PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
July 13, 2007
925.672.0500
Clayton’s July 4 alive with Pioneer spirit BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
CARINA ROMANO, 11, SNAPPED THIS PHOTO of the Clayton Community Church’s covered wagon float in Clayton’s July 4 parade and took the $50 first place slot in the Pioneer’s July 4 Photo Contest, Under 12 Division. “The photo best captured the parade’s theme ‘Honoring our Pioneer Past,’” said Publisher Tamara Steiner. “There were over 100 entries in this year’s contest, many of them truly extraordinary,” she said. See Page B1 for the rest of the winning photos.
Women in calico dresses preferred to ride in a covered wagon, while youngsters in red, white and blue T-shirts opted for motorized scooters at Clayton’s Fourth of July parade. Leading the pack as grand marshals were Joel Clayton’s descendants, Charles Calhan and Ray Strong of Sunnyvale. They were invited to participate as part of Clayton’s sesquicentennial celebration. Members of other long-time Clayton families rode atop the Historical Society’s float. Calhan, Clayton’s great grandson, remembers celebrating the Fourth in Clayton many years ago with his mother, Edna Laurel Calhan. “Back then, there wasn’t even a parade,” he notes. For Strong, Clayton’s greatgreat grandson, it was his first visit on the Fourth but he’s attended many Historical Society events here in the past. “We even bought all four of our children memberships in the Clayton Historical Society, because that’s important. These are our roots,” says Strong. In addition to noting the 150th birthday of the city, parade emcee Dan Ashley of KGO TV paid tribute to those who served our country in the military – from Diamond Terrace residents viewing the
See July 4, page A8
Neighbors join together to make streets safer BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
As they strolled down North Mitchell Canyon Road, neighbors greeted old friends and said hello to new ones. Chairs were set up at the end of the road, along with a table of treats. But this wasn’t the usual block party. These residents had a clear purpose: to talk about crime in their neighborhood. “The best thing that is accom-
What’s Inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Directory of Advertisers . . . .A5 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . .A8 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . .A8 Food for Thought . . . . . . . .A9 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 At The Movies . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .A11 SECTION B Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Community Calendar . . . . . .B7 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . . .B9 ARF Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B9 So, Anyway . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Sharing History . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .B12 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .B12
plished at this meeting is to get to know your neighbors. That’s really the key to the Neighborhood Watch program,” says Clayton resident Herb Young, a volunteer in the Police Department. On June 26, Young spoke to 45 concerned citizens – ranging from a young father cradling an infant to retirees who have lived in the neighborhood for 40-plus years. Prompted by recent burglaries, Liz Gregerson sent out 91 fliers to area residents about the meeting to establish a Neighborhood Watch. In a two-week period in early June, there were four home burglaries in Clayton, including one on North Mitchell Canyon and another on nearby Southbrook Place. The other two were on Antelope Court and Ohlone Heights in the Oakhurst development. According to Sgt. Shelly Crain of the Clayton Police Department, none of the crimes are related. The Mitchell Canyon burglary
occurred while the homeowners were on vacation. On Southbrook, a resident came home to find burglars attempting to gain access. One suspect is in custody for the Mitchell Canyon crime, and the investigations are ongoing, Crain reports. The Pioneer is withholding details of the burglaries, pending the filing of charges. KEEPING A WATCHFUL EYE The evening after the Mitchell Canyon crime was discovered, the neighbors were on high alert. So, when an unknown vehicle was spotted parked on the street, at least three residents quickly called the police. As it turned out, the three juveniles were just passing time by the creek and were not linked to any of the crimes, says Crain. Young encourages residents to always be on the lookout for unusual activity. “Any person going door to door, as far as I’m concerned, is suspicious,” he says.
Keep on recycling and get ready to shop
BILL WALCUTT
MAYOR’S CORNER
Congratulations Clayton residents, our residential recycling percentage rate is going up. It is still not good enough for the state Waste Board, but we are going in the right direction. Keep up the good work. If you have questions on what you can recycle in the brown or green carts, visit Allied Waste
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Residents gather at the end of North Mitchell Canyon Road on June 26 to discuss forming a Neighborhood Watch. “Don’t be afraid to challenge them, but don’t put yourself in harm’s way. And don’t be afraid to call the police and report it if you see something that is suspicious.” Because of the trail access
from the end of North Mitchell Canyon, Gregerson sees a variety of vehicles parked on her street. “We get suspicious vehicles five times a day,” she says. “Do you really think the police will come
down here every time? They are going to get sick of us.” Clayton Police Chief Dan Lawrence says it can be difficult
Service at http://awsccc.com for a complete list. Click on the Allied Waste News tab and go down to the 2005 Contra Costa Reuse and Recycling Guide. Now, on to some city updates. The new Grove Park is on target for a groundbreaking ceremony in late October. Work crews are busy installing drainage systems and pouring concrete. Like you, I cannot wait for the new park to open. After the ceremony, the park will be open except for
the newly planted grass areas. These areas need about 60 days to seed properly, so we should have full use of our new park around the first of the year. The new Longs Drugs is scheduled for a soft opening by Labor Day. I am not sure what a soft opening means, other than the fact that not everything will be complete. Nonetheless, it will be great to have the store open for business and be able to shop downtown. One of the nice fea-
tures of this project is the trail connection. You will be able to walk and shop and leave your car at home. It also appears that the Village Market will be opening around the same time as Longs. I know owner Sam Sandhu is hoping for an earlier opening date and he is pushing real hard to make it happen. We are all looking forward to having our little country grocery store open again.
See Watch, page A7
See Mayor, page A8