Pacific Gas and ElectricCompany will be working inClayton through the end of themonth to upgrade a major elec-tric power line.

The utility will use helicop-ters to lower the tower exten-sion and pull the new wiresacross the top of the towers.The helicopter work is expectedto take one day per tower. Alltowers between Antioch andMoraga will be raised.

“Using helicopters reducesthe need for heavy trucks andequipment on the ground, less-ening the project’s environmen-tal impacts in the area,” saysPG&E representative BrianSwanson.

Swanson addressed the Clay-ton City Council at the March17 meeting in preparation forstarting the work.

Several council membersexpressed concern about thedrop-off and pick-up trafficaround Mt. Diablo Elementary

in the morning and afternoon.“Traffic around the school is anightmare,” said CouncilwomanJulie Pierce. “We can’t have PineHollow and Mitchell Canyonblocked at the same time.”

Swanson and others on theproject have met with MDESprincipal Irene Keenan to planmitigation efforts.

“There are no road closuresplanned around the school,”said Swanson. And all workaround the school will start after9 a.m. and be finished by 3 p.m.Traffic directors will be provid-ed, if needed, Swanson added.

The project, which startedearly this year in Antioch, willresult in the upgrade of approxi-mately 27 miles of 40-year-oldpower line and electric transmis-sion towers between Antioch andMoraga. All towers in Clayton willbe affected with constructionoccurring at or near:

• Windmill Canyon Dr. nearMolluk Way

• Kelok Way

The Clayton Gardens Tour isone of Spring’s most anticipatedevents. This year’s tour marks 23years of residents having theopportunity to peruse gorgeousgardens and lovely landscapes inthe Clayton Valley area. Manyhave made attending this annualevent a spring tradition, touringwith friends and family. The Clay-

ton Gardens Tour will be heldfrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday, April 25 and 26.

This year’s tour is packed withunique touches, and dashes ofgarden flair. Tour-goers willdelight in seeing spectacular plantspecimens, artistic sculptures,whimsical garden art and windingpathways with many charmingsurprises. Other thrilling features

See Mayor, page 5

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015 925.672.0500

NICOLE HACKETT

Clayton Pioneer

Local schools flourishwith parent involvement

See Tour , page 6

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER

PRSRTSTD

US POSTAGE

PAID

CLAYTON, CA94517

PERMIT190

Postal Customer

ECRWSS

Photo courtesy Dewey Dobson

CLAYTON RESIDENT DEWEY DOBSON, 88 WITH WIFE SHEILA DRISCOLL, RETURNED TO IWO JIMA in March for the first time since fighting in thebattle as a young 18-year-old Marine. SEE STORY ON PAGE 3.

Who here remembers thatillness that strikes just once in alifetime, called “senioritis?”Well, if you have a senior in highschool you sure know what it islike now as it is reaching itszenith for 2015.

Colleges have given out theiracceptances/rejections and sen-iors are asking the same ques-tions we once asked: “Why doesit matter, I got into college?” or“I am going to DVC anyway, sowhat?” or “I already have a joblined up so grades don’t matter.”

Well, I don’t remember myparents having good answers to

Iwo Jima ... One last time

Annual garden tourblooms in Clayton

PG&E tower work underway

A PG&E helicopter lowersthe tower extension tocrews waiting below. When the tower exten-sions are in place, helicopters will run thenew wire across the top.

Jennifer Jay Photo

See PG&E Work, page 4

What’s InsideAround Town . . . . . . . . .2

Community Calendar . .16

Directory of Advertisers .5

School News . . . . . . . . .8

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

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . .5

Nicole Hackett

THIS CHARMING SECTION OF INGRID RADDECK and Heinz WindtClayton garden will be picture perfect as soon as the yellowpeony opens.

A hot cup of coffee and acool green shirt is waiting foryou at Clayton City Hall on Sat-urday, April 25 to kick off theannual Clayton Cleans Up event.Rain or shine, come stuff brightorange garbage bags with trashand weeds from your favorite

parks and trails. Double-dogdare the rain to fall before youfinish chowing down on ham-burgers and hot dogs.

The Clean Up is also to cele-brate Earth Day, so see whatlocal clubs and organizations atthe event have to say about mak-

ing our corner of the planet abetter place to live, like growingdrought tolerant plants, makingrecycled art and exploringMount Diablo.

Bring the kids, the church

Clayton Cleans Up Saturday, April 25

See Clean Up, page 4

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Residents are raising their glassesfor the 20th annual Clayton Art andWine Festival to be held the weekendof May 2 and 3.

The free festival offers a selectionof luxury varietals from California’swineries and popular premiumbrewed beers. More than 125 ven-dors will fill Clayton’s Main Streetwith original artwork and uniquehandcrafted exhibits. Youngsters willbe able to enjoy Kiddieland withgames and activities.

Once again this year, KKDV willdo a live remote broadcast on Satur-day – featuring the KKDV van, prizewheel and prize giveaways.

There will also be live entertain-ment on the center stage, while rev-elers can enjoy a wide selection of

dishes from the International FoodCourt. They can also take a few min-utes to visit the Clayton Historical

Society on Main Street.The Clayton Art & Wine Festival

is presented by the Clayton Business

& Community Association. Formedin 1984, the non-profit CBCA cre-ates year-round events to benefitClayton, Clayton Golf Classic,Oktoberfest, Christmas Town TreeLighting, Santa’s Visit and Mrs.Claus’s Dessert Party. CBCA pro-ceeds support local Scout troops,youth and high school athletics,police reserves, the Clayton Library,town beautification, youth scholar-ships, the Clayton Historical Societyand many other events that benefitClayton residents.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7p.m. Saturday, May 2, and from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 3. For moreinformation, call 925-672-2272 or visitwww.claytoncbca.org/Event/ArtAnd-Wine.

109 Gold Rush Ct . . . . . . . . . . $640,000 . . . . .1597 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .2/27/15

3407 Coyote Circle . . . . . . . . . $485,000 . . . . .1595 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .2/27/15

508 Raven Place. . . . . . . . . . . $565,000 . . . . .1493 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .2/27/15

407 Chupcan Place. . . . . . . . . $487,500 . . . . .1749 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .2/26/15

4145 Morgan Territory Rd . . . . $725,000 . . . . .2030 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .2/26/15

1124 Peacock Creek Dr . . . . . $950,000 . . . . .3307 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .2/23/15

205 Falcon Place . . . . . . . . . . $679,000 . . . . .2053 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .2/20/15

5005 Raven Way. . . . . . . . . . . $765,000 . . . . .2646 . . . . . .5/2.5 . . . . . . .2/20/15

201 Clifford Ct . . . . . . . . . . . . . $685,000 . . . . .1792 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .3/27/15

37 Jalalon Pl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $555,000 . . . . .1939 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .3/27/15

456 Obsidian Way . . . . . . . . . . $834,500 . . . . .3008 . . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . . .3/23/15

5218 Keller Ridge Dr. . . . . . . . $810,000 . . . . .3079 . . . . . .5/3 . . . . . . . . .3/19/15

965 Oak Street . . . . . . . . . . . . $650,000 . . . . .2491 . . . . . .5/3 . . . . . . . . .3/19/15

420 Wright Ct . . . . . . . . . . . . . $775,00 . . . . . .2369 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .3/16/15

3 Xavier Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . $725,000 . . . . .2060 . . . . . .4/2 . . . . . . . . .3/10/15

351 Blue Oak Lane . . . . . . . . . $780,000 . . . . .2505 . . . . . .4/2 . . . . . . . . .2/27/15

George Vujnovich, Broker, Clayton Resident

(925) 672-4433 cell: (925) 348-5700georgevujnovich@sbcglobal.net

Jennifer StojanovichBroker-Associate, Lifelong Clayton/Concord Resident

(925) 567-6170, jenstojanovich@yahoo.com

ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE ADDRESS PRICE SF BED/BATH SALE DATE

Don and Emily Howard, Father/daughter team

Don, Realtor-Associate, Clayton Resident Emily, Realtor-Associate

(925) 408-3184 (925) 408-1871Donald.kent.howard@gmail.com howard.emily05@gmail.com

1007 Feather Circle, Clayton

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1262 Shell Circle, Clayton Chaparral SpringsPremium Large GolfCourse Lot! Rare

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1105 Northridge Court, Concord

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Diane and Bill HayesRealtor-Associate, Clayton Residents,

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Around Town Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

Kahni Horton takes titles at Creekside Arts

Cheers to Art and Wine Festival, May 2 and 3Artist Kahni Horton was awarded First Place at the

Creekside Arts Festival for her oil painting titled “Trea-sure in Jars of Clay,” bringing attention to worldwideneed for clean water, especially in southeast Asia.

This painting was also awarded “Best Theme.” Hor-ton shared her idea of digging wells and having bio sandwater filters distributed to the poorest of the poor, the“Untouchables” of India. Horton spent six weeks inIndia in 1973 and the images of entire villages in desper-ate need never left her heart or mind, she said.

“Some women only have a dream of having healthyfamilies, but without our help, that dream is out of reach,generation after generation,” she said. “A $30 bio sandwater filter can impact a family, but a $1,400 well canimpact a whole village for 20 years or more.”

The jury also awarded Horton’s “Koi of Va de Vi”“Best Composition.” A large version of this painting,seven-feet tall, can be seen on the construction fencing atthe corner of Mt. Diablo and Main Street in WalnutCreek.

Photo by Ashley Dordon

“This is my favorite part of thejob,” said Mayor Dave Shuey as heintroduced seven Clayton kidsnominated by their teachers for“Doing the Right Thing” by show-ing extraordinary self-discipline.

The students were each pre-sented with a certificate of recog-nition by the mayor while theirteachers summarized the specialqualities of each.

Ava Beever and AidenBurgham, both third-graders at Mt.Diablo Elementary, were the firstto be called up.

“Ava is a role model,” said prin-cipal Irene Keenan. “Adults andkids count on her to follow therules even when no one is look-ing.”

“Aiden exemplifies self-disci-pline,” said his teacher, Mrs.Grispo. “He never blurts out. Healways raises his hand.”

“The very nature of middle

school takes a lot of self disci-pline,” said DVMS principal PattiBannister, introducing two 7thgraders.

Ryan Rickard “has a great senseof self discipline,” she said. “Hedoes very high quality work.”

Ryan was joined by 7th graderCamylle Callahan who Bannisterdescribed as having “quiet selfconfidence.”

Three students from CVCHSwere introduced for recognition byteacher Dylan Herrera. JonathanGonzalez has made huge strides inthe past year. “He went from creditdeficient to on track for graduation,a huge challenge, said Herrera.”

Herrera described SamanthaDumalig as a “rock star.” Thestraight-A student is co-presidentof the Multi-cultural Club.

Finally, James Woods is “thekind of student teachers love,” saidHerrera. “He will actually ask for

help when he needs it and followsadvice.”

The Do The Right Thing pro-gram began in 2010 and was quick-ly embraced by the city, the policeand the schools as a way to encour-

age character-building. The pro-gram emphasizes six charactertraits – Courage, Kindness,Responsibility, Self-discipline,Respect and Integrity which rotatethroughout the year.

MORE THAN 125 VENDORS WILL FILL CLAYTON’S MAIN STREET with origi-nal artwork and unique handcrafted exhibits at the 20th annual Artand Wine Festival May 2, 3.

STUDENTS RECOGNIZED FOR SELF-DISCIPLINE at the March 17 CityCouncil meeting: Ryan Rickard, Camylle Callahan, SamanthaDumalig, James Woods, Jonathan Gonzalez and standing in front,Aiden Burgham and Ava Beever.

Students honored by mayor for Self-discipline

Saturdays 6 to 8:30 p.m.

At the Gazebo in The GroveSet up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m.

Concertsin The Grovein The Grove

May 9 The Department of Rock A season-opening night to remember withthe best rock ’n roll and pop dance music of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.

May 23 Big Band Beat –San Francisco’s legendary party bandmodern rock, the Motown sound, the girl groups, disco/funk and more!

June 6 The Boys of Summer –The best Eagles tribute band this side of the Rockies,

June 20 Mustache Harbor Classic hits from the 70s and 80s Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Ace, Kenny Loggins and The Little River Band

July 4 Plan B - Celebrate the 4th of July with Clayton’s own Plan B!

July 18 Loose Blues - Plays rockin' blues, rock 'n roll, R&B, and rockin' country to make you dance

Aug 1 Diamond Dave – sings the classics of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Justin Timberlake and even Lady Gaga

Aug 15 Fundamentalshigh-energy stage show, 3 dynamic, leadvocalists, performs “Red Hot Rockin’ Soul”

Aug 29 Forejour –Pays tribute to the music of 80s mega bands Foreigner& Journey

Sept 12 East Bay Mudd - 10-piece cover dance band with a powerful 4-man horn section

For more band information, go to

www.cityofclayton.org. Chairs and

blankets may be set out after 4 p.m.

on concert days.

AAssssiissttiinngg MMoorree BBuuyyeerrss && SSeelllleerrss tthhaann AAnnyyoonnee EEllssee***Statistics based on Clayton/Concord and Contra Costa County Closed sales by volume

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301 Eureka Avenue, Brentwood $939,000Spectacular single story 3BD/2.5 BA 2,604 Sq.ft. inhighly sought after area on over 9 acres. Park like set-ting with sweeping views of Mt Diablo and surround-ing hills New Paint & Carpeting throughout.Gourmet Light & Bright kitchen with granite tilecounters, 6 burner gas stove top.

1889 Eagle Peak Avenue, Clayton $679,000Windmill Canyon – 3BD/2.5 BA 1,877 Sq.Ft. onPremium Golf Course location. Stunning Kitchenwith Granite counters, hardwood flooring. Vaultedceilings, Granite countertop wet bar. Huge MasterSuite with Vaulted ceilings. Panoramic Golf Courseand Mt Diablo Views.

4145 Joan Avenue, ConcordCanterbury Gardens – Amazing Cape Cod4BD/2BA 1689 Sq.Ft. home with Detached Cottagewith 1BD/1BA and Kitchenette in rear yard. Thisfantastic home has updated to include newer Kitchen,New neutral paint throughout, New Laminate andNew Carpets. Solar Heat, French Drains.

1027 Pebble Beach Drive, Clayton $1,100,000Peacock Creek – Luminous 4BD/2.5BA 3,307 Sq.ft.boasts charm and elegance on a picturesque setting.Gourmet Garden view kitchen with Family Room.Back yard is Entertainers delight with outdoorkitchen/BBQ grill, Built-in Spa and breath takingpanoramic views.

430 Meadow View Lane, Clayton $1,225,000Morgan Territory – 4BD/3.5BA 3,689 sq.ft. CustomShowcase Home. This spectacular home has a Chef'sDream Gourmet kitchen with cherrywood cabinets,granite/quartz counters, wolfe range. Porcelain floorsthroughout main level. Panoramic Views of Mt Diabloand surrounding hills, 5 Car Garage, Wine Cellar.

2254 Sugarloaf Court, Brentwood $639,000Portofino Estates – Stunning 4BD/2.5BA 2,745 sqftsingle story home on 14,100 sq.ft. lot. Gourmet ChefKitchen with granite counters, Tile floors, built inappliances and a pantry. Master Bathroom has tilefloors, Granite Counters, Granite tile shower stall,sunken tub. Too much to list.

826 Camelback Pl., Pleasant Hill $228,000Shadowood – Location and affordability!1st floor unit 1 BD/1BA, fresh paint, newlaminate flooring in common areas. Newcarpet in bedroom. Upgraded Kitchenwith Granite counters, new cabinetry &newer appliances.

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April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 3

“My return to Iwo Jima withmy wife, Sheila, was to renew oldmemories, and so it did. Nowthere is no need to return again tothat island of sand and blood andbones.”

So begins Dewey Dobson’spersonal memoir of his recenttrip to Iwo Jima to commemoratethe 70th Anniversary of the greatbattle that was seen as a turningpoint in World War II, a battlethat raged from Feb. 19 to March26, 1945.

The Clayton resident was amere 18-year-old Marine whenhis ship approached the island inthe still-dark early morning hoursof that day in March, 1945. “Itwas the biggest thrill of my life,”he says. “I’d never been awayfrom home before.”

He was part of Company B,First Battalion, 27th regiment,5th Division — one of the firstto land on the island when thesun rose.

“It was an awesome sight —800 ships. Then the fighting start-ed, and there was tremendousnoise. I thought it was the great-est show on Earth,” Dobsonsays.

But the thrill didn’t last long ashe saw the death and destructionof the battle. He was one of thelucky ones, as he survived the ini-tial onslaught. But he was wound-ed by shrapnel from mortar shellsas his company approached theairfield the Marines were attempt-ing to secure.

The U.S. ultimately won thebattle, and the iconic image ofthe flag being hoisted on theisland is forever etched in Ameri-can lore.

Dobson always wanted to goback, he says, and he tried in

2011. He and wife Sheila Driscollwere en route and actually onGuam when the Japanese earth-quake and tsunami hit, and theirplans were derailed.

But encouraged by the Quan-tico, VA-based Marine HistoricalSociety, Dobson and Driscollwent again this year. And theymade it, part of a 400-personcharter for military and civiliandignitaries in honor of the 70thanniversary.

“For me, the most strikingpart was flying over the island andseeing how lush and green it was,”Dobson says. “When I was therebefore, it had been bombed forweeks, and it looked desolate.”

He remembers he was sittingnext to a Fox news reporter at thetime, and as Mt. Suribachi cameinto view — where the Americanflag was raised — he said, “that isa giant gravestone for all thetroops.”

Indeed, nearly 7,000 Ameri-cans died on Iwo Jima and nearly20,000 were wounded. Many ofDobson’s friends were among thedead, he says stoically.

“But you don’t forget,” hesays.

And neither do most Ameri-

cans, as his send-off and returnwere any indication. When he andDriscoll arrived at San Franciscointernational Airport to embarkon their trip, they were greeted bya mass of supporters, includingreporters, Marine guards, mem-bers of the San Francisco USOand the Patriot Guard. Theyescorted him through the airportas onlookers cheered.

To their surprise, their returnhome was honored as well. Dob-son was introduced by his UnitedAirlines Pilot as “a very specialpassenger” and was allowed toexit the plane first. There, theywere again greeted by police andmilitary dignitaries and escortedthrough the airport, again tocheers from other passengersamid shouts of “Thank you foryour service.”

“They wouldn’t even let ustake a shuttle home,” Dobsonsays. They were given a ride inpolice van, with a complete policeescort, all the way to Clayton. “Anofficer said, ‘We don’t let our guysgo home in shuttles.’”

For Dobson, the fanfare justunderscored the camaraderie hefound as a Marine. “It’s a wonder-ful brotherhood. Aside from the

military experience, being aMarine helped me develop char-acter. My world opened up. Oncea Marine, always a Marine.”

Driscoll, who has been mar-ried to Dobson for 35 years, saysthat her husband’s Iwo Jimaexperience was definitely theturning point in his life. She haslived with the Marine in him forthe entirety of their marriage.

“I was a nurse before retir-ing,” Driscoll says. “Some days itwas hard to get up for work, soDewey would come into the bed-room and sing ‘The Marine’sHymn’ to wake me up.”

Dobson himself stayed in theactive Marines for two-and-a-halfyears in occupied Japan after herecovered from his injury at IwoJima. After that, he went on to along career with Honeywell, fromwhich he retired in 1984. Thecouple has lived in Clayton for 19years, having moved up fromSouthern California.

Even at 88, Dobson likes tostay active, and he still keeps intouch with several friends fromhis military days.

“But sadly,” he says, “I lostsome of my closest friends atIwo Jima.”

DOBSON AND WIFE SHEILA DRISCOLL were honored by police and military dignitaries at SanFrancisco Airport both arriving and returning from the anniversary trip to Iwo Jima.

Clayton vet returns to Iwo JimaPEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

This year marks the 30thanniversary of the AmericanCancer Society’s Relay for Life.Relay for Life began in Tacoma,Washington, spread across theUnited States and then suddenlystarted popping up in placessuch as Japan, Ireland and evenZambia. It is now a global pro-gram that has raised more than$4 billion for the fight to endcancer.

But Relay for Life is muchmore than just a fundraiser —it’s really about communitiescoming together for a commoncause. Five years ago BrendaRighter’s mother had been diag-nosed with breast cancer andshe knew there had to be some-thing she could do to stop thishorrible disease. Righter didn’thave to look far. She’d heardabout the Concord Relay forLife and thought Clayton wouldbe a perfect match for a Relayfor Life event.

Soon Righter found herselfhitting the pavement trying todrum up support for the relay.She was a committee of one but

that small fact did not slow herdown. Her first task was torecruit teams to walk in therelay. The first team to sign upwas St. John’s Cancer Crusaders.Richard and Kathy Evon head-ed up this team with supportfrom the St. Johns Parish com-munity. They continue to be astrong team with already 30team members signed up for the2015 event.

With no budget and only sixteams signed up, the first Clay-ton Relay took place in Augustof 2010 on the top ball field atClayton Community Park.Approximately 50 peopleshowed up and raised $11,000.It was a tremendous amount ofwork for the small event butRighter believed that they couldbecome part of something greatif she worked even harder.

Righter’s mother was stillfighting cancer and Righter con-tinued to lead the charge tobuild the Clayton Relay. By thesecond year 10 teams had joinedthe cause and raised more than$32,000. The next year the num-ber of teams doubled and so didthe donations, reaching over$60,000. There was now a

strong committee to help.Names like Sydney Alcock, Lor-raine Hennessey, Mike Fossan,Mindy Thompson, and Bob andAlice Jordan became mainstaysfor Relay. Many more joined thefollowing year.

Sadly, Brenda’s mother losther battle with cancer that year.

The Clayton Relay for Lifewill be held August 15-16 andwill last 24 hours. Many walkbecause they are a cancer sur-vivor, a cancer caretaker, orsomeone close to them has orhad cancer. Everyone can takepart in some way. The fundsraised go directly to ACS to pay

for research, prevention, patientrecovery and more.

Teams have already startedtheir fundraisers with a “giveback” day at Ed’s Mudville Grilland a Bake Sale at Starbucks atClayton Station. There is a list ofupcoming fundraisers in thisedition of the paper and willappear in all future editions.

For more information visitwww.relayforlife.org/claytonca or go toFacebook at www.facebook.com/RFLClaytonCA.

Clayton resident Pat Middendorfis co-chair, marketing and publicity,Relay for Life of Clayton.

Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

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Time for an update? Call Interiors Panache! • Oakhurst Country Club near

Oakhurst Dr. and Indian-head Way

• Clayton Rd. near MitchellCanyon Rd.

• Pine Hollow Rd and Atchin-son Stage Rd.

• Ironwood Way near FroydRd.

A typical construction win-dow is Sunday through Saturday,7 a.m.-5 p.m. Dates and hours

are approximate, however, anddepend on wind, weather andother factors.

PG&E expects to completethe 27-mile project by summer2016.

For more information or questionsabout the Clayton construction, callDenise Conway (415) 314-7953 oremail D3CU@pge.com.

PG&E work, from page 1

PG&E tower construction sites in Clayton

Registration is now open forthe popular Spring 2015 JuniorRanger Program, run throughMount Diablo State Park.

This annual programincludes topics on prehistorictimes, California Indians,wildlife, geology and otherareas. Hosted by a park docent,each session includes presenta-tions, hands-on activities and ahike.

Children, ages 7 to 12, areeligible to participate. Sessionswill be held at various locationsin the park. The five weekend

sessions begin Saturday, May 9,and conclude Saturday, June 13.Each session runs from 1 to 4p.m. Registration is limited to 15children, plus one parent perchild. While there is no chargefor the program, payment ofthe park’s entrance fee isrequired.

For more information or to register,contact Steve Elliott at 925-362-8697or at SAE612@msn.com. Advanceregistration is required. This program issponsored by Mount Diablo State Parkin cooperation with the Mount DiabloInterpretive Association.

Junior Rangersready for take-off

Clayton jump starts Relay for LifePAT MIDDENDORF

Special to the Pioneer

Clean Up, from page 1

group, your scout troop and theneighbors.

The event is from 9 a.m. to 12p.m. It is sponsored by the Clay-ton Pioneer and the city of Clay-ton with generous donationsfrom Republic Services, CBCA,Travis Credit Union, OrchardSupply Hardware, Peet’s Coffeeand Innovative Impressions. This

year’s T-shirt design comes fromthe creative mind of local artistElena Nielsen, Creekside ArtistsGuild.

Download registration form fromthe city of Clayton website and bringfilled out to event: ci.clayton.ca.us. Formore information, call the Pioneer at672-0500.

Self-DisciplineDo the Right Thing

Beauty and Pampering

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

Business Services

Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . . .672-8717

Construction and Trades

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

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

Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519

Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144

Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500

J.A. Ronco Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872-3049

Schaefer’s Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

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

Scousers Fish’n Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-1962

Events

City of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .http://ci.clayton.ca.us

Clayton Business & Community Assoc. . . .claytoncbca.org

Contra Costa Home & Garden Show capitalshowcase.com

Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . . . .800-949-3276

Financial, Insurance and Legal Services

Archvest Wealth Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215-5600

DuRee, Daniel – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . . . .210-1400

Littorno, Richard – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . .432-4211

SAFE Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . .safecu.org/homeloans

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

Funerals

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

Groceries

Doorstep Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349-4568

Health

Foresight Optometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4100

Erdell, Dr. - Orthodontics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .946-1951

Home and Garden

Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299

DeSousa, Debbie – Professional Organization . .672-9598

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

Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920

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

R & M Pool, Patio, Gifts & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207

The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243

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

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

Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323

Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334

Mailing Services

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

Pet Services

Pittsburg Pet Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

Dajani, Joe – Berkshire Hathaway . . . .joe@joedajani.com

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

Hayes, Diane and Bill – Better Homes Realty . . .890-4701

Howard, Don – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . .408-3184

Howard, Emily – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . .408-1871

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

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

Lenox Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(877) 678-3370

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

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

Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . . .567-6170

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

Recreation and Fitness

Diablo Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-2127

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

East Bay Regional Park District . . . . . . . . . .888-327-2757

Senior Services

Courtyards at Pine Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-3900

Services, Other

A Floral Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .705-3088

ComputersUSA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989

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

Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .682-4518

Rochellez Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-677-4170

Travel

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

Directory of Advertisers

P.O. Box 1246

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorPETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignPEGGY SPEAR, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA WIESENDANGER, Administration, Calendar Editor

STAFF WRITERS: Peggy Spear, Pam Wiesendanger, John Jackson, Jay BedecarreWe remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT USTel: (925) 672-0500Fax: (925) 672-6580

Tamara Steinertamara@claytonpioneer.com

Send ads toads@claytonpioneer.comSend Sports News to

sports@claytonpioneer.comSend Club News to

clubnews@claytonpioneer.comSend School News to

schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

CLASSIFIEDSClassified rates per insertion:$48 for first 30 words, 40 cents

each additional word Non-profit: $24 for first 30

words, 20 cents each additional word To place your classified ad over thephone, call the office at (925) 672-0500between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.All classifieds must be paid for inadvance by credit card (Master Card orVisa) We will not accept any ad thatdiscriminates on the basis of race,color, sex, religion, nationality, familystatus or disability. The Clayton Pio-neer reserves the right to reject anyadvertising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniver-

saries, births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric of ourcommunity. Please let us know of theseimportant events. We ask only that theannouncement be for a resident in ourhome delivery area. Submit on ourwebsite and be sure to attach a JPGphoto that is at least 3 MB but not big-ger than 6MB. You can also mail orbring your print to the office and wecan scan it for you.

Also on the website are forms for

calendar items, events & press releases.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORBoth Pioneer newspapers wel-

come letters from our readers. As ageneral rule, letters should be 250words or less and submitted at leastone week prior to publication date. Let-ters concerning current issues will havepriority. We may edit letters for lengthand clarity. All letters will be publishedat the editor’s discretion. Please includename, address and daytime telephonenumber. We will not print anonymousletters. E-mail your letter totamara@claytonpioneer.com.

Letters must be submitted via E-mail.

CIRCULATION as of Sept. 2014Total circulation of the Clayton

Pioneer is 5,500 to ZIP code 94517, alldelivered by US Mail to homes, busi-nesses and post office boxes. We can-not start or stop delivery to individ-ual addresses. This must be donedirectly through the Post Office

The Concord Pioneer is deliveredmonthly to 30,000 in Concord by carri-er. Papers are delivered once a monthon a Friday morning near the end ofthe month. To stop delivery for anyreason, call the office at (925) 672-0500or emailcirculation@claytonpioneer.com.

If you are NOT receiving the Pio-neer, please check the distribution mapon the website. If you live in the shad-ed area and are not receiving the paper,please call us or send an email to circu-lation@claytonpioneer.com. If you arenot in the shaded area, please bepatient. We will come to your neigh-borhood soon.

SUBSCRIPTIONSTo subscribe, call the office at

(925) 672-0500. Subscriptions are$35/year for each paper, $60/year forboth.

April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 5

Family and friends aremourning the loss of Claytonnative Eric Pedersen, 20, whodied while long-boarding withfriends on his favorite run,Glendora Mountain Road,near Los Angeles.

He was a third-yearmechanical engineering stu-dent at UC Irvine and anundergraduate assistant atUCI’s National Fuel CellResearch Center. A 2012 grad-uate of Clayton Valley HighSchool, he was activelyinvolved in all corners of thecampus there, including trackand cross-country, theaterproductions, show choir andpeer tutoring.

Eric believed in neverspending a moment angry orupset; he never failed to walkinto every room with a greatbig smile on his face, friendssay. He loved nothing morethan to spend time skating,hanging out with friends, andtinkering with his latest cre-ations – be it an upright bass,long boards for friends, orgifts for his longtime girl-friend, Sarah Anne Moore,who he met when he was asophomore and she was a sen-ior at CVHS. Sarah graduatedfrom UCLA in 2014.

Dozens of Eric’s friendshave poured in with stories,such as this one:

“Through the years it hasbeen my privilege to be Eric’sfriend. I knew I could alwayscount on him to be there forme whatever the situation. Hechallenged and encouragedme to do new things orimprove in those I already did,and he was my go-to guy forany and every occasionbecause I knew he was alwaysdown to spend time with me,or anyone for that matter. He

was without a doubt my bestfriend and I knew that I want-ed to stay friends with himalways.”

And this: “Eric has beenlike another brother to me foras long as I can remember andbrought such joy and fun intoour lives. I will cherish all ourcrazy adventures forever.”

A former teacher com-mented that, “Eric was one ofmy favorite students ever,always so easy and quietly tal-ented and reliable. A formerstudent, a friend of Eric’s,doesn’t know this, but Ericwas really worried about himduring their senior year. Hismom was really ill and his dadstruggled with unemployment.Eric used his long-boardmoney to anonymously schol-arship his best friend. I wascompletely floored by suchhumble generosity.”

Eric is survived by parentsPaula and Dave Pederson, ofClayton; brother Stephen andStephen’s girlfriend, Sam; thelove of his life, Sarah AnneMoore; grandparents Bob andLaVerne; and aunts, uncles,cousins and many belovedfriends — skaters, singers, andengineers alike — in bothClayton and Irvine.

Obituary

Eric PedersenNovember 27, 1994 – March 20, 2015

The City of Clayton now acceptingapplications for

Temporary LandscapeMaintenance Workers

Salary: $11/hr., no benefits

General duties in relation to road work, land-scaping construction, and landscaping mainte-nance, such as trimming, mowing, garbage pick-up, planting, spraying pesticides, heavy lifting,physical manual labor and other duties asassigned.

For information and an applicationplease call (925) 673-7300 or visit

www.ci.clayton.ca.us

those questions and I certainlystruggle myself to answerthem, but Clayton Valley Char-ter High School just this weekhad meetings with its seniorsto stress the importance ofstaying in school these last fewmonths, so hopefully theyhelped us out.

As to CVCHS, the gradua-tion rate has increased from apre-charter rate of 83 percentto 96 percent as a charterschool and college admissionsrates increased significantly, asapproximately 95 percent ofgraduates are admitted to col-lege. I know the school is try-ing to herd their senior catsand obtain a list of all the col-leges where students have beenadmitted, and I for one wouldlove to know where our kidsare going so hopefully that canbe published when obtained.The school’s AVID programalso recently received a “prom-ise to graduate” $1,500 grant.

In other local school news,Mt. Diablo Elementary justhad another successful west-ern-themed auction put on bythe wonderful parent facultyclub. The money raised willhelp pay for enhancing studentlearning: technology, readingintervention, recess equip-ment, enrichment assembliesand programs, educationalmath and reading software, theScience Fair and PEP.

Diablo View Middle Schooljust raised $5,000 through their“Walk for Water” journey toshow kids what it would reallybe like to walk 10 miles just to

get water. The proceeds will goto build a well in a small villagein Ghana. Their Career Daywas another huge success withmore than 35 speakers from allwalks of life.

Mt. Diablo Unified SchoolDistrict is conducting springcommunity meetings on theDistrict’s LCAP (local controlaccountability plan) and imple-mentation of the CommonCore standards. Go to theMDUSD website and find themeeting that works for youand give your input to help ourschools.

Research has proven thathigh parent involvement andcommunity support forschools correlate to higher stu-dent achievement. Clayton par-ents clearly get this and thanksto all you for the great supportfor our schools and kids. Ittakes a village and that villageis Clayton.

Finally, our Grove Parkimprovements should be com-pleted with renovations to theplay structure and water fea-ture, just in time for our Con-certs in the Grove to start onMay 9. Dust off the lawnchairs, look up those appetizerrecipes and get ready foranother great year.

In honor of our upcomingmusic in the park, “What willyou never say about a banjoplayer? That’s the banjo play-er’s Porsche.”

Email the mayor atdshuey@ci.clayton.ca.us.

Mayor, from page 1

Eric Pedersen with hisgirlriend Sarah Anne Moore

“I shouldn’t lose my patience.I shouldn’t get so angry. I wish Ididn’t feel so resentful. I shouldkeep them at home. I should payfor more care. I should, I should,I should…” Many family care-givers are experts in "shoulds"when it comes for caring for anelderly loved one.

There can be much guilt asso-ciated with caring for an elderlyperson, whether it is a spouse, aparent or any relative. The proba-bility of guilt is intensified if theperson you are caring for hasdementia. You are not a "bad"person for having these feelings.It is normal and very common.

One of the reasons for theguilt is because there is no perfect

solution. There is no prescribedright way. You are in a difficult sit-uation that no one is prepared for.It is normal but that doesn’t meanit’s comfortable.

How can you minimize thosefeelings? Here are some sugges-tions:• A support system is crucial. If you

have other family members orchurch friends or neighbors, turnto them. Don’t be afraid to accepttheir help, especially if the help isan understanding, listening ear.There are also organized supportgroups, often led by professionalsin the field, that can be a greathelp. Being with and talking toothers who are going throughwhat you are is invaluable. Local

hospitals and the Alzheimer’sassociation can connect you withgroups.• Take time for yourself. It is not

being selfish to take time awayfrom caregiving to do somethingyou love. It is like getting gas inyour car. You have to do it to keepgoing.• Get as much information as you

can, not only on the condition orthe disease but also on resourcesto help. If you need help withphysical care there is help for that,both paid and non-paid. You mayqualify for services throughMedicare if their doctor orders it,for example physical therapy or

occupational therapy. Don’t beafraid to research Hospice pro-grams. Most people think of hos-pice only for the last few days ofa person’s life but they can helpmuch sooner than that.• You may be eligible for financial help

that you aren’t aware of. Did youknow that spouses of veterans aswell as veterans are entitled tofinancial assistance? Kaiser offersdifferent programs for low-income seniors to help with med-ical expenses, but you have to askfor them.• Community day programs are

available, some are income-based.• Sometimes the solution is placing a

loved one in an Assisted Living Com-munity. When this is the right solu-tion there still may be reluctancebecause the patient has alwayssaid they don’t want to be “putaway” or they don’t want to leavetheir home. Try a respite period.Once they have adjusted theymay really enjoy the associationand activity.

There is probably alwaysgoing to be some guilt when car-ing for a loved one, but it can beminimized by knowledge andacceptance of the situation.Remember there is help availableby others who understand whatyou are going through.

Teresa Boatwright was at ameeting of the W Connection onthe East Coast recently when oneof the members, a widow, saidshe kept finding scraps of paperwith her husband’s handwritingon it. “I couldn’t throw themaway, because I felt like I wasthrowing him away,” she told thegroup.

That was part of the inspira-tion for Clayton residentsBoatwright and Andrea Vollmer-hausen to start the first WestCoast chapter of the W Connec-tion, an organization to help wid-ows “make a healthy transition”into their new lives.

Boatwright lost her husband,State Senator Dan Boatwright, 3years ago. “In my experience, thefirst year you’re in a fog. The sec-ond year is even harder. By thethird year, you are ready to makethat transition. The W Connec-tion is for women who are in thattransition period, healthy women

wanting to rebuild their lives.”Boatwright says that this

time of widowhood is a big“push-pull.” “You don’t want toforget, but you also want tomove on, to become more of acomplete person.”

The national organization wascreated by widows and run bywidows for the exclusive supportof widows, with the goal of trans-forming the lives of membersthrough “encouragement, con-nection, education and empower-ment,” Vollmerhausen says.

This unique organization wasfounded in 2009 by two womenfrom New York, Ellen Kamp andDawn Nargi. Kamp was 56 whenher 59-year-old husband died sud-denly, killed by a heart attack in2006. Only 18 months later, Nargilost her 43-year-old husband tocancer, leaving her with a 3-month old son.

The two friends looked for agroup that could offer more thangrief counseling, but couldn’t findsuch an organization. Together,they created the W Connection,

believing that widows were thebest ones to help each other tran-sition to independent lives.

There are now eight chaptersof The W Connection. The EastBay chapter will be number nine,Boatwright says, with chapterssoon to open in Oregon and SanFrancisco.

It was Boatwright’s sister whofirst saw an article about the WConnection, and urged her tocheck it out. Boatwright liked theidea of starting a chapter on theWest Coast so she contactedthem. Once she was “vetted,” sheinvited her friend Vollmerhausenon-board to be a co-chapterleader. Vollmerhausen’s husband,Dr. John Vollmerhausen, passedaway in 2007.

The W Connection is notbereavement counseling, a 12-step program, religiously affiliat-ed, or a mental-health service,Vollmerhausen says. “It’s a placefor widows to share theirthoughts, fears and hopes, and toinspire each other in figuring outhow to go forward,” she says.

Myths about widowhoodmake this time even harder andmore confusing. Devastation,loneliness, sadness and loss ofdirection make widowhood oneof the most difficult times in awoman’s life. Of all marriedwomen, 75 percent will be wid-owed at least once in their lives.Yet, women receive little or notraining on how to deal with andadapt to the consequences oftheir loss. “The W Connectiongets it,” Boatwright says.

The group will hold monthlymeetings and special events,including socials. The nationalorganization’s website offers evenmore resources, including peer-to-peer counseling — in which aseasoned widow helps a new oneadapt to her new life — as well as“virtual” meetings for those wid-ows in locations where there is nochapter.

The first meeting will be April 27.For more info, visit The W Connection’swebsite at www.wconnection.org, oremail Teresa@wconnection.org orAndrea@wconnection.org.

on this year’s tour include gaze-bos, fire-pits, built-in bars andbarbeques, water-wise and Cali-fornia native landscape ideas.

Those touring this year’s Clay-ton Gardens Tour will meanderthrough Dana Hills, up toOakhurst, down Marsh Creekinto Diablo Downs, and finallythrough Regency.

Dana Hills hosts two of thegardens featured this year. Thegarden of Dirk and MarilynFitzgerald has a traditionalfrontage complete with JapaneseMaples, hydrangeas and camellias.An iron gate welcomes tour-goersinto the outdoor living area wherefamily and friends enjoy eachother company while delighting inthe sounds of water from a foun-tain, hanging out by the fireplace,or sitting around the covered bar.

This entire landscape is wrappedin brick, giving the area an estatefeel. There is a large, refreshingswimming pool, and a gazebowhere the views of Mt. Diabloare stunning.

Jeremy and Karen Amos havea California Native garden toshare. They’ve been featured onthe Bringing Back the NativesGarden Tour in both 2013 and2014. Their landscape is excep-tional, filled with flowers and tex-ture. This garden uses only mini-mal water and it’s a fabulousexample of California NativeLandscaping done right.

Ingrid Raddeck and HeinzWindt’s garden in Oakhurst isquite a treat. This husband andwife team has created their cot-tage style garden togetherthrough the years. They have an

eye for color, enjoy perennialsand have created artistic ele-ments to include in their out-door space.

The front yard of the Rad-deck-Windt garden appears tradi-tional, but take a moment tonotice their good-looking patchof artificial lawn —you may haveto feel it to believe it.

The Humes Garden inRegency has a lawn-less frontage.This garden has a natural flow.Boulders and flagstone walkwaysshare the landscape with founda-tion plants and ornamental trees.Decorative grasses and floweringshrubs have been allowed tobecome rather than be controlled.The garden was designed withmature growth in mind, and theover-all results are fabulous.

In the garden of Denis andBarbara Weil, tour-goers willroam through pathways visiting

whimsical destinations as theyjourney through this uniquespace. This garden is an acre ofwonder, set at the foot of Mt.Diablo. There are many sittingareas located throughout thisgarden. Visitors are welcome tosit and take-in the ambiance,gaze at the ceramic figures, bird-houses, and fairy garden. Thisgarden is more than a space, it’san environment. Visiting theWeil garden will be a favoriteamong tour-goers this year.

Tickets for the Clayton GardensTour are $30 each and can be pur-chased in advance on line at www.clay-tonhistory.org or at R&M Pool,Patio, Gifts and Gardens at 6780Marsh Creek Road. Tickets are alsoavailable on tour days at the ClaytonHistorical Museum located at6101Main Street Clayton, the start-ing spot of the tour.

Q. We are almost ready tomove into our new house.What are some moving tips?

A. It is never too soon tostart planning the move. To-dolists are great so you don’t forgetsomething critical. This is agreat time to sort and get rid ofthings that you really don’t need.It feels good to start fresh with

a lighter load.When packing, put heavy

items in smaller boxes. Try tokeep boxes less than 40 pounds.Color-code boxes for each roomand label them on all sides.Wrap each fragile item separate-ly and use a packing materialsuch as bubble wrap. Back upyour computer files before mov-ing the computer.

Decide what you are goingto move on your own. Youmight want to carry valuables,breakables and items with senti-mental value with you as well asitems that the movers won’ttake, like plants. Bring a bag withyou that has necessities for thatday such as snacks, tissue, med-ications. Keep all documentspertaining to the move with you- including the mover’s nameand contact information andyour phone book.

Try to make other arrange-ments for your children and petson moving day to spare themstress. When the shipmentarrives, inspect all boxes andfurniture right away.

Q. I just closed escrow onmy new home, and I have ahuge stack of paperwork.What documents should Ifile? How long should I keepthem?

A. You should keep the fol-lowing:

Insurance policies to showproof of coverage. And keep arecord of any claims for at leastfive-seven years.

The Settlement Statement(HUD-1) for the followingyear’s taxes, to show all feespaid. Keep it for as long as youown the home. When you sell,you can add some of the fees to

the base price to lessen capitalgains.

The mortgage and note thatspell out the terms of the loanand the Truth in Lending state-ment, which details the annualpercentage rate. Keep this for aslong as you carry the mortgageloan.

The deed which transfersownership to you should bekept as long as you own thehome.

Any riders or affidavits fromthe sellers or you should be keptfor five-seven years.

Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

Send your question and look for youranswer in a future column. EmailLynne@LynneFrench.com. French is thebroker/owner of Windermere LynneFrench & Associates. Contact her at672-878 7or stop in at 6200 CenterSt., Clayton.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS

Tips to ease the stress of moving

New group helps widows connect, move on

Gardens Tour, from pg 1

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

Many familiar faces willgrace the stage as the ClaytonCommunity Library presents"Death & Disloyalty," a locallywritten murder mystery that'spart of the library's 20thAnniversary Celebration.

Written and directed by JoyKoonin, a library volunteer, theplay is set in the 1860s andrevolves around the California100 who fought during the CivilWar.

Every five years the libraryfoundation stages a murdermystery, but this is the first timeit will feature authentic periodcostuming, sets and props.

Many of the 20 actors in theperformance are local digni-taries, including Mayor DaveShuey, Clayton City Council

members Julie Pierce and KeithHaydon, Clayton Pioneer editorTamara Steiner and civic leaderDan Richardson.

The performance is a majorfundraiser for the library. It willbe held at 7 p.m. on Friday andSaturday, April 24 and 25, in theHoyer Room at the library, 6125Clayton Road in Clayton. Ele-gant desserts and lemonaderefreshments will be available.

Tickets are $15 (exact cash andchecks only, please) and are availablefor purchase at the library. The eventis co-sponsored by the Clayton Com-munity Library Foundation and theCity of Clayton. For more informa-tion, contact Arlene Nielsen atakiksen@aol.com or 925-673-9777.

Murder mysteryhaunts Clayton library

Movie Review

SUE CAPSON

SENIOR MOMENTS

“It Follows” comes across ashaving been directed by a savvyveteran. Yet it is only the secondmovie directed by David RobertMitchell. Mitchell has certainlytaken notes on the films of hisforebears, Wes Craven and JohnCarpenter. Echoes of “Night-mare on Elm Street” and “Hal-loween” reverberate throughoutMitchell’s film. Yet he has taken atruly original idea and melded itwith a vintage look.

Jay (Maika Monroe) is a col-lege student who lives in Detroitwith her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe).Jay has been dating a guy namedHugh (Jake Weary). After Hughbegins acting weird on their date,Jay learns that Hugh is being fol-lowed, but not in a typical fashion.Hugh reveals that, after a recentintimate encounter, somethinghas been after him. He informsJay that it might look like astranger, it might look like some-one you know, but no matterwhat, if it catches you it will killyou. Unfortunately for Jay, by thetime she hears his explanation,Hugh has already passed it on toher.

After Jay is stalked by severalcreepy looking individuals, sheconfides in her sister as well asfriends Paul (Keir Gilchrist), Greg(Daniel Zovatto) and Yara (OliviaLuccardi). The five of themspend the remainder of the film

looking for places where Jay cansuccessfully avoid and hide fromwhat’s been following her. Noone else can see it, but they canaffect it and vice versa. Jay wres-tles with whether to try and fight,run away or try and pass it off tosomeone else. However, most ofthe dialogue consists of discus-sions of believability, childhoodmemories and how to help Jay.Point being, the film does not digvery deep into its characters. Thetrue star of the movie is the cine-matography.

Director of PhotographyMike Gioulakis gives purpose tothe framing of every scene. Thereare an ample amount of 360-degree camera spins as we seesomeone walking closer and clos-er. Gioulakis uses full-frame andlong shots beautifully, making uswonder if there’s something inthe distance we should worryabout. Foliage plays a major rolein Gioulakis’ canvas, as if natureitself is following Jay. Light is notrepresented properly in ourdreams. Gioulakis and Mitchellhave captured that effect perfectlythrough the use of muted colorsand consistently dimly lit images.

Jay’s waking nightmare getsworse and worse as she and herfriends go from place to placebefore she finally realizes sheneeds to face her fears.

The final showdown andaftermath leaves a bit of a badtaste but few horror movies endas well as we would hope. Despiteits somewhat bland characters, “ItFollows” works as a modern-day,yet classic horror film. Its visualsand unique story blended with afew truly horrifying scares make itworth seeing. Grade B-

‘It Follows’ creepsinto viewers’ minds

Jeff Mellinger is a screen writerand film buff. He holds a BA inFilm Studies and an MFA in filmproduction. He lives in Concord.Email comments to editor@concord-pioneer.com.

JEFF MELLINGER

SCREEN SHOTS

Sue Capson is Executive Direc-tor of The Courtyards at PineCreek Assisted Living and MemoryCare in Concord.

For comments or suggestions onfuture articles, email scapson@court-yardsatpinecreek.com.

Guilt is part of caring for aging loved one

The Clayton Branch of theAmerican Association of Uni-versity Women will hold its10th Annual Spaghetti Feed onWednesday, April 29.

This is the only fund raiserthat Clayton AAUW holds andthe funds raised support TechTrek, a science and math campdesigned to develop interest,excitement, and self-confidencein young women who will entereighth grade in the fall. TheClayton AAUW branch typical-ly sponsors three girls per yearto Tech Trek, selected by ateacher nomination from Dia-blo View Middle School, andthen narrowed down by anessay contest.

Tech Trek features hands-on activities in math, scienceand related fields. All sleeping,eating, instructional and recre-ational facilities are located on auniversity campus where thecamp is held. Tech Trek worksto help girls continue theirinterests in math and sciencesthrough their teen years. Stud-ies have shown that girls’ inter-ests can be sustained when theyare exposed to the careers avail-able to women in science today.Tech Trek provides some ofthat exposure.

Also, a week’s stay on a col-lege campus helps girls picturethemselves on such a campusand visualize college in theirfuture. Along with living withtheir peers for a week they willalso interact with women whomodel a high degree of science,

mathematics or computerexpertise during this week.

The Spaghetti Feed will beheld from 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. atEndeavor Hall in downtownClayton. Tickets are available inadvance from any AAUW mem-ber, or at the door. Cost is $10for adults, $5 for childrenbetween 6 years and 12 years ofage, with children under age 6eating for free. A wide variety ofraffle items will also be available

Just as Clayton Valley Char-ter High School students, facul-ty and staff took off for springbreak, Contra Costa DistrictAttorney Mark Peterson’s officeannounced the results of itsinvestigation into a number ofcharges brought by individualsand the Stakeholders for Trans-parency group against executivedirector Dave Linzey and theschool’s governing board.

Senior deputy district Attor-ney Steven Moawad said that theoffice “found insufficient evi-dence of criminal wrongdoingto warrant criminal prosecutionor additional investigation...Iconsider the matter closed.” Theruling was contained in a letterto former school administratorPat Middendorf, school parentShannon Brandt and formerCVCHS office staff JenniferFerrari.

In December, several indi-

viduals and the stakeholdersgroup, supplied the districtattorney’s office with informa-tion and materials that they feltdemonstrated the school boardand administration had violatedthe Brown Act and conflict ofinterest laws, mismanagedfunds, failed to follow policiesand mishandled a sexual harass-ment complaint made against acampus supervisor.

Moawad stated that many ofthe complaints don’t fall underthe purview of the district attor-ney’s office, which “has thejurisdiction and power to inves-tigate and prosecute criminalwrongdoing.” He referred to theContra Costa County Office ofEducation’s ongoing investiga-tion of complaints about thecharter school as the appropri-ate agency to look into suchmatters.

No timetable has been setfor the conclusion of theCCCOE investigation intoCVCHS that began in February.

Spokesman Terry Koehne toldthe Pioneer, “I doubt therewould be any resolution for atleast a couple weeks or more.”

Not surprisingly, Linzey andboard president Ted Meriamwere pleased with the ruling.“We’re relieved but not sur-prised by District AttorneyPeterson’s findings,” Linzeysaid. “Our governing board andschool administration nevertook these allegations lightly. Wehave always been committed tooperational transparency andcooperated fully with the Dis-trict Attorney’s office in itsreview of this matter.”

He went on to thank theteaching staff, parents and com-munity leaders for their supportand encouragement during thepast year since the schism withMiddendorf. She was terminat-ed last May and a politically-charged atmosphere has sur-rounded the school since.

Meriam said, “The process ofconverting our school to a char-

ter was long and hard. It was aninvestment made by many stake-holders. However, as we haveseen over the past severalmonths, a handful of peoplewho were part of that conver-sion have forgotten whom thecharter is there to service. Theprimary focus of our school isthe success of the students.

“I am pleased our school hasbeen exonerated. It’s time tostop the political attacks andsocial media smear campaigns.”

On its Facebook page,Stakeholders for Transparencysaid, “SFT appreciates the Dis-trict Attorney’s office review ofour ongoing concerns regard-ing CVCHS. We know thatfinding evidence which resultsin criminal charges for BrownAct (public meetings rules) andsexual harassment claims havea very high standard (‘beyond areasonable doubt’). As well, theDA specifically notes it is nottheir role to opine on ‘bestpractices, fraud audits, issues of

transparency, good governanceor the propriety of internalcontrols.’ ”

The April CVCHS govern-ing board meeting is Wednesday,April 15.

April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 7

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

In my time as the ClaytonPolice Chief, I have taken everyopportunity to spread the word.Public speaking events, articlesin the paper, and one-on-oneconversations. The message isalways the same: lock your cars,don’t leave valuables inside, takeappropriate steps to keep frombeing a victim.

Ironically, as I write this arti-cle, our officers have taken tworeports of theft from unlockedvehicles. In one instance a com-puter was stolen; in the other, acellular phone.

Summer brings out both thebest and the worst in our com-munity. The beautiful weatherhere in Clayton encourages us toleave doors and windows open

and unlocked. While we enjoythe warmth, others view it as anopportunity to pursue theircriminal enterprise.

There is no other way to sayit. DO NOT LEAVE VALU-ABLES IN YOUR CAR! Lock

your car, even when “just leav-ing it in the driveway for aminute.” Don’t leave your purse,laptop, iPad, cellular phone, wal-let, etc., in your car, even whenparked in the garage. If youhave an alarm, please set it. Ifyou see suspicious persons,please call the police.

Much of the criminal activi-ty is classified as “petty theft.”However, the classificationshould not minimize the impacton you as a victim or on thecommunity. Being a crime vic-tim is at a minimum inconven-ient.

Let’s consider the case of astolen purse or wallet. Creditcards have to be cancelled andreissued, locks have to be

changed and there is the alwayspopular trip to DMV to get anew license. If that doesn’tmotivate us to take items in thehouse, perhaps all is lost.

As your chief of police, Iask you, I plead with you, I begof you…do you hear the des-peration in my voice? Pleaseremove valuables from yourvehicle, lock your car and setthe alarm. Doing so helps theentire community of Claytonremain a great place to live,work and play.

Lock cars to slow down thieves

Chris Thorsen is Clayton’s chiefof police. For questions and com-ments, call him at (925) 673-7350.

CHRIS THORSEN

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If you’re looking for a place to go for a delicious Mother’s Day Brunch, come celebrate with mom and all the family at Oakhurst Country Club.

Your mother will enjoy our delectable selection of food, drink, and beautiful surroundings as part of her special day.

CVCHS board, administrators cleared of charges by DA

Club News

AAUW VOLUNTEERS trom last year’s event, Dana McDaniel,Carolyn Wetzel, Delores Totman, Carol Wolfe and Marcia Hart.

AAUW holds Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser

Community member-at-large Jim Killoran tenderedhis resignation the sameday as Peterson’s letter waspublished. He was electedto the board in Decemberand took office in January.

Killoran said his resig-nation “is due to philo-sophical disagreement withboard members regardingour fiduciary duty.”

Echoing public com-ments he made at the Feb-ruary board meeting herecommends “the govern-ing board structure bechanged so it’s only com-prised of non-employeedirectors—this will helpreduce tension at ourschool and significantlyreduce financial and legalrisk. New governance prin-ciples should be adopted toensure board members areindependent and provideno bias towards the execu-tive director or schoolemployees.”

Currently, four of ninemembers of the board areschool employees (admin-istrator, two teachers andclassified staff). This meansall personnel and staff mat-ters are decided by the fiveremaining board membersnot employed by the schooland who thus report to theexecutive director.

“At all cost, we need toavoid cronyism and con-flicts of interest, both ofwhich have plagued ourschool from the beginning.I believe time and bettergovernance will heal ourschool’s wounds; we justneed to be patient.”

Killoran commendedthe students, parents,teachers and school man-agement. “Bottom line, thestudents are our key stake-holder and everyoneshould always act in theirbest interest.”

–Jay Bedecarré

New board memberKilloran resigns

The Clayton Valley CharterHigh School Choirs have a lot tosing about after they receivedtriple gold medals at the World-Strides Heritage Competitionheld in Washington D.C. onMarch 28.

Students performed for threecollegiate adjudicators and thenreceived a mini-clinic and cri-tique session. Each group wasrequired to present three-to-foursongs in contrasting languages

and styles. Students competedagainst high school choirs from11 different states including Mis-sissippi, New Jersey and Texas, toname a few. The competition hadmore than 1,400 participants.

“Trips like these help foster alifetime of music and cultural

appreciation,” says Director ofChoirs Elizabeth Emigh.

While in the nation’s capitol,The CVCHS Choirs visited his-torical sites including ArlingtonNational Cemetery (to witnessthe changing of the guard),Smithsonian museums, the Viet-

nam Wall, the Lincoln Memorial,the World War II Memorial andMount Vernon. One of the mostmemorable moments for thechoirs was singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in front of theWhite House just as the presi-dent landed in his helicopter.

Derek Brown, current youthactivities director for the Cali-fornia Society of the Sons of

the American Revolution,awarded a Certificate of Recog-nition to Clayton Valley Charter

High School in March for theschool’s patriotic display of theUnited States flag. The certifi-cate is presented to individuals,companies, agencies and organi-zations that correctly fly theUnited States flag for patrioticpurposes only.

The Sons of the American Revo-lution is one of several genealogicalheritage organizations whose memberscan trace and document their ancestryback to those who supported the causeof American Independence during theyears 1774 to 1783. For more infor-mation, go to californiasar.org.

April promises to be a busymonth for students of Mt.Diablo Elementary, shortenedby a well-deserved springbreak. All Mt. Diablo UnifiedSchool District sites recessfrom April 6 through April 10.Classes resume April 13.

During April, third throughfifth grade students will beworking to prepare for thisyear's standardized state test-ing called the CaliforniaAssessment of StudentProgress and Performance(CAASPP). This test alignswith Common Core StateStandards and replaces theprevious state test known asSTAR.

The change to CommonCore is a movement to reform

U.S. education standards andaddress skills needed to workin our society which has beentransformed by advancementsin technology. These skills cor-relate to what are called 21stCentury skills: collaboration,creativity, communication andcritical thinking. While educa-tion has always focused onsuch skills, the parameters ofwhat is entailed have shifted toincorporate and adapt techno-logical developments in theeducation landscape.

Mt. Diablo ElementaryPFC held their major annualauction fundraiser on Friday,March 27. This year's themewas the Wild West Round Up.The auction was held at CentreConcord and was an enjoyableevent. I would like to recog-nize the brainpowers behindthe fundraiser: parents ReneeCulp and Stacy Summers, whodid a fantastic job designingand organizing the auction.Many MDE families and com-munity members attended theevent. The money raised willhelp fund activities and materi-als that provide direct benefitto our students. So, again,thank you everyone.

At a recent Governing Boardmeeting, Board Chair Ted Meri-am asked staff to address fourkey issues: student safety andsuccess, labor relations, fiscalmanagement, and collaborativedecision-making. Here is a sum-mary of information shared bykey administrators on how effec-tively CVCHS operates in theseareas.

First and foremost is studentsafety and success. There is somuch to be proud of in regardsto the highly effective safetymeasures that are in place, whichinclude:

Administrative presencedeters misconduct and ouradministrators are visible oncampus throughout the day.

Numerous campus securityassistants on campus monitoringstudent behavior, enforcing dresscode, tardiness and safety rules.

Teachers and staff have con-cern for student well-being. Thequality and nurturing relation-ships between teachers and stu-dents is the foundation for aneffective classroom.

Four school counselors(including our Career Centercounselor) and a school psychol-ogist who support students’needs, concerns and academic aswell as social/emotional difficul-ties.

CVCHS has developed amultitude of intervention pro-grams to ensure all our studentshave support for academic needs.Various programs include after-school tutoring, credit recoverycoursework, Saturday Bridge toSuccess, Summer Bridge Pro-gram, enrichment courses andour Freshman Transition Pro-gram. Further, we offer exem-plary AVID support programs,California High School ExitExam support classes, and ourEnglish Language DevelopmentProgram.

Director of Student ServicesMiguel Romo shared with theBoard the following results ofour efforts:

Graduation rate increasedfrom pre-charter rate of 83 per-cent to 96 percent.

Disciplinary problemsdecreased significantly due to ourfirm disciplinary approach andzero tolerance policy towardsdrug and alcohol possession anddistribution.

Reputation in the businesscommunity and local neighbor-hood improved significantly aswe have staff in the neighbor-hood and at the local plaza afterschool.

“F” grades decreased by over50 percent.

Campus grounds and cleanli-ness improved greatly

College admissions ratesincreased significantly as approx-imately 95 percent of graduatesare admitted to college

Chief Financial Officer MilesDenniston presented the highlyeffective fiscal managementpractices we use to ensure finan-cial accountability. We are proudto state that the CVCHS budgetis very stable with a strongreserve. Mr. Denniston comple-mented the school for the wiseuse of funds to improveCVCHS. He noted that CSMC,our “back office company,”works with hundreds of charterschools throughout the nationand refers to CVCHS as theexample of strong fiscal manage-ment. Here are a few examplesof the conservative fiscal policiesand procedures that we operateby:

Oversight from multiple lay-ers of personnel to ensure fundsare approved appropriately

Payroll being operated byCSMC

Site procedures which pro-vide key oversight for expendi-tures

The most transparent fiscalexpenditure oversight system inplace

We will finish our report nexttime, but, in closing, I am sograteful to have a competent andstellar staff. Together, we aremoving CVCHS forward “fromGood to Great! Thank you toour board who tirelessly give oftheir time, talent and energy atgreat sacrifice to their personallives because of their commit-ment to making CVCHS aschool that we all are proud of!

“All systems – Go! The Eagleis soaring

On April 25th theClayton Valley CharterHigh School will be havinga yard sale in the frontparking lot, located by themain office of the school.Come on down 9-3 to buya variety of donated items.Proceeds are going to thejunior class of CVCHS.

Until the event we will becollecting donations. Any-thing would be appreciat-ed. If you have unwanteditems from the garage afterspring cleaning, or oldclothes that don’t fit any-more the Junior Classwould greatly appreciatethem. Send an e-mailAndrewlegault98@gmail.com for instructions and toschedule a drop-off time.All excess items will bedonated to charity.

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

CVCHS Choirs shine on national stage

Spring break, testinghighlight month of April

David Linzey is executive directorof CVCHS. Contact himDavid.linzey@claytonvalley.org

DAVID LINZEY

VOYAGE OF THE EAGLE

All systems — Go!

IREEN KEENAN

MDES PRINCIPAL

Email comments and questionsto keenani@mdusd.k12.ca.us

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Greg Hiles, Dylan Perreira and David Linzey, CVCHS, receivethe Certificate of Recognition from Derek Brown (in tie) of theSons of the American Revolution.

Sons of American Revolution recognize CV flag display

CVCHS YardSale April 25

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As we welcome spring youcan see a lot of activity going onat Diablo View.

The implementation of theCommon Core State Standardscan be seen in classrooms asteachers work to prepare ourstudents developing 21st centu-ry skills that will make them col-lege and career ready. Utilizingthe state funding for implemen-tation of the new standards,teachers have participated inprofessional development andnew curriculum materials andtechnology have been pur-chased.

One exciting addition is ournew Chromebooks that can beused in the classrooms. Studentsin Mrs. Cherepy’s eighth grade

English class have been highlyengaged in argument writingbased on claims and evidencefrom the book “The Outsiders”as they prepare for their mocktrial. When asked about whatthey liked about the Chrome-books, some of the studentsremarked, “You can share yourdocument with your group andteacher”; The Chromebooksenhance student collaboration”;“I like using the Chromebooksbecause it makes writing anessay much more fun and wecan share our ideas togetherthrough Google docs.”

Mrs. Cherepy says havingstudents create documents dur-ing class time not only is highlyengaging for the students, but isvaluable for her as well. She isable to give instantaneous feed-back to students from her com-puter throughout the process –thus teaching writing rather thanjust assessing writing.

A special thanks to Mrs. Ruffand her leadership class fororganizing the “Walk for Water”project. Helping our studentsdevelop empathy and globalawareness we reached our goalof raising $5000 in helping chil-dren in Ghana have access toclean water.

There are many wonderfulteachers at Diablo View MiddleSchool. One of the teacherswho really stands out is EricThompson, Diablo View’srockin’ band teacher.

Mr. Thompson was born inBerkeley, and spent kindergartenthrough sixth grade in LittleRock, Arkansas. After sixthgrade his family moved back tothe Bay Area and he went toCollege Park High School,where he performed in theschool band and played football,as well as wrestled.

After high school, he went tocollege at Lowes McDonald’scommunity college. He then

went to Cal State Northridgeand finished college at Cal StateEast Bay.

His first teaching jobs wereteaching vocal lessons at Cam-bridge Elementary school andthen teaching band at SequoiaMiddle School. He then came toteach at Diablo View and hasbeen teaching there for the lastfive years.

Mr. Thompson believesmusic is a good thing for stu-dents to get involved in. “Musicis fun and you have to work at itbefore you improve, which Ithink is lacking with manythings in our society,” says Mr.Thompson.

“Music is the single mostinterdisciplinary subject inschool. You need to incorporateaspects of math, history, physi-cal education and social studiesto make music successful. Mymusic students routinely areamong the top academicallyevery year and that is no coinci-dence.” He says he loves beingable to bring the joy of making

music to the younger genera-tion. “To hear the improvement(of my students) from Septem-ber to now, especially with theyounger players, is really gratify-ing.”

Mr. Thompson is a profes-sional percussionist and hasbeen playing for 40 years. Heplays in major symphonies andorchestras in the Bay Area, on

Broadway shows, and for othervarious artists.

He was inspired to become amusician and started in schoolbands. He began to play witholder, better players who chal-lenged him to do his best. Mr.Thompson wanted to be a per-cussionist from the start as hesays, “I was always goingaround the house using woodenspoons or pencils,” from the ageof five, or so. His favorite musi-cal artists range from Bill Evans(jazz piano player) to Steve Gad(jazz and pop drummer).

In the future, Mr. Thompsonhopes to “continue as a musicteacher and continue to playwith other great musicians.” Headvises students to “find aninstrument you love and prac-tice, practice, practice!”

April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 9

Natalie Pursche is in the sixthgrade at Diablo View Middle School.She is an avid reader, enjoys writing,and loves to spend time with herfriends and family. Send comments tonatalie@claytonpioneer.com.

NATALIE PURSCHE

DVMS CORRESPONDENT

PATTI BANNISTER

DVMS PRINCIPAL

Carondelet High selects new principal

Teacher drums up a love of music

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Diablo View studentsprepare for the future

Kevin Cushing, a life-longCatholic high school educator,will become Carondelet’s newprincipal beginning July 1, 2015.

Cushing, who will report toCarondelet president BonnieCotter, will join Carondeletfrom Bishop O’Dowd HighSchool where he has served formore than 27 years in numerousroles leading academic pro-grams, working as a senioradministrator, and helping directthe student life experience.

For the past eight years,Cushing has served as BishopO’Dowd’s assistant principal,supervising and collaboratingwith faculty and staff on aca-demics, athletics, extra-curricu-lar programs and student men-torship and discipline, all whilecontinuing to teach classes inEnglish literature.

Cushing also served onCarondelet’s Western CatholicEducation Association/WesternAssociation of Schools and Col-leges evaluation team thatrenewed the school’s six-yearaccreditation in 2013 andreturned in the winter of 2014to complete its mid-term review.Through this process, Cushingbecame familiar with Caron-delet, its mission of leadershipin women’s education and thevision of the Sisters of St.Joseph of Carondelet, and itsstrategic goal to deliver an out-

standing 21st century educationto young women.

“During the accreditationprocess, I discovered what aremarkable community Caron-delet is, and I am delighted tobe joining the school just as itbegins its next 50 years of edu-cating young women in the tra-dition of the Sisters of St.Joseph,” Cushing said. “I haveseen the struggles youngwomen face in the world today— academically, personally,

socially, and athletically. Oneof our imperatives as educatorsis to help young women notonly gain knowledge and criti-cal thinking skills, but also buildself-confidence so that theyknow they can accomplishgreat things. As principal, Ilook forward to collaboratingwith Carondelet’s faculty andstaff in mentoring and encour-aging Carondelet’s students tofind their voices, to stand upfor what is right, and to work

for equality and social justicefor themselves as well as oth-ers.”

“Kevin is a true educator andan inspiring leader who is deeplypassionate about our missionand who is rooted in faith and acommitment to Catholicschools,” Cotter said. “He willmake a difference here.”

Carondelet is a Catholic GirlsHigh School iin Concord. For moreinformation go to carondelet.net.

ERIC THOMPSONDVMS BAND TEACHER

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On March 20 at DiabloView, the entire school partici-pated in a project called WalkFor Water. In this project, theleadership class set a definedroute to walk with a group car-rying water that went aroundthe school. At the end of theday, we had walked almost tenmiles; the length many peoplein Ghana have to walk every-day to get water. By doing this,we raised awareness for thepeople in Africa who do nothave access to clean water likemany people do.

During each PE period,people would get into a groupwith their friends and theyreceived an empty water bot-tle. Halfway through the trek,they were given a large waterjug, which they had to carryfor the second half of thewalk. Along the way, theywould read fact cards about

Ghana and water as well asother topics. Everyone was soenthusiastic during the walk.People were singing, laughing,and dancing as they walked tohelp the people in Ghana.

The leadership class askedpeople to get pledges for walk-ing this length in order to raiseenough money to build a wellfor a village in Ghana. Tobuild the well for these people,we had to raise a total of$5,000. And we did. OnWednesday, April 1, wereached our goal. Everyonewas thrilled to be able to buildthe well for the people inGhana.

Personally, I really reachedout to the people in this villagein Ghana. Water is somethingwe need to live and many peo-ple take it for granted. When Ithought about this village itreally put things into perspec-tive. I can’t imagine not beingable to go to school everydaybecause I had to survive

before I could learn. I thinkeveryone at Diablo View feltthe same way. This was

extremely eye-opening and I’mso glad that we were able to dosomething for them.

‘Walk’ raises funds for well in Ghana village

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The Clayton Valley area hashad a youth football programfor over 40 years and duringthat time the teams have beenknown as the Condors, GoldenEagles, Chaparrals and, since1988, Falcons. This fall whenthe youth football and cheersquads come out for their firstgame they will be in new red,white and blue uniformsemblazoned with Jr. Eagles, theClayton Valley Athletic Associ-ation’s new name.

CVAA Board presidentDave Cooney says, “We havebeen talking about it [namechange] for a few years. Thelast couple of years, ClaytonValley Charter High School hasreally gone out of their way toaccommodate us and make usfeel welcome. A large majorityof our players and cheerleadersgo on to become student ath-letes at CVCHS. We felt nowwas a great time to embracethem by switching our colorsand mascot.”

The Clayton Valley Chartervarsity that went to the CIFState football championshipgame in December had 38 for-mer Falcons on its roster.Among the former Falcons wasall-state standout Miles Harri-son, who was actually a linemanwhen he played for the Falcons.

CVAA programs are opento all boys and girls in the area.

Last fall the starting quarter-backs for De La Salle (AnthonySweeney) and Concord (all-DVAL Mitch Daniels) were Fal-cons alumnus, as were MasonKnight and Jed Gwynn,Daniels’ favorite receivers.

Cooney explains that all Jr.

Eagles teams run a variation ofthe wing offense whichCVCHS head coach Tim Mur-phy has used to bring the localhigh school three straightleague titles. “Our oldest level[midget] is running the sameformations and base plays as

the high school,” Cooney adds.“We were due for new jer-

seys, so the timing was perfect.Our youth kids look up to thehigh school football players andcheerleaders. You can find alarge number of our partici-pants cheering for the Eagleson Friday nights. Now they willbe cheering them on wearingtheir new red, white and blueuniforms.”

The Flacons had four foot-ball teams reach playoffs in2014.

The cheer squads wentthem one better earlier this yearin Las Vegas. At the JAMZYouth National Championshipsthe national level 2 squad (12years and younger) took firstplace in their division for per-formance cheer and third inshow cheer out of 12 teams at

The Orleans Arena.The older national level 3

cheer squad (13 years andyounger) was first in showcheer and third in performancecheer. The Falcons’ level 3squad was a double nationalchampion in 2014.

Both teams qualified forNationals at competitions dur-ing the regular fall football sea-son.

The level 2 cheer squad wasBrook Arcanin, Rhyan Ayala,Madison Caldwell, Alie Cic-coni, Halle Cohen, Kayla Con-cepcion, Brianna DeLuna,Kaitlyn Dunn, Marisa Mancini,Rachael Miller, Frieda Nemon,Haley Rose, Autumn Wells andMorgan Wigton. The level 3team included Caitlin Biles,Riley Bluth, Maddelyn Brig-ance, Sydney Caulder, ReaganClemons, Hailey Conger, Ash-ley Davidson, Jordyn Jennings,Leilonei Johnson, KennedyLee, Kylee Rinaldi, MirandaRomo, Ashlyn Scott, SavannahSprague, Chloe Wigton,Isabelle Wilson and AlissaZavala.

The age range for Jr. Eaglesfootball is 7-14 and cheerlead-ing is 5-14. First day of practiceis Aug. 3.

Online registration for the2015 football and cheer seasonis now open at cvaajreagles.com.The Jr. Eagles will hold in-per-son registration May 15 at theClayton Valley Little LeagueHit-a-thon at Clayton Commu-nity Park and on June 7 and July12 at Mountain Mike’s Pizza byClayton Valley Bowl from 12noon – 3 p.m.

Photo by Juan Mariaca

SOFTBALL MINI MINOR MUSTANGS SOFTBALL TEAM marched during the recent Clayton ValleyLittle League opening ceremonies at Clayton Community Park serenaded by the ClaytonValley Charter High School marching band. League board members welcomed the crowdrepresenting 50 baseball and softball teams totaling about 600 players. The league willhold its annual fund-raising Hit-A-Thon and picture day on Saturday, May 16, at the park.The regular season is underway and concludes in early June.

Sports Page 10 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

CVAA football, cheer squads change name to Jr. Eagles

Photo courtesy CVAA Falcons cheer

CVAA FALCONS CHEER TEAMS will be changing their team name to CVAA Jr. Eagles and taking new colors (red, white and blue) forthe fall season. Before then, two Falcons cheer teams went out with a bang. At the JAMZ Nationals competition in Las Vegas thenational level 2 squad took first in their division for performance cheer and third in show cheer. The older national level 3 team(above) was first in show cheer and third in performance cheer. They were also 2014 National Champions.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Band serenades Clayton ValleyLittle League on opening day

Ten athletes including twoOlympic bronze medalists, acoach, two teams and a communi-ty supporter comprise the fourthclass to be inducted into the Clay-ton Valley High School AthleticHall of Fame on May 16.

Inductees are volleyball coachGary Gardner, community sup-porter Matt Mazzei, 1967wrestling and 1977 girls volleyballteams and athletes DerrellHoschouer (Class of 1967wrestling), Tom McCarty (1972football and baseball), Paul Bellu-omini (1974 football, wrestlingand track), John Mahloch (1986basketball), Mike Wojciehowski(1996 cross country and track),Tiffany Edwards (1990 soccer,tennis, softball and track), LoriHokerson (1991 volleyball, soccerand track), Lindsay Kiyama (2005water polo, basketball and swim-ming), Erin Dobratz McGregor(2000 swimming) and KaraKohler (2009 swimming).

Dobratz and Kohler wereexcellent swimmers while at CVbut went on to international gloryin other sports. Dobratz was along-time member of the WalnutCreek Aquanuts and then went toStanford on a synchronizedswimming scholarship. She tookbronze for the United States atthe 2004 Athens Olympics.

Kohler was introduced torowing when visiting Cal duringher 2009 senior year at ClaytonValley. She took to the sportimmediately and rowed for USAnational senior and junior teamsand then took part in the LondonOlympics in 2012, finishing thirdin the quad sculls. She is currentlytraining for a berth at the RioOlympics next year.

Dobratz and Kohler were all-

America in their sports at Stan-ford and Cal respectively. Theyalso both swam for the DanaHills Swim Team in Clayton andwere high-point winners at thecounty swim meet.

The 1977 girls volleyball teamand its coach are both beinginducted. Gardner led the Eaglesto North Coast Section titles in1976, 1977 and 1979 and fourstraight league titles from 1976-79. The ’76 team won the inaugu-ral Section girls volleyball champi-onship and are members of thefirst CVHS Hall of Fame classfrom 2008.

The 1967 wrestling team wascoached by Hall of Famer RogerZino and was part of a streak thatincluded over 30 consecutive dualmeet wins plus the Del Valle Invi-

tational Tournament, DVAL andNorth Coast Section titles. Theycapped the year as North Staterunners-up.

The community/leadershiphonoree Mazzei is a CVHS alumwho has been a major supporterof the baseball program as well asthe rest of the school’s athleticteams. His two children also werestudent athletes at the school.

The Hall of Fame began in2008 during the school’s silveranniversary year. Additional class-es were added in 2010 and 2013.

The induction dinner is on Satur-day, May 16, at Centre Concord. Thedinner begins at 6:30 p.m. after asocial hour starting at 5 o’clock. Tick-ets are now on sale through the school’swebsite claytonvalley.org.

Clayton Valley Athletics Hall of Fameclass features wide range of honorees

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy Clayton Valley Charter High School

THE 1977 NORTH COAST SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP CVHS GIRLS

VOLLEYBALL TEAM will be inducted into the school’s Athletic Hallof Fame May 16. Head coach Gary Gardner coached theEagles to three North Coast Section championships and fourconsecutive league titles from 1976-79. The 1976 girls wereinducted as part of the inaugural CVHS Hall of Fame in 2008.The team included, front row from left, Karey Sheehan, AnneLopez, Kelly Ruiz, Starry Suttich; back row, Gardner, SharonYork, Barbara Busick, Teresa Austin and Sandy Satre. Sheehanand Suttich have been inductees as individual athletes.

Strong performances duringthe season and in the NorthCoast Section tournament pro-pelled De La Salle, Clayton Val-ley Charter and Carondelet backto the Northern California Bas-ketball Championships, whereeach school’s season endedabruptly.

Carondelet and Clayton Val-ley Charter won their respectiveleague girls championships andmoved onto the NCS playoffswith high expectations beforeeach of their seasons finishedwith two successive defeats.

By reaching the NCS semi-finals Clayton Valley Charter gotin the NorCal playoffs for thethird successive season and thefourth time in five years. TheLady Eagles of coach Paul

Kommer were seeded ninth inDivision I and lost to host Davis52-36 in their opening game.Berkeley had bounced CVCHSfrom NCS and eventually lost toMcClatchy of Sacramento in theNorCal DI girls finals.

New coach Elgin Leslie’sCarondelet team was seededsecond to Dublin in the North-ern California playoffs. TheCougars were upset by Presenta-tion of San Jose 55-51 in theirNorCal DII opener to close outthe year with a pair of disap-pointing losses after starting bywinning 27 of their first 29games. Dublin had edgedCarondelet in the NCS champi-onship game and went all theway to NorCal finals beforefalling to Archbishop Mitty, also

of San Jose.A one-point loss in the NCS

championship game to defend-ing section and state championMonte Vista kept coach FrankAllocco’s De La Salle team inDivision I at NorCals as the topseed while Monte Vista wasmoved up to the Open Division.

The Spartans drew a first-round bye and then beatMcClymonds of Oakland 50-37at NorCals. They lost in thesemi-finals to Woodcreek ofRoseville 43-39 while anotherEBAL team from Danville, SanRamon Valley, won NorCal 49-45 over Woodcreek. The Wolvestook down favored Chino Hillsin the state championship game79-71 in overtime.

NorCal basketball playoffs endtoo soon for local 3 quintets

Mt. Diablo ElementarySchool fourth grader DanielSanna has been playing icehockey for three years and canalready attach the title “statechampion” to his sports resumeafter his Tri-Valley Blue Devilsupset the Anaheim Jr. Ducks 5-4 at the end of March in theState Championship game inSimi Valley.

The nine-year-old left wingerwas in his first season in theSquirt A Division with Tri-Val-ley. The ambitious schedule hisfamily undertakes for his hockeyexperience paid off in a big way.Sanna is the only player fromthis area on the team. He prac-tices in Livermore two nights aweek, in Dublin for a weekendpractice session and then to oneof many Bay Area rinks forNorcal league games. It helpsthat dad Brien Sana is an assis-tant coach for the Blue Devils.

The younger Sanna gotinterested in hockey watchingthe San Jose Sharks even thoughhis favorite player is PatrickKane of the Chicago Black-hawks. During the spring he alsoplays baseball for the ClaytonValley Little League White Sox.

The Clayton youngster is inhis third year of organized icehockey. His Blue Devils played

tournaments in Los Angelesthree times, traveled to Phoenixand made it to the champi-onship game at the National Sil-ver Stick tournament.

Tri-Valley finished the regu-lar season in second placebehind the San Jose Jr. Sharks.In the recent Norcal playoffs,the Blue Devils made it to theNorcal championship gameonly to lose to those same Jr.Sharks. As a reward for makingthe finals Tri-Valley qualified for

the State Championships as theNorcal finalists both earnedberths along with the top twoteams in Soucal.

Blue Devils were 2-1 in statetournament round-robin playthen beat Anaheim in the finals.The Jr. Ducks were undefeatedon the season until that gameagainst the Blue Devils.

Sanna will be playing springhockey with the Bay Area Blaz-ers, an AAA tournament team.They will be traveling to Blaine,Minnesota and Los Angles fortournaments.

Sports April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 11

There are stories of legendary multi-sport athletes from bygone eras whowould run, jump and throw at a schooltrack and field meet in the morning andthen rush over to the baseball diamond,change uniforms and play an extra inning

game in the afternoon. Clayton ValleyCharter High School junior Erik Ortiz hasbeen juggling two spring sports in a moreunusual combination. He’s on coach SteveNeal’s varsity lacrosse team as an attackeron offense and also competes for theEagles trap shooting team for another newcoach, Keith Baker. The Public ServiceAcademy student has become used to abusy spring the last two years balancing

practices and competitions for the twosports at CVCHS along with his studiesand music. “Looking back on his lacrosseseasons he states, “My fondest memory iswhen I got a hat trick in box lacrosse.”When he isn’t busy with sports Ortiz ispart of the CVCHS band on tenor saxo-phone, an instrument he’s been playing forsix years. He acknowledges that playingtwo sports in the same season can be achallenge at times. “It’s difficult, time con-suming and sometimes I have to sacrificeone practice to go to another.”

CVCHS student journalist Celine Herreracontributed to this Spotlight.

The Clayton Pioneer congratulatesErik and thanks Athlete Spotlightsponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr.Christopher Ruzicka who have beenserving the Clayton and Concord areafor 25 years at Family Vision CareOptometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete who should berecognized? Perhaps he or she has shown excep-tional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement orgreat heart for the sport. Send your nomination forthe Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today tosports@claytonpioneer.com.

AthleteSpotlightErik Ortiz Grade: Junior

Sports: Lacrosse, Trap Shooting

School: CVCHS

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton ice hockey player bringshome state tournament trophy

ERIK ORTIZ

©2015 Hockeyshots Photography

NINE-YEAR-OLD LEFT WINGER DANIEL SANNA OF CLAYTON (withpuck) was part of the Squirt A Division state championship Tri-Valley Blue Devils after the team defeated Anaheim Jr. Ducks5-4 in Simi Valley to conclude the state championship tourna-

Stanford senior Kristian Ipsenwent into the NCAA Swimmingand Diving Championships inIowa on a red hot streak but cameaway from his final collegiatemeet with two third-place finish-es, the first time in four years hedidn’t claim a first- or second-place national championshipmedal.

Prior to the NCAA meet theDe La Salle High School grad net-ted titles in five of six events atPacific 12 Championships andZone E qualifying. “I love NCAAdiving,” Ipsen told the Pioneerexplaining that he’ll miss beingpart of the Stanford team whichfinished in the top 10 at NCAAsfor the 35th straight year. He’llfinish up his academic career atStanford in the fall after “walk-ing” with his class at commence-ment ceremonies this June.

Ipsen was third in both theone- and three-meter events atNCAA. He wasn’t the only for-mer champ to fail to win a titlethis year. Sophomore MichaelHixon, who transferred fromTexas to Indiana this year, failedto defend either of his 2014springboard championships.

The diving star of the NCAAmeet was freshman Steele John-son of Purdue, who won the 1Mand platform events. SeniorSamuel Dorman of Miami tookthe 3M ahead of Hixon and Ipsenwho combined to win the event atthe last three national champi-onships.

The Clayton diver won threeNCAA championships and threerunner-up finishes. His 3M cham-pionship as a freshman in 2012was the first by a Stanford malediver in 82 years. He was shut outof first-place national champi-onship finishes last year too.

At the earlier Zone E meet inColorado at the Air Force Acade-my Ipsen took first in the one-and three-meter springboard andthird off the platform, easily qual-ifying for NCAAs in each event.He ended his four years at Stan-ford with nine Zone champi-onships, including a sweep of allthree competitions as a sopho-more. He won both 1M and 3Mall four years plus a platform titlein 2013.

Winning three Pacific 12 titlesthis year doubled Ipsen’s totalfrom 2013 and 2014. (He didn’tcompete at the conference meetas a freshman while he trained forthe 2012 Olympic Trials.)

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Kristian Ipsenfinishes heraldedcollegiate divingcareer without2015 NCAA title

Photos courtesy MDSA

MDSA STRIKERS FC TOOK FIRST PLACE in the PHMSA Soccerfestfor under 12 boys last month at Diablo Valley College. TheStrikers won two of three games to gain a semi-final berthand then defeated Concord United to earn a spot in champi-onship finale against Manteca Earthquakes. The Strikers hadlost to Manteca 3-1 the prior Sunday in the semi-finals of theAYSO Select tournament in Davis. This time the Strikersrebounded from going behind 1-0 to score three unansweredgoals for a 3-1 final win. MDSA Strikers FC include, front rowfrom left, Daniel Calles, Riley Claunch, Anthony Montoya,Bakari Johnson, Giovani Moreno, Riley Mendonca; back row,coach Jorge Cordova, Mateo Cordova, Justin Gould, AlexHockenbery, Ryan Chand, Nicolas Campos and coach AnthonyCampos. Not pictured, Joey Hawk.

Destructors U10 boys claimSan Jose Presidents Cup title

MDSA DESTRUCTORS entered their first tournament of the sea-son with high expectations and came away with the under 10boys championship at the fourth annual San Jose President’sCup. In the semi-finals Destructors edged clubmates MDSAVelocity 1-0 to advance to the finals against San Jose BlueDragons. The two teams tied 1-1 in regulation and then MDSAwon a penalty kick shootout for the title. The Destructors are,front row from left, Zack Claunch, Ethan Liming, CooperWhiten, Ryan Christy, Nick Kelly; back row, coach JasonBishop, Titus Bishop, Jimmy Albert, Max Anum, Marques Wirthand coach Laura Kelly.

Two MDSA teams winsoccer championshipsMDSA Strikers FC take crown

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Clayton Pioneer wants to hear your sports story

Please let us know about your sports news, specialevents, fund raisers, tryouts, signups and accomplish-ments. Youth leagues, clubs, schools and adult programsare all welcome to send us a rundown on what you’redoing. Include all the necessary details (too much infor-mation is better than too little!) and your contact informa-tion. It’s as simple as sending an email to sports@clay-tonpioneer.com.

The Golden State Warriorsseason has been tremendous.

The team clinched their firstPacific Division title in 39 yearsand then the Western Confer-ence championship as they wonthe most games in franchise his-tory.

As a Warriors fan, it’s almostlike walking through a dream.The fact that the Warriors havebeen so good this year, in anextremely competitive WesternConference, is amazing.

All the success of the teamleads one to believe that this sea-son could possibly end with anNBA championship, their first

since Rick Barry led Al Attles’team to the 1975 title.

The Warriors have not hadthis type of success in quite awhile. Mark Jackson took theteam to back-to-back playoffappearances in 2013and 2014,yet those Warriors were nowherenear as good as they are now.

This year’s team isn’t justbeating their opponents, they areembarrassing them. The War-riors boast the highest point pergame differential in the league atclose to 11 points and theirstarters don’t have to play lengthy

minutes.Steph Curry only averages 33

minutes per game, the secondfewest in his career. KlayThompson averages 32 minutesand Andrew Bogut is averaging acareer low 24.

The brand of basketball theWarriors play is built to win inthe playoffs. Forget the outdatedsaying that “jump shootingteams can’t win a title” and thinkabout the saying “defense winschampionships.”

The Warriors lead the leaguein defensive efficiency. Theirdefense is aggressive and stifling.The anchor of the defense,Draymond Green, is a mauler onthe court. The power forwardmay only be 6 feet 7 inches tall,but he can guard almost anybodyon the low post or out on theperimeter.

The team has other greatdefenders as well. Bogut is one ofthe best rim-protectors in theleague; Andre Iguodala is still agreat defender at 31 and Thomp-son is one of the best perimeterdefenders.

Come playoff time, the shotsmight not fall some nights, butthat may beirrelevant. The War-riors defense is good enough totranslate into offense off stealsand fastbreak opportunities.

Curry is going to absolutelydominate games come playofftime. Whether it be a wickedcrossover on Chris Paul or drib-bling through four Clippersdefenders for a fadeaway three,MVP candidate Curry findsways to make jaw-dropping playson a nightly basis. He has thepotential to take a game overwith his ball-handling and

wicked-quick release from down-town.

The Warriors have one of thebest players in the league inCurry. They have a head coachwho has won five NBA champi-onships as a player in Steve Kerr.Their offense moves the ballincredibly well and their defenseis suffocating.

There really aren’t too manyholes in the Warriors game, sowhat else is there to do but bringhome an NBA championship tothe Bay Area for the first timesince ‘75?

YOUTH FOOTBALL,CHEER ORGANIZATION

SETS REGISTRATIONClayton Valley youth football

and cheer teams are now knownas CVAA Jr. Eagles. Online regis-tration for the upcoming fallfootball and cheer teams is openwith the first in-person registra-tion day Saturday, May 16, 10a.m. – 2 p.m. at Clayton Commu-nity Park. Visit their new websitecvaajreagles.com for more infor-mation.

OAKHURST ORCAS SET

MEET AND GREET NIGHT

ON APRIL 23Oakhurst Orcas are accepting

mail or drop off registrations forthe summer rec swim team sea-son at Oakhurst Country Club.Meet and greet registration at thepool is on Thursday, April 23,from 6:30-8 p.m. Visitoakhurstorcas.com for moreinformation or e-mail headcoach Jasmine Millan at swim-coach@oakhurstcc.com.

DIABLO FC SPRING REC

LEAGUE UNDERWAYDiablo FC is offering a spring

rec program for girls and boys inthe U5 and U7 age groups. Thesix-week program runs this weekthrough May 16 for all interestedplayers using a less formal leagueschedule since players areinvolved with other springsports. Weekly training and Sat-urday morning games are con-

ducted by Diablo FC profession-al coaches. Visit diablofc.org formore info.

SUMMER PROGRAMS OPEN

AT ALL OUT SPORTS

LEAGUES IN CLAYTONSummer programs for youth

basketball, youth volleyball andtee ball plus adult volleyball andsoftball are now open in Claytonoffered by All Out SportsLeagues. For complete informa-tion on All Out Sports programs,visit alloutsportsleague.com.

CLAYTON VALLEY LITTLE

LEAGUE SEEKING UMPIRESClayton Valley Little League

season is in full swing and theleague is reaching out to recruitmore volunteer umpires. Thegreatest need is umpiring gamesfor minor divisions in baseballand softball (ages 8 -11). Any-body 12 years or older is eligibleto be an umpire. CVLL providesfull protection equipment andtraining. Anyone having an inter-est in umpiring should contactthe league by emailinfo@cvll.org.

DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM

ONLINE REGISTRATIONChris Horner, new head

coach of the Dana Hills SwimTeam which has won 22 of thepast 23 Concord City Champi-onships, announced that theOtters are accepting online regis-tration now. Practice begins April13 with the team time trails on

May 17. Visit danahillsotters.comto sign up.

CLAYTON VALLEY

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

DINNER MAY 16Clayton Valley High School

Athletic Hall of Fame will inductits fourth class on Saturday, May16, at Centre Concord. The din-ner begins at 6:30 p.m. after asocial hour starting at 5 o’clock.Inductees are coach Gary Gard-ner, community supporter MattMazzei, 1967 wrestling and 1977girls volleyball teams and athletesJohn Mahloch, Tom McCarty,Mike Wojciechowski, Paul Bellu-omini, Derrell Hoschouer,Tiffany Edwards Panfili, LoriHokerson, Lindsay Kiyama,Kara Kohler and Erin DobratzMcGregor. Tickets are now onsale through the school’s websiteclaytonvalley.org.

DIABLO FC U15-U18 TEAMS

HOLDING OPEN TRAINING

SESSIONSDiablo FC is holding open

training sessions for boys andgirls U15-U18 players for 2015-16 season. The club’s U15-U18premier teams all compete in thehighest level of Nor Cal Premierin the National Premier League.Open training sessions are anopportunity for players to trainwith teams and be evaluated forinitial player placement. Formore information and schedulevisit diablofc.org.

ADULT CO-ED SOCCER

LEAGUE BEGINS SEASON

THIS SUNDAYThe adult co-ed Contra Costa

Mixed Soccer League begins thisSunday, April 12, and players canstill sign up. CCMSL plays all its90-minute games at NewhallPark in Concord on Sundays ateither 9 or 11 a.m. To participatemen must be 30 or older andwomen at least 18. For moreinformation visiteteamz.com/ccmsl.

CONCORD CUP XXII SOCCER

COMING MAY 16-17The area’s largest annual

youth soccer tournament, Con-cord Cup, returns for its 22ndseason at a variety of local parks.Boys and girls club and recre-ation teams from under 10through U19 are eligible to par-ticipate. Visit concordcup.comfor complete information and toregister a team or referee to par-ticipate.

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Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

Sports

Sports Shorts

TYLER LEHMAN

SPORTS TALK

Tyler Lehman is a junior at SanFrancisco State University and a2012 CVHS graduate. He is major-ing in print/online journalism andwants to be a sports writer. Emailyour comments or questions totyler@claytonpioneer.com.

Warriors world championship aspirations are within reach

Photos courtesy St. Bonaventure CYO

TOC CROWN COMES TO ST. BONAVENTURE A2 BOYS. The St. Bonaventure boys A-2 seventh gradesquad had a fantastic season that concluded by winning the Tournament of Champions. TheirTOC run entailed beating three league champs including a revenge win over defending cham-pion St. Perpetua, who ousted the Bulldogs last year. The team includes front row from left,Lucas Lauricella, J.T. Wheeler, Yama Asalati; back row, assistant coach Lawrence Hamilton Sr.,Kalani U’U, Joe Laxa, Jack Gwynn, Lawrence Hamilton Jr. and head coach Dave Gwynn. Notpictured, Andrew Saxton and Lucas Calica.

St. Bonaventure seventh gradeboys shine in CYO basketball

ST. BONAVENTURE 7TH GRADERS DO IT AGAIN. The St. Bonaventure 7th grade boys A1 team won itsfourth consecutive East Diablo league championship, advancing to the Oakland Diocese AAtournament even as the team overcame a number of injuries. The Bulldogs include, front rowfrom left , coach Dave Gwynn, Tyler Darr, Eric Zimmer, Seth Gwynn; back row, coach KevinZimmer, Tristen Daly, Mikey Mann, Jayson Downs, Derek Luedtke and coach Kevin Daly. Notpictured, Clayton Seastrand and Luke Westemeyer.

Certain professions lendthemselves to intrigue, andlighthouse keeper is undeni-ably one of them. What kindof person chooses a life in iso-lation, protecting the well-being of entire generations ofstrangers they will neverknow?

In his daring debut novel,“Light Between Oceans,” MLStedman creates a narrativethat endears readers, and thenas surely, breaks their hearts.

It is just after World War II,and Tom Sherbourne returnsto his native Australia seekingsolace and normalcy afterenduring the horrors experi-enced as a soldier on the West-ern Front. Kind, thoughtfuland meticulous Tom lands ajob as lighthouse keeper on theisland of Janus. It’s lonelywork, but Tom enjoys the rou-tine and quiet accountability ofhelping assure the safety ofpassengers and cargo off Aus-tralia’s coast.

He sets about makingrepairs to the Light, keepingstrict and meticulous recordsof all activity on Janus, as is hisresponsibility. Tom can betrusted to do a job well, and hetakes great pride in being aman to be counted upon to dothe right thing.

To his good fortune, if nothis great surprise, Tom meetsIsabel Graysmark while onleave from Janus. Isabel iseverything Tom is not: gregar-ious, creative, outgoing. Isabeldoesn’t so much seduce Tomas declare that their match isright and inescapable. An epis-tolary courtship follows and,on his next leave from theisland, Tom married Isabel.

They return to Janus tostart their life together in theirown little island world. Isabelsuffers a series of miscar-riages, each one stealing a littlemore of her light. Then oneday a rowboat washes up onthe island, carrying a dead manand a live baby. Of course,Tom is inclined to report theincident, as is his natural andassigned responsibility. ButIsabel, having lost three babiesand one only recently, has beendelivered an infant in need of amother. She convinces Tom todelay reporting the body andthe baby.

Eventually all lines blur.Isabel names the baby Lucyand insists she is their own. Asmuch as he loves her, Tomcannot reconcile baby Lucy ashis. He argues that she belongsto someone, somewhere, whosurely grieves her loss. Isabelhas no such qualms. She con-siders Lucy a gift from God,

and being mother to the littlegirl in all ways feels as naturalto her as breathing.

Like all secrets, Tom andIsabel’s slowly unravels. On atrip to the mainland, Tomencounters a woman whosechild was lost at the same timethat Lucy was found. Tom isdevoured by guilt. On thenight before the Sherbournefamily is to return from themainland to Janus, an anony-mous note is found in thegrieving mother’s mailbox. Acryptic hand-written messageassures the woman that herdaughter is loved.

A second trip to the main-land, a second hand-writtenmessage, and the Sherbourne’sstory dissolves like paper inwater. Baby Lucy is reunitedwith her birth mother, whileTom claims all responsibilityfor the deceit to protect Isabel.

Following her betrayal,Isabel suffers an emotionalbreakdown and rejects Tom.Lucy is torn from the lovingembrace of the only mothershe’s ever known and is incon-solable, rebuffing this strangerwho now possesses.

“The Light BetweenOceans” is about finding one’sway in uncertain waters. It is abook that deftly examines thechoices we make and livingwith the inevitable outcomes.It is about love and courageand doing the right thing. It isa book not to be missed.

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As your dog ages many ofhis basic needs, from diet toexercise, will begin to change.It’s important to understandwhat it takes to keep your seniorfriend happy and healthy.

Dogs are very good at hidingtheir health problems and it’simportant to keep an eye onyour senior dog to ensure thatyou are adjusting his routine tomatch the changes in his bodyand immune system that makehim less able to cope with phys-ical and environmental chal-lenges. Routine exams, preven-tative medicine and adjustmentsto your dog’s lifestyle can help

h i m

stay happy in his older years.Different-sized dogs age at

different rates and larger dogsreach senior status before small-er dogs. While each dogbecomes a senior at a differentage most dogs become seniorsbetween seven and 10 years old.

An important thing to beaware of is your dog’s reducedability to handle change andstress as he ages. Old dogs donot see or hear as well as theyonce did and can become star-tled easily. Older dogs can bemore worried and fearful thanwhen they were young. Situa-tions that they handled well

before may nowcause them

anxiety. Insome

old dogs it’s not so much howthey interpret things but aninability of their brains to func-tion as efficiently as before.These dogs often act dazed andout of touch. They may pace orwalk in circles and maybe losetheir house training and the abil-ity to interact with their families.Sometimes medication andnutritional supplements canhelp.

Anything that encouragesactivity, curiosity and thinkingwill also help. Environmentalenrichment with things such asanother pet, playing with toysdaily and exposure to new situa-

tions can also help. Create acomfortable environment foryour aging friend with easyaccess to food, supportive bed-ding and plenty of fresh water.In addition, plenty of attentionand affection is important toyour senior friend.

It’s a good idea to adjustyour home’s comfort level.Older dogs can’t regulate theirbody temperature as well as theycould in younger days.

It’s important to keep yourdog indoors and warm and drywhen he’s not out getting exer-cise. If your dog has arthritis hemay prefer a ramp instead ofwalking up stairs and even a newbed made to promote orthope-dic health. If your dog can’t seewell it’s a good idea to ease hisanxiety by keeping living spacesfree of clutter.

These little things all add upto make your friend’s senioryears happy ones.

April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

Debbie DeMello is a dog trainerand owner of Who’s Training Whoin Walnut Creek. Contact her atdebdemello@aol.com

DEBBIE DEMELLO

PET PAUSE

Older dogs need special attention

‘Light’ weighs heavy on the soulBook Review

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR THE BOOKS

Cynthia Gregory is a NorthBay nonprofit leader, writer ofshort fiction, .and author of a blog.Email comments and questions tocgregory111@gmail.com

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The Concord Mt. DiabloTrail Ride Association invitesthe public for The MattsonWalk: Waterfalls, Wildflowersand Wine, a guided hike fromthe CMDTRA clubhouse on theside of Mt. Diablo to thefamous Waterfall Trail of Mt.Diablo State Park, on Sunday,April 19. Guides from the Mt.Diablo Interpretive Associationwill be on hand to call outpoints of interest along the wayand answer any questions. Abarbecue featuring tri-tip steak,chicken and veggie burgers willfollow the hike.

MDIA Vice President RichMcDrew, co-author of "Moun-tain Lore History and PlaceNames of Mt. Diablo," will

speak at the event.Proceeds from this hike will

benefit both the CMDTRA andthe MDIA. These two organiza-tions consider themselves to begood neighbors on the moun-tain and are aligned in theirefforts to preserve the moun-tain's beauty and history.

Cost is $30 for adult non-CMDTRA members and $25for adult members, $20 for teensand $15for kids. The hike is notrecommended for children 7 oryounger.

For more information and/or reg-ister for The Mattson Walk, visitwww.cmdtra.org/CMDTRA Calen-dar/The Mattson Walk or emailevents@cmdtra.org.

Mattson Walk offershistoric mountain beauty

A small beetle is the culpritbehind the swath of dead anddying tress visible from theMitchell Canyon side of MountDiablo.

Called the Ips paraconfusus orthe California Fivespines Ips, out-breaks of these little bugs areoccurring throughout Californiaand the southern Sierras due tothe state’s drought conditions,says William Miller, Environmen-tal Scientist with California StateParks. Drought and other types ofstress can reduce the ability oftrees to produce pitch, which thenallow the Ips to invade. Cycles ofdrought-related outbreaks of Ipsare well-documented. Trees havebeen living with bark beetlesprobably since for as long as both

have been around, he says.The band of dead and dying

of trees seen from MitchellCanyon are predominantly Coul-ter pines, with a few gray pines inthe mix. Most of them wereprobably regenerated from the1977 fire that started from a light-ning strike on Twin Peaks.

Ips beetles primarily infestnewly downed pine trees and

fresh windthrow. While danger-ous to the foliage, they are impor-tant in beginning the process ofwoody decomposition and set thestage for many other organismsto make their homes in decayinglogs, Miller says.

“Healthy trees can fend offattacks by these beetles, byflooding entrance holes withpitch and releasing chemicals to

ward off beetles.”The policy of Mount Diablo

State Park is to allow naturalprocesses to run their course,intervening only for conserva-tion reasons or to mitigate forhazards. Coulter pines onMount Diablo are importantbecause they are among themost northern stands in theirrange. Miller says they are mon-itoring the situation and consult-ing with experts to ensure newtrees will sprout when the rainsreturn.

It’s unlikely park officials willremove dead trees, since they canbe an important habitat type.Miller says that the Park is con-sulting with Cal Fire on any firedanger the dead trees might pose

“We may remove some ofthe dead trees at a later date toreduce the impact of potentialfuture fires on the remainingCoulter pines.”

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California’s tremendous vari-ety of lettuce comes from sever-al locations.

Salinas, Watsonville andSanta Maria are the three pri-mary production areas for let-tuce in California, with winterproduction in the desert. TheCentral Valley is known as the“Salad Bowl of the World.” TheSalinas Valley produces morethan 75 percent of the iceberglettuce and 85 percent of theleaf lettuce for the entire coun-try April-October.

The coastal counties ofMonterey, San Benito, SantaBarbara, Santa Clara, San LuisObispo and Santa Cruz alsoaccount for a high percentage ofproduction. Monterey County isthe largest producing county inthe state.

There are five types of let-tuce: leaf (also called loose-leaf

lettuce), cos orRomaine, crisphead,butterhead and stem(also called asparagusor Chinese lettuce).

Leaf lettuce, themost widely adaptedtype, produces crispleaves loosely arrangedon the stalk. Nearly everygarden has at least a shortrow of leaf lettuce, making itthe most widely planted saladvegetable.

Cos or Romaine forms anupright, elongated head and isan excellent addition to saladsand sandwiches. The butterheadvarieties are generally small,loose-headed types that havetender, soft leaves with a deli-cate sweet flavor. Stem lettuceforms an enlarged seed stalkthat is used mainly in stewed,creamed and Chinese dishes.Crisphead varieties, the icebergtypes common all over thecountry, are adapted to northernconditions.

ASPARAGUS AND SPRING

GREENS SALAD WITH

GORGONZOLA VINAIGRETTE

1 lb. green and whiteasparagus, trimmed andcut into 2-inch pieces

1 c. fresh peas 2 ¼ tsp. salt, divided 2 T minced red onion 2 T white balsamic vinegar 2 T extra-virgin olive oil ½ tsp. grated lemon rind ¼ tsp. freshly ground black

pepper ½ c. (2 oz.) crumbled Gor-

gonzola cheese, divided 5 oz. mixed salad greens

Cook asparagus, peas and 2tsp. salt in boiling water for twominutes or until crisp-tender.Drain and rinse under coldwater.

Combine remaining ¼ tsp.salt and the next five ingredientsin a small bowl, stirring with awhisk. Stir in ¼ c. cheese. Com-bine asparagus, peas and greensin a large bowl. Drizzle withdressing; toss gently to coat.Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cupcheese.

Recipe adapted by PCFMA stafffrom myrecipes.com.

Asparagus, mixed greensbring spring to life

Beetle attacks drought-stressed trees

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ACCIDENTS:None.

ARRESTS:MMaarr.. 2200,, Nottingham Pl.Corporal Injury toSpouse/Cohab./Etc.; ExhibitDeadly Weapon Other ThanFirearm. 20-year-old Clay-ton female.MMaarr.. 2255,, Marsh Creek Rd./Diablo Pkwy. DUI: Alcohol;DUI Over .08%. 59- year-old Clayton male.MMaarr.. 2288,, 5400 Clayton Rd.Possession of Drug Para-phernalia; Under the Influ-ence of a Controlled Sub-stance; Possession of aControlled Substance; Pro-bation Violation. 57-year-old Concord male.

BURGLARIES/THEFTS:

MMaarr.. 2233,, El Pueblo Pl. MMaarr.. 2277,, Forest Hill Dr.

Burglary – Residential.

MMaarr.. 3300,, Feather Cr.Grand Theft – Vehicle.

MMaarr.. 3311,, London Ct. PettyTheft – Vehicle.

MMaarr.. 3311,, Rialto Dr. PettyTheft – Vehicle.

VANDALISMS:

AApprr.. 22,, Clayton Rd./MarshCreek Rd.

The road to estate planninghell is indeed often paved withthe best of intentions. Whileassisting clients in the probateprocess or with a trust admin-istration I often encountersmall missteps that result in alarge headache for the surviv-ing family. This month I amgoing to discuss some of themost common estate planningmistakes that I run across inmy practice and how to avoidthem so that you can havepeace of mind.

1. Assets left outside of a trustEven if you have a revocable

living trust if an asset is not inthe trust it must go through pro-bate if it is worth more than$150,000. Often this happenswhen people create a trustonline or through a low costcompany and are not sufficient-ly reminded that assets must betitled in the name of the trust toavoid probate. It is not a badidea to check in with your estateplanning attorney every fewyears as they will always ask if allof your assets are in the name ofthe trust.

2. Beneficiary designationsthat conflict with a TrustA beneficiary listed on an

account trumps any dispositionunder a trust or a will. If there isa valid beneficiary on an accountthat account transfers to the ben-eficiary regardless of what a trustsays.

3. Married couple holdingtitle to real estate as joint-tenantsContrary to popular belief

(and what most title companiestell people), a married couple inCalifornia should never hold titleto real estate as joint tenants. Yetroughly 60 percent of my newclients hold their property thisway. If real estate is held as com-munity property or in a trust the

tax basis for capital gains purpos-es steps all the way up to the cur-rent value at the death of the firstspouse. This does not occur forjoint-tenants. Holding title asjoint-tenants can result in a seri-ous capital gain tax bill if a surviv-ing spouse ever sells a property.

4. More than $150,000 inassets and no living trustEven with a will if an individ-

ual in California dies with morethan $150,000 in gross assets theirestate still must go through thecourt supervised probate process.While a will is sufficient in manystates, in California most peopleneed a revocable living trust forproper estate planning.

5. 401(k) or IRA beneficiarydesignations are outdatedAs I noted earlier, a benefici-

ary designation supersedes any-thing in either a will or a trust.Often people amend their trustbut neglect to change their bene-ficiary designations. It may beadvisable to name a trust as a sec-ondary beneficiary to a retirementaccount so that any distributionchanges made to the trust willchannel retirement funds accord-ing to that scheme.

By being aware of potentialpitfalls and seeking out the help ofknowledgeable professionals youcan avoid the calamity describedabove and have the peace ofmind that your family will betaken care of should anythinghappen to you. As always consultwith an expert before making anyestate planning decisions anddon't hesitate to call my office ifyou have any questions.

Satya Nadella is quite possiblya scientific genius after discover-ing there is a free lunch. Satya, thenew CEO of Microsoft, has dis-covered the formula for that “freelunch” and it is called Windows10. He has announced that theWindows 10 upgrade will be free,but only for a period of time, sohurry.

Mr. Nadella has been instru-mental in creating a Windowseco-system that will power thenext generating of computingdevices, including tablets, desk-tops, Xbox, and smartphones. Hisvision is to unify all device operat-ing systems under one umbrella.The idea is to unify the way peo-

ple learn operating systems.Instead of one system for yoursmartphone, another for yourtablet and yet another for yourhome computer, you learn Win-dows 10 once and it applies to allyour devices.

The really good news: Win-dows 10 is available now from afew enterprising companies, andwill be available everywhere in afew weeks. The excellent news isit is free.

If you have an existing Win-dows 7, 8, or 8.1 operating systeminstalled on your computer desk-top, tablet or smartphone you willqualify for a free Windows 10upgrade, although labor rates mayapply if you have the upgradedone for you.

The New York Daily Newsreported, “Microsoft’s operatingsystem chief Terry Myerson toldReuters that anyone using theWindows 7 or later will be able toupgrade to Windows 10 for free.‘We are upgrading all qualifiedPCs, genuine and non-genuine, toWindows 10,’ Myerson said.”

Even more good news, even ifyou have an unlicensed version ofWindows now and want to getthe free upgrade, you can. “The

upgrade is an attempt byMicrosoft to get legitimate ver-sion of Windows 10 ontomachines of the millions of Win-dows users…” says the DailyNews.

In even better news, localcomputer manufacturers startedpre-installing Windows 10 in allnew computers beginning April 1,with very few restrictions. No, itwasn’t an April Fool’s prank.

All your Windows 8.x appspurchased from the MicrosoftMarketplace will automaticallyload into Windows 10. Very near-

ly all of your legacy apps willinstall on Windows 10. I havefound they actually work better inthis new environment.

Microsoft is serious aboutmaking computer users happierand safer with zillions ofupgrades, new software and sys-tems all designed to make com-puting better. Oh, did I tell you,this is way better than Windows8.1 and as easy to use as WindowsXP or Windows 7? If you are stillusing Windows XP you need tosee your computer professionalfor your upgrade — that one isnot a do-it-yourself endeavor.

I have been testing Windows10 for months now under thetechnical preview and see it asthe best operating system everand give it my full endorsement.

Oh, the catch? Well, you haveonly one year to get upgradedfor free before the price goes up.So get off your duff and join thefun.

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April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 15

WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

William Claney is an independenttech writer and former owner ofComputers USA in the ClaytonStation. Email questions or commentsto will@claytonpioneer.com.

New Windows OS is a perfect 10

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Top five estate planning mistakes

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IN CLAYTONAApprr.. 1155 –– 1199,, 2222 –– 2255““AArrsseenniicc aanndd OOlldd LLaaccee””Classic comedy about two lovable ladies who poison lonely oldmen and bury them in their basement. Apr. 15 preview is afundraiser for Relay For Life. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St.,Clayton. $16-$22. brownpapertickets.com. claytontheatrecompa-ny.org. 222-9106.

AApprr.. 2244 –– 2255““DDeeaatthh aanndd DDiissllooyyaallttyy””Murder mystery with local celebrity cast members. Revolvesaround the California 100 who fought during the Civil War. 7 – 9p.m. Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. $15. Tickets availableat library. For more information, contact Arlene atakiksen@aol.com or 673-9777.

AApprr.. 2255CCllaayyttoonn CClleeaannss UUppHonor Earth Day with a town spring cleaning. Help pick up trash,pull weeds and share in community spirit. Rain or shine. T-shirt,gloves and garbage bags provided; barbecue after. 9 a.m. – 12p.m. Clayton City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail. Register at ci.clay-ton.ca.us. Call Clayton Pioneer with questions at 672-0500.

AApprr.. 2255 -- 2266CCllaayyttoonn GGaarrddeennss TToouurrFive beautiful gardens on self-guided tour in Clayton and Concord.Benefits Clayton Historical Society. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Rain or shine.Starts at Clayton Museum, 6101 Main St. $30. Tickets at R & M orcontact museum@claytonhistory.org. 672-0240.

MMaayy 22 -- 33AArrtt aanndd WWiinnee FFeessttiivvaallArts, crafts, food, music, wine. Sat. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sun. 10a.m. – 5 p.m. Main Street, Clayton. claytoncbca.org. 672-2272.

SSaattuurrddaayyss MMaayy 99 –– SSeepp.. 1199FFaarrmmeerrss’’ MMaarrkkeett8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Diablo Street between Main and Center streets,downtown Clayton. pcfma.com/clayton.

MMaayy 99PPllaanntt SSaalleeAnnual plant sale by Clayton Valley Garden Club. 8 a.m. – 2p.m. Endeavor Hall parking lot, 6008 Center St., Clayton. clay-tonvalleygardenclub.org.

MMaayy 99SSaattuurrddaayy CCoonncceerrttss iinn tthhee GGrroovvee6 – 8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. For a com-plete concert series list, see Page 3.

IN CONCORD

PPaavviilliioonn CCoonncceerrtt SScchheedduulleeThe Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road,Concord. theconcordpavilion.com. Shows start at 7 p.m. unlessotherwise noted.

MMaayy 2244,, KBLX Stone SoulMMaayy 2288,, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga JJuunnee 1144,, Spirit West Coast Festival JJuullyy 77,, Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn MansonJJuullyy 99,, Van Halen and Kenny Wayne ShepherdJJuullyy 1155,, Chicago and Earth, Wind and FireJJuullyy 2211,, 5 Seconds of Summer AAuugg.. 44,, The Boys of Zummer AAuugg.. 77,, Idina Menzel AAuugg.. 1144,, The Pink Print TourAAuugg.. 2266,, Slipknot

AApprr.. 1111 –– 1122QQuuiilltt SShhoowwQuilts, demos, vendors, boutique, youth activities, opportunityquilt. Sponsored by the Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County.Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Centre Concord,5298 Clayton Road, Concord. $10; good for both days.gqccc.org.

AApprr.. 1133SSttrrookkee SSuuppppoorrtt GGrroouuppSpeaker: Rosanna Radding, stroke survivor, entrepreneur andinventor of the Can Do Cutting Board. 7 – 8:30 p.m. BallAuditorium, John Muir Medical Center, 1601 Ygnacio ValleyRoad, Walnut Creek. Free. Contact Ann Dzuna 376-6218

AApprr.. 2233MMuussiicc aanndd MMaarrkkeettThursday night farmers’ market returns. Thursday night live musicreturns May 21. Market 4 – 8 p.m.; music 6:30 – 8 p.m. TodosSantos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.

AApprr.. 2255AAuuttiissmm AAwwaarreenneessss WWaallkkTwo mile walk, rain or shine. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Loma Vista AdultCenter, 1266 San Carlos Ave., Concord. $25. Register by Apr.15. c4al.org.

ON THE MOUNTAINMount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are freewith the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and clickon Events Calendar for more information.

AApprr.. 1199MMaattttssoonn WWaallkk oorr RRiiddeeGuided walk or trail ride from the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail RideAssociation grounds to the Waterfall Trail of Mount Diablo. MDIAguides call out points of interest. Barbecue after. Proceeds benefitboth organizations. 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. 1600 Trail Ride Road,Clayton. $15-$30. cmdtra.org.

AApprr.. 1199WWiillddfflloowweerr HHiikkeeHike around Upper Summit and Mary Bowerman trails lookingfor wildflowers. 10 a.m. Meet at Lower Summit Picnic Area.Reservations required.

AApprr.. 1199WWiillddfflloowweerr HHiikkeeHike North Peak Trail through burned area looking for wildflow-ers. 1 – 4:30 p.m. Meet at Lower Summit Picnic Area.Reservations required.

AApprr.. 2266PPiinnee CCaannyyoonn HHiikkeeHike in and out of Pine Canyon and see Little Yosemite, CastleRock and Wall Point. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Meet at Macedo RanchTrailhead.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENTSSttaarrttiinngg iinn AApprriill HHaamm RRaaddiioo CCoouurrsseessAuxiliary training courses and General Class course. Held bySalvation Army and Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club at TheSalvation Army, 3950 Clayton Road, Concord. Go to mdarc.orgfor full schedule, fee and sign up information.

AApprr.. 1122““MMaaddss MMeenn””Mads Tolling, violinist, performs instrumental hits from the 1960s“Mad Men” era. 3 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St.,Antioch. $10-$25. elcampaniltheatre.com.

AApprr.. 1177 –– MMaayy 33““FFoorrbbiiddddeenn BBrrooaaddwwaayy””Hit musical revue performed by OMG, I Love that Show!Productions. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. $30-$39. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 1199““LLeeaaddiinngg LLaaddiieess””Comedy presented by The Vagabond Players. 2 p.m. El CampanilTheatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $10-$15. elcampanilthe-atre.com.

AApprr.. 2233 –– 2266““BBaarreeffoooott iinn tthhee PPaarrkk””Neil Simon’s romantic comedy. California Theatre, 351 RailroadAve., Pittsburg. $10-$25. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

AApprr.. 2244““AAnn EEvveenniinngg ooff PPiinnkk FFllooyydd””Starring House of Floyd and presented by West Coast PerformingArts Presenters. 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $40-$45. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 2255““CCoommee TTooggeetthheerr:: TThhee BBeeaattlleess CCoonncceerrtt EExxppeerriieennccee””Presented by West Coast Performing Arts Presenters. 8 p.m.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $40-$45. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 2266““OOll’’ BBlluuee EEyyeess iiss BBaacckk””A salute to Sinatra presented by West Coast Performing ArtsPresenters. 3 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $40-$45. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 11,, 33““RRoobbiinn HHoooodd””Performed by El Campanil’s Children’s Theatre. El CampanilTheatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $8-$12.elcampaniltheatre.com.

MMaayy 22CChhaammbbeerr MMuussiicc SSFFNikolay Khozyainov, pianist, performs. 2:30 p.m. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $47-$51. lesherarts-center.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 22““TThhee GGrraanndd DDuukkee””Topsy turvy musical farce presented by Lamplighters MusicTheatre. 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. $25-$49. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 22““UUkkuulleellee UUpprriissiinngg””Performed by The Delta Strummers. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre,602 W. Second St., Antioch. $15. elcampaniltheatre.com.

MMaayy 33CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa SSyymmpphhoonnyyGolka and Grieg perform. 4 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $70. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 77MMaarriiaacchhii SSooll DDee MMeexxiiccooExpression of Mexico’s authentic musical heritage. 7 p.m.California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $39. pitts-burgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

MMaayy 77 –– 1100““TThhee CCrriimmssoonn PPiirraattee””A treasure of an adventure story performed by Fantasy ForumActors Ensemble. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $14. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 88 –– 99““CCeelleebbrraatteedd MMaasstteerrss””Performed by Diablo Ballet. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice ValleyBlvd., Walnut Creek. $22-$44. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 88 –– 99““SSpprriinngg RReepp 22001155””Performed by Contra Costa Ballet. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$35. lesherartscen-ter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 99““TThhee MMoottoowwnn EErraa””Sargent Tucker’s salute to Motown. 8 p.m. California Theatre,351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $17 in advance; $20 at the door.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

MMaayy 99 -- 1100““SSoommee AAsssseemmbbllyy RReeqquuiirreedd””Performed by Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. May 9, 2 p.m.El Campanil Theatre. May 10, 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts.

MMaayy 1100Make Memories with MomStart a new Mother’s Day tradition at the Ruth Bancroft Garden.10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek. $8-$10;free for Moms. ruthbancroftgarden.org. 944-9352.

MMaayy 1144 –– 1177““GGrreeaatteerr TTuunnaa””Hilarious two-man show. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave.,Pittsburg. $10-$25. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

MMaayy 1155 -- 1166““GGeett HHaappppyy””Concert by Diablo Women’s Chorale. Mount Diablo UnitarianUniversalist Church 55, Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek. $10-$20.diablowomenschorale.org.

SCHOOLSApr. 17 – 18, 24 – 25“25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”Performed by Ygnacio Valley High School Performing Arts. 755Oak Grove Road, Concord. $5-$12. 685-8414.

AApprr.. 2233AArrttss EExxppooShowcasing artwork from students at CVCHS, Pine Hollow, DiabloView. 6 – 9 p.m. CVCHS Multi-Use Room, 1101 Alberta way,Concord.

AApprr.. 2244 –– MMaayy 1100““OOeeddiippuuss EEll RRaayy””The timeless Greek tragedy meets the vicious reality of today’sL.A. barrios. Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road,Pleasant Hill. $16-$21. dvcdrama.net.

MMaayy 1166AAtthhlleettiicc HHaallll ooff FFaammee DDiinnnneerrFor Clayton Valley Charter High. 5 p.m. Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road, Concord. $50. claytonvalley.org.

FUNDRAISERSAApprr.. 1188CCaarrdd MMaakkiinnggFundraiser for Clayton Relay For Life. 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. St.John’s, Parish Hall, 5555 Clayton Road, Clayton. $25. See web-site for details and registration information: relayforlife.org/clay-tonca.

AApprr.. 1188CCoommmmuunniittyy HHeerroo EEvveennttCounseling Options and Parent Education holds its second annu-al fundraiser and honors Kris Gery, foster parent. 5:30 – 8 p.m.Contra Costa Country Club, 801 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill.$50. cathy.botello@copefamilysupport.org or 689-5811.

AApprr.. 2244BBaakkee SSaalleeFundraiser for Clayton Relay For Life. 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Starbucks,Clayton Station. relayforlife.org/claytonca.

AApprr.. 2255PPookkeerr TToouurrnnaammeennttFundraiser by Soroptimist of Diablo Vista. 6:30 p.m. ConcordMoose Family Center Lodge #567, 1805 Broadway St., Concord.$60. Call Sue Manning 672-2727.

MMaayy 22RRuunn//WWaallkkOne mile, 5K and 10K event to raise funds for Kops for Kids.Volunteers needed also. Medals, food, drink, music. 8 a.m.Willows Shopping Center, Iron Horse Trail, 1975 Diamond Blvd.,Concord. $25-$35. contracostakopsforkids.org.

MMaayy 22 -- 33PPllaanntt SSaalleeBenefits Markham Regional Arboretum Society. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.1202 La Vista Ave., Concord. 681-2968.

MMaayy 99AArrtt aanndd WWiinnee WWaallkkFine wine, beer, appetizers and art. Concord Branch AmericanAssociation of University Women donates all proceeds to educa-tional scholarships for local girls and women. 1 – 4 p.m. TodosSantos Plaza, downtown Concord. $20. concord-ca.aauw.net.

MMaayy 99FFeessttiivvaall ooff TTaabblleess aanndd FFaasshhiioonnProceeds from the luncheon and fashion show go to charities andscholarships selected by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. 11a.m. Concord United Methodist Church, 1645 West St., Concord.$40. Call Rosemary Harwood at 672-3490.

MMaayy 99 MMuussiicc--AA--TThhoonnMusical celebration marching 3.5 miles through Clayton. BenefitsCVCHS Music Program. 9 a.m. Clayton Farmers’ Market, DiabloStreet, Clayton. claytonbands.org.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are freeunless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonli-brary.org or call 673-0659.

AApprr.. 1111:: Memoir and Biography Through Poetry and Prose,10:30 a.m. AApprr.. 1133:: Clayton Knits, 1:30 – 4 p.m.AApprr.. 1177 –– 1199:: Used Book Sale, Fri. 4 – 7 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. – 6p.m. Sun. 12 – 4 p.m. AApprr.. 2222:: Urban Farming, 7 p.m. AApprr.. 2299:: Family Farming, 6:30 p.m. MMaayy 22:: Permaculture with Bumblebee Farms, 10:30 a.m. MMaayy 44:: Celebrate Children’s Book Week, 4 p.m.

The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unlessnoted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or 646-5455.

AApprr.. 2255:: Rosie the Riveters, 1 p.m. AApprr.. 3300:: ID Theft, 6 p.m. English; 7:30 p.m. Spanish.Registration required.

GOVERNMENT11sstt aanndd 33rrdd TTuueessddaayyssCCllaayyttoonn CCiittyy CCoouunncciill7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

22nndd aanndd 44tthh TTuueessddaayyssCCllaayyttoonn PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiissssiioonn7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. MAY 6 FOR THE MAY 15 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

Did you know that previouslyunknown manuscripts fromTheodor Geisel have been dis-covered and we will soon be find-ing posthumously publishedbooks in stores and online?

While that fact seems out ofplace in a food column, the truthis that around this time of year Ioften find myself reciting various“Sam I Am” phrases from Dr.Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham.”

Spring is a traditional time forbaked ham and deviled eggs,although not necessarily on the

same plate at the same time, andI’ve long been intrigued aboutwhether it’s possible to have greeneggs without food dye and hamthat doesn’t taste like a candystore (sorry all you honey-crustedham fans out there).

It turns out you can easilymake green eggs. How about agreen fried egg? Simply coverone-half cup of chopped red cab-bage with boiling water and let itsit for 10 minutes until the wateris deep purple. Strain the liquidand let it come to room tempera-

ture. Separate an egg, reservingthe yolk in a separate bowl. Mix alittle cabbage juice (1 to 2 tsp.) inwith the egg white, then heat askillet to cook the egg. Add a littlebutter or oil to the skillet, thenpour in the egg white (which isnow green) and then pour the eggyolk in the middle of the white.Voila! A fried green egg.

(Explanation: the pigmentsin the red cabbage change colorwhen they came into contactwith the alkaline (pH) eggwhites which result in a bluish-green tint.)

You can also make greendeviled eggs with hard-cookedeggs. Add spinach purée to theegg yolks (one-half cup defrost-ed and drained frozen spinachto nine egg yolks) along withsome mayonnaise, olive oil andsalt and pepper, then stuff the

mixture back into the eggwhites. A little crumbled baconon top of the eggs is a very nicetouch.

Sugar-crusted ham in mykitchen is a no-no. For starters, Ilike to use leftover ham in splitpea soup and in scrambled eggsand I find the extreme sweet-ness brings an off-note to anotherwise savory dish. I canhandle a little sweetness thatdoesn’t penetrate into the meat,like these two glazes.

HAM GLAZE BASIC RECIPE:One shank half ham (you’ll

get more meat than from a butthalf), roasted for 1 ½ hours at325°F. Glaze is basted on the hamthree times during the next 1 to 1½ hours until the meat registersan internal temperature of 140degrees.

BOURBON GLAZE:1 tsp. maple extract 1 tsp dry mustard1 tsp. white vinegar3 Tbsp. bourbon¼ cup light brown sugarWater as needed to make

a brushable mixture

COFFEE GLAZE

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar¼ cup maple syrup1 Tbsp. instant coffee1 Tbsp. Worcestershire

sauce1 Tbsp. dry mustardWater as needed to make

a brushable mixture.

HARD COOKED EGGS: Hardcooked eggs peel much easier if

they are left to “age” a bit beforecooking. Buy then a week (orbetter, two) before boiling.Store them on their sides beforecooking to result in centeredyolks.

In my first article, I discussedthe illusion of balance. I hope Iwas able to help you figure outyour body shape. Now it is timeto move on to proportion.

Think of your shape (invert-ed, triangle, rectangle, hourglass,or oval) as your horizontal bodyshape. Did you know you alsohave a vertical body shape as well?This is the proportion of your tophalf compared to your bottomhalf.

Basically, there are threeVertical Body Shapes to consider:Balanced, short torso/long legsand long torso/short legs. Awoman with a short torso/longlegs can look taller than she reallyis and the woman with the longtorso/short legs can look shorter.The balanced woman simplyneeds to make sure she does notallow her proportions to get “outof whack” when getting dressed.

How to determine your pro-portion: (See illustration)

Find your natural waist,which is the narrowest point(where you bend).

Wearing a bra that helps get“the girls” up where they need tobe, see if you can fit two handsunder your bust to your waist.More than two hands width? Youhave a long torso/short legs. Lessthan two hands width? You have

a short torso/long legs. Right atthe natural waist? You are bal-anced. If you have a long torso,you will have short legs. If youhave a short torso, you will havelong legs.

How does knowing propor-tion help us when we are tryingto create the illusion of a morebalanced body? Understandingproportion will help answer theage-old questions: To tuck ornot to tuck? Or, where shouldmy jacket/top end?

Women with the longtorso/short legs will appear to bemore balanced and in proportionby simply tucking in her top.When we leave the top out or donot hem it at the appropriatepoint, her legs all but disappear.But tuck in or hem that top, and itis MAGIC.

What about women with ashort torso/long legs? Tucking ina top will make her lower bodyappear out of proportion. Shewill look like she is wearing

“Mom jeans.” Leaving her top outelongates her torso and brings hermore into proportion.

Another tip to help with pro-portion is wearing shoes with slimhigh heels that visually lengthenlegs. Chunky heels and round toescan make you look just that,round and chunky.

Next time we will finish thisthree part series with “Scale: Thesize of prints.”

April 10, 2015 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 17

SUSAN SAPPINGTON

CLOTHES-UP

Clayton resident, SusanSappington is a wardrobe consultan-tant and the area development man-ager for EtCetera Styles. Send com-ments to susan@etcstyles.com

Proportion plays pivotal role in fashion

This illustration can help you determine how your body proportions stack up.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Linda Wyner owns Pans on Fire, agourmet cookware store and cookingschool in Pleasanton. Send suggestions orquestions to lwyner@pansonfire.com

6096 Main Street, Clayton, 673-0440

Apr. 10, 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Crossman Country

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2 for the price of 1Beer only. Good anytime withoriginal coupon. Exp. 5/14/15

Karaoke Mon. & Wed. nights Open Mic Thur. nights, 8-11 pm

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Short Torso

Long Legs

Long TorsoS

hort Legs

Balanced

Local theater companies gearup for an entertaining spring withtwo very funny comedies.Clayton Theatre Companybegins the action with “Arsenicand Old Lace,” running April 15through April 25 at EndeavorHall in Clayton. The popularcomedy revolves around theBrewster family: two elderly sis-ters (Teresa Grosserode andDeborah Huaco) who believe it istheir Christian duty to alleviatethe suffering of lonely old men bymurdering them with their home-made elderberry wine spiked withpoison; their brother who thinkshe’s President Teddy Roosevelt(Ron Craven); a criminal brotherwanted for murder (Sean Aten);and a young nephew (BenBotello) engaged literally to thegirl next door (Jarusha Ariel - Seeprofile on this page).

The preview performance onApril 15 is a fundraiser that bene-fits Relay for Life of Clayton with50 percent of the ticket pricegoing to fight cancer. “It’s aninspiring event that fundsresearch and patient care for alltypes of cancer,” says Relay forLife’s Pat Middendorf.

For tickets to “Arsenic and OldLace,” call 925-222-9106 or go towww.claytontheatrecompany.org.

One of my favorite showsopens next at Pittsburg’sCalifornia Theatre. From April23-26, Neil Simon’s crazy comedy“Barefoot in the Park” will enter-

tain local audiences with Simon’ssnappy dialogue and outrageouslyfunny yet romantic story.

Betty Gregg directs thisdelightful show about newlywedsPaul and Corie Bratter (SamLogan and Courtney Shaffer).The conservative lawyer and hisfree-spirited wife set up house in a

fifth-floor walkup apartment inGreenwich Village. It’s the 1960sand even a leaky skylight, lack ofheat and an eccentric neighbor(Kevin Burns) can’t dim Corie’senthusiasm. Things get totally outof hand, however, when Coriesets up her very proper mother(Roberta Tibbetts) with her wackyneighbor. Adding even morecomedy is the telephone repair-man (Jeff Strawther). It’s a wildtrip guaranteed to have you laugh-ing in the aisles.

Shows are April 23 (7 p.m.),April 24-25 (8 p.m.), and April 26(2 p.m.) at the beautifully remod-eled California Theatre, 351Railroad Avenue, in Pittsburg.

Tickets are $10-25 and can be pur-chased by calling 925-427-1611 or atwww.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com.

If you’re looking for fun fam-ily entertainment, you can’t gowrong with CrosslightsTheatre’s upcoming productionof “Seussical.” The imaginative,energetic musical, featuring thebeloved characters of Dr. Seuss,runs April 10 through 19 at theDel Valle Theatre, 1630 TiceValley Blvd., in Walnut Creek.The April 19 performance, whichtakes place at 2 p.m., will includeinterpreters for hearing-impairedpatrons.

More than 30 local perform-ers, including several fromConcord, will be singing anddancing up a storm as they por-tray such characters as Horton theElephant (Dane Lentz) MaysieLaBird (Catherine Williamson)and Gertrude McFuzz (AmandaSalmon). The show also featurespuppets, which become the manyalter egos of the Cat in the Hat(Zachary Taylor). Award-winningdirectors Kate Leland and RonPicket (vocal direction) are at thehelm of this whimsy enterprise.

In the Lesher’s intimateKnight Stage 3, OMG I LoveThat Show presents “ForbiddenBroadway.” Subtitled “The Roastof Broadway,” it runs April 17-

May 3 and pays tribute to a longlist of Broadway stars, songs andmusicals.

For tickets to either show at theLesher Center, call 925-943-SHOWor you can visit www.lesherartscenter.org.

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 10, 2015

Clayton can now boast of itsown royalty with the return of“princess” Jarusha Ariel. Whilenot exactly of royal blood, Arielcertainly knows how to act like aprincess after spending over twoyears playing the various Disneyprincesses at the Tokyo DisneyResort Parks.

The young actress began herstay in Tokyo in March 2011,just one week before the devas-tating earthquake/tsunami.“The cast was sent home foralmost a month while the resortwas repaired and reopened,”Ariel explains. Following a 13-month stint, Ariel came back tothe United States briefly beforebeginning a second 14-monthcontract. She returned in April2014.

While in Japan, Ariel per-formed at the country’s twotheme parks: Disneyland, mod-eled closely after the originalpark in Southern California; andDisneySea, which recreatesfamous ports around the world,including fictional places like theMermaid Lagoon.

“Performing at TokyoDisney Resorts was such a joy.Each day was so uplifting know-ing we were responsible for put-ting smiles on everyone’s faces,”says Ariel. “As a foreigner, youdefinitely stand out in Japan,and, at Disney, you are almosttreated like a celebrity. That tooksome getting used to.”

Ariel refers to her time inJapan as “magical” and says shefell in love with the country, thepeople and the food. “Japan hassuch an amazing vibe,” she adds.

Before traveling to Tokyo,Ariel graduated with a BFAfrom Marymount ManhattanCollege and lived for 10 years inNew York City. “I spent a lot oftime auditioning and working atrestaurants, but that’s the life ofan actor,” she says. Ariel is grate-ful for her education and feels itgave her the tools to be a suc-cessful working actor. “AtDisney, I carried five charactersand had a different role every

day. Sometimes I would playmultiple characters in one workday. But as long as you do thework on each individual charac-ter, it was fun to switch betweenthem. The variety and changereally kept things interesting.”

Ariel is now back at homewith her parents in Clayton andlooking forward to her role asElaine in Clayton TheatreCompany’s production of“Arsenic and Old Lace,” whichruns April 15 - 25 at EndeavorHall. “I live right across thestreet from Endeavor Hall so it’sreally easy getting to rehearsal.Clayton is such a cute little townbut a bit of an adjustment afterliving in New York and Tokyo."

As to continuing on as a pro-fessional actor, Ariel has decid-ed to switch gears and go intoeducation. “I’ll never stop actingbecause it is something Iabsolutely love to do. But I’d liketo do it more for fun and fulfill-ment rather than deal with allthe stress of trying to make aliving at it,” she says.

As for making a living, Arielcurrently works at Kid TimePreschool in Walnut Creek andis taking classes at Diablo ValleyCollege to obtain her EarlyChildhood Education teachingcertificate. “I’ve always lovedkids and knew I’d be workingwith them in some capacity,” shesays. “The preschool is a nicebridge for me and allows me tobe creative and to sing anddance and do storytelling.”

To see Ariel in “Arsenic and OldLace,” call 925-222-9106 or go towww.claytontheatrecompany.org.

SALLY HOGARTY

Clayton Pioneer

JARUSHA ARIEL

Performing Arts

SALLY HOGARTY

STAGE STRUCK

Whimsical spring plays liven local stages

Sally Hogarty is well knownaround the Bay Area as a newspa-per columnist, theatre critic andworking actress. She is also the edi-tor of the Orinda News. Send com-ments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com

Photo - Molly Kate Taylor

BIRD GIRLS Sarah Martin fromPleasant Hill, Shelly McDowellfrom Concord, ChelseaBardellini from Oakland, andAmanda Neiman from Concordin ‘Seussical’ playing at the DelValle April 10-19.

SAM LOGAN AND COURTNEY SHAFFER play newlyweds in ‘Bare-foot in the Park,’ April 23- 26, California Theatre in Pittsburg.

Internationally renownedviolinist Mads Tolling makes hisEl Campanil Theatre debut onSunday, April 12, with his pro-gram entitled “Mads Men: ACelebration of Instrumental Hitsfrom the 1960’s Mad Men Era.”

The program includes popularTV and movie themes and Top10 hit recordings ranging from“Mission Impossible,” “The PinkPanther” and “Meet TheFlintstones” to “Georgia On MyMind” and “Classical Gas.”

Antioch’s Nicholas Crossen,a Season 12 “American Idol”contestant, will be the guestvocalist, performing the themefrom “A Summer Place,” “ATime For Us” (from “Romeo

and Juliet”), “It Don’t Mean AThing (If It Ain’t Got ThatSwing)” and “What AWonderful World.”

Mads is originally fromCopenhagen, Denmark, andrecently debuted his ViolinConcerto composition with theOakland East Bay Symphony.He won two Grammy Awardsfor Best Classical Crossoveralbums, was nominated for athird Grammy this year, and is afeatured Yamaha Artist.

The performance begins at 3 p.m.The El Campanil Theatre is locatedat 602 W. Second St. in Antioch.For more information call 925-757-9500.

‘Mads Men’ debuts at El Campanil

Professor Hill brings ‘trouble’ toLesher in beloved ‘Music Man’

Taking a fresh look at anAmerican classic, Contra CostaMusical Theatre presents “TheMusic Man,” through April 19 atWalnut Creek’s Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. Set in thesummer of 1912 in River City,Iowa, Meredith Willson’s warm-hearted tale features NoelAnthony as the flim-flam HaroldHill, whose “think system” trans-forms a town and wins the heartof Marian, the librarian, richlyplayed by Kelly Britt (Maria inCCMT’s 2013 production of“The Sound of Music.”)

Audiences will rememberAnthony for his Shelly-winningperformance last year as JeanValJean in CCMT’s “LesMiserables.”

From Kelly Tighe’s charmingset of gingerbread houses toMarcia Madeira’s gorgeous light-ing to Liz Martin’s lovely pastelcostumes, Contra Costa MusicalTheatre’s “Music Man” captivatesfrom start to finish.

Tickets are available atwww.lesherartscenter.org or you cancall the theatre at 925-943-SHOW

American ConservatoryTheater (A.C.T.) will present“Let There Be Love,” an inti-mate and disarmingly honestplay from Kwame Kwei-Armah,one of England’s most distin-guished contemporary play-wrights.

The play focuses on Alfred,an aging West Indian immigrantliving in London, who has alien-ated all those around him —including his daughter. When anidealistic young Polish caregiver,new to the country, is assignedto look after him, he experi-ences a reckoning with his past.

Backed by sumptuous jazzstandards, stage and screen starCarl Lumbly delivers a tour-de-force performance exploringwhat can happen when we let goof old prejudices and welcomenew possibilities.

April 8–May 3 at A.C.T.’sGeary Theater, 415 Geary St., inSan Francisco. Showtimes: 8 p.m.Tues–Sat and 2 p.m. Wed, Sat, andSun. Tickets (ranging from$20–$105) are available at theA.C.T. Box Office at 415-749-2228 or online at www.act-sf.org.

A.C.T.’s ‘Love’welcomes newpossibilities

Noel Anthony plays con manHarold Hill who takes Marian, the librarian (Kelly Britt), on a captivating musical romp in CCMT’sproduction of “The Music Man,”through April 19.

DANISH VIOLINIST MADS TOLLING will present his “Celebration ofInstrumental Hits from the 1960’s Mad Men Era” this Sunday,April 12, 3 p.m., at the El Campanil Theatre in Antioch.

Photo Cara Bent

CLAYTON THEATRE COMPANY opens their 2015 season with the dark and hysterically funny“Arsenic and Old Lace,” the tale of two crazy old sisters who find a poisonous solution for lonelyold men. The show opens April 17 at Endeavor Hall in Clayton. From left: Ron Craven, BenBotello, Nathalie Archangel, Teresa Grosserode, and Debra Huaco.

Artistic Directors RichardCammack and Emily Borthwickare presenting Contra CostaBallet Company’s Spring Rep2015, May 8 and 9 at theLesher Center for the Arts inWalnut Creek. This presentationof classical and contemporaryballet showcases the range ofContra Costa Ballet’s repertoire.

The performance will featurethe world premiere of “CarriedAway” by Lauren Main de Lucia.Set to the music of Ludovico

Einaudi, “Carried Away” is abreathtaking display of dancersdressed in elegant, flowing cos-tumes, Cammack says.

Also featured is CharlesAnderson’s “Mes Enfants.”Translated from the French “MyChildren,” Mes Enfants waschoreographed by Anderson in1987 for Contra Costa Ballet’sfirst Spring Rep. Now a reper-toire favorite, this spirited balletwas created for the youngerdancers of the Contra Costa

Ballet Centre.Anderson also choreo-

graphed “What’s Behind Door#3,” originally performed byCompany C ContemporaryBallet. This offers an abstract,witty exploration of everydayencounters with life’s manydoors. This athletic, contempo-rary ballet is set to the freneticmusic of Phillip Bimstein,interspersed with the eerie res-onance of squeaky doors,Cammack says.

Also being performed is“Paquita,” staged by Borthwickafter Marius Petipa and set to ascore by Ludwig Minkus.Originally performed as a full-length ballet, Petipa’s “Paquita”was later revived as a shorterversion which has become acornerstone of traditional balletrepertoire. This exciting ballet,performed with a Spanishbravura, highlights the technicalvirtuosity of the Contra CostaBallet Company, Cammack says.

Each performance begins at 7:30p.m. For tickets you can visitwww.leshercenter.org,, call 925-942-SHOW (7469) or stop by the centerlocated at 1601 Civic Drive inWalnut Creek.

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Diablo Ballet’s 21st seasoncontinues with CelebratedMasters May 8-9 at the Del ValleTheatre in Walnut Creek.

The performance, whichplaces the audience in closeproximity of the stage, featureslive music and an interactiveQ&A with the dancers hostedby local celebrity moderators. Areception of dessert delicaciesand Peet’s Coffee offers audi-ence members the opportunityto get up close and personalwith the artists.

The series features a widerange of classical and contem-porary works, including theDiablo Ballet premiere of “Just”by renowned choreographerTrey McIntyre. The Oregonpress praised it as “drop-dead

gorgeous.” Another element isthe electrifying duet from“Book of Alleged Dances”by Val Caniparoli, whichBallet West premieredin 1998.

A new spell-binding work, “DoBe: DoubleHappiness,” byRobert Dekkers, isset to an original scoreby Brooklyn-basedcomposer Chris Cerrone– a 2014 Pulitzer Prizefinalist in music. It will beperformed live by a guitaristand percussion duo, theLiving Earth Show. The

romantic wedding pas dedeux from “Coppelia”

rounds out the program.For 21 years, Diablo

Ballet has been the award-winning, professional dance

company for Contra CostaCounty. Presenting acclaimedclassical and contemporaryworks, the company is commit-ted to exposing youth to the artsthrough the renowned PEEK

Youth Outreach Program.

T h et r o u p ebrings arts

education tomore than 5,000

elementary schoolstudents in underserved

Alameda and Contra Costacounties each year.

For more information on DiabloBallet, send e-mail to diablo@dia-bloballet.org or call 925-943-1775.

Celebrated Masters presentsclassical, contemporary works

What: Celebrated Masters by Diablo BalletWhen: 8 p.m. Friday, May 8, and 2 p.m. Saturday,

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ENFANTS, returns, along withother favorites and some newperformances at this years’Spring Rep showcase of clas-sical and contemporary balletMay 8 and 9 at the LesherCenter in Walnut Creek.

Leap into Contra Costa Ballet’s Spring Rep

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