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Tenants and workers gather to protest high rents in May Day rally
RAISE THE ROOF COALITION Special to the Pioneer
CARLyn OBRingeR
CONCORD MAYOR
Galindo St. project a boost for city’s affordable housing
At the May 7 meeting, the Concord City Council proclaimed May 11-19 as Affordable Housing Week to raise awareness regarding what is being done in our community to help address affordability challenges. I want to share more about Resources for Community Development (RCD), the 100 percent affordable, transit-oriented housing project for which the City Council approved additional funding
Amir Saadiq
A May Day rally and march began at Meadow Homes park with a call for rent control action from city leaders. See Obringer, page 9 Hundreds then marched through downtown streets to Todos Santos Plaza where local musicians and dance groups performed.
Hundreds of Concord residents poured into the streets for the annual May Day rally and march on May 1. Their message was that the City Council must pass rent control and other tenant protections to prevent more families and businesses from being pushed out of town. Skyrocketing rents, unjust evictions, displacement and homelessness have had a devastating impact on Concord’s communities, with low-income children and families of color the hardest hit. No Concord neighborhood is affordable for families who earn less than $50,000 a year. “Everyone deserves a place to raise our families with dignity, to work and contribute to our community, and to live, pray and play free from the threat of displacement,” said Nicole Zapata of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, one of the march’s organizers.
See May Day, page 2
Walking the walk: Local man advocates for homeless LISA FULMER Special to the Pioneer
After several years of observing local homelessness, long-time Concord resident Wayne Calhoon finally decided to stop being afraid and annoyed. “I met a woman whose son was homeless, and she had a vision of starting a nonprofit to help more people like him. Her story resonated with me, so I helped her establish Passion to the Streets,” he said. “Once her organization was up and running, I was inspired to see what I could do in my own neighborhood.” Calhoon, a homeowner in the Monument corridor for 26 years, started introducing himself to people he suspected were homeless. “I’ve gotten to know my homeless neighbors well,” he said. “I do a lot of listening and a little chatting. Most people just want some
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Lisa Fulmer
Monument resident Wayne Calhoon brings food to his friend Beth at her temporary campsite.
adult conversation about real life.” He has become a tenacious advocate for his neighbors who are facing complex challenges like homelessness. For three years, Calhoon has been driving through Concord at night to check in with his
friends living on the street. He and his housed friends regularly purchase supplies such as blankets, toiletries and water to give out as needed. Some people have been living rough for a long time; others are dealing with temporary setbacks. “Once I met a woman who
had just become homeless that day. Within 24 hours, I had her re-homed and she is back in the mainstream,” he recounted. “I helped another woman get into an addiction recovery program while I fostered her dog. She did well for a while, but then she relapsed and is homeless again.” Calhoon credits his experience in private elementary school for guiding his philosophy. “We spent time with lots of different kids in the community, including those who needed extra help, so I learned early about the value of compassion,” he recalled. He knows all too well that anyone can become homeless. “One particularly harsh winter, my house became damaged and it was unsafe to live there,” he said. “I had to move into a temporary shelter, where I was treated, and mistreated, like any other homeless person
Kidfest in Concord turns 30 and it’s fresh as ever TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
On Memorial Day Weekend over 20,000 kids, parents and grandparents will visit Mt. Diablo High School in downtown Concord to take part in the city’s largest annual celebration, Bay Area KidFest. This is the 30th edition of KidFest and event producer Jay Bedecarre says the entertainment, activities, attractions, exhibitors and food are just as fresh today as they were in the debut 1990 KidFest. On hand to entertain KidHolly Sonne Fest audiences May 25-27 will Bay Area KidFest offers 20 rides for kids of all ages, includbe the All-Alaskan Racing Pigs, ing the popular Dragon Wagon Roller Coaster. The 30th BMX Freestyle Team, Professor
See KidFest, page 3
annual KidFest is May 25-27 on the Memorial Day Weekend in downtown Concord.
needing assistance.” He also remembers Mary, a 76-year-old Pleasant Hill homeowner. “After getting some shady advice, abusing alcohol and making some bad choices, Mary lost her house to foreclosure and moved into her car. When it was impound-
ed, I helped her find a sober house, where she still lives. So that’s a success story.” Calhoon recently started working with another nonprofit, Urban Upreach, which wants to develop rapid transitional
See Homeless, page 2
Marine vet keynote speaker at Memorial Day celebration BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
In his Memorial Day speech in Clayton, Lt. Col. Mike Hudson will emphasize sacrifice and the gift of valor. “I’ll be talking about Memorial Day and why it matters. I want to focus on the gifts that those sacrifices bring – the impact and moving forward,” he said. “Then I’ll bring those things together to explain the role of the living veteran in telling the story of those who are no longer with us – basically a way to keep the memory and knowledge of those contributions alive by letting younger generations know what happened.” The 28th annual Memorial Day Observance begins at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at the downtown Clayton flagpole.
The Lt. Jerry Novakovich VFW Post 1525 is co-hosting the event with the Korean War Veterans Chapter 264. Gold Star Mom Jeanne Magnani also will speak, with music by Concord High School, the Diablo View Middle School Band and Ladies First. Hudson, a Concord resident, enlisted in the Marines in 1993 and was a reservist while attending San Diego State. He was commissioned as an officer in 1997 and served three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan before retiring in September 2018. On Memorial Day, he intends to honor those who impacted his life – including author Bryan Smothers. An Amazon reviewer said Smothers’ book, “1968 Year of the
See Memorial, page 5
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