After two years away from performing, the Blue Devils did not fail to live up to their reputation as the finest drum corps in the world when they completed an undefeated season last Saturday night in front of nearly 21,000 fans to win the Concord corps’ 20th Drum Corps International World Championship. And unlike their most recent DCI title in 2019— before COVID brought the activity to a halt for two years—when the Blue Devils had to overcome season-long favored Bluecoats on the last weekend, this season’s corps won every competition on its coast-to-coast schedule. Its score of 98.75 is the highest winning total since 2014 when, of course, the Blue Devils posted the all-time record of 99.65. That year was also the first for Pat Seidling serving as A Corps Director. He joined the Blue Devils in 2007 and 15 years later says, “I’m one of the new guys [on the staff].” Seidling says the late Hall of Fame Executive Director Jerry Seawright always said of the Blue Devils, “It’s about the people.”
True Blue: Devils don’t miss a beat with undefeated 20th world championship
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BD’S STRENGTH He says the organization returned almost intact after the pandemic from those working in the Blue Devils bingo hall to cooks and drivers to performance staff because, “the Blue Devils take care of its people withOverrespect.”500 “ambitious, dedicated and talented” young people auditioned for this year’s A Corps which ended up with 164 members after DCI upped the maximum total from 150 to 165 this year. Of that total, 88 were from California (evenly split between North and South), plus three from Japan, one from England and the others from 25 states. Only 21 members returned from 2019 A Corps. Snare drummer Riley Giadone, a 2020 Clayton Valley Charter High School grad, was the only local member of the A BlueCorps.Devils were founded in the Concord home of Tony and Ann Odello in 1957. This DCI Golden Anniversary Season coincided with the 65th anniversary year for the Blue Devils and their performances were all golden. This season holds a special place in Blue Devils annals after the 2020 and 2021 seasons were lost to the pandemic. During that time co-founder Ann Odello and Gail Schultz, “the face, heart and soul of the Blue Devils,” both died. At the three-day World There have been efforts on behalf of the Port Chicago 50 ever since Eleanor Roosevelt and Thurgood Marshall took up their cause in the 1940s. But Jason Felisbret, whose uncle was killed in the explosion, is “cautiously optimistic” about success this time for those convicted of mutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution last month seeking public exoneration for the 50 Black sailors who refused to work after the July 17, 1944, accident at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine.Inthe then racially segregated Navy, many white sailors were granted leave but the Black men were ordered back to the docks after the munition explosion killed 320 and injured another 390. “This would be tremendous, and it would go a long way toward helping the family members actually come to some sort of closure on this issue,” Felisbret said of the exoneration proposal. “It should be a badge of honor that our relatives served in a war effort, but there’s this stain on their memories that we would absolutely like removed.”“Fulfilling our nation’s founding promise of equality and justice for all requires confronting our past and working to right historical injustices,” said Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of Concord, who spearheaded the measure along with Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland. The House vote came just days before a July 16 ceremony in Concord marking the 78th anniversary of the worst home-front disaster of WWII. As part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the proposal directs the secretary of the Navy to publicly exonerate the men. According to DeSaulnier’s office, the Senate’s version of the NDAA does not include any provisions on the Port Chicago 50. “A conference will be convened to resolve the differences between the two bills,” said press secretary Mairead Glowacki, who noted that the House has included hope for exoneration of Port Chicago 50
PEGGY SPEAR Correspondent See Vu, page 8See Election, page 7 Four graduationhighdegrees,collegethenschool JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
KRISTIN CONNELLY VICKI GORDON JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer See Blue Devils, pg 3 BEV BRITTON The Pioneer See Resolution page 8
County clerk-recorder race isn’t the heart
August 19, 2022 www.PioneerPublishers.com PRSRTSTD US 94517POSTAGEPAIDCLAYTON,CAPERMIT190PostalCustomerECRWSS Next Septemberissue, 16, Deadline, 9/6/22
VOTINGADVOCACYATTHESTATELEVEL Connelly’s interest in voting and voter registration is a long one. As a high school student from Martinez, she spoke in front of the state Legislature about making it easier for students to register to vote.
faint of
Photo by Liset Garcia courtesy of the Blue Devils Color Guard member Nicholas Chong of Danville performs in the opening movement of the Blue Devils “Tempus Blue” program, which won the Concord organization’s 20th DCI World Championship Saturday night in front of 20,705 fans in Indianapolis. The Blue Devils were undefeated during DCI’s Golden Anniversary season, the eighth time they did not lose a single competition enroute to the world title. There were 541 seniors in the Clayton Valley Charter Class of 2022 who crossed the stage at the Concord Pavilion June 2 to get their high school diploma. Eli Vu of Concord was probably the one grad who could say that the ceremony was “old hat” after what he had experienced two weeks earlier. You see, while Vu was spending four years at CVCHS meeting school and state requirements for graduation and earning a place in the National Honor Society, he also was taking Diablo Valley College classes to earn four associates degrees, which had been bestowed on him May 20 in the Pleasant Hill campus football stadium. Now preparing to start the next phase of his education at UC Davis next month, Vu harkens back to his middle school years at Tabernacle School for the start of his unique educational journey. Mathematics has always been his favorite subject. Tabernacle, a Christian school in Concord, allows middle school students to take pre-algebra in seventh grade. Vu did that and took an online algebra class that summer, allowing him to take geometry in eighth grade. That summer online course opened up a whole new path for the inquisitive student as he prepared for his freshman year
New
Jason Felisbret spoke at a New York performance of “Port Chicago 50” in July, urging audience members to contact elected officials in support of exoneration.
Eli Vu graduated from Clayton Valley Charter this spring two weeks after he collected his first college diploma from Diablo Valley College.
For most residents, the Contra Costa County clerkrecorder-registrar of voters position seems to get lost in the shuffle of governmental bureaucracy.Everytwo years or so, they see the return address on election information or they pass through the recorder’s office to obtain wedding licenses, birth certificates, death certificates –important public records requests, to be sure. At least that’s how it used to be. Then 2020 happened. Voter registration offices across the country were thrust in the national spotlight over the issue of voter fraud. This included polite questions about the security of mail-in voting to death threats by people who did not like election results. Voting offices throughout the United States have become Ground Zero for what some pundits and elected officials have termed “the heart of our democracy.”That’snot lost on the two candidates running for Contra Costa’s clerk-recorder-registrar of voters position, the first time in nine years that there has not been an incumbent on the ballot. Candidates Kristin Connelly and Vicki Gordon have said that voter transparency is their No. 1 priority if elected.“This is important work,” says Connelly, the president and CEO of the East Bay Leadership Council and a trustee on the Acalanes Board of Education.
Main house is 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 1955 sf with updated kitchen & downstairs primary bedroom. Property offers two additional guest houses. Great horse property with big barn offering 3 stalls plus large covered paddock, tack room, & attached workshop/studio. 3 fenced pastures & riding ring. City water. $1,249,000
Page 2 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022 304 Windmill Canyon Pl. . . . . . $1,010,000 . .1493 . . .3/2 . . . .7/5/2022 3049 Miwok Way. . . . . . . . . . . $1,575,000 . .3596 . . .5/3 . . . .7/6/2022 119 La Encinal Ct. . . . . . . . . . . $1,330,000 . .2390 . . .4/2.5 . .7/7/2022 414 Mt Sequoia Ct. . . . . . . . . . $1,120,000 . .2325 . . .4/2 . . .7/13/2022 583 Mt Dell Dr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $840,000 . .1659 . . .3/2 . . .7/15/2022 1 Malibu Ct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,072,000 . .2010 . . .4/2.5 .7/21/2022 459 Grenache Cir. . . . . . . . . . . $1,350,000 . . .2116 . . .4/2.5 .7/27/2022 980 Autumn Oak Cir. . . . . . . . . . $1,479,000 . .3447 . .5/3.5 .7/12/2022 4136 Calaveras Dr. . . . . . . . . . . . . $900,000 . .1673 . .4/2 . .7/15/2022 1036 Oak Grove Rd #111. . . . . . . $325,000 . . .671 . .1/1 . .7/18/2022 1875 Renee Way. . . . . . . . . . . . $1,550,000 . .3209 . .4/3.5 .7/21/2022 1248 Plumleigh Ln. . . . . . . . . . . . . $765,000 . .1393 . .3/2 . .7/22/2022 749 San Mateo Ct. . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000,000 . .1633 . .4/2 . .7/26/2022 1665 Dugan Ct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250,000 . .2000 . .4/2 . .7/27/2022 Concord/Clayton Market Update provided by Better Homes Realty Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated. Better Homes BRE# 02102698 CONCORD P RICE SF BED/BATH DATE CLAYTON PRICE SF BED/BATH DATE jenstojanovich@yahoo.comgeorgevujnovich@sbcglobal.net925-672-4433BrokerVujnovichGeorgecell:925-348-5700JenniferStojanovichBroker925-567-6170925-672-4433www.georgevujnovich.comwww.jenniferstojanovich.com Cal DRE #01446062 Cal DRE# 00711036 Jennifer & George are Clayton's #1 Agents for Listings & Sales 2020 & 2021* 140 Mt. Shasta Ct. – Clayton 5316 Oakpoint Ct. – Concord 3660 Morgan Territory Rd. – Clayton Hills.RancherSingleSensationalStoryinDana 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 2325sf on an approx. .24 acre lot with inside laundry room & an attached 3 car garage. Owned home solar. Fantastic court location close to greenbelts, hiking trails & short walk to community pool & playground. $1,120,000 Fantastic “Larson Model” in Windmill Canyon at CountryOakhurstClub. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 2467sf on an approx. .18 acre lot with an attached 2 car garage. Desirable main level bedroom with fully updated bath. Spacious primary bedroom with double door entry includes semi vaulted ceiling & sitting area with views. Park-like lot boasts a wooded setting with mature trees & large deck. $1,195,000 Charming Dana Hills Single Story Rancher tucked away at the end of the court near greenbelt. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 2255sf on an approx. .25 acre lot with inside laundry room & an attached 2 car garage. Expanded family room offers semi vaulted wood beam ceiling & stone gas fireplace. Separate Junior Suite features bedroom & full bath. Backyard includes large patio area, lush lawn, big side yard & more. $1,049,000 414 Mt. Sequoia Ct. – Clayton Custom Built Ranch tacularacresDiablofoothillsnestledhomeintheofMt.on6+withspec-views.
*Ranking is from CCAR MLS based on sales & listings combined by units & volumes, sales by units and volume and listings by units. Desirable Crystyl Ranch home tucked away on a court location with resort style backyard. 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 3583 sf on an approx. .37 acre lot with an attached 3 car garage. Downstairs full bedroom & bath. Huge primary bedroom with large walk-in closet, two way fireplace, separate retreat & French doors to balcony overlooking backyard. Backyard oasis features inground freeform pool w/cascading waterfall & slide, outdoor fireplace, BBQ island & much more. $1,595,000
1831 Eagle Peak Ave. – Clayton Terrific Townhome in ‘The community.Village’ 3 bedrooms plus den, 2.5 baths, approx. 2010 sf with an attached 2 car garage. Centrally located near top rated schools, Heather Farm park, freeway access, BART, shopping & walking trails. 1956 Stratton Circle – Walnut Creek SOLDMultiple OffersSOLDMultiple Offers ComingSoonComingSoon!PENDINGPENDING Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been veriAll verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. fied. All measurements and square footage are approximate. Clayton Compass Team • 925.673.2188 6200 Center St. Ste E, Clayton, CA 94517 Next door to Eds Mudville Grill See what your Clayton Compass Office has to offer Desirable 4 bed, 2.5 bath freshly painted home in Silvercreek II. Single story on a quarter acre lot. Beautiful kitchen that opens to informal dining and family rooms. Sun filled backyard with deck and grass area for entertaining. Kelly McDougall | 4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | $1,150,000 925.787.0448 Kelly.McDougall@compass.com DRE 01156462 1858 Yolanda Circle, Clayton Wonderful floor plan windows.andvaultedingformalincludingliving/din-roomswithceilingsawallof4bedroom, 2.5 baths, sun filled kitchen with breakfast nook and loft area perfect for office. Great sized backyard with covered decks and room for play area and/or pool. Close to schools and shopping. Kelly McDougall | 4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | $639,000 925.787.0448 Kelly.McDougall@compass.com DRE 01156462 4612 Deerfield Drive, Antioch Top of the world in Gatedamazing¾homeSingledowntown.storyonnearlyanacrewithviews.andupdated 4 bedroom 3 bath home, with one bedroom and bath separated for a possible in law or guest suite. Relaxing patio off the master, turf lawn and beautifully landcaped grounds. Lynne French Team | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | $2,000,000 925.876.1984 Lynne@LynneFrench.com DRE 01122025 5900 High Street, Clayton Beautifully remodeled 4 bedroom 3 bath home with solar, perfect for freshPlankentertaining.flooring,paint,2skylights and updated kitchen are just a few amenities. Great commute location, also near shopping, dining and entertainment. Community pool and clubhouse available. Pending, taking back up offers. Inge Yarborough | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | $798,000 925.766.6896 inge.yarborough@compass.com DRE 01309306 3701 Ida Drive, Concord Wonderfully updated condo offering 2 conylargegraniteNewerbedrooms.appliances,counters&privatebal-withnoback neighbors. Directly across from Safeway shopping center. In unit laundry! Gorgeous club house available for entertaining and pool. Call Michelle for more information. Michelle Gittleman | 2 Bed | 1 Bath | $399,999 925.768.0352 Michelle@MichelleGittleman.com DRE 01745325 1505 Kirker Pass Rd. #206, Concord CarvingPumpkinOctoberSunday,23Party 6200 Center St, Clayton, CA 94517 (Next Door to Eds Mudville Grill) Save the Date! SalePending NewPrice
Photo courtesy City of Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill library manager Patrick Remer checks out some of the first books during the grand opening celebration July 30.
David Scholz Stakeholders and dignitaries surround Pleasant Hill Mayor Michael Harris and Councilmember Sue Novak as they wield giant scissors during the library’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 30.
Leigh Klock Realtor Senior Real Estate Specialist Accredited Staging Professional Leigh@LeighKlock.com 01874255CalBRE#
This outreach program is just one of many from Diablo Ballet, a professional ballet company performing at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts and internationally for 29 Theyyears.have reached more than 70,000 students, providing creative movement classes to children in Title 1 schools, teens in juvenile hall and teens at the Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit at John Muir Medical TheirCenter.PEEK (Performing Arts Education and Enrichment) program is based on California’s Visual and Performing Arts standards. They also offer adaptive dance at their ballet school in Pleasant Hill for children on the Autism spectrum. Fall classes for Parkinson’s patients begin on Aug. 21. No experience is necessary. For more information, please visit diabloballet.org.
‘ALMOSTMAGICAL’
Blue
DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Parkinson’s patients can experience the power of dance in a new class that provides joy, a sense of community, and increased balance and flexibility. Diablo Ballet began offering this special class in person in July, with Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers receiving free tuition thanks to a grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation.“Thisclass has such a sense of community and family. I’ve seen some amazing things happen,” says instructor Danielle Troyano, who is also part of Diablo Ballet’s professional company.Troyano was certified to teach the class through Mark Morris Dance Center in New York six years ago. At that time, she was a professional ballet dancer with Ballet Idaho and became passionate about this work after seeing her grandfather struggle with the disease. She came to Diablo Ballet two years ago and worked with artistic director Lauren Jonas to bring the program to Contra Costa.
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Nearly 70 years and a fiveminute drive down Oak Park Boulevard from the city’s original 1,200 sq. ft. library, a new, grander home is now available to theBarelycommunity.26occupants could squeeze into the first library, which was on a small parcel across the street from presentday Pleasant Hill Elementary School. In stark contrast, the newest branch in the Contra Costa County library system welcomed about 3,000 visitors who walked, biked and drove to the long-awaited July 30 ribbon-cutting and open house.The new building is a stone’s throw from the octagonal former location with its umbrella-like roof. That library had 10 times as much floor space as the first library, distinguished by pink and greenFourcolors.years after the original library’s opening, the process began for a more modern facility on Oak Park Boulevard. Officials broke ground on March 9, 1960, and it was dedicated 18 months later on Sept. 9, 1961. This facility combined the central library and Pleasant Hill branch into one building. Thus, the Pleasant Hill Library came to be known as the Central Library.
August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 3
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Diablo Ballet class for Parkinson’s patients proves everyone can dance
The local launch occurred during the pandemic and did not take off because of the online nature of the class. However, this summer they offered it in person and worked with the Mt. Diablo Parkinson’s Network. The class filled up with patients and their caregivers who were eager to make connections again. “The class is great. It provides exercise, beautiful music, and it’s very uplifting – almost magical,” says Meena Mehta of Walnut Creek, She attends with her husband Remesh, who was diagnosed four years ago. Mehta says the joyful class makes him feel better. Troyano chooses music that has a positive and uplifting beat, like Frank Sinatra tunes, jazz, Broadway hits and classical music. The class starts with everyone seated and doing upper body stretching, followed by a moment of gratitude. Then arm movements get everyone’s upper bodies swaying. Troyano leads them through some ballet movements, the tango and improvised creative expression. Toward the end of class, participants who can stand use their chairs for balance and add kicks and plies. Some even travel across the room to the theme of “West Side Story.”
Kara Navolio Parkinson’s patients raise their arms as part of Diablo Ballet’s special dance class.
Bigger, better Pleasant Hill library cuts the ribbon
Championships, the Blue Devils not only won the team title but also earned caption awards for Best Visual Performance, Best General Effect and Best Brass Performance (BD’s 25th time taking that award). “It’s amazing,” Blue Devils brass caption head John Meehan said. “After seeing this Top 12, 10 of them in the 90s, and just the performance level of the students, I think we pushed to a new level. The excitement of this group at the Blue Devils isTitleincredible.”No.20 came at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis over a field of 35 corps. In the finals, the Boston Crusaders, who gave the champions their closest placings this season, and the Bluecoats tied for second. This is the 14th time in a row the Blue Devils have placed first or second, including nine DCI World titles since 2007. The team has been in the top five every year since 1975. Seidling says this year’s program “Tempus Blue” was being formulated for the 2020 season before it was called to a halt. The production was inspired by the origin and evolution of the color blue: “Dancing on the historical timeline of this mysterious, dynamic color, the 2022 Blue Devils celebrate their 65th Anniversary with ‘Tempus Blue’.” Music was from such diverse composers as Henry Mancini, Bruno Mars, Dave Glyde and Niccolo Paganini. Blue Devils B Corps, comprised of high school students, returned to DCI Open Division for the first time since 2018 and won the bronze medal last week for their production of “I Am.” Devils, from page 1 Lizet Garcia photo courtesy Blue Devils Snare drummer Riley Giadone (far right) took part in Blue Devils C Corps several years ago before concentrating on school. The 2020 Clayton Valley Charter High School graduate auditioned for A Corps this year and was the lone local member on the World Champion Blue Devils.
KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent
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The new $33 million library, on five acres at 2 Monticello Ave., boasts 25,000 sq. ft. and is home to 60,000 books. As construction was winding down in mid-June, shelving books commenced – a process that continued even 24 hours before the grand“Whenopening.we first started talking about making the transition to this new space, I don’t think any of us truly knew what an undertaking it would be, or just how fantastic the finished product would look,” said Pleasant Hill Mayor Michael G Harris, who lauded all those who were instrumental in fulfilling the vision. He cited key roles played by city staff, the county Board of Supervisors, the Rec and Park District, the county library, Friends of the Library and Library Foundation, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District in cooperation with PG&E, the Central Sanitary District, AT&T and the county Fire Protection District. Harris also noted the efforts of architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, with design help from Margaret Sullivan Studio, the BHM Construction team and Swinerton Management and Consulting and landscaping by EinwillerKuehl and Arborica, for collectively turning the project into a “Ourreality.stakeholders provided us the impetus to move this project forward, but these folks were the boots on the ground who brought the idea to life,” Harris said. “They brought the project in on time and within cost,” he added.Councilmember Sue Noack, who served with Harris on a library subcommittee during the design and construction phase, praised the Pleasant Hill community’s 66 percent support at the ballot box for a half-cent sales tax. That 2016 funding vote was critical for the project’s “Withoutsuccess.thefunds generated through Measure K, we would have been hard pressed to fund the library and make it the outstanding community building you see today,” Novak said.
The joy in the room is palpable, and the power of dance to transform lives is visible while patients who may have had a hard time walking into the class are tapping a beat, doing a modified tango or dancing the cha-cha out the door.
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Page 4 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022 Serving our Local Community since 1977 15% off any Grocery or Bulk Purchase Harvest House Coupon Present this coupon in store to receive 15% off your grocery or bulk Excludespurchase.saleitems, books and cosmetics. Offer not to be combined with other coupons or discount offers. Expires Sept. 30, 2022. Brought to you by the The Pioneer •Huge selection of quality supplement brands. •Friendly, knowledgeable •Widestaff. selection of health and specialty foods. •Vast bulk foods section includes nuts, grains, spices, and •Locallymore.owned & operated for over 40 years. 2395 Monument Blvd., Concord (925) www.Harvesthouse.com676-2305 25% off any PurchaseSupplement Harvest House Coupon Present this coupon in store to receive 25% off your supplement purchase. Excludes sale items, books and cosmetics. Offer not to be combined with other coupons or discount offers. Expires Sept. 30, 2022. Brought to you by the The Pioneer 2395 Monument Blvd., Concord (925) www.Harvesthouse.com676-2305 Harvest House 2395 Monument Blvd. Hours:(925)Concord676-2305 Sunday through Saturday 9 am to 6 pm www.Harvesthouse.com Like us onFind us on Robert Moody 34 Years Selling Clayton Real Estate #1 Listing Broker in Clayton in Top2021*2individual producer Compass Walnut Creek Compass is Clayton's #1 selling brokerage in 2021 Robert.Moody@compass.com925.216.6130 robertmoodybroker.com *Rankings based on the Contra Costa Board of Realtors MLS by volume. Selling your home? Call Robert Moody today ClaytonDRE#00984573Resident SOLD with multiple offers for above asking price. Sold at $1,365,000 Sold with 6 offers for $35,000 above asking price. SOLD for $75,000 above asking price. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1658 sq. ft. 5 bedroom, 3 baths. 2,384 sq. feet. Asking $1,195,000. FOR SALE 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, horses allowed, lot split opportunities, newly remodeled and spectacular. Clayton Border. Asking $1,500,000. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,391 sq. feet. Asking $1,195,000. Amazing location just 3 blocks to downtown. Large .32 acre lot. Asking $1,150,000 FOR SALE 4 bedrooms, 3 baths. Exceptional court location. Full bedroom and bath on street level. 2 Blocks to BART, direct access to Iron Horse trail. Fully remodeled. Asking $1,395,000. Summerset - Over 55 Community. Located on the 3rd fairway of the Brentwood Golf Course. Apx. 2,571 sq. feet apx. Gorgeous hardwood floors throughout, 3 car garage. Asking $775,000 5081 Laurel Dr., Concord 453 Grenache Circle, Clayton 372 Mt. Washington Way, Clayton592 Mt. Dell Dr., Clayton 258 El Pueblo Pl., Clayton SOLD 7/29/22 SOLD 5/11/22 1.18 WalkacretoBART Sale Pending 8/10/22 Coming Soon Clayton PENDING 8/3/22 SOLD55378/3/22Pamplona Ct., Concord 148 Calle Nogales, Walnut Creek 556 Quindell Way, Brentwood
August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 5 One Team. One region.thenal project toormatio City of Concord andpartner with thed toore Project. One Vision sed n. @Concord_Firstrs LLCt PartneConcord Firs atit us at our websitecommunity to visrs of thembeall meinviteWe developments. reuset baslarges, including four of California’sxperiencent eelopmee devreus ee basxtensivhip is a locally led team and has ersality. Our partnect a reproje for a transeCommunity to delivthe , LLC is honorsncord First PartneCo Follow us on Social Media!
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As we continue to experience extremely dry conditions coupled with wildfires starting earlier every year, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) recommends that property owners create defensible space around theirThisstructures.canbe done by removing dead, dry vegetation from roofs, gutters and decks, cutting back trees and limbs to at least 10 feet away from structures, and keeping grass, weeds or brush regularly cut and clear within 30100 feet of structures. Moving indoors, make sure all smoke alarms have fresh batteries and regularly check that they are in good working order. If you live in a zone at risk for wildfires, it is essential that you pack a go-bag with everything you need in the case of an evacuation. If you have pets, keep kennels or crates close and pack their food and medications. Consider collecting sentimental items and important documents in an accessible location for quick access in the event of an evacuation. Backing your car into the driveway will expedite the loading of your belongings. To learn more about how to prepare for wildfires, tion-address.visitConFireresources.proactivecommunitiesbetterchangesdistrict.EastandtratedthetoupdatessewagewithStationandgraduatingtonewobligationincludestheandingservicesofficialsingclosedreopeningDr.4,pleasedprotectionresponseimportanceprep.https://cccfpd.org/wildfire-visitConFireknowstheofaquickandaccesstofiremeasures.IamtosharethatStationlocatedat700HawthorneinWalnutCreek,issoon.Thedistrictmultiplestationsdur-theGreatRecessionasworkedtosustainamidbudgetdeficits.ConFirehasbeenwork-toreopenthisstationimprovethestatusofdistrictasawhole.Thispayingoffpensionbonds,orderingfireenginesthattakeup15monthsfordelivery,twoacademiesbringingthebuildingat4backuptospeedaroofreplacement,linerepairs,interiorandexteriorcleanup.ConFireofficialscontinueshowtheircommitmenttopublic’ssafety,asillus-byreopeningStation4therecentannexationofCountyFireintotheBothoftheseallowConFiretoserveeachofourthroughthedistributionoffireForafulllistofallthestations,District,https://cccfpd.org/sta-
The housing situation in California is undeniably dire for renters, homeowners and prospective buyers alike. The top five most common occupations in California pay less than the wage needed to afford a home – but this is more than just an affordability issue. We must recognize that until we address our housing crisis, we won’t be able to solve the issues that matter most to Californians. For example, enduring longer commutes to access a living wage job increases pollutant emissions, heightens stress that can be detrimental to personal health, decreases priceless time with family and leaves a big dent in our pocketbooks.Housing is environmental justice. Housing is health care. Housing is the economy. And right now, housing is arguably the most pressing issue in California. This is why it is so important to me that we reform our housing policies, spur new production and hold accountable jurisdictions that aren’t doing their parts to build sorely needed projects. Last November, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to build nearly 500 apartment units on a Nordstrom parking lot. Denying smart, affordable, transit-oriented housing exacerbates our existing homelessness and affordability crises, and it puts additional pressure on our Herecommunities.intheEastBay, we feel the burdens when large cities like San Francisco fail to approve new affordable housing developments and place additional strain on our market.San Francisco is the slowest jurisdiction in the state to move housing projects to construction, and it is critical to communities throughout the state that they begin to do more to help California build our way out of this crisis. This is why I am pleased that the Department of Housing and Community Development will conduct the first Housing Policy and Practice Review of San Francisco. This is an important move toward accountability and removing barriers to production. One city building more won’t be enough. We need to remove barriers to construction statewide, and I’m proud to be authoring a number of bills that will do just that. AB 2011, which I am joint-authoring with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, will help us build more homes on underutilized lands while honoring our commitments to our workers. AB 2170 will give California’s families the opportunity to put an offer on a home before Wall Street corporations. AB 2536 will bring transparency and accountability standards to certain fees on development. And AB 2234, a bill I’m co-authoring with Assemblymember Robert Rivas, will bring clarity and streamlining to the post-entitlement housing permit process.Iremain committed to working with the governor, my colleagues and anyone else invested in California’s success to finally turn the corner on our housing crisis and set us on a path to a future where every resident has a stable, affordable home. If you would like to learn more about my housing legislation, or about any other matters important to you, please call my Concord office at 925-521-1511.
From the desk of...
The end of summer is upon us, but what a great summer it was. Our city was alive and vibrant with parades for Pride and the 4th of July, Classic Car Nights, the CBCA BBQ Cook-off and multiple Concerts in the Grove. The final concerts of the season will be the Sun Kings, a Beatles’ tribute band, on Aug. 27 and East Bay Mudd on Sept. 10. Grab a picnic dinner, or dine at one of our local restaurants, and join us 6-8:30 p.m. in The Grove downtown.Iamalways inspired by the coming together of our community. Our unity was most evident as we recently rallied in support of one Clayton family as their 12-year-old faced a medical emergency.
In January 2022, we asked residents in a scientifically valid survey: “What do you think is the most serious issue facing the residents of Concord?” It was an open-ended question and the response was overwhelming, with 51.9% of respondents saying homelessness. Just five years ago, only 13.3% cited homelessness or poverty.Rates of homelessness have increased throughout the state over the last few years, and it is painfully apparent in the Bay Area.The city of Concord has invested money, resources and staff time to address the growing issue, and we will continue to fund critical programs. But it’s not enough. It is time to shift our collective thinking about how we help those who are the most vulnerable, and perhaps the most resistant to treatment – people with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court proposal (SB 1338) is a step in the right direction. Through this program, people like family members could refer individuals with severe mental illness or substance abuse disorders (who are often homeless) to be both prioritized and required to participate in treatment through a court-ordered CAREConcordplan. is proud to support the county’s Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement (CORE) and Mental Health Evaluation (MHET) programs. We dedicate more than $500,000 annually to these programs to provide direct assistance to our unsheltered residents, offering supplies and services, and making referrals to housing and other services. MHET is a partnership between a county mental health specialist and a city police officer who work proactively to provide referrals to outpatient mental health services to help people experiencing significant challenges remain in the community and avoid future crisis intervention and interactions with law enforcement. But our CORE team and our police officers who interface with our unhoused residents on a daily basis confirm that it is very difficult to get individuals with mental health issues to voluntarily accept assistance. Success to date is slow.In June, our CORE team interacted with 176 unhoused individuals and provided 499 services, such as emergency supplies, a shelter bed or transportation. We had five stable exits from the streets. Through the CARE Court, people who suffer most acutely from mental illness and addiction would receive the support they need through a courtordered care plan. Managed by a team in the community, the program would include clinically prescribed, individualized interventions, supportive services, medication and a housing plan. This specific and personalized approach would help individuals leave homelessness and begin to heal with the right supportHowever,system. to successfully achieve this outcome, counties need additional resources that will allow them to fulfill their new responsibilities and obligations under the statewide plan. Counties will need adequate and sustained funding to provide behavioral health, legal support, public guardians and other socialWeservices.havean opportunity to try something different, to change our approach and insist on treatment for those who cannot help themselves. Email questions and comments to the mayor Dominic.Aliano@cityofconcord.orgat
After two years of limited gatherings because of the COVID-19 virus, I’m delighted to let you know that our annual Community Service Day (CSD) is back in 2022 with gusto. Did you miss the community gathering at Pleasant Hill Park and the Lion’s Club free breakfast to start your day? Did you miss working hand-in-hand with families, friends and neighbors on projects to make our community an even better place to live and raise a family? Then join our community at Pleasant Hill’s 18th annual Community Service Day on Saturday, Sept. 24, and help “Build a Better Pleasant Hill.” The event begins 7:30-9 a.m. at Pleasant Hill Park with registration and a pancake breakfast provided by the Lion’s Club. The first 500 volunteers will also get free T-shirts. Then enjoy working together on projects that will improve the quality of life in our city. There will be more than 20 projects at school sites, parks, Grayson Creek and other locations. You can sign up for the Bike Buildathon at Pleasant Hill Park, the sewing project, the Contra Costa Food Bank Drive and many other great community projects. There are projects for people of all ages and abilities. CSD registration is on the city website at helpingectsaregrouporganization,churchca.org/volunteer.www.pleasanthill-You,yourgroup,business,localschool,non-profitorchildren’syouthgroupencouragedtosubmitproj-youthinkareimportantinmakePleasantHillthe best it can be. Deadline for project submissions is Sept. 15. The Pleasant Hill Civic Action Commission organizes CSD, with support from many local schools, churches and civic groups. When I created CSD in 2005, I had no idea that 18 years later, the event would have logged almost 50,000 volunteer hours to improve the Pleasant Hill community. Together we •Cleanedhave: up neighborhoods, schools, parks and creeks.
Compassionate community rallies to support family in time of loss
Holding San Francisco accountable for housing production
Within 90 minutes of a shared Facebook post about their circumstance, more than 500 Claytonians gathered spontaneously in The Grove to hold an evening prayer vigil for the child and family. Upon learning of the child’s passing, people have donated more than $85,000 to a GoFundMe account in the child’s name. This is the Clayton I know, with a huge heart and beautiful spirit, supporting one another in times of need. This makes us truly special as a community.Thereare some who say that Clayton is a divided city, and they are the first ones to extol political differences and distort facts to try to divide us further. While it is true that there may be differing policy opinions, I say that we have much in common with our neighbors and a deep-seated love for our city. Friends, as we get into the election season these next few months, let’s focus on our commonalities and what brings us together. A recent poll showed a 94% satisfaction rate among residents living in this amazing city. While there will always be those perpetually unsatisfied folk, who will try to magnify insignificant differences, please take their election rhetoric with a grain of salt and don’t be afraid to reach out to each candidate individually to find out who they really are and what their vision is for Clayton.Itisin our city motto, Do the Right Thing, Because It Is the Right Thing To Do, that we hold our values and instill in our children. In the end, Clayton is the city where we feel safe, love our community, raise our children with confidence and enjoy life. Our future is bright. As always, you can reach me at peterc@claytonca.gov or 925-6737320. It’s (still) fire season. Are you prepared? Go-bag packed?
New state program would help the most vulnerable homeless
Volunteers ready to ‘Build a Better Pleasant Hill’ will find plenty to do on Community Service Day
Please feel free to call my office with any questions at 925-6552350 or email mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us.supervisor- See Harris, page 7 KAREN MITCHOFF COUNTY SUPERVISOR TIM GRAYSON 14TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT DOMINIC ALIANO CONCORD MAYOR PETER CLOVEN CLAYTON MAYOR MICHAEL G. HARRIS PLEASANT HILL MAYOR
•Donated blood 50 tons the Food Bank of Contra Costa & seniors Pleasantneed. Hill’s Community Service Day has been the inspiration for other cities to start their own volunteer service projects. CSD received the prestigious Helen Putnam Award from the League of California Cities for the best community service project in the It’sstate.a wonderful opportunity for families to work together on something truly worthwhile. Volunteering with members of your family will create special memories to treasure long after the day is over. Think of the lessons you’ll be teaching your children – and how good you will feel knowing that you helped “Build a Better Pleasant Hill.” “Less Talk, More Action” was the theme of Pleasant Hill’s second Community Service Day. So, let’s have “Less Talk, More Action” on Sept. 24. If you can’t join us, I hope you will look for other ways to help our community. Thank you. Email questions and comments for Mayor Harris mharris4ph@gmail.comto Harris, from page 6 18 – Aug. 12, 2022 Aug. 24, Aug. 29, 2022 Sent Out Oct. 10, 2022 Deadline Oct. 24, 2022 Day to Request Vote by Mail Ballot Nov. 1, 2022 Day Nov. 8, 2022 Deadline / Final Results Dec. 8, 2022
CIRCULATION The Pioneer is delivered monthly by the third Friday to 38,500 single-family homes and businesses in 94518, 94519 and 94521. Papers to Clayton are delivered by US mail. Concord zip codes are delivered by commercial carriers for ABC Direct. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 . Effective with the June 5, 2020 issue, delivery to homes will rotate between zones. Residents in our delivery area (check website for map),will receive free delivery EVERY OTHER MONTH.
PUSHING THROUGH MEDIA FRENZY Speaking of battles, it’s hard to win an election when you are fighting on two fronts: one for votes and another against negative media reports. Yet that’s what Gordon is doing. The second-place finisher in the primary behind Connelly, Gordon is currently a major news story herself. A resident of Pleasant Hill accused Gordon of stealing an election sign for one of her competitors in the June primary, Devin Murphy. “That was totally misrepresented,” Gordon says. “I like Devin and told him I would support him if he came in one of the two top spots.” Gordon says she thought the sign was placed in an illegal location and didn’t want Murphy to get in trouble. The homeowner where the sign was placed disagreed, saying the sign was on private property. The story blew up on local community websites and other media outlets. With a long history in educational leadership, Gordon insists she would do nothing like that. She just wants a fair election for everyone, which is why she is running for the office. “People are just looking for a scandal,” she says. “I want to make sure there are no scandals for anyone seeking office in Contra Costa County.”
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HELPINGCRIMEVICTIMS Pride Weekend 2022, a 22year-old transwoman of color goes on a date with a cisgender man. Thankfully, she is picked up off the highway at the end of the night as she is running for her life, unclothed and somehow having survived a gunshot to the head. Her date intended to kill her. The phone call came into our organization, asking if we would be able to house her as she was couch-surfing before this horrific night. We would have to wait three weeks, when she was discharged from the hospital, to take her in. She turned 23 in the hospital, just a few days after being shot.Rainbow is being refunded for one year by the California Office of Emergency Services’ Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund, which is the reason our Houseless Transitional Youth Program is able to exist likelyLGBTQhomelessnessmillioncrime.gramssupportingresstional-youth-program).bowcc.org/homeless-transi-(https://www.rain-Con-createdtheVOCAfund1984toprovidefederaltostateandlocalpro-thatassistvictimsofIntheUnitedStates,4.2youthexperienceeachyear,withyouth120%moretoexperiencehomelessness than their non-LGBTQ peers withwhenissue.homelessnessforthey’llple,theareweLGBTQIA+thehomelessnessinnovativeeducationchangingRainbowed.org).(https://truecolorsunit-LikeTrueColorsUnited,iscommittedtothesenumbersbyandimplementingsolutionsforyouththatfocusonuniqueexperiencesofouryoungpeople.Ifcanensurethatservicessafeforandaffirmingofmostimpactedyoungpeo-wecanbeconfidentthatbesafeandaffirmingeveryone.WebelievethatyouthisacommunityRealchangecanhappenpeoplecometogetherasharedvision.phone number. We will not print anonymous letters. E-mail your letter to E-mail.ers.com.tamara@pioneerpublish-Lettersmustbesubmittedvia
“It would be kind of like getting a driver’s license –something they would look forward to when they turned 18,” she says. “They didn’t all have to vote, but at least we would have done our best as a state to get people registered.” The bill failed down party lines in a then-Republican-led Legislature, but Connelly never stopped trying. Her long record of public service continued in college, after the Bush vs. Gore and “hanging chad” election fueled what she says is her “commitment to fair, impartial and secure Connellyelections.”puther interest into action, organizing law students to volunteer as non-partisan poll monitors in Cleveland and later training lawyers to handle election day calls from voters with questions or who were experiencing difficulties“Votervoting.fraud is not new,” she says. “It’s been going on for years and years.” From her own perspective, “and now I’m dating myself,” she says, she witnessed the lengths some “interests” will go to suppress the vote, including fraudulent signs directing voters to a non-existent polling place and a fake MySpace page targeted at college students erroneously stating that members of one party voted on Tuesday and members of the other major party were supposed to vote on Wednesday –the day after the election. She echoes the sentiment that now, more than ever, “misinformation about voting and elections is a threat to our democracy.” And that compelled her to run for office. From a public records standpoint, she wants to use technology to get records faster and more efficiently and see best practices from other counties around the state. Connelly often speaks with community groups who believe that mail-in voting is illegal, and she spends a lot of time explaining how it works and how much more time and care it Connellytakes. received endorsements from U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, State Sen. Steve Glazer, Assemblymembers Tim Grayson and Rebecca Bauer Kahan, Concord Mayor Dominic Aliano, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember Ken Carlson, himself in a battle for county supervisor.
mayonDaycessing.returnedthetions.options/secure-ballot-drop-boxeswww.cocovote.us/registration-and-voting-Seeforloca-BallotsarecollectedfromUSPSanddropboxesbytheclerk’sstaffandtotheclerk’swarehouseforpro-BallotsmustbepostmarkedbyElectionorreturnedtoadropboxbefore8p.m.ElectionDay.NotethatallcompletedMail-inballotsalsobedroppedoffatanypollingplace. and Candidate Information KIKU JOHNSON ALLTHE COLORS scores of beautiful organic 1,000 bicycles for donation to children in need.
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The clerk-recorder’s office emails people when their ballots arrive, but she says that’s not enough. “Transparency: We want people to know what happens to their ballots and how their votes are counted.” Secondly, she wants to increase outreach and education – not only about registering to vote but following through and voting. Like Connelly, she encourages all schools and community colleges to take more of a role in educating young people on registering and about the issues at hand. She also wants to increase the diversity of voters, encouraging those in disenfranchised neighborhoods to get active in local politics and realize that “everyone’s vote matters.” She is encouraging more mobile sites to registerGordonvoters.saysher strengths lie in engagement and networking. “We have to get to different organizations, faith communities and veterans’ services to register voters, educate them about mailin ballots and make sure they know they can make a difference,” she Gordonsays.served as a trustee of the Martinez Unified School District for 15 years and as a member of the Contra Costa Community College Board for eight years. Her late father-inlaw, George Gordon, was considered the “father of the community college district” and served as a trustee for 28 years. More recently, she served as chair of the West Contra Costa Unified School District’s Independent Redistricting Commission. She says she worked to ensure that “all members of the public were heard and that the many communities inside WCCUSD would have a voice in districtGordonelections.”isalso a member of the State Community College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statewide Taskforce, working to overcome historical barriers to inequitableAnothereducation.one of her strengths, she says, is customer service, and she aims to make the recorder’s office handle requests swiftly and accurately. She too is endorsed by Glazer, as well as former clerkrecorder Steve Weir. Other supporters span the county, including members of city councils from Brentwood to Hercules. In this race, two dynamic women aim to bring the ClerkRecorder-Elections Department into the third decade of the 21st century with a bang.
Voters can sign up to receive notifications about when their ballot is mailed, received, and counted by WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.visiting Voters can also use theMy Voting Informationtool on the www.cocovote.us/ website to confirm if their ballot has been issued or received by the county clerk’s office. Ballots should be marked using blue or black ink and placed into the return envelope. The envelope must be signed and sealed. Voters do not need a new ballot if a mistake was made when marking it. They should simply mark the ballot in a way that makes their intention clear. If a ballot is physically damaged or lost, a voter can request a Postagereplacement.ispaidonall return ballots and can be dropped in any mailbox. Ballots can also be returned to aSecure Drop Box.
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Gordon has three top priorities if elected. First, she wants to make sure people aren’t afraid of mail-in“Peopleballots.get their ballots two months before an election. If they fill them out and mail them, they need to know they are safe.”
2022 Deadline to file Rebuttal Arguments
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Financial, Insurance and Legal Services State-Farm, Tim McGallian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Home and Garden Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920 R&M Pool, Patio, Gift & Garden . . . . . . . . . . . .627-0207 Safe at Home, Inspection Service . . . . . . . . . . .318-1440 Skim ‘n’ Dip – Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-5609 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 Whit’s Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429-2669 Pets Cooperative Care Training . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-408-7162 Real Estate, Housing and Mortgage Services French, Lynne – Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 McDougall, Kelly – Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-0448 Moody, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6130 Moore, Wendy – Berkshire Hathaway . . . . . . . .570-5187 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . .567-6170 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . .672-4433 Restaurants and Events Concord Music and Market . . . . . . . . .CityofConcord.org Groveside Bistro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0310 Senior Services & Hospice Care Center for Elders’ Independence . . . . . . . .833-802-1150 Hope Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .829-8770 Services, Other ComputersUSA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Concord First Partners . . . . . .ConcordFirstPartners.com No-H2O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.noh2o.com Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9113 Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029 Shopping Harvest House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-2305 Therapy/ Counseling Montijo, Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .775-9981 Directory of Advertisers All phone numbers 925 area code unless otherwise noted “If you get pregnant, you are out of this house,” my mother’s voice boomed, framed by an exceptionally strained expression. I was 11. I knew this much about sex = 0.I practiced high jumps off the swings with a boy on my school playground. I knew I was expected to like boys, being told that’s what girls did, but all I wanted to do was jump farther than him off the swings. My mother’s fear of me becoming pregnant could find me with no home? Wandering the streets? Scavenging for food and shelter? I did not even come out as queer yet. Coming out was 10 years later, and thank goodness I was then 21 and living on my own. My mother’s threats also included not talking back to her, not finishing my dinner, not getting the top grades in school, having chapped lips in our Midwest winters and the list goes on. As an immigrant, there is no denying my mother was fearful of so many possible ways she may be judged. And in the early ’80s, one of them was having a daughter that was seen as sexually promiscuous.
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Kiku Johnson is Rainbow Community Center’s executive director. As a man of color and trans experience, Kiku has invested his life engaging and elevating youth and adult voices of marginalized intersectional identities. Send questions and comments to kiku@rainbowcc.org. August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 7 P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARAAND 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, Bev Britton C ORRESPONDENTS : Karen Jenkins, Kara Navolio, Pamela Michaels, David Scholz, PIONEERCONTACTINFOUS Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner editor@pioneerpublishers.com(925)285-8612 Send Ads to ads@pioneerpublishers.com Send Sports News to sports@pioneerpublishers.com Send Calendar Items to CA620094517.Steiner,Pioneer,papersbycode94518,andlicationcalendar@pioneerpublishers.comThePioneerisamonthlypub-deliveredfreetohomesbusinessesin94517,94519and94521.ZIP94520iscurrentlyserveddropsitedistribution.ThearepublishedbyClaytonInc.,TamaraandRobertPO1246,Clayton,CATheofficesarelocatedatCenterSt.SuiteF,Clayton,94517 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include name, address and daytime tele-
FOURDEGREES By the time he was wrapping up his senior year in high school, Vu had taken enough DVC general education courses and specific major required classes in order to qualify for associate degrees in mathematics, economics, political science and administration of justice. Beyond the 20 classes he took at DVC he also was able to apply four AP test results from high school advance placement classes to complete the requirements for those four degrees.While doing all that studying, Vu fit in four years of volleyball for the Ugly Eagles, including two years on varsity, as well as being in the National Honor Society and CVCHS LinkAndCrew.Vu wasn’t just skating through those classes, he got an A in every single high school and college class for unweighted 4.0 GPAs.
Page 8 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022
While not as deadly as COVID-19, monkeypox is still serious Vu, from page 1 NATHALIE MONTIJO NEW WAVE NIGHTINGALE Design /Build
It is easy to misunderstand the functioning of the Brown Act, especially if you are familiar with disregarding it in the last century. This Concord City Council has gone through a heightened education and focus on the Brown Act. We see this in the recent discussion on the selection of an ad hoc committee to work with staff on the development of a Term Sheet for the base. One of the fundamental aspects of the Brown Act is that a quorum of the council (three members) may not discuss an item that is or will be before the council outside of the agendized council meetings.This means that, in practice, the council breaks into pairs – or Brownies, as they are called informally. There is always one person left out. In the case of the base Dominic Aliano and I are one pair and Tim McGallian and Laura Hoffmeister are another. Carlyn Obringer is the odd personWhenout. it comes to forming an ad hoc committee, there would have been only two choices: Dominic/Edi or Tim/Laura. No mixing is allowed under strict guidance by our city attorney, because it would be a violation that would create a serial meeting. In making the pairings, you have to take into account the ability of the group to focus on the problem over many months and their experience in the area. The sudden, significant distractions at the time for one of the pairs and the fact that the Dominic/Edi team worked with staff the prior year to draft the Request for Summary of Qualification pushed things to the selection. It is often the case that those who disagree with a decision will disregard any respectful explanation on why the decision was made and will quickly descend into hideous name-calling and innuendo. There are those who only allow themselves to perceive decisions made to enhance themselves or others rather than the simple fact that decisions will continue to be made on what is best for the city. Such folks are simply sad.One last thing about ad hoc committees to help with staff and development: As mayor in 2018, I faced a similar situation with Lennar and staff and I appointed an ad hoc committee to deal with it. So having such committees is not a new thing. I hope that the perception and background of the ad hoc committee function is now clearer. Edi Birsan is a member of the Concord City Council. However, opinions expressed in this column are his alone and do not reflect those of the city. Send comments and questions EdiBirsan@gmail.com.to
There are two effective vaccines to combat monkeypox and a massive public health mobilization to quickly deliver them to those at highest risk, but vaccines stores are woefully low as the world was unprepared to deal with yet another large-scale disease outbreak.Theearly symptoms of monkeypox resemble the flu (Doesn’t everything?): fever, malaise, swollen lymph nodes and body aches. One to three (or more) days after onset of fever, the characteristic rash develops. The rash can appear on any part of the body but is commonly found in the groin, hands, feet, chest, mouth and face.The rash generally begins as small firm bumps that evolve into blisters as the disease progresses. These lesions may initially be painful but become itchy as healing begins. A person remains contagious until all the lesions have crusted, healed and resolved.Human to human monkeypox is most efficiently spread through direct contact with the rash of an infected person. It can also be spread during prolonged face-to-face contact through respiratory droplets. It is possible to contract the disease through contact with clothing or linens that have touched the lesions of an infected person.
At a time when we at the top of the primate pile have had more than enough infectious diseases over which to obsess, enter monkeypox. The name itself does nothing to alleviate that vague sense of terror with which we have all grown accustomed to living. Thankfully, monkeypox does not appear destined to be the thing that ends us all –but it is making its presence felt.As of Aug. 10, the United States had tracked more than 10,000 cases. Earlier this month, Johns Hopkins identified 26,000 cases globally. Monkeypox is a viral disease of the Orthopoxvirus genus. This group includes some bona-fide bad biology like smallpox as well as some more benevolent variants such as cowpox. Observed by physician/vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner, cowpox was common in dairymaids who appeared as a group to have an uncanny immunity to smallpox. Using cowpox, Jenner developed and administered the first rudimentary but effective smallpox vaccine in 1796. The word “vaccine” actually derives from the Latin word for cow.
EDI BIRSAN CPULSEOFONCORD
The U.S. Congress began looking into the case in the 1990s, led by East Bay Rep. George Miller. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed an NDAA that established the Concord memorial as part of the National Park Service. According to the Friends’ website, the memorial “commemorates the historical significance of the Port Chicago disaster and its impact on African-American history and the United States Armed Services.”Taking it one step further, the Friends are working to get a Port Chicago plaque at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno. Felisbret, who has experience as a voiceover artist, recorded an audio version of Allen’s book to benefit the foundation’s efforts. “I’ve visited the headstones in Golden Gate Cemetery, and there is no context – just ‘Unknown Sailor’ with a date. But at this time, we know who they are,” said Felisbret. For more information, visit nps.gov/poch or portchicagomemorial.org. “The Port Chicago Mutiny” audiobook is available on Audible and iTunes.
Perhaps that perfection was incentivized by his experience in the last quarter at Tabernacle. He took an elective class in cross stitching. He lost his final project, which dropped his grade to a B, his only one in middle school. Vu didn’t use the age-old “that my dog ate my homework” excuse. “I actually lost the project,” he said while adding he was extremely upset about it.
RECOGNITIONATGRAVESITE
Officials first identified monkeypox in 1958 in a colony of monkeys kept for research, leading to the slightly misleading moniker. It is far more common in rodents and may be passed to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected animal.Although this disease has heretofore been observed primarily in Central and West African countries, there is a significant uptick in cases in Europe, Canada and the United States. It is spreading much faster than anyone anticipated.
After receiving acceptances to UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Davis, Vu selected the latter because its medical school in Sacramento is directly part of Davis and he felt that was his best option to be involved in research during his college years.Also, his best friend Alexander Akl from Clayton Valley, will also be enrolling there. The two didn’t know each other as freshmen but met that summer, ironically, when they were taking the same calculus class at DVC. He will be starting his UC Davis classes next month, but before then he has to finalize paperwork with the College Board on two of his AP tests in order to complete the materials needed by DVC to formalize his poli sci and econ degrees. When that is done Davis will recognize him as a junior in standing. Vu aspires to become a doctor “using mathematics and medicine to help people.”
inDesign /Build Experts Specializing www.DiabloLawnScape.comin 958849Lic.# ü Landscape
the plan in three NDAAS since 2019.
For his final three years of high school Vu not only had his full load of six classes at Clayton Valley Charter but also took courses summer, fall and spring semesters at DVC.
CHOOSES UC DAVIS
The usual route for a person entering their junior year in college would be two years for their bachelor’s degree, four years of medical school and then 3-6 years in residency. If someone were to place odds on that timetable for Eli Vu, I might just take the under. Experts Specializing ü Pergolas ü Retaining Walls ü Hardscape ü Drainage ü Outdoor Kitchens ü Irrigation ü Lighting ü Grading/Excavating 925-381-3757 Seaman Second Class John B. Felisbret was among the 320 killed during the 1944 explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine.
The Navy granted the 50 clemency after WWII, and President Bill Clinton signed a pardon in 1999 for Frederick Meeks. Felisbret believes the key to full exoneration is telling – and retelling – the sailors’ story. That’s why he joined the board for the Friends of the Port Chicago National Memorial. “We exist as a partner with the National Park Service with two overall objectives: the first being to share the story to gain awareness and the second is to gain full exoneration for the full 50,” he said. “The best way to do that is to make sure people are aware of the story – our elected officials and the masses.”Tothat end, the New Jersey resident took to the stage last month before a production of Dennis Rowe’s “Port Chicago 50” in SoHo. “I briefly spoke about this effort in Congress and asked people in the audience to write their Congressmen, write their senators – see if we can get more hands to help share the story.” Felisbret attended the play with 11 other relatives of Seaman Second Class John B. Felisbret, who was “about 17” when he died at Port Chicago. The sailor’s sister, Mary Elizabeth Garrett, is Jason Felisbret’sGarrett,mother.now 85, told family members the Port Chicago story in the early 2000s. “She bought 20 copies of Robert L. Allen’s book, ‘The Port Chicago Mutiny,’ and gave them to all the nieces and nephews. With the book, she included pictures of her brother Junie – that was her nickname for him.” In addition to Allen’s book and Rowe’s play, the tragedy has been depicted in an episode of the TV show “JAG,” a documentary narrated by Danny Glover and a TV film produced by Morgan Freeman.
In health-care settings, workers employ contact precautions that involve Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including a gown, gloves and mask.The best means of protection from monkeypox – and most everything else – is exemplary hand hygiene practices. Remaining mindful of what we touch and frequently gelling and/or washing hands is the most effective way of curbing the spread of disease. The greater the community participation in basic hand hygiene principles and practices, the safer we will all be from the scourge of microbial disease.Inthe words of some other famous Monkees: “You know that it’s true. It’s a little bit me, and it’s a little bit you … too.” Send comments and question to newwavenightingale@gmail.com. at Clayton Valley Charter when he would be entering public school for the first time after nine years at Tabernacle. His summer before high school he took algebra II at DVC in a hybrid setup that included pre-recorded lectures and tests held in the classroom. That enabled him to take precalculus as a CVCHS freshman and calculus on the DVC campus the following summer. It was during that summer when Vu could begin to envision doing more than just take classes through the community college to satisfy his thirst for learning. “I’ve always wanted to learn everything.”
Resolution, from page 1
GETTINGTHEWORD OUT
The tricky pairing of the ad hoc committee and your Brownie
Soccer superstar Chris Wondolowski heads De La Salle Athletic ‘22 Hall of Fame Class
SEAN CONCORDMURPHYHIGH JORDAN PALEGA CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER AIDAN VANHOOSE MT. DIABLO HIGH JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer See Football, page 11
High school football officially kicks off its 2022 season next Friday and Saturday, but the local prep teams will get their first taste of live action with scrimmages this weekend where they will finally face live opposition rather than practicing against theirAnyteammates.localfootball season preview always begins with national power De La Salle. However, in the past decade Clayton Valley Charter has made plenty of its own headlines with three State Bowl game appearances and the memorable 2019 season when they lost more games than any year since 2011 but ended up with the school’s first state football championship.
A look at the full landscape of local high schools also shows teams looking to return to North Coast Section playoffs (Northgate and Mt. Diablo) as well as schools hoping to put some more games in the win column this fall (Ygnacio Valley andAndConcord).then there’s College Park. The Falcons ended 5-5 in 2021 but a victory in the final game of the Diablo Athletic League Valley Division season against Northgate would have given the Pleasant Hill school the Valley championship and a berth in the NCS playoffs. On some levels, De La Salle had a painful season to forget. They lost to Saint Francis of Mountain View to end a steak of 318 games over 30 years without defeat to a team north of Fresno. At the end of the season following the Spartans 29th consecutive NCS title victory they were denied the automatic Open Division State Bowl berth and then were stunned on their home field in the NorCal Division I-AA Regional championship by Folsom to miss out on a State Bowl game for the first timeThisever. year’s squad returns seven of the Spartans 14 all-East Bay Athletic League players from last fall. Those include Connor Flanaghan, a tight end committed to Notre Dame, and lineman Derek Thompson, who is headed to Harvard. Justin Alumbaugh has a schedule in his 10th year as head coach perfectly suited for De La Salle to get back to their normal position atop NorCal football. They host both Folsom and Saint Francis who handed them narrow defeats last year and will also face Serra of San Mateo in a nationally televised game Sept. 2 in Concord. Serra, coached by DLS legend Patrick Walsh, was chosen over the Spartans for the State Open Bowl berth last December.Clayton Valley Charter coach Tim Murphy returns for his 11th season in charge of the Ugly Eagles and will have transfer quarterback Christian Aguilar in his arsenal. Last December it was Aguilar who quarterbacked Pittsburg over CVHCS in the NCS playoffs as he filled in for star QB Jaden Rashada, who has made news himself this summer about his college plans in Miami. Aguilar moved and enrolled at Clayton Valley Charter for the spring semester. The senior transfer and junior Mason Lovett are competing for the starting spot to operate the unique Ugly Eagles offense. Concord High’s Paul Reynaud has a group of seniors leading his team with hopes of racking up a number of victories after a one-win 2021 season. That lone victory came over winless Concord neighbors
When young Hugh Conrad was in Clayton Valley Little League, he played catcher and loved being behind the plate where he was able to see the game in front of him. He also enjoyed blocking most wild pitches. As a fourth grader he played lacrosse in a friend’s backyard and found the same satisfaction he got as a catcher. He asked his dad to register him in a lacrosse program and he began playing rec LAX with the Walnut Creek Warriors, of course as a goalie. In seventh grade he moved to the Alcatraz Outlaws club program where he met goalie coaches Andrew and Michael Gvozden, who have helped him master stopping 100+ mph shots and lead his team’s defense. He also attended De La Salle lacrosse camp every summer and dreamed of playing for the Spartans. He realized that dream and more in his freshman year when De La Salle rebounded from a 3-6 start to their season by winning 15 straight games and the North Coast Section championship. After missing one full and one partial LAX season due to COVID-19, DLS won this spring’s Section championship and Conrad was all-EBAL goalie. He capped his club career with the Outlaws when they defeated the No. 1 ranked team Annapolis Hawks in a Maryland tournament last summer. He also played high-level club tournaments with the West Coast Starz. As his high school and prep profile rose, the Clayton native began getting noticed by colleges. After a talk with the Yale University defensive coordinator Conrad told his mom that was where he wanted to go, even though he had never set foot on the Connecticut campus. He says, “I got the feeling that Yale’s lacrosse program was the ‘college De La Salle’” and it would best meet his academic and athletic needs. Conrad starts college at the end of this month and is moving into his Yale dorm this weekend. The Bulldogs won the 2018 NCAA championship and were finalists in 2019, showing a winning tradition like Conrad has become accustomed to. The Pioneer congratulates Hugh 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. www.laceyandruzicka.com. 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.
High school football kicks off 2022 season next weekend
Photo courtesy San Jose Earthquakes
High Grade: Senior Sport: Lacrosse SPORTS
Spotlight Hugh
De La Salle High School has announced the newest members of its Athletic Hall of Fame with the Class of 2022 set to be inducted Oct. 23 on campus. This year’s class consists of five athletes, including Major League Soccer’s all-time goal scorer Chris Wondolowski, plus two Spartan teams and two coaches.The newest Hall of Fame class features Kevin Bacharach (Class of 2003 swimming and water polo), Atari Callen (1999 football and track and field), A.J. Kuhle (2000 basketball), Chase Wheeler (2009 football and track and field) and Wondolowski (2001 soccer and track), as well as coaches Steve Guthrie (swimming and diving) and Robert O’Meara (lacrosse). The 2007 state champion football team and 2009 nationally ranked soccer team will also be honored.“DeLa Salle has a rich and diverse sports history that is rooted in excellence,” said Leo Lopoz, Vice President for Athletics. “This year’s inductees to our Athletic Hall of Fame demonstrate the breadth of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and community.” The class of 2022 will be officially welcomed into De La Salle’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. in the school’s Hofmann Student Center. The event is open to the public and registration will be online through the De La Salle Athletic Hall of Fame web page. For more information about De La Salle Hall of Fame visit dlshs.org. Kevin Bacharach (Class of 2003, water polo, swimming) excelled in the water for both the De La Salle water polo and swimming teams from 1999-2003. He was a three-time All-America in swimming and helped the Spartans to the 2003 North Coast Section team championship when he anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay to a championship. In water polo, Bacharach was a second-team All-America and the Contra Costa Times 2002 player of the year, helping the Spartans to their third straight NCS title. Atari Callen (1999, football and track) collected 3,806 rushing yards and 70 touchdowns for the Spartans to go along with 180 tackles and four interceptions in his three varsity years. He helped the Spartans collect three NCS championships from 1996-98 and was the lead runningback on De La Salle’s 1998 squad that defeated Mater Dei for the mythical state championship. The team was named the USA Today national champions. He was also the Northern California player of the year, a PrepStar All-America and was named to the Cal-Texas Shrine All-Star game following his senior season. On the track, Callen is one of two athletes to win the 100-meter event at the NCS Meet of Champions three times and was a two-time state finalist in the event. These days he is racking up wins coaching high school football in Idaho and being recognized for his civil rights work by the city of Pocatello. A.J.Kuhle (2000, basketball) was a three-year varsity letterwinner, helping De La Salle capture NCS championships in 1999 and 2000. As a team captain of the 1999-2000 squad, Kuhle and De La Salle defeated Jesuit for the NorCal Division I title. They then edged Clovis West 47-46 to win the CIF Division I State championship. After De La Salle, he played four years at the Air Force Academy, three years as a starter, where he helped the Falcons to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004. Kuhle now embodies the spirit of his Lasallian high school education through his work at ACE Scholarships, which seeks to expand education opportunities for low-income students in grades K-12. Chase Wheeler (2009, football, track and field) was selected 2009 De La Salle Athlete of the Year after starring on both the football and track and field teams. As a starting wide receiver and defensive back, he helped Spartans football post a 13-0 record in 2007 and a 12-2 mark in 2008, capturing back-to-back NCS championships and the ’07 state title. Later in his senior year, Wheeler won the CIF State Meet long jump title with a winning leap of 25-2-1/4. He is now leveraging his past experience as a biotech and cancer researcher to provide free education through his company Whealthy Performance to individuals looking to prioritize their health. Chris Wondolowski (2001, soccer and track) was a twotime all-Bay Valley Athletic League selection. During his senior season, he helped the Spartans capture the North Coast Section championship and was named 2001 BVAL, NCS and Contra Costa Times player of the year. Wondolowski also was part of the 2001 BVAL track and field champions, running in the 800and 1600-meter races. After four years at Chico State, where he was a Division II All-America in 2003, Wondo enjoyed a 17-year career in Major League Soccer, playing for the San Jose Earthquakes (2005, 2009-21) and Houston Dynamo (200609). A five-time MLS All-Star, two-time MLS Cup champion, two-time Golden Boot award winner and 2012 MLS MVP, he ended his professional career in 2021 as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer with 171 goals. From 2011-16, he made 35 appearances for the United States Men’s National Team, including as part of Team USA at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Wondolowski has used soccer as a tool for social change. He was the first American soccer player to donate a portion of his salary to the Common Goal movement and is an ambassador for both Soccer Streets USA and the Nike N7 Fund. Steve Guthrie led the De La Salle swimming and diving program for nearly 30 years while guiding the Spartans to 138 dual meet victories and 19 league and five North Coast Section championships. He coached more than 20 high school All-Americans and five USA Olympic Trial qualifiers. In 2017, Guthrie was the National Federation of State High School Associations and CIF coach of the year and won the NCS Distinguished Service Award. Additionally, he was named 1990 NCS coach of the year. Robert O’Meara was the first head coach of the De La Salle lacrosse program, which began in 2001. He compiled a 222-79 (.737 winning percentage) record in 17 seasons. The 2017 North Coast Section and East Bay Times coach of the year, he guided De La Salle to eight North Coast Section championship game appearances coming away with four section titles. 2007 Football Team posted a perfect 13-0 record and averaged more than 47 points per game while eclipsing the 50-point plateau five times. De La Salle defeated Centennial of Corona to win the CIF Division I State Championship when Noah Perio scored the game-winning touchdown in a 37-31 victory, the first official State championship for the Spartans. The 2007 season marked the teams’ and head coach Bob Ladouceur’s 16th straight North Coast Section title for DLS football. 2009 Soccer Team posted a near-perfect season with a 231-1 overall record. The Spartans captured the East Bay Athletic League and North Coast Section championships with Dom Daley named the NCS and Contra Costa Times player of the year. Coach Brian Voltattorni’s Spartans finished the season ranked in the top 10 nationally by Adidas National Collegiate Soccer Athletic Association
Chris Wondolowski’s soccer journey took him from playing club soccer locally for Diablo Valley Soccer Club to De La Salle High, Chico State and then to a professional career with the two-time MLS champion Houston Dynamo and two stints with his local San Jose Earthquakes. In 2019, Wondo set the all-time Major League Goalscoring record with his 146th score, beating Landon Donovan’s record. Before retiring two years later he had netted 171 goals. He scored 10 or more goals in 10 consecutive MLS seasons and scored 11 goals for the US Men’s National Team.
August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 9
Athlete Conrad School: De La Salle
CITY MEET TEAM SCORES A Division: Dana Hills Otters 1236.5 points, Ygnacio Wood Seahorses 544, Springwood Sprinters 459, Gehringer Park Gators 383.5, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 327.5, Oakhurst Orcas 284, Forest Hills Beavers 195, Forest Park Flyers 171, Walnut Country Stingrays 157.5, Vista Diablo Dolphins 62. B Division: Ygnacio Wood 299, Gehringer Park 268, Dana Hills 266.5, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 246, Forest Park 229, Springwood 190, Walnut Country 188, Oakhurst 175, Forest Hills 161, Vista Diablo 78.5.
Athlete Spotlight
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. Email your nomination for the Pio-
Exceptional runner and dedicated student, Ella Habermeyer is known for her hard work and determination in both athletics and academics. As she starts her senior year she is also on the Clayton Valley Charter varsity cross country team for a fourth year and has also been a varsity distance runner on CVCHS track during her sophomore and junior years. As a freshman Habermeyer also participated on the Ugly Eagles frosh-soph soccer team. Habermeyer was awarded cross country rookie of the year as a freshman, as well as most inspirational runner as a junior. Initially, she joined cross country to condition for soccer and because her older brother Tyler also ran on the team and inspired her to try it out. She played six years of competitive soccer for Mount Diablo Soccer Association and Walnut Creek Soccer Club but she decided to quit soccer after her freshman year to focus on running, which she believes is one of the best decisions she’s ever made. Her extensive soccer background taught her how to be a part of a team, gave her the drive to reach for her goals and taught her to never back down from a challenge. Habermeyer is incredibly grateful for her soccer career as it inspired her to a new sport and made her the runner and person she is today.The senior’s favorite part about representing CVCHS as an athlete is the sportsmanship and community that the school upholds. She notes that Clayton Valley’s cross country team makes a point to cheer on other teams and build bonds with other runners instead of solely focusing on competing. In school she is the co-founder and vice president of both the Mock Trial and Business and Entrepreneurship clubs at Clayton Valley, secretary of Choir Council and has been a CVCHS Link Crew Leader for the past three years. She maintains an unweighted 3.9 GPA and volunteers in her free time for CVCHS Public Service Academy. Habermeyer is looking forward to applying to colleges this fall and hopes to pursue a career in kinesiology or political science. She has had many supporters throughout her experience as a student-athlete, but specifically thanks her family, soccer coach Heidi Brown and cross country coaches Kevin White, Tim Martinez and Anthony Munch. She also shouts out her best friends and biggest supporters Katherine and Skylar.
SPRINTERS, OTTERS ATOP THE COUNTY In the County Division III (determined by the number of entries each team has in the meet) Springwood finished 56.5 points ahead of runner-up Martinez Community Swim Team. Coach Taylor Henry pointed to a few standout moments including the first-place 7-8 girls freestyle relay (Marisa Shahan, Gianna Krupa, Sadie Junier, Siena Curry), Eric Tizon taking double gold to earn 9-10 boys high point, a first place swim by Maya Canada in the 15-18 women’s breast and second place for Junier in the 7-8 butterfly in only her second year swimming competitively.CoachHenry says, “As a team we came together under the motto ‘small but mighty’ and had some outstanding accomplishments. Springwood Sprinters swam their heart out all summer long and I am extremely proud and honored to have shared such a successful season with each and every one of them.”
KARA KOHLERAGAIN TO COMPETEIN WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Opportunities to participate in all sorts of sports and recreation activities are offered in the City of Concord’s Parks & Recreation department Fall Activity Guide listing a lineup of classes, leagues, camps and clinics. There is something for nearly every age. Adults and youth can participate in a wide variety of sports-related activities including basketball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, pickleball and cornhole. For more information, please go to cityofconcord.org/recreation and flip through the interactive digital version of the Fall Guide. The guide was delivered to Concord resident’s mailboxes and is available for pick up in City office lobbies as well as the Senior Center, Willow Pass Center and Centre Concord. JUNIOR OPTIMISTHOSTING FALL BALLPROGRAM Junior Optimist Baseball League is hosting Fall Ball co-ed and taking registrations now for the Saturday program starting Sept. 10 through Oct. 29. JOBL plays all its games at the JOBL Complex in North Concord. Visit joblconcord.com or email info@joblconcord.com for more information and to register.
Ella School:HabermeyerClaytonValleyCharter High Grade: Senior Sports: Cross Country, Track, Soccer MT. DIABLO HIGH SPORTS HALL OF FAME DINNERFINALLYCOMING NOV. 12 After two years of postponements, the Mt. Diablo High Sports Hall of Fame will finally be able to induct its newest class on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Zio Fraedo’s in Pleasant Hill. Chairman Lou Adamo says, “We can finally honor our very deserving inductees.” The inductees who have now had their ceremony canceled two years in a row are Jim Wharton, John Capas Morales, Tim O’Connor, Sandi Gomes Yoland and Bob Penny. For any questions and to buy the induction dinner tickets contact Adamo by email louadamo@gmail.com or phone 212-9332. Proceeds from the dinner help fund girls and boys athletic and academic programs at MDHS.
The Walnut Creek Aquanuts world-renowned artistic swimming club presents its annual Fall Show on the Labor Day Weekend with lights, costumes and a full stage Sept. 1-4 at the Clarke Memorial Swim Center in Walnut Creek. For more information about the Aquanuts go to aquanuts.org.
QUEEN OF ALL SAINTS CYO BASKETBALL GEARINGUPFOR 2022-23 SEASON Boys and girls from third through eighth grade are invited to sign up for the Queen of All Saints CYO basketball program. For more info on the Concord CYO program email Patricia Francisco at QueenofAllSaintsSchool@csdo.org.
Aaliyah Campos finished seventh in her Hopes 11-12 age group at the US Classic in Salt Lake Valley, Utah where nearly 150 gymnasts from around the country, including multiple Olympians and World medalists, competed July 28-31. The Concord 11-year-old is receiving USA Gymnastics funding to participate in the monthly Elite Development camp in Katy, Texas where Olympic coaches train top level gymnasts. The sixth grader has set her sights on making the USA gymnastics team for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Campos trains at Concord’s East Bay Gymnastics coached by Lisa Terry.
Springwood, Ygnacio Wood win historic swim meet titles while Dana Hills repeats as City, County team champions
ST. AGNES CYO BASKETBALL WALK INREGISTRATION AUG. 30 Registration for St. Agnes CYO basketball is being accepted online and at a walk-in registration day Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 69 p.m. at Cauchi Hall on the school campus in Concord. Girls and boys in second through eighth grades who live within the St. Agnes boundaries are eligible to play. Player evaluations will be held in September. Visit stagnescyo.com for complete fees and online registration. AQUANUTS FALL SHOW RETURNS SEPT. 1-4
Championships, Dana Hills captured its first-ever county championship last summer and the Otters repeated that feat this year, beating runner-up Rancho San Miguel of Walnut Creek for its second successive Division I championship.TheCounty Meet was the week after the Concord Swimming Championships where the Otters won the A title for the 29th time in the last 30 City Meets. Ygnacio Wood finished 31 points ahead of two-time defending champions Gehringer Park in the city B Division. As is usually the case, Dana Hills’ depth led to dominance in the City Meet relay races at Northgate High school with the Otters again winning 17 of 24 relays and never placing lower than third in the 24 relays.
The Pioneer Photo courtesy Springwood Swim Club Head coach Taylor Henry and some of her swimmers celebrated winning the Concord team’s first-ever county meet championship last month at Acalanes High School in Lafayette. The Sprinters won the Division III title finishing over 50 points ahead of the second-place team.
BASKETBALLPROGRAMSRUNNING AT ALL OUT SPORTS IN CLAYTON GYM All Out Sports League in Clayton is accepting applications for fall league in Clayton Community Gym. Fall league begins with player evaluations on Sept 16. Leagues games are on Saturdays from Oct. 8 to Nov. 12. For complete information visit alloutsportsleague.com. FIRST TEE OF CONTRA FALLPROGRAMTAKINGSIGNUPSCOSTA
JAY BEDECARRÉ
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ST. BONAVENTURE CYO BASKETBALLTAKINGREGISTRATIONSCROSSCOUNTRY, St. Bonaventure CYO cross country registration is open to boys and girls in fourth through eighth grades living within the Saint Bonaventure Parish boundaries. Practice began this week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4-5 p.m. Call Coach Z 812-3485 or athletic director Joe Sullivan 787-6745 for more details.St. Bonnies CYO basketball is taking registration now with a soft deadline of Aug. 31. The program is for girls and boys in third to eighth grades. Contact Ferd Santos stbonaventurecyo@gmail.com or 270-9390 or assistant athletic director Ashley Kualii (707) 806-8025. Registration is taken online at stbonaventurecyo.com.
While the Dana Hills Swim Team of Clayton swam to repeat championships at the Contra Costa County and Concord City swimming meets last month, Concord teams Springwood and Ygnacio Wood won historic division championships at the season-ending meets for recreationSpringwoodswimming.Swim Club won the Division III championship at the County Meet in Lafayette, the first-ever County title for the Sprinters. Ygnacio Wood captured the B Division team championship at the 55th Concord City Meet, the first division title for the Seahorses in many years. After finishing second three times and spending a decade among the top three teams in the annual Contra Costa Swimming
The Pioneer congratulates Ella 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. laceyandruzicka.com
Two-time Olympian Kara Kohler of Clayton will represent the United States at the World Rowing Championships Sept. 1825 in Prague. The Clayton Valley and Cal Berkeley grad won the bronze medal at the last world championships in 2019. She won the national team trials finals this month by just over six seconds to earn her ninth national team berth. "It was a very short and sweet regatta," Kohler said. "Very nervous. I never want to underestimate anybody, but I have big goals in the single, so today was just a step along that path." For Kohler, it was a nervewracking couple of weeks after removing herself from the USA team in the women's double sculls following the Henley Royal Regatta in order to concentrate on the single.
CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.
Sports Shorts
Page 10 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022
DHST took seven A Division high-point wards. On the girls side Charley Branich (6 and under), Cole Branich (9-10), Rebecca Adent (11-12) and Maddie Bautista (13-14) won top hoors while Preston Forney (78), Rhys Delaney (11-12) and Nick Cadero (13-14) were leading Inpoint-getters.theADivision, Springwood had four high point swimmers in Maya Canada (15-18), Marisa Shahan (7-8), Eric Tizon (9-10) and Shawn Canada (1518). The other high point swimmer was Andrew Kosich (6 and under) for Ygnacio Wood. City Meet B Division highpoint swimmers came from seven teams. Walnut Country had Nora Peck (7-8), Leah Agustin (9-10) and Kyle Washmura (7-8). Dana Hills (Rex Rainsberg 6 and under and Nathan Stojanovich 11-12), Pleasant Hill Dolfins (Sage Bechtel 11-12 and Madsen Sam 13-14) and Gehringer Park (Meghan Andrade 15-18 and Mela Villalon Hunhuff 6 and under) each had two winners. Rounding out the B Division high point winners were Elyse Vannier of Springwood (13-14), Sylas Williams of Forest Park (910) and Aidan Chenault (15-18) of B Division champions Ygnacio TheWood.two meet relay awards went to Dana Hills with the record-breaking 15-18 girls medley relay of Zoe Lahanas, Jules Della Santina, Gianna Kougios and Mandy Meyerson and the boys 13-14 medley quartet of Nick Cadero, Jordan Newman, Ollie Jarvis and Kai Parker. There were three meet records at the Concord Championships, after no marks were set in 2021. Besides the DHST girls 15-18 medley relay record setters, Airi Seib (PHD) set a new mark in the 15-18 individual medley and Maya Canada broke the 15-18 breaststroke record for Springwood.YgnacioWood was voted the coveted Team Sportsmanship award again. Seahorses coach Halley Darr has been involved with the team as a swimmer and coach for 19 years and says this is the first city title during that time. She said, “I couldn’t be more proud of the determination and spirit that every swimmer showed throughout the season and especially during the City Meet. The success these Seahorses achieved is the reward they deserve for their hard work and love for this team.”
CONCORDOPENFALLREGISTRATIONRECREATIONPROGRAMS
Registration is open for First Tee of Contra Costa’s fall session at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 5-17. Instruction includes full swing, chipping, pitching and putting. Equipment can be provided to participants. The fall session is Sept. 12 to Nov. 5. For more information call 446-6701 or visit thefirstteecontracosta.org.
Concord’s Aaliyah Campos selected by USA Gymnastics for monthly training in Texas Photo courtesy Campos Family See Swim,
The law, which becomes part of the State Department of Education Code section 46148 for pupil attendance, allows schools to hold zero period classes, an optional class start time before first period, and exempts rural districts from the start time mandate. It also encourages “school districts, charter schools and community organizations to inform their communities, including parents, teenagers, educators, athletic coaches and other stakeholders, about the health, safety, and academic impact of sleep deprivation on middle and high school pupils and the benefits of a later school start time, and to discuss local strategies to successfully implement the later school start time.”
Member Cherise Khaund represents the Northgate area of the District and is the parent of two District students. She is seeking reelection for the first time under the District’s election by district format and said "I agree with the California Department of Education recommendation that the State Board of Education should disapprove the petition to form a new Northgate school district, and with their concerns about how this proposal would remove the most affluent area of the Mt. Diablo USD to create a less diverse school district. “The diversity of Mt. Diablo school district is one of the things that drew us to enroll our children here, along with excellent programs such as Dual Language Immersion, International Baccalaureate and Autism magnet programs. I don't want my own or other Northgate area students to lose access to all of this.” It could be a virus, or it could just need a tune-up.
Students now have more time to sleep, with a new state law pushing back middle school and high school start times. In an effort to combat sleep deprivation and promote overall health, Senate Bill 328 says middle schools can’t start before 8 a.m. and high schools can’t start before 8:30 a.m. The law took effect July Clayton1.Valley Charter High School started classes Aug. 9 with a new bell schedule where first period starts at 8:30 a.m., 30 minutes later than last year. The end time is 3:20 p.m., 20 minutes later.“The data shows it’s better for students, and we are going to support what is best for students,” said CVCHS operations director Alison Bacigalupo. Northgate High School, which draws students from Concord and Walnut Creek, adjusted its start time from 7:55 a.m. last year to 8:30 a.m. this year. School ends at 3:18 p.m. every day, a significant change from when school ended at 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 2:25 p.m. the other three days. “I feel like the kids are a little more alert, not so groggy when they walk in,” Northgate Vice Principal Tyler Rosecrans said. He added that early release for sports competitions might cut into the school day. “It’s so much nicer,” confirmed Evalinne Vecchio, a senior at Northgate. “It makes it easier to wake up.” Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Democrat representing District 25 in Los Angeles County, sponsored the bill. “It is a sciencebased and results-driven policy that will save lives and improve academic performance,” he said. “The facts and results are unequivocal and clear: Our teens are healthier and perform better when school starts later. I strongly believe test scores will go up and suicidal thoughts will go down. It’s time to embrace this public health issue and put our children’s wellbeing first.”
August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 11
Ygnacio Valley, who have a new coach in Rae Jackson Sr. Mt. Diablo will have a very young squad for coach Donald James as only a handful of seniors are on the roster. James will especially miss four-year quarterback D’Antonio Jerome, who helped the Red Devils to their historic unbeaten 2021 spring seasonNorthgatechampionship.hada great 8-3 season last fall, but a consequence was that the Broncos switched places with Alhambra and are now in the tougher DAL Foothill Division after going unbeaten in the Valley Division.
LOCALTEAM’S FINISHERS (TOP 4 CITY MEET – A AND B DIVISIONS)
Dana Hills: Cole Branich, Raymond Lucia, Ollie Jarvis, Harper Lanpher, Rebecca Adent, Ada Jeffress, Gianna Kougios, Molly DeSeelhorst, Isla Acosta, Charley Branich, Jules Della Santina, Allison Fuentes, Rhys Delaney, Jack Stack, JJ Westbrook, Jack Parker, Preston Forney, Gavin Switzer, Camden Herrera, Aiden Acosta, Victoria Mangrobang, Ruby Rainsberg, Elsa Jeffress, Ellie Comfort, Whitney Dupell, Aaron Carbaugh, Alex Colt, Ian Meyer, Maddie Bautista, Nick Cadero, Kai Parker, Jakob Jensen, Aaron Woodling, Aidan Moss, Spencer Cichurski, Sierra Roberts, Mackenzie Pak, Sloane Smith, Kayden Colis, Ara Reza, Katie Sobajian, Savannah Roberts, Ollie Jarvis, Rory Niven, Zoe Lahanas, Meritt Pak, James Pence, Kylie Struempf, Nathan Stojanovich, Finn Duggan, Jordan Newman, Yoshiye Longley, Carrick Duggan, Mason Forney, Rex Rainsberg, Luke Rives, Kaia Brogan, Zackery Flores, Brandon Vogler, Evan Vogler, Michaela Pence, Cavin Spruiell, Jahnvi Roul, Carli Burkhardt, Trinity Ramos, Caitlin Kougios, Mandy Meyerson, Ian Kelly, Zoe Cooper, Ruban Raichoudri, EJ Stice, Hunter Markle, Jackson BachtoldSmith, Devin Kelly. Forest Park: Alexis Steffensen, Brooklyn Henggeler, Nye No, Scarlett Ringue, Adam Plumley, Peyton Hix, Shia Padilla, Sylas Williams, Wambui Wesonga, Jax McHuron, Olivia Carlson, Rileigh Spilman, Jackson Murphy, Alexis Pattison, Audrey Valero, Ryan Carlson, Simone Ilegbodu, Elle Zane, Forest Vazquez, Nolan Johnston, Jude Willms, Christopher Murdock, Emma Tayas, Isaac Ragland, Alistair Cummings, Lila Kirby. Gehringer Park: Carrie Shin, Amelia Chaix, Noah Shin, Jonah Oleole, WB Pelletier, Maclaine Grisafi, Sophia Long, Avery Boughton, Amelia Giordano, Mela Villalon Hunhoff, Alice Wallbridge, Henry Delamain, Max Middlemiss, Janna Delamain, Nico Lawler, Isabella Jimenez, Rylee Cox, Peter Wallbridge, Maddie Muhlestein, Ryleigh Timon, Olivia Roddick, Riley Barroso, Janelle Shin, Mateo Flores, Landon Witters, Kyle Score, Meghan Andrade, Hannah Jacobs, Natalie Mathie, Isabella Jimenez, Julia Daw, Janna Delamain, Kai Leigh Hernandez. Oakhurst: Robert Griffith, Connor White, Oliver Lutz, Alex Ryan, Dominic Landini, Ethan White, Asheer Wan, Everly Guerrettaz, Brynn Panza, Riley Battistelli, Daniel Smith, Grace Pugh, Katherine Pugh, Colton Roberts, Grace Bell, Alexander Jenson, Eve Draek, Aurora Subia, Quinn Pascoe, Scarlett Kent, Cole Panza, Hannah Pascoe, Faith Pugh. Pleasant Hill Dolfins: Brandon Palaganas, Norah Fish, Sam Madsen, Kyle Katsikas, Riley Oscamou, Drew DeSilva, Aylan Denane, William Davis, Kayden Masongsong, Kayla Oxley, Charlotte Clausen, Riley Banchero-Lightsey, Airi Seib, Ava Budgin, Aishani Roy, Emilia Priftis, Natasha Morrow, Simone Martel, Emmett Wong, Natalie Ross, Jose Sanchez, Henry Buffington, Alice Nunan, Luciano Eugenio, Sage Bechtel, Chloe Morford, Megan Womble, Alessandro Carino, Corinne Katz, Hadley Rolita, Lachlan Toovey. Springwood: Cassidy Ortiz, Riley Brandt, Neil Garcia, Shawn Canada, Damik Van Fanos, Eric Tizon, Derek Tizon, Alexa Malsom, Maya Canada, Lily Salimpour, Avery Sealock, Harper Ramos, Matthew David, Emilene Ringue, Marissa Vandevoir, Noah Shahan, Marco Caputi, Elyse Vannier, James Llata, Gianna Krupa, Marisa Shahan, Rocco Caputi, Makira Brown, Avery Szehner, Andrea Ledezma, Sadie Junier, Jedidiah Winston, Valerius Caputi, Ella Hertzfeldt. Vista Diablo: Everett Peters, Alex Lingenfelter, Chloe Viscarra, Whitney Wells, Ally Brown, Lorelei Paul, Kaila Bream, Isaac Degnan, Kati Lingenfelter, Keelan Shellooe. Walnut Country: Leah Agustin, Ireland Lewis, Cole Louie, Kyle Washmera, Aiden Huckestein, Jonathan Lindquist, Oliver Knoflick, Riley McCann, Ava Manuel, Nora Peck, Amelia Williams, Timur Nurakhunov, Gabriella Williams, Hudson Transue, Morgan Soo Hoo, Anna Rothwell, Leo van Rooyen, Haris Nurakhunov, Romeo Luna, Logan Boyle. Ygnacio Wood: Ava Manuel, Courtney Ward, Marcus Manuel, Tommy Meriam, Michael Manuel, Andrew Kosich, Joseph Kosich, Seth Christy, Anna Lindsay, Emily Marques, Gabriella Glueck, Jacob Cole, Nevaeh Minglana, Sydney Hallin, Quinten Greene, Nicholas Kosich, Nolan Rasmussen, Madison Anderson, Abby Olson, Cody Olson, Tommy Martin, Aidan Chenault, Micah Christy, Clara Minglana, Lilly Nelson, River Davis, Logan Muller, Cailyn Sabet, Abigail Walters, Eliana Pezel, Jude Christy, Kate Merrill, Dan Shargel, Wyatt Boone, Natalia Olds, Joey Laughlin, Anthony Lawson, Ty Clement, Bianca Marques, Mia Meriam, Addison McCann, Sonia-Grace Felfela, William Greene, Blake McGillvrey, Piper Smedley, Regan Shelley, Riley McCann, Joey Mucha, Victoria Mercer.
Text (650) 518-1598 for 6101reservationsCenterSt., Clayton (925) GrovesideClayton.com693-0310 GROVESIDE BISTRO Reserve our venue for your next private party No venue fee Joe ConcordOver925-872-3049Ronco35yearsClayton/residentLic#844344 State Board rejects attempted Northgate area breakaway JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer Students get to snooze later due to state law in effect this fall KAREN JENKINS Correspondent Schools Swim, from pg 10 Cross Country (Boys & Girls) DAL Center Meets Sept. 28 and Oct. 19 DAL Championships Nov. 5 (Hidden Valley Park,EBALMartinez)Championships (Newhall Park) NCS Championships Nov. 19 (Hayward HighCIFSchool)StateChampionships Nov. 26 (Woodward Park, Fresno) Golf (Girls) DAL League Matches TBA EBAL League Matches Aug. 18 – Oct. 13 DAL League Championships TBA EBAL League Championships Oct. 17 NCS Division II Championships Oct. 24 NCS Division I Championships Oct. 31 NorCal Championships Nov. 7 CIF State Championships Nov. 16 Tennis (Girls) DAL League Matches Sept. 6 – Oct. 20 EBAL League Matches Sept. 1 – Nov. 1 DAL Division Championships Oct. 27-28 EBAL Championships Nov. 3-7 NCS Team Championships Nov. 8-12 NCS Singles/Doubles Championships Nov. 14-15NorCal Team Championships Nov. 15-19 Volleyball (Girls) DAL League Games Sept. 6- Oct. 20 EBAL League Games Sept. 8 -Oct. 20 EBAL Championship Oct. 22 NCS Playoffs Oct. 25 – Nov. 5 NorCal Championships Nov. 8-15 CIF State Championships Nov. 18-19 Water Polo (Boys & Girls) DAL League Games Sept. 21 – Oct. 26 EBAL League Games Sept. 1 – Oct. 27 DAL Division Championships Oct. 27-29 NCS Playoffs Nov. 2-12 NorCal Tournament Nov. 15-19 2022-23 High School Sports Schedules
Clayton Valley Charter (Open Div./Div. 1) - 8/26 Salinas, 9/2 Del Oro-Loomis, 9/9 at Canyon Springs-North Las Vegas, 9/16 7 Turlock, 10/1 at JesuitCarmichael, 10/7 at Amador Valley-Pleasanton, 10/14 at San Ramon Valley, 10/21 CaliforniaSan Ramon, 10/28 at Monte Vista-Danville, 11/4 De La Salle. College Park (Div. 3) – 8/26 Stellar Prep-Hayward, 9/2 Franklin-Stockton, 9/16 Hercules, 9/23 at Northgate, 9/30 at Livermore, 10/7 Concord, 10/14 at Berean Christian, 10/21 Ygnacio Valley, 10/28 Mt. Diablo, 11/4 at Alhambra. Concord (Div. 4) - 8/26 Newark Memorial-Newark, 9/2 Alameda, 9/9 at San Lorenzo, 9/16 at Richmond, 9/23 ArroyoSan Lorenzo, 10/7 at College Park, 10/14 Ygnacio Valley, 10/21 at Alhambra, 10/28 Berean Christian, 11/4 at Mt. Diablo. De La Salle (Open Div./Div. 1) – 8/26 at Monterey Trail-Elk Grove, 9/2 Serra-San Mateo, 9/9 Saint Francis-Mountain View, 9/16 at Cathedral Catholic-San Diego, 9/23 Folsom, 10/7 at St. Mary’sStockton, 10/14 at California-San Ramon, 10/21 Monte Vista–Danville, 10/28 at Amador ValleyPleasanton, 11/4 at Clayton Valley Charter. Mt. Diablo (Div. 4) - 8/26 Lathrop, 9/2 Albany, 9/17 at Arroyo-San Lorenzo, 9/24 at San Lorenzo, 9/30 at Richmond, 10/7 at Ygnacio Valley, 10/14 Alhambra, 10/21 Berean Christian, 10/28 at College Park, 11/4 Concord. Northgate (Div. 3) - 8/26 Deer Valley, 9/2 at Ukiah, 9/9 FremontSunnyvale, 9/16 at Bethel-Vallejo, 9/23 College Park, 10/7 Miramonte, 10/14 Las Lomas, 10/21 at Campolindo, 10/28 at Benicia, 11/4 Acalanes. Ygnacio Valley (Div. 6) – 8/27 at Washington-San Francisco, 9/9 at Kennedy-Fremont, 9/23 Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento, 9/30 Stone Ridge Christian-Merced, 10/7 Mt. Diablo, 10/14 at Concord, 10/21 at College Park, 10/28 Alhambra, 11/4 at Berean Christian.
Prevent problems with regular proactive Mark 925.672.6029 or email info@netsolutions-ca.com
Football, from page 9
Had the group’s petition been approved by the State Board the next step would have been a public vote to approve the new district. There was some controversary as to whether that vote would be among all the people in the large MDUSD or just voters within the proposed new district’s dlenutproposaleffortaboutMDSUDSchoolsplit2017SchoolsAdvocacyNorthgateboundaries.CommunityforourPublicfiledtheirpetitionintoCCCOErequestingtoofftheNorthgateHighfeederareafromthatcurrentlyserves29,000students.Agrouptriedasimilarfailedin2008.AtthattimethewastohavefourWal-Creekelementaryandmid-schoolsinMDSUDjointhe Walnut Creek School District and Northgate become part of the Acalanes Union High School District.Northgate CAPS said its goal is “to create a new, smaller public school district that would be more responsive, more accountable and more transparent to the specific needs of our community’s students, teachers, and families.” The smaller school district would be composed of families from the Northgate High feeder pattern, including the Walnut Creek Northgate area and the Lime Ridge, Walnut Country and Crystal Ranch neighborhoods in ThoseConcord.areasare served in MDUSD by Foothill Middle School and Bancroft, Valle Verde and Walnut Acres elementary schools, all located in WalnutOpponentsCreek. to this proposed district pointed to the racial composition of those school’s 3700 students compared to the rest of MDUSD. The five schools are 51% white and 16% Latino or Hispanic. In contrast, all other District schools are less than 30% white and 45% Latino or TheHispanic.Mt.Diablo Education Association teachers’ union and Teamsters Union each passed resolutions in opposition to the MDUSDpetition.Board
The effort by a group in the Northgate High School area to break off five schools from Mt. Diablo Unified School District and form a new, smaller and more affluent district was stopped last month when the California State Board of Education rejected the group’s appeal of the 2017 decision by the Contra Costa County Board of Education turning down their petition. With virtually no political support for the effort that was termed racist and elitist by many, the 10-member state board (an 11th board position is currently vacant) did as expected in agreeing with the county’s original decision five years ago. The county school board serving as the Committee on School District Organization rejected the proposal on a 3-2 vote and the appeal of that decision finally came before the ultimate arbiter at the state level July 13. Northgate High principal Kelly Cooper told the State Board the effort to form the new district is “blatantly segregationist.”Among the over two dozen speakers calling in opposing the new district, one said, “We don’t need to start segregating our schools. That was back in the ‘60s,” and another added “I’m angry and disappointed that anyone is allowed to create a new district for white people to pick and choose its students.”
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Page 12 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022
Mount Diablo a sacred, bountiful place for Miwoks
Photo courtesy Clayton Historical Society A Miwok hunter wears a deer head as part of his disguise. As summer nears its end, it’s time to start thinking about preparing for cooler weather. With evening temperatures dropping, it’ll be safe to use your woodburning fire pit. Place it is far away from your home as possible on a nonflammable surface such as concrete or gravel and use a wire mesh cover while in use. Be sure to place any ashes in a metalThiscan.is also a great time to plant perennials as well as cool weather vegetables like carrots, lettuce and onions. You can also consider planting trees and shrubs or reseeding any patchy areas of your lawn. Your AC has likely been working overtime, but cold weather is arriving. Check your thermostat to make sure that it works properly and that all heating vents are open and unblocked.Changes of seasons are always exciting; this is the one time of the year where we can sit in the pool until the evening and then warm up next to the fire pit. Scott Denslow is the owner of Safe at Home Inspection Service. He is an InterNACHI and ASHI certified inspector who has 73+ fivestar ratings on Yelp. Contact him at scott@safeathomellc.com. For more info visit www.safeathomellc.com. See ad page 13 it’s
WILL
The various tribes of indigenous people living around Mount Diablo knew the mountain by several names, but to all it was a place where humans, plants and animals were created. Different Miwok groups defined their territories by the watersheds or creeks that flowed from the peaks. Springs provided fresh water yearround, and the abundance of plants and animals ensured sustenance in every season – making this environment of grasslands and oak forests almost idyllic.Acorns were the main source of food from plants, but there were many types of bulbs, corms, roots and grains to be harvested as well. In addition, varied and plentiful wildlife provided for the needs of Mount Diablo’s human inhabitants. The grasslands teemed with herds of pronghorn antelope, tule elk and black-tailed deer, and streams swarmed with trout and spawning salmon. There were bobcats, grizzly bears, coyote, gray squirrels, badgers and many kinds of birds. Miwok men followed a set of traditional rules for their hunts. They believed Coyote and Eagle created humans, and these animals were never to be harmed. Birds of prey were also off limits, as were bear in some situations.Deerwas the principle meat consumed, and preparing for a deer hunt took a few days as a hunter fasted and bathed to mask his human scent. To approach a grazing herd, a hunter often wore a deer head as a hat and painted his body to disguise him as he crept closer with his bow and arrow, mimicking the deer’s movements. Sometimes groups of hunters would chase deer toward hunters concealed in a blind. Any slain animal was said to have been “taken,” not “killed.” A hunter never ate what he killed; another hunter gave him the meat he consumed. Like other resources needed to sustain Miwok life, the number of deer taken was never more than what could be eaten within a short period. Each deer yielded not only meat but bones for carving into basket-making tools. They used sinew in the construction of bows and utilized hides for clothing and other necessary items. Their environment had food available in all seasons, so they didn’t need large stores of meat. In 1812, a mission padre noted how the number of Miwok meals per day varied, “for they eat as often as they are hungry … whether it be day or night.” Stories, songs and dances around a fire described the hunts and expressed the people’s gratitude and respect for the bountiful gifts provided by their mountain. 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.
TSMC chair Mark Liu told CNN that the company’s advanced chip factory would become inoperable if China invaded Taiwan, according to an interview aired July 31. TSMC has more than 50% share of the global market for contract chip-making, according to Bain & Co. This means half of the production of chips worldwide would slow. It could take China months to restart chip production, according to Bing. (Note: Contract chip-making means they make the chips that companies like Intel and AMD design.)Asyou may know, auto manufacturers are already suffering from a severe chip shortage. Cars and trucks sit idle waiting for their chip components.The computer business is fully dependent on Asian chip shipments and, in particular, chips from Taiwan. Even a small interruption, such as the supply chain issues that we have already seen, will affect the computer business because nearly everything in a computer is a chip. Companies like Apple, HP and Dell are impacted. To protect yourself and your business, replace your aging computer systems now. If you are interested in upgrading your existing computer, do it now.If you are waiting for the United States to catch up with their new chip companies, that is years away from production. More than $10 billion of investment is needed just to start replacing what Taiwan produces.
DEBBIE EISTETTER THE WAY WE WERE Taiwan’s status critical to chip production
There is much in the news recently about China trying to reunify the island nation of Taiwan.This is nothing new to either nation, with China claiming the island as their own and Taiwan nationals claiming they are a free and separate country. However, this conflict may affect the manufacturing process here in the USA. Asia is the primary source for computer components and chips, and the best chips come from Taiwan – not China. In fact, Taiwan produces such great quality that the rest of the world is envious. Chips from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) are in such demand that companies will wait on TSMC to build and ship needed components. If China decides to invade Taiwan, all chip manufacturing will shut down until the Chinese are able to get enough workers to restart the plant. As a computer builder, we seek out the best of the best for our computers. If there is an attempt to take control of the island, we are likely to be in big trouble and so are you.
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Pebbles is sweet lover girl with a heart of gold. Being the social and bubbly girl that she is, some of her favorite things are snuggles, giving kisses, and leaning in to her person for a good petting session. She’s also an active, energetic girl, so she’ll do well in a household that will provide her plenty of physical exercise, adventures, and doggie play dates – anything to tire her out – plus mental stimulation as well. Energetic as she may be, she also has great manners that she would love to show off and hone with continued training at home. One thing is for sure: miss Pebbles is certain to make an amazing companion. She can’t wait to find her forever home where she can truly shine and share all the love she has to give. Pebbles has a positive history with other dogs and currently weighs 41 pounds. ARF adoption fees: $250 for an adult dog, $350 for a puppy under 6 months, $125 for a special-needs dog, $175 for a special-needs puppy under 6 months, and $125 for a senior dog 7 years and older. Five-month-old Centipede is a dashing snowshoe teen kitten. He loves meeting new people and occupying their laps and having his soft fur petted. He’s got the kitten energy and is looking for a large active home with plenty to keep him occupied and interested. Centipede will add love and energy wherever he goes.ARF Adoption fees: $125 for an adult cat, $175 for a kitten under 6 months, $200 for two adult cats, $300 for two kittens, $75 for a specialneeds cat, $100 for a specialneeds kitten under 6 months, and $75 for a senior cat 7 years and older. Adoption fees are waived for US militaryViewVeterans.available dogs and cats online or visit us in-person during open hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-6 pm, with early-bird sign-in available Wed.-Fri. beginning at 9 a.m. Our team is excited to guide you in choosing a pet, share information about their history and behavior while at ARF, and provide helpful resources. This process can take time — please allow 6090 minutes for in-person appointments. Visit ARF online at https://arflife.org/ ARF
The livin’ is easy in this one story 4 bed/ 2.5 bath rancher. A perfect entertaining home. Step inside the gorgeous tile entry into a very spacious remodeled kitchen featuring custom cabinetry, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, tons of counter space, storage galore, Island with seating and nook for informal dining.
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The home is newly painted with a separate formal dining and living room, and large cozy family room with fireplace. Relax in your primary suite with a barn door leading into the beautifully upgraded luxurious en suite bathroom and closet.
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The backyard has a large deck to enjoy family and friends with a lush lawn, plenty of room to grow your garden, and beautiful views of Mt. Diablo. Fantastic location for commute, steps to trails, Lydia park and all that Historic downtown Clayton has to offer. A must see! Center Street Suite E, Clayton #1 Agent in Clayton's Compass Office by Kelly McDougall and Katie Dent 1858 Yolanda Circle Clayton... $1,150,000 McDougall DRE#: 01156462 925.206.9360Dent 01311293 Pet Awareness Month is a good time to learn the common causes of itching in companion animals like dogs, cats, birds bite skin because they are allergic to something. Just like people, animals can be allergic to pollen, dust mites, dander and certain foods. I even met a dog who scored high on the allergen test panel for human dander.Ifyour pet seems uncomfortable, make an appointment with the veterinarian to discuss allergies and how to treat them.Another common cause of itchiness is parasites. Fleas, ticks and mites can all cause misery for pets and should be treated promptly. A clear sign of flea infestation is itching at the base of the tail or lower abdomen. If you suspect your pet may have parasites like fleas, use a specialized comb that “catches” fleas or look through the fur for flea dirt. If it looks like your pet may have a parasitic problem, take them to the vet for a diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan. Some animals develop flea allergy dermatitis. So not only are they miserable due to being bitten by fleas, but they are also allergic to the bites themselves. Ouch. Dry skin can also lead to itchiness in pets. The cause could be environmental and can be remedied with a little effort on your part. If the air in your home is particularly dry, consider investing in a humidifier. And check with your vet about giving your pet a colloidal oatmeal bath to help soothe their skin. Itching or hair loss can be a sign of stress or anxiety in pets. When this happens, it is called psychogenic alopecia. In other words, the pet is literally scratching themselves bald fromSometimes,stress. stress comes from big life changes like a new baby or a move to a new home. Other times, it can be caused by something as simple as a loud noise outside. If you can’t seem to find the cause of the itching, take your pet to the vet for a check-up. They may have a skin infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics or other medications. Skin infections can occur when the skin is broken (from scratching or biting), allowing bacteria to enter.Always keep your eye out for any signs of discomfort in your furry (or non-furry) friends. Allergies, parasites, dry skin and stress can all cause itching in companion animals. With anything skinrelated, it’s extremely important to check with your vet for the best course of action.
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PEBBLES CENTIPEDE August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 13 STEPHANIE ZABLAH-KRUGER BEYONDTHE LEASH Are you itching to know why your pet is doing ‘La Bamba’? See “Ask theExpert”page12
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The artistically painted utility boxes on downtown Concord street corners began as a pipe dream in 2018 by a group of artists from the Concord Art Association (CAA). Then CAA president Catherine Hensiek presented the idea to the City Council that same year. Who could have imagined the project would still be going strong in 2022? We have completed two phases of the Utility Box Art Project, and planning for the third phase is underway. In Phase I, nine utility boxes illustrated the theme “Music and Market” in 2019. As residents expressed appreciation for the new public artwork, CAA got the go-ahead to launch Phase II. With the theme “Celebrate Concord,” seven more beautifully painted utility boxes appeared downtown in CAA2021.isgearing up for Phase III, using the theme “Concord Reflections.” The city is expanding the artwork beyond downtown to highly visible corners on Monument Boulevard, Clayton Road, Farm Bureau Road, Kirker Pass Road, Willow Pass Road and other major streets.But with major supply-chain disruptions causing frustrating, the “call for artists” deadline is extending to September 2022 and painting is likely to begin nextRenayeyear.
Johnson and Thea Jue were involved in the first two phases and have already submitted their design to paint a third utility box. Their Phase I box, “String Quartet,” is at the corner of Grant and Salvio streets. Inspired by the music at Todos Santos Plaza, they implemented bright colors and included musical instruments and a message of peace. For Phase II, Johnson and Jue painted “Families Through Time” at the corner of Galindo Street and Concord Boulevard. Each side of this box depicts different points in Concord’s history: a scene from a Miwok village, the Don Salvio Pacheco home, a farmhouse from the 1900s and an impression of the present-day Concord Pavilion. For each phase, their first step was to brainstorm ideas that went along with the theme and create a series of sketches.
Aug. 21. There will be chalk art and family-friendly activities on Rudney Plaza, free entry to the Bedford Gallery and indoor performances of “Wizard of Oz” by Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble. The center is at 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. For more information, call 925-943SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. 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 CA
Comedy and mystery merge in ‘Corpse!’ Page 14 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022 THE ARTS •Interior Exterior Painting •Color •Wood•Cabinet•Texture•Drywall•Exterior•Power•DigitalConsultingColorRenderingsWashingCleaningRepairsMatchingPaintingRefinishing 10% off Pioneer Special Mention The Pioneer for discount Interior & Exterior painting projects over Expires$2,50011/31/22 5433 Clayton Road, Ste K #322, Clayton,
“The actual painting is fun because we received a lot of encouragement from people walking by,” Johnson added. “And the finished product is fun to share with friends, family and people visiting Concord.” CAA continues to receive applications from area artists who hope to be selected to paint one of the available Phase III boxes. Eligible artists must live in the Contra Costa County area. For more information, visit utility-project-2022.concordartassociation.org/ John Nakanishi is an acrylic painter and a ceramic artist. Email comments and suggestions for future columns phjona@gmail.com.to
More art Concord as city gears up for third round
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The ambitious production requires two very different locations – a Soho basement flat and a home in Regents Park. Given Onstage Theatre’s small budget and the Campbell Theatre’s small acting area, a revolving stage was out of the Kleinquestion.decided upon a very theatrical alternative. Set designers Diane McRice and John Allred created Evelyn’s tawdry basement apartment that could be taken apart, turned around and made into Rupert’s elegant home. Dressed as robbers, a crew of five manages the complicated set changes to the music of “The Pink Panther” and “Peter Gunn.” Congrats to Savannah Daniels, Teddie Gilbert, Lori Mrochinski, Sal Ramos and John Whitaker –who spent many hours perfecting the scene changes and adding their own unique entertainment to the production.“Corpse!” continues through Aug. 21 at the Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St., Martinez. Call 925-350-9770 or go to www.campbelltheater.com for tickets. Pittsburg Theatre Company is busy readying Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” for its September Black Box series. Terry Tracy directs this heartwarming yet bittersweet story.Set in the 1980s, the action takes place in Truvy’s beauty salon – where the ladies of the neighborhood gather for gossip and fun but with the strength to comfort each other when loss strikes. Juhandryn Dessames plays the wise-cracking Truvy, with Rachel McElroy her eager-toplease new assistant. Tina Smith has the role of Ouiser, the town’s curmudgeon, and Sandy Wright is the sportsloving former mayor’s wife Miss Clairee. Kim Saunders has the pivotal role of M’Lynn, and Sophia Amador playing her daughter. “Steel Magnolias” plays Sept. 16-25 at Steeltown Coffee and Tea in Old Town Pittsburg, 695 Railroad Ave. Seating is limited. Call 925439-PLAY or go Centerwww.ptcca.org/tickets.toFamilyDayattheLesherwillbe11a.m.-2p.m.
John Nakanishi Renaye Johnson paints an image of the Concord Pavilion for the “Families Through Time” utility box she created with Thea Jue.
Kudos to Onstage Theatre for taking on Gerald Moon’s murder-mystery “Corpse!” The British whodunit has lots of fascinating characters well-performed by an outstanding cast beautifully directed by Dennis Klein. “Corpse!” follows twin brothers Evelyn (an out-ofwork actor) and Rupert (a wealthy businessman). To put it mildly, the two don’t get along – with Evelyn plotting to kill his twin and take his place. I’ll say no more as I don’t want to spoil the fun. Evelyn employs a downon-his-luck Major Powell to do the deed, with Evelyn’s landlady Mrs. McGee almost foiling his plans on several, very funny occasions. The cast also includes a friendly policeman named Hawkins who stumbles upon one of the many bodies that fill the stage. Kieran Cross has the challenging role of switching back and forth between Evelyn and his wealthy sibling Rupert. He does an excellent job creating each distinct personality, not to mention the drag queen he alsoComedicportrays.timing has always been a plus for Gary Mutz, who plays the unlikely assassin. Lisa Marie Taylor provides comedy and romance as the hard-drinking landlady, with Zack Bender as the not-to-befooled policeman.
of utility box painting
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Once satisfied with the overall look, they sketched out their final drawings on 11-inch by 14inch canvas and practiced painting.Next, they sketched the design on a large piece of paper in the actual size. They then transferred the sketch onto the utility box for the final painting. They realized that the actual painting presented physical challenges, as the work must be done outside. Jue explained how the hot summer sun heated the metal box to extreme temperatures, creating a handsoff “We“canvas.”hadto deal with the heat, kneeling on the ground and the temperature of the day,” Jue said.
Savannah Daniels Kieran Cross and Gary Mutz star in Onstage Theatre’s murder-mystery “Corpse!” Sara Layva Tina Smith is Ouiser and Sandy Wright is Clairee in Pittsburg Theatre Company’s production of “Steel Magnolias.”
‘Tahoe Moon’ shines a light on another McKenna mystery
POST PANDEMICPUSH After the long drought of live entertainment during the pandemic, it’s no surprise musicians are eager to fill the calendars of venues that will have them. Likewise, many local businesses that survived are eager to embrace anything that will bring people in after a rough couple years. When WiseGirl Ristorante in Pleasant Hill reopened last spring, their weekend entertainment calendar was fully booked going into summer.
DAVE HUGHES THE BEAT OF DIABLO
Photo by Dave Hughes Adam Dishart performs with his band Books on Fate at a Sunday matinee at Vinnie’s Bar & Grill in Concord.
August 19, 2022 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com Page 15 MMMarsu CSkec icc&& TREC E NCO & C 9ENJu NationGator 2EN orconcfyotic mtepesE 2NuJ nieveysdruhT a Ju NITLRECNCO AU arC G gordr .m8 p0:369r 2eb tnaSosdTosgni AU PUE 11TSUG Reyeslos 4TSU azalm.os P 7LYuJ BorinqOrquesta 03ENJu MaskFleetwood 32ENJu SymphonDiablo 61ENJu BrotherBellThe The PES Zep GAU Mat GAU uQ Thequenynsr sranticw Fee N R 1EBMTE parella 52TSU ooy Twentchbox T 81TSU earnsl Beh Mito wattr KillBillies dsnal blocaa s ndnal blocac thhigtsign s Htinarid MDav 82LYuJ illssy Greae GTh k & Tolzah PMitc 12LYuJ tarring! seorgeG 41LYuJ ua VAj l blocaac PES Mid PES Ste PES Fas PES Gar ytare PHouss eucesl Doyae Rh oldk BNic thigs ndna 9R2EBMTE Sundnight 2R2EBMTE andg Bis Bnydere Sv 5R 1EBMTE imest T R 8EBMTE RodeoHoragelandloydf Fe ous 6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton Family owned and operated since 1983 Pool, Patio, Gifts & Gardens Hours: Tues-Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4, Closed Monday 925-672-0207 August Sale 20% off AllscapeideashelpstaffKnowledgeablegrasses.shrubslow-watercollectionExtensiveTreesoftrees,andavailabletowithdesignandland-solutions.So much live music; so little weekend time
While most would agree that more live music is a good thing, those doing the booking have expressed some valid concerns.“Isometimes worry about oversaturation,” notes Bryant, who books for SlowHand BBQ in Pleasant Hill and Martinez. “I’d love to believe there’s no such thing as too much live music, but when you have too many choices, or venues too close together, problems can arise.” “It’s hard to keep it fresh,” laments Cotruvo. “You might see the same bands playing different local venues just days apart.”Both Bryant and Cotruvo have done a good job of keeping their calendar repeats to a minimum, which is no easy task when you’re booking three or four live acts a week. Of course, the depth of our robust local music scene helps to make that a little easier. To keep track of who’s playing where and when, join the Facebook group “Marilyn’s Weekly Calendar.” The volunteer effort by retiree Marilyn Carver offers information about upcoming live music events in Solano and Contra Costa counties. Contact Dave Hughes MrDaveHughes@gmail.com.at
For all you mystery-thriller fans who love Lake Tahoe and Todd Borg’s Owen McKenna, hold onto your hats: McKenna is back in “Tahoe Moon.” As in all Borg’s mysteries, the first dead body appears within three pages of the book’s prologue. In this case, a part-time woodsman is gruesomely flattened to death by the tree he was sawing down. Borg’s prologues are brief: setting, action, dead body. OK, on to chapter one – where we meet retired SFPD Det. McKenna on his way into a fancy-schmancy Lake Tahoe hotel. (But don’t forget every detail of the prologue.) A forlorn-looking little girl tugs at McKenna’s heartstrings while he’s walking to the hotel. She looks lost, with a skateboard tucked under her arm. McKenna passes her and enters the hotel to meet Mr. Rossi of Rossi & Dexter. Rossi is obnoxiously real, while an absent Dexter is strangely fictitious. Mr. Rossi interviews McKenna to head up a security team, a job as fictitious as Mr. Dexter Returning from the hotel, he looks for the young girl to see if she needs help. The 8year-old is deaf, reads lips, signs and talks in a deaf-speaking voice. Camille is waiting for her grandfather, a sometimes wood cutter, to come back from a job. McKenna calls his longtime friend Sgt. Santiago for help. He also calls his longer-time girlfriend Street, hoping her female presence will help as well. And, oh yes, Camille’s beloved Grandpa Charlie is Charlie Dexter.Never start a McKenna mystery in the afternoon; you’re likely to not fall asleep until early the next morning. Borg’s clue-dropping talent whets our appetites to guess nonstop. Is there a connection between Grandpa Charlie, the fictitious Mr. Dexter and the dead woodsman? Is the woodsman’s death murder, suicide or accident? Is there a link between the woodsman’s accident and other accidental deaths occurring for some time in the Tahoe region? Is Camille next? And, what about that TahoeNowmoon?we’re deep into Borg territory of chases so detailed the reader feels each turn of the wheels between car and skateboard, each punch and ribcracking blow in brutal fisticuffs and exactly how deep Spot (McKenna’s faithful Harlequin Great Dane) can bite to hold down a bad guy. We’re kept guessing as the “who” emerges, but the “why” is something else. All the while, we learn about deaf culture, the market for stolen catalytic converters, the fascinating world of skateboarding, specifically longboarding, the history of ghost artists (writers, painters, composers), insurance fraud, the dark web and the difference between amateur hired killers and professional hitmen. And will “Tahoe Moon” reveal just how deeply McKenna and Street have been touched by the now-orphaned Camille? Is a foster family or adoption in her future? I won’t say more, but McKenna is back – big time. Sunny Solomon is a freelance writer and head of the Clayton Book Club. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latest recommendations or just to ‘talk books.’ SOLOMON BOOKIN’ WITH SUNNY
SUNNY
For some of the numerous bars and restaurants across Diablo Valley that double as music venues on Friday and Saturday nights, the weekends have been starting a little earlier. For others, the Saturday shot now comes with a SundayChrischaser.Bryant calls the increase in Thursday night live shows “the new Friday.” “The competition is not yet as fierce. As more and more venues start offering music on Thursday, that will likely change. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wednesday added to the mix,” adds Bryant, founder of Martinez Music Mafia. He went on to explain that there’s simply more live music today than there was just a few years ago, and that the larger Bay Area performance centers’ calendars are seeing this increase as well. “Work-wise, we are getting slammed with events. I work in (live sound) production –backline – and we’ve had to hire several people to keep up with the schedule.”
ENDING THE WEEKEND ON A HIGH NOTE
KEEPINGITFRESH
Other venues are seeing Sundays fill up, often with performances in the late afternoon or early evening. “My favorite slots to play are Sunday matinees,” shares veteran musician Jim Ocean. “It’s still the weekend, but you get home early enough to plan yourThat’sweek.”part of the inspiration behind “Indie Sundays,” a new weekly event at Vinnie’s Bar & Grill in Concord, spearheaded by Adam Dishart of the local rock band Books on Fate.“Sundays just seem like a natural day to do a matinee show,” says Dishart. “The idea is to offer a casual, social thing where people can discover a new artist, have a nice evening with friends, meet new people and be back home at a reasonable hour before starting their work week.”
Months later, they too have followed the trend by adding “Acoustic Thursdays” to the mix.“Patrons are definitely calling for more nights of music,” says Sheila Cotruvo, who helps book entertainment for WiseGirl. “Thursdays are about single, duos and trios; it’s more of a listening crowd on Thursdays, unlike Friday and Saturday – when the crowds prefer to dance.”
Rich Eber Chef Ulises Napuri honed his skills at Fisherman’s Wharf before opening Incas Grill in Concord with his wife Maria.
RICHARD EBER & TELL
Page 16 The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com August 19, 2022 Get greatservicegreat&rates You know I’m always here with Good Neighbor service. But I’m also here surprisinglywithgreat rates for everyone. Call me for a quote to see how much you can save. You might be surprised. Tim McGallian, Agent Insurance Lic#: 0E43228 6200 Center St Ste A Clayton, CA 94517 Bus: 925-672-2300 Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® Individual premiums will vary by customer. All applicants subject to State Farm® underwriting requirements State Farm Bloomington, IL, 2001875 CONCORDFARMERSMARKET USE YOUR CALFRESH/EBT CARD WE'LL MATCH YOUR PURCHASE UP TO $10! Find out more at: pcfma.org/market-match August 7th - 14th is National Farmers’ Market Week, but we're celebrating all month long! Head to the info booth either market day to enter for chance to win a farmers’ market tote, color changing cup, and glow in the dark frisbee! Don’t forget to pick up your Concord Farmers’ Market sticker and ‘I Heart’ Farmers’ Markets’ temporary tattoo before they’re gone! For a list of farmers attending each week, visit: pcfma.org/Concord Text "concord" to 855-272-3276 to join the Concord Farmers' Market text message club and stay up to date on what's new each week! 6160 Center Street, Suite F, Clayton, CAcarol@interiorspanache.com925.672.7920 www.interiorspanache.com •Design •Remodels,ConsultationsKitchens,& Baths •Design & Project Management •3 dimensional elevations & designs We are a full-service design firm and licensed general contractor Follow us @interiorspanacheonCall today for an appointment 30 Clayton20+DesignyearsExperienceyearResident Incas Grill: home-style Peruvian specialties in casual atmosphere
A strip mall with a Papa John’s Pizza and a 99 Cent Store hardly sounds like the locale for a gourmet Peruvian restaurant.Butunder the tutelage of owners Ulises and Maria Napuri, Incas Grill has been serving large portions of homestyle Peruvian cooking since 2009. The unique cuisine featuring seafood, chicken, pork, beef and lamb is like no other in Concord.Ulises, who serves as executive chef, got his start operating a crab stand at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. He translated this experience, along with recipes from his greatgrandmother, to provide the foundation for the Incas Grill menu.
TASTE
WHERE SEAFOODISKING
Typical of what they serve is the Seafood Pescadero, made with striped bass marinated in lime juice, chilies, garlic, cilantro and pickled red onions. He combines this flavor profile with whole Peruvian corn, corn kernels and a chunk of cooked sweet potato. Several diners can easily split the generous portion as anIncasappetizer.Grilloffers many other unique starters. I especially liked the Causa Rellena Con Cangrejo, which consists of mashed potatoes topped with a creamy crab-shrimp salad. The Con Pollo covered the potatoes with chicken and avocado. Other alternatives, such as Empanadas, green-lipped mussels and Ocopa, are large enough to be a meal for the less hungry.When it comes to entrees, Incas provides more than 40 selections. Ulises, who has a passion for home cooking seldom seen in the local culinary scene, stays close to his Fisherman’s Wharf roots with a staggering 13 seafood selections. His Arroz Con Mariscos is a Peruvian version of Basque paella with shrimp, mussels, fish and calamari served in a spicy sauce cooked over a mound of rice.Incas Grill more than holds its own with similar dishes from local upscale restaurants Lima and Parada. On another visit, I enjoyed the Chicharron De Calamari featuring fried calamari, yucca, toasted corn and specialIncassalsa.only has one lamb dish, but their braised shanks are not to be missed. My lunch companion especially enjoyed the meat served with creamy Peruvian yellow beans and rice. Charley the dog also liked the bone packed for his later enjoyment.
BUTDON’T COUNTOUT THE CHICKEN Important menu items at Incas involve poultry. Unlike restaurants that offer chicken breasts with assorted mundane sauces, Incas serves a diverse array of Peruvian specialties that brings their loyal customer base back for return visits. Ulises serves their popular Casero combo with a delicious cilantro sauce. Though simple on paper, Incas’ rotisserie chicken marinated in Peruvian aji spice has been a mainstay of mine for several years. Incas makes several soups using ingredients found in their other offerings; they can comprise a meal or be split for larger tables.Inaddition to a kids’ menu, house-made fruit drinks are noteworthy. The Chicha Morada utilizing purple corn spiced with cinnamon and their passion fruit beverage are perfect companions to Peruvian specialties. I recommend purchasing these drinks in pitchers as one serving is often not enough. A diverse selection of wine and beer is also available. Incas Grill is a family-run operation, with relatives and inlaws making up most of the staff. If this were not enough, Maria still has time to operate a souvenir stand at Fisherman’s Wharf that the family owned prior to opening their restaurant.Incas is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner at 4669 Clayton Road. Reservations are especially recommended on weekends at 925-6872479. Rich Eber is a local journalist and long time resident of Concord. He covers topics from politics to gourmet food. Contact him at rjerje@pacbell.net
