Happy Thanksgiving to all from the staff and publishers of the Clayton Pioneer
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November 18, 2005
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The Saga of the Three-Day Thanksgiving LINDA WYNER Special to the Pioneer
When asked by editor Tamara Steiner to recount the Wyner Thanksgiving tradition, I realized that it is not possible to single out only one dinner. One year blurs into the next, with memories replete with moments of dread, amusement, warmth, and exhaustion. The best I can do is to relate a somewhat typical three-day journal leading up to the caloric celebration itself. Interspersed among the recipes and cooking directions are some anecdotes and observations compiled from more than 20 years of Thanksgiving dinners. Disclaimer: names have been changed to protect the innocent—or at least the unindicted. Day One (evening): Pick up the Willie Bird at Whole Foods and get it into the brine. Clean the bird, snip the wingtips, remove fat, gizzards and neck (reserve and refrigerate for gravy broth); discard liver. In large canning pot (or doubled up new garbage bag), combine 1-2 gallons of water, 1 cup
GREGG MANNING
MAYOR’S CORNER This past year saw more successes than disappointments My term as Mayor is coming to a close and this is my last column. A new mayor, selected by the city council at the Dec. 6 meeting, will write the next column. A great deal has occurred in the city in the past year. I have a lot of memories. For the most part I have been pleased with the events of the past year. But there have also been some disappointments. The greatest of these is the failure of Measure M to pass. I want to thank the great number of people who put a lot of time and energy into the
See Mayor, page A4
LINDA WYNER’S
TRADITIONAL
THANKSGIVING
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
DINNER
includes turkey, hazelnut stuffing and cranberry-fig compote.
Voters reject Landscape Measure TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
The measure to renew the Landscape Maintenance District before it sunsets in 2007 was soundly rejected by Clayton voters at the Nov. 8 special election. The measure required a twothirds majority to pass. Yes votes were a little under 45 percent. Members of the city council, city staff and the Blue Ribbon Landscape Committee gathered at the home of Council Member Julie Pierce on election night to await the results. Glum was definitely the word as the first absentee ballot counts showed less than 43 percent in favor. City Manager Gary Napper
What’s inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . .A2 Classifieds and Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .A5 Minding Your Business . . .A7 Letters to the Editor . . . . .A8 Upcoming Events . . . . . . .A9 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 CVHS Reporter . . . . . . . .A10 So, Anyway . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . .A13 SECTION B Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Community Calendar . . . . .B5 Holiday Gift Ideas . . . . . . .B6 Pioneer Cookie Contest . . .B8 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .B9 Dining Around . . . . . . . . .B10 Church News . . . . . . . . . .B11 Food For Thought . . . . . .B12
said the results were not surprising in light of current economic conditions. In the six months since the measure was committed to a November ballot, the economic situation has changed. “Gas at the pumps went up,” said Napper, “inflation went up and everything began to look more ominous. And people began to prepare for the holidays.” Adding to the mix were the property tax bills that came out in November. “Landscaping just wasn’t a high priority in the household budget,” Napper said. Low voter turnout and the negativity going into the special election were also factors contributing to the measure’s failure, said Bill Vineyard, member of
the Measure M political action committee. “We got caught in the ‘no’,” said Vineyard. “People voted no on everything.” Measure M would have increased the annual assessment for landscape maintenance from its present $125 a year to $365. If passed, the measure would have allowed the city to issue a $2.5 million bond to complete a long list of deferred maintenance projects as well as providing funds for an elevated standard of maintenance, weekend operation of the city fountain and maintenance of the proposed downtown city park. The city has enough money in the bank to build the park, but no construction will begin until there is a guaranteed source of
funds for its operation and maintenance. The District must be renewed in some form by June of 2007 since there is no money in the general fund for landscaping. In the meantime, Napper says, the city will maintain a bare-bones maintenance schedule and look for ways to cut back even more. Vineyard expects the Yes on Measure M committee to take a break for the holidays and regroup after the first of the year. “Right now, everybody’s just in shock,” he said. “We expected to at least get 50 percent and no one is sure where to go from here. I can’t see revving up again until we know why it failed.”
See Thanksgiving, page A12
Deadline nears for Pioneer Christmas Cookie and Candy Contest Nothing says Christmas like mouth watering Christmas cookies and candy. Last year was our first Christmas Cookie Contest and it was a smashing success. This year, we’ve added a contest for Christmas Candy, those delectable sweets that bust the diet and send us over the moon. So, dust off the cookbooks, dig out Aunt Mae’s fudge and Grandma’s ginger snap recipes, cook up a few practice rounds and enter our Second Annual Christmas Cookie and Candy Contest. Judging will be Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m. in the Clayton Library Community Room. While the judges are tasting and testing, Santa will be on hand with candy canes, Clayton’s own harmonic trio, Vintage, will provide live music and members of Clayton’s community choir, Yesterday’s Kids, will lead everyone in singing Christmas carols. Judges for both contests will be announced in the next issue of the Pioneer. Recipes and photos of all the winners will appear in the Dec. 16 issue. Deadline for entries is December 1. Turn to page B8 for an entry form.
Lifetime members share Historical Society spotlight JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton native is new president of the Historical Society Janet Easton is the new president of the Clayton Historical Society. The first Clayton native to become president of the Society and a fifth generation Claytonian, Janet has been a member of the society since its inception in 1974. She has served as membership chair, Second Vice-President and Secretary and has organized the ever-poplar Camelia Tea for several years. She stepped up to the presidency because “Dick stepped down,” says Janet. Her focus for the
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
JANET EASTON hopes to extend hours at the museum. next two years will be to foster the museum’s volunteer program. Janet would like to see the museum open for operation more than just four hours a week.
Janet hails from the Russelmann, Frank, Rasmussen and Matheson families of Clayton and writes the history column, Old Times, for the Clayton Pioneer.
Dick Ellis retires after four terms as Historical Society president
now an integral part of his life. Right at home at the museum on Main Street, Ellis reads a laundry list of projects he plans to continue, now that he’s retired from the presidency.
“I never had success in taking a history class,” says Dick Ellis, outgoing president of the Clayton Historical Society. Ellis retires after four terms of office for the society, having served a total of nine years as president. “That’s nearly one-third of the life of the Clayton Historical Society,” says Clayton Museum Curator Mary Spryor. Quite an accomplishment for a man who couldn’t quite get with the history program as a student and who admits “I read nothing but history now, before I couldn’t stand it.” Ellis’s current passion for history, which began slowly, is
See Ellis, page A6
DICK ELLIS