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September 13, 2013
Morgan Fire chars thousands of acres on Mt. Diablo
FIRE
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Photo by Tonya White
MT. DIABLO LOOKED LIKE AN ERUPTING VOLCANO ON SUNDAY NIGHT, SEPT. 8, as a fast moving wildfire spread from 400 acres to nearly 2000 overnight. By press time on Monday night, the fire had burned nearly 4000 acres, North Peak was charred, the summit of Mt. Diablo was threatened and the fire had spread northeast toward Russelmann Ranch Road. It was still only 20 percent contained.
Temperatures nearing 100 degrees coupled with a dry winter, off-shore winds and dense, bone-dry fuel set the stage for the biggest Mt. Diablo wildfire in 36 years. The fire started at the mercury mines on Morgan Territory Road on Sunday around 1:30 p.m. The cause is officially “under investigation,” but neighbors say it was sparked by someone target shooting. By 3 p.m. on Sunday, the fire, dubbed the “Morgan Fire,” had burned over 800 acres, threatening homes and power lines and forcing evacuations from Oak Hill Lane and Curry Canyon. AirCloud Communications which provides internet service to the Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek areas, lost electrical power to their communication equipment on North Peak around 11 p.m. Sunday night With the fire spreading fast, the critical issue was getting the horses and other large animals out of the area. By late Sunday
See Fire, page 4
Concord’s canine force tells some fierce tails DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
JULIE PIERCE
MAYOR’S CORNER
Keep Clayton sparkling this fall September is half over and families have settled into their new fall routines. In Clayton, we take pride in the appearance of our town. How our community looks has a great deal to do with supporting our good property values. It’s also a big part of that warm, welcoming “ahhh” we all feel when we drive into our home town. As we put away the toys of summer, it’s a great time to take a look at how we can all improve the appearance of our neighborhoods. Indeed, living in Clayton carries certain expectations of property maintenance, including our own responsibility to eliminate dead landscaping and weeds from our yards – even in back yards, for both fire protection and appearance. Part of our neighborhood preservation responsibility includes the proper storage of RVs, boats, trailers, disabled and unlicensed vehicles behind a
See Mayor, page 7
Dogs are said to be man’s best friend. Renowned for their loyalty and devotion, a dog sticks with his master through thick and thin. But the six dogs of the Canine Division of the Concord Police Department and their handlers take the canine-human
bond just a little bit farther than that. On a recent Tuesday night, at an undisclosed location in North Concord, the sounds of a dog fiercely barking and men shouting elicited nary a glance from Concord Police Corporal Dan Sweany, who stood close by. In fact, the ruckus was his fault, as members of the wellregarded canine division
Sweaney heads practiced nearby. There, the dogs practiced locating guns and drugs, trailing suspects and lost children, and launching themselves at an officer who’d clearly drawn a short straw and was clad – in the 90 degree evening heat – in a heavy protective suit, a game that could be called “bring down the suspect.” As much fun as the dogs
Clayton siblings shoot for the big time with art film PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer
Photo courtesy of the Holmes family
MAKING MOVIES IS A FAMILY AFFAIR for photographerturned-filmmaker Jules Bianchi, left, shown here with twin sister Joy and brother Jeff Holmes. Their film, “Apocolypso,” is a finalist in Director Ron Howard’s Project Imagina10n.
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Most little brothers have trouble saying no to their big sisters, and Jeff Holmes was no exception when sis Jules Bianchi called in June to ask him help with an outlandish idea. Did he want to help her make a movie? Of course, Bianchi – who grew up in Clayton – is a wellestablished Oakland photographer now, and Holmes is a cinema arts student at Pacific Azuza University. So the request kind of made sense. Like the dutiful little brother he is, Homes called in some of his buddies, who were eager to work on a “real” project, and to Bianchi’s surprise, she suddenly had a crew.
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seemed to be having, the play was serious business. SNIFFING OUT STASHES Concord’s six-team division – down from nine due to budget cuts – handles an average of 75 calls per week. In addition to calls in Concord, the department pools resources with those of other cities. “San Ramon, Moraga, Oakland, Walnut Creek...” Sweaney ticked down the list of areas they’ve worked as the sounds of mayhem continued in the background. Other areas lend their dogs for jobs in Concord as well, including BART dogs who are specially trained to sniff for bombs. “We’re all fighting the same battle,” he said. Each of the officers had his own set of stories of stashes their particular dogs had found, or suspects they’d flushed out, and in a couple of cases, lost or wandering souls the dogs helped rescue. One incident Sweaney recalled, years ago, involved a panicked call the department had received from a parent. Their worst nightmare had happened: a back was turned for only a moment, a door left unlatched, and their 3-year old had disappeared, just like that. Police were called, and the division summoned. Scents were taken, and 45 heart-rending minutes later, the toddler was trailed to a nearby supermarket, to where he’d wandered on his own, and safely returned home. Other calls aren’t so benign.
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Photos by Jason Rogers
FIGO WORKS WITH HIS HANDLER and partner, Matt Switzer, as they run through exercises during the Concord Canine Division training
Officer Todd Nunn’s dog, Dantest – who travels with his own baseball-style trading cards to be given out to his adoring, often pint-sized, fan club – was called to a “drug sniff,” where he found significant amounts of drugs – and a gun – hidden behind the center console of a car. Officer Ollie Sansen’s dog is Ben, an unnervingly grinning, happy-go-lucky Belgian Malinois. Ben is specifically trained in narcotics detection, and
See Canine, page 4
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