IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
November 7, 2014
925.672.0500
Clayton PD finally at full staff PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
HANK STRATFORD
MAYOR’S CORNER
City is ‘hawkish’ about finances The City of Clayton recently received an “unmodified audit opinion” on its 2013/2014 financial statements. In other words, after examining our financial records and our operating procedures, our external auditors determined that our financial statements accurately reflect the financial status and condition of the city. We ended the fiscal year on June 30, 2014, a little better off than we had budgeted. Our 2013/2014 budget included the carryover of some surplus funds from previous years. A portion of these surplus funds was used to replenish our
See Mayor, page 5
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
HEAVY TURNOVER TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE CLAYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR. But, after operating severely short-handed for months, the department is now fully staffed with three new officers and an internal promotion to sergeant. From left: Officers John Fraga and Garrett Wayne, Sergeant Jason Shaw and Officer Lee Borman.
With the addition of three new officers, the Clayton Police Department is now fully staffed, said CPD Chief Chris Thorsen. Lee Borman, John Fraga and Garrett Wayne joined the force within the past six months. In addition, longtime Officer Jason Shaw was promoted to sergeant, Thorsen said. Including Thorsen, the staff of officers protecting Clayton now numbers 11. “The new guys are working out fantastic,” Thorsen said. “They bring a positive attitude to work and a desire to learn, grow and continue developing as police officers. And even though all three are finished with their training process, they say, ‘every day is a training day.’” Officer Borman was hired April 21 and completed training July 12. He attended the police academy at South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Center in San Jose and graduated in November 2011. He previously worked in the private sector as an Asset Protection Specialist.
See Clayton PD,, page 5
Expelled by Idi Amin in 1972, Patel recalls fleeing brutal rule PATRICIA ROMERO Clayton Pioneer
URMILA PATEL NARRATES THE STORY OF HER FAMILY’S EXPULSION from Uganda from her own point of view as a 13-year-old.
Urmila Patel emits the kind of equilibrium that many people spend a lifetime seeking. Patel has just published her first novel, a non-fiction account of her family’s escape from Uganda in 1972. “Out of Uganda in 90 Days: Her Journey from Kampala to India” is a powerful narrative. Yet meeting Patel in person, one would never guess this saga was part of her past. The surprise comes partly because Patel, of
Asian Indian descent, is not someone most of us would expect to find living in Uganda. The other, and more revelatory piece, is Patel’s complete lack of rancor surrounding her experience with one of history’s most nefarious dictatorships. Her honed ability to remain strong amid great flux and her certainty in seeking truth for a higher cause suggest she may be uniquely suited to her new purpose, facilitating healing in others. Patel, the owner of Postal Annex in the Clayton Station Shopping Center, is an elegant and serene woman with an easi-
Readers Forum
Neighbors oppose high-density development There are significant issues with the proposed Silver Oaks Estates development project adjacent to the Lydia Lane Park and Mt. Diablo Creek. Many Clayton residents are participating in the review, and the primary conclusion of the review to date is that there are many significant issues with the documentation presented. In a nutshell, the developer has proposed building a very high-density development
surrounded by medium to low density housing, most of which has been in place more than 30 years. The proposed development is totally out of character with the surrounding neighborhood and there are significant environmental impacts that do not appear to be adequately addressed and mitigated as proposed by the IS/MND (Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration). Some of the significant
issues inadequately or improperly addressed include the traffic study, 3 story (!) townhouses, aesthetics, character of the neighborhood, the trail system that passes along the property, traffic over an 80 year old bridge passing through the Lydia Lane Park parking lot (close to children’s play structures), noise and air pollution, ground stability/geology issues, creek hydrology, and endangered species.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Community Calendar . . . . .16 Cookie Contest Entry Form 20 Design & Décor . . . . . . . . . .15
The IS/MND is available for review on the City of Clayton website at http://ci.clayton.ca.us/?pag e_id=1444 Public comments will be accepted only until November 20. There are other small “infill” areas in Clayton, in which similar developments may be proposed and we must ensure that they are also developed responsibly. We need to act to help maintain the character of this special place we call home. Read the document. Submit your comments. Now. - Dennis Romano Meredith Yalenty
Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5 Food for Thought . . . . . . . .15 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .18
ly accessible sense of humor that pleasingly balances her knowledge and seriousness. The mother of two grown children, she is a businesswoman, a notary public, and now a published author. While these accomplishments would be enough to satisfy most, Patel has recently added to her achievements receiving certifications in NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) and Reiki. For Patel, publishing her story is not an epilogue, but a first step in opening herself up to a more purposeful life. Her book, dedicated to “all those who are still haunted by painful memories from Uganda’s upheavals under Idi Amin,” may be her best tool yet to connect with those who would most benefit from her healing and wisdom.
PARADISE LOST Patel’s book takes its title from a decree issued by General Idi Amin on Aug. 4, 1972, ordering the expulsion of ethnic Asians from Uganda within 90 days. The Asian Indian community in Uganda, originally brought there under British colonial rule over a century before, had become the backbone of the country’s economy. Not long after Amin’s military coup in January 1971, Asians in Uganda found themselves dwelling in a heavily Indophobic climate where they were accused of milking the economy of its wealth. Amin’s hostilities toward ethnic minorities grew to include the expropriation of property and funds, as well as ethnic cleansing.
See Uganda, page 7
Extra! Extra! There will be a special, extra holiday edition of the Clayton Pioneer on Nov. 28 to cover all the holiday happenings. Look for a special section on community needs, fundraisers and volunteer opportunities. Please email items to tamara@claytonpioneer.com before Nov. 17. The issue will be in mailboxes on Nov. 27 and 28. Deadline for news items and advertising is Nov. 17.
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
Postal Customer ECRWSS PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190