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www.claytonpioneer.com
June 10, 2016
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BBQ class isn’t for chickens
HowarD GELLEr
MAYOR’S CORNER
Farmer’s market, concerts welcome summer in Clayton
Farmers Market – If you’re looking for fresh grown or organic produce, then Clayton’s Farmers Market is the place to be. The market is open 8 a.m.noon Saturdays. All the vendors are friendly and offer treeripened fruits, strawberries and vegetables to taste and buy. It’s a great destination walk to downtown. The market promises to add more vendors as the produce season progresses and as more of Clayton’s residents utilize this treasure trove of healthy produce. Concerts In The Grove Park – We hope the weather cancellation of the first two concerts scheduled for May 7 and 21 did not inconvenience our loyal patrons. With forecasts of rain and temperatures in the low 60s, our outdoor concerts were not viable. The good news is we were able to reschedule these two great concerts. Retromaniax will be performing July 9, and Larry Lynch and the Mob will be here July 23. Please add these to your Saturday concert schedule. Clayton Valley Little League – As the school session winds down, I once again congratulate Clayton Valley Little League on a great year for our boys and girls. This year, CVLL had more than 700 youth participating in baseball and softball and has partnered with other Little Leagues throughout Contra Costa to play interleague games. By the time you read this, CVLL will have crowned its division champions who will represent the league in the district
Tamara Steiner
CAROL HERINGTON AND JEANNE BOYD (in red) are barbecue aficionados, and thanks to the KCBS class, now official judges. The two were among the 60 who attended the class at Endeavor Hall to become certified BBQ judges. PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
Nationally renowned barbecue judges Kelly McIntosh and his wife Kathleen want to make a few things clear: Good barbecue means not trying to make the cover of Food and Wine magazine. A barbecue
competition isn’t a sauce competition. And no matter how bad something may look, it’s how it tastes that counts. That was some of the wisdom the San Diego couple dispensed at Clayton’s first barbecue judging class, put on by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS). The Clayton Business
See Mayor, page 19
and Community Association (CBCA) sponsored the event, but participants paid to get their coveted barbecue judge pin and the chance to judge competitions worldwide. The class was held as the CBCA prepares for its annual Rib Cook-off, an event that has had tremendous success
over the past six years. More than 60 wanna-be judges spent Saturday, May 21, at Endeavor Hall, doing the very difficult task of tasting meats prepared by some of KCBS’s finest chefs, including celebrity chef Donna Fong and her “assistant,” Big Tom Sharp of Oakland.
Teachers Naomi Means and Katrina Stortz planted the idea of a school garden at Mt. Diablo Elementary in the fall of 2014. After some setbacks, the stars aligned this spring and the garden sprang to life. A committee of dedicated administrators, teachers, Parent Faculty Club members, parents and students raised $2,500 plus $8,500 of in-kind donations to bring the project to fruition. Volunteers assembled eight raised beds in a single day this spring. Girl Scout Troop 33199 pulled out dead
rose bushes and spindly lantana in front of the school office, creating a blank slate for the native, drought-tolerant garden. Local companies dumped donated mulch, wood chips and topsoil, which piled up on the playground and in front of the school. Native plants, seedlings and butterfly-friendly flowers lined the hallways. On May 22, 120 volunteers gathered to complete the project. “Parents, grandparents and children lined the ground with layers of card-
“Given the packed house, and the enthusiastic response from those who attended, we can say that our 2016 barbecue judging class was a smashing success,” said CBCA president Bob Steiner. “The national recognition and credibility this will lend to our annual CBCA Rib-Cook-off are immeasurable.” While many students were taking the class to get a leg-up on the competition in the Clayton and other rib cook-offs, others just wanted to hone their barbecue skills. “I’m a barbecue aficionado,” said Clayton’s Carol Herington. “I travel with family and friends, and we just love barbecue.” Concord’s Mike Felt said he was taking the class to learn more about the judging process, since he has won several amateur contests. “Every judge has a different palate, so I want to learn what to look for.” The McIntoshes taught the class what to look for, from presentation to appearance to tenderness to taste. For instance, the class learned that ribs that fell off the bone were undercooked, and that red-leaf
See BBQ Class, page 4
MDES school community nurtures garden project
board and then mulch to cover over 3,000 sq. ft. in a process called sheet mulching,” said Laney ClineKing, who chairs the garden committee for the Parent Faculty Club. Parent Bill Blackwell donated and installed drip irrigation. Local landscape designer Kelly Marshall planned the garden and guided volunteers. “Volunteers lined the front garden with ladybug and bum-
See Garden, page 7
GET INVOLVED TO HELP MAKE CLAYTON’S 4TH PICTURE PERFECT
What’s Inside
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Community Calendar . . . . . .9 Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 School News . . . . . . . . . . .15
What’s more American than apple pie? It’s Independence Day in Clayton, of course. The old-fashioned celebration may not be the reason you moved to Clayton, but it is likely one of the things that makes you glad you’re here. The day kicks off with a pancake breakfast, 7-10 a.m. at Endeavor Hall. Hosted by the Clayton Valley/Sunrise Rotary Club, breakfast is $7 for adults and $5 for children. Whether you’re young, or just young at heart, the highlight of the day is the Kidde Parade down Main Street. Everyone will be decked out in red, white and blue, with streamers and flags waving in the breeze. No advance entry is required – just show up by 10 a.m. at the flagpole with decorated bikes, trikes and scooters. The family pooch is welcome too. Other groups – from clubs and Scout troops to marching bands – need to enter for the parade by June 27. Fill out a parade application at cityofclayton.org or pick one up at City Hall. Cw Wolfe will be back on the grandstand as grand marshal. This magical day doesn’t just happen: It takes an army of volunteers to set up, organize and clean up. Volunteers are needed anytime between 6 a.m. and noon on Monday, July 4. Consider it your patriotic duty to lend a hand. Call city clerk Janet Brown to sign up at 925-673-7304 or email jbrown@ci.clayton.ca.us.
Sean Liming
OVERGROWN ROSEBUSHES AND FADING LANTANA IN FRONT OF MDES gave way last month to a community garden that will provide opportunities for food education in the classroom. Ultimately, the fruits and veggies will find their way to the cafeteria lunch line.
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