2015 in Review: Endings and New Beginnings
It was a relatively quiet year in the city of Clayton, punctuated by the clacking of bocce balls in the Ipsen bocce courts and clanking of beer steins at the annual Oktoberfest on Main Street. But the loudest cheers — and boos — came from the local high school, where the off-campus activities of its leaders nearly drowned out the academic and athletic success of the students in the classrooms.
It was also a year of goodbyes, as Clayton lost two local stalwarts, as well as a year of new beginnings. The local fire station reopened to much fanfare, a new residential development worried neighbors, while everyone put a squeeze on water use during a historic drought.
Here is a rundown of some of the most significant and interesting stories to hit Clayton residents in 2015.
CVCHS Goes to War, Makes Changes
Just as Clayton Valley Charter High School took off for spring break, Contra Costa District Attorney Mark Peterson’s office stated that after their investigation into a number of charges brought by individuals and the Stakeholders for Transparency group against executive director Dave Linzey and the school’s governing board, the DA office “found insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing to warrant criminal prosecution or additional investigation.
The SFT and others had claimed that Linzey, the school board and administration had violated the Brown Act and conflict of interest laws, mismanaged funds, failed to follow policies and mishandled a sexual harassment complaint made against a campus supervisor. The DA’s office referred the matter to the Contra Costa County Office of Education’s ongoing investigation of similar complaints about the charter school as the appropriate agency to look into such matters.
Meanwhile, changes were made at the top of the school hierarchy as Jeff Eben took over as the first fully-dedicated principal of CVCHS. Board members decided that Linzey’s dual role as executive director and principal would be split.
Then just before school started, the long-awaited report by the CCCOE was released publicly, and rather than bringing long-standing issues to a conclusion, the report seemed to have created more controversy.
While critics of the school say the report validated their complaints, CVCHS administrators say the report did not fully investigate the allegations, and did not seek information from the school to rebut any accusations of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, it was business as usual in the classrooms, as students continued to improve the school’s academic standing, the performing arts won awards, and the Ugly Eagles football team went on to play in the CIF Championship.
Welcome Back, Station 11
The Clayton community threw a huge welcome home bash for Fire Station 11 at a celebration Jan. 31, complete with honored dignitaries, scout troops, a community safety fair and, of course, a barbecue.
Station 11 was closed in early 2013, following the defeat of a bond measure the prior November that would have helped fund the financially strapped fire protection district.
Following the graduation of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s Academy 47 on Thursday, Jan. 15, the local firehouse — which had been down to minimal use for the past two years — was again fully staffed with three full-time firefighters, 24/7, said Battalion Chief Lon Goetsch.
Fire Station 11 is staffed with three full-time firefighters — a captain, a fire engineer and a firefighter. It is a full-time ALS (advanced life support) station with one member being a paramedic. It is also equipped with a wild land response unit for fires up on Mount Diablo.
New Chief in Town
After the departure of Clayton Police Chief Chris Thorsen, the city tapped a familiar name to lead the local force.
Chris Wenzel, a retired Sheriff’s Department Commander, is no stranger to small town law enforcement. He has served as Chief of Police in Danville, and sees many similarities between the two cities.
Both cities are extremely safe with property crime and traffic topping the list of major issues, he said.
Wenzel holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Sacramento State University. His career with the Sheriff’s Department began in 1987. His assignments include the stint in Danville, Commander at the Marsh Creek Detention Facility, Watch Commander in the Office of Emergency Services and Commander of Administrative Services, a post he held until his retirement in 2011.
Turning off the Water
In the fourth year of drought, 2015 was the year that Clayton made sure that “brown was the new green.”
Mandated by state law, residents cut their water usage by at least 25 percent last summer. The City of Clayton did as well, as they cut back water usage a whopping 40 percent from 2013 levels, said City Manager Gary Napper.
Some areas, such as The Grove Park and some downtown areas, are served by well water, were watered three times a week. The main area that was affected was the Community Park and fields, which was only watered twice a week.
The Oakhurst Country Club also cut back, as golf course’s fairways and the roughs were watered just twice a week, with the greens and tees three times, but only in the evening hours. Oakhurst buys well water from the City of Clayton, which allows for the additional watering.
Saying Goodbye to Two Clayton Standouts
Popular community volunteer and long-time Clayton resident Joan Culver died suddenly in her home on June 1.
Culver, an active member of the Clayton Business and Community Association, was well-known for her volunteer work with VESTIA, filling scores of backpacks for kids at back-to-school time, and for her support of the CBCA Adopt-a-family at Christmas.
A retired marketing professional, Culver was instrumental in many efforts to promote downtown businesses and increase Clayton’s visibility in the region.
Then, on the night of Sept. 19, Clayton lost longtime resident Donald Edward Fitzgerald died, ending an enduring life as a husband, father, friend and community leader.
In1978, he and wife Gail had four children and moved to Clayton. They joined the Clayton Business and Professional Association, the predecessor to the present day CBCA and began a long career of community service. In 1995, after the pair attended several festivals around the area, Don decided Clayton needed its own Art and Wine Festival. He and Gail and a group of locals met with an event consultant who told them they would need several thousand dollars to start and could expect to lose money for at least three years. Ignoring his advice, Don and his committee went ahead with practically no money and a few volunteers. With just 25 vendors, that first Art and Wine netted $20,000.
As he fought his own battles with cancer four different times, he served as support and inspiration to others as president of the board of the Contra Costa Crisis Center and a volunteer with the Wellness Center, now Cancer Center, in Pleasant Hill.
Return to Iwo Jima
WWII veteran, Dewey Dobson returned to Iwo Jima to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the great battle that was seen as a turning point in World War II, a battle that raged from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945.
When he and his wife Sheila Driscoll arrived at San Francisco International Airport to embark on their trip, they were greeted by a mass of supporters, including reporters, Marine guards, members of the San Francisco USO and the Patriot Guard. They escorted him through the airport as onlookers cheered.
To their surprise, their return home was honored as well. Dobson was introduced by his United Airlines Pilot as “a very special passenger” and was allowed to exit the plane first. There, they were again greeted by police and military dignitaries and escorted through the airport, again to cheers from other passengers amid shouts of “Thank you for your service.”
“They wouldn’t even let us take a shuttle home,” Dobson says. They were given a ride in police van, with a complete police escort, all the way to Clayton. “An officer said, ‘We don’t let our guys go home in shuttles.’”
Relay for Life Thrives
The 2015 Clayton Relay for Life proved that less is often more.
The event, a 24-hour walk-a-thon to help fund cancer research, was held Aug. 15-16.
Clayton is one of the smallest towns in the Bay Area to participate in Relay for Life yet their fundraising dollars are double and even triple that of more affluent and even much larger cities in California.
Condo Push-back
Plans to build 44 high-end, two-story condominiums on three acres on High Street and Marsh Creek Road did not sit well with its neighbors, most of which live across the street in Stranahan.
Developer and Clayton resident Bill Jordan in November presented plans for a 60-unit, three-story development. After hearing neighbors concerns, he redesigned the project to the smaller, 44-unit, two-story buildings. The condos will be three- and four-bedrooms. Attached to some of the full-size condos will be smaller, one-bedroom, 400 square-foot units. The smaller units can be sold individually.
The pared-down development didn’t do much, however, to ease neighbors concerns. It was clear early on that the push-back was against any high-density housing on the lots which were identified as possible affordable housing sites as early as 2004.
A Rocky Relationship
Neighbors of the Clayton Quarry who were hoping that mining operations at the Mitchell Canyon site were nearing an end kicked up dust this year when CEMEX Corporation moved to amend the terms of their current use permit and extend operations down another 200 feet. They would also leave the lake in the pit open when mining operations end, instead of filling it in as originally required. The lake would provide water storage for flood control and fire suppression.
CEMEX proposed changes to the original revegetation plan, which called for planting trees on the benches rising above the pit, saying they were impractical and unsafe.
Neighbors of the quarry were not happy about the potential extension. Nor are they happy with the current quarry operations, which often begin at 6 a.m. on weekdays.
Not Your Average Homecoming
It was not Homecoming as usual this year at Clayton Valley Charter High School. For the first time in the school’s history, two female students, Anna Lau and Veronica Renner, were honored as the school’s Homecoming King and Queen.
Before the two students were nominated, it has always been tradition for students to elect one male and one female student to represent the student body.
“I was really, really shocked,” said Anna, who identifies herself with the LGBTQ+ community. “I started crying and I couldn’t stop crying for the next 20 minutes afterwards. It was a pretty big thing.”
“There are a lot of things targeted against [the LGBTQ+ community],” Anna said. “This election brings visibility. The more you see, the more you accept.” Other students also felt more comfortable expressing their sexual orientation to fellow peers.
Married at the Museum
The Joel Clayton home saw history in the making when curator Rene Wing and Jeff Crady were married in the parlor at the museum on Main Street last winter.
Some 40 friends and family packed the tiny house for the ceremony officiated by Janet Easton and Charmetta Mann, long-time members of the Clayton Historical Society and friends of the couple.
Jeff and Rene have been part of the fabric of the Clayton community since 2002. Their daughters attended Mt. Diablo Elementary, Diablo View Middle School and Clayton Valley High. They live in Dana Farms.
“Having the wedding at the museum was the right choice,” Rene said. “It sparkled like a jewel with all the lights and decorations.”
Good Eats at CVCHS
In 2015, CVCHS Chef Wayne Wells created a mini food revolution. All the food is prepared on-site, from scratch, and served up by Wells himself, dressed in his official chef’s jacket or his young, red-jacket wearing assistants.
At $2.25 for a restaurant quality, made-to-order omelet, fresh fruit, milk, and a choice of hash browns or whole wheat biscuit, the meal is a deal. Director of Student Services Miguel Romo adds, “The omelets are amazing. I’ve never seen fresh made omelets at a school before. The kids love it.”
Revving Up Auto Shop
The CVCHS auto shop was fueled this year by a $300,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Clayton Valley.
Club president Dave Kemnitz, who owns D & H Auto Repair with two shops in Concord, recognized that the state of auto repair instruction was broken down at the high school level.
“With more than 60,000 jobs available, we see the need to put fire in the bellies of young people,” said Kemnitz. “It’s become necessary to grow our own help.”