Have a Happy Thanksg iving IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
November 23, 2012
925.672.0500
Clayton’s new top cop eager to return to small town policing TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
HOWARD GELLER
MAYOR’S CORNER
A Contra Costa Sheriff ’s Department captain with 26 years experience, a quick wide smile and a warm handshake will take over as Clayton’s police chief on November 30. Christopher Thorsen, 49, will replace Dan Lawrence who is retiring after seven years leading the department. Thorsen was “far and away” the best candidate for the job, said City Manager Gary Napper. After narrowing down the field to eight from the original 22 applicants, Thorsen was “clearly head and shoulders above the competition,” said City Manager Gary Napper. Clayton resident Sandy Johnson sat on the citizens’ panel that interviewed the three finalists. She said Thorsen pulled ahead of the other two early in the process. She describes the new chief as innovative and enthusiastic. “He’s genuine, the real deal,” she said.
Reflections on a dynamic year The holiday season is in full swing. We are all scurrying around planning family and community activities. Thanks to the Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA), the decorations are up and once again our downtown looks like a picture from a Norman Rockwell calendar. A complete list of city and CBCA events is in this issue of the Clayton Pioneer and on the city’s website. Serving as your mayor in 2012 has been an experience I will long remember. It was a busy year for Clayton. The loss of our Redevelopment Agency and the state demanding repayment of funds received but not yet spent, stymied our opportunity to think outside the box. Clayton has fared well these past years. We had balanced
See Mayor, page 6
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
See Police Chief, page 2
CLAYTON’S NEW POLICE CHIEF, CHRIS THORSEN, A 26-YEAR VETERAN OF THE CONTRA COSTA SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT will be sworn in at the Dec. 4 City Council meeting. Thorsen was police chief in Oakley for five years and was the first choice of both the citizen’s interview panel and the professional interview panel comprised of police chiefs from other cities.
Pioneer
Christmas
Daisy Troop learns value of recycling first-hand Cookie NICCI SHIPSTEAD Clayton Pioneer
It’s not every day a bunch of young Girl Scouts get to learn about the world with the help of things that have been tossed away. But that’s just what hap-
pened when Daisy Troop 33202 from Mt. Diablo Elementary visited Mt. Diablo Recycling to study the Four Rs: Respect the earth, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It was also fun to see cool machines sort and package tons
of material into rectangular cubes for transporting around the world to become other useful items. Mt. Diablo Recycling in Pittsburg – owned by the Garaventa family – is the largest California recycling facility. The
1,000 pounds of girls, siblings, grandparents and parents combined weighed a mere pittance compared to the 49,000-pound recycling truck entering the 90,000 square foot state-of-theart facility – or to the tons of
recycling center. Mt. opened serving
that flow through the
Contest
Diablo Recycling in September 2008, Concord, Pittsburg,
Entry Form page 11
See Recycling, page 6
Helix, Birsan top field in nasty Concord council race Police Officers Association’s ‘racist’ mailer inflames voters DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
Nicci Shipstead/Clayton Pioneer
DAISY TROOP 33202 AND THEIR SIBLINGS TOURED MT. DIABLO RECYCLING to learn about the 4 R’s: Respect the earth, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. From left to right: Karleigh, Elena, Isabella, Haley, Ava, Shantelle, Megan, Lexie, Montse, Sophia, Erika, Molly and Jack.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Community Calendar . . . . . .13 Design and Décor . . . . . . . .18 Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5
Despite an election season tainted by accusations of racism and hit-piece mailers, Concord voters embraced diversity and selected two very different candidates for city council to lead the city into the future. Edi Birsan, a longtime and often vocal attendee of council meetings, and incumbent Dan Helix – a Concord government veteran who had previously been appointed to fill Mark Peterson’s vacant seat – were selected by their community
Doctor’s Orders . . . . . . . . . . .9 Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .18 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
from a field of 10 candidates. Helix won with 22.04 percent of the vote, while Birsan had 18.73 percent. Tim McGallian was third with 15.66 percent, while Harmesh Kumar was fourth with 13.36 percent of the vote. HIT PIECE BACKFIRES Birsan’s campaign – his second time running for a seat on the council – may have benefited from a hit piece aimed at him from the Concord Police Officers Association. The group, which bills itself as a “non-profit organization representing the 145 sworn men and women police officers of the Concord Police Department,” sent a flyer
See Concord, page 6 Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .20 Holiday Guide . . . . . . . . . .10 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .17
Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer MEN WITH VERY DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW will represent
TWO
Concordians on the Concord City Council starting next month. Dan Helix has been a force in Concord government for nearly 50 years; and Edi Birsan takes his seat after an unsuccessful run in 2008.
Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190