NOV 07 Clayton Pioneer 2014

Urmila Patel emits the kindof equilibrium that many peoplespend a lifetime seeking. Patelhas just published her firstnovel, a non-fiction account ofher family’s escape from Ugandain 1972.

“Out of Uganda in 90 Days:Her Journey from Kampala toIndia” is a powerful narrative.Yet meeting Patel in person, onewould never guess this saga waspart of her past. The surprisecomes partly because Patel, of

Asian Indian descent, is notsomeone most of us wouldexpect to find living in Uganda.The other, and more revelatorypiece, is Patel’s complete lack ofrancor surrounding her experi-ence with one of history’s mostnefarious dictatorships. Herhoned ability to remain strongamid great flux and her certaintyin seeking truth for a highercause suggest she may be unique-ly suited to her new purpose,facilitating healing in others.

Patel, the owner of PostalAnnex in the Clayton StationShopping Center, is an elegantand serene woman with an easi-

ly accessible sense of humorthat pleasingly balances herknowledge and seriousness. Themother of two grown children,she is a businesswoman, anotary public, and now a pub-lished author. While theseaccomplishments would beenough to satisfy most, Patel hasrecently added to her achieve-ments receiving certifications inNLP (Neuro-linguistic Pro-gramming) and Reiki.

For Patel, publishing herstory is not an epilogue, but afirst step in opening herself upto a more purposeful life. Herbook, dedicated to “all thosewho are still haunted by painfulmemories from Uganda’supheavals under Idi Amin,” maybe her best tool yet to connectwith those who would mostbenefit from her healing andwisdom.

PARADISE LOST

Patel’s book takes its titlefrom a decree issued by GeneralIdi Amin on Aug. 4, 1972,ordering the expulsion of ethnicAsians from Uganda within 90days. The Asian Indian commu-nity in Uganda, originallybrought there under Britishcolonial rule over a centurybefore, had become the back-bone of the country’s economy.Not long after Amin’s militarycoup in January 1971, Asians inUganda found themselvesdwelling in a heavily Indophobicclimate where they were accusedof milking the economy of itswealth. Amin’s hostilities towardethnic minorities grew toinclude the expropriation ofproperty and funds, as well asethnic cleansing.

See Mayor, page 5 See Clayton PD,, page 5

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com November 7, 2014 925.672.0500

City is ‘hawkish’about finances

HANK STRATFORD

MAYOR’S CORNER

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

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Community Calendar . . . . .16

Cookie Contest Entry Form20

Design & Décor . . . . . . . . . .15

Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5

Food for Thought . . . . . . . .15

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

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .18

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Police Report . . . . . . . . . . .15

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

School News . . . . . . . . . . . .8

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

Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . .12

Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Voyage of the Eagle . . . . . . .9

Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .14

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CLAYTON, CA94517

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What’s Inside

PATRICIA ROMERO

Clayton Pioneer

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton PD finally at full staff

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

HEAVY TURNOVER TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE CLAYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR. But, after operating severely short-handed formonths, the department is now fully staffed with three new officers and an internal promotion to sergeant. From left: OfficersJohn Fraga and Garrett Wayne, Sergeant Jason Shaw and Officer Lee Borman.

With the addition of threenew officers, the Clayton PoliceDepartment is now fully staffed,said CPD Chief Chris Thorsen.

Lee Borman, John Fraga andGarrett Wayne joined the forcewithin the past six months. Inaddition, longtime Officer JasonShaw was promoted to sergeant,Thorsen said. Including Thors-en, the staff of officers protect-ing Clayton now numbers 11.

“The new guys are workingout fantastic,” Thorsen said.“They bring a positive attitudeto work and a desire to learn,grow and continue developingas police officers. And eventhough all three are finishedwith their training process, theysay, ‘every day is a training day.’”Officer Borman was hired April21 and completed training July12. He attended the police acad-emy at South Bay Regional Pub-lic Safety Training Center in SanJose and graduated in Novem-ber 2011. He previously workedin the private sector as an AssetProtection Specialist.

The City of Clayton recentlyreceived an “unmodified auditopinion” on its 2013/2014financial statements. In otherwords, after examining ourfinancial records and our oper-ating procedures, our externalauditors determined that ourfinancial statements accuratelyreflect the financial status andcondition of the city.

We ended the fiscal year onJune 30, 2014, a little better offthan we had budgeted. Our2013/2014 budget included thecarryover of some surplusfunds from previous years.

A portion of these surplusfunds was used to replenish our

Expelled by Idi Amin in 1972, Patel recalls fleeing brutal rule

URMILA PATEL NARRATES THE STORY OF HER FAMILY’S EXPULSION fromUganda from her own point of view as a 13-year-old.

EExxttrraa!! EExxttrraa!! There will be a special, extra holiday edi-

tion of the Clayton Pioneer on Nov. 28 tocover all the holiday happenings.

Look for a special section on community needs,fundraisers and volunteer opportunities. Pleaseemail items to [email protected] Nov. 17.

The issue will be in mailboxes on Nov.27 and 28. Deadline for news itemsand advertising is Nov. 17.

See Uganda, page 7

There are significantissues with the proposedSilver Oaks Estates devel-opment project adjacent tothe Lydia Lane Park and Mt.Diablo Creek. ManyClayton residents are par-ticipating in the review, andthe primary conclusion ofthe review to date is thatthere are many significantissues with the documenta-tion presented. In a nut-shell, the developer hasproposed building a veryhigh-density development

surrounded by medium tolow density housing, mostof which has been in placemore than 30 years. Theproposed development istotally out of character withthe surrounding neighbor-hood and there are signifi-cant environmental impactsthat do not appear to beadequately addressed andmitigated as proposed bythe IS/MND (InitialStudy/Mitigated NegativeDeclaration).

Some of the significant

issues inadequately orimproperly addressedinclude the traffic study, 3story (!) townhouses, aes-thetics, character of theneighborhood, the trail sys-tem that passes along theproperty, traffic over an 80year old bridge passingthrough the Lydia Lane Parkparking lot (close to chil-dren’s play structures),noise and air pollution,ground stability/geologyissues, creek hydrology,and endangered species.

The IS/MND is availablefor review on the City ofClayton website athttp://ci.clayton.ca.us/?page_id=1444 Public com-ments will be accepted onlyuntil November 20. Thereare other small “infill” areasin Clayton, in which similardevelopments may be pro-posed and we must ensurethat they are also devel-oped responsibly. We needto act to help maintain thecharacter of this specialplace we call home. Readthe document. Submit yourcomments. Now.

- Dennis RomanoMeredith Yalenty

Readers ForumNeighbors oppose high-density development

GEORGE VUJNOVICH Number #1 Broker in Clayton 2013*

Representing more Buyers and Sellers than any other agent!*data provided by Paragon MLS

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319 Saclan Terrace..............$529,000 . . . .1749 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .10/27/14

5645 Pine Hollow Rd ...........$525,000 . . . .1393 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . .10/24/14

114 Salazar Ct .....................$675,000 . . . .2325 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . .10/23/14

356 Blue Oak Lane..............$787,500 . . . .3146 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . .10/17/14

250 Stranahan Cir................$550,000 . . . .1650 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . .10/16/14

120 Mt. Etna Drive...............$510,000 . . . .1627 . . . . .4/2 . . . . . .10/15/14

520 E Myrick Ct ...................$680,000 . . . .2324 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . .10/9/14

119 Crow Place....................$699,000 . . . .2467 . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . .10/9/14

3385 Aspara Drive ...............$630,000 . . . .2456 . . . . .3/3 . . . . . . .9/30/14

1405 Greystone Ln ..............$590,000 . . . .1920 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . .9/30/14

5607 Ohman Place..............$573,000 . . . .1693 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . .9/24/14

3000 Bragdon Way ..............$1,550,000 . .5200 . . . . .5/4.5 . . . . . .9/23/14

5857 Pine Hollow Rd ...........$517,000 . . . .1177 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . .9/19/14

403 Mount Sequoia .............$725,000 . . . .2694 . . . . .5/2.5 . . . . . .9/19/14

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(925) 408-3184Emily, Realtor-Associate(925) [email protected]

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319 Saclan Terrace, Clayton

Black Diamond at Oakhurst CountryClub! Great Horseshoe Model on a huge pro-

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1262 Shell Circle, Clayton

Chaparral Springs Premium Large GolfCourse Lot! Rare Willow model with 1st floor

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Peacock Creek at Oakhurst CountryClub! Spectacular Nantucket Model on a pri-

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119 Crow Place SOLD . . . . . . .$699,000SOLD

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Around Town Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 7, 2014

Food Bank benefits from ClaytonWindermere service day

Each year, all 300 Winder-mere Real Estate offices acrossthe Western United Statesdevote a workday to making apositive change in the neighbor-hoods they serve through localservice projects. This year theClayton office, Windermere

Lynne French & Associateschose spent their day supportingthe Food Bank of Contra Costa& Solano Counties, donatingand sorting the 1,970 lbs offood collected during their fooddrive for local families in need.

Local light wizard brings musical light show‘A Heart for Christmas’ back for second year

When the sun set on theHolmes’ Pine Lane estate lastSunday, Jeffrey Holmes wasone step closer to flipping theswitch on his musical lightshow, “A Heart for Christmas,”set to open Nov. 28.

A small army of volunteers,some friends and family, butmany fromvolunteereastbay.org, workedall day under Holmes’ direc-tion to install most of the60,000 LED lights that willlight up the two-acre property.

The 23-year-old Clayton ladhas been producing award-winning light shows since hewas 13 when he strung some10,000 lights on his mother’s

house and won the 2007 Clay-ton Pioneer Home DecoratingContest.

Since then, he has pro-duced light shows as far awayas Brazil and as close as MainStreet. Locals will rememberhim for the Clayton Communi-ty Church light shows a fewyears ago.

This year will be the secondfor “A Heart for Christmas,” a20-minute light and music dis-play complete with “snow.”The show is free to the public,but donations are accepted forthe Katie-Grace Fund of theChildren’s Organ TransplantAssociation.

Katie-Grace, 12 also from

Clayton, was near death frompulmonary hypertension inJune when she underwent aheart and double-lung trans-plant.

The show opens on Nov.28 at 1185 Pine Lane, just offMarsh Creek Road, and shouldbe at the top of everyone’sannual Christmas lights tour.For more information andshow schedule, go towww.aheartforchristmas.com.

Help is still needed to help withgreeting and parking on show nights. Tovolunteer, go tohttp://tinyurl.com/H4CHelp or callHolmes (925) 276-0708

Five super responsible stu-dents were nominated by theirteachers last month to receivespecial recognition at the Oct.7 City Council meeting as partof the on-going Do The Right

Thing community characterinitiative.

From Mt. Diablo Elemen-tary, Elena Carcamo andJoseph Shelton were chosen bytheir teacher Mrs. Huaco.“Both students exemplifyresponsibility to the ‘T’,” shesaid. “They set a wonderfulexample for their classmates.

From Clayton Valley Char-ter High School, AdrianLopez, Naame Kelete andMatthew Salvetti were also rec-ognized for being outstandingrole models. All three are highachieving students, with GPAshigher than 4.0.

JEFF HOLMES (LEFT) AND A VOLUNTEER DISCUSS where to string some of the 60,000 lights needed for“A Heart for Christmas” musical light show set to open on his mother’s Pine Lane estate Nov. 28.

Responsible kids honoredHola amigas,feliz cumpleaños

Slow travel, but beatsthe traffic jams

What could be more funthan celebrating a birthday inMexico?

Only turning 50 and cele-brating two birthdays in Mexicowith a bunch of friends..

We got invited to the partywhen Monica Stellini and LizGregerson (left and right center)celebrated their half-centurymarks in Nueva Vallarta withClayton residents Michelle Man-nie, LuLu Flores, Tami Purser,Lisa Arellanes, Alicia Nuchols,Maria Branco, and RoxanneMcCarville.

Carol and Steve Keagy tookus along for a ride on an Africanelephant while visiting HwangeNational Park and Victoria Falls,Zimbabwe, Africa in October.The trip included visits to theOkavango Delta and ChobeNational Park in Botswana,Kafue National Park in Zambiaand Cape Town, South Africa.

PioneerTravels

The Wedding of AlexandriaFontes and Robert Beckertook place, November 1, 2014.

Alexandria Fontes andRobert Becker have knowneach other since the second

grade. Both were born andraised in Clayton, went to Mt.Diablo Elementary, DiabloView Middle School and grad-uated from Clayton ValleyHigh.

Alex’s parents are Manueland Linda Fontes. Rob’s areMike and Gerri Becker all

many-decade Clayton resi-dents.

Like most childhoodfriends, Alex and Rob wenttheir separate ways after highschool. And, like a few, theirpaths would merge again laterin life.

At Clayton’s 2005 Art andWine Festival, Alex and Robreconnected over Hero sand-wiches at Canesa’s GrandOpening and have beentogether ever since. In Januaryof this year, they started plan-ning their wedding. They knewfrom the start that it would bein, around and all about theirhometown.

They picked November 1for a wedding date. The cere-mony would be at EndeavorHall and would honor the tra-ditional Mexican Dia de las

Muertas —Day of the Dead.“Loved ones who have

passed are present in spirit,”said Alex’s mother, LindaFontes. “They are eternal likethe love you commit to eachother —amor eterno.”

After the wedding, guestswalked across the street to theIpsen Bocce Park for Skipoli-ni’s sangrias and anti-pastaplatters served by Alex’s broth-er-in-law, John Canesa. Whilethey gnoshed and sipped, Alex,Rob and their photographerwere all over town getting pho-tos at their favorite Claytonplaces --Canesa’s, Skipolini’s,the Clayton Club and TheGrove--before joining theirguests back at Endeavor Hallfor dinner, dancing and a latesnack of Canesa’s Strombolisandwiches.

LLyynnnnee ooffffeerrss ffrreeee ssttaaggiinngg oonn AALLLL LLIISSTTIINNGGSS!!

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Concord $859,000Crystyl Ranch – Exceptional home has 6BD/3.5 BA.within a 3,477 sq.ft. open floor plan. Gourmet Eat-inKitchen with Granite counters, travertine floors, oakcabinetry, Stainless appliances. Master suite on mainlevel along with hardwood floors and soaring ceilings.Rear yard oasis with sparkling pool/spa with waterfall.

Clayton $679,000Oakhurst – 3BD/2.5BA. This Spectacular home hasbeen upgraded throughout. Great room has floor toceiling stone fireplace with built in cabinetry and sur-round sound. Spiral Staircase with electric hoist.Gourmet Kitchen features granite counters, customcabinets, New Jenn Air & Viking Appliances.

Brentwood $599,980Deer Ridge – Stunning 5BD/3BA home with 3,050sqft on Deer Ridge Golf Course. Freshly paintedinside & out. New landscaping, Gourmet Kitchenwith Granite Counters, Double Oven & Pantry. 1Bedroom and Bath on main level. AmazingUnobstructed Golf Course & Mt Diablo Views.

1412 Greystone Lane, Clayton $539,0003BD/2.5 BA 1,474 sq.ft duet. Beautifullyremodeled. Kitchen with slab granitecounters, glass tile backsplash, ss appli-ances, breakfast bar. Hickory hdwd floors,updated baths w/travertine floors. Freshlypainted. Private backyard w/stampedconcrete patio & planting areas. Hot tub.

Kelly McDougall, (925) 787-0448KellyMcDougall.com

1936 Bankston Drive, Tracy $470,000Hidden Lake – Gorgeous 5BD/3BA3,010 sqft home featuring high ceilings,spiral stair case, cozy balcony, plantationshutters, tile floors, granite counters, islandw/sink, stainless appliances, master bed-room retreat, walk-in-closet w/mirroreddoors, custom closets. Sparkling pool/spa.

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4440D Eagle Peak Road, Concord $305,000Turtle Creek – Spacious 3BD/2.5BA1,408 sq.ft. two story Townhome. View ofthe hills, vaulted ceilings upstairs, insidelaundry and Private Patio. Diamond in theRough.

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THANK YOU! With our communities help we collected 1970 pounds of food for

the FOOD BANK OF CONTRA COSTA.

November 7, 2014 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Around Town

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

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Call or email for an appointment

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TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

It took a village to get this Clayton couple hitched


ROBERT BECKER AND ALEXANDRIA FONTES925.360.74543141 Morgan Territory Rd., Clayton

Private Riding LessonsBirthday Parties � Camp

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Offering All-SeasonTraining & RidingInstruction

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All Camps 9 am to 3 pm. Enrollment Form On-line

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Sign up forThanksgiving CampNov. 24, 25 & 26

Winter Camp 1 Dec. 22, 23 & 24

Winter Camp 2 Dec. 29-Jan 2

Winter Camp 2, $500.

Sponsored by the Clayton Business & Community Association

Go to claytoncbca.org or call (925) 672-2272 for membership information,

Visit with Mrs. Claus andSanta at the historic

Endeavor HallCenter St., Clayton

Children 12 & under: FREE,

if accompanied by adult

Donations appreciated

Prizes

Party favors

Bring your

camera

Saturday, Dec. 13 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Saturday, Dec. 13 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 7, 2014

LEIGH KLOCKRealtor®, DRE#01874255

925.212.5593

STEPHANIE LOPEZRealtor®, DRE#01370548

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spectacular views of Mt. Diablo and the Ygnacio Valley. This modern home offers the convenience ofcity living with easy access to BART, shopping corridors, fantastic schools (including De La Salle andCarondelet) all within the privacy and serenity of the country. Home is zoned to accommodate horses ifthat is your passion! Offered at $899,000

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This special 4 bedroom 3 bath PLUS large BonusRoom has one of the best views in all of CrystylRanch! Large formal rooms, great open family room,spacious bedrooms, and huge master suite with largeprivate balcony! Built-in BBQ, wide side yards,garden, and huge outdoor storage room

955 Shadybrook Lane

Rarely available – Exquisite Tuscan Inspired Estate inDowntown Clayton! Signature single story residence Custombuilt w/masterful detail – 5 extra generous Bedrooms,Master with en-suite & fireplace, 3 luxe Full Baths, openconcept Great Room, Bonus Recreation Room and Top ChefKitchen! 1/2 acre stunning landscape – pool, spa, gazebo,lawns, gardens, hobby vines, and more. Additional 1,900 s.f.downstairs, level space ready for build out (Construction bidavailable).

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Saturday Dec. 6, 6 p.m.You’re invited

Clayton TreeLighting

Saturday Dec. 6, 6 p.m.You’re invited

Clayton TreeLighting

Sponsored by the

Clayton Business & Community AssociationGo to claytoncbca.org or call (925) 672-2272 for membership information,

Follow Santa down Main Street for thecountdown

Follow Santa down Main Street for thecountdown

Meet at the Gazebo for Christmas Music

by MDE School Choir

Meet at the Gazebo for Christmas Music

by MDE School Choir

Join friends and neighbors for hot cider and donuts atClayton Community Church

Join friends and neighbors for hot cider and donuts atClayton Community Church

Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots drive

Clayton author celebrateslife-long love of nature

Ron Cerruti was just a 3-year-old when his grandfatherpulled him gently in an openwooden box alongside theMerced River. It was his first ofcountless outdoor experiences.

“I marveled at the trees andthe sound of the river” Cerrutisays. It is no wonder that thesemi-rural atmosphere of Clay-ton and close proximity toMount Diablo attracted Cerrutito move here in 1985.

Cerruti covered lots ofground, including seasonalforestry work from 1974 to1978, between that makeshift

wagon ride and moving to Clay-ton. The lure of nature andfond memories of his forestrywork were so strong that Cerru-ti wrote about it 40 years later in“Back to Greenville,” giving anod to that first trip toYosemite.

The stories in “Back toGreenville” are true with a bit ofembellishment. “I wanted tohave some fun, reminisce a bit,and talk about the special timeand place and people.”

Cerruti was born and raisedin Oakland. Oakland offered itsresidents use of the OaklandFeather River Camp in PlumasCounty where Cerruti’s familycamped after that trip to

Yosemite. “I fell in love withsmall town living and enjoyedlistening to the conversations ofloggers and mill workers whenwe would go into town.” Hebackpacked in high school tostay in touch with the outdoorsand was thrilled to get his degreein forestry from UC Berkeley.

Cerruti wanted to get a per-manent job with the UnitedStates Forest Service, but hisgrades were not competitiveenough, so he started graduateschool and accepted seasonalwork with the Forest Service inGreenville. He was delighted tobe back in Plumas County.

Gerry Ingco, his former bossin Greenville, says, “Ron was soattentive, outgoing and person-able. We didn’t treat him like theusual summer employee. Wegave him the assignments of apermanent forester.”

After five seasons and get-ting his master’s degree infinance, he discovered that theInternal Revenue Service hadpermanent forester positions.One opened up, he applied andwas hired.

RON CERRUTI (LEFT) STAYED ON WITH HIS FOREMAN and Roy Leidyin Milford digging water lines after the ten-week forestry campfor Cal Berkeley ended in the summer of 1970. During camp,Cerruti and fellow students hiked, studied the ecology, learnedhow to identify trees and grasses, talked about forest policy,designed roads and made maps as part of the experience.

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

See Cerruti, page 5

RON CERRUTI

Clayton PD, from page 1

Officer Fraga was hired June16, 2014, and completed train-ing Sept. 13. He attended thepolice academy in Santa Rosaand graduated in November2012. Previously he worked forthe Sonoma County Sheriff ’sDepartment for about a yearbefore deciding to come work inClayton.

Officer Wayne was hiredMay 27, 2014 and completedtraining July 30. He attendedthe police academy at the Con-tra Costa County Sheriff ’s LawEnforcement Training Center inPittsburg and graduated in Sep-tember 2013. He previouslyworked for Richmond PoliceDepartment for six monthsbefore coming to work for Clay-ton.

Clayton PD has seen a 50percent turnover in the pastyear. Most of the departing offi-cers left for jobs in biggerdepartments where the pay scaleis higher and there are greateropportunities for advancement.During the short-staffedmonths, the department back-filled with overtime and assis-tance from Concord PD.

Finally, at full complement,the department now has time to

explore new projects, Thorsensaid. He is beginning to researchthe use of body-worn camerasand the data storage and man-agement requirements that fol-low their use. Data collectedfrom the cameras is evidenceand must be stored and protect-ed, Thorsen said. You can’t justupload it to your iTunesaccount.”

Automotive

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

Beauty and Pampering

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Miss Renee’s Housekeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .497-3061

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

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

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The Floor Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .969-9890

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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

Hudson, Cait – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .451-6844

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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 28,000 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 [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.

Mayor, from page 1


capital replacement fund, whichis used to replace our policevehicles and maintenance vehi-cles and equipment. We alsoused some of the funds toreplenish our self-insurancefund.

During the fiscal year we re-negotiated the compensationagreements with all of ouremployees. After several yearsof reducing pay or holding paythe same we finally felt that wecould begin restoring some ofthe pay that was taken away inthe past.

Our city staff is hawkishwith our finances. This attitudeand conservative approach torunning the city has resulted inour ability to weather the pastseveral years much better thanmost cities in our state.

This is my last column asmayor of the City of Claytonand as a city council member. Ihave enjoyed the past eightyears. I wish to thank the resi-dents of Clayton for this oppor-tunity to serve the city. Claytonis truly a great place to live.

Cerruti, from page 4

During his 35-year careerwith the IRS and now as a con-sultant, Cerruti stayed in touchwith friends from his seasonalassignments in Plumas Countyand returns often to visit. Cerru-ti shared colorful anecdotes ofthe memorable wildlife andfriends from his Greenville daysat a book signing at the ClaytonCommunity Library on Nov. 5.

Cerruti wistfully recalls thathe just accepted the job with theIRS when he was offered a per-manent job with the Forest Ser-vice. He turned it down becausehe already committed to theIRS. But he can see the forestfor the trees. He knows hewould not have met his wife of26 years, Tammy, and had theirtwo daughters, Kimberly andTiffany, and their son, Nicholas,if he had stayed in Greenville.Nicholas is severely challenged,so family camping trips havebeen limited. Cerruti hopes towrite a book about parentingspecial needs children or, as hereflects on Greenville, he says,“Who knows, maybe I’ll write asequel.”

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Beloved formerCVHS principalpasses away

John Neary, who passedunexpectedly in his sleep Oct. 4at his Tahoe City home, left largefootprints among the students,athletes, teachers and administra-tors he worked with at PleasantHill, College Park and ClaytonValley high schools.

The 66-year-old Neary spentmuch of his final years in educa-tion at Clayton Valley, where hewas vice principal from 1989-91and principal from 1998 until hisretirement in 2005.

The Concord school issued astatement that read, in part,“Clayton Valley Charter HighSchool family is saddened tohave learned of the passing offormer CVHS Principal JohnNeary. Mr. Neary had a distin-guished career in education as ateacher, coach and administratorand he will be greatly missed.Our thoughts and prayers go outto his family and loved ones atthis time of great loss.”

CVCHS Director of Admin-istrative Services Neil McChes-ney added, “Mr. Neary holds aspecial place in my heart both interms of his influence on mydevelopment as an educator andas a personal friend. He was myprincipal in my senior year atCVHS (Class of 1989) and everystudent knew and loved him. Hehad this paternal presence oncampus that was nurturing andpervasive.

“He was also hired me as afirst-year teacher and conducted

my first evaluation. His write-upand our subsequent conversa-tions about what it meant to be aquality educator have stuck withme for the last 12 years. Mostly Iremember his kindness, compas-sion and his unwavering dedica-tion to student advocacy. Helived his life with love and will beremembered for it.”

Former CVHS teacher, coachand administrator Pat Midden-dorf had similar thoughts. “Iconsidered it an honor to havebeen part of his team. He hiredme at CV and two years laterappointed me as the first femaleathletic director of boys sports atCVHS and in the BVAL.

“John was a man of manyfirsts because he was fearless. Hewould always do what was rightno matter what the conse-quences were for him. The stu-dents adored him. He was a prin-cipal for all students, taking aninterest in them whether theywere the jocks, the nerds, theskaters or the arts kids. I willnever forget that big laugh of histhat echoed in the hallways atCV.”

Justin Bedecarre (CVHSClass of 2003) added, “Mr.Neary always had our backs, gavestudents the benefit of thedoubt. Not in the sense of beinga pushover, but he made deci-sions, no matter how serious orseemingly inconsequential, inthe best interest of us as individ-uals. He was wise and forgiving. Iowe much of my success todayto Mr. Neary’s empathy, wisdomand compassion. He was a greatman.”

Long-time CVHS Englishteacher Cate Sundling said, “JohnNeary was big-hearted, forth-right and genuine. His mottowas, ‘Kids don’t care how muchyou know until they know howmuch you care.’ He would dropeverything to help a student,teacher or anyone who neededhim.”

At the October CVCHSGoverning Board meeting presi-dent Ted Meriam (CVHS Class

of 2001) asked for a moment ofsilence. Meriam worked closelywith Neary as a student when theschool was getting its WASCaccreditation renewed.

Neary was born in San Fran-cisco and is survived by his wifeof 47 years Patricia Helen Neary,who he met when they were 13-

years-olds walking to a pizza par-lor in Millbrae. They have twochildren, Jason and Sean.

The family asked that dona-tions in his name be made to theBoys and Girls Club of NorthLake Tahoe or Truckee-TahoeHumane Society.


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Long-timeClayton resi-dent Nancy LeeJefferson, whodied lastmonth, is beingremembered asa “classic beau-ty, known forher gracious-ness, eleganceand style.”

She was thewidow of CarlJefferson, whofounded theConcord Jazzrecord compa-ny.

As a youngcareer womanliving on Russian Hill in SanFrancisco, Nancy, a Berkeleynative, met and married Ens.Donald S. Apple and they movedto Pensacola, Florida, for flighttraining. He perished in a flightaccident and their son Donaldwas born seven months later.

In 1953 Nancy marriedHarry Newhart. Their son Tal-bert was born “on a dark andstormy night,” a story sheenjoyed telling. She raised hertwo sons by herself for a fewyears while being “The SuitModel” at I. Magnin in San Fran-cisco.

Jefferson and baby daughterStacey entered her life in 1960.They raised their family of five as“Jeff ” opened and grew Jeffer-son Motors of Concord into oneof the country’s leading LincolnMercury dealerships. It wasalways her goal to blend Jeffer-son’s children from a previousmarriage — Michael, Richardand Anne — into the clan, a goalshe ultimately achieved.

She shared Jeff ’s love of jazzand was by his side as he found-ed the Concord Summer MusicFestival in 1969. The festival pro-vided the impetus for the con-struction of the Concord Pavil-ion in 1975.

By 1980 Concord Jazz, therecord company he foundedeight years earlier, became theirfull time passion. Nancy was anoccasional producer and was wellknown for her after-performanceparties at their Clayton homethat were enjoyed by such nota-bles as Henry Mancini, MelTorme, Scott Hamilton, Rose-mary Clooney and Arthur Field-er, among many others.

Former Concord mayor DanHelix said, “Nancy was a lovelylady. She and Carl were a greatteam. Nancy was always good

company, pro-vided deliciousfood and sheand Carl alwayshad fascinatingstories of keypeople involvedin the ConcordB o u l e v a r dmusic series, thedevelopment ofthe ConcordPavilion and theperils of ther e c o r d i n gindustry. Nancytraveled exten-sively, but alwayswas happy toreturn to their‘castle’ in Clay-

ton.”Saxophonist Mary Fettig,

raised in Concord and the firstwoman in the Stan KentonOrchestra, said, “Nancy was abeautiful, gracious person, whoalways gave me a warm welcomewhether at the Concord Jazz Fes-tival or in the Jefferson home foran after-party. I am particularlyfond of our time together at thephoto shoot for my first album— she made me feel relaxed inwhat could be a rather stressfulcircumstance.”

“Nancy Jefferson was anamazing woman, elegant andclassy, with great warmth andgenerosity of spirit,” recordexecutive John Burk said. “Shewas and always will be the firstlady of Concord Records and theConcord Jazz Festival and all ofus at the Concord Music Groupwill continue to honor and cher-ish her legacy as such.”

Merrilee Trost, who worked12 years as a publicist for Con-cord Records, adds, “Sheplanned the parties and wel-comed the guests with eleganceand style and warmth. She wasan inspiration to us all.”

The Jeffersons were foundingmembers of Diablo Scholarshipsand she enjoyed volunteering atthe Terrace Tea Room in WalnutCreek for the benefit of Mt. Dia-blo Therapy.

For the past 20 years, sinceCarl Jefferson’s death in 1995,she lived in Danville. She is sur-vived by Sherry Kinchen andTheodore Gray, her sister andbrother; by her children, DonaldS. Jefferson (Beverly), TalbertNewhart (Berrel), Stacey Shewry(Jamie Wolfe), C. Michael Jeffer-son, Richard A. Jefferson(Osmat), Ann E. Jefferson; andby grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Nancy Lee JeffersonJuly 31, 1929 – Oct. 21, 2014

ObituariesJohn James Neary

Nov. 7, 1947 – Oct. 4, 2014

Friends and family aremourning the death of WayneSmith, a 20-year resident ofClayton, who died Sept. 13

Smith enjoyed road trips bycar or bike, hiking, reading, andanything historical. While hisson was younger, Wayne wasinvolved in Boy Scout Troop262 and Venture Crew 262.

Smith was born inBrookhaven, Miss., to Buddyand Nita Verne Smith. His par-ents preceded him in death.Wayne is survived by his wife of39 years, Pam and son, Joshua;sister Jenny Mapes and her hus-band Karl, of Hammond, LA;brother Jeff Smith and his wifeMartha, of Hazelhurst, Miss;nephews Hoonya Mapes, KyleMapes, Jake Smith, and Jered

Smith; as well as many extendedfamily members. He will begreatly missed by his Pi KappaAlpha brothers, his motorcycleriding buddies and all the peoplehe worked with at Chevronprior to his retirement.

Gerald Wayne SmithAug. 18, 1953 – Sept. 13, 2014

Nancy Jefferson with her hus-band Carl Jefferson, founderof Concord Jazz Festival.

Q. We are going to do aremodel of our home for ourenjoyment and for an eventu-al sale. We might sell withinthree to seven years. Do youhave some tips so we can dothe right things?

A. If you plan to sell in thenear future it makes no sense todo a major renovation. Also,design tastes change over time.For instance a fabulous kitchentoday may look dated in sevenyears.

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that you might list with when youdo sell. Ask them what wouldmake your home more mar-ketable and what updates wouldget you the highest return. Withmost remodel projects you won’trecoup one hundred percent ofthe expense.

Kitchen remodels give you themost bang for your buck. If youdo a modest remodel as opposedto a major reconstruction youcould recoup 85 to 90 percent.The major redo might get you 75percent at best. Other roomswould get less, with bathroomsand outdoor landscape getting thesecond most.

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One of them is checking withthe building department to makesure the project is possible. Theother that I feel is most importantis whether your family can func-tion during the disruption. Theproject will be stressful and ifthere is already stress within thehousehold perhaps you shouldtake more time to reconsider.

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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

Kitchen remodel canbring bigger return

Patel, whose family hadmoved from India when she was18-months old, knew onlyUganda as her home. In thebook she describes the ordinaryevents of childhood so vividlythey become delightful andenchanting. The richness of thelush equatorial countryside, thestructure and responsibilities offamily life, the quest for tropicalfruits, and interesting localfoodstuffs like Nsenene(grasshoppers) all come alive inPatel’s memoir.

Until one day when peopledeparting their homes to an ordi-nary day of work and schoolsuddenly find themselves run-ning for their lives as bodies pileup in the streets. It is difficult tocomprehend the depravityAmin’s reign would unleash uponUganda, although it is wellknown that he fed his adversariesto crocodiles, buried people alive,

killed many with his own hands,and even ate his opponents’flesh. Amin’s regime would even-tually claim the lives of between300,000 – 500,000 people. Thefact that Patel’s narrative is neverconsumed with negativethoughts or emotions makes it allthe more inspirational.

‘DESPAIR AND FEAR’As the crisis in Uganda

developed, thousands of fami-lies found themselves in the pre-carious position of being unableto finance their flight whilesimultaneously facing annihila-tion should they attempt to stay.Patel tells her readers that theywere “living in despair and fear.Fear that at any time someonewould come and loot or kill us.The soldiers watched the streetsand the main roads like hawks,carrying machine guns to shootanytime they wanted to.” Patel,

never reduced by circumstance,takes strength in both the disci-pline and traditions of familylife. Case in point is the family’scelebration of “Dusshera, theday when we observe that nomatter how strong evil mayseem, good always prevails.”

Since publishing her book,Patel has been contacted bypeople who have been touchedand inspired by her story. Thather act of healing could helpmend others is an idea she findspleasing. She seems humbledthat her past could strengthenand give courage to others, espe-cially to other women. Her innertruth-seeker delights in havingthe opportunity to connect withpeople in any way that may helpfree them from the spiritual andemotional weight they carry.Patel’s own capacity to forgivemakes her more than an exem-plary person; it makes her a rolemodel. In this day and age, wecould certainly use a few morewomen like her.

Uganda, from page 1

URMILA PATEL’S FATHER, BHIKHABHAI (“Papa”) was headmaster at the Entebbe Primary School untilexpulsion by Amin in 1972. Patel’s sisters, Bharti and Yugvandana (“Bina” and “Donna”) are tothe right of him, Urmila Patel (“Mila”) is seated at far right next to her brother Kavindra(“Kevin”). The other children are students at the school.

One of my favorite books is“Cloudy With a Chance ofMeatballs,” written by Ron andJudi Barrett. And, one of myfavorite sandwiches is a meat-ball sandwich. So, I took mystomach on a search of the bestmeatball in town. Or, I shouldsay, mom and dad took me,since it was their dime.

Meatball sandwiches are onthe menus of two delis in Clay-ton, Canesa’s Brooklyn Herosand the Center Street Deli &Café. I decided to try both to

determine which had the bestmeatball sandwich this side ofMt. Diablo.

First up, Canesa’s meatballsandwich. Yum. It was savoryand sweet from the tomatoes,with a delightful finish from themeatballs. Everything just wenttogether like they were meantto be. The meatballs wereserved on freshly baked breadand a home-cooked tomatosauce that was off the charts. Ithought the meatball sandwichwas perfect for a rainy day,because warmed from theoven, melting you from theinside out, it was a real treat.

A few days later, I tried theCenter Street Deli meatballsandwich. It was incredible anddifferent. Again, served onfreshly baked bread, groundbeefy meatballs, and freshtomato sauce with lots of spice.It was really nice. The ingredi-ents blended boldly together.My favorite part of the sand-wich was the way the tomatosauce defined the meatball. Ican’t put it into words, just take

my word, it was good! Although both sandwiches

were deliciously different, theCenter Street Deli’s sandwichwas spicier than Canesa’s, andthe tomato sauce on the CenterStreet Deli sandwich was justperfect as it didn’t cover up themeatball flavor, it gave thesandwich a bolder taste.

Canesa’s sandwich didn’thave the spicy taste of CenterStreet Deli’s, but Canesa’s didhave a savory and yummy taste.However, Canesa’s meatballsandwich had more flavor thatI did not detect in the CenterStreet Deli sandwich.

So, savory or spicy? Decidefor yourself. Both sandwiches

were really good. Honestly, itwas incredibly hard to pick afavorite, but pick one I did.And the winner?

In the end, Canesa’s Meat-ball Sandwich won me over.Canesa’s sandwich was savory,sweet and salty all wrapped upinto one mind blowing package.As I said, everything just wenttogether with perfect harmony.Now that’s a great meatballsandwich!

Clayton Valley CharterHigh School administrationexpects the school will receivea five-year reauthorization thisweek by the board of the Con-tra Costa County Office ofEducation.

The CVCHS governingboard met Oct. 8 to get finalpublic input and ratify the newadjusted charter document,which Executive DirectorDave Linzey submitted toCCCOE late that week. Thecounty school board discussedthe reauthorization at its Oct.15 meeting, with 14 communi-ty members and parents speak-ing on behalf of the school’srenewal report, and was sched-uled for final charter consider-ation this past Wednesday.

The CCCOE board origi-nally certified the charterschool in March 2012 as it left

the Mt. Diablo Unified SchoolDistrict after a contentiousyear-long process. The originalcharter covered three schoolyears. An affirmative countyvote this week will carry Clay-ton Valley Charter through the2019-20 school year.

CVCHS touts its excellenttest scores, maximum six-yearWASC accreditation and awaiting list of several hundredstudents each year as evidenceof the charter school’s successsince its beginning with the2012-13 school year. CVCHShad the largest API test scoregain (62 points) of all Califor-nia large comprehensive highschools in the most recentstate testing results.

“The CCCOE board hasexpressed much satisfaction

with CVCHS due to ourtremendous academic achieve-ment results, parent satisfac-tion survey results, WASCaccreditation term of six years,our impressive 96 percentgraduation rate and our fiscalmanagement,” Linzey said.“We have met each of the fourcriteria for reauthorizationwhile meeting only one of thefour is required.

“So the CVCHS GoverningBoard and administration feelsconfident regarding the reau-thorization process,” Linzeysaid. “We trust that theCCCOE administration andboard is as proud of our suc-cess as we are.”

CCCOE board memberRichard Asadoorian representsthe CVCHS territory for

Trustee Area 4. He spoke as aprivate citizen at the Septem-ber CVCHS governing boardmeeting and mentioned the“mark of excellence” theschool had shown during itsfirst two years.

Last week, Asadoorian toldThe Pioneer that “as an indi-vidual member of the board”who has looked at many char-ter petitions in the last fouryears he felt in his “learnedopinion that CVCHS had morethan lived up to its expecta-tions.” He said all five boardmembers have been “poringover” the school’s charter sub-mission in the past few weeks.

He added that the schoolmet every precept for renewal.Asadoorian said, “I knowthere’s a contingency doing all

they can to torpedo this vessel[CVCHS charter reauthoriza-tion], but they are a minority.They have a right to air theirgrievances but I see them asinternal issues.”

Neil McChesney was co-signer of the original charteras a teacher and is now theschool’s director of adminis-trative services. He saysCVCHS has met all four crite-ria, of which schools arerequired to meet at least one tomaintain its charter. The crite-ria relate to academic perform-ance both school-wide and forall groups of students.

The CVCHS governingboard meets next Wednesday,Nov. 12, at the school.


NATALIE PURSCHE

DVMS CORRESPONDENT Natalie Pursche is in the sixth

grade at Diablo View Middle School.She is an avid reader, enjoys writing,and loves to spend time with herfriends and family. Send comments [email protected].

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This year, Diablo View Mid-dle School is giving back to ourcommunity. From shoe drives,to Halloween costume collec-tions, to raising money forUNICEF, we’re getting outthere to make a difference in thelives around us.

We live in a world with manyprivileges. But these privilegescontrast with poverty in otherareas. Many of us are fortunateenough to participate in after-school activities, but some peo-ple don’t even have school or aplace to live.

With Mount Diablo Elemen-tary, we’ve collected thousandsof shoes to help those less for-

tunate. I always feel really happywhenever we have a fundraiserand I get to donate my time, orsome of my belongings, to help

someone else. It doesn’t matterif you donate a nickel or twentydollars; knowing you helped justfeels good.

Seventh grader Luxe Lang-made shares her thoughts ongiving back to our community.“I think that this just proveshow kids of all ages can giveback to the world that we takeso much from. It also shows justhow kind-hearted everyone is atDiablo View and proves we canmake a difference in the lives ofthose around us.” I really likewhat she said and find it inspir-ing. Most people don’t realizehow much of a difference kidscan make.

A lot of people underesti-mate the power one gift canhave. One adult, one teenager,one kid can make a difference. Itdoesn’t take a lot to get some-thing started and once it is, justa little bit from a lot of peoplecan go a long way towards mak-ing our world a better place.Diablo View is trying to make achange. It all starts with one per-son bringing in a costume, a pairof shoes, or a little bit of moneyto put in a box and anyone cancontribute.

CVCHS expects charter reauthorization this week

Life is the same every day forZac Meier. Needles, tests,chemo and nurses asking thesame medical questions overand over. But when you haveacute myeloid leukemia, youshould expect a few people hov-ering over you.

Everything was routine untilthe day Mia Phillips is checkedin next door, diagnosed withosteosarcoma.

In “Zac and Mia” by A.J.

Betts, an astonishing story (sim-ilar to “The Fault In Our Stars”by John Green), two youngteenagers with similar issuesbond over music and the hard-ships of cancer. Zac and Mia’sfriendship is on a steady pathupward until Zac is suddenlydischarged from the hospital. Itisn’t until Mia shows up on hisdoorstep shortly after he’s gonehome that Zac realizes howmuch she’s come to mean tohim.

I thought Betts created awonderful concoction of amityand reality with just a dash oflove in this one-of-a-kind novel.This isn’t a book about twotragedy-destined teenagers withcancer. It’s about friendship,understanding, and being thereto support the ones you lovewhen they need it most.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Emily York is a sophomore atCVCHS.

EMILY YORK

TEEN READS

‘Giving back’ is a hallmark of DVMS

Hunting the perfect meatball sandwich

ALISON EWING

DVMSCORRESPONDENT

Alison Ewing is in the 7th gradeat DVMS. Email comments [email protected]

Cancer isn’t the wholestory in ‘Zac and Mia’

Claytonians will have theopportunity to learn more aboutNative American Indians of theEast Bay and the greater Clay-ton Valley, and the cultural sig-nificance of Mount DiabloCreek in a special presentationNov. 13 sponsored by the Clay-ton Historical Society.

Jim “Doc” Hale, a biologist,naturalist and ethnobiologist,along with local author, histori-an and genealogist Dean L.McLeod, will talk about theirworks on the Diablo Valleynative Indians and remainingcultural sites, including MountDiablo Creek, and its signifi-cance to the Chupcan Indians,which once inhabited thegreater Clayton Valley, becom-

ing Clayton’s earliest inhabitants.The presentation will include

discussion of Mount DiabloCreek’s former alignment, onceleading to a culturally richNative American site on proper-

ty that was part of the formerConcord Naval Weapons Sta-tion.

McLeod has been research-ing the Valley’s Chupcan Indianssince 1993, and the originalMount Diablo Creek bed since2005. He is currently puttingyears of research work togetherfor a new book on the DiabloValley natives.

Hale has been researchingEast Bay Native American sitesand material culture since 1972.He will add to McLeod’s presen-tation, giving some backgroundinformation on the “peopling”of North America, starting withthe Paleo-Indians, with a focuson the Native American pres-ence in the East Bay.

He will also speak about theethnobotany at the Concord“Maltby Mound” and at theClayton Chupcan Village sites,and the many uses of nativeplants – many on display in theClayton Historical SocietyMuseum’s Native Plant Garden.

The presentation begins at 7p.m. at Diamond Terrace Retire-ment Living – Dining/MeetingRoom, 6401 Center St., Clayton.A $5 donation is requested fromnon-CHS members.

Clayton Valley Charter HighSchool students demonstrategreat school spirit and pride intheir school. We have somethingvery rare here. You seldom seefights, nasty arguments, intoler-ance towards others, or studentshaving the terrible experiencesyou often hear about in thenews. That is not to say all isperfect or that we don’t haveinstances of misconduct. Over-all, CVCHS is a positive schoolthat is truly rare in today’s world.

Last week we celebratedHomecoming and saw schoolspirit clearly demonstrated. Thefootball game was incredible aswe feted the HomecomingCourt and crowned our kingand queen. We filled the stadiumthat we just christened with ourribbon-cutting ceremony andhad hundreds of people instanding-room-only lining theentire perimeter of the field as

Coach Murphy capped off theevening with a big victory overNorthgate. Our football team isnumber one in Northern Cali-fornia Division II and numbertwo in the state. If all goes asplanned, we could end up in theState Championship Game inDecember.

But school pride is not justabout athletics. CVCHS is a rar-

ity due to great students,parental involvement and focuson academic achievement. Weplan for each student to matric-ulate on to the college of theirchoice. Teachers prepare excel-lent lessons every day as thoughit matters. Why? Because it doesmatter. We are committed to“Rigor, Relevance and Relation-ships.” Students are why we’rehere and their future successdetermines what we do each dayin the classroom and out oncampus.

Clayton City Councilmem-ber Julie Pierce shared the fol-lowing about our students withthe Contra Costa County Boardat our charter reauthorizationpresentation: “The neighbor-hood residents and businesseshave seen a remarkable changein the demeanor of the students.Nearby businesses that dreadeddismissal hour and used to hire

security for after-school, nowsay the students are considerateand well behaved. These are thesame students, but there hasbeen a cultural shift in theexpectation of our students andthey have risen to meet them.”Our school pride reaches “farand wide” extending its armsinto our neighborhoods andcommunity.

While many students acrossAmerica are complacent, unmo-tivated, allowing their highschool careers to slip by withoutmuch joy or pride, the vastmajority of CVCHS studentsenjoy school, value their learn-ing and are motivated for theirfuture success.


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

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This fall, pride spills over at CVCHS

Clayton native Indians focus of presentation

JIM “DOC” HALE

The popular local blogClaycord.com just completed itsfourth online poll to determinethe “Best of Claycord” in itsConcord, Clayton, WalnutCreek, Martinez and PleasantHill coverage area. AlthoughClayton is the smallest of thosecities it grabbed a dozen honorsfrom the thousands of votescast including “Best City.”

THE LOCAL WINNERS WERE:• Best Public Place with the

Cleanest Bathrooms: TheGrove

• Best Park: ClaytonCommunity Park

• Best Local Coffee Shop:Cup O’ Jo

• Best Dentist: Dr. KeithBradburn (tied with twoothers)

• Best City SponsoredEvent: Clayton 4th of JulyParade

• Best Public Official:Clayton councilmanHank Stratford

• Best Teacher: HelenCloverdale, Mt. DiabloElementary (tied with oneother)

• Best Pizza Restaurant:Skipolini’s (includes Skipsin Walnut Creek andConcord)

• Best Post Office: Clayton• Best Housing

Development: Dana Hills• Best Locally Owned

Business: Ed’s MudvilleGrill

• Best City: Clayton

• Best Community Event:Bay Area KidFest (pro-duced by Clayton

resident Jay Bedecarre) Visit claycord.com for com-

plete poll results.

Clayton takes a dozen ‘Best Of’ wins

Where to go for LOCAL newsFor fast, on-the-spot coverage of the latest police action, traffic

jams, emergency information and chat, social media and local blogs,like CLAYCORD.com are often good sources of breaking news.

For even more coverage of local news, readers turn to their inde-pendently owned community newspapers. With news that people careabout – local politics, schools, sports, events and stories about theirfriends and neighbors, the community newspaper is social media theold fashioned way.

To find out what is happening in neighboring cities, check outthese community newspapers:Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clayton Pioneer . . . .claytonpioneer.comConcord . . . . . . . . . . . .Concord Pioneer . . . .concordpioneer.comPleasant Hill, Martinez . .Community Focus . . .ourcommunityfocus.comLafayette, Orinda

and Moraga . . . . . . . .Lamorinda Weekly . .lamorindaweekly.comSan Ramon, Danville,

and Alamo . . . . . . . . .Valley Sentinel . . . . . .valleysentinel.com

Clayton Valley Charter HighSchool football looks to wrapup its third straight Diablo Val-ley Athletic League title Fridayevening and earn the top seedfor the North Coast Section

playoffs.Teams and individual ath-

letes from CVCHS and otherarea schools are also geared upfor NCS competition with waterpolo, tennis, golf, volleyball andfootball all underway this weekor next.

FOOTBALL

For the second year in a rowthe Clayton Valley Charter-Con-cord High game came down tothe Eagles securing victory inthe shadow of their own goal-post and the Minutemen tryingto score a last gasp touchdown.This year, Clayton Valley won

the local rivalry game at Con-cord 48-40 two weeks ago.

Elijah Breon and Rich Peral-ta combined to make the finaldefensive play as Minutemanquarterback Mitch Danielslooked for a last-second TDpass. Eagles coach Tim Murphycredited the two undersizedlinebackers as “the kids with thebiggest hearts on our defense”sealing the win. The game wasits expected offensive shootoutwith Miles Harrison leadingCVCHS and the senior trio ofDaniels, Malik Blackburn andMason Knight filling the Con-cord stat book.

If the two teams win theirDVAL finales this Friday—Clay-ton Valley (9-0) hosting CollegePark and Ygnacio Valley (3-6)visiting Concord (8-1)---theyfigure to be the top two seeds inthe NCS DII playoffs. Shouldthat seeding take place and theteams win all their games theywill meet in the finals. In both2012 and 2009 the teams mettwice those seasons with thesecond game taking part in theNCS playoffs.

Coach Brian Hamilton’sConcord Minutemen won the2010 NCS title and took seconda year later. Murphy took overthe Clayton Valley Charter teamin 2012, brought the school itsfirst-ever NCS football title that

fall, just missing a trip to theinaugural CIF State Bowl game,and reached the semis last fall.

De La Salle (9-0) is againamong the top 10 USA prepteams before starting NCS playlooking for its 23rd consecutiveSection title and another trip tothe State Bowl Game.

NCS play begins on the Nov.14-15 weekend with the finalsDec. 5-6.

CROSS COUNTRY

Clayton Valley teams fin-ished third in both the girls andboys DVAL Championshipraces. Coach Anthony Munch’sgirls were closely bunched withdefending champ Northgatetaking first with 37 points, fol-lowed by College Park (40) andCVCHS (44). The Eagles andFalcons switching places from ayear ago.

On the boys side, CollegePark was a repeat team winnerwith 32 points followed byNorthgate (44) and the Eagles(61), well ahead of the rest ofthe pack.

Parker Burr of Concord wonthe boys race at Hidden LakesPark in Martinez with a 16:17time for the three-mile course.Dave Phair of CP was second,eight seconds back. Sam Givensin ninth place was the topEagles runner.

Jamie Busby of College Parkdefended her girls individualtitle ahead of Megan Coyle ofNorthgate. The winner’s timewas 19:29. CVCHS had fourgirls in the top 10 with the fresh-man duo of Kelly Osterkamp(5th) and Olivia Villa (6th) lead-ing the way. Natalie Ruzicka(9th) and Lindsay Mondloch(10th) also were top 10 at league.

The NCS finals are at Hay-ward High School Nov. 22, oneweek before Fresno hosts thestate finals Nov. 29.

GIRLS TENNIS

Northgate’s KristinaLencesova was an easy straightsets winner over Erica Kemp inthe DVAL singles while Berean’sNobili sisters, Gabby and Gian-na, took a three set match overCollege Park for the doublescrown. Clayton Valley’s MariaSparvoli lost to Lencesova in thesemi-finals while the Eagles sen-ior duo of Preet Nijjar and CieraCathcart fell to the Nobilis inthe doubles semis.

NCS team (Nov. 11-15) andsingles/doubles (Nov. 18-19)championships are upcomingwith the Northern Californiateam championships Nov. 21-22.

“Go West, young man” wasa rallying cry for the settlementof the American West in themiddle of the 19th century.Starting with the 2016-17 sea-sons, a proposed realignment ofhigh school sports leagueswould prompt a new charge:“Go East” Clayton Valley Char-ter.

Every four years the NorthCoast Section goes through acomprehensive process to eval-uate if the 170 high schoolsunder its jurisdiction are proper-ly aligned for league play. Thetwo-part criteria in setting upleagues (there are now 19leagues in NCS) are “competi-tive equity and geographicalproximity.”

The tentative realignment ofthe 29 Valley Conferenceschools in NCS beginning in fall2016 would have Clayton ValleyCharter leaving the Diablo Val-ley Athletic League and joiningsix East Contra Costa schools(Pittsburg, Antioch, Liberty,Heritage, Deer Valley and Free-dom) in the Bay Valley AthleticLeague.

The remaining six DVALschools (Ygnacio Valley, Con-cord, Mt. Diablo, College Park,Concord, Berean Christian)would join five Diablo FoothillAthletic League members (seechart) in a new 11-team “superleague.”

In 2008 the historic DVALwas revived after a 20-yearabsence and included sevenschools closely bunched in Con-cord, Walnut Creek and PleasantHill. During these past six yearsrecords indicate that, in order,Northgate, College Park andClayton Valley have won themost DVAL championshipsacross the 24 varsity sports.

Clayton Valley Charter hashad a very successful footballteam over the past three sea-sons, losing only two games out-side the D-II NCS playoffs. The

school’s new league assignmentseems to have been tied to thoseresults that made the Eagles theNo. 1 school under discussion inthe NCS Valley Conferencerealignment meetings and leagueproposals.

At one alignment meetingsomeone said, “Now we’ll talkabout the elephant in the room,Clayton Valley.” CVCHS wasrepresented at a series of meet-ings by Athletic Director AmberLineweaver, Executive DirectorDave Linzey and Miguel Romo,the school’s director of adminis-trative services. All were goingthrough this quadrennialprocess for the first time.

ALIGNMENT PROCESS

ONGOING

The 2016-2020 alignmentprocess began last February-March with proposals acceptedby NCS for changing the cur-rent league setup which was setin 2011 for fall 2012-spring 2016seasons. The variations werewhittled from nine to four totwo. Proposals includedCVCHS, College Park andNorthgate each in various con-figurations away from theDVAL schools. Clayton Valleywas the only Valley Conferenceschool proposed to go to fivedifferent leagues.

A three-league setup (fromthe current four) proposal wasapproved by a 17-12 vote of theschools in October.

Hearings on any appealslodged by this month will beheard in early 2015 with theNCS Board of Managers votingfinal approval in April or May.

BVAL commissioner BudBeemer says his six schools areappealing the addition ofCVCHS to its lineup. “TheBVAL did vote against it as wefelt that the proposal didn'tmeet the criteria stated for align-ment,” Beemer explained. Thecommissioner, ironically, is acharter member of the Clayton

Sports Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 7, 2014

Clayton Valley may be moving to East Countyhigh school league under proposed realignment

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Eagles go for third straight DVAL football crown Friday

Jason Rogers

Senior runningback Miles Harrison (3) racked up over 400 all-purpose yards in the crucial 48-40victory by Clayton Valley Charter over Concord High that gave the Eagles a leg up for a thirdstraight DVAL football title. Concord defenders Robert Liu (66), Jose Rivera (71) and BrandonEspinosa (38) chased Harrison. Primo Fachini (52) blocked for his CV teammate who totaled 326yards from scrimmage.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

See Leagues, page 12

NNCCSS DDiivviissiioonnCCuurrrreenntt EEnnrroollllmmeenntt VVaarrssiittyy BBaasseebbaallll//

SScchhooooll CCiittyy LLeeaagguuee 22001133--1144 SSppoorrttss FFoooottbbaallll BBaasskkeettbbaallll SSooffttbbaallllAntioch Antioch BVAL 2160 22 I I ICCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy CChhaarrtteerr CCoonnccoorrdd DDVVAALL 11999911 2244 IIII II IIDeer Valley Antioch BVAL 2947 22 I I IFreedom Oakley BVAL 2566 22 I I IHeritage Brentwood BVAL 2439 22 I I ILiberty Brentwood BVAL 2299 22 I I IPittsburg Pittsburg BVAL 3036 20 I I I


SScchhooooll CCiittyy LLeeaagguuee 22001133--1144 SSppoorrttss FFoooottbbaallll BBaasskkeettbbaallll SSooffttbbaallllCCaarroonnddeelleett Concord EBAL 802 12 – II IIDDee LLaa SSaallllee Concord EBAL 1036 13 I I I

All other EBAL schools (Amador Valley, California, Dougherty Valley, Foothill, Monte Vista & San Ramon Valley) Division Iexcept Dublin & Livermore D-II (all sports), Granada (mixed D-I & D-II).

DLS/Carondelet enrollment numbers doubled as single-gender schools.

Note: NCS enrollment breakdowns for Division placement vary per sport. Schools can petition to be placed in a higher division per sport.

BVAL

EBAL


SScchhooooll CCiittyy LLeeaagguuee 22001133--1144 SSppoorrttss FFoooottbbaallll BBaasskkeettbbaallll SSooffttbbaallllAcalanes Lafayette DFAL 1320 24 III II IIIAlhambra Martinez DFAL 1252 24 III II III/IIBBeerreeaann CChhrriissttiiaann Walnut Creek DVAL 432 18 V IV IVCampolindo Moraga DFAL 1260 24 III II IICCoolllleeggee PPaarrkk Pleasant Hill DVAL 1989 23 II I ICCoonnccoorrdd Concord DVAL 1567 22 II II IILas Lomas Walnut Creek DFAL 1544 24 III II IIMiramonte Orinda DFAL 1127 24 II II IIMMtt.. DDiiaabblloo Concord DVAL 1358 14 III II IIINNoorrtthhggaattee Walnut Creek DVAL 1691 24 II II IIYYggnnaacciioo VVaalllleeyy Concord DVAL 1116 20 III II III

New Super League

Proposed Valley Conference High School Alignment 2016-2020

See Fall Sports, page 12

Clayton Valley High gradVince Buhagiar, now a graduatestudent and linebacker on theSan Jose State football team, isno stranger to receiving awardsand accolades.

He’s a three-time AcademicAll-Western Athletic Confer-ence and four-time SJSU Schol-ar-Athlete honoree and the ex-Eagle star was a freshman All-America.

Recently, Buhagiar wasnamed a semifinalist for the2014 Campbell Trophy, a presti-gious honor awarded by theNational Football Foundationrecognizing individuals for aca-demic success and outstandingfootball performance.

“That’s a huge honor to me.I take a lot of pride in my aca-demics,” Buhagiar said. “This iskind of taking the next step fur-ther and it’s also a testament tothe way I play.”

His Clayton Valley coachHerc Pardi said, “Vince Buha-giar is one of the best all-aroundfootball players I have coached!His strong academics, commit-ment to excellence, love of histeammates and tenacious foot-ball ability are characteristics

that we knew would persevere atthe collegiate level and perhapson Sundays.

“Coach [Jerry] Coakley basi-cally taught him to make all thedefensive calls prior to the snap,a responsibility rare in highschool football. The CampbellAward nomination does not sur-prise me.”

In his senior year he was co-Most Valuable Player of theDiablo Valley Athletic Leaguefor Pardi as a linebacker andrunning back. He also excelledin the discus and shot put on thetrack and field team.

Buhagiar attributes his suc-cess to having his priorities inorder and having the right prin-ciples instilled in him from thestart.

“My mom was a teacher andshe always harped on educationso that was huge for me,” Buha-giar said. “I knew coming intocollege that education was thereason for it.”

As a graduate student work-ing toward a master’s degree inpsychology, 22-year-old Buha-giar values his football experi-ence, but ultimately believes hisfuture will be off the field.

“I’m going to put in thework, I’m going to try as hard asI can, but whenever my football

career does end, a career in psy-chology is going to happen,” the2010 Clayton Valley grad said.

Before playing football,

It was hot in June when thenew Ipsen Family Bocce Courtsdebuted in downtown Claytonand it was nearly as warm lastmonth when the inaugural Clay-ton Summer Bocce Leaguewrapped up and the DiabloRollers defeated Ed’s MudvilleGrill 2-0 in the playoff finals.

The Rollers are fittingly a vet-eran team made up of ClaytonBusiness and Community Asso-ciation members. The CBCAworked with the Ipsen family,which owns the adjacent Skipoli-ni’s Pizza and donated the landfor the courts, to make the facili-ty a reality. Diablo Rollers, whowere second in the Mondayleague during the season defeat-ed Ed’s Mudville Grill, a first-time team made up primarily ofrookie bocce players and whichalso finished second in theirWednesday night league.

The two top teams from theregular season, Members Onlyand Deboccery, were both elimi-nated in the first round of the

playoffs. Two veteran teamssquared off in the third-placematch with Tuesday Night Lightsover the Empty Nesters 2-0.

The sold out Clayton BocceLeague included 77 teams with770 players playing over 2,400games. For 10 years the Clayton

Bocce League operated out ofNewhall Park in Concord before


Sports

Photo courtesy San Jose State Athletics Media Relations

SENIOR LINEBACKER VinceBuhagiar (36) is one of thetop two tacklers for the SanJose State Spartans footballteam this fall after he missedall of the 2013 seasonthrough injury. The 2010Clayton Valley High grad is asemifinalist for the CampbellTrophy awarded by theNational Football Foundation.

Diablo Rollers use experience to wininaugural Clayton Summer Bocce League

Tamara Steiner /Clayton Pioneer

The first summer Clayton Bocce League season at the new Ipsen Family Bocce Courts in down-town Clayton was culminated this month with the playoff finals that saw Diablo Rollers claimthe first-ever league crown. The Rollers beat Ed’s Mudville Grill in the finale 2-0. The champsinclude, front row from left, Debbie Geller, Howard Geller, Sarah Rodenburg, CindySogomonian, Carin Kaplan; back row, Fred Repetto, Bob Rodenburg, Jack Sogomonian andHoward Kaplan.

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The first half of Clayton Valley’sDynamic Running Duo is Claire Olson.She began to showcase her talent at theDVAL 2013 frosh-soph championshipswith fourth place in the 1600-meter run.This prompted her to take up cross coun-try the following season and Olson helpedlead Clayton Valley Charter to third in thefrosh-soph league with a second-placeoverall finish. That spring she was in the

top four of the 1600M and 3200M DVALfrosh-soph finals. This year she’ll be on theEagle varsity in both sports. When Olsonisn’t running, she is dedicated to a club sherecently created, Team Blue, which isinvolved with informing people about theocean’s current state.

Lynette Cox has shown love and pas-sion for running since her freshman yearwhen she placed fifth in the frosh-sophleague championship race, to only show

her improvement the following year byplacing third for the Eagles. She won the800 DVAL frosh-soph title two years run-ning. Last spring she also placed second inthe 1600 league race. As a junior she is partof coach Anthony Munch’s CVCHS varsi-ty cross country that competed in theleague finals last Saturday. Cox is activelyinvolved in Clayton Valley Charter’s Engi-neering Academy and several school clubs.

CVCHS student journalist Celine Herreracontributed to these Spotlights.

AthleteSpotlightClaire Olson & Lynette CoxAge: 16Sport: Cross Country & TrackTeam: CVCHS Juniors

The Clayton Pioneer congratulatesLynette and Claire and thanks AthleteSpotlight sponsors Drs. Laura Laceyand & Christopher Ruzicka who havebeen serving the Clayton and Concordarea for 25 years at Family Vision CareOptometry. laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete whoshould be recognized? Perhaps he orshe has shown exceptional sports-manship, remarkable improvement orgreat heart for the sport. Send yournomination for the Pioneer AthleteSpotlight today to [email protected].

See Bocce, page 12

Buhagiar named Campbell Trophy semifinalist

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See Buhagiar, page 13

KIM LACKEY WINS PICKLEBALL MEDAL

OF EACH COLOR AT WORLDSClayton’s Kim Lackey continues her success in the growing sport

of pickleball with a gold, silver and bronze medal at the HuntsmanWorld Senior Games in St. George, Utah last month. Seniors com-peted in nearly 30 sports over two weeks. Lackey defeated Pam Cec-chini in the women’s 55-59 singles finals. The local tennis pro pairedwith Dee Rochel to take silver in the 55-59 women’s doubles A divi-sion and bronze in the 50-64 women’s doubles skill 4.5.

WINTER SOCCER ACADEMY REGISTRATION OPENDiablo FC is now taking registration for its 14th annual Winter

Soccer Academy held on Mondays and Thursdays at Willow PassPark in Concord from Jan. 5 – Feb. 19. The program is part of theSan Jose Earthquakes Regional Development School and is open toboys and girls of all skill levels ages 5-11. Players receive an Earth-quakes Academy t-shirt. For more information and to register visitdiablofc.org.

WINTER BASKETBALL, GIRL POWER REGISTRATION OPEN

AT ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUESWinter youth basketball programs at Clayton Gym including a

camp Nov. 24-27 and league play are accepting applications now.Winter youth volleyball signups are coming soon. AOSL founderCasey Copeland is also offering a Girl Power workshop on Sunday,Dec. 7. For complete information on All Out Sports programs, visitalloutsportsleague.com.

DIABLO FC BENEFIT POKER NIGHT THIS FRIDAYLocal competitive soccer club Diablo FC is hosting its first Poker

Night fundraiser this Friday at Centre Concord. The $75 entry feeincludes tri-tip and chicken dinner and $1000 in poker chips for thetournament. There will be cash prizes for the first three places plusspecial ladies prizes. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. and gaming at 7 o’clock.Visit diablofc.org for more details.

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Sports

Valley Athletic Hall of Fame.Clayton Valley Charter cur-

rently has the smallest enroll-ment (1991 students) among theseven teams planned for theBVAL. CVCHS and the othersix BVAL schools (all Division Isports) will have increased travelexpenses for away games andcompetitions under this newalignment, as will all the teamsin the new super league.

Clayton Valley sports rangebetween D-I and D-II among its24 varsity teams. The schoolsubmitted two proposals toNCS. In the first they placedthemselves in the BVAL.

SUPER LEAGUE SETUP

The 11-team Super Leaguehas schools as large as College

Park with 1989 students (2013-14 enrollment used for align-ment purposes) to Ygnacio Val-ley and Miramonte with about1100 students and Berean Chris-tian with 432. The new leaguelikely will place its schools intotwo divisions for each sport toallow for the most competitiveleague play. College Park is inDivision I basketball and soft-ball but the other 10 schools arein Division II or III in mostsports while Berean Christianplays D-IV and D-V (the small-est current division).

DVAL Commissioner CraigLee, also the Berean athleticdirector, says, “The super leagueidea has been floated around theDVAL for over one year. Byhaving 10-12 teams in the league

we can split into two completelydifferent leagues by competitiveequity by sport, so it gives all theschools some great flexibility.

Lee also mentioned that hehas proposed having a separatesetup of leagues for footballonly. “This is something thatwould be done after the leaguerealignment is finalized. I havehad a lot of very positive feed-back about this both at themeeting and since that time. Iplan to work on this over thenext few months and havesomething ready by spring.

“Removing football fromthe alignment discussionschanges everything because thatis the sport most people thinkabout first as they make theirdecisions. The idea has beenfloated before without gainingany traction. Since Berean playsin the TCAL and will likely con-tinue to do so we are in a unique

position to propose somethingas we have nothing to gain orlose.” Lee adds.

DE LA SALLE-CARONDELET

STAY PUT

De La Salle and Carondeletmoved to the East Bay AthleticLeague in 2008 and the Concordparochial schools are slated toremain there during the nextquadrennial. The balance of theEBAL teams are located alongthe 680/580 corridor fromDanville to Livermore.

De La Salle football hasplayed an independent scheduleincluding a few non-leaguegames each year against EBALteams but Spartan officialsreportedly are demanding thatthey play a full league schedulein the future as its too hard tofind enough non-league games.

Leagues, from page 10

Sports Shorts

the new facility opened.“This season fulfilled the

dreams, work and money of theIpsen family and the CBCA(with the help of some dedicatedlocal contractors) to create avenue where the community cancome together to have fun play-

ing a great game that creates andextends friendships while engag-ing in some friendly competi-tion,” said CBCA’s Ed Hartley.

Clayton Fall league continuesinto January.

The Diablo Rollers beat Ed’s Mudville Grill in the inauguralClayton Bocce League playoffs finale 2-0. The Mudville crewincludes, front row from left, Julie Ghelfi, Larry Mullen, LindaMullen, Carol Ricetti-Nolen, Declan Woods, Kathy Woods;back row, Mike Ghelfi, Aldo Ricetti, Sam Savage and RickyNolen.

Bocce, from page 11 Halloween soccer action featureschampionships, creative costumes

Photo courtesy MDSA

MDSA Elite Legends tossed four straight shutouts to capturethe under 11 girls title at the Walnut Creek Octoberfest. Inthe finals against Mountain View/Los Altos FC Barcelona thelocal team got goals from Kelsey Macaulay and Grace Turnerto account for the 2-0 score. The Legends include, front rowfrom left, coach Chris Turner, Alyssa Birder, Milla Anum, OliviaYoshii, Ainsley Townlin, Julia Stranko, Emma Williams, GraceTurner, youth coach Nikki Apana; back row, youth coach BeccaDong, Lauren Luedtke, Lily Wilcox, Kelsey Macaulay, CarlyUrteaga, Sydney Mendelson, Kate Concepcion and coach KimApana.

Diablo FC 03 girls had a pair of impressive victories to wintheir U11 Pumpkins bracket but injuries depleted their rosterand they dropped a semifinal match to eventual championEast Bay Bombers 03 Gold at the Kick or Treat Classic. CoachTafa and her little piggies plus the big, bad wolf, includes,front row from left, Lilly Underwood, Kelly Adams, ChloeVaisset-Fauvel, Zoe Hamilton, Bella Barber, Maya Lindenau;back row, coach Tafa, Zahrah Shagashi, Peyton Wooten, BaileyKessinger, Izzy Brandt, Amaia Espinal and goalkeeper NatalieHaro.

Diablo FC 03 won three games and tied one to win the U11Phantom boys division at the 16th annual Halloween Kick orTreat Classic in Concord. Diablo FC beat Napa Soccer Club 2-0, Mill Valley Fusion 4-1 and eventual runner-up Cal Magic 5-1. The final game in the round-robin bracket was a matchupwith another local team MDSA Arsenal which ended in a 2-2draw. Diablo FC 03 includes front row from left, BenjaminLucha, Abraham Lozano, Adam Rychtecky, Kevin Murguia,Cesar Garcia; back row, Alex Guerrero, Ryan Aiken, DavinFabrizio, Dominick Rodriguez, Jack Simpkins, Andre Vojtenyi,Jonathan Wence, Juanpablo Hernandez and coach GuillermoJara. The U10 Diablo FC 04 boys lost a 3-2 heartbreaker inthe finals to Newark Elite Puma after three lopsided victoriesto make the Goblins finals.

Photos courtesy Diablo FC

Diablo FC 04 girls rolled into the U10 Ghouls semifinals withtwo wins but eventual champion Walnut Creek Chelsea took a3-1 victory to end their run at the Kick or Treat Classic. Theteam, outfitted as Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts andher soldiers, includes front row from left, Kasandra Woolf,Indigo Whiteley, Erika Upson, Jules Colchico-Greeley,Courtney Wagner, Gigi Betti, Lizzie Pauline, Grace Dausses,Caroline Tobin, Alyssa Pringle; back row, Sherman Dausses,coach Miguel Gonzalez and assistant coach Kris Colchico.

WATER POLO

The NCS water polo tour-nament begins this Thursdayevening with Clayton Valleygirls seeded 13th in Division I.Coach Dennis Bledsoe’s teamis in their eighth straight sec-tion tournament. They beginNCS in Moraga at the SodaAquatic Center against No. 4Alameda.

The Eagles took third at theDVAL tournament with an 8-4win over College Park in thethird-place game. The teamswere tied 2-2 before CVCHSoutscored the Falcons 6-2 inthe second half. CaitlinO’Leary scored five goals for

the winners while Bailey Read-ing, Katie Kommer and Han-nah Kommer chipped in with agoal apiece. Goalie Katie VanTuyl had 13 saves for theEagles.

Northgate won the DVALchampionship and is playing inthe DII bracket along withCarondelet and Concord. Col-lege Park is seeded one spotahead of Clayton Valley in DI.Northgate beat College Park11-8 in the DVAL tournamentfinals.

Nick Ballew’s CVCHS boyshad their streak of five straightNCS appearances broken. TheEagles took third in the DVAL

playoffs with a rousing 24-11win over Concord. They losttheir semi-final to College Park14-11. Northgate won the boystitle.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Northgate raced throughthe DVAL season undefeatedwhile College Park took sec-ond, only losing twice to theBroncos. NCS berths will bedetermined at the seedingmeeting Sunday and playbegins next week, followed byNorCals Nov. 25-29 and Statefinals Dec. 2-6.

GIRLS GOLF

Northgate won the leaguetournament with a score of496 at Diablo Creek GolfCourse in Concord. Clayton

Valley Charter was runner-upat 508. Hailee Espinoza ofdefending champion YgnacioValley edged the Eagles’ RachelDeLong by a single stroke formedalist honors. RebeccaWalsh was fourth for CVCHS.

DeLong was 15th individu-ally shooting 84 at Lone Tree inAntioch last week leading theEagles in the NCS Division Iqualifying meet. CVCHS was15th in team scoring withWalsh, Annie Park, Ana Saidand Reyna Khalilieh postingscores for the Eagles to grabthe final team spot and advancein section play.

The NCS D-I finals atTilden Park were held Monday.The NorCal meet is Nov. 10 inSalinas and state finals in Ran-cho Cucamonga Nov. 18.

Fall Sports, from page 10

So you’ve decided to get adog. You drive down to youlocal shelter and you spot justthe one. You meet and fall inlove. You fill out an adoptionapplication and before youknow it you’re driving homewith your new companion.

If you’ve had a dog beforeyou know that there are thingsyou’ll need. Dog food, dishes,treats, a bed, a leash and collarwith an identification tag andmaybe a crate.

The key to helping your newdog make a successful adjust-ment to your home is being pre-pared and being patient. Movingto a new home is stressful forpeople and it can be stressful forour canine friends as well.

Here are some ways to make

the new situation easier for all.Plan for your dog’s arrival. A

weekend is best or when youcan be home for a few days.Take your time getting to knoweach other and spend qualitytime together. But don’t forgetthe jealously factor. Make sureyou don’t ignore the other petsin your household.

Establish house rules in advance.Who will walk the dog each day?Who will fed him? Will he beallowed on the couch? Wherewill he sleep at night? Are thereany rooms that will be off limits?

Be prepared for house training.It’s best to assume that your newdog is not housetrained and startfrom scratch. Read over thehouse training information givento you when you adopted. Beconsistent and maintain a rou-tine. A little extra effort on yourpart each day will pay off infaster and easier house training.

Make sure your new dog ishealthy. Shelters take in a wide

variety of animals, some whohave not been previously vacci-nated. Sometimes despite thebest efforts of the shelter work-ers, viruses can be spread andmay occasionally go home withadopted pets. If you alreadyhave dogs or cats at home makesure they are all up to date ontheir shots before introducingyour new dog.

Use training to create a happyhome. Dogs need order and lead-ership. Sign up for a local obedi-ence class and you will learnwhat a joy it is to have a well-behaved dog. If you catch yourdog doing something he should-n’t, don’t lose your cool. Let himknow in a disapproving voicethat you don’t like what he isdoing and ask for an alternatebehavior. For example if yourdog jumps on you ask him to sitand reward him for doing so.

Play games with your dog. Dogsneed an active life. You shouldplan plenty of exercise and

game time for your caninefriend. If jogging around theneighborhood is too energeticfor you try throwing a ball foryour dog to fetch or just goingfor a long walk together.

Finally be reasonable in yourexpectations. This is a new rela-tionship for both you and yourdog. Life with you is a new expe-rience for your dog so give himtime to adjust. Be patient andthe rewards will be many. Youwill soon find that you havemade a friend for life.


Dog4-year-old Sven is a sweet

boy who enjoys going for walksaround the block as well assnuggling next to you on thecouch at night. He would be agreat companion for someone

who has a moderately activehousehold who is looking for aloyal companion. We recom-mend Sven take a Small Dog orBasic Manners class where hecan start a new life with youwith the best paw forward. Hecurrently weighs 14 pounds.

Sven’s adoption fee has beenprepaid by a generous donor.

Cat2-year-old Cheese is a big

solid dude who is so loving andcute! He will bring much joy tohis new family. Cheese is FIV +,but that doesn’t stop him frombeing a very adorable, sweet guy!He is suitable for a first time catguardian. Cheese must be anindoor only cat.

Cheese’s adoption fee hasbeen prepaid by a generousdonor.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s Animal Rescue

Foundation, 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.arf.net, or call925.256.1ARF.

Sven and Cheese are ARF’s Adoption Stars

SVEN CHEESE

Debbie DeMello is the owner ofWho’s Training Who and a past vol-unteer with ARF. She welcomesquestions from readers. Contact herat [email protected].

DEBBIE DEMELLO

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Buhagiar tried his hand at othersports, including basketball andbaseball. His mom tried to keephim out of football for as longas possible because of its repu-tation as a dangerous sport.

“My third-grade year, sheput me out for basketball and Iwas just clumsy,” Buhagiar said.“I fouled out half the games,didn’t make a single basket.”

Not his calling, Buhagiarquickly grew bored of baseballtoo.

Buhagiar said he was a brutalchild, running around breakingthings and laughing about it, soit only made sense for him tosign up for football.

In fifth grade, he finally gothis chance at the gridiron. “In

the first half, I fell in love,”Buhagiar said. He’s excelled eversince on the field, even thoughthere have been a few hiccupsalong the way.

Last season, Buhagiar suf-fered a preseason injury, a tornlabrum in his right shoulder.He’s also no stranger to thisinjury, having suffered the sameaffliction during his sopho-more year at San Jose State.

Doctors told him he couldplay with the injury – and he didduring his sophomore year –but he said because of his expe-rience playing with the shoulderinjury he made the decision tosit out last season and get sur-gery.

“Thinking back to my soph-

omore year, I wasn’t able to per-form and I wouldn’t want to letmy team down, especially in mysenior year,” Buhagiar said.“That would’ve hurt me morethan not playing with them.”

Buhagiar jumped from highschool into the Spartans startinglineup and began his collegiatecareer at top-ranked anddefending national championAlabama in front of 102,000spectators.

Fellow sophomore Spartanlinebacker Christian Tago saidBuhagiar is a leader and bringscontagious energy to the field –a welcome side effect of Buha-giar’s return.

“He’s one of those guys thatafter we make a tackle, he’s run-ning over there getting excitedand everybody just feeds offthat,” Tago said.

Spartan head coach RonCaragher said he was thrilled tohave Buhagiar back on the teamand missed him on the field lastseason. “It’s great to see a guywho went through frustration ayear ago and had to sit out dueto injury come back out andhave a really great year,”Caragher said.

According to Caragher,Buhagiar is well respected and agreat ambassador on the team.His absence was noticeable onthe field. “I missed them just asmuch,” Buhagiar said. “Theguys on the team are probablymy biggest motivation – themand my parents – I’d do any-thing for those guys.”

The Spartan Daily and San JoseState Athletics Media Relations con-tributed to this story.

Buhagiar, from page 11

Boy Scouts from troop 484provided outstanding supportfor the Clayton CommunityLibrary Foundation book saleOct. 17 through 19. Twenty-three Scouts and family mem-bers worked nearly 81 hoursmoving books and recycling old,outdated and unusable books.Another 77 volunteers, includ-ing students in the Collabora-tion, Community and Cama-raderie Club at Clayton ValleyCharter High School, spent 516hours during sorting to set upthe sale and clean up. This is byfar the largest response for anysale since the first book sale in1992.The sale grossed over$7,400 to be used for books andsupplies for the library.

HISTORY BOOKS

Library staff is currentlyworking to build the historybook collection and are asking

for donations. They specificallywant books about WalnutCreek, Concord, Pittsburg,Black Diamond and especiallyabout Clayton and the unincor-porated surroundings. ContactDoug Thomas at the ClaytonLibrary, (925) 673-0659,[email protected] beforedropping books off.


Old computers, printers, tel-evisions, cell phones and otherelectronic equipment don’t haveto take up space in your home— they can be recycled for freeon Nov. 15 at Mt. Diablo Recy-cling.

Mt. Diablo Recycling’s freee-waste event will take placefrom 9 a.m. to noon at the facil-ity located at 1300 LoveridgeRoad in Pittsburg. Free bagelsand doughnuts will be provided.

Mt. Diablo Recycling’s staffwill be on hand to assist peoplewith bulky recycling items; par-ticipants can even choose to stayin their cars during their drop-off.

Anyone who drops off e-waste items will also receive upto four bags of compost forfree. Additionally, free compostwill be provided to people whobring clean wood, yard waste,and other recycling items to theContra Costa Waste Servicefacility, known as the RecyclingCenter & Transfer Station(RCTS). RCTS is one of thelargest recycling centers in thecountry — approximately170,000 square feet when com-bined with the nearby Mt. Dia-blo Recycling Center.

This free e-waste event issponsored by Mt. Diablo Recy-cling in conjunction with Amer-ica Recycles Day, an annual cel-ebration of all things recyclingtaking place across the countryNovember 15.

Club News

Volunteers from the ClaytonValley Garden Club andSTAND! For Families Free ofViolence created 41 succulentplant-embellished pumpkintable centerpieces and raisedmore than $1,300 in a silent auc-tion at the STAND! 22nd Annu-al Rebuilding Lives Luncheon atthe Concord Hilton on Oct. 9.The annual luncheon generatesthe funds STAND! uses to pro-vide domestic violence servicesand is an opportunity to publi-cize its efforts during DomesticViolence Awareness Month.The proceeds from the silentauction were in addition to over$30,000 raised, which surpassedthe original STAND! dollar tar-get by $5,000. Funds from ticketsales and other donations willadd to the groups fundraisingsuccess.

The Clayton Valley Woman’sClub will hold their annual Bou-tique and Bake Sale on Sat.,Nov. 22, 10-5 and Sun., Nov. 23,

1-4 at the Clayton Library, 6125Clayton Rd. in Clayton. Therewill be a wide assortment ofhandmade articles with an

emphasis on Christmas items.Gifts include gently used Christ-mas decorations and small deco-rated trees. A variety of bakedgoods will be available, perfectfor freezing ahead for holidaygatherings.

Proceeds of this boutiquebenefit the club’s local charitiesand scholarships.

The Clayton Valley Woman’sClub meets at 10 a.m. on thesecond Tuesday of the month atHoly Cross Lutheran Church,1092 Alberta way, Concord.Guests are welcome.

For more information, call 524-0641 or visit the website atclaytonvalleywomansclub.org.

Boy Scout Seth Schild-Hollenbeck rolls in a load ofbooks from the storage placeat the Keller House while vol-unteer Karen Atkinson-Amoskeeps the rows straight. Thetwo are preparing for theLibrary Foundation’s semi-annual book sale last month.

At last, after a long wait, muchconfusion and several disappoint-ing starts, Windows is set right.It’s a new beginning from SatyaNadella, Microsoft’s new chiefexecutive. He has finally unifiedWindows so that one operatingsystem works across all platforms.That’s right — one Windows tolearn, all screens the same. Run alaptop, tablet, smartphone, desk-top PC, workstation or somehybrid thereof; it is one operatingsystem to learn, one software tobuy that works across all plat-forms. We call it Windows 10.

THE START MENU

IS BACK

“Boot up a PC running theWindows 10 Technical Preview,and you’ll be dropped off at the‘oh so familiar’ desktop,” saysC/NET. “A taskbar with familiarlooking icons sits on the bottom,and the recycle bin sits in theupper left corner.”

“Then you press the Start but-ton, and are greeted by the returnof the Start menu,” the reportcontinues. “It’s a proper Startmenu too, with your apps allstacked in that endless column ofnested folders we’ve all beenscrolling since Windows 95. Andsitting alongside that column areWindows 8’s lovely Live Tiles,with news-bites and socialupdates spinning ad infinitum.”

Microsoft has not only curedthe “Start” issue, but also theyhave introduced several new fea-tures that are sure to becomegame changers. I would venture a

guess that Microsoft is back, andback in a big way.

SO DID I FALL ASLEEP

OR WHAT?Whatever happened to Win-

dows 9? Well, Microsoft decidedto skip the 9 release and go direct-ly to Windows 10. The changes in10 are so superior that the newchief, Nadella, put Microsoft onthe fast track to get it right, andget it now.

The payoff to all of this is, ina word, VM. Well, that is not aword but more of a concept. VM,or Virtual Machine, means onecan run multiple applications onseparate virtual computers, all onthe same physical computer. EachVM window is independent ofthe others, meaning if one win-dow crashes, the others are stillactive. It’s like having multiplecomputers doing several jobs atonce.

“[This] could be a cure for theconfusing mess that is the currentWindows 8 PC ecosystem, chockfull of laptops that bend overbackward or split from keyboards,or simply graft touchscreens ontofamiliar designs,” the C/NETreport says. “We should finally seean end to the jarring, generallyunsatisfying experience that urgesus to dance between the desktopand that weird, full-screen purga-tory where Modern apps live.”

Of course there will be morecoming from Microsoft. The newchief is energized and focused onthe future of computing.“Microsoft’s vision of tomor-row’s ideal operating system isgrander still,” continues C/NET.“The goal is to offer a unifiedexperience across devices of allshapes and sizes, and one that willmorph to make sense: icons totap and home screens whenyou’re on a phone or tablet, butwindowed apps and nested fold-ers when you’re armed with a key-

The eyes of the baseballworld were focused on SanFrancisco as the Giants hostedseveral playoff and WorldSeries games. Most of theattention was on the teams’supposed strengths and weak-nesses. The swirling windsaround the ballpark also gar-nered plenty of media atten-tion.

It makes sense. Fluctuatingwinds can make life miserablefor outfielders. From the hit-ter’s viewpoint, a steady windtoward the outfield fences

could turn a routine fly ballinto a home run. Conversely, astrong wind blowing in fromthe outfield could keep a mis-taken pitch from reaching thestands.

Wind is simply defined asthe movement of air relative tothe surface of the earth. “Air”simply means the mixture ofgases in the lowest layer ofearth’s atmosphere.

Gases are one of the threefundamental states of matter.Unlike the other forms ofmatter — liquids and solids —gases have no definite shapeand are very fluid.

Our atmosphere is com-prised mostly of two gases,nitrogen and oxygen. Move-ment of these invisible atomsand molecules along the earth’ssurface is caused by differ-ences in atmospheric pressure

and temperature between onelocation and another.

The pattern of winds overEarth is known as the generalcirculation. Specific winds arenamed for the direction orlocation from which they orig-inate. Winds blowing fromwest to east are called westerlies.Sea breeze winds blow fromthe ocean to the land.

Instruments used to meas-ure wind speed are calledanemometers. They commonlyconsist of a set of cupsattached to a support thatallows them to spin in thewind. The rate of spin isrecorded as a wind speed.

Arrow-shaped wind vanesare used to record wind direc-tion. The arrowhead point tothe direction the wind is blow-ing toward, with the tail in thedirection the wind is coming

from. Directions are recordedin degrees ranging from 1 to360. For example, a winddirection of 270 degrees repre-sents a wind blowing from thewest toward the east.

Meteorologists use windspeed and direction data tostudy wind trends by plottingdata in a “wind rose” format.Visually, a wind rose looks likea wagon wheel with spokes ofunequal lengths. The longerthe spoke, the more oftenwinds blow from the directionrepresented by that spoke.

Inspection of a wind roseof San Francisco during base-ball season shows a very longspoke in the westerly direction.This demonstrates the persist-ence of onshore sea breezewinds near AT&T Park. Windspeed data records show thatthe onshore winds are typically

strong and gusty, often rangingfrom 10 to 25 miles per hour.

So there you have it. Bil-lions of gas molecules areforced from sea to land bypressure and temperature dif-ferences. As they rush acrossthe coast they collide with thelarge obstacles, like a ballpark,that get in their way.

These molecules swirl overthe walls of the stadium andalter the flight of baseballs.Wind may be simply defined asthe movement of air, but it canact like the invisible hand ofan unnamed player at theGiants’ ballpark.

Wind is 10th Man in baseball

WOODY WHITLATCH

WEATHER WORDS

Woody Whitlatch is a retiredmeteorologist from PG&E. Emailyour questions or comments to [email protected]

New Microsoftsystem is a real ‘10’

WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

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

CV Garden Club centerpieces net $1,300 for STAND!

Pamela Lucas (STAND!), Carin Kaplan (CVGC), Rufie Roberts(STAND!) and Sheila Nichols (CVGC) show a sampling of thesucculent-decorated pumpkin centerpieces. Behind them, LewThompson (CVGC) and other volunteers create even morecenterpieces.

Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Christmas Boutique date set

It was a surprising sight formany last week when real horseswere tied up at the Clayton Cor-ral.

Concord Mt. Diablo TrailRide Association members rodeinto town for lunch to remindClayton of the town’s equineroots. The Clayton Corral wasbuilt by the city of Clayton foruse by the area’s equestrians.

“The Pony Express oncehad a station in Clayton,” saidCMDTRA member Angus Ack-erman.

The club is planning severalcommunity events for the com-ing months. Look for “equinetheater” soon. Watch the Clay-ton Pioneer for details.

For more information on the clubfacilities and membership, go to cmdtra.org.

Trail Ride Association aims to remind Claytonians of the town’s equine roots

Volunteers, Scouts key toLibrary’s successful book sales

Free e-wastedrop off Nov. 15


CONCORD MT. DIABLO TRAIL RIDE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS Angus Ackerman, Gary Johnson and ChrisBarnhart rode into Clayton for lunch last week on trails that were used by the first Concord toMt Diablo ride established in 1962.

It’s no secret, cabinetry isexpensive. Whether you arelooking to line the walls of yourkitchen or bathroom, homeoffice or laundry room, or eventhe walls in your garage with anysort of custom cabinetry to suityour storage needs, make somespace in your budget. There’sjust no easy way around the costof cabinetry.

That’s because cabinetry forthe most part is custom. Yes,cabinetry can be purchasedfrom big-box retailers or smallercabinetry shops in preset sizes,but even modular cabinetryrequires some thought inregards to layout and installa-tion, and may require a general

contractor for the installation.So if you’re soon to be start-

ing a cabinet remodel of yourown, the million dollar ques-tion…how? How do you get thebiggest bang for your buck?

DO SOME HOMEWORK ON

THE FUN STUFF

In addition to the actual cab-inetry, there are many details toconsider when planning a cabi-netry project: the quality of thedrawer slides, dovetail joints,lazy Susan mechanisms in blindcorners, pull-out drawers behindcabinet or pantry doors, and allsorts of slots and dividers tokeep things organized. All ofthese wonderfully delicious add-on items have the potential toadd significant amounts to theoverall bid. But don’t be intimi-dated, take the time to researchthe costs for upgrades and spe-cialty hardware options. Yes, thelayout and design of the actual

cabinetry is highly important,but the functional details are justas important; those details makea basic remodel a customizedremodel designed specificallyfor you.

LOOK & FEEL

Medium to heavy distressing,glazing, painted finish, stainedfinish, bamboo, stainless steeldoors — there are some reallygreat materials and finishoptions to choose from whenselecting what your cabinetrywill be made of and how it willbe finished. Again, doing yourhomework and learning aboutthe benefits of different materi-als and their finishes will helpyou determine your budget, andperhaps where you might like tospend a little more for some-thing special. Looking throughmagazines, flipping through theonline pages of sources like Pin-terest and Houzz will give you atremendous amount of ideas toconsider. Between the legworkof talking with cabinetry profes-sionals, and the visual aspect offinding your design, you’ll beable to condense all of thisinformation into your perfectproject.

GET OUT THE

DRAFTING TABLE

If you’re going through themajor effort to redesign cabi-netry within any room in yourhome, be involved in the designfrom beginning to end to ensureyour storage needs are met.Regardless of who you areworking with — designer, con-tractor or cabinet shop — youare the one who should be pro-viding the details on your stor-age needs and uses, as well asyour design aesthetic, so thebuilding and design profession-als can help you achieve yourcabinetry wish list as it pertainsto budget, design and function.


No B.S.–Brussels sprouts are tasty

Appearing in farmers mar-kets and grocery stores rightabout now are those cute littlemini cabbage-like veggies, Brus-sels sprouts. A recent surveyfound Brussels sprouts to be theNo. 1 most-hated veggie inAmerica. Such a pity if you’reamong the haters, but a greatopportunity for the rest of us toenjoy more of the sweet nutti-ness well-prepared Brusselssprouts can offer.

Wild cabbages were domes-ticated in Pakistan, Afghanistanand Iran thousands of years ago.Early versions of Brusselssprouts (unique among othercruciferous veggies in that thelittle tight cabbage-shaped headsgrow on long, thick stalks) were

reported in ancient Rome. Mod-ern-day versions sprouted up inthe 16th Century in — whereelse? — Belgium where itsmajor city, Brussels, gave themtheir namesake.

The key to great-tastingBrussels sprouts is to start withfresh, firm heads (the smallerthe better in my book) andwhatever you do, don’t over-cook them because that willrelease sulfur compounds thatresult in a distinctively unpleas-ant aroma.

Roasting, sautéing and brais-ing are your best cooking meth-ods but if you’ve never peeledaway the leaves to make crispybaked Brussels sprouts chips,you’ve been missing out.Blanching Brussels sprouts forquick-cooked recipes can helpensure a tender result, but don’tcook them too long as this watermethod will dilute their flavor.

Because their flavor is bothassertive and somewhat sweet,Brussels sprouts benefit fromingredients that add richness

and/or acidity. Popular flavorpartners are bacon, pancetta,sausage, toasted nuts of allkinds, and balsamic, sherry ormalt vinegar or lemon juice.Butter, cream, oils (olive and nutoils in particular) and cheese willhelp round out the flavors.

One of my favorite dishes isto braise halved Brusselssprouts, first by browning in alittle olive oil, then braising inabout half a cup of water untilthe water is evaporated and veg-gies are tender. Then I transferthe Brussels sprouts to a servingdish, add one-fourth cup bal-samic vinegar to the pan and letit reduce by half, then melt inone or two tablespoons of but-ter to make a lovely sauce. Yum!

Here’s another dish to try:

CREAMY BRUSSELS SPROUTS

(source: Better Homes & Gardens)4 slices regular or peppered

bacon2 lbs. Brussels sprouts,

trimmed and halvedthrough stem end

¾ cup reduced-sodiumchicken broth

½ tsp. kosher salt (or sea-soned salt)

¼ tsp. black pepper¾ cup whipping cream

Cook bacon in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heatuntil browned and crisp. Drainon paper towels and remove allbut two tablespoons of the drip-pings from the skillet

Add the Brussels sprouts tothe bacon drippings and cookfor about 4 minutes, stirringoccasionally. Add broth, salt,and pepper and bring the mix-ture to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer,covered, for 5 minutes, thenuncover and continue to cookuntil the liquid is nearly evapo-

rated (about 2-4 minuteslonger).

Add the cream and simmer afew minutes until thickened.Transfer to a serving dish andsprinkle with crumbled bacon.

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR THOUGHTLinda Wyner owns Pans on Fire, a

gourmet cookware store and cookingschool in Pleasanton. Send suggestions orquestions to [email protected]

How to Be a Good Wife, EmmaChapman’s chillingly captivatingdebut novel (St. Martin’s Press,2013) begins with a statement bynarrator Marta Bjornstad: “Today,somehow, I am a smoker.” Herhusband Hector “hates” smok-ing, but Marta finds herself (as ifawakening) with a lighted ciga-rette in her hand and the smell oftobacco everywhere.

Marta and Hector have onegrown son, Kylan, who hasrecently graduated from univer-sity and left their village homefor the city. Hector loves the vil-lage of his birth, but Marta,never completely at home there,feels increasingly isolated with-out Kylan.

The heart of this story isMarta’s scary subservience toHector. There are only fourmajor characters: Marta, Hector,Kylan and Hector’s intrusivemother, Matilda. Throughoutthe novel, aphorisms fromMatilda’s wedding gift to Marta,a book called “How to Be aGood Wife,” haunt its pages.Early on, we read: “Make yourhome a place of peace andorder.” Marta seems destined tofail. Something is not right.

The story is deceptively sim-ple. Marta, emotionally damagedas a result of the death of her

parents when she was 18, meetsHector and they marry. Threeversions of their meeting exist,all having one thing in common.Marta was in distress and Hec-tor rescued her, becoming hus-band and caretaker, with his careincluding daily prescription pills,insuring a sense of balance forMarta. She has been mindfullytaking the pills for years, hopingto fulfill more of the directivesfrom “How to Be a GoodWife”: “Remember always to bebright and cheerful: a breath offresh air.”

With Kylan gone, Martabegins to fake her pill taking.Without them, she experienceshallucinations — smells, voices,visions of a strangely familiaryoung girl. Hector wants her totry new medications, but sherefuses. “Catering to his com-fort will give you an immensesense of personal satisfaction”is increasingly impossible.

We are drawn into thisdomestic tale despite a growinglack of sympathy for any of thecharacters. Marta’s isolationbecomes dangerously destructivewhen Kylan brings his fiancéehome to meet his family. Martaslips further and creates anevening in which havoc reigns.By this time, we are horrified but

hooked. What in the world iscausing this woman to sabotageher every human connection?

The young girl continues toappear to Marta and now callsher by name: Elise, not Marta.She repeatedly cries out, “Helpme.” One day when Hector isvisiting his mother, the girlshows Marta something shecannot turn away from. Hallu-cination or repressed memory?For years Hector has told hershe must never travel beyondtheir village, that only the vil-lage is safe. Packing hastily,and leaving her wedding band,Marta pulls away from thehouse just as Hector returns.Marta’s escape is critical.

The ending may disappointsome, but for this reader it con-firmed my feelings that How to bea Good Wife is as prophetic as itis ironic.

Several local churches areplanning the ninth annual Giv-ing Thanks at Thanksgivingevent. This is for anyone in needof a hot meal on ThanksgivingDay.

The meal will be served onThanksgiving Day, Thursday,Nov. 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m., at First Lutheran Church,4000 Concord Blvd., Concord.

The meal will include turkeyand all the trimmings, organizerssay, and anyone is welcome toattend. Transportation can beprovided, if necessary.

For questions about the mealcall 925-457-0676, and leave amessage, or send an email [email protected].

The organizers are also col-lecting new socks, all sizes andnew or gently usedblankets/sleeping bags, coatsand gloves for distribution afterthe meal. Donations can bedropped off at First LutheranChurch, on weekdays between9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. until theday before Thanksgiving. If youcannot drop your donation offduring these hours, call 925-457- 0676, and leave a messageto arrange a drop-off time.Monetary donations to offsetthe cost of the food may bemade out to First LutheranChurch and brought or mailedto 4000 Concord Blvd, Con-cord, CA 94519.

CABINETRY IS CRITICAL TO THE LOOK and functionality of yourroom. Do your homework to determine which finish will workbest. Carefully research storage options.

JENNIFER LEISCHER

DESIGN & DÉCOR

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

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

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

‘How to be a Good Wife’haunting, prophetic read

No such thing as too muchresearch when planning cabinets

Local churches planThanksgiving Day meal

Volunteers will spend the holiday preparing and servingThanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings.

AACCCCIIDDEENNTTSS::OOcctt.. 33,, Clayton Rd./El Camino Dr. Oct. 13, Marsh Creek Rd./Pine Ln.

AARRRREESSTTSS::OOcctt.. 33,, 5400 Clayton Rd. DumpWaste/Offensive Matter; ProbationViolation. 60-year-old transientfemale.OOcctt.. 44,, Marsh Creek Rd./Main St.Disorderly Conduct: Alcohol. 46-year-old Martinez male.OOcctt.. 44,, Main St./Oak St.Obstruct/Resist Executive Officer;Manufacture/Sale/Possess/Etc.Leaded Can/Billy/Etc.; Obstructs/Resists Public Officer/Etc. 21-year-old Concord male.OOcctt.. 55,, Main St./Center St.Disorderly Conduct: Alcohol;Battery on Spouse/Cohabitant/Etc.; Willful Cruelty to Child:Possible Injury/Death. 47-year-oldPittsburg male.OOcctt.. 1111,, 5400 Clayton Rd.Warrant. 45-year-old Concordfemale.OOcctt.. 1122,, Kirker Pass Rd./ConcordBlvd. Warrant. 28-year-oldConcord female.OOcctt.. 1144,, 5400 Clayton Rd. PossessControlled Substance; PossessUnlawful Paraphernalia. 39-year-old transient female.OOcctt.. 1155,, 5400 Clayton Rd. PossessUnlawful Paraphernalia. 39-year-old transient female.OOcctt.. 1177,, Fair Oaks Ln. Burglary:Residential; Petty Theft; PossessControlled Substance; PossessControlled SubstanceParaphernalia. 47-year-oldConcord male and 21-year-oldConcord female.OOcctt.. 1188,, Clayton Rd./MitchellCanyon Rd. Minor Driving WithBAC of .05% or More; Drive theWrong Way on a DividedHighway. 19-year-old San Pablofemale. OOcctt.. 1199,, 5400 Clayton Rd.Possession of Hash Oil; Possessionof Drug Paraphernalia; Possession

of a Club. 52-year-old Concordfemale.OOcctt.. 2222,, Clayton Rd./El CaminoDr. DUI Alcohol Over .08%; DriveWhile License Suspended for DUI;Probation Violation. 23-year-oldClayton male. OOcctt.. 2233,, 5400 Clayton Rd.Possess Marijuana 28.5 Grams orLess or w/Prior. 38-year-old tran-sient male. OOcctt.. 2255,, Center St./Morris St. DUI– Minor; Hit & Run – PropertyDamage. 19-year-old Crockettfemale. OOcctt.. 2266,, 5400 Clayton Rd. PossessControlled Substance; PossessUnlawful Paraphernalia; Underthe Influence of a ControlledSubstance; Probation Violation.60-year-old transient male. OOcctt.. 2266,, Regency Dr./El Portal Dr.Under the Influence of aControlled Substance; PossessMarijuana 28.5 Grams or Less orw/Prior; Probation Violation. 38-year-old Pittsburg male. OOcctt.. 2288,, Zinfandel Dr. Drunk:Protective Custody. 25-year-oldConcord male. OOcctt.. 2288,, Oakhurst Dr./IndianHead Wy. Under the Influence ofa Controlled Substance. 30-year-old Concord male.

BBUURRGGLLAARRIIEESS//TTHHEEFFTTSS::OOcctt.. 44,, Main St./Center St. PettyTheftOOcctt.. 77,, Easley Dr. Burglary –Vehicle. OOcctt.. 77,, Mountaire Cr. Burglary –Residential. OOcctt.. 1100,, Herriman Ct. Burglary –VehicleOOcctt.. 1111,, Windmill Canyon Dr.Petty Theft. OOcctt.. 1177,, Fair Oaks Ln. Burglary –ResidentialOOcctt.. 2244,, Molluk Wy. Grand Theft. OOcctt.. 2266,, 5400 Clayton Rd. PettyTheft.

VVAANNDDAALLIISSMMSS::OOcctt.. 2266,, N. Mitchell Canyon Rd.

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IN CLAYTONNov. 13Diablo Valley Native American Indians Presentation by Jim “Doc” Hale and Dean McLeod. Sponsored byClayton Historical Society. 7 p.m. Diamond Terrace, 6401 CenterSt., Clayton. $5. claytonhistory.org.

IN CONCORDTuesdays Farmers’ MarketTuesdays year round. Music: Nov. 11, Suzanne Holland. Nov. 18,Norman Villacorte. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, down-town Concord. cityofconcord.org.

3rd Sundays Antique FaireAntiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concor-dantiquefaire.com.

Nov. 11Veterans Day CeremonyKorean War Veterans Mt. Diablo Chapter 264 and Veterans ofForeign Wars Post 1525 will hold a ceremony to honor Veterans.Major General Dan Helix, U.S. Army, Ret. will be the announcerand local officials will attend. 11 a.m. Hillcrest Park, Olivera Road,Concord.

ON THE MOUNTAINMount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free withthe exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click onEvents Calendar for more information.

Nov. 19History HikeVisit the sites of the Mountain House Hotel and Green Ranch andhike through the burned area to view regeneration of flora andfauna. 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Meet at Sunset Picnic Area. Registrationrequired: [email protected] or [email protected].

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENTThru Nov. 9“Wunderworld”The story of 80-year-old Alice in Wonderland drawn back down therabbit hole. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. $20-$33. centerrep.org.

Thru Nov. 15“Bye Bye Birdie”A musical theatre classic; satire done with the fondest affection.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$44-$54. ccmt.org.

Thru Nov. 22“Deathtrap”A comedic thriller. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $33-$58. centerrep.org.

Nov. 7Tom DrinnonCelebrating the best of country. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602W. Second St., Antioch. $25-$27. elcampaniltheatre.com.

Nov. 8Vetjam 2014Classic rock and Texas blues. 5 p.m. California Theatre, 351Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $10. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

Nov. 10Stroke Support GroupSpeaker: Rachel Agron, speech-language pathologist. Topic: Therole of speech-language pathologist. 7 – 9 p.m. Concord Room,John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus, 2540 East St.,Concord. Free. Contact Ann Dzuna 376-6218.

Nov. 11Elizabeth StrohfusElizabeth “Betty Wall” Strohfus talks about her World War II experi-ence serving in the Women Air Force Service Pilots. 1 p.m. LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $3-$15. lesher-artscenter.org. 943-7469.

Nov. 11Popovich Comedy Pet Variety ShowGregory Popovich and his furry cast of animals rescued from shel-ters all over the country entertain. 7 p.m. California Theatre, 351Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $15-$25. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com.427-1611.

Nov. 11Veteran’s Day CommemorationPresented by the city of Walnut Creek with the Walnut CreekConcert Band performing. 11 a.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Ticket needed, but no fee. lesherartscen-ter.org. 943-7469.

Nov. 14 – 15“A Swingin’ Holiday”Season opener for Diablo Ballet. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 TiceValley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $24-$44. diabloballet.org.

Nov. 15ComedyRyan Stout, featuring Dhaya Lakshminarayanan and hosted byNicole Calasich. 8 p.m. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave.,Pittsburg. $17-$20. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

Nov. 21Without a NetPresented by Ready or Not Improv. 8:15 p.m. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $15. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Nov. 21 – 22“Uncorked: The Christmas Ballet”Presented by Smuin Ballet. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek. $73. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Nov. 21, 23“The Elves and the Shoemaker”This upbeat, whimsical romp of a fantasy also holds a gentle mes-sage about the nature of kindness. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W.Second St., Antioch. $8-$12. elcampaniltheatre.com.

Nov. 22 We are the Nation – A Salute to VeteransPresented by Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. ElCampanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $7-$15. elcam-paniltheatre.com.

Nov. 23 We are the Nation – A Salute to VeteransPresented by Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. 2 p.m. LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$30. lesher-artscenter.org. 943-7469.

Nov. 28 – 30“The Nutcracker”Performed by Contra Costa Ballet. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$35. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Nov. 30“The Cemetery Club”A comic and cathartic play about friendships, the future and newpossibilities. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St.,Antioch. $10-$15. elcampaniltheatre.com.

Dec. 2ConcertThe Walnut Creek Concert Band presents “Anna’s Gift.” Includesholiday favorites. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek. $14-$17. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Dec. 5 – 7, 12 – 14“The 12 Dates of Christmas”This heartwarming one-woman play offers a hilarious and modernalternative to the old standards of the holiday season. Delta Galleryof the Arts, 2485 Sand Creek Road, 128, Brentwood. $16-$20.thebrentwoodtheater.org.

Dec. 12 – 13Holiday SweetDiablo Women’s Chorale serves up a delicious show. Mt. DiabloUnitarian Church, 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek. $10-$20. dia-blowomenschorale.com.

CHURCHES AND RELIGIONNov. 7Fellowship and DiscussionTopic: Needs of the Age – The Evolution of the Human Society.Speaker: Dr. Vahid Fozdar, associate professor of history atCalifornia State University, East Bay. 7:30 p.m. Free. For directions,call 672-6686. Sponsored by the Baha’is of Clayton.

Nov. 8Jazz ConcertPerformed by JaZ. 7:30 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church,1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. $15. 672-4848.

Nov. 15Holiday BoutiqueCommunity outreach to share holiday crafts, jewelry, baked goodsand other handmade items. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Clayton ValleyPresbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Free admis-sion. For more information, contact Michele Miller at 672-0882.

Nov. 15 – 16Anniversary CelebrationClayton Valley Church celebrates their 50th anniversary. Breakfastat 9 a.m.; concert at 6 p.m. Saturday. Service at 10 a.m.; lunch at12:30 p.m. Sunday. Open to the public. 5430 Michigan Blvd.,Concord. Free admission. 672-3397.

Nov. 22Holiday Craft FairHandcrafted jewelry, knitted and crocheted gifts, baby blankets andsweater sets, holiday decorations, quilted items and holiday sweets.9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, Senior Activity Center,Fellowship Hall, 1965 Colfax St., Concord. For more information,call (510) 512-4032.

SCHOOLSNov. 7Common Core ForumThe Concerned Parents and Educators of the East Bay discuss thechallenges children face with Common Core Standards. Two mem-bers of the validation committee share their reasons for not signingoff on the program and a lawyer discusses legal ramifications ofopting out. 7 – 9 p.m. Main Sanctuary, Calvary Temple Church,4725 Evora Road, Concord. Register to attend attinyurl.com/ccconcordforum.

FUNDRAISERS2nd and 4th SundaysPancake BreakfastVeterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs, pan-cakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525, 2290Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfw-post1525.org.

Thru Nov. 8Online Book FairFundraiser to support school and classroom libraries at Mt. DiabloElementary School. Go to scholastic.com/bookfairs, click on Find aFair and enter 94517.

Nov. 7 – 8Plant SaleFundraiser for Diablo Valley College Horticulture Department. Fri. 2– 5 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. DVC Horticulture Greenhouses, 321Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. dvc.edu/events/garden.

Nov. 7 - 8Santa’s Smokestack BoutiqueLocal crafters selling handmade items. Benefit for The CrossingsHomeowners’ Association. Fri. 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Walnut Country Clubhouse (The Crossings), 4465 South LarwinAve., Concord. Free admission. No strollers. For more information,call Lani Pryor 672-7097.

Nov. 8Halloween Dinner DanceCostume contest and raffle. Wear your funniest or spookiest cos-tume. Proceeds benefit local charities. 6 p.m. Concord MooseFamily Center Lodge #567, 1805 Broadway St., Concord. $13.798-0887.

Nov. 8Veterans Day Run/Walk5K/10K run/walk benefiting local Veterans programs supported byContra Costa Blue Star Moms. Event sponsored by Concord PoliceAssociation. Veterans ceremony at 8:15 a.m. Race at 8:30 a.m.Hillcrest Park, Olivera Road, Concord. To enter and for more infor-mation, go to ccbluestarmoms.org.

Nov. 14 – 16Holiday Boutique and Country KitchenSilent auction, raffle, wine pull and early view of boutique Fri. 6 – 8p.m. Boutique, food items and raffle Sat. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sun. 8a.m. – 2 p.m. Presented by Classy Crafters. All proceeds benefit St.Bonaventure Food Pantry. St. Bonaventure Hall, 5562 ClaytonRoad, Concord. 672-5800.

Nov. 15“The Voyage of Mary Magdalene”Excerpts from a new chamber opera. 7 p.m. Clayton ValleyPresbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Free willoffering. Proceeds benefit production costs and Putnam Clubhouse.672-4848.

Nov. 22 – 23Boutique and Bake SaleClayton Valley Woman’s Club’s annual fundraiser. Wide assortmentof handmade articles with an emphasis on Christmas; decorationsand baked goods. Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun. 1 - 4 p.m. Proceedsbenefit the club’s local charities and scholarships. Clayton Library,6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. For more information, call 524-0641or go to claytonvalleywomansclub.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.

Nov. 8, 15, 22, 29International Picture Book MonthStories for ages preschool to 7. 11 a.m.

Nov. 10Clayton Library Book ClubSunny Solomon leads the discussion of “The Boys in the Boat” byDaniel James Brown. Open to anyone who wants to join. 7 p.m.

Nov. 12“Authentic Happiness in Seven Emails”How to choose happiness. A simple approach to joy, satisfactionand a meaningful life. Presented by professor Javy W. Galindo. 7p.m.

Nov. 17Beading with YolandaGet ready for the holidays. A program for mothers and daughters.4 – 5 p.m.

Dec. 3Winter Business SeriesMeet Fiona Fletcher Tavernier who started Lollycadoodle and grewthe company from concept to nationally respected pet leader.

Dec. 10So You Want to Write a Book?Three local California Writers Club authors discuss their writingand publishing journeys and offer tips for aspiring writers.Authors: Aline Soules, John Marvin and Judith Ingram. 6:30 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.

Nov. 8Aztec DancersDancers in beautiful, authentic costumes perform ceremonialdances. Stay after for fun craft activity. 1 p.m.

GOVERNMENT1st and 3rd TuesdaysClayton City Council7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

2nd and 4th Tuesdays, except Nov. 11Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

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

Meeting dates and times for local clubs and organiza-tions are listed at claytonpioneer.com. Click on ‘Links’

Cait HudsonRealtor CalBRE#01948905

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Whether it’s autumn orspring, beautiful container cre-ations are desirable gardenembellishments. With a littleguidance, it is easy to have suc-

cessful container combinationsthroughout the cooler months.If you choose the proper sea-sonal plants, give regular dosesof fertilizer and pay a littleattention, your containers canbe every bit as welcoming todayas they are in May.

Many garden lovers’ decora-tively plant their containers.They install plants in layerstreating their containers as anabove ground gardens. Severalof the most popular spring andsummer accessory plants show

little to no color during the win-ter months. This is the time ofthe year to add dashes of cold-season color.

When folks visit the nurserysome are amazed at the collec-tion of color that is available forthe autumn through wintermonths. They see plants likepansies and violas and thinkspring, when in fact, these color-ful annuals thrive in the cold.Plants like pansies, violas, stock,snapdragons, ornamental cab-bage and cyclamen are worth

their weights in gold during coldmonths. Sprinkle an assortmentof them throughout a gardencontainer for more appeal.

Use these types of seasonalcolor to add interest to contain-ers that already have establishedfoundation plantings. Adding acouple pansies, two or threecells of snapdragons and anornamental cabbage to sur-round an existing focal installa-tion. Mixing seasonal color is farmore successful than an entirepot of the same plant material.

Although the weather iscooler, and winter is approach-ing, it is still important to fertil-ize. Cool seasonal color needsthe same types of boosts as yourspring and summer color. Feedusing a water-soluble fertilizerevery two weeks for best results.Use fertilizer formulas with ahigher second number thanfirst. Formulas such as 2-10-10and 3-20-20 are very effective,and will help produce flourish-ing plants.

One silly mistake that folksmake with their containers isforgetting about them whenthey are placed on a coveredporch. When it rains, landscapesare watered, and you’ll think

you’re off the hook. Check onyour containers every week orso, just to make sure they don’tneed a drink. Also, overwatercan be a problem too. Make sureyou remove saucers frombeneath containers during thewinter months. Plants don’t liketo sit with wet feet.

Continue to keep your con-

tainer plants welcoming andbeautiful throughout the coldweather season. It is always niceto have a few flowers to admire.

Walnuts and other nuts areavailable at your farmers marketyear-round, but this time of yearseems to bring out the baker inall of us. Get out your bakingpans, measuring cups andspoons, spices and fruits tomake up cookies, breads, piesand cakes. With the coolerweather we all love to smellfreshly baked goodies comingout of the oven. So grab thoseaprons and stir up a batch forthe family.

You can maintain the freshtaste of California walnuts bykeeping them cold. Walnuts gorancid when exposed to warmtemperatures for long periods oftime. Heat causes the fat in wal-nuts to change structure, whichcreates “off ” odors and flavors.Fresh walnuts should smellmildly nutty and taste sweet. Ifyour walnuts smell like paintthinner, you know they’re ran-cid, so throw them away.

When you bring walnutshome from the farmers’ market,store them in your refrigerator

or freezer, depending on whenyou’re going to use them. Ifyou’re going to use the walnutsright away, place them in yourrefrigerator. If you’ll be storingthem for a month or longer,store them in your freezer.

Fresh walnuts are not just forbaking but a great addition totossed salads and yogurt, addedto cooked vegetables, and justeaten plain. They are loadedwith vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and other goodthings so add them to yourrecipes whenever you can foradditional nutrition and fiber.

Try these tasty snacks for acasual fall football party or as anelegant appetizer for a specialdinner.

ORANGE SPICED WALNUTS

2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup orange juice 1 tsp. orange extract 4 cups California walnut

halves and pieces In a medium saucepan, bring

the sugar and orange juice to aboil over medium-high heat;boil for 1 minute. Remove fromheat and stir in orange extractand walnut halves and pieces;

stir until coating sets. Spread ona baking sheet to cool. Makesfour cups.

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Container flower gardens brighten winter months

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Get nutty this time of year

I can’t remember a timewhen I wasn’t obsessed by livetheater. As a child, I would makeup my own plays and force myfamily to watch in my makeshifttheater. In high school, the the-ater nerds became my refuge.

I always knew that my pro-fession would involve theater.While I never made it “big” as aprofessional actress, I have man-aged to keep food on the tableand my obsession intact.

Adding theater reviews/sto-ries to my repertoire has allowedme to see fascinating perform-ances and meet even more fasci-nating actors. Many of these Ihope to share in this new col-umn.

I recently attended theClayton Theatre Company’s

production of “A Trip DownBroadway,” which closedOctober 18 at Endeavor Hall inClayton. The community spiritand energy emanating from thestage as well as the audiencereminded me why I love livetheater so much. Directed byRoxanne Pardi and assistantdirected/choreographed by LaTonya Watts, this show radiateda passion and joy for perform-ing that made it delightful towatch.

While the large cast had awide range of abilities, itsunbridled enthusiasm had theaudience moving in time to theeclectic mix of Broadway tuneswrapped around the loose storyof Snow White searching forher prince. Look for the group’snew season starting in April2015 with the charming comedy“Arsenic and Old Lace.” Formore information, visitwww.claytontheatrecompany.com or call 925-222-9106.

High production values andenthusiastic teens mark ContraCosta Musical Theatre’s pro-duction of “Bye Bye Birdie”at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Centerthrough Nov. 15.

This popular old chestnuttells of teen heartthrob (ConradBirdie) who has been drafted

into the Army. His manager(Albert Peterson) devises a pub-licity stunt where Conrad travelsto Sweet Apple, Ohio, to givehis biggest fan Kim “one lastkiss” before reporting for duty.Of course, the fan has aboyfriend and the manager has agirlfriend (Rose Alvarez) withher own needs.

Scenic artist Kelly Tigheincorporated the 1950s into hiscolorful design, which includes agiant 1950s-era television hover-ing over the stage in one scene.D i r e c t o r / c h o r e o g r a p h e rChristina Lazo stayed true to theyouthful tone by casting teens inthe roles and giving them athlet-ic, high-energy dance moves.

Robert Lopez (Albert),Nicole Helfer (Rose) and Scott

Phillips (Kim’s dad) really standout. Lopez makes a terrificAlbert with right-on comedictiming and a voice that so sweet-ly hits notes I didn’t know exist-ed. He and Helfer have excellentchemistry together, with Helferalso displaying her gift for com-edy not to mention a dynamitevoice and very impressive dancemoves.

If you have “tweens” athome, they’ll love this show. Call925-943-SHOW or go towww.lesherartscenter.org.

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Performing Arts

New column shines spotlight on local theater

Returning for its 24th year,the family-friendly Contra CostaBallet’s “Nutcracker” will be atthe Lesher Thanksgiving week-end only. Join Clara and herbeloved nutcracker-turned-prince on a magical journeyamong giant mice and toy sol-diers into the deliciously delight-ful Candy Kingdom. ContraCosta Ballet brings the nutcrack-er to life in this magnificent pro-duction filled with colorful cos-tumes, whimsical sets and anarray of talented, youngdancers. This one-hour per-formance is an elegant introduc-tion to the holiday classic.

For performance times andtickets, call or visit the LesherCenter Box Office (925) 943-SHOW (7469).

SALLY HOGARTY

STAGE STRUCK

Photo courtesy CCMT

NICOLE HELFER (ROSE) AND ROBERT LOPEZ (ALBERT) are a stand-outin CCMT’s ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ at the Lesher Center through Nov. 15.

Sally Hogarty is well knownaround the Bay Area as a newspapercolumnist, theatre critic and workingactress. She is also the editor of theOrinda News. Send comments [email protected]

Kid-friendly ‘Nutcracker’ coming to Lesher

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CenterREP’s ingeniouslyconstructed “Deathtrap” isplaying at the Lesher Centerthrough Nov. 22.

In the tradition of CenterREP’s “The Mousetrap” and“Sleuth,” this thriller packsgasp-inducing surprises andspontaneous laughter into twohours of nerve-wrackingadrenaline and tension-smash-ing hilarity.

Dealing with the deviousmachinations of a writer ofthrillers whose recent offeringshave been flops, and who isprepared to go to any lengthsto improve his fortunes,“Deathtrap” provides twistsand turns and sudden shocks

in such abundance that audi-ences will be held spellbounduntil the very last moment.

Center REPertoryCompany, the resident profes-sional theater company of theLesher Center for the Arts(LCA), will be celebrating its48th Subscription Season oftheatrical productions during2014/2015.

For performance times and andtickets, go to CenterREP.org or call925-943-SHOW (7469), or visitthe Lesher Center Ticket Office at1601 Civic Drive or the TicketOffice outlets at Barnes & Noblein Walnut Creek and theDowntown Walnut Creek Library.

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BAY AREA FAVORITES LYNDA DIVITO, Charles Shaw Robinson andCraig Marker star in CenterREP’s ‘Deathtrap’ now at theLesher Center through Nov. 22.

The Clayton ValleyPresbyterian Church willpresent excerpts from thenew chamber opera, “TheVoyage of MaryMagdalene,” by NancyBachmann at 7 p.m. onSaturday, Nov. 15.

Bachmann is a retiredprofessor of music at LosMedanos College. SoloistsJulia Nielsen, Lisa van derPloeg, and Bradley Kynardwill be joined by theClayton ValleyPresbyterian Choir andthe Villa SinfoniaChamber Musicians forthe performance.

Donations will be col-lected in support of a full

concert performance onMarch 21, 2015. In addi-tion, a portion of thedonation will be con-tributed to the PutnamClubhouse to help in theirwork serving adults recov-ering from serious mentalillness.

Clayton ValleyPresbyterian Church has along history of presentingexcellent music for theClayton community toenjoy. The church is locat-ed at 1578 Kirker PassRoad. For more informa-tion, call 925.672.4848or email [email protected].

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POLYNESIA'S HIDDEN TREASURESWhether you are admiringmankind's achievements ornature's bounty, you will enjoycarefree days and serenenights as you visit theenchanting islands strungbetween sun-kissed Tahitiand sophisticated Sydney.

On a delightful journeythrough the South Pacific'scultural pearls, you will driftlanguidly through the crys-talline waters of Bora Bora'sidyllic lagoon, meet theancient islanders of PagoPago and discover the sandywhite beaches and colorfulcoral reefs of Fiji. A fascinat-ing history takes center stageon tiny Norfolk Island, once apenal colony and later set-tled by descendants of thenotorious Bounty mutineers.

Modern marvels may bemost impressive in Sydney,from the famed SydneyOpera House to the SydneyHarbour Bridge.

Judging Party is Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m. in the Clayton Library Community Room.Be there for live music and caroling led by Vintage, games and crafts for the little ones and

photos with Santa. Recipes and photos of winners will appear on Facebook.

Clayton Pioneer’s

2014 CHRISTMAS COOKIE CONTEST

ENTRY FORM

Please fill out a separate form for each entry.

Name (Please print)

Address (Must reside in the Pioneer Distribution area 94517)

Phone Number

Email address

Name of

Recipe

� Master Baker (16+)

� Junior Baker (Ages 6-15)

Your age____

Parent's Signature (for Junior Bakers)

Contestant agrees to being photographed at thecompetition. Recipes used from published books mustidentify source.

Signature

Mail your entry to: the Clayton Pioneer, PO Box 1246,

Clayton, CA 94517; or drop off at our office at 6200 H

Center Street, Clayton. If the office is closed, slip it

through the mail slot.

Deadline to enter is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 9

Deadline for entry is Dec. 9

This year will be oureleventh annual

Christmas CookieContest & your chance to

stir, bake and taste up astorm of those sweetsthat bust the diet and

send us over the moon.

So, dust off the cookbooks and dig out Uncle Bud’s sugar

cookie recipe, bake a few prac-tice rounds & enter our contest.

NOV 07 Clayton Pioneer 2014

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