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June 18, 2021
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EBRPD names park to honor civil rights champion Thurgood Marshall JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
The two-decades long saga of the Concord Naval Weapons Station conversion has taken more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie and maybe none more surprising than the June 1 unanimous vote by the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors to name the 2,540-acre park in honor of Civil Rights pioneer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. “Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50” was selected as the permanent name of the park, which had the working title of “Concord Hills Regional Park” since at least 2013. The land was officially turned over to the EBRPD from the Navy/National Park Service in 2019 and the expectation is that part of the site south of Bailey Rd. will open in the next two to three years. Artist rendering courtesy EBRPD Eventually the park will include East Bay Regional Park District will be utilizing the World War II era mini bunkers in the newly named Thurgood Marshall
See Marshall, page 5
Regional Park for public art displays and other uses in the 2,540-acre park that is projected to open its first areas for public use within the next two to three years.
Concord PD investigates drone program KAREN JENKINS Correspondent
The Police Department is looking to the skies for help in curtailing crime as they consider a drone program for specific policing situations but not for general surveillance. As part of the exploration process, the department asked residents for input at several Zoom meetings this spring. “Drone use is nothing new in law enforcement. Drone usage has been around for more than a decade,” Lt. Nick Gartner said at a May 25 meeting. Concord police have used drones since 2019, with neighboring law enforcement agencies such as Pittsburg, Antioch, Richmond and San Ramon providing drones upon request as an “outside assist.” Gartner said no further community meetings are planned as the department moves into the “next phase,” which includes researching existing policies and equip-
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ment that other agencies are using. He added that residents will have a chance for comment as the program moves toward City Council consideration, and that no timeline has been set. Resident Laura Nakamura is following the progress and attended one of the department’s meetings. “To me, it’s like the wheels are in motion and it’s going to happen. The question is how,” Nakamura said. “If it’s going to happen, it’s very important that we get citizen oversight.” The department created a list clarifying what drones would and would not be used for, emphasizing that it would
be for specific not general surveillance. Uses includes missing person searches, aerial reinforcement of a crime scene, situation analysis and advanced surveillance when determined necessary, for example in issuing a search warrant deemed dangerous. Drones would not be used for general surveillance, to harass or intimidate, in backyards or for weaponized use. The department has not stated the cost of launching and maintaining the program, except to note that they envision grants as primary funding. In 2019, the Pittsburg Police Department indicated the city’s program cost about $50,000 to start.
“Any funding, whether internal or external, would be identified. It wouldn’t be something that would be concealed,” Gartner said. Nakamura, who represents Concord Communities Alliance District 5, wants to make sure the approval process and implementation are transparent. “We are in an era where we are seeing people scrutinize the police budget,” she said, adding that citizen oversight also is needed to address privacy issues. Gartner said data collected would be stored in the same manner as body-worn camera data: in the Cloud. It would
Concord names three companies for retail cannabis sites BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
The city could have two storefront retail cannabis businesses open by this fall and another ready by early 2022, after the City Council selected three companies to apply for licenses. Four council members named Authentic as their top pick at the May 25-26 meeting, with Carlyn Obringer dissenting. The council majority cited the freeway access to the 1045 Galaxy Way location, plus the dedicated parking at the standalone building. “I think it was very clear that the location was ideal,” said Mayor Tim McGallian. “Also, I felt that their experience, financial position and overall business acumen was actually far ahead of many of the applicants.” Authentic CEO Ryan Mitchell said the Shryne Group is the largest vertically integrated cannabis operator in California. The company grows, manufactures and distributes cannabis products and already has 13 retail stores. Mitchell said the proposed retail store is “one aspect of a larger play” for the company, which was previously awarded a cannabis distribution license off Port Chicago. “We plan to make Concord our Northern California headquarters – centralize our distribution, have corporate offices, our flagship store and our workforce development facility,” Mitchell said, noting that the store could open by January 2022.
have classifications and timedout settings for deletion, depending on the case and need of the evidence. Any program would comply with Federal Aviation Association policies, and officers with FAA-approved training would control the drone. Additionally, a committee including police, community members, and legal and privacy representatives would oversee adoption of a use policy. “We still have a lot to do A BIT OF CULTURE but rest assured that nothing’s The same council majority going to be done or approved voted 4-1 for Culture Cannabis without this information being Club at 1440 Concord Ave. public facing and openly being discussed with the City CounSee Cannabis, page 7 cil,” Gartner said.
Clayton’s Odyssey of the Mind achievers ‘persevered’ and kept it fun all the way DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
If competing in Odyssey of the Mind wasn’t challenging enough for elementary students, try throwing a 100-year global pandemic into the mix. Then when they are finally able to be together, tell them they have just six weeks to prepare their presentation for the competition judges. No problem for the sixmember team from Mt. Diablo Elementary in Clayton, which qualified for Worlds after finishing in the top three at both the regional and state levels in their division. When competition wrapped up for the year in May, the team had achieved 32nd place out of 73 teams from around the globe.
KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS Fun is a key component of Odyssey’s group problem solving activity. Other skills students develop along the way include learning, developing, and employing social skills, teamwork, resource management, designing and making, and critical thinking. All such skills blossomed for the six Clayton youngers, and unparalleled success and pride resulted for them. PUSHING MENTAL CREATIVITY
The group of Avica Bennett, Keira Caldwell, Julia Dent, Emma Forrester, Charlotte King and Hannah Laverick, with the support and encouragement of Emma Forrester, Avica Bennett, Hannah Laverick, Keira Caldwell and Charlotte King from Mt. Renee Culp, achieved what no Diablo Elementary School, had a very successful run in the 2020-21 Odyssey of the Mind
See Odyssey, page 5
competition, becoming the first team from the school to make it all the way to OM's Worlds. Not pictured, Julia Dent. (Contributed photo)
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