‘Bottle donations’help raise funds tokeep series booming

Clayton has definitely madeits mark on the music-lovingBay Area with the summerConcerts in The Grove series.

Now in its third year, theconcert audiences continue toget bigger and bigger, drawingcrowds from 1,000 to a record3,000 for the Diamond Daveconcert.

Every other Saturday fromMay to September, The Grove iswall-to-wall blankets, lawnchairs and coolers. The musicalmenu covers everything fromthe Beatles to Chicago; ragtimeand swing to country; from aone-man show to a 12-pieceorchestra.

For some, it is all about thesweet, tangy sauce on a succu-

lent baby back rib. Others savora crisp, burnt crust. Some wantfall-off-the-bone texture andothers want to cut their meatyrib like a steak.

The perfect barbecued ribfor every taste bud will bedished up at the ClaytonBusiness and CommunityAssociation’s Second AnnualRib Cook-off on Aug. 20 at theClayton Club Saloon.

Last year’s cook-off drew acrowd of 500. This year’s eventwill be larger with twice thenumber of contestants. TheCBCA responded to feedbackfrom last year by making the daymore family oriented with ham-burgers and hot dogs for sale inaddition to ribs for a “buck abone.” Live music will keep ribrevelers upbeat.

“It’s a great addition to theevents that we do for the com-munity,” said Howard Geller,vice mayor and contest judge.

The event was designed tobe a fundraiser and is a “greatway for neighbors to meet faceto face,” said organizer JimFrazier.

Organizer Rob Robertsonagreed. “We want a local flavor.We want to see Clayton growand the CBCA grow.”

Cooking begins at 8 a.m.Barbecue enthusiasts are wel-come to browse the contestanttents and enter their own nameto be a judge of the People’s

Choice Award.Music will mix and mingle in

the air with the smoky flavor, asfive bands will perform: The L7Band, Jim Diaz and friends fea-

turing CBCA scholarship recipi-ent Greg Fogg, Desert Moon,The Relyks and No Regrets.

The cost of fire protectionfor residents in rural areas,including the MorganTerritory/Marsh Creek corri-dor, will almost certainly go up

next year – maybe a little, maybea lot.

East Contra Costa FireDistrict board members agreedat a packed-house meeting onAug. 1 to consider asking votersto approve a $187 parcel tax tofund eight stations and add

paramedic services. If theydecide on Sept. 12 to go for-ward, the measure will be on theJune 2012 ballot.

The Board also directedChief Hugh Henderson to con-tact Contra Costa Fire (ConFire)to see if a merger between the

two districts is a possibility.Property taxes pay for fire

and emergency services. Withthe declining real estate market,where the east county was par-ticularly hard hit, District rev-enues are dramatically downwhile expenses, including pen-

sion and retirement costs, con-tinue to rise.

ECCFD officials have beengrappling with the flow of redink for two years. A prior plan toform a Benefit AssessmentDistrict was scrapped in Aprilwhen a legal challenge looked

likely.Last year, the District

attempted to save money byclosing the Marsh CreekSunshine Station during thenon-fire season. Strong

You know someone lovesyou when they send you toClown School.

At least that what JoeBenton believed when his wife,Mureleen, sent him to ClownSchool for his birthday back inthe spring of 1991.

It wasn’t that he was a cut-up, he says, just that he lovedamateur theater and performingfor others.

Fire District likely to seek parcel tax

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

Ask the Doc . . . . . . . . . . .13

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . .15

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

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Community Calendar . . . .14

Concert Schedule . . . . . . . .3

Directory of Advertisers . . . .5

DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . .7

Financial Sense . . . . . . . .18

Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . .16

From the Chief . . . . . . . . .16

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . .17

Movie Review . . . . . . . . . .15

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

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

Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Weather Words . . . . . . . . .17

What’s Inside

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton is a small town andmany of us like to romanticize itto include a Norman Rockwellvision of America. This is bol-stered by events like Concerts inthe Grove, The Labor DayDerby, Art & Wine,Oktoberfest, Friday NightMovies, the Garden Tour, youthsports and the like. We are atight knit community, but wehave an issue coming closer thatappears to be dividing our com-munity: The ClaytonCommunity Church project. Inthis regard, we all need to take astep back and remember thatwhatever the outcome, we willstill see each other every dayaround town. This is not goodversus evil, but about two differ-ent visions for the future ofClayton’s downtown.

Foundationally, let’s dispel afew rumors, myths, legends andghost stories. First, the CityCouncil has not made up itsmind on this issue yet. By law,we on the Council are supposedto wait until an issue comesbefore us before we make judg-ments. Emails and rumors areflying back and forth about thiscouncilmember being for theChurch proposal, this coun-cilmember being against theChurch proposal, this council-member sleeping with . . . (oops,wrong column. Strike that). Butwe have not made a decision yet

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MAYOR’S CORNER

See Mayor, page 2

See Fire District, page 8

Church issue shouldnot divide our city

BBQ and bands highlight annual Rib Cook-off

Summer concerts hitting a high note

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

THE SUMMER CONCERTS IN THE GROVE HAVE BEEN ATTRACTING BIG AUDIENCES ALL SEASON. The next concert is Aug. 1 and willfeature 40s-60s hits from big band to ragtime, DoWop and Motown.

Local men knowwhen it’s time tosend in the clowns

See Concerts, page 3

Cook-off, page 13

See Clown, page 4

BBQ-meisters will go for the gusto at this year’s CBCA RibCook-off on Aug. 20 at the Clayton Club on Main Street. 12judges will pick the winners from the 50 entries, but rib-loverscan sample all at $1 a rib and be their own judges.

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

PEGGY SPEAR

Clayton Pioneer

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011 925.672.0500

See inside for EBRPDActivity Guide

MR. WIGGLY

It was a long ride west for Brenda Benkly ofClayton and her mustang mount Bart. The twostarted out in St. Joseph, Mo., and were out 40 days,riding nearly 900 of the 2,000 mile Pony Expresswhich ended in Virginia City. We joined her on thelast day of the trip. Watch the Pioneer for Brenda’scomplete story in the next issue.

Around Town

CCllaayyttoonn MMaarrkkeett UUppddaattee pprroovviiddeedd bbyy GGeeoorrggee VVuujjnnoovviicchh ooff BBeetttteerr HHoommeess RReeaallttyy

26 Widmar Court ......................$585,000 . . . . .1974 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .7/26/11

6013 Golden Eagle Way ..........$430,000 . . . . .1816 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .7/20/11

27 Mount Wilson Way ..............$198,000 . . . . .966 . . . . . . .2/2 . . . . . . . . . .7/1/11

1547 OHara Ct .........................$374,400 . . . . .1739 . . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . . .6/24/11

1272 Shell Cir...........................$335,000 . . . . .1355 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .6/23/11

174 Brandywine Pl ...................$719,000 . . . . .3030 . . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . . .6/23/11

1179 Shell Ln............................$302,000 . . . . .1355 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .6/22/11

3067 Windmill Canyon Dr ........$515,000 . . . . .2315 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .6/21/11

2 Mount Wilson Way ................$260,000 . . . . .1378 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .6/17/11

953 Oak St ...............................$995,000 . . . . .2716 . . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . . .6/17/11

1764 Indian Wells Wy ..............$372,000 . . . . .1749 . . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . . .6/16/11

917 Kenston Dr ........................$425,000 . . . . .1507 . . . . . .3/2 . . . . . . . . .6/15/11

56 Barcelona Way ....................$580,000 . . . . .2032 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .6/15/11

3066 Windmill Canyon Dr ........$500,000 . . . . .2315 . . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .6/13/11

972 Kenston Drive....................$439,000 . . . . .1510 . . . . . .3/3 . . . . . . . . .6/10/11

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Janelle Bragg-Hartman andBenjamin Luke Fry will exchangevows on August 26 at theJefferson Street Mansion inBenicia.

The bride is the daughter ofRenee Bragg and granddaughterof Theresa and 1960 OlympicGold Medalist Don Bragg ofClayton.

Janelle is a graduate of CVHSand holds a BA in Business andHospitality Management. She isvice president of the family busi-ness, Events by 3 Generations,and is a mixologist and event plan-ner at the Clayton Club Saloon.

Luke was born in Canada andmoved to California at age two.He graduated from Deer ValleyHigh School in Antioch and isemployed at Dow Chemical. He isthe son of Joel and Carol Fry ofAntioch.

Since announcing theirengagement on Mother’s Day2010, the couple has been feted atan engagement party attended byover 250 friends and family, bach-elor and bachelorette events in LasVegas and a “Ladies Day” bridalshower.

The couple lives in CrystylRanch in Concord.

Middle School garden gets bigbenefit from Eagle Scout project

Brinley Owen of Boy ScoutTroop #484 returned to his for-mer school, Diablo ViewMiddle School, to complete hisEagle Scout project. Brinleybuilt two cedar benches and aworktable and rebuilt a pathway

for the garden. He spent 200hours on the project from con-ception to completion. Hereceived a hearty thank youfrom the special education stu-dents and the teachers who usethe garden.

BRINLEY OWEN

Janelle Bragg-Hartman and Benjamin Luke Fry to marry

Pioneer travels

What happened in Vegas wasKevin York’s 15th birthday.“What stays in Vegas” was thewhole family – parents Lisa andTodd and sisters Emily andMadison – when they tookKevin to the city where hisfavorite TV show, “Pawn Stars”is filmed as a surprise birthdaycelebration.

and won’t until the issue is before us.Second, does that mean that all of us on

the Council will be there to make the decision?We don’t know yet as questions have beenraised as to legal conflicts of interest and per-sonal biases or conflicts. Each councilmemberwill have to make their own determinationwhether or not to recuse themselves. So if youhave concerns about a councilmember, it isfine to ask us whether or not we are biased dueto affiliations, conflicts, etc., but please do notmake assumptions about any decisions wehave not yet made.

Third, the above goes equally for thePlanning Commission. They are going throughtheir process and review and they will waituntil their investigation is complete beforeissuing a recommendation.

Fourth, this proposal will not go to apublic vote like the prior gas station decisionin the early 2000s. I specifically asked ourCity Attorney if this decision could be sub-ject to a citywide vote and was told by staffthat it is different from the gas station issueand cannot go to a vote. I will be asking fora detailed written analysis to ensure thispoint, but the information to date is that wecannot simply put this to a vote and be donewith it. So, like it or not, your PlanningCommission and Council will have to makethis decision.

As we move forward, let’s remember thatwe are a small town and we will see each otherevery day for the rest of our lives. So voiceyour opinions, but do it in a reasonable andrationale manner and don’t make it personal.Let’s keep our community whole.

On a lighter note, the Clayton ValleyCharter High School will have had its publichearing before the School Board on Aug. 9. Wehave overwhelming community support soexpectations are high that there should be novalid reasons for the district to oppose thispetition. But we continue to need your supportso keep sending your emails of support to meand keep checking Facebook for informationon how you can help.

Ok, tough column but we can do this.

In honor of women and arguments, WillRogers once said, “There are two theories toarguing with a woman...and neither works.”Email me at shuey@rankinlaw.com.

Mayor, from page 1

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

“We’ve only missed one this year,” says RoxanneColeman, who comes with her husband and sister fromBenicia. Turns out, however, that the one they thoughtthey missed was the one that was rained out on June 4.Coleman was happy to know that The Hot Rods, a clas-sic 50s and 60s rock band, was rescheduled for Sept. 17at 5 p.m. “So, we’ll have a 100 percent attendancerecord,” she says. “Do we get a gold star?”

The series, with a budget of $33,000, is sponsoredby the city ofClayton, theCBCA and AlliedWaste and is freeto the public.But, that publichas been votingwith donateddollars, filling“the water bot-tle” with $5s,$10s and $20s.

The tradition began withthe first season when concert

coordinator HowardGeller put a water bottlenear the stage with ahand-scratched sign thatread “donations.”

Encouraged by the$700 collected that season,the next year Geller andCouncil member JuliePierce took the water bottlesout into the crowd.

“We don’t ask

for donations, we just smile and shake the bottle.”Geller jokingly started the “$20-club” this year and

donations soared, averaging more than $1,400 each con-cert. “There’s no membership fee, no dues, just put a$20 bill in the bottle and you are a member,” Gellerlaughs. “I’m a promoter. It works.” Geller expects dona-tions to hit $14,000 for the season, offsetting city’sexpense and assuring the series’ returnnext year.

The next concert is this Saturday,Aug. 13, with Vocal-ease and TheBoogie Men, a retro band coveringeverything from big band and swing toDoo-Wop and Motown. Concertsbegin at 6 p.m. Attendees can beginsetting out blankets and lawn chairsat 4 p.m. See page 4 for the completeseason schedule.

Aug. 13 Vocal-ease and The Boogie MenRetro band covers big band and swing to Doo-Wop and Motown

Aug. 27 A Swingin’ Eveningwith Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the

Rat Pack Orchestra

September 10 - East Bay Mudd10-piece dance band with a Powerful horn section

September 17 - The Hot RodsRock and roll from the 50s and 60sRained out band from June 4Note Special time: 5 pm to 7:30 pm

Local Food To GoSupport your local businesses and restaurants.

Takeout or dine in before or after the concert.

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

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

La Veranda Cafe 6201 Center St., 524-0011

Canesa’s Brooklyn Deli 6054 Main St.,

852-1650

Skipolini’s Pizza 1035 Diablo St., 672-1111

Village Market 6104 Main St., 672-0188

Johnny’s Int’l Deli & Café 6101 Center St., 672-

1203

Cup O’Jo 6054 Main St., 672-5105

Saturdays6 to 8:30 p.m.

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

Sponsored by the city of Clayton, CBCAand Allied Waste Services

Concertsin The Grove

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Concerts, from page 1

Around Town

Enthusiastic concert supporters have contributed more than $8000 thisseason to the water bottles circulated by Councilwoman Julie Pierceand concert coordinator, Howard Geller.

August 12, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 3

“That’s what being a clownis,” Benton says. “You becomea different person, and you per-form to make people happy.”

So he joined a class taughtby the legendary local clownZipp, where his classmates hadnames like “Birdie,” “Kizzy,”“Tags,” “Kimba” and “Mr.Wiggly” – who, it turns out,was none other than Claytonphotographer Wayne Miller.They learned magic and bal-loon tricks, how to dress, andhow to make people happy.

And it made perfect sensethat Clown School’s graduationwas held at Fenton’s, the leg-endary ice cream parlor inOakland.

Benton and Miller are two

of several Clayton residentswho have a secret life as aclown, and although neitherdons their make-up and wackyclothes much anymore, theystill feel like clowns at heart.

Miller even took his hobby astep further, becoming a clown,or “joey,” for the localAAHMES Shriners.

As Mr. Wiggly, Miller wouldperform at the Shriners’Hospital in Palo Alto, a facilitydedicated to helping children ofall income levels fight diseases.

“There is nothing scarierthan knowing you’re sick andhave to go to a hospital,” Millersays. “The joeys were able tolighten things up a bit.”

He says his most memo-

rable experiences as Mr. Wigglywere when he performed at“intake centers,” when childrenmet with hospital doctors tosee if they would be admitted.“That’s when kids – and theirfamilies – needed smiles the

most.”Benton, as “Rainbow,” also

performed for charity func-tions, including at Children’sHospital in Oakland and at sev-eral Make-A-Wish events.

He modeled Rainbow afterhis idol, the late comedian RedSkelton, whose hobo clown wasa famous character decadesago.

He says he enjoyed doingmagic tricks the best. “I like tosee smiles on people’s faces.”

However, Benton concedesthat these days, clowns havebeen given a bad rap, as theyhave become a 21st centurysymbol for fear – a bad omenfor what should be a symbol ofhappiness.

“Yes, I’ve scared some kids,but they got over it.Eventually,” he laughs.

There are three types ofclowns, or joeys, according tothe Shriners. The organizationshould know, as it is knownthroughout the country asclown experts. Each regionuses more than a dozen clownsin its philanthropic work.

There is the “Auguste,” thesmiling, colorful clown we aremost familiar with. Then thereare “Hobo” clowns, such asBenton’s “Rainbow.” Finallythere is the “Whiteface,” whichhas wild wigs and white faces.

An Auguste will be the fun-niest and is the most comedicof all clowns, with wild ges-tures and pranks. Slapstick isone of his main tools for get-ting laughs.

The whiteface clown ispleasant and artistic. He is a bitbossy, commanding otherclowns.

The Hobo, or Tramp, clownis supposedly the low man onthe totem pole, and often has toclean up after the other clowns.

That doesn’t botherRainbow, er, Benton. He ishappy clowning around in anyform.

“I have a motto,” he says.“Enjoy life because it’s not adress rehearsal.”

Spoken like a true per-former.

For more information on theShriners’ Clown unit, visitwww.aahmesclowns.org.

Tempting tempura. Sizzlingskewers. Precision performanc-es. Festive florals. All of theseexperiences and more are sureto entertain and delight festivalgoers at the Japanese AmericanReligious & Cultural Center.

The festival is the annualfundraiser for the organization. Itis a highly anticipated event for

many in and outside of the com-munity. The weekend-long eventhighlights Japanese food, drumperformances, judo and kendodemonstrations and Japaneseflower arrangement demonstra-tions. There is also a children’sgames area, crafts boutique andraffle booth for tickets to variousprizes, including a grand prize tripfor two to Japan.

The JA Club dates back to1926 when first-generation

Japanese families sought a com-munity gathering place inContra Costa County for thegrowing number of Japanesefamilies settling in the area and away to preserve their languageand culture in their children.Today, the JA Club is a bustlingcommunity center made up ofalmost 400 families who partici-pate in a number of affiliatedorganizations.

Jennifer Gee, publicity chair

for the event, describes even thepreparation for the festival as acommunity event: “It pulls peo-ple together.” The festival itselfis not only a “fundraiser; (it is)also a chance to share the cul-ture and food with everyone.”

The festival is from 1 to 9p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13 andnoon to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday,Aug. 14 at the JapaneseAmerican Cultural Center, 3165Treat Blvd., Concord.

Admission and parking are free.A free shuttle is available fromthe parking site at YgnacioValley High School.

For more information, call 925-682-5299, email jasummerfesti-val@yahoo.com or go to www.diablo-jaclub.com/summer-festival.

Todos Santos Plaza was the center of the activity last weekwith live music, food and big crowds as Concord observedNational Night Out. Concord police were on hand to talkabout crime prevention and share safety tips. Officer OllieSanson and his K9 partner Ben demonstrated what happensto the bad guys when Ben is on the case.

In Clayton, 30 residents in the Eagle Peak neighborhoodmet with Clayton police department and representativesfrom State Senator Mark DeSaulnier’s office.

Rev up yourengines. Reno’sHot AugustNights car showhas nothing on the8th AnnualC l a y t o nCommunity LaborDay Derby andCar Show, to beheld Saturday,Sept. 3.

The combinedevent is produced by theClayton Community Churchwith the support of many localmerchant sponsors.

It all begins on Main Streetin downtown Clayton at 9 a.m.with the first Derby race. TheDerby runs until 3 p.m. and isopen to all children from 7-14.Driving experience is not nec-essary and the cars are providedfor all drivers.

Instructions on steering anddriving will be given rightbefore the races. Most of themore than 30 derby cars aresponsored by local merchants.The course is a straight shotdown Main Street.

Each racer will run twice,with the average of the twodetermining their overall time.Trophies will be awarded to thetop racers in each class.

Many volunteers are needed

to run this event. Those inter-ested in participating or helpingare can call Doug LaVenture at510-816-4221 or emaildlav42@yahoo.com.

While the Derby kids areracing down Main street, morethan 300 classic cars will be ondisplay throughout downtownfrom 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at theannual Classic Car Show.

The cars are divided into 13judging classes, ranging fromvintage 1900s to 2012s andfrom type of car -- Custom,Restored, Retros, Foreign,Muscle and Rods, and evenPolice cars and Trucks.

Trophies will be awarded tothe top entries in each class.with a Trophy Parade atapproximately 2 pm.

To enter or volunteer, contactDale Schell, dschell@astound.net orgo to www.claytonderbycarshow.org.

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Clayton Pioneer

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Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

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August 12, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 5

Nature’s efforts to pushYgnacio Valley Road down thehill are over. After a six-yearconstruction project, the roadis finally fixed, and city andcounty officials gathered in theparking lot at Montecito Drivein Concord on July 28 to cele-brate.

Decades of mudslides anderosion took their toll, andheavy winter rains in 2005caused a severe slide that madeparts of the road impassable.For the next six years, narrowlanes, damaged pavement andseemingly endless construc-tion plagued commuters onthis heavily traveled routebetween Walnut Creek andEast County. It was a headacheand hazard for thousands ofdrivers.

But that’s finally in the rear-view mirror, as local officialssung praises about the newstretch of road.

“I think it’s beautiful,” saidClayton council member JuliePierce, who also serves on theContra Costa TransportationAuthority. “It’s lovely not haveto weave through the bumpyroads and curves.”

Even better, the project wasfinished on time, according toConcord Mayor LauraHoffmeister. “It just took sixyears because of the federalprocesses we had to go thoughand the many different stepsand the phases to get to thispoint.”

The funding sources for the

$7.3 million project came fromCalTrans, federal highwayfunds, local sales tax fromMeasure C and J transportationfunds.

The completed project hasalready been a success; it pre-vented any sliding during therecent wet winter and spring.

“It serves whole lot morepeople than just Clayton”Pierce said of the heavily trav-eled roadway. “It serves thosein East County that useYgnacio Valley Road as amajor commute corridor, soit’s a critical roadway in ContraCosta.”

The complex project wascompleted in three phases:

Phase 1 stabilized the hill-side soils, constructed an east-bound auxiliary lane, restoredthe road to pre-slide condi-tions, and constructed a 420-

foot long tie back wall systemwith 55 reinforced concretepiers. They were connected to afive-foot deep concrete cap, allhidden underground.

Phase 2 added 545 feet onboth sides of the retaining wallsystem and stockpiled the extradirt for project work that wasneeded to be done in phasethree.

Phase 3 saw the final fillingand grading, removing erosioncontrol and stabilizing and thearea.

The celebration was attend-ed by local and county leaders,including Concord and Claytonstaff and elected officials, aswell as State Senator MarkDeSaulnier, District 4Supervisor Karen Mitchoff,and representatives fromAssemblywoman SusanBonilla’s office.6401 Center Street Clayton CA 94517

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A profound experience isoften the catalyst for people tointerrupt their daily lives andoffer their time and skills to anonprofit organization. And soit is for Brenda Righter, eventchair for Clayton’s first Relay forLife benefiting the AmericanCancer Society.

Righter knows the devastat-ing fear and grief triggeredwhen a loved one dies from can-cer. And she knows the inde-scribable relief when a familymember survives. Her stepfa-ther passed away from cancerand her mother is a breast can-cer survivor.

Righter participated infundraisers for several yearswith different cancer-relatedorganizations. When she heardabout the first Relay for Life inClayton this year, she jumped atthe chance to enter a team in herown community, never expect-

ing to volunteer as the eventchair. “I feel like it’s the rightthing to do… I love Clayton.I’m so grateful to ACS.”

Righter turned to theAmerican Cancer Society forsupport during her parents’ ill-nesses. “They (ACS members)were fabulous,” Righter says. “Ilike knowing that they arethere.”

The event begins at 10 a.m.on Saturday, Aug. 20 at theClayton Community Park andcontinues non-stop for 24 hourswith live music, contests, educa-tion and time for celebrationand remembrances. Sponsors,volunteers and teams are allneeded for success.

Righter especially encour-ages cancer survivors to attendthe first part of the relay. Sheemphasizes that “survivors area huge part of the event,”walking the Survivor Lap tostart the clock. Everyone iswelcome at this communityevent, she says. “Just come out

and hang out with us.“At some point,” Righter

says, “we won’t have this horri-ble disease.”

For more information, contactBrenda at 212-2048 orb.righter@prodigy.net or go to can-cer.org or relayforlife.org.

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

Putting cancer on the run

RESPONDING TO HER OWN fami-ly’s experiences with cancer,Brenda Righter heads up theAmerican Cancer SocietyRelay for Life on Aug. 20

Mike Dunn

CLAYTON COUNCILWOMAN JULIE PIERCE and District 4 CountySupervisor Karen Mitchoff were among local and state officialscelebrating the completion of the Ygnacio Valley Road repairs.

Local officials celebrate YgnacioRoad’s ‘Extreme Makeover’

MIKE DUNN

Clayton Pioneer

Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

This is the time when summerassignments drag students awayfrom the carefree and sun-drenched days of summer. Assoon as the calendar is flipped tothe month of August, the realityof summer’s fleeting lifespanbecomes painfully clear andunfortunately difficult to ignore. Imanaged to disregard the dwin-dling day count for the first fewdays but soon the nagging truthgot the best of me and I wasforced to return to thoughts ofschool and tests that had beenneatly boxed and pushed aside inmy mind to make room for moresunny concerns.

But this year, as a rising senior,in addition to the typical handfulof summer packets and projects, Ihave the all-important task ofapplying to college.

As of the first of August, reg-istration for the 2011-2012Common Application has beenopen to the masses of future appli-cants, myself among them. Asmost who know me will tell you,I’ve been looking forward to theapplication process for a long time,since middle school in fact, so ofcourse I got started right away.Logging in to my Common Appaccount I was excited and anxiousto get underway. Little did I knowthat I had just opened the academ-

ic equivalent of Pandora’s box.As I added colleges to the list

of those I intended to apply to Iwasn’t worried and thought littleof the growing number. After Iwas satisfied with my selectionsfor the time being I began lookingthrough the components requiredfor each individual university. Itwas then that the magnitude ofthe situation was revealed: Formsupon countless forms, essays,supplements, short answers, longanswers, decisions, verifications,distinctions and charts.

Of course in the back of mymind I knew to expect thesethings but seeing them all togeth-er in front of me for the first timewas overwhelming to say the least.Once I had wrapped my headaround the amount of work there

was to be done, how difficult itwould be to manage schoolworkwhile completing the applicationsto the best of my ability becameabundantly clear.

So I came to the reluctantlylogical conclusion that it would bein my best interest to spend theremainder of our vacation focus-ing on completing as many appli-cations as I possibly can beforeschool starts. While I’m not readyto say goodbye to my last monthof freedom now, I know I’ll behappy in October when I’madding the finishing touches tomy essays instead of tearing myhair out trying to finishing every-

thing and maintain my grades.And while I know it’s proba-

bly the last thing you want to bethinking about or doing when youcould be savoring your last fewweeks of summer, I really wouldsuggest that all seniors whohaven’t yet, bite the bullet andmake your way over to www.com-monapp.org or the UC and CSUwebsites to at least get started ormake a dent in your applicationsbefore re-entering the chaos thatis high school.

Who knows? The extra timeand effort you spend now couldbe the difference that gets youinto your dream school.

Sometimes, people have morepower over how you live your lifethan you do. People judge you onhow you dress, how you talk, evenon what you think. They excludeyou and give you “labels.”

Well, we are not labels. We areunique and special individuals.People who judge you are nothingbut bullies.

Bullies are people who thinkthey can control everything youdo. They can truly hurt your feel-ings, and it can leave non-physicalscars. Bullying is a serious matter,and if we don’t learn the effects ofbullying, the bullying can increase.

Sometimes the most effectivedefense against bullying is show-ing the hurt it causes.

Bullying people hurts hearts.It creates black holes in the mindsof kids.

Bullying can make kids feelterrified, causing a fear inside ofthem that they never can know

when it is coming.Bullying can create a lack of

focus in school, and it could makekids feel not part of the schoolscene.

I’ve had two friends who werebullied. They don’t know eachother and don’t go to the sameschool, but both of them felt thesame things

Bullying has some financialissues, too. It well can cause kidsto stay home from school, to notface the bully. Not only does thestudent lose important lessons, itcosts the school money.

Another problem of bullyingis giving in to a bully never worksbecause no matter what you givethem, you teach them that theyhave more power over you.

Some people say that bullyingcan make you stronger. You bet itcan. How? By learning to standup for yourself and others whoare being bullied. When you standup for yourself and others, a self-confidence builds up inside ofyou and that can help you later onin life. Even if you don’t know thekid, stand up for them. They arejust as a unique person like you.Or get help with an adult. You cantalk to campus supervisors, teach-ers and especially parents.Because bullying hurts everyone.

Summer is drawing to aclose and the start of a newschool year is right around thecorner. Television ads about“back to school” clothes andsupplies bombard the air-waves. To some, this year mayonly be a minor adjustment;but for others it may be anexciting and exhilarating newbeginning.

Heading off to high schoolis especially intimidating, andonce again I find myself at thebottom of the food chain. Highschool will very be different,and being on campus with menand women that drive them-selves to school everyday is astrange. Responsibilities are fargreater and the campus is mas-sive.

However, some of my expe-

riences in high school may bequite different than those ofprevious students. ClaytonValley High School may becomea charter school, making thechange even more profound forincoming freshmen.

The application to become a

As Clayton Valley HighSchool musicians welcome thestart of summer marching bandpractices, they are welcoming theschool’s new band director.

As the familiar face ofMundy Viar – CV’s band directorfor the past eight years – leavesthe high school to pursue a PhDat the California Institute ofIntegral Studies, the new face ofJoseph Scott has moved in fill hisplace.

An East Bay native, Scottmoved up north after graduatingfrom high school to attendUniversity of Oregon. Scott said

that after spending four years inpouring rain, he “just couldn’t

take the gray weather anymore,”so he moved back down to

California. He went on to receivehis teaching credentials at SanFrancisco State University.

Prior to moving back to theEast Bay to teach at ClaytonValley, Scott taught for a year atthe San Francisco School of theArts.

“I’m originally from the EastBay,” Scott said. “I grew up outhere, so I have a lot of connec-tions to the area. It worked outincredibly that the job was avail-able and that I was selected for it.It’s great to be back here.”

As the new director, Scottsaid that all of the same classeswill be offered as they have beenin previous years. With theschool’s award-winning march-ing band already hard at work

practicing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.several days a week, he addedthat he hopes to make this transi-tion as smooth as possible.

“No changes in the immedi-ate future,” he said. “I would liketo see a continued outreach tothe community, working with ourfeeder schools, middle schools,other high schools in the district,and making Clayton Valley MusicDepartment as connected to thecommunity as possible,” saidScott.

This year’s band performanc-es kick off Sept. 17 at the WalnutFestival Twilight Parade inWalnut Creek. This will offer anopportunity for the communityto cheer on the bands and meetScott.

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BY ROBBIE PARKER

Clayton Pioneer

NEW CVHS BAND TEACHER JOSEPH SCOTT meets with band stu-dents preparing for the year’s first performance on Sept. 17.Scott. He replaces Mandy Viar who left to pursue his PhD.

Taylor Tovrea is a senior atClayton Valley High School. She is aregular contributor to the Pioneer.You can Email her at taylor@claytonpioneer.com

College applications ruin a perfectly good summer

TAYLOR TOVREA

TEEN SPEAK

Celine Herrera is a sixth-graderat DVMS. Send comments to.Celine@claytonpioneer.com.

CELINE HERRERA

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See High School, page 8

Charter will impacthigh school experience

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charter school will go before theschool board next week.Teachers Pat Middendorf andNeil McChesney, the coordina-tors of the Clayton ValleyCharter Steering Committee,have been working hard to getthe charter to pass. With morethan 80 percent of the teachersand strong community supportfor the charter, it may happen. Ifso, students at CVHS havemuch to consider.

School uniforms might berequired, the year could length-en and more courses and clubscould be added. Academiescould also expand to areas such

as technology, medicine or culi-nary arts.

As a charter, the schoolwould also become its own enti-ty separate from the MountDiablo Unified School District.This would leave it to staff, stu-dents, teachers and the commu-nity to make important schooldecisions. It would receive fund-ing directly from the state allow-ing more parental involvement,modern technologies and anoverall cleaner, safer campus.With all these changes, CVHScould become one of the tophigh schools in the Bay Area.

As an incoming freshman to

CVHS, the change to charterschool will clearly have animpact on my future. Right nowas it stands, CVHS is a goodschool overall. Its API rankingstatewide is a 7 and it has a rela-tively good college admissionrate. However, when you look atmany of the other high schoolsin surrounding cities, you canclearly see a greater focus onacademic diversity. Due to thefinancial troubles in MDUSD,CVHS just can’t provide theextra courses and college prepa-ration students need.The keyquestion is why do we have tosettle for the less than the bestwhere there is a solution athand?

Clayton Valley has a real

opportunity to be outstandingand innovative. Even though Iam proud I will attend ClaytonValley, I also want a school thatprovides greater challenges andoffers the best possible educa-tion. Working together, theteachers, community and stu-dents could create an atmos-phere that tailors its curriculumand environment to meet theneeds of all of its students. Withthe possibility of a charter in thenear future, CVHS couldbecome more than just average,it could be exceptional.

Robbie is a freshman at CVHSand a regular contributor to thePioneer. Send comments and questionsto Robbie@claytonpioneer.com.

Q. After looking at proper-ty for awhile, pricing is reallyconfusing me. Many proper-ties that are not distressedsales (short sales or foreclo-sures) are priced not just a lit-tle, but much higher thancompeting distressed proper-ties. How do you think theyarrive at these prices wheneveryone sees the samecomps?

A. I get your confusion. Ashort answer would be thatmany “regular” sellers are over-pricing their properties andmany “distressed” sellers areunder-pricing theirs. “Why” isthe question, though. In a recentZillow.com survey, sellers whopurchased their homes post2007 (or post-bubble), overpricetheir homes an average of 14.1percent. This is the highest rateof the various groups. Theyseem to think they escaped theworst of the housing recession.

“2007 was just the beginningof the housing recession and itis continuing in earnest to thisday,” says Zillow ChiefEconomist Dr. Stan Humphries.Those who bought their homesbefore the run-up in home val-

ues, and those who bought dur-ing the bubble also overpricetheir homes but not by as much.The Zillow report states thatthose who bought before 2002price their homes about 11.6percent over market values, andthose who bought between 2002and 2006 price their homes 9.3percent above market value.

Zillow also surveyed home-owners who plan to sell in thenext four years. Post-bubblesellers are more likely than pre-bubble sellers to base their ask-ing price on the original pur-chase price rather than currentmarket conditions. Humphriessays, “Overpricing homes caus-

es them to stagnate on the mar-ket and keeps inventory fromdecreasing – not a desirable out-come for either the sellers or themarket as a whole.” Please keepin mind, though, that these arenationwide averages.

Q. I want to increase theenergy efficiency in myhome. I am considering threeideas.

1) adding a whole housefan;

2) increasing the insula-tion in the attic;

3) adding solar panels tocurb electricity bills.

Which do you feel wouldincrease the value of myhome when it comes time forme to sell it?

A. Solar panels by far. Morehome buyers have shown adesire for “green” power. Onaverage, solar panels addedabout $5.50 per watt to a home’sresale value. In other words, atypical home owner with solarwould not only be likely torecoup their initial investmentbut even tend to make a profit atresale. Home owners, however,may not be able to easily afford

the average $35,000 investmentto purchase solar. That is whyseveral solar companies areoffering a “lease” option to getmore customers signed on touse solar. With this option “youhave full flexibility in what youwant to pay on a monthly basis,”says Lyndon Rive, CEO of SanMateo-based Solar City, in SanMateo. He says that home own-ers are only charged for the elec-tricity the solar panels generateat or below market rates. If thesolar panels produce more elec-tricity than they need, the homeowner earns a credit. With the“lease” option, consumers havethe choice of paying eithernothing upfront with highermonthly usage fees or more ini-tially and less monthly. Hopethat helps.

Send your question & look foryour answer in a future column. E-mail: Lynne@LynneFrench.com.Lynne French is the broker/owner ofWindermere Lynne French &Associates and a Clayton resident.For any real estate needs or questionscontact her at 925- 672-8787 or stopin at 6200 Center Street in Clayton.

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opposition from area residentsconvinced the District to renewthe $366,000 contract withCalFire and the station willremain open through May.

With expenses at $11.2 mil-lion and revenues at only $8.3,the District is running onempty and drawing on reservesto keep its six stations operat-ing. Reserves will be exhaustedby the end of 2013.

Without additional parceltax revenue, the District will beforced to cut back to three orfour minimally staffed stations.

Getting the two-thirds vote

needed to pass a tax measure istough in the best of times.

And a statewide measure tocollect a fee for service of up to$150 for each habitable struc-ture in rural areas is bound tomake passage of the local taxeven tougher.

Called an SRA fee (StateResponsibility Area), the statelevy faces strong oppositionfrom fire districts acrossCalifornia. ECCFD ChiefHugh Henderson says the statefee will make it “very, very dif-ficult” for the District to getvoter approval for a parcel tax.

Exactly how much the statefee will be and who will pay it isuncertain.

“There are still more ques-tions than answers,” saysCalFire Information OfficerDaniel Berlant. “The bill does-n’t take into consideration firedistricts already serving ruralareas and the fact that there areoverlapping districts. There aremany questions and complexi-ties.”

A working committee ofrepresentatives from the FireDistricts Association says thelaw, ABX1 29, is bad publicpolicy and they will seek torepeal it, or at least get anexemption for rural propertyowners that already have local

fire protection. The committeewill take its recommendationsto the Board of Forestry andFire Protection which isresponsible for writing theimplementation policies.

State Senator Tom Gaines(R-Roseville) began circulatinga petition for referendum ofthe SRA on Aug. 1.

The next meeting of theEast Contra Costa Fire Districtis Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m., 3231Main St., Oakley. For the agendaand staff reports go towww.eccfpd.org.

For more information from theFire District Association, go towww.fdac.org.

Fire District, from page 1

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

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Frequent urinationcan be signs of physi-cal disease or anxiety

When cats have accidents, itisn’t just annoying. It can beindicative of something moreserious.

Finding unwanted urinepuddles, observing kitty’s fre-quent trips to the litter box andstraining to urinate with onlysmall amounts of urine aresigns of Feline Lower UrinaryTract Disease (FLUTD). Tosolve the frustrations, we firstlook for a physical cause. Iftests show that kitty is in goodhealth, then we look to solvinga behavioral puzzle.

The physical reasons can fallinto two categories, either meta-bolic disease or bladder irrita-tion from infection, bladderstones, tumors or idiopathiccystitis.

Metabolic diseases such asdiabetes mellitus, kidney dis-ease, liver disease, hyperthy-roidism and other less common

hormonal diseases dilute theurine. The increased urine vol-ume fills the bladder, creatingan urgency to urinate.Depending on the location andnumber of litter boxes in thehouse, your cat may not be ableto reach a box in time.

These metabolic diseasesoften cause an infection.Metabolic diseases and theresulting urine infections aremore often seen in older cats.An overweight cat will have ahard time cleaning the anal andvulvar, which makes it easier forfecal bacteria to contaminatethe urine.

There are mainly two typesof bladder stones in the cat.The smaller calcium oxalatestones form in acidic urine. Onthe other hand the large struvitestones form in basic urine,caused by too much magnesiumin the diet and often secondaryto UTI’s.

Although rare, cancers caninvade the bladder wall, makingit difficult to urinate.

Urinary tract blockage is alife-threatening emergency. Ifyour male cat is straining to uri-nate without urine, has a painfulabdomen and is depressed, seea veterinarian immediately.Female cats very rarely obstruct.

We do not know what caus-es idiopathic cystitis. Researchdone by my classmate TonyBuffington, D.V.M., at OhioState University has found thatstress is the primary influencingfactor. Seewww.indoorpet.osu.edu.

Recommended diagnostictests include a complete bloodcell count, blood chemistries tocheck liver and kidney values,and a urinalysis with a bacterialculture. X-rays and ultrasoundsscreen for urinary stones as wellas changes consistent withinfection and cancer.Visualization of the bladderwall and biopsies can be donethrough scoping and surgery

Treatment will address con-trolling the metabolic diseases.Since cats are descendant fromdesert animals, there is urine isconcentrated to conserve bodilyfluids. For many cats the feed-ing of dry food does not pro-vide enough water, so switch toeither all wet food or a prescrip-tion diet to dilute the urine

MIND OVER MATTER

When determining a behav-ior cause of frequent urination,it is important to distinguishbetween spraying and urinating.Spraying is a means of markinga cat’s territory, warning othercats to stay way. The cat willstand with its rear end towardsobject and spray urine back-wards leaving a vertical line ofurine. The non-neutered malewill spray but neutered malesand females may spray, too. Onthe other hand, urination willleave a puddle after squatting.

For the cat that sprays welook for stressors such as a newcat or pet invading their space.The site of outdoor cats seenthrough a window may alsocause anxiety. Cats are also sen-sitive to human stress in the

household. Changes in familymembers will cause anxiety.

Cats are creatures of habitand require a sense of securityand familiarity to their environ-ment. Simple changes to theirlitter boxes may mean discon-tent to your cat. Changing thetype of litter or a different litterbox may upset kitty. A large catmay not have enough room tosit and squat in a covered litterbox. The location may be inap-propriate. It may be too publicor too far away from whereyour cat spends it’s time. Weoften are unaware that the thudof tennis shoes spinning in thedryer may frighten a cat from itslitter box in the laundry room.

Behaviorists recommendthat we supply one more litterbox than the number of cats inthe household. Some cats donot like to share while othersmay ambush other kitties whilein the box.

Intercat interactions alsoplay a part. The cat on the bot-tom of the totem pole oftensuffers from high levels of anx-iety. Creating a safe zone foreach cat is important. Cats areless stressed if they have theirown quiet space to eat, elevatedperches to sleep on and privateappropriate litter box locations.For further ways to enrich yourcat’s environment and to reduceanxiety see the above OSU website.

If all else fails, then consultwith your veterinarian regardinga behavior referral or the use ofanti-anxiety drugs to ease yourkitty’s anxieties and solve inap-propriate urination.

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

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The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

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The every expanding menuof recreation programsoffered by All Out SportsLeague now includes adult co-ed softball, a sport whichreturns to Clayton CommunityPark for the first time in manyyears. The new slow-pitchsoftball league begins withthree games this Sunday andAOSL founder CaseyCopeland is excited about thisnew activity.

Copeland says he wasspurred to action by local resi-dent Noelle Gould, whotalked to Copeland severalmonths ago about offering asoftball program. “I hadthought we would start soft-ball next year but the interestshown by Noelle and others Ispoke to gave us the impetusto move up the timetable,”Copeland says. “We have sixteams with 14 players each

ready to go.”The league runs from Aug.

14 through Oct. 23, culminat-ing with playoffs among thetop four finishers from thedouble round-robin schedule.

Since All Out Sports tookover programming theCommunity Gym early lastyear, Copeland and his staffhave been systematicallyadding programs as they’vebeen able to assess the inter-ests and needs in the Claytoncommunity. After softball theyare eyeing adding adult kick-ball next spring after it proveda big hit in the East CountyAOSL.

In the past Clayton has hadsoftball and baseball leaguesusing the park but they werenot locally based. “We havehad adult men’s softball andbaseball from an area-wideleague that rented our fields,”says assistant to the city man-ager Laura Hoffmeister.“When YMCA managed the

gym and rec programs theytried to get sign ups but notenough folks were interested[in softball] at the time.”

Like his predecessors theMt. Diablo Region YMCA,Copeland’s AOSL startedadult volleyball and basketballprograms which are nowdrawing regular large turnoutsand supplementing the arrayof youth programs in the gym.

The co-ed softball league isopen to adults 18 and older.They will play games eachSunday starting at 3:30 p.m.The league will use USSSArules which dictate that therenever can be more men thanwomen on the field. Slo-pitchsoftball allows 10 defensiveplayers (teams either use fouroutfielders or five infielders,deviating from what you’d seein a baseball game). There is alimit of two home runs agame. All players can bat inorder but only 10 play in thefield at a time. The league also

uses a smaller (11 inches vs.normal 12 inch) ball whenwomen are batting.

Gould says that she playedsoftball a half dozen years agoin Dublin and had been hop-ing for a Clayton softballleague for the past few years.She was so excited about theAOSL league that she puttogether two of the six teams.

Another Clayton woman,Jessica Moraes, is captain ofthe Crushers. “My kids havebeen taking part in AOSLsports and we’ve been veryhappy with the programs. Ihaven’t played softball in 13 or14 years so I may be a littlerusty but we’re excited andlooking to have a good time,”she says of her team of 30-and 40-something’s, includingher husband Jeff. “We will allbe bringing our families out toparticipate,” Moraes says.“This is something differentthat we can do as a family.”

Bob Ralston trades CVHScoaching post for hisCSUEB “dream job”

Bob Ralston is moving tothe big show, at least when itcomes to school sports. Thehighly-successful ClaytonValley High School baseballcoach was recently named headcoach at his alma mater, CalState East Bay, and the long-time fixture on the local base-ball scene says he is “very excit-ed” about this new opportunityto work full-time on baseball.

The 49-year-old Concordresident has been teaching for13 years at CVHS and coachedEagles baseball from 1999-2006 and 2009-2011. For thetwo years he wasn’t in charge ofthe Eagles, Ralston was theDiablo Valley College headcoach in 2007-2008.

Cal State East Bay Directorof Athletics Debby De Angelisannounced the hiring ofRalston, who grew up inHayward and starred at MoreauCatholic High School andChabot College in the city. “Welook forward to beginning ouractive membership in DivisionII with the leadership of BobRalston for our baseball pro-

gram,” De Angelis said. “Hebrings a tremendous multi-faceted background, both as aplayer and a coach, and we lookforward to seeing him succeedas a leader on and off thefield.”

He is leaving CVHS both asa coach and teacher. “This is afull-time position, somethingI’ve always dreamed of doing,”Ralston says. “At DVC thecoaching job was part-time.Now I’ll be spending full-timerunning my own college pro-gram.

“We want to put a goodproduct on the field. There’slots of good baseball played inthe Bay Area and our campus inHayward is in a great location,”he adds.

AN UNDERDOG GETS

TOP PRIZE

Ralston had to be consid-ered a long shot when the CalState job opened with theretirement of Dirk Morrison,head coach of the Pioneers forthe past 18 years. Many assis-tant coaches on the Division Iand Division II level appliedalong with some college headcoaches. Ralston decided to“throw his hat in the ring” andapplied against those long oddswith a reported 200 other appli-cants. “I knew this was a verypopular job as the team will be

eligible for NCAA Division IIpost-season play this comingseason.

“I had local connectionsgrowing up in Hayward andreceiving my bachelor and mas-ters degrees from Cal State.There were a couple rounds ofinterviews including an all-daysession meeting with commit-tees and individuals. I want tothank Debby and the adminis-trative team for giving me theopportunity to come back tomy alma mater and build a win-ner,” he said.

Ralston says the Pioneersplay in “the best D2 baseballconference in the country.” TheCalifornia Collegiate AthleticAssociation includes 11 schoolsfrom throughout California.Four CCAA teams made theNCAA tournament this year.Among the schools Ralston’steam will be facing are UC SanDiego, Sonoma State, ChicoState, Cal Poly Pomona and SanFrancisco State. “I love thechallenge of facing these out-standing schools,” Ralston says.

To help him get thePioneers to the top level inCCAA and beyond, Ralston hashired as his assistant coachDarren Lewis, the former SanFrancisco Giant and OaklandA’s Gold Glove outfielder whostarred at Cal. Lewis also has aHayward background after

graduating from Moreau fiveyears after Ralston.

IMPRESSIVE STATS

Ralston joins the Cal StateEast Bay staff following 11years as the head baseball coachat Clayton Valley, where he cap-tured seven league titles and aNorth Coast Section champi-onship in 2009, as well as threeother NCS championship gameappearances, the last one inJune. During his tenure,Ralston guided the Eagles totheir best season record (24-3),most wins (26) and best seasonbatting average (.394) in the 52-year program history. Under hiswatch, Clayton Valley playershave set or tied eight individualschool records, earning Ralstona pair of Coach of the Yearawards.

He also sent a string ofplayers on to college and pro-fessional careers. Two ex-Eagles, Vince Bruno andDarrel Matthews, helped Calreach the College World Seriesthis year.

He spent three seasons ashead coach at St. Patrick-St.Vincent High in Vallejo from1995-97, where he won twoSac-Joaquin Section titles.Overall, he compiled a 344-95

Clayton Sports Baseball coach makes leap to college ball

Adult softball program returns toClayton Community Park on Sundays

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy Cal State East Bay Sports Information Department

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S LOSS IS CAL STATE EAST BAY’SGAIN as local baseball coach Bob Ralston has been hired full-time by CSUEB as its head coach. His colleague at CVHS, HercPardi, says, “Bob is the quintessential high school coach – anoutstanding teacher, coach, strategist, evaluator of talent andruns a high-tempo practice second to none. Bob’s passion andlove of the game has turned the Eagles into one of the topbaseball programs in the state.” See Ralston, page 11

Photo courtesy Clayton Valley Little League

AT THE CONCLUSION OF ITS 2011 SEASON Clayton ValleyLittle League paid homage to one of its leading volun-teers. Jim Brophy (right) served Little League baseball inthe area for the past 19 years working with theChallenger Division, which provides boys and girls withdisabilities the opportunity to experience the emotionaldevelopment and fun of playing Little League Baseball.This CVLL program is offered free of charge to boys andgirls. Brophy was the vice president of the ChallengerDivision. His family is moving to Vacaville so he retiredfrom the board after the season. On hand for the cere-mony were Jim Brophy’s wife Kathryn and son Jay Jay.Brophy began his volunteer career with ConcordAmerican Little League before serving the past 16 yearsin charge of Clayton Valley’s Challenger Division, one ofthe longest tenures ever on the board.

CVLL honors Jim Brophy

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Quality and quantity some-times are mutually exclusiveterms when used to describe aproduct, organization or sportsteam. The 2011 Dana HillsSwim Team of returning coachSerge Victor has both quantityand quality and that’s manifestedin the outstanding relay teamsthe Otters have put in the pool.

The result is that the Claytonrecreation swim team scored itsbiggest ever victory in the ContraCosta Swim League meet as wellas taking second against a power-packed field of teams at the 48thannual Woodlands Invitational inWalnut Creek. For all its success-es over the years Dana Hills hadnever won the CCSL league meetuntil 2009 when the Otters pre-vailed in the very last event ofthe meet for a three-point marginover second place LMYA. Thisyear, the local team left no doubtin racking up 548 more pointsthan LMYA, which again wasrunner-up to the Otters.

Dana Hills was so impressiveat the CCSL meet that 13 Ottersearned first or second highpoint honors in the A Divisionand six more in B Division.

The other big recent resultleading up the city and countymeets came at the WoodlandsInvitational, which is often aprecursor to the county meetcompletion. Dana Hills has wonthe Woodlands team champi-onship only once in 1995 butthis year was second to Crow

Canyon Country Club and wellahead of third place Blackhawk.

Team president TonyMancini lauded the team’sefforts. “We started this seasonwith a renewed coaching philos-ophy by bringing Serge back toDana Hills. This is a move that

has allowed our kids to performwith a high level of consistencyin all aspects of the swim pro-gram. The molding of thisstrong work ethic has transferredinto the pool during every prac-tice and then into every meet.The fact is all of our kids are per-

forming better. We had one ofthe strongest finishes in our his-tory at the star-studdedWoodlands Invitational and thenour kids took that momentumstraight into the CCSL champi-onship, winning with a landslidevictory with over 1300 points.”

At the CCSL meet RyanIannaccone (9-10) broke league,Pleasant Hill Dolfins pool andDana Hills team record in the100 individual medley with atime of 1:09.51. The 9-10

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Oakhurst Orcas head coach ZachHarmon wanted to find a way to chal-lenge his eight-year-old swimmer TerrellHopson. “He has such an upbeat atti-tude and tries very hard. We needed touse up all the energy he has so we start-ed him practicing with the 9-10 age

group.” That might not sound like thatmuch of a change but in recreationswimming the 9-10 swimmers competeat 50 yards while the eight-year-olds andyounger swim 25 yards. Thus, the olderage group does a lot more distance intheir practices and Terrell has fit right in

with his older Orca teammates.He posted a county qualifying time

of 20.08 in the 25 backstroke before lastweekend’s Concord City Meet and had achance to lower his freestyle and butter-fly times to county standards there aswell. His swimming versatility earned

him second place at the Devil MountainPentathlon where he had to swim everystroke. Terrell began swimming at age 3with the Orcas. He would accompanyhis older sister Devan to her practicesand his family and the coaches couldn’tkeep him out of the pool. Now heanchors the Orcas free relay team andswims fly on the medley relay. Terrell istrying football this fall with the ClaytonValley Falcons, plays CYO basketball forhis school team, St. Agnes, and baseballin Clayton Valley Little League.

The Clayton Pioneer congratulatesTerrell Hopson and rewards his achieve-ment with a gift certificate to Rocco’sRistorante & Pizzeria.

Do you know a young athlete who should berecognized? Perhaps he or she has shown excep-tional sportsmanship, remarkable improvementor great heart for the sport. Send your nomina-tion for the Rocco’s Pioneer Athlete Spotlighttoday to sports@claytonpioneer.com.

AthleteSpotlight

Name: Terrell HopsonAge: 8Sport: SwimmingTeam: Oakhurst Orcas

Clayton Sports

Photo by Joern Weigelt courtesy of Dana Hills Swim Team

THE DEPTH OF THE DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM IS MOST EVIDENT IN THE TALENTED RELAY TEAMS the Otters put on the blocks. The 9-10 boysand 11-12 girls have been setting team, pool and league records in freestyle and medley relays this season. The 9-10 boys are,bottom row from left, Anthony Trimble, Niklas Weigelt, Ryan Iannaccone and Jackson Trimble. The 11-12 girls quartet includes,from left, Erica Publico, Alina Weigelt, Allie Klinger and Katie O’Sullivan.

Relays power Dana Hills to outstandingleague, Woodlands Invitational swim results

See Swim, page 12

Ralston,from page 10

record as a high school headcoach, collecting eight leaguechampionships and three sec-tion titles.

When he was at DVC Ralstonled the Vikings to a CaliforniaCommunity College AthleticAssociation NorCal Elite Eightappearance, a top-10 ranking inthe state and a 54-39 record overhis two years there. Ralston gothis start in coaching as an assis-tant at Cal from 1990-91, helpingthe Bears to the NCAA Regionalfinal, before moving on to serveas an assistant at DVC from1992-94.

A former All-America at theUniversity of Arizona, Ralstonalso boasts playing and coachingexperience at the professionallevel. From 1997-99, Ralstonserved as manager for theWilliamsport Cubs, then a single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.Taken in the sixth round as the140th pick of the 1984 MajorLeague Baseball Amateur PlayerDraft, Ralston signed with theMinnesota Twins after animpressive career at Arizona. Hethen spent seven years playing inthe minor leagues for both theTwins and Oakland Athletics.

A junior transfer to Arizona,Ralston led the Wildcats in hit-ting both seasons, batting .336 asa junior in 1983 and .363 as asenior. A versatile player, Ralstonplayed both middle infield posi-tions, earning back-to-back first-team All-Pac 10 honors. Afterhelping guide Arizona to a pairof 20-win seasons, Ralston col-lected Baseball America first-team All-America honors in1984. Prior to joining theWildcats, Ralston played two sea-sons at Chabot.

A 1980 graduate of MoreauCatholic, Ralston was a memberof the 2003 Athletic Hall ofFame induction class. He earnedhis bachelor’s degree in physicaleducation from Cal State EastBay in 1988 and returned to gethis master’s from CSUEB in1992. He also earned a CaliforniaState Teaching Credential fromChapman University in 1998 andhas taught physical education atboth the community college andhigh school levels for over 20years.

Ralston inherits a team thatwill be eligible for the postseasonfor the first time since rejoiningDivision II and returns its lead-ing run scorers in AndrewWoolfe and Charlie Sharrer andits top two starting pitchers inBrandyn Bell – an All-CCAAHonorable Mention selection –and Bryce Miller. Bullpen leaderZachary Wong is also set toreturn for the 2012 campaign.

Cal State East Bay SportsInformation Department contributedto this story.

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AOSL PRESENTSAll Out Sports League

Starting in August

ADULT VOLLYBALL

ADULT SOFTBALLAugust 14

PARENT-CHILD GOLFTOURNAMENT

August 14

MEN’S OVER 40 BASKETBALL LEAGUEStarts August 21

FALL YOUTH & ADULT BASKETBALL LEAGUE

FALL YOUTH VOLLYBALL LEAGUEAges 8-16. Games Sat. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Everyone plays!

Registration Information –

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August 12, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 11

DHST girls freestyle relay ofLogan Sherman, Gabi Mancini,Camille Cline and SarahHamilton set a new teamrecord of 2:03.21. The 9-10boys relay with AnthonyTrimble, Niklas Weigelt, RyanIannaccone and JacksonTrimble established new leaguemeet and PHD pool records inthe medley relay (2:16.74) andfree relay (also a club mark) with2:00.35.

The 11-12 Otters girls med-ley relay of Katie O’Sullivan,Allie Klinger, Erika Publico andAlina Weigelt set new CCSL,PHD pool and DHST team

records with a 2:02.57. Thesame girls also set the newleague and PHD pool standardin the 200 free of 1:48.23.

Dana Hills Swim TeamResults @ 48th annual

Woodlands Invitational

HHiigghh PPooiinntt AAwwaarrddssAA DDiivviissiioonnGirls 6 & Under: 1. Stephanie

IannacconeBoys 6 & Under: 1. Scott

IannacconeGirls 7-8: 2. Ryanne BolandGirls 9-10: 1. Sarah HamiltonBoys 9-10: 1. Ryan Iannaccone,

2. Niklas Weigelt

Girls 11-12: 1. Allie Klinger, 2. Alina Weigelt

Boys 11-12: 1. Erick IannacconeGirls 13-14: 1. Justine TrimbleBoys 13-14: 2. Jack MadiganGirls 15-18: 2. Sierra MacIntyreBoys 15-18: 1. Samuel ProtichBB DDiivviissiioonnGirls 6 & Under: 2. Maggie

MacDonaldBoys 6 & Under: 2. Diego

CastanedaGirls 7-8: 2. Marisa ManciniBoys 7-8: 1. Christopher SarnaGirls 9-10: 1. Kaitlyn DunnBoys 9-10: 2. Patrick Gillespie

RRaaccee RReessuullttss ((DDHHSSTT TToopp 33 ffiinniisshheerrss))

Girls 7-8 25 Free 2. Emily Hamilton 15.49 Girls 9-10 50 Free 2. Sarah Hamilton 28.54

Boys 9-10 50 Free 1. Niklas Weigelt 28.23 Girls 11-12 50 Free 2. Allie Klinger 26.56 Boys 11-12 50 Free 2. Erick Iannaccone 26.76 Girls 13-14 50 Free 3. Melissa Schoell 25.80 Girls 15-18 100 Free 2. Vicky Talens 58.13 Boys 15-18 100 Free 3. Derek Anderson 48.73 Girls 15-18 100 Breast 2. Sara Abele 1:11.85 Boys 15-18 100 Breast 2. Samuel Protich 1:02.91Boys 11-12 100 IM 1. Erick Iannaccone 1:07.56 Girls 13-14 100 IM 1. Justine Trimble 1:04.58 Boys 13-14 100 IM 3. Jack Madigan 1:02.29 Girls 15-18 100 IM 1. Sierra MacIntyre 1:03.46, 2.

Vicky Talens 1:06.00, 3. TriciaTalens 1:07.23

Girls 7-8 25 Fly 2. Ryanne Boland 16.65 Girls 9-10 50 Fly 1. Sarah Hamilton 32.60 Girls 13-14 50 Fly 1. Justine Trimble 27.92 Girls 15-18 100 Fly

1. Sierra MacIntyre 1:00.91 Girls 6 & Under 25 Back 1. Stephanie Iannaccone 24.16 Boys 6 & Under 25 Back 2. Scott Iannaccone 23.55 Girls 7-8 25 Back 3. Emily Hamilton 18.92 Girls 9-10 50 Back 2. Gabriella Mancini 35.39 Boys 9-10 50 Back 1. Ryan Iannaccone 31.51 Girls 11-12 50 Back 3. Katie O’Sullivan 31.44 Girls 13-14 50 Back 2. Melissa Schoell 30.42 Girls 7-8 100 IM 1. Ryanne Boland 1:29.50 Girls 9-10 100 IM 3. Alex Brown 1:19.99 Boys 9-10 100 IM 1. Ryan Iannaccone 1:10.73,

2. Niklas Weigelt 1:11.71

100 Free Relay 7-8 girls 2. Emily Hamilton, Brenna

Duggan, Rylie Velez , RyanneBoland

200 Free Relay 9-10 Girls2. Camille Cline, Gabi Mancini,

Logan Sherman, SarahHamilton

200 Free Relay 9-10 Boys1. Ryan Iannaccone, Anthony

Vizental , Jackson Trimble,Niklas Weigelt

200 Free Relay 11-12 Girls2. Katie O’Sullivan, Erika Publico,

Alina Weigelt, Allie Klinger

200 Free Relay 13-14 Girls3. Justine Trimble, Katie Miller,

Lindsay Treppa, MelissaSchoell

200 Free Relay 15-18 Girls1. Vicky Talens, Tricia Talens, Sara

Abele, Sierra MacIntyre

100 Medley Relay 7-8 Girls2. Emily Hamilton, Ryanne

Boland, Caela Hetherton, Rylie Velez

200 Medley Relay 9-10 Girls2. Gabi Mancini, Alex Brown,

Sarah Hamilton, LoganSherman

200 Medley Relay 9-10 Boys2. Anthony Trimble, Niklas

Weigelt, Ryan Iannaccone,Jackson Trimble

200 Medley Relay 11-12 Girls 2. Katie O’Sullivan, Allie Klinger,

Erika Publico, Alina Weigelt

TAKING THE WORLD BY STORM GIRLS

SOCCER DAY AUG. 20Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, in partnership

with Tesoro Golden Eagle, Garaventa Enterprisesand Diablo FC, presents “Taking the World byStorm - Building Self-Confidence and LeadershipSkills for Girls On & Off the Field” on Saturday,Aug. 20, at Tesoro Fields in Concord. This free soc-cer clinic led by the semi-professional women’s soc-cer team California Storm is for girls 10-16 and willrun from 3:30 – 6 p.m. Registration is required forthe free girls soccer clinic and space is limited so girlsare encouraged to sign up early by emailingcarmen.angulo@asm.ca.gov or calling (925) 521-1511. Following the free clinic will be a women’sexhibition soccer game between the CaliforniaStorm and Diablo FC 93 starting at 6 o’clock.

20TH CVHS ATHLETIC BOOSTERS

GOLF TOURNAMENT AUG. 22Clayton Valley High School Athletic Boosters are

hosting their 20th annual Charity Golf Tournamenton Monday, Aug. 22, at Oakhurst Country Club.Entry fee includes golf, cart, lunch, putting contest,golf shirt, tee prize and dinner. Early bird entry feeof $150 goes up $25 after Aug. 3. For completeinformation email tournament director ChanceGernhardt chancegernhardt@yahoo.com or visitcvhsboosters.org.

CLAYTON GYM OPEN EVENINGS FOR

BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL PLAY

Clayton Community Gym is open every Mondayevening this summer for open basketball play andTuesday for volleyball open gym. All Out SportsLeague is holding open gym nights through the endof August. The gym will be open on Mondays forbasketball and Tuesday for volleyball from 5:30-7:30p.m. for children eight to 17 and from 7:30-9:30 p.m.for adults 18 and older. Cost is $5 per person pernight. Visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com for moredetails.

FALL SWIM STROKE & SKILLS

PROGRAM AT OAKHURST

Local swim coach Serge Victor, who is in chargeof the aquatics program at Oakhurst Country Cluband head coach of the championship Dana Hills

Swim Team, is offering the New Wave Fall SwimStroke and Skill Development program. The fall ses-sion begins Sept. 1 and runs through Dec. 1 atOakhurst. There are age groups for boys and girls 7-8, 9-11 and 12 and older teaching participants thebasics of swimming as well as advanced skills andconcepts. For more information email Victor atswimwithserge@comcast.net or call (925) 672-9737ext. 207.

ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUE PARENT/CHILD GOLF FUNDRAISER AUG. 14

All Out Sports League is holding its secondannual Parent/Child Golf Tournament on Sunday,Aug. 14, at Hiddenbrooke Golf Course in AmericanCanyon with a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. The entry feeof $180 covers two players (children must be eightyears or older) and a BBQ dinner. There will be avariety of contests and prizes with a two-playerscramble format used. Proceeds from this event willgo to support AOSL youth programs. Registration isopen on the website at alloutsportsleague.com.

DIABLO FC U8 ACADEMY FALL

PROGRAM STARTS SEPT. 9A new comprehensive soccer program for girls

and boys 6-8 years of age has been introduced thisyear with the Diablo FC U8 Academy. The next ses-sion is running on Wednesdays and Fridays startingSept. 9 through Nov. 11 at Boatwright SportsComplex in Concord. Boys and girls 6-8 are invitedto attend a session. Camp Director Brian Voltattornisays the Academy is a developmental soccer programthat includes psycho-motor skills, coordination exer-cises, technical training with the ball and free play.The Academy is scheduled so that players can alsoparticipate in an AYSO recreation program duringthe fall. For complete details and to register visit dia-blofc.org.

NEW 10 UNDER BASEBALL TEAM

FORMING IN CLAYTON

All Out Sports League 10 Under travel baseballteam based in Clayton is now taking signups. Theteam will play in tournaments throughout NorthernCalifornia and Nevada and practice at ClaytonCommunity Park. Tryouts for the 2012 season willbe held Sept. 4 and Oct. 9 from 3–6 p.m. There isno fee to tryout. Players need to be born after April30, 2001 in order to qualify for the 10U age group.For more information call (925) 203-5626 or visit all-outsportsleague-clayton.com.

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Sports Shorts

Clayton Sports

Photo courtesy Diablo FC

They went all the way to San Diego but the local Diablo FC 93 boys made the trip worth-while by winning four consecutive games and claiming first place in the under 18 GoldDivision title in the Copa Del Mar Sharks Invitational tournament. Coaches Chris Brown,Chris Rodd and Brian Voltattorni mentored the team to the title including a win over aNigerian team in the opening round. The team includes, front row, from left, JeremyWilliams, Arman Salimpour; middle row, Ian Lawton, Brando Arriaga, Zach Pauline, DaltonDepolo, Dane Depolo, Sean Vinson; back row, coach Rodd, Jake Wood, Sam Marchant,Jacob Carroll, Ethan Lipson Gokcen, David Dadiomov, Josh Gomez and Ryan Jeans. Notpictured, coach Brown, Bradley McNell, Kyle Williams, Alex Dudoroff, Brinly Owen andCarlo Eikani.

Diablo FC 93 boys take first at Invitational

The season-ending 51stannual Contra Costa CountySwim Meet this weekend inLafayette will give the DanaHills Swim Team a chance togauge itself against the finestrecreation swim teams in thecounty after the Otters wontheir ninth straight Concord CitySwim Championship last week-end at Concord CommunityPool in overwhelming fashionby 606 points.

Thirteen meet records fellat the 45th annual ConcordCity Meet, which Dana Hillshas won 19 of the past 20years. Derek Anderson (15-18boys freestyle and backstroke),Ryan Iannaccone (9-10 boysbutterfly and back) each set apair of meet records. In bothcases Anderson was betteringhis own marks whileIannaccone’s record in the backshattered a 32-year-old time.Other individual record-setters

for the Otters were NiklasWeigelt (100 individual medley9-10 boys), Justine Trimble (13-14 girls IM), Katie O’Sullivan(11-12 girls free) and JamesHumann (15-18 fly).

Four DHST relay teamsalso beat all-time City Meetbests including 9-10 boys med-ley and freestyle relays alongwith the 9-10 girls free and 11-12 girls free relays.

Looking ahead to thisweekend’s County Meet afterthe outstanding performancesin winning both league and citymeet titles by large margins,DHST president Tony Mancinisaid, “We are extremely excitedto showcase our largest pres-ence in many years by bringingover 50 qualified swimmers tothe annual Contra CostaCounty Meet.”

Winning A Division highpoint honors were Otter girlsSarah Hamilton (9-10),

O’Sullivan and Allie Klinger(11-12) and Trimble (13-14).On the boys side Anderson(15-18), Erick Iannaccone (11-12) and Ryan Iannaccone (9-10) were the top point getters.Christopher Saran of DHSTwon the B Division 7-8 highpoint award.

The Oakhurst Orcas alsohad “a great meet,” head coachZach Harmon reported.“Terrell Hopson, Tyler Hansonand Kelsey Macaulay all coun-tied. They were just several ofmany amazing swims. Ourtheme this year was ‘countryclub super heroes.’ Our youngswimmers spent the weekendmarching around in self-deco-rated capes, hiding behindmasks. As always City Meetproved to be as fun as it wascompetitive with many swim-mers having season bests andalso enjoying the company ofeach other.”

Dana Hills Swim Team aims high at this weekend’sCounty swim finals after racking up City Meet title

Swim, from page 11

Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

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Fall LeaguesALLAGES

Starting in

September

Thanks to planes, trains andautomobiles, more of us are seeingthe world – which is a good thing.

As Mark Twain once said:“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotryand narrow-mindedness.” Theseare all characteristics we need tosunset if we want to play togetherand survive in this sandbox calledEarth.

Travel also has the added ben-efit of helping us appreciate ourown home and things like smogcontrol, animal control, soft pil-lows and toilets. On a recent vaca-tion, as I ascended to 14,000 feeton the Inca trail, breathing like aguppy who fell out of his fish tank,I discovered something else that Itook for granted at home oxygen.

Many people know the inher-ent risks of travel, namely infec-tious diseases, threats of bodilyharm, jet lag, etc. However, mostfail to take into account the actual

physical environment and theimpact it can have on humans.One such example is the high alti-tude environment.

GETTING TO THE TOP

According to my WildernessMedicine guide, high altitude isdefined as 4,950-11,500 feet (thinkof Lake Tahoe, Zermatt,Steamboat Springs, Colo., andTaos, N.M.), very high altitude is11,500-18,000 feet (the Inca trail inPeru, Mt. Shasta and the Alps) andextreme high altitude is above18,000 feet (Everest andKilimanjaro).

At high altitude, the worldchanges. The air is colder, theatmospheric pressure is lower andthere is less oxygen. All of thesechanges can have a profoundaffect on the body. In order toaccommodate for the lower oxy-gen levels, we breathe faster, ourheart rate goes up and we begin tobuild more oxygen-carrying redblood cells.

In essence, our body acclima-tizes to this new environment.However, it takes time and often

we don’t feel too good as our bodyadjusts.

This is called Acute MountainSickness (AMS) and includesheadaches, insomnia, lowerappetite, nausea, and swelling ofhands and feet. These symptomsusually develop within a few hoursof arrival at a high altitude andresolve after two to three days.

EASING THE ADJUSTMENT

While AMS is not dangerous, itcan put a damper on a vacation.The way to lesson the effects whileyour body adjusts is to minimizeyour exertion, increase fluid intake(I am not talking about alcohol),take Motrin for the headache, tryGinkgo biloba (100 mg. twice aday) and get a lot of rest.

If you travel to very high alti-tudes or if you are very susceptibleto high elevations, talk to your doc-tor about a mild diuretic calledDiamox. On top of that, particu-larly if you are venturing higherinto the stratosphere, give yourbody time to adjust. Take a day ortwo at the high altitude beforeascending further. And, if youhave the opportunity, avoid sleep-ing at very high altitudes.

DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES

It’s extremely important to rec-ognize when the symptoms aremore than just AMS. Specifically, Iam referring to two potentiallydeadly conditions, high altitudepulmonary edema (HAPE), whichis fluid on the lungs, and high alti-tude cerebral edema (HACE), orswelling of the brain.

HAPE develops over one tofour days and typically occurs ataltitudes above 6,500 feet, especial-ly if you got there quickly and yourbody didn’t have a chance toadjust. There is no predicting whowill get it and the incidence is low:

0.1-1 percent. However, those athigher risk are individuals whohave had HAPE before, men andthose who are young and other-wise physically fit. These folksbecome very fatigued, weak andseverely short of breath and maydie if they are not brought downto lower elevations.

HACE is even more deadly.This occurs when your brain swellsleading to difficulty walking, con-fusion, difficulty speaking,headaches, vomiting and severedrowsiness. This is more likely tooccur at very high altitudes andrequires immediate descent.

Most of us won’t have anytrouble with altitude in our travels.However, as we become moreadventurous and push ourselves,we need to be aware of where weare going and what consequencesthese trips can have.

People must consider theiroverall health status, particularly asit relates to altitude travel. Thosewho should use caution are indi-viduals with a history of COPD(lung disease), heart failure, sleepapnea, heart disease and strokes. Itwould be wise to talk to your doc-tor first.

My recommendation is to trav-el and see the world in its manysplendors, but plan for the envi-ronment or your trip may include avisit to a Third World emergencydepartment. If need be, I could beenticed to travel with you as yourpersonal physician.

Dr. Birdsall is the MedicalDirector of the EmergencyDepartment and Chief of Staff ofJohn Muir Hospital in Concord. Helives in Walnut Creek with his wife,Dr. Marian Birdsall, and two chil-dren. Please email him atDavid.Birdsall_md@john-muirhealth.com

DR. DAVID BIRDSALL

ASK THE DOC

Awards will be announced at3 p.m. Four head judges –Geller, Skipolini’s Skip Ipsen,Chief of Police Dan Lawrenceand owner of Mudville Grill andMoresi’s Chophouse Ed Moresi– are each responsible for a pairof judges. Steve Barton, ownerof the Clayton Club and donorof the venue, created an elabo-rate matrix to insure the judges’taste buds are not overworkedand will be able to distinguish

the finest barbecue ribs in town.The CBCA modeled the

cook-off rules after nationalrules with the “hope to be sanc-tioned by the Kansas CityBarbeque Society,” Robertsonsaid. All entries will be judgedon appearance, tenderness andtaste. Last, but not least, is thefinal rule to have fun.

For more information, go towww.claytonribcookoff.com.

Cook-off, from page 1

August 12, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 13

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IN CLAYTONAugust 13, 20, 27 – Farmers Market8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Centerstreets, downtown. pcfma.com.

August 13 – Vocal-ease and the Boogie Men ConcertPlaying nostalgic hits from the ‘40s through the ‘60s. 6-8:30 p.m.,Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. For a complete concert serieslist, see Page 3.

September 7 – CERT TrainingBeginning of six-week CERT training course on disaster prepared-ness. 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton.Free. claytoncert.org.

EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENTSeptember 9 through October 1 – “The Wizard of Oz”Follow Dorothy’s classic journey to Emerald City. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $17-$48. 943-SHOW, dia-blotheatre.org.

Through August 28 – “Pride and Prejudice”Jane Austen’s enduring tale of manners, upbringing, morality, edu-cation and marriage among the landed gentry of early 19th centu-ry England. Cue Productions Live, 1835 Colfax St., Concord. $10-$18. b8company.com.

August 12, 14 – “The Most Happy Fella”Set in the Bay Area in the 1920s, this opera revolves around thecomplications that arise when Tony, an aging Napa Valley vineyardowner, proposes by mail to Rosabella, a young waitress who onceserved him in a San Francisco restaurant. Lesher Center for theArts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $39-$100. 943-SHOW, lesher-artscenter.org.

Through September 4 – “The Fantasticks”The Willows presents this story of a young man and the girl nextdoor whose parents have built a wall to keep them apart. WillowsTheatre Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. $20-$32. 798-1300 or willowstheatre.org.

August 13, 14 – Japanese Summer FestivalJapanese food, drum performances, judo and kendo demonstra-tions and Japanese flower arrangement demonstrations. Sat. 1 – 9p.m.; Sun. 12 – 8:30 p.m. Japanese American Cultural Center,3165 Treat Blvd., Concord. Free admission and free parking atYgnacio Valley High School. 682-5299,jasummerfestival@yahoo.com or www.diablojaclub.com/summer-festival.

August 18 through September 10 – “Evil Dead the Musical”What can go wrong when five college students break into anabandoned cabin in the woods? Willows Cabaret at the CampbellTheatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. $30-35. 798-1300 or willowsthe-atre.org.

August 20 – Mt. Diablo Astronomy ProgramSearch for another Earth; why there is no life elsewhere in thesolar system. Dress in layers. Bring snacks and water. 7:30 p.m. –12:30 a.m. (enter park 45 minutes earlier). Lower summit parkinglot, Summit Road, Clayton. Program is free; $10 park entrance fee.mdas.net.

August 26 through 28 – A Wondrous Evening of MagicStarring RJ Owens and hosted by Matt Davis. Diablo Actors’Ensemble Theatre, 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. $22-$25. dia-bloactors.com.

September 2 through September 9“Smokey Joe’s Café”Tribute to legendary songwriters Leiber and Stoller. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38-$47. 943-SHOW,lesherartscenter.org.

September 16 through October 1 – “A Few Good Men”A courtroom powerhouse that questions if there exists a higher

code than the Marine code and are there times when good sol-diers must disobey orders. Diablo Actors’ Ensemble Theatre, 1345Locust St., Walnut Creek. $22-$25. diabloactors.com.

October 1 – CVHS 20th ReunionClayton Valley High School Class of 1991’s 20th reunion. Comerenew friendships and reminisce about days gone by. 7 p.m.Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N. Main St. $90. Call Kara Manning408-0749.

CHURCHES & RELIGIONAugust 20Classic Car ShowCrossroads Covenant Church’s Seventh Annual Lee Harvell ClassicCar Show. 4:30 p.m. 5353 Concord Blvd., Concord. Free.Registration for exhibitors: crossroadschurchweb.org. For moreinformation, contact leeharvellclassic@att.net.

FUNDRAISERSAugust 20 – Rib Cook-Off2nd Annual CBCA Rib Cook-Off. Clayton Club Saloon, 6096 MainSt., Clayton. Enter by Aug. 13, $50. Jim Frazier 673-0300, RobRobertson 383-1495 or claytonribcookoff.com.

August 20, 21 – Relay for LifeAmerican Cancer Society fundraiser. Teams, sponsors, volunteersrequested. Clayton Community Park, Ball Field #3, 7411 MarshCreek Road. Call Brenda Righter 212-2048.

Aug. 22 – CVHS Athletic Boosters Golf TournamentClayton Valley High School Athletic Boosters 20th annual charitytournament. Lunch, putting contest, no host cocktails, dinner buf-fet, awards and prizes. 21 and over only. Registration 10:30 a.m.at Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.Fees vary. cvhsboosters.org.

September 17 – MDE StampedeMt. Diablo Elementary school fundraiser. One-mile and three-milerun/walk. Gates open at 7 a.m. Mt. Diablo Elementary School,5880 Mt. Zion Drive, Clayton. $10. $15 includes T-shirt if registerby Sept. 6. mtdiabloelementary.mdusd.org.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are freeunless otherwise noted. 673-0659 or claytonlibrary.org.

Wednesdays – Book BuddiesA volunteer will read stories for children of all ages. 1-2 p.m.

August 15 – Evening Stories and CraftsAges preschool to first grade. 7 p.m.

August 22 – Elder Financial AbuseRecognize scams and cons. 6 p.m.

August 24 – Emergency PreparednessClayton CERT seminar on supplies, escape plans and communica-tion to prepare for an emergency. 7 – 9 p.m. at the ClaytonCommunity Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Free. claytoncert.org.

September 7 – Top Insider Tips on How to Get a JobRebecca Martin of dear jane Inc. shares tips and advice on jobhunting. 1:15 p.m.

SCHOOLSCVHS Charter School – September 13Decision meeting. 7:30 p.m. District Offices, 1936 Carlotta Drive,Concord.

GOVERNMENT1st and 3rd Tuesdays – Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

2nd and 4th Tuesdays – Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUG. 17 FOR THE AUG. 26 ISSUE.

ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

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Business group fundscomputers and backpacksfor Clayton students

Once again, educational needs were in thespotlight when the Clayton Business andCommunity Association met on July 28 at theOakhurst Country Club.

CBCA members voted overwhelmingly todonate $10,000 to Mt. Diablo ElementarySchool to purchase and upgrade computersand software used by teachers at the school.

The group also voted to donate $2,500 tothe CBCA Cares Committee for backpacksand school supplies.

For the second month in a row, CBCAhosted its college scholarship winners. Sixmore of the 14 CBCA Scholarship honorees,with their parents, were on hand to be recog-nized for their achievement. Five of the six aregraduates of Clayton Valley High School andall are Clayton residents

Ariana Alvarez was awarded a communityservices scholarship. She will attend St. Mary’sCollege and major in marketing.

Rachel Anderson won an academic schol-arship and will attend UC Santa Barbara andmajor in pharmacology.

Nicholas Fong, a Northgate graduate, will

use his academic scholarship to attend SantaClara University and major in computer sci-ence and engineering.

Another CVHS graduate, Mary Madera,won an academic scholarship and will attendUC Berkeley to major in life science and con-servational biology.

Kayla Pedrani won an art & music scholar-ship and will attend Cal Poly SLO to study tobecome a firefighter.

Lauren Warzecha will use her art and musicscholarship to attend UC Irvine. She is as yetundecided on her major.

This year’s college scholarship awards

totaled more than $20,000.Also at the meeting were three recipients of

scholarships to the recent Tech Trek ScienceCamp at Stanford. Tech Trek is geared to giv-ing young women the chance to samplecareers in science. The trio of 8th Grade girls,Lynette Cox, Emily Payne, and Giovy Webbstole the show with their spirited reporting ofwhat they learned at camp.

CBCA supports community projects withfunds raised by events like Oktoberfest and theArt & Wine Festival.

The next CBCA event is the second annu-al Rib Cookoff on Saturday, Aug. 20. Cookoffchairman Jim Frazier says he’s in need of morevolunteers, since this year’s rib event will have32 chef contestants, twice the number of lastyear.

The Rib Cookoff is held on the grounds ofthe Clayton Club, and this year will feature afamily area with tables outdoors, along withburgers and hot dogs available for a nominalfee, with the chefs’ creations going for “a bucka rib,” Frazier says. Volunteers and would-bechefs can get more information at 925-673-0300 and www.claytoncbca.org.

Volunteers are also needed forOktoberfest, Sept. 23-25.

The next CBCA Mixer, which will be heldfrom 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 19, is open to the pub-lic and hosted by Rodie’s, 8843 Marsh CreekRoad.

Cub Scout Troop 262 presented the col-ors and led the members in the Pledgeof Allegiance at the July 28 CBCA meet-ing

GARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

Club News

CBCA gets ready for school

Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

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“Captain America: TheFirst Avenger” falls into asmall, and often awkward, sub-genre of the comic booksuperhero movie, the super-hero origin film. Super-pow-ered heroes have jumped fromthe comic book pages to moviescreens since the 1940s and allof them require that the firstfilm, if the movie does wellenough to generate sequels,tells the tale of how the herofirst pulled on a pair of bright-ly colored tights and startedfighting bad guys.

Making the superhero ori-gin flick requires filmmakers to

walk a tightrope. First theymust try to satisfy the built-infan base of those who want tosee their comic book herocome to life by staying true tothe original story, often filledwith cliches and implausibleelements. At the same timethey want to attract a newaction-movie audience withmore sophisticated tastes.Captain America first appearedin comic books in 1941 andwas revived by Marvel Comicsin the 60’s. A movie version ofthis Nazi-fighting, uber patriotcould easily slide into cheesyparody with good guys throw-

ing out zingy lines along withtheir punches and bad guyswho laugh evilly while pullingswitches on big sparking evilmachines. This movie has allthose elements but the writersexploit the fun while stickingreasonably close to the originalmaterial and still manage togive the characters some emo-tional depth.

Steve Rogers is a skinny,short kid with asthma and adriving need to join the wareffort against the Axis powersof World War II. His physicalfrailty frustrates his dream ofbeing a soldier until a militaryscientist chooses him to be theguinea pig in an experimentalprocess to create “Super sol-diers.” Thus the skinny loser istransformed into a muscularfighting machine and dons thered, white and blue costume ofCaptain America. The explana-tion for why he ends up wear-ing the costume is probably thehardest to swallow, but giventhat it’s a necessary story ele-ment, the writers make a goodeffort. I did wince watching thehero sneak through a heavilyguarded German camp in thenight with a huge, round, shinyred white and blue shieldstrapped to his back.

But the action is fast, theheroes heroic and the villainsare nasty and nefarious as theyshould be. Chris Evans does a

great job playing the likeableunderdog whose heroismcomes from his good heart andnot simply by chemical-enhanced physical strength.This fun summer movie cap-tures the spirit of the comicbook it sprang from and alsoworks as a solid action movie.

And if you are wonderingwhat a “first Avenger” is,Captain America is part of along-planned series of moviesfrom Marvel Comics focusingon individual super heroes,including Iron Man and Thor,who will eventually cometogether and appear as a super-hero team called “TheAvengers.” That movie isscheduled for release nextspring. If they can successfullypull together characters fromseparate movies, with differentwriters and directors, into asingle movie somewhere downthe road it will be quite a stunt.

Kamala Nair’s firstnovel is lush sum-mertime reading

To qualify as a good summerread, a book has to perform sev-eral functions at one time. First,it must amuse. Second, it mustspin a tale of adventure. Finally,a good summer read must giveyou the excitement of an exoticvacation without actually involv-ing the nadir of jet lag. “TheGirl in the Garden,” by KamalaNair, is such a novel.

Nair’s first novel is part com-ing-of-age story, part fairytale.The story begins in the presentas twenty-something Rakhee isabout to bolt from her fiancé,leaving a note promising toreturn when she has taken careof the one shameful thing fromher past that she has hiddenfrom him. Who can’t love abeginning like that? From thestart, Rakhee is on the run andthe reader must follow or be leftstranded in the young woman’swake.

The narrative of the storyquickly shifts from adult Rakheeto 10-year-old Rakhee, whoseparents are from India but meetby mutual acquaintance onceboth are in America. The talebegins its spin during the sum-mer that Rakhee’s parent’s shakymarriage is falling apart anddivorce lurks in the shadows ofevery room. Rakhee’s mother isemotionally unstable and growsincreasingly so until just as

school lets out for the summer,she decides to flee middleAmerica, her husband, andsocial convention. She plans totravel to her ancestral home inIndia, taking her daughter withher. It’s just a vacation, sheinsists. But she is off her medsand we never quite believe her.

An American girl from theget-go, Rakhee’s initial responseto the extended family’s com-pound is shock. There are suspi-cious cousins, scary aunts, aharmlessly alcoholic uncle, asemi-lucid grandmother, and asinister near-relative. All ofthese strangers are insane orunhappy or both, and all areguarding family secrets. Thereare also ghosts, and a jungle that

looms at the edge of the familyproperty that harbors thebiggest secret of all. There is agirl in a garden deep in the for-est, but her existence is wrappedin fiction and Rakhee is told tonever venture into the woodsbecause it is dangerous, butRakhee ignores that lie too.

As the summer wears on,Rakhee grows accustomed toIndia and begins to love hercousins. She pulls at threads ofthe shabby family secret and asit unravels she comes to knowmore than a child should of thefamily shame. She secretlybefriends the girl in the garden,and makes plans to help herescape. But then everythingquickly spins out of control.

Her cousin is forced into a terri-ble marriage to save the family’sfortune, her mother intends torun away with the man from herpast and tries to persuadeRakhee that living in Indiawould be more fun that return-ing to Minnesota and her father.

Sometimes exotic, some-times sentimental, “The Girl inthe Garden” is a story of loveand survival. What more couldyou want for a good summerread?

“Evil Dead: TheMusical” returns tothe Willows

What can go wrong whenfive college students break intoan abandoned cabin in thewoods? Apparently, a whole heckof a lot, as they unleash evil spir-its, turn into CandarianDemons…and sing show tunes.

Cult classic “Evil Dead: TheMusical” returns for a thirdbloody-good go-round at theWillows Cabaret at the CampbellTheatre, 636 Ward Street inMartinez, Aug. 18 – Sept. 10.EVIL DEAD has been called“disarmingly funny” and themusical that “would kill you tomiss it.” Part rock opera, partAlice Cooper, part RockyHorror…it’s totally for the kid inall of us who dares to be scared.

The show is written by Sam

Raimi – the director whobrought us all four Spidermanflicks – and directed by EricInman. The cast includes severalmembers from the last produc-tion – Jenny Angell, ShaunCarroll, Meghan Ihle, Ji Kim,Paul Plain, and Michael ScottWells as Ash.

“Evil Dead” features seatingin a separate “Splatter Zone.”Front row audiences get to donspecial T-shirts to soak up sou-venir splats, or ponchos, ifthey’re more gore-o-phobic.More cautious DEAD-goers cansit farther back, but should keepthose little umbrellas over theirdrinks, just in case. Because ofstrong language, the show is notrecommended for children under13.

“Evil Dead: The Musical” will beperformed Thursdays and Fridays at 8p.m.; Saturdays at 7 p.m. and 10:30p.m. Tickets are $30 and $35, avail-able by calling 925-798-1300 orwww.willowstheatre.com. TheCampbell Theatre is located at 636Ward St. in Martinez.

GARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

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Blood, gore and show tunesTheatre

Book Review

What secrets lurk with ‘The Girl in the Garden’?

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR THE BOOKS

Cynthia Gregory writes bookreviews, award-winning short storiesand a blog. Visit her at www.twogirlstakeonlove.com or write ceegregory@aol.com

Movie Review

DON PEDRO CRUZ

AT THE MOVIES

‘Captain America’ – a Marvel-ousend-of-summer action romp

Photo: Jay Maidment / Marvel Studios

SUPER SOLDIER STEVE ROGERS (Chris Evans) and army intelligenceofficer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) celebrate a successful res-cue in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” from ParamountPictures and Marvel Entertainment.

Don Pedro Cruz is a local free-lance writer and graphic designer.Send your comments todpvc2000@gmail.com

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How time flies. It has beenapproximately six weeks since thesummer break started for ouryoung students. Towards the endof the recent school year and atthe start of the summer breakperiod, there was a noticeableincrease in the amount of van-dalism incidents to city ownedproperty. The damage includedbroken slats on the gazebo atThe Grove, on the white picketfence around the Endeavor Hallparking lot, and some graffiti.

However, there has been adecrease in the number of van-dalism incidents reported to thepolice department lately. Oneproblem seems to persist: juve-nile loitering. A popular gatheringspot for our young people is theGrove Park, and in some cases inthe parking lot located adjacentto the Endeavor Hall. I believethere is a strong correlationbetween juvenile loitering and thenumber and frequency of van-dalism.

When Clayton officers seejuveniles gathering in public after10 p.m., they stop and engagethem in conversation. One of the

primary purposes of the conver-sation is to advise them that thepark is closed, or that they mightbe in violation of the city’s curfewlaw. The city’s curfew law mightnot be well known. Let me takethis opportunity to educate ourcommunity about the existence ofthe curfew law and when it is ineffect.

The Clayton Municipal Codesection, 9.08.010, Curfew forMinors, reads as follows: It isunlawful for any minor under theage of eighteen years to be in oron any public street, park, square,or any public place within the citybetween the hours of 10 p.m., onSunday, Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday anddaylight immediately following,and between the hours of 12:01a.m., on Saturday and Sunday anddaylight immediately following,except where the minor is accom-panied by a parent, legal guardianor other adult person having thelegal care and custody of theminor, or where the presence ofthe minor in the place or places is

connected with or required bysome legitimate business, tradeprofession or occupation, by rea-son of employment, inclusive oftime necessary for going to andreturning from such place ofbusiness in which the minor isengaged.

In plain English: Curfewhours start after 10 p.m., Mondaythrough Thursday nights, andafter 12 midnight, on Friday andSaturday nights. The exceptionsare if the minor is with a parent or

guardian, or working, whichincludes going to and from work.Lately, Clayton officers have beenissuing warnings to minors theyhave contacted late at night inpublic places. However, the offi-cers will start issuing written cita-tions for violating the city’s cur-few law for future violations.

With strict enforcement ofthe city’s curfew law, we feel thatthis will contribute to the contin-ued decrease in vandalism thathas occurred in our city. If anyone

has questions about the curfewlaw, please contact the ClaytonPolice Department at 925-673-7350, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondaythrough Friday.Introducing

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Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s PoliceChief. Please send your questions,comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci.concord.ca.us

Turning your body into a fit machineCalisthenics unitesinnovation withtradition

Calisthenics is a form ofdynamic exercise consisting of avariety of simple, rhythmicalmovements generally using mini-mal or limited equipment.Intended to increase bodystrength and flexibility, calisthen-ics uses movements such as bend-ing, jumping, swinging, twistingor kicking. Quite simply, calis-thenics make you one toughmachine.

Varied Calisthenic exercise,when performed correctly. bene-fits both muscular and cardiovas-cular fitness, in addition toimproving balance, agility andcoordination. Increased develop-ment of particular muscles withinthe body is a specific benefit ofcontinuous and variedCalisthenics training. The essen-tial keys to performingCalisthenics are concentration,

constant muscle tension and con-sistency. Practice makes better.

Along with providing a boun-ty of exertion, Calisthenicsrequires no equipment, just yourown body weight. The need topurchase expensive, large, bulky,less efficient athletic equipmentbecomes null and void. All that isrequired is you. From jogging inplace to the popular burpee fol-lowed by high-knees kicks, it’s allabout getting an overall bodywork that is intense and effective.

Combining cardio, strength, andflex drills, Calisthenics is sure tosend your machine into maxi-mum overdrive.

Calisthenics may sound like astrange word but it is one you aremore familiar with than you mightthink. Remember P.E.? Sufferingthrough the push up test? Well,those old, tried and true basicexercises like squats, pull ups, andpush ups are still excellent exam-ples of calisthenics that areextremely tough but offer thebody results that are sublime.

However, there is no need totake my word for it. Put action towords. Try these greatCalisthenics combos and test outyour own machine.

V-Up – Enhance your coretraining by performing a V-Up.Start by sitting on the ground,lean back slightly with your armscrossed at your chest, your kneesbent and your heels about an inchoff the ground. Using only yourabs, fold your body up into a Vposition without letting your feet

or back touch the ground. Repeatfor 15 to 20 reps.

Walking Lunges –Strengthen the core and sculpt thelegs and glute region by perform-ing Walking lunges. To begin, takea big step forward with one leguntil your thigh is parallel with thefloor. Next push through yourheel and step forward with oppo-site leg. Each step is slow and con-trolled.

Superman – Improve all overbody coordination and control byperforming the Superman.

Lie face down on the floorwith your arms extended pastyour head and your legs hip-widthapart. Lift your legs and armssimultaneously off the floor.Hold for one second then releasefor one second, keeping themotion smooth. Work up to foursets of 20.

Extraordinary views andincredibly rich habitat will makefor a memorable experience onSave Mount Diablo’s monthlyfamily hike to Balancing Rockon Sunday, Aug. 28.

The breathtaking viewsstretch from Mount Diablosouth across the Tri-Valley,Livermore Mountains,Pleasanton Ridge, McGuirePeaks and as far as the SantaCruz Mountains.

Exposed sandstone cliffssurrounded by dense chaparraland Knobcone Pine woodlandprovide shelter for rare wildlifelike Prairie Falcons.

The four mile hike followsKnobcone Point fire road toBalancing Rock, and there isonly a 200 foot elevationgain/loss.

The hike runs from 10 a.m.to noon. Meet at Curry Point inMount Diablo State Park before

10 a.m. From I-680 exit DiabloRoad and head east towards themountain. Stay on Diablo Roadfor three miles then turn left onMt. Diablo Scenic Blvd., onceyou pass the Mount DiabloState Park entrance sign contin-ue up Southgate Road. CurryPoint is on the right two milespast the Southgate Kiosk. Thereis a $10 entrance fee per vehicle.

Please RSVP tosherrill_c@yahoo.com.

Take a Hike

Catch the views from BalancingRock

Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fit-ness certifications. She currently trainsat the newly opened Levity Fitness stu-dio in Clayton. Email Ilima atIlimaHeuerman@levityfitness.com

ILIMA HEUERMAN

FIT WITH LEVITY

The thickly chaparraled Knobcone Pinewoodland provides shelter for rare wildlife. Photo by Scott Hein, www.heinphoto.com

Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011

You’ve probably seen thosebumper stickers that encourageyou to “Practice Random Actsof Kindness.” Turns out thatwhoever coined that phrase wason to something.

I might be putting myselfout of a job, but I could nothelp but pass along some excit-ing new research that showshow practicing positive activi-ties, like acts of kindness, mayalleviate mild forms of depres-sion. In the August 2011 issueof the Journal of Alternativeand Complementary Medicine,researchers from the Universityof California, Riverside, andDuke University propose a newapproach for treating depres-sion calling Positive ActivityInterventions (PAI). PAIs areintentional activities such asperforming acts of kindness,practicing optimism, writing let-ters of gratitude, counting one’sblessings, meditating on posi-tive feelings toward others, andusing one’s signature characterstrengths.

PAIs seem to be effective inteaching people ways toincrease their positive thoughts,feelings and behaviors. Theresearchers theorize that PAIscontinue to benefit you longafter you’ve done them andwork to boost yourreward/pleasure feedback loop,

while also reversing apathyabout your future and the worldaround you.

This study is one of many inthe positive psychology field,founded by Dr. MartinSeligman, which focuses on cre-ating happiness and well-beingin our daily lives through theempirical study of positiveemotions and strengths-basedcharacter. Here are some rec-ommended strategies suggestedby positive psychology researchto boost your own happiness.

The first strategy is called“Three Blessings.” Before yougo to bed, write down threegood things that happened dur-ing the day. Then, write downwhy each of them happened.

The second strategy is called“Gratitude Visit.” Think ofsomeone who has done some-thing important for you whom

you have never properlythanked. In a letter, write downexactly what they did for youand the specific consequencesthat occurred in your lifebecause of their actions. Meetwith the person face-to-face andread the gratitude letter to thisperson.

The third strategy is called“Use Your Strengths in NewWays.” Take the VIA Survey ofCharacter Strengths on Dr.Seligman’s website,www.authentichappiness.com.Think of ways you already usethese strengths in your life.Brainstorm ways you can usethese strengths even more.Write down specific ways youcan use them. Commit to usingyour strengths in new ways thisweek.

The fourth and last strategyis called “The Future Diary.”Try writing for 20 minutes aboutyour best possible self. Visualizeyour preferred future. Whatwould your life look like ifeverything was just as you want-ed it? Picture yourself achievingyour goals and write about whatyou would be doing, where, withwhom, what it would be like,etc. Studies suggest that is possi-ble to experience a sense ofincreased happiness and well-being after practicing the aboveexercises for just one week. So,

do yourself a favor and get yourhappy on.

Every 10 years the USNational Climatic Data Center(NCDC) publishes monthlynormals of temperature, degreedays and rainfall for thousandsof weather stations in theUnited States. The latest update,issued last month, calculatesnormals for the 30 year period1981 through 2010. Theseupdated values will replace cal-culations made from data meas-ured between 1971 and 2000.

Until last month’s update,this report did not contain muchuseful information for Concordand Clayton residents since theclosest weather station was Mt.Diablo Junction. The problemwith the Mt. Diablo station isthat at an elevation of 2170 feet,its weather measurements arenot representative of thoseexperienced at the valley floorwhere most of the populationlives. The next nearest stations

are Martinez and Antioch.The good news is that two

Concord weather stations,Buchanan Airport and theWater Treatment Plant, areincluded in the newest report.Since both stations are locatedin the northwest portion of thecity, it is likely that the reportedsummer season temperatures atboth Concord weather stationsare somewhat lower than weexperience in the Clayton Valley.

Still, the Concord temperaturenormals are an improvement overthe Mt. Diablo Junction data. Forexample, both sites show Augustas the warmest month of the year.The average Concord Airportmaximum in August is 87.2degrees while the Mt. DiabloJunction average maximum isonly 84.7 degrees.

The calculation of monthlytemperature normals is astraightforward process. Themonthly average August maxi-mum temperature is the sum ofall August daily maximums foreach of the 30 years divided by930, the number of days in theperiod (31 days in August multi-

plied by 30 years).Daily average temperatures

are calculated by adding thedaily maximum temperaturesfor each day and dividing by 2.If the minimum and maximumtemperatures for Aug. 12 are 50and 100 respectively, then thedaily average temperature is 75.

Degree day statistics are alsopresented in the updatedNCDC 30 year normal tables.Degree days are a form of his-torical weather data commonlyused in modeling the relation-ship between energy consump-tion and outside air temperature.In the summer, cooling degreedays are correlated to electricalload mainly due to air conditionusage. In the winter, heatingdegree days are correlated to gasload due mainly due to spaceheating requirements.

Degree days are calculatedby comparing the daily averagetemperature to a base tempera-ture. In the United States, thisbase temperature is commonlyset at 65 degrees F. Using a basetemperature of 65, a daily aver-age temperature of 75 degrees

on Aug. 12 would result in acooling degree day value of 10(75 minus 65) for that day. If all31 days of August 2011 hadidentical daily average tempera-tures, then the monthly coolingdegree day total would be 310(31 days multiplied by 10 cool-ing degree days).

Meteorologists by nature areweather data geeks. The updatedmonthly normals recentlyreleased by NCDC give us plen-ty of new data to review.Fortunately, there are nowweather stations in the reportthat better represent the ClaytonValley area. If you are interestedin looking at the monthly tem-perature and precipitation nor-mals for any weather station inthe United States, please use thefollowing link (http://ggweath-er.com/normals/) and select thestate of your choice for a list ofweather stations.

WOODY WHITLATCH

WEATHER WORDS

Woody Whitlatch is a meteorolo-gist with PG&E. Email your ques-tions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

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Clayton residents since 1959

mazzeirealty.net

Matt Mazzei, Jr.Broker/Owner

DRE# 01881269

6160 Center St. Suite #C, Clayton

925-693-0757 (Main) � 925-693-0752 (Fax)

405 E. Santa Fe, Pittsburg $195,000Fourplex located in downtown

Pittsburg. Great investment

property.

867 Terra California Dr. #4, Walnut Creek$257,000

Wonderful 2BD/2BA condo located in

Rossmoor. Lovely setting with private

back patio & views of hills. No neighbors

across street. Close to all amenities

including new Creekside Restaurant!

PENDING

PENDING

1867 Olympic Dr., Martinez $317,900Charming single story 4BD/ 2BA

approx 1500 sq. ft. LARGE premium

lot tucked away in a cul-de-sac with

RV/Boat parking. Completely remod-

eled kitchen and both bathrooms.

PRICED to SELL!

PENDING

968 Tiffin Dr., Clayton $519,000Classic one story Rancher in Mitchell

Canyon. Pristine inside with hardwood

floors. 3 year old roof. Pool replastered

1 year ago. Walking distance from Mt.

Diablo Elementary . Landscaped

backyard with sparkling pool and spa.

BREATHTAKING VIEWS!

Diane and Bill HayesDRE#01222762

925-890-4701Dianemariehayes25@

yahoo.com

SOLD 120 Norman Ave., Concord $115,000

Back on Market

(925) 935-74471610 Locust St., Walnut Creek

www.cruiseadventuresunlimited.com

CST 2074362-40

Cruise Adventures UUnnlliimmiitteedd

Serving all cruise linessince 1987

• Reduced Deposit of $100 per person

• Onboard Coupon Booklet

All destinations

Princess Cruise Sale

Owners Valerie O’Connell (Clayton resident, 30 years) & daughter Colleen O’Connell

August 12 – 24

“New Normals” for ClaytonValley weather patterns

Researchers are positive: Good deeds help depression

STEPHANIE HO

MIND MATTERS

Stephanie T. Ho, Ph.D.. is aclinical psychologist based in WalnutCreek. You can contact her at 925-813-5807 orstephanie.ho.phd@gmail.com.

August 12, 2011 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 17

Brightly coloredblooms make delight-ful summer garden

Whether it’s cherry pink, elec-tric pink or hot pink, this year Ican’t deny that am feeling ratherpink. I have accented gardenswith pink flowers, created con-

tainer combinations in entirelypink hues, and incorporated pinkfoliage whenever I was given thechance.

The pinks caught my eye inthe spring. They were easily foundon the azaleas, hellebores,heuchera and berginia. AzaleaSouthern Indicia “Mistral” has the

largest funnel shaped mediumpink flowers that I have ever seenon any azalea. It’s possible thatthis is where my admiration forpink began. The blossoms cov-ered the entire shrub so denselythat the greenery was hardly visi-ble.

Helleborus “Candy Love” cameour way, with its nodding heads ofsimple light pink bracts thatresemble flowers and dark freck-les. Heuchera Snow Angel has greenand cream variegated foliage, withstems of small pink flowers, andberginia’s leathery broad leaf withthick stems that hold rows ofdusty pink flowers, have bothbeen successfully utilized in land-scape situations adding pops ofperennial pink color here andthere.

Once spring finally began towarm up a bit, more pretty pinkflowers were blooming through-out the nursery. The arctotis PinkSugar with its daisy-shaped flow-ers wowed as a small groundcov-er, as did the stunning Tiny Monstergeranium. Tiny Monster geraniumis a totally fabulous groundcoverfor full sun, the magenta pinkflowers cover the pillow-like body

of this perennial. Coprosma PinkSplendor is an evergreen shrub thatmakes for a great foundationplant. Pink Splendor has creamand green variegated foliage witha touch of pink. As the weathercools with the fall, the pink inten-sifies, and the cream color disap-pears. The combination is sogreat that you’ll never miss nothaving a bloom.

Salvia Chiapensis and SalviaBuchananii are both pretty withtheir bold pink flowers. The SalviaChiapensis has tiny two-lippedblossoms, and a happy plant canreach 3- to 4-feet tall and wide.Salvia Buchananii is eventuallysmaller with a similar bloomcolor. The Buchananii has a realfuzzy blossom that is very soft tothe touch. Salvia Wendy’s Wish isnewer to the salvia scene.Magenta pink two-lipped flowersare constantly in bloom and willgrow 4-feet tall and about half aswide.

Cordyline Electric Pink is all therage this summer. It has burgundybladed leaves that are margined bybright pink. This excellent grasslooking evergreen stuns in a con-tainer. Surround it with cherrypink million bells and a dahliacalled Mystic Illusion. This dahliahas dark almost blackish, fernyleaves, and a star-shaped pinkflower. All together, this combina-tion would thrill from springthrough fall.

Pink flowers have been foundevery where this year. Use pink toaccent red foliage, or gray foliage.You can use pinks to contrastsoften all the purple flowers inyour yard. This is the year forpink, at least for me.

It was April in Paris and Iwanted to see it all – the EiffelTower, Arc de Triomphe, theLouvre, the Musée d’Orsay,Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur andthe Statue of Liberty, just tomention a few.

We were going to be inFrance for three weeks andbecause we had not been therebefore, we wanted to experienceas much of the culture, food,wine, museums and history thatwe could possibly cram into thatshort period of time withoutneeding another vacation whenwe returned.

The first week was spent inParis. Our hotel was situated onthe Champs Élysées which

made it convenient to hopaboard the Metro each day to

various parts of the city. At12 Euro for 10 tickets, it

was an inexpensive andeasy means of trans-

portation.Paris is a

very walka-ble city,however,and it

was funto be

able to meander through variousneighborhoods and observedaily life while treating ourselvesto all sorts of food as we passedthe local shops. The patisserieshad fresh and delicious pastries;the fromageries produced anincredible variety of cheeses; theboucherie shops sold freshlymade paté by the kilogram, and,of course, the chocolatier dis-played gorgeous and intricatedesigns almost too pretty to eat.

The cafés where you couldstop for a latté were everywhereas were the sidewalk restaurantswhere you could grab a glass ofwine (which at 3 Euro was muchcheaper than a Diet Coke at 5Euro) and watch the Parisiensand tourists alike as they enjoyedthe beautiful weather.

A company called “ParisWalks” (www.paris-walks.com)provided us with informativetours of all the various neigh-borhoods – the Montmartre, theMarais, Left Bank, Right Bank,etc. The history of Paris is fasci-nating and was brought to lifeby the tour guides.

By purchasing tickets onlinebefore our trip, we had no trou-ble getting in to the variousmuseums. The Louvre holdsthree of the most famous piecesof art in the world – the Mona

Lisa (which is actually quitesmaller than expected), the

Venus de Milo, and the WingedVictory of Samothrace. Otherthan the Mona Lisa, which iscovered with bulletproof glassand surrounded by ropes tokeep the public at bay, all of theother displays of beautiful artcan be viewed at close range.The Musée d’Orsay is housed ina former railway station and thefacility is just as beautiful as theart displayed there.

Next time we’ll talk aboutour second week – a river cruisefrom Paris to Normandy.

TRAVEL TIP:Print your itinerary details –

including all confirmation num-bers, telephone numbers, etc. –on colored paper. When youhave to refer to them, it’s easy tolocate that piece of paperamong others you may be carry-ing.

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� Tree Service – ISA Certified Arborist on Staff

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Design InstallationMaintenance

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Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden Contact her with questions,comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Recently retired, Clayton residentPeggy Bidondo is a tireless traveler witha passion for travel planning and writ-ing. Send your questions and columnideas to Peggy Bidondo at timetogo@claytonpioneer.com.

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO

Over the past several years,Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)have become quite popular.There are now more than 1,200ETFs available adding up tomore than $1 trillion in assets,according to National StockExchange.

Investors have flocked toETFs because of their lowcosts, tax efficiency and stock-like features. But before youdecide to invest, be sure that youunderstand exactly what you arebuying.

An ETF is similar to anopen-end mutual fund in thatthey both offer investors a poolof securities. But that is largelywhere the similarities end.

Perhaps the biggest differ-ence between mutual funds andETFs is in how they trade. ETFstrade like individual stocks.Their prices fluctuate through-out the day allowing investors tobuy and sell any time the mar-kets are open. Mutual funds, onthe other hand, settle at the endof the day, meaning investorsmust wait to redeem or buy

based on a mutual fund’s netasset value (NAV) after the mar-kets close.

ETFs also tend to be moretax efficient because they typi-cally generate relatively low cap-ital gains from fund distribu-tions. ETFs usually have lowerturnover of securities becausethey are not required to sellsecurities to meet investorredemptions, like mutual funds.When a mutual fund sells securi-ties, it must pass along the capi-tal gains to shareholders, eventhough the shareholders havenot redeemed their shares. Thiscan create an unwanted surpriseat tax time.

The lower fees on ETFs canbe a benefit, but they can also bea trap. ETFs do not chargeredemption fees, and typicallyhave lower expense ratios thanmutual funds. However, everytime and investor buys or sellsan ETF, he or she pays a broker-age commission. For frequenttraders, these fees can quicklysurpass the lower annual coststhat ETFs usually charge.

There are many types ofETFs based on their underlyingpools of securities. Index ETFsprovide diversification across anentire index such as the S&P500. You’ll also find more spe-cialized ETFs offering exposureto a diverse variety of markets,including: country-specificindexes, sector-specific indexes,bond indexes, and commoditiesindexes.

If you are not confident inyour ability to choose the bestETFs for your portfolio, consid-er speaking to a financial advisorabout which investments mightbe appropriate for you.

ETFs are new stockmarket darlings

Bon appetit: Food, fine artare Paris’ main attractions

MURELEEN BENTON

FINANCIAL SENSE

Mureleen Benton is a CertifiedFinancial Planner. Call her withquestions at 685-4523

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.,Member NASD and SIPC, part ofAmeriprise Financial, Inc.

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com August 12, 2011