Special Section:
Inside this issue
Living Well See page 10
IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
October 14, 2011
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Clayton Valley High continues to lead the pack at UMDAF run JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
DAVE SHUEY
MAYOR’S CORNER
Keep charter school letters coming Congratulations and thanks to the Clayton Business and Community Association for another excellent Oktoberfest. Despite the weather and other cities’ attempt to pit their paltry little Walnut and other festivals against us, a great time was had by all and, just as importantly, the CBCA made a lot of money. And guess what, we get it all! That’s right, the CBCA donates the money raised to help our city, schools, citizens, fleas, ticks (just checking, some people stop
See Mayor, page 8 Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
It’s Here
THE CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY TEAM enters the annual United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation Run/Walk in costume and this year’s theme was Super Heroes. Sophomore Ben Linzey of Clayton took the costume idea to heart and then covered the 5K Newhall Park course in 24:36.12, wearing cape and all.
For the third year in a row Newhall Park was taken over on an October Sunday morning by a horde of runners and walkers and volunteers as the United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation continued its efforts to raise funding to save sports in the six Mt. Diablo Unified School District high schools. And for the third time Clayton Valley High School won the trophy for having the most registered runners and walkers with 410 and Eagles alumnus Nathanael Litwiller, now of Sacramento State, blazed through the 5K (approximately 3.1 miles) course last Sunday in 15:35.12, one minute ahead of second-place finisher Danny Stalters. The top female finishers were high school juniors Ami Boucher of Northgate and Clayton Valley’s Emma Schoenstein. However the results of the
See 5K Run, page 12
Driver with prior DUI crashes into parked car TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Your Clayton Almanac is inside this issue. Take it out and hang on to it. It’s full of valuable information on local merchants, a 2011-12 events calendar, a guide to Clayton’s trails and parks, a full listing of clubs and associations and contact numbers for government offices, churches and area support services.
Just before 2 a.m. on the rainy morning of Oct. 5, neighbors were jolted awake when a late model BMW speeding up Windmill Canyon Drive crashed into a parked car and flipped over. The crash was described by neighbors as sounding like a gas explosion. The driver of the BMW has been identified as Harrison Sanders, 21, of Concord. According to police, an intoxicated Sanders was speeding uphill on Windmill Canyon Drive when he lost control on
the curve, scattering trash cans at the curb of 3087 Windmill Canyon crashing into a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The Impala, owned by Mark Warzecha of 3090 Windmill Canyon, was parked facing downhill. The BMW hit the front of the Impala, pushing it uphill about 50 feet uphill before flipping on its side in the driveway of 3089 Windmill Canyon. The BMW did not crash into the house, as was reported earlier in other media. Witnesses saw Sanders run from the crash scene, leaving his injured passenger in the car.
See Crash, page 8
Photo credit: ratstalker/Claycord.com
ALCOHOL AND SPEED COMBINED TO CAUSE THIS EARLY MORNING HIT-AND-RUN crash that left one man injured and totaled a parked car on Oct 5. The driver was later arrested.
Safari adventure is like Disneyland, with zebras Clayton photographer is dazzled by the South African bush
Until my amazing trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa, my exposure to wild ani-
mals had been limited to zoos, movies or periodicals like National Geographic. What I saw on my safari exceeded my wildest dreams. Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, an area of approximately 8,000 square miles that extends along the northeastern part of South Africa bordering Mozambique to the east and Zimbabwe to the north. My 14-hour flight to Johannesburg, through Hong Kong, consisted of two legs.
Once I landed in Johannesburg, I boarded a small plane operated by a local airline for a 70-minute flight to the northeast section of the Kruger Park area. When I landed at the small airstrip in the middle of the African bush, I felt eerily at home. The scenery is strikingly similar to our open space around Mt. Diablo during summer – knee-high golden grass covered rolling hills with a variety of sparse brush, small trees and sandy trails. Little did I know that I was about to experience my first
Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Community Calendar . . . . . . .9 Clayton Cooks . . . . . . . . . . . .3 CVHS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .8 Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5
Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .19 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . .5
Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Robert Cohen, a Clayton-based freelance travel photographer, recently journeyed to Kruger National Park in South Africa. Thanks to his story – and his remarkable photos – Pioneer readers can have their own armchair safari. First of two parts. ROBERT COHEN Special to the Pioneer PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT COHEN TRAVELED TO SOUTH AFRICA, bringing home amazing photos and memories to last a lifetime.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
amazing surprise. The 30minute ride to the safari lodge was in an open Land Rover, the same kind of vehicle that was to become my key transport and viewing platform while at the safari lodge for the next six days. We had barely driven for 15 minutes when the driver made a halting stop to avoid colliding with a large herd of zebra and impala crossing the road. It seemed as if someone was staging a Hollywood production and
See Safari, page 2
Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .18
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190