As we reported earlier today, a woman was pinned under a vehicle on Pembroke Drive after the vehicle rolled over the victim.

Unfortunately, the 69-year-old victim has passed away.

The following information is from the Concord Police Department:

At 1025 hours, officers responded to the 4300 block of Pembroke Drive regarding a female trapped under a vehicle. Upon arrival, they discovered the victim trapped under the rear portion of the vehicle.  Medical personnel responded, extricated her from under the vehicle and transported her to John Muir Hospital Walnut Creek.  The victim later died from her injuries.

The preliminary investigation revealed the victim was standing in the driveway when the vehicle began to roll backwards.  As she tried to stop the vehicle, it collided into her, trapping her underneath it.

If you have any information regarding the collision, contact Traffic Officer Ken Carlson at 925-603-5931.

According to the Concord Police, the victim’s name is Joyce Arendtson.

Many of us watched the Super Bowl, but some of us didn’t.

For those who didn’t catch the game, we’ve posted some of the best commercials from this year’s big game (below).

After you view them, tell us which one was your favorite!

Andre Gensburger (Mister Writer), is the Publisher of The Concordian & The Digital Concordian. He also blogs at MisterWriter.com.

You can contact him at misterwriter@claycord.com.

If you’re smelling a strong smoke smell in Claycord, it’s because of a four-alarm fire at Mare Island, in Vallejo.

Click HERE to read more about the fire.

Thanks to Mars for the photo of the smoke, which was taken from Mt. Diablo.

An elderly woman was rescued from underneath a vehicle on Pembroke Drive in Concord this morning.

The vehicle apparently backed over the woman, who was pinned underneath the Hyundai and was unresponsive but breathing when police & fire arrived on scene just before 11am.

The woman was taken away with major injuries.

There is no word yet on the woman’s condition.

Thanks to James for the photo.

There’s been quite a bit of vandalism around Clayton Valley High School lately.

We’ve heard the campus, as well as homes in the area have been vandalized by unknown suspects, and this weekend, we got the following email from a victim….

I wanted to pass on some info for claycord.com so you could warn people in the area, and maybe see if it’s happening to others.

We’re near Clayton Valley High School, and have had several incidents of vandalism on our private property, including evidence of vandalism to school property left on our lawn, over the past 3 weeks.

The most recent incident was so severe, we’ve filed a police report.

If you see anybody vandalizing property that doesn’t belong to them, be sure to call the police! And don’t be afraid to call the cops if you see a suspicious person on school grounds, especially when it’s dark out!

As we’ve told you in the past, if you use your ATM card, you always have to be careful.

Here’s a message we received this weekend from a fellow Claycordian….

I was alerted by my bank today that there was suspicious activity on my bank statement, and they suspected it was fraudulent.

Somebody had acquired my ATM / Debit card information and made a $400 purchase to a company called “New Balance” and also a minor charge to “Yahoo *Wallet”.

Now I know this isn’t breaking news, but I found it interesting when I went into my bank to withdraw cash for the weekend (until my new ATM card arrives), that the bank teller had the same suspicious charges show up on her account.

I was wondering if anybody else in the Claycord community has experienced the same issue. I would really like to know how my information was stolen.

Perhaps if others in the community are dealing with the same issues, it would be possible to track the source of the information leak. I am pretty careful about using my debit card online, but I thought that maybe the gas station scam was up and running again.

Anybody else having this problem?

There’s a natural gas leak on the corner of Concord Boulevard & Kirker Pass in Concord.

Concord Police are currently evacuating residents of the apartment complex, and according to the Police, it’s a very large leak.

Concord Boulevard has been shut down near Kirker Pass, so try to use a detour if you’re in the area.

The fire department just arrived, and PG&E is expected to be on scene within about half-an-hour.

We’ll keep you updated when we get more information.

UPDATE, 9:54pm: The fire department just shut off the gas. No injuries were reported.

Thanks to “Kirkwood” & “Bosco” for the information!

A Concord man accidentally cut off his ear while moving a piano this afternoon at a home off Cowell Road.

In the 5-o’clock hour on Saturday, a caller called the Concord Police to say the piano fell on the man and sliced off his entire ear.

It is unknown if his ear was able to be reattached.

Whoever you are, we hope you heal fast!

The Contra Costa County Avoid the 25 anti-DUI campaign is reminding football fans watching this year’s Super Bowl with friends and family to make the right decisions before kickoff and to include a designated driver in your game plan.

Law enforcement is teaming up with the national “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk” message from the National Football League (NFL), the California office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition to help make our streets, roads and freeways safer this Super Bowl Sunday.

The Avoid the 25 anti-DUI task force will be deploying special roving anti-DUI patrols on Sunday, February 5, 2012 in several communities and cities including Concord, Danville, Hercules, El Cerrito and Martinez to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs. These anti-DUI patrols are, in addition to regularly scheduled patrol officers, looking for the tale-tell signs of an intoxicated driver behind the wheel.

In 2010, over 10,000 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In Californian, this deadly crime led to 791 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver.

The Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk message supports the league-wide designated-driver campaign called Responsibility Has Its Rewards. Celebrating its ninth season in 2011, the campaign encourages fans to participate in designated-driver programs supported by beer and concessionaire companies at every NFL stadium nationwide. The Responsibility Has Its Rewards Super Bowl XLVI winners were randomly selected Designated Drivers for the Season from the AFC Champion and NFC Champion teams. They attend the 2012 Pro Bowl in Honolulu, HI. Rewarding responsible behavior is just as important to the Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk safety message as reminding fans about the risks of drinking and driving.

“We want everyone to make the right decision on Super Bowl Sunday,” said Chris Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “Having a designated sober driver should be an obvious call in everyone’s play book. Making sure designated sober drivers know how much we appreciate their responsible decision is what will make this year’s celebration extra special – and extra safe.”

The Avoid anti-DUI patrols are funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety who reminds everyone to Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1. For more information, please visit www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org, www.californiaavoid.org or http://www.nhtsa.gov/Impaired.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl Party:
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers before kick-off or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers
• Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers at your party
• Give them a great spot to watch the game
• Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always full
• Let them have the first pass at the buffet table
• Make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home
• Serve plenty of food
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like non-alcohol beers, soft drinks, juice, and water
• Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks
• Only serve alcohol to guests over 21 years of age
• Determine ahead of time when you’ll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of the game (just like NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert
• Add the numbers of local cab companies into your phone so they are just one touch away
• Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired
• Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available

If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home if you plan to drink
• Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers when you are out at a bar or restaurant
• Offer to be the designated driver the next time you go out
• Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always full
• Pick up the tab for their food and drink
• Before you go out, add the numbers for local cab companies in your cell phone so if you find yourself in need of a ride, it is just one touch away
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
• Always buckle up – it’s your best defense on the road

For more information, please visit www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org or www.californiaavoid.org or http://www.nhtsa.gov/Impaired.

CLAYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICE ACTIVITY REPORT

FOR THESE DATES: Friday, January 27, 2012 – Thursday, February 2, 2012

The times shown indicate when the incident was reported to the PD.

ACCIDENTS: 

• None.

ARRESTS:

• Main St.  Burglary.  A 34-year-old Clayton male was arrested after officers responded to a call for service.  He was transported to Martinez Detention Facility for booking.  (2/1/12 – 0850 hrs.)

BURGLARIES/THEFTS:

• Mountaire Pw.  Burglary – Vehicle (01/28/12 – 1121 hrs.)
• Main St.  Burglary – Commercial. (2/1/12 – 0850 hrs.)

VANDALISMS:

• Marsh Creek Rd.  (1/31/12 – 1814 hrs.)

Planting for privacy can become one of those gardening dilemmas where you just don’t know what to do. Maybe you would like to block out a neighbor’s second story window, or screen the gaps in an old fence, either way you need get the job done.  Shrubs and trees can seem like a foreign language sometimes, and choosing the right plant initially will save time, and money.

Shrubs are commonly used to provide privacy for fence and property lines.  Evergreen shrubs are considered the most ideal for these applications.  First evaluate your needs.  What are you trying to cover?  What are the requirements to get the job done?  Pittosprum Silver Sheen is an excellent evergreen shrub that would be great along a fence line.  Pittosprum Silver Sheen has small leaves of dark, olive green that sprout along flexible, maroon colored stems.  You can expect this dense growing shrub to reach 12-14’ tall, and 8’ wide.  When planting along a fence, you’ll only need one per panel.  Silver Sheen is very easy to prune, and shape.  The small leaves don’t make its pruning so obvious.  This shrub can be installed into a narrow space, and be sheared into a living wall, or if you have more room, you can let this shrub go natural, and it would be equally appealing.  Pittosprum Silver Sheen thrives in full or afternoon sun.  Once established this shrub is water-wise.

Dodonaea V. Purpurea is another exceptional evergreen shrub that is often used for screening.   The Dodonaea is commonly called a Hopseed.  This shrub has a natural tear-drop shape to its growth. During the fall the longish, oval leaves turn a rich red color, with spring the new growth come in as a bright green.  This shrub isn’t picky about the condition of its soil, and thrives in Claycord’s most hostile landscape conditions.  The Hopseed will reach 12’-15’tall and 10’ wide towards the bottom.  There is no need to overplant this evergreen.  You can easily start off with a 5 gallon plant, and in no time at all, it’s huge.  If you are considering planting a living fence with the Dodonaea, spread each plant 6-8’ from each other.

Lavantera maritima bi-color would be nicely used as a source of property line privacy.  This is the type of shielding you need if you have a neighbor whose front yard is under kept, or if you live on a busy corner and would like to absorb some traffic noise.  The Lavantera m. bi-color is a hardy evergreen that loves the full sun, and need very little water once established.  This shrub blooms almost year round with 2-3” hibiscus shaped lavender and pinkish color flowers, on a shrub that gets 6’ tall and wide.  Bees and butterflies are attracted to this Lavantera.  Lavantera maritima grows very fast.  Installing a 1 gallon sized plant will save money, and you’ll hardly notice the difference with the size.  Lavantera grows fast and may die fast, if you overwater, or fertilize.  If established then left to its own devices, you can expect a longer lifespan.  Ours at the nursery has been going strong for 13 years now, gets no fertilizer, is pruned hard twice yearly and gets only run-off water.

Westringia fruticosa is an Australian evergreen that has wispy, gray foliage that to some resembles rosemary.  Westringia is the type of evergreen shrub that you want to plant in the right place, since shearing can wreck this shrub’s naturally lovely shape.  Westringia is another sun lover, who needs no fertilizer, and once established, needs only occasional water.  This shrub will grow 5-6’ tall and wide.  It makes an excellent fence screen.  The Westringia’s gray foliage really stands out against an old brown fence.  From winter-spring the Westringia has tiny, periwinkle two-lipped shaped blossoms.  It is a nice addition to a landscape for someone who is also craving winter color.

Not every application calls for a shrub to achieve privacy.  Sometimes a tree shape is more desirable.  This is where bad choices are made.  Trees on property lines can often cause problems as they grow too large, hang too far over into a neighbor’s yard, or they grow too tall and you lose the privacy as the crown of the tree clears the top of the fence.  A fabulous remedy for this type of circumstance is installing a bush on a stick.  Growers have trained several excellent shrubs into trees.  This will instantly give the landscape the height privacy it needs, while growing as large as a shrub, not a tree.  Photinia Fraseri is a bush that many would recognize.  It has large, oval leaves, and bright red new growth in the spring.  It is also available in a tree shape.  This is an excellent opportunity for the homeowner to get the privacy they need, sooner.  I recommend that the Photinia Tree is installed as a 15 gallon size plant.  At this size you will have a tree that is well on its way to trained, and get some instant satisfaction.  When planted on a fence line the Photinia Fraseri tree is instantly successful with its 60” tall trunk, it is perfect for getting above a fence, and then the head of the shrub supplies the rest of the privacy.  This bush on a stick will grow shrub big, not tree big.  You can expect 15-18’ of height and about half the mature size in width.  Pittosprum teneuifolium and Laurus nobilis are two other excellent selections of bushes on sticks that one could choose if you’re not into the Photinia Fraseri.

Creating the privacy that you need in your yard or landscape will take a bit of research.  Ask questions so you don’t make the wrong choice.  It is always more expensive to remove a shrub, or a tree than it is to just plant the right one the first time.

Happy Gardening!

Nicole Hackett is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Gardens. She writes for the Clayton Pioneer Newspaper, and Claycord.com. Nicole is the Clayton Valley Garden Club 2012 President.

Email your questions to thegardengirl@claycord.com.

Concord Honda will soon make the move from one side of Concord Avenue to the other.

The auto dealership is expected to make the move to old the Home Depot Expo Design Center, which has been vacant for several years.

No word yet on when the move will happen, but it’s been finalized, and they’re currently planning all the details.

A helicopter is circling above the State Streets in Concord, which is off Ygnacio Valley Road & Pine Hollow.

Officers are apparently looking for about 8-10 people at Highlands Elementary.

We’ll post more as soon as we get more information.

UPDATE: The copter is gone. Everybody has been detained. We’ll find out what it was all about, and post an update here ASAP.

UPDATE #2: According to the Concord Police, a complaint came in about several kids on the roof of Highlands Elementary School on Pennsylvania Boulevard. The helicopter was flying by and decided to assist. The kids took off, but were almost immediately detained on Illinois Court.

An armed robber has once again hit a Concord business.

The robbery occurred at about 7:30 on Friday night at the Valero Gas Station on Solano Way in Concord.

The suspect was an unknown race male with a black mask covering his face, he also had a gun.

No injuries were reported.

The suspect was last seen running on Broadmoor, behind the gas station.

Happy Friday to all the wonderful citizens in the City of Claycord.

This is a post with no subject, you can talk about whatever you want. If breaking news happens (such as an earthquake), or you hear about something newsworthy, feel free to post it here.

This post is about politics, and this is strictly to keep politics out of the weekly “talk about whatever”.

Enjoy, and be nice to eachother!

A 20-year-old Concord resident has been arrested for allegedly committing robberies at Subway & Wells Fargo in Pleasant Hill, and also at a Wells Fargo Bank in Concord, according to the Pleasant Hill Police.

The following information is from the Pleasant Hill Police:

On Thursday, 2/2/2012, PHPD Detectives served a search warrant and arrest warrant in the 3900 block of Mulberry Drive in Concord. The warrants were a result of an investigation into the two robberies reported to the PHPD on January 24, 2012.

Detectives arrested Concord resident, Daniel David Nebout, 20 yrs, for two counts of robbery and one count of kidnapping. Nebout was also linked to the January 30th robbery in Concord at a Wells Fargo bank on Clayton Road.

Nebout was booked into county jail. His bail was set at $200,000.00.

Here it is Friday again, the weekend before the BIG game!  If you’re entertaining a crowd hopefully some of the deals below will help you cut costs, there are coupons for Ball Park hotdogs, Wholly Guacamole, Chipotle to-go, and more!   Maybe you really want to stretch the budget and feed your crew for just pennies on the dollar, check out this Freezer BRC Burrito Recipe!

Frugal Entertainment and Family Activities:

If you’re looking for a frugal gift idea for your child’s classroom Valentines day party that doesn’t involve sugar, you might be interested in this simple Valentine’s Day Heart Crayons craft.

If you’re planning to go to the movies you’ll want to grab today’s Groupon to any one of AMC Theatres‘ locations nationwide. Choose between the following options:

• For $12, you get two AMC Silver Experience movie tickets (up to a $24 value).
• For $24, you get four AMC Silver Experience movie tickets (up to a $48 value).

Plum District: $40 for One Month of Indoor Swim Lessons and One Family Swim Pass at AquaTech on Diamond Blvd. in Concord ($80 Value) Grab a $5 credit if you’re new to Plum District and sign up through this link making this deal only $35.

Plum District: $10 for Any Three Attractions and Ten Arcade Tokens at Scandia Family Fun Center – a $20 Value, credit can not be used on this offer.

Living Social: 50% off NFL flag football leagues at East Bay Youth Sports, with locations in Concord and Danville. Spring NFL flag football league for ages 5 to 12 for $75 (regularly $155).

Living Social: Grab a One-Day Family Pass to Oakland Zoo for $23.  The pass is good for 2 adults and 2 children.  If you have quite a bit of flexibility in your schedule and a Contra Costa Library Card, you can request a FREE family pass to the Oakland Zoo (among many other activities) through the Discover & Go Program.

Dining Out Deals:

Chipotle: If you’re looking for a creative way (and frugal with this deal!) to feed a crowd during the Super Bowl, Chipotle is offering 50% off their burritos if you place an order using their order form.   This is valid on order of 6 burritos or more and only on February 5th.

Home Town Buffet: $3.00 off Adult Buffet with purchase of 1 beverage, Click HERE to print this coupon (exp. 2/5/2012)

P.F. Chang’s: 20% off online orders with no minimum purchase required – ONLY on February 5th Click HERE and use coupon codes “PATRIOTS” or “GIANTS” for the discount

Chevy’s: EVERY Saturday and Sunday, you will get 2 FREE Kids meals with each adult entree purchased at regular price. Not sure how long this will last (they say “For a limited time”), but if you’re a Chevy’s fan you can’t beat this deal!  I received this via email (you can view it here), but I’d suggest calling your location ahead of time to verify that they are participating.

Groupon: Going to the city anytime soon?  For $12, you get $24 worth of burgers, malts, and breakfast fare at Mel’s Drive-in. This Groupon is valid at the Geary Boulevard,Lombard Street, Fourth and Mission, and Van Ness Avenue locations.

Retail Savings:

Living Social has a 50% off deal running today at Overstock.com, for $10 you’ll get $20 to spend!  Head on over here for more details and to read the fine print.

The next time you go to IKEA, you have to sign up for the IKEA FAMILY CARD. It’s 100% free, and offers some pretty cool benefits:

• When you sign up, be sure to keep your receipt for a FREE Frozen Yogurt after you check out (No purchase necessary)
• FREE CUP OF COFFEE OR TEA EVERY TIME! (No purchase necessary)
• Your children can stay in Smaland (childcare) for 30 additional minutes, free of charge
• Monthly product discounts (available in store)

What’s FREE this week?

Need something from Michael’s, it could be FREE with this crazy good coupon!  Print out this $5/$5 Michael’s purchase coupon and head to the store, it’s good for one per person per day.  It is valid today 2/3 through tomorrow 2/4.

Do you have a birthday coming up?  Check out these freebies that you can score just for being YOU!

Head on over the Redbox Facebook page and you’ll receive a code for a FREE Redbox Movie Rental when you send a virtual Valentine’s Day Card to a loved one.  The code is valid on Valentine’s Day only.

This is a great coupon!  You can get $10 off your next Copy or Print (and shredding too!) service at Office Max with this coupon.  You’ll have until 2/14/12 to use this coupon, but I’d suggest printing it now.

Popular Coupons this week:  (note these often go quickly, so if you see one you’d like print it now and if you can’t find one, it could be gone already)

Get the All You Magazine for just $1.00! (Filled with $100+ plus coupons every month!)

$1.50/1 Wholly Guacamole, Wholly Salsa or Wholly Queso Product (after registration)

$1.00 off 2 boxes of Cascadian Farm Granola Bars

$0.75 off Dulce de Leche Cheerios cereal

$1.00 off 2 General Mills Divisional cereals

$1.00 off Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter

Looking for help saving money on groceries?  Check out this week’s deals at Safeway, Raley’s /Bel Air/Nob Hill, Whole Foods, 99 Cents Only Store, and Winco!

We just got this message from a resident near West Street & Joyce Drive in Concord, which is off Clayton Road….

FYI about 10 minutes ago a male black, about 25 years old, 5’7″ wearing a black and white checked long sleeve shirt, black jeans and a black backpack came to my door. I did not open it for him. I looked out my front window and told him “no, I am not interested”. He was very aggressive and yelling at me to open the door because he just wanted to ask me one question.

When I said no he left my street yelling profanities. I called Concrod PD. Just a warning to your readers that this guy is out there right now and not a safe person to open your door for.

Thanks for the heads up!

UPDATE, 1:45pm: The man came back and was picked up by a white van full of other people (probably selling magazines door-to-door). The plate on the white van started with 6HDK.