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July 15, 2022
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Con Fire annexes ECCFPD in historic Brentwood ceremony TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
East Contra Costa County residents and those in the rural Marsh Creek/Morgan Territory area can sleep a bit better with the annexation of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) at a solemn ceremony July 1. “Our communities are safer today and will be safer in the future. That’s the bottom line,” said a jubilant Diane Burgis, District 3 county supervisor. Annexation will double the number of fire stations in the long-underserved East County from three to six by 2024, dramatically reducing response times, and adding paramedics and advanced life support on every engine. “Annexation … is important to the county as a whole,” ECCFPD chief Brian Helmick said. “It’s been many, many years that we haven’t been able to Leslie Cauwels, LNC Photography answer all the calls we get withECCFPD Chief Brian Helmick (right) salutes his new commander, CCCFPD chief Lewis Broschard in an emoout … utilizing mutual aid.” tional Transfer of Command ceremony in Brentwood July 1with ECCFPD Batallion Chief Ross Macumber (far left) and Con Fire Deputy Chief Aaron McAlister (center). The long-awaited consolidation of the two districts See Annexation, page 4 will vastly improve fire protection and emergency services to the historically underserved east county.
Pleasant Hill mayor eager to show off new library at July 30 Grand Opening MICHAEL G. HARRIS
PLEASANT HILL MAYOR
“If you build it, they will come” was true about the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams,” and it’s also true about our new Pleasant Hill Library. After years of effort, it is finally here. And boy, was it worth the wait. I’m excited to announce that the Grand Opening celebration of the new Pleasant Hill Library will take place 10
What’s Inside
Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 From the Desk of . . . . . . . . .8 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Section B Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8
Next issue, August 19, Deadline, Aug. 8
a.m.-noon on Saturday, July 30. Mark your calendars, because my fellow City Council members and I can’t wait to welcome you to our wonderful new state-of-the-art library. A new library has been a dream of mine since I first ran for City Council 20 years ago. My 2002 campaign flier read: “Pleasant Hill deserves a modern, state-of-the-art library facility that not only meets our current needs but will meet our future needs as well. I am committed to getting a new library for our community.” Now in my fifth term as mayor, that dream is coming true. This project has been a collaborative effort from the
Concord adopts rules to protect tenants BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
As the City Council approved a new Residential Tenant Anti-Harassment Protection Ordinance, members emphasized their commitment to the greater good. “I’ve heard too many stories of landlords being bad actors and too many stories of landlords violating the rights that tenants do have,” Mayor Dominic Aliano said on June 14, which marked the return of in-person meetings. “And, yes, I do understand that there are many good landlords out there,” he added. “But we have to implement something like this to protect our community from certain landlords acting in bad faith.” “The policy is simple. At the end of the day, it’s be kind to one another, respect one another and be fair,” said Councilmember Tim McGallian, who attended via Zoom. The council formally approved the ordinance on June 28. The review process included working with tenant advocate groups like Raise the Roof Coalition and the Todos Santos Tenants Union as well as the California Apartment Association. Almost 850 people participated in an online survey, with respondents indicating their greatest concerns regarding displacement included sudden rent increases and lease terminations – sometimes due to filing complaints or requesting repairs. “It’s my sincere hope that this will lift the fear from people, and that people will feel comfortable coming forward if their roof is leaking or someone is taking away their parking space,” Councilmember Carlyn Obringer said.
beginning. Most of the funding for this new library has come through the Pleasant Hill voter-approved Measure K half-cent sales tax, and we thank you for your support. The library is built on five acres at 2 Monticello Avenue, donated by Contra Costa County. Additionally, we continue to receive help from the Friends of the Library, the Pleasant Hill Library Foundation, and the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District. The project would not have been successful without OUTLINING VIOLATIONS donations from so many According to city attorney members of our Pleasant Hill City of Pleasant Hill Susanne Brown, the ordinance community. A new state-of-the-art Contra Costa County library branch
See Library, page 8
in Pleasant Hill will open to the public July 30.
See Tenants, page 2
True to their name, Clayton’s Smarties finish in top three at Odyssey of the Mind World Finals DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Being on the biggest stage brought out the best of Team Smarties, and their perseverance earned them a top three finish in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. “We were guessing that we finished in the top 20 or so. When they called our name for third place, I was shaking because I was so surprised and excited,” said Avica Bennett, who now moves on to 6th grade at Diablo View Middle School. Representing Clayton’s Mt. Diablo Elementary School, the seven-member team included veterans Charlotte King, Hannah Laverick, Keira Caldwell, Emma Forrester and Bennett, joined by newcomers Carly
Grover and Bailey McNeelCaird. Their success in Division 1 of Problem No. 5’s “Life is a Circus” competition was a substantial improvement from the 32nd place out of 73 teams a year ago – when the finals were held virtually due to the pandemic. The squad’s efforts in May at Iowa State University capped off an incredible run that started last October, with COVID protocols looming each step of the way. In Iowa, they were able to perform without masks – adding to the performance as they could project their voices and use facial expressions. Coach Renee Culp touted the team’s resilience and adaptability.
“I am so proud of them as a coach to see how they grew together as a team over the course of eight months,” she said. IMPROV WAS KEY Team Smarties finished behind schools from Florida and Southern California in a field of 60 teams, including ones from Poland, South Korea and Switzerland. There are three categories for scoring in the world finals: Long-Term/200 points (the requirements for the “Life is a Circus” skit), Style/50 points and Spontaneous/100 pts. Contributed photo With points awarded on a curve, Team Smarties earned Triumphant Clayton Smarties at the Odyssey World finals. 318.42 points and was the only Standing from left: Coach Renee Culp, Carly Grover, Char-
See Odyssey, page 3
lotte King, Hannah Laverick, Emma Forrester; kneeling from left: Avica Bennett, Bailey McNeel-Caird, Keira Caldwell.
Postal Customer ECRWSS PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
July 15, 2022
Concord kid publishes books about big feelings – and bugs KARA NAVOLIO Correspondent
Ryeson Bull, 6, and his mom, Shana, have written their third book starring Randall the Blue Spider. In the new book, “Randall the Blue Spider Tries Honey Cakes,” Randall learns that trying new things can sometimes lead to fun discoveries. Shana found out she had cancer at the beginning of the pandemic, and painful radiation treatments kept her bedridden for months. She took time off from her career as a freelance wine and travel writer and marketing educator to research publishing children’s books.
The idea for publishing a children’s book began when Ryeson was just 2½ years old and would tell his mom elaborate stories about Randall, a blue spider. “He’s very creative,” said Shana, who has lived in Concord since 2020. Their first book, “Randall the Blue Spider Goes Surfing,” was published in April 2021 and deals with naming our fears and overcoming them with simple coping strategies. The second book, “Randall the Blue Spider Plays Pretend,” deals with using your imagination and standing up for yourself. Professional illustrator Brady Lovell used Ryeson’s drawings of Randall to create
the illustrations for the picture books, which became No. 1 best sellers on Amazon in six categories. He’s also added a cast of adorable bug friends to help tell the stories. All the books deal with social/emotional learning. The newest book addresses an issue close to Ryeson’s life experience as a child with cystic fibrosis. The disease impacts his lungs and his pancreas, making digestion difficult. He needs to eat more than other kids and also takes enzymes to aid his digestion. “Mealtimes became a Photo courtesy of Shana Bull source of stress,” relayed Ryeson Bull shows off the three books in his Randall the Shana. “We try not to use the Blue Spider series.
term ‘picky eater’ because if you think you are a certain way, it stops your from trying new things. We try to establish a growth mindset instead.” They also encourage playing with food to help Ryeson become more comfortable with the sensory elements of different foods. In the new book, Randall learns to be open to trying new foods – just as Ryeson has. It’s a great book to share with any kid who needs encouragement to try new things.
Tenants, from page 1
president-elect of the Contra Costa Association of Realtors. But Concord resident Laura Nakamura said the ordinance puts the city on the right track. “When we heard about the brandishing of a gun in the face of a tenant last April, things took a very serious turn. I think it’s imperative that the voices of those most likely to be impacted by the harassment and the bad actors be the priority in this process,” she said. Councilmember Laura Hoffmeister acknowledged that the rules will mean more paperwork for all landlords. “Same thing happened when we came out with the Rental Registry program, and we’ve gotten through that hurdle,” she said. “But ultimately, this is something we can offer to make improvements to those 5, 10 percent of bad actors out there.” “If you’re a good landlord and do things the right way, I believe you are not going to be truly affected by this,” the mayor noted.
is a “laundry list of things that automatically constitute harassment” against the 40 percent of city residents who are renters. The ordinance prohibits: • Actions that violate or threaten a tenant’s “quiet enjoyment.” This includes conducting elective renovations or interior construction without written tenant permission and interrupting housing services or utilities unless required for safety reasons. • Inactions that affect habitability. The ordinance lists the failure to perform timely repairs and maintenance to comply with federal, state, county and local housing, health and safety laws. • Abusing the rights of access. Forbidden actions include entry for inspections not allowed by state law or unrelated to necessary repairs/services, entry outside normal business hours unless requested by tenant, entry despite a tenant’s reasonable request to
change the time and misrepresenting entry to collect evidence against the tenant. • Violations of a tenant’s right to privacy. Landlords cannot request information on things such as residency, citizenship, protected class and relationship status. The ordinance addresses forced vacation, refusal to accept rent payments and interfering with tenant unions. It also forbids communicating with a tenant in a language other than English or the tenant’s primary language for the purpose of intimidation or confusion. HELP FOR IMMIGRANTS The rules came about as part of the city’s review of its Housing Element. Concord now joins the growing list of California cities addressing landlord harassment – including Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond. “Concord is one step closer to being a place where immigrants, refugees and low-income
neighbors can live in safe, stable homes,” said Debra Ballinger of Monument Impact. She said the Concord-based agency receives about 60 calls a month from tenants in need of support, many because of landlord harassment. Craig Whittom, the city’s housing consultant, told the council that stakeholders wanted the ordinance to include remedies and penalties for violations. “This provides authority for tenants to collect financial damages and any other relief that the court deems appropriate in the event a court finds a landlord has violated the ordinance,” he said. ACTION WAS ‘IMPERATIVE’ During public comment, David Schubb questioned the level of complaints the city has received and warned that the ordinance could lead to fewer rental units. “When owning property becomes more trouble than it’s worth, it no longer makes sense to keep it. If it becomes riskier and/or punitive to be a property owner, it’s time to go,” said Schubb,
To learn more, visit www.randallthebluespider.com.
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July 15, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Page 3
Concord mural project builds community through art & Grill, La Piñata and Parkside Grill downtown and behind Old Navy at The Add Concord to the grow- Veranda. ing list of Bay Area communiAccording to co-founders ties benefitting from public art Tari and Sage Loring, LEC’s projects through Local Edigoal is to make “arts and cultion Creative (LEC). ture accessible to everyone.” In June, artists painted Research has shown that nine murals on the sides of public art has many benefits business buildings around for a community, including town, including Vinnie’s Bar combatting feelings of anxiety and social isolation. “Art is beautiful, inspiring, thought-provoking and also a way for people to understand one another,” said Sage Loring. As part of the week-long Creative Concord program, locals gathered in Todos Santos Plaza to create their own works at an Artist Mural Painting Jam. The artists made 12 6-foot by 6-foot portable murals, which Concord area nonprofit groups will display at their facilities. Jason Fong As a participant in the Tari and Sage Loring, artist’s jam, I felt the “art partners in business and vibes” as I interacted with life, realize theior pasother artists and answered sion for public art through questions from people who programs like Creative wandered by. Creating art in Concord.
established Dragon School in 2015 after he observed the lack of public art in Oakland’s Chinatown community. Not only did Dragon School bring a lot of public art to Chinatown and the East Bay, it also inspired people to get involved and helped build up the local artist community. In 2020, they rebranded the organization as Three Thirty Three Arts and expanded the group’s ability to bring art to the public and mentor artists in the business of art. “We wanted to provide opportunities for anybody to contribute and collaborate through our community engagement experiences,” Sage Loring said.
JOHN NAKANISHI Special to the Pioneer
Odyssey, from page 1 squad to get a perfect score for style. The girls experienced some adversity at finals as a couple tricks didn’t work and they messed up some lines in the skits. “(This) flustered us a little bit,” said Bennett. “But our team improvised and kept going. The judges noticed and complimented us on our improv.” King recalled earlier troubles for the team, including having to switch roles the night before regionals because members contracted COVID and props falling apart right before going on stage during the state
competition. “You can definitely see that this team has gone through a lot. But we always worked together and powered through it as a team with much happiness and joy, not letting it get us down,” King said. As they waited for results before the crowd of 6,000 in Iowa, King said they tried to stay calm and hope they had improved on last year’s showing. “Then the announcer called out our team and we all bolted out of our seats, jumping up and down in joy,” she said. “We were so starstruck, as we weren’t all the most confi-
Jason Fong
For more information, see these websites and Instagram pages: Local Edition Creative: localeditioncreative.com, the park brought artists closer since 2017. The Lorings’ culture movement in Contra @localeditionmktg. to the viewing public and pro- enthusiasm was evident during Costa County.” Three Thirty Three Arts: vided a unique glimpse of art Creative Concord, as they Along with running such 333arts.org, @333arts. creation that most residents shared their mission to “boost large creative projects through Creative Concord murals: rarely see. the public arts scene in the LEC, the Lorings help operate creativeconcordca.com, LEC has been bringing art city of Concord and make the a nonprofit to encourage @creativeconcord. to Bay Area communities city the center of an arts and more public art. Sage Loring John Nakanishi joined other local artists at an Artist Mural Painting Jam in Todos Santos Plaza as part of the Creative Concord arts celebration in June.
dent due to some little slipups during our long-term and nervous about spontaneous. But we were all so proud of what we had accomplished and how far we had come as a team. It was truly the best thing we could have asked for,” King added. A COMMUNITY EFFORT The Clayton community rallied around the team, supporting a Go Fund Me campaign that generated $4,165 to help get the team and their supplies to Iowa. The girls raised more than $1,800 by selling succulents and popsicles and recycling cans. The Parent Faculty Club also donated to the nearly $7,000
raised. “The biggest adjustments made were to the props and sets,” Culp said of the journey to finals. “The sets were wrapped in mover’s plastic wrap to fit in my Toyota Highlander. All props were organized into bags to fit in the car.” Looking back at the experience, King points to the life skills she has continued to develop – enriched by making friends – and being able to experience college life, including staying in dorms. “Odyssey can help you with social anxiety, thinking skills, opening your mind to new things and, most of all, you get to have fun while doing it,” she said.
Members of Odyssey’s Team Smarties perform their skit for “Life is a Circus!’’ From left Keira Caldwell, Emma Forrester, Carly Grover, Avica Bennett, Hannah Laverick, Charlotte King, Bailey McNeel-Caird.
Bennett echoed King’s thoughts about life skills that will certainly be beneficial going forward. But just as important was learning to persevere when things don’t go according to plan.
“We kept practicing and improving between regional, state and world competitions. We received feedback at each time point and focused on key areas for improvement,” she said.
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Carol van Vaerenbergh | 4Bd/2.5 Ba | $1,330,000 Inge Yarborough | 4 Bd/3 Ba | $874,000
Kelly McDougall | 3 Bd/3 Ba | $1,050,000
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Location and Views. Beautiful end unit near downtown and wineries. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and over 2500 sf with private entrance. Located on the 9th fairway in the gated community of Forest Meadows. Buyer Represented. Have you been thinking about a vacation home? I can help, even in the Murphy's/Arnold area.
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Gorgeous landscaped corner lot with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 updated baths. Bricked courtyard with water feature accessed by 2 sets of custom french doors. Kitchen is updated with granite & recessed lighting. Other upgrades: Engineered floors, tile, whole house fan, and a 20panel-owned solar system.
Sale Pending. Beautifully updated home in South Walnut Creek. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home on corner lot. Over 2,000 square feet with detached garage and wonderfully landscaped yards. Buyer Represented.
Top of the world in downtown. Single story home on nearly ¾ acre lot with incredible views. Call for more information.
925.765.3822 Heather.Donovan@compass.com
925.998.5878 Angelique.Booth@compass.com
Angelique Booth | 3 Bd/2 Ba | $1,499,000
Heather Donovan | 3 Bd/2.5 Ba | $624,980
Lynne French Team | 4 Bd/3 Ba | $TBD
DRE 01329100
DRE 01715289
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925.765.3822 Heather.Donovan@compass.com
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Clayton Compass Team • 925.673.2188 6200 Center St. Ste E, Clayton, CA 94517 Next door to Eds Mudville Grill Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been veriAll verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. fied. All measurements and square footage are approximate.
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
July 15, 2022
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“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.” – Laurie Colwin, “Home Cooking” One of the best things about summer is the joy of eating a delicious, juicy tomato picked fresh off the vine and delivered to your farmers market the same day. The taste of fat slices of Early Girls in a simple tomato salad, or beefsteak tomatoes stuffed with cooked shrimp or Romas chopped into a fresh pico de gallo salsa is enough to make anyone a convert to summer tomatoes from the farmers market. Supermarket tomatoes are picked under-ripe, trucked across the country and then gassed to ripen them for store shelves. The flavor of a freshfrom-the-farm tomato surpasses even the “vine-ripened” ones you get at the grocery store. During the summer months, there are many tomato varieties available at your farmers market: little cherry, pear, and grape tomatoes, medium-sized hybrid Early Girls, beefsteak tomatoes and large juicy heirlooms. The flavors of each variety are simply amazing. There are more than 10,000 known varieties of tomatoes, each with a slightly different taste, size and even texture. There’s a tomato variety for every culinary need. Beefsteaks are large, juicy and great for slic-
Pete Cruz
Tomatoes picked fresh at Concord’s Farmers Market.
ing on sandwiches. Romas hold up well in sauces and salsas. Sweet cherry tomatoes are small enough to pop in your mouth for a snack or roast on a sheet pan until they burst with flavor. Fragrance is a better indicator of a good tomato than color. Use your nose and smell the stem end. The stem should retain the garden aroma of the plant. If it doesn’t, the tomato will lack flavor. Once you have purchased these luscious tomatoes, don’t store them in the refrigerator. The cold destroys the wonderful flavor and can alter the texture. Place them on the counter and use within three days. If you must refrigerate them, bring them to room temperature before preparing or cooking to bring back some of the flavor.
Here are some easy ideas for The Concord Farmers Market is in using summer-fresh tomatoes: Todos Santos Plaza Tuesdays & Toss halved Roma or San Thursdays. See ad pg B7 for hours. Marzano tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and
Annexation, from page 1 “Today is a good day,” noted Con Fire deputy chief Aaron McAlister. The annexation is especially welcome to residents in the ultra-high fire risk zones of Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory, who live most of the year with noses to the wind and one ear on Pulse Point. For them, unless it’s raining, it’s fire season. Former ECCFPD director Susanna Thompson has frightening firsthand experience with the inadequate fire protection provided by the underfunded and overworked district. She nearly lost her Marsh Creek Road ranch in the 2017 Deer Complex fire, when four wildfires broke out within minutes of each other – maxing out the district’s limited resources. As flames approached her fence line, she called 911 only to be told there were no resources available to send. Thompson and her husband Tony were left to fight off the flames alone
roast at 400 for 30 minutes to an hour, until they are slightly blackened. Chop them up, add fresh onion, ground chili pepper, some cilantro and lime juice and you have a savory homemade salsa. “Zoodle” some zucchini, toss with olive oil and halved cherry tomatoes for a light meal. Or toss with cooked pasta. Slice thick slabs of beefsteak or colorful heirloom tomatoes and plate. Add sliced fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a slice of beefsteak tomato to your grilled cheese or bacon, lettuce, avocado sandwiches. Any sandwich is better with a slab of summer tomato. Make homemade marinara, ketchup or tomato sauce.
until engines from Con Fire in Antioch showed up later in the morning. “I have pictures of Tony on the tractor scooping up buckets of s*** on fire and throwing it back over the fence before the fire department got here,” she recalled. “I’m so grateful to everyone who made annexation happen, but especially grateful to the ECCFPD firefighters who stuck with us through thick and thin,” she told the Pioneer. “There have never been any physical barriers between the two districts,” Thompson added. “Only administrative ones. It was time to remove those barriers.” Annexation will add East County’s 128,000 residents and 250 square miles to Con Fire, bringing the new district to 553 square miles with a population of 753,000. More than two years in the planning, annexation was made
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possible with money from Measure X, the half-cent sales tax hike voters approved in 2020. With those funds, Con Fire immediately reopened shuttered Station 95 in Oakley and plans to open a new Station 86 in Bay Point this summer. Two new stations in Brentwood will be completed in 2024. Cal Fire’s Sunshine station on Marsh Creek Road provides additional protection year around. During the MayNovember fire season Cal Fire covers the cost of the station. Con Fire contracts with Cal Fire to keep the station open the rest of the year. The beleaguered ECCFPD has been critically underfunded since its inception in 2002. Ballot measures to raise revenue through a parcel tax in 2010 and a Benefit Assessment District in 2017 were both failed to pass.. “What you are seeing today is an example of leadership,” Burgis said. “People with a lack of ego and super commitment and intelligence committed to finding a solution.”
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July 15, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Page 5
One Team. One Project. One Vision. Concord First Partners, LLC is honored to partner with the City o of Concord and the Community to deliver a transformational project to the regio on. #"! "! ! "" ! !# ! "" !#"! "! "! ! ! ! "! ! project a reality. Our partnership is a locally led team and has exte x nsive base reuse development experience, including four of California’s larg gest base reuse developments. ! " ! ! " " !#"! "! " ! ! ! "! !#"! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! " "! "! !" ! ! "! ! " ! ! "" " Please join us for our 3rd community outreach meeting on July 2 28th, 2022 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM via Zoom. This is open to all members of the community c and "! "! ! ! "! ! " ! ! ! ""
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
July 15, 2022
State Education Board holds fate of proposed breakaway Northgate District in its hands JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
The effort by a group in the Northgate High School area to break off from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and form a new, smaller district will have the appeal of its rejected application heard before the California State Board of Education this Wednesday. With virtually no political support for the effort that has been termed racist and elitist by many, the expectation is that the 10-member state board (an 11th board position is currently vacant) will reject the appeal. The Northgate Community Advocacy for our Public Schools initially filed their petition in 2017 to the Contra Costa County Office of Education requesting to split off the Northgate High School feeder area from the large MDSUD that currently serves about 29,000 students. A group tried a similar failed effort in 2008, that time to have five Walnut Creek schools in MDSUD join the Walnut Creek School District for K-8th grades and the Acalanes Union High School District.
The County Board rejected the 2022 application 3-2 and the appeal of that decision is finally before the ultimate arbiter at the state board. Northgate CAPS says its goal is “to create a new, smaller public school district that would be more responsive, more accountable and more transparent to the specific needs of our community’s students, teachers, and families.” The smaller school district would be composed of families from the Northgate High feeder pattern, including the Walnut Creek Northgate area and the Lime Ridge, Walnut Country and Crystal Ranch neighborhoods in Concord.
and 16% Latino or Hispanic. In contrast, all other District schools are 30% white and 45% Latino or Hispanic. Supervisor Karen Mitchoff said in a statement to the State
the MDUSD.” Mitchoff, who did not run for reelection this year, added, “I met with some of the proponents several years ago and let them know it was not the right thing to do and affected more than the students within the See PioneerPublishers.com area proposed for this 'new' school district. The stated reafor latest developments sons by those seeking this are spurious at best and downright Board of Education in opposi- mean at worst.” tion to the petition, "I am the County Supervisor who repre- STATE STAFF RECOMMEND DENIAL OF APPEAL sents District IV in Contra MDUSD points out that its Costa County. I am also a product of this school district hav- position is “bolstered by the ing attended grade, middle and California Department of Education staff recommendahigh school in Pleasant Hill. “I recall when Northgate tion that the State Board deny High School was built and the petition because it fails to know many of my teachers meet the conditions legally moved to the new school once required to allow such a diviit opened. I have long been sion of the District.” The District staff report opposed, and frankly appalled by the elitism shown by those goes on to say that in an who support this application, to inequitable division of propercarving out a special area from ty and facilities of the original
ALL WALNUT CREEK SCHOOLS Those areas are served in MDUSD by Foothill Middle School and Bancroft, Valle Verde and Walnut Acres elementary schools, all located in Walnut Creek. Opponents to this proposed district point to the Sponsored Content racial composition of those school’s 3700 students compared to the rest of MDUSD. The five schools are 51% white
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each passed resolutions in opposition to the petition. MDUSD Board Member Cherise Khaund, who represents the Northgate area of the District and is the parent of two District students, added "I agree with the California Department of Education recommendation that the State Board of Education should disapprove the petition to form a new Northgate school district, and with their concerns about how this proposal would remove the most affluent area of the Mt. Diablo USD to create a less diverse school district. “The diversity of Mt. Diablo school district is one of the things that drew us to enroll our children here, along with excellent programs such as Dual Language Immersion, International Baccalaureate UNIONS ALSO OPPOSE and Autism magnet programs. The Mt. Diablo Education I don't want my own or other Association teachers’ union Northgate area students to lose and Teamsters Union have access to all of this.”
district would take place. “In addition to failing to meet all of the minimum conditions for approval, the CDE did not find any compelling local educational needs or concerns that would be addressed by the unification proposal. Further, the proposed unification would remove the most affluent area of the MDSUD in order to create a smaller, less diverse, more affluent school district.” The proposed new district would not include Eagle Peak Montessori, an MDUSD approved charter school within the proposed district, or Oak Grove Middle and Ygnacio Valley High schools, which are located within the new district’s proposed boundaries, but serve students who live outside of its boundaries.
debris near holes and dents and fill with spackling compound. Larger holes may need a mesh or drywall patch. Sand and touchup paint as needed to complete the job. It’s also a great time to inspect hardware such as door hinges, locks and handles. WD-40 often does the trick. If your kitchen needs some TLC, start with a deep
cleaning of all appliances – including vacuuming refrigerator coils (for the second time this year). Your freezer will run more efficiently and save on energy if it is properly defrosted. Begin by using a spatula to loosen the ice. Take out all of the freezer compartments and allow them to come to room temperature before washing, so that they don’t crack. To speed up defrosting, place
bowls of hot water inside. Finally, wipe the inside dry and let it run for an hour before returning the food. Scott Denslow is the owner of Safe at Home Inspection Service. He is an InterNACHI and ASHI certified inspector who has 73+ five-star ratings on Yelp. Contact him at scott@safeathomellc.com. For more info visit www.safeathomellc.com.
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C NC E RT LIN E U P CO • Texture Matching • Interior Exterior Painting • Cabinet Painting • Color Consulting • Wood Refinishing • Digital Color Renderings • Power Washing Whit’s Painting recently completed painting the exterior of our home in The entire crew were professional and did a great job from • Exterior Cleaning Clayton. start to finish. As promised, they were on time, meticulously prepped our home, protected our landscaping and other property and cleaned up at • Drywall Repairs the end of each workday. The finished product looks great!
We appreciate that Whit’s Painting is a local company and we highly recommend them to our friends and neighbors in Clayton, Concord and Walnut Creek! —Dana & Kathy Seeman
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Ju N E 2
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Carlos Reyes
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The KillBillies Quattro with Mel Bearns
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July 15, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Page 7
Obituaries P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design, Website, Social Media B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor, Calendar Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports Editor, Schools Editor S TAFF W RITERS : Jay Bedecarré C ORRESPONDENTS : Bev Britton, Karen Jenkins, Kara Navolio, Pamela Michaels, David Scholz,
PIONEER INFO CONTACT US Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner
editor@pioneerpublishers.com (925) 285-8612
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calendar@pioneerpublishers.com The Pioneer is a monthly publication delivered free to homes and businesses in 94517, 94518, 94519 and 94521. ZIP code 94520 is currently served by drop site distribution. The papers are published by Clayton Pioneer, Inc., Tamara and Robert Steiner, PO 1246, Clayton, CA 94517. The offices are located at 6200 Center St. Suite F, Clayton, CA 94517 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues
will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print anonymous letters. E-mail your letter to tamara@pioneerpublishers.com. Letters must be submitted via E-mail. CIRCULATION The Pioneer is delivered monthly by the third Friday to 38,500 single-family homes and businesses in 94518, 94519 and 94521. Papers to Clayton are delivered by US mail. Concord zip codes are delivered by commercial carriers for ABC Direct. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 . Effective with the June 5, 2020 issue, delivery to homes will rotate between zones. Residents in our delivery area (check website for map),will receive free delivery EVERY OTHER MONTH. To guarantee Pioneer every month, please go to our website and SUBSCRIBE. ADVERTISING Advertising rates and circulation maps are posted at www.pioneerpublishers.com or call (925) 672-0500.
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Theresa M. Behdjet Dec. 23, 1968 - June 9, 2022 Theresa Michele Behdjet died peacefully at home on June 9, 2022, after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Her family was at her side, along with her dog Max. Theresa was born in Tarrytown, N.Y. After living in Oregon, she came to California in 1981. She attended Pine Hollow Middle School and Clayton Valley High School and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor of science in industrial engineering.
She subsequently returned to school to pursue her creative passion and earned an associate of arts degree in textile design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Theresa showed great courage making a midcareer shift to the textile industry and loved her work in the field of interior design. Theresa had many interests, including travel, hiking, skiing, the arts and live music. She enjoyed family vacations in
Ronald Salvatore Cataldo June 4, 2022
Carolyn F. Gregg May 16, 2022
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Blazing the trail to another realm she leaves behind the love of her life, John, living angel Donna, and Hanai daughters Kehau and Raina. Her legacy lives on through her three grandchildren: Hunter, FJ, and Kaia. Every fiber of her being was engulfed in the role of being “Nana” and “Gigi”. A one-ofa-kind grandmother, she sang “Itsy Bitsy Spider” like no other. Carolyn F. Gregg departed Carolyn was an admirable this plane of existence with the human being with the innate setting sun on May 16, 2022 in ability to make you feel heard Reno, Nevada. Survived by her without judgement and effortson Frank M. Chasseur and lessly relate with compassion. daughter, Shannon Chasseur; Highly attuned to the spiritual she will be missed by many. world- she was mindful, presForemost, Carolyn was an ent, and patient. An intellecunconditionally loving mother, tual wit and a keen sense of confidant, and friend. Her life humor made for a consistently was spent in devotion to the easy conversation. ones she loved, including our I love you, Mommy. P.S. lord and savior Jesus Christ. She Moisturize was born and raised in Concord to Charles and Francis Davis. She graduated from Mount Diablo High School in the class of 1961. After a few years in San Francisco, Carolyn moved back to Concord to raise her children and breed championship Collies. She was a voracious reader with a lifelong love of learning. Dancing to Neil Diamond and Dr. Hook were common occurrences for this artistically inclined and whimsically natured soul. Endurance horseback riding was her passion. Countless long distance rides were made in training for the Tevis Cup competition, a 100mile ride through the high Sierra mountains. In her leisure, she would trot the trails of Mt. Diablo on her trusty steed, Sinbad, and volunteer at local animal shelters. San Francisco Bay is where she honed her sailing skills in preparation for her voyage of the Greek Isles. Years were spent embracing the aloha spirit while living on and venturing around the Hawaiian Islands.
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one in her life – friends and family alike. She was thoughtful with a generous heart, always ready to help whenever needed. Theresa is survived by her mother Mariana Behdjet, her brother Andrei and nieces Zoe and Alexa. She will be dearly missed by her family, her many friends and everybody who knew her. Theresa will be loved forever. The family request that in lieu of flowers, donations be directed to the Shanti Project and the San Jose Museum of Quilt and Textiles in Theresa’s name.
Ronald was known for his kindness and sense of humor and for his dedication to his wife and family. He was a devoted grandfather who adored his grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife Jeanette, son Ron Jr. and wife Cheryl, son Todd and wife Ruth, and grandchildren Ronald Salvatore Cataldo III and Alexandra. A funeral service was held on June 30 at Holy Cross Cemetery and Funeral Center Dr. Ronald Salvatore Catal- in Antioch, followed by a celedo of Clayton died on June 5, bration of life at the Lone 2022, at the age of 83 after a Tree Golf Course & Event long struggle with Parkinson’s Center with many family and Disease and dementia. friends.
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Hawaii, Mexico, Sunriver and Lake Tahoe and was an avid traveler both in the United States and abroad. Her adventures included hiking the trail to Machu Picchu, Peru, the Camino de Santiago in Spain and trekking Chamonix in France. She loved attending performances ranging from theater to the San Francisco Symphony to outdoor music festivals. Theresa had a flair for fashion and a discerning eye, passionately exploring museums and art galleries. Theresa prioritized volunteering throughout her life. She served as a board member for Create Fixate in Los Angeles, an event and production manager for the Shanti Project in San Francisco and most recently as a board member for the San Jose Museum of Quilt and Textiles Theresa was loyal to every-
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
July 15, 2022
From the desk of... Concord working with MDRR to implement new recycling laws California is experiencing the very real effects of a climate crisis: hotter summers with world record-breaking temperatures, even more devastating fire seasons, more extreme droughts and rising sea levels that erode our coastlines. Scientists tell us that greenhouse gasses released by human activities cause climate change. One of the biggest contributing factors is methane emissions, a “climate super-pollutant” that is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Organic waste such as food scraps, yard trimmings, paper and cardboard make up most of the landfill material in California. When dumped into the landfill, this material releases methane – resulting in a disastrous effect on our environment. To take a significant step toward combatting climate change, the state Legislature has been working for several years to implement organics recycling laws that will be phased in over the next two years, with the goal of achieving a 75% reduction in the
Contra Costa County reaffirms reproductive health rights $14,000 a year toward childcare, the United States provides a paltry $500. And, American families are still struggling to regain their economic footing following the worst pandemic in a century. In this environment, any action to limit reproductive healthcare is not only misguided – it’s dangerous. KAREN MITCHOFF For that reason, Contra COUNTY Costa County reaffirms its commitment to ensuring supSUPERVISOR portive, confidential reproductive health-care services. The Last month, the U.S. ability to access reproductive Supreme Court trashed nearly care and to maintain autono50 years of established legal my over our own bodies is precedence and undermined essential to the health and the ability of women to conwell-being of every member trol their reproductive health. of our community. While highly anticipated, Any loss of reproductive the court’s decision to overrights threatens us all, particuturn the right to abortion is larly women, and especially nevertheless shocking and communities of color, and devastating. It promises to others disproportionately erode our nation’s commitaffected by health inequities. ment to health equity. Less access to care in Contra This will not be the case in Costa County would only Contra Costa County. Despite deepen those inequities. the court’s ill-considered deciThis Supreme Court decision, all women will continue sion has led to consternation, to have unfettered access to fear and confusion. So let us reproductive health care in be clear: The court’s reacour county. I am joined by tionary decision will have zero Contra Costa Health Director impact in Contra Costa CounAnna Roth in my committy. We are resolved to protect ment to this cause. the health of every resident Safeguarding the health of and ensure full access to care. every person in our county The full spectrum of demands that we continue to reproductive health services, ensure access to safe, compas- including access to abortions, sionate care – including abor- will remain fully intact. tion services. Some of us can remember The Supreme Court’s deci- a time when we did not have sion denies the realities of the the right to choose. Here in world in which we live. The Contra Costa County, we will United States ranks last do everything we can to not among all industrialized go back to those dark days. nations in maternal mortality. Our mortality rate for Black Please feel free to call my office mothers is nearly three times with any questions at 925-655that of white mothers. 2350 or email supervisorWhile other wealthy mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us. nations contribute about
statewide disposal of organic waste. Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery (MDRR) and the city of Concord continue to partner on the implementation of two specific state laws that will ultimately make it mandatory for every resident and business to recycle their organic waste. Assembly Bill 1826 is a state law that went into effect in 2016, requiring nearly all businesses and multi-family residential dwellings to recycle organic waste. Senate Bill 1383 is the “short-lived climate pollutants” bill that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, making it mandatory for every resident and business in California to recycle organics. This means you’ll be required to subscribe to organics service and sort out your food scraps, foodsoiled paper and yard trim-
mings from the trash while continuing to participate in recycling paper, cardboard and other recyclables. Concord has adopted the statewide mandates through a revision to our local municipal code required by CalRecycle, the state department overseeing implementation. MDRR and the city of Concord are working together to help businesses comply with the new law and to build the capacity to accept residential organics waste in the near future. This means making organics recycling containers available for businesses and multi-family residences and also developing a regular pickup schedule to coincide with the collection of green waste. Residents will be expected to place their food scraps into their existing green organics cart, but only after MDRR lets them know they are ready to
DOMINIC ALIANO
CONCORD MAYOR accept the food scraps, which is expected to occur within the next 18 months. This all may seem confusing, but I want to assure you that the city of Concord is working closely with MDRR to make sure our businesses and residents are supported during this transition. In addition to mailing informational materials and developing resources on the MDRR web-
site, the city has been sending information to all affected businesses, and we will continue to communicate to our residents and business owners about these new requirements. MDRR has designated diversion specialists who can help businesses figure out which service levels will be most cost-effective and appropriate for their business or multi-family property. You can learn more at www.mdrr.com/sb1383. Mandatory recycling of organic waste is the next step toward achieving California’s aggressive recycling and greenhouse gas emission goals, and it is a worthy endeavor. Protecting our planet from future destruction will require a big collective effort. Let’s all do our part. Email questions and comments to the mayor at Dominic.Aliano@cityofconcord.org
Pride, July 4th events part of what makes Clayton great on the love and positivity from the Clayton Pride parade. It was such a success,” said one resident. Another shared that “the exhilaration, the love and the HOLLY TILLMAN intention of the whole organiCLAYTON zation really superseded anything I’ve ever experienced in VICE-MAYOR the town of Clayton.” Kudos to everyone There has been a whirlinvolved, and it was an honor wind of activity both behind to work alongside all of you. the scenes and in our downThe following week, we town the past several weeks. The Clayton Pride Parade celebrated July 4th with the Committee hosted its inaugu- return of our annual parade. After missing the full parade ral event on June 25 and was elated to see the support from for two straight years, it was residents, businesses and non- clear that spectators were profit organizations, as well as looking forward to the event. It was nice to see many neighboring cities and dignitaries. As word spread around businesses open early to serve the Bay Area, the all-volunteer breakfast or cater to patrons. I witnessed several groups team was able to raise more around the perimeter of town than $20,000 in donations to fully fund all parade expenses hoping to catch a glimpse of – including street closures and the festivities. As one business owner mentioned, we should extra security. Although not everyone in consider extending the parade Clayton embraces the idea of route around the Town Center our town hosting Pride, many so all businesses and residents can enjoy the parade without felt differently. having to sit on top of one “Over a week and a day another. later, we are still riding high
Thank you to the staff and volunteers who put in all the work to bring this together. I would also like to give a shoutout to our amazing city staff, made up of a small but mighty crew. As Mayor Peter Cloven has mentioned in previous articles, the staff is tasked with ensuring we have a balanced budget for the 2022-’23 fiscal year and a compliant Housing Element in January 2023, along with dispensing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds per federal guidelines. In addition to their daily tasks of code enforcement, permit processing, City Council and Planning Commission meeting preparation and overseeing paving projects throughout town, staff is also completing an IT assessment to help us ensure we have proper safety mechanisms in place. They also now have our budget and live checkbook available online, making us a more transparent city. Please visit https://cleargov.com/california/contracosta/city/clayton if you are
interested in learning more about our city’s finances. Stay tuned for an update on the organizational assessment in the works that will look deeper into staffing, workload and efficiencies. Although not everyone in town agrees with decisions this current council makes, we are committed to ensuring staff has all the technology and resources they need to make them more efficient, which will also afford them the time to streamline processes. I am committed to pushing back on any narrative that paints our staff as anything but hardworking. As processes are finalized, we will share them with the community so everyone is on the same page regarding timeliness for maintenance requests and the priority of such requests. If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at hollyt@claytonca.gov or 925-302-6261. Enjoy the last few weeks before school starts again.
Library, from page 1
tributed mightily to this project. And, of course, to the public who provided input and support during this process. We couldn’t have done it without you. The Grand Opening features a ribbon-cutting as the doors are thrown open to visitors, who’ll be admitted in waves. But not to worry, there will be plenty to do outside the library as well. We’ll have refreshments, crafts, creek tours, music, storytime and more. Inside, you’ll have time to tour this wonderful building and delight in all it has to offer. In addition to 60,000 new books on the shelves, the library includes many thoughtful amenities: an early learning center for our young ones, a
makerspace for hands-on learning, an activity yard with a play wall and giant log sculpture, tech areas, a beautiful garden, study rooms and quiet spaces for contemplation. It also features family-friendly areas like the Nelis Nook, named in memory of our beloved Public Information Officer Martin Nelis, who died several years ago. The building is light, airy and welcoming, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with you. While the Grand Opening only runs until noon, you won’t have to leave when it’s over. The library will be open until 5 p.m., with activities and programs scheduled throughout the day. It’s an extremely exciting time for us. Please join us on July 30 as we throw open the doors to this wonderful new Pleasant Hill destination. I want to end this article with two of my favorite quotes that certainly apply to our new library: “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein. “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” – Walter Cronkite. Email questions and comments for Mayor Harris to mharris4ph@gmail.com
In 2017, the City Council began turning the wheels on this project when we hired the world-renowned architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to design the building. Margaret Sullivan Studio also played an integral role in the design. Once the final design was
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completed after significant public input, the City Council approved the project and it was time to begin construction. In September 2020, the City Council put shovels to dirt in an official groundbreaking. Now, after years of amazing effort, we are finally opening the doors to you, our community. Our city staff have done a fantastic job bringing this zeroenergy, carbon-neutral, green project online (and within budget) despite the pandemic and supply chain issues. I’m grateful to all our council members and especially to my fellow Library Committee member Sue Noack, whose foresight and insights con-
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July 15, 2022
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Rea moves up Chamber’s ranks as new president/CEO The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce is happy to announce the promotion of Melissa Rea as the new president/CEO as of July 1. Rea, 30, started with the chamber in August 2014 as membership coordinator, her first job out of college. She has also served as events and marketing manager and most recently as director of operations and marketing. “Melissa is a stellar choice as president/CEO. I was impressed with her ability to work with businesses through the pandemic,” said former
chamber executive Kevin Cabral. “She thrives in complex situations. With her innovative thinking, I look forward to the chamber’s continued success.” Rea received her bachelor’s in business administration, with a concentration in marketing, from Cal State Sacramento in 2013. Her interest in marketing began while taking a marketing ROP class through Alhambra High School in Martinez. She later received a marketing internship at Sunvalley Shopping Center that extended through her education at Diablo Valley
College. After transferring to Sacramento, she had the opportunity to intern in communications and outreach at Make-AWish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada. She also worked with Visit Concord, assisting the executive director with promotional efforts. She continues to collaborate with them to bring leisure and business travelers into Concord. “We have worked together many years, and she was a key partner in supporting our local businesses during the pandemic,” said Tim McGal-
lian, a State Farm insurance agent and member of the Concord City Council. “The chamber is in good hands.” Rea supports giving back to the community and has volunteered as event lead for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and currently sits on the board for the Kiwanis Club of Concord. She believes it is important to adapt with the economy and needs of businesses so the chamber can continue to be the leading organization to support, create a voice and advocate for businesses. “Melissa is both an opti-
Low inventory means housing bubble won’t burst out of the bubble. This hurts sellers but is good for buyers – the opposite of what we have been experiencing for at LYNNE FRENCH least the last few years. If this happens, it can be REAL ANSWERS called a crash. Elements that can cause a crash include Q. What factors cause a loans suddenly becoming housing bubble? Are we in harder to get, mortgage interone now? est rates rising too quickly, an A. A housing bubble can economic slowdown causing grow when there is a lot of demand along with the ability massive deflation and jobs disappearing too quickly, along to buy. It forms when prices with demand. rise quickly and rise above Based on supply and affordability. As prices become less and demand, many experts don’t less affordable, the bubble can expect a crash in the next few years. We still have low invenget so big that it is out of tory and don’t see that changreach for most people. Sales ing in the foreseeable future. slow and inventory stays on One factor that feeds into the market longer, which builds more inventory. Supply that is the Millennials. They will be controlling the housing and demand get out of market for a long time to whack. Our recently scarce inven- come, just as the Baby tory is now growing. This will Boomers did. The Millennials are the most educated group cause prices to drop, and the of people in history. The air can slowly or quickly leak
largest group of them is 29-32 years old, and the most active age for home buying is around 32. Many of the Millennials will be first-time buyers, so affordability will remain key as well as quality of life. Millennials are looking for familyfriendly suburbs, such as those in Contra Costa County. But some will leave California for much more affordable places like Austin, Nashville and Boise. Q. The Fed keeps raising interest rates. Are they trying to ruin the housing market? A. I always refer these types of questions to a smart lender, Jay Voorhees of JVM Lending. He said the Federal Reserve does not control mortgage rates. Actually, mortgage rates went down 3/8ths of a percent after the Fed raised rates 0.75% on June 15. That is because the Fed raises the
short-term funds rate that banks pay to each other overnight. The Fed does not control long-term rates like the 10-year Treasury bond or the 30-year mortgage rate. The Fed can influence longterm rates with its comments, but it doesn’t have the final say. Voorhees says the bond market has the final say, and that is exactly what we have been seeing over the last few weeks. Based on experts’ comments, my prediction is we will not have a crash in the next five years – but rather a slowdown and perhaps prices leveling off or actually going down. But it won’t ruin the economy. Thank you, Millennials. Lynne French is a Realtor with Compass Real Estate and captain of the Lynne French Team. Contact her at lynne@lynnefrench.com or 925-6728787.
mist and a realist. When she heads into a challenge, failure is not an option,” said Tamara Steiner, editor/publisher of the Pioneer and a member of the chamber board. “We are lucky to have her.” Having grown up in the immediate area and worked in Concord since 2008, Rea is invested in helping the community grow and thrive. Her goal is to build upon the chamber’s diverse and multigenerational membership that encompasses a shared vision of economic vitality. MELISSA REA “We know she has the expertise and passion for leading the business community,” by the office at 2280 Diamond said Concord Mayor Dominic Blvd., #200, Concord or call 925Aliano. 685-1181. Email Melissa Rea at mrea@concordchamber.com. Learn more about the Concord Chamber of Commerce at info@concordchamber.com. Or stop
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July 15, 2022
From Sal’s to Parma – now that’s Italian Sal Drago moved the deli from Salvio and Galindo streets, by the old Concord Super Market, to its present location in the El Monte Shopping Center off Clayton Road in the late ’50s. CAROL LONGSHORE Sal died in 1979 and his wife Liz and daughter Cindy took YESTERYEAR over the deli for a few years. Cindy said she worked there as Italians were a big part of soon as her arms were long the second group of pioneer enough to reach the sink. settlers in Concord, the first In 1982, Cesto and Mary being the Galindo and Pacheco Pacchetti and Lou and Anna families. Ferrari partnered up and bought Back in the early 19th centu- the deli from Liz, changing the ry, the Italians could be sponname from Sal’s to Parma, a city sored or they could sponsor a in Italy. They still bought their family from Italy. They were meats from ItalFoods, an Italian landowners and grew grapes, wholesaler in San Francisco. vegetables and other crops. The After six years, they were gist of this story is about one ready to sell. Friends Mary Italian man who started a little Totah and Marilyn Rovai deli back in the early 1950s. (If became the new owners. When you’ve ever been to an Italian Marilyn died in 2011, Mary deli, you know there is a big dif- brought in her sons, Sam, Chris ference between Italian delis and Mark, a ready- made team, and supermarkets delis.) to help her. Mark went on to be
a chef and Chris a teacher, but Sam loves the business and all the people who frequent Parma. He’s still there with his mother, selling the same meats that have always been served. People say there isn’t a better mortadella anywhere. Mary and Sam are delightful human beings (from Palestine, actually) who can cook up the best Italian food you could ever want. Clayton Valley Charter High School art students completed
Parma’s rustic mural a few years ago – long before the city’s latest murals. Stop by sometime and say hi to Sam and Mary. Sam is the proud father of a young daughter and, if we’re lucky, she will love the deli and it can last many, many more years.
Carol Longshore has been a Concord resident since 1950. She is a community leader and past president of the Carol Longshore Concord Historical Society. Send comments and suggestions for future topics to Concord’s Parma Deli in the El Monte Shopping Center continues to be a favorite for Italian fare. editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
Too many red flags made Brookfield a poor choice BART deal. 2. They never reached out to the community. 3. They never reached out to the immediate neighbors EDI BIRSAN who had serious objections to BART’s plan to build on their PULSE OF backyard fence. CONCORD 4. They never reached out to the City Council on the In a recent TV interview project. on Brookfield’s walk away 5. They never pushed from the development of BART on their side and North Concord BART, I stat- ignored the community as ed “I was not surprised.” above. About two years ago, However, there is more Brookfield entered a competi- when it came to the weapons tive bid to develop a transit station Master Development village that would have includ- Agreement: ed housing, shops, etc. They 1. In my first meeting with then sat on it and just pulled them, I asked them about the out. above issues. Their answer was This is the same company that they wanted to see what we that wanted to be the Master were really going to do, which I Developer of the Concord also attributed to why they did Naval Weapons Station and not submit the required agreelost out to the Concord First ment with the building trades – Partners. I did not support which was done only by ConBrookfield then because of cord First Partners. what I saw as red flags in their 2. About eight months proposal and situation, some prior, there was a mass demonof which relate to the BART stration against them in their deal: New York office by IBEW3 1. They never signed or (electricians’ union) for wage started to negotiate a union theft: agreeing to a Project contract required by the Labor Agreement (PLA) and
not following through. For the various sins of the Concord First Partners, breaking a PLA was not one of them. 3. A New York municipality had gone through project assignment. After getting it and waiting and waiting, Brookfield walked. 4. In a fight with AIG, they had to pay out more than $900 million for what might be called legalistic misbehavior. 5. They had numerous environmental fines, currently more than $7 million, hardly making them the squeaky clean of developers. 6. They had a sketchy set of deals with Jared Kushner over a New York City building. 7. When asked who they were going to use for the 40% local origins, they replied, “We have a very good relationship with Albert Seeno.” They were going to use Discovery. With Discovery at 45% of Concord Partners with their money at risk, we should have a better power position than trying to deal with them through the screen of Wall Street. Then again, there is more in how to deal with this: 1. Legal advisors asked if
they would rather go against Brookfield or the Concord Partners clearly said Concord First Partners. 2. When asked, friends in the labor movement advised that dealing with the local/Main Street companies was far better. 3. When asked of financial friends and reflecting on my own experiences with Lennar, the position was that Wall Street would always have a higher demand for a rate of return than privately held, Main Street companies. The world is a dangerous place, and I have had to deal with high-risk situations all over it in the maritime business. It never comes down to trust – that is naïve. It always starts with your power relationship vs. those with whom you are dealing. If you are going to wrestle an alligator, pick the smallest one and wrap as many bands around its mouth as you can. Edi Birsan is a member of the Concord City Council. However, opinions expressed in this column are his alone and do not reflect those of the city. Send comments and questions to EdiBirsan@gmail.com.
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Local high school sports starting and we can’t wait to watch the Crocodiles face the Wolves JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Local high schools begin the 2022-23 term in less than a month and that means that athletes and teams are already gearing up for fall sports with the attitude that pandemicrelated interruptions are in their rearview mirror, and they can focus on being the best versions of themselves, whatever that might be for each individual athlete and team. And when two of Concord’s high school teams take to the field, golf course, tennis court, gymnasium, swimming pool or running course this fall it will be for the firstever matchups between the Wolves and the Crocodiles. No more Warriors or Minutemen as Concord High is officially changing its nickname to the Crocodiles and they will be going up against the Wolves when they compete against Ygnacio Valley High. Concord High adopted the Minutemen mascot when the school opened in the fall of 1966, four years after Ygnacio Valley started its first term in 1962 with their sports teams known as the Warriors. During the recently completed spring semester Concord High went through a process of choosing a new nickname. Principal Rianne Pfaltzgraff, who left her post
Crocodile by Jack Kelly and Wolf by Margo Noyelle on Unsplash.com
The Minutemen of Concord High have met the Warriors of Ygnacio Valley in athletic competition since 1966, but no more. The two Concord high schools changed their school mascots this year based on student votes, so henceforth it will be the Concord Crocodiles battling the YV Wolves when the rivalry of 56 years resumes during the 2022-23 school year.
at the end of the school year after eight years in change at CHS, had begun looking into a name change in 2019-20 before the pandemic put that effort on the backburner. The school’s Minutemen nickname was in honor of the men who formed the Minutemen militia in Concord, Massachusetts as the American Revolution was beginning in 1775. The gender specificity of the name and having the Minuteman image at the school holding a rifle were what sparked those
pushing for a change to the CHS mascot. The process of choosing a new Concord High nickname included a community meeting this spring that a reported “handful” of non-school people attended. They helped whittle down a list of suggested nicknames to 10 which were “representative of our school community.” There were eventually three votes on campus that all students and staff could take part in, culminating with Crocodiles outpolling Cobras and Coy-
otes in the final vote. Ygnacio Valley had their name change approved in April by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District board and will be fully implementing it this semester. The MDUSD board has not yet set the Crocodile change on its agenda according to a district spokesperson. Neither name change engendered much positive feedback among alumni of the two Concord schools. For the followers of the other local high schools, don’t
fret, you will still have your fill EBAL Championships of Red Devils (Mt. Diablo), TBA Broncos (Northgate), Spartans NCS Championships (De La Salle), Ugly Eagles Nov. 19 (Hayward High (Clayton Valley Charter), Fal- School) cons (College Park) and CIF State ChampiCougars (Carondelet). onships Nov. 26 (Woodward Park, Fresno) FALL SPORTS Cross Country Football (Boys & Girls) Non-league games Aug. DAL Center Meets Sept. 26 – Sept. 30 28 and Oct. 19 DAL and EBAL League DAL Championships games Oct. 7 – Nov. 4 Nov. 5 (Hidden Valley Park, Martinez)
See Mascot, page B4
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July 15, 2022
DLS seeks to reestablish its place atop NorCal football JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
In some ways, nothing is any different than it has been for several decades as the 2022 high school football season nears with De La Salle ranked as the No. 1 team in Northern California and in America’s Top 40. On the other hand, so much changed last year when the Spartans lost three games and failed to reach the state championship game for the first time since the bowl series began in 2006. In the process, the Concord powerhouse saw two of its most significant and historic steaks ended. Last Sept. 10, the prep football world had a major shock when Saint Francis of Mountain View scored late in the game to defeat DLS 31-28
ending a record most likely never to be approached. The Spartans had not lost a game to a team north of Clovis since the 1991 North Coast Section championship game to Pittsburg when Saint Francis defeated them ending a streak of 318 unbeaten games. During the season however De La Salle beat CIF Section champions Folsom, Cathedral Catholic of San Diego and Pittsburg enroute to the school’s 29th consecutive NCS title. After being snubbed by CIF for the automatic State Open Division Bowl berth, De La Salle hosted Folsom in the Northern California Division I-AA Regional Bowl in Concord last December. DLS failed on a two-point conversion in the last two minutes and fell 28-27 in a rematch
with the Sacramento area powerhouse after the Spartans had won the regular season matchup 31-10 at Folsom. The Bulldogs then lost 3321 in the State Bowl game to Cathedral Catholic. The Spartans non-league schedule this year has them traveling to defending state champion Cathedral Catholic while they will have the opportunity to avenge last fall’s defeats when Saint Francis and Folsom each come to Owen Owens Field in September. In the pre-season MaxPreps National poll, De La Salle is ranked No. 38, which is the fifth highest among California schools with St. John Bosco and Mater Dei 1 and 2 in the USA. Third nationally is St. Francis Academy of Baltimore who inflicted the third defeat on DLS in 2021.
Athlete Spotlight Kelsey Macaulay Team: Oakhurst Orcas Age: 18 Sports: Swimming, Soccer As a child, Macaulay participated in golf, tennis, gymnastics, basketball, diving, soccer and swimming. By the time she was a high school freshman at Carondelet, she whittled down her sports to soccer and swimming. When she graduated in May she had spent her first two years on Cougar soccer teams and all four years swimming for CHS. This summer she is concluding her swim career for the Oakhurst Orcas, where she is also a junior coaching for the Clayton-based recreation swim team. Macaulay chose to participate in soccer at Carondelet as a freshman in order to make friends and to get to know people who had similar interests as her. She chose to swim there because she’s always loved the sport and wanted to bring that love of swimming into her high school experience. She concluded this season with the Cougars taking second, barely missing out on winning the North Coast Section championship. Macaulay has been swimming each summer for the Oakhurst Orcas for a decade and she also played club soccer through her junior year in high school. Macaulay was on the NCS President’s List as a junior and senior, and was named to the 2022 NISCA Academic All-America swim team. Macaulay’s favorite part about being a Carondelet athlete was that she was able to represent a highly-respected, supportive and positive program. That pushed her to be the very best person she could be, on and off the field and in the pool. She had the opportunity to participate in a successful sports community where she could strive for excellence and set new goals for herself. She believes that sports taught her many life lessons;
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mostly, she learned about responsibility, teamwork and the importance of balancing working as a team and working individually. Oakhurst coach Jasmine Castillo has played a significant role in her love and success in swimming. Castillo has coached Macaulay since she was seven-years-old and has helped her to develop into the swimmer and individual she is today. Macaulay’s hard work and discipline as an athlete is also reflected in her success as a student. She earned a 4.18 and that was rewarded when she qualified for the Academic All-America team this year. She volunteered at St. Bonaventure Church in their faith formation program every Sunday and volunteered for A Hop, Skip and A Jump Ahead occupational therapy program the last two years. Macaulay’s college career starts this fall at prestigious Vanderbilt University in Nashville to study elementary education in the hopes of becoming a teacher. Clayton Valley Charter High School student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight. The Pioneer congratulates Kelsey 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 hthey have shown exceptional sportsmanship, improvement or great heart for the sport. Email your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight to Sports@PioneerPublishers.com
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Folsom is rated 48th, Serra 76th and perennial DLS playoff opponent Pittsburg 87th nationally going into this season. Their final game is the now traditional East Bay Athletic League matchup with their hometown rivals Clayton Valley Charter. The Ugly Eagles host this year’s Nov. 4 match at Gonsalves Stadium. Last fall DLS was seeded No.1 and CVCHS third in NCS Open Division. The highest of highs for De La Salle football have often coincided with high calibre play at quarterback to marshal all the elements of the run-oriented offense. Coach Justin Alumbaugh has two athletic yet inexperienced players competing to be No. 1 signal-caller this fall. Whoever wins the position will have two elite senior offensive weapons to lean on in running back Charles Greer and 6-5 tight end Connor Flannigan, who has verbally committed to Notre Dame. Junior Carson Su’esu’e was the varsity backup last year and would seem to have the edge going into pre-season practice starting Aug. 8, just 18 days before the first game. Sophomore Toa Faavae played on junior varsity last season before being called up for the playoffs. Whichever player is not tabbed for the starting role will see plenty of action at another skill position as Alumbaugh highly rates their athletic abilities. ONE CHANGE IN DAL DIVISIONS The Diablo Athletic League made one change from last year’s Foothill and Valley football divisions with Northgate
Jay Bedecarré
Carson Su’esu’e spent most of his sophomore football season watching his De La Salle Spartans from the sidelines as the backup quarterback. He only attempted four passes and carried the ball four times. This fall, the 6-5 junior is competing with soph Toa Faavae for the starting QB role. Coach Justin Alumbaugh says Su’esu’e will have a key role on the team whether at quarterback or wide receiver.
moving up to Foothill and Alhambra of Martinez replacing the Broncos in the Valley. Rae Jackson Sr. is the new coach at Ygnacio Valley, which will be playing its first season as the Wolves. Besides De La Salle and Clayton Valley Charter, two other local schools qualified for the NCS playoffs. Unfortunately for Northgate (Division III) and Mt. Diablo (D-IV), both got an eighth seed which pitted them against the 2021
No. 1 seed in their division. Each lost their first-round game to the eventual Section Championship team. LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
Clayton Valley Charter (Open Div./Div. 1) - 8/26 Salinas, 9/2 Del Oro-Loomis, 9/9 at Canyon Springs-North Las Vegas, 9/16 7 Turlock, 10/1 at Jesuit-Carmichael, 10/7 at
See Football page B3
Kara Kohler claims first individual rowing gold medal international competition JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Eleven years after her last trip to the historic Henley Royal Regatta, Clayton’s Kara Kohler won The Princess Royal Challenge Cup this month on the River Thames for her first international gold medal in single sculls. This was second podium finish in two major competitions in Europe this summer for the Clayton Valley High and Cal Berkeley grad. Earlier she teamed with Sophia Vitas to take third at World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, Poland. The duo will represent the U.S. at the World Rowing Championships Sept. 18-25 in Racice, Czech Republic. Two-time Olympian Kohler competed in the 2011 Henley Regatta, winning the Princess Grace Challenge Cup in the quad sculls. This year Kohler, who is now training at the Texas Rowing Center in Austin, defeated Great Britain’s Imogen Grant by 2.25 lengths in the finals. Kohler and Grant got off the start about even before Kohler, who won a bronze medal in the single at the 2019 World Rowing Championships and represented America last year in the event at the Tokyo Olympics, began to pull away. Kohler established her twolength lead during the middle third of the race before cruising to the victory. She had won her semi-final over Ukraine’s Diana Dymchenko by 2.75 lengths. The Ukrainian had taken a length advantage thanks to a strong start and continued to lead Kohler with about 700 meters to go. That’s when the Clayton rower upped her rating and rowed through Dymchenko with about 500 meters to go and
Clayton’s Kara Kohler last raced in the historic Henley Royal Regatta in 2011, helping her team win the Princess Grace Challenge Cup in the quad sculls. This month she was back on the River Thames and won her first ever international gold medal in single sculls, taking first in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.
pulled away for the victory. Kohler posted a notice on Facebook saying it “was an honor to claim the Princess Royal Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. Since it has been 11 years since my last appearance at Henley I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to fulfill my goal of winning the 1X here. Don’t know when I’ll be able to make it back but sure hope it’s not that long again!” Kohler also competed in England in 2012 when she was part of the American bronze medal winning quad at the London Olympics. At the World Cup II, the US had two boats racing in the final of the women’s double sculls. Kohler and Vitas racing as USA 1 earned the bronze medal. The Netherlands led from start to finish, clocking 6:54.67 to take gold. China got off the line in second place before the Irish boat moved into silver-medal position in the second quarter of the race. USA 1 sat a couple of seconds behind China at the mid-
way point before beginning to cut into their lead in the third 500 meters. Kohler and Vitas continued to press the Chinese boat over the final 500 meters before passing them to claim third. Ireland won the silver medal in a 6:59.03, with USA 1 clocking a 6:59.49 less than a second ahead of China. After the finals Kohler, USRowing’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2019, said, “Still learning lots about the 2X. Different boat classes come with slightly different challenges. Sometimes you have to do less to get more speed and timing is everything.” She trained in Italy before heading to England for the Henley. Due to travel restrictions in Japan around COVID-19, no one from Kohler’s family was able to attend her second Olympics. Mom Caryl Kohler was able to go to England this summer to watch the Henley Royal Regatta and they also attended Wimbledon for the world’s most famous tennis tournament.
July 15, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Athlete Spotlight Grace & Brady Cannon Club: Walnut Country Swim Team School Northgate High Sport: Swimming At last weekend’s Crossings Challenge, the host Walnut Country Swim Team hosted competition for over 500 rec swimmers including two of their own Stingrays, Grace and Brady Cannon. Younger brother Brady moved up to the 15-18 age group this summer and he placed first in A division for the 100yard freestyle, backstroke and butterfly (barely missing some pool records) while his sister was in the top four in the B division individual medley, free and breast. Brady will be a sophomore at Northgate High this fall, a year behind Grace. The 17-year-old sister, who was born with Down syndrome, will be on the Broncos varsity cheer team after being on the JV squad the past two years. Besides swimming for
Walnut Country, she’s played baseball in the Clayton Valley Little League Challenger program for five years and her brother has been coaching there the past three seasons. She joined the Stingrays last year after watching and learning from Brady’s meets since he was eight. Mom Traci swam for the Stingrays growing up in The Crossings. She says Grace doesn’t like loud noises or crowds but she’s now right in the middle of the excitement generated at swim meets and all the Northgate sports and school events she cheers at, and her daughter says she is “having fun.” With Brady’s swim meets and other activities including his work in his stagecraft class for the school’s drama department and Grace’s cheering at
sports events and school functions, the Concord family feels like they are traveling over Ygnacio Valley Rd. to Northgate almost non-stop. Brady has parttime jobs this summer coaching the Walnut Country Little Rays and as a lifeguard at Concord Community Pool where he is an adaptive and rescue lifeguard. He is “saving up for a car” so when he turns 16 next April and he gets his driver’s license he can drive his sister to her games and activities. As part of the powerful Northgate swim team Brady has to attend at least one of two 5:30 a.m. weekly practices before he heads off for his 7 a.m. leadership class. His favorite classes are math and stagecraft while Grace likes dance and her duties as a teaching assistant. Being exposed to the special needs community through his sister, Brady wants to find a career as an occupational therapist for that population. His sister is thinking about going to Diablo Valley College in a couple years before finding her career path. The Pioneer congratulates Grace and Brady and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com. Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.
Bill Ralston earns All-America baseball honors for 2nd time JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
For the second consecutive year, Clayton Valley Charter High grad Bill Ralston was named to the ABCA Division II All-America third team after an outstanding junior season for the Metropolitan State University Denver third baseman. Earlier he also earned allregion first-team honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings for the second straight season. A two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference first-team performer, Ralston batted .330 with 23 homers and 75 RBIs in 2022. He further earned all-region firstteam honors from the ABCA for the second straight season. He ranked third in the RMAC and seventh in Division II in homers, third and 15th in RBIs, sixth and 18th in total bases (157), sixth and 45th in runs (66) and he’s 74th in the
country in slugging percentage (.701). His Roadrunners won the RMAC tournament with an 85 victory over Colorado Mesa in the winner-take-all championship game, avenging their elimination in last year’s tournament by the same team. They were eliminated with two straight defeats to Texas schools in the NCAA Division II South-Central Regional. The former Ugly Eagles and Diablo Valley College player had capped a breakout sophomore season in 2021 at Metro State by earning third team Division II All-America honors from ABCA. A two-time all-DAL player, he graduated from Clayton Valley Charter in 2017 where he played for his uncle Casey Coakley. He was awarded a scholarship to Saint Mary’s College and redshirted in the 2018 season. When his one-year SMC baseball scholarship wasn’t renewed Ralston went to DVC
California-San Ramon, 10/21 Monte Vista–Danville, 10/28 at Amador Valley-Pleasanton, 11/4 at Clayton Valley Charter. Mt. Diablo (Div. 4) - 8/26 Lathrop, 9/2 Albany, 9/17 at Arroyo (San Lorenzo), 9/24 at San Lorenzo, 9/30 at Richmond, 10/7 at Ygnacio Valley, 10/14 Alhambra, 10/21 Berean Christian, 10/28 at College Park, 11/4 Concord. Northgate (Div. 3) - 8/27 at Deer Valley, 9/10 at Las Lomas, 9/17 Bethel-Vallejo, 9/24 at Rodriguez-Fairfield, 10/7 Miramonte, 10/14 Las Lomas, 10/21 at Campolindo, 10/28 at Benicia, 11/4 Acalanes. Ygnacio Valley (Div. 6) – 8/27 at Washington-San Francisco, 9/9 at Kennedy-Fremont, 9/23 Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento, 9/30 Stone Ridge Christian-Merced, 10/7 Mt. Diablo, 10/14 at Concord, 10/21 at College Park, 10/28 Alhambra, 11/4 at Berean Christian.
S p o r t s S ho r t s SUMMER RECREATION SWIM SEASON CULMINATES ON FINAL 2 JULY WEEKENDS
The summer recreation swimming season concludes over the final two July weekends with the 55th Concord City Swimming Championships at Northgate High School for the second year in a row July 22-24 and the 61st Contra Costa County Championships July 29-31 at Acalanes High in Lafayette. The Dana Hills Swim Team of Clayton will be out to defend both its city and county meet championships from 2021 after the entire 2020 rec swimming season was wiped out by the pandemic. The Otters have won A Division in 28 of the past 29 Concord meets and broke through for their first-ever county title last summer. Gehringer Park is hoping to rake up its third consecutive B Division championship in the Concord meet.
CARONDELET, DE LA SALLE SWIMMERS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
Carondelet High has had six simmers from this year’s team met the standards to be selected for the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Academic All-America team. Roder Thomas of neighboring De La Salle also earned the laurels. Cougar swimmers Kelsey Macaulay of Clayton, Concord’s Aubrey Newton and Jenna Ravarino, Kylie Williamson of Pleasant Hill, Ellie O'Sullivan and Annika Sharma made the grade for NISCA honors. Seniors must meet three standards to qualify for the award including having a minimum 3.75 GPA (on a 4.0 point scale) for seven semesters, be a graduating senior and have lettered this school year in their high school swimming, diving or water polo season. Over 353,936 students participate in aquatics at the high school level in over 17,454 programs for boys and girls. Less than 2% of these students are recognized as high school Academic All-Americas.
AQUANUTS OFFERING SUMMER CLINIC , CAMP FALL SHOW RETURNS SEPT. 1-4
The Walnut Creek Aquanuts recreational trainee program runs through August and the Week in the Creek Camp is July 2729. The world-renowned artistic swimming club in Walnut Creek presents its annual Fall Show, a Labor Day Weekend Tradition with lights, costumes and a full stage Sept. 1-4. For more information about the Aquanuts go to aquanuts.org.
JUNIOR OPTIMIST HOSTING SUMMER, FALL BASEBALL PROGRAMS
Photo by Darral Freund courtesy Metro State Athletics
Clayton Valley Charter High grad Bill Ralston again excelled at the plate this season for Metro State Denver and that landed him on the ABCA Division II All-America third team for the second season in a row. His Roadrunners team won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II Regionals.
and played in the final season for Hall of Fame coach Steve Ward. Ralston then went to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton to play under another renowned coach Reed Peters. That 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pan-
demic, but the infielder showed enough ability that Peters recommended him to Metro State, where Peter’s son Cade was playing. The college and Ralston are both happy that connection was made!
Junior Optimist Baseball League is hosting its baseball and softball camp for boys and girls on Saturday mornings through Aug. 13 for 4–14-year-olds. Fall Ball co-ed program is also taking registration now for a Saturday program starting Sept. 10 through Oct. 29. JOBL plays all its games at the JOBL Complex in North Concord. Visit joblconcord.com or email info@joblconcord.com for more information and to register.
CONCORD AYSO ACCEPTING FALL SEASON PLAYER REGISTRATIONS
Concord AYSO Region 305 is accepting player registrations for its fall soccer program. The season begins Aug. 1 and runs through Oct. 29 with regional and area tournaments following in November. Girls and boys ages 3-18 can register. Concord AYSO also hosts a free VIP program open for kids with special needs. All fields for practice and games are located in Concord. Fall registration closes July 31. Visit concordayso.org to register and for more information. AT
BASKETBALL PROGRAMS RUNNING ALL OUT SPORTS IN CLAYTON GYM
All Out Sports League in Clayton is offering its popular basketball camps this summer and is now accepting applications for fall league, all held in Clayton Community Gym. There are two more summer camps this month. Fall league begins with player evaluations on Sept 16. Leagues games are on Saturdays from Oct. 8 to Nov. 12. For complete information visit alloutsportsleague.com.
Football, from page B2 Amador Valley-Pleasanton, 10/14 at San Ramon Valley, 10/21 California-San Ramon, 10/28 at Monte VistaDanville, 11/4 De La Salle. College Park (Div. 3) – 8/26 – Stellar Prep-Hayward, 9/2 Franklin-Stockton, 9/16 Hercules, 9/23 at Northgate, 9/30 at Livermore, 10/7 Concord, 10/14 at Berean Christian, 10/21 Ygnacio Valley, 10/28 Mt. Diablo, 11/4 at Alhambra. Concord (Div. 4) - 8/26 Newark Memorial-Newark, 9/2 Alameda, 9/9 at San Lorenzo, 9/16 at Richmond, 9/23 Arroyo-San Lorenzo, 10/7 at College Park, 10/14 Ygnacio Valley, 10/21 at Alhambra, 10/28 Berean Christian, 11/4 at Mt. Diablo. De La Salle (Open Div./Div. 1) – 8/26 at Monterey Trail-Elk Grove, 9/2 Serra-San Mateo, 9/9 Saint Francis-Mountain View, 9/16 at Cathedral Catholic-San Diego, 9/23 Folsom, 10/7 at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 10/14 at
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ST. BONAVENTURE CYO SEEKING ASSISTANT BASKETBALL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
St. Bonaventure CYO is looking for an assistant basketball athletic director to work alongside the current AD this year to take over the 2023 program serving youth in Concord and Clayton. The CYO assistant athletic director is a volunteer position responsible for assisting the senior AD in organizing and overseeing the CYO athletic program. For a full job description visit stbonaventure.net/cyo.
FINAL FIRST TEE OF CONTRA COSTA SUMMER CAMP NEXT WEEK
Registration is still open for final First Tee of Contra Costa summer camp next week. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 5-14. Camp includes instruction in full swing, chipping, pitching and putting. Equipment can be provided to campers. Registration for First Tee fall session opens Aug. 15-16. The fall session is Sept. 12 to Nov. 5. For more information call 446-6701 or visit thefirstteecontracosta.org.
MDSA FALL RECREATIONAL SOCCER PROGRAM TAKING WAITLIST REGISTRATIONS
Registration for Mt. Diablo Soccer Association’s fall recreation program for boys and girls 4-28 years is taking waitlist regClayton Valley Charter senior Ryan Morimoto (25) will be istrations. Practice starts after Aug. 1 and games kickoff Aug. 20. looking to help put the Ugly Eagles back in the playoff hunt Games and practices are held on Concord and Clayton fields. as they have an interesting set of pre-season games beginEmail fall@mdsoccer.org or visit mdsoccer.org for more info ning Aug. 26 before their five-game East Bay Athletic and to register. League schedule concludes with their traditional seasonJay Bedecarré
ending game against De La Salle.
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
July 15, 2022
Exploring the fine art of medicine
Photo by Valerie Porter, courtesy of Concord High Athletics
Athletes officially start practice next month with competition for cross country and other high school fall sports in late August or early September. It begins the journey towards earning places in post-season championships. Girls and boys cross country runners culminate their season with the North Coast Section championships Nov. 19 and the CIF State Meet one week later on Nov. 26.
Mascot, from page B1 NCS Playoffs Nov. 11-26 NorCal Regional Championships Dec. 2-3 CIF State Bowl Games Dec. 9-10 Golf (Girls) DAL League Matches TBA EBAL League Matches Aug. 18 – Oct. 13 DAL League Championships TBA EBAL League Championships Oct. 17 NCS Division II Championships Oct. 24 NCS Division I Championships Oct. 31 NorCal Championships Nov. 7 CIF State Championships Nov. 16 Tennis (Girls) DAL League Matches Sept. 6 – Oct. 20 EBAL League Matches Sept. 1 – Nov. 1 DAL Division Championships Oct. 27-28 EBAL Championships Nov. 3-7 NCS Team Championships Nov. 8-12 NCS Singles/Doubles Championships Nov. 14-15 NorCal Team Championships Nov. 15-19 Volleyball (Girls) DAL League Games Sept. 6- Oct. 20 EBAL League Games Sept. 8 -Oct. 20 EBAL Championship Oct. 22 NCS Playoffs Oct. 25 – Nov. 5 NorCal Championships Nov. 8-15 CIF State Championships Nov. 18-19 Water Polo (Boys & Girls) DAL League Games Sept. 21 – Oct. 26 EBAL League Games Sept. 1 – Oct. 27 DAL Division Championships Oct. 27-29 NCS Playoffs Nov. 2-12 NorCal Tournament Nov. 15-19
WINTER SPORTS Basketball DAL League Jan. 4 – Feb. 9 EBAL League De. 20 – Feb. 7 EBAL Boys Tournament Feb. 6-11 EBAL Girls Tournament Feb. 10-11 NCS Championships Feb. 14-25 NorCal Championships Feb. 28 - Mar. 7 CIF State Championships Mar. 10-11
Lacrosse (Boys & Girls) DAL League Games Mar. 3 – Apr. 21 Soccer DAL Championships DAL Foothill Season Dec. Maar. 24 - Apr. 28 13 - Feb. 9 EBAL League Games DAL Valley Season Jan. Apr. 1-29 3 - Feb. 9 NCS Playoffs May 2-11 EBAL League Jan. 3 – Feb. 9 Softball NCS Championships DAL Mountain League Feb. 14-25 Games April 13 – May 11 Norcal Championships DAL Valley League Feb. 28 - Mar. 4 Games Mar. 16 – May 11 DAL Foothill League Wrestling Games Mar. 28 – May 11 DAL Matches Jan. 11 – EBAL League Games Feb. 2 Mar. 14 – May 4 EBAL League Matches EBAL Championships Jan. 5 – 25 Week of May 8 NCS Dual Team ChamNCS Playoffs May 16-27 pionships Feb. 4 NorCal Championships DAL Championships May 30 - June 3 Feb. 11 (Clayton Valley Charter) Swimming & Diving NCS Championships (Boys & Girls) Feb. 17-18 DAL League Dual Meets CIF State Champi- Mar. 6 – Apr. 17 onships Feb. 23-25 (BakEBAL League Dual Meets ersfield) TBA DAL JV Invitational Meet SPRING SPORTS (Campolindo High) Apr. 29 DAL League ChampiBadminton onships Apr. 27-29 (CamEBAL League Games polindo High) TBA EBAL League Diving EBAL Tournament May 6 Championships TBA NCS Championships EBAL League ChampiMay 13 onships TBA NorCal Championships NCS Championship May 20 (Newark Memorial, Meet May 4-6 (Concord Newark) Community Pool) State Championship Baseball Meet May 11-13 (Clovis DAL Valley League Olympic Swim Complex) Games Mar. 14 – May 11 DAL Foothill League Tennis (Boys) Games April 11 – May 11 DAL League Matches EBAL League Games Mar. 14 – Apr. 25 TBA EBAL League Matches EBAL League Tourna- TBA ment TBA DAL Tournament Apr. NCS Championships 27-29 May 16-27 EBAL Tournament TBA NorCal Championships NCS Singles/Doubles May 30 - June 3 Championships May 5-6 Competitive Cheer (Stunt) DAL League Games Mar. 10 – Apr. 21 EBAL League Games TBA EBAL League Championship TBA NCS Championships April 29 CIF NorCal Invitational Championships May 5-6
NCS Team Championships May 9-13 NorCal Team Championships May 16-20
Track & Field (Boys & Girls) DAL League Meets Mar. 8 – Apr. 19 DAL League Championship Meet Apr. 29 and May 6 NCS Tri-Valley Area Meet May 13 Golf (Boys) NCS Meet of Champions DAL League Matches May 19-20 TBA CIF State Meet May 26EBAL League Matches 27 (Veterans Memorial StaTBA dium, Clovis) DAL League Championships May 1) Volleyball (Boys) EBAL League ChampiDAL Foothill League onships May 1 Games Mar. 16 – April 27 NCS Division II ChampiDAL Valley League onships May 8 Games Mar. 2 – April 27 NCS Division I ChampiEBAL League Games onships May 15 TBA NorCal Championships NCS Playoffs May 2-11 May 22 NorCal Championships CIF State ChampiMay 16-20 onships May 31
Please allow me to introterm care and learned first-hand duce myself … For those the challenges of aging in modwho get the reference, let’s ern America. share a wry smile and move Not to imply that any age on. group has it particularly easy in I am Nathalie Raven these confounding and difficult Archangel-Montijo. That, dear times. From social mediareaders, is a 30-character soaked Gen Z all the way name. My thinking has always through to the last surviving been: If you’ve got them, why members of the Greatest Gennot see how they can be useeration, the importance of develNATHALIE MONTIJO ful. This is precisely my phioping strategies to promote healNEW WAVE losophy around medicine. ing, resilience and well-being can I hold a rather interesting be overstated. NIGHTINGALE hardly array of degrees and certificaHippocrates, the Big Daddy tions, including master’s in of modern medicine, put it elenursing and traditional Chinese medicine gantly: “Wherever the art of medicine is (TCM). I have post-master certification as an loved, there is love of humanity.” adult geriatric primary care nurse practitioner In this column, I hope we can share a bit (AGPCNP) and a license to practice of the love. I enjoy exploring medicine as an acupuncture in California (L.Ac). To round art as well as a science and humbly invite you all that out, I am certified in infection preto take the opportunity to join so we can learn vention and control (CIC) and as an together. advanced certified Hospice and palliative care Please reach out with ideas, questions, nurse (ACHPN). thoughts – anything you’d like to see examined As you can probably surmise, I am good in in greater detail. Please send comments and various sticky situations and an interesting question to newwavenightingale@gmail.com. party guest. For my primary occupation, I am Speaking of the close proximity between involved in the running of a hospital departmedicine and art, on any given evening I ment. On weekends, I work with patients on might be found playing music with my outlaw Hospice care. country band Nineteen Hand Horse. You will Although I do not currently spend a great find artistic, creative types lurking beneath deal of time practicing acupuncture, the para- many health-care workers. The two worlds digms and principles of TCM inform every mesh beautifully – like the song of a nightinaspect of my life. I spent a significant amount gale piercing the dark to herald the dawn. of time earlier in my career working in long-
VoIP a huge advancement in phone calls – and it’s free
WILL CLANEY
TECH TALK
He hears his master’s voice
with just more phone lines to manage and better ways to Verizon made the slogan connect. “Can you hear me now?” a Fast forward to 1973 and household refrain and introthe first cell phone. I had one. duced a new normal in phone Funny thing, it was a party standards and practices. line and I had to tell the operAlexander Graham Bell, ator what number I wanted. the Scottish-born inventor of Progress and innovation really the phone, may have asked the didn’t start until the early ’90s, same question as Verizon rep- when the smartphone was resentative Paul Marcarelli did introduced. That innovation in his iconic commercial. was the union of the phone Since Bell’s invention in 1885, and the computer. not a lot had changed in The point is that the most POTS until recently. progress was in the last 20 But now, in just a few years and, in my opinion, Bell short years, voice technology would be proud his creation has undergone an amazing sparked a generation of innotransformation from POTS vation. (plain-old telephone service) Now we have VoIP, which and cell phones to the latest means we can convert voice standard known as VoIP phone calls (analog) into ones (voice over internet protocol). and zeros (digital) and send When I was a child, my the whole thing over the interparents had a party line, where net. In the last 10 years, all several families used the same sorts of VoIP providers have line to make calls. Really, everyone at once on the same line. And phone numbers that started with names. Do you remember your old number? Mine was Fairview 30903. Since then, dials with clicks were replaced with buttons with tones. Bottom line, still the same invention as Bell’s –
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capitalized on this innovation, including Ooma, Vonage and RingCentral. Enter Google Voice. Not only can you send voice over the internet, now one does not even need special equipment. Your computer and Google’s website control it all. To make the app work, one simply needs an internetenabled computer, a cell phone or POTS phone number (if you want to use an existing number) and a headset. Personal calling is free, and business calling starts at $10/month. The most expensive plan with unlimited international calling is $30/month. Imagine this: You are sitting at your desk and need to call a friend. Click the web page, click the “contacts” icon and everything is pretty much the same from there. When receiving a call, just click and answer. If you need help setting this up or require further information, call your local computer expert. William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.
July 15, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
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Avoiding a family feud over money of control. We haven’t made a formal announcement but have said no to a recent request for money. As a result, we were uninvited to our family’s Fourth of July gatherings. We received numerous phone calls from family asking for “one DOMINIQUE KING last favor” or why we were LEAN IN turning our backs on our blood. WITH LOVE We are hurt and frustrated Q. For the last seven years, by our family’s reaction and my husband and I have finan- unsure how to proceed withcially assisted families on both out causing a more considersides when they experienced able falling out. – Alicia hardships. However, this year A. No good deed goes we decided to pull back our unpunished, a sardonic quote support as we felt the requests but sadly accurate in many sitand amounts were getting out uations involving family and
helping hand. In reality, you’ve become their financial cushion or, at minimum, an emergency fund. They may be genuinely hurt that you are pulling the financial rug from underneath them after you both laid it down and let everyone get comfortable. They have come to expect your help and may feel entitled to hold you accountable for upsetting the perceived balance of things. There will never be a suitEXPECTATIONS AND able time to cut the financial ENTITLEMENT cord. The longer you wait, Your families have spent the more indecisive you seven years building their lives appear. Make your choice around your financial assisclear, concise and consistent. tance. You are the only two How you are perceived and looking at your generosity as a treated has everything to do money. The emotional reactions, anger and fallout over your decision are not in your hands. Family members will attempt to enforce a dynamic where the larger familial group benefits. As you implement boundaries and stay firm in your choice, you will lose kin along the way – temporarily or permanently. As painful as this process sounds, what you gain will be worth it.
and emotional roadblocks. Alicia, word has spread, AVOIDING THE GUILT TRIPS and your families are preempWhile your family is wrap- tively striking to get you and ping their minds around the your husband back in line. changing dynamic, you two While it is unfortunate, the must do so too. Transparency fallout may be what you need with self must occur. Unpack to establish a healthier and why you chose to help your reciprocal family environment. family in this particular manMy advice is to take this ner. What did this validate for time to observe who people you and your husband mental- are when the financial incenly and emotionally? Undertive to be friendly and loving standing your attachment to is no longer available. the “financial yes” is essential. Be well; you are worthy. That need for validation or status will be the strings pulled Dominique King is a wife, at first. You can avoid the mother, lifestyle blogger and avid gaslighting, guilt trips and long-distance runner. Email quesmanipulation when you tions and comments to her at become aware of your triggers leaninwiththekings@gmail.com. with your character.
Wolfe’s two books give avid readers much to consider came out in 2007. It was widely read, and I remember selling it at Clayton Books. But I did not read it until last week, shortly after rereading Wolf ’s latest work, “Reader Come Home,” published in 2018. If you are reading this column, you must love books, which is why I feel safe in recommending both. I’ll start with “Proust and the Squid, The Story and Science of the Reading Hang on, dear readers, I’m Brain.” Yes, the reading out on a limb this month. brain has a story. Like me, Two books? Not fiction of you may struggle with its sciany genre? And, no, it’s not entific jargon and its archaepoetry. ological roots and language Maryanne Wolfe, reader (oral and written) going back extraordinaire and neurosci- thousands of years, but the entist, has written two books story is a blockbuster. And that are must-reads for all of apparently, it is a story still us who wonder if book read- being written. ing can survive in a digital The human brain had to age – and why it should. learn how to read, and once “Proust and the Squid”
that happened, the human being has never been the same. Those with a background in science, anthropology, archaeology and especially education will love this book. And here’s a bonus; The text is only 236 pages, but you won’t want to miss the 72 pages of notes,
index and permissions. “Reader, Come Home, The Reading Brain in a Digital World” is the more accessible of the two works, not only because the scientific language will be less daunting, but Wolf presents her ideas and discoveries in the form of letters to us readers. There are no chapters, only Letter One, Two, Three, all the way to Letter Nine. Letter One, “Reading, the Canary in the Mind” is Wolf ’s introduction: “Dear Reader, … together we stand at the threshold of galactic changes of the next few generations.” These are a 21st century siren’s words, an invitation “to consider an improbable set of facts about reading and the reading brain, whose implications will lead to significant cognitive changes in you, the next
generation, and possibly our species.” Letter Nine, “Reader Come Home” is Wolf ’s gathering of her major thoughts laid out in her previous eight letters: How will the reading brain’s brilliance in a digital age affect our ability to think critically, and will there be room or time for contemplation beyond our human need to acquire more and more information? Wolf is a neuroscientist, not a Luddite. Her studies, her words, her hopes are worth reading and thinking about. I wonder if this rapid availability of information is the same thing as knowledge and if that knowledge is the same thing as wisdom.
SUNNY SOLOMON
BOOKIN’ WITH SUNNY
Sunny Solomon is a freelance writer and head of the Clayton Book Club. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latest recommendations or just to ‘talk books.’
‘Lightyear’ not a stellar addition to Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ universe
Chris Evans takes over the voice of Buzz Lightyear from Tim Allen in the new Pixar film.
STREAMING TV “Slow Horses.” (Apple+) This masterfully crafted, sixpart British crime show with always-stellar Gary Oldman wastes none of its 43 minutes per episode. Oldman “runs”
Slough House, a dumping ground for MI-5 castoffs. After a hostage crisis falls in their lap, they must prove they belong. Oft-times funny, even during suspenseful scenes, this is one of the best shows so far this decade. “Westworld.” (HBO Max) For those who tuned out after season two or three, season four of “Westworld” has, so far, been a welcome return to its roots. Several familiar faces are back, and the plot is wonderfully easy to follow. Yet, there is still much mystery. The big question after the second episode: Why did they create a theme park based in the Roaring ’20s? Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
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planet on which they would prefer not to remain, Buzz tries to find a way to leave. And tries … and tries … and tries. During his efforts, the plot takes an unexpected, and poignant, turn. I have said it before that no one does it better than Pixar at getting you to cry at every single one of its JEFF MELLINGER films. It takes about half the SCREEN SHOTS movie, but Buzz finally pairs Woody (Tom Hanks) and up with a ragtag group of Buzz (Tim Allen) were the cadets. The three cadets and focus of the original “Toy their robot friend bring muchStory,” but the rest of the toys needed comic relief and a bit stole the show. This combina- of pathos as they go about tion helped turn that film into trying to save everyone from a masterpiece. the evil Zerg. In Pixar’s new film Prior to this film, all we “Lightyear,” the secondary knew of Buzz Lightyear was characters once again comthe buffoonish “Toy Story” mand the viewer’s attention. version. The never-give-up Yet, it is not quite enough to version in “Lightyear” shows a save the film. side of Buzz that clearly made Chris Evans does an an impression on Andy. Howadmirable job taking over the ever, this version would have reigns as Buzz Lightyear. At never worked in “Toy Story.” first it seemed sacrilege to He also lacks the charm necreplace Allen; however, the essary to carry an entire film. “Lightyear” plot necessitated “Lightyear” would have the change. probably been best as a multiAn opening title card episode TV special. It would explains that Andy, the boy also have been just fine as from the original “Toy Story,” another one of Pixar’s madebought his Buzz Lightyear for-TV movies set in the “Toy doll based on the film Andy Story” universe. loved so much. “Lightyear” is The fact that “Soul,” that film. Thus, the Buzz from “Luca” and “Turning Red” all the “Toy Story” films is were all sent straight to just a toy based on a character streaming while “Lightyear” from a film within the greater got a full summer theater universe. It’s a little hard to release probably speaks more grasp the logic, but it’s essen- to the pandemic than the tial to understanding the Buzz quality of those other films. we see onscreen. “Lightyear” is not the film Buzz is paired up with his Pixar should have used to leap superior officer, Commander back into the 4,000-screen Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), on a game. At worst, it’s an I.P. mission to transport thoucash grab. At best, it’s a mildly sands of humans to a viable pleasant adventure film. Bworld. After getting stuck on a
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July 15, 2022
T H E ARTS
‘Re-Education’ an emotional journey at Town Hall
SALLY HOGARTY
that addresses such a poignant and, for many people in the queer community, such a scary topic, “said Daniel J. Eslick, curator of artistic programming. “Yet, Justin managed to thread a needle with an intimate, personal narrative that left me in tears.” There will be a talkback after the reading with the cast
STAGE STRUCK Town Hall’s New Voices series highlighting local playwrights continues with “The Re-Education of Fernando Morales” on Aug. 20. Written by Justin P. Lopez, the staged reading tells of young Fernando Morales. His family sends him to a place that can “fix him” of being gay. The ambitious work splits time between the present and the future and includes a soundtrack featuring Mozart’s “Requiem.” “Structurally, it is rare to see a play that does what Justin’s does – let alone a play
Justin P. Lopez wrote “The Re-Education of Fernando Morales,” performing at Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette on Aug. 20.
and creative team. The onenight only event begins at 8 p.m. at Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School St., Lafayette. Tickets are $20. Call 925-2831557 or go to www.townhalltheatre.com. STARS 2000 presents the company’s final production, “Fiddler on the Roof,” July 15-31. Mark Cornfield directs, with Diane Kamrin music director and choreographer. The show is double-cast to give all the talented members of the company a chance to perform in the charismatic musical, with its compelling story of a small Russian village and such tunes as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker” and “If I Were a Rich Man.” The teen theater, “Where the stars of tomorrow are born,” has been around since 1992. It’s bittersweet to have this wonderful company close its doors. So many talented young people have grown up and perfected their art here and now perform with local and regional companies. The show will be at the
Creating metaphysically mesmerizing mosaic
ARTS
IN
MOTION
Jane Russell works in mosaics, which is one of those media that I look at with fascination – something about its reflectiveness or perhaps the way the colors change depending on the placement. Mosaic art gives me a different visual experience compared to looking at a sketch or a painting. Although similar to paper collage in artistry, mosaics require an understanding of different materials and the use of more sophisticated tools and techniques, but it’s worth the effort. Russell shows her artwork in galleries in Placerville and Lincoln. In 2013, she created “Fire Dance” to commemorate her weeklong experience at Burning Man. The mosaic hung at Burning Man headquarters for nearly two years. The piece depicts fire, a kite in the shape of the Burning Man’s head and large flames that suggest a female form rising from the fire. “The female form emerged, unplanned, while I was creating the mosaic,” Russell notes. “I was pleased to promote the female presence at the event.” Russell has only been an artist for ten years. She
Diablo Valley College Performing Arts Center, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. For tickets, call 925-324-7359 or go to www.stars2000.org. The Lesher Center just announced its 2022-’23 Headliner series, beginning with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt on Nov. 4. Lovett has a gift for story-
telling – fusing country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues into a vibrant performance. I’ve always loved watching him on television and now here’s my chance, and yours, to see him in person. The series also includes Canadian Brass (Nov. 25), Bush/Marshall/Meyer/Meyer (Jan. 22, 2023), the Peking
Acrobats (Jan. 27), College Notes A Cappella (March 1011), Dance Theatre of Harlem (March 16-17), Paul Taylor Dance Company (April 7), Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (June 2) and Fiesta Cultural (June 21-25).
See Stage page B7
1997 Waterworld tragedy shapes blues singer’s music
DAVE HUGHES
Jane Russell works on a mosaic in her studio.
JOHN NAKANISHI
Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra will be part of the 2022-’23 Headliner series, appearing June 2, 2023 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center.
worked in the clerical field and as a school psychologist but is now retired. Growing up, she had little exposure to visual arts until middle school, when she took an elective in art history. She remembers enjoying the class, especially how she was drawn to impressionist paintings.
the piece will be indoors or outdoors.
THE BIG REVEAL She then makes the mosaic pieces, or “tesserae.” If she wants glass tesserae, then sheets of glass must be cut into the desired shapes and sizes. On occasion, Russell uses an electric grinder to finetune the shapes. The ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES Russell discovered mosaics repetitive process of preparby chance. After joining a ing the glass puts a lot of friend for a fused glass work- strain on her hands, requiring shop at a mosaic studio in rest breaks if she gets tired or Oakland, she signed up for start to cramp. mosaic classes. She discovered Each tesserae is placed pleasure in the process of cre- precisely, making sure the ating mosaics as well as spaces between pieces create working with the the envisioned design. materials. Once the tesserae Russell not are all glued only uses down and the glass in her adhesive has mosaics, but cured, she usualso incorpoally grouts the rates shells, mosaic, filling the stone, plastic, spaces between the sand, beads, pieces of glass. recycled jewelry, “This very messy seeds and more. “First Dance,” which process reminds “The possibili- depicts Jane Russell’s me of working in ties are endless, experience at Burning a darkroom when which is exciting Man, hung at the the photo begins to me,” she says. Burning Man headto emerge. It’s The process quarters for nearly when my vision is behind mosaic revealed, hopefully two years. artwork is quite as imagined,” elaborate. She first creates a according to Russell. substrate, or base, onto which View Russell’s artwork and mosaic pieces are attached. learn more about her artistic Russell has used premade con- journey at struction material such as janerussellmosaics.com or cement board. Alternately, she facebook.com/janerussellmomight construct the substrate saics. out of wire or fiberglass mesh and mortar. John Nakanishi is an acrylic Once the substrate is painter and a ceramic artist. ready, she prepares an adheEmail comments and suggestions sive. The choice of adhesive for future columns to depends on what materials are phjona@gmail.com. being used as well as whether
THE BEAT OF DIABLO The Tuesday Night Blues concert series has returned to Todos Santos Plaza after a three-year hiatus, kicking off July 5 with the home-grown talent of Katie Knipp. As Knipp and her band delighted the crowd with a nonstop, 90-minute set of mostly original music, the Concord High graduate was clearly enjoying swimming in the nostalgia of being back in the town that raised her. “Time Out,” Knipp exclaimed, pointing from the stage toward Side Gate Brewing. “That was one of the first bars I ever played. “And just a few blocks over there, I learned so much from Mr. Joe Barnett,” she said, pointing east and recalling her private piano and vocal instructor of eight years.
Bob Hakins
Katie Knipp and her band relaunched Concord’s Tuesday Night Blues concert series after a pandemic shutdown.
painful day – along with other formative tragedies she endured throughout young adulthood – can be found in her self-written bio on her website, KatieKnipp.com. Knipp offers this bit of advice to young musicians with aspirations of a career in music: “Start waving your freak flag a little bit and be 100% yourself. Some people like blue cheese, some people like cheddar cheese … it’s food, it’s taste. Not everybody RECALLING A DARK DAY has to like you. If you’re being With her radiant personali- genuine, your audience will ty and warm smile, some find you. You have to be stubmight be surprised by just born about not giving up on how dark this songwriter takes that notion.” the blues. Even in some of If you missed Knipp and STRONG LOCAL TIES her more whimsical, upbeat her band on July 5, you can The chart-topping record- tunes, she regularly employs still experience the electricity ing artist’s recent releases have metaphors that conjure of their live performance on enjoyed international acclaim. images pertaining to physical her latest album, “Katie Knipp is well-versed on a pain and death. Knipp Live at the Green number of instruments, Far from an artistic shtick, Room Social Club.” It was though she’s perhaps best Knipp explains that much of recorded last summer in Placknown artistically for her sig- this comes from the permaerville, close to where she curnature voice – which caught nent impression left on her rently resides, and was widely the attention of Diablo Valley from the infamous 1997 disas- released last month, debuting College music professor Steve ter at Waterworld, where she at No. 9 on the Billboard Sage. worked as a lifeguard. Blues Album Charts. Sage, now deceased, “The fiberglass of the A collection of Knipp’s helped guide the young siren slide seemed to tear like a music can be found on the to landing a contract for a piece of paper. Bodies began Spotify playlist at thebeatofdiweekly spot at the Walnut to rain down, some hitting ablo.com. Creek nightclub Abernathy’s, beams on the way, some Tuesday Night Blues conlaunching her 20-year career falling on top of each other tinues through July. For in the music business. Knipp … This day at work was one details, visit has opened for a number of of a few key moments in my cityofconcord.org/downtownnoteworthy acts, from Robert life that really changed me,” events. Cray to the Doobie Brothers. she says. “I began to write Her journey has moved her poetry and started my songContact Dave Hughes at residency all around the writing journey.” MrDaveHughes@gmail.com. greater Bay Area before ultiA detailed account of that mately finding home in the foothills east of Sacramento. Despite her infrequent performances in our area, Knipp is very much a part of the local music community. Concord-based FM radio station 90.5 KVHS routinely plays her music; she’s made several appearances on the virtual Concord Couch Concerts; and she headlined last October’s Singer-Songwriter Saturday in Todos Santos Plaza.
July 15, 2022
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
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Don’t let summer heat hush your garden’s buzz Summer in the garden always brings a list of chores. Spring’s flower displays and surging leaf growth have left our lawns and landscapes a touch tired, in need of some tender loving care. Many of our sun-loving plants have enjoyed their first round of flowers and require attention. Salvia Hot Lips is a popular variety with bi-color red and white, lip-shaped blooms. This robust perennial needs a healthy trimming after the spring flower rush. The best way to prune this salvia is to remove a third of the growth, shaping the plant into a sphere. This type of pruning may feel too structured for this free-growing salvia, but it is the best way to renew this perennial and get the maximum second flower display. Butterfly bushes have panicle-shaped flowers in jewel tones of red, rose, lavender and purple. They are fantastic, sun-loving, large shrubs that look great on Clayton Valley hillsides and fence lines. Yours may still be trickling in bloom, but it’s the perfect time to prune the canes
make sure you are not watering the sidewalks or driveways. An excellent way to help boost your lawn during the summer is to amend using a premium soil conditioner. Rake a thin layer into the lawn’s soil using a flexible tined rake. Water in once spread. This will make nutrients available to your lawn NICOLE HACKETT naturally vs. using synthetic fertilizers. GARDEN GIRL Landscape beds and borders should be covered with back about a third. Make mulch to keep the soil cool in your cuts just above a leaf. ARE FOR LAWNS C the heat. Mulch also prevents Butterfly bushes love to be AND BORDERS the soil from losing moisture fertilized after pruning. Apply Lawns struggle during the due to evaporation and helps a dose of multi-purpose, summer months. Many lawns keep weeds down. water-soluble fertilizer to the are mowed too low or watered Bark is considered mulch, base of shrubs. You will see at the wrong times, causing and it can be found in an the rewards of your effort burn and brownouts. Consider assortment of sizes and colsoon. mowing your lawn every other ors. Mulch can also be bagged Penstemon is another week or changing the mower products of decomposed excellent perennial selection to the highest setting. Long wood with additional nutrifor our local landscapes. lawn blades shade the grass ents. Either way, sealing up Trumpet-shaped flowers of roots and help prevent water the soil is beneficial to a red, pink, purple and bi-colloss from evaporation. Water stressed landscape. ors bloom May through in the very early morning Urban Gardens October. The trick is to Prune your butterfly bush and fertilize for healthy spring hours, in five-minute cycles, so Nicole is the Garden Girl at prune after a rush of flowers. blooms. Make your cuts just above a leaf. the water will have a chance to R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. Remove faded flower stems seep in rather than run off. You can contact her with questions or clear down to the second Do an irrigation check. comments by email at round of new leaves. They Turn on your system and gardengirl94517@yahoo.com shouldn’t be hard to spot. Then fertilize to get the plant blooming. Hydrangeas should also be deadheaded at this time. Those with ball-shaped flowers need to have their expiring heads and stems removed far into the shrub. Once a stem has bloomed, it becomes old and underproductive, so it should be removed. When you have finished pruning, follow up with a dose of water-soluble fertilizer for acid-loving plants.
Stage, from page B6
Honoring the world of drag, from Shakespearean theater to ‘Pose’ Major Griffin-Gracy – who is still organizing to this day. Starting in the 1970s and into the ’90s, drag balls took hold in culture. People owned the runway in the finest drag, and the concept of the drag mother emerged. These drag mothers mentored new performers and, most importantly, provided safety and a BELLA ALDAMA redefining of “family” for so ALL THE COLORS many young queer folx. We are finally seeing drag more represented on mainOn July 16, we celebrate International Drag Day to rec- stream television through shows like “RuPaul’s Drag ognize and welcome all drag Race,” “Legendary” and artists in the world. “Pose.” This artform has been Dating back to the 16th an exceptional way to learn century, drag started within about diversity and culture the time of Shakespearean within our LGBTQIA+ comtheater. The church only munities and especially with allowed men to perform, so people of color. Drag artistry any female roles were played represents gender expression, by men dressed as women. performance, female imperNow, drag queens are sonation, fashion design, actclosely linked to the queer ing, dancing, singing and just community, though not all looking fabulous. performers are “gay.” In the I have been a proud drag 1950s and ’60s, drag performqueen for more than a decade. ers toured the country, existIt takes a lot of learning, ing in a “legal in-between” because people were arrested building, working with others, and finding and refining one’s for dressing as the opposite identity. Emigrating from my sex. beloved Guadalajara, Mexico, In the summer of 1969, the Stonewall Riot was led by when I was 12, I persevered toward finding and embracing drag queens and kings of my intersectional identities as color: Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera (17 at the time), a gay, cisgender, Latin man who is a fabulous drag queen. Stormé DeLarverie and Miss
It has been quite a journey. We are so thankful for having local safe spaces such as Club 1220 (LGBTQIA+ nightclub) in Walnut Creek and Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa (LGBTQIA+ nonprofit) in Concord. These two venues have represented our community by providing services and connection while being a platform of philanthropy for our drag performers. We have also experienced “Drag Queen Story Hour” as a controversial topic and target these last few months. These events give drag performers an opportunity to bring families together, showing inclusiveness and acceptance through literature and representation. It also offers parents and guardians a way to connect and show their support to their children experiencing our world in all the colors and diversity. Drag performers are risking their lives and are being exposed to violence to provide these meaningful moments to our community. I invite you to hire local talents who represent our marginalized communities of color. Attend community events, check in on your friends when they are leading these events and, most importantly, tip
In addition, Center Rep announced its season, beginning with a personal favorite “Always … Patsy Cline” (Sept. 9-25), “Clue” (Oct. 28-Nov. 20), “A Christmas Carol” (Dec. 8-22), “Red Bike” (Feb. 3-25, 2023), “Sweat” (March 24-April 16) and, ending on a your drag performers. It really high note, “In the Heights” does cost a lot to look this (May 26-June 24). sensational. For both series, call 925943-SHOW or go to Bella Aldama (she/her) is the www.lesherartscenter.org. adult and family program director Clayton Theatre, run by at Rainbow Community Center. the dynamic duo of Roxanne Direct questions or comments to Pardi and LaTonya Watts, is christian@rainbowcc.org. back and ready to entertain
beginning with its fall musical, “Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits” by Gerard Alessandrini. The musical revue runs Oct. 14-29 at Endeavor Hall in Clayton. Check out www.claytontheatrecompany.com for details and to purchase tickets to this little local gem. 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
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The summer months highlight the abundance of California's amazing variety of produce. From juicy heirloom tomatoes, melons, and stone fruit, to summer squash, peppers, and corn, your local farmers' market will be filled to the brim with excellent fresh fruits and vegetables in July. Head to the market to find a limitless variety of unique produce, direct from the farm to you. For list of farmers attending each week, visit: pcfma.org/Concord Text "concord" to 855-272-3276 to join the Concord Farmers' Market text message club and stay up to date on what's new each week! By texting you agree to receive promotional messages from the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. This agreement isn’t a condition of any purchase. Message & data rates apply. Approx 1 message a month. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel
USE YOUR CALFRESH/EBT CARD WE'LL MATCH YOUR PURCHASE UP TO $10! Find out more at: pcfma.org/market-match CONCORDFARMERSMARKET
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The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
July 15, 2022
Culinary masterpieces await at Tzunun RICHARD EBER
TASTE & TELL When I first wrote about Wence’s Restaurant in 2016, every member of the family – including Gerardo’s teenage son Jesus – worked there to keep the fledgling enterprise afloat. Six years later, it has evolved into being one of the top places in the region to dine. Not resting on past achievements, Jesus Wence opened Mexican-themed Tzunun, with assistance from his dad. He describes the fare at the Pleasant Hill restaurant as “contemporary Mexican,” although I would call it gourmet extraordinaire. Inspired by chef Enrique Olvera of world-renowned Pujol in Mexico City, Wence has high expectations for Tzunun. Located in a picturesque setting with outdoor seating overlooking Grayson Creek, Tzunun holds the promise of one day gaining Michelin stars.
APPEALING APPETIZERS Start your meal with house-made empanadas, with fillings ranging from mushrooms to chorizo sausage. Chicharrones (pork rinds) are also a good appetizer. The Mexican street corn ribs provide an introduction to culinary gems that are to follow. Wence delivers with dishes we are not accustomed to on the well-traveled Taco Trail, using organic ingredients for house-made sauces, salsas and tortillas. The Taquitos Dorados with Dungeness crab, Brussels sprouts and salsa verde are not to be missed. Ditto for the Langosta featuring Maine lobster, cotija cheese, roasted corn and chipotle cream encased in a corn tortilla. The Arrachera tacos with skirt steak, cooked to order, provides a good choice for more traditional diners. It is recommended that patrons share dishes in order to experience the diversity and unique flavor profiles Tzunun offers. A MUST-TRY PAELLA Wence, who graduated from the culinary school at Diablo Valley College and further studied cooking in Spain, shows off his Latin heritage with a version of paella. With fresh squid, 1620 shrimp, PEI mussels and
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Manila clams resting in a rich tomato broth on top of jasmine rice, it was my favorite dish. Wence also shines with his Mole Negro sauce, utilizing 27 ingredients. He serves it with airline chicken and roasted fingerling potatoes to soak up the chocolate-accented flavors. In contrast to the spicy entrees, Tzunun offers a diverse selection of salads that are deliciously different than what can be found at other restaurants in the area. I tried the cactus salad, which was eloquently shaped like a tower with slices of ripe avocado on the side. A mixture of Roma tomatoes, white onion, cilantro and queso cheese, it was surprisingly delicious blended with citrus vinaigrette. They also have a tasty fruit salad with a lemon dressing and, of course, a version of the Mexican classic Caesar. Along with its seafooddominated menu, Tzunun has
Richard Eber
Jesus Wence’s chicken and roasted potatoes sits atop his mole sauce at Tzunun in Pleasant Hill.
a full bar featuring exotic drinks utilizing dozens of mezcal and tequila selections. The wine list offers several vintages from Mexico, Spain and California. They have Happy Hour 36 p.m. weeknights, except on
Friday, when it concludes at 5 p.m. This is a good time to experience the restaurant as small portions of menu items and reasonably priced drinks are available. In all, Jesus has come up with an establishment that fol-
lows in the culinary footsteps of Wence’s on Oak Park Boulevard. Although young, he has shown a maturity seldom found in the business. “I learned hard work, organization and pride from my parents, whom we are trying to emulate at Tzunun,” he said proudly. It will be interesting to see how this restaurant and the proprietor evolve in what looks like a bright future. Tzunun is at 2618 Pleasant Hill Road, Pleasant Hill. It is open noon-9 p.m. SundayThursday, with an extra hour until closing time on Friday and Saturday. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Call 925-961-5552 or visit tzunrestaurant.com. Richard Eber is a local journalist and long time resident of Concord. He covers topics from politics to gourmet food. Contact him at rjerje@pacbell.net
PETS
Act early to reduce aggression in pet rabbits due to fear, uncertainty or excitement. However, it is important to note that not all STEPHANIE aggression is negative. Some ZABLAH-KRUGER rabbits may simply be trying BEYOND THE LEASH to play or show their affection in an overly enthusiastic way. Aggression in domestic Here are signs that a rabbit rabbits can take many differmay be exhibiting aggressive ent forms, including biting, behavior: lunging, growling or even Biting. charging at someone. It can be Lunging. directed toward people, other Growling. animals or even inanimate Charging. objects. Showing its teeth. There are several distinct Flattening its ears against reasons why a rabbit may its head. become aggressive. It could be Thumping its foot. Sometimes people don’t know they are seeing aggressive behavior, and think their rabbit is “funny” or “cute.” However, aggression in domestic rabbits is a serious issue that should be addressed quickly. By understanding the causes and implementing some simple solutions, you can help reduce aggression in your rabbit and make sure everyone stays safe. If you are unsure of the cause or if the behavior is severe, it is always best to consult with a professional to help you address the issue. The most common causes of aggressive behavior in domestic rabbits are fear and excitement. When a rabbit is
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scared, it may try to defend itself by lashing out. This could be due to something as simple as loud noises or sudden movements. If a rabbit feels threatened, it may also attack to protect itself or its territory. Excitement can also lead to aggression, especially if the rabbit doesn’t know how to properly express its feelings. This is often seen in young rabbits or those who haven’t been socialized much. They may get too rough when playing or become nippy when excited. To help reduce aggression in your rabbit, the first step is to figure out what is causing the problem. If it’s due to fear, try to make the environment less scary for your rabbit. This may mean investing in some toys or providing more hiding places. If excitement is the issue, then you’ll need to work on teaching your rabbit how to properly express its feelings. This can be done through positive reinforcement training. It’s important to find a rabbit-savvy professional who can help you determine the root cause of the problem and address it appropriately. They can also offer guidance on how to best socialize your rabbit and teach it non-aggressive behaviors. This could involve reward-
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Bunnies will directly face something they feel threatened by. They will warn first by thumping, and if that doesn’t work, they charge the threat head on.
ing the rabbit with treats or praise when it exhibits good behavior. If the aggression is severe, more intensive training may be necessary. Aggression in domestic rabbits can be a complicated issue, but with patience and understanding, it can be overcome. With the help of a professional, you can get your rabbit back on the path to being a happy and healthy pet. You can contact Stephanie at cooperativecaretraining@gmail.com or 510-408-7162. Visit the website cooperativecaretraining.com for more information.
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Your new best friend may be waiting for you. Could it be Bishop or Heart? Bishop: One-and-a-halfyear-old Bishop is a beautiful brindle boy who is full of boundless, bubbly joy. And he’s brilliant to boot – he already knows ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘shake,’ plus catches treats like a pro! He’s got a heart of gold and loves pets, playing, being goofy, and sneaking in kisses when he can. This pup always brings the good vibes, and would love to spread them around to all when he embarks on adventures with his family. He’ll be a perfect fit for an active family who loves life just as much as he does. Bishop has a positive history with other dogs and currently weighs 64 pounds. ARF adoption fees: $250 for an adult dog, $350 for a puppy under 6 months, $125 for a special-needs dog, $175 for a special-needs puppy under 6 months, and $125 for a senior dog 7 years and older. Heart: Three-year-old
BISHOP
HEART
Heart is a sensitive guy who is looking for a quiet environment where he can relax at his own pace. While he may be hesitant at first, once he gets to know you, he’ll reward you with snuggles and love, happily making biscuits on your lap. He’d prefer to be an only kitty in his home. ARF Adoption fees: $125 for an adult cat, $175 for a kitten under 6 months, $200 for two adult cats, $300 for two kittens, $75 for a specialneeds cat, $100 for a specialneeds kitten under 6 months, and $75 for a senior cat 7 years and older. Adoption fees are waived for US mili-
tary Veterans. View available dogs and cats online or visit us in-person during open hours: Wed.Sun., 12-6 pm, with early-bird sign-in available Wed.-Fri. beginning at 9 a.m. Our team is excited to guide you in choosing a pet, share information about their history and behavior while at ARF, and provide helpful resources. This process can take time — please allow 60-90 minutes for in-person appointments. Visit ARF online at https://arflife.org/