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January 21, 2022
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It’s official – Save Mount Diablo preserves 154 acres near Clayton QUEENIE LI AND TED CLEMENT Special to the Pioneer
Save Mount Diablo (SMD) successfully purchased a conservation easement on Jan. 11 that will forever protect almost 154 acres of open space near Clayton. “The land that we just conserved is contiguous with Mount Diablo State Park and other lands protected by Save Mount Diablo,” noted Ted Clement, SMD’s executive director. “I want to thank our terrific Save Mount Diablo supporters and our wonderful partners at Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association (CMDTRA) for making this possible.” More than 15 houses and other buildings had been constructed in the area on Mount Diablo’s North Peak, and the site has been vulnerable to further development. A conservation easement is a perpetual legal agreement
See Diablo, page 8
Cities not ready to rollout new state food waste law PAMELA MICHAEL Correspondent
Contra Costa communities, like those all over the state, are scrambling to rewrite local ordinances and waste hauler contracts to meet a new state law’s compost benchmarks. Senate Bill 1383, effective Jan. 1, requires California residents and businesses to separate food waste from the rest of our trash. The statewide mandate will require cities to implement new infrastructures as well as monitoring and reporting practices. “There will be great benefit, but there will also be costs involved,” Councilmember Carlyn Obringer said. “There Steven Joseph will be a fee increase to cover A sweeping view of the open space now under the watchful eye of Save Mount Diablo, taken from a meditation bench on the costs of providing this the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association property off Marsh Creek Road in rural Clayton. new service.” Laura Hoffmeister, who serves on the Concord council and as assistant to the Clayton city manager, said the process has to be done one step at a time. “And the pandemic has really slowed things down.”
Five supervisor hopefuls name housing, homelessness and crime as top priorities
DEBORA ALLEN
EDI BIRSAN
KEN CARLSON
ROXANNE GARZA
CARLYN OBRINGER
TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
District 4’s newly drawn map covers Concord except for a slice at the northern edge of the city, Pleasant Hill, most of Walnut Creek and all of Clayton now including the Marsh Creek/Morgan Territory area that was part of East County District 3 prior to redistricting. It was this change that spurred BART director
Debora Allen who lives on Morgan Territory, to run in District 4. As the race takes shape, it’s clear that quality of life issues will drive the campaigns. Crime, homelessness, mental health services, jobs and the need for more housing are all listed as top priorities of all five candidates.
DEBORA ALLEN Allen is a small business owner and accountant with a focus on data driven decision making. A strong supporter of public safety, she wants to see a unified effort between law enforcement, the criminal justice system, the fire department and mental health servic-
es. She believes mental health teams are a valuable adjunct to police services but should not be a replacement to trained officers as first responders. She says Contra Costa County should be the job center for the entire region. “Attracting, retaining and supporting
A PHASED-IN PLAN Passed in 2016 when Jerry Brown was governor, the law supports a more sustainable green economy, lower global emissions, reduction of hunger and improved public health. The program, which will be phased in over the next two years, is the most ambitious piece of waste reduction legislation in decades. Susan Hurl, division municipal services manager for Republic Resources that serves Clayton and Pleasant Hill, is optimistic about the process. “Every city and county will have to figure out how to deal with the law’s requirements; some are further along than others,” she said. “The key to success is public education, helping folks understand the new rules and the reasoning behind them.”
See Candidates, page 8
See Compost, page 8
Four elected officials and one social justice advocate plan to run this June for the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors District 4 seat currently held by Karen Mitchoff who plans to retire at the end of this her third term.
Steph Curry has nothing on Clayton free throw champion JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Among the many shooting accomplishments of Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry is his historically excellent free throw shooting. How-
Next issue, Feb. 18, Deadline, Feb. 7
ever, the three-time NBA World Champion has nothing on Clayton 11-year-old Jackson Ramirez who made 50 out of 50 attempts to win the most recent Elks Hoop Shoot National Championship. And young Jackson is back at it this Saturday in Modesto when he takes the second step as he attempts to win another national title in the district competition. The Elks Club has been sponsoring the National Hoop Shoot for nearly 50 years for boys and girls ages 8-13. Ramirez, a sixth grader at Diablo View Middle School, passed his first test in the 202122 Hoop Shoot competition last month when we won the first round sponsored by the Walnut Creek Elks by making a
paltry—by his standards—22 of 25 shots. Curry is currently ranked as the greatest free throw shooter in National Basketball Association history with a percentage of nearly 91 per cent. Number four on the all-time list is another former local Warrior great Rick Barry, whose four oldest sons—Brent, Jon, Scooter and Drew—all played high school basketball for De La Salle. Ramirez last entered the 2019-20 Hoop Shoot that was interrupted in March 2020 at the National finals level by the COVID-19 outbreak. It was Photo courtesy Ramirez family not until last year that a virtual Clayton 11-year-old Jackson Ramirez picked up plenty of hardware when he won the Elks national final was held. Jackson Hoop Shoot National Championship with his free throw shooting prowess. He entered the Ramirez did his shooting at 2019-20 competition for 8-9 year-olds that was delayed in the championship round due to the pandemic. Last April, he was finally able to claim the title by making a perfect 50 of
See Free Throw, page 8 50 free throws competing remotely from Concord against 11 other finalists.
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January 21, 2022
Kennedy-King scholarships support students for more than 50 years KAREN JENKINS Correspondent
A memorial fund named for Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy still thrives more than 50 years after its inception, providing students facing hardships a chance to continue their education. Since 1968, the KennedyKing Memorial College Scholarship Fund has awarded nearly $6 million to more than 900 Contra Costa County community college students transferring to comprehensive universities. With two scholarships bestowed in its first year, the fund now awards more than $300,000 annually in dozens of scholarships. The awards honor King, who was killed on April 4, 1968, and Kennedy, who was shot on June 5, 1968, during the presidential primary campaign. Eligible applicants include students with financial need who have demonstrated leadership potential, community commitment and academic success at one of the three community colleges – Contra Costa in San Pablo, Diablo Valley in Pleasant Hill and Los Medanos in Pittsburg – and are from minority groups underrepresented at California’s fouryear colleges and universities. The application period is open through Feb. 4. CORETTA SCOTT KING SENDS APPROVAL
The local group’s archives of photos and documents depict decades of recognition, community volunteers and tributes from distinguished leaders, including King’s wife. Coretta
utive vice chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District, agrees. Already familiar with the KennedyKing organization from past interaction with community college students, she joined the board two years ago. “Absolutely the most rewarding part for me is the mentorship piece - seeing them accepted and staying connected,” Mehdizadeh said. “It’s Kennedy-King College Scholarship Fund important to stay connected The Kennedy-King Memorial College Scholarship Fund was and we help them with the ups established in 1968 – the year when both Martin Luther and downs of college life until King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. they graduate. Nearly all are first generation college stuScott King sent her apprecia- scholarship celebration dinner dents,” Mehdizadeh said. “Littion after learning of the trib- through their involvement in erally, it changes lives - for the ute to her activist husband, county politics. The recipient scholars and the mentors.” who promoted non-violence. speeches earned the couple’s GRATITUDE FROM “I appreciate your letter of lasting support. RECIPIENTS November 15, informing me of “We were just blown away Alejandro Ruvalcaba, a the establishment of the over the hardship they overKennedy-King Memorial Col- came and the commitment they 2014 Antioch High School attended Los lege Scholarship Fund,” Scott made,” he said. “We’ve been graduate, King wrote in a Nov. 26, 1968, pretty lucky in many ways, and Medanos Community College letter. we chose to donate our philan- and then, with the help of a “My husband was always thropic giving to the Kennedy- Kennedy-King scholarship, UC Davis. The unexpected loss of interested in the thoughts and King fund.” actions of young people, and A board member since his father thwarted his initial was deeply grateful for the 2006 and president for nine of pre-med studies, but his college large part they have always those years, McPeak has preparation armed him for a taken in the struggle for human worked with the executive business career as owner of rights,” she continued. “Please board overseeing annual Cal-City Tree Care. “School gave me the skills extend my very best wishes to fundraising from corporations, the students who are recipients, individuals, family and charita- to work and be successful – and also to all those involved in ble organizations that draws communication, management, the establishment of the more than $300,000. Addition- business,” said Ruvalcaba, who Kennedy-King Scholarship ally, an endowment fund tops manages a staff of five plus several trucks, chippers and Fund.” $2 million. Board members also con- stone grinders. “I recommend people to ‘BLOWN AWAY OVER tribute time, serving as inforTHE HARDSHIP’ mal mentors to one or two seek it,” he added, expressing John McPeak connected scholars moving on from com- gratitude for the scholarship with the Kennedy-King organi- munity college. “By far, the organization. “I could not have zation nearly five decades ago, most rewarding part is working gone to college without it.” Daniel Ponce, a manager in when the now retired educator with the recipients and seeing affordable housing and his wife, Sunne McPeak, them blossom and grow,” the not yet a Contra Costa County McPeak said. See Scholarship, pg 5 Supervisor, attended a 1973 Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, exec-
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Concord/Clayton Market Update CONCORD
PRICE
4069 Forestview Ave . . . . . . . . $800,000 1777 Vavold St. . . . . . . . . . . . . $728,000 4081 Clayton Rd #208 . . . . . . . $329,000 1100 Jamie Dr. . . . . . . . . . . . $1,210,000 742 San Marcos Ct . . . . . . . . $1,061,000 4123 Wilson Ln . . . . . . . . . . . . $975,000 1343 Kentucky Dr . . . . . . . . . . $960,000
SF
. .1482 . .1182 . . .889 . .2181 . .1927 . .2060 . .1232
$1,710,000
109 Mt Etna Dr. – Clayton Desirable Dana Ridge. R L IS T 3 bedrooms, 2.5 E O V $ 81 ,00 0 baths, approx. 1629sf on an approx. .05 acre lot. Large downstairs primary bedroom with dual closets. Great location close to Mt. Diablo trails & downtown Clayton! HOA includes community playground & front yard landscaping. $730,000
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BED/BATH DATE
. .4/3 . .3/2 . .2/1 . .4/3 . .4/2 . .4/2 . .3/2
S OL D0 OV ER L IST
12/15/2021 12/16/2021 12/21/2021 12/22/2021 12/23/2021 12/28/2021 12/29/2021
CLAYTON
PRICE
5821 Pine Hollow Dr . . . . . . $1,080,000 49 Tule Ct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $880,000 43 Long Creek Cir . . . . . . . . . $590,000 811 Eberhardt Ct. . . . . . . . . $1,175,000 1193 Shell Ln . . . . . . . . . . . . . $726,500 1015 Tiffin Dr. . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200,000 109 Mt Etna Dr. . . . . . . . . . . . $730,000
SF
. .1932 . .1939 . .1050 . .2079 . .1355 . .1895 . .1629
BED/BATH
DATE
. . .4/2 . .12/2/2021 . . .3/2.5 12/7/2021 . . .2/2 . .12/9/2021 . . .4/2.512/10/2021 . . .3/2.512/23/2021 . . .4/2 .12/23/2021 . . .3/2.512/29/2021
January 21, 2022
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Black history is everyone’s history JADA & JORDAN TILLMAN
TEENSPEAK
As Black kids, we are always asked about our history. Sadly, we don’t even know our complete history because they don’t teach it to us in school. When February comes
around, many articles or themes for Black History Month become the responsibility of Black students because most teachers are using the curriculum they are given, people are uncomfortable talking about it or others are giving us the space to talk. Being asked to write about Black History Month is sometimes challenging because we don’t always have the knowledge and don’t always want this responsibility. Quite frankly, anyone
should be able to discuss and accurately convey these topics. But our history books are outdated, contain little information and are often inaccurate, which requires us to do our own research. As the president and vice president of the Black Student Union (BSU) at Northgate High School, we make it a point to educate ourselves and our campus throughout the school year by sharing historical facts and discussing current events – instead of only
doing so in February. Last year, Isabel Wilkerson stated: “Slavery is so foundational and lasted for so long, that it will not be until the year 2022, next year, that the United States will have been a free and independent nation for as long as slavery lasted on this soil.” Slavery began in 1619 and ended on June 19, 1865, which was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves. This is why Juneteenth is commemorated on
Ygnacio Valley High senior county student Humanitarian of the Year JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Contra Costa County commemorated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at its 44th annual ceremony this Tuesday and a guest of honor at the virtual event was Ygnacio Valley High School senior Kaia Morgan, named the county’s student humanitarian of the year. Morgan’s leadership role in helping replace her school’s Warriors mascot was cited as the key reason for her selection for the countywide award. The application from her English teacher Rosie Reid nominating Morgan said she “became interested in confronting social issues after gaining awareness of them online and quickly became passionate about addressing injustices against minorities.” Her father, Walker Morgan, says his oldest child “is our family moral compass.”
KAIA MORGAN
Inspired by a class lesson on the harm of Native mascots, Morgan decided “to use her voice to speak out against racism on a more local level, starting with the Native mascot at her own high school. She started the Change the Mascot Committee at Ygnacio Valley.” A year later that became a reality following the student body vote that selected Wolves to replace Warriors, which had been the school mascot since it opened in 1962.
The Mt. Diablo Unified School District board is slated to make the name change official in an upcoming board meeting. Morgan enrolled at Ygnacio Valley to start her freshman year but planned on transferring to Clayton Valley Charter High as soon as there was a space for her. YVHS’s International Baccalaureate founder and teacher Carissa Weintraub says that “once Kaia heard about the IB program and made friends with other students, she decided to stay at our school.” Weintraub says she “has had Kaia in two of my IB classes and she has always been an impressive scholar—reflective, compassionate, has mature criticalthinking skills and is an amazing writer. I’m sure I will tear up when she graduates as she has been an amazing addition to the IB program here at Ygnacio Valley.” The senior is awaiting word on her college applications. Her career goal is to be pediatric psy-
chiatrist. Her parents are both nurses. Besides her academic pursuits she has been active in dance (jazz, tap and ballet) for a dozen years. She is on the school stunt and cheerleading teams. Also recognized on the virtual ceremony was adult humanitarian of the year Concord resident Gigi Crowder, executive director of National Alliance on Mental Illness. Crowder and Morgan were recognized for “their leadership, advocacy and service to Contra Costa County, its residents and communities in the spirit of Dr. King’s work and achievements.” Morgan lives with her younger siblings brother Moses, a sophomore at YVHS who wrestles and plays football for the school, and sister Noelani and their proud parents, mom Rio and dad Walker. The honoree spent her MLK weekend at Yosemite with friends before getting back in time to watch her recorded comments on the virtual ceremony at school.
that day. Facts like these are what should be in our history books instead of vague content in a few paragraphs. The current curriculum spends chapter after chapter discussing how America was born and leaves out the parts that make our history look bad. The school system only teaches us about Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They rarely talk about Marie Van Brittan Brown, who created the first home security system; Madam C.J. Walker, a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and political and social activist who created Black hair care products and became a self-made millionaire; or Henrietta Lacks, whose cells are used today to study the effects of toxins,
drugs, hormones and viruses on the growth of cancer cells without having to experiment on humans. These are some of the people we featured on Northgate’s BSU Instagram last year, but most people didn’t recognize the names. Although we live in a predominantly white area, and our school districts lack Black teachers and administrators, it shouldn’t only be the responsibility of minorities to educate people on this topic because it’s exhausting. We are all Americans, and everyone should be willing to learn our real history regardless of their race. Clayton residents Jordan and Jada Tillman are students at Northgate High. Jordan is president of the Black Student Union and Jada is vice president.
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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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January 21, 2022
Clayton wants you… to apply for Rescue Plan funds TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
Serving our Local Community since 1977
The Clayton City Council is doing their best to give money away, but they are finding it more difficult than they thought. At the Nov. 18 meeting, the council unanimously approved using the $1,467,025 first installment of the city’s $2,934,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to directly assist Clayton’s businesses and households staggering under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, dubbed “Clayton Cares,” provides interestfree, forgivable loans of $5,000 to qualifying businesses and $1,500 grants to lowincome households. However, as of last Friday, only 28 Clayton businesses
and two households had applied for and received grants. Of the original $988,000 allocated for business grants, the city has dispersed just $140,000. The Pioneer received a $5,000 grant in early January. At the Jan. 4 meeting, the council, surprised at the disappointing take rate, directed staff to step up outreach and crunch the numbers to see how much more could be approved for businesses and households. In the staff report for the Jan. 18 meeting, which was held after press time, staff recommended the grants be increased to $10,000 for all stakeholders They suggested raising income limits for households from 50% to 65%. Additionally, the council wants to give the city’s police
and all staff except the city manager $10,000 “hero pay” bonuses. Police Officer’s Association president Sgt. Rich Enea asked the council in December for a bonus for the officers who put themselves at risk “on the front lines” during the pandemic, noting that Concord gave their officers a $3,400 bonus. “I completely support this, but it’s not enough,” said Councilmember Holly Tillman. “It needs to be more.” After discussion, the council recommended a $10,000 essential worker bonus for each of the city’s 26 full-time employees and a pro rata share for the two part-time workers. “We don’t always have a chance to recognize the good work that our police and
See ARPA, page 5
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The area of Clayton now known as Easley Estates and Easley Ranch has a rich history. It was once the site of Mt. Diablo Winery, the largest winery in Contra Costa County. As reported in the Daily Alta California newspaper in 1890, the deputy Internal Revenue collector seized the winery and distillery for “illicit distilling,” Government officials were now in charge of the place. It is not known how this event ended, but the grape growing continued – with a wide variety of grapes planted. Several different people owned the land and structures until 1941, when W.H. Easley bought the property. He founded a 7-Up bottling company and added an airstrip he used to fly between Clayton and San Francisco on business. The property included a
bocce ball, Art & Wine and Okotberfest. They love being able to walk to the music in the park, car shows, the rib cook-off and the Fourth of July parade. People appreciate the big yards and friendly neighbors. Since the pandemic hit, all of the neighbors go outside on Friday or Saturday evenings and have a drink. One fellow LYNNE FRENCH said he hardly knew his neighREAL ANSWERS bors until the past couple of years and now has made new three-story stone winery, friends. which had a capacity of Some streets still have 400,000 gallons of cooperage. original owners, while others The Easleys own the prop- are getting a new group of erty today, and the ranch has younger owners with children. been used for many commuOne owner likes the fact that nity gatherings. there are not a lot of streets I interviewed several curand mainly one street in and rent owners of homes in one street out. Easley Estates, with most I found that a majority of everyone saying how much the owners lived in the county they love the proximity to or at least in the Bay Area downtown. They participate in before they moved to Easley, downtown activities such as though they might be from other states originally. There are always quite a few lifelong California residents who love our state and want to stay. I tried to find out something they didn’t like about the neighborhood, but no one could think of anything. One long-time owner mentioned the noisy parties at the ranch For reservations... early on, but they don’t have those barn dances anymore. Text 650.518.1598
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Page 5
Kiwanis’ top cop credits ‘humble warriors’ for his success stant producer and always willing to help out. Officer Luciano is young in his career, but his impact on our agency and community will be long lasting,” Rodriguez said.
DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Officer Dylan Luciano recognized mentors early on within the Concord Police Department’s ranks after coming on board as a community service officer (CSO) with Parking Services in 2015. With their guidance, he has honed a variety of skills worthy of the Kiwanis’ 2021 Police Officer of the Year honor. “You are scared when you are thrust into the job,” said Luciano. “But having someone there who you are able to talk to has really helped.” The 26-year-old’s introduction to law enforcement was instilled early on by his father, Rick, a retired sergeant with the California High Patrol. The elder’s advice was two-fold: “A career in law enforcement is a privilege; always treat it that way. Also, to have fun,” the younger Luciano recalled. Luciano was sworn-in in November 2018 after graduating from the Contra Costa County Law Enforcement Training Center’s 186th Basic Academy in Pittsburg. Prior to official hire as an officer, his duties in Parking Services were complemented by time working on the Community Service Desk and with the jail for three years. “The people I saw, the officers, are smart, humble war-
Concord Police Officer Dylan Luciano stands beside his cruiser before starting a recent overnight shift.
riors,” said Luciano, which made become one of the departit clear to him that this was the ment’s most active and productive patrol officers on the department he wanted to join. street. He is currently a mem‘PASSION FOR POLICE WORK’ ber of the Crisis Negotiation In his nomination statement Team, a backup jailer, a drug to the Kiwanis Club, Provisional recognition expert, a member Lt. Robert Garcia noted of the Recruitment Committee Luciano’s “passion for police and a backup crime scene work and a commitment to bet- investigator, stated Garcia. tering the community he serves.” Lt. Greg Rodriguez, the This has its roots from serv- weekend-night watch coming six years as a Police Explorer mander, recognized the honfor the San Ramon Police oree’s versatility and work Department. ethic. As a sworn member of “Officer Luciano is a conConcord PD, Luciano has
ARPA, from page 4 others do in the city,” Councilmember Jeff Wan noted. “This is a one-time source of funds that are eligible for this purpose.” “How often do we get
federal funds to help support our people?” asked Councilmember CW Wolfe. Even with the hero pay bonuses and the increase in grant amounts, there would
still be enough to fund 52 more business grants and 24 households. “I encourage us to go back to the well to solicit more participation as well as increasing the dollar amount,” Wan said. “Please sign up, because we want to
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR Another strength identified was serving as lead on the department’s Social Media Team. “Luciano has helped elevate the organization’s social media presence with his contributions behind and in front of the camera,” said Garcia. “He makes certain to message to the audience the devotion and commitment that Concord officers have to their community on a daily basis, all while wrapping it in a fun, interesting and inclusive package.” As a younger officer, Luciano sees this skill set as enabling him to know the current trends and how to connect with the younger generation in the community. “Officer Luciano has the ability to effectively communicate with everyone from citizens, suspects, co-workers and everyone in between,’’ Rodriquez said. QUICK ACTIONS PAY OFF In February 2021, following a broadcast of a firefighter being shot in Antioch and Antioch officers losing sight of the suspect vehicle on the freeway,
give you money. “It’s a pretty good pitch. I don’t know if we need much more than that.” For more information or to apply for a Clayton Cares grant, go to claytonca.gov or call 925-6737300.
Luciano took a position on I680. Some minutes later, Luciano observed the suspect vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and he broadcast the information. Air units and allied agencies pursued the vehicle. The driver was ultimately taken into custody and found to be a suspect in a homicide that had just occurred in East County. Eight months later, Luciano was listening to his scanner while at work and heard a Contra Costa County Sheriff ’s Office broadcast that a shooting had just occurred in Bay Point. Thinking quickly, Luciano broadcast the information to Concord officers, who soon picked up the vehicle. After a pursuit, the suspect was captured. “I can’t do this job alone,’’
said Luciano. “The part I play is small in the puzzle. I am only successful because of my partners who I work with and being with an agency that supports its officers.” When not on his normal patrol shift, Luciano will work special details with the Community Impact Unit. There, he helps address quality of life issues throughout the city and connects homeless subjects with services from the Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement (CORE) team. Luciano says he provides the same level of service no matter the situation. “I am firm but fair with everyone,” he said. “At the end of the day, we do (this job) with respect and dignity.”
Scholarship, from page 2 industry, is one of board meeting Jan. several former recipi10, seven days ents who have now before the national joined the board of day of recognition directors. for one of the men “Receiving the for whom the organscholarship occurred ization is named. at a key transition in “Martin Luther my life and validated King has always that I was heading in been someone who the right direction,” DANIEL PONCE inspired me, somesaid Ponce, who in one who always 2007 transferred believed in equality from Contra Costa Community and speaking up when someCollege to Cal State East Bay. thing wasn’t right,” he said. “He The first in his family to is someone who really shaped attend college, he cites mentor my core values, even to this day. support from Jim Kennedy, a I hope that my small contribuboard member since 1990 and tion to this organization and to a past president for 10 years my community is a way I can who heads up donor relations, follow in his footsteps.” as a key to his success. Ponce is ready to embrace For application, donor or organithe same sense of commit- zation information, please go to ment. He attended his first kennedyking.org.
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Page 6
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
January 21, 2022
From the Desk of...
New Concord mayor reflects on passion to serve Salle High School. As a kid, I enjoyed playing sports in the street with the neighborhood kids and riding our bikes through the creeks, trails and parks. I also played soccer for Concord leagues. My family’s favorite restaurant was Barney’s
First time Clayton mayor up for the challenge I am honored and humbled to represent Clayton as your mayor for 2022. Little did I know that when I took the City Council oath of office in December 2020, I would be representing you in this capacity so soon. I want to tip my hat in appreciation to Mayor CW Wolfe for being the example of civility and respect during the first “all-virtual” term of a Clayton mayor. He was and continues to be a great representative of our city. Continuing in his footsteps, I vow to be an example of the traits integrated into our city motto’s “Do the Right Thing” – kindness, self-discipline, respect, integrity, courage, responsibility and inclusion. These are the values we aspire to and instill in our children. As such, I urge neighbors to be kind to one another and seek common ground in conversations of dispute. While we may have different opinions/solutions, we all desire the same things in terms of safety and harmony in our little town. As we look toward a return to in-person City Council meetings (as the county allows), I hope this will quell any negative energy and personal attacks as we meet on the same level and look at each other squarely in the eyes during a civil conversation. This allows for constructive dialogue and positive outcomes. No doubt that 2021 was challenging, however, we did meet, or make progress toward, many of the goals we set for the year. While small businesses fought to continue to serve Clayton citizens during the pandemic, the City Council recognized those challenges and unanimously directed the immediate distribution of the first tranche of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to eligible small businesses ($5,000) and individuals ($1,500). Those who applied have received the first group of checks. Fewer businesses and individuals applied than anticipated, leaving some funds still
PETER CLOVEN
CLAYTON MAYOR available. An application is on the city webpage, www.claytonca.gov. The council is reviewing possible “hero pay” for city employees (staff and police officers), and we will continue to discuss the best ways to use future ARPA funding as it becomes available in 2022. Like all California cities, Clayton has immediate challenges this year. We must zone for 570 residential units as part of our Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). That number is substantial and has the potential to seriously impact our city as we know it. I personally request all interested citizens to creatively help us comply with state mandates and envision our future to keep the small town, western charm and character that we all know and love. Clayton also needs to address financial challenges that could put our balance sheet into the red in just a couple of years. It requires immediate actions in terms of decreased spending (e.g., reduction in services) or increased revenues (e.g., tax increases). At a future council meeting, we will review our long-term financial forecasting to assess whether a parcel tax or some other measures should be included on the upcoming November ballot. I hope you will attend. Together we can face these challenges, and I thank you all for your confidence in me. I will endeavor to serve you to the best of my ability. Contact Mayor Peter Cloven at peterc@claytonca.gov or 925-6737320.
Hickory Pit – a Concord institution– and you could often find us at King’s Donuts before school. I have fond memories of seeing movies at the Brenden Theatres with my sisters. Back in the ’90s, the two cool places to have birthday parties were Q-ZAR downtown and the Jungle in the Willows Shopping Center. I attended Diablo Valley College, which gave me the time and ability to figure out what I wanted to study while also saving me money. I ultimately transferred to Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash., and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in political science. Then I returned home to Concord because I wanted to live in my hometown and be close to my family. I started working odd jobs
DOMINIC ALIANO
CONCORD MAYOR and eventually got my first job working on a political campaign. That’s when I began to get more involved with the Concord community. I have always had a passion for service and helping others. One of the first organizations I worked with was Support4Recovery. I saw how few services were available for people battling addiction, and
TIM GRAYSON
14TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT spective on the governor’s roadmap and share some of my priority budget considerations.
I grew up in a simple, blue-collar, working-class house. I appreciate how hard my parents worked to provide for my sisters and me. It made me want to serve other families like ours, especially when times get tough. While I can’t fix every issue, I hope I can make some kind of positive difference. I am grateful that my colleagues chose me to serve as mayor this year. But you don’t have to call me “Mayor,” you can just call me Dominic. Politicians are public servants – people, just like everyone else. I am thankful for this opportunity to serve this community, and I look forward to the year ahead. Email questions and comments to the mayor at Dominic.Aliano@cityofconcord.org
State-of-the art library just one of many things on deck in Pleasant Hill can/Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Jewish communities. We are kicking off the 2022 series by discussing issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. Because of the importance of recognizing issues of diversity, the City Council created a new Diversity Commission. The commissioners have hit the ground running, working to have the city participate in MICHAEL G. HARRIS the United Against Hate Week. I am excited to see PLEASANT HILL what ideas and plans they come up with in the new year. MAYOR Planning for the city’s I’m honored to be this future was a main focus in year’s mayor of Pleasant Hill. 2021, as we embarked on As we move into a new updating the 2040 General year with plenty on the horiPlan, including an updated zon, I want to take a moment Housing Element. We held and talk about the year that several Town Halls throughhas just passed before turning out the year to keep residents our sights on the one to come. up to date on the process and Despite the limitations seek input into where we are placed on us by COVID-19, going. This process will con2021 was a year with many tinue in 2022. accomplishments in Pleasant Looking ahead to the year Hill. to come, we are excited to see We celebrated our 60th the culmination of years of (diamond) anniversary, with work as we complete conthe Civic Action Commission struction of the new Pleasant treating the community to a Hill Library. The city has been number of fun activities to working on this $24 million help us commemorate this project since 2017, and we will milestone. The anniversary finally see it come to life later year concluded in November this year. The new building is with our first community on five acres donated by Conevent, Light Up the Lake. tra Costa County and was Hundreds turned out to City made possible through MeasHall to enjoy music, dance and ure K funding. Watch for storytelling before we announcements about a grand launched 600 luminaries on opening this spring. the lake. It was an amazing We are also looking forand beautiful sight. ward to the return to one of Diversity was a keyword in our favorite outdoor proPleasant Hill in 2021. The city grams, Sunset by the Lake. held online Community Con- This fun summer music versations to discuss social series had to be postponed justice as it pertains to specific due to COVID-19 restricsectors of the community, tions, but we are hopeful for including the Asian Ameria return and the planning
Analyzing priorities for state budget Gov. Gavin Newsom recently presented the Legislature and the people of California his $286.4 billion state budget proposal for 2022-’23. The governor has a unique challenge with this budget: handling an almost $46 billion surplus responsibly, equitably and in a way that jump-starts California’s long-awaited recovery. My colleagues in the Legislature and I will be working with the governor over the coming months to negotiate the funding proposals and finalize the state budget by June 15. In the meantime, I wanted to provide my per-
it really drove me to help. As a youth, I was always encouraged to volunteer at local organizations, and I spent a lot of time helping out at Monument Crisis Center. Later, I was honored to serve on their board of directors. In 2016, I was appointed to the Concord Planning Commission, which develops and maintains the city’s General Plan. Discussing land use is actually fun for me, so I enjoyed the opportunity to work on planning and development for Concord. In 2018, the city’s redistricting efforts created an opportunity for me to run for City Council. I decided to run for one simple reason: service to others. I am a firm believer in serving others, something I received from my Catholic upbringing and my family.
First, I am incredibly pleased that the proposed budget includes a robust investment of $20.9 billion for our Rainy Day Fund. It is critical that we safeguard the state from the volatility of Wall Street by saving sufficient state revenues and securing our financial position during these unpredictable times. It’s equally critical that we capitalize on this historic surplus by paying down our longterm debts. This proposal takes that step by dedicating $8.4 billion over three years toward paying down retirement liabilities. As negotiations progress in
the coming months, I will fight to ensure that these pragmatic, responsible investments remain part of the budget. Any solution to our housing crisis is going to involve increasing our supply to meet demand, but hard-working families should not be forced to suffer while we work toward the ultimate goal of building our way out of this crisis. This is why I’m particularly excited to see that the governor proposed dedicating $1.5 billion for resources to address immediate housing needs, including the purchase of tiny homes for short- and
See Grayson, page 7
has already started. Our Economic Development team is also moving forward with plans and programs to help keep businesses alive and vibrant in Pleasant Hill. We know all businesses have been challenged with finding new ways to function during this pandemic, and we hope to provide some assistance on the road to a post-pandemic life. While we are looking to the day when we can say we are post-pandemic, the City Council and city staff contin-
ue to work to provide the safest environment we can for both our community and our staff. It has been a tumultuous and, at times, challenging year, but we are confident that the road ahead is a brighter one. We anticipate that 2022 will be filled with new milestones and great successes. Email questions and comments for Mayor Harris to mharris4ph@gmail.com
County works to address key issues in allocating Measure X funds
KAREN MITCHOFF
COUNTY
SUPERVISOR Since voters approved Measure X, a 20-year, countywide half-cent sales tax, in 2020, county officials and community members have been hard at work to identify the specific gaps in services that could be bridged by this funding. Last November, the Contra County Board of Supervisors received recommenda-
tions from the Measure X Community Advisory Board and made decisions on appropriating the majority of Measure X funds. As we draw closer to our annual budgeting process in the county, I would like to provide an update on some of the programs and services that these funds will be going toward, and the process going forward. There were five central themes of the funding for Measure X, the first being Mental Well-being. Included in that theme is $5 million for the A3 Community Crisis Hub to help bolster nonpolice mental health crisis response in the county. Additionally, $5 million was allocated to the county Psychiatric Emergency Services facility – expanding access to these
See Mitchoff, page 7
925-381-3757
Lic.# 958849
I am honored to serve as your City Council member and new mayor. I am so proud to have been raised in Concord, and I would like to share a bit about my background. I grew up off Cowell Road and attended St. Agnes Elementary School and De La
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January 21, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
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Grayson,
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and technology. It is my hope that in the next version of the budget, we will see included funding to bolster existing sales tax long-term bridge housing. exemptions for manufacturing In this draft of the budget, to help support this important $500 million is also proposed industry and its workers. to be made available for local Overall, the governor has governments to help relocate provided the Legislature with people living on the streets a thoughtful draft budget. I and clean up trash and other appreciate his efforts to strike abandoned items from an appropriate balance encampments. between necessary, one-time One area where I would like investments in our recovery to see more investment is in and longer-term outlays for We are a full-service design firm support for affordable homeboth rebuilding the state’s ownership, including down-pay- economy and the pocketbooks and licensed general contractor ment assistance and funding to of hardworking families. •Design Consultations 30 years reduce construction costs. I look forward to working Design Experience •Remodels, Kitchens, & Baths Owning a home is one of the with the governor and my col20+ year •Design & Project Management most important pathways to leagues to craft a final budget Clayton Resident stability and prosperity for •3 dimensional elevations & designs that uses taxpayer money working families, and there has wisely and effectively to Call today for an Follow us on simply not been enough of a address California’s challenges @interiorspanache appointme nt! focus on supporting these and capitalize on our many opportunities in recent years. I opportunities ahead. 6160 Center Street, 925.672.7920 will be fighting hard this year to Suite F, Clayton, CA carol@interiorspanache.com have this funding included in Reach Assemblyman Tim Grayson at (925) 521-1511. Visit or write the the final budget. district office 2151 Salvio Street, Suite Finally, I was glad to see P, Concord, CA 94520 that the governor proposes both restoring the research and development tax credit and creating a new tax credit Due to the recent surge of COVID-19, for California companies that develop green energy techthe Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce nologies. These are important has canceled in-person events for the investments to keep our state a hub for innovation, growth
from page 6
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remaining month of January.
Mitchoff, from page 6
services for community members experiencing mental health crises. The second theme is Equity in Action, and the board allocated more than half a million dollars to the creation of the county Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. It will centralize equity efforts in the county, among other equity-based efforts. The third theme is Healthy Communities, and this is where a large portion of the funds will go. The county hospital will get $40 million in ongoing allocations to ensure its financial stability. There will also be $75 million in one-time capital improvement allocations, helping increase capacity at our public health lab, building a new medical clinic and interventional radiology suite to better serve patients, and a new parking structure to meet the capacity of our ever-growing number of residents served at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. The fourth goal of Intergenerational Thriving will come in the form of county youth centers in East and Central County, implementation of an Accessible Transportation Strategic Plan, and a Master Plan for Aging and communitybased aging services. Last, but certainly not least, is the goal of a Welcoming and Safe Community. This is an expansive goal, represented first by various extensive investments in fire safety – from increased service provision in East Contra Costa County, to building and reopening various fire stations across the county, to wildland fuel mitigation to prepare for our ever-worsening fire seasons. Other elements of this goal include equipping sheriff deputies with body-worn cameras, a Climate/Sustainability Trust, expanded communitybased restorative justice programs and an illegal dumping initiative. The Board of Supervisors still has approximately $12 million left of Measure X funds to allocate and will do so in early February. I encourage you to contact my office with any questions about this process and to learn more about the various programs and services that will be funded by Measure X. Call 925521-7100 or email supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us. Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor.
Future in-person events:
Ribbon Cutting: Tue., Feb. 8, Crescent Bistro. Wed., Feb. 23, PH1 Technical Innovation Center for Antero, Tormey & Petrin PC Lunch & Learns: Mar. 2 and Mar. 23 Mayor’s Breakfast: Tue., Mar. 8, Contra Costa Country Club Business Mixer: Thur. Mar. 24, Homewood Suites, Hosted by Stay Pleasant Hill
Visit PleasantHillChamber.com for more details
Page 8
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
January 21, 2022
Before suburbia struck, Clayton was all about farming ally transitioned to fruit and nut orchards and row crops. The special exhibit on the history of Clayton farming Many Clayton homes sit runs through June. Visitors on land that was once used can learn about how the for farming. early farmers dealt with From the mid-1800s pests, irrigation, labor and through the 1950s, the Claymuch more. ton Valley was primarily You can discover answers farmed for wheat and later for to questions like: wine grapes. What farming machinery “Both crops did well in a climate where there is no rain- was designed and patented fall in the summer,” explained by Clayton inventors? How many gallons of Nancy Niemeyer, creator of wine were produced by local the temporary exhibit at the wineries? Clayton Museum. Why did some farmers Clayton was home to many wineries, including Mt. Diablo switch to fruit and nut Vineyards and Paul DeMartini orchards in the early 1900s? What happened to wine Vineyards. Most land eventu-
grape growing after Prohibition? The exhibit includes photographs, newspaper quotes and artifacts, as well as wellresearched history spanning 100 years until housing developments replaced much of the farmland. Niemeyer, a volunteer who retired from her work as an agricultural biologist with the Contra Costa County Agriculture Department, spent four months putting together the exhibit. Her research took her to the Concord and Clayton Historical Societies and the Contra Costa County Agriculture Department, as well as many
online sources. In the adjacent room of the museum, called the Town Room, there are additional artifacts in the permanent collection that complement this temporary exhibit, including farm tools and old wine bottles. While there, you can also learn about the first inhabitants of Clayton Valley and early pioneers like Joel and Margaret Clayton.
Diablo, from page 1
State Park and retained about 200 acres. Under the new agreement, which was 15 years in the making, CMDTRA will keep about 47 acres where the association’s buildings are located. “Save Mount Diablo took into consideration the history of our equine needs while sculpting the agreement,” Jorgensen noted. “This partnership allows all of us to protect this vital, beautiful piece of Mount Diablo for perpetuity while allowing CMDTRA to retain ownership and the right to use the property as we always have in the past and will in the future,” added CMDTRA treasurer Chris Barnhart. CMDTRA board president
Elaine Baker hopes other landowners will work to protect their land too. “This agreement affords us the security of knowing that a beautiful piece of the mountain will be forever protected from urban development without sacrificing land ownership. The heritage of horses on Mt. Diablo can continue indefinitely,” she said. The mile-wide property is part of the “Missing Mile,” a square mile of privately owned open space land on Mount Diablo’s North Peak. The property is adjacent to SMD’s Young Canyon property and its North Peak Ranch project. It is surrounded by Mount Diablo State Park on three sides.
ment and investigations,” he told the Pioneer. He wants to make it easier for small businesses to recover from the pandemic by cutting through red tape and providing incentives for them to hire local workers. He says the county must play a major role in protecting the Delta and mitigating the climate issues that cause wildfires and sea level rise. Carlson, 59, is a former board president of the LGBTQ Rainbow Community Center. He lives in Pleasant Hill with his husband, Jeremy, a travel agency owner.
portation and employment.” Garza supports a nonpolice response to mental health crises. “Trained mobile teams should be the primary form of response with support from police only where there is STRONGER CRITERIA FOR the threat of escalating vioCERTAIN BUSINESSES lence,” she said. In addition to the comGarza lives in Pleasant Hill posting mandate, the law with her husband Jaime. requires that 20 percent of edible food that would otherCARLYN OBRINGER wise be disposed of in the Obringer, 42, is in her secgarbage or composted must ond term on the Concord City be recovered for human conCouncil. Prior to the Council, sumption by 2025. Edible she was on the city’s Design food from restaurants, superReview Board and the Planmarkets and other businesses ning Commission. must be packaged and donatAffordable housing and ed to food banks, homeless finding solutions for the counshelters and other institutions ty’s unhoused are her top to feed the needy. Remaining priorities. organic matter must be colShe strongly advocates for lected for composting. Yes in God’s Backyard, a move“Good Samaritan” laws will ment calling for churches to use protect businesses from liatheir excess lands for tiny home bility, should anyone get sick communities and other affordfrom eating the donated able housing options. food. She voted against Concord’s The law went into effect choice of the Seeno Compafor grocery stores, food servnies/Discovery Homes for ice providers, distributors and CNWS master developer, but wholesale providers on Jan. 1, later supported the council 2022. Restaurants, hotels, decision since the terms require schools, hospitals and other 25% affordable housing. venues will have until 2023 to Obringer works for Blue implement food donation Shield as a government and plans. community outreach manager. Cities and other jurisdicShe has an MBA in Internations are also required to buy tional Relations and is bi-linback products such as mulch, gual in English and Japanese. biofuels and compost created She and husband Justin live in from green “waste” in specifConcord with their dog CoCo. ic quantities dictated by pop-
KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent
between a landowner and a qualified organization, like a nonprofit land trust or government agency, that restricts future activities and development to protect its conservation values for the benefit of the public. In December 2019, SMD and CMDTRA signed a twoyear option agreement to give SMD time to raise more than $1.04 million for the project. CMDTRA will continue to own the land, with SMD providing annual monitoring. “This agreement will assure that future generations will be able to fully enjoy the natural beauty of this area of Califor-
nia without the threat of development,” said Diane Jorgensen, a CMDTRA board member. CMDTRA is a family-oriented nonprofit founded in 1941 dedicated to horsemanship, land preservation and fun. In 1959, CMDTRA purchased more than 500 undeveloped acres on Mount Diablo and began building trails, a clubhouse, residences and other horse-related recreational facilities. The area can be accessed off Marsh Creek Road on the outskirts of Clayton. In 1965, CMDTRA sold 312 acres to Mount Diablo
Candidates, from page 1 “We can only do so much for the homeless in our community,” he told the Pioneer in a July interview. “The big lift is from the county side. After all, half the budget for the county is health services.” Birsan staunchly defends his decision to select controversial Seeno Company/Discovery Homes as master developer for the Concord Naval Weapons Station preferring to deal with a locally owned company rather than a global conglomerate. The development will impact the entire region. Birsan is 72. He and wife Carol live in Concord where they raised their two children. He is an internationally known EDI BIRSAN player of the strategic board Birsan is in his third term game Diplomacy. on the Concord City Council. He says he’s been planning to KEN CARLSON Carlson is a Pleasant Hill run for supervisor as soon as city councilmember in his third Mitchoff retired. A strong supporter of law term. He retired from the Conenforcement, he will work to cord Police Department in establish local courts to quickly 2017 after 29 years of service. He wants to better mental deal with property crimes and health support for the police in repeat offenders. He wants a “massive responding to social service increase in shelters” for the calls. By creating non-police homeless and diversionary response teams, we can free encampments to get people off officers to be more proactive in crime prevention, enforcethe streets.”
businesses in our county is critical to generating new jobs.” Jobs, housing and transportation are all part of a “three legged stool,” she said in an email to the Pioneer. They must progress together. “Imbalance of one makes the stool fall over.” She calls for more fiscal oversight and transparency and a modernization of county systems. “This means laying the plans for streamlining services with new technology for future budget savings.” Allen, 58, lives with her husband Tim and three dogs on a ranch in rural Clayton. They have two grown sons.
ROXANNE GARZA Garza is the only one of the five candidates who is not an elected official. A strong advocate for social justice, Garza is a senior director at Healthy Richmond Initiative, a non-profit working for racial equity in health care services. Previously, she was a public health program manager for the Contra Costa County Health Department. “Rising to the pandemic and the suffering it caused must be a top priority of the next District 4 supervisor,” she said in an email to the Pioneer. “We must address inequities in healthcare, education, trans-
The museum at 6101 Main St. is open 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays and by appointment. Email Tamara Steiner museum@claytonhistory.org Nancy Niemeyer created the horse and harness on display or 925-672-0240). in the farming exhibit at the Clayton Museum.
It rises from 1,100 feet to 2,010 feet, with views from the Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay to Lassen Peak and the Sierra Nevada range. The property’s rich biodiversity is due to the complicated geology of Mount Diablo’s main peaks, including serpentine soils that host dozens of rare plant species like the Mount Diablo globe lily. The now protected property will help secure the
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SMD is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds and connection to the Diablo Range. Queenie Li is database coordinator and Ted Clement is executive director. For more information, visit www.savemountdiablo.org
Compost, from page 1 Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery, which hauls trash for Concord, is focusing on working with commercial customers to implement the law. They will begin expanded compost collection with residential and multi-family properties in 2023.
Free throw, from page 1 Elevate Basketball Performance Training center in Concord last April 1. There were two Elks Lodge members there monitoring the shooting including Elks State free throw director Mike Rittenhouse. The Clayton boy canned all 25 free throws, but so did one other finalist. That necessitated all 12 finalists attempting another 25 free throws. This time the Clayton sharpshooter was again perfect while the next closest finalist missed once! Due to the pandemic, there was no competition in 2021. To defend his title Ramirez will first have to win Saturday’s competition in Modesto,
extremely important Mount Diablo high peaks area local ecosystem and preserve the mountain’s scenic value.
where the state finals will also be held. Scores from that competition will be compared to Southern California and Hawaii. The top scores move on to Las Vegas for the Region 7 finals and that winner goes on to the National finals. To hone his shooting from the charity stripe, his dad Stephen Ramirez says his son, “Shoots 300 free throws a day and two weeks before the competition we up it to 500 a day and the week of the competition he shoots 700 free throws. For Nationals last year he shot 700-800 a day for the whole month of March. We usually practice at our home court. He usually shoots 200 before
ulation. The local annual procurement targets for organic waste are 901 tons in Clayton, 10,342 tons in Concord and 2,732 tons in Pleasant Hill. These products will be used in landscaping, farming, energy production, animal feed and other industrial uses. ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE
More than half of the trash produced by Californians is organic material, mostly kitchen scraps and garden waste. We currently send millions of tons of organic waste into landfills every year. SB 1383 strives to reduce that amount by 75 percent by 2025, the target date for full implementation of the law. The bill’s overarching purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, like methane, a major contributor to global warming and 28 times more potent (and destructive) than carbon dioxide. “If we can save the planet with one more trip to the garbage can, I’m all for it,” said Pleasant Hill Mayor Michael Harris. Compliance with SB 1383 will be determined by how jurisdictions implement programs that include organic waste collection, processing and diversion; use recycled organics products like compost and biofuel; and edible food recovery. The regulations require both individual jurisdictions and state agency CalRecycle to conduct enforcement.
school and we shoot the rest after school.” The younger Ramirez plays for St. Bonaventure CYO and the Norcal travel ball team. His dad is no stranger to basketball having played for Christian Center High School in Pittsburg and Los Medanos College. One more thing Jackson Ramirez has on Steph Curry: he will be in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame before the Warrior great. The basketball Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts has a new exhibit honoring the six Elks Hoop Shoot national champions each year with their name and photo alongside all the great women and men around the world of basketball. The Ramirez’s will visit the Hall this spring.
January 21, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Chamber has tools to boost business in the new year MELISSA REA
CONCORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The new year has arrived, and everyone is ready for a fresh start – both personally and professionally. We have learned a lot at the Concord Chamber over the past two years, from quickly
adapting to help businesses in new ways to creating programs to provide funding to keep businesses afloat. The chamber staff is dedicated to being a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers who can make strong connections and a champion for a stronger business community in the greater Concord area. The chamber offers trainings and workshops on a variety of topics, such as new laws or trends, state required anti-
harassment and marketing. These trainings and workshops allow businesses to stay current with the latest information and be in compliance with state and local laws and requirements. Networking with peers and meeting new people has been a challenge throughout the last two years, but the chamber has adapted to a virtual setting through Zoom. We offer various events and networking opportunities throughout the month. Even though it may not be the same as meeting in per-
son, we believe this is a great alternative to continue to foster and create relationships with representatives from the business community. The chamber not only encourages business development, but also community support and awareness. If you would like more information regarding the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, call 925-685-1181, visit www.concordchamber.com or stop by the office at 2280 Diamond Blvd., Suite 200, in Concord.
Recent rain totals hit a high note in middle of drought A few nights ago, I turned on the TV to find the classic Gene Kelly movie ‘Singing in The Rain’ playing on PBS. Whether the programming was by chance or design, it seemed an appropriate choice for California residents following the plentiful precipitation we’ve received so far this winter. Rainfall and mountain snowfall data tabulated at the end of 2021 show why there is a good reason to croon. Nearly all reporting locations in California show rainfall totals for the first few months of water year 2021-’22 range between 100% and 200% of seasonal normal. Bay Area precipitation totals are at the high end of that distribution. Concord Airport recorded more than 180% of normal July-December last year. Several of the storms that
moved across the state in December 2021 were both wet and cold. This resulted in mountain snow depth and snow water content values that seemed off the charts compared to the last few winters. At high elevation (5,000foot plus) snow survey spots in Northern California’s Feather River basin, the average Jan. 1 snow depth was more than 230% of normal. In Central California’s American River basin, the average snow depth was 185% of normal. This doesn’t mean the drought is over, but we are going in the right direction. Rainfall deficit calculations are one method to evaluate drought conditions. Deficits are tabulated by comparing the measured rainfall totals for consecutive water years (July-June) to normal values at a weather station.
A review of recent Concord Airport data can quantify the water deficit in our local area during the recent dry spell. For the previous two water-years, Concord reported 6.6 and 4.7 inches of rain, respectively. Over the most recent 30year period, Concord Airport has received an annual average of 16.5 inches of rain. Using this as a yardstick coming into the current water year, the twoyear deficit was more than 22 inches. The plentiful rains of the past few months resulted in 10.7 inches of rain at Concord. Comparing that to the expected June-December rainfall averages shows that the rainfall deficit at the beginning of this year has dropped to 17 inches. That’s a good sign, but the deficit is still above the single year average. It’s impossible to predict what will happen between now
WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS and the end of June. If we get half the expected rain in the next six months, the three-year water deficit will climb back to 22 inches. With double the amount of the expected precipitation between January and the end of June, the three-year deficit will drop to less than 6 inches. With a little luck, wet weather patterns will return to our area soon. Above normal rainfall in the Bay Area over the next few months could have us singing and dancing in the rain. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist retired from PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com
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January 21, 2022
Hidden Lakes Park close in but out of sight KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent
They call it Hidden Lakes Park for a reason: You will need an adventurous spirit and determination to find these lakes in Martinez. You won’t see them from the road or the parking lot, and you won’t find them by following trail signs – there aren’t any. But if you ask enough hikers or explore long enough on your own, you will eventually locate them. The reward is beautiful views of nature in its most rustic form, picturesque lakes surrounded by tall grasses and oak trees, birds swimming, flying
and chirping, and reflections of the hills and sun on the calm water surface. You can access the 26-acre Hidden Lakes Park from Chilpancingo Road, just a few miles past Diablo Valley College. The ample parking lot is close to an all-purpose, allweather sports field, two ballparks, a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, a playground and trails. On a recent sunny but chilly winter day, most users of the park were hikers and dog walkers. “I used to come here with the DVC cross country team, and we would train on the trails here,” said Sally Stafford of Wal-
nut Creek. “Now I come here to enjoy the trails with my dog.” Her friend Kate Ando of Martinez added: “The hiking is really good here. The trail around the lake is really great for dogs.” From the main parking lot, a paved path to the west leads to a long bridge. Once over the bridge, a dirt path to the right takes you to the 1.8-mile loop trail around the lakes. There are other hiking trails here as well. The park borders Hidden Valley Park, which offers group picnic areas, a larger playground and a big grassy field with views of Mt. Diablo. The hidden lakes can also be accessed from this
point, with parking on Center Street. Martinez resident Jim Runyan recalls when the land was open space, before it became a park. “My wife grew up in Martinez, and she used to ride horses here. I lived in Pacheco and remember riding my bike here to go swimming in the lakes. There used to be a ranch here, too.” Nowadays, he brings his grandchildren here to play on the playground. Hidden Lakes Park is a true gem, an easy escape to nature, and a hub for local sports in warmer months. Get on your Kara Navolio hiking shoes and get ready to Hikers are rewarded with beautiful views of the lakes at explore. Martinez’ Hidden Lakes Park.
New citrus varieties capturing attention at farmers markets DEBRA MORRIS Pacific Coast Farmers Market
California is synonymous with citrus and has a long history of developing new varieties to satisfy customer needs. With a strong market for oranges, tangerines and grapefruit, farmers are continually working to create new and delicious hybrids for your table. Older varieties are deeply rooted in the growing history of California and continue to be popular with customers, outliving market trends. Varieties that have been best sellers for many years include navel oranges, Satsuma mandarins, Lisbon lemons and Oro Blanco grapefruit. In Riverside, the historical center for growing citrus, UC Riverside has amassed a Citrus Variety Collection from many local and global sources. Beginning in 1910, the Citrus Experiment Station and U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers initiated the collection in an effort to collect as many vari-
Oranges, lemons and grapefruit abound at the Concord Farmers market this time of year.
eties as possible. Their goal is to conserve old and new varieties of citrus, collect and maintain the genetic material of all citrus and to spread the word about the diversity of this delicious plant family. The collection is now part of the UC Riverside campus and considered an historical site. We’d like to spread the word about citrus as well. Some of the new and tasty citrus coming down the pipeline and into your farmers market this winter ranges from mandarins to
grapefruit, lemons to oranges. Many of these varieties cannot be found elsewhere. Mandarins: California mandarins have grown in popularity with their sweet, slightly less acidic flavor and unique, easypeel rind. By the way, tangerines are hybrids of the original mandarin orange. There are new Page, Murcott, Dancy, Tango, Okitzu, seedless Daisy and Shasta Gold varieties, all with varying sweetness. Tangelos/Minneolas: Tangelo oranges are a cross between a
Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit. The “lo” part of tangelo comes from pomelo, the fruit from which grapefruit originated. Confused yet? They’re also known as Minneola oranges and Honeybells. Blood oranges: Late-season navel blood oranges are a fairly new variety, mostly grown in California. They’re designed to extend the season through the spring months. They’re also called raspberry oranges, because the blood orange name was found to be rather offputting. This orange has a fruity, raspberry-citrus flavor. Navel oranges: Several varieties are appearing, such as the Atwood, derived from the Washington navel; pink Cara Cara navel oranges; the Late Lane variety, also from the Washington navel but late season; and the old Valencia variety, used mostly for juicing. Grapefruit: This cross between a sweet orange and a pomelo comes in more than 20 varieties nationwide. The varieties grown in California are
mostly the Oro Blanco, a sweet, juicy and seedless variety, and the Star Ruby, prized for its beautiful, deep red color and sweet-tart flavor. Pomelos: The Chandler, or pink, pomelo is an exceptionally large fruit with a yellow to yellow-pink rind. Its light to dark pink, juicy flesh is mostly sweet but slightly tart. There are also varieties with a greenish skin and yellow flesh called Melogold, which is a cross between a grapefruit and a pomelo. Lemons: The favorite specialty lemon in California is the Meyer, with a subtly sweet, mellow flavor. It’s a cross between a mandarin orange and a standard lemon. The standard lemons are Lisbon and Eureka varieties, more tart and great for zesting. Look for new and delicious varieties of winter citrus at your local farmers market, where you’ll find the best, just-picked citrus from local farms. Diaz Farms from Fowler has Tango and Satsuma mandarins, navel Washington Tres oranges, Cara Cara oranges and big pink
pomelos. J&J Ramos Farms out of Hughson has mandarins like the popular Golden Nugget, Shasta Gold and Page. They also offer several orange varieties like Cara Cara, Lane Late and Valencia. Stop by the Concord Farmers Market and get a taste of California’s fresh citrus. CELERY AND ORANGE SALAD 1 full celery stalk, plus all stalks with leaves from the celery center, sliced 2-3 orange varieties, peeled and sliced into rounds 3 full slices of red onion, 1/8-inch thick ½ c. walnuts, chopped and toasted Salt and pepper 1 T extra-virgin olive oil 1 T grapefruit juice Place the celery, oranges, onions and walnuts in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dress with grapefruit juice and olive oil. Toss and serve. The Concord Farmers Market is in Todos Santos Plaza Tuesdays.
T Estates by Wend The dy Team YEAR IN REVIEW 2021 Is it just us, or did 2021 pass by in the blink of an eye? Even though this past p year had its fair share of ups and downs, ulous clients, and one heck-of-a team. we are so lucky to ha ave shared it with an amazing community, fabu e could not have accomplished what we did in We n 2021 without, you!
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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE January 21, 2022
Schools . . . . . . . . . . . .B3 The Arts . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6
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Highly ranked Carondelet basketball, soccer teams lead the way as league games help determine post-season positions JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
The new year has brought a full slate of games and tournaments for local high schools in the Diablo and East Bay athletic leagues. North Coast Section and CIF post-season championship berths are on the line for soccer, wrestling and basketball athletes and teams. No teams are more poised for the post-season and hopefully deep runs in NCS, NorCal and state tournaments than the Carondelet High basketball and soccer teams. The Cougar soccer squad is currently No. 3 in the US and the basketball team is fourth in California with their only loss coming to the No. 2 team in America. The NCS dual team wrestling championships on Feb. 5 with De La Salle looking for its seventh consecutive East Bay title begins a busy five weeks of the winter sports post-season, ending with the state championship finals in soccer and basketball Mar. 1112. BASKETBALL Carondelet coach Kelly Sopak guided the Cougars to a 10-1 record in an abbreviated
spring season and this season’s team has a mark of 11-1 and is ranked No. 4 in California. The Cougars lone loss to date was to the pre-season No. 1 team in America, DeSoto of Texas, 56-50 in the championship game of the West Coast Jamboree Platinum (top) Division. DeSoto is currently No. 2 in the US with its only loss to No. 1 Sidwell Friends of Washington, DC. Stanford-bound point guard Talana Lepolo, Nya Epps and junior center Jamie Kent were named all-tournament while Carondelet teammate Megan Dickert earned the Jim Capoot Sportsmanship Award. Earlier last month the Cougars won the Nike Tournament of Champions Mike Desper Division defeating St. Ignatius 58-57. The Cougars came back in the fourth quarter outscoring St. Ignatius (ranked No. 15 in the state) 152. Carondelet has its usual challenging schedule that has back-to-back games later this month with Pinewood (No. 7 in the state) and EBAL rival San Ramon Valley (No. 9). In February, besides their league contests, Carondelet meets St. Ignatius of San Francisco in a
Photo courtesy Carondelet High Athletics
Stanford-bound point guard Talana Lepolo (10) has played a big role in Carondelet’s 111 start to the season and the No.4 ranking in California. Lepolo and teammates Nya Epps and junior center Jamie Kent were named all-tournament team at the West Coast Jamboree after the Cougars lost the Platinum Division championship game 56-50 to America’s No. 2 ranked team DeSoto of Texas.
rematch of their earlier onepoint game. Mt. Diablo’s girls coached by Ronnie McGee are off to an historically good start with a 10-4 record entering this threegame week. The Red Devils had a balanced attack last Sat-
6 more De La Salle senior athletes make fall college commitments
urday when they defeated Las Lomas 61-52 with Yasmine Garrett (22), Andheya Aurelio (16) and Mariel Busine (13) in double figures. Noelani Boyd grabbed 11 rebounds and Jillian Manalo was a defensive stopper. Clayton Valley Charter boys are 9-6 after a recent 50-45 loss Campolindo, No. 1 Division II team in the state. The Ugly Eagles of coach Frank Allocco Jr. are in the competitive DAL Foothill Division that is topped by Campo, Miramonte (No. 15 D-III team in Califor-
nia) and Northgate (No. 17 in D-II). De La Salle has had a roller coaster ride in new coach Marcus Schroeder’s maiden season. The Spartans started off 5-0 before losing three straight starting with a 55-54 heartbreaker to Mater Dei (No. 9 in state) in the Xavier Winter Showcase championship game. North Coast Section playoffs begin in mid-February. SOCCER Winning its first 10 games has propelled Carondelet’s
soccer team to the number three ranking in girls soccer across the US and No. 1 in California. The Cougars are in arguably in the top girls soccer league in the state and their Danville rivals Monte Vista (No. 2 in NCS) and San Ramon Valley (No. 5) will be aiming to knock Carondelet off their ratings perch. Coach Amy Apodaca’s team will play four league games in 10 days coming up, including two against Monte Vista and one with SRV. Those three EBAL powers have won eight of the past 10 NCS titles. Last month, Carondelet won the Madera Tournament, defeating Clovis North (No. 29 in US) 1-0 in the championship game. Much like their basketball team, De La Salle soccer has had big swings in results this year. Coach Derricke Brown’s team lost five of six games during a December stretch before going on a six-match winning streak that was snapped last Saturday by Marin Academy. Unbeaten Clayton Valley Charter (6-0-1) boys had a 10game COVID-19 isolation interrupt their season this month. The Ugly Eagles have three DAL games to make up in what figures to test coach Guillermo Jara’s squad with 14 games before the season ends the second weekend of February.
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Athlete Spotlight Andheya Aurelio Photo courtesy De La Salle Athletics
Five members of the North Coast Section champion De La Salle High School football team and a Spartan NCS titlist water polo player made their college commitments official during December’s National Letter of Intent period. All-everything, four-star football recruit Zeke Berry, who had a verbal commitment to Arizona for many months, switched to Big Ten champ Michigan. His highly touted three-star lineman teammate Brodie Tagaloa was injured in the first half to the season’s first game and never played another down but still landed a spot in the recruiting class for Big Ten foe Nebraska. Their DLS teammates Damonie Perkins (Sacramento State), Tyler Henry (Sacramento State) and Bryant Meredith (Northern Arizona) and water polo standout Charlie Saunders (University of Southern California) also inked their NLI last month. They join seven classmates in the class of 2022 who already signed national letters of intent this school year.
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Grade: Senior School: Mt. Diablo High Sport: Basketball Mt. Diablo girls basketball coach Ronnie McGee says that his senior guard Aurelio “stands at 5-3, but even though small in stature, her game is huge.” And that game has helped Aurelio and her teammates to a 10-4 non-league start, the best in school history. The team’s seniors are excited about this season with hopes of leading the Red Devils to the North Coast Section playoffs for the first time in over 20 years. Aurelio says, “I love my teammates and everything that has happened this year. They all play a part. I am fortunate to play with the other players on the team like Mariel Busine, who is a very good three-point shooter, and Yasmine Garrett, who was selected as an AllState Player.” Andheya has been playing basketball since the sixth grade. She has played for different Club teams (Empyre, Reign City and Travis Lady Jets). The point guard is called a “tremendous leader” by her coach and posts prolific stats averaging 23 points, 4.6 assists and 5.2 steals per game. Last month she helped the Red Devils snap American Canyon’s five-game winning streak by pouring in 32 points against the Wolves. McGee says that Aurelio leads her team in all drills, film sessions and study hall. He adds, “She believes the team success is the only thing that matters. Her love for the game is something that could never be taught.” Aurelio enthuses, “Basketball has become my peace throughout all of the adversity that life has thrown at me. It has taught me many lessons and created many blessings in the process. Throughout my
basketball journey I became a leader, mentor and a great teammate. I have created bonds with my teammates, and I am beyond grateful to be able to call them family. Transferring to Mt. Diablo my senior year was a big risk, but with a big risk came big rewards. I also realize that Mt. Diablo is a very good school with many educational options. I would definitely encourage other student athletes to look at Mt. Diablo as an option. My coaching staff are amazing and genuinely care about the players’ success on and off the court.” Andheya is also a stellar student athlete with a 3.58 GPA. “I also want to thank my family who are my biggest supporters and critics. It has truly been a blessing. After high school I plan to continue my education (kinesiology) and basketball career at the next level playing collegiate basketball.” The Pioneer congratulates Andheya and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry. laceyandruzicka.com 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.
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
January 21, 2022
Terrapins end 2021 on high note at Winter Junior Olympic Championships JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Athlete Spotlight Jeremiah Dargan Grade: Senior School: Clayton Valley Charter Sport: Basketball
Growing up, Dargan was an active participant in many sports including swimming, track and field, baseball, football and volleyball. However, as he experimented with that variety of sports, he discovered a love for basketball. He began training more seriously in sixth grade and there was no turning back. Dargan decided then to quit his other sports and put all of his focus into basketball. He attributes part of his success to the different trainers he has had over the years. They all “really believed in me and told me plans they had for me, making me see a future playing the sport,” the senior explains. The 6-5 guard is completing his final high school season for Clayton Valley Charter after transferring from De La Salle following his sophomore year. Dargan has been a four-year varsity starter and also plays on an AAU club team for Lakeshow. Dargan’s success is recognized by his on-court achievements. He received all-tournament awards at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego, Chris Vontoure Spartan Classic and the Riley Christiansen Memorial Tournament hosted by CVCHS. He was also named player of the game at the Northern California Tip-Off Classic. Dargan credits much of his love for basketball to the fans at the games and believes that many of his teammates feel the same. Dargan notes that
“the feeling of a packed gym and fans shouting and cheering for you is unbeatable.” The team co-captain says his favorite part about representing Clayton Valley is being able to show that the school can be more than “just a football school” and that the Ugly Eagles can also excel in basketball. Dargan’s hard work and determination to succeed is shown in both his athletic abilities as well as in his academics. His current GPA stands at 3.6 and he intends to work even harder this semester to improve. Dargan’s college plans include participating in a Division I or Division II college basketball program. He then hopes to pursue a professional career playing basketball overseas following graduation. Dargan credits much of his achievements and skills to the support of his mom, who made many sacrifices to attend Dargan’s training and basketball games. He also thanks his teammates and the coaching staff at Clayton Valley for pushing him to be the best player he can be, believing in him and treating him like family. Lastly, Dargan attributes his initial love of basketball to one of his first trainers, former De La Salle and UC Santa Barbara standout Justin Joyner, who was incredibly supportive in his journey. CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.
The Pioneer congratulates Jeremiah and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry. laceyandruzicka.com. 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.
The Terrapin age group swim team concluded its 2021 competition calendar last month in Santa Clara at the Pacific Association Winter 14 and under Junior Olympic Championships and the local USA Swimming team came away with three high-point swimmers. Marina Didenko won high point for 10 and under girls, Fedor Igoshen was top point earner for 10 and under boys and Morgan Wendler won high point for 11-year-old boys. The Terrapins had 24 swimmers take part in the three-day meet. Senior coach Dan Cottam said, “All the swimmers really stepped up and the team had over 98% best times, which is well above what the team has
accomplished at any previous championship meet.” The 10 and under girls relay teams of Didenko, Kaitlyn Whittlinger, Aubrielle Dorsett, Ava Cottam and Miley Ulicki were second in the 200 medley relay and first in the 200 free relay, to lead the Terrapin relay teams in point scoring. Coach Cottam said the highlight in Santa Clara for the coaches “was the amazing team spirit and comradery the swimmers showed throughout the meet.” The Terrapins will travel with over 60 swimmers to Arizona in mid-February for the Photo courtesy Terrapin Swim Team Phoenix Winter Invitational to The contingent of 24 Terrapin swimmers at the Pacific Assokick off their 2022 schedule. In ciation Winter 14 and under Junior Olympic ChampiMarch, the Terrapins senior onships included, from left, Miley Ulicky, Claire Meissner, group goes to Carlsbad for the Ariel Fruge, Marina Didenko, coach Justine Trimble, CA/NV Sectional ChampiAubrielle Dorset, Kyle Stillinovich, Morgan Wendler, Gioonship and the 14 and under vanni Castaneda and Fedor Igoshen. Wendler, Didenko swimmers have Spring Junior and Igoshen all earned high point honors at 2021’s final Olympics. meet.
League, from page B1 WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULE Basketball DAL League Jan. 4 – Feb. 11 EBAL League Jan 4. – Feb. 11 EBAL Championship Games Feb. 12 NCS Feb. 13-26 NorCal Championships Mar. 1-8 CIF State Championships Mar. 11-12 Soccer DAL Foothill Season Jan. 4 – Feb. 10 DAL Valley Season Dec. 7 Feb. 10 NCS Championships Feb. 1626 Norcal Championships Mar. 1-5
CIF State Championships Mar. 11-12 Wrestling DAL Valley Matches Jan. 5 – Feb. 2 DAL Foothill Matches Jan. 22 – Feb. 2 EBAL League Matches Jan. 5 – Jan. 27 NCS Dual Team Championships Feb. 5 DAL Championships Feb. 1112 NCS Championships Feb. 1819 Photo courtesy De La Salle Athletics CIF State Championships Feb. De La Salle soccer junior teammates Mateo Marchis (15) 24-26 and Hudson Merritt (25) work the ball up from their end of the field in a recent game. The Spartans are in the midst of Visit www.PioneerPublishers.com their East Bay Athletic League schedule seeking a spot in for more local sports coverage. the February North Coast Section playoffs.
Sp or ts Sh or ts ALL- DIABLO ATHLETIC LEAGUE VALLEY DIVISION FOOTBALL TEAM CORRECTION
Our sports department made an editing error that omitted the 2021 all-Diablo Athletic League Valley Division defensive football players in our December issue story.
SPRING SOCCER FOR CONCORD AYSO COMING IN MARCH
TERRAPINS OFFERING SPRING TECHNIQUE
After being canceled for the past two years, the area’s largest annual youth soccer tournament, Concord Cup, returns for its 27th edition at a variety of Concord parks May 14-15. Boys and girls club and AYSO teams from under 10 through U19 are eligible to participate. Diablo Valley Wolves, Mt. Diablo Soccer and Concord AYSO co-sponsor the tournament. Visit concordcup.com for registration information.
Concord AYSO will offer a Spring Soccer Program running from March through May for Playground (3-4 years old), 6U through 14U. Registration opens Feb. 1. Information will be ALL-DAL VALLEY FOOTBALL HONORS WENT TO: MVP Offense – John Pelletier (Northgate), MVP Defense – made available on the Concord AYSO website Emilio Pucci (Northgate); 1st team - Michael Harris, Brandon ConcordAYSO.org. MacCarter, Anthony Belleci, James Bondad, Antonio Pucci, RJ DIABLO VALLEY WOLVES Anderson, Riley Maddox (NG), Keith Brown, Colter SeidenDRIVE-THROUGH CRAB FEED JAN. 28 spinner, TJ Dumlao, Gavin O’Leary, Colby Taul (CP), Nehemiah Diablo Valley Wolves youth soccer program is holding its Ontiveros (Ygnacio Valley), Sean Murphy, Keoni Caban (Concord), William Helm, Oscar Loya, D’Antonio Jerome, Angel annual Crab Feed at Centre Concord on Friday, Jan. 28. Due to Hernendez, Marco Rodrigez (Mt. Diablo); 2nd Team- Joshua COVID-19 health concerns, it will be a Drive Thru event with Riche, Marshall Miclea, Josh Greer, Gio Alvarado, Enzo Gian- advance orders taken and pickup times selected by customers inini (CP), DeAndre Lattimore, Jose Ortiz (Concord), Adian between 5 and 8 p.m. The meal includes crab, spring salad, pesto Vanhoose, Makari Pitts (MD), Chris Contreras, John Rigau, pasta and garlic bread. To get an order form and more informaNate Slarve, Jake Berger, Lionel Smith, Emanuel Webster, tion on this fund-raising event visit diablovalleywolves.com. Maxime Anum, Keona Abad (NG), Angelo Gallo (YV). CLINICS FOR SUMMER RECREATION SWIMMERS
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lley.org or visit beeliteathlete.com.
CONCORD CUP XXVII COMING BACK MAY 14-15
Spring technique swim clinics for summer recreation swimmers offered by the Terrapins Swim Team return after a twoyear absence. The clinics are designed to give the rec swimmer a technique foundation going into this summer’s season. Clinics are held at Concord Community Pool on Sunday afternoons from Mar. 6 through April 24. Terrapin senior coach Dan Cottam and other full-time TERA coaches run the clinics, which are JUNIOR OPTIMIST TAKING SPRING BASEBALL SIGNUPS Junior Optimist Baseball League is taking registration for 100% instructional, focusing on all four strokes, turns and starts. boys 4-9 and girls 4-10 for its spring season. JOBL started in Swimmers are taught specific drills and techniques that they can 1963 and plays all its games at the JOBL Complex in North use for the upcoming summer season. For more information Concord. You can visit joblconcord.com or email visit terrapinswim.com. info@joblconcord.com for more information and to register.
CONCORD AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE
REGISTRATION FOR SPRING BALL OPEN
Concord American Little League is accepting registration for its spring baseball and softball seasons. The league’s website has complete information for t-ball through senior baseball and softball (4-14 years old). Evaluations are this month with the season opening in March. Visit concordamericanlittleleague.org for details.
CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM STARTS JAN.
23
31ST COLLEGE PARK HIGH ATHLETIC BOOSTERS CRAB FEED FEB. 5
College Park Falcons teams and athletes will be the beneficiaries of the 31st College Park High School Athletics Boosters Crab Feed & Auction Fundraiser at Pleasant Hill Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 5, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $75. Attendees must be 21 years or older. For more information visit college-park-boosters.square.space.
MDSA SPRING LEAGUE REGISTRATION OPEN
Registration is open for Mt Diablo Soccer Association’s spring season. The program is open to boys and girls ages 4-18. The 12U and older divisions are co-ed. For more details and to register visit mdsoccer.org.
Clayton Valley Charter High School will host a Be Elite Flag Football Season on 10 consecutive weekends. The co-ed program is open to kindergarten through eighth grade students. There are no tryouts or draft, and everyone plays offense and defense. Weekend practices and games are the same day starting CONCORD HIGH ATHLETIC BOOSTERS CRAB FEED Jan. 23. Non-contact environment games are 5 on 5 except sevThe Concord High Athletic Boosters are holding a benefit enth and eighth graders play 7 on 7. Coaching is by student athCrab Feed on Saturday, Jan. 29, at Centre Concord. The event lete mentors. Fee includes participant’s custom jersey (name and starts at 6 p.m. The ticket price includes crab, tri-tip, pasta, bread, jersey number) and shorts. For registration information contact salad and beverages. For more information email the Boosters CVCHS football coach Nick Tisa by email nick.tisa@claytonva-
January 21, 2022
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S c ho ols
Understanding Ygnacio Valley officially ‘rebranding’ with the drive for highWarriors turning into Wolves next month end video cards zoom meeting with about a dozen grads, most of whom were not in favor of the change. He says those who participated, including Hartwig, “appreciated the open forum.”
JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
At an upcoming Mt. Diablo Unified School District board zoom meeting the local district will make official the changing of the Ygnacio Valley High School mascot and nickname from Warriors to Wolves, following a vote last term to select a new name by the Concord school’s students. Ygnacio Valley opened in the fall of 1962 with Warriors as their nickname and an Indian Warrior as the school’s mascot for athletic events. New principal Jonathan Pike says the rebranding to Wolves will take time as signage, team uniforms and virtually everything else on the school’s campus is now inscribed Warriors. Pike says, “We embrace Warrior attributes of bravery, commitment and strength. Those won’t change. As a public teaching institution our new nickname shows the school is being inclusive, representing all people and honoring everyone’s perspective.” The process last fall included students submitting suggestions for a new nickname (Warriors was not available as a choice). The student body leadership group filtered out duplicates and names used by other high schools in the general area. The first student election process whittled the list down to three finalists: Wolves, Wyvern (a legendary two-legged winged dragon) and Vipers. Pike estimates about half the student body took part in the final vote with Wolves comfortably winning. Students and the principal will make a formal presentation to the district board on the zoom meeting. And not too far behind with a potential nickname change is Concord High. Principal Rianne Pfaltzgraff told the Pioneer her school “will begin work this semester” coming up with a replacement for Minutemen, which has been the mascot since the school opened four years after Ygnacio. The nickname Minutemen was selected in 1966 to honor the men who formed the Minutemen militia in Concord, Massachusetts as the American Revolution was beginning in 1775. Rumors have also swirled around that the area’s oldest school, Mt. Diablo High, founded in 1905, is discussing jettisoning Red Devils as its mascot. Principal Lorne Barbosa says, “No truth to that.” Principal Pike was appointed over the summer to take charge of Ygnacio Valley after his pred-
DISTRICT FUNDING COSTLY CHANGES
Jay Bedecarré
Pending MDUSD board ratification, Ygnacio Valley High School will no longer be the Home of the Warriors, its moniker since opening in the fall of 1962. A student vote last term selected Wolves as the new nickname for the Concord school, a change that hasn’t been embraced by a large segment of YVHS alumni.
ecessor, Efa Huckaby, took a around the local board’s failure similar post at Liberty High in to get students back in the classroom sooner. Brentwood. The idea of changes at ConOTHER SCHOOLS cord and Ygnacio Valley first CHANGE MASCOTS bubbled to the surface last Pike previously worked at spring in the midst of the pantwo schools who also changed demic, creating controversary, their nicknames, San Lorenzo especially among alumni of the High went from the Rebels to two schools. the Grizzlies in 2017 after ValleFormer star quarterback jo High retired Apache for Red Dan Hartwig, who went from a Hawks in 2014. Pike says his Hall of Fame career at Ygnacio experience at those schools dur- Valley to BYU and was then ing similar rebranding may have drafted by the SF 49ers, says he played a part in his hiring at is more disturbed by the YVHS. MDUSD process than the actual School name and mascot change of the nickname to changes have largely come about Wolves. Hartwig says that “Once in the wake of AB 30, the 2015 a Warrior, always a Warrio,” will California Racial Mascots Act, continue to be a saying his fellow which states that "the use of alums ascribe to. racially derogatory or discriminatory school or athletic team ALUMNUS QUESTIONS MDUSD PROCESS names, mascots, or nicknames in “The board acted quickly California public schools is antithetical to the California school with little fanfare or public input mission of providing an equal to approve a motion concerning school mascots and nicknames education to all." In the Bay Area, besides during the pandemic without Vallejo and San Lorenzo among doing outreach to our alumni the schools changing nicknames, [over 20,000 YVHS grads in Sir Francis Drake High School school history] or any other in San Anselmo became Archie school,” Hartwig says. His 1975 Williams High last May, honor- graduating class was over 900, ing the 1936 United States track which is not much smaller than and field Olympic gold medalist the total current enrollment at who later taught for 22 years at Ygnacio Valley, the district’s smallest comprehensive high the school. San Francisco became a school. Hartwig places the blame on national flashpoint one year ago when its school board, amidst then board president Cherise students enduring remote learn- Khaund and new members Erin ing, voted to change the names McFerrin and Keisha Nzewi for of 44 public schools in the city ushering through the June 23 including those honoring histor- resolution after politically active ical figures such as Jefferson, teacher Rosie Reid—new to Lincoln and Washington. A pub- Ygnacio Valley that year--- led lic outcry led to a suspension last her students in a campus drive to April---at least temporarily---of get the name change enacted. Another prominent Ygnacio that process. Three members of the San Valley Athletic Hall of Fame Francisco School Board are fac- member declined a request for a ing a recall election in February. comment writing, “My response An effort to gain support to might not be printable!” Pike said he reached out to recall the entire MDUSD board fizzled out almost before it start- YVHS alumni during the renamed last year. That effort centered ing process last fall and had a
After ratifying the new mascot for Ygnacio Valley, the MDUSD board must also come up with a way of funding all the changes, right down to the recently redone court in the gymnasium and $18,000 worth of hurdles for the track that each bear the Warriors name. Coach and former athletic director Mark Tran fundraised for the hurdles from the community and alumni. It has been estimated that all the name changes needed for Ygnacio Valley and presumably Concord will cost several hundred thousand dollars. Pike says the rebranding on his campus will take a few years with items like uniforms changing as old gear is replaced. Last June, the district board passed a resolution, which said, in part, “Be it resolved that the Mt. Diablo Unified School District Board sees an urgent need to establish a welcoming and safe environment for all students in our schools and community; and if necessary, schools shall choose a nonhuman mascot/name replacement within 1 year, and the district budget shall bear the costs of the transition rather than the school site budget.” Athletic team uniforms, PE class gear, school website, social media and printed materials bear the name and, in some cases, imagery of the Warriors. The stadium scoreboard and other signage in front of and around campus also include Warriors. Students have produced three Wolves symbols that have been submitted to a professional design firm for tweaking, Pike explains. The school’s gold and navy blue colors will not change, he added. Coincidentally, the school is slated for painting by the district this summer. The Golden State Warriors are ranked as the fifth most valuable sports franchise in the world, exceeding such global icons as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United soccer teams. The team changed the imagery of its logo years ago without changing its name. In the recent past the Washington Redskins became the Washington Football Team (with a new nickname announced soon) and the Cleveland Indians will be the Guardians whenever baseball returns.
Good luck finding Nvidia’s RTX 390 card for less than $3,500 due to shortages and the overenthusiastic demand.
The two largest factors driving the demand for these devices is crypto mining and high-end games. This card, and others like it, can create crypto coins out of thin air – with the help of lots of electricity. According to Bing, crypto mining “is the method of acquiring cryptocurrency via WILL CLANEY the use of computers to solve cryptographic equaTECH TALK tions.” The process of crypAre you one of “those to mining “entails verifying people” who needs the latest data blocks and adding transand greatest computer com- action records to a publicly ponents, or are you just won- accessible (ledger), referred dering about the high-priced to as a Blockchain.” hype? Gamers are buying these The most sought after, high-end cards for only one and most expensive, compo- reason – bragging rights. nent is the video card (adap- (And ray tracing, but that’s tor). But if you are budgetan article for another time.) minded, can it adversely I hate to burst your bubaffect your computer perble, but a RTX 3090 is formance? overkill for all but a very few The current worldwide games. Most extreme video shortage of very high-end games are Internet-based, video cards puts pressure on and your play with the game prices. Extreme high-end is dependent on your Intergraphic adaptors, whose pri- net speed. Anything over a marily design is for game mid-range video card is play, may be overkill if you overkill. It only ensures bragplay games no more ging rights for your rig. demanding than solitaire. If you are not a bragAppropriate uses for such gadocios person, then skip power and the three to four the expense and get a nice grand price include graphic mid-range card like the GTX designs, photo and video 1650 for less than $400. This editing, auto CAD and other level of performance is not applications with demanding only good for games, but it’s video outputs. a perfect fit for non-gamers. Professionals and gamers However, if you are one are demanding these things, of “those people” who and shortages are driving up wants the swag at any price, prices. then I have a deal for you. One of the most popular Now go do the right card manufacturers is Nvidia. thing. Then brag about it. Its flagship RTX 3090 card has a manufacturer suggestWilliam Claney is an independed retail price of $1,500, but ent tech writer and former owner of good luck finding one for Computers USA in the Clayton Staless than $3,500 due to tion. Email questions or comments to shortages and the overenthu- willclaney@gmail.com. siastic demand.
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COVID testing part of back-to-school process for MDUSD KAREN JENKINS Correspondent
Students in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) had a bit of extra homework during winter break: Take a COVID-19 test – or two – before returning to school. The district, which has some 29,000 students in 50 schools in Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and Martinez, urged staff and students to take two tests one and three days before returning on Jan. 5. District officials disbursed thousands of rapid result test kits before classes let out Dec. 17 and obtained more to hand out during the school break. The plan came in response to a nationwide surge in positive cases and hospitalizations, as education and health officials scrambled to navigate the return to school for elementary
Karen Jenkins
MDUSD Superintendent Adam Clark joined staff to distribute COVID-19 rapid tests to families at the district offices on Jan. 4.
through college students after winter break. California ordered 6 million rapid test kits for students in public kindergarten through high schools. Concord resident Paula Dillon requested kits from her children’s schools before the winter break, after the principals sent notification that they were avail-
able. “We just finished the second test, and they are both negative,” Dillon said on Jan. 4. The teacher at Northgate High School has a daughter at Pine Hollow Middle School and a son at Ayers Elementary. A drive-through pick-up site outside the district offices on
Jan. 4 also provided families with an opportunity to get test kits before school resumed. Superintendent Adam Clark helped distribute the kits as a steady stream of cars snaked down Carlotta Drive in response to emailed messages about the distribution. “Fingers crossed – we want to get our kids back to school,” Clark said to parents as he handed over test kit boxes for several hours along with district staff on the day before classes were set to resume. Clayton resident Julie Avery’s family took advantage of the distribution. “My husband just picked up some rapid tests from the school district this afternoon. He said it was very easy and well organized,” said Avery, a junior kindergarten teacher who has a daughter at Mt. Diablo Elementary and a son at Ayers. “Before that, we did have to find some on our
own so we could visit with my parents at Christmas.” As many school districts and universities throughout the nation return to online instruction, MDUSD has not indicated this will happen. In a Jan. 3 email to families, Clark stated that
Joe Ronco 925-872-3049 Over 35 years Clayton/ Concord resident Lic#844344
“MDUSD will continue to follow guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health and Contra Costa Health Services in order to make decisions that support the health and safety of our students, families and staff.”
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January 21, 2022
How to make a safe exit from a friend group
DOMINIQUE KING
LEAN IN WITH LOVE
Q. I recently decided to leave my friend group because the cattiness and competitiveness that has developed within the group leaves me feeling uncomfortable. We have been friends for at least nine years, but I believe we are outgrowing the group setting and that I am just the first one to back away. There are a few women with whom I would like to stay friends, howev-
er, I fear losing them because they will take me leaving the group as a personal attack. How do I even go about removing myself – quietly and slowly or open and to the point? I would really like an outside opinion on how I might move forward without causing a complete fallout. A. This is an important issue that has likely crossed the minds of countless women and men. However, keep in mind that no matter the approach, hurt feelings and fallout may be inevitable. My first thought is to be clear this is what you really want. Changing your mind down the line may make it difficult to reenter and be viewed as a trusted member of the friend group.
There’s power in reclaiming the word ‘queer’ I never thought I would be associated with the word “queer” when I was coming of age in the Midwest in the ’70s and ’80s as a reluctant, girl-bodied person. I was a fan of many a sitcom and TV drama of the time, from “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “The Love Boat” and “Three’s Company” to “Dynasty” and “Miami Vice.” My culture and socialization came directly from my memorized TV Guide listings. All of these shows portrayed queerness along gender and sexual attraction identities, and they were all debated, shunned, discouraged and shamed – informing what I believed and feared. And as a Chinese and white mixed child, I wasn’t reflected anywhere onscreen. I was disappointed that all I was offered was David Carradine playing Kwai Chang Caine, the Shaolin monk in the 1970s series “Kung Fu.” I knew he was not like me. There was also my discovery of the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” where a beloved white actor played the Japanese character Mr. Yunioshi with eyes taped back, a fake tan and those buck teeth. It cut to the quick of my disbelief. Then came the character Long Duk Dong in the movie “Sixteen Candles” and the other great offering for me in the ’80s with the feel-good film “Gung Ho.” Since I grew up around the Motor City of Detroit, it showed me that Americans can “accept” Asians – in this case, the strict Japanese culture of “efficiency and quality.” One must find humor and ridicule first, so we can then fall in love with the characters, despite their Asianess. I was Asian living within a white community and knew I needed to land acceptance to survive. Let’s not complicate my experience too much with being queer as well. Or should I? Intersectionality was not a term until 1987, so I still had to choose a lane to move forward in. And my queerness was not visible like my Asianess, or was it? The word queer first appeared in the English language in 1513 and has been intimated as being odd, not normal and peculiar. I grew up hearing the phrase “Queer as a $3 bill,” as counterfeit
Have you tried to bring up how you are feeling? If not, why do you think you can’t? At a minimum, nine years of friendship should have created an environment where you feel comfortable expressing your concerns. Let’s say you have voiced your frustrations, and nothing has changed. You decide to take an open and direct approach. This might be appreciated as candid and honest or seen as judgmental and confrontational. A straightforward conversation can put the problem at the forefront before a decision is
made. Have you considered how you may have contributed to the problem? And are you prepared for their criticisms, questions, efforts to resolve the situation or even their indifference toward you leaving? Keep in mind that words linger, so do not say anything you might regret – especially if there are some individuals you want to retain as friends. Quietly withdrawing from a group can be perceived as a cop-out. Removing yourself while leaving the impression that you want to still be included is disingenuous.
Ghosting the group makes others responsible for explaining, justifying or creating a narrative that may not be true. Not making a big announcement but declining group invites may bring inevitable questions. Dragging your exit will prolong the inevitable, and you may find yourself the source of gossip. It’s OK to want to leave if you feel this group is not a healthy environment for you. However, you have to be prepared for some to take your going as severing a personal tie with them as individuals. Perhaps even the friends you
want to keep. Once out of the group, avoid speaking ill of the group to the friend(s) you have kept. Making disparaging remarks toward your previous circle will eventually become a sore spot, and you may also lose that friend(s). Remember you left the group, not them. Best of luck. Be well; you are worthy. Dominique King is a wife, mother, lifestyle blogger and avid long-distance runner. Email questions and comments to her at leaninwiththekings@gmail.com.
With ‘Repertoire,’ one hilarious bit leads to another – or the other way around
DON PEDRO CRUZ
TO STREAM OR NOT TO STREAM
I’m not gonna lie. The last two years have been difficult. And like many of you, I watched a lot of streaming TV. Too much, probably. While I enjoy a good murder mystery or absorbing historical drama, I’ve most often found myself looking for a KIKU JOHNSON laugh. And that’s how I ended up ALL THE COLORS watching James Acaster’s Netflix special, Repertoire, dozens money was considered queer. of times. I don’t typically reWhen someone was ill, they watch shows, the exception may have said they “feel being back before streaming, queer.” when anytime I was flipping As a kid who was bullied, I channels and stumbled across was targeted by the word Sandra Bullock in While You queer. I didn’t understand Were Sleeping, I was compelled then that being described as to watch it again. It’s a feelqueer was connected to sexual good show that lives up to the connotations. name. Repertoire also falls into Many of us youngins in that category. smaller towns in the ’80s did James Acaster is a British not have an understanding stand-up comic. He’s tall, ganand conceptualization of sex. gly, ginger-haired, awkward, so I knew from TV and film that really born to become a queer was something directed toward men and that I definitely did not want that scarlet letter in addition to being Asian. It’s a gift to live long enough to experience a word being reclaimed. Now when I watch TV, I see Amy Schneider on “Jeopardy,” Michaela Jae Rodriguez of “Pose” as the first transgender actor winning a Golden Globe, and the heroic humanity connecting intersections and culture on “Queer Eye.” Without a doubt, I know SUNNY SOLOMON now that queer means power, BOOKIN’ WITH smart, possible, represented and leadership. The word SUNNY queer has been revolutionized. I am proud to identify as Ann Ronald gave a stellar queer alongside of being review of Meg Waite Clayton’s Asian, as the same person. “The Last Train to London” When stigmatized and margin- on my website almost a year alized groups reclaim a word, ago. I read this book on Ann’s they reinvent our world. recommendation, and because Author bell hooks said: way-back-when, Clayton “Queer not as being about Books hosted an event for who you are having sex with, Meg’s debut novel, “The that can be a dimension of it, Wednesday Sisters.” but queer as being about the What fun to know, early self that is at odds with every- on, just how good she was thing around it and has to and continues to be. invent and create and find a If you haven’t read “The place to speak and to thrive Last Train to London,” let me and to live.” add to Ann’s thoughts about why this book is so special. Kiku Johnson is Rainbow Most Holocaust stories Community Center’s executive occur during the horrific years director. As a man of color and of World War II, September trans experience, Kiku has invested 1939 to September 1945. This his life engaging and elevating youth Kindertransport novel begins and adult voices of marginalized May 1938 at a train station in intersectional identities. Send Bad Bentheim, Germany, and questions and comments to ends in Paris, France, in 1940. kiku@rainbowcc.org. The novel’s historical char-
Netflix
Comedian James Acaster shows one of the classic poses seen in all travel photos as he searches for something beyond the mundane in his Netflix comedy series, Repertoire.
comic. His Netflix series of four one-hour shows premiered in 2018 and I could watch the entire show all the way through again right now and still laugh as much as the first time. Sometimes I put it on while working (from home, obviously), and I know every bit well enough that I can just look up from the computer every so often and laugh at the payoff. The show has four parts, Recognise, Represent, Reset and Recap. It all takes place on a stage with a live audience. And, while each part is a collection of funny bits and storytelling, Acaster weaves through it a disjointed yet intriguing narrative. A seemingly random aside during one bit is later
revealed to be the payoff for a joke that surfaces much later. The comedy often starts off as a nonsensical anecdote, but then twists to reveal much greater meaning, at once amusing and insightful. One of the story threads that recurs throughout the series is that Acaster is not really a comedian, but actually living in witness protection after turning in his fellow criminals when their genius scheme to resell the same jars of honey over and over all went wrong. There’s also a tragic tale involving a wooden decoy duck that calls back a much earlier bit about his research on how people feel about bread, as well as an unfortunate remark he made about a friend that he
quickly regretted. After a while you realize that each bit of nonsense is leading you to something else. The delight in this series starts with the absurdity of his stories, all told with dead-pan seriousness. Some may be true; most seem made up. And it doesn’t matter. He’s such a adept storyteller that it’s hard to know the difference. When we see later how the nonsense suddenly comes together, the surprise is rich and satisfying. James’ comedic concoction allows both his longing for human connection and his frustration with life’s inherent unfairness to shine through. He leaves you smiling, but also feeling like you’ve had an experience that was more than just a laugh. If you haven’t heard of Acaster and/or aren’t sure you want to commit to 4 hours of British stand-up, I recommend dipping your toe in with a YouTube clip or two from the special. Check out “James Acaster on the Absurdity of the British Empire” or “Banana Revenge” to get a feel for what to expect. Don Pedro Cruz went to film school before becoming a baker. He then got into publishing at several tech magazines in San Francisco before moving to the newspaper world as a graphic designer. He also writes stuff.
Step aboard ‘Last Train’ for a mesmerizing ride acter is Truus Wijsmuller, a childless Dutch housewife who gives new meaning to bravery and dedication in her efforts to keep the Kindertransport operating as the Nazis close in on all the countries surrounding the last holdout, Austria. The fictional characters are Stephan Neuman, the playwriting son of a respected Jewish Viennese businessman, and ZofieHelene, the mathematically brilliant daughter of the Christian editor of an antiNazi Viennese newspaper. As Germany closes in on Austria, young Stephan and Zofie’s chances of survival under Nazi occupation diminish. Escape becomes inescapable. The opening chapter is a spectacular introduction to Truus. A train pulls into the last station before leaving Germany and entering the Netherlands (Holland). Truus is on the train with three Jewish children she is transporting to a Dutch family committed to taking in the children. Seconds before a Nazi border guard enters the train
dren are hers and then asks if he has children of his own. In fact, he and his wife are soon expecting their first child. Truus makes small talk about the value of children, all the while still rooting through her handbag and cleverly letting the Nazi see her stunning ruby solitaire ring. We understand now that the children will be permitted to leave Germany with no visas. The tension of that first chapter continues nonstop as car to check her passport, we follow Stephan and Zofie Truus sends the children from friendship into love and (including a baby in the arms from secret tunnels beneath of a sister) into the washVienna to the last Kinderroom, where they are to transport to London. remain until it is safe. The “The Last Train to Lonchildren have already practiced don” is a gem, and I am lookhow they should sound in the ing forward to reading her latwashroom. The Nazi conest, “The Postmistress of fronts Truus and waits with Paris,” already receiving rave some impatience for her to reviews. dig her passport from her handbag. Sunny Solomon is a freelance He can hear the children writer and head of the Clayton Book and asks if they are hers, Club. Visit her website at reminding her that each child bookinwithsunny.com for her latest must have a visa to leave Ger- recommendations or just to ‘talk many. He is a young man, and books.’ Truus nods yes that the chil-
January 21, 2022
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Page B5
TH E ART S
Embrace the corruption in Plotline’s dark comedy
SALLY HOGARTY
STAGE STRUCK Hold on to your seats as Plotline Theatre Company takes you on a lightning-fast ride through the rivalries of two monasteries in France circa 1250 A.D. with “Incorruptible.” Michael Hollinger’s dark comedy about the Dark Ages pokes fun at how people contort their convictions to rationalize bad behavior. The monks in a monastery in Priseaux are desperately trying to bring in new cash so they can continue their mission to help the needy, but their patron saint hasn’t produced a miracle in 13 years and pilgrims no longer visit. No pilgrims. No money. To make matters worse, another monastery claims to possess the real relics of the saint. And their relics are working miracles. As all looks bleak, an unlikely savior in the person of
Photo by Dianna Schepers
Gwendolyn Sampson-Brown (Rose) and Kirk Waller (Troy) perform in Pittsburg Community Theatre’s production of Fences Feb. 5-13.
a one-eyed minstrel enters the village – taking the comedy up a notch. Directed by Randy Anger, the show features David Ghilardi, Erin Hurley, Melynda Kiring, Jerry Motta, Montgomery Paulsen, Linda Sciacqua, Sahil Singh and Ian Wilcox. It runs through Feb. 6 at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez.
For tickets, go to www.brownpapertickets.com or call 925-350-9770. I hope you didn’t get your fill of Charles Dickens with the many “Christmas Carol” productions over the holidays, because Synergy Theater continues the celebration with “Spontaneous Charles Dickens.” The company presents a
completely improvised two-act comedy in the style of Dickens through Jan. 23 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. “Charles Dickens created extraordinary characters,” said artistic director Kenn Adams. “They’re tremendously largerthan-life, sometimes right up to the level of caricature. ... However, he fills them up with so much heart and truth that you completely believe in them.” For tickets, call 925-9437469 or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble is excited to finally present its “Festival 10 – A Treasury of 10-Minute Plays.” The festival features original, unpublished works by local playwrights as well as published works. After pandemic delays in 2020 and 2021, it’s now scheduled for March 25-27 at the Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak St. Some of the original performers and directors have had to drop out, and the company is looking for replacements during January. Firsttime or seasoned directors are welcome to apply. The company is also looking for production and house crews. Contact artistic director Kathryn Lopez at kathryn.ghostlightte@ gmail.com. For more information, go
Local music for your moods – from deep instrumentals to pop culture
DAVE HUGHES
THE BEAT OF DIABLO Here’s a smattering of recent local music releases, with brief descriptions of what the listener can expect.
“Shadow Wolf ” by Spirit Drive. This is the first entirely instrumental release from Concord’s Spirit Drive. Written 20 years ago, the resurrected EP inspired by Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and other rock guitar soloists of the late ’80s and early ’90s almost never saw the light of day. “It was a personal passion project that I didn’t think anyone would be interested in,” says Xavier Guerrero of Spirit Drive. “The release from this December is a totally redone performance.” “Shadow Wolf ” offers a range of moods. Halfway into the EP, “Hours Flying By” slows the pace down
with a contemplative bass guitar piece, emulating the anxious feeling of watching a clock tick away. Listeners might connect with the idea of time passing or feel a sense of journey across the half-hour listen, which is part of what Guerrero hoped to express without words. “The wind – and the freedom to follow it – is a conceptual theme that appears throughout,” he notes. Spirit Drive’s other musical offerings range from experimental rock to punk rock, new wave and reggae. Guerrero is involved in a number of local music projects, including The UnOriginals, The Concordians, The Dream-Tellers, Dueling Guitars and O-no. Most recently, he’s collaborated with Concord’s R&B group RiGht Proper.
too long on it, but I really tried to combine all my favorite elements of music as best I could,” says LyonWright, who grew up in Concord. Rich vocal harmonies dominate the 11-track album, loudly demonstrating one component of the clear influence the Beatles had on this Berkeley music teacher. It’s smartly composed – almost as if it were made for musicians – but remains accessible to those who don’t live in the world of music academia. Not everyone will notice the unique changes and complicated harmonies because, frankly, it’s all pulled off so well.
“Exceptional Goblins” by Ian Cowell. Anyone who grew up playing video games in the ’80s or ’90s would likely agree that few pieces of music have the ability to get stuck in your head quite “Fantasy Inventions” like that of your favorite by Nicholas Lyon-Wright. video game. This was the With a playful bounce and driving inspiration for Rodeo the nostalgic warmth of the musician Cowell’s first full“flower power” era, “Fantasy length album. Inventions” is filled with The 45-minute LP offers bright songs about love and 12 tracks of reimagined wonder. songs from popular video “In an age of everyone games of yesteryear. Like the wanting things instantly, I original versions, Cowell really wanted to make the assembles much of the best quality album I could music by way of synthesizer make. It took me several work. The Walnut Creek years and I probably spent native then adds some of his own guitar work, as well as some guest performances on saxophone, violin, organ and more.
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to www.ghostlightte.org. Pittsburg Community Theatre has certainly been busy this new year. They held auditions for the musical extravaganza “Dreamgirls” and are also rehearsing August Wilson’s “Fences” for a Feb. 5-13 run. Set in 1957 Pittsburgh, “Fences” tells of Troy, a former star of the Negro baseball leagues who was excluded from the major leagues due to his color. Now working as a garbage man, his bitterness affects his wife and his son, who has his own dreams of playing professional ball. LaTonya Watts directs. For more information, go to www.pittsburgcommunitytheatre.org. Solo Opera, which presented the wonderful “Scalia/Ginsberg” opera in September, returns in 2022 with minimalist composer Tom Johnson’s “The Four Note Opera.” The hour-long chamber work has four opera singers all trying to “take the stage” at once but are only allowed to sing the notes A, B D and E. Exact dates and the venue are yet to be determined. The group is also producing “The Three Feathers,” a
Arastoo Darakhshan is part of “Spontaneous Charles Dickens,” playing at the Lesher Center through Jan. 23.
magical chamber opera for families and children with music by award-winning composer Lori Laitman and libretto by local poet laureate Dana Gioia in 2023. Go to www.soloopera.org for more information. Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com
But wait, there’s more...
Don’t see your favorite columnists in this issue? You can still read Jennifer Leischer’s Design and Decor and Jeff Mellenger’s Screen Shots at PioneerPublishers.com where every day there is something new. See you there.
“(Exceptional Goblins) is a collection of tracks that have really stuck with me. They span across a good decade of my youth, when these were heavy earworms. They definitely formed a big piece of my musical taste. The more time I’ve spent in the video game music community, the more it made me want to put my twist on this big part of my artistic foundation,” shares Cowell, who reminds us that returning to our roots, no matter what they may be, ultimately feels right. “The music that makes us, regardless of where it originates, never truly leaves us, and sometimes it feels good to come home.” To discover more recent releases, visit ConcordRockCity.com. Contact Dave Hughes at MrDaveHughes@gmail.com.
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January 21, 2022
Prune soon, and your roses will thank you come spring pruning is to remove most of the past year’s growth, plus all the crossing canes and lateral branches. Remove all gray canes. You may have to use a cordless saw to get through thick wood. Do not worry how thick the canes are; you will not hurt the rose. Make all cuts at a slight angle, right before a swelling of growth. If you look closely NICOLE HACKETT at a rose cane before you GARDEN GIRL make the cut, you will see a seam with a swell. This is It is almost time to prune your rose bushes, groundcover where the rose wants to grow. I do not tell people how roses and rose trees. many inches of cane to leave, At the nursery, we prune because it depends on the roses between Super Bowl amount of room you have for Sunday and Valentine’s Day. your rose to grow. If you have Some folks’ weekly maintelimited space, then cut each nance workers have already cane further. If you like your pruned the roses. If that is the roses tall, then do not cut case, check on the job they down as far. did and fine-tune if needed. Rose trees should be Rose pruning is easy. An pruned the same way as the annually pruned rose should floribunda, hybrid tea or grantake less than five minutes to diflora. Remove old canes, prune. crossing branches and lateral As you approach a rose to branches. With rose trees, prune, look to the bottom of leave more canes so they will the plant. Do not worry about look fuller. all the buds, blooms or leaves Groundcover roses such as still left on the bush. drift, carpet roses or meidiA well-pruned hybrid tea, land style do not need the grandiflora or floribunda rose same amount of attention. should have three to five Reshape groundcover roses, straight, clean canes without bringing them down and in. If any leaves. The object of the groundcover style roses
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Train your pet to love ‘spa day,’ starting with a nail trim STEPHANIE ZABLAH-KRUGER THE
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It’s never too late to train your pet to adore being trimmed, washed or brushed. With dedication and clever planning, you and your dog, cat, rabbit or bird can make it happen. Disposition, time and rewards are essential. All parts of the process should be positive encounters for both the animal and trainer. If you’re having a bad day, it’s better to skip that day’s session and try again when you’re in the right mood. Many people are under-
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quantity. The 16-16-16 is a multipurpose fertilizer. The bone meal is a source of phosphorus, encouraging bloom. Granular iron keeps rose leaves green and free of chlorosis. Alfalfa meal will stimulate new cane growth. Epsom salt intensifies flower color. Container roses get half a dose of each product. Give groundcover roses only the multi-purpose fertilizer and iron.
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decade. It can be used for established ground-grown hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda or tree-shaped roses. Each rose should receive: ½ c. 16-16-16 fertilizer ½ c. bone meal ½ c. granular iron ½ c. alfalfa meal 2 T. Epsom salt After pruning, work into soil along drip line and topdress with an inch layer of chicken manure and water in. HGTV This sounds like a lot of Begin at the base of the rose, making cuts at a 45° angle, products, but imagine how so new growth will grow away from the center. deep the roots of your rose are. are out of control, prune sevFertilizing roses is especialDo not premix a batch of erally. With a newer installaly important after your winter products. There is a reason tion, the pruning will be prune. We have been sharing for each ingredient and the lighter. this recipe for more than a
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standably anxious about trimming their dog’s toenails. When dogs have dark nails, it’s difficult to know where the blood supply is and accidents are commonplace. Short sessions are consistently the most useful. If you notice your pet is hesitant to take an interest, then you are presumably going quicker than your pet would like. Utilize a higher value treat to make the session more worthwhile for your pet. TRAINING STEPS AND CONSIDERATIONS
The most effective way to prepare your pet to tolerate handling and, in turn, nail trimming is by breaking up the entire process into baby steps that will turn into “reinforcement points.” Clicker training is effective, but you can also use a word-marker and a variety of treats. I usually grade my treats from 1 to 10 and save the higher value treats for harder steps. Here is the order for your reinforcement points: Clippers equals treats. Keep still and handle a paw. Lift paw in your hand and separate the toes. Place the paw in your hand while the nail trimmer is in your other hand. Acknowledge the nail trimmer drawing logically nearer to the foot. Acknowledge the nail trimmer contacting the foot. Acknowledge the nail trimmer touching the nail. Acknowledge the nail trimmer tapping on the nail.
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When grooming your pet at home, introduce the nail trimmer slowly and include treats to keep the animal engaged.
Acknowledge the nail trimmer managing the nail. Trim the very end of the nail. This is a general outline. Each step can be broken down into smaller steps if your pet needs more training time. PROCESS VARIES BY ANIMAL TYPE
This system can be used on cats, dogs, birds or rabbits. The difference will be the types of treats you use, how long the sessions are and how you manipulate the animal’s foot. For instance, cats have a
short attention span, so I don’t normally have training sessions that last longer than 1-2 minutes. Cats will walk away if they are not engaged. Birds don’t have three other feet to balance on, so it’s easier to train cooperative nail trimming while they’re grabbing onto the side of their cage. This technique also separates the toes nicely. If you make the process fun, nail trims will be a breeze. You can contact Stephanie at cooperativecaretraining@gmail.com or 510-408-7162. Visit the website cooperativecaretraining.com for more information.
Meet ARF’s adoption stars Looking for a furry friend during this trying time? Good news — ARF is now offering a by-appointment adoption process. If you see an animal you’re interested in on our website, just fill out an online inquiry form. Once your inquiry has been received, you will be added to our virtual adoption queue. Threeyear-old Versailles is a sweet, energetic and fun girl. While she loves playing VERSAILLES around with any sort of toy, she also enjoys long walks and playing fetch with her favorite people. She loves being around her favorite people and will never turn down a cuddle session. Versailles would do great with an active adopter who can
help her burn through her energy and give her lots of love. She will need to be the only dog in her new home. She currently weighs 46 pounds. ARF adoption fees: $250 for an adult dog, $350 for a puppy (<6 months), $125 for a special-needs dog, $175 for a special-needs puppy (<6 months), and $125 for a senior dog (7+ years). Seven-month-old Annie is ready to find a loving home. She might need some extra time to feel settled and would do well with a patient adopter who can help her build confidence. To help with a kitten’s socialization and enrichment, we suggest you consider adopting kittens in pairs if there are currently no other cats in your home. Annie’s adoption fee has been prepaid by a generous donor. ARF Adoption fees: $100
ANNIE
for an adult cat, $150 for a kitten (<6 months), $150 for two adult cats, $250 for two kittens, $50 for a special-needs cat, $75 for a special-needs kitten (<6 months), and $50 for a senior cat (7+ years). Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: noon to 6 p.m Wed. and Thurs., noon to 7 p.m. Fri. and noon6 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? For more information see website, www.arflife.org, or call (925) 2561ARF.