CV grads are killin’ it in LA July 19, 2019
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Newacheck directs ‘Murder Mystery,’ featuring music by fellow alums BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
Concord and Clayton may seem a world away from Lake Como and Milan, Italy, but a peek behind the scenes of the new movie “Murder Mystery” leads to some highly local suspects. Clayton Valley High School grad Kyle Newacheck (Class of 2002) directed the film, and the soundtrack includes music from CV alums Jay Whitlatch (2003) and Jeremy Wells (1998). “Murder Mystery,” starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, debuted June 14 on Netflix. On June 18, Netflix reported that 30.9 million households watched it in the Former Concord resident Kyle Newacheck relaxes on the set of “Murder Mystery” in Italy with Adam Sandler and Jennifer first 72 hours – making it the Aniston. biggest opening weekend in
the company’s history. “It’s wild to have that many people watching the shots that I chose and the takes that I chose and the rhythms that I chose,” Newacheck says.
MAGICAL MOVIE MOMENTS In the film, Sandler plays a New York police officer who has lied to his wife (Aniston) about passing the detective’s test. Meanwhile, Aniston’s character is obsessed with reading murder mysteries. As they head to Italy on a delayed honeymoon, they run headlong into (spoiler alert) a murder mystery. Newacheck called his preparation for the movie “intense,” as he scoped out the area during three trips before shooting began in Italy. He particularily enjoyed directing the murder scene on the yacht – as one character repeatedly pulls a knife out of the corpse, then shoves it back in, to the shock of the other characters.
See Mystery, page 3
Community group works to increase voter turnout in 2020 LISA FULMER Correspondent
Neto Community Network, a nonprofit that promotes social equity, is getting ready to rock the vote with a grassroots, non-partisan campaign to increase Concord’s voter turnout in the 2020 election.
Voter Information
What: “How Local Government and Our Voting System Work,” a free event sponsored by Neto Who: Concord City Councilman Edi Birsan will be on hand for interactive Q&A, along with Paul Burgarino from the county Elections Department When: 10 a.m.noon Saturday, Aug. 3 Where: Concord Library
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Next issue, Aug. 16, Deadline, Aug. 5
The percentage of registered voters who cast their ballots last November varied widely between Concord’s precincts, from about 50 percent in some neighborhoods to more than 80 percent in other areas. Neto’s Rock the Concord Vote (RTCV) team is targeting precincts with the lowest turnouts in Districts 2, 3 and 4 to try to close some of that gap. They’re collaborating with multiple organizations that have extensive voter engagement expertise, including the county Elections Office, League of Women Voters and ¡Vota Ya! California. “Based on social capital research, our theory is that people tend to vote more consistently when they’re part of a community that shares information and enjoys the social rewards of voting,” says Molly Clark, one of Neto’s co-founders. “Our first critical step is to listen to hundreds, maybe thousands, of Concord residents to see how they feel about voting. We need to learn more about the challenges they face, where they get information, how they
find the time to research the issues and whom they trust to help with making decisions,” Clark notes. “Which kinds of candidates and measures actually motivate people to exercise their right to vote – local, state, federal, or is it primarily issue-based?” After strategizing and fundraising for several months, RTCV launched a brief online survey for Concord residents. They’ve also mobilized “community listeners” to walk the precincts and organize casual neighborhood networking events. Upon taking the voter survey for a trial run and hosting its first neighborhood event, RTCV discovered a common thread. “Many people told us they don’t fully understand how our city government operates,” says Luz PalomeraSierra, another of Neto’s cofounders. “It’s difficult to relate to a candidate for City Council or figure out how a ballot measure impacts your life when you don’t really know how it all works together. Even though it’s sometimes hard to find the truth, I believe people here really do care about voting,”
Molly Clark, left, Harold Blair, Rosalia Ramos de Palomera and Luz Palomera-Sierra review Concord’s voting district map.
Palomera-Sierra says. “Our job will be to keep sharing resources and bringing people together to learn from each other and get excited about making their voices heard.” “As we build momentum
over the coming year, we’ll gradually reach out to more precincts across all five districts,” Clark adds. “We don’t intend to tell people how to vote. Our goal is to build a strong, diverse group of vot-
ers who are engaged in shaping the future of our local community and our democracy at large.”
After more than 20 years of community involvement, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) accepted 2,216 acres of former Concord Naval Weapons Station land on July 13 from the Navy for a future regional park. An additional 327 acres are set to transfer to the park district later.“This is a proud moment for the park district and shows the great power of persistence and working together with the Stephen Joseph community,” said Beverly The view over the Diablo Valley from Concord Hills, the Lane, who has represented temporary name for the 2500-acre park planned for the Concord on the EBRPD board Concord Naval Weapons Station.
since 1994. “The U.S. Navy, National Park Service, city of Concord and Save Mount Diablo have been tremendous partners in this effort,” she added.On July 2, the park board authorized EBRPD to accept conveyance of the property and fee title ownership. Transfer of ownership should take six months.“Park development is expected to take several years and will require significant financial resources. There is no timetable on development,” said general manager Robert
Doyle. “The public will have access to great future park amenities, including a visitor center, staging areas, access points and miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking and nature viewing,” he noted. EBRPD is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning. More than 25 million people visit annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Visit netocn.org to take the RTCV voter survey.
Park district moves ahead with Concord Hills
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