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July 26, 2013
Arson confirmed in Cardinet fires TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
JULIE PIERCE
MAYOR’S CORNER Plan Bay Area in line with city’s vision Along with many colleagues in the region, I voted to adopt Plan Bay Area last Thursday evening. The plan is the Bay Area's answer to SB375 requirements to plan for the growth anticipated in the region by the year 2040, while reducing per-capita greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. A state-mandated joint effort of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Bay Area’s regional transportation and land use
See Mayor, page 13
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
TEMPERATURES NEARING TRIPLE DIGITS AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS MADE IT TOUGH GOING FOR FIREFIGHTERS in a string of fires set during a two-day arson spree along the Cardinet Trail earlier this month. Police and fire officials are asking the public for assistance in the investigation.
Swim season ends with a busy July, August Clayton’s biggest meet of the season was the 19th annual Devil Mountain Pentathlon earlier this month. Dana Hills Swim Team hosted the event with 14 other Contra Costa teams taking part. Otters’ 12-year-old swimmers, from left, Niklas Weigelt, Jackson Trimble, Anthony Trimble and Teddy Conger were all smiles after the Pentathlon. See story page 10. Photo courtesy Dana Hills Swim Team
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
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See Fires, page 8
Ramadan brings together local Muslims to break fast 30-day tradition reminds faithful of Quran origins DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
On a recent Wednesday night, families gathered at the Islamic Center of Contra Costa in Concord for iftar and evening
Concord and Clayton score big at Cook-off
HABIB JACIFI (LEFT) FROM BRAVO BISTRO, took Concord to first place in the Mayors Healthy Cook-off Challenge with a menu that included quinoa, a relative newcomer to mainstream kitchens. Above, Clayton City Councilman Howard Geller looks on as Oakhurst Country Club Executive Chef John Evans plates the fruit salad that went a long way toward garnering the award for Taste and Presentation. Assisting are sous chefs Diana and Fatima from the Mt. Diablo High School culinary arts program.
A string of grassfires along the Cardinet Trail in Clayton earlier this month were deliberately set, says Vic Massenkoff, fire investigator for the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. The first started in the late afternoon on July 7 in the grassy area across the creek from Safeway. The fire burned to within 100 feet of the apartments on Concord Boulevard. Two days later, on July 9 at around 1 p.m., firefighters responded to another fire near the same location between the Westwood open space and Safeway. About 5 p.m. that same day, five more fires were set along the creek near the Lydia Lane park. The fires were small, burning a total of no more than two acres. No homes were damaged, although several backing up to the Cardinet Trail were filled with smoke. Neighbors near the
Nine Contra Costa cities faced off Iron Chef-style last Thursday at the 5th Annual Mayors Healthy Cook in Todos Santos Park. Mayors and reps from the participating cities teamed up with a chef of their choice and sous chefs from the Mt. Diablo High School culinary arts program. Each team started with the same box containing chicken breasts and an array of fruits and vegetables chosen that afternoon from the Farmers Market. They were challenged to design and prepare a full menu in an hour and a half using only what they were given. The chefs could use herbs and spices from their own cache and they did not have to
See Cookoff, page 3
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prayers. In separate rooms, men and women gathered to pray, commune and break their fasts together. The women’s side of the Concord center was awash in color, with congregants wearing a rainbow of brightly patterned scarves as they grouped around a buffet table. They shared dishes filled with dates (a traditional food for breaking the fast), homemade soups and savory combinations of meats and rice. During the 30 days of Ramadan, Muslims eat just before sunrise. Then they eschew food, drink, tobacco and sinful behaviors such as cursing until iftar, a meal that begins after sundown. The annual fasting commemorates the 30-day period in
which the prophet Mohammed received the Quran, their holy book, from Allah. Ramadan changes dates every year according to a lunar cycle. Following the fasting, Muslims enjoy a three-day celebration called Eid. TEEN GIRLS SHARE ASPIRATIONS
Like at most events, the group quickly separated by age. After helping older members get settled, teenage girls joined together to talk about school, sports and what they were watching on their families’ DVRs. Setarah Jahid, who wore bright colors and a hijab scarf draped gracefully over her hair,
See Ramadan, page 8
CHARITY TOWARDS THE POOR, OR ZAKAT, seems to be the overarching focus of the observance by Muslim families of Ramadan. That kindness was expressed recently by the young women of the Islamic Center of Contra Costa one evening in their welcoming of a newcomer to their communal meal. (From Left) Simine Froz, Salwa Saleh, Satarah Jahid, Bushra Saleh, Sadaf Shekib, Sarah Jahid, and Marwah Ahmadi.
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