Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
VALLEY
Find out what’s new in the Valley at
THE
SENTINEL
www.valleysentinel.com
Arts • Activities • Auto • Business • Gardening • Seniors and more...
always for the community VOL 23, NO 9
September 2018
www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
28th Annual Day in the Park The Taylor Family Foundation raises over 1.2 Million for Critically Ill Children
Special guest performance by The Revolution and legendary band members Wendy, Lisa, Bobby Z, Brownmark and Dr. Fink, at this year’s Day in the Park auction fundraiser wowed guests and helped drive donations over $1.2 million. Noted celebrities including local news personalities ABC7/KGO TV’s Cheryl Jennings and Mike Nicco, OpenRoadTV’s Doug McConnell, radio personalities Jim Hampton from KKIQ/KKDV and Sue Hall
ECRWSS
Postmaster: Dated Material
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
See TTFF page 7
Save Mount Diablo celebrated its 17th Moonlight on the Mountain on Saturday, September 8, 2018. More than 450 community members and elected officials came together in Mount Diablo State Park to celebrate the successes of the past year and raise their paddles in support of Save Mount Diablo’s important land conservation work to preserve land on and around Mount Diablo. Guests enjoyed gourmet meals prepared and served by Sunrise Bistro and Catering as well as fine wine and beer from our area’s best vineyards and breweries.
The Clever Coyote By James M. Hale
Despite bounties and large-scale efforts to kill coyotes for more than 100 years, coyotes have expanded their range throughout the United States and Canada tremendously. Two centuries ago, the early explorers of this continent made frequent references to wolves and foxes in their journals, however they seldom mentioned coyotes. Extirpation of wolf populations and the expansion of widespread agribusiness and forestry have favored conditions for the adaptive coyote. The larger and more powerful gray wolf is one of the few natural checks on coyote abundance. Today, coyotes thrive in suburban settings and even some urban ones. Researchers estimate there are up to 2,000 coyotes living in the greater Chicago area and this scenario applies to other urban landscapes across North America. Coyotes inhabit Golden Gate Park
after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and dispersal from the peninsula. They are found in Central Park in New York City after crossing bridges and are frequently seen throughout the Los Angeles megapolis. Coyotes are commonly encountered throughout the East Bay Area because of our habitat protection with the East Bay Regional Parks, Mount Diablo State Park, watersheds and open spaces. Evolutionary theory suggests the coyote evolved in North America during the Pleistocene epoch 1.81 million years ago alongside the dire wolf. Coyote is ultimately derived from the Aztec word coyotl, meaning trickster. Its scientific name, Canis latrans means “barking dog” in Latin. Because the coyote is
so prevalent throughout the west, many of our towns, lakes, reservoirs, creeks, parks and other land features have been named after this wild canine. Native American lore about the coyote is rich and plentiful. Much magic has been associated with the coyote, who is the creator, teacher, culture hero, trickster and keeper of magic.
The coyote is a fascinating animal filled with paradox, but at the heart of its energy is the balance of wisdom and folly. Their is always hidden wisdom when the coyote is concerned. Coyotes figured prominently in the creation or etiological myths and narratives of the
This month’s Special Section: Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. P.O. Box 130 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
Fall Home and Garden pages 8-9
See COYOTE page 4