Roughly 400 of 2,500 com-petitors failed to finish in thetough 2010 Ford Ironman racein Tempe, Ariz., but Clayton res-ident Jennifer Jay overcame icyrain and hail to be welcomed atthe finish line by ChrissieWellington, who smashed thewomen’s Ironman world record.

“The swim was hard in the

IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010 925.672.0500

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Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

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

Community Calendar . . . . . . . .10

Cookie Contest Entry Form . .17

Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . .5

Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . .14

From the Cheif . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Holidays Around Town . . . . . . .2

Holiday Shopping . . . . . . . . . .16

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Real Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

What’s Inside

HANK STRATFORD

MAYOR’S CORNER

Mayor Stratford’sfinal countdown

If my calculations are right,this is the last column I get towrite as mayor. At the Dec. 7City Council meeting, we willselect a new mayor and vicemayor.

If tradition holds, and Idon’t know why it wouldn’t,Vice Mayor Shuey will be ourmayor for the next year. Shoehas been mayor before and,

See Mayor, page 14

See Holiday EventsCalendar

on page 2

CookieContest

Thanksgiving Day fire destroys localbusiness and historic Clayton building

Clayton lost a piece of histo-ry and a local businessman hislivelihood on Thanksgiving Daywhen fire destroyed the tiny redbuilding at 6000 Main Street thathoused The Best LittleHairhouse in Clayton/Hair byJim.

According to Contra CostaFire Station 11 Captain TerryNewberry the fire started on abench next to the building andwas intentionally set. The flamesquickly spread up the side of thebuilding, causing major damageto the inside and front.

“There was nothing electri-cal or mechanical around thearea,” said Newberry. “Benchesdon’t start on fire by them-selves.”

This was the second suspi-cious fire downtown in the pastmonth.

According to Station 11engineer Dennis Jerge, on Oct.30 around 2 a.m., a fire causedmajor damage to the 100-year-old Belle Sullivan house on OakStreet. Sullivan was the town

Photo courtesy of Bob Hoyer

THE LITTLE RED HOUSE ON MAIN STREET THAT WAS DESTROYED BY A THANKSGIVING DAY FIRE was the original Clayton CityOffice in 1964. Real estate broker, Nan Wallace owned the building and loaned it to the city. According to the cap-tion on an old photo, there was “room for a typewriter table, a desk and a place to hang your hat.”

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Lawrence Hall workshop mixes sciencewith fundamental fun for DVMS students

Diablo View Middle Schooleighth graders participated ininteractive demonstrations andmore than a dozen hands-onexperiments at the Wizard’sWorkshop on campus Nov. 15.

The workshop, funded by theParent Faculty Club and run byUC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall ofScience, intended to spark aninterest in science. Sixth and sev-enth graders will attend work-shops later in the school year.

The assembly focused on theeighth-grade curriculum of

physics and chemistry, beginningwith a discussion of physics.Students learned that static elec-tricity results when two materialsare rubbed together and onesteals electrons from the other.They delighted in watching a fel-low student put both hands onthe Van de Graaff generator (anelectric induction machine usedin nuclear research and cancertherapy) until his hair stood onend and he could illuminate alight bulb with his touch.

John-Michael Seltzer, pro-gram representative at the

Clayton Valleymotivatesstudents to ‘Dothe Right Thing’

Today’s teens get a bad rap.Given the robberies, vandalismand arson committed by localteenagers, it is no mystery whyadolescents are developing anegative reputation.

With the recent tarnishing ofthe image of Clayton Valley HighSchool and, with it, the studentbody, has come a dishearteningloss of school pride. For proofof such a loss, one need not lookfarther than the trash-strewncampus where students guiltless-ly disrespect their school, theirteachers, their peers and them-selves on a daily basis.

DAISY AGERS, LEFT, AND BRIANNE NEWELL try the periscope exper-iment with the help of volunteer Alison Bacigalupo. TheWizard’s Workshop included experiments with optics as well asphysics and electricity.

ROBBIE PARKER AND

PAMELA WIESENDANGER

Clayton Pioneer

SARAH ROSEN AND

TAYLOR TOVREA

Clayton Pioneer

Local family has close connection toCongressional Medal of Honor recipient

Chuck and MaraLee Stoffersof Concord suffered a tremen-dous loss three years ago whentheir grandson, Sgt. JoshuaBrennan, was killed in action bythe Taliban in Afghanistan.

Since then, the Stoffers andtheir extended family have beenon quite a journey as theylearned about the circumstancesof the death. It all culminated inNovember when the coupletraveled to Washington, D.C., forthe ceremony that made Sgt. SalGiunta the first living Medal of

Honor recipient since theVietnam War.

In 2007, Giunta and Brennanwere members of the Army’s173rd Airborne Brigade servingnear the Afghanistan-Pakistanborder in the dangerousKorengal Valley, nicknamed bysoldiers the Valley of Death.

ATTACK AT NIGHTFALL

On Oct. 25, Brennan andGiunta were providing cover fortwo other platoons. At nightfall,the members of their 1stPlatoon began returning to theircamp. They were at an elevation

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

RigorousIronmanraces becomesecond nature

DANA GUZZETTI

Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON’S JENNIFER JAY BIKES

across the Golden Gate aspart of her rigorous trainingfor the Ironman Tempe,Arizona competition on Nov.21. She trains more than 20hours a week in preparationfor these grueling events.

See Ironman, page 13

See Medal, page 8

See Science, page 14

See Fire, page 8

See Oath, page 6

CookieContestEntry formsdue Dec. 6.

Entry form inthe Holiday Guide,

page 17

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

CCllaayyttoonn MMaarrkkeett UUppddaattee pprroovviiddeedd bbyy GGeeoorrggee VVuujjnnoovviicchh ooff BBeetttteerr HHoommeess RReeaallttyy

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ClaytonRegency Woods! Large Two Storynestled in a wooded setting! 4 bed-

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Dec. 3 Men’s chorus sings holiday favorites

The Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus is presentingits annual Christmas concert, “Yore on the Air,” inClayton on Friday, Dec. 3. The TV holiday varietyshows of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s brought about therediscovery of old holiday tunes and gave birth to manynew favorites. With this concert, the Men’s Chorus paystribute to these holiday variety shows of yore andbrings back some all-time favorites. A portion of theproceeds will benefit the Rainbow Community Centerof Contra Costa.The concert is 8 p.m. at Clayton Valley PresbyterianChurch, 1578 Kirker Pass Rd. For more information,visit www.oebgmc.org

DDeecc.. 44:: CCllaayyttoonn DDoowwnnttoowwnn TTrreeeeLLiigghhttiinngg,, CChhrriissttmmaass CCaarroolliinngg,, CCaarrrriiaaggee RRiiddeessMeet at the gazebo at 6 p.m. for Christmas carols bythe Mt. Diablo Elementary School Choir. Then followSanta down Main Street where he will flip the switchand light up the city Christmas tree. On the way, stop atthe Clayton Community Church for hot apple cider anddonut holes. Listen to the clip-clop of hooves on thepavement as you ride around town in a horse-drawncarriage.

DDeecc.. 99:: CCllaayyttoonn PPiioonneeeerr CCooookkiiee CCoonntteessttaanndd CChhrriissttmmaass PPaarrttyy

Dust off the cook-books and dig outUncle Charlie’s sugarcookie recipe, bake afew practice roundsand enter this year’scontest. Deadline forentries is Dec. 6 andthe Judging Party isDec. 9, 6:30 p.m. in

the Clayton Library Community Room. Be there for livemusic and caroling led by Vintage, games and crafts forthe little ones and photos with Santa.

DDeecc.. 1100:: HHiissttoorriiccaall SSoocciieettyy HHoolliiddaayy HHoommee TToouurrThe Clayton Museum and four beautiful Clayton homeswill be all decked out for your holiday viewing pleas-ure. Tour the homes between noon and 8 p.m. andallow about 1 ½ hours. Enjoy refreshments at themuseum between 4 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 per per-son, available at the museum. Walk-ins welcome. Allfunds benefit theClayton HistoricalSociety and theClayton Museum. Formore information, goto www.claytonhisto-ry.org or call (925)672-7680.

DDeecc.. 1100:: TTaappeessttrryy HHoolliiddaayy CCoonncceerrttEnjoy sherry and a dessert buffet with Shakespeareanambiance when the Heartsong Chamber Chorus and theCanto Bello hand bell choir perform Christmas music ina fundraising concert for the George Mark Children’sHouse. Wine and dessert at 6:30 p.m. Concert at 7:30.St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5555 Clayton Road. Buytickets in advance for $25. No tickets sold at the door.Call 516-2920 or aumock@comcast.net.

DDeecc.. 1111:: DDeesssseerrtt wwiitthhMMrrss.. CCllaauuss aanndd vviissiittwwiitthh SSaannttaaSanta and Mrs. Claus will be inClayton on Dec. 11 forChristmas Tea and would loveto visit with you. Kids, bringyour parents for desserts andprizes. Bring your camera andget a picture with Santa.Sponsored by the ClaytonBusiness and Community

Association. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Endeavor Hall, 6008Center St., Clayton. 672-2272. No admission, but dona-tions are appreciated.

DDeecc.. 1111:: VViinnttaaggee CChhrriissttmmaass CCoonncceerrttLocal musical group, Vintage, will perform original andtraditional Christmas music at their annual concert atSt. Bonaventure’s church , 5554 Clayton Road onDecember 11 at 2 p.m. Vintage is comprised ofSantiago and Joyce Martinez, Roxanne Pardi andMaryann Tarantino, all Clayton residents.

DDeecc.. 3311:: CCllaayyttoonn CCoouunnttss DDoowwnnWrap up your holiday celebrations with the annual NewYear’s Eve Celebration at the Clayton gym. Enjoy familyand kids’ activities in an alcohol-free environment withrefreshments, food, games and prizes. 6-9 p.m., ClaytonCommunity Gym, 700 Gym Court. Contact the cityclerk at 673-7304 or ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us for moreinformation.

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 3

Around Town

Clayton Resident & Broker Owner

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70 El Molino Drive, Clayton $539,000Regency Woods – 4BD/3BA floor plan has beenupdated & expanded. Nice single-story with vaulted ceil-ings, skylights. Fabulous upgraded granite kitchen.Detached studio cottage, RV parking a plus!

51 Carisa Court, Walnut Creek $520,000Simply Adorable – 4BD/2BA w/court location & 2ndstory addition to 1,700+ s.f. Downstairs offers 1 bed-room & master. Enjoy large deck at rear of the house &huge, private yard bordered by mature trees.

1951 Holly Creek, Concord

Holly Creek – Private & stunning 2-story 5BD/3BAw/over 3,200 s.f. on huge lot backs to creek & meadow.Master w/fireplace & vaulted ceilings; one bd/ba down-stairs. Beautiful patio areas & outdoor kitchen.

5741 Tamarack Way, Concord $508,000Dana Farms – Clayton schools w/this single-story3BD/2BA. Cozy fireplace in family room & updatedkitchen with pantry, bay window & hardwood floors.TamarackWay.com

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Jaimee Rizzotti andMatt Hammond

announce engagement

Jaimee Rizzotti and Matt Hammondheaded to Yosemite for a weekend in thesnow last month and came back engaged.

The two hiked up to Artist’s Point whereMatt proposed. They celebrated theirengagement with dinner at the AhwahneeLodge.

Jaimee was born and raised in Claytonand is the daughter of John Rizzotti ofMartinez and Dane and Kahni Horton ofClayton. She graduated from CVHS and willgraduate from San Francisco StateUniversity in May 2011.

Matt is the son of Cheryl Hammond ofBrentwood. His grandparents are long-timeClayton residents Gary and Linda Mahloch.Matt graduated from Deer Valley HighSchool in Antioch and is currently an emer-gency medical technician. He will be attend-ing paramedic school next March.

The two met in August of 2008 whileworking at Ed’s Mudville Grill. The weddingwill be in the fall of 2011.

Hospice tree a specialholiday remembrance

Clayton Station is a bit more festivebecause of the lights in the Hospice tree inthe parking lot near Safeway.

The oak tree was lit at the annual eventon Nov. 17, which featured speakers, a

chamber choir from Antioch High and acandle lighting ceremony.

“We have been established since 1977and this is our 24th year lighting treesthroughout Contra Costa. We have 15 treesthroughout the land,” says Kathy Kavanagh,community liaison for Hospice.

The group’s mission is to provide hos-pice and palliative care health services thatsupport and comfort patients and their fam-ilies through the final stages of life.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to giveback to an organization that was of greatcomfort to me and my family,” says ClaytonPioneer’s Pamela Wiesendanger, who spokeat the lighting about Hospice caring for hermother-in-law three years ago.

Each light symbolizes the life, hopes anddreams of a loved one. Names of thosebeing honored or remembered were readprior to the tree lighting. The one red light isa special tribute to law enforcement officialsand firefighters.

For more information about Hospice of theEast Bay, call 887-5678 or visit hospicecc.org.

- Mike Dunn

Photo by Mike Dunn

ALEXA AND JADYN HARRIS of Clayton glowwith their candles at the tree lighting.

Detective work pays off 35 years laterWhen Fred Albrecht hung up his badge

in 1991, he thought he was finished withpolice work. The retired Clayton chief ofpolice was proud of his 31-year career.

But, while Albrecht’s thoughts turned tofishing and vacations, the police work he’ddone more than 35 years before was aboutto yield some dramatic results.

On July 25, 1975, Linda Benson andKelly Ketchum were brutally murdered intheir home in Grand Junction, Colo.Albrecht was a commander at the GrandJunction PD at the time and headed theinvestigation.

Albrecht had been meticulous in gather-ing evidence, says Sean Crocker, a detectivewith the Grand Junction PD. The team tookblood samples and scrapings from the fin-

gernails of the victims. Albrecht tore the rugand a wall out of the home and found themurder weapon – a steak knife – in the

See Detective, page 6

CLAYTON POLICE CHIEF DAN LAWRENCE presentsaward to former chief Fred Albrecht for hiswork that lead to solving a 30 year-old case.

On an unseasonably warmSunday last month, nearly 100hikers joined naturalist SethAdams on a six-mile guided hikeof Save Mt. Diablo’s newlyacquired 360-acre Irish Canyonproperty.

SMD purchased IrishCanyon for $1.34 million in2007. The property is adjacentto the 462-acre BettencourtRanch, which was acquired bySMD earlier this year. The twoproperties add more than 800acres to the East Bay RegionalPark’s Black Diamond Preserve.

The properties are not yetopen to the public. With limitedfunds for management, they willbe land-banked until the econo-

my improves, says Adams.Volunteers from SMD and

the East County HabitatConservancy have been busy

removing debris from the twoold homestead sites, buildingtrails and planting trees alongthe creek banks to restore thenatural ecology of the area.

Irish Canyon supports morethan 400 species of plants andanimals and provides world-class views and rich history.Valley oaks and blue oaks studthe rolling hills and the spring-fed Peacock Creek is lined withwillow.

“What an incredible place,”Clayton resident Sue Elliott saidat the highest point on the hikeas she took in the sweeping viewfrom the Carquinez Straits tothe tower on North Peak. “Weare so lucky.”

Adams is uncertain when theproperty will open to the public.The slumping economy has hada serious impact on fundingsources for operations and man-agement of the acquired lands.

“There’s money for acquisi-tions,” says Adams, “but notmuch for land management.We’re acquiring properties fasterthan we can manage them.”

GALINDO CREEK

RESTORATION

The Diablo RestorationTeam (DiRT) is hosting threework parties this month to helpenhance and restore native habi-tats around Mount Diablo.

The team monitors andmanages two creekside wood-land restoration projects and isseeking help with a nativebunchgrass restoration projecton the 208-acre Mangini Ranchproperty. A work party will beheld 9 a.m.-noon Sat., Dec. 4, atMangini Ranch.

After acquiring the propertyfrom the Mangini family in2006, SMD fenced a seven-acresection of Galindo Creek, atributary of Walnut Creek, alter-ing grazing patterns along thestream. This resulted in thereappearance of native bunch-grass patches.

To allow the bunchgrass tosurvive, DiRT needs help

Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

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HappyHolidays!

Scenic Irish Canyon and Galindo Creekamong areas needing restoration

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

GABRIELLA AND PETER BISHOP, Carleen Visperos and DianeAlspaugh take in the views from the highest point of the six-mile Irish Canyon hike.

Pioneer publisher TamaraSteiner and Clayton residentSue Elliot pause for a snap-shot on Irish Canyon trail.

Clayton teen joyfully lightsup Guatemala City

Guatemalan skies lit up lastweek with 1.5 million lights onthe tallest and biggestChristmas tree in the world. Atthe lighting controlsof the 145-foot artifi-cial tree was Claytonteen Jeffrey Holmes,best known for his“Northern Lights”Christmas light showat the ClaytonCommunity Church.

Last spring, whenHolmes knew thatthere was no room inthe church’s budgetfor a 2010 show in

Clayton, he began looking foranother holiday project. Hecontacted Barrango Inc., a SanFrancisco holiday decorationscompany that was looking for alighting designer for theGuatemala tree. The tree was

sponsored byGuatemalan beercompany GalloBeer to celebrate its25th anniversary.

“I had no ideahow big the projectwas when I signedup,” said Holmes,who worked allsummer on theproject and recentlyreturned from eight

days in Guatemala.The tree lighting production

drew crowds of more than55,000 to downtownGuatemala City, with more than1.5 million people watching onnational TV.

Holmes’ love for holidaylights and music began at 14,when he designed a synchro-nized light and music show athis family home off MarshCreek Road. He won theClayton Pioneer’s HomeDecorating Contest that yearand went on to design the lightshows at Clayton CommunityChurch.

“Just to give you some per-spective, the church show had

13,000 lights,” Holmesexplains. “The Guatemala Citytree had 1.5 million.”

Holmes’ parents, Leonoraand Neil Holmes, attended thetree lighting. “It was a proudmoment for Neil and me,” hismom said.

Holmes, 19, is a sophomoreat Azusa Pacific University inLos Angeles, where he is major-ing in cinematic arts.JEFFREY HOLMES

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

See Restoration, page 8

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 5

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

Butler Limousine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-5466

Cegielski Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-2855

Clayton Bicycle Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2522

Clayton Business & Community Association .672-2272

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5198

Hunhoff, Ashley - AAA Insurance . . . . . . . . . . .287-7265

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

Mason, Christina D.D.S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1559

Moresi’s Chophouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1333

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

Postal Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5246

R & M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Gardens . . . . . . .627-0207

The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-2025

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

Vintage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vintagetrio.com

Auto

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

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

Construction and Trades

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

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

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

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

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

LHI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9941

Mitolo Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2460

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

Dentist

Children’s Dentristy of Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . . .938-2392

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

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

Dining and Entertainment

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

Ghost Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-1913

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

Financial and Insurance Services

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

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

Turner, Mary Anne - Farmer’s Insurance . . . . . . .348-7781

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

Fitness

Naruschchen, Margaret - Yoga Shala . . . . . . . . .349-4686

Funerals

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

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

Home and Garden

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

Alexander KAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .977-1616

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

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

Diablo View Flooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700

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

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

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

Personal Services

Frontier Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6900

Main Street Nail Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933-8606

Pet Services

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

Peace of Mind Pet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9781

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

Real Estate and Mortgage Services

Brandt, Steve - Real Estate Group . . . . . . . . . . . .324-1138

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

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

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

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

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

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

Robin’s Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550-2383

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

Recreation

All Out Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4303

Castle Rock Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-7661

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

Clayton Valley Little League . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cvll.org

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

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

Retail

East Bay Work Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-9900

HobbyTown USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-3802

Sport Chalet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-7009

Senior Services

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

The Chateaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-1700

Services, Other

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

College Planning Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-1704

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

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

NextEnergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-0600

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

Travel

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

Directory of Advertisers

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

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorRANDY WENGER, Display Advertising PETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignBEV BRITTON, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA WIESENDANGER, Administrative Assistant

STAFF WRITERS: Denisen Hartlove, Jay Hartlove, Lou Fancher,Nicci Shipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn, Dana Guzetti

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

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

Tamara Steinertamara@claytonpioneer.com

Randy WengerRandy@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:Non-profit: $12 for first 30

words, $.20 each additionalword

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

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

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

We will not accept any ad that dis-

criminates on the basis of race, color,sex, religion, nationality, family statusor disability. The Clayton Pioneerreserves the right to reject any adver-tising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

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

Also on our Website are forms forsubmitting Community Calendar itemsand press releases for your organiza-tion.

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 “anony-mous.”

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

ClassifiedSERVICES

Girl Gardening

Garden care for your roses, peren-nials and ornamentals. Monthlypruning and fertilizing services.Plant suggestions and installation.If you want more flowers this year,call or email Nicole Hackett 673-1746, orgardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

WANTEDReal Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French isexpanding and interviewing for afew agents. Call her today (925)672-8787.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDHelp Fight Hunger

Anna Chan ~ AKA: The LemonLady needs your help! Volunteersare needed to haul donated producefrom Farmers' Markets to foodpantries throughout the area.Weekly commitment appreciated.Please contact Anna at 672-1988 orAnnaAndAva@gmail.com.

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers andrelief drivers needed for delivery ofMeals on Wheels in East County.Call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail hair-byjim@att.net.

Anna’s Attic Volunteers

Call 674-9072 or (925) 766-5066.

Hospice of the East Bay

Call Volunteer Dept. at (925) 887-5678 or email volunteers@hos-piceeastbay.org.

Clayton Historical Society Museum

Call the museum at 672-0240.

Clayton Community Library

Minimum age 13. Minimum com-mitment is 6 months. Some trainingprovided. Shelver - to shelve andsensitize library materials. Variousdays/times. Tutors - no prior expe-rience necessary! You determine thegrade level and subjects you arecomfortable with and the days/times. Requires good communica-tion skills, patience and a desire tohelp students in the community.Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 oremail: nielsenjanc@aol.com.

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The firefighters at Station 11love kids. If you have anydoubts, just take a look at themore than 30 shiny new bicyclesdonated by the FirefightersAssociation.

But, while the firefightershave met their goal for bikes, theToys for Tots barrel still standsempty.

Every year, the firefightersand the Marine Corps team up tomake Christmas happy for kidsthat might have a pretty emptytree. This year, the need is greaterthan ever. The recession hastaken a toll on families that arehard pressed to meet their basicneeds throughout the year. Theextra dollars for Christmas pres-ents just aren’t there.

If you want to make a childsmile on Christmas morning,drop off a new toy at Station 11at the corner of Center St. andClayton Rd. by Dec. 22. Formore information call 941-3411.

Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

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garbage. The evidence was care-fully preserved and saved.

But despite the best effortsof Albrecht and his team, thecase went unsolved for morethan 30 years. In the meantime,technology and forensic sciencemoved ahead. DNA testingbecame more sophisticated andaccurate.

In 2008, retired officersworking on cold cases resub-mitted some blood samplesfrom the old murder and got ahit. They tracked down JerryNemnich, a long haul truckdriver living in a neighboringcity. In October, he was con-

victed of two first degree mur-der charges and sentenced totwo life terms in prison.

A grateful Grand Junctionhonored Albrecht with a plaquerecognizing his outstandingservice. Crocker sent the plaqueto Clayton and Chief DanLawrence delivered it to a sur-prised Albrecht at home onNov. 22.

“I am really honored to rec-ognize your great police work,”said Lawrence.

Albrecht was chief of policein Clayton from 1983 until heretired in 1991. This was notthe first time one of Albrecht’s

cold cases had been solved.Thirty years ago, a SanBernardino man claimed he hadaccidentally shot his wife whilecleaning his deer rifle.

“We knew he did it, but wewere never able to prove it,”Albrecht said.

Three years ago, the manshot his third wife. WithAlbrecht’s assistance and goodmemory, the FBI was able toreconstruct and restage theoriginal crime and the case wassolved.

“I know it sounds likecliché,” said a smiling Albrecht.“But eventually the long arm ofthe law will get you.”

-Tamara Steiner

Detective, from page 3

Oath, frompage 1

Despite signs that the worstof the economic recession mayhave passed, the Food Bank isresponding to a sharp rise in thenumber of Contra Costa andSolano county residents strug-gling with hunger.

Current estimates show 1 in 6people need help. More than132,000 people are being servedeach month by Food Bank pro-grams and partner agencies – a35 percent increase in two yearsago. And demand for services isgrowing.

“Unemployment is certainlya contributing factor,” says LarrySly, executive director of theFood Bank. “With work harderto find, we’re seeing more fami-lies or single parents with chil-dren who need help.”

Nearly a third of those who

receive emergency food are chil-dren. Other Food Bank pro-grams target seniors and theworking poor. Most recipientshave incomes far below the fed-eral poverty level.

To distribute the 12.6 millionpounds of food, the Food Bankrelies on community supportand donations – especially dur-ing the holiday season.

“We know that many familieshave had to tighten their budg-ets,” says Sly, “but we hope thepublic will see how desperate theneed is this year. Even smalldonations help.”

Financial donations allow theFood Bank to purchase freshmilk, bread, fruits and vegeta-bles, which are essential to pro-viding nutritious food. Tax-deductible donations can be

made at foodbankccs.org ormailed to P.O. Box 6324,Concord, CA 94524.

The Food Bank also acceptsdonations of non-perishablefood items at many locationsthroughout the community,including Safeway stores, WholeFoods markets, Mechanics Bankbranches, Citibank branches andTravis Credit Union branches.Lucky, SaveMart and Food Maxxare collecting monetary dona-tions.

“We could not survive with-out public support,” Sly says. “Astroubling as it is to see so manyof our neighbors in need, it’samazing and wonderful howgenerous and supportive peoplecan be. We deeply appreciate theway our community comestogether to help out.”

Food Bank needs donations

But on Nov. 16, CVHS and thecommunity of Clayton united tomake a positive change for theschool and its students.

At 12:03 p.m., a booming andenthusiastic voice echoed throughthe halls, announcing the occur-rence of an “historic event” atCVHS. Forewarned of the eventat the homecoming rally, studentswere asked to gather in theamphitheater to witness the CVstaff take the Eagle Pride Oath,kick-starting the “Do the RightThing” campaign.

Led by coach Paul Reynaudand teacher Amber Lineweaver,the staff pledged “to keep ourcampus safe, clean and filled withschool spirit and Eagle pride,”with the hope that students willfollow the positive example. Theadministration, Clayton MayorHank Stratford, various CVcoaches, Parent Faculty Club pres-ident Alison Bacigalupo and otherprominent community membersalso partook in the ceremony.

Following the oath, the first 12students to be recognized for“doing the right thing” werebrought up on the stage to pledgethemselves toward the cause, set-ting the bar for the rest of the stu-dent body.

Originally proposed byStratford, the “Do the RightThing” character initiative wasunanimously passed by theClayton City Council to enhancethe community as a whole. Inaddition to efforts being madewithin the community to promotethe program, Clayton schools areimplementing the “Do the RightThing” campaign on their cam-puses. CVHS took advantage ofthe program to work to academi-cally and morally improve theschool community and its recentlyacquired negative reputation.

To accomplish this, CVHScreated the 800 Club, whichemphasizes the importance ofCV attaining an API score of800. Other goals of the cam-paign include developing moralsof respect, responsibility, kind-ness, self-discipline, integrity andcourage within the student body,improving the overall image ofthe school and restoring studentpride on campus.

CV junior Maggie Keenan isenthused by the prospect ofchange on campus. “I think theprogram’s a really good ideabecause a lot of students like thepositive reinforcement of beingrecognized for their positive influ-ence,” she said. “And with thisprogram, I feel that students willwant to try to do better and bebetter people.”

With the program underwayand the expectations in place, it’shoped this campaign will bring tolight the positive aspects of thevast majority of Clayton Valley’sstudents and faculty, rather thansolely focusing on the few whohave attempted to tarnish the rep-utation of CV.

Station 11 seeks Toys for Tots

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

STATION 11 FIREFIGHTERS DONATED MORE THAN 30 BICYCLES forneedy kids this Christmas. The station also participates in theUS Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and is seeking toydonations. Drop off new toys at the station by Dec. 22.Pictured are Terry Stewart, Ken Robb and Shane Neveau.

You may have noticed there isnow a lot more light on OakhurstDrive and Clayton Road at night.That’s because John Johnston andhis crew at the ClaytonMaintenance Department havereplaced the high-pressure sodium“cobra heads” on the overheadstreet light fixtures with new, high-efficiency LED lights.

The city has replaced 100 lightstandards with bulbs that producemore light while using less electric-ity.

“When I first heard aboutthese lights, I expected them to betoo bright,” said Johnston. “Butyou don’t notice the light becauseit’s just normal, like sunlight.”

LED lights are also directional,aiming the light straight down sothere is no shining into residents’backyards. Johnston called thiseffect “dark sky compliant.”

Clayton interior designerAlison Bacigalupo noticed themon her early morning run. “Whenthose energy-efficient lights firstcame out, they all had that bluecast. We would never use them inour design projects because theycast a cool light on things and peo-ple like a warmer light (indoors). Itis noticeable that they are differ-

ent,” she said, adding: “I actuallythink they are OK for public streetlights.”

Clayton insurance saleswomanBetty Moglen thinks the brighterlights may increase safety. “I won-der if we are going to see a reduc-tion in crime in these areas.”

The remaining 1,400 lampposts in town will not be replacedanytime soon. Although the tech-nology is improving, the cost stilldoes not make economic sense.The available LED retrofitsreplace the entire lamp top, asopposed to just an insert, and costabout $2,000 each.

“The energy savings wouldnot make up for the cost,”Johnston said. “We wish we coulddo it in the residential areas. Someof the citizens pay a street lightassessment.”

Although the cost of energyfrom PG&E has climbed steadily,Clayton has not increased thestreet light assessment in morethan 10 years. More efficient lightswould make it easier to maintainthe current assessment rate.

“The street lights that we arereplacing are arterial street lightsand not part of the Street LightAssessment District. The savingswould be to our arterial streetlights funded within our gas taxbudget,” Johnston added.

Changing the tall overheadstreet lights was made possible bya $62,000 grant of U.S.Department of Energy moneyavailable through the CaliforniaEnergy Commission as part ofthe American Recovery andReinvestment Act. The installationwill lead to $13,000 in rebates tothe city from PG&E. The addi-tional yearly savings due to energyefficiency will be about $6,800 peryear.

Spent high-pressure sodiumlamps are considered hazardouswaste when they wear out. PG&Elisted the 100 new fixtures as con-serving 28,000 pounds of carbondioxide.

Some residents are unsureabout the aesthetic affect ofchanging all the town’s lamp posts.An informal survey of patronsand staff at downtown eateriesfound a common theme.

“I don’t want them to changeout the downtown lights if itmeans a big change,” said CarolRicetti, the hostess at Moresi’sChop House. “Maybe just themain streets.”

Johnston agrees. “I would han-dle it the same way I would in myown neighborhood. I have workedhere for over 20 years. We don’twant to hurry up and rush into anew technology if it doesn’t fit all

our needs.”He takes care to maintain the

look of the city’s lights. PG&Erecently started to replace some ofthe town and country style lamp

post tops on Weatherly Drive witha more modern, teardrop-shapedlight. Johnston halted that job andPG&E is switching them to a bet-ter match for that neighborhood.

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 7

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Since 1979

The Clayton CommunityLibrary Foundation has severalsuggestions for holiday gifts.

You can “Buy a Brick” for $55,including three lines of engravingto honor a loved one. Gift cardscan be supplied.

To celebrate the 15th birthdayof the library, a gold tone orna-ment has been specially designed.The ornament is pierced with someareas in matte finish and others inpolished, shiny finish. They are$12, or two for $20.

The group also is selling bookbags in heavy-duty red canvas withwhite printing and logo. The bot-tom is gusseted and stands easilyfor filling. At only $10, the bagcould be filled with another gift tomake wrapping easy.

“Buy a Book” is another way to

honor or memorialize someone.Book plates are put into the booksyou choose. Fiction books can bepurchased for $25, or non-fictionfor $50.

Another option is a gift mem-bership in the Clayton CommunityLibrary Foundation at $10 for anindividual, $15 for a family, plushigher categories. This is a gift thatany library/book lover is sure toappreciate.

T-shirts for adults and childrenare red and blue, sporting the94517 logo. Cost is $14 for adultshirts and $10 for children’s.

Proceeds from purchases helpbuy new materials for the ClaytonCommunity Library.

More information and order formsare available at the library or at claytonli-brary.org.

Browse at the libraryfor holiday gift ideas

City going green with new street lightsJAY HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

By the time you read this, wewill have celebratedThanksgiving and are well onour way to Christmas and NewYears. This month’s article willfocus on two holiday issues:shopping safety and travel safety.

I recommend that you imple-ment some of the followingsafety tips to reduce the chanceof becoming a crime statisticthis season.

Avoid shopping when youare exhausted. You are morealert when you are less tired. Carthieves are always watching andtake vehicles that are the easiestto steal. Remember where yourcar is parked; write it down ifyou’re forgetful. Being unable tolocate your vehicle can causestress and confusion that willmake you an easy target forcriminals.

After making purchases,avoid walking back to your carwith your arms completely filledespecially in the dark. Make sev-eral trips, if possible. Alwayssecure purchases in the trunk. Ifyou have an SUV, make surethey are hidden by placing themunder seats or at least out ofview of a person walking by.Always lock your car doors, evenif leaving your car for just amoment.

Occasionally check yourpurse to make sure it is securelyclosed to avoid becoming a vic-tim of pickpockets. Keep trackof wallets as well.

When ordering gifts online,make sure the Website is securebefore giving your credit cardnumber. Check into any unfa-miliar organizations looking forholiday donations. If purchasesare to be delivered, try to be athome when your packages aredelivered or have a neighboraccept them. Thieves have beenknown to drive around Claytonneighborhoods looking forpackages that are left on frontporches.

Be extremely careful usingATM machines this time of year.Always use them in well-lit, pop-ulated areas and pay close atten-tion to what’s going on aroundyou.

DAN LAWRENCE

FROM THE CHIEF

Keeping it safewhile shoppingor on holiday

Veterans share stories with Scouts

Boy Scout Troop 492 hon-ored local veterans at theChurch of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints in Concord onNov. 18. The first ConcordLDS event paid tribute to abouttwo dozen veterans for theirsacrifice.

The Scouts didn’t have tolook too far for their veterans.They selected members fromthe two congregations whoworship and participate inchurch activities. The boysinterviewed and wrote a reportabout the veterans’ service asthey were introduced.

“We called around to differ-ent veterans group and didn’tget any response. So we decidedto honor the veterans whom weknow – whom we have beengrowing up with and the oneswhom I have known most ofmy life,” said Brian Blatter, aparent and Scout leader.

According to Blatter, theone-on-one conversations werethe best benefit of the event.“They got to sit down and havea conversation with experiencedmen,” he noted. “They reallygained a lot.”

- Mike Dunn

Photo by Mike Dunn

Scout Garrett Blatter presents an award to Michel Grover, U.S.Army 1969-’71.

See Chief, page 9

Club News

After several false alarms –including trips to the doctor andthe hospital earlier in the day,Clayton resident ElizabethGreene wound up delivering hersecond baby at home on Nov. 1.

Audrey Claire arrived on herdue date, joining 6-year-old sis-ter Emily, a first-grader at Mt.Diablo Elementary School.

“We were unsure if the babywas going to be on time or notbecause Emily, born in Alaska,was induced a week early,” notesdad Mike Greene. “Elizabethwas doing fine on Halloweenand we walked around takingEmily from house to house.”

About 11 p.m. on Oct. 31,Elizabeth started complainingabout contractions. Since theywere far apart, a nurse at Kaisersaid to stay home and theywould make an evaluation at herappointment at 10 a.m. Monday.

“She told me to go aheadand go to work because therewas a good chance that nothing

was going to happen that day,”says Mike.

At Monday’s appointment,Elizabeth was still having con-tractions but no signs of dila-tion. Then at 3:30 p.m. thatafternoon, Elizabeth called her

husband and said she was head-ing to Kaiser Hospital in WalnutCreek.

“When I arrived around4:45, Elizabeth was alreadyspeaking to the nurse aboutreturning home because she wasonly 2 centimeters dilated andcontractions were not at a fre-quent enough level,” Mikereports.

Back home in Clayton, Mikeand Emily played a game ofchess downstairs – “staying outof everyone’s way” whileElizabeth’s mom, NancyKasting, kept an eye on herdaughter. About 8:30 p.m., theyheard Elizabeth yelling: “Thebaby’s coming out!”

Fortunately Nancy, a formernurse who worked in labor anddelivery 20 years ago, was thereto help deliver the 8-pound, 4-ounce baby at 8:47 p.m. Withinminutes, Clayton’s Officer JasonShaw was on the scene – joinedby a half-dozen first responders.

“I got to cut the umbilicalcord with a little help from thefirefighter,” Mike says. Then,

Elizabeth and Audrey were offto the hospital for a 24-hourstay.

The Greenes moved fromKansas to Clayton in July forMike’s job as a senior businessplanner at Clorox in Oakland.The two met in Kentucky andlived in Texas, Arizona andAlaska during Mike’s militaryservice – which included a 16-

month deployment to Iraq.Days after the chaos,

Elizabeth is still having a hardtime piecing together the chainof events. And she’s got herhands full with a new puzzle:obtaining a birth certificate forAudrey.

“We’ve had a time of itbecause she was born at home,”she says.

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

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clearing thatch, planting willowstakes and seeding native grassover the next two months.

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Restoration, from page 4

of 7,999 feet. Within 100 metersof leaving their position, theywere ambushed by 10 to 15Taliban insurgents with AK-47assault rifles, 10 rocket-pro-pelled grenade launchers andthree PKM machine guns.Brennan, whom Giunta consid-ered his best friend, was walkingpoint when he was struck by atleast six rounds.

In a fierce, three-minute fire-fight, with the Taliban firing onthe Americans from two direc-tions, Giunta retrieved anothersoldier who had been woundedand then went in the dark tofind Brennan.

He eventually discoveredtwo Taliban carrying his gravelywounded comrade away. Giuntashot and killed one of the insur-gents and wounded the second,who dropped Brennan and fled.Giunta took Brennan back tothe rest of the squad and com-forted him while checking hiswounds until Brennan was ableto be evacuated.

The squad’s medic, HugoMendoza, was killed in the fight.Brennan, 22, was evacuated butdied in surgery.

“I didn’t run through fire tosave a buddy—I ran throughfire to see what was going onwith him and maybe we could

hide behind the same rock andshoot together,” Giunta said inthe book “War.” “I didn’t runthrough fire to do anythingheroic or brave; I did what Ibelieve anyone would havedone.”

MEETING A HERO

Giunta was nominated forthe Medal of Honor by his cap-tain two days after the incidentand President Barack Obamapresented him with the medal ina White House ceremony Nov.16. The Stoffers, along withJoshua’s mother Janice(MaraLee’s daughter), fatherMike, step-parent, six siblingsand many aunts, uncles andcousins traveled to Washingtonfor three days of festivitiesaround the medal ceremony.

Chuck and MaraLee had justchecked into the SheratonNational when she went downto the lobby and saw Giunta,whom they had never met. Sheapproached him and said, “Ineed to give you a hug and akiss.”

When he found out who shewas, the American hero said,“Now I need to give you a hugand a kiss, too!”

Thus began three extraordi-nary but “bittersweet” days. It

gave the Stoffers a chance tomeet all the soldiers from the173rd who served with theirgrandson as well as militarybrass and the family ofMendoza.

The White House ceremonycould only accommodate 100people, including Joshua’smother and father. The Stoffersand most of Joshua’s relativeswatched a live feed in a largeroom at the hotel with others.There was a reception at thehotel later in the day.

The following day, Giuntawas installed in the Hall ofHeroes at the Pentagon. Thechief of staff of the Army, thesecretary of the Army and thechair of the Joint Chiefs ofStaff conducted the ceremony.Three former Medal of Honorrecipients from World War IIand Vietnam were on hand.

The third day featured areception at Fort Myer inArlington, Va. “The events wereall world class. They were for-mal and detailed but upbeat,’’Chuck Stoffers said.

A TIGHTLY KNIT TEAM

He and his wife, who havelived in Concord for about 25years, talked in glowing termsabout Giunta, even before theymet him.

“Our loss of Joshua wouldhave been compounded if hisbody had not been returned to

us,” Chuck said. “Sal’s actionbrought him back from theenemy. We will forever be grate-ful to him.”

When they finally had achance to meet Giunta, theyfound a humble man who con-sistently said he couldn’t havedone it “without his guys.” Onthe flip side, they never saw orheard any jealousy or resent-ment from the other brave sol-diers because Giunta was receiv-ing all the notoriety.

“There was so much cama-raderie and love shown by themembers of the unit towardone another and all the familymembers,” MaraLee added. “Itwas very heartwarming.”

Joshua’s cousin, JosephBrennan, enlisted in the Armywith the understanding he couldjoin the 173rd. He was sent toAfghanistan and participated inan action where the Army wentin and killed the Taliban mem-ber who was identified as theperson who killed Joshua. Afterthe mission was complete,Joseph called his father and sim-ply said, “We got him.”

According to CommanderRichard “Pete” Loechner, thelocal Jerry Novakovich Veteransof Foreign Wars Post 1525 isgoing to make Giunta an hon-orary member. Chuck Stoffers,who served in the Navy in theVietnam era, has been a long-time member.

Medal, from page 1

Bundle of joy eager to make a home in ClaytonBEV BRITTON

Clayton Pioneer

midwife in the early 1900s. Thatfire is still under investigation asarson.

Salon owner Jim Frazier andhis family were just sitting down toThanksgiving dinner when the callcame in that his salon was on fire.“At first I thought he was kidding,but then others started calling,”said Frazier..

The building, constructed byNan and Lawrence Wallace around1960 was originally about 85 squarefeet and had no heat or plumbing.The Wallaces used the building fortheir real estate offices.

In 1964, when the city ofClayton incorporated, the Wallacesloaned the building to the city ofClayton and it became the first cityhall.

After the city moved out in1970, the building was enlarged toits present 600 square feet. Around1982, Skip Ipsen, founder ofSkipolini’s Pizza, bought the prop-erty from Nan Wallace. In 1994,

the building became the home ofTLC Pet Grooming, now locatedin the original Village Marketbuilding on Main Street. Frazieropened his salon in 2003.

The building became Frazier’strademark and inspired the nameThe Best Little Hairhouse inClayton.

Frazier plans to relocate inClayton, but mourns the loss ofthe little red house.

“We’ll never get back theessence of that building,” he sighs.

The building is a city historicalsite, says Ipsen, who has no plansto rebuild. He will offer it to thecity. but is doubtful that they willwant to incur the cost of movingthe building. “It’s just too dam-aged,” he said.

His plans are to put a largerbuilding on the lot. “It will haveall the gingerbread and look likethe old building.”

Staff writer Jay Bedecarre con-tributed to this story

Fire, from page 1BABY AUDREY CLAIRE snug-gles with mom ElizabethGreene. Audrey was born ather Clayton home, deliv-ered by her grandmother,after nurses sent her momhome from the hospital ear-lier in the day.

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I like Thanksgiving as muchas the next person. The hours ofshopping and cooking to pro-duce a week’s worth of leftovers,sneaking slices of pumpkin piefrom the tin for breakfast, andreally – who doesn’t enjoy a giantcoma-inducing meal amongstfamily and friends? But while allthat food, togetherness, and,well, food may be great, for me,Thanksgiving has a greatermeaning than all that. Becausewhile the purpose of that lastThursday of November is to cel-ebrate family, love, and brother-hood as demonstrated by the pil-grims and Native Americans somany years ago, it also marks thebeginning of something muchmore important: the HolidaySeason.

As anyone who knows mewill tell you, I absolutely adoreanything and everything aboutChristmas. From the catchy car-ols and cheesy movies and clay-mations to the endless varietiesof seasonal baked goods and fes-tive decorations, I enjoy nothingmore than the cozy, homey,merry, and joyous feelings that

surround the winter holidays. Tome, with Rudolph the red-nosedreindeer being excluded fromreindeer games on the screen, aChristmas sweater on, and abatch of cookies in the oven,winter truly is the most wonder-ful time of the year. As mybrother Brent phrased it, I’m areal “Santa-holic”.

So great is my “addiction” toall things Christmas that, afteryears of stealthily breaking outthe Christmas tapes and CDsaround October (far before theirtime in the opinion of myfather), my family has beenforced to restrict my celebration

to a specific timeframe. Not asingle candy cane can be seen inour household before BlackFriday and everything must bepacked away and back up in stor-age by New Year’s Day wherenothing Christmas related willgrace our television screen orstereo speakers until the nextyear – as has been the tradition inthe Tovrea household for manyyears, up until this one.

It all started with a trip to themall over Veteran’s Day week-end. As usual for that time ofyear, I was already suppressingthe Christmas songs and cheerthat had been threatening toemerge since October, so what Isaw as I opened the doors thatled into the shopping wonder-land that is the Sun Valley Mallleft me ready to burst. Mid-November, and already, giantswreaths and garland glisteningwith ornaments and tinseldripped from the towering ceil-ings. Upon entering, the chorusof “Jingle Bells” was playingfaintly in the background. Andwith that, my Christmas spiritwas officially unleashed.

Retail wasn’t the only onewho kick-started the holiday sea-son early this year. Hallmarkchannel started its holiday movie“Countdown to Christmas” onNov. 13; a full six weeks beforethe 25th of December. ABCFamily followed suit, beginningits “25 Days of Christmas” 10days early on Nov. 21. KOIT, theBay Area’s holiday music stationstarted broadcasting its carolswell before Turkey Day this yearas well. It seemed even theClayton Community Library hadhung its annual Christmas deco-rations earlier than normal thisyear.

As for me…I’m unsurpris-ingly all for extending myChristmas timeframe. Thoughmany may disagree, I don’t thinkyou can ever have enoughChristmas cheer.

Who knows, maybe next yearwe’ll all be playing Christmascarols while we slice the turkey!A girl can dream, can’t she?

QMy husband and I recentlyhad a local Realtor come

over to give us a comparablemarket analysis on our homebecause we are planning to sell.Our home is in a great cul-de saclocation, with a large desirablefloor plan, beautiful landscapingand a new 50-year roof. We arethe original owners. When theagent left, I felt like I should beashamed of our home.

I know you always talk about“staging” the home for sale, buthow far does that have to go?The agent said I couldn’t get any-where near what it is worth if Ididn’t remove the very expensivewallpaper in all the rooms,remove the acoustic ceiling andput all my beautiful things col-lected from world travels in stor-age. She said my updated kitchenis not a plus, because we updatedit in 1983. Same with the bath-rooms.

There is no way we willremove all the wallpaper. Myhusband said he thinks it is com-ing back in style. I also wouldn’thire a Realtor who doesn’t seemto like my home.

What do you really thinkneeds to be done to get top dol-lar for a home?

A I am always puzzled that themajority of home buyers

lack the ability to imagine what ahouse might look like with differ-ent wall treatments. It is also hardfor them to picture their things ina home if the seller has differenttaste in accessories. In fact, themore beautiful your things are,the more distracting they can be.

I would say the cheapestthing you can do to more thanrecoup your money is removewallpaper and paint the home aneutral color, remove “popcorn”ceilings, change carpet if it isworn and de-clutter (or we sayde-treasure) the home. You willhave to pack your things away tomove anyway, so you might aswell do it before you show thehome. Another benefit of de-cluttering your home before youtry to sell it is you will have lessto clean up before a showing.

It sounds like you have agreat yard and location, so youshould capitalize on “curbappeal.” Take a critical look atyour home from the street. Yourgoal is to identify cost-effectivechanges you can make to thehouse and yard that will make itmore appealing to buyers. Thiscould be as simple as cleaning upthe yard, adding colorful plants,power washing the entry walkand washing dirt off the exteriorof the house.

Your home will sell morequickly and for a better price ifyou put the time and money intoimproving its curb appeal.

When you choose a Realtorwith whom you are comfortable,have them help you evaluatewhat to do for your home toappeal to a larger audience.Sellers often have strong emo-tional attachments to theirhomes and have difficulty seeingit objectively.

Q I read in the paper thatthere is a bipartisan com-

mission on reducing the federaldebt. It sounds like they are rec-ommending repealing or modify-ing the popular tax break on thedeductibility of mortgage inter-est payments. How could thishelp the housing market or theeconomy? What do you knowabout this?

AFirst of all, I would like tostop this rumor before peo-

ple begin to panic. There arealready signs that these rumorsare chilling housing sales. Somestories are misleading, becausethese articles are reporting onpossibilities not realities.

The recommendations havenot been provided yet. Even ifthis one is presented, they wouldneed approval of 14 of the 18members.

Ron Phipps, president of theNational Association ofRealtors, said Realtors wouldreject any tax law changes,including modifying the mort-gage interest deductions thatwould impair Americans’ abilityto own and invest in real estate.And, the National Association of

Realtors is a powerful group.“The federal policy choice to

support home ownership hasbeen in the Internal RevenueCode since its inception,” hesaid. “We see no valid reason toundermine that basic decision.Indeed, we believe that the onlyviable tax system is one thatwould continue to nurture homeownership.”

There have been previousefforts to change this tax policyin 1986, 1996 and 2005. Analysismade clear that the changes wereproposed without fully under-standing the negative impact onhouseholds and communities.

“Calling home ownership theAmerican Dream is not a mereslogan,” said Phipps, “but ratherit expresses a bedrock value.Owning a piece of property hasbeen central to American valuessince Plymouth and Jamestown.Homes are the foundation ofour culture, the place where fam-ilies eat and learn together, thebasis for community life. Thecottage with a picket fence is aniconic part of our heritage.”

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ANSWERS

Send your question and look foryour answer in a future column. EmailLynne@LynneFrench.com. French isthe broker/owner of WindermereLynne French & Associates and aClayton resident. For any real estateneeds or questions, contact her at 672-878 7or stop in at 6200 Center St.,Clayton.

Put your personal things awaywhen staging a home to sell

It’s never too early for Christmas

TAYLOR TOVREA

TEEN SPEAK

Taylor Tovrea is a junior atClayton Valley High School. She is aregular to the Pioneer. Email her attaylor@claytonpioneer.com

Dan Goggin, creator of themusical megaplex known as“Nunsense,” has savior writtenall over him.

Fresh from a meeting withthe Martinez City Council,Goggin and David Faustina, thenew managing director of theWillows Theatre Company,

were flying high.“We showed them we’ve put

in over $500,000 of improve-ments into our three facilities inMartinez,” Faustina said. “Withthat, Danny got them to forgivea $40,000 loan for operatingexpenses.”

With a gentle smile on hisface, Goggin looked pleased buthardly surprised that salvationwas there for the asking. He wasin town to rehearse for the WestCoast premiere of “SisterRobert Anne’s Cabaret Class,”one of nine productionsspawned from his 1985 OffBroadway hit.

“The original show startedwith greeting cards made from anun mannequin a friend gaveme.” Goggin explained.

The cards were so popularhe asked a friend, MarilynFarina, to pose as the nun. Sheappeared in card stores and per-formed short sketches he hadwritten. The germ of“Nunsense” was in thosesketches.

“We started to think, maybe

Page 10 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. DEC. 8 FOR THE DEC. 17 ISSUE.

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

HOLIDAY EVENTSSee Page 2 for Holiday Events in Clayton

Dec. 4Neigh Savers Horse Rescue Holiday PartyLunch, raffle prizes, Turf Club admission, racing pro-gram and a back stretch tour. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., GoldenGate Fields, 1100 Eastshore Frontage Road, Berkeley.$50. 980-7124 or neighsavers.com.

Through Dec. 4“Irving Berlin’s White Christmas”Presented by Diablo Theatre Company. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$42.943-7469 or lesherartscenter.org.

Dec. 7Pine Hollow Middle School Holiday BoutiqueSponsored by the Parent Teacher Student Association.25 vendors and crafters, raffles and food sales. Bringunwanted gold jewelry and the Gold Refinery will offercash 2-5 p.m. Full boutique 2-7 p.m., 5522 PineHollow Road, Concord. 681-3382.

Dec. 9-19“A Christmas Carol”Center Rep offers the classic tale of redemption. LesherCenter, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20.50-$41.943-7469 or centerrep.org.

Dec. 11-20“Whiskers”The Galatean Players present the musical based on"The Velveteen Rabbit." Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$15. 943-SHOW.

Dec. 12Diablo Women's Chorale“Yuletide Carols” benefits the Mt. Diablo Music

Education Foundation. Refreshments following. 3 p.m.,Trinity Lutheran Church, 2317 Buena Vista Ave.,Walnut Creek. $12; $10 students. www.diablowomen-schorale.org.

Dec. 13Contra Costa Wind Symphony“Winterfest” holiday concert features the Contra CostaChildren’s Chorus and guest artists. 7:30 p.m.,Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Dr.,Lafayette. Free. www.ccwindsymphony.org.

ENTERTAINMENTDec. 3-5“Always … Patsy Cline”Presented by the Vagabond Players. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. vagabondplay-ersinc.com.

Dec. 11Oak GroveBluegrass music. Proceeds benefit Christmas forEveryone. 7:30 p.m., Walnut Avenue United MethodistChurch, 260 Walnut Ave., Walnut Creek. $10 or $25per family. www.walnutavenueumc.org.

Through Jan. 16“Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class”The Willows presents everybody’s favorite nun, withDeborah Del Mastro. Campbell Theatre, 626 WardStreet, Martinez. willowstheatre.org or 798-1300.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programsare free unless otherwise noted. 673-0659 or clayton-library.org.

Dec. 6 Elisa Kleven and Thacher HurdThe popular children’s authors share books and stories.Sponsored by the Clayton Community LibraryFoundation in cooperation with Joel Harris. 10 a.m.

Dec. 7Patty CakesStorytime for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends withcaregiver. 11 a.m.

WednesdaysBook BuddiesReading to 4- to 7-year-olds. 3-4 p.m.

Dec. 13 “Free and Low-Cost Job Training”Learn how to improve your skills to get the job youwant. Presented by Opportunity Junction. 2 p.m.

Dec. 13Clayton Library Book ClubThe group is open to anyone, with discussions led bySunny Solomon. 7 p.m.

MEETINGSDec. 7, 21Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 ClaytonRoad. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us

Dec. 14, 28Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 ClaytonRoad. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Dec. 14Mt. Diablo Unified School District7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org.

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Pacific Northwest writer JanBaross has created a tasty talewith her debut novel, “JoseBuilds a Woman.” Not only isthe story culturally rich, set inthe coastal Mexican villages ofEl Pulpo and Mujeres, but it isalso funny, poetic and complete-ly outrageous.

Tortugina, which means littleturtle, is in love with a boynamed Gabito and wants noth-ing more than to be a cliff diver,just like him. She secretly watch-es Gabito in his lucky yellowshorts as he dives from the dan-gerous cliffs into the deep bluesea, emerging with a net full ofoctopus to sell. Tortugina holdsher breath when Gabito’s feetlift off the rocks, watching ashis sleek brown body slices intothe water. She tests herself,holding her breath, proving thatshe too has what it takes to be adiver.

The third of three girls,Tortugina is a torment to herparents and an embarrassmentto the village. But she knowswhat she knows, and she isn’twilling to settle for average.

Then one day, Gabito iskilled in a diving accident.Bereaved, Tortugina is about to

throw herself from the very cliffthat claimed her young lovewhen something strange andutterly magical happens. It isn’tthe end of Tortugina’s love, butmerely a slightly puzzling con-tinuation, as Gabito returns toher as a ghost.

“Strong arms around mywaist lift me back from the edge.When I turn there is a man,naked, except for an immodestloincloth of dripping kelp. Heseems either unformed or torninto pieces that hover together.I must be dead or frozen in adream.”

After Gabito’s death, no vil-lager will have Tortugina for abride. When the day comes thatthe mother superior of the localconvent comes to take the girlaway to a cloistered life, a “mir-acle” occurs. A stranger riding acamel appears in town and takesTortugina for his wife.Tortugina’s parents are thrilledto marry off the troublesomegirl, but the mother superior isfurious to lose a virgin novice.Tortugina is relieved to escapeEl Pulpo forever.

Tortugina is philosophical,taking her new life in stride. Shekeeps house for her husband,

raises an adoring son and con-tinues to have conversationswith her dead love. But what lifeis perfect? Her husband isuntrue, and Jose, her son, triesto kill himself when the girl ofhis dreams snubs him.

Jose carves a beautifulMadonna for Pilar, and whenshe rejects him, he shovels fist-fuls of poisonous oleanderpetals into his mouth. Tortuginahas to knock Jose out to dig theflowers out of his mouth. “Whyis it so hard to keep everyonealive?” she wonders.

“Jose Builds a Woman” is astory of love and travail. Thetitle may imply that the story isabout Jose, but really, it is abouthis amazing mother. This novelis fun, fabulous and a must-read.

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR THE BOOKS

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

‘Jose’ explores love andloss with poetic timing

‘Nunsense’ part of Willows’vision of unique theater

JACK POWELL STARS AS EBENEZER SCROOGE in CenterRep’s “A ChristmasCarol.” The Dicken’s classic opens Dec. 9 and plays through Dec. 19at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Call 943-7469 fortickets.

The Center RepertoryCompany performed “AChristmas Carol” at the OldNut House theater years beforethe Lesher Center opened. Theproduction has come a longway from the small beginningsof East Bay regional theaterand is now one of the most per-formed shows at the Lesher.

At the helm of one of themost popular and retoldChristmas tales, director ScottDenison focuses on keeping itfresh and familiar simultaneous-ly. The freshness comes fromout-of-this world special effects,while familiarity comes throughthe story and the recurring castof characters whom audienceshave come to know and loveeach holiday season.

“We’ve developed each andevery magical moment in theshow.” Denison says. Thattranslates into complex, beauti-ful sets and lighting schemesand a production rich with daz-zling effects – including magicalentrances and exits, a 12½ footghost of Christmas future and ablanket of snow during thefinale.

A new effect this yearinvolves objects that zoomabove the audience’s heads, but

Engaging ‘Christmas Carol’melds old and new

ORIGINAL “NUNSENSE” CRE-ATOR, Dan Goggins withWillows Theatre new manag-ing director, David Faustina.

See Carol, page 18

See Nunsense, page 18

TheatreBook Review

If you leave the area for aholiday vacation or to visit rela-tives, please take the proper safe-ty precautions before leavinghome. Create the illusion thatyou are home by placing lights,radios or TVs on timers. Plan toremove messages from youranswering machines daily so the“beep” is always short.

Lock the door to yourattached garage. Never rely on

your automatic garage dooropener for security. Stop deliver-ies of mail and newspapers, orask a trusted neighbor or friendto collect mail and newspapers.

Last, but not least, call theClayton Police Department at673-7350, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday to request a“vacation house watch” whileyou are away. We will thoroughlycheck the exterior of your home

while you are gone.All of the employees of the

Clayton Police Department hopeyou have a wonderful winter andholiday season. If you requireaddition information about holi-day safety, please call the ClaytonPolice Department, 673-7350.

Richard B. Ford brought hisexpertise on animal vaccinationsto the November meeting of theContra Costa VeterinaryAssociation.

Ford, professor emeritus atthe College of VeterinaryMedicine at North Carolina StateUniversity, is an immunologistand leading advisor on veterinaryvaccinations. He served on theAmerican Animal HospitalAssociation and the AmericanAssociation of FelinePractitioners vaccine guidelinecommittees.

Although most vaccines aresafe, over-vaccination may beharmful to pets. It may over-stimulate pets’ immune systems,predisposing them to immunemediated diseases. It’s also possi-ble that too many vaccines at onetime can lead to life-threateninganaphylactic shock.

There are three categories ofvaccines. The core vaccines arerecommended by the advisoryboards for all pets to preventdeadly diseases. The non-corevaccines are given depending onindividual risk levels. The notgenerally recommended vaccines

are those that do not providesufficient immunity or are associ-ated with adverse events.

DISTEMPER AND RABIES COREVACCINES

There are two canine corevaccines. DAPP protects againstdistemper, a potentially deadlyviral disease causing upper respi-ratory infection, severe vomiting,diarrhea and neurological signs;two of the tracheobronchitis orkennel cough viruses, adenovirusand parainfluenza; and par-vovirus, which affects mainlypuppies with symptoms of vom-iting, bloody diarrhea and death.

Puppies should be vaccinatedat 8, 12 and 16 weeks old. Due tohigh exposure risk, shelter pup-pies start at 4 weeks, then everytwo weeks until 16 weeks old oradopted. A booster is given at 1year, then every 3 years.

Law mandates that dogs bevaccinated for rabies at 16 weeks,1 year and then every 3 years.

OTHER VACCINES

TAILORED TO NEEDS

Non-core vaccines should betailored to a dog’s needs.Bordetella is a bacterium foundin the kennel cough complex.Since this disease is airborne andeasily passed by coughing, it isrecommended for most dogs.Ford recommends giving an ini-tial intranasal vaccine as a puppy

and booster every 12 months, or6 months if there is a higherexposure risk. High-risk individ-uals are those who board, visitdog parks and groomers.Injections are available if nasalapplication is not tolerated.

Leptospirosis, a deadly bac-terium, affects the liver and kid-neys of all mammals, includinghumans. Passed in urine, it livesin fresh water ponds and pud-dles. Dogs who hunt, herd, hike,visit dog parks or live in yardswith wildlife traffic are at risk.Vaccines start at 12 weeks,repeated at 4 weeks and yearlyafter that.

Other non-core vaccinesinclude rattlesnake and Lyme’sfor those living in high risk areas.Coronavirus vaccine is not gen-erally recommended.

VACCINES FOR CATS

Cats have two core vaccines.FVRCP protects against twoupper respiratory viruses, felineviral rhino and calici viruses.Also included is panleukopenia, avirus related to the canine par-vovirus causing vomiting, diar-rhea and a decrease white bloodcell count. The vaccine scheduleis the same as in canine DAPP,with the most important vaccina-tion at 16 weeks and 1 year.

California does not requirerabies vaccination for cats. But

since rabies is endemic in ContraCosta County, it is highly recom-mended even for indoor cats forboth feline and human protec-tion. If a non-vaccinated catbites a person or is exposed to arabid animal, a quarantine of 10days to 6 months will berequired.

Feline leukemia vaccine(FeLV) is a non-core vaccinestrongly recommended for allkittens the first two years of lifeand continued yearly if the catgoes outdoors. This close con-tact transmitted virus causestumors, severe immune suppres-sion and leukemia. The initialseries is given 3-4 weeks apart,then 1 year later. The preferredvaccine is now given transder-mally.

To prevent cancer at the vac-cination site in felines, non-adju-vant vaccines are recommended.Adjuvant is an inert chemical,such as aluminum, that is used toextend the life of the vaccine.But this adjuvant can inducefibrosarcoma, a difficult cancerto treat that often leads to death.If your cat’s vaccine interval is 3years instead of 1 year, it mostlikely has adjuvant.

All other feline vaccines arenot generally recommendedunless there is high risk. Theseinclude feline immunodeficiencyvirus (FIV), chlamydia and bor-detella – both upper respiratoryorganisms – and ringworm, afungal skin infection. The FIVvaccine will cause a cat to testpositive, masking future pres-ence of disease.

Feline infectious peritonitis(FIP) vaccine is not recommend-ed because it can actually stimu-late this highly intense inflamma-tory disease causing fevers, chestand abdominal fluid, organ dam-age and death.

Take time to assess your pet’slifestyle and have a discussionwith your veterinarian aboutwhich vaccines are appropriate.

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 11

Two-year-old Stuffin is fullof fun! He’s hoping for a hometo call his own in time for theholidays. He’d really like a newfamily with the time to providehim a variety of activities formental and physical exercise.Attending training classes wouldbe a fun way for this 24-poundDachshund mix to learn somenew skills. Stuffin is rated forhomes with children five years

and older and would be suitablefor a first-time dog owner.

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

Curious and playful,Strawberry Cheesecake is onesuper sweet girl who wants onlyto share her love with her newforever family. This beautifultortoiseshell of medium-lengthcoat enjoys the company of

other cats, and would be suit-able for a first-time cat owner.

The adoption fee for adultcats is regularly $50.

Meet your forever friend atTony La Russa’s Animal RescueFoundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m.Thursday and Friday, Noon to 5p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Theprimary caretaker must be pres-ent to adopt. ARF also encour-ages kids 16 and younger andcanine family members (dogadoptions only) to be presentduring the adoption process.

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

STRAWBERRYCHEESECAKE

STUFFIN

Stuffin and Strawberry Cheesecakeare ARF’s Adoption Stars

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Vaccines protect dogs andcats against variety of diseases

Marybeth Rymer, DVM, can bereached at Monte Vista AnimalHospital, Concord. 672-1100.

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see their dentist by their first birthday.

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

Chief, from page 7

Denis Bledsoe has been anaquatics coach at Clayton ValleyHigh School for most of the past4½ decades, so when he says thatAllyson Hansen “will be difficultto replace” on the girls waterpolo team he has the perspectiveto back up those words.

The senior utility player willtake her talents to UC Davis nextfall as she follows in the footstepsof Eagles water polo standoutsLisa Stothers, Missy Duncan,Allison Johnstone, KatieJohnstone and Lindsay Kiyama,who all played for the Aggies.

Clayton Valley has had astrong girls water polo team sincethe program began nearly 20years ago, yet Hansen was able tosmash several school records. Shehad 117 assists at CVHS, whileprevious record holders LindsayNelson and Rochelle Nelson had86. Natalie Nelson held the sin-gle-season mark for most ejec-tions drawn with 41; Hansendrew 70 ejections this year. For acareer, Nelson drew 84 ejectionswhile Hansen had 203.

The ultimate CVHS team sta-tistic, “Queen of Stats,” measuresa player’s plus/minus record andHansen’s 218 shattered the previ-ous mark held by Lauren Jones of162. From Hansen’s perspective,perhaps the most cherishedrecord is that this year’s Eaglesteam was 21-7, winning onemore game than the 1995 and2003 teams.

Hansen signed her nationalletter of intent at the Alberta Wayschool recently with her parents,coach and teammates on hand.Clayton Valley athletic directorPat Middendorf introducedHansen by lauding her and fellowcollege signee Chaz Meadows.Middendorf ’s son Luke played

water polo at the school about 10years ago, so she has a first-handappreciation for the sport.

“As coaches and educators,we especially appreciate studentathletes who develop their athlet-ic talent and also get it done inthe classroom,” Middendorfnoted.

Bledsoe recalled Hansen as afreshman. “We typically don’thave freshmen on varsity, butafter watching Allyson duringtraining, I asked her if she’d liketo play on varsity and JVs. Shesaid yes, but during a pre-seasonscrimmage I noticed her on thepool deck with tears in her eyes. Iasked her who wins when sheplays sports or games. She said‘me.’ I then realized she was hav-ing a hard time not being the bestwhen she was playing against big-ger, stronger juniors and seniors.”

The last couple of years gaveHansen her chance to play thatrole.

“Allyson plays with a lot ofheart. She never stops,” thecoach added. “Water polo is avery cardio intensive sport andwhen we’re in a tournament withthree games a day, we rotate theplayers. Allyson, however, rarelycomes out. She is tenacious andwas the Diablo Valley AthleticLeague MVP – no one else waseven close.”

Her dad, Stan Hansen, spokefor the family as mom Lisa sat inthe back with tears of pride inher eyes. “Polo is an amazingsport. It requires thinking andstamina and it’s very physical,which is why the Navy Sealsrecruit water polo players.Allyson sometimes gets impa-tient but she is now realizing oneof her dreams.”

Her older sisters, Rachel,

Melissa and Lindsey, all playedsports for the Eagles, so she wasbrought up watching her sistersin competitive situations. Allysonhas been a member of theSpringwood Swim Club since shewas 4. She holds manySpringwood team and poolrecords.

She’s also participated in theTerrapins US Swimming winterprogram the last four years andbeen on the 680 Drivers waterpolo club for the past two sum-mers. She didn’t play water polountil her freshman year in highschool.

She was a utility player atClayton Valley playing in all thepositions, but this past season hasmainly played as hole set. She isalso the lead out sprinter for CV.At UC Davis, she is expected toplay as a driver and defender.

Hansen said she is proud thatduring her senior season, theteam almost made it to the thirdround of the NCS playoffs. Sheis looking forward to Davis, aftershe finishes up her senior yearwith the Eagles swim team. She isprimarily a freestyle swimmer butalso swims butterfly, backstrokeand individual medley.

She considered swimming atBrigham Young or playing polofor San Diego State but ultimate-ly made up her mind as a juniorthat she was going to play polo atUC Davis.

Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

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ALLYSON HANSEN WILL LEAVE BEHIND A POOL FULL OF SCHOOL

records when she heads to UC Davis next fall to play waterpolo. The Clayton Valley High School senior and coach DennisBledsoe celebrated her signing a National Letter of Intent withthe Aggies recently at the Concord school.

Chaz Meadows isn’t thebiggest player on the ClaytonValley High School baseballteam; in fact, he may be amongthe smallest.

However, his on-fieldachievements are unmatchedand the senior recently signeda national letter of intent toattend Long Beach State next

fall. He projected as a short-stop and can dream of follow-ing in the footsteps of formerLong Beach and current majorleague infield stars TroyTulowitzki and Evan Longoria.

Meadows has made his rep-utation with the Eagles as astellar starting right-handedpitcher who has won 24 of 26decisions as a sophomore andjunior. Coach Bob Ralston willnever tire of recalling theincredible run two years agowhen Meadows pitched allthree victories for ClaytonValley, including the champi-onship game at the OaklandColiseum, as the Eagles wontheir first North Coast Sectionbaseball title after several nearmisses.

Ralston says he’ll never for-get Meadows, a mere sopho-more at the time, saying: “Idon’t want to let me teamdown” as he took the ball forevery game of the NCS run.

At a ceremony in a ClaytonValley High classroom to markMeadows signing, Ralstonadded: “Chaz is obviously verywell deserving. He’s a rolemodel and someone you canalways root for. He’s a gamerwho plays for his team as if it’shis last game. He may not bethe tallest, but Chaz plays thebiggest.”

Meadows is generously list-ed as 5-9 and 155 pounds,

dimensions not too much lessthan San Francisco Giants starTim Lincecum, who shows thesame traits Ralston ascribes toMeadows.

Long Beach State baseballhas the nickname Dirtbags andthe Southern California schoolhas been to four College WorldSeries and 18 Regionals whilesending 36 players to majorleague baseball. Meadows isone of nine players signing forthe Beach for the 2011-’12school year.

“This recruiting class fillsour immediate needs for the2012 season,” said head coachTroy Buckley. “We’re veryexcited to have these playersjoining our program; they’llbring solid fundamental skillsas well as an increase in ourathleticism. We’ve identifiedthese recruits as solid baseballplayers and they all have astrong desire to be a part ofthis program. This class reallyadds to the young talent pool

we’ve already brought into theprogram.”

Long Beach announcedthat Meadows is the onlyinfield prospect in the earlysigning period. “Meadowsshowcases a good arm andgood bat speed and has asmuch upside as nearly anyplayer in this signing class,”Buckley said.

Besides Long Beach,Meadows was recruited byOregon, Fresno State, SacState and UC Santa Barbara,among other schools.

Although Meadows hasbeen noted for his pitchingprowess at CVHS, he had a.448 batting average as a juniorleadoff hitter with four home-runs.

Meadows’ high schoolpitching coach, Herc Pardi,wasn’t able to get out of hiswork duties for the ceremonybut he had a player read hiscomments. “Chaz is one of themost coachable athletes I’veever had. He wants the ball inclutch situations. We’re allhappy to have one more yearwith Chaz.”

Meadows’ parents, Kellyand Tony, were at the ceremo-ny along with Ralston andmany of his teammates. Whilehis proud mom was taking pic-tures, his dad thanked Ralston.

“We can’t say enough aboutyour program. When Chaz wasin eighth grade, I brought himto watch a Clayton Valley varsi-ty game and he told me ‘I can’twait for the chance to play atClayton Valley.’ The Meadowsfamily are fans of all the kidswho have gone on fromClayton Valley.”

Speaking of which, a pairof 2005 Clayton Valley Highgrads, Scott and Matt Gorgen,played collegiate baseball atUC Irvine and Cal Berkeley,respectively. The twins areboth now pitching profession-ally, Matt with theDiamondbacks organizationand Scott with the St. LouisCardinals.

Matt Gorgen told Chaz:“We know what you’re goingthrough. You have God-givenathletic ability, but you workhard to improve. It makes usproud to keep the CV namegoing.”

Capping the festivities,Meadows thanked everyonefor coming. “I’m looking for-ward to my senior season withmy best friends. This will beour last year together.”

Photos by Jay Bedecarre

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL, PAST AND PRESENT, wasrepresented at the recent National Letter of Intent signing byshortstop-pitcher Chaz Meadows (second from right). CVHScoach Bob Ralston (left) was thrilled to salute Meadows as hecommitted to play college ball at Long Beach State.Supporting the current Eagles star were pro baseball pitchersScott Gorgen (second from left) and twin brother MattGorgen, who both concluded their CVHS careers in 2005before going on to play college and pro ball.

Hansen leaves incredible water polo recordsbehind as she heads for UC Davis

Eagles pitcher signs with Long Beach State as shortstopJAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

The fall high school sportsseason drew to a close withNorth Coast Section competi-tion and, in one instance forClayton Valley High School, thestate meet. Eagle teams or ath-letes from all but one sportmade it into NCS competition.

Leading the way literally andfiguratively was junior runnerAlexandra Tate, who followedup her Diablo Valley AthleticLeague meet victory with afourth-place finish at the NCSCross Country Championshipsin Hayward earning her a spot

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

CVHS Eaglesearn NorthCoast Sectionberths in severalsports

See Eagles, page 14

CV High seniors make college commitments

beginning, when I was kickedand hit in the face while 2,500people all jumped in the water atonce, and the bicycle race wasreally hard,” Jay says. “I wasconstantly peddling for 112miles just to keep my bicycleupright.”

She was prepared for hotweather and some wind on Nov.18, but Jay says that gusts up to35 mph and oil on the roadsfrom the first rain caused anumber of bicyclists to crash.

“I saw one man reach for hiswater bottle and was blownover. Another was taken away inan ambulance,” Jay recalls.

Jay did not take water duringthe bicycle portion of the raceand made it though to enjoy thebeautiful desert day after therace. “I went to ceremonies, metthe professionals,” she com-ments.

FINDING THEIR PASSION

Ironman contestants trainalmost daily to be able to swim2.4 miles, ride a bicycle 112miles and then run 26.2 miles asfast as they can, but for sure inless than 17 hours.

Jay and fellow Clayton resi-dent Kathy Vederame may lookunremarkable while running orbiking on Mt. Diablo trails, yetthey are among the few to notonly finish, but score well atincredibly tough IronmanTriathlon competitions.

Jay, 43, also completed the2009 Vineman Ironman inSonoma County and Vederame,41, recently finished 40thamong 2,265 competitors at thechallenging Ford Ironman atCoeur d’Alene, Idaho. AlthoughVederame and Jay don’t knoweach other, they share qualitiesthat allow them to transcend thepain, exhaustion and lonelinessof long-distance running.

Vederame started mountainbiking and hiking 16 years ago.“My heart is in the dirt and Ilove being on the mountain,”says Vederame, who soon real-

ized that endurance was her spe-cialty.

She shares a love of natureand athleticism with her hus-band, Jack. “We do it together.We moved here to be betweenMt. Diablo and Black Diamondparks,” Vederame notes. “Welove it. It keeps me so happy.”

For Jay, inspiration camefrom Oprah Winfrey. “Longago, I heard her say that her goalwas to run a marathon by thetime she was 40. When I turned38½ and I hadn’t done it, Isigned up for the Nike halfmarathon,” Jay says of her starttoward triathlon competition.

During her first race, shemet other runners who weretraining to compete as afundraiser for the Leukemia andLymphoma Society. “As theyexplained while we were run-ning, it just clicked. That is whatEric died of.”

Eric was Jay’s next doorchildhood friend, who diedwhen they were in the fifthgrade in San Jose. The cause ofhis death was unknown to her atthe time. “Then my friendBrenda Donato passed awayfrom it,” Jay added.

Now Jay had a mission andbegan to train with theLeukemia and LymphomaSociety Team in Training group.The organization sets competi-tors up with a personal trainingregimen, advises on nutritionand injury prevention and holdsweekly team workouts so ath-letes can encourage one anotherand stay on track.

ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE

Monday is Jay’s day of restand the rest of the week sheregularly will swim and spin,ride bike or run and swim. Oneday a week, she will be in SanFrancisco Bay or at ShadowCliffs for an open water swim.

When Vederame is not run-ning, swimming or biking, she isworking out at SNAP inClayton. For her, swimming didnot come naturally.

“When I first started, I wasin a local triathlon in San Jose,where my parents live. Theswim was really hard. I was thelast one out of the water. Mydad was there with my daughterand I think they thought I haddrowned,” she says.

Vederame has come a longway since then. At Coeurd’Alene, she and 2,400 othersdove into the icy, rolling waterson a windy day. “The first sixminutes seemed like an eterni-ty,” she recalls. “I couldn’tbreathe. People were swimmingover me. I kept thinking if I canjust survive this, I know I canmake it.”

Her momentum changed asshe emerged from the lake andvolunteers helped her rip offher wet suit to change and geton her bike.

“The bike ride was the high-light,” Vederame reports. “Thecountryside was amazing and I

passed Scottish musicians play-ing bagpipes twice. Along thecourse, people were calling yourname and cheering you on. Itwas really cool.”

Vederame is inspired bycompetitors who are mucholder or handicapped. “You arephysically and emotionallywrung out at the end of theday,” she says. “They have suchcourage.”

Jay, a senior VP for Bank ofAmerica, says company officialslet her establish her own workschedule. Her husband, JohnWoodworth, is also understand-ing about her training. “I have avery supportive husband wholets me go out and run,” sheadds. “He is my Sherpa.”

NEVER TOO LATE TO TRAIN

Vederame strongly recom-mends that everyone get out fora walk or exercise of any kind.Beginning competitors will needwell-fitted shoes, a middle ofthe road bike and a wet suit,which can be rented. Eventually,she had orthotics made for herrunning shoes for the best fit.

“Take your time and go atyour own pace,” advisesVederame, who also touts theimportance of nutrition. She

snacks on about 100 caloriesevery hour and suggests GU(“outrageously good chocolate,like frosting”), bananas, peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches,oranges and Cliff Bars.

Jay had her nutrition planworked out for the ArizonaIronman triathlon. “I know howto hydrate and eat and plan totake electrolyte pills.”

She is also actively involvedwith Save Mount Diablo andhas been competing in the SaveMount Diablo Challenge, triple30-mile rides in Danville, theIrongirl at Lake Tahoe inSeptember and more. She twiceswam from Alcatraz to SanFrancisco. “I just did the Nikemarathon and then 63 miles ona bike,” Jay reports.

For Vederame, the Idahorace was the first time her twochildren had been involved.“My husband and I decided totake turns for these events. Thisyear, it is my turn to pick up thekids and spend time with them,”she says. “That way we canbring the kids and inspirethem.”

To follow Jay’s training andfundraising, visit www.teamintrain-ing.org or check her page on Facebook.

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

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The Clayton Valley HighSchool boys’ water polo teamwas a senior-laden squad whichwon the Diablo Valley AthleticLeague championship and sen-ior attacker and co-captainKenny Johnson was named

league MVP while breakingCVHS career records for goals(291) and steals (162).

He also tied teammateKevin Adams for second placein career assists (76). Johnson,Adams and goalie Derek

Anderson have been togetheras teammates and friends forfour years on the Eagles waterpolo and swim teams. Johnson,who also was named to the All-North Coast Section team, isinterested in attending the U.S.

Air Force Academy where hewould follow in the footstepsof another Eagle polo stand-out, Jason Nolting.

AthleteName: Kenny JohnsonAge: 17Sport: Water Polo, SwimmingTeam: CVHS Water Polo

Sport Chalet congratulatesKenny Johnson and rewards herachievement with a Sport Chaletgift card.

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YOUTH BASKETBALL ACADEMY AT CLAYTON GYMA youth winter basketball academy for boys and girls of all skill

levels in first through ninth grades will be held for two hours a weekthrough March at Clayton Community Gym.

For more information or to register, visit alloutsportsleague-clay-ton.com.

DIABLO FC WINTER SOCCER ACADEMY STARTS JAN. 6Diablo FC is holding its 10th annual Winter Soccer Academy 5-

6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays Jan. 6-Feb. 17 at Willow Pass ParkNo. 5, adjacent to Pixieland Park in Concord.

The renowned Diablo FC professional coaching staff will teachboys and girls 5-12 basic dribbling and juggling skills, passing andreceiving the ball and ball striking. Youth of all skill levels are invit-ed to attend.

There are no tryouts; sign up at diablofc.org.

DIABLO FC U8-U11 COMPETITIVE TRYOUTS IN JANUARYDiablo FC tryouts for the 2011-’12 season for under 8 through

under 11 competitive teams will be Jan. 23-30 in Concord. Boys andgirls born between Aug. 1, 2000, and July 31, 2005, are invited to tryout. Tryouts for boys and girls in the U12-U14 age groups will be inFebruary.

There is no charge to try out; pre-register at diablofc.org.

CLAYTON VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION OPENEstablished in 1964, Clayton Valley Little League provides base-

ball programs for kids 5-15, softball for girls ages 6-15 and aChallenger Division for players with physical and mental specialneeds.

Registration for baseball and softball players is accepted onlinethrough Jan. 16. For more information, visit cvll.org or emailinfo@cvll.org. For details regarding the Challenger Division, con-tact Jim Brophy at 685-1801.

DIABLO YOUTH RUGBY ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONSDiablo Youth Rugby is assembling U10, U12, U14, frosh and

varsity teams for the 2011 season, which runs February-May.Registration fee is $225. For additional information, visit dia-

bloyouthrugby.clubspaces.com or call Mike Dominguez at 381-5143.

Sports Shorts

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Ironman, from page 1

PROFESSIONAL IRONMAN COMPETITOR Chrissie Wellington, left,congratulates Clayton’s Jennifer Jay on completing the chal-lenging Ironman race in Tempe, Ariz. Wellington broke thewomen’s world record at the event where both women over-came icy rain and hail during the bicycle phase of thetriathlon event.

AFTER A CHALLENGING, wind-blown swim and a long bikeride, spectators offer encour-aging cheers for KathyVederame of Clayton as shecompletes the final run inthe Ford Coeur d’Alene,Idaho Ironman triathlon inAugust.

Until recently, I didn’t knowmuch about guava fruit. I pre-sumed it favored tropical cli-mates, since I’ve enjoyed italmost exclusively in Hawaii andthe Caribbean.

The other day, however, oneof my customers presented mewith pineapple guava, and now Ihave all sorts of information newto me that I’ll share with you.

Guava is part of the myrtlefamily and is likely native toCentral America. It was a favoritefruit of the pre-Columbian Inca(Peru) and Aztec (Mexico) cul-

tures. Spanish explorers found theFlorida Seminole Indians raisingguava.

A single guava contains fourtimes the amount of Vitamin C asan orange. Scientists have alsoconfirmed the presence of acompound that fights off intes-tinal parasites often found in thetropics. Guava is beginning to beknown as a “superfruit” becauseit also contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, lots of fiber andother micronutrients.

There are lots of varieties ofguava. They’re generally roundand green to yellow with a creamywhite to dark pink interior and aseed sack in the middle. Thepineapple guava I received is fromthe Acca sellowiana bush nativeto Brazil but now grown through-out Southern and parts ofNorthern California, where it’soften cultivated as a hedge.

A couple of versions of thefruit were introduced to Hawaii inthe early 1800s. These days,almost all commercial guava inthe United States is grown in

Florida, and there’s a huge guavafair every year in the Tampa area.

Typically, guava is referred toin combination with other fruits itresembles in color and fragrance.A ripe pineapple guava willremind you of pineapple, a straw-berry guava will be red, lemonguava will be yellowish and cit-rusy, and so forth.

Select ripe guava or at leastchoose fruits that are almost ripeand ripen them at home.However, immature guava has anodor similar to a locker room.

Guava can be eaten out ofhand or cut up for other prepara-tions. Most people peel a guavabecause the skin can be bitter andtart – but that’s where a lot of thephytonutrients are. Kerns putsout a guava juice that has a greataroma and sweet taste.Considered a berry, guava cooksup well in pies, jams and jellies.

GUAVA JELLY

12 very ripe guavas5 c. water, or enough to cover

fruit

Sugar (1 c. for every 1 c. pre-pared juice)

Lemon juiceCut guavas into 1-inch cubes

and place in a saucepan withenough water to cover. Bring to aboil, then reduce to a simmer andcook until the fruit is very tender,about half an hour.

Remove the mixture from theheat and allow to cool, then strainit through a muslin cloth toextract the juice. Allow the mix-ture to drain through the clothnaturally; don’t squeeze, exceptvery slightly at the end of thedraining time. This may take a fewhours. Discard the pulp.

Measure the juice and placein a pan with a cup of sugar andone tablespoon of lemon juicefor every cup of guava juice.Bring the mixture to a boil, thenlower the heat and cook, stirringconstantly, until the liquid startsto coat the spoon thickly andthe jelly drips from the spoon inthick drops/sheets. Transfer tojars and refrigerate or process ina water bath canner and store in

a cool cabinet.

CASCO DE

GUAYABA

(GUAVA

SHELLS)This is a

popular recipe inPuerto Rico andn e i g h b o r i n gCuba.

2 lbs. guava3 c. sugar3 c. water4 limes, juicedCream cheeseThinly peel the guava and

scoop out the meat and seeds.(You can use that for jam.) Coverthe shells in water and simmer forabout an hour, until the shells aretender. Drain while reserving thecooking water.

Return the shells to the potwith 3 cups of the cooking liquid.Add the sugar and lime juice.Bring to a boil and reduce theheat to a simmer and cook 45minutes to an hour, until the

syrup is thick and the shells arevery tender.

Guava shells are often eatenwith cream cheese.

Note: You can find cannedshells in Latino markets. Thesewill replace step 1 of initiallycooking the shells.

Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

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in the CIF State Meet where shefinished 13th. Tate was sixth atNCS as a sophomore andmoved up two spots this yearwith a time for the three-milerun of 18:58. She then clocked18:22 over the 5K state coursein Fresno last weekend and wasthe top NCS runner across thefinish line.

The disappointing aspect atNCS for the Eagles is that thegirls team ended up fourth inthe standings, one spot removedfrom gaining a state meet teamberth. After Tate’s fourth-placefinish, the next four Eagle run-ners all came in between 29thand 37th places. Sarah Litwiller,sophomore Rachel Preeg,Melissa Del Bene and MeganMayhew completed the scoringfor the local prep team, who hadtheir highest NCS finish forcoach Michelle Howisey.

The Clayton Valley boysfielded one of the youngestteams at NCS and still took 11th,with the five scoring runners all

freshmen or sophomores. MattMcCoy was first among theEagles with Danny Condon,Kyle Roe, Kyle Metz andQuinten McLane gaining valu-able experience.

Coach Herc Pardi’s footballteam was considered a big under-dog to Windsor of Santa Rosa inthe opening round of the NCSplayoffs. The Eagles traveled toSanta Rosa and scored touch-downs in the first and fourthquarters as the Eagles came awaywith a 14-7 upset of the No. 6Division II seed.

The win earned the Eagles asecond-round game last week-end in Rohnert Park against No.3 Rancho Cotate. Rancho is now11-1 on the season after beatingthe Eagles (6-6) 30-13 in thequarterfinals.

The Clayton Valley waterpolo teams were both oustedfrom the NCS playoffs in one-goal matches. New boys coachCraig Johnson took his senior-laden team to a DVAL champi-

onship before they were edged7-6 by Irvington in the openingmatch of the NCS playoffs.

The Eagles were seededninth, one place behindIrvington, which led 6-3 afterthree quarters before the Eaglesrallied but just fell short, endingthe year with a 16-8 record.

Senior Kenny Johnson wasnamed DVAL MVP while class-mates Derek Anderson, JamesShaw and Kevin Adams alongwith junior Christo Lopez werefirst team all-league. Jack Loflinand Ben Silverberg were secondteam All-DVAL and juniorsTommy Butler, Dalton Klockand Jack Brown were honorablemention.

Dennis Bledsoe’s girlspoloists were led by DVAL MVPAllyson Hansen as they posted a21-7 record, which included aschool record for wins whilewinning the DVAL regular-sea-son title and taking second at theDVAL playoffs. The team wasseeded fifth in NCS and defeatedFreedom 9-7 in their openingmatch.

Like the boys team, they lost

to Washington, a Mission ValleyAthletic League foe, 9-8 in thesecond round. Washington wasseeded fourth, one spot abovethe Eagles girls, who did finish inthe top 8 at NCS.

All-DVAL golfer KellySullivan teed off in the NCSDivision 1 qualifier at Sunol GolfClub but wasn’t able to advancefor coach Chance Gernhardt.

Coach Lisa Hobson’s girlsvolleyball team finished 8-4 inleague for third place behindBerean and Northgate. Theyqualified for NCS with the No.11 seed, which meant they trav-eled to Petaluma to play CasaGrande the No. 6 seed. TheEagles lost 25-23, 25-18, 23-25,25-9 in four games. CamilleCondit was voted to the All-DVAL first team, MarissaHobson and Kristin Hardestywere second team and AmberMinor was honorable mention.

The only team unable to getany participants in NCS was RickOrtega’s girls tennis squad.Tatiana Guzman was named firstteam All-DVAL singles andJanelle Partida was second team.

Eagles, from page 12 Mayor, from page 1

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cial planning services for which fees are charged. © 2010 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

WHAT WENT WRONG?MORE IMPORTANTLYWHAT CAN WE PUT RIGHT?Lawrence Hall of Science,

explained in simple terms thatscientific experiments start withasking a question, making up ananswer and testing that hypoth-esis.

Because it’s best to work inteams to stimulate thought andideas, the students paired up anddisbursed amid the science sta-tions to try experiments. Thehuman battery, transformershocker, crazy compass, sit andspin table and arch bridge wereamong the experiments thatgenerated lots of “oohs” and

“aahs!”Seltzer called the students

back for a final experiment withthe Tesla coil, a resonant trans-former circuit used to producehigh voltage, high current andhigh frequency alternating cur-rent. The energy in the roomwas super-charged and hereminded the students to beresponsible with their experi-ments when someone jokinglyshouted out to touch the livewire, which could be deadly.

LHS offers the Wizard’sWorkshop and numerous other

classes, school appearances andcamps to help capture students’interest.

“It was so cool and surprisingto learn about static electricity anddo other science experiments,”says Diablo View student DaisyAgers. She explained how it isvital for the next generation to bea part of science.

Dominic Del Monte voicedsimilar ideas, saying the assemblymade him want to learn and dis-cover more about electricity.“When we are grown up, we willbe the scientists of the future,” hesaid. “Right now, we need to getinvolved.”

With advancements in tech-

nology and fields like medicine,environmental science and genet-ics, society will need students tocontinue their interest in science.We will need the next generation’sscientists to study diseases such ascancer, asthma and diabetes aswell as reinvent ways in which weuse energy and develop earth-friendly alternatives.

Assemblies like this providestudents with high-interest activi-ties that show why science is soessential. They will help keep stu-dents focused through the yearsof increasingly difficult math andscience studies they will need topursue degrees and discoveries inthose fields.

Science, from page 1

Fragrant guava offers powerful health benefits

LINDA WYNER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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

Direct your suggestions or questionsto lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

besides serving the city well, hewrites a good column.

The Clayton Counts Downcommittee has been busy plan-ning this year’s New Year’s Eveparty at the Clayton CommunityGym. This annual event is free tothe public and is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. It is an alcohol-free eventgeared toward families. The partyends early enough in the eveningso parents can still go out and thesmall kids can get to bed.

Each year, the committeestruggles to get enough donationsand volunteers to put on theevent. If anyone is interested involunteering or would like toknow more about helping out,call 673-7300. It is a great way tobe involved without making ahuge commitment.

The Christmas tree lighting

ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 4in the Grove Park. The ClaytonBusiness and CommunityAssociation does a great job dec-orating our downtown with thehelp of the city’s maintenancestaff. The tree lighting is a greattradition.

It has been an honor to repre-sent the city this past year asmayor. I don’t think I will misswriting this column or signing thecity checks every two weeks, but Iwill miss interacting with the pub-lic. I appreciate the support andencouragement I have receivedthis past year, and I look forwardto continuing serving on thecouncil.

I hope everyone enjoys theholidays.

You can contact the mayor athank_stratford@yahoo.com

December is the month forthe poinsettia. This large flower-ing plant has come a long waysince it was introduced toAmerica in 1825 by JoelPoinsett, the first U.S. ambassa-dor to Mexico.

Poinsettia plants are native toMexico and Central America.They are a widespread holidaytradition, given as gifts and usedas decoration.

These familiar, large, brightflowering plants can be foundeverywhere this time of year:drugstores, grocery stores, treelots, even hardware stores.Poinsettias have become soprevalent and bargain priced thatthey are treated as disposableplants after the holiday seasonhas passed, but this doesn’t haveto be the case.

Poinsettia plants can begrown and coaxed to bloomwith relative ease. If you canforce paperwhites, you can forcea poinsettia.

NOT TOO COLD

NOT TOO HOT

Poinsettias stored outside inthe dipping temperatures are

going to have issues. If you arepicking up poinsettias from out-side a store, on a cold aluminumrack, they may shock when youput them in the house and dropthe flowering bracts sooner.

The best-looking plants arekept where temperatures don’tdrop below 60 degrees. Buypoinsettias that are sold indoors,where the climate is better con-trolled.

The flower of the poinsettiais not a flower at all – it is abract. Bracts are leaves that colorwhen conditions are correct.The bougainvillea vine is anoth-er familiar plant where the flow-ers are really bracts.

When you bring poinsettiashome to enjoy for the season,

con-s i d e rw h e r eyou placethem. Theyprefer bright,indirect sunlight.Don’t place in draftyareas or too close to a heatvent. They like a temperaturebetween 60 and 70 degrees. Ifyour home is dry, periodicallymist the plants to create a humidenvironment.

If your want to place poin-settias on a porch, prepare your-self for some unhappy plants.The weather extremes are notgood for the plant, and they willlook poor before their time.Raindrops will brown the poin-settia’s bracts, making the flow-ers droop and spot.

Poinsettia plants like to dryout between watering. This iscrucial in keeping the plant look-ing fresh and lively. Most poin-settias are sold with decorativefoil wrapping the florist pot, butthe foil prevents water fromdraining. Keep this in mind andlimit how often you water it.

Poinsettia plants hate wetfeet. They will wilt and look likethey need water, yet they aredrowning, so be vigilant.

PRESERVATION FOR

ANOTHER YEAR

When the new year arrivesand the holiday decorations goback in the bins, it is time todecide what you’ll do with yourpoinsettia plants. Will you com-

post them or try to keep them?If you choose the latter, gradual-ly cut back on the watering. Thebracts will begin to dry out andfall, then the leaves will drop.

Cut back watering until theplant looks like a bunch ofstems sticking out of the soil. Itis going to be sad, but you cando it. After awhile, the plant willlook dead. In the nursery indus-try, we call this dormant and it’stotally natural.

Put the pots away, out ofsight, maybe in the garage orside yard under the eve. Afterspring really begins to arrive,revisit the poinsettia stems andgive it a little water. Rehydratethe poinsettia gradually, just likewhen you cut the water back.

Eventually your plant willbegin to grow thin, little leaves,and new stems will emerge.After the leaves begin to appear,give a light dose of water-solublefertilizer, again gradually, andeventually you’ll need to plantyour poinsettia into new soil.

Throughout spring, regulatethe water and fertilizer of thepoinsettia, treating it as youwould any other container plant.Place the poinsettia outside in ashady location, or indoors away

from direct sunlight.

FORCING THE ISSUE

In August or earlySeptember, cut the poinsettiaback by a third and remove theolder stems, leaving only three tofive sturdy stems on your plant.If you are allergic to latex, weargloves to prevent irritation.

Next, stop feeding. The next10 weeks are very importantbecause it’s time to force thebloom. Poinsettias need 12-14hours of darkness to generateblooms. Bring the poinsettiaindoors and place the plants in acloset or cupboard, where dark-ness can be uninterrupted.

Remove the plants during theday for some light and put backat night. It is a labor – somewould say a labor of love.

Now the poinsettias are trulyyours, and the bloom will bevery fulfilling.

Don’t toss out your poinset-tias this holiday season. Takecare of them, grow them andforce them into bloom again.

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 15

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

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Poinsettia, the gift that keeps on giving

Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

AAA Make a holiday resolution to

protect your family with AAA.AAA insures more drivers in

Northern California than anyother carrier, with one in fivechoosing AAA as their preferredinsurance provider. AAA alsoreceives high marks in customersatisfaction, with a 90 percentrenewal rate from both auto andhomeowners policyholders. Addto that over 90 years of insur-ance experience, access toworld-class Emergency RoadService, quality discounts, tai-lored policy options, and claimsservice 24/7 and your choice isclear. Select AAA Insurance andbegin enjoying your exclusivebenefits as a AAA Member.

Get more, Get AAA. (925)287-7625

A & H LimousineService

A & H Limousine Service hasbeen owned and operated byClayton resident, Sanjay Behalsince 2005. A & H offers 24-hour service to all Bay Area air-ports at no extra charge. Limos,party buses, Hummer Limos,sedans and mini-vans are avail-able. Experienced drivers willtake you to on wine tours, toproms, birthday parties or anight out in San Francisco. Getto holiday parties, concerts, wed-dings or any special event instyle. Seniors can take a 10 per-cent discount for any round-tripbooking. Please call (925) 200-2824 or emailAH4LIMO@GMAIL.COM.

Bella Mia SpaWhere Life is Beautiful~Come let us pamper your

body, mind and spirit in our lux-urious day spa. Water fountains,cupid fairies and grape vinesadd to the Italian-inspiredatmosphere. The spa's cus-tomized European Facial incor-porates a cleansing,

exfoliation, face, neck and shoul-der massage, extractions, ahydrating facial mask and aro-matic moisturizer and sunscreen.

Our massage therapy andspa body treatments are of thehighest quality and are cus-tomized to your personal healthand beauty needs. We specializein professional skin care provid-ing facials, manicures, pedicures,waxing, microdermabrasion, cel-lulite treatments, airbrush tan-ning and body wraps. Bella Miais in the Clayton Station acrossfrom Blockbuster. 925-680-7792

Butler LimousineEnjoy the experience of hav-

ing your own personal attendantwith Butler Limousine Services.We provide private limo trans-portation services anywhere.Whether you are looking to cele-brate a special occasion or arein need of corporate transporta-tion, Butler Limousine Serviceswill provide the high-qualitytransportation you are accus-tomed to. With our fleet ofsedans, stretch limousines andSUVs comes the best trainedbutler chauffeurs who will giveyou the confidence and assur-ance that we are taking care ofyou. Please explore our websiteto learn more about us or con-tact us with any questions. Giftcertificates are available andalways make an excellent pres-ent!

Cegielski JewelersWalk into this little jewelry

store tucked away off ClaytonRoad and the artistry of AnnaCegielski is everywhere. Elegantplatinum, gold and silver,sparkling diamonds, sapphires,rubies and luscious pearls are allworked into spectacular one-of-a-kind pieces that will make thatspecial person's heart sing thisChristmas.

Customize a piece of jewelryin your collection or designsomething new for your loved

one. Visit this little store for giftsthat are sure to become the nexttreasured family heirloom.

Festive gift wrapping isincluded.

Cegielski Jewelers at 5354Clayton Road, across fromMountain Mike’s Pizza, is openTues. through Fri. 10 a.m. – 5p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.(925) 682-2855.

Clayton ValleyPumpkin and

Christmas Tree FarmThere’s nothing like celebrat-

ing Christmas with a fresh-cutChristmas tree. Choose fromour premium selection includingNoble, Grand, Douglas andFraser firs. All trees aretrimmed, shaken and fresh-cutto prolong greenery. Flocking,fire-proofing and baling are alsoavailable.

Enjoy a complimentary cup ofhot apple cider with purchase ofa tree. Our Gift Shop is filledwith hundreds of Christmas dec-orations, flags and ornaments.New for 2010 are Rachel DunnChocolates, an assortment ofholiday goodies that make theperfect gift for anyone on yourholiday list, including yourself!

Visit cvpumpkinfarm.com foradditional information includingtrain rides on weekends.

Dr. Christina MasonCertified Patient Review: Last

month Jeff wrote: I have a longhistory of very painful sessionswith other dentists but Dr. Masonand staff have tamed that prob-lem. I’ve been with them overnine years and I look forward togoing! I drive 75 miles round tripto visit and I’m glad to do it. Ifyou’ve ever been hurt or unhap-py with dentistry, try Dr. Mason’soffice.

Visit. www.demandforce.com/dentist/claytonsedation-dentist & bring new life to yourbeautiful smile.

hhoosstteedd bbyy tthhee CCllaayyttoonn BBuussiinneessss && CCoommmmuunniittyy AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

672-2272

Meet at the Gazeboand bring your flashlight

� CChhrriissttmmaass ssoonnggss bbyy tthhee MMtt.. DDiiaabblloo EElleemmeennttaarryy SScchhooooll CChhooiirr

� SSeeee SSaannttaa CCllaauuss iinn ppeerrssoonn!!

� FFRREEEE hhoott aappppllee cciiddeerr && ddoonnuutt hhoolleess pprroovviiddeedd bbyy CCBBCCAA

aanndd sseerrvveedd aatt CCllaayyttoonn CCoommmmuunniittyy CChhuurrcchh ((oonn MMaaiinn SStt..))

Special guests: Kevin McFarland, Donnie Fisi, John Jordan and

Katy and Dell Burchett,Heavenly Harmony Choir of

St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure Catholic Church5562 Clayton Road, Concord

www.vintagetrio.com

with Clayton’s own Joyce and Santiago Martinez, Roxanne Pardi and Maryann Tarantino

Vintage will also perform at The Clayton Pioneer Christmas Cookie Judging party. Join us for Cookies and CarolingThurs., Dec. 9, 6:30 - 8 p.m.Clayton Library.

FREE Admissionboth events

Welcome the seasonwith a special

Saturday Dec. 11. 2pm

Check out Quiet Time, a CDof Inspirational piano solos bySantiago Martinez

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Donation appreciated

Free for children 12 & underChildren must be accompanied by an adult

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Prizes, Party Favors,

Candy Canes & see Santa, too

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Bring yourcamera

Our friendly staff will help you get your gifts

packaged and delivered on time, safe & sound.

Notary, Stamps, Postal, Copy and Fax Services are also available.

Clayton/Concord Location:

Vineyard Shopping Center, (next to Lucky supermarket)

5100 Clayton Road, Concord, 925-689-6245

The UPS StoreIndependently owned and operated

TM

Holiday Hours:

M-F 8-7, Sat. 9-5

Open Sunday

Dec. 12 & 19, 10 - 3

$2 OFFPACKAGING SERVICE or SHIPPING SUPPLIES

Limit one coupon per customer. This offer is not good in

combination with any other offers. Valid at this location only (P). ©Mail

Boxes Etc. Offer expires 01/31/11, The UPS StoreTM

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Melanie’s

Gifts andInteriors

30% offall ornaments

Shop LOCALLY this holiday season and enjoy our

unique collections for the home and garden chosen

for you and yours. Easy parking without the

crowds. Gift certificates and gift wrap available.

R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts & Gardens

6780 Marsh Creek Road, 672-0207

Dec. 3-12

(925) 682-28555354 Clayton Rd.,

Concord, CA

SALEUp to 50% offon select items

December 3, 2010 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 17

5433 Clayton Roadwww.claytoncosmeticdentist.com

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1028 Diablo St., Clayton � 925-672-2025

Frasier Fir

Elaine’s Toffee

Clayton’s Famous Confectioner

StonewallKitchens

Tue. - Sat. 10-5 Sunday 12-5

Extended hours for Tree Lighting

Evening, Dec. 4

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Wine Tour 6 Hours Napa orSonoma 6 Pax Limousine $399

682-5466712 Bancroft Rd. #334, Walnut Creekinquiry@butlerlimousineservices.net

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Special fleet of sedans, stretch limousines & SUVs

Private and corporate transportation services

The finest conciergeservice around

$10.00 Off Next Airport Transferto SFO or OAK SJCNext Airport Transferto SFO or OAK SJC

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This year will be our seventhannual Christmas Cookie Contest and your

chance to stir, bake and taste up a storm of thosesweets that bust the diet and send us over the moon.

So, dust off the cookbooks and dig out Uncle Charlie’s sugarcookie recipe, bake a few practice rounds & enter this year’s contest.

Judging Party is Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m. in the Clayton LibraryCommunity Room. Be there for live music and caroling led by Vintage,

games and crafts for the little ones and photos with Santa.Judges: Councilmen Howard Geller and Joe Medrano, Clayton Police Officer Shanna Decoite,DVMS Reporter Robbie Parker, Garden Girl Nicole Hackett and Carol Rackel and Tami

Campora from the new Ravioli’s Italian MarketplaceRecipes and photos of winners will appear in the Dec. 17 issue.

Deadline for entryis December 6.

Clayton Pioneer’s

2010 CHRISTMAS COOKIE CONTESTENTRY FORM

Please fill out a separate form for each entry.

You may enter up to three recipes, but only one can win

Name (Please print)

Address (Must be 94517 or 94521 resident)

Phone Number

Name of Recipe

� Master Baker (20+)

� Teen Baker (Ages 13-19)

Your age____

� Junior Baker (Ages 6-12)

Your age____

Parent's Signature (for Junior Bakers)

Contestant agrees to being photographed at thecompetition. Recipes used from published books mustidentify source.

Signature

Mail your entry to: the Clayton Pioneer, PO Box 1246,

Clayton, CA 94517; or drop off at our office at 6200 H

Center Street, Clayton. If the office is closed, slip it

through the mail slot.

Deadline to enter is Monday, Dec. 6

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Purchase a AAA Gift Membership

this holiday season and I’ll show you my appreciation with a pound

of See’s Chocolate.

Chocolate?

Chocolate?

LikeLike

Offer expires 12/23/10. Exclusive offer by agent Ashley Hunhoff, 1276 S. California

Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA 94596. Limit 1 per household. All offers are subject to

change and may expire without notice. Call for complete details.

Ashley Hunhoff925.287.7625 Clayton Resident

Give a special friend or family

member peace of mind for an entire year for only $54*

*Reg. $71

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ShippingPackaging SuppliesUPS / FedEx / DHLUSPSMoving SuppliesNotaryMailbox RentalPassport PhotosKey CuttingColor/B&W CopiesFaxing ServiceGreeting Cards

Located in the Clayton Station5433 Clayton Rd. Ste. K Clayton, CA 94517

Ph: 925-673-5246www.postalannex.com/97

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Where Life is Beautiful5439 Clayton Rd., Ste. E, ClaytonAcross from Blockbuster Video

Christmas Specials

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Encina/Clayton BikesBicycles and Christmas are

made to go together. Rememberwaking up Christmas morning tosee that shiny new bike under thetree?

Parents, of all the gifts youcan give your children this year, abicycle from Encina/Clayton bikeswill provide many years ofhealthy outdoor activity. All bikescome fully assembled and readyto ride so Santa can relax onChristmas Eve. Lifetime free serv-ice is included.

Bikes are not just for kids. Wehave a full selection of adultstreet and mountain bikes to suitevery age and skill level with allthe accessories. Brands includeF.I.T., BMX, Trek and Santa Cruz.Have a Merry Christmas!

Moresi’s ChophouseMoresi’s Chophouse provides

a warm and inviting atmospherein which to enjoy a generousmeal. VIP treatment begins at ourfront door when you are greetedby our personable staff thatshares a commitment to your din-ing pleasure.

Moresi's has a wide selectionof delicious entrees, appetizers,side dishes and desserts. Checkout our menu online at more-sischophouse.com for all the deli-cious options. To complementyour experience, we have a fullbar and a wine list with over 70wines by the bottle.

Moresi's Chophouse bringspeople together to celebrate, tosocialize and enjoy the full diningexperience. Happy Holidays!

Pet Suites InnJosie Van Fleet, owner of Pet

Suites Inn, has 18 years of expe-rience boarding and groomingfamily pets. Pet Suites Inn is rec-ommended by local veterinariansand offers very large play/social-ization areas and a small dogand cat section. Services includeboarding, bathing, grooming, fleaand skin treatments, dog walks,obedience training, treats andtender loving care.

The facility is new with 5000square feet of indoor space.Suites are five by ten. Two VeryImportant Dog (VID) Suites of 10by 10 are available also.

The facility is staffed 24 hours,7 days a week. Tours availableduring business hours, 9 a.m.-12p.m. and 2 p.m.-6 p.m.Monday through Saturday. Call(925) 432-PETS.

Last ChanceThere’s only one more issue of the

Pioneer Holiday Guide before Christmas.

Don’t miss your last chance to reach

13,000 Pioneer readers in Clayton and

Concord in this special section.

Call the Pioneer at 672-0500

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com December 3, 2010

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we should put it on a stage,” hesaid. “I wrote songs; Steve Hayeswrote sketches. But prospectiveproducers said, ‘You’ve got toturn it into a bigger show.’ So Iwrote a new book from scratch. Ifigured out personalities for thecharacters based on nuns I hadwhile growing up in Alma,Michigan.”

In the last six months,Goggin said 160 “Nunsense”productions were running. TheWillows show, starting Nov. 29 atthe Campbell Theatre, is a onenun spectacle.

“Deborah Del Mastro is oneof the most phenomenal SisterRobert Annes,” Goggin said ofthe title character. “You can’t puta finger on it. She’s like BarbraStreisand: the stage just lights up.There’s something about certain

people, the magic is just in them.You go out of the theater justthinking, Wow!”

For Goggin, writing is achore. “It’s like homework,”Goggin said, sounding confes-sional. “I love playing theaterthough – getting together forrehearsal, making posters, evendoing interviews. It’s like goingto camp.”

“Nunsense” shows are devel-oped collaboratively, with chore-ographers, musical directors andactors like Del Mastro contribut-ing ideas.

“In every show, there’s alwaysaudience participation too. Butwe never pick the people, we letpeople volunteer,” he said.

Goggin paused, reflecting on25 years of “Nunsense.”

“We’re there to make you

laugh for two hours. The showsare absurd stories. It has nothingto do with religion. It’s like ‘ILove Lucy.’ People leave theshow feeling happy,” he said.

After writing the most recentvariation, “Nunset Boulevard,”Goggin decided it was quittin’time. “With nine productions todo, that’s plenty. And these days,you either have to go into a bigcompany production onBroadway, or you can’t get itdone. Theaters where you can trysomething out are becoming lessand less.”

According to Goggin, theWillows Cabaret is one of thefew theaters of that kind. “That’stheir vision – to be one of thosetheaters and keep this going.”

“Sister Robert Anne’s CabaretClass” plays Nov. 29-Jan. 16 at theCampbell Theatre, 636 Ward St.,Martinez. For tickets, call 798-1300or visit willowstheatre.org.

the rest of the new supernaturalhappenings are being kept underwraps until the curtain rises onDec. 9.

“A Christmas Carol” is theclassic tale of the grumpyEbenezer Scrooge’s visits withhis Christmas past, present andfuture and his eventual rekin-dling of the joy of Christmas.The cast focuses on moldingtheir characters into real peoplewho bring winter-time Londontown to life. Jack Powell is backfor his fifth year as Scrooge, thevillain and eventual hero.

“We have really readaptedthe story and changed it, so it’snot the ‘Christmas Carol’ thatwas there 28 years ago,” Denisonsays. “We look at all the happyand fun times Scrooge had,instead of the dismal, scarymoments.”

“A Christmas Carol” plays Dec.9-19 at the Lesher Center, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Tickets are$20.50-$41. For more information,call 943-7469 or visit centerrep.org.

Carol, from page 10

Nunsense, from page 10

Paul Kommer Merrill LynchWith the changing economic environment, now is an important

time to review your personal financial plan.Having over 20 years of experience in financial services, Paul

brings his zeal for accomplishing goals into his pursuit to successfullymanage client assets.

Before recommending specific investment solutions, Paul gets toknow his clients’ goals, needs, risk tolerance, tax situation, plannedretirement lifestyle, charitable intent, and any other important detailsand issues. He then develops and implements a plan suitable for eachclient. If you have been considering seeking financial advice, pleasecontact Paul for an initial consultation with no obligation. (925) 988-2111.

Postal AnnexThe Clayton PostalAnnex+ is here to take the stress out of the holi-

day season! Store owner Urmila Patel and her staff are available topack your valued gifts and ship them off to your loved ones on timeand undamaged.

Additional products are available such as boxes, packagingpeanuts, bubble wrap, greeting cards, decorative mailers and assortedgift items.

Urmila’s PostalAnnex+ also offers high quality color and B&Wcopies, notary services, mailbox rental, office supplies, key cutting andpassport photos. One stop to Urmila’s PostalAnnex+ is sure to get allof your holiday errands done with ease. PostalAnnex+ is in theClayton Station. Call (925) 673-5246.

Melanie's Gifts and Interiors at R&M Pool, Patio and Gardens

Melanie's is all decked out for the holidays. The trees are trimmedwith exquisite ornaments. Stylish accent pieces, elegant serving dishesand beautiful platters are on display. Festive candles, table runners,and pillows will brighten your festivities this year. Peruse this uniquespecialty store located within R&M Pool, Patio and Gardens at 6780Marsh Creek Road in Clayton Tuesdays-Sundays. (925) 672-0207.

The Royal RoosterTired of the same old look available in every national chain store?

The Royal Rooster is not just another furniture shop. Find antiques andcustom-ordered furniture to fit your needs.

The Royal Rooster also sells unique gifts for friends and family of allages, including the popular Webkinz and a line of Melissa and DougToys. French Country specialties have gorgeous stationary and bathitems for every occasion. Try distinctive lines such as Thymes Bath &Body and Caldrea. The Pantry is stocked with delicious gourmet foods,especially Barefoot Contessa and Clayton's own Elaine’s Toffee. TheRoyal Rooster is downtown on Diablo Street. (925) 672-2025

The UPS StoreDo you have packages that need to be mailed? Pressed for time?

Stop by The UPS Store in the Vineyard Shopping Center and let ownerTricia Tamura and her knowledgeable staff help you get your giftsdelivered safely and on time. Working seamlessly with the US Postalservice, they can offer you options on how to ship your gifts.

The UPS Store can save you the hassle of long lines and multiplestops. Besides packing and shipping, they can assist you with copies,FAXing, Notary Services, Passport photos, Mailboxes and DocumentServices & Binding.

Stop by or call and let The UPS Store help you make your holidayseason more enjoyable. Ample parking available.

VintageMaryann Tarantino has recently joined Santiago and Joyce

Martinez and Roxanne Pardi in this group of Clayton musicians thatperform the best of Oldies, Broadway, Easy Listening and Jazz.

Vintage will perform at the Clayton Pioneer Christmas CookieJudging Party on December 9 and at St. Bonaventure on December 11for a Christmas concert. Book this group for your celebrations yeararound at www.vintagetrio.com