AUG 18 Clayton Pioneer 2006

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

925.672.0500

Neighbors to the rescue at Pumpkin F arm BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

A CREW FROM THE CONTRA COSTA WATER DISTRICT MAKES REPAIRS TO MARSH CREEK ROAD after a pipe broke the evening of Aug. 2. According to Sgt. Tim O’Hara, they had to wait for other pipeline crews to arrive before cutting this hole to locate the break point.

Five da ys after a brok en water pipe f looded the Cla yton Valley Pumpkin F arm, the words “T hank You” could still be seen etched in green icing on two half-eaten cak es in Da vid Osteen’s kitchen.

The cak es w ere left o ver from a g athering on Sunda y, Aug. 6, during whic h the Osteens thank ed their Oakwood States neighbors for pitching in the night of Wednesday, Aug. 2.

“We were up to our knees in water,” David Osteen sa ys of the effor t to mo ve n ursery plants from a pole building near the Pine Lane retaining w all.

“But someone said it w as like a barn-raising. They had fun.”

Patti Bag gett and her son were the first neighbors on the scene. After helping mo ve plants, they hauled ha y bales over to tr y to direct the w ater flow. “We didn’t want to have to move the plants twice,” Baggett notes.

According to Baggett, it was messy w ork. “I w as m uddy all the w ay up to m y thighs ,” she says. “I was glad I had m y cow-

boy boots on. There were rocks rolling do wn and hitting me in the calves.”

Still, she found the scene “heartwarming” and she w as proud of how her 13-year -old son Jeep and other young neighbors jumped in without hesitation.

“It w as amazing to see everybody helping, ” says Sgt. Tim O’Hara of the Cla yton Police Department.

Neighbor P ete Laurence came upon the f lood while coming home about 8:30 p .m.

“I could see all the commotion,” Laurence sa ys. “Already some neighbors w ere helping, so I just joined in with them. ” Laurence estimates that the water w as nearly a foot high under the pole building . “I was amazed it didn ’t sw eep us off our feet,” he says. “But the soil was so w et, we sunk into the muck about 4 inc hes with eac h step.”

Laurence, a member of the Clayton City Council, credits O’Hara with k eeping order on the scene – especially concer ning traffic on Marsh Creek Road. “We’re all v ery for tunate

See Neighbors, page A7

Clayton women hope to connect the w orld through words JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

It sprung to life in the midst of a w orkshop where w omen were ask ed two questions: who are you and what do y ou want?

From this creati ve brainstor ming session led b y Clayton residents J udy Ranieri and Susan Taylor emerg ed a conce pt the two life coac hes call the Notebook Project.

In this w orkshop for women, Ranieri and T aylor asked attendees to tak e a risk, step outside the bo x and into a place that ma y sometimes feel uncomfortable. “Don’t tell me what you do. I already know the title on y our business card. Tell me who you are, really,” the duo asks.

While others g et into

What’s Inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Travel: Western Michigan . .A3 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . .A4 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Directory of Advertisers . . .A5 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .A8 Tea for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Home Work . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .A13

Blogging, the Inter net or Podcasting, Ranieri and T aylor chose to develop the Notebook Project around a primitive form of expression … the written word. Women are asked to write answers to the tw o questions in a paper jour nal with thoughts and expressions that w ould weave their w ay in and out of the minds of women from all over the world.

Notebooks ha ve already been sent to w omen in the Ukraine, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, Canada, United Arab Emeritas, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

Through the Notebook Project, women are also ask ed to create a “sacred place” on paper – a place where w omen can share their wisdom with the world, Ranieri explains.

She and Taylor launched the project March 15 by sending out 63 journals. There are cur rently 150 journals circulating through women’s circles ev erywhere.

Entries are slo wly finding their way back to the two women.

One w oman writes: I am a 92-year-old mother of seven and grandmother to 16 grandchildren and 25 gr eat grandchildr en. I sometimes have to stop and r emind myself that I’m 92 because I feel like I can do the same things I did at 50 or 60. But I’m slower and m y bones don’ t work like they used to.

Another entr y reads: There are tw o things I’ ve li ved by: 1. Only you can mak e y ourself happy. 2.

Most people ar e as good as y ou ar e, but no one is better . It mak es us equal.

See Words, page A10

Film industry crashes into Clayton BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

SECTION B

Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Pet Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . . .B7 Just My Opinion . . . . . . . . . .B8 Community Calendar . . . . . .B9 Food For Thought . . . . . . .B10

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

SUSAN TAYLOR AND JUDY RANIERI, FOUNDERS OF THE NOTEBOOK PROJECT, meet regularly to discuss the status of the more than 150 journals circulating throughout the world.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

TIM, LEFT, AND SCOTT O’HARA talk about the car crash scene before filming in Clayton the night of Aug. 6.

When you’re on a movie set, eagerly w aiting for the trained dog to do her scene, 15 minutes can drag into hours … literally.

After more than three hours on the set of “21,” written and directed by Clayton Valley residents Tim and Scott O’Hara, the Ger man she pherd finally takes her mark. Trainer J ulia Priest has perk ed Ira’ s interest by sho wing her a white mouse in a Starbuck’s cup.

However, the blocking of the scene drags on, and Priest returns Ira to a quiet area. According to Priest, it’s just par t of the typical “hurry up and wait” game played out on movie sets.

An apple crate stands in for the dog as rehearsals continue in

a model home at the Mira Vista Ridge dev elopment in Antioc h on A ug. 3. The house w as just one of many local settings for “21.”

On A ug. 4, the O’Haras began the da y at 4 a.m. at John Muir Medical Center in W alnut Creek and wrapped at 2:30 a.m. the follo wing mor ning at La Veranada Cafe in Clayton.

The evening of Aug. 6, a car crash scene w as filmed at the intersection of Clayton R oad and P eacock Creek Dri ve. The road w as closed about 11:30 p.m. and the crash scene w as shot at 1:15 a.m.

Stunt coordinator J eff Mosley beg an planning the crash a few w eeks before , figuring out ho w to rig the

Oftentimes, we g o about our daily lives somewhat inured to the trag edy of war. We see names and faces of those who have gi ven their li ves or been injured in fighting overseas, but the magnitude of the situation does not register.

Unfortunately, that is no w

See Film, page A12

See Mayor, page A11

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER

The war hits home

Page A2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Around Town Those were the days – r elived at Clayton Museum During the second Summer Fun session at the Cla yton Museum, 17 registered par ticipants spent the morning discovering old-time pastimes.

Last year , junior docent Elise Caneviscini sug gested making the museum a more fun place for kids . Encouraged b y last year’ s success , a new program w as dev eloped for this year.

The c hildren beg an the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 9, by pla ying with a button “whirligig” (the makings of which they later took home in a packet) and looking at books from the Cla yton Comm unity Library about children and their lives in the late 19th centur y, when Clayton was founded.

After that, the par ticipants had three stations to enjoy. One of the stations involved making an old-fashioned lantern from a tin can painted blac k. The children hammered holes in a pat-

tern of their c hoice and took home a pac ket of sand and a candle to place in their lanter n later.

Station T wo had c hildren playing old-time g ames such as marbles, jacks, hop scotc h and pick-up stic ks. Station T hree involved writing with an oldfashioned pen and ink. Samples of children’s writing from the 1870s from the m useum archives sho wed the precision that was required in those days.

The children lear ned that in olden times , people used and reused lots of things.

Lemonade and cookies w ere served to finish the mor ning.

Everybody had a g ood time , and the consensus was the event should be longer next time.

Young m useum helpers Elise Caneviscini, Brad Shackleton and Erik P etersen volunteered at the ev ent, along with curator Mar y Spr yer and planner Louise Wall.

EMMA HIGHT, MADISON HIGHT, BRANDY LOPEZ, JONATHAN GIBBY AND DIEGO LOPEZ learn how difficult it is to write with dip pens in permanent ink during a session at the Clayton Museum.

Photos courtesy of the Clayton Museum AND ROSE PETERSON play

KELLIE DEMARIA, JESSICA DRUM, SAWYER CRANE marbles outside the Clayton Museum.

Olivia Rapicavoli receives national leadership award Olivia Rapica voli of Clayton has been named a United States Ac hievement Academy Award Winner in Leadership. Olivia, who attends King’ s V alley Christian Sc hool in Concord, was nominated for this national a ward b y Alexandria Laffer ty, a teacher at her sc hool. The criteria for selection are a student’s academic performance, citizenship, attitude and cooperati ve spirit, dependability, and recommendation from a qualified sponsor. Olivia is the daughter of Paul & T erry Rapicavoli and g randdaugh- OLIVIA RAPICAVOLI received a leaderter of Leo and T eruko ship award from the United States Stone, all Clayton residents. Achievement Academy.

Congressman Miller hosts town meeting in Clayton Congressman Georg e Miller , D-CA brought his democratic agenda to Clayton recently in the form of a to wn meeting at the Clayton Librar y. Speaking to a standing-room only cro wd for the July 31 meeting, Miller talked about “ A New Direction for America” focusing on issues ranging from security at home and overseas to lo wer g as prices and energy independence.

Miller also demanded that the United States and its allies pursue an immediate cease fire betw een Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

After a lengthy discussion on the U .S. gas crisis with Miller berating the Bush Administration

Jill Bedecarré/Clayton Pioneer

CONGRESSMAN MILLER spoke to standing room only crowd at Town Hall Meeting last month.

ed

duc

e re pric

new

for the current high gas prices, he told attendees that Americans are paying nearly double for gas than when Georg e Bush first took office.

Using a larg e, colorful c hart as a backdrop, Miller showed that prices have g one from $1.47 on Jan. 17, 2001 to the current average of $3.25.

Miller’s solution rev olves around building more h ybrids, increasing mileag e standards for cars and in vesting in inno vative new technology and clean energy.

Those in attendance came armed with questions on v arious issues from social security and the election process to Delta levees and pension refor m.

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August 18, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A3

From tulips to sand dunes, Western Michigan has it all The wonders of the California coast ar e familiar to most: the golden hills, the crashing waves, the winding r oads, the mountain pines, even the loving grin of Mickey Mouse. But what about the summer attractions of the rest of the country? The rest of the world? What about humid nights chasing flic kering fir eflies? W hat about r ushing r oller coasters w hile screams fill the air? What about island escapes? Come with me as I wrap up my trip to the Midwest where the loveliness of Western Michigan was worth every humid day and constr uction zone delay.

JEANNA ROSS Special to the Pioneer

After a whirlwind tour of the Great Lak es region, there are still a few w onders to behold -some natural, some intellectual.

From Mac kinac, we trail down the w estern coast of the state, enjoying g orgeous views of vibrant blue w ater and cottony clouds.

Lake Mic higan differs from our usual view of large, borderless bodies of water. The water is fresh, so there’s no fishy, salty ocean smell. The beac hes are soft and sandy in the south, thanks to a constant w est wind.

The water, though chilly, is clear.

Small c hildren think nothing of leaping in, while parents w ade near the shore until mid-summer when the souther n surface temperature finally reac hes 70 degrees.

There is no better w ay to experience the beauty of the lake than on its surface .

However, most of us aren’t taking our yac hts with us on v acation. No problem – they’re available to rent. The Lauren Marie , anchoring at the Grand Ha ven marina, offers sails in three-hour increments for g roups up to 10, for about $50 per person.

Not only will y ou feel that lovely lake wind, but if you ask nicely, you may even be allo wed to steer. Though it’s much more difficult than our captain made it look, we all handled our tur ns with ease. Still, we did need constant reassurance that the boat

was not about to tip o ver, even when the mast declined at an alarming angle.

Surrounding the lak es in many areas are enor mous sand dunes, again created b y those powerful winds . The most famous are the Slee ping Bear

changes that wind and water can elicit o ver the course of a few short years is humbling.

To climb the dunes is exhausting. But to soar o ver the peaks at top speed, whether on a personal dune bug gy or a Mac Dune scooter at Silv er Lak e, is exhilarating.

Michiganders love their brief moments of summer bliss , and it sho ws through the copious outdoor am usements a vailable to visitors. Nearly every city has a complex miniature golf course to enjo y, while nearly ev ery village has an extended-length 18-

Holland.

Holland w as founded in the 19th centur y b y Dutc h settlers escaping religious persecution in the Netherlands . The city celebrates its heritag e with De Zwaan, the only Dutch windmill outside the Netherlands on Windmill Island and Dutc h Village, a theme park whic h recreates the beauty of a 19th century canal city . Costumed participants demonstrate klompen dancing, the creation of wooden shoes , street org ans, Delftware painting (blue-painted pottery) and candlemaking .

DE ZWAAN, (graceful bird), a 240-year-old working Dutch windmill towers over the 36-acre Windmill Island.

Photos by Jeanna Ross

A BEAUTIFUL OASIS within the city of Holland, Windmill Island features the Dutch Village theme park which recreates a 19th century canal city. dunes of Leelanau County. For a beautiful retelling of the bear’ s story, find the c hildren’s book “The Legend of Sleeping Bear”

by K athy-jo W argin. The Ojibway l egend also accounts for the creation of the Manitou Islands.

To simply look at the dunes is a we-inspiring. To see the

hole g olf course hidden among the oak trees.

Festivals to celebrate the arrival of spring abound, with the Lilac F estival signaling the real beginning of the Mac kinac Island tourist season, the Cherry Festival at T raverse City in J uly and the T ulip Time F estival bringing millions of visitors to

Children will lo ve the antique carousels, petting zoos and folk costumes.

Bring home wooden shoes, a hand-crafted star candle or tulip bulbs for your own garden. Visit the DeKlomp W ooden Shoe & Delft Factory for the only tr uly authentic creations inside the United States.

If you’re luc ky enough to visit in Ma y, see the acres of tulips at V eldheer T ulip Gardens. Learn more at www.dutchvillage.com.

In addition to the wonders of the outdoors , west Mic higan’s entertainments spread indoors as well, and for that we head one hour inland to Grand Rapids .

Sponsored in larg e par t b y Amway parent company Alticor and Amway’s founders, the cultural hub of Grand Rapids surrounds the cro wn jew el, the Amway Grand Plaz a Hotel.

Home to sev eral upscale restaurants and lounges, the hotel connects – via a sk yway – a concer t hall, convention center and sports/concert arena.

The sur rounding area has , consequently, grown to incorporate many trendy restaurants ,

bars, clubs and m useums. A favorite is the BOB , a restored brick complex opposite the booming enter tainment center .

It contains a steakhouse , kabob lounge, seafood grill, nightclubs, comedy club and more . After 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, the building is only open to those 21 and over.

It is easy to see how the summer beauties of the Great Lakes region attract millions of visitors each year and sustain its residents through long, grueling winters. From g olf to nightlife , museums to roller coasters , the Midwest is a tra vel destination not to be shuff led under more glamorous locales.

Instead, let y our pulse slo w, your manners impro ve and return to a quieter life , if only for a week or two.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Upcoming Events Third Annual Labor Day Derby Sept. 2

day is a Classic Car Sho w featuring a formula dragster and a fire tr uck.

To register for the race , contact Peggy Bidondo at 672-9708. For infor mation about the Classic Car Sho w, contact Don Holmes at 689-8759.

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Smith & Bernal

Roofing

CBCA Oktoberfest Sept. 29, 30, Oct. 1

Reroofs Repairs All Types Tile repairs Wood shake Tar and gravel Gutters Inspections Ventilation

Thinking about a new roof?

Greek Festival Sept. 15, 16, 17

A fleet of soapbox derby cars will once again fly down Main Street as kids from 7 to 16 par ticipate in the family-friendly Clayton Comm unity Great Labor Da y Derby on September 2.

And adding some ex citement, and maybe a chuckle or two, will be an opportunity follo wing the kid’ s races , for any adult who can fit in one of the little cars, to hear the roar of the crowd and the rush of the wind as they head do wn the ramp and speed to the finish line .

The ev ent, presented b y Cla yton Community Churc h in association with IMC (Insurance Manag ement Corporation), was created b y Rev. Shawn Robinson as a w ay for families sta ying in town for the Labor Da y weekend to have a g reat time without doling out a lot of dough.

Children can race from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Community Cars ,” provided b y v arious Clayton businesses are a vailable for those who do not ha ve their o wn car . If you want to build y our own car, contact Mike Fossan at 672-1646 for infor mation.

Bottled water and sno-cones will k eep everyone cool and there will be acti vities for the y ounger kids to k eep them occupied.

Adding ev en more ex citement to the

Opa! to the 28th annual Greek Festival set for Se pt. 15, 16 and 17 at St. Demetrios Greek Or thodox Churc h on Kirker Pass Road in Concord. Get ready to dance to the m usic of “Fotia” and enjoy the larg e kids area, Courtyard Café and authentic Greek food and pastries .

Festival promoters want everyone to know that there is ample free parking and free admission on Sunda y from 5 to 8 p .m.

Festival hours are F ri. from 5 to 11 p .m.,

Sat. noon to 11 p .m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. Admission is $5. Children under 12 are free and seniors 55 and o ver, $3. St. Demetrios Greek Or thodox Churc h (across from Sleep Train Pavilion) is located at 1955 Kirk er Pass Rd . in Concord.

For infor mation on the festi val call (925) 676-6967.

Call the

(925) 672 0138 Free estimates

If the toe-tapping sounds of The Internationals got you dancing in the street last year, get ready for some more oompah tunes at the third annual Oktoberfest coming next month. You can once ag ain ride the Mer ry-Go-Round or twirl around and around on the Tilt-A-W hirl at the car nival which opens F riday, Sept. 29 from 5 to 10 p.m. Advance tic ket sales (whic h are discounted) for the carnival will be available at retail establishments in the area on Se pt. 1.

Carnival activities continue Sat. from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.

Oktoberfest will fill the streets with great m usic and mouth-w atering Ger man fare on Sat., Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The parade down Main Street is set for Sat., at 1 p.m. with the k eg tapping b y Cla yton’s mayor Dave Shuey slated for 1:30 p.m.

You w on’t w ant to miss Oktoberfest’ s new additions this year including Marcus, a street performer who will delight audiences with his sho w in the plaza during the tw oday festi val as w ell as tw o after noon performances by Bavarian dancers in the tent on Saturda y. A special perfor ming bird show is par t of the fun on Sunda y afternoon. There will also be a home-brew beer contest with judging on Sunda y. If you’re interested in par ticipating in the contest contact call John Rubiales Jr. at 682-9486.

Sponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association, Oktoberfest is expected to dra w thousands of people to downtown Clayton for the three-day event.

For more infor mation call the CBCA at 672-2272.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A5

Classified FOR SALE

Adorable bunnies for sale.

Netherland Dwarfs. Different colors.

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FOR RENT

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HELP WANTED

City of Clayton Needs Commissioners. Community Service Commissioners ($75/month stipend). If you would like additional information about these openings please visit City of Clayton’s website at www.ci.clayton.ca.us. Or contact Rhonda Basore, City Clerk, at 925673-7304.

LOST

Grant Meylan has lost his two turtles, “Scooter and Esmeralda.”

Please keep an eye out for them and should you find them, please call 673-1548.

MISCELLANEOUS

Study Group. Readers of The Urantia Book will start a new study group this spring. The group will meet in a downtown Clayton café.

New and seasoned readers will explore the book by topics. The group will decide the time (hour and day). Email urantian@mac.com or call 925-672-4689 and ask for Tery.

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Job Announcement

Babysitters. Two individual babysitters (sisters), age 14 and 13, both CPR certified. We work separately or together. 925-524-0776.

CITY CLERK CITY OF CLAYTON

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The City of Clayton seeks an ener getic and self-motivated individual to perform City Clerk duties, administer city’ s Website and provide highly responsible administrative support to the City Manager and City Council.

Five years of increasingly responsible of fice experience and local government experience preferred. A Bachelor’s from an accredited college or university with course work in public administration, business administration, or related field. Notary Public License and Municipal Clerk certification is desirable. Ability to create Power Point, Excel and Word documents as needed.

Deadline for applications is Sept. 8. Send letter of interest, resume and application to City of Clayton, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, CA 94517. For more information contact: (925) 673-7300 or download application/information at (www.ci.clayton.ca.us)

CPR First Aid Training. CPR instructor specializing in AHA and ASHI training, call Kevin at 925383-9430, lukehollywood@ gmail.com.

Perennial Garden Design by Nicole Hackett AKA The Garden Girl.

Personal consultations regarding plant choices, placement, identification, fertilizing and maintenance.

Spring is just around the corner. Call or email for info and pricing. 925673-1746 (leave msg) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

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eled, quiet, use of recreation facilities. $150/night, $950/week. Call Kevin Parker @ (925) 383-9430 or http://www.vrconnection .com/parkerpaw.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Greeter. Clayton Historical Society Museum needs a greeter the second Sun. of each month from 2 - 4 p.m.

Training is provided. If interested, call 672-0240, email claytonmuseum@ sbcglobal.net or visit the museum between 2 and 4 p.m. on Wed. or Sun. The Clayton Community Library is seeking to fill the following volunteer positions: (All positions require a minimum age of 13 years and a 6month commitment. Training will be provided). Graphic Displays - to work on billboard displays throughout the library. Have fun arranging photos, signs, lettering, etc. Scrapbook Historian - to document the many interesting activities the library provides to the community using newspaper clippings, event photos, flyers, etc., Will be put on display at the annual March library birthday celebration. Shelver - to shelve and sensitize books...must be detail oriented (Tues. between the hours of 10am2pm, Wed. 3-5p.m., Sat. 11am-1pm & 2-4pm). Shelf Reader - to ensure the correct placement of books on the library shelves...must be detail oriented and familiar with the Dewey decimal system. Lead Tutor - to coordinate and match the tutors/homework helpers with student requests.

Tutor/Homework Helper - to work one-on-one with local students in our community. You choose the age range, subjects, remedial or light help, and days/times. Office Assistant handle filing, word processing, create flyers, volunteer database input on Microsoft Access, assistance with meetings/programs. Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or email: akikkawa@ccclib.org.

PIONEER INFO

Contact your independent insurance agent.

NBS Insurance Agency 5554 Clayton Rd., Ste. 1-A Phone (925) 673-1845 Fax (925) 673-9549

License #0743274

T I R E D of those Reading Glasses?

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You can end your frustration with reading glasses with NearVision CK. It’s a fast and safe -- there’s no cutting involved -- treatment for helping people like you improve their near vision. Getting a little older doesn’t have to mean losing your ability to see things up close so please call to schedule a consultation to see if NearVision CK is right for you.

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 eac h additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 w ords, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 eac h additional word To place y our classified ad over the phone , call the office at (925) 672-0500 betw een 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you ma y fax y our typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580 All classifieds m ust be paid for in adv ance b y credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Cla yton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising w e believ e is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all w eave tog ether as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us kno w of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Cla yton resident. You will find the appropriate for m for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form.

Also on our W eb site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Safely see young. Again.

San Ramon Office 2333 San Ramon Vly Blvd., #145 San Ramon (925) 820-9600

Concord Office 2338 Almond Ave. Concord, (925) 685-1130

Pittsburg Office 2260 Gladstone Dr. #4 Pittsburg, (925) 432-9300

For directions to each office visit our website at www.lernereyecenter.com

0% financing available

Call now to schedule a free consultation (worth $150).

Offer valid until September 30.

P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F Clayton, CA 94517 Office: 925.672.0500 Fax: 925.672.6580

The Cla yton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers.

As a general rule, letters should be less than two double spaced pages and submitted at least one w eek prior to publication date. Letters concer ning current issues will ha ve priority .

We may edit letters for length and clarity . All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion.

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

E-mail y our letter in a Word Document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com.

Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

TAMARA

AND

R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers

TAMARA S TEINER , Editor J ILL B EDECARRÉ , Assistant Editor and Display Advertising B ILL WAGONER , Sports Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor and Feature Writer B ETH N EUDELL , Administrative Assistant

Directory of Advertisers

Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Accent Counter Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-0570 Advanced Voice and Data, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-2800 Aircloud Wireless Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 All Loving Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0752 Apronstrings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7621 Applause Staging and Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 Aqua Pro Pool & Chemical Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . .673-7000 Asemi, Hamid - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . .726-0154 Bay Arts Custom Children's Murals . . . . . . . . . . . . .323-9323 Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 California Reverse Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-3511 Calkins, Bill - Charlotte Clifford Realtors . . . . . . . . . .673-9164 Candy Created Bouquets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6818 Carol Keane and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-5200 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 City of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7300 Clayton Community Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9708 Clayton Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Home Inspection Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9405 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6066 Clayton Valley Medical Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6744 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Clayton Valley Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8401 Clean Cleaner Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383-1253 Cleary, Joe - Home Loan Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .497-5270 Clip n Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-9355 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Cookies by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-1137 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Denim & Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0345 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . .524-5100 Dromlewicz, Kim - Century 21 Diablo Valley Realty .682-4663 Eagles Peak Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465-0435 Eternal Life Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 Fashion Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-9005 Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windemere Real Estate . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Galaxy Nail Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8668 Garaventa, Les - American Financial & Tax Services676-3400 Greek Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-6967 Gourmet Subs and More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5550 Help You Sell Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-4950 Highfill, Lynne - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7335 HomeEquity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9737 Hudak, Jim - Pianist and Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7293 Joanna's Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-8911 Kelly Marshall Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0327 Ladies Workout Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405-8888 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Lela's Hair Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Lerner Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-1130 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Los Chivos Taqueria Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-0914 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Model A Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0827 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Dr. Steven Moon, Chiropractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-8400 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . .280-8563 NBS Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-1845 Neptune Society of Northern California . . . . . . . . . .944-5100 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Nuchols, Alicia - Premier Home Loans . . . . .691-5070 X 323 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Pasta Primavera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-5300 Paulson, Steve - KTVU Fox 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5761 Rahimzadeh, Helen - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . .932-7375 R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207 Ray's Hideaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-8684 Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123 Robin's Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7323 Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .947-6105 Schaefer's Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065 Skin Care by Trina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Smith Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6461 Sposito, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7334 Steffen, Tim - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-4407 Steve Youse Painting and Decorating . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6945 St. John's Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855 Stone Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-2094 Straight Line Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335-9801 Swint, Brad - Team Funding Group . . . . . . . . .627-1400 X 12 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 The Pool Shark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-7585 The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Travel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-5000 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . .672-4433 Wagoner, Bill - United American Insurance Company864-1886 What's My Home's Value.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-9489 Williams, Mike - Williams Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5363 Wooden It Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5595

Page A6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Consider options before rejecting low offer Today’s homebuyers are v enturing into territory that was considered off-limits a year ag o.

In last year’ s hot seller’ s market, there w asn’t m uch point in making an offer on a listing unless you w ere willing to pa y the full asking price or more . Of course, local market conditions may vary, but no w buyers are routinely offering sellers less than the list price -- in some cases, a lot less.

As disappointing as this might be for sellers, a low offer is better than no offer at all. In most cases, a lo w offer should be view ed as the beginning of a dialogue with the buyer -- a dialogue that might result in a m utually acce ptable purchase agreement.

Often a preliminar y dialogue between the buyer’ s and seller’ s agents is helpful in deter mining whether the buyer and seller are flexible. However, verbal ag reements to sell real estate are not binding, so any counter proposal to the other party -- called a counteroffer -- should be in writing.

Countering an offer from a buyer who doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to buy y our home is a w aste of time. So, before you and your agent draft a

counteroffer, make sure the buyer can perform.

Your agent might want to talk directly to the buyer’ s loan ag ent or mortgage broker. If the buyer hasn’t dev eloped a relationship with a mortgage lender, make any counter offer conting ent upon the buyer pro viding you with a preapproval letter within a few da ys of contract acceptance.

Make sure the buyer has accurate information to support y our counteroffer price .

Recently, a homebuyer in Cla yton offered a price LYNNE that w as signifiREAL cantly lo wer than the list price . She based her offer on comparable sales infor mation that she found by herself on the Internet.

When her agent took a look at the comparables , it w as disco vered that they w ere not, in fact, properties that were similar to the listing in question. The buyer’ s agent provided legitimate comparables. After reviewing them, the

buyer w as willing to raise her price to a lev el that w as acce ptable to the seller.

Sellers often w onder what happens if another buyer comes along during the counteroffer process and offers a higher price .

A seller can withdra w a counteroffer as long as the buyer hasn’t already signed it and delivered it back to the seller. If the buyers issue a counteroffer to the seller’s counter and another buyer comes along with a better offer, the sellFRENCH ers are free to ESTATE negotiate with the second buyer.

Great care should be tak en when withdrawing a counteroffer to make sure that y ou don’t enter into agreements to sell your home to more than one buyer.

Real estate purchase offers are complicated leg al documents .

They encompass all the terms and conditions of the home purchase agreement, not just the price. The

Randy Glasbergen

contract should reflect your needs and intentions . But, try to a void countering on insignificant issues.

Recently, a seller in Oakhurst received a low offer. A lender had pre-approved the buyer . But, the buyer included a loan contingency in the contract just to be on the safe side . Last year , preapproved buyers often made offers without including a loan contingency, particularly if they were in competition with other buyers.

In this case , the seller’s ag ent advised the seller to issue a counteroffer that remo ved the loan contingency from the contract, even though this w as the only offer on the property. The buyers thought that this w as unreasonable and w alked away from the negotiations.

Make sure that your agent isn’t making decisions for y ou, or negotiating ag ainst y our best interests. You are the decisionmaker in the transaction.

has moved from Clayton Valley Shopping Center to Chestnut Square in Concord, just off Clayton Road on Chestnut Ave. near King’s Donuts Still providing great quality haircuts since 1972.

Call or drop in to see our new shop.

3415 Chestnut Ave. 246-8684 Ray Lucas, proprietor

700 Ygnacio Valley Rd., #360 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Carol@carolkeanecpa.com (925) 937-5200 (925) 937-5202 fax www.carolkeanecpa.com

Lynne F rench is a Realtor with Windermere Real Estate and a Clayton r esident. F or any r eal estate needs or questions contact her at 6728787 or Lynne@LynneFrench.com.

Dan Rosendich

Applause Staging & Interiors Hunter Douglas Sales & Service Norman Wood & Synthetic Shutters Decorative Panels & Valences Help with Home Improvements

Your home town resource.

Weekend & evening appointments available.

Visit www.applausestaging.com

See what I can do for you.

672-7701

I found your old report cards. You could have done better, too.

tm Inves

ent O

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28th Annual Contra Costa County

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1351 Yosemite Circle $709,000

3574 Halifax Way $499,500 Great first time buyer - 3 bed, 1.5 baths, 1,350 sq. feet. Super sharp and clean with extended kitchen and family room. Spacious yard with built in brick fireplace hearth!

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5333 Park Highlands Blvd. #60 $405,000 Sleek and sophisticated with clean modern lines and décor 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,100 sq. feet. Designer architectural details complete with fireplace/hearth, builtins and granite!

Also for Sale

972 Oak Street – 4/2 , walk to downtown $875,000 914 Arrowhead Terrace, Clayton – 3/2.5 Duet.

Lowest Price Ever $605,000 2327 Camelback Dr. – 4/2.5, 10,000 sq ft lot— only $549,900

928 Kenston Dr. $1,019,000 Opportunity for New Buyer! Back on the Market—Spectacular Custom Mitchell Canyon Estates Home built by Skinner. Estate offers five bedrooms including true master suite w/loft, balcony, awe inspiring views of Mt Diablo Ridge, amazing rear yard with pool/cabana, upgraded thruout & more— Call for private showing.

Pending

30 Mountaire Parkway — 4/2 plus den, beautiful pool — $834,950 1740 Claycord Ave. – 4/2, priced to sell $575,000

September 15, 16 & 17

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Authentic Greek Food & Pastries Live Music & Dancing Courtyard Café FREE Featuring music of "Fotia" ADMISSION and much more!

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Clayton’s Preferred Real Estate Team

925.932.7375 Helen

925.932.7329 Stephanie

homes@helenandstephanie.com

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (Across from the Sleep Train Pavilion)

1955 Kirker Pass Road Concord, CA

Info: 925.676.6967

August 18, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Page A7

Clayton police warn of jury duty scam TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

A tele phone “jur y duty” scam has g rabbed the attention of Clayton police sa ys Chief Dan La wrence. “This is not a hoax,” he said. “It is a v ery real threat.”

Local police de partments have been warned that someone pretending to be an officer of the cour t tele phones an unwitting citizen, telling them that

they have failed to sho w up for jury duty and that a w arrant has been issued for their ar rest.

Since most people tak e their jury duty responsibilities v ery seriously, this call can be v ery distressing. When the victim protests that they never received a jury duty summons, the phony “jury coordinator” asks for a social security n umber and date of birth so they can “v erify the information” and “cancel the warrant.” They sometimes ask

Neighbors, from page A1

for credit card numbers.

Give out this infor mation, warns Lawrence, and you’ve just given enough infor mation for the caller to steal y our identity.

Using this infor mation, the scammer can head out for a very expensive shopping trip , either at the local mall or online , and charge everything to the victim.

The scam has been re ported in 11 states including some cases in Ri verside County in California.

A posting on the Califor nia Superior Court Website informs readers that “T he Cour t and Jury Assembly R oom staff will NEVER call and ask for Social Security n umbers, credit card numbers or other sensiti ve information.” The posting further w arns “Do not gi ve out such infor mation o ver the phone to any one who calls y ou claiming to be with the judicial system.”

and this wall would have gone,” he adds , noting that the family home w as untouc hed b y the flood.

Creek R oad. At press time , a portion of Pine Lane remained closed along the damag ed retaining w all. On A ug. 7, Paul Lau from CCWD’ s engineering department w as measuring the cracked street for repairs.

According to CCWD spokeswoman Patty Friesen, the Pine Lane project was put out to bid last week. “We are putting it on a fast track. Hopefully, just a few weeks,” she says.

Meanwhile, a four-man crew from R estoration Manag ement Co. was contin uing the far m’s clean-up effor t, under contract with the water district.

The Osteens are still planning to open the Pumpkin Farm on Se pt. 23 for the Hallo ween season.

“Contra Costa W ater has been really g ood, and I expect that to continue,” Osteen says of the repairs to the road and his property. “I don’t have any doubts that they are g oing to handle it completely and handily.”

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

ROCKS, SOIL AND OTHER DEBRIS FLOWED INTO THE PUMPKIN FARM over the Pine Lane retaining wall during the Aug. 2 flood. This pole building was being used to house nursery plants, which the neighbors helped move.

Swimming pool service and repair Free estimates Commercial, Residential Weekly service Additional Services:

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that the damag e w as limited to the water and no one was hurt,” Laurence says.

Before the f lood, the Osteens w ere pre paring the grounds for a family w edding reception that F riday. Laurence offered to move the party to his property.

“He said, ‘Dave, maybe you need to rethink this . Why don’t you have the wedding reception in my meadow?’” Osteen recalls.

“That was just awesome.”

However, Osteen w as able to w ork with Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) officials to get the yard in g ood enough shape to host the rece ption.

And since they still had the party tent up , they used it for Sunday’s neighborhood g athering.

The trouble beg an about 8:15 p .m. Aug. 2, when a pipe broke at the intersection of Pine Lane and Marsh Creek R oad.

This is the second CCWD pipe to break in Clayton this year. On March 30, a pipe brok e along

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For the third time in recent months, Contra Costa W ater District crews dug up a Clayton street to fix a brok en w ater pipe.

On A ugust 11, a tw o inc h irrigation pipe g ave w ay just a few yards do wn Cla yton Road from P eacock Creek Dri ve where, last April, a 12-inc h main brok e, causing major damage that took until early June to repair.

“It’s been a bad few months,” said a CCWD worker on site who speculated that last winter’s heavy rains could ha ve caused the g round to sw ell around the pipes , putting undue stress on them.

CCWD completed the repairs the same da y and no customers were without water.

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“How fortunate are we?” he says with a wr y smile , showing glimmers of the happy-go-lucky nature so familiar to Pumpkin Farm visitors.

After crossing the main road into the far m, the water flowed down through a cornfield below the home . While most of the stalks remain standing, Osteen will just ha ve to w ait and see how m uch of the decorati ve Indian corn will be available for sale this fall. The far m’s main pumpkin crop is g rown off-site so was not affected.

The water bounced off a 3foot fence on the w est side of the proper ty before heading toward the creek. Soon, whatever w ater didn ’t mak e it to the creek dissipated across about four of the Osteens’ 6 ¼ acres.

By the next da y, most residents had water service and the roads w ere patc hed – but not before a g arbage tr uck fell into an 18-inch hole on Pine Lane.

On A ug. 9 and 10, final repairs w ere made to Marsh

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Clayton R oad near P eacock Creek Dri ve – creating a hug e backup on Marsh Creek Road.

This month’ s break w as about 10 minutes after an earthquake in Sonoma County, but it is unclear if that is what caused the ground to shift.

Although Clayton police and fire responded quic kly to the Osteens’ 911 call, it was at least an hour before CCWD officials arrived to shut off the water. “I was do wn here ,” Osteen sa ys from the lo wer por tion of the farm, “but I heard a bunc h of cheers when they g ot it shut off – that was the neighbors.”

Laurence said he w as “dismayed” that it took that long to get the water turned off. “When you’re in a situation lik e that, every minute seems lik e 20,” he reports.

“You could hear the boulders slamming ag ainst the retaining wall. Bam … Bam …

Bam,” says Osteen. “We knew if that wall went, we were toast.

“Another 15, 20 min utes,

Irrigation pipe breaks on Clayton Road

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Page A8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

The Sandwich Generation:

August 18, 2006

www.aquapropool.com

Surviving the financial squeeze

Discussing money can be uncomfortable for many families. However, it is impor tant to mak e sure ev eryone communicates their needs and desires.

You’ll w ant to be sure to record y our parents’ important medical, legal and financial infor mation and k eep it safe in the ev ent your parents become unable to act on their own behalf.

Details that should be documented include bank/investment account infor mation, real estate contracts , wills, funeral wishes , medical records, insurance policy details and contact infor ma-

not by power of attorney.

PREPARE

FOR CHILDREN’S COLLEGE EXPENSES

MURELEEN BENTON FINANCIAL SENSE

If you find that y ou are in the position of caring for your parents financially as well as sa ving for y our c hildren’s education, you’ll definitely feel a financial squeeze.

The key here is to start saving for college as early as possible to take advantage of years of tax-deferred g rowth through compounding. Even if you contribute only a small amount of money to y our child’s colleg e fund eac h month, you will be sur prised at ho w quic kly it will g row.

And remember , there is always the possibility of financial aid, grants or sc holarships to ease the financial burden of paying for college.

ORGANIZE YOUR PARENTS’ ESTATE

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR OWN FINANCES

According to the Alzheimer’s Association in 2006, the a verage lifetime cost of care for someone with Alzheimer’s is $174,000, with family members pro viding 75 percent of the care at an out-of-poc ket expense of $19,000 a year.

These are just a verage costs for one disease, but you can see ho w caring for an aging parent could wipe out your entire in vestment and savings por tfolio. It is essential that people caring for both y oung and old family members tak e the time to address estate planning issues to ensure the financial security of all generations.

In addition to po wer of attorney, make sure y our parents have a will. This ensures your parents’ assets are distributed according to their wishes and may minimize the effect of taxes upon the estate.

Consider exploring other means of protecting y our parents’ (and y our o wn) assets, including long-ter m care insurance , annual cash gifts and bypass trusts.

A b ypass tr ust stipulates that when the first spouse dies, his or her assets g o into a tr ust, that the sur viving spouse can use as needed.

When the other spouse passes away, all trust assets pass to heirs free of estate tax es through a one-time ex emption. A b ypass tr ust in volves changing a will, so it m ust be set up b y y our parents and

Though caring for y our parents and saving for college are cer tainly impor tant g oals, don’t sell y ourself short. You need to mak e y our o wn health and well-being is a priority. Continue to prepare for your o wn retirement needs and explore the qualification requirements for f lexible savings accounts and de pendent care tax credits . Depending on the parameters of your specific situation, you may be eligible for additional tax savings.

When y ou are caught in the middle of family needs and oblig ations, physical, emotional and financial pressures are common. If you find the situation is more than y ou can handle or are unsure of how to allocate funds to fulfill different needs, a professional financial advisor can work with y ou to develop a plan that addresses the unique challenges of your situation. You can minimize stress and frustration by planning ahead, maintaining balance and k eeping y our perspective.

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tion for all key advisors.

You will also w ant to discuss using a durable po wer of attorney to transfer decisionmaking po wer should y our parents find themselv es unable to control their o wn affairs. Asking for po wer of attorney can be a delicate request, but it is essential for gaining control of your parents’ assets if necessary.

A

As the oldest bab y boomers reac h their 60s and plan for their own retirement, millions are faced with the unexpected responsibility of caring for an aging parent.

This life-c hanging new role can be emotionally draining and financially dev astating. According to a sur vey released in 2005 by CampbellEwald Health, thirteen million bab y boomers are caregivers for sick parents and are involved in ev ery facet of their care . Many of these caregivers admit to feelings of frustration (45 percent), being o verwhelmed (40 percent) and guilt (25 percent).

Those simultaneously caring for c hildren and parents are often called the “sandwich generation,” referring to those caught betw een m ultigenerational obligations.

The n umber of baby boomers in the “sandwic h generation” continues to grow due to a conf luence of trends: life expectancies are longer than ev er before; couples are star ting their families later in life; and colleg e students/graduates are li ving at home longer.

Caregivers need to be proactive about dev eloping financial strategies to secure their o wn retirement funds , long-term needs and quality of life. With some foresight and f lexible planning, it is possible to ensure the security of all generations – even in the ev ent of new and unexpected life changes.

Following are a few things you can do to plan ahead and prepare for potential c hallenges if you find yourself in this situation.

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August 18, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

It’s always a healthy time for tea

“If you want to buy or sell a home in 10 years call us!”

“But...if you want to buy or sell a home today, then call our Dad!”

925-673-9164 Bill Calkins

Clayton Resident & Neighbor Helping People Find Their Way Home!

Ask about our Special Programs for Buyers & Sellers

Professional Nail Salon For Men and Women

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e're proud to welcome you to our beautiful new nail spa.

You will find our highly trained staff to be experienced in all phases of nail care and enhancement, facials and waxing.

In pursuit of the utmost in cleanliness and comfort, we are pleased to offer LaFleur spa chairs, the latest in cleanjet no-pipe technology. Our goal is to pamper you in a spa-like environment so that you feel relaxed and rejuvenated every time you visit.

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Page A9

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Will a cup a day keep the and tooth decay. It contains the doctor away? An increasing lowest level of caffeine, as well. number of studies sug gest To maximize the health that drinking tw o to four benefits, follow the brewing cups of tea eac h da y can instructions specific to eac h lead to long-term health. type of tea. All teas are brewed True teas (blac k, green, best in a teapot that’ s been oolong and white) come warmed first with hot w ater. from the camellia sinensis Use one teaspoon or one bag plant and contain polypheof tea per eight ounces of nols. These anti-o xidants, water. along with a health y diet For blac k teas , use boiling PAM BARNETT and exercise, may help prewater and steep the tea for three TEA FOR YOU vent cancer , heart disease to fi ve min utes. Green teas are and other illnesses. brewed for one to three minutes Some studies ha ve sho wn that drinking in water that is just under the boiling point tea can assist in lowering blood pressure and (about 180 deg rees). White teas are also improving circulation. It is also kno wn to steeped in water just under the boiling point, quicken the imm une system responses to but they must steep for six to seven minutes. pathogens, increase bone density and reduce White tea leaves may be infused up to three the risk of osteoporosis, as well as deto xify times, but eac h subsequent stee p requires carcinogens and inhibit g rowth of cancer additional time. cells. Research also sho ws that oolong and Enjoy a few cups of your fa vorite tea green teas can contribute to weight loss and today – it just ma y help y ou to be healthier help control obesity. and to live longer.

Because it is the least processed, white Pam Bar nett was an Eng lish major in colle ge teas contain the most antio xidants and ma y and a teacher befor e becoming co-owner with Sally slow the g rowth of bacteria that cause Englund of Englund’s Tea Cottage in the Clayton staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumonia Station. Email her at Pammbarnett@aol.com

CAMELLIA SINENSIS

Colorful frames add pizazz and personality to any interior When designing picture frame projects , color is a k ey element. Frames are a g reat way to bring a color to the center of room decor , define an accent color or unify a color sc heme.

Colorful moldings can even add pizzazz to neutral color schemes.

Colorful frames come in textures and patterns. Stack a combination of frames to create an interesting look. Use different widths to add dimension.

Matching fillets also add to the diversity of frame designs.

Frames can be contemporary or traditional. You can choose primary, pastel or metallic in loud or soft tones . It may be a single , solid hue with a matte or glossy finish. The color may be a stain over wood so the wood g rain sho ws through.

Instead of overall color , the frame ma y include a panel of color combined with a w ood

tone, multi-color or metallic finish on other parts.

Antiquing and texture are other styles of colorful frames that spice up ar twork and add an interesting feel to any room.

The latest fashions and styles apply to frames too , and an experienced custom framer can add the finishing touches to any framing project with ideas on design, color and technique.

Design possibilities are endless. Even when g old, silver or stained wood moldings are used, the specific yello w of the g old, gray of the silv er or bro wn of the wood is crucial to the frame design.

A perfect matc h should not always be y our g oal. Contrast and coordination are other design elements that can be brought into decor when using colorful frames . The most important thing to remember is not to overpower the art. Frame

designs highlight and complete the explosion of color by using beautiful and colorful mats and frames.

With the v ariety of wood and metal moldings a vailable today, combining the two offers an exciting frame design opportunity. Choosing wooden frames with complementar y metal moldings can create a contemporary or traditional look.

Texture and color are both important factors . Landscapes can look ric her and brighter when the right color c hoice is used. Follow the texture of the art through to the frame design.

Do y ou ha ve a photog raphic print that will be enhanced b y using its non-dominant color on both the metal and wood frame?

The width of both moldings is also important. Choose a thick outer molding with a thin inner frame, or vice versa. Each design provides a different ambience.

CRAIG ANDERSON

HOME WORK Picking and c hoosing colors of the ar twork to become par t of the frame design is the k ey.

The type of wood and its brightness or dullness has a direct effect on the c hoice of the metal frame and its boldness. You can be bold or subtle .

Consider y our home’ s personality when deciding what accents and colors w ould look best with y our ar twork and home decor – creating a one-ofa-kind frame for y ou. When your walls talk, listen.

Craig is the owner of Clayton Valley F rameworks in Clayton Valley Shopping Center . Email craig@claytonvalleyframeworks.com

Tune in to the signs of a bad babysitter or nanny For many families , there is an undeniable need to hire child care. Whether you choose a fulltime nanny or a sitter who is called in when needed, such as after sc hool to fill the g ap between the dismissal bell and when y ou ar rive home from work, you w ant to ensure that this person will pro vide quality care for your children.

However, there ha ve been increasing re ports of improper

behavior or abuse from c hildcare w orkers. Here are some signs that indicate it’ s time to look for new help: (For simplicity’s sake, we have chosen to use only the female pronoun. ) Sitter seems secr etive. Your nanny or sitter should be able to provide y ou a r undown of the day’s acti vities. If she is hushhush about things , it could mean she’s hiding something.

Your children aren’t happy to see

the sitter . While it could tak e a few w eeks or months for c hildren to warm up to a new sitter, most will ev entually find a connection to this caregiver. If your child seems un usually withdrawn or scared, the sitter ma y be to blame.

Your child is getting into too many accidents. Children are acti ve and do g et bang ed up on occasion.

However, if too many easily avoidable accidents are happen-

ing, it could mean the sitter isn’t watching the children as carefully as she should.

She’s critical of your par enting style. If she doesn’t follow your guidelines or contradicts what you sa y, it’s probably time to find a new sitter.

Tardiness. If she sho ws up late, she’s not dependable.

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Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Classical music is always worth a listen In J anuary 2005, I wrote about “melody” making a comeback in popular m usic. So far, that’s only pro ven to be wishful thinking.

Computerized beats, sounds and synthesized “music” continue to dominate the radio w aves.

The clev er, rich melodies of Gershwin, Porter, Ellington and Bach remain far remo ved from mainstream culture.

However, melodies will eventually make a comeback – if for no other reason than it will become hip and fashionable among our y outh to “disco ver” something as foreign and unusual as putting tog ether notes and lo vely chord changes to create something that’ s sonically interesting and different from the norm.

In the meantime, those of us who’d rather take the bull by the horns ha ve some options .

Classical m usic, as foreign and intimidating as it is to many of us, may offer the perfect choice.

For more than 25 years no w, at least one of the pre-set buttons on m y car radio has been directed to a classical m usic station. In Clayton, we actually have two classical stations within listening range and each has a place

JIM HUDAK

MUSIC NOTES on m y pre-sets . For someone who grew up with Elvis Presley , the Beatles and the Grateful Dead, I’d say that’s significant.

As one of my piano teachers recently told me , “Beethoven has more in common with Chuck Ber ry than he does with Puff Daddy.” Chew on that for awhile.

The tw o classical radio stations we can pick up in Cla yton are KXPR 90.9 FM and KDFC 102.1 FM. They both have their strong points, and we’re lucky to receive both stations here.

KXPR is a public radio station based in Sacramento , and Clayton is at the edg e of its signal rang e. You will hear static when listening to KXPR in certain areas of Walnut Creek, and

Words, from page A1 Another entry is in the form of a poem entitled, “Birth Mama”: … I willingly open m yself to allow the children of my mind and my w omb to pass thr ough me. I nourish them with my body, my soul, my knowledge and my love until they are no longer a par t of me.

“It’s a spiritual jour ney for Judy and me ,” Taylor sa ys of the Notebook Project.

“The project is big ger than we are , and w e don ’t kno w where it’s going to g o,” Ranieri adds.

The w omen ha ve already discussed the possibility of a NOTEBOOK FORUMS Judy Ranieri and Susan Taylor are hosting three forums to present the Notebook Project, hear some of the early responses and engage in dialogue about the traveling journal.

Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to noon, Dana Hills Cabana Club, 296 Mountaire Circle, Clayton.

Sept. 27, 7 to 9 p .m., Dana Hills Cabana Club.

Nov. 3, 6 to 8 p .m. John Muir W omen’s Health Center, 1656 N .

California Blv d., Walnut Creek.

Space is limited so reserve you seat b y calling Ranieri at (925) 673-9323 or T aylor at (925) 768-5042.

book, documentary, workshop, readings, gallery displa ys and performances. Currently, however, the Notebook Project is a work in progress.

The goal of the project is to reach 10,000 w omen b y sending out 500 notebooks. Finding the w omen is the easy par t.

Taylor sa ys that all she has to do is mention the Notebook Project in front of a g roup of women and immediately there are volunteers.

Those who participate must agree to “comm unicate from her core” and then pass the notebook on to another woman. The last w oman to complete the notebook sends the book bac k to Ranieri and Taylor. Women of all ag es, all ethnicities, all countries and all income brac kets are in vited to be a par t of the traveling journal, explains Ranieri. “We want to cross all boundaries ,” she notes.

The Notebook Project is a natural extension of the w ork and beliefs of Ranieri and Taylor. Ranieri is a legacy coach and creator of the Wisdom Box, a communication tool for passing on our life experiences, our life lessons, our hopes, our dreams, our lo ve and our wisdom to the next g eneration.

Becoming a g randmother for the first time led to thoughts about what she would

the signal g ets strong er the farther nor th and east y ou tra vel toward Sacramento. This station has no commercials and offers a nice mix of classical music from knowledgeable, low profile show hosts.

KXPR also allo ws y ou to keep in touch via its NPR news reports and alter nate prog ram offerings suc h as Gar rison Keillor’s long-r unning “Prairie Home Companion.” The fundraising drives every few months get anno ying, but public support allows them to stay in business.

KDFC, on the other hand, is a commercial radio station. Yes, the commercials do g et obnoxious, especially after losing yourself in a long, lovely symphonic piece. But the station offers a strong, digital signal that can be picked up vir tually anywhere in the Ba y Area. They gi ve news and traffic reports, and the program hosts are eng aging and well-versed in classical music.

Classical m usic g rows on you. It takes time to sort out the composers from the conductors and the concer tos from the sonatas. Rest assured, you will never learn it all. After all, you’re looking at more than 300 years

of music and m usicians, and it can be overwhelming at first.

But o ver time , you star t to sort it out and make some sense of it. You pick up little tidbits of information and knowledge and start to discern pieces and composers whom you most enjoy.

That’s par t of the appeal.

Any for m of music that can endure for multiple centuries has to have something going for it.

On any given weekend, there are also lots of opportunities to go hear a symphony concer t, a chamber m usic orc hestra or even a piano recital in the Ba y Area.

So, give classical m usic a chance. Give it some time to take hold on y our psyc he. It’s luscious har monies and sw eet variation of styles just might help fill that melodic v oid in your life – at least until popular culture g ets bac k to combining rhythm with g ood, solid melodies.

want her new granddaughter to know. Her jour nal entr y in the Notebook Project might read something like this: It’s all about love. It’ s about listening with y our heart and about loving and respecting yourself. The time has come to bring more of the f eminine wisdom, compassion and balance into the world so as to move us closer to peace.

Taylor is a feng shui consultant and life coac h. She’s passionate about helping people see new perspecti ves to move bey ond their selfimposed limitations. Her entr y might read: I’m a spirited w oman who w ants each person to li ve passionately fr om her dr eams. W hen we’re living our dreams, we’re in love with life.

Ranieri, a 15-year Claytonian, and T aylor, a city resident for just three years , have a lot in common – both professionally and personally .

They met in Clayton at a coffee shop through a m utual friend.

Ranieri just lear ned the night before that her only c hild and granddaughter were moving to New J ersey. She sa ys she felt like pulling the blank ets o ver her head instead of heading out to meet T aylor that mor ning.

But after three hours of non-stop talking, the tw o had to tear themselv es apar t from one another “hoarse and caffeinated.” They disco vered in that shor t time that they had the same life coac h training, they w ere both Midw esterners and they liked small cars.

Taylor, who admits to wearing offbeat clothing at times, recalls that Ranieri w as wearing a funk y pair of silver and silk tennis shoes when she walked into the coffee shop that da y. Taylor remembers thinking, “God, I hope that’ s Judy, because if it is , I’m already in love with her.”

Eventually T aylor and Ranieri opened office space in Pleasant Hill and began sharing their life coac hing experiences on a weekly basis.

August 18, 2006

Patty Flannery Realtor

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Jim Hudak’s Music Notes column appears r egularly in the Pioneer. Contact him at jimm ydak@pacbell.net. His piano music CD’s ar e a vailable fr om his W eb site at www .jhudak.com or at amazon.com.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A11

At the Movies Morning weather on KTVU-Fox2 Mon.-Fri., 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Steve Paulson Clayton resident srpwx@sbcglobal.net (510) 874-0150

STONE TREE

Here’s the ‘Scoop’: Wait for the video “Scoop,” the newest offering from prolific writer/director/ actor Woody Allen, marks both a retur n to a w orking for mula and a contin uing revi val of a career gone slightly sour.

Combined with last year’ s critically acclaimed “Matc h Point,” Allen is pro ving he still has the c hops which made him famous (and infamous) during his hey day in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Likewise, he contin ues his tradition of exploring the talents of one leading lady . His chosen m use, like half of the independent film industr y, is Scarlett Johansson.

The plot of “Scoop” is irrelevant, except to sa y that it follows jour nalism student Sondra Pransky (Johansson) as she follows the story of a lifetime – an unknown serial m urderer. This throws her into the path of a lord’s son, Peter Lyman (Hugh

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over for us as Cla yton’s J ared airlifted to Germany, where surAgnetti has been injured in Iraq. gery w as apparently successful.

5433 #F Clayton Station Amy and Sean Boggs Jared g rew up in Cla yton, He is in critical but stable condiplayed on the baseball team at tion and has been flown back to Clayton Valley High and g radu- Walter R eed Hospital for furated in 1998.

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Like most heroes , Folks, I said it when 1855 Jared was gracious and Memorial Da y rolled Second St., humble, wanting to around and I will sa y it Concord, JARED AGNETTI direct attention to his again: It does not matCA 94519 fellow soldiers . ter whether y ou ag ree Nevertheless, his family w as or disag ree with what w e are proudly beaming. doing o verseas, what matters is Jared was on another tour in that w e suppor t our husbands , See our certificate rates at www .cdfcu.org Iraq when a sniper shot him in wives, siblings, sons and daughthe chest and stomac h.

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Johansson’s scoop and ar rives periodically to mo ve the plot along, since these tw o amateur detectives are fairly incapable of discovering new evidence for themselves.

HUGH JACKMAN

AND

Jackman is , as alw ays, wonderful. From action (the “XMen” trilogy, “Van Helsing”) to romantic comedy (“Someone Like Y ou,” “Kate and Leopold”) to both film and stage m usical theater (“Oklahoma!” “The Bo y from Oz”), Jackman is tr uly a m ultifaceted g emstone in this industry of one-dimensional talents.

With “T he Bo y from Oz” running in A ustralia and nine

not something you need to rush to see . However, unlike most Allen f licks, it holds some appeal for a g eneral audience .

So when it’ s released on D VD, grab a buc ket of popcorn and settle in for an enjo yable evening.

Jeanna Ross is an Eng lish teacher in the Pub lic Ser vice Academy at Clayton V alley High School. Send y our comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

year? Our citizens donate 87,000 of those units – lea ving 34,000 units that w e m ust import.

Staggering statistics sa y one of every three people will need blood in their lifetime . On any given da y, more than 500 units of blood are needed for all sorts of patients, and the R ed Cross supplies more than 33 hospitals in the area.

Want a free cookie? K oolAid? Give blood and help those who need it. Call 1-800-Givelife or visit www.BeADonor.com.

All the other stuff seems minor when faced with the above, but I will press ahead.We lost our City Clerk, Rhonda Basore, who w as unabashedly poached by Morag a to be their city clerk due to her superior qualifications, training and experience she ac hieved while in Clayton.

Our memor y is long and if we can return the favor at a later point with Morag a, we will. In the interim, we wish Rhonda the best and thank her for her ser vice and dedication while here.

And yes , there w as another water main break – this one near the Pumpkin F arm recently .

Again, our quick-thinking police

and maintenance staff helped the o wners and neighbors prevent any major damag e to the farm or other residences .

Rumor even has it that our o wn Councilman Pete Laurence w as getting do wn and dir ty in this effort. I bet he g ets a free pumpkin this Halloween.

Finally, I g ot a call from a resident at Diamond T errace who told me she lo ved my articles (and not just for lining her bird cage). And yes, she did use the w ord “lo ved,” and so , bolstered by this praise , I will continue to pump out m y o wn brand of meaningless drivel for the masses. (Wait, see there I go again. I meant to say “extremely informative and witty infor mation to our w ell-informed citizens.”)

You can, of course, vote me out of office in No vember if you really can’t stand this stuff.

In closing, I heard about a mayor (not me) being hec kled during a speec h. When the mayor ask ed the man politely what g ood the man had ev er done for the city , the man defiantly said, “I voted ag ainst y ou in the last election.” Ouch!

Email me at Shuey@rankinlaw.com and have a great week.

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projects in the w orks, Jackman has a career worth watching.

Unless y ou, like the pac ked house of grandparents I sa w it with on opening day, are a major Woody Allen fan, “Scoop” is

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Jackman), and kiddie-magician Sid Waterman (Allen.)

As expected, a romance ensues between our pretty leads, and W aterman is a neurotic mess as the mystery unfolds.

The beauty of this film is in its c hatty, self-deprecating humor. Just when W aterman’s incessant babbling becomes an irritation, Sondra cuts him off with a w ell-placed jibe , earning kudos from the audience.

This is not an action film, or a suspense-filled roller coaster ride. It is signature Woody Allen – a talker.

I’ve nev er been a fan of Allen or J ohansson. His h yperactive characters tend to give me a headache and her sullen stare makes me want to slap her . But in the writing process , Allen managed to split some of the most f lustering par ts betw een them, making them both more bearable.

This is the first time I’v e seen J ohansson pla y funny or dorky – she’ s usually someone else’s foil – and it suits her .

Wood Allen is ... well, Woody Allen. He has some g reat oneliners and some not-so-g reat jokes that might be par t of his silly c haracter’s persona – at least, I hope they are or this comedic genius is definitely losing his touch.

Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) plays the unlik ely source of

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August 18, 2006

At Model A, “custom” is a familiar word

ENJOYS THE ARTISTRY

of building custom cabinets.

features custom quality cabinets for any room in y our home . A family-owned and operated business, Scott pro vides exper t advice on all types of cabinets for the kitc hen, bath, entertainment center and home office .

He constructs cabinets in a variety of styles including European, contemporary and conventional designs.

With more than 20 years of general contracting w ork under

Film, from page A1 Mercedes and Corsica. With only one tak e, everything needed to be perfect. And, says Mosley, “It worked great. Everyone hit their marks.”

After the 25 mph crash, the cars didn ’t fare as w ell. “They are pretty m uch unusable now,” Mosley says, laughing. “With the Corsica, both doors w ere damaged and the windo ws shattered

movie under their A urora Sk y Pictures.

For “21,” the O’Haras rented equipment for six da ys from the Academy of Art and hired actors through Beau Bonneau Casting in San F rancisco. Schoolmates and friends helped fill out the crew.

Mom, Barbara O’Hara pitched in with er rands suc h as driving to San F rancisco for

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

TIM O’HARA, SR. CONSULTS WITH CREW MEMBER, Anthony Leone, in preparation for filming the crash scene. O’Hara drove the crash car.

out. The Mercedes is hea vier, but its g rill was pushed into the radiator.”

The 20-minute film, which is partly based on a tr ue stor y, has an underlying anti-dr ug theme .

The “21” refers to the age of the lead character, who gets involved in cocaine sm uggling and has a drug addiction.

“There’s a messag e to it, ” says Tim, “but it’s not a preachy-‘You can ’t do dr ugs.’ But it shows the consequences of your actions on y our family and others in your life.”

The 27-year-old Tim is a film major at the Academ y of Art in San Francisco. Brother Scott, 23, graduated with a political science degree this spring from Saint Mary’s Colleg e in Morag a. The two beg an writing the script in February and are filming the

more film or bringing in lunc h for the crew . Dad, Tim O’Hara Sr., a serg eant with the Cla yton Police De partment, helped secure locations , permits and insurance. And, wearing a belt, harness, kneepads and a helmet, he dro ve the stunt car for the Clayton car crash scene.

Despite the homespun f lavor, those w orking on the set were impressed with the y oung men’s professionalism.

“They are v ery org anized.

They have a good crew – people know what they’ re supposed to do,” says costume designer Ressie Walker of San Francisco.

“Tim and Scott are really good at making sure that whatever y our role is , it’s equally important,” Walker adds . “And that is ex ceptional, truly ex ceptional.”

his belt, Scott feels that he can “bring a little more to the table,” on any specific job . “I can look at a cabinetr y job and assess all the needs, beyond just building the cabinets,” he says. “I can see the bigger picture and avoid pitfalls at the end of a job.”

Although he plans to expand his business in the near future , Scott is a fir m believer in k eeping close w atch over a job once it star ts. He explains that there Walker says that when a pair of rented sunglasses w as misplaced on the set, Tim stopped what he w as doing to help her find them. “Then later, he came back to me and said, ‘Is there anything else y ou need from me?’ They don ’t usually come with that lev el of self-awareness,” Walker says. “And I think that self-awareness is where professionalism comes from.”

Carissa V an A usdall, who portrays Alex in the film, credits the O’Haras for the calm atmosphere on the set. “This one is really organized, and they all g et along really well,” she says. “And they really take care of us – I’ve never felt so taken care of.”

Van Ausdall, who received an arts deg ree this Ma y from the University of Illinois, has acted in several shor t films but this is the first one that wasn’t digital.

“There seem to be more complications that come with using 16 millimeter,” she reports.

“And they ha ve to think about how long they can shoot.

Sometimes with digital, you might just shoot it ag ain.

“But this is g ood,” she adds, “it makes you get it right.”

As V an A usdall and actor Joseph Salazar rehearse a scene in the entr yway of the Seeno model home, Tim is contin ually fine-tuning. “All right,” Tim says after yet another r un-through, “I’m going to change it again …

Feel free to use y our hands , maybe scratch your head.”

After another rehearsal, Tim still isn ’t ready to shoot. “Um, better. But something just doesn’t feel right, ” he sa ys, running his hand through his hair .

“Maybe it’s the line . I w ant y ou do to it again, but just make up a line – whatever comes to you.”

“Well, I lik e that line ,” says Salazar. “Maybe I’m just not doing it right. Do you have any suggestions?”

After confer ring, they tr y again. But now Scott is on-scene.

“Don’t w alk so fast, ” he tells

Salazar. “But y ou don ’t w ant to drag through it, either.”

After a few more trys, they’re ready to roll. “Now that w as good – the ‘something’ was there,” Tim says.

Cinematographer Umar Waheed takes his place, with first assistant director Hassan Said at his side . Said’s a booming presence, and when he yells “Quiet on the set,” you know he means business.

“Come on, let’s g o. It’s past 3,” Said urg es. But 30 min utes later, Tim is still w orking with Salazar on that same line . “We need to roll this . Come on,” Said reminds.

By 3:35 p .m., the 40-second entryway scene has been shot from sev eral angles and they’ re ready to move on. We’re told the dog scene will be in “15 minutes.”

But at 5:30, Ira is tucked back away in a quiet corner – and we’re still waiting. Our time on the set has run out and we won’t be able to see the dog leaping in to bite Salazar’s pant leg.

This is especially disappointing for my 11-year-old son, Alex, who has come along to w atch the filming. He kno ws Tim and Scott through their classes at O’Hara’s Mar tial Ar ts in do wntown Clayton.

Perhaps Alex can catc h “21” at Cla yton V alley High Sc hool someday. In addition to submitting it to film festi vals “to g et some buzz g oing,” the O’Haras hope to screen the film at Scott’s alma mater.

For no w, though, it’s on to the editing process – where the film will come tog ether “lik e a big puzzle,” says Tim. “I feel really g ood about the project,” he sa ys the Monda y after filming ends . “Tired, but good.”

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His daily routine includes a 1200 square foot w arehouse filled to the brim with w ood pieces, hinges, tools, machinery and lots of sawdust.

However Scott Carlson, owner of Model A Cabinet Company w ouldn’t ha ve it any other w ay. He’s in his element when he’ s building and constructing custom quality cabinets for his clients.

“I’ve alw ays been a craftsman since I w as 12 years old, ” says Scott. He recalls building go-carts, and taking w oodshop in high sc hool. “That w as m y whole life.”

Now his career allows him to work with his hands to the satisfaction of over 100 clients . It also gives him more freedom to spend time with his family . “It’s nice to stand bac k and admire the finished product. But it really is the ar tistry of it,” Scott says.

Model A Cabinet Company

should only be one person r unning the whole job . This k eeps quality control and maintains good relations with each client.

When Scott isn ’t building to his hear t’s content at the w arehouse in Mar tinez, he can be seen c heering on his tw o sons , Conrad and Troy, at one of their many sporting events.

His wife, Kathryn, is a par tner in the business and helps Scott with the administrati ve details.

The business is named after an old Model A that Scott once owned. “It w as fun, but time consuming,” says Scott. And when it came time to in vest in the business , the old Model A was sold and proceeds helped to make Model A Cabinet Company what it is today.

Scott’s lo ve for handcrafted items doesn’t end with his cabinetry business. In his spare time, Scott enjoys the ar t of building Chris Craft model boats. One is currently on displa y at Da vid.

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Page A12

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Look for ornamental grasses from the pennisetum family to dress up y our garden

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Looking around our Clayton Valley yards and gardens, we are now seeing soft rosy pur ple color plumes everywhere. These unusual flowers are the summer display of one of the v arieties of red fountain g rass that ha ve been steadily popping up in local landscapes.

This old-w orld g rass from the pennisetum family has become one of the most popular or namental g rasses to be planted and enjo yed b y the masses. Whether y our g arden space is small or large, there is a selection of pennisetum for you to treasure.

Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum is refer red to affectionately as pur ple fountain grass, the most gorgeous of the fountain g rass relati ves. The name describes the nature of how this perennial g rows – forming neat clumps of purplish-maroon blades later topped b y rosy-red f lower spikes summer through fall.

This perennial has been known to reac h heights of 2 to 4 feet the first year of installation and often 2 to 3 feet wide , providing quic k, successful dimension and color.

Rubrum is v astly adaptable and mak es a g reat accessor y in many types of garden situations.

Consider incorporating a purple fountain g rass on a dr y slope .

The fast g rowth, drought tolerance and shallow sprawling root system mak es this or namental grass a g reat introduction for erosion control.

Some ex cellent slope companion plants w ould be Salvia San Antonio , a hardy , woody evergreen that has yello w tw olipped f lowers, and Cor rea Carmine Bells, a sprawling ever-

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Page A13

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green that will reac h heights of only about 2 feet, yet ma y spread 4 to 6 feet wide. Carmine Bells has a fall through early spring blooming season, making it an a wesome hillside addition for any slope gardener.

Purple fountain g rass is indispensable in dr y streambeds or creekbeds , providing a g reat dry accent. Good companions

early to mid-Marc h, just as the earth star ts to w arm up. If you prune too soon, the plant could drown.

Pennisetum orientale is commonly called Oriental fountain g rass. This cousin of the purple is not nearly as popular , yet it’s an important ornamental for the collector to install and enjoy.

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

PURPLE FOUNTAIN GRASS

are the metallic blue fescue grasses, bush monk ey f lowers, Mexican sag es and the striped bloody cranesbills for early spring through early summer flowers.

Purple fountain g rass is an excellent potted specimen or container plant for those g ardeners lac king a dr y slope or creekbed. Since pennisetum likes its roots a little on the dr y side, leave the dr ying foliage on the plant through the winter .

The dr y blades protect the plants center from receiving too much winter rainwater.

Cut do wn to the g round

Some will argue that the orientale responds faster to our spring, arriving bac k from dormancy earlier and prettier . You will have to be the judg e.

This fountain grass is another clumping evergreen with narrow foliag e that remains g reen spring through summer .

Reaching only 18 inc hes to 2 feet tall and wide, this grass may suit your location better than its taller-wider cousin.

Showy, dense f luffy pink flowers spike up to 30 inc hes in the summer. During winter, the foliage of the pennisetum orientale tur ns yello wish bro wn and

will need to be sev erely cut down in February.

Eaton Cany on is a dw arf variety of the pur ple fountain grass family. This eye-pleaser is great used as a single planting while also outstanding in masses. Reaching 30 inches tall and 2 feet wide, the herbaceous perennial ma y be desirable for those with smaller garden areas.

Attractive, purple-tinted foliage produces dense clumps , later topped with beautiful arching spikes ranging from buff to deep lavender red. Varying ages of the spikes create a billo wing meadow feel.

All pennisetum are deer- and drought-resistant, and they all have a place in our Cla yton Valley yards and g ardens. When cared for properly and planted in the right place, the plants will provide years of enjoyment.

Remember to di vide plants every two to three years, preferably in the fall, right before plants go dormant.

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or sug gestions at

gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

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Page A14

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

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BED/BATH 3/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 4/2.5 4/3.5 5/3 4/2 3/2.5 2/2.5 4/2.5 3/2.5 3/1.5 2/2 3/3 5/3 4/2 2/2 3/3 4/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 3/2 4/3 5/3 3/2.5 4/2.5

CLAYTON PIONEER August 18, 2006

Section B

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B1

Hike of the Week

The Oregon Coast, from Cannon Beach to Manzanita

KEVIN PARKER

HIKER’S HAVEN WEEKEND ON OREGON COAST IS TRUE SCENIC RELAXATION

With the family tr uckster packed to the gills for another serious road trip, a quick calculation put us on Highw ay 26 headed due west from Portland, Oregon.

Having nev er been to the Oregon Coast, I had mental fantasies of frigid, ice-laden waters, roadside org anic coffee stands run b y hippies and rain all da y long – none of which w ere found at any point on this trip .

Highway 26 pro ved to be a beautiful drive, winding through small to wns as w e headed for Cannon Beach, a popular beachside vacation town.

The plan was to rent a beach house and spend a long w eek-

RUSH HOUR IN MANZANITA

Kevin Parker/Clayton Pioneer

OREGON SAND DUNES

end with some Chico State College buddies . Let me rephrase that, I meant colleg e buddies and their families. So as you can guess , what used to be weekend long, up all night, let’s drink beer for breakfast fiestas have transfor med into “Hey once the kids are aslee p for the night, you w anna drink some wine and play Trivial Pursuit?”

However, with three families packed into a beautiful beac h house (including three dads , three moms, three kids and tw o dogs), the recipe for the w eek-

end w as to relax, explore and catch up on old times.

Manzanita (Spanish for little apple) is situated about 13 miles due south of Cannon Beach on Highway 101. With a population of about 800 and a median ag e of 52, the town is quite mello w but very friendly.

Most of the homes in to wn are vacation homes, and we had no problem securing a reser vation for a spacious casa right on the w ater with a hot tub big enough for the entire crew.

A few recommendations

while in to wn include Bread & Ocean Bak ery and P anini for lunch, the Coffee Shop for some hear ty mor ning ja va and Manzanita Bik es & Boards for everything from renting threewheel bik es to surfboards (ask for Doug).

Other must-see items in and around to wn include NeahKah-Nie Mountain, Manzanita Beach and Nehalem Ba y State Park.

If you are looking for crowds, lots of shopping and restaurants, I recommend

Cannon Beach. However, if rest and solitude is y our thing, Manzanita is the way to go.

The highlight of this portion of the Oregon Coast and probably the most thrilling par t of the trip was the day we spent at Oswald W est State P ark and Short Sands Beach. With public parking right along Highw ay 101 and a w alk-in campg round that is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, this place w as truly a “gold nugget of nature.”

Every possible shade of verdant g reen, deep and ric h reds

and browns from the sur rounding trees complemented b y wooden bridg es, fresh air and ultimately the P acific Ocean in the for m of a crescent-shaped cove called Shor t Sands Beac h all added to the visual stim ulation that could not be missed while hiking through this park.

The hik e w as absolutely spectacular and w e felt as if we were miles from ci vilization.

Short Sands Beac h, a w ellknown surf spot, provided the playing field for a day of surfing with old buddies that will not soon be forg otten. With 9-foot long boards , 4-millimeter w etsuits, gloves, booties and a hood, I w as quic kly reminded that this was not California.

But w ave after w ave, smile after smile and g ood vibes in general solidified what I already had kno wn and that w as that great friendships are everlasting.

So with the guys out in the water and the wi ves and kids enjoying the sandy beac h, I couldn’t help being tak en o ver by a feeling of – total satisfaction and the kno wledge that I will return soon to this beautiful part of the country.

For more information on this hike or other outdoor experiences , contact Ke vin at hiker@claytonpioneer.com.

Getting

There: You can fly directly into Portland and then head due west toward the coast, but I recommend a road trip Activities: Wildlife viewing, surfing, hiking, shopping, relaxing, exploring, kite-flying, fishing and many more For more infor mation: www.neahkahnie.net/manzanita.htm or www .oregonstateparks.org/park_195.php or www.cannon-beach.net/

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Page B2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Clayton Sports Pinney to ride in Mountain Bik e Championships BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

Chrissie Pinney will re present the United States in the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships later this month in New Zealand.

Chrissie, a nati ve of the Concord and Walnut Creek area, earned the selection after capturing the J unior W omen’s Mountain Bik e Do wnhill Championship July 13-16 at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

The USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships event w as designated as the stand-alone, American-only national c hampionship for all levels. It w as originally sc heduled for Mammoth Mountain but moved to Infineon as result of record snowfall. The mountain bik e do wnhill ev ent falls under the National Off-R oad Bicycling Association (NORBA) of USA Cycling.

Turning 17 just a da y before her Aug. 17 de parture for New Zealand, Chrissie will be the lone U .S. representative in her Junior Women’s Downhill class.

Sixty riders fill out the U .S. National T eam roster , compet-

CHRISSIE PINNEY, TAKING A BREATHER at a recent competition.

ing in 15 ev ents A ug. 22-27 in Rotorua, New Zealand.

As a tune-up , she also committed to national races in Utah and Colorado just prior to the World Championships. At those venues, Chrissie raced in do wnhill, dual slalom and mountain cross events.

Chrissie races at the exper t level (bey ond “beginner” and “sport”), with tec hnically enough results under her belt to go pro – although that requires being over age 18.

Downhill racing is simply … going do wn the mountain as fast as you can.

“The course will ha ve roc k gardens, drop-offs and ‘lots of ride’ that can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour ,” she explains.

A NEED FOR SPEED “I like g oing fast” is exactly what you’d expect her to sa y of the races that ma y r un upw ard of five pounding min utes on a typical course. This is high-energy stuff that’ll get your adrenaline pumping.

“There’s a trail on Mt. Diablo with a section called ‘the freeway,’ where local pros g et their highest speed,” she discloses.

“My dad has been into bicycles all his life ,” Chrissie recounts. “He ask ed me if I wanted to race BMX, but it wasn’t too competiti ve – just for fun. I became serious with mountain-biking about tw o years ago. It’s very addicting.”

As for training, Chrissie says: “It’s good to do weight work, but I lik e to w ork more on skills .

Daily trail riding, work on my dirt jumping and roc k g arden w ork.

Also, for conditioning, I’ll get on a road bik e, which isn’t too fun.

Very, very boring. I ride a tandem with my dad sometimes.”

Locally, she practices on Mt. Diablo. “But usually I tra vel to

Photos courtesy of Chrissie Pinney

CHRISSIE PINNEY TAKES A JUMP in recent Junior Women’s Mountain Bike Downhill racing competition.

Chrissie will be the lone US representative at the 2006 World Championships to be held August 22-27 in Rotorua, New Zealand.

do skill w ork with friends .

Pacifica or Carlmont in Belmont has trails to ride for a few hours,” she says. “I try to ride a couple of hours ev ery da y.

There are some g ood places in Oakland, too.”

Other local practice courses include Li vermore, San Ramon and her fa vorite, Sand Hill in Brentwood.

“A lot of locals who r un at Sand Hill win on the national level,” she reports. “I have really good friends who I ride most with. One is in F oster City and the other in W alnut Creek who compete at many of the same

events. We’ll take BART to each other and our parents pick us up and take us to ride.”

LEARNING THE LAY OF THE LAND

Her father Georg e, mother Della and little brother J osh (going into the first g rade at Highlands Elementar y) are her biggest fans when racing locally.

Unfortunately, because of the high cost of the travel, none of her family will accompany Chrissie to New Zealand for the World Championships.

“There’ll be a lot of practice days,” she sa ys in pre paration

for the big gest race of her life.

“The first da y, I’ll just w alk the course and figure out whic h lines to take through everything and take lots of digital pictures.

The next few da ys, I’ll be practicing the course and g etting muscle memory.

“I use clipless pedals to practice where I’ll ‘clip out. ’ It’s all about m uscle memor y … to

Beginning with the next issue , Pioneer Spor ts Editor , Bill Wagoner, will step aside. He will still contribute as a regular feature writer, but with increasing demands from his insurance business, he finds that he must scale back his duties with the Pioneer.

So, we are looking for a new Sports Editor. This is a paid position requiring appro ximately 10-15 hours per issue (twice a month.) It requires writing one feature and one shor ter stor y as well as organizing, compiling and editing the pieces sent in by our readers, which includes the Sports Shorts.

The successful candidate will be thoroughly plug ged in to the Clayton area sports scene, preferably be a Clayton resident and will have good writing skills. A computer and a high comfort level with email and Word are necessary.

If you are interested, send a co ver letter with y our qualifications and a writing sample (a couple of paragraphs is fine) to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Put Sports Editor in the subject line.

‘JUST THE BEGINNING’ Chrissie has big plans for her biking career . “Oh, this is just the beginning, ” she sa ys. “My dream is to g o pro and be on

See Pinney, page B3

FITNESS & TANNING

We have new “QUBICA-AMF” scoring

Sports Editor Needed

have ev erything dialed for y our race da y. It all comes do wn to preparation,” says Chrissie , who is also prepared with body armor and lots of protective gear.

Chrissie used to c heerlead for the y outh football F alcons.

“That was fun. I miss cheerleading a lot, ” she recalls. “I played freshman bask etball at Cla yton Valley. I used to r un in middle school but had a hip injur y that keeps me from r unning.”

Chrissie’s race tra vel sc hedule w as not conduci ve to daily school attendance , so she’ s shifted to inde pendent study and will be g raduating ahead of schedule.

She w orks at (sur prise!) a full-line bik e shop in Pleasant Hill and is “blessed when it comes to having a lot of bikes” “Suspension is v ery important for do wnhill,” she sa ys.

“You can ’t r un a ‘rigid’ on downhill. Geometry is important, so that it’s comfortable and you can f low with it. My dad does the mec hanics. Heavy bikes can plo w through things but are difficult for cor nering.

You also don’t want bikes to be too light and squir relly.”

In a ph ysically demanding sport, Chrissie admits to “scars everywhere” as “souvenirs.”

“Surprisingly, I ha ven’t broken any bones . You can tak e impact … but it’s worth it.”

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports Dana Hills Otters continue domination at Concord Meet BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

The Dana Hills Swim T eam captured their second consecutive A and B Division championships at the 40th ann ual Concord City Meet held Aug. 4-6.

The DHST A Di vision has dominated the Concord meet for 14 years, winning the title in 2006 for the 13th time over that span.

In a field of nine swim teams at the Concord Community P ool on Co well Road, the Dana Hills Otters earned 575 team points to outpace second place Springw ood by more than 100 points in the combined team scores.

Girls and boys relay teams in the 11-12 age group from Dana Hills w ere recognized as “outstanding rela ys” of the meet.

The 11-12 girls medley rela y (Kaitlyn O’Connell, Jenna Stelzner, Nikki P almer and Chloe T raynor) and the 11-12

boys freestyle rela y (Derek Anderson, Kenny J ohnson, Jared Deely and TJ Brassil) brought home the honors.

City meet records w ere broken by a number of Dana Hills swimmers, including K aitlyn O’Connell (11-12 girls IM and backstroke), Jenna Stelzner (1112 girls freestyle and breaststroke), Ashley J ennings (13-14 girls butterf ly), the 11-12 girls medley rela y (K aitlyn O’Connell, Jenna Stelzner , Nikki P almer, and Chloe Traynor) and the 11-12 girls free relay (Nikki P almer, Jenna Stelzner, Chloe T raynor and Kaitlyn O’Connell).

In the A Di vision, the “Mayor’s A ward” for indi vidual high point honors w ent to JD Williams (6-under bo ys), Megan Schussman (9-10 girls), Kaitlyn O’Connell (11-12 girls), Ashley Jennings (13-14 girls) and Danny Boessenecker (15-18 boys).

In the B Di vision, the

“Terrapin’s Award” for individual high point honors w ent to Natalie Johnson (6-under girls).

HONORS FOR OAKHURST The Oakhurst Orcas , a much smaller swim team, may ha ve been without an A Di vision individual winner, but their 7-8 bo ys 100-yard free relay team came up huge. The quar tet of Mitchell Longman, Blake Daniel, Dominic Del Monte and Bill Ralston celebrated a first place victor y o ver their Dana Hills counterparts.

Oakhurst Country Club corralled eight first-place finishes in the B Di vision, including tw o brother teams. Max (7-8 25-yard freestyle) and Ben (11-12 50yard butterf ly) Silv erberg along with Log an (6-under 25-yard backstroke) and Benjamin (7-8 25-yard bac k) Sc hoffstall all came up winners in their B Division finals.

Page B3

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Photo courtesy of Dana Hills Swim Team

THE RECORD-SETTING 11-12 GIRLS RELAY TEAM that established two new Concord City Meet records (from left): Chloe Traynor, Kaitlyn O’Connell, Jenna Stelzner, and Nikki Palmer. Jenna (freestyle and breaststroke) and Kaitlyn (backstroke and individual medley) also set four individual records.

Pinney, from page B2 top … but I ha ve a lot of work to get there.”

Her mother gi ves Chrissie a lot of credit for her maturity .

“She’s a v ery g rounded girl, ” Della sa ys. “She’s focused on what she needs to do . She’s excited, but she k eeps her head where it needs to be . She’s focusing on her skills and doing a good job, without focusing on the competition.

It’s just excelled really quickly.”

“I think passion ’s a big par t of racing,” Chrissie sa ys. “You

can’t train every weekend unless you really want to be there.”

George (a self-described “Bike Geek”) says when the two started riding tog ether, “it w as more of being a dad.”

“It was fun to ride with her because she had a lot of enthusiasm,” he adds. “There came a point a couple of years ag o, at Northstar, when she was pulling me through some of the corners. It was like riding with m y buddies. Since then, it’s been a lot of fun.”

Dad takes an advisory role at the races. “Chrissie takes things so seriously, my main role at the races is to tr y to get her to back it do wn a notc h. She g ets so intense. I tell her : ‘Have fun!’

She’s so focused on impro vement and her g oals. The main one, ultimately, for her, and not me, is to go pro,” he says. “I get to be the exact opposite of a Little League parent. I try to not give advice unless asked.”

Chrissie’s fa vorite par t of racing is “surprising people.”

“Usually, when guys see a girl riding in pink, ” she sa ys, “they’ll nudge their friends and say: ‘Dude, that’s a chick!’ ”

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Gifts that TASTE as GOOD as they LOOK

Clayton Sports Otters, from page B3 IN THE TOP THREE Here are the top three finishers for all Dana Hills and Oakhurst swimmers, listed by ranking, name, age, team and time: Girls 8&U 100 Yard IM B Division: 2, Erika Wolfram, 8, OAKCC, 1:53.53.

Boys 8&U 100 Yard IM A Division: 3, Liam Calkins, 8, DHST, 1:42.36.

Girls 9-10 100 Yard IM B Division: 1, Sara Abele, 10, DHST, 1:33.54.

Girls 9-10 100 Yard IM A Division: 1, Megan Schussman, 10, DHST, 1:20.53. And 2, Megan Goodspeed, 10, DHST, 1:21.24.

Girls 11-12 100 Yard IM B Division: 3, Peyton Hunziker, 11, DHST, 1:22.11.

Girls 11-12 100 Yard IM A Division: 1, Kaitlyn O’Connell, 12, DHST, 1:06.91.

Girls 13-14 100 Yard IM B Division: 2, Erica O’Brien, 14, DHST, 1:16.72.

Girls 13-14 100 Yard IM A Division: 1, Ashley Jennings, 14, DHST, 1:05.10.

Boys 15-18 100 Yard IM B Division: 3, Chris Mills, 15, DHST, 1:05.76.

Boys 15-18 100 Yard IM A Division: 1, Danny Boessenecker, 17, DHST, 56.94.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Free B Division: 2, Delaney Sunde, 9, DHST, 38.19.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Free A Division: 1, Megan Schussman, 10, DHST, 30.36.

Girls 11-12 50 Yard Free A Division: 1, Jenna Stelzner, 12, DHST, 26.67.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Free B Division: 2, Ted Hall, 12, DHST, 33.73.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Free A Division: 1, Derek Anderson, 12, DHST, 26.97.

Girls 13-14 50 Yard Free A Division: 2, Marisa Marr, 14, DHST, 27.26.

Boys 13-14 50 Yard Free B Division: 2, Nicholas Fong, 13, DHST, 28.83.

Girls 15-18 100 Yard Free B Division: 2, Lizzy Brandt, 16, DHST, 1:04.26.

Girls 6&U 25 Yard Free B Division: 2, Natalie Johnson, 6, DHST, 33.84.

Girls 6&U 25 Yard Free A Division: 2, Lily Stagner, 6, DHST, 20.47.

Boys 6&U 25 Yard Free B Division: 1, Henry Smith, 6, OAKCC, 31.79.

And 2, Patrick Duggan, 6, DHST, 32.27.

Boys 6&U 25 Yard Free A Division: 1, Jonathan Williams, 6, DHST, 21.51.

Girls 7-8 25 Yard Free B Division: 1, Kaylie Collins, 8, OAKCC, 19.30.

Girls 7-8 25 Yard Free A Division: 1, Melissa Schoell, 8, DHST, 16.19.

And 3, Kimberly Dennis, 8, OAKCC, 16.93.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Free B Division: 1, Max Silverberg, 7, OAKCC, 21.14.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Free A Division: 2, Liam Calkins, 8, DHST, 17.39. And 3, Bill Ralston, 7, OAKCC, 17.68.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Fly B Division: 3, Alexis Lampo, 10, DHST, 46.44.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Fly A Division: 1, Megan Goodspeed, 10, DHST, 35.93. And 2, Sara Johnson, 10, DHST, 37.53. And 3, Megan Haley, 9, DHST, 38.19.

Girls 11-12 50 Yard Fly B Division: 2, Julia Silverberg, 11, OAKCC, 39.51. And 3, Cherllyn Brock, 12, DHST, 39.55.

Girls 11-12 50 Yard Fly A Division: 3, Kaitlyn O’Connell, 12, DHST, 29.19.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Fly B Division: 1, Ben Silverberg, 12, OAKCC, 37.85.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Fly A Division: 2, TJ Brassil, 12, DHST, 31.49.

Girls 13-14 50 Yard Fly B Division: 1, Olivia Chernyk, 13, DHST, 33.20.

Girls 13-14 50 Yard Fly A Division: 1, Ashley Jennings, 14, DHST, 28.39.

Boys 13-14 50 Yard Fly A Division: 2, Michael Chiok, 14, DHST, 27.16.

Boys 15-18 100 Yard Fly A Division: 1, Danny Boessenecker, 17, DHST, 55.32.

Girls 6&U 25 Yard Fly B Division: 2, McKenzie Streeter, 6, DHST, 37.05.

Boys 6&U 25 Yard Fly A Division: 2. Jonathan Williams, 6, DHST, 28.50.

Girls 7-8 25 Yard Fly B Division: 2, Katie Hoyt, 7, OAKCC, 22.42.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Fly B Division: 1, Scott Meylan, 8, OAKCC, 25.71.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Fly A Division: 2, Liam Calkins, 8, DHST, 19.33.

Girls 9-10 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 1, Taylor Ryle, Sara Johnson, Megan Goodspeed, Megan Schussman, all 10, DHST, 2:27.81. And 3, Kelsey Fitzsimmons, Riley Shaw, Kristina Waters, all 10, Justine Trimble, 9, OAKCC, 2:41.90.

Boys 9-10 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 3, Nick Bazan, 10, Carter Newton, 10, Tanner White, 9, Patrick Marr, 10, DHST, 2:34.56.

Girls 11-12 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 1, Kaitlyn O’Connell, 12, Jenna Stelzner, 12, Nikki Palmer, 11, Chloe Traynor, 11, DHST, 2:03.27.

Boys 11-12 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 1, Derek Anderson, 12, Kenny Johnson, 12, Jared Deely, 11, Josh Harmon, 12, DHST, 2:07.94.

Girls 13-14 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 1, Jessica Pearson, 13, Marisa Marr, 14, Ashley Jennings, 14, Hannah Polshuk, 13, DHST, 2:01.47.

Sports Shorts

The Clayton Valley Jr. Eagles Baseball Club , a competitive tournament baseball organization, is looking for interested and qualified pla yers betw een the ag es of 12-13 for our fall 2006 and spring/summer 2007 season.

Interested pla yers should contact Rob Sper ry @ (925) 899-8724 or jr_eagles@hotmail.com or visit us at www.eteamz.com/jr-eagles

Steve H. Youse Painting & Decorating

Girls 15-18 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 3, Dana Hill, 16, Marina Bohn, 17, Kelsey Brassil, 17, Lizzy Brandt, 16, DHST, 2:06.32.

Boys 15-18 200 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 3, Danny Boessenecker, 17, Jared Farizell, 16, Michael Murray, 17, Jess Walker, 15, DHST, 1:44.40.

Girls 6&U 100 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 3, McKenzie Streeter, Lily Stagner, Francesca Orozco, Kiyomi Watson, all 6, DHST, 2:03.84.

Boys 6&U 100 Yard Medley Relay A Division: 3, Anthony Vizental, Jonathan Williams, Joseph Silveira, Ross Gruen, all 6, DHST, 2:18.76.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Breast B Division: 2, Nicole Haley, 9, DHST, 49.79.

And 3 Clarice Roo, 9, OAKCC, 50.87.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Breast A Division: 2, Riley Shaw, 10, OAKCC, 41.96.

And Kimberly Anderson, 10, DHST, 42.08.

Boys 9-10 50 Yard Breast B Division: 1, Henry Robichaud, 9, OAKCC, 54.61.

Boys 9-10 50 Yard Breast A Division: 1, Michael Fryer, 10, DHST, 40.84.

Girls 11-12 50 Yard Breast A Division: 1, Jenna Stelzner, 12, DHST, 33.42. And Katie Goodspeed, 12, DHST, 38.05.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Breast B Division: 3, Ryan Dugan, 11, DHST, 46.85.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Breast A Division: 3, TJ Brassil, 12, DHST, 36.06.

Girls 13-14 50 Yard Breast A Division: 2, Jennie Stucker, 14, DHST, 35.65.

Boys 15-18 100 Yard Breast B Division: 1, James Magas, 15, DHST, 1:16.54.

Boys 15-18 100 Yard Breast A Division: 2, Danny Boessenecker, 17, DHST, 1:02.97.

Girls 6&U 25 Yard Breast B Division: 2, Natalie Johnson, 6, DHST, 39.54. And 3, Alex Brown, 5, DHST, 39.82.

Boys 6&U 25 Yard Breast B Division: 2, Jackson Trimble, 5, OAKCC, 37.34.

Girls 7-8 25 Yard Breast B Division: 1, Sarah Oshel, 8, DHST, 27.30.

And 2, Erika Wolfram, 8, OAKCC, 27.97.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Breast B Division: 3, William Morimoto, 8, OAKCC, 29.85.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Back B Division: 3, Alexis Lampo, 10, DHST, 46.29.

Girls 9-10 50 Yard Back A Division: 1, Megan Schussman, 10, DHST, 36.31. And 3, Kasey Fitzsimmons, 10, OAKCC, 40.05.

Boys 9-10 50 Yard Back B Division: 3, Liam Traynor, 9, DHST, 51.90.

Boys 9-10 50 Yard Back A Division: 2, Nick Bazan, 10, DHST, 37.51.

Girls 11-12 50 Yard Back A Division: 1, Kaitlyn O’Connell, 12, DHST, 29.70.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Back B Division: 3, Justin Ulinger, 11, DHST, 42.47.

Boys 11-12 50 Yard Back A Division: 1, Derek Anderson, 12, DHST, 31.51. And 2, Kenny Johnson, 12, DHST, 32.18.

Girls 13-14 50 Yard Back B Division: 1, Amanda Vierthaler, 14, DHST, 36.04.

Girls 13-14 50 Yard Back A Division: 1, Ashley Jennings, 14, DHST, 30.01. And 2, Jessica Pearson, 13, DHST, 30.37. And 3, Marisa Marr, 14, DHST, 31.40.

Boys 13-14 50 Yard Back B Division: 1, Dylan Mitchell, 14, DHST, 35.46.

Boys 13-14 50 Yard Back A Division: 2, Michael Chiok, 14, DHST, 29.84. And 3, Colton Rogers, 14, DHST, 30.63.

Boys 15-18 100 Yard Back A Division: 2, Patrick Keane, 15, DHST, 1:00.02. And 3, Jared Farizell, 16, DHST, 1:00.33.

Girls 6&U 25 Yard Back B Division: 1, Natalie Johnson, 6, DHST, 33.77.

And 2, Alex Brown, 5, DHST, 34.86. And 3, Emma Skow, 5, DHST, 35.41.

Boys 6&U 25 Yard Back B Division: 1, Logan Schoffstall, 5, OAKCC, 35.90. And 2, Ryan Roo, 6, OAKCC, 39.01. And 3, Joseph Silveira, 6, DHST, 39.07.

Boys 6&U 25 Yard Back A Division: 1, Jonathan Williams, 6, DHST, 26.56.

Girls 7-8 25 Yard Back A Division: 1, Melissa Schoell, 8, DHST, 19.03.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Back B Division: 1, Benjamin Schoffstall, 8, OAKCC, 26.88. And 2, Kyle Dugan, 8, DHST, 28.13.

Boys 7-8 25 Yard Back A Division: 2, Bill Ralston, 7, OAKCC, 21.84.

And 3, Blake Daniel, 8, OAKCC, 22.01.

Girls 9-10 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 1, Megan Schussman, Taylor Ryle, Sara Johnson, Megan Goodspeed, all 10, DHST, 2:11.29.

Boys 9-10 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 3, Carter Newton, 10, Tanner White, 9, Patrick Marr, 10, Nick Bazan, 10, DHST, 2:15.88.

Girls 11-12 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 1, Kaitlyn O’Connell, 12, Jenna Stelzner, 12, Chloe Traynor, 11, Nikki Palmer, 11, DHST, 1:48.70.

Boys 11-12 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 1, Derek Anderson, 12, Kenny Johnson, 12, Jared Deely, 11, TJ Brassil, 12, DHST, 1:50.25.

Girls 13-14 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 1, Ashley Jennings, 14, Marisa Marr, 14, Jessica Pearson, 13, Hannah Polshuk, 13, DHST, 1:46.87.

Boys 13-14 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 3, Michael Chiok, Michael Stelzner, Nathan Nejad, Colton Rogers, all 14, DHST, 1:47.53.

Girls 15-18 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 3, Dana Hill, 16, Kelsey Brassil, 17, Marina Bohn, 17, Lizzy Brandt, 16, DHST, 1:52.54.

Boys 15-18 200 Yard Free Relay A Division: 2, Danny Boessenecker, 17, Jared Farizell, 16, Michael Murray, 17, Chris Mills, 15, DHST, 1:32.16.

Girls 6&U 100 Yard Free Relay A Division: 2, Lily Stagner, McKenzie Streeter, Kiyomi Watson, Francesca Orozco, all 6, DHST, 1:43.75.

Boys 6&U 100 Yard Free Relay A Division: 3, Jonathan Williams, Ross Gruen, Spencer Leal, Joseph Silveira, all 6, DHST, 1:47.66.

Girls 7-8 100 Yard Free Relay A Division: 2, Melissa Schoell, 8, Jenna Livingston, 7, Bailey DeSchane, 7, Emma Hall, 8, DHST, 1:12.53.

Boys 7-8 100 Yard Free Relay A Division: 1, Mitchell Longman, 7, Dominic Del Monte, 8, Blake Daniel, 8, Bill Ralston, 7, OAKCC, 1:15.20. And 3, Liam Calkins, 8, Anthony Friedman, 7, Kyle Dugan, 8, Justin Weiss, 7, DHST, 1:19.40.

Residential Commercial

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Clayton resident, Mike Rose, has been in business for over 34 years and has always provided quality repair with excellent customer service!

SEVEN LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! 2140 North Broadway Walnut Creek (925) 210-1739 2260 Via De Mercados Concord (925) 689-1739

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“HomEquity was a great choice!”

“Over the years, Greg Farrand of HomEquity has done several refi’s for us, sold our home and secured the financing for our new home. Greg has truly been a tremendous resource!

His communication, follow up and negotiation skills place him at the top of his profession. HomEquity’ s commitment, integrity and genuine care make them a pleasure to work with. Best of all, they saved us $9,487 on the sale of our home!”

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email: email: gfarrand@homequity.us gfarrand@homequity.us www.homequity.us www.homequity.us

August 18, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B5

Maribel and Mahalo ar e ARF’s adoption stars Professional pet grooming salon for dogs and cats Self-service pet wash available

Tues - Sat, 8-5 Experienced staff with more than 20 years of service

est. 1978

Adjacent to Hollywood Video

925-676-9355 4375 Clayton Rd. Unit K Concord owner & Clayton resident Grace Carson & her dog, Blue

Was it “ruff” saying goodbye this morning?

MARIBEL

Apronstrings Pet Sitting

CA N

HELP

M IDDAY D OG WALKS P ET C ARE IN YOUR HOME WHILE YOU TRAVEL

925.798.7621

One year old Maribel is a quiet and g entle girl who lo ves being scratched behind her ears.

She loves to purr loudly to show her contentment.

The adoption fee for Maribel is $100.

Come fall in lo ve with Maribel and her fabulous feline friends at ARF . Visit our W eb site, www.arf.net, to lear n more

MAHALO

about adding a cat to your family, or call (925) 256-1ARF. Ten month old Mahalo is a busy bo y who is alw ays on the go. He will thri ve in an acti ve home with a stable and consistent routine.

The adoption fee for Mahalo is $200 and includes the first six training courses.

Bring ev eryone who will

live with Maribel or Mahalo including any canine family members – to meet him at Tony La R ussa’s Animal Rescue F oundation, 2890 Mitchell Dri ve, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday and F riday, Noon to 4:30 p .m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.arf.net or call (925) 256-1ARF for

more information.

Would you like to be par t of the heroic team that sa ves the lives of rescued dogs and cats?

Can y ou share y our talents to connect people and animals?

ARF v olunteers are making a difference! F or more infor mation see our W eb site , www.arf.net, or call (925) 2561ARF.

Kimsits@ASTOUND.NET

HAPPILY SERVING CLAYTON FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS

w ww.apronstringsonline.com

Call me today for a complimentary initial consultation.

Mureleen Benton CFP® 5356 Clayton Rd., Suite 211 Concord, CA 94521 925-685-4523

A dog’s mind is a ter rible thing to waste There w as a time when every dog had a job . Whether hunting, herding cattle and sheep, chasing v ermin, guarding proper ty, pulling sleds or performing water rescues, dogs led purposeful lives.

Today, doggy unemplo yment rates are high. Many of our out-of-w ork canine companions k eep themselv es busy barking, chewing, digging and generally w orrying themselv es silly.

According to Carolyn Goodrich, the Animal R escue Foundation’s intak e tec hnician, there are countless ways to keep a dog’s mind and body in top condition to prevent boredom.

For a di version from the short daily w alk around the block, take y our dog hiking, jogging or to the dog park to

romp with other dogs . Setting up a kid’ s w ading pool in the back yard is an easy way to give your dog a place to pla y and cool do wn on hot summer days.

You can also set up y our own agility course at home. Use food to lure y our dog to w alk under c hairs, across a benc h and over a log. Then give him a big treat and lots of praise.

Feeding y our dog her meals from a food-dispensing toy will k eep her eng aged in appropriate beha vior while you are a way from home .

Have a wide v ariety of toys you can rotate every few days.

Try hiding her fa vorite to ys around the house so she can spend her after noon searc hing, capturing and pla ying with them instead of destroying your new sofa.

By joining a therapy animal program, you can bring Fido to visit retirement comm unities, nursing homes, centers for disadvantage youth and care facili-

ties for young children. In addition to perfor ming a specific job, dogs were bred to be companion animals and often enjoy interacting with new people.

ELENA BICKER

PAWS

AND

CLAWS

There are also a v ariety of modern dog spor ts that focus on fun and obedience rather than competition. Agility, flyball, Frisbee and freestyle dance allow y our dog to lear n new skills and increase y our bond with him.

Dogs rescued from animal shelters often ex cel at these activities. Energy that w as pre-

Canine Property Laws 1. If I like it, it's mine.

2. If it’s in m y mouth, it's mine.

3. If I can tak e it from you, it's mine.

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

5. If I'm c hewing something up , all the pieces are mine.

6. If its mine , it m ust never appear to be yours anyway.

7. If it just looks lik e

viously spent on destr uctive and h yperactive beha viors can be positi vely c hanneled into these sports. After a few hours of fun, Fluffy will be snoring rather than barking.

More traditional org anized dog spor ts cater to specific groups of dogs and allow them to practice the jobs they w ere originally bred to perfor m. If Sparky is herding y ou through the yard, start training him for sheepdog competitions .

Tracking, field trials and car t pulling are other a venues to channel y our dog’ s natural desire for work.

If your dog star ts to dev elop undesirable beha viors suc h as chewing, digging or barking, the simplest w ay to resolv e the problem is b y increasing his physical and mental ex ercise.

Remember, a tired dog is a good dog.

Elena Bicker is the general manager of Tony La R ussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be r eached at (925) 256-1ARF (1273)

mine, it's mine.

8. If I sa w it first, it's mine.

9. If you are pla ying with something and y ou put it down, it automatically becomes mine.

10. If it’s brok en, it's yours.

Call today for a personal tour and complimentary lunch

(925) 524-5100

Retirement Community

announces The service of the month for our patients for the month of August

Complimentary Blood Sugar Test offered Monday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m.

If you are not a patient of Clayton Valley Medical Group and would like to become one, please contact Sue at (925) 672-6744 x14

It’s the small town atmosphere 6401 Center Street Clayton CA www.diamondterrace.net

“We couldn’t keep up with all the things necessary in maintaining a home any longer.

Our new home at Diamond Terrace meets all of our needs”

- Bob & June Case

1520 Kirker Pass Road, Suite A Clayton, CA

(925) 672-6744

Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Appointments are available

Page B6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Church News BAHA’IS OF CLAYTON The Baha’is of Clayton is extending an in vitation to a talk and evening of fellowship. The subject of the talk is the messag e and messenger of God - Baha’i promise of unity in chaos. The speaker is Mr . Dennis P ettyjohn.

He holds a B .A. degree in Theology, and a M.A. degree in Churc h Administration.

He w as a Baptist minister/pastor for about 10 years in Califor nia and Arizona.

The prog ram star ts at 7:30 p .m. on Se pt. 8 at the Toloui residence in Cla yton, with a period of interfaith devotions, followed b y Mr .

Pettyjohn’s presentation. For more information and directions call (925) 672-6686.

Everybody is welcome.

CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Join us ev ery Sunday this month to hear our series on “ E x p e r i e n c i n g Outrageous Joy!” (Lessons from Philippians). In the midst of our hectic lives, we have forgotten what it means to experience g enuine joy in our daily li ving. How do w e re-capture the w onder and awe of life when so many pressures k eep “suc king us dry?” In the Bible’ s letter to the Philippians , Paul sho ws us what it means to exchange disillusionment for jo y.

Come hear how to live in the present instead of the failures of the past, say no to negativism and yes to jo y and realize that no one’ s life is perfect.

Third Ann ual Clayton Community Gr eat La bor Day Derby . The derb y is Sat. Sept. 2 See Upcoming Events, page 4 for details.

The contact for registration is P eggy Bidondo at 672-9708 or pbidondo@pacbell.net.

We meet ev ery Sunday at 9 and 10:45 a.m. at Diablo View Middle School.

CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH Crossroads Co venant Church is hosting its second annual car sho w Aug. 19.

The Lee Har vell Classic Car Show will run from 5:50 p.m. until sunset. All mak es and models of cars and motorcycles are w elcome.

No entr y fees . Free BBQ, music and play area for kids.

If you w ould lik e to sho w your car or motorcycle , please call Aaron for information at 798-5905 ext. 204.

ETERNAL LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH Eternal Life Eter nal Life Lutheran Church will host a “Sunday School F all Kickoff ” on Sun. Sept. 10, to begin the new year of Bible study. Sunday School is held for c hildren ag es three and up, from 10 - 11 a.m.

Each session includes a Bible stor y, activities and materials to tak e home. It is an oppor tunity for c hildren to g row in their faith and knowledge about the Savior.

Parents are in vited to attend the adult Bible study and fello wship held at the same time.

For adults Sunday Bible Study is also an oppor tunity to g row in faith and kno wledge of Christ in an informal setting, with oppor tunities to ask questions , share concerns and apply God’ s word to ev eryday issues .

Bible study is also held on Wed. evenings at 7:15 p.m.

School News MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY PREP NIGHT is W ed., Aug. 23 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Please plan to attend according to the following schedule: 4-5:30 p .m. - families with last names beginning with AL only; 5:30-7 p.m.- families with last names beginning with M-Z only; 7-8 p.m.-families A-Z unable to mak e their assigned time.

The student council’ s annual Entertainment Book sis underway.

These are the new 2006/2007 books . You can pre-order y ours at mar ydm64@yahoo.com . The books are $25 eac h and the proceeds will benefit the school’s computer updating project, assemblies, library needs, and m uch more . Call Mary Del Monte at 672-5723 if you have questions.

DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL Camp Dia blo V iew (for incoming sixth g raders and new sev enth and eighthgraders) and regular r egistration will tak e place this year on T hurs. Aug. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for sixth grade (or new students)

and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. for grades 7 and 8.

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL The CVHS Web Store is now open. All items purchased at w alk-thru are no w available in the web store.

Aug. 22 is walk thr u for students entering 10 - 12 grades. Hours are 7 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 5 p.m.

Freshman orientation and w alk thr u is A ug. 23 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p .m. and w alkthrough for freshman only is from 7 – 9 a.m.

School begins on Aug. 28.

The CV Athletic Boosters Club Fifteenth Annual Golf Tournament (formerly the CVHS Books and Balls Golf Tournament) will be Mon. Aug. 21 at the Oakhurst Countr y Club .

Registration is from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p .m., shotgun start at 1 p.m.

The CV fall production will be “Inherit the W ind,”

by J erome La wrence and Robert E. Lee. Auditions will be in Se ptember with performances in early November.

School starts soon Please drive carefully

Eternal Life’s regular Sun. schedule is Sun. school and Bible study at 10 a.m., worship at 11:15 a.m.

Eternal Life Lutheran Churc h is located at 5554 Cla yton Rd., Suite 1B (the F arm Bureau building), in Concord.

Eternal Life is a member congregation of the WELS .

Please call 524-0295, or visit the c hurch w ebsite at www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org

for more infor

mation.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL PARISH Saint J ohn’s Episcopal Parish, in conjunction with Shelter, Inc., is sponsoring its ninth ann ual comm unity outreach project pro viding backpack kits f or homeless childr en returning to school. This year members of the comm unity are ag ain invited to join in the effor t.

Contact Saint John’s to make a donation in the for m of school supplies or monetar y

gifts. A detailed list of suggested items can be found on our Website at www.saintjohnsparish.org.

Call 672-8855 and lea ve a message, or e-mail the church: info@saintjohnsparish.org.

Donations ma y be deli vered to the c hurch Sun. morning or b y appointment by calling the c hurch office .

Final g athering of backpack kits is set for Sun., Aug. 20.

Saint J ohn’s is located at 5555 Clayton Road, Clayton.

With your help, every needy child in our comm unity can begin the new sc hool year with a fresh star t.

Send your church news, announcements and upcoming church events to us at churchnews@ claytonpioneer.com

Join us for Bible-based and Christ-centered worship, education and fellowship.

10 am Sunday School & Bible Class, 11:15 am Worship

Bible-based & Christ-centered worship, education & fellowship

5554 Clayton Rd., Concord (in the Farm Bureau building) (925) 524-0295 William Kant, Pastor

Continues 5458 Ygnacio Valley Rd. Ste. 20 Clayton Valley Shopping Center

925-524-0345 Sherrill O’Brien www.denimlace.com The Clayton Pioneer’s “Music Notes” columnist

Clayton’s own

Jim Hudak Pianist and Composer For bookings and performances:

Visit our Website www.jhudak.com E-mail jimmydak@pacbell.net Piano CD’s available on his Brainstorm Records label

Call Or Write:

Brainstorm Records P.O. Box 488 Clayton, CA 94517 (925) 673-7293

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(925) 672-0500

www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org Member of WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

August 18, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

d for this a

soda . 9/8/06 ntain u exp o f FREaEny pur chase with n mentio

Page B7

ast at Ou r

Mon. – Thurs.

Co zy P fé 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. asta Pr avera Ca im Fri. 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Sat. 12 noon – 10 p.m. / Sun. 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Vegan & Vegetarian friendly 5415

joy An Italian En Fe

Fine Italian dining with an extensive menu • Weekend Special - grilled steaks

550

t to . (nex d R n o Clayt

3-5 67 Shell)

on y occasi Open

n

or a f r e t a c We

• Gourmet desserts and fine wine s Very reasonable prices

Sundays

11am - 3pm

Northern Italian Cuisine in downtown Clayton Fresh soups, salads, antipasti, pizza and pasta Dinner and lunch daily Brunch on Sunday Children’s menu and take out service available

For reservations call (925) 524-0011 6201 CENTER ST. CLAYTON

www.pastaprimaveracafe.com

For some truly out of the ordinary Mexican food, think outside the taco and head down Clayton Road to LOS CHIVOS at the corner of Bailey and Clayton Road.

Here you will find such hard to find delectables as Carne con Nopales. Nopales are prickly pear cactus pads—and delicious…not something you’ll find at your local fast food stop or drive thru.

Owner, Gonzalo Barajas, wants everything he serves to be fresh, perfectly cooked and authentic. Take his Chicken Mole, for instance. “It’s real mole,” says

L

ive music every Saturd 8:30 pm ay night Open at 11 a.m

., 7 days a week

Patio Dining

Rocco’s New Sports Bar NOW Open

Locally owned by Rocco Biale & family

Full Bar Available

12 Flat Screens, 16 Draft Beers,

Team Parties

Watch all the games

Corporate Catering

8-10 out of market major league baseball games per night

2909 Ygnacio Valley Rd. at Oak Grove Rd. in Walnut Creek (925) 947-6105 • Fax (925) 947-6106 www.roccospizzeria.com

ACROSS

Crossword Puzzle

1- Water vapor 6- Fights 11- Curve 14- Reused wool 15- So spooky as to be frightening 16- Close friend 17- Conjunction 18- Affirm 20- Label 21- Ammo 23- Nigerian city 24- British buddy 26- Chowhound 28- Trader 30- Capital of Egypt 31- Communion table

32- Accident 33- Comforter or quilt 36- Egyptian goddess of fertility 37- Shut 38- Ancient France 39- Not sweet 40- Scenes 41- Earth 42- Like granola 43- Darkening of the skin by sunlight 44- Nightclub 47- Doughnut-shaped surface 48- Enhance 49- Tense 50- Norse goddess 53- Prelate

Solution for 8/4 Crossword

687-5300

A rent Diffe cial Spe Day! Every

56- Not all there 58- Unit of energy 59- Headband 60- Mistake 61- The fifth sign of the zodiac 62- ____-burly 63- Psychics claim to have a sixth one

Barajas. Some people consider mole, a flavorful blend of chili powder, nuts and (believe it or not) chocolate, to be the national dish of Mexico.

The menu is extensive. You’ll find several choices of tacos, tortas, quesadillas, burritos and tostadas along with nearly a dozen seafood choices. But, save room for dessert. You’ll want to top off your meal with a smooth flan or Arroz de leche (Mexican rice pudding flavored with cinnamon and raisins) or one of several other choices.

Barajas, together with his father and brothers, own and operate at two locations—Los Chivos #1, opened seven years ago, and Los Chivos #2 which opened on Clayton Road last year.

This is a bright, comfortable, “make yourself at home” place to eat. Or, order ahead for take out.

Prices range from $1.25 for a taco to $7.95 and $8.95 for a complete meal with rice and beans.

Located at 4787 A Clayton Road, Los Chivos is open Mon.-Fri. from 9:30 a.m. (stop by for a breakfast burrito) until 8:30 p.m., and Sun. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Phone 680-0914.

This is not your kid’s sub, and there’s nothing ordinary about the gourmet sandwiches served up at the new GOURMET SUBS AND MORE. Owner, Sadie Rangel, had something special in mind when she opened her new sub shop next to the Shell station at Clayton Road and Ygnacio.

First, the menu – you’ll find no less than 25 different sandwiches, served either “sub style” or “Panini” style and all calling for nothing but the freshest ingredients. Her menu is also “vegetarian and vegan friendly.” All subs are oven baked and all Paninis are grilled.

For the meat lover in you try the Tri-Tip House Special—oven roasted trip tip served au-jus with provolone for $5.99. If you’re super hungry, size up to $7.99. And the list goes on…Chipotle Cheese Steak, Chicken Parmigiano, The Blue – oven roasted or smoked turkey breast, ham, bacon, avocado all topped with a blue cheese dressing. Or, how about a turkey breast with cranberry sauce and cream cheese.

DOWN

1- Brown-bag stuff 2- "Chicken of the sea"

Dine In or Take Out Mon - Sat: 9:30 am - 8:30 pm Sun: 9:30 am - 5 pm 680-0914

Family Owned and Operated

4787-A Clayton Road at the corner of Clayton Road and Bailey

Panini lovers can have their sandwich with garlic, Cesar or ranch spread or basil, black olive and sun dried tomato pesto…all homemade.

If you’re watching your carbs, dig into one of Sadie’s garden fresh salads. Try an Oriental Chicken Salad of grilled chicken breast with an Oriental dressing or an All American Albacore Tuna salad. All dressings are homemade.

At this end of Clayton Road’s “fast food row,” this family owned and operated eatery is a welcome respite from MSG and deep fried “stuff.” Priced from $1.99 for a cup of homemade soup to $7.99 for the biggest Tri Tip Special, Gourmet Subs is as good for your wallet as it is for your health.

Located at 5415 Clayton Road at the corner of Clayton Road and Ygnacio, Gourmet Subs is open Mon.-Sat. from 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

If you want a special place for lunch or dinner, you might want to stop by PASTA PRIMAVERA at the corner of Clayton Road and Treat Blvd. in Concord.

The dining room is charming with dark cherry wood chairs and tables and mirrored back wall.

The menu is sure to please the most discriminating palate from the ardent pasta lover to the fresh fish and salad lovers.

The Linguine with garlic and mushrooms in virgin olive oil will arrive at your table piping hot and smelling absolutely delicious and is sure to become the personal favorite of many.

The cream of broccoli soup has a perfect texture and flavor that will live long in your memory.

Another favorite is the seafood salad featuring shrimp and scallops on a bed of spinach in a warm lemon Dijon sun-dried tomato dressing.

Prices are very reasonable which make Pasta Primavera a perfect choice for any occasion.

This Sunday, treat yourself to brunch at LA VERANDA CAFE. This all inclusive Sunday Champagne Brunch will tempt you with some old favorites including a unique take on the old tried and true Joe’s Special--a scrumptious mix of sausage, spinach and eggs.

And the Eggs Benedict will delight with its smooth and satiny

Hollandaise.

But there will be a few surprises, as well. Look for a light and luscious Chicken Piccata, chicken breast sauteed in white wine with lemon and capers or a gentle salmon with a light cream sauce.

Salads will include fresh fruit and the personal favorite of many La Veranda fans, the Insalata Della Reina...baby greens with walnuts and gorgonzola tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil And those Sunday breakfast traditionalists will still be able to order eggs, omelets and buttermilk pancakes from the menu.

All this is offered at $18 per person, $9 for children 6-12 and free for children under 6. Price includes champagne or sparkling cider, choice of fresh fruit juice, dessert and coffee.

Brunch is served from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. La Veranda is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves a Northern Italian menu of pasta, pizza, chicken, veal and fish starting at $8.50 for Bruchetta with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Pasta dishes range from $9 for Penne All’arrabiata to $11.75 for Spaghettini Frutti di Mare.

For reservations for brunch, lunch or dinner, call 524-0011.

A little more on the casual side and a great place to take the kids is ROCCO’S RISTORANTE at 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. Voted the best pizza in the Bay Area by a Contra Costa Times Reader Poll, Rocco’s serves up a killer house specialty.

The Dominator, piled high with pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, ham, linguica, sausage and onions, is not for the faint of heart. At $19.97, this large pizza will feed a small army.

Rocco’s also has several choices of classic Italian pasta, homemade minestrone and several salads. All pasta dishes are served with fresh bread. Top your pasta dinner off with a glass of wine and you’re well fed and satisfied for well under $20 (tax and tip included.) Rocco’s opens every day at 11 a.m.

And, ROCCO’S NEW SPORTS BAR is now open. With a full bar, 12 big flat screen TVs and LIVE MUSIC, sports fans might just think they’ve found heaven.

And for those who need a little break from sports, check out the beautiful new fresh water aquarium behind the bar.

See you at Rocco’s.

3- Mysterious 4- Gone by 5- Malformed animal

6- Indian soldier in British service 7- Saucy 8- Exist 9- Free 10- An instance of seizing 11- Away 12- Rate 13- Unsoiled 19- Roman censor 22- That woman 25- Exclamation to express sorrow 26- Unit of magnetic field strength 27- Similar 28- Raised platform 29- Otherwise 30- Jester 32- Navy, e.g.

33- Antler of a hart 34- Distinctive quality 35- Scheme 37- Quote 38- Knee 40- Gloss 41- Shelled reptiles 42- Rowing implements 43- Former coin of France 44- Humped ruminant 45- Love deeply 46- Small tuned drum 47- Behind time 49- Implement 51- Epic narrative poem 52- Harp relative 54- Oxlike African antelope 55- And not 57- Mined mineral

Dining Around

La Veranda Café

Banquet Rooms

4425-F Treat Blvd.

Concord, CA 94521

Fresh ingredients Everything homemade

Out of the ordinary Uncommonly good Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Page B8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Look at weight loss as a lifestyle change stretching!

JUDITH HALL

JUST

MY OPINION

Dear J udith: I am tr ying very hard to lose the w eight that has cre pt up on me o ver the last few years . It’s so depressing at times to look at myself and remember what I looked like in my 20s and 30s.

I have been so g ood for the past six months – w atching what I eat, drinking lots of water and w orking out at the gym, but so far I have only lost a little bit of weight. I am just sounding off , as I kno w y ou really can’t help me.

But I know I’m not the only one out there in middle ag e with this problem. Any w ords of encouragement are appreciated. You are alw ays right on with your advice.

– Nora

Hi Nora! Congratulations on making a positi ve change in y our life. Remember that the w eight gain just didn’ t happen over night and r emember that y ou ar en’t in your 20s or 30s anymor e, so weight loss takes more effort.

Let’s forget about the numbers for a moment – I know how disconcerting they can be. T ry to focus on li ving a health y lif e and feeling good about w hat y ou ar e doing.

You ar e taking contr ol of your life – this a good thing . One day at a time! Kee p smiling and

Spark creativity

Dear J udith: I ha ve been a single w oman for a long time .

I’ve had a few relationships that didn ’t dev elop into anything long-ter m, which is fine .

My problem is with m y friends who are mar ried or in a relationship. I am forever being set up with some lonely or a vailable male friend.

I kno w their intentions are good, but I am fine by myself. I don’t want to hurt their feelings or insult them, but I am tired of the dating game.

– Paula

pletely satisfied. Ther e’s that old saying – “the grass is alw ays greener over the fence.”

However, I must admit I have met some ver y happily mar ried people and some equally happy unattached singles.

Unless you want to r uin your friendships and be adamant about your dislike for the matchmaking attempts of your married friends, I w ouldn’t get y our shor ts in a knot over their concer n for y ou.

Thank them for their ef forts but decline as gracefully as I’m sur e you can.

Dear P aula: Isn’ t it funny that married people either want to be sing le or ar e alw ays tr ying to connect a sing le friend with an equally sing le friend? Or sing le people ar e moaning about their lonely status? No one is ever com-

Judith Hall is mar ried and the mother of three teenagers . She is always willing to listen with an open heart. Email your problem or second opinion to opinion@claytonpioneer.com.

Why advertise in the Pioneer?

Here’s one reason: “Often, I hear my customers say they saw our ad in the Pioneer. I know it’s because of your circulation, quality and editorial content that keeps their eyes r eading, and we benefit. Our association with your paper couldn’t be better.”

William Claney, Owner COMPUTERS USA IN THE CLAYTON STATION

Bay Arts

Encourage imagination

Custom Children’s Murals

Free Family Fun Clayton Community Church presents the Third Annual

Victor Sanchez Seth Ahonen 925 323-9323 bayartsforyou@yahoo.com

In association with Insurance Management Corp.

Custom murals for home or business

We also specialize in custom portraits

Sat., Sept. 2, 2006 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This event is intended as an opportunity for family fun.

Kids age 7-16 can register. There is NO fee to participate.

Register by August 26th to get a free t-shirt and run in two races.

e! e r F e c Kids Ra rovided! p e r ce car, a a r n s r w o a r u C

build yo o t h t i w ossan.

F e If you k i M t contac 4820 Burgundy Drive Oakley, CA

(925) 625-1123 e-mail: contact@robertaclaire.com www.robertaclaire.com

Ask about our Wedding Special

For event info contact: Mike Fossan (925) 672-1646 mfossan@sbcglobal.net

Adults! You too can take a fun ride.

Stick around after the kids race!

For registration info contact: Peggy Bidondo (925) 672-9708 pbidondo@pacbell.net

August 18, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B9

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., AUG. 30 FOR THE SEPT. 8 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH SEPT. 30 Clayton's Classic Cars Display @ Clayton Historical Museum Wednesdays 2 - 4 p.m. and 6 - 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 - 4 p.m.

Photographs and memorabilia of old Clayton cars or cars belonging to current Clayton residents are on display. Many old license plates are shown.

Clayton Historical Society Museum, 6101 Main Street, Clayton, 672-0240.

AUG. 19 Canine Companions for Independence @ Clayton Community Library 2 p.m. Learn about the process of raising and training puppies to become assistance dogs for people with disabilities. Meet a puppy trainer and assistance dog. Recommended for kids in grades K-5, but all are welcome to this family event. No registration required. Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

AUG. 19 The Lee Harvell Classic Car Show @ Crossroads Covenant Church 5:50 p.m. until sunset. Crossroads will be hosting its second annual car show. All makes and models of cars and motorcycles will be welcome. No entry fees. Free BBQ, music and play area for kids. If you would like to show your car or motorcycle, please call Aaron for information at 798-5905 ext.

204.

AUG 21 CVHS Athletic Boosters Club Golf Tournament @ Oakhurst The 15th Annual Athletic Boosters Club Golf Tournament is sponsored by Clayton Valley High School and benefits the football and golf programs as well as the Athletic Boosters Club. Entertain clients or relax and play with friends. There is lunch before play and contests during the tournament. Golf is followed by dinner, raffle drawing, and silent auction. Cost is $175.

Contact cvhsboosters.org for entry forms and information, or call Fred Roper at 548-4451 or fred.roper@sbcglobal.net.

AUG. 23 Landscaping Native Plants at Clayton Community Library 7:00 p. m Bethallyn Black, local UCCE Master Gardener Program coordinator and urban horticulturalist will be sharing her tips on landscaping with favorite native plants for our area. Native plants can be low-maintenance, can increase biodiversity and add color and interest to your garden. Learn techniques that can keep native plants healthy and thriving. Clayton Community Library Meeting Room, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

AUG. 23 Protecting Your Invention - Patents and Trademarks @ Concord Library 7 - 9 p.m. Workshop will cover what are patents and trademarks, what inventions can be patented, how to apply for a patent and more. Seminar is free. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street, Concord. To register, call the Contra Costa Small Business Development Center at (925) 646-5377 or email cjensen@contracostasbdc.com, subject line: name of workshop.

SEPT. 12 The Art of Retirement Classes @ Loma Vista Adult Center, Concord 7 - 9 p.m. The course is five weeks in length and costs just $17 for people 55-plus. Topic for first class is a course overview. What is retirement, who retires, and when? Upon the completion of the course, students should know themselves better in light of their quest for a successful, meaningful retirement. Loma Vista Adult Center, located at 1266 San Carlos Ave. in Concord. Call (925) 937-1530 for registration information. For more information on the class, please call instructor George Fulmore at (925) 6866916.

SEPT. 12 Concord Chamber of Commerce Meeting @ Crowne Plaza Hotel 7:45 a.m. Small Business Development Center speaking on Marketing & Technology. $12 for members, $20 for non-members. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr. Concord.

SEPT. 13 Creekside Artists Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. If you are a local artist come join other like minded artisans for the fifth meeting of the Clayton Creekside Artists. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

SEPT. 15, 16, 17 28th Annual Greek Festival @ St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church Fri. 5 - 11 p.m., Sat. 12 - 11 p.m., Sun. 12 - 8 p.m. Authentic Greek food and pastries, live music and dancing, courtyard café, and featuring the music of "Fotia." Kids area, ample free parking. Admission is $5 adults, $3 seniors 55 and older, children under 12 are free. Free admission 5-8 Sun. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1955 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. For info call 676-6967.

SEPT. 15 - OCT. 7 Footloose: The Musical @ CTA Crossroads Theatre Based on the 1984 hit movie, Footloose tells the story of a free-spirited teen, Ren, who moves to a town where dancing is outlawed. With the support of the teenagers in town Ren takes on small-town small-mindedness to shake up the community. An exuberant story of families, healing and dancing. CTA Crossroads Theatre, 1277 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek, 925-944-0597, www.ctacrossroads.org.

Photo courtesy of Jean Francois Revon

SEPT. 16 James Clark - A tribute to Elvis @ Cal State East Bay 6 p.m. gates open, opening act at 7 p.m., main act at 8 p.m.

7th Annual Concert in the Hills Series closes with this great Elvis tribute band. Admission and parking is free, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road at Campus Drive, Concord, www.concertinthehills.com or 925-602-8654.

SEPT. 16 Why on Earth do we study Mars @ SF War Memorial, Herbst Theatre 1 p.m. Find out by attending a seminar given by two world-renowned geologists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Free. Suggested donation $10. Don't miss this informative Seminar. Sponsored by Clayton's VFW Post 1525.

Call (925) 255-3449, or (925) 628-9508. All donations will assist the Veterans of Foreign Wars in its continuing mission to support needy veterans and their families. San Francisco War Memorial, Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS AUG. 22, 29, SEPT. 5, 12 Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Meetings every Tues. All are invited to check us out and be our guest for lunch. Massimo’s Ristorante, 1604 Locust St., Walnut Creek. for more information call Sam Totah, 941-1536. See Club News for more information.

AUG. 23 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the 4th Wednesday of each month. Blue Star Moms is a support and service group for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. 1792 Elmhurst Lane, Concord. Call 676-3654 for information.

AUG. 24, 31, SEPT. 7, 14 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting on Thurs.. 800-326-8450 x 2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord.

AUG. 24, 31, SEPT. 7, 14 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast meeting that usually features a speaker. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 689-7640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

AUG. 31 CBCA (Clayton Business & Community Association) Meeting @ Oakhurst 6:30 p.m. Monthly dinner meeting, last non-holiday Thurs. of the month.

Reservations due by Tuesday noon prior, 672-2272. John Rubiales, President. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

SEPT. 5 Knights of Columbus @ St. Agnes Parish Hall 7:30 p.m. Concord Council 6038 of Concord & Clayton holds their monthly meeting the first Tues. of each month. Monthly officers meeting is the last Tues. of each month at St. Agnes Parish Hall, at 7:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing our brother Knights there. St. Agnes Parish Hall on 3966 Chestnut Ave, Concord.

SEPT. 7 Sons In Retirement @ Oakhurst Country Club 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. SIRs, which is dedicated to promoting the independence and dignity of retired men, has no initiation fees or dues. The only

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Visit our showroom M-F 9-5; Sat. 10-4

Owners Valerie O’Connell (Clayton resident, 25 years) & daughter Colleen O’Connell

call m-f 9-5:30, Sat 10-2 Sale through 9/30/06

Abbey Carpet/ Contra Costa Floors

1170 Burnett Ave. Ste. E Concord 686-9901 Fax: 686-2106

(925) 935-7447 1610 Locust St., Walnut Creek

www.cruiseadventuresunliminted.com

CST 2074362-40

requirement, other than being a man who is retired from his primary employment or career, is attendance at the monthly luncheons. For more information about joining SIRs, Branch 19, call Al Brunner at 687-0594.

Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

SEPT. 10 Concord Mystery Book Club @ Concord Library 2:30 - 4 p.m. All mystery readers are invited to participate and explore a different genre each month. Group meets the second Sun. of the month.

Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street, Concord, 646-5455.

SEPT. 11 Clayton Valley 4-H Club @ Farm Bureau Hall, Concord 7 p.m. Youth ages 5 - 19 and adults come join 4-H. New and returning member registration night. Many projects available: leadership, community service, 4-H camp, conferences, fairs and country events. Snacks and activities provided. 4-H is a cooperative program through the University of California Cooperative Extension. We believe in developing youth through learning experience and service. Farm Bureau Hall, 5554 Clayton Road, Concord.

SEPT. 12 Concord Chamber of Commerce @ Crowne Plaza Hotel 7:45 a.m. Small Business Development Center speaking on marketing and technology. $12/members, $20/non-members. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr., Concord.

SEPT. 13 Creekside Artists Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. If you are a local artist come join other like minded artisans for the fifth meeting of the Clayton Creekside Artists. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

SEPT. 13 Newcomers' Club of Walnut Creek Building support and friendship for women new to the area. Are you looking for a way to make new friends, participate in fun activities and get acquainted with Walnut Creek and the Bay Area? Newcomers' Club of Walnut Creek provides this and more. We meet the needs of our active and growing membership. We meet for a welcome coffee the second Wed. of each month. For more information contact: Mindy Carson at 279-2295, Carroll Brooks at 935-7887, or after September 1, Membership Chairperson Vinita Ramsay at 465-4961.

SEPT. 13 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace 7 p.m. The Clayton Garden Club meets the second Wed.of the month at Diamond Terrace. Every meeting has an informative program concerning some aspect of gardening. The speaker this month will be Brian Utting of Full Bloom and Bloom Fusion Florists of Concord. Brian will be teaching and demonstrating floral arranging. Raffle tickets will be sold for Brian's floral arrangement creations. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome at our meetings, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. Call Jeff at 6727579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT AUG. 22, 29, SEPT. 5, 12 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. County Board of Supervisors holds regular weekly meetings Tues. mornings. Open to the public. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez.

AUG. 22, SEPT. 12, 26 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Library 7p.m. City of Clayton Planning Commission meets 2nd and 4th Tues. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton Library Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton.

SEPT. 5, 19 Clayton City Council Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. City Council meets on the first and third Tues. of the month. Open to the public. Agendas posted at the following locations: City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, Ohm's Bulletin Board, 1028 Diablo St., Clayton, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.

SEPT. 14 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thursday of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION SEPT. 7 PFC Meeting @ Clayton Valley High School Library 7 p.m. Come to the first CVHS PFC meeting of the school year. Meet the Principal, Gary Swanson, and learn more about CVHS. Clayton Valley High School, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.

' Remodel your kitchen with N E D local, experienced contractors O O W Receive estimate and design E IT B TO... sKungogwesetixoancstlyatwnhoact hyaorug'ree getting for your money NICE We have knowledgeable craftsmen available for all your questions.

Our craftsman have European and American expertise. We do the bid and all the work. We concentrate on one customer at a time.

Call us for all your woodworking needs - kitchen cabinets, complete remodels, refacing, home offices, & bathrooms.

“We are very pleased with the results and quality of workmanship of our cabinets.

Bob willingly worked with us to incorporate our personal needs and ideas into the over-all design.”

-Ben & Carol Shuey

Custom Woodworking

673-5595; Fax: 674-1565 WOODEN' IT Tel:Contact Contact Bob Bob Maes, Maes, Owner Owner BE NICE Clayton resident

Locally owned and operated since 1987 Licenses 805733 and 803979

Page B10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 18, 2006

Artichokes, the incredible edible thistle! you g et to the tall, thin lea ves, pull them off to reveal the thistle. Cut that away and clear away the fibrous base until you get to the heart or bottom. Cut this up for dipping, or reserve for salads or cooked dishes.

LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

Linda W yner is on v acation.

The following ar ticle is r eprinted from the August 20, 2005 issue.

The spring artichoke harvest is winding do wn, but the fall harvest will soon be here .

Castroville, the self-styled “Artichoke Center of the World,” and other Califor nia locales produce nearly all of the country’s pric kly but sublime “pincushions.”

Food historians trace the artichoke bac k to Sicily , or ancient Car thage (no w Tunisia) in the Mediterranean, while others remain con vinced it came out of the Middle East. The name is most lik ely of Arabic origin, al-qarshuf, while the Italians refer to the v egetable as carciofo and the F rench artichaut.

Artichoke culti vation spread north from Sicily , and reac hed Tuscany in the mid-15th Century. It is claimed that Catherine de Medici introduced the v egetable to the F rench court when she became the teenage bride of Henry II. In the 16th Centur y, it w as scandalous for w omen to eat ar tichokes. They w ere thought to possess aphrodisiac proper ties and were reser ved for men, but Catherine defied popular convention and ate them openly in court.

One other historical anec-

ARTICHOKES

dote of interest was the “mafia” connection in impor ting California ar tichokes to New York in the 1920s . Ciro Terranova, the self-styled “Artichoke King,” purchased all the product g oing to Califor nia and made a 30 to 40 percent profit b y ter rorizing distributors, produce merc hants, and even the g rowers themselv es.

The ensuing “ar tichoke w ars” led Mayor La Guardia to declare the sale, display and possession of artichokes in New Y ork illegal. However, La Guardia loved the v egetable so m uch that he lifted the ban after only one week.

In folk medicine , artichokes are believed to have diuretic and deodorizing proper ties.

In Turkey, artichoke derivatives are used to deto xify the li ver and treat he patitis. They are high in fiber, vitamins and ph ytonutrients. Interestingly, one antio xidant compound, cynarin, convinces the taste buds that a sweet taste ling ers. Wine and

artichokes are actually contraindicated because of cynarin.

Wait a half hour before imbibing to allow the palate to clear.

The ar tichoke is actually a flower head that has not budded. The fibrous outer lea ves (bracts) protect the bristly inner thistle (“c hoke”) and luscious “heart.” The peeled stem in immature and just ripe ar tichokes is also quite tasty . The small ar tichokes from far ther down the stem can be as small as 2” to 3”, or weigh up to 2¼ pounds! T he round or “globe” artichoke is most popular, and I can’t wait to find those that are flattened and dimpled on top as they seem to have a large creamy heart. I’m fond of “frostkissed” artichokes, too, as they have a wonderfully sweet flavor.

The simplest w ay to eat an artichoke is to remove the bracts (leaves) one at a time , dipping the fleshy end in a vinaigrette or flavored ma yonnaise, and pull the bract through y our front teeth, removing the flesh. When

and top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 325°F for 20-25 min utes, or until bubbly. Serve w arm with tortilla chips (or the new bak ed pita c hips I just sa w at Costco this week).

WARM ARTICHOKE DIP 1 small glass jar or can of artichoke hear ts (in w ater) drained & c hopped ¾ c ma yonnaise ¾ c sour cream ¼ c minced onion ½ tsp thyme 1-2 clo ves g arlic, minced 1 c P armesan cheese, grated 1 c buttered breadcr umbs

STUFFED ARTICHOKES 3 larg e or 4 medium ar tichokes ½ lb prosciutto, diced 3 c seasoned breadcr umbs ½ c eac h P armesan and Romano cheese, grated ½ c green onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp parsley, minced ½ tsp salt ½ tsp cayenne pepper ¼ to ½ c virgin oli ve oil

Mix tog ether all ing redients except breadcr umbs. Spread into 8x8 or 9x9 glass baking dish

Clean and trim the top and barbs, remove w oody outer leaves and trim stem so the ar ti-

choke sits on its base . Gently pull open at center and trim out the c hoke. Combine remaining ingredients and press stuffing between lea ves and in the center. Add 1 inc h of water to a medium deep skillet or stovetop casserole dish just larg e enough to hold ar tichokes. Pour g enerous amount of olive oil o ver each artichoke. Bring water to a boil, cover, reduce heat and steam artichokes for 20-35 minutes or until the stem end pierces easily with a knife. Serve warm with extra oli ve oil for dipping.

Linda W yner is an attor ney in Walnut Cr eek by day , and an accomplished chef and “foodie” by choice.

Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

“Look Who’s Selling Clayton!”

HELP-U-SELL REAL ESTATE SERVICES

visit us online at

helpusell.com

4918 Clayton Rd., Concord, CA 94521 (925) 680-4950 or A/C! Credit Back f

127 Jacaranda Ct.

My wife and I were very pleased with the way Help-U-Sell completed the sale of our property.

They were there to answer our questions from the moment we first contacted the office to the final closing of escrow. They handled every detail quickly and efficiently. Thank you, Matthew, for the friendly service and for the Thousands of dollars we saved.

-Frank & Janet Rossini

I worked in the Escrow and Title field for a number of years and had the opportunity to meet many of the top agents in the industry. I would without hesitation list my agent among them. He was efficient and professional, and kept me updated constantly. Matthew went over and beyond my expectations. Thank you, Matthew, for making this such a wonderful experience.

Your client for life, -Zina Docto

Sell Fast!

Save Money

$655,000

n Great Locatio

5722 Lewis Way

$674,000

Motivated!

Pending

4154 Chaban Drive

$609,000

224 Babette Court

$595,000

Hercules

Concord

Concord

Pleasant Hill

Beautifully Presented 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1,820 SF, Located in the Elegant Gables Community of Victoria by the Bay. Modern Kitchen w/ Corian Countertops and Stainless Steel Appliances. Lovely Master Suite w/ Huge Walk-In Mirrored Closet. Spacious Landing w/Tech Center and Laundry Upstairs.

4 Bedroom, 2 Baths, 1,919 SF. Well maintained home in Dana Farms. Family room off updated kitchen, formal dining room, large lot with possible RV parking, and community pool and club house.

3 Bedrooms & 2 Baths, 1,437 SF. Perfect for barbeques and gatherings, this home includes a formal dining room and large family room with fireplace, dual pane windows, central heat & air, and updated kitchen with granite counter tops. French doors lead to the backyard from the family room as well as the living room.

3 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath , 1,056 SF, with cathedral ceiling in living room and original hardwood flooring throughout. Bright country kitchen, new windows, new paint, new redwood fencing and landscaping, new water heater, new central heat & air, newly poured driveway and patio, 2 car garage with additional detached garage, and 2yr. old roof. This property is surrounded by mature trees nestled in a quiet setting. You will fall in love with this home!

legant!

Private and E

0! aved $17,05 Sold, Seller S

Country Club ½ Mile from

0! aved $21,75 Sold Seller S

765 Parkway Drive

$574,950

4818 Boxer Blvd.

$419,000

1206 Bridlewood Court

$1,199,950

5071 Bonwell Drive

$595,000

Martinez

Concord

Clayton

Concord

Spacious 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath , 1,639 SF, built in 1993. This property features an elegant living room with fireplace and tile floors, a cook’s kitchen with tile countertops and hardwood floors, patio off family room, full-sized laundry with washer & dryer included, 2 car garage, and fully landscaped front and back yard. Too many upgrades to list! HOA only $37 mo., includes clubhouse, pool, and parks.

3 Bedroom, 2 Baths, 1,075 SF. Private end unit with front and back patios, inside laundry, dual pane windows, 2 car attached garage, central heating & air, and community pool.

4 Bedroom, 3 ½ Bath 2,850 SF, Incredible view of Mount Diablo, gorgeous master bath highlighted by an enormous walk-around closet, large gourmet kitchen with island, real wood plantation shutters throughout, exquisite imported hardwood floors, and detached 2 car garage with spacious office. This property is a must see with almost every upgrade!

3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 1,400 SF. Owner wishes to carry the first trust deed. Below market terms, fixed rate, quick and easy to qualify. Low or no down possible. Large lot with separate out building, great for storage or workshop.

Paradise!

Turnkey!

Exquisite!

Delight!

Entertainer’s

934 Hamilton Drive

$929,000

2578 Hamilton Ave.

$570,000

Pleasant Hill

Concord

Gorgeous Tri-Level 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath , Located on the End of a Street. This Property Features a Gourmet Kitchen with Granite Counter Tops, a Formal Dining Room with Brick Fireplace, Views of Mt. Diablo, Cherry Wood Cabinetry, Hardwood Floors, Upgraded Appliances, Wet Bar, and Private Backyard with Redwood Deck and Hot Tub. A Lovely Home That Has Been Well Cared For.

3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1,256 SF Home with Expanded Master Suite, Modern Kitchen with Granite Counter Tops, New Appliances, and Maple Cabinetry, Living Room with Fireplace, All New Dual Pane Windows Throughout, New Carpet in Bedrooms and Living Room, Laminate Flooring in Kitchen and Dining Area, New Paint Inside & Out, New Gutters & Garage Door and 5 Yr. Old Roof.

5118 Olive Drive

$1,275,000

29 Rhine Court

$795,000

Concord

Clayton

Custom 4 Bedroom, 4 ½ Bath , 3,764 SF, Spanish Villa built in 2002 on a raised foundation - unlike any home around. Knotty Alder cabinetry and Italian porcelain tile flooring throughout, spiraling maple staircase, 8 foot doors throughout, dual furnace and air conditioners, CAT 5 wiring, central vacuum system, and re-circulating hot water. This home is superiorly energy efficient with no short cuts and all the bells and whistles.

This Beautiful 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1,854 SF Clayton Home Sits on a Huge 12,100 SF Lot with a Solar Heated Pool. This Home is Updated thru out with Crown Molding, 5¼"Base Boards, New A/C & Central Heating, Newer Roof with a 50 Year Warranty.

Wonderfully Located in Quiet Cul-De-Sac.

You Could Save $27,050!

By selling your home with Help-U-Sell instead of with brokers who charge a 6% commission* (the savings are based on a home selling for $600,000).You can select from many fine real estate professionals.Why not choose one that will also save you money when you sell? *Commissions are negotiable and not set by law.

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