JUL 24 Clayton Pioneer 2009.pdf

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com July 24, 2009 925.672.0500

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

At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

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

Community Calendar . . . . . . .14

Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . . .16

Deal with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Directory of Advertisers . . . . . .5

Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .12

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

For the Books . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

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

Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

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

Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

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

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

Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Time to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

What’s Inside

JULIE PIERCE

MAYOR’S CORNER

Concerts, cafes andcelebrations helpClayton thrive

What a wonderful summerwe’re having! The Fourth of Julywas one of the best ever – per-fect weather, so many wonderfulvolunteers and our announcer,KGO Channel 7’s Dan Ashley,pitched in and made everythingflow beautifully. I want to espe-cially thank the clean-up crew,who had the town spotless andgleaming in record time. A hugethanks also goes to our JulyFourth committee of SandyJohnson, Laci Jackson andLaura Hoffmeister, who organ-ized this year’s event.

It’s that kind of communityspirit that has earned Clayton aspot on the Money magazineTop 100 Places to Live in theU.S. for the second time in threeyears. Only three cities inCalifornia made the list, andClayton is the only NorthernCalifornia city.

KTVU Channel 2 did a verynice feature on our hometown;you can find the video on theKTVU.com Web site by search-ing for Clayton. We hope to postthe video on the city’s Web site,too.

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION

UPDATE

On the regional transporta-tion front, I’ve spent several

See Mayor, page 17

Sandhu family continues to risefrom the ashes with new deli

Clayton landed 87th onMoney Magazine’s list of the100 Best Places to Live inAmerica and was the onlyNorthern California city on thelist. The only other Californiacities to make the cut wereRancho Santa Margarita andWalnut, both in SouthernCalifornia.

The Top 100 list ranksAmerican cities with popula-tion between 8,500 and 50,000on income, crime, education,housing, recreation weatherand general quality of life.

At $131,363, Clayton’smedian family income scoredhigh against the average of$97,441, but ranked muchlower than average in jobgrowth - 4.86 percent vs.19.58. This was likely a factorin the town’s drop from 57thon the list in 2007 to 87th thisyear, surmised Mayor JuliePierce.

The national attention mayhelp boost Clayton home sales,say local realtors, KimMorucci and Pete Laurence.Both use the ranking in mar-keting to homebuyers outsidethe area.

“It adds a lot of pizzaz tobe on the Money Magazinelist,” says Laurence. “It’s justone more great thing aboutour little ShangriLa.”

See the complete list atwww. money.cnn.com/maga-zines/moneymag/bplive/2009.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Andre Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

A JUBILANT JOHNNY SANDHU GREETS CUSTOMERS in Johnny’s International Deli and Cafe. Despite a faltering economy,the family owned business has seen a steady flow of customers since opening its parkside eatery on July 4.

Johnny and AmarinderSandhu watched with joy as alarge crowd filled their freshlyopened International Deli andCafé on July 4, marking whatthe duo hopes to be a strongpresence in downtown Clayton.

A devastating fire in January

2004 that gutted the upperrooms of the Village Marketbuilding left owner SamSandhu, Johnny’s father, in aprotracted legal battle withFarmers Insurance that forcedthe Sandhu family to loseincome and inventory.

The insurance battle was aclassic case of the small cus-tomer battling the large corpo-

rate giants. The Sandhus suedFarmers Insurance.

“We had to make it work,”Johnny Sandhu said of the dis-cussions with his father. “You’refighting this lawsuit, and you seethat you are running out ofcash. This was our last standagainst the insurance company.”

Not willing to give up butconsidering selling the property

to fund the lawsuit, the familywas encouraged when a decentsettlement was finally made.

“We took a loss,” Johnnysaid, but the thought of ongo-ing litigation for another fewyears was too much. “We weretrying to get back. We took theloss and decided to rebuild.”

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

Town Center gateway to be completed by end of August

The Cowell smokestackwasn’t the only local land-mark to bite the dust inrecent weeks.

The monument signmarking the entrance toClayton’s Town Center wasreduced to rubble in a matterof minutes last week whenbulldozers cleared the hillsideto make way for a completerenovation of the city’s gate-way.

The stucco monumentsign, which originally read“Oakhurst,” was placed onthe hill by Presley Homesmore than 20 years ago tohelp sell the country clubproperties. Presley laterdonated the sign to the city,

and the letters were changedto read “Clayton TownCenter.” It was never intend-ed to be a permanent fixtureand has been crumbling foryears.

“The only thing holdingthe sign together was thestucco finish,” said CityEngineer Rick Angrisani.

A new stone monumentsign that reads “Clayton” willbe visible from both direc-tions on Clayton Road.Retaining walls will createtiers on the hillside, and awalking trail extension runsbetween the hillside andDiamond Terrace.

A new sign of similardesign will also stand in thetriangle at the Oak Street off-ramp.

The project has been two

years in the planning and is ajoint effort by the city ofClayton and the ClaytonBusiness and CommunityAssociation.

The hillside renovationwill be completed in twophases with the signs, theretaining walls and the trailextension coming first. Thetotal budget for the firstphase is $155,000, with$89,000 coming fromRedevelopment Agencyfunds earmarked for down-town revitalization. Theremaining $66,000 is a dona-tion from the CBCA.

The signs and hardscapewill be complete by the endof August, Angrisani said.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer

THE OLD TOWN CENTER MONUMENT SIGN was cleared away last week as work began on the city’snew gateway at Marsh Creek and Clayton Roads.See Gateway, page 3

See Sandhu, page 3

ClaytonmakesMoneyMagazinetop 100

Aegis Senior Living onClayton Road recently cele-brated their five year anniver-sary in the community. On a

beautiful, early summerevening on June 26, residents,family and friends gathered inthe courtyard to the sounds of

Frank Sinatra and DeanMartin, stepping back into anera so cherished by many. Theresidents continued to dancefar into the evening, accompa-nied by the sounds of therushing fountain and lit by theoutdoor fire pit.

Cash contributions to helpoffset the expenses of theConcerts in the Park series morethan doubled at the last concertwhen Mayor Julie Piercegrabbed a donations bottle andworked the crowd.

It was impossible to say noto the smiling mayor, as TomStoflet discovered. After receiv-ing his sizeable donation, themayor stopped for a photo withthe Clayton man.

The concerts are co-spon-sored by the city of Clayton andthe CBCA and are free.

“You don’t have to wait untilthe next concert to put yourdonation in the bottle,” says asmiling Pierce. “We’ll take acheck anytime.”

Make checks payable to thecity of Clayton and drop off atCity Hall, or mail to 6000Heritage Trail, Clayton, 94517.

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com July 24, 2009

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July 25 BECCACountry

August 8 In DisguiseJazz, R&B, Pop Hits

Aug 22 Diamond DaveOldies to today’s top hits

Aug 29 Replica80s rock tribute band

Sept 19 Harvey & The Wall BangersRock, R&B, Country and Oldies

Local Food To GoSupport your local businesses & Restaurants.

Takeout or dine in before or after the concert.

Moresi’s Chophouse 6115 Main St., 672 - 1333

Ed’s Mudville Grill 6200 Center St., 673-0333

La Veranda Cafe 6201 Center St., 524 - 0011

Skipolini’s Pizza 1035 Diablo St., 672 - 1111

Village Market 6104 Main St., 672 - 0188

Johnny’s Int’l Deli & Cafe’ 6101 Center St., 672-1203

Cup O’Jo 6054 Main St., 672-5105

Saturdays 6-8 p.m.

Through Sept. 19 At theGazebo in The Grove

Sponsored by the city of Clayton, CBCAand Allied Waste Services

Concertsin The Grove

Around Town Aegis Senior Living closes fifth year with dancing to Dean and Frank

SHARON GIAMPAPA, JENNY BALDWIN, 90 and Frankie Giampapaattended the Aegis celebration on June 26. Jenny is a memberof the Clayton Historical Society.

Aegis Executive DirectorGerry Vadnais and MarketingDirector, Kelly Ferro.

Concert donations hit

$2,200

JULIE PIERCE AND TOM STOFLET

the ‘Center of the Earth’ and TuscanyPioneer goes to . . .

The Pioneer joined fellow movie lovers lastweek for the Clayton Community Church’s firstmovie of their free summer movie nights. Over400 set up lawn chairs in the parking lot for“Journey to the Center of the Earth,” completewith 3D glasses.

For movieschedule seeU p c o m i n gEvents. Picturedfrom left VeraL l a c t u n a ,Gaylynn LaVenture, PastorS h a w nR o b i n s o n ,Deborah Osteenand Gigi Pishny.

Clayton resi-dents Robby,Barbara andMichael Wallcaught up withtheir hometownnews in theClayton Pioneerat their villarental in Tuscanyin June. Thevilla, located inCastellina inChianti, was a700 year old cas-tle built by amember of the powerful Guidi family and wasthe home base for trips each day to the ancientTuscan hillside towns.

ROBBY, BARBARA AND MICHAEL WALL

The store had been emptyand boarded up until January2008, when the Village Marketreopened. Sam Sandhu hopedthe1,800 square feet on theCenter Street side used for stor-age would be rented out as adeli. However, they were unableto find a qualified tenant,prompting Johnny to suggestanother alternative.

Originally, the deli was locat-ed inside the Village Marketitself, what Johnny calls a “small,antiquated deli.” There, hebefriended an elderly Germanlady.

“Her name was Doris, andshe taught me a lot of things,”he said. With her lessons and hisexperience, Johnny decided thatit made more sense to expandand have the deli as a separatebusiness.

“While we were rebuilding, Isuggested to my father that wehave the deli stand alone,”Johnny said. In part, Johnny wasalso considering a future wherehis father might retire and leavethe market for others to run.That way, the deli would not beaffected.

With lofty goals and highquality inventory includingmeats from Boar’s Head, there isanother aspect of the deli that

has not yet been publicized.“I’m adding slowly,” Johnny

said. “People come in and askfor things, and we are workingtowards that. We had to get anew loan on the building, eventhough we would have had nomortgage with the old one.We’re building slowly.”

One thing in the works isIndian dinners. “We’ve secretlystarted doing some,” Johnnysaid. “Mostly friends and family,just to get things right. Weshould have a full menu ready… in the next week or so.”

The international flavorappeals to Johnny – Portuguesesausages, Italian sausages, gour-met cheeses from around theworld as well as the Indian foods

July 24, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Sandhu, from page 1

Photo courtesy of Johnny Sandhu

JOHNNY AND AMARINDER SANDHU were married last year in atraditional Indian ceremony.

The second phase of theproject will be the landscaping.Trees and shrubs will bedrought tolerant and low main-tenance, said City ManagerGary Napper.

Irrigation water will comefrom the well at the libraryacross the street, but the actualplantings will wait until afterthe drought, Napper said.“Putting in new plants during adrought sends a mixed messageto our public.”

Gateway, from page 1

THIS NEW MONUMENT SIGN ON THE HILL at Marsh Creek andClayton Roads and another at the Oak St. off ramp will greetvisitors to Clayton.

that he knows so well. “I’d liketo have a special event of theday,” Johnny said. “Serve certainfoods from different countries.”

Johnny Sandhu, 32, came tothe United States in 1991, pass-ing through Pine HollowMiddle School and ClaytonValley High School before grad-uating in 1997. From there hewent to Diablo Valley Collegeand DeVry University to com-plete a business degree. He hasworked with his father since1991, learning the ropes of theretail business.

With all the new plans, itwould seem easy to lose focuson what really matters to him.“The best part of the deli iswhen I see my customers enjoy-ing the food,” Johnny said.“You know, with the slow econ-omy, we were a little scared toopen. But then the customerscome in and say that it is thebest they have had – you feelproud.”

Johnny says the location bythe new downtown park is agreat help for business. “Maybewe had to go through what wedid to get to this point--next toone of the best places in town,”Johnny said. “The business traf-fic is phenomenal.”

He attributes that to theforesight of the city plan andthe nature of Clayton people.“We have the greatest cus-tomers in this town,” he said.“They welcome you with openarms from day one. Where elsewould you find this?”

“Johnny’s International Delihas been a wonderful additionto the Town Center,” says CityManager Gary Napper, who notonly has eaten at the new deli,but strongly endorses the pas-trami on rye.

“Its reported success sinceopening is yet another barome-ter that our Clayton communityis ready and willing to supportadditional eateries and commer-cial variety in its downtown.”


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Clayton PD passesmuster, says chief

“Ten SHUN,” bellows thechief. Heels snap, spines stiffenand all eyes are straight ahead, asthe full complement of theClayton Police Department lineup for inspection at City Hall onJuly 16.

This is the second time sincecoming to Clayton five years agothat Police Chief Dan Lawrencehas called an inspection of theforce. Largely a symbolic act, it“demonstrates the officer’sresponsibility to properly main-tain their issued equipment...andenhances team spirit,” the chiefexplained.

The officers lined up in tworows as the chief moved from

one to the other, the formality ofthe occasion eased by a gooddeal of bantering.

At the close of the inspec-tion, the chief was clearly proudof his force as he read a letterfrom the US Post Office officialscommending the four Claytonofficers who responded to theRay Casso murder at the postoffice on March 8. The letterexpressed appreciation toOfficers Shanna DeCoite, JasonShaw, Daren Billington, Sgt. TimMarchute and to the chief for“aiding the victim and compas-sionately supporting the postoffice staff.”

ONE WEEK ENDING JULY 9

ARRESTS

July 3, 12:56 a.m., Regency Dr.and El Portal Dr., a Manteca man,19, was stopped for following avehicle too closely and was arrest-ed for driving under the influence.

July 3, 1:46 p.m., Clayton Rd.,a Pacheco man, 18, was arrestedfor theft at a local store.

July 3, 1:50 p.m., Kirker Passand Olive Dr., a Concord man, 40,was issued a citation for drivingwithout a license.

July 4, 10:37 p.m., Clayton Rd.and El Camino Dr., a San Leandroman, 31, was stopped for severalvehicle code violations and arrest-ed for driving under the influence.

July 5, 11:02 p.m., Lydia LanePark, a Clayton man, 21, was con-tacted for being in the park afterclosing and arrested on an out-standing warrant.

July 6, 10:27 p.m., Clayton Rd.and Kirker Pass Rd., a Concordman, 46, was stopped for a vehiclecode violation and issued a cita-tion for driving without a license.

July 7, 7:07 p.m., Clayton Rd.and Lydia Ln., a Concord man, 27,

was issued a citation for drivingwithout a license after beingstopped for expired registrationtags.

July 7, 11:44 p.m., Clayton Rd.and Atchinson Stage Rd., anOakland woman, 36, was stoppedfor having expired registrationtags and arrested on an outstand-ing warrant.

July 8, 9:00 p.m., Clayton Rd.and Center St., a Concord man,53, was stopped for havingexpired registration tags andissued a citation for driving with-out a license.

July 9, 10:03 a.m., Indian WellsWay and Oakhurst Dr., a Claytonman, 58, was issued a citation fordriving with a suspended license.

BURGLARIES/THEFTS

July 1, 8:03 a.m., Mt. Etna.Grand theft

July 4, 3:05 p.m., HeritageTrail. Identity theft

July 8, 8:54 a.m., BridlewoodCt. Grand theft

July 7, 3:30 p.m., HeritageTrail. Identity theft

July 9, 3:47 p.m., WindmillCanyon Dr. Identity theft

Police Log

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CHIEF DAN LAWRENCE checks Sgt. Scott Dansie’s weapon atrecent police department inspection.

Cheryl A. Peters, 57, ofClayton, passed away on theevening of Wednesday, July 1,2009, at home with her hus-band, Bernard Peters, andfriends Karla Matlock andDonna Johnson by her side.Mrs. Peters had comehome from the hospi-tal two days earlier,where she wasbeing treated forcancer and liverproblems.

Mrs. Peters wasborn on January26, 1952, inNeenah, Wis. Shegraduated with hon-ors from Neenah HighSchool in 1970. Mrs.Peters moved to Californiain 1982. She graduated fromCalifornia State University,Hayward, with a degree infinance. She was an honor stu-dent and carried a 4.0 gradepoint average the entire timeshe attended Cal State.

Mrs. Peters went to work forPacific Telephone (AT&T) in1982 in the accounting depart-ment and transferred to the reg-ulatory department in 1986.During her 27 years at AT&T,she excelled as a manager andmade many good friends atAT&T, the FederalCommunications Commissionand the California Public

Utilities Commission.Mrs. Peters was very artistic

and was a perfectionist at what-ever she did. She enjoyeddesigning and making stainedglass windows, and designing

and sewing clothes forherself and Bichon

Frise dogs. Inrecent years, Mrs.Peters was breed-ing, showingand trainingBichon Frisedogs. As inother activities,Mrs. Peters was

a perfectionistand paid great

attention to detailto how she groomed

and showed the dogs.Mrs. Peters is survived by

her husband, Bernard; sister,Beverly Joynt of Neenah, Wis.,many nieces and nephews, andmany friends. She has touchedthe lives of many people andwill be deeply missed. Mrs.Peters was preceded in death byher parents, Robert and LillianHolup; and brothers Richardand Dale Borneman.

Funeral liturgy will be heldat 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 29,2009, at St. BonaventureChurch Chapel, 5562 ClaytonRoad, Concord.

Ouimet Bros. Chapel is han-dling arrangements.

Obituary

Cheryl PetersJanuary 26, 1952 – July 1, 2009

Join neighborhoodgatherings on Aug. 4to help fight crime

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, neigh-borhoods throughout Claytonare invited to join with thou-sands of communities nation-wide for the 26th annualNational Night Out crime anddrug prevention event.

Sponsored by the NationalAssociation of Town Watch andlocally by the Clayton PoliceDepartment, the event willinvolve more than 11,000 com-munities from all 50 states. Theevening showcases the vitalimportance of police-commu-nity partnerships and citizeninvolvement in our effort tobuild a safer nation.

From 7-10 p.m. Aug. 4, resi-dents in neighborhoodsthroughout Clayton and acrossthe nation are asked to locktheir doors, turn on outsidelights and spend the evening

outside with neighbors andpolice. Neighborhoodsthroughout Clayton will behosting events such as blockparties, barbecues, ice creamsocials and flashlight walks.

Neighborhoods that haveparticipated in NeighborhoodWatch meetings, zone coordina-tors of Clayton’s EmergencyResponse Team and Volunteersin Police Services are organizingactivities to observe this nation-al event. If your neighborhoodhas not participated in aNeighborhood Watch meetingand wants to be a part of theevent or for more information,contact Herb Yonge at [email protected] before July 27.

If your neighborhood will partici-pate, call Lynn Christ at the policedepartment, 673-7350.

HELP WANTEDAdministrative Assistant

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Real Estate Agents

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

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VOLUNTEERS WANTEDMeals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers andrelief drivers needed for delivery ofMeals on Wheels in East County.Call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail [email protected] Historical

Society Museum

Greeter for two hours per monthfrom 2-4 p.m. Wed. or Sun. Noexperience or extensive knowledgeof Clayton history is necessary. Allyou need is a cheerful smile and a"hello" as our guests come throughthe door. Call the museum at 672-0240 and leave your name. Clayton Community Library

(All positions require a minimumage of 13 years and a 6 month com-mitment. Some training provided).Shelver - to shelve and sensitizelibrary materials. Various days/times.Tutors - no prior experience neces-sary! Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 oremail: [email protected]


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

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

Financial and Insurance Services

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

Carol Keane and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-5200

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

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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 ROBERT HELENA, Sports BETH NEUDELL, Advertising Sales CHRISTINA SCARLOTT, Administrative Assistant

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

words, $.20 each additionalword

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

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

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

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

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Clayton Pioneer welcomesletters from our readers. As a generalrule, letters should be 300 words orless and submitted at least one weekprior to publication date. Letters con-cerning current issues will have priori-ty. We may edit letters for length andclarity. All letters will be published atthe editor’s discretion.

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.

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If you find a wallet on thestreet with money inside, do youreturn it to its owner? This is afavorite teacher question duringclass discussions about right andwrong.

For Concord resident FrankSzymanski, John Bredehoftanswered that question clearlyon July 3. Szymanski, caught upin the whirlwind of his daily

business and pre-holiday traffic,is not sure how he wound uplosing his wallet along ConcordBoulevard, the wind makingshort work of the stack of cash,business cards and credit cardshe had inside.

Bredehoft, a Clayton resi-dent and foreman and projectmanager for J&M Inc., ofLivermore, noticed the moneyin the air, then the businesscards, before he spotted the wal-let. He pulled over and startingscooping up the cash.

“It was pretty funny, whatwas going through my head,” hesaid. He quickly had his handsfull of cash, so he started stuff-ing it in his pockets as he

grabbed business cards, creditcards and the wallet itself.

“I looked for some identifi-cation and saw his driver’slicense and Costco card,”Bredehoft said. “I didn’t wanthim to have cancel all the cred-it cards, so I tried looking uphis number, found it and lefthim a message.” Then hestuffed the money he hadpicked up back into the walletand waited.

Szymanski was shocked toget the message. “In these daysof endless news headlines ofWall Street greed and shysterlawyers,” he said, “when goodmen do good things it seldommakes it into the paper.”

After a brief phone conver-sation Szymanski drove toBredehoft’s house to reclaim hiswallet. Everything was in it.With Bredehoft’s wife Jeanetteand 13-year-old son Connorpresent, Szymanski showed hisgratitude by giving the family agift certificate to La VerandaRestaurant.

“He gave me a tremendousgift,” Bredehoft said. “Watchingthe look on my son’s face.”

“I don’t think such a rare actof kindness and generosityshould go unnoticed,”Szymanski said.

While the story might endthere, it was Jeanette Bredehoftwho seemed perplexed. “Is itthat uncommon for someone todo what’s right?” she asked.Both husband and wife hadbeen scout leaders and both oftheir children were in the pro-gram.

“It was the way Frank toldme that most people wouldn’thave done that,” Bredehoft said.“I expected a thank you andnothing more. I try and live byexample. I’ve lost my walletbefore and know how frustrat-ing and inconvenient it is tohave to cancel all those creditcards.”

“I’m not surprised that hedid that,” Jeanette Bredehoftsaid of her husband. “He is anupstanding citizen and a goodexample to our children.”

“It’s the Golden rule,”

Bredehoft said. “Do unto oth-ers… I try to do my best.”

When questioned, however,it became clearer that there hadbeen other influences onBredehoft. “My parents, Ronand Sue Bredehoft, and mygrandparents,” he said. “They

were all pillars of integrity.”“John just exemplified an

outstanding example for all ofus to follow,” Szymanski said,happy to have had his walletreturned as well as his faith thatthere still are good people in theworld.


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Good Samaritan proves what goes around, comes aroundA missing wallet’s return restores Concord resident’s faith in humanity.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

UNSETTLED BY THE THOUGHT OF BEING A MINORITY when it comesto doing the right thing, Jeanette and John Bredehoft arehappy to set a good example for their children

Book project a last hurrahfor budding Eagle Scout

Before his senior year beginsat Ygnacio Valley High School,Leo Rabbitt, 17, hopes to havehis Eagle Scout project com-pleted. The task: Install and fillthree bookshelves and a mailcenter in Harold Munsel’s sixth-grade class at Oak GroveMiddle School in Concord.

Leo moved back to the areafrom Massachusetts to join hisfamily on a job transfer. Afterarriving in California and join-ing Troop 484, Leo’s sisterEmily introduced him toMunsel, her teacher, for a possi-ble Eagle project.

“Mr. Munsel was in desper-ate need of a mail center,” Leosaid. He spends precious class-time handing back papers andwritten material. “When I sawthe state of his bookshelves, Ipromised to donate those aswell,” Leo said. “I’m a book

man myself.”With a 30-plus page plan

recently approved, includingstep-by-step instructions, sched-ule and extensive project details,Leo is ready to move forward asProject Leader when Boy ScoutTroop 484 volunteers com-mence work.

“Scouting to me is about

having fun and going out camp-ing,” Leo said. Having earned21 Eagle merit badges and com-pleting miscellaneous tasks, Leothinks of this project as his “lasthurrah.”

“There are a few morestressful things to do: gatherreference letters and appearbefore a Board of Review – youhave to know your stuff,” hesaid. “Only about 2 percent ofscouts come out Eagle’s.”

During construction, Leoasks the community to donatesecond- to eighth-grade readinglevel books to combine withMunsel’s collection. Leo hopesto have everything installed andfully shelved (an estimated 150books donated) before schoolstarts on Aug. 24.

Drop off donations at theClayton Pioneer office at 6200Center Street in Clayton. ContactLeo Rabbitt with questions at (925)705-7070.

NICCI SHIPSTEAD

Clayton Pioneer

LEO RABBITT

July 24, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

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A new grandpa reflects on parenting with fresh perspective

My daughter gave birth lastweek, and I got to see thewhole event from a new van-tage point. I was about tobecome a grandparent, andthere is such a differencebetween being one of themain players in the birthingdrama and being the second-ary support system.

It’s not like the process ofpregnancy and delivery hasreally changed that much; youget pregnant the same way andthe baby usually exits the sameway as it’s been done since thetime of primates and possiblyearlier, depending on your reli-gious viewpoints.

In the early 1900s, less than5 percent of women gavebirth in hospitals. Physiciansattended half the births, most-ly to the middle and upperclasses, while midwives tookcare of the rest.

It was the choice of a pain-less birth that drew women tohospitals in greater numbers,the promise of the “TwilightSleep” that only hospitalscould administer. This helpedthe demise of midwifery aswomen formed so-called“Twilight Sleep Societies.”

By the mid-1900s, electingto give birth at home was illadvised, and finding a trainedmidwife was a difficult task.

With advances in technolo-gies that monitor the babywhile inside the wombthrough birth, as well as ultra-sound scans that can offerviews of your child in three-dimensional clarity, it seemsthat the old calls of “bringtowels and some hot water”are far removed from our real-ity.

In the 1900s, fathers werenot present. They couldsmoke in the waiting room,and be told – after the fact –the gender of the child.Fathers were redundant at thatmoment in time. Many womenwho raise children on theirown still consider men aredundant component. Andon the radio, such men arereferred to simply as spermdonors.

Hospitals want the fathersinvolved. They want thefathers to soothe the motherto be, to help her focus as shereadies for that final push.They even want the father tostay overnight. The fathers areimportant even if they haveyet to devise a way for a fatherto give birth. If men had togive birth, there would be aserious population problem,and our species could goextinct.

Delivery rooms are nowlarge, bright and comfortable,

resembling a medical office ora hotel room. Throughout thelabor, the mother – hooked upto monitors – is free to moveabout. It is when the hardlabor begins that the roomtransforms into a medicalfacility complete with doctors,nurses and assistants, eachtrained to orchestrate the finalstanzas of the delivery sym-phony.

In the early 1900s, once thebaby was born, it was takenaway to be cleaned andwrapped up before beingbrought to the mother in abassinet. These days, the trendis to place the freshly birthedbaby, all sticky and gooey, righton top of the mother in whatthey call “skin to skin” con-tact. Here, the first bondingtakes place, and it is a naturalsight to see.

As I watched my childbecome a mother herself, as Istood in the secondary sup-port role and noted the flurryof activity and rememberedthe look on my wife’s face asshe was getting ready to deliv-er, I was struck by how mar-velous the whole thing reallyis.

What has changed the mostare the trappings of labor anddelivery and the world of peo-ple around the new family,some of whom are predatorswith the brash arrogance toinvade a home in order to steala child.

They warn you of this on

your child’s delivery day. Theysay don’t list any clue of yourlocation in the birthannouncement. And strongerstill, do not put one of thosecute signs on your lawn – thestorks that announce thatinside is a brand new candi-date for abduction by somesick pervert out canvassingneighborhoods for a baby likeyours, a baby that can bestolen and sold to anotherunsuspecting couple who havejust paid through the nose forthe pleasure of being parents.While the medical advancessince the 1900s has beenimpressive, it seems that socie-ty has regressed in many otherways.

People ask me how it feelsto be a grandparent, and Irespond that being a grandfa-ther is just fine and I can dealwith it. But it reminds me ofwhat my mother used to sayabout having children: “Anyidiot can make a child; it takesa lot of strength and love toraise one.”

That it does, Mom. That itdoes.

Though pregnancy anddelivery have changed, parenting has stayed thesame.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

DEAL WITH IT

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

Nearby attractions make stayinghome this summer fun for kids

The kids will be going backto school in a few short weeksand you suddenly realize thatyou haven’t done anythingmemorable this summer interms of a family “playcation.”

You don’t have to spend alot of money or make elaborateplans to have a fun time withyour family. Take day trips or

ones to closer destinations andstay fewer nights. Act like atourist and visit all the placesyou never seemed to make timefor otherwise.

Go to the San Francisco orOakland zoo. Drive to the topof Mt. Diablo. Drive to JackLondon Square, park for freeand take the ferry to Pier 39.Visit the Monterey BayAquarium, the DeYoungMuseum, Chabot Space andScience Center or the newCalifornia Academy ofSciences.

Ride the cable car in SanFrancisco down to Fisherman’sWharf, then grab the boat to

Alcatraz. Or discover the BlackDiamond Mine in Antioch.

Check the paper for specialexhibits, events and festivals inthe Bay Area. Many times, youcan find discounted tickets atstores, in the newspaper oronline.

How about a day at a nearbyamusement park like Six Flagsor Great America? Have youever taken BART to see the A’sor Giants? Check their Websitesfor special giveaway promo-tions, concerts, fireworks anddollar dog days.

Head outdoors to our parks,rivers, lakes and reservoirs.Renting a houseboat at Lake

Berryessa in the Napa Valleywill allow you to participate inall kinds of water sports as wellas some great fishing.

The mountains and thebeaches are not far away. Thinkabout camping, boating, hiking,nature walks, biking or rockclimbing in one of our regionalparks.

You could even create acamping weekend in your back-yard by setting up a tent for thekids and playing games or tellingstories by the fire on the grillwhile you make s’mores.

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO

See Time to Go, page 8

If it sounds too good tobe true, it probably is.Crooks work overtime year-round to concoct new anddevious ways to scam seniorsand take advantage of theirkindness.

Financial abuse takesmany forms – charity scams,contractor fraud, lotteryscams, investment fraud,telemarketing schemes,sweetheart scams, etc. Themajority of financial abusevictims never get their moneyback.

Seniors need to be awarein order to avoid these criti-cal situations. Individualswho grew up in the 1930s,’40s and ’50s were generallyraised to be trusting andpolite. A con artist will takeadvantage of these traits,knowing it is difficult for youto say “no” or just hang upthe phone.

You should immediatelyhang up on telemarketingcalls, never open the door tounknown visitors and shredall mail involving donation orcharity requests.

Each year, nearly 25 mil-lion Americans, mostly sen-iors, are victims of consumerfraud. In many cases, people

have been victimized in theirown homes and even losttheir life savings.

Many legitimate compa-nies and charities solicit con-sumers by phone and consid-er it an effective way to raisemoney or increase companybusiness. But others are up tono good. Seniors can preventtelemarketing fraud by beingshrewd and savvy with tele-marketers and keeping thesetips in mind:

Ask to receive the unbe-lievable deal or the amazingprize offer in writing so youcan read it carefully beforemaking a commitment.

Never give out your per-sonal information over thephone or Internet unless youhave initiated the contact.Legitimate business callerswill not ask you for thisinformation over the phone.

If a caller asks you to payfor an offer in advance orasks for your credit cardnumber or Social Securitynumber, tell the person youdon’t give out personal infor-mation over the phone.

Remember that a legiti-mate telemarketer won’t beturned off if you use thesetechniques. They will appre-ciate dealing with an educat-ed consumer.

When making invest-ments, it is important not todo this alone. Consult atrusted friend, family mem-

ber or a reputable profes-sional before investing orsigning any contract. Whenpossible, consult with morethan one person.

Ask questions and take asmuch time as you need tounderstand a financial con-tract or product. Don’t beembarrassed if you feel con-fused and don’t sign anythingyou don’t understand.

Dishonest friends, familyand professionals can stealyour money too. Just becausesomeone acts caring does notmean they are. Crooks can be

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If you are aware and pro-tect yourself from thesefinancial scams, the futureyou have saved for won’t betaken away from you.


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Because of the current six-month moratorium on foreclo-sures and the incentive pro-grams from the government tobuy before the end of the year,along with historically lowinterest rates, the well priced,affordable homes are in shortsupply.

Finding a home to buywhen there is a shortage ofhomes for sale can be frustrat-ing, to say the least. But thereare measures you can take toincrease your odds of buyingsooner rather than later.

First, make sure you getyour finances in order. Then,when the right property comesalong, you’ll be prepared tomake a strong offer. When list-ing inventories are low and thedemand for homes is high,buyers often find themselvescompeting for housing. Buyerswho are pre-approved for themortgage they’ll need to com-plete the purchase have a legup on the competition.

Next, find an energetic,trustworthy agent who special-izes in the area where you wantto buy. Sometimes listings sellbefore they hit the open mar-

ket. An out-of-area agentprobably won’t hear about newlistings as soon as they becomeavailable. You should workwith someone who will callyou about new listings beforethe public hears about them.Carefully analyze what youneed and want in a home.Prioritize the list, putting thefeatures that are essential at thetop. Buying a home requiresmaking compromises. It’sunrealistic to expect to find allthe features you desire in oneproperty. Usually, buyers needto see some of the local hous-ing stock in order to knowhow to prioritize their housingwants and needs.

Make sure that your agentknows what you are lookingfor. If your priorities change,let your agent know about it.From time-to-time you shouldreconsider listings that youliked but discarded becausethey didn’t match your criteria.Such a listing might be worthyof another look if your priori-ties have changed since youlast viewed the property.

For example, you mighthave initially wanted a home

that you didn’t need to reno-vate. After looking for a whilewith no success, you mightdecide to consider a home thatonly needs a cosmetic redo. Inthis case, it might be worthreconsidering a cosmetic fixerthat you passed on initially ifit’s still on the market.

Ask your agent to see ifthere are any expired listingsthat might work for you. Anexpired listing is one that did-n’t sell during the listing peri-od. Sometimes the expired list-ings are re-listed, but oftensellers decide to take a breakfrom marketing. Even thoughan expired listing isn’t activelybeing marketed, it may still befor sale. Recently, a local cou-ple had difficulty finding ahome that suited their needs.Their agent remembered anexpired listing that had the fea-tures these buyers were look-ing for and contacted the list-ing agent. The sellers were get-ting their home ready to goback on the market. They werehappy to show it a little early.The home was a good match,and the buyers bought it.

The more flexible you can

be in your search criteria, theeasier it will be to find a home.For example, buyers who areopen to several architecturalstyles have more options avail-able to them. If several neigh-borhoods are acceptable, you’llhave more listings to choosefrom. Buyers who are willingto make cosmetic improve-ments increase their odds.

Be diligent about looking atevery listing that might workfor you. Don’t simply look atthe outside. You could bepleasantly surprised by what’sinside. Consider foregoing theperfect home this time around.Just make sure you buy a goodhome that will be easy to resellwhen the market recovers.

Follow these tips and you CANfind a home when inventory is low

Lynne French is the broker/owner ofWindermere Lynne French & Associatesand a Clayton resident. For any realestate needs or questions, contact her at672-8787, [email protected] orstop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE

Here are some Websites tohelp you plan:

Www.nileguide.com allowsyou to type in your destinationand receive lots of ideas foractivities in that locale.

Www.aaa.com will help youwith a TripTik Planner andgive you info along the way forhotels, restaurants and attrac-tions.

Www.gorp.com will pro-vide info on camping, scenicdrives and adventure trips atthe location you choose.

Then all you need to do isgrab the kids and go!

Travel Tip: If you are tak-ing a long hike and want to

avoid blisters, spray some ofyour antiperspirant on yourankles and heels just beforeyou set out. It works just as itdoes under your arms – it pre-vents sweat, which, whencombined with friction, iswhat usually causes the painfulsores. This sounds odd, but itreally helps.

Recently retired, Clayton resi-dent Peggy Bidondo now has thetime to indulge her passion in travelplanning and writing.

Send your questions and columnideas to Peggy Bidondo at [email protected].

Time to Go, from page 7

Telemarkets target vulnerableseniors for fraud schemes

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What Clayton thinks . . .

On May 6, in the midst of adire budget impasse, Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger said itwas time to take another lookat legalizing the sale and distri-bution of marijuana as ameans of generating sizeablerevenue for the state. Twomonths earlier, AssemblymanTom Ammiano, D-SanFrancisco, introduced a bill totax and regulate marijuana likealcohol. People over 21 wouldbe allowed to grow, buy, selland possess cannabis, which iscurrently barred by federal law.

California spends $13 bil-lion per year in drug enforce-ment, and these savings cou-pled with an estimated $7 bil-lion in revenue from the saleof marijuana could go a longway to pulling the stateout of its $15 billiondeficit, projected toswell next year to $42billion.

Growing marijuanais certainly a cost effec-tive process, with apound of marijuanacosting approximately$400 compared to the$6,000 in sales it bringsin. A recent stateBoard of Equalization reportreached similar conclusions,estimating that marijuana retailsales alone, even at $50 perounce, would generate $990million in sales and $392 mil-lion in sales tax revenue.

TELEVISION ADS

The governor’s statementsimmediately resulted in pro-marijuana groups launchingmedia campaigns. A 30-secondtelevision spot shows a retired

state worker asking why thestate leaders are “ignoring mil-lions of Californians whowant to pay taxes” on the pur-chase of marijuana. NadeneHerndon of Fair Oaksexplains that her marijuana usestarted after suffering multiplestrokes. “Instead ofbeing treated like crim-inals for using a sub-stance safer than alco-hol,” she said duringthe commercial, “wewant to pay our fairshare.” Many Californiatelevision stationsrefused to broadcastthe ad.

POLICE OPPOSITION

Law enforcementagencies are against the legal-ization of marijuana. In a writ-ten report, the California Police

Chief ’s Associationconcluded that existingmarijuana dispensariesactually invite morecrime, compromisingthe safety of citizens.Citing statistics basedon existing medicalmarijuana dispensariesin Alameda County,Cmdr. MichaelRegan’s presentationon April 17, illustrated

the high level of crime that isconnected with these dispen-saries.

Citing a January 2007 DEAaction on 17 dispensaries, theagency found that 14 of theoperators had criminal histo-ries, with seven of those hav-ing weapons-related charges,and two with prior murdercharges. Describing the exist-ing facilities as full of cash andguns and with little oversight,Regan’s presentation outlined

the stringent requirementswithin the county for a barberto get a license to cut haircompared, with no require-ments to open a medical mari-juana dispensary.

Within eight months, analleged $2.7 million is sales had

taken place. In addition,the multiple productlines that have emergedinclude popular candyreproductions withnames like Baby Jane,Buddafinger, Mr.Greenbud, Score andPot Tarts, all laced withpot and designed tolure a younger clien-tele.

The report assertsthat armed gang

members are frequently usedas armed guards with the legal-ized shield of the dispensariesserving as a cover for the sameactivities that were previouslyillegal.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll in Mayfound that 56 percent ofCalifornians were in favor oflegalizing marijuana, while 46percent of the nation favoredlegalizing small amounts forpersonal use.

Backers of the legalizationare planning to introduce ameasure on the state ballot in2010.

CLAYTON RESIDENTS

SPEAK OUT

When asked what theythought of the governor’splans to legalize marijuana forthe money it could bring thestate, Clayton residentsseemed divided along genera-tional lines.

Should California legalize marijuana as a state revenue and sales tax source?

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

AL MARTIN DDS

PATRICKFERRELL

Dark past gives emerging localauthor fuel for bright future

Authors generally drawfrom aspects of their life inorder to flesh out characterswith some degree of authentic-ity. For Bryan Mazza, hisrecently published novel“Blood Oath” draws itsstrength from time he spent injail for armed robbery and therehabilitation that writing hasoffered him.

“It started from havingnothing to do in there,” Mazzasaid. “I was bored and startedto write.”

With limited supplies, hefound himself using whateverhe could find. “They had stub-by gold pencils, and I woulduse scraps of legal pads andpaper sacks,” he said.

He wrote the first few draftsin long hand, getting caught upin the characters he had createdand looking at his own admit-tedly checkered life.

“A lot of it is from real lifeexperience,” Mazza said byphone from the MartinezDetention Facility, where he ishoping for a release date so hecan promote his publishedbook. “What I found in writ-ing is a passion. It’s in myblood now, and I can’t notwrite.”

As he worked on his novelduring his time in San QuentinState Penitentiary, Mazzaturned to his only audience, acell mate who turned out to be

from the Aryan Brotherhood.“I’m reading to myself, and

he asks me to read it louder,”Mazza said. “So I’m reading thenovel to him, and he reallyloved it.”

An offer from a familyfriend to type it up was theturning point in making theconcept of a novel into reality,and from there it was a matterof marketing it out. A cousin in

the film industry in LosAngeles gave it a glowingreview and some suggestions asto where to send the manu-script.

“He’d like to make it into amovie,” Mazza said. “Everyonewho reads it seems to reallyenjoy it.”

The novel is about a manwith a criminal past, sick of thecrime life, who in a deal with arogue cop devises a transferinto one of America’s toughest

prisons. There, he uncovers 50keys of pure meth, throwingthem into a fight-or-die sce-nario devised by the sadisticprison guards. Their blood oathdrives the novel forward as themain character must protect thefamily of the other as part ofhis own redemption.

“I’m told the same thingfrom everyone who reads thebook,” Mazza said. “They can’tput it down.” It is a thriller. It isa violent story, but it has amoral story within.”

Mazza describes the writingprocess as “cool,” but therewrite process as the best part“because you rewrite with agreater depth of character, andit paints the whole picture.”

The 43-year-old has had acareer as a personal traineralong with security work. “I’dhave never written the novelhad I not been in this situa-tion,” he said, regretting thewasted time and direction butclearly focused on the future.

Mazza has just finished histhird horror novel and is look-ing forward to publication. Thesecond novel, an adventurethriller, is titled “BlackMountain.”

“I’m planning on returningto school,” Mazza said. “I wantto work on my writing skillseven more.”

Blood Oath is publishedthrough PublishAmerica and isavailable online and in bookstores.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

See Marijuana, page 16

Hundreds of young swim-mers and their family membersgathered in Dana Hills July 11and 12 for the 15th AnnualDevil Mountain Pentathlon,hosted by the Dana Hills SwimTeam. This is the team’s mainfundraiser, and this year’s eventincluded 12 swim teams from allover the area.

Started in 1995 by Mike andToni Biel, the Pentathlon con-tinues to be a huge success forthe team. Held each July, morethan 900 swimmers trek from allover the county to compete withDana Hills swimmers to seewho can achieve the best overalltime in the five swim strokes.

Carter Newton, 14 –year-oldDana Hills swimmer, has partic-ipated in this event for manyyears. When asked about theatmosphere surrounding themeet, “It’s pretty much the sameevery year,” he said. “This is ourbiggest swim meet of the year.It’s close and has much more of(a homey) feeling than any other

meet”.Because the large number of

swim teams participating, thatequals stiff competition. “Idon’t think I’ll win any of theevents,” Newton said.

One of the team’s bestswimmers is Nikki Palmer, whowill be a sophomore atCarondelet High School thisyear. As a freshman, Palmerqualified for the NCS. This isher seventh Devil MountainPentathlon. Palmer used toswim for the Oakhurst Orcasswim team, as well.

As Palmer watches theyounger swimmers compete,she remembers when she waslike at that age. “I was afraid ofthe water. My parents had tohire a swim coach to get mecomfortable” she said. Now,Palmer swims every day. Whenasked what she would tell thesekids, Palmer simply states:“Always set your goals high goto practice, and you’ll be a goodswimmer.”

Overall, Palmer agrees withNewton that this is a toughmeet. “There’s more competi-

tion this year,” she said. “EastCounty is here, and theybrought a lot of their goodswimmers.”

The high level of competi-tion is great, but this event hasother objectives. “The objectiveof this meet is to bring the com-munity together,” said KathyWilliams, this year’s Pentathloncoordinator. “It’s great to getOakhurst here, who we don’talways get to swim against. Wehave almost 900 kids this year,and about 225 kids fromClayton. It’s the largestPentathlon we’ve had in the lasteight years.”

All the swimmers seem toenjoy themselves. “The kids getexcited. They get to swim fiveevents. Usually they only swimthree events,” said SharonMcNulty, Assistant PentathlonCoordinator and un-officialClayton parent youth sportscheerleader.

“We did the meet more likean endurance event,” Williamssaid. “That’s what makes thismeet so unique”.

The organizers also took

major strides in trying to recog-nize all the swimmers, not justthe winners of the events. “Atthe end of the meet we give outawards. It’s important that werecognize not only the fastestswimmers, so awards are givento both A and B swimmers,”Williams said.

As host, the Dana HillsOtters only posted their individ-ual swimmer times, and nottheir overall team score. TheEast County Stingrays edgedout Ygnacio Wood and thePleasant Hill Dolfins to take thetop team award.

Overall, the Otters had afabulous meet, with a hugenumber of dropped times. Inthe A division, Ashley Jenningstook the top award for the 15-18girls, and Patrick Keane won the15-18 boys event. In the B divi-sion, Marisa Mancini won the 6-U girls event, and JD Williamstook the top prize for the 9-10boys.

For complete results, you can visitthe Otters’ Website atwww.danahillsotters.com.

Get ready Clayton, it’sshowtime again. TheShowtime, a semi-pro basket-ball team that originated froma bunch of high school kidscompeting in the ClaytonYMCA Adult League five yearsago, today is on the verge ofbeing an NBA DevelopmentLeague Team.

It “pretty much just hap-pened,” Showtime coach andfounder Earl Williams said.“My wife and daughter reallypushed me to do it. It’s takenon a life of its own.”

Never forgetting wherethey came from, Showtime iscommitted to giving back tothe community. Partneringwith the Clayton YMCA,Showtime will hold a youthbasketball camp at the ClaytonCommunity Gym Aug. 10-14.The camp cost will be $165per camper and runs dailyfrom 9 a.m. to noon. Forinformation, check theClayton YMCA Web site,www.mdrymca.org.

The goal of the camp is toemphasize the classroom alongwith basketball skills develop-ment. “We want to do some-

thing with the youth,”Williams said. “Usually, whatthey see of basketball playerson TV is negative. We want totalk to the kids about school.”

Clayton YMCA DirectorJennifer Beck said she believesthe camp will be great foryoung kids who have limitedexperience with basketball.The camp also has somethingto offer for the older kids.“With the Showtime players,the older kids will get help ongetting better and improvingtheir skills,” she said.

According to Williams, themajor difference between theClayton YMCA/ShowtimeCamp and other basketballcamps is that all the Showtimecamp instructors are recentcollege basketball players. “Allof my players have played col-lege basketball and some haveeven played overseas,”Williams said.

Showtime plays all over thecountry, as well. Those real lifeexperiences will be great toshare with the campers,Williams said.

More importantly, his play-ers can talk credibly to thecampers about what it takes tobe a high level athlete and a

student at the same time.“They will all advise the kidsthat it all starts in the class-room,” Williams said.

Beck said she thinks theYMCA’s partnership withShowtime is a “no-brainer.”“It’s great that Showtimewants to help us fill a glaringneed. Having a semi-pro bas-ketball team practicing in ourClayton facility and wanting togive back to the community isgood exposure for both pro-grams,” she said.

Williams said he started theteam to allow high-level play-ers a way to continue playing.His daughter, Monica, a fresh-man at Carondelet HighSchool and a Diablo MiddleSchool graduate, came up withthe team’s name because ofher father’s affinity for the oldLakers teams.

Showtime now practices atthe Clayton YMCA after hold-ing practices at such places asthe Tice Valley Gym and theRenaissance Club Sport inWalnut Creek. The team does-n’t have any home games forABA contests but is hoping tosecure a venue to play at homein the Premier League.

Since the beginning,

Showtime has made quite animpact on the Pro-Am basket-ball circuit. Recently, the teamwas asked to become a tempo-rary member of the AmericanBasketball Association for therest of the season, and negoti-ations are in the works forShowtime to become a full-fledged member of thePremier Basketball League inJanuary.

With former NBADevelopment League playerKenny Brunner and formerLos Angeles Lakers guardJerry Dupree on the roster,Showtime hopes to ultimatelybecome a member of the D-League. The D-League is likethe minor leagues in profes-sional baseball – one step awayfrom the NBA.

Williams said he has beenin discussions with multipleNBA franchises about the pos-sibility. The recent economicsituation has cooled some ofthose discussions for now.

In the meantime, Showtimeis in Clayton and willing topromote basketball to the localyouth. Who knows, perhapssomeday one of our kids willstar in the show.


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Back where it all started, it’s Showtime at the YROBERT HELENA

Clayton Pioneer

ROBERT HELENA

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Mike Dunn

OMAR KRAYEM handles the ball into the net for a score ata Showtime practice session at the YMCA gym.

Huge crowds at this year’s Devil Mountain Pentathlon

SISTERS GABI AND MARISA MANCINI celebrate their awards atthe Dana Hills Pentathlon July 11-12. 900 swimmers from allover the county competed in the largest Pentathlon in 8 years.


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Dana Hills bids farewellto popular swim coach

After receiving a businessdegree from Chico State, popularDana Hills Swim Team Coach,Matt Zachan, will be leaving fora career in sales.

Matt has had a long career atDana Hills, starting as a memberof the swim team when he wasonly six. He continued to swimuntil he was nine. He took abreak until he was 15 when hereturned to the team, receiving ahigh-point award and MostValuable Swimmer when he was18.

For the next five years, Mattserved as a junior coach then asassistant coach. After his years asa swimmer on the team, assistant

coach, lifeguard and running theday to day operations of thepool, he became the perfectchoice for head swim coach. Heshared the position with KellyMcCabe.

Kids from all age groupsagree Coach Matt has made adifference in everyone’s swim-ming. Lauren Sparks, who swimsfor the 9-10 age group states,“Coach Matt helped improve mystrokes and boost my confi-dence.” Her brother Ryan agrees,“Coach Matt is fun and cool. Hehelps me with my swimming.”Carter Newton, who is 13,explained “I like that Matt alwayshas a sense of humor, even whileworking hard.”

Alyson Jennings, a DHSTboard member admires Matt as acoach because “he gives atten-tion to every single child and

works on improving his or herstroke so they can reach their fullpotential.”

Similarly, a parent and DHSTMeet Director, Misty Nimr says,“Matt builds confidence in the

kids and has taken the time andeffort to teach the strokes tothem.”

“Coaching with Matt hasbeen a great experience,” saysco-coach McCabe, “because it iseasy for us to get along. Weworked together to balance outour coaching styles.”

Grant Bazan, DHST boardpresident explains that, eventhough it will be an adjustmentand Matt will most certainly bemissed, DHST will still stay ontop of the game.

Although this is his last sea-son on the team, Matt will trulybe remembered by everyone atDHST for pushing the team inthe direction of success.

First, you swim 2.4 miles,then you get out of the waterand jump on a bike and pedalfor 112 miles. Finally, you getoff the bike and run a 26.2-milemarathon. These are the stagesfor the Ironman races.

The Ironman brand isowned by the Florida-basedWorld Triathlon Corporationand has been a respected namein triathlon since its inception in1978. It is regarded as theworld’s most challengingendurance event.

Clayton resident JohnHollinger competed in the FordIronman competition in Coeurd’ Alene Idaho, on June 21.More than 2,100 athletes fromaround the world competed fora total professional prize purseof $50,000 and 72 qualifyingspots for the 2009 FordIronman World Championshipto be held in Kailua-Kona,Hawaii, in October. More than80,000 athletes compete world-wide to get one of these spots.

Although Hollinger missedthe cut for the WorldChampionship, he finished inthe top 10 for his age group.

So, how do you become an

Ironman? As kid, Hollinger wasa swimmer, but he stoppedcompeting at age 13. He didn’tparticipate in any sports againuntil his mid-twenties when hepicked up cycling. He stopped

cycling once he got married,instead focusing on work andbecoming a dad.

While holding his son in hisarms one day in 1992, that’swhen it hit him. “I was substan-tially overweight, spending moretime working than anything else.I was holding him in my arms,

and (thought) if I’m going to bearound, I need to get busy andfit.”

At the time, Hollingerweighed 235 pounds. Today, heweighs a fit 170 pounds.Hollinger works out yeararound to prepare for theseevents. He has worked with var-ious coaches to help him pre-pare for competitive events. Hesays coaching fees can getexpensive.

Cycling is the discipline thathe spends the most time onwhen preparing for the Ironmanraces. “The bike is the disciplinethat takes the most time to getfit in,” Hollinger said. Hislargest bike week was 350 miles.His biggest run week was 50miles, and his biggest swimweek was 20,000 yards in thepool.

Going into last month’sevent, Hollinger’s goal was tobreak 10 hours and make it tothe World Championship. Histime ended up being 10:18:45,and he missed out qualifyingfor the World Championship.Although disappointed withhis performance Hollingertook solace by reaching a timethat would have qualified himto the World Championshiplast year.

“At these events, you neverknow whose going to show up.This year, there was a lot ofcompetition,” he said.

All this grueling trainingshould translate in financialrewards when you win, right?“There’s not a lot of money intriathlon. Maybe a handful ofguys make six figures,” he said.

Hollinger said he believesthere are many motivating fac-tors for athletes other thanfinancial gain, comparingIronman to the satisfaction ofclimbing mountains. “I’vealways believed in the mantrathat you can never benefit fromexperiences that you haven’thad,” he said.

Promoting healthier lifestylefor youth is another driver forHollinger – getting outside, hav-ing fun, eating well and leavingthe video games alone for littlewhile.

Hollinger says you don’tneed to wait until you’re 30 tobe triathlon ready. There aremany youth triathlon eventsgoing on.

For more information, checkwww.triathloncalendar.com orwww.onyourmarkevents.com. Formore information on Ironman, go towww.ironman.com.

ROBERT HELENA

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Ironman finishes Idahotriathlon in top 10 for age group

JOHN HOLLINGER

Robbie Parker is a sixth-graderat Diablo View. Send comments [email protected]

ROBBIE PARKER

STUDENT REPORTER

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er who lent his military, engi-neering and philosophicprowess to the AmericanRevolution. Unless you are aCalifornia transplant from NewYork or maybe east of Ohio,where there are any number ofmonuments honoring him,you’ve probably never heard ofKosciuszko. After reading thisamazing biography, I startedpulling down my own books tosee how I could have missedhim.

Not a word of him in mycollege texts; only a short noteunder Foreign Volunteers andMercenaries in Schlesinger’s“Almanac of AmericanHistory;” then name only underAid From DistinguishedForeigners in Bear and Bagley’s1934 edition of “The History ofthe American People.” At least apicture of Kosciuszko’s memo-rial pedestal at West Point wasincluded with his name in the1883 edition of Lothrop’sLibrary of Entertaining History.

Storozynski’s writing is notthe dry stuff of military historyremembered from high school.He has given us the full counte-nance of this remarkable Polishnobleman who was drawn tothe revolution in America by hisdesire to free his beloved Poland

from the tyranny of Russia.Earnest and idealistic,Kosciuszko arrived inPhiladelphia in August 1776,presented himself without let-ters of introduction toBenjamin Franklin, and offeredhis military and engineeringservices to the new ContinentalArmy.

Kosciuszko’s romantic back-ground includes a thwartedlove, an immense appreciationof women and a strong sense ofloyalty and devotionto his country andto ours. Kosciuszkosteadfastly believedthat all people –European serfs,American slaves,A m e r i c a nI n d i a n s ,Christians of allilks, Jews,Muslims – allhad a right tolive as freecitizens in ar e p u b l i cworld.

S t o r o z y n s k i ’sdescription of military life in theContinental army was particu-larly enlightening. Take away theheroic officers’ swords, pistolsand rifles, and what remained

was backstabbing, lying andslanderous efforts to improvetheir military standing over eachother. But it was the modest andalmost unassuming Kosciuszkowhose engineering skills and tal-ent for knowing just where tobuild redoubts (outworks pro-tecting the larger, permanentfortifications) that gave theContinental soldiers a criticaledge in spite of being outnum-bered by the more heavilyarmed British. We can thankKosciuszko for our success at

Saratoga and West Pointand in securingthe war effortin the South.B e n e d i c tArnold’s down-fall was his trai-torous attempt tosell Kosciouszko’sWest Point plans tothe British.

K o s c i u s z k oreturned to Poland atthe end theRevolutionary War,more certain than everthat European feudal-ism must come to an

end. Kosciuszko left withoutbeing paid, but asked Jeffersonto use that money to free andeducate his slaves.

Kosciuszko’s return toPoland and his leadership in twofailed attempts to drive out theRussians, Prussians, Austriansand everyone else staking aclaim to what was once Polandis as stirringly and compellinglytold as his involvement in theAmerican Revolution. Hereturned to America oncebefore his death in Switzerland.It would be another 100 yearsbefore Poland was returned tonationhood.

Storozynski’s book pulls theAmerican Revolution and itsdeath knell of aristocracy intothe machinations of similar bellringing in Europe. His render-ing of a world more than 200years ago has an eerie immedia-cy in light of today’s globaliza-tion. Read this book. Learn howto say Kosciuszko. It is a nameyou will not soon forget.


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Compelling biography recounts role ofPolish freedom fighter in early US history

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

Sunny Solomon holds a Master ofArts in English and Creative Writingfrom San Francisco State University.She is a poet and published author.Email her with questions or commentsat [email protected]

“The Peasant Prince,Thaddeus Kosciuszko andthe Age of Revolution”sheds light on the life of acritical player in theAmerican Revolution.

Here’s the last Polish jokeever: How many Poles does ittake to build a proper fortifica-tion of the Hudson Valley?Answer: Only one if his nameis Thaddeus Kosciuszko.Thaddeus who? Kosciuszko.Phonetically pronounced,“Kos-chews-ko.”

In “The Peasant Prince,Thaddeus Kosciuszko and theAge of Revolution,” PulitzerPrize-winning journalist AlexStorozynski has written a com-pelling biography of thisimportant Polish freedom fight-

Consider a QTIP trust orILIT when estate planningfor a blended family

No one said estate planningis easy, and this is especially trueif you have a blended family.The good news is there are twotrust types — a qualified ter-minable interest property(QTIP) trust and an irrevocablelife insurance trust (ILIT) —that can provide for your chil-dren from a previous marriagewhile also taking care of yourcurrent spouse and any childrenfrom your current marriage.

QTIP TRUST

At minimum, base yourestate plan on a will that specifieshow to carry out your wishes fordistributing your wealth.Otherwise, a significant portionof your estate may go to yourchildren from a previous mar-riage — even if they are nowadults and don’t need the assets

as much as your current spouseand children. If your childrenfrom a previous marriage areminors, your former spousecould end up with control of theassets — something you simplymay not want to happen.

To implement your will, youmay find it helpful to establish aQTIP trust, one of the mosteffective estate planning toolsavailable for blended families.

A QTIP trust qualifies for theestate tax marital deduction,meaning that assets you transferto the trust aren’t taxed whenyou die, and the entire amount isavailable for your spouse’s sup-port. (Note that, if your spouseisn’t a U.S. citizen, he or she musttake additional steps to shield theassets from taxes.) But unlike anordinary marital trust, a QTIPtrust can provide your spousewith income for life while pre-serving the principal for yourchildren (from either your cur-rent or previous marriage) orother beneficiaries.

When your spouse dies,though, the trust assets will besubject to tax as part of his orher estate, even if the assets areto pass to your children asinstructed in your will. If thevalue of your spouse’s estate isgreater than the lifetime exemp-tion amount (currently $2 mil-

lion, but subject to expiration in2010), the balance could be sub-ject to hefty estate taxes.

ILITIn some cases — particularly

when one spouse is considerablyyounger than the other — aQTIP trust may not be the bestsolution. That’s because the chil-dren from a first marriage, whomay be much older than thosefrom the second marriage, mayhave to wait years until theyounger spouse dies before theycould receive their inheritance.

In situations like this, anILIT may be a better solution.The ILIT purchases life insur-ance on the older spouse, whomakes annual exclusion gifts tothe trust to cover the premiums.If the ILIT is designed properly,there won’t be any estate tax onthe insurance proceeds.

When the older spouse dies,the trust collects the death bene-fit and pays it out to the childrenfrom the first marriage. Theolder children receive theirinheritance immediately, and theother assets remain available toprovide for the younger spouseand children.

Besides enabling you toachieve a fair and balanced estateplan, life insurance can augmentyour estate, helping to ensure

that there’s enough wealth to goaround. If the insurance policyis instead gifted to the trust —and the older spouse doesn’t sur-vive for at least three years afterthe gift — the proceeds of thepolicy would be included in hisor her estate (assuming thetransfer was a taxable gift).

If the estate is greater thanthe lifetime exemption, the pro-ceeds could then be subject toestate tax, and part of yourwealth would go to the govern-ment, not your family.

DISCUSS YOUR PLANS

Before choosing any estateplanning approach, discuss yourplans with your loved ones.Even if your plan is inherentlyfair, it may not be perceived thatway without an explanation. Inaddition, consider the conse-quences of different wealthtransfer strategies. QTIP trustsand ILITs are only two of themany tools available to controlthe distribution of your wealthin a way that minimizes taxesand maximizes benefits foreveryone involved.

RICHARD LITTORNO

FINANCIAL SENSE

Richard A. Littorno is an attor-ney specializing in estate planning.He has offices in Clayton andPittsburg. Send your questions [email protected].

Blended family needs specialconsideration in estate planning


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We are born into our families, butwe choose our friends. This Pioneerseries takes a look into how we choosethem and why.

The Heartlets could be acountry rock band. They couldbe a line of clothing. Theycould be candy. And althoughthey are vocal, diverse andeven sweet, they are not asinging sensation, a shirt or alollipop.

They are a group ofwomen dancing through life’sjoys, plowing through its sor-rows, leading a closely attachedchain of spouses, children andgrandchildren, and boldly rep-resenting the best in a commu-nity as friends.

Naming things is what wedo: babies, stuffed animals,

pets, games, occupations,moods. Getting to the originof the Heartlets’ name is fasci-nating.

“I think we were doing acraft project,” says one. “Ibelieve we were writing notesto each other and someonestarted putting little hearts onthem,” says another. And athird dimension: “We werestaying in a beach house atAptos and one member said,‘Let’s call ourselves the

Heartlets!’ ”Together, they form a col-

lective memory of how namesare often selected – a blend ofcareful construction, suddenspontaneity and strikinggenius.

RELIGIOUS CONNECTION

But these intimate relation-ships didn’t simply drop intothe Heartlets’ laps. CarolChrobak, the self-describedorganizer of the group, pointsto specific events in the devel-opment of the close friend-ships. Migrating to Claytonfrom all over the country, thewomen found a home throughtheir church, St. Bonaventure.

For years many years,through the church’s Journeyprogram, the womenembarked on retreats for highschool students. Campfires onthe beach were frequent and

treasured. “We’d share closely,into the night, passing the can-dle from one to the next as wespoke,” Chrobak recalls.

Lit by the warm glow of asingle flame, there was joy,frustration, fear and laughter.

Lori Hagge calls herself theLucille Ball of the Heartletsbecause of the comicescapades and stories shebrings to each gathering. Butafter the death of her husband,Walt, in 2008, she wondered if

the men in the group wouldstill accept her as readily.

“I hear widows tell me,‘Once your husband dies,things change.’ But nothinghas changed with theHeartlets.”

In the last year of Walt’slife, her friends provided asteady stream of meals, trans-portation, counsel, hugs andquiet companionship.“They’ve always been by myside,” she says. “Nothing wasever too much trouble.”

Today, the group is no lesswarm, no less apt to reach outand no less grateful forHagge’s storytelling and laugh-ter.

NO LIMIT ON LOVE

While the Heartlets’ emo-tional attachments are enor-mous, the size of the group isdeliberately kept to 10 – with

two honorary members. Addhusbands and children and it’sno wonder the women instinc-tively recognized the impor-tance of limited numbers.

Sylvia Gall, whose claim toHeartlet fame is being “theone to show up late,” notesthat larger numbers wouldreduce the women’s ability totruly connect.

“It’s a very happy occasionwhen we are all together,” sheexplains, “because we can still

talk to each person.”She’s particularly proud of

the example the Heartlets pro-vide to younger members. “Isee my children valuing thatfriendship,” she says.

Gall is proud, too, of theway the group lives out itsfaith: “Love of the Lord isvery strong and interwovenwith the Heartlets.”

None of the women canrecall a time of misunder-standing or discord. “There aresome people you just connectto – because of the energiesbetween you,” Chrobakexplains.

UNBROKEN BONDS

These women share a faith,a location, a love of familyand home, and empathy forothers. They also have fun:singing, dancing, eating, vaca-tioning and occasionally, gen-tly breaking the law withFriday night pit dinners on thebeach.

“I think the police said itwasn’t legal, but they always letus get away with it,” saysHagge, building up to one ofher delightful stories.

These friends encompassgenerosity, acceptance,strength, faith and love – allgiven without hesitation orpause, without thought ordeliberation. Beyond thequaint picture this presents,there’s humor, grit and rock-solid reliability.

“We stick with our friends,”Chrobak says, equally proudand appreciative.

“She’s one of us,” Gall saysof Hagge, speaking words thatcould be said of each Heartlet.

Their story is the news, fullof consideration and devotion,that will sustain, support andinspire our community.Undoubtedly, there are moreamazing friendships spreadthroughout Clayton andConcord.

Do you have a friendship storyyou’d like to share? Send a e-mail [email protected].

Heartlets’ long friendship founded onconnected families and shared faith

LOU FANCHER

Clayton Pioneer

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CALLING THEMSELVES THE HEARTLETS, THESE FAST FRIENDS HAVE SHARED LIFE’S EVENTS FOR NEARLY 30YEARS. Seated from left: Renee Faine, Diana Starr, Susan Fossan; Standing from left: DonnaUmperovitch, Sylvia Gall, Peggy Casey, Carol Chrobak, Lori Hagge and Peggy Bidondo. Notpictured Patti Bass, Shannon Seven and Alice Ponti.

“There are some peopleyou just connect to –because of the energiesbetween you.”

CCaarrooll CChhrroobbaakk


EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

In ClaytonJuly 24, 31; Aug. 7Moonlight MoviesBring lawn chairs and blankets. Sponsored by Clayton CommunityChurch. July 24: “Madagascar 2.” July 31: “Indiana Jones:Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Aug. 7: “Fireproof.” Free. 8:45p.m., 6055 Main St. 673-9060.

July 25; Aug. 8, 22, 29Concerts in the GroveBring lawn chairs and blankets.July 25: Becca, country music.Aug. 8: In Disguise,jazz/blues/R&B. Aug. 22:Diamond Dave, classic to moderncrooners. Aug. 29: Replica, ’80srock. Free. 6-8 p.m., The GrovePark in downtown Clayton.

July 29; Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26Classic Cars and Rock & RollClassic cars on display, plus a DJ.6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Main andDiablo streets, downtownClayton.

Aug. 1“Iran (Persia) Past, Present and Future”Includes the documentary “Iran, Seven Faces of Civilization,” RickSteves’ “Iran,” plus selections from the book “The Future of Iran”by Jamshid Fanaian. Bring your favorite readings or prayers toshare. Refreshments and lunch provided. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.,Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. RSVP with Guity at672-1095.

Aug. 4National Night OutClayton neighborhoods are invited to join the annual crime anddrug prevention event. From 7-10 p.m., residents are asked to locktheir doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outsidewith neighbors and police. Contact Herb at [email protected] July 27 or Lynn at the police department, 673-7350.

Saturdays through OctoberClayton Farmers Market8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street in downtown Clayton.www.pcfma.com or 800-949-3276.

Close byJuly 28-Aug. 2“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”Part of the Willows Theatre’s SummerStage youth program. 1975Diamond Blvd., Concord. $10-$15. www.willowstheatre.org or798-1300.

July 31Summer DanceIntensive ShowcaseDancers age 9-18 per-form classical ballet,contemporary dance,jazz, modern andcharacter dances.Sponsored by DiabloBallet and Civic ArtsEducation. 7:30 p.m.,ShadelandsAuditorium, 111 N.Wiget Lane, WalnutCreek. $5. 943-5846.

Through Aug. 2“Love Letters”A.R. Gurney’s PulitzerPrize-nominated playabout a 50-year loveaffair. Willows Cabaretat the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $30. 798-1300or www.willowstheatre.org.

Aug. 8-9Concord Diablo Japanese American ClubFood, cultural and martial arts demonstrations. Free admission. 1-9 p.m. Aug. 8 and noon-8:30 p.m. Aug. 9, 3165 Treat Blvd.,Concord. Free parking at Ygnacio Valley High School. www.diablo-jaclub.com.

Through Aug. 9“Broadway Heat”Diablo Actors Ensemble’s musical revue of the hottest shows onBroadway. $10-$25. 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. 866-811-4111 or www.diabloactors.com.

Aug. 19-21“Maids and Matrons”A screwball comedy about a dysfunctional family’s preparation forthe biggest wedding of the season. Cast includes Sue Beck ofClayton. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.943-SHOW.

FUNDRAISERSJuly 26; Aug. 9, 23Breakfast with the Veterans of Foreign Wars8-11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays. $4 adults, $2 childrenunder 12. Veterans Memorial Hall, 2290 Willow Pass Road,Concord.

Aug. 8Clayton Valley High School Car WashTo support the instrumental music program. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.,Mountain Mike’s, 5358 Clayton Road, Concord. $10.

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

July 27; Aug. 3“Once Upon a Time”Storytelling, creative drama and reader’s theater for children inkindergarten through second grade. 2 p.m. Mondays.

July 28; Aug. 4, 11, 18Patty CakesStories for babies to 3 year olds; child attends with caregiver. 11a.m. Tuesdays.

July 29Writers WorkshopWriting secrets from children’s authors Sarah Wilson and ElizabethKoehler-Pentacoff in an interactive seminar for ages 12-18. Bringpen and paper and be ready to write. 3-5 p.m. Register at [email protected] with Writing Workshop in the subject line. Includename, age, address and phone number.

July 30; Aug. 6, 13Picture Book TimeStories for 3-5 year olds; child may attend without caregiver. 11a.m. Thursdays.

Through Aug. 1Student Art ContestStudents entering middle or high school in the fall can enter apiece of original artwork based on the theme “free2create,” inconjunction with the Summer Reading Program. Each library willchoose two finalists to compete for a $100 gift certificate. Winnerswill have their artwork posted on the county library Website andon wearefree2.org.

Aug. 8ACT Practice Test9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Sponsored by Kaplan. Register at 1-800-kap-test or www.kaptest.com/college.

Through Aug. 17Summer Reading ProgramFor kids age 2 through 5th grade or 6th-12th graders. Includesprizes. Parents and caregivers of babies from birth to 2 years canearn prizes in the early literacy-building Baby Reading Program.Readers 18 and up can submit a book review at ccclib.org or atthe Clayton library for a chance to win a Booklover’s Bag of good-ies.

Aug. 19ACT vs. SAT Test Results Workshop6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Sponsored by Kaplan. Register at 1-800-kap-test or www.kaptest.com/college.

AT THE YMCAClayton Community Gym is at 700 Gym Court. For more infor-mation on the YMCA call 692-2364..

Skate Camp: 9 a.m.-noon July 27-31. For those entering 1st-8thgrade. Walnut Creek Skate Park. $165. 889-1600.

Secret Agent Camp: 1-4 p.m. July 27-31. For those entering 3rd-8th grade. Working with Mad Science, campers hone their detec-tive skills. $195. 889-1600.

Tennis Camp: 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 3-7. For 4-6 year olds and thoseentering 1st-6th grade. For those learning the basics or experi-enced players looking to advance to the next level. Clayton ValleyHigh School. $65-$125. 889-1600.

Super Sports Camp: 1-4 p.m. Aug. 3-7. For those entering 1st-5th grade. Features sports such as baseball, soccer, basketball,flag football and dodgeball. 889-1600.

Basketball Camp: 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 10-14. For those entering1st-6th grade. Teaming with Showtime Basketball, campers willlearn teamwork, improve skills and master new drills. $165. 889-1600.

Summer Day Camp: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., with extended care hoursavailable. Days full of fun activities, crafts, sports and weekly field-trips. Clayton Community Gym. $115 a week for Clayton residents,$125 non-residents. 692-2364.

Open Gym Hours: 5-7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.Showtime Basketball Practices: 7-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesdayand Friday. Free and open to all.

MEETINGSJuly 28Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.

Aug. 4Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.

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

Clayton Valley Garden ClubMeets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Aug. 12 meet-ing is at R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens, 6780 Marsh Creek Road.Bring gloves and learn about potting plants for fun and profit.Contact Dorothy at -672-2526 or visit www.claytonvalleygarden-club.org.

Contra Costa Blue Star MomsMeets 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month, Concord PoliceStation Community Room, 1350 Galindo St. Members have sonsand daughters in uniform. Contact Becky at 286-1728 or visitccbluestarmoms.org.

Contra Costa Chess ClubMeets 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road,Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mikeat 639-1987 or www.uschess.org.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Widows/WidowersMeets for dinner, brunch, theater, etc. This is not a dating servicenor is it a greiving class - just a way to meet other people. ContactLori at 998-8844 or [email protected].

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. JULY 27 FOR THE AUGUST 7 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]

Send your calendar announcements to [email protected]. Free listings must be from a non-profit, school,club or government agency. Business events are $25 for the firstevent and $10 for each additional. Call the office at (925) 672-0500 with your business event listings.

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The July 25 Concert inthe Grove featuresCountry singer Becca

Olivia Shirley and Eddie Steggeperform at the Summer

Dance Intensive Showcase

One of the most challengingaspects of owning a young dogis managing their energy. Lackof exercise and mental stimula-tion are often the cause of badbehavior. A tired dog is a gooddog.

The following are just a fewof the ways you can help yourdog make the move from wildand wacky to tired and terrific.

Training. Teaching your dogbasic obedience commands

such as sit, down, stay, shakeand look are excellent energybusters. Attending group classesis a great hour of mental energyfor your dog and a good bond-ing experience for you both.

Fetch or Tug. Even 10 minutesa day of fetch or tug can takeyour dog’s energy down a notch.Some dogs need to be taughtthe game. Make sure you followthe tug rules so you are in con-trol – not the dog.

Use a designated toy. Thatway not every toy, leash or sockis a tug toy.

Use a “Take It” command.The dog only gets to play tug

when you say “Take It.”Use a “Drop It” command.

If he does not drop it, let thetoy go and move on to anotheractivity.

Dogs have amazing controlof their mouths, but don’t lethis mouth touch your skin. If hedoes, it’s game over.

Take frequent breaks andpractice obedience. Play in 30-second sessions so the dogdoesn’t get too excited and losehis cool. Ask for obedience inbetween games. To get the gameto resume, ask the dog for sit,down and/or look before saying“Take It” again.

Sniff Walks. A good walkaround the neighborhood is typ-ically not enough stimulationfor your dog, but let him sniffand lead the way (withoutpulling on the leash) for those20 minutes and you’ve justburned some of his energy.Hide treats along the way foreven more fun.

Hikes. The Bay Area is filledwith good off-leash and on-leash dog trails. Use a long leash(15-20 feet) until you have prac-ticed recall on the long leash andhe returns 100 percent of thetime when called. Alwaysreward your dog when hecomes.

Mental Puzzles. When youcan’t get out, give your dogmental puzzles such as Kongs,

food cubesand othergames tokeep themm e n t a l l ye n g a g e d .They areless expen-sive than anew couch or shoes.

Dog Park. This is not anoption for all dogs. If your dogdoes get along with most otherdogs he meets, you may want touse the dog park as one form ofexercise. Spend a few monthswith your dog getting to knowhim and his reactions to otherdogs you already know beforeyou explore this option.

Doggie Day Care. Going today care once a week can behelpful in managing your dog’senergy.


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Down1- Maze runner

2- Attract

3- Poisonous effluvia

4- Mottled mount

5- Gripping tool

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7- Ascend

8- Unstated

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18- Threnody

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Across1- Genie's home

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“Stupid,” Clayton residentand Alameda County EMTPatrick Ferrel said on his wayto work. “It’s drugs. Whatkind of message does thatsend to the kids? Money ismore important than theirsafety? It’s just a way to makeup for the shortcomings of ourleaders.”

“Stupid,” said FrankClarksen, who turns 78 in amonth. “It’s illegal, and wekeep telling kids that it’s bad,so now we’re gonna sell it?

Stupid.”“Awesome, dude,” said 23-

year-old Keller, who did notwant his last name used in casehis parents were to read hisresponse. “It’s not like no onegets it anyway. It’s easy to get.I get it at school. All myfriends know where to get it.It should be legal. It’s noworse than cigarettes.”

“I don’t agree with it for somany reasons,” said Clayton’sJessie M., who did not wanther last name revealed. “I’ve

never agreed with it.”“There are enough illicit

drugs out there,” said dentistAl Martin. “I don’t think theyshould legalize it, although itwould reduce police costs. Ihaven’t read enough on bothsides to be sure of my opin-ion.”

For additional information onthe California Police Chief ’s pres-entation, visit www.californiapo-licechiefs.org/nav_files/medical_marijuana.html or e-mail Cmdr.Michael Regan at [email protected]

Marijuana, from page 9 Did you know . . .

A woman proudly wearing avaluable pearl necklace is actuallydisplaying an entombed parasiticworm, not a coated grain of sand.The free, spherical pearl is pro-duced when the larvae from a par-asitic flatworm, which comes fromseabirds, burrows inside the oysterto begin the process.

SOURCE: Pearl Expert Prof.PeterFankboner,

Simon Frasier University


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Don’t plan under old rulesSince 2001, Congress has passed at least one new tax lawevery year. These laws have been filled with provisions thatphase in or out over several years and some that apply retroac-tively or take effect at some distant future date. To do your taxplanning under the latest rules, call on us. We’re here to help.

days in Sacramento recentlyworking with the Contra CostaTransportation Authority,Democratic Sen. MarkDeSaulnier of Concord and theSenate TransportationCommittee who share our con-cerns on two bills currentlybefore the committee.Assembly Bill 744 (Torrico)would allow the MetropolitanTransportation Commission toconvert many of the HighOccupancy Vehicle lanes in theBay Area to High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes.MTC’s intent is to raise fundsfor regional transit and otherhigh priority regional projectsby allowing single-occupantvehicles to pay a toll to use theHOV lanes. Some of the con-cerns include the potentialimpact on the efficiency of theHOV lanes, the equity ofallowing some to pay their wayinto the HOV lanes, andwhether allowing single-occu-pancy vehicles to use HOVlanes actually encourages moretraffic congestion and degradesair-quality. The SenateTransportation Committee hasrequired that these concerns be

adequately addressed beforethey will approve the measure. Iwant to specially thank Sen.DeSaulnier for helping to makethis measure one that couldactually benefit the travelingpublic.

Another bill, AB 1175(Torlakson), would add theAntioch and Dumbartonbridges to the Bay Area TollBridge Seismic RetrofitProgram and authorize the BayArea Toll Authority to place aregional bridge toll increase onthe ballot to fund this work.The seismic work definitelyneeds to be done. The bill orig-inally included other provisionsthat were not ready for prime-time, which AssemblymanTorlakson’s has helped toremove. Those issues maycome back next year, but thatallows us time to work on mak-ing the bill right. Many thanksto Assemblyman Torlakson forhearing our concerns with thisbill.

NEW EATERY

OPENS DOWNTOWN

Back here in the 87th bestplace to live in America, we

have a new business down-town. Johnny’s InternationalDeli & Café has opened acrossfrom the Post Office. Let merecommend the curry chickenfor dinner – it’s yummy! Thesandwiches are great too, Ihear. Johnny’s is open from 6a.m. to 9 p.m., so when youdon’t have time to pack a lunch,let him do it for you! Or getyour picnic for the concertthere or at one of our otherfine restaurants – they’ll makeyou a great “to-go” dinner!

The Royal Rooster helpedme out last week when I need-ed a quick birthday gift. Theyhave a great selection of highquality goodies, and I didn’thave to trek beyond Clayton.Remember to shop Claytonfirst!

SUPPORT OUR

SUMMER CONCERTS

The summer Concerts inThe Grove are a huge hit.These concerts are co-spon-sored by the City of Clayton,Clayton Business &Community Association andAllied Waste. We expect thestate to hit local governmentspretty hard in their attemptsto balance the budget, so weare very concerned about our

ability to fund the city’s por-tion of the concerts next year.Therefore, we are acceptingdonations at the concerts andat City Hall.

At the last concert, I circu-lated the donation bottlethrough the crowd, and wecollected $1,026.18. If we canmatch amount that duringeach of the rest of the sum-mer concerts, we’ll be in goodshape for next year. All of themoney collected goes into adedicated fund that will onlybe used for the concerts. Alldonations are tax deductible,so if you would prefer to con-tribute by check, send it toCity Hall at 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton, CA 94517. Put“Concerts in The Grove” onthe memo line, and I willmake sure you get a personal-ized letter thanking you foryour donation. Next up onSaturday is Becca, country’snewest up-and-coming youngstar with her band Live Wire.I’ll be there – I hope you willbe, too!

As always you can reach meby email at [email protected]. Let me know what youthink

Mayor, from page 1

With a little ingenuity, you too can grow your own veggies

Vegetable growing is aClayton Valley tradition eachyear. Some individuals begingrowing vegetables by seedduring the last days of winter,while others wait for localnurseries to sell veggie startsafter the first of April. Thisvegetable growing season,some Clayton Valley residentsseemed apprehensive aboutthe quantity of vegetablesthey would be undertaking,with a drought looming in thefuture.

Vegetables aren’t like land-scapes, and they need regular,deep water to stay productive.This was a challenge that Leoand MaryAnn Shindler wereup for. They considered thecost of vegetables available atthe local groceries and theenvironmental impact causedby large farms, which growfor national markets. Withthese things in mind, theydecided to grow everythingthey could get their hands on.

Leo, a do-it-yourself,handy individual, was certainthere was a way to conservewater while growing a suc-cessful vegetable garden. Hetook his search to theInternet, where he found a

product called the EarthBox.The EarthBox claims to allowanyone, almost anywhere, togrow vegetables with higheryields, wasting less water andrequiring minimal mainte-nance.

Leo and MaryAnn’s firstEarthBox kit arrived, andthough the idea was there, thecost was high compared towhat the kit contained.Realistically, Leo knew thatwith a couple of tweaks hecould make his own self-watering boxes for a fractionof the cost. Since then, he hasgrown to 15 self-wateringplanters, producing lettuce,

tomatoes, melons and muchmore, while using an estimat-ed 10 gallons of water a day.

Leo’s boxes are made upfrom rigid plastic storage con-tainers. Leo drilled a hold intothe side of the container,about 2 inches up – this willbe the overflow hole. Leothen uses pieces of heavyplastic screen, which he cutsinto two square shapedcutouts in opposite corners,and one circular shapedcutout for a refill tube. Thetube is also plastic, and needsto be taller than the box. Thecorner cutouts in the screenwill need to be packed with

moist potting mix.Once packed, use the fill

tube to add water to the bot-tom reservoir. Since you havealready added the overflowhole, don’t worry aboutadding too much water. Thenyou can continue adding pot-ting mix until the box is abouthalf full, sprinkle with water,pat down to settle the soil,and then keep adding untilyou have filled the rubbercontainer completely to thetop. Do not leave any spacealong the sides, sprinkle withmore water, pat down andsmooth.

At this point, you will add

some dry, granular fertilizer.Pour 2 cups in a 2-inch-widestrip, down the center of thecontainer. Do not use a watersoluble product (aka MiracleGrow). Cover the soil withpliable, dark colored plastic,such as you would use to keepweeds down, and secure withheavy-duty tape. Don’t forgetto cut an additional hole forthe refill tube. Now it is timeto plant your vegetables.

Tomatoes are the mostpopular Clayton Valley homegrown vegetable (or fruit).They are fabulous when outof the garden. Depending onthe size of your plastic boxesand chosen variety, you mayneed to grow only two orthree plants per box. If youare growing Roma, cherry, orace tomatoes, plant three perbox. If you are growing beef-steak, early girl or beefmaster,two tomatoes per planter isbest. Smaller sized plants canbe heavier planted; peppers,strawberries and lettuce canhave as many as eight plantsper box. Pole beans and peascan have 16 plants per box.

Leo and MaryAnn aregrowing tomatoes, beans, let-tuce, blueberries ma coupledifferent types of peppers,and four different melons,including cantaloupe andwatermelon. They havealready enjoyed carrots, broc-coli, onions and radishes.Once those plants were notproductive any more, Leosimply removed the old plantsand plastic cover and dug outand removed the fertilizerstrip. He then topped off thepotting mix level, re-wet thetop of the soil while patting itdown, added more granular

fertilizer,a n dreplanted.

L e oc r e a t e dhis owns e l f -wa t e r ingsystem toi n s u r ethat thep l a n t e r swill never run dry while heand MaryAnn are away. Usinga small ice cooler, Leo set uphis own refill system. The ves-sel of the cooler is filled withwater, which uses a siphonsystem to bring the water toeach planter. Inside the cool-er, Leo has drilled holes,which have black, drip irriga-tion tubing feeding from thewater into to fill tube of eachplanter. The water level in thecooler is kept level throughthe use of a float valve, whichinitiates water filling aboutfour times a day.

Leo’s technique is interest-ing and innovative. He tookan idea and made it fit into hisbudget and lifestyle. He andMaryAnn now are able toenjoy homegrown vegetablesand fruits easily, withoutwaste. They are planning tocontinue growing vegetablesinto fall and winter. Withthese self-watering, pre-fertil-ized boxes, they hope thattheir cool season growing willbe equally successful.

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

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Nicole Hackett

THIS EASY-TO-MAKE, SELF-WATERING PLANTER makes growing your own vegetables easyand cost effective.

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There are connections,made between disparate ele-ments, that form a single enti-ty. Not quite the same as twohalves making a whole –where once upon a time athing joined is split and thenreturned to its initial state –rather, these pairings resultwhen dissimilar items form anew whole.

Salt and pepper, baseballand hot dogs, Democrats andRepublicans. Even if there’stension between them, ormaybe, because there is, theyare undeniably a match.

“Love Letters,” A.R.Gurnery’s intimate play at theWillows Cabaret in Martinez,offers a human version of thispairing phenomenon. Theplay’s two characters, MelissaGardner and Andrew Ladd,are as different from eachother as salt is from pepper.Seated at writing tables, theyread the letters and cards theyhave written to each otherduring their nearly 50 years of

friendship.Melissa is feisty and foul-

mouthed; Andy is controlledand deliberately square. Shepresses for closeness, forphone calls instead of letters,for actual visits. He needs dis-tance and the slow pace ofold-fashioned, snail mail guar-antees.

Their relationship, begunwith a birthday invite fromelementary school days, growsfrom thin exchanges to meaty,thick-as a-sailor’s rope corre-spondence.

Demonstrating bothadmirable savvy and the area’sbountiful talent, the Willowspresents five different couplesin the featured roles. In thisperformance, Lois Grandigives Melissa a spicy, vigorousportrayal. Her face is wonder-fully malleable: bursting intojoyful grins, sagging withdefeat, smirking with sexualinnuendo, scowling at the veryair when flouted.

Grandi is a fine actor, mag-ically appearing to age from 10


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Theatre Review

LOU FANCHER

Clayton Pioneer

Separate dialogues work well in ‘Letters’

Gary Carr/Rising Moon Marketing

Lois Grandi and Pat Craig are one of five pairs of actorsappearing in the Willows Theatre production of “Love Letters.”

Movie Review

Pat Craig never expected to

be the name above the column,

or the derriére in the theater

seat, but after more than a few

years writing columns and

reviews for the Contra Costa

Times, he’s dreaming big. He’s

thinkin’ maybe a reality show

about typing ––“Pat Craig

Live!” –– has a certain charm.

But the opportunity to appear

on stage after a 14-year

absence is the real meat and

potatoes for his soul.

Fortunately, Craig’s hunger

for stage time coincided with

Willows Artistic Director Richard

Elliot’s invitation to join the cast

for the upcoming “Love

Letters.” “I was over at the

Willows, and Rich Elliott just

asked me,” Craig says. Tapping

into his longtime love of theater

and willing to work around

Craig’s congested calendar,

Elliott is granting Bay Area

audiences a rare treat. Craig

and Lois Grandi, the well-

respected founder and director

of Playhouse West, were sched-

uled to open the show at the

Cabaret in Martinez on July 10.

“Love Letters,” A.R.

Gurney’s Pulitzer Prize-nomi-

nated play, revolves around two

characters and the notes, cards

and letters they have

exchanged for nearly 50 years.

The play is a natural for busy

actors, and Craig, in the the-

ater for a minimum of 130

shows every year, surely quali-

fies. Because the script is read

from the materials in hand,

memorization is kept to a mini-

mum. The actors sit through

most of the play, so blocking is

also unnecessary. “Love Letters”

needs only two “rock solid”

actors and the deft touch of a

sensitive director; both short,

but demanding orders to fill.

Our good fortune reigns

again, largely due to the area’s

abundant talent. (The Willows

will present a revolving door of

five couples over the show’s

run.) About Grandi, his fellow

star, Craig says, “She’s a lot of

fun to work with, and she’s rock

solid as an actress.”

Despite his long absence

from the stage, Craig is not

apprehensive. “It might seem

odd, but being on stage is

where I’m most comfortable.

Unlike writing, I know exactly

what I’m going to say.”

And even on those rare

occasions when he finds him-

self involved with improvisa-

tional theater, where the words

are not provided, Craig is

rarely at a loss. In fact, it’s diffi-

cult to imagine him silent, or

brooding. Anyone who reads

Craig’s columns, and even his

reviews, knows that the man is

happy. He doesn’t exactly bub-

ble – there’s too much depth

and velocity in his delivery – but

he brings the same super-drive

enthusiasm to the stage as he

does to his writing.

-Lou Fancher

“Going to war is a once in alifetime experience,” counselsan army psychologist trying tohelp a young soldier on the edgeof breaking. “The Hurt Locker”strives to bring this experienceto those of us who never had toface it.

It is a war movie withoutreally being about the war. Ittakes no political position – theruined cities and empty desertsof military occupied Iraq aremerely the backdrop for a storyabout trying to survive a jobwhere bombs blow up and peo-ple shoot at you almost everyday. It is not out to preach oneway or the other about the poli-cies of the Iraq War. Instead itdepicts how the everyday hor-rors of the situation grind downthese young soldiers as theycount the days until their rota-tion ends and hope they don’tdie before they can go home.

Unlike what you mightexpect from a war movie, thereis no great battle to be won, no

enemy mastermind to defeat. Infact, you barely see the face ofthe enemy insurgents at all. Thefocus stays on the lives of threeyoung men who make up anelite army bomb squad that isroutinely dispatched to diffuseexplosives throughout Baghdad.Will James (Jeremy Renner) isthe fearless “Wildman” bombexpert and team leader whoignores the rules when theydon’t fit his methods, much tothe dismay of his teammates.

JT Sanborn (AnthonyMackie) is a by-the-book, no-nonsense sergeant who tries tohold the unit together, andOwen Eldrige (Brian Geraghty)is the hesitant and somewhatfatalistic young specialist whofollows orders but fears that anyerror he makes will cost a life.James thrives on the adrenalinerush of nearly impossible tasks,but his teammates fear his reck-lessness will endanger all theirlives.

The landscape they work inis alien, bizarre, and the Iraqis’eyes are always upon them –watching these strangers withboth fascination and disinterestfrom balconies, sidewalks andwindows. As they go about theirjob, the soldiers constantly scanthe onlookers for signs of anenemy, and paranoia is a given.Whenever one of the bombspecialists dons “the Suit,”which is full body protectivegear, he looks like an astronautwalking across the moon, and

clearly the cultural differencespush them as far apart from theIraqi civilians as people fromseparate planets.

Will these men survive thestresses and hazards that aretheir daily routine? While it is nota plot driven story, there areplenty of unexpected turns asthe character’s lives are trans-formed by both camaraderie andconflict. The surprises will quick-ly make you feel a portion of theconstant threat that they livewith. For them, the notion thatlife can be snatched away at aninstant is never far from mindand they must, literally, watchevery step they take because abomb could be under a randompiece of trash on the street.

In order to illustrate the

nightmarish situations, there area couple fairly gruesome scenes,but overall it is an amazing ride.The actors deliver excellent per-formances that make it hard toturn away, whether it is duringthe explosive action scenes orthe nearly stagnant momentswhere the soldiers, pinned downby snipers, can barely move forhours. No matter how you feelabout the Iraq War, this moviewill stay with you outside thetheatre.

DON PEDRO CRUZ

AT THE MOVIES

Don Pedro Cruz has con-tributed to various magazines andnewspapers for the last 20 years.Send your comments [email protected]

��

See Letters, page 19

Local theatre critic athome on the stage

‘The Hurt Locker’ is an insightful examination of war

ARMY BOMB SQUAD SPECIALIST DONS “THE SUIT” to investigatepossible explosive devices placed by enemy insurgents inKathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker.”

Need help tracking your wateruse between bills? The tool you needto accomplish this task is located ina little box in the front of yourhouse. It’s your water meter.

By reading your water meter reg-ularly, you can track your water usethroughout the month, determineyour daily use, and check for leaks.With the information you get fromyour water meter, you can adjustyour water use to meet your waterbudget and avoid excess use chargeson your Contra Costa Water Districtbills.

Detailed instructions on how toread your meter, a handy meter cal-culator and drought survival tipsare always available online atwww.ccwater.com. You can also callthe Drought Help Line at (925) 688-8009 for answers to your questionsabout the District’s DroughtManagement Program.

Here’s how to read your watermeter:

1. Locate your water meterThe meter is usually located in a

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careful not to drop the lid on themeter, as this will break your meter.

2. Get familiar with your MeterMost meters look like the one

pictured.Dial: The dial will rotate when

water passes through the meter. Onefull rotation of the dial equals 1cubic foot of water, or 7.48 gallons.

Low Flow Indicator : Even verysmall flows of water will cause theLow Flow Indicator to rotate. Thismakes it easy to detect small andlarge leaks.

Odometer : The odometer recordstotal water use. It is similar to theodometer in your car, which recordsmiles driven. The water meterodometer records water use in cubicfeet and displays as follows: The dig-its from right to left represent 1

cubic foot, 10 cubic feet, 100 cubicfeet and so on. Like a car odometer,the water meter odometer can notbe altered.

3. Monitor your water useRead the odometer, and write

down all of the numbers. Then writedown the date of the reading. Aftera period of days (we suggest sevendays), read the odometer again.Once again, write down all of thenumbers, and write down the date.

Subtract the first reading fromthe second reading. This is yourwater use in cubic feet during theperiod.

Multiply thewater use by 7.48.This is your wateruse in gallons dur-ing the period.

Divide the

water use in gallons by the numberof days between readings. This isyour average gallons per day duringthe period.

4. Watch for leaksTurn off all water indoors and

outdoors, including sprinklers. Makesure your icemaker and toilets arenot running. If the low flow indica-tor moves, this may indicate a leak inan appliance or pipe. If the metershows no obvious movement, notethe reading on the meter and returnin four hours to see if there is anychange. (Do not use water duringthe four-hour test. If you use water

during the test, your meter readingwill change and you will need toretest.) If you appear to have a leak,check all appliances, faucets, toiletsand other water sources. Don’t for-get to check hot water heaters andwashing machine hookups.

By following these steps to mon-itor you water use, you will find itmuch easier to meet your waterbudget every month and avoidexcess use charges on your waterbills.

For more information on water conser-vation go to the CCWD Website atwww.ccwater.com


Save Water NowLet’s work together to beat the drought this summer.

Lake Shasta, which stores water thateventually flows to the Delta, has below-normal water levels this year.Photo courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

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to 20 to 50-plus years old.Although seated throughoutthe production, she is amover. Her feet extend andretreat, her hand clutches herhead or flips the page with acurlicued flair – all addingemphasis to the playwright’slook-at-me words.

Pat Craig, as Andy, is heropposite. Steady, nearly immo-bile, he’s the epitome of anequilateral, right-angled, four-sided figure. Craig plays therole with physical economy;his gestures brief, his feetplanted. Only his eyebrows,like short dashes separatingwords on a page, are givenfree reign: traveling up ordown, together or apart, main-taining appropriate distance.

Intentionally or not, Craigdelivers some lines with

noticeable hesitation, evenbacktracking to reread aphrase or repeat a word. Forthe play to work, for the audi-ence to understand Andy asanything but cold or timid, anactor reading the part must letus see the wobble in the man’splacid profile. Craig handlesthe task easily, allowing justenough vocal ripple to showthe anxiety lurking beneaththe character’s smooth exteri-or.

“Love Letters” is remark-able for what is not said ordone, as much as for what is.At times, silence is all: theabsence of a reply expressingmore pain, anger or surprisethan words might convey.

And there’s no eye contact.Chemistry in live theater oftenrelies on performers sending

visual signals and on us seeingthem see each other. Here, thecharacters look only out, untilthe final moments, whenMelissa turns to Andy, whocontinues to look only out.

The closing letter, readwith needle-threading concen-tration by Craig, makes plainthe pair’s mysterious connec-tion. They are friends, con-founded and completed byeach other, filling the voidthey find in themselves.

A fine play, in the hands offine actors – the four othercasts are sure to provideequally compelling duets. It’sno wonder the closing scenedraws both a sigh and a tear.

“Love Letters” plays throughAug. 2 at the Willows Cabaret atthe Campbell Theatre, 636 WardSt., Martinez. For tickets, call798-1300 or visit www.willowsthe-atre.org.

Letters, from page 18


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“An apple is an excellent thing –until you have tried a peach.”

- George du Maurier (1834-1896)

Prunus persica receives itsname from a mistakenEuropean belief that peachesoriginated in Persia. Instead,they have been cul-tivated in China foreons and are con-sidered a symbol oflong life andimmortality.

In China, thewife of the mythicJade Emperorarranged an exqui-site peach banquetfor her husband’simmortal allies.Peach images onpottery are consid-ered highlyesteemed giftsthroughout Asia.

The saga of Momotaro hasbeen told to Japanese childrenfor generations. Legend has itthat “Peach Boy” was bornfrom a large peach and grew upto vanquish the oni or ogres thatpreyed on villagers.

Peaches migrated withtraders from China to the MiddleEast and then to Europe.European settlers in NorthAmerica planted peach trees, andthe Spanish missionaries intro-duced the fruit in California.

Peaches like our coolCalifornia winters and hot sum-mers, but they are also at homethroughout parts of theMidwest and southern UnitedStates. You’ve probably heardGeorgia referred to as the PeachState, but it is South Carolina

that appropriated the peach asits state fruit.

Peaches are part of the rosefamily. Called drupes (stonefruit), they share a past alongsidecherries, plums and apricots.They are just becoming locallyabundant this time of year.

Yellow or white? Freestoneor cling? Yellowpeaches tend tobe favoreda m o n gAmericans andE u r o p e a n s ,while whitepeaches, whichare a sweeter,less acidic vari-ety, are pre-ferred in Asia.A freestonepeach is onewhere the flesheasily separatesfrom the pit,

while the cling … well I bet youcan figure that out. Cling peach-es are among the varieties thatripen earliest each year, and thebulk of the commercial crop iscanned.

Peaches won’t ripen oncethey are picked. In a few daystime, they become softer andmore fragrant (but no sweeter).You can speed up the processby placing two to four peachesin a brown paper bag for a dayor two.

Peaches are equally tasty rawor gently cooked. They are ter-rifically versatile in quick mealpreparations. Mix choppedpeaches and granola into yogurtor cottage cheese for a healthysnack or breakfast. Freezepeaches to add to yogurt,banana and any favorite supple-

ments to make a tasty smoothie.Finely chop canned, drainedpeaches and mix into CoolWhip for a flavorful filling forsponge or angel food cake.

I almost always have a fewjars of homemade peach rumpreserves on my shelf. A trueculinary multi-tasker, it’s spreadon toast, warmed in themicrowave and served atopvanilla ice cream and used as abase for Chinese sauces.

PEACH RUM JAM

4 lbs. ripe peaches, pitted,peeled and chopped

5 c granulated sugar½ c brown sugar1 package powdered fruit

pectin¼ c dark rumIn deep heavy-bottomed

pot, combine fruit and pectin.Stirring constantly throughoutthe cooking stage, bring to aboil. Add sugars and bring to afull boil again. Boil one minute.

Remove from heat andimmediately add rum (depend-ing on your fondness for thisliquor, you can stand a littlecloser to the pot and breathe indeeply to inhale the wonderfulrum-scented steam).

Stir and skim occasionallyfor about 5 minutes. Seal in ster-ilized jars and process in a boil-ing water bath for 10 minutes(longer in higher altitudes).

I won’t open a jar of peachrum jam until it’s aged at leastthree months.

Note: To remove the skinfrom a peach easily, dunk in boil-ing water for about 10 seconds,then plunge into ice water andthe skin should slip right off.

SWEET ’N’ SOUR

DIPPING SAUCE

½ c peach rum jam2 Tbsp chili sauce1 to 2 Tbsp white or rice

vinegar¼ tsp chili flakes¼ tsp soy sauceMelt jam over low heat or

stir until a sauce-like consis-tency is reached. Add remain-ing ingredients and let standfor 30 minutes for the flavorsto blend. Use for egg rolls,roasted pork or stir-friedboneless chicken pieces.

ITALIAN-STYLE PEACH ICE

1 c sugar2 c water1 lb. peaches, skinned, pit-

ted and chopped1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice3-inch by 1-inch strip

lemon zestMake simple syrup by bring-

ing sugar and water to a boil.Maintain boil for one minute.Cool and refrigerate.

Puree peaches with lemonjuice and add to syrup. Addpeel. Combine well and pourinto shallow, high-sided pan todepth of about 1 inch. Stir everyhalf hour to move frozen slushto middle of the mixture. Whenmiddle of mixture starts tofreeze, remove peel, cover andallow to freeze entirely.

(Linda Wyner is on vaca-tion. This article is reprintedfrom the Pioneer, August2006.)

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR

THOUGHT

Linda Wyner, a local attorney andfoodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmetcookware store and cooking school inPleasanton. Email her [email protected]

It’s a perfect time to pit a peach

JUL 24 Clayton Pioneer 2009.pdf

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