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IT’S YOUR PAPER July 8, 2016
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No longer a teen prodigy, veteran diver Kristian Ipsen heads to Rio JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
HowArD Geller
MAYOR’S CORNER
Mayor on the lookout for local centenarians
Clayton’s Centenarian Club: As mayor, one of my missions is to meet and greet as many people as possible. When I moved to Clayton in 1974, it had a population of about 2,800. Today’s population is 11,288. Though Clayton is still considered a small city, the diversity of our residents is vast. We have become a hamlet to many who found our paradise. The other day as I walked by the Grove Park with one of my new bandleaders, I noticed a woman taking care of an elderly senior. Engaging them in conversation enlightened me that Donna Ipsen Jonas Clayton is the home of Wilbur KRISTIAN IPSEN CLAIMED THE TOP SPOT at the U.S. olympic Diving Trials late last month in three-meter springDaily, who just celebrated his 103rd birthday. Wilbur was alert board. A bronze medalist from the london Games, the Clayton diver won by a large margin over runner-up Michael Hixon. They’ll both compete in rio de Janeiro in the 3M.
See Mayor, page 11
He’s not a Stanford freshman just a year out of De La Salle High like he was in 2012 when as a 19-year-old he went to the London Olympics. Clayton’s globetrotting Kristian Ipsen is now one of the veterans on the United States Olympic diving team prepping for the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro starting in less than a month. Ipsen won a bronze medal in the three-meter synchronized event four years ago with partner Troy Dumais who was taking part in his fourth Olympics. Ipsen and Dumais lost out on a chance to compete again when they finished second at the recent Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. Showing the maturity and experience he’s gained over the past quadrennial Ipsen, now 23, was able to put aside that disappointment and resultant pressure to have two excellent days and win the Olympic Trials 3M
See Ipsen, page 11
Rockin’ new Roundup raises $80,000 for Relay TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Old idea with a new spin, some good BBQ and a rockin’ country band made for a great party last month when more than 500 reached into their closets and dusted off their cowboy boots for the Roundup for Relay, a catered BBQ on July 11 at the Easley Ranch on Marsh Creek Rd. Ticket sales, a silent auction and several very generous donors raised over $80,000 for cancer research. Each year, cancer survivors, caregivers and those committed to finding a cure, walk in the worldwide American Cancer Society Relay for Life weekends. Clayton’s first Relay for Life was in 2011 and has become one of the most successful in the state. The seeds for this year’s Roundup for Relay fundraiser were planted in 2013 when friends and supporters of Christy Harris formed Team Christy, a Clayton mother of three who was in advanced stages of bone cancer. That year, more than 100 walked with Christy and her husband
What’s Inside
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Community Calendar . . . . .13 Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Police Report . . . . . . . . . . .14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Joel in the Clayton Relay, raising more than $33,000. Walking on that team was another mother and popular Clayton woman, Anu Ray who was to lose her own battle with cancer the following year. Her friends, family and supporters, buoyed by the successful efforts of Team Christie, formed a new team for their friend. Team Anu included Clayton’s Debra Gonsalves of the Conco Cement family, who was deeply grieving both her good friend Anu Ray and her father who died the same month. “It’s so hard for family and friends to see a loved one suffer and lose the battle they were fighting,” Gonsalves said. “Since then, I made a promise to try and help find a cure for all cancers.” Gonsalves was at a place in her life when she had some extra time on her hands. She started writing letters, sending emails and making phone calls. That year, Team Anu
raised more than $15,000. “From there, it snowballed,” said Pat Middendorf, one of the driving forces in the fundraising effort and also a close friend of Anu Ray. In 2015, more supporters joined Team Anu and the Relay team raised more than $40,000. The ACS recognized the Clayton Relay as one of the major fundraisers in the state that year. They were on a roll. They wanted to go bigger. Recalling the old CBCA Roundup that was held at the Easley Ranch several years ago, they began plans to resurrect the event. They approached Robert Easley with the idea and he was on board. Local movers and shakers jumped in, friends and other supporters joined the effort. Other Relay teams merged with Team Anu and no one said it was a bad idea, too big or too weird. “We love it when our volunteers think outside the box,” said Grace Chang, community coordinator for the ACS Relay for Life program.
ROUNDUP FOR RELAY LEADERS JIM AND PAT MIDDENDORF (left) and major donors Steve and Debra Gonsalves worked with a “whole village” of volunteer efforts that put the Clayton event among the most successful American Cancer Society fundraisers in the state.
“It’s pretty typical for Relays to have extra fundraising events,” she said “But not on the scale of these guys. This was extraordinary.” “I couldn’t believe the
incredible response from also donated all the catering everyone,” said Gonsalves, and food. who called in a few favors, The men from DVR, the netting sizeable donations from the Seeno family and See Relay, page 11 Ken Hoffman. The Gonsalves
Geysers and buzzers signal summer in The Grove TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Postal Customer ECRWSS
7-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL M. FROM PLEASANT HILL tests the speed and height of the spray jets in The Grove’s new water feature. They pass, he said.
A new exciting water feature and an almost inaudible “mosquito” are causing quite a buzz around the Grove these days. Last summer, the children’s water feature in the Grove was literally a dry hole, no matter how hot it got. Rationing during the drought left no water for fun things like the water feature, the dog watering spigot and the city’s fountain.
But with the relaxed restrictions recently announced by Contra Costa Water District and new, more efficient equipment, the minigeysers are spouting higher than ever. The new feature is both more fun and more efficient, says city manager Gary Napper. The new splasher replaces the feature installed when the park was built more than 10 years ago. To meet current health regulations, the old feature would have required treatment equipment that
“would have been larger than the picnic shade structure,” Napper says. Cost of the upgraded splash features, a programmable controller and new resilient pad was about $55,000. The water feature runs every day 8 a.m.-9 p.m. except on concert days, when the water is shut off at 5 p.m. Across the lawn, a highfrequency transmitter emits a buzzing sound audible mainly
See Grove, page 11
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