Don’t miss the Cookie Contest Deadline Dec. 3 See Page A3
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IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
November 17, 2006
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Voters say yes to funding downtown park TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Pete Cruz/Clayton Pioneer
LIFTING A GLASS TO TOAST THE VOTERS, a few Measure O supporters gathered in the park for a spur of the moment picnic lunch to celebrate the success of the park funding measure. Standing, Hair by Jim’s Jim Frasier, Police Chief Dan Lawrence, real estate broker Mike Williams. Seated: Clayton’s first mayor and first lady Bob and Eldora Hoyer, Councilwoman Julie Pierce, Windermere broker Lynne French, and the Clayton Pioneer’s Jill Bedecarré and Tamara Steiner.
Clayton v oters g ave a big “thumbs up” to the do wntown park last w eek, voting o verwhelmingly in fa vor of a tax to pay for its operation and maintenance. Measure O received a 70 percent yes v ote – w ell more than the tw o-thirds majority needed to pass . The measure creates a Community F acilities District with an ann ual budg et of $100,600. “Two-thirds is a hug e hurdle,” said City Manag er Gar y Napper. “Prop. 13 in 1978 didn’t even get a two-thirds vote.” City officials and do wntown merchants w ere ecstatic . Not willing to w ait until the picnic tables were installed, a g roup of enthusiastic park suppor ters, including tw o of us from the Pioneer, were lunc hing in the park as early as Friday. “I feel so pri vileged,” longtime resident Eldora Ho yer said as she lifted her glass in a toast. “This w as w orth incor porating for.” Her husband, Bob Ho yer, was Cla yton’s first ma yor after the city incorporated in 1964. Napper expects to put the
See Park, page A4
It’s Shuey and Stratford for Cla yton City Council JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
HANK STRATFORD MONITORS THE RESULTS on election night. He took an early lead over Medrano and Diaz to win the second council seat.
What’s Inside SECTION A
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . .A2 Cookie Contest Entry . . . .A3 Classified Ads and Director y of Advertisers . . . . . . . .A5 Letters to the Editor . . . . . .A6 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 So, Anyway . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A8 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .A12 School News . . . . . . . . . . . .A13 Tax Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A14 At The Movies . . . . . . . . . .A15
SECTION B
Food For Thought . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Holiday Gift Guide . . . . .B6 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . . .B9 Community Calendar . . . . .B10 Church News . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . .B11
After months of newspaper articles, political signag e and campaign rhetoric, the voters of Clayton spoke out in support of an incumbent and a new comer in the Clayton City Council race. Four-year council v eteran Dave Shuey , 40, had a significant lead throughout election night, capturing 2,637 v otes. Newcomer R oss “Hank” Stratford, 40, held a steady second place , garnering 1,670 votes. Two other candidates vied for the tw o a vailable seats . Joe Medrano, owner of Insurance
Management Cor p. on Marsh Creek R oad, took third place with 1,174 v otes. Jim Diaz, a management and security consultant, came in four th place with 1,042 votes. Shuey, known as “Shoe,” will finish his ter m as ma yor in December. He is a la wyer who lives in Cla yton with his wife and three children. “He’s been a real asset to the council,” says Councilw oman Julie Pierce. “He does his homework, asks questions and is a wonderful representative.” Pierce, who has been on the council since 1992, also approves of Stratford’s win. “I like Hank for many of the same
reasons I lik e Shuey , even though I don ’t kno w him, ” Pierce notes. She explains that Stratford was dilig ent in attending ev ery council meeting since he filed for candidacy and ev en “stayed to the very end,” she says, laughing. The meetings often end at 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the agenda. “He knew what w as g oing on and is doing it for , what I consider, all the right reasons ,” Pierce says. Shuey ag rees with Pierce , calling Stratford “y our tr ue servant leader who is in it to help
See City Council, page A4
City fountain gets first bath in 17 years TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
The Cla yton fountain g ot a thorough scr ubbing last w eek as city maintenance crews took on the bac kbreaking task of removing and cleaning the rocks that line the beds of the pools for the first time since it was built in 1989. For the past 13 years , the fountain has only r un on da ys of special ev ents and holida ys. The idle time allo ws alg ae and crud to build up on the roc ks and in the plumbing which then causes the w ater to r un bro wn on the few da ys eac h year that the fountain operates. The plan initially w as to job the w ork out, said City Maintenance Super visor J ohn Johnson. But after w atching
See Fountain, page A6
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR JOHN JOHNSON, on the tractor, and crew member Sondro Arias remove the rocks from the downtown fountain for cleaning. The fountain runs on holidays and for special events.
DAVE SHUEY
MAYOR’S CORNER It’s a happy day for park lovers Whew, the election is o ver, and I am thankful that I g et to write this par ticular column rather then the fallbac k one I had written in the ev ent I lost and/or the downtown park lost. I am telling y ou, that w as not a feel-g ood column! But, hey, this is m y upbeat v ersion, so let’s move on. Thanks to all of you who reelected me to be on your City Council. I will do m y best to continue to represent you to the best of my ability and to maintain your vote of confidence. Congratulations to new council member Hank Stratford. As someone who has known Hank since high sc hool, I can tell you unequivocally that you will not be disappointed. He has alw ays been a leader , and as far as I can recall, he has always tolerated or at least pretended to tolerate m y humor which is critical, as you know. Way to g o Hank and w elcome. (Pssst. Hank, as low person on the totem pole , be prepared for all the assignments we don’t w ant. I promise y ou will love them.) And a thank y ou to J oe Medrano and Jim Diaz for
See Mayor, page A8