JUN 02 Clayton Pioneer 2006

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

925.672.0500

Clayton remembers the fallen

New strategies lead to more traffic tickets TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER As summer nears, YMCA to the rescue Based upon conversations in my household and from frequent ea vesdropping, many parents of school ag e c hildren are starting to panic as summer rapidly approaches. (OK, eavesdropping is a bad habit, but the things y ou can lear n are w orth the occasional slap.)

For parents , the realization comes hard that their windo w of “free time” during school is about o ver and they ha ve to find things for their kids to do or risk g oing crazy with the constant “I’m bored, there is nothing to do” comments.

Never fear , the YMCA is here. Sometimes parents forg et that we have the YMCA here in Clayton. The dedicated staff would be more than happy to take y our kids off your hands for a small fee that most w ould consider w orth double the price.

Our YMCA will be offering one w eek camps in bask etball, volleyball, super spor ts (football, baseball, soccer, bocce, golf and ping pong), art, junior engineering (come on, you know you want to plan early so your kid can suppor t y our retirement plans) and ev en some one-day bike, rafting and Marine World adv entures. Sign up no w and g et A ’s tic kets thrown in as an incentive.

The YMCA is a fun and safe experience for y our kids , but they also teac h them c haracter, values and life skills . Plus, they are out of the house.

You can reach the YMCA at 889-1600 or online at www.mdrymca.org.

UPDATE ON YGNACIO ROAD Staying with potential aggravation mitig ation, how’s y our See Mayor, page A8

What’s inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . .A2 Classifieds and Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .A5 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .A7 Letters to the Editor . . . . .A8 Tea for You . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 School News . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Food for Thought . . . . . .A12

SECTION B

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . .B5 Community Calendar . . . . .B6 Church News . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . .B8 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .B9 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 July 4 Parade Application .B10 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . .B11 Sharing History . . . . . . . . .B12 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . .B12

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

THE VFW FLAGPOLE at the foot of Main Street set the stage for Monday’s Memorial Day Service. From left: USMC PFC Jeffrey Weldman, Cpl. Ben Scarborough, Sgt. Marion Robertson, Staff Sgt. Robert Patterson, Capt. Andy Higgins and Boy Scout Justin Beutel of Troop 262.

TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

“It’s important that we gather on a day like Memorial Day, a most solemn da y to remember,” said Laura Hoffmeister , Assistant to the Cla yton City Manager and a Concord Councilwoman, as she addressed some 500 Claytonians who came to honor all those who lost their li ves in military action.

“This is not a da y about store sales, festivals and barbeques,” said Hoffmeister, but to remember wh y w e li ve in a country where w e can ha ve such sales , festivals and barbe-

ques.”

The crowd, gathered along a flag festooned Main Street w as reflective and respectful as Major General Daniel Helix (U.S. Army, Retired) and former Mayor of Concord reminded all that “freedom is not free .”

Then, in silence and rev erence, the f lag w as lo wered to half staff to honor the dead.

This year’ s Memorial Da y service was dedicated to the 32 men from Cla yton and Concord who w ere killed in Viet Nam. Three of those men were from Clayton.

Master of Ceremonies and Clayton City Councilman, Pete Lawrence, a Green Beret who

served in Viet Nam, choked up as he recalled, “my best friend Jerry No vakovich w as killed in a jungle fight on his 22nd birthday.

“And R onnie Pimentel w as killed while c harging up a V C controlled hill outside Chu Lai,” continued an emotional Lawrence.

Paul Coe w as killed on an operation he v olunteered for one w eek before R&R in Hawaii with his wife and family.

The Cla yton VFW P ost is named in honor of Novakovich. Pimentel w as engaged to Cla yton nati ve, Janet Easton, at the time of his death.

Memorial Day was declared a National Holiday by President Lyndon J ohnson in 1971.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Da y traces its birth to Ma y 5, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, when the Grand Ar my of the Republic (GAR), an organization of Union v eterans, declared May 30 a da y to decorate the g raves of the war dead with flowers.

The first official Memorial Day observance was that year at Arlington National Cemeter y.

Then, as no w, small American flags were placed on each grave — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today.

Clayton cops wrote 542 tickets for mo ving violations between January and April this year, a 28 percent increase over the same period last year.

The ste p-up in traffic enforcement is par t of a concerted effort to increase police presence in Clayton, says Police Chief Dan Lawrence.

Clayton’s lo w crime rate , the second lo west in the state , leaves police free to concentrate on speeding and traffic enforcement, “our No. 1 priority,” says La wrence. “I w ant someone dri ving through Clayton to say, ‘Wow, there are a lot of cops in Clayton.’ ” Last year , Lawrence beg an parking empty police cars in strategic locations around town. Earlier this year , police cars recei ved a facelift, giving the word “police” more prominence on the sides and backs of the cars.

Lawrence also restr uctured the shifts , staggering star ting times. “This puts at least tw o officers on the street during both ends of the commute,” he says. “It’s not roc ket science; it’s just making the most of limited resources.”

Not ev ery red light in the rear view mir ror will result in a citation, though. Police are See Tickets, page A6

Crown your dad King for a Da y Dads are a wesome. They teac h us how to ride a tw o wheeler , how to play catch and how to solve quadratic equations . They can fix anything from a brok en bicycle c hain to a garbage disposal and they’ll get rid of the bugs in the bathtub that we don’t want to touch.

This Father’s Day, show Dad just how much you appreciate him. Write an essa y telling us wh y y our dad should be cro wned King for a Da y and win a royal package containing

Six free games at Clayton Pizza dinner for six at R

Bowl occo’s

Ristorante free oil c hange at Cla yton Valley Shell A shampoo and haircut at Hair b y Jim $50 gift certificate from R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Cookie Bouquet from Cookies b y Design Essays m ust be betw een 200 and 400 w ords and contain y our name , A

age, address and tele phone n umber.

You must be under 18 to enter.

Please send your essay (in a Word or Word Perfect format) electronically to essay@claytonpioneer.com or drop it off (CD, diskette or typewritten copy) at the Cla yton Pioneer, 6200 F Center Street, Clayton.

Essays must be submitted no later than Monda y, June 5. Winning essa y and photo of you and your King will appear in the J une 16 issue of the Pioneer.

Clayton kids bring out their best for county fair BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

Trevor Bird’s steer Phil is like “a dog on a leash.”

“When w e w alk do wn the driveway, he mo ves to ward us ,” says the 13-year-old Clayton resident. “He lik es to lic k and sniff our pug.”

“He’s alw ays w aiting for his friends to come visit,” adds mom Lori Bentivoglio.

Trevor has raised the Angus/Maine cross since November – and w atched him double in w eight to nearly 1,200 pounds. But he’ll ha ve to sa y good-bye to Phil at this w eekend’s Contra Costa County F air in Antioc h. After T revor sho ws Phil in the 4-H competition, the steer will be sold by the pound in

Sunday’s auction.

“It’s hard. You look bac k at them and they’ re just sitting there,” says Trevor, who is selling his four th 4-H steer this year .

“But it’s kind of a relief not to have to go out and feed him.”

The steer w as li ving with Trevor’s g randparents, Ken and Doreen Sny der, out on Morg an Territory Rd. Trevor tra veled from his Oakhurst home to the ranch twice a da y to feed and care for Phil.

The Diablo View sev enthgrader also had to c hart his expenses – and stri ve to mak e a profit in the end. When he ended up short after last year’s auction, “he learned a real quick lesson in economics,” notes Bentivoglio.

See Fair, page A13

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

TREVOR BIRD OF CLAYTON has raised his steer, Phil, since November and is showing him at the county fair this weekend. Trevor was inspired to join 4-H by his mom Lori Bentivoglio, who participated as a youth growing up in Morgan Territory.

Page A2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Around Town Danny Faina receives ROP award

DANNY FAINA AND MICHELE BIRKENSHAW

Clayton Valley High Sc hool senior Danny Faina has received a R egional Occupational Program (R OP) Students of Excellence a ward. Faina w as honored May 10 at a ceremony honoring outstanding ROP students.

Danny w as a warded the

Bank of America T eam America Ar t A ward for “outstanding academic achievement, professional skills dev elopment and demonstration of a positive work ethic in the area of graphic design. ” The recognition included a $150 cash award.

“Danny’s w ork sets the bar

in class and moti vates his peers toward ex cellence, writes his graphic design teac her, Michele Birkenshaw. “He has become an observer of all that is around him, looking for the design elements in nature and ev en the packaging of everyday products.”

Danny plans to spend his freshman year at DVC and then transfer to the San F rancisco Art Institute to contin ue his studies in graphic design.

The Contra Costa R OP is funded through pri vate cor porations and ser ves 12,000 students with classes in 30 high schools and 10 adult sites in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. ROP focuses on career pre paration, hands-on experience and academic ex cellence to pre pare students for success in colleg e and future careers.

DVMS teacher receives Blue Star Banner Sylvia Chatagnier , a science teacher at Diablo View Middle School, received a Blue Star Service Banner at a ceremony held at Cla yton’s VFW Flag Memorial. Her son Brian is currently on duty with the 101 Airborne in Iraq.

Presenting the Banner are Deb Saunders , President, Blue Star Moms , Chapter 101, Pete Loechner, Commander, VFW Post 1525, and members of both groups.

Families who ha ve husbands, wives, sons or daughters currently ser ving in Iraq,

Afghanistan, or other hostile areas are eligible to recei ve the Blue Star Banner . Please contact Deb Saunders (925) 676-

3654, dcjj@aol.com or P ete Loechner (925) 682-6533, rpl4ls@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Silvia Chatagnier (holding banner) with Pete Loechner (right) and Deb Saunders (left) and other veterans and Blue Star Moms.

Kimberly Cerruti named Valedictorian

Carri Becker graduates from Hastings College of the Law Alise Lacosse and Mik e Becker hosted an open house to celebrate their daughter , Carri Bec ker’s, graduation from Uni versity of California Hastings College of the Law. Carri has acce pted a position at the San F rancisco office of the New York based

firm of Epstein Bec ker & Green. She will join the health care and life sciences practice group as an associate in the fall.

In the meantime , she is studying for the Califor nia bar exam and has plans to travel to Europe after taking the bar.

KIMBERLY CERRUTI

Kimberly Cer ruti w as c hosen V aledictorian for the eighth g rade g raduating class at Queen of all Saints Catholic School in Concord. She is Student Body President this school year and has been on the Honor Roll since the sixth grade.

Kimberly has had a v ery active middle sc hool career , performing in sc hool pla ys and pla ying on the bask etball team.

She will attend Carondelet Catholic High Sc hool in the fall and plans to r un on the cross country team.

Kimberly had the winning essay in last year’ s Cla yton Pioneer “Queen for a Da y – Mother’s Day Essay Contest,” winning a pac kage of special prizes for her mother, Tammy.

photo courtesy of Alise Lacosse

MIKE BECKER, CARRI BECKER AND ALISE LACOSSE

What’s happening Around Town?

Know someone that’ s g etting mar ried?

Graduating? Did y ou vacation somewhere interesting or celebrate an anniversary lately? Is there a new baby in town? Have out of town guests?

Send your “Around Town” news item to tamara@claytonpioneer.com, or go online to www.claytonpioneer.com.

$859,980 Clayton Regency Woods – Charming 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath with a park-lik e yard, pool & spa has for mal dining, living room w/vaulted ceilings, family room with fire place & wet bar, and a gourmet kitchen w/sky-lites.

$829,980 Clayton Dana Hills – Mt. Diablo State Park and trails are at your door in this 4 bedroom, 3 bath home . Family room w/wet bar and fireplace, first floor guest room with bath and spacious kitchen. Very private yard with patio.

Clayton $879,980 Ironwood @ Oakhurst – Gorgeous 5 bedroom, 3 bath has a larg e kitchen w/sunny nook next to family room w/fireplace. Spiral staircase leading to bright master suite with his/her closets and a balcony with views .

$624,980 Clayton Oakhurst Duet – Upgraded 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath is light and air y w/ dramatic ceilings , pristine f loors and walls. Gourmet kitc hen with island/breakfast area and pantry. Landscaped yard with deck.

$815,000 Clayton Jeffrey Ranch – Updated 4 bedroom, 2 bath home has new paint, & master bedroom w/built-in cabinetr y.

Kitchen w/garden window, vaulted ceilings and skylights.

Large yard with pool, gazebo, plus a finished 3-car garage.

Clayton $829,980 Regency Meado ws – New car pets throughout this 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home on a cul-de-sac . Master suite w/ soaking tub & walk-in closets, formal dining & living rooms w/vaulted ceilings & a g ourmet kitchen.

Clayton $684,980 Windmill Canyon – Classy single-stor y 3 bedroom, 2 bath home has a fabulous, open great room with vaulted ceilings, fireplace & formal dining. 3/4” hardwood floors throughout & a large eat-in kitchen w/bay window.

Clayton $864,980 Dana Hills – Elegant 4 bedroom, 3 bath with amazing upgrades including beautiful gourmet kitchen w/granite which opens to a family room with a fire place. Master suite with designer touches. Pool, spa & fresh landscaping!

Lynne offers FREE Professional Staging with all her listings Clayton $839,980 Windmill Canyon – Single-story 3 bedroom, 2 bath has updated kitc hen w/g ranite & larg e pantr y and li ving, dining and family rooms . Pool with w aterfall, covered patio & vineyard. Call Ruth Reed (925) 260-6731.

June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A3

With solar panels, the savings are in the sun was quic kly minimized b y a $19,000 rebate from the California Energ y Commission As the w eather heats up , (CEC). He also recei ved a 15 Steve and Carla Stew art can percent tax credit. relax in the cool comfor t of With the new windo ws, the their Cla yton home without a solar panels and the purchase of thought about their energ y bill. energy-efficient kitc hen appliUnless they saunter o ver to ances, Stewart estimates he the side of their home – and saves $3,600 ann ually. “The watch with pleasure as the elecpay-back period is really shor t,” tric meter flips backward. he says of the solar project.

“We are generating the lion’s Stewart is completely satisshare of our electricity when fied with his decision to g o the PG&E rates are the highsolar. If there are any dra west,” notes Stev e Stew art, who backs, “I ha ven’t found them installed a photo voltaic (PV) yet,” he notes happily. system on his roof in 2003.

His success led his neighA contractor encouraged the bors, Doug and Mar y Brew er, Stewarts to consider solar panto install panels on their home els after installing dual-pane in 2005. Since Doug Brew er windows on their R egency had already been reading about Woods home . At first, Stewart the pollution caused b y po wer was concerned that the process plants, it was an easy sell. was too complicated.

“I w ent through the n um“But there are no mo ving bers with him and he said, parts and no c hemical reac‘Wow, this makes huge sense,’ ” tions,” he sa ys. “It appealed to Stewart recalls. me because it is Brewer, a something that is licensed general connot g oing to tractor, installed 22 wear out quic kpanels himself in a ly.” few shor t da ys. He’s The 36, 2- by also installed PV sys5-foot panels on tems for three his roof are clients since then. composed main“Most people ly of silicon, aren’t doing all the which naturally research on pollureleases electrons tion,” Brewer (electrical enerreports.

“Mainly gy) when hit with what they’re interestSTEVE STEWART a photon (light ed in is the bottom source). line: How m uch Stewart offers this explanamoney is it g oing to save?” tion in la yman’s ter ms: “The Although his tw o-story sun shines on the sand, causing house is larg er than the the molecules to jig gle – and Stewarts’ rancher, Brewer w as that g enerates the electricity . able to get by with fewer panels Then it’ s fed into a con verter because of a sunnier location. and away we g o,” he says, grin- Brewer figures on breaking ning with pleasure over the suc- even on his $22,500 project in cess of his venture. seven years . He estimates the His $40,000 installation cost average resident will see a pa yBEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

These solar panels installed on the roof of the Stewart’s home generate enough electricity to power their home, plus some to sell back to PG&E back in eight to 12 years. code requirements, they can do they plan to sta y in their home working with new production Solar panels are installed in it. There’s no discretion.” and w eigh the installation cost homebuilders,” says Morg an. relation to a souther n orientaThe city has already against cur rent incenti ve pro“So that w ay, consumers can tion. For the Stew arts and approved six PV per mits in grams. purchase a home and it will Brewers, that meant the rear 2006. To date , no one has According to CEC already ha ve the PV panels area of their homes. lodged a complaint. spokesperson Amy Morgan, the installed. It will be a standard But location isn’t key to city “We’re also looking at it rebates and tax credits f luctuate option.” approval of such projects . from the perspecti ve of the with mark et demand. Since There will be a meeting to According to J eremy Gra ves, neighbors,” Graves adds. “Does 2003, PV installations ha ve discuss the solar home par tnerClayton’s comm unity dev elop- it look arc hitecturally compatigrown 5 to 10 percent eac h ship at 9:30 a.m. June 12 at 1516 ment director, approval of solar ble with the roof ? W e prefer year. Despite that g rowth, less 9th St., Sacramento. For more panels is a 15-minute process. them to be at the same slope as than 1 percent of homes and information, visit www .newso“When the plans come the roof . That w ay, they just small businesses in Califor nia larhomes.ca.gov. through m y office , we look at look like a big skylight.” utilize them.

For infor mation about where the panels will be located When encouraging others to In 2007, the CEC will rebates from the Califor nia on the proper ty, to assure they go solar , Stewart advises resilaunch a par tnership with Energy Commission, visit meet set-bac k requirements ,” dents to ev aluate their energ y homebuilders to encourag e PV www.consumerenergycenter.org Graves sa ys. “If they meet the bills, consider ho w many years systems. “We’ll primarily be or call 1-800-555-7794.

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Page A4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Ygnacio Road repairs to start this week TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

There may be relief in sight for Ygnacio V alley R oad commuters, says Cla yton’s Assistant to the City Manag er and Concord City Councilw oman, Laura Hoffmeister .

Construction on an eastbound auxiliary lane in the median is scheduled to begin this w eek and is expected to open J une 9.

“This…will provide relief to the cur rent traffic cong estion and ensure at least one eastbound traffic lane at all times during the re pair w ork,” said Hoffmeister.

However, traffic may still be severely impacted through next week when the City of Concord will close lanes while setting up the concrete di vider

Photo from City of Concord Website

Heavy rains caused rippling and buckling in Ygnacio Valley Road.

The left eastbound lane of this major road has been closed since March 28.

railing (K rail).

The right eastbound lane has been closed since Marc h 28 when hea vy rains caused a major landslide on the hillside parallel to Ygnacio Valley Road.

The slide caused the g round under the road to shift, pushing the pa vement up along an 800

foot section of the road.

The City has recei ved $1.3 million in emerg ency F ederal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds to re pair the road, according to infor mation on the City of Concord Website. The emerg ency re pair calls for adding a roadw ay sec-

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tion on top of the existing roadway. This added weight over the existing roadw ay will enhance the roadw ay’s ability to resist movement.

Studies follo wing the landslide concluded that scraping and remo ving por tions of the pavement could induce fur ther movement of the landslide mass, ruling out a quic k fix and immediate reopening of the roadway, reported the City.

City staff is working closely with Caltrans and FHW A on a proposal for a more long-ter m method of addressing the slide conditions.

Information and updates on road conditions are a vailable on the City’s Web site, www.cityofconcord.org, or from the City’ s Engineering De partment,(925) 671-3361.

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CSUEB Concord launches master plan study TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

The Cal State, East Bay campus in Concord is about to tak e a yearlong look at what it w ants to be when it g rows up.

The uni versity has selected The SmithGroup , a national firm with an office in San Francisco, to pre pare a master plan for the 395 acre campus .

The selection w as announced at a g athering of university trustees, community and ci vic leaders and local media on Ma y 17.

Hidden behind the hills off Ygnacio V alley R oad, the Hayward satellite campus opened in its present location in 1972. Historically, it has been slow to g row. But, with hug e

population g rowth of the central and east county in recent years, the demand is cer tainly there to grow the school to 6000 or more , says Dean P eter Wilson.

One of the major challenges in g rowing the sc hool is dev eloping a “sense of place,” said SmithGroup Principal Architect, David Moore . The g roup will focus on classrooms and public areas where students can g ather and interact.

“This is an incredible site ,” said Moore. “The hills, the grasslands, the oak trees mak e it a very special place .” Maintaining and protecting the natural en vironment will be a priority , he assured.

The big gest challenge facing the planners will be managing

the traffic that will cer tainly increase with the g rowth of the campus. With Ygnacio V alley Road already a congestion nightmare twice a day, this is no small matter. How do y ou double the size of a campus without doubling the cong estion? “Plans definitely call for a B ART shuttle,” said Wilson, along with student and faculty housing.”

Wilson is an outspoken critic of the historical lac k of growth planning for the Concord campus. Referring to the tallest building on campus whic h blocks views of Mt. Diablo, Wilson said “this is why we want a master plan. If we’d had one , this could have been avoided.

The architects will be looking for community involvement and input during the planning

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June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

HELP WANTED

Baby Sitter. We are looking for a responsible, caring, kind-hearted, patient baby sitter for the sweetest little 1-year-old girl. Must be flexible with time. Call 925-672-3882 City of Clayton Needs Commissioners. City of Clayton has the following openings to fill: Planning Commissioners ($100/month stipend) and Community Service Commissioners ($75/month stipend). If you would like additional information about these openings please visit City of Clayton’s website at www.ci.clayton.ca.us. Or contact Rhonda Basore, City Clerk, at 925-673-7304.

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VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Greeter. Clayton Historical Society Museum needs a greeter the second Sun. of each month from 2 - 4 p.m.

Training is provided. If interested, call 672-0240, email claytonmuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum between 2 and 4 p.m. on Wed. or Sun. Library Commissioner. The City of Clayton is looking for a Library Commissioner. It is a voluntary position. If you would like additional info about these openings please visit City of Clayton’s website at www.ci.clay-

Tutoring. Local MDUSD teacher available for tutoring K-3. Focus is on language arts and match concepts. $45/hr. Email: Liberatore915@comcast.net; 673-0227.

Perennial Garden Design by Nicole Hackett AKA The Garden Girl Personal consultations regarding plant choices, placement, identification, fertilizing and maintenance.

Spring is just around the corner. Call or email for info and pricing. 925673-1746 (leave msg) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

STUDY GROUP

Readers of The Urantia Book will start a new study group this spring.

The group will meet in a downtown Clayton café. New and seasoned readers will explore the book by topics. The group will decide the time (hour and day). Email urantian@mac.com or call 925-6724689 and ask for Tery.

ton.ca.us. Or contact Rhonda Basore, City Clerk, at 925-673-7304.

The Clayton Community Library Foundation is currently seeking to fill the following volunteer positions: Shelver - (min. age 13 years) to shelve and sensitize books in the library. Will train, day/time is Tues.10 a.m. -2 p.m. or 2 – 6 p.m. and Sat.10 a.m. –1 p.m. Book Processor (min.age 13 years) to handle detailed work with labeling and marking books. Hours are Wed. 1 – 5 p.m.

Book Mender - (min.age 13 years) to handle detailed work mending worn books. Hours can be chosen between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thurs. Shelf Reader - (min.age 13 years) to read

P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F Clayton, CA 94517 Office: 925.672.0500 Fax: 925.672.6580 TAMARA

AND

R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers

TAMARA S TEINER , Editor J ILL B EDECARRÉ , Assistant Editor and Display Advertising B ILL WAGONER , Sports Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor and Feature Writer B ETH N EUDELL , Administrative Assistant

Applause Staging

& Interiors

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VACATION RENTAL

Cozy cabin in South Lake Tahoe.

Two bedrooms, 1 bath, 1 car garage.

Great for a family or two couples. Ten minutes to Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake, casinos, skiing, and hiking.

Please call Mike Risso at 925-8904623.

PIONEER INFO HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 eac h additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 w ords, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 eac h additional word To place y our classified ad over the phone , call the office at (925) 672-0500 betw een 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you ma y fax y our typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580 All classifieds m ust be paid for in adv ance b y credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Cla yton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising w e believ e is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW

Your home town resource.

Weekend & evening appointments available.

Visit www.applausestaging.com

Cabin in Blue Lake Springs (Arnold, CA). Sleeps 6, fully remodeled, quiet, use of recreation facili-

the library shelves in order to ensure the correct placement of books...must be familiar with the Dewey decimal system. Tutor - (min.age 13 years) to tutor one-on-one or give homework help at the library to local students in our community. You choose the age range, subjects, remedial help or light homework help, and the days/times.

Call Arlene at 673-9777, e-mail akikkawa@ccc.lib.org.

See what I can do for you.

672-7701

SUMMER VACATION SPECIALS

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all w eave tog ether as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us kno w of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Cla yton resident. You will find the appropriate for m for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form.

Also on our W eb site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Full Service Auto Care Our professionals are here to serve you:Jeff, Amir, Peter, Alex, Ray & Gary

The Cla yton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers.

As a general rule, letters should be less than two double spaced pages and submitted at least one w eek prior to publication date. Letters concer ning current issues will ha ve priority .

We may edit letters for length and clarity . All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion.

Please include y our name , address and daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.”

E-mail y our letter in a Word Document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com.

Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

Page A5

Directory of Advertisers

Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Accent Counter Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-0570 Aircloud Wireless Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 Applause Staging and Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 All Loving Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0752 Apronstrings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7621 Aqua Pro Pool & Chemical Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .673-7000 Asemi, Hamid - State Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .726-0154 Bank of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-2275 Bay Arts Custom Children's Murals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323-9323 Benton, Murlene - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 California Reverse Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-3511 Calkins, Bill - Charlotte Clifford Realtors . . . . . . . . . . .673-9164 Candy Created Bouquets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6818 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Clayton Community Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-2101 Clayton Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4664 Clayton Home Inspection Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9405 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3397 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Clayton Valley Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8401 Clean Cleaner Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383-1253 Clip n Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-9355 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 ComUnity Lending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5363 Crossroads Covenant Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-5905 Cookies by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-1137 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 CTA Crossroads - Quadrille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-0597 Denim & Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0345 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . . . .524-5100 Dromlewicz, Kim - Century 21 Diablo Valley Realty . .682-4663 Eagles Peak Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465-0435 Englund's Tea Cottage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8327 Eternal Life Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 Fashion Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-9005 Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windemere Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Galaxy Nail Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8668 Garaventa, Les - American Financial & Tax Services .676-3400 Golden State Granite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-5888 Help You Sell Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-4950 Highfill, Lynne - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7335 Hudak, Jim - Pianist and Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7293 Joanna's Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-8911 Kelly Marshall Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0327 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 Lela's Hair Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Lerner Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-1130 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Merrigan, Deanna - Team Mount Diablo Realty . . . . . .890-0430 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Mingham, Pete - Elite Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .906-8166 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Dr. Steven Moon, Chiropractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-8400 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . . . .280-8563 Neptune Society of Northern California . . . . . . . . . . . .944-5100 Northgate Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-8711 Nuchols, Alicia - Premier Home Loans . . . . . . .691-5070 x 323 O'Hara's Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7438 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Pasta Primavera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-5300 Pine Hollow Retirement Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5444 Postal Annex + of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8900 Rahimzadeh, Helen - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7375 R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207 Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123 Robin's Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7323 Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .947-6105 Schaefer's Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065 Skin Care by Trina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Smith Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6461 Sobotka Heating & Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-9300 SPA'tique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437-1712 Sposito, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7334 Steffen, Tim - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-4407 Steve Youse Painting and Decorating . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6945 St. John's Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855 Stone Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-2094 Straight Line Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335-9801 Swint, Brad - Team Funding Group . . . . . . . . . . .627-1400 X 12 Talmadge, Brad - Home Loan Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . .759-8971 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 The Pool Shark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-7585 The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Travel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-5000 Tullis, Shanan - Team Mount Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . .286-1268 Van-Fleet-Bronson, Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .672-4333 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . .672-4433 Wagoner, Bill - United American Insurance Company .864-1886 We the People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-0370 What's My Home's Value.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-9489 Williams, Mike - Williams Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5363

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Page A6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Schaefer’s

Quick mortgage options for good credit Most lenders require prospective bor rowers to provide stacks of paperwork documenting their financial histor y and capabilities before a mor tgage is approved.

You can expect to pro vide: a loan application, verification of your income and emplo yment, proof that y ou ha ve the funds required for a do wn pa yment and closing costs , corporate or partnership tax retur ns if applicable, a profit and loss statement if you are self-emplo yed, twoyears of tax retur ns and proof that y our ex-spouse is making alimony pa yments on time if you need this income to qualify.

And the list g oes on. The more complicated your finances, the more paperw ork the lender will want.

There is an alternative to this paperwork nightmare . It’s the modern v ersion of the “quic k qualifier” mortgages that w ere popular in the 1980s . Today’s version is kno wn b y v arious names, such as lo w-documentation, easy-documentation, noincome v erification (NIV) and stated income mortgages.

These mor tgages base y our qualification on the income y ou state on y our loan application.

The lender doesn’t independently v erify y our income with an employer in order to appro ve the loan.

The lender will w ant a loan application, verification that you ha ve a cash down pa yment equal to at least 20 percent of the purchase price and a credit score of 640 or more . Good credit is mandaLYNNE tory for these loans.

REAL Credit scores have become popular in the home mor tgage industry in recent years . The score is based on infor mation from the bor rower’s credit file .

After analyzing a n umber of variables, a score is g enerated that indicates the lik elihood that the prospecti ve bor rower will repay the mortgage on time.

Usually, the higher your credit score , the easier it is to g et a loan.

Easy-documentation lenders like to see extra cash reser ves.

And they also will take “payment shock” into account. Payment shock is the ter m lenders use to

evaluate ho w m uch y our new mortgage pa yment will be in comparison to what y ou currently pay.

A lender will feel more comfortable granting an NIV loan to someone whose housing pa yment w on’t quadruple and someone who also has a generous sa vings FRENCH account. This is a bor rower who ESTATE would be lik ely to mak e the mortgage payments.

Be a ware that some lenders require a bor rower to sign a form that permits lenders to get copies of the bor rower’s tax returns directly from the IRS .

NIV lenders use the bor rower’s stated income for loan qualification.

If such a lender found out that the bor rowers had lied about their income on their loan application, the lender could probably call the loan due immediately. And there w ould undoubtedly be other serious legal consequences . Lying on a

less than $9 for an unprotested ticket.

“We w ould ha ve to write 10,879 tic kets to pa y the cost of one officer for one year – this w ould be one tic ket to every resident in Cla yton,” Napper says.

When a tic ket is protested, the cost of the o vertime for the officer to appear in cour t results in a net cost to the city of $132.

Tickets, from page A1 also issuing more w arnings.

Of the 260 motorists pulled over in April, 129 of those resulted only in a w arning.

“When you warn someone, you are making an impact as well,” says Lawrence.

While the n umber of citations and w arnings has been

increasing, this does not represent a rev enue source for the city, says City Manag er Gar y Napper.

Last year, the average moving violation brought the city about $21. The cost of the officer to write the tic ket is more than $12, netting the city

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loan application is fraud.

Not all NIV lenders require borrowers to sign one of these IRS tax retur n for ms. A g ood mortgage broker will be able to tell y ou whic h lenders don ’t require these forms.

You may find that y ou have to pay an interest rate premium on a NIV loan. You may have to pay as m uch as 3/8 percent higher on the interest rate compared to a full-documentation loan that is conventional.

On jumbo loans, you’ll probably pay less of a premium for a NIV mortgage, perhaps as little as 1/8 percent more than y ou’d pay for a full-documentation mortgage. There are some easydocumentation lenders who don’t charge a premium at all.

Most of the old quick qualifier loans w ere only a vailable in adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) products. The new NIV are available in both fix ed-rate mortgages and ARMs.

*3.5% - ( 1% to Eagles Peak Realty - 2.5% to Buyers Agent )

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June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

When the sea breeze is right, Clayton keeps its cool

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Page A7

Home Buyer workshop June 10, at 11 AM

what type of mortgage or home you choose, N owematter want to make it simple and cost ef fective for you.

We can make you Buyer Ready with a Pre-Approval commitment letter to increase your negotiating power.

100% Financing programs available.

Fixed Rate Mortgages 30 & 40 years (with the first 10-years interest only payment plan).

Adjustable Rate Mortgages, & Interest Only programs.

Option Payments Mortgage loans and many more special programs available.

Stop by and see our loan specialist today!

WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS “Nature’s air conditioning” is a ter m often associated with the cooling sea breeze that makes many summer afternoons in Clayton very comfortable.

If you take a closer look at the factors that g o into making this air conditioner w ork, we’ll see a great example of a natural balancing act in the lo wer atmosphere.

The sea breeze is an atmospheric phenomenon. Certain oceanographic and g eographic characteristics peculiar to Northern Califor nia pla y important roles in creating it.

Anyone who has spent a summer after noon w alking along the beaches of Northern California and put their feet in the water can attest to the fact that the ocean surface waters in this area are cold. The predom-

inant wind f low is nor therly over the easter n Pacific. Along the Califor nia coast, this tends to draw the surface waters away from shore.

Cool sub-surface waters that replace the de parting surface waters keep water temperatures typically in the 50 to 60 deg ree range all summer .

Oceanographers call this phenomena upwelling.

This upw elling affects the temperature and moisture content of the lowest layer of the

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atmosphere that is in contact with it. The layer of air that is directly inf luenced b y the cool water is kno wn as the marine layer.

Geographically, Northern California has some unique features. The Central V alley, an oblong v alley that stretc hes from Redding to Bakersfield, is separated from the P acific Ocean by the Coastal Mountain Range. These mountains generally rang e from 2,000 to 4,000 feet in elevation.

However, there is one sea level gap in the mountains that extends from the Golden Gate to the Sacramento Delta.

In summer, the de pth of the marine la yer is typically lo wer than the ridgeline height of the Coastal Mountains , creating a natural w all that se parates the marine air from the drier and hotter Central Valley air.

When atmospheric conditions are right, marine air moves through the Golden Gate and into the Delta, and some of that marine air spills into the Clayton Valley.

Now, let’s look at the atmos-

pheric conditions and see ho w a sea breeze dev elops. During summer, the eastern Pacific and western United States is under the influence of an upper lev el high-pressure ridge.

For Califor nia’s Central Valley, this results in clear skies and after noon temperatures consistently abo ve 90 deg rees.

Over the coastal w aters, this ridge forms a lid on the marine layer. On most summer da ys, the marine la yer de pth is less than 2,000 feet.

The cool marine air is hea vier than the hot valley air, and a pressure difference, or pressure gradient, develops between the coast and interior valley – drawing the marine air inland. Since the marine la yer depth is lo wer than the ridgeline of the coastal mountains, marine air can only enter the interior valley through the coastal gaps.

Clayton benefits from its proximity to the Golden Gate coastal gap. When the coast-toinland pressure g radient is strong enough, cool marine air comes as a welcome relief on a hot summer day.

It is an intricate balance between oceanography, geography and meteorolog y that makes our natural air conditioning system w ork. However, as w e all ha ve experienced, sometimes it w orks too w ell, and our da ys are extremely windy. Other da ys it doesn ’t work at all, and temperatures can rise above 100 degrees.

Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG &E. Email y our questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

Williams Properties Your local real estate broker

ale For S

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The name to call is

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www.REMike.com

Page A8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Letters to the Editor IN RESPONSE TO AIRSOFT GUN STORY I have some points that the story in the Cla yton Pioneer missed.

When the police came w e were all sitting around c hoosing teams for the next g ame. When the police came some of us scattered but some stayed. After taking our guns and throwing them down, the police kept their guns up. They even asked someone to pick up the guns , then when he did, told him “Drop them, what do you want me to shoot you?”

We all mak e sure that our guns ha ve orang e tips or ha ve some sor t of marking. All but one of our guns had orange tips at the time ex cept for the one that is a “see through.”

So, after ev erything, they kept their guns up pointing them at us . After a bit, the kids that scattered came back.

The main point I am tr ying to mak e is this: When do the police officers stop pointing real guns at kids after it is clear that the kids’ guns are fake?

Ryan Kreisel Age 13 THE

Your message: Airsoft pellet guns are illegal in public. I am in agreement with the PD as to how they handled this situation; however, ask these teenag ers/ young adults wh y they w ere doing this in the park and the answer is clear “T here is noth-

ing to do in this area.”

We as adults are so wrapped up in adult things that w e have forgotten about our teens . We no long er ha ve a skating rink; we ha ve NO theatres on this end of the community. Gas in is over $3.00 a g allon and these teens need an inexpensive activity. Start looking for things for teens in this comm unity and things will be alright.

Clayton/Concord, this is our future and w e need enter tainment for them.

Janet Brown KRIS HUNT FOR SUPERVISOR Dear Editor, Democrats, Republicans and others should kno w and ag ree that Contra Costa County is headed for financial disaster with its cur rent majority refusing to cut bac k to a balanced budget and ha ving almost used up our reserves.

The credit rating has plummeted and the only reason it isn’t worse is that our econom y is spinning off unexpected tax revenues.

The g ood news is that Kris Hunt, with a ter rific finance background, can tip the scales finally toward fiscal responsibility. Her two opponents are nice people, but endorsed b y and beholden to the same public unions and officials that ha ve gotten us into this mess.

A v ote for Kris Hunt for-

Mayor, from page A1 commute g oing these da ys? If you are lik e me , you are really enjoying coming home o ver the hill on Ygnacio V alley R oad – going from three lanes do wn to two then down to one and w ondering when it will end.

I talked to the husband of the mayor of Concord (y ou m ust have read my past columns to get this reference) about this and have been assured that they are not dallying just to ir ritate Claytonites.

Despite the recent g ood weather, the hills are still saturated with w ater and are moving/unstable dee p do wn.

They cannot just g o scrape off the top la yer and re pave as us laypeople (notice the g ender equality) would think.

Nope, doing it that way could create a big ger slide and more mess.

So Concord has to w ait for more drying time (picture a small army of workers with blo w dr yers on the hillside) while they finalize a temporar y and per manent fix.

They hope to star t with a temporary fix in June, to be completed b y A ugust – just in time for new rains . Then they will install a permanent repair the following summer.

Not g reat news , but at least you can fix y our vision on the

future. So let’ s w atch the road rage through the summer as I do not w ant to g et caught b y any loose rounds.

On the bright side , we won’t be coming back to you to pay for this fix.

CLAYTON ROAD NEARS COMPLETION

Meanwhile, we are nearing the end on our Cla yton R oad repair from the w ater main

merly of the T axpayers Association, will be a v ote for sanity in the county budg et process, for more ser vices for the dollars w e expend, and for cutting out w aste, fraud and abuse. To save our County, let’s vote for Kris Hunt for the nonpartisan office of County Supervisor.

Pete Laurence

using their unique collaborati ve research model that is expected to accelerate the scientific discovery process . If the Cla yton Pioneer readership would like to learn more about MRF , the website for the org anization is www.myelinrepair.org.

Scott Butler

MRF SUPPORTS MS

The Sunda y after the Clayton Librar y Book Sale , two dumpsters of donated books were in the parking lot of the Clayton librar y. Several other residents w ere as upset as I at the sight of donated books being trashed. It is hard to believe that someone could not have benefited from these v olumes—most of which w ere donated to the librar y for the fundraising event.

Next year I will find (another place) to donate m y books .

And I w ould encourag e other Clayton residents who c herish and respect books to do the same. Nothing has done more for the development of civilization than the printing press .

Books deser ve to be read, not deposited in a dumpster in Clayton.

Gary King

RESEARCH

I very much appreciated Bev Britton’s ar ticle on local residents that are impacted b y MS. This is a v ery c hallenging disease that affects many more people than most of us realize. I would like to draw your reader’s attention to a Ba y Area org anization that suppor ts researc h into the treatment of MS. The organization is called Myelin Repair F oundation (MRF).

MRF funds researc h into the treatment of MS with a g oal to have a treatment in trial within five years. Although the org anization has only been funding research for about 18 months , they have made impor tant findings as to ho w the ner vous system is damag ed b y MS . MRF’s goal is to ha ve a treatment for MS in trial within fi ve years

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Knowledge, Service, Integrity, Results PETE LAURENCE Broker-Owner, Realtor, GRI

Office: 939-7920 Fax: 939-1939 VM 24 hr: 940-2777

1511 Treat Blvd. #100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598

The Pioneer will print political letters expressing an opinion on candidates or ballot measures only from Pioneer readers who live in our circulation area.

Candidates must r epresent a Clayton constituenc y. Please see our W ebsite at www.claytonpioneer.com for deadlines and pub lication dates. Use the later of the two deadlines. We will acce pt political letters for pub lication up until the November 3 issue. break. By the time y ou read this, both lanes should ha ve been opened for the Memorial Da y holiday, and the entire project should be complete by June 9.

Great job b y our staff and the W ater District to g et this fixed. We just seem to be able to do things quic ker in Cla yton.

(For any Concord residents or city officials who someho w read this ar ticle, this c heap shot w as for enter tainment pur poses only and in no w ay was meant to sa y that our ma yor is better than your mayor.)

I seem to ha ve r un out of

room ag ain and y ou kno w w e politicians alw ays ha ve more to say, but that will ha ve to w ait until the next column.

Remember, any positive feedback or intellig ent questions should be sent to me at shuey@rankinlaw.com and any negative feedbac k or silly questions should be sent to the vice mayor.

I leave you with this question from the apparently v ery dee pthinking filmmak er, Steven Spielberg: “Why pay a dollar for a bookmark? W hy not use the dollar for a bookmark?”

www.aquapropool.com

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June 2, 2006

Clayton, 5830 Mitchell Canyon

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Pool Inspections Weekly/Monthly Maintenance Quality Service & Repair New Construction/ Remodel Solar Installation & Repair

License No. 671549

When it’s time to inspect, call the experts Clayton Home Inspection is a member of my personal Team of Services, for both my buyers and sellers. They go the extra distance for all my clients and give them the professional and personal touch that’s necessary in this people business.

We have the highest standards in the industry and would like the opportunity to serve you.

-Jim Bartneck, Realtor Lynne French Team, Clayton

Livermore, 6990 Collier Canyon 100 acre ranch & home (Danville/ Pleasanton border). This horse facility has everything. $1,890,000

Lori Hilts-Galvin & Roger Galvin

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If you are a BUYER looking for a ranch, country property or land, Robin can help you too!

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Family owned and operated for over 14 years with two locations to serve you

Clayton office 925-672-9405; Antioch office 925-755-HOME (4663) chisinspector@hotmail.com

Please visit our Website at www.ClaytonHomeInspection.net

June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A9

Fresh tasting white tea is loaded with benefits “Better to be de prived of food for 2 days, than tea for one.”

Chinese proverb Experts ha ve long extolled the virtues of white tea, considered the most rare and finest of the four tea families.

Research no w points to evidence that white tea not only pleases the palate but ma y also prolong the drinker’s life.

White tea has been revered in the Chinese culture since at least the 12th centur y. Most white tea is produced in the nor thern Fujian Pro vince and is named for the silvery white down covering these tea buds . More than 3,000 buds and a lot of hand labor are needed to mak e just one pound of tea.

White tea differs from its green and blac k counter parts in

its processing. It undergoes only withering, steaming or dr ying, vs. pan-firing or rolling . The young tea lea ves are spread o ver bamboo trays indoors, and a fan is used to dr y them o ver several days.

The liquor of these delicate teas is so pale that it almost appears white. It has a fresh f lavor with a natural sw eetness and contains little or no caffeine and no tannins.

They tak e slightly long er to steep (about 5 to 7 min utes) and should be brew ed at 160 to 170 degrees. Unlike its blac k tea cousin, white tea leaves will yield several good infusions.

White Peony, White Pear and White Tangerine are among the most popular teas w e ser ve at Englund’s Tea Cottage, and they are cer tainly the healthiest. In

recent years , this elixir has undergone researc h whic h indicates it ma y prev ent cancer , lower blood c holesterol, control high blood pressure and ev en prevent ca vities and fight vir uses.

At the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, white tea is sta ving off cancer of the colon.

We’ve all heard that a glass of red wine per da y is g ood for us , primarily because of its antioxidants one of the most potent being catechins. While a glass of red wine contains 300 milligrams of catechins, white tea contains a whopping 15 times that amount per cup. And you can drive home afterward.

The restorative benefits ha ve not missed the cosmetic industry’s eye, either. Visit any depart-

PAM BARNETT

TEA

FOR YOU

ment store cosmetic counter and you’re sure to see white tea products. The high antioxidant count also is being studied for its antiaging effects.

Pam Bar nett was an Eng lish major in college and a teacher before becoming co-owner with Sally Eng lund of Englund’s T ea Cottage in the Clayton Station. Email her at Pammbarnett@aol.com

Consolidating student loans makes sense CHRISTOPHER CHAPMAN Special to the Clayton Pioneer

Professional Nail Salon For Men and Women

W

e're proud to welcome you to our beautiful new nail spa.

You will find our highly trained staff to be experienced in all phases of nail care and enhancement, facials and waxing.

In pursuit of the utmost in cleanliness and comfort, we are pleased to offer LaFleur spa chairs, the latest in cleanjet no-pipe technology. Our goal is to pamper you in a spa-like environment so that you feel relaxed and rejuvenated every time you visit.

UÜ|Çz|Çz çÉâ à{x uxáà Éy uxtâàç $10 off

any deluxe manicure and pedicure package Concord salon only. 1 coupon per customer.

Cannot be combined with any other of fers.

Exp. 7/8/06

Concord 4436 Clayton Rd, Suite G Across from FoodMaxx

(925) 676-8668

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any service over $20 Concord salon only. 1 coupon per customer.

Cannot be combined with any other of fers.

Exp. 7/8/06

Also located in San Ramon: 130 Sunset Dr., (925) 866-0666

Financial Literacy Month in California is o ver, but its message of financial planning is important to remember throughout the year . If you are a student in colleg e, getting ready to g raduate or beginning to think about colleg e, it is especially important. The financial decisions you and your parents mak e before , during and after colleg e will impact y ou long after graduation.

If you de pend on student loans to finance y our education – or your son or daughter’s education – y ou ha ve a g reat opportunity to sa ve some money. With the recent passage of the Deficit R eduction Act, changes to the student loan

industry will directly impact you or your children.

By consolidating y our educational loans before J uly 1, 2006, you may be able to lock in lower interest rates . Beginning July 1st, Federal Stafford, PLUS, and consolidation loans will be adjusted to a fixed interest rate . Stafford loans will increase from a v ariable rate of 5.30% to a fixed 6.8% rate, and PLUS loans will rise from a current 6.10% v ariable rate to a fixed 8.50% rate . In addition, “in-school consolidation” allowances that cur rently permit students to consolidate before they g raduate will be eliminated.

What this means is that students or their parents ha ve less than tw o months to loc k in lower interest rates.

in enter fer “CK” C e y E of Only st Bay to a E the

With the cost of education increasing, more and more students are financing their education with loans . Students need to understand that taking out a loan is an impor tant financial decision and the c hoices they make ma y ha ve consequences for years to come . Like any major financial decision, students should shop around for the most affordable loan products and research the impact of interest rates on their loan principal.

To get the best deal possible, look at several lenders and their consolidation loan benefits .

For example , some companies offer interest rate reductions that typically occur after the borrower has made 24 or more payments or if the bor rower signs up for automatic debit.

Unless all of your loans are with a single federal lender, you are free to c hoose any eligible consolidation lender. Do not be afraid to ask questions. A quality student loan company should have trained re presentatives who can talk about consolidation and offer guidance.

The sa vings y ou can g et b y consolidating your loans is easily measured in thousands , not hundreds of dollars.

Thankfully, the windo w of opportunity for saving money is still open.

Christopher P . Chapman is the President & CEO of ALL Student Loan (www.allstudentloan.us) in Los Angeles, Califor nia, a nonpr ofit lender that of fers student loans and financial aid materials to bor rowers nationwide.

T I R E D of those Reading Glasses?

Get rid of them!

1049 Kenston Dr. $989,000

30 Mountaire Place $839,000 Spectacular single level with beautiful pool and views! Don’t miss this 4 bedroom 2 bath plus den. Located in quiet cul-de-sac near cabana and walking trails.

Exciting new nonlaser procedure to rid yourself of reading glasses!

Gorgeous custom Rancher features 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and AWESOME living room, dining room and great room! Beautiful pool sparkles next to your own private spa.

You can end your frustration with reading glasses with NearVision CK. It’s a fast and safe -- there’s no cutting involved -- treatment for helping people like you improve their near vision. Getting a little older doesn’t have to mean losing your ability to see things up close so please call to schedule a consultation to see if NearVision CK is right for you.

1391 Yosemite Circle $749,000

914 Arrowhead Terrace $634,999

Gorgeous and updated throughout. HUGE lot with dazzling pool and landscape.

Also for sale

4435 Pronghorn Way, 4 bedroom, 3 bath. $689,500 Antioch, 2327 Camelback Dr., 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath -- $572,500 GREAT BUY Antioch, 4504 Deer Way .

Enormous 4 bedroom, 3 baths. $684,000

Antioch,

Beautiful 3 bedroom 2 .5 bath.

3574 Halifax Way, Antioch $525,000

Coming soon!

Clayton, 972 Oak St. 4 bedroom plus den, 2 large baths. This downtown beauty is located in one of the most highly desirable neighbor hoods.

Great starter home with extra large living room and kitchen. Close to commute access and shopping. Great Buy!

Clayton’s Preferred Real Estate Team 925.932.7375 Helen

Safely see young. Again.

925.932.7329 Stephanie

homes@helenandstephanie.com

For your FREE CK personal screening call 1-888-820-9600. Say you want a FREE CK screening.

Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Popular Pine Hollow principal r etires LEA BARBANO Special to the Clayton Pioneer

After 20 years of devoted service as principal of Pine Hollow Middle Sc hool, Marcie Oli ver Bro wn is retiring.

Mrs. Brown beg an her career as principal in 1986, and has touc hed the li ves of more than 18,000 students at Pine Hollow.

She has been in volved in many of the community programs suppor ting our y outh.

She has established a sc hool motto of expressing PRIDE in ourselves, students, and our community; showing sc hool SPIRIT; and acce pting

RESPONSIBILITY for all rights gi ven to us for our actions.

For more than 35 years , Marcie Bro wn has pro vided dedicated ser vice in the field of education beginning as a high sc hool teac her in the Oakland School District.

Mrs. Brown has recei ved various awards in the community and tak es pride in being recognized and recei ving the CCC Human R elations Committees Conf lict Resolution A ward. She w as also one of the three nominees for the CCC Outstanding Educator Award.

Through Mrs . Brown’s leadership, Pine Hollo w w as

honored as a C a l i f o r n i a Distinguished School.

She has ser ved on the Board of Directors for CCC , American R ed Cross , and w as one of the founding members of the Alpha K appa Alpha Sorority and Jack and Jill of America. She can also attach the title of President of the Mt. Diablo Educators Association to her wonderful career .

Congratulations Mrs .

Brown, for a job w ell done.

Swimming pool service and repair

Commercial, Residential Free estimates Weekly service Additional Services:

Filter cleaning One time clean-up Green pool clean-ups Equipment Installation

Mike French Owner operated

Office 925-673-1767 Cell 925-408-7585 mikefrench@astound.net

Come see our Father’s day Gift Creations

reated Bouq C y nd gifts candies uet a C

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School News CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Grad Night Preview: Many years ag o Cla yton V alley High School (CVHS) parents created an all night g raduation party, an event that w ould k eep g raduating seniors, safe, sober, and drug free on the night of their graduation. June 11 from 6 - 9 p .m. the public is in vited to preview Grad Night at Centre Concord.

This an oppor tunity for the community to see the results of Centre Concord’ s transfor mation into a magical place with unique decorations , structures, and acti vities, waiting for the new g raduates to enjo y. The preview is free of charge.

Centre Concord, 5298 Cla yton Road, Concord.

MDUSD SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is offering a summer ar ts prog ram for students cur rently in grades 6-9.

Students will tak e tw o enric hment classes , choosing from show c hoir, band, string orchestra, guitar, dance, art, and drama. The Summer Ar ts Program, which is free , will be held on the CVHS campus June 26-July 25.

Obtain the registration material at eac h middle sc hool office, next to the summer school material or register in person at CVHS, June 23, from 10 a.m.-2 p .m. For more information, contact Mr. Mundy Viar at 682-7474 x 3125, or at

ClaytonBands@aol.com.

EAGLE PEAK MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Local spas have partnered with Eagle P eak Montessori School (EPMS) to present Spa Da y 2006 on J une 3.

Spas par ticipating in the event, set for June 3, will celebrate with dra wings, discounts and treats . Details can be found at www .spaday2006.com. EPMS has also created the Spa P ass program. The Spa Pass ($25) offers a 25 percent discount on one treatment, including massages, facials, pedicures and skin treatments at eac h of the 10 par ticipating spas

in the East Ba y, including Clayton Mind & Body Connections in Clayton. All proceeds from this ev ent benefit the only public c harter sc hool in the hear t of Contra Costa County , Eagle Peak Montessori Sc hool.

The sc hool, located in Walnut Creek ser ves students from Cla yton, Concord and the Diablo Valley, provides a quality , tuition-free alternative to the traditional neighborhood school for elementar y-age students. For more infor mation about EPMS visit

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What’s happening in y our school. Send y our school news to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

Richard Stone ISA Certified Arborist #2245 CA lic # 629457

Insured for Worker’s Comp & Liability

t i e n C a u o G r nter tops m o t s u C Starting at $2,199 Installed lub n Countr y C o y n a C w ro e: C , 2006 Plac 6 1 e n Ju r person , y a d Date: Fri Cost: $50 pe .m.

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Richard A. Littorno Littorno & Morrison, Attorneys At Law “The planning solutions are here.”

Since 1979

Living trusts wills elder law Probate & trust administration Creative estate & tax planning Asset protection & general business

Clayton office:

Pittsburg office:

6160 Center St., Suite D Clayton, CA 94517 Phone: (925) 672-6463 rlittorno@msn.com www.littornolaw.com

2211 Railroad Ave. Pittsburg, CA 94565 Phone: (925) 432-4211 Fax: (925) 432-3516

Granite Slabs starting at $299 FREE ESTIMA T AV A I L A B E S LE

Zodiaq CaesarStone Marble Limestone and more Tear out of old counters available

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825-5888 fax: 825-5338 locally owned & operated

June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

It’s all in the family for Cla yton roofer

Est.1972

Smith & Bernal

Roofing

JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Reroofs Repairs All Types Tile repairs Wood shake Tar and gravel Gutters Inspections Ventilation

Thinking about a new roof?

Call the

RE-ROOF SPECIALISTS

(925) 672 0138 Free estimates

Page A11

Same day response

Clayton resident

Lic. Number 727021

If you’re dri ving through a neighborhood in Clayton or the surrounding area, all y ou ha ve to do is look up and y ou’ll likely find Nathan Smith.

The Clayton resident spends a lot of his time on other people’s roofs , doing what it he does best; re roofing, including all types of roof repairs and gutter cleaning.

His business , Smith and Bernal is rooted in family .

Nathan’s dad has been in the roofing business for 35 years and his brothers are also involved.

For the past 10 years , Nathan has dev eloped a solid business of his o wn; most of his new clients come from referrals and from adv ertising in T he Cla yton Pioneer . He does so m uch business in Clayton that he’ s known as the city’s roofer.

“Clayton residents lik e to keep the w ork local, ” says Nathan. And he’s here to satisfy their wishes . His clients are impressed with the quality of his w ork, his prompt response and his eng aging personality .

Thanks for being on time , is

what many of his clients tell him when he ar rives for a particular job; which tells you how important it is to be reliable and trustworthy in this business , says Nathan. Being a local guy , he can respond quic kly to any emergency and guarantees a same day response.

He has spent the winter months helping clients with roof repairs, gutter cleaning, tar and g ravel and other maintenance and inspection jobs . “A leak is usually the first time a homeowner kno ws something is wrong, ” Nathan sa ys. He urges clients to act when a tile is cracked or missing or sc hedule a regular routine maintenance which sa ves a lot of time and money in the long r un. The summer season is a time for reroofing. Although Nathan installs all types of roofs, he highly recommends composite roofs whic h are vir tually maintenance free . Nathan stresses the need for homeo wners to locate a small problem before a costly re pair is assessed and to help with this, Smith and Bernal Roofing offers free evaluations.

Nathan does all the work on the premises by himself. “I don’t have any employees. That way I don’t have to w orry about any-

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

LOOK

UP,

and you’re likely to see Nathan Smith working on a roof.

one else’s work. It’s quality control. I bid on the job and sho w up to do the work,” he says.

I love the roofing business,” says Nathan. He especially likes the feeling that he g ets when he’s able to solv e a homeo wner’s roofing problems and winds up with a satisfied customer .

Since he’d rather be up on the roof doing what he loves to do, the paper work is his c hallenge.

But he gets it done and his business is thriving.

Nathan is busy , sometimes six days a week. The only thing he’d like to promote in his business is to expand his list of annual maintenance c hecks for homeowners. “It could be a big savings for m y customers ,” he adds.

Nathan is mar ried to Jennifer and is the proud father of a four-month old bab y boy, Brayden. When he’s not on the roof, he’s in the w ater enjoying all types of water sports.

Oakland Bass player offers a most inspiring performance

“If you want to buy or sell a home in 10 years call us!”

“But...if you want to buy or sell a home today, then call our Dad!”

925-673-9164 Bill Calkins

Clayton Resident & Neighbor Helping People Find Their Way Home!

Ask about our Special Programs for Buyers & Sellers

Four bass players each played a 40-min ute set to a sold-out house on “Solo Bass Night, ” held Ma y 17 at the F reight and Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley.

This is not a review of the concert. Rather, it’s a commentary on the a wesome displa y of talent and commitment b y the show’s headliner , Michael Manring of Oakland.

The leg endary m usician has taken the conce pt of solo bass playing to heights previously unknown. Without his g roundbreaking effor ts in dev eloping the idea of a solo bass , there

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MUSIC NOTES by the performance.

Manring co-designed one of the bass guitars he w as pla ying, using un usual tuning lev ers that allow him to quic kly and accurately c hange tunings frequently during a song.

But bac k to that “dev otion” thing. It was so pleasantly ironic to hear Manring talk in his soft, unassuming v oice betw een songs. He w as visibly touc hed

“When you think about it, to be able to travel the world as he does, playing a style and type of music that’s far removed from the musical mainstream, is quite astonishing.”

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didn’t disappoint. As good as his playing was, what was even more striking w as his approac h to his music. It was reverential.

As he closed his eyes and played, it was almost like being in church. The combination of his commitment and devotion to his music was palpable.

Which isn ’t to sa y his w as a soft, meandering set of music.

His first song contained ag gressive, pulsating rh ythms and syncopations, and the sound w as BIG. Partly as a result of the wonderful sound system at the Freight and par tly because of Manring’s technical and electronic expertise, the notes filled every fiber of being in the listeners – who w ere thoroughly capti vated

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would ha ve been no “solo bass night” in the first place.

For the record, the first three bassists were all v ery g ood players and each was unique.

Dave Grossman opened the show, playing a long, classical piece. He w as follo wed b y J eff Schmidt, who combined sophisticated tec hnique and un usual tunings for a dazzling displa y of bass playing.

Jean Baudin had a n umber of his fans in the cro wd, worshipping his pla ying and c harismatic personality as he pla yed on an oversized instrument that had 11 strings (most basses ha ve four strings).

All three pla yers were engaging. But it w as Manring whom most of us came to see , and he

References Available Upon Request!

that such a nice crowd turned out to hear what he described as “weird bass m usic,” going so far as to describe himself as the “ambassador of weird.”

When y ou think about it, to be able to tra vel the w orld as he does, playing a style and type of music that’ s far remo ved from the m usical mainstream, is quite astonishing. Part of what enables him to do so is his total commitment to his art. He believes in the power of music, and it’s refreshing to see.

Now, more than a w eek after the concert, the evening still resonates. That room full of glorious sound, from one man on one instrument, continues to radiate inside m y psyc he. I also hold a mental picture of a man small in stature but larg e in spirit, eyes closed, at one with his music.

Thank you, Michael. I needed that.

Jim Hudak’ s Music Notes column appears r egularly in the Pioneer. Contact him at jimm ydak@pacbell.net. His piano music CD’s are available from his Web site at www.jhudak.com or at amazon.com.

Page A12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Once Brook c herries appear at far mers mark ets, Bings are sure to follow – and cherry season will be in full swing.

Originating on the shores of the Blac k and Caspian seas , cherries ha ve been par t of the human diet for thousands of years. Pits ha ve been found in Stone Ag e trash heaps ex cavated in European caves.

Although birds ma y ha ve spread pits with their migrations into Europe , Roman ar mies planted c herry trees for their fruit and w ood along their forays throughout Europe and England. According to the Roman historian Pliny , Gen. Lucullus committed suicide when he ran out of cherries.

In folklore , the c herry is associated with virginity, education and dece ption. It is said that the mother of Buddha was offered c herries during her pregnancy.

If you’ve ev er pic ked daisy petals to the “love-me, love-menot” chant, you’d be interested to know that in Europe a future spouse would be rev ealed while counting cherry pits: “This year, next year, sometime, never.”

Wild cherry trees have a variety of folk and moder n medicinal uses . A tea from the bark treats coughs , and c herry stalk tea is a diuretic. More than 2,000 years ag o, Greek ph ysicians used the wild blac k c herry to treat cancer.

French settlers are credited with introducing tart cherries to North America, where they planted orc hards along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes.

The National Cher ry its name from an Oreg on Blossom Festival in Washington, farmer’s Chinese laborer . The D.C., celebrates J apan’s gift of Rainier is a new comer. The U.S. thousands of trees to the Department of Agriculture United States in 1912.

They developed it about 20 years ag o were planted around the Tidal for its light color and exceptionBasin and J efferson Memorial. al sweetness.

They re placed a donation tw o Don’t be surprised if you get years earlier of some 2,000 trees a bluish ring around c herries in that had to be destro yed baked g oods lik e quic k breads , because they scones or m uffins. were infested.

Baking po wder or Although baking soda causTraverse City , es a chemical reacMich., is the selftion. If you substiproclaimed tute butter milk, “Cherry Capital yogurt or sour of the W orld” cream for milk in for sour c herry the recipe , it ma y production, eliminate the most sw eet problem. cherries are A simple LINDA WYNER grown in the cherry salsa is a P a c i f i c FOOD FOR THOUGHT fine accompaniNorthwest. ment to roast Cherry orc hards around pork or turk ey. Using a food Bakersfield, Stockton and processor, chop tog ether 1 cup Brentwood pro vide us with a pitted sweet cherries, 1 jalapeño local supply of sweet c herries pepper (stemmed and seeded), 2 from the end of April into June. tsp. dried basil (or 2 Tbsp .

Cherries are some of the first fresh), juice of one-half lemon, tree fruits to ripen each year. a few dashes of Tabasco sauce There are hundreds of cher- and 1/8 tsp. salt. ry types, but only a few are comMaraschino c herries, the mercially significant in the kind we see in drinks and on top United States .

The of ice cream sundaes, originated Montmorency, a tar t c herry, is in Y ugoslavia. The sw eet c herwidely used in pies , preserves ries w ere soak ed in 70 proof and juice.

Masaca liqueur.

Someone figured out that About the tur n of the 20th there are about 7,000 c herries century, U.S. producers opted on an a verage tar t c herry tree , for the R oyal Anne , using less and it tak es about 250 c herries alcohol and substituting almond to mak e a pie . With Sara Lee oil. During Prohibition, the baking up a few million c herry liqueur was eliminated altog ethpies a year , I’ll let y ou do the er – making the marasc hino math. cherry a suitable g arnish for The sw eet Bing c herry g ot Shirley Temples.

Current man ufacturing processes may encourage you to make y our o wn marasc hino cherries. Underripe cherries are brined in sodium metabisulfate , calcium chloride and citric acid, then soaked in a corn syrup and fructose solution and ar tificially colored red or g reen.

kmorucci@interorealestate.com www.kimmorucci.com Recipient of 2005 Intero Chairman’s Circle Award Member of Intero’s Top 10% Producers Clayton resident & ranch property owner.

Diablo Valley Realty Kim Dromlewicz,

2 lbs. sugar 1 ½ cups water 1 lemon, juiced 1 Tbsp. red food coloring 1 Tbsp. almond extract Combine first three ing redients and heat the brine until nearly boiling. Add pitted c herries (a c herry pitter is a g reat utensil for this pur pose) and cover. Let sit o vernight, then rinse.

Combine sug ar, 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice and red food coloring. Bring to a boil and pour over cherries. Let stand 24 hours. Drain and reser ve marinade.

Boil marinade ag ain, then add almond extract and cherries.

Remove from heat and promptly seal in pint jars.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page A13

County fair’s roots are g rounded in agriculture BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

While the Contra Costa County Fair used to be a salute to agriculture, these days it’s more a tribute to Jimm y Buffet and the Rolling Stones as theme bands take center stage.

The shift away from ag riculture is tw o-fold. The fair’s move to early June makes it difficult for students to sho wcase their animals, since sc hool is still in session. Many no w compete in the Youth Fair in July.

Meanwhile, the county’s suburban spra wl has marginalized the area’s farming.

“I think w e’ve sacrificed a lot of what made this county beautiful,” says r ural Cla yton resident Jackie Stewart. “There is so m uch pressure to give up agriculture and become a society of new homes.”

Stewart, who has raised beef cattle since the ’70s , remains a devout suppor ter of agriculture in Contra Costa County. The former president of the county Farm Bureau sa ys the g roup’s advocacy role has taken on more meaning in recent years.

“We’ve had to become more sophisticated and spend more time on legislati ve issues. We just can’t let a thing go by us,” she says.

“We’re tr ying to ha ve some

influence for the ag comm unity, because w e are v astly outn umbered,” notes Bill Morg an, a member of the county F arm Bureau since the ’50s.

The lifelong Cla yton resident remembers when ag riculture flourished in the area. His ancestor, Jeremiah Morg an, began ranching here in the 1850s in his namesake Morg an T erritory.

These da ys, Bill Morg an leases out most of his grazing land.

Stewart and Cla yton resident Dee Munk both point to the ban on g razing on Mt. Diablo as a huge hit for local ranchers.

“It was a ter rible loss, particularly in this wet year with all the

grass. I feel we’re a disaster w aiting to happen, ” Stewart sa ys of the fire danger.

As secretar y/manager of the county Farm Bureau, Munk will be out at the fairg rounds this weekend touting the ag rarian lifestyle. Friday, June 2, is Kids Day and as many as 1,000 c hildren will be on hand.

“We usually gi ve them seeds to plant. The last tw o years , we’ve gi ven them a plant, ” says Munk. “We talk to them about agriculture and g rowing. It’s a really cool thing for the kids.”

Fairgoers can also get a history lesson at the Mangini Agricultural Museum, which

Fair, from page A1 ALL IN THE FAMILY Trevor, who belongs to both the Concord and Knightsen 4-H chapters, is following a family tradition. His 23-year -old brother and his mom w ere members of the no w defunct Morg an Territory 4-H chapter.

“When you’re a kid, you don’t really appreciate what you’re growing up with – the oppor tunities you ha ve,” reflects Benti voglio, who raised lambs for the fair as a child. “Now as a parent, I think, ‘Wow, I was really fortunate.’

“There are so many people now that just aren ’t aware that 4-

Elise Canavescini with her 4-H sewing teacher, Jennifer Rupert.

H even exists, which is too bad.

It’s a g reat w ay for kids to lear n responsibility.”

A. B. Graham, a superintendent of schools in Ohio, is credited with launching the agricultural club in 1902.

The club’ s emblem is a four-leaf clover, with leaves re presenting Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

Clayton resident Tim Canevascini, who belonged to 4H while g rowing up in Soledad, encouraged daughter Elise to join 4-H to g ain leadership skills and self-confidence. Younger daughter Juliana plans to join next year.

“The big thing I lik e about 4H is that the kids r un the meetings and the projects ,” he sa ys.

“It’s not adult-driven.”

Elise, an eighth-g rader at Diablo View, is entering a w ool plaid suit in the fair . In previous years, she’s brought her quilts to Antioch.

She is looking forw ard to her role as a teen leader for the Concord 4-H club next year . “I want to have a quilting day, and I want to star t a knitting g roup,” says Elise, who also plans to sew a black satin dress.

Photo courtesy of The Schuelke Family

Jenny Schuelke on Mudpie, competed in the 4-H horse show May 20. Mudpie is only one of the many animals she will take to the Fair.

ANIMAL ADVENTURES While most 4-H members show their rabbits at the fair , Elise didn ’t feel da Vinci w as ready. “He’s mainly a pet right now,” she says.

But for 14-year -old J enny Schuelke, it’s all about the animals. This year, she’ll be showing two rabbits, two dogs, a handful of guinea pigs , a c hicken and a horse. Mudpie, a quar ter horse gelding, also competed in the 4-H Horse Show on Saturday, May 20.

“We g ot some c hickens and some rabbits. And from there on, it just kept going and we got more and more animals,” says Jenny.

“We’ve been swallowed by 4H,” mom Linda adds with a snicker.

The eighth-g rader, who is in independent study through the Cameron Academy, enjoys camping at the fairg rounds and hanging out at the midw ay at night.

“It’s a fun atmosphere ,” she says.

“We’ll play g ames, watch movies and get all sugared up.”

Last year , she competed at the California State Fair in Small Animal Master Sho wmanship.

She also tak es par t in the A vian Bowl, which she calls “Chic ken Jeopardy.”

“I’ve had some really g ood

opened in 1998. The m useum exhibits farm equipment, a blacksmith shop, a countr y kitchen, a restored fire engine and antique wagons and carriages.

Through the Ag in the Classroom prog ram, students can visit the m useum on class fieldtrips in the fall and spring .

“They can lear n about forestr y, planting v egetables, clean w ater, even bugs,” says Munk.

During her stint in the fair booth, Munk makes sure to hand out maps for the U-pick farms in East County. She credits the Upick far ms and local far mers markets with helping some of the county’s farmers stay afloat.

“They can’t try to sell to stores, because they lose too much to the middle man,” Munk reports.

Even though toda y’s far mers are growing more on less land, it’s still an uphill battle for sur vival.

“They’ve become more efficient, but they are still being pushed out because they can ’t make a living,” she says. “They’re coming under increasing government regulations , from w ater to labor – all things per taining to raising crops.”

The Contra Costa County Farm Bureau of fice is at 5554 Clayton Road, Concord. F or mor e infor mation, call Dee Munk at 672-5115 or visit www.cfbf.com.

experiences g oing difference places for sho ws,” says J enny, who lives in the “state” streets on the Concord/Clayton border.

perusing the entries. “I love seeing all the creati ve things people do ,” she sa ys. “It’s neat to be around people who ha ve a strong interest – a passion for something.”

According to Chatagneir , you don’t ha ve to be an exper t to compete at the fair . “I’m not like some people who spend all their time in the g arden. But with the cut flowers, it’s not a sho w that’s too difficult, like sa y entering a camellia show,” she reports.

“I’m not any kind of fancy baker,” Chatagneir adds. “It’s just something fun to do.”

BEYOND 4-H County fair competition isn ’t limited to 4-H members . Diablo View science teac her Sylvia Chatagneir encourag es her students to enter in the computer science category.

Working in pairs , the eighthgraders create c hemical family brochures based on the periodic table. “We’ve had students receive best in di vision and some first places,” she notes.

The Cla yton resident also is entering her bak ed goods and cut flowers. As a former exhibit supervisor at the fair , Chatagneir enjoys

The Concord 4-H Club meets at Farm Bur eau Hall, 5554 Clayton Road. F or mor e info , visit http://clubs.ca4h.org/contracosta/ concord/ or call 646-6543.

In addition to the animal and craft exhibits , the Contra Costa County F air features commercial booths and a car nival area with rides and games.

A v ariety of tribute bands tak e the stag e T hursday through Saturday nights, plus BRAWL Wrestling on Friday night, motorcycle races on Saturday and a Demolition Derby on Sunday.

New this year is a Fair Idol Contest, with finals at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Twilight Knights Renaissance Guild, the Wild West Express and the Tigers of India are among the other li ve presentations.

The fair r uns through Sunda y, June 4, at 1201 W . 10th St. in Antioch. Hours are noon to 11 p .m. Thursday and F riday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, visit www.ccfair.org or call 757-4400.

Page A14

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

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Clayton Market Update Provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS 5612 Frank Place 5016 Raven Way 746 Bloching Circle 3036 Windmill Canyon Dr 74 Nottingham Pl 1425 Indianhead Way 1296 Easley Drive 1415 Greystone Lane 20 Mt. Wilson 904 Arrowhead Ter 301 Meredith Ct 316 Mt. Washington Wy 5915 Wallace Dr 3505 Coyote Circle 15 Clark Creek Cir 130 Mt. Shasta Court 377 Blue Oak lane 4775 Morgan Territory 202 Falcon Place 20 Ohlone Lane 1111 Peacock Creek Dr 232 Jeffry Ranch Pl 1338 Shell Lane 1224 Bridlewood Ct 5607 Lassen Court 508 Hamburg Circle 2 Rialto Drive 3046 Miwok Way

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SALE DATE

SF

05/18/06 05/17/06 05/17/06 05/16/06 05/12/06 05/11/06 05/02/06 04/30/06 04/28/06 04/28/06 04/28/06 04/26/06 04/19/06 04/19/06 04/17/06 04/14/06 04/14/06 04/13/06 03/31/06 03/30/06 03/30/06 03/30/06 03/29/06 03/28/06 03/24/06 03/24/06 03/23/06 03/22/06

2,398 2,053 2,325 1,877 2,088 1,430 2,116 1,891 1,378 1,939 2,011 2,619 2,095 1,252 1,457 1,919 3,162 2,753 2,313 1,877 3,599 2,005 1,367 3,615 1,443 2,391 1,648 2,944

BED/BATH 4/2.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 3/2.5 4/2.5 4/2.5 3/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 6/2.5 3/3 2/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 4/2.5 4/3 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 4/2.5 2/2.5 5/4.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2 4/2.5

CLAYTON PIONEER June 2, 2006

Section B

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B1

Be sure to cover the basics when starting new plantings

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL It seems that many Cla yton Valley residents ha ve either forgotten their basic planting instructions for trees , roses, shrubs and perennials , or they never w ere really told ho w to plant their treasures properly.

Considering that our nati ve soil is composed of largely sticky cla y, proper planting is crucial for plants to sur vive and thrive.

As y ou c hoose plants , ask some basic questions to see if they ha ve any special needs – such as a sensiti ve root system or intolerance to any mineral naturally found in some fer tilizers or our soil.

Bougainvillea is a tropical shrubby vine that has a fatally sensitive root system if disturbed, and all of the Australian native shr ubs that ha ve made their w ay into Cla yton g ardens are phosphor us-intolerant.

Many of today’s national fer tilizers and planting mix es ha ve large amounts of phosphorous, putting an installation into immediate distress.

When planting shr ubs, perennials, roses and trees , size does count – of the hole that is.

Poster design by Dr. Bonnie Appleton, Virginia Tech. Univ. Illustration/Layout: S.K. Kane

TO ENSURE HEALTHY TREES, START WITH RIGHT TREE/RIGHT LOCATION. Once you select a tree for your site and its microclimate, be sure to plant the tree correctly.

When an insufficient hole is dug in combination with our stic ky clay soil, the cla y sur rounding the plant’s roots holds the plant back – working like a pot that is too small. Root-bound plants do not grow.

When installing any perennial, shrub, tree or rose , the g ardener must dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the pot that the plant is in. The depth of the hole needs to be 1½ times as deep as the plant’ s container is tall.

Remove all the stic ky native clay from the plant’ s root area.

hen you live in a place as exciting and beautiful as the Clayton Valley area, it’s hard not to be excited for each new day,” Lynne French says. “From the energy of the city to the natural setting of the country, there’s always something to keep me on the go.”

“W

Lynne brings this positive energy and love for the Clayton Valley to her long-running career as a real estate professional.

(925) 672-8787 www.LynneFrench.com Lynne@LynneFrench.com

This is where the soil conditioners and planting mix es come in to use. Mixes containing injected synthetic fer tilizers are not recommended for plants in the earth. Save these soils for y our shorter-lived, container-grown annuals.

When installing plants into the g round, use natural and organic built soil mix es to change the composition of the native sur rounding soil.

Remember to loosen the root system of all plants unless otherwise told by your nursery professional.

Plants need to be installed ready to g row, not still resembling the container from whic h they were just removed. By loosening the root system, you free up the plants energ y – allo wing the roots to focus on spreading through the nice, light soil.

The soil conditioner should be spread under and along the sides of the new introduction.

Imagine tuc king the planting into bed. Spread a la yer on top of the plant’ s roots , under the drip line . Be cautious of piling the soil up the stem or tr unk of the plant. I recommend lea ving

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a half inch of the root ball above the soil line . This allo ws the plant to settle into place vs . settling too lo w and becoming over-buried.

Shrubs and trees should be installed using a soil mix that has 15 percent animal-deri ved nitrogen, such as composted chicken man ure. This is a vailable for immediate consumption by the installation.

The other ingredients of the soil are a vailable for the longterm – such as ear thworm casting, mushroom compost, bat guano, sea k elp meal and g yp-

sum. This lev el of soil conditioner mak es an ex cellent top dressing to use under y our mulch or bark. You will be creating layers of goodness in your yard.

Roses and perennials should be installed using a soil mix with 25 percent animal-derived nitrogen and the same long-ter m components suc h as the ear thworm casting, mushroom compost, bat guano or sea kelp meal.

There are some secondar y nutrients desired for highimpact plants that should be found on y our soil label. Look for m ycorrihizae fungi, humic acids and beneficial bacteria.

The humic acids pro vide a carbon and n utrient ric h diet for beneficial bacteria in the soil to help them propag ate and enhance the habitat for m ycorrhizal fungi. The m ycorrihizae attach to and greatly expand the root system, helping the system absorb and store soil n utrients and water more efficiently.

The beneficial bacteria will help prev ent plant disease , breaking do wn the n utrients in the soil to mak e them more available to root system and aiding the mycorrihizae activity.

Giving our g arden what it needs will allow plants to give us what w e need from them. To simply state the lesson: Dig a better hole and use better soil to make your yard and garden look better. Doing it right the first time is alw ays a g reater w ay to expend energy.

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at GardenGirl94517@yahoo.com

Page B2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Clayton Sports Clayton mates bring home East Ba y senior soccer cup

photo courtesy of Martin Kindred

From left: Standing: Keith Bower, Matt Bryant, Martin Barber, Lee Stanhope, Paul Brook, Tony Ismen, Sean Timmons, Lee Geary, Martin Kindred, Paul Siwek, Rob Sears; Kneeling: Gary Teicheira, Ollie Clement, Rich Purdue, Steve Connelly, Declan Woods, Danny Cooke, Dan Slavin, Mac Couto, Tom Applebaum, Marty Foster.

BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

The Cla yton Soccer Club , founded in 1984 b y a g roup fondly calling itself the “BofA Brits,” is rolling into its third decade of over-30 soccer.

The original team, the Rovers, joined the East Ba y Senior Soccer League (EBSSL) in 1987. Several years later, the team became synonymous with the Royal Oak Pub in Clayton.

According to CSC president Mac Couto, the Royal Oaks team name w as selected in honor of the pub, “where many a pint was enjoyed during the early da ys of our club.”

Today, the Cla yton Soccer Club spor ts five teams spanning three divisions of age and experience. The R oyal Oaks recently completed their 2005-’06 inaugural season in the over-40 division – and brought home the cup.

The demand for over-40 soccer is so strong that a second team ma y be for med for the upcoming season. “The a verage

age is 47 to 48 or so , with the oldest being 55,” reports manager Martin Kindred.

STRONG BRITISH INFLUENCE The R oyal Oaks pla y in the EBSSL Division F, which has six teams in Alameda, Berkeley, Clayton, Oakland and Richmond. Home matc hes are scheduled on Sundays at Clayton Community P ark. The regular season r uns Se ptember through February and pla yoffs g o into April.

Twenty-three pla yers are allowed per roster, with 18 to 19 suiting up for a gi ven matc h.

About half of the R oyal Oaks players li ve in Cla yton, and the others come from Lafa yette, Orinda and far ther. “Twinkle Toes” Steve Connelly tra vels to games from Marin.

The team has “a heavy British influence,” says the Englandbred Kindred, “with Americans representing ma ybe half of the roster.”

Players come from all professions – including actors, builders,

doctors, electricians, engineers, teachers and one “mate” who owns a trucking company.

“Old guys pla ying football on Sunda y mor nings is not a good mixture ,” Kindred jok es.

“This is a v ery social club that includes an ann ual g olf tournament and dinner dance to wrap up the season.”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON The Cla yton R oyal Oaks dropped their first two matches of the season by a combined score of 8-1. They were treading water at 23-1 near the midw ay point in the schedule. A 2-1 victor y o ver Africari (think “Africa-Caribbean”) Bigtime at K ennedy High Sc hool in Ric hmond set off a sev enmatch winning streak that included three consecutive shutouts.

A 9-5-1 regular season carried the R oyal Oaks into the post-season.

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SUPPORTING YOUNGER PLAYERS Kindred, who doubles as VP of Marketing for the soccer club, notes that many of the R oyal Oaks players are also in volved in youth soccer. The league is concerned about the v oid of organized soccer for pla yers in the 19 to 29 ag e g roup, before they reach the 30-plus ag e eligibility for the senior leagues.

“We would consider sponsoring a 19 to 29 ag e tra vel team

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affiliated with y outh soccer in our area, ” says Kindred, who hopes to k eep y ounger pla yers involved in the sport.

The Royal Oaks are preparing for their ann ual summer soccer tour of Hawaii. This o ver-40 division team, under the name Clayton Wonders, has 18 pla yers in mandator y training ev ery Thursday ev ening and Sunda y morning at Cla yton Comm unity Park.

“Our team has the mind, body and skill of old men, ” Kindred concludes , “but the hearts of champions.”

For more information, visit www.claytonsoccer.com.

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Kindred, the team often g athers around the tele to w atch soccer and “to lift a few pints .” The upcoming W orld Cup will provide another stage for reveling.

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“We tr uly pla yed some brilliant football, ” Kindred re ports of their semi-final match against Montclair, “and w ere ev entually comfortable winners.”

The cup final paired the Royal Oaks ag ainst the same Africari Bigtime club that set the Royals on their mid-season winning streak. Clayton prevailed 3-3 (4-3 on penalties), with Matt Bryant scoring the winning g oal – the same “Matty” who w aited until the season was over to have heart surgery.

Rob Sears w as named “Man of the Matc h” in the cup final.

The season MVP a ward, which was unveiled at the dinner dance to celebrate the c hampionship, went to Lee “Gimpy” Geary.

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June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports Deyoreo backstrokes to UC Irvine scholarship BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

Sarah Dey oreo has parla yed ten years of rigorous training into a swimming sc holarship at UC Irvine this fall.

The Anteaters are a Division I sc hool that produced their first-ever female swimmer to qualify for the NCAA finals in the just-concluded 2006 season.

“My g oal is to w ork really hard in m y training, which will allow me to do m y best in competition, ” says Sarah.

The 17-year -old Clayton resident beg an swimming at ag e 6 and bypassed the typical “recreational team” indoctrination. Living in Livermore at the time , she follo wed big sister Maria into the competitive world of USS swimming with the San Ramon V alley Livermore Aquatic team.

The family relocated to a 40-acre spread off Marsh Creek Road when she w as in the sev enth grade, leading to both a new sc hool (Diablo View) and a new swim team. The T errapins, swimming out of Concord Comm unity Pool on Co well R oad, boasts one of the topranked teams nationally.

Sarah w as selected for the T errapins “National Group,” making her one of fewer than 20 elite swimmers . National selection is done on a case-b y-case basis b y head coac h and cofounder Ray Mitchell.

Among other qualifying criteria, swimmers must commit to a minim um of nine tw o-plus hour w orkouts eac h w eek and the ability to handle a w eekly workload of 50,000 plus meters.

That’s more than 31 miles of swimming each week.

“I think I didn ’t know quite how serious it w as when I g ot into it when I w as little,” Sarah recalls. “I just w anted somewhere to swim, and then it turned into this whole big thing.”

On Monda ys, Tuesdays and Thursdays, she’s summoned to the pool for 5 a.m. workouts. “I go right to the pool, swim, shower and then straight to school,” she explains . “After school, it’s bac k to the pool, workout, home for homew ork, then to bed.”

The Nor thgate senior admits it’ s difficult to handle school with this sc hedule. But with a required load of six classes, Sarah still manag es a 3.9 GPA. Most of the Terrapins continue to swim for their high school teams during the spring season. Following her sister Maria to Nor thgate as a district transfer, Sarah sw am her first three years of high sc hool and placed top 10 in the NCS 500M

SARAH DEYOREO

freestyle as a junior last spring.

“I didn ’t swim high sc hool this year ,” says Sarah, who is focusing on her T errapin workout regimen. “I enjo y g oing to practice, working hard and the exhaustion after practice.”

She no w alter nates biking and r unning with her swimming workouts, along with the National Group’ s “dr y land workouts” that include r unning, sit-ups and other conditioning. “Sarah has a v ery customized prog ram,” coach Mitchell says.

“She’s an amazing r unner also … she just blo ws everyone away. Did she tell y ou that she ran her first triathlon last w eekend?” Mitchell inquires , suspecting that the modest swimmer ma y ha ve o verlooked that insight (whic h she had). “She was the first swimmer out of the w ater and the third female to finish.”

According to Mitchell, Sarah is “hooked into the process.”

“She loves to train and has a very mature perspecti ve. We’re very proud of Sarah. She’s a very hard-working athlete.”

The T errapins staff also points out Sarah’ s comm unity work, noting that she orc hestrated an “adopt-a-family” program for the holida ys through St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church. She posted Christmas trees at both T errapin pools (Concord and Brentw ood) with an invitation for swimmer families to select an or nament and pro vide the corresponding item for the needy family.

Sarah swims the 200M, 500M and 1650M freestyle, along with 100M and 200M bac k.

In Terrapin records dating back to 1979, which includes the da ys of Natalie Coughlin and Lauren Rogers, she’s on the all-time leader board in both bac kstroke events.

“200M bac k is definitely my best ev ent out of all of them,” she says.

She pauses when asked her preference of short course (25M pools) or long course (50M Olympic-size pools) ev ents.

“Backstroke is harder on short course because of the w alls and more turns,” she notes.

The colleg e recr uiting process beg an last July. After letters to nearly 40 sc hools, Sarah w as invited on a n umber of weekend recr uiting trips to meet coaches and potential teammates and tour campuses . The University of Richmond (V a.), the University of San Diego and Boston College were in the mix – until she went to Irvine.

“I fell in love with it and canceled m y Uni versity of Washington trip,” Sarah says. “I wanted both a g ood academic school and a strong swim program. I’m really a beach person, and I fell in lo ve with the location.”

Sarah says she’s approaching college swimming as a “fun, team thing.”

“You’re not g etting up at 4 a.m.,” she sa ys with a bit of relief. “My g oal is to ha ve fun and enjoy swimming. I’ve talked to the coac hes. They still practice a lot. School starts later, so they practice from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. … which is a lot later than 5 a.m.!”

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Page B3

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Page B4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

We have new “QUBICA-AMF” scoring

Clayton Sports

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St. Bonaventure shines in diocese finals

Fri. 4pm to 6pm, 11pm to 1am - Sat. 10pm to 1am

Dollar Nights - Monday through Thursday, 9pm to midnight - $1 games

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visit: claytonvalleybowl.com

Clayton Valley Bowl

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Taking Care of Families THE ST. BONAVENTURE CYO TRACK AND FIELD TEAM wrapped up the season with outstanding performances at the Oakland Diocese finals at Diablo Valley College.

Following the sectional improve new skills and to parJohnston. ticipate in a sport where cama- meet, the coaches participated The athletes w orked hard raderie, having fun, and g ood in a 4x100 rela y to the delight all season to dev elop and of the trac k team – without sportsmanship are an imporany coach injuries. tant part of the program.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FINALS (PR =

Sports Shorts CVAA YOUTH FOOTBALL SIGN UPS START JUNE 9 Signups for ag es 8-14. June 9: Aladinos Pizza in the Cla yton Valley Shopping Center, 6- 8 pm; June 17: Country Waffles in the Clayton Station, 10 – noon; June 22: Aladinos Pizza 6-8 pm.

Practice star ts A ug. 1. Visit our W ebsite for practice and game sc hedule. www.cvaafalcons.com or call 927-7377.

CLAYTON VALLEY YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP Camp r uns from J une 26 through 30. Fundamentals and Techniques of Football. Open to boys g rades 5-9. CVHS, 1101 Alberta W ay Concord. Herc Pardi- F ootball Camp director , Jerry Coakley- Asst. Camp director.

Camp practice time 9 am-2 p.m. Camp F ees: Two se parate checks for $125 and a $75 deposit for equipment made out to “Cla yton V alley F ootball” (refunded on the last da y of camp with the retur n of the equipment).

Fees include

instruction, camp, practice, practice jersey, trainer and camp evaluation. Camp flyers are a vailable at the Cla yton V alley High School Main Office during school hours , 925-682-7474 x 3115, and at Gara venta Accountancy Cor p., 3573 Clayton Road, Concord.

CVHS S COREBOARD SPONSORS NEEDED The Cla yton V alley High School Athletic Boosters Club and CVHS Baseball team are seeking corporate sponsorships for a new scoreboard at the sc hool. CVHS currently does not ha ve a scoreboard for baseball g ames.

Businesses or indi viduals interested in donating towards this worthy cause will be acknowledged accordingly. Company sponsorships may also ha ve the option of advertising on the scoreboard.

If you are interested in additional infor mation or sponsoring this endeavor, please contact Tim Bruno at timpbruno@yahoo.com or Bob Banks at president@cvhsboosters.org

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5TH GRADE – Cameron Ladson – 2nd place 100m; 2nd place 400m Isaiah Dargan – 3rd place 800m Isaiah Dargan, Sean Xa vier, Cameron Ladson, Nathan Porter – 1st place sprint medley relay; 2nd place 4x100m 3RD GRADE – Hailey Pascoe – 1st place mile (PR); 3rd place softball throw Hailey P ascoe, Brianne Newell, Deizianna Dargan, Sancianna Silv eira – 2nd place sprint medley rela y; 3rd place 4x100m

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YMCA S UMMER SPORTS LEAGUES Three in One Lea gue: Get ready for all of your fa vorite sports this summer . The Mt. Diablo R egion YMCA has a League that includes flag football, basketball and soccer . The summer fun begins with f lag football, as y ou and y our friends r un end zone to end zone scoring touc hdowns. Continue your skills with scoring opportunities on the basketball court and finally, top it off with Saturday’s spent on the soccer field. Grades 2-8.

Summer Bask etball League: Dribble, pass and shoot your way into the YMCA’s basketball league. Grades pre-k-8.

Tee ball: Introduce your child to America’ s past time and join them on the field while they lear n the basics of baseball. Grades prek-1.

For all Y outh Spor ts Leagues: July 8 – Se pt. 2, Early Bird F ees: Clayton R esident - $85, nonClayton Resident - $107. Fees after June 13: Clayton R esident-$100, non-Clayton Resident-$128.

Summer 1/2 day Sports Camps : Super Spor ts Camp: Get it all in fi ve da ys.

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them for the J AMZ National Championship in Las V egas, Nevada in J anuary. At the nationals, 21 members of CVAA c heer squads ranging in ages from 9-14 became one and took First Place in Performance Cheer Division.

The girls all recei ved a hug e team trophy, their own individual troph y a medal and an embroidered J AMZ National Jacket that the girls will w ear proudly at this year’ s competitions.

Come be a par t of this winning team. For more infor mation, Call (925) 927-7377 or visit www.cvaafalcons.com.

PERSONAL RECORD):

do

A

Ever dreamed of being a cheerleader? T hen, the CV AA Falcons want you.

Signups for Cla yton V alley Athletic Association (CV AA) Falcons Cheer Team are June 5 at 5 p.m. at CVHS in the amphitheater next to the m ulti-use room.

Tryouts will begin at 6.

Cheerleaders attend ev ery CVAA Y outh F ootball g ame and also compete in four competitions throughout the season.

This past year , the girls placed at ev ery competition they attended whic h qualified

TOLL FREE: 888-910-9500

i

CYNTHIA CARTER Special to the Pioneer

1st Sgt. US Army, Retired (925) 899-3511, fax: 798-5144

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CVAA Falcons looking for new cheerleaders

Corky Francis Senior Loan Officer

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The 2006 St. Bonaventure CYO trac k and field season, with bo ys and girls from grades 2 through 8 concluded May 13 with the Oakland Diocese finals at Diablo Valley College.

Following six practice meets and an April 29 qualifying meet, St. Bonaventure sent nearly half of their 100 athletes to the Ma y 5-6 sectional meet. More than a quar ter of the team qualified for the 40plus team finals the follo wing weekend.

Local track and field legend Joe Sulli van, at ag e 70, once again led the prog ram along with assistant coac hes J erry Johnston, Dan Sulli van, Dan Spalding, Dwain J ohnson, Darrin New ell, and Gw en

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exciting activities in this w eek of fun. Grades: entering 1 – 6. Camp dates: June 16-23, and July 3-7.

Basketball Camp: You’ll have a blast at this camp designed for basketball players of all levels.

Grades: entering 1–8. Camp dates: June 26-30 and July 7-21.

Volleyball Camp: Spike your way into summer with this fun camp focused on skill dev elopment, fun and friendship. Grades: entering 4–8. Camp dates: July 10-14 and July 31-Aug 4.

For more infor mation or to register, call 889-1625.

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Eight essential tips for your mid-year financial check up Many people mak e New Year financial resolutions and even set specific g oals for the year ahead. But b y Ma y or June, most of us can ’t ev en remember what our resolutions w ere or w e ha ve simply veered off track. With the year approximately half gone, are you half way to reac hing your annual financial goals?

Following are a few tips for running a simple mid-year financial c heckup. The g ood news is , whether y ou made New Year financial resolutions or not, you still have half a year left to reac h y our financial goals.

from y our c hecking account on the same da y y our recei ve your paycheck.

2

Don’t be a budgetbuster. Was 2006 the year you were g oing to finally stic k to a budg et? No w is a g reat time to see if you are on track.

Start with the basics: Have you tracked y our expenses for a few months? Do y ou kno w how m uch y ou spend? By mid-year, your categ ories ma y need adjustment and n umbers may need tw eaking after li ving with your budget. Are you saving money from eac h pa ycheck?

Make specific goals. If Withhold with car e. Did 1 you made New Y ear 3 you recei ve a sizable financial resolutions, how spe- refund or did you owe a chunk cific w ere they? Ha ve a clear , concise financial g oal, rather than a g eneral intention. For example, don’t plan on simply increasing y our colleg e sa vings. Instead set an amount and a plan to achieve it such as starting a Section 529 Colleg e Savings Plan and ha ve withdrawals made twice monthly

of money in April? If either one happened, mid-year is a good time to cor rect that b y changing ho w m uch y ou are withholding from y our pa ycheck or pa ying in estimated taxes. In order to reduce the size of your refund, increase the number of allowances you claim on y our W -4 for m (or

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Page B6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., JUNE 7FOR THE JUNE 16 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 3 Blue Star Moms Accepting Donations for Troops @ WalMart in Martinez 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Blue Star Moms will be at WalMart seeking donations for our troops. We are asking for help in preparation of our Annual Fourth of July event - food, fun and freedom care packages to the troops. Our goal is to send 1,000 care packages all over the world. Visit our Web site www.bluestarmoms.org for a list of items or buy them at the WalMart and leave them with us at our booth. For more information call Diane Carrington 925-8372298//925-738-4774 or Tami Jenkins 925-784-5014//925-288-8003//925449-3589. WAL-MART, 1021 Arnold Drive, Martinez.

JUNE 6 – JUNE 22 Patty Cakes and Picture Book Time @ Clayton Community Library Patty Cakes - 11 a.m. Tuesdays, story time for birth to 3 years. Picture book time - 11 a.m. Thursdays, child may attend without parent. For 3 to 5 years.

No registration required. 673-0659, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton.

JUNE 7, 14, 21, 28 Fitness with Fred @ Diamond Terrace.

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Fred is a teacher with the Mt. Diablo Adult Education Program and the class is open to all. Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living, 6401 Center Street, Clayton, 524-5100.

JUNE 8 Jungle Joe the Puppeteer @ The Clayton Community Library 3:30 p.m. Kickoff the Kids’ Summer Reading Program by meeting wild and exotic pet puppets trained to talk, read and perform tricks! Recommended for kids in grades K-3, but all are welcome. No registration necessary.

Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-0659.

JUNE 9 - 24 CTA Crossroads Theatre presents Quadrille @ CTA Crossroads Thurs. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sat. matinees 2 p.m. Script and Story by Melynda Kiring Preheat the year 1835. Mix a baker and a nobleman together gradually until romance blossoms. Gently add a sweet young lady into the mix.

Sprinkle in a pinch of frustrated love, and then add a dash of hero rushing in to save the day. Bake at 350 degrees for the length of one duel.

Quadrille is a delicious tale featuring romance, secrets, plots, secret plots, good food, bad food, heroic duels, and plenty of perfectly prepared corn muffins. Bon Appetite! Tickets are $28, $25 for seniors, $22 preview. www.ctacrossroads.org, 925-944-0597, CTA Crossroads Theatre, 1277 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek.

JUNE 11 Clayton Valley High School Grad Night Preview @ Centre Concord 6 - 9 p.m. The public is invited to preview the culmination of a yearlong effort on the part of senior parents to provide graduates a safe, sober, drug free place to party after their graduation. Centre Concord will be transformed into a magical place with very unique decorations, structures, and activities. Entrance is free. Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road, Concord.

JUNE 12 Summer Reading Programs @ Clayton Community Library Get ready for adventure, drama, romance and suspense. Reap the rewards of reading and earn thrilling prizes during the CCC Library’s Summer Reading Program. The program “Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales” is for children through grade 5. See what’s lurking around the corner for all teens who read during Creature Feature: Teens Read 2006 for teens grades 6-12.

The CCC Library is also introducing the first annual adult reading program for anyone 18 and over. Simply read and submit a raffle ticket for your chance to win exciting prizes throughout the summer. Come into the library for information or go to www.ccclib.org. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-0659.

JUNE 14 Creekside Artists Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. If you are a local artist come join other like minded artisans for the second meeting of the Clayton Creekside Artists. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

JUNE 14 Buchanan Airport Noise Study Meeting @ Crowne Plaza Hotel 7 p.m. Contra Costa County is hosting a community meeting to discuss the noise study being conducted for Buchanan Field Airport. The topic for the meeting is noise contour maps and existing and future noise impacts. If you have questions call Beth Lee at Buchanan Field Airport at 925-646-5731.

Crowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Drive, Concord.

JUNE 14 Bingo Game Night @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. Recommended for kids in grades two - six. Registration required.

673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

JUNE 19 How a Marketing Plan Can Make You Money @ Contra Costa Small Business Development Center 7 - 9 p.m. Topics include how to set business and personal goals, how to

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Concord/Clayton YMCA, 925-889-1625.

JUNE 21 Jeremy the Juggler @ Clayton Community Library 7 - 8 p.m. The program is for teens but older elementary students are welcome. Registration is not required. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-0659.

JUNE 24 Seventh Annual Concert in the Hills Series @ Cal State East Bay Concord Campus Gates open at 6 p.m., opening act at 7 p.m., main act at 8 p.m.

Tom Rigney and Flambeau, Hot Cajun Fiddler and his Fiery Band opens the summer concert series. Admission and Parking are free. Go to www.concertinthehills.com or 925-602-8654 for more information. Cal State East Bay, Concord Campus, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road at Campus Drive in Concord.

JUNE 29 Identify Customers and Competition Using ReferenceUSA @ Pleasant Hill Library 7 - 9 p.m. Topics include saving money using the library database ReferenceUSA as a marketing resource, constructing a useful search strategy for sales and marketing and identifying potential customers within a radius of your location. Speaker is Valerie Zito, Library Specialist for Business, Contra Costa County Library. Hands on computer use. Limited space. Bring floppies or a USB device. Pleasant Hill Library, 1750 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill.

JULY 12 Duct Tape Madness @ Clayton Community Library 2 - 4 p.m. Workshop for middle school and high school students. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-0659.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS JUNE 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting on Thurs.. 800-326-8450 x 2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord.

JUNE 4, 11 Concord Mystery Book Club @ Concord Library 2:30 - 4 p.m. All mystery readers are invited to participate and explore a different genre each month. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street, Concord, 646-5455.

JUNE 6, 13, 20, 27 Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Meetings every Tues. All are invited to check us out and be our guest for lunch. Massimo’s Ristorante, 1604 Locust St., Walnut Creek. for more information call Sam Totah, 941-1536.

JUNE 6 Knights of Columbus @ St. Agnes Parish Hall 7:30 p.m. Concord Council 6038 of Concord & Clayton holds their monthly meeting the first Tues. of each month. Monthly officers meeting is the last Tues. of each month at St. Agnes Parish Hall, at 7:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing our brother Knights there. St. Agnes Parish Hall on 3966 Chestnut Ave, Concord.

JUNE 8,15, 22, 29 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast meeting that usually features a speaker. Feb. 16 is the Annual Valentine's Day breakfast. Members can bring their spouses/partners/sweethearts for a program that celebrates affection and romance. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 6897640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

JUNE 12 Clayton Valley 4-H club @ Mt. Mike’s Pizza 7 p.m. 4-H is open to youth ages 5 - 19 and adults. Projects in small and large animals. Learn new skills including cooking, photography, arts/crafts etc. Opportunities in leadership, community service, conferences, 4-H camp, fairs. Contact Candy Hogan at 925- 969-1325 for more information.

Meetings held on the second Monday of the month Sept. - June. Mt. Mike’s Pizza, 5358 Clayton Road, Concord.

JUNE 13, 27 The Clayton Valley Woman's Club @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church 9:30 a.m. coffee, 10 a.m. meeting. Regular monthly meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Anyone interested in attending or learning more about the Woman's Club, please call Joyce at 672-3850 or Sheila at 672-7947. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord.

JUNE 14 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace 7 p.m. The Clayton Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of the month at Diamond Terrace. Every meeting has an informative program concerning some aspect of gardening. The speaker this month will be a parent from Diablo View Middle School. She will be talking about a student garden project. Last month, our club members planted flowers in the planter boxes on Main Street. Take a look, they are blooming! Anyone interested in gardening is welcome at our meetings.Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. Call Jeff at 672-7579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information.

JUNE 21 Ygnacio Valley Republican Women @ Oakhurst Country Club Meeting at 10 a.m., program at 11 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m. Lunch is $18.

YVRW is a non-profit club that meets the third Wed. of the month. Marianne Haydon, President of the California Federation of Republican Women will speak on Republican issues of today. The public is invited. RSVP to Barbara Allen at 672-5061 by Mon. Apr. 17. E-mail www.yvrwf.org for additional club information. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Road, Clayton, CA. JUNE 28 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the 4th Wednesday of each month. Blue Star Moms is a support and service group for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. 1792 Elmhurst Lane, Concord. Call 676-3654 for information.

JUNE 29 CBCA (Clayton Business & Community Association) Meeting @ Oakhurst 6:30 p.m. Monthly dinner meeting, last non-holiday Thurs. of the month.

Reservations due by Tuesday noon prior, 672-2272. John Rubiales, President. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT JUNE 6, 13, 20, 27 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. County Board of Supervisors holds regular weekly meetings Tues. mornings. Open to the public. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez.

JUNE 6, 20 Clayton City Council Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. City Council meets on the first and third Tues. of the month. Open to the public. Agendas posted at the following locations: City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, Ohm's Bulletin Board, 1028 Diablo St., Clayton, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.

JUNE 8 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thursday of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton.

JUNE 13, 27 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Library 7p.m. City of Clayton Planning Commission meets 2nd and 4th Tues. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton Library Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION JUNE 1 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @Clayton Valley High School 7:00 p.m. If you show your child that you care about their school, your child will care too. Together we can make a difference! The meeting will be held in the school library. Clayton Valley High School, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord.

JUNE 7 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Diablo View Middle School 7 p.m. Meeting to be held in the school library. All parents welcome. Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

JUNE 13 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Mt. Diablo Elementary 7p.m., Multi Use Room. Make a difference in your child's education. For items to be included on the agenda, contact Stacey Wickware 673-1999, the5wicks@sbcglobal.net or Kristy Smith 673-1795, kristinsmith@yahoo.com, PFC Co-Presidents. Childcare is available. Watch website for details.! http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary/.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B7

CCC celebrates tenth birthday

In an age of constant change, We believe in the unchanging Triune God— God Father, Son and Spirit.

10 am Sunday School & Bible Class, 11:15 am Worship

Bible-based & Christ-centered worship, education & fellowship

5554 Clayton Rd., Concord (in the Farm Bureau building) (925) 524-0295 William Kant, Pastor

www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org Member of WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

Clayton Community Church (CCC) threw a big party last month to celebrate their 10th Shawn birthday.

Robinson More than 500 church members and guests from the comm unity enjo yed dinner and an ev ening of celebration at the Concord Hilton on May 19.

“It’s hard to believ e w e’ve been here for 10 years ,” says Pastor Sha wn R obinson. “Our desire has been to be an anc hor in this comm unity, and w e believe this is what God is doing.”

Mayor Da ve Shuey thank ed the c hurch for its many contributions to the comm unity, including the Labor Da y Soap Box Derb y, summer outdoor movie nights and a special downtown 9-11 commemorative service. He also thanked the church for making a difference in his own life.

Many others shared stories of how the c hurch has helped individuals in tough times and

truly made a difference in their lives. Steve Bridges, a George W. Bush impersonator , offered another special message.

One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement that the c hurch has obtained 18.85 acres on Marsh Creek Road for a future w orship and

performing ar ts center , as w ell as facilities for c hildren, youth and adults. The church is seeking to raise $4.5 million through a capital campaign drive.

A property preview and discussion of the capital campaign will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 4, at the Diablo View

Middle School gym.

For more infor mation regarding other celebrations or how to become a par t of the capital campaign, call Robinson at 673-9060.

MORE THAN 500 GATHERED at the Concord Hilton to hear Pastor Shawn Robinson announce the church’s acquisition of 19 acres on Marsh Creek Road for a future worship and performing arts center.

Church News CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH July Movie Nights: Hang out with us this summer at Clayton Community Church. Every Fri. night in July see a movie in our parking lot in do wntown Clayton.

Movie begins at dusk (8:30 p.m.). Enjoy refreshments from our Clayton sponsors.

Bring a comfortable chair or blanket to share with friends.

Family Adv enture Camp :“Not just your kids Adv enture Camp .” Bring y our whole family and invite your friends to join us for five evenings of drama, music, games and activities that are geared towards having fun and bringing your family closer together. The camp r uns from J uly 9 - 13 from 6:30-8:30 p .m. at the Cla yton V alley Pumpkin Farm. Cost is $20 for eac h family member (3 years old and above). This is primarily for families with at least one c hild in K-5. For more info contact J ohn Wright at

673-2101.

Third Ann ual Clayton Community Great Labor Day Derby: The derby is Sat. Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mark your calendar for a day of fun and family enjoyment as kids aged 7-16 race official Soap Box cars down Main Street, Clayton. There will also be refreshments , inflatable bounce houses and slides , and a professional race car and driver where kids can get their picture taken.

The contact for sponsors is Mik e Fossan at 672-1949 or msfossan@sbcglobal.net. The contact for registration is P eggy Bidondo at 672-9708 or pbidondo@pacbell.net.

We meet ev ery Sunda y at 9 and 10:45 a.m. at Diablo View Middle School.

CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH Annual Day Camp is planned for J uly 17-21. The theme is Narnia – live the adventure. It is a one w eek morning camp 9 a.m. to noon. Kids 3 years old to grade 5 are welcome. Call the c hurch to register . 798-5905

ext. 201. Ask for Laurey. Come and discover what the light is all about. Everyone is welcome.

ETERNAL LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH Eternal Life’s regular Sunday schedule is: Sunday sc hool and Bible study at 10 a.m.; worship at 11:15 a.m. Bible study is also held on Wed. at 7:15p.m. Eternal Life Lutheran Church is located at 5554 Clayton Rd., Suite 1B, in Concord. Please call 524-0295, or visit the c hurch w ebsite at www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org for more information.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH The c hurch is sponsoring a rummage sale on Sat. June 3 from 9 a.m. to 12 p .m.

Table or space is a vailable for $10. The sale is open to the public. For reservation, please call the c hurch office at (925) 686-2000.

Deadline is May 30. Come to shop or sell.

Warriorship: A sur prising path to a lif e of peace The w ord “w arrior” may bring imag es of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo , Mel Gibson in Bra veheart or ev en Conan the Barbarian. However, the Warrior’s way of life is one that anyone, male or female , can adopt if they w ant to bring more peace , tranquility and control into their life.

“The primar y difference between the W arrior and the ordinary person is precisely this: the W arrior c hooses his cultural paradigm and his attitudes quite deliberately ,” says Dr. Symeon R odger, author of “The 5 Pillars of Life: Reclaiming Ownership of Your Mind, Body and Future” (Core Systems Press ,

$22.99,www.LifeOfTheWarrior. com).

“Warriorship is a deliberate and pur poseful approac h to every aspect of life.”

Dr. Rodger is an Easter n Orthodox priest, spiritual father and long time student of the Far East. He is practiced in seven different oriental mar tial arts and has first-hand experience with Buddhist and T aoist theory and practice . A professor at Université de Sherbrooke in Montreal, Canada, he understands eight foreign languag es.

And, he li ves the life of a Warrior.

Contrary to what one ma y think gi ven its name , the Warrior’s approach to life is the

FREE

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July 17 - 21

9 a.m - 12:30 p.m., Mon. - Fri. All Children Preschool - 6th grade Cost: $40/child

Step through the wardrobe for a great week of games, crafts, music and fun.

Cost includes a t-shirt for each child, all craf t supplies, daily snacks and a special lunch on Friday .

Hope to see you there.

Call (925) 798-5905 to register

Music Camp July 24 to 28 Ages: 1st grade to 6th grade Call office for registration details

672-3397 Clayton Valley Church, 5430 Michigan Blvd, Concord

opposite of violence ag ainst others. Recognized in Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Nati ve American tradition, as well as in the original Christian tradition, warriorship is a ste p-by-step training prog ram with clear guidelines solidly based on authentic traditions . According to Dr. Rodger, the Warrior: Chooses his culture and attitudes.

Lives according to his goals.

Assumes responsibility for his own life.

Takes decisive action.

Refines his mind and body to eliminate stress , negative emotions and self-destr uctive habits.

“A tr ue Warrior is modest, gentle, and compassionate , while very skilled, much disciplined and po werful,” adds Rodger. “He kno ws what he seeks, he kno ws ho w to g et there, and no one and nothing is able to knoc k him off his path. And yet, for all that, he remains humble and lo ving.”

Are you ready for Warriorship?

Are you ready to reclaim o wnership of your body, mind and future? T ake the free 5-P oint Life Diagnostic Assessment, learn more about ho w to li ve the Warrior’s life , or purc hase your copy of “The 5 Pillars of Life” at w w w. R o c k S o l i d L i f e . c o m FeatureSource

Family Adventure Camp Clayton Community Church

Bring Pa s d i K ere h world W r i e h t

o int

rents

Join us June 9th-13th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

At the Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm

For Amazing Music and Drama, Great Activities and Games For More Information or a Registration form

Please Call John Wright, Children’s Director, 673-2101

Page B8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

Champagne brunch at La Veranda There’s something new and something old on the table at downtown Cla yton’s La Veranda Cafe.

The new is their all inclusive Sunday Champagne Br unch-the old are many of your breakfast favorites right off the old brunch menu.

You’ll still find owners Anis and Nicholas Maamari’s special twist on the tried and true Joe’s Special--a scr umptious mix of sausage, spinach and eggs. And the Eg gs Benedict will still delight with its smooth and satiny Hollandaise.

But there will be a few surprises, as well, says Nick. Look for a light and luscious Chicken Piccata, chicken breast sauteed in white wine with lemon and capers or a g entle salmon with a light cream sauce.

Salads will include fresh fruit and the personal fa vorite of many La V eranda fans, the Insalata Della R eina...baby greens with w alnuts and g orgonzola tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil And those Sunday breakfast traditionalists will still be able to order eggs, omelets and buttermilk pancak es from the menu.

Plentiful side dishes will

joy An Italian En Fe

ast at Ou r

Mon. – Thurs.

Co zy P fé 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. asta Pr avera Ca im Fri. 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Sat. 12 noon – 10 p.m. / Sun. 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Fine Italian dining with an extensive menu • Weekend Special - grilled steaks • Gourmet desserts and fine wines Very reasonable prices

4425-F Treat Blvd.

Concord, CA 94521

687-5300

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La Veranda Café Northern Italian Cuisine in downtown Clayton

Photo courtesy of Anis Maamari

La Veranda is offering and all-inclusive Sunday Champagne Brunch with many of your breakfast favorites.

include potatoes , bacon and sausage, fresh bak ed m uffins and Danish.

All this is offered at $18 per person, $9 for c hildren 6-12 and free for c hildren under 6.

Price includes c hampagne or sparkling cider, choice of fresh fruit juice, dessert and coffee.

Reservations for par ties of four or more are recommended.

If you ha ven’t yet had

brunch at La V eranda, you are missing a real treat. This popular spot is a perfect place for a lovely, quiet Sunda y mor ning brunch where y ou are lik ely to run into friends and neighbors.

Brunch is ser ved from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. La Veranda is open daily for lunch and dinner and ser ves a Nor thern Italian men u of pasta, pizza, chicken, veal and fish star ting at $8.50 for Br uchetta with

Fresh soups, salads, antipasti, pizza and pasta Dinner and lunch daily Brunch on Sunday

olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Pasta dishes rang e from $9 for Penne All’arrabiata to $11.75 for Spaghettini Frutti di Mare.

For reser vations for brunch, lunch or dinner , call 524-0011.

Children’s menu and take out service available

For reservations call (925) 524-0011 6201 CENTER ST. CLAYTON

New Sports Mural is her e Open at 11 a.m

Dining Around If you want a special place to dine, you might want to stop by PASTA PRIMAVERA at the corner of Clayton Road and Treat Blvd. in Concord.

The dining room is charming with dark cherry wood chairs and tables and mirrored back wall.

The relaxing ambiance is matched by a delectable menu that offers a variety of items from antipasti and salad to pasta, seafood chicken and veal.

The menu is sure to please the most discriminating palate from the ardent pasta lover to the fresh fish and salad lovers.

The Linguine with garlic and mushrooms in virgin olive oil will arrive at your table piping hot and smelling absolutely delicious and is sure to

become the personal favorite of many.

The blackened salmon and Caesar salad was a mouthwatering combination of perfectly done salmon and crisp greens with just the right amount of dressing.

The cream of broccoli soup has a perfect texture and flavor that will live long in your memory.

Another favorite is a seafood salad featuring shrimp and scallops on a bed of spinach in a warm lemon Dijon sun-dried tomato dressing. For salad lovers who enjoy their salad as main course, this is for you. Prices are very reasonable which make Pasta Primavera a perfect choice for any occasion.

Recently featured in Diablo Magazine’s “At The

Glasbergen

“I spent months trying to pop it...I thought it was a pimple.”

Table” section, LA VERANDA CAFE received raved reviews from restaurant reporter Melissa Swanson.

A little more on the casual side and a great place to take the kids is ROCCO’S RISTORANTE at 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. Voted the best pizza in the Bay Area by a Contra Costa Times Reader Poll, Rocco’s serves up a killer house specialty.

The Dominator, piled high with pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, ham, linguica, sausage and onions, is not for the faint of heart. At $19.97, this large pizza will feed a small army.

Rocco’s also has several choices of classic Italian pasta, homemade minestrone and several salads.

All pasta dishes are served with fresh bread. Top your pasta dinner off with a glass of wine and you’re well fed and satisfied for

., 7 days a week

Banquet Rooms Patio Dining

Rocco’s New Sports Bar NOW Open

Locally owned by Rocco Biale & family

Full Bar Available

12 Flat Screens, 16 Draft Beers,

Team Parties

Watch all the games

Corporate Catering

8-10 out of market major league baseball games per night

2909 Ygnacio Valley Rd. at Oak Grove Rd. in Walnut Creek (925) 947-6105 • Fax (925) 947-6106 www.roccospizzeria.com well under $20 (tax and tip included.) Rocco’s opens every day at 11 a.m.

And, ROCCO’S NEW SPORTS BAR is now open.

With a full bar and 12 big

flat screen TVs, sports fans might just think they’ve found heaven.

And for those who need a little break from sports, check out the beautiful new

fresh water aquarium behind the bar.

See you at Rocco’s.

Harris

Rosendich

“Just think, in 18 years, he’ll be going to college and we’ll be destitute.”

A Tasty Gift for Dad Father’s day is June 18th Deborah & Anthony Nork Clayton Station, 5433A Clayton Rd.

925-524-9901 www.cookiesbydesig n.co m

Featuring a wide selection of

children’s boutique clothing SPRING SALE on selected items 5458 Ygnacio Valley Rd. Ste. 20 Clayton Valley Shopping Center

925-524-0345 Sherrill O’Brien www.denimlace.com

Gif ts

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K LOO y e TASTE as OOD as th G $5 off purchases $25 or mor e (excludes delivery) t hat

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June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Recycle this paper

Owner’s serious illness does not always mean giving up beloved pet A HEALTHY PET REPRESENTS MINIMAL HEALTH RISK

Professional pet grooming salon for dogs and cats Self-service pet wash available

Tues - Sat, 8-5 Experienced staff with more than 20 years of service

est. 1978

Adjacent to Hollywood Video

925-676-9355 4375 Clayton Rd. Unit K Concord owner & Clayton resident Grace Carson & her dog, Blue

The Clayton Pioneer’s “Music Notes” columnist

Clayton’s own

Jim Hudak Pianist and Composer For bookings and performances:

Visit our Website www.jhudak.com E-mail jimmydak@pacbell.net Piano CD’s available on his Brainstorm Records label

Call Or Write:

Brainstorm Records P.O. Box 488 Clayton, CA 94517 (925) 673-7293

Was it “ruff” saying goodbye this morning?

Apronstrings Pet Sitting

CA N

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M IDDAY D OG WALKS P ET C ARE IN YOUR HOME WHILE YOU TRAVEL

925.798.7621 Kimsits@ASTOUND.NET

HAPPILY SERVING CLAYTON FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS

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Page B9

The companionship and unconditional lo ve pro vided b y animals are the primar y reasons people become pet o wners. For individuals with debilitating illnesses, these relationships can become even more important.

For example , many people infected with HIV or living with AIDS find themselv es ostracized b y their families , friends and co-workers. As their illness progresses, they may find themselves even more isolated, making the companionship of a beloved pet ev en more vital to their emotional well-being.

Unfortunately, many people with immune-compromising illnesses or conditions (e .g. after transplant surg ery, following certain medications) are advised by w ell-meaning friends and even some health-care w orkers to give up their pets. These people mistak enly believ e that because indi viduals suffering from immune-compromising illnesses are at a g reater risk for infections, they cannot k eep or acquire pets.

In tr uth, if a pet is health y and w ell beha ved, the potential risks to its owner’s health is minimal. In addition, the wide ar ray of health benefits that pet o wners can deri ve from their pets is becoming well-known.

Concerned families and friends of these individuals can help g reatly by doing what they can to keep the ill pet owner and pet together for as long as possible and then help to care for the pets if the ill family member’ s health deteriorates.

Let me dispel a couple of the myths sur rounding pet o wnership for those li ving with longterm illnesses.

Immune-compromised people are not more lik ely to catc h zoonotic (that is animal-car ried) infections than other indi viduals. While it is tr ue that people with immune-compromising illnesses have a lower resistance to infections and are more likely to get sick, those who own pets can help to minimize their risks b y

working with their v eterinarian to k eep their pets health y. This means regular testing for zoonotic infections and proper treatment if necessary.

These people are more likely to acquire infections from contact with other people or contaminated food and w ater than from their pets.

Meanwhile, AIDS, HIV, diabetes, chicken pox or even colds and flu cannot be acquired from or transmitted to y our pets .

Only other primates (suc h as monkeys) w ould be susce ptible to our colds , flus and other illnesses, and ev en then, the degree to whic h they are affected is variable and depends more on the o verall condition of the animal.

A HEALTHY PET MAY HELP YOU GET WELL

If you’re ill, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ s a bad time to acquire a pet. A pet ma y greatly enhance your quality of life. Pet owners ha ve lo wer blood pressure readings, report themselves as being happier and are g enerally in better ph ysical condition than non-pet owners.

Certainly, people with serious illnesses should consult with their doctors and v eterinarians before acquiring a new pet.

They will best be able to advise potential o wners on what to look for and what to a void. For example, it may be wise to sta y away from puppies , kittens, birds and re ptiles since they are more lik ely to car ry infections that might put the imm unecompromised owner at risk.

In g eneral it is also best to avoid contact with any sic k animals, but immune-compromised folks should also steer clear of strays, wild animals and unfamiliar birds and re ptiles. In addition, it is wise to avoid the monkey and ape cages at the zoo.

If you are ill and interested in selecting a new pet, remember to c hoose one whic h will meet y our c hanging needs and circumstances. For example , if you are li ving in an apar tment and are on limited ex ercise orders b y y our ph ysician, you may want to choose a cat, small dog or an older pet whic h requires few er w alks, less care and thri ves in a smaller li ving space. A v eterinarian or beha viorist trained in breed counsel-

ing ma y be able to help y ou make the most infor med pet choice.

It is of particular importance for the imm une-compromised pet o wner to k eep their pets clean, well groomed and free of fleas. Always w alk y our dog on leash and a void contact with unknown animals.

Keep your pet’s food dishes and bedding clean and don ’t allow them to drink from the toilet. Added precautions include w ashing y our hands after handling your pet, cleaning the litter box out completely on a daily basis , keeping the litter box away f rom f ood areas and wearing r ubber glo ves and a mask any time y ou clean up behind y our pets . You alw ays need to minimize y our direct contact with urine , blood or feces and clean any soiled areas thoroughly with a mixture of bleach and water if possible.

If you are ill, take extra care to k eep y our pet health y. Take him to the veterinarian regularly for c heck-ups and be sure to take him in immediately if he shows signs of illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea.

If you m ust gi ve up y our beloved pet because of hospitalization or adv ancing illness , there are non-profit g roups out there to help you. Many provide

JULIE BOND

PAWS

AND

CLAWS

foster care for the pets of people who will be hospitalized short term, or help place pets in new homes. The ser vice is usually free or minimal to the petowner. Your v eterinarian also may be able to help you care for your pet in the shor t ter m or find a new home.

For many pet o wners, the hope is that a family member will take in their belo ved pets if they can no long er care for them. Make these ar rangements in adv ance so y our family can prepare to help y ou out if the time comes.

If you are a pet o wner living with an imm une-compromising disease or condition, be sure to consult your physician regarding the best course of action for you specifically with reg ard to y our pet. Your doctor and v eterinarian are best equipped to instr uct you on what will be best for you personally in the long r un.

Julie Bond is an animal beha viorist. Address your pet questions to her at P .O. Bo x 21552, Concord, CA, or y ou can e-mail her at K9Freud@aol.com.

A Date With Your Dog In Napa, dine with your dog at Joe’ s

Where: Downtown Joe’s American Grill & Brewhouse , 902 Main St., Napa Description: Voted Napa and Sonoma counties’ Best Brewpub for 2006, this restaurant and brew ery is a “m ust see” on your next journey to Napa. Downtown Joe’s is an unpretentious , friendly, fun establishment where dogs are w elcomed with open ar ms.

You and your canine companions can dine together and you can sample the many seasonal brews this pub has to offer . It isn’t often that y ou can find a g reat restaurant that w elcomes dogs and their people, while still offering delicious food in a fun,inviting atmosphere.

How to get ther e: Take Hwy. 680 N . toward Sacramento . Take Hwy. 780 W . toward Benicia. Take Hwy . 80 E. toward Sacramento. Merge onto Hwy. 37 W. toward Napa. Take the CA 29 exit toward Napa. Go right on Sonoma Boulevard so that you can take CA 29 N . Follow the signs to do wntown Napa via the Napa/Vallejo Hwy, CA 221 N. Make a left on Third Street and a right on Main Street.

Pointers: You can call ahead for reser vations at 707-258-2337.

Peruse the men u and seasonal brews being offered b y visiting www.downtownjoes.com.

- Julie Bond, Animal Behaviorist

What they say about dogs The reason a dog has so many friends is that he w ags his tail instead of his tongue.

Anonymous If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Will Rogers

Spark creativity

Bay Arts

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.

Ann Landers There is no psyc hiatrist in the w orld lik e a puppy lic king your face.

Ben Williams

Encourage imagination

Custom Children’s Murals

A dog is the only thing on earth that lo ves you more than they love themselves.

Josh Billings The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.

Andy Rooney

Call for reservations

(925) 524-5100 Senior Retirement Living

Victor Sanchez Seth Ahonen 925 323-9323 bayartsforyou@yahoo.com

Celebrate Fath

er’s Day

6401 Center Street Clayton CA 94517 Custom murals for home or business

We also specialize in custom portraits

www.diamondterrace.net

Bring dad for a complimentary lunch

Page B10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Club News Rosemary Harwood named AAUW president

Front Row: Sue Kelson, Jeanne Boyd, Rosemary Harwood, Barbara Fogerson, Kay Lane. Back row: Joyce Atkinson, Mary Ann Hayes, Marcia Hart, Diane Rogers, Dana McDaniel, Joan Chesterman.

Clayton’s AA UW branc h held their installation lunc heon on Sat. May 20 in the flower filled g arden of the AAUW hostess, Dee Totman.

Rosemary Harw ood w as installed as president with a

humorous skit using r ubber duckies as a theme . This group has serious g oals but likes to keep a light touch. Ms. Harwood will begin her oneyear term on July 1.

At the installation,

Rosemary thanked the outg oing co-presidents , Jo Ann Caspar and Alleg ra Mills, and announced her incoming executive board and other appointed officers.

AAUW has been acti ve in Clayton since 1973. The regular monthly meetings will resume in Se pt. All members are looking forw ard to a year of interesting and educational programs to whic h the public is invited.

The AA UW (American Association of University Women) w as for med in 1881 and has o ver 100,000 members. AAUW has a long history of providing a v oice and leadership oppor tunities for women and girls . For more information, visit the AA UW Website at www .AAUW.org.

For more infor mation on the local c hapter email sheiladewey@juno.com.

Clayton Valley Woman’s Club celebrates 33 years The Cla yton V alley Woman’s Club will celebrate its 33rd bir thday on, June 13 at 1:30 p .m. with an ice cream social at the home of membership c hairwoman, Shirley Boyd. Anyone wishing to attend should phone Shirley at 672-1163 for directions .

Activities are planned for the afternoon and member Donna Snyder will demonstrate her jewelry-making talents.

The Cla yton V alley Woman’s Club is a local service organization whose members “make a difference” in our community. CVWC has donated countless hours and more than $200,000 to local org anizations since its ince ption in 1973. CVWC meetings are generally held on the second and four th T ues. of the month, but are suspended for the summer. Meetings resume

Free o

on Se pt. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Lutheran Churc h, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord.

During the summer break the Kitc hen T our committee will contin ue its w ork to prepare for the self-guided tour on Oct. 21. The tour will feature six kitchens in the Clayton and Concord area. Tickets will be $25/$30 and will be a vailable in the early fall.

nline

home

ev alu

ation

June 2, 2006

Soda vendors wanted for 4th of July parade The 4th of July Committee is looking for local non-profit groups wanting to sell sodas and water at the 4th of July P arade.

Your group will keep 100 percent of the profits . Please call Deborah Meylan at 673-1548 or email at 4meylans@sbcglobal.net with questions or to obtain an application.

The first four non-profit groups with applications returned b y J une 20 will be our vendors for the 2006 4th of July Parade.

Volunteers Needed for July 4 Celebration

Help with registration, crowd control and parking.

Call Mike Williams 260-5363

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CLAYTON'S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE 2006 MAIN PARADE APPLICATION FORM Entry Title: Name(s) of dignitaries, float or group Brief description of your entry to be read by the announcer. If additional space is needed, please attach it to this form.

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Representative (group contact) for information about your parade entry.

Name: Phone number 1: E-mail: Address:

Composition of entry: Describe the physical size and make-up of your entry.

# of adults: # of children: # & type of non-motorized vehicles: # & size of motorized vehicles: Year & make of vehicles # & size of floats: # of horses: Sound: Other:

Phone number 2:

Please help us make this a fun parade for everyone; submit your registration forms early. Any forms postmarked after June 14 or received by any other means after June 16, may not be considered for inclusion in parade line-up. Due to space limitations and time constraints parade entries may be limited this year, particularly for vehicles. You may complete this application form or print it from the city's website, www.CityofClayton.org, then fax it to (925) 673-3369 or mail or deliver it to: Clayton’s Fourth of July Committee, Attn: Barbara Dwyer, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, CA 94517. (Application not needed for Kiddie Parade: children, bicycles,wagons, strollers) Hold Harmless Agreement. I (we) as an applicant and parade entrant, or an authorized representative of the applicant, agree to and shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City of Clayton, the Community Services Commission, the 4th of July Parade Committee, its officials, officers, directors, employees, volunteers and agents from and against any or all loss, liability, expense, claim, costs, suits and damages of every kind, nature and description, directly or indirectly, arising from my (our) participation as a parade participant(s).

General Parade Rules: Candy may not be tossed from vehicles or to parade watchers but may be distributed at curb line by walking participants. No squirt guns, water squirters or other similar item may be used. If found, they will be confiscated and not returned. All parades entrants are subject to search. All drivers of motorized vehicles must have a valid driver’s license and insurance.

No stopping to conduct performances. All participants must follow the instructions of designated parade officials.

I (we), the undersigned, have read, understand and agree to comply with all the above parade rules and hold harmless agreement, written or implied, regarding my (our) being a parade participant.

Organization or individual entry (please print):________________________________________ Signature: _____________________________ (sign)

__________________________________ (print name)

Date: ______________________________________

June 2, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B11

Crossword Puzzle

Advertise with the Pioneer 672-0500

Brain Teaser

ACROSS 1- Encourage in wrongdoing; 5- P oles for sails; 10Steering wheel; 14- Fill to surfeit; 15- To the left, at sea; 16Hip bones; 17- Pur ple fr uit; 18- Contradict; 19- Sw allow eagerly; 20- P asses o ver; 22Causing death; 24- Attic; 27Slovenly person; 28Exceptional; 32- Finnish name of Finland; 35Consumed; 36- God of Islam; 38- Tendency; 40- Bull; 42- Santa’ s aides; 44California wine region; 45Secret agents; 47- Shouts; 49Kernel; 50- T oss; 52- Game of chance; 54- Nar row path for walkers, cars or ships; 56Rip; 57- R esplendent; 60Male voice; 64- Graph prefix; 65- Expression peculiar to a language; 68- Basic monetar y unit of Ghana; 69- T oward the mouth; 70- Roman general; 71- Not k osher; 72- Tent stick; 73- Disre putable; 74Annoyed

Solution for 5/19 Crossword

I am eight letters long "12345678" My 1234 is an atmospheric condition.

My 34567 supports a plant.

My 4567 is to appropriate.

My 45 is a friendly thankyou.

My 678 is a name.

Q: What word am I? Answer

Mistaken

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Page B12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

June 2, 2006

She’s still humming along with a lo ve of life

If we listen closely, we might her sit on his lap and they w ould hear Beth Hildebrand’s fluttering share time together laughing and talking. I don ’t think that hapheartbeat. The special stor y she pens m uch no wadays, shares of receiving a lo ve and it’ s really too poem wrapped up in her bad.” newspaper ev eryday The third of could capture all our five c hildren, hearts, too.

Beth w as bor n “My friend in Heber , just Fred writes a few miles poems for me from the each da y,” the southern bor93-year-old sa ys der. She spent with a lo ving most of her giggle in her childhood in voice. “He has Corcoran (near been doing that Fresno) li ving since w e met last on a far m. Her year.” mom took care of Caring and affecthe c hildren tion are v alues she while Beth’ s has had since SENIOR AT CORCORAN father worked. childhood. “I defiHIGH, 1931 Beth’s father nitely knew that my father lo ved my mother v ery wanted to be a farmer, but it was much. He would show it, and as difficult financially . “My father kids we could feel it, too,” Beth ended up being a finishing carsays, smiling. “I remember in the penter. His first cousin w as par t evenings, my father w ould tak e of the Curry family, from Camp my mom b y the hand and ha ve Curry in Yosemite,” Beth shares.

“Dad helped build the campsites, the elev ator operator in her building. cabins and restaurant there.”

“It cost me $3 to get an elevaThe family’ s v alues of hard work and persistence w ere tor operator license ,” she recalls. instilled in Beth. While attending “I would r un the elev ator in the Corcoran Union High Sc hool, afternoons and ev enings after she worked as a cotton pic ker to going to sc hool all mor ning. If you had too many people on the earn Christmas money. elevator, it didn’t move very fast “My dad raised cotton along with our neighbors. So we would and then the w eight distribution would be off because the elev apick the cotton and fill up a long sack,” Beth explains. “There was tor lines w ould slip. And so y ou a scale on a w agon where y ou wouldn’t be ev en with the f loor would weigh it to see ho w much you were stepping out onto, and you ear ned. It wasn’t a hard job , I w as constantly ha ving to tell people to be but v ery rough on careful as they your hands with all stepped out of the stic ky ends to there.” it.”

After finishBeth later ing sc hool, Beth attended P omona became a home and La V erne coleconomics leges, earning a teacher for a degree in home ecomiddle sc hool in nomics. She also Garden Gro ve. attended the Bible “I had to laugh Institute in Los when I star ted Angeles. To pay for teaching, because her room and BETH HILDEBRAND there w ere some board, Beth became

girls in my class who didn’t know how to g et the y olk out of the egg for a recipe ,” she sa ys, still laughing at the memory. “So they were sticking needles in the ends and trying to blow the yolks out.

I couldn ’t believ e it and knew I had a lot to teach them.”

Through her mother’ s c hildhood friend, Beth met her husband Llo yd and they w ere married for more than 50 years .

“Lloyd w as an accomplished musician and pla yed sev en instruments,” Beth states proudly. “He w orked for Uni versal Studios and pla yed bac kground music for all kinds of film.”

Family values and eating dinner together as much as possible were impor tant to them. Beth and Llo yd had tw o c hildren.

Daughter J ean li ves in Pittsburg and son P aul li ves in Santa Clarita. She has four g randchildren and two great grandchildren on the way.

A resident at Diamond Terrace, Beth enjoys walking and participating in acti vities there .

COLLEEN ELWY

SHARING HISTORY She also enjo ys watching Charlie Chaplin and other mo vies with fellow Diamond T errace resident, Fred Stromberg.

On the side table in her living room, Beth has sev eral framed love poems along with a larg e stuffed envelope marked “2006.”

“I k eep m y mor ning lo ve poems in there ,” says a smiling Beth. “I think w e counted o ver 500 poems so far.”

If you ar e a senior li ving in Clayton, or know of a senior that would like to share their life story with the Clayton Pioneer r eaders, please contact Colleen Elwy at 672-9565 or at colleensbyline@aol.com.

Implausibility runs amok in ‘Da Vinci’ JIM BRIGGS

AT

THE

MOVIES

When I read Dan Bro wn’s “The Da Vinci Code” last year, I remember noting ho w cinematic it w as. I’m sure a lot of readers shared m y thought that this would make a good movie.

Well, it could mak e a g ood movie. Turns out the screen v ersion of the no vel only holds a magnifying glass over impossibilities of the book (of which there

are many).

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind, ” “Cinderella Man”) and director R on Howard (of the same films) stay so faithful to Brown that the film manages to be less cinematic than the no vel.

The nar rative comes to a screeching halt to allow the characters to deliver lectures in theology. Consequently, they cease to be real c haracters and become devices of Holy Blood, Holy Grail regurgitation. While admittedly distracting in the book, this technique succeeds only as a buzz kill in the film.

Visually, “Da Vinci” has more to offer : the Musée du Louvre among a plethora of Parisian eye-

candy, the Chateau de Villette in Val-d’Oise, Temple Churc h in London and, of course, Audrey Tautou playing Parisian cryptologist Sophie Neveu.

Tautou, who delivered a moving perfor mance in “ Amelie,” plays a cardboard cutout of Neveu. But I refuse to blame her.

Goldsman denies her all that made Nev eu a real c haracter in Brown’s no vel. What’s tr uly unfortunate is that this perfor mance will introduce her to a larg e American audience.

The best performances in the film are also the furthest over the top.

Ian McK ellen hams it up as Sir Leigh Teabing, a crippled his-

torian on a lifelong g rail quest.

But as m uch fun as he has onscreen, it w asn’t enough to wake up the guy behind me in the theater.

Paul Bettany tur ns in probably the cree piest performance of his career as Silas , Opus Dei’ s albino monk out to bur y a secret kept by an organization once said to be headed b y Da Vinci himself. This character will probably give you nightmares.

Comparing this perfor mance with his m uch more subtle and introspective c haracter in “Dogville” (2003) can gi ve y ou an idea of Bettany’s acting chops.

I hope to see more of him in the future.

And finally there’ s T om Hanks’ hair, which unfortunately is the least of his problems here.

His perfor mance as R obert Langdon is one of the most forgettable in the film.

He’s not subtle or introspective like Bettany – Hanks is simply dull.

Although I’v e admired the work of Howard, Hanks and Tautou in the past, they only disappoint here.

The controversy surrounding the release of the film also is baffling, but since seeing it I’v e changed m y tune . People are wasting time and money on a smear campaign for a film that really isn’t very good. Save it for

AUDREY TAUTOU AND TOM HANKS

something with a little more artistic merit.

Jim Briggs is a composer and music teacher. He has a BA in Jazz Composition from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He writes film r eviews for online magazine Dissolver (www.dissolvermagazine.com). Send comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

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