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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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DRYCLEAN-U.S.A.
Affordability continues to stress buyers
5435-M Clayton Road In the Clayton Station Next to Walgreens (925) 672-5653
All work done on site. Pick up & delivery available. Open Mon. to Fri. 7 to 7, Sat., 9 to 5
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Serving Contra Costa since 1991 More than 35 years experience
Residential
“ Let Us Light All Work Done by Owner Bonded & Insured Up Your Life” Lic.#C10-631523 Commercial Industrial
James Burkin Sole Proprietor
www.BurkinElectric.net
Installations – Repairs
July 11, 2014
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS
Q. You have expressed that you don’t think we are heading for another bubble in real estate. In fact you said you are expecting prices to soften soon. What is a hurdle to continued appreciation on home prices? A.The biggest hurdle is affordability. Many buyers are either getting into homes that they can’t afford, if they can get qualified, or dropping out of the buying market. They are making sacrifices to cover mortgages or rent. For some it is not a bad thing
that qualifying standards seem to be overly tight. This is not creating the demand we would need for continued appreciation. When the government stops holding interest rates down artificially they will go up. Less people will be able to qualify. Prices might have to edge down a bit or even more people will not be able to qualify for a mortgage or even to rent a home. Wages are not going up much and home prices have risen 20 percent in the last two years. On a median priced home, the mortgage is over 30 percent of
Nomination period for Clayton, Concord elections opens July 14 Clayton and Concord will both have city council seats up for grabs this November. In Concord, voters will also be electing a city treasurer. All elected office terms for council and treasurer in both cities are four years. Candidates must be registered voters at their current residence in Clayton for the Clayton council, or Concord for the Concord council and treasurer, citizens of the United States, 18 years of age
or older and not disqualified from holding office by the constitution or laws of the State of California. The period for filing nomination papers is from July 14 to Aug. 8, 2014. If one of the incumbents does not file nomination papers before 5 p.m. on Aug. 8, the nomination period will be extended to Aug. 13, but only for non-incumbents. Candidates for the Clayton council seats can pick up nomination packets at City Hall, 6000
Heritage Trail, Clayton. For more information, call the city clerk, Janet Brown, at (925) 673-7300. Those seeking to run for the Concord city council or city treasurer will need to make an appointment with the Concord city clerk to obtain nomination papers beginning July 14. To make an appointment, call Mary Rae Lehman at (925) 671-3495 or visit the city of Concord website at www.cityofconcord.org.
Toilets Faucets Water heaters Garbage disposals Clogged drains
Belfast Plumbing
Hot cars, pets don’t mix
Credit Cards accepted: Visa, MasterCard, Discover
(925) 457-5423
www.belfastplumbing.com License. 906211
UTOPIC GARDENS
Beautiful & Inviting
925-524-0055 CREATIVE DESIGN & INSTALLATION
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Fully Insured
Clayton Resident
CHRIS THORSEN
BEHIND
THE
BADGE
Routinely during the summer months we receive calls regarding animals left in cars unattended. In nearly every case, we find the driver left the pet only for a few minutes while they ran a quick errand. Though I fully understand that most pet owners would never intentionally injure their animal, many don’t realize just how quickly the vehicles interior can heat up to lethal heights. Even in relatively mild weather, the interior of your vehicle can reach extremely high temperatures in a very short time. On a day when the
sun is out and the ambient temperature is only 85 degrees, the temperature inside your car can increase as much as 20 degrees in only 10 minutes. Worse yet, in an hour the interior of your car can reach 140 degrees. To combat the rising temperature, people often leave the car running with the air conditioner on. This practice is fraught with potential problems. A vehicle left running, even with the doors locked, is an invitation to have your car stolen. Even more frightening, the vehicles air conditioner may fail, leaving your pet in a car that is heating up. California Penal Code section 597.7 addresses the act of leaving a pet in the car. There are several factors which must be considered when determining if there is a violation (temperature, ventilation, access to food/water). Being a dog owner (Chloe the wonder dog, a golden retriever), I could not imagine the pain I would feel if I harmed our dog by leaving her
in the car. Most pet owners feel the same, as our pets truly do become part of the family. When I talk to folks who leave their pet in the car, they simply don’t realize how quickly the car can heat up. I understand the desire to take your pet with you as you travel. However, on some days, both you and the dog will be better off if you leave them home.
their income for a growing percentage of home owners, especially in the Bay Area. In San Francisco County it can be as high as 70 percent. These statistics are from a “How Housing Matters” survey. I also don’t think we will have a huge dip in home prices because we have very low inventory and I don’t see that changing much very quickly. I am hoping for an eventual balanced market with normal appreciation. Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-878 7or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
National Night Out fights crime Clayton residents are invited to participate in the 31st annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5. National Night Out is an annual event designed to strengthen communities by encouraging neighborhoods to build stronger relationships with each other and with their local law enforcement partners. The goal is to heighten crime-prevention awareness, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs and, most importantly, send a message that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back against crime. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbors even better. The Clayton Police Department participates in these events. Last year members of the city’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) provided Hands-only CPR training. If you would like to organize/coordinate an activity in your neighborhood please contact Herb Yonge at 925-6726173, email hlyonge@att.net or call Clayton Police at 925-673-7350.
Captain Grammar Pants The word SCRIBE (Latin, “write”) serves as an elegant foundation for various prefixes, including DESCRIBE (“write down”), PRESCRIBE (“write before”), PROSCRIBE (“write in front of ”), SUBSCRIBE (“write under”), ASCRIBE (“write to”), and CONSCRIBE (“write together”). Note the subtle differences between prescribe (recommend) and proscribe (forbid). To ascribe is to attribute, while to conscribe is to make part of a list. As a scribe, I prescribe clarity to my subscribers while proscribing the overuse of “literally.” I ascribe my interest in words to the great writers, who conscribed me among the ranks of literature enthusiasts. Sean Williams is a professor of ethnomusicology at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. She is currently working on a Captain Grammar Pants book. Follow her regular postings on Facebook.