April showers do bring Mayflowers. Our hillsides look likevelvet green carpet. Trees andplants are budding everywhere.Our lawns look like they havenew life. Bare dirt in our gardenis starting to show signs of lifeas fresh shoots of annuals andbulbs begin to sprout. It is thetime to plant our vegetable andflower gardens and add a fewnew plants where others havedied. Spring is such a wonderfultime of the year.

HOWARD GELLER

MAYOR’S CORNER

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

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Car Tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

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

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Community Calendar . . . . . .14

Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5

DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .8

Estate Planning . . . . . . . . . . .7

Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .15

Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

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

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

PoliceReport . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

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

Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

The Charter Papers . . . . . . . .8

What’s Inside

PRSRTSTD

US POSTAGE

PAID

CLAYTON, CA

PERMIT190

Clayton’s greatestresource is its volunteers

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

See Mayor, page 6

www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012 0500

In this issue

Ipsen breaks 82-year drought to windiving championship for Stanford

IT’S YOUR PAPER

Clayton freshman KristianIpsen has had an incredibly busyfirst three months this year as hecompeted in his first college div-ing season for Stanford Univer-sity while also diving for theUnited States National Teamand in between all that trying tokeep up with his college course-work. He reached one milestonelate last month in Federal Way,WA when he won the NCAAchampionship in the three-meter springboard to give hisschool its first men’s nationaldiving title in 82 years.

With his first college seasonin the books Ipsen can focus onmaking the US Olympic Team.Next Wednesday will be exactly100 days before the start of theLondon Olympics and the 19-year-old is touted as a near cinchto represent his country in thesynchro three-meter with part-ner Troy Dumais and is alsoshooting for a berth on the USteam in the three-meter individ-ual event.

With a schedule for the USDiving National team thatwould have forced him to miss38 days of a 12-week springquarter Ipsen is taking the quar-ter off from school. Insteadhe’ll be competing in Moscow(Russia, not Idaho) and thenTijuana, Mexico before trainingback in Federal Way this monthwith the national team. After aweek off he’ll be heading to Ft.Lauderdale to dive against aninternational field at the annualAT&T USA Diving Grand PrixMay 10-13, his last competitionbefore the all-important USOlympic Trials June 17-24 in theSeattle suburb of Federal Way.

In between the Grand Prixin May and the Trials he’ll alsobe spending time on planes fly-ing back and forth to Austin,TX where he trains withDumais on synchro. The duohas been the No. 1 US synchroteam since Ipsen was first pairedwith three-time OlympianDumais – 13 years Ipsen’s senior– in early 2009. They’ve totallydominated American eventssince then and have placed inthe top four of almost all inter-national competitions. The Lon-don Olympics are July 27through Aug. 12.

Ipsen must have put a hugesmile on the face of his collegecoach Dr. Rick Schavone whohas been at Stanford for 34years. The coach has eightNCAA women’s champions butIpsen was the first Stanford manto win a national title forSchavone and all the coachespreceding him on The Farm for82 years. In fact, the freshmanflash from Clayton was the onlyStanford man to win a NCAAtitle this year as the Cardinaltook fourth at the NCAA Men’sSwimming and Diving Champi-onships. The Palo Alto schoolhas been in the top four ofevery NCAA meet since 1981but has recently had to look upto cross-bay rivals Cal, whichhas won the last two NCAAswimming and diving team titlesfor men and women.

Ipsen won all 12 regular sea-son one- and three-meterevents, swept through the one-and three-meter events at theRegional Zone meet in Col-orado Springs where he quali-fied for the NCAA finals. Hewas also eighth in his first ever

Photo courtesy Stanford Athletics Communications

FRESHMAN KRISTIAN IPSEN OF CLAYTON BECAME THE FIRST STANFORD DIVER IN 82 YEARS to winan NCAA diving championship, capturing the three-meter recently in Washington andcompleting an undefeated collegiate season in the event.

Observe Earth Day withyour friends and family andhelp Clayton spiff up for the Artand Wine Festival.

Join your neighbors onSaturday, April 21, rain orshine, for Clayton’s annualspring cleaning.

Meet at City Hall at 9 a.m.to pick up trash bags and T-shirts and spend the morningcleaning up Clayton streets,trails and creek banks.

Then meet back at the CityHall courtyard for a barbequelunch.

The event is sponsored bythe Clayton Pioneer, the city ofClayton and Allied Waste withgenerous donations from Fresh& Easy, Instant Imprints,Navlet’s, Peet’s Coffee andSafeway.

Traditionally the ClaytonValley High School Departmentof Instrumental Music takes aunique trip each year. This yearwas big – as in the Big Apple,New York City.

When the departure dayfinally arrived, I found myselfcatching a red-eye flight to JFKInternational with 73 other stu-dents, 10 chaperones, one direc-tor and two tour guides. Need-less to say, we didn’t sleep much,and we were tired when wetransferred onto tour buses.

However, all that changedand any signs of sluggishnessdisappeared as we crossed the

Brooklyn Bridge into Manhat-tan. Excitement rose as the mas-sive skyscrapers came into view.The streets were crowded withbustling people. Every avenuewas full to capacity with stores,shops, restaurants and vendors.Taxi cabs zipped around thestreets like a colony of ants. Ifound myself fascinated by thesights and sounds of downtownManhattan. As we departed thebus toward Battery Park and theLong Island Ferry, it was obvi-ous the magic of New York Cityhad cast its spell upon me andbrought out my inner tourist. Ifound myself enthralled in everysense, and taking pictures of

CVHS musicians get their New York City serenade

Once upon a time, spring-time brought daffodils to thehillside at Clayton and MarshCreek Roads.

Now weeds and a few bravepoppies cover the ground. Boul-ders are scattered over the hill-side like so many giant meatballsand a monument sign sits at thetop proclaiming “Clayton” to allwho pass.

The Clayton Business andCommunity Association (CBCA)

ClaytonCleans UpApril 21

ROBBIE PARKER

CVHS Reporter

Daffodil Hillproject stillon pause

See Daffodil Hill, page 4

Robbie Parker/Clayton Pioneer

STUDENTS FROM THE CVHS MUSIC DEPARTMENT pause for a group photo during their recent trip toNew York City. During the trip individual bands performed in Madison Square and participatedin professional workshops and master classes.

See Ipsen, page 10

See Musicians, page 8

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Put your ‘sticky note’ ad here.Call 925-672-0500

The Clayton Classic golftournament has been rescued atthe eleventh hour, and will goon for the 26th consecutive year,thanks to Jim Diaz, Ted Sud-derth and Miles Bell. The threeCBCA members stepped for-ward to co-chair the event, withthe able assistance of a group ofeager volunteers.

In the last issue of the Pio-neer, we reported that the annu-al event might be in jeopardy,since no one had yet volun-teered to chair the tournament.But it’s back on track, and Sud-derth was enthusiastic in prom-ising it would be better thanever.

“We want to bring the Clay-ton Classic back to the level itwas at 15 years ago,” he said,addressing the membership atits March 29 meeting atOakhurst Country Club.

The Clayton Classic tees offon Monday, June 11, atOakhurst.

Major sponsors includeOakhurst Country Club, AlliedWaste and the Sheet MetalWorkers. Diablo Ford will spon-sor the hole-in-one contest.

Entrance fees have beenreduced to $150 this year, inorder to increase participation,Sudderth explained.

The Clayton Classic is amajor CBCA fundraiser to ben-efit the boy’s golf team at Clay-ton Valley High School. Thisyear, the tournament is dedicat-ed to the memory of JerryCoakley, the late CVHS coach.

Daffodil Hill updateCBCA has been working

with the city of Clayton on theDaffodil Hill beautificationproject since 2008. Daffodil Hilllies at the main entrance todowntown Clayton, at the cor-ner of Marsh Creek and Claytonroads. The project has beendelayed several times because ofglitches in the process ofobtaining first private, then pub-lic bids.

The project is on hold, pend-ing the club’s decision abouttheir next steps, which includeworking with the City of Clay-ton, going back out to bid orother options.

In a final action, the mem-

bership voted to honor therequest from Junior Achieve-ment of Northern California tohelp fund their 2012 program inthe Clayton schools. As in previ-ous years, JA lessons on howbusiness works will be taught byCBCA members and volunteersfrom the community.

Additional events on the CBCA calendar include the Art &Wine Festival, May 5 and 6; the Rib Cookoff on Aug. 1; and Okto-berfest, Oct. 6 and 7. Volunteers are always greatly appreciated. Findout more at 925-672-2272 orwww.claytoncbca.org.

See Venus and Mars throughtelescopes and find out whyEarth has life, but not Venus orMars. See stars, nebula, galaxies,clusters, the moon and planetson April 14 when the Mt.

Diablo Astronomical Societymeets on Mt. Diablo on April14.

Children are welcome to thisprogram about our neighboringplanets..

The program runs from 7 to11 p.m. Enter Mt. Diablo StatePark through the Northgateentrance by 6:15. There is no feefor the program, but there is a$10 park entrance fee. Bringbinoculars, warm clothes, snacksand water. Flashlights are notrequired, but if brought, mustbe covered in red plastic. Partic-ipants will be escorted severaltimes during the eveningthrough the Northgate entrance.This program is weatherdependent and could be can-celed if there is high fire danger.

For more information, go tomdas.net or call 695-3134 or thepark at 837-2525.

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

What’s happening?Send your news and pho-

tos of your births, engage-ments, weddings, specialrecognitions, etc. toinfo@claytonpioneer.com.

Around Town

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Katlyn Cook and Jacob Duncan engagedKatlyn Cook and Jacob

Duncan, both of Clayton, willmarry in June of 2013.

Katlyn, a dental hygiene stu-dent and dental assistant, is thedaughter of Blane and SharonCook. She graduated fromCVHS in 2007.

Jacob is the son of Gary andLeala Duncan and graduatedfrom CVHS in 2006. He isemployed as a carpenter.

The two became engaged onMarch 31 when Jacob proposedin the pouring rain with anengagement ring he designedwith stones from Katlyn’s babyjewelry and the wedding ringsthat belonged to his mother andher grandmother.

When Dane and Kahni Hor-ton were packing for a desertvacation, we stowed away andtagged along on their visit totheir neighbor Barb Wall’s win-ter home in La Quinta.

One day, Barb surprised usall with a fancy gourmet picnicin the Joshua Tree National For-est, where we were surroundedby fantastic rock formations,sparkling sand, and the rareJoshua Trees.

JACOB DUNCAN AND KATLYN COOK

BARB WALL WITH DANE AND KAHNI HORTON AND THE PIONEER atthe Joshua Tree National Forest.

Pioneer goes to Joshua Tree

Club NewsCBCA’s Clayton Classic ready to tee off

GARY CARR

Special to the Pioneer

Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society

While facing the daily grindit’s easy to lose perspective ofthe awesome forces at workhere in our Clayton backyardsunder the shadow of MountDiablo. The ecosystems, geolo-gy, animals and wildflowers ofMount Diablo State Park areamong of the most amazing anddiverse in the U.S.

At the same time, the eco-nomic crunch is hitting hard andquietly on the state parks.

Filling the financial and man-power gap is the sometimesoverlooked Mt. Diablo Interpre-tive Association, a completelynon-profit organization with agoal to provide a positive parkvisitors’ experience since 1974.

MDIA is a small group ofboard members and volunteersdedicated to offering programsand services to enhance thepark. Of 60 to 70 State Parkcooperating associations,MDIA is the most ambitious

and largest.“Secure funding for state

parks is impossible to predict,and the park continues to makedeep cuts and defer mainte-nance of critical infrastructure,”said MDIA President JimMitchell. “Mount Diablo StatePark is counting on MDIA towork side by side with the staffto continue to provide servicesand interpretive material to parkvisitors.” Only 6 percent ofmore than $100,000 annualexpenditures are administrative.

In 2010, MDIA undertooka special fundraising initiative,raising more than $35,000 forthe Summit Visitor Center ren-ovation. “Our crew did all theprep work to gut, paint, andmove electrical for the Summitrenovation,” said Steve Elliott,Treasurer and VolunteerCoordinator.

“Our original mission was tohelp with interpretation so thatvisitors would have an educa-tional experience when they vis-ited but lately we have had to

take on more financial responsi-bility,” said Mitchell CanyonVolunteer Manager SueDonecker of Clayton.

Volunteers attend VIP Train-ing (Volunteers in Parks) givenby the State Park. “We do schoolprograms, lead hikes, and alsoare now helping to collect parkentrance fees. We also helpfinancially by supporting thepark aides so the Summit Muse-um can stay open for visitors,”Donecker said.

“The town of Clayton hasbeen a remarkable partner ofthe park,” Elliott said. “I’m notsure why. Maybe it’s theirheritage.”

MAYBE IT’S THE

WILDFLOWERS

Donecker perhaps has anexplanation. “As a Clayton resi-dent for a total of 21 years inthree separate time frames, Ihave a love affair with MountDiablo. This time of year isespecially beautiful with all thevarious wildflowers. Mount

Diablo is the place where thesouthern wildflowers and north-ern wildflowers meet. We have11 endemic species but thefavorite is the Mount DiabloFairy Lantern or Globe Lily.”

Merchandising publications,souvenirs, snacks and apparel atthe visitor centers generates 59percent of revenue. “MountainLore” is the just-released historyand place names book and“Mount Diablo: The Extraordi-nary Life and Landscapes of aCalifornia Treasure” is a must-have recent release.

“If you buy it at the visitor’scenters (MDIA) eats the tax andthe profit goes right back intothe park,” said Donecker.“Available soon is our latest ven-

ture – a bike jersey with themountain outline on it.”

JUNIOR RANGERS

In addition to educationalprograms, MDIA, in associationwith the park, is registering itssixth year of Junior Rangers for7 to 12 year olds. The compre-hensive series includes geology,plants, animals, CaliforniaNative Americans, prehistorictimes, the history of MountDiablo, hands-on activities and ahike. Participants earn weeklyawards and a Junior Rangerbadge and certificate at comple-tion.

“It’s really popular,” saidElliott, “and different thanother State Parks.” Elliott trav-

eled around California with hiskids to get a workbook stampedat various parks towards theirJunior Ranger badge. “Itbecame frustrating to finish,” hesaid.

In solution, MDIA co-spon-sors an “intensive” programover five Saturdays, three hourseach, designed to be substantialand meaningful while age-appropriate, Elliott explains.

“It’s an opportunity for aparent and child to work togeth-er, practice their skills and piquecuriosity.”

Kelly Tuohey of Claytonsaid her daughters Samantha,

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Small band of volunteers keep Mount Diablo in its glory

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON RESIDENTS KATHY DIMONTE, JOYCE CHIN AND SUE DONECKER volunteer hundreds of hoursas docents at the Mitchell Canyon Trailhead, turning almost all of MDIA’s revenue right backinto Mount Diablo State Park.

NICCI SHIPSTEAD

Clayton Pioneer

See Volunteers, page 4

27th AnnualHOME & GARDENContra Costa Spring Show

Clayton Pioneer

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12, and Annika, 8, have really enjoyed JuniorRangers with their dad, Michael. “Annikawas willing to miss a soccer game for anarchaeological dig where they uncoveredNative American tools. Other than that ithasn’t interfered with sports,” said Tuohey,who encourages her friends to participate.

Other MDIA investments include inter-pretive displays at the visitor’s centers, thenative plant garden, repair and completionof split-rail fencing at Mitchell Canyon,

replacement of trail signs and generic trailmarking, trash removal and habitat restora-tion.

Trail adoption by individuals and organi-zations help the park maintain the 187 milesof trails and fire roads. MDIA and the EastBay Trail Dogs finished refurbishment ofthe Black Point Trail in 2011.

More than 75 of 113 identified trashremoval sites have been cleaned up since2001. “We hit the million foot mark for

barbed wire, totaling 192 miles of singlestrand removed,” remarks Mitchell.

To register for Junior Rangers contactSteve Elliott at (925) 362-8697 or atSAE612@msn.com. The five weekend ses-sions begin April 28th – June 3rd from 1:00to 4:00 p.m. Registration is limited to 15children ages 7 to 12, plus 1 parent per child.While there is no charge for the program,payment of the Park’s entrance fee isrequired. Find a trail hike calendar atwww.mdia.org. Prospective volunteers con-tact Mount Diablo State Park Ranger CarlNielson at (925) 837-6129 orcnielson@parks.ca.gov.

started working on the civic project almostfive years ago. The improvements so far,have cost the club over $60,000.

Earlier this year, the CBCA DaffodilHill committee together with landscapearchitect Stephen Lane presented a cre-ative design to the City Council. The plansinclude oak trees, ground cover, seatingareas and flowering bushes. At that time,the committee was hoping to get the plant-ing done before this fall.

But, the project stalled because theCBCA has not been able to pin down aviable bid to complete it.

By most contractors’ standards, the jobis small, and it has been difficult to getthem to bid on it, CBCA president KeithHaydon told the City Council at the April3 meeting. “And the bids we did get wereall over the map,” he said. One private bidwas $29,000 and the other was $68,000.

Hoping to get a better deal if the smallerproject were bid as part of a bigger job, theclub asked the city to include the hillside inthe request for bid for the much largermedian project. But even that bid came intoo high – $52,000 for Daffodil Hill; stilltoo much, said Haydon.

CBCA wants the city to help pay to fin-ish the hillside. “We’re willing to contributea significant portion, but we aren’t a bot-tomless pit. We’ve invested over $60,000so far and don’t have much to show for it.”

Because the hillside has been a CBCAproject from the start, there are no city

funds budgeted for its landscaping.Councilman Joe Medrano wants to find

city finds to finish the project. “Not to fin-ish it would be a travesty,” he said.

Other Council members are morecautious.

Julie Pierce said “In some ways, itwould have been better not to have doneanything than leaving it half done. But, I’m

reluctant to commit city funds.”The hill is not part of the Landscape

Maintenance District but the District hasthe option to annex it, said City ManagerGary Napper.

The Council sent the matter to theTrails and Landscape Committee to evalu-ate annexation and voted unanimously toaward the median project to StockbridgeConstruction, the low bidder at $290,711,not including any Daffodil Hilllandscaping.

Volunteers, from page 3

Daffodil Hill, from page 1

Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

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Amenities & Services

Experience Retirement Your Way!

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

THE CBCA HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $60,000 so far into the hillside at the MarshCreek/Clayton Rd. entrance to Clayton. Landscaping bids have all come in muchhigher than expected and the club is asking the city to help pay to finish the project.

Pittsburg Office:2211 Railroad Ave.Pittsburg CA 94565Phone: (925) 432-4211www.LittornoLaw.com

Walnut Creek Office:3100 Oak Road, #300Walnut Creek CA 94597Phone: (925) 937-4211Richard@LittornoLaw.com

RRiicchhaarrdd AA.. LLiittttoorrnnooLLIITTTTOORRNNOO LLAAWW GGRROOUUPP

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Assisted over 4,000 Families since 1979

Auto

Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900

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

Business Services

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

Chiropractor

Coflin Chiropractic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6500

Construction and Trades

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

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

Black Diamond Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .777-3440

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

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

Steffan Smith Kitchen & Bath Remodeling . . . . .914-0497

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

Memo’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0395

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

Subway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0621

Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-1300

Events

Clayton Art & Wine Festival/CBCA . . . . . . . . . . .672-2272

Contra Costa Home & Garden Show .capitalshowcase.com

CR Abrams Living Trust Seminar . . . . . . . . .877-322-9778

Financial and Insurance Services

Dawn King Bookkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933-0553

Held, Chris - Wells Fargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609-9415

Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . .432-4211

Miller, Tom, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354-1385

Prosperitas Wealth Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7700

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

Funerals

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

Home and Garden

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

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

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

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

Navlet’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-0550

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

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

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

Mailing Services

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

Optometry

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

Pet Services

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

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

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

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

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

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

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

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

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

Ondersma, Christine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276-2005

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

Recreation and Fitness

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

Casey Copeland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CaseyCopeland.com

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

Diablo FC Soccer Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-4625

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

East Bay Regional Park District . . . . . . . . . . . .ebparks.org

Levity Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2995

Senior Services

Always Available Home Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6887

CourtYards at Pine Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-3900

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

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

Contra Costa Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .688-8320

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

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

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

Specialty Shopping

Candles Make Scents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405-7199

Step Into Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2276

Travel

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

Worship

Clayton Community Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9060

Directory of Advertisers

MUSIC LESSONSVoice, piano and guitar lessons.

All ages and music styles. My

studio or your home. Flexible

hours. Reasonable rates. Lots of

fun. Bucket Listers welcome.

Call Julia 497-1003.

WANTEDCome join Mazzei Realty!

Currently interviewing and hiring

new and experienced real estate

agents. Call 693-0757 for details.

Real Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French is

expanding and interviewing for a

few agents. Call her today at

672-8787.

VOLUNTEERS

NEEDEDHelp Fight Hunger

Anna Chan – AKA: The Lemon

Lady needs your help! Weekly

commitment appreciated. Please

contact Anna at 672-1988 or

AnnaAndAva@gmail.com.

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers and

relief drivers needed for delivery of

Meals on Wheels in East County.

Call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail

hairbyjim@att.net.

Hospice of the East Bay –

Anna’s Attic

Volunteer at Anna’s Attic Thrift

Shoppe, located at 5350 Clayton

Road. For information call 674-

9072. To learn more about volun-

teering for Hospice of the East Bay

please contact 887-5678, or email

volunteers@hospiceeatbay.org.

Clayton Historical Society

Museum needs a greeter for two

hours per month from 2-4 p.m.

Wednesdays or Sundays. Call the

museum at 672-0240 and leave

your name.

Clayton Community Library

Needs volunteers. Minimum age

13. Minimum commitment is 6

months. Some training provided.

Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or

email: nielsenjanc@aol.com.

Classified

P.O. Box 1246

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

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

STAFF WRITERS: Denisen Hartlove, Lou Fancher, NicciShipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

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

Tamara Steinertamara@claytonpioneer.com

Send ads toads@claytonpioneer.com

Send Sports News tosports@claytonpioneer.com

Send Club News toclubnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send Church News tochurchnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send School News toschoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

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

additional wordNon-profit: $24 for first 30 words,

$.20 each additional wordTo place your classified ad over the

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

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

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

saries, births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric of ourcommunity. Please let us know ofthese important events. We ask onlythat the announcement be for a Clay-ton resident. You will find the appro-priate form for your announcement onour Website. Attach your photo to theform. Make sure the image size you areabout to send is at least 3 MB but notbigger than 6MB. The only format weaccept is JPG. You can also mail orbring your print to the office and wecan scan it for you.

Also on our Website are forms forsubmitting Community Calendar itemsand press releases for yourorganization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORThe Clayton Pioneer welcomes

letters from our readers. As a generalrule, letters should be 250 words orless and submitted at least one weekprior to publication date. Letters con-cerning current issues will have priori-ty. We may edit letters for length andclarity. All letters will be published atthe editor’s discretion.

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

E-mail your letter in a Worddocument to tamara@clayton-pioneer.com. Letters MUST besubmitted via E-mail.

INTEGRITYDo the Right Thing

April 13, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 5

Obituary

Lorene Rea HansonJune 8, 1922 - March 22, 2012

Lorene Hanson passed awaypeacefully at home on March 22with her husband of 65years at her side.

Lorene wasborn in DuluthMinn. on June 8,1922. She livedin Clayton for52 years andworked at theClayton PostOffice for 22years. She wasinvolved inmany localorganizations,including theClayton ValleyWoman’s Club, Clay-ton Historical Societyand Clayton Museum; and shewas a frequent volunteer atmany civic activities.

She was predeceased by herson Thomas and daughter Kathy.She is survived by her husbandMahlon “Ming” Hanson, her

sons and their wives, Jim andPat Hanson and Bob and Patti

Hanson; six grandchil-dren and three

g r e a t - g r a n d -daughters.

She willbe remem-bered as aloving wife,m o t h e r ,g r a n d -m o t h e rand great-grandmoth-

er. She wasloved by all

who werelucky enough to

know her and willbe remembered for

her unconditional love andkindness.

Memorial donations can bemade to the Clayton ValleyWoman’s Club, PO Box 95,Clayton, CA 94517.

Why advertise in the Pioneer?

Here’s one reason:

We received a ton of feedback from ourAdvertorial in the Clayton Pioneer...seems likeeveryone read it!!!

Dan & Sarah Coflin,

Coflin Chiropractic

Q. I am trying to time ahome purchase and sale ofmy current home. I heardthat the Fed is going to keepinterest rates down throughnext year. How should thisaffect my timing?

A. My first thought is, whatdoes the Fed consider low?Does this mean the same ratewe are now experiencing?Historically, even if rates wentup over a percentage point,they still would be consideredlow. Even two points. My loanexpert, Jay Voorhees, gave methis example:

“Rates bumped up yesterdayin response to a lackluster bondauction, but came back downtoday. Quick note for thosewho believe that rates can beheld low indefinitely; Ratesbumped up yesterday becauseof weak demand for bonds.When you consider that over 70percent of all Federal bondpurchases are by the Fed for itsown balance sheet, you realizethat most of the ‘demand’ isartificial, and that this cannotcontinue. And rates will go up.

“This would be like GeneralMotors buying 70 percent of itsown cars in order to keep priceshigh. Sooner or later, GMwould run out of money andhave way too many cars. TheFed has ‘way too many bonds,’but it does not run out ofmoney because it effectivelyjust creates it, but that cannotcontinue without inflation run-ning amok.” When inflationgoes up, so do interest rates.Other positive numbers in theeconomy, such as lower unem-

ployment claims, raise rates.If low interest rates are your

deciding factor, you should selland buy now.

Q. I am planning to putmy house up for sale soon. Iam lucky that I have equityin it, but not a whole lot. Ithas been maintained wellwhile I have owned it. Iwould like to sell it “as-is”There are some areas thatneed maintenance or repairbut I would rather give thebuyer a little credit and letthem repair it. What is youropinion of the idea?

A. This is a market wherethe majority of buyers (a recentstudy cited 87 percent of firsttime buyers) are looking for a“move-in” ready home. Theywill pay a premium for one.Homes that have been sprucedup for the market sell quickeralso.

That doesn’t mean major,costly renovation that you, theseller, won’t likely get back onthe purchase price, either.Instead of a major kitchen or

bath renovation, just repaintingthe home, perhaps new floor-ing or at least removing clutter,will go a long way in fresheningup a home. Also don’t forgetabout curb appeal: Paint thefront door if it is showing wearand tear, freshen the flowerpots and trim the bushes.

It is crucial that you addressany major maintenance andsafety issues – such as leakingroofs – before the home evengoes on the market.

If you, however, are stillthinking of selling your home“as-is” you will need to get aprofessional home inspection,structural pest inspection (ter-mite inspection), and any otherinspection on a component thatcould turn out to be an issue.With these inspection reportsin hand a buyer will know whatthey are going to get if they buythe house. “As is” properties

attract a lot of investors. Theyare very “bottom-line” orient-ed. You often get a lower offerfrom them because the returnon their investment is their pri-mary incentive, whether theyare going to fix it up and “flipit” or keep it as a rental. Thereisn’t as much of the emotionalmotivation of someone that isgoing to live there would have.

The condition of yourhome is a good determiningfactor for how you will marketit. Consult with your RealEstate professional which is thebest way to go.

Lynne French is theBroker/Owner of WindermereLynne French & Associates and aClayton resident. For any real estateneeds or questions contact her at925-672-8787; E-mail:Lynne@LynneFrench.com, or stopin at 6200 Center Street in Clayton.

Clayton too is preparing forwhat is to come in the followingmonths. On April 21, the Clay-ton Pioneer will host its annualClayton Cleans Up. Volunteerswill clean our creek beds andtrails, trim overgrown shrubsand pick up litter.

The Clayton Business andCommunity Association is busygetting ready for their annualArt and Wine Festival on May 5and 6. That brings me to mytopic for this article, “the gift ofvolunteering.”

I am often asked what makesClayton so special. One answer Itypically hear is because of allthe events that go on through-out the year. I think it is becauseof all the volunteers that wehave to man these events. Thelargest single group of volun-

teers is the Clayton Business andCommunity Association(CBCA). It comprises about 200members who volunteer theirtime and energy to produceevents that we all enjoy. Joinedby Clayton Valley Charter HighSchool teams and coaches, vol-unteers from Diablo ValleyRanch and myriad volunteersfrom our community, theseevents are manned. Throughvolunteering new friends aremade. Old friends work side byside as goodwill agents, pouringdrinks and selling tickets to ourguests. With such positiveresults each year, volunteerscome back and bring newfriends and family to join them.

We have volunteers for theArt and Wine Festival, Oktober-fest, the Concert In the Grove

Park Series, 4th of July, LaborDay Derby, Clayton Library,Clayton Cleans Up, ClaytonCounts Down and the RibCook-Off. The list goes on. Ifyou are part of this philanthrop-ic group of people that volun-teer, then you already know therewards received. It is the warmfeelings of giving somethingback to our community thatmake us return year after year. Itis the feeling that we can make adifference and we do. To jointhis group of volunteers andwork the Art and Wine Festival,go to www.claytoncbca.org andsign up.

Last year because of Claytonvolunteers, CBCA donatedmore than $85,000 back to ourcommunity. Scholarships weregiven to students. Funds weredonated to allow our children toparticipate in events whichschools no longer fund. Pro-

grams were continued andequipment was paid for by theproceeds made in events staffedby volunteers. Last year, morethan 400 backpacks filled withschool supplies plus $3,000 wasdonated to VESTIA. The Veter-an’s Administration received$1,000 for warm blankets andsweatshirts. Eight families wereadopted for Christmas. CBCAdonated family essentials as wellas gifts. The list of donations ishuge as committee members siftthrough requests of people inneed.

While other communitiesboast of their business parksor retail malls, as your Mayor, Iget to brag about you, our vol-unteers. You make Clayton oneof the best cities in this nationto live.

Send questions and comments toCouncilmangeller@aol.com.

1026 Oak Street, Suite 200 � Clayton, CA 94517 � (925) 672-7700

www.ProsperitasWM.com

We are committed to serving the Clayton Community.

California Insurance License #: 0C99169 Securities offered through Investors Capital Corporation Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Investors Capital Advisory.

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Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

Mayor, from page 1

Week ending Thursday, April 5, 2012

AAcccciiddeennttssMar. 31, 10:20 a.m. Noninjury accident at ClaytonRd. and Diablo View Lane.

AArrrreessttssMar. 31, 11:50 p.m., AtClayton Road and Washing-ton Blvd., an Antioch manwas arrested for DUI afterpolice stopped him for a

Vehicle Code violation. April 5, 7:06 p.m. ALafayette man was arrestedat Mt. Wilson and Mt. Whit-ney for Stalking in Violationof Court Order

TThheeffttssApril 3, Grand theft on Mt.Etna Drive.

VVaannddaalliissmmMar. 29 on Marsh CreekRoad.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS

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Police Activity

The Smith’s mountain retreathas been in the family for manydecades, passed down from onegeneration to the next. Bob andJudy wish to continue the tradi-tion by giving the vacation hometo their four children. To keepfamily harmony, it’s importantthat Bob and Judy address theproperty in their estate plan.

COMMUNICATE PLANS TO

LOVED ONES

If you find yourself in a simi-lar situation to Bob and Judy’s, sitdown with your children to dis-cuss your plans for the vacationhome. Simply dividing the homeequally among your children orother family members may seemlike the fairest solution, but it canend up being an invitation to con-flict and hurt feelings.

Some family members maycare more about keeping thehome in the family than aboutany financial benefits it mightprovide. Others may prefer tosell the home and use the pro-ceeds for other needs.

One solution is to leave thevacation home to the familymembers who want it and leaveother assets to those who don’t.Alternatively, you can develop abuyout plan that establishes the

terms under which family mem-bers who want to keep the homecan buy the interests of thosewho want to sell. The planshould establish a reasonableprice and payment terms, whichmight include payment in install-ments over several years.

You also may want to puttogether a usage schedule fornon-owners whom you wish toallow to continue enjoying thevacation home. And to help keepthe vacation home in the family,consider setting aside assets thatwill generate income to pay formaintenance, repairs, propertytaxes and other expenses.

ESTATE PLANNING STRATEGIES

After determining who willreceive your vacation home,there are several traditional estateplanning tools you can use totransfer it in a tax-efficient man-

ner. In light of the $5.12 milliongift tax exemption and the factthat the amount is set to godown to $1 million beginning in2013 without Congressionalaction, it may make sense totransfer interests in the home toyour children or other familymembers now

But if you’re not yet ready togive up ownership, there areother strategies you can use, suchas a qualified personal residencetrust (QPRT). With a QPRT, youtransfer a qualifying vacationhome to an irrevocable trust,retaining the right to occupy thehome during the trust term.

At the end of the term, thehome is transferred to your benefi-ciaries (though it’s possible to con-tinue occupying the home by pay-

ing them fair market rent). Thetransfer is a taxable gift of yourbeneficiaries’ remainder interest,which is only a fraction of thehome’s current fair market value.

You must survive the trustterm, and the vacation homemust qualify as a “personal resi-dence,” which means, amongother things, that you use it forthe greater of 14 days per year ormore than 10 percent of the totalnumber of days it’s rented out.

Another option is a qualifiedterminable interest property(QTIP) trust. A QTIP trust canbe an effective way to providefor your current spouse for lifeand preserve the trust assets foryour children, while minimizinggift and estate tax. In blendedfamilies, a QTIP trust can pro-

vide a life interest in a vacationhome to your spouse, while ulti-mately transferring ownershipto your children from a previousmarriage.

EASE THE PROCESS

As Bob and Judy discover,there’s much to consider whendeciding to pass their vacationhome down to their children. Tomake the process easier, be sureto communicate your wishes toloved ones and discuss yourestate planning options with youradvisor.

Vacation home fate may be no day at the beachApril 13, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 7

The Contra Costa CountySuperior Court is accepting appli-cations for Civil Grand Jury Ser-vice for the fiscal year 2012-2013.

The Civil Grand Jury is madeup of 19 members who serve forone year, July through June, tomonitor, review and report on cityand county governments, specialdistricts and school districts.

“Grand Juries are the citizenwatchdogs of civic functions,” sayscurrent Grand Jury ForemanLloyd Bell. “All county citizenshave the authority to call the jury’sattention to issues within theirgovernmental agencies that theythink should be reviewed.”

Every effort is made to ensurethat the Grand Jury reflects themakeup of the residents of the

county. About 60 applicants will beinterviewed by the Grand JurySelection Committee, which iscomprised of Superior Courtjudges. The judges will nominateapproximately 30 applicants toconstitute a grand jury pool fromwhich the final panel of 19 will beselected by random drawing.

Individuals selected for servicemust be available during the lasttwo weeks of June to meet withoutgoing jurors, tour county facili-ties, meet with department heads,become familiar with their col-leagues, learn about juror responsi-bilities and procedures, and selectcommittees on which they willserve.

A Grand Juror must be a Unit-ed States citizen, 18 years of age or

older, and have been a resident ofContra Costa County for at leastone year. A Juror cannot currentlyhold any elected position withinthe county. Applicants should havereliable transportation to Martinez,and must be prepared to devote atleast 20 hours per week to CivilGrand Jury service.

Jurors receive a stipend forattending full jury and committeemeetings and are reimbursed forallowable jury travel. Parking isprovided in the municipal lot whileperforming Grand Jury duties.

To apply, contact the Office of theCivil Grand Jury at (925) 957-5638,or visit the website at www.cc-courts.org/grandjury. Application dead-line is April 13.

Grand Jury seeking applications

RICHARD LITTORNO

ESTATE PLANNING

Richard A. Littorno is an attor-ney specializing in estate planning.He has offices in Walnut Creek andPittsburg. Send your questions toRichard@LittornoLaw.com.

This is a picture of theKeller House with the barn inthe background, as it looked in1915. It sits across a foot bridgeover the creek behind theClayton Library.

Joel Clayton once ownedthis property that which isbelieved to have been part ofthe Rancho del Diablo Mexican

land grant.In 1891, Vincent Liberty, a

rancher from Marin County,leased the property and for atime. He and his eldest daugh-ter, Elodia lived in the housethat is now the ClaytonMuseum on Main Street. In1887, Elodia married CharlesHenry “Harry” Keller.

In 1910, Henry and Elodiapurchased the property fromJoel Clayton and camped undera large oak tree while they builtthe house. They named theirnew home, “Casa del Sierra.”Harry Keller operated theranch until his death in 1940.During the period from 1940until her death in 1954, ElodiaLiberty-Keller retained a lifeestate in the property. After herdeath, it was leased to ManualDeJesus who continued ranchoperations from the early 1960suntil 1972.

During the period 1972-1987, the property was pur-chased and sold by severaldevelopers. In 1991, the city ofClayton acquired the parcelwhere the house and theClayton Library sit from PresleyHomes. The house is listed onthe “California Register ofHistorical Resources.” The cityof Clayton plans to restore thehome for a community centerwhen funding is available.

The Way We WereThe Way We Were

Keller Ranch

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“Good ideas come from talentedpeople working together;

And clear expectations andresponsibility for achieving them areshared by all.”

– Clayton Valley CharterHigh School Charter

This collaboration with allstakeholders was exemplifiedlast month when the ClaytonValley Charter High SchoolGoverning Board voted for amore conservative, rigorousstandard of student dress forthe 2012-2013 school year. Theexpectation, responsibility andachievement are shared by allstakeholders.

The Governing Board isconsidering recommendationsfor a new bell schedule for the2012-13 school year. The teach-ers will vote on the new sched-ule by the end of the month.

On April 2, a majority of theCVHS classified staff, whichincludes the office staff, campussupervisors and special educa-

tion aides, voted to becomeemployees of the new charterschool.

Last month the MDUSDBoard of Education agreed toleave all donated items fromparent clubs, booster organiza-tions or the Associated StudentBody with the charter school.This includes band instruments,sporting equipment and uni-forms.

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

What is your vision forCVCHS? What steps would youtake to realize this vision? Emailcomments to april.winship@clayton-valley.org. April Winship is the par-ent of two CVCHS students. Shelives in Clayton with her family.

APRIL WINSHIP

THE CHARTER PAPERS

Charter calls for stricter dress code

When I received the invita-tion for the “Masquerade Cele-bration” for the eighth gradegraduation dance, I truly under-stood how quickly graduation isapproaching. The idea of leav-ing middle school and headingto high school appeared in myhead during the middle of lastsummer, but I never believed itwould come this fast. It justseemed like yesterday I walkedto Room 502 for Reading insixth grade.

I’m not terrified of graduat-ing (well maybe a little, becauseI’m so clumsy and I’ll fall of thestage…). I’m terrified of howfast time passed between 2010until now. The world and peoplearound me have changed fast –too fast. Personality changesfrom sixth grade to now areshocking. Some people I knew

became more mean, and somepeople became nicer. I saw girlsand boys I know trying thingsthey wouldn’t normally do sothat they could join the “coolclique.”

Looking back through oldyearbooks and seeing the Classof 2012 grow from preteens to

teens, I wonder – what hap-pened? What made popularitybecome a project?

Pretty soon, everyone will bestanding up in their dresses orties grinning happily as they aregraduating. Right now, I justwant to enjoy the ride. I don’twant to forget any of the mem-ories I made. Good ones andbad ones. Middle school justteaches you a lot. Educationrelated things and non-educatedrelated things. You lose somefriendships, gain some, startrumors and end some. But allthat matters is that you stayyourself throughout thick andthin. This is what lasts beyondgraduation.

Take important lessons with you after graduation

Celine Herrera is in the eighthgrade at Diablo View MiddleSchool. Email comments or ques-tions to celine@claytonpioneer.com.

CELINE HERRERA

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nearly everything I came across.A couple hours and about a

dozen group photos later, weleft for some of the historicplaces in downtown Manhattanlike Battery Park City, China-town, Wall Street, Little Italy,Soho, Tribeca, Harlem, theUpper East Side, and other var-ious notable landmarks. Overthe next few days, we exploredsome of New York City’s great-est attractions such as EllisIsland, the Statue of Liberty, the9/11 Memorial, Times Square,Grand Central Station, FifthAvenue, Central Park, Cathedralof St. John the Divine, Rocke-feller Center, Wall Street,Columbia University, Broadway,Madison Square and Radio CityMusic Hall. We also caught aBroadway show, “The LionKing.”

Of course we also experi-enced the culture of New Yorkby indulging in some of Man-hattan’s world-renowned cui-sine. We enjoyed beautifully pre-pared dinners at the Hard RockCafé and the Stardust Diner; notto mention eating all thatfamous Brooklyn-style pizza.

Although the sights andsounds of NYC were remark-able, the musical opportunitieswe experienced undoubtedlymade the trip unforgettable.CVHS Wind Ensemble/Sym-phonic Band, Jazz Band, andOrchestra arrived at MadisonSquare Atrium clad in all black,and gave a spectacular perform-ance that could be heard forseveral blocks. Later, studentsattended a professional musicworkshop at Montclair StateUniversity in New Jersey. There,the wind ensemble/symphonicband worked with Dr. ThomasMcCauley while orchestra stu-dents attended a class with KenLam.

After our expert musicalcoaching, and a little more tour-ing through the Upper East Sideof Manhattan, we made our wayto our exchange performance atIrvington High School in Irv-ington, New York. The stu-dents, parents, and facility atIrvington graciously prepared adelicious potluck dinner. Shortlyafter, both CVHS Orchestra andWind Ensemble, along with Irv-ington’s Choir and Orchestra,

gave an impressive concert inthe school auditorium.

“The students did a greatjob representing Clayton Valleythe entire time, and built manymemories too,” said JosephScott, conductor and director ofCVHS Instrumental Music. Heexpressed the importance ofgiving students opportunities tomake connections with musicthrough the real world. “I saw agreat amount of growth andmaturity from our students.”

Traveling to New York wasthe experience of a lifetime, oneI will never forget. Seeing thelandmarks and participating inthe musical experiences willalways be etched in my mind. Forme and fellow students, this tripopened my eyes to endless possi-bilities. I also realized somethingvery important about myself:Although I loved every minute ofbeing in New York, Clayton iswhere I want to be. There is justsomething comforting about ourquiet, small town as opposed tothe bright city lights and constantendless noise. So while I will con-tinue to travel to different placesaround the world and experiencenew adventures, I will alwaysenjoy returning to my home inClayton.

Musicians from page 1

Celebrate Earth Day by kick-ing up a little dust during theDiablo Trails Challenge benefit-ing Save Mount Diablo on Sat-urday, April 21.

With incredible scenery andinspiring trails, the Diablo TrailsChallenge offers a 5K, 10K,Half Marathon and Mount Dia-blo’s only point-to-point 50K.

“It’s the best way to cele-brate Earth Day,” says Julie See-len, Save Mount Diablo’s

Advancement Director. “Whileyou connect with and enjoy theDiablo Wilderness, proceedsbenefit Save Mount Diablo’sland preservation work so youhave more to enjoy in thefuture.”

Save Mount Diablo pre-serves, defends and restoresMount Diablo’s natural landsfor people and wildlife to enjoy.

“It’s an incredible place,”says Dave Husted, a 50K runner

and Save Mount Diablo BoardMember. “You get up here andthere’s nothing to hear but thebirds and the trees. People don’tknow how great it is until theyget up here.”

Day of registration begins at6:30 a.m. and events begin at 8 a.m.To register or for more information,please visitwww.SaveMountDiablo.org or call925-947-3535.

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Your cell phone unexpected-ly goes off at work or late atnight, times when most peopledo not try to reach you unless itis something urgent, and byurgent, I mean bad news. Youpick up or listen to your voice-mail message, wondering ifsomething happened again toyour family member you are soconcerned about – or worse,that the person on the other lineis calling on behalf of yourloved one.

I have been on the receivingend many a time with my lovedones as they share their worriesand ask me to keep them in myprayers. I have had many rela-tives in the generation beforeme who have been in the posi-tion of being a family caregiverand anticipate that as I age, myfriends and I will be shoulderingthat similar responsibility. To behonest, it intimidates mebecause I know the psychologi-cal impact that comes withbeing a caregiver. But nobodycan really know what it is likeuntil they are in it and hopefullythey won’t be in it alone.

According to the NationalAlliance for Caregiving andAARP, it is estimated that morethan 65 million people – 29 per-cent of the U.S. population –provide care for a chronically ill,disabled or aged family memberor friend during any given yearand spend an average of 20

hours per week providing thatcare. Thirteen percent of familycaregivers provide at least 40hours of care per week. Thatmeans that caregiving is a part-time or full-time job, and oftenthat could be on top of workand other family responsibilities.

When surveyed, the topthree concerns that worry fami-ly caregivers the most are takingcare of their own personalhealth, lack of respite care, andmeeting monthly financialneeds. I cannot tell you howmany times I’ve heard my moth-er say, “You better hope nothinghappens to me, or else you’llhave to take care of your grand-mother.” If a family caregiverfalls apart or gets sick, then thatis not just a problem for thecaregiver but also for the personthey care for. That is why it is soimportant for caregivers to takebetter care of themselves, other-wise they risk caregiver burnout.

I cannot stress enough theimportance of support. Be sureto research any available servic-es and programs for caregiversin the local area. Don’t be afraidto reach out and connect with asocial worker, as these are spe-cially trained professionals whocan assist with communityresources. Find a way to facili-tate team caregiving. Hold afamily meeting in-person, overSkype, or over the phone todivide up and delegate responsi-bilities. I often hear that somesiblings cannot handle seeing asick parent, so perhaps they canfix meals, pay bills, or find someother way to help out. Also,reach out to friends or local sup-port groups. While this isimportant for women, it is vitalfor men as well. Women have

often been socialized to be thecaregivers in their family andcommunity, while men are oftenthe “closet caregivers” and up to40 percent of today’s caregiversare men.

People will usually say thatcaregiving is something thatchose him or her. Many care-givers feel fortunate to be in aposition to take on that role andresponsibility, to offer theirloved one the best possible careand to make their loved one’s

days as comfortable and mean-ingful as possible. Caregivingmay be a dutiful obligation or alabor of love, but it need not bea burden if people take steps toshare that burden and take asgood care of themselves as theydo for their family member.

STEPHANIE HO

MIND MATTERS

Stephanie T. Ho is a licensed psy-chologist. She has a private practiceoffice in Walnut Creek and works atUC Berkeley. She can be reached atstephanie.ho.phd@gmail.com.

Caregivers need care, too

Q. Dear Gary: Howimportant is the quality ofgas I use?

A. To understand the impor-tance of different fuels, first youmust understand what differentoctane levels mean. The octanerating is the degree a fuel resistsburning. Each auto manufactur-er has calculated the proper

octane to be used for eachengine. Small high-performanceengines use a high-octane fuelfor better performance andsome use lower-octane for emis-sions. This means the higher therating, the slower it burns in theengine. The engine manufactur-er suggests a rating for their carso the engine will work at peakeffect: The most power, bettermiles-per-gallon, less tail-pipeemissions.

All fuels are created equal atthe start. Then, different addi-tives are added in. Major brandgas has special cleaners in them.This helps keep engine partsclean and working better. Fewoff-brands have this cleaner,which is why they sell for alower price. The difference in

GARY TAYLOR

CAR TUNED

The gas isn’t alwaysgreener on the cheap side

See Car Tuned, page 18

Please let our advertisersknow you saw them in the

Clayton Pioneer

collegiate platform event there.Ipsen with a 930.90 was theonly diver in the three-meternationally to score over 90points. He missed the Pacific-12 Conference meet, won forthe 31st time in a row by Stan-ford, while competing in Lon-don at the World Cup, a disap-pointing meet for Dumais andIpsen with their worst-eversixth-place finish.

Ipsen was the only fresh-man in an eight-man NCAAthree-meter final that featuredseven seniors. “It really meansa lot to me, especially afterLondon, where I didn’t do as

well as I wanted to” said Ipsen.“I was really tired after thatexperience, and competing atmeet after meet, but I’m reallyhappy (with the resulttonight).”

The day before at theNCAAs Ipsen finished secondin the one-meter, his first andonly college defeat all seasonin either springboard event. Hethen closed out his first colle-giate championship by finish-ing as the consolation bracket’srunner-up in the five-meterplatform, only his second timein the event.

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Clayton Valley High Schoolteams have enjoyed lots of suc-cess since the school was alignedback in the Diablo Valley Athlet-ic League for the 2008-2009school year. Eagles teams havevarying expectations as theyattempt to get matches, gamesand meets in around the wetweather that has visited the areathis spring.

Coach Rick Ortega’s boystennis team has the league’s No.1 play in Jonathan Kim andarguably No. 2 in another seniorRyan Dugan. Kim has not lost apreseason or league match sincehis freshman year and thatrecord has earned him back-to-back DVAL Most Valuable Play-er awards. He’s represented theleague in the North Coast Sec-tion singles tournament the lasttwo years. When the senior co-captain completes his prep careerthis spring he’ll be moving toPomona-Pitzer College in South-ern California.

Dugan played baseball as afreshman and then switchedspring sports to tennis his soph-omore year. Assistant coachMarc Albano says that steadyimprovement saw Dugan playNo. 3 singles as a junior whileearning second team all-DVALhonors and this year he might bethe second best singles player inDVAL.

Jacob Saudan lends moresenior leadership to the team thatfeatures a quartet of new varsityplayers in freshman BrandonSovik and sophomores JimmyYoung, Kevin Dong and AustinArter.

Entering league play the

Eagles were considered a gooddeal behind Northgate in fight-ing for the DVAL title but theteam’s motto of “failure is not anoption” was never more appar-ent when they turned aroundtheir lopsided 6-1 away loss tothe Broncos with a 4-3 victory inthe return home match. Basedon the scores of those matchesNorthgate will get the automaticbid to NCS while the Eagles willbe applying for an at large berthfor the May team champi-onships, which are held a weekafter NCS singles and doubles.

YOUNGER SWIM TEAMS

Clayton Valley swimming andwater polo enjoyed much successin recent years with the likes ofAllyson Hansen and DerekAnderson leading the way. Thisyear’s swim team has a younglook to it with the majority ofreturning swimmers in the soph-omore and junior classes.

Veteran coach Dennis Bled-soe is working with formerYgnacio Valley High standoutsKelly and Kristen Cadwalladerthis year. Bledsoe has been partof the CVHS aquatics programsince 1966 (with short stints offwhile coaching in college) whileKelly Cadwallader is in her sec-ond year on the staff and KristenCadwallader her first.

The girls team includes seniorJenna Stelzner, sophomores SaraAbele, Ariana Bermudez andSara Johnson plus juniorsMichelle Lutz, Casey Henggeler,Bailey Rogers, Jackie Svobodaand Julia Silverberg. For the boysjuniors Nick Bazan, RyanCalkins, Chris O’Connell, MattVonnegut and Sam Wells will bemainstays along with sopho-mores Jack Brown, Jake Frigard,

Jake Reynolds, Jordan Tate andMatt Vanderstraeten.

Newcomers to the varsity areKaysa Conger and Noel Cream-er for the girls and freshmenLiam Calkins and Jake Seigristfor the boys.

The Eagles figure to takethird in DVAL behind Northgateand College Park. The swim sea-son culminates at Concord Com-munity Pool on May 11-12 withthe DVAL meet and May 18-19with the NCS Championships.

LACROSSE TEAMS IN

DIFFERENT LEAGUES

Clayton Valley High lacrosseteams play in different leagues.The boys are two-time defendingDVAL champions while coachAllen Raymond’s girls play in thevery competitive Bay Shore Ath-letic League along with Berkeley,Davis, Bishop O’Dowd, Pied-mont, Northgate and newcom-ers Ygnacio Valley.

Raymond says of his girls,“The team is much improvedover last year. We have a goodbalance of new players withexcellent skills and more experi-enced players with good situa-tional awareness.”

His returning stalwarts aresenior midfielder Joanna Fan andjunior midfielder Megan Abcede.Sophomores Kyra Ortiz andQuincy Winship have beenadded to the squad this year.

Coach Matt Hill’s CVHSboys lacrosse team has gonethrough a grueling pre-seasonschedule with little success interms of wins and losses but thecompetition should get themwell prepared for league play thatstarts later this month.

Ipsen, from page 1

Sports

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Page 10 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

See Eagles, page 12

Expectations vary for Eagles sports teams

Mike Dunn photo

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SENIOR JONATHAN KIM has been dominating his league opponents since hisfreshman year and hopes to cap his career leading the Eagles to the North Coast Section tour-nament this spring and earn his third successive league Most Valuable Player award.

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Coming off one of its greatestseasons ever, Dana Hills SwimTeam has announced the staff toassist head coach Serge Victor asthe Otters look to even improveon last year’s impressive resultswhich included record-settingleague and city meet champi-onships and a runner-up finish inthe Contra Costa County Meet toconclude the season, Victor’s firstat the club since 1995.

Zach Harmon and AngelaBradley have moved to the Ottersfrom the Oakhurst Country Clubteam where they were head coachand associate head coach, respec-

tively, last summer. DHST swim-mers Ryan Calkins and Sam Pro-tich will be competing for theteam and serving as assistants ondeck.

A senior at Principia Collegein Indiana, Harmon has coachedat both Oakhurst and Vista Dia-blo in Concord. He swam for sixyears at Dana Hills before he agedout in 2009. In college he has notonly swum competitively but alsotaught swim lessons and stroketechnique. Harmon will join thestaff in May after graduation.

Bradley swam competitivelyon the East County Stingrays for

seven years when Victor was thehead coach. She swam four yearsin high school and played waterpolo as a junior and senior. Shewas an assistant coach forOakhurst from 2008-10 beforebecoming associate head coachlast year. Bradley has also assist-ed Victor with his winter andspring clinics.

Both high school juniors,Protich attends De La Salle andCalkins is at Clayton Valley. Inannouncing their appointmentsthe DHST board said, “Bothyoung men are known, not onlyfor their personal swimming

skills, fast times and ability towork with our kids, but also fortheir team spirit, energy andexcitement. “

Practice begins April 23..Registration for DHST continuesonline at danahillsotters.com.

The announcement of theDHST coaching assignmentscome on the heels of formerOtters assistant coach KelseyBrassil of Clayton moving to Wal-nut Creek’s Woodlands SwimTeam as head coach and Caron-delet High School head coach Jas-mine Millan taking over the reinsfor the Oakhurst Orcas.

Dana Hills Otters Swim Team addsassistant coaches to 2012 summer staff

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When Clayton Valley HighSchool baseball coach Bob Ral-ston “threw his hat in the ring”and applied for the head base-ball coach job at his alma materCal Sate East Bay less than ayear ago he started a chain reac-tion that is still reverberating onthe Alberta Way campus.

The latest change cameMarch 26 when Clayton resi-dent Herc Pardi stepped downas head coach after guiding theEagles football program for 16years. Pardi was appointedinterim baseball coach toreplace Ralston last Novemberand says he hopes to continuein that role when the schoolchanges its name to ClaytonValley Charter High School forthe 2012-2013 school year. Ral-ston is in his first season coach-ing Cal State Pioneers after hewas chosen from a field of 200applicants.

Pardi, 60 and a Clayton Val-ley grad, cited the demands ofrunning two major sports pro-grams at the school as the rea-son for his resignation. Hemade the announcement just10 days after the memorialservice for Jerry Coakley, hisclose friend, mentor and CVHSdefensive coordinator foralmost all of Pardi’s tenure,who passed away last month.

In his surprise email mes-sage announcing the change tohis present and past coaches,alumni and friends Pardi said,“I want to thank all of you forthe tremendous amount ofsupport you have shown meand our football program thruthe years---16 of them.” Hethanked wife Roxanne anddaughter Meghan, also a CVHSalum, for their support of hiscareer.

Looking back at his tenurewith Clayton Valley football,which was not enjoying the bestof times when he took over in1996, Pardi cited his initialcoaching staff of 1996-98 for“helping build a successfulfoundation. I owe a great dealof gratitude for their loyalty,knowledge and passion. Thatgroup of coaches included SamQuinones, David Jeans, Jeff

Gargalikis, Clyde Foreman,Rick Norwood, Mike Gorman,Brad Swint, John Canesa, SamWilliams Sr., Donnie Howell,Don Rath, Brian Hamilton(now the successful ConcordHigh head coach) and Coakley(starting in 1997).

Pardi was honored as the2010 North Coast SectionFootball Honor Coach. NCSincludes 167 schools and he’sonly the third coach in the 53-year history of CVHS toreceive the prestigious NCSHonor Coach designation, fol-lowing in the footsteps ofwater polo legend Dennis Bled-soe (2003) and 1977 StateC h a m p i o n s h i p - w i n n i n gwrestling coach Bill Smith(2009). He was also East BayCoach of the Year in 1991 atPittsburg and 1998 for CVHS.Eagle alum Sam Williams ofthe Oakland Raiders nominatedPardi as NFL High SchoolCoach of the Year in 2005.

While compiling a record of107-75-2 for CVHS football,Pardi’s teams three timesreached the North Coast Sec-

tion championship game butfell just short each time of win-ning the title, including anincredible triple overtime 2003game against Las Lomas thatended 37-36. The Eagles werein the playoffs 12 of those 16years.

Pardi has spent 37 years onthe Friday night high schoolfootball sidelines, starting in1974 as Las Lomas High headfreshman coach. He establishedhis reputation at Pittsburg Highwhere he gradually moved fromfreshman to JV and then varsi-ty head coach (1991-95) of thePirates. The Pittsburg-De LaSalle games of that era werethings of legends. Pardi’s 1991Pittsburg team is the lastNorthern California team tobeat the Spartans and that camein the North Coast Sectionchampionship game. He men-tioned Frank Aiello and RonConigilo as his mentors at Pitts-burg. Pardi still teaches in thePittsburg Unified School Dis-trict and is not retiring from his“day job” there.

Pardi is quick to add to his

coaching resume his tenure atMt. Diablo Elementary from1973-77 when he coached fourflag footballs teams at once!

Not only did Pardi head asuccessful football program buthelped usher in a new era withCVHS adding lights at the sta-dium in 2003 and a turf fieldfor the 2004 season. Hethanked the Gonsalves Familyfor providing financial supporton the stadium that now bearstheir name.

The death of his closefriend Coakley can’t be over-stated in the decision processPardi went through. "Coak andI spent every Sunday togetherreligiously during football sea-son. I saw him 250 days out ofthe year for my tenure at Clay-ton Valley. That definitelyplayed a role." Coakley’sdefense perhaps had its finestmoment in 2004 when CV andDe La Salle tied 17-17.

Clayton Valley High Athlet-ic Director Pat Middendorfwas away for spring break andthe timetable for selection of2012-2013 coaches isn’t known.

Adam Carp has beeninvolved in basketball nearlyhis entire life, going back tohis days at Diablo View Mid-dle School and Clayton ValleyHigh School. He continuedplaying hoops at University ofNevada Reno for four yearsconcluding his Wolfpackcareer, which included twoconference championships, asthe team’s Most Inspirationalplayer. He graduated with acommunications major andthen entered grad school in

Reno studying EducationalLeadership (he graduates nextmonth) with plans to one daybe a college athletic director.Although his college eligibili-ty ran out his love of basket-ball didn’t and he tried out inNew Jersey last year andmade the United States men’sbasketball team for the 12thPan American MaccabiGames in Brazil. MaccabiUSA is a Jewish volunteerorganization that seeks topromote Jewish pride

through sports. Team USAremained undefeated againstCanada, Israel, Brazil andMexico to win the gold medalearlier this year.

The local boy Clayton boymakes good said, “I can’t evendescribe the feeling of beingawarded a gold medal whilewearing a USA jersey. Mycoaches and teammates arepeople that I will be friendswith for the rest of my life. Itis amazing to think about thegreat things that the game of

basketball has done for me.Just the opportunity to go toBrazil and play basketball wasamazing, but to able to win agold medal for my countryand make lifelong friends iswhat was truly rewardingabout the experience.

“The decision to try outwas something I really had tothink about because I wasscared of failing. I had toovercome my fear of failureand understand that some-times you must fail before youcan succeed. Fortunately Imade the team and I was ableto be a part of a gold medalwinning basketball team.”

The Clayton Pioneer congratu-lates Adam Carp and rewards hisachievement with a gift certificate toRocco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria.

Do you know a young athletewho should be recognized? Perhapshe or she has shown exceptionalsportsmanship, remarkable improve-ment or great heart for the sport.Send your nomination for the Rocco’sPioneer Athlete Spotlight today tosports@claytonpioneer.com.

AthleteSpotlight

Name: Adam CarpAge: 23 Team: United States Maccabi

Pan Am Games TeamSport: Basketball

Sports April 13, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 11

Mike Dunn photo

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL IS LOOKING FOR A NEW FOOTBALL COACH for the first time in 16 yearsafter Herc Pardi recently surprised everyone and resigned. The Clayton resident has spent 37years on the sidelines of high school football.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Valley HS football coachHerc Pardi steps down after 16 years

Doug Van WyckCLU ChFC, Agent6200 Center St. Ste. AClayton, CA 94517925-672-2300www.dougvanwyck.com

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AYSO spring tournamentteams braved wet weather toget the tournament seasonunderway in late March at thePHMSA SoccerFest. The localMt. Diablo Soccer region cameaway with four championshipsand an equal number of run-ner-up finishes at SoccerFestand hopes to continue thatstrong showing in upcomingcompetitions highlighted byConcord Cup XIX on the May19-20 weekend.

MDSA girls teams capturinggold medals from at neighbor-ing PHMSA were the under 12MDSA Speed, U14 MDSALegends FC and U16 MDSARampage. The MDSA DarkKnights U10 boys also wereSoccerFest champs.

In the U12 girls bracketMDSA Speed won five straightgames, topping teams fromSunnyvale, Mountain View,Pleasant Hill and Davis. Thefinale against Davis Doom sawSpeed twice come from behindto tie the game 2-2 in regula-tion. Neither team scored inovertime so the title was decid-ed by penalty kicks. MDSAmade all five of its shots toearn the gold medal.

Strikers Emily Kaleal, EricaTims, Kalyn Stuart and MiaGarcia led the attack as Speedtotaled 18 goals. MidfieldersAdriana Gavidia, MarlindaRamirez and Sarina Valeriocontrolled the middle of thefield and contributed goals oftheir own. Anchored by sweep-er Andrea Lopez, the defensewas stern with Alyssa Granadosand Hannah Thompson on theflanks. Lauren Depaschalis andNatalie Johnson alternated asMDSA Speed goalkeepers forcoach Roberto Lopez.

MDSA Fury was third in theU12 division, beating MountainView in the 3-1 in the third-place game after a narrow 1-0loss to David Doom in thesemi-finals.

In the youngest U10 girlsflight, MDSA Dynamite fin-ished second and MDSAVelocity third. Dynamite fell 2-1 to Walnut Creek Milan afterearlier beating Davis Daredevilsby the same score in the semis.Velocity was beaten by Milan intheir semi-final match 3-2 butcame back for a 2-0 verdictover the Daredevils in thethird-place game.

MDSA Legends FC won

three straight games to reachthe U14 finals against sisterteam, MDSA Fury. The cham-pionship match was a defensivestruggle. Legends produced thelarger share of scoring oppor-tunities and Talia Arauzo talliedthe lone goal of the hard-fought 1-0 final for coachStephanie Cicconi’s squad.MDSA Legends goalkeepersAlessandra Hernandez andLauren Russell along withdefenders Danielle Arauzo,Lauren Rivera, Keira McLaneand Briel Araujo only allowedtwo goals on the weekend.

Coach Anthony Campossaw his U16 MDSA Rampagealso throw up a strong defense,yielding a single goal in fourgames including a 2-0 shutoutover Davis Insanity in thefinals. The team had a win anddraw on Saturday before blank-ing PHMSA Freedom 1-0 inthe semi-finals.

Rounding out the Soccer-Fest girls weekend for MDSAwas United FC who were sec-ond in U19, dropping a 2-1 ver-dict to Davis Order of Phoenixin the finals. United FC had apair of shutouts to reach thechampionship match.

During the SoccerFest boysweekend MDSA teams met inthe U10 semis with the DarkKnights scoring a 5-2 win overMDSA Strikers FC. DarkKnights coach Troy Amerineushered his boys to a 4-3 deci-sion over Concord United inthe finale while Strikers FCrebounded for a 3-2 third-placevictory over PHMSA The Awe-some.

MDSA Red Devils U12were second after losing 3-2 toPHMSA Barcelona in thechampionship final. The RedDevils earlier were 4-1 winnersin the semis over PHMSAStealth.

Senior Teigan Haft is used inattack, middi, face off anddefense. Hill says, “Teigan is ourstandout player and is commit-ted to play NCAA Division 2 atAlderson Broadus in West Vir-ginia. He is leading the team ingoals and assists as well asground balls and face off wins.I’m sure he will make us proudat the next level.”

Other key players are seniorattack and captain CameronBacigalupo, Clayton Martin,Jack Zuercher, Joey Clough andAlex Pishney.

The coach adds, “We’ve hadsome tough close losses to verystrong teams and fully expect towin our league and go to theNCS tournament again this sea-son.”

Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

Sports

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy MDSA

MDSA LEGENDS FC NABBED FIRST PLACE in the PHMSA SoccerFest for U14 girls. The team includes,front Alessandra Hernandez; kneeling from left, Briel Araujo, Megan Bluth, Jenna Pouch, KeiraMcLane, Alyssa Weed, Gianna Maurino, Lauren Rivera, Alyssa Bluth; standing, coach JC Araujo,Talia Arauzo, Danielle Crawford, Lauren Russell, Danielle Arauzo, Cristina Daly, Tori Klock andcoach Stephanie Cicconi.

Photo courtesy MDSA

MDSA SPEED RACKED UP FIVE VICTORIES in a row to win thePleasant Hill Soccerfest U12 championship. The team includes,front row from left, Kalyn Stuart, Andrea Lopez, HannahThompson, Alyssa Granados, Sarina Valerio, Adriana Gavidia;back row, coach Roberto Lopez, Erica Tims, LaurenDepaschalis, Natalie Johnson, Mia Garcia, Emily Kaleal,Marlinda Ramirez and coach Peter Valerio.

MDSA claims four titles at season-opening SoccerFest

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TRYOUTS FOR U15-U182012 DIABLO FC TEAMS

BEGIN SUNDAYCompetitive soccer team try-

outs in Diablo FC for boys andgirls in the under 15 throughunder 18 age groups will be heldin Concord starting this Sundaythrough April 22. Players bornbetween Aug. 1, 1994 and July31, 1998 can tryout. Boys U15-U18 tryouts are April 15, 17 and19 while girls are April 16, 18and 22. Boys and girls whomissed U9-U14 tryouts shouldgo online to register for tryoutsand the age group coach willcontact them. To pre-registeronline for the free U15-U18 try-outs April 15-22 and for a com-plete schedule visit diablofc.org.

SUMMER YOUTH, ADULT

PROGRAM SIGNUPS NOW AT

CLAYTON GYMSummer will be a busy time

at Clayton Community Gym.Football and cheer camps for 5-15 year-olds, day camps (daycare) and adult golf classes areregistering now with a May 1deadline for these programs.The deadline is May 15 to signup for summer leagues in youthvolleyball (8-15 years-old) andbasketball (4-14 year-olds). Formore information or to registerfor any program offered by AllOut Sports at the gym, visit all-outsportsleague.com.

CLAYTON VALLEY YOUTH

FOOTBALL CAMP

REGISTRATION OPENSThe 11th annual Clayton

Valley youth football camp forboys and girls entering thirdthrough ninth grades runs June18-22 at Gonsalves Stadium onthe Clayton Valley High Schoolcampus from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.Camp director Herc Pardi, assis-tant director Paul Reynaud andthe Eagles coaching staff andplayers provide fundamentalinstruction and daily full contactcompetition. There is a traineron site. Each participant gets acamp shirt and written evalua-tion. Cost is $125, plus a refund-able $75 equipment fee. Formore information, emailherc_pardi@hotmail.com, call(925) 682-7474 ext. 3115 or pickup a brochure at the CVHSfront office.

SportsShorts

Photo courtesy Scott Anderson

BAILEY ROGERS IS ONLY A JUNIOR but among the older swimmerson the Clayton Valley High swim team this spring. The Eaglesare chasing Northgate and College Park in DVAL competitionas they build squads around a large number of sophomoresand juniors.

Eagles, from page 10

So a cute little four footedbundle of joy just entered youlife, a new puppy or kitten. Nomatter where you got your newpet, they are all vulnerable todisease their first few months oflife.

It is recommended your newone have its first vet examaround eight weeks old, fol-lowed by monthly exams at 12and 16 weeks. This allowsemerging health and behaviorissues to be addressed as theydevelop.

POSSIBLE ILLNESSES

On these exams your veteri-narian will closely observe forcongenital deformities andsymptoms of diseases. Defor-mities include open Fontanellesexposing brain tissue in smallbreeds like the Chihuahua. Cleftpalettes, heart issues, hernias,hip problems and more. Males

often have undescended testi-cles, or cryptorcidism, requiringadditional surgery at time ofneutering to search for the way-ward testicle in the abdomen orgroin.

Runny eyes and noses,coughing, fevers, vomiting, diar-rhea and lethargy are all signs ofinfectious diseases which mayneed medication. Fleas or otherskin parasites may be observed.Your veterinarian may also findother signs of illness.

Weight, body condition andgrowth rate are evaluated. Nutri-tional advice is given to helpyour pet gain proper weight dur-ing these formative months.Behavior consultation topicsinclude house training, basicobedience and separation anxi-ety issues.

VACCINES

All little ones should receivethe core vaccines. The caninedistemper/parvovirus combina-tion (DAPP) and the kittenupper respiratory/panleukope-nia (FVRCP) vaccines are bestgiven at 8,12 and 16 weeks.Rabies is given at 12 weeks forkittens and 16 weeks for pups.Boosters are followed in 1 year,then every 3.

Additional vaccines for dogsinclude Leptosprosis, rat-tlesnake, and influenza, whichare given as a series of two,

three to four weeks apart, thenyearly. And Bordetella, which isgiven intranasally every six to 12months or by an injection series.At risk activities for these dis-eases include frequenting dogparks, groomers and kennels;snakes in your yard; hiking; run-ning in creeks and ponds;attending dog shows and travel-ing.

Feline leukemia vaccine ishighly recommended by theAmerican Association of FelinePractitioners for the first twoyears in all kittens, then discon-tinued if your cat remains strict-ly indoors.

Parasite control is important,too. Roundworms and hook-worms are zoonotic to people,causing flu-like symptomsblindness and skin lesions. Toprevent diarrhea and weightloss, from parasites, puppies and

kittens should be treated with adewormer every two to fourweeks until they are 16 weeksold. Then followed by a month-ly dewormer, whether it’s a heartworm combination tablet fordogs or a multiple parasitedewormer spot-on for cats.

LIFESTYLE

To start our puppies and kit-tens lives out properly, we mustdetermine their lifestyles. Thiswill help the veterinary team todesign a program of vaccinesand preventative care best suitedfor you and your pet. Will yourkitten be strictly indoors orroam the fields hunting mice?Will your new Golden Retrievergo on camping trips when oldenough or will he a homebody?

The placement of amicrochip is highly recommend-ed. This is invaluable when yourpet is lost. There are many chipsavailable but be sure to ask foruniversal chip which can be readanywhere in the world by anyscanner.

Finally, spaying and neuter-ing is always recommended, notonly to prevent overpopulationbut to prevent future healthrisks for your new puppy or kit-ten. These health risks includeinfected uterus, breast cancer,prostate infections and cancer,masses around the rear and tes-ticular cancer. Raging hormonesoften stimulate the need to wan-der the streets looking for amate, which increases the risk ofinjury such as being hit by a car.Most veterinarians recommendspaying and neutering betweenfour to six months old.

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The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: Noon to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs-day and Friday, Noon to 5 p.m.Saturday and Sunday. The pri-mary caretaker must be presentto adopt. ARF also encourageskids 16 and younger and caninefamily members (dog adoptionsonly) to be present during theadoption process.

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

April 13, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

Sasha and Mia are this week’sARF Adoption Stars

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IN CLAYTONAApprr.. 2211CCllaayyttoonn CClleeaannss UUppHonor Earth Day with a town spring cleaning. Help pick up trash, pull weedsand share in community spirit. A great activity for clubs and organizations,school projects or a family outing. Meet at City Hall at 9 a.m., rain or shine.T-shirt, gloves and garbage bags provided. Barbecue at 11:30 a.m.Sponsored by the Clayton Pioneer and the city of Clayton with a generousdonation from Allied Waste. 672-0500.

MMaayy 55SSpprriinngg TTrraaiill RRiiddeeCompetitive trail ride on Mt. Diablo with Concord Mt. Diablo Trail RideAssociation. Contact Ellen Pofcher at 672-3733 or mtnoaks@earthlink.net.

MMaayy 55,, 66AArrtt && WWiinnee FFeessttiivvaallArt, crafts, food, music, kiddieland. Sat. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. – 5p.m. Main Street, downtown Clayton. claytoncbca.org. 672-2272.

EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENTTThhrruu AApprr.. 1155““SSuunnsseett BBoouulleevvaarrdd””A magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition performed by theContra Costa Musical Theatre. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $44-$49. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

TThhrruu AApprr.. 2288““RRuummoorrss””Widely considered Neil Simon’s funniest play, this story follows one hilariousevening of cover-ups, confusions and miscommunications. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38-43. centerrep.org. 943-7469.

TThhrruu AApprr.. 2299““AAnnyytthhiinngg GGooeess””When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head outthe portholes. Featuring the music of Cole Porter. Willows Theatre, 1975Diamond Blvd., Concord. $16-$30. willowstheatre.org, 798-1300.

AApprr.. 1133--1155HHoommee && GGaarrddeenn SShhoowwHome and yard ideas to turn your home into the place of your dreams. Fri.Noon – 6 p.m. Sat./Sun. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sleep Train Pavilion, 2000 KirkerPass Road, Concord. $6 general admission; $6 parking.capitalshowcase.com.

AApprr.. 1144AAssttrroonnoommyy PPrrooggrraammNeighbor Planets: See Venus and Mars through telescopes and find out whyEarth has life and those planets do not. Children welcome. Bring binoculars,warm clothes, snacks, water. Weather dependent. Escorted from Northgateentrance to Mt. Diablo. 7 – 11 p.m. Enter park at least 45 minutes earlier.Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society. Free program; $10 park entrance fee.mdas.net. 695-3134 or 837-2525.

AApprr.. 1144CChhaammbbeerr MMuussiicc SSFFOlga Kern, pianist, performs. 2:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Tickets on sale Apr. 14 at 12 a.m.lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 1155MMaarrsshh CCrreeeekk CClleeaann UUppJoin Save Mt. Diablo and REI to clean up Marsh Creek 6 property. All agesand abilities welcome; under 18 must be with an adult. Dress in layers withlong pants and long sleeves, closed-toe shoes and hat. Bring sunscreen,water, gloves and trowel. Morning snacks and juice provided. 8:30 a.m. –Noon. 3240 Aspara Drive, Clayton. Register at rei.com/concord. Call AprilRovero 825-9400.

AApprr.. 1199 –– MMaayy 66““SSpprriinngg AAwwaakkeenniinngg””A timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality as seenthrough the eyes of three teenagers. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek. $17-$35. centerrep.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 2200AAnn EEvveenniinngg wwiitthh HHoowwiiee MMaannddeellThird Annual Hope for the Homeless Benefit Show. 8 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $95-$125. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 2211CCoommee TTooggeetthheerr:: TThhee BBeeaattlleess CCoonncceerrtt EExxppeerriieenncceeLive music performance and multi-media presentation recreating the look,sound and history of the Beatles. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $40-$45. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 2211HHeellpp ffoorr DDiissttrreesssseedd MMoorrttggaaggee HHoollddeerrssSeries of community workshops sponsored by volunteer experts and experi-enced homeowners. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Salvation Army, 3950 Clayton Road,Concord. Free. Register at realhelp.eventbrite.com. neighborshelpingneigh-bors.biz for more information.

AApprr.. 2277,, 2288““BByyee,, BByyee,, BBiirrddiiee””Teen Theatre members perform this musical about rock ‘n’ roll superstarConrad Birdie (loosely based on Elvis Presley) who, to the dismay of his ador-ing fans, is about to be drafted into the Army. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 TiceValley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $14.50-$16. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

AApprr.. 2277 –– MMaayy 1122““TThhee GGiinn GGaammee””Two aging inhabitants of a nursing home play gin and reveal the intimateand shocking details of their lives. Diablo Actors’ Ensemble, 1345 Locust St.,Walnut Creek. $10-$25. diabloactors.com.

AApprr.. 2288BBiikkee RRiiddee17th annual Devil Mountain Double Century Bicycle Ride starts and ends inSan Ramon. Covers Pine Hollow Road, Mt. Zion to Clayton Road, Main Streetto Marsh Creek Road between 7 and 9 a.m. quackcyclists.com. Call ScottHalversen (510) 882-6727.

AApprr.. 2299CChhaammbbeerr MMuussiicc SSFFRichard Stoltzman, clarinet, and Eliot Fisk, guitar, perform. 2:30 p.m. LesherCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Tickets on sale Apr. 29 at12 a.m. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 11PPrreeggnnaannccyy NNuuttrriittiioonnInformation on healthy pregnancy nutrition. 6:30 – 8 p.m. John MuirWomen’s Health Center, 1656 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek. Free.Register at johmuirhealth.com or 941-7900.

MMaayy 33““SSnnooww WWhhiittee aanndd tthhee SSeevveenn DDwwaarrffss””Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the bravest of you all? 9:30 a.m. LesherCenter, 1601 Civic Dr., W.C. $14. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 33 -- 2277““LLeettttiiccee aanndd LLoovvaaggee””Lettice engages the stoic, conventional Lotte in a battle to the death of all thatis sacred to the Empire and the crown. Cue Productions Live, 1835 ColfaxSt., Concord. $10-$18. brownpapertickets.com.

MMaayy 55,, 66CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa SSyymmpphhoonnyyLara St. John, violin, and Beethoven’s Ninth. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $39-$69. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

MMaayy 1111MMoomm aanndd tthhee CCiittyyNight of pampering, tours, fashion show for moms-to-be or those in thestages of planning pregnancy. 6:30 – 9 p.m. John Muir Medical Center,1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. Free. Register atjohmuirhealth.com/classes or 941-7900.

MMaayy 1122CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa WWiinndd SSyymmpphhoonnyySublime to Silly: Rachmaninoff to Godzilla featuring pianist Eric Tran. 8 p.m.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$25.ccwindsymphony.org. 943-7469.

FUNDRAISERSAApprr.. 1144FFeessttiivvaall ooff TTaabblleess aanndd FFaasshhiioonnSeventh annual fundraiser for select local charities and scholarships spon-sored by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. Fashion by Draper & Damon’s.11 a.m. Concord United Methodist Church, 1645 West St., Concord. Limitedseating; reservations required. $35. Call Merle Whitburn 754-5447. clayton-valleywomansclub.com.

AApprr.. 1144PPllaanntt SSaalleeFeaturing edible and fruiting plants for the garden in addition to ornamentaland California native plants. Canning/preserving class at 11 a.m. 9 a.m. – 1p.m. Markham Regional Arboretum Society Nursery, 1202 La Vista Ave.,Concord. Free. markhamarboretum.org. 681-2968.

AApprr.. 1144SSppaagghheettttii FFeeeedd aanndd CCoonncceerrtt ffoorr AAsshhlleeyy GGlleennnneennRaise funds for daughter of Clayton family who has been hospitalized sinceJan. 1. Live music, food, raffle and baked goods. 5 – 8 p.m. SanctuaryMinistries, 2250 Commerce Ave, Suite D, Concord. $6-$15. teamashley.net.

AApprr.. 1188SSppaagghheettttii FFeeeeddAnnual American Association of University Women spaghetti feed. 5:30 – 8p.m. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton. $5 children; $10 adults.Contact Judy Bates 858-5223.

AApprr.. 2211DDiiaabblloo TTrraaiillss CChhaalllleennggeeHit the trail and preserve your playground while taking in the natural beautyof Mt. Diablo. Proceeds from these 5K, 10K, half marathon and 50K eventsbenefit Save Mount Diablo’s land preservation programs. Registration at6:30 a.m. 50K at 8 a.m.; all other races at 9 a.m. Castle Rock Park, WalnutCreek. savemountdiablo.org. 947-3535.

MMaayy 33PPllaayy IItt FFoorrwwaarrddBenefit concert for the Walnut Creek Education Foundation. Jazz. 7:30 p.m.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $70-$120. lesher-artscenter.org. 943-7469.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless other-wise noted. claytonlibrary.org or 673-0659.WWeeddnneessddaayyssBBooookk BBuuddddiieessA volunteer will read stories for children 3 and under. 1-2 p.m.

TTuueessddaayyss tthhrruu MMaayy 1155PPaattttyy CCaakkeessStory time for babies to three-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver. 11 a.m.

TThhuurrssddaayyss tthhrruu MMaayy 1177PPiiccttuurree BBooookk TTiimmeeStory time for three- to five-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiver. 11a.m.

AApprr.. 1177,, 2244PPaawwss ttoo RReeaaddChildren in grades 1-5 read aloud to a dog to encourage reading.Registration required. 4 p.m. or 4:35 p.m.

AApprriill 2277 –– 2299UUsseedd BBooookk SSaalleeCCLF member preview Friday. Most books $1. Most children’s books $.50.Half-off remaining books. Fri. 4 – 7 p.m. Sat. 10 – 6 p.m. Sun. 12 – 4 p.m.

MMaayy 77CChhiillddrreenn’’ss BBooookk WWeeeekkStory time and crafts for grades kindergarten through second. Registrationrequired. 7 – 8 p.m.

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

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

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONSCCllaayyccoorrdd 44--HHThe group meets 6:45 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, Farm Bureau Hall,5554 Clayton Road, Concord.

CCllaayyttoonn BBuussiinneessss aanndd CCoommmmuunniittyy AAssssoocciiaattiioonnMeets 6:30 p.m. last Thursday of the month except holidays, OakhurstCountry Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272.

CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy GGaarrddeenn CClluubbMeets 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, February through November.Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. claytonvalleygardenclub.org or276-2299.

CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy WWoommaann’’ss CClluubbMeets 9:30 a.m. second Tuesday of the month except July and August, HolyCross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord. 672-9448.

CClluuttcchh BBuusstteerrss SSqquuaarree DDaannccee CClluubbMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Willow Pass Community Center Hall, 2748 EastOlivera Road, Concord. Contact Karen at 686-3774.

CCoonnccoorrdd MMtt.. DDiiaabblloo TTrraaiill RRiiddee AAssssoocciiaattiioonnMeets 6 p.m. first Saturday of the month for a potluck. Open to membersand guests. CMDTRA, 1600 Trail Ride Road, Clayton. cmdtra.org or cmd-tra@yahoo.com.

CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa CChheessss CClluubbMeets 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road,Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. ccchess.com or contactMike at 639-1987.

CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa GGeenneeaallooggiiccaall SSoocciieettyyMeets 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month, LDS Church, 3700 ConcordBlvd., Concord. cccgs.ca@gmail.com.

CCoonnttrraa CCoossttaa MMiinneerraall aanndd GGeemm SSoocciieettyyMeets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord, 5298Clayton Road. ccmgs.org or 289-0454.

CCrreeeekkssiiddee AArrttiissttss GGuuiillddMeets 7-8:30 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Library Story Room,6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emerging and experi-enced artists welcome. Contact Arlene at nielsenjanc@aol.com, creek-sideartists.org or call 673-9777.

DDiiaabblloo VVaalllleeyy DDeemmooccrraattiicc CClluubbMeets 7-9 p.m. third Wednesday of the month, Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661Oak Grove Road., Walnut Creek. dvdems.org, 946-0469.

EEaasstt BBaayy PPrroossppeeccttoorrssMeets 6:30 p.m. first Thursday of the month, Oasis Christian Fellowship,2551 Pleasant Hill Road, Pleasant Hill. Clayton resident Douglas “Pucky”Junghans is the founder. eastbaygpaa.webs.com or 672-1863.

KKnniigghhttss ooff CCoolluummbbuussMeets 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of the month, St. Bonaventure Church, MinistryCenter, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. Art 672-1850, shanone@comcast.netor Chuck 849-5466, cecooper3@comcast.net.

MMOOMMSS CClluubb ooff CCoonnccoorrdd//CCllaayyttoonnMeeting dates vary. 331-0674, concordclaytonmomsclub@hotmail.com orconcordclaytonmomsclub.webs.com.

OOaakkhhuurrsstt BBuussiinneessss NNeettwwoorrkk5 – 7 p.m. first Thurs of the month for social hour. Hosted hors d’oeuvres,cash bar. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Dr., Clayton. oakhurstcc.com.

RRoottaarryy CClluubb ooff CCllaayyttoonn VVaalllleeyy//CCoonnccoorrdd SSuunnrriisseeMeets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr.,Clayton. Includes breakfast & speaker. claytonvalleyrotary.org or 566-8166.

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

SSoonnss IInn RReettiirreemmeenntt ((SSIIRRss))Branch 19 meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Crown Plaza Hotel,45 John Glenn Dr., Concord. 429-3777. Branch 146 meets 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month.Boundary Oaks, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek. Reservationsrequired. 939-8073. sir146.com.

SSoorrooppttiimmiisstt IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall ooff DDiiaabblloo VViissttaaMeets 12:15 p.m. second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, Sept-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Rd, Concord. Contact Nicole at 692-2224.

SSttrriikkee aa CChhoorrddWoman’s chorus. Rehearsals 7 – 9 p.m. Mondays. Openings for new mem-bers. Schedule audition. strikeachord@gmail.com or contact Benedikte at935-4313.

VVeetteerraannss ooff FFoorreeiiggnn WWaarrssBreakfast 8-11 a.m. second and fourth Sundays of the month, 2290 WillowPass Road, Concord. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. $4, $2 childrenunder 12.

WWoorrdd WWeeaavveerrss 440000 TTooaassttmmaasstteerrssMeets 7-8:15 p.m. Mondays, first floor of Montecito – Oakmont SeniorLiving, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. April 23 Open House. Speaker: CraigHarrison, professional speaker and author. Visitors welcome.marion48@live.com or contact Marion at 686-1818.

YYggnnaacciioo VVaalllleeyy RReeppuubblliiccaann WWoommeennMeets third Wednesday of the month, except June, July, August. April 18speaker: Arkady Faktorovich. Topic: His life behind the Iron Curtain. 10 a.m.Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. Free coffeesocial at 9:45 a.m. Reservations required for lunch. $25. 672-5061.

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. APR. 18 FOR THE APR. 27 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

The average American usesabout 10 personal care productseach day, resulting in exposure tosome 100 unique chemicals. Butthe vast majority of the 12,500chemicals used by the $50 billionbeauty industry have never beenassessed for safety, according tothe Campaign for Safe Cosmetics(CSC), a coalition of eight non-profits concerned about thehealth of cosmetics and personalcare products.

“Many of these chemicals arelinked to adverse health effectslike cancer, birth defects andother serious health issues,” CSCreports. And with cosmeticschemicals showing up in breastmilk and umbilical cord blood,not to mention rivers, lakes anddrinking water aquifers, it isindeed a problem that affects usall.

Unfortunately for Americanconsumers, these products aren’theld to the same high safety stan-dard as foods and drugs in theUnited States, and as such manu-facturers do not have to discloseingredients on their products’labels. That means it’s up to con-sumers to educate themselves asto what products to buy andwhich to avoid if human healthand the environment are con-cerns.

To the rescue comes the non-profit Environmental WorkingGroup (EWG), which launchedits SkinDeep database back in

2004 to give consumers a way tolearn about what’s in the productsthey use on their skin and bodies.Today, SkinDeep – which is freeto use and has a user-friendly,keyword-searchable interface –features health and safety profileson 69,000 different cosmeticsand personal care products.

“Our aim is to fill in whereindustry and government leaveoff,” reports EWG, whoseresearchers cross-reference hun-dreds of safety studies and nearly60 toxicity and regulatory data-bases against thousands of prod-uct ingredient labels to help con-sumers find the safest cosmeticsand personal care items.

Beyond searching for yourmost frequently used creams, gelsand elixirs to get the low-downon their safety, users can alsolearn what to avoid by browsingthe site’s “What Not to Buy” sec-tion. Harsh soaps, anything withchemical fragrances, many nailpolishes and most dark perma-nent hair dyes top the list ofproducts health-conscious con-sumers should steer clear of – orat least check out on SkinDeep.The website lists safer versions ofall these product types for thosewho just can’t live without.

But public health advocatesand environmentalists alike, ofcourse, would prefer that all per-sonal care products could betrusted to not be rash-inducing,carcinogenic or otherwise harm-ful. CSC has been lobbyingCongress about the need forstricter laws and U.S. Food andDrug Administration (FDA)oversight, and last year wasinstrumental in getting the Safe

Cosmetics Act (HR 2359) intro-duced into the House ofRepresentatives. While the billstalled in committee, it wouldhave required the FDA to create alist of specific contaminants like-ly to be found in certain cosmet-ics ingredients and provide test-ing protocols to determine whichones qualified for warning labels,phase-outs or outright bans.Whether a similar bill will comeup again anytime soon remains tobe seen. In the meantime, con-sumers should make sure to visit

the SkinDeep database beforelathering up.

CONTACTS: EWG’sSkinDeep Database,www.ewg.org/skindeep; CSC,www.safecosmetics.org.

EarthTalk® is written and editedby Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss andis a registered trademark of E - TheEnvironmental Magazine(www.emagazine.com). Send questionsto: earthtalk@emagazine.com.Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/sub-scribe. Free Trial Issue:www.emagazine.com/trial

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Is your closet too old for you?

Are you trapped in the fash-ion past? There’s nothing wrongwith having a few go-to outfitsthat you feel good in, but youcan’t look current when most ofyour clothes are older thanJustin Bieber.

Take a look at your jackets.The modern silhouette is fitted,

not oversize. Boxy styles canmake you look dowdy. A longerjacket paired with a high-waistedskirt or slim pants can elongateyour body. You can still wear ashort jacket, but it looks newover a longer underlayer.

What about your jeans?Have they lost their shape? Arethey faded? If you can buy onlyone new thing for spring, makeit a pair of dark rinse slim-cutjeans with some stretch. Ifyou’re a woman who prefersskirts, precision pleats are popu-lar now. Wear a pleated skirtwith a tailored long-sleeveblouse and classic cardigan for aladylike sensibility. A sweepingmaxiskirt in a gypsy cotton orsilk organza can be a welcomechange for a barbeque at theneighbors’.

When you look in your clos-

et, are you lost in a sea of neu-trals? Spring signals a re-awak-ening, a kind of optimism.Invigorate your wardrobe with afew bursts of bold color, orfreshen things up with pastelpieces for a trace of retro femi-ninity. With so much uncertain-ty in the world, it feels right toadd some lightness. But ifyou’re a fan of fall colors, don’tdespair. There are no seasonallyappropriate rules. Stormy blues,

e a r t h yb r o w n sand off-beat mus-tards feele x c i t i n gand freshagainst apalette ofsoft pas-tels.

Lastly, you might want toinvest in a wardrobe of sun-glasses in various shapes, sizesand colors. Different shapescompletely change your look.Your collection could includeaviators, cat eyes, maybe someJohn Lennon specs with green,pink or metallic lenses so youcan see the world in differentcolors.

In the end, the key to every-day dressing is practicality. Butyou don’t have to sacrifice fash-ion. After all, the ordinarymoments that mark our dailylives don’t have to look it.

Live long and pester!

JUDITH MARSHALL

FASHION OVER 50

Judith Marshall is a former pro-fessional model and author of“Husbands May Come and Go butFriends are Forever.” Send com-ments to Judith.Marshall@att.net.

[Editor’s Note: This is the secondof a three-part series on “detoxing”your life.]

This week, find a quiet placewhere you are unlikely to be dis-turbed. Make yourself comfort-able and take a few slow deepbreaths, releasing tension withevery breath out. Imagine yourfilled with feelings of confi-dence and success. Imagine thepath in front of you with anobstacle, any obstacle, blockingyour way. Say to yourself, “Ihave learned what I need tolearn from this obstacle.”Project a feeling of confidenceand love. See the obstacle dis-solving and disappearing. Now,let the image fade and say toyourself, ”I feel confident. I amsuccessful, and I have learnedsomething this obstacle. I cannow move forward along mypath happily and confidently.”

Congratulations, you havejust begun dissolving barriersthrough meditation. Meditation

is basically a simple process toacknowledge, repeat, and affirmyour daily thoughts and lifeprocesses. I am sure many ofyou have heard how the healingpower of positive thinkingworks on the brain. Meditationworks by reconnecting positiveneural pathways and forgingnew ones through reinforcingpowerful positive affirmations.

Make your affirmations per-sonal and specific to your life, itwill make it easier to have confi-

dence in them. Make your affir-mations reasonable and speak toan affirmation with power andconviction. Repeat them oftenas practice makes better.

Tune into your intuition.Intuitive messages often takethe form of feelings, ideas, andinsights. Be open and aware.Answers to many of life’s mys-teries can come in a number ofways when you are calm and atpeace, enlightening you inunknown ways.

When things don’t come eas-ily, even after mediation andaffirmation, realize that particu-lar outcome might not be foryou. Do not hold onto oldthoughts and negative emotion-al patterns. Do not hold ontosomething you do not trulydesire, and above all, don’tworry.

Taking action means devel-oping positive habits that propelyou forward. Get organized.Clean up. Get moving. Cut outtime-wasters. Stay focused.

Let go of your worries. Anessential part of detoxing yourmind and body is banishingunhelpful thoughts. The aim ofthis part of the detox is to giveyour mind a rest from everydaycares. Releasing your worriesallows positive mental energy tocontinually flow in relaxingways. Forgetting your problemsfor a while is good for youhealth as well as your mind.When your time is up, you cango back to the problem andaddress it with renewed clarityand inspiration.

Do it now. Detoxing yourmind is about changing yourthinking habits to suit your aims.It is about letting go of behaviorthat sabotages your goals. Learnto replace it with skills thatencourage clear thinking and astrong belief in yourself.

Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fit-ness certifications. She trains at LevityFitness studio in Clayton. Email Ilimaat IlimaHeuerman@levityfitness.com

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The Willows TheatreConcord celebrated its first"new" anniversary at the WillowsShopping Center with a high-energy production of ColePorter’s “Anything Goes.”Judging by the sold-out openingnight audience, the local commu-nity has happily embraced theirreturn.

A strong cast does an out-standing job bringing Porter’svibrant characters to life as theyskillfully execute Staci Arriaga’sterrific choreography. Eight-year-old Jax Franks brings down thehouse when she and Aris-AllenRoberson tap up and down theset’s winding staircase.

“This is our ShirleyTemple/Bojangles moment,”says Willows’ Artistic DirectorEric Inman, who shows off hisconsiderable vocal chops as Billyin the show. “My Nana and I usedto watch old Shirley Templemovies when I was a kid. Sowhen Staci mentioned giving Jaxa solo tap routine, I suggested shecreate her own version of theShirley Temple/Bojangles num-ber.”

Managing Director DavidFaustina makes his directorialdebut with “Anything Goes,” achallenge he turns into anunqualified success. “Cole Porterreally gives you everything youneed – wonderful music, cleverlines – I just had to find the rightcast to make it come alive,”Faustina says.

PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES

A major tenant at the WillowsShopping Center for more than30 years, the theater companywas forced to close in November2009 when the economy took anosedive. But like the phoenixrising from the ashes, the tena-cious company is flying higherthan ever.

“The support we’ve receivedfrom the community has beenincredible,” says Faustina.According to Inman, more than200 volunteers worked diligentlyto ready the building for theopening of “Once Upon ThisIsland” in March of 2011. “Somany people donated their time,including electricians and carpen-ters, and Home Depot gave us asignificant discount on thewiring,” says Inman.

When the property owners atthe Willows Shopping Centerasked Faustina for the hours hisconstruction crews would beworking, he had to laugh. “Wedidn’t exactly have constructioncrews. We had these wonderfulvolunteers who would show up atall hours. Some people would get

off work at 10 p.m. and stop byon their way home to paint forawhile,” Faustina explains.

But the support began evenbefore they signed the lease. NewYork producer, actor and directorDanny Goggins, whose popular“Nunsense” musicals have pre-miered at the Willows, calledFaustina to inquiry about the pos-sible re-opening. Faustina toldhim they couldn’t sign the leasebecause they didn’t have themoney for the security deposit. AFed Ex from Goggins with acheck covering the depositarrived the next day.

A 'HAIL MARY' PASS

Prior to re-opening theConcord location, Inman andFaustina had been running thecompany’s Campbell Cabaret inMartinez. When Artistic DirectorRich Elliott retired and Inmanand Faustina were asked to takeover the management of theorganization, they realized itwould be an uphill climb.

According to Faustina, theyhad two options – overseeing theclosing of the Willows organiza-tion or working like crazy to bringit back to life. “We knew we need-ed to open the original theater inConcord if we wanted to sur-vive,” says Inman. “I call it ourHail Mary pass,” Faustina adds.“Eric and I were willing to throwthe ball, we just needed someoneto catch it.” Fortunately, theWillows Board of Directors,patrons and the theatrical com-munity didn’t fumble the pass.

The current economic climatemakes the re-opening of theWillows Theatre Concord evenmore remarkable. “With peoplepaying $4.50 a gallon for gas, theyhave to cut back, and we wantedto be sure the Willows wasn’t oneof the things they cut so we

lowered our ticket prices,” saysInman.

Inman and Faustina are com-mitted to making the WillowsTheatre a fixture in Concord formany years to come. “We knowwho are audience is, and we selectplays with them in mind,” Inmansays. “We’re not a progressiveSouth-of-Market theater compa-ny. While we’ll encourage our

audience to try new things, wealso want to give them shows thatare just plain fun. It’s all about thebalance.”

And if the audience responseto Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes”is any indication, they are certain-ly on the right track. The showruns through April 29. For tick-ets, call 925-798-1300 or visitwww.willowstheatre.org.

Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

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Jennifer Erdmann andGabriel Marin star inCenterRep’s “Rumors” whichopened at last week at theLesher Center to enthusiasticaudiences. This witty comedyfollows one hilarious evening ofcover-ups, confusions and mis-communications. The host hasinjured himself, his wife is miss-ing and four couples are about

to experience a severe attack offarce. As the rumors escalate, sodo the laughs. Add in a cookwho has gone AWOL, a dam-aged car, a recurring backspasm, and you’ve got a prepos-terous story no one can keepstraight. “Rumors” plays at theLesher Center through April 28.Buy tickets online atcenterrep.org or call 943-7649.

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The new Royal Princess will be sailing in the Med

and Grand Princess will be sailing San Francisco roundtrip to Alaska

Princess CruisesSummer 2013

Alaska and Europe

Judy Potter/Willows Theatre

ERIC INMAN (CENTER) AS BILLY AND NICOLE FRYDMAN (ON BRIDGE) AS RENO head the cast in a high-octane performance of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” at the Willows Concord Mainstagethrough April 29. For ticket information, see ad this page.

Pioneer Photo AlbumSpring is busting out all over Ted Meriam took this gorgeous shot of Mt. Diablo from Mt. Dell Drive just as the hills were

beginning to green-up.

The Pioneer is proud tospotlight our readers’photos. Send in yourcute pets, funny kids,great landscapes,favorite sites in town orwhatever makes yourheart beat a littlefaster. Email yourphoto in a high-resolu-tion format totamara@clayton-pioneer.com with adescription of thephoto, where andwhen it was taken anda little about why youlike it. Include yourname and phone num-ber. Then look for it inthe next Pioneer.

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541 Hamburg Cir, Clayton

3 Orchard Rd, Orinda . . . . . .$1,175,000

4113 Tulare Ct, Concord . . . . .$270,000

1854 Penny Ln, Concord . . . . . . .$349,900

A darling 1

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4113 Tulare Ct. Concord $269,000

PENDING

A good mystery shouldengage all of your senses, andfortunately for us, ChrisPavone’s debut novel, “TheExpats,” does just that. Setalmost entirely in Luxembourg,“The Expats” spins out a storyof espionage and maritalsecrets in a landscape as rich asa European pastry.

Kate Moore is a likeable ex-spy, living the quiet life of a

government bureaucrat, wifeand mother in WashingtonD.C. She’s got a few skeletonsin her closet, but she’s prettynormal. She could be yourneighbor. Suddenly one day,Kate’s supposedly plain life isturned on its ear when herbeloved husband, Dexter,announces that he’s earned anInternet security consulting gigof a lifetime, which involvesmoving the wife and the kids,lock, stock, and Legos, toLuxembourg. The money turnsout to be too good to turndown, so the spook, the geekand the boys pack off toEurope.

Living life as a full-timemom, carting the kids to school

and back, lunching with theother expat moms in a post-card-perfect city drenched inhistory and intriguemight be a dream tosome, but to Kate,whose caliber ofexcitement is decid-edly more compli-cated than car-pool, it’s a night-mare. The trou-ble is, and thisis crucial tothe storyline,Dexter hasno idea thatKate is ar e t i r e dspy and vet-eran killer. She hadmeant to tell him, but timeslipped by and it got harder tocome clean. Finally, the admis-sion becomes so monumentallyhuge that she cannot justify thetower of lies it has taken to sus-tain the identity that she hasmeticulously constructed forherself.

For Dexter’s sake, Katemakes an effort to assimilateinto their new life. She meetsother moms, learns to shop forsport. One day she befriendsebullient Julia, and by exten-sion, Julia’s husband, Bill, andthe two couples becomefriends. It all seems rather per-fect, but for a girl trained to seethough what most considerordinary, Kate begins to sus-pect that Julia and Bill are notwho they say they are. She’stoo nosey and he’s too smooth,and they don’t actually act like a

married couple at all.And so begins a game of cat

and mouse wherein no one iswho they seem to be, and Kate

even begins to suspect thatDexter is hiding

s o m e t h i n gfrom her.

The trouble is,she’s been lying

to him for theirentire relation-

ship, and she hasno idea how to

undo that particularpiece of deception,

even while she’sworks to unravel his

increasingly knotty lies.In the end, relations

snarl and danger lurks, allcircumstances that Kate is

trained to manage. Sheknows that Bill and Julia are notwho they seem, and it becomesobvious that Dexter is hiding afew sinister secrets of his own.Everyone lies. Except in hercase, Kate’s lie is one that hasthe power to stop the heart ofthe man she loves as surely as asniper’s bullet. His big lie couldhave the same effect on her.There are more plot twists in“The Expat” than this reviewcan do justice to, but if you likea good mystery, and harbor ayen for Europe, this book willnot fail to please.

In a continuing quest tobring theatre that is new,adventurous and thought-provoking to local audiences,CenterREP will close its OffCenter series with the Tony-award winning “SpringAwakening.”

In the intimate 130-seatKnight Stage 3 at the LesherCenter for the Arts, audiencesare “right on top of theaction,” says CenterREP’sAriel Ford.

Spring Awakening” tells the

timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuali-ty as seen through the eyes ofthree teenagers. This landmarkmusical blends power,poignancy and passion in anelectrifying fusion of morality,sexuality and rock and roll.

“Spring Awakening” runsApril 19 through May 13. Fortickets go to www.centerrep.org orcall (925) 943-SHOW, or go tothe Lesher Center Ticket Office,1601 Civic Drive in Walnut

Tony-winning rock musicalcloses Off Center season

April 13, 2012 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 17

5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd. #180925.672.4100

CLAYTON VALLEY CENTERNext door to Jamba Juice

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* Mention this ad. Some restrictions apply.

Dr. Jeanette Hochstatter

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We can tell your story.

No matterwhat it is.

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�� Performing Groups

�� Organizations�� Authors

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Public Relations, (925) 672-8717

in Clayton, CAGary Carr, Principal, carrpool@pacbell.net

Book Review

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR THE BOOKS

Cynthia Gregory writes bookreviews, award-winning short storiesand a blog. Visit her at www.twogirlstakeonlove.com or write cgregory111@gmail.com

“The Expats” serves up a world of mystery

The Japanese Maple treesof our Clayton Valley land-scapes and gardens are lookingfresh and lovely this spring.With the new growth emergingso delicately with soft hues ofreds and greens, it's a beautifultime of year for a JapaneseMaple tree. Many gardenlovers seek this prestigioustree. They admire their shapelyframe and foliage.

The family of JapaneseMaple has many members,each growing different heights,widths, shapes, and with manydifferent leaf colors. With somany options available it isgood to know one tree fromthe other.

Years ago, Bloodgood JapaneseMaples were the kings of theClayton Valley landscapes. Thenurseries overgrew theBloodgood Japanese Maples,and lesser stock was rushed tobox stores and hardware gar-den centers. This was tragedyfor the Japanese Maple family.Lucky for us, hybridizes havecreated two remarkable off-spring to the Bloodgood witheven better summer color, heathardiness and clay tolerance.The two varieties are theEmperor One and theMoonfire Japanese Maples.

The Emperor One is a fantas-tic, hardy selection of JapaneseMaple. At maturity you canexpect 10-15 feet of heightand 8-10 feet of width. The

leaf when emerging in thespring is a stunning dark pur-ple that evolves to a dark redand eventually in the autumnbecomes a fiery crimson red.

Moonfire will be the hardierto find of the two newBloodgood offspring. Theoverall growth of theMoonfire is smaller, reaching8- to10-feet tall and 6-feetwide. With spring, the newleaves appear to be an opales-cent crimson that darkens withsummer, and seems to take ona bluish overtone, thus whereMoonfire gets its name. Bothof these selections wouldthrive in a mostly sun situa-tion, planted away from afence line or the home. AllJapanese Maples need properair circulation.

GOOD GROVE OPTION

Tobiosho is a green leafed,green stem selection ofJapanese Maple. This varietycan be easily compared to the

parent green variety ofJapanese Maple, with a muchmore controlled growth habit.The Tobiosho Japanese Maplewill reach 10-feet tall and 5-feet wide, and is perfect if con-sidering planting a grove orcluster of trees. The greenleaves have a cooling effect ona Clayton Valley landscape,and the brightness of thefoliage stands out against darkbackgrounds. Tobiosho pro-duces spectacular scarlet fallcolor, the evolution fromgreen to red is so dramatic,that it becomes photo worthy.

Purple Ghost is a rare selec-tion of Japanese Maple thatwould be sought after by thosegarden lovers that want to havethe “it” tree first. PurpleGhost’s new leaves emerge aspurple, and the color intensi-fies with the approaching ofsummer. During the summermonths, the Purple GhostJapanese Maples leaves dark-ens with the onset of blackishveining. It is a garden stunner,and will reach 9 to 12-feet talland 4 to 5-feet wide; it is per-fect for a narrow pathway, ordecorative container. Theautumn color of the PurpleGhost is an orange kissed scar-let.

THE WOW FACTOR

Peaches and Cream andShirazz are both variegatedselections of Japanese Maples.The Peaches and Cream willgive your Clayton Valley gar-den or landscape that WOWthat you have been craving inthat certain spot. This speci-men tree’s new leaves are pink-ish-cream with a greenish fin-ish. As summer warms, the

leaves turn a pink-edged creamwith green veining. The transi-tion is remarkable. This treegrows as tall as it is wide, sogrowing in the part sun on araised planting area is desirableto really see the Peaches andCream’s frame, or install in acontainer.

The Shirazz JapaneseMaple is a new introductionfrom New Zealand. The varie-gation of this ornamental treeis a complex blend of pinks,green and creamy white. Thenew growth is red, edged withpink. With summer the leafchanges to a green base withpink and cream markings. It isa real conversation piece in apart-sun landscape. TheShirazz Japanese Maple willreach 15-to 18-feet tall and 10-feet wide, so install in theproper location,

When you plant anyJapanese Maple you must real-ly spread out the roots. Ahappy tree (or plant for thatmatter) has no container mem-ory, so take some time anduntwine the roots. You need toinstall the Japanese Maple highin the ground, rememberJapanese Maples like properair-circulation, so don’t overbury. Existing Japanese Maplesshould be given a dose of fer-tilizer at this time. HappyFrog’s Japanese Maple food isa great product, and lightenough not to burn delicateleaves.

� Tree Service – ISA Certified Arborist on Staff

� Clayton Resident

Commercial & Residential

Design InstallationMaintenance

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com April 13, 2012

Avian SymposiumAvian Symposium

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Pick up Chicks at Rodie’sPick up Chicks at Rodie’s

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Space is limited. Registration required. $50 before April 15; $65 after.

Proceeds donated to parrot conservation projects.

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Licensed and Insured

Serving Northern California for Over 30 Years

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Apr. 13, 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Crossman Country

Apr. 20, 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerald & the Aces

www.claytonclubsaloon.com

Entertainment from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Music Video

Happy Hour

Mondays 4pm to 8pm

2 for the price of 1Beer only. Good anytime withoriginal coupon. Exp. 4/26/12

Karaoke Wed. nights

Open Mic Thur. nights, 8 to 11 p.m.

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Spectacular and aristocratic,

the Japanese Maple

is right at home in Clayton

Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Gardenand the 2012 Clayton Valley GardenClub president. Contact her with ques-tions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

price may not be worth thedifference in engine perform-ance and future maintenanceexpenses.

As a service writer I hearcomplaints of “engine pinging,”“engine run-on after turning thekey off,” or “it just doesn’t feellike it used to.” Most time wefind the customer has beenusing the bargain fuels and /orthe wrong grade. This leavesdeposits on the moving partsand intake valves.

These deposits, which arecalled “engine gunks,” make itharder for the air/fuel mixtureto enter the combustion cham-ber properly. Thus, it will notburn right. The pinging noiseyou hear when accelerating orgoing up hill is actually the fuelburning before it should. Thiscan lead to all sorts of problemsin the engine: Short-term loss ofpower, coking of the exhaustvalves and, if it happens longenough, damage to the pistons,

valves and piston rings. All ofthese are very expensive torepair.

So think of it this way: Ifyou fill your fuel tank with low-priced fuels, you can save awhole $1.50 to $2. But howmuch is it really costing you, inperformance, miles-per-gallonand possible repair bills?

Visit www. shell.us/home/con-tent/usa/products_services/on_the_road/fuels/inform for moreinformation.

Gary Taylor is service manager atClayton Valley Shell. Call him withquestions at (925) 672-3900

Car Tuned, from page 9