JAN 30 Concord Pioneer 2015 by Pioneer Publishers

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.concordpioneer.com

From the desk of...

January 30, 2015

925.672.0500

Digital Safari, hi-tech and cool TAMARA STEINER

Concord Pioneer

TIM GRAYSON

MAYOR

Measure Q funds will speed improvements As mayor and a city council member, I am well aware that prior planning for budgetary items is essential and needs to be based on priorities agreed upon by those responsible for strategic, long range policy development. This was the basis for the Concord City Council’s Fiscal Planning Workshop discussing the extension of Measure Q. Funding infrastructure improvements and enhancing economic developments were the cornerstones of this discussion. The good news is that we are expecting revenues of $85 million, with Measure Q revenue contributing $11.6 million, or 14 percent of the total. The recommended breakdown is $8 million for operations and $3.6 million allocated to reserves. Fortunately, our 10-year forecast projects a significant increase in Measure Q funds. City Manager Valerie Barone and her staff advocate funding “shovel ready” projects and suggest we align these projects with high priority recommendations revealed in our latest Community Satisfaction Survey. I believe this makes good sense; however, the problem is that there are too many projects that are either “shovel ready” or are projects that affect the highest number of residents, such as upgrading roadways. We recognize the need to replace some playground equipment, upgrade our public restrooms and concession facilities at parks, and demolish old storage buildings. We will be able to do a number of small projects with the immediately available $554,073.

See Mayor, page 5

Tamara Steiner

FLORENSIO BARAJAS, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER FOR EDUCATION ECHO pitches his company’s software to a potential investor at the Mt. Diablo High’s 10th Annual Innovation Fair. Education Echo was one of 20 faux companies created by MDH Digital Safari Academy students for the 10th annual competition held at Centre Concord Jan. 16.

Four high school seniors were likely paying close attention last week when educational toymaker Leapfrog announced a sharp decline in earnings. The quartet, students in Mt. Diablo High School’s Digital Safari Academy had just taken third place at the program’s annual Innovation Fair with their proposed special education software, Education Echo, which they hoped would knock the competition off its lily pad. Education Echo was one of 20 multi-media projects presented at the fair by DSA seniors tasked with finding “Beyond the Edge” solutions to pressing environmental or social issues. In the semester-long project, young entrepreneurs worked in teams to identify and research a cutting edge product or service and write a business plan including financial projections and a

See Innovation, page 10

New newspaper group unfolds in east bay PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer

The media landscape in the East Bay is shifting again, as five local community papers are banding together to create the new Contra Costa Community News Group. Publishers from the Clayton Pioneer, Concord Pioneer, Lamorinda Weekly, Community Focus and Valley Sentinel launched the new CCCNG late in 2014, mainly as an avenue to attract national and regional advertising. The combined circulation of the new enterprise is 150,000 with free delivery to homes and businesses. But the founders of the new association say the end result will be better coverage for readers. “CCCNG can help strength-

Rochellez Photography

LEADERS OF FIVE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS KNOW WHERE NEWS HAPPENS: in the community. Meeting for a strategy session are the publishers that make up the new Contra Costa Community News Group (left to right), Denise Rousset (Danville Sentinel), Elena Hutslar, (Community Focus), Rebecca Coburn (Community Focus), Wendy Scheck (Lamorinda Weekly) and Tamara Steiner (Clayton Pioneer and Concord Pioneer.)

en our community newspapers with added revenue,” says Com-

munity Focus publisher Elena Hutslar, who runs the Pleasant

Hill-based paper with Jennifer Neys and Rebecca Coburn.

That revenue, according to Pioneer Editor and Publisher Tamara Steiner, will result in better papers. “More revenue means more resources for more and better news coverage.” Wendy Scheck, associate publisher of the Lamorinda Weekly, agrees. “All of our papers are written and printed with significant costs and delivered free to homes and businesses in each of our communities. By forming this group and making it easier and more efficient for regional and national advertisers to place media buys with us, our newspapers will be stronger financially — and that means we can continue providing the local coverage our readers have grown accustomed to.” The Lamorinda Weekly debuted in March, 2007.

See CCCNG, page 5

Concord officers attend funerals for slain NY cops PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer

Photo courtesy of the Concord Police Officers Association

THE CONCORD POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS WELL REPRESENTED at the funerals of two slain New York police officers in late December and early January. Pictured here at the funeral of Officer Wenjian Liu are Officer Tim Elsberry, Corporal Jeff Ross, Sergeant Mark Robison, Detective Krista Sansen, Detective David Greenfield and Officer Ollie Sansen.

Brooklyn, New York, is far from Northern California, but when two New York Police officers were ambushed and gunned down in their patrol car on Dec. 20, the shock waves hit the Concord Police Department hard. So when Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were laid to rest, the CPD made sure they were there to show support for their brethren in blue. Detective Krista Sansen learned Christmas morning that she had been chosen to attend both funerals. “I flew out on the red-eye on Christmas night. It was an amazing honor to be able to attend both funerals and

I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to show my respect at both,” she says. She and one other member of the CPD Honor Guard attended Officer Ramos’ funeral on Dec. 27. A few days later, on Jan. 4, she was one of six CPD Honor Guards at Officer Liu’s funeral, as well as seven other Concord police officers. “For me, despite the sadness, there’s a tremendous sense of solidarity, unity and pride in these types of events,” Det. Sansen said. “There’s so much strength in numbers and it’s very apparent when you look over an endless sea of blue and you can hear a pin drop.” She was lucky enough to be joined at Officer Liu’s funeral by her husband, Concord

Police Officer Ollie Sansen. “To be selected as an Honor Guard Member from our department to fly out and pay tribute to a fallen officer on the other side of the United States was a truly great honor,” he says. He had learned that Jet Blue was flying two officers from each agency out to New York free of charge (as long as there was room). Half jokingly, he says, he sent this news link to the department’s Honor Guard group, suggesting they try and send some people who were able to attend. “Shortly after, our command staff and Police Association agreed to send two members to the Ramos funeral.”

See NY funerals, page 5

Page 2

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

COMMUNITY

In Brief... Covered California workshop Covered California will host an information event on Jan. 31 from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the Monument Impact Center, 2699 Monument Blvd., Concord. Covered California representatives will be there to answer questions and assist in signing people up on the California health insurance exchange or via Medi-Cal. Several of the representatives will speak Spanish.

Pancakes and Ponies on Mt. Diablo High up on Mt. Diablo is a hidden gem that few know

about. The Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association on the

Poll workers needed Contra Costa County needs poll workers for the March 17, 2015 Special Primary Election and May 19, 2015 Special General Election. Poll workers be at least 16 and may live in any part of the county. Bilingual are especially needed. No prior experience is necessary and training is provided. Poll workers receive a stipend of at least $125 for their service, which includes attending a twohour required training and working from 6-9 p.m. on Election Day. Those interested must be registered to vote in California, or be a permanent resident in the United States, according to state election law. For more information, visit www.cocovote.us. To apply, email eo@vote.cccounty.us or call the Elections Division at (925) 335-7873.

January 30, 2015

Volunteer Jill Ramsey leads Emma Sterling aboard Princess Fiona while Emma practices sitting tall in the saddle.

north slope just outside Clayton is a playground for kids and families who love the mountain. On Feb. 21, locals will have a chance to discover this hidden gem for themselves at a Pancake and Ponies play day and walk/hike at the clubhouse to benefit its Horsemanship Education programs. The day begins with pancakes at 9 a.m. To register and for directions to the clubhouse, go to cmdtra.org, click on the calendar and choose the Feb. 21 event called Pancakes and Ponies. Deadline: Feb. 20. $8 for adults; $5 for children 12 years and under. For more information, contact Valerie WataseSterling, (925) 260-3173 or vwatase@aol.com.

Continued next page

Ygnacio Valley Republican Women Diana Rentz, Meridee McLean, Liz Hansen, Joy Delipine and Terri Di Loreto, along with Monument Crisis Center staffer Yolanda Gonzalez, filled canvas bags with book blankets and stuffed animals for Project Night-Night. The bags were delivered to the kids at the Monument Crisis Center in time for Christmas.

Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary does street duty

Summer Jobs in the Regional Parks It is not too early to begin thinking about spring or summer employment in the East Bay Regional Park District. The district has about 370 seasonal fulltime and part-time paid jobs available, ideal for students. Positions include lifeguards, recreation leaders, park workers and interpretive student aides. Spring and summer employment offers valuable experience in skills such as communicating

Republican women say ‘Night, Night’ to Crisis Center kids

Photo Clayton Worsdell.

The CVCS Rotary Club volunteers in the Adopt-a-Street program are (from left): Clayton Worsdell, Barbara Westphall, Frank Westphall, Jim Swanson, Richard Lueck, Bob Huck, Exchange student Aline Collard, Barbara Reifschneider, Mary Ann Moser and her Corgi, Teddy.

Happy New Year 2015 1105 Northridge Ct, Concord

For more than 10 years the Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary Club has been involved in the Concord Adopt-A-Street Program. The club meets once every quarter on the second Saturday of that month. On Saturday, Jan. 10, the club met at a designated place with a city employee who supplied the safety vests, large trash bags, gloves and a picker. This time, the club “adopted” the street from Ygnacio Valley Rd./Kirker Pass Rd. to Ayers Road. Members walked both sides of the street picking up the trash, and brought the filled bags and the supplies back to

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the meeting place. The city of Concord picked up the filled trash bags and their equipment. It is a great project and only takes a couple hours to help keep the streets of Concord cleaner. If anyone would like to join the club on one of its quarterly cleanups, contact Bob Huck, CVCS Rotary Community Services Director, at 925-672-9448. Any business or organization that would like to participate in the Concord Adopt-A-Street Program can contact the Code Enforcement Department of the Concord Police Department.

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January 30, 2015

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

Everything’s coming up Rosies Rosie the Riveter will take center stage during the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club membership drive meeting on Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. Several local “Rosies” will be on hand to discuss their WWII experiences and spotlight the Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. The meeting will take place at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way in Concord and the public is invited. The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club provides community service and scholarships through volunteerism and fundraising. For more information, go to claytonvalleywomansclub.org.

Page 3

World Champ Giants hit home run with Concord fans, Junior Giants

Volunteer to help adults read, write and speak English well enough to function in society. English need not be your first language. No teaching experience required. Learn to be a tutor at workshops Feb. 28 and March 7 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 4000 Clayton Road, Concord. For more information, go to dvlc.tripod.com. To register, call (925) 685-3881 or email dvlc4esl@gmail.com.

Developers to present vision for CNWS

The Concord-Diablo Rotary’s “Picker Squadron” followed up last year’s two-and-a-half tons of donated fruit with 201 pounds collected the first weekend in this new year. The “Picker Squadron” goes to area homes and picks excess fruit from trees, with the residents’ permission. It is then donated to area food banks and shelters. Dee Hirsh provided the first oranges of the year to Eric Maldonado and Edi Birsan of the Picker Squadron. Fruit was delivered 20 minutes later to a food bank and a homeless shelter in north Concord. Hirsh had heard about the gleaning project through the NextDoor neighborhood web site that is supported in Concord. The Concord area is filled with fruit trees not only as a reminder of the agricultural past when it had a number of commercial orchards, but also because it was commonplace for people to plant fruit bearing trees in their back yards. During the 1950s the City of Concord fostered a program to plant a fruit tree with each new development home sold and as the first family moved in.

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Since 2010 the San Francisco Giants have won three World Series titles, each time earning another championship trophy. The team has involved their fans in these World Series successes with a big parade and by touring their trophies around California and the Western States, stopping off in Concord for the first time this month with the local Junior Giants reaping a big reward. Tying in the trophy tour with

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The Concord Naval Weapons Station reuse process takes an important step forward next month when the three firms competing for the master developer contract will each present to the city council its vision for the massive project which will include residential villages, commercial and retail development and open space. First to present is Catellus Development, at the Feb. 10 regular city council meeting at 6:30 in the Council Chambers at the Concord Civic Center on Parkside Dr. Lennar Urban and SunCal will present on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m., also in the Council Chambers. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions. The proposals will be available for review online after Feb. 2. A printed copy will be at the Concord Library, 2900 Salvio St. And on a CD at City Hall. The presentations will be streamed live on the city's website at www.ci.concord.ca.us. There were four developers in the final round. Shea Company withdrew from consideration.

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See Jr. Giants, page 5

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the Concord chapter of Junior Giants, the 2010-2012-2014 World Series trophies came to Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord. A line wound around the entire block square park with fans waiting their chance to have a picture taken with the shiny hardware. Before the evening was over, 1,700 diehards had posed on the Todos Santos stage, according to Concord Junior Giants commissioner Ana Villalobos.

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Photo by Jay Bedecarre

GIANTS FANS FROM CONCORD Isaac Gutierrez (left), Fernanda Ramirez and her brother Andre at Todos Santos Plaza.

with the public, managing time and setting priorities while making money for a college education. For more information, go to www.ebparks.org/jobs or call the park district’s Human Resources Department at (888) 327-2757, ext. 2154.

Volunteer for Literacy Council

Concord-Diablo Rotary gets picky

The Concord-Diablo Rotary club (www.CDrotary.org) meets on Wednesdays at the Crowne Plaza on Concord Avenue in Concord. Contact Edi Birsan (925-798-3537) for more information.

In Brief...

Page 4

EYE

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

CONCORD . . .

Specially designed class helps adults with brain injury get back ‘on track’

English learners thriving in Monument schools GEORGE FULMORE Commentary

Having been a volunteer in the Monument Corridor public elementary schools, I have firsthand experience in classrooms that include kids who are classified as “English Learners.” In my wanderings about Concord, I have encountered misinformation about what goes on in these schools. I’m not surprised. There is very little knowledge of them outside of the Monument Community. As a result, misinformation can develop and spread. I’d like to turn some of that around. First, I want to dispel the myth that the primary purpose in classrooms that include English Learners is the retention/development of a non-English language. It is not. The primary purpose in these classrooms is to produce students who are fully literate in the English language. Things start when the parent(s) of kids entering a public

school in Concord are screened to identify if their child speaks a language other than English, primarily, in the home. If so, the child may be classified as an “English Learner.” This is not meant to be something negative, nor is it meant to be a badge of honor. From the school’s perspective, the goal is to have such kids reclassified as “English proficient” within four years. Reclassification is done via testing in listening, speaking, writing and reading. Parents receive results of the testing, annually. And schools have gatherings each year to recognize those students who have become “English proficient.” Approximately 80 percent of the English Learners in the Monument public schools become English proficient by the 5th grade. This means that they are on grade level, in English, with their peers. English Learners in Concord are primarily from Spanish-

See English, page 5

George Fulmore

TEACHER PATRICIA POWER-BEARDEN, of Meadow Homes Elementary School in Concord, interacts with her first grade students, many of whom are classified as English Learners.

LEIGH KLOCK Realtor®, DRE#01874255

January 30, 2015

CYNTHIA GREGORY Correspondent

Late one night in 2010, Rick Jones (not his real name) closed The Silver Knight, one of two successful bars he owned, fired up his Harley, drove his normal route over Kirker Pass toward Ygnacio Valley Road, heading home. It was a night like any other, except this time, there was an accident. “I think maybe I dodged a deer, I don’t remember,” he says. Rick woke up six months later at a hospital in Dixon. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury and to this day doesn’t remember the details of his accident. Doctors induced a coma to help minimize brain swelling and when he woke up, Rick didn’t know where he was, or why. He also suffered from some cognitive impairment. After spending two years in hospitals, feeling hopeless, he was heartened when his sister discovered On Track, a program of Mt. Diablo Adult Education. Today, Rick attends class three days a week and gets around by bus. He says he likes the consistency of the program, because it’s easy to remember. “I’m blessed by On Track,” he says. “I’m making great progress. My memory is coming back.” Rick is just one of 1.7 million people in the U.S. who sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, and why classes like On Track are so important. “Our class is unique,” said Deborah McClary, lead instructor for the program, “in that we are focused on education, not strictly medical rehabilitation.”

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

MT. DIABLO ADULT EDUCATION ON TRACK STUDENTS work with lead instructor Debbie McClary to relearn cognitive skills lost after suffering a serious brain injury.

Many adults who suffer a brain injury lose not only some level of brain function, but also their independence. On Track provides a supportive environment where students can learn, socialize and practice life skills.

ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING

On Track students were born without disabilities, but an accident or trauma changed everything for them, McClary says, and that they come from all walks of life. Sabrina is a pretty, darkhaired 33-year old woman enrolled in On Track. In July, 2006, she had a car accident in which her vehicle rolled seven times, and she sustained a brain injury. “I don’t remember what happened,” she says. “Just what

people tell me. I don’t know why they want me to remember that. I don’t really want to.” Before her accident, Sabrina was studying to be a lawyer. Now, she is living with her mom and On Track is helping her with computer and reading skills. Karen Lingenfelter-Carman, coordinator of the district’s Adults with Disabilities program, says the majority of brain injuries are caused by strokes, falls, vehicle accidents, physical violence and substance abuserelated injuries. “The effects can be shattering. Frequently, they lose their jobs and homes and end up depressed and living in isolation.”

IMPROVES INDEPENDENT LIVING The program began in 1996,

to provide a transition between hospitalization and rehabilitation, and a return to daily living. “Some students are able to return to their former life,” said Lingenfelter-Carman. “Other students have been here for 15 years.” The On Track curriculum helps students with cognitive skills, independent living, and work-readiness and experience. Computer-assisted learning helps to support memory strategies, time management and problem solving. Independent living training may include menu planning and cooking, shopping and money management. Because people with brain trauma often lose their ability to

See On Track, page 5

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* * Sample price is per person, based on double occupancy in a Club category room on select weeks at Ixtapa Pacific, Mexico; Sandpiper Bay, Florida; and Turkoise, Turks & Caicos. Prices on other dates and/or at other resorts may vary. Blackout dates apply, including holidays and other dates. Offer requires a 3-night minimum stay (7-night minimum for Columbus Isle). Available at select resorts. Does not include airfare. Valid for new individual bookings only for select travel dates through August 21, 2015 and must be booked by March 3, 2015. Offer is subject to capacity control and may increase at any time. Children aged under 4 years stay for free at our family destinations. ** In the event that more than 50% of the ski lifts in the domain are closed during a guest’s stay, Club Med will offer the guest a Future Travel Certificate (FTC) for a value equal to 50% of the land portion for the days impacted. Bad weather, storms and heavy snow falls are excluded. Offer only applies to travel between March 15, 2015 and resort closing dates. The snow guarantee is subject to change or withdrawal without notice. Future Travel Certificates for 50% of the land value of the stay during which the village was impacted by ski lift closure (more than 50% closed), as reported on the official website of the ski resort. Airfare, membership fees and extras are not covered by this guarantee. Future Travel Certificates must be used for travel completed within one year of the original date of travel and may be subject to blackout dates and other restrictions. Certificates may be used at any Club Med village, except Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique.† Children aged 4-11 years stay at up to 60% off adult price at select family resorts. Children aged 12-15 years stay at up to 40% off adult price at select family resorts. For flights that are booked through Club Med, tickets for children must be paid for by the client. Children who are eligible to stay for free must be lodged in the same room as the adults who are paying for their stay, or in a connecting room. Blackout dates may apply. Costs associated with Baby & Petit Club Med are at full day rate during entire stay booked. CST #2033054-40

January 30, 2015Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

On Track, from page 4 drive a car, transit use and safety are important skills to re-learn. Often, students like Rick cannot return to their previous forms of employment, so job assistance and vocational training are especially important. To round out the program and offer practical experience, field trips are organized to allow students to visit interesting destinations like the Contra Costa County Courthouse, A’s ballgames, or trips to the Clayton Valley Bowl. “Depression and anxiety are big issues,” McClary says. “That’s one reason the field trips are so important.” She says that people often don’t understand why a person with a brain injury acts the way they do. “They look fine on the outside,” McClary says. “Our program helps get

adults out of isolation and into a learning environment with people like themselves. It’s important to know that there are other people in their situation, that they are not alone.” On Track students also participate in outreach programs, sharing stories of hope and recovery at high schools and service organizations like Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs. Their presentations often evoke a strong emotional response from their audience, and help spark a dialog about brain health and injury prevention. For the past five years, the program has partnered with the John Muir Neurosciences Institute to increase public awareness of the importance of brain health and safety. On Track classes run for 10

English, from page 4 speaking families. But unlike years ago, there is relatively little disruption in school attendance. Concord Latino families, who primarily live in the Monument Corridor, are firmly rooted in Concord. They appreciate the learning opportunities for their kids, and they expect their kids to master English, as a result of their public education.

The dedicated teachers and administrators in the Monument public schools work hard each and every school day. The results can be seen at the promotional ceremonies for the fifth grades each year. They are truly celebrations. Pride can be seen in every direction. But I will admit to being a participant at only the elemen-

NY Funerals, from page 1 Both Sansens said that it was an “amazing” feeling to see so many officers from other jurisdictions attending the funerals, despite the solemn event. “There’s such a huge swell of pride to be a part of something so much bigger than any single officer,” Det. Sansen says. “Officers from across the nation and Canada were present.

I think I’d heard there were even some officers from overseas.” She says that this is fairly typical of a police funeral. “There’s been many times we have seen our east coast brothers and sisters on our side when we’ve lost local officers. Albeit it’s sad, but it’s an honor to be there to represent our small corner of the world.”

Jr. Giants, from page 3 The crowd at Todos Santos was attired in black and orange shirts, hats, scarves and other gear. They waited patiently for their chance to stand behind— but not touch!—the trophies for a cherished photo. They could order photos and packages ranging from $20 to $175. Villalobos was thrilled with the turnout, which included many families who are part of Concord Junior Giants. “The Giants were so gracious and stayed until after dark so that every person could get their picture taken.” She added that $4,000 was donated that day to help fund the upcoming third season of Concord Junior Giants. The Junior Giants program has been around for 20 years.

The Major League Baseball team, its sponsors and fans have invested $12.3 million so that by the end of this year nearly a quarter million girls and boys ages 5-18 in 90 communities can play baseball. Glove drives at AT&T Park and other special events allow the program to provide baseball gloves to youth who can’t afford one of their own. “Last summer 100 of our players went to the park where Buster Posey and the Junior Giants gave each of them a glove,” the Concord commissioner added. The visit featured a behind-the-scenes tour at AT&T Park for the Junior Giants. The program stresses leadership, fair play and education in

Page 5

Mayor, from page 1

ON TRACK STUDENTS DAVID AND ERIC proofread the class newsletter before sending it out to the community. The newsletter describes class activities as well as raising awareness and understanding of brain injuries.

months each year, three days per week, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., just like a regular Adult-Ed classroom. One barrier to enrollment in the program however, is cost. Tuition is $80 per month. Community donations

and corporate grants can help provide tuition assistance for those who cannot pay.

tary level of public schools in the Monument. I can’t tell you much about what happens afterwards. I can tell you that the kids being promoted from the elementary schools have received an excellent start in their academic careers. I hope this column dispels some of the myths about elementary school classrooms in the Monument Corridor. And I hope that residents of Concord, in general, will become more

aware of the excellence in education that is in evidence in these schools. In many ways, the success of these kids will determine the future success of the city of Concord. Thousands of students have gone through these schools, and thousands are still to come. George Fulmore is a Concord resident and community activist. Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com

She says they were warmly welcomed by the New York City officers. “So many NYPD officers approached us and shook our hands, many taking note of the fact that our patches say ‘California’ on them, as not all agencies’ patches bear the state they’re from. All of them thanked us for being there, many asking for pictures with us, which was strange,” she said. She says that Officers Ramos and Liu were killed

“because of the color they wore.” “This was an attack on officers across the nation and I feel it was so very important for us to be able to attend and show our support in their time of loss,” she says. “I saw unparalleled resilience and determination in the eyes and handshakes of everyone I met. This was an amazing and humbling experience and it made me extremely proud to be part of the thin blue line.”

addition to teaching baseball skills. Each player is required to read for over an hour each week which translated to over 110,000 hours by Concord players last summer, Villalobos proudly said. Monument Impact executive director Mike Van Hofwegen worked with the Giants to get the Concord program underway in 2013 when 120 kids took part in the first season. The program grew to 200 last summer and Villalobos expects to have 300 players in 2015, almost equally divided between boys and girls. Concord Junior Giants will lower their starting age to sevenyears-old this year (from eight) and the oldest players are 14. Kids practice one day a week for two hours and have non-competitive, “pure fun” weekend games. There are no scores or statistics taken. Villalobos is

For more information about the On Track program, email Deborah McClary, mcclaryd@mdusd.org.

excited that this coming 10week season will be played on Concord American Little League fields. All the coaches are volunteers. Celeste Graybill coordinates the younger half of the age groups and Allyn Mozon handles the 11-14 year-olds. Each player gets a hat and tshirt and the Giants give the league catcher’s equipment, parents handbooks and a pitching machine. Players bring their own shoes and pants or the league provides them. Local fund raising includes the trophy picture day, a dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory and donation cans at local businesses--Los Rancheros Market, Los Montañas, Dolan’s Lumber, El Yahualica Tacos, Chopan Kabob, Mi Oficina Computer Café, Tortilleria El Molino and Mercado Del Sol.

The final determination of which projects shall receive immediate funding will be made by the city council. As you may know we have 714 lane miles of roadway in Concord. Roughly about 70 percent is residential and the remainder is divided almost evenly between arterial and connector roads. Our funding sources for this work are State Gas Tax Funds, countywide Measure J funds, and one-time grants. I believe the council will be advocating an increase in our annual budget for roadway improvements in addition to a full-court press for grants. I am aware that other cities are emphasizing enhancements to their economic development programs. I learned that there are plans for a huge upgrade of business facilities in the San Ramon area. We need to make sure we are doing more than just keeping pace with programs in other cities. The way to ensure our economic future is to dramatically increase our outreach to site selectors and real estate brokers. We must be active on the web, increase our downtown events, participate in industryfocused organizations and trade shows, and do a world-class job of marketing our Reuse Project

at the former Naval Weapons Station. One proposal that is very attractive to me is the idea of a 10,000-seat athletic stadium, along with 10 new soccer fields, six softball fields, and a baseball diamond. This will act as a magnet and give us some selling points no other community presently offers. This proposal is being considered along with an expansion of the Community Youth Center that currently services about 1,800 youth. This program, based on athletics and academic excellence is unique and is privately funded. It could be the template for similar programs across this county. It is one of the things we need to move forward aggressively in the next few years. I know that a lot of this information is not exciting or designed to lift you out of your chairs and start cheering. Much is necessary basic municipal budgeting data, but it is the prelude to the exciting things we are planning for Concord. It is a step in the process, and rest assured we are focused on the future and are confident we are headed in the right direction. Email comments and questions to tim@timgrayson.us

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CCCNG, from page 1 Each of the papers will continue to cover local stories in their communities, with little or no overlap in news coverage. The nearly six-year-old Community Focus will also expand its coverage to include Walnut Creek. The newspaper scene in Contra Costa County has undergone big changes in the past decade as the Contra Costa Times — part of the Bay Area News Group — covers more Bay Area-wide news in its daily newspaper. It still operates a handful of community weeklies, but in recent years, more competing weekly, bi-weekly and monthly publications have sprung up. Several online sources have also attracted more

readers, if not advertisers. “It’s pretty clear that the big, urban daily is a dinosaur,” Steiner says, who has operated the Clayton Pioneer since 2003 and in September launched the successful Concord Pioneer. “The print newspapers that will survive and succeed are the local papers. People read them and keep them. They stay around for weeks on kitchen counters and coffee tables. If advertisers want Contra Costa reach, we have it.” Steiner says that the new CCCNG circulation now makes us very attractive to regional and national advertisers who want saturation in the demographically diverse and rich Central Contra Costa.” CCCNG is unique because

the independent publishers will still own their papers, but with a common goal — to use the large combined circulation numbers to attract advertisers that are looking for a way to saturate the community, Hutslar says. “Some would think we are competitors but we respect each others’ publications and learn from each other. It is nice to work collaboratively.” Denise Rousset, who has run the venerable Valley Sentinel for 20 years, agrees. “This collaboration is great. Businesses who appear in local newspapers are woven into the fabric of the community, which builds trust with local consumers. This kind of sponsorship allows us to more effectively serve residents with meaningful and relative news and information.” “A community paper must

be more than just about the community; it must be of the community, “Hutslar says. “Our papers connect to readers in a way that out-of-state and corporate publishers can’t.” Steiner agrees. “When an advertiser is sharing the page with the local Little League team or the high school scholarship winners, there is an intimacy and credibility that they can’t get in the bigger regional papers.” Going up against the more established local daily, is a “David and Goliath thing,” Steiner says. “But, with our circulation of 150,000,” she notes, “one might ask ‘who is David and who is Goliath?’” For more information on the CCCNG, visit its website at www.cccommunitynewsgroup.com, or call 844-457-7665.

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January 30, 2014

From the desk of . . .

Concord charged up about new EV station in, sees that it will cost $1.75 an hour to charge at this location, then plugs the nozzle into the on-board charger located at the front of the car. With the car charging, she decides to pop into Tart Outlet to pick out a new outfit for next week’s party, then grab a cup of coffee. Forty-five minutes later, she is on her way, the Leaf charged enough to comfortably reach home. This Nissan Leaf driver is the kind of visitor the City of Concord had in mind when it secured a grant to install the new EV charging station from 511 Contra Costa, a countywide Transportation Demand Management program that promotes transportation alternatives to the single occupant vehicle. “We thought that with the growing electric vehicle market that we want people to be able to stop in Concord, charge their vehicle while visiting the many retailers and commercial uses that we have on offer, and get exposed

CARLYN OBRINGER

PLANNING COMMISSION A Nissan Leaf driver is on her way home when she realizes that her electric vehicle (EV) needs a charge. She pulls over, opens the ChargePoint app on her smartphone to locate available stations, and within a few minutes rolls into the Todos Santos Parking Garage in Downtown Concord, where a charging port at one of the two spaces reserved for EVs is waiting. These spaces straddle the recently-installed EV charging station located on the first floor of the parking garage, behind Skipolini’s Pizza. She holds her ChargePoint card up to the charging station display to log

to the downtown while traveling to and from their destination,” explains City of Concord Redevelopment and Housing Manager John Montagh. “We wanted to acknowledge the growing electric vehicle market and ensure that EV owners have a place to charge while getting a cup of coffee, enjoying a meal, or shopping in downtown Concord.” The EV charging station is not only an economic development tool, however. Installing and maintaining the station illustrates Concord’s commitment to sustainability, renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions, in a meaningful way. “I think Concord is on track to support the city’s Climate Action Plan in being part of the charge on the climate action front,” says Montagh. Concord’s Citywide Climate Action Plan was adopted by the city council in July 2013 and serves as a community document that measures and moni-

tors the trend of locally-generated greenhouse gas emissions. One of the goals of the Climate Action Plan includes installing “electric vehicle charging stations in city parking lots to enable visitors and employees to conveniently use electric vehicles to access City facilities and provide other visitors with a reminder of the option to use electric vehicles.” “Installing this charging station in downtown Concord and [eventually] in the parking lots used by city employees at the

Civic Center, the Corporation Yard, and the police station, helps Concord to achieve our Climate Action Plan goal of installing electric vehicle charging stations in 50 percent of city parking facilities by 2015,” says Montagh. The complete Climate Action Plan is available at: www.cityofconcord.org/pdf/de pt/planning/climate.pdf. The Todos Santos Parking Garage station can charge two electric vehicles at a time and is operated by ChargePoint, a company that operates a global

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From the desk of . . .

Fire protection and water top busy year KAREN MITCHOFF

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COUNTY SUPERVISOR On January 3, 2015, I was sworn in to my second term as the District IV Supervisor for Contra Costa County. Serving as a county supervisor has been and continues to be an amazing honor and privilege. It affords me the opportunity to work for the residents of Clayton, Concord, Pleasant Hill and a large portion of Walnut Creek on issues such as libraries, waste management, social services, veterans’ services, health care issues and much more. Additionally, I work on your behalf on regional issues such as transportation, hazardous materials, and water (as outlined below). I look forward to this next term of service. I am humbled by and deeply respect the trust and confidence you, the voters, have placed in me. And while we may not always agree on issues that come before the Board of Supervisors, please know that I value your input and welcome discussing with you, either in person or on the phone, anything you wish to discuss. I know the board’s recent actions

around the salary adjustment have created much discussion and consternation. There are many perspectives on this issue, and we will be looking at how to address this matter at a board meeting in early February. (Our meetings are telecast live on your local access cable channel, and they are available on line at www.cccounty.us/4664/BoardMeeting-Agendas-and-Videos, clicking on 2015, and then the meeting you wish to view.) I had the privilege of serving as the board’s chair in 2014, and at the board’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 6, I had the opportunity to recount two major successes in 2014: water concerns and fire protection. Our board led the effort to support Prop 1, the Water Bond initiative. I assisted in crafting the language in the proposition that specifically speaks to protecting the Delta, and I was very happy to see Prop 1 pass this past November. Additionally, this past year I have been in a number of meetings (along with my other Delta-area county colleagues) with the Secretary of Natural Resources for the State of California to ensure that we have the appropriate number of seats at the various governing tables to ensure that our precious Delta is protected, while ensuring a reliable water delivery system to the rest of California.

For years, Central Valley water and farming interests have tried to exclude us from these various discussions. The Secretary has heard us, and I am pleased to say we have made significant progress on this front. The second challenge in 2014 was how to provide fire protection and emergency medical response through the Contra Costa Consolidated Fire Protection District under the current financial limitations without compromising public safety. Due to hard work and commitment to finding the financial resources, we reopened Fire Station 11 in Clayton this month and anticipate re-opening another one in Fiscal Year 2015/16. There will also now be a permanent two-person medical response squad stationed at Fire Station 6 (downtown Concord). We are moving forward on releasing the Request for Proposal for emergency medical response in the next month and will then be awarding a contract later in 2015. My best wishes to you and your family for a Happy New Year and I look forward to working on your behalf to make District IV the best place to live, work and play. Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to karen.mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us

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A new year is upon us and with it comes resolutions and goals. By the time this article reaches you, I venture to guess most resolutions have waned or disappeared. Promises created on New Year’s Eve, often in the spur of the moment, are supposed to be absent before taxes are paid. But our goals for 2015, those should not be pushed aside. Police Departments create goals, just as every other organization should and most likely do each year. Our expectations often involve a review of current trends, community expectations, city council emphasis, and a reasonable readiness to work toward those goals. Each year, these goals are shared and discussed at the police manage-

ment level in order to move resources and activity in that direction. As with most goals, some are met, some are not, and some require more understanding. Two goals that I wanted to share right away with all of our residents and businesses are an increase in department-wide crime prevention efforts and the creation of an in-house assistance program tailored to theft victims that offers crime prevention follow-ups, focusing primarily on home and business burglaries. The first goal is more wide ranging, looking at multiple cases for trends that can be reduced or eliminated with crime prevention techniques. It is the second goal that I wanted to share and hopefully have in place by this summer. It is directed at individual house and business burglary victims. The Concord Police Department responds to several hundred business and residential

burglaries each year. An officer and crime scene investigator respond and write a detailed follow-up investigation. A few days later, a police investigator contacts the victim, all with the hope of arresting someone and preventing that suspect from continuing the crime spree. The part we want to improve on and offer victims is another follow-up, requested by the victim. This involves a crime prevention review of the location. This review could offer victims more information and suggestions to reducing the opportunity for this crime to occur again. We believe giving these suggestions will reduce the reoccurrence of theft at these properties. There are many steps to getting this goal headed in the right direction. I will be sharing more about this goal as the year progresses. Guy Swanger is Concord’s Chief of Police. Send questions or comments to ContactCPD@cityofconcord.org.

January 30, 2014

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

Should the citizens elect the mayor?

EDI BIRSAN PULSE OF CONCORD Many people have wondered how Concord’s mayor is selected. Currently, the mayor is selected by other city council members, but that may not be the best way for a city the size of Concord. Before we get into that, however, let’s look at what the mayor does. In Concord, the mayor does have more responsibilities than other council members. The mayor: 1. Runs the Concord City Council Meetings; 2. By tradition speaks last and votes last; 3. Can put something on the agenda with the city manager; 4. Can write a letter advocating things to the legislature as mayor (but not for the whole

council without its consent); 5. Represents the city at the Mayor’s Conference and votes on their appointments; 6. Is chair of the Policy Development and the Infrastructure Organization subcommittees; 7. Assigns council members to the four standing subcommittees; 8. Assigns the council members to regional organizations; 9. Represents the city in a host of ceremonial positions. The mayor does not receive any additional money and is paid $1,300 a month, just as is every other council member. However, considering the calls on the mayor for attendances and donations, as well as going to events to keep in contact with other officials, it would not be unreasonable to have the mayor paid a little more. The current method in Concord, which began in 2013, is that the mayor serves a twoyear term and is appointed by the city council. Mayor Tim Grayson’s post began in 2013, and he was confirmed at the beginning of the second year by the council. There has not been an open public discussion on the selection for decades, as all of the

decisions seem to be made prior to the meeting. In fact it is not uncommon for the selection to be made prior to an election, and does therefore not include newly elected council members. This happened in 2012. While it is possible to have the rotation of the office defined by code as is done in Walnut Creek, or mostly by tradition as was done for decades in Pleasant Hill until 2013, Concord has not followed a rotation method and it is left to the politics of the council in both the selection of the mayor and the vice mayor. Concord is a General Law city (like Antioch and Martinez) whose structure is guided by the State Law as opposed to a Charter City (like Richmond), which has a wide variety of options in its structure. Unlike Concord, Antioch and Martinez both have directly elected mayors for four-year terms. The advantage of that is that the people, not the politicians, pick the mayor. Furthermore, a four-year mayor has a greater presentation of stability and prestige when dealing with both regional and local authorities and has a greater application period to put in play the skills honed in the early period of the job.

The main disadvantage that is often brought forward by those intimately familiar with the current technique is, what if the people pick a BAD mayor? Under the current rules the council can remove the mayor with three votes anytime, though a sitting mayor hasn’t been removed in Concord by the council for a very long time, if ever. An elected mayor can be recalled by petition initiated by the people. Changing to a direct election would have to be done by a vote of the people. The most-likely scenario would be to put it on the ballot for 2016 and then it would be in effect in 2018. So, that year while we would normally vote for three council members, it would be just two and the mayor. Considering that we are many times the size of Martinez and 20 percent larger than Antioch, and with the growth of the Concord Naval Weapons Station to kick in around 2018, it might be a good time to start a discussion on this aspect with the residents of Concord. What do you think? Send comments to EdiBirsan@astound.net, or visit www.PulseOfConcord.com.

Earlier this month, those seeking to add a prayer before Concord City Council meetings found that to add the religious invocation, they, well, didn’t have a prayer. At a crowded Policy Development and Internal Operations subcommittee hearing of the Concord City council on Jan. 12, Mayor Tim Grayson and Vice Mayor Laura Hoffmeister decided not to push through the suggestion to the full council for consideration. Far from religious implications, the stalling of the Prayer/Inspirational Moment — which was championed by councilman Dan Helix — seemed to be a victim of logistics. Specifically, the amount of staff time it would take to contact different religious leaders to arrange the Inspirational Moment, the divisiveness it would cause in the city, and taking away time and energy from the job of governing the city. A steady line of speakers approached the dais to condemn the idea of adding prayer before the start of the council meetings. Of the nearly 20

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Concord City Council says no prayer at council meetings PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer

Page 7

speakers, only three spoke out in favor of the prayer. Helix based his proposal on a recent Supreme Court decision in which the Town of Greece, NY, successfully argued that the Town Board’s practice of opening with a prayer did not violate First Amendment laws that prohibits government at any level from establishing religion or preferring one religion over another. In Concord, that could be problematic, according to City Attorney Mark Coon, who said that it would be very difficult to make sure no religions were excluded. When Hoffmeister asked if there was any way to get a sense of how many religious organizations resided in Concord, Coon said it would be nearly impossible to figure out, since many are small and have no permanent addresses. “We’d have to look through the yellow pages, and even that wouldn’t cover everyone,” he said, which would open up the city to lawsuits if not all religions were represented at some point. Hoffmeister said that clearly it wasn’t a mandate, and the council should not take it up. “It will only create divisiveness and

add to our staff ’s burden,” she said. “It also is a slippery slope, as it opens us up to the possibility of expensive litigation.” In such a emotionally fraught issue, most of the speakers were civil, not condemning the right to pray, but insisting that the city council meeting was not the place to do it. Former County Clerk Steve Weir said that while well intended, the concept of prayer at the city council meeting was illadvised. One of the ways that Concord could adopt the resolution, according to Coon’s report, would have people who are opposed to the prayer to leave the meetings during that time. “Are you kidding me?” Weir asked. His sentiment was echoed by many other speakers, who said the divisiveness would disrupt the smooth running of the city government. “We shouldn’t have any divisions that would make people leave city government meetings,” said Terry Kremin. Even members of local atheist groups did not condemn the idea of prayer, just that a public meeting was not appropriate venue.

Larry Hickock, coordinator of the East Bay Atheists, said that adding prayer before the council meetings would change the metropolitan image of Concord, and he urged the subcommittee to “focus on the issues of government.” Jane Russell, one of the organizers of the local Atheists and Free Thinkers, said that Concord did have prayer before council meetings in the past, but that the practice was discontinued due to discord when it was implemented. “We need to maintain the integrity of city government.” A few speakers did promote the idea of prayer before public meetings, if only to help city leaders govern. “A lot of issues the council deals with need prayer in them,” said Scott Trueblood. Grayson, himself a pastor and a chaplain for the Concord Police Department, said he didn’t believe he was elected “to make prayer happen before city council meetings,” but that he himself uses prayer often to help guide him when he’s making tough decisions for the city. “But I don’t want a spiritual belief like mine to offend others,” he said.

Groceries Doorstep Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349-4568 Health Foresight Optometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4100 Erdell, Dr. - Orthodontics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .946-1951 Home and Garden Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299 Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920 Navlet’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-0550 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025 Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323 Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing Services The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Pet Services Pittsburg Pet Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387 Photography Rochellez Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-677-4170 Real Estate and Mortgage Services French, Lynne – Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Hayes, Diane and Bill – Better Homes Realty . . .890-4701 Howard, Don – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . .408-3184 Howard, Emily – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . .408-1871 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Laurence, Pete – RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004 Lopez, Stephanie – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei, Matt – Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . . .567-6170 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . .672-4433 Recreation and Fitness Concord American Little League . . . . . . . .callbaseball.org Diablo FC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .diablofc.org Earthquake Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-7454 USKS Martial Arts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9517 Senior Services Montecito – Oakmont Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . .852-6702 Services, Other ComputersUSA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029 Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .682-4518 Travel Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840 Living Well All Out Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203-5626 Clayton Valley Medical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6744 Courtyards at Pine Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-3900 Diablo Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-2127 Loftin Family Dental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7997 SNAP Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0110 Tap Into Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609-4426

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Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

January 30, 2014

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Detroit Avenue residents and those who frequent the busy stretch of road between Monument Blvd. and Clayton Road won’t see new traffic signals and improved lighting at two major intersections there. In what some have called a surprise move, the Detroit Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project will instead focus on pavements and sidewalks. Most of the approximately $800,000 that had been projected for the traffic signals with lighting — and was formerly at the heart of the $2 million-plus project — has now been shifted to a $603,000 “Pavement Rehabilitation” effort for the

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one-mile stretch of road between Monument Blvd. and Clayton Road, residents learned at a Jan. 20 community meeting. Added to that is $244,000 in “signing and striping,” plus $164,000 for “General Traffic Control,” to make for more than a $1 million investment in a street no more than one mile long. So, in what was going to be a project that would improve the flow of vehicle and bicycle traffic, plus would significantly improve pedestrian safety at the intersections of Sunshine and Laguna Drives and Detroit Avenue, now will produce a street with excellent pavement, but with three sets of four-way stop signs and one traffic signal. Still in the project are major improvements for curbs, gut-

ters and sidewalks. Added stop signs will be installed at the intersection of Detroit at Walters to make that a four-way stop. But only $30,000 has been allotted to improved street lighting on the one-mile stretch, and little to no improvement will be made to the very busy intersection of Sunshine Drive and Detroit Avenue, which will remain with four stop signs and minimal lighting at night. The Jan. 20 community workshop was the second community workshop, the first one being held last November. Both workshops were held at the Meadow Homes Elementary School Multipurpose Room. But between the dates of the two workshops, there was no public notice of any

changes to the project. Instead, it was disclosed at the most recent workshop that a Dec.10 “update meeting with key stakeholders” had been held, at which the major shifts in the project apparently were agreed upon. Mark Migliore of the Concord Engineering Department said approximately 2,400 postcards were sent to neighboring residents to notify them of the Jan. 20 workshop. But no more than 30 members of the community were in attendance, about half being staff and supporters of the Monument First-5 Center at 1736 Clayton Rd. The project will be funded, primarily, from the One Bay Area Grant program. Construction on the six-month project is set to begin this summer.

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Community Court helps first-time offenders PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer

They say that crime doesn’t pay, but with Concord’s Community Court program, that old adage may not be entirely true. The city program, which began in June 2013, is a unique, alternative way to address the “nuisance crimes” and misdemeanors of first-time offenders, says Concord Police Sergeant Russ Norris, in an effort to change the life direction of many of the offenders. In addition, the fines collected through Community Court go directly back to community programs such as youth services that are aimed at dissuading illegal activities and promoting positive life skills. The program is simple, Norris says, and entirely voluntary. An arresting officer or detective from CPD can suggest that a case be sent to Community Court rather than to the District Attorney’s office. If the offender agrees, the case is heard by an impartial arbitrator — usually a volunteer lawyer or a retired judge — and a judgment is made. If the offender is found guilty, he can pay his debt to society in a variety of ways, including fines, community service or making restitution to

the injured party. There is a deadline, usually of about two months, Norris says. Many of the crimes are those such as shoplifting, public intoxication or graffiti, and the suspect must be a first-time offender. There are also a lot of juvenile crimes that are heard in Community Court. “We don’t hear felonies, or violent crimes, like domestic violence, or those involving driving and alcohol,” Norris says. “Those go straight to the District Attorney’s office.” Norris reviews all cases assigned to Community Court, just to make sure “there is a good checks and balance system,” he says. “It’s really a great use of our resources,” he says.” It’s met and exceeded our expectations.” More than 500 cases have been referred to Community Court since it opened at the Concord Police Department at 1350 Galindo Street. Of those, about 40 percent of the alleged offenders agreed to be heard there. The ratio is about 60 percent adults and 40 percent juveniles. Concord Police Chief Guy Swanger, who with Mayor Tim Grayson — then vice mayor — helped spearhead the effort to start the program. “Concord showed some great leadership in

Where to go for LOCAL news For fast, on-the-spot coverage of the latest police action, traffic jams, emergency information and chat, social media and local blogs, like CLAYCORD.com are often good sources of breaking news. For more complete, in-depth coverage of local news, readers turn to their independently owned community newspapers. With news that people care about – local politics, schools, sports, events and stories about their friends and neighbors, the community newspaper is social media the old fashioned way. To find out what is happening in neighboring cities, check out these Contra Costa Community News Group newspapers Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clayton Pioneer claytonpioneer.com Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Concord Pioneer concordpioneer.com Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Walnut Creek .Community Focus ourcommunityfocus.com Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga . . . . .Lamorinda Weekly lamorindaweekly.com San Ramon, Danville, and Alamo . . . . . .Valley Sentinel valleysentinel.com The Contra Costa Community Newspaper Group is a consortium of independent, locally owned newspapers with a combined circulation of more than 150,000. To advertise in all five papers with just one phone call, go to cccommunitynewsgroup.com or call 844.457.7665

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getting this off the ground,” Swanger says. Concord’s is one of only three Community Courts in the county, with Walnut Creek having operated one for 12 years, and Pittsburg recently opening one. “It’s all volunteer and it doesn’t cost the city anything,” Swanger says. Norris especially likes the

idea that crimes that are committed in Concord are resolved there, and the fines that are collected go back directly to help city residents. He also says that he likes the idea that it may influence young offenders to stay out of the criminal justice system. “It’s really a great program,” he says. “It’s a win-win.”

Academy lets residents learn about policing JOHN T. MILLER Correspondent

Another sequel to the wildly successful “Police Academy” series will be offered to Concord residents this spring. Rather than another movie, however, the Concord Police Department will offer —for the 27th time — an educational opportunity for residents to become informed on the functions and duties of the police force. The department is currently accepting applications for the spring session of the Citizen Police Academy, which is scheduled to begin on March 3. The 10-week academy will meet on Tuesday evenings at the Concord Police Headquarters from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and give community members an inside look at the police department’s functions and operations. Candidates must be at least 16 years of age, live or work in the Concord area, have no previous felony convictions, and no misdemeanor convictions within one year. The academy embraces real examples of police work. Unlike the “Police Academy” comedy movies, the sessions are not designed to train participants as police officers. Each week, the students will be introduced to a variety of topics and training taught by police executives and veteran police officers. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with Chief of Police Guy Swanger and staff members. Sgt. Russ Norris, who has run the program for the last three years, says that the academy is designed to educate and inform citizens about the different units and functions of the police department. “The graduates can then act as ambassadors and advocates for the police force in the neighborhoods,” says Norris, a 24year veteran of the force. He added that the sessions typically

include about 20-30 participants. Norris will be turning the program over this spring to Sgt. Nick Gartner, a 17-year veteran, who is looking forward to the experience. “The prolonged interactions [of the training] leads to better communication with the citizens and a better understanding of what we do as a police force,” says Gartner. Current city councilman Edi Birsan took the training four years ago, before he ran for office. He called it a great experience and strongly urges everyone to take the course. “It makes you a better citizen and makes this a better community to live in.” Three years later, with Birsan’s encouragement, his grandson Cody Sickinger, 21, a graduate of Ygnacio Valley High, took the course. “An interesting part for me was the gang and drug units,” he said. “We found out how difficult it can be to prosecute the violators. We found out just how varied and complex the laws are.” A highlight and culmination of the academy comes in the last week when the participants encounter typical scenarios, using police volunteers as actors. The participants go out in pairs and role-play various situations, such as a car stop, a response to a burglar alarm, or a domestic violence call. Interested candidates can visit the City of Concord website at www.cityofconcord.org/police/ joinin/academy.htm to obtain more information and to download an application. Applications are also available at the Concord Police headquarters in the front lobby. Completed applications should be returned to Margaret Romiti, Manager, Office of the Chief, Concord Police Department, 1350 Galindo St., Concord, CA 94520. Romiti can be contacted at 925-671-3184.

January 30, 2014

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

Page 9

Family Justice Center ready to open PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer

When the Central County Family Justice Center opens its doors next month, it will offer more than aid to the hundreds of victims of domestic violence in and around Concord. It will become one of the building blocks for a one-of-akind network in the U.S., a model for offering aid to those who need it most. In December, the Concord City Council approved a lease for property in Todos Santos Plaza that will house the FJC, and its myriad partners. It also okayed $35,000 in additional funding for the center’s first six months of operation. It will become the second such center in the county, as West County has operated a similar center for the past four years. The FJC is what its interim Executive Director Susun Kim calls “one-stop service” for victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking. Besides help on site, the heart of the center stems from its collaboration with other part-

ners, such as law enforcement, STAND, Community Violence Solutions, Bay Area Legal Aid and Catholic Charities, among others, who will have representatives “in house” at the center to aid victims. In addition, the FJC will offer “warm referrals” to other partners, such as the Bay Area Crisis Nursery and the Monument Crisis Center. By “warm” referrals, Kim is referring to giving more than just a phone number to a victim, but even bringing them over there, if needed. Sadly, the FJC is an idea whose time has come. Forty percent of the crime committed in Concord can be attributed to domestic violence, as are a vast proportion of officer deaths around the country, said Councilman Edi Birsan. But one of the main reasons the FJC is so necessary, says Kim, is another sobering statistic: Only 35 percent of domestic violence victims go to their doctor, even before going to law enforcement. The vast majority don’t speak up at all, or when they do, they tell family members or friends because they are ashamed.

“Our mission is to not only provide a safe haven for victims of domestic violence, but to get the word out to the community, to schools and faith organizations, informal social networks and anyone on the street, that if someone comes to them with an issue of domestic violence, or they suspect abuse of this kind, they will know the FJC is there to help them,” Kim says. The Concord project was a priority for Mayor Tim Grayson, who along with councilman Dan Helix, toured a similar center in San Diego. They were aided by Chief of Police Guy Swanger, who used to work with the San Diego center when he was an officer there. “We couldn’t have done this without the help of our great police leadership,” Grayson said, while accepting congratulations from his fellow council members for getting the center up and running in just a year. The speed and importance of opening the center is not lost on Kim, who also runs the West County Center. “There

was great collaboration between the city and the other local agencies to make this a reality,” she said. Currently, finishing touches are being put on the center, with the first partners scheduled to move in Feb. 1, Swanger said, with hopes to begin seeing clients by the second week of February. Kim also hopes to offer more children’s programming when the center opens its doors. In time, organizers say they hope a similar center can open in East County, providing a strong county-wide network of aid that is unique in the state of California, if not the U.S., Kim said. The Family Justice Center concept was recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice as a “best practices” model, Kim says. “We are very proud to be leading the way, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of the City of Concord and its police department, for recognizing the need and taking the important steps to make this happen.”

BUSINESS Unique Clubhouse helps mental illness recovery the ICCD Clubhouse Model, in which the members are involved with performing tasks that are necessary to run the clubhouse such as cooking, clerical work and fundraising. Along with these daily tasks, additional programming is offered to the members including multimedia projects using stateof-the-art equipment, in-home

outreach for potential members and healthy living classes. The members are also provided guidance on how to build a resume and produce interview skills, and can even purchase professional clothing for as low as $1. Putnam Clubhouse strives to provide resources for the members to lead a successful and productive life. Putnam Clubhouse is locat-

TODOS SANTOS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Mt. Diablo St., right across from Todos Santos Park and next to Peet’s Coffee. The franchise has been open for eight months and is owned by Glenn Haymore and Warren Dole. General Manager Ryan Tisdale loves to boast about Capriotti’s Turkey and Roast Beef, which is roasted in-house daily. They slice their meats to order and receive their produce from a local source. Capriotti's offers made-toorder subs in assorted sizes, along with grilled sandwiches. Their menu includes salads and a special kids menu. “Bring your family on Tuesdays, kids eat for free!” Tisdale says. Capriotti’s originated in a Delaware neighborhood known as Little Italy. Lois and Alan Margolet opened their first store in 1976. There are now 120

ed at 3024 Willow Pass Road, Suite 230, in Concord. To learn more about Putnam Clubhouse and for Clubhouse hours, go to www.putnamclubhouse.org, or call 925-691-4276.

P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design P EGGY S PEAR , Copy Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports Editor PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration, Calendar Editor S TAFF W RITERS : Peggy Spear, Pamela Wiesendanger, Jay Bedecarré

C ORRESPONDENTS : Cynthia Gregory, Patricia Romero, John Jackson, John T. Miller

PIONEER INFO CONTACT US

Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner editor@concordpioneer.com Send Ads to ads@concordpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@concordpioneer.com Send School, Club and Calendar Items to newsandcalendar@concordpioneer.com

The Clayton Pioneer and the Concord Pioneer are monthly publications delivered free to homes and businesses in 94517, 94518, 94519 and 94521. ZIP code 94520 is currently served by drop site distribution. The papers are published by Clayton Pioneer, Inc., Tamara and Robert Steiner, PO 1246, Clayton, CA 94517. The offices are located at 6200 Center St. Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 LET US KNOW Weddings, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a resident in our home delivery area. Submit on our website and be sure to attach a JPG photo that is at least 3 MB. Also on the website are forms for calendar items, events & press releases. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Both Pioneer newspapers welcome letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175

words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print anonymous letters. E-mail your letter to editor@concordpioneer.com. Letters must be submitted via Email. CIRCULATION as of Sept. 2014 The Concord Pioneer is delivered monthly to 30,000 homes and businesses Papers are delivered by carriers for ABC Direct around the last Friday of the month. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 . If you are NOT receiving the Pioneer, please check the distribution map on the website. If you live in the shaded area and are not receiving the paper, please let us know. If you are not in the shaded area, please be patient. We will come to your neighborhood soon. The Clayton Pioneer is delivered by US Mail to 5,500 homes and businesses in 94517 around the second Friday of the month. SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe to either the Clayton Pioneer or the Concord Pioneer, call the office at (925) 672-0500. Subscriptions are $35/year for each paper, $60/year for both.

For more information on becoming a member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.concordchamber.com or call (925) 685-1181.

MELISSA REA

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Putnam Clubhouse was founded in February of 2008 by mental health advocate Herb Putnam, his wife Bev, and a group of committed citizens to welcome adults recovering from mental illness into a community as a way to help them get back on their feet. The Clubhouse is associated with the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD), following the ICCD Clubhouse Model, and is the first ICCD-affiliated program in Northern California. The main goal of the Clubhouse is to provide a safe place where members can recover from the effects of mental illness by building their strengths, rather than focusing on an illness, to lead a productive life. To achieve this recovery, the members of the Clubhouse follow

Nothing is sub-par at Capriotti’s This month the Todos Santos Business Association is putting the spotlight on one of its newest members, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. Capriotti's is located at 1975

stores nationwide. But Capriotti’s in Todos Santos is the only one in the Bay Area. “The Bobbie is our most popular sandwich” Tisdale says, which he calls “Thanksgiving on a bun.” But he also says that customers are welcome to make up their own favorite. The staff loves to make it a point to remember what their regular customers like and make recommendations. Capriotti’s also caters. They make attractive sandwich trays and box lunches — perfect for a meeting or a field trip. Capriotti’s is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Stop by and grab a couple of subs, a drink and chips. There are plenty of tables inside, or take them to go and enjoy a beautiful day at Todos Santos Park.

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Ad Rep Needed The Concord Pioneer is seeking an ADVERTISING SALES REP. This is a great opportunity with a growing newspaper serving the largest city in Contra Costa County. Our ad rep will excel at business to business, relationship sales and be passionate about helping businesses grow. Requires previous sales experience, preferably in media sales. Generous commissions. Email brief of your qualifications to editor@concordpioneer.com.

Be a COMMUNITY AD REP for the Concord Pioneer. Help our paper grow. Refer a business that advertises with us and we’ll pay you 10% commission on the sale. No restrictions. Refer your own business and get the commission. Call the office, (925) 672-0500 or email editor@concordpioneer.com

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Page 10

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

Innovation, from page 1

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

INNOVATION FAIR FIRST PLACE WINNER WAS NEUROFIT’S DRONE and headset product designed to help Parkinson’s patients control their symptoms. Pitching their idea to an audience of more than 300 were the team’s chief executives, CMO Jose Gomez, CTO Blanca Fajardo, CEO Fatima Sanchez, CFO Luis Sanchez. The team received a $1,000 scholarship.

competitive analysis. The teams then pitched their proposals to some 300 “investors” at the January 16 Innovation Fair at Centre Concord. The five teams raising the most “capital” were then called forward in a showdown before a panel of judges who fired off questions “Shark Tank”-style, and showed no mercy in expecting each team to defend their proposals. Of the five, the top three split $1,600 in scholarship money. First place went to the Neurofit team for a drone technology that could help Parkinson’s patients. Coming in a close second was Quick Alert, a self-protection mobile app that uses GPS to alert the closest police station if the user is under personal threat. Education Echo rounded out the top three.

While it didn’t make the “top five,” Nanocache Nanobees were among investor favorites. The little robot bees are powered by micro batteries, last about five years and can pollinate crops twice as fast as regular bees. The Nanocache students wanted a product that would solve a real problem. “We chose the bees because they can be a potential solution to the decreasing bee population and food crisis,” said Isobel Moreira Linares who served as the virtual company’s chief marketing officer. “We started this project with no experience,” Linares said. “And we worked cooperatively to figure out how to finish all the necessary components of the business plan.” Mt. Diablo is an “academy” school. All students must be

How flexible is your estate plan?

RICHARD LITTORNO ESTATE PLANNING For many years, the primary reason for estate plan flexibility was because of the uncertainty surrounding the federal gift and estate tax laws. Today, however, those laws have a great deal more certainty. But that doesn’t mean estate plan flexibility is any less important. Let’s take a look at a few postmortem estate planning strategies that will help ensure your wishes are carried out after your death. A disclaimer is an irrevocable, unqualified refusal by a beneficiary to accept a bequest, allowing the property to pass to another beneficiary. Normally, using a disclaimer to direct property to someone else would be considered a taxable gift. But there’s an exception for “qualified” disclaimers. To qualify, a disclaimer must be in writing, be deliv-

ered to the estate’s representative within nine months after the transfer is made (or, if the disclaimant is a minor, within nine months after the disclaimant turns 21), be delivered before the disclaimant accepts the property or any of its benefits, and cause the property to pass to the deceased’s surviving spouse or to someone other than the disclaimant, without any direction from the disclaimant. This last point is requires some planning on your part. To ensure that the disclaimant doesn’t direct the property’s disposition, the property must pass automatically to a contingent beneficiary according to the terms of your will or trust. In most states, a surviving spouse has the right to circumvent your will and take an elective share (one-half or onethird, for instance) of certain property, a Spousal Right of Election. So if you leave all of your assets to your children or other beneficiaries, your spouse might exercise his or her right of election if it would produce a more favorable tax outcome. Check with your estate planning advisor to see if this strategy is applicable in your state. Keep in mind, however, that exercise of the election with respect to property held in charitable remainder trusts may disqualify those trusts.

Qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trusts are often used to take advantage of the marital deduction while ensuring that assets are preserved for the children (particularly children from a previous marriage). They also receive some creditor protection. Ordinarily, to qualify for the marital deduction, you must transfer assets to your spouse with no strings attached. The QTIP trust is an exception to this rule. So long as your spouse receives all of the trust income for life and certain other requirements are met, your estate can enjoy the benefits of the marital deduction while still preserving assets for your children or other beneficiaries. When your spouse dies, any remaining trust assets pass to your beneficiaries but are taxed as part of your spouse’s estate. Even if you don’t need a QTIP trust to protect your children or preserve your assets, it may still be a good strategy. Why? Because it creates opportunities for postmortem estate planning. To claim the marital deduction for amounts transferred to a QTIP trust, your executor or personal representative must make an election on your estate tax return. A properly designed QTIP trust gives your representative the flexi-

bility to make the election, not make the election, or even make a partial election, depending on which strategy would produce the optimal results. Another strategy for redistributing your wealth after you’re gone is the spousal right of election. In most states, a surviving spouse has the right to circumvent your will and take an elective share (one-half or one-third, for instance) of certain property. For example, if you leave all of your assets to your children or other beneficiaries, your spouse might exercise his or her right of election if it would produce a more favorable tax outcome. Keep in mind, however, that exercise of the election with respect to property held in charitable remainder trusts may disqualify those trusts. To stay on top of changing tax laws and family circumstances, periodically review your estate plan and revise as necessary. Discuss with your advisor how postmortem planning strategies can add flexibility to your plan. Richard A. Littorno is an attorney specializing in estate planning. He has offices in Walnut Creek and Pittsburg. Send your questions to Richard@LittornoLaw.com.

Get money on track this year The tunes of Auld Lang Syne have faded into the distance and 2015 is here. Now is a great time to start the year on the right track. For most, the desire for a better financial life is often unrealized as individuals may feel overwhelmed or just get distracted with life’s unpredictable happenings. As with any obstacle, the best bet is to start one step at a time. In this month’s column, I’ll focus on some general guidance for establishing a monthly spending plan and speak in terms of percentage of one’s income. In addition, I’ll provide some resources that I have found to be very helpful tools to establish a spending plan. CREDIT, GOOD OR BAD There is nothing more important to establishing a spending plan than understanding where one’s coming from. Like most Americans, most have some form of debt. Whether it’s student loans, a home mortgage,

also available for a nominal fee, or you can view your score for free from websites such as credit.com or creditkarma.com. Both credit score resources will offer additional information for a nominal fee.

JOHN WENZEL, CFP FINANCIAL SENSE equity line or credit card balances, a spending plan needs to identify the amount of debt being serviced each month. If you are unsure about the different lines of credit you may have, a free resource to view your credit report is available t h r o u g h A n nu a l C r e d i t Re p o r t . c o m . Through this website, you can pull, for free, a credit report from the leading credit reporting bureaus. Credit scores are

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE Now that any debt outstanding has been identified, the next step is to set the framework for the spending plan. When building the plan, it’s best to categorize the areas where money is spent. Below is an example of a list of categories as well as an estimated percentage to be spent per category relative to monthly gross income: Savings (10 percent), food (10 percent), housing/utilities (30 percent), spending money/ debt payments (15 percent), health care (7 percent), transportation (10 percent), personal insurance (13 percent), education (5 percent). Ultimately, the goal of the spending plan is to save money. Whether to save money for a

short-term goal, like a vacation, or a much longer-term goal, like retirement, the hope is that through the spending plan, one’s entire income is not spent come month-end. HELPFUL TOOLS To those a bit more tech savvy, I’ve noted a few spending plan apps I have found helpful over the years: YNAB.com, mhrilley.com/spendingtracker, Mint.com, and Moneycenter.todlee.com. In addition, a helpful resource to create to plan a pay down debt can be found on Powerpay.org. As always, please be sure to confirm the best spending strategy for you by speaking with a fee-only financial advisor or meet with a Certified Financial Planner professional to learn more. John Wenzel is an investment advisor with Archvest Wealth Advisers. Send questions and comments to john@archvestwa.com

January 30, 2014

enrolled in one of the smaller learning communities where the comprehensive multi-subject curriculum focuses on a particular industry. Students enter Digital Safari Academy as sophomores. Their senior projects integrate coursework over three years in English, economics and multi-media communications. In preparing their business plans, the teams work with a mentor from the business community to refine their ideas. The DSA projects show what happens when “intelligence is applied to imagination,” said Hope Frye, managing director of a wealth management company and one of the four judges at the Innovation Fair. Over 90 percent of the students in the DSA are considered socially, economically or

academically “at risk.” Many are English learners. But, despite the challenges of their demographic, 82 students in the Academy presented complex projects at the Innovation Fair. “That night sets kids up to succeed,” says DSA teacher Katalina Gallo, who graduated from the DSA eight years ago and attended UC Berkeley, majoring in art history. “They get to see how hard work pays off…how amazing and successful they can be.” “The kids take real ownership of their ideas,” Gallo said. The Innovation Fair was sponsored by non-profit Praxis in Action, which began the fair in 1996, and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. Local philanthropist Pat Campbell contributed the scholarship money.

In the ‘hood’

Greenbelts and neighborhood fun at The Crossings This is a first in a series showcasing the varied neighborhoods of Concord. To shine the light on where you live, send an email to editor@concord pioneer.com with a few details and contact information. MARK WEINMANN Special to the Pioneer

The Crossings/Walnut Country, with its 1062 homes built in the early 1970s, is set in the rolling foothills of Mt. Diablo, on what was once the tiny village of Cowell. Until 2010, a 244-ft smokestack from the historic Cowell Cement Plant marked the site from miles around. In 2010, the 70-year-old monolith had deteriorated to the point of being a danger to the residents below and was demolished. Ask anyone who is part of the Crossings/Walnut Country Home Owner’s Association what they love best about living there and nine times out of 10 you’ll hear about the greenbelts and landscaping. The residents take pride in the beauty and maintenance of their property. There are acres of greenbelts with walking paths with hundreds of trees. It is a great place to get out and enjoy nature. It does take work to keep it looking this great. On that note, the association recently established its first-ever landscape committee and set goals to insure that residents continue to make sure everyone can enjoy the beauty of the greenbelts and grounds. However, given California’s current drought conditions, this has become, of course, a

huge challenge. The goals have been simple: maintain the landscaping, reduce water use and manage expenses in this area. The landscape committee had two great challenges in the first two items – maintaining the landscape and its beauty but at the same time reducing water usage. In working closely with the association’s landscape maintenance company, residents have begun pilot projects to reach this goal. The first of these is the East Entrance project, which can be seen driving down Ayers Road from Ygnacio Valley. The project completed in September has given that entrance a much more appealing look while reducing water usage by several thousand dollars annually. The association is looking to continue this approach in many other areas of the property to make it more appealing but less thirsty. Additionally, the neighborhood has also upgraded the irrigation, and now utilizes two well systems to further reduce water usage. It has been successful in reducing water usage by over a million gallons on the neighborhood’s main greenbelt this past year. The Crossings/Walnut Country also offers fun events for residents. Last year hundreds participated in eight family events. This year there will be even more. For a schedule of events and more information on The Crossings/Walnut Country, go to www.walnutcountry.com. Mark Weinmann is president of The Crossings/Walnut Country HOA.

January 30, 2014

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Page 11

A dance with Concord’s ‘first celebrity’ ‘The Miniaturist’

CAROL LONGSHORE

OLD NEWS Caroline Hipple Holpin was born in Minnesota. At the age of six her family moved to Chicago. Mind you, this was back in the late l880s. She met William Holpin and although there isn’t much history of their relationship, we know that he encouraged her to dance and arranged for her dance lessons by the father of Flo Ziegfeld during the Chicago World Fair in l893. He thought she had something very special and, as she says, proposed a contract and that started her flamboyant, colorful and amazing career. With William’s knowledge of electricity and her creativity with mirrors and silk, they created spectacular stage design, choreography and special effects, that in this day and age, would have won awards all over the place. She performed at large venues

CAROLINE HIPPLE HOLPIN is known as the founder of modern dance. She and husband William owned a ranch in Ygnacio Valley. But before they could retire there, William died.

all over the world and relished in the fact that nobody know who she was. They thought she came from Europe or South America, and that tickled her pink.

The modern dance community is on a mission to give her the honor she deserves. This community of dancers believes she was the founder and “god-

dess” of Modern Dance. The reason this piece of history is news for us is because in 1893 she and William bought 167 acres here in Ygnacio Valley. She loved horses and when she was little she would stop the milkman so she could ride his horse. It was their dream to settle down and raise race horses therefore becoming, as Nilda Rego calls her, Concord’s first celebrity. Unfortunately, she and William were just about to settle down and “retire” here for good when she got news, while she was in Europe on tour, that William died of a heart attack. With a broken heart she continued to dance until November 21,1907, when, while performing in Dusseldorf, Germany, she had a stroke that took her life. Can you imagine how that could have changed our history, to have a celebrity of that stature living and contributing to the Valley? The property was sold and the new owners ended up raising grapes. Carol Longshore has been a Concord resident since 1950. She is a community leader and current president of the Concord Historical Society. Send comments and suggestions for future topics to editor@concordpioneer.com.

Local dignitaries take on teen lit PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer

Jeff Carmen is a tough guy, but even he was probably reduced to tears while reading “The Fault in our Stars” by John Green. What was Contra Costa County’s fire chief doing reading a teen novel? It was part of a unique program offered by the Concord Library. In Reverse Required Reading, local dignitaries are invited to read teen literature and review the books, all in an effort to encourage teen reading and create a sense of community through literature. Ten local influential adults participated in the program, including Carmen, Concord

Police Chief Guy Swanger, Concord City Manager Valerie Barone, city council members Dan Helix and Edi Birsan, and even Ygnacio Valley High School varsity football coach Phillip Puentes. Lynne Noone, the Adult Services Librarian at the Concord Library, spearheaded the effort, and in December put up at the library on Salvio Street a display with photos of the adult reviewers holding up their books of choice, as well as their thoughts and reflections. “Following in the footsteps of Katniss from Hunger Games and Triss from Divergent, it is an excellent read,” Swanger said of “The Fifth Wave,” by Rick Yancy. “I was expecting more of a

teenage ‘love story’ that was riddled with immaturity. It was nothing like what I expected,” said Concord High Principal Rianne Pfaltzgraff of her read, “The Sky is Everywhere” by Jandy Nelson. “I liked reading this book because it presented many new and interesting ideas about how Internet gaming could expand in the future to create many virtual worlds, and the impact and consequences of this progress on the way we live,” said Concord Community Relations Manager Leslye Asera of “The Eye of Minds” by James Dashner. Noone said that the program was so successful, she’d like to do a sequel next year.

Concord PD officer Jeff Carmen was one of ten local dignitaries to participate in the Concord Library’s teen reading program.

Mountain Shadow movie club offers artsy alternative for cinema lovers

Mountain Shadows founder, John Bennisen, chats with the audience before the movie at a recent showing.

When Ciné-Arts left Pleasant Hill in 2013, with the demolition of the old Dome theatre, cinema lovers in Walnut Creek and the surrounding communities lost the opportunity to see great foreign, independent and short films without trekking to Berkeley or San Francisco’s commercial theaters. But that’s changed. In January, 2014, volunteer director John Bennison launched the non-profit Mountain Shadow Film Society as the new alternative. Film screenings are held twice each month in the Oak

View Room of the downtown Walnut Creek Library. A $120 annual membership guarantees a seat for 12 shows, along with a number of other member benefits. A limited number of $12 general admission seats are generally available. Each show includes a firstrun feature film that is typically otherwise unavailable in local theaters, along with an awardwinning short film, a brief introduction with a Mountain Shadow film reviewer, and optional follow-up discussion. On several occasions last year, filmmakers made personal

appearances to present their works, which included an Oscar-nominated short liveaction documentary and a fullfeature docu-comedy about the golden era of stand-up comedy in San Francisco that premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival last October. Mountain Shadow’s 2015 Season kicked off in January with a pre-DVD release of Sweden’s Oscar entry, “Force Majeure.” In February, Mountain Shadow will screen the Oscar-nominated Animated and Live-Action Short Films on Feb. 13 and 14, in advance of an Oscar Party with live telecast of the Academy Awards on Feb. 22. The community has responded enthusiastically to the film society. In the first few months Mountain Shadow had grown to maximum membership and a second monthly screening was added to accommodate members’ guests and steadily increasing numbers of the general public. While membership was expanded to 250, it is already fully subscribed for the 2015 Season.

For more information or to be added to the wait list, go to www.mountainshadow.org. or contact John Bennison at 925.787.6965, or email him at jb@mountainshadow.org.

no small read

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR

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If you’re looking for a deftly crafted historical novel, look no further than Jessie Burton’s debut novel, “The Miniaturist” (HarperLuxe, August, 2014). Set in 17th-century Amsterdam, “The Miniaturist” is the story of young Nella, a country girl possessing an important name and no fortune, newly married to Johannes Brandt, a wealthy Amsterdam merchant. After a short introduction and even shorter courtship, Nella is quickly married to Brandt before he vanishes back to the city to conduct his important business, leaving his bride behind to follow him when she will. With little beside an address to go by, Nella arrives in Amsterdam and finds Brandt’s grand manor in the best part of town, but she does not find her husband. Instead, she finds Brandt’s formidable sister, Marin, who is head of the household and manager of Brandt’s business affairs. There is the fiercely loyal household cook, maid, and chief snoop, Cornelia, who was rescued from an orphanage. There is also Brandt’s valet, Otto, a slave acquired on a trip to the East Indies, then freed and employed by Brandt himself. Nella takes her established place in her husband’s home and begins to discover the secrets that form the heartbeat of her new family. Brandt is formidable and handsome, a respected member of Amsterdam’s merchant class and leader in the Dutch East Indian Company. His business interests keep him far from home, and so do appetites that

in Calvinist Amsterdam put the family squarely on a path of destruction. But he is generous and kind to Nella. As a wedding gift and to keep her occupied in her newly elevated role of married lady, Brandt presents Nella with a model replica of his house and instructs her to fill it as she will. Resourceful Nella discovers a miniaturist in the city who provides her with exquisitely detailed replicas to furnish her small house. Before long, however, Nella discovers that the miniatures, which begin to arrive without having been commissioned, form premonitions of household events. Mysteries stack up. Increasingly, Nella feels herself being watched, and she herself begins to listen at keyholes. She feels as if she is working out a puzzle. No one will tell her the truth – or at least not all of it. Austere Marin wears modest dresses of black wool. . .lined with ermine and silk. She is educated and vicious as a hawk, a grown woman who chooses spinsterhood over marriage for the freedom that it affords her. But surely there are lovers? No one seems to know for certain; or if they do, they are not talking. In accordance with her very dignified position, Nella is introduced to Amsterdam society to great interest, the child-bride of the great Johannes Brandt. She is given an allowance and complete freedom to navigate the city at will. She learns the city’s sophisticated social customs and grows into her position as a married lady. In the end, Nella grows up quickly and manages to save herself, if not the Brandts. “The Miniaturist” has all the appeal of an historical romance, except the romance is found in all the most unexpected places. As a pager-turner, “The Miniaturist” can’t be beat.

Cynthia Gregory is a North Bay nonprofit leader, writer of short fiction, .and author of a blog. Email comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com

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January 30, 2015

Bow down to Sir Prize avocados

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rriving at your farmers’ market is the Sir Prize avocado, a new and distinct variety of avocado characterized by fruit similar to the Hass industry standard but earlier-maturing and more productive. Country Rhodes Farm and a few other farmers will have them available now through the next few months. The new variety, due to its Mexi-

can genes, is more suitable than Hass in colder growing areas such as Northern California. Its season of maturity averages six-to-eight weeks earlier than Hass in any one location and the overall fruit size is larger, making earlyseason maturity more important. It has a thinner skin than the familiar Haas, a smaller seed, and a larger overall size. The flavor is more “green” and fruity than the Haas, less buttery, but delicious. The Sir Prize avocado also has one important characteristic for cooks—it doesn’t turn brown after cutting it open. No more brown guacamole! The avocado in general is one of the “good fats” that we should be eating. The monounsaturated fat is thought to be good for heart health. Though relatively high in calories, the avocado is one fruit that is worth it because of the nutritional value. They are high in fiber, vitamins K, C, B6, riboflavin, potassium and folate.

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Ionized alkaline water has the unique ability to provide super hydration when it becomes micro-clustered through its ionization process. This makes water “wetter,” allowing our bodies to absorb 60-80 percent more which can flush toxins from body almost immediately. Ionized alkaline water has the power to begin hydrating the brain in 60 seconds — it actually crosses the blood brain barrier. And it can reach every part of the skin within 10 minutes. An alkaline rich environment may help prevent some of the most common, chronic and deadly diseases by seeking out free radicals and converting them into oxygen, which the body

(Recipe: Chef Mario Hernandez, PCFMA) 1/2 lb. of loose baby kale 1 whole Sir Prize avocado, peeled and diced to desired size 1/2 cup of cooked farro (type of wheat grain), tossed with olive oil and salt 1/2 cup mandarinquats, (a cross between mandarins and kumquats), thinly sliced, or other small citrus variety Good quality olive oil to taste Juice of a Meyer lemon to taste Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Mix the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently with your hands. Taste, correct seasoning and serve. By Debra Morris, PCFMA

then uses for increased energy production and tissue oxygenation. This water technology has been used in the healthiest country in the world — Japan — for more than 40 years. In fact, one in five households own an ionizer. Ionized water has been used in Japanese hospitals for decades. According to the World Health Organization life expectancy report, Japan is #1 in life expectancy. The United States is #38. The good news is you don’t need to go to Japan to get it. By Elon Rosenthal Tap Into Health Water Store See ad this page

Walk This Many Miles

t’s an everyday activity that mankind has been doing since the dawn of time, but you have to do enough of it to really stay in shape.

Doctors say that the magic number is about 10,000 steps – which works out to walking about five miles. And in a recent study, walking that distance proved critical to both cardiovascular fitness and blood sugar levels. MAGIC NUMBER In the recent study, otherwise healthy people who dropped from walking 10,000 steps to about 1,000 steps daily had higher insulin resistance and weaker cardiovascular fitness after just 2 weeks of cutting back. Basically, in just 14 days of fewer steps, their hearts started to

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process oxygen less efficiently, and their blood couldn’t break down sugars as well. Pretty rapid decline! START COUNTING So 10,000 steps a day might seem like a lot, but don’t worry: Every step counts. Walking around the yard, heading to the post office, or dropping in on a neighbor – it all adds up. Make your goal doable. If you stick a 3-year-old on a two-wheeler and tell him to ride, he’s going to fall off and refuse to get back on for a long time. Make your immediate goal something you know you can do – if it’s just a 10minute walk, fine Get in your face. The best way to do something regularly is to have constant reminders to do it. Have walking shoes at home and at work. Put a chart on your fridge. Keep your goal in sight. Put it in writing. You can have the best intentions in the world, but a funny thing happens as time passes. You don’t want to walk one morning, and then at the end of that week, you’ve walked five times instead of six or seven, and you tell yourself that’s still pretty good. Soon, three times a week is still pretty good, and you don’t remember your goal of at least five walks a week. That’s why it’s vital to write down your goals. Avoid temptation. Whatever your guiltiest habit is, get everything related to it as far from yourself as possible. Removing temptation does make a difference. Recognize negative thinking patterns. There are a million varieties, but they all come down to the same issue: not existing in the here and now. Remember that anything you do happens one step at a time, starting today. Aim for 4 slip-free weeks. Once you’ve established a pattern, you can slip now and then and it won’t affect your overall success or motivation. But earlier slips interfere with forming a new habit. So for the first month, try extra hard to stick to your goals. If necessary, remind yourself that you will be allowed to deviate eventually. Sticking to something with no slips for 4 weeks is doable; doing it for life with no slips isn’t. Source: RealAge.com

Page 13

Laugh a lot, Remember more

Avocado Citrus Salad with Farro

Alkaline water – who needs it? ur bodies are constantly bombarded with environmental pollution from the inside, out. And the need to cleanse is more of a health necessity, than it has ever been before. The good news is alkaline ionized water can provide our bodies with the balanced levels of pH that is needed to maintain and restore our bodies to optimum health and energy. When we are born, over 80 percent of our body is made up of water. When we die, it drops to about 50 percent. At any given time our brain and heart are composed of 75 to 80 percent water. There is no question about our body’s need for hydration.

January 30, 2015

e are all familiar with the saying, “laughter is the best medicine.” And this motto may ring true when it comes to tackling age-related memory loss; a new study from Loma Linda University in California finds that humor may reduce brain damage caused by the “stress hormone” cortisol, which in turn, improves memory. It is well known that too much stress can negatively affect health. Medical News Today recently reported on a study suggesting that stress may worsen allergies, while other research indicates that it makes the brain more susceptible to mental illness. Past research has also shown that stress can worsen memory and learning ability in elderly individuals. This is because stress increases production of cortisol - a hormone that can cause damage to neurons in the brain. Since it is well known that laughter can be a stress reliever, the research team wanted to determine whether humor may reduce brain damage caused by cortisol. Watching a funny video ‘reduced cortisol levels and boosted memory performance’ The researchers analyzed one group of elderly individuals who had diabetes and another group of elderly people who were healthy.

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Laughter may reduce neuron damage caused by “stress hormone” cortisol, therefore improving memory in older individuals. Both groups were required to view a 20-minute humorous video, before completing a memory test that measured their visual recognition, learning ability and memory recall. A third group of elderly individuals were asked to complete the memory test without watching the funny video. The team then compared the results of all three groups. Cortisol levels for all participants were recorded before and after the experiments. The investigators found that both groups who watched the humorous video showed a significant reduction in cortisol levels, compared with the group that did not view the video. The groups that watched the funny video also showed greater improvement in memory recall, learning ability and sight recognition, compared with those who did not watch the video. The diabetic group demonstrated the greatest improvement in both cortisol levels and memory test scores. Study co-author Dr. Lee Burk says these findings suggests that the less stress a person has, the better their memory performance, and humor may be the key to reducing stress levels. “The act of laughter - or simply enjoying some humor increases the release of endorphins and dopamine in the brain, which provides a sense of pleasure and reward.” “So, indeed,” he adds, “laughter is turning out to be not only a good medicine, but also a memory enhancer adding to our quality of life.” Although older adults have age-related memory deficits, complimentary, enjoyable and beneficial humor therapies need to be implemented for these individuals.”

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What it’s like to be color blind I

f your clothes don’t match, someone might have teased you about being color blind. But some people really are color blind. It doesn’t mean they can’t see any color at all, like a black and white movie. It means that they have trouble seeing the difference between certain colors. Being color blind can make it tricky to match your shirt and pants, but it’s not a serious problem. People who are color blind can do normal stuff, even drive. Most color-blind people can’t tell the difference between red and green, but they can learn to respond to the way the traffic signal lights up — the red light is generally on top and green is on the bottom.

Cones and Color To understand what causes color blindness, you need to know about the cones in your eyes. Cones in your eyes? Yes, but they’re very small. These cones are cells on your retina, an area the size of a postage stamp that’s at the back of your eye. You have “red,” “blue,” and “green” cones, which are sensitive to those colors and combinations of them. You need all three types to see colors properly.

New Years Special Prices When your cones don’t work properly, or you don’t have the right combination, your brain doesn’t get the right message about which colors you’re seeing. To someone who’s color blind, a green leaf might look tan or gray.

Color Blindness Is Passed Down Color blindness is almost always an inherited trait, which means you get it from your parents. You get inherited traits through genes, which determine everything about your body, including how tall you’ll be and whether your hair will be

straight or curly. Eye doctors (and some school nurses) test for color blindness by showing a picture made up of different colored dots, like the one above. Someone who can’t see the picture or number within the dots may be color blind. Boys are far more likely to be color blind. In fact, if you know 12 boys, one of them is probably at least a little color blind. So, girls, the next time a boy asks you if something matches, you’d better lend him a hand! Source: Laura Evans from the documentary “No Such Thing as Color,” kidshealth.org

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January 30, 2015

CALENDAR PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. FEB. 18 FOR THE FEB. 27

IN CONCORD Tuesdays Farmers’ Market

ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO

Feb. 6 – 22 “Godspell”

CHURCHES AND RELIGION

Tuesdays year round. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityofconcord.org.

Masterful retelling of the Gospel According to St. Matthew presented by OMG I Love that Show Productions. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $35. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

3rd Sundays Antique Faire

Feb. 7 Those Were the Days

Antiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concordantiquefaire.com.

The spirit and song of the 1960s starring William Florian. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $25-$27. elcampaniltheatre.com.

On Sale Now Concerts

Feb. 8 Concert An American in Paris (and Other Travels) performed by Diablo Symphony Orchestra. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12-$28. lesherartscenter.org. 9437469.

Feb. 14 Red Cross Blood Drive

Feb. 13 – 15 “Candide”

IN CLAYTON Jan. 31 Open House Celebrate the reopening of Fire Station 11. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Station 11, Clayton Road and Center Street, Clayton.

Feb. 8 Camellia Tea Clayton Historical Society’s annual Camellia Tea and Open House. Camellia display and refreshments. Veterans from World War II will be honored by pouring tea. Children welcome with adults. 1 – 4 p.m. Clayton Museum, 6101 Main Street. Free. www.claytonhistory.org. 672-0240.

ON THE MOUNTAIN Mount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free with the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click on Events Calendar for more information.

Feb. 8 Black Point Hike

Eccentric characters journey around the world in search of the meaning of life performed by Lamplighters Music Theater. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $25-$54. lamplighters.org.

Feb. 14 Songs in the Key of L.O.V.E. Valentine’s Day musical tribute of love songs. 8 p.m. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $13-$17. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

Feb. 15 “Bull in a China Shop” Madcap goings-on presented by Vagabond Players. 2 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $10-$15. elcampaniltheatre.com.

Feb. 15 Musical Interludes Intimate recitals showcasing the talented players of the California Symphony. 3 p.m. Steinway Piano Gallery, 1605 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek. $60. 280-2490.

Feb. 20, 22 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”

Hike up White Canyon to summit of Black Point before returning to trailhead. 1 – 4:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Trailhead.

Timeless story told by El Campanil Children’s Theatre. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $8-$12. elcampaniltheatre.com.

Feb. 15 Amphibians of Contra Costa County

Feb. 21 Company Show Showcase 2015

Learn about amphibians of the county with an emphasis on local salamanders and newts. Meet a salamander up close. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Summit Audio Visual Room.

Presented by Dance Connection. 3 and 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $16-$25. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Feb. 22 Sycamore Canyon Hike

Feb. 21 Hooray for Hollywood

Hike from Curry Canyon to Sycamore Canyon then over to Knobcone Point and back. Expansive views of Mount Diablo and Morgan Fire area. 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Meet at Curry Point Trailhead. Save Mount Diablo programs listed are free unless otherwise noted. Go to savemountdiablo.org and click on Activities/Guided Hikes for more information. 947-3535.

Jan. 31 Family Hike Hike on Mangini Ranch property. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Meet at the hiker gate on Crystyl Ranch Drive between Autumn Oak Circle and Rolling Woods Way, Concord. Response required: smdinfo@savemountdiablo.org.

Feb. 7 Volunteer Work Day Tend to new native plants and enjoy the views from the volcanic dome on Marsh Creek 6 property. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Meet at 3240 Aspara Drive, Clayton. Response required: jcartan@savemountdiablo.org.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT Jan. 30 – Feb. 14 “Mama Won’t Fly” A Jones Hope Wooten comedy. Onstage Theatre at Martinez Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St., Martinez. 518-3277.

Jan. 30 – Feb. 28 “The Book Club Play” A comedy about books and people who love them. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $33-$58. centerrep.org.

Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 “Adventures of Alisa” Performed in Russian by Russian Drama Club Skazka. 4:45 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $17. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Feb. 1 Concert Performed by the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra. 3 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Free tickets: 943-7469.

Feb. 6 – 7 “Enticing Beauty” Performed by Diablo Ballet. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $24-$44. diabloballet.org.

Feb. 6 – 7 “The Great Divorce” Lost souls take a bus ride to heaven in this Dantesque celestial journey performed by Fellowship for the Performing Arts. Ages 13 and up. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $94. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Feb. 7 Fellowship and Discussion Topic: Were Adam and Eve black or white? Speaker: Russell Ballew, author and researcher. 7:30 p.m. Free. For directions, call 672-6686. Sponsored by the Baha’is of Clayton.

Feb. 14 Concert Michele Sharik performs a solo handbell concert. 7:30 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. $15. cvpresby.org.

FUNDRAISERS

The Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. theconcordpavilion.com. Concert schedule for 2015: May 28, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, 7 p.m., July 21, 5 Seconds of Summer, 7 p.m., Aug. 7, Idina Menzel, 7 p.m.

Donate blood and be entered to win raffle prizes. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Montecito, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. 575-9572.

newsandcalendar@concordpioneer.com

2nd and 4th Sundays Pancake Breakfast Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfwpost1525.org.

Jan. 31 Just for Kicks All-school martial arts benefit show. 6 p.m. Berean Christian High School, 245 El Divisadero Ave., Walnut Creek. $15. usksmartialarts.com.

Feb. 5 Bingo Bonanza Play bingo. Win grand raffle prizes. All proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. 11 a.m. Montecito, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. $10. 575-9572.

Feb. 8 Mardi Gras Family-friendly event benefitting multiple charities. 3 – 6 p.m. Concord United Methodist Church, 1645 West St., Concord. $15 per person or $25 per family of three or more. Reserve tickets in advance; space is limited. concordumc.org.

Feb. 21 Pancakes and Ponies Enjoy breakfast, horses and Mount Diablo and get to know the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association. Benefits club’s horsemanship education programs. 9 a.m. Association clubhouse, 1600 Trail Ride Road, Clayton. $8 adults; $5 children. cmdtra.org.

Mar. 14 Crab Feed Crab feed, dancing, raffles and auction by Clayton Valley Charter High School Athletic Boosters Club. 5:30 p.m. Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road, Concord. $50; $60 after Feb. 28. cvhsboosters.org.

AT THE LIBRARY

Performed by the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $7-$15. elcampaniltheatre.com.

The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or 6465455.

Jan. 31 eResources at Your Library

Feb. 22 Hooray for Hollywood Performed by the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10$30. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Feb. 27 – Mar. 8 “Into the Woods” The Brothers Grimm fairytales collide in this epic tale. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $10-$25. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

Feb. 28 The Acoustic Reunion Concert

Come learn about new and updated digital lending services available through the library. 10:30 a.m. Registration required.

Feb. 5 College Planning High school and junior high school students and parents are invited to find out how to best position students to qualify for grants, scholarships and student loans. 6:30 p.m. Registration required. The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonlibrary.org or call 673-0659.

Presented by Randyn Seymon and Bill Younger. 6:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $13-$17. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Feb. 1 – 28 Reading is Our Thing

Feb. 28 The Sun Kings

Winter reading program. Read books and receive prizes. Pick up your reading record at the desk. Grades kindergarten through third.

Spot-on recreation of The Beatles. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $25-$27. elcampaniltheatre.com.

Feb. 4 Emergency Preparedness

Feb. 28 – Mar. 1 Forbidden Broadway

CERT teaches hands-only CPR, plus use of an Automated External Defibrillator. 7 – 9 p.m.

Off-Broadway hit musical revue by Brentwood Theater Company. Trilogy at the Vineyards, Mount Diablo Events Center, 1700 Trilogy Parkway, Brentwood. thebrentwoodtheater.org. 516-5936.

Feb. 5 Healthy Heart Day Celebrate a healthy heart with fun aerobic activities, a craft and a snack. 4 p.m.

Mar. 3 Concert Presented by Diablo Wind Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $6-$10. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

Mar. 7 – 9 Forbidden Broadway Off-Broadway hit musical revue by Brentwood Theater Company. Cue Productions Live, 1835 Colfax St., Concord. 516-5936.

SCHOOLS Jan. 30 – Feb. 15 “The Taming of the Shrew” Shakespeare’s outrageous comedy. Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. $16-$21. dvcdrama.net.

Feb. 7 E-Waste Recycling Drop off electronic waste first Saturday of the month, except holidays. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Diablo Valley College, overflow lot 7, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. Free. noewaste.com.

Feb. 9 Clayton Library Book Club Sunny Solomon leads discussion of “The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion” by Fannie Flagg. Open to anyone who wants to join. 7 p.m.

Feb. 25 Winter Business Series Janet Long of Elaine’s Toffee Company talks about the start and growth of the local Clayton business. 6:30 p.m.

GOVERNMENT 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays Concord City Council 6:30 p.m., Council Chamber, Concord Civic Center, 1950 Parkside Dr. cityofconcord.org.

1st and 3rd Wednesdays Concord Planning Commission 7 p.m., Council Chamber, Concord Civic Center, 1950 Parkside Dr. cityofconcord.org.

January 30, 2015

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

Page 15

Old dogs can thrive on new tricks

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ELENA BICKER

PET PALS At ARF people often ask us, “Can you teach an old dog new tricks?” And we always say, “Absolutely!” The old adage that a dog is settled in their ways by a certain

age is not true. Much like people, dogs thrive with plenty of mental and physical stimulation through their entire life span. As our dogs get older they settle into a sedentary routine both mentally and physically. Learning a new trick or refreshing their basic training actually improves a dog’s brain health. Provide your senior dog with mental enrichment like food puzzle toys, play hide-and-seek by stashing food around the house, or even buy them some new, exciting toys. All of these can help maintain and even improve cognitive function, so get creative and make this time fun for you and your dog.

Teaching new skills by using positive reinforcement or reward-based training can also be useful in preparing your dog for physical declines that may accompany his or her senior years. Consider training your dog to use a ramp to get into the car or steps to get up on the bed, or teach hand signals if your dog is losing his hearing. A little planning ahead in your training could greatly benefit you and your dog down the road. Senior dogs also enjoy sports classes. A new Tricks or Dancing with Dogs class might be a perfect fit. The mental stimulation of leaving the house, visit-

ing with new people and dogs, and learning a new skill can greatly build confidence in your older pet. Keep in mind your dog’s medical history and be sure to check with your veterinarian before starting a sports class with your senior pup. Dogs and people are very similar when it comes to brain power and cognitive function; as some would say: use it or lose it. Go ahead and teach your old dog a new trick today. Elena Bicker is the Executive Director of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be reached at (925) 256-1ARF (1273)

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Small tabby kitten hits big ARF milestone ARF has been rescuing abandoned animals from overcrowded public shelters for 24 years, since Tony La Russa rescued a cat from the ball field while he was managing the Oakland A’s, and was inspired by his wife Elaine to start ARF. In 2014, 2,280 cats and dogs found homes through the Walnut Creek-based organization. “We are overjoyed to reach this milestone,” says Elena Bicker, ARF’s executive director. “I can still remember our first year when we rescued 11 dogs and 146 cats. We relish these moments and milestones, but we remain focused on the res-

cue efforts ahead.” ARF’s core mission is the rescue of dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters, giving them a chance at life until a new home can be found. ARF couples this focus with innovative programs strengthening the human-animal bond for children, seniors, veterans, and people in disadvantaged circumstances. ARF allows people to experience the unconditional love and acceptance of dogs and cats to fulfill a mission of “People Rescuing Animals…Animals Rescuing People…” For more information visit www.arf.net.

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sociable, outgoing fellow. He enjoys petting and attention, and will also like a round of playtime with interactive wand toys. What a fun boy. He is suitable for a first time cat guardian. The adoption fee for adult cats is $50.

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DOG KD, 1 ½, is a happy, curious girl that is always up for new challenges. When she is not out and about her main goal is to do whatever she can to get on to your lap and snuggle. She is not

just cute but also very smart and will do anything for a cookie. We recommend KD take a Basic Manners class where she can learn polite ways of seeking creature comforts in life. She currently weighs 45 pounds.

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Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: Noon to 6 pm Wednesday & Thursday, Noon to 7 p.m. Friday, and Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday & Sunday. The primary caretaker must be present to adopt. ARF also encourages kids 16 and younger and canine family members (dog adoptions only) to be present during the adoption process. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.

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Ravioli, a 12-week-old longhaired tabby kitten, weighs a meager three pounds. But he has the impressive distinction of being the 30,000th pet adopted from ARF since the organization’s founding in 1991. Ravioli was turned in to a local public animal shelter as a stray when he was just a few weeks old. Due to his age and vulnerable condition, he was at risk for euthanasia before ARF stepped in and rescued him. The little kitten spent time in an ARF foster home before being placed for adoption at ARF. He was chosen by his new guardian on Jan. 10.

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Page 16

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

January 30, 2015

SCHOOLS CVCHS Governing Board seeking retired teacher representative JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer

Clayton Valley Charter High School’s governing board is seeking to fill its final vacancy by accepting applications for the retired teacher representative on the nine-member board. At their January meeting the board setup a schedule seeking applicants who they expect to be vetted and then presented to the full board Feb. 11 at their next regular meeting, board chairman Ted Meriam reports. The retired teacher slot is for a two-year term running

through the end of 2016. Longtime Clayton Valley teacher Dick Ellis held the position for the first three years of the charter before withdrawing from reelection consideration shortly before the December board elections. The other candidate for the slot, former school teacher and principal Bud Beemer, a Clayton Valley alumnus, was deemed by the board’s counsel as having two potential conflicts of interests that would preclude him from serving on the board. Beemer spoke at the December

and January board members challenging the legal opinion. The retired teacher representative must meet one of following criteria: • Community member with direct familiarity with CVCHS history and goals • Former educator with direct familiarity with CVCHS history and goals • Experience in education, strategic planning, staff development, board relations, financial management and organizational leadership The board will consider

applicants who live outside Clayton and Concord. Candidates do not have to be a former CVCHS teacher however they cannot be an “interested person” as defined in the bylaws. Specifically they cannot be a current employee at CVCHS, must not have received compensation from CVCHS in the last 12 months and can’t have a family member who works at CVCHS. Applicants for this volunteer position are urged to apply by January 30. Visit www.claytonvalley.org for details.

Mt. Diablo High Unique academy offers 21stCentury success Liane Cismowski MDHS PRINCIPAL

CVCHS Journalists shouldn’t raise the white flag Robbie Parker

Teen Speak I am beyond grateful to have a monthly column in the city newspaper. After nearly seven years of contributing both school news and opinion articles to the community, I have developed a greater understanding of what journalism means. The press is not only a medium of communal communication, but it is a fundamental expression of human rights. To express my opinion, and to explore the opinion of others, is truly a liberty I refuse to take for granted. However, the terror attacks that occurred in France earlier this month are a grim reminder of the consequences uncensored expression may yield. After years of publishing cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in sacrilegious context, artists, editors and writers working for French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were mercilessly slaughtered by two radical Muslim gunmen. The incident resulted in the murder of 12 innocent Europeans, but the significance of the attacks spanned across the furthest reaches of the globe. The phrase Je suis Charlie, French for “I am Charlie,” evolved into a symbol of both sympathy and dedication to free speech following the attacks. People from all over the world, including the majority of Mus-

lims, have united to express sorrow for the death and destruction caused by a small group of misled individuals. Considering the magnitude of violence, many Americans— myself included—were shocked when the remaining individuals working at Charlie Hebdo decided to continue the magazine’s usual publishing schedule. I asked myself why victims of such brutality would risk their lives for distribution of a cartoon designed for comic relief

A season to be proud David Linzey CVCHS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Our football team had a great season, going all the way to the state championship, and did it while maintaining well over a 3.0 GPA! The team’s success is also due in part to the dedication and support they received from the CVCHS community, from coaches, to marching band and cheerleaders, to the Blue Crew,

Pine Hollow Technology is taking off at Pine Hollow Rayna Stanziano PINE HOLLOW CORRESPONDENT

Pine Hollow Middle School is currently in the process of accumulating technology for students to use at school, especially Chromebooks, which are Apple laptops. Principal Shelley Bain says, “We have purchased increasing numbers of Chrome-

and social commentary. Certainly, the danger would discourage anyone in their right mind from continuing publication and further adding fuel to the already raging inferno. For the supporters of Charlie, however, the answer is as clear as day: journalism means surrender is not an option. In some of the darkest moments our history, nationally and globally, countless reporters and writers have risked their lives to bestow the gift of information

books. The long-term goal is to give every child in the school access to a Chromebook every day.” In December, 60 Chromebooks were acquired, and at least 60 more are both wanted and needed. Measure C, which is how

and to the parents, students and fans who came out to support them all. We are also proud of their character. After playing their hearts out in the championship game, both teams gathered together in the end zone and were led in prayer by one of our players, Sean Vaisima. The sight of both teams kneeling

Pine Hollow was able to install air conditioning/heating, also provided the school with a technological grant. Due to this perk, it has been much easier to pay for the different types of computers that help students both understand and have fun with work, without violating the “no phones” policy. On Jan. 26, a teacher in-service day, Mrs. Bain and Pine Hollow teachers met to discuss how the remaining money they have acquired through Measure C would be spent. Students have been utilizing the technology for i-ready testing and lessons, which helps them prepare for the end-ofthe-year Smarter Balanced exams, the Common Core version of the STAR test. In addition, the new Chromebooks are

upon the masses. Allowing terrorists to invoke hesitation in publishing outlets marks our surrender to silence and the sacrifice of information — our most valuable resource. Regardless of the subject matter, censoring media to reduce international tensions is the first step in raising the white flag against the war on terror. French philosopher Voltaire is accredited for the phrase, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” An axiom of such firm conviction has never been more applicable. So as long as I am free to express my voice, I will use it to say “Je suis Charlie.” Robbie Parker is a senior at CVCHS. Send your comments to editor@concordpioneer.com

together, with coaches at their sides, was a fitting tribute to a game well-played. After the game, we received a letter from a De La Salle coach. He writes: “Last night, at the CIF State Championships, my wife and two young sons were sitting in a section that fortunately, yes I said fortunately, was surrounded by Clayton Valley Charter football players. Unfortunately, also sitting next to my family was a rude, inebriated adult whose behavior was caustic and threatening; however, because of your students, my family felt safe in a situation that would Win or lose, this speaks volumes of our leadership and character.

being used to make informational slide show presentations, do webquests, research information, collect evidence for essays, and share work with classmates through Google Drive. Some classes even take exams on the new computers in the computer lab, helping increase their knowledge of technology so they will be ready when having experience with technology is a requirement. Mrs. Bain is determined to assist students with their learning. Her hope is that, in the near future, Pine Hollow will have a class set of Chromebooks for every hallway in the school. Rayna Stanziano is in the eighth grade at Pine Hollow. She has a passion for writing and loves English and swimming. She lives in Concord. Send comments to editor@concordpioneer.com

Photo courtesy MDH

Guillermo Mejia, Jose Mozqueda, Larry Guillen, Carlos Lopez, Jairo Sandoval are students in the International Hospitality and Tourism Academy Serendipity Program

The Mount Diablo High School January focus is the International Hospitality and Tourism Academy (IHTA). This delicious academy prepares students for careers in culinary arts, commercial baking, restaurant management, healthy food service, and in the sustainable leisure industry with a focus on the “triple bottom line.” Students are provided two equally vibrant pathways, each of which has a unique focus in the growing field of hospitality and tourism. IHTA students run the Serendipity Restaurant, which is operated with the curriculum aligned to the California Home Economics Careers and Technology Challenge Standards. Certificates of Mastery are awarded upon course completion and all seniors participate in the ACE (Assessment in Career Education) Exam yearly. The facility includes a full commercial kitchen, bakery/pastry shop, computer research lab, and dining room with a seating capacity of 125. The restaurant is open on

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is located at 2611 East St. in Concord. For more information about the restaurant, call 925-798-0882. The Sustainable Tourism pathway focuses on healthy eating and earth-friendly business practices in culinary arts and hospitality and leisure careers, especially in the growing areas of ecotourism and farm-to-table. Students learn all aspects of these developing 21st-century occupations – being chefs, docents, tour guides, agribusiness managers and marketers. In the Sustainable Tourism pathway, the possibilities are endless. IHTA provides all of their students with hands-on learning experiences and academic rigor that prepares them for college, careers and living as responsible citizens in the 21st century. For more information about the IHTA Academy please contact our school at 925-682-4030. Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com

Scholarships for seniors offered by Travis Credit Union Travis Credit Union announced it will award twenty $1,500 scholarships to graduating seniors this spring. Each applicant must be a high school senior with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, bound for a two–or four–year college or university and a member of Travis Credit Union in good standing. Students who live in Travis Credit Union’s twelvecounty service region and are not yet members may join the credit union and apply for a scholarship at the same time.

Scholarship applications are available at any branch location or students may apply online at Travis Credit Union’s website at www.traviscu.org. In addition to a completed application students must submit a 250-word essay, a certified high school transcript and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Completed applications must be received no later than the close of business Mar. 9. Travis Credit Union Clayton Branch is located at 5441 Clayton Road. The Concord branch is at 1257 Willow Pass Road.

January 30, 2015

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

Oak Grove Middle

Concord High

Azeema Yahya CONCORD HIGH CORRESPONDENT

CHS jumps into New Year fun

Rianne Pfalzgraff CHS PRINCIPAL

First crop of veggies waiting for spring Christina Filios Yiannakopoulos OAK GROVE PRINCIPAL

With the new year here, Concord High School is starting new traditions, with new events and new opportunities in store for everyone at our school. For one, on Jan. 22, we started sign ups for our school’s first Olympics. The Olympics themselves start on Feb. 6, with an obstacle course. In addition, on Feb. 11, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. we are going to host an Olympics for the high school special education programs in the Mount Diablo School District. These students will participate in an Olympics where we will have activities that include an obstacle course, beanbag toss, free-throw competition, and a cereal box puzzle. Moreover, we are having our first Prom Dress Exchange. As we all know, prom dresses are very expensive and are usually only worn once. The Prom Dress Exchange allows students to bring in past Prom dresses, sell them, and maybe find a new dress for the current year. Concord High School’s leadership

class will sell your dress for only $5. The dates of the exchange are every Saturday in February, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the leadership room. Lastly, our Ladies First Ensemble is invited as guest performers at the Diva Day Conference in Southern California. Although they’ve been wanting to go for awhile, this will be their first time attending. It’s on Feb. 7, and they’ll be doing workshops throughout the day and have also been asked to sing in a performance in which they’ll showcase their talents. In addition, they will be learning new songs to sing along with everyone else who attends the conference that same evening. With so many new things in store for everyone, Concord High School cannot wait to see how this year plays out. Azeema Yahya is a senior and Codrum Major. She loves music and plans to attend UC Davis in the fall. Send comments to editor@concordpioneer.com.

Oak Grove Middle School once again partnered with its PTSA and ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) to host the 3rd Annual Parent Visitation Day on January 28. Parents and guardians spent the day at school, visited their child’s classes, met with teachers and attended informational sessions on 8th grade activities and the reclassification process for English Learners. Oak Grove is

proud to offer this unique opportunity to families each year—during the school day— so parents can experience their student’s schedule and classes first-hand. How does our garden grow? Very well, indeed. Teachers, students, parents, After School Program staff, and community members have come together to design, construct, plant, and tend a new garden at Oak Grove

who are working hard to improve their eighth place standing from last year. They have currently completed the essay portion of the test and will be traveling to CSU East Bay on Feb. 7 to compete in speeches and interviews. Finally, on Feb. 7, the team will be competing in the seven academic tests at Los Medanos College, as well as the Super Quiz, which is an intense live scoring finale for the competition. We want to wish our team the best of luck in their competitions and know they will represent Concord High in true Minutemen fashion. Good luck to Victor Prado-Ruiz, Lauren Reagan, Melissa Javier, Zach Johnson, Britney Gonzales, Hector Degregori, Neftali Samperio, Casey Lynn Babauta and Cristian Helu! Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com

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Parents, teachers and students dig into new community garden at Oak Grove Middle School. The garden is part of the After School Program.

Middle School. Sponsored by a grant through Whole Foods Market, and supported by generous donations from Dolan’s Lumber, Mt. Diablo Landscape, and Brickyard Building Materials, the garden is at the center of campus and has its first crops of fruits and vegetables planted. Students from the school’s Enhancement Campus Beautifi-

Emily Wright

Northgate to get more ‘good’ screen time

Until recently, morning announcements at Northgate High School were made live on closed circuit television, thanks to teacher Kevin Davis, who set up the broadcast via cables, and to student anchors who’d leave their third period classes for a little while to film.

Michael McCallister

In the middle of this school year, however, the cables were badly damaged so that 85 percent of the school could no longer receive school news this way. Although repairs were considered, it was decided the project was too vast to complete. Student anchors switched to

Northgate adds academic counselors

NORTHGATE PRINCIPAL

We’re very excited to bring academic counselors back into our offering at Northgate High School for the first time, I was told, since 1985. Leah Duchene is our first to fill this role and we hope to be hiring a few more to add to her counseling team. Many of you know that we have Linda Clark in place to support college and career related issues and we also have an incredible team of licensed therapists to support our kids’ social and emotional needs on a daily basis. Now, with academic counselors rounding out our offering, Northgate will be able to better guide students along their academic paths while they are here at school. I imagine that this added support will significantly increase student

achievement. If you’ve ever wondered what’s going on at school while it’s in session, please feel free to follow us on Twitter. Our official twitter “handle” is @NorthgateHS and you’ll find that we post some significant and some not-so-significant items during our day, not to mention sports scores, often in real time. Now that our wifi is working more consistently, I’ve been seeing teachers join in on the fun and start tweeting the activities that are going on in their classrooms. As a student recently said to me, “All of this Twitter use is like having an Open House every day.” Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com

speaking over the intercom about important upcoming events. Students have missed the visual aspect of the televised announcements, which tended to be filled with humor and quirky props. They were fun to watch and talk about later with friends. Teachers have missed them, too. There is no volume control on the intercom, whereas in the past if a teacher needed students to get working right away on a project or test, he or she could turn the TV volume down. People who wanted to watch were free to do so, while others could concentrate on something else. The good news is Davis

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plans to start a visual format again, and it will still be shown in class by teachers. The announcements will be filmed ahead of time, though, saving students from having to leave class to participate in a live broadcast. Northgate’s students will soon be receiving school news and announcements via YouTube. It seems like a good solution. Emily Wright is a senior at Northgate High School. She is currently the news editor for the Northgate Sentinel newspaper and is in her second year of ROP Journalism II. Email comments or questions to editor@concordpioneer.com

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cation class helped to prep the area for the garden, and the Mosaic Arts Enhancement class students created lovely stepping stones which have been installed in the paths. We are looking forward to watching our garden grow!

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Concord High revs up for Academic Decathlon

Concord High School is proud to support our Academic Decathlon team as they move forward in their competition this year. The Academic Decathlon is competitive program featuring tests in seven academic subjects including math, economics, science, social science, language and literature, music and art. In addition, students compete in prepared and impromptu speeches, formal interviews and essays. There are more than 500 high schools and 13,000 students who participate in the Academic Decathlon in California. Concord High is the only high school in the Mount Diablo Unified School District to field a team. The theme for the competition is selected based on current interest for that year. For 2015, the theme is, “New Alternatives in Energy: Ingenuity and Innovation.” The team at Concord High consists of nine students,

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Page 18

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

January 30, 2015

SPORTS De La Salle travels from Hollywood red carpet to nation’s No.1 JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer

In a season like no other De La Salle High School ended up right where the Spartans usually do—as California State Bowl game winners and mythical national champions. Second-year coach Justin Alumbaugh and his staff guided the Concord team from a Hollywood premiere last August putting the school on the big screen around the country to CIF finals success 21 miles from Hollywood at the StubHub Center in December. The local prep football scene this year featured Concord schools Clayton Valley Charter and Concord in the North Coast Section Division II championship game with the Eagles winning their second title in three years over their crosstown rivals. Concord has been to three NCS championship games since 2010 when the Minutemen won the title. Clayton Valley Charter lost a heartbreaking 34-33 verdict to Redlands East Valley in the State Bowl DII game. De La Salle has been in the State Bowl game every year since its revival in 2006, including four matchups with Centennial of Corona. In December DLS emerged from a back and forth battle with a 63-42 win that gave them six titles in nine bowl games, erasing some of the bad taste from the 20-14 loss to St. John Bosco the previous year when Alumbaugh suffered his only loss in two years as head coach. Following that 2013 bowl game defeat Alumbaugh feels his players were “more cohesive and enjoyed practice more” as they

Photo courtesy Phillip Walton/SportStars

DE LA SALLE CAPPED A REMARKABLE YEAR FOR THE CONCORD SCHOOL that began with a Hollywood movie and ended with a state championship 21 miles from the movie capital in Carson at StubHub Center. Second-year coach Justin Alumbaugh got his first state bucket dousing from his players after the Spartans defeated Centennial of Corona 63-42 last month for the team’s six bowl victory in nine years.

got ready for another run this fall. “[Last season] wasn’t a disaster but perhaps a couple things fell through the cracks.” Before the team could play a game legendary former head coach Bob Ladouceur and his defensive coordinator Terry Eidson were portrayed by Holly-

wood stars in “When The Game Stands Tall.” The major motion picture debuted in August and grossed over $30 million. It told the story of De La Salle’s 151game winning streak and what happened when the team finally lost in 2004 after a decade of unparalleled winning.

“The movie wasn’t much of a distraction. The timing before we had played a game was kinda nice. It portrayed what our school is all about: ‘a commitment to something more than yourself,’’ Alumbaugh explained. During the season, players would show him social media

Record-setting Eagles football season comes up one point short of state title JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer

“The kids gave it everything they had,” Clayton Valley Charter football coach Tim Murphy reflected on his team’s effort in last month’s CIF Division II State Bowl championship game where the Eagles came up just shy. A fumbled handoff as the team seemed poised to take a late-game lead and two failed placekicks spelled the difference in the 34-33 loss to Redlands East Valley at StubHub Center in Carson. Clayton Valley set school, league, section and state records while finishing with a 15-1 record that included five straight playoff victories before the heartbreaking defeat in the season finale. Murphy said the 2014 team’s wing gun offense gained 8,266 yards, the most yards in Diablo Valley Athletic League, North Coast Section and Northern California history and the highest California total ever in Division II. Runningback Miles Harrison carried the heaviest load all season and in the state championship game he ran 50 times from scrimmage. Unfortunately the last play called for him was botched at the Redlands threeyard line as quarterback Nate Keisel’s handoff to Harrison didn’t connect in the final five minutes as they seemed destined to give the Eagles a lead. It was CVCHS’s third turnover of the game and was the last time their potent offense touched the ball.

Photo by Gint Federas

CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER SENIOR CAPTAINS RYAN COOPER (2), ELIJAH BREON (46), CHANDLER WAKEFIELD (10) AND JAX CARTER (13) joined officials as they went out for the coin toss before the school’s first ever CIF State Bowl game at StubHub Center in Carson. The Eagles lost 34-33 to Redlands East Valley concluding an historic 15-1 season.

Harrison gained 324 yards in the bowl game, giving him 2,709 for the season. He had five teammates who each gained over 500 yards as part of the 7,051 rushing yards for the team, the most in America. The runners essentially averaged a first down a rush with a 9.7 yards per carry average. The glossy offensive stats came despite the Eagles having a running clock in the second half of 11 games and the starters playing only three full games (regular season against Concord and the regional and state bowl games). The three turnovers in the championship game with the late game fumble were all the

more ironic when compared with 730 carries during the season and just seven lost fumbles (less than one turnover per 100 carries). The Eagles only punted four times the entire year. Murphy said that Redlands was by far the best team his Eagles faced this year with several future collegiate Division I players on their roster including Oregon-bound Malik Lovette. The Wildcats were in CIF Division I just a year ago. CVCHS Executive Director Dave Linzey and athletic director Amber Lineweaver led a large contingent from Concord and Clayton to the bowl game. Linzey called the entire experience “historic” and “epic.” He

said, “We consider the band and cheer squads part of the football program. They take so much personal time to practice and rehearse so it was a nobrainer that we would bring them to the bowl game. They had the time of their lives [despite the loss].” In charge of Ugly Eagles football for three seasons, Murphy has guided his teams to a pair of NCS championships without losing a DVAL game, averaging 51 points an outing and punting only 14 times in 43 games (38-5). The team’s lowest offensive production was 311 yards against De La Salle in 2013 when the Spartans were No. 1 in the nation.

postings taking shots at De La Salle saying things like “there won’t be a sequel.” The Spartans simply went about their business as they mowed down 14 opponents. The coach says the staff saw that the team could have a special year when they handled longtime rivals Serra (“We moved the ball on a team that has given us very tough games for years”) and the Spartans pulled away from Southern California power Servite in the second half (“It was a tight game at halftime and the kids showed guts to win”). Alumbaugh didn’t mention it but the state title came without three players that would have been listed as major factors before the season. Kahlil McKenzie was considered the No. 1 college recruit from the Class of 2015 and he left DLS and transferred to Clayton Valley Charter during the summer. Then outstanding linebacker Simba Short, who is committed to Northwestern, had surgery for an injured shoulder and hardly played all year and finally starting quarterback Anthony Sweeney was injured and played in just six games. Alumbaugh says it’s hard to explain because he would have loved to have Sweeney and Short on the field but they were almost as important from the sidelines. “Simba became a minicoach. The way he handled himself was incredible. He would look at film and have a scouting report for our staff of the next week’s opponent every Sunday. He would gather the linebackers together during games and coach them up. Anthony was running around practice throwing left-handed and encouraging his teammates.” Chris Vanderklugt moved to the starting wide receiver rotation after losing the QB battle with his junior classmate Sweeney. He then filled in for the majority of the season at QB and “was really impressive” his coach says. Vanderklugt was also hurt and 255-pound defensive star Devin Asiasi had to fill in for parts of three games behind center. The team rode the junior tandem of Antoine Custer and

Andrew Hernandez who combined for over 4,300 all-purpose yards and 55 touchdowns. They will be back in the fall along with Asiasi and fellow defensive standout Boss Tagaloa to lead another strong team that returns over half this season’s starters. Alumbaugh says Tagaloa and Asiasi are already being recruited by major college programs. Alumbaugh pointed to senior Bumpy McGee as a player “who got better in all 14 games.” His classmates Jevari Anderson and Drew Sullivan are moving on to college programs in the fall. DIFFICULT FOE In the state finals De La Salle once again came up against coach Matt Logan’s Centennial. “They are really good with a great coaching staff.” Since the schools had already played each other in three state bowl games (DLS winning two of three) Alumbaugh doesn’t feel either had an advantage going into the 2014 showdown. “We showed guts and focus. The kids played hard and I think we physically wore them [Centennial] down.” The Spartans trailed 2114 before outscoring their rivals 49-21 the rest of the way in the highest scoring state bowl game ever. With a star-studded roster returning this fall, De La Salle will likely be ranked No. 1 in pre-season polls after topping the final CBS MaxPreps charts for the 2014 season. At the team’s annual awards banquet last Sunday the 2015 non-league schedule was announced with games against Southern California powers Orange Lutheran, Long Beach Poly (reprising their legendary 2001 and 2002 games) and Servite plus a first-ever trip to Texas. On the State Bowl telecast when De La Salle had the game in hand as the final seconds clicked off the StubHub clock the camera caught a shot of Ladouceur on the sideline with a big smile. The long-time coach, who is noted for his stoic expression, missed his first-ever game earlier in the season due to the flu. After the finale ended he told his protégé Alumbaugh that “it was a really enjoyable season.”

January 30, 2015

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

ating in the spring Whitmarsh will be moving on to college to major in communication disorders or speech pathology. She also wants to continue playing school or club soccer. When nominating her for the Athlete Spotlight Ygnacio Valley athletic director Mark Tran pointed to Whitmarsh’s community service efforts including All in Need (Special Ed respite program), John Muir hospital volunteer, Mexico Mission trips, HOSA and Raising for Relief.

Athlete Spotlight Ariana Whitmarsh

The Concord Pioneer congratulates Ariana and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com

Class: Senior School: Ygnacio Valley High Sport: Volleyball, Soccer and Lacrosse her four years with the Warriors. She earned all-DVAL recognition as a sophomore and junior. Soccer wasn’t enough to keep her athletic juices fulfilled at YVHS so she’s been a three-year varsity player on the Warriors volleyball (middle blocker) and lacrosse (midfield) teams. After gradu-

Ariana Whitmarsh began playing club soccer when she was eight-years-old and has been a member of the WCSC Inferno for eight years. She took that experience on the soccer field as a freshman at Ygnacio Valley High and it’s helped her maintain a starting position as center back through

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@concordpioneer.com.

Concord schools dominate all-NCS football teams after big ’14 seasons JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer

first-team honorees. Concord’s trio of senior offensive standouts, quarterback Mitch Daniels, runner Malik Blackburn and receiver Mason Knight all were given first-team accolades. Clayton Valley’s Diablo Valley Athletic League defensive player of the year Jax Carter was all-NCS despite missing nearly

five games due to injury. On the second all-NCS team were CVCHS lineman Joey Levine and DLS back Jevari Anderson. Honorable mention honors went to local players: Clayton Valley Charter: Rich Peralta, Sean Vaisima, Chandler Wakefield, Shimon Rosenblatt

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SPARTANS HONORED State champion De La Salle showed its success this season should be a precursor for more of the same in 2015 with several juniors taking laurels. Junior running back Antione Custer bounced back from the disappointment of missing most of the 2013 State Bowl game loss with an injury to lead a twoheaded running attack with classmate Andrew Hernandez this season. “He became more dedicated everywhere this past off-season and the results showed on the field,” said De La Salle head coach Justin Alumbaugh. Custer amassed over 2,100 yards and 26 TDs despite getting less than 10 touches in six of the team’s 14 wins. He capped the year in the final victory 63-42 against Centennial of Corona with 273 yards and four touchdowns. The all-NCS team featured three more Spartan juniors in defensive standouts Devin Asiasi and Boss Tagaloa and Custer’s backfield mate Hernandez. Senior offensive linemen Drew Sullivan and Matt Medeiros completed the DLS

Jason Rogers photo

LOCAL PLAYERS WERE GIVEN RECOGNITION FOR GREAT 2014 FOOTBALL SEASON recently by Prep2Prep website. Wide receiver Mason Knight (2) of NCS runner-up Concord High scored 23 touchdowns and had nearly 1400 receiving yards while hooking up with his senior quarterback Mitch Daniels. Knight, Daniels and teammate Malik Blackburn were each named first team all-NCS while Clayton Valley defenders Joey Levine (54) and Chandler Wakefield (10) also were given recognition by the website.

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Concord, Clayton Valley Charter and De La Salle high schools took three of the four berths in the North Coast Section Division I and II football championship games last month and players from the local schools also dominated the allNorth Coast Section teams announced recently by Prep2Prep. Miles Harrison of CVCHS was named NCS Senior of the Year after leading the Eagles to the State Bowl game for the first time. A year ago Prep2Prep tabbed Harrison as the NCS Junior of the Year. He ran for 2,709 yards and 32 touchdowns as the wing-gun offense of coach Tim Murphy set numerous records. Harrison nearly carried the team to its first-ever state title by racking up 324 yards and scoring four TDs in the narrow loss 34-33 to Redlands East Valley. The website selected NCS first- and second-team offensive and defensive teams and it was the Concord schools who proved as dominate in gaining post-season honors as they did racking up wins on the field last fall.

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Concord: Robert Liu, Jose Rivera, Josh Weins De La Salle: Cameron Lissarrague, Blake Ogburn, Adam Mayer Mt. Diablo: Davail Jenkins Northgate: Mason Mitchell Ygnacio Valley: Jesse Guzman

Page 19

In Beane we must trust

TYLER LEHMAN SPORTS TALK Billy Beane is like a mad scientist. The man concocts and creates trades out of the air that, at times, make A’s fans want to smile and other times makes them want to cry. So far in this Major League Baseball offseason it feels like the latter, but there are reasons to remain positive for the upcoming season. Josh Donaldson was the first major piece to be traded by Beane. All-Star Donaldson was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays for third basemen Brett Lawrie, pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin as well as minor league shortstop Franklin Barreto. The initial reaction to this trade from experts and fans alike was, “What the heck is Billy Beane doing?” For a top caliber third basemen the Blue Jays didn’t even have to give up a top prospect. After trading away Donaldson, first basemen Brandon Moss, starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija and catcher Derek Norris soon followed suit in the A’s wholesale turnover of players. Moss was traded to the Cleveland Indians for second baseman Joey Wendle, a former sixth round draft pick by the Indians. At 24 he will most likely be ready to come up to the bigs and start as the A’s second baseman this year. Shortly after Moss was dealt, Samardzija and Michael Ynoa were sent to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for four players, one of those being shortstop Marcus Semien. He’s a promising young player who has some serious pop in his bat. After trading Samardzija,

Beane wasn’t finished. He dealt Norris and minor league pitcher Seth Streich to the Padres in exchange for right handed pitchers Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alverez. So what do all these trades mean for the A’s? Beane is obviously looking to rebuild this team while still being competitive, similar to what he did before the 2012 season where he traded Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey. At that time many people thought the A’s were throwing in the towel. What happened? They won their division and went to the playoffs. This offseason has been business as usual for the A’s front office. Trade away players at a sell-high price and in the process stockpile young players. While Beane has made some questionable trades and signings during his tenure as the A’s general manager, it is hard not to respect the man for how he continuously puts a competitive product on the field. The A’s signed Billy Butler this offseason from American League champion Kansas City Royals as well as traded for twotime All-Star Ben Zobrist and Tyler Clippard, which shows that 2015 is not just a rebuild year for the A’s. Is it frustrating to see fan favorites constantly traded away? Absolutely, but baseball is a business and the A’s are a small market team. Oakland does not have the same luxury as a New York- or LA-based team with bucket loads of money to spend on players. When the A’s traded for minor leaguer Donaldson during 2008 he was considered a “nobody” and look what he became. Before the fan base attempts to burn Beane at the stake, let’s wait until the season and see what some of these newly-acquired A’s can do. Tyler Lehman is a junior at San Francisco State University and a 2012 CVHS graduate. He is majoring in print/online journalism and wants to be a sports writer. Email your comments or questions to tyler@concordpioneer.com.

Concord Pioneer wants to publish your sports news Please let us know about your sports news, special events, fund raisers, tryouts, signups and accomplishments. Youth leagues, clubs, schools and adult programs are all welcome to send us a rundown on what you’re doing. Include all the necessary details (too much information is better than too little) and your contact information. It’s as simple as sending an email to sports@concordpioneer.com.

Page 20

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

January 30, 2015

League titles, North Coast Section playoff berths on the line JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer

Winter sports teams end their league seasons in the next couple of weeks with local high schools hoping to qualify teams in soccer and basketball and individuals in wrestling for North Coast Section competition. De La Salle and Carondelet have enjoyed tremendous success in winter sports while some Diablo Valley Athletic League teams have had excellent results in recent years as well. GIRLS SOCCER After two uncharacteristic down years when they failed to make the NCS field, Carondelet is back in the mix as the Cougars hope to claim a fifth section title, their most recent coming in 2010. Consistently ranked among the top girls soccer leagues in the country, East Bay Athletic League schools have won 31 of the 32 NCS championships dating back to the first in 1982. Defending NCS champions Monte Vista are top-ranked in California and undefeated heading towards February. Secondyear Carondelet head coach Amy Apodaca, a Cougar alum, has her team in a strong second-place EBAL position. The Cougars feature a number of local players including seniors Allie Macaulay, Katie

PHOTO

COURTESY

CARONDELET HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

PLAYERS FROM CONCORD AND CLAYTON HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL in a rebound year for Carondelet soccer as the Cougars eye a return to the North Coast Section playoffs where they would be seeking the school’s fifth title. Among the local athletes are, front row from left, Jade Rafallo, Kylie Dodge and Chelsea Bailey; back row, Kendall Christiansen, Kaylie Collins, Katie Garaventa and Allie Macaulay.

Garaventa and Kylie Dodge along with juniors Kaylie Collins, Chelsea Bailey, Jade Rafallo and Kendall Christiansen. Collins (USC) and Rafallo (Portland State) have already verbally committed to college programs. Clayton Valley Charter has been a regular NCS competitor and new coach Cristina Ballard’s squad is hoping to get into the 16-team Division I field again. Northgate and College Park have been leading the way in DVAL this year with Ygnacio Valley also a post-season contender. College Park was DI semi-finalist last

Sports Shorts CONCORD AYSO SPRING SOCCER REGISTRATION FEB. 11 & 18 Registration for spring league at Concord AYSO will be held on Wednesdays, Feb. 11 and 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Bambino’s Pizza, 1895 Farm Bureau Rd. in Concord. For complete information visit concordayso.org or email registrar@concordayso.org. Online registration is also available at the league website.

SPRINGWOOD SWIM TEAM SIGN-UPS MAR. 22 Signups for Springwood Swim Team are Sunday, Mar. 22, from 1-3 p.m. at Sports Basement, 1881 Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Walnut Creek. There are no on-line sign-ups. For more info on Springwood Sprinters email team director Dori Freitas at Dorifreitas@att.net.

ST. AGNES CYO TRACK & FIELD IS TAKING SIGNUPS The St. Agnes CYO Track & Field team is accepting signups for the spring season, which runs from February through May and is open to boys and girls from grades two thru eight in the Concord area. For more information and to register online go to stagnescyo.com or contact Rex Speer at stagnestrack@comcast.net.

MDSA SPRING SOCCER GEARING UP Mt. Diablo Soccer Association will have its spring season on Saturdays from Mar. 21-May 9. U5-U14 boys and girls teams will be assembled next month. The U16/U19 co-ed division is on a Sunday afternoon schedule starting at the end of February. Visit mdsoccer.org for more information and to register by Feb. 16.

KRISTIAN IPSEN WINS 10TH NATIONAL DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP

De La Salle grad Kristian Ipsen of Clayton rallied in the last two dives to win his first-ever USA Diving one meter national championship last month in Columbus, Ohio at the Winter Nationals. The Stanford senior overcame Michael Hixson to take the gold medal, his 10th senior national title. Later at the meet Ipsen was fourth in the 3M. His one-meter victory landed him on the American team for the World Championships this year. He was also elected as an athlete representative for USA Diving.

21ST CVCHS ATHLETIC BOOSTERS CRAB FEED & AUCTION MAR. 14

year and NG was a DII quarterfinalist. NCS play runs from Feb. 1828 after all league play concludes by Feb. 14. BOYS SOCCER De La Salle has been on quite a roll in boys soccer winning six NCS titles in a row, a total of nine since 2001 and 12 overall. Since 2001 only two non-EBAL schools have taken section crowns. Coach Derricke Brown’s Spartans have lost to powerhouses Livermore, Cathedral and Torrey Pines. “We have been playing

better as of late, but as always our goal is to be peaking in mid to late February so we are close to where we want to be [entering playoffs], Brown explained. He says four or five EBAL teams have “a chance to win it all.” As usual DLS features a slew (14) of players from the local Diablo Futbol Club including Val Huerta, Omar Jiron, Evan Lonestar and Miko Villarama from Concord. College Park is slightly ahead of Northgate, Ygnacio Valley and Mt. Diablo in DVAL standings. Concord won the 2013 NCS Division II title with YVHS making the semis, as they also did last season. Clayton Valley Charter has fallen off the pace a bit after reaching deep into NCS playoffs from 2010-12. GIRLS BASKETBALL There was a major changing of the guard this season for Carondelet basketball. Elgin Leslie is the new head coach, replacing Margaret Gartner who retired after last season with a 530-133 record in 22 seasons. Leslie was previously head coach at Concord and Campolindo and worked as an assistant under Gartner for a majority of the past 14 years. The Cougars won 10 of the past 12 NCS Division II titles including the last three. Clayton Valley Charter has lost the DII section title game

Dominican University of California’s Sarah Nelson has been named 2015’s first PacWest women’s basketball defensive player of the week. The award was selected for games played at the beginning of the month. Nelson earned her second weekly defensive honor after her performance in Dominican’s first-ever win over then firstplace Academy of Art. The former Clayton Valley High player turned in a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds plus with six blocks. Nelson continues to lead the nation in blocks per game (5.3) and is tied for second in total blocks (53). Already the Penguins’ all-time leading rebounder and shot blocker in the Division II era, Nelson is averaging 11.0 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game to go with her 12.3 points per game this season.

Diablo FC competitive soccer program is hosting pre-tryout placements for under 13 and U14 age groups on Monday, Feb. 2, at Hillview Junior High in Pittsburg. The placement events are an opportunity for boys and girls to be evaluated for the upcoming season. Players from recreation, AYSO and competitive programs are invited to attend. For times and locations visit diablofc.org.

REGISTER FOR ST. FRANCIS CYO TRACK & FIELD ONLINE Sign-ups for St. Francis CYO Track & Field can be completed online through Sportability. Practices are at Ygnacio Valley High School track each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 6:30 p.m. beginning Feb 9. Contact coach George Francis at coachfrancisyvhs@hotmail.com for details. Visit CYO website at sfaconcord.org/student-life/athletics.

CONCORD AYSO CRAB FEED FEB. 21 Concord AYSO soccer is hosting its annual Crab Feed on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 5-9 p.m. at Bambino’s Restaurant, 1895 Farm Bureau Rd, in Concord. Get more details at concordayso.org or email rc@concordayso.org

CVCHS BASEBALL HOSTS 3RD HOT STOVE DINNER FEB. 27 Clayton Valley Charter High School baseball coach Casey Coakley is hosting the third annual Hot Stove Dinner on Friday, Feb. 27. The evening’s festivities will whet the appetite of baseball fans, Clayton Valley alumni and current CVCHS families in the cold winter months before spring training starts again. Speakers, door prizes, raffles and dinner all benefit CVCHS Baseball and its scholarship fund. The event is from 6-9:30 p.m. at Shadelands Civic Arts Center, 111 N. Wiget Ln. at Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Walnut Creek. For more information and to buy tickets at $40 each email coach Coakley at uglyeaglebaseball@gmail.com.

DIABLO FC CRAB FEED FEB. 6 AT CENTRE CONCORD

WALNUT COUNTRY PREPS FOR SPRING CLINIC STARTING MAR. 2

YGNACIO VALLEY HIGH HOSTING ALL-COMERS TRACK & FIELD MEET MAR. 7

YGNACIO WOOD SWIMMING SIGNUPS MAR. 15

WRESTLING Girls section tournament is Feb. 13-14 in Ukiah while the boys are Feb. 27-28 at James Logan in Union City. The State Meet is Mar. 6-7 in Bakersfield. Ygnacio Valley is hosting the boys dual meet tournament is Feb. 13-14. DLS had won five straight dual titles before losing to James Logan last winter in the finals. The Spartans also had a streak five team championships broken while dropping to third in 2014. They have been in top three at NCS annually since 2006. Coach Mark Halvorson’s team is ranked 14th in the latest state ratings, the only NCS school in the top 30. Spartan wrestlers who have top 25 state rankings are Edward Bond (106 pounds), Donovin Guerrero (113), Patrick Ramirez (120), Nathan Cervantes (126), Gavin Hummel (170) and Darryl Aiello (220). College Park was fifth last year at NCS. The Falcons won the 2006 and 2007 section meets.

DIABLO FC OFFERING FREE PLAYER EVALUATIONS FEB. 2

Clayton Valley Charter High School Athletic Boosters will hold their 20th annual Crab Feed and Auction on Saturday, Mar. 14, at Centre Concord. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. Must be 21 or older to attend. For more info email cvabcrabfeed@gmail.com or go to cvhsboosters.org to order tickets online for a night of food, drink, dancing, auctions and raffle prizes. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 7.

Ygnacio Valley Swim Team registration is at Sports Basement (Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Walnut Creek) on Sunday, Mar. 15, from 1-4 p.m. Online registration and details about YWST team, club and activities is at ywst.org. The Seahorses parent orientation is on April 30 from 10 a.m.-noon.

BOYS BASKETBALL Concord High was NCS Division II finalist last year but the Minutemen face a tough road this year with College Park, Northgate and Clayton Valley Charter dominating DVAL play. De La Salle was a semi-final NCS loser last year to Monte Vista. The Mustangs went on to win section, NorCal and state championships. Last week Monte Vista won a double overtime game at DLS to grab the initiative in a three-way EBAL

battle that also includes San Ramon Valley. The Spartans only other loss this season was in the championship game of the DI Bound SoCal Christmas Classic. De La Salle has captured nine NCS titles since 1999, the most recent in 2012.

SARAH NELSON NAMED PACWEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

The 12th annual Diablo FC benefit crab feed and raffle is Friday, Feb. 6, at Centre Concord. Tickets are now on sale for the event that benefits programs for the local competitive youth soccer club affiliated with the San Jose Earthquakes. For the second year they are also having a Super Raffle in conjunction with the crab feed featuring a four-day shopping trip to New York City as the grand prize. Visit diablofc.org for more details and to purchase crab feed and raffle tickets.

Walnut Country head coach Adrian Lohse is offering a five-week spring stroke clinic beginning Mar. 2. This program is intended to give swimmers of all abilities ages 5-18 the chance to improve their technique through stroke progressions that do not require extensive conditioning. Additionally, the spring clinic has a session intended to teach swimming basics to first time swimmers five and younger who are not ready for full laps. The clinics are open to swimmers from all teams. More information is available at walnutcountryeaglerays.com. WCST registration for 2015 opens Mar. 1. Questions can be directed to Julie Sandy at julsands@gmail.com.

three of the past four years, advancing to the Northern California Championship playoffs each time. The Eagles and College Park were undefeated in DVAL play entering their game earlier this week in Concord. Both teams seemed destined for post-season play. Northgate has losing league and overall records, making a return to NCS doubtful after an uninterrupted run since 2005. The Broncos have been eliminated by Carondelet from NCS every year from 2005 through 2014, except 2011 and 2013. From 2008-10 neighboring rivals NG and Carondelet met in the championship game three straight years. League play ends by Feb. 21 with NCS playoffs running Feb. 24/25-Mar. 6/7. NorCal playoffs are Mar. 11-21 with the CIF State finals at Cal Berkeley Mar. 27-28.

Ygnacio Valley High is hosting an all-comers track and field meet on Saturday, Mar. 7, from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on the all-weather track at the school. There will be eight individual events and two relays for boys and girls from preschool through high school and senior classifications. YVHS is using the meet as a team fund raiser for a finish line timing system. Contact coach George Francis at coachfrancisyvhs@hotmail.com for details.

FOREST PARK FLYERS PREPPING FOR 2015 SWIM SEASON The Forest Park Swim Team went undefeated last season in A & B division dual meets for veteran head coach Jeff Mellinger. The team is inviting swimmers 4-18 years to spend their summer learning stroke technique, sportsmanship, enjoying fun activities and making new friends. Signups are Thursday Mar. 12, 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, Mar. 21, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Forest Park Pool, 1766 Mendocino Dr. in Concord. Contact Eve Crow for more info at membership@forestparkswimteam.com or visit forestparkswimteam.com.

OAKHURST ORCAS COACH MILLAN TAKING SIGNUPS Oakhurst Orcas have announced the return of head coach Jasmine Millan for a fourth rec swim season. The Orcas are accepting mail or drop off registrations to Oakhurst Country Club. Meet and greet registration dates are coming in March and April. Early registration discounts are available until mid-March. Visit oakhurstorcas.com for more information or e-mail Millan at swimcoach@oakhurstcc.com.

DIABLO FC U9-U12 COMPETITIVE SOCCER TRYOUTS Diablo FC tryouts for the 2015 season for U12 girls and boys are Jan. 31 and Feb. 4 and 8. Older tryouts for U13-14 players will be held Feb. 15, 18 and 21. There is no charge to try out and players can pre-register today at diablofc.org. For more information on the club and tryouts contact director of coaching Brian Voltattorni at bvoltattorni@diablofc.org.

CONTINENTAL LITTLE LEAGUE LATE SIGNUPS OPEN Continental Little League, which encompasses parts of Concord and Walnut Creek, is open for online late registration for the 2015 season. CLL is for boys and girls from four to 17 and starts with an ages 4-5 peanuts program. Visit continentalbaseball.com for information.

MARR CSU EAST BAY MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Basketball player Patrick Marr was Cal State East Bay Athlete of the Week earlier this month. The 6-7 native of Clayton was the best offensive player for the Pioneers in a dramatic 55-53 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills, scoring a game-high 12 points, going 4-for6 from three-point range and adding five rebounds and two assists. The freshman from De La Salle is fifth on the Pioneers in points, second in rebounds and second in shooting percentage.

CONCORD AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE LATE REGISTRATION ONLINE

Celebrating its 60th year providing youth baseball to the Concord community, Concord American Little League is holding online late registration now at callbaseball.org. Boys and girls from 4-14 who reside or attend school within the league boundaries can register.

DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM REGISTRATION NIGHT FEB. 27

DIABLO FC RUNNING USSDA OPEN TRAININGS FEB. 2 & 21 FOR 2001-2002 BOYS

Dana Hills Swim Team kicks off the 2015 summer swim season with a Registration Night on Friday, Feb. 27, from 6-9 p.m. at Dana Hills Cabana Club on Mountaire Parkway. Registration and swim season volunteer job preferences will be taken. The new DHST coaching staff will meet attendees and discuss the Otter program. New members will also be given the option to sign up for the team on a free, one-week “trial” basis. Online registration opens Saturday, Feb. 28. For additional info visit danahillsotters.com.

Diablo FC is hosting open training for boys born in 2001 and 2002 who would like to be evaluated for a position on the Diablo FC US Soccer Developmental Academy team. USSDA is the highest youth soccer playing level in the country and the local competitive club is looking for players born in 2001 and 2002 to add to the roster for the 2015-16 season. Serious soccer players interested in competing at the next level are invited to attend the open trainings Feb. 2 and 21. Visit diablofc.org for more info.

January 30, 2015

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

‘Unbroken’ a searing look at POW survivor JEFF MELLINGER

SCREEN SHOTS Based on a true story, Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” tells the harrowing story of Olympic-runner-turned-Prisoner-of-War Louis Zamperini. Lead actor Jack O’Connell does a marvelous job selling the pain and suffering Zamperini endured in over two years of captivity. However, Jolie’s decision to limit the bulk of the story to Zamperini’s experiences at the Japanese work camps life keeps us from ever truly getting to know the man. The opening of the film puts us into a B-24 bomber as Zamperini and his crew prepare to drop bombs over a Japanese-occupied island. Jolie captures the suspense brilliantly but breaks up the scene with flashbacks to Zamperini as a troubled Italian youth. Although some of the motivational dialogue is heavy handed, the flashbacks work well enough to set up his journey from rapscallion to Olympic runner. What Jolie leaves out is the seven years between the 1936 Olympics and the bombing mission. From what we see onscreen in the flashbacks, it does not seem like there was enough in Zamperini’s life up through his Olympic performance to adequately prepare him to survive his horrendous experiences during the war. Were there lessons learned in his running career at USC, subsequent military training after his 1941 enlistment or early war experiences that gave him what he needed to survive? An argument could be made that it was his time adrift at sea in a raft that best prepared Zamperini for his cap-

Jack O’Connell endures brutal punishment as American P.O.W. Louis Zamperini, in ‘Unbroken.’

tivity. Soon after the bombing mission, his crew is given a new assignment and their plane crashes. Zamperini and the other survivors, played more than capably by Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock, subsist on captured fish and rainwater for almost 50 days. It is here that “Unbroken” is at its best. Jolie puts us in the other raft and we experience the shark attacks, the hunger and the sun damage along with the survivors. O’Connell keeps the other men awake and hopeful with his stories of home and his upbeat attitude. Eventually, a Japanese ship finds them and they are taken into a P.O.W. camp. The commander of the camp is Watanabe (played by Miyavi), an angry, emasculated soldier who singles out Zamperini from day one for constant punishment. The amount and severity of the beatings Zamperini endures is horrific and almost hard to watch at times. Jolie quite literally hammers home the hardships with scene after scene of Zamperini’s torture at the hands of Watanabe. We are given only the slimmest of glimpses into the 70 years of his life post-war. Perhaps by trimming down the

number of scenes at the camp and giving the audience a larger glimpse into Zamperini’s life before and after the war, we could have truly learned how be remained unbroken. B Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@concordpioneer.com.

Jeff’s Top Ten Movie Picks for 2014 Interstellar Guardians of the Galaxy Boyhood Grand Budapest Hotel Gone Girl Theory of Everything Captain America: The Winter Soldier Lone Survivor Unbroken Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

What are they saying about the Concord Pioneer? The first Sunday after the paper came out, we had three new customers. They all saw our ad. Today, another first time customer came in. Thank you Concord Pioneer! Nicole Hackett, R&M Pool, Patio and Garden

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Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Virago Theatre Company presents

n’s ieschman r T e n i r e Cath

D e K o O r C

Shellies honor Concord, East County performers

14-year-old Laney arrives in Mississippi with a twisted back, a mother in crisis, and a burning desire to be a writer. Directed by Robert Lundy-Paine

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Local theater folk traded their work shirts and jeans for elegant gowns and tuxedos to attend the 36th Annual Shellie Awards on Jan. 17. The gala, which took place at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, honored outstanding achievement in the performing arts, and when all was said and done, Concord and East County theaters picked up a good number of awards. Congratulations to: Concord’s Butterfield 8 Theatre Company (Best Actor – Chad Clevenger,

and Best Supporting Actress – Maureen-Theresa Williams for “The Maltese Falcon); Brentwood Theater Company (Best Scenic Design – Shara Main, and Best Choreographer – Emily Garcia for “The Music Man”); and Martinez’s Onstage Theatre (Best Costumer – C.C. Cardin for “Shipwrecked an Entertainment”). In addition, Outstanding Contribution to the Arts awards were given to Jack Gaughan (Brentwood Theater Company), Jerry and Judy Potter (Butterfield 8), Cherie Persing (Pittsburg Community Theatre) and Allena Behnke (Antioch’s Vagabond Players). For a complete listing of award winners, visit www.lesherartscenter.org. Now that the Shellie Awards

are over, theaters can get back to doing what they do best – putting on shows! Onstage begins 2015 with the crazy comedy “Mama Won’t Fly,” running Jan. 30 – Feb. 14. What happens when a mother’s fear of flying threatens to keep her from her son’s wedding? According to Onstage artistic director Helen Means, it results in a whole lot of fun. The comedy features a feisty mother who insists on having her daughter drive her from Alabama to California in her vintage sedan for the wedding. They have four days to make it. An uber-bubbly future daughter-in-law adds to the fun. The trio encounters challenging relatives in Texas and an unexpected detour to Las Vegas with

lots of interesting characters along the way. Linda Sciacqua plays Mama with Babette Bilger as her daughter and Jennifer Peabody as the over-eager bride. The cast also includes Tim Biglow, AnJu Hyppolite, Shoya Warrington, Eddie Peabody, Kelly Hansen and Lynne Elizondo. Directed by Claudia Gallup, the show performs at the Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St. in Martinez. Call 925-518-3277 for tickets. Onstage Theatre Company turns to magic with illusionist Timothy James performing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Martinez

See Shellies, page 23

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Shara Main won for Best Scenic Design and Emily

PCT takes a journey ‘Into the Woods’ The Pittsburg Community Theatre (PCT), celebrating its 42th year of live theater, will present Stephen Sondheim’s darkly witty and heart-warming “Into The Woods,” Feb. 27 to March 8. The Tony Award-winning musical interweaves several classic fairy tales with delightful and unexpected twists. The tale gleefully psychoanalyzes Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Jack of “Jack and the Beanstalk” and other familiar characters while showing their complex, and often hilarious, internal thought processes of wishes and consequences. The story’s author, James Lapine, challenges the audience to consider the real implications of a “happily ever after” that the characters perpetually wish for in a delightful romp that is the first act. The

second hour, however, hurls itself into a dark humor and morality, much in the same manner that the original Grimm fairy tales were written. Disney’s recent motion picture version offered a more family-friendly telling of “Into The Woods.” PCT’s musical production, however, will remain faithful to Sondheim’s original Broadway score, including several musical numbers that were eliminated in the movie. The entire story is a metaphor for everyday life where nothing is quite what it appears to be. People all have to grow up, sometimes sooner than they expect, and happily ever-afters are just myths, as told with typical Sondheim flair. The fairy tale characters are all interconnected within a main story about a Baker (Gregg

Klein) and his wife (Mariah Heath) who wish to have a child, but cannot because of a Witch’s (Tina Smith) curse, and the two set off on a journey to break the curse. The Witch appears throughout the story to challenge each character’s perception of morality and their motivations based on their own selfishness. The consequences of

their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. For performance times and ticket info, go to www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com or call 925-427-1611. The play is appropriate for ages 13+ due to deaths and themes of carnal desire. Open to younger children at parents discretion, but not recommended for children under age 6.

A.C.T. presents a bold, intimate look at love

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American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will present Tony Award–winning composer Jason Robert Brown’s powerful and intimate musical, “The Last Five Years,” for a special concert presentation on March 27 and 28. Starring Betsy Wolfe and Adam Kantor, who both performed in the critically acclaimed 2013 off-Broadway revival at New York’s Second Stage Theatre, “The Last Five Years” tells the powerful story of two 20-something New Yorkers who dive headfirst into a marriage fueled by the optimism that comes from finding “the one.”

ADAM KANTOR

But in a city where professional and personal passions collide and only the strongest relationships survive, navigating the waters of love and matrimony can sometimes prove to be too much. Sung from their individual points of view, Cathy’s journey is told from ending to beginning and Jamie’s from beginning to end. Funny, honest, and intimate, and with an exuberantly romantic score, “The Last Five Years” takes a bold look at one young couple’s hope that love endures the test of time. For performance times and ticket info, go to www.act-sf.org, call 415749-2228.

January 30, 2015

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

CenterREP brings ‘Book Club’ to the Lesher Center Jan. 30

Captain Grammar Pants YOU

Photo by mellopix.com

What if your book club was being filmed for a documentary by a famous Danish filmmaker? How would you behave? That’s

the scintillating set up of “The Book Club Play,” in which secrets are not only revealed, they’re caught on tape in this

Shellies, from page 22 Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St. James has won numerous awards for his sleight of hand and variety

Mike Kirwan

MAUREEN THERESA-WILLIAMS won the Shellie for Best Supporting Actress for Butterfield 8’s ‘The Maltese Falcon’

entertainment at comedy clubs and performing arts centers around the country. For tickets to this family-friendly show call 925350-9770. The Clayton Theatre Company recently held auditions for “Arsenic and Old Lace.” The popular comedy about two elderly sisters who, out of the kindness of their hearts, poison unhappy old men with their special elderberry wine runs April 16 - 25 at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center Street, in Clayton. Go to www.claytontheatrecompany.com for more information. Meanwhile, Pittsburg Community Theatre is busy rehearsing

GOTTA GET THIS

GET (Old Norse, “obtain”) is one of the most common verbs in English; its frequent use has led to the development of many colorful idioms and over a dozen phrasal verbs (such as “get over it”). It also means “to arrive” when paired with a location (get home), “to become” when paired with an adjective (get sick), and “to receive” when paired with a noun (get gifts). English speakers use (present tense) “have got” constantly, and we tend to use it in a contracted form to emphasize obligation (I’ve got to go) or possession (I’ve got a red pen). It even means “to understand”! Have you got it now? Some English speakers rail against the use of GOTTEN, which is the past participle of “to get.” Its usage dates back hundreds of years in England, and although it is now considered incorrect in British English, it is still correct in American English. Just as “have got” is correct in present tense, “have gotten” (usually with a contraction) is correct in past tense. I’ve gotten (arrived) home, I’ve gotten (become) sick, and I’ve gotten (received) a grant are correct in American English. In addition, using “I’ve got” indicates possession (I’ve got a car). Just don’t write “I’ve gotta car,” because that means “I’ve got to car.” I would be embarrassed for you.

hilarious new comedy about books, the people who love them, and what can happen when friends start reading between the lines. Sprinkled with wit, joy and novels galore – from “Jane Eyre” and “Moby Dick” to “Twilight” and “The DaVinci Code” – this is a buoyant satire of a contemporary culture that loves a good book as much as a juicy show-all and a testament to the joy of reading. Lights! Camera! Book Club! WHEN FRIENDS START READING BETWEEN THE LINES, anything can happen in Center Rep’s “The Book Club Play.” (L-R) Rebecca Schweitzer, Kathryn Han and Gabe Marin.

Page 23

Sean Williams is a professor of ethnomusicology at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. She is currently working on a Captain Grammar Pants book. Follow her regular postings on Facebook.

“The Book Club Play” opens at the Lesher Center on Jan. 30 and runs through Feb. 28. For performance times and ticket info, go to CenterREP.org or call 925.943.SHOW (7469), or visit the LCA Ticket Office at 1601 Civic Drive.

the popular “Into the Woods,” made even more trendy by the recent movie. Talk about storybook characters gone amuck! This popular tale with Stephen Sondheim’s marvelous music combines characters from “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and many more into an exciting tale of what happens after “happily ever after.” The show runs Feb. 27-28, Mar. 1, and Mar. 6-8 at the beautiful California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., in Pittsburg. Call 925-427-1611. Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is also the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@aol.com.

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Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

January 30, 2015

Digging in to the best clam chowder at local restaurants FREE ESTIMATES

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One of the pitfalls of writing articles about the quality of clam chowder served in local restaurants is that it is seldom available except on Fridays. This culinary quirk goes back a couple of generations to when Catholics refrained from eating meat on that day of the week. In 2015 this tradition has continued with clam chowder as it is served in most cases on a limited basis on Fridays only. One of the best versions of this creamy New England delicacy can be found at Café Oasis in

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RICHARD EBER & WHITNEY FLORES TASTE AND TELL Concord. Tucked away in an office park at 2520 Stanwell Dr. off Concord Ave., this eatery serves only lunch. It is well known for providing home-style catering services and turkey legs at the summer concert series at Todos Santos Plaza. Chef Mike (who doesn’t use his last name), developed his clam chowder recipe when he ran the food concession for several years at the NUMI car assembly plant in Fremont. He starts his fourgallon batch from scratch, first sautéing chopped onions and a small amount of bacon in olive oil. Later, thyme, bay leaves and seasoned salt are added to the mixture. Mike then puts in flour and a hint of chicken flavoring (mostly for color) to make up his roux. Clam juice and clam base are added in along with a mixture of 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream as the soup slowly heats up. Mike explained how important it is that this process be closely monitored so the dairy products don’t burn. After these ingredients are well integrated, canned clams and blanched potatoes are added at the last moment. The reason for this is because Chef Mike does not want the clams to be overcooked and too chewy or the chopped potatoes to become mushy.

Before serving, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce are added to taste. This blue-collar version of Boston’s famous soup is a dish that is well worth making the journey over to the Oasis. Another nearby chowder aficionado can be found at the Walnut Creek Yacht Club. Chef and owner Kevin Weinberg owns the restaurant and partners with his brother-in-law, owner of Osprey Seafood Company, to provide the highest quality ingredients for their menu. This high-end establishment has set the bar for excellence in gourmet dining since 1997. Its clam chowder has been a mainstay of their menu since the very beginning. Weinberg emphasizes that every ingredient they use in their chowder recipe is fresh, including the live topneck clams that they steam in white wine rather than water just before the soup is made. This rich broth becomes the base for their soup and provides a lighter flavor profile than most other restaurant versions of this dish. Very similar to Café Oasis, Kevin described how a light roux is made to thicken the soup and the clams and potatoes are added when the soup is practically complete to ensure the clams are tender and potatoes just right. Their chowder also has bacon in it, paying tribute to the authentic “back fat” that was traditionally found in early recipes originating in New England. Fresh thyme, onion and celery round out the soup base, with fresh parsley being sprinkled on top just before serving. The Walnut Creek Yacht Club developed a scaled-down version of their recipe for their patrons to enjoy at home, but for space constraints we’ve had to condense it. The full one is gladly given out at the restaurant.

A Floral nce Experie

WCYC CLAM CHOWDER 2 cups white wine 10 lbs. topneck clams ½ lb. center cut bacon, diced 2 1/2 cups onion, diced 2 1/2 cups celery, diced 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, picked from stems 3 cups Idaho potatoes, diced 1 1/2 qt. heavy cream 4 oz. unsalted butter 1 cup white flour ½ Tbsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper Dice potato, celery and onion about the same size. Steam clams in white wine until they open – strain and reserve liquid (strain liquid before using in soup). Remove clams from shell, chop same size as vegetables. Sauté bacon until brown; add potatoes, onion, celery and thyme. Continue sautéing until onions soften. In another pot, prepare chowder base by melting butter. Add flour to make a roux. Cook on low 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in cream and strained clam juice. Bring to boil, stirring often. When boiling, turn down heat. Simmer on low 30 minutes. Pour mixture into pot with bacon and vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped clams and bring back to a simmer. Rich Eber is a local columnist for the blog Halfway to Concord and a selfdescribed “foodie.” He teams up with daughter, Whitney, a Concord native, student, and avid cook and taster. Email comments to editor@concordpioneer.com

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JAN 30 Concord Pioneer 2015

Articles inside

World Champ Giants hit home run with Concord fans, Junior Giants