aug 21 clayton pioneer 2009.pdf

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com August 21, 2009 925.672.0500

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Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Community Calendar . . . . . . .15

Deal With It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Directory of Advertisers . . . . . .5

Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . .19

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

School News . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

What’s Inside

JULIE PIERCE

MAYOR’S CORNER

Help thwart anydamage to new park

It’s nearly the end of Augustand many parents are lookingforward to having the kids backin school. The city is lookingforward to that day too, becausethe level of vandalism duringschool vacations is much worsethan when the kids have morestructured time.

Several residents have writ-ten or called me to express dis-may at seeing the disregard forour city’s parks and equipment. Iagree but have been reluctant tomake an issue of it for fear ofmaking it worse. I don’t want tosound like a grouch, but it’sbecoming a significant cost issueto repair the damage. We allneed to work harder to stop thisactivity.

I recently received an emailthat sums up the feelings manyof you have expressed to me:

“My husband and I loveClayton. We walk twice a day onthe trail and into town, throughthe park and home again. Welove to see children on the playequipment in The Grove. Welove the concerts in the park andall of the things that make

See Mayor, page 17

Clayton police kick off trail patrols

Clayton police will becomea whole lot more visible thismonth, when the specialBicycle Patrol Unit takes to thetrails.

In a move designed toincrease public safety along

Clayton’s 27 miles of walkingtrails, one of the two regularday shift officers will patrol ontwo wheels instead of four.

Cpl. Rich Enea and OfficerDaren Billington, under thesupervision of program coor-dinator Officer Allen White,make up the special unit thatrequires officers to complete athree-day certification class.

According to Police ChiefDan Lawrence, plans for theunit have been underway forseveral months but werespurred on by the June 19attack of a 10-year-old boy onthe trail next to City Hall. Theboy was reportedly knocked offhis bike by an African-American man dressed in lilacscrubs and dragged into the

culvert, where he was sexuallymolested.

White has been seen astridehis bike on the trails and atcommunity events for severalmonths, but it was only recent-ly that the department reachedthe 100 percent staffing levelthat permits one daytime offi-cer on full time bicycle patrol.

Last week, White spent a

day preparing Enea andBillington for the certificationclasses. The three rode thetrails, orienting themselves tothe city streets from a differentperspective.

“We have to know exactlywhere we are all the time,”explained White. “If we call for

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Police will begin regular bicycle patrols of the city’s trails and streets this month. Officers Daren Billington, Allen White and Cpl. RichEnea make up the new unit. Police say the bike patrols give officers an added advantage in spotting vagrants and graffiti-artists.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

See Bike Patrol, page 2

Clayton Valley High proves fertileground for world champion Blue Devils

Before the final chapter iswritten on the silver anniversaryof Clayton Valley High School,you can add the names of eightstudents as world champions.The Blue Devils drum andbugle corps of Concord sweptthe Drum Corps InternationalWorld and Open Class champi-onships in Indianapolis.

CV students Lucas andOlivia Hansen, Emily Nunn,Tanner Frey, Mason Case,Andre DeJong, Kyle Petersonand Tanya Trowbridge aremembers of the Blue Devils BCorps, which capped an unde-feated season by winning theDCI Open Class championship.Peterson and Trowbridge areJune graduates, while the othersreturn to the Alberta Way cam-pus this fall.

For 16-year-old Nunn, it has

been a fairy-tale season as arookie in the B Corps. Nunnwas a second grader at Mt.Diablo Elementary School in2001 when she saw a flier for abaton twirling class. While shewas taking the class, the BlueDevils Winter Guard gave ademonstration of color guardand she was hooked.

Nunn joined the WinterGuard and then the Blue DevilsC Corps, which she participatedon from 2001-2007. She tookoff the summer of 2008 fromthe Blue Devils, concentratingon dance classes and the WinterGuard.

This past winter, shereturned to the Blue Devils andwon a spot on the B Corps.After months of intense prac-tices, the B Corps left by trainJuly 22 to compete in Ohio,Michigan, Indiana and

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

National Night Outbinds neighbors togetherfor safer communities

It may have been the 26thyear as a national event, but onAug. 4 Clayton celebrated itssecond National Night Outwith four neighborhoods serv-ing as meeting points.

NNO focuses on buildingcommunity relationships andcrime and drug preventionthrough social gatherings thatalso involve local police depart-ments. Herb Yonge, who is theCommunity EmergencyResponse Team (CERT) coor-dinator as well as a volunteerfor the Clayton police, fired upthe community about the event.

“I try to get neighborhoodsthat have had Neighborhood

Photo courtesy of Tanya Trowbridge

EMILY NUNN (LEFT) AND TANYA TROWBRIDGE of the Blue Devilsdisplay their Open Class World Championship gold medalsAug. 8 in Indianapolis. The Clayton girls are part of an eight-member contingent from Clayton Valley High on theundefeated Blue Devils B Corps.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

SYDNEY, 7 AND CAMERON, 10,OKONESKI, grandchildren ofLowell Robison at NationalNight Out on Joscolo View.See Night Out, page 6See Blue Devils, page 4

A fire from an exteriortrashcan burned a wall and partof a roof at Clayton ValleyHigh School on Aug. 8, beforebeing extinguished promptly bylocal firefighters.

The fire, one of several dur-ing the past year, started in atrashcan resting against the walland affected a small area of theschool’s D block.

The school has had its shareof vandalism and is in theprocess of erecting a fence,part of the overall campussecurity improvements paid forby Prop. 55, reported trusteeGary Eberhart.

The school had a $37,000video camera system paid for in2005, in part by a $27,500 dona-tion from the Clayton Businessand Community Association.The camera system was

installed in December 2006 andhad some success in capturingvandalism offenders.

Since then, the system hasfallen into disrepair – promptinga concern about its effectiveness.

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 21, 2009

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Great hair day for Jenna CooperJenna Cooper, 5, and her

mom Jody, recently hadenough of the painful processof unsnarling the knots thattangled Jenna’s long wavy hair.One afternoon, she finally

said “Okay, mom, let’s just cutit off.”

Hoping for this outcome,Jenna’s parents had started talk-ing about the Locks of Loveprogram several months ago

and Jenna thought it was theperfect solution.

On Aug. 1, Jenna climbedup in the chair at Clayton GreatClips, and stylist Suzie, went towork to get all the knots outbefore cutting off 11 inches ofJenna’s hair. “It was a miraclethat I hadn’t expected,” saidJody.

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that pro-vides wigs to children who havelost their hair from illness. Formore information on the pro-gram, visitwww.locksoflove.org.

“My hair went to little kidsthat have lost their hair, Jennaexplains. “I hope they like it asmuch as I did.”

JENNA COOPER

HOWARD GELLER AND DEBBIE MULLINS

The Pioneertrekked north toAlaska with HowardGeller and DebbieMullins last month.This photo wastaken as theycrossed over theborder into theYukon Territory ofCanada via a trainride along the GoldRush Trail and wereheading back intoAlaska making theirway back toSkagway.

Auva comes to Utopia

Pioneer hits the Yukon

Clayton Valley school fireconsidered suspicious

Photo by Mike DunnFIREFIGHTERS USE A GARDEN HOSE to extinguish the trash canfire that scorched part of ‘D’ Wing of Clayton Valley High onAug. 8.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

help, we have to be very specif-ic about where we are in relationto street locations. Things lookdifferent out here.”

Public response to seeing auniform on the trails has beenpositive, says White.

“It’s good to know the trailsaren’t ignored,” said Claytonresident Patty Crane, who walksthe Cardinet Trail frequentlywith friend Lori Brooks.

“Good to see you out here,”another pair said, waving as theyrode by.

Patrolling on a bicycle

involves specialized skills. It’snot simply a matter of strappingon a helmet and hopping on thebike, White says. Balance at slowspeeds is critical, he explains ashe comes to a near standstillwhile keeping the bike upright.

Apprehending a suspect canalso be tricky from the seat of abicycle. “You have to slide to astop, drop the bike and drawyour gun or a taser – all fast,”White noted.

The costs for setting up theunit have been minimal.Bicycles purchased by the city

12 years go were refurbished.The department furnished thehelmets and shirts and the offi-cers bought the shorts andshoes with personal funds.

“This is very specializedduty,” White said. “It’s veryphysical and you have to reallywant to do it.”

“This isn’t as easy as itlooks,” a hot and tired Enea saidat the end of the day-long exer-cise. “Driving is a lot easier.”

However, on a bike, theofficer has more interactionwith the public. “It gets me outof the car and doing somethingbesides writing tickets,” saidWhite.

Bike Patrol, from page 1

AUVA DELILAH HAKIMI

Angela and Ash Hakimi,owners of Utopic Gardens ofClayton, welcomed the arrival ofAuva Delilah, 8 lbs. 9 ozs onAugust 1.

Aug 22Diamond DaveOldies to today’s top hits

Aug 29Replica80s rock tribute band

Sept 19Harvey & The Wall BangersRock, R&B, Countryand Oldies

Local Food To GoMoresi’s Chophouse

6115 Main St., 672 - 1333

Ed’s Mudville Grill 6200

Center St., 673-0333

La Veranda Cafe 6201

Center St., 524 - 0011

Skipolini’s Pizza 1035

Diablo St., 672 - 1111

Village Market 6104 Main

St., 672 - 0188

Johnny’s Int’l Deli &

Cafe’ 6101 Center St.,

672-1203

Cup O’Jo 6054 Main St.,

672-5105

Saturdays 6-8 p.m.

Through Sept. 19At the Gazebo in

The Grove

Sponsored by the cityof Clayton, CBCA andAllied Waste Services

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LABOR DAY DERBY AND CAR SHOWThe Sixth Annual Great Labor Day Derby and Antique Car

Show is Sat., Sept. 5. Kids from 7-14 race free in one of the officialsoapbox derby cars or a homemade custom car. More than 250 kidsare expected to try their hand at driving on a course that stretchesalong Main Street. For more Derby information, call DougLaVenture (510) 816-4221, or email [email protected].

Show your antique or classic car in the car show or just come toadmire the spectacular entries. Register from 8-10 a.m. For more carshow information, call Don Holmes, 689-8759.

See ads on page 8

Upcoming Events

Opa! to the 31st annual Greek Food and WineFestival set for Sept. 11, 12 and 13 at St. DemetriosGreek Orthodox Church on Kirker Pass Road inConcord. Come, be Greek for a day with food,wine, live music and dancing. Enjoy the large kids’area, Courtyard Café and authentic Greek food,wine and pastries by the Yiayias.

Festival hours are Fri., 5-11 p.m., Sat. noon-11p.m. and Sunday noon -8 p.m. Admission is $5;(FREE with the Pioneer ad running in the Sept. 11Pioneer) children under 12 are free and seniors 55and over are $3. Free parking. St. Demetrios GreekOrthodox Church (across from Sleep TrainPavilion), 1955 Kirker Pass Rd., Concord. Formore information, call (925) 676-6967.

The sixth annual Oktoberfest in downtown isset for Sept. 26 and 27.

Sponsored by the Clayton Business andCommunity Association, the event runs 11 a.m.-8p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.Admission and parking are free.

Oktoberfest hosts a traditional Biergarten withmusic starting at 12:30 p.m. each day featuring theInternationals, the only non-German band to beinvited to the Munich Oktoberfest. Visitors canalso enjoy performances by Bavarian dancers,street performers, puppeteers and marionettes.

Concessions will include German beer,German foods and California wines. Activities forthe whole family include carnival rides (startingFriday night) and arts and craft booths.

The CBCA sponsors three main fundraiser events each

year: The Art and Wine Festival in the spring, theClayton Classic Golf Tournament in June and theOktoberfest. Proceeds benefit charitable organizations,youth programs and scholarships.

For more information, call 672-2272 or visitwww.claytonoktoberfest.com.

CLAYTON’S OKTOBERFEST

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Obituaries

Joyce Murdock1929 – 2009

Clayton resident JoyceMurdock died July 14 inRocklin.

She was born in Los Angeleson Dec. 7, 1929, but grew up inRedwood City. She attendedWashington State Universityand received a degree in teach-ing. She was a member andserved as president of KappaDelta Sorority.

She was a resident ofClayton for nearly 50 years.She belonged to the ClaytonHistorical Society and theAmerican Association ofUniversity Women and wasdirector for many years forthe Clayton Community

School. She also was a noonsupervisor at Mt. DiabloElementary School for morethan 25 years.

Joyce enjoyed music, the the-ater, the outdoors (especiallygardens) and animals. She lovedto talk politics and about thehistory of people and placeswhere she has traveled. She wasalso an avid 49ers fan.

She was preceded in deathby her husband, Stanley A.Murdock. Survivors include herchildren, Dale Murdock, GaryMurdock, Lynn MurdockGossett and Mark Murdock;grandchildren Krystine,Noreen, Bryan, Corinne, Annaand Matthew; and great-grand-child Nathan.

Services were held July 24 inMenlo, Wash.

Faye Marilyn Tompach1935 – 2009

Clayton resident FayeMarilyn Tompach, 74, died Aug.11 of complications from sur-gery at John Muir MedicalCenter in Concord.

Faye was born July 10, 1935,in Fresno, one of three childrenof Earl and Arna Phillips. Shewas a former San Leandro andFremont resident and hasresided the past five years inClayton with her loving hus-band.

She was a wonderful wife,mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved music,traveling, gardening, knittingand cross stitching. She also wasa collector of dolls and teddybears, but most of all her familywas her passion.

She is survived by her hus-band of three years, Norm

Tompach, and daughters LindaRice of South Lake Tahoe,Bonnie Shelenski (Mark) ofBeaverton, Ore., and LisaSt.Pierre (Mike)of Pleasanton.Daughter JanaRice precededher in death, asdid her first hus-band Bill Rice.Other survivorsinclude brothersRichard Phillipsof San Leandroand ThomasPhillips (Cathy)of Los Angeles;five grandchil-dren, Greg, Drew, Amy,Stephanie and Emily; and twogreat-grandchildren, Takoa andEzekiel.

She was immediately accept-ed as a loving grandma byNorm’s seven grandchildrenafter their marriage.

A memorialcelebration ofFaye’s life willbe at 3 p.m.Saturday, Aug22, at QuimetBros. ConcordFuneral Chapel,4125 ClaytonRoad. In lieu offlowers, thefamily prefers amemorial con-tribution to theN a t i o n a l

Multiple Sclerosis Society,Northern California Chapter,1700 Owens St., Suite 190, SanFrancisco, CA 94158.

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Nebraska en route to the annualDCI World Championships inIndianapolis. There, they met upwith the A Corps, which hadbeen on tour a month longer.

At DCI, the Individual andEnsemble competition is heldbefore the teams compete Fridayand Saturday. Nunn decided toenter the individual competition,which is open to anyone fromthe World and Open classes.Annette Odello, part of the leg-endary family that founded theBlue Devils, choreographedNunn’s sabre solo routine.

The CV junior stunned herolder, more experienced com-petitors with a performance that

earned her the I&E individualcolor guard gold medal.

The Blue Devils B Corps puton stellar performances in thesemi-finals and finals to grabthe gold. The B Corps’ programwas entitled “Pursuit,” featuringthe music of Imogen Heap’s2005 hit “Hide and Seek,” JohnMeehan and John Mapes.

Rick Odello, brother ofAnnette and a 2008 DCI Hall ofFame inductee, is the director ofthe B and C corps. Their par-ents, Tony and Ann, foundedthe Blue Devils in 1957, a yearbefore Clayton Valley Highopened.

This was a bittersweet year

for the Odellos and the BlueDevils. Their patriarch, TonyOdello, died in March, so thedual World Championshipsproved a fitting tribute and justrewards after both corps tooksilver medals in 2008.

The Blue Devils A Corpshas won 13 DCI WorldChampionships, including atleast three in each of the pastfour decades.

“We’re happy, obviously, thatwe had a successful run at it andit’s nice to have an unblemishedrecord through the wholething,” Rick Odello said afterthe Indianapolis performance.“It’s a feeling beyond compare.”

For more information on the BlueDevils, visit www.bluedevils.org.

Blue Devils, from page 1

Photo courtesy Trowbridge family

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH STUDENTS OLIVIA HANSEN, EMILY NUNN AND TANYA TROWBRIDGE ARE PART OF

THE BLUE DEVILS B CORPS COLOR GUARD which helped their team win the DCI WorldChampionship Open Class gold medal in Indianapolis.

HELP WANTEDReal Estate Agents

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RENTALSSouth Lake Tahoe Vacation

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VOLUNTEERSWANTED

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers andrelief drivers needed for delivery ofMeals on Wheels in East County.People are on the waiting list due tolack of drivers. A small amount ofyour time can make a big differencein someone’s life. If you can help,please call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail [email protected].

Anna’s Attic Volunteers

Volunteers needed at the Hospice ofthe East Bay thrift store. Theaddress of the store is 5350 ClaytonRoad. Call store manager, Debbieat 674-9072 or Lamont Campbell at(925) 766-5066.

Hospice of the East Bay – Anna’s

Program

Seeking dedicated, caring volun-teers to provide home companion-ship and practical support forwomen with recurrent breast can-cer. Women served reside inCentral or East Contra Costa. Toapply for free training, call Hospiceof the East Bay at (925) 887-5678and ask for the VolunteerDepartment, or [email protected]'s Program is generously sup-ported by the Susan G. Komen forthe Cure, Anna's Attic Thrift Shop,and other community donations.


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Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .957-2500

Financial and Insurance Services

Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . .685-4523

CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900

Doug Van Wyck - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300

Ferrante Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .674-1755

Richard Littorno - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463

Fitness

Snap Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0110

Traveling Trainers for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6931

Funerals

Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242

Home and Garden

Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901

Blue Water Pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .519-2013

Clayton Valley Frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6066

Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245

Floors to Go Danville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700

Just Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4747

Keenan Heinz Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288-0159

Kitchen Make-Overs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7900

Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955

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Sparkle Pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5025

Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055

Window Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1930

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The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245

Personal Products and Services

Donna Plavetzky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000

Perfect Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8261

Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123

The Makeup Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-8010

Pet Services

Aussie Pet Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-738-6624

Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100

O’Brien Family Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-7354

Rodie’s Feed and Country Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541

French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787

Kavanaugh, Mike - RE/MAX Accord . . . . . . . . . .383-6102

Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .937-0150

Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329

Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .280-8563

Rahimzadeh, Helen -Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . .932-7375

Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433

Recreation

Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631

Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737

Senior Services

Aegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5853

Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100

Services, Other

Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700

Comcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-877-634-4434

Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989

Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180

Shopping

Donna’s Quilting Loft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0401

Pacific Coast Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9090

The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025

Travel

Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447

Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840

Directory of Advertisers

P.O. Box 12466200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorANDRÉ GENSBURGER, Reporter and Feature WriterPETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignBEV BRITTON, Copy Editor ROBERT HELENA, Sports BETH NEUDELL, Advertising Sales CHRISTINA SCARLOTT, Administrative Assistant

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

Tel: (925) 672-0500Fax: (925) 672-6580

Tamara [email protected]

André [email protected]

Beth [email protected]

Send ads [email protected]

Send Sports News [email protected]

Send Club News [email protected]

Send Church News [email protected]

Send School News [email protected]

CLASSIFIEDSClassified rates per insertion:Non-profit: $12 for first 30

words, $.20 each additionalword

Individual/non-commercial:$18 for first 30 words, $.30each additional word

Commercial: $48 for first 30words, $.40 each additionalword

To place your classified ad over thephone, call the office at (925) 672-0500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your type-written ad and credit card informa-tion to (925) 672-6580. All classifiedsmust be paid for in advance by creditcard (Master Card or Visa)

We will not accept any ad that dis-criminates on the basis of race, color,sex, religion, nationality, family statusor disability. The Clayton Pioneerreserves the right to reject any adver-tising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

saries, births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric of ourcommunity. Please let us know ofthese important events. We ask onlythat the announcement be for aClayton resident. You will find theappropriate form for your announce-ment on our Website. Attach yourphoto to the form. Make sure theimage size you are about to send is atleast 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB.The only format we accept is JPG. Youcan also mail or bring your print to theoffice and we can scan it for you.

Also on our Web site are formsfor submitting Community Calendaritems and press releases for yourorganization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Clayton Pioneer welcomesletters from our readers. As a generalrule, letters should be 300 words orless and submitted at least one weekprior to publication date. Letters con-cerning current issues will have priori-ty. We may edit letters for length andclarity. All letters will be published atthe editor’s discretion.

Please include your name, addressand daytime telephone number. Wewill not print letters from “anony-mous.”

E-mail your letter in a Worddocument to [email protected]. Letters MUST be sub-mitted via E-mail.

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The ability to sing, danceand express oneself musicallyis a wonderful part of beinghuman.

Before recorded music,many homes had pianos, gui-tars or drums and peopleknew how to play them.Family gatherings, specialmoments and daily routineswere frequently accompaniedby homemade music. Childrenlearned the basics of singingand dancing naturally, bywatching parents and familymembers and joining in thefun.

We are now more likely tobe consumers of music thanactive participants in creatingit, and many children aregrowing up without the earlymusical experiences they needto learn to sing in tune, keep abeat and participate with con-fidence and pleasure in mak-ing music.

Music Together is an earlychildhood music and move-ment program that helps chil-dren develop their natural

musical abilities by providing arich, stimulating musical envi-ronment during the criticalperiod between birth and age5. Through weekly classes,

quality supportingmaterials and parentinvolvement, MusicTogether inspires fam-ilies to bring music-making back into dailylife. This gives chil-dren the foundationfor a lifetime of musi-cal expression andenjoyment.

An innovator inthe field, MusicTogether began in1987 as an educationalproject of the Centerfor Music and YoungChildren in Princeton,N.J., whose sole pur-pose is to do researchon early childhoodmusic development.Out of this researchhas come the under-standing that all chil-dren are musical andcan fulfill their musi-

cal potential given the rightenvironment and the encour-agement and example fromtheir parents and caregivers.

In Music Together classes,the focus is on the actual expe-rience of music rather thanteaching concepts or informa-tion about music. Researchshows that children need toreach basic musical competen-cy first – singing in tune andkeeping a steady beat – beforestepping into learning aboutmusic. They need to firstunlock the code for the musicof our culture and they do thisby listening to and experi-menting with music.

Music Together ofConcord holds classes inHercules, Martinez, Concordand Clayton. The family-styleclasses offer a fun opportunityfor the whole family to attendclass, learning the same songstogether and bonding throughshared activities.

Prior to the start of the fallsemester, free demonstrationclasses will take place in lateAugust/early September.

Visit musictogetherofconcord.comto see the schedule or call 946 2990.


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REBECCA KOPCHICK has brought herdaughters Sophia, 3 and Elena, 18months, to Music Together classes inClayton since they were both infants.They especially love playing the bigdrum!

Watch meetings together inorder to build better communi-cation,” Yonge said. “Knowingone’s neighbors is one of thebenefits. It’s also an opportunityto provide folks with education-al materials on subjects such ashome security, vehicle thefts,bicycle safety and fightingcrime.”

“It seems to alert the com-munity as to the programs that(the police) have to offer,” saidLynn Christ, Clayton’s PoliceDepartment coordinator. “Itseems they have an easier timecontacting us as they have nowseen a face to go with thedepartment. The chief has anopen door policy and the com-munity enjoyed getting one onone time with him last yearwhen he was visiting theirneighborhoods.”

FOUR UNIQUE GATHERINGS

This year’s NNO locationswere the WestwoodHomeowners’ Association pool,Samuel Court, Eagle Peak Placeand Joscolo View. Each neigh-borhood approached the eventwith its own style, some offeringice cream while others weremore informational.

Keith Haydon, fresh off thePlanning Commission, acted asliaison for the Westwood event.“It’s important to establish goodrelations with the Claytonpolice,” he said of the neighbor-

hood association. “I know mostof them.”

Backing up to the nearbyshopping center, Westwood hasseen its share of errant behaviorand some vandalism. “Therehas been vandalism in the openspace areas and in the park,”Haydon added, explaining thathe hopes his CERT training willbe useful in finding solutions.

Neighbor Butch Kerr, hisson Nick and another neighborPeggy Eyres agreed withHaydon’s concerns.

“Clayton needs more activi-ties for teens,” Butch said.

“A bike park would begood,” Nick added.

“It would be nice,” Peggysaid. “We have all that openspace …”

According to the conversa-tion, local teens may want tobuild the necessary jumpsthemselves for a permanentbike park that would offer acentral place to occupy them.Previously, unauthorized rampstructures had been removed bythe city.

OLD-FASHIONED FUN

On Joscolo View, about 30neighbors gathered – with MariaArvizu bringing homemade icecream.

Lowell Robison and wifeVicki had grandchildren Sydneyand Cameron Okoneski visitingfrom Oregon. “This is a nice

group of neighbors,” he said,explaining that they get togetherfrequently. “The last one wasJuly 4.”

Organized by John Hunter,this group had materials avail-able on a nearby table. “LynnChrist and Sgt. Scott Dansiecame by,” Hunter explained.“I’m making a short presenta-tion on CERT.”

Leah Rose, who organizedthe Samuel Court gathering,noted that some homes hadexperienced “issues” over theyear.

“We’ve had a few thingsgoing on,” she said. “One of theneighbor’s mailboxes was blownup and a flag burned.”

She cited the proximity ofthe house to a trail and the high-er incidence of teens wanderingdue to summer vacation. “Itcould also be because the econ-omy is the way it is,” she added.“People get desperate.”

While Clayton remains a safeplace, Rose is taking no chancesand installed a security system.Meetings like this also help getthe neighbors coordinated towatch out for strange happen-ings.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

Karen Treppa coordinatedthe Eagle Peak Place meeting atthe safe enclave off Eagle PeakAvenue. “We were going to do itlast year,” she said, “but it fellthrough.”

Odd-numbered houses wereto bring dessert, while even-numbered houses supplied

drinks. “Eagle Peak is a longstreet,” she said. “I know everyother house. This is a good wayto bring people together.”

“If we know each other, webecome a tighter community,”said neighbor Dana Diaz. Herhusband, Jim, used to be areserve lieutenant with theClayton police.

“We know our neighbors,”Jim added, “but we didn’t meetHerb (Yonge) until the Evitewas sent out for this event.”

Cpl. Rich Enea and PoliceExplorer Matt McLaughlin alsomade the rounds during theevent. “Where we get a lot ofhelp is when neighbors call theirneighbors,” Enea explained.“That’s what makes Clayton –people who know each other.”

Chatting with the Westwoodgroup, Enea explained that thepolice department had plans fordealing with vandalism and thepark problems that were topicsof conversations during theevening. That includes the useof police officers on bicycles. Inwhat he called a “major offen-sive” to enforce park rules,Enea hoped that the addedpresence would be a deterrentto anyone who should not bethere.

From the turnout, the eventseemed to be a success. Eachgroup had some new faces whileneighbors who already kneweach other took the time to relaxtogether and enjoy the fact thatthey reside in one of the top100 places to live in the UnitedStates.

Night Out, from page 1

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The pen is mightier than the person behind the nib

It’s a dying art form, I tell you.As I hold my Parker 51 fountainpen, with a 14k gold nib andpressed gold cap, this fine writinginstrument screams out for me toimprove my handwriting and beworthy of the device.

And well I should, since thepen belonged to my grandfatherduring an age when everyonewrote nicely with either a fountainpen or a pencil. If you were edu-cated, you learned to write with afountain pen – often with someaffect in style that made yourhandwriting distinctive.

It takes skill to use a fountainpen. It takes patience to feel thepen and find the proper anglewhere the nib, angled flat, willglide across the paper leaving aperfectly even line of ink thatlooks unlike any other form ofwriting. It takes practice to twist itever so lightly between fingertipsto accentuate or decrease thethrust of the stroke, producing avaried flair on the handles of eachletter, depending on your moodand intent.

And, of course, it takes prac-

tice to avoid ink-stained fingersfrom badly held pens, coarselyrefilled.

I always imagined that a quillwould be far more difficult tomaster, interrupted by the smallreservoir built into the tip runningout of ink and having to dip andretract before resuming exactlywhere you left off.

The fountain pen offers anoth-er advantage. As a child of tech-nology, I am used to my computerkeyboard racing with my thoughtsas fingers spit out the letters thatconvey to you every last droppingfrom my brain, free of edit or cen-sorship, until I am forced to rereadand reduce the contents.

With a fountain pen, yourwriting speed is slowed, gearedmore to quality of letter forma-tion than thought and this, in turn,requires you to slow down yourthinking and attune your wordchoice to a higher level of accura-cy. Be precise. Be concise.

I remember my father, foun-tain pen in hand, writing a person-al letter – only to discard the firstfew drafts due to error or an addi-tional thought that needed to beincluded. Longhand with a foun-tain pen demands accuracy; thereis nothing worse than a fountainpen letter riddled with deletions

and corrections.To use a fountain pen implies

a level of skill. Such a personwould never accept so poor aform of writing as that with errorsand corrections. In fact, the ruleused to be three errors on a pageand you start over; but that rulewas meant for people who spendtheir time justifying not rewritingthe whole thing.

When I taught school, I intro-duced my class to fountain pens.First they had to demonstrateneatness and accuracy with a pen-cil, followed by a ball point pen.This took several weeks. At last,having mastered a degree of skillwith the cruder instruments, Iwould approve them for a foun-tain pen.

To start them off, I purchaseddisposable fountain pens – all Icould afford on a teacher’s salary. Idelighted in their faces as theytreasured this small plastic penwith a funny nib. And I reveled inthe discipline they brought forthto master the technique thatwould allow them to use thedevice.

Each day they would bring metheir work, totally neat, free oferrors. Most had rewritten severaltimes to achieve that degree ofaccuracy. It was, for them, a point

of pride.Pleased, I would write their

parents a letter urging that theyinvest in a less disposable,although affordable refillablefountain pen. When the studentscame to school next, most had anew pen, metallic barrels andrefillable cartridges. They broughtthe boxes the pens came in andasked me, at recess, to guard theirtreasure against theft.

Mathematical calculations on asheet using a fountain pen are asight to behold – spread out andneatly presented. Each studenthad gained two pieces of valuableinsight. The first, the lesson inmathematics and the second, thatpresentation is as crucial as educa-tion.

When we speak of educatingour children, we often forget thateducation is more than just thecontent knowledge. Education isthe acquisition of the skill oflearning, the process of learningand the execution of learning andfor that the pen is certainly amightier incentive as they learn todeal with it.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

DEAL WITH IT

André Gensburger is a staffreporter and feature writer for thePioneer. His email address [email protected]

Buyers can get a good deal buying‘as is’ but it can take extra effort

In our current market many ofthe sales are “as is” sales. “As is”refers to a property that is to besold in its present condition.Usually the seller won’t warrant thecondition of the property. Thebuyer takes responsibility for cor-recting any defects.

“Short sale “ transactions areusually “as is” sales. This is whenthe seller owes more on the prop-erty then the market will bear. Inthis case the seller has no moneyfor repairs and the bank they owethe money to usually won’t pay forany repairs.

Probate and foreclosure salesare often “as is” sales. In bothcases, the seller acquired the prop-erty through adverse conditions.In the case of a probate sale, theprevious owner died and the prop-erty is being sold to settle theestate. With a foreclosure sale, theprevious owner stopped makingmortgage payments and the prop-erty is being sold by the lender.

In these situations, you may bebuying from a seller who doesn’thave any knowledge about theproperty condition. There may ormay not be reports available. Evenif the seller has reports, have the

property thoroughly inspected byqualified professionals before youbuy.

The benefit of buying “as is,”even if the property is in poorcondition, is that you’ll pay a lowerprice than you would if the prop-erty was in better condition. Thecosts that are determined by thesale price will be lower. And yourproperty taxes might be lower.

Another benefit is that you’llbe in control of rehabilitating theproperty, so the fix-up work willreflect what you want in the home– not someone else’s taste.However, you’ll need to pay forthe improvements.

Carefully investigate the reno-vation costs so that you don’t over-pay for a rundown property.

“As is” buyers who are plan-ning to make big modifications tothe property should check with thelocal planning department to makesure that their plans are realistic.Some cities have strict designreview requirements that home-owners must satisfy before reno-vating their homes. In addition,plan on the project costing morethan you anticipate it will.

Often buyers buy “as is”

regarding a specific item, ratherthan buying the entire property onan “as is” basis. Let’s say the deckis dry rotted and termite infestedand needs to be replaced. The sell-er is willing to have the work done,but the buyers don’t want the deckreplaced as it is. They want toexpand it and add French doorsleading from the kitchen to thedeck.

It’s unreasonable to expect sell-ers to pay for buyers’ remodelingprojects. However, most sellerswill reduce the sale price by theamount of the seller’s deckreplacement bid if the buyers takethe deck “as is.” The buyers get alower purchase price and they gaincontrol over the project. Ofcourse, they have to pay for it.

For buyers who are short oncash, it might be better to ask theseller to give cash credit at closing(called a closing cost credit) for theamount of the seller’s deck bid.The sale price in not reduced, butthe buyers receive cash at closingthat can be used for the deck work.

Make sure to check with yourlender regarding a closing costcredit. Most lenders will allow sucha credit, but there are limitations.

For instance, the total amount ofthe credit can’t exceed 3-6 percentof the purchase price. And it usu-ally can’t exceed the total amountof the buyers’ nonrecurring clos-ing costs (closing costs paid on aone-time only basis, like mortgagepoints).

Buying “as is” is not recom-mended for first-time buyers, orfor any buyer who can’t cope withthe additional workload and stressthat goes along with remodeling.

This article first appeared inthe August 8, 2008 issue of thePioneer. In the past year, the num-ber of homes on the market forsale “as is” make this informationeven more pertinent and worthrepeating.

Lynne French is the broker/owner ofWindermere Lynne French & Associatesand a Clayton resident. For any realestate needs or questions, contact her at672-8787, [email protected] orstop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE

During the August meet-ing of the Clayton ValleyGarden Club, membersshowed their appreciation toR&M Pool, Patio andGardens for all of the supportthe business has provided tothe club for the past 10 years.Roy and Melanie Alarcon ofR&M are shown with the newplaque.

Club News

The Clayton Garden Clubwould have you believe that, asan old Chinese proverb goes,“Life begins the day you startyour garden.”

At first glance, it sounds likejust another quaint fortunecookie sentiment. Yet as you digdeeper into the club, its mem-bers and what they haveachieved, you find that at theroot level, the proverb is anentrenched philosophy thatspans most of the lives of themembership.

Club president Linda Cruz isa good example. “I always had alove for life, plants and ani-mals,” she said. “I wanted to bea farmer, except my farm ani-mals would be pets.”

Contrast that to her 38 yearswith the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration, followed by twoyears at the Clayton Post Officebefore finally allowing herselfthe dirty hands worthy of a truegarden impresario.

“I think most members join

the club as we have a commoninterest in gardening and wantto learn more by sharing ideasand knowledge with each otherand learning from our monthlyspeakers,” she said.

“The many activities that wedo together as volunteers helpsus build a bond of friendshipthat I think is what makes theclub great,” noted club officerBob Beitler. “We work hard onour projects like the plant sales,library beds, downtown plantersand middle school garden.”

Beitler considers himself a“late bloomer in the world ofgardening,” despite having ahuge garden in the mountains ofColorado as a boy. “My realinterest in gardening beganwhen Penny and I built a pot-ting shed/greenhouse. I kid-dingly refer to it as the TajMahal of potting sheds since itdidn’t come in a kit and is builtbetter than our house,” he said.

“Just watching the increasednumber of butterflies, birds,bees, etc. in my yard from theplants I have planted since join-

ing the club makes me realizehow with a little effort and theright knowledge, we can createsome great microclimates.”

EDUCATING THROUGH

GARDENING

Diablo View Middle Schoolstudents got a new way of look-ing at their lives through a gar-den built in 2007 from $500donated by the club. Other sup-port came from ClaytonBusiness and CommunityAssociation and hours of volun-teer labor.

Garden club memberLeeAnn Sanders had askedDVMS special ed teacher KimLewis if she could come intothe class once a week to teachlife science. Sanders’ idea was tobuild raised beds so studentswith special needs could havehands-on experience.

Crossroads RecycledLumber of North Fork, justsouth of Yosemite, donatedreclaimed lumber from oldgrowth redwoods from theScotia Lumber Mill. For the pasttwo years, the school project hasreceived additional grants of$2,000 from the Clean WaterProgram under the WatershedProject for the successful gar-den education program.

Through all the compassion-ate acts and donations, theyhave built storage sheds fortools, obtained gloves, enhancedthe garden beds and added secu-rity fencing. The project featuresworm and compost bins.Recycling is kept in the storagesheds and helps fund field tripsand cooking projects.

CURBING AN INFESTATION

On Aug. 5, club membersCruz, Peggy Arundell, Bob

Frost and Tina Frost workedwith Lewis to clear a raised bedthat was infested with nut sedge.About 6 inches of top soil,plants and roots with nutsattached had to be removed.The remaining soil was leveled

and watered thoroughly. Two-milliliter clear plastic was laiddown to seal the soil. The plas-tic will remain on the soil forabout eight weeks.

The wet soil and heat fromAugust and September sun, alongwith the clear plastic, shoulddestroy weed seeds and anyremaining nuts – which are actual-ly tubers from the sedge. This

treatment is called solarization andis preferable as no toxins are used.

New soil will need to bebrought in to replace the infest-ed material. Future controlinvolves removing small sedgeplants before they have five-six

leaves, which would be everyfew weeks during the summer.

BUDDING INTERESTS

Club projects usually attractoutside interest. “We are a smallclub with about 50 members,”Cruz said. “As we grow and getnew younger members, we getnew energy and new ideas.When I was informing people

about our recent planned proj-ect of building elevated gardenbeds that give access to wheel-chairs one woman stated, ‘Icould really get into that’ andwas very eager to learn moreabout the club.”

The spirit of volunteerismbinds club members together.Nicole Hackett, who writes forthe Pioneer under the monikerGarden Girl, is another green-fingered convert. With a littlehelp from her mother-in-law,she found herself drawn intothe foliage.


Free Family FunClayton Community Church presents the Sixth Annual

In association with Insurance Management Corp.

Sat., Sept. 5, 2009 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This event is intended as an opportunity for family fun. Kids age 7-14 can register. There is NO fee to participate.Register by August 29th to get a free t-shirt and run in two races.

For event info contact: Doug LaVenture(510) 816-4221, [email protected]

For registration info contact: Gaylynn LaVenture(925) 673-5337, [email protected]

Kids Race Free!

Cars are provided!

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tact Doug LaVenture.

Entry limited to 1st 250 racers.

Registration form available online at www.claytoncc.com

Community service tops list of Garden Club goals ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy of the Clayton Valley Garden Club

AMONG THE MANY TO BENEFIT from Clayton Valley Garden Club efforts is Diablo View MiddleSchool where members spent a back-breaking four hours clearing a raised bed for the gardeneducation project. From left: Bob Frost, Tina Frost, Linda Cruz, Kim Lewis and Peggy Arundel

See Garden Club, page 14

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Be vigilant – wildlandfires are always a threat

While spending time withmy 5-year-old recently, I wasreminded of the dangers of thearea we live in and how we aresusceptible to wildfire danger.

My son and I were at a churchfunction and, as we were sittingdown outside, we began to hearsirens. Over the next 20-30 min-utes, both of us stood on ClaytonRoad and watched several fireengines zoom by – heading to abrush fire on Marsh Creek Road.

While it was exciting towatch my son be enthralled bythe fire trucks, his questions andchatter about where they wereheading made me realize thethreat of where we live. It was agood reminder that we need tobe vigilant.

LIVING NEAR WILDLAND

We live in what fire protectionauthorities call a Wildland UrbanInterface (WUI). MoreAmericans are building homesand living in the WUI – the zonewhere homes are intermixed withwildland vegetation. One govern-ment-sponsored study estimatesthat 44 million homes in thelower 48 states are located in

areas that meet or interminglewith wildland vegetation. In the1990s, 1.7 million new homeswere built in the WUI inCalifornia, Oregon andWashington alone – bringing thetotal of homes contained in theWUI in these three states to near-ly 7 million.

According to the ContraCosta County Fire ProtectionDistrict Website, there are morethan 4,000 properties that areconsidered Priority HazardZones (PHZs) in Contra CostaCounty. They are at the greatestrisk of wildfires.

The properties are consideredPHZs due to their close proxim-ity to open space, topography,degree of slope, density ofhomes, amount of vegetation(both native and ornamental),lack of emergency vehicle acces-sibility and other conditionsfavorable to fast-moving anddestructive fires.

Natural wildland fires aregenerally caused by lightning,while some fires are caused bysparks from falling rocks.Volcanic activity such as MountSt. Helens, although rare, cause

wildfires as well.Unfortunately, human activity

is the primary cause of wildlandfires. Examples include (butaren’t limited to) sparks fromcars, cigarette butts being tossedout of moving vehicles, fire-works, arson and embers fromcampfires.

BE READY TO EVACUATE

If you are advised or orderedto evacuate during a wildland fire,do so immediately. Follow direc-tions of emergency officials andmake sure to take any necessaryprescription medications or med-ical equipment with you. Wearsturdy shoes or boots, non-flam-mable clothing, hat and gloves.

Lock your home and followthe designated routes or a saferoute away from fire hazards. Ifyou’re caught in a wildfire andyou find yourself trapped in thepath of a raging wildfire, you

HARUN SIMBIRDI

SAFETY ZONE

Socially active seniors age atslower rate; stay healthy longer

Solitude seems to speed theeffects of aging, and an activesocial life may help elderly peo-ple fight off many of thesesigns.

Older adults who seldomparticipate in social activitiesexperience a faster rate ofmotor function decline thanthose with an active social life.Researchers found that eachpoint decrease in a person’ssocial activity score was associ-ated with a 33 percent faster rateof motor function decline.

Motor function decline suchas decreased muscle strength,coordination and dexterity iscommonly associated with agingand related to dementia, poten-

tially disabling falls and evendeath. Although motor functiondecline is a growing publichealth concern, researchers saylittle is known about factors thatcontribute to the problem orwhat interventions may helpslow its progression.

Being active as we age is crit-ical, yet social contact and activ-ities become seemingly lessavailable. There are avenues inwhich to find ways to becomemore active, including going torestaurants, playing bingo, vol-unteering, visiting friends orfamily and attending a religiousservice.

Local senior centers offernumerous activities and outings,from lunches to classes, dancesand trips. Getting out to meetpeople is key; making newfriends along the way is anadded benefit.

Often as we age, our circleof friends becomes smaller.Losing a partner can inhibit oursocial outings. The sense ofloneliness and loss often makesit harder to get out. Many peo-ple become complacent andonly leave their home whenabsolutely necessary.

Activities such as dining,which would normally be a timeof socialization, become mun-dane – with no conversation.Thus, eating may become lessimportant. Healthy eating andsocialization often go hand-in-hand.

Volunteering is also a greatexample of socialization.Getting out and giving backbrings one a sense of communi-ty. Keeping in touch with theworld around you and the peo-ple in it is an important part ofkeeping physically and mentallyactive.

Check out local hospitals,schools and community centersfor opportunities to give back.What you have to offer could bea great benefit to others as wellas to yourself.

Feeling productive and goodabout oneself is priceless. Wemay not always feel like beingsocial and some alone time isgood, but don’t let the lack ofsocialization risk your health.

KELLY FERRO

SENIOR MOMENTS

Kelly Ferro is MarketingDirector for Aegis of Concord. Sendcomments or questions [email protected]

See Safety, page 15

August 21 to 28


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Otters win league championship in final race For Dana Hills swim team

coach Kelly McCabe, the ContraCosta Swim League meet was themost exciting she has coached.After 537 races over two days inPleasant Hill, the championshipcame down to the 538th andfinal race, the 15-18 boysfreestyle relay.

“I have never been so proudto coach a team and be part ofsuch an exciting meet,” McCabesaid.

The Dana Hills Otters havebeen members of the prestigiousrecreational swim league since1996 but had never finishedhigher than second place in theteam standings at league meet.“Our team was more focused onwinning league rather than citythis year,” McCabe explained.

The Dana Hills 15-18 boys Afree relay of Josh Harmon,Patrick Keane, Michael Chiokand Derek Anderson set a meetand pool record to take first,while the DHST B relay of TJBrassil, Nick Fong, ZacharyHarmon and Chris Mills finishedsixth. Those results were enoughto wrest the team championshipaway from LMYA, whichentered the final relay ahead by13 points.

The drama had been height-ened in the next-to-last eventwhen the Otters’ record-break-ing girls relay was disqualified,allowing LMYA to maintain theteam lead into the final racebefore the Otters claimed theirfirst league championship with765 points to 762 for LMYA.

“The CCSL meet was a

watershed event for DHST,”club president Grant Bazansaid. “The league is brimmingwith talent, yet through its excel-lent swimmers, coaches and par-ents, Dana Hills finally pre-vailed.”

According to McCabe, the15-18s played a huge role in theteam’s success at league meet.Keane was the older boys A divi-sion high-point winner, whileAshley Jennings (A) and PaigeReilly (B) were each second high

point for 15-18 girls. The 15-18boys medley relay of Anderson,Keane, Harmon and Chiokbroke the team record. Keane setmeet and pool marks in the 100IM and 100 breast, whileAnderson set meet and poolstandards in the 100 back.

Ryanne Boland (A) andSamantha Schauman (B) were 6and under high-point winners.Niklas Weigelt (7-8 A), AlinaWeigelt (9-10 A) and JustineTrimble (11-12 A) were all high-

point runners-up.At the league meet, swim-

mers can compete in each ofthe five individual strokes – withthe top scorer from all eventswinning high-point honors.With 225 swimmers, Dana Hillswas second to host Pleasant HillDolfins in the number ofentries.

McCabe lauded other Ottersfor their league meet perform-ances. “Jack Skow dropped twoseconds in freestyle and quali-

fied for county with a 19.53,placing second overall. NiklasWeigelt dropped four secondsto almost beat an undefeatedswimmer in IM. He went from abest time of 1:24 to 1:20.09.”

She also mentioned Boland,who was seeded seventh inbackstroke, swam a best timeand took first overall while qual-ifying for county.

Niklas Weigelt broke the1998 7-8 boys team records in25 breast and 100 IM. The 7-8

girls 100 free relay with BrookeJohnson, Gabi Mancini, CamilleCline and Sarah Hamilton low-ered the 1993 mark with a timeof 1:03.31 and the 13-14 freerelay of Megan Coppa, SaraAbele, Samantha Boeger andNikki Palmer broke the 2005record with a time of 1:44.97.

The 6 and under girls 100free relay with Emily Hamilton,Katie Mirabella, Rylie Velez andBoland established a poolrecord with 1:24.71.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Joern Weigelt

THE DANA HILLS OTTERS CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST CONTRA COSTA SWIM LEAGUE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP. Coach Kelly McCabe, at center in white polo shirt, leadsthe “We’re No. 1!” cheer for the team.

Ipsen conquers fear to take silver at World The United States had its

worst-ever showing inOlympic diving last year inBeijing. Just 11 months later,the U.S. team bounced backfrom the medal-less Olympicsat the 13th FINA WorldChampionships in Rome and ayoung high school studentfrom Clayton played a pivotalrole in the turnaround.

Kristian Ipsen, a 16-year-old who started his junior yearat De La Salle this week,helped the U.S. diving team toits best showing in the WorldChampionships since 1991. He

combined with 29-year-oldTroy Dumais to win America’sfirst medal with a second placein the 3-meter synchronizedspringboard.

Ipsen rose up the USADiving ladder in recent years,but he had never been under asmuch pressure as he was dur-ing the final round of theWorld Championships July 18.There, he faced the world’sbest synchro teams, includingthe Olympic gold medalistsfrom China.

The Americans were firstafter the preliminary round, asthe Olympic champs experi-enced a rare bobble when oneof the Chinese divers almost

fell off the board due to highwinds.

“I’m used to diving out-doors, something the Chinesedon’t do. But it was windy evenfor me,” explained Ipsen, whotrained in Walnut Creek formany years.

By finishing first in the pre-lims, Dumais and Ipsen dovelast in the finals where teamsdo two easier, compulsorydives and four harder, optionaldives. The Americans did theircompulsory dives very well.

At that point, perhapswhere he was and what he wasdoing hit Ipsen for the firsttime. “I was pretty nervous.”This manifested itself in Ipsen

being tight.“He didn’t set himself up

and was a little short on thetakeoff,” says Ipsen’s DiabloDivers coach Phil Tonne.“Kristian did a phenomenaljob once he was off the boardto pull off the dives. It waspretty amazing.”

In synchro diving, you divein tandem with your partner.The majority of the judges arelooking at how the two diversperform together.

Dumais is a three-timeOlympian and this was hissixth World Championshipmeet. After the first optional

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy Ipsen family

KRISTIAN IPSEN (LEFT) AND HIS PARTNER TROY DUMAIS capturedthe silver medal for the United States at the FINA WorldChampionships in Rome in the men’s 3-meter synchro spring-board diving event, finishing behind the Olympic gold medal-ists from China. See Ipsen, page 11

dive, the U.S. team dropped tosixth place, then moved up tofifth after four dives. That’swhen Dumais and Tonnetalked to Ipsen with the samemessage: “Relax, loosen up.”

“They were very calm andtold me to run around thewarm-up room, stretch andget rid of the extra adrena-line,” Ipsen recalls.

The advice paid off. In thefifth dive, the team’s most dif-ficult, Ipsen scored 8.5 fromthe judges – even higher than

Dumais. The Americansmoved up to second.

That put all the pressureon their final dive, a reverse2½ with 1½ twists. “We dothis last because we’re confi-dent in it,” Ipsen notes.

The television announcer(you can watch on YouTube)called it: “The final dive of thecompetition … All down tothis for the silver medal …The Americans have done itwhen it counted … They wereunder pressure and they did

not wilt!”The pair scored higher on

that dive than any teambesides the Chinese on anydive in the entire competition.

Veteran Dumais and theyoung Californian got the sil-ver medal. Buoyed by this per-formance, Team USA went onto win three more silvers.

Following the diving therewere photos, a medal ceremo-ny and press conference withthe international media. “Theymostly asked about our agedifference,” says Ipsen. “Itwas all pretty surreal.”

Reality didn’t really hit himuntil he met up with his par-ents, Kent and Yvette, and 13-

year-old sister Lauren. “Mydad has traveled with me tomost meets, but my mom usu-ally stays home since Laurenhas so many activities.”

Following the meet, theIpsens visited Lake Como,Venice and the Amalfi Coastas the athlete took a breakfrom diving, including missingthe U.S. Nationals for the firsttime since he was 8.

When he got home, wait-ing for him was the latestSports Illustrated magazinewith its two-page photospread, featuring Ipsen andDumais in a dramatic mid-airdive.

Nothing surreal about that.

With more than 100 kidsinvolved, Oakhurst CountryClub has built an up and com-ing competitive junior tennisprogram in Clayton.

“Ten years ago, there wasn’ta junior tennis program,” notestennis director CalvinThompson.

The junior tennis programprovides instruction for all skilllevels and is geared for the kidsto have fun and improve. Theprogram also hopes to providea path for those who want toplay at the high school and col-lege level.

“I think it’s fun,” says sec-

ond-year tennis player GabyBacigalupo. “I like playingother clubs and see how I doagainst them.”

The club has a year-round,after-school junior tennis pro-gram and an extensive summerprogram that includes variouscamps. The age groups forcamps vary from 4-18 yearolds, and outside tennisinstructors are brought in tohandle the demand.

TEAMS MAKING

ADVANCEMENTS

This year, the club had fiveteams – Boys 12, 15 and 18 andGirls 15 and 18 – competing inU.S. Tennis Association

(USTA) sponsored leagues.The teams are open to non-club members as well.

The Boys 15 qualified forthe sectionals in Clovis, whichincludes the top 16 teams inNorthern California. Theymade it there by finishing sec-ond in league play behind CrowCanyon Country Club.

“We were a pretty goodteam. We worked hard,” saysBrandon Sovik, a Boys 15 play-er. “We knew we were goodonce we won a few matches.”

The Boys 18 also had a win-ning season.

“We have a good core ofyoung players,” boastsThompson.

FINDING THE

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Tennis is considered anindividual sport, andThompson compares it tobaseball. “If you’re trying toget a college scholarship, theschool is not going to care ifyour team won or lost. They aregoing to care what your ERAwas. Same thing in tennis. Howmany matches did you win?”

To be competitive, a tennisplayer has to commit to thesport, be smart, have disciplineand possess problem-solvingskills to figure out the oppo-nent. Being a good athlete alsohelps. “It’s similar to basket-ball,” Thompson reports.“Quick stop, change directionsand being fairly fit.”

Parents also need to be onboard to drive the kids around.It’s not much different thatsome of the club soccer andtraveling baseball commit-ments.

RECOGNIZING KEY PLAYERS

According to Thompson,those interested in playing atthe collegiate level need to takeup the sport by age 12 or 13.Diablo View Middle School

student Sovik, 12, is one suchplayer and is ranked in the top40 in Northern California.

Sovik played up and was akey member of the 15-year-oldboys’ team. He used to playhockey but now plays tennisfull time. “I’m all tennis, all thetime,” says Sovik, who practicesfive days a week for two-threehours per day.

On the girls’ side, EmilyHumphrey is considered astandout. She just turned 12and played on the Girls 15team. Although the team didnot make playoffs, Humphreywas invited to play for CrowCanyon Country Club in itsplayoff push.

Final confirmation that theprogram has truly arrived isreflected in the success of play-ers who have come through theprogram, such as Mike Riser.He is currently the No. 1 playerat UC Davis.

Building competitive teamsrequires qualified direction andcoaching at the top. Thompsonseems to have the resume to fitthe bill. He played tennis onscholarship for the Universityof Nevada, later transferring to

Long Beach State, an NCAADivision 1 top 20 team at thetime.

Thompson also ran theSpare Time Tennis Academy inSacramento for sectional andnationally ranked juniors. Afterthat, Thompson was the headpro at the University Club inPalo Alto. He still competes intournaments.

Thompson feels good aboutwhere the program is going.“We built it up enough to nowwe rent out the Clayton ValleyHigh School courts,” saysThompson, who credits CVcoach Rich Ortega for his sup-port as well.

Thompson’s goal for theprogram going forward is tomake team tennis a fun event,more family-oriented and lessindividualist.


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Oakhurst junior tennis aces opponentsROBERT HELENA

Clayton Pioneer

Robert Helena/Clayton Pioneer

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RANKED PLAYER Brandon Sovik is knownfor his deadly forehand.

Robert Helena/Clayton Pioneer

AT JUST 12 YEARS OLD, EmilyHumphrey is making hermark in the older divisions.

Ipsen, from page 10

Clayton Sports PPlleeaassee hheellpp tthhee PPiioonneeeerr ttoo ccoovveerr tthhee llooccaall ssppoorrttss sscceennee..Send competition results, story ideas, announcements,sports shorts, etc. to [email protected]. Pleaseattach a high-resolution photo whenever available.

The 2009 U14 Junior AllStars capped off another greatseason for Clayton Valley LittleLeague.

Led by coaches DaveDunkley, Greg Cannedy and animpressive lineup of top base-ball players, including sometournament players, the JuniorsAll Stars rolled to the District 4championship game.

They displayed a balancedattack, with dominant pitchingby J.T. McGrane and CarterNewton. The big composite wasled by power hitters JoeEssayan, Zack Newton andMatt Jacobson. “We had good

pitching combined with timelyhitting,” says Dunkley.

In their first game againstEast County, the Juniors wereready to make a serious run.Displaying all facets of thegame, pitching, hitting and field-ing, they won 13-3.

In the second game, theJuniors encountered a littlemore resistance, but their stellarpitching and timely hitting pre-vailed with a 4-0 shutout overthe Walnut Creek All Stars.

Rolling right along, the teamposted its second consecutiveshutout. This time, the Juniorsspanked the Concord AmericanAll Stars 10-0.

During this tremendous run,


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Clayton swimmers help bring JuniorOlympics water polo gold for 680 Drivers

In case you haven’t noticed,there are five gold medals inClayton. The 680 Drivers U14Girls water polo team capturedthe gold medal in the GoldDivision at the 2009 S&R SportJunior Olympics Water PoloChampionships.

The four-day championshipevent featured teams from allover the country. The 680Drivers includes girls along the680 corridor from San Ramonto Clayton, with Clayton resi-dents Taylor Ryle, Casey Adams,Riley Shaw, Sara Johnson andKimberly Anderson.

The 680 Drivers is a nation-ally ranked, year-round waterpolo club team that practicesprimarily at Las Lomas HighSchool in Walnut Creek. “We’re

ranked in the top 12 nationally,”says coach Todd Halvorson.

The road to gold started offrocky. The team was placed in adifficult draw within the presti-

gious PlatinumDivision. Theywere knockedout of theP l a t i n u mDivision on thefirst day with a10-2 loss toS o u t h e r nCalifornia pow-erhouse CHAWPand a close 4-3loss to Chicago.

Once in theGold Division,680 got off to afast start with a

7-4 win over the Peninsula Areateam SOLO and an 11-8 winover Irvine. Day three startedwith a frustrating 5-2 loss toDavis that forced the team tobattle out of the losers’ bracket.

The team bounced back withan 11-6 victory over theHouston water polo club and a5-4 win over La Jolla. The goldmedal game was a rematch withDavis.

“They just didn’t play well inthe first game,” says Halvorson.“So I told the girls that are veryfew times in water polo or in lifewhen you get another chance tofix your mistakes.”

This time around, toughdefense led by Johnson andAnderson combined with a con-stant counter attack by Erin

Livingston to leave Davis tread-ing water as the 680 Driverstook the gold medal game 7-5.

Last summer, most of thegirls began in the non-competi-tive 680 Drivers Clinics. Only ayear later, they started on anationally ranked team.

“I think that’s remarkablewhat these Clayton girls havebeen able to accomplish andcome together,” says Halvorson.

The 680 Drivers waslaunched four years ago whenfour club teams, East Bay WaterPolo, Danville Water Polo,Alamo Water Polo and DanvilleBoulevards, combined. The clubhas more than 120 girls spreadover five age groups this year.

The year-round program isbroken down by seasons. In thefall, winter and spring, the teamfocuses on fundamentals, prac-ticing two hours, twice a week.The summer program is when itreally cranks up. They practicetwo hours, four times a week,combining fundamentals withconditioning and toughness. Toimprove competitiveness, theyounger age groups play againstthe older age groups.

Water polo players have tobe able to tread water and swim.The skill set bears similarities tobasketball and soccer. “Like bas-ketball, you handle the ball withone hand and there are certainplays you run,” Halvorsonnotes. “Soccer is similar withskills at the positions.”

ROBERT HELENA

Clayton Pioneer

ROBERT HELENA

Clayton Pioneer

DEFENSIVE STAR KIM ANDERSON leads the teamto a Junior Olympic gold medal.

Photos courtesy of the 680 DriversTHE 680 DRIVERS CLUB WATER POLO TEAM featured five girls fromClayton.

CVLL Juniors All Stars make a spiritedrun at the district championships

CVLL JUNIORS ALL STARS CAP ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.Top Row L-R: Coach Greg Cannedy, Pat Cremin, Joe Essayan, J.T.McGrane, Zack Newton, Carter Newton, Sean Cremin, Coach RichNewton and Coach Dave Dunkley. Bottom Row L-R: Matt Jacobson,Austin Cannedy, Jeremiah Stielow, Eric Dunkley, Jacob Falls, DrewWalker and Jeff Ferrell.See CVLL, page 13

In 1990, Dana Hills unveileda new eight-lane swimming poolfor community use and as thenew home for the Dana HillsOtters swim team. With strongleadership by parent volunteersand excellent coaching, thebeautiful facility brought a newera to the team – which wasfounded in 1977 when the sub-division had a 17-yard pool thatwas good to cool off in on a hotsummer day but inadequate fortraining competitive swimmers.

During that 1990 season,Dana Hills won its firstConcord City Meet champi-onship with a B division title.Speed forward exactly 20 swimseasons to Aug. 7-9, and theOtters swept the A and B divi-sions at the 43rd Concord CitySwim Championships with ameet record 1,088 points in A(more than 450 points over theirnearest challenger, hostSpringwood) and 392.5 pointsin B.

STRONG SHOWING

FROM OAKHURST

Clayton’s other entry in theConcord meet, the smallerOakhurst Country Club Orcas,enjoyed “outstanding perform-ances across the board.” Aproud Orcas coach Jane

Robinson added: “We had agreat City Meet, with almost allthe swimmers either making itto finals (A and B) or achievingpersonal best times.”

Oakhurst had 68 swimmersin the meet while Dana Hillshad 176, the most of the ninerecreation teams from Concordand Clayton.

Among the swimmers whobrought a big smile to coachRobinson’s face was 7-year-old

Sarah DeBack, win-ner of the 7-8 girls Bdivision high-pointaward with a firstplace in backstrokeand second in butter-fly. Joining her as Bdivision champs forthe Orcas were EmilyNeelon (13-14breaststroke), JohnSafipour (9-10 fly),William Lingua (6and under freestyle),Jacob Hanson (11-12individual medley)and Serena Connel(7-8 IM).

Lindsay Treppacapped the Oakhursteffort with the Adivision gold medalin 11-12 girls 50-yardback and second-place finishes in 100IM and 50 fly.

DEDICATION PAYS OFF

Dana Hills entered theCity Meet on a high note, hav-ing won the Contra CostaSwim League meet for thefirst time the previous week-end. “Going into City Meet,everyone had personal goalsto achieve and coming offtaper week, everyone wasready to swim lifetime bests,”said Dana Hills coach KellyMcCabe. “We had an amazingturnout at city this year withmany best times, records bro-ken and quite a few high-point winners.”

“City meet was by nomeans an easy win for DHST,as the final score might indi-cate,” club president GrantBazan added. “Our swimmersand coaches raised their per-formance as is done everyyear for this meet, settingmany personal bests, severalmeet records and DHST teamrecords. One factor that cer-tainly played a role in our winthis year is the economy. Weactually managed to increaseour membership to its largestin almost a decade, whileother teams experienced loss-es in membership.”

Among the “big swims”coach McCabe spoke of atCity Meet were by AlexBrown (seeded 4th in girls 7-8back but took first with a besttime of 20.05), Camille Cline(seeded 4th in 7-8 fly but tookfirst and qualified for countywith 17.53) and JordanAszklar (9-10 boy dropped 50seconds in his 50 fly, from1:47 to 58).

The Dana Hills relays wereoutstanding, including the 13-14 girls medley relay breakingthe meet record by more thanfour seconds with MeganSchussman, Nikki Palmer,Sam Boeger and Sara Abeleawarded the meet’s outstand-ing girls relay for that per-formance. The boys outstand-ing relay award went to the15-18 DHST medley relay of

Derek Anderson, PatrickKeane, Michael Chiok andMike Peevler, who also set ameet record.

Keane and Anderson eachset a pair of individual 15-18records. Keane establishedmarks in the 100 IM (better-ing his 2008 time) and 100breast. Anderson bestedKeane’s 100 back record andalso the 100 free standard.The Dana Hills 15-18 boys setmeet records in both relays,with Josh Harmon joiningKeane, Anderson and Chiokfor a free relay record.

The DHST 13-14 girlsaccounted for three records,including Schussman in the 50back and the quartet ofPalmer, Abele, Boeger andMegan Coppa besting the 200free relay mark.

Nine of the 10 meetrecords set at ConcordCommunity Pool were byOtters. Those taking individ-ual high-point honors includ-ed Sarah Mirabella (9-10 B),Kyle Gregerson (7-8 B), JakeSiegrist (11-12 B), RyanneBoland (6 & under A), AlinaWeigelt (9-10 A), JustineTrimble (11-12 A), Palmer(13-14 A), Ashley Jennings(15-18 A), Niklas Weigelt (7-8A) and Keane (15-18 A).

Dana Hill claimed its sev-enth straight City Meet title ina row and 17th in the past 18years since first winning themeet in 1992. The only teamto interrupt the DHSTdynasty was Springwood in2002.

the Juniors out-whacked andout-pitched their opponents 27-3.

This initial run broughtCVLL to the quarterfinals andtheir first showdown with theSouth Oakland All Stars. SouthOakland won the quarterfinalgame. The Juniors would nowhave to play an extra game toreach the championships. Butthey rebounded and won ahard-fought game against agood Pinole Hercules team, 3-2.

This set up another meetingwith South Oakland for thechampionship trophy. Thegame was close in the earlyinnings, but South Oakland putit together for an 8-0 win.

According to Dunkley,South Oakland’s pitcher was abeast. “It was hard to watch asthe opposing team, but it wasfun to watch how good he real-ly was.”

The Juniors gave a spiritedeffort, given that top pitchersMcGrane and Newton wereunavailable in the championshipgame. They had reached theirpitch count limits in that extragame.

When the team was puttogether, Dunkley had highexpectations. “I think we had astrong team with strong pitch-ing. We had a lot of depth, so Ithought we could go deep intoit,” he says. “It depended howmuch pitching we had at theend.”

Many on the team startedout with CVLL tee-ball. Now,the next stop for the majority ofthem is high school baseball.


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CVLL, from page 12

Dana Hills dominates, Oakhurst makesstrong showing at Concord City Meet

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Joern Weigelt. Courtesy Dana Hills Swim Team.

THE DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM’S 13-14 RECORD-BREAKING MEDLEY RELAY was named outstanding girlsrelay a the Concord City Meet. From left, Samantha Boeger, Sara Abele, Nikki Palmer andMegan Schussman.

Photo by DeBack family. Courtesy Oakhurst swim team.

SARAH DEBACK won the 7-8 girls BDivision high point award at ConcordCity Meet. The Oakhurst Orcas swimmerwon the backstroke event and took sec-ond in the butterfly in her age group.


“I can remember the firstplant’s name that I everlearned,” Nicole wrote on thesite’s biography. “The year was1994. The plant was sea pink,and my future mother-in-lawidentified it for me when wewere on a ‘yard walk.’ That wasthe beginning.”

In 1996, she started workingat her in-laws’ new business, apool and patio supply storeoccupying a former nursery inClayton.

Club vice president DorothyBrandt attributed her father’sorganic gardening practices tobringing out her interest.During her youth in Michigan,she enjoyed a six-month garden

season. “I have a vegetable gar-den, but it’s tiny compared towhat we had growing up,”Brandt said.

CULTIVATING MEMBERSHIP

While based in Clayton, thegarden club welcomes membersfrom a wider area. Members hailfrom Martinez and Pittsburg aswell as Concord and Clayton.The primary requirement is apassion for gardening.

“It is like planting a seed. Wecan start with a project and itwill grow and people really willget into participating,” Cruzexplained.

“The Clayton Valley GardenClub was formed to bringtogether people in our area witha common interest in gardeningand to develop that interest,”she added of the club motto.“One business owner down-town said the town came to life

when the garden club started tofill the planter boxes with flow-ers and maintain them. JenniferJennings, a neighbor walking herdog one morning while the clubhad a work party downtown,was overheard saying how shealways wondered who took careof the nice planter boxes down-town and how nice it was to giveback to the community in thisway.”

According to Beitler, theclub overwhelmingly respondedwhen he asked for butterfly-attracting plants for his grand-daughter’s preschool, PixiePlayschool.

“I received so many respons-es from club members offeringplants that I realized how greatit was to be a part of theCVGC,” he said. “The pre-school is a co-op and many kidsin the Concord/Clayton areahave gone to this school.”

The preschool enrichmentclass used the plants as theirfarewell gift to the school. The

butterfly area will be enjoyed bymany kids for years to come.

The city of Clayton hashelped the club as well. Withcurrent water restrictions, thedowntown flower beds were indanger of not getting watered.The city reconnected an old wellto the watering system to usefor the planter boxes.

This fall, the club plans totreat areas of the library bedsthat have become infested withBermuda grass, much as they aredoing at Diablo View MiddleSchool. Like all their projects,success depends on the spirit andlevel of volunteers who comeout to make a difference.

The club is having its firstplant sale on Oct. 3, with veg-etables, color bowls and herbgardens available to buy. Youcan guess where the proceedswill go.

For more information, call 672-2526 or visit claytonvalleygarden-club.org.

The argument that cats are“naturally” outdoor animals nolonger seems valid. With morethan 81 million cats inAmerican households, naturemight not be able to surviveoutdoor cats.

The Audubon Society esti-mates that cats kill a billionbirds a year in the UnitedStates. Add in the deaths ofanother 250,000 smaller mam-mals, ranging from shrews tobats, and the inability to dis-criminate between vermin andendangered species, and catscreate a significant impact on

the environment.While cats might look like

miniature lions prowling theirbackyard savannahs, their bod-ies are poorly equipped to han-dle the modern hardships oflife in the wild. The average lifeexpectancy of outdoor cats isroughly half that of indoorcats.

An increase in traffic, preda-tors, infectious diseases, para-sites and poisons all factor intoearly cat deaths, making it aneasy decision for owners to keeptheir animals indoors.

Cats seek the outdoors pri-

marily to breed, defend territoryand explore. Spaying or neuter-ing can help control biologicalurges and cat owners can maketheir homes more stimulatingfor cats by imitating nature’sofferings.

Many cats enjoy viewing theworld from different angles,inspiring cats to climb trees orcreep through tall grass. Whilewalking on the kitchen countermight not be acceptable, consid-er providing a cat tree (a polewith perches at varying heights)or allowing the cat a specialshelf in the bookcase or on top

of the upper cabinets.Make appropriate locations

attractive to cats by providingcushions or clearing an area justfor them. Boxes with cut-outsor even an empty brown bagcan provide interesting hidingplaces. Moving the box or cattree to different locations canadd variation and interest.

Cats can use branches frompruned trees (bark intact) forscratching posts. Cat dancers(sticks or poles with string and atoy attached) and tossed crum-pled paper satisfy predatorydrives and create bonding timebetween cats and their owners.

Growing wheat grass in aplanter can add fresh greeneryto the home as well as provide atasty treat for felines.

Opening a screened windowor door can provide novel fra-grances and visual as well asauditory stimulation. A windowbox or sill can make windowsmore inviting, as can a birdfeeder strategically placed foreasy viewing.

Consider an attached cattery,which can be as simple as asmall screened area attached to awindow or as elaborate as sever-al screened areas connected by8-inch diameter pipes.

If the great outdoors stillbeckons, try teaching a cat towalk on a harness and leash. Amorning constitutional can pro-vide controlled interaction withthe outdoors.

Making cats “green” notonly increases the number ofyears we can share with ourfurry companions but also helpspreserve our ever-shrinkingworld of wildlife.

Claudio is a gentle little guywho’s always got time for a cud-dle. His adopters should plan onbeing able to provide him with avariety of activities for mentaland physical exercise, and alsotake him to training classes.

The adoption fee for adultdogs is $225 and includes 60percent off one 7-week dogtraining session.

Casper is a handsome boywho would like to find his for-ever home. He is a little shy to

start with but once comfy withhis new family he will be friend-ly and affectionate - he alreadylikes to be held.

The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m.Thursday and Friday, Noon to4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.The primary caretaker must be

present to adopt. ARF alsoencourages kids 16 and youngerand canine family members (dogadoptions only) to be presentduring the adoption process.

Would you like to be part of theheroic team that saves the lives of res-cued dogs and cats? Can you shareyour talents to connect people and ani-mals? ARF volunteers are making adifference! For more information seeour website, www.arf.net, or call925.256.1ARF.

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Garden Club, from page 8

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EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

In ClaytonAug. 22, 29Concerts in the GroveBring lawn chairs and blankets. Aug.22: Diamond Dave, classic to mod-ern crooners. Aug. 29: Replica, ’80srock. Free. 6-8 p.m., The Grove Parkin downtown Clayton.

Aug. 26Classic Cars and Rock & RollClassic cars on display, plus a DJ. Free. 6-8 p.m., Main and Diablo streets,downtown Clayton.

Aug. 29CVHS class of ’79 reunion7 p.m.-midnight, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Dr., Clayton. Fortickets, visit www.cvhs1979reunions.com. There will also be a family picnicat Clayton Community Park on Aug. 30.

Sept. 5Derby and Antique Car ShowKids 7-14 race free in soapbox derby cars, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in downtownClayton. Register by Aug. 29 to get a free T-shirt and two races. ContactDoug at 673-5337 or [email protected]. Or visit www.claytoncc.com.Register for car show 8-10 a.m.; contact Don at 689-8759.

Through OctoberClayton Farmers Market8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street in downtown Clayton.www.pcfma.com or 800-949-3276.

Close byAug. 24Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale Auditions6 p.m., Diablo Valley College Music Building, Room 101, Pleasant Hill.228-8690 or www.masterworkschorale.net.

Through Aug. 27“Hair - The American Tribal Rock Musical”Follow the adventures of a tribe of hippies as they challenge the mores ofthe ’60s. Willows Theatre Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. 798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.org.

Sept. 5E-Waste RecyclingAcceptable items include televisions, monitors, computers, computer compo-nents, printers, fax machines, telephone equipment, cell phones, toner car-tridges, MP3 players, power cables, video game systems, digital cameras,copiers, audio-visual equipment, VCR/DVD players, floppy diskettes andmost items with circuit boards and that plug into a wall. Free for ContraCosta residents; bring proof of residency such as a valid ID. 9 a.m.-2 p.m.,Mt. Diablo Recycling Center & Transfer Station, 1300 Loveridge Road,Pittsburg. 692-2224.

Sept. 12Contra Costa Master Gardeners Garden WalkSix gardens in Walnut Creek, Martinez and Pleasant Hill showcase ways tolandscape without lawns. Master gardeners will answer questions and pro-vide demonstrations. $15; no children under 12. Fee includes admission tothe drought-tolerant plant sale. To buy tickets before Aug. 31, mail a checkmade out to CCMG Association to CCMG Garden Walk, 221 VirginiaCircle, Martinez, CA 94553. Or contact Gail [email protected] or 945-7738.

Through Sept. 13“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”The Tony Award-winning musical comedy celebrates the mania of competi-tion. Willows Cabaret at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez.798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.org.

FUNDRAISERSAug. 23Breakfast with the Veterans of Foreign Wars8-11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays. $4 adults, $2 children under 12.Veterans Memorial Hall, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord.

Aug. 29Motorcycle Run/Car ShowContinental breakfast, New York steak BBQ lunch by the Pinole FireDepartment, poker run, raffles. Proceeds benefit the Contra Costa Blue StarMoms. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Fernandez Park, 635 Tennent Ave., Pinole.www.ccbluestarmoms.org; click on upcoming events.

Starts Aug. 31You’re Invited Coupon BooksIncludes coupons from many local restaurants. Proceeds benefit the ParentFaculty Club at Mt. Diablo Elementary School. $20. Buy five and get onefree. Pre-order by emailing [email protected].

Sept. 5Moonlight on the MountainCelebrate Save Mount Diablo’s 38th anniversary. Dinner, live music, enter-tainment and auctions at China Wall on Mt. Diablo. 4-10 p.m. $250. RSVPat 947-3535. www.savemountdiablo.org.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Community Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Most programsare free. 673-0659 or www.claytonlibrary.org.

Sept. 2How to Nail an InterviewJudith Marshall speaks on "How to Nail an Interview" at 7pm. She will pro-vide tips and strategies on how best to interview for a job.

AT THE YMCAFor more information, contact Jennifer at 692-2364 [email protected]. To register, visit www.medrymca.org or call 889-1600.

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 24-28.Summer Day CampFun activities, crafts, sports and fieldtrips. $115 residents; $125 non-resi-

dents. Extended care hours available.

Sept. 26-Oct. 31. Youth Soccer, Tee-ball and Volleyball LeaguesSoccer, preschool-third grade. Tee-ball, preschool-first grade. Volleyball,fifth-eighth grade. $113 residents; $123 non-residents.

Nov. 7-Dec. 19Youth Basketball, Flat Football LeaguesBasketball, preschool-fifth grade. Flag football, first-sixth grade. $113 resi-

dents; $123 non-residents.

Aug. 31-June 17Middle School After-School ProgramIndoor/outdoor activities, homework help, healthy snack, monthly special

events. $220 a month for three days a week, $300 for five days a week.

NATUREAug. 22; Sept. 13, 26Lime Ridge Peak HikeMeet at 9 a.m. at the Lime Ridge access parking lot across from theBoundary Oaks club house, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek. Learnabout the plan to allow Nextel to use the peak of Lime Ridge for expandedcommunications facilities. www.savemountdiablo.org.

Aug. 30Star Mine Under the StarsMeet at 6:30 p.m. at #43 Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve onFrederickson Lane, before the turn to Contra Loma Regional Park.Registration required at 1-888-EBPARKS option 2, 3 course #22061.

Oct. 4Mt. Diablo ChallengeA 10.8-mile timed bike ride, climbing Southgate Road to the summit. Prizesin several categories, plus food and beverages at the summit. $55.Proceeds benefit Save Mount Diablo’s land conservation efforts. Register atwww.savemountdiablo.org or www.active.com.

CITY MEETINGSAug. 25; Sept. 8, 22Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 orwww.ci.clayton.ca.us.

Sept. 1, 15Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 orwww.ci.clayton.ca.us.

CLUBSClayton American Association of University WomenMeets 10:30 a.m. Aug. 22 for an informational coffee for prospective mem-bers at the home of Lola Rohrs, 3440 Mc Kean Dr., Concord. There willalso be a new members lunch 11:30 a.m. Sept. 19, La Veranda, 6201Center St., Clayton. Membership open to women with AA or higher degree.Contact Audrey at 798-6406 or Lola at 680-8345. RSVP to the lunch by

Sept. 15 with Luz at 672-1982 or [email protected].

Clayton Business and Community AssociationMeets 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of the month, except holidays, OakhurstCountry Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272.

Clayton Valley Garden ClubMeets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Sept. 9 speaker is SarahRodenburg from Rodie’s Feed and Country Store, presenting “Birds in theGarden.” Contact Dorothy at 672-2526 or visit www.claytonvalleygarden-club.org.

Clayton Valley Woman’s ClubGuests welcome at a barbecue lunch, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 25, Holy CrossLutheran Church, 1090 Alberta Way, Concord. The group meets 9:30 a.m.for coffee, 10 a.m. meetings, second and fourth Tuesdays of the month,Holy Cross Church. Call Joyce at 672-3850.

Clutch Busters Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Women’s Club, 1700 Farm Bureau Road,Concord. A beginners’ class starts Sept. 10; first night is free. ContactDorothy at 754-8117.

Contra Costa Blue Star MomsMeets 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at a location to beannounced. Members have sons and daughters in uniform. Contact Beckyat 286-1728 or ccbluestarmoms.org.

Contra Costa Chess ClubMeets 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton.Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mike at 639-1987 orwww.uschess.org.

Contra Costa Mineral and Gem SocietyMeets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord, 5298Clayton Road. 779-0698 or http://ccmgs.org.

Creekside Artists GuildMeets 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, Clayton LibraryStory Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emergingand experienced are welcome. Contact Arlene at 673-9777 or [email protected]. Or www.creeksideartists.org.

Diablo Valley Macintosh Users GroupMeets 6:30-9 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. Bancroft ElementarySchool, 2700 Parish Dr., Walnut Creek. 689-1155 or www.dvmug.org.

Diablo View Middle School Parent Faculty ClubMeets 9 a.m. Sept. 8 to review and adjust the budget for the school yearand discuss the challenging fiscal year ahead. Community Room, DVMS,300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.

Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord SunriseMeets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr.,Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. Contact Chuck at 689-7640 orwww.claytonvalleyrotary.org.

Scrabble ClubMeets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Carl’sJr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. All ages and skill levels wel-come. $3 fee. Call Mike at 639-1987 or www.scrabble-assoc.com.

Sons In Retirement (SIR)Meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Oakhurst Country Club,1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. 429-3777.

Widows/WidowersMeets for dinner, brunch, theater, etc. This is not a dating service nor is it agrieving class - just a way to meet other people. Contact Lori at 998-8844or [email protected].

Ygnacio Valley Republican Women FederatedMeets 10:15 a.m. Sept. 16 at Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock CreekDr., Clayton. Guest will be Bill Mayer, editor and publisher ofPipeLineNews.org. Lunch is $22. RSVP at 672-5061 [email protected].

BUSINESSAug. 31, Sept. 1, 2 and 4Sample Classes for Music TogetherA music and movement program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and theadults who love them. 6 p.m. Aug. 31, Pajama Class, Martinez. 10:15 a.m.Sept. 1, Hercules. 9 a.m. Sept. 2, Concord. 10:15 a.m. Sept. 4, Clayton.Visit musictogetherofconcord.com or call 946-2990 to reserve a free placein class.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUGUST 31 FOR THE SEPT. 11 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]

Replica.Concert in theGrove, Aug. 29

should immediately take thequickest path or route away fromthe fire.

If there are warnings of athreatening wildfire and you’resure you have time, tune to localradio and television stations forreports and evacuation informa-tion. Confine pets to one room

and make plans to care for yourpets in case you must evacuate.Most evacuation shelters do notallow pets, so arrange temporaryhousing at a friend or relative’shome outside the threatenedarea.

If you are sure you have time,place lawn sprinklers on the roof

or connect the garden hose tooutside taps. Close windows,doors, vents and window cover-ings. Turn off propane tanks andplace patio furniture and plasticplay sets inside. Shut off utilities(if possible), open your fireplacedamper, move flammable furni-ture into the center of the home,turn on a light in each room toincrease the visibility of yourhome, seal attic and ground vents

with precut noncombustible cov-erings and gather fire tools. Takeyour disaster supplies kit and tellsomeone when you left andwhere you are going.

BE PREPARED

Preparing your home isimportant. The first step is to cre-ate a 100-foot defensible spacearound your property to reducethe fuel that make fires worse.

The second is to have a familyevacuation plan and to know thequickest ways out of your area inthe event of a wildfire.

For detail on each of theseand other important items to pre-pare your home, visit www.clay-toncert.org/wildfire.

Awareness that we live in aPHZ and WUI should be at thetop of our minds. We all shoulddo our best to get informed and

to prepare our homes/propertiesto minimize the risk associatedwith living in this area. Watch foractivities that could lead to a fireand report anything that lookssuspicious. For more informa-tion, visit www.claytoncert.org.

Clayton resident Harun Simbirdiis a member of the City of ClaytonCitizen Corp Council, part of theCERT. Email him [email protected]

Safety, from page 9


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Students approach back-to-schoolwith excitement and a little angst

With the end of the summernearing, kids and teens arelamenting the final days of sum-mer vacation. Inevitably, theschool year is approaching.

The summer before startingmiddle school is sort of likestanding on train tracks. Youknow the train is near and thereis no stopping it, but you mustnot move. The closer it gets, the

more frightened you become ofwhat’s coming your way.

That is exactly how I feltabout entering the sixth gradelast year. For most, the hardestpart is just trying to fit in andhave a decent reputation. I washoping for good teachers and tosee my friends often. I was wor-ried about making it on timeand finding all of my classes.

Many kids were able to alle-viate some of their concerns atthe annual Diablo View registra-tion day. Students received theirclass schedules, took picturesand saw which friends made itinto their classes. Just knowingthis helps take away some of theanxiety.

“It’s cool that I will get to seesome of my older friends,”incoming sixth grader AllynMoise said of the ups anddowns of a new school. “Theday will also be more over-whelming, and I have to bemore responsible in class and domy homework too.”

Although most worry aboutthe challenges of middle school,they will find DVMS isn’t as dif-ficult as imagined. “You justhave to stay organized, becauseit really helps to stay on top ofeverything,” noted seventhgrader Ashley McNulty.

While McNulty will miss therelaxation time of summer, sheis happy to start another year.She looks forward to being partof Leadership and working asthe school treasurer/secretary.

“Even though you have

homework, sports and clubs, Iam excited to be back atschool,” she said.

Meeting new people, seeingold friends and learning newconcepts are the best parts ofschool. I am excited to see whatchallenges this year will bring.Now that I am in the seventhgrade, I feel more comfortableand know what to expect. Aslong as DVMS students stayorganized and work hard, theyhave nothing to fear.

Robbie Parker/Clayton Pioneer

KIMBERLY DENNIS, EMILY WRIGHT, AND BRETT WAGNER compareschedules at Diablo View Registration Day.

Robbie Parker is a sixth-graderat Diablo View. Send comments [email protected]

ROBBIE PARKER

DVMS REPORTER

The bell rings. Studentsbegin to groan at the sound ofthe start of another school day.Some rush to make it acrosscampus to geometry on time,while others saunter over toclass – soaking up the last fewminutes of freedom before thelate bell rings. I hear the bell andstart walking to my first-periodclass, parting ways with myfriends.

This is a routine morning atClayton Valley High School.Although only attending for oneyear thus far, I have found myexperience at this school to beenjoyable and memorable.

I think of school as beingmore than just everyday classes.I enjoy my favorite classes andgrin and bear it through the less

appealing ones. There are peo-ple to meet, rallies to attend andclubs to join.

I find it interesting that I canwalk past a group of drama stu-dents working on a skit and alsosee the cross country teamwarming up before a big meet.There are so many talented stu-dents at CV, and everybodyseems to have their own styleand niche.

Feeling the energy as ourfootball team kicks off in theNCS game is truly unforget-table. School spirit explodesfrom the stands in a way that weoften don’t experience on cam-pus.

All of the sports, perform-ances, clubs and events addsomething to the high schoolexperience. I definitely do notregret attending theHomecoming Dance. I spentthe day getting ready with mygirlfriends and danced allevening as a new freshman. Butmuch of the behavior that Iwitnessed had me thinking,“Don’t people get arrested forthis stuff ?” It was eye-openingand informative, to say theleast.

I’m glad I tried out for thesoccer team, even though Iwas cut in the final round. I’lljust have to work that much

harder to make it next year,and I learned a tremendousamount that week. I enjoyedmy freshman year at CVHS,and now I feel prepared as I

move on to my sophomoreyear.

Sarah Rosen is a sophomore atCVHS. Email her [email protected].

New sophomore looks back on freshman year

SARAH ROSEN

STUDENT REPORTERMT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Prep night will be 4-8 p.m. Wed., Aug. 26, in the Multi-UseRoom, 5880 Mt. Zion Dr., Clayton. 4-5:30 p.m. for families with lastnames beginning A-L. 5:30-7 p.m. for last names M-Z. 7-8 p.m. forfamilies not able to make the assigned time slot.

To receive your student’s class assignment, turn in the complet-ed forms that were sent out. If you did not receive a parent packet,call 672-4840.

The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 31. For additional infor-mation, visit www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary.

***Sales begin Monday, Aug. 31, for the 2009-’10 You’re Invited

Coupon Books, which include coupons from many local restaurants.Proceeds benefit the Parent Faculty Club.

Cost is $20. Buy five and get one free. Pre-order by [email protected].

DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Back-To-School BBQ will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11,at the school, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. Includes tri-tip, chick-en and all the fixins’, with entertainment by band members andDramaMama Productions.

Purchase tickets early and reserve a spot on the lawn. Contact Alison [email protected] or 408-7457 or Sharon [email protected] or 673-9333.

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Clayton’s popular farmersmarket vendors are giving backto those less fortunate. WithClayton resident Anna Chan, aone-woman activist for the hun-gry gathering excess fruit andvegetables from residents as wellas businesses, the vendors whocover both the Concord andClayton markets have graciouslydonated excess food items to thecauses she represents.

Billal Sidiq, owner of EastWest Gourmet Food and a ven-dor at the Saturday market inClayton, believes that helping outfosters good relationships. “I liketo show everyone that I am aMuslim vendor,” Sidiq said, “andI donate to the JewishCommunity Center (JCC).”

In addition to giving Chanexcess produce, Sidiq donatesfood to anyone trying to pro-mote peace and goodwill. “I

always give to people holdingfundraisers,” Sidiq said. “I’vedone three to four fundraisers tohelp Afghanistan.”

Describing how he enjoyshaving “Islamic and Jewishfundraisers where Jews andMuslims sit down together toshare a meal” because of theglobal relationships it can form,

Sidiq says that it comes down togiving back.

“He is super, super friendly,”Chan said of Sidiq. “He is ahard-working entrepreneur. Hejust expanded his contacts withCostco and Whole Foods. Hiscompany started in Concord – atthe Concord and Clayton farm-ers markets. Now they are

expanding to SouthernCalifornia, where he is workingon building a kitchen to accom-modate larger customer orders.”

Chan happily recounts the vendorswho have donated and is delighted with theresponse she gets from Clayton andConcord as well as the Walnut Creek andMartinez farmers markets.

“I had three friends of minehelp me at the Walnut Creek andthe Martinez farmers markets,”she said. “We drove away withover $3,000 worth of produce.Yes – $3,000! The produce wasdivided among several areapantries.”

Chan will receive an award onSept. 11 from the Walnut CreekGarden Club for her work. Withall the publicity that has comesince she started knocking onClayton doors last year, Chanlaunched a blog as a conduit forpeople interested in helping.

For more information, visit thele-monlady.blogspot.com.

Clayton farmers market vendors helplocal resident feed the hungry

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

ANNA CHAN RELIES ON GROUPS LIKE THE CLAYTON FARMER’S MARKET fortheir excess fruits and vegetables which she collects and delivers tolocal food pantries. In the past year she has collected thousands ofpounds produce for distribution to the needy.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer


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Clayton a great place to live andraise a family. However, it makesme frustrated and even angry atthe way the younger teenagersbehave. Since The Grove hasbeen open, less than two years,they have vandalized the chil-dren’s play area and the parkbenches and even the lights havebeen broken. They never use thetrashcans; they throw theirgarbage on the ground for some-one else to pick up. They jumptheir skateboards on the benchesand the gazebo. What makes mefrustrated is that we as a commu-nity indulge this behavior.”

These residents make a goodpoint. While we want our kids tohave a good time, we can’t stand

idly by and watach them destroyour community’s property. Wehave repeatedly replaced severalof the seats on the swings andboards on the park benches dueto abuse. We’ve frequently had toclean the play surface and side-walks in The Grove to removegum and gooey, melted SillyString.

The low fence at EndeavorHall has been kicked in and bro-ken several times. Sprinkler headscontinue to be broken off pur-posely, and graffiti has beenappearing along the trails as well.The City has added new recyclingcontainers next to the trash recep-tacles in The Grove, so there’s noexcuse for trash on the ground. It

is a misdemeanor to litter.We all love The Grove and we

are really glad our kids have foundit a lovely place to be. It’s becom-ing a regular gathering place forour middle-school kids, especiallyon Friday afternoons andevenings. It’s great to see themhaving a good time. But as par-ents and grandparents, we need toremind our children that havingfun does not mean destroying thepark for others, littering or rowdi-ness that drives the younger chil-dren from the play area.

The Grove park fund wasplanned to accommodate routinewear and tear, but the state’sthefts from our General Fundbudget leave no money for theseexcessive and constant vandalismrepairs.

We don’t have the resources

for full-time park attendants, soI’m asking that we all become bet-ter community watchdogs. Whenyou see vandalism taking place,please pull out your cell phoneand call the Police Department at673-7350. That’s the non-emer-gency number and the dispatch-ers will take your call and direct itto an officer on duty. I’ve done itand they respond as quickly asthey can to have a constructivechat with the offenders or issuecitations if they observe offenses.If you feel comfortable, have achat with the perpetrators your-self, particularly if you knowthem.

It’s our park and we all need tostop the damage from happening.

As always, you can contact me byemail at [email protected] me know what you think.

Mayor, from page 1

Consider the advantages of group travel options

Once you decide where youwant to go on vacation, your nextdecision will be whom to takewith you.

Solo travel is the ultimate inflexibility. Since you have totalcontrol over your travel, it is fair-ly easy to change your travel plansif you decide you want to staylonger in a particular place.

However, unless you havetraveled to a destination before ordone a lot of research, you maynot have enough local knowledgeto know where to go and what todo. Plus you will likely be drivingon your own and missing thescenery as you try to navigatethrough a country with no sig-nage.

We once ended up inside the

walls of a little Italian townwhere no vehicles were allowedand actually got stuck betweentwo buildings trying to find ourway out. While this created oneof those great travel memories, itcaused a lot of needless stress –and a lot of yelling and handsigns from the locals.

Small group travel is usuallyfor 12-24 travelers. This allowsyou the freedom and flexibility tostay in smaller, more intimateplaces like B&Bs, guest housesand boutique hotels. You canenjoy a meal in the home of alocal family and have more per-sonal encounters with local resi-dents.

The camaraderie that buildsamong the group creates lifelongtravel friendships, but it can alsobe difficult to get away from par-ticular members of the group.

If you are concerned withresponsible travel, a smallergroup makes a minimum impacton a site you visit. Groups of this

size usually travel in vans that arenot spacious and have no rest-rooms.

Large group travel can be 25-30 travelers or more. In mostcases, a group of this size doing aland tour has a tour director anda motor coach driver who man-age every detail and handle anysituation or problem, includingschlepping your luggage for theentire trip. You stay in largerhotels with many amenities.

They arrange for advancetickets and special tours so thatyou never stand in line at a muse-um or historical site. You havelocal guides in every city you visit;they know the best places to eat,shop and the times to avoidcrowds. The motor coaches areluxurious, air conditioned andcontain a restroom.

Your fellow travelers can befrom many states or countriesand you have the opportunity tocompare travel experiences. Oneof the biggest advantages can be

in the savings from group dis-counts, early bookings and fre-quent traveler programs.

A group tour has a tightschedule in order to fit in every-thing you want to see and do.Punctuality is a must! On our lasttrip, we left behind a couple ofsisters in Madrid because theywere not at the appointed place atthe appointed time. Once theycaught up with the group via taxi,they never let it happen again.

Travel Tip: When planning avacation, visit www.whatson-when.com to help you decidewhen to go. This Website coversmore than 680,000 events in 150countries and lets you search bymonth, destination or theme, soyou can organize your tripaccording to your interests.

Recently retired, Clayton residentPeggy Bidondo now has the time toindulge her passion in travel planning andwriting. Send your questions and columnideas to Peggy Bidondo at [email protected].

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO


Advertising tries to make commercialproducts sound appealing. That’s whyinformation about their potential draw-backs is usually not part of the story.

Here’s the rest of the story on a fewproducts that have become increasinglypopular.

Sponsored by the

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Sanitary District

Digging deeper into‘miracle’ products

“Flushable diapersare better for theenvironment thandisposable diapersthat can sit in land-fills for years.”

Sewer pipes in many older homes have been infiltrated by roots, the No. 1 cause ofsewer back-ups. Flushed materials can get stuck on those roots and cause a clog.Flushable diapers are slow to disintegrate and can make this problem worse. Justbecause it goes down the toilet doesn’t mean it was successfully flushed.

“Disposable wipesoffer quick and con-venient clean-up.”

Since disposable wipes began growing in popularity, sewer lines around the country havebeen clogged with them. The sewer system is no place for disposable wipes (even thoselabeled “flushable”). Put them in the trash, not in the toilet.

“CompactFluorescent Lights(CFLs) save energyand last longer thanincandescent bulbs.”

CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and must be handled with care and disposedof as hazardous waste. It is illegal in California to put them in the trash. Bring them tothe Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility for safe disposal. For more infor-mation, go to www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent.

“Antibacterialsoaps help reducethe spread of harm-ful germs.”

Most antibacterial products contain triclosan, a toxic chemical that can harm the waterenvironment. If it goes down your drain, it will end up in the Bay because wastewatertreatment plants cannot remove all traces of triclosan from the water. The AmericanMedical Association and the Centers for Disease Control both say washing your handsin hot soapy water is just as effective as using an antibacterial product.

“Musical greetingcards will delightrecipients.”

Greeting cards with music or sound effects are powered by “button-cell” batteries thatcan contain mercury, silver, cadmium, lithium and other heavy metals. These and otherbatteries must be disposed of as hazardous waste. It is illegal in California to put themin the trash. Bring unwanted batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste CollectionFacility for safe disposal.

“Productsmade withnanotechnolo-gy have antibac-terial and odor-fighting proper-ties.”

Nanotechnology involves particles on an ultra-small scale (a nanometer is one billionthof a meter). Nanotechnology that uses silver (nanosilver) is being added to socks andother clothing because silver kills odor-causing bacteria. But silver is also highly toxic to

aquatic life, even at low concentrations. Research at UC Davis has found that launderingcan wash off the nanosilver particles, sending them down the drain. These particles maysurvive the treatment process and enter waterways, where they could harm aquaticorganisms.

THE PITCH THE REST OF THE STORY

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Get swept away by this captivating first novel

Hang on folks, here comesthe best read I’ve had this year.If Carolyn Wall’s second novel,already in the works, is any-where near as good as“Sweeping Up Glass,” it willalso be a “must read.”

At first, “Glass” appears tobe a story narrowly confined tothe life of Olivia Harker ofAurora, Ky., a small mountaintown in depression-ravaged

Pope County. But the capturedreader soon realizes that Olivia’sstory is hauntingly wide inscope. What a pleasure to rec-ommend a novel that excels incharacter development, settingand plot.

I’ve never been to Kentucky,but when Olivia speaks on pageone, I’m in, hook line andsinker: “There’s nobody on thisstrip of mountain now but meand Ida, and my grandson,Will’m. While I love the boymore than life, Ida’s a hole inanother sock.”

Wall doesn’t waste a word.By those two sentences, thereader knows that location isimportant, Will’m is belovedand Ida probably represents a

bottomless pit of misery.This novel has been com-

pared to Harper Lee’s “To Kill aMockingbird.” The comparisonis not entirely off, but Wall’sstory of Olivia’s family, fromIda, her dangerously neuroticmother, to Tate Harker, herdecent, hard-working father, canstand on its own.

How do we love those whoare truly unlovable and find thehonesty and courage to love andcare for those who are justbeyond our reach? Olivia’s life isan attempt to come to termswith a reality that seems deter-mined to beat her down.

In addition to Olivia’s story,Wall has created Aurora, a blackand a white town, with its own

murderous history – a history inwhich Olivia finds her familymore deeply and dangerouslyentwined than she could haveimagined. Tate Harker, for allhis decency, has his own secrets.These secrets create enemies.Both secrets and enemies notonly outlive Olivia’s father butremain unknown to Olivia untilthe silver-faced wolves (broughtto Big Foley Mountain by hergrandfather 65 years before) aremysteriously and methodicallyhunted down and killed.

The wolf killers are alsohunters of another type, agroup of men who meet behindlocked barn doors and haveenough rifles and rope to matchtheir hate. Olivia and her grand-

son Will’m are not their onlyprey. The dark part of Aurorahas silently suffered and as closeas Olivia has become with someof the black families, they havekept their worst stories to them-selves.

Olivia’s threats come fromwithin her family, as well.Will’m’s mother abandoned himwhen he was still a baby butreturns to Olivia when he is 11,announcing it is time for Will’mto come to California and livewith her. It is a dreadful standoff.

Olivia thinks of Solomonsplitting the baby and the moth-er who loves the child enough tolet go. “Only I can’t let go, andthat makes me the wicked one.”

She continues: “If I shout he

can’t go, that he’s mine becauseI’ve raised him – he’ll be like apiece of old cloth we’re rippingin half.”

Olivia, her family and fellowinhabitants of Aurora are char-acters whose originality anddepth will stay with the readerlong after their secrets areunearthed and their liveschanged forever. Wall, anOklahoma resident, has written afine first novel and it shouldendure within the body ofAmerican literature.

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

Sunny Solomon holds a Master ofArts in English and Creative Writingfrom San Francisco State University.She is a poet and published author.Email her with questions or commentsat [email protected]

Police LogTWO WEEKS ENDING

AUGUST 13

ARRESTSJuly 30, 3:30p.m., Concord Blvd.

and Kirker Pass Rd., a Bay Pointman, 19, was issued a citation fordriving with a suspended license afterbeing stopped for a vehicle code vio-lation.

Aug 1, 2:08 a.m., Clayton Rd. andKirker Pass Rd., a Concord man, 19,was arrested on an outstanding war-rant after being questioned for cross-ing the street illegally.

Aug 2, 1:40 a.m., Clayton Rd. andTara Ct., a Clayton woman, 22, wasstopped for driving erratically andhaving possibly committed a hit andrun and was arrested for drivingunder the influence with a suspendedlicense.

Aug 3, 7:40 p.m., Peacock Creek,a Clayton woman, 37, was arrestedand charged with domestic battery.

Aug. 8, 12:01 a.m., Condor Pl., aClayton woman, 34, was arrested andcharged with domestic battery.

Aug. 10, 10:03 p.m., Marsh CreekRd., a Concord woman, 19, wasissued a citation for driving without alicense and possession of marijuanaafter being stopped for a vehicle codeviolation.

Aug. 11, 11:50 p.m., Clayton

Road, a Pittsburg man, 27, wasarrested for driving under the influ-ence after being stopped for a vehiclecode violation.

Aug. 12, 11:12 p.m., Kirker PassRd. and Clayton Rd., a Concord man,50, was issued a citation for drivingoutside the limits of his restrictedlicense after being stopped for a vehi-cle code violation.

Aug 13, 1:09 a.m., Clayton andPeacock Creek, a Martinez man, wasarrested for driving under the influ-ence after being stopped for a vehiclecode violation.

Aug. 13, 6:07 p.m., Main St., aClayton youth, 15, was issued a cita-tion for possession of marijuana andtobacco.

BURGLARIES/THEFTSAug 1, 10:23 a.m., Mt. Zion.

Petty theftAug. 7, 5:27 p.m., Lydia Ln. Petty

theftAug 8, 6:43 a.m., Main St. Petty

theftAug. 10, 7:33 p.m., Kirker Pass

Rd. Grand theftAug 12, 6:25 a.m., Mountaire

Pkwy. Vehicle burglaryAug 12, 7:08 a.m., Bloching Cir.

Vehicle burglaryAug. 12, 10:07 a.m., Mountaire

Pkwy. Petty theft

VANDALISMAug 1, 11:24 a.m., Westwood

Park

Central Contra Costa Sanitary District

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility4797 Imhoff Place, Martinez

Tuesday thru Saturday—9 A.M. to 4 P.M.(business waste drop off by appointment only)

1-800-646-1431www.centralsan.org

Central Contra CostaSanitary District

Protecting Public Health and the Environment

Put Hazardous Waste In Its Place


Hope you celebrated on Aug.3 with a handful of napkins tocatch all that sweet juice runningdown your chin as you chompedon a big ol’ slice of summer’scoolest, wettest fruit – watermel-on.

National Watermelon Daywasn’t created by Congress, so itwas probably some producer’sidea to set aside one day a year tohonor the fruit. Nevertheless, it’sa great excuse to enjoy this sweetand tasty melon that’s more than90 percent water.

Citrullus lanatus is related tocucumbers, pumpkins andsquash. (Those other “veggies”are really fruits, too.) It’s likelythat melons originated in theKalahari Desert in Africa. Basedon hieroglyphic depictions inancient buildings, Egyptiansbegan cultivating them about5,000 years ago.

The Moors introduced themelons to Spain and the rest ofMediterranean Europe. Seafarersintroduced watermelons toChina about 1,000 years ago, andnow that country is the largestproducer in the world – wayahead of U.S. production. It’sbelieved that African slaves werethe first to bring the fruit to theUnited States.

A recent version of theGuinness Book of WorldRecords acknowledges BillCarson of Tennessee for his 262-pound goliath watermelon. Therest of us will normally findwatermelons up to 45 pounds,

with some of the smaller varietiesas light as a pound.

There are more than 1,200varieties of watermelon grown innearly 100 countries. Most water-melons here have mottled greenskin and pink to red fruit withblack or brown seeds. Americansseem to prefer the seedless vari-ety; pricey orange or yellow-fleshed melons are a bit of a nov-elty.

When choosing awatermelon, look fora pale or butter yel-low spot on thebottom. Thisi n d i c a t e sripeness. Youcan pat it and lis-ten for a hollowsound, but therind color is a bet-ter indicator.Although it lookssturdy, the thick rindis rather fragile (as youwould know if you everparticipated in a watermel-on battle).

The fruit is pretty nutritious.A two-cup serving has 80 caloriesand yields about 30 percent ofthe recommended daily intake ofVitamin A, 25 percent ofVitamin C and huge amounts oflycopene. Tomatoes have beengetting a lot of press forlycopene, but watermelons havefour times as much.

We’ve been holding kids andteens cooking classes all summerat Pans on Fire. They seem tolove to get in the kitchen andcook, so here are a few kid-friendly watermelon recipes fromthe National Watermelon Board.Nothing says that grown-upswon’t find them tasty as well.

WATERMELON PIZZA

1 watermelon slice, 8-10 inch-es around, 1-inch thick

1 c. strawberry preserves½ c. white chocolate chips½ c. raisins½ c. chopped walnuts1 c. sweetened shredded

coconutDrain watermelon slice in a

colander or on a paper towel forabout 20 minutes to removeexcess moisture.

Spread preserves over oneside of the watermelon and

arrange the chips, raisins andwalnuts evenly. Sprinkle

with coconut. Sliceinto six pieces

and serve.

FROSTED WATERMELON

“COOKIES”Seedless watermelon cut into

½- to ¾-inch thick slicesVanilla-flavored Greek

yogurt*Granola or similar cerealUse cookie cutters to cut

shapes out of the slices. Using aspoon or offset knife, “frost”each shape with some yogurt andsprinkle with granola. You canalso pipe the thick yogurt intodesigns using a pastry bag.

*Note: I recommend Greek yogurtbecause it has thicker consistency; youcan strain other yogurt to make it thick,too.

Adults can enjoy makingwatermelon jam or this picklerecipe adapted from “The LosAngeles Times Cookbook.”

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

4 c. watermelon rind1 T. salt2 c. white vinegar4 c. sugar1 cinnamon stick, broken1 tsp. whole cloves1-inch piece fresh ginger

(optional)Cut watermelon rind into 1-

inch by 2-inch pieces. Removethe green skin and pink flesh.

Place rind in a large pot andadd enough boiling water tocover; add salt. Simmer until ten-

der. Drain and chill in coldwater for one hour or

overnight.Place cinna-

mon, cloves andginger in a cheese-

cloth and tie it well.Place the spice packet,

sugar and vinegar in asaucepan. Bring the mixture to aboil and cook five minutes.

Drain and add the rind; sim-mer for about 10 minutes. Rindshould be translucent. Removeand discard the spices. Followcanning supply instructions tosafety can the rind and syrup.

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‘Cove’ a serious look at plight of the dolphinsFrom its title, “The Cove”

could be any kind of film –from a tragic love story to aslasher flick with a crazed, knife-wielding maniac trapping inno-cent teens in his seaside huntinggrounds. This documentary,about massive dolphin slaughterin a small town in Japan, actual-ly has elements of both.

The film focuses on the fish-ing village of Taiji, Japan, theworld’s premiere exporter ofdolphins and porpoises toaquariums and zoos around theworld. There, fishermen havelearned to expertly herd thou-sands of dolphins and trapthem every year.

When captive dolphins canfetch about $130,000 a head, it’seasy to understand why the fish-ermen guard their operation sovehemently. However, what

happens after a select few of thetrapped herd are flown off tovarious aquariums is what caus-es producers of this film to callTaiji “the little town with a real-ly big secret.”

The central figure is RicO’Barry, a man who was, at onetime, the top dolphin trainer inthe world and blames himself

for the plight of modern dol-phins. O’Barry caught andtrained dolphins for the popular’60s TV show “Flipper,” whichmade the world fall in love withthese unique mammals. Thatfascination continued into thelucrative, trained dolphin showsof today.

O’Barry recounts how heslowly began to see the intelli-gence of these creatures andcame to regret capturing them.But it wasn’t until after

“Flipper” was off the air that hehad an awakening to what hehad started. He claims thatCathy, one of the five femaledolphins who portrayed Flipper,became seriously depressed incaptivity and committed suicidein his arms. The next day,O’Barry was arrested while try-ing to free a dolphin from anearby aquarium. He has madeit his life’s mission to end thepractice of capturing dolphins.

While the documentaryspends time interviewing severalsympathetic voices, from surfersto scientists, about dolphinintelligence, it isn’t all about treehugging, Mother Earth types.Equal time is devoted to reveal-ing the dangers of mercury poi-soning to people who consumedolphin meat and how the fish-ing and whaling industry inJapan has worked to secretly dis-guise dolphin meat as otherkinds of seafood to make aprofit. The fact that dolphinmeat is highly toxic, with thou-sands of times the acceptablelevels of mercury, doesn’t seemto deter the government fromplanning to use it in mandatoryschool lunches all over Japan.

“The Cove” does a good jobof mixing the historical back-ground and scientific details ofthe case with the high drama ofa “Mission: Impossible” styleoperation to gather hard evi-dence about the slaughter. Thecameras follow director LouiePsihoyos as he recruits help forthis secret mission to get cam-eras into the cove at Taiji. WithJapanese police following theirevery move and angry localsblocking access, the team has adifficult time. Their passion for

the cause drives them to riskimprisonment to expose thissecret to the world.

Psihoyos says he wanted tocapture and expose something“that will make people change.”He cites how the revelation thatwhales “sing” led to the “savethe whales” movement and hehopes to inspire people toaction in that same way. Theimages he captured are horrificand if you are on the fenceabout becoming a vegetarian,this film might just push youover. However, the fact that thefilmmakers were successful inbringing some exposure to thisbloody secret gives hope.

“The Cove” provides aWebsite for those wishing tohelp end the annual practice ofmass dolphin slaughter in Japan.For more information, visitwww.savejapandolphins.com orwww.takepart.com/thecove.

DON PEDRO CRUZ

AT THE MOVIES

Don Pedro Cruz is a local free-lance writer and graphic designer.Send your comments [email protected]

Movie Review

DIRECTOR LOUIE PSIHOYOS (center) and his crew attached cam-eras to remote control helicopters and balloons in theirattempts to reveal the secrets of “The Cove.”

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Summertime watermelon,sweet, juicy and good for you

Linda Wyner, a local attorney andfoodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmetcookware store and cooking school inPleasanton.

Direct your suggestions or questionsto [email protected]

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Gardeners have been lovingsucculents this summer. Theinterest in these unique, flesh-textured perennials is astound-ing.

Once over-looked, succu-lents have takenthe front row ofnursery aislesand point-of-purchase areas.Everyone wantsthem, and whocan blame them?

Succu l en t sare oftenreferred to ashens and chicks,even though notall succulentsfall under that name. I want tofocus on the vast family ofEcheveria.

This Mexican native is quiteat home in our Clayton Valleycontainers and borders.Echeveria thrives in our heatand loves our low humidity.Most Echeveria selections cantolerate about six hours of sun.

THE FLAVOR OF MEXICO

Echeveria elegans is the mostcommonly found of the hensand chicks. This perennial hastight, tiny rosettes of whitish-gray leaves that mound andspread, reaching about eightinches tall and as wide as there isroom to spread. Echeveria ele-gans can also be called Mexicansnowball or Mexican rose.

Enjoy this hardy Echeveriain a bowl-shaped or other shal-low container. Use a vessel witha dark color to contrast with theMexican rose’s whitish cast.

Consider a cobalt blue or onyxbasin.

When installing any of thesesucculents, the soil has to beaddressed. All succulents need

well-drained soil,but this is nearlyimpossible withour native claysoil. Soil amendingis crucial to thesurvival of yoursucculents. Use ahigh-quality gar-den soil mixedwith sand, perlite,humus or sulfur.Or, purchasebagged soil forcacti and succu-lents and leave the

mixing to the experts.However, the bag of Miracle

Grow potting soil that youbought for your pansies, withbuilt-in moisture control, willnot do if you are planting suc-culents.

PLENTY TO SHARE

Echeveria Deranosa has a sim-ilar look to the elegans, withcompact blue-green rosettesand powdery blue tones color-ing the fleshy leaves. Somerosettes are small, while othersare large. The flowers of sum-mer spike upward and gentlyturn their heads down, pointingtheir yellow flowers toward theground – creating little hooksof blooms.

Perle von Nurnberg is anEcheveria with slightly differ-ent colored foliage. The fleshon this hen and chick is gray-green with an amethyst over-tone. Perle von Nurnberg’s

rosettes arelarger, and the tips ofthe bushels are point-ed. Perle von Nurnbergwill grow and create a largepile of succulent to enjoy.You will be tempted to sharethis selection with other succu-lent-loving friends.

Echeveria can be propagatedby using entire broken rosettes,or just a leaf. It is almost a sim-ple as rooting a geranium. Onetrick to remember is to let therosette or leaf heal before youplant. That means you shoulduse a dried piece of succulent.

Once you remove yourintended piece, leave it out ofsoil for a day or so and thenplant in the chosen medium. Beaware that some Echeveriaintroductions are patented andpropagation is illegal.

OPTIONS ABOUND

Nodulosa is a unique bi-col-ored variety of Echeveria. Thisselection has gray-green leaveswith distinctive maroon stripesdown the center and along themargin. The flower spikes canreach 30 inches tall, while theblossoms are peach and white.

Haagai Tolimanensis is a top-heavy succulent. It has round,fleshy leaves that are mostlyamethyst with olive green over-tones. The growth piles on topof itself, making the HaagaiTolimanensis heavy and risky tomove. Short stalks of flowerstop this perennial during thesummer, and the bloom is a darkpinkish-orange. Hummingbirdslove this selection.

Echeveria gibbiflora v. metallicais a great-shaped, interestingperennial. The smoky amethystfoliage broadens at the base tosupport the multi-stemmedblooms. Note that this selectionwill need some shade.

All of these need protectionfrom frost. When the weathercalls for temperatures in theupper 20s, you need to protectyour succulents. Container-grown selections can be pickedup and brought near the home,in the shelter of overhangs oreaves. Better yet, place your suc-culents in the garage or gardenshed.

If they are planted in theground, cover the succulentswith frost fabric and spray witha cloud cover or wilt-stop prod-uct.

Another foe of the succu-lent is too much winter rainwater. If we have another ElNino year, you may lose yoursucculents to drowning. As aprecaution, root some cuttingsindoors this winter to replaceany lost by rain.


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Clayton Market Update provided by

George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty

Helping friends, neighbors and newcomers

buy and sell their homes since 1979

6022 Mitchell Creek Pl $647,000 8/8/09 2200 4/2.593 El Portal Place $695,000 8/7/09 2427 3/2.5106 La Encinal Ct $630,000 8/5/09 2390 4/2.53087 Windmill Canyon Dr $600,000 8/4/09 2532 5/2.5252 Stranahan Circle $425,000 8/4/09 1663 3/2.56008 High Street $605,000 7/31/09 2148 4/2.5400 Chupcan Pl $437,500 7/31/09 1749 3/2.55205 Keller Ridge Drive $785,000 7/28/09 3079 5/3705 Condor Place $270,600 7/24/09 1026 2/25593 Coronado Court $440,000 7/24/09 1646 4/2145 Widmar Pl $595,000 7/24/09 2810 4/2.530 Mount Hamilton Ct $570,000 7/22/09 2141 4/2.55915 Wallace Dr $540,000 7/17/09 2095 3/321 Mount Teton Pl $495,000 7/16/09 1823 3/21816 Eagle Peak Ave $509,000 7/16/09 1877 3/2.5

ADDRESS PRICE SALE DATE SF BED/BATH

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Hamptons at Waldon! Superb 1st Floor Single Level Unit! tuckedaway at the back of a small quiet complex in a wooded setting! 2 spaciousbedrooms, 2 updated full baths, approx. 1144sf, inside laundry, fireplace & adetached 1 car garage! Updated kitchen boasts slab granite counters & stain-less steel appliances! Dining & living room feature upgraded laminate floors,tile fireplace & a slider to cozy deck. Within walking distance to BART & IronHorse Trail, plus just minutes to downtown & freeway access. $365,000

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Hens and chicks love theheat, perfect for Clayton

Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden Contact her with questions,comments or suggestions at [email protected]

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

aug 21 clayton pioneer 2009.pdf

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