June Community Focus

COMMUNITY

FOCUS

JUNE 2020

IN THIS ISSUE: • SO LONG NIGHT OWL PEDIATRICS • MEET LARKEY MARKET • CELEBRATE GRADUATES

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PLEASANT HILL • CONCORD • MARTINEZ • LAFAYETTE • WALNUT CREEK

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Pleasant Hill residents Dennis and Faye Donaghue along with Cathy Gromacki and Michael Moore enjoy their own twist on “Take Out” from Wence’s Restaurant. Owners Gerardo and Sandra Wence join in for a photo taken by SusanWoodPhotography.com.

INSIDE

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Alhambra Senior Spring Athletes

19 Sheer Berry Bliss

23

Mayor’s Messages

16 Drive-In Movies Are Back

20 In the Mix

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Real Estate Trends

Number of Homes Listed for Sale this Spring are Low Compared to Demand

BY NORMA FLASKERUD

As you shelter in place, we know you may be focusing on your home environment more than ever.

We also know some of you will not be returning to your past work environment as employers see the benefits of less employees working on site to practice social distancing. Bay Area commuter traffic is predicted to be worse than ever as we proceed out of the shutdown, and that may keep lots of you working from home if at all possible. With this in mind, here are

two home improvement projects you may want to take on: painting and flooring.

As you know, we work with many sellers. Year in and year out we have recommended contractors to clients who have been exceedingly grateful. With the spring shutdown, these companies are not swamped as per usual, so I share them here with the cautionary tale that they may be swamped as we come out of the shutdown.

Nothing updates a house better and faster than new paint. Painting a house inside and out really freshens it up. We recommend Painting by Ken. Not only do they have several crews working at

Julie Says Now We’re Cookin’

BY JULIE ROSS

Been cooking more than usual during all this shelteringin-place? Me too. I pulled another few dozen cookies out of the oven today -- toffee chip. Preceding quarantine weeks have seen the somewhat neurotic baking of peanut butter cookies, Amish sugar cookies, chocolate chip-pecan cookies, and an obligatory loaf of banana bread in there somewhere.

Comfort food, mostly in the form of pasta, has also been a must. Baked spinach-and-artichoke pasta, various permutations of spaghetti, and penne a la vodka (which was actually “last-sad-crinkly-bagof-seashells-on-the-shelf” a la vodka) have all been “feel good” or at least “feel not so bad” favorites.

I began to wonder what other people have been cooking up. I came upon a wonderful compilation online – “Coronavirus Cooking: The Most Searched Recipe in Every State During Quarantine.” Not surprisingly, searches for “hamburger” or “hamburger meat” ranked number one in 12 states. “Bread” was the most popular in seven states. Four states each were hunt-

ing down recipes for “salmon” and “cinnamon rolls.”

Some states tallied up the most online searches for their local favorites – such as crawfish etouffee in Louisiana and Hawaii’s shoyu chicken. In New York state, recipe searches for charoset, the apple/walnut/ sweet wine dish served as a ceremonial part of the Passover Seder, topped the list. An unexpected level of sophistication came to light in Utah with “crepes” as the most sought-after quarantine recipe. And who would have suspected that Virginians were craving banana pudding, of all things? I had to smile at the top-searched recipe in Washington, D.C. – margaritas.

And what about California? I wouldn’t have guessed “snickerdoodles” to be the most likely contender for our state’s mostsearched recipe, but it appears I was not the only one around here seeking mental stability via compulsive cookie-baking.

Take care and be safe.

“Coronavirus Cooking: The Most Searched Recipe in Every State During Quarantine” was put together by Chowhound.com, a sister site of CBS, and can be found on the CBS Tampa Bay website.

You can reach Julie at julieakross@ comcast.net

any given time so they can accommodate a paint job quickly, but their prices are fair. Owner Ken Errington has decades of experience and a good eye for recommending paint colors that are in fashion and highlight a home’s environment. Of course, he will happily accommodate your color choices as well. You can call/text him at 925-766-1701 or call/text Chris Errington at 925-766-1700.

New flooring is another update you may need. We highly recommend Concord Carpet and Hardwood Wholesale and Installation; they sell to the public as well. Their prices are discounted compared to the regular stores. They feature an assortment of flooring, including carpet, vinyl, new waterproof flooring, hardwood, and laminate -- all the latest and greatest styles! You can reach them via Barbara Tom at 925-383-0509. She can bring samples to your home or meet you

at their showroom. I’ve worked with them for six years and they can’t be beat!

Market Update: We can report that the number of homes listed for sale this spring are low compared to demand, and many homes are getting multiple offers or being bid up. Low end properties are getting bid up and even those over a million, if priced correctly, are selling in days!

If moving is on your horizon, have us over! We will help you sell for top dollar in today’s market! The Flaskerud Team specializes in helping sellers sell for the most they can and we will see that it happens for you! Interested in buying? Contact us.

Homes are selling quickly and you need a good agent helping you! Norma Flaskerud at 925-766-6679, NormaJ49@gmail. com or Erik Flaskerud at 925-381-7276, Erik.Flaskerud@gmail.com RE/MAX Accord Pleasant Hill office. DRE #: 00867031 SPONSORED CONTENT

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925.766.6679 OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 3

Food Rescue

Covid-19 Care Campaign

White Pony Express (WPE) is pleased to announce the launch of its “COVID-19 Care Campaign,” in which all donations through June 30 will be matched by five “Angel Donors” up to $300,000. Luis Gerardo Del Valle Torres, the Gemmer Family Foundation, Brad and Lynn Smith, the Coit Family Foundation, and the Heart’s Path Foundation have collectively pledged a total of $300,000 in matching funds for all donations and pledges made to WPE in the next 60 days.

White Pony Express operates a Food Rescue Program that picks up quality surplus food every day from supermarkets and food distributors and then delivers that food—free of charge—to shelters and churches that feed the hungry. WPE also has a General Store that distributes high-quality clothing, toys, and books free to the underserved.

The demand for WPE’s rescued food has skyrocketed since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, putting a substantial strain on its financial resources and volunteer base. The very populations that WPE serves -- seniors, homeless populations, students, and sheltered-in neighbors in need – have been especially hit hard due to the effects of COVID-19. WPE has just added seven senior centers on its recipient list, and there are about 30 organizations on its wait-list who would like to receive food. However, resources at WPE are quite limited. Adding additional recipients would require fuel, qualified staff drivers, cooler space, GPS units, pallet equipment, hiring more staff, increasing fuel costs, and related expenses.

Financial gifts to WPE between now and June 30 will be matched dollar-fordollar. If the spring goal is met, $600,000 of WPE’s estimated $2.3 million budget will be available now, when it is especially needed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested in making a contribution to help WPE with this matching opportunity, please send your contribution to: White Pony Express, 3380 Vincent Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, or online at https://www.whiteponyexpress.

4 | JUNE 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

org/donate-funds About WPE: WPE is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Pleasant Hill that helps people move from the margins to the mainstream by providing free food and clothing in a loving and respectful manner.

Dr. Carol Weyland Conner founded WPE in September 2013 when she was troubled that in an area with such an abundance of food many thousands were going hungry, while at the same time food retailers were throwing out huge quantities of healthy, fresh food.

From this insight, the Food Rescue program was born. In a little over six years, WPE has rescued and delivered more than 11 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food, free of charge, that would otherwise go to waste.

In 2014 the White Pony General Store was added to provide high quality clothing, toys, and books to the underserved in our communities—all free of charge. Since that time, the General Store has given away over 512,000 items to those in need.

WPE’s AWARDS AND HONORS:

This past January, Dr. Conner was awarded AARP California’s “Andrus Award” for her extraordinary leadership in bringing aid to survivors of the Butte County Camp Fire. Over many months, she arranged for 182 volunteers to make 91 trips to the Butte County area. Her volunteers sought out survivors in remote places and gave those displaced community members 58,000 pounds of food, 1,800 articles of clothing, and thousands of dollars in cash to buy necessary supplies and gas.

Dr. Conner was also chosen as a “Local Hero” by the Contra Costa Times, named a “Visionary” in Diablo Magazine’s “Threads of Hope” issue, and received the Jefferson Award from KPIX Television. In 2018, WPE was chosen by State Senator Steve Glazer as the 2018 California Non-Profit of the Year for his district. For more information on WPE, visit www.whiteponyexpress.org.

Granny Flat

Compassionate Housing for Seniors

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have been known by many names: granny flats, in-law units, backyard cottages, secondary units, and more. No matter what you call them, ADUs are an innovative, affordable, and effective option for adding much needed housing in California. ADUs have grown exponentially in number as more cities, counties, and homeowners become interested in increasing the supply of affordable housing.

What are the benefits of ADUs? • ADUs are an affordable type of home to construct in California because they do not require paying for land, major new infrastructure, structured parking, or elevators.

• ADUs can provide a source of income for homeowners.

• ADUs allow extended families to be near one another while maintaining privacy.

• ADUs can provide as much living space as many newly built apartments and condominiums, and they’re suited well for couples, small families, friends, young people, and seniors.

• ADUs give homeowners the flexibility to share independent living areas with family members and others, allowing seniors to age in place as they require more care.

In October 2019, California Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 68 (AB68), into law making it easier and more affordable to build accessory dwelling units.

Summary of new, recently enacted, ADU rules in California: • Faster ADU plan review times • Local agencies are prohibited from imposing strict requirements that exceed state mandates.

• More flexible ADU size and set back requirements • Allows both regular size and “junior” ADUs on the same property • Allows ADUs for multi-family units and duplexes • Prohibits local agencies from charging “impact fees” for ADUs under 750 sq. ft.

Regardless of its physical form, an ADU is legally part of the same property as the main home it resides near. It cannot be bought or sold separately as a condominium might. The owner of the ADU is the owner of the main home.

Installing an ADU in your backyard will certainly increase your property value.

After all, it is an additional permanent living space on your lot. The kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms are viewed as additions to your primary home.

To discuss your options and see how these new rules can help you, contact your Central Contra Costa County resource, ADU4You, a one stop shop that handles the entire project at a fixed, affordable cost. 925-979-5516 or sales@ADU4You.com.

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Real Estate Advice

What it Takes to Be a Successful Realtor

BY PETE SABINE

With so many choices of real estate professionals, does it really matter whom you choose to represent you when you buy or sell a home?

If all real estate companies are the same, why are the results so different for each company?

This is even more true when you focus on the personal performance of a Realtor.

Why are two Realtors’ results so different in the same professional and local market?

Athletics can be a measure of comparison. For example, athletics are designed to be clean and pure in results. The scoreboard generally defines the finest top performers. Each performer knows the start, finish, and event rules.

How each athlete prepares for the event physically and mentally makes a world of difference. The tenacity of training, the focus of the mind, and nutrition of the body are all contributors of success.

Night Owl

A Beloved Source of Care Closes

The closing of a practice the community has trusted for their children’s care for many years has saddened many. Many sentiments of gratitude were posted the on Night Owl’s Facebook page: “You’ve been a godsend.”“Now where will we go….”“Best urgent care ever!”“This has been our go-to for over 10 years!”“Sad to see them go.”“My children and I have received the best care from Night Owl over the past 17 years.” “They were our saving grace when our kids were young. Love the Hopkins family and everyone who worked there.”

Apparently, the volume of patient visits had decreased significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic and the owners decided this was a good time to take some work off their plate and start the retirement process. The practice closed its doors on May 31.

Night Owl opened in 2003 after three Board Certified pediatric ER doctors saw the need for an alternative to pediatric urgent care rather than forcing families to take children to the ER. At that time, there were 24-hour waits to be seen at Oakland Children’s ER.

When Dr. Jim was asked if he had any standout memories he commented, “There are too many fond memories to go over. Too many cute kids! We tried very hard to engage the kids and make their 6 | JUNE 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

visits enjoyable. Our entire staff loved the kids.” He shared a funny story about a little girl who came in “because there was a SNAKE in the toilet.” She had a very large round worm in a baggie that was fished out of the toilet! When asked what he will miss, Dr. Jim replied, “I will miss seeing all the kids grow up and achieve their dreams, and I will miss the laughs and smiles.” When asked what his future plans were, he answered one word, “Travel!”

Night Owl wants to thank the community for coming to see them and trusting them with their medical care! “Stay healthy out there …”

The same is true in the real estate profession.

Athletes generally train and prepare for several days or weeks to compete in an event. Realtors train, compete, and recover daily.

Success in the real estate profession can be measured in different ways.

One measure is the sales volume recorded in the MLS. A more meaningful and relevant measure of success is defined by the tears of happiness in a client’s eyes and referrals to their friends, family, and co-workers.

As the legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson said, “You’re only a success the moment you do a successful act, so these acts have to be repeated all the time.” So true, and it drives the good to become the great.

It is the work ethic, the focus, and the competitive drive! It is the perseverance, training, mental toughness, and the way you show up every day, without rank-

ing, without results to rest on, to power through your day. It is your internal drive to make a difference in someone’s life.

You do so as a role model, a parent, a significant other, a sibling, or a friend. You do what you do every day to make a difference on your own scoreboard in life, not anyone else’s scoreboard.

Now, more than ever, experience and knowledge matters in real estate. In challenging times, you are best served by a seasoned real estate professional who can help you navigate through a transaction that is often complex, with frequent changes in the market that can affect the outcome.

What is your scoreboard to measure a Realtor? Discover how we can help you reach your goals.

Pete Sabine & Leslie Whitney. Call 925.297.5335. Experience. Innovation. Results. Compass. License #00889760.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Our Local Real Estate Sales Activity “Selling in Place” During Shelter in Place

406 Kahrs Avenue – (our Seller) Sold As-Is with 3 offers 890 Golf Club Road – (our Seller) Sold As-Is in 2 weeks with 5 offers 1854 Holland Drive – (our Seller) Sold in less than 3 weeks 1066 Village Oaks Drive – (our Buyer) Sold in 10 days - 2 offers 232 Calle La Mesa – (our Buyer) Sold in 7 days with 2 offers Canyon Road lot – (our Seller) Sold in 10 days 1917 Marguerite Avenue – (our Buyer) Sold in 7 days - 7 offers 1141 Silverhill Court – (our Buyer and Seller) Sold in 21 days

Contact us to find out how we can help you reach your goals

Pete Sabine 925.297.5335 DRE 00889760

Leslie Whitney 510.388.5794 DRE 01950037

The Little Market that Could

PHOTOS BY SUSAN WOOD

Overwhelming Support and Kindness Helps Larkey Market Survive

Kevin Pruitt became the official owner of Larkey Market on November 22, 2019.

After remodeling, upgrading, and the unfortunate timing of the Shelter In Place (SIP), he was finally able to reopen on May 16. Kevin has been a longtime fan of Larkey Market and saw an opportunity to bring the market back to life “with great food and even better service!”

Larkey Market provides classic, simple deli sandwiches and salads – all to go.

Understanding the importance of “fresh,” their sandwiches are made-to-order with only the freshest ingredients and they try to source products from local vendors as much as possible. When asked what his favorite menu item is Kevin replies, “I love BLTs, so I added bacon to the menu and it can be added to any sandwich, but there is a very simple sandwich I hold very dear to my heart, The Chico Special – peanut butter, strawberry preserves, and freshly sliced strawberries on cinnamon-swirl bread.”

Customers can also enjoy fresh green salads prepared to order as well as the classic potato and macaroni salad to go with any sandwich. The market also carries a pretty good selection of beer and wine, including a large supply of Sierra Nevada beers – another ode to Kevin’s college years in Chico.

Kevin is very proud to introduce Market 22 Cold Brew. He started the idea of serving the best cold brew around and spent the last four years testing all sorts of different brewing methods using different

blends and roasts of coffee from the “coffee belt” and testing many different coffee-towater ratios – all in his parent’s garage. “I now have five different proprietary blends I use for Market 22 and am working on three more. “I want to give customers more options while exposing them to the world of cold brew coffee,” said Kevin. Whole bean coffee is also available by the pound.

Becoming a new storeowner has its own inherent challenges, but starting a business right as the Shelter in Place began made the process almost impossible.

Larkey Market shut down on February 27 to begin the remodel and upgrades. The remodel was completed on March 13, with March 16 scheduled for the re-inspection with the Health Department, the same day SIP was declared. Larkey Market would be deemed an essential business, but without the new operating permit and all re-inspections, the doors could not open.

On top of that, he was denied all financial assistance (PPP and EIDL) which really sounded the alarm bells in terms of being able to keep the business or having to let it go. Kevin started a GoFundMe account as a last ditch effort to help offset the twomonth closure. Overwhelming support and kindness of complete strangers who contributed actually gave him the opportunity to hire a full staff. “Without them, the business just wouldn’t survive,” said Kevin.

He was finally able to attain his permits the first week of May, and now the deli and

market are thriving way beyond his expectations.

The community has assured him that buying the market was a good idea. “It blows me away how kind and generous the community has been. Even when we were closed, people would stop by and just check on things to see how we were holding up. The tiny neighborhood spot is still

here and will be for a long time!”

Larkey Market is open Wednesday – Friday, 9am-6pm, and weekends, 7am3pm. There are plans to extend business hours to include Tuesday operations and hours on the weekends, especially Saturdays. Look for updates at https://thelarkeymarket.com. Larkey Market, 2800 Larkey Lane, Walnut Creek, (925) 932-7970

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE CONTACT SUSAN

OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 7

CITY NEWS

Mayor’s Message Logan Affolter, Fernanda Aguilera Alcala, Minyoung Ahn, Richard Alden, Aidan Alencastre, Mojda Alikozy, Gabriella Amini, Isaac An, Madhumitha Ananda Subramanian, Samuel Andersen, Kenneth Apostol, Stela Apostolova, Cassandra Aquilla, Kai Arellano, Thomas Austin, Angelina Avil, Allison Azevedo, Sara Aziz, Maci Babb, Eric Bacanskas, Dylan Baker, Amanda Barraza, Shrijita Basak, Edgar Bautista, Jack Belgarde, John Michael Belison, Sarenna Berkovich BenZeev, Isabelle Berkowitz, Angelina Bertalan, Alec Beyer, Robert Blanton, Joseph Blodgett, Jasmine Bonshahi, Gregory Borissov, Kaitlin Bouchard, Diego Bracamontes, Tyler Brain, Mitchell Bray, Suzette Briggs, Temerlin Brown, Griffin Brunelle, Evan Bruno, Lawrence Bryant, Corey Bui, Hailey Burns, Alana Calairo, Alexis Cambero, Zachary Campbell, Emma Cancilla, Emma Cardinale, Avianna Castillo, Destiny Castillo, Daric Castro, Olivia Cervantes Llamas, Osvaldo Chacon, Daniel Chaffin, Antonette Chan, Edgrinne James Chan, Nicholas Chand, Dante Chanhchaleun-Ferry, Tessa Cherep, Yerin Choi, Brian Christensen, Cristobal Cisneros, Connor Clarke, Austin Colcord, Jeremy Collins, Jacob Conant, Gabriel Contreras, Justin Conway, Zachary Cooper, Nalani Cordova-Smith, Colton Cory, Jovanna Crawford, Sloane Crone, Garrett Croy, Josue Cuevas, Julian Cuevas, Toby Cussimonio, Sophia D’Ambrosio, Skye Dailey, Lucy Dajani, Cameron DaSilva, Reighie Mhaey David, Sophie deGroot, Luciana Del Solar, Ryan Christian Dela Cruz, Leonardo Delfin, Armaan Deol, Anna Detre, Abigahil Dimas Garcia, Danzell Dizon-San Mateo, Anita Dmochowski, Connor Dossey, Marco Duarte, Nicolle Duffy, Samuel Dugan, Kailani Dumalo, Paolo Duran, Mason Dutton, Sean Dutton, Christopher Eckert, Jason Eide, Amber Eidson, William Ennis, Isabel Erice, Julie Esparza, Carolina Espinoza, Erika Fajardo, Ramon Farias, Imanol Fernandez Rosas, Branden Fife, Jamie Finn, Paul John Flondarina, Dylan Fortini, Nicole Fuertez, Ethan Gaigalas, Ethan Gallucci, Kenia Garcia, James Gillespie, Tessa Gillman, Sophia Giordano, Antonia Giovannetti, Bella Giusti, Jack 8 | JUNE 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

Goldstein, Kaylee Gorham, Maksim Gospodchikov, Soran Grant, Tatiana Gutierrez-Green, Cristina Guzman-Cabrera, Mustafa Haidari, Allison Hair, Joshua Hall, Andrew Hamant, Aria Hamiter, Jacob Hamre Hurst, Isabella Hanken, Kallyn Hannah, Nicole Hansen, BriaMarie Harley, Grace Harrington, Ajani Harris, Josephina Hartung, Humza Hasan, Payton Heaney, Christina Heim, Cassandra Heine, Norma Hernandez, Alison Hess, Torrey Hines, Enrique Hinojosa, Daniel Hitryh, Alexander Hoeft, Maxwell Holt, Jessica Hosman, Brittany Huerta-Martinez, William Hufford, Joonsuh Huh, Clayton Hults, Daniel Humbard, Kelly Hunyada, Jasmine Hurtado, Megan Hushion, Michael Huth, Mikhail Huziy, Runel Iglesia, Alexander Igoe, Lia Iizuka, Samuel Imbresci, Adam Iwata, Katherine Jensen, Tamara Johns, Jamir Johnson, Lana Johnson, Holly Jordan, Ryan Joseph, Jeffrey Jourdain, Matthew Juntilla, Skyler Jurgens, Ryan Karpinskas, Lauren Katz, Sara Katz, Bailey Keck, Jackson Keck, Alex Kefer, Grace Kelly, Travis Kennedy, Natalie Khusyonny, Ryan Kilcoin, Davin Kim, Pyeongkang Kim, Hailey Knapp, William Koeppe, Ryan Kong, Soomin Kong, Sean Kozina, Seth Kozlowski, Mason Kummer, Rakan Kurdi, Colin Lambert, Luc Lamoureux, Elijah Lara, Zachary Lara, Josef Laxa, Max Leatherman, Riley Ledin, Sierra Lees, Ethan Leibnitz, Karen Lemus, Ryan Leonard, Ana Lepiz, Isabella Lera, Emily Lin, Yuchen Lin, Jenna Lindenau, Denilzon Lira Velo, Chi Wing Liu, Mia Logan, Amanda Lopez, America Lopez, Elsa Lopez, Vincent Louthan, Myles Lowery, Sophia Lucio, Brenda Lujan, Serena Lutz, Bilguun Luvsanjambaa, Tuguldur Luvsantseren, Alyssa Ly, Ian Macaskill, Marcos Macz, Leigha Maddox, Brenna Madrigal, Haven Magtoto, Rajni Maharaj, Madalyn Maile, Nicole Mairena, Veronica Patricia Mangali, Lorelei Mansfield, Anthony Martin, Mattias Martin, Timothy Martin, Tess Martinelli, Alyssa Martinez, Sydney Martinez, Giulianna Marturano Reed, Devin Masongsong, Mary-Joe Mateo, Dylan McCourt, Alysse McGinty, Kyra McKinley, Adrian Medina, Alexandria Medina, Clarice Medina, Myriam Mendoza Alavez, Emma Mendoza, Gabrielle Anne Millado,

Matt Rinn, Mayor of Pleasant Hill

The Pleasant Hill City Hall paid tribute to the 2020 College Park graduates by displaying all 446 names on the electronic billboard during the last weekend of May. On behalf of the entire city council, congratulations to College Park High School Class of 2020. We are one! ~ Mayor Matt Rinn

Alexis Minnis, Izaac Mino-Fox, Jasmine Moffett, Dalton Mofrad, Rodolfo Molina Ramos, David Monaghan, Samantha Monroe, Tristen Montalvo-Benedetto, Malcolm Montes, Karen Morales de Leon, Andrew Morehead, Manuel Moreno, Grace Morgan, Kaitlin Moyrong, Gerardo Munoz, Acacia Nakamura, Leia Naulleau Katherine Nesbitt, Elisa Nguyen, Emily Nguyen, Kyle Nguyen, Bailey Nissen, William Noack, Terje Norbye, Dimitri Norman, Arley Nunez, Marian O’Callaghan, Brian O’Leary, Abigail Oliver, Ariel Oliveros, Sean Olivier, Merak Olson, Attapon Onle, Chloe Ormerod, Vianne Ortega, Devin Orth, Valeria Ortiz, Kelsey Ortner, Caragh Osborne, Miranda Ostwald, Kimberly Anne Otbo, Sophia Oum, David Paclik, Alphonso Palermo, Neo Paolucci, Jolie Paquin, Danilo ParedesPineda, Sang Mi Park, Belen Pasillas Campos, Alonzo Jordan Pastoral, Sueda Payamoglu, Valerie Pazmino, Pricilla Pena-Santoyo, Michael Perez, Lillyana Pevy-Barrickman, Kelly Pickle, Kyle Pickle, Izabella Podowski, Annie Preston, Hannah Price, Jessica Quevedo, Graydon Quigley, Nichelle Gail Quimzon, Daniel Ramirez, Jada Ramos ,Cindy Rantisi, Jaden Reganit, Samantha Reitzes, Christopher Renteria, Abigail Restivo, Randale Reyes, Caitlin-Rae Rillera, Katie Rincon, Lorenzo Rivas, Anthony Rivera-Wilcox, Kara Rizzardi, Patrick Roarty, Isabel Robles, Giovanna Rodriguez, Leslie Rodriguez, Serena Rojas, Daniel Romo, Steffen Rosa, Guadalupe Rui, Fabrizio Salas, Christian Ted Mar Sallo, Adam Samhan, Allyzahh Santos, Ellyzahh Santos, Luigi Santos, Alec Schaefer, Jordan Schloss, Samuel

Schmitt, Camilla Schumacher, Ryan Seto, Christian Shade, Maclain Shaver, Daniel Shea, Jesse Shedd, Mari Shields, Chun-Jong Shih, Bailey Shire, Karina Shivers, Kyra Shivers, Madeline Sholly, Grace Shughrou, Michael Shuheiber, Joseph Sigurani, Courtney Silva, Kelsey Lianne Simmons, Eugene Simpson, Arwin Singh, Bhojinder Singh, Dominic Sinisi, Ryan Sitton, Rocky Sizemore, Maxwell Small, Camrin Smith, Jaimie Smith, Serena Smith, Titan Smith, Claire Snowden, Luis Soria, Renee Speer, Jordyn Sprung, Ryan Stankovich, Jakob Stanton, Snezhanka Stefanova, Sadie Stephens, Jacob Stephenson, Lucas Stephenson, Gabriel Sterrett, Jacob Sterrett, Alyssa Stone, Kyler Sullenger, Michaela Sullivan Spencer, Joseph Sutton, Anna Szakats, Keon Taghipour, Mikaella Andrea Tan, Kira Tannlund, Jimmy Tavara, Colton Templeton, Tiffany Thai, Taylor Thomas, Cristian Torres Garcia, Isabella Torre, Osvaldo Torres, Kacie Towle, Kyle Toy, Elena Tung, Caroline Turner, Alejandro Turrietta, Mia Vahey. Craig Valdez, Chloe Van Boekhout, William Van Holten, Annalise Vasquez, Dewon Vaughan, Cameron Vicera, Jessica Vinogradov, Arden Virak, Anna Volway, Colton Walker, Annette Wan, Jaimare Wayne, Jason Weatherwax, Amari Webb, Briana Webster, Bridget Webster, Ian Weiner, Zoey Westrate, Hunter Wetmore, Donovan Wilson-Alexander, Amanda Wilson, Gabriel Wilson, Juiliana Wilson, Isaac Winn, Maya Woodard, Devin Wright, Ryan Yi, Elijah Yoon, Brock Young, Diana Zaragoza Macie, Sandra Zavala, Suzanne Zerpa, Huanyu Zhao, Joseph Ziegler.

CITY NEWS

Pleasant Hill City News

the library website about how to pick up prizes as the time draws nearer.

How PH Works with Businesses and Property Owners

As of June 1, the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library have moved all of their books and other materials out of the library to a storage unit until they find an interim retail space. They continue to work with the City of Pleasant Hill to locate just the right retail spot, depending on how the shelter in place goes, and should have a space sometime this summer.

In the meantime, the Friends are working on putting all of their current inventory into a software program that will allow them to sell their products online through the Friends website. Customers will be able to browse and buy for curbside pickup, delivery, or mailing.

At the May 18 city council meeting, Economic Development Manager Kelly Calhoun gave an update during Covid-19. With the recent closure of Sweet Tomatoes on Crescent Drive, much still needs to be done to boost our local businesses. A banner now sits on the city’s homepage website, “Business Resources during Covid-19.” Calhoun said, “Many businesses are very anxious to return to work, even if that means employing some extraordinary mitigation measures. I think everybody understands that it’s going to be a new normal in the way people shop and go to restaurants, but I think at this point many of the businesses are willing to do just about whatever it takes to try to get their doors open again.” On April 21, the city launched the Essential Businesses Listings and introduced a new searchable webpage with map that lists “essential” businesses in Pleasant Hill, from restaurants to bike repair stores. The list, https://open. bludot.io/cities/pleasanthill, can be filtered by business category.

The city recently created a business survey, and of the 72 businesses who responded, the anticipated revenue loss across all businesses range from $12 thousand to 4 million dollars. According to the report, re-establishing cash flow, paying debt (including rent), and re-establishing a customer base are the biggest challenges facing businesses when they reopen. Moving forward, Economic Development is working with the Planning Department on a process for streamlining a Temporary Use Permit that will allow a relaxation of outdoor seating requirements, including using parking spaces, to help restaurants as they begin a phased re-opening. Calhoun added, “We’re going to be thinking more about how can we help those businesses adapt and think about how we are going to get people to our centers of economic activity now that we no longer have special events, as most of those have been cancelled throughout the summer.”

Library Closes June 3

A press release will be coming soon from the Pleasant Hill Library staff about goodbye celebrations and commemorations of the old library, including curbside activities starting June 1. The temporary library is now planned for City Hall instead of the Senior Center so as not to risk the health of the seniors. As of this printing, there is no opening date set.

Contra Costa Library Summer Reading for Kids “Dive Deeper” June 6 - August 6, 2020

The Pleasant Hill Library Summer Reading kickoff event is planned for June 10 at 4pm. The highly acclaimed puppeteer Randal Metz, who runs the puppet shows at Oakland Fairyland, has recorded a show just for the library! His puppet rendition of the fun Norwegian folktale “Why the Sea is Salt” takes place under the sea, a perfect accompaniment to our summer reading theme. Anyone who misses the June 10 showing will have until June 16 to view it online!

To view the show, just go to the County Library Facebook page at www.facebook. com/ccclib or the YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/theccclib at the appointed time.

This year’s Summer Reading program dives deep under the sea. The program includes all kinds of activities and online events related to the ocean. Readers of all ages can visit ccclib.org/summer for activities and challenges to feed the imagination and explore new skills. This year’s program is offered online and every completed entry is entered in a drawing for a chance to win prizes, including an Xbox One X. The library will have lots of booklists of recommended reading available online, along with an ever-growing collection of e-books to borrow. Kids (and grown-ups too!) will keep their reading logs online and will be invited to attend the many virtual Summer Reading events. In addition to the countywide drawings, the Pleasant Hill Library will make a free paperback book available to all program finishers. They will post instructions on

The Friends Have Moved Out

Modified Fourth of July Submitted by Chris Tipton, Pleasant Hill 4th of July Commission

The Pleasant Hill 4th of July Commission has organized an annual Independence Day celebration for over four decades and this year is no exception! All of us are giving back to our community and doing our part by following California Covid-19 safety guidelines, which means cancelling all events involving large gatherings. However, you can’t “cancel” the 4th of July, and our commission has been busy organizing several new and exciting activities to celebrate this year: 10am Cheer - Everyone go outside and yell, scream, bang pots and pans, just MAKE SOME NOISE at 10am to celebrate the 4th of July!

“Happy 4th of July Pleasant Hill” - Look to the sky, starting at 10am, for our 4th of July message to the community with an aerial flyover and banner (pending FAA approval).

Auto Tour through Pleasant Hill honoring essential workers - The route is a secret, but at 10am, go out front, put out a chair and cooler, wave to your neighbors, and maybe a parade will come down your street!

Independence Day House Decorating Competition - Get out the red, white, and blue banners, balloons, and flags. Register your house at www.PHJuly4.com and our commission judges will reward the best houses with a prize!

Pleasant Hill 4th of July photo submission - Submit your favorite photos of past 4th of July celebrations to www.PHJuly4.com.

Celebrate in Place – Celebrate virtually with the 4th of July Commission on our website, featuring a live stream of the auto tour, sing-alongs, special guests, and other ideas for unique ways you can celebrate at home!

We’re looking forward to another exciting 4th of July! Your support over the years has been amazing, and we hope to be back together again as a community in 2021, with many years to come! Thank you, Pleasant Hill!

OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 9

CITY NEWS

Mayor’s Message

Ever since the Contra Costa County health officer and several other health officers throughout the Bay Area issued the Shelter in Place order, the Martinez City Council and city hall staff have been working remotely. Those departments that cannot work remotely have developed special protocols for working with protective equipment and social distancing.

Public work crews that once worked in teams of two or more are now working alone, and shifts have been temporarily expanded to allow for flexibility. The police department has always had a work schedule of four twelve-hour shifts with three days off.

Up until the middle of May, the shifts were changed to five days on and 10 days off to reduce the possibility of spreading the virus. They are now back to the regular schedule.

Since conditions are changing rapidly during this pandemic, City Manager Eric Figueroa sends a written Covid-19 update to the city council and staff on activities in all city departments. I

thought I would share some information from his most recent report.

The police department directory has now been updated. Staff is currently working on updating the descriptions for each division within the department, providing the community with a better understanding of the department’s functions. The next phase will be combining all contact information for this department under one tab to avoid duplicating information in many different locations as well as providing the community with “one-stop shopping” for contacting the appropriate department that could address specific concerns.

Republic Services Reinstates NonContainerized Services & Neighborhood Cleanups

City staff posted notice on its social media channels on May 13 of Republic Services’ resumption of special, oncall pickups (e.g. bulky item, e-waste, solid waste, organics/yard waste, and recycling), which had been temporarily suspended in late March due to safety

Rob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez

concerns pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff also included information in the social media notice regarding the rescheduling of the annual Citywide Cleanup to the week of June 29 – July 3.

Martinez Sturgeon

The Sturgeons’ representative, Andrew Dunn, is now working on a proposal for a reduced 36-game season schedule, from September to October, with all games played in Martinez and San Rafael if permissible under the county health orders. Due to anticipated social gathering restrictions, he is also interested in livestreaming games for $6/game. Additionally, staff continues to help the Sturgeons secure their ABC license. Next steps will be submitting a floor plan of the concessions structure and a “Public Convenience or Necessity” letter from the Community and Economic Development Department.

Finance

Staff is continuing to review current expenditures and revenues to identify potential impacts to the city and presented the mid-year budget recommendations to council on May 6. An SR draft for budget amendments based on council direction is underway. One-time documentary transfer taxes have been

identified. $525,000 in water penalties, approved by council on 4/1/20, have been waived through June 1, 2020, with no shutoffs except where requested by customers terminating service. Staff is working remotely to process water bills; however, staff is in the office a portion of three days per week to print bills. Because of the decrease in sales tax, transit occupancy tax, and fees, the General Fund for fiscal year ending 2020 is $927,507. This General Fund deficit was significantly smaller than it would have otherwise been due to the receipt of a non-recurring document transfer tax in the amount of $525,000.

The balance of approximately $400,000 is being covered by the emergency reserve and unassigned reserve funds.

Finance staff is currently working on the budget for fiscal year 2021.

Inspection Staff

Construction is underway at Golden Hills Park. Plumbing is being installed for the new restroom building under construction. This project also includes improvements to three other parks: John Muir, Highland Park, and John Sparacino Park. The contractor will be working on Highland Park in the next couple of weeks. This project is now scheduled for completion toward the end of summer.

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CITY NEWS

Martinez City News

staff. Staff will continue working with all user groups and organizations to discuss future opportunities and field use permissions when revisions to the health order are made.

Downtown Business Economic Recovery Plan

At the May 20 city council meeting, council discussed working creatively with Main Street Martinez and the Chamber of Commerce on ways to financially boost businesses in the community. Some of the specific items discussed for the downtown area included: 1.Temporarily expanding eligibility for the city’s Flex-Space Program to include restaurant and non-restaurant retailers to provide downtown businesses with more space to spread out their products and help facilitate social distancing of their customers. (A Flex-Space is an outdoor platform with railings that provides a safe and friendly outdoor experience.

The platforms take up one or two parallel parking spaces.) 2. Blocking off sections of downtown streets to cars during specified time windows and allowing businesses to place their inventory in the public right-of-way. Similar to FlexSpaces, this temporary use of public right-of-way by businesses would provide additional areas for businesses to help them comply with social distancing and spacing guidelines. 3. Designating on-street parking areas for shared business curbside pick-up. The areas would be long enough for cars to pull in and out of and would facilitate an easier and safer pick-up experience than parking far away from the business or illegally stopping in the traffic lane. The city manager, Main Street Martinez, and the chamber will continue the discussion and firm up a recovery plan.

Selective COVID-19 Potential Summer Programming

The Martinez Recreation Division is looking into offering summer camps and child care services to those who are owners, employees, volunteers, or contractors for essential or outdoor businesses or qualify as one of the Minimum Basic Operations allowed to work under the new shelter-in-place order. The tentative plan would be in line with the following county guidelines: stable groups of 12 or fewer children (“stable� means that the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group or “pod� each day); children that do not change from one group to another; pods that have their own facility for programming; and designated recreation staff that remain with one group of children for the duration of the established session. It is recommended that groups or “pods� remain intact for at least four weeks. Recreation staff are working to define how this model can best fit Martinez community needs.

Local Qualit y You Can Trust!

Fourth of July Festivities Cancelled

At the May 6 city council meeting, council voted to give the city manager authority to cancel the Fourth of July parade downtown as well as the fireworks display at Waterfront Park in order to support the health and safety of the community. Public gathering restrictions are not anticipated to be sufficiently relaxed to allow for large public gatherings. The city will sustain a cost from the fireworks vendor of $8,050. Mayor Rob Schroder said, “The last thing I want to do is cancel the Fourth of July, but we’re in a different world right now, and it’s not just the money but we can’t at this point plan for a gathering of thousands of people in our downtown for the parade. I’m in favor of approving the city manager to make that call.� Other special events the community has come to enjoy over the years but are now cancelled include: June 14 – Bike the Brides Brewfest; June 20 – King of the County; and June 28 – Beaver Festival.

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Eased SIP Orders Causes Problems PRMCC

On April 29, the Contra Costa County health officer issued a new shelterin-place order. This order extended the shelter-in-place until at least May 31 but also eased some of the rules from the prior order, including allowances for reopening Parks and Recreation facilities like tennis courts and skate parks, ef

fective May 4. Baseball, softball, basketball, and soccer as well as playgrounds

! and areas with high-touch equipment remain prohibited. At the May 15

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and Mountain View Park and could not be located. The equipment was replaced but within a few days much of it was gone again.� City staff are looking at lockable gates for these parks, but this could take some time to complete. Unauthorized use of baseball fields such as Tavan Field have been reported to

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BY JEFFREY HALL, CPA, JD Probate /Trust Attorney

An obituary can be much more than a dry announcement of the time and location of your funeral or memorial service. Writing your own obituary can be an important part of estate planning that you can do today.

Estate Planning Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Just about Money and Property Wills and trusts are among the most common estate planning tools for transferring your belongings and money to your loved ones. But money and property are not the only forms of wealth you have accumulated. You have stories, lessons, experiences, and values to share. You may also want to acknowledge family members and others who have played an important part in your life. Your obituary is also a great opportunity for you to ensure that you are remembered in the way you wish.

Where Should You Store It? If it is important for loved ones to publish the obituary you have prepared, you need to take steps to ensure it is preserved and stored properly. The obituary you write can simply be incorporated as part of your â&#x20AC;&#x153;Remembrance and Services Memorandum.â&#x20AC;?

A Remembrance and Services Memorandum is an important estate planning document designed to provide guidance to your

family members, trustee, and executor about who to notify when you pass away, how your remains should be handled, and your wishes for your memorial service or funeral, as well as the information that should be included in your obituary or the obituary itself. You should store the original version of the Remembrance and Services Memorandum containing your obituary in the same safe location as your other estate planning documents (e.g. a fireproof safe or bank lock box). Be sure to let your family, executor, and trustee know where your documents are stored, and keep a copy for yourself.

We Can Help Writing your own obituary in advance can provide you with the peace of mind that comes with knowing you will be remembered in the way you wish. In addition, it will relieve your family members of this task during an emotionally difficult time. Call your neighborhood estate planning attorney, Jeffrey Hall, at (925) 2309002 to schedule an appointment, or you may visit his website at www.HallLawGroup. com. We are a veteran owned -- veteran friendly law firm.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice nor the establishment of an attorney-client relationship.

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Stronger Than You Know When it Happened to Me

BY DENA BETTI

It was a cold and blistery day. The hard-packed snow was easier to navigate than ice, but it made planting an edge challenging. Michelle and I had a lot of practice on the slopes over the last two years. Each weekend our ambition grew until the dreadful moment Michelle caught an edge and crashed terribly. She broke her femur. That called it quits to our season and I was faced with a great lesson ahead.

Michelle made it to school by Wednesday of that week. We met at our normal spot in front of our middle school. Michelle handed over her backpack and lunch to me. Then she pulled out her pair of matted silver crutches.

Towels had been wrapped around the armrests while thick blue rubber bands

kept the towels in place. Michelle’s broken leg was masterly confined within several pounds of plaster. Her petite toes barely peeked from the toe opening. One pant leg had been cut over halfway off.

I felt bad for Michelle until I didn’t.

As the week wore on, friends flocked to Michelle. They wrote “get well” messages on her cast, and with each passing period a different friend offered to carry her backpack. For the rest of the week, Michelle barely talked to me.

My conclusion: She’s taking advantage of this horrible situation to get attention. Yep, I honestly believed that until I didn’t. Word got back to Michelle that I thought she was using her injury to get excessive attention. She was hurt and upset that I would think such a thing.

She thought I, of all people, would understand. I was on the slopes with her. I witnessed the whole terrible accident.

But at 13 years old, I didn’t understand much. She had a broken leg, I had a broken heart, and that’s about all I understood.

Five weeks into Michelle’s injury, youth soccer started for me. I loved to play. What I lacked in skill I made up for in aggression. Plus, it was a good distraction away from all the friend drama I had been dealing with. The night before our third game it rained buckets, but we played as scheduled. We were up by one after the third quarter and I was playing defense. I found myself one-vone with an offensive player. We mixed it a bit. She cut to her right. I quickly reacted and cut left. My ankle buckled amidst the soupy grass and I fell to the ground like a skyscraper.

My dad quickly carted me off to the doctors. Prognosis: severe sprain.

Doctor’s orders: stay off the ankle and use crutches for three weeks. When I re-

turned to school, I needed a lot of help.

It was difficult to hold my backpack on my own. I had to rely on friends to help me throughout the entire day. The crutches caused both of my shoulders and arms to ache. I had trouble tying my shoes, trouble going to the bathroom, trouble carrying a drink, trouble with stairs. Need I say more? I called Michelle that night to apologize. I shared how terrible I felt for judging her. I had no idea what she had to deal with until it happened to me. To this day, I remind myself not to judge unless I’ve walked in that person’s crutches.

Dena Betti is a graduate of the University of San Francisco, chairperson for the #hersmile Nonprofit, and a certified personal and business coach. Email dena@strongerthanyouknow.com to book a coaching appointment or for more information.

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HONORING THE ALHAMBRA SPRING SENIOR ATHLETES WHO BECAUSE OF COVID-19 HAD THEIR SEASONS CUT SHORT.

SETH HEIN, LACROSSE This was my second year playing before the season came to a halt.

DELANO RODERICK, SWIMMING What I miss most is morning practices at Alhambra. I plan on attending DVC, then transfer to a 4-year university as a biology major.

LOGAN HANCOCK, VOLLEYBALL I’ve played football, basketball and volleyball. I miss playing sports with my friends and my senior year!

I’ll attend college in the fall to become an EMT.

PERRY TITLOW, BASEBALL I miss my teammates but I just plane old miss playing ball and being out on the field. I’ll attend LMC in the fall and join the baseball team for spring season.

SHELBY WALTERS, STUNT I miss seeing my teammates, coaches, and playing the sport. I will study nursing at DVC to transfer and ultimately become a pediatric nurse.

ELAM BENDER, SWIMMING My best memory was being in the homecoming parade. Everyone was so happy and carefree. I’ll attend DVC and then transfer to continue Technical Theater.

MATEUS CONAWAY, BASEBALL I’ve been playing since 5. I am still keeping my body in shape for baseball. My favorite memory is rushing to the mound with my team after winning NCS. I plan to play baseball and study at Whitman College.

REESE MILLER, LACROSSE Favorite memory is having 16 saves my first game back after fracturing my thumb in a tournament. I will be attending college in the fall.

STANLEY NEELY, TENNS I enjoyed socializing & being physically active with my friends on the courts. I’ll attend DVC and hopefully play tennis with my friends soon.

LAUREN WITT, LACROSSE The thing I miss the most is having fun with my teammates. I plan on attending the University of Oklahoma in the fall to study political science

NIKO MOORE, LACROSSE I miss the boys, team dinners, and making defensive hits. I’ll study kinesiology at Sonoma State and hope to earn a doctorate in physical therapy.

SETH GILLASPY, BASEBALL Favorite memory is playing travel ball and traveling with my Dad. I miss friends and my baseball season. I’ll attend LMC and transfer to pursue my academic and baseball goals.

TYLER WILSON, BASEBALL I played varsity baseball before the season was forced to end.

16 | JUNE 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES Wishing you the best of luck for your future!

ALEX KEFER, COLLEGE PARK H.S. Congratulations Alex! We couldn’t be more proud as you head to Western Washington to pursue your computer science degree. Stay curious and thrive! Love, Mom and Dad

CAITLIN STONE, AVA PALERMO AND LIA RODRIGUEZ Congratulations to the three musketeersl! Have a great time in high school.

Love you, Jen

COURTNEY SILVA, COLLEGE PARK H.S. Our Sweet Boo, Congratulations! Your goal is around the corner-Chico State and nursing. Love you to the moon and back! Dad, Mom, Caleigh & Cassie

ALPHONSO PALERMO, COLLEGE PARK H.S. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments. We are so proud of you.

Sonoma State is lucky to have you. The best is yet to come.

CARSON EDWARDS, ALHAMBRA H.S Couldn’t be happier for you or more proud! You will do great things at UCLA. Love, Dad, Mom, Ava, Grandpa, Nana, the Grinbergs & Pennas

ETHAN GAIGALAS, COLLEGE PARK Congrats! We are very proud of your accomplishments and look forward to your new beginning at CalPoly SLO to study industrial engineering. We know you will succeed and make us proud again. Love Mom, Dad, Eza and Dusty.

CAITLIN STONE, SEQUOIA M.S. Congratulations! We can’t wait to see what high school and beyond has in store for you.

You’re going to do great things KK. Love you, Mom, Dad, Andrew, Emily and Lauren

CLAIRE SNOWDEN, COLLEGE PARK H.S. To our beautiful, intelligent, kind, and loving daughter. Congratulations! Now on to UC Davis and your next adventure!! Love Mom, Dad, Max and Biggles

EVELYN VASGERDSIAN, PROSPECT H.S. Congratulations to an amazing daughter.

You’ve pushed through so much and excelled! Go after your dreams and don’t ever give up. Love, Mom and Dad

HAILEY BURNS, COLLEGE PARK Congratulations on your hard work and dedication in high school! We are so excited for your future. Shine on superstar! Love, Mom, Dad & Ashley

LUC LAMOUREUX, COLLEGE PARK H.S. Congratulations on your high school graduation! We are so very proud of you and excited about your future! Go Wildcats! Love you, Mom, Dad & Alex

HOLLY JORDAN, COLLEGE PARK H.S. I am so incredibly proud of you! You’re smart, funny and have a heart of gold.

Congrats and Love to You XX

MAXWELL HOLT, COLLEGE PARK H.S. Attending University of Colorado Boulder in the fall. We love you Max! -Mom and Dad

JASON EIDE, COLLEGE PARK H.S. Congrats on starting the next chapter of your life where you will continue your passion for lacrosse while becoming an occupational therapist. You’ll thrive in whatever you decide to do. Mom and Dad

PAYTON HEANEY, COLLEGE PARK H.S. This is only the beginning. You will be an awesome Pioneer! Go #4! We love you to the moon and back! Dad, Mom and Logan

JEFFREY JOURDAIN! Good luck to you on your next step in life when you go to Montana State.

Love, Mom, Dad & Scott

STELLA CASTLE, PLEASANT HILL M.S. We are so very proud of you and your accomplishments. Don’t stop going after what you want. With love, Mom, Dad, James & Moose

OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 17 17 | MAY 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

SPORTS

Athetes of the Year

College Park Athletic Boosters would like to congratulate Jessica Vidagrdov and Jason Eide for being selected female and male athlete of the year.

This acheivement would have been celebrated in an end of the year gathering, unfortunatley due to Covid-19 this was not possible. Their achievements however need to be recognized.

JESSICA VINAGRADOV

JASON EIDE

VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER, LACROSSE, 4.5 GPA WITH 9 VARSITY LETTERS

SOCCER AND LACROSSE WITH 7 VARSITY LETTERS

Jason played soccer on varsity for 3 years and lacrosse on varsity for 4 years. He scored 175 varsity points, 100 goals, 75 assists (before season was interrupted.) Jason was a 2x team captain and averaged 5pts per game (3.3 goals, 2.1 assists) senior year.

He was awarded DAL 2nd Team his sophomore year and DAL 1st Team his junior year as well as CP Offensive Excellence award recipient as a junior. And can’t leave out that he was a 2x cheerleader for Powderpuff. Jason committed to Gywneed Mercy University’s NCAA Griffins to play lacrosse.

Jessica played volleyball on varsity for 3 years, was awarded 2nd Team DAL, was team captain, and was awarded Team MVP(3 years varsity) and Honorable Mention DAL her junior year. Jessica played soccer for 3 years on varsity and was a starter all three years. She also was selected Honorable Mention for DAL her junior year and 1st Team DAL her senior year. She also played 3 years varsity lacrosse, where she most likely would have been all-league this season if it wasn’t cut short.

Commited Athletes

Congratuations to the below athletes who have committed to colleges to continue their athletic sports. The percentage of high school athletes who make the jump to the NCAA is approximatley 6%. The Athletic Boosters are extremely proud of this amazing group of student athletes. We hope you continue to represent College Park and your sports well.

ALI HESS - SOFTBALL

JASON EIDE - LACROSSE

PAYTON HEANEY - SOCCER

SIERRA LEES - SOFTBALL

University of San Diego

Gwynedd Mercy

Cal State University East Bay

Linfield College

CARAGH OSBORN - WATER POLO

MADDIE MAILE - VOLLEYBALL

SAMMI MONROE - WATER POLO

TAY THOMAS - SWIMMING

Virginia Military Academy

Oaklahoma Christian University

University of Michigan

Pepperdine University

18 | JUNE 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

Read My Mind

©

Edison

BY MICHAEL G. HARRIS, OD

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and biographer Edmund Morris is probably best known for his trilogy about the life and times of Teddy Roosevelt. It is indeed a classic. Morris’ last book is Edison, a monumental testimonial to both men: Edison, the great inventor, and Morris, the great biographer. Unfortunately, Morris died in 2019, shortly after completing this story of Edison’s life.

This is not your typical biography. It

is not organized in chronological order but rather by Edison’s numerous scientific endeavors.

Edison’s scientific pursuits are so varied that the only person I can compare him to is Leonardo da Vinci. But unlike da Vinci, Edison actually invented useful and practical devices. Leonardo is credited with conjuring up some brilliant ideas, including the helicopter and contact lenses (my personal favorite for obvious reasons),

Wildfire Season

Safety Tips to Protect Your Home

BY SUPERVISOR KAREN MITCHOFF

While we may be in the midst of a pandemic and staying at home, the seasons continue to change.

Preparations are starting now for wildfire season. Beginning on June 1, the Code Enforcement Division within the Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ConFire) will be starting fire code compliance. Every summer, as the conditions change and the vegetation gets drier, our fire risk increases throughout the county. The Fire Prevention Bureau provides the best protection they can through code enforcement and public education.

Every homeowner can reduce the risk of wildfires. Preparation is the best thing we can do to prevent a large fire from taking place or spreading. You can prepare your property by doing three things: weed abatement, creating a defensible space, and trimming tree limbs. Weed abatement involves trimming grasses down to three inches or less. Defensible space is creating space around your home by removing thick heavy brush, debris or vegetation to help slow a fire approaching your home.

In essence it is removing fuel sources. De-

fensible space is especially crucial if you live on a steep or dry hillside. Tree limbs should be cleared as much as possible from the ground up to 10 feet high. If a fire starts on the ground and there are branches near, it can create a ladder effect where the fire can climb up the branches. Once a fire goes to the top of a tree it’s called a crown fire. On a very windy day, embers or bark can travel in the air for as far as one mile or more and start fires throughout the area. This type of fire contributed to some of the significant fires throughout the state in the last fire season.

ConFire has several guides on their website (www.cccfpd.org) to help us clear our properties and prepare for fire season.

For more information on defensible space, please visit: https://www.cccfpd.org/defensible-space. For more information on general wildfire preparedness, please visit: https://www.cccfpd.org/ResidentsWildlandFireGuide.

If you have any additional questions about this, you can reach out to ConFire directly at: info@cccfpd.org. If you would like more information on weed abatement or wish to phone in about an exterior weed hazard in your neighborhood, please call the Exterior Hazard Control Division at 925-941-3300, extension 1505.

but he never developed them into useful or practical devices.

Thomas Alva Edison, on the other hand, invented hundreds of useful devices.

He holds over 1,000 patents from the U.S. Patent Office and a similar number overseas. During his most productive years, Edison was patenting a new device on average every 11 days. This is even more amazing considering that he chose not to patent numerous other devices so they could be available to other scientists as “open source.”

Morris spent seven years researching five million pages of documents stored at Edison’s Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory. The book includes chapters on Edison’s research in botany, defense (as a consultant to the Department the Defense in improving the submarine), chemistry, magnetism, light, sound, telegraphy, and natural philosophy (the previous name for physics).

The breadth and depth Edison’s inventions are mind-boggling, especially considering that he was deaf in one ear and only had partial hearing in the other. He truly deserved the title of “The Wizard of Menlo Park.”

To say the book is dense is an understatement. At nearly 800 pages of small print filled with unbelievable detail about Edison’s personal life, idiosyncrasies (e.g. he consumed nothing but milk in his later years), relationship with his family, inventive curiosity, and creative genius, it is a real challenge to read. The audiobook is over 25 hours long. This is not the kind of book you’ll speed read or peruse. If you’re like me, you will enjoy it in tiny bits over a long period of time to savor every detail of Edison’s amazing life that Morris has uncovered.

Edison worked 18-hour days in his Menlo Park laboratory and often slept there. He still found time to marry twice and father six children. As adults, his children bickered among themselves and with him over money and credit for his inventions. (I guess that’s what happens when you spend too much time at the office and not enough time at home.)

Early in the book, Morris gives us a preview of Edison’s genius: “Out of his teaming brain and ever-mobile hands came the universal stock ticker, the electric meter, the jumbo dynamo, the alkaline reversible battery, the miner’s safety lamp, slick candy wrappers, a cream for facial neurologa, a submarine blinding device, a night telescope, an electrographic vote recorder, a rotor-lift flying machine, a sensor capable of registering the heat of starlight… and the list goes on.”

If you’re looking for lighter reading and less intimidating books about Edison, read Graham Moore’s The Last Days of Night, a fictional account of Edison’s legal battle with George Westinghouse over credit for inventing the light bulb. For a nonfictional version of the race between Edison, Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla to get credit for “electrifying the world,” read Jill Jonnes’ Empires of Light.

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OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 19

From the Contra Costa County Historical Society

A History Note

The Drive-In Movie is Back in Business

BY MARJORIE NEWTON

One outcome of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing has been the reopening of drive-in movie theaters around the world. In Contra Costa County, the Solano Drive-In, at 16ll Solano Way in Concord, opened for business in March 1964. It has two screens and an 800-car capacity. In recent years, it has been the site for flea markets. It is showing pictures again on its big screen to carloads of cinema lovers who are tired of sheltering in place and just need to get out to a place where social distancing is not a problem.

The first California auto theater opened in June 1938. Over the next ten years, 43 more opened, and through the 1960s the number increased to a total of 220. The Solano Drive-In is one of 17 remaining drive-ins in California.

Antioch’s Bridgehead Drive-In opened in 1950 and shut down in 1994. It had three screens and a 1,000-car capacity.

It became the location for a K-Mart and a self-storage facility. Pittsburg’s DriveIn was located on Old Antioch Road. It was smaller, with one screen and room for 550 cars. After it was torn down in 1959, houses were built on its former location.

Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek theatergoers attended the Pleasant Hill Drive-In on Contra Costa Boulevard. It

opened in 1947 and was demolished about 1978. It was located near the Sherman Field airport and has been replaced by the Pleasant Hill Plaza Shopping Center. The Hilltop Drive-In, on Garrity Way, served Richmond moviegoers from 1963 to the early 1980s. It is now the site of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

The El Cerrito Motor Movies, on San Pablo and Fairmont, began showing films on October 11, 1948. It was one of the first in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The El Cerrito Plaza Shopping Center is now located on the site. San Pablo had two drive-in movie theaters, the San Pablo Motor Movie and the Rancho. In 1973, the city council petitioned the court to close the Rancho as a public nuisance because of problems caused by rowdy attendees. It was demolished to make way for houses in November of 1978.

At the Solano Drive-In, cars now have to be spaced at least 10 feet apart.

Occupants must stay in their cars except for restroom use, which is limited to one at a time. The snack bar is closed, so bring your own snacks. Tuesday is Family Night. Projection is digital.

Sound is FM. NOW SHOWING: Fantasy Island, The Invisible Man with The Hunt, and Trolls World Tour with Dolittle (www. westwinddi.com for times).

“A History Note” is presented by the

Contra Costa County History Center, 724 Escobar St., Martinez, using materials from the society’s collections.

Open hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays, from 9-4, and the first & third

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IN THE GARDEN

Sheer Berry Bliss The Uses for Berries are Endless

BY LESLEY STILES

As we continue into the weirdness of sheltering-in-place, most may agree it has helped in a few ways that come to my mind.

Aside from the fact that we are not seeing the horrific madness in New York, people are baking a lot of bread. I can hardly get into my restaurant store anymore and have to push my way through the throngs of masked back-to-earthers scrambling for flour, sugar, and yeast. Which brings me to another positive, more folks are planting gardens for summer harvesting. Just try to get into Home Depot.

Every day, I notice humanity coming back online. As we are forced to disconnect from jobs, school, sports activities, and general, everyday life, our good sides are coming out. Stress relief comes with not being able to go to work as well as not scrambling to get everything done for everyone. I think, in my experience, people are nicer. There is hardship in redefining how the income will work, how the work will work, how the school will work, but it is making us all a whole lot stronger and more in control of our everyday lives. We have been given the gift of time and redefining how to use it.

Here, at Roxx on Main, we are re-creating our business model daily. Failure is not an option, and closing is failure to me. We cannot close, so we will continue to change our business model to meet the needs of our customers as well as our community.

We get our fair share of angels around here

and are eternally grateful for them and their gifts. Every person that walks in the door is an angel to us. Thank you!

We have no choice but to learn from this experience and improve our life skills for coping and our ability to be understanding of others’ needs, beliefs, coping mechanisms, and opinions, as we hope they are of ours.

Seasonally and vegetally speaking, the warm weather spring accelerated maturity of most crops, ensuring a better as well as earlier variety of goods at farmers’ markets.

Farmers’ markets are open. There are certain protocols at each market, possibly different from each other, possibly the same.

Yellow caution tape surrounds the Sunday downtown Martinez booths, and you point to what you want as farmers fetch it for you. Loyal patrons are being responsible and courteous for the most part, and it works. Masks are required.

Choices abound and more variety is available each week. Local asparagus is waning as summer squash and peppers start to bow market tables. Cherries are in and available, and you can smell more stone fruits coming down the pike. Berries are peeking out from their hoops, sweeter than candy and ready for summer consumption.

Summertime in California and the Northwest translates into berry porn. Any kind of berry you can imagine is available at the local farmers’ markets or, better yet, out on a trail or side of a lane somewhere beautiful where you may be walking with a friend or loved one, just strolling or specifically out to pick berries. All over our neigh-

borhood there are blackberry bushes and bushes filled to drunken blue jay capacity of elderberries, dripping juice and plumply, proudly awaiting picking, human or avian.

Raspberries, white or red, and strawberries, shining with nectar, entice with intoxicating scents as you innocently stroll by bowed tables heavy with fruits and are lured in by tantalizing visions of pies, tarts, crisps and jams.

Somewhat restless with this amazing profusion of berries, scientists in all their curiosity and stamina created the amazing, fat, juicy olallieberry. Pronounced “oh-la-leh,” the olallieberry is a tender, dainty little cross between the loganberry and the youngberry, each of which is a cross of some sort between blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries, among others. It could get confusing if one lingered on the wherefores, but if you place said olallieberry on your tongue and close your eyes as it melts into your taste buds, it should alleviate all doubts of origin and be replaced by sheer berry bliss.

The explosive simplicity of just eating a berry on its own, like most first of the season fruits, can be the purest form of flavor gratification during early season, but as you get deeper into berry mania, other forms of culinary berry satisfaction are easily achieved.

Variety of Ways to use Berries

Macerate berries in a drop of sugar to pull out the juices along with a touch of wa-

Strawberries with Rosemary & Balsamic

INGREDIENTS 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and cut in half 1 cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup red wine ¼ cup honey 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary DIRECTIONS Mix vinegar, honey red wine, and rosemary together in a small, non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce liquid by ¾. Toss into strawberries and serve over short cakes with whipped cream.

Serves 6

ter and Grand Marnier, set aside and forget for a few hours, then drape over shortcakes of the pound or biscuit variety and top with sweetened, whipped mascarpone. In a word, it is heavenly. Toss berries into fresh market greens along with feta and toasted, chopped almonds and dress with lemon juice and olive oil to create a salad fit for any party table, large or small. Mixing berries into any seasonal fruit combination makes for a tasty salad, but mixed into granola and yogurt and topped with honey defines early morning breakfast splendor. Whether lovingly freshly picked along the canal trail or bought lavishly at the farmers’ market, seasonal olallieberries take the cake.

Lesley Stiles is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and Chef/ Owner of Roxx on Main, offering delicious, sustainable foods to the community.

She can be reached at lesley@roxxonmain.com • www.roxxonmain.com • www. lesleystilesfoods.com 925 370 ROXX

Shortcakes for any Kind of Fruit

INGREDIENTS 2 ¼ cups flour 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon sugar 4 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons melted butter ¾ cup buttermilk or milk DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 425*. Butter a pie tin or glass. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, including the flour, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and baking powder. Cut the 4 tablespoons butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry blender until it resembles dry breadcrumbs. Add the milk and mix quickly until dough comes together in a sort of sticky mass. Pat into pie pan, brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter, and sprinkle teaspoon of sugar on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until light brown on top. Cut into 8 wedges.

Serves 8 OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 21

PAIR UP

Fast Food Frenzy

Finding the Right Pairing with All Types of Food

BY MARIA TERRY

Sometimes you don’t want to be fancy. Sometimes you want something easy and tasty, and you don’t want to think about calories or what is good for you.

But even if it is fast, that doesn’t mean you have to forgo a great wine pairing!

I crave salt & vinegar chips. Maybe it’s because they remind me of my childhood when my mom would bring home a box of crunchy fried fish and chips.

Even from a young age, I loved malt vinegar on mine. Of course, if you are going to put vinegar on anything, you are going to create a problem for wine.

Most kinds of vinegar are extremely high in acid. Wine usually provides acid relief in a meal. So, if you have a food that is higher in acid than the wine, it will make the wine taste flat or flabby.

You need a wine that makes your lips pucker and your mouth water. My go-to,

high acid wine is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It is super intense, fruit-forward, and loaded with natural acidity.

Serve it ice cold on a hot day and it will wash down just about anything.

A burger is often what comes to mind when one thinks of fast food. The meat and bun are wine-friendly, but the complication of mustard, ketchup, pickles, and tomatoes can seriously mess with wine. So, if you like your burger loaded, you are going to need a wine that has some special attributes. You are going to need fruit to counterbalance the vegetables, but you’ve also got to manage the acid in the mustard. And, you need a little bit of sugar to handle the ketchup. Finally, its summer, so you need something cold. What wine will give you all of this? A New World rosé.

You are looking for something from a climate that has cool nights to maintain the acid but warm days to ripen the grapes and develop lots of fruit flavor. Seek out a rosé from the coastal or

mountainous regions of California, but just make sure that the winemaker has left a little sugar in the mix.

A Krispy Kreme doughnut is a good example of “simple done right.” It is perfectly fried dough dredged in sugar. The wine you are looking to pair with your donut is Malvasia Bianca. The malvasia grape comes in many variations. It is grown in many places, including Spain,

Celebrating a Milestone

Leo and Sonia Vardas, 60th Wedding Anniversary

We are so very proud to share the 60th wedding anniversary of our parents, Leo and Sonia Vardas, who were married on June 11, 1960. Words don’t express the gratitude we feel for their exemplary marriage. Always partners and forever best friends.

Little did Mom know that the annoying guy across the building who interrupted her studying with loud music every day at UC Berkeley would later steal her heart. Together they finished school, married, and after six years, decided to start a family. Within 18 months, they became a family of five.

They share their love of visiting state and national parks, listening to music, delving into science, riding the steam train at Tilden Park, going to museums, exploring the gold country, 22 | JUNE 2020 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

and camping in the redwoods. This has culminated with the family home in Lake Tahoe, which has been the base for many time-honored family traditions and adventures.

Their focus on family expands as it has grown – becoming parents to our spouses and “Nanny” and “Grad” to nine grandchildren – sharing traditions, guiding us in the raising of our own kids, and continually inspiring us with their shared love of travel, generosity, and zest for learning and exploration.

The most cherished of all is witnessing the enjoyment of their spending time with one another and the love and respect they have for each other.

Mom and Dad, congratulations on 60 years of marriage! With much love and admiration, Elena, Karsten and Kris.

Italy, and California. The wine can be still or bubbly; either will work for this application. It is a simple wine that does not pretend to be something stuffy. It is light and sweet, with flavors of pear and honey.

So, go on. Pair Up!

Maria Terry is a certified sommelier and wine educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.LaSommelierre.com.

IN THE MIX

In the Mix With David Martin

BY PAUL COTRUVO

Welcome to week 10 (or is it 11) of SIP. Hope everyone is staying healthy and keeping your distance. It was a little difficult this month for me to get an interview done for this month’s issue, so I decided to go back in time and share an interview I did with David Martin back in 2013. You know, back when we could shake hands, hug, giggle, and look someone in the eye. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

This month it is my honor to feature one of the local legends of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene, Mr. David Martin. Dave was born in Oakland but grew up in Lafayette. After graduating from Acalanes High School, he formed the new wave band The Lloyds and then founded the “legendary” Buzztones, which finally paved the way to one of the Bay Area’s premier bands, Dave Martin’s House Party. Now some of you reading this might already know these facts, but what you may not have known is Dave is truly one of a kind.

He has a memory that never fails him.

If you have crossed paths with Dave, he will not only remember your name but where and when you met! Dave is also a humanitarian, always giving back and supporting his community. A few more Dave facts: He likes to take long walks on the beach, his favorite color is orange (giant fan alert), and his favorite food is sushi.

Dave is truly an amazing human being with enormous talent, and I felt it was time to feature him in this column.

After consulting with Dave’s attorney and finally receiving approval for the interview, we met at an undisclosed location in an abandoned warehouse. Once my blindfold was removed, we shook hands and began. Here is the result: Thanks, Dave, for agreeing to this little interview.

First off, great to be with you, Paul.

Thanks for bringing the cocoa and tater tots!

How old were you when you first played guitar? Were you self-taught?

I have never learned to play the guitar, Paul. I have always used backing tracks!!

Truth be told, I began playing guitar when I was six, taking lessons first from Bill Tapia at Campana Music in Lafayette, a finger-picking style from a couple of teachers, additional lessons from Chick Gandel, years of teaching myself, jazz improv from Jeff Neighbor, and classical from Jim Bertram at Cal State East Bay. Who were some of your inspirations that got you into music?

Al Caiola playing the Bonanza series TV theme song! And my folks’ encouragement. I was exposed to, interested in, and listened to all styles of music at an early age. I would fake going to sleep and listen to my radio under the bed covers deep into the night every night.

I was a night owl, a vampire from the beginning.

What are a couple of your favorite highlights (so far) from your musical career?

Anytime I get to perform with Paul Cotruvo!! Though all other highlights pale by comparison, the special memory list would go way beyond the space allowed here. Some thoughts that immediately come to mind are all the fantastic local musicians I’ve played with over the years, including David Martin’s House Party, recording with saxophonist Michael Brecker in NYC, playing acoustically with Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane) for my sister’s wedding, opening for Journey at the Cow Palace in SF, playing for an estimated crowd of 100,000 on the steps of SF City Hall, The Lloyds and Buzztone years, playing for intellectually handicapped clients at Agnew’s State Hospital, performing four times at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, having lunch with actor Charles Durning on the movie set of Die Laughing between music scene takes. I could fill

many pages of remarkable moments that would include just a person’s smile or a cool story. I have been blessed to keep a roof over my head for all my life doing something I love…music. I am profoundly grateful!

What have been some of the strangest highlights?

If you are a rocker, nothing is strange!!! :-) I do remember performing one night at the haunted Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains doing a “Twin Peaks” themed party with DMHP. VERY odd, spooky goings on that night - capped off by a huge dead rat lying on the doormat of my onsite hotel room upon arrival after the show!

Creepy!!!

How do you feel about music in the Bay Area and the next generation of bands?

It feels like there is a grassroots resurgence in playing music for the love of music and expression versus the use of music to be a “star.” Very encouraging!

Beatles or Stones?

Beatones? Steatles? Love the talent, songwriting, charisma, and humor of the Beatles. Love the blues-based edge, songwriting, style, and longevity of the Stones.

Springsteen or Dylan?

Dylan’s songs will be sung for generations to come. He was a genius in his prime. Springsteen was highly influenced by Dylan. Who have I seen more times in concert? Springsteen. I am a Bruce fan for many reasons, one of which is his respect and mutual love

affair with his audiences.

If you were a Beatles song, which one would you be?

Depends on the day, LOL! “Helter Skelter,” “And I Love Her,” “Getting Better,” “We Can Work It Out,” “In My Life,” “Let It Be.”

Thanks again, David, for the memories. Stay safe everyone!

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OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | JUNE 2020 | 23

General Manager’s Message A Peanut Butter Summer

By Michelle Lacy General Manager, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Open Sesame! If only we could have a magical phrase that would open our doors back up to a world where everything would be instantly as it was or, in the case of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, open to a cave lled with hidden treasures. A lot of folks could use a little extra gold about now. no Unfortunately, reality isn’t as generous as ction and someone forgot to give me the magic password. So, like the rest of the country, Pleasant Hill Rec & Park will have to rely on our wits, experience, creativity and exibility to maneuver through the Indiana Jones-like perils of COVID-19 transmission and carefully bridge the breach between shelter-in-place lockdown and “new-normal” life. Right now, my staff is working harder than ever to reinvent recreation opportunities under the every-changing county public health orders.

Summer is hands-down our busiest time of year with summer camps and aquatic programs normally in full-swing. Our community centers are usually maxed out with weddings and other life celebrations. Our parks are lled with picnics, sports, families playing and the entire community coming together for great summer events.

Summer is nomally our jam! This year, however, our “jam” is a lot more like peanut butter. A little nutty. Slow to spread.

And comes with precautions.

We are determined, however, to do what we can with our “peanut butter” summer, to make it the best and safest we can under tremendous uncertainty and rapidly changing public health orders. We are taking a very careful and systematic approach to our summer programming.

Our number one priority is the health and safety of our participants and our staff.

In early June, we are introducing "PHRec Cares", child-care based summer programs for preschool, youth, and teens.

PHRec Cares programs will consist of 4 or 5-week sessions with stable groups of 12 children and will include lots of arts & crafts, games, and outdoor fun. Programs will follow all Contra Costa County health orders and safety guidelines. Registration is now open at pleasanthillrec.com.

As public health orders are modiied in the coming weeks/month, we will be expanding summer programming in July!

I encourage you to visit our website often and/or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @pleasanthillrec for the latest updates. For families who have pre-registered for camp programs, we will be reaching out to you directly via email as programs options become available.

You will have rst priority registration.

If you have any questions, please contact our customer service staff at cservice@pleasanthillrec.com.

Our youth camps are not the only programs impacted this summer.

Our senior programs and services are also feeling the heat. I am getting a lot of questions about when senior programming and the building itself will re-open.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a deenitive answer. What I do know for certain is that resuming activities at the Senior Center will be solely driven by two factors: 1) d what is allowable under future health orders, and 2) when we have implemented all necessary safety protocols. Since COVID-19 disproportionately effects those in the age categories of our senior members, we will be extra cautious in when and how we resume senior programs.

In the interim, we will continue to provide seniors with fun, virtual recreation opportunities like happy hour Zoom events, pick-up meal service through our CC Cafe, and other assistance as needed.

This month, the Senior Center staff is launching “Summer Senior Meal Deals” for our senior club members. member Each Friday, a local restaurant will offer a special delicious “Meal Deal" for seniors (60+ yrs) to enjoy at a reasonable price. Our Senior Center staff will take orders and coordinate pick-up and delivery. For more “Summer Meal Deals” details, please visit our new Covid-19 Senior Resource Center at pleasanthillrec.com/567.

Another resource for all ages is our Virtual Recreation Center (VRC). We will continue to update our VRC with new

NEW! Summer Senior Meal Deals Start June 4th!

Call to order at (925) 798-8788

ideas to keep you and your family active, engaged and connected this summer. You also don’t want to miss our June line up of PHRec GIGS & GRUB LIVE Facebook Watch Party Series every Thursday evening at 6:00. This month, we are celebrating all women singers! See line up above.

Here is to a happy and healthy “peanut He butter” summer. I think I will go make a sandwich now...

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