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February 15, 2019
Police unions trying to keep old personnel cases private PEGGY SPEAR The Pioneer
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Concord’s Shiva Marugan temple breaks ground in elaborate ceremony TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
In a blow to the Concord Police Officers Association, a Contra Costa Superior Court judge last week dissolved a temporary restraining order that the POA and two other police unions had received to keep certain criminal files against its members private before Jan. 1, 2019. The Concord POA is one of three in the county trying to curb a new state law that sheds light on alleged criminal activities of its members. The court also issued a preliminary injunction in the case, waiting to determine if the case should move forward. SB1421, by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, illuminates police disciplinary actions that for years have been hidden by strong privacy laws. Tamara Steiner/The Pioneer The law opens certain misMembers of the Hindu community, Concord dignitaries and well-wishers gathered at Concord’s Shiva Murugan Temple conduct records relating to for a traditional ceremony on Jan. 26. The priest, contractor, architect, engineer and temple director placed the conse-
See POA, page 5
crated foundation stone in the ground at the northeast corner of what will be the new temple.
In a day-long celebration replete with religious rituals, Concord’s Shiva Murugan Temple broke ground Jan. 26 for a new Shaivite Hindu temple at Concord Boulevard and Second Street. An estimated 2,000 people attended the Vastu Puja as the temple priest, the local architect and the general contractor placed six bricks comprising the foundation stone in the ground at the northeast corner of the future 7,000 sq. ft. building. The temple’s Sthapati, a UNESCO recognized expert on Hindu temple archaeology, describes the location of the stone as the place where the “sole of the foot” would be and the main sanctum as where the “embryo,” or the life, would be. The builders will not disturb the stone during construction. “It is there for posterity,”
See Temple, page 4
Camp Fire survivor, 96, finds a true home in Clayton PEGGY SPEAR The Pioneer
Alair VanOutrive, flanked by grandsons Justin Martin and Devin VanOutrive, moved to Clayton after she lost her home in Magalia.
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Some people might think 96-year-old Alair VanOutrive is one unlucky woman. Most people don’t have one house burn down in their lifetimes, much less two. That’s what happened when VanOutrive’s Magalia home burned to ashes in Butte County’s Camp Fire. That followed a 2004 electrical fire that destroyed another home in Magalia. But as she looks lovingly over her new condo on Long
Creek Circle in Clayton, VanOutrive says she is one of the luckiest women around. Eighty-six people died in the Camp Fire, and thousands more lost their homes and businesses. It essentially wiped out the towns of Magalia and Paradise. In the aftermath, a strong family and a friendly realtor helped VanOutrive. Not to mention her new city that came together to make her nightmare turn into a dream. “I am so grateful for all this community has done for me,” says VanOutrive.
FIVE MINUTES TO LEAVE She remembers the morning of the November fire vividly. “A friend called at 8:30 and told me there was a fire and I should be ready to evacuate,” she says. “But I went outside and didn’t see anything, or even smell smoke, so I wasn’t too worried.” A little bit later, another friend called and told her to evacuate – or at least open her electric garage door, as the electricity would be going out and she would be unable to get to her car. “That’s when I started
smelling smoke and took things more seriously,” she says. She gathered up some jewelry and a few important papers, when there was a knock on the door. “There was a man at the door named Tanner. I’m sorry I don’t know his last name. He said he worked for the city and already his home was destroyed, and he was trying to help evacuate the town. He said we had five minutes to leave.” After about five minutes,
See Camp Fire, page 5
Concord moves forward with feasibility study for downtown stadium and housing project BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
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The possibility of a soccer stadium in downtown Concord inched closer to reality as the City Council voted 4-1 to enter into an Initial Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (IENA) with Hall Equities Group on Jan. 22. Mark Hall first brought the idea to the council last spring, after obtaining the rights for a United Soccer League championship team for the East Bay. The current proposal includes a mixed-use, soccer-specific stadium, hotels, a convention center, multi-family housing and retail or commercial development. “What we’re really talking about here is a city center, in a very real way,” Hall told the council. For the stadium to be profitable, he said it needed to be a
See Stadium, page 5 downtown Concord.
Mark Hall is proposing a soccer stadium and convention center and as many as 2000 units of housing on 33 acres in
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