FEB 16 The Pioneer 2024

February 16, 2024

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Hindus trek 21 miles on spiritual Concord adopts pilgrimage to Concord temple homeless strategic plan

Thaipusam Walk honors triumph of good over evil TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer

In a vibrant display of faith and cultural celebration, several thousand devotees participated in the annual Thaipusam Walk organized by the Shiva Murugan Temple on Jan. 27.

The pilgrimage, dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Murugan, marks a significant event in the Hindu calendar. A festival steeped in mythology, Thaipusam honors the triumph of good over evil – symbolized by Lord Murugan receiving the invincible spear Vel from Goddess Parvati and using it to vanquish a demonic army.

In India, devotees embark on a pilgrimage to the Murugan temple on the Palani mountain during the Tamil month of Tai.

See Temple, page 5

CHARLEEN EARLEY Correspondent

Tamara Steiner

Sathish Gurukkal, a priest at the Concord temple, performs milk Abhishekam for a devotee who has walked a long distance as a pilgrimage. Milk Abhishekam is a prayer for purification of the soul; a prayer for "satya" which is truth.

Pearl Harbor survivor’s sage words at 100 CORINNE JEANDHEUR Student Correspondent

It requires a special celebration to honor 100 years of life full of countless stories to share, ranging from surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor to building up the Bay Area.

With that in mind, family and friends gathered with Clayton resident Earl “Chuck” Kohler for his momentous landmark on Feb. 3 at the Dana Hills Cabana Club. It was all smiles and laughter, in his words, “a happy birthday.”

Kohler is one of the last survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. An online search says as few as two dozen American military working at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, are still living.

At the age of 17, he joined the Navy and served as a petty officer first class and aviation metalsmith. He was stationed in the center of Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack, and despite direct orders, Kohler set up a 50caliber machine gun and fired at the attacking aircraft.

Even with his heroic actions that day, Kohler is still left “wishing there was something else that I could have done.”

For most of his life after

Next issue, Mar. 15, Deadline, Mar. 4

the Navy, he worked in heavy construction, earthmoving and building roads. “There’s hardly a main artery here in the Bay Area that you can drive on that I didn’t help to build at one time or another,” he noted.

With 14 years of military service and 79 years in the workforce, Kohler accumulated many accomplishments during his lifetime. However, when asked about his greatest achievement, his family came first.

Some of his favorite pastimes include camping with his family, boating and fishing. Kohler also dedicates a lot of time and money into protecting the beacon atop Mount Diablo.

At the most recent mark-

ing of the Pearl Harbor attack, Kohler announced that he would make a $6,000 contribution to Save Mount Diablo’s Beacon Fund so that the beacon can shine on for many years to come. Save Mount Diablo presented him with a special birthday card listing those who joined him in contributing to the fund.

With a life well-lived, Kohler is grateful for his family, friends and lessons that he has learned along the way. His advice for a long life is, “You always got to be busy. Keep the hand and the mind busy. And do whatever you see that has to be done – even if it’s not your responsibility. If it’s not being done, do it. And you’ll be glad that you did later.”

CHUCK KOHLER

In a Jan. 6 meeting, the Concord City Council members adopted a Homeless Strategic Plan which includes strategies to spend $5 million in funds.

In a press release dated Jan. 7, it states, “ ... [the ] 44-page document that will serve as a roadmap as Concord begins implementing the strategies to prevent and address homelessness. While homelessness is a persistent challenge throughout the Bay Area, Concord identified it as a top priority and, in 2022, Council asked City staff to develop a comprehensive plan with recommendations for strategies that Concord could implement using $5.4 million in one-time funds that had been specifically allocated for these purposes.”

Community Relations Manager, Jennifer Ortega, said over the past year, the City Council has held a number of meetings regarding the Homeless Strategic Plan.

“Each meeting agenda item is accompanied by a robust staff report with background information,” she said. “The videos of each meeting are also available the city’s webnsite, and you can do a search by keywords and dates.”

Councilmember Laura Nakamura, also chair of the 11member working group, said that by adopting the ‘Plan’ Concord is taking a huge step towards implementing solutions which address the problems and challenges of homelessness “rather than continuing to waste money out of our general fund on repeated actions, like encampment sweeps, which don’t solve anything.”

Concord Mayor Edi Birsan, who serves as vice chair of the Homeless Strategic Plan’s 11member working group, is proud of the time and effort

See Homeless page 7

Clayton celebrates 60th anniversary since incorporating as a city in 1964 DEBBIE EISTETTER

THE WAY WE WERE

If you look closely at a Contra Costa County map of Clayton’s city boundaries, you’ll notice a strange little cutout on its western border.

Located on this northeast corner of Kirker Pass Road and Clayton Road is a gas station whose address is in Concord in spite of the fact that all the businesses on the same corner are in Clayton. The situation goes back to Clayton’s 1964 incorporation and its quest for an identity of its own.

California was experiencing a building boom following WWII, and “cherry stem annexation” was a legal way for a city to annex, by way of roads and easements, those properties whose owners were interested in receiving services like sewer, utilities and police.

Businesses that earned revenue and paid taxes – like gas stations – were especially prized.

As farming in the Clayton Valley dwindled, large landholdings became available and were ripe for the development of housing and business centers. The city of Concord was anxious to expand eastward, and many Clayton residents became increasingly worried that their small town would be swallowed up and be known

only as “East Concord.”

At a meeting in 1959, the Concord City manager touted Clayton’s annexation to Concord as a good move for all parties. However, the Clayton residents who attended saw no need for the city services offered and did not want the additional property taxes that came with them.

A foresighted group of Clayton residents knew Concord’s expansion would continue. Using their own funds, they sought a professional analysis to determine if incorporation would be attainable for Clayton.

In May 1960, the county boundary commission approved Clayton’s first city council is sworn in by Judge Wroy a petition to hold an election to

See Clayton, page 5

Renaghan, Mar. 18, 1964 at Endeavor Hall. Councilmembers from left: David Cook, Henry Wagner, Alvin Liming, George Abbott and first mayor Robert Hoyer.

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Page 2

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

Social media is Pilot killed in ‘avoidable’ crash that key to today’s real stuns local aviation community estate market Pilot dies when

JENNIFER STOJANOVICH

CLOSE TO HOME

In the ever-evolving landscape of real estate marketing, staying ahead of the curve is not just an advantage – it’s a necessity.

As a local real estate broker, I’m thrilled to share insights into the latest tech trends shaping real estate marketing. In this digital age, utilizing cutting-edge tools such as drone photography and social media has become paramount in capturing the attention of potential buyers.

Drone photography is a fantastic way to showcase a property with beautiful aerial views. Drones provide stunning visuals that highlight a property’s surroundings, emphasizing its proximity to parks, schools or scenic landscapes.

This dynamic perspective not only captures attention but also adds a layer of sophistication to property listings. Aerial photos on the multiple listing service enhance a property’s online presence. You can use them in social media posts, reels and eflyers while marketing a home.

Social media has become

homebuilt plane hits streets near Concord airport

an integral part of our daily lives, and savvy real estate professionals are leveraging its power to connect with potential buyers. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn offer unique opportunities to showcase listings, share real-time updates and engage with the local community.

By creating visually appealing content and utilizing targeted advertising, real estate agents can amplify the reach of properties and create a buzz that extends far beyond traditional marketing methods.

Better Homes Realty, my real estate brokerage, recently utilized virtual tours and drone photography to market a charming property nestled in the Peacock Creek neighborhood in Clayton. The immersive virtual tour allowed potential buyers to explore the home’s character-rich interiors, while the drone footage showcased its picturesque location.

The property sold quickly, with interested buyers citing the innovative marketing approach as a key factor in their decision.

By staying at the forefront of innovation, sellers can effectively reach and engage with today’s tech-savvy buyers.

If you’re considering selling your home or are curious about current market trends, feel free to reach out. Together, we can leverage technology to make your property stand out in the digital marketplace.

Jennifer Stojanovich is an owner/broker with Better Homes Real Estate. Send questions and comments to jennifer@bhrbroker.com

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DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

The fatal aviation crash that claimed the life of a local pilot has left those who knew him shaken.

Jacek Romanski, 75, of Berkeley, a common figure around Buchanan Field Airport, died in the crash of his homebuilt Van’s Aircraft RV-6 single-engine plane about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 30 at the intersection of Diamond Boulevard and Concord Avenue. It was just outside the southside perimeter fencing of the airport and nearby Buchanan

Ken Barton

Jacek Romanski, 75, know tamong his colleagues as a risk-taker that loved touch and go maneuvers crashed his homebuilt single-engine plane on Concord Ave at Diamond Blvd, Jan. 30.

ble cause, including contributing factors, is expected to take 12 to 24 months, said NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson.

PILOT ENJOYED FLIGHT THRILLS

On the day of his death, Romanski did what he so often loved to do – touch and go maneuvers.

“What he was doing was legal but stupid,” said Peter Friedman of Pleasant Hill.

“This is what gave him pleasure.”

Friedman, who said he had done a number of inspections on Romanski’s aircraft over the years, emphasized that Romanski was a skillful pilot.

“That engine was not designed to do what he had a habit of doing with the aircraft,” Friedman said. “You don’t go around the airport like CCR on the image from the FlightAware website signifies he was doing. He stayed in the Buchanan Field Airport. Loops show the path Jacek Roman- traffic pattern and put on an air ski flew the morning of January 30 after taking off at 10:17 show.” a.m. The horizontal graphic along the bottom includes the Friedman has an extensive altitude and speed that Romanski was ascending and deaviation resume and expertise scending during the flight. with mechanics, serving as a

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flight instructor since 1977 and earning earned the 2016 Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award for 50 years of maintenance. He noted that Romanski’s aircraft had a 60year-old engine that was never upgraded or overhauled.

Recounting how Romanski enjoyed the thrill of stall turns and steep turns, Friedman said: “It was just the wrong airplane to be doing it in. I told him that for years.”

According to Friedman, the plane was built to take off, reach altitude and just cruise – “travel in it and go from point A to point B.” ‘IT CAUGHT UP WITH HIM’ The touch and go maneuver that Romanski liked to do at Buchanan Field Airport involved descending at 500 feet per minute and getting down right to the runway. Then he would immediately take off and do a snap turn. If there was no one else in the airspace,

See Crash page 8

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Stephen Tucker, a longtime pilot who knew Romanski for more than a decade, said the accident is taking a toll on the close-knit aviation community.

“Even if you meet a person one time, it hits you hard. They are family,” he said.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were on the scene the following morning to begin unraveling the mystery that led to the crash. Scott Johnson said the NTSB didn’t find anything “catastrophic” with the airplane after his crew completed its initial examination of the wreckage and its fuel system.

The preliminary report of the incident will be out within 30 days. No more media briefings are planned. A final report to determine the crash’s proba-

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February 16, 2024

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

Page 3

Candidates for Assembly, state Senate express similar goals Editor’s Note: See the candidates’ uncut, verbatim responses to the questions at www.pioneerpublishers.com/tag/elections/ DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

“All politics is local” goes the famous quote from the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, and the slate of candidates vying for open Assembly and state Senate seats will keep the electorate busy doing their ANAMARIE FARIAS homework in the runup to the March primary.

Here’s some information enforcement and mental health for the races in the area: services, banning assault 15TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT weapons that aren’t already Democrats Karen banned and seeking longer Mitchoff, Monica Wilson and sentences for those using Anamarie Farias and Republi- firearms of any kind in a can Sonia Ledo are vying for crime.

She supports housing in the seat being vacated by Tim suburban areas that takes Grayson. advantage of repurposing Mitchoff cites her 20 years commercial land such as the of proven leadership at the city parking lot at Sunvalley Mall and county levels, along with south of Sears or the old Penworking with regional and federal partners to secure funding ney’s building north of the for programs and services such Rack in Pleasant Hill.

“We need to find solutions as mental health, public health, that allow flexibility by local law enforcement, children’s jurisdictions to meet our housissues, elders’ concerns and ing goals without destroying flood control. neighborhoods,” she said.

“I am forthright once I She also wants to work to have made a decision but provide more financial always in listening mode with constituents. I work collabora- resources to elders needing tively with everyone to achieve long-term care solutions that covered by agreed-upon goals,” said aren’t MediCal/Medicare.

Mitchoff.

“I should be elected “Additionally, as a (former) because I am the most expericounty supervisor, I am the enced candidate with both only candidate who underlocal and regional experience stands both local needs and dealing with our most pressing budget issues and how the issues: housing, transportation, state can/does impact finances climate and water, specifically for critical services.”

She identified public safety, the Delta, and have the leaderhousing and elder issues as her ship skills to be the most effective in Sacramento,” Mitchoff priorities if elected.

For public safety, Mitchoff said.

For her part, Antioch City noted much-needed support to Councilmember Wilson local governments for law

KAREN MITCHOFF

MONICA WILSON

TIM GRAYSON

MARISOL RUBIO

expressed a commitment to represent not just a few, but everyone, whether or not they agree with her.

Wilson identified her track record of advocacy for issues that impact all communities and being a voice for all to ensure equality of opportunity and community reinvestment as other qualities she brings to the Assembly.

If elected, she plans to prioritize economic empowerment, working on affordable housing and homelessness, and spotlighting education access/equity.

She noted a desire to create opportunities for economic advancement for all communities. This includes supporting initiatives for job creation, workforce development and entrepreneurship, as well as advocating for fair wages and equal access to economic resources and opportunities For affordable housing and homelessness, she plans to champion local housing creation that generates local jobs and home ownership opportunities for our workforce and future generations.

“Homelessness and housing insecurities is a crisis. I’ll bring my local leadership in improving homeless outreach

coordination, expanding transitional housing and enhancing mental health programs to Sacramento,” Wilson said.

She plans to fight for equitable and quality education for all students by advocating for increased funding for public schools, addressing the achievement gap, expanding access to early childhood education, and supporting programs that promote college and career readiness, educational access and workforce training for a broad, diverse student community.

“My commitment to my community is unwavering, and I will continue to fight for their rights and representation. You see, representing Assembly District 15 means I am the voice for everyone. This type of representation is what my community deserves and demands at the state level, and I am the right person,” Wilson said.

As the lone lifelong Contra Costa resident in the race who was raised in this district, Farias noted she brings a unique perspective to the race.

She pointed to her strong understanding of the district’s social, cultural and economic diversity. She cited her experience on the Martinez City

Council, Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission, and her appointment to the California Housing Finance Agency, as additional strengths.

“I will bring my experience in housing, economic and community development to prioritize opportunities that create sustainable and livable communities for all,” Farias said.

Three issues that Farias will be prioritizing if elected are ways to provide affordable housing, investing in education and public safety.

She noted that affordable housing is a basic human right.

“Closing the housing affordability gap requires a comprehensive strategy that includes expanding rental assistance, increasing permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness, developing new units for low- and moderate-income households and creating homeownership programs for families who need down payment assistance,” Farias said.

Her emphasis with education involves recruiting, preparing and retaining a diverse and well-supported teaching force in all school districts. Acknowledging school overcrowding, she wants to

make school funding a priority while investing fully and equitably in students.

“We need to create programs to stop the school-toprison pipeline,” she said.

Restructuring the systems of public safety to ensure communities’ underlying safety and social needs are met is among her “All Safe” objectives. It includes recruiting well-trained public safety personnel committed to serving and protecting their communities and holding unfit officers responsible and accountable for their actions and removing them.

Farias touts her nearly 30 years of experience in administering various federal, state and local programs to solve complex community issues.

“In each role that I have the honor of serving in, I continue to be the voice for the voiceless by standing up, speaking out and fighting for social justice. My experience, commitment to public service and participation in a broad range of policies make me the ideal candidate,” she said.

Ledo, a bilingual selfemployed real estate professional with a degree in legal studies, did not submit

See Election, page 8

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Page 4

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

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DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

The early part of each new calendar year is marked by the return of crab feed season, when friends and family don flimsy bibs and dive into trays stocked with delectable Dungeness crustaceans.

We’re in the thick of the season for the notable fundraiser for schools, nonprofits and service organizations – with weekends chock-full before winding down in March.

Armed with the requisite crab cracker and pick, Gus Kerry is a regular patron of the De La Salle Crab Feed.

“I don’t normally eat crab when I go out to a restaurant,” he said. “So, going to this crab feed is where I will get it.”

The chance to reconnect with old acquaintances in the school community also makes the crab feed experience special.

For Andrea Saunders, crab feeds are a reminder of her brother-in-law, a fisherman, and the hard work that goes into making these events possible.

ISSUES WITH PRICING, SEASON START

Their popularity has endured despite the unpredictability of crabbing seasons – the official start for commercial fishermen wasn’t until Jan. 18 this year – and what price crab feed organizers ultimately shell out when preparing for their events.

Even with the late start, this year is shaping up to have enough good quality crab available at a price that hasn’t been a shock to organizers, according to Diane Van Iderstine of San Ramon-based Cali Crab Feed.

She noted that the price per pound was $1.50 less than last year.

The average crab feed includes about 1,200 pounds, approximately three pounds per attendee. “Now they have more going to their charity and less money going to crab,” she said.

After the Dungeness supply along the local California coast is exhausted, Van Iderstine and other suppliers shift gears to bring crab down from Crescent City and Fort Bragg.

That means adding new transportation costs.

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Ticket prices for most crab feeds are up this year to offset the cost of the cleaned and cracked crab and other factors that go into the economics of putting on the event. The upfront adjustment ensures that financial support for programs, activities or services

David Scholz

Veterans of annual crab feeds, like those at the De La Salle High School event, come armed with the essential crab crackers and picks. And, they don’t make rookie mistakes like filling up on pasta and bread.

doesn’t suffer.

The St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Crab Feed, back after a hiatus caused by the COVID Pandemic, is among eight on the calendar just in Concord and Pleasant Hill during February.

And when considering those scheduled in surrounding communities, that number more than doubles.

“One of the reasons for the increase in the price is definitely the cost of fresh crab, but the cost of goods has also increased by as much as 30%,” said Violetta Hantziantonakis, the church’s 2024 crab feed co-chair.

“Rental fee of Centre Concord was increased,” she added.

“We were also hit with an unexpected cost for security, which has not been a requirement in the past.”

St. Demetrios is among the many organizations that have started including other entrees to further entice patrons.

“We are offering half chicken in lieu of crab for those who do not eat crab or are allergic to crab but want to attend with their family or friends,” Hantziantonakis said.

Another new attraction that didn’t cost St. Demetrios’ organizers a penny was the inclusion of live entertainment.

Dori Freitas, chair of the Concord High School Athletic Boosters Crab Feed, noted similar challenges that prompted increased ticket prices.

However, inclusion of drink tickets with each feed ticket, offering non-seafood options and efforts to keep auction items fresh are strategies that have helped keep interest robust.

“We have many CHS alumni come out for the event. We are very close to our pre-pandemic attendance,” she said.

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Gigi R. Crowder, executive director of NAMI Contra Costa (the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill), said her March fundraiser is putting the emphasis back on “fun.”

As opposed to crab feed organizers who added more to their events, Crowder went the other way and cut back.

“We could have raised more money but didn’t want to exhaust our staff and volunteers,” she said. “We are in a pretty good spot financially.”

When the prospect of not holding the crab feed was on put on the table, Crowder says she heard a chorus of “We just want to eat the crab.”

The supplier for the NAMI event advised a $5 increase in the price of tickets to account for what he was passing along to the organization.

As for the timing of their event at the end of the season, Crowder said March works to their advantage due to a lot of other programming in February.

First Tee of Contra Costa was among those on the crab feed circuit when action was just kicking off in January. After the toll that the pandemic took on crab feeds, executive director Jamie Maddox is pleased with this year’s attendance. The sitdown shindig followed two drive-through events to sustain fundraising during COVID. “It is not the biggest crab feed,’’ he conceded. “We just try to keep it simple.”

The emphasis is on the kids who do the serving and enjoying the camaraderie, he continued, citing the focus on education and golf.

Still, it comes at a cost, like for security and venue rent.

“Everything is more expensive,” Maddox said.

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February 16, 2024

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Page 5

Clayton council reviews resident survey to guide city goals VINCE MARTELLACCI Correspondent

A survey of 500 residents shows that a low crime rate and a safe environment are their most valued aspects of life in Clayton.

After access to nature and outdoor spaces, other priorities include well-maintained public spaces, high-quality schools, and the availability of small and local businesses.

At the Feb. 6 meeting, the City Council reviewed the respondents’ priorities along with their own top goals.

Councilmembers will break into ad hoc committees and return on Feb. 20 with a strategic objective attached to each goal.

“The survey results are a great first step,” said Councilmember Peter Cloven. “It will be up to the council to prioritize strategic goals so that our staff can focus our limited resources on the goals that matter most.”

Cloven expects the council to face some challenges when City Manager Bret Prebula presents the “Five-year Fore-

cast and Revised Fund Balance Policy” at the March 5 meeting.

“Clayton will need to make some difficult choices in the very near future relative to revenue vs. expected services,” Cloven said. “It is important that Claytonians listen to City Council proceedings these next couple months because it will impact their perception of the quality of life in the future.”

PUBLIC SAFETY ESSENTIAL The survey had a strong focus on police services. In a ranking of which resources were most important to residents, the survey highlighted the level of police services as well as pedestrian safety and traffic management.

Clayton Police Chief Richard McEachin says that the police department is actively managing traffic and pedestrian safety. In 2023, under McEachin, the department created a dedicated traffic officer position.

“His primary focus is traffic, and he has done an excellent job with both traffic enforcement and traffic education,” says McEachin.

The traffic officer also heads to schools during dropoff and pick-up, which McEachin says “helps keep our children safe as they go to and from school.”

Councilmembers Kim Trupiano and Holly Tillman agreed on public safety and accessibility, including sidewalk maintenance and ADA accessibility, as important survey results to focus on in strategic planning.

DEBATE OVER SMALL TOWN ASPECT

The spotlight on Clayton’s small-town charm stood out to Mayor Jim Diaz.

“I find it a very striking thought, and there are some challenges in order to maintain that,” he said.

As an example, he noted that more than 60% of respondents would like the Farmers Market to return – but vendors were not receiving enough business to sustain it the last time it was in town.

Resident Lauren Kindorf said she doesn’t want the smalltown feel mentioned in the survey to be used as a rationale

to keep people out of Clayton.

“I hope our city staff realizes that we have to follow (state laws). If there’s land that’s available, we have to accept that people may come in … and want to develop.”

A DESIRE FOR LOCAL BUSINESS

Another theme that came up in the survey was the importance of small and local businesses, including the value of family-friendly as well as recreation-centered businesses.

One new Clayton business, Odyssey VR Lounge, exemplifies such an endeavor. Odyssey is a virtual reality “arcade” that creates unique recreation experiences and games.

“Clayton has a lot of young families, a lot of people looking to do things with the family,” said Eric Rasmussen, who owns the business with wife Kristina. “And up to now, a lot of that has to have been done outside of Clayton.”

Survey respondents said a robust business scene in the Town Center is exactly what they want, and Odyssey has

Police seeking help in solving park janitor’s stabbing death DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

Pleasant Hill Police are actively investigating the fatal stabbing of a Pleasant Hill Parks District janitor who was found lying in the main parking lot of Pleasant Hill Park along Gregory Lane early Saturday morning.

The motive for the attack on Santiago Jacobo, 37, of Pittsburg, which police believed occurred between late Friday evening and early Saturday morning, is not known.

According to police, on Saturday, Feb. 10, at approximately 4:50 a.m., Pleasant Hill Police dispatch received a report of an unconscious and unresponsive male found lying on the ground in the main parking lot of Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane, near Woodsworth Lane / Cleaveland Road.

Jacobo was discovered in the parking lot by his wife who then called 911. She came to the park after her husband had not returned home following his shift. Jacobo was a member

Temple, from page 1

of the janitorial staff that had been working at the park late Friday evening.

Officers and medical personnel responded to the scene and determined the man was deceased. Upon further examination, it was determined the man had sustained stab wounds.

Pleasant Hill Police Lt. Matt Kristic noted Jacobo was a regularly scheduled employee who worked at that location.

“He was a regular employee and well known by management for the parks district,” he said.

The department along with the City of Pleasant Hill, and the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District all expressed their deep condolences to the family and friends of the victim.

Police are now pursuing all

leads and avenues, including considering video footage that might be available around locations around the site of the attack.

“I can tell you that video footage is always a part of the evidence that we gather – not only at the immediate scene but the surrounding areas including residential and businesses in the immediate (area) surrounding the park,” Kristic said.

Kristic noted investigators were out all day canvassing the area and talking with neighbors.

“Anything they are finding is being held close to the chest,” he said.

This is the city’s first homicide of 2024. The last homicide in Pleasant Hill occurred

Clayton,

residents drove to the State Capitol to speak with the Assemblyman representing Clayton and Concord. He was of the opinion that the Cardinet Glen annexation was most likely not valid. Concord withdrew the annexation.

Wallace formed an incorporation committee, and Clayton pursued incorporation with renewed vigor. Meetings at Wallace’s house resulted in the study of the operations of other small California towns, public informational meetings, the use of a telephone network to ensure an audience at hearings in Martinez, flier distributions and the collection of funds for the election.

A second petition to incorporate included only a half square mile boundary, smaller than the 1960 petition. They crafted it to exclude those surrounding subdivisions that posed a danger to its passage.

Clayton became a city when the votes were tallied on March 3, 1964: 251 for incorporation, 61 opposed. This municipal election set a record in the state of California with 91% of registered voters having cast ballots.

Residents rang the old school bell on the hill above town to announce the victory, and more than 80 folks partied at the home of Clayton’s first mayor, Bob Hoyer. The mayor and Clayton City Council were sworn in at Endeavor Hall on March 18, 1964.

This article is a mere summary of the fine booklet “The Story of Clayton,” which

from page 1

The Shiva Marugan Temple in Concord is roughly a year away from completion. Artisans with various specialties were brought in from India to work on the intricate design inside and out.

The local Thaipusam Walk was a 21-mile spiritual journey commencing in San Ramon and weaving through Walnut Creek before reaching its zenith at the Concord temple.

Participants journeyed from as far as Fremont and San Jose to partake in this sacred event.

Volunteers played a pivotal role, offering breakfast and snacks along the way and serving lunch in tents across the street from the temple. The pilgrimage route utilized the Iron Horse and Contra Costa Canal trails, creating a shared path for spiritual reflection and community bonding.

The Shiva Murugan Temple has been rooted in California since 1957, when American-born Hindu guru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami founded it in a small wood-framed house in San Francisco. The temple relocated in 1988 to a larger site in Concord chosen for its

historical significance as a place of worship. Originally owned by Lutherans and later by the Greek Orthodox community, the site now encompasses the temple proper, a social hall in the basement, an office, classrooms and a private residence for priests.

Under the guidance of the Saiva Siddhanta Ashram, the temple was renamed Shiva Murugan Temple. Skilled artisans from India, each specializing in different facets of temple construction, are diligently working on a new temple.

Completion is anticipated by the winter of 2025, promising a grand culmination of cultural, religious and architectural significance.

The Thaipusam Walk stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of devotion and the vibrant tapestry of Hindu culture woven into the American landscape.

incorporate. But it was struck down when two quarries within the proposed city boundaries declined to be included in the proposal.

In 1961, Pleasant Hill incorporated as a city – thwarting Concord’s western expansion. This victory provided hope for Clayton residents to continue the fight. Clayton leaders lobbied the state Legislature to approve a bill that would require a more orderly way to establish boundaries for annexations and incorporation.

New fodder fueling the flames for incorporation occurred when Nan Wallace, a Clayton resident, happened to see a small article in the Oakland Tribune announcing that Concord was poised to annex Cardinet Glen. The 25 acres of land located near the DeMartini winery building, Clayton’s current City Hall, was to become part of Concord using the “cherry stem” method by creeping along Clayton Road.

State law dictated a stem could only extend a half mile from the annexing city’s border, and this stem barely reached by including the Clayton home of the Concord city attorney. It would have divided Clayton in half and prevented any further attempt to incorporate.

The Clayton group filed a notice of intention to incorporate, and a group of Clayton

See Stabbing, page 11

made that vision closer to reality.

“So now we’re bringing something to the town where they can have a nice night out to dinner or go get some ice cream and then start off or fin-

ish off with some games,” Rasmussen said.

He sums up the results of the survey perfectly: “A lot of people are just kind of looking for something new and different.”

Lawsuit alleges hostile workplace, discrimination at Concord PD DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

A civil lawsuit filed against the Police Department citing a hostile workplace environment and a failure to prevent discrimination is weaving its way through the court system.

The plaintiffs are Amy Hendricks, Beth Long, Harley Valadez and Kristen Krieger.

“The Concord Police Department is dominated by misogynistic men who are unwilling to allow these four eminently qualified women to grow and thrive,” David S. Ratner wrote in the amended complaint filed on Dec. 4, 2023.

“As a result, not only has the Concord Police department damaged the plaintiffs’ careers and damaged the plaintiffs emotionally and psychologically, but, more important, the Concord Police Department has damaged the citizens of Concord, California, by preventing extremely well-qualified officers to serve to the best of their ability,” the filing states.

While the plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial, mediation is a more likely path as Contra Costa County has mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

The plaintiffs seek damages against the department for alleged conduct by its officers related to retaliation, hostile work environment harassment, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, gender

discrimination and pregnancy discrimination.

Allegations in the complaint, which date back to 2014, suggest a double standard was taking place for what was afforded for male officers and denied to their female counterparts.

In an example from 2021, Hendricks, who says she was being forced into industrial disability retirement, said she was prevented from keeping her service weapon. The lawsuit claims it’s standard practice for retiring male officers.

Incidents related to Long and Valadez allege inequity on scoring of promotional exams and when pistol requalification could take place.

The lawsuit documents other forms of workplace misconduct, including an alleged derogatory term for unattractive women expressed in presence of other officers during a police briefing.

Concord Mayor Edi Birsan said he “fully expects a vigorous defense” but referred inquiries to the city attorney.

Public Information Officer Jennifer Ortega echoed Birsan.

“The city isn’t free to publicly address the allegations at this point, as they pertain to ongoing litigation and to personnel issues and records.”

The Contra Costa County Sheriff ’s Office also is facing allegations of discrimination and retaliation against a female employee, according to a different lawsuit that was also originally filed in October.

Photos courtesy of Clayton Historical Society

This map shows the original boundaries of the newly incorporated city of Clayton in 1964.

Eldora and Bob Hoyer wrote in 1999. It records in detail the steps toward incorporation and the names of all the dedicated people who acted with vision and perseverance.

Copies are available for sale in the Clayton Museum.

Current Mayor Jim Diaz is helping plan a 60th anniversary celebration in conjunction with the July 4th parade. He encourages anyone who wants to volunteer to contact City Hall.

As the city turns 60 this March, our first mayor will turn 103 years old. Always personable, possessed of infinite knowledge and a heck of a bocce player, we salute you, Bob. Debbie Eistetter is a board member of the Clayton Historical Society. For more information or to become a member, visit claytonhistory.org. The Clayton Museum is open 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays at 6101 Main St..

Admission is free.

Page 6

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

F r om the desk o f . . .

Concord mayor optimistic about city plan for homeless and outside organizations to avoid impacts on future General Funds and city staff.

I hope you have been following our progress on this initiative. It started more than a year ago when we identified homelessness as a major challenge. We know that we cannot sit by and hope that some other group or agency finds “the” soluEDI BIRSAN tion.

We also recognize that CONCORD MAYOR while most of our current As you read this, there are unsheltered population are former graduates of our people surviving on our streets. When you finish this, schools and neighbors, there are others. We cannot forthey will still be there. sake efforts out of fear that However, the Concord some others may come seekCity Council has accepted a Homeless Strategic Plan that ing pathways out of their disaster. will serve as a roadmap to The council appointed an begin implementing strate11-member working group gies we believe will make a of people who represented a real difference to our comvariety of experiences, munity. We will emphasize including lived experience of working with non-profits

being homeless, a nonprofit homeless services provider, a mental health professional, resident and business owner.

Councilmember Laura Nakamura was chair, and I was proud to serve as vice chair.

Our working group met a dozen times over the last year, and my council colleagues and I met a few more. In addition, there were many small meetings between members and field trips to various facilities and gatherings of the unsheltered as could be handled by the limitations of the Brown Act. At each meeting, we tackled different topics, heard from experts and listened to thoughtful public comment by community residents with perspectives and concerns as well as homeless folks directly.

Our plans include creat-

ing a mobile resource center, investing in rapid re-housing and developing various interim housing models, such as scattered site homes and tiny homes, centralized tiny homes and interim motel housing.

We cannot do all of these at once. We don’t have the funds or the staff capacity.

But we do have $5.2 million remaining in one-time funds set aside to invest in solutions, much of which will be used as seed money to get things started as we work

with non-profits in the effort to get grants for ongoing operations.

I am proud that we’ve arrived at this point; now is when the real work begins.

Our team will transition to finalizing the operational and logistical details of strategy implementation, beginning with the mobile resource center and interim small motel housing.

I strongly urge that we push forward quickly on interim targeted transition housing and site support for

non-profits willing to house.

Lastly, we need to expedite the idea of taking the working poor homeless families and providing rent support and housing placement.

We are working on the paths out of homelessness, starting with those who want to be helped and moving to those who can be helped within our capacity.

Send comments and questions to EdiBirsan@gmail.com.

From fires to earthquakes, residents can be prepared

This winter has been a challenging one so far, with storms rolling through the Bay Area bringing high winds, heavy rains and power outages.

The city of Pleasant Hill prepares for events like the big rainfalls we’ve seen, as well as other potential disaster scenarios.

City employees spend time each year learning what their roles would be in the event of a wide-spread emergency situation, and how the city would their voices heard. her on board and look foroperate during such.

The Olivia’s proposed 81 ward to the dedication and On Jan. 17, Pleasant Hill units, with just 1.1 parking passion she will bring to employees took part in a spaces per unit, could presserving our city. Please give “tabletop exercise” simulating ent parking issues for the her a warm welcome as she a major disaster. We held the surrounding area. The coun- takes on this vital position event at the Pleasant Hill cil gave direction to staff to that keeps our local govern- Police Department, which come back with an agenda ment running smoothly. serves as the city’s Emergency item to establish an Ad-Hoc Meanwhile, please join Operations Center (EOC).

Committee. The committee me in wishing a happy 100th Employees were faced will discuss potential solubirthday to Clayton resident with the scenario of a 7.2 tions or actions that we Chuck Kohler. As one of the magnitude earthquake cencould take regarding the few remaining World War II tered in the area, with afterJIM DIAZ impact on parking in Strana- and Pearl Harbor survivors, shocks that followed. The CLAYTON MAYOR han, the downtown and sur- we thank him for his military exercise focused on how work rounding areas. service and honor his sacri- groups would receive necesI am pleased to announce As I mentioned in my last fices for our country. sary crisis information, deterthat the Clayton Council column, I am excited to parLastly, as your mayor, I mine priority of response and Council approved a new ticipate in the planning for will work hard to maintain allocate city resources to deal three-year contract with Clayton’s 60th anniversary of Clayton’s “small town with the ongoing issues.

Police Chief Richard our 1964 inauguration. I charm,” while running an Exercises like this help the McEachin on Jan. 16. encourage everyone to get open and transparent local city be ready in case the real My council colleagues involved. Please contact City government. I plan to keep thing happens. Residents can and I are extremely happy Hall if you would like to vol- you informed and involved also take action to be prewith the negotiations and are unteer your time or expertin important decisions every pared. The Contra Costa Fire grateful for the excellent ise. step of the way.

Protection District’s website service our police chief and It is also my pleasure to Let’s make 2024 a year to has good tips on how to mitihis staff provide to the Clayannounce that Stephanie remember in Clayton. I look gate risks of wildfire to your ton community.

Cabrera-Brown has joined forward to working with you. property. In addition, you can Also at this meeting, we the city team as our city find seasonal fire safety tips at discussed a potential Parking clerk. Cabrera-Brown brings You can contact me directly cccfpd.org.

Permit Program near the a wealth of experience and with any questions or concerns at But to take a deeper dive Olivia on Marsh Creek projexpertise to this important 925-673-7316 or JimD@clayton- into what you as a citizen can ect downtown. Thank you to role. We are excited to have ca.gov. do to help in the event of a those citizens who made

Clayton extends Chief McEachin’s contract, hires new city clerk

CERT members will first take care of their homes and families before responding to assist their neighborhood and community.

To find out more about being a part of CERT, go to pleasanthillcert.org.

Another aspect of being ready in the case of an emergency is knowing where to get necessary information. The Pleasant Hill Police DepartMATT RINN ment uses an app called NIXLE to provide up to the PLEASANT HILL minute emergency informaMAYOR tion to the community.

NIXLE users can get large-scale emergency, I’d rec- announcements via text mesommend taking a Community sage, email or via website.

Emergency Response Team Signing up for NIXLE is (CERT) course. Two class ses- easy. Text your ZIP code to sions held during the year 888777 to be automatically educate the community on subscribed for any messages how to prepare for and handle affecting that zip code. Addia variety of scenarios. tionally, you can go to Since its creation in 2006, NIXLE.com and tailor what Pleasant Hill CERT has messages you receive. trained more than 700 resiIf you have friends or dents to prepare for and family in another area and respond to disasters. The first want to keep abreast of any class of the year is currently emergency messages with in progress, but you can sign them, you can text that ZIP up for the fall class. The dates code and get their alerts as are Sept. 10, 17, 24 and Oct. well.

1, 8, 15, 22, with a final exerYour city staff does its cise on Oct. 26. Classes run 6- best to make sure we are 9 p.m. Subjects taught include ready in the event of an emerfire safety, disaster medical gency and, with the right operations, disaster prepared- tools, you can be ready, too. ness, and light search and rescue.

Contact Matt Rinn at During an emergency, Mrinn@plesanthillca.org.

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at Concord Clayton Pioneer

Stand Together Contra Costa essential to our immigrants When most people think of immigrant services, they think of federal government agencies like the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or the Department of State. However, the county provides several services for immigrants, depending on their needs.

Spread across several departments, these services range from refugee resettlement to MediCal to legal help.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, approximately 27% of our county’s population is foreign-born. Of that 27%, more than 40% are not U.S. citizens. That is a large portion of the population needing services.

Today, I am sharing information about our unique program for immigrant legal

the county and communitybased organizations (CBOs) to provide immigrant legal services, community outreach, and public education to ensure immigrant families have access to accurate and trusted information.

Because immigration courts do not provide attorneys, many immigrants lack legal representation. Roughly KEN CARLSON 85% of people newly placed COUNTY in removal proceedings are SUPERVISOR unrepresented, and they only win about 19% of the time.

STCC is the only proservices known as Stand gram providing pro bono Together Contra Costa deportation defense legal (STCC). services in Contra Costa STCC started as a pilot program in the Contra Costa County. When they bring legal representation, they win Public Defenders’ office in 2017. The proposal came at 80-90% of their cases. STCC offers free legal immigration a time when immigrants in our community faced a lot of consultations to community members who work, live or uncertainty and fear. STCC study in Contra Costa. is a collaboration between The program also pro-

vides a Rapid Response Hotline where community members can report suspected activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Live dispatchers staff the Rapid Response Hotline, and they will walk individuals through their rights and send a trained observer to verify ICE activity when necessary.

Outside of legal aid, STCC provides holistic services that connect non-citizen clients to resources and services through the county and CBOs. Through these partnerships, clients have access to mental health care, workforce development, youth enrichment, and senior and children support services.

Later this year, STCC will be hosting community engagement and resource events throughout the county.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Justice Department

opened a new immigration court in Concord, with 21 courtrooms to process cases.

During the budget hearings last year, my colleagues and I believed it was necessary to expand STCC’s capacity to meet the need and allocated $850,000 in additional funding to hire more attorneys to address the waitlist.

With the new court opening, I thought it was important for our immigrant community to know about these services and increase their access. So, I allocated an additional $50,000 for specific outreach in District IV.

STCC is an important program to ensure that our immigrant community feels included, welcome and safe in Contra Costa. Immigrants are part of the fabric that makes our community an extraordinary place.

For more information on this program, visit https://standtogethercontracosta.org.

Ken Carlson is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor.

Email questions or comments to Carlson at SupervisorCarlson@bos.cccounty.us or call his office at 925-655-2350.

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February 16, 2024

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Obituaries P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design, Website, Social Media B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor, Calendar Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports Editor, Schools Editor S TAFF W RITERS : Jay Bedecarré C ORRESPONDENTS : Bev Britton, Kara Navolio,

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Entertainment Clayton Theatre Company .claytontheatrecompany.com Odyssey VR Lounge . . . . . . . . . . .odysseyvrlounge.com Financial, Insurance and Legal Services State-Farm, Tim McGallian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Health Montijo, Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .775-9981 Home and Garden Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Larry Marleau, Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .907-531-1751 Nelson Atkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8713 Skim ‘n’ Dip – Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-5609 Whit’s Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429-2669 Real Estate, Housing and Mortgage Services Donovan, Heather – Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . .765-3822 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 McDougall, Kelly – Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-0448 Moore, Wendy – Berkshire Hathaway . . . . . . . .570-5187 Sinclair, Christine Dudum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-7539 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . .567-6170 Schools Walnut Country Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-9686 Senior Services & Hospice Care Hope Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HopeHospice.com TreVista Senior Living . . . . . . . .trevistaseniorliving.com Services, Other Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9113 Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029 Shopping Harvest House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-2305

Katherine Palau Jan. 12, 1957 — Jan. 18, 2024 Katherine Denice Palau passed away at age 67 on Jan. 18, 2024. She transitioned peacefully at her home in Clayton, surrounded by family and friends.

Katherine was born in Maryland on Jan. 12, 1957, to Tony and Gloria Denice.

She was a bright student and an avid equestrian. Perceived as too independent, she was sent to Linden Hall, an all-girls boarding school in Lititz, Pa. After graduation, she studied at Earlham College for a year. She lived in Florida, New York and Texas (briefly), before taking up permanent residence in California.

In 1981, she arrived in the Bay Area and began working as a counselor for emotionally disturbed teens at St. George Homes. There, she met her husband, Alex Palau, as well as several of her closest life-long friends. She gave birth to Daniel Palau on April 19, 1983.

In the early ’90s, she began working at Archway School in Oakland. She dutifully fulfilled roles from secretary to teacher to principal during her 10-year stint. There, she met fellow instructor Eric Olson, and their son, Tristan Olson, was born on Jan. 27, 1987.

Katherine studied English at Holy Names University in Oakland, where she received a bachelor’s degree and, in 2002,

a master of arts in English with Summa Cum Laude honors.

As an inspired educator, she taught in diverse institutions. She honed her unique pedagogical approach in classrooms throughout the Bay Area, from San Francisco’s Lick-Wilmerding High School to Berkeley High, Berkeley Alternative and Richmond’s Making Waves Academy.

Along the way, she met John Magee and they started a courtship at their neighborhood coffee shop. She fell in love with his kindness and shy charm, and they became an item.

They supported each other for more than 20 years, with mutual patience and understanding, peppered (of course) with silly voices and inside jokes.

She is survived by her life partner John Magee; sons Tristan Olson (Beth) and Daniel Palau (Alana); granddaughter Sadie Goldson; brother George Denice; and sister Frandee Massin.

Katherine loved donkeys and decided she must have her own. In 2008, she purchased a parcel of undeveloped land in Clayton. There, she and John began creating what was to become a home both for themselves as well as for the new extended family of donkeys, mules, goats, chickens and rabbits.

KATHERINE PALAU WITH HER GOAT, ANTON.

Doodleton Ranch was a donkey rescue and summer camp for kids, which allowed Katherine to combine her love of teaching with her passion for animals of all kinds – including the local wildlife.

Summer camp alumni still return to Doodleton to help with the chores.

Her resilience and passion for life was demonstrated not only through her battle with resurgent breast cancer, but perhaps best by her refusal to be anyone but who she was: a radically vulnerable woman with childlike joy and emotional authenticity that left an indelible mark on all who knew her.

Leonard Burnand August 5, 1931 — January 13, 2024 Leonard Wyatt Burnand, Jr. was born August 5, 1931 in Chicago, IL to Olive Scott and Leonard W. Burnand, Sr., the second of three children.

After graduating from Maine Township High School, he entered the US Air Force.

He met and married Gabrielle Leroux while stationed in France. He completed various tours in California, England, Texas, Thailand, and Germany. A veteran, he served during both the Korean and

Vietnam Wars, retiring after 23 years, as a MSgt. He continued in Data Processing and Computer Operations in the banking industry until he retired from work.

Church had become a large part of their lives after he married Gabrielle. You could find him involved as greeter, usher, or often in the background supporting Gaby with her many hand-made banners at Faith Lutheran Church in Castro Valley. Their

Homeless, from page 1 that went into producing the guiding document.

“We now have tangible strategies that we can begin to implement,” he said, in the press release. “Now is when the real work begins, and I know that our community is dedicated to doing this right.”

With an outside consultant who helped facilitate the process, Concord officially kicked off the strategic planning process in Feb. 2023.

The 11-member working group, appointed by the council, are people who represent a variety of experiences to include, Laura M. Nakamura (chair), Edi E. Birsan (vice chair), Brendi Velasquez (lived experience representative), Cora Mitchell (mental health professional), Dana Johnson (LGBTQI+ community representative), David Litty (owner/manager of a business based in Concord representative), Eric Rehn (business community representative), Kelly McKinley (non-profit homeless services provider), Lance Goree (Concord resident and property owner), Leonard Ramirez (veteran homeless services provider) and Linda Jacob - substance abuse professional.

Nakamura said Christy Saxton, not appointed by the council, played an integral role within the working group.

“She helped provide an invaluable amount of information and context to the situation in Contra Costa and Concord,” she said.

Nakamura said that one of the most important benefits of this work coming to fruition is that Concord is now much more competitive for grantfunding for the strategies that have been identified.

“Local government is most

productive when it works intelligently to secure multiple funding sources for important programs, rather than trying to solve everything on its own,” she said.

She believes the plan also creates opportunities for community-based organizations and businesses to become a part of the envisioned solutions.

“We produced a plan that will help us implement informed and equitable strategies to use City resources effectively and intelligently and will help to reduce the number of our neighbors who have no choice but to sleep on city streets,” said Nakamura.

According to Community Services Manager, Leng Power, the Rapid Rehousing Service Provider program, which Concord launched in Sept. 2022, has completed a full year of operation. It helped those experiencing homelessness connect to permanent housing with case management services.

“In partnership with Hope Solutions, the program has enrolled 12 new households in the second operational year and has a capacity to serve up to 15 households,” said Leng. “The housing units have been mainly secured in the City of Concord to support the connection to their community. In some instances, housing has been secured in nearby cities. All housing searches and placements are client-focused to ensure tenancy success and sustainability.”

Additionally, the approved strategies in the newly approved plan include creating a mobile resource center, continued investments in rapid re-housing and developing various interim housing models, such as scattered site homes and tiny

love of the Lord was often reflected in faithful attendance of Bible studies.

Once his wife died Feb. 23, 2020, just shy of their 66th anniversary, Len’s health declined. He moved to an assisted living facility near his daughter. At age 92, Len died at Carlton Assisted Living in Pleasant Hill.

He joined his Lord, his wife Gaby, his granddaughter Valerie Beth Giese, and sister Lorraine (Burnand)

Lobenhofer on Sat., Jan. 13, 2024.

He is survived by his children, Veronique and Michael Schutz, Stephanie and Brian Anderson and Pierre Burnand.

He is also survived by his brother, Arthur and Pat Burnand, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held Jan. 27. at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Pleasant Hill.

homes, centralized tiny homes and interim motel housing.

Next steps, the Council expressed its desire to start with the mobile resource center and interim small motel housing, seeking non-profit partners and other organizations to assist in the implementation and help offset the ongoing costs to running and providing services to unhoused individuals.

However, simultaneously, the city is actively seeking a $4.7 million grant from the State to help fund these efforts, with grant awards expected to be announced as early as this spring.

The more than $5 million in one-time funds that the City currently has, was allocated from Concord’s Measure V (sales tax) fund and the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds the City received as part of the pandemic recovery efforts.

With the adopted and accepted Homeless Strategic Plan in place, city staff will next finalize the operational and logistical details of plan implementation – which involves meeting with the community stakeholders and developing requests for proposals.

In a few months, city staff will return to Council to provide an update on the grant and to request an appropriation of funds to support the implementation of the targeted strategies.

For more information on how Concord is actively working to assist the unhoused, visit their homepage at https://cityofconcord.org/332/HomelessServices-Prevention.

Le t t e r s t o t h e E d i t or SCIENCE DETERMINES LANGUAGE. Logically, by science, DNA determines whether a person is male or female. This hasn’t changed for millions of years – nor will it. Medical science determines, that if a person believes they are one sex, but are physically the other (including their DNA), the person is displaying a disorder – correctable or not.

The word “gender” is based on a projected social construct which, anthropologically, bears no significance in the real world of natural genetics. It is self-evident that Nature displays a species sex by physical reproductive anatomy at birth; verifiable by DNA. To suggest anything else is quite simply false. A person need not go to school, or be ‘taught’ to understand this basic and instinctual knowledge.

“Getting It Right” is determined by evidence, not a malleable social construct.

Michael Gibson Clayton

PRONOUNS ARE IMPORTANT I wanted to write and thank you for the article by Jonathan Lee on pronouns. I learned a lot and appreciate hearing his perspective on the importance of pronouns. I will certainly do better in acknowledging pronouns at work and in social sitThe Pioneer welcomes well-known uations. journalist, Charleen Earley who will Christie McNickle be covering local news and features.

Clayton Earley writes for the East Bay Times, the SF Chronicle and other publicaSend your Letters to the Editor tions. You can email her at to Editor@pioneerpublishers.com charleenbearley@gmail.com.

Page 8

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

Just 10% more helps make our community great We all have friends with whom we sit and commiserate about the things happening around us.

We share how upsetting the unhoused crisis has become, the growing expenses for gas, college, food, entertainment, all of it. Do not forget the complaints about too much texting, Facebook, TV, TikTok and a lack of socializing amongst us all.

I know I have gone down those paths these last few years, jumping on the “woe is me” train for everything – whether it’s in my control or not. This needs to change.

I have lived my entire lifetime in Concord, and I love

I know people who car commute, ride BART, walk to work, fly to work and work from home. I know people who work for the water district, PG&E, police, fire, hospitality, medical groups, and the state, city and county. I know realtors, mechanics, bankers, chefs, servers, head brewers, retired folks and unemployed people. Chances are I know someone in about KEVIN CABRAL every type of business in ConCHAMBER OF cord, or I pretend that I do.

But no one I know comes COMMERCE close to my good friend Matt. this town. Most people put in This guy is a stud: pile driver, hard work, day-in and day-out, welder, bridge builder, desalito live here and be part of the nation plant builder. He can fix anything and gives tireless Concord community.

hours as a volunteer doing all the right things for his community and family. And, oh yeah, he has four kids ranging from teen to one year and a wonderful wife. Man, do they do it all.

Those of you who know Matt and his family know exactly what I mean.

If you go up to Matt and start to complain about Concord, your life, how demanding work is, your commute, laundry, expenses – just about anything – his answer will be: Just give 10% more every day. Let that sink in.

That additional 10% can do a lot. It can give you time to attend a City Council meeting, help the community pool, vol-

unteer at one of the many organizations in Concord, coach your kids sport, do some self-care, pick up trash on a street by your house, shop for a neighbor or roll up their trash cans.

It does not necessarily cost any more money – it is just pitching in for the entire Concord community and yourself.

If you already give that 10%, we all appreciate it. This is the time for all of us to work together, step up, smile at each other and be courteous to your server. Whether you are new or have been here for a long time, Concord people stick together and try to give that 10% to help keep Concord the best

city in Contra Costa County.

Do not forget that when you are out shopping, stay in the Concord ZIP code so we all can benefit from your spending. Heck, our sales tax is almost 10%. Let that sink in.

Businesses and organizations interested in learning more about the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce can visit www.concordchamber.com.

Contact the chamber in person at 2280 Diamond Blvd. Suite 200, Concord, or call 925-685-1181.

Learn more about what the chamber offers businesses, our events and how we can work together at concordchamber.com.

Don’t let the hackers win – get a password manager

WILL CLANEY

TECH TALK

If I could prove you have already been hacked, would you do anything about it?

If you don’t care or don’t believe me, then go read a recipe for upside-down banana cream pie. It will be messy either way.

I read a lot about trends in the computer business, and I found out about a tool so incredibly good I had to share it with my readers. When this one came across my screen, I was floored, gobsmacked and thunderstruck.

You have heard by now, I trust, that the internet is a wonderful and informative place that can be equally distrustful and full of criminal activity. The criminal part is the theft of your personal information, your passwords and credentials. Let me tell you, it’s worse than you thought.

When a big company is hacked, the hackers are looking for databases full of user-

Elections, from page 3 responses to the brief quesHis top priorities include tionnaire that the Pioneer sent working toward better jobs to all the candidates. and higher wages for Californians, addressing the housing STATE SENATE DISTRICT 9 gap and ensuring public safeTim Grayson and Marisol ty.

Rubio, both Democrats, are Grayson, who chaired the seeking to fill the seat held by Committee on Banking and Steve Glazer, who is unable to Finance, hopes to continue run again due to term limits. writing legislation that Grayson currently represents addresses the needs of small California’s 15th Assembly Dis- businesses, consumers and trict and previously served as the working families. He cited mayor of Concord. legislation he authored to

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names and passwords – like yours. Usually, criminal hackers target credit card information, personal details and purchase histories.

If you ever did business with a company that was hacked, your information is compromised. You are a mark, and your bank account and credit cards are the targets.

Here are just a few recently hacked companies: LinkedIn, 500 million profiles stolen.

Facebook, 533 million.

Verkada, 150,000.

Walmart, millions stolen.

So many, in fact, the company doesn’t know the exact number.z And on it goes. The

hackers have you.

Now what? Live with it or fight back? I say go to https://cybernews.com/personal-data-leak-check and fight back.

This amazing tool will tell you if your information has been compromised by a hack to a company with which you do business. Simply type in your email address and presto – your answer is there for you.

When your name appears on the list, you have been compromised.

Fix it or it’s upside-down banana cream pie in your face.

Too strong an image? Well, that’s the point.

One can never predict which large company will be

hacked, so you should run this checker and take necessary actions frequently.

In the last four years, more than 37 billion passwords were exposed worldwide, according to The Tech Report, and about 8.3 billion, according to F5 Labs. Either way, I’ll bet you are on a hacker’s list.

There is a way to prevent issues in the first place. It’s safe, sound and secure for $5.99 a month.

So, was this article just an

help cut costs on new housing development, protect renters from unjust evictions and rent-gouging, and cut red tape slowing down financing for affordable housing projects.

“I will keep fighting to help build more housing that is affordable, so our kids and grandkids can afford to live in the communities where they grew up,” Grayson said.

Grayson sees the state Senate as an opportunity to build on his Assembly accomplishments: finding pathways to grow the economy, create new jobs and support for workers; lead efforts to build more affordable housing faster while protecting renters and addressing homelessness; and always fighting to make the community better for all who live here.

Rubio, an educator and scientist, is currently a member of the San Ramon City Council.

She identified her academic, professional and elected experiences as strengths, along with her determination and perseverance to deliver on her promises.

Three main issues she wants to prioritize are affordable and inclusionary housing, investment in a green economy and related infrastructure, and accessibility for education and health care.

Rubio noted efforts to incentivize and working collaboratively with cities across California to invest in more affordable and inclusionary housing for the unhoused and for the workforce including teachers, frontline workers and essential workers who kept us afloat during the pandemic.

“We must make sure that the state is helping to fund these efforts by supporting initiatives that drive revenue toward these efforts,” she said.

She sees achieving investments in green infrastructure and the green economy possible through the state tapping additional grants stemming from the Infrastructure Bill and from the Inflation Reduction Act. Her plans also call for helping workers in the fossil fuel industry transition to green jobs. She has been active for several years as cochair of a Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council Labor-Climate Task Force in collaboration with several Bay Area environmental groups and the UC Berkeley Labor Center. Apprenticeship programs and well-paying union jobs are part of the equation.

She believes addressing the social determinants of poverty and crime begins by providing affordable pre-K through college and health care services, including mental health care. She noted encouraging higher education that does not carry the risk of lifelong debt and ensuring that single parents have access to free before- and after-school programs, regardless of their child’s health status, so that they can be gainfully employed and ascertain higher education to better financially support their families.

“It’s the state Senate where I can have the greatest impact on people’s lives – people who needed a champion on their side decades ago,” said Rubio. “My intersectional experience is direly needed in Sacramento to inform good policy on housing, education, disability and women’s rights, supporting small businesses, racial and social justice, and confronting climate change with real solutions that will revitalize our economy.”

Crash, from page 2

Recycle this newspaper

ad? Or was it a warning? If you think it was just an ad, enjoy your pie. If you think a password manager is a real solution, call your local tech specialist and chat a bit. Your bank account and credit cards will thank you.

Now go do the right thing.

William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station.

Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Concord Clayton Pioneer

the tower would permit Romanski to proceed.

Friedman noted that Romanski would do it for an hour or two.

“It just caught up with him, and I am sorry to see that,” Friedman said, calling the crash “absolutely avoidable.”

The Minneapolis-based FlightAware website confirmed the flying behavior of the aircraft that Romanski was operating after he took off at 10:17 a.m. from Buchanan Field Airport, according to spokesperson Kathleen Bangs.

Tucker also remembered Romanski for his frequent takeoffs and landings at Buchanan. He described him as “a kind person and hero,” citing his support of programs at the airport such as Tucker’s Young Falcons.

“I could tell he was a very proficient person,” said Tucker. “Some people work with their mind more than their heart. And I got that quality from him.”

EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION Knudson said the NTSB will further examine the plane at a secure location. After investigators document the wreckage and perishable evidence, the process going forward will include examination of the maintenance, inspection and registration records.

NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, they will gather the following information and records:

• A 72-hour background of

the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected his ability to safely operate the flight.

• Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation.

• Surveillance video, including doorbell cameras.

• Witnesses statements.

Media accounts of those in the area at the time of the crash suggest they heard the engine of the plane stop and start before it suddenly plunged from the sky nose first near the intersection.

“There was some indication from witnesses saying that there might be engine issues,” Johnson said. “We are looking for any audio that might be available to help us determine as evidence of that situation.”

Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

SNARLED TRAFFIC The crash scene created a traffic nightmare for motorists who normally pass through that side of Concord entering or exiting I-680. Thoroughfares around the site of the wreckage remained closed through midafternoon the next day.

Concord resident John McDonough, who was enroute home from St. Catherine of Siena School in Vallejo, exited the freeway about 3:45 p.m.

Jan. 30 and found himself in the traffic slog.

“I just inched down Contra • Flight track data.

Costa Boulevard until I • Recordings of any air traffic reached a parking lot in Pleascontrol communications. ant Hill and pulled over to try • Aircraft maintenance to get on my Zoom call,” records.

McDonough said.

• Weather forecasts and actual A vehicle struck when the weather and lighting condiaircraft crashed sustained minor tions. damage.

The driver was trans• The pilot’s license, ratings ported to a local hospital for and recent flight experience. treatment, according to ConFire.

February 16, 2024

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

Page 9

S CHO O LS

School spirit rally introduces Concord’s new mascot Grizz JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer

Concord High School officially changed its nickname from the Minutemen to the Bears at a school spirit rally in Don Lockyer Gymnasium highlighted by the introduction of new mascot Grizz celebrating his birthday of Feb. 2.

The mascot honors the extinct California grizzly bear wearing a Concord High uniform No. 66, symbolizing 1966 when the school opened. Of course, that is also when the school adopted the nickname Minutemen in honor of the men who formed the Minutemen militia in Concord, Massachusetts as the American Revolution was beginning in 1775.

The controversial decision by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s governing board to change the nickname to Bears—-a name selected in a student vote last school year—followed on the heels of Ygnacio Valley High changing from the Warriors to the Wolves a year earlier.

The only controversy noticeable during the school rally was in the several competitions between the four grades with freshmen and sophomores in different sections of the packed gym and the junior and senior classes splitting the larger bleachers.

Rally Commissioners Keira Molina and Brennen Pangilinan kept the action moving during the 45-minute rally before Grizz made an appearance along with student athletes modeling a variety of the new team Bears uniforms in the school’s traditional green and gold colors.

School board members Linda Mayo, Cherise Khaund and Keisha Nzewi had center court seats for the festivities.

Last August the school board

Jay Bedecarré

Concord High officially transitioned to the Bears as the new school nickname with a spirit rally in Don Lockyer Gymnasium and unveiled its new mascot Grizz, who celebrated his birthday on Feb. 2 in front of packed bleachers. Grizz wears the No. 66 signifying 1966 when the school opened.

approved the change in a 4-1 vote, ending 57 years with Minutemen as the school nickname in order to make the school “more welcoming and inclusive” to its students.

At that meeting several alumni spoke before the board vote, all in opposition to the change.

One of those speakers mentioned that of 2400 comments on the issue in an online forum there was not one comment in favor of the change.

EXPENSIVE REBRANDING COST

Just as they did for the Ygnacio Valley High rebranding, the Mt. Diablo board approved up to $200,000 to pay the estimated cost to remove all vestiges of the school’s Minutemen mascot name and image and produce new Bear identity on campus.

This includes uniforms and school SWAG, the gymnasium floor, scoreboards, football/soccer turf field, Concord Boulevard school marquee and staff parking signs.

Given the timing to implement the design and production of uniforms and the Feb. 2 unveiling date, Concord

High winter sports teams generally decided to finish their seasons in Minuteman uniforms. Athletic Director Matt Harrod says spring sports teams such as baseball, softball and track and field will be

the third decade of the 21st Century.

The students voted to change to Crocodiles at the end of the 2021-22 school year, just before Pfaltzgraff left for an administrative position in another district. New principal Julene MacKinnon revisited the subject with district officials during her first year in 2022-23 and last spring the students held elections to select a new nickname.

After a process of elimination, mascot name suggestions were whittled down to 10 in the first vote and then five during the second. From that second vote the three finalists were Bears, Crocodiles and Chargers (Lightning Bolts like the San Diego Charger NFL team).

Bears won the final tally with 38.2% of the 500 votes with Crocs and Chargers essentially tied for second.

The school board ratified the change last August.

YGNACIO VALLEY PRINCIPAL LAUDS CHANGE

Ygnacio Valley switched from Warriors to the Wolves a year earlier. Warriors had been tied to Ygnacio Valley since the Concord school opened in 1962.

Principal Jonathan Pike, who underwent similar mascot changes at two previous high schools, says that the transition to Wolves “has completely turned around and transformed school culture and climate. Students are connecting to school with a new sense of pride.”

In speaking of his school’s rebranding beginning with the 2022-23 school year, Pike said, “We were given an approximate budget of $180,000. We did not use the full amount. The primary expense was athletic uniforms. It took about 12-14 months for most things; the football end zones just got done and the track painting is the only thing left.”

Concord High Jazz Ensemble takes historic first place at prestigious Folsom Jazz Festival Concord High has competed at the prestigious Folsom Jazz Festival many times in the 35 years of the largest high school jazz festival in California.

The local school has generally “finished in the middle of the pack” according to Martin Lejano, director of the school’s instrumental music program.

Last year Concord took eighth and then last month, competing in the largest division of 15 bands, Concord placed an historic first.

Lejano said, “In my first year at Concord, out of 62 bands, we got 60th, so we’ve definitely been up and down

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in brand new Bears gear.

He says the football/soccer stadium scoreboard does not have Minutemen on it and “Minutemen” in the artificial turf end zone will be changed “when it reaches the end of its life cycle.”

The gym floor will be rebranded this summer.

Harrod also said, “Scoreboard quotes are in, and we are in the process of choosing a vendor and getting it approved by the district. We hope to have the scoreboards [baseball, softball and gymnasium] done by the end of March.” The school marquee on Concord Blvd. is on the same timeline.

Former Concord High principal Rianne Pfaltzgraff during the 2019-20 school year stated she had a discussion with some of her teachers when the idea was brought up that “Minutemen” refers to only one gender and the symbol holding a rifle is not reflective of the school in

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throughout history.” He added the judges “were astounded at how tight the group was, but more so how much fun they had on stage and how they sup-

ported each other in the spirit of this music.”

As if first place wasn’t enough, it was announced at the end of the awards that Concord

earned the honor of performing at Festival Finals, an encore performance only given to the top five bands out of all 53 in the competition.

The director added, “The kids were ecstatic in disbelief, played their hearts out amongst the top jazz bands in the whole state and got home at 1 a.m.

“They just did something never before done in the history of this school, and established Concord as one of the top five high school jazz programs in California. I’m over the moon by what our students at Concord High are achieving.

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Page 10

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

Clayton children’s author proves you can’t keep a good cat down Doré Ripley to appear at Veranda KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent

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In just three years, Doré Ripley has published more than 20 books for children under the name Yellow Duck Press, illustrating them as well using a program called Canva Pro. Her experience with comics and a past job with a newspaper doing graphic design helped inform her illustration technique.

The Clayton resident turned to writing books for children after retiring from her profession as a college professor. She is passionate about reading and children’s literature and writes picture books, early reading books for grades PreK-3 and activity books.

She will be sharing her love of books and reading with the community 1-3 p.m.

Feb. 17 at Barnes & Noble, 2025 Diamond Blvd., Concord. Children ages 2-8 will enjoy a fun afternoon of storytelling, imagination and inspiration at the Veranda shopping center.

Ripley will read and discuss several of her picture books, including “Ellie the Cat in The Princess Ballerina and the Lost Tiara,” part of a series called Kitty Cat Cousins. She will also read “Pearl the Cat Needs a Friend,” “Kelvin the Cat and Artie the Alien in the Intercosmic Vacation” and “Motorcycle Mack Slows Down.”

Many of her stories are

“Ellie the Cat in the Princess Ballerina and the Lost Tiara.”

She likes cats, tutus, tiaras, and pink.

inspired by her four grandchildren, as Ripley weaves in themes of their favorite interests like ballerinas, mermaids and astronauts. She bases other stories on her life experiences living off the beaten path in Clayton.

Early in her career, Ripley worked in corporate America.

She retired from that job and moved to Clayton 25 years ago with her husband and children. She went back to school to earn a master’s degree in English and taught at Diablo Valley College and Cal State East Bay. While a professor, she published two nonfiction books for adults, many essays and articles for academic jour-

nals, as well as “The Playhouse Mysteries: A Historical Novel of the Elizabethan Stage.”

“My true love is Shakespeare,” said Ripley, who also taught courses in modern English literature, children’s literature, graphic novels and comics as American literature.

“I like comics as a visual way to teach reading,” she noted.

Ripley is available for school visits, where she inspires kids to write and teaches the art of comic books.

For more information, visit her Yellow Duck Press page on Facebook or ripleyonline.com.

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February 16, 2024

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

Enjoy February’s garden beauty – but get to work

Page 11

Walnut Country Preschool Now Enrolling • Teaching young children for almost 50 years • Play based preschool • Experienced teachers • 1:6 Teacher to student ratio • Thoughtful curriculum makes learning fun Openings for T/TH and M/W/F classes 8:30- noon

Walnut Country Preschool 4465 S Larwin Ave, Concord To register or for more info: Call Mrs. Kelly 925.798.9696

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

February is one of my favorite months in the garden.

Daphne flowers perfume the air, camellia branches arc heavy with blossoms, tulip magnolia trees create striking displays of boldly colored saucers, simple-petaled hellebores bow with jewel tones, and pink buds open to white blossoms of jasmine polyanthum rambling along fences and trellises.

There is so much color to enjoy – but also garden chores that need to be completed.

Daphne shrubs have basil-shaped, leathery leaves of either dark green or dark green with yellow margins.

The branches are mahogany colored and flexible. Daphne starts to bloom in February and the flowers last nearly through March.

Tight clusters of pink buds slowly open to expose white, star-shaped flowers.

Although the flowers are beautiful, the fragrance is absolutely intoxicating.

Install Daphne in mostly shade with partial sun. They require just enough water to establish, then it’s a handsoff growing experience.

Daphne can be fickle in the garden. Without notice, she can up and die. It is a risk vs. reward situation since the fragrance of this evergreen is so worth it.

Camellia japonica is also just beginning to pop into bloom. Large, peony-shaped flowers in all shades of red, pink and white cover this dense shrub this time of year.

Camellias are forgiving bushes. They do best when installed in filtered light or

The lovely daphne is a fickle girl, but the risk is worth the reward of continuous fragrance.

morning sun. Keep them looking their best by giving them regular fertilizer.

Camellias enjoy being pruned after blooming to keep shrubs fresh. They are also deer resistant.

Tulip magnolias are spring’s most dramatic ornamental tree. They display huge, goblet-shaped flowers of cream, purple, mauves and reds.

These sought-after landscape installations do great in full to afternoon sun.

They thrive in the spring months. The summer sun can burn their leaves, but this is expected. The spring beauty is worth every bit of summer burn.

Tulip magnolia trees can reach 10-15 feet tall and about half as wide, so plan accordingly before installation. Consider adding a tulip magnolia where you have crape myrtle as they make excellent companions.

Jasminum polyanthum is a vine commonly called pink jasmine. It blooms from February through most of April, with pink buds that open to white, star-shaped blooms. Carolina Jessamine is generically called yellow jasmine. Young vines do best when pruned back after blooming to promote dense foliage growth.

Hellebores are unique, shade-loving, drought-tolerant perennials. They have

Stabbing, from page 5 in April 2023, which involved a shooting in the parking lot by the Farrington’s bar.

Violent crime of this nature being rare in Pleasant Hill, Kristic used a basketball analogy to characterize the department’s approach to making an arrest in the case.

“It is full court press when this kind of crime happens in our city,” he said. “We are

using any and all resources to bring this case to a conclusion.”

Asked if there were any homeless in the park at the time who might have seen or heard something, Kristic emphasized that the unhoused “are very familiar” with the expectations for Pleasant Hill Park.

“The park is one of those

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palmate-shaped leaves and simple petaled blossoms of light and dark jewel tones.

Every shade garden needs hellebores.

If you haven’t done so yet, stone fruit trees need their final application of copper fungicide. This late winter dose is the most important and should be done while your trees are in bud, but before the buds open.

Those who have struggled with pests should also apply dormant spray oil to their fruit and citrus trees at this time.

As the winter rains continue, it’s an excellent opportunity to use multi-purpose granular fertilizer beneath the driplines of landscape shrubs and ornamental trees. You can also put it in flower beds.

Those who install summer vegetables should begin to get control of their veggie beds. Hand pull weeds, top off soil levels with a nutrient-rich soil conditioner and add organic ingredients such as alfalfa meal and bone meal, chicken or steer manure. Begin preparations now to ensure rich growing conditions once it’s time to plant summer vegetables.

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(areas) that is heavily enforced,” he said of the posted rules for camping after hours of darkness unless someone is associated with a scheduled event happening there. “There was not a lot activity in the park.”

Any person with information related to this crime is encouraged to contact the Pleasant Hill Police Investigations Bureau at 1-925-2884630.

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Page 12

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

Monument Impact ‘resilient’ as staff dispersed following Keller House fire DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent

After a windswept fire damaged the back office of Keller House, Monument Impact has temporarily shifted its personnel to other offices in Concord and Antioch.

As storms raged late in the evening on Feb. 4, high winds spread a fire that a homeless person set to keep warm beneath the porch of the Clayton Road building. Officials determined the space was unsafe to occupy.

The city of Concord, which owns Keller House, is working with its insurance provider to organize repairs.

Officials anticipate erecting fencing around the 1760 Clayton Road site in the interim to

discourage vandalism.

At press time, Monument Impact hadn’t formalized a new home for the Keller House operations. Executive director Judith Ortiz estimated being in a temporary space for six months to a year.

“Me and my team are resilient and made proactive moves to continue serving the community without disruptions,” Ortiz said. “The reality is that through this tragedy we continue to experience unhoused individuals who need support, and this is what Monument Impact advocates for, every day.”

Fifteen staff members worked daily from Keller House. Since the fire, some staff moved to Monument Impact’s other Concord loca-

tion at 2699 Monument Blvd., Suite G., for walk-ins as well as to the Antioch building.

“This will only work temporarily as these sites are either already occupied by staff, community members and our inperson classes, or are inaccessible to community members and staff members who do not live in the area,” Ortiz said.

Along with walk-in support at the offices, direct help is available by calling 925-6828248.

“Access will no longer be as easy, especially for those who don’t have access to a computer and are only able to visit the Keller House,” noted Amie Lam, the organization’s strategic communications manager.

As the nonprofit moves forward to reopen Keller

House, Monument Impact has launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $6,000 by the end of the month to offset unexpected office rental costs.

According to the Concord Historical Society, L.V. Perry built Keller House in 1902-’03 for Henry (Harry) and Elodia Keller. The house was initially located at the southeast corner of Galindo Street and Clayton Road.

Paul and Marie Keller acquired the house in 1912 when his brother Harry purchased a large ranch in Clayton. In the late 1970s, the house was converted to a real estate office and restored.

Keller House was moved to its current Ellis Lake Park location in 1984 and has been used

Monument Impact had to vacate Concord’s Keller House after a Feb. 4 fire.

for community service activities. This includes support for victims of domestic violence.

Monument Impact has called Keller House home since 2012, when the Monument Community Partnership and the Michael Chavez Center merged as Monument Impact to better serve the Monument community.

The group’s annual

fundraising gala set for Sept.

19 also will take on greater importance as a result of the new financial burdens.

“This incident itself speaks to the need to end homelessness and tenant rises,” Ortiz said. “Our services will continue to serve community members who are among those most at risk and need of support.”

Nutrition is important after gastric bypass surgery remain properly hydrated after surgery, reports Dr. Naomi Breckon of East Bay Health in Lafayette. Dehydration can lead to constipation. Therefore, talk to your doctor about how much water to have per CINDY GERSHEN day for your weight after surFARM TO TASTE gery, and how to schedule water consumption with a smaller stomach.

If you are thinking about Because the surgery affects having gastric bypass or gasabsorption, doctors are also tric sleeve surgery, you should watchful for deficiencies of start considering diet and water-soluble vitamins such as nutrition changes now.

B12, C, thiamine (Vitamin B1) The surgery restrains and folates (Vitamin B9). hunger impulses, leading to After the surgery, it’s more weight loss and improvements important than ever to eat in obesity-related health probquality food. lems. Hundreds of thousands If you’re contemplating gasof these surgeries are done tric bypass surgery or have had each year. it, for continued support you It can be hard for a patient can consult a practice that to drink enough water to

includes culinary medicine and advice in nutrition and cooking.

A recent study from Stanford University on a related topic has drawn a lot of attention in the field of nutrition.

The eight-week study followed 22 pairs of identical twins, one going on a plant-based diet and the other an omnivore. The plant-based group showed improvements in cholesterol, insulin and body weight – factors associated with cardiovascular health.

At East Bay Health, we can advise on a shift to a more plant-based lifestyle.

For an easy option at home, strip and massage kale and refrigerate it for 2-3 days in an airtight bag. Use it in scrambled eggs or toss with leftover veggies and heat.

Here’s another healthy kale recipe to try: KALE, ROMAINE AND AVOCADO SALAD Serves 4

Optional: 1-2 T pepitas 1-2 T raw sunflower seeds

Wash the kale and strip it from its main stem. Chiffonade it by gathering the strips, rolling 1 bunch lacinato kale (also them tightly and slicing the known as Tuscan or leaves perpendicular to the roll. “dinosaur” kale) Put the kale in a salad Olive oil, as needed bowl, spray it with olive oil Half a head Romaine letand massage it with your tuce hands until it becomes 1 small to medium avoca- vibrantly green. do, cut in chunks Take half a head of 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, Romaine and tear off the first halved couple of inches from the Half an English cucumber, top; rinse the lettuce and diced chop. Add to salad bowl along 2 T cilantro leaves, or with the avocado. more if desired Add tomatoes, cucumber, 6-8 mint leaves, chopped, cilantro, mint leaves and pepior more if desired tas/sunflower seeds. Mix ½ c. Bragg Dressing together and add ½ c. of (recipe below) Bragg Dressing.

thorough comparative market analysis to determine the optimal listing price. This analysis considers similar properties in your area that have recently sold or are currently on the market.

Consider All Offers, Not Just the Highest

Selling a home can be a complex and often emotional process. To ensure a smooth and successful sale, sellers need to navigate various considerations. Here are some crucial tips for sellers to follow, ensuring a seamless home selling.

Don't Try to Sell on your Own

While the idea of saving on real estate agent commissions might be tempting, attempting to sell your home without professional assistance can be risky.

Real estate agents bring expertise, market knowledge, and negotiation skills to the table. They can help you navigate legal complexities, market your property effectively, and guide you through the entire selling process.

Price Your Home Appropriately One of the most critical factors in selling a home is pricing it right.

Overpricing may discourage potential buyers, while underpricing could lead to financial losses. Collaborate with your real estate agent to conduct a

It's natural for sellers to be drawn to the highest offer, but there's more to consider than just the price. Evaluate each offer carefully, taking into account the terms, financing, and contingencies. A slightly lower offer with more favorable conditions may be a better choice. Flexibility and openness to negotiation can make the difference in securing a successful sale.

Cash Offers Aren't Always the Best

While a cash offer might seem enticing due to its quick and straightforward nature, it's essential to evaluate the overall strength of the offer. Some financed offers with pre-approved buyers might have

BRAGG DRESSING Makes 14 ounces ¼ c. Bragg Liquid Aminos seasoning ½ c. lemon juice, red wine vinegar, white vinegar or cider vinegar ¾ c. olive or avocado oil 2 T soy sauce ¼ c. sesame oil Combine all ingredients in a Mason jar. Use 2 T per serving. Be sure to shake before using.

Cindy Gershen is a culinary teacher and the chef-owner for 40 years of Sunrise Bistro and Catering in Walnut Creek. Send your questions and comments to cindymgershen@gmail.com.

fewer contingencies and be just as reliable. Work with your real estate agent to assess the financial stability of potential buyers and choose the offer that aligns with your goals.

Fix Any Minor Repairs That You Can

First impressions matter when selling a home. Addressing minor repairs and cosmetic issues can significantly enhance your property's appeal.

A well-maintained home sends a positive message to potential buyers and can contribute to a quicker and more profitable sale.

Stage Your Home

Staging involves arranging and decorating your home to showcase its best features and create an inviting atmosphere. Consider hiring a professional stager to highlight your property's strengths. Clean, declutter, and depersonalize your space to help buyers envision themselves living in the home.

A well-staged home often can lead to faster sales.

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The Pioneer

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE February 16, 2024

www.PioneerPublishers.com

The Pioneer, Section B

JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer

Ygnacio Valley and Clayton Valley Charter boys basketball traded victories in their two head-to-head meetings this year which resulted in the Wolves winning the Diablo Athletic League regular season title and the Ugly Eagles taking the DAL post-season playoff championship last Saturday.

Now they join nine other local teams in the North Coast Section basketball playoffs beginning this week.

De La Salle in the Open Division and Ygnacio Valley in D-IV are the highest ranked

boys teams from the local contingent. Carondelet is the third seed in the Open and Mt. Diablo in D-V to lead six girls teams from local schools in the postseason.

A rundown of playoff seedings: Boys Open Division: De La Salle is seeded second and gets a bye to the semi-finals next Wednesday, Feb. 21. The Spartans will host the winner of the Clayton Valley Charter-Branson game.

Clayton Valley Charter (22-7) moved up to Open Division after consecutive Division I championships and the Ugly Eagles travel to Ross to face

league champion Branson (21-6) this Thursday. The winner moves into the semi-finals against De La Salle while the loser has a fifth-place game next Wednesday.

Division I: College Park (1414) is seeded 11th and will travel to Moraga to face DAL power No. 6 Campolindo (21-7).

Division II: No. 6 Northgate (18-10) hosts 11th seed Tamalpais-Mill Valley (12-9) Wednesday in Walnut Creek.

Division IV: Second seed Ygnacio Valley (22-7) has a bye into Saturday’s quarterfinals. The Wolves will host the winner of Marin Catholic-Kentfield (1116) vs. Lick-Wilmerding (15-11) opener.

Girls Open Division: Carondelet (25-4) is seeded third and visits sixth seed (and league champion) Piedmont (20-5) this Thursday. The winner goes to #2 Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (262) next Wednesday in the semifinals. The loser of the opening round game is in a fifth-place game next Wednesday.

Division I: Ninth seed Clayton Valley Charter (18-9) is at No. 8 Dublin (16-12) Tuesday in the first round.

Division II: Northgate (209) is the sixth seed and hosts No. 11 Tamalpais-Mill Valley (15-10) Tuesday.

See Playoffs, page B3

Pete Cruz

Ygnacio Valley, Clayton Valley share league titles

Clayton Valley junior Elijah Perryman (right) and his Ugly Eagle teammates won a 57-54 semi-final over Campolindo in the Diablo Athletic Legue basketball playoffs last Thursday.

Campo’s Dylan Mansour (11) guarded Perryman. Two days later CVCHS edged regular-season titlists Ygnacio Valley 62-61 in the championship game, reversing an earlier DAL loss to the Wolves as Perryman poured in 22 points.

Soccer playoffs featuring 7 local teams underway this week JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer

De La Salle enters the North Coast Section boys soccer playoffs as the top seed in Division I coming off a loss in the East Bay Athletic League playoff semi-finals last week 30 to Dougherty Valley.

The Spartans had six straight shutout victories before that defeat and nine of their last 10 games were victories while holding their scoreless. The Photo courtesy CVCHS Athletics opponents only blemish on that record Clayton Valley Charter, Mt. Diablo and Las Lomas finished tied for first place with 10-1-1 was a 1-1 draw with records in the Diablo Athletic League. The Ugly Eagles lost to Las Lomas in the final week of the season to be denied an outright championship. CVCHS hosts San Ramon Valley in a Doughtery Valley, marring an otherwise all-winning EBAL battle of 8-9 seeds in the opening round of the NCS Division I playoffs Wednesday in Gonsalves Stadium. regular season.

A rundown of playoff seeding for seven local teams: Girls Division I: Second seed Carondelet (14-4-4) hosts No. 15 Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa (4-4-8) Wednesday at the Carondelet Athletic Complex in Walnut Creek.

Clayton Valley Charter (132-3) is seeded eighth and travels to Fremont Wednesday to meet No. 9 Mission Valley League champion American (14-2-4).

Division II: No. 11 Northgate (11-4-3) makes the long trek to fifth seed Ukiah (14-54) Tuesday.

Boys Division I: Top seed De La Salle (12-3-2) hosts No. 16 Heritage-Brentwood (7-10-2) on Wednesday in Owen Owens Field.

Clayton Valley Charter (142-3) is eighth seed and hosts San Ramon Valley (11-8-4) Wednesday evening in Gonsalves Stadium. If the Concord schools both win, they will meet in Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Division II: 12th seed Northgate (7-7-3) travels to No. 5 Maria Carrillo (10-4-5) in Santa Rosa Tuesday.

Division IV: Third seed

See Soccer, page B3

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Page B2

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

Mt. Diablo’s Herschel Turner, 10 other seniors sign their college NLI Athlete Spotlight

JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer

Mt. Diablo’s record-breaking runningback Herschel Turner Jr. and De La Salle defensive stalwart Andrew Cunningham earned the highest post-season honors among local football players and the duo were among 11 seniors who signed their National Letters of Intent last Wednesday.

Turner announced his decision to attend Utah State in front of hundreds of students, coaches, parents and staff in the Concord school’s Romaine Hall. He picked the Aggies over Yale and Air Force Academy.

He is the first MDHS athlete to commit to a Division I school this millennium and follows in the footsteps of another Diablo standout runningback who played for Utah State

Jay Bedecarré

Clayton Valley Charter football players Manny Serna (left) and Angel Gonzalez made their college commitments official last week as they signed NLI to San Jose State and University of San Diego, respectively.

in 1965 grad and school Hall of Famer Kenny DeMartini.

Turner rewrote the Mt. Diablo school record book with 43 touchdowns (all but one rushing) and 3027 years from scrimmage on only 177 carries, averaging 17 yards a

Yoshiye Longley Grade: Senior School: Clayton Valley Charter High Sports: Wrestling, Flag Football, Softball A jack of all trades and an outstanding student, Longley has made an impact in every sport she has tried. She has participated in basketball, softball, flag football, wrestling and on the Dana Hills Otters summer recreation swim team. However, her primary sport growing up was softball.

Longley played on many traveling teams including Crossfire, Concord Glory and Bay Area Bombers. She was also on the Clayton Valley Charter JV softball team in her freshman and sophomore years. This year, Longley played on CV’s first girl’s flag football team that took home the unofficial title of Division II NCS champions.

But her true passion lies with wrestling, which she joined after halting her softball career. Last year, Longley began wrestling and by the end of the season she was promoted to varsity where she is now in her senior year. Coach Kyle Behmlander says in discussing her impactful yet brief time on the team, “She works her butt off and gives everything every time she steps on the mat…She smiles coming off the mat, win or lose. She is the type every coach wants!” To continue her newfound love for wrestling, Longley joined the CYC wrestling team last summer. For the first time in the history of the school, the girl’s wrestling team took home a trophy placing third at this season’s San Ramon Valley Girls Classic.

Also impressive in the classroom, Longley currently has a 4.0 GPA, which she has won awards for in her sports. She is a member of the CVCHS Arts Academy and vice president for the Gay Straight Alliance club. Looking forward to finishing her final season and focused on her senior year, Longley will soon be headed to DVC to pursue a career in dentistry.

CVCHS student journalist Corinne Jeandheur wrote this Spotlight.

The Pioneer congratulates Yoshiye and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement, or a great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.

Eight De La Salle seniors signed their NLI last Wednesday in the school gym. The Spartans formalizing their commitments were, from left, Drew Cunningham, Max Ghiglieri, Colin Keith, Mario Stump, Kai Moananu-Apela, Tre Roach, Cole Westphal and Andrei Gran.

He was selected Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division offensive MVP and was named to the all-Bay Area News Group first team and also was all-Metro first team chosen by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mitch Stephens.

Cunningham is taking his second team all-state credentials along with East Bay Athletic League co-defensive MVP and all-Metro laurels to Stanford.

The final NLI signing date is Wednesday, April 17.

WINTER NLI SIGNEES (SPORT AND COLLEGE):

carry and 275 yards per game.

Clayton Valley Charter He helped propel the Red Manny Serna (Football, San Devils to the North Coast SecJose State) tion playoffs where they were Angel Gonzalez (Football, defeated by eventual state 3University of San Diego) AA champion Acalanes.

With his rushing total De La Salle among the national leaders Drew Cunningham (FootTurner was tabbed all-state ball, Stanford) first team by MaxPreps.

Max Ghiglieri (Baseball, Saint Mary’s College) Andrei Gran (Lacrosse, Illinois Institute of Technology) Colin Keith (Golf, Dartmouth) Kai Moananu-Apela (Football, Minot State University) Tre Roach (Soccer, Cal State Los Angeles) Mario Stump (Golf, Academy of Art) Cole Westphal (Lacrosse, North Central College) HERSCHEL TURNER JR. MT. DIABLO HIGH

Mt. Diablo Herschel Walker Jr. (Football, Utah State)

De La Salle wrestling still the team to beat after 16th NCS dual championship JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer

while only the top two boys earn State Meet berths.

De La Salle’s dominance of North Coast Section wrestling continued at the beginning of the month when the Spartans won their ninth consecutive North Coast Section Dual Team title and this weekend hope to match that streak with the team championship at the Section meet.

DLS comes into the NCS championships at James Logan High in Union City off a commanding performance last weekend at the East Bay Athletic League meet. Spartans winning league titles were Caleb Tatad (113 pounds), Gio Cuevas (116), Manuel Martir (122), Carlos Vasquez (134), TJ Arvizu (152) and Alexander Ortiz (167).

Martir was third as a sophomore at NCS and first last year.

He is wrestling at 122 this weekend. Tatad also placed third at NCS the past two years. At last year’s NCS finals, Arvizu won a

GIRLS IN CONTENTION FOR STATE

Photo courtesy De La Salle Athletics

De La Salle wrestlers are prepping for the North Coast Section championships this weekend after wrapping up their ninth straight NCS Dual Team title.

title while Vasquez was second and Cuevas fourth.

Tatad is the only Spartan wrestler ranked in the top 15 of the state at No. 14 in 113pound ratings.

The dual meet championships saw DLS defeat Castro Valley 60-18, College Park 5912 and then Granada 50-17 in

the championship match.

College Park rebounded from the loss to DLS to reach the consolation bracket finals before losing to Liberty 52-30.

On the girls side there are several local wrestlers with strong podium hopes at NCS with the top four in each weight class advancing to state

Clayton Valley’s junior duo of Abbi Cooper and Savannah Talmadge have two-years’ experience at NCS. Cooper is a twotime winner at 113 as a freshman and 106 as a sophomore. Talmadge is a two-time NCS runnerup at 101. Talmadge is currently ranked third at 122 and Cooper No. 1 at 106.

The other local top NCS seed is Northgate’s Rebecca Fletcher at 117.

College Park’s Avery Seidenspinner, Hailey Liu of Northgate, Ayaka Naddy of Concord and College Park’s Dana Giacomino are all rated with chances of winning state berths.

The season-ending CIF Wrestling Championships are in their usual home at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield next weekend, Feb. 23-25.

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time we get to host a [playoff] game here so we are very excited about that. It gives us an advantage.” Gallegos was first-team all-DAL the past two seasons. This year’s Red Devils seniors were part of the abbreviated pandemic 2020-21 spring season when there were a limited number of games and no playoffs.

Gallegos not only shines on the field but in the classroom as well with a 4.3 GPA. “I am sure Jared will be playing college soccer somewhere next year,” says his proud coach, who starred at Chico State following his club and high school career before playing professionally for a number of years. Injuries then had him “rethink” his plans and led him back to his alma mater.

Athlete Spotlight Jared Gallegos Grade: Senior School: Mt. Diablo High Sport: Soccer When Mt. Diablo High coach Octavio Guzman is asked about senior midfielder Gallegos, he’s quite emphatic, “As I’ve been saying for the past years, Jared is by far the best player in the area.” Since Guzman is likely the best male soccer player ever at Mt. Diablo and a former college and professional standout, his words hold quite a bit of weight. Gallegos scored 16 goals for the Red Devils as they tied Clayton Valley Charter and

Las Lomas for the Diablo Athletic League championship, the first-ever boys soccer title for Concord’s oldest school.

The senior and his teammates will be in their third straight North Coast Section playoff starting this Wednesday hosting Kennedy-Richmond in Hart Fairclough Stadium as the No. 3 seeds in Division IV. “Jared is a huge part of our success, and we will miss him next year. This will be the first

The Pioneer congratulates Jared and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@PioneerPublishers.com

Playoffs, from page B1

Soccer, from page B1

Tenth seed College Park (1513) goes to No. 7 Irvington-Fremont (20-6) the same day.

Division IV: No. 12 Ygnacio Valley (13-14) makes the long trek to fifth seed Arcata (17-7) on Wednesday.

Division V: Mt. Diablo (226) is seeded third and hosts No. 14 Kelseyville (15-10) in Concord Tuesday.

Mt. Diablo (13-2-2) hosts No. De La Salle is seeded No. 1 14 Kennedy-Richmond (9-7-3) in D-I hoping to make up for a at Hart Fairclough Stadium disappointing quarter-finals Wednesday night. playoff exit last year as defending champs. The Spartans are DAL FINISHES WITH seeking a 15th Section title.

TRI-CHAMPIONS Mt. Diablo, Clayton Valley CARONDELET LOOKS TO THREEPEAT Charter and Las Lomas all finTwo-time defending NCS ished with 10-1-1 records to share the Diablo Athletic Division I champion Carondelet is seeded second to League boys championship.

Seeded third in Division IV, EBAL rival Amador Valley.

Mt. Diablo is hosting The Dons have five NCS Kennedy-Richmond in the championships but none since opening of the playoffs 2002, while the Cougars have Wednesday. Records indicate seven Section titles including this is the first-ever home boys three of the past four.

EBAL teams have won the soccer playoff game for the Red Devils, who are making top division in all but three their third straight NCS NCS playoffs since the girls appearance after three away competition began in 1982.

Clayton Valley Charter had games in past two years.

CVCHS gets a home game not had a winning season since Wednesday against San Ramon 2019-20 but the Ugly Eagles Valley in Division I with a posted a 13-2-3 record and a chance to meet Concord rivals second-place finish in the DAL De La Salle in the quarterfinals to earn their eighth seed in this Saturday in a rematch of Division I and a home game their 2022 semi-finals matchup against perennial EBAL power won by eventual champions San Ramon Valley.

DLS 1-0.

CARONDELET COMES UP SHORT AGAIN TO

SAN RAMON VALLEY Carondelet lost a two-point heartbreaker to San Ramon Valley in the league playoff finals, a second defeat in two weeks to the Wolves, who now are No. 1 seed in Open Division. The Concord school has a nearly unmatched record for NCS success on the girls side, but the Cougars have only one Section championship since 2019. They won NCS championships in 14 of the previous 17 years.

Mt. Diablo is California’s No. 5 ranked D-5 team and third in NCS division ratings. The Red Devils are looking for a third straight strong NCS playoff run to match the past two years when the Concord school reached the Northern California

championships. Mt. Diablo lost a close semi-final game in the DAL playoffs in Orinda to Miramonte last week.

WOLVES, SPARTANS HOPE TO BENEFIT AS NO. 2 BOYS SEEDS

The nearly unstoppable pick and roll tandem of 6-11 center Evan McKnight and 6-3 junior point guard Antonio Kellogg Jr. led Ygnacio Valley to the regular-season DAL title and will need to be fully operational in the playoffs after Saturday’s loss to CVCHS stopped a streak of 12 wins in their previous 13 games.

De La Salle completed an undefeated EBAL regular season at 9-0 and had 11 straight victories before losing to visiting San Ramon Valley in the EBAL playoff championship game last Saturday. The Wolves trailed DLS 17-4 in the first quarter but rallied to lead by five points at halftime.

It was an emotional victory for the San Ramon basketball team after six straight losses to De La Salle, but also to the school community after the Spartans spoiled the SRV football season in two dramatic victories last fall.

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Sp o rt s Shorts CLAYTON VALLEY JR. EAGLES WIN NATIONAL CHEER TITLE

Clayton Valley Athletic Association's cheerleading team won another national championship last month in Las Vegas. Teams have to receive a bid from a previous competition in order to compete at JAMZ Nationals. Clayton Valley’s nationals team were in Division 13 Level 1 sideline performance cheer and Division 13, Level 2 show cheer. After their performance the team was notified that they “hit zero,” which means there were no deductions or penalties throughout the routine. The team took first in show cheer with a score of 93.2. The team also received the high point award, earning another bid to the YCADA Youth Nationals in Atlantic City at the end of February. Clayton Valley had the highest score of all Division 13 teams and levels.

SAINT BONAVENTURE CYO TRACK SIGNUPS CONTINUE

St. Bonaventure CYO track and field online registration is still open for boys and girls in second through eighth grades.

Practices are at Newhall Park on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 4-5:15 p.m. Meets are held on Saturdays starting Mar. 9 and the season runs through the Oakland Diocesan championship meet May 11. For more information visit stbonaventurecyo.com.

NEWEST YGNACIO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS HONORED MAR. 23

The Ygnacio Valley High Athletic Hall of Fame dinner for the Class of 2024 will be Mar. 23 at Zio Fraedo’s in Pleasant Hill.

The distinguished group of six athletes and baseball coach Lou Adamo features Bill Piona (Class of 1971, football, baseball), Perry Lange (74, swimming), Doug Swallow (74, tennis), Ryan Carey (91, baseball, basketball, football), Andy Hanf (90, soccer, DIABLO VALLEY FC HOST INAUGURAL track, football) and Shauna Adkins Bennett (98, basketball, softball). Visit yvathletichof.com for more details and to reserve tickMARATHON CUP FEB. 24-25 Diablo Valley FC is hosting the inaugural Marathon Cup ets. youth soccer tournament for boys and girl teams in the U7-U12 CONCORD CUP SOCCER REGISTRATION OPEN age groups on the Feb. 24-25 weekend. The tournament will feaRegistration is now open for Concord Cup XXIX youth socture 7v7 and 9v9 games for bronze through premier level team brackets. Among the sites used for the tournament will be the cer tournament on May 18-19 for girls and boys 10U through club’s newly refurbished fields at sponsor Marathon Petroleum. 19U teams from AYSO, US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer Visit the club website at diablovalleyfc.com for more informa- programs. Teams in bronze through silver divisions are invited to participate in the 29th edition of the area’s largest tournation. ment. Team applications are open at cocnordcup.com.

CLAYTON SHARPSHOOTER ONE STEP AWAY FROM GOING TO ANOTHER ELKS HOOP SHOOT NATIONAL FINALS

Jackson Ramirez of Clayton won his third Elks Hoop Shoot State championship as his 24 out of 25 effort beat competitors from Southern California and Hawaii. Now competing in the oldest 13-year-old division, Ramirez has his eyes on a second National Championship before aging out of the competition.

He will compete in Las Vegas against others from Colorado, Arizona and Nevada Feb. 24 with a berth at Nationals April 20 in Chicago on the line.

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Rodent poison will kill rats...and possibly your dog

MICKI MCCABE

BEING PET SMART I have it on good authority that this has been a prolific season for mice in local communities.

Homes, garages, even schools and sidewalks, have proffered opportunities to have one-on-one encounters with these little rodents. This has led to an uptick in the use of mousetraps, sticky traps and rodenticides (poison).

This is an area that needs a little unpacking. First and foremost, be humane. Generally, mousetraps are a safe, effective and humane way to dispatch mice. The sticky traps require an additional step to humanely kill the little guy.

Please don’t just throw the live, stuck mouse in your garbage can.

Both these methods are pretty effective in catching/killing rodents without a high risk to your own pets, as long as the traps are thoughtfully placed out of reach of your beloved animals.

On the other hand, poisons used to kill rodents of all kinds are all toxic to our own pets as well as to wildlife, including birds of prey. This is true whether the unintended animal eats the poison directly or eats a sufficient amount from dead or dying prey.

I can’t tell you how many times a client came to me with what I suspected was rodenticide toxicity and told me that yes, they have rat bait at home, but their pet had no access to it. You would be surprised how often they can find it. Rat baits are flavored to attract rodents, which also attracts other pets.

I do not utilize any rodenticides at our home for this reason, but I do occasionally use mousetraps when necessary.

The most common rodenticides are anti-coagulants.

They work by blocking the animal’s access to vitamin K, a necessary component of several vital clotting factors made in the body. Lack of Vitamin K leads to severe blood loss and death.

Anti-coagulants are technically no longer available for purchase by the general public because of the unintended toxicity to pets and wildlife.

They still can be utilized, however, by professional exterminators and on farms. In addition, people often have old

boxes of these anti-coagulants somewhere in their garage.

Common anti-coagulants include warfarin (Coumadin) as well as longer-acting products such as diphacinone, brodifacoum and bromadiolone, among others.

On a slightly positive note, there is an antidote to anticoagulant toxicity in the form of Vitamin K1 (phytonadione), as long as a diagnosis is made promptly. These patients often also require a blood transfusion to stabilize while waiting for the Vitamin K1 to start working. Vitamin K1 should be administered for 2-6 weeks, depending on how long acting the product is (if known).

The second category of rodenticides is Bromethalin, which causes severe neurologic signs including seizures, tremors and death. It has no antidote, and treatment is limited to decontamination by eliciting vomiting, repeated use of activated charcoal to “soak up” the remaining poison and supportive care.

Severe clinical signs indicate a very poor prognosis.

The third category of rodenticides utilizes Cholecalciferol. This is a Vitamin D3based poison that can lead to severely elevated calcium levels in the blood stream, tissue mineralization, cardiovascular injury and kidney failure.

There is no known antidote for Cholecalciferol toxicity, and treatment is aggressive decontamination and intensive supportive care. Prognosis is very guarded in severely affected patients.

If a pet ingests a rodenticide, it is a medical emergency that warrants a veterinary visit.

If you have the suspected rodenticide, bring the package with you. If you notice green or blue pellets, bring a sample as well.

If your pet is acting strangely, has developed sudden weakness, pale gums, tremors, etc., a toxicity is often the first thing vets suspect.

Seeing a bright green or blue stool could also be the first indication that a pet has had rodenticide exposure. Time is of the essence, because that means the product has already traveled through the gastrointestinal tract.

Wildlife out there don’t have the luxury of a caring owner to get emergency care, so think twice about using these powerful poisons.

Dedicated to Lily and Frankie, two beloved kitties.

New Pioneer columnist, Micki McCabe, DVM, DACVIM, FAAVA, is a long-time Clayton resident. The recently retired local veterinarian has an interest in internal and integrative medicine.

Email questions and comments to Mcwalls1@gmail.com

925-381-3757

Lic.# 958849

February 16, 2024

PIONEER WANTS TO PUBLISH YOUR SPORTS NEWS

Please let us know about your sports news, special events, fund raisers, tryouts, signups and accomplishments. Youth leagues, clubs, schools and adult programs are all welcome to send us a rundown on what you are doing. Include all the necessary details (too much information is better than too little!) and your contact information. It is as simple as sending an email to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.

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February 16, 2024

Tips for helping guide son along career path Q: How do I talk to my son about not attending college but picking up a trade? He is a bright kid and wants to go to college to be with friends; however, understanding his track record, I know he won’t take it seriously. Rather than waste money, I would like to see him go into a profession in which I know he will excel.

A: It’s essential to approach the conversation

with empathy, understanding and a focus on his best interests. Here’s a concise guide to navigating this discussion effectively: Choose the right time and setting. Find a calm, private place where you can talk openly and without distractions.

Express your concerns.

Begin by communicating your love for him and concern for his future. Be honest about your worries

regarding his track record and the potential challenges he might face in college.

Highlight his strengths.

Acknowledge his intelligence and skills, emphasizing his suitability for a trade profession.

Discuss the benefits of a trade. Outline the practical advantages, such as hands-on experience, competitive salaries and job security, while sharing success stories from the trade industry.

Address his concerns.

Listen actively to his perspective and reassure him that pursuing a trade is a valid and rewarding option.

Offer support and resources. Emphasize that you will help him explore trade opportunities and provide information about apprenticeships and vocational training programs.

Encourage self-reflection. Prompt him to think about his passions and long-

The link between black history, ethnic studies and LGBTQIA+ liberation Since 2023, policymakers have introduced nearly 400 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills across the United States, largely targeting transgender and nonbinary youth.

These bills limit the ability to update gender information on birth certificates and driver’s licenses; ban free speech by prohibiting drag performances, books and arts with queer themes; restrict genderaffirming health care for trans youth and incarcerated transgendered people; ban public accommodations; censor curriculum and force teachers and staff to out students; and include religious exemptions to undermine and weaken nondiscrimination laws by allowing employers, businesses and health-care facilities to turn away LGBTQIA+ people or refuse them equal treatment, and more.

These bills affect the emotional and mental well-being of BIPOC youth. A 2023 Trevor Project poll shows that 7 in 10 Black LGBTQIA+ youth reported negative impacts directly related to news of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills. This reflects their intersectional identities and racialized experiences as Black and queer.

It is, therefore, important that we counter this attack by affirming ethnic studies and,

add ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement. These efforts to make visible the histories often dismissed by mainstream grand narratives have been continuously attacked.

The confluence of the attack highlights the linkages among the intersectional liberations of being Black and LGBTQIA+.

This year’s Black History JONATHAN LEE Month focuses on Black ALL THE COLORS Americans in the arts. As such, the Rainbow Communiby extension, Black History ty Center wishes to acknowlMonth as part and parcel of edge LGBTQIA+ Black LGBTQIA+ liberation. artists: Harvard-trained historian Gladys Bentley, performer Carter G. Woodson initiated during the Harlem RenaisNegro History Week in 1926. sance.

He selected to observe it durStormé DeLarverie, pering the February birthdays of former and activist who Abraham Lincoln and Freder- worked as a jumping horse ick Douglass, two pivotal fig- rider with the Ringling Brothures who worked to end slav- ers Circus. ery and combat racism.

Billie Holiday, singer.

In 1976, President Gerald Lorraine Hansberry, playFord established Black History wright and activist, author of Month, extending the obser“A Raisin in the Sun.” vance to memorialize the legaAudre Lorde, selfcy and contributions of described “Black, lesbian, African Americans. He called feminist, mother, poet, warupon the public to “seize the rior.” opportunity to honor the tooSarah Huny Young, visual often neglected accomplishartist and photographer. ments of Black Americans in James Baldwin, writer and every area of endeavor critic. throughout our history.”

Alvin Ailey, choreographer.

In October 2021, CaliforTourmaline, filmmaker and nia became the first state to activist, best known for docu-

menting the lives of transgender rights activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two central figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.

Centering Black LGBTQIA+ histories will directly uplift BIPOC queer youth. In 2021, Stanford University research found that students who take ethnic studies are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college. Similarly, data shows that college students who enroll in an ethnic studies class are more likely to complete their studies and graduate.

Ethnic studies create a relevant curriculum that allows BIPOC students to approach an academic course from their perspective and lived experience. The impact is psychological in promoting self-confidence and academic interest.

Black History Month is ethnic studies. Ethnic studies are a form of liberation. The liberatory heart of ethnic studies beats with and for LGBTQIA+ liberation.

Jonathan Lee is the interim executive director of the Rainbow Community Center.

term goals, helping him see how a trade profession can offer fulfillment and stability.

Explore alternatives. If he’s hesitant about committing immediately, discuss other options like taking a gap year or looking at different career paths through internships or part-time jobs.

Emphasize the importance of commitment.

Stress the significance of dedication and hard work in any chosen career path, encouraging a positive mindset.

Reassure your support.

Conclude by reaffirming your unconditional love and support.

Approaching the conversation with empathy and under-

SCREEN SHOTS Of the three international films nominated for Best Picture, “Anatomy of a Fall” might be the dourest.

An already fractured family suffers the loss of its patriarch. Immediately blamed and put on trial, Sandra (Sandra Huller) must prove her innocence while trying to remain a devoted mother to her blind son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner). Overlong, the film bogs down in the middle, almost undoing the all-around fine acting.

The most interesting thing about the film may be the look we get into the French court system. In the United States, the accused only has to answer questions when on the stand. In France, either side can ask the accused a question at any time.

When witnesses recount information, Sandra must always be on her toes and prepared to answer whatever questions get thrown at her.

The jury sits up above, on

LEAN IN WITH LOVE

standing will create a supportive environment where your son feels empowered to make informed decisions about his career path.

Dominique King is a wife, mother, lifestyle blogger and avid long-distance runner. Email questions and comments to her at leaninwiththekings@gmail.com.

‘Heaven & Earth’ tells a powerful story

imagination of any story-loving reader: The Hurricane, A Bad Sign, A New Problem, Monkey Pants, Cowboy, The Hot Dog, Without a Song, Duck Boy and Waiting for the Future. The epilogue, The Call Out, will bring you out of your chair in applause.

The very first sentence of Chapter One, The Hurricane, SUNNY SOLOMON epitomizes the five Ws of writing: Who, What, When, BOOKIN’ WITH Where and Why. Who? An SUNNY old Jew and a couple of Pennsylvania state troopers. What?

Every glowing review of The cops questioning the old James McBride’s “The Heaven Jew. When? June 1972. & Earth Grocery Store” Where? Chicken Hill, in should get you to your closest Pottstown, Pa. Why? Developindependent bookstore to buy ers of a nearby street dug up a copy. skeletal remains of an apparI’ve long been a fan of all ent murder victim at the botMcBride’s novels but, hands tom of an old well, below the down, this may be his finest. home of the old Jew. McBride’s table of conNext, we are introduced to tents is the first hint of his McBride’s ear for the vernacuJonathan Lee is Interim Exec- powerful storytelling. The lar voice of a wide range of utive Director of the Rainbow story is made up of three characters.

The cops, holding Commuity Center. For more infor- parts: Gone, Gotten and The up a mezuzah found among mation, visit www.rainbowcc.org.

Last Love. the bones, ask the old Jew, Each part has chapters “Don’t these things belong on with names to capture the doors?” I’d guess the cops are white. The old man answers with diasporan aplomb, “Jewish life is portable.”

We also find out that the developers have hounded the old man for 30 years to sell his property. The old man’s name is Malachai, and, in his day, he was known as the “Greatest middle ground. who think they can get away As Adam Clay, Statham with bilking people out of their Dancer in the World.”

The cops tell Malachai he is does his best at channeling his life savings. Statham certainly inner John Wick. A friendly old seems to be having a good time. a suspect and that they will return after they’ve studied the woman supplies Clay with a As a Statham movie, “The “murder scene.” “Suspect, place to keep his bees while the Beekeeper” is worth checking two of them provide each other out. In general, though, there is shuspect,” he says with a shrug.

The cops do not return, a necessary company. When she much better fare out there. B“because the next day God gets scammed by some dirty wrapped His hands around online punks, Clay regresses to Chicken Hill and wrung His his former self. last bit of justice out of that The Beekeepers, as the wretched place.” Hurricane film’s heavy exposition tells us, Agnes. are the most secretive of It was all gone, fancy, newly groups. Unknown by almost developed Pottstown, even the every other governmental well and its bones. All that is group, they provide a service left is the story of Malachai necessary only when a major Young French actor Milo Machado-Graner delivers and the community of Chicken upheaval threatens the very fab‘Anatomy of a Fall’s finest performance as the blind son of Hill, with its African Ameriric of society.

We never hear a mother accused of murdering his father. (Neon Cinema) cans and immigrant beginnings about exactly when they were unleashed in the past, so it is Anna (Renate Reinsve) deals to the epilogue. And, of either side of the judge. How interactions between them. not clear what they actually do. with grief as the dead return course, the grocery store and can they be a jury of her As the trial goes on, the all those folks between chapClay spends the entire to life in ‘Handling the peers if they always look film does not have enough ters one and three. movie going up the chain, from Undead.’ (Nordisk Film) down on her? characters to lean on. Some of low-level scammers of smarmy I suspect it will be a long While Huller and Swann the trial scenes are powerful, time before I read anything middlemen to the head of the THE LATEST FROM Arlaud as her counsel are both but after a while, they just better than “The Heaven & company. Jeremy Irons is in fine SUNDANCE fantastic, Machado Graner drag on. With the outcome Earth Grocery Store.” form as someone with a toe in I rented a couple of may deliver the finest perlose-lose for all, it is difficult If you wonder how the scamming water, but not so movies via the Sundance Film formance. While not actually to root for or against Sandra. committed as to fear the full ire Festival online portal. I am McBride gets these voices to blind, he does a very convinc- A film that plods along and ring so true, at least to what of Clay’s wrath. glad they are continuing this ing job as the perpetually torn provides no discernible prosounds right, PC or not, The subplot about the old trend for those of us who Daniel. He has to either tagonist is a tough sell. BGoogle him when you finish woman’s daughter (who just cannot get to Utah for the accept that his mother killed the book – it’s another great happens to be an FBI agent) festival. Yet, they are in year STATHAM STRONGER THAN slowly uncovering the truth his father, or that his father story. three of these offerings, and ‘BEEKEEPER’ PLOT committed suicide. about Clay is laborious. When there are still far too many For any Jason Statham fan, written well, this type of story- video and audio issues with His scenes with the courtSunny Solomon is a freelance “The Beekeeper” is a fine appointed babysitter Marge writer and head of the Clayton telling can breed suspense and their streams. addition to his oeuvre.

(Jehnny Beth) are few, but Book Club.

Visit her website at bring together plot points in a “Handling the Undead” While not as menacing as very impactful. She spends a bookinwithsunny.com for her very dramatic way. Here, I just posits a world where the “Wrath of Man” nor as jovial kept wanting them to hurry up recently dead have returned, year living with him to help latest recommendations or just to as the “Transporter” series, make sure Sandra cannot and figure it out. not so much to eat us (at least ‘talk books.’ unduly influence Daniel’s feel- “The Beekeeper” offers It is fun to watch Clay give ings. I would have liked more Statham a nice, if uneven, See Movies, page B5 comeuppance to scammers

French legal system under spotlight in Best Picture nominee ‘Anatomy of a Fall;’ Sundance Film Fest offerings

JEFF MELLINGER

DOMINIQUE KING

February 16, 2024

The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

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T H E ARTS

Actresses order up Broadway finesse for ‘Mystic Pizza’

SALLY HOGARTY

STAGE STRUCK If pizza is your dish, you can get your fill as Center Repertory continues its production of “Mystic Pizza” through Feb. 25 at the Lesher Center.

Adapted for stage by Sandy Rustin, the new musical follows the lives of three working-class young women the summer after their high school graduation. While serving up pizza at a local restaurant in the town of Mystic, Conn., the three share their hopes, dreams and plans for escaping their small town as well as their fondness for big

Nile Scott

Gianna Yanelli, left, Kyra Kennedy, Krystina Alabado and Rayanne Gonzales appear in one of the many high-energy musical numbers in Center Rep’s “Mystic Pizza,” playing through Feb. 25 in Walnut Creek.

hair, neon colors and shoulder pads.

The show features Krystina Alabado as the sexy Daisy, Gianna Yanelli as the wisecracking JoJo and Kyra Kennedy as Daisy’s sensible sister. All three have extensive Broadway credits.

Kevin Coren, left, Nathalie Archangel, Chip Renner and Peggy Scalise star in Clayton Theatre’s “But Why Bump Off Barnaby,” opening March 8.

The Lesher Center is at 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.

Call 925-943-7469 or go to lesherartscenter.org for tickets.

Clayton Theatre Company’s production of “But Why Bump Off Barnaby” includes the show’s main premise right in the title.

The comedic murder mystery revolves around Barnaby Folcey, who is murdered at a family gathering. It appears Folcey had a reason to kill everyone else, but no one seemingly had a reason to murder him. Meanwhile, there’s a secret treasure to be found, a limerick to decode and all sorts of mishaps to be avoided before the killer is finally unmasked.

Director La Tonya Watts has the difficult task of moving around a large cast on

Endeavor Hall’s small stage.

Her potential murderers include Nathalie Archangel, James Bradley Jr., Kevin Coren, Bill Dietz, Teresa Grosserode, Deborah Huaco, Megan Larsen, Maya Rath, Chip Renner and Peggy Scalise.

“But Why Bump Off Barnaby” plays March 8-17 at 6008 Center St., Clayton.

Election season has impacted the theater company, with primary elections scheduled at the city-owned space. To accommodate the elections, the troupe can only run the play for two weeks instead of its usual three. But producer Roxanne Pardi has added a Thursday evening show and two shows on the first Sunday.

For tickets, call 925-3340880 or go to claytontheatre-

company.com.

While Pittsburg Theatre Company readies its production of “Streetcar Named Desire” for Feb. 23-March 3, its board of directors faces a challenge as difficult as that of Blanche DuBois, the lead character in Tennessee Williams’ drama.

The group recently sent out an email saying the company is solvent through March 2024, but beyond that date “our survival is in peril.” To donate to the company or to reserve tickets to “Streetcar Named Desire,” call 925-4397529 or go to pittsburgcommunitytheatre.org. The production will take place at the California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg.

Town Hall Theatre brings the French café music scene to Lafayette at 2 p.m. Feb. 25 with the appearance of Parisian singer Mimi Pirard.

The accomplished chartreus will transport you to mid-1900s France with songs from such iconic musicians as Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Jacques Brel, Charles Trenet, Georges Brassens, Serge Gainsbourg and many others.

SonoMusette accompanies Pirard, weaving a tapestry of sounds to evoke the provocative and melancholic music of mid-century Paris.

The theater is at 3535 School St. VIP tickets include a glass of rosé from Loire Valley and light bites from Rêve Bistro. Go to townhalltheatre.com for reservations.

Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com

Sara Leyva Mindful Photography

Sam Leeper, left, plays Stanley with Michele Morgen as Blanche and Mary Katherine Patterson as Stella in Pittsburg Theatre Company’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” opening Feb 23.

Local artists get personal with new musical releases this quarantine was learn to play the guitar, so … I made this song … I hope you like it.” Four years later, Chika Di teamed up with the all-women mariachi group Flor de Toloache to release “Bendito” as a richly produced dance song that merges traditional Cumbia music with contemporary Latin pop.

DAVE HUGHES “Stig & Marion” by THE BEAT OF Daniel Ray Hilsinger (Orinda).

As I’ve written before, Daniel DIABLO Ray Hilsinger started playing guitar, singing and writing For various reasons, some music cathartically after learnartists prefer to release their ing of his bone cancer diagnowork one song at a time. This sis. Last year, he began to month, I want to bring to share his music with the your attention a half dozen world, releasing the albums recent singles from Contra “Everlasting” and “Hurt” and Costa County. a couple singles, all of which I hope you’ll find the time were self-produced. This year, to listen to the songs that he’s releasing some professound compelling to you, and sionally recorded original that you then explore other music – beginning with the offerings from these local single “Stig and Marion,” the musicians. names of his mother’s parents.

“Bendito” by Chika Di Recorded in Nashville, “Stig (Concord). Back in 2020, and Marion” is a slower tune when people pretty much conthat starts out with mellow sumed music performances acoustic guitar and accent via livestream, the Concord piano. It soon blossoms into a Couch Concerts audience full band, complete with a learned about Chika Di. With weepy pedal steel, a tickling an acoustic guitar on her lap, mandolin and professional the Colombian singer debuted back-up singers. It’s really a “Bendito,” prefacing the solo treat to hear Hilsinger’s origiperformance with “One of nal music delivered with top the things that I did during tier production.

Movies, from page B4

hailing from Southern California (hence the name), So Cal Jack is back with another holiday-adjacent original. His single “Valentine,” which dropped earlier this month, is a sweet song that fits nicely into his catalog of folky foottappers. You can often see the one-man band performing at local open mics, singing, strumming and even stomping along as he creates the beat on his “backpack drum.”

“6’s and 7’s” by MidCourse Correction (Martinez).

Over the last year, some folks closer to the underground music scene may have caught a live performance by MidCourse Correction, a somewhat recently formed indie rock band. They’re just now Chika Di worked with Flor de Toloache for the “Bendito” re- beginning to release original lease. tunes, starting with their debut single “6’s and 7’s.” It’s an “violet” by bell (Pleasant one even notices her. angsty song that well repreHill). Ahead of her debut EP “Valentine” by So Cal sents the tight trio’s overall “violet” due out Feb. 20, the Jack (Pleasant Hill). Originally sound, which, in my opinion, pianist and singer bell recently released the title track as a single. Like earlier singles, “violet” is another somewhat quiet ballad that showcases the singer’s rich yet gentle voice, delivered intimately over a familiar chord progression.

Clayton Theatre Company The lyrics sound as if they’re right out of an introspective journal entry, pondering existence and wondering if any-

many of those bands. I wish they had gotten more interviews and not rushed through not right away) but to give gets the pathos just right. each iteration so quickly, but I their loved ones an extended Even though well-placed enjoyed every minute of it. It time to grieve. frights complement some of will be released on ParaWho would not want even the more tender moments, the mount+ this spring along with one more day with a deceased film could have used a few an unaired final segment. Alover, son or wife? Three fam- more scares. I hope this film ilies experience the return of a will eventually reach a wide Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer loved one and immediately audience. B and film buff. He holds a BA in welcome them back. While Film Studies and an MFA in film skeptical, they, like many of us “Lollapalooza.” is a fasciproduction. He lives in Concord. might, accept their loved ones nating look at the epic music Email comments to editor@pioback in any form. festival of the 1990s. I was, neerpublishers.com.

Director Thea Hvistendahl and still am, a huge fan of so

Clayton Theatre Company

is reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. Mid-Course Correction plays with a lot of passion, and that comes through on this first studio recording.

“Impatient” by lele (Antioch). The artist lele put herself on the map by releasing her debut single “Impatient.” It’s a downtempo R&B tune, built around a guitar loop, some jazzy chords played on a Rhodes and some descending vocal melodies. There’s a contemplative feel in between verses as the meditative loop persists, with atmospheric help from some ghosty ohs and ahs harmonizing in the background.

Find links to these songs and more current releases from local artists at ConcordRockCity.com.

?

Contact Dave Hughes at MrDaveHughes@gmail.com.

BUT WHY BUMP OFF BARNABY

By Rick Abbot

Directed by La Tonya Watts • Assistant Director Roxanne Pardi

CLAYTON THEATRE COMPANY / ENDEAVOR HALL / 6008 CENTER ST. / CLAYTON, CA / MARCH 8–17 $29 ADULTS / $25 SENIORS (62+) / $22 YOUTH/STUDENTS Tickets may be purchased online at www.ClaytonTheatreCompany.com or by calling 925-334-0880 or at the Box Office 1-hour before curtain

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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com

February 16, 2024

Samantha McNally: more than just watercolors the board of directors and as past president of the California Watercolor Association and as a member of Main Street Arts Gallery in Martinez and Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek. She also teaches a weekly online watercolor class. On top of all her artistic endeavors, McNally is the webmaster for several local art organizations, art galleries and individual artists.

McNally grew up in New Contributed photo Jersey and studied art at In “Path to Diablo”, artist Samantha McNally doesn’t use Ramapo College and Ridgewhite paint for the clouds.

She plans ahead and leaves wood School of Art before white space where the clouds will be. going on to the School of

Visual Arts in New York City. paintings at the hotel, free art She left school after one year, sample goody bags and comaccepting a job as an embroi- petitions with prizes. She dery designer in the garment managed the company for district. four years, making about She enjoyed drawing fash- three trips per year. ion designs for 15 years. “All JOHN NAKANISHI I did was draw all day … it ARTS IN MOTION didn’t feel like work.”

When not at work, McNally created oil paintings.

If you are involved in the After learning how toxic oil East Bay artist community, paints could be, she changed you have probably heard of to acrylic paints. She switched Samantha McNally. media again after noticing Many Bay Area galleries that most art show submisdisplay the award-winning sions were watercolors. She watercolor artist’s work. She took some watercolor classes is active with several local art and discovered that she loved organizations, including on it.

Many people say that SAMANTHA MCNALLY watercolor is the most difficult medium, but McNally finds it easy. She says all it McNally’s watercolor takes is experience. For exam- works encompass familiar ple, a watercolor purist Bay Area sites as well as a lot doesn’t use white paint; of animals. She is looking to instead, she plans ahead to capture more local scenes maintain the areas to leave with groups of people, such white. as outdoor dining areas, Playing the part of Chef According to McNally, it farmers markets and historiKevin Fuller at Mt. Diablo becomes easy “once you get cal locations, both indoors High School is no easy task. to know how much water and and out.

Each day, 150 students paint is on your brush, how In 2023, McNally organtake classes in what was once much water and paint is on ized the first East Bay RICHARD EBER the school’s International your paper, and what will Gallery Tour, involving eight Hospitality and Tourism TASTE & TELL happen when you touch one galleries from Martinez to Academy. with the other.”

Danville. Once visitors Despite strong opposition After moving to California stopped at all the galleries, managers, executive chefs, from the community, the Mt. in 1999, she joined the Calitheir stamped ticket would sous chefs and bartenders.

Diablo Unified School District fornia Watercolor Association be entered into a drawing for “What do all of these studisbanded that program last two $300 prizes. She is plandents have in common? They and began years of plein air year because of budgetary painting. She thought it ning the second annual tour, take their hospitality with considerations. The Construcwould be fun to go on “paint which will run for the full them,” Chef Kevin said.

“I tion (ACME), Medical month of October. would love for the program to vacations” with her fellow (MTBA) and Digital Safari Jacab Abalos, left, Isaac Guadalupe and Matthew Reynoso thrive and to regain its ability artists, so in 2012 she created For more about Samantha (DSA) programs met similar join Chef Kevin Fuller in the Serendipity kitchen at Mt. Dia- to have an even bigger impact a business called Artist GetMcNally and her art, see fates. blo High School in Concord. away where artists could sign samanthamcnally.com, and again.”

Undaunted by the loss of up for painting trips to scenic Instagram/Facebook Serendipity is at 2611 East restaurants as Tourelle in poached salmon, duck bropast funding levels, Chef locations. @samanthamcnallywatercolSt., Concord.

It is open for Lafayette and the Velvet Tur- chette, beef stroganoff and Kevin has kept many parts of McNally organized all the ors. breakfast, brunch and lunch tle in Pleasant Hill. He also other delicacies. the culinary academy alive in trips, choosing the location, operated Kevin’s Catering for Despite teaching positions 8:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday the classroom and by reopenfinding hotel rooms at a good John Nakanishi is an acrylic through Thursday.

For more being eliminated and funding ing Serendipity Restaurant after 17 years until 2010. price, and negotiating with painter and a ceramic artist and a information, call 925-798I brought along a group of cutbacks in his department, a two-year COVID closure. vendors for samples and ,member of the Concord Arts 0882.

Chef Kevin says he doesn’t This student-operated enti- friends on my return visit to prizes. Trips would last four Association. Email comments and Rich Eber is a local journalist Serendipity, creating an atmos- mind the 12-hour workdays ty provides a bridge between to seven days. Artist guests suggestions for future columns to and long time resident of Concord. high school and post-gradua- phere like that of the popular needed to educate his eager to were treated to scenic areas phjona@gmail.com.

He covers topics from politics to PBS program “Check, Please!” learn students. tion employment. Any tips to paint, a place to touch up gourmet food.

Contact him at Fortunately, none of my “My big message this year servers receive are funneled richeber9@gmail.com. is that we want them to into scholarships and services guests were disappointed.

Early in the morning, cus- acquire the skills to be benefiting workers. tomers will find freshly made Employee of the Month In the morning periods, omelets with potatoes. They wherever they go,” he said. “I Chef Kevin gives instruction also offer a breakfast sanduse the medium of food to that includes menu creation, teach much broader skills. Of food preparation, cooking and wich that’s far superior to an Egg McMuffin and oatmeal course, students learn to cook service to clients. Everything served with dried cherries and and use restaurant industry they prepare utilizes fresh pecans. Serendipity’s bakery equipment. They also acquire ingredients, served at a readoesn’t miss a beat, providing important traits of managesonable price. warm muffins, scones and ment, teamwork and thinking On my first visit, the speabout others first.” cial was a trio of carne asada, wheat bread each day.

At lunch, I tried a more Chef Kevin takes pride in carnitas and shrimp tacos. than respectable club sandhis efforts, noting: “This is a They even make tortillas and wich served with house-made program that has reached out salsa from scratch. One perto kids who often don’t see a son at my table had an excel- potato chips. With a layer of lent Cajun pasta dish featuring avocado, three layers of chick- reason to be in school. Many en, freshly grilled bacon and alumni have succeeded and a zesty cream sauce. carried that success beyond Although the service was a cheese, it rivals what most graduation.” bit slow, the meals were satis- country clubs offer.

Our table also sampled a Many students seek higher fying – especially considering tasty Dosa Indian crepe with a education in college and culithis was the first day of the potato filling, finished with a nary school, with careers that new Serendipity. include a senior inspector for A graduate of the Califor- green coconut sauce.

Following lunch, Chef Michelin Star, owning restaunia Culinary Academy and Sacramento State, Chef Kevin Kevin came over to our table rants such as Papi Clary’s Kitchen in Concord and Bisbrings expertise that goes well and thanked us for visiting.

He promised to enlarge the cuits and Pickles Catering in beyond book learning. Over menu to pre-COVID days, Oregon, Crown Plaza manthe years, he has been For the rest of February, we’re inviting those who are when Serendipity served agement, along with restaurant employed at such notable

Dedicated Chef Kevin reopens student-run Serendipity at MDHS

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