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March 28, 2014
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City celebrates golden anniversary TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
HANK STRATFORD
MAYOR’S CORNER
City seeks funds for fire station One of the interesting things about being mayor is that I get to care about all city issues, no matter how big or small. You’ve read about such issues here as the size of our recycling cans and litter clean-up, but today I will address a couple of larger issue of importance to our Clayton community: the closing of our Fire Station 11 last year, traffic safety on our roads, and high-speed Internet access. The City Council recently approved and sent a letter to the Contra Costa Fire District Board of Directors (our County Supervisors) requesting that a portion of the recently received grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency be used to fully staff the Clayton fire station.
See Mayor, page 6
Former Clayton hairdresser pleads guilty to sex charge The former owner of a local hair salon was sentenced to one year in jail with six months to be served on JIM FRAZIER home detention and five years probation after he pleaded guilty to felony sexual battery and sexual molestation of a child under 18 in Contra Costa Superior Court last month. Jim Frazier, 45, former owner of Hair by Jim, was scheduled for trial on Feb. 24, but changed his plea prior to trial, said prosecutor Ava Guzman. He must register as a convicted sex offender. Frazier was arrested in Aug. 2012 after his victim contacted police. His arrest surprised a community that knew him as an affable, civic-minded businessman. Frazier opened Hair by Jim in 2003 in the small, red building at the corner of Main and Oak Streets. The building was destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Day 2010. The following year, he re-opened in the adjacent building where he operated the salon until his arrest.
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
ON EXHIBIT AT THE CLAYTON MUSEUM THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR ARE HISTORIC DOCUMENTS, photos and memorabilia from 1964, the year Clayton was incorporated. The exhibit includes a city map where residents can mark their home’s location. “Our Town” is the last exhibit to be mounted by Mary Spryer, who is retiring after serving 10 years as the museum’s volunteer curator.
On March 3, 1964, Sigrid Frank rang a hand bell and called out “Hear ye, hear ye. The polls are closed.” When the votes were counted later that night, 80 percent of Clayton’s registered voters had voted to incorporate as a city. Voter turnout was 91 percent – the largest municipal turnout in the history of California. Independence was declared in a landslide and five men were named to guide the city. Two weeks later, on March 18, the first city council met in Endeavor Hall under the leadership of Mayor Bob Hoyer, who would go on to serve 16 years on the council. Fifty years later to the day, the city council once again met in Endeavor Hall; this time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of incorporation. Again, Hoyer took his place on the dais—this time as a guest with a standing ovation. “After 50 years, I have a lot of words to say,” he quipped, looking around the hall which has been extensively renovated since he was mayor. “I remember in the summers, it was hot so we had to open the windows. The people next door
See 50th, page 4
Enhanced Concord Pavilion promises expanded summer season acts in 2014
Photo courtesy Live Nation
A $3.7 MILLION RENOVATION this spring of the Concord Pavilion begins at the entrance which is being redesigned. The project includes new lighting, signage (out with Sleep Train Pavilion and in with the original name, Concord Pavilion) and new art. The box office is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. selling tickets to all upcoming Pavilion shows without a service charge. JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Things are looking up for concertgoers and artists alike as the Concord Pavilion begins a new era. Not only is it reaching back to its past for a name, it’s looking to the future with $3.7 million in renovations that will impact both the public and artist
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Community Calendar . . . . .14
experience at the venue on Kirker Pass Road that opened in 1975. So far, 13 concerts have been scheduled, a number that hasn’t been exceeded in the past five Pavilion seasons. Among the attractions announced are legends such as Gladys Knight, James Taylor, Steely Dan, KISS, Lionel Richie and Journey, plus contemporary acts Fall Out Boy,
Concord City Beat . . . . . . . . .9 DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . .8 Estate Planning . . . . . . . . . . .6 Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Food for Thought . . . . . . . .17 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Luke Bryan, One Republic and Linkin Park. Promoter Live Nation recently signed a new 10-year contract to operate the venue and has a mandate to produce a minimum of 75 concerts in the next five years (averaging 15 concerts a year, a number which appears to be exceeded this season). Another key aspect of the
Get Up and Go . . . . . . . . . .16 Northgate Reporter . . . . . . . .8 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .15 The Pocket Parent . . . . . . . .9 Police Activity Report . . . . .13 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
new agreement with the city of Concord requires Live Nation to make $3.7 million in capital investments before the end of next year. Chief operating office Matt Prieshoff of Live Nation California says his firm is on an aggressive schedule to get the improvements completed prior to the scheduled season opener May 25 with the KBLX Stone Soul Concert. The public will see a redesigned main entrance, major plaza upgrades including restroom renovations, landscaping and extra seating, large lit trees above the lawn seating and a new concession layout with California-centric menu options. The most apparent change for the public, however, will be the lower seating area where the 2,200 seats that were installed with the 1996 Pavilion remodeling have been removed. Prieshoff explains that removing the fixed seats allows the facility the flexibility to have all general admission seating for artists such as Bryan, Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy to create a “close, intimate feel” between audience and artist. He says those three acts would not have been booked without this structural change.
See Pavilion, page 9 Senior Moments . . . . . . . . .13 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sports Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Teen Reads . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Underfoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Mr. Linzey goes to Washington PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
Set against the backdrop of American flag pins, dark suits and the solemn decorum of a Congressional hearing, top U.S. educational leaders recently heard the story of Clayton’s local high school’s remarkable transition. “After years of frustration and neglect by the local school district, the teachers’ turmoil reached a boiling point,” Clayton Valley Charter High School Executive Director David Linzey testified at “Raising the Bar: The Role of Charter Schools in K-12 Education”
See Linzey, page 6
CVCHS’S DAVID LINZEY (third from left) testified with other education experts at a Congressional hearing on charter schools on March 12.
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