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March 11, 2011
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Bike safety program brings ‘Peace on the Streets’ to DVMS TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
DAVE SHUEY
MAYOR’S CORNER
City budget healthy at mid-year Nothing monumental going on so taking a stroll around a few items of interest to some, of no interest to others, and producing a “yawn” to most. We had our mid-year budget review meeting. Our Finance Director, Merry Pelletier, together with a Council subcommittee, reviewed, crunched numbers and adjusted as necessary, before giving a written and oral report to the Council at the March 1 meeting. All of the public who were at the meeting (“zero” without casting aspersions) know, but the rest of the 11,431 in the city
See Mayor, page 7
MDUSD grants easement for parking lot expansion MDUSD has agreed to grant Clayton an easement needed to expand the Clayton Community Park parking lot. The trustees approved the easement 4-1 at their board meeting last week, just days ahead of the deadline for the city to submit its application for the Measure WW money that will fund the project. Earlier, the school district staff had turned down Clayton’s request for the easement. City Manager Gary Napper believes the district was holding up the easement until the city paid some $11,000 in disputed custodian fees for the Clayton Community Gym. The two issues are unrelated says Napper, and should never have been linked. The city and MDUSD are currently negotiating the disputed charges. “We’re moving forward,” says Councilwoman Julie
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
A WEEK-LONG BICYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM SPONSORED BY 511 CONTRA COSTA received an enthusiastic reception at DVMS. Students learned to negotiate tricky road conditions on a short course that simulated the approach and intersection in front of the school. At the end of the week, they were rewarded with a BMX stunt show by the Clayton Bikes team.
See Bike Safety, page 6
Cal State East Bay anniversary Creekside Arts brings includes honor for Garaventa art and nature together JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Cal State University East Bay Concord Campus, “the best kept secret in Contra Costa County,” celebrated its 30th anniversary late last month. The ceremony drew nearly every elected official from the
area and included the conferring of an honorary doctorate to business and civic leader Sil Garaventa Jr. Cal State president Mohammad H. Qayoumi and a procession of two dozen faculty, staff and alumni in cap and gowns ascended a temporary stage at the Hilton Concord
See Easement, page 5
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
Kids at Diablo View Middle School are a whole lot more “road wise” this week after a 5day bike education program sponsored by 511 Contra Costa. “Peace on the Streets...Ride On” kicked off on Monday, Feb. 28, when students gathered on the basketball courts for some basic bike safety lessons. Students learned how to correctly don their helmets and how to do a quick bicycle safety check by bouncing their bikes on the ground before mounting. “You know your bikes better than anyone,” said instructor Diane Sarafine. “Listen for loose screws or rattles before you take off.” Students then climbed aboard imaginary bikes and followed instructor Matt Dove around a short course where they learned to enter the road from a driveway and to safely negotiate intersections and to move across three lanes of fast moving traffic.
Photo by Stephanie Secrest, CSUEB
CONCORD BUSINESS AND CIVIC MAINSTAY SIL GARAVENTA JR. (center) was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Cal State East Bay President Mohammad Qayoumi (left) and Robert Linscheid, vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the California State University. The recent ceremony at Hilton Concord Hotel was in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Concord Campus.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Hotel for the stirring anniversary ceremony. The commemoration of the founding of the Concord campus included short commentaries and a performance by the Cal State East Bay Singers. The lunch’s highlight was when Robert Linscheid, vice chair of the Cal State board of trustees, and Qayoumi conferred the honorary doctor of humane letters degree to Garaventa. Linscheid, an Antioch native, recounted how he attended Diablo Valley College at the same time as his mother, but “my mom always got better grades than me.” He finally took to heart her admonition that he needed to “attend class and study” in order to do well in school. The honorary doctorate was fitting for the homegrown civic leader, who was also celebrating his personal victory over cancer. Cal State officials called Garaventa last spring when he was on a long-planned family vacation in Italy to accept the degree at the June 2010 commencement. He had recently
See Garaventa, page 8
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“Inspirations for a Better World…Past, Present, Future” was the theme for the 8th annual Creekside Arts Celebration, which also marks the 16th
anniversary of the Clayton Community Library. The festival drew more than 30 artists, See Creekside Arts, page
3
WATERCOLOR ARTIST LESLIE WILSON SET UP HER EASEL outside behind the Keller House for a Plein Air Painting demonstration. Plein Air simply means painting outdoors, she explained. She kept up a running discussion of color and light with spectators and soon the old barns began to materialize on her canvas. Wilson took both a first and a third place in the Mixed Media category of the juried art show and walked away with the award for Best Composition.
Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Pioneer Photo Album . . . . . . . . . . .16 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16