inside
IT’S YOUR PAPER
Marchers join rally for Dreamers
www.concordpioneer.com
From the desk of...
LAURA HOFFMEISTER
MAYOR
Code process helps keep Concord neighborhoods clean
September 22, 2017
925.672.0500
More than 50 people marched from Cambridge Park in the Monument to Todos Santos Plaza, where they were greeted by another 30-40 people supporting DACA on Sept. 9. People also rallied in Oakland, San Jose and Los Angeles that day to protest President Donald Trump’s threat to undocumented immigrants who were brought here by their families as minors and are currently protected under DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Concord resident and longtime Latina activist Ana Villalobos was master of ceremonies for the event in downtown Concord, where several so-called Dreamers told their stories. One woman said she was told she couldn’t continue at Diablo Valley College because she lacked a Social Security number. After being approved as a Dreamer, she
I am often asked about neighborhood preservation or code enforcement and how someone can bring an issue to the city’s attention. The city is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life in its neighborhoods and has regulations that pertain to residential and commercial property maintenance. They are typically designed to control accumulations of junk, trash and Photo courtesy of California State Assembly vehicles that are abandoned, Immigration advocate Ana Villalobos, left, walks with Assembyman Tim Grayson and state Sen. Steve Glazier unregistered or in disrepair. at the DACA march in Concord on Sept. 9. See Dreamers, page 3 Code enforcement specialists assist residents with a variety of services. The program utilizes a Neighborhood Partnership Program and coordinates city services for neighborhoods. The Code Enforcement Unit is a division of the Police Department. There are three code enforcement officers Carondelet High alum supervised by a police sergeant. CVHS Class of 1969 grad The unit is responsible for Daniel Zacapa enjoying Brittany Stich a Forbes quality of life matters having to 30 Under 30 entrepreneur do with blight, property safety, best years of his life public nuisances and property JAY BEDECARRÉ JAY BEDECARRÉ maintenance. It is mostly comConcord Pioneer Concord Pioneer plaint driven. Activities also include Neighborhood Watch meetings, neighborhood When 10-year-old Daniel Zacapa was When Forbes magazine set about at Woodside Elementary School he compiling this year’s list of 30 Under 30 young entrepreneurs in a number of See Mayor, page 6 attended a parent teacher conference with his folks. The school counselor sugfields, they were looking for game-changgested that he do a skit for the school. ers to follow in the footsteps of Michael He put together a little melodrama in Phelps, Jennifer Lawrence, Adele and the cafeteria that included seven hat LeBron James. changes and earned him cheers and When the judges whittled down laughter from parents and students alike. 15,000 nominees to 600 selections (30 Photo courtesy Daniel Zacapa each in 20 industries), a 29-year-old ConPhoto courtesy Guild Education “That’s the first time I knew what I Clayton Valley High School Class of Concord native Brittany Stich is really wanted to do,” the 66-year-old cord native made the grade. Brittany 1969 graduate Gary Pearson evenco-founder and Head of Student Zacapa says. If a reader can’t place ZacaStich, who attended Queen of All Saints tually changed to a stage name of Experience of Guild Education of pa from Woodside, Oak Grove and El and Carondelet High School (Class of Daniel Zacapa (shown on set of Colorado. The Queen of All Saints Dorado middle schools or Clayton Valley 2006), is spotlighted with co-founder “24: Legacy”). He is now one of the School and Carondelet High grad High School that’s because he was born Rachel Carlson in the education category busiest character actors in TV and and her co-founder Rachel Carlson and raised as Gary Pearson, CVHS class for their startup, Guild Education. films. were spotlighted in Forbes Magaof 1969. The women met the first week of zine as 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs Since the mid-1990s he’s used his their freshman year at Stanford University JOHN T. MILLER in Education. stage name Daniel Zacapa (Daniel for his appeared in. He also showed his comedy in 2006 and began Guild in 2015 while Correspondent favorite TV show “Daniel Boone” and chops with parts in a couple “Seinfeld” Stich was in the final year of her MBA/Master’s in Education program. time. “I certainly have empathy for the Concord civic leaders are Zacapa his mother’s maiden name). The episodes. intensely focused as they pre- veteran character actor has never been He’s been in over three dozen movies, Recently, they wrapped up Series B fund- school-work-family balancing act our pare to bid on Amazon’s mam- busier with jobs coming to him without performing with Morgan Freeman, Jack ing of $21 million, bringing to $31.5 mil- Guild students live every day,” she says. moth $5 billion project to build the need to audition. Guild has already been honored as Lemmon and Walter Matthau (“I’d say lion the venture capital Guild has raised. Next Thursday, Sept. 28, he returns the best experience I had in film”), Ed Guild works with employers to offer Denver Chamber of Commerce Womena second headquarters. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for his second season on NBC’s “Chica- Harris, John Travolta, Brad Pitt (twice), education as a benefit to their employees, led Business of the Year. providing employees with online educaannounced that HQ2 would be go Fire” in the recurring role of Ramon Robert Redford and Drew Barrymore. CARONDELET, STANFORD YEARS “a full equal to our Seattle head- Dawson, father of paramedic Gabby As is the case with many character tional opportunities – everything from Stich was involved in student govquarters and bring billions of (Monica Raymund). actors, his name may not ring a bell but completing high school to obtaining a During his high school years, he spent just take a look at his photo and you master’s degree. Stich explains that ernment and volunteerism at Carondollars of upfront and ongoing a couple summers painting houses with know you’ve seen him in many films and employers pay for this benefit as a means delet. She was student body president investments.” to recruit, retain and add value to their and says she “learned incredible servant Amazon is looking for a classmate Tom White. At Clayton Valley, TV shows. leadership from the late and beloved metropolitan area with more he performed in a number of student All of that experience and success employees. Guild has a roster of participating col- Sister James,” who died last month. She than a million people, room to productions including “Arsenic and Old didn’t ensure Zacapa a smooth journey in accommodate up to 50,000 Lace” and “Charley’s Aunt.” When he life. “When I first moved to Los Angeles leges and universities around the country. was on the Cougars track and field workers, on-site access to mass was 17 he went with another buddy, and throughout the ‘80s cocaine use was “We’re in every time zone.” Chipotle, team and played AAU basketball. “I transit, a commute of 45 min- Frank DiTullio, to Bakersfield loading part of the Hollywood culture.” Zacapa Taco Bell, Public Service Credit Union, wasn’t good enough to make our basutes or less to an international heavy bags of potatoes all day. Those always remained active in the industry. “I KFC, DaVita and Denver public schools ketball team,” she admits. She majored in political science at airport and easy access of 2 jobs reinforced his dream of acting for a never stopped working. I maintained the are among the companies working with miles or less to a major highway living. 24-hour rule,” which meant he’d abstain the Denver-based Guild. He attended San Francisco State “for from use a day before auditions and key “My family has worked in education or arterial road. See Stich, page 11 reform since I can remember,” says Carl“The former Concord Naval a millisecond” after Clayton Valley, went filming days. Weapons station is the perfect to New York to study acting and backHis mother, “who was my biggest son, a Colorado native whose grandfather place for the new Amazon head- packed through Europe. When he fan” (school teaching was her passion Roy Romer was a three-term governor. Inside quarters,” City Councilwoman returned to the Bay Area he performed in and she encouraged Daniel and his four “Brit is the first in her family to go to colCalendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Carlyn Obringer posted on Berkeley Stage Company and Kensing- younger siblings “to follow our own lege. So, thinking about what allowed her Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Facebook. “We are throwing our ton Players productions. And, to pay the path”), died about four years ago. That to navigate that path – a lot of that is bills, he painted houses! hat into the ring.” eventually proved the turning point for what we do at Guild.” From the desk of . . . . . . . . . . .6 He got a recurring role as a reporter Zacapa, who still struggled with subStich also knows what it means to be When the Request for ProSchools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 posals (RFP) came in, it went in 15 “Hill Street Blues” episodes, which stance abuse. He went to his first Alco- a working adult headed back to school. kickstarted his TV career. Over the past She commuted for a year, taking Stanford Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 four decades there’s hardly a TV drama classes part of the week and flying to See Amazon, page 11 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . .12 See Zacapa, page 11 series you can think of that he hasn’t Denver to work at Guild the rest of the
Concord high school grads make the grade
Concord preparing Amazon HQ2 bid