Get Fit in 2010 See Page 19
IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
January 22, 2010
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Husband and wife Marines come home to warm Clayton reception HANK STRATFORD
MAYOR’S CORNER Mayor calls for citywide plan to build character First of all, thank you to all who shared their wish lists and/or suggestions for Clayton. The ideas ranged from an aquatic park with slides and an indoor pool for winter use to a citywide fitness challenge. More activities for seniors was suggested, along with a program to collect locally grown fruits and vegetables to give to the food bank. Another suggestion was to raise money for local schools through a fundraiser similar to the Primo’s Run for Education in Danville. Some of these suggestions could be implement by volunteers willing to take the lead (hint, hint). Several years ago, while I was
See Mayor, page 8
FBI warns against Haitian Earthquake Relief fraud The FBI today reminds Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following: Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages. Be skeptical of individuals
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
See Fraud, page 6
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
JEFF EMMANUEL (LEFT) COMMANDER OF THE LIVERMORE VFW POST said all he wanted when he got out of the service was a cold beer. He happily presented Karie Mason Stephens and her husband Staff Sergeant Peter Stephens with two sixpacks of Blue Star Ale at their recent homecoming reception. The Stephens’ sons Michael (standing) and Mason joined opted for cookies instead. Emmanuel served in the Persian Gulf. JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
While a senior at Northgate High School in 2002, Clayton’s Karie Mason decided that college wasn’t for her. She believed she could use her musical talent
playing the flute as an entrée to the U.S. Marine Corps. On Jan. 5, she returned to her hometown after four years active duty and four years in the Marine Reserves. This wasn’t your ordinary homecoming to visit her family
home in downtown Clayton. Her proud parents Franklin and Christina Mason and siblings Annie, Frankie and Paul were there, of course, but so were about 100 others. The Lafayette Flag Brigade hastily organized a surprise for Clayton’s returning
vet that included a Warrior Husband Peter Stephens, a Watch Riders motorcycle escort, Marine Corps drill instructor, a majority of the Clayton City and their two sons, Michael and Council, the police chief, mem- Mason, were there too. It all took bers of Blue Star Moms and the Karie by surprise. Veterans of Foreign Wars and A giant American flag added more family, friends and local residents. See Homecoming, page 3
Clayton man wins Emmy for sound work LOU FANCHER Clayton Pioneer
It’s an unexpected pleasure to consider an accomplished man and see the child he once was. To sense not just the list of awards or years of employment, but the boy, mouth agape, captured by the wonder of sound. Clayton resident Jeff Riedmiller, director of the sound platform group at Dolby Laboratories, is like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to listening. “My mother still has pictures of me with a little stool next to an old record player,” he says. “I’m up on my tippy-toes with my head down in the stereo system.” Picking up a guitar in junior
high school increased his passion, and his dream of being a sound engineer is recorded for posterity in his high school yearbook. Riedmiller’s curiosity, the drive to explore how sound is created, captured, stored and played back, burns with youthful intensity. Decades later, he is exuberant not about winning awards, but about the human ear and the aspects of listening to language that unite us. In addition to owning patents and writing numerous trade articles, he is also an Emmy recipient. Riedmiller and his coworkers created the Dolby LM100 and DP600, intelligent loudness correction tools that measure and normalize audio
See Riedmiller, page 4
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
JEFF RIEDMILLER (RIGHT) WAS IN GOOD COMPANY at the last technical Emmy awards when he stood with Astronaut “Buzz” Aldrin. Riedmiller received an award for his audio work at Dolby Laboratories. Aldrin accepted an Emmy on behalf of NASA for their achievement in broadcasting the first live pictures from the moon.
Clayton History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Pioneer Photo Album (New) . . . . . . . . . .6 Police Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7