IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
July 29, 2011
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Solar brings savings to schools District is installing solar panels that will save $220 million. DAVE SHUEY
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
MAYOR’S CORNER
The first thing we do . . . . . . is kill all the lawyers. Well, Bill Shakespeare was obviously not talking about Clayton with that quote. Here in Clayton we have been inundated with lawyers as 21 law firms applied to be our second ever City Attorney. Our City Council sub-committee has whittled the 21 down to the best seven candidates and by the time you read this article we will have whittled them down further to a few that will get the honor and privilege
See Mayor, page 8 Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Clayton man is arrested for assaulting teens after house is vandalized
WORK CREWS AT CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL ARE WORKING HARD to complete the major portion of the solar panel installation project before school starts in late August. The entire structure should be completed by October.
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
See Arrest, page 4
See Solar, page 6
Buchanan Field says Come Fly with Me Concord airfield turns 65 with community birthday bash.
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
A 47-year-old father was arrested on felony assault charges and five out-of-town teens charged with vandalism after a midnight prank on July 21 went bad. According to Police Chief Dan Laurence, the teens, four of them juveniles and an 18-yearold driver, all from Port Costa and Vallejo, spread shaving cream, vinegar and pudding on the driveway and toilet-papered the yard of a Tiffin Drive home. The youths, all known to the 14year-old who lived in the house, drove away in a Honda sedan, but returned to the scene, “apparently to survey their handiwork,” says Laurence. They were spotted by the homeowner who police say chased the teens in his pickup to the end of North Mitchell Canyon Rd. where it dead-ends.
The Clayton Valley High School north parking lot may look like a disaster area this summer, but come the fall, it will be one of the bright spots in the new school year. Literally. Construction crews from SunPower corporation are tearing up the lot to install a large bank of solar panels at the school, part of the largest K-12 solar program in the nation. All 51 Mt. Diablo Unified School District schools are installing solar panels in some capacity, but the project at CVHS is one of the largest. The District’s solar program, implemented through Measure C funding and some state solar grants, involves the installation of ground-mounted shade and/or parking structures at the schools.
PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
IN CELEBRATION OF BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT’S 65TH ANNIVERSARY, Concord aviation artist Rhu A. Bigay created this oil painting of two vintage WW2 bombers. The B-17 and B-24 bombers in the painting have both visited Buchanan. Bigay’s aviation art will be on display during the airport’s anniversary event, Aug. 6..
Maureen Bell is a lousy pilot. At least that’s what she was told 40-odd years ago, soon after she began working at Buchanan Field in Concord. “I was told I had no sense of
direction,” she says. Of course, that she eventually married her flight instructor indicates there were no hard feelings. As well as the fact that Bell had a long career as a receptionist-cum-pilot-cum-Girl Friday at the airfield. And that now, in her retirement, she serves as president of the Mt. Diablo Pilots Association, the local non-profit group based out of Buchanan Field that supports aviation enthusiasts in the East Bay.
The group is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, which happens to coincide with an even greater milestone: the 65th anniversary of Buchanan Field Airport itself. So with Bell and the MDPA piloting the effort, so to speak, the group is throwing a birthday bash on Aug. 6 and inviting the public to see what they see – the joy that aviation brings.
See Buchanan, page 15
Clayton Gym filled with basketball action this summer JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
The sound of squeaky sneakers on the hardwood, the shrill referee’s whistle and squeals of joy for a winning basket are emanating from Clayton Community Gym each Saturday as the first All Out Sports League summer basketball program has proved a big hit for more than 120 kids. AOSL founder Casey Copeland is delighted with the league. “The people of Clayton have really shown a lot of interest in our youth basketball program. We are giving them exactly what they want: semicompetitive, highly organized, fundamental basketball with good referees.”
The summer basketball program began earlier this month with practices on Friday evening and games Saturday afternoons. Copeland was wearing many hats including refereeing games. After the second week of play he said, “The games have been exciting already. We had two games go into double overtime!” There are four teams in each of the divisions, Pee Wee (5-6 year-olds), Mighty Mite (7-9) and Bantam (10-14). About 20 percent of the players are girls. “We keep individual and player stats online for parents and players to view,” Copeland says. “We also provide quality uniforms that players get to keep.”
See Clayton Gym, page 10
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . .16 Car Tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Community Calendar . . . .14 Concert Schedule . . . . . . . .3
Photo by Mike Dunn
EARLY-SEASON ACTION IN THIS SUMMER’S ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUE basketball program Mighty Mite division found Dom Hudson (1) and Ayanna Broome (4) helping their Bulls team to a 27-15 victory over the Blazers. About 120 kids are playing basketball each Saturday at Clayton Community Gym. Josef Sunga-Laxa (5) and Isaac Owen (9) were on defense for the Blazers.
Directory of Advertisers . . . .5 DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . .14 Financial Sense . . . . . . . .13 Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . .15 Food for Thought . . . . . . .17
Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . .17
So Anyway . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16