Gree
Judg t-Eat-Drin e Tue k Phan for Co ngres La V eran s da in Sept .
Clay 9, 7ton 8 : www P 925.52 30 p.m. 4.00 .judg 1 e Dona p han. 1 tion: com $150 pp; RSV
IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
Concord Pioneer to debut in September
$275
August 15, 2014
pc
925.672.0500
A cunning win for first-timers at annual CBCA Rib Cook-off PEGGY SPEAR
Clayton Pioneer
TAMARA STEINER
Publisher
Six slabs of ribs did what Christmas and birthdays couldn’t do: They made my husband Tony Ucciferri feel like a kid again. Indeed, when my husband decided to enter the fifth annual Clayton Club’s Rib Cook-off last Saturday — a fundraiser for the Clayton Business and Community Association — we couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. That is when he wasn’t spending a few sleepless nights going over rub recipes, sauce quantities and looking over spreadsheets of cooking times. It was a long time coming. More than 30 years to be exact. That’s when he and teammate Walid Abdul-Rahim first began experimenting with barbecue recipes in their UC Berkeley dorm, Cunningham Hall. It’s also where their team name was born: The Cunning Hams.
Next month, Pioneer Newspapers will begin a new phase when the 11-year-old Clayton Pioneer will be joined by an allnew Concord Pioneer in bringing quality community news coverage to both cities. Beginning with the Sept. 12 issue, the Clayton Pioneer will publish monthly in the second week of the month. Other than the new schedule, readers will see no change. The paper will still be home-delivered to all of Clayton by U.S. mail. It will still have complete coverage of community events, city politics, local sports, school and club news, a community calendar, popular columns and articles on a rich variety of topics. The Concord Pioneer will also publish monthly beginning Sept. 26. The paper will be delivered to 28,000 homes and businesses in Concord during Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
See New Pioneer, page 3
PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS THE CUNNING HAMS, a.k.a. Tony Ucciferri and Walid Abdul-Rahim, debate the cooking time at the Fifth Annual Rib Cook-off on Aug. 9.
De La Salle movie shines spotlight on Eidson Terry Eidson and Bob Ladouceur portrayed by Hollywood stars JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
When Terry Eidson began coaching football at De La Salle High School in 1981 — as an assistant junior varsity coach — he would have been hard pressed to imagine that as he prepares for his 34th season at
acclaimed major motion picture. Eidson, a Concord resident, was accompanied by wife Aggie, their daughters Kayleigh and Therese, and other family members earlier this month on the red, er, green carpet for the Hollywood premiere of “When The Game Stands Tall,” a TriStar movie chronicling the recordbreaking 151-game winning streak from 1992-2003 that brought De La Salle football to the forefront of the American sports scene.
Photo courtesy TriStar Pictures
Veteran De La Salle High School football coach Terry Eidson (left) traveled to New Orleans after the end of the 2013 school year to observe filming of “When The Game Stands Tall,” the story of the record-breaking Spartans football team. Michael Chiklis (right), plays Eidson in the film.
the Concord Catholic school he would have an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor portraying him in a highly-
“The carpet was actually green football turf,” Eidson said about the Hollywood premiere with star Jim Caviezel (who
Postal Customer ECRWSS
What’s Inside
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ask Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Behind the Badge . . . . . . . . .6 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
players Spartans head coach Bob Ladouceur), director Thomas Carter, producer David Zelon and several young actors, including Alexander Ludwig and Jesse Usher, who portray De La Salle players. Ladouceur and Eidson have coached together for 32 years at De La Salle (Eidson was promoted to head JV coach for his second and third years and has been on the varsity staff ever since). They are central figures in the movie based on the 2003 book of the same name by former Contra Costa Times columnist Neil Hayes. Each is credited as a consultant on the film as well. Michael Chiklis, who won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of Detective Vic Mackey in the groundbreaking series “The Shield,” plays Eidson in the film. Hayes was thrilled with the casting. “From the moment he came on set, Mike had Terry down," Hayes says. "Bob and Terry are almost yin and yang: Bob’s introverted and quiet, while Terry is extroverted and loud and since they’ve been together coaching for 32 years, they’re like an old married couple. There’s some real humor in the way they needle each other and have a good time together – and Mike got that. He brought energy, comedy and a really fun element.”
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Community Calendar . . . . .14 Concord City News . . . . . . . .5 Design and Décor . . . . . . . .15 Estate Planning . . . . . . . . . . .8
LONG HISTORY TOGETHER The coaches met the summer before Edison began at DLS. They were in a dorm at St. Mary’s College. Edison was just out of college and in a program with the Christian Brothers that he thought would lead to him joining that religious order and Ladouceur was taking a workshop on the Moraga campus.
“We hit it off real well,” Eidson recalls. The two are religious studies teachers at DLS. “Bob was outgoing and funny when we were at St. Mary’s,” he adds. “Then I went to De La Salle and thought, 'he’s not so talkative on campus.' I thought it was kinda weird.”
See Rib Cook-Off, page 4
Check out the EBRPD Activity Guide Inside.
See DLS Movie, page 4
Mayor’s Wellness Challenge proves healthy cooking is easy, delicious PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
Tevy Sun of Sweet Bakery knew that it wasn’t a typical cooking challenge when she was asked to hide the plates of delicious-looking cookies and confections that are a hallmark of her Clayton bakery. “No sugar or processed foods are allowed on display,” said Cindy Gershen, founder of the Wellness City Challenge and organizer of the Sixth Annual Mayor’s Healthy Food Cook-off, which was held July 31 at Concord’s Todos Santos Plaza. Indeed, this was not your
See Challenge, page 5
Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Northgate Correspondent . .12 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .15 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Pioneer Photo Album . . . . .15 Police Report . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Councilman Jim Diaz waits for instructions as Sweet Bakery’s Tevy Sun creates a healthy chicken salad in the annual Wellness City Challenge on July 31.
Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sports Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Teen Reads . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 TeenSpeak . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . .9
Like us on