PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
July 25, 2008
925.672.0500
City gets new wall, street repairs TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
A new 590-foot retaining wall is currently under construction along Marsh Creek Road across from Stranahan. A new stone-faced wall like the ones in the Vintage subdivision further up Marsh Creek Rd. will replace the decrepit, crumbling wood wall that has become an eyesore. Last week, crews tore out the old structure and dug out the hill a bit to make room for the new wall. The digging was a bit tricky, reports city engineer Rick Angrisani. A Huge Transpacific Communications pipeline filled with hundreds of pairs of wires runs along the base of the hill under the sidewalk. Cost of the project is $165,000.
GREGG MANNING
MAYOR’S CORNER
Could you be the next member of the Clayton City Council? As I am writing this it is 7 a.m., on July 14, Bastille Day. While Bastille Day is a national holiday in France, where it commemorates the French revolution and the beginning of the modern French nation, in Clayton it is the first day you can register to be a candidate in the November election for Clayton City Council. This is not revolutionary, but it could constitute a sea change in Clayton politics and at the very least a generational change in the council majority. At the present moment, a majority of the councilmembers are at an age when they have a concern for grandchildren. All three of these councilmembers have a great number of years of service on the council. In fact, each of the three has more service on the council then the other two combined. One of the three, Bill Walcutt, has decided not to seek re-election. This means that
See Mayor page 6
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
A BACKHOE OPERATOR digs out the hill along Marsh Creek Rd. in preparation for a new stone-faced retaining wall. The wall is one of this summer’s projects that include the re-paving of Clayton’s arterial streets.
PAVING PROJECT BEGINS The city’s paving project begins this week with major repairs to the arterial streets. The $1.1 million project will cover new surfacing to Clayton Rd., Marsh Creek Rd., Oakhurst Blvd., Mitchell Canyon Rd. and Pine Hollow Rd. In order to improve the entry into the Town Center commercial area, crews will also repave the ramp between Clayton Road and Main St. Much of the work will be done at night to minimize the impact on traffic. As an added benefit, the walking trail that runs from Marsh Creek Rd. behind the Village Oaks building to Grenache gets a new surface. The old pavement was removed last week and replaced with a new 6-foot path.
Clayton PD promotes Tim Marchut to sergeant ment for almost 14 years—first as a Police Explorer, then a Reserve Officer, a Contract Officer, a full time uniClayton police officer Tim Marchut formed police officer and now, as a sernow sports a new uniform to go with his geant. The promotion to sergeant came promotion to sergeant. On July 14, as a complete surprise, Marchut says. Sergeant Marchut will added a superviThe interview process for promosory role to his job description. tions is conducted by a panel of high Marchut has been with the depart- ranking officers from other law enforcement agencies from around the area. Marchut was up against four outside candidates and one other from the department. “I put on the suit and sat in a room with all these high commanders from other agencies — people I didn’t know — and answered their questions,” Marchut laughs. He really had no idea how he’d stack up against the others. “The whole thing was really top secret,” he said. Chief Dan Lawrence is pleased with the outcome. “I am convinced that Tim will be an outstanding supervisor.” Marchut is looking forward to the new challenge. “I’ve received nothing but support from my family and friends and I’m very excited to begin my new position at Clayton PD.” The sergeant’s position opened up with the retirement this year of veteran officer, Tim O’Hara. O’Hara suffered a shoulder injury when he was rear-ended on the job on Memorial Day, 2007. He took disability retirement in June. Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer Marchut was raised in Clayton and CLAYTON PD’S NEWEST SERGEANT is attended CVHS. He is the son of Tim Marchut, who began his career Roberta Marchut of Clayton. with the department 14 years ago. ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
Candidates announce intention to run in Nov. TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Three seats on the city council will be up for grabs this fall when the seats currently held by Julie Pierce, Gregg Manning and Bill Walcutt come up for election. Of the three, only Julie Pierce has officially announced her intention to run. Bill Walcutt will retire after this term and Gregg Manning is still undecided. Two others so far have signaled their intentions to enter the race. Joe Medrano and Howard Geller, both members of CBCA picked up their candidate’s papers at city hall last week. Both men are active in the community, co-chairing the Art and Wine Festival and serving in various capacities in the CBCA.
See Election page 4
What’s Inside All About You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
THE
NEW RETAINING WALL
will be faced with stone like this wall at Bridlewood.
Rattlesnake bite puts Dana Ridge 9-year-old in hospital TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
On the evening of June 17, 9-yearold Talia Bullock was doing what hundreds of Clayton kids do on hot summer evenings – playing outside her Mt. Dell Drive home with a friend. But unlike the hundreds of kids who went home to bed that night, Talia spent the night in the hospital. Barefoot, the little girl had taken a rattlesnake bite in her big toe. “We were playing in the grass and I saw something,” recalls the quiet child. “I thought it was a leaf.” But a leaf doesn’t bite. A rattlesnake does. “We had talked about snakes, and our neighbor showed her a dead one,” said her mother, Nancy Bullock. “She just didn’t see this one in the dark.” Bullock is a nurse at John Muir
See Bite, page 15 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . .16 Concert Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 CVHS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Deal With It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .5 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 For the Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Photo by Chett Bullock
Talia Bullock is treated at John Muir Hospital after rattlesnake bite
Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Sharing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 So Anyway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18