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IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
March 30, 2012
Undefeated CVHS Cheer Team wins national title in Las Vegas HOWARD GELLER
MAYOR’S CORNER
A sprinkling of updates from city hall
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Valley High School’s undefeated Competition Cheer Team, fresh off a championship at the JAMZ All-Star Cheer & Dance Nationals in Las Vegas, concludes its 2011-2012 season
this weekend at the Sacramento Convention Center looking for its sixth successive first-place performance of the school year. Cheer coach Angie Henricksen is really proud of her 15member squad that performed near flawlessly in their 2-1/2 minute routine in Vegas that
mixed music and cheer to win by almost four points over runnerup South High School of Torrance in the Varsity Co-Ed Show category. The word co-ed is important because senior Ronald Ylagan is one of the 15 team members, along with 14 girls. Ylagan is in his second year
with the Comp Team and has so impressed his coach (“beyond amazing”) that Henricksen has hired him to work at the gym where the team trains once a week and Henricksen works. The coach is in
See Cheer, page 4
Spring has sprung and our trees are in bloom. Mother Nature is making her appearance in Clayton in so many ways. It’s time to clean the barbeque, get out the lawn furniture and start enjoying the outdoors once again. Here is a spring update on some topics I have covered in past columns, plus a few new ones: Clayton Rentals: With our early spring, I wanted to remind everyone of the availability to rent several of Clayton’s “gems” for personal use. Endeavor Hall stands ready for your indoor/outdoor weddings and parties. Clayton Community Park has several sites for rent
See Mayor, page 6
Clayton man fights for education in Iran
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Photo courtesy of Clayton Valley High School
CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH’S UNDEFEATED COMPETITION CHEER TEAM, fresh off a championship at the JAMZ All-Star Cheer & Dance Nationals in Las Vegas, concludes its 2011-2012 season this weekend in Sacramento looking for its sixth successive first-place performance of the school year. The squad coached by Angie Henricksen includes, (front row) Cassie Del Monte, Maddie Nuchols, Julie Farr, Evette Guest and Devin Lyn Shaver; (back row) Ashley Becker, Gennie Barahona, Carlie Frevele, Sam Turpen, Ronald Ylagan, Maddie Day, Kassidy Pedrani, Rachel Siver, Daniela Duenas and Ashlynn Adams.
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City says OK to weeknight concerts, but nixes alcohol sales TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
The City Council voted 4-1 at the March 20 meeting to add five weeknight concerts to the summer schedule, but only if private donors step up to sponsor them and there are no alcohol sales. The concerts were proposed by Councilman Joe Medrano as a way of bringing more people to the downtown during the week. Medrano’s proposal originally included selling alcohol at the concerts but most downtown merchants were strongly opposed, saying alcohol sales would cut into their business. Selling alcohol at the events also created complications with Alcohol and Beverage Control licensing and raised liability and insurance issues. After the article in the March 16 Clayton Pioneer, the city received 20 emails from Claytonians living in or near the downtown. Eighteen of them were opposed to the weeknight concerts. The main objection was the sale of alcohol. “This is not Las Vegas. This is Clayton,” wrote Kathy Verderame. “We are a wonderful
See Concerts, page 7
Red Cross helps Creekside Arts Festival brings save more than lives DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer IRANIAN-BORN HUGH TOLOUI will host a discussion on human rights violations in Iran and the challenges he faces as an online instructor at the Baha’i University on April 6.
PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
Many folks know Hugh Toloui as an active civic volunteer with the Sunrise Rotary Club and semi-retired real estate broker. But what they may not realize is that the 22-year Clayton resident, husband to Flor and father of four, is also an instructor at what can be considered one of the greatest universities in the world. He doesn’t have a distinguished office full of dusty tomes, just one important teaching tool – his computer. That’s not too much of an issue, however, since most of his students don’t have classrooms. They are huddled in living rooms, basements and
See Toloui, page 3
Talking with Sandy TeschWilkins today, you’d never guess that in the not-too-distant past, she was another of the multitude of shy teenage girls inhabiting Clayton who have yet to find their voices.
Fourteen years old in 1998 and too young for paid work – but dreading the prospect of a long, boring summer – Wilkins began sending inquiries to groups who might need volunteers. The Red Cross, located just down the road from See Tesch-Wilkins, page 13
Photo courtesy of the American Red Cross
SANDY TESCH WILKINS’ WORK WITH THE RED CROSS on behalf of children and youth takes her all over the world. One recent trip took her to the Republic of Gambia in West Africa, where she worked with Gambian Red Cross volunteers to vaccinate 90 percent of the local children against measles.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Community Calendar . . . . . .14 Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5 DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .8 Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .18
talent and diversity to library NICCI SHIPSTEAD Clayton Pioneer
Local artists and artisans were undaunted by the rain last weekend when they turned out for the annual Creekside Arts Festival at the Clayton Library. The event opened on Friday night with the Jury Awards presented by Arlene Kikkawa-Nielson and Clayton’s head librarian Karen HansenSmith to several Clayton artists including Amal Shihabi, Tammy Slezak, Leo Schindler, Nicci Shipstead and Julie VanWyk. Speaking for jury judges Jacquelyn Smith of Art Concepts, Inc., Carrie Brewster of The Hearst Gallery and Peter Maund, district representative, The Arts & Culture Commission of CCC, Clayton Artists Guild volunteer Cheryl Morgan said the jurors were “very impressed with the diversity and technique represented in our club.” When asked how the CAG attracts this level of talent Morgan quipped, “We just smile a lot!” The annual event celebrates the birthday of the Clayton Library – this year, the 17th – with a themed weekend event meant to inspire both the creator and the audience. This year, the theme was “Clayton Library… Bringing People & Places Together.”
See Arts Festival, page 4
Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . .12 Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . .17 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .18
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
RECYCLED MATERIAL ARTIST DAVID BROOKS offered painting classes to brain injury survivor Mario Scharmer 18 months ago. “Working with Mario has blessed my life,” says Brooks. “We are the Dynamic Duo.”
Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 The Charter Papers . . . . . . . .8
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