ay d i l o H
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October 23, 2009
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Big event raises funds to save sports JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
They said it with their participation and in the colors of their shirts. The effort to Save High School Sports in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District received its biggest community boost last Sunday at Newhall Park when over 2,000 people turned out for the inaugural 5K Run/Walk sponsored by United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation, the fundraising and support group headed by Clayton Valley High School athletic director and Clayton resident Pat Middendorf. Event organizers originally hoped to attract 1,000 participants. By last Saturday night they closed off advance online registrations at 1,221. On Sunday they ran out of the 2,000 runner/walker numbers they had printed due to all the walk-up registrants. Former Clayton Valley High star Nathanael Litwiller, who ran an
JULIE PIERCE
MAYOR’S CORNER Boundary issues finally put to rest I want to thank our city staff for the considerable time and effort they’ve spent working with another regional agency, LAFCO. That’s the Local Agency Formation Commission, a state-created commission in each county responsible for overseeing local government boundary changes, including incorporation, annexations, and special district formations. Every five years LAFCO conducts Municipal Service Reviews (MSR) of all cities and special districts to determine whether the established boundaries continue to be appropriate.
See Mayor, page 5
Photos by Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
OVER 2,000 TURNED OUT LAST SUNDAY for the Save High School Sports 5K Run/Walk at Newhall Park. The event drew more than twice the anticipated participants and raised an estimated $50,000 for MDUSD athletic programs.
Resident spies burglar; police arrest two TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Two Concord men, 18 and 19, were arrested and a baby taken into custody on Oct. 1 when a botched burglary in Peacock Creek ended at police
gunpoint after a short pursuit by Clayton Police Cpl. Richard Enea. According to police, the victim was in his Inverness Way home about 4 p.m. when he heard noises outside. When he went to investigate, he found
that the side door had been kicked in and there was a man in his garage. He confronted the burglar, who punched the homeowner and ran to a waiting car. The homeowner flagged down a neighbor and the two
followed the suspects, calling police along the way. Enea was just leaving the police station when he got the call. He caught up to the suspects at Ygnacio Valley Road and followed them down Clayton Road to Bailey Road,
where the suspects pulled over. Enea held the men in the car at gunpoint until Sgt. Tim Marchut of Clayton PD and Hollie Sanson of the Concord K-9 unit arrived. As officers
See Burglar, page 4
See Walk, page 8
Assistant to city manager to run for county office ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
New Explorer joins dad and brother at Clayton PD DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
Photo courtesy of Richard McEachin Jr.
LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR with the McEachins as Whitney McEachin (right) joins her brother Richard III (left) in the Clayton Police Explorer program. Dad is Clayton Officer Richard McEachin Jr., Whitney and Richard III are the third generation to serve in law enforcement.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . .16 Deal with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . .5 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The McEachin family may have the bluest blood in Clayton. Police blue, that is. Members from three generations have served in law enforcement, and three members of the same family are currently part of the Clayton Police Department. Just a few weeks ago, Whitney, 14, followed in the family tradition when she joined her dad and older brother in the Clayton department. The family’s patriarch, retired police chief Richard McEachin, originally served as an officer in Antioch. He later became a chief in Kansas and then Washington State before retiring 38 years later. His son, Richard Jr., went on to join Clayton’s police department. Richard Jr.’s children, Richard
From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Holiday Shopping Guide . . . . . .10 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
III and Whitney, have donned the uniforms that identify them as part of Clayton’s elite team of volunteer Police Explorers. McEachin Jr. described the Explorers program as a win-win situation for its members and the city. “We really rely on those Explorers,” he said. “Being a small department, we need all the help we can get.” He cited the Explorers’ work at Clayton’s three biggest events, the Art & Wine Festival in May, the 4th of July parade and Oktoberfest. The volunteer program was brought to Clayton in 1991 by then Sgt. Rich Enea to give local teens insight into the life of a police officer. The senior McEachin says Explorers – and volunteers in general – gain invaluable experience just by the act of giving their time.
With a measure of cautious enthusiasm and a tinge of regret at leaving her Clayton post if she is successful, Laura Hoffmeister, Clayton’s assistant to the city manager, is planning to vie for the county supervisor seat that will be vacated next year. The current District 4 supervisor, Susan Bonilla, is making a bid for Tom Torlakson’s seat in the California Assembly. The election primary next June could well run off into a November election, with the
See Police, page 9
See Hoffmeister, page 7
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LAURA HOFFMEISTER
Theatre Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6