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February 28, 2014
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Ladybug love lights up Mt. Diablo Late winter is a great time to see swarms of colorful insects along the trails
HANK STRATFORD
Clayton resident Debbie McCarthy, a frequent Mount Diablo hiker, stumbled onto one of nature’s more risque shows recently. While hiking Falls Trail, she and her husband took a rest on a rock, and suddenly realized they were cocooned by swarms of ladybugs all over the branches of nearby trees. “I sat on the ground to shoot some pictures and a few started crawling on me,” she says. “Many of them were mating. We sat and watched them for about 20 minutes. It was one of the best ‘hike finds’ we’ve had.” During the late winter months, before the wildflowers bloom but after the December and January chills, hikers along
MAYOR’S CORNER
Mid-year numbers can be misleading At the last Clayton City Council meeting we received a mid-year budget report. For those who think it is odd to get a mid-year report early in the calendar year may not be aware that Clayton uses a fiscal year that begins on July 1 and goes to June 30. That means in the middle of the summer we are talking about year-end issues. As of the end of December (mid-year) our revenues were higher than they were the previous year and somewhat ahead of the budget. Whereas this is good news and hopefully a good indicator that we will finish the year with more revenue than budgeted, it can be misleading since our revenue doesn’t come in evenly throughout the year. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that revenue will come in on budget and possible a little above budget. However, our expenses at mid-year are also more than the budget. In fact, at mid-year our expenses are over-budget more than our revenue, resulting in a mid-year deficit. In the first half of the year we had a few onetime expenses that were not anticipated for in the budget. Like our revenues our expenses don’t come in evenly through the year, so hopefully we will have fewer expenses in the second half of the year. The mid-year deficit worries me but not quite to the point of losing sleep. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will end the fiscal year close to budget. New Finance Manager Kevin Mizuno is doing a great job and he will be hawkish as we continue through the rest of the fiscal year. Email your questions or comments to hstratford@ci.clayton.ca.us
See Ladybug page 14 Debbie McCarthy
SWARMS OF COLORFUL LADYBUGS ARE A COMMON SIGHT ON MOUNT DIABLO in the late winter as they keep themselves busy eating, mating and laying eggs. “Ladybug” is a misnomer, as these friendly little insects are actually beetles that are deadly to garden pests
Clayton welcomes new police officer PAMELA WIESENDANGER Clayton Pioneer
He calls himself a “people person,” and judging by the wall-to-wall crowd at his swearing in, David Payne is right on. Some say the turnout at his swearing-in ceremony at Clayton City Hall on Feb.18 was the largest in the city’s history. Many attending were Payne’s former colleagues from the Walnut Creek Police Department, where he worked as a police service officer for six years. “I wrote a lot of parking tickets,” Payne says. His role in public service evolved from working as a customer service representative
for County Connection transportation. Payne was considering several positions related to helping the public and using his strong communication skills when he saw the posting for the police service officer position and decided to get his feet wet in law enforcement. After rotating through various assignments, Payne was motivated and put himself through the police academy at Napa Valley College. “It was a tough first half,” Payne says. But then it started to click. “The challenges, learning and interaction helped me grow as a person.”
See New
Officer page 3
JOHN JACKSON Clayton Pioneer
OFFICER DAVID PAYNE SIGNS THE POLICE OFFICER’S oath before Chief Chris Thorsen pins on Payne’s badge, making him the newest member of the Clayton Police Department.
Five years after tragic loss, Casso family is slowly healing TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
RAY AND JO ANN CASSO
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Five years ago on March 2, Ray Casso turned 73. He and his wife had lunch. Later, they gathered with the family to celebrate over dinner. It was a normal birthday. Five days later, on March 7, anything resembling normal for Community Calendar . . . . . .9 Concord City Beat . . . . . . . . .8 DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . .6 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Get Up and Go . . . . . . . . . .15 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .13
Northgate PFC defends payments to principal
the Casso family came to an end. In a random act still too hideous to understand, Shannon Bradley Moore stabbed Ray Casso to death in the Clayton Post Office and blew a hole in the family that nothing can fill. The murder sent shock waves through the community that are felt to this today, and the family still struggles to find footing on Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Pine Hollow Reporter . . . . . .6 The Pocket Parent . . . . . . . .7 Police Activity Report . . . . . .8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Spilled Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
ground that keeps moving. I met Jo Ann Casso and her family at the worst possible time in her life—in the wake of Ray’s murder. In the five years since, we have become friends, getting together every few months to touch base. Through her, I have come to know Ray.
See Casso page 6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Sports Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Teen Reads . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Underfoot (NEW) . . . . . . . .16
Parents at Northgate High School are throwing their support behind a popular administrator JOHN embroiled in a financial contro- MCMORRIS versy because of payments made to him by the school’s Parent Faculty Club. The Northgate PFC paid Principal John McMorris $40,000 over two years to strengthen Northgate’s Model United Nation’s program, which totaled about 15-20 students but which McMorris said he wanted to grow. Some teachers, parents and community members decried the move, claiming it was an excessive amount of money on top of McMorris’ $108,602 salary. But members of the PFC at their February meeting last week voiced their support for McMorris, and the program he oversees. Much of the frustration is directed at the PFC itself, which did not formally enter a contract with McMorris over the expenditure, and did not offer the
See Principal page 12
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