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August 20, 2021
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New businesses opening in Concord but is it a real COVID-19 comeback? JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
TAMARA STEINER
PUBLISHER
Here we go again, backwards... In March 2020, it happened. COVID-19 grabbed our health, our culture and our economy. For more than a year we’ve lived life behind masks and screens—in seclusion hiding from an invisible little virus that declared war on the world, killing our mothers, fathers, friends, co-workers, lovers and now, our children. We have a common enemy, people. And it demands a common response. Unless we live in isolation on a desert island, we all benefit from living in a community. We may not always like our community, but we share its benefits. And we have a communal obligation to step up and do our part when our community is under attack— think Pearl Harbor, 9/11. We are under attack now. COVID-19 and its Delta variant fight dirty. Our planes, guns and bombs are useless against it. Our only defense is science and a willing defender. We have the science, but not enough willing defenders. We were making headway against the enemy. After more than a year of lockdown that brought our economy to its knees, Pfizer, Moderna and J&J brought us hope that we could win the war. Millions of defenders brought willing arms, sleeves rolled up to take the needle. Infections dropped, we went from purple to orange and things began to open up. But while we were waiting for the back up troops to arrive, ‘rona mutated and here we are again. Masked up and in retreat. Fighting an attack on your community is not just a “personal choice.” It’s the moral response to an invasion by a common enemy. Step up defenders. Roll up your sleeves, bare your arms and take the needle. We’re waiting for you.
CONCORD FREE VACCINATION SITES Concord Health Center Building 2: 3024 Willow Pass Rd, Mon – Fri, 8am to noon. Monument: 1034 Oak Grove Rd. Tues: 12 noon to 3:30 pm and 4:30 to 7 pm. Wed. to Sat: 8 am to noon. and 12:30 to 3 pm. To make an appointment or to find a vaccination site closer you, please visit www.coronavirus.cchealth.org /get-vaccinated
Next issue, September 17, Deadline, Sep. 6
Tamara Steiner/The Pioneer
A number of new eateries are replacing restaurants which vacated Salvio Pacheco Square in the past year. The culinary options in the area are expanding with an influx of new restaurants and breweries around Todos Santos Plaza downtown.
Councilmember Edi Birsan recently sent out his Pulse of Concord survey that touted a handful of new businesses moving into the Todos Santos Plaza area and Park & Shop Center. The question is, are things really happening in Concord with the lessening of COVID-19 restrictions for business and the public, or are these simply one business filling the space where another went away in the past year? Concord Economic Development Manager Marie Suvansin says, “Things are actually happening in the background.” She enumerated reports from Sunvalley Shopping Center, Willows Shopping Center, The Veranda and
See Comeback, page 5
Long-time water district board member an advocate for equality and the environment KAREN JENKINS Correspondent
Few people visit a public garden bearing their own name, but that was what Bette Boatmun experienced as she strolled through the droughtresistant, waterwise and blooming plants in the Bette Boatmun Conservation Garden last month. The Concord resident left more than her name when she retired from the Contra Costa Water District board of directors in December. Her legacy includes the historic Los Vaqueros Reservoir, guiding a community through two severe
droughts, and nearly a half century of local and statewide governance. Formed in a special election in 1936, the district manages quality drinking water, conservation and use rates for more than a half-million central and eastern Contra Costa County residents. LONGEST SERVING BOARD MEMBER
A native New Yorker, Boatmun settled in Concord with her young family six decades ago. During a July interview, the longest serving of the 34 directors in the district’s history reflected on her journey that
started in 1974 and spanned 46 years. She revealed her strong convictions, her steady commitment and a vivacious personality that belies her 83 years. “They were looking for a woman and asked if I would help to find one,” recalled Boatmun, seated in the conference room at the Concord Avenue water district complex. “I contacted people through AAUW (American Association of University Women) and members that I knew in the Karen Jenkins League of Women Voters, Bette Boatmun walks through the Bette Boatmun Conservawomen I knew who lived in the
See Boatmun, page 7
tion Garden in Concord in July. Her colleagues named the garden after her in 2014 to mark her 40th year on the Contra Costa Water District board.
Dedicated to ‘doing the little bit more,’ Achakzai honored as Kiwanis’ top cop DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Officer Nooria Achakzai embodies a new social awareness that those wearing the badge need to have to effectively serve all members of the community. After six years with the Concord Police Department, Achakzai is the Kiwanis Club of Concord’s Police Officer of the Year for 2020. She expressed shock and surprise at being selected. “This is the last thought I ever had,” she said. “I am very honored.” The 30-year-old Concord native attended Ygnacio Valley High and competed on the varsity basketball and softball teams until her junior year in 2008 before moving to Arizona. She got her first taste for a career in law enforcement by attending the Citizen’s Police Academy with the Tempe Police Department. Her family moved back to California at the end of 2009, and she started at Cal State East Bay. Achakzai obtained a bachelor’s in criminal justice
at the patrol level (and) focusing on investigations that a normal patrol officer would not do,” she added. So too is professionalism, a characteristic tested as officers found themselves on the frontlines of the pandemic along with protests and riots being front and center. While the past year shifted society’s perspectives on policing, Achakzai made it clear “maintaining professionalism has always been my No. 1 goal.” CRACKING DOWN ON FIREARMS
Contributed photo
Concord police officer Nooria Achakzai receives recognition from mayor Tim McGallian. Achakzai was named the 2020 Officer of the Year by the Concord Kiwanis Club at a luncheon in her honor July 30.
administration with a minor in Police Department. “Really focusing on doing psychology. the little bit more than the A DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL average patrol office does,” Dedication and hard work Achakzai said about what she define two of her goals as a brings to job. representative of the Concord “Going above and beyond
As the pandemic persisted, Achakzai’s superiors lauded her tenacious spirit to continue identifying crime trends and performing enforcement efforts at a high level. Sgt. Jason Passama nominated her for the Kiwanis’ award, now in its 14th year. Achakzai’s particular focus on the major public safety concern – criminal activity involving felons who illegally possess firearms – specifically garnered the attention of department leadership.
See Kiwanis, page 7
City to select CNWS master developer TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
This Saturday, Aug. 21, the Concord City Council sitting as the Local Reuse Authority will once again hear from developers competing to be the master developer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse Plan. Lennar Corp. was the city’s first choice for the $5 billion, 2,300-acre redevelopment project. But the company failed to negotiate a project labor agreement with the Contra Costa Building Trades Council before their contract expired in March 2020, and the city declined to extend it. The PLA is non-negotiable where the city is concerned and is part of the Concord First section of the Reuse Plan. The LRA will choose between three very diverse development teams.
See CNWS, page 5
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August 20, 2021
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This is the second in our Pioneer series featuring the unsung, those that simply do good because that's who they are. Do you know someone who should be featured? Let us know at editor@pioneerpublishers.com. Include their name and contact info. KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent
Kathy Gleason has made it her life’s work to help others, not just people but animals, too. The 40-year Concord resident was one of the founders of the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), helping save dogs and cats from being euthanized. Although that was more than 20 years ago, she still feeds and cares for stray cats and tries to find homes for them. After three years at ARF, Gleason went to work for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. She put her fundraising skills to good use as the corporate and foundation relations manager and continued to help those in need for 18 years there.
Tamara Steiner/The Pioneer
Kathy Gleason brings Bill a care package including canned food, snacks, T-shirts and toilet paper on Aug. 11. She has continued to help Bill after finding him a trailer and a place to park it in Pleasant Hill.
to helping the homeless. She contacted Dave and Mary Kenmitz of D&H Enterprises, which often refurbishes cars for charity, to find out if they had an RV or camper that could be donated for Bill. They did, but the path ahead would not be easy. Gleason soon realized that finding a place to park the trailer would be the first roadblock. Trailer parks were too ON A MISSION expensive for Bill’s meager It was during one of her outings to feed stray cats that disability checks. After a long she met Bill, a homeless man search, Bill had a friend conliving in his car behind a fast- nect them with a property owner who needed some food restaurant off Highway 4. Bill had noticed her feeding night security and would allow the cats and had taken a video Bill to park his trailer in exchange for work. of some strays. The next obstacles were One day, they talked and gaining permission from the Bill offered to show her his city of Pleasant Hill and getvideo. When Gleason learned ting the trailer livable, all of that Bill was disabled and which Gleason helped Bill wanted to get out of living in achieve. Through her vast nethis car, she knew she wanted work of friends and colleagues, to help him in some way. she had the trailer towed to the Gleason was no stranger
location, obtained propane tanks and donations of a refrigerator, microwave and TV, along with various repairs. “It took a village,” said Gleason. “The Kenmitzes connected us with a repairman, and through Facebook, there were offers of help and donations for Bill.” Gleason set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for still-needed repairs and a vehicle for Bill to be able to tow the trailer and get to doctors’ appointments. (See gofundme.com/f/help-billimprove-his-life.) A friend of hers brought a planter of flowers; another gave Bill a haircut. “Kathy has been relentless making sure I had a place to live,” Bill said. “The resources she has seems unending. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve gotten.” ONGOING ISSUES Bill was born and raised in
Concord, then lived in Hayward for a while. He became homeless several years ago after his marriage broke up and his job disappeared when the company he worked for closed. After couch surfing at friends’ places for a while, he found himself living in his car, which no longer runs. He struggles with a foot injury and breathing problems but now has a roof over his head and is feeling better. Gleason continues to take Bill food, organizes repairs and supplies, and arranges for people to pick up his prescriptions. “The homeless problem is not going to resolve itself,” stated Gleason. “Police can’t fix it; government can’t do it. The public is going to have to step in and help.” And in Bill’s case, they have. “I didn’t know there were this many kind people in the world,” Bill said.
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SF
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BED/BATH DATE
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116 Mt Etna Dr . . . . . . . . . . . . $740,000 949 Oak St . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,275,000 1126 Peacock Creek Dr . . . $1,620,000 5161 Keller Ridge Dr. . . . . . $1,050,000 5830 Del Trigo Ln . . . . . . . . $1,200,000 505 Condor Pl . . . . . . . . . . . . $573,000 1405 Indianhead Way . . . . . . $728,000
SF
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BED/BATH
DATE
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August 20, 2021
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Page 3
Return to indoor mask mandate can increase stress and anxiety KAREN JENKINS Correspondent
The siblings focused momentarily on the transfer of chocolate-dipped vanilla ice cream cones from their dad’s hands to theirs. Receiving them like pros, each made one final adjustment before tasting their frozen treats: lowering their face masks. Then the older one answered the question posed a moment earlier. “It’s fine. It doesn’t bug me at all,” said Elouise McClay, 9, wearing her blue face mask at Dairy Queen in Concord on Aug. 5. Her brother Rory, 7, in a green and yellow Oakland Athletics face covering, agreed. Children under 12 – the minimum age to be vaccinated for COVID-19 – and others who are unvaccinated are no longer the only people expected to wear masks indoors in public places. On Aug. 3, Contra Costa County Health Services mandated masks for use indoors in public places for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, because of rising cases of COVID-19 and concern over the highly contagious Delta variant. The order comes just six weeks after county health officials lifted restrictions, allowing those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine to go maskless indoors and urging those who are unvaccinated to continue to mask up. Seven other Bay Area counties and the city of Berkeley have imposed the same restrictions. EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER
The renewed dictum to mask up comes as many expected society to be return-
Karen Jenkins
Jann Gorski, getting an afternoon ice cream to go, said she continued wearing a mask in public even after getting vaccinated. “I’m fine with it,” said Gorski. But she couldn’t hide her frustration over the need for the renewed mask order. “If anything, it just bewilders me that we couldn’t do it right the first time.” At Tomizaki’s Champions Kung Fu in Concord, instructor Braydan Tomizaki watched and corrected teens practicing their moves in the parking lot on Aug. 5. “It presents some challenges, but we’re making it work,” said Tomizaki, whose family has operated the studio since 2007.
Concord Dairy Queen employees, from left, Crystal MINIMIZING RISKS Tranate, Kashvi Patel and Khatira Kakar serve customers on Concord pediatrician Dr. Aug. 5, two days after the start of the recent indoor mask Kelly Beatty urged people to mandate. The three workers, all college students, are vaccibe patient with changing nated, and Patel said people entering the Clayton Road business seemed to have no reservations wearing masks. health rules, including wearing
masks. “This virus is brand new. We did not have a playing to normal, leading to mask indoors, we should be stress and anxiety for people finding our friends, going out- book,” said Beatty, who works at Pinwheel Pediatrics. already fatigued from navigat- side in the fresh air and con“I feel that wearing a mask ing 18 months of a pandemic, tinuing to be with each other,” outside your home can presaid Dr. Michael Stanton, he said. vent a potential deadly virus, assistant professor of public Another calming measure or one with very significant health at Cal State East Bay. is self-care, including consiseffects,” Beatty said. “All we “I know from speaking to tent exercise, diet and sleep. can hope for is that people my patients, to students and “This is a tough time,” Stanand families take all the measto family members that the ton said. “Remember to take ures they can to minimize the change in the mask mandate breaks, to take care of yourrisks. If it means being slightly and asking vaccinated people self.” uncomfortable with wearing a to wear masks now after premask, it’s still better than endLEARNING TO ADAPT sumably not wearing masks ing up sick or in the hospital.” The McClay children and for the last month or so after their dad had stopped at the being vaccinated has been really challenging,” said Stan- Dairy Queen two days into Can the show ton, a clinical psychologist. “It the new mandate. Masks were also required when the kids certainly has raised feelings of go on? returned to school at El anxiety, raised feelings of Local performing arts Monte Elementary on Aug. worry and raised stress.” organizations talk 12. Stanton said one way to about how to move for“I’m not happy about it, counter the emotions is to but I guess the Delta variant is ward under the new maintain social interactions. mask order, Page 14. “Even though we still have very contagious,” said dad Kyle McClay. to be careful with wearing a
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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.
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 20, 2021
Citizen-designed park is the hub of downtown Clayton Serving our Local Community since 1977
Kara Navolio
“The Circle of Friends statue is the perfect symbol of family, children and fun that defines the community’s goals for the Grove,” says former City Councilmember Julie Pierce.
Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in our series on local parks. KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent
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Set in the middle of downtown, The Grove served as a community gathering place well before it officially became a city park in 2008. Today it bustles with activity at all times of the day. In the mornings, walkers and dog owners pass through, a new mom’s group regularly meets there with their babies, seniors come for lunch or to play checkers, and in the afternoons, school-age kids ride their bikes there to see friends. On Saturday nights during the summer, free concerts fill the city park with families and people of all ages enjoying picnics and a variety of musical offerings. The next concert is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug.
28 featuring Forever Rod, a Rod Stewart tribute band. Clayton’s first 4th of July celebrations took place at The Grove when it was still a collection of more than 30 eucalyptus trees planted by George Scammon in 1878. According to the Clayton Historical Society, Joel Clayton owned the land facing Morris Street (on the western edge of the park) from 1857 to 1870. J.H. Keller bought the land in 1877 and built a house, as well as a slaughterhouse and butcher shop there. Scammon owned some of the other lots that now make up the park and sprinkled the eucalyptus seeds there. One hundred years later, in 1978, the trees stood more than 100 feet tall but fell victim to drought stress. They had to be removed in 1992 for safety reasons as several
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Michael Giambona enjoys the playground with fellow second graders.
branches had fallen on cars and other property. In 1999, the city created a blue-ribbon task force to come up with a communitybased vision for the park, and that vision has been fulfilled. Clayton resident Melissa Milligan visits the park often with her children. “It has a solid community feel,” she said. “It’s always packed and it’s safe,” noted Clayton mom Colleen Giambona. “Kids go over to the Village Market to get their Slurpees and drinks or ice cream.” Giambona added that her family loves to cool off in the Splash Pad, although it’s currently closed due to the drought. In the last days before school was to start, groups of kids gathered to play pickle or banana tag. Others jumped and ran through the play structure. Teens hung out at picnic tables, and the sounds of joy and laughter spread throughout the square. This park epitomizes Clayton’s small town feel as a place where people meet up informally, children play and residents can take pride in a park that serves all.
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Page 5
Concord council considers hiring homeless coordinator the Mental Health Emergency Response team, along with other country, non-profit and faith-based organizations. This new person would also be the city’s liaison to the county. The proposal came from the Housing & Economic Development (HED) Committee, which includes Mayor Tim McGallian and Councilmem-
Comeback, from page 1
The central section of stores at Bel Air Center has been largely vacant for several years. The landlord is engaged in planning with his leasing company to potentially tear down those individual stores and build a 23,000 to 37,000 square foot building for a grocery store. Lockehouse Retail Group expects to have specific proposals early in the new year for the center renovation at the busy intersection of Treat Blvd. and Clayton Rd.
Todos Santos Business Association that point towards positive movement in filling vacancies that proliferated since the pandemic struck in full force in March 2020. “There are a lot of positive reports and signs pointing to the local economy recovering,” she said. Birsan’s Pulse listed new businesses in both Park & Shop and Salvio Pacheco Square. In all but one case they are one restaurant replacing another eating establishment that had vacated the space. Aung Burma, Beard Papa’s and Teaspoon eateries are opening in Salvio Pacheco Square along with Serenity Nail Salon. In the newly redone section of Park & Shop anchored by Joann Superstore, restaurants Tasty Pot, Spicy Joi’s Banh Mi, Uji Time and 85 Degrees Bakery Shop are opening amidst several existing ethnic food eateries. The large former Burlington store there is still empty. Behind that portion of Park & Shop, the sale of the 102,000 square foot building which housed Fry’s Electronics is in escrow for a company looking to put retail in the massive building. NEW BEL AIR CENTER ON THE HORIZON
Another publication reported earlier this month that the Bel Air Shopping Center at the corner of Treat Blvd. and Clayton Rd. was readying a major renovation. Adria Giacomelli, senior vice president and partner of the center’s leasing agent Lockehouse Retail Group of Walnut Creek, says much of that story was inaccurate. The company is discussing plans with owner Myron Zimmerman “for the next three to four years” that will focus on a 23,000-37,000 square foot grocery store coming in as an anchor tenant along with CVS. She says it will be after the new year before anything is formalized. Staples currently has the corner space of the center closest to Clayton Rd. Their lease expires in two years and whether they stay in the same location, possibly downsize within the center or move out entirely has not been discussed. Giacomelli says the middle section of the center, which is a veritable ghost town of empty storefronts, likely will be demolished with the center anchor store built out into the current parking area protruding beyond from the fronts of Staples and CVS. The Smog Center on the street corner is proposed as a site for a drive-through restaurant, but Giacomelli says the drivethrough is “pretty far off.” Lockehouse has engaged with grocery stores and restaurants concerning the center, which Zimmerman has owned for decades.
The center also intends to continue to have a U.S. Post Office, contrary to the published report. Dollar Daze did move across Treat Blvd. next to Little Caesar’s. Giacomelli says that, speaking generally about the postCOVID environment in commercial retail real estate, personal services and fitness leases are taking place while most food industry business is simply second-generation turnover from one tenant to another. MORE CHANGES AROUND CONCORD
The Hot Dog Palace, a staple on the corner of Salvio and Grant Sts. for decades, has closed and the new business owners are currently working on redoing the interior. It is anticipated the menu may change from hot dogs to hamburgers. Kitty corner from there is E.J. Phair Brewing Company which reopened after the initial greenlight for restaurants and bars to begin serving but closed earlier this year. There seem to be various rumors swirling around about the long-time restaurant-bar, but Suvansin has been informed it will be reopening after a remodel. Two blocks away on the corner of Concord Blvd. and Grant St., the Side Gate Brewery and Beer Garden will be opening soon, adding another stop on the burgeoning Concord Beer Trail. At the other end of Concord, the 90,000 square foot former Kmart on Clayton Rd. had been serving as a storage location for the Food Bank and soon will house a Spirit Halloween superstore this fall on a shortterm lease. Concord Mayor Tim McGallian says the city is still working on bringing a Target store there. The Willows has found a tenant for the former Pier 1 Imports location. Five Below, a specialty discount store featuring merchandise primarily priced $5 and below, is moving into the center on Diamond Blvd. The Philadelphia-based chain of over 1,000 Below Five stores is directed at tweens and teens. The Veranda reports all its businesses have reopened, and it has new tenants signed that will bring the newest Concord center to 98 per cent capacity. Despite continuing rumors about Sears closing its Sunvalley location, Suvansin says that location is among the best performing Sears in the region. She adds that Sunvalley reports the center is doing “very well.” The economic development manager says Concord has been in discussions with national retailers about the merits of locating in the city. “There’s more to come,” Suvansin added. “There are more successes than failures,” McGallian said. “We have been fortunate in Concord.”
ber Edi Birsan as chair. McGallian said the council vote gave staff approval to create a full job description and bring a cost estimate to the council. “At this moment, it’s just slotted for general fund dollars,” McGallian said. “But there is a possibility where there may be other places where those dollars can come from.” On Facebook, Birsan expressed frustration that the council did not agree to apply for a grant that he said “would have paid for someone to work on a project to deal with most likely homeless housing and would have provided about 200K to a nonprofit as well as pay for a person.” One of the key issues in coordinating services is that no
one knows exactly how many people are homeless in Concord. At the July 28 HED meeting, Birsan said he wants specific information on the Concord homeless, person by person. Details would include how long they have been homeless, if they are able to work, if they have family nearby and if they would use a shelter bed if available. “I’ll be asking for volunteers to contact me so that we can interview the homeless and get more hard-core data and feed it into CORE,” he told the Pioneer. With this information, Birsan said, the city could create a “target list” of homeless individuals who would seem open to being housed to bring about
“success stories.” At the HED meeting, Jaime Jenett of the Contra Costa County Council on Homelessness reported that the county’s most urgent need is more beds in permanent supportive housing sites. She said there is only currently space for about one in 20 who want such a place to live. Jenett said the homeless need more than a place to sleep at night. Most would benefit from services to help them with finances, health issues, looking for a job and, ultimately, to find permanent housing and to no longer be dependent on county or city services. The essence of that meeting was an agreement that the city needs multiple strategies using various resources, including the
private sector. That would include faith-based organizations, non-profits and other volunteer or service groups. One option discussed was finding space where homeless in vehicles could safely park overnight and with basic services, such as bathrooms. There was also talk about building tiny homes or structures with very small rooms, known as singleoccupancy resident housing. Before adjourning, HED agreed to schedule a meeting focusing on landlord harassment and possibly other issues involved with housing insecurity. The meeting was subsequently set for Sept. 22. George Fulmore contributed to this story.
New trauma center opens to help with pandemic’s underlying issues DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Life was already chock full of day-to-day challenges, and the seemingly never-ending COVID-19 pandemic has only made it worse. For those bearing the brunt of violence and combating mental illness, the past 15 months have been all the more unbearable. To aid these individuals, the Family Justice Center launched a new Contra Costa Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) in partnership with the California Victim Compensation Board and Familias Unidas. The TRC will provide trauma-informed mental health treatment and case management to crime victims. An $800,000 grant will make services accessible until June 30, 2023, is locations in Concord, Antioch and Richmond. Staff will include two full-time clinicians supervised and supported by a part-time
who typically are unable to access traditional services, including the chronically mentally ill, immigrants/refugees, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, people of diverse ethnicity or origin and juveniles. The center will provide services to all survivors of violent crimes, including sexual assault, domestic violence, battery, gun and gang violence and human trafficking. The work a lone staffer handled in the past year illustrates the dire need for the services. Kim noted the current trilingual therapist, who is on contract, saw about 250 clients in 2020. About 30 percent of the clients were from Central County. The therapist held almost all sessions via phone, with a few exceptions to see certain clients in person. When someone contacts TRC, a screening is the first step to determine if the individual is a victim of violent crime, includHELP WITHIN SEVEN DAYS ing interpersonal violence, and TRC’s focus will be outreach to confirm whether the person and assistance to crime victims needs mental health services. A “yes” to both questions initiates contact with a clinician/center
clinical director, a program manager who is also a licensed clinician, a part-time psychologist and a contract psychiatrist. Two part-time Family Justice navigators and a network of more than 60 partners will support the clinical team. The center will provide trauma-informed mental health counseling, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and clinical case management to victims of violent crimes of all ages, without barriers and at no cost to recipients. “It will fill a severely unmet need for mental health services for uninsured, low-income and undocumented county residents who lack access to mental health treatment,” said executive director Susun Kim. “The CCTRC will be modeled after the proven University of California San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center.”
CNWS, from page 1 Brookfield Development, based in New York, is a global player with more than 70 currently active mixed-use developments. Brookfield projects include Boulevard in Dublin, a base reuse project and Pier 70 in San Francisco. Brookfield is BART’s choice to develop the 13-acre transit- oriented development around the North Concord BART station. Brookfield is currently negotiating a PLA with the Building Trades Council. City Ventures’ experience includes two master-planned mixed-use communities in San Jose—the Orchard and Santa Teresa Transit Village and has two large affordable housing projects in progress in San Francisco. Pittsburg builder Discovery Homes/Seeno Company in a joint venture with the Lewis Group and California Capital was the third to submit qualifications. A prolific residential builder, Seeno has a long litigious history with local jurisdictions and environmental groups. Most recently, Seeno sued to stop East Bay Regional Parks from moving ahead with their 2500acre park, ironically claiming the park would have a negative environmental impact and interfere with the 600-unit residential development planned on the Pittsburg hills adjacent to the park property. The meeting Saturday promises to be long and heated. Although the Seeno joint venture has already committed to a PLA with the Building Trades Council, public opposition to the builder is strong. Attached to the agenda are more than 250 letters and emails urging the LRA not to select
Seeno/Discovery Homes. Brookfield’s parent company, Brookfield Asset Management is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. City Ventures submitted audited financial statements. The Seeno/Discovery joint venture declined to provide financial information, stating it was too early in the process. The LRA meeting begins at 9 a.m. and will be streamed live on the city’s website at https://stream.ci.concord.ca.u s/ and runs live on Comcast Channel 28, Wave Channel 29, and U-verse Channel 99. Mayor Tim McGallian explains the process and the next steps in his column on page 8.
manager within 48 hours. The center manager will then perform a clinical assessment and assign the case to one of the two clinicians. The client should begin therapy within seven days of the initial assessment. Once the treatment plan is in place, the team will identify any case management needs and work with one of the Family Justice navigators to address any further support services required. As part of TRC’s mission, Kim expects law enforcement to contact them when officers come upon cases that fall under its focus. She said law enforcement agencies refer about 25 percent of the clients, and TRC will be conducting outreach presentations to law enforcement partners. “Even though the economy is opening up and people are going back to work, there are a lot of underlying health issues,” said Kim. “Abuse victims in a number of cases chose to live in the home of their abusers because that is all they had during COVID.”
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 20, 2021
Concord chamber recognizes key business leaders
MELISSA REA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce hosted its 84th annual Board of
Directors Installation and Awards via Zoom, introducing new board members and the new chair of the board, Marc Maier of Mechanics Bank. Chamber president/CEO Kevin Cabral honored three deserving businesses/representatives who have shown extraordinary commitment to the chamber and the community. They have gone above and beyond to create a business-friendly environment. ATG Escape Rooms and Full Service Events, both owned by Larry Tang, received the Catalyst award for business growth. Tang and his
Highlight outdoor features when selling your home Q: We have updated our kitchen and baths. What else can we do so our house will sell quickly when we put it on the market? A: Please don’t forget the outside. The backyard should be filled with amenities to get you top dollar. Here are some things to consider: Privacy: For many buyers, privacy is a top priority. This is especially important in homes where neighbors are close in proximity. If you have large hedges or a tall fence around your property, be sure to point this out in your listing. Smart irrigation system. This is environmentally friendly as well as a great selling feature. With many of today’s buyers coming from the millennial generation, it’s important to highlight something that is tech-friendly and sustainable. There are many options to choose from, such as a system that can be controlled via Bluetooth as well as some that are solar powered. Highlight this feature in your listing, including the environmental and financial benefits. Kid/pet friendly spaces. When it comes to your outdoor space, have one or more areas dedicated to children and pets. For example, if you have a doghouse in your yard, consider leaving it on the property and add it to your listing. The same goes for swing sets, playhouses and treehouses. If a buyer has young children, these can be attractive features that can help your house stand out. Outdoor kitchen. More people are spending time at home and crave an outdoor living space that checks all of their boxes. Rather than a grill and a simple patio set, today’s buyers are looking for outdoor features for entertainment and relaxation. And what is more relaxing than having everything you need right at your fingertips? Consider adding a small fridge, counter and storage space, a bar cart and even a pizza oven. Of course, not every backyard features a fully
Joe Ronco 925-872-3049 Over 35 years Clayton/ Concord resident Lic#844344
team were critical in helping the chamber move forward during the pandemic with their knowledge and advice on how to improve the chamber’s virtual meetings and communication with the business community. Tang is always willing to pitch in wherever needed. As Full Service Events was helping businesses advance, ATG Escape Rooms took a different approach by providing entertainment through virtual escape rooms and other virtual games that enhanced social events. Johana Segura, owner of 24/7 Nightingale Home Care, won the Convener award for leaders and influencers. A loyal chamber ambassador, Segura is an integral part of who the chamber is today. The chamber has made a concentrated effort reaching out to the Latinx community, and Segura has played a key role in translating the goals of the chamber to the Spanish-speaking population. Through the chamber’s
always serves the community by participating in local events and advocating for businesses. Fulmer does so many wonderful things for Concord, and her constant efforts deserve to be recognized. Through the pandemic, Concord businesses have come together to create a stronger community for everyone. On behalf of the chamber, I would like to thank all businesses that have gone out JOHANA SEGURA LISA FULMER of their comfort zones to continue thriving and carving new paths. work with the city of Concord cially in the arts. She is the If you would like more to administer two large-scale founder of Made in Coninformation regarding the grants to Concord businesses, cord, the Pioneer’s columnist Greater Concord Chamber of Segura donated her time to for the art scene, part of the Commerce, call 925-685-1181, canvas the Monument CorriConcord 150th committee visit concordchamber.com or dor with staff to spread and is on the board for the stop by the office at 2280 Diaawareness of the grants – Concord Arts Association, mond Blvd., Suite 200, Conincluding two interviews on just to name a few. You will cord. Univision. also see her artwork on utiliThe Champion award is ty boxes around downtown For more information on becomfor someone who works for Concord. ing a member of the Concord a stronger community, and Fulmer is very active in Chamber of Commerce, please visit Lisa Fulmer is that person. the Concord Comes Alive www.concordchamber.com or call Fulmer is deeply involved Facebook group, promoting (925) 685-1181. with the community, espeConcord businesses, and
Five bucks for peace of mind sounds like a bargain Backup is not a naughty word, but failure to do so will LYNNE FRENCH cause you to curse like a REAL ANSWERS trooper after things fail and you do not have a recovery equipped kitchen, but if you plan. have one, be sure to highlight Consider the kind of bad it. day you would have if someTalk to your real estate thing awful happens, like a agent about how to best failed hard drive. Many of us showcase these outdoor add- spend hours and hours on our ons to ensure you get the computers, setting them up, most value for your house. preparing and arranging lists and getting work done. Q: The recent Olympic Do you recall the first time Games got me thinking you set up your new computabout the Olympic House er? Do you relish the idea of in Lake Placid, N.Y. Do you doing it again? Would you care have any information? if everything – all your data A: In fact, it’s currently files, photos, music, apps, prolisted for sale for $950,000. grams and settings – was lost? That might seem like a barWith backup and recovery, gain because of its history, you’re back in business quickly but it isn’t very fancy. with all your data, settings and Because the house has 6,337 application intact. “Just like it sq. ft., it is being marketed as never happened.” (To borrow a great investment home. Sit- a phrase from Servpro.) uated on 0.08 acres on I am here to help you preupscale Hillcrest Avenue, the Olympic House could be easily converted into a vacation rental, bed & breakfast or even condominiums. The Olympic House was built in 1924. Until recently, it was still used as an Athlete’s Inn where past and future Olympians would stay while they trained in the surroundDEBRA MORRIS ing area. German dignitaries Pacific Coast Farmers Market stayed in this historic 11-bedroom, 11-bath house during The first week of August the 1980 Winter Olympics. was Farmers Market Week, but The home features three we are taking the whole month fireplaces, beautiful hardwood to celebrate and thank the farmfloors, four owners’ quarters ers and the community that has with separate entrance, two supported local farmers market patios that face the large back- this last year. yard, French doors, a two-car The resilience of small garage, spacious and meticufarmers during this pandemic lously maintained guest rooms and drought has been truly and tons of character. remarkable. Their commitment to bringing fresh, wholesome Lynne French is a Realtor with produce to the local communiCompass Real Estate and captain of the ty, their inherent love of farmLynne French Team. Contact her at lynne@lynnefrench.com or 925-672- ing and their can-do spirit have been inspiring. 8787. The pandemic made it clear that local food systems with short supply chains are a necessity. Throughout the pandemic, local small farmers continued to grow and harvest crops, altering their methods or growing patterns as they adjusted to the “new normal.” Corporate food systems were not nearly as flexible because of lack of transportation and product availability. Farmers markets provide one of the few direct-to-consumer entry points for new farmers, ranchers and other purveyors of local products – allowing them to start small and
pare for that inevitable crash or inadvertent loss of a file. There are steps you can take to be ready for the event – and skip the cussing. Backup can be easy. Really. If you use Windows File History, it is a simple backup routine. It’s basic, but it does the job well. Set it up once and done. Google “how to set up file history.” One caveat: You will run out of disk (storage) space at some point, so I recommend a monthly review of your remaining file space and provision more space as needed. If you have an external backup drive like Seagate, with its proprietary backup software, I don’t recommend using Seagate or its software for backups as they are not reliable. If you purchased a thirdparty backup app like 2BrightSparksor or Veritas,
that’s good to excellent so keep it up. Backup varieties include cloud storage options like the No. 1 rated Carbonite, Idrive and OneDrive. All are great options. One snag I should point out is that it is up to you to be the guardian and tech support person to make sure the backup is working. Perhaps you do not want to be bothered with all the technical gobbledygook but still recognize the risk you are taking and would opt in for backups if the details were managed for you. There are Managed Service Providers (MSP), like ours, that offer full setup, monitor the process and have an endless supply of storage space for home use or servers. Hey, go spend five bucks and keep the cussing directed at the politicians. A small price to pay for having all your data recovered when
WILL CLANEY
TECH TALK
your device fails. By the way, DriveSavers, a fantastic data recovery company in Novato, charges about $2,500 for data recovery and takes about two weeks. The choice is yours: Cuss and lose everything, pay excessively in an attempt to recover files, or spend the five bucks. Oh, I practice what I preach. I backup to a flash drive by drag and drop, to a network drive by File History and to an external drive by Veeam. William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.
Honoring the farmers who provided fresh produce during the pandemic grow their business. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, growers who sell locally and directly were able to hire more workers and grow their crops more sustainably this past year. Farmers markets saw a large increase in the use of EBT benefits and Market Match programs in the last year. With the loss of many jobs due to pandemic closures, the need for fresh produce increased exponentially. Last year, more than $1 million in benefits was distributed at PCFMA markets, with more than $900,000 in EBT/Market Match/WIC benefits to more than 6,800 participants. The Market Match program doubles the value of EBT purchases, stretching budgets further. As the state of California opens up, farmers are planting crops, delivering their produce to farmers markets and welcoming customers. People have returned to farmers markets in greater numbers as they rediscover the importance of their local farmers market to the community and their health. Throughout the Bay Area, communities have strengthened their relationships with farmers and farmers markets – making them a more essential part of
the community than ever. We have our dedicated farmers and their ability to grow quality produce to thank for that. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in California. This month, we are featuring melons and corn at the peak of deliciousness. There are many varieties of melons available at the local farmers market. Cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew are the most familiar, but others are equally tasty. Look for uncommon varieties like bitter melon, Korean melon and winter melon. Other delicious varieties are Golden Dew, Hami and Golden Hami, Galia, Orange Dew and Canary. Discover something new to add to your recipe repertoire. Visit both the Tuesday and Thursday Concord Farmers Markets this month to find luscious melons from J&J Ramos and Resendiz Farms of Hugh-
son and sweet Brentwood corn from G&S Farms. Thank your farmers for persevering so you can provide the best in local fresh produce. Thanks also to farmers market customers who hung in there and supported their local farmers and farmers markets through it all. HONEYDEW MELON SMOOTHIES 1 c. baby spinach ½ c. mint Juice of one lime 3 c. water or coconut water 3 c. ripe honeydew, cubed and frozen. Combine ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth. Also delicious with a jigger of gin or white rum. For Farmer’s Market hours, see ad on page 14
August 20, 2021
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Directory of Advertisers All phone numbers 925 area code unless otherwise noted Automotive D & H Auto Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-7500 Events Solo Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .943-7469 Financial, Insurance and Legal Services State Farm, Lisa Truesdell Insurance Agency . .672-3030 State-Farm, Tim McGallian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Home and Garden Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920 Marleau, Larry, General Builder . . . . . . . . . . . .531-1751 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 Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Whit’s Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429-2669
KidFest latest festival to cancel due to new COVID variant concerns The number of large-scale outdoor festivals that usually fill the fall calendar has dwindled to just two in the area. Over last weekend, both the 31st Bay Area KidFest in Concord and the 25th Lafayette Art and Wine Festival announced that the increasing health issues around the Delta variant of COVID-19 caused such concerns that they each decided to cancel their 2021 editions. Both organizations cited how positive they were just weeks ago about holding successful, safe events before having their thinking flip 180 degrees recently. KidFest producer Jay Bedecarre says his company, Bay
district – they had to reside in the district – and wasn’t having much success.” One Sunday leaving church, she encountered a water district staff member who encouraged her to apply. Boatmun, an executive at the YWCA in Bay Point, was selected out of 19 applicants. Residents elected her to a fouryear term in 1976 and to 10 more terms.
forefront of the often-heated public comment and debate. “Obviously we came to a compromise, because in a reservoir your source water is very important. The less treatment you have, the better it is at the tap for the constituency,” she said. “So, we put in some regulations that many people did not like because it restricted some of the recreational activities that they wanted. But recreation was not the first purpose of that BALANCING NEEDS AT reservoir – the first purpose was LOS VAQUEROS to have a water supply for our Boatmun easily counts the customers.” finalization of Los Vaqueros Reservoir as the biggest accom‘WATER WARRIOR’ plishment during her tenure. John Gregg, the district’s In 1988, voters approved the manager of operations and dam and watershed project for later assistant general manager 20,000 acres in the Diablo Range over 30 years, praised Boatof northeastern Contra Costa mun’s unwavering environCounty between Brentwood and mental support. He called her a Livermore to preserve water “firm advocate for the enviquality. Work on the $795 mil- ronmental standards that the lion project started in 1994, with project adopted, particularly completion in 1998 and an for the objective of the use of expansion in 2011. open space and acquiring con“Some of the challenges had trol of the watershed.” to do with (planning) the recreHe vividly recalls how she ation for Los Vaqueros,” she championed equality in pay said. “The board really looked and in diversity. statewide at what was happening “She was an outspoken with reservoirs. The questions advocate of equal pay for equal were: Do you allow swimming? work and an outspoken advoDo you allow people to bring in cate for affirmative action,” boats? Do you allow bicycling all Gregg said. “What ‘affirmative over the place? How close can action’ meant was bringing into you get to the reservoir?” the employee group people Balancing water needs and from the Black community recreation desires was at the into a lily-white base. It was
Kiwanis, from page 1
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Area Festivals, produced Contra Costa Con indoors at the Hilton Concord July 18 with record ticket sales and exhibitor registrations. Less than four weeks later he came up with more reasons not to hold KidFest, which hasn’t taken place since late May 2019, than to continue with final planning and arrangements for its Sept. 4-6 run in Concord. “All of our attractions, exhibitors, performing groups, food and ride vendors, volunteers, sponsors and small business exhibitors were so looking forward to returning to participate in something they love.” KidFest would have been the first large local outdoor festival
Boatmun, from page 1
“During these enforcement efforts, she initiated traffic stops for various violations which ultimately resulted in the recovery of six illegal firearms,” Passama wrote. “In an attempt to ascertain further criminal activity and illegal possession of firearms, Achakzai authored search warrants in two of these cases – a rare occurrence at the patrol level. In addition to recovering several illegal firearms, she made numerous arrests of felons in possession of drugs for sale and felons in possession of stolen identification used for identity theft crimes. “She is a great example to her fellow officers of why it is important to be proactive in locating and stopping dangerous criminal behavior before it becomes a public safety issue,” he added.
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During her interactions with the public while on the Concord force, Achakzai has gained greater awareness of inquiries for mental health services. “I didn’t expect to answer those questions,” she said. Hardly one to back away from a need in the community, Achakzai stepped up to do the crisis intervention training available to police officers and now is trained as a crisis investigation officer with the department. She sees the resources that are available as critical for put-
ting those who are in need on better paths, and for when families are crying out to be brought back together. “Mental health issues have increased a lot. There are a lot of people who have loved ones who need help, and they are at a loss looking for resources,” she said. “They are looking to law enforcement for resources.” Councilmember Carlyn
since the state “reopened” June 15. The Pittsburg Seafood Festival, Pleasant Hill Art & Wine Festival and three local Oktoberfest’s had all made decision earlier this summer not to hold 2021 events. A number of cities including Clayton and Concord have started an abbreviated schedule of free summer concerts. Splatter in Dublin Sept. 18 and the 85th Walnut Festival Sept. 23-26 in Heather Farm Park are still scheduled. Lafayette Chamber executive director Jay Lifson told his stakeholders last Friday, “It is with profound sadness that I report to you today – our Board of Directors had to
make the tough call to cancel the 2021 Lafayette Art & Wine Festival. As you know, I have been working with all of you for months, hoping we would find ourselves in a position to produce our big event. Four weeks ago, I was so certain we were headed in the right direction, but COVID -19 does not care about festivals…” Lifson cited the inability to “to have the festival and be able to promise high safety standards” as the reason for the recent change in attitude. The Lafayette festival, the largest in the county, was slated for Sept. 18-19. The 49th Castro Valley Fall Festival set for Sept. 11-12 also recently canceled.
really a different time.” Donald Freitas, who served alongside Boatmun for 16 years starting in 1979, calls her a “water warrior” who also paved a path for local elected women. “In the 1970s, few women were elected and appointed to boards. Part of her legacy is that she opened up a lot of doors and she never stopped doing that,” said Freitas, who later served as an Antioch City Council member and mayor. Boatman remains active in a Central and Eastern Contra Costa County group she helped form for women who have held elected or appointed positions. She is also involved in the past presidents’ council for the Association of California Water Agencies and in several committees of the state association.
During her tenure, Boatmun helped devise tiered water rates for people in need. “I introduced the concept of having a different rate schedule for people who were disabled or low income,” she said, referring to what the district today calls its Lifeline program. Boatmun navigated severe droughts in 1976 and in 2013 and looked on this July as the board asked for 10 percent voluntary water use reduction, a first step in the district’s conservation process outlined in the Urban Water Management Plan.
“The history we have with the residents of the district is that they are very good at conserving and will probably do more than the 10 percent,” she said, adding that water use still remains down 10 percent to 15 percent from 2013, when the state mandated a 25 percent reduction. She helped pioneer the conservation department’s garden education program, a vision that led to removal of an acre of grass from the district grounds in 1991 to be replaced with a drought-resistant garden with hundreds of plant species. Directors named the garden after Boatmun in 2014, her 40th year as a board member. “Lawn-to-garden people can get many suggestions, and they’ve been ecstatic about that. They save money, get help from the district and from landscape architects. Many services are available to the public,” she said. The district is planning an October dedication celebration for the addition of a Butterfly Garden, previously a sheetmulching demonstration area now lush with milkweed and dozens of waterwise plants to attract natural butterflies. This addition is adjacent to the conservation garden Boatmun helped create that also bears her name. Asked if she remembers her response when colleagues named the garden after her, she replied softly with a smile. “Oh, I think I cried. I just thought that was above and beyond.”
Obringer further showered praise during the July 30 luncheon to honor the officer, noting her personal pride as a woman and the important work Achakzai is doing to “build bridges’’ with minority voices in Concord and specifically the Islamic community. “(Achakzai) is the embodiment of what I expect the Concord Police Department to be,” noted Police Chief Mark Bustillos. Away from the job, Achakzai
enjoys traveling and has visited Thailand, Germany and France. She hopes to resume venturing out to other countries once the pandemic is over. Besides sports, hiking and biking are among her other pursuits. Along the way, she developed a knack for photography and videography and honed her talents on her own. “I loved capturing memorable events through photography/videography,” Achakzai said.
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August 20, 2021
From the Desk of... Concord to interview weapons station developers on Aug. 21 This month, the city will take a major step forward with the redevelopment of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. At a special meeting on Saturday, Aug. 21, the City Council is scheduled to interview, and possibly select, a new Master Developer for the project. The chosen Master Developer will work with the City/Local Reuse Authority on the details of a Specific Plan to guide how infrastructure (sewers, water, roads), housing, commercial space, parks and community facilities are built on the base over the next 30 years. I would like to thank the many members of the Con-
cord community who have contributed to this planning process over the past 10 years. We have convened hundreds of meetings and explored many concepts in order to create a community vision for a project that we can all be proud of as we look to the future. This new selection process began last April, when the city issued a Request for Qualifications outlining the city’s priorities for the project and how developer teams could demonstrate their abilities to the community. On June 18, three developer teams provided their Statement of Qualifications. The teams vying for this project are Brookfield Properties, City Ventures, and
Discovery/Seeno Companies/Lewis Group of Companies/California Capital & Investment Group. Each of the developer teams has provided information about how they are qualified to carry out the project, and they answered questions about their vision in making the project a reality. The criteria the City CounTIM MCGALLIAN cil intends to use in selecting the Master Developer include: CONCORD MAYOR • Demonstrated understanding of city priorities as capacity to finance up-front expressed in our adopted infrastructure. Concord Reuse Project • Experience of the Master (CRP) Area Plan, including Developer team. community benefits and a • Organization of their project commitment to Concord team, including technical First labor principles. consultants (engineers, • Financial capabilities and architects, etc.).
Clayton must decide how to address budget shortfall in ‘23 Your City Council will soon discuss ideas and possible solutions to this dilemma. With deficits looming as early as fiscal year 2023, now is the time for you, our citizens, to voice your thoughts and suggestions. So, what do we as a city want? Choices range from raising taxes to reducing services to unincorporating. Yes, while far-fetched, we could CARL “CW” WOLFE take the drastic measure of CLAYTON MAYOR choosing to unincorporate and fall under the county’s To tax, or not to tax, that jurisdiction, although I cannot is the question. imagine that any Claytonian Clayton is facing a financial would seriously consider this crossroads that will decide our option. city’s future. Do we remain a Drastic cost cutting would viable city, with viable services result in a reduction of city and talent, or do we cut back? services, police protection and While our city budget will property values and would still carry us through fiscal year not get us to where we need 2022 (ending in June ’22), we to be. are projecting deficits going As I see it, the best forward. That means we are course of action would be spending more than we are for Clayton to raise the sales taking in. This is due to the tax and add an additional lion’s share of our income, parcel tax to continue our our property taxes, not grow- services and attract viable, ing as quickly as commitlong-term candidates for city ments, such as to our Police staff and police. That figure Department and staff. could be in the $250 per parClayton does have consid- cel range, with future erable reserves; however, increases built in. spending down those reserves We live in one of the is unsustainable long-term. most charming and safest Once those funds are spent, cities in California, and it is a they do not automatically privilege. This is something replenish. Also, upcoming to enjoy but no longer take money from the American for granted. Rescue Plan is one-time fundWe must now make some ing and has limitations on its hard choices regarding our use. future. Do we give up our curWages make up the largest rent way of life, or do we percentage of our budget, yet choose to add the funds needeven with small to moderate ed to sustain our long-term wage increases, our general viability as a city and commustaff and police are still the nity? lowest paid in the county, and Please consider attending our current ability to keep upcoming City Council meetpace with other cities is nil. ings as we discuss this matter The city continues to have and please weigh in with your a difficult time attracting and thoughts. keeping, highly qualified indiThe decision is yours, and viduals. Those who do take we are stronger together. positions here often stay for only a few years and then take Send questions and comments their Clayton “training” to to cwolfe@ci.clayton.ca.us or call other cities and immediately (925) 673-7324 benefit financially.
• Responses from references. The interview and selection meeting is being held remotely on Zoom – like most City Council meetings during the pandemic. It will begin at 9 a.m., and public comment will be taken in the afternoon, after all the developer teams have made their presentations and answered the council’s questions. Once a Master Developer is selected, the city will finalize an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and related Term Sheet outlining the partnership for later consideration by the City Council. The Master Developer selection information is available in the council agenda
packet for the Aug. 21 meeting at cityofconcord.org. If you would like to provide comments about the Master Developer selection, I encourage you to log on and participate in the Aug. 21 meeting. If you would like to submit comments in writing prior to the meeting, email CityCouncil2@cityofconcord.org. I would like to thank the community for your input in the process, and I look forward to creating a world-class project here in Concord. Mayor Tim McGallian can be reached at 925.671.2489 or email Tim.McGallian@cityofconcord.org
Transparency is lacking in California’s housing fees ment fees are often passed along to homebuyers, putting homeownership further out of reach for many Californians. TIM GRAYSON Two years ago, the Terner 14TH ASSEMBLY Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley reported DISTRICT that development fees often If there’s one thing that lack transparency, impose high you know about my work in costs and have arbitrary strucSacramento, I hope it’s how tures. All of these factors passionately I’ve fought to combine to make developaddress our housing and ment riskier and more costly homelessness crisis. and, ultimately, serve to Any solution to this prob- reduce the amount of housing lem is going to involve that gets built. increasing our housing supply To address this, I authored to better meet demand, but and passed legislation, AB how we find ways to build 1483, to bring clarity and conmore housing is not so simple. sistency to the way that local We need to look at the root governments make housing causes of this problem that data available to the public. has been decades in the mak- The bill required cities and ing, and that includes looking counties to post fee schedules, at the fees placed on new zoning ordinances, developdevelopments. ment standards and impact fee California’s development nexus studies on their webfees are nearly three times the sites. This was a modest but national average. Research important step to shine some suggest that these developsunlight on the costs levied on
new housing in California. Unfortunately, a report released last month by the non-profit SPUR found that of the 60 jurisdictions they surveyed, fewer than half had comprehensive fee schedules on their websites. More troubling still, only a quarter of the surveyed jurisdictions posted their affordability requirements in an accessible location. This information is critical for developers when trying to determine the size and type of development that is feasible in a given location. What does all this mean for housing affordability in California? One of the main reasons developers back out of, or relocate, projects is uncertainty. Housing development is a complex dance of planning, financing, logistics, construction and marketing. When developers can’t even find an estimate of what their fees will be, what affordability requirements they must meet
or what impacts they will be required to mitigate, they are likely to pull up stakes and move to a friendlier jurisdiction – or state for that matter. California has one of the lowest homeownership rates in the nation at 53.6 percent, falling almost 10 percent below the national average. The numbers are even worse for Latino and Black residents. In fact, the rate of Black homeownership is lower today than it was in 1960 when racially based housing discrimination was legal. Californians deserve so much better. If we ever hope to tackle this complex and multi-dimensional issue, we need to have basic transparency measures in place so we can fully understand the scope of the problem and develop effective solutions, and we need local jurisdictions to do their part and comply with the law.
See Grayson, page 9
Contra Costa begins work on redrawing supervisor districts With the 2020 Census now in the books, jurisdictions across the country – including Contra Costa County – are embarking on a once-in-adecade process to redraw electoral districts. Redistricting is an essential process to make sure that the changing demographics of the community are represented, and the trends in our population over the last decade are factored into the geographic boundaries represented by each county supervisor. On Aug. 10, the county held its first redistricting public hearing, outlining the process for redistricting and the many upcoming opportunities for community input. During the public hearing, staff provided a preview of
the county’s new redistricting website, shared information about communities of interest and noted the availability of mapping software training for whoever may be interested. Though this process is occurring on a shortened timeline due to delays from the U.S. Census Bureau in releasing census data, our staff is working hard to bring a robust public outreach campaign to the fore – with ample opportunities for community engagement over the next several months. In this year’s redistricting process, the county is launching a portal for the public to submit draft maps and comments for the Board of Supervisors’ consideration. Once U.S. Census data is available,
this mapping tool will allow for an interactive avenue for the community to provide input as this critical process commences. You can find the portal at portal.contracostamapping.org. The county’s second redistricting public hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Oct. 5. It will be available via Zoom online and on Contra Costa Television channels. Redistricting workshops and meetings will also be held in each region of the county to provide background on the redistricting process, present potential boundary changes, answer questions and receive input. Exact dates and locations for each workshop are to be determined but will occur Oct. 20-29. I encourage members of
KAREN MITCHOFF
COUNTY
SUPERVISOR the public to learn more about redistricting and share your insights and opinions on how our supervisorial districts should look for the next decade to come. To learn more, including how you can provide input, please visit CoCoRedistricting.org. Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to Mitchoff at supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us
Concord program reduces flood insurance rates JASON LAUB
CONCORD PLANNING
COMMISSIONER
While summer’s wildfires are currently on our minds, fall and winter are quickly approaching. And, with any luck, we’ll get the much-needed rain. Those in our community who live in flood zones know that homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flood casualties and flood insurance can be expensive. I learned recently that
because of the great work of the Concord Engineering Department, city of Concord flood policy holders now get a 20 percent discount. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The agency rates and provides discounts to communities that voluntarily participate in the Community Rating System
(CRS) that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed NFIP’s minimum requirements. More than 1,500 communities participate nationwide. In CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of
the program: • Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property. • Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of NFIP. • Foster comprehensive floodplain management. As part of its participation in CRS, the city of Concord provides a breadth of services, information, outreach, assis-
tance, and enforcement regarding floodplain management and protection. If your property is in a flood zone, you can learn more and access a lot of helpful information at https://ca-concord.civicplus.com/299/FloodZone.
Jason Laub is Chief Operating Officer at RAD Urban and is a City of Concord Planning Commissioner. Email questions or comments to jlaub.concordplanning@gmail.com
August 20, 2021
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
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SCHOOLS Schools resume on-campus learning amidst new threat JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
School’s back in session and students are on campus for full-time instruction wearing face coverings under a state-wide health policy. The return this month of full on-campus instruction is the first since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown campuses around the country and it comes with increased concerns regarding the Delta variant especially as it has been affecting children. State health regulations mandate everyone on campus must wear a face covering when they are indoors and on school buses. All adults must wear a face covering in the presence of students. Physical distancing is no longer mandated but many classrooms are setup to allow for social distancing. The Mt. Diablo Unified School District has partnered with PMH Laboratory to offer optional weekly COVID-19 testing as a convenience for staff, students and their families at three locations starting this week. Pre-registration is recommended on the district website, but forms will be available at school sites.
Testing will be offered: 3-6 p.m. Mondays at Ygnacio Valley High, 755 Oak Grove Rd., Concord 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 904 at Concord High, 4200 Concord Blvd. 3-6 p.m. Thursdays at Riverview Middle School, 205 Pacifica Ave., Bay Point, at the end of the 300 Hallway on the quad side All MDUSD students as well as those at Clayton Valley Charter High School can receive free breakfast and lunch at no cost in 2021-22 thanks to a USDA Meal Waiver for all school children in the country. This program means that families are not required to fill out applications to be eligible for School Breakfast or National School Lunch programs. However, families may still apply to be eligible for the USDA Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which provides money for food that can be purchased using P-EBT cards. The MDUSD Board lineup was completed last week with College Park High senior Kaleena Fowler taking her position for the 2021-2022 term as the second-ever student board member. She is
active in the Boys and Girls Club of Contra Costa and is president of College Park’s Black Student Union, where she has worked to create a close-knit community that advocates for social justice, equality and equity for the Black community. In addition, Fowler is a member of multiple clubs at CPHS including “Be the Change,” Interact (Rotary) and the environmental club. CVCHS CONTINUES INTERIM CONTRACT FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
At its regular August board meeting, the Clayton Valley Charter Governing Board of Directors voted unanimously to extend the contract of Dave Fehte as interim executive director. A report to the school community stated, “After a lengthy search and interview process, the Board was convinced that given the current climate surrounding school reopening and the need to minimize any education disruption for our students, extending Dave’s role as Interim Executive Director was the best course to begin the school year. Dave has provided able and focused
leadership to CVCHS since his arrival on campus this past Spring. He has built positive relationships and is known as a strong collaborator bringing student success to the forefront.” The board further stated that they will be “revisiting and reworking its executive director search process” and that information will be shared when plans are finalized. The board also lauded teachers and staff for their
MDUSD looking forward to successful in-person school year
DR. ADAM CLARK
MDUSD
SUPERINTENDENT
Three classes plan to unite for Clayton Valley High School 50-year reunion
March 13, 2020, is a day that many of us will never forget because that was the day schools throughout California closed to mitigate the spread of Clayton Valley High School Box 325, Clayton CA 94517. moon landing, Woodstock, the COVID-19. With that said, Aug. 12, is celebrating a 50-year The Concord location will Beatles disbanding, the Kent 2021, began a new chapter for reunion for three classes – be announced when you State shooting, the first Earth all stakeholders within the Mt. 1970, 1971 and 1972 – on Sat- receive your ticket reservation. Day, the U.S. voting age Diablo Unified School District urday, Sept. 25. The evening will feature cock- changing to 18, terrorism at (MDUSD). Steve and Debra Gontails and appetizers at 6 p.m., the 1972 Munich Olympics, On behalf of the MDUSD salves (Classes of ’71 and dinner 7:15 and live band and Watergate and the first digital governing board, I want to ’72) will host the event. dancing beginning at 8:30 p.m. watch. welcome all students back to Obtain complimentary tickRecommended attire is counBy the way, the Ugly Eagle the full opening of our ets by contacting Laurie Rose try club casual. nickname originated via the schools. Faculty and staff (Anderson ’71) at Landmark events when Class of 1972’s JV football throughout the district have Lrose1980@gmail.com, 925- these three classes were in team. worked nonstop to ensure a 672-0771 or by mail at P.O. high school included the U.S.
Invisible wisps of matter, around us and through us tron-neutrino constitute a “generation.” There is a second generation composed of so-called STEPHEN GOURLAY SOLVING THE MYSTERY strange and charm quarks, a About 100 years ago, it was particle called a muon that is SCIENCE BYTES observed that the electron ener- just like an electron but about In my June article, I briefly gy in these decays varied. This 200 times more massive and a mentioned the Standard Model violated energy conservation muon-neutrino. And finally, a of particle physics that and caused great concern. third generation that includes describes the fundamental partiTo “solve” the problem, the “top” and “bottom” quarks, cles and how they interact. Wolfgang Pauli hypothesized the tau (heavier still than the Today, I want to focus on the the existence of another parti- muon) and the tau-neutrino. So, neutrino – a ghostly particle cle that would share the energy. we have three types or “flavors” that plays an important role in It had to be neutral, very light of neutrinos. understanding our universe. (or no mass at all) and hardly There is no mechanism in The Standard Model says interact with matter, since it was the Standard Model that sugthat ordinary matter is primarily not observable. Sometime later, gests that neutrinos have mass, composed of two quarks, up Enrico Fermi named it the but it was confirmed quite (u) and down (d), electrons and “neutrino,” which means “little recently that indeed they do. their partner, electron-neutrinos. neutral one.” This result was largely driven by A proton is two u-quarks and It turns out that there are what was referred to as “the one d-quark, and a neutron is lots of neutrinos. But due to Solar Neutrino Problem.” The two d-quarks and one u-quark. the very low interaction rate nuclear interactions in the sun Protons and neutrons combine with matter, it took physicists generate a mind-boggling flood to form nuclei, and with the 26 years to confirm their exisof electron neutrinos. Every electrons, atoms. But what is tence. The chances of a neutri- second, tens of billions of neuthe role of the electron-neutri- no interacting as it travels trinos are streaming through no? through the Earth is about 1 in your body. I told you about the Weak 100 billion. In the 1960s, scientists calforce, which is the force We now also know that anti- culated and then experimentally responsible for radioactive neutrinos exist, and, in fact, it is tried to verify the number of decay where one particle can an anti-neutrino that is emitted neutrinos coming from the sun. change into another. For exam- in neutron decay. The experiment only observed ple, in a nucleus, a neutron can about one-third of what was transform into a proton and A CHARMING STORY theoretically predicted. Of emit an electron. This is The Standard Model concourse, initially they suspected referred to as beta-decay. tains more than the readily the experiment and/or the calNote that electric charge is a observable particles mentioned culation. This went on for the conserved quantity, so the total above. The up and down last half of the 20th century. charge must be the same before quarks, the electron and elecIt was suggested that one and after an interaction. Energy must also be conserved.
efforts during the summer Highlands Elementary Kelly DeTorres that helped some students graduate, bringing the Holbrook Language Academy Aya Rubio school’s Class of 2021 graduPine Hollow Middle School ation rate up to 98%. Laurie Clark MDUSD APPOINTS Riverview Middle School 8 NEW PRINCIPALS Suleyma Moss Eight schools have new Shore Acres Elementary principals in charge as the Ariana Hernandez 2021-22 MDUSD school year Sun Terrace Elementary begins: Eric Wood Ygnacio Valley High Fair Oaks Elementary Jonathan Pike Carolyn Hull
way to “solve” the problem was that neutrinos “oscillated,” changed flavors, on their trip from the sun to the Earth. It took 30 years to confirm that this was the case. STILL MORE QUESTIONS The study of neutrinos has led to four Nobel prizes and questions still remain. Neutrinos have mass, but what is the hierarchy? Does mass increase with each generation like the quarks? The only difference between matter and antimatter is electric charge. Neutrinos are neutral, so is the neutrino its own anti-particle? If so, how do we distinguish between the two? Perhaps there is a new symmetry that would be outside the Standard Model? Such is the world of physics. Answering one question only leads to many more. For more information on neutrinos, check out https://icecube.wisc.edu/outreach/neutrinos. Steve Gourlay is a career scientist with a PhD in experimental particle physics. He recently retired after working at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, CERN (the European Center for Nuclear Research) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Send questions and comments to him at sgpntz@outlook.com.
smooth implementation of hashtag #FallForAll. Which means that in the fall, all of our schools are open for all students. With this reopening, the continued health and safety of all is our top priority. Protocols such as face coverings, at-home self-check health screenings, hygienic procedures, and increased air circulation in classrooms and buses will continue to be in effect. Although these procedures continue to evolve, be assured MDUSD will follow recommendations from the California Department of Public Health. (See https://covid19.ca.gov/education/#k-12-guidance.) MDUSD leadership will inform parents, students, staff and the community of changes in health and safety practices if/when guidance is changed in a manner that impacts our community. We are committed to providing high-quality instruction to all of our students. The 2021-’22 academic year efforts will concentrate on learning acceleration, educational equity and social emotional learning. By partnering with parents,
families and the community, we are dedicated to ensuring all students are prepared for college and careers. In order for this goal to come to fruition, the faculty and staff will recognize the unique gifts that each student possesses while providing ongoing instruction and support. The 2021-’22 academic year will also see a full return of extracurricular activities. Sports, performing arts, field trips and clubs will all be offered throughout the year. Although we know there will be some restrictions and challenges, we are confident that these essential learning activities can flourish. Please keep abreast of our progress throughout this exciting year. Visit our website for the latest news, pertinent information and highlights of student learning. On a personal note, I would like to thank our parents who have entrusted us with their most valuable gift – our students. Please send comments editor@pioneerpublishers.com
to
Grayson, from page 8 This year, I’m continuing my work toward ensuring that fees placed on new development are both transparent and justified. My bill AB 602 will make sure that smaller, more affordable homes pay smaller, more affordable fees, which will lead to more naturally affordable housing across the state. I can promise that I will continue to propose smart,
innovative legislation that works to solve the root causes of our housing, homelessness and affordability crises and to fight hard for policies that will improve the quality of life for all in our community. Reach Assemblyman Tim Grayson at (925) 521-1511. Visit or write the district office 2151 Salvio Street, Suite P, Concord, CA 94520
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August 20, 2021
Survey shows strong support for use of drones There were 488 people (at least I hope they were people, though I always suspect Russian trolls are hiding in the ether of the Internet) responding to the latest shotgun blast of questions on multiple topics but mostly drones. Here is a recap of some, though space will not allow me to get all of them in one shot. “I do not trust the Concord police to use drones responsibly.” 12 percent, strongly agree. 15, agree. 29, neither agree nor disagree. 30, disagree. 13, strongly disagree.
EDI BIRSAN PULSE OF
CONCORD This sets up and corresponds to the answers on: “I oppose all police changes unless there is an independent of staff/council oversight
A love letter about living your truth
KIKU JOHNSON
ALL
THE
COLORS
I’m writing to share with you why I do this work of supporting and advocating for our LGBTQI+ community. At 21, I worked at a fourweek residential program for teens in the Michigan woods. It’s the place where I truly landed the beauty of connecting lives and our experiences of intersections. Breaking bread familystyle, growing a produce garden, building bridges, playing new sports, learning international folk dances, social justice conversations, all-day canoe adventures, speaking truths toward a campfire Quaker-style, learning about HIV through a transmission simulation (we were all so scared trying to learn what we were not being shared at that time), learning photography, performing elevated versions of fairy tales, and the joy of discovering who we were, where we came from, finding our people and, most of all, finding ourselves. Half the youth were Black, from Detroit, and the other half were white, from the rural north. The white youth had never interacted with Black people, and the Black youth couldn’t feel steady with the still of the night. But we all lived and learned together. I met Corey, a 15-year-old from the north. He was kind, unassuming, curious and full of life. He found theater lovers who also knew the words to “Phantom” songs. He embraced his authentic self. It was always sad when camp ended. Newfound friendships across cultures meant returning to the city or country with letters and phone calls, deepening connections and growth before email and the internet. Corey went home to the north no longer allowing parts of himself that had been illuminated to be in the closet, even though his community did not have “out” gay people. The daughter of a retired teacher was also not accepted for their differences. This teacher also had been closeted lifelong, wanting to adopt a child knowing she could not if she were a lesbian in the 1970s. I came to know her for being the safe house where Corey stayed because his
mother couldn’t allow Corey to be gay in their house. This teacher came out to me and never to anyone before since age 22, and her only relationship with a woman. She was in her late 60s. I had only been out as a lesbian for a year. We all leapt out of the closet together, within the walls of her home, breaking out in song, watching gay and lesbian films on VHS, dipping our hands in paraffin – her for neuropathy and us for soft and supple skin, driving out of town to be present for as many queer events as we could find. We were quite the exquisite motley crew. We were beautiful together. Corey was deeply sad his mother and community could not understand and embrace him. He sunk into depression when he had to go back home. A constant grapple with mom and a cautious line with the retired teacher because of the risk of her identity being exposed. I felt so much love watching Corey as the Ghost of Christmas Past in “A Christmas Carol” production. But he talked often of taking his life, feeling unlovable and believing he would never find someone who would love him. He so wanted to have a boyfriend. He wanted to hold hands with a boy, be kissed by a boy and be able to be a boy who could love another boy. He wanted to be able to know that he could access a future where he had the fullest of love. As a Christian, the torture and self-hate were real for Corey. We connected him with a book that had just come out, “Stranger at the Gate,” by Mel White, who lives in Santa Clara. They talked on the phone and Corey was able to be reflected. He was able to speak with and know of someone who was living as a gay adult man and learned that being a Christian and a gay was possible. Corey found his life partner at 22, became an incredible theater costume designer, his dream, and they just bought a house. The teacher’s daughter reached out to me and shared that Corey died suddenly from a blockage and blood clot by his heart at just 42. The reflection of coming out in proximity and the passion of youth is my gift, and to you all I offer this love letter. 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.
board with authority to fire police and issue subpoenas.” As well as: “All highway entrances and exits in Concord should have a camera and license plate reader.” However, when you start to get into details, the hardcore opposition seems to shift or melt. “Given the current structure of police in Concord, I support the additional use of drones in cases of active crime scenes, missing persons, fires, documenting crime scenes and court-approved searches or warrants.” 70 percent, yes. 12, no. 13, not sure. 4, other. It should be noted that the Concord police indicated that this is exactly their intent. The community is just about equally split on whether
the use of a drone at a public outdoor political event will reduce the freedom of speech, with 36 percent agreeing and 39 percent disagreeing. Considering the plethora of cameras in phones and the like, I find this interesting. However, there is a strong belief that the use of drones will have no effect on the chance of a riot breaking out at a political event, as 17 believe it and 47 percent disagree it will have a reduction effect. On other issues: “In thinking of the job that the district attorney in Contra Costa is doing, I am:” 3 percent, very satisfied. 12, satisfied. 53, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. 15, dissatisfied. 17, very dissatisfied. Seeing that those with a
direct opinion have a more than 2 to 1 unfavorable view puts a lot of pressure on the upcoming political campaigns to get to those 53 percent who have not made up their minds. Look for this to become a focus of attention in the beginning of next year. “What do we do with homeless encampments who will not go to the shelter or transitional housing or a formal regulated encampment site?” 3 percent, nothing; leave them where they are. 22, have no idea. 52, force them to move off of private or public land. 23, other ideas. More than 110 folks offered other ideas, some of which echoed harsher terms than simply moving them off. The catch phrase for those in the majority above might be:
“Get help or get out.” A current thread in about 20 percent of the responses showed that people did not understand the question, since they answered things like “Send them to tiny homes or a formal encampment” when the question dealt with what to do with those who refuse that. Maybe I have to work on a clearer question. I will go over more of the responses next month. In the meantime, send your suggested topics and neutral questions to EdiBirsan@gmail.com. The opinions expressed herein or up there in print are the sole opinions of Edi Birsan and are not related to anyone seeking to find the Holy Grail of Journalism or plagiarize a failing composition from English 101 in a Graustark College of Alien Studies.
Recalling the days when baseball was king in Concord CAROL LONGSHORE
YESTERYEAR
Concord has been in the baseball game since the 1900s. Frederick Galindo played semi-professional baseball for Saint Mary’s College before playing on a Concord team sponsored by the famous movie distributors Turner and Dahnken. Before soccer entered the picture, Concord had quite a reputation for its baseball leagues. Many kids started in T-ball, advancing to Little League (CAL and JOBL) ages 9-12, then going to the Babe Ruth league, 13 years old to high school. The pressure of high school baseball started to separate the mediocre from the talented. The elite went on to play American League ball. That’s where scouts would find recruits and send them on to the minor or major leagues. The Pacific Coast League
drafted players to the San Francisco Seals, Oakland Oaks, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and a few others. About 1959, the New York Giants came to San Francisco and the Brooklyn Dodgers came to Los Angeles – putting an end to the Pacific Coast League and causing a major shift in the game. Concord switched to a Rookie League, with A, AA and AAA becoming well known. A few players from my generation were Marty Piscovich, who was drafted to the Philadelphia Phillies; Dwain Adams, who was drafted by the L.A. Dodgers; and Mike Schumacher and Clyde Mashore, along with his two sons. “As a player, you know when you’ve reached your peak, so it’s not as discouraging as one would think when the pro dreams are over,” Adams said. Women started playing, even housewives played. Female talent became so strong that the women’s league went from A to adding B, C and then D leagues.
Photo courtesy of Concord Historical Society
The Turner and Dahnken baseball team marked the beginning of baseball in Concord. Frederick Galindo, Ruth’s father, is the one with the mustache.
Do you remember donkey baseball in the ’50s? They played on a field where our library is now, and it was an entertaining game to watch. The guys hitting the ball were on donkeys. After they hit, they would hustle to the base – if the donkey was cooperative. You can imagine how funny that was. Anyhow, soccer started catching on, slowly taking over the limelight from baseball. So it’s not as active as it
used to be, especially with COVID shutting the door to all games. Fortunately, the great American pastime will always be around, one way or another. There’s nothing like watching local baseball on a nice summer night.
Carol Longshore has been a Concord resident since 1950. She is a community leader and past president of the Concord Historical Society. Send comments and suggestions for future topics to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
‘Black Widow,’ ‘Stillwater’ both compelling though different When the opportunity arose to get a second viewing of “Black Widow,” I took it. Although the showings were only two weeks apart, I found “Black Widow” just as entertaining on repeat. Originally slated for May 2020, the studio pushed back the release date about half a dozen times because of the pandemic. Any worry that such a gap between Marvel movies (two years since “Spider-Man: Far From Home”) would disrupt continuity can be put aside since “Black Widow” takes place in 2016. The film is set after the calamitous events of “Captain America: Civil War.” The Avengers are at odds with each other: Some are in jail, while others, including Black Widow, are on the run. Scarlett Johansson expertly jumps back into a role she has inhabited for more than a decade. Content on just hiding out, she is drawn back in when she realizes her younger sister Yelena has been trying to make contact. Adopted and raised partially in Ohio, both girls were destined to become
Black Widow stars Scarlet Johansson & Florence Pugh
brainwashed assassins, or widows. Their reunion with each other and their adoptive parents is both funny and moving. Despite their years away from each other, they band together to try to take down those responsible for turning orphan girls into widows. Relatively unknown director Cate Shortland hits all the notes of the best MCU movies. It does not reach “Civil War” or “Thor: Ragnarok” levels, but it is a good bit of fun. B+ Matt Damon is great at escaping into roles, and his portrayal as proud Middle American Bill Baker in “Still-
water” is no exception. Baker lives a lonely, bluecollar life interrupted only by visits with his mother-in-law and two-week trips to Marseille, France. We later learn these visits are to see his incarcerated daughter (Abigail Breslin), who is halfway through a sentence for a murder she claims she didn’t commit. New evidence has come her way, and Baker is determined to see it through. Along the way, he meets Virginie (Camille Cottin) and her adorable daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud). Damon makes Baker easy to root for; we really want him to turn things around and make this new life in France work. But there is an undercurrent of well-placed trepidation that something might inevitably gum up the works. Long stretches go by that seem to discard the murder plot and focus on Baker’s family life. This extends the film a bit longer than necessary. However, when both storylines collide, the poignancy is palpable. Director Tom McCarthy
JEFF MELLINGER
SCREEN SHOTS (“Spotlight”) made a laudable effort with “Stillwater.” B SUMMER TV “Gangs of London.” AMC imported this slick, brutal tale of what a sudden power vacuum does to those in the British underworld. With topnotch cinematography and the best shootouts and fight scenes I have seen in a TV show, this is well worth seeking out. “Black Summer” (Netflix). Season two continues the breakneck pace established by season one. The premise is this: What if “Walking Dead” was non-stop action with only brief looks into a handful of characters? Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
August 20, 2021
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
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SPORTS
High school sports start up this month with high hopes couldn’t ask for a better fit for our program.” Schroeder was a key player on the 2005-2006 DLS team that won the school’s second state basketball championship under coach Allocco. His starting backcourt mate on that Spartan team, Justin Joyner, is on the SMC coaching staff. Their high school mentor’s son, Frank Allocco Jr., is coaching at crosstown rival Clayton Valley Charter.
JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
School began last week and one of the most popular extracurricular activities for high school students— sports—are underway with practices beginning for the football, cross country, water polo, tennis, volleyball and golf athletes who can only hope their 2021-22 school year and athletic pursuits can be termed as “routine, normal, run of the mill,” rather than what has transpired since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic’s full force was first felt. While administrators and coaches join their student athletes in looking forward to a school year approaching normalcy, there have been some changes in their ranks. Carondelet High School recently announced the hiring of Piper Brewster as the new Director of Athletics and days later Marcus Schroeder was tabbed as the new head basketball coach at neighboring De La Salle. Both Brewster and Schroeder left positions at Saint Mary’s College to assume their new roles at the Concord parochial schools. Eric Bamberger, a longtime basketball coach in the area, has started his second tenure as Clayton Valley Charter athletic director. Matt Harrod, the Concord High baseball coach, is taking the reins as the Minuteman athletic director, a post he shared last year with Megan Coddington. Ygnacio Valley’s long-time AD, Mark Tran, is now commissioner of the Diablo Athletic League, and his replacement is Pat Protheroe. Concord’s other public high school, Mt. Diablo, has Clyde
PIPER BREWSTER NEW CARONDELET AD
Ramon, 10/15 San Ramon Valley, 10/22 Amador Valley (Homecoming), 10/29 Monte Vista, 11/5 at De La Salle. Concord (Div. 4)- 8/27 Dougherty Valley-San Ramon, 9/3 Marin Catholic-Kentfield, 9/10 Tokay, 9/17 at Deer Valley, 10/8 College Park (Homecoming), 10/15 at Ygnacio Valley, 10/22 Northgate, 10/30 at Berean Christian, 11/5 Mt. Diablo. De La Salle (Div. 1)- 8/27 at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 9/3 Monterey Trail-Elk Grove, 9/10 at Saint Francis-Mountain View, 9/17 Cathedral Catholic-San FALL SPORTS Diego, 10/1 St. Frances AcadeFootball my-Baltimore, 10/8 at Folsom, Clayton Valley Charter 10/15 California-San Ramon, (Div. 1)- 8/27 at Turlock, 9/3 at 10/22 at San Ramon Valley, Del Oro-Loomis, 9/11 Liberty10/29 Amador Valley, 11/5 ClayBakersfield (Honor Bowl) at Liberton Valley Charter. ty (Brentwood), 9/17 Stellar PrepHayward, 9/25 at Monterey TrailSee Normal, page 13 Elk Grove, 10/8 at California-San
Photo courtesy SMC Athletics/Tod Fierner
Marcus Schroeder (second from left) talks to a Saint Mary’s College player with his fellow assistant coach Justin Joyner of Concord and head coach Randy Bennett (right) looking on during a Gaels game. Schroeder and Joyner were backcourt teammates on the De La Salle 2006 State championship team. Schroeder was recently named the new Spartans head basketball coach after spending 11 years with SMC under the tutelage of Bennett.
Byrd entering his second year delet and demonstrate that you can be a confident woman no as athletic director. matter the industry you go into SAINT MARY’S TO CONCORD or what position you hold.” Brewster comes to CaronSchroeder is the third condelet after serving her alma secutive DLS basketball coach mater, Saint Mary’s College to be plucked from the collesince 2010 as senior associate giate ranks. All three are also athletic director for compli- graduates of the Concord ance. There, Brewster acted as school. AJ Kuhle followed the sport supervisor for five teams, legendary Frank Allocco, who overseeing all aspects of budg- won two state titles during his eting, fundraising and staff 18 years leading the Spartans. management. As a lawyer and Kuhle left after only one seathe senior compliance officer, son during which the Spartans she oversaw all athletic scholar- lost the state championship ship distribution, eligibility cer- game to mythical National tification and compliance for Champions and undefeated 16 Division I sports. Chino Hills and its star-studBrewster’s vision for ded lineup that included three Carondelet is to utilize her col- future NBA lottery draft picks legiate athletics background to in Lonzo and LaMelo Ball and deepen the student-athlete Onyeka Okongwu. experience and broaden stuJustin Argenal took over dents’ future opportunities. for the 2016-17 season and “I’m excited to come to an guided DLS the past five seaall-girls school,” Brewster said. sons. He was recently hired as “There have been many times the new men’s basketball coach in my career in sports adminis- at Dominican University in San tration where I’ve been the Rafael. During his tenure the only woman in the room. I Spartans were 113-33 and won intend to lead by example with three NCS Division I champithe young women at Caron- onships. He was named Nor-
CalPreps Northern California Coach of the Year and NorCalPreps NCS Division I Coach of the Year in both 2017 and 2019. Now Schroeder has left his position as the lead assistant coach to Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s to return to his alma mater. Following his time at De La Salle, the Concord native played four years at Princeton in the Ivy League. He spent the past 11 years with the SMC basketball program, the last two year as associate head coach. His SMC roots also include his sister Anna, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Saint Mary’s volleyball team and is married to Saint Mary’s great Matthew Dellavedova. De La Salle athletic director Leo Lopoz said, “Ultimately what we were able to find is a person who is a man of faith, who is in love with the De La Salle community and has been connected through the years in different capacities. His drive and passion for the sport of basketball, his experience, we
Kara Kohler’s 2nd Olympics ended by less than a second after a bad start JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Sports success or failure can often be measured in seconds or inches. Kara Kohler’s quest for her second Olympic medal in Tokyo was dashed in the single sculls semi-finals when she finished less than one second out of second place and half a second out of third in a race where the top three rowers earned spots in the gold medal finals. The Cal Berkeley and Clayton Valley High grad had handily moved through the heats and quarterfinals before she fell milliseconds short of reaching the finals. The three rowers finishing ahead of her in the semi-finals took first, third and fourth in the medal race. That one second Kohler will regret until she gets another Olympic chance can be traced to the beginning of the semi. “It was a shaky start,” Kohler said. “I’ve struggled to get off the line cleanly this
Photo courtesy USRowing
Clayton Kara Kohler could only gaze in disappointment as her final sprint came up milliseconds short of gaining her a place in the women’s single sculls medal race last month in Tokyo. The former Cal Berkeley rower got off to a bad start in the semi-final where she needed to place in the top three to get into the Olympics final medal race. Second, third and fourth places were separated by less than one second with Kohler sitting in the unfortunate fourth spot.
regatta. The crosswind has challenged me, and it challenged me again today. “I was dropped pretty quickly, so that was not a great place to start – so that was rough. But, I definitely kept fighting and tried everything I had, but it was a little short
today. I’m very disappointed, but I did what I could.” Kohler’s disappointment matched that of the entire United States Olympic rowing team, which came home without a single medal, something that had never happened when American rowers competed
since the modern Olympics began in 1904. In the second of two women’s single sculls semifinals, Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig got off to the hot start, taking an early lead on
See Kohler, page 13
Athlete Spotlight
Tanner Keys School: Clayton Valley Charter Grade: Senior Sport: Cross County, Track Dedicated cross country and track runner, Keys is the epitome of an exceptional student athlete. He has been competing in both cross country and track for CVCHS for the entirety of his high school career. With hard work and determination, Keys worked his way up from running on junior varsity to earning a spot on the varsity team during his junior year. Notably, Keys was awarded Student Athlete of the Month during his sophomore X Country season. Keys originally only had plans to join the track team in the spring during his freshman year, but after a great deal of persuasion from friends, he decided to try cross country. Keys notes that it was a great decision to join cross country, as he quickly found a love for the sport. Now at the start of his senior season he believes that being an athlete is important because of the social bonds one forms with teammates. Keys says that “being on a team is one of the closest friends groups you can find.” Some of his most favorable moments in cross country include pancake runs and pasta feeds with the team. He is looking forward to having more normal seasons this year and is excited to hopefully finish off his high school career participating in “regular” competitions and social events. In addition to achieving success on the trails and the track, Keys has also shown great dedication in the classroom. His current GPA is a 4.33. He is a part of the Engineering Academy at CVCHS in addition to the National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation. Additionally, he tutors students on the side and currently works at Sloat Garden Center. He plans to attend a fouryear university, preferably on the West Coast, and is planning to study mechanical engineering. Keys’ determination and drive to succeed is very admirable and he continues to be proof that hard work pays off. CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight. The Pioneer congratulates Tanner and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. 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@pioneer.publishers.com.
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 20, 2021
Dana Hills reaches the mountaintop as county swim champs JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
After finishing second three times and spending the last decade among the top three teams in the annual Contra Costa Swimming Championships, the Dana Hills Swim Team outpaced the field to claim its first-ever Division I championship last month in Lafayette. The County Meet was the week after the Concord Swimming Championships where the Otters won the title for the 28th time in the last 29 City Meets while Gehringer Park defended its city B Division championship by just three points in a thrilling battle with the Pleasant Hill Dolfins. Both meets took place after the entire 2020 recreation
swim season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dana Hills’ 607-point win over second-place Springbrook Swim Team of Lafayette at the County Meet comes with the proverbial asterisk. Crow Canyon Country Club Sea Lions of Danville had won the season-ending meet 15 consecutive times but did not participate this year. Neither did 2019 runner-up Blackhawk Country Club, which had been ruled ineligible for starting its season a month before county rules allow. It is unknown if Crow Canyon will have a recreation team next year or only continue with its year-round Crown Canyon Sharks USA Swimming team. Because of a date conflict with the Far Western Swim Championships that had been scheduled for Concord Com-
Athlete Spotlight
munity Pool in 2020 and 2021 the Concord City Meet was held this summer at Northgate High School for the first time. Next year’s site has yet to be determined. Meet director Diana Corkran was pleased to announce that there were 917 swimmers entered in the meet, less than 100 fewer than in the pre-pandemic 2019 meet. Because of COVID-19 issues Bishop Estates Swim Team combined with Springwood this year but is expe ted to be back on its own next summer As is usually the case, Dana Hills’ dominance was played out in the 54th City Meet relay races with the Otters winning 17 of 24 relays. Incredibly, the DHST girls relays won 11 of 12 relays DHST had nine A Division (Ava Kate Cottam, Paige Landstrom, Mila Jeffress, Annie Rainsberg, Cole Branich, Harper Lanpher, JJ Westbrook, Brody Gianni, Preston Marks) high-point winners. In the A Division, Forest Park’s Andrew Dawson (1314), Springwood’s Maya Canada (13-14), Gehringer Park’s Maclaine Grisafi (6 and under) and Robert Griffith (7-8) of Oakhurst also claimed highpoint awards. City Meet B Division highpoint swimmers from local teams included Gehringer Park’s Noah Pelletier (9-10), Isabella Joaquin (9-10) and Kaylee Pond (15-18), Oakhurst’s Ryan Alex (6 and
Hills. Other local county champions were Grisafi of Gehringer Park, Marcus Manuel of Ygnacio Wood and Dawson of Forest Park. In Division II Springwood finished in the top 10 at ninth while Walnut Country was third in Division III. CITY MEET TEAM SCORES
Photo courtesy Springwood Swim Team
The 54th Concord City Meet was actually held last month in Walnut Creek at Northgate High School. The annual end of summer recreation swim season event returned after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic and the young swimmers were most pleased to get back in the pool with their teammates.
under) and Tyler Brown (1518), Dana Hills’ Victoria Mangrobang (13-14), Walnut Country’s Davey Finnegan (11-12) and Colin Huckestein (13-14), Springwood’s Lilian Machado (6 and under) and Eugenio Martinez Jr. (7-8) and Vista Diablo Dolphins’ Gabriella Glueck (11-12). The two meet relay awards went to Dana Hills with the 78 girls freestyle relay of Branich, Giulianna Lucia, Sadie James Peacock and Cottam and the boys 9-10 free quartet of Rhys D’Arcy, Gianni, Raymond Lucia and Westbrook. For the first time in memo-
ry, there were no new meet records at the meet. Ygnacio Wood Swim Team was voted the coveted Team Sportsmanship award. OTTERS ATOP THE COUNTY Dana Hills used its depth in relays to finally reach the County Meet mountaintop with the Otters taking first in five medley and six free relays. The 6 and under and 7-8 girls and 9-10 boys DHST quartets swept both relays. Cole and Charley Branich, Raymond Lucia, Ian Meyer (twice), Landstrom and Caela Hetherton won individual County Meet events for Dana
A Division: Dana Hills Otters 1250.67 points, Springwood Sprinters 485.33, Ygnacio Wood Seahorses 364, Gehringer Park Gators 364, Oakhurst Orcas 298, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 296, Walnut Country Stingrays 266, Forest Park Flyers 230, Forest Hills Beavers 178, Vista Diablo Dolphins 32. B Division: Gehringer Park 342, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 339, Springwood 297, Ygnacio Wood 206, Dana Hills 196, Vista Diablo 173, Walnut Country 159, Oakhurst 156, Forest Park 142, Forest Hills 99.
CITY MEET INDIVIDUAL
Concord and Clayton team’s finishers (top 4 City Meet – A and B Divisions) Dana Hills: Cole Branich, Ava Kate Cottam, Giulianna Lucia, Maya Ahluwalia, Khloe Jarvis, Harper Lanpher, Rebecca Adent, Ada Jeffress, Gianna Kougios, Abigail Adent, Thea Jeffress, Paige Landstrom, Caela Hetherton, Jemma Jacques, Reagan Berger, Molly DeSeelhorst, Annie Rainsberg, Angelica Dharmani, Talie Barbano, Isla Acosta, Jocelyn Jacques, Molly Boland, Charley Branich, Mila Jeffress, Maya Ahluwalia, Michaela Pence, Lily LeSage, Jules Della Santina, Allison
See Swim, page 15
Sp or ts Sh or ts Mt. Diablo High junior Yasmine Garrett named first-team all-State basketball
Kaylee Pond Club: Gehringer Park Swim Team Age: 19 Sport: Swimming Pond’s birthday allowed her to swim this summer for Gehringer Park even though she turned 19 during the season and is getting ready for her sophomore year at Iowa State University where she will be a redshirt freshman on the Hawkeye softball team. This one final chance to swim with the Gators ended up having the team win the Concord City Meet B Division championship and Pond captured the 15-18 age group high point girl swimmer award. She won the 100-yard butterfly and took second in the 100 individual medley in her eighth year swimming for the team after first joining as a 10-year-old. Pond shares her love of sports with GPST head coach Kelly McCabe McYoung, who is in her sixth year as Gator head coach. McYoung swam for the team located in the Dana Estates community from the time she was three until aging out at 18. The coach is a member of the Ygnacio Valley High and Diablo Valley College Hall of Fames for her multi-sport exploits in water polo, basketball and swimming. Growing up, Pond played almost every sport including swimming, softball, basketball, soccer, track, water polo, volleyball and cross country. At Acalanes High where she was Diablo Athletic League MVP in both basketball and softball her softball duties precluded her from swimming on her school team. Pond was named Prep2Prep North Coast Section junior of the year and was ranked No. 26 prep athlete (all sports) in the Bay Area by SportStars Magazine as a senior. Coach McYoung says, “Kaylee is a one-of-a-kind athlete and I am so lucky to have met her, but I am especially lucky to have been able to coach her. She is the one who is always encouraging everyone during the hard swim sets and isn’t afraid to show her emotions when she’s frustrated or happy. Kaylee makes everyone feel welcome and is always making us laugh on the pool deck, especially during her pre-race rituals where she is either pretending she’s up to bat, doing the latest TikTok dance or swinging her arms on the block like Michael Phelps.” Away from the softball field or swimming pool, Pond’s interests include thrifting, hanging out with friends and going on mini adventures. The Pioneer congratulates Kaylee and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years 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.
pins finishing fifth on the men’s side and 11th overall. Leading the way was veteran Adrian Dulay, who won the men’s 200 breaststroke and was fifth in the 100 breast (both new National cuts). Gigi Baldacci won the consolation final of the 100 breast and Danila Litikin won the consolation final in the 200 breast and was third in the consolation final of the 100 breast. Diego Castaneda made the championship final of the 400 IM in his first sectional meet and Mason Wendler was top 27 in the 400 freestyle in his initial Sectional. Diana Chan contributed on the women’s side with three top 27 performances and Jessica Larson scored for the women in the 100 back.
Junior forward Yasmine Garrett was named to the first-team all-State Division IV girls basketball team for the 2021 season by CalHiSports.com. Coach Ronnie McGee credited Garrett with helping the Red Devils to their first winning season in at least 20 years, including a four-point win over Pittsburg High. She averYASMINE GARRETT Junior Optimist taking fall league aged 21 points a game and was the second leading scorer in the Diablo Athletic League. Garrett baseball signups had games during the spring season with scoring totals of 40, 37 Junior Optimist Baseball League is having co-ed baseball this and two 24-point outputs. “Her efforts are changing the culture of fall for ages 4-9 years old. Fall Ball will be held on eight Saturdays Mt. Diablo girls basketball program for the future,” coach McGee starting Sept. 11 through Oct. 30 at the JOBL Complex in Consaid of his incoming senior. cord. The program is considered both instructional and recreational baseball. JOBL fall ball has been held for the better part of 20 years while the traditional spring JOBL season was first Current, former De La Salle football players held in 1963. Visit joblconcord.com for more information and make college choice news Even before he begins his senior season for De La Salle to register. High, defensive back Zeke Berry announced his decision to attend the University of Arizona after his graduation next spring. St. Bonaventure CYO cross country, Berry, who impressed in January at the National Preps Collegiate basketball still taking registrations Showcase to raise his profile as the No. 1 Bay Area recruit, will Coach Joe Sullivan says the first cross country practice for join his Spartan teammates in their season opener next Friday in boys and girls in third through eighth grades is Aug. 20 at Stockton against St. Mary’s. Newhall Park at 3:45 p.m. Basketball begins in September and Former DLS star Henry To’oto’o made national news when he runs through the playoffs in the new year. Boys and girls in secentered the transfer portal after his sophomore season at the Uni- ond through eighth grades can take part in CYO basketball. versity of Tennessee and eventually announced he was headed to For more details on cross county contact Sullivan by email national champion Alabama. The Crimson Tide was a favorite to rleprcn@pacbell.net or phone (925) 969-0207. land the 2019 Spartan grad before he selected Tennessee. He had For St. Bonaventure basketball contact Ferd Santos two excellent seasons with the Volunteers but was one of several stbonaventurecyo@gmail.com or (925) 270-9390. Registration is high-profile transfers after a change in the Tennessee coaching taken online at stbonaventurecyo.com. staff following the 2020 season. He’s been touted as a potential starter for Alabama after recent pre-season workouts.
All Out Sports youth leagues taking signups
Blaze Basketball tryouts for boys and girls in second through 12th grades are begin held this month at Clayton Community Gym. Hopefuls should register online at blazetravelball.com/tryouts. For complete information on All Out Sports adult and youth programs including camps and clinics, visit alloutsportsleague.com.
Mt. Diablo High School announces latest Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Mt. Diablo High School Sports Hall of Fame will hold its induction dinner honoring their 2020 inductees on Saturday, Nov. 6, at Zio Fraedo’s in Pleasant Hill. This year’s recipients are Jim Wharton (Class of 1967), John Capas Morales (‘68), Tim O’Connor (‘86), Sandi Gomes Yoland (‘84) and Bob Penny (‘70). For tickets contact Lou Adamo by phone (925-212-9332) or mail (Hall of Fame Dinner, 1401 Stonecreek Ct., Martinez, CA 94553). Tickets are $55 and checks should be made payable to MDHSSHOF. Proceeds help fund girls’ and boys’ athletic and academic programs at the school.DH
Terrapin swimmers excel at Sectional Championship
The Terrapins Swim Team sent 20 senior level athletes to compete at the CA/NV Long Course Sectional Championships in Roseville last month. This was the first higher level meet the team has participated in a year and a half. The meet featured over 650 athletes from all over California and Nevada with the Terra-
August 20, 2021
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Page 13
MDSA Storm ‘09 boys champions in their first tournament in 19 months
World Class Service Exceptional Paint Jobs
Photo courtesy MDSA
MDSA Storm 09 Boys Elite were first in their division at the San Ramon Summer Classic last month. Coaches Pete Laverick and Billy Torrez saw their team return to tournament play for the first time in 19 months in the under 13 Division. Storm came through the group stage undefeated and clinched the first-place trophy with a 3-2 victory over Pittsburg Youth Academy in the White Division final. The team includes, front row from left, Aaden Torrez, Elias Freij, Alex Lahanas, Jamie Laverick, Ieuan Azarcon; back row, Coach Torrez, Cooper Smith, Jacob Asselin, Baron Schultz, Teddy McGee, Cayden Baker, Alexander Hernandez, Giovanni Delgado, Coach Laverick. Not pictured, Ryan Kern, Lauren Liming, Trainer Frank Gavidia.
Diablo Valley Wolves ‘05 Kohler, from page 11 Surf Cup U17 finalists
Photo courtesy Diablo Valley Wolves
Coach Zach Sullivan’s Diablo Valley Wolves 2005 girls reached the under 17 championship game of the prestigious Surf Cup last month in San Diego. The local competitive team lost a shootout 4-3 after tying Laguna United FC 2005 Blue 1-1 in the championship game. Earlier they had won a shootout in the semi-finals. The Wolves 05 include, front row from left, Emily Beeson, Kate Saari, Kelly Flores, Erika Salazar, Hailey Kenny, Juliannah Colchico, Jacqueline Tamayo, Abigail Salgado, Aubrielle Irwin, Indigo Whiteley; back row, Zuleyka Berumen, Morgan Purvey, Caroline Tobin, Shelby Bonham, Tylin Norman, Liliana Bailey, Gabriella Kummer, Reagan Thomas and Coach Sullivan.
Normal, from page 11 Mt. Diablo (Div. 4)- 8/27 at Lathrop, 9/3 at Albany, 9/10 American-Fremont, 9/17 at Dougherty Valley-San Ramon, 9/24 Oakland Tech, 10/8 Ygnacio Valley (Homecoming), 10/15 at Northgate, 10/23 Berean Christian, 10/29 College Park (Senior Night), 11/5 at Concord. Northgate (Div. 3)- 8/27 at Deer Valley, 9/3 Ukiah, 9/10 at Las Lomas, 9/17 Bethel-Vallejo, 9/24 at Rodriguez-Fairfield, 10/8 Berean Christian (Homecoming), 10/15 Mt. Diablo, 10/22 at Concord, 10/29 Ygnacio Valley, 11/5 at College Park. Ygnacio Valley (Div. 6)- 9/3 St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo, 9/10 at Rosemont-Sacramento, 9/24 at Bradshaw ChristianSacramento, 10/1 at Stone Ridge Christian-Merced, 10/8 at Mt. Diablo, 10/15 Concord, 10/22 College Park, 10/29 at Northgate, 11/5 Berean Christian. NCS Playoffs Nov. 12-27 NorCal Regional Championships Dec. 3-4 CIF State Bowl Games Dec. 1011 Cross Country (Boys & Girls) DAL Center Meets Sept. 29 and Oct. 20 DAL Championships Nov. 6 (Hidden Valley Park, Martinez) EBAL Championships TBA NCS Championships Nov. 20 (Hayward High School) CIF State Championships Nov. 27 (Woodward Park, Fresno) Golf (Girls) DAL League Matches TBA EBAL League Matches Aug. 17Nov. 7
DAL League Championships TBA EBAL League Championships Oct. 18 NCS Division II Championships Oct. 25 NCS Division I Championships Nov. 1 NorCal Championships Nov. 8 CIF State Championships Nov. 17 Tennis (Girls) DAL League Matches Sept. 9 – Oct. 26 EBAL League Matches Sept. 2 – Nov. 2 DAL Division Championships Oct. 28-30 EBAL Championships Nov. 4-8 NCS Team Championships Nov. 9-13 NCS Singles/Doubles Championships Nov. 15-16 NorCal Team Championships Nov. 16-20 Volleyball (Girls) DAL League Games Sept. 7Oct. 21 EBAL League Games Aug. 24 – Oct. 21 NCS Playoffs Oct. 26 – Nov. 6 NorCal Championships Nov. 716 CIF State Championships Nov. 19-20 Water Polo (Boys & Girls) DAL League Games Sept. 22 – Oct. 27 EBAL League Games Sept. 2 – Oct. 28 DAL Division Championships Oct. 27-29 NCS Playoffs Nov. 3-13 NorCal Tournament Nov. 17-20
the field, with four-time Olympian Emma Twigg of New Zealand sitting in second and Great Britain’s Victoria Thornley third. Kohler lagged in fifth position at the 500meter mark before moving past Iran’s Nazanin Malaei in the second 500. At the same time, Twigg was pulling ahead of Lobnig and took just over a one-second advantage as the scullers crossed the midway point. Twigg continued to extend her lead over the third 500. During the final 500 meters, Kohler put on a big sprint to try to catch the faltering Austrian, but the American just ran out of room as Lobnig was able to hold on to the final qualification spot. Twigg won the race in a 7:20.70, with Townley finishing in a 7:25.12. Lobnig crossed in a 7:25.59, while Kohler clocked a 7:26.10. After the semi-finals Kohler said, “The women’s single sculls is an incredibly deep field, and it’s anyone’s game. There’s no clear favorite – well, it seems like Emma (Twigg) is right now – but coming in, it was anyone’s guess who could be in that A final contending for the medals. It’s a tough field, and I’m proud I could be a part of it and be right there.” Kohler concluded her Tokyo racing in the B finals where she took third, placing her ninth overall. The Clayton resident began her Tokyo racing by advancing directly to the quarterfinals thanks to a win in the first of six heats. With the top three moving on to the quarterfinals, Iran’s Malaei took the early lead before Kohler moved into the top spot as the scullers hit the midway point. Kohler continued to extend her lead over the back half of the race. As the scullers crossed the line, Kohler finished with a winning time of 7:49.71. She then earned her way in the semi-finals by taking second, 1.09 seconds behind reigning world champion Sanita Puspure of Ireland in the quarterfinals. Kohler won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the women’s quad boat for America. She wasn’t selected by USRowing for the 2016 Rio Olympic team and the next year she switched to single sculls. She represented the US in the 2018 and 2019 world championships and was an impressive winner at the Olympic Trials earlier this year earning her second Olympic berth.
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August 20, 2021
T H E ART S
‘Scalia/Ginsburg’ a tribute to a special friendship
SALLY HOGARTY
STAGE STRUCK It’s difficult not to hold Supreme Court justices in awe. Whether you agree with their political views or not, here is a group of people who hold their positions for life. How many people can say they have that kind of job security? Two justices that certainly created both awe and angst were Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG). Did you know he gave her roses on her birthday every year? Despite their polarized views on the Supreme Court, they had many things in common. In addition to both being born in March and lifelong New Yorkers, they both loved opera. They attended performances together and even took part on stage as supernumeraries (extras) in several operas. Solo Opera had originally planned to produce “Scalia/Ginsburg” in August 2020, but the pandemic forced its postponement until September 2021.During that time, Justice Ginsberg passed away. Originally, the show honored the memory of Scalia and applauded Ginsberg’s longevity on the court, but now it will be in memory of both justices. The show performs just
short of the first anniversary of Ginsberg’s death. “Her passing has certainly changed the heart of the show for me,” said lyric coloratura soprano Nikki Einfeld, who portrays Ginsberg. “Now more than ever I want to do her justice.” Tenor Christopher Bengochea as Scalia and Kirk Eichelberger as the commentator join Einfeld on stage. “When Sylvia of Solo Opera asked me to portray RBG in Derrick Wang’s twoperson opera, I was intrigued,” said Einfeld. “She was an influential pioneer in gender equality but also a model for humanity. These two powerful people, who had such radically different views on things, could literally come together and prove that despite our disagreements with somebody, it doesn’t affect fundamentally what makes us human and what draws us together. For me, that’s the most powerful part of this performance.” According to Einfeld, RBG is quoted somewhere as saying if she had another career, she would have loved to have a voice and sing opera. “Honesty, we’re glad that she followed the career path she did,” Einfeld said. “Scalia/Ginsburg” plays 8 p.m. Sept. 10 and 2 p.m. Sept. 12 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. For tickets, call 925943-SHOW or go to lesherartscenter.org. Due to the increase in COVID cases and current Contra Costa County health guidelines, the performers plan to wear specially designed singers’ masks. I’m hoping against all odds that the num-
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Nikki Einfeld and Christopher Bengochea star in Solo Opera’s “Scalia/Ginsburg” at the Lesher Center in September. The one-hour opera is in English.
ber of cases will decrease enough by September to allow these exceptionally talented performers to bring their fascinating characters to life sans masks.
Pittsburg Community Theatre has been having a great summer despite COVID restrictions with its outdoor production of the musical “Company” and a lively Sum-
mer Youth Theatre Camp. Now, the company is rehearsing “The Real inspector Hound,” which they hope to premiere Oct. 1-9 as the first Black Box Series at Steeltown
Coffee and Tea in downtown Pittsburg. For more information, go to pittsburgcommunitytheatre.org. Meanwhile, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble is busy readying its October show, “12 Angry Jurors” scheduled Oct. 1-10 at the El Campanil Theatre in Antioch. Go to ghostlightte.org for more information. Also undeterred by the latest blow to performing arts groups, Diablo Women’s Choral is looking for singers for its fall season. “Our members live all over the East Bay, joining together to build a community through music, with a diversity of ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and abilities,” says Jennifer Mack. If you are interested, go to DiabloWomensChorale.org/jo in-us. 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
Local performing arts groups grapple with county’s onstage mask mandate SALLYHOGARTY Special to the Pioneer
Many people are familiar with the television show “The Masked Singer,” where judges try to discover the identity of the celebrity singer behind the elaborate mask. Now life is now imitating art in what could be the final bow for some performing art organizations. Because of Contra Costa County’s high COVID-19 case rate, Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano issued an order requiring all persons in the county, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings in public indoor settings until further notice. The order, which took effect Aug. 3, includes onstage performers at theatrical and musical events – sending local arts organizations into a frenzy. Lamorinda Idol, a singing competition for elementary through high school students scheduled for Aug. 15 at the Orinda Theatre, changed the date and pivoted to an outdoor venue rather than having the young performers wear masks while singing. Randy Anger, producer for Plotline Theatre Company, chose a different path for his production of “Bullshot Crummond,” which performed through Aug. 15 at the
Campbell Theatre in Martinez. “We ordered surgical masks for the cast and incorporated them into the comedy. Our actors personalized their masks to represent their characters and found ways to use them to get even more laughs,” said Anger. Solo Opera artistic director Sylvia Amorino found out about the mask mandate while preparing for the September run of “Scalia/Ginsburg.” “I was thrilled to know that all the audience members in theaters would now be masked. But shortly after, I heard from our theater that this mandate in Contra Costa County also included performers,” she said. “Unfortunately, for opera singers, singers and those playing wind instruments, this makes performing difficult, if not impossible. Four other counties, though, are allowing performers to be unmasked. For our company, we are working to see how we can safely move ahead with our ‘Scalia/Ginsburg’ opera.” Solo Opera ordered special singers’ masks they hope will allow the cast to perform Sept. 10 and 12 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors supports Farnitano’s new health directive.
The cast of “Bullshot Crummond” wore creative surgical masks for the run at the Campbell Theatre in Martinez.
District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff agreed additional measures are necessary to deal with the danger posed by the fast-spreading Delta variant. But, she says, she feels badly for the businesses and performers it will affect. “I’m so sorry this has to happen and that there will be a negative economic impact, but public health comes first,” said Mitchoff. “I specifically asked Dr. Farnitano if performers had to be masked and he said yes. I feel bad for them, but singing is one of the worst ways to spread the disease because droplets go out into the air. “It’s a very sad situation, and I blame unvaccinated
people for the fact we are going backward,” Mitchoff added. “Absent a medical reason, it is absolutely irresponsible to themselves and their community to not get vaccinated.” For the immediate future, local performing arts groups will have to mask up indoors, switch to outdoor venues or cancel productions. Organizations are counting on the public to do their part to get the current surge under control so these restrictions can be lifted. “We are following the case rates and hospitalization rates on a daily basis and will consider revisions if the situation improves,” said Farnitano.
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August 20, 2021
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Still time for that one last summer blast from the garden NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL
August brings the opportunity to get one more burst of flowers out of your summer perennials and annuals. Those penstemon, yarrows, roses, butterfly bushes, salvia, million bells and verbena that bloomed for you all spring and into summer can be swayed into another flower surge to be enjoyed well through October. The first step to manipulating a plant into blooming is in the pruning. Salvia and butterfly bushes should have a third to half of their overall growth cut back. That means pruning around the sides and down from the top. It’s important to cut the entire plant evenly so the new growth looks consistent. Often, you will see plants pruned around the sides, letting the top grow taller. This makes for a woody plant, which becomes unsightly. Flowers appear only at the top, while the wood looks dry through the middle. Roses are always very giving of flowers throughout the spring, summer and fall. Visit your rose garden this month to deadhead expired and nearly faded roses. Remove the blooms and scoot down a few leaf sections along the stem. Make your cut just above a leaf section with five leaflets facing outward. This is where the rose naturally wants to grow. Your rose bush may be
A hardy and versatile perennial, yarrow has showy flower heads composed of many tiny, tightly-packed flowers rising above clusters of ferny foliage
showing fresh, red growth from these sections already. which makes choosing a place to prune amazingly easy. Yarrow is that perennial group whose flat clusters of flowers are bee and butterfly landing pads. They thrive in a hot, Clayton Valley landscape. It takes guts to prune yarrow since you must prune down all the stems to the ground – leaving only the fern-like bottom foliage. Cuts this deep encourage the perennial to send up new, blooming arms, rather than tiny side blooms from existing arms. Be tough when pruning your penstemon, too. Remove faded flowering stems clear down to the bottom of the plants, just like you pruned the yarrow. Million bells and verbena are heavy bloomers, but controlling their growth allows for healthier plants. Million bells shouldn’t be allowed to stretch past 24 inches or their centers become thin.
Swim, from page 12 Fuentes, Isabella Lucia, Anan Mccombe, Vicki Smith, Claire Mohrland, Marco Barbano, Wyatt Switzer, Brody Gianni, Preston Marks, Rhys Delaney, Jack Stack, JJ Westbrook, Raymond Lucia, Rhys D’Arcy, Michael Albert, Jack Parker, Steven Herrera, Marco Barbano, Dominic Vines, Preston Forney, Kieran Dharmani, Kenzo Acosta, Cavin Spruiell, Will Miller, Jordan Newman, Travis Garner, Gavin Switzer, Shawn Boland, Colton Seastrand, Titus Comfort, James Mauritho, Camden Herrera, Jackson Bachtold-Smith, Brandon Vogler, Justin Slater, Matthew Pisani, Aiden Acosta, Dominic Celentano, Ellis Spruiell, Julia Ford, Aria Taylor, Jessica Nielsen, Sophia Cadero, Rhyan Webb, Victoria Mangrobang, Jillian Chrobak, Anjali Ahluwalia. Forest Park: Eve Kirby, Alexis Steffensen, Brooklyn Henggeler, Hailey Hix, Andrew Dawson, Jaden Nieves, Tommy Martin, Dominic Dawson, Ben Duran, Jaden Newton, Xavier Ysmael, Nate Wendling, Kahil Padilla, Nye No, Scarlett Ringue, Emma Tayas, Carly Spilman, Elayna Ysmael, Bailey Plumley, Myriah Chau. Gehringer Park: Kacey Bulda, Carrie Shin, Amelia Chaix, Kaylee Pond, Hannah Jacobs, Genevieve Joaquin, Marissa McCarty, Isabella Joaquin, Nikki Gibbs, Frances Asselin, Erin Rente-
ria, Katelyn Mathie, Madison Haynes, Julia Daw, Samantha Leone, Noah Leone, Noah Shin, Tano Bushnell, Jonah Oleole, Nico Bushnell, Noah Pelletier, Eli Oleole, J.D. Hopkins, Tycen Dekker, Daniel Oleole, Teddy Hopkins, Isaiah Muhlestein, WB Pelletier, Niko Lawler, David Giordano, Maclaine Grisafi, Dominic Dawson, Ben Asselin, Dominic Baron, Ben Franks, Sophia Long, Avery Boughton, Rylee Cox, Amelia Giordano, Destiny Mestas. Oakhurst: Grace Smith, Robert Griffith, Connor White, Grant Huntington, Alex McSherry, Oliver Lutz, Chase Wilcox, Tyler Brown, Charlie Mohr, Wyatt Boone, William Lingua, Alex Colt, Alex Ryan, Reid, O’Connor, Alexa Bennett, Kaitlyn Robison, Avica Bennett, Cora White, Sarah Chisholm, Ingrid Mohr, Kelsey Macaulay. Springwood: Cassidy Ortiz, Ella Hertzfeldt, Avery Petricca, Ayla Moreno, Avery Wood, Brianna Rodriquez, Lilian Machado, Isabella Martinez, Alexis Teitsma, Iris Dillon, Adrienne Beaubien, Sofia Carllli, Lilly Partida, Riley Brandt, Dalton Cooper, Eugenio Martinez, Jr., Samuel Ortiz, Rodolfo Castro, Giles Thompson, Noah Garcia, Keegan D’Arcy, Malachi Shaw, Dawson Teitsma, Kanaloa Ka’ai, Evan Beaubien, Clayton Rodriguez, Maddon Hertzfeldt, Shawn Canada, Damik Van Fanos, Joaquin Hernan-
Verbena should be kept at 30 inches wide. Remove a quarter of this season’s growth, or half if your plant has already begun to thin in the center. This type of pruning will initiate new stems from the base and fresh growth. After pruning, fertilize flowering plants with water-soluble fertilizer formulated for growth, such as 15-6-3 or 4-1-1. Feeding this way will encourage recently pruned plants to grow new stems and leaves. We use watersoluble fertilizer this time of year since it is easier for plants to digest during the dry months. Always fertilize a plant that has been recently hydrated. Feed toward the roots of the plants and apply in the early morning or evening hours. Three weeks after fertilizing for growth, it is time to feed for bloom. Use a watersoluble fertilizer with the number sequence like 2-10-10 or 3-20-20. Less nitrogen and more phosphorous creates
dez, John Gregory, Eric Tizon, Caleb Tizon, Johnny Borba, Derek Tizon, Alexa Malsom, Maya Canada, Julia Salimpour, Skyler Champathong, Julianna Ruiz, Avery Sealock, Juliana Collins, Vista Diablo: Sophia Lipina, G Glueck, Olivia Baldovino, Melina Baldovino, Kendall Cook, India Bailey, Peyton Roberts, Kiley Johnson, Calin Krauss, Seth Stagmier, Calvin Kral, Will Roloson, Andrew Jay Bayot, Caleb Cook, Everett Peters, Nathan Stagmier. Walnut Country: Ashlyn Huckestein, Leah Agustin, Danielle Lindquist, Ireland Lewis, Sophie Liu, Hunter Tsang, Colin Huckestein, Finnegan Davey, Cole Louie, Kyle Washmera, Aiden Huckestein, Jonathan Lindquist, Logan Dagg, Brayden Shen, Parker Sio, Brady Cannon, Dimitri Acevedo, Nate Dobbs, Oliver Knoflick, Monica Warren, Molly Rothwell. Ygnacio Wood: Jenna Moorhouse, Amanda Ward, Alexis Weiss, Ava Manuel, Reagan Rasmussen, Courtney Ward, Jesslyn Sabet, Marcus Manuel, Tommy Meriam, Michael Manuel, Devan Cooper, Andrew Kosich, Joaquin Halverson, Noah Shelley, Joey Paredes, Joey Mucha, Ethan Kagugube, Joseph Kosich, Adam Dunning, Nic Zeliff, Grayson Malkovich, Seth Christy, McKenna Doggett, Emma Cole, Brynn Kagugube, Anna Lindsay, Grace Weckerle, Regan Shelley, Grace Weckerle, Katie Willis, Emily Marques, Aleks Zeliff, Cailyn Sabet.
more flowers. Mulching the roots around flowering shrubs and perennials is so important this year. Do your landscape a favor and apply a couple inches of compost around each plant’s drip line. Find some extra water for younger plant installations and container plants. This summer, we have been saving a couple gallons of water from each shower to water our new installs and container plants. Also, the slimy dog water has been great on my shade patio plants. I actually think they prefer it.
Page 15
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DRE: 01277896
$680,000
367 St Claire Terrace Brentwood
2 bedrooms, 2baths, 1,945 sq. ft.
925.628.8220 cheryl@cherylhammond.com cherylhammond.com 5-Star Agent Top Listing Agent Senior Sales Specialist
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 20, 2021
Go from dreary and drab to your dream kitchen
DURING
BEFORE
AFTER
As the years pass, we grow and change. Suddenly that kitchen we loved 30 years ago just looks old and faded. A complete update will bring new technology and function.
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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
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could be yourself in this relationship: cooking and baking every Pinterest recipe you came across, organizing the cabinet drawers and cubbies to your heart’s content and entertaining in your kitchen from dawn until dusk. This kitchen was nothing like your last kitchen. You could finally let your hair down and enjoy. JENNIFER LEISCHER Yet as the years passed, DESIGN & DÉCOR those rose-colored glass lenses faded and you saw a new side Our relationships with our of your kitchen. The cabinets kitchens can sometimes and hardware seemed weak become dysfunctional, unorand unsubstantial. The storganized and downright aesage, or should I say lack of thetically unappealing. storage, was just embarrassing, But it wasn’t always this and the hardwood floors were way. Remember when you first in sudden desperate need of met? It was a casual Sunday, refinishing. The lighting that and the “For Sale” sign posted was once so bright and shiny on the patch of grass beckwas now dull. And that brown oned you to come inside. and green tile – where did that You were pleasantly surcome from? The ’80s? prised that this home checked It was as if you and your off many of your wish list kitchen were complete boxes. You saved the kitchen strangers sharing a common viewing for the very last, and address. the anticipation was building It’s no secret that even the as you thought about the stor- best-designed kitchens will age, the natural light and eventually need some sort of whether it had an island or a updating. It’s not necessarily peninsula. Would it be every- because you or a previous thing you dreamed a kitchen owner had a bad design, it’s could be? just that trends change. SomeForty-five days later, you thing created in years past no and your new kitchen were a longer has that same sparkle. match made in real estate Part of the problem is that heaven. You moved into your all of us design aficionados new home and unpacked with love to tweak our kitchens, such joy and excitement. You continuously. It’s where we
spend enormous amounts of time, and, therefore, we require things to look and function a certain way. We want cutting-edge technology, energy-saving appliances and light fixtures, and tile and flooring that err on the side of classic and timeless. A kitchen should be highly functional, from storage to layout, with classic materials that will age gracefully. Kitchens are really interesting spaces. There’s so much more to them than you may realize, from hidden vaulted ceilings and wasted cabinet space to the option of moving a wall or two for a different layout. If you’re in the market for a new home or considering a remodel in your existing home, really explore the kitchen space. A well-seasoned contractor will help you see the potential before you begin the design process. If your kitchen is years old, do not fret. Instead, think of all the exciting things to come with a new layout, functional storage and building materials that will make you want to dance on your polished quartz countertops. Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com.
STEPHANIE LOPEZ 925.305.9099 Coming Soon
1647 Mendocino Dr., Concord
Expansive single level home with lovely amenities throughout. 4 bed + large bonus can be 5th bedroom. Gorgeous kitchen w/Dacor high end stainless appliances will delight your inner chef. Beautiful granite countertops atop lovely cherry cabinetry with so much storage, pullouts, and more. Freshly painted, master bath newly updated. Crown moulding, curved fireplace, lots of bright light gorgeous flooring, w/entertainer’s floor plan Large yard & side yards plus chicken coop AND “She Shed”! Terrific location central to amenities, entertainment, schools, transportation routes. Call me for details
COMING SOON FABULOUS single level home for lease. 3 bedroom / 2 bath, fully updated throughout with an awesome kitchen! Located on a lovely quiet cul-de-sac. Near schools, shopping, transit routes. $3,800. Available September. Call or text for details Realtor® / ASP Stager@ / Relocation Specialist
State Farm Bloomington, IL, 2001875
BRE#01370548
www.myDynamicRealtors.com