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FEBRUARY 10, 2006
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Easley Ranch dates back to 1882 DAVE SHUEY
MAYOR’S CORNER The Good, the Bad and the Ugly I like old movies and believe there is a movie quote to cover most situations. So, this column is about “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” First, the good. This is a proud dad moment. My family has finally received our coveted referral for adopting a little girl from China. We hope Catherine Elizabeth Shuey will be coming to Clayton for good by the end of May, when Shelly and I go to China to pick her up. Samantha and AJ can’t wait for their little sister, and Shelly and I just can’t stop grinning. So, I am pleased to share this with all of you. Now, the bad. Clayton is not doing enough recycling. The specifics of our goals and requirements from the state are detailed below (under the ugly section), but it is sufficient to know that we need to do more now and in the future. The easy solution is that your brown garbage can must be bigger than your blue one. If everyone in the city does this simple thing, we will exceed our recycling goals. I bet someone is thinking, “But Shoe, my brown and blue cans are the same size, so I am doing my part.” No, like I said: The brown can must be BIGGER than the blue can. Those who know me probably are aware that recycling is a real strong issue of mine. I firmly believe that it is our duty to our children and future generations to do everything we can to keep our community and world clean and provide resources to meet their needs. Recycling is a large part of this duty.
See Mayor, page A6
What’s inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . .A2 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Upcoming Events . . . . . . .A4 Classifieds and Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .A5 Letters to the Editor . . . . .A7 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 School News . . . . . . . . . . .A10 At The Movies . . . . . . . . .A11 Just My Opinion . . . . . . . .A11 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . .A12 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . .A13
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
The Easley Ranch on Marsh Creek Road near downtown was once a 600 acre vineyard, making it the largest winery in the county at the time. PAM WEISENDANGER Special to the Clayton Pioneer
Take a slow stroll past the Easley Ranch on Marsh Creek Road and you can’t help but feel like you have gone back in time. You can almost hear the footsteps of ranch hands on the porch from the home’s
bunkhouse days in the early 1900s, or the cheer of the crowd at one of the Clayton Round Ups in the late 1900s. This pastoral property was part of the Mt. Diablo Vineyard Co. organized in 1882 by Jacob Levi, an importer and wholesale grocer from San Francisco. In 1888, the winery was run by
Moses Samuel, who formed Samuel Brothers & Co. With his three sons, Samuel increased the vineyard acreage from 100 to 600 acres making it the largest winery in the county. Mission, Zinfandel, Chasselas and Riesling grapes were planted at the time. Up to 400,000 gallons of wine were produced
from the vineyard. In 1911, Samuel Brothers sold the land to Italian Swiss Colony, another wine-producing company. Italian Swiss Colony expanded production to include premium varieties, such as Petite Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Semillon and Sauvignon.
In 1919, Colony sold the property for $50,000. Letters at the Clayton Museum indicate the Eberharts owned and lived on the property from 1924 to ’26. At the time, the property had 1,000 acres, 500 of which were vineyards.
See Easley, page A6
Enter the Pioneer’s 2006 Presidents Day Essay Contest What if George Washington or Abraham Lincoln were running for president today? How would they see the current issues facing our nation: homeland security, burgeoning national debt, and the technological revolution to name only a few? What would they think was America’s greatest strength? Biggest problem? What solutions would Washington or Lincoln propose? Who
would be their greatest supporters? Who would be their sharpest critics? In our 2006 Presidents’ Day Essay Contest, Clayton students from all grade levels and all schools have the opportunity to make their history lessons come alive by answering the question: “If George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were running for
president today, who would you vote for and why?” The contest is open to all students, grades 1-12, who are residents of Clayton. Three winners and three honorable mentions will be chosen; one from elementary grades 1-5, middle school grades 6-8 and high school grades 9-12. Essays must be at least 250 words long and not more than 650 words, typewritten and submitted electronically as a Word or Word Perfect
attachment to an email. Email your essay to essay@claytonpioneer.com or bring it to the office on a diskette or CD. Writer of the winning essays will receive a check payable to his or her school for $100 to spend as the student directs and the winning essays will be published in our February 24 issue. Deadline for entry is
February 13 at 5 p.m. Essays will be judged on the following: Quality of ideas and clarity of expression, creativity and composition and style including grammar, spelling and punctuation. Please be sure your entry includes your name, address, telephone number, school and grade. GOOD LUCK
Couples talk about lasting love and late-in-life romance In celebration of Valentine’s Day, the Pioneer talks with seasoned lovers about how they keep love and romance on the front burner
SECTION B Food For Thought . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . .B4 Church News . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .B5 Minding Your Business . . .B6 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .B7 Community Calendar . . . .B8 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . .B9 EcoFocus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B9 Sharing History . . . . . . . . .B10
CARMEN AND DON WILLIAMS
What’s the secret to lasting love? Ask
Carmen Williams this question, and there’s no hesitation. “Togetherness,” she says. Ask her husband, Don, and he, too, is quick with a reply. “Respect,” he says emphatically, adding, “Fight like hell, but then let it go.”
See Williams, page A8
JEANNE AND MIKE EMRY
GAIL AND DON FITZGERALD
BILL ELLIS AND WILMA STONE
How do you keep each other number one? For Mike and Jeanne Emry, married 22 years, a weekly date night with each other is a top priority. “We put it on the calendar,” says Mike, “and make it strictly for fun. “And focus on each other,” Jeanne
How do you keep the romantic sparks sparking after 49 years? “They just do,”
says Gail Fitzgerald. “It’s automatic, the romance just happens.” “I look into her eyes, and I see the same beauty I saw 49 years ago,” says her husband Don. It’s clear that for this
Romance is not just for the very young. “Do you have any sexy grandmas here?” This was among the very first questions Bill Willis asked the staff on his initial visit to Diamond Terrace more than three years ago. Bill had come to Diamond Terrace with his daughter to (in his words) “look
See Emry, page A8
See Fitzgerald, page A8
See Ellis/Stone, page A8