April 29, 2011 - Clayton Pioneer

Backers tout local control, 

better funding 

A push to convert Clayton 

Valley High School to a charter 

school is gaining momentum as 

teachers and parents look for a 

way out of the crisis in the Mt. 

Diablo Unified School District. 

More than 150 parents 

crowded into the Clayton 

Library last week to learn more 

about converting CVHS from a 

A search of Amazon.com for 

parenting books brings 37,698 

choices in paperbacks alone. 

Advice ranges from what one 

exasperated father described as 

the “Gulag diet” in Heidi 

Murkoff ’s “What to Expect” 

books for expectant and new 

mothers (sugar is bad, bran is 

IT’S YOUR PAPER 

www.claytonpioneer.com April 29, 2011 925.672.0500 

CV charter school drive sparks interest 

PRSRT STD 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

CLAYTON, CA 

PERMIT 190 

TAMARA STEINER 

Clayton Pioneer 

DAVE SHUEY 

MAYOR’S CORNER 

‘Chartering’ a better course 

I am my father! We all have 

that moment where we realize 

we have become our parent, 

usually when we are telling our 

children how it was much harder 

in our childhood. “I used to 

walk to school five miles everyday, 

uphill both ways in the 

snow.” 

Well, just like many of you in 

See Mayor, page 13 

Proposed fire 

assessment 

vote delayed 

a month 



A measure to rescue fire protection 

services in East County, 

including the rural areas of 

Clayton, will likely go to the voters 

in June, says fire chief Hugh 

Henderson. 

The East County Fire 

Protection District Benefit 

Assessment District needs 

approval by a simple majority of 

voters in the district. An annual 

assessment of $93 per parcel 

will raise about $4 million, 

See Assessment, page 13 

MDUSD school to a charter 

school. To convert, CVHS would 

withdraw from the district and 

become a self-governing body 

with full authority to hire and 

fire teachers, control spending 

and determine curriculum at the 

school level. 

best) to Vicki Iovine’s more laidback 

suggestion in the 

“Girlfriends Guide” series for 

moms to not “stand when you 

can sit, don’t sit when you can lie 

down, and don’t stay awake 

when you can sleep.” 

Despite the plethora of 

advice, every mother interviewed 

for this article – regardless of 

age, income level or number of 

children – was surprised by 

Teachers Pat Middendorf 

and Neil McChesney are spearheading 

the movement, which 

arises out of frustrations with 

poor academic performance, 

inconsistent discipline, epidemic 

tardiness and low morale. 

“When you compare Clayton 

something about the experience 

of parenting. 

None of the moms felt they 

always knew what was coming 

next while raising their children: 

whether it was the intense joy 

when she first laid eyes on her 

new baby or the exhaustion from 

waiting up for her 16-year-old to 

come home on prom night (only 

to have the brat sail on by with 

nary a wave before sharing her 

Valley’s Academic Performance 

Index (API) with other schools 

in the state with similar 

socio/economic statistics, we are 

in the lowest 10 percent of those 

schools,” said Middendorf. 

“We’re seeing a ‘brain drain,’ 

with some of the best students 

Clayton is gearing up for the 

16th annual Art & Wine Festival, 

a two-day party filled with music, 

food, art, beer, wine, games and 

happy crowds. 

This year, the festival gets 

underway at 10 a.m. Saturday, 

April 30. With more than 125 art 

and craft exhibits, visitors will 

find both returning favorites and 

newcomers to explore. 

Co-chairs John Garrett and 

Chance Gernhardt take on the 

leading roles this year. The 

stories with 2,743 Facebook 

friends). 

Barbara Goldsmith of 

Clayton is the mother of four 

grown children, two older boys 

followed by twin, now 19-yearold 

daughters. She remembers 

her surprise at her ability to love 

each child individually with such 

intensity, without taking away 

leaving for private schools.” 

A charter school brings all 

decision-making to the local 

level, says Middendorf. “We only 

have to consider the 1,800 students 

that we are responsible for. 

Travel from the tropics to Asia on garden tour 

Tamara Steiner/Clayton PIoneer 

THIS CORNER IN LINDA PINDER’S CHAPARRAL SPRINGS home, showcases ideas for a small 

cottage garden. Pinder’s home is one of six on the Clayton Historical Society annual 

Garden Tour May 6 and 7. 

DENISEN HARTLOVE 


What’s 

Inside 

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

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

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

Community Calendar . . . .14 

Concert Schedule . . . . . . . .2 

Directory of Advertisers . . . .5 

Food for Thought . . . . . . .16 

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .17 

Letters to the Editor . . . . . .5 

Obiturary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

NICOLE HACKETT 

Specia,l to the Pioneer 

Meandering pathways, rock 

features, poolscapes, entertaining 

areas, pergolas, flowering 

trees, shrubs and perennials 

await guests on the Clayton 

Valley Garden Tour. 

Sponsored by the Clayton 

Historical Society, the self-guided 

tour runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 

6 and 7. 

Asian fusion is one of the 

themes of Martin and Diane 

Andrew’s garden. This newer 

garden incorporates old plantings 

with new installations, creating 

a balanced environment. 

Various colored stones generate 

LOU FANCHER 


See Art & Wine, page 6 

Surprise! Moms learn as they go 

See Moms, page 9 

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 

Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 

School News . . . . . . . . . . . .9 

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

Take a Hike . . . . . . . . . . . .16 

See Charter School, page 8 

visual motion and contrast with 

the plants. Lavender walkways 

lead to sitting vignettes, where 

the rest of the yard can be 

enjoyed. 

When people love their yard, 

it becomes a garden. Dee and 

Art Turrin created theirs with 

love and built it with their own 

hands. Part-sun perennials make 

landscape borders, and the twig 

arbor hallway to the rear garden 

is perfect for wandering. 

Kathy and Bill Gray’s garden 

has made the most of every 

available inch. This yard is in a 

new development, and issues 

See Garden Tour, page 6 

From bows to biscotti, Art 

and Wine covers the bases 

CHARLIE, THE BEAGLE, has his 

eye on a tasty biscotti from 

Millie’s Boutique Biscotti, 

owned by Concord resident 

Sherry Guthrie, one of 125 

vendors that will be at the 

annual CBCA Art & Wine 

Festival April 30-May 1. 

CV lacrosse 

teams play for 

Clough family 

Photo by Mike Dunn 

CAMERON “CAMMY” BACIGALUPO 

was decked out in school colors 

last week as the Clayton 

Valley High School boys and 

girls lacrosse teams “battled” 

each other in a benefit game 

for teammate Joey Clough and 

his family who lost their 

Clayton home in a fire on 

March 30. 

See story on Page 10.

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 29, 2011 

Clayton is spit-shined and ready for the 

annual Art and Wine Festival thanks to the 

more than 120 Claytonians that turned out 

for the annual Clayton Cleans Up day on 

April 16. 

Scouts, families, friends, neighbors and 

pooches gathered at Clayton’s City Hall, 

grabbed gloves and giant orange garbage 

bags and collected trash on trails, in creeks, 

Around Town 

Claytonians make Clayton cleaner 

1 2 

4 

Clayton 

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Windmill Canyon/Ironwood! Super 

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Contact Jennifer Stojanovich 

925-567-6170 

parks and neighborhoods. 

Kids blew up the gloves, making oddlooking 

balloon volleyballs with little fingers 

and batted them back and forth in the courtyard 

after a barbeque lunch. 

The most unusual item found was small 

black dog. CCU crew member, Linda Pinder 

called Animal Services, got the phone number 

of the owner and the small black dog 

went home after polishing off a hot dog or 

two. 

Clayton PD Officer Daren Billington 

gave the kids a police car “tour.” When he 

opened the trunk, one youngster piped up 

“Ohhh, dynamite.” 

Seizing on the teachable moment, 

Billington said, “No, not dynamite. It’s a 

flare.” And the kids got a lesson in highway 

emergencies. 

Kaitlyn Dunn, Brownie Troop #33065, 

said the clean up was “really fun” and she 

was happy “helping nature survive.” The 

Troop earned their Earth Day patch by participating 

in the clean up. 

Clayton CERT was on hand to help with 

trash pickup and talk about disaster preparedness. 

The annual event is Clayton’s celebration 



Marsh Creek Villa’s! 

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Desirable single story unit. 2 bedrooms, 2 updated 

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baths, approx. 1,703sf with inside laundry & 2 car 

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3 

of Earth Day and welcoming rite of spring. 

The event is sponsored by the city of 

Clayton, the Clayton Pioneer and Allied 

Waste with generous donations from Peet’s 

Coffee, Navlet’s Nursery, Safeway, 

Gernhardt Poductions and Fresh & Easy. 

Photos: 1. Clayton PD officer Daren Billington; 

2. Volunteers Debbie Mullins and Gregg Manning 

ran the bag pickup; 3. BBQ-meisters chefs Howard 

Geller, Steve Pierce and Fred Repetto; Brownies 

from Troop 33065- Back: Alexander Leong, 

Kaitlyn Dunn, Emma Leong, Front: Caela 

Hetherton and Lexi Cichursk. 

Each Office Is Independently 

Owned & Operated. 

Locks of Love gets Grace’s braids 

Grace Dausses, 5, had been 

growing her hair out for about 

two years when she saw a story in 

the Pioneer about a young girl 

who donated her hair to Locks of 

Love, an organization that makes 

wigs for children suffering from 

hair loss. 

Inspired, she headed for the 

beauty shop only to find that her 

tresses fell short of the 10 inches 

required for donation. 

So, she waited for a few 

months until her hair reached the 

required length, then set up her 

appointment with Wendy Trimble 

from Permanent Solution in 

Clayton who donated her time to 

the cause. 

GRACE DAUSSES gets her Locks of 

Love haircut from Wendy 

Trimble of Permanent Solution 

Grace loves her new haircut. 

“It’s so easy now, she says. “And it 

doesn’t hurt anymore to brush it.” 

For more information about 

Locks of Love, go to www.locksoflove.org. 

Pioneer reaches the Pinnacles 

KATHY O’TOOLE, HERB YONGE, DOROTHY BRADT AND SUE ELLIOTT, 

all of Clayton, were caught reading their Clayton Pioneers 

high up in Pinnacles National Monument. The group joined 19 

other members of the CC Hills Hiking Club for a 3-day hiking 

trip to the park for great hikes, good weather and beautiful 

views. 

GEORGE VUJNOVICH 

Broker 

Better Homes DRE#00933393 

(925) 672-4433 

6160 Center St., 

Suite E, Clayton 

Helping friends, neighbors 

& newcomers buy and sell 

their homes since 1979 

georgevujnovich.com 

Clayton Market Update provided by 

George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty 

ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE 

907 Arrowhead Terr .............$399,000 . . . .1904 . . . . .3.2/5 . . . . . .4/14/11 

521 Hamburg Cir .................$575,000 . . . .2081 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . .4/13/11 

903 Deer Pl..........................$657,750 . . . .2542 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . .4/13/11 

5711 Verna Way ..................$340,000 . . . .1338 . . . . .3/1 . . . . . . . .4/8/11 

1042 Panadero Ct ...............$815,000 . . . .4716 . . . . .4/4.5 . . . . . . .4/1/11 

5201 Keller Ridge Drive.......$632,000 . . . .2542 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .4/1/11 

447 Grenache Circle............$639,888 . . . .2391 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .4/1/11 

19 Mount Wilson Way..........$245,000 . . . .1378 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . .3/31/11 

17 Clark Creek.....................$210,000 . . . .1050 . . . . .2/2 . . . . . . .3/30/11 

1884 Ohlone Heights...........$410,000 . . . .1493 . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . .3/29/11

April 29, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 3 

Clayton man 

serves in 

Afghanistan 

1ST LT DANIEL MURPHY 

1st Lt Daniel Murphy, son 

of Patty and Jim Murphy is 

currently serving in 

Afghanistan with the 649th 

Engineer Company of Chico, 

CA. Daniel is a 2004 graduate 

of Clayton Valley High 

School. After high school, at 

attended Sacramento State 

University, where he graduated 

in 2009 with a Bachelor of 

Science in Criminal Justice 

and a Bachelor of Arts in 

Government. He hopes to be 

home for Christmas. 

Pioneer brings local news to National 

Guardsman stationed in Iraq 

A care package sent from his 

wife recently caught up with 

Sergeant Major Scott 

Waterhouse who is serving with 

the National Guard in Iraq. 

Along with the goodies in the 

box were the last four issues of 

the Clayton Pioneer. 

“I love to hear what is going 

on back home,” he says. “This 

picture of me was taken at COB 

Clayton Resident 

& Broker Owner 

JUST LISTED 

Around Town 

Adder, Iraq. That’s an old Russian 

built Iraqi tank behind me.” 

SGM Waterhouse is with the 

National Guard unit out of 

Benicia and arrived in Iraq just 

before Christmas. He will soon 

be home on a mid-tour leave. 

“I look forward to seeing my 

family and having a meal and a 

cold beverage at Ed’s Mudville.” 

5502 Lynbrook Court, Concord $579,000 

Pine Hollow – Completely upgraded 4BD/3BA has 

amazing backyard w/pool, spa, waterfall, tiered gardens 

& patio w/kitchen. Master suite w/2 closets & custom 

shower. LynbrookCourt.com 

4724 Hakimi Court, Concord $398,000 

Clayton Valley Corridor – 4BD/2.5BA w/open floor 

plan near shops & commute. Entertainer's backyard 

w/heated pool. Kitchen w/dbl. oven & Pergo floors. 

Large master suite & extra closets. HakimiCourt.com 

Library Book Sale brings readers and writers together 

While digging through the 

hundreds of books at the 

Library Foundation semi used 

book sale, a beautiful rose 

caught the eye of Rachel 

Ettinger, a Cal Poly student 

and aspiring writer. 

Ettinger was intrigued with 

the book “Miss Delacourt 

Speaks Her Mind,” a historical 

romance, especially when she 

found out the author was 

Heidi Ashworth, a Clayton 

writer. 

Ettinger was doubly excited 

to find out that Ashworth’s 

second novel, “Miss Delacourt 

Has Her Day” was released in 

February and is available on 

Amazon.com and quickly connected 

with 

Ashworth via 

email. 

The novels 

are historical, 

set in 

London during 

the 

Regency 

period and 

HEIDI 

ASHWORTH 

have found 

an enthusias- 

A BEAUTIFUL COVER COMPELLED RACHEL ETTINGER to pick up this 

romance novel at the Clayton Library Foundation Used Book 

Sale on April 16. She was delighted to discover it was written 

by Clayton author Heidi Ashworth. Rachel’s mother, Diane 

Ettinger looks on. 

tic audience in the genre. 

Ashworth lives in Clayton 

with her family and has recently 

opened “Dunhaven Place,” 

in the TJ Maxx Center on 

Clayton Road. In keeping with 

her love of historical details, 

the store carries collectibles, 

antiques, furniture and home 

décor items. 

The semi-annual book sale 

1908 Yardley Court, Concord $428,000 

Clayton Border – Absolutely charming 4BD/2BA 

offers updates, amply sized bedrooms, and open, spacious 

floor plan. Pebble tech pool in the back. Large flat 

corner lot. RV Parking a plus. YardleyCt.com 

14 Nottingham Circle, Clayton $450,000 

Jeffrey Ranch – Enjoy a spectacular backyard with 

pool, waterfall & stone fire feature. Landscaped to 

please! This 4BD/2.5BA has dual pane windows, spacious 

rooms & a large master suite. 

grossed the Library 

Foundation over $8,700 and 

took 80 volunteers, including 

Boy Scouts from Troop 484, to 

set up and run the sale. Funds 

are used to buy books and supplies 

for the library. 

For more information, see 

www.claytonlibrary.org. 

52 La Honda Court, Clayton $619,000 

Regency Meadows – Desirable neighborhood and 

well-maintained, bright & open 4BD/2.5BA floor plan. 

Retreat to your backyard pool & spa with lots of room 

for entertaining. LaHondaCourt.com 

223 Mountaire Parkway, Clayton $629,000 

Dana Hills – 5BD/3BA model w1bd/1ba downstairs 

& loft area. Dining room with coffered ceilings, family 

room & fabulous entertainer’s kitchen. Flat backyard 

w/views. 223Mountaire.com 

Concerts 

in The Grove 

Saturdays 

6 to 8:30 p.m. 

At the Gazebo in The Grove 

Set up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m. 

May 7 Cover2Cover 

Dance band spans five decades of music 

May 21 Sun Kings 

A trip down memory lane with Beatles 

favorites 

June 4 Hot Rods 

Rock and roll from the 50s and 60s 

June 18 Unofficial Rolling Stones 

They look like the original, strut like the 

original and rock like the original 

July 2 Diamond Dave 

Vocals from classic Sinatra to HipHop 

July 16 The Chicago Tribute Authority 

Sing and dance to Chicago’s greatest hits 

July 30 The Michael Paul Band 

Five-piece southern/country rock band 

Aug. 13 Vocal-ease and The Boogie Men 

Retro band covers big band and swing to 

Doo-Wop and Motown 

Aug. 27 A Swingin’ Evening 

with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the 

Rat Pack Orchestra 

September 10 - East Bay Mudd 

10-piece dance ban. Powerful horn section 

Sponsored by the city of Clayton, CBCA 

and Allied Waste Services 

Local Food To Go 

Support your local businesses and restaurants. 

Takeout or dine in before or after the concert. 

Moresi’s Chophouse 6115 Main St., 672 - 1333 

Ed’s Mudville Grill 6200 Center St., 673-0333 

La Veranda Cafe 6201 Center St., 524 - 0011 

Canesa’s Brooklyn Deli 6054 Main St., 852 - 1650 

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 

NEW PRICE NEW PRICE NEW PRICE 

921 Sylvaner Court, Clayton $669,000 

Easley Estates – Updated 5BD/2.5BA on huge manicured 

lot. Spectacular Mt. Diablo views from expanded 

master suite w/Trex veranda - steps down to backyard & 

heated pool/spa. SylvanerCourt.com 

328 Mt. Washington Way, Clayton $525,000 

Dana Hills – Singles-story ranch home with 4BD/2BA 

has great curb appeal. Built-ins in living & family rooms, 

and a plush backyard with a relaxing spa. 

MtWashingtonWay.com 

DRE# 01122025


Clayton couple dances their way to Calgary 

Husband and wife team 

Craig Johnson and Joan Lundahl 

danced their way to a first place 

in the Professional Crown 

Division at the Calgary Dance 

Stampede on April 16. 

During the awards ceremony, 

they were “white-hatted” 

and made honorary Calgarians. 

The white cowboy hats are a 

symbol of Calgary hospitality, 

usually reserved for athletes, 

celebrities and dignitaries. 

“Every president, for the past 

50 years, the Dalai Lama and the 

Pope, to name a few,” says Joan. 

Around Town 

Troop 252 cleans up at DVMS 

Boy Scout Troop 252 got a jump on Earth 

Day when they did their own Clayton Cleans Up 

at DVMS a week early. 

Every year the boys, joined by parents and 

scoutmasters, pull weeds at the school as a way 

to thank the school for being their chartering 

organization and providing meeting space. 

Saturday, 

April 30 

10am- 2pm 

Drop by 

for your 

free gift 

and enter 

to win 

a Napainspired 

wine 

basket 

6401 Center Street Clayton CA 94517 

CLAYTON COUNTRY DANCERS Joan (in yellow)Lundahl and Craig 

Johnson took a first place at the Calgary Dance Stampede. 

Back row: Heather Grimshaw, Danny 

Condon, Dan Condon (Scout Master), Ed 

Forhan, Evan Forhan, John Wright (Asst. Scout 

Master), Jim Louchis, Tony Thongurai, Sarah 

Condon and Gypsy Condon. Front: Matthew 

Wright 

Featuring local artists’ work 

in Clayton businesses 

“Golden Gate, a view from Baker Beach” by Leslie Wilson 

Leslie Wilson (watercolorist) original landscape 

watercolors 

Alice Martinez (watercolorist) 

original tropical floral watercolors & greeting cards 

Julie VanWyk (oils, acrylics, watercolors) 

original Clayton landscape paintings & greeting cards 

Tammy Slezak (miniature thread artist) 

original miniature thread bears, afghans, etc. 

An affordable, independent 

retirement lifestyle. 

(925) 524-5100 

www.diamondterrace.net 

Tour our model apartment homes today.


P.O. Box 1246 

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, Publishers 

TAMARA STEINER, Editor 

RANDY WENGER, Display Advertising 

PETE CRUZ, Graphic Design 

BEV BRITTON, Copy Editor 

JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports 

PAMELA WIESENDANGER, Administration 

STAFF WRITERS: Denisen Hartlove, Jay Hartlove, Lou Fancher, 

Nicci Shipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn 

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse 

PIONEER INFO 

CONTACT US 

Tel: (925) 672-0500 

Fax: (925) 672-6580 

Tamara Steiner 

tamara@claytonpioneer.com 

Randy Wenger 

Randy@claytonpioneer.com 

Send ads to 

ads@claytonpioneer.com 

Send Sports News to 

sports@claytonpioneer.com 

Send Club News to 

clubnews@claytonpioneer.com 

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churchnews@claytonpioneer.com 

Send School News to 

schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Classified rates per insertion: 

Non-profit: $12 for first 30 

words, $.20 each additional 

word 

Individual/non-commercial: 

$18 for first 30 words, $.30 

each additional word 

Commercial: $48 for first 30 

words, $.40 each additional 

word 

To place your classified ad over the 

phone, call the office at (925) 672- 

0500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten 

ad and credit card information 

to (925) 672-6580. All classifieds 

must be paid for in advance by credit 

card (Master Card or Visa) 

We will not accept any ad that dis- 

criminates on the basis of race, color, 

sex, religion, nationality, family status 

or disability. The Clayton Pioneer 

reserves the right to reject any advertising 

we believe is unsuitable. 

LET US KNOW 

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, 

births and deaths all weave 

together as part of the fabric of our 

community. Please let us know of 

these important events. We ask only 

that the announcement be for a 

Clayton resident. You will find the 

appropriate form for your announcement 

on our Website. Attach your 

photo to the form. Make sure the 

image size you are about to send is at 

least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. 

The only format we accept is JPG. You 

can also mail or bring your print to the 

office and we can scan it for you. 

Also on our Website are forms for 

submitting Community Calendar items 

and press releases for your organization. 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

The Clayton Pioneer welcomes 

letters from our readers. As a general 

rule, letters should be 250 words or 

less and submitted at least one week 

prior to publication date. Letters concerning 

current issues will have priority. 

We may edit letters for length and 

clarity. All letters will be published at 

the editor’s discretion. 

Please include your name, address 

and daytime telephone number. We 

will not print letters from “anonymous.” 

E-mail your letter in a Word 

document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. 

Letters MUST be submitted 

via E-mail. 

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Letters to the Editor 

Texas Umbrella Tree toxic 

Please take a moment to read 

about our frightening and tragic 

experience with the fatally toxic 

Texas Umbrella Tree and our 

beloved dog. These trees, also 

known as the “Chinaberry Tree” 

grow all over Clayton. All parts 

of this tree including the bark, 

flowers, leaves, berries, and roots 

are toxic. Six to eight berries, 

which look like Garbonzo beans, 

can be fatal to animals as large as 

a horse; as few as one or two 

berries can kill a child! 

Symptoms from the poison 

include vomiting, diarrhea, 

lethargy, depression, paralysis 

and seizers. There is no cure; all 

you can do is give supportive 

care. 

On Thursday, “Peanut” ate a 

few berries from this tree. 

Fortunately we realized she was 

poisoned and got her to a vet in 

Fountain project disappointing 

What’s with all the rocks 

around town? I thought it was a 

bit much when the Clayton sign 

at Clayton Rd and Marsh Creek 

became an eyesore when rocks 

or boulders were “dumped” on 

the slope with no thought as to 

how to make it look natural. 

Now we have more of the 

unnatural placement of boulders 

around the Oakhurst fountain. 

...As was pointed out in the 

article by Mayor Shuey (in the 

April 15 issue of the Pioneer), 

“beauty is in the eye of the 

beholder.” I agree with that, but 

fail to see much beauty in the 

placement of same-sized pointy 

boulders placed or spread from 

one end to the other, without a 

sense of natural design…I 

Exterior 

Plus Additional 

$ 100 OFF 

If contracted within 2 weeks of estimate. 

Present coupon AFTER Estimate. 

offer expires 

5/31/2011 

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English, Western 

& Trail 

time to save her with IV fluids 

and charcoal to absorb the poison. 

Anti-emetics and ulcer 

medication were also necessary. 

We spent a very anxious 36 

hours and $800 before she started 

to come back to us. The tree 

that we sat under with Peanut 

shades the picnic tables in the 

back patio area of the Clayton 

Club Saloon. 

The Texas Umbrella Tree 

was introduced to the United 

States from China as a fast growing 

shade tree and they are all 

over town. If your child or pet 

eats any part of the tree, take 

immediate action! You have a 

limited time before tragic results 

can occur. Please be careful 

around these trees with pets and 

children. 

Pam Loftus and Lou Barrere 


understand the need to lower 

maintenance costs and reveal 

that Clayton is a “green” community. 

However, I would wager 

that after all is said and done, 

“the maintenance of drought 

tolerant and low maintenance 

shrubs with more seasonal color 

landscaping” (City Manager’s 

words) won’t be much less costly, 

if any. 

… wouldn’t it have been 

more cost effective to replace 

the existing grass with the artificial 

type used in the park under 

the statue of the children? 

…I for one am disappointed 

in the planning and expense of 

this project. 

Neal R. Van Doren 


Classified 

FOR RENT 

In-law unit, 900 square feet with 

veranda and private entrance on 

Morgan Territory Road. All utilities 

paid. $895/month, plus 

deposit. Bob 672-2390. 

SERVICES 

Girl Gardening 

Garden care, monthly pruning 

and fertilizing services. Plant 

suggestions and installation. 

Call or email Nicole Hackett 

673-1746, or gardengirl94517@yahoo.com. 

WANTED 

Real Estate Agents 

Be Successful! Lynne French is 

expanding and interviewing for 

a few agents. Call her today 

(925) 672-8787. 

VOLUNTEERS 

NEEDED 

Meals on Wheels Drivers 

673-0300 or e-mail hairbyjim@att.net 

Help fight Hunger 

Call Anna Chan at 672-1988. 

Anna’s Attic Volunteers 

Call 674-9072 or (925) 766- 

5066. 

Hospice of the East Bay 

Call Volunteer Dept. at (925) 

887-5678 or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org. 

Clayton Historical Society 

Museum 

Call the museum at 672-0240. 

Clayton Community Library. 

673-9777 or email: 

akikkawa@ccclib.org 

Directory of Advertisers 

Auto 

Economy Auto Painting and Body Work . . . . . . .757-2222 

Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 

Construction and Trades 

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

Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423 

Bill Peck Home Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-9786 

Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212-3339 

Contra Costa Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8713 

H&L Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4046 

Handyman Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .639-4209 

J&J’s Final Coat Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-5849 

Smith and Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0138 

Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 

Dentist 

Renner, Jason D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800 

Rissel, Richard D.M.D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800 

Dining and Entertainment 

Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440 

Ravioli’s Italian Market Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-3819 

Sweet Bakery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0936 

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

Events 

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

Financial and Insurance Services 

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

Kommer, Paul - Merrill Lynch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .988-2111 

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

ProFit Business Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-1025 

Travis Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-877-8328 

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

Funerals 

Acacia Cremation and Burial Society . . . .1-877-916-4779 

Moore’s Mission Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-1100 

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

Home and Garden 

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

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

Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 

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

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

Mailing and Shipping 

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

Personal Services 

Bella Mia Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7792 

Pet Services 

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

Pet Suites Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387 

Rodie’s Feed and Pet Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 

Real Estate and Mortgage Services 

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

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

Klock, Leigh - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 

Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004 

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

Mazzei, Matt -Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 

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

Recreation and Fitness 

All Out Sports League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203-5626 

Castle Rock Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933-3701 

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

Earthquake Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-7454 

Levity Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6931 

Retail 

Dunhaven Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602-4663 

Senior Services 

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

Services, Other 

Air Cloud Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 x 2 

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

Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029 

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

Travel 

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

Off 2 Hawaii Travel Services . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-675-4050 

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


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Contra Costa Floors Showroom hours: M-F 9-5 Sat 10-4 

CARPET � HARDWOOD � LAMINATE � TILE 

Clayton Farmers’ Market 

returns for the season May 7 

Pacific Coast Farmers’ 

Market Association (PCFMA) is 

gearing up for the seasonal opening 

of the Clayton Farmers’ 

Market next week. 

The market will be back in 

action with Northern California’s 

freshest fruits and vegetables and 

live music and activities to entertain 

patrons all summer long. 

“We’re very excited for the 

reopening of the Clayton 

Farmers’ Market,” said John 

Silveira, Director of PCFMA. 

“We’ve got some exciting events 

planned and hope to make this a 

great year.” 

The Clayton Farmers’ Market 

will open on Sat., May 7 and run 

every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 

noon on Diablo Street between 

Main and Center Streets. 

Grand opening festivities 

include a ribbon cutting ceremony 

with local dignitaries and face 

painting for children and a drawing 

for a new cookbook. The 

first 50 farmers’ market shoppers 

will receive a free reusable bag. 

Be sure to look for the new fre- 

quent shopper card 

to receive great 

prizes throughout 

the summer. 

The market is a 

means for supporting 

local California 

farmers. Whether 

you’re looking for 

earthy asparagus, 

flowering orchids, 

flavorful onions, 

juicy strawberries, 

Asian greens, fresh 

seafood, or any other 

spring produce 

items, you’ll find 

them at the Clayton Farmers’ 

Market. More than two dozen 

California farmers and other 

food producers are expected to 

be selling their goods in the market 

on opening day. 

Certified Farmers’ Markets 

are locations that offer only 

California-grown products sold 

directly to consumers by the 

farmers that grew, nurtured and 

harvested the crops. All PCFMA 

markets accept WIC FMNP 

Art & Wine, from page 1 

Clayton Business and 

Community Association (CBCA) 

presents the festival, but Garrett 

insists it’s a community effort. 

“Businesses cooperate and 

collaborate, too,” Garrett said. 

“The Clayton Community 

Church provides space and 

Diablo Valley Ranch sends manpower 

to set up and tear down 

the event. No one is paid to put 

on this event. Everything is run 

by volunteers.” 

Proceeds from the festival 

support the community. “CBCA 

built the gazebo in the downtown 

park, helped redo the 

Clayton sign, donated to the 

schools, the Blue Star Moms, the 

Clayton Historical Society, the 

library …,” Garrett boasted, 

allowing his voice to trail off and 

the list to speak for itself. 

With his tone changing from 

staid historian to the sound of a 

kid on the first day of summer, 

Garrett announced that 

Diamond Dave will perform on 

Sunday. 

“There’ll be the Clayton 

Valley High School choir on 

Saturday, there’s Kiddieland, and 

there’s a vendor whose teriyaki 

chicken skewers are really great. I 

always try to get those,” he 

added. 

SMALL TOWN FEELING 

Brenda Lewis is returning as a 

vendor for the third time. A 

Clayton resident since September 

2003, she looks forward to meeting 

new people and catching up 

with fellow vendors. 

“Of all my fairs, this one has 

a unique small town feel that is 

special,” she said. 

Lewis braids hair and sell decorative 

hair accessories. “I taught 

myself to French braid on my 

own hair in high school,” she 

recalled. 

In 1999, she started with a 

hair braiding group at 

Renaissance fairs and now travels 

to shows 25 weekends a year. 

Her bows are made from ribbons 

and feathers. A nine-line 

bow is her favorite accessory. 

Glitter strands and fairy braids, 

where colorful hair is braided 

into a customer’s own hair, are 

new, specialized services she will 

offer this year. 

Lewis also sells personalized 

glassware at her booth. 

Customized stencil patterns can 

be etched into the glass, or wine 

charms – colorful, beaded rings 

that rest at the base of a wine 

glass or coffee mug – can be purchased. 

Lewis will have more 

than 60 different wine charms in 

designs suitable for everyone 

from young sports enthusiasts to 

adult wine lovers. 

BISCOTTI FOR PEOPLE AND 

PETS ALIKE 

Millie’s Boutique Biscotti is 

a new addition for the 2011 

festival. 

“We have gone every year to 

the Art & Wine Festival since we 

moved here,” said Sherry 

Guthrie. “Now that we are a new 

business, we wanted to make our 

debut in our community festival.” 

Guthrie was raised in Contra 

Costa County and her grandparents 

owned a farm in Concord. 

In 2004, she and her husband 

moved to a Concord home just 

across the border from Clayton. 

Biscotti was developed in 

Italy, and Guthrie, who is Italian, 

has been adapting an old family 

Now is the time to buy. 

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for only $539,000! 

For a personal showing, call PETE at 890-6004. 

KNOWLEDGE � SERVICE � INTEGRITY � RESULTS 

Pete Laurence, Broker, Realtor, GRI 

(Woman Infant and Children 

Farmers’ Market Nutrition 

Program coupons) and EBT (the 

Golden State advantage food 

stamp cards). 

For more information on the 

Clayton Farmers’ Market, or to find 

another farmers’ market in your area, 

please contact the Pacific Coast 

Farmers’ Market Association at 

(800) 949-FARM or go to 

www.pcfma.com 

recipe for years. Already distinguished 

in the biscotti market, 

she has earned industry recognition 

for her vintner’s blend, made 

to be paired with red wine, and a 

chardonnay citrus blend to be 

paired with white wine. 

Recently, the company began 

to develop a biscotti for dogs. “I 

started adapting my recipe for 

dogs after buying specialty dog 

biscuits that my pet wouldn’t eat. 

Our dog lovers biscotti will feature 

banana peanut butter and 

applesauce carrot,” Guthrie said. 

An active participant in the 

Clayton K-9 Coalition, a community 

group that supplies water 

at the Clayton Dog Park, Guthrie 

donates a portion of dog biscotti 

sales to the organization. 

THE BIGGER, THE BETTER 

Last year, the festival drew 

enormous numbers – especially 

on Saturday. “We probably averaged 

about 10,000 to 12,000 people,” 

Garrett said. 

In his opinion, more people 

means increased opportunities 

for supporting community 

events and services throughout 

the year. “Plus, it’s very well controlled 

in that all the entrances 

and exits are manned with security,” 

he noted. 

For Garrett, the pleasure of 

the festival lasts all year. 

“Clayton is a small town, in a 

big town area, right under Mt. 

Diablo. It’s a great place to raise 

kids,” he said. 

With Diamond Dave and 

those teriyaki skewers ahead of 

him, he’s counting down to April 

30 and hoping for sunny skies. 

The Art & Wine Festival runs 

10 a.m.-7 p.m. April 30 and 10 

a.m.-5 p.m. May 1 in downtown 

Clayton. Admission is free. For more 

information, call 672-2272. 

2950 Buskirk Avenue, Ste. 140, Walnut Creek 

Direct 940-2777 � Cell 890-6004 � Fax 937-0150 DRE#00344166 

Obituary 

Beulah 

Mathews 

Langford 

1936 – 2011 

Beulah Ida Mathews 

Langford, 74, passed away unexpectedly 

on April 18, 2011. 

She was born July 8, 1936 in 

Cedar City, Utah, to Otto Lee 

and Mildred Emma Mathews. 

She married Sherman Dale 

Langford on October 4, 1954. 

Beulah and Sherman raised 

their ten children in Concord 

and Clayton, California, where 

they were members of The 

Church of Jesus Christ of 

Latter-day Saints. Beulah 

worked as a bookkeeper for an 

accounting firm. She was very 

talented with her hands and 

loved to arrange flowers, sew, 

and quilt, and shared those talents 

with others in the community. 

Her husband Sherman 

retired from Concord High 

School after 25 years of teaching. 

In 1995 they left Clayton 

and moved to Utah where they 

owned and operated the 

Victorian Inn Bed and 

Breakfast. Beulah continued to 

cherish the many friends and 

relationships she had in Clayton 

and Concord. 

Beulah is survived by her 

husband Sherman; her children, 

Lynn Dale (Susan), Springville, 

UT, Mike (Deanne) Antioch, 

CA, Mark (Denise), Kalispell, 

MT, Allen (Linda), Wilsonville, 

OR, Lenis (Duane) Rogowski, 

Lehi, UT, Jeff (Christine), 

LaGrange, KY, Susanne (Shane) 

Hill, Kalispell, MT, Dale 

(Delicia), Coppell, TX, Linda 

(Matt) Davis, Pleasant Grove, 

UT, Wayne (Kelly), Rancho 

Cordova, CA; 41 grandchildren 

and five great grandchildren. 

Funeral Services were held 

April 23 in Springville, Utah. 

Condolences may be sent to the 

family through a memorial website 

that has been established at 

http://www.utahvalleyfuneral.c 

om/obituaries/Beulah- 

Langford/ 

Garden Tour 

from page 1 

with privacy have been successfully 

tackled. The backyard has a 

sparkling pool, with a beautiful 

blue tile backdrop. The 

Primavera statue surrounded 

with greenery is an excellent 

focal piece. Bold-colored cushions 

and market umbrellas add to 

the atmosphere. 

A resort-like feel envelops the 

lush tropical paradise landscape 

of Jon and Linda Van Brusselen’s 

home. You’ll forget where you 

are under the mature palm trees 

surrounded with deep green 

philodendron and ornamental 

ginger. Thatched-roof sitting 

areas provide shade and complement 

the resort ambience. 

The mature garden of Neal 

and Cathy Richmond is another 

treasure. Many different perennials 

are installed in both the front 

and back yards, and this garden 

has something in bloom each day 

of the year. There are so many 

selections that it will delight even 

an experienced plant lover. 

Linda Pinder has a small, cottage 

garden and patio that she 

accents with perennials, flowering 

shrubs, wall art and container 

combinations. This garden is 

packed with ideas for smaller 

spaces. For the tour, she also will 

display colorful quilts. 

Tickets are $25. Buy four and get 

one free. Tickets are available at the 

Clayton Historical Museum, at 6101 

Main St., 2-4 p.m. Wednesday and 

Sunday. Or download an order form at 

claytonhistory.org, or stop by R&M 

Pool, Patio, Gifts and Gardens at 

6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton.


Inmates find a sense of 

freedom in crafting toys 



When Christmas is over, 

most people think Santa’s elves 

go on an extended vacation. 

Not so. 

Behind the gates of the 

Marsh Creek Detention Facility, 

about 6 miles from downtown, 

one of Santa’s chief elves runs a 

daily crew of 10-17 toymakers 

as they turn out more than 1,000 

toys a year for some of the 

county’s neediest kids. 

Carefully crafted rocking 

horses, brightly painted pulltoys, 

bicycles awaiting repair and 

detailed doll houses line the 

walls of the woodshop, where 

instructor Rick Boughton supervises 

the inmates who signed up 

for the voluntary program. 

The detention facility’s 

“Toyland” is run by the Contra 

Costa Department of Adult 

Education and offers inmates an 

opportunity to earn credit 

toward a high school diploma or 

GED. But more importantly, 

says Boughton, it gives the men 

a “sense of purpose” and skills 

they can take with them when 

they leave. 

Boughton encourages the 

men to take a creative approach 

to the work. Toys remembered 

from childhood inspired many 

of the designs. A dollhouse 

meant for little girls turned into 

a fire station with the addition 

of a pole down the middle. And 

a can of Rosarita refried beans 

became the sound box for the 

popular “canjo,” a one string, 

fretted instrument that comes 

complete with instructions for 

playing “Oh, Susanna.” 

The inmates turn out as 

many as 1,200 toys a year for the 

Contra Costa Crisis Nursery, the 

Salvation Army, Friends Outside 

and other organizations that distribute 

them to at-risk children. 

Photos of the kids with the toys 

and thank you notes fill several 

scrapbooks on the front table. 

“We’re never there when the 

HERB YONGE 

SAFETY ZONE 

You may have heard about a 

home burglary in Walnut Creek 

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer 

WOODSHOP INSTRUCTOR RICK BOUGHTON plucks out a tune on a 

“canjo,” one of the handcrafted toys made by the inmates in 

the woodshop program at the Marsh Creek Detention Facility. 

kids get the toys,” says 

Boughton. “So the pictures tell 

the story.” 

Very few of the men start 

the program with any woodworking 

experience. Most of 

the inmates are serving short 

sentences for DUIs or minor 

drug offenses and will be in and 

out of the program in a few 

weeks, so Boughton’s team is 

constantly in flux. 

With inexperienced workers, 

safety takes front and center, 

says Boughton. “We really have 

a perfect safety record. Nothing 

more than a few splinters.” 

The workshop was recently 

the beneficiary of a large donation 

to purchase a $3,000 stateof-the 

art table saw. “You can’t 

cut yourself with it,” he says. 

Boughton gets a “bang” out 

of watching the men grow in 

the program. “First they’re 

doing it because it’s better than 

doing nothing and they’re doing 

it for themselves. Then pretty 

soon they begin to do it for the 

kids.” 

Wes Moore will be gone in 

30 days but is making the best of 

his time in detention. He comes 

from a metal-working background, 

so working with wood 

is very different. 

Canada & New England – 

scenic waterways and picturesque ports 

“It’s more forgiving,” he 

says. “You can do more with 

wood. It’s a nice change.” 

Alongside the toy workshop, 

inmate Robert Phillips eyes a 

wall lined with dozens of bicycles 

in need of some repair or 

another. After fixing the broken 

bikes, he runs each one through 

a detailed safety inspection 

before he declares them “finished 

and safe.” 

Phillips always wanted to 

own a bicycle repair shop. “One 

year, my mama bought me a 

new bike and I took it all apart 

on my bedroom floor – every 

screw. She was so mad.” 

In March, the Contra Costa 

County Sheriff ’s Department 

named Boughton Employee of 

the Year for his work with the 

woodshop program. Boughton, 

a four-tour Vietnam War veteran, 

brings 35 years experience in 

woodworking to the program he 

has served since 2001. 

The woodshop is part of a 

broader program run by the 

Contra Costa Office of Adult 

Education and includes classes 

in substance abuse, computer 

applications, landscaping and 

basic skills needed to pass the 

GED. 

Do these folks belong 

in your neighborhood? 

while the residents were attending 

a funeral for a family member. 

During a recent home burglary 

in Clayton, a neighbor saw 

the burglar but thought it was 

the cleaning woman carrying 

out the laundry in a pillow case. 

Both situations may have 

been prevented had someone in 

the neighborhood noticed a sus- 

picious vehicle and/or people in 

the area. Seeing people who do 

not belong in the neighborhood 

maybe be reason to contact the 

police. Vehicles “cruising” the 

street at a slow speed and going 

up and down the block could be 

considered suspicious. 

See Safety, page 13 

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Why advertise in the Pioneer? Here’s one reason: 

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Charter School, from page 1 

The school board has to consider 

all 36,000 students and 56 

schools in the district.” 

STRIVING FOR LOCAL 

CONTROL 

The district currently spends 

more than 13 percent less per student 

and 2.9 percent less for 

teachers than the state average, 

says Middendorf. Faced with 

mounting expenses and falling 

revenues forcing school closures, 

layoffs, bigger class sizes and 

more furlough days, the school 

district is at risk of being taken 

over by the state. 

“It’s a broken system,” 

Middendorf says. 

A charter school would be 

more responsive to the needs of 

the students and have greater 

flexibility in curriculum planning 

and class size, according to 

Middendorf and McChesney. 

They were joined at the presentation 

by consultant Nick Driver of 

the California Charter Schools 

Association. 

“We want to see class size 

ratio reduced from the current 

32:1 to 20:1,” said Middendorf. 

Athletics would be unaffected 

by the change, Accelerated 

Placement (AP) classes would 

continue and summer school 

would be part of the calendar 

year. Parents cheered when 

Middendorf said students would 

wear school uniforms. 

BOARD LOOKING 

FOR CONSISTENCY 

MDUSD must approve any 

application for charter status. “I 

haven’t seen a proposal yet,” says 

Moms, from page 1 

from the others. 

“I think I thought when 

Seth was born that I couldn’t 

love anybody as much as I 

loved him,” she said of her 

firstborn. “But then Josh came 

along and I loved him just as 

much. I just didn’t realize that 

love expands.” 

Betty Mason of Concord 

has seven children, ages 22, 19, 

18, 16, 14, 12 and 9. In case that 

weren’t enough, she works as a 

kindergarten teacher, with 17 5- 

board president Gary Eberhart. 

“So I don’t have an opinion. It 

depends on how it is set up.” 

To gain school board 

approval, the charter application 

must show a high level of community 

support and the approval 

of a majority of the teachers — 

in this case 39. The plan must 

also show financial viability. 

“We aren’t going to approve a 

school that will go broke in five 

or ten years,” Eberhart says. 

However, Eberhart is not 

deaf to the roar. The charter 

school issue notwithstanding, he 

says the district has a plan to 

address parents’ and teachers’ 

complaints. 

“The centerpiece of the plan 

is a new administration at the 

school, which will take form very 

shortly,” he says. 

Current principal Gary 

Swanson is retiring at the end of 

this school year and several staff 

members will be replaced. 

“We absolutely need to have a 

consistent approach to discipline 

on that site,” Eberhart says. “We 

don’t necessarily need more rules. 

We just need a consistent adherence 

to the rules in place.” 

IMPROVED FUNDING LEVELS 

Charter schools are public 

schools that receive funding 

directly from the state and federal 

government instead of the 

school district. If CV converts to 

charter school status, per student 

funding would increase from 

$4,900 to $6,240. Additional state 

grants are available for facilities 

improvements and upgrades, 

which could include a new library 

and 6-year-olds under her care 

to read “Cat in the Hat” and 

raise their hands before speaking 

in class 

She was pleased to find she 

enjoys her children every bit as 

much as adults as when they 

were cuddly kindergarteners 

themselves. 

“The happy surprise with 

my daughters as they get to be 

women is we’re becoming 

friends,” she said, smiling. “Oh 

my goodness, it’s like they take 

KELLY TUOHEY WITH HER THREE DAUGHTERS Madison, 4, Samantha 11, 

and Annika 7, remembers being surprised her first year as a mother 

to realize that the intense love she had for her new baby mirrored 

the feelings of her own parents for her. "It was fantastic," she said. 

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and Training 

or theater. 

A five- to seven-member 

board of teachers, staff, parents, 

community members and a nonvoting 

student will govern the 

school and appoint a chief executive 

officer. 

Enrollment in charter schools 

is open to all students who want 

to attend. Charter schools may 

not “cherry-pick” students. 

Preferential enrollment is given 

to students within the currently 

defined boundaries. Students 

who do not want to attend the 

charter school may attend other 

high schools in the district. 

Charter schools are required 

to meet state academic standards. 

They also must allow unions. The 

teachers on site will determine 

whether they stay with the current 

union or form a new bargaining 

unit. 

According to Middendorf, a 

“straw poll” taken of the 55 

teachers present at a staff meeting 

last week showed 32 were 

“enthusiastically in favor of the 

charter conversion,” none were 

opposed and the rest were “neutral, 

needing more information.” 

Club News 

CLAYTON VALLEY 

WOMAN’S CLUB 

More than 184 women 

attended the club’s 6th annual 

Festival of Tables and Fashion 

on April 2. 

Merle Whitburn and her 

committee coordinated the 

sold-out event. Proceeds benefited 

the Food Bank of Contra 

Costa/Solano. 

Club members decorated 23 

the place of my best friends. … 

Having them go from these 

babies that I have to maintain, 

they’re becoming like my 

friends, and it’s wonderful.” 

Anna Chan, also known as 

the Lemon Lady, juggles a busy 

life with feeding the hungry 

(and teaching others to follow 

in her footsteps) along with 

parenting her 4-year-old daughter 

Ava. Although she appears 

calm, she professed to being 

amazed at how moms are able 

to multitask. 

“I’m surprised mommies 

manage when you’ve only got 

24 hours a day,” she said. “You 

become a fantastic juggler. You 

manage to fit one more thing, 

in addition to the 999,000 

things you’re already doing. You 

just do one more thing.” 

Many mothers of multiple 

children spoke of the “just 

when you think you’ve got it 

figured out” aspect of parenting. 

Kelly Tuohey, the mother 

of three girls, ages 11, 7 and 4, 

found that although she’s wildly 

in love with all three of her 

children, parenting her third 

and youngest daughter was a 

different experience. 

“I’d say there were a lot of 

similarities with the first two, 

but the third – holy cow, where 

did that come from? Same surroundings, 

same environment, 

same nurturing, but apparently 

The charter school group 

hopes to submit the financial 

projections and application to the 

school board by the end of May. 

If approved, CVHS would be 

come a charter school beginning 

with the 2012 academic year.. 

Clayton Valley would be the 

first school in the Bay Area to 

convert from a district school to a 

charter school but not the first in 

the state. Granada Hills Charter 

High School in Los Angeles, 

which is serving as a model for 

the CV charter group, converted 

in 2003 and has seen a 113-point 

increase in its API. 

Charter schools are a growing 

movement. In 1993, there were 

31 charter schools in California; 

in 2010, there were 912. Most are 

start-ups. 

The complete Power Point presentation 

given at the information meeting is 

posted on the group’s Website at 

https://sites.google.com/site/claytonvalleycharterhighschool/home.For 

more 

on the charter school movement, see story 

by student reporters Taylor Tovrea and 

Sarah Rosen on page 8. 

tables with festive and whimsical 

themes such as “Spring has 

Sprung,” “It’s a Froggy, Froggy 

World,” “A Day at the Beach” 

and “Hearts and Flowers.” 

Outfitted handsomely in black 

slacks, white shirts and black 

bowties, husbands, sons and 

friends of club members waited 

on the guests. 

Coldwater Creek of Walnut 

Creek presented the fashion 

show, with club members and 

Food Bank volunteers doing the 

modeling. 

JULIANA BASIL with daughter 

Olivia, 3 

the nature is very different,” 

she said. “Clearly there’s something 

born into the kids that 

isn’t of our doing.” 

Local mom Juliana Basil and 

her husband Michael have a 3year-old 

daughter, Olivia, and 

are expecting another on Aug. 

6. 

“Parenting is all trial and 

error,” she said, noting that 

every day brings new surprises. 

“What works one day may not 

work the next.” 

Basil remains unimpressed 

by the idea of parenting to perfection. 

“It’s OK to let my 

daughter walk around in a 

princess costume all day long,” 

she said. “There’s no such thing 

as a perfect mom. But there’s a 

lot of good ways to be a good 

mom.”


CV campus abuzz with charter chatter 

TAYLOR TOVREA 


Students who walk the paintchipped 

hallways of Clayton 

Valley High School often feel 

neglected. It’s no wonder – with 

growing frustration among students 

and teachers, packed classrooms 

and reminders of constant 

budget cuts. 

However, recent discussions 

about converting CVHS into a 

charter school has perked up 

both students and faculty and 

set the campus abuzz with 

debate. 

Talk of nearly a 30 percent 

increase in funding per student, 

freedom from the Mt. Diablo 

Unified School District and 

overall campus improvements 

has many people excited and 

hopeful. 

“I think having my younger 

sisters go to Clayton Valley as a 

charter school would be benefi- 

Clayton Valley is on quite 

the roll this year – with the 

choirs’ success at the Heritage 

Festival in Seattle just the latest 

accomplishment. 

With director Elizabeth 

Emigh on maternity leave, her 

husband Chris took over as 

interim director for the March 

31-April 4 trip. 

Performing “Dirait-On,” 

“Walking on the Green Grass” 

and “Agnus Dei,” the CV concert 

choir earned the gold medal 

and was put on the list for the 

2012 New York Invitational. 

This was the first time the choir 

had earned first place in several 

years. 

“After hearing we won, we 

screamed a lot. I remember one 

of our members ran down the 

length of our tables, screaming, 

Clayton Valley High School’s 

campus came alive April 15 with 

the colors of a variety of 

nationalities, ranging from 

Scottish to Mexican. 

Many carried flags or wore 

patriotic T-shirts representing 

their heritage in the culmination 

of Multicultural Spirit Week. 

Many major cultures were recognized 

leading up to the annual 

assembly on Friday. 

Students entering the gym 

were surrounded by illustrations 

and symbols of cultures from 

around the world, appropriately 

reminiscent of Disneyland’s 

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cial, simply because there would 

be a higher standard set for students,” 

said junior Kaylee 

Andrews. 

However, the support of 

some is being offset by the worries 

of others. Based on his 

experience, chemistry teacher 

Ken Cambier has doubts. 

“The charter schools that I’ve 

been a part of have been manipulative 

and deceptive,” he said. 

“If I thought this could work, 

then I’d be first in line to support 

it. But these types of schools are 

run by hidden agendas and that 

makes me skeptical.” 

Teacher enthusiasm for the 

proposed conversion is also 

inhibited by concerns about the 

school district’s role. 

“We would love to know that 

the district is in support of us 

making a better decision for the 

students and the school, but 

with all the uncertainty for next 

year, it’s still unclear whether 

and giving us all high fives,” 

recalls concert choir member 

and CV junior Allie Robison. 

“We weren’t expecting it at all, 

so when they were awarding 

“Small World” ride, this year’s 

theme. Flags dripped from the 

ceiling and brightly colored 

drawings and streamers set the 

scene. 

Senior Multicultural Club 

member Cheryllyn Brock was 

glad to be able to participate in 

the festivities by helping decorate. 

“It was tedious work,” she 

said, “but being able to help out 

with my friends and hearing all 

the positive feedback afterward 

made it well worth it.” 

Seniors Jodie Cabral and 

Ellen Noh, Multicultural Club 

presidents, hosted the smorgasbord 

of ethnic events, providing 

cultural facts to make the assem- 

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that support is going to happen 

or not,” said one teacher who 

asked not to be named. 

“At this point, job security is 

a main concern for a lot of people. 

And with the uncertainty of 

union and district support, they 

are trying to determine how 

they would all be protected 

when the dust settles, myself 

included.” explained another 

CVHS teacher who also asked 

to remain anonymous. 

“Currently, the district sets 

policy for just about everything 

in our schools, leaving little 

power to administrators and 

teachers and virtually none to 

parents. Perhaps such fears 

would be alleviated in a charter 

school environment, where 

decisions are made by a culmination 

of staff, parents and students.” 

Aside from these uncertainties, 

the teacher “couldn’t be 

more excited” at the prospect of 

the silver and bronze awards 

and didn’t hear our school, we 

were like, ‘Wait, we got gold?’ 

Then we just exploded into 

cheers.” 

New approach at assembly 

makes a world of difference 

bly educational and informative 

in addition to an entertaining 

alternative to class. Latin, ballet 

and modern dancing, color 

guard and Filipino, Hawaiian, 

Korean and Disney serenades 

made for a unique assembly. 

Old favorites like the 

Phantom Dancer and Tahitian 

dancing returned and student 

groups such as the women’s 

ensemble and the competition 

cheer squad performed as well, 

adding school spirit to the mix. 

While so many new acts kept 

the audience entertained and surprised 

for most of the show, one 

act really got people’s attention. 

See Assembly, page 13 

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The women’s ensemble performed 

“Hotaru Koi,” “In 

Remembrance” and “Psalmo 

150.” After having won gold 

for 13 years in a row, the 

ensemble was disappointed to 

be awarded silver. “We were all 

still so excited the other choirs 

had done so well this year, 

though,” notes Jenna Van Vliet, 

a CV junior and women’s 

ensemble member. 

The show choir performed 

“Zombie Jamboree,” “The 

Song of Purple Summer” and 

“Jai Ho,” earning yet another 

gold medal. CV junior, show 

choir member and longtime 

ballet dancer Janai Goodwin 

pulled out her pointe ballet 

shoes to accompany the choir 

as they sang “The Song of 

Purple Summer.” After a stunning 

performance, Goodwin 

was given the Maestro Award. 

“When they announced that 

I had won the award, I shakily 

stood up, thinking, ‘Oh my 

gosh! This is not real life!’ ” 

says Goodwin. “People hugged 

me and took my picture, and 

CV people are just cheering 

and going crazy. It was awesome. 

I just couldn’t stop smiling.” 

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�lumbing 

CV’s transformation into a charter 

school. 

Both teachers are supportive 

of the concept. “I can’t think of 

anything better that could happen 

to a teacher in terms of 

having input in the environment 

and curriculum of a school.” 

Many teachers are encouraged 

by the thought of more 

involvement and input. After 

being “dictated to” by the district 

for so long, many find it 

appealing that their time investment 

would help produce a creative, 

inspiring and innovative 

learning environment. 

“It almost sounds too good 

to be true,” said junior Laura 

Minorsky, expressing what many 

students on campus are thinking 

as the conversation continues. 

“But then again,” she added, 

“we have nowhere to go but 

up.” 

Student reporter Sarah Rosen 

contributed to this story. 

CV choirs bring home two golds, a silver 

SARAH ROSEN 


TAYLOR TOVREA 


Clayton Valley choirs topped off a stellar year at the Heritage Festival in Seattle this month. The 

choirs walked off with two golds and one silver medal. Choir director Elizabeth Emigh was on 

maternity leave, so husband Chris Emigh took over duties as interim director. 

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License. 906211 

Link Crew ‘does the 

right thing’ with 

mentoring program 

MORE THAN 35 CVHS STUDENTS ‘do the right thing’ in helping 

freshmen fit into the high school culture. The students are 

members of the Link Crew, part of the character building program 

embraced by the schools, the city and the police department. 

BOB STEINER 


Clayton Valley High’s Link 

Crew embraces the core values 

of Do the Right Thing (DTRT) 

while helping incoming freshmen 

transition to high school. 

DTRT is an ongoing, broadbased 

community program centered 

on accepting and practicing 

six personal values: responsibility, 

respect, kindness, selfdiscipline, 

integrity and courage. 

The city of Clayton is encouraging 

residents and local schools 

to adopt the program. 

The goal of Crew Link is to 

welcome freshmen to the campus 

and encourage them to 

think about the path they will 

follow during the next four 

years and what it takes to be successful 

in high school. Link 

Crew trains CVHS juniors and 

seniors to be mentors and advisors 

and to act as positive role 

models. They meet with all 

freshmen during gym class at 

least once a month during the 

school year. 

Sunny Shergill, Link Crew 

Webmaster, remembers feeling a 

lack of connection when he 

entered CVHS. He appreciates 

the opportunity to help new students 

make the transition more 

smoothly. 

About 35 students are currently 

dedicated to the mission, 

supported by faculty advisors 

Kat Marzel and Hosay Jamili. 

Marzel and Jamili are enthusiastic 

about how the DTRT program 

has given Link Crew members a 

focus and common language 

Let Us 

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from which to emphasize the 

importance of accepting and 

reflecting good personal values 

as they help the freshmen develop 

into responsible citizens. 

Link Crew’s incorporation of 

the tenants of DTRT is further 

affirmation of the overall 

importance of the DTRT program 

at CVHS. All students are 

exposed to DTRT in some fashion 

in the classroom, on campus 

and by way of the faculty’s commitment 

to the program. 

For Link Crew member 

Maggie Trees-Keenan, it all 

begins with respect. “Link Crew 

uses the elements of DTRT to 

teach students responsibility and 

how to take the initiative in 

shaping their own lives,” she 

says. 

School 

News 

Clayton Valley High School 

Volunteers are needed for 

Grad Night, to be held June 7 at 

Centre Concord. Anyone over 

the age of 21 may help with 

entertainment, working in the 

casino, food service, security 

and more. 

For more information, contact 

Michelle Eberhart at 798- 

3967 or 

michelle.eberhart@gmail.com. 

Or visit cvhspfc.com. 

All work 

done by 

owner 

DRE#00906625 

Office: 925.975.5255 

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Three weeks to the day after 

the March 30 blaze at the 

Clough home, the boys and girls 

lacrosse teams lined up before 

an enthusiastic crowd at Clayton 

Valley High School for a benefit 

game. 

Boys and girls high school 

lacrosse have different rules, so 

to even the playing field the 

boys agreed to play by the girls 

rules and use girls sticks, which 

have a much shallower net. 

Keeping it all in fun, the boys 

showed up at Gonsalves 

Stadium in practice jerseys – 

complemented by red girls 

lacrosse skirts. Playing for the 

girls team, boys varsity goalie 

Troy “Pretty in Pink” Carlson 

took it one step further and 

added pink tights to his ensemble. 

When CVHS lacrosse player 

Joanna Fan heard about the fire 

that consumed the Clough family 

home in Clayton, she talked 

to some of her Eagles teammates 

about something they 

could do to assist. The Coughs’ 

oldest son Joey is a new member 

of the Eagles varsity this spring. 

The girls came up with the 

idea of having a benefit lacrosse 

game against the boys team. 

After checking with coaches, 

school administrators and ath- 

Coaching high school sports 

can bring rewards – often of the 

intangible variety – to the 

women and men who take on 

that daunting task. 

letic director Pat Middendorf, 

Joanna and her teammates 

quickly put their idea into action 

for the first-ever contest. 

The girls baked homemade 

goodies and produced com- 

Most coaches aren’t teachers 

at the school and probably don’t 

even earn minimum wage if the 

number of hours spent planning, 

practicing and competing 

are divided into the paltry pay 

they receive. To make it worthwhile, 

there has to be a large 

amount of personal satisfaction 

and the knowledge that the 

coach is making a difference in 

the lives of the student athletes. 

There are also those rare 

times when a team or individual 

athlete does extraordinary 

things. For Clayton Valley High 

School alumnus and boys volleyball 

coach Stephen 

Coddington, this is one of those 

times. 

Outside hitter Mitchell 

D’Angina is being counted on 

to lead the Eagles to their third 

straight berth in the North 

Coast Section playoffs. The 6-6 

senior is literally and figuratively 

head and shoulders above most 

teammates and competitors. 

“I have always dreamed of 

Clayton Sports 

Lacrosse teams playfully join for benefit game 

JAY BEDECARRÉ 




Clayton Clayton Valley Valley 

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Both Eagle mascots came out to 

cheer on the teams. 

The girls raced to a 4-0 lead 

in the first half, but things did 

having a player of Mitchell’s caliber. 

It’s fun watching him play 

this year,” Coddington says. 

“Against Berean Christian last 

week, he made a back row attack 

and made contact with the ball 

about five feet past the 10-foot 

line to complete the kill and 

landed at the net. It was a legal 

play. That is skill on another 

level.” 

For D’Angina, it’s been an 

equally exciting time. He was 

accepted to Brigham Young 

University last week and invited 

to walk-on to the Cougars volleyball 

team, currently ranked 

No. 2 in the NCAA. A day after 

getting his college acceptance, 

he helped CVHS defeat Berean 

Christian in four sets. His stat 

line included 21 kills, 21 digs 

and five aces. 

“It’s been a great experience 

to be able to bring our team up 

to a higher level of play and to 

be able to compete with some of 

the top teams,” D’Angina said 

before the Berean match. “We 

not go without incident. The 

boys forgot that the girls play by 

no-contact rules and inadvertently 

knocked a few of the girls 

to the ground, resulting in heavy 

penalties for the boys team. By 

need to learn to play as a team 

and bring each other up (in 

order to compete at NCS).” 

He has been concentrating 

fully on volleyball while playing 

club for the Diablo Valley 

Volleyball Cobra Kai 18 team. 

The CVHS team lost six seniors 

so had to fill in with a lot of 

new players. “Even with this 

rebuilding, we have high expectations 

to be competitive with 

the league’s best teams and go 

for a Diablo Valley Athletic 

League title,” Coddington says. 

“We should also make the NCS 

playoffs for a third year in a 

row.” 

Seniors libero Clark 

Stratford and outside 

hitter/opposite Austin Woods 

give D’Angina strong support 

and this year’s team veteran 

leadership. A quartet of juniors 

– setter Cole Willardson, defensive 

specialist Dalton Moore 

and middle blockers Taylor 

halftime, the boys started to figure 

out how to work the girls 

equipment and came back to 

lead 5-4 at the break. 

The second half opened with 

the draw between sister and 


THE ACTION WAS GENERALLY FAST AND FURIOUS but the smiles were also plentiful when the Clayton Valley High boys and girls 

lacrosse teams took the Gonsalves Stadium turf for a benefit game to assist the family of boys player Joey Clough. Participants 

included, from left, Allie Robison, Amanda Calimlim, Cody “Nothing Under the Skirt” Anderson, Aaron “Anna” Calimlim, Joanna 

Fan, Travis “Cookie” Kohlmeyer (back) and Sara Okimoto. Fan initially came up with the idea for the benefit and did much of 

the legwork to make it happen. 

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6/28 - 6/30 , 

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brother Amanda and Aaron 

Calimlim, with Amanda assisting 

with the goal. The teams traded 

goals, keeping the score tight 

with Megan Abcede, Samantha 

Healy and Kera Prell putting it in 

the net for the girls. Both 

Carlson and Tyler “Hope the 

Dress Doesn’t” Falls scored two 

goals for the girls team, but in 

the end the boys prevailed 9-7. 

Joey Clough was sick and 

didn’t play in the benefit. “The 

event turned out really good,” 

he said after the game. “A lot of 

people came out and it was a lot 

of fun. It’s really nice, really 

helpful, really moving.” 

The event ended with both 

teams lining up at midfield for 

the “Honor the Game” handshake. 

Afterward, all the players 

gathered to take commemorative 

group pictures. 

“It is inspiring to witness 

young people take the initiative 

to come together, lose their 

inhibitions and stereotypes to 

make this event a success and a 

positive impact on many people’s 

lives,” said boys coach Matt 

Hill. “The first girls vs. boys 

benefit lacrosse game was so 

much fun that we will definitely 

continue the tradition in years to 

come.” 

Michelle Hill and Mike Dunn 

contributed to this story. 

D’Angina taking Eagles volleyball team, coach to new heights 

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SOPHOMORE TYLER SUN (CENTER JUMPING) OF CLAYTON AND SENIOR 

OUTSIDE HITTER MITCHELL D’ANGINA (8) helped the Eagles sweep 

rivals Concord in three sets last week with 11 kills as Clayton 

Valley won its 10th game of the volleyball season. 

Where kids 

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U16 boys denied 

title due to rainout 

Diablo Futbol Club’s under 

15 and under 16 boys soccer 

teams continue to make their 

mark on a regional and national 

level. They both are now ranked 

among the top 50 teams in 

America after outstanding tournament 

and cup results this 

spring. 

Diablo FC 95 just earned a 

trip to the USYSA Western 

Regionals June 20-26 in Boise 

after reaching the championship 

game of CYSA State Cup for 

the third successive year. Coach 

John Badger’s team lost the U15 

finale two weeks ago 2-0 to 

Santa Clara Sporting 95, the 

same team that beat the local 

club powerhouse all three years 

in the state cup championship 

match. 

Because of the wildcard 

draw, both CYSA State Cup 

finalists earned spots in the 

Western Regionals. Champions 

from the 12 western states along 

with two wildcard teams and 

two Far West Regional League 

finalists make up the 16-team 

bracket. Diablo FC will be facing 

the state champions from 

Oregon, New Mexico and Cal 

South in their round-robin 

bracket, where two teams 

advance to the regional quarterfinals. 

Diablo FC 95 won its first 

four state cup games in fairly 

easy fashion by a combined 15- 

2 score. In the semi-finals, with 

a regional spot at stake, the local 

team and Mission Valley United 

95 Black of Fremont battled 

through a scoreless game and 

two overtime periods. The result 

was determined by penalty 

kicks, with Diablo FC scoring 

goals by Edgar Damian, 

Trenton Matson, T.J. Hogan and 

Kian Maghsoodnia. Goalkeeper 

Andrew Konstantino then 

stopped two spot kicks by 

Mission Valley, putting Diablo 

FC back into the cup finals for 

the third time. 

Diablo FC 95 had defeated 

Santa Clara Sporting 95 in the 

semi-finals of the SCS 

Invitational last summer en 

route to the championship 

there, but they weren’t able to 

duplicate that result in the state 

cup finals. 

Also on the Diablo FC 95 

Coach Chance Gernhardt is 

relying on a core of upper classmen 

to use one of two avenues 

to gain a North Coast Section 

berth for the Clayton Valley 

High School golf team. 

The Eagles can earn a postseason 

invitation by winning the 

Diablo Valley League regular 

season or a May 2 league tournament 

at Boundary Oak in 

Walnut Creek. 

As the coach expected, the 

Eagles are battling College Park 

and Northgate for top league 

honors. Gernhardt was pleased 

with his team’s efforts in splitting 

home and away non-league 

matches with St. Patrick-St. 

Vincent of Benicia. 

Returning senior golfers 

Garrett Dane and Stuart Bredell 

have been the low scorers for 

the Eagles as they chase DVAL 

favorites College Park and 

Northgate. Classmates Jack 

Loflin and Kenny Johnson are 

new to varsity this season but 

Clayton Sports 

Diablo FC boys U15 team 

planning for regionals in Boise YOUTH 



See Futbol, page 12 

Photo courtesy Diablo FC 

DIABLO FUTBOL CLUB’S UNDER 15 BOYS SOCCER TEAM IS CURRENTLY RANKED #15 in the United States 

and is going to the USYSA Far West Regionals June 20-26 in Boise, Idaho after reaching the 

championship game of CYSA State Cup for the third successive year. The team includes, front 

row from left, Edgar Damian, Jonathan Silvan, Ryan Ringelstein, Reymond Velete, Mario 

Matute, T.J. Hogan, Israel Murguia, Kian Maghsoodnia; second row, Mikie Guerrero, Esteban 

Berumen, Derek Wilcox, Andrew Konstantino, Trenton Mattson, Javier Valencia, Isaiah Dargan; 

standing Juan Velazquez and coach John Badger. 

Clayton Valley golf team 

driving for NCS berth 



have posted some solid scores. 

Juniors Daniel Maraccini 

and Sam Marchant also have 

generally been among the five 

lowest scorers for the Eagles. 

Rounding out the Eagles squad 

are freshmen Eric Carlson and 

Kevin Cuff, sophomore Wyatt 

Dane and juniors Nick 

Gasparro and Brin Owen. 

Two years ago, the Eagles 

had an all-DVAL golfer in 

freshman Domenic Mazza. Last 

season, Mazza switched his 

spring sports attentions to baseball 

and is in the starting rotation 

for the first-place Eagles 

baseball team. Although he 

played in a couple non-league 

golf matches this year, Mazza 

doesn’t figure in the Eagles 

post-season drive while he is 

part of a CVHS baseball team 

currently ranked second in the 

East Bay. 

Bryan Bredell is assisting 

Gernhardt with the Eagles 

coaching duties this year. The 

NCS qualifying meet at Sunol 

Valley Golf Course is a week 

after the DVAL championships. 


SENIOR GARRETT DANE HAS 

been a low scorer most of 

the season for the Clayton 

Valley High golf team as the 

Eagles try to overcome 

favorites College park and 

Northgate and gain a NCS 

tournament placement. 

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SUMMER RECREATION COMING TO 

CLAYTON GYM 

The comprehensive Clayton Youth Summer Slam program 

offered by All Out Sports League at Clayton Community Gym 

is accepting reservations now for junior golf clinic, youth basketball 

and volleyball leagues, summer day camp, cheer camp, 

indoor floor hockey league and flag football camp. Summer programs 

run between June 13 and Aug. 20. 

For more information call (925) 203-5626 or to register for 

any program offered by All Out Sports at the gym, visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com. 

10TH ANNUAL CLAYTON VALLEY 

YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP 

The 10th annual Clayton Valley youth football camp runs 

June 20-24 at Gonsalves Stadium on the Clayton Valley High 

School campus from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. It is for boys and girls entering 

third through ninth grades. 

Head football coach Herc Pardi, defensive coordinator Jerry 

Coakley and the Eagles coaching staff and players provide fundamental 

instruction and daily full contact competition. There is 

a trainer on site. Each participant gets a camp shirt and written 

evaluation. Cost is $125, plus a refundable $75 equipment fee. 

For more information, email herc_pardi@hotmail.com, call 

(925) 682-7474 ext. 3115 or pick up a brochure at the CVHS 

front office. Deadline to apply is June 9. 

CLAYTON VALLEY FALCONS CHEER, FOOTBALL 

SIGNUPS OPEN 

Clayton Valley Falcons cheerleading and football signups are 

now open online at cvaafalcons.com. Football is open for players 

7-14 years of age while cheerleading begins for five-yearolds. 

There will be two walk-in sign up days in May and June. 

The next session is Thursday, May 12, from 6-8 p.m. and 

Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Mountain Mike’s Pizza 

next to Clayton Bowl in Concord. Complete information on the 

Falcons football and cheer programs is available at 

cvaafalcons.com. 

CV BASEBALL SCHEDULES SUMMER CAMP 

Two-time DVAL champion Clayton Valley High Eagles 

coaches and players will present their annual Summer Baseball 

Camp June 13-30 at the Concord school. The program each 

week is Monday through Thursday for boys and girls 7-15, from 

beginners to advanced players. Camp Director Bob Ralston says 

current college players and student coaches from Clayton Valley 

provide positive role models and give hands-on instruction. 

For more information or to register for summer camp, call 

682-7474 ext. 3115 or visit eaglebaseballacademy.com. 

DIABLO FC UNDER 8 ACADEMY BEGINS MAY 3 

A new comprehensive soccer program for girls and boys 6-8 

years of age is being introduced with the Diablo FC U8 

Academy. The first of four groups of sessions runs on Tuesdays 

and Thursdays from May 3-June 2 at Boatwright Sports 

Complex in Concord. Camp Director Brian Voltattorni says the 

Academy is a developmental soccer program that will include 

psycho-motor skills, coordination exercises, technical training 

with the ball and free play. The Academy is scheduled so that 

players can also participate in an AYSO recreation program during 

the fall. For complete details and to register visit 

diablofc.org. 

MT. DIABLO SOCCER OFFERS FALL LEAGUE 

ONLINE REGISTRATION 

The local AYSO recreation soccer program is offering convenient 

online registration for the first time in its 31-year history. 

Mt. Diablo Soccer encourages families with children 4 -18 

years of age to visit its website at mdsoccer.org and sign up now. 

Children must be at least four-years-old by July 31, 2011 to play 

this fall season. For more information email Mt. Diablo Soccer 

at fall@mdsoccer.org. Information on fees and volunteer 

requirements are on the website. Team practices begin as early 

as Aug. 1. 

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Dogs know that playtime is just a game 

ELENA BICKER 

PET PALS 

Dogs, like humans, are one 

of a few unique species that 

engage in play far beyond the 

end of their childhood years. 

And watching them play can be 

a great spectator sport. 

Like human games, dog play 

has rules that must be followed 

for fairness, and some players 

are more skilled than others. 

The more you know about dog 

play behavior and what their 

body signals mean, the more 

enjoyment you will get out of 

watching the game. 

Almost all animals play as 

juveniles; it is a crucial part of 

development. By definition, play 

is a rehearsal of key survival 

behaviors. Dog play is made up 

of four of these behaviors: 

PUPPETEER 

Puppeteer is a curious and 

fun loving boy who is always on 

the go. He will thrive in an 

active home where he can 

receive physical as well as mental 

exercise. Going to training 

classes is a great way for little 

Puppeteer to bond with his new 

family members while meeting 

new people, socializing with 

other dogs and brushing up on 

his manners.. 

The adoption fee for adult 

dogs is $225 and includes 60 

percent off one 7-week dog 

training session. 

Futbol, from page 11 

squad going to Boise are Isaiah 

Dargan, Esteban Berumen, 

Michael Guerrero, Mario 

Matute, Israel “Izzy” Murguia, 

Ryan Ringelstein, Jonathan 

“Sho” Silvan, Javier Valencia, 

Juan Velazquez, Reymond 

Velente and Derek Wilcox. 

Last month, Diablo FC 95 

fighting, fleeing, feeding and 

mating. What distinguishes play 

from the real survival behaviors 

are special cues that dogs provide 

one another, called metasignals. 

Meta-signals are body 

movements, gestures and activities 

that signal a dog’s playful 

and harmless intentions despite 

his behavior, which looks like 

hunting or fighting. 

For instance, play bows and 

paw raises are signals typically 

used to instigate a play session. 

Healthy, friendly play interactions 

have both dogs offering 

frequent meta-signals. When 

meta-signals are absent, they are 

conspicuously absent, and what 

starts as play can quickly turn 

sour. 

Both parties should also 

pause frequently during play. 

This helps bring rowdy play 

back down to a reasonable level 

and allows dogs a brief pause to 

literally “shake it off ” and 

remember that they are just 

playing. 

A crucial component of safe 

play is a dog’s ability to restrain 

himself and to act with measured 

force. A bite is a play bite 

and does not hurt the other dog. 

Puppeteer and Portia are 

ARF’s Adoption Stars 

Portia is a beautiful little girl 

who enjoys gentle pets and lots 

of opportunities to snuggle! 

Could she be the purr-fect 

match for your family? 

The adoption fee for adult 

cats is $50. 

Meet your forever friend at 

Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue 

Foundation, 2890 Mitchell 

Drive, Walnut Creek, during 

adoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m. 

Thursday and Friday, Noon to 5 

p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The 

primary caretaker must be pres- 

went to Nevada and won the 

Las Vegas College Showcase 

tournament, going undefeated 

with wins over teams from 

Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and 

Cal South. 

The club’s U16 boys team, 

coach Marquis White’s Diablo 

FC 94, hoped to follow up on its 

Adult dogs who roll over and 

allow a puppy to wrestle on top 

of them are also exhibiting selfrestraint: 

the adult dog could 

easily overtake the puppy, but 

chooses not to for the sake of 

play. 

During play, dogs’ bodies 

should be loose and wiggly, their 

movements bouncy, exaggerated 

and a little sloppy. This 

demonstrates that the dog has 

no intention of doing harm or 

acting aggressively. A dog that is 

intent on harming conserves his 

PORTIA 

ent to adopt. ARF also encourages 

kids 16 and younger and 

canine family members (dog 

adoptions only) to be present 

during the adoption process. 

Would you like to be part of the 

heroic team that saves the lives of rescued 

dogs and cats? Can you share 

your talents to connect people and animals? 

ARF volunteers are making a 

difference! For more information see 

our website, www.arf.net, or call 

925.256.1ARF. 

championship in the 12th annual 

Diablo Cup when the team 

traveled to San Diego for the 

Nomads Coaches Showcase last 

month. The team earned a 

championship game berth 

before wet weather forced a 

cancellation of the finale. The 

two finalists, Diablo FC 94 and 

Nevada’s No. 1 team Las Vegas 

Premier 95 White, went directly 

to penalty kicks. Las Vegas won 

energy and focuses exactly on 

the task at hand; there is no 

bouncing around when the hunt 

is on. 

The tendency of dogs to 

continue play into adulthood 

may explain why we as humans 

cherish their companionship so 

dearly: We’re just two fun-loving, 

playful species that know 

how to have a good time. 

Elena Bicker is the Executive Director 

of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue 

Foundation. She can be reached at (925) 

256-1ARF (1273) 

Volleyball, 

from page 10 

Wingard and McKay Blatter – 

also are playing key roles. 

Coddington won’t be losing 

the D’Angina name from his 

roster anytime soon, with freshman 

outside hitter Matthew following 

in his brother’s footsteps. 

Another frosh, Garrett Blatter, 

is a defensive specialist and 

sophomore Tyler Sun is an 

opposite on the varsity team. 

Last year, the Eagles not only 

chased powerful Northgate in 

the DVAL title race but then 

faced off again with the 

Broncos in the first round of 

NCS playoffs Division II – 

where CVHS lost a four-set 

match. The previous year, they 

lost in four sets to Las Lomas at 

NCS. 

“Northgate is again the class 

of the league. College Park has a 

very good team this year and is 

making a lot of noise. We will 

finish somewhere in the top 

three places in league. If everything 

comes together with this 

team, we have a chance to win 

or share the title,” Coddington 

said of the Eagles, who were 5- 

1 in league through last week. 

NCS begins May 17. 

The fifth-year coach has fellow 

alums “Dice” Armstrong 

and Thuan Nguyen on his 

coaching staff. 

the shootout and the title 3-1. 

Diablo FC 94, which had 

won the prestigious Surf Cup 

last summer in San Diego, drew 

one and won three games to 

reach the Nomad semi-finals. 

They came away with a 1-0 win 

over San Diego Surf White 

before suffering the disappointment 

of not being able to play 

the final game. 

After these strong spring 

results, Diablo FC 95 is now 

ranked 15th nationally in U15 

boys while Diablo FC 94 moved 

into the U16 top 50 in 

GotSoccer’s national ratings. 

Diablo FC’s spring tournament, 

the Diablo Cup, proved 

bittersweet for the local club. In 

the four girls brackets, a Diablo 

FC team reached the championship 

game in every age group 

yet all four teams lost in the 

finals by a single goal. On the 

boys side, Diablo FC 94 won the 

U16 bracket by defeating 

Nevada’s No. 3 team, Sagebrush 

SC Vipers Red, while Diablo FC 

was also second in U18 and U14 

age groups


Assembly, from page 9 

Sophomore Mandalyn Savage’s 

dance performance turned into 

a creative two-person routine 

when Ted Hall leapt from his 

front row seat in the bleachers 

and joined in. 

“It was pretty exciting when 

Ted jumped out of the stands 

and started dancing,” said junior 

Safety, 

from page 7 

It is important that neighbors 

know the people who are 

expected in the area, such as 

cleaning and gardening workers. 

I know that my neighbors 

have their lawns mowed on 

Tuesday or Friday. If I see 

something other than a red 

pickup across the street on 

Tuesday morning, I may be 

concerned. 

In Clayton, the Police 

Department coordinates a 

Neighborhood Watch Program 

that could be of benefit for all 

neighborhoods. There have 

been a number of presentations 

for Clayton residents in 

the last few years. Most recently, 

there were presentations for 

Black Diamond residents and 

in Peacock Creek. 

On Nov. 19, 2010, the 

Pioneer article “Neighborhood 

Watch gets results in Peacock 

Creek” documented the success 

of implementing some of 

the recommendations in an 

effort to reduce undesired 

activity in the neighborhood. 

During Neighborhood 

Watch presentations, which 

take about 1½ hours, there are 

discussions about suspicious 

activity and suspicious vehicles, 

home security, solicitations, 

reporting information 

and identity theft. Also discussed 

are some of the latest 

scams taking place. 

One great benefit of having 

a Neighborhood Watch 

meeting is the opportunity to 

meet and know your neighbors. 

If you know your neighbors 

and exchange information 

about who is “authorized” 

in the area to do gardening, 

home maintenance, etc., or just 

visiting for a period of time, 

then residents are aware of 

who should or should not be 

in the neighborhood. 

If you want to have a meeting in 

your neighborhood, contact the 

Clayton Police at 673-7350. 

Email Herb Yonge at 

hlyonge@att.net 

Please tell our 

advertisers 

you saw them 

in the Clayton 

Pioneer 

Taylor Wingard, “I wasn’t 

expecting it at all.” 

“I loved jumping out of the 

stands and surprising people,” 

said Hall, a junior. “It was fun to 

be able to experience the assembly 

as both a performer onstage 

and from the stands as a member 

of the audience.” 

enough to close the $2.8 million 

deficit facing the district next 

year. 

The assessment was originally 

set to go before the East 

County Board of Directors at 

the April 4 meeting, but the engineer’s 

report was incomplete. 

The report will be presented at 

the May 2 meeting, says 

Henderson. 

“We want to be sure we have 

a prudent, fully defendable 

assessment before we move forward,” 

Henderson says. 

If approved, the assessment 

will provide sufficient funding to 

keep open all fire stations in the 

district, including the Marsh 

Creek Sunshine Station that was 

threatened with closure during 

the non-fire season months. 

During the fire season, the station 

is operated by the state. 

The plan will also provide for 

full staffing at all of the stations 

and will begin a paramedic program. 

The district currently relies 

on ambulances for life-saving 

services. 

town, we have kids either entering 

or rapidly approaching high 

school and there is considerable 

concern about the quality of 

their school experience. Horror 

stories come second, third and 

fourth hand about bullying, 

drugs, “romance” (in quotes 

because it has more meaning 

than that, but this is a family 

paper), unsafe and unclean conditions, 

etc. at Clayton Valley 

High School. As a graduate of 

CVHS and with a child set to 

enter high school next year, I am 

concerned. But a ray of light has 

entered this tale with the 

announcement of the potential 

for CVHS to become a charter 

school (“CVCHS”). 

Since the first meeting I was 

asked to come to about planning 

this charter, where I knew nothing, 

to today where multiple 

public meetings have taken 

place and the plan is in full planning 

stage (see accompanying 

article with more details), the 

excitement is palpable in the 

community. At a meeting on 

Monday, approximately 150 

people packed our library meeting 

room to hear the teachers 

behind this movement and a 

charter consultant outline their 

vision and discuss the pros and 

cons of a charter school. The 

interest in improving CVHS was 

100 percent and it appeared the 

vast majority were behind the 

charter idea. To be fair, not all 

questions were answered to 

everyone’s satisfaction and the 

The Latin dancing performances 

also created buzz. Both 

couples, one of current students 

the other of alumni gone pro, 

danced with spice and drama. 

But what really kept students’ 

attention was how the men 

threw, flipped and held their 

partners repeatedly in such 

crazy ways. 

This level of intensity and 

suspense was also found in the 

color guard act, which took on 

Assessment, from page 1 

Mayor, from page 1 

Henderson expects the board 

to approve the engineer’s report 

and call for the election at the 

May 2 meeting in time to mail 

out ballots by the June 16 deadline. 

If passed, the assessment 

would be on the 2011-’12 tax 

roll. 

The assessment affects property 

owners in the rural areas of 

Clayton along Marsh Creek and 

Morgan Territory roads. 

FIRE INSURANCE NO 

LONGER A CRISIS 

Last year October, East 

County Fire closed the Sunshine 

Station to save the district the 

$366,000 it pays CalFire to staff 

the station during the non-fire 

season.. 

A grassroots reaction from 

Clayton’s rural property owners 

forced East County to reconsider 

and they drew from reserves 

to reopen the station November 

1. 

With the Sunshine station in 

jeopardy, homeowner insurance 

rates began to double and triple. 

Several homeowners were can- 

plan specifics are still being 

worked out for budgeting, 

administration, teaching standards, 

contracts, etc. But that 

did not appear to dampen the 

crowd’s enthusiasm for the idea. 

What was clear was that a 

charter school would increase 

the per student amount of 

money given to the school. It 

would be locally administered 

and would include specific and 

uniform codes of conduct 

geared toward restoring respect 

and following rules to make it 

easier for the teachers to teach. 

The loudest cheers and applause 

came when the crowd was 

informed that uniforms can be 

implemented to eliminate issues 

with inappropriate fashions and 

any gang identification. 

In short, charter schools are 

growing in California, and 

CVCHS could act as a shining 

example for the Bay Area. 

Granada Hills Charter High 

School in Southern California 

has a 99 percent graduation rate 

with 98 percent of their graduates 

attending college of some 

sort. Attendance rate is 98 percent 

and the school has top API 

(Academic performance index) 

scores. Clayton Valley organizers 

envision the same results for 

an extreme and rock ’n’ roll 

angle. For junior Ryan Dodge, 

this was the favorite act. 

“I thought the color guard 

act was interesting,” he said, 

“and it had good music.” 

Overall, the assembly was 

hailed as a massive success for 

straying from the traditional. 

“This was the best rally we’ve 

had so far,” Wingard concluded. 

celled by insurance companies 

that followed Insurance 

Standards Office stiff underwriting 

guidelines requiring homes to 

be no further than five miles 

from a fire station. ISO also 

imposes heavy staffing requirements 

that the district cannot 

meet. 

State Farm Insurance, however, 

sets their own underwriting 

guidelines and does not use the 

ISO standards, says local agent 

Doug Van Wyck. 

“We’ve been writing policies 

out there for 30 years and continue 

to do so,” he says. 

“As long as property owners 

in wildfire areas clear their properties 

and are in compliance with 

local fire codes, we have no 

problem insuring rural properties.” 

Van Wyck is in the Village Oaks 

building, 6200 Center Street, Clayton. 

For more information call (925) 672- 

2300. 

For more information on the benefit 

assessment district, including the 

agenda and staff reports, go to 

www.eccfpd.org. Board meetings are at 

6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 3231 Main 

St., Oakley. 

our kids with a charter school. 

What is most amazing to me 

is that in over a decade of 

involvement in politics in 

Clayton, every issue has had 

both proponents and detractors. 

The lone exception —CVCHS! 

That is unheard of in politics 

and I think proof of the soundness 

of the idea and the need to 

improve existing conditions at 

CVHS. 

As this moves forward, it will 

be vital for all interested parents, 

even if your child is only a toddler, 

to inform themselves and 

to make their support heard to 

the teachers at CVHS and to the 

Mt. Diablo Unified School 

District, which will be deciding 

whether to approve the charter. 

To this end, please go to 

Facebook and search “Clayton 

Valley Charter High School” or 

t o 

https://sites.google.com/site/ 

claytonvalleycharterhighschool 

to learn more and show your 

support. You may also email me 

at shuey@rankinlaw.com. 

As John F. Kennedy once 

said, “Our progress as a nation 

can be no swifter than our 

progress in education. The 

human mind is our fundamental 

resource.” 

Email the mayor at 

shuey@rankinlaw.com 

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Clayton Community Calendar 

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. MAY 4 FOR THE MAY 13 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com 

IN CLAYTON 

April 30-May 1 

Clayton Art & Wine Festival 

Premium wine and beer, 125 arts and crafts exhibits, Kiddieland and 

live entertainment. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. April 30 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 

1, Main Street. Free admission. Sponsored by the Clayton Business 

and Community Association, with proceeds supporting community 

groups and projects. 672-2272. 

May 1 

“Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North” 

An award-winning documentary in which producer/director Katherine 

Browne tells the story of her forefathers, Rhode Islanders who were 

the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. 1 p.m., followed by 

discussion. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5555 Clayton Road. Free. 

672-8855. 

May 6-7 

Clayton Gardens Tour 

Sponsored by the Clayton Historical Society. Self-guided tour of six 

gardens begins at the Clayton Museum, 6101 Main St. 10 a.m.-4 

p.m. rain or shine. $25, or $30 at the door. Fifth ticket free. Purchase 

tickets at the museum or R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens, 6780 Marsh 

Creek Road. 672-0240 or claytonhistory.org. 

May 7, 14, 21, 28 

Farmers Market 

8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Center 

streets, downtown. pcfma.com. 

May 7 

Cover2Cover Concert 

The high-energy dance band kicks off the summer Concerts in The 

Grove with a variety of music spanning five decades. 6-8:30 p.m., 

Grove Park, downtown. Set up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 

4 p.m. Free. For a complete concert series schedule, see Page 3. 

May 30 

Memorial Day Program 

Presented by VFW Post 1525, 10 a.m.-noon, downtown flagpole, 

Main and Oak streets. Free. Call Pete at 682-6533. 

EVENTS/ENTERTAINMENT 

April 28-May 15 

“The Lady With All The Answers” 

An evening with Ann Landers presented by CenterRep. Thursdays 

through Sundays at the Lesher Center, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut 

Creek. For tickets call (925) 943-SHOW (7469) or purchase online at 

www.centerrep.org 

April 29-May 21 

“Visiting Mr. Green” 

A funny and heart-warming story of a retired man and a young corporate 

executive. Presented by Diablo Actors Ensemble. $10-$25. 

1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. diabloactors.com. 


Astronomy Program 

“Are We Alone? A Discussion of Alien Life.” Sponsored by the Mt. 

Diablo Astronomical Society. 7 p.m. (but enter the park at least 45 

minutes earlier), lower summit parking lot, Mt. Diablo. $10 park 

entrance. 837-2525 or mdas.net. 

Through April 30 

“Twelfth Night, or What You Will” 

Butterfield 8 Productions in Concord presents this Shakespeare 

favorite adapted for alternating all male and all female casts. Tickets 

$12-18. Purchase online at www.brownpapertickets.com or call (925) 

838-3006. 

Through April 30 

“To Kill a Mockingbird” 

Center Repertory presents the timeless classic about ignorance, prejudice 

and integrity. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut 

Creek. $36-$42. 943-SHOW or centerrep.org. 

May-September 

Summer Concert Series 

Music and Market Series, noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays May-June. Blues, 

6:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays in July. Music and Market Series, 6:30-8 p.m. 

Thursdays May 5-Sept 15. Special events: Mother’s Day 2-4 p.m. May 

8, Father’s Day June 19, 4th of July, National Night Out Aug 2. 

Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free. 671-3464. 

May 6, 7 

“Cosmos: A Musical Journey Through the Elements” 

Featuring Tapestry vocal and hand bell ensemble. 7 p.m. May 6, 

United Methodist Church, 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek. 

Followed by a pie party. 7 p.m. May 7, First United Methodist Church, 

1600 Bancroft Ave., San Leandro. Refreshments following. Free 

admission, with a free-will donation for Smile Train. www.tapestryringersandsingers.org. 

May 12-June 4 

“Chicago” 

The Willows presents this award-winning musical of flash, sass and 

tabloid murders. Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $22- 

$32. 798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.org. 

May 13-22 

“The King & I” 

The Vagabond Players and El Campanil Children’s Theatre present 

the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. El Campanil Theatre, 602 

West 2nd St., Antioch. 689-3368. 

May 14 

“America’s Got Talent” Comes to Town 

Finalist Lawrence Beamen joins area resident Art Watkins for a benefit 

concert for St. Bonaventure’s new Youth Ministry Center. 7:30 p.m., 

5562 Clayton Road, Concord. $25, or $10 for children 12 and under. 

Free child care. Brownpaperticket.com. 

May 15 

Diablo Symphony 

Violinist Linda Wang with works by Tchaikovsky and Brahms. 2 p.m., 

Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$20. 

943-7469 or lesherartscenter.org. 

May 18 

River Rock Casino Trip 

Meet at 8:45 a.m. at Diamond Terrace Retirement Community, 6401 

Center St., Clayton. Return home at 6 p.m. $25, includes $5 food 

coupon and $20 gaming coupons. RSVP to 524-5100 by May 4. 

June 16 

“Europe Through the Back Door” 

Travel writer Rick Steves headlines the Contra Costa County Library’s 

Summer Reading Festival. 7 p.m., Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 

Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10. 943-SHOW, lesherartscenter.org or 

ccclib.org 

FUNDRAISERS 


United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation Vegas Night 

To raise money for all sports in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. 

6 p.m.-midnight, Concord Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd. $50, includes 

dinner and gambling chips. www.unitedmtdiabloathletics.org. 

May 7 

E-Waste Drop-Off 

To benefit 2011 Grad Night at Clayton Valley High School. Donate 

monitors, computers, laptops, TVs, stereos, copiers, fax machines, 

DVD/VHS/CD players, cell phones, car batteries, cardboard, metal, 

paper products. Other items accepted for minimal fee. 10 a.m.-4 

p.m., CVHS, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. rapidrecycle.net or 671- 

8008. 

May 14 

Clayton Valley Garden Club Plant Sale 

8 a.m.-1 p.m., Endeavor Hall, 6000 Center St., Clayton. 672-5079. 

May 14 

Music Festival Showcase and Benefit 

Mt. Diablo Music Foundation presents music students from all levels 

of MDUSD schools in a fundraiser to benefit the music programs in 

the MDUSD schools. 2 p.m. at the Sleep Train Pavilion 

May 15 

Animals on Broadway 

A benefit for Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). Onemile 

pet walk, pet wellness fair, adoptions. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., 

Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek. Free admission. arf.net or 296-3118. 

May 19 

“Jog for Japan” 

A walk/jog-a-thon at Pine Hollow Middle School to donate to 

Japanese earthquake/tsunami victims. Make checks payable to Red 

Cross and bring to the school office, 5522 Pine Hollow Road, 

Concord. 672-5444, ext. 5500. 

May 26 

Skipolini’s/Grad Night 

To benefit the June 7 Grad Night at Clayton Valley High School. 1033 

Diablo St., Clayton. Print flier at www.cvhs.mdusd.org. 

SCHOOLS 

May 5 

Family Game Night 

Live interactive “Jeopardy,” plus math and strategy games for current 

and incoming middle school students and their families. Chips, salsa 

and beverages. 7 p.m., Diablo View Middle School Multi-Use Room, 

300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. Pamandleonhall@aol.com. 

May 10, 24 

Mt. Diablo Unified School District Board 

7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org. 

June 12 

Retirement Party/St. Agnes School Principal 

To honor Karen Mangini’s 21+ year commitment. Mass at 1 p.m., St. 

Agnes Church, 3966 Chestnut Ave., Concord. Dinner reception, 6 

p.m., Concord Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd. $35, $25 young adults. 

RSVP by June 6. stagnesconcord.com or call Lisa at 586-7647. 

CHURCHES & RELIGION 

May 6 

Baha’is of Clayton 

All are invited to an evening of interaction and fellowship. The talk is 

“Which is Right: Science or Religion?” with speaker Edward 

Langthorn, a lawyer, engineer, teacher and researcher. 7:30 p.m., 

Toloui residence in Clayton. Free. 672-6686. 

May 18 

Concord United Methodist Women 

Discussion of the Layette Project with Barbara Cotton. 10 a.m. meeting, 

11 a.m. program, noon luncheon. Bring an item for babies 

under age 1. 1645 West St., Concord. RSVP to Linda at 510-758- 

4837. 

AT THE LIBRARY 

The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free 

unless otherwise noted. 673-0659 or claytonlibrary.org. 

May 9, June 13 

Book Club 

Sunny Solomon leads a discussion. Anyone welcome to join the club. 

May 9: “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. June 13: “Breakfast at Sally’s: 

One Homeless Man’s Inspirational Journey” by Richard LeMieux. 7 

p.m. 

Through May 10 

Patty Cakes 

Story time for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver. 

Drop in 11 a.m. Tuesdays. 

Through May 17 

Paws to Read 

Children in grades 1-5 who have trouble reading can read aloud to a 

therapy dog. 4-4:25 or 4:35-5 p.m. Tuesdays. Registration by a parent 

required. 

Through June 2 

Picture Book Time 

Story time for 3- to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiver. 

Drop in 11 am. Thursdays. 

CITY MEETINGS 

May 3, 17 

Clayton City Council 

7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or 

ci.clayton.ca.us. 

May 10, 24 

Clayton Planning Commission 

7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or 

ci.clayton.ca.us. 

CLUBS 

Clayton Business and Community Association 

Meets 6:30 p.m. last Thursday of the month, except holidays, 

Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue 

at 672-2272. 

Clayton Valley Garden Club 

Meets 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Diamond Terrace, 

6401 Center St., Clayton. On May 11, Laura Allen will talk about the 

use of gray water. Contact Nancy at 673-3522 or claytonvalleygardenclub.org. 

Clayton Valley Woman’s Club 

Meets 9:30 a.m. second Tuesday of the month except July and 

August, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord. 

672-1163. 

Clutch Busters Square Dance Club 

Meets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Willow Pass Community Center Hall, 

2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Contact Karen at 686-3774. 

Concord Stompers Square Dance Club 

Meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Willow Pass Community Center, 2748 

East Olivera Road, Concord. Call Jennie at 672-9676 or 

angelfire.com/id/stompers. 

Contra Costa Chess Club 

Meets 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road, 

Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mike at 

639-1987 or uschess.org. 

Contra Costa Genealogical Society 

Meets 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month, LDS Church, 1360 

Alberta Way, Concord. cccgs.ca@gmail.com. 

Contra Costa Mineral and Gem Society 

Meets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord, 

5298 Clayton Road. 779-0698 or ccmgs.org. 

Creekside Artists Guild 

Meets 7-8:30 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Library Story 

Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emerging 

and experienced artists welcome. Contact Arlene at 673-9777 or 

nielsenjanc@aol.com. creeksideartists.org. 

Diablo Valley Democratic Club 

Meets 7-9 p.m. third Wednesday of the month, Ygnacio Valley 

Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road., Walnut Creek. 946-0469 or 

dvdems.org. 

East Bay Prospectors 

Meets 6:30 p.m. first Thursday of the month, Oasis Christian 

Fellowship, 2551 Pleasant Hill Road, Pleasant Hill. Clayton resident 

Douglas “Pucky” Junghans is the founder. 672-1863 or eastbaygpaa.webs.com. 

Knights Of Columbus, Concord Council 6038 

Meets 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of the month, St. Bonaventure Church, 

5562 Clayton Road, Concord. Officers meet third Wednesday at St. 

Agnes Church, 3966 Chestnut St., Concord. Contact Rayce at 683- 

9717 or rayce@aol.com. 

Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise 

Meets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock 

Creek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. 566-8166 or 

claytonvalleyrotary.org. 

Scrabble Club 

Meets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of the month, 

Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. All ages and 

skill levels welcome. $3 fee. Call Mike at 639-1987 or scrabbleassoc.com. 

Sons In Retirement (SIRs) 

Branch 19 meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Crown 

Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr., Concord. 429-3777. 

Branch 146 meets 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month. 

Boundary Oaks, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek. Call Jack at 

933-7998 or sir146.com. 

Soroptimist International of Diablo Vista 

Meets 12:15 p.m. second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, 

September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road, Concord. Contact 

Nicole at 692-2224. 

Veterans of Foreign Wars 

Breakfast 8-11 a.m. second and fourth Sundays, 2290 Willow Pass 

Road, Concord. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. $4, $2 children 

under 12. 

Word Weavers Toastmasters 

Meets 7-8:15 p.m. Mondays, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. Visitors 

welcome. Contact Marion at 686-1818 or marion48@live.com.


Swing from the ceiling or climb a 

silk rope when Levity opens in May 

PAMELA WIESENDANGER 


In her black Pilates pants, 

with no concern about the dust 

and dirt on the ground, Ilima 

Heuerman knelt side-by-side with 

the flooring man. 

He had a question about 

installing the thick, two-tone 

hardwood floor in her new fitness 

studio. It was easy to imagine 

her gaining clients’ trust and 

guiding by example as they work 

through a new movement in their 

fitness regimens. 

Growing up, she says she was 

a bookworm. But she learned to 

surf at a young age and loved the 

feeling of freedom it brought her. 

It is easy to see from her lean 

physique that she has always been 

an athlete. 

Her outgoing nature makes 

athlete more believable than 

bookworm. She greets people 

with a big hug, a “hey, good 

lookin’ ” in her silky voice and an 

electric energy that sizzles. 

Levity, Heuerman’s fitness 

studio in downtown Clayton, 

debuts with an open house on 

May 1 during the Art & Wine 

Festival and regular business the 

following day. 

Heuerman grew up in Hawaii 

and the Bay Area. She attended 

college at the University of 

Southern California, experiencing 

freedom to its fullest – not only 

being a student on her own, but 

with exposure to different sports. 

She joined the women’s rowing 

team and completed her biological 

sciences degree in 1997. 

Heuerman married firefighter 

husband Chris the year after college 

and worked as a human 

resources coordinator. She gave 

birth to son Taylor in 1999 and 

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer 

Ilima Heurman is poised to open her new Levity Fitness Studio 

in Flora Square on May 1. The studio will offer traditional fitness 

classes and training along with a chance for clients to try 

out new things like trapeze, exotic dancing and kickboxing. 

daughter Chrystina in 2001. 

As a stay-at-home mom with 

a craving to continue her exercise, 

Heuerman took kick-boxing lessons 

and worked out in her husband’s 

home gym. She does not 

like traditional gyms because they 

are “crowded, impersonal, (had) 

broken machines, unknown 

machines …I also wanted to do 

things, select equipment I never 

tried,” Heuerman says. 

Friends encouraged 

Heuerman to train others from 

her private gym, so she started 

Traveling Trainers in 2008. The 

bookworm re-emerged and 

Heuerman earned numerous certifications. 

“I gotta know why I’m doing 

it,” Heuerman says about understanding 

the mechanics of different 

movements and exercises. 

In March 2010, Heuerman 

toured Clayton’s Flora Square 

looking for space for the trainers. 

She was inspired by the more 

than 16-foot-high ceilings and 

created a vision to optimize the 

space. 

Heuerman prides herself that 

Levity is not a gym; it is a fitness 

studio. Clients do not do selfpaced, 

machine-based workouts 

but instead meet with a personal 

trainer to create a custom program 

and work in ratios of two to three 

people with one trainer, depending 

on the type of training. 

Clients use their body as leverage 

to reach health goals. This 

summer, they will have the unique 

chance to try aerial arts – trapeze 

swinging and silk tissue climbing. 

Heuerman has four people 

currently on staff, and she trained 

them all herself. 

Client-turned-trainer Jeanine 

DeSoto met Heuerman when 

DeSoto and her mother, Ann 

Napolis, took Heuerman’s boot 

camp training class to battle some 

physical ailments. She attributes 

her success to Heuerman’s ability 

to make clients feel comfortable 

by breaking goals into realistic 

steps. 

DeSoto continued training 

with Heuerman and is studying 

for her personal training certification 

to start as one of Levity’s 

trainers when the doors open in 

May. DeSoto says there “will 

always be something for everyone 

who walks through the door.” 

Despite painful arthritis at 

times, Napolis is able to enjoy 

cycling as a result of boot camp 

and continued training. “I love 

Ilima,” Napolis says of 

Heuerman’s ability to not only 

make clients feel comfortable, 

but to push them according to 

their ability. 

In the midst of checking the 

progress of the sponge and hardwood 

floor installations at the 

studio, Heuerman races from one 

thought to the next. Levity is a 

testing ground to challenge herself 

to branch out. She has plans 

for a summer youth program and 

Webcast. 

“I love this business,” 

Heuerman says. “The physical 

transcends to the inside. I see 

people really feel their better 

self.” 

Motivating people to take 

action is her inspiration, reflected 

in Levity’s mantra: “Uplifting 

your body, mind & spirit.” 

And to keep that feeling of 

freedom, Heuerman says, “I’ll be 

here, swingin’ from the vine.” 

Visit Levity during the Art & 

Wine Festival, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 

1. Opening day is May 2. The studio is 

at 1026 Oak St., Suite 202, Clayton. 

For details, call 890-6931 or go to 

levityfitness.com. 

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May Day a European tradition 

LINDA WYNER 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 

May 1, or May Day, is an 

ancient Celtic tradition that 

began in England and spread 

throughout most of Europe. 

The Beltane rituals celebrated 

fertility and renewal with 

bonfires, feasting and dancing. 

When the Romans conquered 

Britain, they brought their own 

tradition of the festival of 

Floralia to honor the goddess of 

flowers. The beribboned 

Maypole dance evolved from 

the mix of the two cultures. 

During the English 

Reformation in the 1600s, festivities 

having pagan roots were 

suppressed. It is not surprising 

then that May Day traditions did 

not make it to American shores 

with the Puritans and their kin. 

Elsewhere on the European 

continent, however, May Day 

remains a celebratory day 

marked by bonfires and festivals. 

In Germany, Maiwein is a 

traditional beverage. Young 

wine is enhanced with an herb, 

sweet woodruff. Sometimes it’s 

a wine punch flavored with 

herbs, fruits, berries and flowers. 

Sima, a version of mead, is 

served on May Day in Finland. 

The Finns love to celebrate 

May Day with tippaleivät, which 

resembles a miniature and lesssweet 

version of county fair 

funnel cakes. 

TIPPALEIVÄT 

2 eggs 

1 T. sugar 

¾ tsp. salt 

¾ c. milk 

1½ c. flour 

½ tsp. vanilla 

Oil, for frying 

Powdered sugar, for dusting 

Mix the eggs and sugar until 

just combined. Add the other 

ingredients, except for the oil 

and powdered sugar, and stir 

into a smooth batter. 

Heat the oil (about 2-3 inches 

deep) in a deep saucepan until 

it reaches 375°. 

Put the batter into a pastry 

bag fitted with a small-holed 

nozzle. Squeeze the batter in a 

thin band into the hot oil. Move 

in overlapping circles to form a 

nest-like cookie 3-4 inches in 

diameter. 

When the cookies have 

turned golden brown, remove 

and drain on paper towels. 

Dust room-temperature 

cookies with powdered sugar. 

In Italy, May Day foods characteristically 

have “seven” of 

each ingredient. For example, in 

Abruzzo, a soup by the name of 

“The Seven Virtues” is made 

from leftovers in the pantry. It’s 

basically a jazzed-up version of 

minestrone. 

MINESTRONE LE 

SETTE VIRTU 

Serves 6 

7 kinds of dried beans 

7 kinds of fresh vegetables 

(this recipe calls for onion, garlic, 

fennel, artichokes, fava 

beans, carrots and green beans) 

7 freshly minced herbs (basil, 

sage, oregano, thyme, marjoram, 

parsley and mint*) 

7 c. stock (made from leftover 

meat) 

7 kinds of leftover dried 

pasta (1-2 T. each) 

Olive oil 

Take a Hike 

April is Earth-Day month, which neatly coincides 

with prime wildflower season on Mount 

Diablo. There’s no better time to get outside and 

enjoy your own backyard. Before you go, you 

might want to check out “Audible Mount 

Diablo,” a series of electronic field guides from 

Save Mount Diablo, Mt. Diablo Interpretive 

Association and the California State Parks 

Foundation. 

The free guides, offered by Save Mount 

Diablo, Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association and 

the California State Parks Foundation, can be 

downloaded to an iPhone, iPod or other MP3 

player. 

Modeled after the best museum audio guides, 

“Audible Mount Diablo” combines lively inter- 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Chopped parsley and 

Parmesan cheese for service 

Soak ½ c. mixed dried beans 

in cold water overnight. Rinse, 

drain and set aside. 

Preheat a large soup pot over 

medium heat. Add 2 T. olive oil 

and 1 chopped onion. Saute the 

onion, stirring occasionally, until 

TIPPALEIVÄT 

it is tender and translucent. Add 

2 cloves minced garlic and saute 

until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add one chopped bulb of fennel 

(discard the fronds) and the 

prepared beans. 

Add the stock and bring 

soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer 

and cook for 45 minutes, or 

until beans are almost tender. 

See Food, page 17 

Free Audible Guides for 

Mt. Diablo hikers 

Photo by Scott Hein, www.heinphoto.com 

Hikers look towards the Summit Loop in Mount Diablo’s Back Canyon 

views and music with the rush of wind and the 

chirps, howls, and growls of wildlife. Experts 

heighten visitors’ appreciation of the sights and 

sounds, tell tales of the mountain’s past, and suggest 

what to look for around the next bend. 

“These tours are great aids to exploring 

Mount Diablo,” says Save Mount Diablo’s Julie 

Seelen. The tours include “Introducing, Mount 

Diablo”, “Grand Loop Tour” and the “Mary 

Bowerman Tour.” 

The tours are all free at www.savemountdiablo.org 

(click on Activities, then Hikes and Trails) 

or www.mdia.org (click on “Audible Mount 

Diablo”). 

A GPS-enabled version of the Grand Loop 

tour is also available at EveryTrail.com.


Arbutus_marina 

There’s a list of plants I consider 

mom-worthy – ones I 

would have my own mother 

grow. 

They are sturdy, showy, simple 

plants that look good with 

minimal care. My parents travel 

but they like their Clayton Valley 

yard to look good, so here is 

what I have my mother grow in 

her landscape and garden. 

Cestrum Newellii, Red 

Cestrum, is an evergreen shrub 

NICOLE HACKETT 

GARDEN GIRL 

with an exceptionally long 

blooming season. The flowers 

are tight clusters of burgundy 

tubes that the hummingbirds 

can’t resist. Cestrum Newellii 

has dark green foliage with a 

touch of red. 

You can expect it to grow 5- 

8 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide. 

Plant in full to partial morning 

sun against a fence or the home. 

This evergreen makes a nice 

backdrop and focal planting. 

SAGE ADVICE 

Yellow-blooming Jerusalem 

Food, from page 16 

Add 2 fresh, frozen or 

canned artichoke hearts, cut into 

½-inch dice, 1 c. blanched and 

peeled fava beans, 1 diced carrot 

and ½ c. cut green beans. 

Continue to simmer the soup 

until the rest of the vegetables 

are tender, about 15 minutes. 

Add the pasta and 1 tsp. of 

each herb. Simmer another 10 

minutes or until the pasta is al 

dente. Taste and add salt and 

pepper to your preference. 

Serve hot with a sprinkling of 

chopped parsley and Parmesan 

cheese. 

*If using dried herbs, use ½ 

tsp. each. 

Another May Day traditional 

dish comes from the Piedmont 

region of Italy. It, too, incorporates 

the “seven virtues.” 

These 

beauties 

belong in 

mom’s garden 

Sage is a must-have for anyone. 

This evergreen is incredibly sunhardy 

and has large, arrowshaped 

leaves of gray. From 

May to July, yellow whirls of 

two-lipped flowers extend taller 

than the foliage – creating a candelabra 

effect. The bloom is 

dramatic and interesting. 

Jerusalem Sage is nice planted 

by the poolside because bees 

aren’t too attracted to the yellow 

flowers. 

Arbutus Marina makes an 

excellent focal planting or hillside 

installation. It is commonly 

called a strawberry tree. This 

mini tree is robust and needs 

some room to stretch to its 

potential. It will eventually reach 

12-15 feet tall and almost as 

wide. 

If you clean up the bottom 

third of this shrub, you will 

reveal its beautiful red, peeling 

bark. I like to call this its legs. 

Arbutus Marina is uplight worthy 

and makes an interesting 

specimen for a landscape. 

COLORS OF THE DAY 

Daisy-shaped Arctotis 

Peachy Mango is a showy 

groundcover with a little body. 

Large, circle-shaped growth can 

reach 3 feet wide and lends itself 

to larger beds and strips. 

Arctotis is available in many hot 

colors to reflect any gardeners’ 

personal choice. 

HERB FRITTATA 

(Frittata primaverile verde 

alle sette erbe) 

Serves 2 

1 T. olive oil 

2 shallots, finely minced 

2 tsp. each minced sage, 

parsley, thyme, basil, mint, marjoram 

and oregano* 

4 eggs, beaten with 1 T. 

water 

Salt and pepper 

¼ c. Parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven broiler. 

Preheat an oven-ready 10inch 

non-stick skillet over medium 

heat. Add the olive oil and 

shallots and saute until shallots 

are wilted. Add the herbs and 

saute for 15 seconds to release 

their aroma. Pour in eggs and 

sprinkle with a pinch of salt and 

Red Cestrum 

This is another sun lover that 

does better when occasionally 

deadheaded. My mom has it 

planted with her Jerusalem Sage 

and roses. It really makes a nice 

collection. 

Phormium add a grass-like 

touch to the landscape. 

Phormium Platt’s Black is a stable 

selection flax that reaches 2- 

3 feet tall and wide. The dark, 

purplish-bronze foliage can really 

stand up to the sun. 

Platt’s Black adds interest 

and texture to shrubs and flowers. 

Highlight stretches of garden 

beds with repeated installations 

of this phormium, or use 

in containers for vertical interest 

surrounded with colorful 

Million Bell Petunias. 

SPIKE IT UP 

The tall blue spikes of flowers 

from Salvia Indigo Spires 

explode with bloom June 

through October. This selection 

of salvia is definitely mom-worthy. 

Bees and butterflies visit 

this perennial all day long. 

Since the Indigo Spires 

blooms so long, it makes for a 

great front-yard landscape 

installation. The flower is a perfect 

accessory to spring-blooming 

shrubs. 

Summer-flowering Crape 

Myrtle trees are easy to care for, 

have showy flowers and seasonal 

fall color. When supported 

pepper. Stir to distribute the 

herbs and shallots. 

Cook the frittata, occasionally 

lifting the edges and allowing 

the liquid egg to spill under. 

When the frittata is set but still 

moist on top, sprinkle with 

Parmesan cheese and transfer 

the skillet to the broiler. Broil 

until the cheese has browned. 

Serve immediately. 

*Oregano is used in this 

recipe as a substitute for 

amarelle. Known as mugwort 

here, it is generally not recognized 

in the United States as a 

culinary herb. 

Linda Wyner, a local attorney and 

foodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmet 

cookware store and cooking school in 

Pleasanton. 

Direct your suggestions or questions 

to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com 

Salvia Indigo Spires 

with evergreen grasses or 

shrubs, the Crape Myrtle tree 

makes a perfect focal planting 

for a mini garden area. 

Petal drop makes the Crape 

Myrtle not pool-friendly, so 

install accordingly. 

Perennials planted in containers 

with drip system water 

bring interest to patio areas. I 

have learned that incorporating 

multiple plants in larger containers 

works best. This way, when 

one plant isn’t blooming, there 

is always another to take its 

place. 

Depending on the size of 

the container, consider yours an 

above-ground garden. Sunny 

plants that like to be grown in 

containers are sedum, iris, coreopsis, 

penstomen and kangaroo’s 

paw. If the container is 

located in more shade, use 

plants like hosta, impatiens, 

begonia, painted fern, hellebores 

and abutilon. 

I always try to include at least 

one thriller or tall plant, plus a 

couple fillers or medium-sized 

plants and a spiller or two to 

accent the container. The more 

you install, the greater the container 

will look. If plants overgrow 

the pot, put those in the 

ground. 

Happy Mother’s Day. 

Nicole is the Garden Girl at 

R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and 

Garden Contact her with questions, 

comments or suggestions at 

gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com 

Dentistry 

for Infants, Children & Teenagers 

Jason M. Renner, D.D.S. 

Richard C. Rissel, D.M.D 

925-689-2800 

www.diablovalleykids.com 

2875 Willow Pass Rd., Concord 

2010 recipient of 

7 National Customer 

Service Awards 

“Over and 

above your 

expectations” 

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FREE kindergarten 

screening 

Proudly serving 

the Diablo 

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counts” 

Less than 5 miles 

from Clayton 

7 locations to serve you 

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Via de Mercados* 689-1739 

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*Open Saturdays 

Towing Service 

(925) 822-2494


9am – 6pm 

Starter Kits include: 

Tropimix, cage paper, Millet, 

cuttlebone, Prime supplement 

& bird care guide 

Pony 

Rides 

$5 

$11 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$12.99) 

Elk Grove Milling 

Regular Stable Mix, 50# Bag 

$19 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$29.99) 

Merrick 

Grammy’s Pot Pie, 30# bag 

One Day Only Specials 

Vision Cage Kits 

Eukanuba Pure 

Nutro Max 

Adult, 30# Bag Iams Lamb Meal & 

Brown Rice, 40# Bag 

$16 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$18.99) 

Nutrena 

Safe Choice, 50# Bag Blue Buffalo 

24# Bag or larger 

$39 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$49.99) 

$29 .99 /bag 

Chicken Soup for the 

Pet Lover’s Soul, 

35# bag 

$59 .99 

$69 .99 

FREE to the first 30 customers * 

Fromm Family Foods 

Any dog food, 30# Bag 

Bio Groom 

With purchase of 1 

Shampoo or Conditioner 

20% Off All Dog, Bird & Horse Toys and all Bird Food 

FREE Hot Dogs, Sodas, 

Chips & Baked Beans 

11:30 am to 2 pm 

$5,000 worth of FREE door prizes including a Mountain Bike 

(Reg. 

$34.99) 

Med. Starter 

Kit #82938 

5# bag of Avo Derm 

dog or cat food 

Sm. Starter 

Kit #82933 

Eukanuba tote bags 

Super Pet bird cages 

Nutro T-shirts 

Holistic Select Dog 

Food measuring cups 

and can cover for 

dog food 

7 pack of dry pack 

training pads 

*Limit one item per family 

Get 1 FREE 

when you buy 

1 15# bag 

$18 .99 

Plus get a free gift 

Get 1 FREE 

when you buy 

1 30# bag 

$34 .99 

$29 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$38.99) 

$10 Off/bag 

$10 Off/bag 

1 FREE 

Ear Cleaner 

4 oz. 

bottle 

Blue Buffalo 

coffee cups 

Durvet Apple-flavored 

Horse Wormer 

Durvet Doggiwags 

$24 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$34.99) 

Breeder’s Choice 

Avoderm Chicken 

& Rice, Lamb & Rice 

30# bag or Lite, 28# bag 

20 % Off 

Avian Adventure 

Eagle Original Pork 30# bag 

or $5 Off Small Breed 6# bag 

Canidae 

Chicken & Rice, 30# Bag 

Suburban Propane 

$30 Value, must pay for gas 

$2.99/gal. (First 30 customers only) 

$17 .99 

All Bird 

Cages 

$24 .99 /bag (Reg. 

$34.99) 

$29 .99 /bag 

(Reg. 

$34.99) 

FREE pre-filled 

BBQ propane tank 

(Reg. 

$21.99) 

Cut Heal 

Liquid Freeze 16 oz. 

Pre-Book to 

guarantee availability. 

Pay now and pick up 

on May 21st. 

We reserve the right to limit quantities on all items. Not responsible for 

typographical, pictorial, printing or pricing errors. We reserve the right to 

correct all printing errors. All sales are limited to stock on hand and are 

subject to availability. These prices are effective only May 21, 2011.

April 29, 2011 - Clayton Pioneer

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