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August 21, 2020
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Church leaders, congregations coming together in new ways to keep the faith
TAMARA STEINER
DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
PUBLISHER
Are you an ‘even’ or an ‘odd’?
If you found this issue of the Pioneer in your driveway this month, you are an “even” one, indeed. Starting with the June issue, we began rotating free delivery in our Concord distribution area. Half of Concord , roughly 94518 and 94521 in the southwest corner of the city, will receive delivery in EVEN months. The rest of our Concord routes in the northeast parts of town will receive free delivery in ODD numbered months. Our full distribution map is on our website. Check there to see if you are ODD or EVEN. If you don’t want to miss a single issue of the Pioneer, please SUBSCRIBE. There is a form on our website. Payment is by credit card or PayPal. Your paper will come in the mail, every month. We are now five months into COVID 19. It has been a time of confusion and fear for many. We have stayed home, gone out, masked up and stayed home again. Our businesses have suffered, some fatally. But we are a nimble people. We are finding new ways to go to school, work and play. None of it is anyone’s first choice. Never has the role of community journalism been more important than now. Demand for news has tripled, even quadrupled. Our advertisers are staggering under the economic realities of months of closure with no revenue and now the added costs of retooling for the new normal. Despite the hardship, they continue to support us and the community. This month, we welcome new advertiser Whit’s Painting to the Pioneer. Many will recognize the work of this family owned company on homes and condos throughout Clayton and Concord. Please see their ad on page 14. Support all the advertisers in the Pioneer. Because of them, we can bring you local news that you can’t get anywhere else.
What’s Inside
Tamara Steiner/The Pioneer
Although services remain virtual for now, parishioners can stream the Mass before driving to the church to receive outdoor Holy Communion at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Concord.
Despite the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, local faith leaders continue to fulfill their callings to serve their communities. “While the crisis has created social distance, it has not – thankfully – created emotional or spiritual distance,” says Rabbi Daniel Stern of Congregation B’nai Shalom in Walnut Creek. When in-person services came to a halt last spring, it was particularly prickly as the directives from local and national health officials came prior to Holy Week, Easter, Passover and Ramadan services that routinely boost attendance. Ripple effects of the health orders quickly took an economic toll on employees whose labors enable faith communities to carry out their missions through various programs. And as emotional and financial concerns mounted, faith leaders began shouldering more than the spiritual needs
See Church, page 2
Labor Day brings added appreciation for essential workers DIANE ZERMEÑO Correspondent
This year’s Labor Day comes in the era of essential workers, who have faced unprecedented conditions since March to perform the community’s most crucial services. As a senior environmental compliance inspector for the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Colleen Henry can’t work from home. She visits local businesses to inspect and sample wastewater to ensure that the discharge in the sewer pipes protects the system from the pollutants they create. “My first couple of weeks were rough,” she said of working during the pandemic. “My daughter got sent home from school, so it was balanc-
ing being a mom and suddenly a teacher, plus working from home and figuring that thing out at the beginning.” Henry and some of her colleagues had to quickly adjust to only coming into the office on alternating weeks. Although inspectors normally show up unannounced to test businesses’ wastewater, they now schedule inspections for the safety of both parties. Henry’s husband travels two nights a week, which makes taking care of their daughter a challenge – especially with school beginning again. “The weeks that I’m not home, my mom and dad will be helping us out and doing school with my daughter,” she said. “Grandma and Grandpa now have to understand the system.”
Worries about exposure While many use Labor Day as a way to mark the official end of summer vacation, the holiday also pays tribute to American laborers. The first Labor Day parade was in New York City on Sept. 5, 1885, to honor the contribution of workers amidst the growing labor movements that called for better protection and higher wages for workers at the height of the Industrial Revolution. President Grover Cleveland officially declared the first Monday of September a federal holiday on June 28, 1894. These days, working during the coronavirus pandemic brings its own set of concerns. Spencer Sinclair “I try not to think about it Shauna Potts, who has three school-age children, spends (COVID-19) when I’m here,” her days as the director of the Dianne Adair Day Care Cen-
See Essential, page 4
ter in Concord.
Concord business group looks at ways to close streets for outdoor dining in Todos Santos Plaza DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 From the Desk of . . . . . . . . .8 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Next issue, September 18, Deadline, 09/07 Postal Customer ECRWSS Tamara Steiner/The Pioneer
The Old Spaghetti Factory is among Todos Santos Plaza eateries that have already taken over parts of nearby streets to offer outside dining.
Dining under the stars is gaining steam in communities around the Bay Area, and now the Todos Santos Business Association is surveying its membership to gauge support for pursuing street closures around Todos Santos Plaza. With indoor dining banned due to the pandemic, some Concord restaurant owners have already expanded their reach to the sidewalks and even stepped off the curb to place tables and chairs in parking spots. According to Mayor Tim McGallian, this has all come with the city’s blessing. He
explained that since June the city has been trying to streamline the permitting process, which can start with a phone call. “It takes a couple of pieces of paper and a drawing,” McGallian said of the simple procedure for establishments thinking of outdoor dining options. If there were a groundswell of support for full or partial street closures, he said the city would certainly be open to it. But so far, city officials have not heard much from proprietors seeking such action to accommodate more outdoor dining. Vanessa Wolf, a representative for the TSBA, said businesses are weighing the costs
involved with this kind of expansion. It could include building a platform for tables and chairs and buying outdoor heaters. She noted that if street closures occur, it will have to take place soon – because the available months for outside dining are waning. Responses from TSBA members have trickled in, and she is expecting to know soon whether there is enough support to pursue the street closure idea with city officials. She expressed confidence that financial resources can be found to help support restaurants wishing to do this.“Where there is a will, there is a way,” Wolf said.
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Page 2
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Church, from page 1
off their flocks. “Uncertainty has caused a lot of anxiety,” said Pastor Andrew Jones of First Lutheran Church in Concord. “Not knowing how the economy will be next week, next month, next year. Not knowing when they will be able to see family in other parts of the country again. Uncertainty is the largest problem.” sorting through health orders
After nearly two months of sheltering in place in a bid to flatten the curve and head off a surge of cases, Contra Costa County allowed faith communities to hold limited outdoor services with social distancing protocols effective May 18. While still extolling a preference for remote services, a June 17 health order said churches could again welcome their communities inside – albeit with strict protocols that emphasized social distancing and a mask mandate. But this joy was short lived. The 4th of July holiday brought a resurgence of cases and a rising positivity rate,
found a comfort zone with keeping services, small groups and meetings streaming through cyberspace. The Rev. Johanna McCune Wagner noted they have maintained the importance of musicians sharing their gifts as well as the elements of prayer, scripture reading and preaching. Wagner has expanded offerings to include daily morning prayer services. Like other faith community leaders, Wagner had a steep learning curve on educating the membership so everyone understood how to find the church’s channel on YouTube participate in Father Johnson Abraham talks with the parking lot greeters and WebEx/Zoom meetings. But as parishioners arrive for Holy Communion at St. Agnes now it’s old hat for the congreCatholic Church in Concord. gation, and a recent Zoom tea affair even featured treats attributed to the public’s tion members have also dropped off by the Congregaflaunting of preventive meas- recorded readings of the Bible tional Care committee. ures. So on July 11, local offi- lessons for the day. More recently, Jones is takcials once again prohibited sacraments, rituals indoor religious services and ing advantage of a grassy area on back burner on the church property for cultural ceremonies. For houses of worship, the Concord’s First Lutheran services. He created 30-40 pandemic has taken its greatest Church has followed the trend socially distanced spots for toll on the practice of certain of a growing number of con- families in the outdoor space. sacraments and rituals. gregations that provide both Though it’s warm or windy at Congregation B’nai Shalom in-person and virtual options. times, Jones said it has worked has followed a scaled-back verJones has offered online out so far. sion of traditional services, “It’s been a bit different with the normal Sabbath offerservices filmed at his home since mid-March. His wife preaching sermons through a ing of several hours scaled Stephanie adds visual elements mask, but I find it to be an easy to help people follow along way I can love my neighbor,” with the service, and congrega- he said.
August 21, 2020 Other faith leaders also lament having to suspend ceremonies. “We have not had any baptisms in this time. We may have a few coming up,” Jones said.
back to 60-90 minutes online. “I think the social connections are as essential as the spiritual ones,” Stern said. “We are a tight-knit community. Seeing each other’s faces over Zoom helps to make people feel more human and more engaged. “That being said,” he added, “I recently began streaming our services from our sanctuary. That change has been deeply meaningful for our community.” But some rituals – such as reading from the Torah scroll – can only occur with a quorum of adults in the sanctuary. “So this ritual, sadly, has been suspended,” Stern said. At St. Agnes, Father Johnson Abraham has taken creative steps to offer Holy Communion so the experience can be as true as possible to preCOVID-19 days for parishioners. Although Masses are online, the music ministry sings outside the church as people line up on the patio to receive Communion. “It is a blessing to have the ability for parishioners to safely return to our campus, even if public events are now restricted to outdoors,” Abraham said.
learning to help From aFar
Trying to provide pastoral care from a distance remains one of the greatest challenges as faith leaders adapt during this period of uncertainty. Stern is grateful that organizations like the Contra Costa Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family and Children’s Services have worked on managing the social issues that have emerged. Jones pointed to the emotional aspects of the pandemic and the restrictions that have come with it, such as elders unable to see and touch their grandchildren, adult children not being able to see aging parents in long-term care facilities and now struggles with children returning to school. Faith communities around the area are also facing fiscal hardships. St. Agnes had to lay off most of the parish staff, leading to the deferment of faith formation programs and sacramental preparations. “I am actively working with the pastors of our neighboring parishes to restart what we can when we can,” Johnson said. Yet through it all, faith leaders have dug in to serve their members and the community at large in the same unwavering spirit that has long defined their missions. Stern echoed the hopeful perspective of his colleagues as they all uniquely strive to come to grips with the unceasing effects of the pandemic. “While we look forward to the day when we can all gather in person, we are grateful for the new and creative ways we’ve come together,” said Stern.
Finding comFort online Outdoor Mass also may be a possibility for St. Agnes Catholic Church in Concord, once logistical obstacles are addressed. As with other communities with aging congregations, there is concern that sitting in cars in the parking lot for 40 minutes may be discomforting in warm weather. Until a better plan is developed, live streaming is just fine. While other churches have moved between the online and the outdoors, communities such as First Presbyterian Pastor Shawn Robinson holds a socially distanced outdoor Church of Concord have service at Clayton Community Church.
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Marathon on “indefinite idle” with large job losses looming August 21, 2020
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Marathon Petroleum’s refinery on the Martinez/Concord border is on “indefinite idle” meaning the majority of the 700 full-time employees at one of Central Costa Costa’s largest employers are facing layoffs that will likely be completed before the end of the year. Besides the loss of one of the area’s largest employers should the plant permanently close, there are youth sports facilities and the renowned “Mars” training facility for the world champion Blue Devils drum corps on refinery property. The long-term status of the soccer and baseball fields and drum corps training ground is as uncertain as the fate of the facility that first opened in 1913
Marathon Petroleum Refinery
“We are also evaluating the strategic repositioning of Martinez to a renewable diesel facility, which aligns with California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standards objectives and MPC’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.” The indefinite idling means most jobs will no longer be necessary and the phased reduction of staffing levels will begin in October. Concord congressman Mark DeSaulnier reacted to the news saying, “This move is a big loss for our workforce and potentially the economy. That is why, before the pandemic hit and had a drastic impact on energy production, I started convening labor unions, environmental groups and local governments to talk about how we prepare for a shift to sustainable energy and renewables
as Avon Refinery. In late April, the 2,200-acre plant was placed on temporary pause based on the dramatic decrease in fuel consumption as the coronavirus pandemic shelter-in-place stunted a majority of vehicle and airplane fuel demand. On July 31, the other shoe dropped when Marathon Petroleum informed employees at its Martinez and Gallup,
New Mexico refineries that they will “indefinitely idle these facilities with no plans to restart normal operations.” Besides the over 700 fulltime employees, it has been reported that 250 to 2500 contract employees worked at the plant on various projects. The company notification said that as part of the changes, Martinez will be converted to a terminal facility.
less,” Obringer said. The city will use another $3.8 million as part of the Downtown Corridors Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project. The development will be located across from BART, near the Cowell/Oakmead and Galindo/Monument intersections – which Obringer calls a “connection point” between the Monument Corridor and downtown. “We need to help everybody transition from their neighborhoods safely,” she noted. The federal grant also provides BART with $3.3 million for new cars as well as $1.1 million for signage and job training. “The idea would be for the residents of the affordable housing to go through this training program through BART,” Obringer said. “It’s a way for people to
According to Community enter the middle class from Development director Andrea underserved communities.” Ouse, there are two other help From the state affordable housing projects in and city the works – 72 units at 1325Meanwhile, RCD is receiving 1335 Galindo and 313 units at $4.2 million from the state the Church of the Nazarene site Housing and Community on Ashbury. “These are very Development Department early in the process so are likely through the Infill Infrastructure to morph and change as the entiGrant Program. And the Con- tlement process moves forcord City Council previously ward,” she said. allocated $7.8 million, which is Obringer reports a huge more than half of the city’s $14 demand for affordable housing million in affordable housing in the city, especially for seniors. funds. “I encounter people on a weekly Construction on the five- basis who are looking for senior story building is expected to affordable housing and they canbegin in spring 2021, with com- not find it,” she said. “Concord pletion in the fall of 2022. RCD is working very hard to build has already built four other affordable housing as well as developments in Concord: housing of all income levels so Caldera Place, Camara Circle, everyone can continue to live Lakeside and Riley Court. and work here.”
Galindo affordable housing complex project gains $25 million in grants BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
More than $25 million in federal and states grants will boost Resources for Community Development’s (RCD) efforts to build a 62-unit, $41.5 million affordable housing complex in downtown Concord. “I’m really excited about this project,” said Councilwoman Carlyn Obringer. “It’s something I’m really proud that we’re doing.” Of the $21 million from the U.S. Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Grant Program, $12.5 million will go toward the Galindo Terrace housing plan. “Our focus is seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, small families and 12 units for the formerly home-
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in Contra Costa. “The transition needs to be as successful as possible for everyone and we cannot leave workers behind – they need to be guaranteed meaningful and comparable work. I will continue to bring together stakeholders to support workers, our community, and the environment and improve Contra Costa’s energy assets.” The Bay Area is the second
largest oil refining center on the West Coast and home to five refineries, four of which are in Contra Costa County. Marathon spokeswoman Brianna Patterson adds, “Indefinitely idle means our processing units are no longer actively making transportation fuels and other refined products, and the equipment will be treated and
See Marathon, page 5
Can you write?
The Pioneer is looking for an experienced reporter/feature writer. Help cover Concord and Clayton news, events and people. This is a free-lance spot for a monthly publication.
Email a brief of your background, contact information and a writing sample (one news story and one feature article) to tamara@pioneerpublishers.com.
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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 21, 2020
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said Shauna Potts, director of the Dianne Adair Day Care Center at Monte Gardens Elementary School in Concord. Essential workers there provide care for the children of essential workers and parents working from home. But Potts, who has children aged 16, 15 and 8, can’t help but wonder: Am I exposing my family? “You can have some anxiety,” she added, “but after coming back in June, I realized how much I’ve missed seeing kids play.” Potts said some centers like hers had to raise fees for the fall because of the transition from an after-school program to an all-day program that will mimic the school day for children and assist with remote learning. “It might sound like we’re trying to profit off of families. We truly are not,” she said. “For a lot of these facilities, the amount Photo courtesy Central Sanitary District they’re charging is barely going to cover the While Colleen Henry dons protective gear payroll, building expenses and supplies.” during inspections for the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, her parents will be WorthWhile contributions Assistant day-care director Scott Jones, helping her children with their schoolwork.
also a parent of three, has made the sacrifice of no longer hugging his mom, who is in her 70s. However, he says, coming to work gives purpose to his day. “I wouldn’t give up my job if the unemployment bonus was double. It means that much to be contributing,” he said. As the center prepares for the transition
to fall, he said, “we’re going to position ourselves the best we can to help essential workers with their child-care needs and give (the kids) a quiet, safe place where they can do their studies.” From garbage collectors and mail carriers to grocery clerks, essential workers bravely take it day by day in precarious conditions – often without the same level of recogk s See “A nition as their professional ” rt the Expe counterparts. e this pag While this Labor Day will not see the usual barbecues, sales and sporting events, it •Same day reports should be a true celebration of all those sustaining our local •Flexible scheduling economies and communities. •Payment options “If I’m not here doing •$50 off any inspection what I’m doing, then there’s one less cop, one less nurse, one less firefighter, one less 40+ five-star person out there that does Yelp reviews things that make our communities run, our cities run and our country run,” Jones said. (925) 318-1440 www.safeathomellc.com
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Concord, County seek new taxes to ease budget crunch August 21, 2020
BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
As the pandemic continues to put a pinch on local services, both the city of Concord and Contra Costa County are preparing to bring sales tax measures to voters in November. On July 28, the Concord City Council voted 5-0 to place a one-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. The tax would extend the half-cent Measure Q, which the city relied on to maintain essential services even before the economic crisis due to March’s shelter-inplace order. On the same day, the county Board of Supervisors introduced a countywide half-cent sales tax that would raise an estimated $81 million a year for the next 20 years. The county says the money would go into the General Fund and would include support for fire districts, Contra Costa’s
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regional hospital and “safety Steven Stenzler, chief of staff net” services. for Assemblyman Tim Grayson of Concord, says c hanging the tax cap Grayson has not taken a posiHowever, the tax plans are tion on the bill yet. contingent on the passage of As the county awaits state Senate Bill 1349. Sponsored by action, the Board of SuperviSen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, sors voted 4-1 Aug. 4 on the the bill would allow an increase second and final resolution to to the county’s sales tax limit. place the Healthy and Safe “This doesn’t apply to Contra Costa sales tax measure every jurisdiction in Contra on the ballot. Costa County,” noted county “Going to the ballot is not Supervisor Karen Mitchoff. a sure thing,” Mitchoff told the “But in order to proceed, we Pioneer. “The current matter need to have permission to go before the board may come to over the cap so that if the bal- us again in special session on lot measure passes, we can col- Friday, Aug. 21, so that if it lect in those jurisdictions.” hasn’t passed the Assembly by If both the county and that date and we don’t have a Concord measures pass, Con- firm personal commitment cord taxes would be above the from the governor that he will current cap, according to Jen- sign it, the board can pull the nifer Ortega, Concord’s Com- matter so it doesn’t go to munity Relations manager. print.” The Senate passed the bill She said the county would on June 11 and referred it to incur a minimum cost of the Assembly Local Govern- $500,000 if the measure is ment Committee, which will placed on the ballot. hold a hearing on Aug. 11. “I am not willing to spend those dollars if we don’t know the bill will pass and be signed by the governor,” Mitchoff said. “At best, I believe we are at a 50-50 chance of going to the ballot. Although advocates
Despite COVID, it’s a good time to buy or sell
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS
Q: i sold my house a couple of years back and i am ready to buy a replacement house. how are interest rates? is it a good market for buyers? a: It is a great time to buy of course. Interest rates are historically low. In fact, they are a full percent lower than they were last year at this time. But there is both good and bad in this. was speaking to my favorite lender Jay Voorhees of JVM Lending. I am going to repeat some information from him. The good. The enormous rate-reduction appears to be a huge boon for homebuyers, as low rates reduce payments and increase buying power. A 1 percent reduction in rates reduces the payment on a $500,000 loan by almost $300 per month. Even better, a couple earning$150,000 per year can qualify for a $100,000 higher purchase price with rates dropping by 1 percent. Similarly, a borrower earning $75,000 per year can qualify for about $50,000 more when rates drop 1 percent. Jay says, “Efficient market theory applies to many businesses and also applies to housing.” Very low rates fostered by the gov’t policy are a subsidy of sorts, and they will push up the price of housing—again. In the short run lower rates are definitely a gift for
most borrowers, but over the long run, housing prices usually adjust to reflect the impact of lower rates.” For instance, rates edged up this week in response to news about Russia possibly coming up with a COVID-19 vaccine. If shaky news like that pushed rates up, imagine what more concrete vaccine news might do? People ask could rates go lower? Jay answers “I think so but I am not sure because there are so many variables outside of our control.” There are also unexpected factors-including higher fees from Fannie Mae, the gov’t agency which is involved in most loans. They just announced an additional ½point fee for all refinance loans-which translates to about a 1/4 percent higher rate for those. They say this is to account for the “extra risk” in the COVID-19 environment, but Jay suspects that has more to do with the monopoly pricing power. As you might suspect there is huge pent up demand from buyers who have been on the sidelines, such as yourself, waiting to see what happens with COVID and interest rates. July bidding wars jumped 5x from this time in 2019 and CoreLogic statistical site said housing prices jumped 4.9 percent from June to June. I believe you should buy soon with the low interest rates because as I always say it is better to buy at a low interest rate than a low price. It’s all about the payment.
Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
Marathon, from page 3
prepared for long-term inactive service. In indefinitely idle status, some areas of the plant will remain in operation, including wastewater treatment and certain safety systems. “We are evaluating the opportunity to strategically reposition Martinez as a 48,000 barrel-per-day renewable diesel facility. We can leverage the plant’s existing assets and infrastructure. This facility would create additional jobs beyond the 50 jobs that will remain to support
terminal operations. If pursued, initial production would likely come online in 2022 with a full ramp up in production over a couple of years.” The local refinery has gone through a succession of owners since Tidewater Associated Oil Company opened the Avon site. Tosco bought the refinery in 1976 and since then it has been operated by Ultramar, Tesoro, Andeavor and Marathon, which completed its purchase from
of the measure believe the board should ‘gamble’ (my word, not theirs) that all the pieces fall in place.”
help For east county Fire district? Chief Brian Helmick of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) is closely monitoring the situation. Due to severe budget constraints, the fire district adopted a policy last month to only send firefighters inside a burning building if human life is at risk. The ECCFPD service area includes Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory. “While it is a general sales tax, if approved, it is Supervisor (Diane) Burgis’ intent that a portion of those revenues will be used to improve fire service in East Contra Costa County,” Helmick said. “This is one of many initiatives the district will watch and seek to gain a better understanding of as we work to correct the historical underfunded fire services levels throughout ECCFPD’s jurisdiction.” Meanwhile, the county says the Contra Costa Regional
Page 5
Medical Center faces a $70 million shortfall, and community health facilities are struggling to remain open. “In the last month, we’ve witnessed a spike in COVID19 cases, the active start to our fire season, the continued need for food, income and housing security, and the urgency for reliable early childhood programming for parents as they return to work,” said Mariana Moore, co-chair of the Potential Sales Tax Measure Ad Hoc Committee Working Group. “More than ever, county residents need a safeguard to ensure that essential services remain available and accessible during worldwide and personal crises.” e valuating concord’s needs
Concord first put the halfcent sales tax on the ballot in 2010, in response to the Great Recession. Voters approved that and then an extension in 2014. The current tax expires in 2025. The new one-cent tax, referred to as the Concord City Services Measure, would extend Measure Q until ended
by voters. The city estimates it would raise $27 million annually. “With Measure Q revenues, the city has been able to preserve essential services and restore its emergency reserve funds,” Ortega wrote in a staff report. “However, the city has not been able to fully address community priorities, such as repairing deteriorating local roads and ensuring local control over local tax dollars to support emergency response times and preparedness, community-based neighborhood police patrols, gang prevention, and park and recreation programs.” Those services were among the priorities identified in an April survey of more than 1,200 residents by Godbe Research. Respondents also wanted funds to support local businesses and residents through the economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. “The results show there is substantial support for a simple-majority local revenue extension measure at a onecent rate,” Ortega said.
Lack of security opens the door to hackers with the worst intentions
WILL CLANEY
TECH TALK
Database hacking is big business these days, as they steal your passwords and login information and walk away with all your personal data. Hacking is happening to large companies, and their lack of security spells big trouble for you – the user. One would think big corporations, with their zillions of dollars in profits, would give a crap about the security of their customers. Well, either they haven’t been paying attention to their IT professionals requesting upgrades to their computer security, or they are just ignorant. Since it’s important to protect yourself against big corporations that are more concerned about executive bonus pay than they are for your security, here’s a brief primer. A database is like a file cabinet, a very large collection of file cabinets containing millions of records. Hackers are the people skulking around in the dark trying to open those file cabinets. Hackers are looking for credentials, meaning your name, home address, phone numbers, emails, and the user names and passwords you have used to login to the companies you frequent. If you reuse passwords, you’ve just Andeavor less than two years ago. Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC) is a leading integrated downstream energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio. The company operates the nation’s largest refining system with over three million barrels per day of crude oil capacity across 16 (soon-to-be 14) refineries. MPC’s marketing system includes approximately 7,800 branded locations across the US, including approximately 5,600 Marathon brand retail outlets.
exposed your credit card, bank and personal information. Big companies are being attacked more frequently than ever before. “Between January and September 2019, there were over 7.9 billion data records exposed – a 33 percent increase from the same time in 2018. Although hackers are obvious culprits in uncovering this data, oftentimes they had a helping hand from human error resulting in a data breach,” according to Steve Turner, chief information security officer (CISO) at Sontiq, the parent company of the EZShield and IdentityForce brands. It looks like 2020 will also be a record breaker for hacking. If you have ever logged on to a site that’s been affected, you were hacked too. Understand that you are at risk of losing control of your life. Here is a short list of data breaches so far this year: Peekaboo Moments, an app where parents post images and videos of their children. A customer support database holding more than 280 million Microsoft customer records. 85,000 medical marijuana patients and recreational users. Estee Lauder exposed 440 million customer records.
More than 10.6 million guests who have stayed at MGM Resorts. Walgreens announced an error within its mobile app’s messaging feature that exposed not only personal messages sent within the app but also the names, prescription numbers and drug names, store numbers and shipping addresses of its users. Hackers successfully accessed online accounts of customers of the apparel retailer J. Crew. The credentials of more than 500,000 Zoom teleconferencing accounts were found for sale on the dark web. Email addresses, passwords, personal meeting URLs and host keys are said to be collected through a credential stuffing attack. You can visit identityforce.com/blog/2020-databreaches for a longer list. There is a way to protect
yourself from lax security at big companies, and it’s called password management. We know passwords can be difficult to remember, especially if you constantly change them – as you should – or if you have a large number of accounts that use passwords. Password managers built into browsers are useless once you’re hacked. Your preference should be a third-party password manager that you are the only one on the planet to be able to access. Call your local computer expert and ask what they use. You can solve your problem for about three bucks a month, even if the giant corporations fail you. Now go do the smart thing.
William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.
Four seek to unseat incumbent in Concord race Page 6
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 21, 2020
TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
This November, Concord City Council District 2 incumbent Carlyn Obringer will face four challengers hoping to unseat the two-term council member and former mayor. It is the first election for Obringer since the city changed to district elections in 2018. District 2 covers North Concord, including downtown, the North Concord BART station, Holbrook and Sun Terrace.
ready to Face the Future Obringer, 40, wants to continue leading Concord residents and businesses through the COVID-19 crisis. “I have the experience Concord needs to overcome the pandemic and economic downturn and emerge even stronger on the other side.” Hope Johnson, 54, a senior paralegal, is taking her second shot at a council seat after losing to Obringer in 2016. An outspoken advocate for North Concord, she wants to bring a more “progressive voice” to city decision-making. “For too long, the Concord City Council has blocked progressive ideas for solving issues, especially those affecting the most vulnerable residents.” Back for his fifth run for council, Harmesh Kumar, 61, is a clinical psychologist and owner of a private counseling agency. Kumar has also made runs for governor, state Assembly and county supervisor. A South Asian immigrant, Kumar self-describes as the “relatable candidate,” the one who has had to fight “all sorts of red tape adopted only to discourage people of color from progressing.” A 31-year resident of Concord, Tristan Piper, 58, wants to serve on the council to
HOPE JOHNSON
“ensure that my children and future generations inherit a fiscally sound city.” Paul Wood is a relative newcomer to Concord, moving here in 2017. The 58-yearold retail executive is motivated to run for council to be sure that “all voices are heard.”
tWo key issues COVID recovery and budget woes loom huge over the city and dominate all five candidates’ platforms. All except Johnson support November’s Measure V to double Concord’s current sales tax to 1 cent and extend it indefinitely. Johnson supports a sales tax but only at the current Measure Q half-cent rate with a sunset date renewable only by voters. The City Council says the tax is one way to help close the $45 million shortfall facing the city by 2028. Meanwhile, Obringer sees an immediate need for continued support for Concord’s 130 small businesses and encouraging residents to shop local. Long term, the city needs to sway more business owners to locate in Concord. policing vs. social services
HARMESH KUMAR
movement, there is little agreement even on what the term means. For Johnson and Kumar, it means reallocating funds to mental health and social services. Johnson also wants to demilitarize the department. Officers in camouflage uniforms with military-style weapons send the wrong message, she says. “The community is not the enemy.” Kumar advocates more money diverted for the homeless and youth services. Obringer wants to continue the “community conversation” that began with the Town Hall meetings on July 15 and Aug. 12. She looks forward to exploring how “we can reimagine policing in Concord” with an emphasis on mental health
mandates
With Gov. Gavin Newsom requiring cities to provide more housing units – and likely denser housing plans – the candidates weighed in on how Clayton should handle future project proposals. Miller advocates “pushing back” on state mandates because of the city’s small size, geographical features and locations. “However, for the few future opportunities that may exist, I believe the right and tested approach is a Planned Development approach.” Cloven says the council needs to “combat unforeseen overreach by developers,” as he noted was the case in a recent proposal. “We must take control of future projects as much as possible through careful
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helping the homeless All five candidates agreed that the city should not be providing homeless encampments. Concord is one of only two Contra Costa cities that operate a homeless shelter. Obringer says the city doesn’t have the land to devote to additional homeless encampments. Instead she wants churches to dedicate excess or
unused land for housing the homeless, perhaps in partnership with the city. Johnson only favors dedicated encampments during the pandemic. “People can’t shelter in place if they have nowhere to go.” Kumar says encampments solve nothing unless officials attack the root causes of homelessness: affordable housing, unlawful evictions, low wages, mental illness and substance abuse. Wood said the city should use the Naval Weapons Stations, while Piper wants no homeless provision beyond the one shelter.
PAUL WOOD
plicated issues. A shortage of affordable housing, supporting diverse populations, finding a new master developer for the Concord Naval Weapons Station, renter protections, economic growth and infrastructure improvements all need critical attention now and longterm. The candidates weigh in on these and their visions for the city’s future in their fulllength questionnaires in the special Election 2020 section on our website, pioneerpublishers.com. In District 4, Councilman Edi Birsan will run unopposed for his third term in November. Although not actively campaigning, Birsan completmore on the table ed our questionnaire. His As the largest city in the answers are also posted in the county, Concord is facing com- election section on the website.
BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
Controlling high-density In addressing the highly housing and maintaining Claycharged “defund police” ton’s small-town character are among the top concerns for the candidates running for City Council. Newcomers Peter Cloven, Frank Gavidia, Glenn Miller and Holly Tillman have joined current council members Tuija Catalano and Jim Diaz in the race for the three open seats on Nov. 3. Councilwoman Julie Pierce, the town’s 2020 mayor, is not seeking reelection. The Pioneer sent a questionnaire to all the candidates to gauge their opinions on key local issues, however, Gavidia did not return the questionnaire nor reply to requests for comment.
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and social services. Wood says the police budget should be capped at 50 percent of the General Fund. He believes the city should entice people to move to Concord and encourage home ownership to increase property tax revenue. Piper is happy with the police budget the way it is.
TRISTAN PIPER
Clayton council candidates consider housing, racism and community spirit
taking on housing
Doug Van Wyck
CARLYN OBRINGER
TUIJA CATALANO
planning and keen following and review of state legislative mandates.” But, he would be “very wary choosing a path of litigation against the state relative to housing unless we had very solid legal footing.” Tillman wants the council to hold developers responsible for listening and assessing community concerns. “By requiring maximum civic engagement, the council can ensure that all concerns have been addressed and/or mitigated,” she said, adding: “The cost-benefit of litigation against the likelihood of prevailing will definitely carry weight in any decision on development.” Diaz believes Clayton should consider updating the Town Specific Plan and reviewing planning documents that provide guidance on state “Clayton can mandates. address state mandates and remain compatible with our small-town heritage.” While Catalano doesn’t like the “one-size-fits-all approach” to high-density housing, she maintains that the council must comply with
PETER CLOVEN
existing state laws. “But in terms of new state legislation, we need to find ways to advocate our perspectives effectively and constructively, and as much as possible be at the table instead of being on the menu.”
combating racism Tillman, co-founder of the new Clayton Speaks webinars on racism, has the strongest words of all the candidates on the issue. Noting that her family “has experienced racism numerous times in Clayton,” she says “we need to have real conversations and get to know each other instead of projecting our biases onto one another.” Catalano, Cloven and Diaz all support the ongoing dialogue to create more awareness of racism in the community. Miller, however, does not believe Clayton has a problem with racism. envisioning the clayton oF tomorroW
As the candidates detailed what they see as the city’s biggest challenge and how each would address it, all spoke about retaining Clayton’s smalltown vibe – especially in light of development pressures. Diaz: “Clayton is nothing without a strong community spirit, regardless of cultural or political differences.” Catalano: We need to foster community spirit, appreciate volunteers who contribute so much to this community and work together.” Miller: “My goal long term would be to realize and achieve the vision of Clayton’s selfreliance, self-determination and fiscally responsible governance.”
JIM DIAZ
HOLLY TILLMAN
GLENN MILLER
Tillman: “I am committed to listening to the needs of the community through respectful, transparent dialogue and finding solutions together so we all have a voice shaping the future of Clayton.” Cloven: “As Sacramento hands down more and more legislation to allow high-density housing and dilute local control, Clayton will and must continue to fight to keep its unique small-town, bucolic character.”
For the full text of the candidates’ questionnaires and more information about their qualifications, see the Election 2020 link at pioneerpublishers.com.
SCHOOLS
August 21, 2020
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Page 7
New school year begins as the spring term ended—with distance learning JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
It is obvious that the start of the school year this month is like no other. Teary-eyed parents were not dropping off their young children for their first day of kindergarten nor were expectant freshmen stepping on a high school campus for the first time. Last spring’s shutdown of schools with the onset of the pandemic caused shelter-inplace orders was thought to be a unique circumstance that would just be a memory by the time the 2020-21 fall term came around. Well, so much for those thoughts. As soon as health statistics took a turn for the worse at the beginning of summer, school officials around the country began exploring how to educate students in this new reality. The Mt. Diablo Unified School District issued its first Roadmap to Reopen draft in June with three options for fall instruction from full-time on campus instruction to a hybrid virtual learning and on-campus experience. A month later, Governor Gavin Newsom made the choice simple when he ordered a continued shutdown of school campuses and distance learning for counties with high rates of coronavirus infections, which includes the entire Bay Area and over half the state’s 58 counties. Newly appointed MDUSD superintendent Dr. Adam Clark participated in his first board meeting virtually on July 13 when the decision to have a complete distance learning format was all but ratified. In subsequent weeks it was decided to move the first day of school to Aug. 17. School site administrators and teachers from schools
Jay Bedecarré
De La Salle and Carondelet high schools were the first in the area to begin the 2020-21 school year last Wednesday. The usually packed De La Salle parking lot off Treat Blvd. was as sparsely filled as its sister parochial school across Winton Dr. while the first day of school was “in session.” Remote learning is the mandated form of education in the state as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt life around the globe.
throughout the area have been very active on social media with information and motivational notices to families and the community as the beginning of school approached and instruction began. Surveys of thousands of MDUSD parents had earlier indicated a strong desire for on campus learning after many less than satisfactory results during the virtual learning experience from March to June. All schools have that experience to draw upon moving forward but that situation beginning last March arose after teachers and students had been together for seven months. This time, the vast majority of students will be getting instruction from teachers they have never met in person for subjects they are introduced to for the first time. Lessons learned by schools last spring will hopefully provide some better solutions this fall. A continuing issue of hardware and technological challenges such as internet service facing
many families and the fact that parents who are now able to go to work out of the home have an additional problem of not being on hand to monitor the virtual learning of their children are matters both the public school district and private schools are trying to solve. The 44-page MDUSD Reopening Plan outlined key requirements as: Access to devices and connectivity for all students, daily live interaction with teachers and other students, challenging assignments equivalent to in-person classes and adapted lessons for English language learners and special education students. It has been rumored that groups of parents are creating their own homeschooling co-op pods, which may reduce enrollment at schools and thus create even additional economic challenges for schools.
according to student eligibility. The district is no longer able to provide free meals to the broader community as it did for the past several months because the USDA did not extend an Area Eligibility Waiver for school districts in the 2020-2021 school year. Meals served at 12 Meal Service Centers now require student verification to receive meals through the School Breakfast, National School Lunch and After School Snack Programs. The sites include six in Concord at Mt. Diablo and Ygnacio Valley high schools, Pine Hollow and El Dorado middle and Meadow Homes and Cambridge elementary schools.
neW principals named A number of new MDUSD principals have been announced this summer. Kelly Cooper is now in charge at Northgate High and Jasmine Montgomery is the new Oak Grove Middle School principal. Three Concord and one Clayton elementary schools have new principals: Woodside (Joseph Alvarez), Sun Terrace (Ronald Little), Mt. Diablo (Katie Sanchez) and Silverwood (Keya Nesbeth).
mdusd board candidates The filing period for the two vacant MDUSD governing board seats in the Nov. 3 election has closed with six candidates: Area 3 (Ygnacio Valley feeder area): William Noonan, Keisha Nzewi, Michael Schneider and Dennis Chow. school meals Area 5 (Concord High program changes area): Erin McFerrin and Carol Starting this Monday, school Trost. meal services will be served at cost, reduced cost or free
Clayton lovingly restored old Endeavor Hall into town showpiece
the hall as living quarters Since its construction and eventually as storage as a Methodist church in for hay. 1863, Endeavor Hall has The only other church been beloved by Clayton in town was the Congreresidents as an important gational Church, built in venue for many memo1866 of rammed earth. It rable events. seemed to be in constant Church services, need of repair, yet church potlucks, plays, dances, services continued to be club meetings, classes, talheld in that ever-crument shows and family DEBBIE EISTETTER bling structure. But the reunions are just a few THE WAY Christian Endeavor Socieexamples of activities ty, the parent company of that have filled the hall WE WERE the Congregational throughout its history. Church, bought the old In wartime, this was the place to find women knitting, rolling Methodist Church in 1896 for $500 to be used as a social hall for church and combandages and hosting community bean munity activities. suppers for fundraising. When Clayton The building became known as wanted to avoid being annexed to Concord in 1964, it was here that 91 percent Endeavor Hall and was under church of the small town’s registered voters cast leadership for a few decades until its membership decreased and a few ardent ballots to make Clayton the 13th city in supporters formed the Clayton Endeavor Contra Costa County. It was the place where Mrs. Sigrid Frank would stand on Hall Association, active until 1990. An event at the hall would cost $7.50 the steps, ringing her hand bell and calling out, “Hear ye, hear ye,” to announce for weekdays and nights, $25 on weekthe opening and closing of the polls for ends. A set of dishes generous enough to local and national elections. accommodate a crowd of 50-80 people was provided, and one would pick up the Weddings in the hall might be folhall key from a hook on the back porch lowed by a “shivaree,” where the newlyof the Trette house located at the current weds were “kidnapped” and driven around town in a buggy accompanied by site of the Endeavor Hall parking lot. raucous guests clanging pans and making Partygoers were required to clean up and vacate the premises by midnight, but for all kinds of noise. The happy couple many years Phyllis Frank Easton folwould return home for a night of wedlowed up and worked tirelessly to make ded bliss and find cowbells had been attached to their mattress, and perhaps sure the hall was in perfect order for the the hay wagon had been taken apart and next activity. reassembled on their roof. At the exact moment the 1989 earthJoel Clayton owned the land on which quake hit Clayton, a ballet teacher was conducting a class in Endeavor Hall. the church was built, and Methodist Episcopal circuit-riding preachers arrived Though the tremor was strong, she said on horseback to provide the sermons as the building felt solid. Whether or not part of their regular route from Martinez the foundation needed repair from the quake was contested, but the fact to Clayton and the Somersville mines. When the number of members began to remained that the building did not meet ADA guidelines for wheelchair accessibildwindle, Clayton family members used
Dick Ellis
Clayton’s Endeavor Hall began as a Methodist Church in 1863.
ity. Renovation costs were too expensive for the association to cover, and so the trustees gave the hall to the city of Clayton in 1990. Restoration was completed in February 2001, with Endeavor Hall sporting a new roof, a new foundation faced with the original stones, a hidden steel framework, a courtyard, new kitchen and stage, a wheelchair accessible ramp and new windows faithfully replicated to the originals. Much of the wooden framing was saved as well as some wainscoting and the roof of the front porch, but the outhouse, or “chic sale” as some old timers called it, was scrapped in favor of facilities having indoor plumbing. In 2002, Gov. Gray Davis presented the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award to the city of Clayton for its “commitment to excellence.” Debbie Eistetter is a board member of the Clayton Historical Society. For more information or to become a member, visit claytonhistory.org. The Clayton Museum is closed for visits during the coronavirus.
From the Desk of... Page 8
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 21, 2020
Concord using CARES funding to help small businesses
and all businesses that meet the eligibility requirements are welcome to apply. Details about the program are available at concordfirst.com/concord-forward/small-businessgrant. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. Local small businesses are the engine that keeps this city going, and the city is dedicated to supporting our local TIM MCGALLIAN small businesses during this unprecedented and difficult CONCORD MAYOR time. Not only do small busiMore than five months nesses provide goods and into this global pandemic that services to our community, has caused so much economic they make Concord the devastation in our community, vibrant and unique city that I am excited to share good residents and visitors love. news about a Small Business In addition to allocating Grant Program that the city of funds to the grant program, Concord has created to help the City Council made a comlocal small businesses that mitment to support our rent have experienced financial relief program and efforts to hardship as a result of the improve access to technology COVID-19 crisis. in underserved neighborhoods On Aug. 4, the City Coun- at a time when all schools are cil approved the allocation of requiring distance learning. funds we will receive through The rent relief program the federal Coronavirus Aid, will receive $375,000 to be Relief and Economic Security administered by our non-profit (CARES) Act to four propartner Shelter, Inc. The funds grams, including one that will will further expand the city’s provide $5,000 grants to 130 support for low-income resilocal small businesses. dents unable to pay rent due to We are proud to be partCOVID-19 impacts. This nering with the Concord effort supplements the CARES Chamber of Commerce to Act/Community Development administer the grant program, Block Grant (CDBG) funding
that the council authorized on June 23. It is expected to support up to an additional 45 participants, with priority given to families with children and senior citizens. In order to help students as they get ready to go back to school in front of a device, we allocated $50,000 to help improve broadband availability
in targeted neighborhoods. Our goal is to establish a partnership among the city, Mt. Diablo Unified School District and broadband providers to improve Internet access in underserved Concord neighborhoods. In order to support our struggling families with students, bridging the digital divide helps to create educa-
tional equity throughout our community and helps students thrive. As a city, we are grateful to receive some of the federal funds that are specifically intended to assist local government agencies with their response to the pandemic. We are particularly proud to be able to use a significant por-
tion of these funds to assist residents and businesses. Thank you Concord residents for your resiliency as we all work together to support each other, stay safe and remain healthy.
Mayor Tim McGallian can be reached at 925.671.2489 or email Tim.McGallian@cityofconcord.org
New interim city manager and City Council ready to serve community
I want to publicly welcome Fran Robustelli to the city of Clayton as our interim city manager. Fran has more than 25 years of experience in city management and has many fresh ideas for adding to our communication with you. If you would be interested in receiving updates from City Hall about official happenings in our town, please go to ci.clayton.ca.us/e-notifications and enter your email to be included in future e-mail notifications and newsletters. While dealing with COVID-19, the City Council continues to meet via Zoom and serve our community. We frequently have a bigger audience on Zoom than we did in person. Maybe it’s easier when you can watch in your jammies? In July, we unanimously islative colleagues in calling adopted a resolution confor systemic change at the demning racism. The resoluEDD and immediate action to tion is posted on the city webhelp Californians track and site at ci.city.clayton.ca.us. We receive their benefits. also appointed a Public Safety On July 8, the EDD stated Ad Hoc Committee, Tuija that “probably less than 1 per- Catalano and CW Wolfe, to cent” of claims took more work with our Police Departthan three weeks to process, ment and the community to but I knew from conversations with friends and neighTIM GRAYSON bors that this simply could not 14TH ASSEMBLY be the case. The media then reported, based on federal DISTRICT Labor Department data, that nearly 2 million claims had yet Since this pandemic began, to be fulfilled. my office has received hunThe public deserves transdreds of calls from conparency and straight answers stituents requesting assistance on the status of claims and with the Employment Devel- how the department is serving opment Department (EDD). Californians, which is why I’m While I am proud of the working to require that the efforts my staff and I have EDD report weekly relevant KAREN MITCHOFF made to help every person data to the public and LegislaCOUNTY who has called us, roadblocks ture. Having accurate, up-toand deficiencies at the EDD SUPERVISOR date data will help us diagnose have kept too many from and solve problems within the receiving the benefits to which department so constituents Mental health services are they are entitled. can have their claims some of the most crucial proWhile Gov. Gavin Newprocessed in a timely manner. grams that Contra Costa som has taken action to I’ve also heard from too County provides. increase EDD staff and many constituents who have In recent months, I have lengthen operational hours, it spent hours waiting on the heard from a lot of conis not enough. More than 1 phone trying to reach an stituents about the need for million Californians are still EDD representative to no new mental health programs awaiting the benefits that they avail. A root cause of this and responses in our commuapplied for months ago. This problem is that the EDD’s nities. Many have written from is simply unacceptable. Unemployment Insurance personal experience or have Recently, I joined Assemclaims support number is only had a loved one who has blyman David Chiu of San come in contact with our See Grayson, page 9 Francisco and 60 of my leg-
Calling for changes at state employment department
District website at throughout every day. cccfpd.org/safety-tips for six candidates For information on creating a city council more defensible space around We are entering a very your home. The video even busy, and different, kind of helps you choose plants that election season. Clayton has are less flammable. We held a very informative three council positions up for election, and six candimeeting in Clayton last sumdates have filed to run. They mer on emergency preparedness, and that video is also on are, in alphabetical order, Tuija Catalano, Peter Cloven, our city website. Jim Diaz, Frank Gavidia, JULIE PIERCE keeping parks and trails Glenn Miller and Letitia CLAYTON MAYOR clean and saFe “Holly” Tillman. As always, please be careful After 33 years serving the address local concerns. These when you are out in our parks city of Clayton, I have chomeetings are open to the pub- and on the trails. I have been sen not to run for reelection. lic via Zoom webinars. Meet- receiving a lot of complaints I will remain as your mayor ing information is posted on about litter on the trails and in until the election is certified, the city website. The recordour parks. With our limited sometime in December. I ings of all our meetings are staff, we cannot dedicate a will stay active in community available there, too. crew to litter cleanup on a activities and associations. constant basis. Please, be I’m not gone yet – we still creating deFensible respectful of your neighbors have a lot to accomplish in space and other visitors to these 2020. It sure is hot out there. areas by using the trash and Please be safe and call to check recycling cans. “Thank you!” Julie Pierce is mayor of Clayon neighbors who might be to the many of you who carry ton and chair of the Contra Costa vulnerable in the heat. a trash bag and collect debris Transportation Authority .She is a We are also in the height along your walks – it helps, past president of the Association of of fire season, so please make and is much appreciated. The Bay Area Governments and serves sure to safeguard your proper- restrooms in our parks will on the executive committee where ty against fire. For informaremain closed due to COVID- she represents Contra Costa cities. tion on how to do that, visit 19, due to lack of ability to Reach her at 925-673-7320 or the Contra Costa County Fire disinfect them frequently Julie.p@ci.clayton.ca.us.
Contra Costa offers variety of mental health services mental health care system. As my family too has experienced tragedy with mental health, I understand how personal these issues are. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the crucial responses that the Contra Costa Behavioral Health Division (CCBH) already provides. CCBH is within Contra Costa Health Services. It’s a partnership of consumers, families, staff and communitybased organizations that provides integrated services for mental health, substance abuse and other needs that promote wellness, recovery and resiliency while respecting the complexity and diversity of Contra
Costa County. When accessing services, the initial point of contact and information is the Behavioral Health Access Line. The 24/7 phone line can connect any Contra Costa resident to mental health services and resources. They can schedule appointments and get answers to insurance questions. The phone number is 1-888-6787277. This is a mental health and emotional health crisis non-emergency phone line. Another one of our resources is the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT), which provides professional, same-day intervention for adults who are experiencing
mental health crises. The team visits individuals and their families to prevent a mental health crisis from becoming an emergency that requires law enforcement involvement or involuntary hospitalization. MCRT includes licensed mental health clinicians, community and family support workers, and a family nurse practitioner employed by CCBH. The goal is to deescalate the crisis and safely connect the client with care and mental health resources. There are three MCRTs across the county, two children’s teams and one adult team.
through the Concord review process has a rooftop deck to accommodate a community garden, with vertical “grow towers” for residents to plant their own gardens. I haven’t reviewed the project merits, and I have no information or opinion on whether it confirms to our development code. However, I was thrilled to hear rooftop gardens may be coming to Concord. I’m a big believer in rooftop vegetation as it helps insulate the building, which translates to lower energy consumption, improved stormwater management and other
benefits. It’s even better when that roof can also provide local, organic produce. The pandemic is stress testing many aspects of society, from health care to the food supply chain. At times, I’ve been to the grocery store and found the produce section nearly empty – with little reassurance as to when I would see tomatoes or broccoli again. Because of the garden, my family has been less dependent on the food supply chain this year. But if we lived downtown in a multi-family building or another dense
urban environment, where bare land is scarce, what could we do? Aside from maybe a few potted plants, we wouldn’t have many options. However, if the building we lived in provided rooftop garden space, we’d be set. While we all search for slivers of sunshine during these times, I’m hoping that one of the positive outcomes spurred by the pandemic is many more rooftop farms coming to our cities.
See Mitchoff, page 9
Rooftop gardens would be beneficial in Concord
JASON LAUB
CONCORD PLANNING
COMMISSIONER
Given our limited options during the coronavirus pandemic, my family and I have focused on new routines and activities. Without the usual sports,
entertainment venues and other social activities we’re accustomed to, we’ve turned our attention back to the basics. In many respects, it’s provided an opportunity to focus on health, exercise and other positive aspects of life that don’t always get the attention they deserve during our fast-paced days. I know a lot of folks are turning to home gardening. Some are doing it because they experienced shortages in the produce department, some for the health reason of avoiding the grocery store as much as possible, some are picking up a
new hobby and some are polishing their green thumbs. My family is fortunate to have a couple garden beds. This year, they have produced the most robust vegetables we’ve ever had because my son Logan, daughter Nora and I were able to take extra time to amend the soil. If I’m being honest, I did most of the work while the kids stockpiled a small colony of worms they found. They got their hands dirty, helped as they could and undoubtedly created some good memories along the way. I recently learned a proposed project making its way
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
Latest mission to Mars offers hope for manned flights In late July, NASA launched the Mars 2020 satellite that will place a ground rover named Perseverance on the surface of our planetary neighbor early next year. Data from this unique space mission will significantly add to the scientific knowledge base from previous space missions. In the early 1960s, the United States and Soviet Union made several unsuccessful rocket launch attempts to reach the planet. In late 1964, the U.S. Mariner 4 mission successfully completed a journey to Mars – coming within 10,000 miles. The first close-up photographs of Mars showed that the surface was pockmarked with craters. Measurements from the space probe indicated the atmospheric pressure on the Martian surface was extremely low, less than one percent of Earth’s surface pressure. By the mid 1970s, NASA’s Viking mission was sending orbiting satellites to the red planet. Surface landing probes launched from these Mars
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WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS
orbiters provided scientists with valuable data about the makeup of the planet. The next major advance in the Mars exploration program occurred in the late 1990s, when remote-controlled fourwheel rovers were released to travel across the Martian surface. The first one, Sojourner, was about the size of a small coffee table and traveled 300 feet in eight days. Space exploration science has come a long way in the last two decades. Perseverance is about the size of a large pickup truck and weighs more than 2,200 pounds. I recently shared some pictures and information
about the Mars space launch with my twin granddaughters. They thought Perseverance looked like “a giant Lego toy with a lot of cameras.” We discovered that some of those cameras were actually laser-shooting instruments geared toward learning more about the planet’s geology and astrobiology. One fascinating feature of Perseverance is the small helicopter, named Ingenuity, stored inside the rover’s belly. About the same size as the entire 1990s rover, this drone is solar-powered and has a wingspan of about four feet once deployed. Ingenuity is scheduled to attempt several powered and controlled flights. The data acquired during these tests will determine if this is a feasible method for transporting small payloads. Similar drone vehicles could also be used to scout the best driving route for future rovers that will travel long distances across the planet. Mars’ atmosphere is more than 95 percent carbon dioxide and, therefore, uninhabit-
Photo: NASA
Ingenuity will hitch a ride to Mars inside Perserverance’s belly The little helicopter will stay busy performing a number of data collecting tasks.
able by humans. An experiment aboard Perseverance may determine if it is possible to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. If feasible, manned Mars missions could be equipped to manufacture oxygen for rocket fuel and breathable air. After watching a few NASA videos about Perseverance, my granddaughters revised their description of the rover to “a giant Lego toy with superpowers.” We are looking forward to watching a
Swimming at the intersection of race and gender identity
water. Yet, like me, she did not know how. However, she was not “complimented” for how dark her skin was – as KIKU JOHNSON her darker skin was not a ALL THE COLORS result of the sun. She headed to St. Augustine, Fla., where a group of I have always loved being white civil rights activists rentin the water, but I never ed rooms at a segregated learned to properly swim as a motel. Mimi, along with severchild. al Black activists, joined them That was partially due to as their guests to swim in the the gender dysphoria of havmotel pool at a time when ing to wear a girl’s swimsuit segregation was everywhere, and the unspoken message including pools and beaches. that non-white people were The motel manager not welcome at pools and poured muriatic acid into the beaches in the communities in water where the activists were which I grew up. Folx, howevswimming, stating he was er, often “complimented” me “cleaning the pool.” Mimi on how well my skin would shared: “All of a sudden, the tan in the sun. water in front of my face So I “played” in the water, started to bubble up like a stopping as the waterline volcanic eruption. I could reached my shoulders. The barely breathe. It was entering anxiety and fear of drowning my nose and my eyes.” showed up without fail. of receiving medInstead I broke and lost countless ical attention, the activists nose clips, often watching them sink out of sight not far were arrested, including Mimi. off the shores of Lake Michi- The next day, President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the gan. But even without my Civil Rights Act of 1964. coveted nose clip, I would In 1989, Dr. Kimberlé persist in the water – clinging Crenshaw used the term to an inner tube and knowing “intersectionality” as a way of not to let go. explaining how aspects of any In the summer of 1964, one individual’s identities comMimi Jones, a Black woman bine, creating discrimination from Georgia, also wanted to and privilege. Intersectionality swim and loved being in the
identifies advantages and disadvantages that people feel. The fact that many of our social justice problems, like racism and sexism, often overlap creates multiple levels of social injustice. And, we persist. At the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics, Simone Manual became the first Black person to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event. Simone knows that 64 percent of Black children have little to no swimming ability and drowning is the second leading cause of death for kids under the age of 13, so she kicked off USA Swimming Foundation’s Make A Splash tour and #GogglesOn campaign in the summer of 2019. In her role as a USA Swimming Foundation ambassador, she would like to change these statistics. She wanted to quit swimming at age 12 due to the racism she was experiencing but decided to push through. She is grateful for Mimi’s activism that helped open the lane for her. A few days before she died on July 26, 2020, Mimi shared: “I never saw social change happen in this country without a battle, but I think there is a renewed awakening.” Alongside the break-
Mitchoff, from page 8
Because law enforcement does often engage with individuals having a mental health crisis, we also have Mental Health Evaluation teams. This is a partnership with law enforcement agencies. There are three regional teams, with
While our system is far from perfect, we do have some good foundational a fourth coming online in the responses. However, I recognize that gaps exist in this sysSheriff ’s Department. Each team includes a police officer tem and that access to these valuable mental health and a full-time mental health clinician. These teams evaluate response teams may not be and connect the referred indi- uniform across the county. We vidual to outpatient treatment are open to creative ideas and resources to expand resources and benefits.
open for four hours a day. This call line needs to be expanded immediately, and the employees staffing the line need to be able to do more than relay basic information listed on the EDD’s website. I’ve called for both of these changes to be made, as well as asking that the EDD establish an automatic call back feature, end the practice of EDD representatives hanging-up on callers and increase training
computer language. In 2016, the EDD began a modernization project that they estimated would take 11 years—an unacceptably long timeline that would result in any IT upgrades being outdated by the time the project was completed. I have communicated to the governor that his EDD strike team needs to act now to review the project, shorten the project timeline and make recommendations that ensure monies are spent on true modernizations.
Grayson, from page 8
for call center staff so that they are more effective in addressing claims. In addition to calling for other common-sense changes that can be made immediately, like allowing individuals to access and edit their initial application, the EDD needs a complete overhaul of its technology. So much of the EDD’s dysfunctionality is due to its 30-year-old computer system that uses a 60-year-old
Page 9
through strokes of Simone, aspiring swimmers like Mimi and me are reminders to create spaces and opportunities for our communities to openly discuss intersectionalities. Ask yourself, your circles, your communities: “Who is and who is not present?” “Has it always been this way?” “How may the values and perceptions of people different from yourself inform membership and the feeling of belonging in our communities?” “When have I recognized and invited marginalized folx into spaces in which I exist in freely?” “Do I understand and recognize what multiple intersectional identities others carry? And, “Do I know how to swim?” To learn more about intersectionality, check out Crenshaw’s TedTalk, “The Urgency of Intersectionality,” at ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality.
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.
across the county. For more information on Contra Costa behavioral health services, visit cchealth.org/bhs/.
Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to Mitchoff at supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us With the changes I’ve listed above and others that I have proposed, it is hopeful that we can bring necessary changes to the EDD to help Californians. In the meantime, my office is here to help you with issues at the EDD or any other state department. Please call my Concord district office at 925-521-1511 for assistance or to learn more about my work in Sacramento.
Reach Assemblyman Tim Grayson at (925) 521-1511. Visit or write the district office 2151 Salvio Street, Suite P, Concord, CA 94520
live performance from Mars next February. I’d like to thank Sadie and Sienna Steiner for their help in putting this article together. They are entering 5th grade this year. By the time they graduate from high school, NASA plans to have manned
spaceflights to Mars.
For more about the Mars 2020 mission, visit nasa.gov/mars2020.
Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist retired from PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com
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SPORTS
Page 10
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
August 21, 2020
High school sports on pandemic hold until January JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Last month, the California Interscholastic Federation and its North Coast Section locally announced that all high school sports will move to a condensed schedule from January through June 2021 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. And while plans and rescheduling of games have been made since the announcement, that unique schedule is predicated on state and local government and health officials allowing competition to take place on the new timetable. Governor Gavin Newsom mandated closed campuses and distance learning for the start of the 2020-21 fall term for counties with high rates of coronavirus infections, which includes the entire Bay Area and over half the state’s 58
counties. Thus, there are still many questions about how so many girls and boys teams will train and compete on otherwise closed campuses. Until much more progress is made in the “reopening” protocols around the state related to public assemblies in this time of social distancing, it would appear games, matches and meets will be held with no or limited audiences. NCS Commissioner Pat Cruickshank released a schedule that localized what the CIF state office posted for its 10 sections. NCS includes 18 leagues and 19 unaffiliated schools from Humboldt and Del Norte in the north through the East Bay area. Local high schools compete in the Diablo and East Bay athletic leagues. The EBAL has released most of its schedules and in several sports has divided its schools into
Athlete Spotlight
Andrew McGallian
School: Clayton Valley Charter High Grade: Senior Sports: Football, Track & Field
This senior is spinning his newfound free time this fall due to virtual schooling and postponed athletic seasons into gold by rekindling his passion for football. After spending his two underclassman years on freshman and JV football, McGallian stayed on the sidelines from football as a junior to focus on his school schedule, extra-curricular activities and a leading role on Clayton Valley Charter’s track and field weight team. He sacrificed what became an historic season for the Ugly Eagle’s 2019 State championship football team but that gave him time to find success with his other endeavors. After his sophomore year as an all-America thrower by placing seventh at the USATF Nationals, McGallian travelled to Kitakami, Japan at the invitation of the mayor of Concord’s Sister City to compete against their throwing team. He has taken part in the Sister City Ambassador program and is in the CVCHS Engineering and Design Academy maintaining a 4.67 GPA. Now McGallian is looking forward to getting back on the football field with hopes that the 2020-21 squad will find the same success it did last year. Due to all high school sports being pushed back to a six-month window in 2021, he plans on using shorter school days brought on by athome learning to cross train throughout the year for what he hopes to be equally successful football and track seasons. He finished in the top 10 at North Coast Section Meet of Champions as a freshman and sophomore before last track season ended abruptly in March. He hopes to continue his athletic career in college while majoring in biochemistry. McGallian is an example that the current conditions due to COVID-19 shutdowns, however destructive they may be, also yield many opportunities. CVCHS student journalist Alexa Oldham wrote this Spotlight. the pioneer congratulates andrew 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.
Jay Bedecarré photos
Local high school fields won’t be hosting football games this fall as prep sports have been called off until the start of 2021. When and if sports do resume it’s unclear at this time whether there will be any fans—fellow students, parents and others—in the stands.
Contra Costa and Alameda divisions which will reduce travel. Carondelet and De La Salle plus Clayton Valley Charter in football are members of the EBAL. Football in the league is still based on competitive balance with the two Concord schools in the stronger Mountain Division. Starting in January, competition will be held for cross country, football, volleyball, water polo, field hockey, gymnastics and traditional competitive cheer. Those sports will wrap up with section, Northern California and/or state playoffs in March with the exception of football, which will conclude April 16-17. It has yet to be determined if there will be any State Bowl Games. The April 16-17 weekend is also the date for NorCal Regional Bowls. Both CVCHS and DLS played in State Bowl Games last December. Besides the obvious difference of moving all fall sports to the winter, this format also has boys and girls volleyball taking place at the same time. In “normal” years, the girls play in the fall and boys in
spring. This new schedule, of course, puts a burden on gym time at schools as well as potential double duty for coaches who handle both boys and girls teams. The winter and spring sports will then take place starting in late February or early March, concluding from the end of May through the end of June. This includes traditional NCS winter sports of basketball, wrestling and soccer plus golf, lacrosse, softball, baseball, track and field, swimming and diving, competitive sports cheer (stunt), tennis and badminton. Both golf and tennis are combining boys and girls seasons in the spring. Usually, girls golf and tennis are fall sports. Again, this stretches facility requirements for those two sports. School “football” fields that usually have football in the fall, soccer in the winter and lacrosse and track in the spring will now potentially have all those sports overlapping in 2021. Understanding the unusual situation facing athletes and schools, CIF suspended Bylaws 600-605 for this school
year that will allow students to participate on their school teams simultaneously with taking part on outside teams such as AAU and club teams. Sports such as swimming, soccer and basketball in particular have year-round athletes who usually must stop competing or training with those non-school programs during their school season defined by NCS. What that waiver does not account for, though, are multisport athletes who will either have to choose one sport over another or try to do two sports at the same time, such as basketball and baseball/softball. Under the current schedule each sport has enough time to complete the maximum number of regular season games it would normally have (for example 10 in football or 24 in other sports). Out of state travel and even NorCal vs. SouCal games are likely all off the table so teams are scrambling to fill out non-league schedules. Dec. 14 is the earliest date football, cross country, volleyball and water polo teams can officially practice. Cruickshank explains that “until Dec. 14,
the months can be used as we currently use summer months. Of course, they have to adhere to health guidelines from state and county.” The sports that will be held later in spring can begin formal practices in February and March.
Football
Non-league Games Jan. 6 – Feb. TBA League Games Feb. TBA - Mar. 20 NCS Playoffs Mar. 26-Apr. 10 Regional/State Championships Apr. 16/17
Cross Country
Dual & Invitational Meets January - March League Championship Meets Mar. 13 NCS Championship Meet Mar. 20 CIF State Championship Meet Mar. 27
Volleyball
Non-league Games & Tournaments January-February League Games January – Feb. 27 NCS Playoffs Mar. 2-13 NorCal Championships Mar. 20
Water Polo
Non-league Games & Tournaments January-February League Games January – Feb. 27 NCS Playoffs Mar. 3-13 NorCal Championships Mar. 20
MDHS Hall of Famers, ex-Cal Bears Tom Brown, Pat Micco died this summer JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
A pair of legendary Mt. Diablo High School athletes who both went on to play football and rugby at Cal Berkeley recently died from long-term illnesses. Three-sport standout Tom Brown from the class of 1961 and Pat Micco, a Red Devil football and track and field standout who was 10 years younger, passed just weeks apart. Brown lived in Livermore where he passed after a battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). His long-time friend from the third grade, Marty Piscovich said “arguably Tom is one of the best ever athletes, if not the best, in MD sports history.” Piscovich quarterbacked the
1959 and ‘60 football teams that he starred on with Brown. Over their four years of Mt. Diablo football the duo was 26-3-3. Piscovich was part of the inaugural MDHS Sports Hall of Fame class in 2003 and Brown was inducted the following year. Brown was a standout basketball and baseball player as well during the heyday of Mt. Diablo athletics. At Cal, Brown was a threeyear letterwinner between 1962 and ’65. His first two season the Golden Bears head coach was Mav Levy who went on to take the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowls. Both Micco and Brown played in an era before the North Coast Section began playoffs in the mid-1970’s, so their
Lifelong friends Marty Piscovich (left) and Tom Brown lost only three of 32 football games during their four years at Mt. Diablo High School. The three-sports stars are both members of the MDHS Sports Hall of Fame.
appearances in all-star games after their senior year was their only post-season action. Micco (Class of 1971) became a starting guard for the Joe Roth and Chuck Muncie-led Cal football team that was 1975 Pac-8 co-champion. He was joined on the Golden Bears offensive line that year by MDHS teammate Joe DeRosa, who was inducted posthumously to the high school’s Hall of Fame in 2016, a year before his classmate from grade school at Queen of All Saints. The 67-year-old Micco died after a battle with prostate cancer. He was a two-way starter for three years on the Red Devils football team, making all-Diablo Valley Athletic League on offense and defense. He was selected to both the Contra Costa-Alameda and NorthSouth Shrine all-star football Photos courtesy Mt. Diablo High School games. He was later honored as Pat Micco was a three-year football letterwinner at Mt. Diaa member of the All-County blo High and Cal Berkeley. He was inducted to the Concord Decade team. He threw the disschool’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
cus and shot put for three years. At Cal, he earned seven varsity letters between football and rugby. The legendary 1975 Cal football team finished with a top 15 ranking and led the nation in total offense, incredibly gaining 2,522 yards each passing and rushing. The offensive line only allowed six QB sacks all year. Micco later also played rugby for a number of club teams who competed nationally and internationally. Since his induction to his school’s Hall of Fame Micco has funded a scholarship each year to a deserving student. His wife, Leslie, recently wrote to Hall of Fame coordinator Lou Adamo to tell him her husband definitely wanted to have his family continue that donation. The Micco’s live in El Dorado Hills where Leslie Micco said they could see the school’s namesake Mount Diablo. “Pat would say with a big grin on his face ‘do you know I’m in the Hall of Fame there?’”
School’s first principal, three alums honored at CVCHS athletic facilities August 21, 2020
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Third in a series about athletic facilities at eight local high schools. JAY BEDECARRÉ the Pioneer
Clayton Valley High School opened in 1958 as Concord’s second high school in the midst of the housing and population boom that would turn the city into the largest in Contra Costa County. Greeting the students at the new Alberta Way campus was principal Dan Della and his name is memorialized there 62 years later. The gymnasium where Ugly Eagles basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams compete and school assemblies and PE classes are held is named in his honor. Three Clayton Valley graduates who have maintained strong ties to their alma mater are also honored at the school. Matt Mazzei (Class of 1971) spearheaded the refurbishing of the baseball complex that now bears his name. Steve Gonsalves (1971) and his wife Debra Culum Gonsalves (1972) were the leading force in the fund-raising drive that transformed the football/soccer/lacrosse field with lights, artificial turf and other upgrades in the early part of this century into Gonsalves Stadium, home of the 2019 Division 2-AA State Championship football team. The honorees have all been inducted to the school’s Hall of Fame as well. Dr. Della was in the inaugural 2008 Hall Class, fittingly on the 50th Anniversary of the school’s opening. The Gonsalves were inducted in 2013 and Mazzei two years later.
dan g. della memorial gymnasium According to his Hall of Fame biography, Della was “known for his beaming smile, wonderful sense of humor, tremendous intelligence and respect for all who crossed the threshold of the Eagles. Dan inspired hundreds of teachers and thousands of students to reach for the stars in every endeavor.” Della was an outstanding four-sport athlete in high school in Delano including taking third in the pole vault at the State Meet. He accepted a track scholarship to USC but later transferred to Fresno State and finally ended up at Cal Berkeley, playing football for the Golden Bears in 1943. He served in the US Navy during World War II. With his two degrees from UC Berkeley he returned to teach and coach at his high school alma mater and even coached the Peruvian basketball team in the 1948 London Olympics. He was appointed to an International Olympic Committee on basketball that set
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Gonsalves Stadium is the home of Clayton Valley Charter High School football, soccer, lacrosse, and track and field teams. Named for alumni Steve (Class of 1971) and Debra (1972) Gonsalves.
First school principal Dan Della and 1972 graduate Matt Mazzei are recognized at CVCHS campus athletic venues.
many of the modern-day rules including widening the free throw lane. He came to the Bay Area as an administrator at Pleasant Hill High before being tabbed as principal of the new Mt. Diablo Unified School District high school. He spent a year planning and shaping CVHS With his athletic background as an athlete and coach it is no coincidence that Eagles athletic teams enjoyed so much success during his tenure. He took pride in the coaches that came through the program including Bob See, Bruce Iversen, Bill Smith, Vic Petroshene and Tom DiMercurio. And he was especially proud of the girls program that started under his watch with coaches Gary Gardner, Karen Johnson, George Smylie, Larry Fogelstrom, Roger Zino and others. Della was an ever-present figure at the school’s athletic games and meets. Della took a leave of absence in 1969 and went to Colombia for the World Bank to help plan and build 19 large high schools. He returned to Clayton Valley until his 1981 retirement when the school yearbook called him “Mr. Clayton Valley.” Among the laurels Della received during his sendoff were a framed CV block letter, the “Granddaddy Altair” award and the large sign signifying “Dan G. Della Memorial Gymnasium.”
matt mazzei baseball complex Mazzei followed his brothers Mike and Chris to Clayton Valley, meaning he was already familiar with the school after attending sports events and extracurricular events for his older siblings. He played football, basketball and baseball and sang in the school concert choir. He entered the family business working for his dad’s auto dealership while in high school. He also embraced his family’s tradition of community involvement including the new St. Bonaventure CYO track team in 1974. Eight years after graduating from Clayton Valley he took over the dealership from his dad, Slats Mazzei, while continuing the “Mazzei Way” of assisting
local programs. In 1987 when his children Angela and Matthew began swimming for the Dana Hills Swim Team, he noticed that the Clayton recreation team swimmers were competing in a 20-yard cabana club pool. He joined forces with his dad, brother-in-law Steve Sutton, friend Steve Gonsalves and Dana Hills parents Ray Vignola, John Benda and others to raise funds for a state-of-theart 8-lane, 25-yard pool that is still the envy of teams near and far. The Otters have become a swimming powerhouse in the county in their pool. As his children grew up, he
See Facilities, page 14
Page 11
Athlete Spotlight
Quinn Whiteley
School: Ygnacio Valley High Grade: Senior Sports: Cross Country, Track, Soccer
The International Baccalaureate program at Ygnacio Valley High attracted Whiteley to the Concord school when she had other choices within the district. Three years later she was the top finisher as the Warriors cross country team won last fall’s Diablo Athletic League Valley Division championship, the first in school history. Whiteley is a team captain for both the cross country and track teams. She will have a busy six months of running with the condensed sports calendar that finds cross country season moved to the beginning of the new year through late March with track and field starting immediately after that into June. Whiteley’s cross country races are two or three miles while on the track she runs 800, 1600 and 3200 meters. She has participated in martial arts for nine years, helping her mental and physical conditioning for high school sports. Coach Mark Tran says, “Quinn is a key component in the revival of Ygnacio Valley’s running programs. She is focused, competitive and motivated to get better each and every race.” Her times rate in the school’s top five on all the cross country courses the team competes on. Whiteley wants to attend a four-year school next fall in the hope of then going to medical school to study orthopedic surgery in sports medicine. the pioneer congratulates Quinn 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.
Chris Mazza realizes another dream vs. Yankees
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Chris Mazza was called up by the New York Mets last year to make his major league pitching debut in New York that culminated an 11-year journey from Clayton Valley High to “the show.” During the offseason Mazza was claimed on waivers by the Boston Red Sox and this month he made his first two appearances on the mound for them against their historic rivals, the New York Yankees. The 30-year-old
righthander from Clayton pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings in relief Aug. 1 before making his first-ever MLB start last Sunday. Those appearances were even more special since his paternal great grandmother was a first cousin of the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio. Hall of Fame legend DiMaggio was born in Martinez and years ago a young Mazza was at a family gathering that DiMaggio attended.
Concord’s creative community continues to thrive online Page 12
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
creativity, delivering meaningful experiences and opportunities for engagement, sharing art that inspires, uplifts, teaches and unites.� Our local creative community is doing just that. Concord Couch Concerts features local musicians performing online every week, and B8 Theatre Company recently LISA FULMER performed Shakespeare on Members of the ConARTS IN MOTION Zoom. cord Art Association (CAA), The California Arts Coun- including yours truly, are teaching monthly art classes as cil recently wrote an article part of the city’s virtual event that resonated strongly with series on Facebook called me. They spoke about “creative Concord Live. The beauty of most virtual uplift,� or how artists can be a source of hope in hard times. events is that they’re recorded on social media, so you can “Arts organizations throughout the state have per- enjoy them later if you missed sisted tirelessly as they contin- them live. In the absence of movie ue to work within and for theaters, concert venues and their communities, searching out new ways to present their festivals, artists are busy
adding lots of great content online to keep us all inspired, entertained and feeling the power of positivity. “The pandemic has pushed us to think differently about how we show our work or teach classes,� says Concord artist Heather Martin. “At first, I was hesitant to invest any time in learning new apps or setting up video equipment in my studio. But after shooting a few demos, I’m completely on board. “There are many benefits to taking art classes online,� she adds. “It’s more affordable, convenient, plus you always get a front row view.� The aRt Cottage in downtown Concord has a new YouTube channel with videos of gallery exhibits. CAA also set up a channel for painting demos, playlists of member videos and inspiration for
August 21, 2020
Sketchers group recently caravanned along the Sacramento River to visit the quaint town of Locke. They donned their masks and spread out to artfully capture different areas of the historic buildings and scenery. “It was really nice to get out for a drive and a change of scenery,� said Concord artist Laurie Mansur. “Locke was a perfect, quiet spot for plein air painting. It’s such a short drive, yet it felt worlds away.� Concord Art Association members taught three art classes For lots more creative on Facebook Live for Wren Avenue Elementary School in inspiration, visit ConcordArJuly. Kids learned about pointillism, drawing mandalas and tAssociation.com and ArtCotpainting a picture with a balloon. The online classes are tage.info. To stay in the loop also available to the public. on local art news and events, join the Concord Community plein air painting. Visit the on all the extra screen time, of Artists group on Facebook. video section of CAA’s Face- artists are safely exploring outbook page for a series of kids’ door spaces again to soak up Lisa Fulmer is a marketing some sunshine and make art. art classes to keep the little consultant, published author and a Members of the Contra Costa community arts advocate. ones occupied. County-based Suburban When they aren’t focused
Rogen gets into a ‘Pickle’ with his great-grandfather
Seth Rogen has always been a good dramatic actor, despite starring in mostly comedies. His characters are often funny, hipster doofuses with their hearts in the right place. They also frequently have some growing up to do. He is at his most charming when he plays a thirtysomething still clinging to his high school or college years. In his latest film, “An American Pickle� on HBO Max, Rogen does double duty as two characters both trying to move on from the past while embracing it at the same time. Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen) emigrates from a dirt-
disturbed, and Herschel pops out good as new. The film wisely sidesteps the science involved. Herschel finds his greatgrandson, Ben (also Rogen). Discussing their family history motivates Herschel to help Ben with the app Ben has been working on for five years. At this point, the audiJEFF MELLINGER ence should be thinking that the two men will work togethSCREEN SHOTS er and comedic situations will poor Eastern European coun- ensue. However, writer Simon try to New York in 1920. He Rich decided to pit the relaand his wife are just settling in tives against each other. Herwhen tragedy strikes. Herschel schel becomes determined to falls into a vat of brine at the prove that he can become a pickle factory where he works pickle mogul, while Ben does and is sealed inside. Jump to a what he can to see his greatcentury later when the vat is grandfather fail.
The fish-out-of -water jokes mostly land, and the protests over Herschel’s ignorantly bigoted tweets are eerily topical. Rogen is a fine actor
Seth Rogen stars in ‘An American Pickle’
and does good work in a dual role. The movie, however, needed more characters. Rogen has to mostly play only off of himself, but he does his best work during interactions with other actors. Still, it does have some heartwarming moments that make us wish we could have had time to exist side-by-side with our own great-grandparents. b-
Quarantine tv “I Know This Much Is True�: Mark Ruffalo is extraordinary as twin brothers in the late 1980s in this HBO miniseries. Domenic struggles with work, the recent death of his mother and the plight of
his twin. Thomas has been sliding into worsening mental illness, leading to his commitment to an institution. Gripping stuff. “Trackers�: The rare Cinemax show. (Yes, it is still around.) Six episodes of suspense wrapped around an anti-terror agency in South Africa tasked with stopping a terror attack on a soccer game. Watch it on Hulu. Sports: NBA, NHL, MLB – finally.
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.
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Prune your flowers now to extend blooming season The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL
During August, there is an opportunity to get one more blast 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. Cut back a third to half of the overall growth on salvia and butterfly bushes. 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 constant. Often, you will see plants pruned around the sides, with the top growing taller. This makes 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 spring, summer and fall. This month, visit your rose garden and deadhead expired and nearly faded roses. Remove the bloom 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 showing fresh, red growth
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To coax your roses into a late summer bloom, deadhead expired and faded roses and prune just above a five-leaflet section, where your rose naturally wants to grow
from these sections already, which makes choosing a place to prune amazingly easy. Yarrow is that perennial group whose flat clusters of flowers are landing pads for bees and butterflies. They thrive in a hot, Clayton Valley landscape. It takes guts to prune yarrow, since you must cut all the stems down to the ground. This will leave only the fern-like bottom foliage. But 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 con-
trolling their growth allows for healthier plants. Don’t allow million bells to stretch past 24 inches, or their centers become thin. 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 your flowering plants with water-soluble multipurpose fertilizer or a fertilizer designed for growth. Multipurpose fertilizers have a balance number sequence listed on the label like 16-16-16. A fertilizer designed for growth will list a larger first number than the others, such as 15-6-3 or 4-1-1. Feeding this way will encourage your recently
pruned plants to grow new stems and leaves. We use water-soluble 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 and apply in the early morning or evening hours. Three weeks after fertilizing for growth, it is time to feed for bloom. This time, look for a watersoluble fertilizer with a number sequence like 2-10-10 or 3-20-20. Less nitrogen and more phosphorous creates more flowers.
Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with questions or comments by email at gardengirl94517@yahoo.com
SUNNY SOLOMON
BOOKIN’ WITH SUNNY
Battista. Kate, keenly aware that she is adrift without any life direction, begins to seriously consider her father’s plan of marrying Pyotr. In addition to the time taken up with her teaching and gardening, Kate starts to resent her sister Bunny’s blooming teen hormones. Kate imagines that a fake, but legal, marriage to
Pyotr may be an escape route from her role as big sister/mother. Pyotr appears to find much of Kate’s language humorous and certainly not off-putting. His perseverance and Kate’s pragmatism, with lots of riotous romps of family mishaps, lab disasters and emotional revelations, finally result in matrimony. If some of this story sounds familiar, think of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Hogarth Shakespeare has asked some prestigious writers to take their turn on a work by the Bard. Tyler has kept her cast of characters to a minimum, but the rest is pure magic and very funny. Louis Battista is Shakespeare’s Baptista, Katherina’s (Kate’s) father; Pyotr is Petruchio, the foreigner Baptista wants Katherina to marry;
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Shrewd observers will see the roots of ‘Vinegar Girl’ “Vinegar Girl” by Anne Tyler is a classic story of a father-daughter conflict. The father, chemist Louis Battista, wants his headstrong and unmarried daughter Kate to marry his research assistant, Pyotr Cherbakov, whose work visa is soon to expire. Kate is a college dropout, presently working as a teacher at a local preschool – although she has little interest or patience for her young students. She is happiest in her garden, preferring flowers and vegetables to the opposite sex. She has a dominating personality and salty tongue not often admired by men. Louis is a single father who depends on Kate to manage his home, his teenage daughter, Bunny, and, in general, his life. A brilliant scientist, he is working on a significant research project that requires most of his time. Kate first meets Pyotr when she brings her father’s lunch (a sandwich like she makes every night) to him at his lab. Dr. Battista uncharacteristically has forgotten to take the sandwich from the kitchen counter. It is the first of his many subterfuges to bring Kate and Pyotr together. Initially, neither is aware of Louis’ machinations. Pyotr is as devoted to the research work as Louis and has little time for dating. But he first looks at Kate “admiringly.” Kate recognizes the look: one “men often wore” when they first saw her. She tosses it off as a result of “a bunch of dead cells.” Pyotr goes out of his way to get to know Kate after intriguing remarks from Dr.
Page 13
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and Bunny is Bianca, Katherina’s ever-popular younger sister. Tyler’s story stands on its own, but I’ll bet more than a few folks who read it will find their way back to Shakespeare.
Sunny Solomon is a freelance writer and head of the Clayton Book Club. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latest recommendations or just to ‘talk books.’
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Signs marking the American Discovery Trail (ADT) are now in place for its 15-mile distance through Mount Diablo State Park. The trail enters Clayton from the east via the Black Diamond Trail, passes through town on the Bruce Lee Trail and the Donner Creek Trail and enters Mount Diablo State Park on the Back Creek Trail. Concord resident John Mercurio installed the new markers, which add to the portion of the ADT already signed along East Bay Regional Park District trails both to the east and west of Mount Diablo. “This gives both long-distance hikers and those of us just out for a casual day trek an easy way to be part of a national Millennial Trail,” notes Mercurio. Mercurio is on the board of the American Discovery Trail Society and recently became California coordinator for the trail, which enters the state just north of Incline Village, (following the Tahoe Rim Trail) and terminates at
August 21, 2020
John Mercurio of Concord put in the new markers at the bottom of the posts that signify the American Discovery Trail’s route through Mount
the Pacific Ocean in Point Reyes National Seashore. “The route coincides with the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail, which extends from the Sierra Crest at Ebbetts Pass across the Delta and reaching to the Carquinez Strait near Martinez and with another branch extending to San Francisco Bay in Berkeley,” he says. America’s first coast to coast hiking and riding trail, the ADT extends from Delaware Bay across 15 states and Washington, D.C.. It splits into a north and a south route across the Midwest, for a total distance of more than 6,800 miles. The American Discovery Trail “Its route knits together a logo joins those for the succession of existing trails Mokelumne Coast to Crest and lightly used back roads Trail. traversing farmlands, wood-
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This sign in the corral in Clayton shows that you can follow the American Discovery Trail all the way to Delaware Bay – if you have the stamina.
Facilities, from page 11
was involved in Clayton Valley Little League and other local programs as well as many CVHS activities. His son was on coach Bob Ralston’s baseball team and Mazzei enlisted friend Gonsalves and team parents to transform the 40-year-old baseball field much like the Dana Hills swim pool was done years earlier. The Matt Mazzei Baseball Complex is now among the Bay Area’s finest high schools with scoreboard, unique covered batting cage with multiple hitting tunnels, dugout storage sheds, irrigation, bullpens, and an outstanding field with a stunning view of Mt. Diablo for spectators. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Ugly Eagles baseball is a perennial North Coast Section playoff contender, culminated by Ralston’s 2009 NCS championship team after several heartbreaking title near misses. gonsalves stadium Steve Gonsalves and Debra Culum were high school sweethearts and have never lost their love for each other or their alma mater. It is probably easier to list the
things the Gonsalves have not been a part of than the lengthy athletic, educational, charitable, philanthropic and community endeavors they have supported with their talents, hard work, advocacy and financial backing. This applies to Clayton Valley High but also, Clayton and Concord churches, schools and other community organizations. Steve Gonsalves was a twotime all-league basketball player for the Eagles and still holds the school career rebounding record. He also played football and golf before his 1971 graduation. Debra followed as a CV grad in ’72 after “the best years of her life” as a student, cheerleader and teaching assistant to Dee Billeter in the PE department. Like Mazzei, Gonsalves joined his family business, eventually taking over from his Homebuilders Hall of Fame father Matt Gonsalves as president of Conco Companies based in Concord. The get-it-done Gonsalves duo stepped up when it became apparent that the school’s football field needed upgrading. In 1996 there was a new scoreboard due to a donation by
lands, cities and remote national lands,” Mercurio reports. “In the West, it utilizes lands of the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service and the Forest Service, as well as local and state parklands.” Mercurio assumed the position of California coordinator from John Fazel, the only other person to have held the job. The Orinda resident, a longtime member of the Orinda Road Runners, was one of the local experts tapped to advise where to route the trail. “Over the course of several years, Fazel ran and biked the entire distance of the trail,” says Mercurio. “Ask him about it, and you will get a fascinating string of stories of the people he met and the wonders he observed.” Now that the trail has been marked through Mount Diablo State Park, Mercurio feels energized to fill in the signage gaps in Contra Costa County by pursuing approvals to allow signs through Clayton and Walnut Creek. Clayton has already recognized the trail in a way by mentioning it in Black Diamond Plaza’s trailhead kiosk downtown.
For more information on the ADT, visit discoverytrail.org. For more information on the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail, visit mc2ct.org.
alumni Mike and Laurie Rose and the first home football game since 1980 was played against Northgate. Two years later, a new press box was installed from the Gonsalves. By 2004, lights illuminated a turf field, allowing for the first home night games on campus. With the Gonsalves’ leading the way, community and parental support raised the necessary funding to transfer Gonsalves Stadium into a site of school pride and a yearround community resource. Since it became a charter school in 2012 the team has won its first four NCS football championships, three Northern California titles and the 2019 State Division 2-AA championship. Funds from MDUSD Measure C helped make the entrance, concession stands and surrounding areas a match to the interior of the stadium, which has a new green turf field this fall. Just no football until 2021. Visit pioneerpublishers.com for more details and photos of Clayton Valley Charter High School facilities and some of its most illustrious championship teams of the past six decades. Similar stories for Mt. Diablo and Concord high schools are also on the website.
