22-$32. 798-1300 orwillowstheatre.org.

FUNDRAISERSJan. 9CVHS Athletic Boosters Crab FeedTo benefit athletics at Clayton Valley High School. 6 p.m., CentreConcord, 5298 Clayton Road. $50. www.cvhsboosters.org. To make adonation, email [email protected] or call 672-0418.

MEETINGSJan. 5, 19Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Jan. 12, 26Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

YMCARegister at mdrymca.org or 889-1600. Or, contact Jennifer at 692-2364 or [email protected].

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.

SCHOOLSJan. 13Diablo View Middle School Parent Faculty Club7 p.m., DVMS library, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

Jan. 27College Admissions WorkshopFor parents of middle school students. 7-9 p.m., Diablo ViewMiddle School multi-use room, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.RSVP by sending a check for $10 per person or $15 per couplepayable to DVMS PFC to Tami Smith, 5213 Keller Ridge Dr.,Clayton CA 94517.

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

Holiday ClosuresDue to county budget cuts, all county libraries will be closed Dec.23-27 and Dec. 31-Jan. 3. Due dates will be extended so that nomaterials will need to be returned between Dec. 19 and Jan. 4.During the closure, all book drops also will be closed. The Websiteat ccclib.org will remain open.

Jan. 5-March 2Patty CakesStory time for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver.Drop in 11 a.m. Tuesdays.

Jan. 7-March 4Picture Book TimeStory time for 3- to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiv-er. Drop in 11 a.m. Thursdays.

Jan. 6Low-Cost Job Training SeminarIf you need to improve your skills to get the job you want, EastCounty has several free and low-cost job training programs youshould know about. Free workshop presented by OpportunityJunction. 7 p.m.

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cial planning services for which fees are charged. © 2009 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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The reorganization occurredwithout fanfare. Indeed, even thetraditional sheet cake was miss-ing, a victim of the budget slash-er’s knife..

“When Marie Antoinette said‘let them eat cake,’ she was obvi-ously speaking in much flushertimes,’ laughed Stratford as thecity clerk switched the name-plates on the dais.

Looking forward to yetanother year of declining taxrevenues and potentially morestate diversions, Clayton’s biggestchallenge will continue to be bal-ancing the budget without cut-ting into essential services.

“Due to prudent manage-ment, we have weathered thiseconomic storm better than

most cities,” says Stratford. “Wedo have a reserve fund that couldbe used to balance the budget ifwe face a one-time non-systemicshortfall, however the goal is tolive within our means.”

Looking beyond the pressingeconomic issues, Stratford wantsto work with schools and busi-nesses to develop a community-wide Character-in-Action pro-gram which will focus on familyactivities that will build a sense ofresponsibility and respect.

Stratford, 43, is a CPA andowner of Diablo View Cleaningand was raised in Clayton. Hegraduated from Brigham YoungUniversity and holds an MBAfrom UC Berkeley. He was elect-ed in 2006.

Council, from page 1

Ernest is a high energy fel-low who is always on the go.He will thrive in an activehome with a structured andconsistent daily routine. Goingto training classes is a greatway for him to use his mindwhile meeting new people andsocializing with other dogs.

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

Dressy Bessy is one bigcuddle bug! All she wants is tobe petted and loved by herfamily. If you are looking for a

sweet, easy going, snuggly girl,Dressy Bessy is your kitty.

The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s AnimalRescue Foundation, 2890Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek,during adoption hours: 3 to 7p.m. Thursday and Friday,noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday.

The primary caretaker mustbe present to adopt. ARF alsoencourages kids 16 andyounger and canine familymembers (dog adoptions only)to be present during the adop-tion process.

Would you like to be part ofthe heroic team that saves the livesof rescued dogs and cats? Can youshare your talents to connect peopleand animals? ARF volunteers aremaking a difference! For moreinformation see our website,www.arf.net, or call925.256.1ARF.

A graying muzzle and longer,more frequent naps in the sunaren’t the only signs that yourpet is aging. The “winter years”for dogs and cats are similar tothose of humans: The sensesdull, activity levels change andless interest in social interactionis sometimes shown.

Senior dogs can be anywherefrom 5 to 10 years old, thoughdogs of different sizes age atdifferent rates. Cats are consid-ered seniors when they reach 7-12 years old. Just like with peo-ple, older pets have differentneeds from younger ones.

Older animals are more sen-

sitive to their environment.Their normal body temperaturedecreases, and they might needto be kept warmer when it’scold. A loss of vision or hearingwill diminish an animal’s aware-ness of its surroundings. Avoidstartling senior cats and dogs byalerting them to your presencebefore touching them. Be mind-ful of moving around fooddishes or furniture, and exercisecaution if there are stairs or apool.

Watch for changes in behav-ior. Older animals have moredifficulty handling stress. Whileconfusion and disorientationcan be signs that an animal isgrowing senile, sudden person-ality changes or house soilingcould also be signs of serioushealth problems.

Nutritional needs alsochange for senior cats and dogs.A difference in appetite, suddenweight loss or gain, and coat andskin conditions may be earlyindicators that things are amiss.Bad breath or a reluctance to eatdry food might mean dentalproblems. An increase in drink-ing water could mean kidney

problems or diabetes. Some ani-mals need additional supple-ments for healthy joints, skinand intestinal tract functions.

Visits to the vet are impor-tant for establishing a baselinefor an older animal’s health. Ablood-chemistry panel with ablood count can help deter-mine what is normal for yourpet. Older animals have weak-ened immune systems andaging organs. A yearly check forparasites and a general examcan help ensure that dogs andcats are in the best conditionpossible.

Animals hide pain well,although they might act bad-tempered or listless. A vet candetermine if your pet suffersfrom arthritis or other painful

conditions. Modern medicationscan help alleviate discomfort.

Small adjustments in dailylife can assist an aging pet. Achange to softer bedding andless vigorous exercise, such astaking longer walks rather thanchasing balls, can help easeaching joints. Lowering beds,food bowls and even the edgesof litter boxes can make life eas-ier on your senior pet.

Training classes and gamesare excellent ways to keep ani-mals mentally active and alert.ARF offers many fun classes tohelp keep your dog active; visitwww.arf.net and check out ARFU for more information.

With just a little extra care, asenior pet can provide years oflove and companionship. While

they might not be able to runand jump like they did before, atleast they no longer get intopuppy mischief. They are theperfect old friend with whomyou can share fond memories,peaceful moments and some-times even a nap in the sun.

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Pets in their ‘winter’ years take a little extra careDecember 18, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 19

ELENA BICKER

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Children’s Dentistry officecollecting Toys for Tots

Dr. Randall E. Chang and his staffat Children’s Dentistry of WalnutCreek are not only great with yourchildren, they are teaching their youngpatients the joy of giving to otherswho are not as fortunate.

Teaming with Toys for Tots,Chang, his staff and patients have col-lected many toys and monetary gifts,as well as scheduled time to volunteerin assisting the Marines in distributingthese gifts.

The Toys for Tots program willdistribute all the donated toys to localchildren as Christmas gifts. If youwould like to donate toys or monetarygift, visit Children’s Dentistry at 3050Citrus Circle, #110, Walnut Creek.

Donations are accepted by mail atMarine Toys for Tots Foundation,Gift Processing Administrator, 18251Quantico Gateway Dr., Triangle, VA22172. You may also fax your com-pleted form with credit card informa-tion to 703-649-2054.

to sell, it could be years beforeprices recover to a higher level.This is due to the fact that themoratoriums have ended andforeclosed properties are com-ing back on the market – thoughvery slowly so as not to flood themarket and drastically reduceprices. But there are 1.5 millionhomes in the country at differ-ent stages of default and thisnumber could rise significantlyover the next year. The bankscan’t hold property indefinitely.

Many homes are being soldat auction or sold in bulk toinvestors, but many will continueto be introduced to the market.The decline could continue atsome level for the next year anda half.

Q. Should I wait until nextyear to buy? J.S., Concord

A. I don’t see the benefit inwaiting. There are manyunknowns. What will the interestrates be like? If prices go down,will rates go up? What programswill the government furtherextend or expand or will theyimplement new ones?

Real estate is like the stockmarket in many ways. You try tobuy low and sell high. You don’thave to buy at the very bottomor sell at the very top. One real-ly doesn’t know when we are atthe bottom until prices havealready begun to go up – or atthe top until prices have alreadybegun to go down.

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

French is the broker/owner ofWindermere Lynne French &Associates and a Clayton resident.For any real estate needs or questions,contact her at 672-8787or stop in at6200 Center St., Clayton

Real Estate,from page 7

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the vendors that would otherwisebe wasted. One farmer, whomshe didn’t want to embarrass bynaming, not only delivers theexcess produce by the truckloadfrom his Brentwood farm, butalso has a day job as a postalworker. “It is so generous whenpeople do this,” Chan says.

Midweek, the deliveries areharder to place. In this case, theSalvation Army of Concordopens its doors, carefully savingthe crates delivered to return tothe farmer after his day job.

“There has been $75,000worth of market collections,”Chan reports, “and about$13,000 worth of what I havegleaned from trees.”

Food Bank executive directorLarry Sly knows the value ofwhat Chan delivers. “I’m alwaysamazed by what she does,” hesaid.

The Food Bank serves morethan 108,000 people each month,with the need expanding signifi-cantly during the recession.

“Despite the publicity, I’d be

happy just doing my own littlething,” Chan says. That “littlething” includes teaching her 2-year-old daughter Ava about gar-dening, harvesting and helpingthose less fortunate.

While the Jefferson Awardmeans a lot of positive recogni-tion and, she hopes, a lot moredonated fruit and vegetables,Chan also received an email fromsomeone who was the recipientof one of her donations. “Theimportant part of the email wasjust the thank you,” Chan said.

“I grew up without food,”she added. “You don’t forgetthat. It is not a crime to be poor.”

Chan, from page 4

DR. RANDALL CHANG and his staff will collect toys andhelp the Marines distribute for Toys for Tots

Hard frost and snow onClayton Valley landscapes is ahomeowner’s garden nightmare.Once temperatures dip below 30degrees, damage to certainshrubs and plants is inevitable.

Of course, steps could havebeen taken before the frost hit.You could have fed your shrubswith 0-10-10 in September. Youcould have sprayed a frost-pro-tection product like Wilt Stop orCloud Cover. Perhaps you couldhave watered the landscape oreven covered vulnerable plantswith frost fabric.

But that doesn’t really matteranymore. Many of our plantsand shrubs and even some treeswill show signs of frost damage,and it is only December. Wehave the potential for manymore frosty nights, so be sure totake steps from this point on toensure that plant damage doesnot mean plant death.

WATERING AN EASY

SOLUTION

Anytime the weather updatecalls for frosty conditions, sim-ply watering your landscape willhelp your plants a lot. The extrawater hydrates the shrub orplant. A hydrated plant will bestronger to the frosty nights andmornings.

The extra ice on the plantsmay concern you, but the iceactually insulates the stems andthe leaves of the plant – ratherthan letting the chill rob the

moisture from them.Spray products are great

choices to help with frost pro-tection. Wilt Stop is a naturalproduct derived from the resinof pine trees. This flexible coat-ing insulates the foliage andstems of the plants you chooseto spray.

Wilt Stop is often sold in aready-to-use bottle. You justhave to twist onto your gardenhose and turn it on. The bottlewill dilute itself as it sprays.

Cloud Cover is the originalfrost-protecting product, usingclear polymer to coat the plant.Cloud Cover is found ready-to-spray and in concentrates. Bothof these products do what theyare supposed to do. You can usethem as soon as you hear aboutupcoming frost, since they onlyneed enough time to dry beforeit freezes.

Even though the ClaytonValley area has already experi-

enced a hard frost, using theproduct now will help your land-scape prepare for future frosts.

KEEP IT COVERED

Frost fabrics are also availableat nurseries and garden centers.This fabric is breathable, which isimportant, and usually has anelastic bottom so it wraps theplant better. Frost fabric carries amoderate cost, but compared tothe price of replacing plants, itmay be a good way to go.

If you want to cut cornersand save a little money, use bedsheets to protect your plants. Ifyou are considering plasticsheets for frost protection, youmust tent the plastic – makingsure it does not touch the plant’sfoliage. Plastic can freeze to theleaves, causing problems.

Using 0-10-10 fertilizer is stilla good idea. This should beapplied every 4-6 weeks aroundall your tender plants. When fer-tilizing, you must make sure theground is wet before applicationand re-wet after as well.

Knowing what plants in yourlandscape are susceptible tofrost damage is a good idea. Wedon’t want to wrap fabric aroundour whole yard or spray everyinch of your garden. Tropicalplants always take a hit duringthe frost. Those of you whogrow banana plants, tuberoseand various non-native fern,hibiscus and bougainvillea cer-tainly need to be careful of frost.

Some of these plants maynot survive a hard frost regard-less of the extra steps you take,but it is definitely worth a shot.Gardenia shrubs hate when theweather gets this cold. They willsurvive, but they will looktranslucent and weepy for awhile. Princess flower is toastwhen the temperatures dip intothe upper 20s. Silvia lilies, aga-panthus, lantana, citrus andfuschia will all get bitten in thefrost. Succulents and agave arealso tender. Knowing what toprotect is part of gardening.

As you notice the damagedcaused by the frost in your land-scape, ignore the urge to cut anydamaged limbs. You need toleave all the black leaves andstems on each plant to furtherprotect the roots. Even if youlose the whole plant, as long asthe roots stay warm, the plantwill re-grow when the soilwarms in the spring. Keep yourshears in the shed!

Care for your landscape withwater, frost-protector productsand fabric. Next year whenyou’re installing plants, ask whatthe cold hardiness is of eachnew introduction. Plants andshrubs that are hardy to 25degrees are usually safest.

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden Contact her with questions,comments or suggestions at [email protected]

FROM OURFAMILY TO

YOURS

Christine Geddes-Sinclaire, Judy Ruskus, Albert Ruskus, Linda Miller,Jeanette Shelton and Mike Kavanaugh.

Town and CountryPLEASE CALL

672-7800DOWNTOWN CLAYTON


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2051 N. Main St., Walnut Creek

Memories still vivid for Pearl Harbor survivors

At 89, Concord residentAdrian Pacheco can still recallthe smallest of details abouthis life the day Pearl Harborwas bombed 68 years ago. Stillspry though hard of hearing,Pacheco has enjoyed a colorfullife after surviving the torpedothat could have killed him.

Born in Richmond, heenlisted in 1938 for what heassumed would be a stint inthe Naval Reserves. The tail-end of the Great Depressionstill haunted the country andwith the prospects of learninga skill, he volunteered foractive duty in the Navy.

In October 1940, he wasassigned to the USS Honoluluand shipped out. “I was a fire-man first class,” Pachecoexplained of his job manningthe fire for the boiler. Thesepre-nuclear ships relied onsteam power.

“It was a Sunday morning,”Pacheco said, “and I had justfinished breakfast and was afthaving a cigarette. The planescame in low over the fantail ofthe ship and dropped torpe-does.”

His suspicions were con-firmed by the GeneralQuarters alarm that threw theship into battle stations.However, the Honolulu wasberthed – tied to the docks asit underwent maintenance.The furnace was not operatingand it was a “sitting duck.”

The torpedo broadsidedthe ship and exploded againstthe docks, buckling the metalplates of the vessel right at thecompartment where theammunition was stored. Quick

thinking by an officer onwatch prevented a disaster byordering the ammunition lock-ers flooded so they could notexplode from the ensuing fire.

Meantime, Pacheco, by theboilers, stoked the enginesback to life so the ship couldset sail. “That took most ofthe day,” he said.

The Japanese war planesmade two passes before leav-ing. “They were looking foraircraft carriers,” he said. “Wewere all scared. This was thefirst experience of battle formost of us. We had spentmuch time practicing for thisso we knew what to do.”

GUARDING THE BAY AREA

For 94-year-old Claytonresident Bob Case, the memo-

ry of Pearl Harbor resonatesmore in its aftermath through-out the Bay Area. In the daysthat followed the attack, Caserecalls a city in panic.

“I was in the CaliforniaState Guard,” Case said. “Webecame military when thenews came out and tookover.”

Describing the reactions ofthe public as surreal, Caserecalls everyone “speedingaround trying to get to theirpost. The police were not tick-eting anyone.”

His guard unit wasassigned to protect the BayBridge. “We were not verywell-prepared,” he said. “Wehad summer uniforms and itwas cold. We had to stay thereuntil we were replaced by the

Army.”That turned out to be a

number of weeks, with themen taking four-hour shifts.The concrete floor was toocold for comfort, so theywould drink coffee and eatdoughnuts to stay warm andpass the time.

When the Army finallyshowed up, they were relievedof duty. “And then we weresubject to the draft,” addedthe Diamond Terrace resident.“Those were the days that willnever be forgotten.”

A CHANGED RELATIONSHIP

Looking back, Pachecorecognizes a different era –one of respect and fear com-bined. “Back then, you neverspoke to an officer unless youwere spoken to,” notedPacheco, a member of theClayton Veterans of ForeignWars.

Following the attack, themen aboard the Honoluluwere given postcards to mailhome so that family wouldknow they had survived. Itwas only later when his shipwas being repaired at MareIsland and he walked up thefamily driveway that helearned his parents had neverreceived their card. They hadassumed he was among thedead.

“My dad became my buddyafter that,” Pacheco said.

His father, who was not inthe military but had served asa guard in the Army Reserves,had always held his son to astandard of respect. FollowingPearl Harbor, the two had abond of understanding thatPacheco says all survivorsshared.

“When the war ended, wewere on a task force in TokyoBay at the surrender,” Pachecosaid. “Our ship was able to seethe Japanese going aboard theUSS Missouri to sign the sur-render.”

These days, Pacheco volun-teers at the V.A. Hospital,although his health limits hisactivities. In 2005, he received

a Certificate of Appreciationfrom President George W.Bush as well as a Call toService award.

“I put all that I can remem-ber in writing for my kids,” hesaid. He hopes that it will helpthem to understand the mean-ing of sacrifice without havingto experience the costinvolved during a war.

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

RECOGNIZED FOR HIS SERVICE DURING the Pearl Harbor bomb-ings, Adrian Pacheco received the Call to Service Award fromthen president George W. Bush.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

The perfect holidaygifts are as close asthe local library

The Clayton CommunityLibrary Foundation has severalsuggestions for your Christmasgiving.

The Buy a Brick program is agreat way to remember a lovedone or honor someone special.The $55 fee includes three linesof engraving, and gift cards canbe supplied.

Or, how about a book bagin heavy duty red canvas? Thebottom is gusseted and standseasily for filling – a bargain at$10.

Buy a Book to honor some-one who loves to read. Bookplates are put into the book youchoose. Fiction books are $25;non-fiction is $50.

Another gift item is mem-bership in the ClaytonCommunity Library Foundationat $10 for an individual and $15

for a family, and higher cate-gories. This is a gift anylibrary/book lover is sure toappreciate. Membership formsare available online and at thelibrary.

T-shirts sporting the 94517logo are available in a variety ofsizes. Cost is $14 for adults and$10 for children’s sizes.

All proceeds from sales go topurchase new materials for theClayton Community Library

For more information or for orderforms for gifts go to ccclib.org, or stopby the library.

The library is at 6125 ClaytonRoad. Hours are 1-9 p.m. Mondayand Wednesday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday;and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The librarywill not be open Dec. 23 or 24, soshop early.


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Diverse holiday celebrations part of the fabric of local life

Barbara Goldsmith lights can-dles, Rhonda Cooper sets a spe-cial table, and Shohreh Misaghigathers friends and family alikefor a feast where news isexchanged and prayers of thanksgiven. While all three families’holiday gatherings share a com-

mon time of year with Christmas,the holidays celebrated arediverse.

Goldsmith recalls pastHanukkah celebrations with herfamily. Candlelight filled thehouse from menorahs – “lotsand lots of them” – lit in remem-brance of the victory in 165 B.C.of Jewish troops over Greek sol-diers, where what was supposedto be one day’s supply of oil last-ed for eight days. Scents of roastchicken, homemade applesauceand potato pancakes wafted fromthe kitchen, and excited childrenwiggled through prayers beforethe feast. Goldsmith read to the

children from a book of stories,and the living room filled withwrapping paper and the excitedcries of children opening pres-ents.

Clayton City CouncilmanHoward Geller planned to cele-brate Hanukkah in his home withfamily from throughout the areaon Dec. 12. Geller’s 10-year oldgrandson Jaxon Pandelis will help

light the candles before they all sitdown for a holiday feast.

Geller recalls building thecity’s first menorah in his garageout of PVC pipe fittings twenty-something years ago. That meno-rah was stolen from its downtownspot and a subsequent, heavierone was damaged by vandals.Today, the Clayton Business andCommunity Association main-tains the downtown menorah,selecting a different person eachyear to light the eight candles.

“I think that Clayton is muchmore diverse than it was yearsago,” Geller said. “We’re a multi-national city that looks beyond

size, shape, color, religion or any-thing. We just accept people theway they are.”

Cooper’s family celebratesboth Christmas and Kwanzaa.Conceived in 1966 by MaulanaKarenga, a professor of Africanastudies at Cal State Long Beach,Kwanzaa recognizes and cele-brates African culture and thevalues of cooperation and com-munity.

Cooper described the sevenfacets of the celebration, whichthis year runs Dec. 26-31. “Westart off by setting up our table,because Kwanzaa has the sevensymbols,” she said.

Items including a mat, unitycup and candles are laid out, rep-resenting principles such as therewards of productive and collec-tive labor, African American tra-ditions and history, and childrenand the future they represent.

Misaghi’s family came toAmerica from Iran in the 1990s toescape religious persecution. Asmembers of the Baha’i faith, theywere actively discriminatedagainst by the government andstories were told in hushed voicesabout people being dragged fromtheir homes and imprisoned – orworse by the government.

Today, she and her family arefree to practice their faith inClayton. Gatherings called feastsare held every 19 days at commu-nity members’ homes so mem-bers can exchange news, eat andsocialize. The next feast,described by Misaghi as “a time ofgiving and happiness,” is sched-uled for Dec. 30.

Father Peter Champion of St.John’s Episcopal Parish com-mented on the sometimes unex-pected diversity found in thecommunity at large.

“I think gratitude and the cel-ebration of community are corehuman impulses. In the past,

Christianity has borrowed ele-ments from other cultures and‘baptized’ them, making thempart of our own celebrations,” hesaid. “I think that now we mayfinally be in a place we can honorthe integrity of each culture’s andeach faith’s way of living out ourgratitude.

“I’d hope that, rather thanfeeling threatened by this, we’llfeel enriched and drawn into clos-er relationships with our friends

and neighbors,” he concluded.Shadrick Small, the interim

president of the Black FamiliesAssociation of Contra Costa,invites community members ofall faiths and ethnic backgroundsto join a Kwanzaa celebration onDec. 29 at the Concord SeniorCenter.

“The importance is seen inwhat comes about and what canbe realized when we work andlive cooperatively in the commu-

nity,” he said.Misaghi enjoys driving

through neighborhoods near herhome to admire the lights anddecorations, and her family oftengathers during the holidays for aparty. Like many others, she seesthe message of the holidays asuniversal.“I see the people on thecorner with the bells, collectingmoney and things like that,” shesaid. “For me, it’s just a reminderto donate or do something good.”

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

JAXON PANDELIS, center, helps grandfather Howard Geller lightthe menorah candles in preparation for the family’sHanukkah celebration dinner on Dec. 12. Geller’s fianceDebbie Mullins looks on.

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

Seven students from theClayton Valley High School choirprogram have independently puttogether an a cappella septet theycall Vivace! and plan to go to anational competition this April.In order for the talented teens tomake it to New Orleans, theyneed to raise $7,000 to cover theirexpenses.

Cristina Lloyd-Pratt, ZacharyPratt, Pablo Jara, Joaquin Jara,Marena McGregor, Troy Carlsonand Aaron Camlimlim are allmembers of the CVHS ShowChoir, Concert Choir andHonors Choir.

They recently entertainedguests at the Clayton PioneerCookie Contest Judging Partywith a program of traditional andnot-so-traditional Christmas car-ols. They brought the audience toits feet with their aerobic arrange-ment of “The Twelve Days ofChristmas.”

To raise money for their trip,they have put together severalattractive gift packages for theholidays. For $40, the group will

give a private holiday concert ofseven songs.

For $60, they will providebackground music for your holi-day party.

And for a great gift for some-one really special, they will delivera “CarolGram” including threeChristmas carols, a personal mes-

sage and chocolate for $20.Vivace will be singing for donations

all around town in the next few weeks.Look for them at the Walnut Creek IceRink, Clayton Books and many otherlocal businesses. To book a party orCarolGram or to donate to the effort,call Patti Pratt at 360-9779 or [email protected].

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

VIVACE SEPTET features: (standing) Aron Camlimlim, PabloJara, Christina Lloyd-Pratt; (kneeling) Troy Carlson, MarenaMcGregor and Zachary Pratt.

Young singers raise money forcompetition with musical gifts

DEC 18 Clayton Pioneer 2009.pdf

Documents

Transcript of DEC 18 Clayton Pioneer 2009.pdf