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IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
September 26, 2008
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Clayton PD joins thousands in honoring slain cop ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
September 11, a date that no American can forget, was remembered this year by the added tragedy of Martinez police Sgt. Paul Starzyck, the victim of a domestic disturbance shooting. His funeral service at the Sleep Train Pavilion on that day was attended by thousands of law enforcement representatives from all over the state. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attended, as did many officials and police representatives from as far as Redding. They joined together to pay respects and show an unmistakable display of solidarity for the fellowship of officers.
Crowned by two fire trucks, ladders extended and the American flag hanging proud, the first of many thousands of vehicles began to arrive. As the procession reached the junction of Kirker Pass and Clayton roads, a local fire truck blocked traffic as firefighters and police officers from Concord and Clayton offered a salute while the hearse drove past. Complete with a mounted horse patrol, unloading behind the Safeway parking lot, and with a helicopter tribute flying the missing man formation, the ceremony served as a stark reminder that a tragedy of this magnitude could strike any officer serving. Although for many, this was a hero’s death.
“When you sacrifice your life in the service of duty, it is the noblest of ways to die,” said Clayton Officer Allen White. He attended the service with fellow Officer Richard McEachin. They were on duty and parked across from the Pavilion, awaiting the procession so that they could pay their final respects to Sgt. Starzyck . “The thing to remember,” White said, “is that this could have happened here in Clayton as easily.” And for many that is the message that Starzyck’s death brings to them. The service of helping others, that which drew them to law enforcement in the
See Funeral, page 10
photos by André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer
Above Left: ON-DUTY CLAYTON OFFICERS RICHARD MCEACHIN AND ALLEN WHITE reflect on the sacrifice made by Sgt. Starzyck as they observe the procession of law enforcement entering the Pavilion for the funeral. Above right: In an act of solidarity, law enforcement from all over the state turned out to honor their colleague and hero.
Award-winning chickens and eggs make for solid learning ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
GREGG MANNING
MAYOR’S CORNER
Get all the facts before you vote Here we are at the end of September. The publication date of this issue is my favorite day of all the days in September. It is my birthday. I think everyone should have their birthday as a holiday. When I was in the workforce, we had floating holidays and I always picked this day as a day off. As of today, Sept. 26, there are 39 days to the first Tuesday in November – Election Day. This year’s election will be a historical event on the national scene, but it will also be important locally for our City Council election. In the last issue, we all had our first look at the slate of
See Mayor page 17
Clayton resident Sam Albertsen, 11, raises award-winning chickens with prize eggs and has learned what the business is all about. He chose this on his own. “I always liked chickens,” Sam said. “I liked that it produced something that you could actually eat – it is fascinating.” At first glance, Sam seems no different than any other student at his middle school. It is when you start discussing the learning process he went through in order to enter the county and state fairs that his dedication to his feathered friends becomes apparent. “He started right before his
10th birthday,” said his mom, Karen. “We are lucky to live in a place that allows livestock, so it was not a problem.” WHAT CAME FIRST? THE CHICKS To start, Sam joined the Clayton 4-H Club. They required owning chickens for six months before being able to enter the fairs. “My neighbor had a chicken coup that he gave to me,” Sam noted, “and we went to Rodies Country Store and I got five chicks.” The baby chickens were all hens, although they did not know this at first. “You know once they start laying eggs,” Sam said. “That is about six months later.”
What he did know was that he had three varieties of chicks: Americana, a creamy yellow hen that lays bluish-green eggs; Rhode Island Red, a deep redbrown hen that lays brown eggs; and Araconas, a tan hen that lays olive-green eggs. Like any young boy, Sam named them all. Since the chicks, called pullets until they are a year old, were too young to be entered into competition, Sam elected to enter them under the showmanship category at the Contra Costa County Fair in Antioch when the pullets were 2½ months old. “They check them out,” Sam explained, “to make sure they are healthy, have good feathers.”
See Eggs, page 11
André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer
SAM ALBERTSEN proudly shows off the county fair ribbons and awards he has received for his prized chickens and eggs.
City approves five-year repavement plan TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Following this summer’s arterial street repairs, the City Council has approved a five-year repavement plan for the rest of
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Clayton’s streets to begin in fiscal year 2009. The repairs are scheduled according to each street’s current condition which is indicated by a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score. The index is a num-
Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . .18 CVHS Student Reporter . . . . . . .16 Deal With It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . .5
ber between 0 and 100 with 100 being the best score. According to Rick Angrisani, the city engineer, the rating is determined by, first, a visual inspection of the streets. The streets are then grouped accord-
Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . .20 For the Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . .6
Correction
ing to the type and severity of the pavement cracks. This data is then fed into a computer program that comes up with a rating for each street. A rating of 100 is
See Pavement, page 10
Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The headline in the Sept. 12 issue incorrectly read “Candidates vie for eight council seats.” The headline should have read “Eight candidates vie for three council seats.” We apologize for the error.
Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Tea for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .6