AUG 12 Clayton Pioneer 2011.pdf

See inside for EBRPD Activity Guide

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

August 12, 2011

925.672.0500

Fire District likely to seek parcel tax TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

The cost of fire protection for residents in rural areas, including the Morgan Territory/Marsh Creek corridor, will almost certainly go up

next year – maybe a little, maybe a lot.

East Contra Costa Fire District board members agreed at a packed-house meeting on Aug. 1 to consider asking voters to approve a $187 parcel tax to fund eight stations and add

paramedic services. If they decide on Sept. 12 to go forward, the measure will be on the June 2012 ballot.

The Board also directed Chief Hugh Henderson to contact Contra Costa Fire (ConFire) to see if a merger between the

two districts is a possibility.

Property taxes pay for fire and emergency services. With the declining real estate market, where the east county was particularly hard hit, District revenues are dramatically down while expenses, including pen-

sion and retirement costs, continue to rise.

ECCFD officials have been grappling with the flow of red ink for two years. A prior plan to form a Benefit Assessment District was scrapped in April when a legal challenge looked

likely.

Last year, the District attempted to save money by closing the Marsh Creek Sunshine Station during the non-fire season.

Strong

See Fire District, page 8

Summer concerts hitting a high note ‘Bottle donations’ help raise funds to keep series booming TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER

Clayton has definitely made its mark on the music-loving Bay Area with the summer Concerts in The Grove series.

Now in its third year, the concert audiences continue to get bigger and bigger, drawing crowds from 1,000 to a record 3,000 for the Diamond Dave concert.

Every other Saturday from May to September, The Grove is wall-to-wall blankets, lawn chairs and coolers. The musical menu covers everything from the Beatles to Chicago; ragtime and swing to country; from a one-man show to a 12-piece orchestra.

Church issue should not divide our city Clayton is a small town and many of us like to romanticize it to include a Norman Rockwell vision of America. This is bolstered by events like Concerts in the Grove, The Labor Day Derby, Art & Wine, Oktoberfest, Friday Night Movies, the Garden Tour, youth sports and the like. We are a tight knit community, but we have an issue coming closer that appears to be dividing our community: The Clayton Community Church project. In this regard, we all need to take a step back and remember that whatever the outcome, we will still see each other every day around town. This is not good versus evil, but about two different visions for the future of Clayton’s downtown.

Foundationally, let’s dispel a few rumors, myths, legends and ghost stories. First, the City Council has not made up its mind on this issue yet. By law, we on the Council are supposed to wait until an issue comes before us before we make judgments. Emails and rumors are flying back and forth about this councilmember being for the Church proposal, this councilmember being against the Church proposal, this councilmember sleeping with . . . (oops, wrong column. Strike that). But we have not made a decision yet

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

THE SUMMER CONCERTS IN THE GROVE HAVE BEEN ATTRACTING BIG AUDIENCES feature 40s-60s hits from big band to ragtime, DoWop and Motown.

ALL SEASON.

The next concert is Aug. 1 and will

See Concerts, page 3

BBQ and bands highlight annual Rib Cook-off PAMELA WIESENDANGER Clayton Pioneer

For some, it is all about the sweet, tangy sauce on a succu-

lent baby back rib. Others savor a crisp, burnt crust. Some want fall-off-the-bone texture and others want to cut their meaty rib like a steak.

Local men know when it’s time to send in the clowns PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer

See Mayor, page 2

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

You know someone loves you when they send you to Clown School.

At least that what Joe Benton believed when his wife, Mureleen, sent him to Clown School for his birthday back in the spring of 1991.

It wasn’t that he was a cutup, he says, just that he loved amateur theater and performing for others.

MR. WIGGLY

What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ask the Doc . . . . . . . . . . .13 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . .15

See Clown, page 4 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Community Calendar . . . .14 Concert Schedule . . . . . . . .3 Directory of Advertisers . . . .5

The perfect barbecued rib for every taste bud will be dished up at the Clayton Business and Community Association’s Second Annual Rib Cook-off on Aug. 20 at the Clayton Club Saloon.

Last year’s cook-off drew a crowd of 500. This year’s event will be larger with twice the number of contestants. The CBCA responded to feedback from last year by making the day more family oriented with hamburgers and hot dogs for sale in addition to ribs for a “buck a bone.” Live music will keep rib revelers upbeat.

“It’s a great addition to the events that we do for the community,” said Howard Geller, vice mayor and contest judge.

The event was designed to be a fundraiser and is a “great way for neighbors to meet face to face,” said organizer Jim Frazier.

Organizer Rob Robertson agreed. “We want a local flavor.

We want to see Clayton grow and the CBCA grow.”

Cooking begins at 8 a.m.

Barbecue enthusiasts are welcome to browse the contestant tents and enter their own name to be a judge of the People’s DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . .7 Financial Sense . . . . . . . .18 Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . .16 From the Chief . . . . . . . . .16 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Choice Award.

Music will mix and mingle in the air with the smoky flavor, as five bands will perform: The L7 Band, Jim Diaz and friends fea-

turing CBCA scholarship recipient Greg Fogg, Desert Moon, The Relyks and No Regrets.

Cook-off, page 13

BBQ-meisters will go for the gusto at this year’s CBCA Rib Cook-off on Aug. 20 at the Clayton Club on Main Street. 12 judges will pick the winners from the 50 entries, but rib-lovers can sample all at $1 a rib and be their own judges.

Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . .17 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . .15 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Weather Words . . . . . . . . .17

Page 2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 12, 2011

Around Town

Mayor, from page 1

Janelle Bragg-Hartman and Benjamin Luke Fry to marry Janelle Bragg-Hartman and Benjamin Luke Fry will exchange vows on August 26 at the Jefferson Street Mansion in Benicia.

The bride is the daughter of Renee Bragg and granddaughter of Theresa and 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist Don Bragg of Clayton.

Janelle is a graduate of CVHS and holds a BA in Business and Hospitality Management. She is vice president of the family business, Events by 3 Generations, and is a mixologist and event planner at the Clayton Club Saloon.

Luke was born in Canada and moved to California at age two.

He graduated from Deer Valley High School in Antioch and is employed at Dow Chemical. He is the son of Joel and Carol Fry of Antioch.

Since announcing their engagement on Mother’s Day 2010, the couple has been feted at an engagement party attended by over 250 friends and family, bachelor and bachelorette events in Las Vegas and a “Ladies Day” bridal shower.

The couple lives in Crystyl Ranch in Concord.

Middle School garden gets big benefit from Eagle Scout project

Pioneer travels It was a long ride west for Brenda Benkly of Clayton and her mustang mount Bart. The two started out in St. Joseph, Mo., and were out 40 days, riding nearly 900 of the 2,000 mile Pony Express which ended in Virginia City. We joined her on the last day of the trip. Watch the Pioneer for Brenda’s complete story in the next issue.

What happened in Vegas was Kevin York’s 15th birthday.

“What stays in Vegas” was the whole family – parents Lisa and Todd and sisters Emily and Madison – when they took Kevin to the city where his favorite TV show, “Pawn Stars” is filmed as a surprise birthday celebration.

BRINLEY OWEN

Brinley Owen of Boy Scout Troop #484 returned to his former school, Diablo View Middle School, to complete his Eagle Scout project. Brinley built two cedar benches and a worktable and rebuilt a pathway

Clayton

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for the garden. He spent 200 hours on the project from conception to completion. He received a hearty thank you from the special education students and the teachers who use the garden.

and won’t until the issue is before us.

Second, does that mean that all of us on the Council will be there to make the decision?

We don’t know yet as questions have been raised as to legal conflicts of interest and personal biases or conflicts. Each councilmember will have to make their own determination whether or not to recuse themselves. So if you have concerns about a councilmember, it is fine to ask us whether or not we are biased due to affiliations, conflicts, etc., but please do not make assumptions about any decisions we have not yet made.

Third, the above goes equally for the Planning Commission. They are going through their process and review and they will wait until their investigation is complete before issuing a recommendation.

Fourth, this proposal will not go to a public vote like the prior gas station decision in the early 2000s. I specifically asked our City Attorney if this decision could be subject to a citywide vote and was told by staff that it is different from the gas station issue and cannot go to a vote. I will be asking for a detailed written analysis to ensure this point, but the information to date is that we cannot simply put this to a vote and be done with it. So, like it or not, your Planning Commission and Council will have to make this decision.

As we move forward, let’s remember that we are a small town and we will see each other every day for the rest of our lives. So voice your opinions, but do it in a reasonable and rationale manner and don’t make it personal.

Let’s keep our community whole.

On a lighter note, the Clayton Valley Charter High School will have had its public hearing before the School Board on Aug. 9. We have overwhelming community support so expectations are high that there should be no valid reasons for the district to oppose this petition. But we continue to need your support so keep sending your emails of support to me and keep checking Facebook for information on how you can help.

Ok, tough column but we can do this.

In honor of women and arguments, Will Rogers once said, “There are two theories to arguing with a woman...and neither works.”

Email me at shuey@rankinlaw.com.

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August 12, 2011

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Around Town

s t r e c n o C The Grove

Concerts, from page 1 “We’ve only missed one this year,” says Roxanne Coleman, who comes with her husband and sister from Benicia. Turns out, however, that the one they thought they missed was the one that was rained out on June 4.

Coleman was happy to know that The Hot Rods, a classic 50s and 60s rock band, was rescheduled for Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. “So, we’ll have a 100 percent attendance record,” she says. “Do we get a gold star?”

The series, with a budget of $33,000, is sponsored by the city of Clayton, the CBCA and Allied Waste and is free to the public.

But, that public has been voting with donated dollars, filling “the water bottle” with $5s, $10s and $20s.

The tradition began with the first season when concert coordinator Howard Geller put a water bottle near the stage with a hand-scratched sign that read “donations.”

Encouraged by the $700 collected that season, the next year Geller and Council member Julie Pierce took the water bottles out into the crowd.

“We don’t ask

Page 3

in

Saturdays

6 to 8:30 p.m.

At the Gazebo in The Grove Set up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m.

Aug. 13 Vocal-ease and The Boogie Men Retro band covers big band and swing to Doo-Wop and Motown

Aug. 27 A Swingin’ Evening with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the Rat Pack Orchestra Enthusiastic concert supporters have contributed more than $8000 this season to the water bottles circulated by Councilwoman Julie Pierce and concert coordinator, Howard Geller.

for donations, we just smile and shake the bottle.”

Geller jokingly started the “$20-club” this year and donations soared, averaging more than $1,400 each concert. “There’s no membership fee, no dues, just put a $20 bill in the bottle and you are a member,” Geller laughs. “I’m a promoter. It works.” Geller expects donations to hit $14,000 for the season, offsetting city’s expense and assuring the series’ return next year.

The next concert is this Saturday, Aug. 13, with Vocal-ease and The Boogie Men, a retro band covering everything from big band and swing to Doo-Wop and Motown. Concerts begin at 6 p.m. Attendees can begin setting out blankets and lawn chairs at 4 p.m. See page 4 for the complete season schedule.

September 10 - East Bay Mudd 10-piece dance band with a Powerful horn section

September 17 - The Hot Rods Rock and roll from the 50s and 60s

Rained out band from June 4 Note Special time: 5 pm to 7:30 pm

Sponsored by the city of Clayton, CBCA and Allied Waste Services

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Page 4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 12, 2011

Japanese Festival shows off native culture PAMELA WIESENDANGER Clayton Pioneer

Tempting tempura. Sizzling skewers. Precision performances. Festive florals. All of these experiences and more are sure to entertain and delight festival goers at the Japanese American Religious & Cultural Center.

The festival is the annual fundraiser for the organization. It is a highly anticipated event for

many in and outside of the community. The weekend-long event highlights Japanese food, drum performances, judo and kendo demonstrations and Japanese flower arrangement demonstrations. There is also a children’s games area, crafts boutique and raffle booth for tickets to various prizes, including a grand prize trip for two to Japan.

The JA Club dates back to 1926 when first-generation

Japanese families sought a community gathering place in Contra Costa County for the growing number of Japanese families settling in the area and a way to preserve their language and culture in their children.

Today, the JA Club is a bustling community center made up of almost 400 families who participate in a number of affiliated organizations.

Jennifer Gee, publicity chair

Clown, from page 1 “That’s what being a clown is,” Benton says. “You become a different person, and you perform to make people happy.”

So he joined a class taught by the legendary local clown Zipp, where his classmates had names like “Birdie,” “Kizzy,” “Tags,” “Kimba” and “Mr. Wiggly” – who, it turns out, was none other than Clayton photographer Wayne Miller.

They learned magic and balloon tricks, how to dress, and how to make people happy.

And it made perfect sense that Clown School’s graduation was held at Fenton’s, the legendary ice cream parlor in Oakland.

Benton and Miller are two

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of several Clayton residents who have a secret life as a clown, and although neither dons their make-up and wacky clothes much anymore, they still feel like clowns at heart.

Miller even took his hobby a step further, becoming a clown, or “joey,” for the local AAHMES Shriners.

As Mr. Wiggly, Miller would perform at the Shriners’ Hospital in Palo Alto, a facility dedicated to helping children of all income levels fight diseases.

“There is nothing scarier than knowing you’re sick and have to go to a hospital,” Miller says. “The joeys were able to lighten things up a bit.”

He says his most memo-

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for the event, describes even the preparation for the festival as a community event: “It pulls people together.” The festival itself is not only a “fundraiser; (it is) also a chance to share the culture and food with everyone.”

The festival is from 1 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13 and noon to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14 at the Japanese American Cultural Center, 3165 Treat Blvd., Concord.

For more information, call 925682-5299, email jasummerfestival@yahoo.com or go to www.diablojaclub.com/summer-festival.

NNO focuses on crime prevention

most.”

Benton, as “Rainbow,” also performed for charity functions, including at Children’s Hospital in Oakland and at several Make-A-Wish events.

He modeled Rainbow after his idol, the late comedian Red Skelton, whose hobo clown was a famous character decades ago.

He says he enjoyed doing magic tricks the best. “I like to see smiles on people’s faces.”

However, Benton concedes that these days, clowns have been given a bad rap, as they have become a 21st century symbol for fear – a bad omen for what should be a symbol of happiness.

“Yes, I’ve scared some kids, but they got over it.

Eventually,” he laughs.

There are three types of clowns, or joeys, according to the Shriners. The organization should know, as it is known throughout the country as clown experts. Each region uses more than a dozen clowns in its philanthropic work.

There is the “Auguste,” the smiling, colorful clown we are most familiar with. Then there are “Hobo” clowns, such as Benton’s “Rainbow.” Finally there is the “Whiteface,” which has wild wigs and white faces.

An Auguste will be the funniest and is the most comedic of all clowns, with wild gestures and pranks. Slapstick is one of his main tools for getting laughs.

The whiteface clown is pleasant and artistic. He is a bit bossy, commanding other clowns.

The Hobo, or Tramp, clown is supposedly the low man on the totem pole, and often has to clean up after the other clowns.

That doesn’t bother Rainbow, er, Benton. He is happy clowning around in any form.

“I have a motto,” he says.

“Enjoy life because it’s not a dress rehearsal.”

Spoken like a true performer.

For more information on the Shriners’ Clown unit, visit www.aahmesclowns.org.

Todos Santos Plaza was the center of the activity last week with live music, food and big crowds as Concord observed National Night Out. Concord police were on hand to talk about crime prevention and share safety tips. Officer Ollie Sanson and his K9 partner Ben demonstrated what happens to the bad guys when Ben is on the case.

In Clayton, 30 residents in the Eagle Peak neighborhood met with Clayton police department and representatives from State Senator Mark DeSaulnier’s office.

Annual car show races into town Rev up your engines. Reno’s Hot August Nights car show has nothing on the 8th Annual C l a y t o n Community Labor Day Derby and Car Show, to be held Saturday, Sept. 3.

The combined event is produced by the Clayton Community Church with the support of many local merchant sponsors.

It all begins on Main Street in downtown Clayton at 9 a.m. with the first Derby race. The Derby runs until 3 p.m. and is open to all children from 7-14.

Driving experience is not necessary and the cars are provided for all drivers.

Instructions on steering and driving will be given right before the races. Most of the more than 30 derby cars are sponsored by local merchants.

The course is a straight shot down Main Street.

Each racer will run twice, with the average of the two determining their overall time.

Trophies will be awarded to the top racers in each class.

Many volunteers are needed

to run this event. Those interested in participating or helping are can call Doug LaVenture at 510-816-4221 or email dlav42@yahoo.com.

While the Derby kids are racing down Main street, more than 300 classic cars will be on display throughout downtown from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the annual Classic Car Show.

The cars are divided into 13 judging classes, ranging from vintage 1900s to 2012s and from type of car -- Custom, Restored, Retros, Foreign, Muscle and Rods, and even Police cars and Trucks.

Trophies will be awarded to the top entries in each class. with a Trophy Parade at approximately 2 pm.

To enter or volunteer, contact Dale Schell, dschell@astound.net or go to www.claytonderbycarshow.org.

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August 12, 2011

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

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Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423 Bill Peck Home Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-9786 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212-3339

S TAFF W RITERS : Denisen Hartlove, Jay Hartlove, Lou Fancher, Nicci Shipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn

Contra Costa Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8713

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Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144 H&L Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4046

PIONEER INFO

J&J’s Final Coat Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-5849

sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Clayton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable.

Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner tamara@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 churchnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send School News to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

CLASSIFIEDS Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 each additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 words, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 each additional word To place your classified ad over the phone, call the office at (925) 6720500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580. All classifieds must be paid for in advance by credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color,

LHI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9941

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 Website are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

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Remodels Home Repairs

Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679

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Specials

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Clayton Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion.

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

E-mail your letter in a Word document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

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Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055 Mailing and Shipping The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Personal Services Hair Now Styling Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5665 Sun City Tanning & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-4826 Pet Services Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Pet Suites Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387 Rodie’s Feed and Pet Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 Real Estate and Mortgage Services French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Klock, Leigh - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593

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Hospice of the East Bay Call Volunteer Dept. at (925) 8875678 or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Nature’s efforts to push Ygnacio Valley Road down the hill are over. After a six-year construction project, the road is finally fixed, and city and county officials gathered in the parking lot at Montecito Drive in Concord on July 28 to celebrate.

Decades of mudslides and erosion took their toll, and heavy winter rains in 2005 caused a severe slide that made parts of the road impassable.

For the next six years, narrow lanes, damaged pavement and seemingly endless construction plagued commuters on this heavily traveled route between Walnut Creek and East County. It was a headache and hazard for thousands of drivers.

But that’s finally in the rearview mirror, as local officials sung praises about the new stretch of road.

“I think it’s beautiful,” said Clayton council member Julie Pierce, who also serves on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. “It’s lovely not have to weave through the bumpy roads and curves.”

Even better, the project was finished on time, according to Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister. “It just took six years because of the federal processes we had to go though and the many different steps and the phases to get to this point.”

The funding sources for the

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A profound experience is often the catalyst for people to interrupt their daily lives and offer their time and skills to a nonprofit organization. And so it is for Brenda Righter, event chair for Clayton’s first Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Righter knows the devastating fear and grief triggered when a loved one dies from cancer. And she knows the indescribable relief when a family member survives. Her stepfather passed away from cancer and her mother is a breast cancer survivor.

Righter participated in fundraisers for several years with different cancer-related organizations. When she heard about the first Relay for Life in Clayton this year, she jumped at the chance to enter a team in her own community, never expect-

ing to volunteer as the event chair. “I feel like it’s the right thing to do… I love Clayton.

I’m so grateful to ACS.” Righter turned to the American Cancer Society for support during her parents’ illnesses. “They (ACS members) were fabulous,” Righter says. “I like knowing that they are there.”

The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Clayton Community Park and continues non-stop for 24 hours with live music, contests, education and time for celebration and remembrances. Sponsors, volunteers and teams are all needed for success.

Righter especially encourages cancer survivors to attend the first part of the relay. She emphasizes that “survivors are a huge part of the event,” walking the Survivor Lap to start the clock. Everyone is welcome at this community event, she says. “Just come out

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RESPONDING TO HER OWN family’s experiences with cancer, Brenda Righter heads up the American Cancer Society Relay for Life on Aug. 20

and hang out with us.

“At some point,” Righter says, “we won’t have this horrible disease.”

For more information, contact Brenda at 212-2048 or b.righter@prodigy.net or go to cancer.org or relayforlife.org.

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foot long tie back wall system with 55 reinforced concrete piers. They were connected to a five-foot deep concrete cap, all hidden underground.

Phase 2 added 545 feet on both sides of the retaining wall system and stockpiled the extra dirt for project work that was needed to be done in phase three.

Phase 3 saw the final filling and grading, removing erosion control and stabilizing and the area.

The celebration was attended by local and county leaders, including Concord and Clayton staff and elected officials, as well as State Senator Mark DeSaulnier, District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, and representatives from Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla’s office.

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$7.3 million project came from CalTrans, federal highway funds, local sales tax from Measure C and J transportation funds.

The completed project has already been a success; it prevented any sliding during the recent wet winter and spring.

“It serves whole lot more people than just Clayton” Pierce said of the heavily traveled roadway. “It serves those in East County that use Ygnacio Valley Road as a major commute corridor, so it’s a critical roadway in Contra Costa.”

The complex project was completed in three phases: Phase 1 stabilized the hillside soils, constructed an eastbound auxiliary lane, restored the road to pre-slide conditions, and constructed a 420-

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Page 7

CVHS band leader passes the baton SARAH ROSEN Clayton Pioneer

As Clayton Valley High School musicians welcome the start of summer marching band practices, they are welcoming the school’s new band director.

As the familiar face of Mundy Viar – CV’s band director for the past eight years – leaves the high school to pursue a PhD at the California Institute of Integral Studies, the new face of Joseph Scott has moved in fill his place.

An East Bay native, Scott moved up north after graduating from high school to attend University of Oregon. Scott said

that after spending four years in pouring rain, he “just couldn’t

take the gray weather anymore,” so he moved back down to

NEW CVHS BAND TEACHER JOSEPH SCOTT meets with band students preparing for the year’s first performance on Sept. 17.

Scott. He replaces Mandy Viar who left to pursue his PhD.

California. He went on to receive his teaching credentials at San Francisco State University.

Prior to moving back to the East Bay to teach at Clayton Valley, Scott taught for a year at the San Francisco School of the Arts.

“I’m originally from the East Bay,” Scott said. “I grew up out here, so I have a lot of connections to the area. It worked out incredibly that the job was available and that I was selected for it.

It’s great to be back here.”

As the new director, Scott said that all of the same classes will be offered as they have been in previous years. With the school’s award-winning marching band already hard at work

practicing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. several days a week, he added that he hopes to make this transition as smooth as possible.

“No changes in the immediate future,” he said. “I would like to see a continued outreach to the community, working with our feeder schools, middle schools, other high schools in the district, and making Clayton Valley Music Department as connected to the community as possible,” said Scott.

This year’s band performances kick off Sept. 17 at the Walnut Festival Twilight Parade in Walnut Creek. This will offer an opportunity for the community to cheer on the bands and meet Scott.

College applications ruin a perfectly good summer This is the time when summer assignments drag students away from the carefree and sundrenched days of summer. As soon as the calendar is flipped to the month of August, the reality of summer’s fleeting lifespan becomes painfully clear and unfortunately difficult to ignore. I managed to disregard the dwindling day count for the first few days but soon the nagging truth got the best of me and I was forced to return to thoughts of school and tests that had been neatly boxed and pushed aside in my mind to make room for more sunny concerns.

But this year, as a rising senior, in addition to the typical handful of summer packets and projects, I have the all-important task of applying to college.

As of the first of August, registration for the 2011-2012 Common Application has been open to the masses of future applicants, myself among them. As most who know me will tell you, I’ve been looking forward to the application process for a long time, since middle school in fact, so of course I got started right away.

Logging in to my Common App account I was excited and anxious to get underway. Little did I know that I had just opened the academ-

TAYLOR TOVREA TEEN SPEAK ic equivalent of Pandora’s box.

As I added colleges to the list of those I intended to apply to I wasn’t worried and thought little of the growing number. After I was satisfied with my selections for the time being I began looking through the components required for each individual university. It was then that the magnitude of the situation was revealed: Forms upon countless forms, essays, supplements, short answers, long answers, decisions, verifications, distinctions and charts.

Of course in the back of my mind I knew to expect these things but seeing them all together in front of me for the first time was overwhelming to say the least.

Once I had wrapped my head around the amount of work there

Everyone has the power to stop bullies

CELINE HERRERA DVMS REPORTER Sometimes, people have more power over how you live your life than you do. People judge you on how you dress, how you talk, even on what you think. They exclude you and give you “labels.”

Well, we are not labels. We are unique and special individuals.

People who judge you are nothing but bullies.

Bullies are people who think they can control everything you do. They can truly hurt your feelings, and it can leave non-physical scars. Bullying is a serious matter, and if we don’t learn the effects of bullying, the bullying can increase.

Sometimes the most effective defense against bullying is showing the hurt it causes.

Bullying people hurts hearts.

It creates black holes in the minds of kids.

Bullying can make kids feel terrified, causing a fear inside of them that they never can know

when it is coming.

Bullying can create a lack of focus in school, and it could make kids feel not part of the school scene.

I’ve had two friends who were bullied. They don’t know each other and don’t go to the same school, but both of them felt the same things Bullying has some financial issues, too. It well can cause kids to stay home from school, to not face the bully. Not only does the student lose important lessons, it costs the school money.

Another problem of bullying is giving in to a bully never works because no matter what you give them, you teach them that they have more power over you.

Some people say that bullying can make you stronger. You bet it can. How? By learning to stand up for yourself and others who are being bullied. When you stand up for yourself and others, a selfconfidence builds up inside of you and that can help you later on in life. Even if you don’t know the kid, stand up for them. They are just as a unique person like you.

Or get help with an adult. You can talk to campus supervisors, teachers and especially parents.

Because bullying hurts everyone.

Celine Herrera is a sixth-grader at DVMS. Send comments to.

Celine@claytonpioneer.com.

was to be done, how difficult it would be to manage schoolwork while completing the applications to the best of my ability became abundantly clear.

So I came to the reluctantly logical conclusion that it would be in my best interest to spend the remainder of our vacation focusing on completing as many applications as I possibly can before school starts. While I’m not ready to say goodbye to my last month of freedom now, I know I’ll be happy in October when I’m adding the finishing touches to my essays instead of tearing my hair out trying to finishing every-

thing and maintain my grades.

And while I know it’s probably the last thing you want to be thinking about or doing when you could be savoring your last few weeks of summer, I really would suggest that all seniors who haven’t yet, bite the bullet and make your way over to www.commonapp.org or the UC and CSU websites to at least get started or make a dent in your applications before re-entering the chaos that is high school.

Who knows? The extra time and effort you spend now could be the difference that gets you into your dream school.

Charter will impact high school experience

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BY ROBBIE PARKER Clayton Pioneer

Summer is drawing to a close and the start of a new school year is right around the corner. Television ads about “back to school” clothes and supplies bombard the airwaves. To some, this year may only be a minor adjustment; but for others it may be an exciting and exhilarating new beginning.

Heading off to high school is especially intimidating, and once again I find myself at the bottom of the food chain. High school will very be different, and being on campus with men and women that drive themselves to school everyday is a strange. Responsibilities are far greater and the campus is massive.

However, some of my expe-

Taylor Tovrea is a senior at Clayton Valley High School. She is a regular contributor to the Pioneer.

You can Email her at taylor@ claytonpioneer.com

UTOPIC GARDENS

ROBBIE PARKER

riences in high school may be quite different than those of previous students. Clayton Valley High School may become a charter school, making the change even more profound for incoming freshmen.

The application to become a

See High School, page 8

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Sellers’ pricing is all over the block Q. After looking at property for awhile, pricing is really confusing me. Many properties that are not distressed sales (short sales or foreclosures) are priced not just a little, but much higher than competing distressed properties. How do you think they arrive at these prices when everyone sees the same comps?

A. I get your confusion. A short answer would be that many “regular” sellers are overpricing their properties and many “distressed” sellers are under-pricing theirs. “Why” is the question, though. In a recent Zillow.com survey, sellers who purchased their homes post 2007 (or post-bubble), overprice their homes an average of 14.1 percent. This is the highest rate of the various groups. They seem to think they escaped the worst of the housing recession.

“2007 was just the beginning of the housing recession and it is continuing in earnest to this day,” says Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries.

Those who bought their homes before the run-up in home val-

es them to stagnate on the market and keeps inventory from decreasing – not a desirable outcome for either the sellers or the market as a whole.” Please keep in mind, though, that these are nationwide averages.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS ues, and those who bought during the bubble also overprice their homes but not by as much.

The Zillow report states that those who bought before 2002 price their homes about 11.6 percent over market values, and those who bought between 2002 and 2006 price their homes 9.3 percent above market value.

Zillow also surveyed homeowners who plan to sell in the next four years. Post-bubble sellers are more likely than prebubble sellers to base their asking price on the original purchase price rather than current market conditions. Humphries says, “Overpricing homes caus-

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opposition from area residents convinced the District to renew the $366,000 contract with CalFire and the station will remain open through May. With expenses at $11.2 million and revenues at only $8.3, the District is running on empty and drawing on reserves to keep its six stations operating. Reserves will be exhausted by the end of 2013.

Without additional parcel tax revenue, the District will be forced to cut back to three or four minimally staffed stations.

Getting the two-thirds vote

needed to pass a tax measure is tough in the best of times.

And a statewide measure to collect a fee for service of up to $150 for each habitable structure in rural areas is bound to make passage of the local tax even tougher.

Called an SRA fee (State Responsibility Area), the state levy faces strong opposition from fire districts across California. ECCFD Chief Hugh Henderson says the state fee will make it “very, very difficult” for the District to get voter approval for a parcel tax.

High School, from page 7 charter school will go before the school board next week.

Teachers Pat Middendorf and Neil McChesney, the coordinators of the Clayton Valley Charter Steering Committee, have been working hard to get the charter to pass. With more than 80 percent of the teachers and strong community support for the charter, it may happen. If so, students at CVHS have much to consider.

School uniforms might be required, the year could lengthen and more courses and clubs could be added. Academies could also expand to areas such

as technology, medicine or culinary arts.

As a charter, the school would also become its own entity separate from the Mount Diablo Unified School District.

This would leave it to staff, students, teachers and the community to make important school decisions. It would receive funding directly from the state allowing more parental involvement, modern technologies and an overall cleaner, safer campus.

With all these changes, CVHS could become one of the top high schools in the Bay Area.

As an incoming freshman to

Q. I want to increase the energy efficiency in my home. I am considering three ideas.

1) adding a whole house fan; 2) increasing the insulation in the attic; 3) adding solar panels to curb electricity bills.

Which do you feel would increase the value of my home when it comes time for me to sell it?

A. Solar panels by far. More home buyers have shown a desire for “green” power. On average, solar panels added about $5.50 per watt to a home’s resale value. In other words, a typical home owner with solar would not only be likely to recoup their initial investment but even tend to make a profit at resale. Home owners, however, may not be able to easily afford

the average $35,000 investment to purchase solar. That is why several solar companies are offering a “lease” option to get more customers signed on to use solar. With this option “you have full flexibility in what you want to pay on a monthly basis,” says Lyndon Rive, CEO of San Mateo-based Solar City, in San Mateo. He says that home owners are only charged for the electricity the solar panels generate at or below market rates. If the solar panels produce more electricity than they need, the home owner earns a credit. With the “lease” option, consumers have the choice of paying either nothing upfront with higher monthly usage fees or more initially and less monthly. Hope that helps.

Send your question & look for your answer in a future column. Email: Lynne@LynneFrench.com.

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 925- 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center Street in Clayton.

Exactly how much the state fee will be and who will pay it is uncertain.

“There are still more questions than answers,” says CalFire Information Officer Daniel Berlant. “The bill doesn’t take into consideration fire districts already serving rural areas and the fact that there are overlapping districts. There are many questions and complexities.”

A working committee of representatives from the Fire Districts Association says the law, ABX1 29, is bad public policy and they will seek to repeal it, or at least get an exemption for rural property owners that already have local

fire protection. The committee will take its recommendations to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection which is responsible for writing the implementation policies.

State Senator Tom Gaines (R-Roseville) began circulating a petition for referendum of the SRA on Aug. 1.

The next meeting of the East Contra Costa Fire District is Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m., 3231 Main St., Oakley. For the agenda and staff reports go to www.eccfpd.org.

CVHS, the change to charter school will clearly have an impact on my future. Right now as it stands, CVHS is a good school overall. Its API ranking statewide is a 7 and it has a relatively good college admission rate. However, when you look at many of the other high schools in surrounding cities, you can clearly see a greater focus on academic diversity. Due to the financial troubles in MDUSD, CVHS just can’t provide the extra courses and college preparation students need.The key question is why do we have to settle for the less than the best where there is a solution at hand?

Clayton Valley has a real

opportunity to be outstanding and innovative. Even though I am proud I will attend Clayton Valley, I also want a school that provides greater challenges and offers the best possible education. Working together, the teachers, community and students could create an atmosphere that tailors its curriculum and environment to meet the needs of all of its students. With the possibility of a charter in the near future, CVHS could become more than just average, it could be exceptional.

For more information from the Fire District Association, go to www.fdac.org.

Robbie is a freshman at CVHS and a regular contributor to the Pioneer. Send comments and questions to Robbie@claytonpioneer.com.

August 12, 2011

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page 9

Solving kitty’s poor litter box habits Frequent urination can be signs of physical disease or anxiety

MARYBETH RYMER,

DVM

PET PALS When cats have accidents, it isn’t just annoying. It can be indicative of something more serious.

Finding unwanted urine puddles, observing kitty’s frequent trips to the litter box and straining to urinate with only small amounts of urine are signs of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). To solve the frustrations, we first look for a physical cause. If tests show that kitty is in good health, then we look to solving a behavioral puzzle.

The physical reasons can fall into two categories, either metabolic disease or bladder irritation from infection, bladder stones, tumors or idiopathic cystitis.

Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, liver disease, hyperthyroidism and other less common

hormonal diseases dilute the urine. The increased urine volume fills the bladder, creating an urgency to urinate.

Depending on the location and number of litter boxes in the house, your cat may not be able to reach a box in time.

These metabolic diseases often cause an infection.

Metabolic diseases and the resulting urine infections are more often seen in older cats.

An overweight cat will have a hard time cleaning the anal and vulvar, which makes it easier for fecal bacteria to contaminate the urine.

There are mainly two types of bladder stones in the cat.

The smaller calcium oxalate stones form in acidic urine. On the other hand the large struvite stones form in basic urine, caused by too much magnesium in the diet and often secondary to UTI’s.

Although rare, cancers can invade the bladder wall, making it difficult to urinate.

Urinary tract blockage is a life-threatening emergency. If your male cat is straining to urinate without urine, has a painful abdomen and is depressed, see a veterinarian immediately.

Female cats very rarely obstruct.

We do not know what causes idiopathic cystitis. Research done by my classmate Tony Buffington, D.V.M., at Ohio State University has found that stress is the primary influencing factor.

See www.indoorpet.osu.edu.

Recommended diagnostic tests include a complete blood cell count, blood chemistries to check liver and kidney values, and a urinalysis with a bacterial culture. X-rays and ultrasounds screen for urinary stones as well as changes consistent with infection and cancer.

Visualization of the bladder wall and biopsies can be done through scoping and surgery Treatment will address controlling the metabolic diseases.

Since cats are descendant from desert animals, there is urine is concentrated to conserve bodily fluids. For many cats the feeding of dry food does not provide enough water, so switch to either all wet food or a prescription diet to dilute the urine MIND OVER MATTER When determining a behavior cause of frequent urination, it is important to distinguish between spraying and urinating.

Spraying is a means of marking a cat’s territory, warning other cats to stay way. The cat will stand with its rear end towards object and spray urine backwards leaving a vertical line of urine. The non-neutered male will spray but neutered males and females may spray, too. On the other hand, urination will leave a puddle after squatting.

For the cat that sprays we look for stressors such as a new cat or pet invading their space.

The site of outdoor cats seen through a window may also cause anxiety. Cats are also sensitive to human stress in the

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The adoption fee for adult dogs is $225 and includes 60 percent off one 7-week dog training session.

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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 website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.

household. Changes in family members will cause anxiety.

Cats are creatures of habit and require a sense of security and familiarity to their environment. Simple changes to their litter boxes may mean discontent to your cat. Changing the type of litter or a different litter box may upset kitty. A large cat may not have enough room to sit and squat in a covered litter box. The location may be inappropriate. It may be too public or too far away from where your cat spends it’s time. We often are unaware that the thud of tennis shoes spinning in the dryer may frighten a cat from its litter box in the laundry room.

Behaviorists recommend that we supply one more litter box than the number of cats in the household. Some cats do not like to share while others may ambush other kitties while in the box.

Intercat interactions also play a part. The cat on the bottom of the totem pole often suffers from high levels of anxiety. Creating a safe zone for each cat is important. Cats are less stressed if they have their own quiet space to eat, elevated perches to sleep on and private appropriate litter box locations.

For further ways to enrich your cat’s environment and to reduce anxiety see the above OSU web site.

If all else fails, then consult with your veterinarian regarding a behavior referral or the use of anti-anxiety drugs to ease your kitty’s anxieties and solve inappropriate urination.

Marybeth Rymer, DVM, can be reached at Monte Vista Animal Hospital, Concord. 672-1100.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 12, 2011

Clayton Sports

Baseball coach makes leap to college ball Bob Ralston trades CVHS coaching post for his CSUEB “dream job” JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Bob Ralston is moving to the big show, at least when it comes to school sports. The highly-successful Clayton Valley High School baseball coach was recently named head coach at his alma mater, Cal State East Bay, and the longtime fixture on the local baseball scene says he is “very excited” about this new opportunity to work full-time on baseball.

The 49-year-old Concord resident has been teaching for 13 years at CVHS and coached Eagles baseball from 19992006 and 2009-2011. For the two years he wasn’t in charge of the Eagles, Ralston was the Diablo Valley College head coach in 2007-2008.

Cal State East Bay Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis announced the hiring of Ralston, who grew up in Hayward and starred at Moreau Catholic High School and Chabot College in the city. “We look forward to beginning our active membership in Division II with the leadership of Bob Ralston for our baseball pro-

gram,” De Angelis said. “He brings a tremendous multifaceted background, both as a player and a coach, and we look forward to seeing him succeed as a leader on and off the field.”

He is leaving CVHS both as a coach and teacher. “This is a full-time position, something I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Ralston says. “At DVC the coaching job was part-time.

Now I’ll be spending full-time running my own college program.

“We want to put a good product on the field. There’s lots of good baseball played in the Bay Area and our campus in Hayward is in a great location,” he adds.

AN UNDERDOG GETS TOP PRIZE

Ralston had to be considered a long shot when the Cal State job opened with the retirement of Dirk Morrison, head coach of the Pioneers for the past 18 years. Many assistant coaches on the Division I and Division II level applied along with some college head coaches. Ralston decided to “throw his hat in the ring” and applied against those long odds with a reported 200 other applicants. “I knew this was a very popular job as the team will be

CVLL honors Jim Brophy

eligible for NCAA Division II post-season play this coming season.

“I had local connections growing up in Hayward and receiving my bachelor and masters degrees from Cal State.

There were a couple rounds of interviews including an all-day session meeting with committees and individuals. I want to thank Debby and the administrative team for giving me the opportunity to come back to my alma mater and build a winner,” he said.

Ralston says the Pioneers play in “the best D2 baseball conference in the country.” The California Collegiate Athletic Association includes 11 schools from throughout California.

Four CCAA teams made the NCAA tournament this year.

Among the schools Ralston’s team will be facing are UC San Diego, Sonoma State, Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona and San Francisco State. “I love the challenge of facing these outstanding schools,” Ralston says.

To help him get the Pioneers to the top level in CCAA and beyond, Ralston has hired as his assistant coach Darren Lewis, the former San Francisco Giant and Oakland A’s Gold Glove outfielder who starred at Cal. Lewis also has a Hayward background after

Photo courtesy Clayton Valley Little League

Photo courtesy Cal State East Bay Sports Information Department

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S LOSS IS CAL STATE EAST BAY’S GAIN as local baseball coach Bob Ralston has been hired fulltime by CSUEB as its head coach. His colleague at CVHS, Herc Pardi, says, “Bob is the quintessential high school coach – an outstanding teacher, coach, strategist, evaluator of talent and runs a high-tempo practice second to none. Bob’s passion and love of the game has turned the Eagles into one of the top baseball programs in the state.”

IMPRESSIVE STATS Ralston joins the Cal State East Bay staff following 11 years as the head baseball coach at Clayton Valley, where he captured seven league titles and a North Coast Section championship in 2009, as well as three other NCS championship game appearances, the last one in June. During his tenure, Ralston guided the Eagles to their best season record (24-3), most wins (26) and best season batting average (.394) in the 52year program history. Under his watch, Clayton Valley players have set or tied eight individual school records, earning Ralston a pair of Coach of the Year awards.

He also sent a string of players on to college and professional careers. Two exEagles, Vince Bruno and Darrel Matthews, helped Cal reach the College World Series this year.

He spent three seasons as head coach at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High in Vallejo from 1995-97, where he won two Sac-Joaquin Section titles.

Overall, he compiled a 344-95

See Ralston, page 11

Adult softball program returns to Clayton Community Park on Sundays JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

AT THE CONCLUSION OF ITS 2011 SEASON Clayton Valley Little League paid homage to one of its leading volunteers. Jim Brophy (right) served Little League baseball in the area for the past 19 years working with the Challenger Division, which provides boys and girls with disabilities the opportunity to experience the emotional development and fun of playing Little League Baseball.

This CVLL program is offered free of charge to boys and girls. Brophy was the vice president of the Challenger Division. His family is moving to Vacaville so he retired from the board after the season. On hand for the ceremony were Jim Brophy’s wife Kathryn and son Jay Jay. Brophy began his volunteer career with Concord American Little League before serving the past 16 years in charge of Clayton Valley’s Challenger Division, one of the longest tenures ever on the board.

graduating from Moreau five years after Ralston.

The every expanding menu of recreation programs offered by All Out Sports League now includes adult coed softball, a sport which returns to Clayton Community Park for the first time in many years. The new slow-pitch softball league begins with three games this Sunday and AOSL founder Casey Copeland is excited about this new activity.

Copeland says he was spurred to action by local resident Noelle Gould, who talked to Copeland several months ago about offering a softball program. “I had thought we would start softball next year but the interest shown by Noelle and others I spoke to gave us the impetus to move up the timetable,” Copeland says. “We have six teams with 14 players each

ready to go.”

The league runs from Aug. 14 through Oct. 23, culminating with playoffs among the top four finishers from the double round-robin schedule.

Since All Out Sports took over programming the Community Gym early last year, Copeland and his staff have been systematically adding programs as they’ve been able to assess the interests and needs in the Clayton community. After softball they are eyeing adding adult kickball next spring after it proved a big hit in the East County AOSL. In the past Clayton has had softball and baseball leagues using the park but they were not locally based. “We have had adult men’s softball and baseball from an area-wide league that rented our fields,” says assistant to the city manager Laura Hoffmeister.

“When YMCA managed the

gym and rec programs they tried to get sign ups but not enough folks were interested [in softball] at the time.”

Like his predecessors the Mt. Diablo Region YMCA, Copeland’s AOSL started adult volleyball and basketball programs which are now drawing regular large turnouts and supplementing the array of youth programs in the gym.

The co-ed softball league is open to adults 18 and older.

They will play games each Sunday starting at 3:30 p.m.

The league will use USSSA rules which dictate that there never can be more men than women on the field. Slo-pitch softball allows 10 defensive players (teams either use four outfielders or five infielders, deviating from what you’d see in a baseball game). There is a limit of two home runs a game. All players can bat in order but only 10 play in the field at a time. The league also

uses a smaller (11 inches vs. normal 12 inch) ball when women are batting.

Gould says that she played softball a half dozen years ago in Dublin and had been hoping for a Clayton softball league for the past few years.

She was so excited about the AOSL league that she put together two of the six teams.

Another Clayton woman, Jessica Moraes, is captain of the Crushers. “My kids have been taking part in AOSL sports and we’ve been very happy with the programs. I haven’t played softball in 13 or 14 years so I may be a little rusty but we’re excited and looking to have a good time,” she says of her team of 30and 40-something’s, including her husband Jeff. “We will all be bringing our families out to participate,” Moraes says.

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Page 11

Clayton Sports

Ralston, from page 10 him second place at the Devil Mountain Pentathlon where he had to swim every stroke. Terrell began swimming at age 3 with the Orcas. He would accompany his older sister Devan to her practices and his family and the coaches couldn’t keep him out of the pool. Now he anchors the Orcas free relay team and swims fly on the medley relay. Terrell is trying football this fall with the Clayton Valley Falcons, plays CYO basketball for his school team, St. Agnes, and baseball in Clayton Valley Little League.

Athlete Spotlight Name: Terrell Hopson Age: 8 Sport: Swimming Team: Oakhurst Orcas Oakhurst Orcas head coach Zach Harmon wanted to find a way to challenge his eight-year-old swimmer Terrell Hopson. “He has such an upbeat attitude and tries very hard. We needed to use up all the energy he has so we started him practicing with the 9-10 age

group.” That might not sound like that much of a change but in recreation swimming the 9-10 swimmers compete at 50 yards while the eight-year-olds and younger swim 25 yards. Thus, the older age group does a lot more distance in their practices and Terrell has fit right in

record as a high school head coach, collecting eight league championships and three section titles.

When he was at DVC Ralston led the Vikings to a California Community College Athletic Association NorCal Elite Eight appearance, a top-10 ranking in the state and a 54-39 record over his two years there. Ralston got his start in coaching as an assistant at Cal from 1990-91, helping the Bears to the NCAA Regional final, before moving on to serve as an assistant at DVC from 1992-94.

A former All-America at the University of Arizona, Ralston also boasts playing and coaching experience at the professional level. From 1997-99, Ralston served as manager for the Williamsport Cubs, then a singleA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

Taken in the sixth round as the 140th pick of the 1984 Major League Baseball Amateur Player Draft, Ralston signed with the Minnesota Twins after an impressive career at Arizona. He then spent seven years playing in the minor leagues for both the Twins and Oakland Athletics.

A junior transfer to Arizona, Ralston led the Wildcats in hitting both seasons, batting .336 as a junior in 1983 and .363 as a senior. A versatile player, Ralston played both middle infield positions, earning back-to-back firstteam All-Pac 10 honors. After helping guide Arizona to a pair of 20-win seasons, Ralston collected Baseball America firstteam All-America honors in 1984. Prior to joining the Wildcats, Ralston played two seasons at Chabot.

A 1980 graduate of Moreau Catholic, Ralston was a member of the 2003 Athletic Hall of Fame induction class. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal State East Bay in 1988 and returned to get his master’s from CSUEB in 1992. He also earned a California State Teaching Credential from Chapman University in 1998 and has taught physical education at both the community college and high school levels for over 20 years.

Ralston inherits a team that will be eligible for the postseason for the first time since rejoining Division II and returns its leading run scorers in Andrew Woolfe and Charlie Sharrer and its top two starting pitchers in Brandyn Bell – an All-CCAA Honorable Mention selection – and Bryce Miller. Bullpen leader Zachary Wong is also set to return for the 2012 campaign.

The Clayton Pioneer congratulates Terrell Hopson and rewards his achievement with a gift certificate to Rocco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria.

with his older Orca teammates.

He posted a county qualifying time of 20.08 in the 25 backstroke before last weekend’s Concord City Meet and had a chance to lower his freestyle and butterfly times to county standards there as well. His swimming versatility earned

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Rocco’s Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@claytonpioneer.com.

Relays power Dana Hills to outstanding league, Woodlands Invitational swim results JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Quality and quantity sometimes are mutually exclusive terms when used to describe a product, organization or sports team. The 2011 Dana Hills Swim Team of returning coach Serge Victor has both quantity and quality and that’s manifested in the outstanding relay teams the Otters have put in the pool.

The result is that the Clayton recreation swim team scored its biggest ever victory in the Contra Costa Swim League meet as well as taking second against a powerpacked field of teams at the 48th annual Woodlands Invitational in Walnut Creek. For all its successes over the years Dana Hills had never won the CCSL league meet until 2009 when the Otters prevailed in the very last event of the meet for a three-point margin over second place LMYA. This year, the local team left no doubt in racking up 548 more points than LMYA, which again was runner-up to the Otters.

Dana Hills was so impressive at the CCSL meet that 13 Otters earned first or second high point honors in the A Division and six more in B Division.

The other big recent result leading up the city and county meets came at the Woodlands Invitational, which is often a precursor to the county meet completion. Dana Hills has won the Woodlands team championship only once in 1995 but this year was second to Crow

Canyon Country Club and well ahead of third place Blackhawk.

Team president Tony Mancini lauded the team’s efforts. “We started this season with a renewed coaching philosophy by bringing Serge back to Dana Hills. This is a move that

has allowed our kids to perform with a high level of consistency in all aspects of the swim program. The molding of this strong work ethic has transferred into the pool during every practice and then into every meet.

The fact is all of our kids are per-

forming better. We had one of the strongest finishes in our history at the star-studded Woodlands Invitational and then our kids took that momentum straight into the CCSL championship, winning with a landslide victory with over 1300 points.”

At the CCSL meet Ryan Iannaccone (9-10) broke league, Pleasant Hill Dolfins pool and Dana Hills team record in the 100 individual medley with a time of 1:09.51. The 9-10

See Swim, page 12

Photo by Joern Weigelt courtesy of Dana Hills Swim Team

Cal State East Bay Sports Information Department contributed to this story.

THE DEPTH OF THE DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM IS MOST EVIDENT IN THE TALENTED RELAY TEAMS the Otters put on the blocks. The 9-10 boys and 11-12 girls have been setting team, pool and league records in freestyle and medley relays this season. The 9-10 boys are, bottom row from left, Anthony Trimble, Niklas Weigelt, Ryan Iannaccone and Jackson Trimble. The 11-12 girls quartet includes, from left, Erica Publico, Alina Weigelt, Allie Klinger and Katie O’Sullivan.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 12, 2011

Clayton Sports Swim, from page 11 DHST girls freestyle relay of Logan Sherman, Gabi Mancini, Camille Cline and Sarah Hamilton set a new team record of 2:03.21. The 9-10 boys relay with Anthony Trimble, Niklas Weigelt, Ryan Iannaccone and Jackson Trimble established new league meet and PHD pool records in the medley relay (2:16.74) and free relay (also a club mark) with 2:00.35.

The 11-12 Otters girls medley relay of Katie O’Sullivan, Allie Klinger, Erika Publico and Alina Weigelt set new CCSL, PHD pool and DHST team

records with a 2:02.57. The same girls also set the new league and PHD pool standard in the 200 free of 1:48.23.

Dana Hills Swim Team Results @ 48th annual Woodlands Invitational High Point Awards A Division Girls 6 & Under: 1. Stephanie Iannaccone Boys 6 & Under: 1. Scott Iannaccone Girls 7-8: 2. Ryanne Boland Girls 9-10: 1. Sarah Hamilton Boys 9-10: 1. Ryan Iannaccone, 2. Niklas Weigelt

Girls 11-12: 1. Allie Klinger, 2. Alina Weigelt Boys 11-12: 1. Erick Iannaccone Girls 13-14: 1. Justine Trimble Boys 13-14: 2. Jack Madigan Girls 15-18: 2. Sierra MacIntyre Boys 15-18: 1. Samuel Protich B Division Girls 6 & Under: 2. Maggie MacDonald Boys 6 & Under: 2. Diego Castaneda Girls 7-8: 2. Marisa Mancini Boys 7-8: 1. Christopher Sarna Girls 9-10: 1. Kaitlyn Dunn Boys 9-10: 2. Patrick Gillespie Race Results (DHST Top 3 finishers) Girls 7-8 25 Free 2. Emily Hamilton 15.49 Girls 9-10 50 Free 2. Sarah Hamilton 28.54

Dana Hills Swim Team aims high at this weekend’s County swim finals after racking up City Meet title The season-ending 51st annual Contra Costa County Swim Meet this weekend in Lafayette will give the Dana Hills Swim Team a chance to gauge itself against the finest recreation swim teams in the county after the Otters won their ninth straight Concord City Swim Championship last weekend at Concord Community Pool in overwhelming fashion by 606 points.

Thirteen meet records fell at the 45th annual Concord City Meet, which Dana Hills has won 19 of the past 20 years. Derek Anderson (15-18 boys freestyle and backstroke), Ryan Iannaccone (9-10 boys butterfly and back) each set a pair of meet records. In both cases Anderson was bettering his own marks while Iannaccone’s record in the back shattered a 32-year-old time.

Other individual record-setters

for the Otters were Niklas Weigelt (100 individual medley 9-10 boys), Justine Trimble (1314 girls IM), Katie O’Sullivan (11-12 girls free) and James Humann (15-18 fly).

Four DHST relay teams also beat all-time City Meet bests including 9-10 boys medley and freestyle relays along with the 9-10 girls free and 1112 girls free relays.

Looking ahead to this weekend’s County Meet after the outstanding performances in winning both league and city meet titles by large margins, DHST president Tony Mancini said, “We are extremely excited to showcase our largest presence in many years by bringing over 50 qualified swimmers to the annual Contra Costa County Meet.”

Winning A Division high point honors were Otter girls Sarah Hamilton (9-10),

O’Sullivan and Allie Klinger (11-12) and Trimble (13-14).

On the boys side Anderson (15-18), Erick Iannaccone (1112) and Ryan Iannaccone (910) were the top point getters.

Christopher Saran of DHST won the B Division 7-8 high point award.

The Oakhurst Orcas also had “a great meet,” head coach Zach Harmon reported.

“Terrell Hopson, Tyler Hanson and Kelsey Macaulay all countied. They were just several of many amazing swims. Our theme this year was ‘country club super heroes.’ Our young swimmers spent the weekend marching around in self-decorated capes, hiding behind masks. As always City Meet proved to be as fun as it was competitive with many swimmers having season bests and also enjoying the company of each other.”

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Boys 9-10 50 Free 1. Niklas Weigelt 28.23 Girls 11-12 50 Free 2. Allie Klinger 26.56 Boys 11-12 50 Free 2. Erick Iannaccone 26.76 Girls 13-14 50 Free 3. Melissa Schoell 25.80 Girls 15-18 100 Free 2. Vicky Talens 58.13 Boys 15-18 100 Free 3. Derek Anderson 48.73 Girls 15-18 100 Breast 2. Sara Abele 1:11.85 Boys 15-18 100 Breast 2. Samuel Protich 1:02.91 Boys 11-12 100 IM 1. Erick Iannaccone 1:07.56 Girls 13-14 100 IM 1. Justine Trimble 1:04.58 Boys 13-14 100 IM 3. Jack Madigan 1:02.29 Girls 15-18 100 IM 1. Sierra MacIntyre 1:03.46, 2.

Vicky Talens 1:06.00, 3. Tricia Talens 1:07.23 Girls 7-8 25 Fly 2. Ryanne Boland 16.65 Girls 9-10 50 Fly 1. Sarah Hamilton 32.60 Girls 13-14 50 Fly 1. Justine Trimble 27.92 Girls 15-18 100 Fly

1. Sierra MacIntyre 1:00.91 Girls 6 & Under 25 Back 1. Stephanie Iannaccone 24.16 Boys 6 & Under 25 Back 2. Scott Iannaccone 23.55 Girls 7-8 25 Back 3. Emily Hamilton 18.92 Girls 9-10 50 Back 2. Gabriella Mancini 35.39 Boys 9-10 50 Back 1. Ryan Iannaccone 31.51 Girls 11-12 50 Back 3. Katie O’Sullivan 31.44 Girls 13-14 50 Back 2. Melissa Schoell 30.42 Girls 7-8 100 IM 1. Ryanne Boland 1:29.50 Girls 9-10 100 IM 3. Alex Brown 1:19.99 Boys 9-10 100 IM 1. Ryan Iannaccone 1:10.73, 2. Niklas Weigelt 1:11.71 100 Free Relay 7-8 girls 2. Emily Hamilton, Brenna Duggan, Rylie Velez , Ryanne Boland 200 Free Relay 9-10 Girls 2. Camille Cline, Gabi Mancini, Logan Sherman, Sarah Hamilton

200 Free Relay 9-10 Boys 1. Ryan Iannaccone, Anthony Vizental , Jackson Trimble, Niklas Weigelt 200 Free Relay 11-12 Girls 2. Katie O’Sullivan, Erika Publico, Alina Weigelt, Allie Klinger 200 Free Relay 13-14 Girls 3. Justine Trimble, Katie Miller, Lindsay Treppa, Melissa Schoell 200 Free Relay 15-18 Girls 1. Vicky Talens, Tricia Talens, Sara Abele, Sierra MacIntyre 100 Medley Relay 7-8 Girls 2. Emily Hamilton, Ryanne Boland, Caela Hetherton, Rylie Velez 200 Medley Relay 9-10 Girls 2. Gabi Mancini, Alex Brown, Sarah Hamilton, Logan Sherman 200 Medley Relay 9-10 Boys 2. Anthony Trimble, Niklas Weigelt, Ryan Iannaccone, Jackson Trimble 200 Medley Relay 11-12 Girls 2. Katie O’Sullivan, Allie Klinger, Erika Publico, Alina Weigelt

Diablo FC 93 boys take first at Invitational

Photo courtesy Diablo FC

They went all the way to San Diego but the local Diablo FC 93 boys made the trip worthwhile by winning four consecutive games and claiming first place in the under 18 Gold Division title in the Copa Del Mar Sharks Invitational tournament. Coaches Chris Brown, Chris Rodd and Brian Voltattorni mentored the team to the title including a win over a Nigerian team in the opening round. The team includes, front row, from left, Jeremy Williams, Arman Salimpour; middle row, Ian Lawton, Brando Arriaga, Zach Pauline, Dalton Depolo, Dane Depolo, Sean Vinson; back row, coach Rodd, Jake Wood, Sam Marchant, Jacob Carroll, Ethan Lipson Gokcen, David Dadiomov, Josh Gomez and Ryan Jeans. Not pictured, coach Brown, Bradley McNell, Kyle Williams, Alex Dudoroff, Brinly Owen and Carlo Eikani.

Sports Shorts TAKING THE WORLD BY STORM GIRLS SOCCER DAY AUG. 20 Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, in partnership with Tesoro Golden Eagle, Garaventa Enterprises and Diablo FC, presents “Taking the World by Storm - Building Self-Confidence and Leadership Skills for Girls On & Off the Field” on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Tesoro Fields in Concord. This free soccer clinic led by the semi-professional women’s soccer team California Storm is for girls 10-16 and will run from 3:30 – 6 p.m. Registration is required for the free girls soccer clinic and space is limited so girls are encouraged to sign up early by emailing carmen.angulo@asm.ca.gov or calling (925) 5211511. Following the free clinic will be a women’s exhibition soccer game between the California Storm and Diablo FC 93 starting at 6 o’clock.

20TH CVHS ATHLETIC BOOSTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT AUG. 22 Clayton Valley High School Athletic Boosters are hosting their 20th annual Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, Aug. 22, at Oakhurst Country Club.

Entry fee includes golf, cart, lunch, putting contest, golf shirt, tee prize and dinner. Early bird entry fee of $150 goes up $25 after Aug. 3. For complete information email tournament director Chance Gernhardt chancegernhardt@yahoo.com or visit cvhsboosters.org.

CLAYTON GYM OPEN EVENINGS FOR BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL PLAY Clayton Community Gym is open every Monday evening this summer for open basketball play and Tuesday for volleyball open gym. All Out Sports League is holding open gym nights through the end of August. The gym will be open on Mondays for basketball and Tuesday for volleyball from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for children eight to 17 and from 7:30-9:30 p.m. for adults 18 and older. Cost is $5 per person per night. Visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com for more details.

FALL SWIM STROKE & SKILLS PROGRAM AT OAKHURST Local swim coach Serge Victor, who is in charge of the aquatics program at Oakhurst Country Club and head coach of the championship Dana Hills

Swim Team, is offering the New Wave Fall Swim Stroke and Skill Development program. The fall session begins Sept. 1 and runs through Dec. 1 at Oakhurst. There are age groups for boys and girls 78, 9-11 and 12 and older teaching participants the basics of swimming as well as advanced skills and concepts. For more information email Victor at swimwithserge@comcast.net or call (925) 672-9737 ext. 207.

ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUE PARENT/ CHILD GOLF FUNDRAISER AUG. 14 All Out Sports League is holding its second annual Parent/Child Golf Tournament on Sunday, Aug. 14, at Hiddenbrooke Golf Course in American Canyon with a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. The entry fee of $180 covers two players (children must be eight years or older) and a BBQ dinner. There will be a variety of contests and prizes with a two-player scramble format used. Proceeds from this event will go to support AOSL youth programs. Registration is open on the website at alloutsportsleague.com.

DIABLO FC U8 ACADEMY FALL PROGRAM STARTS SEPT. 9 A new comprehensive soccer program for girls and boys 6-8 years of age has been introduced this year with the Diablo FC U8 Academy. The next session is running on Wednesdays and Fridays starting Sept. 9 through Nov. 11 at Boatwright Sports Complex in Concord. Boys and girls 6-8 are invited to attend a session. Camp Director Brian Voltattorni says the Academy is a developmental soccer program that includes psycho-motor skills, coordination exercises, technical training with the ball and free play.

The Academy is scheduled so that players can also participate in an AYSO recreation program during the fall. For complete details and to register visit diablofc.org.

NEW 10 UNDER BASEBALL TEAM FORMING IN CLAYTON All Out Sports League 10 Under travel baseball team based in Clayton is now taking signups. The team will play in tournaments throughout Northern California and Nevada and practice at Clayton Community Park. Tryouts for the 2012 season will be held Sept. 4 and Oct. 9 from 3–6 p.m. There is no fee to tryout. Players need to be born after April 30, 2001 in order to qualify for the 10U age group.

For more information call (925) 203-5626 or visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com.

August 12, 2011

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

High altitudes can lead to serious medical problems

Page 13

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Expertise in: DR. DAVID BIRDSALL

ASK THE DOC Thanks to planes, trains and automobiles, more of us are seeing the world – which is a good thing.

As Mark Twain once said: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” These are all characteristics we need to sunset if we want to play together and survive in this sandbox called Earth.

Travel also has the added benefit of helping us appreciate our own home and things like smog control, animal control, soft pillows and toilets. On a recent vacation, as I ascended to 14,000 feet on the Inca trail, breathing like a guppy who fell out of his fish tank, I discovered something else that I took for granted at home oxygen.

Many people know the inherent risks of travel, namely infectious diseases, threats of bodily harm, jet lag, etc. However, most fail to take into account the actual

physical environment and the impact it can have on humans.

One such example is the high altitude environment.

GETTING TO THE TOP According to my Wilderness Medicine guide, high altitude is defined as 4,950-11,500 feet (think of Lake Tahoe, Zermatt, Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Taos, N.M.), very high altitude is 11,500-18,000 feet (the Inca trail in Peru, Mt. Shasta and the Alps) and extreme high altitude is above 18,000 feet (Everest and Kilimanjaro).

At high altitude, the world changes. The air is colder, the atmospheric pressure is lower and there is less oxygen. All of these changes can have a profound affect on the body. In order to accommodate for the lower oxygen levels, we breathe faster, our heart rate goes up and we begin to build more oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

In essence, our body acclimatizes to this new environment.

However, it takes time and often

Cook-off, from page 1 Awards will be announced at 3 p.m. Four head judges – Geller, Skipolini’s Skip Ipsen, Chief of Police Dan Lawrence and owner of Mudville Grill and Moresi’s Chophouse Ed Moresi – are each responsible for a pair of judges. Steve Barton, owner of the Clayton Club and donor of the venue, created an elaborate matrix to insure the judges’ taste buds are not overworked and will be able to distinguish

the finest barbecue ribs in town.

The CBCA modeled the cook-off rules after national rules with the “hope to be sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society,” Robertson said. All entries will be judged on appearance, tenderness and taste. Last, but not least, is the final rule to have fun.

For more information, go to www.claytonribcookoff.com.

we don’t feel too good as our body adjusts.

This is called Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and includes headaches, insomnia, lower appetite, nausea, and swelling of hands and feet. These symptoms usually develop within a few hours of arrival at a high altitude and resolve after two to three days.

EASING THE ADJUSTMENT While AMS is not dangerous, it can put a damper on a vacation.

The way to lesson the effects while your body adjusts is to minimize your exertion, increase fluid intake (I am not talking about alcohol), take Motrin for the headache, try Ginkgo biloba (100 mg. twice a day) and get a lot of rest.

If you travel to very high altitudes or if you are very susceptible to high elevations, talk to your doctor about a mild diuretic called Diamox. On top of that, particularly if you are venturing higher into the stratosphere, give your body time to adjust. Take a day or two at the high altitude before ascending further. And, if you have the opportunity, avoid sleeping at very high altitudes.

DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES It’s extremely important to recognize when the symptoms are more than just AMS. Specifically, I am referring to two potentially deadly conditions, high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which is fluid on the lungs, and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), or swelling of the brain.

HAPE develops over one to four days and typically occurs at altitudes above 6,500 feet, especially if you got there quickly and your body didn’t have a chance to adjust. There is no predicting who will get it and the incidence is low:

0.1-1 percent. However, those at higher risk are individuals who have had HAPE before, men and those who are young and otherwise physically fit. These folks become very fatigued, weak and severely short of breath and may die if they are not brought down to lower elevations.

HACE is even more deadly.

This occurs when your brain swells leading to difficulty walking, confusion, difficulty speaking, headaches, vomiting and severe drowsiness. This is more likely to occur at very high altitudes and requires immediate descent.

Most of us won’t have any trouble with altitude in our travels.

However, as we become more adventurous and push ourselves, we need to be aware of where we are going and what consequences these trips can have.

People must consider their overall health status, particularly as it relates to altitude travel. Those who should use caution are individuals with a history of COPD (lung disease), heart failure, sleep apnea, heart disease and strokes. It would be wise to talk to your doctor first.

My recommendation is to travel and see the world in its many splendors, but plan for the environment or your trip may include a visit to a Third World emergency department. If need be, I could be enticed to travel with you as your personal physician.

Dr. Birdsall is the Medical Director of the Emergency Department and Chief of Staff of John Muir Hospital in Concord. He lives in Walnut Creek with his wife, Dr. Marian Birdsall, and two children. Please email him at David.Birdsall_md@johnmuirhealth.com

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Business group funds computers and backpacks for Clayton students GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer

Once again, educational needs were in the spotlight when the Clayton Business and Community Association met on July 28 at the Oakhurst Country Club.

CBCA members voted overwhelmingly to donate $10,000 to Mt. Diablo Elementary School to purchase and upgrade computers and software used by teachers at the school.

The group also voted to donate $2,500 to the CBCA Cares Committee for backpacks and school supplies.

For the second month in a row, CBCA hosted its college scholarship winners. Six more of the 14 CBCA Scholarship honorees, with their parents, were on hand to be recognized for their achievement. Five of the six are graduates of Clayton Valley High School and all are Clayton residents Ariana Alvarez was awarded a community services scholarship. She will attend St. Mary’s College and major in marketing.

Rachel Anderson won an academic scholarship and will attend UC Santa Barbara and major in pharmacology.

Nicholas Fong, a Northgate graduate, will

Cub Scout Troop 262 presented the colors and led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance at the July 28 CBCA meeting

use his academic scholarship to attend Santa Clara University and major in computer science and engineering.

Another CVHS graduate, Mary Madera, won an academic scholarship and will attend UC Berkeley to major in life science and conservational biology.

Kayla Pedrani won an art & music scholarship and will attend Cal Poly SLO to study to become a firefighter.

Lauren Warzecha will use her art and music scholarship to attend UC Irvine. She is as yet undecided on her major.

This year’s college scholarship awards

totaled more than $20,000.

Also at the meeting were three recipients of scholarships to the recent Tech Trek Science Camp at Stanford. Tech Trek is geared to giving young women the chance to sample careers in science. The trio of 8th Grade girls, Lynette Cox, Emily Payne, and Giovy Webb stole the show with their spirited reporting of what they learned at camp.

CBCA supports community projects with funds raised by events like Oktoberfest and the Art & Wine Festival.

The next CBCA event is the second annual Rib Cookoff on Saturday, Aug. 20. Cookoff chairman Jim Frazier says he’s in need of more volunteers, since this year’s rib event will have 32 chef contestants, twice the number of last year.

The Rib Cookoff is held on the grounds of the Clayton Club, and this year will feature a family area with tables outdoors, along with burgers and hot dogs available for a nominal fee, with the chefs’ creations going for “a buck a rib,” Frazier says. Volunteers and would-be chefs can get more information at 925-6730300 and www.claytoncbca.org.

Volunteers are also needed for Oktoberfest, Sept. 23-25.

The next CBCA Mixer, which will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 19, is open to the public and hosted by Rodie’s, 8843 Marsh Creek Road.

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUG. 17 FOR THE AUG. 26 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

IN CLAYTON August 13, 20, 27 – Farmers Market 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Center streets, downtown. pcfma.com.

August 13 – Vocal-ease and the Boogie Men Concert Playing nostalgic hits from the ‘40s through the ‘60s. 6-8:30 p.m., Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. For a complete concert series list, see Page 3.

September 7 – CERT Training Beginning of six-week CERT training course on disaster preparedness. 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton.

Free. claytoncert.org.

EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Through August 28 – “Pride and Prejudice” Jane Austen’s enduring tale of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage among the landed gentry of early 19th century England. Cue Productions Live, 1835 Colfax St., Concord. $10$18. b8company.com.

August 12, 14 – “The Most Happy Fella” Set in the Bay Area in the 1920s, this opera revolves around the complications that arise when Tony, an aging Napa Valley vineyard owner, proposes by mail to Rosabella, a young waitress who once served him in a San Francisco restaurant. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $39-$100. 943-SHOW, lesherartscenter.org.

Through September 4 – “The Fantasticks” The Willows presents this story of a young man and the girl next door whose parents have built a wall to keep them apart. Willows Theatre Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. $20-$32. 7981300 or willowstheatre.org.

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September 9 through October 1 – “The Wizard of Oz” Follow Dorothy’s classic journey to Emerald City. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $17-$48. 943-SHOW, diablotheatre.org.

925-686-9901

August 13, 14 – Japanese Summer Festival Japanese food, drum performances, judo and kendo demonstrations and Japanese flower arrangement demonstrations. Sat. 1 – 9 p.m.; Sun. 12 – 8:30 p.m. Japanese American Cultural Center, 3165 Treat Blvd., Concord. Free admission and free parking at Ygnacio Valley High School. 682-5299, jasummerfestival@yahoo.com or www.diablojaclub.com/summerfestival.

August 18 through September 10 – “Evil Dead the Musical” What can go wrong when five college students break into an abandoned cabin in the woods? Willows Cabaret at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $30-35. 798-1300 or willowstheatre.org.

August 20 – Mt. Diablo Astronomy Program Search for another Earth; why there is no life elsewhere in the solar system. Dress in layers. Bring snacks and water. 7:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. (enter park 45 minutes earlier). Lower summit parking lot, Summit Road, Clayton. Program is free; $10 park entrance fee. mdas.net.

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October 1 – CVHS 20th Reunion Clayton Valley High School Class of 1991’s 20th reunion. Come renew friendships and reminisce about days gone by. 7 p.m.

Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N. Main St. $90. Call Kara Manning 408-0749.

CHURCHES & RELIGION August 20 Classic Car Show Crossroads Covenant Church’s Seventh Annual Lee Harvell Classic Car Show. 4:30 p.m. 5353 Concord Blvd., Concord. Free.

Registration for exhibitors: crossroadschurchweb.org. For more information, contact leeharvellclassic@att.net.

FUNDRAISERS August 20 – Rib Cook-Off 2nd Annual CBCA Rib Cook-Off. Clayton Club Saloon, 6096 Main St., Clayton. Enter by Aug. 13, $50. Jim Frazier 673-0300, Rob Robertson 383-1495 or claytonribcookoff.com.

August 20, 21 – Relay for Life American Cancer Society fundraiser. Teams, sponsors, volunteers requested. Clayton Community Park, Ball Field #3, 7411 Marsh Creek Road. Call Brenda Righter 212-2048.

Aug. 22 – CVHS Athletic Boosters Golf Tournament Clayton Valley High School Athletic Boosters 20th annual charity tournament. Lunch, putting contest, no host cocktails, dinner buffet, awards and prizes. 21 and over only. Registration 10:30 a.m. at Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

Fees vary. cvhsboosters.org.

September 17 – MDE Stampede Mt. Diablo Elementary school fundraiser. One-mile and three-mile run/walk. Gates open at 7 a.m. Mt. Diablo Elementary School, 5880 Mt. Zion Drive, Clayton. $10. $15 includes T-shirt if register

by Sept. 6. mtdiabloelementary.mdusd.org.

AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. 673-0659 or claytonlibrary.org.

Wednesdays – Book Buddies A volunteer will read stories for children of all ages. 1-2 p.m.

August 15 – Evening Stories and Crafts Ages preschool to first grade. 7 p.m.

August 22 – Elder Financial Abuse Recognize scams and cons. 6 p.m.

August 24 – Emergency Preparedness Clayton CERT seminar on supplies, escape plans and communication to prepare for an emergency. 7 – 9 p.m. at the Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Free. claytoncert.org.

September 7 – Top Insider Tips on How to Get a Job Rebecca Martin of dear jane Inc. shares tips and advice on job hunting. 1:15 p.m.

SCHOOLS

August 26 through 28 – A Wondrous Evening of Magic Starring RJ Owens and hosted by Matt Davis. Diablo Actors’ Ensemble Theatre, 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. $22-$25. diabloactors.com.

CVHS Charter School – September 13 Decision meeting. 7:30 p.m. District Offices, 1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord.

September 2 through September 9 “Smokey Joe’s Café” Tribute to legendary songwriters Leiber and Stoller. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38-$47. 943-SHOW, lesherartscenter.org.

1st and 3rd Tuesdays – Clayton City Council 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Contra Costa Floors Showroom hours: M-F 9-5 Sat 10-4

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code than the Marine code and are there times when good soldiers must disobey orders. Diablo Actors’ Ensemble Theatre, 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. $22-$25. diabloactors.com.

September 16 through October 1 – “A Few Good Men” A courtroom powerhouse that questions if there exists a higher

GOVERNMENT

2nd and 4th Tuesdays – Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

August 12, 2011

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com o Videur c i s Mu y Ho

Book Review

What secrets lurk with ‘The Girl in the Garden’?

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR

THE

BOOKS

Kamala Nair’s first novel is lush summertime reading To qualify as a good summer read, a book has to perform several functions at one time. First, it must amuse. Second, it must spin a tale of adventure. Finally, a good summer read must give you the excitement of an exotic vacation without actually involving the nadir of jet lag. “The Girl in the Garden,” by Kamala Nair, is such a novel.

Nair’s first novel is part coming-of-age story, part fairytale.

The story begins in the present as twenty-something Rakhee is about to bolt from her fiancé, leaving a note promising to return when she has taken care of the one shameful thing from her past that she has hidden from him. Who can’t love a beginning like that? From the start, Rakhee is on the run and the reader must follow or be left stranded in the young woman’s wake.

The narrative of the story quickly shifts from adult Rakhee to 10-year-old Rakhee, whose parents are from India but meet by mutual acquaintance once both are in America. The tale begins its spin during the summer that Rakhee’s parent’s shaky marriage is falling apart and divorce lurks in the shadows of every room. Rakhee’s mother is emotionally unstable and grows increasingly so until just as

Page 15

school lets out for the summer, she decides to flee middle America, her husband, and social convention. She plans to travel to her ancestral home in India, taking her daughter with her. It’s just a vacation, she insists. But she is off her meds and we never quite believe her.

An American girl from the get-go, Rakhee’s initial response to the extended family’s compound is shock. There are suspicious cousins, scary aunts, a harmlessly alcoholic uncle, a semi-lucid grandmother, and a sinister near-relative. All of these strangers are insane or unhappy or both, and all are guarding family secrets. There are also ghosts, and a jungle that

looms at the edge of the family property that harbors the biggest secret of all. There is a girl in a garden deep in the forest, but her existence is wrapped in fiction and Rakhee is told to never venture into the woods because it is dangerous, but Rakhee ignores that lie too.

As the summer wears on, Rakhee grows accustomed to India and begins to love her cousins. She pulls at threads of the shabby family secret and as it unravels she comes to know more than a child should of the family shame. She secretly befriends the girl in the garden, and makes plans to help her escape. But then everything quickly spins out of control.

Her cousin is forced into a terrible marriage to save the family’s fortune, her mother intends to run away with the man from her past and tries to persuade Rakhee that living in India would be more fun that returning to Minnesota and her father.

Sometimes exotic, sometimes sentimental, “The Girl in the Garden” is a story of love and survival. What more could you want for a good summer read?

Cynthia Gregory writes book reviews, award-winning short stories and a blog. Visit her at www.twogirlstakeonlove.com or write ceegregory@aol.com

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Theatre

Blood, gore and show tunes “Evil Dead: The Musical” returns to the Willows GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer

Photo credit: Judy Potter

Michael Scott Wells (Ash), Meghan Ihle (Linda ) and a Candarian Demon at their feet in the Willows Cabaret production of “Evil Dead.”

What can go wrong when five college students break into an abandoned cabin in the woods? Apparently, a whole heck of a lot, as they unleash evil spirits, turn into Candarian Demons…and sing show tunes.

Cult classic “Evil Dead: The Musical” returns for a third bloody-good go-round at the Willows Cabaret at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward Street in Martinez, Aug. 18 – Sept. 10.

EVIL DEAD has been called “disarmingly funny” and the musical that “would kill you to miss it.” Part rock opera, part Alice Cooper, part Rocky Horror…it’s totally for the kid in all of us who dares to be scared.

The show is written by Sam

Raimi – the director who brought us all four Spiderman flicks – and directed by Eric Inman. The cast includes several members from the last production – Jenny Angell, Shaun Carroll, Meghan Ihle, Ji Kim, Paul Plain, and Michael Scott Wells as Ash. “Evil Dead” features seating in a separate “Splatter Zone.”

Front row audiences get to don special T-shirts to soak up souvenir splats, or ponchos, if they’re more gore-o-phobic.

More cautious DEAD-goers can sit farther back, but should keep those little umbrellas over their drinks, just in case. Because of strong language, the show is not recommended for children under 13.

“Evil Dead: The Musical” will be performed Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and $35, available by calling 925-798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.com.

The Campbell Theatre is located at 636 Ward St. in Martinez.

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‘Captain America’ – a Marvel-ous end-of-summer action romp walk a tightrope. First they must try to satisfy the built-in fan base of those who want to see their comic book hero come to life by staying true to the original story, often filled with cliches and implausible elements. At the same time they want to attract a new action-movie audience with more sophisticated tastes.

Captain America first appeared in comic books in 1941 and was revived by Marvel Comics in the 60’s. A movie version of this Nazi-fighting, uber patriot could easily slide into cheesy parody with good guys throw-

Photo: Jay Maidment / Marvel Studios

SUPER SOLDIER STEVE ROGERS (Chris Evans) and army intelligence officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) celebrate a successful rescue in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” from Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment.

ing out zingy lines along with their punches and bad guys who laugh evilly while pulling switches on big sparking evil machines. This movie has all those elements but the writers exploit the fun while sticking reasonably close to the original material and still manage to give the characters some emotional depth.

Steve Rogers is a skinny, short kid with asthma and a driving need to join the war effort against the Axis powers of World War II. His physical frailty frustrates his dream of being a soldier until a military scientist chooses him to be the guinea pig in an experimental process to create “Super soldiers.” Thus the skinny loser is transformed into a muscular fighting machine and dons the red, white and blue costume of Captain America. The explanation for why he ends up wearing the costume is probably the hardest to swallow, but given that it’s a necessary story element, the writers make a good effort. I did wince watching the hero sneak through a heavily guarded German camp in the night with a huge, round, shiny red white and blue shield strapped to his back.

But the action is fast, the heroes heroic and the villains are nasty and nefarious as they should be. Chris Evans does a

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“Captain America: The First Avenger” falls into a small, and often awkward, subgenre of the comic book superhero movie, the superhero origin film. Super-powered heroes have jumped from the comic book pages to movie screens since the 1940s and all of them require that the first film, if the movie does well enough to generate sequels, tells the tale of how the hero first pulled on a pair of brightly colored tights and started fighting bad guys.

Making the superhero origin flick requires filmmakers to

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This fun summer movie captures the spirit of the comic book it sprang from and also works as a solid action movie.

And if you are wondering what a “first Avenger” is, Captain America is part of a long-planned series of movies from Marvel Comics focusing on individual super heroes, including Iron Man and Thor, who will eventually come together and appear as a superhero team called “The Avengers.” That movie is scheduled for release next spring. If they can successfully pull together characters from separate movies, with different writers and directors, into a single movie somewhere down the road it will be quite a stunt.

Don Pedro Cruz is a local freelance writer and graphic designer.

Send your comments to dpvc2000@gmail.com

Page 16

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 12, 2011

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How time flies. It has been approximately six weeks since the summer break started for our young students. Towards the end of the recent school year and at the start of the summer break period, there was a noticeable increase in the amount of vandalism incidents to city owned property. The damage included broken slats on the gazebo at The Grove, on the white picket fence around the Endeavor Hall parking lot, and some graffiti.

However, there has been a decrease in the number of vandalism incidents reported to the police department lately. One problem seems to persist: juvenile loitering. A popular gathering spot for our young people is the Grove Park, and in some cases in the parking lot located adjacent to the Endeavor Hall. I believe there is a strong correlation between juvenile loitering and the number and frequency of vandalism.

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primary purposes of the conversation is to advise them that the park is closed, or that they might be in violation of the city’s curfew law. The city’s curfew law might not be well known. Let me take this opportunity to educate our community about the existence of the curfew law and when it is in effect.

The Clayton Municipal Code section, 9.08.010, Curfew for Minors, reads as follows: It is unlawful for any minor under the age of eighteen years to be in or on any public street, park, square, or any public place within the city between the hours of 10 p.m., on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and daylight immediately following, and between the hours of 12:01 a.m., on Saturday and Sunday and daylight immediately following, except where the minor is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or other adult person having the legal care and custody of the minor, or where the presence of the minor in the place or places is

guardian, or working, which includes going to and from work.

Lately, Clayton officers have been issuing warnings to minors they have contacted late at night in public places. However, the officers will start issuing written citations for violating the city’s curfew law for future violations.

With strict enforcement of the city’s curfew law, we feel that this will contribute to the continued decrease in vandalism that has occurred in our city. If anyone

has questions about the curfew law, please contact the Clayton Police Department at 925-6737350, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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

Take a Hike

Catch the views from

Balancing Rock Extraordinary views and incredibly rich habitat will make for a memorable experience on Save Mount Diablo’s monthly family hike to Balancing Rock on Sunday, Aug. 28.

The breathtaking views stretch from Mount Diablo south across the Tri-Valley, Livermore Mountains, Pleasanton Ridge, McGuire Peaks and as far as the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The thickly chaparraled Knobcone Pine woodland provides shelter for rare wildlife.

Photo by Scott Hein, www.heinphoto.com

Exposed sandstone cliffs surrounded by dense chaparral and Knobcone Pine woodland provide shelter for rare wildlife like Prairie Falcons.

The four mile hike follows Knobcone Point fire road to Balancing Rock, and there is only a 200 foot elevation gain/loss.

The hike runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at Curry Point in Mount Diablo State Park before

10 a.m. From I-680 exit Diablo Road and head east towards the mountain. Stay on Diablo Road for three miles then turn left on Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd., once you pass the Mount Diablo State Park entrance sign continue up Southgate Road. Curry Point is on the right two miles past the Southgate Kiosk. There is a $10 entrance fee per vehicle.

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connected with or required by some legitimate business, trade profession or occupation, by reason of employment, inclusive of time necessary for going to and returning from such place of business in which the minor is engaged.

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Calisthenics unites innovation with tradition Calisthenics is a form of dynamic exercise consisting of a variety of simple, rhythmical movements generally using minimal or limited equipment.

Intended to increase body strength and flexibility, calisthenics uses movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking. Quite simply, calisthenics make you one tough machine.

Varied Calisthenic exercise, when performed correctly. benefits both muscular and cardiovascular fitness, in addition to improving balance, agility and coordination. Increased development of particular muscles within the body is a specific benefit of continuous and varied Calisthenics training. The essential keys to performing Calisthenics are concentration,

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constant muscle tension and consistency. Practice makes better.

Along with providing a bounty of exertion, Calisthenics requires no equipment, just your own body weight. The need to purchase expensive, large, bulky, less efficient athletic equipment becomes null and void. All that is required is you. From jogging in place to the popular burpee followed by high-knees kicks, it’s all about getting an overall body work that is intense and effective.

Combining cardio, strength, and flex drills, Calisthenics is sure to send your machine into maximum overdrive.

Calisthenics may sound like a strange word but it is one you are more familiar with than you might think. Remember P.E.? Suffering through the push up test? Well, those old, tried and true basic exercises like squats, pull ups, and push ups are still excellent examples of calisthenics that are extremely tough but offer the body results that are sublime.

However, there is no need to take my word for it. Put action to words.

Try these great Calisthenics combos and test out your own machine.

V-Up – Enhance your core training by performing a V-Up. Start by sitting on the ground, lean back slightly with your arms crossed at your chest, your knees bent and your heels about an inch off the ground. Using only your abs, fold your body up into a V position without letting your feet

or back touch the ground. Repeat for 15 to 20 reps.

Walking Lunges – Strengthen the core and sculpt the legs and glute region by performing Walking lunges. To begin, take a big step forward with one leg until your thigh is parallel with the floor. Next push through your heel and step forward with opposite leg. Each step is slow and controlled.

Superman – Improve all over body coordination and control by performing the Superman.

Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended past your head and your legs hip-width apart. Lift your legs and arms simultaneously off the floor.

Hold for one second then release for one second, keeping the motion smooth. Work up to four sets of 20.

Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fitness certifications. She currently trains at the newly opened Levity Fitness studio in Clayton. Email Ilima at IlimaHeuerman@levityfitness.com

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page 17

“New Normals” for Clayton Valley weather patterns WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS Every 10 years the US National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) publishes monthly normals of temperature, degree days and rainfall for thousands of weather stations in the United States. The latest update, issued last month, calculates normals for the 30 year period 1981 through 2010. These updated values will replace calculations made from data measured between 1971 and 2000.

Until last month’s update, this report did not contain much useful information for Concord and Clayton residents since the closest weather station was Mt. Diablo Junction. The problem with the Mt. Diablo station is that at an elevation of 2170 feet, its weather measurements are not representative of those experienced at the valley floor where most of the population lives. The next nearest stations

are Martinez and Antioch.

The good news is that two Concord weather stations, Buchanan Airport and the Water Treatment Plant, are included in the newest report.

Since both stations are located in the northwest portion of the city, it is likely that the reported summer season temperatures at both Concord weather stations are somewhat lower than we experience in the Clayton Valley.

Still, the Concord temperature normals are an improvement over the Mt. Diablo Junction data. For example, both sites show August as the warmest month of the year.

The average Concord Airport maximum in August is 87.2 degrees while the Mt. Diablo Junction average maximum is only 84.7 degrees.

The calculation of monthly temperature normals is a straightforward process. The monthly average August maximum temperature is the sum of all August daily maximums for each of the 30 years divided by 930, the number of days in the period (31 days in August multi-

plied by 30 years).

Daily average temperatures are calculated by adding the daily maximum temperatures for each day and dividing by 2.

If the minimum and maximum temperatures for Aug. 12 are 50 and 100 respectively, then the daily average temperature is 75.

Degree day statistics are also presented in the updated NCDC 30 year normal tables.

Degree days are a form of historical weather data commonly used in modeling the relationship between energy consumption and outside air temperature.

In the summer, cooling degree days are correlated to electrical load mainly due to air condition usage. In the winter, heating degree days are correlated to gas load due mainly due to space heating requirements.

Degree days are calculated by comparing the daily average temperature to a base temperature. In the United States, this base temperature is commonly set at 65 degrees F. Using a base temperature of 65, a daily average temperature of 75 degrees

on Aug. 12 would result in a cooling degree day value of 10 (75 minus 65) for that day. If all 31 days of August 2011 had identical daily average temperatures, then the monthly cooling degree day total would be 310 (31 days multiplied by 10 cooling degree days).

Meteorologists by nature are weather data geeks. The updated monthly normals recently released by NCDC give us plenty of new data to review.

Fortunately, there are now weather stations in the report that better represent the Clayton Valley area. If you are interested in looking at the monthly temperature and precipitation normals for any weather station in the United States, please use the following link (http://ggweather.com/normals/) and select the state of your choice for a list of weather stations.

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Researchers are positive: Good deeds help depression You’ve probably seen those bumper stickers that encourage you to “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.” Turns out that whoever coined that phrase was on to something.

I might be putting myself out of a job, but I could not help but pass along some exciting new research that shows how practicing positive activities, like acts of kindness, may alleviate mild forms of depression. In the August 2011 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, researchers from the University of California, Riverside, and Duke University propose a new approach for treating depression calling Positive Activity Interventions (PAI). PAIs are intentional activities such as performing acts of kindness, practicing optimism, writing letters of gratitude, counting one’s blessings, meditating on positive feelings toward others, and using one’s signature character strengths.

PAIs seem to be effective in teaching people ways to increase their positive thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The researchers theorize that PAIs continue to benefit you long after you’ve done them and work to boost your reward/pleasure feedback loop,

STEPHANIE HO MIND MATTERS while also reversing apathy about your future and the world around you.

This study is one of many in the positive psychology field, founded by Dr. Martin Seligman, which focuses on creating happiness and well-being in our daily lives through the empirical study of positive emotions and strengths-based character. Here are some recommended strategies suggested by positive psychology research to boost your own happiness.

The first strategy is called “Three Blessings.” Before you go to bed, write down three good things that happened during the day. Then, write down why each of them happened.

The second strategy is called “Gratitude Visit.” Think of someone who has done something important for you whom

you have never properly thanked. In a letter, write down exactly what they did for you and the specific consequences that occurred in your life because of their actions. Meet with the person face-to-face and read the gratitude letter to this person.

The third strategy is called “Use Your Strengths in New Ways.” Take the VIA Survey of Character Strengths on Dr. Seligman’s website, www.authentichappiness.com.

Think of ways you already use these strengths in your life.

Brainstorm ways you can use these strengths even more.

Write down specific ways you can use them. Commit to using your strengths in new ways this week.

The fourth and last strategy is called “The Future Diary.”

Try writing for 20 minutes about your best possible self. Visualize your preferred future. What would your life look like if everything was just as you wanted it? Picture yourself achieving your goals and write about what you would be doing, where, with whom, what it would be like, etc. Studies suggest that is possible to experience a sense of increased happiness and wellbeing after practicing the above exercises for just one week. So,

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Page 18

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

largest funnel shaped medium pink flowers that I have ever seen on any azalea. It’s possible that this is where my admiration for pink began. The blossoms covered the entire shrub so densely that the greenery was hardly visible.

Helleborus “Candy Love” came our way, with its nodding heads of simple light pink bracts that resemble flowers and dark freckles. Heuchera Snow Angel has green and cream variegated foliage, with stems of small pink flowers, and berginia’s leathery broad leaf with thick stems that hold rows of dusty pink flowers, have both been successfully utilized in landscape situations adding pops of perennial pink color here and there.

Once spring finally began to warm up a bit, more pretty pink flowers were blooming throughout the nursery. The arctotis Pink Sugar with its daisy-shaped flowers wowed as a small groundcover, as did the stunning Tiny Monster geranium. Tiny Monster geranium is a totally fabulous groundcover for full sun, the magenta pink flowers cover the pillow-like body

Brightly colored blooms make delightful summer garden Whether it’s cherry pink, electric pink or hot pink, this year I can’t deny that am feeling rather pink. I have accented gardens with pink flowers, created con-

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL tainer combinations in entirely pink hues, and incorporated pink foliage whenever I was given the chance.

The pinks caught my eye in the spring. They were easily found on the azaleas, hellebores, heuchera and berginia. Azalea Southern Indicia “Mistral” has the

of this perennial. Coprosma Pink Splendor is an evergreen shrub that makes for a great foundation plant. Pink Splendor has cream and green variegated foliage with a touch of pink. As the weather cools with the fall, the pink intensifies, and the cream color disappears. The combination is so great that you’ll never miss not having a bloom.

Salvia Chiapensis and Salvia Buchananii are both pretty with their bold pink flowers. The Salvia Chiapensis has tiny two-lipped blossoms, and a happy plant can reach 3- to 4-feet tall and wide.

Salvia Buchananii is eventually smaller with a similar bloom color. The Buchananii has a real fuzzy blossom that is very soft to the touch. Salvia Wendy’s Wish is newer to the salvia scene.

Magenta pink two-lipped flowers are constantly in bloom and will grow 4-feet tall and about half as wide.

Cordyline Electric Pink is all the rage this summer. It has burgundy bladed leaves that are margined by bright pink. This excellent grass looking evergreen stuns in a container. Surround it with cherry pink million bells and a dahlia called Mystic Illusion. This dahlia has dark almost blackish, ferny leaves, and a star-shaped pink flower. All together, this combination would thrill from spring through fall.

Pink flowers have been found every where this year. Use pink to accent red foliage, or gray foliage.

You can use pinks to contrast soften all the purple flowers in your yard. This is the year for pink, at least for me.

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Bon appetit: Food, fine art are Paris’ main attractions It was April in Paris and I wanted to see it all – the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur and the Statue of Liberty, just to mention a few.

We were going to be in France for three weeks and because we had not been there before, we wanted to experience as much of the culture, food, wine, museums and history that we could possibly cram into that short period of time without needing another vacation when we returned.

The first week was spent in Paris. Our hotel was situated on the Champs Élysées which made it convenient to hop aboard the Metro each day to various parts of the city. At 12 Euro for 10 tickets, it was an inexpensive and easy means of transportation.

Paris is a very walkable city, however, and it was fun to be

able to meander through various neighborhoods and observe daily life while treating ourselves to all sorts of food as we passed the local shops. The patisseries had fresh and delicious pastries; the fromageries produced an incredible variety of cheeses; the boucherie shops sold freshly made paté by the kilogram, and, of course, the chocolatier displayed gorgeous and intricate designs almost too pretty to eat.

The cafés where you could stop for a latté were everywhere as were the sidewalk restaurants where you could grab a glass of wine (which at 3 Euro was much cheaper than a Diet Coke at 5 Euro) and watch the Parisiens and tourists alike as they enjoyed the beautiful weather.

A company called “Paris Walks” (www.paris-walks.com) provided us with informative tours of all the various neighborhoods – the Montmartre, the Marais, Left Bank, Right Bank, etc. The history of Paris is fascinating and was brought to life by the tour guides.

By purchasing tickets online before our trip, we had no trouble getting in to the various museums. The Louvre holds three of the most famous pieces of art in the world – the Mona Lisa (which is actually quite smaller than expected), the

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME

TO

GO

Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Other than the Mona Lisa, which is covered with bulletproof glass and surrounded by ropes to keep the public at bay, all of the other displays of beautiful art can be viewed at close range.

The Musée d’Orsay is housed in a former railway station and the facility is just as beautiful as the art displayed there.

Next time we’ll talk about our second week – a river cruise from Paris to Normandy.

TRAVEL TIP: Print your itinerary details – including all confirmation numbers, telephone numbers, etc. – on colored paper. When you have to refer to them, it’s easy to locate that piece of paper among others you may be carrying.

Recently retired, Clayton resident Peggy Bidondo is a tireless traveler with a passion for travel planning and writing. Send your questions and column ideas to Peggy Bidondo at timetogo@claytonpioneer.com.

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Over the past several years, Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become quite popular.

There are now more than 1,200 ETFs available adding up to more than $1 trillion in assets, according to National Stock Exchange.

Investors have flocked to ETFs because of their low costs, tax efficiency and stocklike features. But before you decide to invest, be sure that you understand exactly what you are buying.

An ETF is similar to an open-end mutual fund in that they both offer investors a pool of securities. But that is largely where the similarities end.

Perhaps the biggest difference between mutual funds and ETFs is in how they trade. ETFs trade like individual stocks.

Their prices fluctuate throughout the day allowing investors to buy and sell any time the markets are open. Mutual funds, on the other hand, settle at the end of the day, meaning investors must wait to redeem or buy

based on a mutual fund’s net asset value (NAV) after the markets close.

ETFs also tend to be more tax efficient because they typically generate relatively low capital gains from fund distributions. ETFs usually have lower turnover of securities because they are not required to sell securities to meet investor redemptions, like mutual funds.

When a mutual fund sells securities, it must pass along the capital gains to shareholders, even though the shareholders have not redeemed their shares. This can create an unwanted surprise at tax time.

The lower fees on ETFs can be a benefit, but they can also be a trap. ETFs do not charge redemption fees, and typically have lower expense ratios than mutual funds. However, every time and investor buys or sells an ETF, he or she pays a brokerage commission. For frequent traders, these fees can quickly surpass the lower annual costs that ETFs usually charge.

MURELEEN BENTON FINANCIAL SENSE There are many types of ETFs based on their underlying pools of securities. Index ETFs provide diversification across an entire index such as the S&P 500. You’ll also find more specialized ETFs offering exposure to a diverse variety of markets, including: country-specific indexes, sector-specific indexes, bond indexes, and commodities indexes.

If you are not confident in your ability to choose the best ETFs for your portfolio, consider speaking to a financial advisor about which investments might be appropriate for you.

Mureleen Benton is a Certified Financial Planner. Call her with questions at 685-4523 Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member NASD and SIPC, part of Ameriprise Financial, Inc.