IT’S YOUR PAPER
Good news for city budget
www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
General Fund Revenues 2018-19
KEITH HayDon
MAYOR’S CORNER
Some background on assisted living proposal process
The recent proposal for a senior assisted living/memory care facility downtown generated interest – and some misunderstanding. Therefore, I want to clarify the city’s planning process regarding a private company’s proposal for that property and its current status. The area under consideration is the large vacant lot between the Clayton Community Church property on Main Street and Clayton Road. The city purchased the parcel from a willing seller in April 2013, with the objective of assuming control of development. It is the last large area to be developed in our historic downtown. Any development of the parcel must adhere to Clayton’s General Plan and, more specifically, the Town Center Specific Plan, which was established more than 15 years ago to protect the small-town nature and feel of the downtown.
3.5% Other in Lieu
3.1% - Business 2.5% - Admin Support Transfers Licenses
5.4% Fiduciary Funds/ Admin Services
8.8% RPTTF Share
12.9% Other Revenues
10.2% Sales & Use Taxes 12% Franchise Fees
What’s Inside
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Community Calendar . . . . . .9 Hearts & Hands . . . . . . . . . .2 Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
3.7% - Public Works
4.2% - General Services
3% - Library
5.9% Community Park
21% - Property in Lieu of VLF
2.7% - Engineering
1.7% - Legislative
7.1% Community Development
49.4% - Police
22.4% - Admin/ Finance/Legal
20.7% Property Taxes
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
City of Clayton
The city could go for the next 14 months with no money coming in and still pay all its bills. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to. In his 2018-’19 budget presentation to the city council June 5, finance manager Kevin Mizuno projects plenty of revenue to keep the city afloat plus finance a nice size capital improvement program with $101,970 without touching its reserve. It is an annually balanced budget. “It’s mostly positive news,” Mizuno told the council. “The city looks for-
See Budget, page 7
New era dawning at Clayton Valley Charter JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
CBCA rooting for tater to bring in the crowds
With all the ribs, chicken, pork and brisket smoking at the Clayton BBQ Cook-off, you wouldn’t think a potato would take center stage. But then you have to consider that this super spud weighs more than 6 tons and would make more than 1.4 million French fries. And it’s coming all the way from Idaho for the 9th annual cook-off on Saturday, July 14. This year, the oversized tuber will travel 28,000 miles and visit more than 60 cities
Appropriations 2018-19
With the economy clicking along and real estate values rising, the projected revenues for 2018-19 exceed expenditures by $101,970. Healthy budgets for Capital Improvements and Landscape Maintenance will fund substantial street and sewer improvements and new downtown planters.
Clayton Valley Charter High School honored its sixth graduating class last month. Just as those grads look ahead to a new chapter of their lives in college, the military or in the work force, their alma mater is SEARCH BEGINS setting a new course after the We acquired the land using departure of executive director economic development money Dave Linzey in May. from the Capital Improvement Interim executive director Bob Hampton, a charter See Mayor, page 6 school veteran administrator, was at the school’s June gov-
BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
925.672.0500
on the Big Idaho Potato Truck. In tune with today’s culture, the potato has sprouted a massive social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Vine. If that’s not enough, fans can get a live feed at potatotracker.com. BBQ Cook-off chair Rory Richmond saw a flier about the tater truck at a trade show and has been trying to bring it to Clayton for three years. “I thought: Why not? It’ll bring attention to our event and hopefully bring people to come see it,” he said. The Idaho Potato Commission created the potato with a purpose – to celebrate the group’s 75th anniversary in 2011. Clayton is one of
See BBQ, page 7
erning board meeting, giving the board and small audience of members from the public and school his timetable for finding a permanent successor to Linzey in time for the start of the 2018-19 school year next month on Aug. 14. Hampton acknowledged that the timeline for identifying, interviewing and hiring a new director in two months is aggressive but doable. “I’d prefer it was April 1 but I’m confident we’ll find the right person.” The board approved a $10,000 contract with headhunter Randy Henry to lead the search. Henry and Hampton explained the process has begun with the posting of the position on numerous educational employment websites, in professional journals and with charter school associations. Working with the board they will have three panels of stakeholders including faculty, staff, parents, students and the community who will each rank their
top three candidates after interviews. The top candidates will proceed to a written exam and then interviews with the board, who make the final decision. Hampton says the written exam is a key part of the process to make sure the final choice not only has verbal and people skills that come through in interviews but also can communicate clearly and concisely in written format. Eventually the top one or two candidates may be brought on campus for an informal tour and meeting to see about the compatibility of the candidate, board and school. Linzey’s base salary was in the range of $240,000 and Hampton says he expects compensation for the new director will be in “a more frugal salary range.” He does term the position “a plum assignment” to take CVCHS through the transition. He says all his research shows Clayton Valley Charter has a “good reputation” in the larger charter school community.
Tamara Steiner/Concord Pioneer
Interim Executive Director Bob Hampton shared a vision for the school’s new direction with parents and teachers at a town hall meeting May 30.
Linzey was hired in the spring of 2012 and had been in charge of the charter during its first six years, also serving as school principal until July 2015. Linzey’s wife Eileen also
resigned in early May. Her two terms as a school administrator at CVCHS sparked part of the dissatisfaction among faculty and community members in Dave Linzey and his leadership style. At the June board meeting a first reading was done of a proposed anti-nepotism policy, which will be vetted this month and brought to the board for approval next Wednesday, July 11. The two-page policy will forbid the hiring of relatives from immediate family, spouses and domestic partners as well as first cousins, aunts and uncles. A further statement on consensual relationships outlines policy concerning employees in “consensual romantic or sexual relationships between supervisors and employees and between faculty/staff.” Hampton was approved for
See CVCHS, page 4
No homes lost in Lime Ridge fire
Jerry Stone/Claycord.com
CalFire tanker drops fire retardant on Montecito homes during last week’s Lime Ridge fire.
A fast-moving grassfire on Ygnacio Rd. June 29 charred close to 300 acres and came dangerously close to homes in the Crystal Ranch and Montecito subdivisions. The fire started about 3:30 p.m. in the Lime Ridge Open Space and quickly went to four alarms. Residents in the two subdivisions were evacuated and Ygnacio Rd. was closed until after 9 p.m. Hot spots were continuing to flare up on Saturday. Assisting Contra Costa Fire Protection District with ground and air resources were CalFire, strike teams from Solano and
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Alameda counties, East Bay Regional Parks, Concord PD and Contra Costa Sheriff ’s Department. The fire was “fuel-driven,” said CalFire Division Chief Mike Marcucci. “When there’s that much dry grass, you don’t need heat and you don’t need wind.” “The fire burned right up to homes but was stopped by a well-cleared defensible space. “Kudos to the homeowners,” he said. “It worked.” Initial reports say the fire was caused by a vehicle backfiring.
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New center honors city’s heritage
Page 2
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
FaITH BaRnIDGE
HEARTS & HANDS
As Concord celebrates its 150 birthday this year, the city also is proudly premiering the Concord Heritage Center. Composed of the Concord Historical Society Museum and Event Center and the historic Don Francisco Galindo Home and Gardens, it’s located at 1721 Amador Ave. Many years of fundraising and countless volunteers contributed to the success of this enormous undertaking by the Concord Historical Society (CHS). Since the Galindo Home was transferred to CHS in 2010 and the Concord Masonic Temple was relocated to the property in 2013, this small but mighty group of less than 50 dedicated volunteers raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and contributed hours of hands-on labor to make their dream for our community a reality. More than 75 percent of the reconstruction and funding is complete. The ground floor houses the Event Center, already hosting social and community events in a beautifully transformed space featuring the original and refurbished stage and dance floor thousands of residents remember from community events of yesteryear – plus updated with air-conditioning. A new, full-service catering kitchen is under construction, as well as an elevator to take visitors to the museum and Resource Center on the
second floor. The Concord Heritage Center will form the centerpiece of Clayton Valley and Diablo Valley community events in the future. CHS has forged a lasting partnership with the community at large, to not only preserve the legacy of our past and share that knowledge with residents and school children, but to invest their hearts and hands in creating and maintaining a beautiful testament to our future. CHS honored its volunteers at a recent luncheon in the Event Center, presided over by longtime CHS president Carol Longshore and catered and served by CHS volunteers. The camaraderie and friendship exhibited by these volunteers is evident in everything they do for each other, and for all of us who will enjoy the benefits of their hard work. It was an honor to be included in this event, and an opportunity to personally congratulate them on their success. Visit www.concordhistorical.org or call 925-827-3380 to reserve space for your next business, personal or community event. Join CHS as a member for added benefits, beginning at only $30 per year. Make a donation of an unused car at clunkers4charity.org or cars2ndchance.org or call the Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise Rotary members who manage this program at 925-326-5868. Tour Galindo Home from 1-4 p.m. any Sunday. Every little bit helps. Helping kids see: Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall youth inmates with poor vision have problems completing school work and participating in rehabilitation programs, so the Juvenile Hall
July 6, 2018
John Keibel
Volunteers celebrated at the Concord Heritage Center in June, including noelle Quesada, left, Louise Turrin, Carrie Wong, Isabel Hill, nancy Haramaki, Vicki allen, Pam Martin, Barbara Hayworth, Sandy Lane, guest Faith Barnidge, Susan Pace-Koch, norene Mason, Barbara Strehlitz, Gene Dirks, Sharon Dirks, Gloria Lincoln, Lind Higgins, Jill McKinnon- Endicott, Gail Van Tassell, Vivian Boyd, Estella Barckley, Jackie Fontaine, Gloria Mattson, Carol Longshore, Daniel o’Connor, Dee yount, Evelyn Cunningham and Barry Cunningham.
Auxiliary provides new glasses to incarcerated youth at Juvenile Hall. Funding is through individual donations and the Hall Closet Thrift Store, 100 Glacier Dr., Martinez. Auxiliary members are volunteers from our communities who perform many services for incarcerated youths, including tutoring, scholarships, mentoring, the Late Night Readers Program and the Eyeglass Program. Prospective volunteers are always welcome. A volunteer luncheon in late June honored members who work throughout the year to make life a little better for children in Juvenile Hall. Visit juvenilehallauxiliary.org, email executive direc-
tor Harold Leffall at harold@reachingouryouth.or g or call 925-957-2718 to make a donation, volunteer or receive more information. Helping kids in need: The California Arts Council will award $24,608 to Diablo Ballet for the JUMP StArts arts education and artists-inresidence programs for youth in the juvenile justice system. The Diablo Ballet PEEK program (Performing Arts Education & Enrichment for Kids) serves 45 incarcerated girls ages 15-18 at Juvenile Hall in Martinez. PEEK facilitators teach students to express their feelings through movement and teamwork at weekly sessions for a year. PEEK has reached more than 68,000 under-
served children and at-risk teens since 1995. The Diablo Ballet Gourmet Gallop to benefit PEEK will feature 16 Walnut Creek restaurants providing sips and samples of their gourmet cuisine, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 9 in downtown Walnut Creek. $39. Visit www.diabloballet.org or call 925-943-1775 for tickets. Helping foster kids: Court Appointed Special Advocates for foster children in Contra Costa County was one of the first nonprofit CASA organizations created to recruit, train and provide support for individual volunteers to become a trusted and dedicated advocate and mentor for a child as they journey through the foster care system.
Each volunteer advocate is matched with a foster child and agrees to provide a few hours a week in caring support at a foster home, school and at juvenile court. CASA represents about 150 children through the county office in Concord. Prospective CASA volunteers over age 21 are invited to learn about the program at informational sessions 12:30 2 p.m. July 21 or 27 at CASA headquarters, 2151 Salvio St., Suite 299, across from Todos Santos Plaza. Support CASA at An Evening of Promise Oct. 13 at Round Hill Country Club, 3169 Roundhill Road, Alamo. Join Master of Ceremonies Dan Ashley from ABC 7 for an evening of fine dining, with silent and live auctions of fantastic prizes. Email casa@cccocasa.org or visit www.cccocasa.org to learn more. Women’s networking: The Concord Chamber of Commerce Women’s Networking group represents organizations and businesses in the Concord area seeking to expand their contacts and resources. The June meeting welcomed more than 60 members and guests to share lunch and learn about Yelp, an Internet reviewing site for businesses of all kinds, from speaker Stephanie Yolish, East Bay senior community director of Yelp East Bay. Attendees included women and men from organizations and businesses throughout Clayton and Diablo Valley. Make sure your business or nonprofit organization is included at www.concordchamber.com.
See Barnidge, page 3
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Sensational Custom Home in Peacock Creek at Oakhurst Country Club. 5 Bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 3313sf with an attached 3-car garage on a premium .27 acre lot backing to open space with panoramic views of Mt Diablo, hills, woods and city lights. Upgraded/updated. Master suite is on first level featuring a cozy fireplace. $1,150,000
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Clayton Market Update ADDRESS
Desirable Nantucket Model in Peacock Creek t, Mult is L at Oakhurst r v e O Country Club. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths approx 3600sf with a 3 car garage. Huge level prime view lot on a quiet court setting with an in-ground freeform pebble tech pool & raised spa. Exquisite upgrades throughout. $1,195,000
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Fantastic Nantucket Model in Peacock Creek at Oakhurst Country Club on a prime level view lot at the end of a cul-de-sac with awe inspiring views of Mt Diablo. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, large den, spacious loft, approx 3820sf with a finished 3 car garage. Gleaming “Acacia” wood floors, crown moulding, designer paint colors & more. $1,199,000 Stunning Lassen Model in Eagle Peak at Oakhurst Country Club. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx 2944sf with an attached 3-car garage. Upgraded/Updated throughout. Premium golf course View lot features built-in BBQ, lush lawn area, custom fire pit, relaxing fountain & multiple entertaining areas. Must see! $995,000
cell: (925) 348-5700
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1342 Yosemite Cir . . . . . . . . . . . $725,000 1415 Indianhead Way . . . . . . . . $600,000 1102 Peacock Creek Dr . . . . . $1,150,000 19 Donner Creek Ct . . . . . . . . . $480,000 198 Mt Vernon Dr . . . . . . . . . . . $875,000 1500 N El Camino Dr . . . . . . . . $750,000
provided by Better Homes Realty SF BED/BATH DATE
. .1449 . .1355 . .3313 . .1113 . .2141 . .1734
165 Silverado Court – Clayton
. .3/2 . . .6/27/18 . .3/2.5 .6/13/18 . .5/3 . . .6/13/18 . .3/2 . . .6/12/18 . .4/2.5 .6/11/18 . .4/2 . . . .6/8/18
ADDRESS
G P EN DI Nltiple Of fers
Charming Single Story Rancher in Regency Woods. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths approx 2010 sf with a 2 car garage plus covered sideyard for Boat/Small Vehicle parking. Updated kitchen, baths, designer paint colors, recessed lighting, crown moulding. Approx .24 acre park like lot on a court with drought resistant landscape & “Heavenly Greens” lawn in backyard. . Coming Soon
5689 Lewis Way – Concord
Terrific Dana Farms Rancher. 4 bedrooms 2 baths approx 1763sf with an attached 2 car garage. Updated & Upgraded throughout! Kitchen remodel. Updated baths. Expansive .37 acre private level lot features a covered outdoor BBQ/expanded living space with ample square footage to entertain or quietly lounge, lush lawn area,and bocci court. Coming Soon
PRICE
31 Mt McKinley Ct . . . . . . . . . . . $900,000 1139 Peacock Creek Dr . . . . . . $950,000 1215 Buckeye Terrace . . . . . . . $733,950 1874 Eagle Peak Ave . . . . . . . . $829,000 225 Southbrook Pl . . . . . . . . . . $860,000 1591 N Mitchell Canyon Rd . . $1,205,000
SF BED/BATH DATE
. .2566 . .2684 . .1710 . .2467 . .2010 . .4025
. .5/3 . . . .6/8/18 . .4/2 . . . .6/8/18 . .3/2.5 . .6/7/18 . .4/3 . . . .6/7/18 . .4/2.5 . .6/7/18 . .4/3 . . . .6/6/18
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Barnidge, from page 2
Kaiser supports nonprofits: Kaiser Permanente in the Diablo area will award $868,900 in community benefit grants to 34 local nonprofit organizations that improve the health of under-served communities in Central and East Contra Costa County and the Tri-Valley. Groups include Meals on Wheels, Brighter Beginnings, Monument Impact and the RotoCare free medical clinic at St. Vincent de Paul. Visit kp.org/share for more information. Save the date: The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps Diablo Valley Classic Open Class Championship will be 6-10 p.m. July 21 at
Valley will raise funds for the American Cancer Society as families and friends participate in a 24-hour event to honor loved ones lost and those who have survived cancer. Participants from Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga will meet at 9 a.m. July 28 at Pleasant Hill Middle School, 1 Santa Barbara Road, to walk around the track in teams or as individuals. The event lasts 24 hours to recognize that cancer never sleeps, and neither does the fight against the disease. Sign up for a team at www.relayforlife.org/DiabloValleyCA, or email relay4life@yahoo.com.
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Around Town Girl Scouts gear up for backpack drive
excellent Concord E-Newsletter to learn about what’s happening in Concord. The Alan David Vasilauskas Memorial Golf Tournament benefitting the Bay Area Crisis Nursery will be Aug. 26 at Boundary Oaks Golf Course in Walnut Creek, followed by a celebratory dinner with raffle prizes and an auction. $145 for golf and dinner, $35 for dinner only. Register before July 20 and receive five raffle tickets. Call Michele Vasilauskas-Conforto at 925-260-3290. Moonlight on the Mountain, Save Mount Diablo’s annual fundraising gala on top of Mount Diablo, will feature majestic views, a gourmet dinner, live music, and live and Girl Scout Troop 32388 members, back row, Brooke Rooney, silent cocktail auctions to raise Mady Cottam, Kaitlyn Robison, Sophia oberbruner and Liza funds to protect our open Barinova. Front row, Leah Theiss, yulia nedialkova, Elise Theiss, Peyton Looney and Delilah naso onofrio.
Girl Scout Troop 32388 of Clayton, led by Heather Theiss, is partnering with the Monument Crisis Center for its 2018 backpack drive. After a successful cookie
sales season, the girls voted to use some of their earned funds for a charitable cause. They decided on the Monument Crisis Center Backpack Drive in Concord and got to work buying and
then organizing supplies to fill 12 new backpacks for at-risk children in the community. The Monument Crisis Center is a community-based, non-profit family resource center for Central and East Contra Costa County. The center offers nutritious food, quality resources and referrals to low-income individuals and families in order to help them become stable and secure. The backpack drive kicks off in mid-July. Go to monumentcrisiscenter.org for more information on how to get involved.
Clayton woman plays with the champs
Pioneer Travels
Melissa Rea/Concord Chamber of Commerce
The Women’s networking Group recently met at Mary Kay Success Studio in Concord to learn about how yelp can help them gain brand awareness for their businesses.
Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road. Pleasant Hill. Tickets start at $20 on eventbrite.com. The Blue Devils will compete with teams from all over California and one from Utah. The Blue Devils last free performance will be 2-8:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord. Visit bluedevils.org for more information. Relay for Life of Diablo
LE
SA
The International Tea Party for the whole family will raise funds for Senior Scholarships, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 28 at the Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle. Enjoy iced and hot tea along with delicious refreshments representing different parts of the world. $29, $15 for guests under 14. Tables seat 10. Visit www.cityofconcord.org and sign up the
spaces beginning at 4 p.m. Sept. 8. This event always sells out. Contact Kristen Noe at knoe@savemountdiablo.org for sponsorship and ticket information. Hearts and Hands shares news, events and opportunities for all of us to learn more about our community, have some fun, and combine our resources and talents to help others. Send items to faithbarnidge@pioneerpublishers.com.
The Pioneer traveled to New York with Sonja Wilkin when she visited the Corning Museum of Glass and other attractions in the charming town of Corning after attending her 60th reunion at Cornell University in Ithaca last month. Wilkin went back to Ithaca and Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region for several days with friends before returning to Clayton.
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N PE
Clayton
$608,000
Chaparral Springs — Amazing sweeping views of golf course, hills and Mt. Diablo. Beautiful patio with tiles, fountain and gorgeous plants. 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath with upgraded granite kitchen, sparkling hardwood floors and fresh paint. Fantastic location. Heather Gray (925) 765-3822 RealEstatebyHeather.com Cal BRE#01329100
Clayton
$679,000
Co-listed with Lynne French Team
Unlimited possibilities — Well maintained and charming 3 bed, 2 bath home in desirable neighborhood in Clayton. This home features a light and bright living space, eat in kitchen, large yard with covered RV/boat parking and much more. Morgan Boneberg (925) 330-8140 MorganBoneberg@windermere.com
Clayton
MichelleGittleman.com Cal BRE# 01745325
Cal BRE#02056436
$1,299,000
Clayton
$699,800
Black Diamond — Located steps from downtown Clayton and Mt. Diablo trails, this beautiful 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home offers a light and bright family room with a fireplace and stunning views of Mt. Diablo, a spacious kitchen, formal dining space, comfortable living room with fireplace, and a laundry room with plenty of storage.
Lynne & Kelly offer free staging on ALL LISTINGS
Clayton
$699,000
Clayton
$879,000
Dana Ridge — Updated patio home with great views of Mt Diablo. 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, remodeled baths, and inside laundry room. Remodeled kitchen with granite counters, crown molding and pantry. Engineered hardwood floors thoughout, newer hot water heater, furnace and roof. Great backyard with covered patio, deck and spa.
ING
D EN
EP
Near Downtown — Great potential in this unfinished home on approx. .56 acres with separate 1 bed, 1 bath cottage. Park-like setting with seasonal creek. Spacious 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath contemporary home plus and office and bonus room. Nearly 5k square feet of living space built in 2006. Live in the cottage while you finish your dream home.
$785,000
Downtown — Highly desirable location in the center of downtown. From this charming Victorian style home you can walk to restaurants, concerts and festivals. Spacious 2,148 square foot home including 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, a Gourmet kitchen with granite slab and stainless steel appliances. Michelle Gittleman (925) 768-0352
L SA
Clayton
Korissa Lewis of Clayton played on the U.S. Women’s Armed Forces Soccer Team in the Military Women’s World Football Championship in El Paso, Texas, from June 22 to July 3. Lewis is a surgical technician stationed at the U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain. She has been playing soccer since age three. She is an assistant coach for the Child and Youth Programs soccer team on base during her free time.
Concord
$498,000
Near Downtown — Charming 3 bedroom 2 bath, single story home near BART, shopping and easy freeway access. Numerous upgrades including laminate flooring, remodeled kitchen with quartz counters and stainless steel appliances. Living room with fireplace and updated baths with tile floors and cultured marble counters.
Regency Meadows — Light & bright 4 bed., 2.5 bath home boasting approx. 2,390 sq.ft. Park-like, private yard with covered deck and fountain. Newer gutters, exterior paint & refinished fence. 2 fireplaces, custom window coverings & dual pane windows. Gorgeous views, RV Access and 3 car garage complete this beautiful property.
Assisting More Buyers & Sellers than Anyone Else* *Statistics based on Clayton/Concord and Contra Costa County Closed sales by volume (1/2014-12/31/2014). Data by Maxebrdi
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- Windermere Clayton!
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
Concord still considering soccer stadium project Developer Hall taking his plan to BART next BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
While it wasn’t quite the “Go get ’em!” Mark Hall was hoping for, the Concord City Council did approve a letter stating they are interested in future exploration of his ambitious mixed used project downtown. Hall Sports Ventures’ plan could include a 15,000-18,000 seat soccer stadium for a Division II professional team, a convention center, hotels, retail, office and multi-family units – along with the possible closing of the Concord Pavil-
ion and moving those events to the downtown stadium. Spirits ran high at the May 22 meeting, with audience members passionate about their opposition and council members divided 3-2. In fact, Hall was the only one not showing much emotion – claiming jet lag. Hall, who went to elementary school in Concord, came to the city asking for a Memorandum of Support for his $600,000-$750,000 million plan. The proposal also included authorizing staff to investigate building a downtown conference center and to negotiate an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with him for the city property adjacent to the police station. But some council members weren’t ready to go that far.
www.LeighKlockHomes.com 852 McElroy Court, Concord
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This beautifully updated 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home with 2,089 sq feet of living space is light and bright with soaring ceilings, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. The kitchen is open to the family room which has a wall of windows and sliders leading to the private yard that is an entertainer’s dream, offering a sparkling pool, decking, and lush landscaping. Don't miss this ideally located home less than 1 mile from Trader Joe’s and about 3 miles from the Pleasant Hill Bart Station.
Leigh Klock,
Councilwoman Laura Hoffmeister expressed concerns about the language in the memorandum. “It should be a memorandum of exploration,” she said. “I don’t want to ‘enthusiastically encourage’ because I’m not sure we’re at that point yet. … This is a concept idea.” Hoffmeister also said it was premature to discuss the city constructing a convention center and closing the Pavilion. “We haven’t even made a mention to the community about this,” she noted. Councilman Ron Leone said the project could be a “game changer” for downtown and was “enthusiastic” about the possibilities. “The city of Concord is going to make a big mistake if we shut down this process too soon,” he warned.
This Stunning Eagle Peak home offers 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with 2,981 square feet of living space. Be inspired in the chef's kitchen with island, granite counter tops, and open floor plan. The master bedroom boasts a fireplace and luxurious updated spa inspired en suite. Relax and enjoy the private, lush backyard and serene rolling hills view.
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Drinks go with cruising like peanut butter goes with jelly... and donuts. (Just me?) Imagine sailing the Caribbean without a fruity cocktail in hand or surveying glaciers without your favorite beer. Impossible! Luckily for you, Sip + Sail is on the way. What’s even better, the sale is offered on all destinations for Summer 2019 through Spring 2020.*
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Clayton Station Shopping Center, 5439 Clayton Road (Suite F), Clayton
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‡Free Premier Beverage Package: Package applies to guests booked in a balcony stateroom or above. It is valid only for guests 1 & 2 per stateroom who are 21 years or older, and is not applicable during the land portion of cruisetours. The Premier Beverage Package price is $59.99 per guest, per day plus 15% service charge (totaling $68.99 per day) and includes beer, wine by the glass and cocktails $12.00 USD and under, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water (500ml only) fountain sodas, fresh juices (if available), specialty coffees and teas, Gong Cha items, Frappes at Coffee & Cones, milk shakes (if available) and Red Bull® energy drinks. The package includes the additional benefit of a 25% discount on the following excluded items; all bottles of wine, one liter bottles of water, canned soda and bottled juices. A daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.) will apply. The Premier Beverage Package does not include souvenir items, room service, vending machine or mini-bar items.
††Guests 1 & 2 who are under 21 will receive the Unlimited Soda & More Package. The package may be used on a single voyage only, is not redeemable for cash at any point during the cruise and expires at the end of that voyage. Package type will be assigned prior to sailing based on age of guest. Offer is not transferable, is not combinable with other select offers or other onboard credits and does not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising.
* Fares apply to minimum lead-in categories on a space-available basis at time of booking. Fares for other categories may vary. Fares are per guest, non-air, cruise- or cruisetour-only, based on double occupancy and apply to the first two guests in a stateroom. These fares do not apply to singles or third/fourth-berth guests. This offer has limited space regardless of cabin availability and may not be combinable with any other public, group or past guest offers, including Air discounts. Offer is not transferable and may not be combinable with other select offers and onboard credits. Offer is available to residents of the 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Bermuda and the District of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older and receive this offer. Fares quoted in U.S. dollars. Please refer to princess.com/sale for terms, conditions and definitions that apply to all bookings. Exclusions: Voyages 1 – 5 days & 57+ days are excluded from the Sip + Sail Promotion. There are a select number of Summer 2019 to Spring 2020 sailing dates that are not available for the Sip + Sail Promotion: voyages C911, C912, C913, C914 on Sea Princess® and voyages H930A and H911B on Sapphire Princess®.
Offer valid: June 26 - September 5, 2018 ©2018, Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd. Ships of Bermudan and British registry.
that no other applications were pending on the site – although the city also hasn’t specifically sought applicants. John Montagh, the city’s Economic Development manager, said there has been some interest by multi-family developers in the past. “It wasn’t anything unique or dynamic,” he said, noting that he thought Hall’s project had “merit to bring forward and get the council’s input.” Hall said soccer is still an “up and coming” sport in the United States, with stadium development all across the country. “Soccer is the world’s truly only global sport. It transcends national borders, languages, cultures, genders,” he said. “The team and the stadium give us an important component in the creation of an expanded, family-oriented, regional soccer ecosystem.”
for summer fun, construction
ELISE WaRREn
Leigh@LeighKlock.com
front of us to get this project done,” Hall told the council. “There are a lot of moving parts, financially, design-wise, contract-wise.” Some council members wondered about the concept of closing the Pavilion and adding housing – and more traffic – to Ygnacio Valley Road. Along with audience members, they also posed concerns about traffic impacts downtown. Although Hall touted BART access and the fact that “all roads lead to downtown Concord,” many weren’t convinced. “When I first heard about it, my head exploded. All I could see was a traffic nightmare,” resident Diane Sprouse said during public comment. Other residents spoke about the need for more housing downtown and wondered why such projects weren’t being considered. Birsan noted
Taking it to the streets –
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Hall said he needed “a statement – a sense where this body is at” before he approached BART about its land around the downtown Concord station. He called BART a “key group” in the plan. Mayor Edi Birsan agreed that getting BART on board is essential, noting that otherwise “this could be a short focus.” After the City Council vote, Hall Equities began reaching out to BART and is in the process of meeting with directors and staff to discuss the project. Hall calls for closing the Pavilion and selling the land for “much-needed housing” – with the city putting those funds into stadium construction costs. He also seeks a portion of new hotel tax revenue and assumes the city would own the convention center, which he would master lease from the city. “We have a lot of work in
THE
CHIEF
Summer is in full swing, and community events are off to a great start. The Concerts in the Grove have been very popular, and I am happy to say there are no incidents to report. The upcoming BBQ Cook-off on July 14 looks to be a fantastic event, and I look forward to tasting some excellent food. Meanwhile, the Police Department has joined the social media platform Nextdoor. We will use this venue to provide community and safety information to Clayton residents. The city will be repaving some streets this summer. The Clayton Engineering Department will be undertaking two street maintenance and rehabilitation projects in the com-
ing weeks. The first project is on Keller Ridge Drive from Eagle Peak Avenue to Kelok Way. The second project is the “2018 Neighborhood Street Project,” which maintains and rehabilitates multiple local/residential streets throughout Clayton. More information will be forthcoming, once the contractors submit project schedules. You can follow these projects on twitter at #ClaytonStreets for up-to-themoment updates and information. Project information will be available on the city’s webpage under Engineering and Public Works/Capital Improvement Program/Current Capital Improvement Projects, and we will use Nextdoor to provide updates as well. Summer means a break from school and a chance to take a vacation. Unfortunately, it can also provide an opportunity for criminal activity in our neighborhoods. You can decrease the chance of becoming a victim this summer by following these tips: Install lighting, such as motion lights or dusk-to-dawn detector lights, on your home’s exterior.
CVCHS, from page 1
15 more days in his interim position (at $1000 a day) in addition to the 13 days he served in that capacity through the end of May. Besides the executive director search, Hampton is focused on developing the school’s strategic plan. In that effort he received over 500 responses from a community survey on the school website as well as input from a Town Hall meeting and meetings with staff, faculty and administers. The 24 stakeholders he wants on the committee to develop the strategic plan in mid-July will include county school officials, students, parents, community members and all elements of employees from the campus. He expects the strategic plan to include a more “lean and mean” management structure, eliminating some perceived redundancies. He also had a “productive conversation” with the bargaining unit to “get their perspective” on the school.
Among the most controversial aspects of the Linzey years was the departure of the majority of teachers who were with Clayton Valley at the beginning of its charter conversion. Board chairperson Kristy Downs and Hampton met with the County Office of Education, who have expressed a number of concerns with CVCHS since the Linzey departure. “We had a very positive dialogue with CCCOE about the Charter’s compliance, mission and vision,” Hampton added. A proposed budget of $23 million for the upcoming school year, with nearly $2 million in revenue surplus over expenses, was approved pending education allocations in the $201 billion state budget signed by Gov. Brown. Consultant Miles Denniston did issue a warning that potential substantial increases in health care and retirement costs must be monitored. He also said that the apparent next
Trim shrubbery around your home to eliminate hiding places. Do not leave valuable items in your front yards. Lock bikes when unattended, even if for a short period of time. Lock your cars and homes when you are away. Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you when you walk, jog or bike. Install a locking mailbox, or ask a neighbor to pick up your mail when you are on vacation. Let your neighbors know when you will be gone and ask that they keep an eye on your house and report any suspicious activity. Those planning to travel out of town can request that our officers perform a vacation house check. You can fill out and submit a form that lets us know the dates you will be away, and our officers will periodically check your property. Contact the Police Department at 925-673-7350 during regular business hours for more information, or go online to www.claytonpd.com.
Email comments and questions to Elise elise.warren@claytonpd.com.
governor, Gavin Newsom, will be the first anti-charter governor in a quarter century. The school anticipates a total surplus of about $16.5 million when the books are closed on this school year in the fall. It was announced that governing board member Merle Hall had resigned. The governing board had a special session last week on June 27. The meeting included a closed session where the agenda said the board was to discuss seven lawsuits with legal counsel. Suits specifically mentioned in the agenda are CVCHS vs. MDUSD and MDUSD vs. CVCHS that date back several years concerning the amount of annual rent the charter is to pay its former district and owner of the school facility. Former administrator Greg Hile also filed a suit against Dave Linzey and the school in 2016 for discrimination and wrongful termination and that was also listed for discussion in closed session. No action was reported out of the closed session.
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Upper Crust breads: fresh and local, sweet or savory DEBRA MORRIS Pacific Coast Farmers Market
Drop by the Clayton Farmers Market on Saturday and pick up some of Trudy and Mo Kalisky’s fresh baked goods. Their table is filled with the most amazing breads, freshly baked every market day. Starting out in New York, they ended up in Davis as graduate students and soon realized they couldn’t find the breads they wanted in what was then a semi-rural town. Mo Kalisky began baking French-style baguettes at home, experimenting with new formulas, processes and techniques. In the 1980s, they rented a small facility and began selling and delivering their fresh breads to restaurants and markets. Now in its 30th year, the Upper Crust Baking Co. is one of Northern California’s premier artisan bakeries, as well as one of its oldest. They make a wide variety of unique breads and several outstanding sweet items. The birdseed bread won a national award for best raisin bread. Other offerings include whole-grain bread, challah, biscotti, babka, salted rosemary, Jewish rye and peasant bread. Once you purchase their breads, store in a dry location at ambient temperature, away from direct sunlight, and eat it within two-three days. Depending on the weather, bread can go stale or develop mold more quickly. Refrigeration tends to dry out
in The Grove s t r e c n o C Saturdays 6 to 8:30 p.m. At the Gazebo in The Grove
Set up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m.
July 7
Pride and Joy
July 21
Southern Comfort
Pop/Soul band sings sounds of Motown including the Temptations & Supremes. Female-fronted southern rock band gives wild ride from ZZ Top to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Aug. 4
Trudy and Mo Kalisky bring a variety of Upper Crust products to the Clayton Farmers Market.
bread and speed up the staling process. To keep bread longer, wrap it in plastic and freeze it. Let it thaw completely and place in a hot oven for a few minutes to help retain freshness. Upper Crust bakes with local ingredients and supports local agriculture in Yolo County and Northern California. Their flours are milled just up the road in Woodland, using wheat from the Sacramento Valley. They use nuts from Winters, raisins and honey from friends they made at farmers markets and chocolate from Ghirardelli. They like to say they offer “farm-to-oven” baked goods, a play on the familiar farm-to-fork or farm-to-table phrases. “For us, local food is not a
movement; it’s a way of life,” Mo Kalisky says. “And it has been since we opened for business 30 years ago.” He also notes that while they do not have organic certification, they use organic ingredients in many products. They intentionally prioritize locally sourced ingredients over organic, buying about 80 percent of their ingredients from farms and agricultural producers in Northern California. Visit the Clayton Farmers Market on Saturdays and say hello to Mo or Trudy, or their children, and find out how good their breads really are. You are sure to enjoy each and every offering, made with the best local ingredients and lots of love.
may be longer during some operations, such as bridge deck replacement and road paving. Portable message boards near Marsh Creek Road and Manning Road will notify drivers as conditions warrant. Burgis said emergency vehicle access will be available at all times.
Diamond Dave
Sept. 1
Steel n’ Chicago
Sept. 15
East Bay Mudd
This powerhouse band delivers dance & rock classics from 60s to today’s top 40.
Please, no glassware, BBQs, water balloons, beach balls or silly-string. Please clean up before leaving. This is your park - help keep it clean & safe. $$ THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS $$ Your donations are the primary source of funds for next year’s Concerts in The Grove. We thank Republic Services and CBCA for their on-going and generous support. Send donations to: Concerts in The Grove—Saturday Concerts, c/o City of Clayton, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, CA 94517. For more info: www.cityofclayton.org
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For more information, including a construction schedule, visit www.cccounty.us/pwdmap.
Apple Z
10-piece cover dance band with four-man horn section
NEW
Gas tax revenues provided by the SB1 Road Repair and Accountability Act will fund the project, with work expected to be complete in late September.
Aug. 18
Best of Steely Dan and Chicago performed with love of harmonies and classic horns.
Bay Area favorite, covers classics of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Timberlake, Lady Gaga and others
Bridge repair scheduled on Morgan Territory County crews are expected to begin construction July 9 on two bridges on Morgan Territory Road. Contra Costa County Public Works will repair existing rock abutments, replace timber railings with guardrail systems, install rock slope protection on creek banks near the abutments and repair asphalt pavement at the bridges and approaches. The bridges are on the one-lane part of Morgan Territory, where residents had to travel during the first weeks of the February 2017 landslide. The area, about 4 miles south of Marsh Creek Road, is narrow and treacherous – with 1,000-1,500 foot dropoffs and virtually no shoulder. According to county Supervisor Diane Burgis, the road will not be closed but vehicles may be held for about 15 minutes during active construction. Delays
Page 5
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NEW CONSTRUCTION. Modern and Smart. This contemporary beauty features 3 bedrooms/2.5 baths and a BONUS loft. Builder upgrades galore including kitchen and baths. Don’t miss!
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Clayton Lease Opportunity. Fabulous 5 bedroom/2.5 bath home with lovely remodeled kitchen and baths. Nestled adjacent to trailheads w/Mt. Diablo views. Wonderful, fantastic, BEAUTIFUL grounds.
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STEPHANIE LOPEZ ASP Stager@ / Relocation Specialist
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Page 6
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
Individualized Treatment Decisions for Breast Cancer
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chemotherapy and just receive hormonal therapy. The findings are very helpful in supporting oncologists and patients when they are making decisions about the best course of treatment.
The long-awaited results from the TailoRx (Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment) trial were released in June at the American Society of
Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The results confirm that using the gene expression test (OncotypeDX) to assess the risk of breast cancer recurrence can spare many women unnecessary treatment with chemotherapy that will not benefit them. The most common type of cancer in women is breast cancer with over 266,000 new cases expected in the United States this year. The majority of these cases will be estrogen receptor (ER) positive, HER2negative, axillary lymph node negative breast cancer. While many of these patients require chemotherapy to achieve the best outcome, there are many patients who will do just as
well with endocrine (hormonal) treatment alone, without the added toxicities of chemotherapy. For several years, medical oncologists have utilized the prognostic information of gene expression assays like OncotypeDX for patients with ER-positive breast cancer to help them better predict which patients would benefit from chemotherapy. OncotypeDX’s gene-expression assay provides a recurrence score range from 0 to 100. Previous studies have shown that a patient with a high risk recurrence score would benefit from receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and a patient
with a low risk recurrence score would not likely benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. For the patient with an intermediate recurrence score, we were uncertain of the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy. The goal of this trial, which was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), was to address this gap of knowledge by determining whether chemotherapy is beneficial for women with an intermediate risk recurrence score of 11-25. It was a prospective clinical trial that enrolled over 10,000 women with this subset of breast cancer at 1,182 sites in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ire-
land, New Zealand, and Peru. In fact, several of our patients from Diablo Valley Oncology participated in the trial. According to the authors, the findings suggest that chemotherapy may be avoided in about 70 percent of women with ER-positive, HER2-negative, node-negative breast cancer. The findings also suggest that chemotherapy should be considered for the remaining 30 percent of women with ERpositive, HER2-negative, node-negative breast cancer: The results of this ground breaking trial confirm that the majority of the ER-positive patients can avoid
Q. I am going to buy my first home. Can you explain how property taxes work? A. Congratulations on your first home. Unlike income tax and the sales tax you pay, property tax is not based on how much money you earn or how much you spend. Instead it is calculated solely on how much the property you own is worth. This is based on a comparison of the properties around you, as well as market factors. The real property tax is an “ad valorem” tax based on the value of property. Ideally, the owners of property of equal value pay the same amount of property taxes, and the owners
of more valuable property pay more in taxes than owners of less valuable property. The tax is calculated using a variety of formulas and is based on a property’s assessed value – its full market value or a percentage thereof – and the tax rate of your jurisdiction, minus any property tax exemptions, such as those offered for the elderly or for veterans. City and county governments assess property taxes to generate the bulk of their operating revenues. The taxes help pay for such public services as school, libraries, roads and police. Re-valuations of the tax are
done periodically, but vary in different areas and can be triggered by factors such as a refinance or a room addition. Q. What are some statistics about millennial home buyers? A. One thing I find interesting is that male millennials attained higher mortgages than female millennial borrowers, according to Ellie Mae millennial tracker, a measure of applications by millennials for mortgages. Male millennials were approved for $30,000 more on average than female millennials. But the amount doesn’t tell the whole story. While men make up the larger percentage of overall
millennial buyers, most of them are married. An interesting trend they were tracking last year is that single women are buying homes much more than single men. Sixty percent of women who were listed as the primary borrower were single, compared to 42 percent of men. Q. What are some new flooring trends? A. What’s old will be new as vintage and retro looks take center stage in the hardwood flooring arena. Here are some options: Wide-plank floors. With planks 5-7 inches wide, these floors looks good with both modern and rustic decor and
make the space appear larger. Parquet floors. The vintage, midcentury flooring look is back. But now it incorporates contemporary trends such as distressed wood, cool gray tones or even wide planks for a modern take on parquet. Distressed wood floors. This is one of the hottest looks for flooring, particularly the cooler gray tones. Gray wood floors. The grays I have been mentioning are in a cooler tone than last year, which featured more of what we call “greige” (gray and beige). Varied-width wood plank floors. Reminiscent of historic homes, mixed width wood flooring allows you to choose
time” from a studio in Hollywood. One watched the action as it happened, gaffs and all. It was a fun and magical time, especially the original Mickey Mouse Club. Even after live broadcasts were replaced with videotape, you still received the program as it was broadcast – except the actors had been prerecorded. Now we have cable broadcast, but it’s really just the same as live or videotaped broadcast – meaning as the studios broadcast it, you see it. Move the clock forward to early computers, which
showed live and videotaped episodes – but not the same way. The old TV method of broadcast and view in real time gave way to downloading, then reading the file. The information being sent to you was no longer really broadcasted in real time. It was sent to you as a download and displayed moments later as the computer read the downloaded file. Simply put, it was downloaded then displayed. After This method was devised the download was complete, primarily because Internet your computer would open the speeds were too slow to allow file and display the contents. action in real time. Not real time.
Funny how the world comes full circle on good ideas. Today, studios and videotape sessions are once again real time – thanks to technology and much faster Internet speeds. We owe this technical marvel to computer “streaming,” which does not require a file download. According to Bing, streaming is “a method of transmitting or receiving data (especially video and audio material) over a computer network as a steady, continuous flow, allowing playback to start while the rest of the data is still being
received.” Think Netflix. In a nutshell, streaming is just like live TV of old except it is displayed on a computer monitor. It doesn’t take up disk space to store a file and is, in effect, real time. Thank you, computer geeks, for reinventing TV. Now if they could just bring back that slide-out cup holder thingie. I appreciate your questions and hope the answers meet your expectations.
Trader Joe’s. However, no retailer was interested in the construction and operation of a commercial building at that location – citing Clayton’s limited population base, its location and the existence of two shopping centers within a mile of downtown. Due to this lack of interest, the City Council held two pub-
lic meetings in spring 2015 to publicly consider other land use options. After receiving input from commercial developer brokers and the public, the council instructed its broker to solicit other possible mixed-use development proposals that would include limited retail commercial use. It was understood that any deviation from the Town Center Specific Plan would require plan or zoning amendments – includ-
ing extensive public hearings Specific Plan, the City Council and public input – before any required Fulcrum to file a PreApplication of its ideas with city City Council action. staff for preliminary professionFULCRUM CONSIDERS SITE al critique. The city also required After much effort to gener- Fulcrum to conduct as least two ate interest from potential devel- community meetings to assess opers, in November 2017 the community interest in its conCity Council publicly and openly cept before filing a Full Applicadiscussed, and then approved, tion that would engage the an Exclusive Negotiation Agree- development process of the city. ment (ENA) with Fulcrum If Fulcrum decided to subDevelopment Group for its pos- mit its Full Application, it would sible purchase of the parcel for a receive a thorough review and senior assisted living/memory analysis by Clayton’s Community care facility with some retail Development Department. All commercial space. The land was of that analysis, critique and not placed into escrow for sale environmental review would go or purchase. Similar to an option to the Planning Commission to on the property, the ENA pre- commence the noticed public vented another developer from hearings of the proposed projmaking a competing offer until ect by both the Planning ComFulcrum completed its due dili- mission and the City Council. gence. It is this latter public review The city gave Fulcrum time process that resulted in memto evaluate its opportunity and bers of the Planning Commisgenerate a Full Application to sion and City Council being prothe city for extensive internal hibited from participating in the and public reviews, or withdraw community meetings or public its option. Fulcrum fully under- discussions until the proposal stood, affirmed by language in was formally presented to us, to the ENA, that the City Council avoid conflicts of due process. retained complete discretion to approve or deny any project, PROJECT WITHDRAWN After Fulcrum conducted its should Fulcrum eventually file its Full Application for develop- two community meetings in early April and late May and fully ment consideration. Because the mixed-use analyzed city staff ’s initial crinature of the proposal under tique, Fulcrum conducted its consideration by Fulcrum dif- own internal reviews. Having fered from the Town Center “reexamined the viability of the
project,” they decided not to submit a Full Application. On June 7, Fulcrum officially notified the city that it would not advance its proposed project and withdrew. This project never went beyond the concept stage. A Full Application was not formally filed with the city, and the City Council never pre-approved the project or examined the proposal’s specific details. If Fulcrum had submitted a Full Application, then and only then would it have triggered the usual extensive reviews and analyses by Clayton’s Community Development Department, the Planning Commission and, ultimately, the City Council. Further, residents of Clayton would have had many opportunities to provide input regarding the proposed development through public hearings conducted by the Planning Commission and City Council before any final decision by the City Council to approve or deny the project. I look forward to sharing more information with you about Clayton items and activities in coming months. See you out on the trails and, as always, feel free to send comments to me at khaydon@ci.clayton.ca.us.
Tiffany Svahn, MD
Understanding property tax calculations
WILL CLanEy
TECH TALK
B. Whitely of Concord recently asked me about streaming. In the old days of TV (any of you remember broadcast TV?), actors were either “live” or videotaped. The live broadcasts came to you in “real
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any combination of widths for a given room. It creates a one of a kind look that fits your personal aesthetic. Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
Streaming—kinda like the good old days
Mayor, from page 1
Budget, not all-purpose general funds. After the purchase, we initiated extensive commercial marketing efforts consistent with the Specific Plan’s concept of mixed retail, commercial and residential uses downtown. We contacted numerous potential retailers and commercial developers, including
Dr. Svahn is a Medical Oncologist and Breast Cancer Specialist with Diablo Valley Oncology and Hematology Medical Group in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon. She developed the Women’s Cancer Center of the East Bay where breast cancer patients are seen by three breast cancer specialists in one visit. Dr. Svahn can be reached at 925677-5041
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Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.
Feel free to send comments to me at khaydon@ci.clayton.ca.us.
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
BBQ, from page 1
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517
TAMARA
AND
Directory of Advertisers Area code 925 unless otherwise indicated
Business Services/Employment Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . .672-8717
R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers
TAMARA S TEINER , Editor
Construction and Trades Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144 Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500 J.A. Ronco Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872-3049
P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design
B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor
J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports Editor
PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration, Calendar Editor
S TAFF W RITERS : Pamela Wiesendanger, Jay Bedecarré, Bev Britton
C ORRESPONDENTS : Kara Navolio, John T. Miller
Contributed photo
Remembering Jill Bedecarré February 24, 1950 - June 17, 2007
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schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a resident in our home delivery area. Submit on our website and be sure to attach a JPG photo that is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on the website are forms for calendar items, events & press releases. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Both Pioneer newspapers welcome letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have
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Total circulation of the Clayton Pioneer is 5,500 to ZIP code 94517, all delivered by US Mail to homes and businesses. We cannot start or stop free delivery to individual addresses. This must be done directly through the Post Office. The Concord Pioneer is delivered monthly to 30,500 in Concord by carrier. Papers are delivered once a month on a Friday morning near the end of the month. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are NOT receiving the Pioneer, please check the distribution map on the website. If you live in the shaded area and are not receiving the paper, please call us or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are not in the shaded area, please be patient. We will come to your neighborhood soon.
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Budget, from page 1
ward to a pretty successful year.” “Kevin tends to estimate revenues on the conservative side,” said Mayor Keith Haydon. “It pays off.” At $13.5 million, the total budget for the coming fiscal year, which started July 1, is an 8 percent increase over last year due to a strong economy which is boosting motor vehicle license, property and sales tax revenues along with savings resulting from the anticipated attrition/retirement of some employees at top step of salary range and a one-time reduced pension expense. As veteran Tier 1 employees retire or leave, they are replaced by new hires at Tier 3 and pension expenses go down. In January 2011, the city adopted a two tiered pension program—two years before the state enacted its Public Employees Pension Reform
The Idaho Potato Commission’s “Big Idaho Potato Truck” tours the country to promote Idaho spuds and will make a stop in Clayton next month for the CBCa BBQ cook-off.
only two Bay Area stops on this year’s tour. The patriotic potato will also be at the Alameda Fourth of July Parade. The Tater Team’s visit to Clayton will include a donation to the Clayton Business & Community Association (CBCA), which is sponsoring the cook-off along with Concord Chevrolet. “We already know that the truck brings smiles to people wherever it goes, but now it’s also helping people and that feels pretty good,” said Frank Muir, president and CEO of the potato commission. According to Richmond, the CBCA supports more than 40 local charities. “Just about every local charity that submits a request gets it, from schools to various projects around town,” he said. The BBQ Cook-off features 48 teams competing in a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned “Master Series” four-meat competition judged by KCBS certified BBQ judges. Backyard and KCBS “pro” teams will compete for $7,000 in prize money.
In the People’s Choice tasting, visitors can vote for their favorite competition style ribs. A $20 ticket provides for seven samples and three voting tokens. The tasting will be open 1-3 p.m., or until the ribs run out. Other food for sale will include barbecue from Pig in a Pickle of Corte Madera and Lord of the Ribs of Gilroy, along with items from Center Street Deli & Cafe of Clayton, S&K Wings and Calabash Catering. In the Craft Brew Garden, local breweries will be pouring their favorites – including Epidemic Ales and E.J. Phair from Concord and Morgan Territory Brewing of Tracy. MamaLuke will provide music 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and R&B group Eve and the Broken Ribs will perform 6-8:30 p.m. in The Grove Park. The cook-off runs 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Clayton. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.claytoncbca.org.
City of Clayton Budgets Budget Area
FY 2018-19
FY 2017-18
Other Funds*
5,420,805
4,817,118
$4,587,220
FY 2016-17
FY 2015-16
FY 2014-15
4,455,050
4,261,720
4,095,928
3,852,275
5,689,924
4,377,355
4,077,244
CIP
2,746,513
2,471,256
2,919,565
1,696,863
772,525
TOTAL
13,447,028
12,455,381
13,997,205
10,846,667
9,427,849
Successor Agency
692,490
711,957
1,125,996
676,521
Dining and Entertainment Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440
Education Clayton Community School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0388 Smart Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255-6415
Events Clayton BBQ Cook-Off . . . . . . . . . .www.claytoncbca.org Pacific Coast Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . .949-3276 Shadelands Ranch Museum – Bridal Faire . . .935-7871 Financial, Insurance and Legal Services Chee, David – High Tech Lending . . . . . .(800) 967-3575 Van Wyck, Doug – State Farm Insurance . . . .672-2300 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242
Health and Wellness Smile Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-1130 Home and Garden Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Skim ‘n’ Dip – Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-5609 Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323 Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing Services The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Real Estate and Mortgage Services Bennett, Nancy – Keller Williams . . . . . . . . . . .606-8400 Clayton Fair Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-0324 French, Lynne – Windermere Real Estate . . . .672-8787 Germain, Julie – Rossmoor Realty . . . . . . . . . .849-2884 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Lopez, Stephanie – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . .305-9099 Mazzei, Matt – Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . .567-6170 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . .672-4433 Senior Services Rescare HomeCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-5577 Rossmoor Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .988-7808
5 Year Budget Trend
General Fund
Page 7
725,805
Services, Other ComputersUSA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mtdiabloresourcerecovery.com Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029 Travel Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840
Includes the City’s 12 special revenue, 3 internal service, 1 enterprise, and 8 fiduciary funds (excluding the Successor agency fiduciary fund reported separately in the table.
Act, and each tier has a lesser pension benefit plan. The city also established a Pension Stabilization Fund in 2016 as a hedge fund against the hits to its unfunded liabilities taken in the last two years caused by CalPERS investments falling short of a projected 7.5% return. The General Fund and Capital Improvement Budgets represent 55 percent of the total budget. The other
45 percent is comprised of restricted and fiduciary funds including the Landscape Maintenance District and funding for The Grove Park. The police department accounts for nearly half (49.4 percent) of the General Fund budget. This is slightly less than prior years which hovered around 50+ percent. The city successfully completed negotiations with its Police Officers Association
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Planned Project Activity - FY 2018-19
Project Description
CIP No.
Proposed Expenditures
2018 Neighborhood Street Repave (contract awarded)......10436...............................$944,007 Keller Ridge Collector Street Rehab (contract awarded) .......10425 .................................930,206
El Molino Drive Sanitary Sewer Improvement ......................10422.................................520,000* North Valley Park Playground Rehab.....................................10442 .................................167,300 Clayton Community Park Lower Field Rehabilitation............10440 .................................100,000 Pine Hollow Road Upgrades...................................................10379....................................50,000 City Hall ADA Accessibility Project (underway) ......................10443 ...................................35,000
Total Projected Project Expenditure
$2,746,513
In addition to these planned expenditures, the following projects will be funded in FY 2018-19 to build up reserves for future project costs:
1. ADA Compliance Program (CIP 10394A) ...........................................................................$6,000 2. Utility Undergrounding (CIP 10397) .................................................................................$21,000
*Paid by Concord
and Mizuno expects the resulting contract will push the department’s total above 50 percent again. The coming months will see some pretty hefty infrastructure improvements. By far the lion’s share will go to street paving projects aimed at bringing all city streets up to a Pavement Condition Index of 80. A brand new street would score a 100. El Molino will see a major sewer improvement. The North Valley Playground will get new play equipment and shade structures and the Clayton Community Park lower fields will get a major turf overhaul. In the Landscape Maintenance District, funds are budgeted to replace the downtown planters and to remove 18 dying eucalyptus trees in the open space near Regency and El Molino, along the Cardinet Trail, and Lydia Lane by the park. The Council voted 4-0 to approve the budget. Vice Mayor Shuey was not at the meeting.
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Page 8
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
Farming a long-held tradition in Clayton
DEBBIE EISTETTER
THE WAY WE WERE
“There is not much science needed in planting grapes, and I doubt the assertion that the grape is a criteri-
on in making good wine.” Surprisingly enough, this is a direct quote from Joel Clayton in his article “Suggestions as to Grape Culture” in an 1862 issue of a California farm journal. He insisted it was the soil that gave wine its flavor, and he praised Mount Diablo soil as some of the best in the state. In the same issue, a gentlemen well-versed in wine production wrote a rebuttal: “(Clayton) is in great error,
Joe Ronco/Owner 925-872-3049 jaroncoconstruction.com
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Will Frank worked his Clayton land with a team of horses.
outstanding cattlemen in the western states. The largest tracts of orchards and grain were confined to the flatlands west of Clayton, but berries, pears, peaches, apricots, walnuts, almonds, figs, wheat and barley grew well here. Whether a farm family earned their income from a particular crop or from the sale of livestock, the typical farm might have had a vegetable garden, fruit trees, a small vineyard, a hayfield, beehives, pigs, chickens, horses, some cattle
and a milk cow. Food was preserved or “put up” and stored for use in the winter months, and extra produce was shared with neighbors or used for trade-in at local stores. Mother Nature has always provided many challenges to ranchers and farmers in the guise of disease, drought, insects, birds and rodents. The author of an 1863 article noted how blue jays and woodpeckers were “not delicate in their taste as usual, eating unripe fruits and strip-
ping trees of apricots, peaches, pears and plums.” California ground squirrels also were a problem. They would lay waste to grain fields, allowing weeds to take over, and dig holes that were hazardous to livestock and machinery. In the late 1800s, ground squirrels ate an estimated quarter of a million dollars worth of grain in Contra Costa County – giving rise to the Squirrel Nuisance Abatement Law. Counties created squirrel districts, with squirrel “masters” or inspectors. If a farmer did not clear his land of the rodents, inspectors would do the job and charge the farmer for the service. This law was repealed when farmers objected to being taxed in order to pay for the inspectors’ salaries. One newspaper reporter wrote: “Californians seem to have one trial after another – one evil cured, another comes.” Debbie Eistetter is membership chair for the Clayton Historical Society. Visit the museum website at claytonhistory.org or drop by at 6101 Main St., 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays. Admission is free.
Pets
For Lease
Contact Maureen (925)
and but little informed of the peculiarities and qualities of the grapevine.” Clayton was correct, however, about the soil being perfect for grapes. The culture of grapes in our area was widespread at one time, and Clayton himself could boast about a vineyard of some 20,000 vines. Wines produced from grapes grown here garnered national and international awards, especially for sherries and ports in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The grape mite infestation in 1911 and Prohibition in 1919 severely curbed grape cultivation, and many dispirited farmers replaced their vines with walnut and almond orchards. But a 1929 agricultural map of Contra Costa County shows grapes as still being a major crop in Clayton. This same map illustrates the Clayton area’s second major agricultural entity as grazing land and hay for livestock. Harry Keller purchased his ranch land from the estate of Joel Clayton in 1910. Keller changed his occupation from butcher to rancher, eventually gaining a reputation as one of the most
• Licensed General Contractor • Hunter Douglas Priority Dealer • 26 years of Design Experience • Clayton resident for 20 years
Summer road trips with your best friend
If you are thinking of bringing your four-legged family member and hitting the road this summer, here are a few tips to help ensure a safe and comfortable time. First things first: Make sure your pet is microchipped and registered with up-to-date information. Your pet should wear a collar and tag with your home contact information. You can also include a travel tag with your cell phone and destination phone numbers. If you somehow become separated from your pet, it is helpful to have current photos available – both head shots and full body shots. If you plan to cross state lines, check the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website for a list of requirements. Many states require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a pet health certificate, and a certificate of a current rabies vaccination. Keeping these papers accessible will prevent fines, plus you will have your pet’s health records close by in case of an emergency. Now that you’ve got the paperwork done, it’s time to make sure your dog is prepared for the journey. If this is your
ELEna BICKER
ARF NOTES
pet’s first long road trip, prepare him by going on shorter drives and gradually lengthening time spent in the car. Prep a pet travel kit with food, bottled water, bowl, leash, waste bags and first-aid supplies. A favorite toy or blanket will give your pet a sense of familiarity. Don’t forget that your dog’s ears are much more sensitive than your own, so if you’ve got the perfect road trip playlist ready to go, adjust the fader on your stereo to the front speakers. Once on the road, stop every couple of hours to let your dog stretch and relieve himself. There are a variety of apps that can help you find dog-friendly parks, hotels, restaurants and stores. When stopping, always attach the leash to his collar or harness
before you open the door to prevent escape. Do not allow your dog to wander off-leash, no matter how peaceful the area looks. And remember, never leave your dog unattended in the car in warm weather for any length of time.
For more resources on pet care and behavior, visit Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation at www.arflife.org. Elena Bicker is the Executive Director of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be reached at (925) 2561ARF (1273)
Black Cats are Good Luck
Anna Chan, our local Lemon Lady, has three tiny black kittens for adoption. These babies have been bottle fed since birth and are loving and social. They’ve known nothing but love, play and comfy blankets. All kittens have been tested FLV negative and received their first series of vaccinations. In the picture is Soxy. But there are two more just as adorable. Call or text 925.222.0530 or email AnnaAndAva@gmail.com.
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PHOEBE
Three-year-old Phoebe knows having a friend to lean on makes everything better. She also knows several tricks, including sit, lay down, watch, touch, and her favorite game ‘find it.’ When it comes to meeting new dog buddies, she
does the best play bows! Phoebe’s perfect day would include a long walk, playtime with a four-legged friend, and snuggling up with you. The adoption fee for puppies under 6 months is $300, for adult dogs is $250, and
BLEU
includes a discount on the first six-week session of a manners class. One-and-a-half-year-old Bleu is a gorgeous girl with a silvery soft coat, and a purrsonality to match. This lady is sweet, social, interactive, and
loves having her chin scratched. She’s also quite a chatterbox and has a lot of interesting things to tell you. Bleu is a delightful kitty. The adoption fee for kittens under 6 months $125 and for adult cats is $75. Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: Noon to 6 pm Wednesday & Thursday, Noon to 7 pm Friday, and Noon to 6 pm Saturday & Sunday. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arflife.org, or call (925) 2561ARF.
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Page 9
sy ay Eag d n u S nin Listeic 4-7pm ucing
Introd
us
Live m
6096 Main Street, Clayton, 673-0440 Entertainment from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
July 6-7 ......................................Double Down Band July 13-14 ........................................19-Hand Horse July 20-21 .............................................Barrelhouse July 27-28.............................................Delta Deuce Aug. 3-4 ...................................................The Relyks
Karaoke Mon. & Wed. nights Open Mic Thur. nights, 8-11 pm
www.claytonclubsaloon.com
2 for the price of 1
Clayton Community Calendar
Beer only. Good anytime with original coupon. Exp. 8/09/18
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUG. 1 FOR THE AUG. 10 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
IN CLAYTON
Saturdays, except July 14 Farmers’ Market
Save Mount Diablo’s Discover Diablo is a free public hike series. Go to discover-diablo.eventbrite.com for more information.
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 6095 Main St. pcfma.org.
July 7 Wright Canyon Evening Property Tour
6 – 8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. ci.clayton.ca.us. For a complete concert series list, see Page 7.
July 20 Curry Canyon Ranch Evening Property Tour
Saturdays: July 7, 21; Aug. 4 Concerts in the Grove
July 11, 25; Aug. 8 Wednesday Classic Car Show
Car show and DJ music. 6 – 8 p.m. 6099 Main St. Free. ci.clayton.ca.us.
July 14 Clayton BBQ Cook-Off
Pro pitmasters and backyard chef competitions, including People’s Choice. Food, drink, music, family fun. 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Downtown Clayton. Free admission. claytoncbca.org.
IN CONCORD
Tuesdays Farmers’ Market
Year round, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.
Tuesday Night Blues July 10 - 31
Some of the best blues in the Bay Area. July 10, Dana Fuchs; July 17, Tommy Castro; July 24, Tia Carroll; July 31, Jr. DeVille. 6:30 – 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free. cityofconcord.org.
Thursdays Music and Market
Thursday night live music and farmers’ market. Music: July 12, Chance McKinney; July 19, California Beach Boys; July 26, Zepparella; Aug. 2, James Clark; Aug. 9, Stung. Market 4 – 8 p.m.; music 6:30 – 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.
3rd Sundays Antique Faire
Antiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concordantiquefaire.com.
July, Aug. Concerts
The Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road. See full concert schedule for 2018 at livenation.com. July 14: KIDZ BOP, 6 p.m. July 24: Imagine Dragons, 7 p.m. Aug. 4: Angry Orchard Rock the Roots, 2 p.m. Aug. 11: The Comedy Get Down, 8 p.m. Aug. 18: Steve Miller Band, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24: End of the World Tour, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 28: Rob Zombie, 7 p.m.
July 10 Cool Concord Cars
Beat the summer heat. 7 – 10 p.m. Meet at Wright Canyon. Reservations required. Listen for critters that go bump in the night. 7 – 10 p.m. Meet at Park n’ Ride, 1000 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. Reservations required.
Aug. 4 Mangini Ranch Sun Salutation
Keep an eye out for wildlife that is active in the morning. 6 – 9 a.m. Meet at 5318 Crystyl Ranch Drive, Concord. Reservations required.
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT
July 6 “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Presented by Broadway Repertory Theater. June 29 – July 1: El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $14-$25. elcampaniltheatre.com. July 6: Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $28. lesherartscenter.org.
July 12 – 15 “Spontaneous Shakespeare!”
Presented by Synergy Theater. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 9437469.
July 12 – 22 “Man of La Mancha”
Presented by Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble. The Theater at Edna Hill, 140 Birch St., Brentwood. $13-$20. ghostlightte.org.
July 13 “Young Actors Studio Showcase”
Presented by The Ballet School. 6:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
July 14 “An Evening of Magic with Nick Fedoroff”
Magical expertise enhanced with brilliant improvisation and clever comedy. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $45. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
July 14 “Mancini”
The songs of Henry Mancini performed by Katy Stephan. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $18-$20. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
July 14, 21, 28 Improv in the Park
Sponsored by Pittsurg Community Theatre. 6 p.m. John Buckley Square, Old Town Pittsburg, between Fifth and Sixth Streets and Railroad Avenue. Free. oldtownpittsburgca.com.
Annual car show on opening night of Tuesday Night Blues. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free. cityofJuly 15 concord.org. “Love, Lust and Laughter” Presented by Festival Opera. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, Aug. 9 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $44-90. lesherartscenter.org. Advance Health Care Directives (925) 943-7469. Legal clinic to prepare and notarize advance health care directives for seniors 60 and older in Contra Costa County. 9:15 July 21 11:30 a.m. Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle. Free. Chevron Family Theatre Festival Call for appointment (925) 671-3320. A day of affordable, high quality, family entertainment. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $5. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469. ON AND AROUND THE MOUNTAIN Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve programs are available for registration through ebparks.org. Parking fees may apply. For additional information, contact Black Diamond Visitor Center at (510) 544-2750 or bdvisit@ebparks.org.
July 8 Hike/Mine Tour
Learn the area’s mining history from the tops of the hills to their core. 9 – 11:30 a.m. Meet at Black Diamond Mines Upper Parking Lot. $5. Registration required.
July 14 Mine Open House
Self-guided tours through newly expanded mine passageways. 12 – 4:30 p.m.
Mount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free with the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click on Event Calendar for more information.
July 8 The Night Shift
See what it’s like after daytime visitors go home and resident flora and fauna reclaim the mountain. 7 – 9:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required: sweettrails00@gmail.com.
July 20, Aug. 24 Common Poorwill Bird Walk
Hike and listen to the birds of the early evening. 7 – 10:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required: blkittiwake@yahoo.com.
Aug. 11, 25 Tarantula Tales and Trails
Hike Mitchell Canyon in search of Mount Diablo’s famous spiders. 6 – 9 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Registration required: sweettrails00@gmail.com.
July 21 Ice Cream Social and Open House
Celebrate National Ice Cream Day and tour the Contra Costa County History Center. 12 - 2 p.m. 724 Escobar St., Martinez. Free; $5 suggested donation. cocohistory.com.
July 24 “Summer ‘Pops’ Concert 2018”
Presented by Walnut Creek Concert Band. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $17.50. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
July 27 – 29 “The Secret Garden”
Enchanting musical. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $14-$25. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
July 28 Bria Skonberg with Wycliffe Gordon
Presented by Diablo Regional Arts Association. 5 and 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $42. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
July 28 “Rockabilly Saturday”
Presented by Running Scared Productions. 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $35-$55. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
July 28 “Seussical Kids!”
Presented by the Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble Performing Arts Youth Academy. The Theater at Edna Hill, 140 Birch St., Brentwood. Free. ghostlightte.org.
July 29 Recital
Presented by the Salimpour School of Belly Dance. 5:45 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $35$20. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Aug. 3 – 4 “The Secret Garden”
Presented by Broadway Repertory Theater. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $28. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Aug. 4 -5 “The Pirates of Penzance”
Presented by Lamplighters. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $50-$55. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 9437469.
Aug. 5 “Abbacadabra”
The Ultimate ABBA Concert. 3 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $15-$32. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
Aug. 10 – 19 “Mary Poppins”
Presented by Poison Apple Productions. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Aug. 11 “The Modern Jazz Generation”
Performed by Marcus Roberts. 5 and 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $42. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
FUNDRAISERS
2nd and 4th Sundays Pancake Breakfast
Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfwpost1525.org.
July 14 Document Shredding
Old tax returns, bills, business records, bank statements and other documents containing personal information (no x-rays or film) shredded onsite by a certified shredding company. Proceeds go to the Cancer Support Community. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Parking lot at 400 Taylor Blvd, Pleasant Hill. For questions, call Diablo Valley Oncology at (925) 677-5041, ext. 272.
July 14, 28 Adoption Fair
Sponsored by Northern California Sled Dog Rescue. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. July 14: Pet Food Express, 5404 Ygnacio Valley Road, Concord. July 28: Petco, 1150 Concord Ave, #160, Concord. norsled.org.
AT THE LIBRARY
The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonlibrary.org or call (925) 673-0659.
Thru Aug. 4: Summer Reading Program July 9: Clayton Library Book Club, 7 p.m. July 9, 23: Clayton Knits, 1:30 p.m. July 16: College Admissions for the Rest of Us, 7 p.m. July 19: Bay Area Discovery Museum Presentation, 4 p.m. Registration required. July 23: Destination Antarctica, 7 p.m. July 30: Harry Potter’s Birthday Party, 6 p.m. Registration required.
The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or (925) 646-5455.
Thru Aug. 4: Summer Reading Program July 7: HALO: Read to a Dog, 10:30 a.m. Registration req. July 7: Finance Workshop, 2 p.m. Registration required. July 8: Mystery Book Club, 1 p.m. July 9: Family Craft, 4 p.m. July 10: Tween Crafts, 4 p.m. Registration required. July 10, 12: Lunch at the Library, 1 p.m. July 12: “Black Panther” film screening, 6 p.m. July 14: Concord Art Association meeting and demonstration, 1 p.m. July 16: Family Game Night, 7 p.m. July 17: Forever Young Book Club, 4 p.m. July 20 – 22: Friends of the Concord Library Book Sale July 23: Family Movie Night, 7 p.m. July 26: Bird Program, 7 p.m. July 28: AARP Tax Help, call (925) 405-5135 for appointment.
GOVERNMENT
1st and 3rd Tuesdays Clayton City Council
7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. (925) 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission
7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. (925) 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
Sports
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
Pentathlon next weekend biggest local swim meet JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Each summer the recreation swim community focuses for one weekend on Clayton. The 24th annual Devil Mountain Pentathlon entertains over 1100 swimmers on 16 teams next Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15, in the Dana Hills pool with both Clayton teams, Dana Hills Otters and Oakhurst Country Club Orcas, taking part. The Pentathlon is by far the biggest meet in Clayton each year and whets the appetite for the meets that will culminate the season next month: 52nd Concord Swimming Championships Aug. 3-5 and the 58th Contra Costa County Championships in Lafayette Aug. 1012. Devil Mountain Pentathlon brings together teams and swimmers for a unique event that has each boy and girl swimming five events in one day. It’s not only a one-of-akind meet for the swimmers but also the Clayton team’s major annual fundraiser to supplement family fees to pay the coaching staff, meet entry fees and other expenses. The Pentathlon was the brainchild of Dana Hills Swim Team parents Mike and Toni Biel. At the first Pentathlon in 1995 there were six teams. Three of them—Springwood
Jay Bedecarré
over 200 members of the Dana Hill Swim Team will be competing on the July 14-15 weekend at the 23rd annual Devil Mountain Pentathlon at the club’s pool in Clayton. The otters will be hosting 10 other recreation swim teams as the summer season churns towards a climax the first two weekends of august. among the otters taking part in the Pentathlon are, top row, from left, Kenzo acosta (7-8), Kieran Dharmani (6 and under); middle row, alex Lahanas (9-10), Eva Zehm (9-10), Jasmine Jacques (7-8), Christian Ceja (11-12); back row, Ryan Thomas (15-18) and Maddie Fahey (13-14).
Sprinters, Pleasant Hill Aquat- 13 more teams--- Bishop ers, Livorna Dolphins, LMYA ics Penguins and DHST-- are Estates Barracudas, Forest Dolphins, Martinez Communiinvolved this year along with Hills Beavers, Forest Park Fly- ty Otters, Oakhurst, Pleasant
Hill Dolfins, Sun Valley Rays, Sycamore Stingrays, Vista Diablo Dolphins, Walnut Country Stingrays and Ygnacio Wood Seahorses. Meet director Shauna Maffei says that this year’s Pentathlon features the younger age groups (six and unders through 9-10 girls) competing on Saturday and the olders (910 boys through 15-18 boys and girls) on Sunday. Dana Hills will have about 200 swimmers competing. The meet recognizes and rewards all of the kids who participate [everyone gets an “I survived the Devil Mountain Pentathlon” ribbon] plus heat and stroke awards. The awards are no different for A and B flights. As the host team DHST doesn’t count in the team standings. Admission is free for anyone wishing to come out and view the meet, which begins at 8:30 a.m. both days. The Dana Hills pool is located at 298 Mountaire Cir. in Clayton. The Crossing Challenge will feature both A and B division swimmers for the second time when Walnut Country of Concord hosts the meet July 20-21. That same weekend the Woodland Invitational on July 21-22 features many of the county’s top teams. Dana Hills will host Oakhurst in a dual meet July 28 as the two local teams
prep for the city and county meets. Dana Hills will also take part in the Last Chance meet Aug. 1 at Blackhawk where swimmers get another chance to post county qualifying times. 2 BIG MEETS IN AUGUST Next month, Dana Hills will be seeking its 26th Concord City Meet championship in the last 27 years since the Otters won their first A Division title in 1992. The 52nd City Meet includes 11 teams with Crockett and Forest Hills Swim Team of Martinez joining nine Concord and Clayton teams in the competition. Bishop Estates, Dana Hills, Forest Park, Gehringer Gators, Oakhurst, Walnut Country, Springwood, Vista Diablo and Ygnacio Wood complete the field. Last August, the Orcas had their best-ever A Division finish at City in fourth place and also were eighth at County in Division 3. DHST have been in the top five at County the past seven years while 12-time County champs Crow Canyon Country Club heads the list of contenders in Lafayette again. The Otters have finished third in the team standings for three consecutive summers. The Clayton team’s best-ever finish at County was second in 1995 and 2011.
2 Clayton Valley Little League softball teams TOC finalists JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Valley Little League’s regular-season, District 4 Tournament of Champions and allstar play has wrapped up the 2017 season. On the baseball side, the major division Los Diablos, minor A Diamondbacks and Minor B Bulls were in TOC. The DBacks won two games before losing in the semi-finals. The CVLL softball teams in TOC were the major Thunder and minor Stingrays. All-Star play began in late June culminating with the international Little League World Series (11-12 year-olds) in Williamsport, PA Aug. 17-27. Clayton Valley Little League’s regular-season, District 4 Tournament of Champions and allstar play has wrapped up the 2017 season. On the baseball side, the major division Los Diablos, minor A Diamondbacks and Minor B Bulls were in TOC. The DBacks won two games
before losing in the semi-finals. The CVLL softball teams in TOC were the major Thunder and minor Stingrays. All-Star play began in late June culminating with the international Little League World Series (11-12 year-olds) in Williamsport, PA Aug. 17-27. Clayton Valley Little League all-star teams:
BASEBALL 8-10 year-olds: Tyler Summers, Joaquin Hernandez, Cody Ross, Dylan Gettrost, Thomas Borbely, Danny Villasenor, Coy White, Spencer Chop, Wyatt Curran, Aiden Newberry, Nate Dobbs and Brady Frias; manager Michael Summers, coaches Danny Hernandez and Jeff Ross. 9-11 year-olds: Logan Knapp, Nathan Underwood, Mateo Perez, Michael Albert, Logan Remington, Johnny Warrender, Cole Edmonston, Johnny Reynolds, Blayne Ballard, Jeremiah Chop and Luke Dress; manager Joe Knapp, coaches
Devin Underwood and Sal Perez. 11-12 year-olds: Ethan Alden, Derek Townsend, Joey Postlethwaite, Aiden Burgham, Jack Dress, Zack Peterson, Aidan Hendricks, Addison Young, Carson Seppala, Cayne Terry, Ryan Christy, Ben Hosler and Samuel Robinow; manager Andy Hosler, coaches Tony Dress and Dale Burgham. 50/70: Ryder Bartholomew, Ryan Buddle, Corbin Clifton, Ryan Cuddy, Ethan Davies, Paul Andre Germundo, Kyle Hetherton, Jake Morris, Giovanni Scolini, Dominic Vines, Alex Walker and Ryan Ward; coaches Dave Scolini and Jonathan Davies.
Photo courtesy Clayton Valley Little League
Clayton Valley Little League only has two minor division softball teams so the Firecrackers and Extreme are very familiar with one another after the regular season which also included interleague games against teams from antioch, Pinole, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek. The two CVLL teams contested a best of three playoff to earn a place in the District 4 Tournament of Champions. The third and final game was decided in the bottom of the last inning with the Firecrackers winning 10-9. They went on to take second at the District ToC after losing to defending state champion East County in the championship game. The team includes, kneeling, Rhyan ayala; players standing from left, Riley Barton, Hannah Muller, Bree Meyer, Liana Pursche, Tori Malsom, Paige Ferrari, Grace Butticci, Hannah Hosler, addison Grimesey, Leah Cooper; back, coaches Robert Muller, andy Hosler and Kelly Cooper.
SOFTBALL 8-10 year-olds: Ruby Bartholomew, Riley Barton, Leah Cooper, Jordan Feeny, Addison Grimesey, Hannah Hosler, Tori Malsom, Hannah Muller, Liana Pursche, Madison 10-12 year-olds: Sofia Tuohey, Antoinette Wirth and Carmichael, Genevieve Dennis, Nathalie Wirth; coaches Kelly Damia Glaze, Sophia Groce, Cooper, Andy Hosler and Morgan Grove, Jasmine HatanaMikko Tuohey.
ka, Autumn Johnson, Jessie Elizabeth Wallace; coaches Lovett, Gianna Orozco, Anja Danielle Freeman, Eric Riddell Perreira, Sunny Ray, Jackie and Danny Wallace. Sanchez, Isabella Scolini and
3 MDSA teams finish first in soccer tournaments
MDSa Fireballs 13U played in the 14U bracket at Concord Cup XXV that included 13U and 14U girls teams and came away in first place. They scored 11 goals and gave up only one in four games. In the championship game the Fireballs scored in the final of the 70 minutes to defeat East Bay United Infinity 1-0. The team included, from left, Laine Moraes, Sydney Mendelson, Brenda Ramirez, abby Schauman, Isabelle Ruff, Ellie aragon, Cicily Schultz, Emma Stranko, Gabby Vela, Libby Celentano, Lena King, Zoe Lahanas, ashlynn Evans and Megan Ross. not pictured, Katelynn Brown, Brooke Rickenbacher, coach KC Ross and coach al aragon.
MDSa Panthers tied Mountain View Tigers for first place in the 12U Red Division standings but lost a coin toss for the Concord Cup XXV championship after all other tournament tiebreakers were even. The top two teams had a scoreless tie in their Sunday game as each team won its other three games. The Panthers team included, front row from left, Julia Jarnagin, Quin Ryan, Emma Hinkson, Cassandra Roberts, Gianna Zamora, Karleigh Cooper; middle row, Madison Thys, Mia Poms, alayna Cloven; back row, coach Dave Cooper, alexa Parco, olivia Henley-Bush, Katelyn Marable and coach Ted Tellefsen.
Photos courtesy MDSa
MDSa 2007 Strikers FC 11U boys won the District II Spring Cup Silver Division championship in Sunnyvale last month. The local team allowed only one goal in four games and defeated MVLa 07 Boca Jrs White 1-0 in the finals. The MDSa Strikers are, front row from left, Isaac Escobar, andres Watts, Josh Valdez, aidan Zingmark; back row, Kai Parker, Sammy Rubalcava, Javy Cordova, Marco Tredinnik, coach Brian Tredinnik, Cooper Theunissen, Colin Farley, Bobby Burtch and Riley Gary.
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com mom Ada says she is hoping to arrange for Kiera and Oliver (her 10-year-old brother who is on the cusp of also getting a county time) to return here for a chance to swim at county. The three Jarvis children (seven-year-old Khloe is the youngest) will be attending an international school in London. “The coaches nominated Kiera as the Orca spotlight for her great work ethic, positive attitude, persevering drive, good sportsmanship and fantastic Orca pride,” head coach Jasmine Castillo said. Who knows, when the Jarvis family returns to Clayton in three years one of them might be in the spotlight again.
Athlete Spotlight
Kiera Jarvis
Team: Oakhurst Orcas Age: 12 Sport: Swimming
Jarvis is having a unique summer. She recently completed seventh grade at Diablo View Middle School and is in the midst of her seventh season on the Oakhurst Orcas swim team. But rather than simply enjoying her first-ever county swim meet qualifying time and thinking about her final year at DVMS before high school, she and her family are preparing for a move in just three
weeks’ time. Her dad Matt is taking a new three-year work assignment, 5330 miles east of Clayton in London. For the past several years he’s been commuting every day to Silicon Valley as a project manager and will be doing similar work in England. Kiera Jarvis is hoping she will be able to compete in the County Meet in August, concentrating on her favorite breaststroke. Her
The Clayton Pioneer congratulates Kiera thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@claytonpioneer.com.
De La Salle High announces its 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame induction class JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
De La Salle High School has announced the five athletes and two teams in its 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame. The honorees will be inducted on the Sept. 14-16 weekend. As part of the nomination process, the schools says honorees are recognized not only for their athletic achievements but also for their academic, professional and community involvements. These alumni will be recognized during a halftime ceremony at the Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas-DLS football game in Concord on Sept. 14 and then will be feted at an afternoon celebration and induction ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 16. The 2018 Hall of Fame inductees are: Adam Carter (Class of 1994, swimming, basketball, water polo) was the 1994 DLS athlete of the year when he was water polo team captain and was named all-league goalie and All-America. He was on the BVAL championship basketball teams in 1993 and 1994 and BVAL water polo champions in 1994. After graduating DLS, Carter
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received a full-ride water polo scholarship to Cal State Long Beach, where he was a threeyear team captain and starter. He currently holds the thirdmost career saves in CSU Long Beach water polo history.
Jason Dennis (1997, baseball) was a three-year varsity pitcher. During his junior and senior years, Dennis led his team to back-to-back NCS championships. His DLS career statistics include a .379 batting average with eight home runs and 68 RBIs. During his senior year, Dennis had an 11-1 record with a 1.20 ERA and 132 strikeouts over 87 innings. He received multiple honors, including Contra Costa Times (1997), all-East Bay (1996 and 1997), all-County (1996 and 1997) and California Player of the Year (High School Coaches Poll in 1996 and 1997). In 1997, Dennis was part of the Junior Olympic National Team that won won the gold medal. After graduating DLS, he went to the University of California Berkeley where he majored in American Studies and played baseball. He was drafted by the Anaheim Angels and played for five teams in the Pioneer, Midwest, California and Atlantic leagues.
Isiah “Dwayne” Harris, MD (1997, soccer) was a three-year starter on the varsity soccer team including the 1996 NCS champions. A midfielder, Harris was Contra Costa Times player of the year. After graduation, Harris attended Duke University where he was a four-year starter. He graduated from Duke with undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry and psychology. He attended medical school at UCSF and completed his residency at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital with a focus in obstetrics and gynecology. He completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Colorado, Denver, where he also obtained an MS in clinical studies. Dr. Harris currently works at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center where he focuses on providing comprehensive reproductive care.
member. He attended Idaho State before transferring to San Jose State University. Loverne was the 90th overall NFL draft pick in 1999 by the New York Jets and played for the Jets, Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans over a sevenyear stretch.
Kevin Walker (1991, football, baseball, soccer) was a four-sport star at De La Salle where he played basketball (freshman) and varsity football, baseball and soccer. In baseball, Walker was the starting centerfielder. In football, he was part of a team that won two section titles. A member of the first unbeaten “The Streak” team, Walker was a starting kicker, punter, kick returner, punt returner, wide receiver and defensive back. In soccer, Walker was part of the 1989 and 1991 NCS championship teams where he was the starting forward. Walker was a walk-on wide receiver at UCLA and played there from 1992-1995. Walker has also been a freshman football coach at DLS.
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David Loverne (1994, football) was an offensive and defensive lineman for the Spartans varsity football team for four years, winning three NCS titles. A member of the first 1996 Cross Country unbeaten “The Streak” team in Team won BVAL, NCS and 1992, Loverne was an integral CIF State Championships. They were undefeated in dual meets and the fastest team in all state divisions in meet times. The team was the Contra Costa Times cross country team of the year and ranked #12 nationally, the only California team ranked in the Top 25.
Clayton quartet help De La Salle baseball to No. 2 national ranking
Photo courtesy De La Salle baseball
De La Salle High won 21 of its final 22 games to claim the school’s third consecutive north Coast Section baseball championship this spring. a quartet of Spartan seniors from Clayton—Taison Corio, Trace Tammaro, Brian nimr and Ryan Costeiu—played key roles in that success. Coach David Jeans pointed to all-Bay area pitcher Costeiu who pitched the nCS title game win over Foothill and was 10-0 on the mound while pitching 68.2 innings with a 1.12 ERa. Two years ago on DLS junior varsity he pitched 11 innings and had a 2-2 record. First baseman Tammaro had seven home runs and 34 RBIs in his third nCS championship season. Corio batted just .196 as a freshman but the all-EBaL second baseman had a .438 average and scored 30 runs, averaging one per game for the 26-4 Spartans his senior year. MaxPreps named DLS as the no. 2 team in California and the nation behind Valley Christian of San Jose, the Central Coast Section champs. In 2016 the Spartans had the same rankings in MaxPreps behind Buchanan High of Clovis.
2003 Football Team was the last undefeated team in the 13-year streak. They hosted Evangel Christian of Louisiana at DVC in the firstever ESPN high school football game in front of a national TV audience. They were ranked #1 in the nation by USA Today and Cal-Hi Sports. Including players such as TJ Ward, Jackie Bates and Chris Biller (who was part of the National rugby team), as well as top national recruits Terrence Kelly and Cameron Colvin, this team was, in the words of coach Terry Eidson, “probably one of the most talented teams of all time” at De La Salle. The Sept. 16 Hall of Fame event is open to the public and registration will be online at dlshs.org/athletics/hall-of-fame. For more information contact director of alumni relations Lloyd Schine, schineL@dlshs.org or by phone at (925) 288-8171.
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Sports Shorts
CARONDELET GIRLS SPORTS CLINICS THIS MONTH INCLUDE 4 AT NEW SPORTS COMPLEX
Carondelet High School is offering summer sports clinics in July for incoming middle school girls in basketball, dance, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The lacrosse, soccer, swimming and tennis clinics will be held at the new Carondelet Athletics Complex in Walnut Creek with the others on the school’s Concord campus. The advanced sports clinics are for experienced middle school athletes looking to improve their skills and prepare for high school competition. Carondelet coaches and athletes will work on sport-specific fundamentals and skills. Sessions are in the afternoon and early evening. Visit carondeleths.org/summer for details and to register.
TERRAPINS SWIM TEAM OFFERING SUMMER STROKE AND RACING CLINICS AT NEW AQUATIC COMPLEX
Terrapins coaches Dan Cottam and Doug Reed will be teaching two more sessions of stroke and racing skills for the summer recreational swimmer. The goal is to help all participants improve/refine strokes. In addition, the sessions will enhance racing skills like starts, breakouts, turns and finishes. Each session is two weeks, three days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). The sessions are July 9-19 and July 23-Aug. 2. For more info and to register visit terrapinswim.com.
DIABLO FC FALL REC SOCCER PROGRAM REGISTRATION OPEN
Boys and girls of all skill levels in the 6U-19U (1999-2014) age groups are invited to sign up for the Diablo FC fall rec soccer program which runs from August through October. The area’s premier soccer club is offering this new fall season program that includes two practices per week and one game per weekend. Volunteer parent coaches get free registration for their child. The 8-10 game season includes coaching education provided by Diablo FC staff. Additional free clinics run by Diablo FC coaches for rec players are offered in addition to team practices. Fee includes a uniform. Visit diablofc.org for details.
YVHS NAMES BRYAN SHAW NEW FOOTBALL COACH
Athletic Director Mark Tran announced last month that Bryan Shaw has replaced Clyde Byrd as the head coach of the Ygnacio Valley High football team. Shaw was the head coach at Mt. Diablo from 2012-14 and was the school’s athletic director from 2014-17. He transferred to YVHS as a teacher at the beginning of the recently completed school year. Byrd had replaced Phil Puentes last year and led the Warriors to a 5-5 record and the first round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs. Shaw’s Red Devils won seven games over the three years he ran the football program. In the last three years MDHS has just one victory. Both Mt. Diablo and Ygnacio Valley football have been challenged to have sufficient number of players to compete with other schools through an entire season. Shaw began the school’s summer practice period last week. Their first game is Aug. 17 when they host Fremont of Oakland.
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
Club News
CBCA sides with safety, sobriety and sod GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer
The Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) made up for lost time as it approved grants to seven local non-profits at the May 31 meeting at Oakhurst Country Club. The grants were scheduled for a vote in April, but the club was shy of the required quorum by a few members. Heading up the list of worthy recipients was the Clayton Historical Society, which got funds to upgrade the lighting and power system. Clayton Valley Little League scored money for girls’ softball equipment. Three more middle school girls will attend Tech Trek this year, thanks to a grant to the American Association of University Women for scholarships. Tech Trek opens the doors for young women to pursue careers in science and engineering. Norcal Junior Achievement, which introduces kids to the business world, received funds for its program at Mt. Diablo Elementary. Two health-related programs dedicated to adults in need also received grants. Network of Care provides
meal and snack bags for families who suddenly find themselves at a hospital overnight as they wait for news of a loved one they’ve brought in for emergency care. Support 4 Recovery is a countywide program that arranges safe and sober living environments for individuals leaving treatment programs. Finally, CBCA once again donated to scholarships for Clayton Valley Charter High School students who can’t afford tickets to the school’s safe and sober Grad Night. The bulk of the meeting was dedicated to a presentation by the Mt. Diablo Elementary Field Committee, led by Pat Mittendorf. The committee is seeking funds to help grade the play field adjacent to the school. The field is pocked with ground squirrel holes, which have led to broken arms and ankles to kids in P.E. classes and Little Leaguers. The project will include grading and re-sodding the field and upgrading the track on its perimeter. The cost is estimated at $250,000, with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District footing half the bill and assuming all maintenance duties. The other half is covered by funds raised by the commit-
Clayton Valley Garden Club
CONCORD AYSO ACCEPTING FALL SOCCER REGISTRATIONS
Concord AYSO has begun accepting registrations for their fall soccer program online. The fall season starts Aug. 1. The registration fee includes a uniform, ball and insurance. Visit concordayso.org to register and get more information.
tee, which will include a $40,000 grant from CBCA. Meanwhile, Barbeque Cook-Off chair Rory Richards announced another addition to this year’s event, scheduled for July 14 in downtown Clayton. Besides the appearance of the Idaho
Potato Commission’s motorized “Big Spud,” Saturday night will feature music by blues band Eve and the Broken Ribs. For information on joining CBCA and helping your community, call 925-672-2272.
Clayton Historical Society Pioneer Apron Project
Steve Pierce
(Top Row): Linda Cruz, Rhea Kahlon, avneet Kahlon, (bottom row) Julie Pierce, Linda Pinder, Pam Rogers and Sandra nepacena prepare pioneer aprons for Clayton’s July 4 parade and period dress for school programs put on by the Clayton Historical Society docents.
Museum seeks World War I memorabilia and stories
TERRAPINS SUMMER SESSION, YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS UNDERWAY
Terrapins summer session for Orange Group runs through Aug. 9 at Concord Community Pool. Two practice time options (morning or late afternoon) are available for the Monday to Thursday sessions. The USA Swimming competitive team is always open for new year-round membership. Visit the team website terrapinswim.com or call 680-8372 for more info.
DIABLO FC OFFERS COMPETITIVE TEAM SOCCER EVALUATIONS
Diablo FC 8 under through under 19 competitive soccer teams (birth years 2000-2011) have held formal tryouts for the 2018-19 season. Players interested in joining Diablo FC should email director of coaching Zach Sullivan at docdiablofc@gmail.com with any questions about the club or to arrange a player evaluation for players in birth years 2000-2011. Visit diablofc.org to get more information.
CLAYTON VALLEY JR. EAGLES APPLICATIONS FOR FOOTBALL, CHEER END JULY 15
Boys and girls can register until next Sunday, July 15, for the fall Clayton Valley Jr. Eagles football and cheer programs. Football is open to boys and girls born between July 30, 2003 and July 31, 2012. Online registration is underway at cvaajreagles.com or email cvaajreagles@gmail.com.
Toni Hegemier
Linda Cruz, plant sale chair of the Clayton Valley Garden Club, thanks amir Hatambeiki, owner of Clayton Valley Shell, for his support of the club’s annual plant sale in May by allowing them to place a banner at the station each year one week before the sale.
CHECK WITH ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUES FOR SUMMER, FALL PROGRAMS
Youth leagues, clinics and tournaments are scheduled by All Out Sports Leagues in Clayton this summer and fall. For complete info on their programs, visit alloutsportsleague.com.
CONCORD COBRAS FOOTBALL, CHEER SIGNUPS
Concord Cobras tackle football and cheer programs are taking signups for the fall season online. The football and cheer programs are open to youth six to 14 years of age. The Cobras cheer program is returning this year. For more info on football email concordyouthfootball@yahoo.com or call 917-0785 and for cheer email CYFcobrascheer@gmail.com or call 383-1146. Visit concordyouthfootball.com for more info.
DE LA SALLE HOSTS SUMMER CAMPS IN JULY, AUGUST
De La Salle High School hosts summer camps to provide a fun, skill-building week for boys and girls in July and August. Appealing to local youth with a variety of athletic interests, De La Salle will offer sessions for football, basketball, track and field, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, swimming, theatre/broadcasting, rugby and strength and conditioning. DLS Camps are open to K through incoming ninth graders. For more info email summercamps@dlshs.org or visit dlshs.org/athletics/camps-clinics.
MDSA FALL RECREATIONAL SOCCER PROGRAM TAKING WAITLIST REGISTRATION
Registration for Mt. Diablo Soccer Association’s fall recreation program for boys and girls born 2000-2014 is open with registrants now placed on a waitlist for a fall league team. Games begin mid-August. See mdsoccer.org for more info and to register.
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This is the last call for Clayton area residents to help create a moving display for the Clayton Museum’s fall exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the close of “The War to End All Wars.” The museum is interested in anything related to World War I, especially, but not limited to, the period of peak American involvement from 1917 to 1918. Share stories, photos, letters, insignia pins, uniform buttons, canteens, discharge papers or other items from those who served in WWI or memories of relatives or friends who suffered the infamous Spanish Flu or who struggled to keep the home fires burning. Please drop by the Clayton Museum at 6101 Main St., Clayton, Wednesdays or Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. or contact Renee Wing at (925) 2120940 or reneewing@sbcglobal.net.
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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‘Brooklyn’ isn’t just another coming-of-age story To read anything by Jacqueline Woodson is to expect the unexpected, not only for the stories themselves but for the imaginative way they are written. “Another Brooklyn” is no exception. Woodson’s second adult novel is about an adolescence remembered. The story begins when August returns to Brooklyn for her father’s funeral and shares the facts of that return. The first 11 pages take up the funeral, the introduction of her brother (a devout member of the Nation of Islam), a short reference to a black Brooklyn in a 1970s white culture and the facts of her leaving Brooklyn to travel the world as an anthropologist.
SUnny SoLoMon
BOOKIN’ WITH SUNNY
Following the funeral, she and her brother lovingly share a meal at a diner before she takes the subway back to her father’s apartment. “There were clothes to be donated, old food to throw out, pictures to
pack away. For what? For whom?” The memories begin when, seated in the subway car, August looks up and sees Sylvia sitting across from her. From that point on, the intimacy of August’s memories never lets up. Although these are August’s memories, they exist inside the friendship of four singularly remarkable young girls: Sylvia, Gigi, Angela and August. August, her brother and father are Brooklyn transplants from a not quite innocent life in rural Tennessee. It is an unhappy exodus, one made without her mother. The period of adjustment to inner-city life – with its traffic, drugs, pop music and ever-present street
danger –takes place under the watchful eye of a father who knows and fears the risk of bringing his children back to the streets of his youth. “The green of Tennessee faded quickly into the foreign world of Brooklyn, the heat rising from cement.” August’s memories happen in the black streets of Brooklyn. Yet each time I read the book, the fit becomes more comfortable for me. How do any of us remember our best grammar school through high school friends? And who is lucky enough to almost hold them together before high school ends? Woodson touches adolescence so finely that when its pain surfaces, we are reminded
How to visit the Grand Canyon and skip the lines
of our own experiences, which in turn endears all her characters to us – with their dreams, betrayals, successes and failures. Family secrets, divorce, addictive parents and the secret excitement of their sexuality in response to the boys and men in their lives all weigh heavily in their surviving adolescence. Woodson’s writing lifts this novel from almost every other coming-of-age story. Her sparse paragraphs and the space between them leaves room for the reader to take it all in. “Another Brooklyn” is the story of a young woman of color’s journey into her adolescence in Brooklyn and out into the greater world. For me, that journey and the reading of this book have become a powerful and moving memory of their own. Sunny Solomon is a freelance writer and head of the Clayton Book Club. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latest recommendations or just to ‘talk books.’
ROBERT CASEY PLACES TO GO
The Grand Canyon overwhelms the senses. Measuring about 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and a mile deep, this chasm carved by the Colorado River over 6 million years is truly a natural wonder. It’s designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and visitors from around the world have traveled there for centuries to be awed by its orange and red grandeur. Grand Canyon National Park is the second-busiest national park in America, with more than 6 million visitors last year. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was No. 1, with 11.3 million visitors. Yosemite National Park was fifth, with 4.3 million visitors. The Grand Canyon can be very crowded, especially this time of year. In addition, there are road improvement projects throughout the park. The National Park Service (NPS) says to expect delays, detours, closures and parking modifications. But no worries. NPS has come to the rescue by supplying shuttle buses that travel to most of the major sights. They advise taking the Tusayan route, which provides service from Tusayan, about two miles from the south park entrance, to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. With a bit of walking and riding the shuttles, you can see the Grand Canyon in about four hours. Buy your entrance pass online at yourpassnow.com/ParkPass/par k/grca. Then get on the shuttle in Tusayan and bypass the
FREE ESTIMATES •Lawn & Plant Installation
Photo: national Park Service
The Grand Canyon features magnificent views, such as this one from Mohave Point on the South Rim’s Hermit Road.
entrance gate. Buses are white with a green stripe and display the route name on the front and side. No tickets are required inside the park. A portion of your entrance fee pays for the shuttles. Buses come every 15-30 minutes between 8 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Bus stops are clearly marked throughout the park and are located about every mile along the 13-mile Rim Trail. You can walk part of the Rim Trail, hopping on a shuttle bus afterward. Bus stops are also close to great bicycling opportunities.
If You Go
Bicycle the Greenway Trail to South Kaibab Trailhead or ride Hermit Road to Hermits Rest and then get on a shuttle bus to return. The shuttles can accommodate two or three bicycles. If you plan to drive your car into the park, arrive by 9 a.m. and find a parking spot by the visitor center. If you want to beat the crowds even further, try the North Rim, which is open until Oct. 15, or delay your visit until fall when the park is less crowded and quite a bit cooler. Robert Casey is president of Fair Winds Cruises & Expeditions
Entrance fees: $35 for single vehicles and all passengers, $30 for motorcycles. If you enter by foot, bicycle, park shuttle bus, Grand Canyon Railway or private rafting, the fee is $20. Annual passes for Grand Canyon National Park are $70. If you are 62 or over, you can get a lifetime senior pass for $80. There are also free military passes for active-duty personnel and dependents. Best sunset views: Get on the Hermits Rest (red) shuttle and watch the sunset from Mohave or Pima points, or take the Kaibab/Rim (orange) bus to Yaki Point. If driving, head out to Desert View Point. For more information: Visit nps.gov/grca for a visitor’s guide, maps and road condition updates.
in Clayton. He can be reached at 925-787-8252 or visit fairwindscruises.com. His email is caseyrdc@gmail.com.
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Page 14
T HE ARTS
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
‘Port Chicago’ back for a short run
SaLLy HoGaRTy
STAGE STRUCK Given how Port Chicago has been in the news lately as a possible immigrant detention camp, it seems fortuitous that the play “Port Chicago 50” returns to the Bay Area. The play chronicles the terrible explosion that took place on July 17, 1944, at Port Chicago as primarily African-American soldiers loaded munitions onto two large ships. One of the survivors, Freddie Meeks, tells the story of the soldiers before, during and after the tragedy. The show will be presented 3 and 8 p.m. July 14 at the McKenna Theater on the San Francisco State campus, 1600 Holloway Ave. For tickets and more information, go to
July 6, 2018
Shelly McDowell and Liam Cody Star in the Broadway Repertory Theater production of “How To Succeed in Business” at the Lesher Center July 6-8.
www.portchicago50.eventbrite. com. Then at 10 a.m. July 21, the 74th anniversary of the Port Chicago Blast Commemoration begins at the Military Ocean Terminal Concord. For more information, email
Summer Program 925-672-0388 ClaytonCommunitySchool@gmail.com
Teacher positions available
experience,” says Kinsella. For tickets, go to www.broadwayrepertorytheater.com or call 925-757-9500 (El Campanil) or 925-943SHOW (Lesher). CJ Productions presents “If These Walls Could Talk” at Antioch’s El Campanil Theatre at 6 p.m. July 21. This story of revelation to restoration follows Mother Mabel Blackstone’s prayer meeting, which gets out of hand as she tries to nurture five women in need of additional love. For tickets, call 925-7579500 or go to www.elcampaniltheatre.com. A cautionary tale is up next at the Martinez Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., as Plotline Theater Company presents “The Housekeeper” in association with Onstage. Written by James Prideaux
and directed by Randy Anger, the play features Eddie Peabody as a middle-aged, rather stuffy bachelor who hires a housekeeper following the death of his domineering mother. He’s in for quite a surprise when he opens the door and the housekeeper, portrayed by Courtney Shaffer, turns out to be an eccentric bag lady. Full of biting humor and more than a few life lessons, “The Housekeeper” runs July 6- 14. For tickets, call 925-3606859 or email plotlinetheatreco@yahoo.com. You can also order online via www.brownpapertickets.com. That magical kingdom beneath the sea comes to Livermore as Tri-Valley Repertory presents Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” The beloved musical runs July 21-Aug. 5 at the Bankhead Theater, 2400
friendsofportchicago@gmail. com or go to the website www.portchicagomemorial.org If you’re having trouble with your business, why not take some advice from Abe Burroughs. The playwright’s hilarious “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” runs July 6-8 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. Presented by Broadway Repertory Theater and directed by Steve Kinsella, the show features a plethora of local talent as the story of J. Pierrepont Finch unfolds. Next, the company will present the musical “The Secret Garden,” July 27-29 at El Campanil, 602 W. 2nd St., Josh Milbourne Antioch, and Aug. 3-4 at the Matt Skinner, left, Katherine Dela Cruz and Delaney Corbitt Lesher Center. appear in Tri-Valley Repertory’s “The Little Mermaid.” “This show features some of the most beautiful music written for the Broadway stage, and we have attracted the talent to make it a ‘must see’
First St. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s popular stories and the classic animated film, the musical is a hauntingly beautiful love story appropriate for all ages. There’s the gorgeous Ariel, the handsome human prince, an evil sea witch and colorful characters such as Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab. For tickets, call 925-3736800 or go to www.lvpac.org. Clayton Theatre company’s Summer Stage 2018 begins July 9. The three-week musical theater camp for ages 6-16 concludes with a performance of “Seussical, The Musical Jr.” on July 26. For more information, call 925-222-9106, email claytontheatrecompany@comcast.net or go to www.claytontheatrecompany.com. The Board of Directors of Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble will honor Jack and Betty Gaughan for their contribution to live theatre at the July 15 performance of “Man of La Mancha” at the Theater at Edna Hill, 140 Birch St., Brentwood. A reception will follow the performance. Tickets are available at https://app.artspeople.com/index.php?ticketing=gte. Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com
Solitude and serenity on seldom traveled trails
Hikers pass the old water tower enroute to oak Road.
KEVIn PaRKER
HIT
Main Street Downtown Clayton
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Free Admission • Family Fun
11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Pro Pitmasters and Backyard Chefs • People’s Choice Tasting • Cash Prizes and Trophies awarded to Winning Entrants • Concert in the Grove — Eve and the Broken Ribs. 6-8:30pm To enter or for more information, go to
www.claytoncbca.org
NEW 2018 The Big Idaho Potato Truck is coming to town
THE
TRAIL
Seldom does so much solitude come with so little effort. For this week’s hike in Mt. Diablo State Park, timing is everything. Hitting these series of trails early morning or late evening will almost guarantee you won’t see another person. Within steps of entering the park from the Mt. Dell passageway, begin a gradual ascent on Water Tower Road past the iconic water tower to Oak Road in the direction of Mitchell Rock. A golden carpet of grass blankets the surrounding foothills, with an always impressive Mt. Diablo as the backdrop. Make a right onto Oak Road for a shady respite as you dive back down and pick up Mitchell Canyon Road near the staging area. Early signs of poison oak along the trailside are a good reminder to watch where you walk, but a careful eye will keep you out of trouble. (Remember: Leaves of three, stay away from me.)
At the first bench, make a right onto Blackpoint Trail for a few hundred feet, then an uphill left onto Globe Lily Trail. Visitors hike past Globe Lily every day without even knowing it’s there, so let’s keep it our little secret. This single-track trail, cut high into the hillside, provides endless wildflowers. Toss in a few rocky, rollercoaster sections, views of Mitchell Canyon and the surrounding hillsides, not to mention a fairly easy hiking trail, and it’s a double thumbs up. Globe Lily drops you directly onto Red Road, another seldom used trail that dead ends at two park boundary gates. It’s an “out and back” hike that’s worth your time. Dense vegetation, trees at every corner and, once again, total solitude make this a hiker’s treat on a hot summer day. The “out” portion of Red Road is all uphill, but when I decided to turn around at the park boundary trail junction, it was a mellow downhill all the way back to Mitchell Canyon Road. With its shady glory, Mitchell Canyon Road will take you back to the staging area. Just before the main gate, hang a quick right and follow Terrace Trail, which drops you on the opposite side of the parking lot onto Bruce Lee Road. This road goes back to your start point, rounding out some of the most overlooked
trails in this park. This hike can be broken up into “mini-hikes” or done as one loop in about 90 minutes. The days are long and life is short, so get out there.
Contact Kevin Parker with comments or questions by email at LukeHollywood@gmail.com
If You GO
Getting there: Access the trail at the Mitchell Canyon Visitors Center at the end of Mitchell Canyon Road in Clayton where parking is available. $6 fee, water, restrooms, maps. Hike stats: Water Tower Road, Oak Road, Mitchell Canyon Road, Blackpoint Trail, Globe Lily Trail, Red Road, Mitchell Canyon Road, Terrace Trail, Bruce Lee Road Distance: 4.6 miles Elevation gain: 652 feet Time: 90+ minutes Level: Moderate Look Out For: Poison oak, rattlesnakes, ticks Hike-lights: Wildflowers, solitude, sun and shade, close to home, easy afterwork hike, summer breezes
July 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Senior Living portrayed in a positive light, what is the average woman to do as she deals with her changing looks? Vivian Diller and Jill MuirSukenick, two ex-models turned psychologists, offer suggestions on aging and appearance in their book, “Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change.” They believe it entails a change of attitude, perspective and focus – in a mainly internal process. The authors say women should regard beauty as not being in the eye of the beholder but rather as being in the “I” of the beholder. “This creates an internal
lens that helps women start the practice of taking control over how we see ourselves rather than letting others determine it,” the book says. “That way, women can begin to fight back against the sometime menacing messages they actually send to themselves about getting older and can begin to affirm themselves.” They suggest not letting our chronologic age define us. They believe that the old adage “We are only as old as we feel” is true, but they contend it’s up to us to define it. They remind us that self-image is dynamic and fluid – it’s more than a still photo of ourselves. So working on seeing ourselves from
within will help us conquer our fears. In the end, they say, “Our outward beauty is not our identity. Our identity is made up of the many different facets of ourselves – looks are just one.” So as I age, I must remember that my face reflects the wisdom learned along the way. I cannot count this woman out. I must respect her successes and failures and perhaps learn to love how she looks, no matter how habitually I dissect her in the mirror. Maggie Lennon is a columnist and is currently working on her blog. Contact her at maggielennon164@yahoo.com
Maggie Lennon o Botox or not to Botox? That is the question I ask myself, as I follow the lines and furrows on my over 60 face in my three-way vanity mirror. On days like this, I dream of my youthful appearance and contemplate a trip to the Dominican Republic – a tourist destination for those seeking inexpensive plastic surgery. The uncharted terrain of aging can be a minefield of emotions for women. Valued for how we measure on the Richter scale of beauty, women fear losing our attractiveness
T
and feeling invisible as we age. While most of us were raised to believe that beauty is only skin deep, having a youthobsessed culture that defines beauty as young and wrinklefree doesn’t help to allay women’s fears. The billion-dollar beauty industry sells products for older women that are “antiaging,” confirming that getting old is bad. Creams with names like Crepe Erase equate wrinkled (or “crepey”) skin with something repulsive. There have been inroads into creating positive images of women as we age. It’s become
trendy for fashion houses and magazines to use older women as runway models. While they are “model” versions of older women, at least it’s a beginning. The popular TV show “Grace and Frankie” is blazing a humorous trail in its portrayal of women “of a certain age.” Stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlinson, who are over 70, hilariously deal with real-life issues that affect older women. But Fonda, with all her Oscars and accolades, has clearly succumbed to the plastic surgeon’s knife. With few role models of natural aging
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
July 6, 2018
Slip into the tub and dream of your new design I think we secretly all enjoy a good bubble bath. Your hair wrapped up in a towel, mud mask delicately applied to your face, blow-up pillow cradling your neck and your favorite bath elixir adding bubbles or fragrance to your mini indoor oasis. The perfect bath. The perfect bathroom. So relaxing, so beautiful, so peaceful. Ahhh. But without warning, this state of calm can disappear just like a renegade bubble. The spa-like bathroom you thought you had is not a spa at all but, sadly, just a room with a vanity, a tub and a toilet. This plain, yet functional, layout has never bothered you before. It gets the job done. But maybe you’d like a bathroom that does more than just cover the basics. Maybe you’d prefer a bathroom with a little sparkle. A little pizzazz. A little
JEFF MELLInGER
SCREEN SHOTS
In the last few years, Pixar has been rolling out sequels: the wonderful “Finding Dory,” the not-bad “Monsters U” and the less said about “Cars 3,” the better. While unique ideas have not been the norm lately, they had two absolutely exceptional, original films with “Inside Out” and “Coco.” Now
spa-like atmosphere. Fear not. Put those rosecolored spectacles back on and reimagine your perfect bath … in your perfect bathroom. The key ingredients to a fantastic bathroom are usable storage, functional and decorative plumbing fixtures, and materials and lighting that wow. Whether you’re starting a bathroom project from scratch or reworking an existing space, find a way to address the details and make the most of the space. Storage is a major necessity. In the bathroom, you need a nook and niche for just about everything: towels, toiletries, toilet paper, dirty clothes, clippers, hair dryers and so on. To keep things tidy and accessible, create specialty cabinetry to house your supplies or organize your existing cabinetry with
pullout shelves and decorative baskets. Plumbing and lighting fixtures are a decorative force in the bathroom. The finish and style you choose for these fixtures will help dictate the design of your bathroom. Consider chrome or oil-rubbed bronze
and whether you want modern, traditional or transitional. You can opt for a pair of sconces or one perfect chandelier. How about a shower enclosure that has a rain shower head mounted on the ceiling, a fixed shower head on one wall and, to top it all off, a handheld shower near
the shower bench on the other wall? These decisions not only affect the aesthetics of your bathroom, but also your budget. Selecting materials for walls, floors, backsplashes and shower wall murals is an opportunity to create a bathroom with your personalized style. Sleek and streamlined, traditional and classic, eclectic and colorful or even an homage to your favorite spa. Always choose materials that are decorative and unique but also think about maintenance. Natural stone needs to be sealed, while ceramics and porcelains do not. Consider classic designs, whether traditional or modern, over trendy tile shapes and colors that are “right now.” With all the makeup, hair products, soap, lotion, nail polish and whatever, the bath-
comes another sequel, “Incredibles 2.” Brad Bird is no stranger to helming spectacular films, including the original “Incredibles,” “Ratatouille” and “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” It is only natural that he continue with the Incredibles franchise. I just wonder why it took so long. The 2004 film ended with a new villain, the Underminer, showing up to do damage. With a tag like that to end a movie, a sequel would be logically expected – except it took 14 years. Anyone who saw the first one in the theater as a young child is now well into adulthood.
Often times, releasing a sequel immediately after the first film looks like a cash grab. Bird admitted they did not want to do that but rather needed to be sure to tell exactly the story they wanted. Superhero movies have now become ubiquitous; Pixar had to find the right time to release the sequel to its only superhero film. Returning to voice their characters are Craig T. Nelson (Mr. Incredible), Holly Hunter (Elastigirl), Samuel L. Jackson (Frozone) and Sarah Vowell (Violet). Admittedly, there is some comfort hearing their voices and seeing familiar characters onscreen once again.
The worry for me was that “Incredibles 2” would just repeat the original with a different villain. Much to my delight, Bird and company created a fresh story. Wealthy, superhero-worshipper Winston Deaver (Bob Odenkirk) and his inventor sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) are determined to end the law that bans superheroes. They enlist Elastigirl as their frontwoman, putting her conveniently near danger so she can save the day in the public eye. It is nice to see a female superhero take center stage. The villain she runs into, Screenslaver, is a shadowy personification of our screen
addiction. Had the movie come out a decade ago, neither of these two plot points would have even been considered. Meanwhile, tough guy Mr. Incredible is stuck at home watching the kids. Watching him deal with his unwanted gender role reversal brings considerable laughter. The comedic highlight of the film is the discovery of baby Jack Jack’s myriad powers. His battle with a feisty raccoon is Pixar gold. Speedster son Dash is mostly sidelined in favor of the adolescent growing pains of older sister Violet. Though in their race to help their parents in the third act, they are an
neutral colors and a natural view helps create a leisurely feeling
JEnnIFER LEISCHER
DESIGN & DÉCOR
room counter can be just as messy as a kitchen counter. So go for a solid surface for your vanity countertop instead of one with tile and grout lines that will require constant and diligent cleaning. This will leave more time for you to enjoy a good bubble bath in your perfect bathroom. Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com.
‘Incredibles’ is great fun the second time around
exciting team. With the failure of “Cars 3” and a giant like “Toy Story 4” on the horizon, Pixar needed a winning sequel. “Incredibles 2” runs a little long, and the big reveal is telegraphed. Yet it is charming, funny and tells a story made for 2018. For a sequel, it displays a lot of originality. We can only hope the Pixar movie pipeline is creating some non-sequels with as much freshness. B+
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
Nancy E. Bennett 4486 Camstock Ct. – Concord
NEW
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CE
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