MAY 15 Clayton Pioneer 2015

Mayor Dave Shuey, tossedout the first cabbage of theseason Saturday to mark theopening of the Clayton Farm-ers’ Market.

Back for a second year isthe growing cookbookexchange that will graduallyexpand to include gardening,composting and producebooks. Bring your books and“leave one, take one.”

It’s a bit early in the season,but several local farms were onhand with cherries, strawber-

ries and the last of the season’sasparagus.

In the coming weeks, lookfor locally-sourced honey-combs, fresh cut floand theultimate comfort food, chickenn’ waffles. All Pacific CoastFarmers’ Market Associationfarmers’ markets accept WIC-FMNP (Woman, Infants, andChildren Farmers’ MarketNutrition Program) couponsand CalFresh EBT.

Get ready, Clayton. Brown isthe “in” color for summer, atleast for lawn and turf.

Residents and communitiesacross the state are mandated tocut their water usage by at least25 percent this summer, thefourth year of a historicdrought. The City of Clayton isno exception, as they are cuttingback water usage a whopping 40percent from 2013 levels, saidCity Manager Gary Napper.

“The state’s extendeddrought represents a seriouschallenge for all in Californiaand requires each resident andproperty owner in Clayton toprioritize one’s water consump-tion habits,” he said. “For thecity, our 40-43 percent reductionin water usage, in comparison tothe 25 percent reductionassigned residential users, neces-sitates staff evaluate whichwater-dependent assets andfacilities are the more essentialto retain and operate.”

For example, he said, land-scaped plants and specimentrees will be the targets of thecity’s limited outdoor irrigation

at the sacrifice of lawn and turf.The two-days per week outdoorirrigation constraint imposedon residents by the Contra

Costa Water District last monthalso applies to the city and“we’ll undoubtedly see visualstress to trees and plants as the

hot summer days set in.”“It is no longer ‘business as

usual’” he said.Clayton residents will

undoubtedly see the stress onlawns and turf, but some areas,such as The Grove Park andsome downtown areas, areserved by well water, and can bewatered three times a week. Themain area that will be affected,according to Clayton’s Mainte-nance Supervisor Mark Janney,is the Community Park andfields, which will only bewatered twice a week.

“They won’t look so great,”he said.

Historically, Janney said, thecity uses about 300,000-400,000gallons per day, but it has beencutting back that usage in recentyears due to the drought. So cut-ting nearly half of that will def-initely impact what the residents

See Mayor, page 8

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com May 15, 2015 925.672.0500

Downtown propertynot selling; city mayconsider mixed use

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER

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PAID

CLAYTON, CA94517

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“For Sale, attractive down-town parcel nestled in charmingwestern town nestled at base ofMt. Diablo. Perfect for…?”Many of you know that the Cityof Clayton owns the largestremaining parcel of vacant landdowntown. This parcel is part ofand covered by our Downtownspecific plan and is zoned forretail development. It is part ofthe vision first set down decadesago, but has never been devel-oped. It is now being marketedby Transwestern brokers and,despite their best efforts, abuyer/developer has not yetemerged for the hoped for retailuse.

What’s InsideAround Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Community Calendar . . . . .16

Directory of Advertisers . . . .7

School News . . . . . . . . . . .10

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

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

WWII exhibit celebrates 70thAnniversary of war’s end

May 8, 1945 was a day forcelebrating the end of WorldWar II in Europe, called V-EDay ever since. The joy wasshort-lived when Americansquickly remembered that therewas still a brutal war going on inthe Pacific Theater. Fortunately,less than four months later, V-JDay (Victory in Japan) wasdeclared and the world rejoiced.

Seventy years to the day, onMay 8, 2015, the Clayton His-torical Society Museum hosted acelebration of its own as theyhonored and remembered theveterans of WWII with thegrand opening of the newestspecial exhibit, WWII. Localveterans attended the opening,which was held from 7 until 9p.m. on V-E Day. A color guardkicked off the evening and the“Star Spangled Banner” wasperformed by Clayton soprano,Mechele Fong.

The guests of honor werethe first to see the exhibit, whichis made up of mementoes fromthe war and the home front and

See WWII Exhibit, page 9

Pete Barra

VETERANS OF VFW POST 1575 PROUDLY POST THE COLORS AT THE OPENING of the Clayton Historical Society’s specialexhibit to mark the end of WWII. The exhibit will remain on display through Veterans Day.

City to cut water usage by 40%

CLAYTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Special to the Pioneer

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

See Hansen, page 8See Market, page 5

See Water Cuts, page 9

MDUSD boardpresident injectsmore controversyinto Charter saga

Mt. Dia-blo UnifiedSchool Dis-trict boardp r e s i d e n tC h e r y lH a n s e nthrust herselfinto the mid-dle of theyear-long Clayton Valley CharterHigh School controversy whenshe sent a letter and two emails tothe Contra Costa County Officeof Education urging the countyto revoke the charter and immedi-ately return Clayton Valley toMDUSD because of “incompe-tent, corrupt and dysfunctional”administration and board.

Hansen said she was writingas a “long-time public educatorand Clayton resident,” yet signedher Feb. 25 letter as President,Mt. Diablo United School Board.Clayton Valley was granted char-ter school status for the 2012-13school year after charter leaderswent to the county when theMDUSD board refused toapprove their charter application.Hansen points out she was theonly Mt. Diablo district boardmember to vote in favor of theCVCHS proposal in 2011.

In the past six monthsHansen was pulled into thecharter school controversybecause her boyfriend BudBeemer, a retired school

MDUSD BOARDPRESIDENT

CHERYL HANSEN

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

MAYOR DAVE SHUEY (center) assisted by his children Catherineand Bennett (each end) were joined by Farmers’ Market staffand fellow council members Julie Pierce and Keith Hayden atthe opening of the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market last Saturday.

Book a date at the Farmers’ Market

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK—THIS IS A SIGHT CLAYTONIANS WON’T SEE FOR AWHILE. The Claytonfountain has gone dry and will stay that way indefinitely, another casualty of the drought andthe governor’s mandate to cut water use by 40 percent. Drinking fountains in the parks and thenew water feature in The Grove are also turned off to meet cutback requirements.

MMeemmoorriiaall DDaayyRReemmeemmbbrraanncceeMMoonnddaayy,, MMaayy 225510 a.m. on Main Street

Speakers, music, JROTC rifle teamFREE event sponsored byVFW Post 1525 and Korean WarVeterans Chapter 264

Clayton’s StephanieLopez, a sales associate inColdwell Banker’s WalnutCreek office, has earnedmembership in the Cold-well Banker InternationalDiamond Society.

“It is with great pridethat I honor Stephanie withthe Coldwell Banker Inter-national Diamond Societydesignation,” said MikeJames, president of ColdwellBanker Residential Brokerage.“Stephanie’s ability to go aboveand beyond, and to surpass herclients’ expectations, has helpedher achieve this prestigious award.She is a dedicated and committedreal estate professional and we are

happy to have her as amember of ColdwellBanker ResidentialBrokerage.”

Lopez has beenwith ColdwellBanker since Febru-ary 2013 and focuseson the communitiesof Clayton, Con-cord and WalnutCreek. She is an

Accredited Staging Professional,Coldwell Banker Previews Prop-erty Specialist and a member ofColdwell Banker’s Top DrawerRelocation Team.

Lopez can be reached by telephoneat 925-305-9099 or e-mail her [email protected]

Sarah Owen, daughter ofKirsten and Brin Owen of Clay-ton, earned her Gold Award –the highest honor in Girl Scout-ing, and equivalent to the BoyScout’s Eagle rank.

Sarah, who has been a mem-ber of Troop 31100 since shejoined Girl Scouts in 2003 as aBrownie, aligned her GoldAward project closely with herfuture plans. Her career goal isto become a physical therapist.

She is passionate about healthand fitness and she understandsthe need to educate othersabout a healthy lifestyle, particu-larly the youth of today.

This passion drove her tocreate and organize the firstannual 5K Run and Fitness Fairin Clayton with the help of heradvisor, Pam Hall, City Councilmember Julie Pierce, then-Mayor Hank Stratford and othercity leaders.

The event took place at Clay-ton Community Park with a 5K,a Fun Run and a Fitness Fairwith more than 350 runners thatdonated 757 pounds of food forthe Contra Costa and SolanoCounty Food Bank. Sarah is asenior at Clayton Valley CharterHigh School and a member ofthe Public Service Academy.She will be attending Cal Poly inSan Luis Obispo as a Kinesiolo-gy major in the fall while contin-uing her community servicedown there.

810 Chert Place . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 . . . . .1235 . . . . . .2/2 . . . . . . . . .4/23/15

1015 Feather Cir . . . . . . . . . . . $610,000 . . . . .1638 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .4/20/15

1036 Pebble Beach Dr . . . . . . $975,000 . . . . .3307 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .4/17/15

112 Mount Etna Dr . . . . . . . . . $518,000 . . . . .1442 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .4/17/15

316 Mt. Palomar Pl . . . . . . . . . $753,000 . . . . .2692 . . . . . .5/3 . . . . . . . . .4/15/15

1103 Oakwood Cir. . . . . . . . . . $1,090,000 . . .4180 . . . . . .4/3.5 . . . . . . .4/10/15

604 Julpun Loop . . . . . . . . . . . $501,000 . . . . .1235 . . . . . .2/2 . . . . . . . . .4/10/15

1262 Shell Cir . . . . . . . . . . . . . $524,000 . . . . .1709 . . . . . .3/3 . . . . . . . . .4/10/15

350 Blue Oak Lane . . . . . . . . . $826,000 . . . . .2448 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . . .5/4/15

1550 Haviland Pl . . . . . . . . . . . $600,000 . . . . .1549 . . . . . .3/3 . . . . . . . . . .5/1/15

120 Gold Rush Ct . . . . . . . . . . $625,000 . . . . .1591 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .4/30/15

788 Bloching Cir . . . . . . . . . . . $790,000 . . . . .2325 . . . . . .5/2.5 . . . . . . .4/28/15

115 Oak Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,475,000 . . .3662 . . . . . .5/3 . . . . . . . . .4/26/15

110 Shale Cliff Ct . . . . . . . . . . $1,050,000 . . .2700 . . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . . .4/25/15

1234 Buckeye Terrace . . . . . . $640,000 . . . . .1639 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .4/24/15

4801 Keller Ridge Dr. . . . . . . . $475,000 . . . . .1595 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .4/23/15

George Vujnovich, Broker, Clayton Resident

(925) 672-4433 cell: (925) [email protected]

Jennifer StojanovichBroker-Associate, Lifelong Clayton/Concord Resident

(925) 567-6170, [email protected]

ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE

Don and Emily Howard, Father/daughter team

Don, Realtor-Associate, Clayton Resident Emily, Realtor-Associate

(925) 408-3184 (925) [email protected] [email protected]

Diane and Bill HayesRealtor-Associate, Clayton Residents,

(925) 890-4701, [email protected]

CCllaayyttoonnMMaarrkkeettUUppddaattee pprroovviiddeedd bbyyBBeetttteerr HHoommeessRReeaallttyy

www.georgevujnovich.com

www.jenniferstojanovich.com

howardhomeseastbay.com

homesbydianehayes.com

Helping friends,neighbors andnewcomers buy and sellsince 1979

Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated. Better Homes BRE#00933393

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1341 Shell Lane – Clayton Chaparral Springs atOakhurst Country Club!Impeccable "Willow"model! with desirable down-

stairs bedroom and full bath! 3

bedrooms, 3 baths, approx.

1709sf with inside laundry & 2

car garage. Gleaming laminate wood floors flow from entry

into living & dining rooms. Designer paint colors. Sun filled

dining & living rooms with volume ceilings. Beautifully updat-

ed bath. Walk to downtown $529,900

1007 Feather Circle – ClaytonOak Hollow at OakhurstCountry Club!Desirable “Santa Fe”model! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths,

approx. 1886sf. Well maintained

open floor plan with neutral décor.

Private backyard with covered patio. Walk to community pool

and downtown Clayton! $659,000

5230 La Corte Bonita – Concord Beautifully updat-ed single storyrancher on aHUGE levelapprox. .46 acrelot! tucked away at the

end of the court, backing

to creek with RV parking.

4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 1407sf. Rural Country feeling yet

located in the center of town. Gorgeous updated gourmet

kitchen boasts slab granite counters, honey maple shaker style

cabinets & stainless steel appliances. Updated baths boats

extensive use of slab granite, tumbled tile and river rock!

Upgrades include: Dual panes, thick baseboards, light fixtures

& deco paint. Extensive RV/Boat/Toy Parking, 2 storage sheds.

Backyard features patio area & composite deck, large lawn

area, play structure, fruit trees & raised garden beds!

$599,000

201 Falcon Place – ClaytonWindmill Canyon atOakhurst Country Club!Lovely “Larson” model! 4 bed-

rooms, 3 baths, approx. 2467sf.

Desirable downstairs bedroom &

full bath. Updated gourmet kitchen

has granite counters & stainless steel appliances. Beautifully

landscaped private back yard is designed with entertaining in

mind. Coming Soon

1900 Shadywood Ct. – Concord Immaculate &Spacious homelocated on a largelot! 4 bedrooms, 2.5

updated baths, approx.

2483sf & 3 car garage!

Living and dining rooms

with soaring ceiling, neu-

tral carpet & silhouette blinds. All baths have been updated fea-

turing sleek contemporary styles & design including vanities,

faucets & lighting. Spacious kitchen adjoins family room with

fireplace. Huge master suite with updated bath & large walk-in

closet with organizer system. Private lot features a large lawn

area & aggregate patio $779,000

8016 Kelok Way – Clayton Falcon Ridge atOakhurst CountryClub! Meticulous“Moonlight” modelSingle story on a prime

view lot offers Sweeping

Unobstructed Views of

City to Delta & Beyond! 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 2237sf

& 3 car garage. Gourmet kitchen features granite counters

complimented by tumbled marble backsplash & maple cabi-

nets adjoining family room is anchored by a travertine gas

fireplace. Private lot features aggregate patios & walkways,

lush lawn, & mature trees! $775,000

1262 Shell Circle, ClaytonChaparral Springs Premium Large

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Spacious Single Story nestled

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PENDINGPENDING

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Around Town Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com May 15, 2015

Sarah Owen earnsGirl Scout Gold Award

SARAH OWEN

Clayton realtor honored byColdwell Banker

STEPHANIELOPEZ

Volunteers keep the library bookin’If a dollar value were placed

on the 6,450 hours donated tothe Clayton Library by a cadreof volunteers in 2014, the totalwould amount to almost$170,000, said Library Founda-tion President Joyce Atkinson inher 2014 annual report to theClayton City Council on April21. The volunteers contributedmore hours than any otherlibrary in the system, said Atkin-son. “The library operates with60 percent of normal staffing,the volunteers do the rest.”

The Foundation also raisedover $48,000 from used booksales, memberships and donations.

The Library Foundation wel-comes new volunteers and members.Meetings are on the third Wednesdayof the month at 7:30 in the LibraryStory Room. For more info, go towww.claytonlibrary.org.

Photo Tamara Steiner

COUNCIL MEMBER JULIE PIERCE (center) with the library volunteerssharing Volunteer of the Year awards for years of service:Jeanne Boyd, Joyce and David Atkinson for 25 years; CarolWolfe and Viola Liang for 20 years.

Desmonds celebrate 60 years together

Denny and Dee Desmond,21-year residents of Clayton,celebrated their 60th weddinganniversary earlier this month.

The two were married onMay 7, 1955 in St. CeciliaChurch in San Francisco.

They have been activemembers of St. Bonaventure’sCatholic Church for morethan 50 years. Along the way,they have volunteered in theMeditation Garden andworked with assisting elderlyparishioners with shoppingand errands.

They are members of theDiablo A’s Model A Ford Cluband frequently drive theirModel A pickup on club tours.Their children are Mike andReggia Desmond of Clayton,Tracy Desmond of Concordand Peggy and Steve Henry ofOroville. They have fourgrandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.

Lindermans cruise through50 years of marriage

Clayton couple and highschool sweethearts Mike andKaren Linderman had their50th anniversary on May 2.They were married in Torrance,Calif., moved to the area in 1980and raised a daughter, Cami, anda son, Chad. The Lindermanswill celebrate with family andfriends this summer on a cruiseto Catalina and Mexico.

Photo courtesy of the Desmond family

Dee and Denny Desmond on their wedding day in 1955.

The library meeting roomwas packed to the rafters atthe May 5 City Council meet-ing with the proud parents andfamilies of seven outstandinglocal kids honored for their“Integrity” as part of thecommunity-wide Do The RightThing initiative.

“This is the best thing thecity has done,” said Mt. DiabloElementary principal IreneKeenan as she introducedDylan Gordillo-Wright andErin Robinson, both fourth-graders nominated by theirteachers. Both students werelauded for their kindness andhonesty.

Diablo View Middle SchoolPatti Bannister commendedDiyar Kudrat and Julia Deelyfor consistently making good

decisions. “In middle school itisn’t always easy to make goodchoices,” said Bannister.“These students hold them-selves to higher standards.”

Three Clayton Valley char-ter students were among thosereceiving the awards for “fullyengaging in the world in ameaningful way.” Alyssa VanHorn, Ashlyn Givens andSamuel Sidhu all “make theirpeers their better selves.”

The Do The Right Thing pro-gram emphasizes six charactertraits on a rotating basisthroughout the year: Courage,Integrity, Responsibility, Self-discipline, Kindness andRespect. Students are nominat-ed by their teachers and pre-sented with a certificate by themayor.

AAssssiissttiinngg MMoorree BBuuyyeerrss && SSeelllleerrss tthhaann AAnnyyoonnee EEllssee***Statistics based on Clayton/Concord and Contra Costa County Closed sales by volume

(1/2014-12/31/2014). Data by Maxebrdi

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430 Meadow View Lane, Clayton $1,195,000

Morgan Territory – 4BD/3.5BA 3,689 sq.ft. CustomShowcase Home. This spectacular home has a Chef'sDream Gourmet kitchen with cherrywood cabinets,granite/quartz counters, wolf range. Porcelain floorsthroughout main level. Panoramic views of Mt Diabloand surrounding hills 5 Car Garage, Wine Cellar.

2254 Sugarloaf Court, Brentwood $639,000

Portofino Estates – Stunning 4BD/2.5BA 2,745 sqftsingle story home on 14,100 sqft lot. Gourmet ChefKitchen with granite counters, Tile floors, built inappliances and a pantry. Master Bathroom has tilefloors, Granite Counters, Granite tile shower stall,sunken tub. Too much to list.

523 Ross Circle, Martinez $599,950The Meadows – Completely updated home with5BD/3BA 2,316 sqft. 1Bd/1BA on main level.Remodeled gourmet kitchen with granite counters, tilefloors, stainless appliances. Brazilian Cherry handscraped floors in living & dining room. Large backyardwith built-in kitchen, hot tub, outdoor fan & great views.

1027 Pebble Beach Drive, Clayton $1,100,000Peacock Creek – Luminous 4BD/2.5BA 3,307 Sq.ft.boasts charm and elegance on a picturesque setting.Gourmet Garden view kitchen with Family Room.Back yard is Entertainers delight with outdoorkitchen/BBQ grill, Built-in Spa and breath takingpanoramic views

PENDING

954 Maplegate Court, Concord Coming SoonCrystyl Ranch – 5BD/4.5BA 4,132 sqftwith Bonus Room. Master Bedroom Suiteon Main Level. High End upgrades fromthe hand scraped hardwood floors andGranite Kitchen Counters to the customshutters throughout.

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4618 Imperial Street, Antioch $534,000Monterra – 4BD/3BA 3002 sq.ft homeon one of the largest lots in the neighbor-hood. Nearly a half an acre! PanoramicView of the delta from the yard. Momentsfrom Parks, shopping, HWY 4.1 Bedroom and 1 Bath on main level.

Bonnie Manolas, (925) [email protected]

Cal BRE#01857217

Again we will work with the

Food Bank & ask you to

PLEASE DROP non-

perishable FOOD items to

our office bin by JUNE 4.

May 15, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

‘Village’ neighbors continueto grow in numbers

Watercolors and wine high-lighted the day at Clayton ValleyVillage’s “Taste of Spring”fundraiser at Oakhurst CountryClub on Sunday, April 12.

Paintings and photographyby Northern California artists,along with wine from local vint-ners were appreciated by themore than 80 attendees. Local

merchants stepped up withprizes for the raffle and auction,and hardly anyone went homeempty-handed.

Event chair Sonja Wilkindeclared the afternoon a success,and a boost for the further devel-opment of the organizationwhose goal is to help neighborsremain in their homes as they age.

Saturdays 6 to 8:30 p.m.

At the Gazebo in The GroveSet up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m.

Concertsin The Grovein The Grove

May 23 Big Band Beat –San Francisco’s legendary party band modern rock, the Motown sound, thegirl groups, disco/funk and more!

June 6 The Boys of Summer –The best Eagles tribute band this side of the Rockies,

June 20 Mustache Harbor Classic hits from the 70s and 80s Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Ace,Kenny Loggins and The Little River Band

July 4 Plan B - Celebrate the 4th of July with Clayton’s own Plan B!

July 18 Loose Blues - Plays rockin' blues, rock 'n roll, R&B, and rockin' country to make you dance

Aug 1 Diamond Dave – sings the classics of Sinatra, Elvis, Justin Timberlake & even Lady Gaga

Aug 15 Fundamentalshigh-energy stage show, 3 dynamic, lead vocalists, “Red Hot Rockin’ Soul”

Aug 29 Forejour –Pays tribute to the music of 80s mega bands Foreigner& Journey

Sept 12 East Bay Mudd - 10-piece cover dance band with a powerful 4-man horn section

For more band information, go to

www.cityofclayton.org. Chairs and

blankets may be set out after 4 p.m.

on concert days.

Thursdays 7 to 8:30 p.m.

June 11 Lafayette Studio Big BandJuly 2 The RelyksAug 6 Jam DaddyAug 20 PHD’sSept 3 Crossman Country

Thurs. Concerts end promptly at 8:30pm

Around Town


CITY CELEBRATES KIDS FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING at the May 5Council meeting. Diyar Kudrat, Ashlyn Givens, Alyssa VanHorn, Samuel Sidhu, Julie Deely, Mayor Shuey; Standing infront are MDE’s Erin Robinson and Dylan Gordillo-Wright.

Local students honoredfor their Integrity

BARBARA HALPERIN LIFTS A GLASS OF VIANO VINO at the CVVillage ‘Taste of Spring’ event April 12 at Oakhurst CC.

This menacing looking fel-low is not in Oz. And, he won’tthrow apples at passing cars.

He and his partner are real-ly quite friendly as they standwatch over the town’s easternedge.

The two are the latest cre-ations from Ed Waraner’s(Waraner Bros. Tree Service)chain saw.

A jaunty little bunny alsogreets hikers on the CardinetTrail and a regal-lookingSmokey Bear stands in front ofthe Sunshine Fire Station.

Stumped at the border?

All Out Sports, a Claytonbased youth organization,rewarded three of their out-standing student athletes withscholarships last month. Allthree winners received a $250(529 college plan) scholarship

Founder and CEO, CaseyCopeland believes in balancingschool, community and sports.“These three individuals exem-plify what a student athlete is.”They all have straight A’s, dogreat community service and areactive participants for theirteams within All Out.

All Out Sports League providesyouth and adult sports in Clayton andAntioch. For more information, go tothe website alloutsportsleague.com

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com May 15, 2015

LEIGH KLOCKRealtor®, DRE#01874255

925.212.5593

STEPHANIE LOPEZRealtor®, DRE#01370548

925.932.7329

www.myDynamicRealtors.com

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Rarely available – Exquisite Tuscan Inspired Estate in DowntownClayton! Signature single story residence Custom built w/masterfuldetail – 5 extra generous Bedrooms, Master with en-suite & fireplace, 3luxe Full Baths, open concept Great Room, Bonus Recreation Roomand Top Chef Kitchen! 1/2 acre stunning landscape – pool, spa, gaze-bo, lawns, gardens, hobby vines, and more. Additional 1,900 s.f. down-stairs, level space ready for build out (Construction bid available).

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Enchanting "La Bella Palazzo" is more than just a home,it is an expression of joy enveloped in architectural artistry. This 7,000square foot residence features 4 master suites, an impressive media/gameroom, private office with terrazzo, downstairs and upstairs family rooms, agrand formal dining room and living room with hand crafted raw ItalianAlder wood trusses soaring from above! The true chef will delight withdeluxe commercial ovens, 800+ capacity wine cellar, wall of built in refrig-eration, and exclusive butcher block island. The double turret, the winebarrel inspired solid wood doors, the near 360 degree uninterrupted views,4 private patios, landscape plan including a 1,000 sf. casita/pavilion, infin-ity pool & spa, and regulation bocce court raise the bar for luxury living!

For details visit www.1155RedfernCourt.com.

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Stunning views from this lovely 4 bed, 2bath home ideally located at the end of a culde sac and backing up to Mt Diablo St Parktrail. Volume ceilings, fresh interior paint,new carpet, updated baths. Private deck offthe master bedroom.

Offered at $669,000

www.218MtWilsonPlace.com

Don't miss this Custom 1960's Clayton Rancher in a private, tucked awaylot! This sprawling home retains original charm and provides stylishupdates throughout. There are 5 generous bedrooms and 3 full baths.The Master boasts stunning new en suite and walk in closet. Updatedopen concept kitchen sparkles with granite counters and stainless appli-ances. The 5th bedroom with separate entrance is perfect for home officeor au pair. The detached workshop/ man cave provides extra space forwork or play! Lush landscaping and several outdoor entertaining areasmake for perfect California living. Offered at $699,000

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Not responsible for errors or omissions. [Pleasant Holidays acts only as an agent for the various travel providers shown above.] CST# 1007939-10.UBI# 601 915 263. TAR# 5308. Copyright © 2015 Pleasant Holidays, LLC. All Rights Reserved. All photos courtesy of Pebble Beach Resorts.

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#2033054-4

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Bob and Alice Jordan recently celebrated their60th wedding anniversary. They were married April16, 1955 in Glendale Calif. They met at a fraternityparty at UCLA while students there. They havelived in Clayton for 52 years where they raised theirthree children Steve, Mike and Jill. Bob and Aliceare active members of St. John's Episcopal Church.Alice was a charter member of the ClaytonWoman's Club and has been in the same bridgeclub for over 50 years. Bob has been retired for 20years and he and Alice stay active volunteering forMeals on Wheels as well as Clayton Relay for Life.They spend their leisure time going to plays,movies, concerts and local restaurants. They alsoenjoy taking classes at the local Cal State Haywardcampus. They have been members of theirGourmet Club for more than 25 years and reallyenjoy getting together with their friends. They alsolove spending time with their family which includes8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Jordans celebrate 60-year Anniversary

All Out Sports League recognizesachievement off the court

ALL-OUT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Justin Durfinger, Alex Yu andSamantha Tuohey

Around Town

ALICE AND BOB JORDAN

Sue Elliott and Chris Smith of Clayton visited Chile and Argenti-na between erupting volcanoes in April. They read the Clayton Pio-neer from front to back several times while traveling from the Ata-cama Desert in Northern Chile to the Perito Moreno Glacier, LosGlaciares National Park, in Argentina. This 97-square-mile ice for-mation is large enough to hold the entire city of Buenos Aires. It isone of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field locat-ed in the Andes Mountains.

Susan and Jerry Sappingtonspent their 15th weddinganniversary in the TuscanyRegion of Italy with a stop inthe quaint village of SanGimigano for wine and cheese.Other stops included Florence,Lucca and Portofino. Of course,they had to let the Italians knowwhere they came from!

Sue and Frank Snyder of Concord stopped in Hilo to check outthe Concord and Clayton Pioneer newspapers by Rainbow Falls ontheir 15-day Hawaiian cruise in April. Rough seas kept them fromsome sights, but not from making new friendships on board.

On ice in Argentina

Aloha from Rainbow Falls

Buon Giorno from Tuscany

Pioneer Travels

Downtown Clayton wasonce again the destination forshopping and wine tasting whenthe Clayton Business and Com-munity Association sponsoredthe 20th annual Art and WineFestival, May 2-3.

Thousands poured intotown to sample premium wines,munch through the Food Court,browse the vendors and rockout to some local bands.

The event is one of three

fundraisers mounted by theClayton Business and Commu-nity Association to raise fundsfor scholarships, schools andcommunity needs. An army ofvolunteers start setting up theday before and sometimes workthrough the night to assure asuccessful event.

For more information about theCBCA or to apply for membership, go toclaytoncbca.org or call 925.672.2272


Market, from page 1

Contra Costa County Fairgrounds,

1201 West 10th St., Antioch

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Fun Family Friday Kids 12 and under FREE all day

Buy 1 Carnival Red Wristband and

get 1 FREE (until 6 p.m.)

May 28-31FREE Daily Exhibits

FREE Concerts

3 for FREE ThursdayBring 3 cans of food and receive

one FREE admission.

Counter clockwise from topleft: 1. Art and Wine maintenancevolunteers Debbie Geller,Sandy Johnson and DanRichardson 2. Tasting and shopping theirway down Main St., Vicky andMike Farnham and John andAnna Edwards 3. CBCA committee membersHoward and Debbie Gellerand event volunteercoordinator, Marcy Busse4. Art and Wine chair, JohnGarrett


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One more mighty fine Art and Wine

The market is downtownon Diablo Street and is openevery Saturday from 8 a.m.to 12 p.m., and runs throughSept. 19.

BAND ON THE RUN

Happily, the Clayton ValleyCharter High School marchingband chose the market open-ing to kick off their annualMusic-a-thon fundraiser. Theband marched through themarket on their way to Dia-mond Terrace and the neigh-borhoods where residentscould have a private lawn con-cert for a donation of $20.Music-a-thon donations are amajor source of funds for theband, which expected to raisemore than $5000 this year.Funds are used to offset bandexpenses for music, instru-ments, uniforms and travel.

The drummers kept the beat as the CVCHS marching bandheaded up Main Street to begin their annual Music-a-thonfundraiser.

For the second time in twoyears, East Contra Costa FireProtection District failed toconvince taxpayers to pass aparcel tax measure which wouldsaved the district’s five fire sta-tions, at least for another fiveyears. Voters rejected a priorparcel tax measure in 2012. In2013, a second try was abortedafter the ballots were mailedbecause the data used to calcu-late the tax was faulty.

This last failed measure pro-posed forming a Benefit Assess-ment District and levying a $100annual parcel tax, which requiresa simple majority of those vot-ing instead of the two-thirdssuper-majority required to passother taxes.

In April, 38,529 ballots weremailed to property owners andonly 9,495 — less than 25 per-cent — were returned. The finalvote was 53 percent opposed.

The vote left the district withno choice but to shutter theKnightsen and old downtown

Brentwood fire stations. Discov-ery Bay, Oakley and the Brent-wood (Balfour) stations willremain open, leaving threeengines and nine firefighters onduty at a given time to cover 250square miles with a populationof more than 100,000.

AMADOR CONTRACT

SAVES SUNSHINE

Thanks to a contract with

CalFire, the Sunshine Station onMarsh Creek Road will remainopen year-round. The MorganTerritory/Marsh Creek area isconsidered at high risk for wild-fires and is a designated a StateResponsibility Area (SRA). Fireprotection during the fire sea-son, typically April to Novem-ber, is provided by CalFire,funded by the state.

The rest of the year, fire pro-

tection responsibility falls toEast County which then con-tracts with CalFire to keep thestation open from November toApril. The arrangement isknown as an Amador contractand the cost to East County tax-payers is about $400,000. Addi-tionally, the residents in this areapay an SRA fire service fee of$117 annually on top of theirproperty taxes.

The Amador contract runsfrom year to year and is never asure thing. The district couldopt not to renew the contract atanytime. Without the contractwith CalFire, the Sunshine Sta-tion would close for half theyear, leaving the Morgan Terri-tory residents to rely on Con-Fire’s Station 11 in Clayton or

East County’s Brentwood sta-tion. In this event, fire insurance– already high – would skyrock-et. Premiums could double,triple, even quadruple, says EastCounty Board Member CherylMorgan. Some of the outlyinghomes could be deemed unin-surable, rendering them impos-sible to sell.

FIRE SEASON LOOMS

In the fourth year of theworst drought in recorded histo-ry, California is heading into the“worst fire season ever,” saysMike Marcucci, CalFire Battal-ion Chief at the Sunshine Sta-tion. “The grass is so thick youcan’t get your hand through it.”

Marcucci urges residents tobe prepared.

“Be ready,” says Marcucci.“Clearing a 100-foot defensiblearea around homes is critical. It’snot ‘if,’ but ‘when’” anotherwildfire on the scale of the 2013Morgan Fire strikes.

Marcucci is currently work-ing on a grant from the Fire SafeCouncil to ramp up preventionmeasures.

The grant will fund fire-resistant public landscapingprojects, improving the fireroads and providing for com-munity wood-chipping days.

“Since the Morgan Fire,we’ve become very fund-able,”Marcucci says.

Another grant from PG&Ewill go towards keeping areasunder and around the powerlines clear.

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Sunshine Station dodges bullet, remains open

Earthquakes rattle nerves in Clayton and Concord

The area’s longest-runningannual family event, Bay AreaKidFest, returns on MemorialDay Weekend presenting its Sil-ver Anniversary edition May 23-25 in Downtown Concord.

KidFest has been producedby Clayton resident Jay Bede-carre since 2010. That year Con-cord officials said the city wasno longer able to provide finan-cial support and the event hadoutgrown its Todos SantosPlaza location. Long-time pro-ducer Beth Clark also retiredafter the 20th KidFest andturned over the reins to her mar-keting partner Bedecarre.

At the suggestion of a friendhe moved KidFest four blocksdown Grant St. to Mt. DiabloHigh School, coincidentally hisalma mater, where the festivalwas able to expand with triple thespace. Bedecarre added a varietyof extra free attractions plusnearly two dozen carnival ridesgeared for the core KidFest audi-ence of kids 12 and under.

Since the move Bay AreaKidFest has been voted “BestFestival” in the area by readersof Claycord.com four consecu-tive times.

The additional space alsofacilitated bringing in travelingshows from around the worldlike this year’s Aussie Kingdom,an educational exhibit takingvisitors through the Australianoutback with a chance to seekangaroos, wallabies and nativeAustralian birds up close.

Among the other free attrac-tions included in the low Kid-Fest admission are Kent FamilyCircus, SpongeBob SquarePantsand Dora the Explorer andaudience participation in scenesfrom The Wizard of Oz. Thisyear the 12th annual Spring

Diversity (Baisakhi) Festival isall day Saturday, Bay Area Pet-Fest is Sunday and SportStarsField of Dreams onMonday.

From the first yearof KidFest in 1990when Bedecarrebrought his two youngsons to see Michelan-gelo of TeenageMutant PowerRangers costumed TVand movie characterswho interact with theattendees have been aKidFest staple.S p o n g e B o bSquarePants and Dorathe Explorer fromNickelodeon havebeen favorites overthe years but this isthe first time theyhave been together atKidFest to meet and have theirpicture taken with kids of allages.

Kid’s Town America, facepainting, balloon art, martialarts, games, KidArt, bounces,crawls and sports activities atKidFest are also free. There’salso the omnipresent FoodCourt, arts and crafts andexhibitor booths. There is anextra charge for carnival rides.

The Main Stage features freenonstop entertainment of pri-marily local groups with music,dance, cultural and ethnic pre-sentations, martial arts and morefrom 10:45 each morning.Another event added since themove is a Memorial Day Mon-day noon time ceremony withMt. Diablo High School Jr.ROTC and renowned vocalistDeborah Del Mastro singing theanthems for each of the militarybranches and other patriotic

songs.KidFest is also a fundraiser

for local nonprofits in educa-

tion, health and youth sports.Festival. Producer Bay Area Fes-tivals has donated over $70,000to organizations over the pastfive years. For the 20th year in arow, KidFest is partnering withthe Food Bank of Contra Costaand Solano. Over 100,000pounds of food have been givento the needy by KidFest atten-dees. Every patron donating acan of food gets $1 off the Kid-Fest admission price.

Admission is $6 a person forthose donating a can of food or$7 without a donation. Babiesunder 24 months and seniors 65and over are free. KidFest isopen from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sat-urday and Sunday of MemorialDay Weekend and until 5 p.m.on Monday, May 25.

For complete KidFest informationvisit kidfestconcord.com or call (925)671-3287.

One thing is for sure —Clayton and Concord know howto rock and roll.

That has never been so evi-dent as in the past few weeks,when a small swarm of earth-quakes rattled theConcord/Green Valley fault andsent jitters running through theresidents.

“I felt a big jolt on Sunday(May 3) then two on Wednes-day,” said Concord residentCamille Howston, who lives offof Clayton Road. “It was scary!”

Luckily for Howston andother residents in the DiabloValley, the small swarm ofquakes were not a precursor to“The Big One,” just a not-so-gentle reminder that we live in

earthquake country.“These types of earthquake

swarms are not unusual,” saysAnneMarie Baltay, a seismolo-gist with the U.S. GeologicalSurvey (USGS), which monitorsearthquakes. “It’s a pretty typicalset of events.”

She says that the USGSkeeps tabs on the fault lines inCalifornia, and they see manysmall “events” like the swarmthat jolted Concord.

“They are not indicative ofanother, stronger earthquake tocome,” she says. “In fact, they’requite common.”

She said that the swarm —with four quakes that registeredabove 3 points on the RichterScale and the 20 or so muchsmaller ones that residentsdidn’t feel — usually would lastabout a week or so.

Baltay also said that the Con-cord swarm was quite deep,about 12-15 kilometers (15miles) below the earth’s surface,so they were not as strong asquakes that happen closer to thesurface.

However, she says there isnothing to worry about on theConcord/Green Valley Fault.It’s bigger sister, the HaywardFault, is the one seismologistshave targeted for a large quakewithin the next 30 years.

Still, that doesn’t mean thatthe Concord/Green Valley Faultis a wimp — it is capable of amagnitude 5 quake, and indeedshook with a 5.4 quake way backin 1955.

The recent shakings justunderscore the need to haveearthquake safety plans in place.

CalFire BATTALION CHIEF MIKE MARCUCCI AND CAPTAIN JAMES

KIRKMAN will remain at the helm of the CalFire SunshineStation year around thanks to a contract with East County Fire.

AUSSIE KINGDOM traveling exhibition(open all day) and show (3 times daily)highlights KidFest next weekend withanimals and birds from down under.

KidFest marks Silver Anniversary

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

Wilfred “Wil” Barnes diedpeacefully at home with his viewof Mt. Diablo and his garden onApril 16. Throughout his nearly91 years he was a loving son,brother, husband, father, grand-dad and great-granddad to hisfamily. He was a loyal friend, tal-ented woodworker, World WarII veteran and Rotarian.

Born in Chicago, Barnesgrew up in Springfield, Missouri,and Billings, Montana, where heenjoyed being close to natureand climbing the Rimrocksabove the Yellowstone River.Graduating from Billings HighSchool, Barnes enlisted andspent WWII in the Army Air

Force where he was trained inmeteorology, communicationsand electronics at Amherst Col-lege, Yale, Harvard and MIT.

While serving in ColoradoSprings after the war, he metand married his wife Bernice in1946. Using the GI bill, he grad-uated from the University ofChicago, with a degree inPhysics and masters in Mathe-matics. He was awarded the firstPhD in Mathematics from theUniversity of British Columbia,in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Itwas in Canada that he also per-fected the art of brewing greatbeer, a craft he practiced formany years for the enjoyment of

his friends and family.“Bernie” and Barnes were

married for nearly 60 years, raisingtheir family in Pullman, Washing-ton, where Barnes served as math

professor at Washington StateUniversity from 1954 to 1966,and Ames, Iowa, at Iowa StateUniversity where he was the headof the math department for 16years, then stayed on as a mathprofessor until retiring in 1994.While in Ames, they loved spend-ing vacations at their cabin in themountains of Colorado, a favoritespot for grandchildren, too.

The couple moved to Albany,Oregon, where Barnes enjoyedhis retirement crafting furniturefor his family. After Bernice diedin 2006, Barnes moved to Clay-ton in 2008 to live with hisdaughter Julie (Barnes) and hus-band Steve Pierce. Bernie andBarnes are greatly missed by theirdaughters Julie Pierce (Steve),Karen Barnes-Castro, grandsonsShawn and wife Jaime Pierce,Robert and wife Jenny Pierce,and great-grandchildren Ash-lynn, Sadie, Gavin and Ellie andmany dear friends.

Family and friends gatheredearlier this month to celebrateBarnes’ life at his home andraised a glass of his preferredscotch in tribute to a wonderfulman and a long life well lived.Memorial gifts may be made tothe Concord Rotary Foundationor Hospice of the East Bay.

Self-DisciplineDo the Right Thing

Beauty and Pampering

Kumar, Pam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325-7203

Mt. Diablo Soap Company . . . .mtdiablosoapcompany.com

Business Services

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

Construction and Trades

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

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

Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519

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

Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500

J.A. Ronco Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872-3049

Schaefer’s Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

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

Scousers Fish’n Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-1962

Events

Clayton Business & Community Assoc. . . .claytoncbca.org

Contra Costa County Fair . . . . . . . . . .contracostafair.com

KidFest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .kidfestconcord.com

Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . . . .800-949-3276

Financial, Insurance and Legal Services

Archvest Wealth Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215-5600

DuRee, Daniel – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . . . .210-1400

Littorno, Richard – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . .432-4211

SAFE Credit Union . . . . . . . . .www.safecu.org/homeloans

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

Flowers

A Floral Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .705-3088

Funerals

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

Groceries

Doorstep Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349-4568

Health

Erdell, Dr. - Orthodontics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .946-1951

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

Healing Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2829

Home and Garden

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

Clean Cleaner Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383-1253

DeSousa, Debbie – Professional Organization . .672-9598

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

Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920

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

R & M Pool, Patio, Gifts & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207

The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243

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

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

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

Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334

Mailing Services

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

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

Pet Services

Pittsburg Pet Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

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

Hayes, Diane and Bill – Better Homes Realty . . .890-4701

Howard, Don – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . .408-3184

Howard, Emily – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . .408-1871

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

Landgraf, Linda – Berkshire Hathaway . . . . . . . .876-0311

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

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

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

Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . . .567-6170

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

Recreation and Fitness

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

Services, Other

ComputersUSA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989

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

Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .682-4518

Rochellez Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-677-4170

Travel

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

Directory of Advertisers

P.O. Box 1246

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

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

STAFF WRITERS: Peggy Spear, Pam Wiesendanger, John Jackson, Jay BedecarreWe remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT USTel: (925) 672-0500Fax: (925) 672-6580

Tamara [email protected]

Send ads [email protected] Sports News to

[email protected] Club News to

[email protected] School News to

[email protected]

CLASSIFIEDSClassified rates per insertion:$48 for first 30 words, 40 cents

each additional word Non-profit: $24 for first 30

words, 20 cents each additional word To place your classified ad over thephone, call the office at (925) 672-0500between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.All classifieds must be paid for inadvance by credit card (Master Card orVisa) We will not accept any ad thatdiscriminates on the basis of race,color, sex, religion, nationality, familystatus or disability. The Clayton Pio-neer reserves the right to reject anyadvertising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniver-

saries, births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric of ourcommunity. Please let us know of theseimportant events. We ask only that theannouncement be for a resident in ourhome delivery area. Submit on ourwebsite and be sure to attach a JPGphoto that is at least 3 MB but not big-ger than 6MB. You can also mail orbring your print to the office and wecan scan it for you.

Also on the website are forms for

calendar items, events & press releases.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORBoth Pioneer newspapers wel-

come letters from our readers. As ageneral rule, letters should be 250words or less and submitted at leastone week prior to publication date. Let-ters concerning current issues will havepriority. We may edit letters for lengthand clarity. All letters will be publishedat the editor’s discretion. Please includename, address and daytime telephonenumber. We will not print anonymousletters. E-mail your letter [email protected].

Letters must be submitted via E-mail.

CIRCULATION as of Sept. 2014Total circulation of the Clayton

Pioneer is 5,500 to ZIP code 94517, alldelivered by US Mail to homes, busi-nesses and post office boxes. We can-not start or stop delivery to individ-ual addresses. This must be donedirectly through the Post Office

The Concord Pioneer is deliveredmonthly to 30,000 in Concord by carri-er. Papers are delivered once a monthon a Friday morning near the end ofthe month. To stop delivery for anyreason, call the office at (925) 672-0500or send an email to us [email protected].

If you are NOT receiving the Pio-neer, please check the distribution mapon the website. If you live in the shad-ed area and are not receiving the paper,please call us or send an email to [email protected]. If you arenot in the shaded area, please bepatient. We will come to your neigh-borhood soon.

SUBSCRIPTIONSTo subscribe, call the office at

(925) 672-0500. Subscriptions are$35/year for each paper, $60/year forboth.


New Jersey native and aClayton resident since 2010,Marie Cogan passed away May 4in her Diamond Terrace apart-ment. She was the mother offormer Clayton Pioneer editorJill Cogan Bedecarré.

The 92-year-old was born inElizabeth, NJ to August GustavMueller and Madeline Smith. Shemarried her high school sweet-heart, John Cogan, on Jan. 6,1945 while he was serving in theUS Navy. Marie wrote him lettersand sent boxes of goodies withpeanuts and crossword puzzleswhile he spent three years inBrazil during World War II.

They had son John Joseph(Jack) Cogan on Feb. 4, 1946and daughter Jill Ann Cogan onFeb. 24, 1950 and then settledon Monica Court in Avenel, NJfor over 30 years.

After John retired from anear 40-year career with Exxonthe couple moved to Californiain 1991 to be close to their fourgrandchildren. She was a vora-cious reader and loved to jog.The couple enjoyed traveling toIreland, England and Alaska.They also made several crosscountry drives to visit theirdaughter’s growing family.

Marie made friends wherevershe went. Son-in-law Jay Bede-carré says she knew more of hisneighbors in Clayton than he did.At Diamond Terrace her friendssaid she was an unbelievablyfunny woman who, when askedwhat she wanted people to knowabout her responded, “That I’ma beautiful, skinny blond with agreat sense of humor.”

She lost her immediate fami-ly to three medical scourges ofthe past four decades: son Jacksuccumbed to AIDS in 1989,husband John to Alzheimer’s in2005 and daughter Jill to breast

cancer in 2007. John and Mariewere married 60 years and hedied three days after their 60thanniversary.

She is survived by son-in-lawJay Bedecarré, granddaughterJuliene Marie Bedecarré andgrandson Jared William Bede-carré of Clayton; grandson JohnJason (Emily) Bedecarré andgreat grandson Ted WilliamBedecarré of Corte Madera andgrandson Justin ThomasBedecarré of San Francisco.

She is also survived by sixnephews and three nieces, all onthe East Coast, and sister-in-lawAlyce Miller of New Jersey. Shespoke almost daily with nieceJean Shipley, who was her AuntMarie’s “second daughter.”

The family thanks her care-givers Jennifer, Flora, Leah andAmy and Jill’s dear friend EllenHerdegen for their love andkindness. The family said thatanyone wishing to make aremembrance in her name cando so to the Cancer SupportCommunity of Walnut Creek,Alzheimer’s Research andPreservation Foundation or acharity of your choice.

Services were held at St.Bonaventure Chapel Wednesday fol-lowed by a burial at Holy Cross Ceme-tery in Antioch.

Obituary

Marie CoganAugust 29, 1922 – May 4, 2015

MARIE COGAN

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Wilfred E. BarnesJune 3, 1924 – April 16, 2015

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Q. What might we facewhen selling our home due tosome unpermitted additionswe’ve made?

A. The important thing is todisclose this fact to potentialbuyers. You are required to dis-close anything you know aboutthe property. A seller in our areawanted to disclose that a sun-room addition was done with-out permits but was up to code.Luckily he was instructed not todisclose that it was up to codebecause he didn‘t know that for

sure. When the buyer did theirinspections they were informedthat it wasn’t built to code. It isimportant to only disclose whatyou know for sure.

One thing that would make itdifficult to get financing on ahome is if it has an addition withan unpermitted kitchen. I knowof a seller that pulled the stoveout of the kitchen area of theaddition before sale so it would-n’t be considered a kitchen. Thebuyer had the option to put astove in after they moved in. I

don’t think I would have suggest-ed this but it was fully disclosedand the sale went through.

The biggest problem thatmight arise from an unpermit-ted addition is the appraisal. Theappraiser will attribute littlevalue to this space. A buyer willlike it though because they aregetting extra square footage forvery little extra money.

Q. I am planning to putmy home on the marketsoon. I am very uncomfort-able with the security issuesespecially during open hous-es and having a lock boxwith my key in it on the frontdoor. How do people dealwith these issues? I am a sin-gle woman, by the way.

A. I have been selling realestate for nearly 18 years andhave never had a theft at one ofmy listings and have never beenrobbed. I say this so you don’tworry too much, just be pre-pared. Don’t tempt a possiblethief. Here are some commonsense tips.• Before having your house

shown, remove all valuablesincluding jewelry, money,bank statements, credit cardsand keys. Don’t leave themin a drawer with easy access.

• Prescription drugs should belocked away in a cabinet.

• Before an open house, dis-cuss with your agent securitytechniques to use while peo-ple are walking through. Besure that the agent will

engage with the people walk-ing through, not just let themhave free rein of your home.If the agent expects it to beespecially busy ask if thereshould be two agents there.

• Before having a showing, alllights should be turned onand all blinds, shades andcurtains opened.

• If a real estate agent or poten-tial buyer shows up withoutproper notification do not letthem in. Tell them to call youragent if they have interest.

• When I list a home for a sin-gle, especially female, seller, Idon’t put the lockbox on thedoor. She keeps control ofthe lockbox and only puts itout when she is expecting ashowing.

• If you feel uncomfortablewith someone or a situationbe very alert and perhapscontact someone nearby.

Send your question and look for youranswer in a future column. [email protected]. French is thebroker/owner of Windermere LynneFrench & Associates. Contact her at672-878 7or stop in at 6200 CenterSt., Clayton.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS

Unpermitted additions not a deal-killer

Without question, our com-munity has an affection for itparks and open spaces that isunrivaled in my professionalexperience. The Grove Park andsurrounding downtown areacertainly leads the list offavorites. Concerts, parades, fes-tivals, the farmers market and ahost of other events truly makeThe Grove a place for the com-munity to come together.

The popularity of the down-town area inevitably leads toconflicts between users.Depending on where you’re atin life, you may find some of theother folks in the park to be a“bother.” As an example, fami-lies with small children are notalways appreciative of older kidswho are looking for a place to“hang out.”

The park seems to be a placewhere many of our tweens gath-er to socialize after school. This

has led to some conflictsbetween kids and between kidsand adults. There have beenreports of fights and of one ortwo young people taking part inmuch more serious activity suchas selling drugs. The policedepartment is aware of theissues and, to the extent possi-ble, we are spending time in thepark. At a recent Clayton CityCouncil meeting, several resi-

dents voiced their concernregarding the behavior of someof the young people.

I have nearly 30 years as apolice officer. I have raised twokids through the middle schoolage. I can tell you first-hand, notall children behave in public theway they behave at home. Someact very differently when theyare not around you, their par-ents. This doesn’t make thembad kids, it simply makes themteenagers. The park is a beauti-ful place, built and supported byALL of our residents. In a per-fect world, all who come toenjoy the area would find it tobe a fun and memorable experi-ence.

I ask all parents to speak totheir children about the impor-tance of our parks. Vandalismand other poor behavior notonly destroys the park in a phys-ical sense, but destroys the feel-

ing of safety our citizens enjoy.The park is not a “babysitter.”Please understand that kids,even “good kids,” if left to theirown devices can make poorchoices. Check in on them, stopby and say hello. Surprise themby bringing a snack. Swing byand monitor the kids in thepark, let them know how muchyou care.

If you witness criminalbehavior, please call the policedepartment. We will respondand take appropriate action.Remember, the park is a publicfacility, open to all. It should beshared by all groups and all ages.

As always, thank you forhelping make Clayton a greatplace to live, work and recreate.

Transwestern has contactedmore than 650 retailers, sent1000 mailers, and talked to morethan 400 other brokers to tryand entice the purchase anddevelopment. The city councilspecifically asked them toapproach retailers like TraderJoe’s. Unfortunately, Trader Joe’sand others have commercialstudies and data on buyinghabits and formulas on coststhat “show” Clayton does nothave enough population densityto support their market. Longand short of it is, retailers say wejust cannot support the type ofretail we want. This is furthercomplicated by the empty store-fronts we already have had in

downtown for the last fouryears.

For both our property andthe vacant storefronts, Tran-swestern also had some sober-ing news. Restaurants have atremendous failure rate,approaching 80 percent for non-chains, and it often takes morethan $100,000 to make tenantimprovements to get them inthe door. Again, in short, thefailure rate and cost are one rea-son we have not had movementdowntown, as well as the econo-my itself.

We did get two unsolicitedbids involving residential overretail concepts that do not fitour current zoning. The council,

therefore, has discussed and willcontinue to discuss our optionsregarding the parcel. In particu-lar, do we change the retailvision and re-zone to allowother concepts that bring peopleto the downtown, but will notbe wholly retail? Or do we con-tinue to bank the land and waitfor the economy and other fac-tors to bring that retail vision inthe future? We know there arepeople on both sides of this andwe asked for public comment atour last two meetings, butreceived very little. So, the coun-cil has requested that Transwest-ern ask “what if ” questions ofthe development communitythey interact with about to see ifit makes sense to look at otherpotential uses. In other words,“if this parcel was re-zoned,

what potential development doyou see being attractive?” Thiswill allow input without com-mitment and then we can con-tinue the discussion.

So, while they are doing thatwork, the Council wishes you toweigh in as well as to the contin-ued “vision” for downtown.Email me at [email protected] and I will distribute tostaff and the rest of the counciland look for future meetingswhere we will continue the dis-cussion. On the other hand,Crazy Horse was quoted as say-ing, “One does not sell the landpeople walk on (or put theOktoberfest carnival on).”

Email the mayor [email protected]

principal and Clayton Valleyalumnus, was ruled as having con-flicts of interest when he wasapplying for a CVCHS governingboard position.

The school’s legal counsel saidBeemer would potentially haveconflicts in his capacity as com-missioner of the Bay Valley Ath-letic League and also because ofhis relationship with Hansen. Thelegal firm said MDUSD is still thelandlord of CVCHS and legal orfinancial matters between theschool and district might bebrought before the governingboard. Beemer was outspoken inhis displeasure with the school’sexecutive director Dave Linzey.

Hansen's letter said theschool’s leadership "has becomeso corrupt and dysfunctional thatthe only way to end the toxicityand restore a positive educationalsystem is revocation of the char-ter." She added, “Mt. Diablo Uni-fied is ready to step in immediate-ly to provide students with clear,meaningful educational opportu-

nities and to restore trust andfunctionality to the Clayton Valleyschool community."

Following the discovery ofHansen’s February letter andMarch emails to the countythrough a Public Records Actrequest, attorney Kristopher Car-penter of Young, Minney andCorr said Hansen was breakingMDUSD board policies in send-ing the letter and emails to theCCCOE, which is in the midst ofinvestigating a series of com-plaints sent to them by individualsdissatisfied with the charterschool’s leadership.

Carpenter says Hansen was“using the weight of your officeto support your personal posi-tion.” Carpenter then outlined ina three-page letter the “legal andethical boundaries you havecrossed in sending communica-tions on behalf of MDUSD tothe County Board and Superin-tendent.” He goes on to say “yourattempts to sway the CCCOE’sinvestigation have violated

MDUSD Board policy, and mayhave even violated law.”

The school counsel finishedby saying “what is made exceed-ingly clear by your actions is thatdetractors of CVCHS are willingto utilize any resource, even those[that violate] law and policy, toimpair the success of the schoolin furtherance of their own per-sonal agenda.”

“We find this letter, whichadvocates revocation of our high-performing charter school, verytroubling,” said Linzey. “It cer-tainly demands answers as to whyCheryl Hansen would use herofficial title as Board Presidentand district resources to influencean on-going investigation (by theContra Costa County Office ofEducation) and to reassure ourauthorizer that MDUSD is ‘readyto step in immediately’ to takeover our school. We are con-cerned as to whether MDUSDhas taken any official action toactively take over our school fortheir own financial gain.”

In November the countytrustees unanimously gave Clay-ton Valley its maximum charter

reauthorization through 2020.Following the release of the

Feb. 25 letter Carpenter and someCVCHS parents spoke at the Mt.Diablo board’s May meeting call-ing out Hansen. The board presi-dent responded by saying she wasexercising her First Amendmentrights in contacting the county.

In other news, Clayton ValleyCharter also has a request intoMDUSD to add a second foot-ball/soccer/lacrosse all-weatherturf field that would be used byschool teams, students and localyouth groups. CVCHS fundswould pay for the $1.4 millionproject but it needs districtapproval since it is on MDUSDproperty.

Contra Costa District Attor-ney Mark Peterson last monthcleared CVCHS of a number ofcharges brought by individualsand the Stakeholders for Trans-parency group against Linzey andthe school’s governing board. TheDA’s office “found insufficientevidence of criminal wrongdoingto warrant criminal prosecutionor additional investigation… Iconsider the matter closed.”


Mayor, from page 1

CHRIS THORSEN

BEHIND THE BADGE

The Grove Park belongs to everyone

Chris Thorsen is Clayton’s chiefof police. For questions and com-ments, call him at (925) 673-7350.

Hansen, from page 1

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all attendees were able to enjoythe refreshments set up by theClayton Historical Society.

The exhibit coordinator,Mary Spryer, learned a lot aboutthe war while selecting items toput in the exhibit. She knew thatwhether they fought in the mili-tary, bought War Bonds, recy-cled valuable resources, volun-teered with the Red Cross orused ration coupon when buy-ing food, everyone in Americaparticipated in the war effort.

Spryer had heard about

rationing in the 1940s from herparents, who were teenagersfrom 1941-1945 and from hav-ing mounted a similar exhibit 10years ago. But when she beganthe research for this exhibit sherealized for the first time thatmetal toys, typewriters, andsewing machines were not man-ufactured at all during many ofthe war years.

Moreover, there was arequest for all privately owned,non-essential typewriters to bedonated to the armed forces for

their use. Spryer said that another dif-

ference between the 70th and60th Anniversaries is that manyitems in this year’s exhibit wereloaned by the descendants ofthe veterans rather than the vet-erans themselves. Even thoughthe veterans are aging (an 18-year-old recruit in 1941 wouldbe 92 in 2015), what has notchanged is the importance withwhich both the veterans andtheir descendants place on thepart their family played in thewar. Scrapbooks, newspaperclippings, pictures, and othermementos were kept safe and

intact for the past 70 years andwere proudly loaned to themuseum for this special exhibit.

U.S. Army gear, medals, pic-tures, vintage newspaper frontpages, in addition to items usedby families at home, will be ondisplay until Veterans Day, Nov.11, 2015. The museum is openon Sundays and Wednesdaysfrom 2 to 4 p.m. and by appoint-ment.

The Clayton Historical SocietyMuseum is located at 6101 Main St.in Clayton, Contact it at 925-672-0240 or www.claytonhistory.org.

Our Mediterranean style cli-mate allows us to condense thefour well-known seasons intotwo. We can dissect the year intoa wet winter season and drysummer season. Our water yearis defined as the period fromJuly 1 to June 30.

Long-term climate data fromthe Clayton area indicates thatmore than 90 percent of ourrainfall is recorded between thefirst of November and end ofApril. Therefore, additionalrainfall this water year will notsignificantly change the statisticsreported to this point.

Without a doubt the mainweather story in our area andthroughout the west is the con-tinuation of drought conditions.A backwards glance into rainfallrecords shows what transpired.

To date, Concord Airporthas received only 79 percent ofnormal rainfall this water year.The National Weather Servicereports that for the average forthe entire Bay Area was only 76percent of normal.

Unfortunately, this is thefourth year in a row when rain-fall totals fell below 85 percentof normal. The only silver liningseems to be that the currentwater year totals represent abouta 15 percent improvement overthe previous one.

Northern California reliesheavily on Sierra Nevada snowsand reservoir storage for itswater supply. Data from the lat-est mountain snow surveys aredismal. As of May 1, snow watercontent in the Northern andCentral Sierra averages from 1

to 2 percent of normal. Data from the Northern

Sierra rainfall index (consistingof eight stations) shows currentwater year has produced 68 per-cent of normal rainfall. Thatrepresents a six percentimprovement over the very drywater year that preceded it. As aresult, mountain reservoir waterlevels remain very low, about 59percent of average.

Monthly rainfall statisticsindicate that our rainy seasonhad a Jekyll and Hyde personali-ty. December held promise as adrought-busting month. Rainfallwas reported on 16 of the first20 days of the month, withmany Bay Area weather stationsreporting more than 10 inchesof rain during this period.

For a while there was plentyof talk of atmospheric rivers, ElNino, and drought relief.Despite promising forecasts ofcontinued storminess, the lasttwo weeks of 2014 were dry, butthe year ended with hope foradditional rains.

In January the evil Mr. Hydere-appeared. For the first timesince rainfall records have beenkept in the Bay Area (more than150 years), no measureable rain-fall fell during the entire month.

With the exception of athree-day period in early Febru-ary, and a few days of rain inApril, the dry weather patternhas continued through the restof the rainy season. As a result,water year 2014-15 will go downas a fourth consecutive dry year.All the December hope fordrought relief has evaporated.

It is an unfortunate end to awater year that briefly held somepromise. California and much ofthe west will see unprecedentedefforts to increase water conser-vation and restrict water usage.And we will hope the next wateryear has more Dr. Jekyll and lessMr. Hyde.


see in public areas around town.When the city faced similar cut-backs in 2009, trees, shrubs,groundcovers and newer plant-ing areas were given wateringpriority over turf, Janney said.That will again be the priority.

In a recent memo to hisstaff, Napper outlined the watercutbacks. On the “hit list” wereall public landscaped lawns,except the Clayton Fountain.Due to recent landscape renova-tions, this area has a high-effi-ciency irrigation system meetingthe state’s Water ConversationOrdinance. The city will water itjust two days a week as mandat-ed; if the irrigation system can’tkeep the lawn area semi-greenwith just the two day wateringschedule, city staff will reevalu-ate and determine if the systemshould be shut down during thesummer months.

Lawns that will not bewatered include North ValleyPark and Stranahan Park. AsJanney said, the Clayton Com-munity Park will be irrigated for

the allowed two-days-per-weekto try to keep the fields semi-green for play. At this time, theirrigation runs Monday nightand Thursday night with the irri-gation water meters shut downin between to prevent loss ofwater from mainline breaks.

GROUNDWATER WELLS HELP

Luckily, like some of thedowntown areas, the parks inWestwood, The Grove, andLydia Lane all use groundwaterwell water, which aren’t subjectto the state water restrictionsand can be watered three times aweek.

Other areas that will beexcluded from cutbacks includethe lawns in the downtown areaat the Oak Street exit and rampto Main Street, the tear drop(roses and boxwood island) onMain Street, and the area sur-rounding the Holiday Tree.These areas receive water froman existing city groundwaterwell.

Another area that uses

groundwater is around the Clay-ton Community Library. Thiswell, in addition to irrigating thelibrary grounds, supplies thewater to irrigate the ClaytonRoad landscape from theOakhurst Drive intersection tothe Mitchell Canyon Road inter-section, along old Marsh CreekRoad from Clayton Road toMain Street, at the Town CenterSign grounds, and at the MainStreet tear drop island.

Napper also said that alllandscaping supplied withwater from CCWD must bewatered only two days perweek, with no wateringbetween 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., norun-off, and breaks must berepaired as soon as possible.

“It’s a big deal,” said ClaytonCity Councilwoman Julie Pierce.“Luckily we have planted manydrought-tolerant plantsthroughout the city, so we’ll justhave to see how they stand up tothe hot summer months. I’msure by September many of theplants and lawns in Clayton willbe showing stress.”

“It’s a serious problem,” shesays. “We have to cut back.”

OAKHURST CUTTING BACK

Also cutting back is theOakhurst Country Club, saidGeneral Manager Tony Eichers.The golf course’s fairways andthe roughs will be watered justtwice a week, with the greensand tees three times, but only inthe evening hours.

“It actually will make the fair-ways harder, which make the ballsgo faster,” he said. “Our usersmight like it better.” Oakhurstbuys well water from the City ofClayton, which allows for theadditional watering.

“I think we’ll be able to keepthe greens in good shape, but it’sthe ancillary areas that will suffer,”he said, including the patches ofgrass facing Clayton Road, andareas around the pool and tenniscourts. They will be cut down totwice a week watering.

“We need to do our part,too, to conserve water,” he said.

He doesn’t foresee any feeadjustments because of thedrought situation, but he willask golfers to drive carts on thetrails and not on the grassbecause that will distress thegreens even more

Water cuts, from page 1

Despite early hope, drought continues

WWII Exhibit, from page 1

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The primary purpose ofestate planning is to ensure thatyour wealth is distributedaccording to your wishes afteryou die. But if a family memberchallenges the plan, that pur-pose may be defeated. If thechallenge is successful, a judgewill decide who’ll inherit yourproperty.

Will contests and similarchallenges often occur whenone’s estate plan operates in anunexpected way. For example, ifyou favor one child over theothers or leave a substantialinheritance to a nonfamilymember, those who expected toinherit that wealth may chal-lenge your plan, often on

grounds of undue influence.There are steps you can take,however, to avoid these chal-lenges.

It’s important to recognizethat a certain level of influence ispermissible, so long as it doesn’trise to the level of “undue” influ-ence. For example, there’s noth-ing inherently wrong with adaughter who encourages herfather to leave her the familyvacation home. But if the fatheris in a vulnerable position — per-haps he’s ill or frail and thedaughter is his caregiver — acourt might find that he’s suscep-tible to undue influence and thatthe daughter improperly influ-enced him to change his will.

PROTECTING YOUR PLAN

Here are several steps youcan take to avoid undue influ-ence claims and ensure that yourwishes are carried out:

Use a revocable trust. Ratherthan relying on a will alone, cre-ate a revocable, or “living,”trust. These trusts don’t gothrough probate, so they’remore difficult and costly to chal-lenge.

Establish competency. Claimsof undue influence often gohand in hand with challenges ongrounds of lack of testamentarycapacity. Establishing that youwere “of sound mind and body”at the time you sign your will cango a long way toward combating

an undue influence claim. Besure to create your estate planwhile you’re in good mental andphysical health. Have a physicianexamine you, at or near the timeyou execute your will and otherestate planning documents,

RICHARD LITTORNO

ESTATE PLANNING

Tips on avoiding will challenges

See Estate page 17

As this glorious school yearcomes to a close, there is onething left that every studentdreads; state testing. Untilrecently, all tests in the State ofCalifornia have been taken withpencil and paper. Comprised ofendless pages of multiple-choice questions, studentswould rather do almost anythingelse.

In this new technology age,state testing is shifting to beingentirely online. Many studentsare thrilled to have less ques-tions and less hassle, but withthe idea of the increasingimportance of the scores, there

are also a handful of studentswho would much rather not dealwith the stress.

“Even though it is harderthan the STAR test was, I thinkit is a more efficient way of test-ing,” said seventh grade studentAidan Reinwald. “I also thinkthat we will be able to place peo-ple in classes that better fit themwhich will make things easier foreveryone.”

Sarah Grigsby, another sev-enth grader, explained herthoughts: “I can see how thestate testing is important but ittakes up a lot of valuable learn-ing time and caused unnecessarystress.”

Seventh grader John Parkersaid, “I believe that for kidswho enjoy working on comput-ers, it is an easier format, but atthe same time kids that aren’tproficient at typing find it moredifficult. Many kids mentionedthat although they enjoyed thecomputer testing, reading forextended periods of time wasgrueling because after a whilekids felt fatigued. All in all, Iwould still much rather click onthe computer than fill in a bub-ble form.”

I had talked to several otherpeople that all gave me similaranswers: the new state testing ismore efficient and for many,easier, yet it can also cause a lotof stress because of the grow-ing importance placed on thescores. It definitely has itsadvantages, but in other waysmany students find that it’s not

the best it can be quite yetbecause not only is it stressful,but it uses a lot of time that wecould be using to get ready forfinals.

The arts are thriving in localschools as Clayton Valley CharterHigh School honored 28 youngartists at the school’s annualEagle Arts Expo on Thursday,April 23.

This year, some of the win-ners included students from PineHollow and Diablo View Middle

schools.The Expo showcased almost

100 pieces of art made by stu-dents from all different kinds ofmaterials: acrylic paint, watercol-or paint, photography supplies,oil pastels, and even some 3Dfigures.

The Expo was put together

by Art Department Chair andAP studio art and AP historyteacher Katie Nolan, art andgame design teacher Evan Hugh-es and English and photographyteacher Elizabeth Abbott.

The event was sponsored bythe Michelangelo D’OnofrioArts Foundation and Sunrise

Rotary Club of ClaytonValley/Concord.

DVMS student Jesse Millerwon First Place for sculpture,while Alex King of CVCHS tookSecond Place. CVCHS studentSam Anderson won First Place inpainting while classmateBabrielle Dela Cruz took SecondPlace. There were also winners inphoto and mixed media cate-gories.

The school is producing a 16-month calendar of all of thewinning artwork. It is availablefor sale on the CVCHS web-site/web store under Art ExpoCalendar atwww.claytonvalley.org?

A prestigious panel judgedthe event, including ChristineKoppes, assistant to the curatorof the Bedford Gallery; SuzyWear, professor of art at Califor-nia State University, East Bay;Kua Patten, museum consultant;David VanderJagt, pottery andclay artist and exhibitor at theEast Bay Open Studios; Jeff

Hegerstrand, video teacher atNorthgate High School; PatMoseuk, painter, teacher andowner of M J Studios in PleasantHill; Olga Jusidam, sculptor andmember of the Lamorinda ArtAlliance; Don Howard, photog-rapher and realtor with BetterHomes Realty who will be show-ing at the upcoming Clayton

Wine Festival;Pat Jackson,designer andi l l u s t r a t o r ;and KyleArango andKristin Becker.

“KeepingArts Alive” inthe publicschools is thegoal of theMichelangelo

D’Onofrio Arts Foundation. Formore information on the foun-dation, [email protected]. Thefoundation also accepts dona-tions at MDAF, 4425 TreatBlvd., Suite 188, Concord, CA94521.

Joan D’Onofrio and Emily Yorkcontributed to this article.

Mount Diablo Elementary’sfourth and fifth graders will beperforming “Alice in Wonderland,Jr.” to a full house on May 14 and15. But this isn’t just any show.This is a spectacular, Broadway-worthy performance filled withmonths of hard work, dedication,and cooperation. And, boy, canthe Queen of Hearts yell!

“Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” isan amazing show, starring threeAlices: Small Alice, Alice, and TallAlice. “My favorite part of themusical is getting to practice andperform it with friends.” says AnaHamilton, who has one of theroles of Alice in the musical. Witha crazy Mad Hatter, the worriedWhite Rabbit, optimistic Caterpil-lar, sassy Flowers and many othergreat characters, this show is sureto make you laugh.

Director Sarah Wilcox com-ments, “We have 95 students par-

ticipating this year — 81 perform-ers and 14 ushers. It’s a true testa-ment to how much our commu-nity values the arts. We are verygrateful to Principal IreneKeenan, the teachers and theMDE PFC for recognizing theimportance of this program andthe incredible efforts that havebeen made to keep it at ourschool.”

The musical wouldn’t be pos-sible without Mrs. Wilcox, Mrs.Smith, Mrs. Huaco, Mrs. Baker,Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Young, andall of the teachers who judged theauditions. Thanks to everyonewho is bringing the stage to life atMDE. Don’t be surprised if youhear the catchy classic Disneysongs such as “I’m Late,” “TheUn-birthday Song” and “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” around townafter this fun performance.

As I write this it is hard tobelieve that we only have fiveweeks of school left of the2014-15 school year. As always,these last weeks are filled with

culminating events that show-case the amazing accomplish-ments of our students.

The second week of May,teachers and staff were recog-nized by Parent Faculty Cluband student body for their dedi-cation and efforts throughoutthe year. The week of May 18-22 was packed with activities.Mrs. Rush’s Service LearningClub is holding a book drive tosupport a middle school in LosAngeles that struggles to havegood literature for their stu-

dents. Our Spring Book Fair willbe opened throughout the week.Ms. Brewington will be takingour seventh graders on theannual 10-mile hike on Mt. Dia-blo. On Wednesday of this weekis our Open House where youcan see all the fantastic achieve-ments of our students. Not tobe outdone, the following weekwe have the Spring Band Con-certs on May 26 and 27 fol-lowed by the Film Festival onMay 28.

June is also filled with activi-

ties including Advanced VideoClass Festival at the BrendenTheater on June 1, EighthGrade Awards Night on June 2,the Promotion Dance on June 5,Eighth Grade Picnic on June 10and finally, Promotion and thelast day of school on June 11.

Needless to say these arebusy times but it is also a time toreflect on how fortunate I am tobe part of such a dynamicschool and community.

As of May 15, there are 20days left of school. The end ofthe school year is busy with end-of-year tests and a plethora ofactivities. Students recognize thatanother step to growing upcomes along with promotion tothe next grade and for fifthgraders, promotion to a differentschool. It’s an exciting time thatfor some students is accompaniedby a bit of trepidation about theunknown.

Coming soon is MDE’s annu-al spring chorus production. Thisyear our show is “Alice in Won-derland.” Students have beenrehearsing since mid-winter. Thisshow has one of the largest caststhe school has seen in many years.We are very proud of these fineproductions that showcase ourfourth and fifth grade students’talents. The performances areopen to the public. “Alice in Won-derland” will have two perform-ances in the Multi-Use Room ofthe school, beginning at 7 p.m. onThursday, May 14 and Friday, May15 in the MUR.

On May 22, our Kinder-garteners will perform in a pro-duction called “You Look Ridicu-lous” on stage at the MUR for

their families. The story andmusic was adapted by one ofMDES’ all-time favorite retiredteachers, Mrs. Hollenbeck.

Research shows that studentengagement in the arts is closelylinked to academic achievement,social and emotional develop-ment, and in providing equitableopportunities. Students love toperform and watch their peersperformances and I am happythat MDE has a strong traditionof providing many such opportu-nities for students throughout theschool year.


BRANNA SUNDY

MDES CORRESPONDENT

Performances highlightend-of-year activities

PATTI BANNISTER

DVMS PRINCIPAL

IRENE KEENAN

MDES PRINCIPAL

Alison Ewing is a student corre-spondent at DVMS. Send commentsto [email protected]

ALISON EWING

DVMSCORRESPONDENT

Email comments and questionsto [email protected]

Activities mark busy last weeks

Schools Young artists shine at CVCHS Arts Expo

New state testing gets mixed reviews

DVMS musicians bringmagic to Disneyland

Members of Diablo ViewMiddle School Jazz Band andSymphonic Band became starsof their own Disney show onMarch 14, 2015, when theyentertained resort guests at theHollywood Backlot Stage atDisney California AdventurePark. The group traveled fromClayton to the DisneylandResort in Anaheim to take partin the Disney Performing Artsprogram.

Dance, vocal and instrumen-

tal ensembles from all aroundthe world apply to perform eachyear as a part of Disney Per-forming Arts at both the Dis-neyland Resort in California andthe Walt Disney World Resort inFlorida. Once selected, they aregiven the opportunity to per-form at the resort for an inter-national audience of theme parkguests. Millions of performershave graced the stages of theDisney Parks in the more than25-year history of the program.

The Play’sthe Thingat MDE

Branna is in fifth grade at Mt.Diablo Elementary School. Branna isan avid reader. She enjoys writingpoetry and fictional short stories.

Emily York

THE WORKS OF 28 TALENTED STUDENT ARTISTS were displayed at the annual CVCHS Eagle Arts Expo.More than 100 pieces of art including paintings, photography and mixed media.

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Everyone thinks about whatit would be like to be someoneelse. Whether it’s because oftheir accomplishments or theirlooks, we wonder what it wouldfeel like to spend a day in theirskin.

In “Perfect” by Ellen Hop-

kins, that’s the case for four highschool seniors. For Cara SierraSykes, unreachable goals havebeen set by her parents. Theirconstant pressure has pushedher brother, Connor, to attemptsuicide (but not succeed).

For Kendra Melody Math-ieson, all anyone ever sees her asis pretty — just another CoverGirl-looking face walking downthe hallway. All she wants is forpeople to know that she is muchmore than that.

For Sean Terrance O’Con-nell, baseball and football are hislife. But keeping up with thehigh demand of being a highschool star athlete can easilysend him tiptoeing to the edgeof his breaking point.

For Andre Marcus Kane III,

he has spent his whole lifebathed in wealth. But his par-ents wanting him to follow intheir footsteps in the fields ofreal estate speculation andinvestment banking makes himfeel like if he doesn’t do whatthey say he should do, he willdisappoint them.

This book was quite long,622 pages to be exact. But it wasworth every minute I spentreading it. This was a book Icould read again and again andstill find new things I love aboutit. Hopkins did a marvelous jobat explaining how the only per-son you should stride to impressis yourself.

At a recent Governing Boardmeeting, Board Chair Ted Meri-am asked staff to address fourkey issues: student safety andsuccess, labor relations, fiscalmanagement and collaborativedecision-making. Last month Ishared with you informationfrom key administrators on howeffectively Clayton Valley Char-ter High School operates in stu-dent safety and fiscal manage-ment. This month I will finishup with labor relations and col-laborative decision-making.

Our vision is “to create firstclass citizens with a world classeducation.” Having staff mem-bers who are empowered withhigh-quality professional devel-opment has been a key strategyto our success. We offer moreprofessional developmentopportunities to our teachersthan most schools in the regionand possibly one of the top pro-fessional development schoolsin the state.

CVCHS offers the followingProfessional Development (PD)programs for our teachers:

• Summer Curriculum Insti-tute

• Summer Character CountsSymposium

• Summer Ed Tech Institute• Summer Model Schools

Conference• Advanced Placement Course

Workshops• Summer Math Workshops • Bi-weekly Department plan-

ning time and ProfessionalLearning Communitymeetings

• Monthly PD sessions

We are so proud of ourteachers and staff for the dili-gent work they perform on adaily basis caring for and educat-ing our students. Our schoolattorney shared with the Boardhow there have been no lawsuitsagainst CVCHS by employees,nor any judgments for person-nel violations. Our two employ-ee associations have some ofthe best protections of anycharter school in the state. Thispast year we were able to offer a6 percent salary increase to allstaff and significantly increasetheir health benefits. We knowthat taking care of our staff is apriority and a key to makingCVCHS a great place to work.

CVCHS is also committed toa partnership with parents in theeducation of our students. Keymeasures for collaborationinclude:

Governing Board is com-prised of representative groupsincluding teachers, staff, admin-istration, parents and communi-ty members.

Parent Faculty Club workswith the administration, teach-ers and parents to support ourschool.

Each department has adepartment chair and an admin-istrator assigned to them for col-laboration, communication andproblem solving.

The athletic and musicboosters are a key support sys-tem to their respective pro-grams.

We communicate regularlywith our community throughSchool Messenger and the Voy-age of the Eagle to keep every-one informed about importantinformation, events and school-related incidents.

We keep our website updat-ed so everyone is well-informed.

We try our best to returncalls and emails within 24 hours.Teachers and staff attempt to beresponsive to all related con-cerns. We know that parents area vital partner to the success ofall of our students.

In closing, I am so gratefulto have a competent and stellarstaff. Together, we are movingCVCHS forward “from Goodto Great.” Thank you to ourBoard who tirelessly give oftheir time, talent and energy at agreat sacrifice to their personallives, because of their commit-ment to making CVCHS aschool that we all are proud of.


Emily York is a sophomore atCVCHS.

EMILY YORK

TEEN READS

David Linzey is executive directorof CVCHS. Contact [email protected]

DAVID LINZEY

VOYAGE OF THE EAGLE

Collaborative decision makingpart of professional development

Congratulate your grad

Congratulate your grad

With a special message in the June 12 Clayton Pioneer

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Congratulations on anoutstanding four years.You’ve been a joy and aninspiration to all who knowyou. We love you and can’twait to see the next chapter.

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Twenty-one-year-old Dylan Mitchell was tragically killedtwo years ago on May 23 by a truck driver while riding hisbicycle to work in San Francisco. Dylan’s mother, JulieMitchell, is holding a fundraiser in his memory to benefitthe Clayton Valley Charter High School wrestling team.The team was a huge part of Dylan’s life from sixth gradethrough his senior year. One hundred percent of dona-tions go directly to the team. Go to: gofundme.com/dylan-mitchell to make a donation.

There’s more to being ‘Perfect’

The CVCHS InstrumentalMusic Program will hold theannual Band Camp at ClaytonValley Charter High Schoolfrom 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 22 toJuly 2. The camp is for incomingmiddle school students andfreshmen with prior instrumen-tal musical experience. Studentswill have nine days of practicingand performing in an ensemble,learning music theory and histo-ry, doing sectionals with localprofessional musicians and get-ting mentoring by high schoolmusicians. Camp ends with con-cert at noon on July 2.

Cost is $325 per student; siblingis $250. To register, go to www.clay-tonbands.org. For more information,send an email to: [email protected].

CV summerband campset for June

Dylan Mitchell fundraiserbenefits wrestling team

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Clayton’s Kristian Ipsenkept up a hectic schedule whenhe barely finished his finalNCAA Swimming and DivingChampionships for Stanford in

Iowa and he was headed toGreensboro, NC less than twoweeks later for the USA Div-ing Synchronized NationalChampionships.

The stakes were high inCarolina as berths for theAmerican synchro teams in the

World Championships were inthe offing for the winners.Ipsen ended up doing some-thing unique as he finishedfirst and second in the three-meter synchro event earningthe Clayton man a trip toKazan, Russia for the World

Championships beginning July24.

Sam Dorman teamed withIpsen to score 853.38 pointsover two lists of 3M synchrodives to earn the national titleand a trip to the World Champi-onships. The pair sat in third

place after the preliminaries.The duo came back with 438.45points in the finals to secure thenational title. Dorman andIpsen took the lead after theirfifth round front 3 ½ pikescored 80.91 points, while thetwo teams ahead of them —coincidentally teams they alsowere a part of — missed theirdives in that same round.

Ipsen also finished secondteaming with Troy Dumais asdivers could compete on morethan one team. Ipsen andDumais, the 2012 Olympicbronze medalists in 3M syn-chro, finished second to Ipsenand Dorman with 834.81points.

“I’m super tired now. Itwasn’t too difficult (divingwith more than one partner)because we all do similar hur-dles and similar back presses.It was a little confusing havingto think before we went whatdive we were doing next. Our[his two teams] orders werecompletely different and I hadto keep looking at the sheet tomake sure we were doing theright dive. Other than that, itwasn’t too bad. It was prettyfun, actually,” Ipsen said.

“I’m excited. Sam and I areboth finishing up college, sowe’re going to be able to get ina little more training timetogether, which will be nice.Before this, the last time Samand I trained together was U.S.

nationals in Ohio in Decem-ber. I feel like we’ll be able toperfect some of the littlethings before Worlds.”

Ipsen was voted Pac-12Conference Men’s Diver of theYear for the third straight timeafter sweeping the diving com-petition at the Pac-12 Champi-onships, the second Stanfordperformer ever to do so. Hisconference titles in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platformcompetitions brought his all-time Pac-12 title count to six.He did not compete in thePac-12 meet as a freshman ashe prepped for the 2012 USOlympic Trials.

USA Diving alsoannounced that Ipsen is one of32 divers selected to theAT&T High PerformanceSquad for 2015. The AT&THigh Performance Squadincludes the divers who mostexhibit the potential, skill anddetermination to become 2016Olympic Team members.Pending U.S. qualification, amaximum of 16 divers willcompete for Team USA at the2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The squad has been provento be a pipeline to theOlympics as all 11 members ofthe 2012 U.S. Olympic Teamfor diving were members ofthe group in the years leadingup to London.

USA Diving contributed to thisstory.

May is jam-packed withleague, section and state cham-pionships in the eight springsports for local high schools.Athletes and teams are gearedup for the climax of their sea-sons and school year as they testtheir skills at the highest possi-ble levels.

SWIMMING & DIVING

Juniors Anthony Vines andRyan Levy are Clayton ValleyCharter’s leading contenders atthis week’s North Coast SectionSwimming and Diving Champi-onships at Concord CommunityPool.

This is a special year for highschool swimming with the first-

ever CIF State SwimmingChampionships slated for theClovis West Aquatic ComplexMay 22-23. The nation’s largeststate has led the way in swim-ming performances for decadesand having a state championshipis expected to product a poolfull of records.

Eagles head coach ShaunGuest says Vines and Levy “arelikely to place well at NCS. I'mpredicting somewhere in the top10 for their individual events. Itwill come down to fine tuningtheir race strategy this week(turns and finishes). Both ofthem are right on the cusp ofgoing to CIF State Champi-onships. It will be exciting to seewhat happens.”

CVCHS is also entering boysand girls 200 and 400 freestyle

and 200 medley relays.Levy will be in the 50 and

100 free and Vines is in the 100butterfly and 50 free while jun-ior Chase Mitchell is in the 200and 500 free.

Sophomores CameronBrandt and Jerron Miller, fresh-man Niklas Weigelt, junior JoeSnyder and senior Robbie Park-er round out the boys relay line-ups.

Freshmen Eagle relay swim-mers at NCS are Brooke John-son, Erica DuLong, Lily Stagnerand Julia Wickware. CVCHSalso has Abbie Kubota,Kayleigh Rohrbach, Kayla Con-ger and Kristen Delong lined upfor relays.

TRACK & FIELD

Clayton Valley Charter tooksecond to Northgate in the boysand girls DVAL championshipsafter the Eagle boys had goneundefeated in dual meets.

Clayton Valley had incredibleDVAL results in the shot putand discus. Kahlil McKenzie,Mykelle D’Tiole, Jake King andJalen McKenzie swept the firstfour places in the shot put andJeff Williams, Jalen McKenzie,King and Jack Fouts did likewisein the discus. Their teammatesTisi Alatini and Kiersten Foutswere 1-2 in girls discus.

McKenzie in the shot putand discus, Williams in discus,Jordan Velasquez in the 100meters and Brianne Newell intriple and long jumps are post-season contenders for CVCHS.The girls 4 X 100 meter relaywith Jade Davis, Amber Booth,Katy Rangel, Jessica Johnsonand Diwa Esco is also a teamthat can move forward.

Tri Valley Area Meet is May23 at Amador Valley in Pleasan-ton, the NCS Meet of Champi-ons May 29-30 at Cal Berkeleyand the CIF State Meet at ClovisVeterans Memorial StadiumJune 5-6.

BASEBALL

DVAL baseball and perhapsNCS is graced with a once-in-a-generation player in College

Park’s Joe DeMers, reputed tobe in line for the National play-er of the year award. The senioris a lock to win his fourthstraight league MVP award. He’sbeen called by one long-timelocal baseball observer “a com-bination of Clayton Valleypitching legend Ron Olson andYgnacio Valley High’s KikoGarcia [who went on to star inthe World Series for the Balti-more Orioles].”

DeMers lost a pitching duelwith De La Salle’s Justin Hopperlast weekend at Cal Berkeley atsold out Evans Diamond. Infront of a pack of pro baseballscouts and 2500 fans, DeMersand Hopper hooked up in a pitch-ing matchup that ended with theSpartans scoring three runs in thebottom of the sixth for a 3-0 vic-tory, handing DeMers his firstloss since last March.

The Falcons won the Divi-sion II NCS championship lastyear after being eliminated in thesemi-finals in 2012 and 2013.De La Salle has been even a lit-tle better winning two of thepast three Division I titles (2012and 2014) plus finishing secondin 2011 and 2013 when theyweren’t champs.

The last league games arethis week. The four-team leagueplayoffs are May 19 and 21.

NCS starts May 26 and runsthrough finals June 5 and 6.

BOYS GOLF

Northgate took the DVALchampionship by 12 strokesover Clayton Valley Charter atDiablo Creek Golf Course.Dominic Salomne was medalistwith one over par 73 for CollegePark. He then took fourth atNCS qualifier to advance to theTournament of Champions.

Sophomore Daniel Schaeferfinished fourth and junior TylerBlazer sixth for CVCHS at theleague meet and earned individ-ual berths at NCS qualifier.

De La Salle won the NCSDivision I qualifier last week byseven strokes over league rivalSan Ramon Valley to reach thisweek’s TOC at Monarch BayGC in San Leandro. The NorCalChampionships are next Mon-day at Corral De Tierra CountryClub in Salinas leading to thestate finals at Poppy Hills GC inPebble Beach June 3.

BOYS TENNIS

College Park swept the sin-gles and double titles at theDVAL tournament.

LACROSSE

Carondelet had its three-yearreign as NCS champions

stopped in the 2014 finals byleague rival Amador Valley. DeLa Salle won its fourth NCScrown since 2008 last year. DLSis No. 3 seed this year whileCarondelet is sixth seed. CollegePark qualified boys and girlsteams for NCS.

NCS play began this weekand runs through May 23 forboys and May 21 for girls.

SOFTBALL

Concord teams have been amajor factor in NCS Division IIsoftball this decade. ConcordHigh has won three NCS titlessince 2010 while Carondelet wassecond in 2011 and 2014 andCVCHS was runner-up to itscross-town rival Concord in 2013.

Final DVAL games are thisweek with the league tourna-ment for the top four teamsMay 19 and 21. NCS begins May26 and concludes June 6.

BOY’S VOLLEYBALL

De La Salle is seeded secondand College Park sixth in Divi-sion I NCS. Northgate andConcord are in DII of thisyear’s section championshipsthat began this week and runthrough May 23. Northgate(DII) and De La Salle (DI) weresection runners-up last year.NorCals are May 26-30.

Sports Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com May 15, 2015

Championship meets highlight spring sports seasons

Joern Weigelt photo

CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER JUNIOR ANTHONY VINES is seeded in the top 11 for both the 50 free and100 fly at this week’s North Coast Section swimming championships. His classmate Ryan Levy isseeded eighth in the 50 and 100 frees.

Jason Rogers photo

GEO FONSECA PLACED FOURTH IN THE 800 METERS at the DVALtrack and field championships last week and is moving on inNCS competition. Eagles freshman Dylan White took third inthe 320 and Sam Givens to advance.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photos courtesy CVCHS tennis

DYLAN KIES AND DANIEL CASTRO (left photo) reached the semi-finals at the Diablo Valley Athletic League tennis tournamentas Clayton Valley Charter’s No. 1 doubles team. Their teammates, DONOVAN HUNTER AND BEN SMITH, were losers of theother semi for new coach Tammie Snyder. The first-year coach inherited a team hit hard by losing seven seniors who gradu-ated last spring and had only one single senior on this year’s squad. CVCHS ended up third in the Diablo Valley AthleticLeague behind champion College Park and Northgate. Four of her five freshmen had never played tennis until his springseason. Not a single Eagles player taking part at DVALs had been in the league tournament before.

Clayton Valley doubles teams reach DVAL semis

Kristian Ipsen qualifies for Worlds by finishing first and second!

Joe Ronco/Owner 925-872-3049jaroncoconstruction.comJoe Ronco/Owner 925-872-3049jaroncoconstruction.com

35 years Clayton/Concord residentLic#844344

Ten athletes including twoOlympic bronze medalists, acoach, two teams and a commu-nity supporter comprise thefourth class being inducted intothe Clayton Valley High SchoolAthletic Hall of Fame this Sat-urday evening.

The Pioneer earlier profiledhonorees Community Support-er Matt Mazzei, 1977 girls vol-leyball team and coach GaryGardner, 1967 wrestling teamand future United StatesOlympians Erin DobratzMcGregor (2000 swimming)and Kara Kohler (2009 swim-ming). The other inductees are:

DERRELL HOSCHOUER

(CLASS OF 1967 WRESTLING

AND TRACK)He was 28-1-1 his senior

year for the North Coast Sec-tion champion wrestling teamthat took second at North State.The Eagles won the Del Valleand Diablo Valley AthleticLeague tournaments whileHoschouer won Del Valle,league tourney and dual meet,NCS and North State individualtitles and was named East Baywrestler of the year. As a juniorhe was part of another strongEagles team that took fifth atNorth State and third at NCS.He competed in the pole vaulttwo years as well.

TOM MCCARTY (1972 FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL)McCarty captained the Clay-

ton Valley football and baseballteams in his senior year whichhe capped as CVHS athlete ofthe year. After being secondteam all-DVAL as a junior safe-ty he was a two-way all-leaguestandout his final year includingbeing picked for the ContraCosta Cerebral Palsy All-Stargame where he scored a two-point conversion in a 14-12 vic-tory. A highlight of his senioryear was leading CVHS to itsfirst-ever football win over Anti-och. He led the league in touch-down passes and in intercep-tions as a defensive back. Helater coached at seven highschools including his alma materand at UC Davis.

PAUL BELLUOMINI

(1974 FOOTBALL, WRESTLING

AND TRACK)He earned six varsity let-

ters—two each in football,wrestling and track. Belluominihelped the Eagles to the DVALfootball title as a junior and thenthe Turkey Bowl championshiphis senior year when he was ateam captain. He was wrestlingteam MVP as a senior andDVAL champ as a junior. Hehad the fastest pin of 12 sec-onds at the Livermore Invita-tional. He finished his senioryear winning two of the school’smost prestigious awards: GrandAltair and athlete of the year.He received an appointment tothe US Military Academy andwon other scholar athleteawards. He was the San Francis-co 49ers training camp centerfrom 1981-89.

JOHN MAHLOCH

(1986 BASKETBALL)A four-year varsity basket-

ball standout, Mahloch setnine school records, many ofwhich still stand three decadeslater. He was a three-year teamcaptain, winning many tourna-ment, league and East Bayhonors. He was the DVAL’stop scorer his junior and sen-ior years, unanimous all-league.As a senior Mahloch was sec-ond team all-Northern Califor-nia and led the Eagles to themost wins in school history-25, also still a record. He wasrecognized as athlete of theyear in 1986. He played twoyears of college basketball atStanislaus State and helped theWarriors to a league champi-onship.

MIKE WOJCIEHOWSKI (1996CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK)

Middle distance runnerWojciechowski won DVALtrack titles three years and wasthe league cross country titlisttwice. As a senior he was FootLocker National second teamall-West after taking second atNCS and helping the Eagles tothe runner-up section place-ment. The team and Woj thenreplicated those finishes in CISDivision III cross country.After Clayton Valley he wasDiablo Valley College MVPand went on to UC Davis as across country national qualifi-er. He still holds the school1600 meter record from 1996when he was in the top 30nationally.

TIFFANY EDWARDS PANFILI

(1990 SOCCER, TENNIS,SOFTBALL AND TRACK)

She came to Clayton Valleyas a sophomore after spendingher freshman year in England.She played three years of varsitysoccer and softball, two years oftrack and added a fourth sportas a senior part of the No. 1Eagles tennis doubles team.That earned Edwards athlete ofyear in 1990. She was an all-America softball player as a sen-ior and played on a travelingsoftball team that made it to thenational championship game.She went to Cal Berkeley whereshe demonstrated her versatilityby scoring in the top sevennationally in the heptathlon. Shequalified for the 1992 OlympicTrails in the javelin.

LORI HOKERSON

(1991 VOLLEYBALL,SOCCER AND TRACK)

Hokerson managed to earn 11varsity letters that led to athlete ofthe year honors as a senior as wellas several scholar athlete awards.Her track exploits included a CIFstate meet every year except wheninjuries sidelined her as a sopho-more. Her final year Hokersonwon Bay Valley Athletic League,NCS and NCS Meet of Champi-ons in the 300 low hurdles. Thatearned her a place in the national-ly-renowned Golden West Invita-tional. Showing she wasn’t allbusiness all the time as a seniorshe won the track’s Best Escapefrom Practice Team Award. Her


Clayton Valley Charter junior Joe Sny-der has been competing in swimming sincegrade school. He began in the Dana Hillspool as a member of the DHST Ottersand has been of the Concord city champi-onship team every year as well as taking

part in County Meets for the Clayton team.When he went to CVCHS he not onlyjoined the swim team but also the Eagleswater polo squad. During his three yearson varsity he’s swam the 100-meterfreestyle and 100 backstroke. Also he’sbeen on the 200 and 400 free relays. Last

year, he qualified for North Coast Sectionand hopes to do so again this weekend.Snyder has received the team’s “MostImproved” award for water polo. Sincestarting to swim at Dana Hills he’s learnedan important lesson: “Hard work alwayspays off. You get what you put in. In acliché you say ‘you reap what you sow.’”Out of the pool he volunteers in his sparetime and is part of the CVCHS Public Ser-vice Academy. He will also be coaching atDana Hills during the summer recreationseason.

CVCHS student journalist Celine Herreracontributed to this Spotlight.

The Clayton Pioneer congratulatesJoe and thanks Athlete Spotlight spon-sors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christo-pher Ruzicka who have been servingthe Clayton and Concord area for 25years at Family Vision Care Optometry.www.laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete who should berecognized? Perhaps he or she has shown excep-tional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement orgreat heart for the sport. Send your nomination forthe Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today [email protected].

AthleteSpotlightJoe SnyderGrade: Junior

Sports: Swimming, Water Polo

School: CVCHS

See Hall of Fame, pg 15

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Valley Hall of Fame Class of ’15honors special athletes, teams, coaches

JOE SNYDER

Photo courtesy Clayton Valley High School

THE 1967 NORTH COAST SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM OF COACH ROGER ZINO will be induct-ed into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame Saturday. The team was undefeated while racking up 11 place finishers at the leaguemeet. They went on to win the school’s first NCS wrestling title and then was second among 275 high schools at the North StateTournament. The team included, front row from left, Jim Skiles, Derrell Hoschouer, Walt Roberts, Dave DuBois, Rick Beberg, PatMartucci, Doug Balough; middle row, Gary Foster, Steve Wagner, Bob Beard, Bruce Irvine, Jeff Cuthberson, Mike Aquir, LarryKanagaki, Tom Lockyer; back row, George Shinn, Lenny Davenport, Ross Eversole, Bob Sherman and Lancer Smith.

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Sports

In the past month anotherissue at Clayton Valley CharterHigh School arose when NorthCoast Section commissioner GilLemmon was sent an anony-mous email March 10 claimingfootball coach Tim Murphy isconducting an unauthorizedzero period weight training classthis spring semester.

Executive Director DaveLinzey and the school reactedquickly last month with a letterto Lemmon explaining the

process of adding the seventhstrength and conditioning classfor the second semester due todemand. The majority of stu-dents in the zero period class aremembers of the football team,which the letter writer claimedwas set up to keep players eligi-ble for fall play.

Linzey stated adding theclass “followed all protocols ofour master schedule develop-ment and normal course offer-ings procedures.”

The school is nearly halfwaythrough a two-year NCS proba-tion for violations that primarilyarose through football practiceand transfer issues. The anony-mous claims, which Linzey saidcame from dissatisfied employ-ees, appear to be aimed atimpacting that probation. Fur-ther NCS violations could seesuspensions of coaches, ineligi-bility of teams to take part inNCS competition or even moresevere penalties for the athleticprogram at CVCHS.

Lemmon told the Pioneerlast week that he is “working onthis review [of the weight train-ing class]. My review is not com-plete.”

The school’s new co-athleticdirectors Tom Sparks and EricBamberger were examiningevery transfer to the school anduncovered a freshman basket-ball player who did not com-plete his paperwork. They self-reported the violation to NCSand the frosh team had sixgames removed from the 2015-16 schedule and forfeited onegame from this past season.

This new violation certainlycaught Lemmon’s attention. Hesaid any further CVCHS issuescould bring “serious conse-quences to multiple sports,”including postseason bans.

- Jay Bedecarre

The mystery of where Clay-ton Valley Charter High Schoolsports teams will play starting in2016 was finally settled at theend of last month when theNorth Coast Section Board ofGovernors accepted the finalproposal presented by its NCSAlignment Committee thatcombines the Diablo ValleyAthletic League’s seven schoolswith five from the DiabloFoothill Athletic League in anew super league.

This decision culminated thequadrennial process that begana year ago and places schools inleagues from the fall of 2016through spring 2020. NCSundertakes this review everyfour years to ”balance the needsof geographic proximity, timeand cost of travel, loss ofinstructional time and competi-tive equity.”

The final alignment keepsEagles sports teams with theother six Diablo Valley AthleticLeague schools (College Park,Concord, Ygnacio Valley, North-gate, Berean Christian and Mt.Diablo) in the new 12-team super

league with five Diablo FoothillAthletic League teams (Acalanes,Alhambra, Campolindo, LasLomas and Miramonte).

CVCHS was the only schoolin the Valley Conference still influx after the NCS AlignmentCommittee met at the end ofFebruary and changed its rec-ommendation from last fall tomove Clayton Valley Charter tothe East County-based Bay Val-ley Athletic League following anappeal by Heritage High ofBrentwood.

Heritage appealed therealignment setup that movedClayton Valley to the BVALbased on longer travel times tothe Concord school whichwould increase transportationcosts and cause a loss ofinstructional time for the EastCounty schools.

The alignment committeeeventually went back to a pro-posal submitted by Clayton Val-ley Charter executive directorDave Linzey last October thathas been termed “Clayton Val-ley Charter #2 Proposal.” Inthat setup the BVAL wouldremain with its six teams whileCVCHS would join the rest ofthe current DVAL schools along

with five from the DFAL in asuper league of 12 schools.

Linzey said, “This was thesuper league proposal where webelieve CVCHS belongs, so weare pleased with this decision.These schools in the DFALhave more sports and levels ofathletics similar to CVCHS asopposed to the BVAL schools.”

Generally in a super leaguesetup each sport for boys andgirls is aligned separately to getas much competitive equity aspossible. In other wordsCVCHS would compete againstteams of similar ability decidedon a sport-by-sport basis.

It’s understood that someDFAL schools (Campolindoand Miramonte in particular)were concerned about the newalignment since they anticipate26-35 minute drives to Concordfor games against Clayton Val-ley.

DVAL commissioner CraigLee and his DFAL counterpartPat Lickiss are already workingon the new league. “Next[school] year we will dive intothe specifics during what will bea year-long effort that deals witheach sport individually.

Lee says the first items on

the agenda for setting up thenew league are:• League leadership structure -

commissioner(s), officers• League structure - divisions,

leagues, etc.• League name

“Next fall we will meet insport-specific committees todecide the details. We have tohave the fall season sportscompleted by November 2015so the fall teams can start com-mitting to games for the 2016-17 season,” Lee added. “I havebeen encouraged by how theprincipals and athletic directorsin both leagues are willing to

work together to come up withwhatever is best for the stu-dents. It will be a very busy butvery rewarding year. The newleague is very diverse in manyways.”

The schools joining with theDVAL schools have rich athlet-ic histories. Campolindo ofMoraga has won the SportStarsCup for overall excellence thepast several years. Miramonteof Orinda has also racked upnumerous section titles whileAlhambra of Martinez,Acalanes of Lafayette and LasLomas of Walnut Creek alsohave successful teams in vari-ous sports. The latter three

schools also have a long historyplaying Mt. Diablo, ClaytonValley, College Park and otherCentral Contra Costa schools.

CVCHS co-athletic directorEric Bamberger, who is also theschool’s boys basketball coach,said, “We are very pleased withthe placement and look for-ward to competing in our newleague in the fall of 2016.”

Dublin and Dougherty Val-ley moved from the DFAL tothe East Bay Athletic League toform a second 10-team superleague that includes Carondeletand De La Salle with nineschools from the Tri-Valleyarea.


JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Sports

Photo courtesy MDSA

MDSA UNITED FC FIRST IN COMSTOCK SHOOTOUT UNDER 16 GIRLS SILVER DIVISION.The team finished atop their bracket on points, advancing them to the championship matchagainst Davis Reckless. The tough defensive match concluded in a scoreless draw through over-time. United FC won the shootout 6-5 as goalie Rylie Pearson made a save to secure the cham-pionship. The team includes, front row from left, Kalina Campos, Sarah Cook; second row, AnaCarabez, Briel Araujo, Sammy Bush, Gianna Maurino, Alison Bergquist, Madison Toma, DesireeMaurino, Megan Bluth; back row, Georgia Moraes, Rylie Pearson, Emily Hockenbery, coachAnthony Campos, coach Jose Soltero Jr., Maggie Soltero, coach JC Araujo, Adelle Meyer andAdriana Gauthier.

3 MDSA girls teams win soccerchampionships in Nevada

Photo by CSK Photography

MT. DIABLO U13 HEAT CLAIM CLUB SILVER DIVISION BRACKET TITLE.The Heat won their pool bracket, with three convincing victories against teams from Idaho andNevada. They then met the 11th ranked Idaho Rush Nero in the finals. This championship gamealso ended scoreless. Behind three goalie saves and four successful penalty kicks MDSA won thePK battle 4-3. MDSA Heat includes, front row from left, Christina Muller, Maddy Hayworth, TaviCabezas, Reagan Bowerbank, Alana Young, Kenna Hornsby; back row, coach Ryan Lange,Morgan Pacini, Giselle Lange, Rachel Burnett, Kailee Rice, Micaela Davis, Alaina Lindsey, JewelTriggs and coach Marvin Davis. Not pictured, Sam Aldrich, Taylor Keys and Annie Patterson.

Photo courtesy MDSA

MDSA PHOENIX U10 GIRLS GRAB COMSTOCK TITLE. Team Phoenix won the championship of the U10 silver bracket in Carson City, Nevada. Theteam went undefeated in four matches against teams from Pleasant Hill and Davis in near-freezing cold temperatures, sleet, rain, hail and wind. Phoenix includes, front row from left,Katelynn Brown, Ashlyn Albert, Abigail Schauman, Lauren Gherlone, Melia Febriquer; back row,coach Heidi Brown, Hawah Opeyany, Campbell McGee, Jacklann Bellamy, Laine Moraes, EmilyBeeson, Kaitlyn McNevin and coach Chris McNevin.

Anonymous email claims CVCHSstarted weight class for football

Final NCS realignment keeps Clayton Valley Charter Highwith all seven DVAL schools in new super league 2016-2020

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The 2015 National FootballLeague draft was good overallfor the Raiders and 49ers. Afterthe free agency period bothteams had numerous holes ontheir roster and were able toaddress some of those throughthe draft.

The Raiders filled a majorneed at wide receiver with their

first-round pick Amari Cooper.The 6-1, 203-pound receiverfrom Alabama was the bestcollegiate route runner in thecountry last year.

The pick of Cooper showsthe Raiders are committed tomaking Derek Carr their fran-chise quarterback. USC defen-sive lineman Leonard Williams,considered by many the bestprospect in the draft, was avail-able when the Raiders made thefourth pick and Oakland optedto take Cooper, giving Carr amajor weapon.

Cooper will be an impactstarter to begin the season. Thenew receiver and Carr arealready being dubbed “AC/DC”by the silver and black fan base.

The rest of the Raiders draftwent reasonably well.

Oakland GM ReggieMcKenzie had a few reachessuch as second round pickMario Edwards Jr., a defensivetackle out of Florida State. He isextremely athletic, but the issuefor him is work ethic. He bal-looned up to 310 pounds lastyear at Florida State and playeduninspired most of the year. Hefinished the season with onlythree sacks and 23 tackles.

Some scouts had a first-round grade on Edwards Jr., butmost had him ranked as a third-or fourth-round pick. If he cankeep his weight around 270pounds like he was at his proday, the sky is the limit. Hecould end up being the steal ofthe draft or a major bust.

The Raiders also draftedtight end Clive Walford fromMiami who should be anotherstrong addition to the Oaklandoffense.

Linebacker depth was addedin the draft for the Raiders, aswell as offensive line depth.Right guard is still an area ofconcern that the Raiders willneed to address by the start ofthe season.

The 49ers draft will be feastor famine.

There is a lot of talentamong the players they drafted,but their draft picks are raw andwill require a lot of coaching.

The 49ers first pick, ArikArmstead, is a physical freak, at6-8, 280 pounds. He onlyamassed two and a half sackslast year at Oregon and will haveto be coached to harness his tal-ents.

Armstead is a defensive line-

man, an area of expertise fornew head coach Jim Tomsula.

The 49ers, with their secondpick, drafted Jaquiski Tartt, ahard-hitting safety out of Sam-ford. Tartt looks like he can be agreat safety, but like many ofGM Trent Baalke’s picks in thisdraft, “best player available”reigned supreme over need.

That isn’t necessarily a badthing but the 49ers could haveused some more cornerback andwide receiver help early in thedraft. Safety wasn’t a pressingneed with Eric Reid andAntione Bethea already on theroster.

The 49ers did draft a widereceiver, DeAndre Smelter, inthe fourth round. While talent-ed, he tore his ACL last year atGeorgia Tech, and will have tosit out a year before he is readyto play.

The Raiders and 49ers bothimproved through the draft.The Raiders gave Carr somemuch-needed weapons on theoffensive side of the ball whilethe 49ers bolstered theirdefense.

There is no exact sciencebehind the NFL draft and thereare rarely “sure” picks. Both theRaiders and 49ers drafted someproject players, but if coachedproperly, the 2015 draft could bea boon for each team.

JR. EAGLES YOUTH FOOTBALL, CHEER ORGANIZATION

SIGNUPS SATRUDAYClayton Valley youth football and cheer teams are now known as

CVAA Jr. Eagles. Online registration for the upcoming fall footballand cheer teams is open with the first in-person registration day thisSaturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Clayton Community Park. Visittheir new website cvaajreagles.com for more information.

SUMMER PROGRAMS REGISTRATION OPEN

AT ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUESSummer programs for youth basketball, youth volleyball and tee

ball plus adult volleyball and softball are now open in Claytonoffered by All Out Sports Leagues. For complete information on AllOut Sports programs, visit alloutsportsleague.com.

DIABLO FC U15-U18 TEAMS HOLDING

OPEN TRAINING SESSIONSDiablo FC is holding open training sessions for boys and girls

U15-U18 players for 2015-16 season. The club’s U15-U18 premierteams all compete in the highest level of Nor Cal Premier in theNational Premier League. Open training sessions are an opportuni-ty for players to train with teams and be evaluated for initial playerplacement. For more information and schedule visit diablofc.org.

CONCORD CUP XXII SOCCER THIS WEEKENDThe area’s largest annual youth soccer tournament, Concord Cup,

returns for its 22nd season at a variety of local parks this Saturdayand Sunday. About 90 boys and girls club and recreation teams fromunder 10 through U19 are taking part at five local parks. Visit con-cordcup.com for complete information and the schedule.

20TH RED DEVIL CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT JUNE 26Registration is open for the 20th annual Red Devil Classic golf

tournament scheduled for Friday, June 26, at Diablo Creek GolfCourse in Concord. Contact Lou Adamo [email protected] orRalph Vallis [email protected] to become a sponsor, play golf orattend the dinner. The event benefits Mt. Diablo High School stu-dent athletes and promotes academic success.

BUHAGIAR HONORED FOR 2ND TIME BY

NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION.San Jose State University linebacker Vince Buhagiar from Clay-

ton Valley High is one of 817 seniors from the 2014 season to beawarded membership into the National Football Foundation andCollege Football Hall of Fame’s Hampshire Honor Society. TheSociety admits college football players who maintained a cumulative3.20 or better grade-point average throughout their college career,was a starter or significant contributor in one’s final year of eligibil-ity and met all NCAA requirements towards his degree require-ments. A 2013 graduate majoring in psychology, Buhagiar complet-ed his college football career last season as a four-year starting line-backer. He shared the 2014 team lead with a personal single-seasonbest 96 tackles. In his four active seasons, he started 41 out of 50games, was 2010 third-team Freshman All-America, 2012 first-teamAll-Western Athletic Conference choice and finished seventh on theSan Jose State list for career tackles with 324. During the 2014 sea-son, Buhagiar was a semifinalist for the NFF’s Campbell Trophy rec-

ognizing college football’s premier student-athlete. A four-time aca-demic all-conference award winner, Buhagiar is pursuing a master’sdegree in psychology from SJSU.

OAKHURST REGULAR HELPS

CAL STATE EAST BAY GOLFERS TO STELLAR SEASONFreshman Ignacio Ognian, who is a regular at Oakhurst Country

Club, helped the Cal State East Bay men’s golf team to sixth place atthe NCAA West/South Central Regional at Hiddenbrooke GolfClub in Vallejo. Despite firing the third-lowest score of the final day,the Pioneers just missed earning a spot in the NCAA NationalChampionships. They finished the 54-hole tournament at 916, threestrokes behind fifth-place West Texas A&M. The top five schools inthe 20-team field advanced to Nationals. Although the Pioneers fellshort in their bids to capture the CCAA Championship as runners-up or advance to the NCAA finals they closed out one of the bestseasons in program history.

FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION

SEEKING NEW MEMBERSIf you’ve ever thought you might want to learn more about foot-

ball from the real inside the Contra Costa Football Officials Associ-ation can teach you. CCFOA provides officials for local high schooland youth games along the I-680 and Hwy. 4 corridors. They arelooking for new members for the upcoming fall season. Training isprovided with two new member evening sessions a month startingin mid-June. For more information visit ccfoa.com.

MDSA FALL LEAGUE SIGNUPS

ACCEPTED THROUGH JUNE 14Boys and girls 4-18 years of age wanting to play in Mt. Diablo

Soccer Association fall league can register for guaranteed placementuntil June 14. After that date players will be placed on wait-list. Fallleague play begins in August when all registration closes. Families arerequested to sign up for volunteer duties to help the organizationoffer its AYSO program. For complete information visitmdsoccer.org.

CLAYTON VALLEY FOOTBALL CAMP JUNE 16-19State championship finalist and Northern California Bowl win-

ner Clayton Valley Charter High School hosts its Future ChampionsYouth Football Camp June 16-19 from 5-8 p.m. at the Concordschool for players in second through eighth grades. Camp DirectorMichael Dominquez and Eagles head coach Tim Murphy explainthat the camp has individual and group instruction and team compe-tition with fundamentals and techniques of football taught by theCVCHS staff. To register, email [email protected] or call(925) 726-1503 for an application.

3 BASEBALL CAMP SESSIONS

AT CLAYTON VALLEY THIS SUMMERClayton Valley Charter High School coach Casey Coakley has put

together a staff of current CVCHS coaches and players as well asEagle alumni to provide baseball instruction to youngsters 6-13 yearsof age at the school. The summer baseball camp will consist ofinstruction in the fundamentals of hitting, throwing, fielding, catchplay and other aspects of the game. Summer baseball school sessionswill be held June 15-18, June 22-25 and June 29-July 2. Each dailysession runs 9 a.m.–12 noon. Fee is $120 for one session with dis-counts for multiple weeks. To reserve a baseball school spot or to getmore information email [email protected].

Sports Shorts

TYLER LEHMAN

SPORTS TALK

Tyler Lehman is a junior at SanFrancisco State University and a2012 CVHS graduate. He is major-ing in print/online journalism andwants to be a sports writer. Emailyour comments or questions [email protected].

NFL draft in the books for Bay Area teams

Eagles soccer teams twice wereNCS runners-up and anothertime a semi-finalist.

LINDSAY KIYAMA

(2005 WATER POLO, BASKET-BALL AND SWIMMING)

Kiyama, the second youngestmember of the CVHS Hall ofFame, won four swimming, threewater polo and two basketball var-sity letters ending up with 2005athlete of the year honors. Hersophomore year the water poloteam racked up the most wins inschool history with 20 and wasNCS semi-finalist. The next two

years she was first-team all-BVAL.As a senior she was selected forthe Contra Costa County post-season all-star basketball team.She qualified for NCS three yearsin swimming and was a finalist asa senior when she was team MVPin all three sports. She was UCDavis water polo MVP.

The Hall of Fame began in2008 during the school’s silveranniversary year. Additionalclasses were added in 2010 and2013.

The induction dinner is this Sat-urday, May 16, at Centre Concord.

Hall of Fame, from page 13

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Sports

IN CLAYTONSSaattuurrddaayyss tthhrruu SSeepp.. 1199FFaarrmmeerrss’’ MMaarrkkeett8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Diablo Street between Main and Center streets,downtown Clayton. pcfma.com/clayton.

MMaayy 1166FFrreeee SShhrreeddddiinnggOpen to the public. Limit three boxes or bags perhousehold/business. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Travis Credit Union,5441 Clayton Road, Clayton. (800) 877-8328.

MMaayy 2233,, JJuunnee 66SSaattuurrddaayy CCoonncceerrttss iinn tthhee GGrroovvee6 – 8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free.ci.clayton.ca.us. For a complete concert series list, see Page 3.

MMaayy 2255MMeemmoorriiaall DDaayy OObbsseerrvvaanncceeProgram to honor our lost heroes, sponsored by VFW Post 1525.Huey helicopter fly over and Huey on display. 10 a.m. VeteransMemorial flagpole monument, Main and Oak Streets, Clayton. Free.

JJuunnee 11CCllaayyttoonn CCllaassssiicc Golf tournament sponsored by CBCA. 12 p.m. shotgun start.Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.claytoncbca.org/event/claytonclassic. 672-2272.

JJuunnee 1111Thursday Concerts in the GroveFeaturing local talent. 7 - 8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtownClayton. Free. For a complete concert series list, see Page 3.

IN CONCORD

PPaavviilliioonn CCoonncceerrtt SScchheedduulleeThe Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road,Concord. theconcordpavilion.com. Shows start at 7 p.m. unlessotherwise noted.

MMaayy 2244,, KBLX Stone SoulMMaayy 2288,, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga JJuunnee 1144, Spirit West Coast Festival JJuullyy 33, California Symphony, 8 p.m. JJuullyy 77, Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn MansonJJuullyy 99, Van Halen and Kenny Wayne ShepherdJJuullyy 1155, Chicago and Earth, Wind and FireJJuullyy 1188, Sublime, 6 p.m.JJuullyy 2211, 5 Seconds of Summer AAuugg.. 44, The Boys of Zummer AAuugg.. 77, Idina Menzel AAuugg.. 1144,, The Pink Print TourAAuugg.. 2266,, SlipknotSSeepp.. 2200,, Counting Crows

TTuueessddaayyss FFaarrmmeerrss’’ MMaarrkkeettTuesdays year round. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza,downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.

TThhuurrssddaayyssMMuussiicc aanndd MMaarrkkeettThursday night live music and farmers’ market. Music: May 28,Concord High Jazz Band; June 4, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir,June 11, It’s a Beautiful Day. Market 4 – 8 p.m.; music 6:30 – 8 p.m.Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.

33rrdd SSuunnddaayyss AAnnttiiqquuee FFaaiirreeAntiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concor-dantiquefaire.com.

MMaayy 2233 –– 2255KKiiddFFeessttNonstop activities for kids, tweens and parents; arts and crafts,food court and rides. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 2450 Grant St., down-town Concord. $6 with canned food donation for Food Bank ofContra Costa and Solano; $7 without. kidfestconcord.com.

ON THE MOUNTAINMount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are freewith the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and clickon Events Calendar for more information.

MMaayy 1166BBuutttteerrffllyy WWaallkkWalk to find butterflies and wildflowers. 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Meet at Mitchell Canyon Trailhead.

MMaayy 1177OOaakk KKnnoollll HHiikkeeHike to the Summit and visit interpretive center before returning.11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Meet at Juniper Camp Trailhead. Snakepresentation at Summit Audio Visual Room from 10 a.m. – 2p.m.

JJuunnee 77RRoouunndd tthhee MMoouunnttaaiinn HHiikkeeViews in all directions as you circle the park’s dominant peak viaDeer Flat, Prospector’s Gap and Oak Knoll. 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.Meet at Juniper Camp Trailhead.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENTTThhrruu MMaayy 1177““GGrreeaatteerr TTuunnaa””Hilarious two-man show. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave.,Pittsburg. $10-$25. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

MMaayy 1155 -- 1166““GGeett HHaappppyy””Concert by Diablo Women’s Chorale. Mount Diablo UnitarianUniversalist Church 55, Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek. $10-$20.diablowomenschorale.org.

MMaayy 1155 –– 1166““MMuullaann JJrr..””Presented by Arts Education, Teen Theatre. Del Valle Theatre,1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $16.75.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 1166““AAmmeerriiccaa SSiinnggss””Featuring the Blackhawk Chorus. 8 p.m. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$28.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 1166SSpprriinngg CCoonncceerrttPerformed by Winds Across the Bay, Youth Wind Ensemble. 7:30p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.$12. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 1177““LLiiffee,, DDeeaatthh,, DDaannccee””Performed by Diablo Symphony Orchestra. 2 p.m. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$28. lesherarts-center.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 1177““SSeennttiinneellss ooff FFrreeeeddoomm””An Armed Forces celebration by Contra Costa Wind Symphony. 7p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.$18-$25. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 2200 –– JJuunnee 1144““AA LLiittttllee NNiigghhtt MMuussiicc””Rapturous and seductive musical. American Conservatory Theater,415 Geary St., San Francisco. $20-$140. act-sf.org. (415) 749-2228.

MMaayy 2222 -- 2244““GGrreeaatteerr TTuunnaa””Hilarious two-man show. Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St.,Martinez $10-$25. 439-7529.

MMaayy 2222 –– JJuunnee 2277““AAnnyytthhiinngg GGooeess””As the SS American heads out to sea, two unlikely pairs set off ona course to true love. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $37-$63. centerrep.org.

MMaayy 2233AAggee ooff IImmpprroovvPresented by Trapped in a Rumor. 8:15 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$15. lesherartscen-ter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 2233PPaappaa DDoooo RRuunn RRuunnPerforming classic rock hits of the 1960s and 1970s and theBeach Boys. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St.,Antioch. $25-$27. elcampaniltheatre.com.

MMaayy 2244““II’’llll bbee SSeeeeiinngg YYoouuzz””A Bronx boy’s musical perspective of WWII performed by FrancD’Ambrosio. 3 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St.,Antioch. $25-$27. elcampaniltheatre.com.

MMaayy 2288““AA MMuussiiccaall JJoouurrnneeyy””Songs from around the world by Festival Opera Lite. 7 p.m.Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main St., Walnut Creek. 934-2000.

MMaayy 2299 –– 3300““UUnnllaacceedd:: AA SSttuuddyy ooff CCoonnttrrooll aanndd CChhaaooss””Presented by Smuin Ballet. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek. $54-$73. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

JJuunnee 55JJuurraassssiicc IImmpprroovvPresented by Trapped in a Rumor. 8:15 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$15. lesherartscen-ter.org. 943-7469.

JJuunnee 66CCoommeeddyyDon Reed, featuring Melissa Villasenor and hosted by EmilyEpstein White. 8 p.m. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave.,Pittsburg. $17-$20. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

JJuunnee 66IImmpprroovv IInnvvaassiioonnPresented by Commander Doug Productions. 8:15 p.m. LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $15. lesher-artscenter.org. 943-7469.

JJuunnee 66““TThhee SShhooww 22001155””Presented by Dance Fusion Company. 7 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$25. lesherartscen-ter.org. 943-7469.

JJuunnee 77PPiiaannoo RReecciittaallPresented by The Ballet School. 5:15 p.m. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12. lesherartscenter.org.943-7469.

JJuunnee 1133““DDoonn QQuuiixxoottee””Performed by Soo Dance Academy. 6 p.m. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $23-$28.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

JJuunnee 1133 –– 1144““GGuuyyss aanndd DDoollllss JJrr..””Performed by Poison Apple Productions. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $18-$20.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

JJuunnee 1144““AA FFuunnnnyy TThhiinngg HHaappppeenneedd oonn tthhee WWaayy ttoo tthhee FFoorruumm””Presented by The Vagabond Players. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre,602 W. Second St., Antioch. $10-$15. elcampaniltheatre.com.

CHURCHES AND RELIGIONMMaayy 1177““CCoommee TTrraavveell wwiitthh UUss””

Presented by Walnut Creek Chorus. 3 p.m. Trinity Lutheran

Church, 2317 Buena Vista Ave., Walnut Creek. $10-$15. walnut-creekchorus.com.

MMaayy 2200““TTwwoo AAmmoonngg tthhee RRiigghhtteeoouuss FFeeww””Author Marty Brounstein shares a true story of courage and res-cue during the Holocaust; one with a personal connection aswell. 11 a.m.; potluck 12 p.m. Concord United MethodistChurch, Sherrill Hall, 1645 West St., Concord. Free admission;books available for $13. 672-6870.

MMaayy 3300CCoonncceerrttPianist Erin Kathleen Downey performs modern works of Biblicalclassical music. 7:30 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church,1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. $15. 672-4848.

SCHOOLSMMaayy 2200SSpprriinngg IInnssttrruummeennttaall CCoonncceerrttPresented by Northgate High School. 7 p.m. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $5-$14.75.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

FUNDRAISERS22nndd aanndd 44tthh SSuunnddaayyssPPaannccaakkee BBrreeaakkffaassttVeterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs,pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525,2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfw-post1525.org.

CCllaayyttoonn RReellaayy FFoorr LLiiffee For a complete list of current fundraisers, see Page 22.

MMaayy 1155 –– 1177OOnnssttaaggee TThheeaattrreeFive lovely Onstage ladies perform to raise funds for a trip toNew York City where they have been invited to perform “TheLadies Quintet.” Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $20-$25. 676-5705.

MMaayy 3300BBooccccee TToouurrnnaammeennttSponsored by CVCHS Senior Men to renovate the CVCHSTeachers’ Lounge. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ipsen Family Bocce Park,Main and Oak Streets, Clayton. $35. claytonvalley.org.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are freeunless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonli-brary.org or call 673-0659.

MMaayy 1188CCoolllleeggee FFiinnaanncciiaall PPllaannnniinngg,, 77 pp..mm..June 8: Clayton Library Book Club, 7 p.m.

The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unlessotherwise noted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or 646-5455.

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

22nndd aanndd 44tthh TTuueessddaayyssCCllaayyttoonn PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiissssiioonn7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. JUNE 3 FOR THE JUNE 12 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]


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“Astounding, funny, and breath-taking theatrical creation

…Kenward is a master of hiscraft… a wonder to watch!”

- CCTimes / Oakland Tribune

This month’s article is allabout “scale.” It is the third ofthe three-part series, “Creatingthe Illusion” with our wardrobe.

What does scale mean? Scaleis all about the prints we chooseto wear.

Many of us are frightened ofprints because we do not knowif they should be worn on topor on the bottom. More thannot knowing, we especially shyaway from wearing any type ofprint on the bottom because wefeel it draws attention to areaswe do not want people tonotice.

Because of our tendency tostay away from prints, many ofus often dress completely“monochromatic” (whichmeans one solid color, head totoe). This article will help youmake the decision if prints areright for you and if so, how todetermine which print to wear.

The size of the print is veryimportant. Larger prints workbetter on larger women. Con-versely, a larger print can over-whelm the smaller frame whilethe smaller prints can make larg-er women appear even larger.

As discussed in past articles,using inside-outside lines canhelp with illusion. The sameholds true with print. If a printis worn on top, it is best to weara solid color on the outside. Thiscan be as simple as a cardigan,shrug, jacket, etc. This will givethe illusion of length.

Wearing prints on the bot-tom can be tricky. Triangle oroval shaped-people should con-sider wearing solid coloredshirts or slacks as this is reallythe best choice. Women who aremore rectangle, hourglass or aninverted triangle can get awaywith wearing prints on the bot-tom. Some women need to wearprints on the bottom to create

the illusion of adding more“tush” (for those of us lackingin the bum area).

For most women, wearingprint on the top is the safest andusually the most flattering. It isgreat knowing what looks fabu-lous on our different bodyshapes.

What about handbags andjewelry? We need to keep thesize of our frames in mind whenselecting accessories. Whiletoday’s oversized handbags andstatement necklaces may bepopular, it would be a shame ifour lasting impression on some-one was the gigantic necklace wewore or the handbag we carried,instead of our face.

No matter what your shape,no matter whether you wearprints or solids, remember toforget what the tag size says. It isjust a number. What matters isthe proper fit.

We are excited to bringETCETERA Clothing to Clay-ton. Our first show featuring theSpring/Summer collection willbe May 8 – May 22. Please con-tact me for your personalappointment.

Next time, “Dressing forYour Age.”

It wasn’t that long ago thatMicrosoft released Windows 8for the smartphone, tablet andPC, if you recall that uneventfulrelease in 2012. The biggestdrawback to Windows 8 was thelack of apps available to it.Apple, on the other hand, hadnearly a quarter million apps inits App Store. Windows had afew thousand in their “beta”app store (aka Marketplace, nowjust called Store). So, Apple hada big lead in apps. Do they stillhave a lead?

Microsoft always was theprograms leader during the hey-day of Windows XP and Win-dows 7. It was the primary rea-son Windows grew so big sofast, and was loved by so many.There are millions of programsthat run on PCs, servers andlaptops, even today.

Just to be clear, and to try toshed some light on the subject,Microsoft calls executable soft-ware “programs” and Applesays “apps.” So what’s the differ-ence, tomato-tomahto?

The difference between anapp and a program is how itworks. In simple terms, pro-grams contain nearly all the soft-ware needed to execute the pro-gram, mostly independent ofthe operating system, whereasapps are smaller and reuse soft-ware already part of the operat-ing environment and are moredependent on the operating sys-tem. A program can take hoursto load, an app in minutes. Aprogram must be uninstalled, an

app can be gone in one click.During the Steve Jobs days,

as it is today, Apple requireddevelopers to get approval oftheir app before it was offeredfor sale in the App Store. Theydid this as a discipline so appswould run as promoted. Apple’sattention to detail is what makesthem great. But, therein lays aproblem.

For some developers theApple requirements seemed toostrict. They chose the Microsoftenvironment for developmentinstead, that helped launch thelargest trove of programs ever.

Fast forward to today. Wesee a similar theme playing out.This time however, Microsofthas a new advantage; it can uti-lize both programs and apps.

According to some basicresearch on the subject Applestands at approximately 1.3 mil-lion apps, and apps for

Microsoft Windows 8 areapproximately 400,000. So theclear winner: Apple. Or is it?

With so many legacy applica-tions already in service for Win-dows XP and 7, Microsoft isbusy porting (adapting) them tobe apps in the Store for Win-dows 10, but until then theywork as regular programs. Soonthe combined Microsoft “pro-grams and apps” or “pro-apps”will rule the market once again.

Windows 10 is a gamechanger but will it be enough tooverpower Apple’s lead? Myopinion is it will because of theabundance of legacy programsand the desire of users to keeprunning what they know best.For them it’s tomato.

Visit your local computerdealer for a demo.


WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

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

Will Windows sour Apple’s apps?

If you’re like millions of petowners nationwide, your pet isan important member of yourhousehold. Unfortunately ourpets are affected by the samedisasters that we are. The likeli-hood that you and your pets willsurvive an earthquake or otheremergency such as a fire orflood depends largely on theemergency planning that you dotoday.

Some of the things you cando today to prepare for theunexpected, such as an earth-quake, are the same for anyemergency. These things includeputting together an animalemergency supply kit includingwater, food and medicines.Other important items include acollar with an ID tag and a har-ness or leash. A crate or otheranimal carrier is important espe-cially for cats. Familiar items

such as toys, treats or beddingwill help your pet cope with astressful situation. Also makesure your pet’s microchips areupdated.

Create a plan to get away.Plan how you will gather yourpets and where you will go. Ifyou must evacuate, take yourpets with you. Pets most likelycannot survive on their own and

even if they did you may not beable to find them when youreturn. If you go to a publicshelter your pets may not beallowed inside. Try to secureappropriate shelter for thembeforehand depending on thetype and number of animals inyour care. Consider family andfriends in another location will-ing to take you and your pets inan emergency. Other optionsmay include a hotel or motelthat takes pets or a boardingfacility or veterinary hospital.Find out before an emergencyhappens in any of these facilitiesare viable options for you andyour pets.

Develop a buddy system. Inthe event you are not at homewhen an earthquake or anotherdisaster happens plan withneighbors or friends to makesure that someone is available to

care for or evacuate your pets ifyou are unable to. Talk with yourpet care buddies about yourevacuation plans and show themwhere you keep your emergencysupply kit. Also designate spe-cific locations, one in yourneighborhood and one fartheraway, where you can meet.

Be sure and comfort yourpet during a disaster. They arefrightened too and having younear to reassure them will help.It will probably do a lot to helpyou too. If your pet is not readyto be comforted right awaydon’t force it. Let them come toyou when they are ready.

A good emergency plan canmake the difference between lifeand death for you and your pets.

Debbie DeMello is a dog trainerand owner of Who’s Training Whoin Walnut Creek. Contact her [email protected]

DEBBIE DEMELLO

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One-year-old Colby is amellow, lovable boy who wouldbe great for a first time dogowner. He would love to join hisfamily on a nice weekend hike,or relax and watch TV. Is goodwith cats, children, and otherdogs. We recommend Colbytake a Basic Manners classwhere he can learn polite waysof seeking creature comforts inlife. He currently weighs 77pounds.

The adoption fee for adultdogs is $225 and includes 50%off one 7-week dog training ses-sion.

Brody is a sweet five-year-old boy who can be a tad timidat first but not for long. Once hesettles in, he loves to “chirp” toyou, and is very interactive andloving. He will soon becomeyour new best friend! He is suit-

able for a first time cat guardian.The adoption fee for adult

cats is $50.Meet your forever friend at

Tony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: Noon to 6 pmWednesday & Thursday, Noonto 7 pm Friday, and Noon to 6pm Saturday & Sunday. The pri-mary caretaker must be presentto adopt. ARF also encourageskids 16 and younger and caninefamily members (dog adoptionsonly) to be present during theadoption process.

Would you like to be part of theheroic team that saves the lives of res-cued dogs and cats? Can you shareyour talents to connect people and ani-mals? ARF volunteers are making adifference! For more information seeour website, www.arflife.org, or call(925) 256-1ARF.

Colby and Brodyare ARF Stars

COLBY BRODY

Someday your prints will come

SUSAN SAPPINGTON

CLOTHES UP

Susan Sappington is a wardrobeconsultantant the area developmentmanager for EtCetera Styles. Sendcomments to [email protected]

“Among Thieves?” Should-n’t it be “Honor AmongThieves?” Nope, author JohnClarkson got it right; there is nohonor among the thieves andother lowlifes found in thiscrime thriller.

I’m reviewing “AmongThieves” by Clarkson (MinotaurBooks, February 2015) becauseby the time this newspapercomes out, Mother’s Day willhave come and gone and“Among Thieves” would make agreat Father’s Day gift. Everycharacter in the novel is a thief,thug or ex-con, but some of thebad guys (and two women) arebadder than others. Clarksonmakes you read a bit before theplot takes shape and you know,or think you know, who thegood bad guys are.

The story opens: “Tuesdaymorning started out damn nearperfect. Right up until DemarcoJones told James Beck, ‘Mannywants to kill somebody.’” Beck,an ex-con himself, knows that ifManny used “the word kill, itwas not metaphorical.”

Beck is one of the good badguys and ex-cons Manny Guz-man, Demarco Jones and CiroBaldassare are Beck’s partners,operating out of a bar in Brook-

lyn’s Red Hook neighborhood.The potential kill-ee is a crookedWall Street guy who has injured,fired and threatened to blackballManny’s cousin Olivia Sanchezfrom ever working on WallStreet again. Olivia suspectssome very bad trading in amajor hedge fund at the firmwhere she is now no longeremployed. Olivia turns toManny for help, Manny turns toDemarco, and Demarco toBeck, knowing that cooler headsthan Manny’s should prevail.And Beck is cool, but after call-ing on Olivia to find out whatshe expects Manny to do forher, he realizes Olivia’s probleminvolves much more than herbeing fired.

That problem quicklybecomes Beck’s and goes fromsingular to plural. The funds,not quite hedged bets, are in themillions and involve mobsters, aRussian arms dealer, the U.S.military, common thugs, an ex-NYPD officer as bodyguard forthe Wall Street guy, Russianmobsters to protect the armsdealer and offshore bankaccounts to protect all those ille-gal millions. Did I mentionGlocks? Initially, they’re afterOlivia who knows too much,then Beck for trying to helpOlivia.

On Beck’s side are ex-conswho know their way aroundweapons like a Benelli M3 shot-gun, a Winchester 12 gauge, aCharter Arms Bulldog .44 cal-

iber revolver, a Browning Hi-Power 9-mm automatic, and ahumble six-inch Bucheimer sap.Beck’s “band of merry men”includes a doctor on call to fixthose gunshot wounds, headbutts and poked eyes, and anattorney, computer hacker andbevy of hoods to cover his back.

The story accelerates likeBeck’s customized 2003 Mer-cury Marauder. Clarkson pilesone bloody and brutal con-frontation on another, with acast of well-drawn characters.Keeping track of the moneybecomes a deadly shell gameBeck plays with cunning and “analert state of calm.” He’s almostalways ready for what comesnext, even if the reader is not.Happy Father’s Day.


Undaunted by cloudy skies,nearly 200 Claytonians — bigand little — turned out for theannual Clayton Cleans Upevent, held in conjunction withEarth Day

Clad in bright green t-shirtswith custom artwork designedby local artist Elena Nielsen,and carrying big orange bags,the trash-seekers fanned outthrough city streets and trails insearch of cigarette butts, cans,bottles and all manner of litter.

Every year, someone findssomething noteworthy. Thisyear, Boy Scout Troop 262dragged a mattress out of thecreek. The boys were rewarded

for their day’s work by findinga nickel and two pennies.

By noon, the streets weresparkling and ready for the Artand Wine Festival the follow-ing weekend. Hamburgers andhot dogs were waiting back atCity Hall along with localorganizations sharing ideas forenjoying and caring for naturalresources.

The event is sponsored bythe Clayton Pioneer, RepublicServices, Travis Credit Union,the City of Clayton, InnovativeImpressions, CBCA, Peet’sCoffee & Tea and OrchardSupply Hardware.

Clayton Cleans Upcelebrates Earth Day

Photos counter-clockwisefrom top left.

1. CVCHS Garden ClubTeam Blue got down tosome serious work at thelibrary: Bryce Pamer,Peyton Siville, FloydMcCluhan, and ClaireOlson 2. Lil’ dude, CooperCalabio proves size doesn’tmatter when it comes topicking up trash. Shirt wasa little big, but he’ll growinto it.3. Boy Scouts Troop 262were the proud finders of amattress, a nickel and twopennies: NathanBurkhardt, Cian Murphy,Ellie Pierce, Gavin Pierce,Ruairi Murphy, Rob Pierce,Dylan Lynch, Martin Lynch,Austin Burkhardt and SeanMurphy.4. Republic Services notonly provided all the food,they sent Fred Rapetto (left)to help Howard Geller grillthe burgers.5. Brownies from Troop32481 and Junior Troop30124, Claire Calabio,Lindsey Wiggenhauser,Kiley Ruff and Isabelle Ruffwith parent Jennifer Ruff


1

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4

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to determine if you’re mentallycompetent.

Avoid the appearance ofundue influence. If you rewardsomeone who’s in a position toinfluence you, take steps to avoidthe appearance of undue influ-ence. Suppose, for example, thatyou plan to leave a substantialsum to a close friend who acts asyour primary caregiver. To avoida challenge, prepare your willindependently — that is, underconditions that are free frominterference by family membersor other beneficiaries. Peoplewho’ll benefit under your estateplan shouldn’t be present whenyou meet with your attorney, nor

should they be present when yousign your will and other estateplanning documents, or serve aswitnesses.

Talk to your family. If youplan to disinherit certain familymembers, give them reducedshares or give substantial sums tononfamily members, make sureyou meet with your family assoon as possible to explain yourreasoning. If that’s not possible,state the reasons in your will orinclude a separate letter express-ing your wishes. Family membersare less likely to challenge yourplan if they understand therationale behind it.

To deter challenges to yourplan, consider including a no-

contest clause, which providesthat if a beneficiary challengesyour will or trust unsuccessfully,he or she will receive nothing.Keep in mind, however, that youmust leave something to peoplewho are likely to challenge yourplan; otherwise, they have noth-ing to lose by contesting it.

If your estate plan leaves anyfamily members less of aninheritance than they expect,there’s a risk they’ll contest it.Although there’s no guaranteedway to protect your plan, thestrategies discussed can mini-mize the chances that a disgrun-tled beneficiary will challengeyour plan in court.

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

Estate, from page 9

Action-packed ‘Thieves’steals your interest

Book Review

Movie Review

In “The Age of Adaline,”the new film from director LeeToland Krieger, the fountain ofyouth turns out to be as simpleas crashing a car into a frozenlake, dying and then beingbrought back by a lightningstrike. However, becauseKrieger creates such anenchanting history for his hero-ine, it’s rather easy to get pastthe set-up.

Adaline Bowman does notlook a day older than 29 andhas been this way for more than75 years. As Adaline, BlakeLively gives a graceful yetrepressed performance; almostas if playing the role too hardor too loose would give awaythe character’s secret. Adaline israising her daughter alone afterher husband dies in the 1930s.After her car crash and subse-quent rebirth into immortality,Adaline not only chooses tocontinue living a normal life,but she almost flaunts the factthat she always looks so young.This catches up to her whenFBI agents track her down andjust “want to talk.” She escapesand from then on, decides shemust constantly move andchange her identity at least oncea decade. We pick up the storyin late 2014, a few weeks beforeshe is about to change into

someone else.Living now as Jennifer Lar-

son, Adaline works in San Fran-cisco. Cinematographer DavidLanzenberg captures San Fran-cisco beautifully with severalsweeping overheads and a noc-turnal time-lapse shot. At a NewYear’s party, Adaline bumps intotech millionaire Ellis Jones,played by Michael Huisman.Infatuated, Jones keeps afterAdaline, while she continues topush him away. Their story begsto be more interesting, but theemotional wall Adaline has builtup frustrates Ellis as much asthe viewer. It is not until Adalinemeets Ellis’s father that the filmtakes a turn for the better.

Harrison Ford’s appearanceas William Jones gives “The Ageof Adaline” the boost it reallyneeds. One of the bettermoments in a film this year iswhen Ellis and Adaline step intothe Jones’ family residence andWilliam recognizes Adalinefrom his youth. What mightotherwise be considered a con-venient plot contrivance actuallyenhances the suspense. AsWilliam struggles with all theemotions that have bubbled up,Adaline debates whether shenow has an excuse to run awayyet again. The Adaline andWilliam storyline is just enough

to save the film and justifyKrieger’s choice of romance asits backbone.

“The Age of Adaline” positsthat science is responsible forAdaline’s condition yet the filmdoesn’t explore it much. It putsall its weight behind theromance aspect. One wonderswhat the movie would havebeen had it swayed more towardthe science-fiction genre. Someof the better scenes are betweenAdaline and her 80-year olddaughter, played by the alwayssublime Ellen Burstyn. Adaline’s“lost love” flashbacks also workwell but the relationshipbetween her and Ellis just neverreally clicks. Despite the fact thefilm loses its nerve in the last 10minutes, there is still enoughabout “The Age of Adaline” torecommend a viewing. B-

Ageless Adaline mustface her own ghosts

Jeff Mellinger is a screen writerand film buff. He holds a BA inFilm Studies and an MFA in filmproduction. He lives in Concord.Email comments to [email protected].

JEFF MELLINGER

SCREEN SHOTS

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

Sunny Solomon is a freelancewriter and head of the Clayton BookClub. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com to ‘talk books.’

It’s National Grilled CheeseSandwich month. You mightthink that the idea of combiningcheese and bread goes back mil-lennia, and you’d be right if youwere to look at ancient Romancookbooks.

However, it appears the ideaof grilling cheese and breadtogether is a 20th century phe-nomenon. The availability ofinexpensive loaves of bread andprocessed cheese helped makegrilled cheese a staple in 1920sAmerica.

First prepared open face, itsoon gained the second slice ofbread to make it more filling.This sandwich provided criticalnutrition during the Depressionand it was a favorite of theAllied armed forces in WorldWar II. School cafeterias andhome cooks were soon makinggrilled cheese (with tomatosoup, of course) part of regularmeal plans.

Almost 100 years later, you’llstill find grilled cheese in dinersand fine dining establishments

alike. Kids love it and adults findit a comfort food. For a gour-met spin, substitute focaccia orciabatta for white bread or usegoat cheese or Gruyère. Otherfancy ideas include addingtomato marmalade, jalapeno,blue cheese and maybe somethin-sliced roast beef. Or try afried egg or even potato chips inthe filling.

You don’t have to be a five-star cook to come up with yourown unique version of the clas-sic grilled cheese sandwich. Startby sneaking in international fla-vors. Make a version of a Cubansandwich by melting Swisscheese with dill pickles and thin-ly sliced ham on a soft roll,pressed flat during grilling. Grilla Caprese mix of sliced toma-toes, fresh mozzarella and basilon some crusty French bread.

Caramelize some onions andcombine with slices of Comtecheese on a soft baguette for aParisian spin.

Or make a grilled cheesedessert. Try blueberries, mascar-pone cheese and Brie betweenthin bagel slices. Or Norwegiangjetost (a cow-goat cheese withdistinctive sweet caramel notes)with sliced apples coated in cin-namon and sugar.

My mama’s version of grilledcheese used a homemade ver-sion of a Southern staple:pimento cheese spread. Just likemost treasured recipes, it hasevolved over the years.

For the current iteration, Irecommend Tillamook cheesefor its great melting properties. Iusually use a dense, crackedwheat bread. I also tend to over-fill the sandwich so some of the

filling spills onto the griddle andtoasts on its own. Oh my, thoselittle bits are tasty.

PIMENTO CHEESE SPREAD

(Serves 4)2 c. shredded extra-sharp

Cheddar cheese1/3 c. mayonnaise1 tsp. onion powder1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimentos,

drained2 T. sweet pickle relish1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper8 slices of breadStir together cheese, mayon-

naise, onion powder, pimentos,pickle relish and cayenne pep-per. Spread on four slices ofbread and cover each withanother slice. Melt butter onwarm griddle and grill sand-wiches until golden brown oneach side.

As a final note, if you’regoing to a Giants game this year,stop at the American GrilledCheese Kitchen and indulge inone of their glorious sandwich-es. There is another location onHarrison in the Mission.


Grill me some cheese, please

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Linda Wyner owns Pans on Fire, agourmet cookware store and cookingschool in Pleasanton. Send suggestions orquestions to [email protected]

6780 Marsh Creek Road, ClaytonFamily owned and operated since 1983 672-0207

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Spring is such a beautifultime of year. It’s an invitation tocome and play outside and revis-it the goodies you tucked awayso carefully at the end of lastsummer. Whether it’s Patio din-ing and lounge furniture, acobalt blue market umbrella,glazed pottery to hold yourannuals or your beloved ham-mock, rummaging through youroutdoor décor and bringing itout of hiding from the garage orthe backyard shed is likeChristmas in June.

As you thoughtfullyreassemble things, dusting andcleaning as you go, you may startto feel like something is missing.Could it be the outdoor pillowwith the embroidered seashells?The pair of rustic lanterns foryour dining table? No, you’renot missing an actual “thing,”you’re missing some “oompft.”Every living space, indoors andout, needs some “oompft” nowand then. It’s the main ingredi-ent in keeping things lookingfresh. So, where can you getsome much needed spring“oompft?”

SWING FROM THE

CHANDELIER

Your breakfast nook tablehas a chandelier, your diningroom table has a chandelier,maybe even your master bath-room and foyer have chande-liers. So, why not add a chande-

lier over your patio dining table?Whether it’s electrified or hasbattery operated candles, addinga chandelier will make a veryfestive and decorative statement.If you have a trellis over yourtable, or your table sits inside agazebo, this makes things easy.You already have an “outdoorceiling” from which to anchorthe fixture. If you have anumbrella over your table, con-sider using fixtures that are typi-cally battery operated orrechargeable and can attach tothe umbrella pole. You can alsoswag a series of string lightsinside the umbrella for a bit ofsparkle and ambience.

ROLL OUT THE CARPET…AND TOSS A PILLOW

An outdoor area rug is theperfect way to group your out-door furniture and create a des-ignated lounge or dining space.Outdoor area rugs come in allsorts of wonderful syntheticfibers, sizes and colors that youcan combine with your existingfurnishings to create a well-rounded look. And don’t juststop there. In addition to thearea rug, collect synthetic out-door pillows to bring yourlounge furniture to life. Maybe

an extra-wide bolster pillow foryour love seat, a series of coor-dinating accent pillows for yoursectional, or smaller kidney pil-lows for each of your diningchairs. And the clean-up ofthese synthetic jewels is so easy:warm water, mild dish soap,rinse with the hose and air dry.It’s a great summer project forthe kids.

PANELS WITH SWAG

Outdoor drapery can createquite a bit of drama outdoors.Solid colored, big resort-likestripes, floral patterns, or geo-metric — consider adding pan-els to an existing gazebo or trel-lis to help with sun control asyou read the Sunday paper, addprivacy for an intimate outdoordinner party, or produce a shad-ed area for the kids to play.Depending on the design aes-thetic you’re after, drapery pan-els can be anything from a heavycanvas or sheer, gauze-like pan-els that float and move freelywith the breeze.

JENNIFER LEISCHER

DESIGN & DÉCOR

Jennifer Leischer is the owner ofJ. Designs Interior Design based inClayton. Contact her with questions,comments and suggestions [email protected].

Take the ‘wow’ factor outside

Wouldn’t you rather be on an island? Areyou sure about that?

St. John’s Stage presents Mark Kenward’ssolo show, “Nantucket,” at St. John’sEpiscopal Church, on Friday, May 29. Amaster storyteller, Kenward plays all thecharacters with an astonishing ability toinhabit each role.

“Nantucket” is a hilarious and hauntingperformance that takes an unflinching lookat the dark side of paradise. The ContraCosta Times hailed the show as “astound-ing, funny and breathtaking,” and The StarkInsider marveled that “so powerful was hishold on the audience, the only evidence thatanyone was even breathing was an occasion-al gasp.”

When Kenward was 8-years old his fam-ily moved to Nantucket, arriving with all thedreams you would expect of people movingto a famous old island. But in the dead ofwinter Nantucket is a different place, wherethe reality is that not everyone will be a sur-vivor.

After the show’s extended run at TheMarsh Theatre in San Francisco last yearwowed both audiences and critics,“Nantucket” returns for a 2015 NorthAmerican tour. Following his performanceat St. John’s, Kenward will take“Nantucket” on a two-month FringeFestival tour to Berkeley, Ottawa, Torontoand Edmonton. Kenward has performed hiswork in more than 35 cities throughout theU.S. and Canada, including a reception forThe House of Representatives.

He has created seven full-length soloshows and directed several others, includingKurt Bodden’s “Steve Seabrook: BetterThan You,” which played at St. John’s in2012.

“Nantucket” is directed by RebeccaFisher.

Performance time for the May 29 show is 7:30p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be bought online atwww.BrownPaperTickets.com or by phone at 925-672 8717. St. John’s Episcopal Church is locatedat 5555 Clayton Rd. in Clayton. “Nantucket” isnot recommended for children under 13.

Help send a local theatercompany to New York by

attending a special performanceof “The Ladies Quintet” onMay 17 at 3 or 7 p.m. at theMartinez Campbell Theatre, 636Ward Street, in Martinez. Theshow by Concord playwrightKathryn McCarty opens Off-Broadway on June 3 at theTheatre Row Studios. The seriesof intimate solo performanceshas already run in Chicago andLos Angeles and now has its

sights set on the Big Apple for aone-week run. The cast of fivewomen includes three localactresses (Helen Means, SheilahMorrison and myself), who willperform at the fundraising eventas well as singer AnitaViramontes. A question-and-answer session follows the show.For tickets to the May fundrais-er, call 925-676-5705 or [email protected].

Pittsburg CommunityTheatre brings a little bit ofsmall-town Texas to Californiawith “Greater Tuna.” The goodole’ down-home laugh-out-loudfest runs May 14 - May 17 at theCalifornia Theatre, 351 RailroadAve., in Pittsburg and May 22-24at the Campbell Theatre, 636Ward Street, in Martinez.

Actors Gregory Brown andBrian Villanueva bring more

than 20 eccentric characters tolife in rapid-fire performances.It’s always amazing to watch theas they walk behind a screen andimmediately come out the otherside as a totally different denizenof Tuna, Texas, where the Lion’sClub is considered too liberaland Patsy Cline never dies.

According to director BettyBrown, there is an “absolutescene stealer” in this productionbut she refuses to spoil the sur-prise so you’ll have to see foryourself. Tickets range from$10-$25 and can be purchasedby calling 925-427-1611(California Theatre) or 925-439-7529 (Campbell Theatre) or bygoing online to www.pitts-burgcaliforniatheatre.com orwww.eventbrite.com.

A lovely heiress, a sexy night-club singer, a crew of singingsailors and Public Enemy #13are all on board to keep theaction hot and heavy in CenterRep’s upcoming production of“Anything Goes.” The wonder-ful Cole Porter musical, directedby Michael Butler, runs May 22– June 27 at Walnut Creek’sLesher Center for the Arts. Call925-943-SHOW or go towww.lesherartscenter.org.

Only Shakespeare could startwith a violent storm at sea andmanage to turn it into one of hisfinest comedies –“TwelfthNight.” This masterpiece ofmistaken identities follows ship-wrecked twins who must navi-gate across a strange island tofind love – and each other. Thecomedy runs May 27 – June 21

at the Bruns Amphitheatre, 100California Shakespeare TheaterWay in Orinda. For more infor-mation, visit 510-540-9666 orwww.calshakes.org.

Following a successful runof “Arsenic and Old Lace,” theClayton Theatre Company ispreparing for Summer Stage, atheater camp for ages 6 – 16.Artistic director La Tonya Wattsand managing director RoxannePardi will focus on musical the-ater training and preparationduring the three-week camp,which takes place June 15 – July1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Inaddition to learning theatrical

basics, each performer will havea professional headshot taken,create a sample resume andlearn an audition song as well asscenes from “Aladdin, Jr.,”“Matilda” and “Newsies.”Performances take place on July2 at 1 and 3 p.m. at EndeavorHall in Clayton. For more infor-mation, call 925-222-9106 orvisit www.claytontheatrecompa-ny.com.


Performing Arts

SALLY HOGARTY

STAGE STRUCK

Sally Hogarty is well knownaround the Bay Area as a newspa-per columnist, theatre critic andworking actress. She is also the edi-tor of the Orinda News. Send com-ments to [email protected]

Photo: Jeff Strawther

GREGORY BROWN AS AUNT PEARL AND BRIAN VILLANUEVA AS

STANLEY appear in the side-splitting ‘Greater Tuna’ at theCalifornia Theatre in Pittsburg May 14- 17 and the Campbelltheater in Martinez May 22-24.

HELEN MEANS as the star polisher in “Ladies Quintet” May 17at the Campbell Theater in Martinez.

� Kevin Schmidt, Clayton Resident

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MOLLY BELL STARS AS RENO

SWEENY in the classic ColePorter musical “AnythingGoes” at the Lesher CenterMay 22 – June 27.

‘Nantucket’: One man is an island

Photo: David Allen.

IN “NANTUCKET,” MARK KENWARD TAKES

AUDIENCES ON A TRIP to the fabled island,using his childhood experiences toexpose the light and dark sides of “par-adise.”

GARY CARR


Theaters offer early summer laughs

Spring has sprung onceagain and once again it startedin January. Wild flowersbloomed much earlier. Manyare still in bloom, includingpoppies, lupine, Monkeyflower, ethereal spears, serrat-ed onions, mariposa lilies, andsome Mount Diablo globelilies. Chaparral that likes toextend its blooming seasoninto June finished up in Aprilthis year. Another drought yearwith no snow pack in theSierras is hitting this state veryhard.

On Mount Diablo theDecember rains gave us hopeas creeks and springs started toflow and ponds filled for thefirst time in three years. Butwithout the expected late win-ter rains these water sourceswill again dry up by early- tomid-summer rather than latefall. At least this year frogs andtoads, tiger salamanders, freshwater shrimp, dragonflies anddamsel flies along with myriadother aquatic insects have hadenough time to mate, lay eggsand metamorphosis into adult.

The effects of the droughthave had severe consequenceson a large stand of CoulterPines in the Donner andMitchell Canyon area. Thetrees were weakened by thelack of water and left themsusceptible to a tiny (one-eighth of an inch) wood bor-ing beetle. Little if anythingshould be done by humans tointerfere. Nature needs to takeits course and it will recover ina timely manner. The biggestthing these dying trees add tois the danger of fire. Everyoneplease be careful as we enterinto this summer

For any of you birders outthere, Donner Canyon, BackCanyon and Mitchell Canyonare still some of the best spotsin Contra Costa to see summermigrants, including tanagers,orioles, various warblers, vire-os, black-chinned hummingbirds, calliope humming birdsand Allen’s and Rufus hum-mers, to mention just a few.Check with Mt. DiabloInterpretive Association forany hikes led by the pros.

An assortment of beautiful

butterflies is also flyingthrough the canyons, lookingfor buckeye, monkey flower,paintbrush and thistles. Largetiger and pale swallowtails,California sisters, Sarah orangetips, painted ladies, admirals,buckeyes, blues, coppers andhair streaks are filling the air.

For those of you who hikeBlack Point, Twin Peaks, EaglePeak and up to MountOlympia, keep your eyes openfor whip-tailed lizards and theever camouflaged Coast HornLizard. These locations are thelast stand for the horned lizardin Contra Costa, so it is veryspecial to see this totally harm-less and unique creature blend-ing into its surroundings as itfeeds on the indigenous har-vester ants.

Our only venomous snakein Northern California, theNorthern Pacific Rattlesnake,is also out and about. Thissnake, which is rarely reachesfour feet in length, is verytimid and tries to avoid anyhuman contact. It does notattack and only bites to eatsmall rodents or in selfdefense when attacked.Therefore do not try to pickone up or touch it. Leave italone and continue on yourway after admiring the beautyof this reptile — it will leaveyou alone. If you are fortunateyou may see our other com-mon reptiles, fence lizards(also called blue bellies), alliga-tor lizards, Alameda whipsnakes, gopher snakes or kingsnakes. None of these are athreat to humans but all willdefend themselves, so leavethem be.

Finally, familiarize yourselfwith poison oak. It’s not life-threatening but a real itchy nui-sance for several weeks forthose who touch it and do notwash it off.

Michael Marchiano is a natu-ralist with Mt. Diablo InterpretiveAssociation. Email comments orquestions [email protected].

Franc D’Ambrosio, bestknown for more than 2000 per-formances as “The Phantom” inAndrew Lloyd Webber’s TonyAward-winning musical “ThePhantom of the Opera,” returnsto the Bay Area for a specialMemorial Day weekend presen-tation at the El CampanilTheatre in Antioch.

On Sunday, May 24,D’Ambrosio will perform hispopular and critically acclaimedprogram, “Franc D’Ambrosio:I’ll Be Seeing Youz — A BronxBoy’s Musical Perspective ofWWII,” which celebrates themusic and songs of the WorldWar II era with his distinctivevoice and style. It will alsoinclude a tribute to “ThePhantom of the Opera.”

Affectionately known as“The Iron Man of the Mask,”D’Ambrosio was awarded thedistinction as the “World’sLongest Running Phantom” andretained the title for more than adecade. With the success of hisnational and international tours,he has joined the ranks of thefamed Michael Crawford andSarah Brightman as only a hand-ful of “Phantom” alumni tosuccessfully crossover to solocareers. D’Ambrosio has beencontinuously touring for 11years, and is also a frequent

guest artist with major orches-tras and symphonies throughoutthe country.

D’Ambrosio’s credits alsoinclude an Emmy Award-nomi-nated television show, twoGrammy considerations, aNational Theatre Award nomi-nation, and the coveted role ofAnthony Corleone in “TheGodfather — Part 3.”

He has released the recordedversion of this show, which isthe No. 1-selling CD on theLML label, which will be avail-able at his performance, alongwith several others of hisrecordings.

For more information on the per-formance, visit the El CampanilTheatre’s website at www.elcam-paniltheatre.com or call 925-757-9500.


MIKE MARCHIANO

MOUNTAIN MIKE

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Dry winter means earlySpring on Mt. Diablo

Scott Hein PhotoMT. DIABLO GLOBE LILY

FRANC D’AMBROSIO

Creekside Artists Guild

Join the Creekside ArtistsGuild for an afternoon of artand music as they celebrate theirninth anniversary, Sun. May 17,4-7 p.m. at Diamond Terrace.

The guest speaker isJacquelyn Smith, president ofArt Concepts, one of the topcorporate art consulting firms inthe county.

Noted watercolorist, QianGao, will give a plein air demo.

Diamond Terrace is at 6401Center St., Clayton. For more infor-mation, contact Arlene Nielsen [email protected] or (925)673-9777.

Our community has notgone untouched by cancer.That’s why Clayton’s Relay forLife, to be held Aug. 15-16, is aunique 24-hour celebration ofcancer survivorship and a trib-ute to those who lost their battleto this disease.

The American CancerSociety first started Relay forLife 30 years ago and this yearClayton Relay is celebrating itsFifth-year Anniversary. Last yearthere were hundreds of partici-pants and dozens of teams atthe event. Supporters across thecity of Clayton raised funds forthe ACS and took to the track inhonor of loved ones and friendsaffected by this pervasive dis-ease —raising more than$85,000!

Clayton Relay LeadershipTeam member MindyThompson reflects on why sheis passionate about this event: “IRelay to help the cause. I Relayto end Cancer. I Relay so hope-fully my children won’t have to

go through the loss I did as Iwatched my father die from thisdeadly disease.”

Many people carry a similarmessage. Terry Newberry ofMagic Entertainment says, “Notonly is it the right thing to do forthe community and the cause,it’s a fight that we all need to

participate in. I am honored toprovide my services.”

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? First, Relay for Life is look-

ing for teams. There are alreadymany incredible teams such asSt. John’s Cancer Crusaders,Flower Sisters, Campers for a

Cure, Clayton Valley ConcordSunrise Rotary, the Pink PartyPosse, the Gamma Girls, TeamChristy and Team Anu thatcome together in a show ofunity so they can contribute tothis crucial cause. Teams joinfrom local businesses, commu-nity organizations, families,neighborhoods, sport teams,schools, and just about any-where.

All teams will rally togetherto take turns walking the track atMt. Diablo Elementary onAugust 15-16. Each team willstrive to have a representativeon the track at all times whileentertainment, music and funactivities keep a festive atmos-phere to celebrate the gainsmade in the fight against cancerTo form a team please contactSydney Alcock at [email protected].

There are also many spon-sorship opportunities. Thoughwe’ve come a long way in thefight against cancer, sponsor-ships by businesses and organi-zations help fund groundbreak-ing research, discover ways to

detect cancer at its earliest, andhelp people with cancer today.Many businesses in town havealready started sponsoring Relayby giving a percentage of theirprofits for a day to the ACS. Ifyou are interested in learningmore about becoming a sponsorplease contact Nancy Salmon [email protected].

At dusk on the eve of Aug.15 the Luminaria Ceremonytakes place at MDES. This is asolemn and touching ceremonyto remember friends and familywho have lost their battle tocancer or for those who contin-ue their fight. Everyone is invit-

ed to attend this ceremony.Teams or individuals can pur-chase Luminaria bags to deco-rate and are then lit in this cere-mony. You can go to the websiteto learn how to purchase thesebags. You can also become aDonor of Hope by giving a tax-deductable donation of $100and be recognized with a specialgold Luminaria bag.

There are so many different waysto participate and to join the fight toeradicate cancer in our lifetime. Forinformation, visitwww.relayforlife.org/claytonca orwww.facebook.com/RFLClaytonCA

Moonshine Yarrow has beena favorite perennial of Claytongarden lovers for many years.This classic perennial is triedand true. Moonshine Yarrowhas all the attributes that onedesires when gardening andlandscaping in our Clayton cli-mate.

Moonshine yarrow has aro-matic, fern-like silvery-grayfoliage. The foliage of this

yarrow alone is intriguing. Thesilvery-gray color adds a pop toa landscape area, especiallywhen surrounded by blackmicro bark, which providesinstant contrast.

Once spring begins to warm,Moonshine Yarrow’s growthsurges. Foliage begins toexpand, forming clumps thatallow Moonshine’s flower stalksto form. These stalks can reachanywhere from 18 to 24 inchestall. Above the stems, tiny brightlemon-yellow flowers line flatflower clusters. These flatshaped flowers are very appeal-ing to both bees and butterflies.

Moonshine Yarrow is rela-tively carefree to grow. It thrivesin full, hot sun and is very

drought tolerant. Spent flowerswill need to be deadheaded, andthe entire plant should have asevere pruning in the early sum-mer to promote another glori-ous wave of flowers.

This perennial is deer resist-ant and makes a great cut flower.Unlike other yarrow, Moonshinehas sterile flowers, therefore youdon’t have to worry about thisperennial running crazilythroughout the garden.

Moonshine Yarrow is anapproved perennial by theContra Costa WaterDepartment for water-wiseplant installations. For thosecraving summer color in theirlawn replacement project,Moonshine Yarrow may just the

perennial to consider.It is easy to find companion

plants to accent MoonshineYarrow. Salvia Hot Lips andMoonshine Yarrow plantedtogether make a stunningspring-through-summer display.Add some dark purple fromPenstomen Midnight, orLavender Hidcote to cool downthe display. Evergreen compan-ion plants to consider with theMoonshine Yarrow would beRhaplioepsis RubrumCompacta and Grevillea lowform.

Moonshine Yarrow isn’tpicky about how it’s installed.Make sure your hole is doublethe width of the container thatthe plant purchased in, add a

handful of planting mix to thehole, loosen roots of the plantbefore placing in the hole andcover with more planting mix.You will have to water to estab-lish. Please keep in mind thatdrought tolerant plants are toler-ant of drought after they areestablished.


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NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&MPool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. Contacther with questions or comments [email protected]

Moonshine Yarrow adds garden luster

Clayton Relay for Life Fundraising Events

May 28Technique TuesdayThe technique is Tuesday, but the class is Thursday. Cardmaking class taught by Michele Pryor, independent consult-ant for “Close to My Heart” crafts. 6 – 8 p.m. St. John’sEpiscopal Parish, 5555 Clayton Road, Clayton. $30. ContactLorraine at [email protected].

May 30Baking for a CureBake sale. 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Starbucks, Clayton Station.Contact Michelle Treshler at [email protected] or GigiPishny at [email protected] to donate baked goods.

June 2Eat to Support Relay For LifeEd’s Mudville Grill will donate 10-20 percent of all sales toRelay For Life Clayton. Must present flier when order; down-load at relayforlife.org/claytonca. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Ed’s,6200 Center St., Clayton. Contact Lorraine at [email protected].

June 7Brooklyn Heros for a CureCanesa’s Brooklyn Heros will donate 20 percent of all salesto Relay For Life Clayton. Must present flier when order;download at relayforlife.org/claytonca. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.Canesa’s, 6026 Main St., Clayton. Contact Lorraine at [email protected].

Relay offers hope, opportunity to fight cancerPAT MIDDENDORF



CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS lead off last year’sAmerican Cancer Society Relay for Life. This year’s event willbe held at Mt. Diablo Elementary on Aug 15-16.

The Clayton Valley Woman’sClub installed officers for the2015-16 year on April 14. Thenewly elected officers are: MerleWhitburn/auditor, ConnieWeimar/president, MaggieGardner/co-president and co-editor, Kathy Hester/co-presi-dent, Sheila Driscoll/vice presi-dent, Aleta Huck/co-vice presi-dent, Jeanne Groschwitz/recording secretary, SharonHupp/corresponding secretary,Joyce Atkinson/treasurer,Rosemary Harwood/budgetdirector and Nancy

Domingo/parliamentarian.The club was organized and

federated in 1973. They haveseveral major fundraisers eachyear to donate funds to commu-nity organizations and a scholar-ship for a selected woman recip-ient attending Diablo Valley

College and going on to highereducation.

The Clayton Valley Woman’sClub meets at 10 a.m. on thesecond Tuesday of the month,except July and August, at HolyCross Lutheran Church, 1092Alberta Way, Concord. Guestsare welcome to attend meetingsand social events to have funand make new friendships whilevolunteering and helping thecommunity. The theme this yearis “The Joy is in the Journey.”

For more information, call 672-7947 or go to their website at claytonvalleywomansclub.org.

The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club

MAY 15 Clayton Pioneer 2015

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