FEB 09 Clayton Pioneer 2007

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February 9, 2007

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DVMS rolls out the red car pet for film fest JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

A couple hundred spectators converged on the Diablo View Middle Sc hool campus on J an.

25 for the premiere of the DVMS Film F estival, hosted b y teacher Scott Ross and his movie production class.

It w as a first-class film fest, complete with red car pet, promising y oung filmmak ers and newly for med production companies vying for an oppor tunity to sho w their creati ve masterpieces.

“Tonight is all about y ou.

We’re here for no other reason than to celebrate y our w ork,” Ross told his students , who brought family, friends and colleagues to see the fr uition of more than 90 hours of school time invested in writing, editing, producing, directing and acting in small inde pendent films .

Groups of students from a class of 25 presented fi ve, 10-minute films, each with its own storyline, music and special effects.

The six-member cast and crew of “The Lost and the Found” cleverly por trayed the story of a plane crash, a mother lost in the crash, her tw o sons who searc h for her and tw o assassins who g et in the w ay.

There’s nothing lik e the creati ve minds of six teenag ers who can transform a small plane made out of Legos and some fancy close-up camera w ork to resemble a terrifying airline crash deep in the Rocky Mountains.

Add to that a g roup of hysterical passeng ers, aka D VMS students, bouncing up and down in their classroom c hairs, and you ha ve an action-pac ked film with a lot of comedic relief.

“I really like the fight scenes,” said sev enth-grader J oel Bro wn, spokesperson for Hyper Productions. “We came up with our company name because after lunch one da y, we w ere pretty hyper,” he added, laughing.

Some of the films’ themes rang tr ue to the middle sc hool experience, like “Liquorice Lance,” a story about a nerd who gets pic ked on at sc hool ev ery day and who finds a w ay to deal

What’s Inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . .A2 Letters to the Editor . . . . . .A3 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Directory of Advertisers . . .A5 So, Anyway . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . .A7 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .A8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Sharing History . . . . . . . . .A10 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . .A11

Photos courtesy of Scott Ross

JOEL BROWN WHO HELPED PRODUCE “The Lost and The Found” used some close up camera work by classmate Jennifer Goddard to depict an airplane crash in the Rocky Mountains. The plane was constructed from a Lego kit which flew apart dramatically on “impact.” with the bullies. McKay Blatter, a seventh-grader, admits that he’ s seen his share of bullies and nerds at school. His film company, Royal Productions , mixed comedy with action to create their movie debut.

Makenzie R eynolds, who starred as the geek in her group’s film “Unpopular,” said it’s sometimes hard to fit in. The movie is about a popular girl who mistreats a g eek classmate. The two girls ev entually become friends after magically switching places.

Makenzie enjo yed the film class, because it taught her ho w to mak e friends the right w ay.

“We were all sur prised how well it turned out,” she added.

Spokesperson K evin Adams of Zainy Productions w arned the audience “to hold onto y our seats, because this one’ s a doozy.” Kevin and his five-member crew describe “The Tuckers” as a tw o thumbs up , actionpacked film. As the T ucker brothers attempt to find their kidnapped sister , Jessica, they run into a few roadbloc ks along the way, like guns and gangsters.

A-Z Productions produced “The Evil Sc hool,” where zombies take over the school – causing quite a scene on campus .

Spokesperson Blake Anderson is an eighth-g rader who had a lot of fun with the script, filming and acting. “Editing was tough,”

See Film Fest, page A6

SAMANTHA LEWIS, one of the six student production crew of “The Lost and The Found” helps with filming.

City of Clayton desperately Food Bank volunteer works behind the scenes for the hun gry needs new landscape tax JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

SECTION B

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Community Calendar . . . . . .B7 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . . .B8 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . . .B9 Food for Thought . . . . . . .B10

he noted.

“The buzz sur rounding the film festival is that it w as a g reat outlet for the kids to express themselves,” said R oss. “All the kids had a sense of accomplishment when it w as o ver. They came to m y class with nothing and left with this film project.”

Ross is a core teac her at Diablo View and also teac hes Wake Up , Academic Success along with the movie production class. Ross, who has taught at Diablo View for fi ve years, said he loves technology and working with digital cameras and the computer.

Jill Bedecarré/Clayton Pioneer

AS A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties, Lynne Phelps discusses an office project with Executive Director Larry Sly.

Clayton resident Lynne Phelps isn’t bothered by the fact that she doesn’t get paid for her job. She spends at least three days a w eek and sometimes more stuffing en velopes, copying documents, doing data entry and helping out with fundraisers at the F ood Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

As a v olunteer for the F ood Bank for nearly 10 years, Phelps loves what she does . Her only compensation is the compliments she recei ves. “I feel appreciated,” she sa ys, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Employees at the Food Bank

See Phelps, page A6

BILL WALCUTT

MAYOR’S CORNER One of the most critical issues facing us this year is our Landscape Maintenance District. The district will expire on J une 30 and so will the $127.88 ann ual assessment y ou pay on your property tax bill.

Before you start jumping up and do wn and c heering, note

that there is a do wn side .

Nobody likes to pay taxes, however, this $127.88 g enerates approximately $550,000 annually to maintain the public landscaping in the medians , our trials and our open space and provide weed abatement.

Unfortunately, when the money dries up , so does our ability to w ater the plants and provide maintenance . With a total General Fund budg et of $3.7 million and the police services comprising $1.7 million of this, we have no way of making up $550,000 in lost revenue.

The g ood news is y our City Council for med a per manent citizens advisory committee, the Trials and Landscaping Committee (TLC).

This

See Mayor, page A9

Page A2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Around Town

Clayton police get r eady for sesquicentennial celebration

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

PICTURED AT THEIR FIRST ANNUAL INSPECTION: Back row, Sgt. Tim O’Hara Officers Mario Guzman, Rich McEachin, Sean McNamara, Tim Marchut; Front row, Sgt. Shelly Crain, Officers Rich Enea, Allen White, Reserve officer Russ Eddy, Officer Jason Shaw. Sgt. Scott Dansie has his back to the camera.

Nick Sharapata completes Eagle Scout project Nicholas Sharapata, 15, needed an Eagle Scout project. Mt. Diablo Elementar y Sc hool (Nick’s alma mater) needed backpack rac ks. It w as a lo ve match.

On Jan. 14, Nick delivered 36 backpack rac ks to Principal Linda Hutcherson. Painted with the sc hool’s colors of blue and gold, the rac ks re present o ver 150 hours of work by Nick and about a dozen of his troop mates.

Nick has been in the Scouting program since he was 8 and his favorite merit badge was in spor ts. The CVHS freshman plays soccer on his sc hool team and for the Mt. Diablo Soccer League. He plans to play baseball in the spring.

An ex cellent student, Nick

entered his freshman year with a 3.9 grade point average from his final year at Diablo View Middle School.

He enjoys camping outdoors with his family and last summer , hiked Half Dome in Y osemite with his Troop.

Photo courtesy of the Sharapata family.

MDES Principal Linda Hutcherson, left, receives the 36 backpack racks built by Nick Sharapata, right, as an Eagle Scout Project.

This year, in May, the Clayton Police De partment will be 35 years old and the city of Clayton will celebrate its sesquicentennial—150 years.

In preparation for all the celebrations, Chief Dan La wrence called for a department inspection last Thursday. All officers were on hand, shoes shined, uniforms pressed and w eapons cleaned for the de partment’s first for mal inspection. The c hief plans to conduct an inspection annually.

“It’s mostly a symbolic action,” explained Chief Lawrence. “It’s a chance for us to sho w that we are proud of our profession and proud to be ser ving Clayton,” he said.

“And I am personally proud of the officers that ser ve this community,” he said. “Sounds hokey, I know, but it’s meaningful for me.”

Established in 1972, the original de partment w as staffed b y three—one police c hief and tw o officers. Today, there are 14 in the department.

Adam Pound receives BA Adam P ound recei ved his Bachelor of Arts deg ree from California State Uni versity at Sacramento in Comm unication Studies, Digital Media, in December 2006.

Adam, a Cla yton resident since the age of 5, is a 2000 graduate of Clayton Valley High. He attended Diablo V alley Colleg e, where he earned his Associate of Arts, then transfer red to CSUS where he w as on the Dean ’s Honor List and a member of the nationally rank ed CSUS Wakeboard Team.

He lives in Tahoe.

February 9, 2007

Upcoming Events 30TH ANNUAL CAMELLIA TEA FEB. 11

Combine a soothing cup of tea and a beautiful collection of colorful camellias and you have the perfect recipe for a w onderful Sunday afternoon event.

The 30th ann ual Camellia Tea at the Cla yton Historical Museum on F eb. 11 from 1-4 p.m. honors descendants of Clayton’s Pioneer families and features a display of Edith Mazzei’s spectacular and rare collection of camellias. Other members of the historical society will also sho w their g arden v ariety. Chairperson Barbara Allen has invited society members who attended the first Camellia Tea and is looking forward to an afternoon of sharing stories, sipping tea and admiring the lo vely flowers. The museum is located at 6101 Main Street in Clayton. For more information call 672-0240.

LIBRARY CREEKSIDE ARTS CELEBRATION MARCH 2-4 The 4th annual Creekside Ar ts Celebration is just around the corner promising an enter taining w eekend of both visual and performing ar ts. The free ev ent celebrates the librar y’s 12th anniversary.

Sponsored b y the Cla yton Comm unity Librar y F oundation (CCLF), the celebration will feature local celebrity guest author , wildlife educator and writer for the Contra Costa Times newspapers, Gary Bogue .

Well-known illustrator Chuck Todd will be on hand along with local musicians and par ticipation from local schools.

The new Creekside Artists g roup has attracted many new artists who will also be selling and demonstrating their ar tforms.

This year’s event is set for the w eekend of Mar. 2-4. Friday evening’s event will include an ar tists preview from 5 to 8 p .m. and a perfor mance by Celtic harpist, Anne Sackman.

On Sat. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be ongoing sales and demonstrations as w ell as perfor mances b y the CVHS Ar ts Academy. Sales will contin ue on Sunda y with perfor mances b y local professional musicians.

Last year’s event provided a g reat opportunity to raise public awareness about the local w atershed. This year, nature appreciation ev ents include a nature hik e and photo contest. For more information call Arlene Kikka wa-Nielsen, Community Ev ents Coordinator, CCLF at 673-9777 or e-mail akikka wa@ccclib.org

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February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Letters to the editor What happened to the bicycle track?

Dear Editor, I li ve on the other side of Kirker P ass and pic k up the trail to Cla yton off of Concord Blvd. Less than a half mile in I came upon a v ery impressive obstacle course set up at the base of a pretty decent hill. There were several obstacles to master and set up in varying degrees of difficulty.

Everything was obviously built with lots of hard labor. There wasn’t any one around that day so I went on my way.

I finally got to see who was using this a couple of weekends ag o. There w ere dozens of kids, all ag es but mostly teenage bo ys and girls ...I noticed that ev eryone who went do wnhill w as w earing a helmet and some w ore additional protecti ve g ear. They were really into it.

I was really shocked when I came across the site one morning last week. It had been completely plo wed under and leveled. I don’t know the facts but I assume it was because of neighbors’ complaints and/or the to wn decided it w as a liability.

Perhaps the right people could find a w ay to ha ve a place a way from dev eloped areas where the kids could pursue a physical endeavor instead of staring into a boob tube . I can’t help but w onder where a lot of them wound up that first week-end that they found their obstacle course w as no more .

I’m sure there w ere a lot of video games to fill the void.

Jack Sanders Concord resident

Dear Editor, I was fairly upset to see that a vacant lot located adjacent to the Georg e Cardinet T rail and the Rac hel Ranc h Subdi vision was recently leveled from what I attribute to months of hard work b y some local kids . For those of you who are una ware of what I am speaking about, it is a half-acre lot whic h has turned into a sor t of unplanned bicycle track.

I walk the trail everyday and have been w atching the ev olution of a series of bicycle jumps (kno wn in some circles as “double-ups” or “g ap jumps”). Anyhow, I w as amazed at the hard w ork and determination of the individuals in volved in creating these masterpieces of dirt. For those that might not kno w, building these types of jumps is no easy task and I will confir m the endless afternoons I witnessed a small posse of young helmet wearing bicycle enthusiasts help to fur ther their dreams one shovelful of dirt at a time.

The ironic par t of this story is the fact that all the kids I came in contact with w ere polite , friendly and all w ore helmets whenever riding, no ex ceptions.

I wanted to spread the word that ma ybe lev eling these jumps back to nothing is sending the wrong messag e. I do admit I am not sa vvy on the rules, regulations or liability involved in letting this type of activity contin ue on public property. However, I think these kids are on to something here. In fact, not only did they create something out of nothing, but they are also in volving themselves in a spor t whic h requires hand-eye coordina-

tion, balance and above all else is g reat ex ercise. So y ou see , the benefits are exponential and I am concer ned that if we drive these kids away f rom vacant lots tuc ked within safe neighborhoods, they will tur n to the alter native which might be near busy streets , crowded shopping centers or ev en worse; boredom, drugs, or even vandalism.

While I do understand the financial constraints the City of Clayton is under , I ha ve seen neighboring cities mak e g reat advances in ter ms of alternative spor ts facilities (i.e . skate parks, etc). I am not sure w e are quite there yet, but I say in the meantime, set aside an area where the y oung can pla y and jump or build or do whatev er keeps them fit and health y.

And as some w ould say, “Got Dirt”?

Kevin Parker Clayton Resident of 34 years

Editor’s note: W e spok e to City Manager Gar y Napper w ho confirmed that the city had le veled the bic ycle track. A neighbor had complained to the city about the noise and damage to the natural meadow. Once the city knew of the existence of the trac k, it then became a liability issue.

“We can’t allow people to cr eate unpermitted recreational facilities on city pr operty. It’s unfor tunate, but it’s a litigious society,” he explained. “Kid falls , gets hur t and all you need is one parent that says y ou knew about this and allowed it to remain, and you have a lawsuit.”

“We don’t necessarily like to do it,” he continued. “W e’re par ents.

But to protect the lives of those who are playing we have to be the ogre.”

Page A3

Obituary

More on church land purchase Dear Editor, Last issue’ s Letters to the Editor about the Cla yton Community Churc h buying more prime do wntown commercial land put a little more “heat” than light on the subject. It is ridiculous to think that our excellent City Manager Gary Napper could or w ould stop such a sale is ridiculous.

To be pr udent, a buyer of commercial land usually checks first with a city’ s staff to see if their purc hase is lik ely to g et the usag e they w ant. But the city staff or Council cannot stop a sale; it’s up to the buyer to logically assess their indi vidual purchasing decision.

If CCC truly buys this land they will probably regret it, but it is their c hoice. The city can do nothing to stop it.

While the city doesn ’t approve or reject purc hases, it does ha ve a sa y on usag e and design as it enforces ordinances. On this parcel in the past, the city has made it clear that it would reject single stor y and that it w ants tw o-story commercial usag e for desperately needed municipal tax revenue for our small to wn. The Town Center Specific Plan is also very clear about what the City expects to appro ve or not approve within this v ery limited do wntown commercial space.

This Plan and several citizen task forces ha ve re peatedly come to this conclusion with many years of public meetings and public input, and ev ery City Councilmember has supported this g oal for at least the past 30 years. Nobody has been pushing for do wntown commercial to become a c hurch probably for the same reasons

Kathryn Cecille Kaska Aug. 7, 1927 – Jan. 18, 2007

Kathryn Cecille K aska, of Clayton California, born August 7, 1927 in R ockland County New Y ork, passed peacefully from this world and into God’s hands on January 18, 2007.

She was preceded in death, by her husband Harold, in April 2001.

She w as the eldest of four born to Edwin and Kathryn Mc Govern. She is survived by her brother Ed and sister Claire .

She is also survived b y daughter Diane and son-in-la w Marty, son Alan and daughter-inlaw P enny and son Neil and daughter-in-law Jeanne. Alan and Penny brought her tw o lo ving grandchildren, Courtney and Kendall, who also survive her.

Ceil g raduated from Adelphi University as an RN and worked as a nurse much of her life. After marrying, she and Harold li ved,

worked and raised their family in Trinidad, Guatemala, Florida, Australia and California.

She had many friends associated with her interests. Golf, nursing, bridge, church and playing the organ w ere her fa vorite a c t i v i t i e s.

She w as a volunteer at the Clayton Library and Meals on W heels.

She w as a member of S a i n t Bonaventure Church where she sang in the c hoir.

Her family, many friends, neighbors and her faith w ere of the most importance to her. She was an inspiration, always giving and caring for others. She will be missed by many.

Funeral services were held at St. Bonaventure’s on January 22.

Interment will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Haverstraw, New York.

commercial shopping centers also don ’t put c hurches into their commercial space . No matter ho w many people attend c hurch, their focus is usually on c hurch not shopping, and it tak es the v aluable land off the tax rolls.

Citizen and retired businessman Skip Ipsen ’s obser vation along these lines doesn ’t seem “absurd”, but w as based

upon educated business sense .

And by the way, the Wednesday Car Sho w w as brought to Clayton b y Skipolini’ s (and other businesses) long before the church was in town. And it is in everyone’s interest, including the church’s, to continue.

The CCC is a nice c hurch and filled with many v ery nice people. But ev en if it did

See Letters, page A4

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February 9, 2007

It’s a Case of long lasting love

to the public not to the indi vidual homeo wners, and are a vailable for public parking, including all Clayton citizens and visitors, during the few times per year that we have terrific downtown events.

Parking ratios required for church usag e will result in a building not larg e enough to hold the CCC congregation on a Sunday. They’d be smar ter with limited funds to contin ue their search for the 5-plus acre site they tr uly need, rather than to take this commercial land away from the benefit and usag e of all Clayton citizens.

I believ e that the c hurch would be better ser ved and wiser to put their time , money, and effor t into a different parcel. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Pete Laurence Former Clayton Mayor Days: 939-7920 Dear Editor, I ha ve meant to write this since I read the J an. 12 issue of the Cla yton Pioneer , where I was shoc ked to lear n that the Clayton Community Church has a pending sale for proper ty in

Where have all of those years gone to?

And what will the New Year have us do?

So, we will end this little rh yme, And we’ll just live one day at a time.

- Bob Case

From all of us at the Pioneer , our congratulations and best wishes to a couple who ha ve been mar ried long er than many of us will li ve. Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Anniversary, Bob and June.

our downtown of Clayton! I am very m uch opposed to adding another c hurch to our small downtown. If downtown Clayton w as as big as San Francisco, Walnut Creek or perhaps ev en Lafa yette, I believ e we could enter tain the idea of another c hurch g oing in and taking room from what, I think most of us, have hopes of downtown Cla yton becoming .

However, Clayton is charmingly small and what businesses do go in (and I’m anxiously a waiting Village market) should be, in my and my family’s opinion, a contribution to the do wntown, visually and financially…

We mo ved to Cla yton because of the beautiful views , trails, community, and hopes of what the do wntown will soon become. These hopes did not include another church...

I w as ex cited to see the drawings, at the City of Clayton permit office , for the proper ty behind ‘Skipolini’ s as this seemed more in k eeping with what Clayton needs in order to afford the beautiful landscaping (that is no w deteriorating), the downtown park and increase it’s sales/ proper ty tax. I’d rather see the fountain r un more than just a few times a year , for holidays and special occasions , the

parks and landscaping ‘maintained’ and a bustling w esternfeel do wntown with g reat little shops and businesses rather than staring at another c hurch while dining at Skippy’ s. I will oppose this move.

Angela Hakimi Clayton

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represent 15 percent of Clayton’s citizens (as one letter stated) that still w ouldn’t be enough to tr ump the other 85 percent of Clayton citizens who want the local shopping experience and who need the tax revenue from a downtown.

As to parking, the Diablo Village land itself, where one of the letter writers li ves, was used for event parking before it w as developed and still the letter writer’s home was allowed to be built.

The new Longs project complies with the parking ratio required for its business and so will other larg er parcels do wntown. It is the tiny parcels that the Council is encouraging to be developed by being flexible with parking requirements . As most of our citizens hoped when they voted for our do wntown park, the park should bring additional “commercial” development downtown, not take prime commercial land off the tax rolls .

When our Historic Do wntown is built out, the city will finally see a parking shor tage and cars will indeed occasionally need to park on the sur rounding city streets. But these streets belong

Something rushed by us going ver y fast.

Then we found that another year had passed.

It was called an ‘anniversary’ Which took the number of seventy.

We were so very shaken indeed To find we were victims of so much speed.

Schaefer’s

y

Letters, from page A3

(“We really meant it in the v ery star t when we made those v ows ‘until death to us part,’” said Bob to J une in his 61st anni versary poem.)

In the years that followed, they did better than merely “g et along.” They w orked for their future and raised their tw o sons…and they g rew closer and closer . “We have more love and respect for eac h other no w than we’ve ever had,” says June.”

With their 70th anni versary just a few weeks away, Bob and June marvel at their g ood for tune. In this year’s anni versary poem, Bob w onders where the time has g one.

Ba ile

As V alentine’s Da y approac hes, lovers everywhere ponder what to give their special someone to celebrate the da y. A big bo x of chocolates? A diamond ring? Season tic kets to the A’s?

For one local couple , Valentine’s Da y comes just one month before their w edding anniversary and it’s about this time that one Clayton hubb y g ets to thinking about his wife’s anniversary gift.

Bob and J une Case, both 91, were married on March 13, and each year Bob writes a lo ve poem to J une to mark their special day. Bob’s g otten pretty g ood at these poems considering his 69 years of practice.

This year, the couple will celebrate 70 years of marriage and Bob’s poem is already finished.

In a country that has the highest divorce rate in the w orld, how did this couple manage to stay married for 70 years? We visited with Bob and J une in their Diamond T errace apar tment and ask ed them this question. Their answ ers came quickly and easily.

“A shared faith, ” they said sim ultaneously. “The glue of our mar riage is our faith in God, ” said J une. “Our moral v alues are the same ,” she added, “and that’s very important.”

The Case’s shared faith goes back to the very beginning where, as teenagers, they were both members of the same c hurch.

Bob was smitten early on, but June “wouldn’t give me the time of day,” said Bob. But,

“his persistence w on me o ver,” June said.

“He w ouldn’t gi ve up” and the tw o w ere married in their pastor’s home on a Saturda y ev ening.

There w ere no gifts , no honeymoon, and it was bac k to w ork Monday mor ning.

Bob had a ’29 Chevy coupe and he sold the car’s radio to buy a ring.

“We had no TV , no telephone, no money ,” said Bob recalling those days. “But we survived.”

A day’s pay was five dollars, a new car cost around $600 and a new house cost $5000. The Case’s bought their first home in Montclair and Bob had it paid off within five years. Since then, Bob proudly declares , the couple has nev er been in debt.

“It’s absolutely essential that both people see the economics of marriage the same w ay,” Bob interjects. “Otherwise they’ll fight and argue all the time.”

Both Bob and J une came from broken homes, a fact that w as to shape the whole of their li ves tog ether.

Divorce was never considered, no matter how rocky things might get.

“There w as a time when w e didn ’t agree on anything, ” Bob sa ys. But di vorce was never an option. I just figured w e were going to be together for the rest of our lives, so we’d better figure out ho w to get along.”

V

TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Ygn aci o

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February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A5

Classified WORK WANTED

Caregiver Excellent caregiver, Clayton resident, wants to work locally to save $$$$ on gas. Excellent references. Call Noelle Watt, 925-672-0124.

HELP WANTED

Community Services Commissioner The City of Clayton is now accepting applications for Community Services Commissioner, term limit June 2006 through June 2008. Presently one Commissioner position and one Alternate Commissioner position are vacant. The Community Services Commission is an advisory body to the City Council, responsible for recommending user fees and policies for use of City facilities and sponsored community activities. The Commission meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. and helps coordinate community evens such as Fourth of July celebra-

tion, Clayton Cleans Up, and the New Years Eve celebration. The stipend is $75 per month (when a meeting is held).

Internet Customer Service Seasonal Reflections Holiday Decorations Store at 5434 YgnacioValley Road is hiring an instore, internet customer service phone representative. Full time position, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Compensation based on experience. Fax resumes to 925-672-2314 or email guest.service@seasonalreflections.com.

SERVICES

Greeter Work your own hours. Represent your city (Concord, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Dublin) and local businesses by welcoming new homeowners. Paid per visit. Incentives offered.

Call (925) 944-0488.

Pet Sitting Peace of Mind Pet Services. Away on business or vacation? Working late?

Call local resident Linda Pastor at 672-9781 or 202-8781. Licensed, insured, and bonded. Reasonable rates. Serving Clayton area.

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 information and pricing. 925-6731746 (leave message) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

VACATION RENTAL

Cabin in Blue Lake Springs (Arnold, CA). Sleeps 6, fully remodeled, quiet, use of recreation facilities. $150/night, $950/week. Call Kevin Parker @ (925) 383-9430 or http://www.vrconnection.com/ parkerpaw.

Have t Lucy ea & Ethel in o “I LO ur new VE L U room CY ” with

Wed., Feb. 14th

ine’s t n e l a V Candlelight Dinner

Featuring violinist Tyler Lewis of the S.F. Chamber Orchestra.

Caesar salad, chicken breast, tri tip steak, Victorian corn, roasted potatoes, decadent desserts!

Wine and champagne available. $29.95 pp

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Trails and Landscape Committee Members City Council of Clayton seeks applicants to fill two appointed positions on the “Trails and Landscaping Committee.” The purpose of this citizens Committee is to advise the City Council and City Manager on maintenance, improvement and financial matters related to the 1997 Citywide Landscape Maintenance District. For applications and more information, Clayton City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail, 673-7300, ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us. Please return completed application to the City Clerk by 5 p.m. Fri., Oct. 27.

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). 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 10am-2pm, Wed. 3-5pm, Sat. 11 a.m.-1 pm & 24 pm). 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.

Call for tickets while they last!

PIONEER INFO

Englund's Tea Cottage www.EnglundsTeaCottage.com

672-TEAS (8327)

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

5433 L Clayton Road

WANTED! Gas & Electric Customers For No Interest Home Improvement Loans Products Covered

Benefits of Participation

1. Solar Products 2. Heating & Air Conditioning 3. High Performance Windows 4. Attic Insulation 5.Wall Insulation 6. Exterior Insulated Siding 7.Water Heaters 8. Roofing & Gutters

1. Reduce Heating Bills up to 50% compared to existing equipment 2. Make no down payment and pay zero interest O.A.C. 3. Add value to your home.

To place your 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 may fax your typewritten ad and credit card infor mation to (925) 672-6580 All classifieds must be paid for in adv ance b y credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not acce pt any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability .

The Cla yton Pioneer reser ves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW

California Energy Service 800-906-6629 CA License #711102

50 FREE Group Exercise Classes a Week

The Ultimate Concept in Women’s 30Minute Workout and Weight Loss Programs

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Franchise Information www.butterflylife.com

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us kno w of these impor tant events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Cla yton resident. You will find the appropriate for m for y our announcement on our W ebsite.

Attach your photo to the for m.

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Cla yton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers .

As a g eneral r ule, letters should be less than tw o double spaced pages and submitted at least one week prior to publication date .

Letters concer ning cur rent issues will have 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 da ytime tele phone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.”

E-mail your letter in a W ord Document to tamara@cla ytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

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

AND

R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers

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

Directory of Advertisers

Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Acupressure for Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .674-0767 Aircloud Wireless Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 Applause Staging and Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 Barta Chiropractic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4941 Bella Mia Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7792 Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Beautique Beauty Supply and Salon . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0405 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 Butterfly Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4238 Calkins, Bill - Charlotte Clifford Realtors . . . . . . . . . .673-9164 Carol Keane and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-5200 CCMT - Guys and Dolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .943-7469 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Clark, Robert C., D.O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .969-7530 Clayton Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-3325 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Home Inspection Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9405 Clayton Mind and Body Connections . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0686 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Medical Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6744 Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4848 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Clayton Valley Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8401 Cleary, Joseph - Home Loan Experts . . . . . . . . . . . .497-5270 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 ComUnity Lending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5363 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 CTA Crossroads Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-0597 Dan and Dave's Cat Boarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0652 Denim & Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0345 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . .524-5100 Dromlewicz, Kim - Century 21 Hosking Assoc. . . . .682-4663 Easy Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3476 Englund's Tea Cottage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8327 Eternal Life Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 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 Gesinee's Bridal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-6444 HomeEquity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9737 Hudak, Jim - Pianist and Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7293 Insite Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6460 Joanna's Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-8911 Kelly Marshall Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0327 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 Lampo, Allen - John Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4438 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Lenox Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284-0415 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Main St. Nail Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4975 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Miller, Tom - CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354-1385 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Moon, Steven Dr., Chiropractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-8400 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . .280-8563 Music Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .946-2990 National Energy Rebate Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-957-4544 Nature's Creations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-624-2188 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 Paulson, Steve - KTVU Fox 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5761 Postal Annex + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8900 Preschool and Parenting Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .939-6466 Quantum Stress and Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .459-8595 R.E. 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Page A6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

February 9, 2007

Kids can be fun – seriously JOE ROMANO

SO ANYWAY I love my kids. Being a parent is a w onderful, fulfilling experience – one that should nev er be missed nor can ev er be matched by anything else on God’ s green earth.

OK, now let me sa y this: My kids are driving me nuts.

At present, the boy is 8 sliding into 9 and the girl is 11. That puts them in third and fifth grade. So what does this mean?

It means that the height of humor does not advance beyond

the toilet. Every other w ord out of their mouths seems to ha ve something to do with an acti vity that either does or should tak e place in the bathroom.

Parents of similarly aged kids or those who ha ve matured beyond these years can attest to this. Those of you with younger ones, get ready, because it’s coming.

Please understand, I lo ve a good toilet jok e and the passing of gas still mak es me c huckle.

But I believ e (though m y wife may disag ree) that m y sense of humor has matured with ag e.

I’m usually able to riff amusingly on a multitude of subjects for days on end without once resorting to a fart joke. Not so the children.

A poop comment is the first and last jok e out of the bag. In

Film fest, from page A1 “It’s a different class ,” he said. “Students are able to use technology to create something that’s artistically based.”

DVMS Principal Mic helle Cooper ag rees, calling the film festival “truly amazing.”

“There w as so m uch creative energ y on campus

before this year and no outlet for the students ,” Cooper explained. “The kids w ere really eng aged with R oss’ class. The project w as v ery impressive, and I see it getting bigger and big ger.”

According to Cooper , Ross spent the summer

Phelps, from page A1 have nothing but praise for Phelps, who nev er sa ys no , explains executive director Larry Sly. “She’s here ev ery w eek.

Nothing is below her dignity,” he adds. “She jumps in whenev er she can.”

Phelps has designed posters , buttons and in vitations for special events and fundraising activities. She helps out at onsite collection centers and w orks in all aspects of the office and administrative side of the massi ve operation “She also supports our cause monetarily,” Sly says.

When she’s not in the office , she’s pac king up a big bo x of work to tak e home . Her husband, Bruce, recently landed a biochemistry job in P alo Alto and rents an apar tment there during the week. In order to balance her v olunteer w ork and family, she tak es the bask et of projects to the P eninsula and brings the completed w ork back to the Food Bank.

“I’ve been v ery for tunate,” says Phelps, “and this is one w ay to give back. It fills my time with something worthwhile.”

Even though she w orks behind the scenes, Phelps knows that her time is w ell-spent helping the less fortunate. Sly says he sees a lot more people today having trouble getting by.

Since the F ood Bank w as founded in 1975, the non-profit organization has li ved up to its mission to alleviate hung er b y

providing an efficient system for collecting and distributing food.

Staff members w ork with more than 200 nonprofit ag encies and serve more than 53,000 residents in Contra Costa County and 31,000 in Solano County eac h month. Forty-two percent of the people who recei ve emerg ency food in Contra Costa are c hildren and 9 percent are seniors.

“I always thought the homeless and indigent population were the only ones who went hungry,” says Phelps. “Now it’s mom and dad who are tr ying to make their paycheck stretch each month.”

“Hunger in America 2006,” a recent national study that the Food Bank participated in, found that 50.5 percent of all client households had monthly incomes less than $1,000 and 63.4 percent of them are renters.

The study cites alarming statistics for seniors with 31.6 percent claiming food insecurity without hunger and 26.4 percent food reporting that they are hung ry and insecure about the next source of food.

Sly, who has been with the Food Bank since its ince ption, depends a g reat deal on the v olunteer effor t coordinated b y Sharon Ze ppegno. She w orks with almost a thousand v olunteers a year and orchestrates volunteer jobs that encompass more than 30,000 w ork hours per year.

“It seems like a lot, but there’s

most cases , there’s not ev en a joke attac hed to the w ord. The act of just talking about it is entertaining enough.

This pretty m uch g oes for every kid I’v e met in that ag e bracket. If anyone w ere ev er in need of a g ood jok e-writing team, it would be the pre-teens .

They are so in need of some new material.

One ev ening, I w as dri ving the boy and his friend from next door to basketball practice when the follo wing con versation ensued from the back seat: Boy’s F riend: Dude, what’s this?

Boy: What?

BF: This brown stuff.

Boy: Poo. BF: It is not, dude. It’s chocolate.

Boy: It’s poo.

researching and purc hasing equipment for the class and making sure that the sc hool kept in tune with allotted grant money. Ross was determined to bring this tec hnology to Diablo View and ultimately presented his plan to DVMS faculty.

“The class is already full for this semester ,” Ross added. so m uch more that w e can do ,” she says.

“Even if you have an hour or two, we could use some help ,” Phelps adds.

Zeppegno applauds Phelps’ commitment. “Lynne is dedicated to the mission of the F ood Bank,” she sa ys. “She’ll do anything to help out.”

Zeppegno is cur rently w orking with high sc hool students on a new video for the v olunteer program and handles indi viduals who w ant to sor t, distribute, label, answer phones or conduct food drives. Any amount of time or talent is w elcome, Zeppegno explains.

She k eeps the 31,000 sq. ft. warehouse bustling with acti vity.

However, she notes that food donations drop significantly in the fall, and it’s a slow time until the holidays kick in with plentiful food and financial suppor t for the F ood Bank’ s operation. Sly and his staff have w orked tirelessly to mak e the issue of hunger a year-round concern for more and more people.

Phelps hopes to continue her involvement with the Food Bank for years to come . “I’ve nev er known a more dedicated people who care dee ply about the hunger situation,” she says.

The Food Bank, in turn, cares about her. After volunteering for only one year, Phelps was named Volunteer of the Y ear at their annual dinner . “I just brok e down in tears,” she recalls.

For mor e infor mation about the Food Bank, visit www.foodbankccs.org or call 676-7543.

www.robinsranches.com Are you looking for that perfect horse set-up?

Robin has clients looking for horse set-ups in Diablo Downs and

Specialist in Ranch and Country Properties.

Thinking of selling?

Robin’s Ranches web page gets nearly 8,000 viewings a month

Morgan Territory area.

If you are thinking of selling please call as soon as possible.

BF: Seriously, dude, is it poo?

It’s not poo.

Boy: Yes, it is.

BF: Mr. Romano, what is this?

Me: Seriously, dude, it’s poo.

BF: Really? Gross! No , it’s not. What is it?

Me: Seriously, dude, it’s poo.

This went on for another five minutes, and it was pretty funny.

I will also admit that for all of its difficulties, sometimes ha ving kids can be a lot of fun. I mean, really, when else w ould you ever be able to utter the phrase: “Seriously, dude, it’s poo.”

Clayton resident, Joe Romano, is a family man, a fr ee-lance writer for hire and the Pioneer’s “all around funny guy.” E-mail him at jromano01@yahoo.com

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February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Advertise with the Pioneer Preview Thurs.

Feb. 22, 4 8pm, $2

February 23 thru March 31 The Rocking 60’s Musical Soap Opera Starring

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Yes, it was cold – but it’s been colder The Cla yton area, along with the entire state, was in the grips of a cold wave during the Martin Luther King holida y weekend. Nighttime temperatures in the 20s w ere common for three days in a row.

Homeowners scrambled to protect sensitive plants, homeless shelters o verflowed and citrus crops w ere damag ed b y the dee p freeze . Extreme weather events like a cold wave keep meteorologists busy , not only during the ev ent but for weeks before and after it.

Computer forecast models produce rough estimates of wind and temperature patter ns on a daily basis , extending two weeks into the future . Weather forecasters look for specific temperature and wind flow patterns that signal the possibility of a Bay Area cold wave.

First, there m ust be an extremely cold air mass dev eloping in central and w estern Canada. Second, the jet stream winds m ust be directed from central Canada to ward California.

An air mass is defined as a

School News Walk to Town.

Enjoy this beautiful two-story S tranahan Clayton home which backs up to open space, has vaulted ceilings, a huge master suite, gourmet kitchen, sheetrocked two-car garage, and is vacant and ready to sell.

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Page A7

DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL DVMS presents the ann ual Guest Artist Concert, featuring the Diablo View Symphonic and J azz Bands and the Jambalaya Jazztet. The concert begins at 7 p .m. Feb. 28 in the Multi-Use Room, 300 Diablo View Lane . Admission is $10. Tickets can be purchased from any Symphonic Band or Jazz Band member or

large body of air that is homogeneous. Arctic air masses that form over Canada are homogeneous in that they are extremely cold and dr y.

WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS The jet stream can be thought of as a river of air. The jet stream typically directs airflow from w est to east in a snakelike patter n. Arctic air masses form over Canada nearly every winter, and under normal jet stream conditions , the cold air will mo ve across Canada, often dipping into the Midwestern and easter n portions of the United States.

Occasionally a strong winter season high-pressure cell

by calling 672-0898.

The next Parent F aculty Club meeting will be at 9 a.m.

Feb. 13 in the D VMS Community Room.

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL The Society for International T ravel is taking applications for a trip to Athens and Rome in August.

Parents and students are w elcome to register . E-mail rossj@mdusd.k12.ca.us for more information.

will dev elop o ver the W est Coast. In our hemisphere , jet stream winds tra vel cloc kwise around high-pressure cells . If this high-pressure cell is strong and stationar y, the cold Canadian air mass will be directed from Alber ta southwestward across the Sier ra and into Califor nia. This f low pattern is called the Alber ta Clipper.

The pro ximity of the Pacific Ocean to Clayton usually moderates extreme temperatures. However, the offshore wind f low patter n associated with the Alber ta Clipper pushes the marine air la yer a way from land. The dr yness of the Canadian air mass results in an absence of cloud co ver and maximizes radiation cooling at night. This allo ws nighttime temperatures to fall w ell below freezing.

After the cold w ave subsided, meteorologists compared it to past ev ents. One of the measures calculated is a recurrence inter val, a statistical analysis of temperature data to estimate ho w often w e can

expect another cold w ave of this extent. Another comparison method in volves direct comparison of the recent event to past events.

A preliminar y analysis indicates that what we experienced over the Mar tin Luther King weekend has a recurrence interval of somewhere betw een 5 and 10 years . Temperature records indicate it w as our strongest cold w ave since December 1998. The most severe cold w ave in the last 50 years occur red in December 1990. Fortunately, the J anuary 2007 cold snap w as not nearly as extreme as that event.

Cold w aves lik e the recent Alberta Clipper are rare in the Clayton area. Although our winter cold extremes are not nearly as sev ere as those experienced in m uch of the rest of the countr y, they still ha ve a significant impact on the people and economy of the area.

Helicopter and dogs aid police in searc h for injured man

intoxicated and whose face w as covered in blood.

By the time the police arrived, the man had fled.

A searc h of the area b y Clayton police failed to locate the man. Concerned that the man ma y ha ve been seriously injured, they called CHP for a helicopter and Pittsburg police for a searc h and rescue . The man w as ev entually trac ked to his home in Easley Estates.

He told officers he w as walking home from a local watering hole and fell. He w as uncooperative, police said, and refused treatment.

Clayton police called on neighboring agencies for help in locating a missing man last Sunday, reports P olice Chief Dan Lawrence.

Around 10 p .m. Feb. 4, a Clayton resident called to report that he w as with a man at the corner of Marsh Creek R oad and Easley Drive who appeared

Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG &E. Email y our questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

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Page A8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

February 9, 2007

Pay attention to the APR when shopping for a home loan JOE CLEARY FINANCIAL SENSE Today’s mortgage market is complex, with more infor mation for bor rowers to dig est than ever before.

Borrowers are becoming more informed and have many tools to help them when refinancing or purc hasing their home. One of those tools, the annual percentage rate or APR, was designed to help the borrower make an infor med decision.

APR, however, can become confusing for a borrower when comparing a higher and lo wer rate and the associated fees.

Have you ever heard a commercial that quotes a nice lo w rate and mentions the APR? Why do they mention the APR, and what should w e be looking at when it comes to the actual note rate vs. the APR? APR w as created so borrowers would kno w all of the lender fees associated with their loan product. Although law requires that lenders quote

APR, it is easy for the bor rower to see that nice lo w rate and overlook the fees.

This is exactly the opposite of what APR w as created to do, and that has caused more confusion than clarity.

Let’s use the example of a $400,000 loan. When comparing two scenarios, you can see the problem associated with the annual percentage rate.

Lender A sa ys they can g et you a 5.875 percent rate on a 30-year fix ed rate loan, with $4,600 in fees . Lender B has a rate of 6 percent, with $600 in fees and no points.

To calculate APR, we must first find the APR pa yment amount. This is done b y adding the lender fees suc h as origination points , discount points, prepaid interest, etc., to the original loan amount.

If you bor rowed $400,000, plus $4,600 and 30 da ys pre paid interest at 5.875 percent for 30 years, the APR monthly pa yment is $2,405.

Then, you calculate what interest rate w ould produce this monthly pa yment on y our original $400,000. The interest rate, or APR, that w ould require a $2,405 monthly pa yment is 6.03 percent.

Using the same ste ps for Lender B , we ar rive at a 6.06 percent APR. So it w ould appear that if the bor rower is shopping based on the lowest APR, they

“Have you ever heard a commercial that quotes a nice low rate and mentions the APR? Why do they mention the APR, and what should we be looking at when it comes to the actual note rate vs. the APR?” Joe Cleary should c hoose Lender A. The problem with this decision is that APR assumes cer tain things. First, it assumes that the loan will nev er be refinanced or paid off before the term. Secondly, it does not take into account the oppor tunity cost of using the money spent on fees and in vesting it elsewhere or using it to lo wer the amount financed.

So in our example, the borrower would be saving $32 per month if they w ent with the 5.875 percent rate. Lender A is charging $4,000 more in fees , though, and it would take more than 10 years to break ev en on that investment.

If you g o ev en fur ther, by taking the $4,000 that would be going to the lender and using it instead to lo wer y our loan amount with Lender B, then the payment difference is only $8 per month. So the break-ev en point is no w more than 41 years.

Clearly it is not w orth it, since our loan in this example is for 30 years.

Is it worth paying the higher fees with Lender A to g et a lower rate? In the end,it is your decision, but I hope this helps you look at APR differently and will enhance y our discussion with a tr usted mor tgage consultant.

This information is not intended to be a loan approval or commitment to lend.

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Quantum Stress and Pain Clinic Biofeedback therapy where science meets ancient medicine

for pain relief, stress relief, weight loss and anti-aging medical Qi Gong herbal therapy

Clinic aims to make Quantum leaps for patients JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

It’s a place where science meets ancient medicine , where clients lear n to cor rect imbalances within themselv es and strive for stress-free lifestyles.

Dr. Ladan Bahramnia is the founder of Quantum Stress and Pain Clinic on Cla yton Road in Concord. Clients can seek help for a wide v ariety of ailments from pain, stress and w eight problems to depression, anxiety, hormonal imbalances and migraines.

“The prog ram is dr ug-free, pain-free and there are no side effects,” Ladan says.

One of her clients lost 35 pounds in four months using the Quantum prog ram, and another w as able to do a way with strong painkillers for his leg pain.

The program uses a machine called SCIO (Scientific Consciousness Interface Operating System), which pinpoints energ etic imbalances in the body and cor rects them b y sending rectified energ y bac k into the body . Clients are

hooked up to a small mac hine with sensors attac hed b y wires to the ankles , wrists and forehead.

“The equipment is highly sophisticated, legally registered

body scan.”

The SCIO name comes from a Latin w ord whic h means “to know,” explains Ladan. She recalls ho w she w as introduced to the Quantum biofeedbac k

Jill Bedecarre/Clayton Pioneer

LADAN BAHRAMNIA is a certified bio-feedback and stress specialist at the Quantum Pain and Stress Clinic in Concord.

and hospital tested,” says Ladan, noting that the tec hnology has been dev eloping for some 30 years. “You can think of it as a

process. “I w as a hea vy soda drinker and after only a shor t time on the mac hine, I didn ’t have the urge to drink Coke any-

more.”

It was this personal testimonial that g ot Ladan interested in the SCIO equipment and the idea of creating a clinic. She has witnessed a “symbiotic relationship” develop betw een the machine and the patient.

The clinic also offers herbal therapy and Qi Gong classes b y holistic health practitioner Lourdes Gonzalez. With an emphasis on breathing, meditation and visualization, Qi Gong includes ex ercises and g entle movements.

Ladan g raduated from Do w Medical Colleg e in P akistan in 1985. In 2001, she g raduated from the Inter national Colleg e of Traditional Chinese Medicine in British Columbia and practiced in Canada for five years.

When she is not in the Concord clinic , Ladan can be found in Ba y Area operating rooms as a neuroph ysiologist.

She is also a cer tified biofeedback and stress specialist.

Ladan lives in Mar tinez with her husband, Hamid, and teenage sons, Ashkon and Arash.

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Page A9

A wise seller will disclose defects Decades ago, the concept of caveat emptor , or “buyer beware,” was the home buying rule. Today, seller beware might be the more appropriate admonition.

The laws governing a seller’s disclosure oblig ations to buyers in a real estate transaction v ary from state to state . The trend is now toward disclosure, and our state requires quite a bit of disclosure.

California requires that sellers disclose kno wn material defects that are not readily apparent to a homebuyer . A material fact is one that affects a buyer’s decision to buy or the price a buyer will pay.

For example , let’s sa y that there is w ater intr usion under the house during hea vy rains. If you sell y our home during the dry season, the buyers w on’t be aware of the fact that there w as pooling water. This is a material fact that should be disclosed.

Some sellers fear disclosure because they assume it will keep

their home from selling. Here in California, where seller disclosure has been the law for over a

er. However, if you’re asking yourself if something needs to be disclosed, it’s safe to assume that it might be material to someone. So to be on the safe side, disclose it.

Also, ask y ourself if you’d want to ha ve the infor mation if you w ere the buyer . If the answer’s yes, then disclose.

The form in which seller disclosures are made also v aries from one state to the next. Our state requires that sellers complete a for m that includes questions about the proper ty condition. In other states, disclosures can be made v erbally. In some states, seller disclosures are v oluntary.

Some major real estate companies require all sellers who list with them to complete a seller disclosure for m. That’s because the major cause of after-closing disputes and la wsuits is items that could ha ve or should ha ve been disclosed.

The best way to avoid a lawsuit o ver proper ty defects is to

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE decade, such disclosures rarely keep a home from selling . In fact, buyers appreciate ha ving more information about a property before they enter into a contract.

It’s not alw ays clear what needs to be disclosed, and determining what is material is subjective: A fact that is material to one buyer may not be to anoth-

If you’ve got questions, Yahoo has answers The Inter net satisfies m y curiosity about the w orld. If I want to learn about a topic, I can look it up on Google.

But search engines are better for finding sites that matc h phrases lik e “philosoph y” or “roses” than answ ering direct questions suc h as “W hat are some good date ideas?”

This is where Yahoo Answers comes in. People can ask questions and are a warded points for answering other’s questions. The community-driven site is designed for those who w ould rather interact with real people than faceless search engines.

I’ve been testing Y ahoo Answers for some time , and overall I’ve found it’s a wonderful service that’s fun and easy to use.

Getting star ted tak es just a few min utes. Simply g o to http://answers.yahoo.com/ and register for free. After choosing a nickname (mine is Digital Dude), you are tak en to the Answ ers

Then, you can post y our question and w ait for answ ers. I received sev eral in less than 10 minutes. Among them was a certified mechanic who told me that my mistake was nothing to worry about. Relieved, I selected his response as the Best Answ er to my question.

Most questions g enerally receive answers shortly after they are posted, but people can post replies for a few days. In order to “resolve” a question, the ask er can select whic h of the re plies was most helpful.

Using personal kno wledge to help other people is Answ ers’ main attraction.

As Y ahoo explains: “No matter who y ou are, you’ve g ot the real-life insight or sc holarly n ugget that will make someone’s day.”

Answering a question is as simple as asking one . Users can search for questions or sift through categ ories. When y ou find a question y ou w ant to

home pag e, which lists recent questions and 26 different categories ranging from health to pets. Selecting a categ ory will only display questions per taining to that topic.

On the left side of the home page is a small bo x where y ou can type y our question. A small button called “Post Question” is located right belo w. Search the site first, to make sure your question hasn’t been asked already.

My first question w as: “What happens to a mo ving car when the parking brak e is left on?”

Asking open-ended questions typically yields better responses .

Once you hit Post Question, you are tak en to another pag e that lets you add more details. Here I typed in a few sentences about forgetting to tak e m y parking brake off. After this, Yahoo will present a list of categories that match your question. In my case, it w as under Cars & Transportation.

Mayor, from page A1

925-673-9164 Bill Calkins

Clayton Resident & Neighbor Helping People Find Their Way Home!

Ask about our Special Programs for Buyers & Sellers

be proacti ve and disclose what you kno w about the proper ty’s faults before the sale closes . In addition, it’s a g ood idea to disclose items of routine maintenance that must be taken care of in order to a void future problems, like roof gutters that must be kept clean or a sk ylight that will leak unless it’ s k ept w ellcaulked.

State, local and national laws may require that y ou make specific disclosures in addition to a general disclosure of material facts. For instance , federal la w requires home sellers to disclose known lead hazards in their home.

To find out more about your disclosure obligations, consult a knowledgeable real estate ag ent who’s acti vely w orking in y our area.

Lynne F rench is a r ealtor with Windermere Real Estate and a Clayton r esident. F or any r eal estate needs or questions contact her at: Phone (925) 672-8787 or E-mail: Lynne@LynneFrench.com

15-member committee has been working for more than a year to come up with a ballot measure that will for m a new Landscape Maintenance District for v oter consideration on June 5.

If voters appro ve this new district, then the TLC will also provide district oversight.

I contin ually g et complaints from citizens about the Landscape Maintenance District.

Why don’t we replace the ir rigation system and wh y don ’t w e replace the dead plants and wh y aren’t w e maintaining our trails?

June, there will be only $58,450 in this reserve.

The T rails and Landscape Committee is proposing a new annual assessment of $196.77, which will provide enough funding to star t tur ning things around. It pro vides money to start replacing the ir rigation system and the dead plants in the medians and to do more work on our trails.

If you would like more information on the proposed new district, please g o to the City’ s Website at www.ci.clayton.ca.us.

I believe our public landscaping is extremely impor tant, because it is Cla yton’s “front

Well, you probably do not w ant to hear this, but there just is not enough money. At y our cur rent $127.88 ann ual assessment, the district is under -funded and has been for several years.

Even though we are currently spending the reserves with a total budget of $605,127 (ex ceeding the ann ual tax rev enue b y $48,410) this fiscal year , this is not enough money to stop the slow decline of the public landscaping in the medians and provide proper maintenance of our trails. When the district expires in

This year I’m going to . . .

MARK FREEMAN

ON

THE

NET

answer, click on it and then select the button that says “Answer this Question.” You’ll be given a box where you can type y our answer and cite your information. Then, you can post it for ev eryone to see.

Yahoo a wards points to people who answ er questions , vote on the quality of an answer or are a warded Best Answ er b y the asker. As points accum ulate,

See The Net, page A10 yard” and its maintenance impacts our proper ty v alues.

Now ha ving said that, believe it or not, sometimes g overnment/politicians get out of sync with what the comm unity wants.

This is wh y y ou will ha ve the opportunity to tell us ho w important it is to y ou at the ballot box on June 5.

Let me end b y taking some advice from Will Rogers: “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

If you ha ve any questions or have comments on this issue or any other issues , I w ould love to hear from you. Please send me an email at wrwalcutt@aol.com.

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Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Honored pilot has vivid WWII memories COLLEEN ELWY

SHARING HISTORY The metallic g ray bac kground of Calvin R easoner’s World War II plane glinted with the w ords “Miss Flash, ” to

Himalayas to Bur ma and be ground suppor t for the troops that w ere fighting, ” Calvin explains. “Each time they captured a J apanese air field there , one of our squadrons w ould g o to that area. We f lew our missions three to four times a da y, mostly di ve-bombing and maneuvers like that.”

Calvin, who is now in his 80s,

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the time to care for their son and daughter while they w ere g rowing up.

For Calvin, the family ties he has had all his life are of great importance. “I had four siblings, and there w ere alw ays things to do together with them and their families. We w ould all visit m y parents on weekends and g o out to Marsh Creek to pla y in that

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925-497-5270

Photo courtesy of Calvin Reasoner

CALVIN REASONER

WAS ONLY

20 when he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

remind him of his dear girlfriend back home.

“When I w as 13 years old, I met Edna and she was 11. I used to call her ‘Flash,’ because whenever she w as getting ready to g o somewhere, she took forev er,” Calvin recalls with a smile . “I named m y plane after her , and she later became my wife.”

As an Air F orce pilot in the famed Bur ma Banshees squadron, Calvin recei ved the Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross when he w as 20.

The honor was given to him after only 1½ years in the ser vice.

Calvin had accomplished extraordinary ac hievement in aerial f lights, with more than 75 fighter combat missions o ver enemy ter ritory in nor thern Burma. This ref lected the highest credit on the militar y forces of the United States.

Flying from 1942 to 1945, he later recei ved another Flying Cross and three medals.

“When we first w ent over to India, they needed a few pilots for that area and then later to join the squadrons , so I sta yed there instead of going to fight in Europe. We w ould f ly o ver the

notes that his Air F orce ser vice time included more than 120 missions. Had he been in Europe, he w ould ha ve lik ely been shot do wn long before then.

“Because there w asn’t so much attacking coming from the ground up to our planes, we survived. It was quite an honor.”

Returning to Oakland in 1945, Calvin and Edna continued their cour tship. Growing up in the same neighborhood and attending the same sc hools, they had known each other for a long time when they decided to g et married.

They li ved m uch of their lives in Oakland and w ere married for 49 years before Edna passed away.

Having w orked in the shipyards before going into the service, Calvin went to a trade school afterward and ran a printing press for a company for 24 years.

“I later star ted o ver with m y brother, who had an auto body shop and he built custom cars ,” Calvin re ports. “We built a couple of cars tog ether that ev en won prizes.”

Edna sta yed home most of

The Net, from page A9 people can ask and answ er more questions per day, as well as vote more often.

As a Lev el 1 user , I can ask five questions per da y and provide 20 answ ers. At the highest levels, users can ask and answ er unlimited questions.

High-ranking users g ain the benefit of more site features and are recognized as being the most

helpful to the comm unity. A leader board sho ws a list of the top-ranked users and ho w many points they’ve received per week.

The top user has answ ered more than 6,500 questions.

I’m no Answ er gur u and am content with answering only a few questions at a time . It’s fun pla ying around with what Yahoo calls “the w orld’s big gest think-tank”

area,” Calvin reflects. “We didn’t have a lot of friends, because our family was always there for us.”

Calvin also has tw o g randchildren and four g reat g randchildren. He enjo ys li ving at Diamond T errace, where he moved five months ago.

As for his WWII plane , “Miss Flash,” Calvin shakes his head and remembers. “One day I didn ’t f ly m y plane , but a flight leader took it and he g ot shot do wn. He w as kind of a dangerous type pilot and a real wild c haracter and w ould di vebomb too close to the g round to make sure he g ot the perfect shot.”

Calvin adds: “Possibly a bomb went off and the shrapnel hit the plane. The pilot survived, but my plane was lost.”

But Calvin doesn ’t seem to be upset with the demise of his plane. Perhaps because he knew the real “Miss Flash” was waiting for him at home.

If you ar e a senior li ving in Clayton, or know of a senior that would like to shar e their life story with the Clayton Pioneer readers, please contact Colleen Elwy at 672-9565 or at colleensbyline@aol.com. because there’s so much to learn.

Now I can ask what I’v e always wanted to know: “What is the word for not ha ving a sense of smell?” Drat, it’s been ask ed before. But Y ahoo had the answer – anosmia.

Mark F reeman is a graduate of De La Salle High School and a fr eshman at Saint Mar y’s Colle ge in Moraga. He plans to study economics and currently writes for the school paper.

Questions/comments can be sent to mfreeman543@gmail.com.

Whether buying, selling or refinancing when you’re calling this number, you’re calling the right number

Member Clayton Business & Community Association.

Local resident for more than 30 years.

www.TheClaytonRealtor.com Check my website for FREE list of foreclosure auctions in northern California.

Your Local Real Estate Pro Since 1991

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265 Wildflower Dr., Martinez

Mike Williams broker/owner

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(925) 947-6105 • Fax (925) 947-6106 • www.roccospizzeria.com

February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

At the Movies

Discover the possibilities in YOUR garden with a creative down-to-earth garden designer

Clay to Resid n ent

Let’s walk through YOUR space and focus on YOUR vision Kelly Marshall Garden Design in a one-on-one consultation.

Then, I’ll create your dream...

925.914.0327 from beginning to end.

kelly.marshall@earthlink.net

Mexican filmmakers dominate this year’s Oscar nominations

Member, Association of Professional Landscape Designers

contact

Ted Sudderth for a free loan evaluation

(925) 672-5363 Credit: Picturehouse Image

IVANA BAQUERO STARS IN PAN’S LABYRINTH, a fanciful and chilling story set against the backdrop of a fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain.

Established 1980

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Pamper yourself and a loved one for Valentine’s Day

Clayton Mind & Body Connections e is Spac d. it lim e

At 1007 Oak Street, Clayton

Feb. 10 & 17: A one-h hour massage and foot soak for two for just $140.

Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, snacks and take home a box of chocolates for each Gift Certif of you. Call (925) 673-0686. i availacates www.mind-and-body-connections.com ble

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Page A11

I tr y to a void h yperbole in my reviews , so when I tell y ou “Pan’s La byrinth” is utterly devastating, you’ll take me seriously.

The film tak es place in the Spanish countryside in the years following the Spanish Civil War. Twelve-year-old Ofelia (Iv ana Baquero) accompanies her pregnant mother as they move into a mill with her new stepfather, the fascist Captain Vidal (Sergi López). Once they arrive, there’s so m uch w ar g oing, one w onders if anyone told them it’ s over.

Ofelia’s imagination immediately tak es o ver. She’s delv es into a fair ytale w orld where actions ha ve real consequences and the peril she faces is just as real as the w ar outside, which is so violent that w e wish Ofelia’s

fantasy world were real.

Writer/director Guiller mo del T oro’s (“Hellbo y,” “The Devil’s Backbone”) treatment of violence is similar to that of David Cronenberg (“ A Histor y of Violence”). Both refuse to shy away from it and c hallenge their audiences to tak e it in and deal with its consequences.

And there are plenty of such acts to deal with; this film earns its R rating . These scenes are not hea vily edited, instead they’re often given to us in long, unbroken takes.

Long, very long unbrok en takes are only a fraction of what make Alfonso Cuarón ’s “Children of Men” so compelling. Taking place 83 years after “P an’s Lab yrinth,” “Children of Men” sets us in 2027 London after humanity

has lost the ability to procreate .

Clive Ow en pla ys T heo, a man who’s essentially waiting out the clock. He’s visited b y J ulian (Julianne Moore), an ex-lo ver who needs his help g etting a refugee – also the first pregnant woman in 18 years – to safety.

Of course, no one’ s who they say they are and the media spins ev erything bey ond recognition.

“Children” features g reat performances from Mic hael Caine, who pla ys a hippy who takes care of his wife in a stealthy house concealed on all sides b y trees , and Chiw etel Ejiofor (“Dir ty Pretty T hings”) as Luke, the new leader of a terrorist organization known as the “Fishes.” What I lo ve about

Credit: Cinema.com

CHILDREN OF MEN STARS JULIANNE MOORE as the leader of an underground opposition group.

JIM BRIGGS

AT

THE

MOVIES

Ejiofor is ho w he under plays everything, making his pairing with Owen a fitting one.

One of the many things these films ha ve in common is that they tr ust us to dra w our own conclusions . Once w e g et through the exhilarating climax of “Children of Men” and our tears ha ve dried from “P an’s Labyrinth,” we remember wh y this mo vie-going ritual is still valid.

You ma y ha ve heard Alejandro González Iñár ritu recognize del T oro and Cuarón in his acce ptance speec h when “Babel” won Best Picture at this year’s Golden Globe A wards.

The three Mexican filmmak ers are goods friends, each with his own unique cinematic voice.

The three films ha ve collectively g arnered 16 Academ y Award nominations and are still in theaters . If you see “P an’s Labyrinth,” don’t forg et the Kleenex.

Jim Briggs is a composer and music teacher. He has a BA in Jazz Composition from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He writes film r eviews for online magazine Dissolver (www.dissolvermagazine.com). Send comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

Call Sharoll Gillbert at (925) 674-0767

' Rloecmalo, deexlpyeoriuernckeitdchceonntwraitchtors N E D O O W E Receive estimate and design 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.”

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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

Kelly Marshall brings designer touches to local g ardens JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Rosadelia and R oy Detwiler o we their newfound love of the outdoors to g arden designer Kelly Marshall.

“We were interested in just a refresher for our g arden,” says R osadelia, who thought there really w asn’t m uch that could be done to their outdated landscaping and bac kyard design.

Then along came K elly, with her lo ve of California native plants, drought-tolerant landscaping, fountains and waterfalls. The Detwilers no w practically li ve in their bac kyard. “It’s basically her vision,” says Rosadelia.

Kelly introduced the couple to an in viting design that includes a butterf ly habitat, a bog garden and a tranquil pond

with frogs. They ha ve recently applied for aWildlife Habitat certification. Kelly recently returned to the Detwilers to check on their g arden and w as delighted to find some new blooms.

“Even with the sev ere frost, many of our plants survived well,” says Rosadelia.

Kelly describes herself as “creative and down-to-earth.”

“I’m not some hoity-toity designer with her nose stuck up in the air ,” she notes. “I never lose sight that it’ s m y client’ s yard. We work as a team.”

Finished master pieces lik e the Detwilers’ backyard k eep Kelly moving full speed ahead with her business. “It gives me the g reatest pleasure to hear clients say that ‘this is exactly what I had in mind. ’ I put a piece of my hear t into ev ery garden design,” Kelly explains.

She adds that the Detwilers have become her friends.

Kelly takes the time to meet

with eac h client, measure the prospective space , take photographs and listen to what the client w ants. Then it’s bac k to the drawing board for the first draft.

It tak es tw o dra wings to finalize eac h project, and a final blue print is presented to each client. Then it’s up to the clients to plant the items themselves or hire a contractor. Kelly can offer contractor referrals if necessary.

“I was a hobby gardener in Indiana,” says Kelly, who soon realized that this w as her passion. After moving to Clayton, she designed a few g ardens for friends and eventually created a new look for her o wn yard. Favorable comments and references led K elly to pursue the UC Berk eley Garden Design Cer tificate Program through Berk eley Extension. She is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape

Designers and Clayton’s Trails and Landscape Committee.

Kelly completed 32 g arden designs last year and about half of them are local. She lives in Cla yton with her husband, Mike, and c hildren, Delaney, 6 and Bailey , 2. See ad this page.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Roy and Rosadelia Detwiler with Kelly Marshall (standing).

Independently owned and operated

t Intero, we begin and end each day with one goal: to provide our clients with the finest customer service available in real estate. Every Intero real estate professional is guided by principles of trust, respect and integrity.

A

Listed for: $799,000

EXECUTIVE LIVING AT IT’S BEST!

This very special home features two master bedrooms suites, one upstairs and one downstairs. A total of 5 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms, formal living room and dining room and a family room with a gas burning fireplace. Sellers have put approx. $80K plus in builder upgrades. Gourmet kitchen with upgraded appliances are just more wonderful features this very special home has. Back yard is perfect for entertaining or just sitting back to the peaceful surroundings with a spacious KOI pond. Simply Beautiful. Call Josie for a private showing!

Concord

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www.CallTheVanFleetTeam.com

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

KELLY MARSHALL USED HER KNOWLEDGE of California Native plants and butterfly habitat to create this inviting garden for The Detwilers of Concord.

Page A12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

February 9, 2007

georgevujnovich.com

Trust your home to

GEORGE VUJNOVICH , Broker Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated.

Helping friends, neighbors and newcomers buy and sell their homes since 1979

PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Tel: (925) 672-4433 6160 Center Street, Suite E, Clayton 94517

EAGLE PEAK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Fantastic “McKinley” model!

Exquisite “Belvedere” model on pr emium view lot! nestled in a quiet court. Decorator ’s showplace features 5

bedrooms plus a den, 3.5 baths, approx. 4,100sq ft & rare 4-car garage. Downstairs bedroom with full bath. Extensively upgraded throughout featuring 16” tile floors, custom window treatments, ornate lighting fixtures, designer paint, central vacuum & extensive closet or ganizer systems. Gracious living room with fireplace & dramatic formal dining room. Chef ’s dream gourmet kitchen offers commercial grade appliances, granite tile counters & island, maple cabinetry & spacious pantry. Enormous great room with impressive two-way granite tile fireplace & walk around bar .

Lavish master suite boasts a large “Trex” deck balcony offing sensational views! Remarkable private oasis lot backs to open space with Mt. Diablo, canyon & ridgeline views & features a spectacular freeform pool with raised spa boasting a stacked stone backdrop featuring a cascading waterfall, custom outdoor kitchen & lush $1,475,000 professional landscape.

WINDMILL CANYON AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Large Single Story “Keller” model!

ING D N PE

tucked away at the end of a quiet court backing to oak studded open space. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 2,053sf. Upgraded marble floors extend from entry into formal dining room. Tile kitchen open to family room with upgraded marble tile fireplace. Spacious master suite with retreat. Neutral colors & décor throughout. Extensive use of natural slate in front & rear yard hardscape. Private rear lot features lots of mature trees, lawn area & patio, plus a relaxing spa. $715,000 EAGLE PEAK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

NG I D PEN

Spectacular “Lassen” model! nestled at the end of

a quiet court with views of hills, opens space & city lights. 4 bedrooms, plus an upgraded loft, 2.5 baths, approx. 3,162sf, 2 fireplaces & 3 car garage. Upgrades include: laminate wood, tile & carpet floors, dramatic light fixtures, thick baseboards, designer paint colors & cabinet treatments! Gorgeous gourmet kitchen features slab granite counters, breakfast bar & center island. Separate formal dining room with upgraded columns. Huge master suite with fireplace & jetted tub! Private professionally landscaped lot features an exposed aggregate patio, nice lush lawn area, many trees & colorful flowers. $899,000 JEFFREY RANCH!

Pristine single story rancher!

with Mt. Diablo views. 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 2,088sf, inside laundry & 3 car garage. Many upgrades & updating including: New roof/gutters, heating/ac, dual pane windows/sliders, flooring, paint & light fixtures! Formal living & dining room. Eat-in kitchen opens to family room with brick fireplace. Master suite features slider to trellis covered deck. HUGE .31 acre lot boasts a sparkling in-ground gunite pool with built-in spa, extensive redwood deck, lawn area, wide assortment of roses & flowers.

Great green house for the avid gardener & big side yard! $719,000

ING D N PE

Mortgage Market Update Conforming $417,000 or less

Jumbo $417,001 and up

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . . . .6.5% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . .6.625% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.625%

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . .6.625% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . .6.625% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.75%

on a prime view lot overlooking hills, city, valley & beyond! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 3,005sf, 2 fireplaces & 3 car garage. Beautifully updated & decorated. New carpet & designer paint colors. Desirable downstairs bedroom & full bath. Formal dining room features Tuscan columns & sweeping views. Step down living room looks out to hills. Gourmet slab granite kitchen with breakfast nook overlooking valley views opens to spacious family room with brick fireplace & granite dry bar . Gracious master suite offers a romantic two-way fireplace & sitting area with sweeping views. Private lot features a deck great for entertaining & enjoying the picture perfect views of hills, city & valley below. $939,000

BLACK DIAMOND AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

COMING SOON

Stunning “Summit” model! located in a quiet court setting with awesome Mt. Diablo views! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 1,991sf, inside laundry & 2 car garage. Twoway fireplace shared by living & family rooms. Separate formal dining area. Spacious gourmet kitchen features tile counters & center island. Magnificent view lot of fers a custom decking, brickwork & patio, arbor features 10’ Roman pillars, upgraded landscape lighting, lovely rose & fern gardens.

Clayton Market Update Provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS 11 Mt. McKinley Ct 501 Condor Place 1043 Kenston Drive 5475 Tara Drive 1056 Pebble Beach Drive 158 Regency Drive 1337 Shell Lane 15715 Marsh Creek Road 1445 Yosemite Circle 1114Oakwood Circle 1541 Haviland Pl 4405 Coyote Cir 7024 Molluk Way 3105 Windmill Canyon Dr 9001 Elk Drive 1880 Eagle Peak Ave 120 Mt. Etna Dr 5227 Keller Ridge Drive 1743 Indian Wells Way 608 Julpun Loop 1735 Indian Wells Way 3305 Coyote Circle 380 Blue Oak Lane 1848 Eagle Peak Ave 1068 Mitchell Canyon Road 1130 Peacock Creek Drive 4301 Coyote Circle 20 Mt. McKinley Court 129 Mt. Etna Drive 705 Condor Place 503 Raven Place 7018 Molluk Way 428 Zinfandel Circle 436 Grenache Circle 115 Samuel Court 928 Kenston Dr 809 Chert Place 1293 Shell Circle 1451 Yosemite Circle 1163 Moccasin Ct 7026 Molluk Way 179 Mountaire Pkwy

PRICE $760,000 $515,000 $805,000 $460,000 $1,125,000 $700,000 $519,000 $1,447,600 $690,000 $1,850,000 $472,000 $430,000 $650,000 $670,000 $745,000 $775,000 $495,000 $860,000 $611,000 $605,000 $599,000 $465,000 $950,000 $787,000 $675,000 $1,129,000 $539,000 $739,980 $499,200 $455,000 $675,000 $775,000 $850,000 $865,000 $864,000 $995,000 $505,000 $595,000 $700,000 $641,000 $859,000 $700,000

SALE DATE

SF

1/24/07 1/24/07 1/19/07 1/11/07 1/10/07 1/04/07 1/02/07 12/29/06 12/29/06 12/28/06 12/22/06 12/20/06 12/15/06 12/14/06 12/06/06 12/05/06 11/28/06 11/28/06 11/28/06 11/28/06 11/17/06 11/09/06 11/08/06 11/08/06 11/08/06 11/02/06 11/01/06 10/31/06 10/28/06 10/20/06 10/17/06 10/13/06 10/13/06 10/12/06 10/11/06 10/2/06 09/29/06 09/28/06 09/26/06 09/22/06 09/13/06 09/08/06

1,981 1,595 1,800 1,313 3,620 2,032 1,355 4,125 2,493 3,840 1,256 1,026 1,816 1,816 2,237 2,467 1,627 2,843 1,749 1,749 1,749 1,252 3,008 2,313 1,494 3,185 1,554 1,919 1,442 1,026 1,877 2,674 2,391 2,391 2,334 3,048 1,235 1,709 1,566 1,639 2,542 1,600

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

CLAYTON PIONEER February 9, 2007

Section B

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B1

Colorful Columbine thrives in natural settings Columbine is a lovely plant family Some of the foliage has been bred to that is a perfect addition to any one be v ariegated with g old and c harcraving color within their Califor nia treuse. natural-styled yard or Naturally found garden. under the canopies of Commonly called trees, Columbine is a Aquilegia, this charming great accent planted herbaceous perennial under pine, oak, magnobegins blooming in lia, maple and birc h.

April and quiets in June.

This perennial can stand The foliag e remains 30 inches tall, making it true and pleasing until a sturdy-looking plant late summer . Both the for a sturdy-looking native and h ybrid v ariyard. eties are frost-hardy .

Aquilegia F ormosa is They demand bright our Western Columbine.

NICOLE HACKETT shade to early mor ning This remarkable , multiGARDEN GIRL stemmed perennial sun exposure to thrive.

The Columbine thrives in any w oodland blossom has a distincsituation. Masses of tive look. They are g enerally bellbright red and yello w bi-color f lowers shaped, with each outer petal elong at- can be enjoyed for months. ed into a nectar spur. The flower looks The Red Star hybrid resembles dainty and detailed, with a color for native Columbine and is equally beauevery palate. Selections include mauve, tiful, yet this perennial only reac hes 2 maroon, lavender, yellow, blue, black feet, compared to the W estern and many combinations of bi-colors. Columbine’s 3 feet.

Photo by Mary Clay Stensvold

WESTERN COLUMBINE

Nana Alba is a dwarf white variety.

Its delicate blooms of pure white make a lo vely addition to any border garden. Mixed with a heuc hera selection called Green Spice , or planted with the pulmonaria Gaelic Magic , Nana Alba is sure to please with its chubby height of 8 to 12 inches.

Aquilegia c hrysantha Yellow Queen has an appropriate name . This columbine can easily be called the queen of the yellows, with its striking golden yellow blossoms that measure 2 to 3 inc hes wide. The spurs on the flower stretch for miles, balancing out the total size of the blossom.

This perennial is a vig orous and floriferous v ariety, which is also remarkably frag rant. Plant Y ellow Queen with guem Mrs . Bradshaw for punchy orange color and revel in a hot color combination in the shade.

There are sev eral double Columbine h ybrids a vailable. Blue Barlow and Black Barlow have been on the scene for sev eral seasons . These beauties ha ve a petticoat-style f lower without the famous spurs. They make exceptional cut f lowers that reac h 24 to 30 inc hes tall. Blue Barlow has an indigo blossom, while Black Barlow is the color of rich eggplant.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Ruby Port Columbine , with its double , deep maroon f lower. This is one of the most-wanted Aquilegia out there.

Aquilegia vulg aris Lime Frost has a molted yellow and lime leaf . The leaf alone is enough to entice the g ardener to bring it home . Traditional shaped flowers of pink and la vender top the foliage early spring through early summer.

All Columbine lik e sev ere deadheading late in their blooming season to encourag e a fall rebloom. Do not discard the faded blooms . Instead

Photo by Weezingreen’s/Dave’s Garden

BLUE BARLOW

scatter them in the yard, so the seeds have a c hance to g erminate and y ou will enjoy more plants next year.

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

gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

(925) 672-8787 www.LynneFrench.com Lynne@LynneFrench.com

S

omeone who’s always on the go and always in the know, Lynne French’s natural energy and positive personality drive her to make the most of every moment, whether it’s in her hobbies, in her home life with husband, Danny, or in her role as one of the area’ s leading real estate professionals.

With such a determined approach, it’s easy to see how Lynne has made such a

lasting impact through her long-running real estate career. By working her hardest and providing the most possible options, she has helped many Discover the Possibilities in the East Bay Area real estate market.

Whether you’re buying or selling, Lynne French and her team are the ones to know for a higher level of service. Give them a call today and experience the difference for yourself.

6200-E Center St.

Clayton, CA 94517

Page B2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

February 9, 2007

Clayton Sports CVHS grad has “March Madness” on his mind DEANNA MERRIGAN Clayton Pioneer

Be on the look out for a rising bask etball star , as Adam Carp of Clayton works to make his dreams a reality.

As part of the University of Nevada’s Wolf Pack bask etball team, the freshman is hoping to play major college basketball on a national stage. The Wolf Pack is a highly rank ed team, poised to adv ance to par ticipate in “March Madness.”

Although as a red-shir t freshman, he cannot pla y any games this season or in the tournament, Carp is looking forward to the ex citement and energy surrounding the event.

“March Madness has been a dream of mine since I watched it in the sixth g rade. At that time, it seemed so distant and out of reach, but I w as determined to tr y m y hardest and not let myself feel any regrets,” says Car p. “Now, my distant dream is closer than I ev er thought it could be.”

Red-shirt pla yers are allowed to practice with the team for a season and still retain four years of eligibility, as long as they don ’t pla y any games. Carp looks at his redshirt status as an oppor tunity for growth.

“Rather than suit up and play in g ames this year and use a year of eligibility, I tak e par t in all acti vities including practice, lifting and I g o to the home g ames and sit on the bench.”

As he w as pre paring to

Photo courtesy of John Byrne, Nevada Media Services

ADAM CARP

OF

CLAYTON played for the competitive Lakeshow basketball team before becoming a redshirt freshman on the Univ. of Nevada Wolf Pack team.

graduate from Cla yton V alley High School, Carp weighed his college options. The University of Nevada w as willing to gi ve the 6 foot 7 pla yer a c hance to play national ball.

“Nevada w as a sc hool he wanted to attend academically,” says Troy Sullivan, his coach at Clayton Valley, “and they w ere willing to gi ve Adam time to develop as a red-shirt freshman

to further develop his body and skills, so it appeared to be the best of both worlds.”

The Nev ada W olf Pack is ranked 15th and 13th b y the Associated Press and

ESPN/USA T oday coac hes’ polls, respectively, and tied for first in the W estern Athletic Conference (W AC), according the Wolf Pack Website.

During his years at CVHS ,

Everyone knows your name at Clayton Fitness look ahead to 10 years from now,” he adds. “They want to buy some insurance for the future .” They

JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Hundreds of New Year’s resolutions for 2007 ha ve already come and gone, especially when it comes to health and fitness. That’s why F rank Lag au, C.PT. doesn’t put too much stock in them.

As o wner of Clayton Fitness and T anning in the Cla yton Station for the past six years , a resolve to get fit is more than just a passing fancy--it’ s a mental as well as ph ysical commitment, explains Lagau.

Rather than coming to his gym in Cla yton to lose a few pounds or g et rid of a bulging midriff, people are a lot smar ter about their health. They ha ve a desire to g et in shape and sta y in shape, Lagau explains.

“Clients who are in their 40’ s tell me that they are star ting to

want a prog ram that k eeps them coming bac k for more , Lagau notes.

Where you choose to work out is just as impor tant as the w ork out program itself, says Lagau. He describes Cla yton Fitness as a family-oriented en vironment.

“When you work out here , you’re likely ex ercising with y our next door neighbor,” Lagau says.

Debbie McEuen who has been taking circuit training classes for the past three years ag rees.

“It’s v ery non-threatening, ” she says.

McEuen has sta yed with her workout regiment because Clayton Fitness pro vides a social atmosphere for her as w ell as a place to tone the muscles.

Valerie St. Pierre started circuit training in the fall and lik es the combination of exercises and use of weights and equipment.

Lagau and his par tner Mik e Quinata, C.P.T. conduct the circuit

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

FRANK LAGAU, C.P.T. attracts a diversified clientele who enjoy the friendly atmosphere and one-on-one training at the local gym.

Carp w as an impor tant and integral par t of any bask etball team on whic h he pla yed. He helped the Eagles to a 19-10

See Madness, page B3

Clayton Fitness & Tanning

e t m u r o o f s work

“Frank tailored a program to meet my needs at this stage of my life...

It’s working and it’s affordable.”

- Gail Fitzgerald

Circuit Training Tanning Personal Training State of the art equipment

Gail with owner, Frank Lagau

925-672-2010 1516 Kirker Pass Road (Located in the Clayton Station)

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 5am - 10pm Sat. 7am - 5pm Sun. 8am - 5pm

Frank Lagau, owner, C.P.T. Mike Quinata, C.P.T.

See Fitness, page B5

When it’s time to inspect, call the experts announces The service of the month for our patients for the month of February

Complimentary Vision Tests

offered Monday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Clayton Home Inspection is a member of my personal team of services for both my buyers and sellers. They go the extra distance for all my clients and give them the professional and personal touch that’s necessary in this people business.

-Jim Bartneck, Realtor Lynne French Team, Clayton

We have the highest standards in the industry and would like the opportunity to serve you.

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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

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February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B3

Clayton Sports

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Call Jenn Irwin at 925-825-0900, ext. 314

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Favorite athlete: Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine Favorite music: Mostly rock, but I listen to just about anything. Favorite band is Switchfoot.

Favorite leisure activity: Hanging out with friends, sleeping.

ATHLETE ENJOYS THE SOLITUDE

Nathanel Litwiller , or “Nano” as his friends call him, loves running.

Last fall, he par ticipated in the CIF state Cross Countr y Championships. As a sophomore at Cla yton V alley High School, he finished in the top third o verall. This w as quite a feat for the long-time track and field athlete who only added cross countr y r unning to his repertoire two years ago.

In order to qualify for state, Litwiller ran a 5K hilly course at Hayward High School with a time of 16:00. He needed to

NATHANEL LITWILLER place in the top 14 of his division to adv ance; he placed fifth.

The c hampionships w ere held the day after Thanksgiving in Fresno. The state meet was a new, but ex citing ev ent for Litwiller.

“It w as big and intimidating,” he explains . “My family and coac hes spent the night before the race there , and everywhere y ou w ent, there were other runners.

“It w as a g ood experience ,

and I hope to do m uch better next year,” adds Litwiller, who was 350 out of 960 in his division.

Voted most v aluable player on his cross countr y team at Clayton V alley, Litwiller plans to keep his focus on trac k. He has been r unning trac k since the sixth g rade, starting with St. Bonaventure CYO track.

Litwiller intends to r un both cross countr y and trac k throughout high sc hool and into college. Part of his enjoyment of the sport comes from his time for ref lection while running.

“I love most that I get some time to think about things without w orrying about anything else,” he says. “Our team

is like a family. We always have a lot of fun.”

The Cla yton Pioneer spotlights a local y outh athlete from our circulation area in the second issue eac h month. If you are a coach or an administrator and w ould like to nominate a young person (under 20 years of age) for the R occo’s Athlete Spotlight, please send information to spor ts@claytonpioneer.com or fax to 6726580. Nomination deadline for our March 9 issue is Sunday, Feb. 25.

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overall record and 10-4 mark in the Bay Valley Athletic League his senior year . He was named the Eagles’ Most Impro ved Player as a freshman, as a sophomore on the JV team and again on the v arsity team his junior and senior years.

A consistently dedicated player, Carp impressed those around him with his skills and

desire to practice and pla y the game he loves.

“Like most competiti ve players, Adam loved practicing, both with the teams he pla yed on and b y himself to work on individual skills ,” says his dad, Norm. “Basically, he w ould practice sev en da ys a w eek – either as sc heduled practice, or on his own.”

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Sullivan w as equally impressed. “He showed consistent g rowth and the desire to improve his skills throughout his high sc hool career. He paid attention to detail and w orked at the little things that others might choose to skip o ver and, ultimately, it w as probably the little things that led to a big opportunity.”

His dad and mom Laurie call him a hard worker and natural athlete. “He’s always had to work hard to sta y competiti ve and has a good amount of natural athletic talent and a tremendous ability to lear n and understand the spor ts he competes in,” explains his dad.

“Adam was never a headliner. He was primarily a role player on eac h of the teams and worked hard to impro ve his skills eac h year ,” his dad adds .

“He w as nev er dominant or flashy and enjo yed doing the little things to help his team, such as setting pics and screens and passing to the open man. ” Sullivan says Carp was a key

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part of two v ery g ood v arsity teams. “We w ould not ha ve been nearly as successful without his contributions ,” the coach notes. “He was an excellent student and w as alw ays a positive ambassador of our program.”

In addition to high sc hool basketball, Carp pla yed competitive Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the West Coast Eagles and the Lakeshow, a highly competitive traveling team.

Submit Sports Items Online

You can no w submit competition results , ideas for stories, nominations for Athlete Spotlight and Spor ts Shor ts on our W ebsite. Go to www .claytonpioneer.com. On the left side of the pag e, under “Spor ts Items” you will find links to the proper for ms.

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Page B4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports Strikers win soccer Triple Crown The MDSA Strik ers Under 10 boys team had a perfect season. The Mt. Diablo Soccer Association team, coached b y Kevin O’Lear y and K eith Freitas, claimed the regular season, post season and Mt. Diablo Cup titles.

Their team record for the fall season w as an impressi ve 20-0-0.

Forwards R yan F reitas, Donald Hollars , Jack O’Lear y and Jonathan Sullivan and midfielders R yan Bolender , Jonah Howard, Nick Lamph, Felipe Medina and Spencer W allin worked tog ether to score 72 goals.

Defenders Conner Antonson, Liam T otton and Sahib Tiw ana suppor ted g oalkeeper Hank R obichaud, limiting opposing teams to just 13 goals.

The season ’s highlight w as winning the Mt. Diablo Cup by outscoring a tough Yellowjacket’s team 6-2 in the final. The Strik ers combined unselfish offense with ag gressive defense and displa yed great sportmanship.

It took some hard w ork, determination and maybe a little luck. During the J an. 20-21 weekend, several Mt. Diablo Soccer League (MDSL) Class I soccer teams pla yed their preliminary round of the CYSA

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

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THE MDSA STRIKERS ENJOYED A PERFECT FALL SOCCER SEASON; 20 wins – 0 ties – 0-losses. Back row: Coach Kevin O’leary, Donald Hollars, Felipe Medina, Ryan Freitas, Hank Robichaud, Connor Antonson, Coach Keith Freitas; Middle row: Jonah Howard, Nick Lamph, Spencer Wallin, Sahib Tiwana, Liam Totton; Seated: Ryan Bolender, Johnathan Sullivan, Jack O’Leary.

Class I soccer teams ad vance in CYSA tourney DEANNA MERRIGAN Clayton Pioneer

February 9, 2007

State Cup and advanced in their divisions; earning a spot in the “Sweet 16.”

With 60 to 70 teams competing in eac h di vision, the top spots w ere hard to come b y.

Each team needed to win their bracket in order to mo ve ahead in the highly anticipated California Y outh Soccer

Association tournament.

The girls of the U11 Stor m, coached b y Stacey Sha w and Paul Kitc hell, won all three of their games in Morgan Hill. The Arsenal, the U12 girls team coached b y Dean W eisz and Mark Tkac henko, went undefeated o ver three g ames, with three shutouts.

The Velocity, an U13 team, also w on all three of their games. Coached b y Brian Voltattorni, Russ Marines and Alex Delg ado, this team w as a State Cup semi-finalist a year ago.

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See CYSA, page B5

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Photo courtesy of MDSL Arsenal

THE MDSL ARSENAL CELEBRATES AS THEY ADVANCE IN THEIR DIVISION OF THE CYSA STATE CUP. From top left: Coach Dean Weisz, Gabriella Tracy, Marianna Rumpf, Kayla Click, Jocelyn Amable, Taylor Patton, Daniella Amaya, Michaela Maes, Sarah Frantz, Coach Mark Tkachenko. From bottom left: Amanda Klekar, Callie Goodman, Marissa Merrigan, Hilary Buchanan, Jasmine Bandayrel, Katelyn Rader.

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February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B5

IRS releases tax numbers for ‘07 Tax law requires that cer tain numbers be adjusted for inf lation each year. Take these 2007 adjustments into account as you do your 2007 tax planning.

The standard mileag e rate for business dri ving increases from 44.5 cents per mile to 48.5 cents, effective Jan. 1. The rate for medical and moving mileage increases from 18 cents per mile to 20 cents. The general rate for charitable mileage remains at 14 cents per mile.

The first-year expensing limit for the purc hase of business equipment increases from $108,000 to $112,000.

The expensing election phases out once total purc hases for 2007

CAROL KEANE, CPA

TAX TIPS exceed $450,000.

The maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax increases from $94,200 to $97,500.

The “nanny tax” threshold remains at $1,500 for 2007. If

you pa y household w orkers more than this amount during the year , you’re responsible for payroll tax es. The “kiddie tax” threshold remains at $1,700, but the age threshold was raised last year to 18. If your c hild under age 18 has more than $1,700 of unearned income in 2007 (e .g., dividends and interest income), the excess will be tax ed at y our highest rate.

The maxim um indi vidual retirement account (IRA) contribution you can mak e in 2007 remains unchanged at $4,000 if you’re under ag e 50 and at $5,000 if you are 50 or older.

The maxim um amount of wages employees can put into a

401(k) plan increases from $15,000 to $15,500. The maximum allowed for SIMPLE plans increases to $10,500. If you are 50 or older , you can contribute up to $20,500 to a 401(k) and $13,000 to a SIMPLE plan.

The estate tax ex emption remains at $2 million, but the top estate tax rate drops from 46 percent to 45 percent. The annual gift tax ex clusion remains at $12,000 for 2007.

For details or a more complete review of 2007 c hanges that could affect y our tax planning, contact a tax planner.

Carol Keane is a Cer tified Pub lic Accountant in W alnut Cr eek. Email her at carol@carolkeanecpa.com.

Clayton Sports Namely, what do y ou w ant t o do in the y ears ahead? Ma ybe join the P eace Corps? Mak e y our own mo vie? Star t a ne w business, perhaps? Or maybe you’re not even sure.

Sports Shorts

As an Ameriprise financial advisor, I am proud to exclusively offer the Dream Book.SM It’s a guide to help y ou figure out what e xactly you want to do in the y ears ahead, and it’s the per fect starting point for us to develop a financial plan that can help get you there.

GIRLS GOLF PROGRAM IN WALNUT CREEK The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Walnut Creek is a developmental g olf program for girls ag es 7-17. The organization pro vides professional instruction in a suppor tive and friendly atmosphere , and encourages young ladies to learn to pla y the g ame and build friendships.

It features 20 hands-on clinics and on-course pla y-days throughout 2007 at Boundar y Oaks, Grayson Woods, and Pine

So call me at (925) 685-4523 today or stop by our office for a complimentary copy of the Dream Book .

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

Meadow Golf Courses.

For more infor mation, or to sign up, call Bill Schmeh at 925524-8900 any day 8-5.

DIABLO BOWMAN ARCHERY CLUB LADIES ONLY DAY The club is in viting all women 14 and up who ha ve an interest or w ant to tak e beginning archery lessons to come to the club on Marc h 3 from 12-4.

Join other women at the potluck to eat, talk and ev en ha ve a quick arc hery lesson. If inter-

Fitness, from page B2

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training class whic h includes a one-hour workout with rotating exercises. Clients spend a few minutes on eac h apparatus or exercise w orking ev ery major muscle g roup as w ell as different parts of the body. The program is held ev ery Monda y, Wednesday and F riday. “It’s an incentive for me to g et here ,” adds McEuen.

Lagau encourag es w orkouts tailored to meet an indi vidual’s needs. He tak es time to meet with a perspecti ve client to talk about goals, any medical conditions and daily sc hedule. “I encourage people to w ork at their own pace, but they must be consistent,” says Lagau.

There are usually tw o orientation sessions and follo w-up in

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ested, call Diane Montanez at the Diablo Bo wmen Arc hery Club (916) 685-4640. For directions and more infor mation, check out the w ebsite at www.diablobowmen.org MDSL T RYOUTS Mount Diablo Soccer League (MDSL) will be holding tr youts for girls and bo ys competiti ve soccer teams for the U9 to U14 age groups. Tryouts will be held on F eb. 25, 27, Mar. 1, 4.

Tryouts will be held at Boatwright Sports Complex and Clayton V alley High Sc hool.

Please c heck our w ebsite www.mdslsoccer.org or call (925) 672-3532 for further details. two to four weeks.

Clayton Fitness and Tanning offers cardio vascular work outs, strength training, free w eights and personal training . There’s also a tanning salon, showers, music and televisions for the cardio area.

For long-time Cla yton resident Mik e Calam usa, Clayton Fitness and T anning is a “no nonsense” place to w ork out.

“I’m there to be serious about weightlifting and w ork on m y boyish figure,” he says. “I’m not

Submit y our Spor ts Shor ts items at www.claytonpioneer.com there to pla y g ames. I w ant to get there and w ork out, ” he adds.

He’s been doing just that for about a year and contin ues to work out three to four times a week. “Frank and Mik e are great at understanding m uscle groups, and they are g reat people,” Calamusa sa ys. He lik ens Clayton Fitness to the mo vie Cheers, “where ev erybody knows your name.”

See ad on page B2.

CYSA, from page B4 “This is a g reat achievement for our club … as w e look to develop our competiti ve teams and our training prog ram,” said Randy R owland, MDSL coac h coordinator.

At this stag e of the tour nament, a loss puts the team out, but a win puts them into the quarterfinals and one ste p closer to the c hampionship. The State Cup tour nament is pla yed

over sev eral w eekends beginning in J anuary and finishing in February.

One parent from the Arsenal, Rebecca Rader , summed it up with: “Here’s wishing y ou the best of luck girls. We’re behind y ou all the way.”

For mor e infor mation, chec k out www .mdslsoccer.org or www.cysanorth.org.

Call today for a personal tour & complimentary lunch

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NEW MASTERS SWIM PROGRAM AT OAKHURST A new Masters T eam is forming at Oakhurst Countr y Club. The program is conducted

by Serg e Victor with mor ning practices at the Countr y Club .

Serge in vites any one who is interested in pre paring for Masters Swim meets or those who just w ant to g et in shape .

There is no previous competitive swimming experience necessary. For more infor mation call Victor at 672-9737 ext, 207 or email him at Swimwithserge@comcast.net.

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Page B6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Valentine’s Day:

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

How did it start?

There are sev eral explanations of the origin of Valentine’s Day. Let the romantic in y ou decide whic h one is best.

THE FEAST OF LUPERCUS The first inter pretation has this celebration originating as a pagan tradition in the third century. During this time hordes of hungry w olves roamed outside of Rome where she pherds kept their flocks. The God Lupercus, was said to watch over the shepherds and their f locks and k eep them from the w olves. Every February the R omans celebrated a feast called Lupercalia to honor Lupercus so that no harm would come to the she pherds and their flocks. Also during Lupercalia, but in honor of the g oddess Juno Februata, the names of young w omen w ere put into a bo x and names w ere drawn by lot. The boys and girls who w ere matc hed w ould be considered partners for the year, which began in March. This celebration contin ued long after wolves w ere a problem to Rome.

ST. VALENTINE’S DAY As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old heathen practices .

To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration of the F east of Lubercus, the c hurch officials c hanged the name to St. Valentine’s Day. To give the celebration fur ther meaning and eliminate pag an traditions , priests substituted the dra wing of Saints names for the names of the girls . On St. Valentine’s Day the priest placed saint’ s names into an ur n or bo x. The young people then drew a name from the container . In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name he had drawn.

By the four teenth centur y they reverted back to the use of girl’s names . In the sixteenth

century they once ag ain tried to have saintly valentines but it was as unsuccessful as the first attempt.

While it can’t be proved historically, there w ere sev en men named Valentine who were honored with feasts on F ebruary 14th. Of these men, two stories link incidents that could ha ve given our present da y meaning to St. Valentine’s Day. One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius .

Valentine w as rev ered b y the young and old, rich and poor , with people of all walks of life attending his ser vices. At this time Emperor Claudius w as heavily recr uiting men to ser ve as soldiers for his w ars without much success . The men preferred not to lea ve their wi ves, families and sweethearts to fight in foreign lands . Claudius became angry and declared that no more mar riages could be performed and all eng agements were cancelled.

Valentine thought this to be unfair and secretly mar ried several couples . When Claudius found out, he threw Valentine in prison where he died. Friends of the priest retrieved his body and buried it in a c hurchyard in Rome.

Another v ersion had St. Valentine jailed for helping Christians. While Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer’ s daughter of blindness. Claudius became enrag ed and had Valentine clubbed and beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D. Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in lo ve with the jailer’s daughter and wrote her letters that w ere signed “F rom your Valentine.”

All of the sev en V alentines eventually ev olved into one . In 496 Pope Gelasius declared the day in honor of St. Valentine.

Through the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange lo ve messag es and

February 9, 2007

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St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Lovers’ quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of engaged couples and of anyone wishing to mar ry.

(925) 524-0295 William Kant, Pastor

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

14TH - T HE DAY BEGAN TO MATE The Europeans also believed that on February 14th the birds began to choose their mates. In fact Chaucer, in his “P arlement of Foules,” wrote: “For this was Seynt V alentine’s Da y when every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

John Donne wrote: FEBRUARY THE BIRDS

Hail Bishop V alentine! w hose day this is; All the air is thy diocese, And all the chir ping choristers And other birds ar e thy parishioners: Thou marryest ever year…!

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The Christian tradition of drawing names on St. Valentine’s Ev e contin ued in England and other places . The tradition of birds choosing their mates on St. Valentine’s Day led to the idea that bo ys and girls would do the same . Now when a y outh drew a girl’ s name , he wore it on his sleev e, and attended and protected her during the follo wing year . This made the girl his v alentine and they ex changed lo ve tok ens throughout the year . Later this was changed to only men giving love tok ens to females , usually without names but signed “with St. Valentine’s Love.”

St. Valentine’s Day was mentioned b y Shak espeare. The poet, Drayton, wrote v erses entitled “T o His V alentine,” in which he expressed the idea of the birds’ mating on St. Valentine’s Day. Each little bird this tide Doth choose her beloved peer, Which constantly abide In wedlock all the year.

Boyce Nichols - Owner - Clayton resident

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Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church 925-672-4848 1578 Kirker Pass Road Mission Statement to

follow the risen Christ by studying His Word to live God's love through service to others to nurture our church family to accept all who enter our doors to tell others about God’s grace

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Sundays 10:30 a.m.

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Church News ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH On Feb. 11, the day before the 198th bir thday of Charles Darwin, churches across the country are celebrating “Evolution Sunda y,” and St. John’s Episcopal Churc h in Clayton is among them.

“In a time of religious fracturing and di vision, we are delighted to proclaim that one need not c hoose betw een a

religious understanding of the world and a scientifically informed view of creation,” says interim pastor Jim Stickney.

At the 8 and 10 a.m. services, St. John’s will feature a choral reading of the Genesis creation stor y, hymns whic h embody a holistic w orld view and a ser mon which illustrates the compatibility of genuine religious expression and g ood

science.

St. John’s is at 5555 Clayton Road. For more infor mation, call 672-8855 or visit www.saintjohnsparish.org.

CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Dads are in vited to bring their Sw eetheart daughters to the Daddy Daughter Dance on Saturday, Feb. 10, in the Diablo Valley Middle Sc hool Gym.

The event will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and cost is $10.

This evening out with y our daughter includes a DJ pla ying all of your fa vorite dance music, delicious desserts and a professional picture of you and your Sweetheart.

Register at the Cla yton Community Churc h office on Main Street or call Debbie Bluth at 827-9090.

The Clayton Pioneer’s “Music Notes” columnist

Clayton’s own

La Veranda Café 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

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

Visit MusicTogetherofConcord.com or call Julia McLeod at

925 946 2990 to arrange a free preview.

Give the Gift of Music!

February 9, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B7

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., FEB. 14 FOR THE FEB. 23 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH FEB. 12 The Art of Retirement @ Loma Vista Adult Center 7 - 9 p.m. The course is five weeks in length and costs $18 for people 55plus. 02/12 topics include senior power, happiness in retirement, avoiding future shock, and graduation. For class information call George Fulmore at (925) 686-6916. Call (925) 937-1530 for registration information. Loma Vista Adult Center, located at 1266 San Carlos Ave, Concord.

THROUGH FEB. 18 Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein @ Diablo Valley College Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Some Enchanted Evening is a celebration of songs from many of the greatest musicals of all time: Carousel, Cinderella, Oklahoma, Flower Drum Song, South Pacific and Sound Of Music.

The songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein have become an integral part of our everyday lives. This stunning collection of compositions reminds you of why Rodgers & Hammerstein are our most beloved composer and lyricist. Tickets $12 - $15. Call the box office at 6874445. Diablo Valley College Performing Arts Center, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill.

THROUGH FEB. 27 Patty Cakes Story Time @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Tuesdays. Story time for babies to children 3 years old. No registration required. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

and how to move forward with your solar project. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

FEB. 24 Hearty Cooking with Joey Altman @ John Muir Medical Center 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Join Chef Joey Altman, KRON 4 Bay Café television host, for a live cooking demonstration. Registered dietitian Kathy Napoli adds pointers on heart healthy dining. Includes free health screenings and healthy food sampling. For more information or to register online visit johnmuirhealth.com or call (925) 941-7900, options 3. John Muir Medical Center, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598-3122.

FEB. 24 Teacher/Certificated Staff Recruitment Fair @ Alhambra High School, Martinez 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) is presenting the fair, at which representatives from all 18 school districts in Contra Costa County, as well as the CCCOE will be on hand to talk to perspective employees. Counselors from local colleges will be on hand to discuss their school's teaching credential programs for new teachers, as well as re-entry teachers. Alhambra High School, 150 E. Street, Martinez.

FEB. 28 Classic Movie Night @ Clayton Community Library 6:30 p.m. Gang turf war in Oklahoma. Adapted from a best selling teenage classic. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

MARCH 1 The Cat in the Hat Party @ Clayton Community Library 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. The Cat in the Hat turns 50. Join us in the Community Room for stories, games, and crafts to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday and the Read Across America Program. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

THROUGH FEB. 28 Reading is Fun Book Club @ Clayton Community Library For children in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Ask Librarian for details.

673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

FEB. 11, 18, 25 Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting @ Clayton Community Church 7 - 8 p.m. AA Big Book Study, every Sunday night in the meeting room at Clayton Community Church, 6055 Main Street, Clayton, 673-9060.

THROUGH MAR. 1 Picture Book Time @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Thursdays. Story time for children 3 to 5 years old. . No registration required. Child may attend without caregiver. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

Feb. 11 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.

FEB. 10 Daddy Daughter Dance @ Clayton Community Gym 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. The theme is Sweetheart Ball. Dads - join us and bring your Sweetheart daughter to the Daddy Daughter Dance. The evening includes a DJ playing all of your favorite dance music, delicious desserts, and a professional picture of you and your Sweetheart. Please register at the Clayton Community Church office on Main Street or call Debbie Bluth at 827-9090. This is great opportunity to spend some special time with your daughter. $10.00 per person. This dance is open to everyone in Clayton and Concord. Clayton Community Gym, 700 Gym Court.

FEB. 12 Clayton Valley 4-H Club @ Farm Bureau Hall 7:15 p.m. 4-H is open to youth ages 5 - 19 and adults. Projects in small and large animals, leadership, community service, 4-H camp, conferences and fairs. Learn new skills including cooking, photography, arts/crafts etc.

Contact Candy Hogan at 925- 969-1325 for more information. Meetings held on the second Mon. of the month Sept. - June. Farm Bureau Hall, 5554 Clayton Rd. Concord.

FEB. 11 Clayton Historical Society Camellia Tea @ Clayton Historical Museum 1 - 4 p.m. The Clayton Historical Society is hosting its 30th annual Camellia Tea at the museum. Tea, coffee, punch and cookies will be served. There is no admission charge but donations are welcome. Children accompanied by adults may attend. Call 672-0240 for more information. Clayton Historical Museum, 6101 Main Street.

FEB. 14 Pajama Story Time @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. Beat the bedtime blues with stories, songs and a craft at the library.

The whole family is invited to pajama story time. You can wear your comfy pajamas and bring your favorite stuffed animal too. Registration is required.

673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

FEB. 15 BART Presentation hosted by League of Women Voters in Walnut Creek 7 - 9 p.m. BART turns 35, what's next? We all have questions about BART and how it impacts us on an individual basis. What transit oriented development is planned for our area, parking and smart cards, bus connections, earthquake safety and train frequency. Speaker is Ms Murray, a VP of the BART Board of Directors. All are welcome to join us for an interesting and informative meeting. For further information call the League office at (925) 283-2235. City Hall, 1666 Main Street, 3rd floor conference room, Walnut Creek.

FEB. 12 Stroke Support Group of Contra Costa County @ John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek 7 p.m. Join stroke survivors, caregivers and health professionals as they discuss issues, challenges and suggestions for living with stroke.The speaker will be Eileen Nevitt, LCSW. She will discuss transitions from the hospital.

She will be joined by Chris Rose Franks, MPTA discussing eldercare services.

For more information, contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public. John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek Campus, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Ball Auditorium located in the basement Walnut Creek.

FEB. 13, 20, 27 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.

FEB. 13, 27 Clayton Valley Woman's Club @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church 9:30 a.m. Regular monthly business meeting starts with coffee; the meeting begins at 10 a.m. CVWC is a non-profit, non-denominational service organization that is open to all women interested in charitable work in the Clayton Valley community. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tues. of the month. For more information, please call Joyce at 672-3850 or Sheila at 672-7947. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord.

FEB. 21 Casino Trip to Jackson Rancheria from Diamond Terrace 9:30 a.m. bus will depart from Diamond Terrace Retirement Community, returning at approximately 5:30 p.m. Cost is $26. Checks and reservations must be received at Diamond Terrace by Feb. 1. Diamond Terrace Retirement Community, 6401 Center Street, 524-5100.

FEB. 14 Creekside Artists Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. Special Valentine’s Day Meeting. Come join this unique group of eclectic artists that meet the 2nd Wed. of each month. If you like, bring your artwork for review - all levels and all art forms are welcome! "We provide an environment for all artists to inspire, create, educate and prosper."

Call Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen at (925) 673-9777, or email akikkawa@ccclib.org with questions.

FEB. 21 Solar Energy 101: Making Electricity from the Sun @ Clayton Community Library 7 - 8:30 p.m. NorCal Solar Energy Assoc. will present a workshop for home and business owners considering investing in solar energy. The workshop will cover the basic technologies, the economic and environmental benefits,

FEB. 14 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace 7 p.m. The Clayton Valley Garden Club meets the second Wed. of the month. This month, Laura and David Osteen of Secret Garden Plant Nursery and Landscapes, Clayton, will introduce their new, start-up nursery busi-

EAR NEW LOOK NEW Y Why not redo the dining room drapes and table runners, reupholster the old sofa with fabulous new fabric for a great new look for the New Year!

New Year, New Style, New Home!

Call Joanna at (925) 673-8911 Clayton Resident

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ness. All plants are grown from seed locally to insure success in the Clayton-Concord climate. The Club maintains the flowers on Daffodil Hill, the planters on Main Street, and the raised garden beds at the Library, and other civic projects. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome at our meetings. Call Jeff at 672-7579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton.

FEB. 15, 22 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast that usually features a speaker. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 689-7640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

FEB. 15, 22 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meetings on Thurs. 800-326-8450 x 2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord.

Feb. 15 Veterans of Foreign Wars Meeting @ Veterans Memorial Hall, Concord 6 p.m. Meeting begins. at 7 p.m. VFW meets the third Thurs. of the month.

All Veterans of foreign wars are invited to attend. The VFW is here to support eligible Veterans and their families. Wives and daughters of eligible Veterans are invited to join the Ladies Auxiliary. Meetings are held at Veterans Memorial Hall, corner of Colfax and Willow Pass Road, Concord.

FEB. 21 Ygnacio Valley Republican Women @ Oakhurst County Club.

10 a.m. meeting, 12 p.m. lunch. The cost for lunch is $20. YVRW meets the 3rd Wed. of the month. Go to www.yvrwf.org for information. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

FEB. 28 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the fourth Wed. 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.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT FEB. 13, 20, 27 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.

FEB. 13, 27 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Community 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.

FEB. 20, MAR. 6 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 City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.

FEB. 22 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.

MAR. 8 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thurs. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION FEB. 13 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Diablo View Middle School 7 p.m. Meeting to be held in the school library. All parents welcome. Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

FEB. 20 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Mt. Diablo Elementary 7:00 p.m., Multi Use Room. Make a difference in your child's education. For items to be included on the agenda, contact Stacey Wickware 673-1999, the5wicks@sbcglobal.net or Kristy Smith 673-1795, kristinsmith@yahoo.com, PFC Co-Presidents. Childcare is available. Watch website for details. http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary/.

MAR. 1 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @Clayton Valley High School 7:00 p.m. If you show your child that you care about their school, your child will care too. Together we can make a difference! The meeting will be held in the school library. Clayton Valley High School, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.

Page B8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

February 9, 2007

Addressing the special needs of shelter dogs PAWS

AND

CLAWS

Since m y last tw o columns focused on how to select a new dog for y our family , it seemed prudent to address the adoption of a shelter dog.

Adopting a dog from the shelter can be one of the most rewarding experiences a prospective pet owner can have.

Because it can be suc h a w onderful experience , people are often curious as to why there are so many unw anted adult dogs available at shelters.

Some animals end up in shelters because they are older , have health problems or their owners ha ve mo ved away a nd can’t keep them. However, people most often relinquish their dogs because of behavior problems. In fact, behavior problems are the No . 1 reason pets are euthanized in the United States.

Although the humane movement still g enerally considers pet o verpopulation its primar y concern, most beha viorists and trainers believ e that helping people solv e their pet beha vior problems should be a top priority.

An all too common scenario for the shelter dog is this: An owner acquires a dog . Owner is unable to control the animal’ s behavior. Owner gi ves the animal to a local shelter . The animal is placed with a new o wner, who ma y or ma y not be a ware of the animal’s beha vior problems. The new o wner is unpre-

human-animal bond and mak e giving up a pet somewhat easier.

Training is the key to unlocking this vicious cycle and ultimately saving the li ves of these dogs.

Many animal shelters nationwide are expanding their focus and redefining the w ay they do business b y developing training programs that combine basic dog beha vior with obedience training. These progressive shelters offer not only free or lo wcost training classes , but they counsel o wners on ho w to establish and maintain a bond with their adult dogs.

For example , the Marin Humane Society offers a Good

Manners class . Dogs a vailable for adoption tak e par t in a weekly class in basic beha vior.

Prospective owners are encouraged to attend the classes and observe the dogs before making any final adoption decisions.

Programs suc h as this ha ve incredible success rates , as measured b y adopted animals that remain in their new homes .

Unfortunately, the budg ets of most shelters are limited and many cannot afford to institute such prog rams. This is where local trainers , behavior specialists and other animal adv ocates can be of service.

See Dogs, page B10

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pared for these established problems. The animal ends up at the shelter again.

Many shelter dogs are seasoned v eterans at being transferred from o wner to o wner.

The most common beha vior problems seen in shelter dogs are inability to housetrain, incessant barking, destructiveness and aggressive behavior. For the most part, these behavior problems are potentially cor rectable.

It is unfor tunate that because these beha vior problems ha ve failed to be addressed, these dogs rarely become integ rated into new families. Generally speaking, behavior problems disr upt the

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TAHITI

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B9

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35- ___ Darya (Asian river) 36- Radiograph 37- Magistrate 38- Censure 40- Body of peers 41- Arm cover 42- Dark cloud 43- Central 44- Turkish palace 45- Chicken, e.g.

46- Drunkards 47- On the up-and-up, briefly 49- Become firm 51- A structural gene 54- Prepares for billiards 58- Positions 59- Male servant 63- Smallest component 64- Run away to get married 65- Fencing sword 66- Crown of the head 67- Royal 68- Ooze

27- Plentiful 28- Thick fleshy underground stem 30- Cushion 32- Budget alternative 33- Toe or finger 34- Sows 36- Spanish Jesuit missionary 37- Ringing instruments 39- Actual time 40- Animal foot 42- Cooking container 45- End 46- Used in building casks 48- Private Pyle 50- Be human 51- Applaud 52- Very small quantity 53- Nae sayer?

55- Headland 56- Leg joint 57- Word that can succeed dance, foot and door 60- Beverage made with beaten eggs 61- Mineral spring 62- Long, thin snake-like fish

Solution for 1/19 Crossword

DOWN

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Page B10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

February 9, 2007

Oranges: Not just for breakfast anymore

LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

Unfortunately due to this year’s J anuary freeze , oranges will be a scarce commodity .

Nevertheless, this is their season and the orang es that do make it to our mark et bins shouldn’t be overlooked.

There are three main v arieties of oranges: sweet (for eating and juicing, like na vel and Valencia), loose skinned (suc h as mandarins) and bitter (suc h as Seville and berg amot which are used only in oils and cooked dishes).

In all lik elihood, the bitter orange originated in China while sweet varieties were cultivated in India and Myanmar (Burma). Roman traders brought bac k orang es from India but, after the fall of the Roman Empire , growth and importation of oranges stopped literally for centuries.

Meanwhile, the Moors planted orang e trees across North Africa and brought them to souther n Spain and

Sicily around the 8th Centur y A.D. Christopher Columbus took orang e seeds (kno wn as “pips”) to the Caribbean and Portuguese colonists brought oranges to Brazil.

Today Brazil is the w orld’s leading producer of oranges, supplying half of the world’s supply of orange juice and 80 percent of the world trade in concentrated orang e juice .

United States’ orange production is a distant second.

A single m utation in 1820 in a Brazilian orc hard led to the dev elopment of the na vel orange. Almost alw ays seedless, navels tend to be larg er than most other sw eet oranges. The “na vel” comes from a small undeveloped twin fruit that grows at the blossom end. A single cutting from the “Bahia” orange was planted in Riverside in the 1870’ s, establishing the Califor nia orang e industry.

We are no w seeing Cara Cara orang es, which are a variation of the navel but with a pink f lesh almost lik e a red grapefruit, that are mostly imported from V enezuela. In addition, blood or Moro oranges are becoming more available in Califor nia markets. These fruits have streaks of red, dark burgundy colored juice and a hint of raspberry flavor.

Oranges are distincti ve fruits in that they pair w ell

Dogs, from page B8 Although all dogs can benefit from obedience training, it is of particular impor tance for dogs acquired from shelters . Only 30

percent of dog-owning households have an obedience sc hool graduate, which means the majority of dogs are trained sole-

with both sw eet (tr y cinnamon and n utmeg) and sa vory (try g arlic, basil and th yme) dishes.

ORANGE BALSAMIC SAUCE 2 Tbsp butter ½ c shallots, minced ½ c onions, minced 1 c orange juice, fresh ½ c pre pared orang e marmalade ½ c balsamic vineg ar 1 tsp salt ½ tsp fresh ground pepper Heaping teaspoon of orange zest Sauté shallots and onions in butter until quite soft and golden (5-7 min utes). Add remaining ing redients and cook o ver medium lo w heat until syr up thic kens (about 30 min utes). Perfect as a glaze for c hicken and roast pork.

“Oranges are distinctive fruits in that they pair well with both sweet (try cinnamon and nutmeg) and savory (try garlic, basil and thyme) dishes.”

Linda Wyner

ly by their owners. While there is nothing wrong with people training their dogs , structured obedience classes allo w o wners to learn about dog beha vior and how species-specific beha vior patterns affect learning.

In addition, classes promote

SNAPPER WITH ORANGE SALSA 1 blood orang e or Cara Cara orange ½ a vocado, peeled and cubed ½ c chopped red onion 1 Tbsp minced jalapeño Juice of one lime 1 lb. red snapper fillets 1 Tbsp oli ve oil or rice bran oil Peel orange and use paring knife to cut orang e segments out of their membrane . Add avocado, onion, jalapeño and lime juice . Gently stir to blend.

Heat oil in hea vy skillet over medium-high heat and season fillets with salt and pepper. Sauté until bro wned on one side , turn o ver and repeat. (Approximately 3-4 minutes per side .) Ser ve with orange salsa.

Oranges also complement a wide v ariety of wines, from

VIN D’ORANGE 1 c clear brandy Peels from 2 orang es (no pith) 2 star anise pods ½ c sugar 1 750 ml bottle merlot Combine brandy, peel and anise in co vered container or jar. Let stee p for 10-14 da ys, shaking from time to time .

Strain into another clean co v-

socialization among dogs in a friendly setting that also encourages the dev elopment of the human-animal bond. This formal setting seems to be ev en more critical for the shelter dog.

A class situation fosters relationship for mation and helps the dog understand its place in the new family. All the more reason for ev ery family member (kids, too) to attend classes with the new family dog.

Whether an owner chooses a book, video or instructor for his shelter dog, the most impor tant aspect that should be assessed is the style of the training method.

The training methodolog y should be g entle. A system based on rew ards and positi ve reinforcement is m uch more successful with these dogs than methods that use punishment to correct inappropriate behavior.

A quiet, yet fir m style is often successful with shelter dogs, given that their experience with people has been so v aried and unpredictable . Some of these dogs ma y also be survivors of extremely difficult, neglectful or perhaps ev en abusive home environments.

Dogs that ha ve been exposed to these types of situations frequently do not respond to “hea vy-handed” training methods. They often retreat and appear to be unreac hable or stubborn. This makes training a

shelter dog more c hallenging, but rew arding. Only through obedience training can a new owner unlock the potential in a shelter dog.

Most o wners disco ver that they ha ve to ear n their adult shelter dog’ s tr ust before they can begin training. This is a surprising and new experience for people who ha ve previously owned puppies. Puppies, for the most par t, are incredibly tr usting creatures that lear n quic kly and somewhat effor tlessly and only learn to distrust their owners if they are treated poorly.

Consistency, patience and perseverance are the hallmarks of a good training methodology and will bring out the best in any dog. Owners must be consistent in their training methods , patient as their dogs lear n what is expected from them and persevere when their dogs c hallenge their authority or stubbornly reject the lessons.

Dog ownership is a privilege, and making an adult shelter dog a member of your family is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. When choosing a shelter dog, it is impor tant to remember that one-four th to one-half of all the adult dogs available for adoption at animal shelters are there because of serious beha vioral problems .

This means these dogs require special consideration by all fam-

Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio to Cabernet, Zinfandel and even Syrah. I adapted a Dean & Deluca cookbook recipe a few years ag o whic h we enjo y on w arm summer evenings.

ered container and add sug ar and merlot. Allow the new mixture to stand for one da y.

Serve with ice or mix with lemon and lime soda.

As a final par ting bit of trivia: there appears to be no word that rh ymes with orange. Now, “orange” you glad you know that?

Linda W yner is an accomplished chef and “foodie.” She has r ecently opened her new kitchen store and cooking school, Pans On Fire, in Pleasanton.

Direct your sug gestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

ily members and m ust be gi ven some time to adjust to their new surroundings.

It is also impor tant for all family members to be in volved in the obedience training and to begin obedience training early .

Consult with y our v eterinarian as w ell as trainers and animal behavior specialists reg arding the best means to correct particular behavior problems. Be sure to ask wh y this dog w as relinquished to the shelter so y ou can better deter mine y our course of action and whether this dog’s problems are ones you can deal within your family.

Early inter vention with regard to any beha vior problem is key. Don’t disregard any inappropriate beha vior (e .g., Oh well, he dug a hole in the yard.

He’s still g etting used to li ving here, so it’ s probably OK).

Instead, get help immediately.

In order to stop the cycle of dogs being re peatedly relinquished to shelters , veterinarians, dog fanciers , behaviorists, trainers and other animal adv ocates must join together to educate owners about dog behavior and how to li ve and thri ve with the dogs these people already own.

Julie Bond is an animal behaviorist. Address your pet questions to her at P.O. Box 21552, Concord, CA, or y ou can e-mail her at K9Freud@aol.com.

Marsh Creek/Morgan Territory Residents

This is for you!