See new Home Improvement Guide Section B
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May 11, 2007
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Editorial
Landscaping - dead or alive? Voters to decide TAMARA AND BOB STEINER Clayton Pioneer
BILL WALCUTT
MAYOR’S CORNER
Three cheers for community spirit. We had a very successful Clayton Cleans Up event again this year, with more than 200 community volunteers on April 28. It is rewarding to see so many people willing to give their time to help spruce up our little town. Volunteers collected more than 180 bags of trash and trimmings all around town. This is a great community service project for individuals, families or groups. I do not believe there is any other city in California as fortunate as we are to have so many residents who take pride in their trails, parks and landscaping. One of the nice things about this event is you can select the area where you want to work. A lot of people pick up their garage bags at City Hall and head for their favorite park or trail or back to their own neighborhood. This works out well because a large area of the city gets a little more tender-loving care. After all the work is done, there is a great BBQ at noon. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers and all the sponsors. We could not do it without you. It was a very busy weekend for volunteers, because June 27 was the kick-off rally for Measure B, the landscape maintenance tax on the June 5 ballot. Many residents turned out to show their support for Measure B and volunteer their time. The next day, volunteers were out all over town distributing fliers, talking to residents and putting up signs. In addition, the Clayton Community Library Foundation held its annual Book Sale, and
See Mayor, page A9
On June 5, Clayton voters will have one last opportunity to save Clayton’s front yard. If passed, Measure B will replace the current Landscape Maintenance District which is due to expire on June 30. If defeated, there will be no money to water and weed Clayton’s flowers, trees, bushes and trails
and everything will die. Last year, voters rejected a proposal that came with a price tag of $ 365 per year. Too much, they said. So, the Landscape Committee went back to work. They trimmed the standards and came up with a revised parcel tax of $197 a year. The city’s landscaping MUST be funded through a special district tax. There is NO money in the general fund to pay for it.
Clayton’s annual operating budget is $3.4 million a year with half of that, about $1.7 million, going for police services. Clayton is currently spending about $600,000 on landscaping, far less than what’s needed for even a moderate level of care. There is no possible way the city can fund landscape maintenance from the general fund. Without a replacement tax, the city will have no choice but to turn off the water
bare dirt flower beds will depress a home’s value, it stands to reason that streets lined with dead bushes, sidewalks and trails overgrown with weeds and bare dirt medians would give the city a whole lot less “curb appeal,” dragging down Clayton’s home values. This June, voters will again be asked the question, “Clayton’s landscaping—dead or alive?” Please vote “yes” on Measure B. Keep Clayton green.
Heidi Ashworth is this year’s Queen TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
MARY ASHWORTH (LEFT) AND MOM, HEIDI ASHWORTH in their Clayton home. Mary’s essay “Queen of My Heart” was the winning entry in the Clayton Pioneer’s “Queen for a Day” Mother’s Day essay contest
A Diablo View Middle School student wrote the winning essay in our Mother’s Day Essay Contest. Mary Ashworth, 12, had no trouble convincing the judges that her mother, Heidi, should be named Queen for a Day in this year’s contest, winning for her mother a huge bouquet of flowers and a host of gift certificates for local goodies. Turn to page A6 for a full rundown of the prizes. “My mom does a WHOLE lot more than just bake me cookies every week,” Mary writes. Indeed, this stay at home mother of Mary, Michael, 17 and Peter, 5 homeschools Michael who has cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. Herself a writer, Heidi recognizes Mary’s talent. “I thought her essay was wonderful and showed her personality. It was really sweet of her to do that.” Heidi’s husband of 21 years, Roy, is an elementary school teacher at Shore Acres School in Bay Point. A former executive,
See Queen, page A6
Art and Wine was business as usual Historical Society’s annual Garden Tour raises over despite downtown construction JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
What’s Inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Directory of Advertisers . . . .A5 Mother’s Day Essays . . . . .A6 Reader’s Forum . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . .A7 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A8 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Food for Thought . . . . . . . .A10 For the Books . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .A11 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . .A12 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . .A12 Sharing History . . . . . . . . . .A13 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A13 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A14 Clayton Calendar . . . . . . . . .A16 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . . .A17 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . .A18 School News . . . . . . . . . . . .A18 Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . . .A19 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .A20 Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .A21 SECTION B Home Improvement Resource Guide
and let everything die. That Clayton is a very desirable place to live is no secret to those of us who live or work here, or to those who wish they did. A house in Clayton costs more than in neighboring Concord or Pittsburg. And notwithstanding the current slowdown in the market, Clayton real estate holds its value. If a front yard of dead trees and shrubs, a weed filled lawn and
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
ARTIST, JAMES WOO takes advantage of a lull in sales to work on a painting at Art and Wine last weekend.
The Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) knows how to bring enthusiastic people to downtown Clayton. All they needed to do was make sure the weather was right, the wine was flowing, the food was cooking, the music was swinging and all 140 vendors were in place. Despite the wind on both days, the local organization did just that last weekend for the 12th annual Art and Wine Festival. It was an exciting event bringing neighbors together to enjoy good food and wine and a myriad of arts and crafts items including fine art. Chairman Joe Medrano said it took a village to run the festival, and help came in from all sectors of the community from CBCA volunteers and committee chairs to police, city officials and residents. This year’s event was a little more challenging due to the ongoing construction on the park, Village Market and Longs Drugs However the CBCA rose to the challenge and created a variety of additional parking lots throughout the city where bus service ran each day, every 15 minutes.
$14,000 for the museum JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
With the sun shining bright and the flowers smelling sweet, more than 500 people came to enjoy the Clayton Historical Society’s 15th annual Clayton
Gardens Tour, Apr. 28 and 29. “It was the best we had so far,” says Chairman Joann Casper saying the entire event raised about $14,000. Casper noted that this year the event was changed from
See Tour, page A4
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Art and Nancy Westman’s Eagle Peak Ave. garden shows what can be done with a small space.