Holiday Homes Tour December 7, 2018 MAYOR’S CORNER
www.PioneerPublishers.com
Dec. 9, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Buy tickets at claytonhistory.org
Clayton Edition
Clip clop, here comes Christmas
KEITH HAYDON
Retiring mayor says it’s time to hit the trail
By the time this is published, I will have completed my term as your mayor and the City Council will have selected a new mayor. It has been a real honor and privilege to be chosen by my colleagues on the council to serve Clayton as mayor. I represented the town this past year at many events and ceremonies, such as the Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day services, dedications of Blue Star Mom Memorial Monuments to local fallen heroes at our high schools, the Fourth of July parade, Eagle Scout Courts of Honor and the monthly Mayors Conferences in various Con-
See Mayor, page 7
A.J. Chippero
The Holiday Season officially rolled into town Saturday when the CBCA-sponsored carriage rides returned for the annual Tree Lighting celebration in The Grove. By late afternoon, hundreds of kids and parents were already waiting for their free ride in a line that snaked through the park and up Center St. The chorus from Mt. Diablo Elementary brought some lively holiday music to the Gazebo before Santa arrived to flip the switch on the gazebo tree. Clayton Community Church and the CBCA hosted hot cider and donuts By next year, the newly planted tree at the west end of Main St., should be tall enough to reclaim the official town tree title and it’s expected that Santa will once again lead the townsfolk down Main Street for the tree lighting ceremony.
Historic tractor finds new home at museum
The Clayton year in review from city, schools and beyond BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
If you were downtown last Thursday and thought you saw a flying tractor, you did. The tractor is one of the historical displays in the newly constructed Clayton Museum gardens. The tractor pictured is a steel wheeled version similar to those used on farms throughout the Clayton Valley in the early 1900s. It was being lifted by crane into the garden where it will be part of a permanent exhibit. The tractor is a key element in the ongoing tribute to the hearty families who settled in Clayton and worked the land. The tractor is one of two
purchased by the Clayton Business and Community Association and donated to the museum. A second tractor is stored at the quarry while the CBCA decides on another display location in town,.
As the weeks marched into the months of 2018, Clayton continued to evolve – welcoming a new police chief and executive director for charter school district , while adding new ordinances for public smoking and parolee housing.
JANUARY Preserving historic ranch: Save Mount Diablo purchased the 95-acre Anderson Ranch in Morgan Territory for $800,000, ending any pos-
demonstration garden. The Garden Committee revamped the 2,250 sq. ft. plot to the west of the Clayton Museum, bringing in more native plants, drought-tolerant options and ones that the Chupcan/Bay Miwok Indians would have used in daily life. Project designer/manager Stephen Lane calls it “an outdoor companion space” that will allow visitors to learn about local history during non-museum hours. FEBRUARY Hail to the chief: The city Museum garden upgrade: The welcomed Elise Warren as Clayton Historical Society the new chief of police at the broke ground Feb. 7 on a new Feb. 20 City Council meeting.
She served in the Sheriff ’s Department for more than 28 years before coming to Clayton. “Warren has extensive public safety experience and contacts in the county that we expect will be valuable assets in her new role leading our Police Department,” said Mayor Keith Haydon. Cutting through the smoke: After the American Lung Association gave Clayton a D rating, the city updated a 1993 smoking ordinance – passed before marijuana was
with 18.34 percent—824 votes behind Shuey. Propelled by the highoctane midterms and some contentious local issues, Clayton voters turned in a 76.46 percent turnout. Potential high-density development and the city-owned vacant lot on Main St. generated most of the campaign heat. Wan is opposed to high-density development downtown and does not want the city to sell the lot. “By campaigning (on these issues), voters were presented with a clear choice,” Wan said. Wolfe takes a more measured approach to downtown development, recognizing change is inevitable and favors “responsible” growth. He wants more community input before deciding to keep or sell the Main St. lot, but he is “open to looking at some-
thing that would fit in.” He suggests leaving it up to voters. The heated campaign over hot-button issues leaves the community with divides to bridge and wounds to heal. The Pioneer asked the two new council members how the council should meet the immediate challenge. “I’m ready to jump in with both feet,” Wolfe said. “I’ll be looking for common ground—seeking a new normal. That’s what the voters put us here for.” “Clayton should not be for sale,” Wan said. “The results of this election showed that there has been an unmet desire for openness that I hope to address. I look forward to working with the rest of the council to bring these ideas to fruition.”
See Wrap Up, page 6
Wan, Wolfe to City Council in close vote TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
What’s Inside
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Community Calendar . . . . .B6 Directory of Advertisers . . . .5 Hearts and Hands . . . . . . . .2 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . .B4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
sibility of development on the land. The county had tentatively approved a few projects there, but access and environmental issues have discouraged development. “It has a remarkable plateau with incredible views, a park-like appearance and great natural values, including a beautiful section of Marsh Creek,” said Meredith Hendricks, director of land programs for Save Mount Diablo.
JEFF WAN
CARL “CW” WOLFE
Clayton’s race this year for two slots on the City Council ended with a photo finish this week when the final results were posted 27 days after election day. Only 160 votes separated the top three candidates. A corporate accountant new to local politics, and a former planning commissioner won the two seats, defeating four-term incumbent and former mayor Dave “Shoe” Shuey. Jeff Wan claimed the first seat with 28.89 percent of the votes. CW Wolfe, just 47 votes behind with 28.28 percent, won the second open seat. Shuey finished in third with 26.34 percent, 113 votes behind Wolfe. Attorney Brian Buddell trailed a distant fourth,
Postal Customer ECRWSS
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190
