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Brentwood man thunders on the court
by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
Rich “Thunder” Lopez is an old pro at pro ball and recently earned second place at the Professional Pickleball Association Tournament in Las Vegas.
With a diverse career of professional sports behind him – including foosball where he earned his nickname ‘Thunder’ – the Brentwood resident has moved on to one of the country’s fastest growing racquet sport: pickleball.
Lopez had been playing professional racquetball, but an injury limited his ability to swing a racquet with enough force to send the heavy rubber ball across the court. When a friend introduced him to pickleball – a game with a smaller court and lighter balls – he instantly fell in love.
“I love a couple things about pickleball,” Lopez said of his new favorite sport. “I love the challenge of competition. I love the fitness aspect of it, and that it’s for all ages and fitness levels. And the community
In 2016, Freedom High School soccer stars Alexis Robbins and Alyssa Schneider signed their letters of intent to attend Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana.
As near-lifelong friends, it’s only fitting the dynamic duo were headed to the same college and planned to room together. The pair, who were both born on Jan. 11, 1998, have known each other since kindergarten and have been friends since to under-15 teams of the
Photo by Tony Kukulich Pickleball pro Rich Lopez practices on a private court in Brentwood. Lopez recently earned a second-place finish at the Professional Pickleball Association Tournament in Las Vegas.
of pickleball reminds me a lot of what I had in racquetball.”
At the tournament in Las Vegas, Lopez paired up with former tennis champion Steve Scurfield for the men’s doubles. Scurfield met Lopez on the court in Concord two years ago and said he enjoys playing with and against Lopez.
“He has incredible hands,” Scurfield said of Lopez’s game. “He’s pretty smart, so I know what to expect and that’s important in doubles . . . I can get really emotional on the court, but Rich is more level and calm. He’s like the mayor, everyone loves him. Off the court, he talks, and I’m more quiet.”
During the event, Lopez and Scurfield started out well, earning a spot in the winners’ bracket. A few slips in the finals cost them first place and they ended with second overall. The pair will face off next month when they travel to Arizona to compete in the southwest regional championships. Scurfield admitted he intends to rattle Lopez by commenting on his plays during the game.
Though he’s only been playing for four years, Lopez has already made a name for himself in the pickleball world. He said his family teased him for succeeding at obscure sports like foosball and pickleball, but he loves the strategy involved and has fun playing. He is sponsored by Gearbox Sports and uses his platform to share his love of Christ. He will soon be helping at-risk youth to engage in fitness activities through a partnership with Royal Family KIDS.
Lopez has lived in East County for over 20 years. He and his wife, Colette, have seven children and Lopez said he loves the area.
Lopez is currently available for pickleball lessons. For more information, call
This week in Press sports’ history
From Lion to Duck
fourth grade. Press file photo
They played to- Alexis Robbins and Alyssa Schneider signed their letters of gether on the under-11 intent to attend Rocky Mountain College in 2016. 925-783-4669.
MPACT Soccer Club, coached by Paul together and decided they’d call it home Mc Ilveney, and also for the Diablo FC for the next four years. in Concord. As luck would have it, they “We are excited about being in a new both joined the Freedom High soccer area,” Schneider said at the time. team as freshman. “We are also excited about being to-
The pair visited the Billings campus gether,” added Robbins.
Photo courtesy of Brylie Hoover
Liberty cheer star Brylie Hoover recently signed her letter of intent to attend the University of Oregon. According to a Liberty newsletter, the senior star has been a member of Liberty’s varsity sideline team since her freshman year and a member of the Lions stunt team the past two seasons. “We are so proud and wish her the best as she goes on to the Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team,” the newsletter reads.
Coffee and Cones owner joins board of directors
by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
DISCOVERY BAY Michael Callahan was sworn in last month as one of the town’s two new Community Services District (CSD) directors.
Callahan fell in love with Discovery Bay when he and his wife, Angel, moved here eight years ago to be near family. They have enjoyed being part of the local community and, in 2016, opened the popular Callahan’s Coffee and Cones, an ice cream and coffee shop on the east side of town.
Last year, when he saw an opportunity to become more involved in local government, Callahan jumped at it, throwing his name in the hat with five other candidates competing for two seats on the CSD board.
Callahan paired up to run with Jill Snowden, but when the votes were counted, Snowden did not make the cut, coming in third place. Callahan said he looks forward to working with Carolyn Graham, who took the other open seat, but hopes Snowden continues her quest to represent her community.
Callahan has been learning the ropes of his new position and touring town facilities as he prepares to bring his own ideas to the table. He hopes to work on improving the town’s often criticized communication style. Though he feels the town is on the right track, he wants to support some improvements.
“It’s not that the town doesn’t have good communication; it’s that the town doesn’t necessarily communicate in the way the residents want,” Callahan specified. “I think the people in the town want to consume information in a different way than we provided that information as a town. That causes frustration and mistrust.”
He noted he has no specific ideas for improving or changing communication right now, as he is presently learning about the laws governing all forms of communication between the town and its residents. Once he has familiarized himself with the guidelines, he plans to present some ideas to the board.
CSD Director Bryon Gutow joined the board two years ago and said he was happy to see Callahan elected. The two met through the town’s chamber of commerce when Callahan opened his store and have interacted on a professional level. Gutow stated he appreciated Callahan’s community support in the past.
“Michael has supported the Lions Club during all the Summer Jam concerts. He’s been an active vendor with his ice cream truck,” Gutow said. “I’m very impressed with him. In the conversations I have had with him, he comes across as very logical, strategic and someone with common sense, so I think he will bring a lot to the table.”
Before presenting any other future plans, Callahan is waiting to see what committee assignments he receives. He hopes to continue working to maintain and support the town’s aging water and wastewater infrastructure, provide new town offices that comply with state regulations and support the town to keep it the wonderful place it already is.
Between his public duties for the CSD board and running his ice cream shop, Callahan still has his 9 to 5 job managing technology solutions for an out-of-state hedge fund.
“I love the town, and I love all the people here,” he said. “I would do anything that I possibly could to make all of our friends’ lives a little better.” Michael Callahan, owner of Coffee and Cones in Discovery Bay was recently sworn in as a new member of the town’s Community Services District.
Photo by Tony Kukulich
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