Home Match streamlines the process of finding the right person to share your home–we interview, screen, run background checks, and support you throughout your match. Learn more about this no-cost program...
On average, home sharing saved participants ~$700 each month
93% reported being satisfied with Home Match services
94% would recommend Home Match to a friend or relative*
s we savor the final days of summer while gearing up for a fresh school year, this is a month filled with anticipation and excitement for students, parents, and educators alike. We wish all of our local families a smooth and successful transition back to school—may this year bring learning, growth, and new friendships!
We’re also thrilled to highlight National Night Out, happening on August 5th this year (always the first Tuesday of August). This wonderful community-building campaign promotes neighborhood camaraderie, enhances relationships with local law enforcement, and helps create safer, more caring communities.
We encourage everyone to participate and connect with neighbors— it’s a fantastic way to strengthen our local bonds. Check out what is going on in your neighborhood!
We’re so proud to include two new advertisers for you this month.
Oliver’s Hardware in El Sobrante is an old-fashioned hardware store that values their neighbors and provides helpful customer service, with a wide variety of just about anything
you could want in a hardware store and more! And our cover, Home Match Contra Costa is a nonprofit that matches homeowners who would like to share their homes for companionship, extra income and/or even help around the house, with vetted home-living seekers. Their service includes screening, background checks, home visits, in-person interviews, ongoing mediation and counseling.
Wishing you the very best as you embrace all the adventures that August brings,
By Karen F. Walker
More than 65 eateries—from amazing ice cream, upscale burgers and pizza to a wide range of culturally diverse cuisine, including a few Michelin star and Zagat-rated restaurants, interspersed with local and regional banks, UPS, a robust stationary store, notary service, U.S. Post Office, friendly real estate and mortgage businesses, groceries, even dental, LabCorp and other health-related offices, plus hair salons, clothing, shoes, bicycles, toys and more…And that’s all on one street, Solano Avenue, as it transitions through North Berkeley and Albany.
“Where else can you see a dentist, get ice cream, buy a house, pick up some groceries and get a fine Italian meal, all on one street?!” says long-time Albany resident Allen Cain, executive director of the Solano Avenue Association, with a smile.
“Solano Avenue has one of the highest concentrations of independently owned and family-owned businesses in the region,” he adds, emphasizing that “it all came about organically, which adds to the avenue’s unique charm and appeal.”
The street is flanked by six schools and a few parks, so there’s plenty of foot traffic throughout the day.
While long-time businesses on Solano Avenue offer a wealth of knowledge, local lore and excellent resources, “there’s an ongoing influx of new businesses and new offerings as well,” Cain adds. Plus, the area is so appreciated by locals that a group of volunteers—the Blue Glove Crew—meet three times a week to combine exercise walking with civic good (trash clean-up), keeping the street especially clean.
Each year, on the second Sunday in September, the Solano Avenue Association coordinates the largest street festival in the East Bay, namely, the Solano Avenue Stroll, which attracts more than a quarter of a million people. In case you’re wondering, yes, the street shuts down for this one! Live music, free tastes and samples, arts, information, food, local dance troupes, musicians and so much more.
Other events are not as big, but still popular, including Halloween on Solano (costume contest, trick-or-treating), Christmas on Solano (tree and Santa included, six days, pets welcome and... hot chocolate!), and the Lunar New Year celebration (featuring an El Cerrito-based Chinese dance team and more).
To learn more, go to SolanoAvenue.com
This a fun and interactive way for our readers to share their views, experiences, and opinions on a wide range of topics. Each month we’ll pose a new question to our community, and we’d love for you to participate!
To join the “Just Curious™” conversation, simply submit your answer to the question above by emailing us: sales@ccmarketplacemag.com within the first week of each month. Be sure to include your name and city, as you’d like it to appear in the magazine.
Q. WHICH LOCAL SPORTS TEAM OR ATHLETE DO YOU LOVE CHEERING FOR THE MOST... AND WHY?
Please submit your response by August 8, 2025 — including your name (as you’d like to see it in print) and city — to: sales@ccmarketplacemag.com NEXT QUESTION (Deadline: August 8, 2025)
To make this more fun—for our next question, all entries will be automatically entered into a monthly drawing for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! The lucky winner will be announced in the following month’s article, and gift cards will be delivered electronically to the email address used for your submission.
Let’s stay curious and connected!
—ARUN D. (HAPPY
By Karen F. Walker
This month’s editorial theme is seniors and back to school. Instead of a more expected approach to this theme we decided to take a path less traveled, yet one that may open new horizons for local adults and children alike.
A few years ago I witnessed the most extraordinary transformation. A small group of us brought gifts and song (and hopefully cheer) to residents and workers at a local nursing home. As residents gathered in the activity room, we handed out cuddly, useful gifts one-by-one.
Soon the activity room was full, we handed out words to carols and songs, then launched into a sing-along with the wider group. Other residents requested favorite songs, interacted and joked. Much laughter. Truly fun!
But here’s the part I remember most. And I know I wasn’t imagining it because a fellow singer noticed the same thing.
If you’re interested in learning more, here are a few resources:
Kathleen M. Howland, PhDKathleenHowland.com
Alan Harvey, neuroscientist and musician -
TED: Your brain on music
The first person I encountered was in a wheel chair in the middle of the entry area. As I approached, he made no direct indication of engagement. He was clean, dressed and looked good but his eyes told a different story; his eyes seemed to see, yet not see…almost a blank stare. I felt he could hear me and that he might have wanted to respond and engage, but he was clearly unable to do so. I spent a few minutes with this resident, exploring ways to engage, and finally decided to place the red, fuzzy stocking full of goodies in his chair in such a way that it would not fall out. But no direct words or engagement from him. There were two residents like this and, interestingly, they both joined us for singing.
Each time we sang a traditional carol, the two gentlemen in the state described above, joined in singing. Without looking at the booklet, without apparent engagement, they sang EVERY WORD! In tune and in time with the music. Every. Single. Time.
On the way home, I couldn’t get that experience out of my mind. What was it? What would cause a person to be in that kind of state? What was going on inside? How could I, or anyone, make their life better, richer?
What finally struck me was the power of music. The power of music to cut through words and normal human interaction to move the soul, and even to move a person to engage with others at some level, to foster community and a sense of belonging in a very real sense, yet without “conversation.”
Turns out, there really is something to this, and it’s important and real and life-changing, for each of us, at literally every stage of our lives.
and rehabilitation settings.
In a TED talk she reveals just a taste of how music can heal our brain and heart.
Howland says the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagorus (remember the Pythagorean Theorem from school?) is “the first person known to use music prescriptively for people’s emotional and physical maladies.” Today music therapy is being used in conjunction “with neuroscience to help advance music-based interventions for diseases and disorders of a wide variety.”
“Have you ever stopped to wonder when we first respond to music,” she asks. The answer? Before birth, In the womb! “In the last trimester of fetal life, babies are able to hear external sound… for speech and for music. And they are able to detect the musical elements of both. So much so,” explains Howland, “ that they will respond differently to stories and music that are familiar to them compared to those that are unfamiliar and novel. This implies a memory capacity for speech and music.”
Howland says this memory capacity helps children learn speech and language in their earliest years. A Boston study revealed that 3-year-olds who were unable to tell the difference between two specific tonal sounds can indicate a potential for dyslexia, which typically is not diagnosed until age 6 to 8. This early observation can open the door for early support and treatment.
Brain imaging technology taken at birth, Howland continues, reveals that newborns can detect the beat in music. Plenty of viral videos show babies moving to the beat of music. Six months is the stage at which a baby’s body becomes organized enough to act on what his or her brain already knows since before birth.
Music has been used for many centuries to help large groups of people achieve what they could not have accomplished alone, Howland adds. For example, Sea Shanties (e.g. “What shall we do with the drunken sailor, what shall we do with the…”) rhythmically help organize, motivate and sustain the efforts of sailors on long voyages to execute such tasks as lifting heavy lines connected to anchors, hoisting heavy sails, lifting cargo and rowing in synchrony.
This innate capacity to respond and move with music does not diminish with age, even if one struggles with movement due to a stroke or Parkinsons Disease. Research has shown repeatedly that these patients can walk and move better, just by the beat of the music, says Howland. Music reaches underlying neuro-mechanisms in our brain that can no longer communicate with the body, and can even improve speech and language in stroke patients.
audience experience first-hand the impact of music on the brain.
Harvey asked a small orchestra to play two very different musical pieces—one calming and the other menacing— while his audience viewed the exact same shark video twice. Everyone immediately recognized the profound difference in their reaction to the same video depending upon the music played while they watched.
Next, Dr. Harvey brought in a fellow neuroscientist fitted with a device that reveals brainwaves in real time. It was remarkable to see the unfiltered brain response to different music, revealing calm, varied or absolutely chaotic brain waves depending on the music.
Dr. Harvey went on to explain that music affects the chemical transmitters in our brain. It affects our hormones, motivation, attention, addiction, social tasks and even our immune system. It can help unlock memories in dementia patients. It can help treat developmental disorders and improve outcomes in rehabilitation therapies for those with a brain injury, stroke or Parkinson’s.
“Music is an effective therapy that should be widely used in the medical field,” concludes Dr. Harvey. But, he adds, perhaps music’s greatest power is the field of education.
Increasing research shows that having some musical education has a long-lasting, positive impact on a child’s social and cognitive development. These children exhibit better hearing, better motor skills, improved memory that lasts throughout one’s life, better verbal and literary skills, and some say even improved mathematical skills. Also, group musical experience can improve how children interact with each other regardless of cultural backgrounds. And this is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the benefits of music on the human brain.
In light of this research, consider what can music do for you, your children, your beloved elderly, your life and your family.
Pretty Amazing!
“Hardening your home” increases the chances it will survive a wildfire. Embers can travel up to a mile away and ignite a blaze quickly, so it’s crucial to take steps to protect your property. Here are a few ideas to help safeguard your home:
· Replace wood or shingle roofing with Class A materials like asphalt, clay, metal, or slate.
· Keep rain gutters clear of debris.
· Apply ignition-resistant or non-combustible materials such as fire-retardant-treated materials.
Cover vents, chimneys, and stove pipe outlets with metal mesh to prevent embers from entering your home.
Seal gaps around garage doors using weather stripping.
· Upgrade single-pane windows to dual-pane windows.
· Move flammable items at least 5 feet away from your home and keep hoses accessible on your property.
· Replace flammable landscaping with fire-resistant alternatives.
Trim trees or shrubs overhanging your driveway to ensure emergency vehicles can reach your home.
AUGUST 5:
HERCULES NATIONAL NIGHT OUT & MOVIE NIGHT
Tuesday, 6pm-8pm. Music, crafts, games, train, food trucks, meet local businesses & non-profits. Movie “IF” at dusk. Refugio Valley Park, Hercules. More Info: bayfrontchamber.com.
AUGUST 10:
ART AND WINE FESTIVAL
Sunday, 4-8pm. Live Jazz by The Steve Snyder Trio. Free. 628 2nd Ave., Crocket.
AUGUST 16:
CONCERT BY BROADWAY VETERAN, MICHAEL BABIN
Saturday, 3pm. Miss Smith (concert director and vocal instructor) is dedicated to bringing
live performances to the community. This concert brings the talents of Michael Babin, veteran of Broadway musical performances and national tours, to the East Bay in a low-cost, friendly, air-conditioned environment in Pinole! Come experience Michael’s solo show: “Tell the Story.” Tickets cost: $20 at the door or online at misssmithpresents.com. Performance is at Christ the Lord Episcopal Church, 592 Tennent Avenue, Pinole (across Tennent Ave. from the Fernandez Park baseball field.)
AUGUST 16:
4TH ANNUAL DREAMING OF ISLAND
Saturday, 11am-4pm. Bay Area Vendors Island Inspired Eats & Treats. Scout Hall, 991 Loring Ave., Crocket. For more info: contact sugarcitymp@gmail.com
AUGUST 25: SUMMER MEGA MIXER
Monday, 5:30pm-7:30pm.
Free to chamber members when pre-registered Nonmembers $15. All members of the business community welcome!
TICKETS/RSVP @ EVENTBRITE.COM. Hosted by the Bay Front, Crockett, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Oakland Latino & Richmond Chambers of Commerce, the San Pabo EDC & The Old Homestead. The Old Homestead, 995 Loring Ave., Crockett. Info: bayfrontchamber.com
EL CERRITO PLAZA
Tuesdays and Saturdays - 9 am to 1 pm
3060 El Cerrito Plaza, Parking Lot (South West Corner)
RICHMOND
Fridays 7am - 5pm 325 Civic Center Plaza In front of the main Richmond Public Library
MARINA BAY
Sunday 10am - 2pm Marina Bay Park Regatta Blvd & Melville Square
PINOLE
Saturdays 9am-1pm 798 Fernandez Avenue Pinole
MARTINEZ
Sunday 10am - 1pm 700 Main Street, Martinez
KENSINGTON
Sunday 9am - 2pm 1560 Oak View Avenue Colusa Avenue & Santa Fe Avenue
RICHMOND CIVIC CENTER
May through November Wednesdays 10am-2pm Park Place & Richmond Avenue
POINT RICHMOND
May through September Wednesdays 4pm-8pm Nevin Avenue and 13th Street
SAN PABLO
June to September
Saturday 10am - 2pm 13831 San Pablo Avenue
EL SOBRANTE
10am-2pm Sundays 5166 Sobrante Avenue, El Sobrante
