APR 10 Clayton Pioneer 2009.pdf

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www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

IT’S YOUR PAPER 925.672.0500

Club offers girls more than just a ride ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer

JULIE PIERCE

MAYOR’S CORNER Keep Clayton in mind for your summer plans The spring weather is getting us all in the mood to start planning summer vacations and family activities. Whether you plan a stay-at-home vacation or will be traveling, I have some suggestions for you.

CONCERTS IN THE GROVE If you want to entertain friends this summer, invite them to a concert in The Grove. Pick up a great meal from one of our downtown restaurants and relax on the lawn while listening to music and watching the sunset on Mt Diablo. Ten concerts will be held on alternate Saturdays, May 16-Sept. 19, except holiday weekends.

Thanks to our concert promoter, Councilman Howard Geller, many of your favorites from last year will be back and we have some new groups, too.

The full schedule is on the city’s Website at www.ci.clayton.ca.us.

Our downtown restaurants are already planning for yummy pre- and post-concert specials and will have new take-out menus, so look for the concert schedule and advertising insert in the May 8 Clayton Pioneer.

VOLUNTEERS IN POLICE SERVICES Before you leave Clayton for that family vacation, be sure to call the Clayton Police Department (673-7350) and request a vacation house check.

See Mayor, page 16

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

GIOVANNI FACCHINI, ERYN HANSON AND KATELYN GRUBICH, members of the Clayton Canyon Pony Club, demonstrate control over their horses by walking and trotting in formation in preparation for the jumps.

Upon first hearing the name Pony Club, one is left with images of little girls playing with decorative toy horses, some with pink tails. In truth, the Clayton Canyon Pony Club, like all pony clubs throughout the country, offer young men and women the chance to complete a rigorous set of equestrian instruction, and gain a score that is recognized at many college campuses throughout the country as a mark of honor.

The Clayton Pony Club while open to both boys and girls, sports an all girl membership, comprised of girls throughout the county. In addition to Clayton and Concord girls, there are some who come from Brentwood and Oakley. It is a tight knit group that takes pride in the challenges that they face, as well as delighting in the fun.

“It feels like you are flying through the air with so much

See Pony Club, page 9

While Clayton sleeps, patrols keep city safe Cpl. Enea watches for drunk drivers but also aware of community spirit ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer

At any given time, a resident of Clayton could look out their house window and catch the familiar glint of a patrol car making a sweep through the neighborhood.

Usually, these patrols are uneventful. However, without warning, an alert might flash across the in-car consoles and the officer within immediately

guns up the car and launches off to assist another officer who has encountered something out of the ordinary.

Recently promoted after five years as a uniformed officer with the Clayton Police Department, Cpl. Rich Enea likes night patrol.

His shift, 6 p.m.-6 a.m., might overwhelm some people; it is not easy to be alone in a car, always on the alert, for 12 hours. Enea knows it well. And he loves it.

This is his town, a place he holds

dear, filled with family memories and a rich history that he wants to protect.

ALWAYS ON THE RADAR Riding along with Enea for half of his shift, I was struck by the sincerity and intensity of this young man. As I stared out into the blackness of the night, he was attentive – cycling through the information on one of the computer screens, verifying the locations of the other officers on patrol, punching in the license plates of vehicles that

See Enea , page 18

Decorated eggs a symbol of springtime LINDA WYNER Special to the Pioneer

DYEING EGGS WITH NATURAL DYES give eggs a more subtle coloring than chemical dyes. Colors come from the materials of everyday life; red and yellow onion skins, beets, turmeric, red cabbage, and coffee to name a few.

What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Whether they’re dyed, painted, adorned or embellished, decorated eggs have been around for thousands of years in many cultures around the world.

Before its association with Easter (not to mention the Easter bunny), the egg was a symbol of many springtime celebrations that have endured to this day. Three thousand years ago, Persian families marked the spring equinox, or Nawrooz, with red-colored eggs. This cultural tradition is believed to have been the impetus for the Christian practice widely associated with Easter, introduced as European soldiers returned from the Crusades in the Middle East.

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . .19 Deal With It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .5 Fashion File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

With its smooth oval canvas, the egg lends itself to almost limitless artistic expression. It can be etched, carved, colored or covered with paper, clay, flowers, leaves, fabric and ribbon.

Decorating eggs became a custom in England during the Middle Ages. In 1290, King Edward I spent a royal sum to color and adorn eggs with gold leaf to be offered as presents to visitors arriving at Easter.

In the Slavic folk traditions of Russia, Romania, Ukraine and Poland, a batik (wax resist) process is used to create intricate, brilliantly colored eggs. The Ukranian practice of pysanka is the most well-known.

The most famous decorated eggs were the creative genius of Peter Carl Fabergé, who was

See Eggs, page 21

Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Home and Garden Guide . . . . . . .10 Needs and Deeds . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

POLICE EXPLORER MATT MCLAUGHLIN looks on during a routine traffic stop as Officers Rich Enea and Alan Pike check the vehicle registration

Enter the Pioneer Mother’s Day essay contest and

Make your mom

“Queen for a Day” Here is your chance to tell the world why your mom is “simply the best.” Write an essay telling us why your mom should be crowned the Clayton Pioneer’s “Queen for a Day,” and win a day of pampering in Pioneer Territory for the “queen of your heart.”

If yours is the winning essay, your mom will receive a very special gift basket full of products, services and entertainment surprises -- everything she needs to feel pampered, pretty and appreciated.

The Pioneer will publish the winning essay along with a photo of you and your mom in the May 8 issue.

To be eligible, you must be a resident of our circulation area between the ages of 6 and 18. (If you are receiving the Pioneer in your mailbox, you are in our circulation area.)

Your essay should be typewritten and at least 200 words and no longer than 350 words. If you don’t have access to a typewriter or computer, please print it clearly. Please make sure your name, address, age and phone number are on your essay.

Mail or e-mail your essay to The Clayton Pioneer, PO Box 1246, Clayton, 94517; essay@claytonpioneer.com, or drop off at the Pioneer office at 6200 H Center St., Clayton. Deadline for entries is 5 p.m., April 27.

On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

Around Town Wii revs up seniors at Diamond Terrace

Thirty years with Brown might not be enough for local driver It all started for Clay Hertz when he was a receiving clerk at a drugstore and he met the UPS driver. “I’m twenty years old at this time,” Hertz said. He joined. “Going to a big company, better benefits and stability.

At twenty I didn’t know what I had but I stuck with it. At thirtyfive I realized what I had.”

What he had were the connections he was making with customers’ lives, watching as their children grew up. “Three years in I got this (Clayton) route,” he said. “The rest is history. This is an unbelievable route.”

Brown was a good company to work for. They were very responsive to their employees needs, Hertz reported.

He moved to Clayton in 1999 and has two children, 16 and 13 who attend local schools.

“I’ve been involved in the afterschool sports, although with some longer hours I got home later. This job definitely keeps

you in shape.”

Hertz has delighted in the changes within the community, the development downtown and the preservation of the old style of life, slower and saner than the rest of the world. Likewise, he has seen local sadness, the passings of customers turned friends, the recent tragedy at the post office. From his experiences he has learned to “put your children first,” he said.

“Live every day fully.”

After thirty years, Hertz retired in March. “I’m going to spend time – I have a home that needs work. I want to travel.”

After thirty years of a regular route, a routine visiting his regular customers, some of whom became good friends, Hertz has a plan to avoid any withdrawal symptoms he may have.

“I will ride my route in my personal vehicle just to stay in touch with them all,” he said. “I don’t want to lose that.”

- André Gensburger

WII GETS PLAYERS OFF THE COUCH AND UP ON THEIR FEET. Pictured are Diamond Terrace residents Ginny Below and Judy Van Sickle playing with the donated by the CBCA.

The residents at Diamond Terrace are having more fun than ever. The Clayton Business and Community Association gave the retirement community a Wii for Christmas and since then, the sprightly seniors have been improving their sports scores under the expert tutelage of 10-year-old Taylor Wong, daughter of marketing director, Suzette Wong.

In the beginning, the idea of a “kids’ game” met with some skepticism. But, as one savvy grandparent after another embraced the game, the sign-up sheets grew and there is now a

JUS

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The first grandchild has entered the lives of Ed and Denise Sauve.

Clayton Sauve Stewart was born at home in San Rafael to Kim and Chris weighing in at 9 lbs. 20.5 in. long. The grandparents can’t wait to take him on their daily hikes on the mountain.

Kristina Schoell, 13, and Jeffrey Holmes, 17, make their debut performances with CCMT in “Evita,” playing through April 26. For show times and ticket information, go to call (925) 943-SHOW.

What’s happening Around Town?

Send your news and photos of your births, engagements weddings, special recognitions, etc. to info@claytonpioneer.com.

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New grandson for Sauves

“EVITA” CAST INCLUDES CLAYTON TEENS

weekly bowling league.

“I never bowled in my life, but look at me now!” says Judy Van Sickle. “I thought this would be hard, but it’s really fun,” chimes in Ginny Below.

“The Wii experience here at Diamond Terrace has been remarkable in that it has brought out even residents who typically refuse to participate in any of the other activities offered,” reports Wong. “One resident, in particular, after losing his wife, had not had any social contact beyond some conversation at meals” and is now an avid Wii player.

ST T LI

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Clay Hertz, a familiar figure in “Brown,” retires after 30 years on Clayton route

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Updated home w/country kitchen incl. granite, Décor appliances & island. Formal dining & family room w/stone fireplace. www.5597MorningsideDrive.com

Clayton $574,980 Dana Hills – 4BD+/2BA includes a huge permitted bonus room/game room addition with wet bar & fireplace. Approx. 2,442 s.f. flowing floor plan has living room w/fireplace & step up dining. The kitchen flows into a family area w/slider to back. Master suite w/ door to patio. www.369MtWashingtonWay.com

Clayton $499,980 Dana Hills – Single-story 4BD/2BA includes an updated kitchen w/stainless steel appliances and ample counter & cabinet space. Spacious family & living room w/fireplace. Dual pane windows. Private back yard w/covered deck, mature trees, plants & partial Diablo views! www.141MountaireParkway.com

Clayton $299,000 Marsh Creek Villas – Well-maintained 2BD/2BA patio home w/a spacious 2-car garage! Features a dining room, master suite w/walk-in closet, living room w/fireplace & wet bar and a very accessible bright, sunny kitchen. Located on cul-de-sac w/lovely views of surrounding hilltops. www.9DonnerCreekCourt.com

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Lynne offers free Professional Staging on her listings Clayton Resident & Broker Owner

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 3

Around Town Marlina Flannery and Eric Mansfield to marry

FRE ESTIM E ATES

Hoyers have their day

Marlina Flannery and Eric Mansfield were honored with an engagement party Sat., March 7 at the home of Marlina’s parents, Marlin and Patty Flannery of Clayton. Attending the party were immediate family and the wedding party. The couple became engaged on Nov. 8, 2008 and are planning an evening wedding at Wooden Valley Winery in Suisun Valley on July 18.

By proclamation of the mayor, March 18, 2009 was declared “Hoyer Day” in honor of the couple known by most in town as “Mr. and Mrs. Clayton.”

The Hoyers were honored at a reception in the library meeting room, newly named Hoyer Hall. The Hoyers’ three children, all raised in Clayton, joined city officials and friends for cake and coffee at the small, informal dedication on the 45th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.

Bob and Eldora Hoyer led a small band of Claytonians in the incorporation effort in 1964. Bob Hoyer was the first mayor of Clayton and Eldora is a founder of both the BOB HOYER, JR., (RIGHT) was on hand for the Clayton Woman’s Club dedication of Hoyer Hall in honor of his and the Clayton father, Bob, Sr. on March 18.

Historical Society.

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Jr. Achievement Day at MDES focuses on Financial Literacy When the school bell rang on March 23 at Mt. Diablo Elementary, students were joined in the classroom by city officials and members of the business community. It was Student Achievement Day and the subject was financial literacy.

In Ms. Mori’s second grade class, students followed as mortgage professional Debbie Mullins compared private business with public services. “When we go to Ed’s Mudville, Safeway or Coldstone, we pay as individuals, but the community pays TOGETHER for such services as police, fire and city services.”

Mullins divided the class into two – one side was a local donut shop. Students on the other side were community workers.

“We discovered that no matter if they worked for a private company or in a community job, they all received pay and they all had to pay taxes.” Good lesson to learn early.

Students in Ms. Rogers second grade class learned how money moves through a community. Police Chief Dan Lawrence took eight students, assigned them all jobs and gave the group $5 to spend. “Then the tax collector came and took $2,” said Macey Morano, “But, it was fake money,” she noted.

When asked what he liked best about the chief ’s lesson, 8year-old Noah Banderas was quick with his answer. “He brought us donuts.”

See MDES, page 6

CITY MANAGER GARY NAPPER TOOK THE FLOOR IN MS. CRANE’S FOURTH where he took the students from farm to table with a box of Lucky Charms cereal.

GRADE CLASS

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Kitchen designer’s homes on tour

Est.1972

Smith & Bernal

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for those last minute Easter Gifts Stop by at 1028 Diablo St., Clayton 925-672-2025

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April 10, 2009

Tues. - Sat.: 10-5

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It is a time-honored tradition that party guests gravitate to the host’s kitchen. They mill around, tasting hors d’oeuvres fresh from the oven, pouring drinks directly from the refrigerator and catching up on the latest news with the party’s host.

Kitchen designer Amy Carpenter makes it her mission to ensure the kitchen gets noticed as well.

“My name is on that kitchen, no matter what,” she said.

“Everyone is going to come through.”

On April 19, three of Carpenter’s clients are opening their homes to the public.

Anyone considering having work done on their kitchen, from small jobs like a counter resurfacing to a complete kitchen redesign, can see Carpenter’s successes.

She starts any kitchen project with an extensive question and answer session, including goals, time frame, and budget, among other aspects of the job.

“It’s not something that happens overnight,” she said. “This is a project that they’ve been dreaming about for several years, if not more.”

It’s important that her clients not feel railroaded into decisions. “When I present the numbers to the clients, it’s not just a take it or leave it plan,” she said. “I’ve done additional work with it to give them as many options as humanly possible.”

This desire to go the extra mile for her clients stems from Carpenter’s frustration working for someone else’s company prior to stepping out on her own.

“I felt there was a lack of customer service I could provide my clients, being stuck in a showroom and having to ask permission – can I do this for a client, can I do that for a client,” she said. She knew she could do better.

Since then, Carpenter, who has a degree in interior design, has achieved the prestigious title of associate certified kitchen and bath designer through the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

John and Pam Morgan worked with Carpenter on their extensive kitchen remodel. They learned to trust her opinions, even when they conflicted with their own.

“She’ll tell you when you’re doing something really stupid,” said John Morgan. “And if you still want to do it, she’ll support you and make it work the best she can.”

“I don’t try to fit potential clients into a box of what I do,” said Carpenter. “It’s my job to adapt to what they need.”

Denisen Hartlove/Clayton Pioneer

JUDIE AND PAUL WILSON are proud of what Judie terms their new “wow” kitchen, which was redesigned by Amy Carpenter.

Paul and Judie Wilson are more satisfied clients.

According to Judie Wilson, other designers they interviewed were pompous. “It was like they knew what our kitchen was going to look like before they even met us,” she said. “I really appreciate the fact that she listened to our ideas and incorporated that into the general

that’s a successful kitchen.”

Tour these three dramatic kitchens and meet the suppliers and vendors on April 19, 1-4 p.m. Tour begins on Raven Place in Oakhurst.

Take Oakhurst Dr. to Keller Ridge, then to Raven Place and follow the signs to the first house where you will receive a map and directions to the other two homes. Call (877) 7481310 for ticket information.

Upcoming Events APR 25 CLAYTON CLEANS UP

Festival. Over 125 artists and artisans will be on hand displaying unique arts and crafts. Enjoy fine wines and premium beers and eat in the international food court. Live music throughout the day and a Kiddieland for the children.

Sat. 10-7; Sun. 10-5. Admission is free.

MAY 9 FARMERS MARKET

Come, burn off those winter calories and help spiff up Clayton at the same time. Join your friends and neighbors and clean up Clayton’s creeks, parks, trails and landscaping. This a great event for families, individuals, homeowner associations, neighborhood groups and service clubs.

Everyone is welcome. Gloves, trash bags and small tools will be provided. Meet at City Hall at 9 a.m. BBQ lunch for volunteers at 11:30.

Sponsored by the Clayton Pioneer, Allied Waste and the city of Clayton.

For more info, call Christina at the Clayton Pioneer, 672-0500

May 2-3 ART AND WINE FESTIVAL Bring your family and friends to downtown Clayton for the 14th annual Clayton Art and Wine

Clayton Kitchen Tour Come see three dramatic kitchens designed by Amy Carpenter, ACKBD

design. I felt like we were a team working together.”

She described their final product as a “wow kitchen.”

“When people walk in, they just say ‘Wow.’ We love the space, everything about it.”

Carpenter measures her success by the satisfaction of her clients. “If the client is happy and loves everything about it,

The Farmers Market returns to Clayton, opening and closing an hour earlier than last year.

The market will set up on Mt. Diablo St. between The Royal Rooster and S k i p o l i n i ’s between 8 a.m. and noon on Saturday mornings beginning May 9. Come early to beat the heat, buy your veggies, then stop for coffee or stay for lunch at one of downtown's great eateries.

MAY 16 SUMMER CONCERT The first of the summer concert series opens May 16 in The Grove. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket and plunk down on the lawn with sandwiches, a pizza or a fine takeout dinner from Ed’s, Moresi’s Chophouse or La Veranda. First up is Lava, a high energy Latin-Salsa band featuring Mio “Timbalero” Flores. Concert is from 6-8 p.m.

After

Before

Sunday April 19, 1 - 4 p.m.

Tour begins on Raven Place in Oakhurst.

Take Oakhurst Drive to Keller Ridge, then to Raven Place and follow the signs to the house where you will receive a map and directions to the other two houses.

www.amycarpenterinteriordesign.com

Call Amy at 877-748-1310 for tickets. $5 per person. Free pair of tickets to the first 5 callers.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go to The Rotary Foundation.Tickets also available at the door.

MEET THE VENDORS (many offering discounts) Mater Brands Cabinets Arizona Tile Zodiaq Standards of Excellence Avi’s Hardwood Flooring Jerry Tenret with Tenret Tile Twilight Sounds Gary Collins with Windows and Beyond, and more.

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Directory of Advertisers

Don’t plan under old rules P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor A NDRÉ G ENSBURGER , Reporter and Feature Writer P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor R ANDY R OWLAND , Sports B ETH N EUDELL , Advertising Sales C HRISTINA S CARLOTT , Administrative Assistant

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PIONEER INFO

We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Clayton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable.

CONTACT US Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com André Gensburger Andre@claytonpioneer.com Beth Neudell beth@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send Church News to

LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Clayton resident. You will find the appropriate form for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form. Make sure the image size you are about to send is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. The only format we accept is JPG. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you.

Also on our Web site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

churchnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send School News to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

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Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.”

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MOVIE REVIEWER NEEDED

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Parcel tax remains key to MDUSD woes, but special election brings complications Parent producing movie as additional fundraiser ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer

Following budget cuts to the tune of $30 million over the last three years and culminating in the cutting of high school athletics to trim the additional $8 million slashed by the state, the push for a parcel tax has taken on new momentum and a creative edge in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

At the March 24 board meeting, parents vocally protested the destructive effect the cuts to athletics, as well as the other lost programs, would have on the morale of students as well as the character of a well-rounded education. Questions included ways for parents and other local groups to generate funding to bring back the cut items.

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On the May 19 special election ballot, there are several items to this effect. The most pressing for MDUSD is the Measure D parcel tax, which would generate some $7 million each year for five years to restore many of the cut programs.

While the parcel tax appears to have the support of a majority of the district stakeholders, the problem is with other measures on the same ballot that affect state funding. If they fail, it would create a state deficit resulting in even more cuts – wiping out any benefit from the parcel tax.

The Community United for Excellent Schools (TCUES), which is spearheading the Measure D drive, recognizes the potential landmines caused by the end result of the election.

Rufus Jeffris, a campaign consultant working with TCUES, believes that the only approach is to stay focused on Measure D rather than being distracted by potential obstacles.

“It’ll be two strikes for the district if the state initiatives and Measure D fail,” said Jeffris, who works with Whitehurst-Moesher Campaigns.

“The public support has been fantastic,” he said of Measure D. “We have more than 700 people who have signed up to support the campaign.”

“There is a whole lot of energy,” added Rudy Ramirez, TCUES campaign manager.

“People understand how serious this is. It doesn’t matter who you are; you will be affected by this issue.”

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$100K Price Reduction on this Estate property! Semi custom with Over 3500 sq. ft. of living space on almost an acre lot, Fantastic Vista Views, Huge Wrap Around Deck, Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen with granite counters, oversized butcher block island, expanded granite breakfast bar, Two dining areas, Family $799,000 Room with extensive custom built-ins, surround sound, & hardwood floors, new carpet, PLUS Darling Guest Cottage for possible home office, media room, inlaw unit, etc. Amazing, mature working vineyard on property.

Also on the ballot is Prop.

1B, a repayment schedule for the state to pay public education $9.3 billion owed under Prop. 98.

This will affect the amount of

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April 10, 2009

ON FUNDING

money schools receive.

Prop. 1A would create a rainy-day fund and limit state spending. It is directly tied to 1B, so for schools to receive the money, both propositions must pass.

Prop. 1C is a lottery initiative that proposes that winnings are used as a security on bonds, in order to provide $6 billion to offset expenditures already in next year’s budget. If 1C doesn’t pass, this shortfall will be added to the $8 billion deficit the state already has for the fiscal year starting July 1.

Since education runs about 40 percent of the state budget, this would mean further cuts in Mt. Diablo for next year. While a win for Measure D would be good news, a loss in the other areas would result in an even greater net loss.

MORE OBSTACLES TO CLEAR Adding a wrinkle to the mix: Two-thirds voter support is needed for Measure D to pass. A March survey of about 2,000 Californians showed only 38-48 percent approval. In addition, two major labor unions – the California Nurses Association and the California state council for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – have announced they are in opposition to the measures.

These concerns prompted many parents, teachers and others who are unhappy with the low priority that they believe has been placed upon education to develop new programs for fundraising, garner support with events such as the recent pink rally for teachers who have been laid off, hold onsite events to increase awareness and attract even more volunteers as well as street walking and telephone campaigns.

“The schools and kids deserve a quality education in the Mt. Diablo School District,” said Jeffris. “They can’t rely on the state for help or support. In every community, there is an interest in providing quality education.”

LINK TO FILM INDUSTRY Jeff Mosley is a parent of two district children, a daughter in fifth grade and a son in second grade. He is also a veteran stuntman and actor who is developing a unique idea to fundraising: making a motion picture and donating some of the proceeds to the school district.

You may have seen Mosley acting in films such as “Desperate Measures” and “James and the Giant Peach” or on TV sitcoms like “Sister, Sister,” “Coach” and “Saved by the Bell.” Most of his work has been as a stuntman, including Samuel L. Jackson’s stunt double in the Academy Award winning “Milk.” He was part of the riot scene in the Castro.

His new project is “Chasing

Rodriguez,” about four teens who inadvertently capture a bank robbery on camera. The fundraising effort has already won the approval of MDUSD trustee Gary Eberhart and Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister.

“Doing this movie involves the community,” Mosley explained. “Because of my acting, I am a member of the Screen Actors Guild. We get to make this film in the SAG ultra low budget category.”

Because of limits on how money can benefit the district, the decision was made to finance the film through pre-release DVD sales.

Ed Moresi is one of the sponsors, as is Clayton Fitness.

“Please support Jeff Mosley,” Moresi asks the public in an appearance in the You Tube promotional video that also features Eberhart and Hoffmeister.

“If we can pre-sell 15,000 copies by the end of April, we’ll be on schedule,” Mosley said, acknowledging that it’s a huge goal given the uncertain economic environment.

“People are always interested in supporting quality education,” Jeffris said.

More information on TCUES can be found at www.protectourlocalschools.org. Mosley’s film plans are available at www.concordmovie.com. More information on the propositions can be found at www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov.

Needs and Deeds If you know of an individual or family that needs help or a school fundraiser that needs community support, please let us know. We will publish appeals for individual or family assistance or support for school fund-raisers on a space-available basis.

This is also an opportunity to recognize the Good Samaritans and unsung heroes in our community who rise to the challenge of a neighbor’s need.

Send your items to needs_deeds@claytonpioneer.com.

CVHS TECHNOLOGY BENEFIT Clayton Valley High School will host a Movie Magic dinner and auction to benefit technology on Apr. 24 at Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Rd. Tickets are $30. Call Alison at 408-7457 or Email cvhspfc@comcast.net.

Hospice of the East Bay needs Thrift Shoppe donations As people begin to think about spring cleaning, Hospice of the East Bay is asking they also think about opening their closets for a good cause.

Everything is needed – gently used clothing, furniture, appliances, books, housewares, collectibles and jewelry. Everything is sold in the Thrift Shoppes and sales have been off 10-15 percent each month since January.

Proceeds from the sale of Thrift Shoppe donations benefit the patients and families in the care of Hospice of the East Bay For store locations and hours visit www.hospiceeastbay.org. Drop off items locally at Anna’s Attic Hospice Thrift Shoppe, 5350 Clayton Road.

Tax-deductible donation pickup service for large items is also available by calling (925) 6749072.

MDES, from page 3 Running a business was a natural topic for local businessman and Council member Joe Medrano. “They asked very good questions and provided good answers,” Medrano said.

“When I asked the question, ‘What is the purpose of a business?’ the first young lady to raise her hand got it right. Her answer? “To make a profit.”

In Ms. Perez’ third grade class, CPA and Councilman Hank Stratford took the students through personal banking and each student filled out a deposit slip and wrote a check.

“I was very impressed with how sharp and well behaved the students were. It was a fun morning.”

Volunteers were provided the material and guidance for their session.

Junior Achievement is a worldwide organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.

For more information on Junior Achievement, go to www.janorcal.org.

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page 7

Spring Gala in honor of CVHS’ 50th TED MERIAM Special to the Pioneer

Eagles from around the country will return to the nest on Saturday, April 25, to celebrate Clayton Valley High School’s 50th anniversary.

The Spring Gala, the concluding event of a year-long celebration, will begin at 6 p.m. at Centre Concord. All members of the Clayton Valley communi-

ty are invited, including alumni, retired faculty and staff, current parents and any others with ties to CVHS. A visual arts gallery with pieces by current students and alumni, as well as a photographic history of notable alumni, will be on display as guests walk down the red carpet. People can reconnect with old friends during the cocktail hour.

Live entertainment will be

performed by CV alumni and students as the academic and artistic talents of Clayton Valley are showcased. Performances will include musical theater, classical music, creative storytelling, vocal arrangements and an improv competition between alums and students.

The Master of Ceremonies will be Sue Kwon, Class of ’86, a Consumer Watch reporter for CBS 5 Eyewitness

Behind in payments? Short sale may be best option for your credit

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE A potential short sale property is one where the owner owes more than the selling price. The real estate agent will negotiate with the bank on behalf of the sellers to accept less than is owed.

Meanwhile, a foreclosure is a property that has been taken back by the bank. The bank is the owner.

A homeowner should research the possibility of a short sale before they let their property go into foreclosure.

Recently, a Concord family lost their home to foreclosure because they were too embarrassed to discuss any other options with a real estate professional. There is no shame in having financial problems in this economy. One just has to make the right choices.

Credit and the ability to get future credit are affected by both transactions. They only differ by degree. In a foreclosure, one’s credit score could be lowered by as much as 300 points. Depending on the rest of their credit situation, on a short sale it could be lowered by as little as 50 points.

A foreclosure remains a public record on one’s credit

history for 10 years or more. A short sale is not reported on a credit history. It is typically reported as “paid in full, settled.” So on a future application for employment, security clearances or a loan application, you can say no if it asks if you have had property foreclosed on or a deed in lieu (where one sends the deed back to the bank) in the last seven years. They don’t ask if you have had a short sale.

Other than late mortgage payments, one should try to keep their other credit up as well as possible so it will be easier to recoup a good credit rating after the short sale closes.

Lynne French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-8787, Lynne@LynneFrench.com or stop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.

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News and host of “Bay Sunday.” Kwon and long-time faculty members will present awards to accomplished alums who have found success in the worlds of business, education and the arts.

An online collection of Eagle lore, photos and videos has been established at www.cvhs50.com. Alumni are invited to provide updates on what they have been doing since graduation.

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Foreclosure market slams new home prices; Mitchell Creek latest casualty

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Lenox Homes, developers of the new homes in Mitchell Creek Estates, announced last week that the project is in foreclosure.

The nine homes at the corner of High and Oak streets went on the market last year and were initially priced from $750,000 to $800,000. Last fall, prices were reduced to the high $500,000s.

“The new home market is governed by foreclosures. We can’t build these homes for that price,” says Curt Blomstrand, president of Lenox Homes.

“We’re selling these homes for

$135,000 below our construction costs.”

After Lenox dropped the price, the homes began to move. By December, four of the homes had sold and “things were definitely looking up,” said the developers. A fifth home sold earlier this year.

“We’ve been working with the bank,” Blomstrand said, “but we have a second mortgage holder that refuses to cooperate.”

In normal times, the lien holders are paid as each home sells. But these aren’t normal times, and in this case, the second lien holder must wait until the last home in the project sells before collecting anything toward loan payoff.

The second mortgage holder has refused to wait for her proceeds and release the homes as they sell. Pressed by the needs of the buyers who need to get these homes closed, Lenox instructed the bank to proceed with foreclosure.

“We lose all our equity,” said a disappointed Blomstrand, “but we need to get these people moved in.

“These homes are irreplaceable,” he added. “One of the best projects we’ve done.”

The last Clayton project completed by Lenox Homes is Pine Hollow Estates. Two of these remain unsold, but the company has enough equity in the project to ride out the market.

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April 10, 2009

Traffic law enforcement has wide-reaching impact Many people believe police officers enforce traffic laws to raise revenues for the city.

However, the real reason is to educate the community about the importance of obeying traffic laws.

If I were recruiting a traffic enforcement manager to oversee the Clayton Police Department’s traffic enforcement program, I would pose one central question: Why do we enforce traffic laws and educate the public on traffic safety topics?

A. We have to.

B. We’ve always done it.

C. It generates good revenue.

D. There’s nothing a law enforcement agency can do that has as much potential to save lives and prevent injuries.

When answering questions

with multiple answers, the most comprehensive answer is usually the correct response.

Therefore, the best candidate would answer D. But since the Clayton Police Department’s budget doesn’t allow me to hire a specific person to manage our traffic enforcement program, our department’s sergeants have this role.

Traffic engineers are universal in their belief that the best way to create a safe driving environment for any community is through aggressive enforcement of the state’s traffic laws. As a result, the Clayton Police Department’s traffic enforcement program is simply ensuring that our officers issue many traffic enforcement citations to people they observe violating traffic laws.

The principal theory is that

voluntary compliance is achieved when traffic violators receive monetary fines associated with their unlawful driving. Over time, this leads to a safer community.

Additionally, our officers participate in state traffic enforcement campaigns and programs each year. These programs are funded by grants and are designed to focus on commonly violated traffic laws, such as seat belt use, the new “hands-free” cell phone law, speeding, running red lights or driving under the influence. All of these unlawful activities are potentially dangerous and have led to traffic fatalities in the past.

Clayton officers issued 114 traffic citations during the first two months of this year. Last year, our officers participated

DAN LAWRENCE

FROM

THE

CHIEF

in several campaigns designed to encourage seat belt use and a program to help combat driving under the influence violations during the holidays.

We enforce traffic laws to save lives. And that is the Clayton Police Department’s goal for our residents and visitors.

Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s Police Chief. Please send your questions, comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci. concord.ca.us

(925) 899-7354 www.obrienfamilypetcare.com

The UPS Store Independently owned and operated

We shred your past to protect your future.

Stop by and try our new document shredding service.

Notary, Packaging, Fax and Copy Services are available too!

Clayton/Concord Location:

Store Hours M-F 8-7 Sat 9-5

Vineyard Shopping Center

5100 Clayton Road Concord, CA 94523 ph: 925-689-6245

Appliance Repairs

by Bruce, Inc. 35 years experience

We repair all major appliances, most major brands, and we’re local Bruce & Holly Linsenmeyer 30 year Clayton residents Office: (925) 672-2700 Cell: (925) 956-8605 State of California B.E.A.R license #A44842

ApplianceRepairsByBruce.googlepages.com

a Restaurant & d n a r e V Bar a L per (925) 524-0011 6201 Center St. Clayton

Easter Brunch Buffet Sunday, April 12, 10pm-1pm

$19 person

Children half price.

Includes champagne.

Winemakers Dinner

$40 per person

Jeriko Winery, Monday, April 20, 6pm 4 course meal with 4 different wines.

f 5% of out 1 ht e k a T nig every

Police Log THREE

WEEKS ENDING APRIL 2

ACCIDENTS Mar. 14, 2:21 p.m., Clayton Community Park. Traffic accident, no injuries

ARRESTS Mar. 13, 7:25 p.m., Clayton Rd. and Washington Blvd., a Concord man, 21, was arrested for public intoxication.

Mar. 14, 1:11 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Marsh Creek Rd., a Tiburon man, 28, was arrested and charged with a DUI after being stopped for a vehicle code violation and driving very slowly.

Mar. 14, 6:11 p.m., Nottingham Cr., a Concord man, 45, was arrested on charges of domestic abuse.

Mar. 15, 10:29 p.m., Clayton Rd. and Kirker Pass Rd., a Concord man, 21, was stopped for a vehicle code violation and issued a citation for possession of marijuana.

Mar. 16, 9:01 a.m., El Camino Dr. and Carolina Dr., a Concord man, 18, was stopped for failing to stop at a stop sign. He was issued a citation for driving without a license.

Mar. 17, 4:21 p.m., Clayton Rd., a Portland, OR man, 24, was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

Mar. 18, 12:06 a.m., El Portal Pl. and El Portal Dr., a Clayton man, 18, was issued a citation for the possession of alcohol.

Mar. 18, 1:11 a.m., Clayton Rd. and El Camino Dr., an

Antioch woman, 23, was arrested and charged with a DUI after being stopped for a vehicle code violation.

Mar. 18, 2:20 a.m., Mountaire Parkway and Mount Palomar Pl., a Concord man, 18, was stopped for driving on the wrong side of the road and issued a citation for a DUI. Mar. 19, 12:57 a.m., Main St. and Diablo St., a Pleasant Hill man, 47, was arrested and charged with a DUI after being stopped for erratic driving.

Mar. 20, 12:58 a.m., Mitchell Canyon Rd. and Pine Hollow Rd., a Concord man, 26, was stopped and asked for identification. He was issued a citation for having consumed alcohol which was in violation of his probation.

Mar. 21, 1:22 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Peacock Creek Dr., a Clayton man, 60, was arrested and charged with a DUI after being stopped for driving erratically.

Mar. 23, 9:20 p.m., Kelok Wy., an Antioch man, 21, was arrested for an outstanding warrant at a friend’s house.

Mar. 23, 9:30 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Delaware Dr., an Oakland woman, 57, was stopped for a cell phone violation and arrested for an outstanding warrant. She was also found to be driving without a license.

Mar. 26, 3:10 a.m., Oak St. and Roundhill Pl., a Concord man, 19, was arrested and charged with a DUI after failing to stop at a stop sign and driving excessively fast.

Mar. 27, 12:30 a.m., Pine Hollow Rd. and Classic Wy., a Concord man, 53, was

arrested for possession of a controlled substance after being stopped for a vehicle code violation.

Mar. 27, 8:57 p.m., Clayton Rd., a Concord woman, 27, was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Mar. 27, 11:48 p.m., Clayton Rd. and Washington Blvd., a concord woman, 19, was arrested and charged with a DUI after being stopped for erratic driving.

Mar. 29, 9:16 p.m., Saclan Te., a Clayton man, 19, was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Mar. 29, 4:12 a.m., Blue Oak Ln., a Clayton man, 22, was issued a citation for unreasonable noise after being contacted twice regarding a loud party.

BURGLARIES/THEFTS Mar, 13, 10:00 p.m., Eagle Peak Ave. Theft of access card information Mar. 14, 1:27 p.m., Mt. Eden Pl. Identity theft Mar. 16, 7:58 p.m., Arrowhead Te. Grand theft Mar. 17, 9:23 a.m., Kirker Pass Rd. Grand theft Mar. 17, 6:11 p.m., Clayton Rd. Vehicle burglary Mar. 18, 10:24 a.m., Easley Dr. Vehicle burglary Mar. 19, 12:14 p.m., Yosemite Cr. Petty theft Mar. 24, 8:35 a.m., Elk Dr. Vehicle burglary Mar. 29, 6:22 p.m., Main St. Petty theft Apr. 1, 3:52 p.m., Peacock Creek Dr. Vehicle burglary

VANDALISM No reports

The Pioneer -- It’s your paper!

State Fair showcases the Best of the West Applications are now open for dozens of competitions The California State Fair has a long tradition of showcasing and rewarding Californians who excel in their hobbies and trade.

Competition categories include agricultural achievement, art, food and drink, animals and livestock, technology and talent. Each category has several competitions and divisions. For the full competition hand book or to enter a competition online, go to the California State Fair Website at www.bigfun.org and click on the “Competitions” tab or call (916) 263-3010.

Since 1854 the State Fair has hosted unique and worldrenowned competitions showcasing a variety of industries.

Thousands of awards are bestowed annually in categories such as fine arts, culinary, youth, technology and more. Last year over 20,000 total entries were received from almost every county in California!

“The Mission of the State Fair is to showcase innovation and excellence by people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Norbert J. Bartosik, State Fair CEO and General Manager.

“We take tremendous pride in the fact that each year we can bring together Californians from every corner of the State and celebrate the best of the west!”

The 2009 California State Fair runs from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7 at Cal Expo in Sacramento.

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page 9

Ignore, don’t reward, pet’s annoying bad behaviors BARBARA DWYER

PAWS

AND

CLAWS

If an animal does something and they like the result, they’ll do it again. The consequence reinforces the behavior that preceded it.

In fact, dogs often use their behavior to get us to change ours – for their benefit.

Behaviorists will tell you that a change in behavior is evidence of learning. But, are they teaching us?

Dogs’ impressive ability to read human body language was

recently reported to exceed that of chimpanzees. Combined with their power of reinforcement, it makes them talented trainers.

Like many great teachers, their students often don’t realize what they’ve learned. For example, your dog stands by the back door and whines; you open the door for him to go out. This is a win-win for both of us. The dog gets to go out, and we don’t have to clean-up a puddle. We’ll both repeat that behavior!

As social creatures, attention is diabolically reinforcing. For example, a dog puts his muzzle on your knee when he wants petting. You can’t resist the impulse to touch!

Most of us prefer this technique to its more common alternative – jumping. Unfortunately, jumping works for the dog. We look; we speak; we touch. The dog gets it all. He doesn’t care that you said, “No! Get down, you stinky mutt!” The jumping will increase.

Whether reinforcement is intentional or not, it works with all animals. Think of the poor mother standing with her 5year-old in the checkout line. If his loud pleas to buy a package of M&Ms, just this once, works and mom breaks down and buys them, begging in line will get worse. If the reinforcer is huge and surprising, like hitting the jackpot on the slots, it’s unstop-

Nettie and Puzzler are ARF’s stars Nettie is a busy and silly girl.

She will require physical as well as mental exercise to grow into a healthy adult dog. Continued socialization is also very important.

The adoption fee for adult dogs is $225 and includes a

NETTIE

seven-week training class.

Puzzler is a little shy at first, but once comfortable she loves attention. She enjoys being held and will purr loudly in your ear.

The adoption fee for adult cats is $50.

Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m.

Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The primary caretaker must be present to adopt. ARF also encourages kids 16 and younger and canine family members (dog adoptions only) to be present during the adoption process.

Pony Club, from page 1 power beneath you,” said Clayton’s Giovanna Facchini, 15, who smiles as she describes jumping with her horse at the track at Morningside Horse Farm in Clayton. Morningside owner Wendy Conte generously allows the group use of the facility for mounted and unmounted meetings.

Horse are allowed to run free on the track and burn off some energy before the riding takes place. With grace and a burst of power, each horse breaks into a full gallop, making a full circle before charging the group waiting at the gate. With a massive snort that blows warm air across your face, the giant, yet gentle animals, stop in their tracks and come closer to nudge one of the girls. This is playtime.

A self-supporting non-profit group, the club relies heavily on fundraising efforts to cover operating expenses, including the care of the horses.

Melissa Jaffe, an 11-year-old from Clayton, is also part of the club. “It’s like a 45 minute vacation while you are riding,” she explained. “When my family moved to Clayton (from Benicia) we found this Pony Club and stayed ever since.”

Tina Saudan, 13, from Concord describes the experience as an addiction, while Emma McCracken, 12, from Concord explained that “the relationship you have with your horse, and your friends makes this special.”

Brittany Craker, 16, from Brentwood has been with the club for four years. “It’s all about how much you can experience.

It is such a great feeling flying through the air.” Craker then breaks into a smile as she remembers the Pony Club Rally.

“You have to do everything,” she adds, “from dressage (the art of improving your horse making him beautiful to watch) on. But

you get a stick horse, and it comes tied to a trailer, and you have to ride it like a real horse.”

“It’s called “everything but the horse” rally,” said leader Vicky Anderson who has been with the Pony Club for five years and more recently, the Joint District Commissioner with Lynda Erich.

“There is a high degree of expectation,” Anderson said.

“You have to understand that this started in Europe and is a tradition that has carried over to

MELISSA JAFFE, 11, joined the Clayton Canyon Pony Club when her family moved to Clayton from Benicia the United States. It is huge on the East Coast.”

Lynda Erich agrees. Katelyn Grubich, 13, from Concord, is her granddaughter.

“I started four years ago and this is my third year as the District Commissioner,” she said. “I love it. It is all about the girls, the camaraderie and the closeness. Of course you have to love horses.”

Erich knows that the era of horse farms is slowly unwinding.

“Where we live in Concord there are only four horse farms left on our street. It is unfortunate.”

PUZZLER Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our Web site, www.arf.net, or call (925) 256-1ARF.

Pony Club members are encouraged to work their way through nine stages of the progressive Standards of Proficiency, which test knowledge and riding ability.

Each member joins as an unrated member and works their way through a rating system that ascends to an “A” rating, which means that they are able to ride horses of varying schooling levels with judgment, tact and effectiveness. They can also train young horses and retrain spoiled horses. The transition may take several years to achieve, however all members cycle out at age 24, so much dedication is required to achieve the goals in a timely manner.

“This is a well rounded equestrian program,” Anderson said. “We send teams to the regional United States Pony Club competition rallies such as Dressage and Eventing.”

“The girls are fantastic,” Erich said. “They ride together, study together, and carry each others tack. It is heartwarming to see the camaraderie and affection between members.”

“We’re always looking for new members,” Anderson pointed out. “You do not have to own a horse to join our club, but you do need access to one for use in training.”

In March the Clayton Canyon Pony Club celebrated its fifth year. They meet on the third Wednesday of each month at the Farm Bureau building on Clayton Road for unmounted instruction. With program speakers including equine veterinarians, farriers as well as veteran Pony Club instructors, these meetings are geared to helping the members attain the 25 unmounted and 25 mounted badges that they need to earn.

“This place is wonderful,” Erich said. The girls all agreed.

For information on the Clayton Canyon Pony Club, call (925) 381-7029

Please let our Advertisers know you saw them in the Clayton Pioneer

pable. The winner will feed quarters into the machine for years to come.

To exterminate these devils, you must be more relentless in your response to them than Spot is in his quest for the payoff. For a behavior like barking, you must do two things. First, never again respond to Spot’s demands with anything he wants. Do the opposite – turn your back and walk away. Don’t look; don’t speak; don’t touch.

Next, identify the dog’s reason for the behavior. What does he want? Then, find a less offensive way for him to get his needs met. Teach an alternative behavior.

For example, if your dog sits by the kitchen table when you eat and begs for scraps, he may want food, attention or both.

Don’t feed, look, speak or touch. Away from the table, teach him to go to his bed for a treat. Then, teach him to stay there. Next, send him to his bed while you are sitting at the table.

When he goes, give him a treat on his bed and tell him to “stay.”

After a couple of minutes, go over and give him a treat to reinforce staying.

Finally, practice it during a meal. If he gets up and comes to the table, do nothing. You must never again give him attention, contact or treats when you are at the table. By the way, if you have kids who constantly drop food on the floor, this probably won’t work!

Daily visits in your home

Cats, dogs, birds & more

Quality care and TLC

Pet

Sitting Cal l

Many services offered: local errands, delivery appointments, check on home while you travel

Peace of Mind Pet Services Linda

672-9781

Clayton Resident. Licensed. Bonded. Insured. PSI member. References upon request.

Barbara Dwyer is certified Behavior Counselor and Dog Trainer. Send your comments to her at seespotstay@pacbell.net.

Got Doggie Doo? Get a Doggie Doo Drain “Plumbing contractor revolutionizes the way to dispose of pet waste!”

No digging!

No chemicals!

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Smelly trash cans, polluted landfills, this is insane!

Be eco-friendly and use the Doggie Doo Drain.

A Product of Klauber Enterprises Inc. US Patient 7,121,228 Made in the U.S.

www.doggiedoodrain.com ALSO AVAILABLE IN THESE STORES: R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens, 6780 Marsh Creek Rd., Clayton, 672-0207 and Concord Feed, 228 Hookston Rd., Pleasant Hill, 940-1200.

Bird grooming – first Saturday each month.

Appointments or walk-ins welcome

Quality cages for any bird at low, low prices

BIRD SEED SPECIALS Nyjer Thistle - 20 lbs. $30.99 Small, Black Oil Sunflower Seed - 50 lbs. $

26.99

Western Delight Wild Bird Value Mix - 40 lbs. $

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(925) 672-4600 8863 Marsh Creek Rd. in Clayton,

Page 10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer

Spring Home &

Mention the Clayton Pioneer & get

$150

OFF

Proudly serving the greater Bay Area for more than 82 years!

your complete interior or exterior repaint!

Your

Jim Bennett The Window Works

home is your

greatest Protect it with

GO GREEN with new windows and save

investment.

quality painting

Hire the professionals at

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License: 150361

O

n February 17, President Obama signed the $789 billion economic stimulus bill that includes tax credit incentives for homeowners who make energyefficient home improvements.

The bill extends eligibility for tax credits through 2010 on the installation of “qualifying” windows and doors. The new incentive provides five times more tax credit than was previously available to homeowners under a similar provision under the Bush administration. In order to qualify and receive a tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of qualifying new windows and doors, up to a maximum of $1,500 per household, the “NFRC” energy performance ratings must indicate a “UFactor” and “SHGC” (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) ratings of .30 or less.

The National Fenestration

Rating Council (NFRC) is a non-profit organization that administers the window industry’s only uniform, independent rating and labeling system for the energy performance of windows and doors, including “UFactor” and “SHGC” ratings.

Tax credit, lower energy bills make new windows a smart move

Meet the Merchants ABBEY CARPET CONTRA COSTA FLOORS

1170 Burnett Ave., Ste. E, Concord 925-686-9901 Contra Costa Floors Showroom hours: M-F 9-5 Sat 10-4

Abbey Carpet Contra Costa Floors can help bring the feeling of springtime into your home. This time of year, when the hills are green and sprinkled with wildflowers, is the perfect time to spruce up one room or the whole house.

Abbey will make it easy and affordable with special springtime

Get your back yard ready for summer with quality, outdoor furniture cushions Manufactured in California.

Over 500 Sunbrella Fabrics available for Alu-mont Brown Jordan Homecrest Mallin Ow.lee

Redwood Tropitone Woodard and more

The place for spa and pool supplies, patio furniture, gifts, garden decor and a quality nursery.

Pool, Patio & Gardens Family owned and operated since 1983

6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton

sale pricing.

Abbey salespeople are trained to help you pick the floor covering that best fits both your needs and your personal taste. With a huge variety of carpet, vinyl, tile, wood and laminate floors to choose from, you can check out samples to match to your new furniture window coverings or paint. Best of all, Abbey will come to your home to give you a FREE estimate.

New flooring can make your home seem like new again. Take advantage of Abbey’s great pricing, personal service and professional advice to make the best choice of floor covering for your home. Stop by and let them help you choose a beautiful floor today!

Abbey Carpet Contra Costa Floors is located at 1170 Burnett Ave., Ste. F in Concord.

Showroom is open Mon.-Fri. from 9-5 and Sat., from 10-4.

MAJESTIC POOLS

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· 672-0207

No two windows are alike, so always look for the NFRC label to make sure you are comparing energy performance on similar products. Simonton Windows meet and can exceed the new required energy ratings.

This tax credit is meant to

Summer is on the horizon and it’s time to build that swimming pool you’ve always dreamed of.

Majestic Pools, a locally owned and operated company since 1973, is licensed for swimming pools, landscape and concrete which means they will take every large or small-scale custom project from start to finish – no need for any other contractor to finish the job.

Majestic Pools’ philosophy is for unmatched service and quality, both during and after project

completion. They are committed to excellence and take great pride in their work. Majestic Pools believes in good communication, regularly meeting with their customers to discuss the job’s progress and answer any questions.

Majestic Pools knows that when the customer is happy, their business grows. Call today and swim this summer. (925) 676-1545.

R&M POOL, PATIO AND GARDENS R&M has been your neighborhood pool supply, patio furniture store and nursery for the past 26 years and can meet all your backyard needs. Locally owned and operated by Roy and Melanie Alarcon, R&M is located just outside of Clayton’s downtown on Marsh Creek Road.

R&M carries pool sanitation supplies including granular, tablet, and liquid chlorine, multi-shock and bags of salt. Pool and spa equipment and repairs are offered as well as replacement parts, and filter cartridges. This year, cut water evaporation and heat your pool with a solar cover.

R&M carries a huge selection of quality, made-in-the-USA furniture and will special order patio umbrellas and cushions in a wide range of beautiful Sunbrella fabrics.

The nursery has a vast collection of perennial, shrubs, trees, fertilizers, amendments, and bark.

Nicole Hackett, The Clayton Pioneer’s Garden Girl is on hand with suggestions, problem solving and plan recommendations.

promote “Green” energy saving projects to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Going “Green” with new vinyl framed windows and doors, will reduce your monthly energy costs and save you money, create a safe and secure home, and create a healthier living environment by eliminating molds and mildew formation. Low maintenance vinyl windows and doors will add immediate added value to your home through improved curb appeal.

The tax credit is allowable only for qualified windows and doors purchased after February 17, 2009 and must be installed in the taxpayer’s principle residence.

Help the environment, help the economy and help yourself to a tax credit up to $1,500.

Jim Bennett has owned and operated Window Works for 31 years.

Visit their showroom at 2570 Cloverdale Ave, Ste. 6 in Concord (across from Costco, or call 925-6891930.

R&M is located at 6780 Marsh Creek Rd. For more information, call (925) 672-0207.

S&K NELLIS PAINTING Spring is “spiff-up” time and nothing spiffs up a home quicker than new paint.

Let S&K Nellis bring back your home’s original beauty. They are The Repaint Experts for private homeowners, proudly serving the Bay Area for 82 years, earning an outstanding reputation with their commitment to customer service and providing a quality finished product. S&K Nellis employs highly skilled labor and uses only top quality products, providing value engineering for cost effectiveness, keeping your project on budget.

Hire the Professionals at S&K Nellis Painting, 30 year Clayton residents. Call for a free estimate and mention the Clayton Pioneer to receive $150 off your complete exterior or complete interior repaint. For your convenience, they accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. www.sknellis.com. (925) 687-2233.

SPARKLE POOLS Sparkle Pools is owned and operated by John Khashabi. John is water chemistry certified and factory trained by many pool product manufacturers and an accomplished repair technician who has been praised for looking at tough situations from different angles to solve problems that others had given up on. Sparkle Pool and Spa is licensed by the California State Contractors License Board (Lic.#926085) and

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page 11

Install Energy Efficient Windows and get a

Garden Guide Consider options before deciding on

cabinet replacement

Bob Maes Wooden’ It Be Nice

I

f you’re thinking about remodeling your kitchen, one of the first things to consider is if you want to have custom cabinets or go with premade cabinets.

Generally speaking, custom

is a member of IPSSA (Independent Pool & Spa Service Association), which provides General Liability Insurance. John offers free estimates to everyone who calls and a generous 50 percent off the first month of service for new customers. Check out Sparkle’s Website at www.sparklepool.com for more details about their services. Sparkle Pools is a complete professional pool service for all your pool needs. Call John at (925) 260-5025

UTOPIC GARDENS Clayton residents, Angela and Ash Hakimi of Utopic Gardens, are committed to bringing more peace, harmony, and balance to your landscape by creating your own sanctuary through professionalism and attention to detail, all the while getting the most from your landscaping budget.

They understand that the ideal garden is one that is thoroughly crafted to have balance between your needs and desires and such environmental factors as exposure, soil conditions, and climate zone, all woven together with a thread of harmony and creativity to achieve your own Utopia.

They offer artistic, creative design, planning and consultation to include the many phases of landscaping such as natural rock walls, wood crafting of pergolas, trellises, fences, arbors and gates, water features, drip and spray irrigation, low voltage lighting, concrete and total installation.

While their personal favorite type of landscape to create is what may be called ‘California

cabinets will cost more. While there are well-made pre-made cabinets out there, there are some key questions you should be asking your retailer.

Does the price of the cabinets include installation? Most of the time, it does not. Find out what the cost for installation is, whether the retailer installs

them or if you need to find a contract.

What materials are the cabinets made out of ? Some cabinets are made of a pressed wood material, either particle board or MDF. These materials are usually covered with a white melamine surface. They look nice and are easy to maintain. However, they

Casual,’ ‘California Native,’ or ‘Mediterranean,’ they invite every opportunity and challenge that each and every garden, like a personality, presents.

Creating landscapes for 17 years, a family owned business in Clayton.

(925) 524-0055

its 31st year in business AND the new Federal American Recovery Act of 2009 is now providing homeowners a tax credit up $1500 for installing qualified energy efficient windows and doors.

Let The Window Works “Cure Your Window Panes” and install new Simonton “Impression” series windows and doors with LowE366 glass that meets and can exceed the new required energy ratings.

This tax credit is meant to promote “green” energy saving projects and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Going “green” will reduce your energy costs, create a safer home and a healthier living environment by eliminating molds and mildew.

You are invited to visit their comfortable showroom and see the Simonton product and “RetroFit” installation display.

Please call them at 925-6891930 or visit them on the Web WWW.TheWindowWorks.com or stop by 2570 Cloverdale Ave #6 Concord 94518.

WARANER TREE EXPERTS Protect and save your trees.

Waraner Tree Experts can identify and treat potential problems caused by insects and disease, rot, poor drainage or improper pruning.

Locally owned and operated by Certified Arborist and Licensed Contractor, Dustin Waraner and his wife, Kim, the company’s goal is to provide the finest tree work care available. All pruning is done in accordance with ISA standards and the company is experienced in all aspects of tree care.

With summer coming, fire prevention is critically important.

Waraner Tree Experts are certified in fire abatement and will trim, clean up and remove fire hazards to help you clear a defensible space around your home.

No job is too small or too big, call (925) 250-0334 today for your free appointment. A Certified Arborist will come to your property and assess the health and safety needs of your trees. Visit WaranerTreeExperts.com for more information.

THE WINDOW WORKS Have you heard the great news?

The Window Works is celebrating

WOODEN’ IT BE NICE Wood – there’s really nothing like its beautiful grains and rich colors. Wood cabinetry takes any project from nice to WOW! Wooden’ It Be Nice started in 1986 when Bob Maes started a family-owned wood working business – creating and designing kitchens, home offices and bath cabinets in his garage. When the business grew large enough, the Maes family moved to the foothills of Clayton where they converted an old barn on the property to a

Up to

are not as strong as plywood, so over time you will probably have some sagging in the shelves.

Also, if the cabinets were to be subjected to a lot of water from something like a plumbing leak, they will soak up the water and swell. For the most part, they can’t be repaired if that happens.

If it fits within your budget, purchase cabinets made of plywood. Retailers will have plenty of pre-finished plywood cabinets to consider. You should also find out what materials are used for the doors and drawer fronts.

How much are all the bells and whistles? Be sure to ask if things like crown molding, base boards, lazy susans, pullout trays, pullout pantry units, under-sink, tilt-out trays, spice racks, soft close drawer slides, full extension slides, solid wood drawer boxes, etc; are included.

Many of these items are extras and will add to the cost of your cabinets.

It has been my experience

See Cabinet, page 22 wood working shop.

The philosophy of Wooden’ It Be Nice has always been “Absolute Quality.” Customers notice how much time Bob spends on getting the correct color or design. Bob has a comfortable personal style of connecting with families as he enhances their home. Call for your appointment. (925)6735595.

FIRST CHOICE ABBEY CARPET Selecting flooring and window fashions that are right for your home or office can be a difficult task. The professionals at First Choice Abbey Carpet will help make these choices stress-free.

Their selection can satisfy every budget, ranging from the most economical to the exotic. You’re invited to visit their 4000+ square foot showroom in Danville’s Village Center or call (866) 915RUGS (7847) for an appointment to ‘Shop At Home’. The expert staff will guide you every step of the way and their experienced professional installation team will pamper your home from start to finish.

First Choice Abbey Carpets offers fashion, not just flooring.

They provide a comfortable and friendly atmosphere, 30+ years of experience, a diverse selection of carpet, area rugs, hardwood, environmentally friendly products, laminate, vinyl and porcelain tile, and window fashions. Visit their Website at firstchoiceabbeycarpet.com. Showroom is located at 101G Town and Country Drive in Danville.

FREE FREE FREE FREE

2 89 PER

Pad Sq. Foot Disposal of Old Carpet Installation Furniture Moving Plus, we’ll pay the Sales Tax!

1500

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

Clayton Sports Coaching legend left mark on and off the court JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Valley High School is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year, but one of its golden legends won’t be here to enjoy the full celebration.

Long-time boys’ basketball coach and athletic director Bruce Iversen died at age 78 on March 20 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Iversen moved over from Mt. Diablo High School to Clayton Valley when it opened for 1958-59 school year.

Although in failing health he was able to attend the Clayton Valley High School Hall of Fame presentation last October where he was in the inaugural group of athletes, coaches and administrators inducted in the Hall.

A Stanford grad and Navy veteran, Iversen first went to Mt. Diablo as a football, basketball and baseball coach. Among his players there was Dave Stafford, who went on to play for the 1959 NCAA champion Cal Bears. Stafford recalls, “He truly was a great man! He was assistant varsity coach and he had an influence on me as a person and player in 1956 and 1957.”

BRUCE IVERSEN’S SMALL OFFICE AT CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL was always open to his players and students. Photo taken circa 1980.

Iversen became the varsity coach at Clayton Valley during the school’s third season in 1960-61, succeeding Bob See. He remained in the position for 31 years and during that time coached 803 games, winning 61.4 percent of them. He coached over 220 players in the red, white and blue Clayton Valley varsity uniform.

It’s easy to verify these statistics because Iversen kept meticulous records, including the won-loss record against each of the 90 high schools (alphabetically from Acalanes to Ygnacio Valley) his Eagles teams faced in those 31 seasons. Fifteen of those 31 years CVHS finished first or second in the league and also won 12 tournament championships.

However, Bruce Iversen’s tenure at the school was much more than these raw numbers.

When you talk to his former players and colleagues on the CVHS staff they paint the picture of a man who had a profound impact on their lives. He was called “kind”, “caring”, “meticulous”, “humble”, “confident”, “role model”, “sportsman”, “dignified” and “teacher”. Steve Gonsalves, a star in the 1968-71 era and now president of Conco Companies,

said “he taught us how to carry ourselves, not just how to play basketball.” But he did teach basketball. “I still think of the rebound drill we ran time after time at every practice”.

Iversen‘s teams usually weren’t blessed with many tall players and thus used a 2-2-1 full-court press and “scramble offense”. Gonsalves added, “He often used only six or seven players and we had to be in shape to keep up the pace he wanted us to play.”

Many of his players followed Iversen into the coaching profession. Steve Coccimiglio, who played and then coached under Iversen, will start his 20th season as head coach at Diablo Valley College next winter.

“When I was a freshman at Clayton Valley I watched the varsity team in awe, making my goal to play with them the next year. Coach had the trust to make me the point guard as a sophomore. I hung on his words for those three years.”

One of, if not the, best player to play for Iversen was Bob Thomason. He just concluded his 20th season as head coach at University of the Pacific.

Thomason and his father, now in his eighties were at the Hall of Fame ceremonies to share time

with his mentor. Thomason was inducted into the first Hall of Fame class along with other former Iversen players Austin Deaton, Ron Coccimiglio, Bud Beemer, Greg Ford, Gary Loveridge (who followed Iversen to play basketball at Stanford) and Clyde Mashore.

Many more will be honored in future years as the Hall of Fame moves into the 1980s and beyond to recognize former Eagles.

Jeff Iversen fondly remembers, “Rob Oliver played for dad and eventually relocated to the East Coast where he coaches.

He would send tapes of his games back home and his dad would bring them over and sit with my dad watching them.”

Off the basketball court, Iversen, was a physical education teacher at Mt. Diablo and Clayton Valley, where he taught thousands of more boys than he coached on the basketball court.

Dee Billeter was the girl’s athletic director, working side by side with Iversen, who was in charge of the boy’s program.

“There were no girls’ sports for many years. When we finally began to form teams in 1966-67 (starting with basketball,

See Coach, page 14

What is your favorite sports film?

Rob Helena

Each issue, a panel of Clayton sports enthusiasts will air their views on a current topic in the sporting world. If you would like to suggest a topic or question to our panels, email sports@claytonpioneer.com.

HELENA: I have two favorite sports movies, “Hoosiers” and “The Pride of the Yankees.” “Hoosiers” is a classic David vs. Goliath story. The best scene was Jimmy Chitwood telling the coach, “I’ll make it,” then going out, one on one, cross over, top of the key, shooting an all-net, gamewinning jump shot to win the state championship. Jocks around the world shed tears on that scene.

Speaking of tears, “The Pride of the Yankees” was another classic. The great Lou Gehrig played by the great Gary Cooper with cool, old school

baseball stuff. Best scene was Gehrig telling the Yankee Stadium crowd: “I’m the luckiest man on earth.”

Watching that movie made me feel like the luckiest man on earth.

KIRMSSE: Ten sports movies I love (in no particular order): “Miracle,” “Hoop Dreams,” “North Dallas Forty,” “Slap Shot,” “Bull Durham,” “Hoosiers,” “Breaking Away,” “Rocky,’ “Cinderella Man” and “Field of Dreams.” Great sports movies are in the eye of the beholder. They may not be the best “movies” in the art sense, but the message and life lesson is what counts. The underdog who claws out a win and the ones who climb mountains instead of going around the easy way learn the meaning of winning. And the ones who understand that it really is about how you play the game inspire us to be what we dream of being. After much thought, I’ll let you guess which movie means the most to me. Here’s a hint: Slow, slow change-up right across the plate – “There’s no crying in baseball.”

STELZNER: Favorite sports

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movie? That’s easy ... “It’s in the hole!”

“Caddyshack,” of course. First of all, it’s about golf, a sport which requires a strong sense of humor just to survive.

Then there is a cast of ’70s comedians in every style imaginable, from Bill Murray’s lunatic Spackler to Ted Knight’s Judge Smails. It’s packed with quotable quotes like: “It’s easy to grin when your ship comes in and you’ve got the stock market beat. But the man worthwhile is the man who can smile when his shorts are too tight in the seat.” Every time I watch this movie, it takes me back to the days of high school when golf was a sport only “old people” played and every good joke referenced a body function. Despite the lack of plot and its juvenile humor, this movie is a classic to be watched over and over again.

MERRIGAN: Two of the best sports movies that I’ve seen are very different from one another. I know it’s no surprise that “Rocky” is on my list of top sports movies, but how about

Afterys 30 da

Tina Rafallo

“Caddyshack”? I watched both of these movies over and over in my youth and I’m sure if I saw them today, I would still be just as delighted. Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield are hilarious in “Caddyshack.” People still use their famous quotes. “Rocky,” on the other hand, is the standard by which all sports movies are measured.

Great music, great characters, perfect ending, an all-around great feel-good movie.

SNYDER: If golf were a real sport, I would pick “Caddyshack” hands down. But since it is not a real sport (smiling), I would have to go with “Hoosiers” for hoops, “Bull Durham” for baseball (“The Natural” is a close second), “Miracle on Ice” and “Slap Shot” for hockey and “The Longest Yard” (the original) for football. As a kid, the best movie I ever watched (after sneaking in to see Bo Derek in “10”), was “The Bad News Bears” and the worst movie was “The Bad News Bears in Japan.” If we are reviewing

Chris Snyder

Ralph Stelzner

actors, the best was Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky” and the worst was Stallone in “Rocky V.” RAFALLO: “The Sandlot” and “Slap Shot” are close runners up. “The Sandlot” is nostalgic and makes you wish you were 12 again. It’s definitely my favorite baseball movie. The only reason they played was for fun. “Slap Shot” is the best hockey movie and even though it’s 30-plus years old, it still makes me laugh. Crude, rude and hilarious. More recently, I was really touched by “Glory Road.” Don Haskins had the guts to do what no other coach would he started five black players in the 1966 NCAA basketball championship game. He took a lot of heat, but he did what was right.

Overall, though, it’s probably “Rocky.”

We’ve all seen it a thousand times, but we’ll still watch it one more time. The underdog wins his pride, the girl and a rematch in the end which was a perfect setup for all of those sequels. The movie is timeless.

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April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 13

Clayton Sports All that Biel touches turns to gold Garrett Biel has the “Midas touch” in all 10 fingers and, perhaps more importantly, all 10 toes.

The 17-year-old from Clayton has collected plenty of gold (medals) and silver (ware) as a member of local soccer, football and swim teams. But Biel is not often in the spotlight – but rather a key member of teams that achieve their highest goals.

Biel has three North Coast Section titles and one state championship for De La Salle High School. With Diablo FC and DVSC Black Pearl 90 soccer team, he’s been a part of three State Cup, US Club Soccer Regional and USYSA Far West Regional champions.

About the only time Biel really stood out as an individual was for the Dana Hills Otters, where he still owns four club records.

But even there, his exploits were muted compared to older brother Matt – who competed in the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

GARRET BIEL

and when the 2007 high school football season began, he earned the starting role as placekicker. In his first football game, Biel came on to kick the extra point. An onrushing player from Serra High tried to block the kick and landed on Biel, who ended up with a broken ankle.

Biel sat out eight weeks but got back on the squad in time to help the Spartans win the NCS title. They won their first official state CIF championship and Biel set several state championship game placekicking records.

Between his junior and senior years, Biel went back to the

Photo by John Laughton GARRETT BIEL GETS HIS HEAD TO THE BALL THAT RESULTED IN THE championship winning goal of the North Coast Section title game.

Biel’s De La Salle High Spartans defeated San Ramon Valley 1-0 in the final high school game of the year, adding to Biel’s impressive list of team championships in soccer and football.

for an evaluation. Boyce encouraged him to take part in the Spartans legendary summer workout program.

Biel took up the challenge

weight room. “We place a high premium on having our kickoffs reach the end zone so they can’t be returned,” Boyce notes.

“Garrett was dedicated to

increasing his leg strength (between his junior and senior years) and earned the position of handling all our placekicking and kickoff duties.”

The team once again won NCS before losing a tight state championship final. One of Biel’s athletic highlights was “running on the field every Friday night during football season with a huge crowd.”

SOCCER SUCCESSES Biel played local recreation soccer for a number of years for the Mt. Diablo Soccer Association before joining Diablo Valley Soccer Club Atlas at the under 11 age group. That first year, his team reached the State Cup semi-finals in 2002.

During his second year of club soccer, John Badger took over the coaching reins. The team earned a berth in the 2005 US Club Soccer National Cup IV by winning Regionals in Boise.

The team made it to the championship game in Jacksonville, Fla., before losing to a South Carolina team. They were the first team from the local competitive club to reach a national championship game.

“Simply stated, Garrett has more character than any young man I have had the privilege to spend time with,” Badger says.

Then, the Black Pearl 90 team coached by Badger won State Cup championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Those titles earned them a berth in the Far

VICTORY IN HAWAII In the summer of 2008, the Diablo FC 90 boys finally broke through. At the Far West Regionals in Hawaii, they faced the team which eliminated them the year before in their opening game. They came out with a draw against the Oregon champs.

They began winning and reached the semi-finals against the hometown Honolulu team.

The game went to overtime and still the tie couldn’t be broken, so a place in the finals was determined in a penalty kick shootout.

Biel was given the heavy responsibility of taking a pressurepacked kick and he came through for the team and they made the finals.

Diablo FC 90 won the Far West championship and got to go the USYSA National Final Four in Arkansas last July. They were briefly rated No. 1 in the country. Unfortunately, the team didn’t perform up to expectations in Arkansas.

FINDING THE SPOTLIGHT Biel was team soccer caption as a freshman at De La Salle and began three years as a varsity starter in his sophomore year.

The Spartans advanced to the NCS playoffs all three years and won league championships in Biel’s sophomore and senior seasons.

“Garrett may not always get the goal or assist, but he is always the one setting up the assist or cross into the box for a goal,” says De La Salle coach Brian Voltattorni. “Garrett provided composure and a wealth of playing experience for us this year.”

For one moment, Biel did step into the glare of the spotlight. In his final high school soccer game, De La Salle faced San Ramon Valley High for the NCS championship. The teams battled scoreless through regulation play and into a second overtime, with penalty kicks looming to decide the title.

In a stunning move, Biel met a teammate’s flicked-on pass and blasted the ball into the net and scored the winning goal for his team and school. This magic moment is now on YouTube.

And that “Midas touch”?

Well you can’t use your hands in soccer and his feet were moving as he ran to meet the pass, so Biel used his head to score the winning goal and turn his actions into more gold for his team.

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ZEROING IN ON FOOTBALL Over the years, Garrett Biel tried numerous sports. Ironically, the last sport he took up, football, is the one he’ll be playing in college.

Biel recently committed to become a placekicker for Division 3 powerhouse Trinity University of San Antonio.

Trinity sounds like the De La Salle of college football with seven undefeated seasons in the last nine years.

After being encouraged to try football near the end of his sophomore year, Biel was sent to DLS kicking coach Don Boyce

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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While growing up in Bay Point, Gary Daniel did not play any organized sports. The Clayton resident thinks maybe that is why his children are so active in sports now.

Madison, 12, plays soccer and tennis and is on swim team, while Blake, 11, plays football for the Clayton Valley Falcons and baseball with Clayton Valley Little League. Daniel got involved in physical activity at a late age but has become very active as a bicyclist. On March 14, he rode in the 100-mile Solvang Century with Team in Training.

“It was an amazing experience that I will never forget,” Daniel says. “Once you reach 40, there are not as many ‘firsts’ left in your life and I feel you have to have a high appreciation of them when they come.”

He rattles off some of his recent “firsts”: Each training ride was a first – 40, 50, 60 and 80 miles. Then there was the first time riding in a pace line, first female coach, first road bike, first time he’d worn spandex, first time his kids cheered him on at the finish line, first time he felt like he really needed rescuing (and was) and the first time he devoted himself to a cause with all his heart.

STARTING WITH URBAN ADVENTURES A few years ago, he participated in a series of events called Urban Adventures through his employer, Concord BMW. Daniel describes these as a mix of problem-solving, running and a scavenger hunt.

“They drop you off in a city and you compete against another team,” he explains. “You have to find certain places or things before the other team, and it is a very strategic game.”

During one of these events, Daniel pulled a hamstring. But his desire to keep training led him to the gym at Maverick’s. On

advice of his doctor, he began “spinning” classes. These classes provide a stationary bicycle workout, set to music, with a group of participants and an instructor leading the way.

Photo by Gordon Johnson

GARY DANIEL TRAINS and lymphoma.

AT THE

ALTAMONT PASS for his ride for leukemia

“This was great for me, because it was low impact and I was able to get stronger,” recalls Daniel, who still uses this method of training today.

GETTING OUT ON THE ROAD Daniel bought a specialized, 20-speed Tarmac road bike last July. He began riding to work about four days a week, about a 15-mile ride each way.

“I like it because I feel energized when I get to work,” Daniel says.

Through Tamara Simberdi, a spinning classmate at Maverick’s, he learned about Team in Training – which raises funds for leukemia and lymphoma research and development.

“I thought it was a great cause, and this is an amazing organization,” he says. “I get to do something I love and, at the same time, have never had the opportunity to do something to benefit others.”

Team in Training members choose how they wish to participate. Each person is assigned a

Coach, from page 12 volleyball and softball) Bruce was so understanding and willing to work with us. He had so much class. He was a gentleman.”

When Iversen started his career at Mt. Diablo, Hart Fairclough was on the faculty and football coach. The two were acquainted but not particularly close. “Dad retired in 1992 and mom died that same year,” Jeff said. “Hart befriend dad.

Meet

the

authors

mentor who has completed that specific fundraiser. Amy Bode, who has been involved with Team in Training for seven years, worked with Daniels.

“They help you out with

They played softball together until the disease made it too hard for dad to play. Coach Fairclough continued to visit dad right up until the day before he died. Hart can’t hear and my dad couldn’t speak but they communicated very well!”

Fairclough had the honor as an ex-Mt. Diablo Red Devil to be the presenter last October of his friend Bruce for the Clayton Valley Eagles Hall of Fame.

every aspect of training and preparing for the event,” Daniel notes. “Amy has even helped me with my fundraising, my nutrition and getting ready in every way possible.”

“Gary embodies the true spirit of the team,” Bode says. “He understands the concept of everybody of different levels learning a sport and using it to make money to fight cancer and embraces it.”

RIGOROUS TRAINING Daniel completed the March 14 ride through the wine country of Santa Barbara County with 40 other riders from the Bay Area who range from novice to Category 2 (one step below Tour of California professional riders).

“It was a really easy ride in comparison to some of our training rides,” he says. “There was 5,000 feet of climbing and most of it came after 75 miles. The weather was overcast and cool and the road was a little rough, but our spirits remained high.”

To prepare for the event,

Iversen and his wife Marilyn also were the onsite managers at Camp Concord from its opening in 1967 through 1977. The couple and their children, Scott, Jeff and Tracy, stayed at the South Lake Tahoe camp operated by the city of Concord. “We would go up there as soon as school got out in June and stay until Labor Day weekend,” Jeff recalls. “Many of the counselors and workers kept in touch with him 20, 30, 40 years later.”

Ironically, one of his former players, Rex McQuillen, is now a

If you cannot attend, we are happy to get books signed for you.

To contribute to Daniel’s fundraising, visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/solvang09/gdaniel through April.

minister in the Tahoe area and came down to help with the memorial service April 4, which was like a who’s who of the Clayton Valley High School community and Diablo Valley coaching fraternity. A long-time coach and administrator in the Mt. Diablo District who played for Coach Iversen, Beemer said in an interview, “The 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s” were the “’Golden Era’ for teachers, coaches and administrators in the district.”

No one glistened more golden than Bruce Iversen.

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A JUST CAUSE Each Team in Training participant has a minimum goal of raising $2,500. The majority of the funds – 75 percent – go directly to patient services and research and development for cures for leukemia and lymphoma.

Daniel has raised more than $3,000 through friends and family, as well as donations from Skipolini’s Pizza of Clayton and Concord BMW. The organization is making incredible strides in the fight against these terrible diseases. “In the past 10 years, the survival rate has gone up dramatically – up from 25 percent to 46 percent,” Daniel says, noting that it is even more dramatic in children.

“I started doing this because of the cycling,” he says, “but I am most in awe of the organization – to see that people who are survivors or fighting these diseases are there alongside us, doing the rides, because they believe so strongly in the cause.”

The morning after the race, Daniel felt sad that it was over.

“Some of us plan to continue riding together, so I’m excited about that,” he says. “Time to dust off and find a new first to chase.”

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Clayton Books Schedule of April events at

Daniel began training full-time in November. He gradually built up from the basics and increased his distance on each ride. He also continued riding the bike to work, along with his classes and weights at the gym.

“Gary has stayed the course and gotten stronger,” Bode reports. “He has even improved his bike mechanics and changes a flat with a smile.”

That isn’t surprising considering the Mt. Diablo High School graduate learned to be an auto mechanic at the Wyoming Technical School.

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De La Salle students create living spaces for healing NATALIE PIWEK Special to the Pioneer

In 2004, De La Salle and Carondelet high schools began a club called Healing Spaces. The objective was to decorate the living spaces of people in need, mostly high school aged children being treated for serious medical conditions.

Projects included painting and decorating the bedroom of a 13-year-old girl awaiting a kidney transplant, decorating the TV room and foyer of a homeless shelter and decorating a 17-

year-old’s living room so her family had room to place the girl’s hospital equipment and also a place to spend quality time together.

This year, co-moderators Steve Oelschlager and Lissa Leigh contacted an organization for abused families. Each club member wrote letters to at least 10 families and friends. These letters consisted of the information about the group, including how others could donate money for this project. The group earned about $10,000.

The students were divided into two groups. The first group helped with the construction.

They ripped out carpets, put in wood floors and painted walls.

Most worked from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

The next weekend, the second group was ready to tidy up.

They cleaned everything, then beautifully decorated – putting in all the furniture as well as Easter gifts for the kids.

After the hard work was complete, everyone came together for a pizza party for the unveiling of the house.

Why the Web is all a-Twitter When people write blogs, they tend to skip the small details of their daily routine. But unlike most blog Websites, Twitter.com encourages you to describe that turkey sandwich.

Twitter is considered a “micro blogging” site because people are limited to short, 140character updates. This means posts, which are called “tweets,” are only two to three sentences.

The service, launched in 2006, has 55 million users.

While the idea of Twitter seems silly, it allows a person to better involve their friends and family in an ordinary day. For instance, I updated Twitter at school so my dad could learn more about what happened in between my classes. He got a kick out of seeing my tweets, even if I was just complaining about homework. Because my dad also had Twitter, I could learn more about what he was doing at work.

One of the unique aspects of Twitter is its accessibility. You can send text messages to Twitter and they will appear on your profile. While Twitter does not charge for texting, you will have to pay regular carrier fees.

Twitter works best when you keep track of many people.

Adding someone on Twitter, or “following” them, will make their tweets appear on your home page. This means you’ll be updated throughout the day.

You can also connect with

your favorite stars, such as Britney Spears, John Mayer and Lance Armstrong. Politicians like Sen. John McCain and Mayor Gavin Newsom also have Twitter accounts. Many of these famous faces post tweets often.

Twitter’s search feature, available at search.twitter.com, allows you to follow people who are posting about your interests at that moment. Because Twitter updates these results every few seconds, it’s fun to watch people commenting in real time about topics like the NCAA tournament.

Twitter is not without its issues, though. Because your information is public, use discretion and don’t give out personal information. If you’re uncomfortable with having strangers follow your tweets, you can adjust Twitter’s privacy settings.

Finding people on Twitter can also be a pain. While Twitter checks your email list for potential contacts, I only found a few friends and my dad found no one. Likewise, Twitter’s people search engine is slow and not very reliable. Twitter could not find my dad and me even after we had been members for a week.

Finally, while Twitter is entertaining, it can be a waste of time. Because Twitter does not refresh its home page automatically, you may find yourself spending 20 minutes hitting refresh, waiting for more tweets.

MARK FREEMAN

ON

THE

NET

Although Twitter’s popularity remains strong, it now faces strong competition. Facebook recently updated its homepage to look like Twitter’s, which means you can now view hundreds of posts from friends as they happen.

This change has caught the attention of Twitter fans. Robb Scott, a freshman at Saint Mary’s College and big Twitter user, acknowledged that the site will face new challenges now that Facebook has copied it. He said that those who can’t find friends on Twitter and don’t wish to use it for professional networking purposes may find the Website comes off as a primitive version of the social networking giant.

Mark Freeman is a student at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, studying economics and English. He enjoys creative writing and is a reporter for the school paper. Questions/comments can be sent to mfreeman543@gmail.com.

Page 15

School News CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Students in the Public Service Academy are sponsoring a faculty vs. varsity boys and girls basketball game at 6 p.m.

Friday, April 10, in the CVHS gym, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.

The event is a benefit for Children’s Hospital Oakland.

There will be raffle drawings throughout the evening. Tickets are $3 at the door.

Bacigalupo at 408-7457 or email cvhspfc@comcast.net. *** The school’s Safe and Sober Grad Night Committee is holding two fundraisers this month.

The first event is in conjunction with Cinco de Mayo Mexican Grill, 5415 Clayton Road, Clayton. Every Monday and Tuesday in April, Cinco de Mayo will donate 50 percent of the amount you spend to Grad Night. To participate, tell the person at the register you are supporting the CVHS Grad Night fundraiser.

The other event is the second annual E-Waste Drive, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in the school parking lot, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. Items accepted include monitors, towers, laptops, TVs, stereos, copiers, fax machines, DVD/CD/VHS players, cell phones, car batteries, cardboard, metal and paper products.

For more information or to donate, contact Amanda Moore at 672-0930 or amandammoore_30@yahoo.com. *** The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club offers scholarship to a qualified college-bound senior from CVHS. The scholarship is to help defray the cost of a four-year college or university in fall 2009. The scholarship could be renewed for an additional three years after review from the club’s Scholarship Committee.

Scholarship applications are available at the school’s career counselor’s office, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. ***

For more information, call Pamela Newacheck at 671-2201.

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The fourth annual CVHS Benefit Auction for Technology will be 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, at Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road.

This year’s fundraiser will feature hors d’oeuvres, a dessert bar, auction items and more.

The Parent Faculty Club is working to see that students will be able to use computer hardware and software that keeps pace with the latest in technology.

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TAX TIPS It’s important to remember that deductions are allowed only when the tax laws are followed and proper documentation is retained. This point was underlined in a recent Tax Court case dealing with charitable contribution deductions.

The Tax Court, the IRS, and the taxpayer all agreed that checks in the total amount of $6,100 were written to a qualified charitable organization. Every one of those checks was for more than $250. However, the IRS claimed that the deduction should not be allowed since the taxpayer did not have appropriate documentation for the contributions.

The tax law clearly states that in order to claim a charitable contribution for an amount of

$250 or more, a contemporaneous written acknowledgement must be received from the charitable organization. The law also states that, in order for an acknowledgement to be considered contemporaneous, it must essentially be received by the taxpayer before the return is filed.

The taxpayer finally did receive an acknowledgement from the charity, but not until three years after the original return was filed.

The IRS continued to deny the deduction, claiming that the acknowledgement was not contemporaneous. The Tax Court agreed with the IRS, and the deductions were not allowed.

While this might seem harsh, deductions are allowed only if you comply with the law and substantiation requirements specific to those deductions. If you have made charitable deductions greater than $250, you must receive the proper acknowledgement from the charitable organization on a timely basis in order for the deduction to hold up under IRS review. For contributions of less than $250, a cancelled check or credit card receipt is considered valid substantiation (although an acknowledgement from the

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

Random slaying leads to community reflection RICHARD MANGINI Special to the Pioneer

The random killing of Raymond Casso is every family’s worse nightmare. We cannot imagine the shock and fear of one who was killed as an innocent bystander or the furious rage on the part of the perpetrator. Both are tragedies beyond our ability to process.

The most appropriate response is to enter into a spirit of solidarity with both victim and assailant. Despite the irrational nature of what has happened, we must pause as we encounter the mystery of life and death. As we face the implausible circumstances of chance and randomness, we must try to discover how God might want us to accept the sometimes powerful limitations of life and reason.

The Casso family has felt the outpouring of solidarity, love and support from the Clayton community. Other blogs have expressed the goodness of the assailant and how

out of character his action was.

And both men happen to be members of the Catholic Church.

Perhaps it is too early to know any good purpose that could come from what has happened. One family loses a cherished husband and father.

Another family may lose their only son to life imprisonment or a psychiatric institution.

It is important to separate the heinous action from the person. It is not always clear how to care for and respect people who are mentally ill or individuals whose debility is open to dangerous consequences.

I have not met or talked with Shannon Bradley Moore, but I have met his father. He spoke to his son everyday and said he had been doing quite well. They were going hiking later Saturday afternoon. The father cannot imagine what happened to his son to ignite his irrational, destructive behavior.

The father asked me to

deliver a letter to the Casso family in which he expressed his profound sorrow and solidarity in their devastation. One day soon, he hopes to be able to express his sentiments personally to Raymond’s wife and children.

“Through the sorrow and surprise of these moments, some people will experience a “refinement of life,” a change in what they consider important and an impetus to live life in a different way.”

Fr. Richard Mangini,

We all need the “wisdom of Solomon” to be attuned to what God is doing and what God is saying to each of us.

Why a young soldier dies in his sleep, why Raymond Casso is in the wrong place at the wrong time, why a 14-year-old boy

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commits suicide in Dublin – all these are beyond our ability to understand and perhaps even to accept.

Through the sorrow and surprise of these moments, some people will experience a “refinement of life,” a change in what they consider important and an impetus to live life in a different way. Some will harden their hearts and find solace in destructive patterns of behavior. Others will reinforce their skepticism and lack of trust in God and in others. How we respond is important, as is where our response will lead us.

And what would our prayer be: “O God, protect me from harm or madness!” “O God, help me to have your compassion and love.” “O God, help me to see the joy in life and your goodness in others.” “O God, be my shield and my refuge.” “O God!”

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Father Richard Mangini, pastor of St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church, spoke at the funeral and the community vigil for Raymond Casso.

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Church News THE BAHA’IS OF CLAYTON All are invited to a talk and evening of fellowship at 7:30 p.m. April

A donation of $12 per ticket is requested. Seating may be limited; RSVP at 672-4848.

The subject of the talk is “Ethical and Moral Aspects on Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability,” with speaker Jeff Price.

He is a nature lover, environmental enthusiast and advocate for a spiritual and practical dimension of environmental stewardship.

The event is at the Toloui home in Clayton. For more information and directions, call 672-6686.

CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Come celebrate the risen Lord at 9 and 10:45 a.m. on Easter, April 12, in the Diablo View Middle School gym, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. Nursery, toddler and preschool classes available for both services. For more information, call 673-9060.

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CLAYTON VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Once again, the congregation will host a 6:15 a.m. sunrise service on Easter, April 12, at Diablo Valley Ranch, 11540 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton. People attend from the congregation, the ranch and the community.

The ranch is three miles east of Clayton on the right. Park near the road and walk up through the buildings to a grassy hillside. It may be cold and wet, so dress accordingly. The ranch invites all to join them in the cafeteria for hot drinks and doughnuts after the service.

At 10:30 a.m., an Easter service will be held in the church sanctuary, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Sunday school and childcare will be provided. For more information, call 672-4848. *** Renowned Southern California musician Steven Applegate and friends will present a concert, “A Little Pop, A Little Gospel and A Little Broadway,” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton.

Applegate is an award-winning music director and was nominated for the 2008 Ovation Award for his work with “Jekyll and Hyde.” He also serves as minister of music for the Valencia United Methodist Church in Southern California. He will be joined at the concert by vocalists Dina Bennet and Viki and Sean Hilferty.

Mayor, from page 1 These are just one of the many services provided by our Clayton Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS).

This program, established by the City Council in 2006, is recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

We currently have seven people who perform administrative tasks, handle the alarm registration process, man the command trailer at special events, lead the Community Emergency Response Team council, offer Neighborhood Watch meetings and provide Neighborhood Patrol.

The volunteers conduct vacation house checks during their scheduled patrol time, looking for open doors, windows or other suspicious activity not noted on the vacation house check request. If anything out of the ordinary is noticed, the volunteers contact the on-duty officer – who checks out the situation. A note is made on the vacation house check request and a call is made to the emergency contact person listed on the request.

We have had a few incidences where the on-duty officer has been called out to check

on out of the ordinary circumstances. None of these calls resulted in the discovery of criminal activity, but they probably prevented it by locking unlocked doors and windows left open by residents or their house-watchers.

Two of our members, John Moilan and Steve Snow, were selected to participate in the Neighborhood Patrol program.

As part of the VIPS program, we were able to turn a decommissioned police car into a volunteer vehicle to be driven by volunteers during their patrol shift.

John and Steve patrol the city in this vehicle several days week. Their duties include checking on each of the city parks, being an extra set of eyes and ears for the police department and looking for anything suspicious. They also provide an extra sense of police presence.

FARMERS MARKET Start a Saturday this summer with some great pastry and fresh goodies from the Farmers Market on Diablo Street between Skipolini’s Pizza and the Royal Rooster in downtown Clayton. Pacific Coast Farmers

CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH The church will hold Good Friday services at 7 p.m. April 10.

Easter Sunday includes a 9 a.m. service, 10 a.m. brunch and 10:30 a.m.

Easter egg hunt on April 12.

The church is at 5353 Concord Blvd., Concord. For more information, call 798-5905.

ETERNAL LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH Children ages 3 and up are invited to Easter for Kids, 9:30 a.m.noon Saturday, April 11, at the Farm Bureau Hall, 5554 Clayton Road, Concord. The free program will present the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection through a Bible lesson, songs, crafts, activities and snacks.

The Easter weekend schedule also includes a Good Friday Service of Darkness at 7 p.m. April 10. There will be an Easter breakfast at 9:30 a.m. April 12, with Easter worship at 11:15 a.m.

For more information, call 524-0295 or visit www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org.

CONCORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH The church will host “To the Cross,” a Good Friday service, at 7:30 p.m. April 10. Easter Sunday begins with a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. in the Rose Garden, followed by breakfast 7:15-10:15 a.m. A traditional Easter service begins at 10 a.m. April 12.

The church is at 1645 West St., Concord. For more information, call 685-5260.

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Markets is coming back this year, beginning Saturday, May 9.

The hours will be 8 a.m.-noon, so get there early.

They will continue every Saturday through October except July 4, Sept. 5 and Sept.

26. Lots of great local fresh food and flowers. Yummy!

JULY 4TH CELEBRATION Summer in Clayton wouldn’t be complete without our July 4th Parade. It’s on a Saturday this year so should be terrific.

Our core committee of four people could use some help with planning. We also always need lots of folks on the day of the parade to help for a couple hours with decorations, checkin, parade line-up and crowd control and, of course, cleanup. It’s all fun really!

If you want to help, let me know by email so I can get you on our list.

CLAYTON CLEANS UP Don’t forget to mark you calendar for this year’s Clayton Cleans Up, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 25. Bring the whole family and help get our town spiffed up for summer.

The Clayton Pioneer is sponsoring it this year and it should be a great morning, with a BBQ for the volunteers when

we’re done. We’ll meet in the City Hall courtyard to get started. See you there!

Mureleen Benton, CFP®, Financial Advisor 5356 Clayton Rd., Suite 211 Concord, CA 94521 (925) 685-4523, email: Mureleen.M.Benton@ampf.com CA License #0692378

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 17

Observing the cycle of water on a warm spring day WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS Early spring is a wonderful time of year to hike the trails of Mt. Diablo State Park.

Birds, butterflies and rabbits abound, and patches of delicate colorful flowers dot many of the trails. What I enjoy as much as the fauna and flora are the sights and sounds of running water in streams fed by winter rains.

My favorite short hike begins at Regency Gate (off Mountaire Parkway). I follow Donner Creek along the appropriately named Donner Trail. After about a mile, I turn left on the Heatherington Loop trail – which crosses the creek twice before rejoining

the Donner Trail a half mile later.

Instead of heading back to Regency Gate on the Donner Trail, I retrace my route, savoring the opportunity to cross the creek two more times on the way back.

It is worthwhile to stop, look and listen at each creek crossing. Gazing upstream and downstream, I imagine the journey of each drop of water.

As I daydream, my ears are treated to a chorus of sounds made by the family of drops as they swirl by rocks embedded in the stream and rush over the fallen branches.

Technically speaking, I am observing a small segment of a phenomenon called the hydrologic cycle. Although this cycle can be explained using technical terms like infiltration and percolation, when I watch the

Donner Creek flow by my feet this part of the hydrologic cycle is relatively easy to understand.

First, let’s look upstream.

The force of gravity is a major player here. When it rains at the top of the mountain, water will naturally flow down the hill. Over a long period of time, this flowing water will carve out streams like Donner Creek in the hillside and the rainfall will fill the streams.

But, gravity alone doesn’t explain everything. It hadn’t rained in over a week, and even if water flowed as slow as I hike, it should only take a few hours for rainfall at the top of the mountain to make its journey past my observation point.

Another feature of the hydrologic cycle delays the rain water from rushing down the mountain. Some of the rain

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“Tan in moderation” is the experienced advice of Jocelyn Jensen, owner of A Perfect Tan & Body Wrap in Clayton Station.

Getting a “pre-tan” these three months before summer allows people to enjoy family barbecues without getting burned. “In a controlled environment, we can help you get moderate exposure for proper vitamins from the light, without burning or redness,” Jensen explains She has 13 years experience and A Perfect Tan & Body Wrap is her fourth tanning salon; Clayton is the only store offering body wraps. It all started when Jensen was tanning in preparation for travel with her husband Norbert.

Irritated with bad service and unkempt premises, Jocelyn joked she “could do it better” and started her first salon in 1996.

“It’s my passion,” Jensen says, “and everyone who works for me has this passion.

All my staff is experienced and knowledgeable about our equipment and lotions.”

A Perfect Tan offers a free tour, personal skin analysis, thorough explanation of the tanning process including a video and the first tan free.

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“We don’t have the most expensive equipment, but we know how to get you tan,” Jensen adds. “We have a good mix of equipment for an overall tan without any lines.”

Local customers use tanning to prepare for prom, cruises, cheerleading, portraits, reunions, weddings – any time you want to look your best.

“It’s not a luxury, it’s an alternative to vacation,” Jensen points out. “You look better and feel better while avoiding the negative effects of little or no sun exposure such as depression, lack of Vitamin D and sallow or ashen skin.”

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process, is Jensen’s personal beauty secret picked up in the modeling industry to get fit and lose inches. Bandages are dipped in aloe and herbs and wrapped around the body. The herbs are said to shrink stretch marks and detoxify or eliminate waste.

“It’s not dehydrating, but we tell clients to drink lots of water. It can be a great start for a weight loss program,” Jensen says.

There are nine tanning rooms, cherry wood walls, a clean and comfortable atmosphere with air conditioning and fun, trendy music.

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soaks into the ground, and the soils and rocks provide temporary storage for the water.

Eventually, gravity takes over and water is slowly released into the streams.

However, if no additional rainfall occurs, the streams will dry up.

Now, let’s look downstream to see what happens to the waters of Donner Creek. Like most waterways, it merges with other creeks and streams on its way toward a lake or ocean.

Streams that feed larger streams are called tributaries.

Donner Creek is a tributary of Mt. Diablo Creek, which winds its way through Clayton, past the old Naval Weapons Station, then feeds into the Sacramento River Delta at Clyde. In time, the water running past my feet moves into the San Francisco Bay and then into the Pacific Ocean.

That’s not the end of the journey. Eventually, the water I am watching will be evaporated into the air by the heat of the sun, become part of a raincloud and land on another mountain – completing the hydrologic cycle.

Decades, centuries or millennia from now, someone else will take a spring hike on a mountain and watch the water rush by. They will never know that a part of their river made a journey down the slopes of Mt. Diablo on a beautiful spring day in 2009.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

Too many minutes are wasted fixing other people’s mistakes You get a bill and find it riddled with mistakes. When you call the company, they put the onus on you to prove that it was their error. Now you must submit the relevant documentation in order to correct a problem that was not yours anyway.

Whether it is an error on your credit file, an incorrect billing statement or something as benign as a misspelling of your name, it adds up to a lot of wasted time.

The IRS did not like my filing last year, although it was prepared through a tax accountant. I knew that I had the documentation to prove my case and simply had to write a letter informing them that they had made a mistake.

Granted, that took me 10 minutes to write. However, I had to retrieve my copy of the filing, plus make photocopies of the forms to send with my dispute. It was time better spent elsewhere.

Insurance coverage, warranties on products and billings from doctors and hospitals require the scrutiny of Sherlock Holmes and the knowledge of Stephen Hawking.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

DEAL WITH IT In 1986, I examined a hospital bill for an appendectomy to find that the insurance company had been billed for illogical items. For example, as a male I would hardly need a medication prescribed to menopausal women. Likewise, a single Tylenol pill should not cost $14.

Had I not questioned the bill, an automatic reduction of $1,200 would never have been offered. By the time I was done, the bill was $2,300 less – almost half.

Ten years ago, I had a check stolen from a department store and fraudulent charges wound up on my credit report. I had to spend two weeks chasing down leads and proving that the account had been hijacked.

one million was Rome: The most populated city in the world - when major urban areas are included - is Tokyo, with 30 million residents.

Tokyo was once known as Edo. The Vatican is the world's smallest country, at 0.44 square km (0.16 square miles).

Did you know . . .

The names of all the continents end with the letter they start with.

On every continent there is a city called Rome.

The oldest inhabited city is Damascus, Syria.

The first city in the world to have a population of more than

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I went further and tracked down the people responsible only to have the police in that community tell me that due to a manpower shortage they could not do anything.

This is the mantra of the age: The consumer must be more than just aware, they must do all the legwork.

Hire a contractor and spend abhorrent amounts of time verifying that things are done properly. Buy something on trial and find that your credit card was billed anyway, and you are the only one who cares enough to do something

Enea, from page 1 seemed out of place, suspicious in one way or another, or vans that had no other visual identification.

“We’re really up-to-date,” Enea says of the technology that goes into the job. The cars are equipped with computers running Windows XP called Mobile Data Terminals, so the officers are able to access information rapidly.

Each vehicle is GPS-tracked, allowing for instant location readouts.

As soon as another patrol car engages in a traffic stop, Enea intercepts in case backup is needed. Each officer is in contact with dispatch (out of Concord) and with each other, a mere few minutes away. This is teamwork at its best, more than just an image of saturation; they have their fingers on the pulse of the community.

It is a good standard, because what may appear to be a superficial stop could easily turn into a confrontation. That’s where the training comes in to play.

Sometimes the signs are there – people in places where they should not be. Enea likes to be preemptive, circling a parking lot with his floodlight scanning, ensuring that his presence is known.

IN HEAVY PURSUIT Most stops, however, are often some good public relations skills at work and not just an exercise in issuing citations. “And it is not cops and robbers,” Enea explains. “Many times a pursuit is called off.”

That is a matter of safety first. “If we need to pursue, we will.”

One such event some weeks earlier was a carjacking that drifted into Clayton from Concord with Concord Police in pursuit. The driver came across Enea parked in one of his convenient access locations, in this case the corner of Mitchell Canyon and Clayton Road, following the activity on the MDT and through the radio chat with dispatch.

“He sees me,” Enea recalls. “I’m now in pursuit. He slides over to Pine Hollow and crashes into a fence at the corner house. That became a foot pursuit and we got the guy.”

Then came the part that makes Enea laugh. “The guy calls me by name.”

It is a small piece of celebrity. Known for his high visibility drunk driving arrests, Enea is the local darling of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and receives awards consistently. On local blog sites like Claycord.com, whenever a police stop is discussed, it is always assumed to be Enea’s handiwork.

In 2007, he received his second award

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about it.

For a short time, I worked at a desktop publishing house in Berkeley. Each day, I would park my car in a two-hour zone and return an hour and a half later to find a ticket on my windshield. After three days of this, I challenged the ticket.

Upon seeing me walk in, the traffic commissioner simply asked: “Are you here to challenge a ticket?”

“Yes,” I said.

“OK,” he replied.

“Dismissed.”

“What?” I protested. “I didn’t even tell you why.”

“Most people don’t challenge it,” he said. “I know I will believe your story.”

It seems most people do not want to spend countless hours challenging everything that goes wrong in their lives.

I have wasted enough of my life fixing the mistakes that others have made, especially those that I have paid good money to have done by someone else. And frankly, it really annoys me.

Our country is going down the drain because people will not take responsibility for what they do. I do not see that

changing, despite the stimulus and the grand expectation of recovery.

I am tired of having to read the fine print disclaimers because an advertiser wishes to seduce me into a purchase and minimize the risks. I am tired of having to compromise on a principle that should be on solid ground. I am just plain tired. And there I say, “I won’t deal with it.”

André Gensburger is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Pioneer. His email address is andre@claytonpioneer.com

from MADD for almost doubling his 2006 DUI arrest record of the previous year. In 2007, he had caught 52 drunk drivers. On April 18, he will be accepting the current year MADD award in Sacramento.

“I had 13 DUIs in December,” he said, which might be the highest in the county.

A FAMILIAR FEELING During our ride, Enea pulls over a truck that performed an illegal U-turn in front of us.

It is late at night and no other cars are around.

After the usual check to ensure that the driver, the registration and the vehicle are in good standing, he spends a few minutes explaining to the driver why that move was not a good idea before letting him leave without a ticket.

It is a learning moment. “It builds good PR,” he tells me.

During another stop with a recent parolee, Enea chats with the man while Officer Alan Pike checks out the vehicle interior.

Enea knows most of the regulars of the community. He asks about family members by name, expressing hope that the family situation has improved.

The vehicle was clean. The man leaves. It’s dinner time and back to the precinct for us.

During the meal, there is a comfortable exchange between Enea, Russ Eddy, a senior volunteer officer who, like Enea, can’t get enough of the job, Pike, Sgt. Tim Marchut and Matt McLaughlin, the young Police Explorer.

Enea and Marchut started as Explorers before becoming officers. The program, which Enea and Marchut manage, helps young wannabes get a taste of the job without much of the danger.

“I started when I was 15 for the city of Concord,” Enea explains. “Then at 16, I started in the Clayton Explorers until I was 21.”

None of this is surprising when you learn that his family is all connected to law enforcement. In addition to his father, now a reserve officer in Crescent City, Enea’s sister is a sheriff ’s dispatcher, while his mother works in the courthouse. It is a family business built on dedication and decency, traits that Enea knows are getting harder to find.

“I like keeping the city safe for someone else,” he admits. “I like to arrest the bad guys.”

For the dinner companions, this is family.

They clearly enjoy their jobs, tease each other and share a meal before a quick pit stop and back into the cars for more patrol until the city awakens – generally unaware of their ongoing presence.

It’s not uncommon for Enea to roll around to the local club at closing time to see who might need a ride home, rather than having them add to his DUI roster. “I don’t want to arrest you,” he says. “Not everybody needs to go to jail.”

Enea is also a part of the Clayton Valley High School Every 15 Minutes anti-drunk

CPL. RICH ENEA, JR. driving program. He graduated from CV in 1998.

“I wanted to make an impact,” he says of the program. “If we can get the message to a few, it’s worth it.”

KEEPING CLAYTON SAFE Clayton is a generally safe community, with the exception of the recent random tragedy.

The police force and City Council keep a close watch on everything that goes on. They want to keep Clayton an island of sanity in an otherwise crazy world.

“You just do not see gang members walking down the street here,” Enea says. “We have the opportunity to spend time on a call. I know what belongs and what doesn’t.”

He patrols the Safeway alcohol aisle, hoping to deter younger shoplifters. He also likes working at the schools. The community embraces its officers and they maintain a high visibility at events such as the Clayton Arts and Wine Festival and Oktoberfest.

Chief Dan Lawrence noted Enea’s history and that of his father, Sgt. Rich Enea. When the younger Enea was sworn in May 24, 2004, at age 24, the Clayton department had a fatherson team. Later that year, the senior Enea retired after 15 years of service.

“Rich is proud of his Clayton roots,” Lawrence says, “and as such is dedicated to provide the best police service possible to our residents and visitors alike.”

As I leave, Enea tells me that he encourages young people to look into the Police Explorer program. “Call the department and see what it’s about.” It’s an excellent example of community service at its best.

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April 10, 2009

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Page 19

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. APR. 13 FOR THE APR. 24 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT In Clayton April 25 Clayton Cleans Up The Clayton Pioneer is sponsoring this community effort to spiff up Clayton’s trails and streets. Pick up trash bags at City Hall. Great event for kids and adults. 9 a.m.-noon. Call Christina at 672-0500.

April 25 “A Little Pop, A Little Gospel and A Little Broadway”

April 25 CVHS Alumni Celebration

April 29-May 2 Four Days of Diablo

Alumni and residents are invited to celebrate Clayton Valley High School’s 50th anniversary with a Spring Gala. 6 p.m., Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. $25. Call Ted at 690-8600 or www.cvhs50.com.

Take in the 30-mile Diablo Trail from Walnut Creek to Brentwood with a small group. Reservations required. www.savemountdiablo.org.

May 2-June 6 Mt. Diablo Junior Ranger Program

April 25 CVHS E-Waste Drive Donate old computer parts, TVs, stereos, copiers, fax machines, DVD/CD/VHS players, cell phones, car batteries, cardboard, metal and paper products. Proceeds benefit Grad Night. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Clayton Valley High School parking lot, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. Call Pamela at 6712201.

Through April 28 Cinco de Mayo Mexican Grill Fundraiser for Grad Night

Featuring renowned Southern California musician Steven Applegate and friends. 7 p.m., Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. $12 donation.

Seating may be limited, so RSVP at 672-4848.

On Monday and Tuesdays, Cinco de Mayo Mexican Grill will donate 50 percent of the amount you spend to Clayton Valley High School’s Grad Night. Tell the clerk you are supporting the CVHS Grad Night fundraiser.

5415 Clayton Road, Clayton. Call Pamela at 671-2201.

Each session includes presentations, hands-on activities and a hike. For children 7-12, plus one accompanying parent. 1-4 p.m. Saturdays.

Program is free, but park entrance required. Contact Steve at 362-8697 or SAE612@msn.com.

May 8 Mangini Ranch Moonlight Hike Learn how you can help preserve this open space. Meet at 7:45 p.m. at Galindo Creek. Moderate, two-hour hike. Heavy rain cancels. Contact Dave at earlyrider@earthlink.net or www.savemountdiablo.org.

GOVERNMENT

April 28 Mt. Diablo Board of Education

April 14, 28 Clayton Planning Commission

Includes the Canto Bello Handbell Ensemble of Clayton and the Heartsong women’s chorale group. 4 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5555 Clayton Road, Clayton.

Gourmet dessert following. Freewill offering.

7:30 p.m., Dent Center, 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. 682-8000 or www.mdusd.org.

7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.

Close by

The Clayton Community Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. 673-0659 or www.claytonlibrary.org.

April 15 “Scandinavian Connection”

Through May 21 Picture Book Time

May 3 Tapestry

Steven Applegate

Featuring the Contra Costa Wind Symphony. 7:30 p.m., Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. ccwindsymphony.org or 943-7469.

AT THE LIBRARY

Through May 26 Patty Cakes

Diablo Actors Ensemble ends its season with the hysterical farce. $10-$25.

1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. www.diabloactors.com or 482-5110.

Storytime for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver. 11 a.m.

Tuesdays.

Members of the Teen Theatre Company present music from the Broadway hit “Wicked.” 7 and 9 p.m. April 24, 2 and 7 p.m. April 26. Shadelands Auditorium, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. $12-$15. 943-5846.

Through April 26 “On Golden Pond” The enduring relationship between a couple who’ve been together more than 50 years.

Willows Theatre, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. 798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.com.

Through April 26 “Evita” Contra Costa Musical Theatre’s biography of Argentinean First Lady Eva Peron. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. www.ccmt.org or call 943-SHOW.

April 24-May 3 “MAD BAD” Dance and Film Festival Moving Arts Dance and Motion Pictures San Francisco. Dances 8 p.m. April 24-25 and May 1-2. Films 4 and 8 p.m. April 26 and May 3. 1281-C Franquette Ave., Concord. 825-8399 or www.movingartsdance.org or motionpictures-sf.com.

April 30-May 3 Spring Art Show and Sale Featuring Civic Arts Education and the Clay Arts Guild. 5-9 p.m. April 30, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. May 1-2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 3. Jewelry, paintings, photography and wearable art, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. Pottery and ceramics, 1313 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-5846.

May 1 Tapestry Includes the Canto Bello Handbell Ensemble of Clayton and the Heartsong women’s chorale group. 7:30 p.m., Walnut Creek United Methodist Church, 1543 Sunnyvale Ave. Pie party to follow concert. Freewill offering.

Through May 3 “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” A comic musical fable of the heartland. Willows Cabaret at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $22-$32. 798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.org

May 16 Handbell Concert Featuring the Ringing Bells, LVs and handbell soloist Carol Smith of Clayton. 4 p.m., Walnut Creek United Methodist Church. 543 Sunnyvale Ave. Free.

SCHOOLS April 10 CVHS Faculty vs. Students Basketball Game Students in Clayton Valley High School’s Public Service Academy are sponsoring a faculty vs. varsity boys/girls basketball game to benefit Children’s Hospital Oakland. 6 p.m., CVHS gym, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. Contact Amanda at 672-0930 or amandammoore_30@yahoo.com.

April 22 Diablo View Eighth Grade Promotion Committee 6 p.m., Diablo View Middle School Library, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

Contact Carla at 673-7212 or mckneer@aol.com

April 24 CVHS Benefit Auction for Technology Hors d’oeuvres, a dessert bar, auction items and more. Sponsored by the Clayton Valley High School Parent Faculty Club. 6:30-9:30 p.m., Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. $30. Contact Alison at 408-7457 or cvhspfc@comcast.net.

Junior Volleyball: For 6th-8th grade, beginning to intermediate players. All practices and matches are played for one hour on Saturdays. April 25-June 13. $113, or $123 non-resident.

Youth Soccer: For preschool through third grade. Introduce your child to the game. Children will need shin guards and tennis shoes. All practices and games are played for one hour on Saturdays. April 25-June 13. $113, or $123 non-resident.

Youth Tee Ball: For preschool through first grade. Introduce

Clayton Business and Community Association Meets 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of the month, except holidays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272.

Clayton Valley Garden Club

April 16 “Make a Book” Craft and Stories For ages 3-9, in honor of National Library Week. Sign up in advance. 11 a.m.

May 7 Mother’s Day Stories and Crafts For ages 3-6. Sign up in advance. 11 a.m.

May 9 Reading Festival

Meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. Contact Dorothy at 672-2526 or www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org.

Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Meets 9:30 a.m. for coffee, 10 a.m. meetings, second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 Alberta Way, Concord.

Call Joyce at 672-3850.

Contra Costa Blue Star Moms Meets 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month, Concord Police Station Community Room, 1350 Galindo St. Members have sons and daughters in uniform. Visit ccbluestarmoms.org or call Becky at 286-1728.

At 10:30 a.m., Susan Elya will present “Learn to Rhyme in English and Spanish with Eight Animals,” a poetry program for grades 1-3. At 1:30 p.m., Dina Rasor will present a program about her most recent work, “Betraying our Troops.” dthomas@ccclib.org.

Contra Costa Chess Club

May 18 How to Survive in Tough Times

Contra Costa Mineral and Gem Society

Consultant Randall Shores will discuss how small businesses can survive and prosper in a down economy. 7-9 p.m. Free. Register at tinyurl.com/7phv8x.

Gaming Gear for Teen Programs The county library is seeking donations of games and gaming equipment in good working condition. Donations accepted at any library.

FUND-RAISERS/VOLUNTEERS April 18 Festival of Tables and Fashions Featuring fashions by Macy’s, the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club fundraiser benefits local charities and scholarships. 11 a.m., Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 Alberta Way, Concord. $30. RSVP with Doris at 672-1696.

May 3 Paws on Parade A one-mile fundraising walk to help save abandoned dogs and cats. 8:3010 a.m. registration, walk at 10:30 a.m., Broadway Plaza. Walnut Creek.

Create a Webpage at www.firstgiving.com/tlrarf or gather pledges in advance.

Meets 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton.

Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mike at 639-1987 or www.uschess.org.

Meets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. April 13: “Mammoths, Meteorites and Supernovae” with astrophysicist Richard Firestone. 779-0698 or http://ccmgs.org.

Creekside Artists Guild Meets 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, Clayton Library Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emerging and experienced are welcome. Contact Arlene at 673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com. Or www.creeksideartists.org.

Diablo Valley Macintosh Users Group Meets 6:30-9 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. Bancroft Elementary School, 2700 Parish Dr., Walnut Creek. 689-1155 or www.dvmug.org.

Diablo Valley Democratic Club Meets 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month. April 15: “Deciphering the Propositions on the May Ballot.” Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek. 946-0469 or www.dvdems.org.

Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Meets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. Contact Chuck at 689-7640 or www.claytonvalleyrotary.org.

May 3 ARF’s Animals on Broadway

Scrabble Club

A free festival celebrating people and pets. Silly Pet Tricks and Best Dressed Doggie contests, live music, K9 demonstrations and the ARF adoption mobile. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek. www.arf.net.

Meets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. All ages and skill levels welcome. $3 fee. Call Mike at 639-1987 or www.scrabble-assoc.com.

Through May 7 Contra Costa Blue Star Moms Care Packages

Sons In Retirement (SIR)

The group is collecting items for canine care packages for our troops’ service dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Towels, Kong balls, sturdy tug toys, rawhides, chews, tennis balls, dog treats, portable water bowls and stainless food/water pans. Drop off at 6078 Main St., Clayton. Call Sherry at 672-2547.

VFW Post 1525

Children’s Hospital Magnolia Branch The group is looking for volunteers for the Rubber Ducky Race on Aug. 30 at Waterworld. Meetings 7-9 p.m. the first Monday of the month in Concord. Contact Lori at 998-8844 or lori@lorihagge.com.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program For those 55+. Your professional skills can assist local non-profit agencies weather the current economic storm. Contact Margaret at 472-5777.

NATURE April 18 Three Springs Flower Walk A mostly gentle hike. 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at MP14, pullout parking at top of grade on Marsh Creek Road, Clayton. Heavy rain cancels. Contact Sue at 254-4077 or sjwatson@att.net. Or www.savemountdiablo.org.

April 26 Nimitz Way Trail-Inspiration Point 10:30 a.m. Paved trail is dog, stroller and child friendly. Sponsored by the East Bay Casual Hiking Group. Heavy rain cancels. Contact John at 2724321 or http://hiking.bondon.com.

Clayton Community Recreation All events are at the Clayton YMCA, 700 Gym Court, unless otherwise noted. Visit mdrymca.org or call 889-1600.

7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.

CLUBS

Storytime for 3- to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiver. 11 a.m. Thursdays.

April 17-May 17 “No Sex Please, We’re British”

April 24-26 “A Wicked Night of Cabaret”

April 21 Clayton City Council

your child to baseball and join them on the field. Children will need a glove. All practices and games are played for one hour on Saturdays. April 25-June 13. $113, or $123 non-resident.

Birthdays at the Y: Choose one of the themed parties and let the YMCA do the rest. Basic package includes a two-hour party, with tables and chairs set up in party room. YMCA staff member present to assist during party. You provide all food, drink, paper products and decorations. $150, or $200 non-resident. Other options include a Bounce House Party, Art Party or a Sport Court Party. Or work with the coordinator to create the party of your child’s dreams.

Meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. 429-3777.

Meets 9-11 a.m. April 11, Veteran Memorial Hall, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. The club will host an Easter morning breakfast, 8-11 a.m. April 12. Call Commander Pete at 255-3449.

Widows/Widowers Meets for dinner, brunch, theater, etc. This is not a dating service nor is it a greiving class - just a way to meet other people. Contact Lori at 998-8844 or lori@lorihagge.com.

Page 20

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April 10, 2009

Spring brings … whatever style you like Short skirts, long dresses, sandals, the nautical look – fashion is pretty much all over the map this year. However, there are a couple of trends that are very visible this season.

Retro is the key, whether its classic ’50s or funky ’80s.

Having a couple of pairs of great sandals will be a necessity.

The gladiator sandal was in last year and back this year. I have an adorable pair of old schoolred Salt Water sandals that I can’t wait to wear. So don’t waste your time with flip flops; go ahead and grab the sandals.

Ruffles and bows also are appearing everywhere. They’re fun and feminine but tend to make you look big and bulky, so pay attention to what looks good on you. And ladies, don’t overdo it. By that I mean don’t wear a bow on your shirt, purse

CHAR HOLIDAY

FASHION FILE and in your hair. It’s kind of like when you see the women with the leopard print shirt, purse and shoes it’s just too much.

Bright colors will grace the stores – fuchsia pink, yellow and aqua blues reminiscent of the ’80s. We will still see classic black and white. And last year’s metallic purses and shoes will be in play again, so be sure to get

those out.

Long dresses are still popular. I have noticed a slight twist to this year’s long dress – the length is to the ankle and they are slightly fitted. Last year, the length was to the floor with a flowing fit. Pick a style complementary to you and wear a great pair of sandals or sexy, stacked heels.

Dressing age appropriate is always in style. Just because your daughter is wearing it doesn’t mean you should. Just because they make it in your size doesn’t mean you should buy it. Wear appropriate undergarments and buy clothes that fit.

And just because you can get it on does not mean that it fits.

Be aware of how you look and what looks good on you.

The No.1 must-have for the season is sunblock with an

SPF30 or higher. Remember sunblock, not sunscreen. Any kind will do; mine is in my facial moisturizer and I use waterproof Neutrogena on the rest of my body.

If your guy is a little light on top or completely bald, be sure to remind him to use sunblock on his head as well as his face. It doesn’t make him metro; it makes him smart.

Have fun creating your own look or following the trends. It really doesn’t matter, as long as you look in the mirror and like what you see.

Char Holiday is an experienced fashioner and advertising professional, working with such lines as Estee Lauder, Smash Box Cosmetics and Liz Claiborne. She is also a marketing consultant to many local businesses. Contact her at askcholiday@yahoo.com.

‘Pond’ leaves audience wanting more LOU FANCHER Special to the Pioneer

Dying and acting on stage have this in common: The idea of engaging in either activity leaves most of us shaking in our shoes. Isn’t it a marvel then, that playwright Ernest Thompson captured both in one clean, award-winning, swoop?

“On Golden Pond,” written

by Thompson at the age of 28 during a gap between acting jobs, was originally produced off-Broadway in 1978. Thirty years later, the play has spread to theaters and film screens across the United States, sprouting Tony’s, Golden Globes and Academy Awards like dandelions in spring grass.

Now on stage at the Willows Theatre in Concord, the production receives a spirited, good-humored performance.

The play’s story is simple.

Norman and Ethel, an aging couple, spend their 48th season in their summer home on a lake in New England. Married for more than 50 years, they find words pass between them at times swift and smooth, as if spread by a butter knife – at others, serrated, leaving jagged scars only forgiveness may heal.

The arrival of their daughter, Chelsea, with her fiancé and his teen son in tow, pushes the family portrait into a tighter frame. Tensions, fueled by old wounds, rise to the surface.

Chelsea and her fiancé soon depart for Europe, leaving the boy with his not-quite grandparents. With good books, fishing poles and great humor, the three experience a kind of renaissance. The play closes with bittersweet resolve: Ethel and

Photo courtesy of the Willows Theatre

Stu Klitsner and Barbara Grant (seated) play Ethel and Norman Thayer along with Cynthia Rogers Baggott as their daughter Chelsea in “On Golden Pond.”

Norman accepting the prospect of death, Chelsea and her father finding hope in their just-begun reconciliation.

Barbara Grant is outstanding as the sturdy, tougher-thanleather Ethel. It’s not only her years of stage experience and a resumé with wallop that makes her convincing as the wife, mother and grandmother of your dreams. It’s the way she inhabits the role – adjusting her jacket at just the right moment

or turning in breathless wonder at the call of a loon.

Stu Klitsner as the aging Norman has the best lines and broadest trajectory of change in the production. His character’s transformation is gradual, even subtle, especially in the hands of this capable, easy actor. Klitsner’s only fault may be that he is so likable: It’s difficult to see the curmudgeon within the perfect delivery of his dry, comedic lines, or the stiffness of old age in his

agile, fluid physicality.

Perhaps his congeniality is actually a plus, for when Norman’s youthful spirit is unleashed by their teen visitor, Klitsner makes it believable.

Live theater is made complete not by additional starring actors, but by a strong supporting cast. Cynthia Rogers Baggot, Edward Hightower, Matthew Purdon and Blake Rosier stand out with their enthusiastic performances.

The set design by Nina Ball, graced with family photos, mismatched furniture and a collection of truly horrible hats, places us comfortably and convincingly in a summer home.

Richard Elliot directs gently, allowing Thompson’s words to occupy center stage.

In these capable hands, this fine piece of theater promises a delightful evening. The only regret is the final curtain. Dying and acting, they have that in common.

“On Golden Pond” plays through April 19 at the Willows Theatre, 1975 Diamond Blvd, Concord. For tickets, visit www.willowstheatre.org or call 798-1300.

Willows Cabaret hitches up to new musical set in trailer park GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer

“The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” the latest offering at the Willows Cabaret in Martinez, is superbly trashy, tacky and full of laughs. It celebrates all those guilty pleasures you look for on late-night cable TV. The comic musical by Betsy Kelso, with music and lyrics by David Nehls, plays April 6 through May 3. The show sports a script and a score that’s been wowing audiences since its premiere at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2004. One critic describes it as “South Park” meets “Desperate Housewives.”

The Willows production is directed by Larry Tobias and stars Chris Blisset and Amanda Ryan Paige – the same trio who scored a hit in last year’s “Pump Boys and Dinettes” in Martinez.

The story of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” is ripped right from the tabloids at the Safeway checkout. When Pippi, a stripper on the run, moves into Armadillo Acres (Florida’s most exclusive trailer park), things take a turn for the

Photo courtesy Willows Theatre Company

Janine Burgener (Lin), Jessica Payne (Betty), and Jenny Angell (Pickles) in “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” at the Willows Cabaret in Martinez.

zany. Jeannie, a Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic, and her toll-booth collecting husband find themselves pulled apart by Pippi’s appearance, and the fun begins.

It’s a musical romp through the mysteries of kleptomania, hysterical pregnancy, a broken electric chair, ’80s nostalgia, road kill and spray cheese.

Featured songs include “This Side of the Tracks,”

“Flushed Down the Pipes,” “Road Kill” and “That’s Why I Love My Man.” The cast also features Erin Hoffman, Janine Burgener, Jessica Payne, Jenny Angell and Michael Scott Wells.

The Campbell Theatre is a cabaret setting with tableside service at 636 Ward St., Martinez. For tickets and show times, call 798-1300 or visit www.willowstheatre.org.

April 10, 2009

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 21

How not to boil eggs and other egg ideas LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

Hen eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs, ostrich eggs – they’re all waiting to be part of your next culinary masterpiece.

In recent years, eggs have gotten a bum rap for cholesterol, digestibility, salmonella

When you need to separate eggs, it’s better to do so when they are still cold from the refrigerator. But if you are looking for the most volume from your whipped egg whites, then wait until they come to room temperature.

The Pavlova appeared in the Southern Hemisphere in the late 1920s. The creator is unknown, but it’s widely accepted that the dessert was named after Russian prima ballerina Anna Matveyevna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New

Zealand around that time. Her ballet skills were legend and she was reputedly “lighter than air” fitting for a meringue.

Do you get rubbery whites and a funky green ring around

the yolk when you hard-boil eggs? Join the crowd that believes an egg can never be boiled enough.

If you actually boil an egg, you risk cracking the shell and overcooking it – hence rubbery egg whites. The best way to hard-boil an egg is to place it in a saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, let the water come to a boil, then take the pan off the heat, cover and let the egg sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.

Transfer the egg to an ice bath (with enough water to cover the egg, along with several ice cubes) for 10 minutes.

Hard-cooked eggs will peel better if they are a couple of weeks old. But, really, how old are the eggs you purchase? Place an egg in cold, salted water – a generous tablespoon of salt in one cup of cold water should do the trick. If it sinks, the egg is really fresh. If it remains suspended in the water, it’s a couple of weeks old. If it floats, it’s time to toss it.

Linda Wyner, a local attorney and foodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmet cookware store and cooking school in Pleasanton.

Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

MERINGUE PAVLOVA 4 medium egg whites ½ c. + 2 T. superfine sugar 1¼ c. powdered sugar Topping: 3 c. whipped cream 2 c. fruit, sliced or cut into chunks

CAESAR DRESSING 1 egg yolk 1/8 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 T. lemon juice 1 small clove (or half a clove) garlic, crushed 1 tsp. fish sauce or ½ tsp. anchovy paste 5 T. olive oil 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese (more to taste) Freshly ground pepper

Club News CLAYTON BLUE DEVILS HONORED Clayton resident Emily Nunn was named Performer of the Year Award for the Blue Devils Winter Color Guard. She is a student at Clayton Valley High School. The award was presented March 28 by the California Color Guard Circuit.

Clayton resident Tanya Trowbridge, also a student at CVHS, won a scholarship from the California Color Guard Circuit.

The Blue Winter Color Guard won first place at the California Circuit Color Guard Championships with a score of 82.5.

The Blue Devils B and C Drum & Bugle Corps are now accepting color guard members for the summer programs. For more information, call 689-2918.

CLAYTON VALLEY WOMAN’S CLUB The club will hold its fourth annual Festival of Tables and Fashions at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 18, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 Alberta Way, Concord.

The event features beautifully decorated themed tables. The fashion show is by Macy’s, with lunch catered by Rick’s on Second. Raffles and tickets for prizes will be available.

Proceeds benefit the club’s service projects and charities, including the Clayton Community Library, the Clayton and Concord historical societies as well as a four-year scholarship to graduates of Clayton Valley High School.

Tickets are $30. Seating is limited. For reservations, call Doris at 672-1696.

Eggs, from page 1 commissioned by Russian Czar Alexander III to make a special Easter gift to his wife, the Empress Marie. The first Fabergé egg was a bejeweled metal oval that opened to reveal an inner gold “yolk” that itself opened to show a golden chicken and a miniature imperial crown. The empress was so impressed that Alexander III and later his heir, Czar Nicholas II, ordered a new egg each year. Faberge made more than 50 ornate eggs during his career, each worth far more than a king’s ransom today.

The Pennsylvania Dutch settlers are credited with bringing the craft of decorating eggs to America, where they used bark and onion roots for coloring. It’s not difficult to use old-time dyeing techniques – extracting colors from vegetables, flowers, fruits, coffee, tea, leaves, roots and even colored tissue paper.

Just boil a pot of water with the coloring agent, add the eggs and a teaspoon of white vinegar. Allow the eggs to steep until tinted.

Put the egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice and crushed garlic in a bowl and blend with a whisk until very smooth.

Add the fish sauce or anchovy paste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it is well combined. Add the Parmesan cheese and up to 2 T. water to reach desired consistency.

For a special presentation, toss the dressing with chopped romaine, garlic croutons, white anchovies and a medium-soft poached egg.

Eggs are essential in classic emulsion sauces such as hollandaise, mayonnaise and sabayon. Egg yolks also can enrich salad dressings.

Strawberry Meringue Pavlova

and so forth. In reality, they’re a powerhouse of nutrition – full of protein, vitamins and minerals, only 78 calories and easy to cook.

In Forrest Gump style, there are boiled eggs, poached eggs, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, baked eggs and omelets. Eggs are also the foundation for soufflés, custards, ice creams, meringues, sponges and sauces.

Their flavor comes from the yolk; egg whites are flavorless.

Beat the egg whites with a balloon whisk until they form soft peaks. While whisking constantly, slowly sprinkle in the sugar. Continue to whisk for 10 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and shiny and holds a firm point on the whisk when you lift it out of the mixture.

(You can use an electric mixer to protect your arm.)

Preheat the oven to 300.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the meringue into a rough disk about 8½ inches in diameter and 2 inches high. Bake 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 250 and bake another 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the Pavlova inside to cool for six to eight hours. It will be somewhat undercooked in the middle but dry and slightly cracked on the outside.

Top the Pavlova with 3 cups whipped cream and 2 cups of your favorite fruit. Dust with powdered sugar for a finishing touch.

For more than 100 years, less resourceful and more mundane egg decorators have relied on PAAS Egg Dye to decorate egg masterpieces.

The original PAAS Easter egg dye was invented by American William Townley, who owned a drug store in Newark, N.J. In the late 1800s, Townley developed dye tablets in five cheery tints. He sold the tablets to his neighbors, who combined the tablets with water and white vinegar to dye Easter eggs.

Eventually, he founded the PAAS Dye Co., named after the Pennsylvania Dutch term “Passen,” for Easter.

According to the company’s Website, more than 10 million Easter egg coloring kits are sold each season – enough to color 180 million eggs.

Before – or instead of – eating your creations, you might try some old-fashioned games. For an egg toss, pair off into teams and line up opposite each other separated by a few feet. Each partner tosses an egg to the other. If it breaks, the team is out. The others move on to the next

round – stepping farther apart and repeating the toss. This continues until there is only one team with an unbroken egg.

Alternatively, roll painted eggs down steep hills on Easter Sunday like they do in Scotland. Or roll them along a flat lawn with a spoon as is more common here in the United States. See who gets to the finish line first.

Or you can dance a “hopegg,” where the eggs are set on the ground or floor and the goal is to dance among them without damaging them. Or try “egg jarping,” where contestants try to hit and break opponents’ eggs with their own.

Just don’t do what my mom was justly renowned for – hiding eggs for an Easter hunt in really hard places and then forgetting where they are. We had to wait a week or more for our noses to finally locate the missing eggs.

So, how did the Easter bunny enter the seasonal picture? The best possibility is that the name Easter is derived from the German goddess of spring, Eostre, whose animal companion was the hare who brought her rainbow-colored eggs each spring.

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Page 22

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 10, 2009

Lovely ceanothus a welcome sign of spring LONG BLOOMING SEASON Ceanothus Skylark will reach 3-6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It’s easier to handle in tighter landscapes but a little harder to find at nurseries. Skylark has a dark blue bloom and an extended blooming season, surpassing some of its cousins. This plant has a larger leaf, stretching to 2 inches long.

Mix Skylark with pink rockrose and golden sunset breath of heaven. The pinks and blues will be a simple landscape statement.

Some ceanothus can easily be considered small trees. Ray Hartman is a variety found at nearly every garden center. Be aware that this plant can reach 12-20 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide. When young, it may look the same as Skylark but it is definitely not and should

The Clayton Valley area is experiencing a sea of ceanothus.

This evergreen native is gracing our yards, hillsides and easements.

The blue clusters of flowers are a familiar sight this time of year. It means spring is here.

The bees and butterflies love it, and so should you.

Planted in the right place, this stable evergreen is rewarding and easy, tolerating heat, drought and sun. It is perfect from many landscapes.

Ceanothus is commonly referred to as the California lilac. It has clusters of blue, lilac and sometimes white. Even though the flower is smaller than the traditional European lilac, it makes its appearance at the same time thus its common name.

VARIETY OF SIZES Ceanothus is one of those families of plants with many different eventual sizes to offer.

Depending on the variety, you can expect groundcover, many sizes of shrubs or a small tree, so be cautious when selecting.

Ceanothus is usually offered in one- to five-gallon sizes. They all look the same when young, so read descriptions and ask questions to insure your selection is what you want.

Ceanothus Carmel Creeper is an easy to find moderately tall, arching groundcover. Once mature, you can expect height from 1½ to 2½ feet tall and 610 feet wide. This Ceanothus is for a wide planting area or hillside, not a walkway.

Carmel Creeper has glossy deep green leaves and light blue 1-inch cluster flowers throughout the spring, with a slight fall display. Plant this evergreen where it can become what it

Ceonothus California Lilac wants to be. Heavy pruning to control this native will leave the landscape woody and unsightly.

MAKING A STATEMENT Yankee Point is another Ceanothus that you may consider when looking for a spreading groundcover. This selection also grows 2-3 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide, but the flowers are a medium blue which is a little more pronounced and dramatic in a landscape. It’s great paired with bold yellows from the Jerusalem Sage or bright reds from the New Zealand Tea Trees.

Julia Phelps is an excellent choice for those looking for a shrub-sized ceanothus that reaches 4-7 feet tall and wide. The

leaves are small and dark green.

Julia is great planted on banks and slopes or as a focal point in a dry, native style garden. This ceanothus has been called one of the best color choices and bloomers. With its dark indigo clusters, it is an amazing performer.

Dark Star is another excellent ceanothus, and some may argue that it is better than Julia Phelps.

Dark Star has tiny dark green leaves and cobalt blue flowers.

The blooms are actually larger than the leaves. It is a powerhouse in a landscape.

Even though its height is similar to Phelps, the width can exceed your expectations, so be aware.

be installed accordingly. This tree will look shaggy when young, so you’ll need to train the bottom branches and help it become the tree it wants to be.

During the spring, medium blue clusters appear. They are larger, matching the eventual growth, and measure 3-5 inches long.

GO FOR THE GRAY Cliff Schmidt is another ceanothus selection that can reach 15-20 feet tall and wide.

Cliff will be fabulous on a hill or slope surrounded with underlying lavender. When Cliff blooms, the flowers are powder blue clusters that extend to 5 inches long. They contrast the dark green foliage, while matching the downy white undersides of the leaves.

Cabinets, from page 11 that the price of upper end, premade cabinets, including many of these extra costs, tends to be similar or just slightly less than custom-made cabinets. Of course, it is always wise to get more than one bid for custom cabinets, as prices will vary.

For custom cabinets, many of the same rules apply. Be sure of what you’re getting for the price, but a good cabinet company will include most of these items in their bid.

The biggest advantage of a good custom cabinet builder is that you will get exactly what you want and need. The premade cabinets can’t offer that.

Let’s say you have an 87-inch space between two walls that you would like to have filled

with cabinets. A retailer would have to sell you a 48-inch cabinet, a 36-inch cabinet and a 3inch filler piece, or some other combination. With a custom builder, that space can be filled with one cabinet, giving it a cleaner look.

Perhaps you want an odd angled cabinet or a corner rounded or angled. Most of the time, that isn’t available with pre-made cabinets.

Center islands are popular and can be the focal point of a kitchen. Retailers are limited on what they can offer. I’ve seen as many as 12 cabinets pieced together to build one island. A good custom builder can create a beautiful island of just about any design, with far

georgevujnovich.com

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL This selection is very impressive, and the results are striking when it’s installed with other gray-foliaged plants. Mix in red leaves from the barberry plant, and you are finished.

Plant some ceanothus if you have the space; you’ll be glad that you did.

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

fewer seams.

The best thing you can do when deciding what route to take with your kitchen remodel is to ask people who have been through the process. If they had custom cabinets installed, were they satisfied with the builder?

Did the builder pay close attention to small details? Was it done in a timely manner? Would they use that builder again?

Also, ask a builder for references and check out their work.

You’ll spend a good amount of money, no matter what route you choose. Do as much research as possible to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.

Bob Maes, owner of Wooden’ It Be Nice, is a custom woodworking contractor with over 22 years experience. Call for your free estimate.

(925) 673-5595.

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