In Th is Iss ue
IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
May 24, 2013
0500
Eagles Debra and Steve Gonsalves have landed in CV Hall of Fame JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
JULIE PIERCE
MAYOR’S CORNER
Rock ‘n roll into summer at The Grove School is almost out and we are off to another spectacular summer in Clayton. The farmers market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, and we have nine more concerts in our “Concerts in The Grove” series. Saturday evening is our next Concert in The Grove with Cover 2 Cover, a high-energy dance band with a variety of musical styles spanning five decades. They are one of the top cover bands in the Bay Area. Our first concert was a great success. Since the state’s dissolution of Redevelopment agencies, our concerts are now 100
See Mayor, page 13
Jason Rogers photo
DAUGHTERS KELLI DUPELL (LEFT) AND JENNIFER GONSALVES HERRERA (RIGHT) WERE ON HAND to enjoy the induction of their parents Debra and Steve Gonsalves to the Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame last Saturday evening at Centre Concord. All of the Gonsalves clan are graduates of Clayton Valley. The work for the school and in the community that Steve and Debra Gonsalves have done over the years was recognized at the dinner which also honored Eagle coaches, teams and athletes dating back to the 1960s.
The Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame inducted its third class last Saturday evening at a packed Centre Concord. Athletes, teams and coaches dating from the 1960s to the end of the millennium were lauded for their accomplishments on the field, court, track and pool. Yet none of the newlyenshrined Hall of Famers has had a greater impact on the school over the past four decades than Debra and Steve Gonsalves, who are this year’s Community/ Leadership honorees. Steve Gonsalves still has his name on the Dan Della Gym wall for the school record of 677 career rebounds while playing for legendary basketball coach Bruce Iversen from 1968 to 1971. It was during his high school days that the all-league basketball star, who also played on the football and golf teams, met and fell in love with cheerleader Debra Culum.
See Hall of Fame, pg 10
Community clubs Budgets may drive out crossing guards honor local graduates with scholarships PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
With the end of school fast approaching, there are a lot of happy kids in and around Clayton. And none are happier than the handful of high school seniors receiving scholarships from local businesses and organizations. CLAYTON BUSINESS & COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Since its inception, the CBCA Scholarship program has awarded more than $200,000 in college scholarships to graduating seniors from Clayton. This
year the CBCA awarded a total of $25,000 in college scholarships to six graduating seniors from Clayton Valley Charter High School and one from Berean Christian High School. Twenty-five applications were received for three types of scholarships: Academic, Arts & Music, and Community Service. Thirteen students were interviewed. Michael Kerr of CVCHS was awarded a $5,000 Academic scholarship because of his
See Scholars, page 8
FRONT ROW: CBCA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Lauren Valory, Demi DiQuattro, Jason Fernandes; Back row: CBCA member David Johnson, grads Joshua Warzecha and Nicholas Bazan and CBCA member, Kerry Quinn.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ask Alyssa (NEW) . . . . . . . .9
The streets of downtown Clayton are relatively safe, but no more so than between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. and 2:30 and 3:15 weekdays. That’s when crossing guard Ben Ross is on the job, manning the crosswalk at Center and Oak Streets. Don’t even try to speed or inch your way into the crosswalk – Ben’s loud, New York yell will have you quivering at your steering wheel. This isn’t just a lark for Ross – it’s his job, and one he takes quite seriously. “At nights they belong to their parents, and during the day they belong to their teachers, but when they are crossing the streets, they belong to me.” Ross is Clayton’s one and only crossing guard, one of only a few paid by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, and part of a dying breed, if other nearby cities are any indication. Most cities in MDUSD have picked up the bill for crossing guards, but tight fiscal budgets are making that tougher to do. For the past four years, Walnut Creek City Council has put their funding of crossing guards on the chopping block, only to be saved at the last minute with desperate pleas from parents. Concord hasn’t been so lucky, electing do away
Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Community Calendar . . . . .14 CVCHS Reporter . . . . . . . . .9 Design and Décor . . . . . . . .16
NO PLACE IN CLAYTON IS SAFER THAN THE CORNER OF OAK AND CENTER STREETS before and after school when crossing guard, Ben Ross, takes charge of the intersection.
with the $45,000 annual expense it pays to keep school crossing guards on the job, and replace them with volunteers trained by Concord Police officers. It’s a tough decision, and one Concord Councilman Edi Birsan isn’t happy with. “The policy of training locals is just in the first year of phase in,” he says. “My concern is that these sort of things have a high drop-out rate and I do not want us to wind up with schools without coverage.” He says that he would like to keep the funds in the city budget, “at least till the whole See Crossing Guard, page 2
Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5 Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .16 Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Food for Thought . . . . . . . .15 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .17
Clayton remembers the fallen The community is called once again to gather on Memorial Day to remember those in the armed forces who gave their lives in the line of duty. There will be special remembrances of those from Contra Costa County who have lost their lives on the battlefields of The Global War on Terror since 9-11. Services will begin with an over flight by a Viet Nam Huey helicopter at 10 a.m. on May 27 at the VFW flagpole at the west end of Main Street.
Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 PHMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . .9 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Speaking of Sports . . . . . . .12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
The program lasts about an hour and includes music, poetry and speeches.
Steve Pierce
Check us out on Facebook
Postal Customer ECRWSS PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190