COMMUNITY
FOCUS ourcommunityfocus.com
SEPTEMBER 2018 Reaching Over 50,000 Homes & Businesses
IN THIS ISSUE: • REMEMBERING MARTIN NELIS • COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY • MONTE CARLO FUNDRAISER
PLEASANT HILL • CONCORD • MARTINEZ • LAFAYETTE • WALNUT CREEK
SMALL TALK WITH TERI independent & locally owned by Teri Norbye PUBLISHERS: Becky Coburn Jennifer Neys Elena Hutslar info@ourcommunityfocus.com ADVERTISING: Community Focus info@ourcommunityfocus.com COPY EDITOR: Alison Clary GRAPHIC DESIGN: Trish Heaney
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MISSION STATEMENT The Community Focus is a free, independent, monthly publication dedicated to highlighting the vibrancy of the local businesses and residents while strengthening and building connections within our community.
COVER:
INSIDE
5
Local Sports
18 Tinkers & Thinkers
24
Spreading Good Vibes
17 Shell MEF Run
21 Mushroom Corn Quiche
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Remembering Martin Nelis, public information officer for the City of Pleasant Hill receiving the Community Plus Award in 2013. More on page 12. PHOTO BY: Susan Wood, susanwoodphotography.com.
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925-335-6397
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Meet Roy Jeans, who lives in Martinez. He’s owned Armando’s in Martinez for 14 years. The music club is named after his grandfather, who used to have a restaurant in Martinez before World War II. “My grandfather, Armando, was Italian and we were at war with Italy, so he was forced to move out of town to someplace where he couldn’t see the ship movement.” What is your biggest fear? Dying young. I think I have a lot more work to do, and I want to achieve it all. I’d like to live to be 100. Fun facts about Roy: 1. Most people don’t know that I’m a lot taller than I appear to be. 2. What makes me happy is a good band and a Sauvignon Blanc. 3. What makes me sad is our government. I believe this country is headed in a ruder, more confrontational direction. 4. Bob Dylan is my favorite artist. My favorite concert performance was David Bowie. It was his first show in S.F. at Winterland in 1972. There were less than 300 people there. 5. Going to Memphis and New Orleans is on my bucket list. They’re both great music towns with a lot of history.
Julie Says
Forecast: Sunny with a Chance of Apocalypse BY JULIE ROSS We are drowning in alarming and depressing news of climate change. There are massive islands of trash in the ocean. We continually hear of bills and legislative maneuvers being introduced to erode or strip away environmental protections. The relentless negative messaging in the media has been criticized as having paralyzing effects, thus rendering it
counterproductive. But does that mean we shouldn’t have the facts? The lead sidebar of an article appearing last year in the not-for-profit academic media outlet The Conversation reads: “Climate Gloom and Doom? Bring it on. But we need stories about taking action, too.” The article was written by Jon Christiansen, an assistant adjunct professor and a founder of the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies in the Institute of the Environment and Sustain-
First Responders Roundtable BY JIM BONATO Pleasant Hill CERT and the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District are co-sponsoring a roundtable presentation on September 26 to educate Pleasant Hill residents on the role of first responders in major emergencies such as a wildfires and earthquakes. As of late July, thousands of people are under evacuation orders in Northern California due to the plague of wildfires. Lives have been lost, both of first responders and residents, and there has been devastating property loss. Faced with the mental anguish and uncertainty of what happens next in the minutes or hours that follow, residents facing these wildfires have an urgent need to know: Is my family safe? Where are the pets? Do I need to evacuate? What should I bring? Where do I go? How do I get there and what roads are open? When can I return? Prior to last year’s swiftly spreading fires in urbanized areas of Napa and Sonoma counties, Pleasant Hill residents probably gave little thought to wildfires changing their lives. However, with Briones Regional Park a short distance from the western border of Pleasant Hill and treasured open space throughout the western edges of the city, our residents are now more keenly aware of what could happen in the event of wildfire. This roundtable presentation could not come at a more critical time and will involve representatives of the Contra
Costa County Fire Protection District, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Pleasant Hill Police Department, City of Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, American Red Cross, and Salvation Army. All invitees are first responders who play key coordinated roles in confronting a disaster and responding to it. Each group will give 10 to 15 minute presentations on what their agency’s role is in providing warning to residents, establishing Emergency Operation Centers, coordinating city, county, and fire district responses, giving evacuation notices to key neighborhoods, closing freeway and on/off ramps, identifying evacuation routes, providing safety to residents and property, identifying potential evacuation centers with likely opening times, and preparing for relief services for evacuees. Pleasant Hill residents who leave this roundtable discussion will be encouraged to think of how they should prepare themselves and their families in a major emergency and, more importantly, have a better understanding and confidence in our first responders and the key roles they play in preserving lives and property. The first responders’ roundtable is at 6:30pm on Wednesday, September 26, at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive in Pleasant Hill.
ability at UCLA. Christiansen praised the brilliance of the approach in California of “linking dystopian vision to what needs to be done to prevent it from becoming real.” Christiansen calls this “the California way: sunny with a chance of apocalypse” (which I liked so much I stole it for the headline of this column). I encourage you to read Christiansen’s article, which you can find online by going to www.theconversation.com and typing “Jon Christiansen” in the search bar. I found it uplifting to read about the significant work being done to develop powerful and positive conservation stories -- stories that can pull us up from the depths of pessimism and despondency. In the spirit of looking on the sunny side, I am sharing information here about an inspirational speaker series called “Conservation Icons,” launched in November 2017, that continues to reawaken hope and optimism for the future of our environment. “Conservation Icons” is the brainchild of Cheryl McCormick, Ph.D., the executive director of Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek. Cheryl invited colleagues, old and new, who are personal conservation heroes and longtime friends to share their work in wildlife conservation as a reminder of why the human connection to wildlife is so vitally connected to our own survival as a species and to
provide examples of how individually and collectively we can take steps toward long-lasting positive change. As Cheryl says, “You will leave these presentations with your brain engaged, your spirit rejuvenated, and your mind inspired.” I have been to see most of the “Conservation Icons” speakers and had the wonderful experience of learning from leading conservation experts about everything from woodpeckers to wolves and from eagles to orcas -- I can assure you Cheryl speaks the truth about the power of these speakers to educate, entertain and to motivate. The majority of the events are held in the large Manzanita Room on the ground floor of Lindsay Wildlife in Walnut Creek. Premiere speakers commanding larger audiences appear at the Lesher Center. You can check out the schedule of upcoming speakers and purchase tickets ($10 for Lindsay members and $15 general admission; more for premiere events) at www. lindsaywildlife.org. Money raised supports the care of the live animal ambassadors who reside at Lindsay. There are some really great presentations coming up. Take a look at the schedule and reserve your tickets soon – these events tend to sell out quickly! You can reach Julie at julieakross@ comcast.net
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Seniors are Susceptible
Six Ways the Elderly Can Avoid Financial Abuse BY JEFFREY HALL, Elder Law Attorney Increased dependency due to illness, disability, or cognitive impairments can make seniors susceptible to financial abuse. Nest eggs accumulated over decades also often make seniors attractive targets for predators, whether the predator is an offshore bogus sweepstakes or a care provider who sees an opportunity to be paid more than an hourly wage. Just as sunlight makes the best disinfectant, transparency provides the strongest abuse protection. If others are aware of the senior’s finances, possible predators will see that no opportunity exists to take advantage of the senior, and family members or professionals can step in to keep any fraud from going too far. STEPS FOR PREVENTING FINANCIAL ABUSE: 1. Arrange for account oversight Make sure that someone close to the senior has access to her accounts in case anything unusual is going on such as large checks being made out or larger-than-usual cash withdrawals from ATMs. The oversight can be through copies of monthly statements or online access to accounts. 2. Create joint accounts (good idea but be careful)
A joint account with someone gives them oversight as well as the ability to write checks, make investment decisions, and take steps if necessary to protect the funds in the account. It also avoids probate, making the transition somewhat easier at the owner’s death. But make sure you only add the name of someone you really trust to the account because it can also be an avenue for financial abuse if the joint owner becomes the perpetrator. Remember, when you change title, you’re making a legal gift. 3. Use a revocable trust Revocable trusts can be useful for a number of reasons. They include all of the benefits of joint accounts, with few of the drawbacks. Your revocable trust gives someone you trust access to your accounts in trust and the ability to step in seamlessly if you become disabled. Unlike a joint account, it does not give the trustee any ownership interest in the account. If, for instance, you had four children but named one as a co-owner of your joint accounts, at your death she would have the legal right to keep the funds rather than share them with her siblings. That would not be the case with a revocable trust. 4. Visit often Nothing prevents financial abuse or stops it in its tracks better than frequent visits by loved ones. Either the potential perpetrator will see that he can’t isolate the senior and take advantage of him or family members or
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friends will notice the abuse before it goes too far. 5. Get help paying bills If someone helps you pay your bills, they will help you make sure you’re not letting anything slip through cracks or paying something that you shouldn’t. 6. Consult with an elder law attorney An elder law attorney can help set up a revocable trust and durable power of attorney
to assist with financial management, advise on the best protective steps to take in each situation, and provide additional oversight to discourage financial abuse. Talk to your neighborhood elder law attorney, Jeffrey Hall, about preparing an estate plan with Medi-Cal gifting language to protect your family. You may visit his website at www. HallLawGroup.com or call (925) 230-9002. SPONSORED CONTENT
Real Estate Trends
Correction Mode or Summer Slump? BY NORMA FLASKERUD As we go to press we are mourning yet another giant in our community, Martin Nelis. My Irish friend put his roots down deeply in Pleasant Hill and was indispensable in everything he did for the city as its public information officer. We enjoyed interacting with him over the years, from planning the city’s 50th Anniversary Gala to sponsoring events like Concert By The Lake and breakfast at Community Service Day. Martin had his hand in doing so much for the city, with a great personality, some Irish wit, and charm. We are crushed he is gone far too soon due to a tragic accident. Our condolences to his darling children, his family in Derry, N. Ireland, and his close friends and co-workers. Erik and I continue working hard in real estate, honoring the legacy of Don and my 31 years in the business and carrying it forward with integrity and enthusiasm. We miss Don every, day but his knowledge and work ethic is one we carry on. We appreciate all the clients who continue to put their home sales in our hands, and we work hard to see each one is handled with utmost professionalism! With that in mind, we do have our fingers on the pulse of the local real estate market. Yes, we too have seen home sale price reductions and longer market times. Yes, we still see multiple offers, but instead of many offers we see a few. I have seen this time and time again; when home prices
go up in a bidding frenzy the next nearby home seller prices his/hers at that price, and it just doesn’t sell! When we see that, it generally means the market is not shooting up anymore; it is either in correction mode or SS! What is SS? Summer Slump! As you read this, summer is over, but as I write, not yet. I look forward to writing the October article because by then we will have a more accurate feel for what is happening in the market. There are three options: prices will continue to go up due to low inventory and affordable interest rates, or prices will level due to unsustainably high prices, or prices will drop due to rising interest rates and buyers becoming shop weary and stepping back. Any one of these options is a possible scenario. Like the Bay Area weather’s microclimates, we have micro-markets. As you well know, the closer you are to the Caldecott Tunnel and the view of San Francisco as you exit through the western end, the higher your home value will be. Within each town there are neighborhoods which are hugely popular and in demand. Therefore, home prices in higher demand areas will be sustained much longer than in low demand areas. Keep that in mind when evaluating your home or one you might want to buy. Please reach out to the Flaskerud Team for all your real estate questions and needs! We are here for you! 925-338-2980 DonandNorma@gmail.com or NormaFlaskerud@ Remax.net Re/Max Today 367 Civic Drive St., Pleasant Hill SPONSORED CONTENT
DO IT YOURSELF
Spin on DIY Spreading Good Vibes
BY REBECCA SEIDENSPINNER I had a really busy summer with work and the kids and didn’t really get to tackle all of my projects around the house. I was too busy spreading kindness in the world. This summer, the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District asked me to lead a weeklong volunteer camp called the Good Vibe Tribe. What is a Good Vibe Tribe you may ask? It is a group of teens that go out and volunteer for a week at various locations in our community. This group of teens was amazing. The first day we headed
over to the Pleasant Hill Senior Center. Did you know they serve discounted meals? We decorated the tables with flowers and notes of inspiration, cleaned up, and waited for the food delivery. When the food arrived, we served about thirty-five seniors lunch. It was wonderful to see how happy the seniors were to have company and their interaction with the kids. They asked if we were coming back all week. What a fun day! On Tuesday, we headed over to the Oakland Zoo where we learned about different habitats of zoo animals. We pulled weeds and worked closely with one of the zoo’s landscape specialists. It was hard work! After we were done working, we were able
to enjoy the zoo animals and spend the day together. The next day, we volunteered locally at the Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden. We learned all about compost. The Good Vibe Tribe harvested all of the new soil and spread it around the plants in the garden. There were only a few hundred bugs, and we encountered a beehive, which led to lots of screaming and running. Buzzzz. This work was exhausting, and I never heard one complaint. On Thursday, we went to Canyon Creek where we tested the water in the creek. This creek is home to so much wildlife. We saw birds, fish, tadpoles, and crawdads. We took off our shoes and tried to catch a few crawdads for fun, with no luck. We should have brought hot dogs and string like I used to use as a kid. We pulled weeds in the creek, cleaned up trash, and found a blackberry bush to feast on. We finished up our week of good deeds in the world by volunteering on Friday at the Monument Crisis Center. The Monument
Crisis Center has so many wonderful programs that support families and seniors. We served lunch to over one hundred seniors during their Senior Moments Program. This is a once-a-month program where seniors can come get a box of food, have lunch, and enjoy a game of Bingo with prizes. Some of the prizes are simple things like laundry soap and toiletries. The kids noticed how excited these small prizes made the seniors and how we sometimes might take having these basic necessities for granted. This week of good deeds with the Good Vibe Tribe was a wonderful learning experience. Each day, we went out in the world with the intent to spread kindness and make an impact on the world. We had fun together and made new friendships. I am so proud of the eight members of the Good Vibe Tribe and hope we can reunite next summer to spread more good vibes. I challenge you to be a part of the Good Vibe Tribe everyday. Do great things with kindness.
The Good Vibe Tribe at the Oakland Zoo.
Serving meals at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center.
2015
Mark Ellinwood, Owner
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CITY NEWS
Mayor’s Message Missing Martin We had no time to prepare for Martin’s death, and we are still in shock and reeling from the profound loss we feel. Martin’s importance in the lives of all of us was so big, so consequential, that his passing has created a huge tear in our community fabric. But all of us will stitch back together the tear his death has created, and we begin the mending process by honoring Martin’s contributions and influence, his charm, his wit, the twinkle in his eye, his smile, his intellect, and his selflessness. And we offer our hearts and condolences to Martin’s brave and beautiful children, his large and loving family, and his many, many friends. Martin did not seek the limelight, but he could not avoid it because of his many contributions to our community. However, I think he enjoyed the warm glow of the spotlight when it shined upon him—particularly
when he was recognized for his above and beyond contributions with a Mayors Award and a Community Service Award. Pleasant Hill’s tag line is “At the Center of Everything,” but really, Martin was at the center of everything Pleasant Hill. I don’t quite remember when I first met Martin, but it was shortly after he joined the city as its public information officer. He was the staff person assigned to the Civic Action Commission in 2007 at a time when I served as its chair. Martin was deferential but quickly elevated the quality of the commission and brought a professional guiding hand to help us execute our mission of building a sense of community, which we were doing through a summer concert series and a community service day. The Summer Concert Series quickly grew in popularity as Martin’s media savvy increased our promotional reach, and his
Public Meetings
Civic Action Sept. 5 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Small Community Room, 6:30pm. Contact: 671-5229 City Council Sept. 17 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Council Chambers, 7:00pm. Contact: 671-5229 Architectural Review Sept. 6, 20 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Large Community Room, 5:00pm. Contact: 671-5209 Planning Commission Sept. 11, 25 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Council Chambers, 6:30pm. Contact: 671-5209 Education Commission Sept. 26 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Large Community Room, 7pm. Contact: 671-5229
JENNIFER L. MARTIN, D.D.S. Specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
401 GREGORY LANE, SUITE 126 PLEASANT HILL, CA 94523 925.676.8485 FAX 925.676.0288 www.drjennifermartin.com 6 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
Tim Flaherty, Mayor of Pleasant Hill
deft touch increased our budget to afford better bands and professional sound. Our nascent Community Service Day nearly doubled in volunteers and projects. He was the first to get his hands dirty, whether it was moving trash after concerts or pulling weeds in the front yard of one of our senior citizens. Over time we became friends—good friends—grabbing a beer after a meeting, sitting in my backyard on one of our balmy nights. We found we had a lot in common. His first name and my middle name; our love of family--we both had more siblings than most—me with six and he with eight; we were recently divorced dads when we moved to Pleasant Hill; our love of the Russian River and its majestic Redwood trees; our shared commitment to community service; our similar political leanings; and, of course, our shared Irish heritage. He told me what he knew of the ferocious Flahertys from Galway and encouraged me to visit, which I have yet to do. He spoke often of his children—Aidan, Fiona and Dierdre-- with fatherly pride. He told me of his family in Derry and his mother Mary’s fame and activism. We traded stories of growing up in a large family and making each other laugh -- though while his stories
often involved running from the police, mine involved stealing altar wine and were much less exciting or dangerous. It impressed him that I knew of Robert Emmet, the famous Irish Nationalist executed by the British in the early 1800s, and could recite a few lines from his Speech From the Dock. The few lines I remembered from high school forensics class are so poignant today: “The man dies, but his memory lives. I pray that my memory may animate those who survive me. Let no man write my epitaph. Let my character and motives repose in obscurity and peace, till other times and other men can do them justice. ” The memory of Martin will live on in our laughter and tears; and the impact of his contributions to our community will endure as our city continues to be a wonderful place to live, work and play, and raise a family. So Martin, my friend, my pal, May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your fields And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. (Traditional Irish blessing)
Chamber Calendar
Sept. 4 - Chamber Wine & Beer Booth at the Market (Foxcatchers performing at 6pm), 4:30-8pm, Trelany Rd, PH Sept. 7 - Ambassador Meeting 8:30-9:30am, City Hall Community Room, 100 Gregory Ln., PH Sept. 7 - 27th Annual Celebration of the Rogers Ranch Journey & Ribbon Cutting 4:30-7pm, 315 Cortsen Rd. PH. Sept. 13 - Wence’s Restaurant – Chamber Business Mixer 5-7pm, 1922 Oak Park Blvd., PH Sept. 20 - PH Chamber Board Meeting, 8-10am, City Hall Community Room, 100 Gregory Ln., PH. Sept. 24 - Government Affairs Committee, 4:30-5:30pm, Back Forty Texas BBQ, 100 Coggins Dr., PH Sept. 26 - Home Based Business Owners, Lunch & Learn 12-2pm, Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road, Concord 680 Business Networking - 2nd & 4th Wednesdays & Thursdays, 8-9am, JFK University, 100 Ellinwoood Way, PH OFF THE GRID Food Trucks - Wednesdays, 5-9pm, Trelany Road, PH Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays, 4:30-8pm, Trelany Road, PH
CITY NEWS
Pleasant Hill City News Major Development Projects Update Hilton Homewood Suites - Hilton Homewood Suites hotel on Ellinwood Way is presently accepting reservations for arrival December 1, 2018, and beyond. The 115 room longterm stay hotel and associated facilities will also offer an outdoor pool with patio and BBQ pits, as well as a fitness room and spacious lobby lounge. The studio and one-bedroom suites feature separate living and sleeping areas. Burlington Coat Factory - Currently under review is an exterior remodel of an existing 40,000 square foot stand-alone building at 568 Contra Costa Boulevard, located in the Pleasant Hill Shopping Center, formerly occupied by Toys R Us/Babies R Us. Dunkin Donut - The city is considering plans for a new 778 square foot drive-thru restaurant, open 24 hours a day and located at 61 Chilpancingo Way. Plans include no indoor seating, however, the proposal includes eight outdoor seats and a double-entry drive-thru facility with a 13-vehicle queuing area. Cambria Hotel Development - An application is under review for a 155 room, four-story hotel, with a maximum height of 50 feet, which would be located at the southwest corner of North Main Street and Oak Park Boulevard. The site plan includes 135 parking spaces and a swimming pool. Reliez Terraces Subdivision and Planned Unit Development - The city council will hold a public hearing on September 17 (originally scheduled for August 6) to consider a request by Mt. Diablo View Associates LLC for approval of a project that would establish a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district to allow the creation of 17 single-family homes on an approximately 4.42-acre site. The project is located at Pleasant Hill Road and Boyd Road. Project improvements would include stormwater treatment and retention facilities, new pedestrian pathways, and open space. Residential lots would range in size from 8,211 to 12,724 square feet. The project would construct an on-site private road with a circular turn-
around that would include 18 parking spaces. The project site would be developed with one and two-story homes, all with two and three car garages and driveways, with six floor plan options. Four of the 17 units would be built to include accessory dwelling units with separate entrances. One-story homes would be intermixed with two-story homes along the project’s internal street.
Crescent Drive Summer Concert Head to Downtown Pleasant Hill on September 6 for the final Summer Concert Series! The Illeagles will perform in the plaza in front of Jack’s Restaurant & Bar, 6:30 - 8:30pm.
Chalk Festival On September 29, Downtown Pleasant Hill invites the community to a free Chalk Festival featuring 20 artists that create a life-size chalk mural on the pavement encompassing the plaza by Jack’s Restaurant & Bar. In addition to the chalk art, the event also includes a prize wheel and a Kids Chalk Zone where children are invited to create their own chalk masterpieces! The first 100 attendees will also receive a free goody bag! The event is from 12-3pm.
Library Schematic Design Approval The new library schematic design is set for approval by the city council on September 17. The design team received positive feedback at the town hall meetings and is currently looking at different options for architecture, rooflines, and windows, among other items
10th Annual Sustainability Awards Gala Sustainable Contra Costa presents Leadership in Sustainability and Green Building Awards at the 10th Annual Awards Gala on September 20. This fun, inspiring event at the Pleasant Hill Community Center supports and celebrates local individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions and commitment to a healthy environment, economy, and society so Contra Costa remains a wonderful place for generations to come. Guests will enjoy food, wine, and beer from local, sustainable partners along with live music and a silent auction featuring local goods and services. Dessert and awards presentation follow reception. www.sustainablecoco.org.
Help make Pleasant Hill shine!
Pleasant Hill Community Service Day Turning old bicycles into new
Saturday
September 22
7:30 a.m.
Painting benches at PH Middle School
Come to Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane, for breakfast and registration, then head on over to your project work site
Volunteers receive... FREE! Pancake breakfast at Pleasant Hill Park (7:30 a.m.) No one’s too young to help!
FREE! T-shirts (first 450 volunteers) Cleaning books at the library
Register at www.pleasanthillca.org/volunteer For more information contact, Gayle Vassar at gvassar@pleasanthillca.org or phone (925) 671-5229.
Working hard at PH Instructional Garden
Organized by Pleasant Hill Civic Action Commission and supported by local businesses
City of Pleasant Hill
Helping out at Strandwood Elementary OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 7
CITY NEWS
Mayor’s Message Many of you, like my wife and I, recently received a letter from the Contra Costa County Elections Department advising you that your precinct no longer has a polling place and you will be voting by mail, whether you signed up for it or not. I have received many emails from Martinez voters complaining that they do not trust voting by mail and want to cast their ballot in person at their neighborhood-polling place. New District Elections If you are wondering who, what, when and why this is happening, you have only to look at the recent threat of lawsuit from a Malibu attorney recruited by a small group of Martinez residents and led by a former Martinez elected official. The attorney sent a demand letter to the city last fall accusing the city of discriminating against minority groups, primarily Latinos, and asserting that our “at large” system of elections was biased against those minority groups. Under threat of a lengthy and expensive lawsuit, the city council went through the process to move to “district” elections for city council and retain the “at large” mayor. We held the required six public hearings to review the demographics of the city and took input from the public.
Under protest, the city council adopted an ordinance that established four city council districts, with each district running from the waterfront in the north to the Pleasant Hill city limits and Pacheco in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Every member of the city council was concerned that establishing districts that separated the city into different geographical areas would pit one neighborhood against another for city resources and services. It was decided that every district would have a portion of the waterfront, downtown core, midtown, and neighborhoods south of Highway 4. We consulted with the County Elections department on several occasions and made all the adjustments to the districts they suggested in order to reduce the work that was required to change precincts to match the districts. As a result of the implementation of district elections, the County Elections Department has decided to move voters in precincts with 250 or less registered voters to mail-in ballots. However, if you have a mail-in ballot, you can cast that ballot at any Martinez polling place and also at the County Elections Department at 555 Escobar Street in downtown Martinez. If you have questions or would like to file a com-
SERVING
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Rob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez Martinez Clippers Lastly, I want to thank the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball for choosing Martinez as one of their two expansion teams in the league. The Clippers had a wonderful first season, and over the course of the season, attendance boomed and Martinez embraced their hometown team. More thanks goes out to the staff of the City of Martinez. If it was not for their creative approach to problem solving and looking for ways to make things happen and knocking down roadblocks, the Clippers would not be a reality. However, if it were not for Paulette and Jeff Carpoff agreeing to invest yet again in their hometown by becoming the owners of the Clippers, none of this would have ever come to fruition. Affordable, family-friendly hometown entertainment has come to Martinez and will be even better next year.
plaint, you can contact the Contra Costa County Elections Department at outreach@ vote.cccounty.org. Medicinal Cannabis The month of September is going to be a busy month for the Martinez City Council. We will be considering the conditional use permit and development agreement for a medicinal cannabis operation in an industrial park area in the south of town. This application is being made under the medical cannabis ordinance that was originally approved in 1998. The temporary recreational cannabis ban that the city council approved prior to the end of 2017 will be up for review in November and possibly December. At that time, the city council will review and take action on allowing or disallowing retail sales, delivery, and commercial wholesale growing and testing within the city limits.
Public Meetings
City Council Meeting Sept. 5, 19 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 6-9pm. Contact: 372-3500 Zoning Administrator Meeting Sept. 5, 19 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 4-6pm. Contact: 372-3500 Design Review Meeting Sept. 12, 26 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 4-6pm. Contact: 372-3500 Planning Commission Meeting Sept. 11, 25 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 7-11pm. Contact: 372-3500 PRMCC Meeting Sept. 18 (Park, Recreation, Marina, Cultural Commission City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 6:15-8pm. Contact: 372-3500 For Confirmation Visit: www.cityofmartinez.org
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CITY NEWS
Martinez City News Martinez Blues Festival The blues festival returns to downtown Martinez on September 22 and 23,10am – 6pm, with two days of live music on two stages, with smaller music and performances throughout the event. In addition, there will be arts and crafts vendors and plenty of food vendors along Main Street. Art and kids’ activities will be available, and a live chalk artist will create blues themed art.
Mutt Strutt On Thursday, September 13, at 6pm, all dogs are invited to participate and strut their stuff at Susana Park. Prizes will be awarded in the categories of: best name, best tail, best trick, best costume, and best looks most like owner. All dogs must be on a leash. Owner pre-registration is requested. Go to www.CityofMartinez.org or call (925) 372-3510.
the original Rat Pack era. The plaza’s stunning fountain serves as a focal point, and lights twinkle throughout the venue to create a magical experience. Featuring jumpin’ and jivin’ music, full catered dinner, specialty libations, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages, this stunning and exclusive event has become the jewel of East Bay social events. Suggested attire is black tie optional, cocktail, or period appropriate. Local mixologists representing their establishments compete for the designation “Best Martini in the Martinez Area” as well as the “People’s Choice Award.” Tickets are $6070 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.com (enter “Martinis on the Plaza Gala”). Questions may be directed to the Martinez Chamber of Commerce at (925) 228-2345. No refunds will be issued. More details at http://martinezchamber.com/martinis-on-the-plazagala.
Madness on Main St. Car Show The 22nd annual Madness on Main Street Car Show is September 8 from 10am4pm. Over 200 cool cars, trucks, and bikes of all makes, models, and years will be on display in downtown Martinez, with many award categories. This event is free for the public to attend.
Martinis on the Plaza Gala The Martinez Chamber of Commerce presents Martinis on the Plaza Gala on September 15. The gala celebrates the official birthplace of the martini and the rich history of bayside Martinez! For the 9th year in a row, this regional signature event will be held at the beautiful Plaza Ygnacio Fountain, at the steps of City Hall. Themed after the martini lounges of the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, the vintage ambiance of the evening is reminiscent of
September 15th 6:30pm – 10pm
Buses every 10 - 15 minutes. Tour guides on buses. Allow 2 or more hours for the Tour.
Tickets on sale now! ~ Martinezmartini.com
Martinez Historical Society See interiors ofMartinis 6 - 8 on homes. Livehosted Celebrate Martinez, CA as the official birthplace of the Martini at the Plaza Gala, music. Demonstrations. Vintage cars. Complimentary beverages.
by the Martinez Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy live music, full catered dinner, specialty libations, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. Local mixologists will compete for the "Best Martini in the Martinez Area" as well as the "People's Choice Award."
HISTORIC HOME TOUR
Saturday October 13th 2018 10 am -- 4 pm
Tours begin at the Shell Clubhouse in Martinez. Visit the website for more Tour information: www.MartinezHomeTour.com Advance purchase of discounted tickets is available. Please support the Tour sponsors which include these local businesses:
Shell Martinez Refinery
Shell Chemical OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 9
CITY NEWS
Mayor’s Message As the campaign filing period closed for all those wishing to run for office in Walnut Creek, I found myself looking forward to the upcoming election. While I am not up for re-election this year, I am excited to learn about the backgrounds and great ideas the candidates have to offer our community, especially with an open seat on the council. Whoever the winners are in 2018, we already know the Walnut Creek community is losing a long time leader, as former Mayor Rich Carlston has decided not to run for re-election. I thank Mr. Carlston for serving this community for
decades. His impact on the community will continue well beyond his years of service. I recently attended a campaign event for a candidate running for city council. I listened intently to those speaking to the crowd about all the reasons they believed the candidate should be elected. One of the speakers noted that he was from the opposite side of the proverbial isle from the candidate they were there to support. There was a look of bewilderment on many of the audience members’ faces and there were even multiple “boos.” Not to be dissuad-
Justin Wedel, Mayor of Walnut Creek
ed, the speaker addressed the issue by referencing their many policy agreements rather than some of the national issues that potentially cause divisions. The speaker directly challenged everyone in the audience to look for candidates based upon their policy positions rather than their party affiliation. While it was clear they would not always agree on every issue, they promoted an environment where everyone — especially our city leaders — should be able to sit down and have a lively debate and endeavor to better understand one another to identify the best solutions to our community’s opportunities and challenges. In a time when some voices are being silenced, fearing the mentality
currently expressed on social media and some news outlets, with the upcoming elections I encourage all of us to respectfully debate our ideas in an open forum without hesitation or internalization, especially with those with whom you may disagree. You never know... like in the story above, you may find that you have more in common that you may think. Republican or Democrat, Independent or Socialist, each of us must find ways to work together towards the greater good of the community. Diversity of opinion may not be easy -- it was never meant to be -- but in the end, we are better served by respectfully discussing our differing viewpoints than by casting aspersions or remaining silent.
Public Meetings City Council Meeting Sept. 4, 25 Council Chambers, 1666 North Main Street, 6pm. Contact: 943-5819 Design Review Meeting Sept. 5 Council Chambers, 1666 North Main Street, 7pm. Contact: 943-5819 Planning Commission Meeting Sept. 13, 27 Council Chambers, 1666 North Main Street, 7pm. Contact: 943-5819 For Confirmation Visit: www.walnut-creek.org Lic.0506034
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CITY NEWS
Walnut Creek City News City Elections
Walnut Creek voters will elect two city council members and the city treasurer on Tuesday, November 6. Councilmember Cindy Silva is running for re-election, and current City Councilmember Rich Carlston has decided not to run for re-election. For election information, you can contact the city clerk’s office at 925-943-5818.
Ninth Annual Fundraiser for Wildlife Lindsay Wildlife Experience’s premiere fall fundraiser is on Sunday, September 23, from 5 to 8pm at Va de Vi Bistro, in downtown Walnut Creek. Now in its ninth year, this event offers silent and live auctions that raise money for Lindsay’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital, the first-ever in the nation. A Western Screech Owl will be making its debut appearance to the public, and one lucky bidder will get to name the owl that is Lindsay’s newest animal ambassador. This will be a night filled with fine food, fine wine, fine company, and of course, animal ambassadors. Tickets start at $150 per person. Purchase tickets at lindsaywildlife.org/vadevi.
City Goes with Renewable Electricity The City of Walnut Creek has joined California’s renewable energy movement by opting up all of its city-owned buildings and facilities to MCE’s Deep Green 100% renewable electricity service. By using MCE’s Deep Green electricity from California solar and wind, the city will eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions associated with its electricity use. That’s an estimated 900 metric tons of greenhouse gases eliminated annually, which is like taking 193 cars off the road for an entire year.
Mountain Shadow Film Society Mountain Shadow Film Society holds its 4th Annual Short Film Competition at the Las Lomas Theater the weekend of September 14-15. Selected this year from 529 submissions by 22 volunteer judges, a dozen finalists from around the country will present their animated, live-action or documentary short film in person for audience cash awards. Free for film society members, $12 general admission tickets are available on a first-come basis, starting 30 minutes before show times. Shadow Film Society is an educational non-profit organization, bringing the best in foreign and independent filmmaking to Walnut Creek. Mountain Shadow Film Society is run by volunteers to bring foreign and independent films to Walnut Creek.
Disaster Preparedness Workshop With the seemingly endless news of wildfires throughout California, now is the time to make sure you and your family are prepared in the event of a disaster. On September 7, from 9:45am until 3pm, a host of local agencies will present information and education in a free workshop at the Rossmoor Event Center. Sponsored by the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging and the Senior Mobility Action Council, this free event has limited seating available. You will need to register in advance for this valuable workshop. For registration information and to get more details about the workshop, you can call 925-937-8311 or send an email to nsalgado@mowdr.org.
Citizens Institute This year’s Citizen’s Institute consists of seven evening and one Saturday morning sessions for citizens to: learn first-hand how the city works; meet and get to know their neighbors, city officials, and city employees; gain an improved awareness of available city services and community resources; and discover opportunities to be involved with local government. Cost is $25, payable first day of class. Anyone who lives or works in Walnut Creek (including unincorporated Walnut Creek) and has an interest in local government is invited to sign up for the institute. Classes are designed for 30-35 students to encourage discussion, involvement, and interaction.
Upcoming Topics: Walnut Creek Police Department: September 12, 6:30 - 9:30pm. Get to know the WCPD. Getting From Here to There: September 26, 6:30 - 9:30pm. See a demonstration of the hightech Traffic Signal Master and learn the principles of parking inventory management. Keeping Things Running Smoothly: October 9, 6:30 - 9:30pm. Tour the Public Works Corp. Yard and learn about the wide array of public works functions, from managing parks to repairing streets.
Wine and Whiskers ARF’s 15th Annual Wine and Whiskers event is on Saturday, September 8, from 5 to 8pm at the ARF headquarters on Mitchell Drive in Walnut Creek. Guests will enjoy fruits of the vine from local wineries, delicious vegetarian appetizers from local eateries, live music, fantastic live and silent auctions with items too appealing to ignore, as well as ARF’s four-legged furry friends looking for their forever homes. All proceeds benefit ARF’s programs for pets and people. Tickets start at $100 each and can be purchased at https://arf.ejoinme.org/wineandwhiskers.
Ygnacio Canal Trail Improvements Last month, the city began making pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements to the Ygnacio Canal Trail crossing at Walnut Avenue. The project will realign the trail crossing, deliberately creating a short jog to slow cyclists before they enter the crossing. A bulb-out (curb extension) on the southern side of Walnut Avenue will reduce the crossing length and improve the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists. The project will also install new pedestrian push-button-activated warning lights on both sides of the crosswalk. The Ygnacio Canal Trail crossing at Walnut Avenue will be closed for the duration of the project, projected through the fall of 2018. Closure notices are posted on the trail. Over the course of this work, you may experience traffic delays. Parking will be prohibited at locations adjacent to the work. Work locations will be posted with “No Parking” signs a minimum of 72 hours prior to the start of the work. For questions and more information, contact Project Manager Joe Sadri at 925-943-5899 x 2217. OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 11
community
mourns THE
THE UNEXPECTED LOSS OF
MARTIN NELIS THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING IN PLEASANT HILL
Community Bids Farewell to Cherished City Employee It was with great sadness that the city received news of a tragic bicycling accident claiming the life of Martin Nelis, public information officer for the City of Pleasant Hill, on August 2, 2018. The impact Martin had on the community became evident as family, friends, colleagues, and members of the community, totaling over 400 people, gathered together in honor of his memory on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at the Pleasant Hill Community Center. Martin’s family kindly shared the following about his life: Martin was the sixth child of a family of nine from Derry City, Ireland. An engineering graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, Martin immigrated to the United States in 1989. He took up several IT jobs and was also a congressional aide prior to his longtime positions as public information officer, first with the City of Suisun and then the City of Pleasant Hill in 2007. He was a loving father of three children and very active in the community. Martin was adored in the Pleasant Hill community. He was instrumental in growing the summer concert series that began around 2000 and in organizing farmers’ markets and other events. He played a huge role in the Measure K campaign, a ballot initiative in Pleasant Hill to help raise funds for a new public library. Friends and family will remember him for his dry Irish humor and his sarcastic wit. Martin was preceded in death by his father, Billy, and his brother Peter. He leaves behind seven siblings: Donncha, Liam, John, Patrick, Cathy, Declan and Frank; his three children, whom he adored - Aidan, Fiona and Deirdre; mother Mary Elliott Nelis; former wife Niki Maguire-Rampe; and countless aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. ~ City of Pleasant Hill
All of us in Pleasant Hill had the extreme honor and pleasure of knowing Martin as a friend and a dedicated public servant. We got to “share” him with his home of Derry, Ireland, and we thank his family and friends for allowing us this great privilege. You will never be forgotten Martin, and we will always treasure our memories of the wonderful times we spent with you. ~ Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff Words don’t adequately describe the loss we feel with Martin’s passing. In 2009, Becky, Jen, and I met with some of the staff at Pleasant Hill City Hall to get their feedback about our idea of starting a community paper. Most people we approached with this idea thought we were crazy and tried to discourage us. But Martin sat straight up in his chair and said, “What a brilliant idea. This will be so good for our community. How can I help?” He was anxious to share material with us, get the mayor to participate, and help in any way. We soon noticed that was how Martin was with everyone. He was anxious to take part in anything he felt would help the community, bring the community closer, and enrich the city and its residents. At every event we attended, Martin was there, but he was rarely there to partake; he was there to work. He stepped in to help in any way he could, from picking up trash, taking photos, stocking toilet paper, setting up stages, and serving on multiple committees. This was not part of his job description. This was just who Martin was. He quietly and loyally served his community. He refused any limelight or attention for his efforts. When he was awarded the Community Plus Award, he reluctantly walked to the stage to receive it. His shoes will never be filled.
My heart is broken by Martin’s tragic death. I lost a dear, dear friend, his children lost a beloved father, his colleagues lost an irreplaceable coworker, our community lost a dedicated public servant, and the world lost a precious gift. I’m overwhelmed with grief. Martin had a hand in everything that made Pleasant Hill such a great place to live, work, and raise a family. He was the voice and face of our community and its heart and soul. Martin simply made our city a better place. He was passionate and caring. He left an indelible mark on so many community events, including Community Service Day, the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative, the Summer Concert Series, children’s tours of City Hall, and our new library.
We feel truly honored and blessed to have known him. We will forever miss his emails, phone calls, laughter, smile, and charming Irish accent.
In our grief, we must remember what a blessing it was to have this brilliant man grace our lives. Martin’s memory will live on in all the wonderful things he did and how much he cared about all of us. He was a magnificent human being who left a legacy that will live on forever. We should all try to live our lives in a way that would make Martin proud.
~ Community Focus Publishers, Elena Hutslar, Becky Coburn and Jennifer Neys
~ Reflections by Michael G. Harris, OD Councilmember, City of Pleasant Hill
12 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 13
Leaving a Mark
A New Mural at College Park Pool BY SOPHIE CORBETT, Senior at Carondelet High School The College Park High School pool deck has a brand new mural thanks to recent graduate Tyler Shaver. In his four years at College Park, Tyler was extremely involved in both water polo and swimming, so a giant mural seemed a fitting way to give back to the aquatics program. “I was inspired by past projects completed by the CP leadership and sports leadership programs, and I wanted to give something back to the school and aquatics programs that gave so much to me. I came up with the idea to paint an aquatics mural on the gym wall by the pool deck on the second day of my senior year and decided I was going to accomplish this before I graduated,” said Tyler.
The process was not an easy one. After working with a graphic designer, Tyler had to get approval from the College Park administration, followed by approval from the Mount Diablo Unified School District, which took almost four months. He was then able to secure funding from the College Park Athletics Booster Club for the paint for the project. One of the toughest obstacles was the design had to be projected onto the wall in order to be traced. This included lots of equipment and had to completed in one night. Another hurdle included figuring out how to get high enough to paint the mural since the wall is almost 30 feet tall. Luckily, Tyler received a generous donation of a scissor lift from Cresco Equipment Rental in order to complete the project. The painting of the mural began in early June. After a long process that lasted the entire school year, Tyler’s idea finally came to fruition with the help of the College Park athletic director, a graphic designer, his family, and many
Tyler in front of the Mural.
The finished product.
volunteers. He is extremely grateful for everyone who made this project possible. Tyler’s dedication to the College Park aquatics program comes to life in his mural. The water polo player in the mural bears the same number on his cap as Tyler’s, #23. His goal was to give back to the community, and he certainly did that. When asked
what the biggest thing he learned from this process was, Tyler said, “I learned project management - specifically how to take a big and seemingly arduous project from an idea to reality. I also learned that when I want to accomplish something I set my mind to, I’ll do whatever it takes to get it accomplished.”
Pleasant Hill YMCA 350 Civic Drive Pleasant Hill, 94523 (P) 925 687 8900
Pleasant Hill YMCA
(E)CA jmarquez@ymca-cba.org 350 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, 94523 (P) 925 687 8900 (W) www.ymcaeastbay.org (E) jmarquez@ymca-cba.org (W) www.idfymca.org 14 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
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Make a Difference
14th Annual Community Service Day
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BY MICHAEL G. HARRIS, OD Councilmember & Former Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill On Saturday, September 22, Pleasant Hill will observe our 14th Annual Community Service Day. When I started CSD during my first term as mayor, I hoped it would have a lasting effect on the community I love. Much to my delight, it’s become a symbol of what’s best about Pleasant Hill -- people helping make our city even better. I’m often asked how I came up with the idea for a citywide community service day. While I founded the city’s CSD, I can’t take credit for the idea of volunteers doing community service. Churches, synagogues, nonprofits, and schools often have projects where their members spend time tidying up their facilities or working in the community. But the idea of an entire city dedicating one day a year to work on projects that beautify the city and benefit it in so many other ways is novel. In Judaism, there is a
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principle called Tikkun Olam. It means, “repairing the world.” It’s a tenet I learned as a child from my parents. All of us, no matter our age or social status, are responsible for making the world a better place than when we got here. It involves both “social action and the pursuit of social justice,” themes I’ve embraced all of my life. CSD would not have been possible or successful without the help of many people, especially the former and current members of the Pleasant Hill’s Civic Action Commission. When I suggested the idea that residents work on two-dozen projects in our hometown on one day, some were skeptical. But even the skeptics became strong advocates for CSD. Special thanks to our sponsors and, of course, all those who volunteer on this special day. They say, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Other cities have followed our example, including our neighbor Walnut Creek. Together, in 2012, we were awarded the prestigious Helen Putnam Award of Excellence by the League of California Cities for the best service project in California. This year’s CSD starts at 7:30am at Pleasant Hill Park with a free pancake breakfast provided by the Pleasant Hill Lions. The Lions have been instrumental in making this day successful. When I approached the Lions’ Don Flaskerud with the idea of the Lions serving a free breakfast to hundreds of people at our first CSD, Don jumped at the idea. Community service was no stranger to Don or the Lions. Don may not have heard of Tikkun Olam, but he and his wife, Norma, exemplified it in their countless endeavors that benefit our community, including providing the food for the pancake breakfast.
Unfortunately, Don passed away earlier this year, but he lives on through his good deeds. This year’s CSD is dedicated to Don’s memory. One of the great things about CSD is there are projects for people of all ages and abilities. It’s wonderful seeing children and their parents, and sometimes grandparents, working together on a project. What a powerful lesson for our kids! If you have a project that you think would make our city better, please submit it on the city’s website at www.pleasanthillca.org/csd. You, your family, friends, and neighbors can volunteer at the same website. During the past 13 years, Pleasant Hill residents and friends have donated over 40,000 hours of service to our community. That’s about $1 million worth of free service you’ve provided our hometown! You’ve made an enormous difference in our community. Thank you. Sadly, this year’s Community Service Day will be very different from the last eleven. We will be missing our beloved public information officer, Martin Nelis, who was tragically killed in a bicycle accident recently. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Martin for the success of CSD. He was the heart and soul of the event, as he was with so many things in this community. He took care of all the arrangements, large and small, and made CSD the success it is today. He will be missed but not forgotten. Help honor Martin and Don’s memory by volunteering for this year’s Community Service Day. I hope to see you at 7:30am on September 22 at Pleasant Hill Park, where we will continue our tradition of repairing the world, one city at a time.
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The Pleasant Hill Community Foundation (PHCF) is seeking a board member with an accounting background who can assist the current treasurer with monthly and annual financials. If you would like to help the PHCF mission of enhancing the quality of life in Pleasant Hill by serving on the Pleasant Hill Community Foundation Board of Directors, please contact Kendra Luke at kluke@pleasanthillrec.com. “
SPORTS
Kiwanis Athlete of the Year
Panthers Undefeated
Congratulations to the 12A Pleasant Hill Panthers. They traveled to Lancaster, California, to compete in the NSA Western World Series from August 1 – 4. Solid defense, hot bats, and phenomenal pitching from Mikaela Pike and Kameron Burroso all led to the team going undefeated in the 3-day contest. Mel Saindon caught every pitch. The team represented our community with true grit as they battled thru triple digit temperatures in the high desert of Los Angeles County. They won their final game, 12-5, against the Central Valley Firecrackers on August 4 to bring home the gold. Congratulations to the girls and coaches on an amazing season. Best of luck to them as they move up to the 14U division.
John Scott Senz, a Concord High School senior, was presented with the 20172018 Kiwanis Special Olympics K Team Athlete of the Year Award by Margo Dutton, president of the Kiwanis California-Nevada-Hawaii District Foundation. The ceremony took place on Friday, August 10, at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay, Hawaii, as part of the organization’s 98th Annual District Convention. Senz won the 2017 Special Olympics of Northern California Regional Golf Championship.
John Scott Senz with Margo Dutton, president of the Kiwanis California-Nevada-Hawaii District Foundation
Cheer Clinic Bottom row: Soos Sandoval, Tori Umana-Almaraz, Jessie Lovett, Kam Borruso, Mel Saindon. Standing: Mikaela Pike, Abby Wood, Haley Solis, Hailey Hallford, Isabella ScoliniCoaches: Dan Pike, Ron Cancilla, Mike Saindon, Scott Wood.
Diablos Deliver
The Martinez Diablos 10U Baseball team went 4-0 to win the TPR All Star Classic Woodbat tournament in North Lake Tahoe July 7th and 8th.
Come learn cheer moves, jumps, chants and dances at the College Park High School Mini Falcon Cheer Clinic for boys and girls, grades K- 8 All participants participate at the CPHS football game and halftime show on Sept.21. Clinic fee is $60 and includes a t-shirt, pom-poms, hair bow and snacks. Cheer Clinic Dates: Saturday Sept. 15 from 10am-noon; Sept 17 & 19, 3:30-4:30pm. Location: Falcon’s Stadium, at College Park High School. 201 Viking Dr. PH. Sign up online at https://squareup. College Park High School com/store/college-park-boosters.
CHEERLEADING
2018 Mini Falcons Cheer Clinic & Performance! I called I’m notCalling in all Boys Hire My Husband trouble to take care of our anymore! “Honey Do List”!
Kids will learn: • • • •
Cheer moves Jumps & chants CPHS cheer Dance routine
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and Girls Kindergarten to 8th Grade! Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner 5 Years in a Row! Community Focus Readers’ Local Favorite 2014 & 2015 All participants Clinic fee is will perform at a $60 & includes: • Interior Painting
CPHS Football Game and Halftime Show Sept. 21 with CPHS Cheerleaders!
• • • •
T-shirt Pom Poms Hair bow Snacks
• Quality Home Repair Projects
• Handyman Services
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Join us for learning, laughing and lots of FUN!
Contractor Lic. # 943231 Cheer Clinic Dates: Saturday Sept 15, 10am-Noon; Sept 17 & 19, 3:30-4:30pm
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Left to right, front row: Diego Mata, Tyson Long. Back row: Carson Berard, Tyler William’s, Kaleb Paulson, Heath Bartosh, Cameron Millar, Jackson Stripling, Morgan Tran ad Joseph Yearick.
925-969-0133
Game Day: Friday September 21, cheer at Varsity Game and Halftime Show Location: Falcons Stadium at College Park High School, 201 Viking Dr. PH OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 17
Cost: $60 per participant, $40 each additional family member
Sign-Up: This very popular clinic has LIMITED SPACE! Please register & pay online https://squareup.com/store/college-park-boosters (Scroll to the Cheer section) by September 1st! Questions?: Contact CPHS coaches at info@collegeparkcheer.com
Shell MEF Run
AHA Movement
Join us for the 16th Annual Shell/MEF Run for Education on Sunday, September 30. The walk/run includes 5K and 10K courses and the opportunity to have an enjoyable time while raising money for the Martinez Education Foundation (MEF) and Martinez schools. The walk/run is the major fundraiser for the MEF each year. All proceeds from entry fees, sponsorships, and the September 29 Martinez Family Fun Night at the Shell Clubhouse go to Martinez teachers in the form of grants that enhance their classroom teaching, particularly in the area of technology. Ann Notarangelo, external relations manager for the Shell Martinez Refinery, says, “It’s rewarding to know that since 2003 the Run for Education has raised more than $730,000 for our teachers and students. We love the community spirit that surrounds this event, and we’re aiming to break the $100,000 dollar fundraising mark this year.” The Run for Education committee is still accepting sponsorships, volunteers, and more runners and walkers. All ages are welcome, and prizes are awarded for the overall winners as well as in various age groups. To sign up, go to the MEF website. http://martinezedfoundation.com/run-for-ed The Run for Education is the signature community project of the Shell Martinez Refinery. The refinery provides financial and logistical support, staffing and volunteers for the event. In addition to playing the lead role in underwriting the run, Shell will match the first $30,000 in registration and sponsorships.
For the second year in a row, the AHA Movement will hold its annual fundraiser, “Monte Carlo Night! Matt’s Masked Ball.” Like its inaugural gala last year, the evening entertainment includes table games, dinner, dancing, and auctions, but this year, there will be a special contest, the best mask competition! The Monte Carlo gala supports the work of the AHA! Movement’s Anti-Hazing Awareness education. Founder and CEO, Debbie Smith, MM created AHA! in memory of her son Matt Carrington, who was killed in a water torture hazing while pledging a fraternity at California State University, Chico in 2005. Since Matt’s death, Debbie has worked tirelessly to educate young people and adults to the dangers of hazing, and since AHA!’s beginning, Debbie has been able to extend the reach of the organization to include high schools, universities, and service organizations. Debbie is proud to announce that the US military has invited AHA! to speak to its service men and women as well. “From the time of Matt’s death, I knew that I didn’t want another parent or family to experience the excruciating pain of losing a child to hazing. Our children are our greatest gift. Our continued growth and invitations to speak to so many different organizations gives Matt’s story more visibility, and the ability to save another child increases.” For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, please visit: http://ahamovement.org/monte-carlo-night-fundraiser/ . To book Debbie for speaking engagements: 209-470-7116 or Lovesfmlb@aol.com.
Save the Date and Get out and Run
Monte Carlo Fundraiser
Friday, September 14th from 6:00pm-11:30pm Pleasant Hill Community Center Tickets available at www.ahamovement.org
Shell/MEF Run for Education Sunday September 30, 2018 Downtown Martinez l Registration: 7-8am l Run/Walk Starts: 8:30am
Register on Race Day or Pre-Register Online at MARTINEZEDFOUNDATION.COM/RUN-FOR-ED
Join us for Martinez Family Fun Night Pasta l Ice Cream l Kids Activities l Music Saturday, September 29, 2018 l 6-8 pm l Shell Clubhouse Sponsored by Martinez Kiwanis and Martinez Rotary $15 per person (current MUSD students are free with paying adult) Purchase tickets online at http://martinezedfoundation.com/run-for-ed
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT MARTINEZ UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 18 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
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A New School Year is Upon Us
SCHOOL NEWS
Welcome College Park Families JOSEPH G. ALVAREZ PRINCIPAL, COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL As principal of College Park High School, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 20182019 school year. We are excited to have students back in our classrooms. Please know we consider it our deepest privilege to have you entrust your students to us so we can help put them squarely on the path to success and opportunity and help them develop a unique and valued sense of self. We are grateful to be able to partner with you to achieve this as a family and as a team. We completed another successful walk-through process. Simply put, we could not have executed such a smooth process without the countless hours
and power of our fantastic community volunteers. Thank you so very much to all who helped. A special thank you to Slow Hand BBQ for their continued support and donations in feeding our volunteers. We look forward to building on successes from last school year and making even more progress in the 2018-2019 school year. This year, one of our key goals is to implement our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) which will continue to help us decrease the relationship gap between students and staff; with such a large organization we are doing all we can to individualize the educational experience for all students. We set high goals, and we work hard to achieve them. But I want to assure you that this work goes well beyond numbers, test scores, and data. We know each student is an individual who brings unique talents and needs to school every
#BeOurGuest New Principal at AHS MATT CHAMBERLAIN, PRINCIPAL, ALHAMBRA HIGH SCHOOL We are very excited to welcome all our new and returning Alhambra High School families to the 2018-19 school year! The AHS staff has been diligently preparing for our students, and we are ready and eager for the new school year. The start of the year is always a special time, with new opportunities for exciting conversations and beginning anew after the summer months. With that in mind, I would like to share with you our Alhambra High School 2018-2019 theme - #BeOurGuest. It’s a simple idea around reconnection that we feel will enhance our work, not only with our students but also with families and the greater Martinez community. We look forward to our work together and, as always, appreciate your support in
the year ahead. On behalf of the Alhambra staff, I would like to offer a sincere thank you to the entire Martinez community for your support. We have completed the renovation upgrades to the B, F, and H building classrooms, finished the improvements to the lower parking lot, and enhanced the overall beautification of the campus. Your support allows our teachers and staff to work with our students in the best possible, most technologically relevant learning environments. It is a great honor to serve as the new principal of Alhambra High School, and I look forward to our collective work together. Alhambra is a special place built on the foundation of a storied 120+ year tradition of solid academic success, thriving arts programs, successful athletic teams, spirited extracurricular activities, and community support. We are excited to share our work with you throughout the months ahead and look forward to welcoming you to one of our upcoming school events.
day. We work hard to provide a wealth of opportunities to help each student succeed. These opportunities are included in our academic programming, which ensures that each student is challenged appropriately while building a foundation of knowledge and skills. In addition to basic core subjects, students have access to electives, extracurricular activities, and other resources (such as the library and extensive, state-of-the-art technology) that help them develop their strengths, interests, and talents, whether it’s in the arts, history, athletics, science, art, technology, engineering, mathematics, languages, or service learning. We offer a wide range of services that supports the total child, including social/emotional support, counseling, tutoring, and more. We are always looking to the future, searching for new strategies to help students succeed and preparing them for what comes next. This work is not easy. But College Park
High School is a community of professionals. We all—teachers, administrators, school counselors, support staff, and the many others working with us—collaborate to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming learning community where all students are treated fairly and have the optimal school environment, with no limit of opportunities to reach their full potential. To stay up-to-date on what’s happening throughout the year, please sign-up for our weekly Falcon Flyer, regularly visit our website, and follow us via twitter at @ CPHSfalcons. College Park High School is a wonderful learning community. I feel so privileged to be a part of it. This is a very special place, and my colleagues and I appreciate the trust you’ve shown in us by sending your children here every day. We will do our best to ensure they have a fulfilling, happy, and safe year.
Young Writers Contest Each year since 1995, the Mt. Diablo Branch of the California Writers Club (CWC) holds our Young Writers Contest for students (6th – 8th grades) in Contra Costa County. It’s grown in popularity and now has four categories, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cash prizes awarded in each grade. In 2018, the club received 344 submissions from students at 19 schools in the county. Thirty students received prizes at the awards ceremony and 47 students received Honorable Mention certificates. CWC is proud of the students and grateful for the teachers and families who encouraged them. The Mt. Diablo branch meets the 2nd Saturday September through June at Zio Fraedo’s in Pleasant Hill. Meetings are open to the public and are $30.00 with a keynote speaker and $45 for a three-hour workshop. Both include a buffet lunch. For more information visit www.cwcmtdiablo.org or contact President Marlene Dotterer at president@cwcmtdiablo.org.
2018 Winning Students. Back row: Eva Chen, Tanvi Chichilli, Aria Donthineni, Liesel Hilkemeyer, Isaac Liu, Lauren Shieh, Sydney Zhang, Amy Erdenbayar, Lauren Philips, Deepa Bhat, Eli DeYoe. Front row: Ava Monheit, Malayna Chang, Eva Zhao, Kush Rajesh, Indie Lee, Talia Feder, Molly Schinnerer, Miriam Hinchliff. *Not all winners were present. Photo by John Marvin. OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 19
Estate Planning
Protecting Your Estate from Medi-Cal Claims BY DANIEL DuREE More and more often, end of life care, including long-term care, exhausts a substantial portion of a person’s assets. To add insult to injury, in certain circumstances, Medi-Cal can make a claim against the estate of a deceased person for services
provided to that person while they were at the end of their life. With proper planning, certain assets can be legally transferred out of the estate without disqualifying the transferor from Medi-Cal eligibility. Generally, in order to protect the property from a later claim by Medi-Cal, the primary residence is the asset that is transferred. The following is a cursory treatment of how this can work. Please consult an experienced attorney
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before you make any such decisions. There are certain assets that are exempt for purposes of Medi-Cal eligibility asset testing. If an asset is transferred while it is exempt, it does not disqualify the transferor from receiving Medi-Cal benefits. A primary residence is exempt for Medi-Cal purposes if either the benefit recipient currently resides in the house or is in long-term care but intends to return to the home. If either of these criteria is met, a MediCal applicant or recipient may transfer the home out of their estate and effectively eliminate the possibility of a later claim against that asset by Medi-Cal. Generally, this is done by transferring the home to their children but in a very specific way. If you decide that transferring your home out of your estate is advantageous, how do you then protect yourself to ensure that you always have the right to reside in your home if you no longer technically own it? This is accomplished with the assistance
of an experienced estate planning attorney and involves the use of a grant deed with an irrevocable life estate reserved in favor of the grantor. Concurrently, all of the grantees also sign an “acknowledgement and agreement of grantor’s right to return home.” If executed properly, a primary residence can be transferred out of an estate while still maintaining Medi-Cal eligibility and keeping the home safe from a later Medi-Cal claim. This has been a very basic overview of the topic. Please contact a licensed attorney regarding your particular situation. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call and schedule a free consultation with me in my office at 925-210-1400. Daniel L. DuRee is a third generation resident of Contra Costa County and a licensed attorney practicing in Walnut Creek. He can be reached at (925) 210-1400 or visit www.DuReeLaw.com. SPONSORED CONTENT
Open Enrollment On the Way
BY COLLEEN CALLAHAN August was a month of training in anticipation of our busy season. The fourth quarter is a busy time for insurance agents, small businesses with health insurance plan renewing, and those on Medicare. New products are introduced for the coming year, and the education is important. One class I attended focused on Social Security and the process for enrolling online for Medicare. Additionally, the presenter addressed various new types of fraud directed at those over age 65. We learned it is very important to create an account at “My Social Security.” Apparently, the criminals target people that have enrolled in Medicare but are not yet collecting Social Security because they have not reached their full retirement age. The bad guys have been able to access Social Security and initiate a benefit payout. The true owner of the account only learns of 20 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
the theft when they receive a 1099 for tax purposes. By creating and regularly checking the online account, you can help avoid being the victim of such fraud. On October 15, open enrollment will begin for Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. Now is the time to update your list of medications. Make sure you know the exact dose you are taking, the frequency or refills, and if you are taking the brand or generic form of the drug. You can compare plans on Medicare.gov. If you want to change plans, the new applications for 2019 must be submitted by December 7, 2018. We send reminder letters to our clients so they are ready when the open enrollment period begins. If you are not pleased with your current plan or your list of medications has changed, please give me a call. I know we can help you. Colleen Callahan, CLU, CASL, LUTCF. Colleen Callahan Insurance Services is located in Pleasant Hill. Contact her 925.363.5433 or ccallahan@callahaninsurance.com. SPONSORED CONTENT
General Manager’s Message be inspired by a variety of S.T.E.A.M. exhibInspiring Minds its and engaged in make-and-take activiBy Michelle Lacy General Manager, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District
ties. The Tinkers & Thinkers mascot, a little red robot, named Tink, told me that guests could design and launch their own rocket; make a brush bot that looks like Tink’s dog; build a replica of Tink’s robot arm and customize their own re-useable book bag. This year, we anticipate a lot more curious and inquisitive minds to energize. We can’t wait! For more event information, visit phtinkersandthinkers.com. Inspiration is a powerful force that fuels imagination, creativity and problem solving. It stimulates innovation, evolved thinking and fosters transformative break-through discoveries in science, medicine, technology, arts and engineering. Inspiration brings people together and energizes teams to cure diseases, discover new worlds, design helpful technol ogies, build safer, environmentally friendly structures, create beautiful spaces and fundamentally enrich human lives. Inspiration makes life better. And we are electriied to do our part. We aspire to inspire! #parksmakelifebetter
on a child’s imagination to develop number sense and broaden their understanding of math. Rec & Park’s KIDSTOP after school program and camps at Gregory Gardens also incorporate make & take S.T.E.A.M. projects into their daily activities. For adults, Rec & Park offers a variety of arts and crafts enrichment classes that spark creativity and self-expression of ideas and emotions. We also offer a variety of computer and technology classes through our online education partner, Ed2Go. And for the technology-challenged adults, we provide a popular iPhone Basic course that builds conndence in using smartphone features and apps. Sometimes we invite our Teen Scene members to come over to help older adults navigate their tech devices. In addition to the S.T.E.A.M.-inspired classes that kick off in the next few months, Rec & Park, in collaboration with the Pleasant Hill Library, is thrilled to bring back the Tinkers & Thinkers Innovation Faire. The event is on September 15, 11:00 am-3:00 pm in Pleasant Hill Park and Teen Center. This is the second year for this free community event and one of my Results from the Rec and Park Needs personal favorites. Last year, over 1,500 Assessment Survey are now available people, young and old, came together to online at pleasanthillrec.com!
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Our Fall 2018 SPOTLIGHT Recreation Guide is a great source for inspiration to stay active, learn new skills and play in the months ahead. View catalog and register online at pleasanthillrec.com
Monday-Friday @ PH Teen Center School Dismissal-6:00 pm Fees: $10.50/day $14.50/day with transportation from VVMS & PHMS 10% discount for full-time status Questions? (925) 691-5645
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PAIR UP
Here’s to the Moms Kids are Back in School BY MARIA TERRY Ah… September in Northern California. Outside it still feels like summer, but the kids are back in school and moms everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief. I have created this menu in honor of moms who may finally find a moment to enjoy an afternoon meal with friends, even if it means dining while brainstorming for the upcoming school fundraiser. Chardonnay is a complex white wine that is fuller in body than lighter white wines like Pinot Grigio and Chenin Blanc. Its ripening ability results in higher alcohol levels, and when it goes through malolactic fermentation, the resulting wine is smoother and takes on flavors like popcorn butter and crème brûlée. Additionally, while most whites are aged in stainless steel tanks, Chardonnays are often aged
in oak barrels. The barrel adds wonderful smoky and spicy flavors and also extends the bottle life of the wine. Blanc de Blancs is a sparkling wine or champagne made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. Compared to a Brut wine, it is a little rounder and often has toasty flavor. This Pear-Celery Salad echos the pear flavor found in the Chardonnay grape, and the high acid levels of a sparkling wine counterbalances the vinegar in the dressing. A still Chardonnay is an excellent partner to the Mushroom-Corn Quiche. I love this recipe because it utilizes simple pantry ingredients. As mentioned above, many Chardonnays undergo malolactic fermentation to convert tart malic acid into buttery lactic acid. This conversion gives the wine a rich butteriness that is perfect for a quiche. Chardonnay Port is a dessert wine that, when done well, is truly delicious. It is both sweet and crisp, with flavors
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of tangerine, peach, vanilla, and honey. It is a delightful complement to lighter desserts like Apricot Coconut Meringue Bars (recipee at www.LaSommelierre. com.) Northern California locals can find
Salad Niçoise INGREDIENTS 4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise 2 tablespoons cider, pear, raspberry, or other fruit vinegar 2 tablespoons honey ¼ teaspoon salt 2 ripe pears, preferably red Bartlett or Anjou, diced 1 cup finely diced white Cheddar cheese ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted Freshly ground pepper, to taste 6 large leaves butterhead or other lettuce DIRECTIONS Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Whisk vinegar, honey, and salt in a large bowl until blended. Add pears; gently stir to coat. Add the celery, cheese, and pecans; stir to combine. Season with pepper. Divide the lettuce leaves among six plates and top with a portion of salad. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Make ahead tip: Prepare salad without pecans up to two hours ahead. Stir in pecans just before serving. Yield: 4-6 servings
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Chardonnay Port at a few wineries in our own Livermore Valley. However, if you are having trouble securing one, a Sauternes from France is a good substitute and can be found at most grocery and wine stores. So, go on. Pair Up! Maria Terry is a Certified Sommelier and Wine Educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.LaSommelierre.com.
Mushroom-Corn Quiche INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion chopped 1½ cup mushrooms sliced 4 eggs 1 can (14 oz.) cream style corn 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 cup Monterey Jack or Fontina cheese, grated 9” pastry shell, unbaked DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 400˚. In a skillet, melt butter over mediumhigh heat. Sauté onions and mushrooms for three minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk egg slightly. Stir in corn, milk, flour, and thyme, mixing well. Add sautéed vegetables and 1/2 cup cheese. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set and golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings
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IN THE MIX
In the Mix
Missing Music with Martin BY PAUL COTRUVO Pleasant Hill Public Information Officer Martin Nelis died tragically while cycling a few weeks ago. This was not only a huge loss for the City of Pleasant Hill but for all of us. Martin was kind, funny, smart, athletic, and passionate about politics and music. Since this is a music column, I want to give you some insight about Martin’s love for music. It’s how I first met him. We met at one of the Summer by the Lake concerts in Pleasant Hill and had just started talking about various styles of music and what would be good for this area. He was always trying to make the concerts bigger and better. The best part was he always educated me in the music he grew up with. Martin grew up in Derry City, Ireland. He would always throw out names of people or bands I had never heard of. After our conversations, I’d go home and download some of his suggestions. He really opened up my ears to some amazing music. I’ve never met anyone more equally knowledgeable about music than Martin. He even introduced me to the song “The Town I Loved So Well,” written by Phil Coulter. It’s about Phil’s childhood in Derry. It describes how his simple life has changed and how his hometown has become a major military outpost, plagued with violence. The
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final verse includes a message of hope for a “bright, brand new day.” Kind of reminds me of Martin. Always optimistic. “Horslips?”Yes, I said Horslips. Anybody? I know everyone in Northern Ireland (or, as I was recently informed, “The North”) will hate me for saying this, but I compare this band to an Irish Jethro Tull. Folky, alternative rock with an Irish twist. Check them out! I remember a time when a few of us went over to Martin’s to hang out before a surgery he was having. I brought my guitar, and we sat around and laughed and sang. But all of sudden, Martin decided he wanted to sing a song a cappella. We all looked at one another with trepidation and said, “Sure.” He bravely proceeded to sing a song called, “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda.” This is a song written by Scottish-born Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle in 1971. The song describes war as futile and gruesome and criticizes those who seek to glorify it. The song is the account of a young Australian soldier who is maimed during the First World War. He is emotionally devastated by the loss of his legs in battle. As the years pass, he notes the death of other veterans while the younger generation becomes apathetic to the veterans and their cause. A real uplifting song. And he sang all eight verses. All from memory. Needless to say, I became a big fan of Eric Bogle and a bigger fan of Martin. He loved Van Morrison (especially his
September 2: The Sun Kings, Summer by the Lake, PH City Hall, Gregory Ln & Cleaveland Rd., 6pm September 4: Chuck Prophet & Stephanie Finch, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm September 6: Dream Posse, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm September 8: Chris Cain Band, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm September 15 & 16 – 23: Annual Lafayette Art & Wine Festival, Downtown Lafayette. Continuous music on four stages, including bands such as The Sun Kings, East Bay Mudd, The Big Jangle, Zebop, and The Spazmatics. September 21: Sin Silver, Roxx on Main, 627 Main St., Martinez, 7pm September 22: Live Again, WiseGirl, 1932 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill, 9pm September 22: Midnight Flyer, Roxx on Main, 627 Main St., Martinez, 7pm September 22: The Big Jangle, Retro Junkie, 2112 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, 9pm September 29: Lumberyard, WiseGirl, 1932 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill, 9pm September 30: Sunday Paper, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 4pm
Hymns to the Silence album), Dire Straits, Paul Simon, The Beatles, and everything Irish, EXCEPT, I did learn, quite quickly, don’t ever mention Bono to him. Let’s just say he was not a fan. I remember the time we went to see Bruce Springsteen and screamed like little teenage girls at a Justin Bieber concert, especially when Bruce played “The Rising” one our favorite songs, or the time we saw Eric Clapton and just kept looking at each other saying, “Oh my God”! I will always remember his beaming proud face when his daughters sang at a few of the Come Together shows here in Pleasant Hill. Definitely a nervous stage Dad, but he had nothing to worry about; they stole the show. We had some great times together.
Music really moved him. He knew the power of music could not only heal but also bring everyone together. It was Bruce Springsteen who wrote, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” Martin was the spark for everything, not only here in Pleasant Hill but for everyone who knew him. I am a true believer in the power of music and how it can bring everyone together. If I learned anything from knowing Martin, it is with this old Irish saying: “Dance as if no one’s watching, sing as if no one’s listening, and live everyday as if it were your last.” As I was writing this article, I noticed on Horslips’ Facebook page a wonderful condolence to the Nelis family. It ended with this wonderful Gaelic quote: Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h’anam’ (“May his soul be on the right side of God.”)
OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 25
Pet Food Choices Grains or Grain-Free? BY DR. LOUISA ASSEO One of the most common questions veterinary hospitals get is “What food should I feed my pet?” Given the wide variety of species we see at Oasis Veterinary Hospital, you can imagine the answers get pretty interesting. When it comes to our cat and dog companions, it often gets confusing. Who should you believe? The media? The pet store clerk? The veterinarian office? One of the latest trends in dog and cat foods is the notion that grains are bad for your pet, and therefore, only grain-free diets should be fed. This trend gained in popularity in 2007 after the massive pet food recall due to melamine contamination in ingredients sourced from China. While I am in complete support of making sure our foods are safe, I have always been wary of the radical shift to eliminate all grains. Grains provide fiber for a healthy digestive system and crucial vitamins and minerals that can be scarce in other food items. Grains such as rice, corn, oat, rye, and barley are commonly
used in pet foods, and unless your dog has a specific adverse reaction to these ingredients, there is truly no benefit to grain-free foods. While this trend has continued, most long-standing pet food companies have developed their own grain-free alternatives to appeal to their consumers, but is this the right way to go? The majority of veterinary professionals agree that grains are not harmful to your pet, and in fact, they add valuable nutrients to the diet. To replace these grains, pet food companies must add other carbohydrate sources from chickpeas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, and peas. It is now known that many grain-free diets are linked to congestive heart failure in dogs, and there is an ongoing investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with regard to this connection. While we do not know exactly why this is, veterinary nutritionists are surmising that these diets may be deficient in key amino acids such as taurine and carnitine. Tuft’s University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has documented low blood levels of taurine in dogs fed grain-free diets that were diagnosed with congestive heart failure sec-
Martinez Archives Crawl In celebration of America Archives Month, the Contra Costa County and Martinez Historical Societies are co-hosting the first ever Martinez Archives Crawl, September 29, 10am-3pm, in downtown Martinez. The crawl is designed to provide an engaging and family-friendly event to increase community awareness of research opportunities in the Martinez area. The public will be able to view an array of archival materials, speak with archivists and librarians, go on special behindthe-scenes tours, and participate in a fun, engaging scavenger hunt for students, grades K-6 and 7-12, as well as adults. Each participant with the correct answers will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad or iPad Mini. All archive locations are within walking distance from one another, making the Archives Crawl an easy and fun event for all ages. Participating archive locations: Martinez History Museum at 1005 Escobar St.; Contra Costa County History Center at 724 Escobar St.; Martinez Public Library at 740 Court St.; and County Clerk Recorder’s Office at 555 Escobar St. To learn more and to register for this event, visit www.MartinezArchivesCrawl.com 26 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
ondary to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Fortunately, DCM caused by a nutritional deficiency has a chance of improving or even correcting itself with proper diet and medications, so there is hope for some of these dogs. Unfortunately, dogs that have a congenital form of DCM that is genetically linked are not so lucky. We all want the best for our furry and scaly companions, and nutrition is key in helping them thrive. Before deciding to go grain-free (or any other diet, for that matter), do your research about the benefits and possible effects. Most importantly, talk to your veterinarian about any proposed changes to your companion’s diet. There is a
lot of information out there, both good and bad (thank you Google!), and your veterinarian can help you sort through it all to determine the best option for keeping your furry or scaly companion happy and healthy. Dr. Louisa Asseo, owner of Oasis Veterinary Hospital, can be reached at (925) 954 – 8087, 6635 Alhambra Ave, Suite 100, Martinez, or visit oasisveterinaryhospital.com.
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A History Note
Before Bumper Stickers Public school students in the 1870s enjoyed less privacy than the proverbial goldfish. It all started innocently enough with the adoption by the public schools of the concept that outstanding performance ought to be recognized. Since there were no bumper stickers (because there were no bumpers) the county ‘s schools began sending to the Gazette mon thly lists of those students who had been placed on the honor roll. The earliest such notice appeared in 1865 with the published announcement that fifteen of the Clayton School’s fifty-eight pupils had achieved the honor roll. Only the names of those so honored were released. Within a few months the published honor rolls consisted not only of the student’s name but also his or her grade. From then on the published announcements grew into a veritable cloudburst of information that included not only the name of the student but also each individual’s score in Scholarship, Deportment, Recitations, Tardiness, and Attendance. The announcement was no longer a report of an honor roll. It was the school record of every single student -- the dullard as well as the scholar. Surely the parents of the high achievers· glowed in the reflected glory of their little darlings. But what of the parents of John Ludwick of
the Bay Point School? His grade of 48 was published for all the world to see. The name of John Ludwick was missing from the next Bay Point announcement. And yet all was not sad and bitter, as witness the case of Frank Gomez. Young Frank had managed to survive the first grade at the Pacheco School when, in February of 1895, the Gazette announced that he was at the bottom of his second grade class with a score of 28. For the next month,Frank improved to a 40. Then he rocketed to a 58. Finally, at the end of the term, the name of Frank Gomez appeared on the honor roll with an 89. But for every Frank Gomez there were probably several Johnny Ludwicks. Detailed published reports began to decline in the 1880s, probably because of the increasing demands they made on the Gazette’s space but surely, we can hope, as the result of a change in educational philosophy. Bernard Freedman March 13, 1999 A History Note is presented by the Contra Costa County Historical Society’s History Center, 724 Escobar St., Martinez. Open hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays from 9-4 and third Saturdays from 10-2. Check out the website at www.cocohistory. com.
IN THE GARDEN
Summer Crop Tomatoes
Home Gardens Tangle up with Vines Rambling out of Control BY LESLEY STILES September is synonymous with Labor Day weekend, back to school, sneaky late, hot summer days, and copious amounts of fresh tomatoes. Home gardens tangle up with
This recipe is from my dear friend Jackie Hopkins -- always a reminder of a particularly fun afternoon in her kitchen. It is insanely easy and can be done tout suite!
Bread and Butter Pickles INGREDIENTS 15 cups sliced pickling cucumbers 3 onions, sliced thin 3 red bell peppers, sliced thin 1/4 cup coarse salt 5 cups cracked ice 3 cups cider vinegar 3 cups sugar 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 2 tablespoons celery seed 1 tablespoon dill seed 1 tablespoon cumin seed 12 small 6 ounce jars with rings and lids DIRECTIONS Wash jars thoroughly. Place on a sheet pan. Bring a large canner of water to a boil. Place a small sauce pan full of water on low heat. Place lids in to sanitize. Combine cucumbers, onions, peppers, salt and ice in a large bowl. Mix well. Put a weight on and allow to sit 1 to 3 hours. (For a weight, I use a plate with a gallon bottle of vinegar or water on top of it). Rinse and drain thoroughly. Toast spices dry in a small saucepan. Combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a large pot. Add drained cucumbers. Place pot on medium low heat. Bring almost to a boil but DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Remove from heat. Fill into sterilized jars, process 10 minutes in a hot water bath / canner. Makes 12 small jars
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snaky vines rambling out of control, seeking more and more sun along with ever needed water and escaping cages while comingling with pumpkins and squashes. Originating, it is said, in South America, the Aztec word “tomatl” was probably adapted to “tomate” when marauding Spaniards introduced them to their homeland post pillage during the 16th century. Jump to USA and “tomato.” Fun fact for the gardener in you: tomatoes are a perennial in their native habitat while we just get the annual type in these parts of the Americas. Salad Caprese is Italy’s gift to the U.S., and we thank them for it daily all summer long. Luscious chunks of still sun warm heirlooms sliced and tossed with fresh made mozzarella and torn basil should be illegal. Drizzle lemon oil and honey sweetened balsamic on with copious cracks of sea salt. Surprisingly, our tomatl marries excitingly well with the sexiest of all summer fruits, figs.
Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad INGREDIENTS 1 loaf sturdy, day old bread such as ciabatta or sour dough 3 large heirloom tomatoes, cubed ½ cup water ½ bunch fresh basil, chiffonade ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 small sweet red onion, sliced in half moons ½ cup nice red wine or balsamic vinegar ½ cup good olive oil Kosher salt and pepper Parmesan (optional) DIRECTIONS Tear the bread into bite sized pieces and place into a large salad bowl. Pour water over the bread and squeeze it together until the bread is soft. Squeeze the water out of the bread and discard the water. Toss the tomatoes, onion, herbs and garlic into the bread and mix it up. Add the vinegar and oil and stir to mix it all up. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish w/ freshly grated Parmesana Reggiano cheese. Serves 4.
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love, while cornichons or baby dills along with sliced bread and butter pickles are going to be smaller in size. Dreaming of homemade pickles happens to us all at one time or another. Fortunate are those whose grandmothers and mothers actually made pickles and canned goods and passed down techniques for preserving summer bounty. Divinely inspired by sheer mass of product dictated “putting up” in days of yore, but now we do canning cause we are addicted, as if in a narcotic haze of vinegar and boiling herbs and spices to fill those jars and pass them along. Probably simplest to concoct are overnight vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice marinade to house sliced cucumbers and onions or possibly carrots, green beans or asparagus. A bit more complex are fermented pickles, which usually just use water and salt, a combination that takes months to cure. In between are processed dills or bread and butter pickles, an easy favorite reward for instant pickle gratification. So, once again, summer waxes and wanes in our part of the world, making way for the next season of amazing fruits and vegetables we are beyond fortunate to eat and grow in our precious Diablo Valley. Lesley Stiles is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, sustainable caterer and school garden educator. Contact Lesley at lesleystiles@comcast.net, www.lesleystiles.blogspot.com and visit her new website: www.lesleystilesfoods.com.
Panzanella salad is another Italian idea for using up old bread. See recipe below, and consider adding Brown Turkey Figs. Next to your tomatoes in the garden or on the table at the farmers’ markets lie the sainted cucurbit, cucumber. Freshly peeled and seeded, if necessary, sliced thin or chunked, mixed with red, old school tomatoes, rice vinegar, olive oil, basil and the ever present shake of good salt, this is yet another dish that will score you points anywhere while brightening flavor on anything culinary it touches. Pickles of all kinds figure large in our cuisine as sour, one of the six components of umami -- total flavor bliss. Personal to a point, everyone that makes pickles has the best pickle recipe and wants to generously share with all that will taste. For salad and raw eating you will want an English, Japanese or Persian cucumber, to name a few. Pickling cukes are a different breed altogether. Typically nameless at farmers’ markets, the variety is usually Kirby, but all kinds are presented. Variety and complexity abound, but most kinds are bumpy to the point of a little rough with a slight sticker feel on the fingers. They have a pretty tough skin and bigger seeds in the center as well as being somewhat bitter on tongues. Size is where they differ and choices are a bit personal, but small ones will have smaller seeds in the center and be firmer fleshed because of it. Varieties of pickles could easily denote size of cuke at purchase. Dill spears are going to be on the torpedo scale, all the better to spear my
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SENIORS
Volunteer Appreciation The Martinez Senior Center would not be able to run on a day-to-day basis without the help of volunteers. In 20172018 there was a total of 11,626.50 hours of service from volunteers. That is equivalent to six full-time employees! 108 total volunteers had 20 hours or more. To acknowledge the time, energy, work and support that the volunteers give the Martinez Senior Center, the Senior Citizens Club of Martinez and city staff put on a volunteer recognition luncheon. This year was a fiesta! Wilma Lott Catering provided a fajita bar that was delicious and enjoyed by all. Martinez Senior Center’s very own Ukulele Jam performed, and the mayor acknowledged and handed out all the awards. Republic Services provided gifts for all the volunteers, and several classes (quilting, beading, and crafting) provided raffle prizes. It was an afternoon of fun, laughter and appreciation!
Benefiting Local Seniors
On Saturday, Sept. 8, the City of Concord’s Parks & Recreation Department will host the 17th annual Hawaiian Fusion dinner and show to benefit low-income seniors from 5-8:30pm at the Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord. Guests will be transported to the Aloha state and enjoy a delicious Hawaiian buffet and a fantastic island show by Nathan Aweau, three-time Na Hoku Hanohano Vocalist of the Year. The evening will also include dance performances by Te Otui Fenua and chances to win some great raffle prizes. This annual fundraiser provides scholarships for low-income seniors to use for transportation and social activities, and organizers hope to raise upwards of $9,000. “I have used my scholarship to visit museums and sites within the Bay Area and it was truly enjoyable,” said Jorge Aquino, a scholarship recipient. “I encourage all seniors with limited income to avail themselves of this great program offered by the Concord Senior Center so they can enjoy the sites which otherwise may not be affordable.” Enjoy a Hawaiian dinner by Got Plate Lunch and a no-host bar with beer, wine, soda, water and coffee provided by Concord’s Commission on Aging. Doors open at 5pm with dinner at 5:45pm. The show is scheduled to get underway at 7pm. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/2NN4lEe.
AAUW Welcome Brunch AAUW Pleasant Hill-Martinez branch invites prospective members with an AA, BA/BS, or higher degree to join them at their Welcome Brunch, from 10am to noon, Saturday, September 15, at a member’s home in Martinez. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) promotes equity for all women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. They locally raise funds that provide fellowships and career development for women, college scholarships to local girls graduating from high school, scholarships for middle school girls to attend Tech Trek (an AAUW summer math and science camp), and a sponsorship for a student from DVC to attend a women’s leadership conference. To learn more about the branch, visit their website at www.aauw-pleasanthillmartinez.org. RSVP to Beverly Diefenbacher at 925-768-8608.
Pleasant Hill Senior Activities
Sept. 2 – Pancake Breakfast 8:30-10:30am. All ages welcome. Best deal in town! Enjoy a stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage with bottomless orange juice and coffee. Adults (11+): $5, children (5-10): $3. Free for ages 4 & under. Sept. 13 - Care Management Educational Series presents Oral Hygiene 101; 2 - 3:30pm. Diablo Valley Dental will cover dental concerns related to aging. Seniors often face tooth loss but are not aware of the options available to them. RSVP to secure your spot (925) 798-8788 or online at www.pleasanthillrec.com. CMP Series is sponsored by Carlton Senior Living. Sept. 22 - Encaustic Painting Class 10am-4pm. Encaustic is a beeswax based paint that dates back to the 5th century. Kept molten on a heated palette, encaustic is applied to a surface and reheated to fuse the paint into a uniform enamel-like finish. Learn safety, working with heat sources, equipment, paints, collage materials, fusing layers, tools, priming appropriate substrates, scraping, pastel sticks and more! Bring a bag lunch. Expect to create 2-3 pieces of art. Wear cotton art clothes and closed-toe shoes. $105/$90 (Dist. Res.) Sept. 27 – Anniversary Party 12pm. A Bollywood Party! Complete with jaw-dropping, talented belly dancers and a delicious menu. You won’t want to miss this party. Get your tickets online or at the Senior Center. Tickets: $15 members, $20 nonmembers. Holiday Boutique-Call for Vendors Do you make handmade items? If so, join us for our annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday, Nov. 17. Applications can be found at www.pleasanthillrec.com 233 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill 925-798-8788 28 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM
Read My Mind
Summer Fun
BY MICHAEL G. HARRIS, OD I’ve always been a big fan of codes and ciphers. When I was a kid, I had a Captain Midnight secret decoder ring. (Captain Midnight was a 1950s TV superhero sponsored by Ovaltine. The ring cost three Ovaltine labels.) The only other kid in the neighborhood with a ring was my buddy Skippy, so we could send secret encrypted messages back and forth that none of the other kids could read. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to read Liza Mundy’s Code Girls. It’s “the untold story of the American women code breakers of World War II.” Codes and ciphers have a long history in diplomacy and war, but World War II made code deciphering a necessity for the survival of democracy. The Japanese and Nazis had encrypting machines that sent coded messages to their diplomats, ships, and troops. Figuring out these secret messages became the obsession of a group of young women recruited from colleges and teaching jobs who had an aptitude for math and puzzles. You’ve probably heard of the British mathematician Alan Turing, who broke the German enigma code during World War II. His story was even made into a movie. But I’ll bet you’ve never heard of Dot Braden, Anna Carachristie, Agnes Driscoll, or thousands of other young American women who cracked hundreds of Axis codes, including the Japanese naval code that led to the American victory in the “Battle of Midway and changed the course of the war in the Pacific” in our favor. Mundy “paints a vivid portrait of the daily lives of these energetic single young women” and takes extraordinary pains to explain how these math whizzes and small-town teachers helped defeat the Axis and save millions of American lives. My only criticism is the unbelievable detail Mundy uses to describe the personal lives of the “girls.” In trying to “give so many
BY SUPERVISOR KAREN MITCHOFF, As summer draws to a close and kids head back to school, parks and recreation departments in District 4 are still offering many movie and concert series that ensure family fun! Our city parks and recreation departments play an important role in fostering and supporting a sense of community by offering opportunities for the public to congregate. They offer affordable programs for people to exercise, enjoy nature, and participate in activities together with friends and family. There are programs for people of all ages and activities to do as a group as well as individually and independently. It’s a great way to meet people that share similar interests. The parks and recreation departments also keep the public engaged in events and issues that happen in your city. They also manage local public swim centers and senior centers and provide rental space for the public to hold events. All of our local parks and recreation departments provide quarterly brochures in print and online where the public can learn about all the programming they offer. Our parks and recreation departments provide an essential public service and enhance the quality of life for residents in our communities. Fun upcoming events in District 4: Walnut Creek brings you Movies Under the Stars: • The Lion King: 7:30pm on Friday, September 7, at Tice Valley Park • The Jungle Book: 7pm on Friday, September 28, at Civic Park. For further information, call (925) 943-5858 or visit WalnutCreekRec.org. Pleasant Hill brings you two concert series: The Summer Concert Series is on the lawn at Pleasant Hill City Hall at 6 to 8pm on September 2. •The Downtown concert series is in the plaza in front of Jack’s Restaurant & Bar at 6:30pm-8:30pm on September 6. Call
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Code Girls
women their due,” she crams in so much information about these women that “it’s hard to keep track of her vast cast of characters.” Nonetheless, this book “brings to life this riveting story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.” Another interesting book about an American woman is Cecile Richards’ memoir Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead. Richards was the longtime head of Planned Parenthood, but her story encompasses far more. Born into a progressive Democratic family in ultra-conservative Texas, Richards was a troublemaker since seventh grade, when she wore an antiVietnam War armband to school and got sent to the principal’s office. She got much of her moxie and her sense of social justice from her mother, former Texas Governor Ann Richards. Richard’s memoir is intended to inspire women (and men) to get involved, much as Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. Richards “encourages readers to take risks, make mistakes, and make trouble along the way.” Helpful advice if you want to get something done. If you’re interested in suspense, consider Chris Bohjalian’s The Flight Attendant. After a flight to Dubai, flight attendant Cassandra Bowden hooks up with a passenger from her flight, an American businessman of Russian descent. They go back to his hotel room in a drunken stupor. Cassie has done this many times before, but this is the first time she’s awoken the next morning in bed with a man whose throat has been slashed. Did she kill him? She can’t remember. Was he really who he said he was or did he have a more mysterious past? Her struggle to hide her involvement and find out who he really was and who wanted him dead make for an entertaining read.
District 4 Upcoming Events
(925) 671-5229 for more information. Concord brings you music and movies. • “Dark Side of the Moon Night”: 6 – 8:30pm on Thursday, October 4, at Todos Santos Plaza. House of Floyd performs Pink Floyd music to a laser light show, and there will be moon talks by special guests from the astronomy and science community as well as an interactive “Ask a scientist” village. The Food Truck Cinema at Diablo Creek Golf Course will play movies and music. There is a concert before each movie starts: • The Princess Bride: 9pm on August 25 • Top Gun: 9pm on September 22 • Hocus Pocus: 10pm on October 26 Clayton brings you concerts and a movie. Saturday Concerts in the Grove take place at the Grove Park in downtown Clayton, 6 - 8:30pm, on September 1 and September 15.
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In Memorium Petal McMillen Turner By most accounts, Petal was not an ordinary human, she was extraordinary. Loving, generous, kind, creative, energetic, enthusiastic and quirky too, Petal moved through life helping others, celebrating their successes and joys and encouraging us all to be our best selves. We will deeply miss her. Born in Sonora, California, she spent her summers working in Yosemite, putting on puppet shows in the amphitheater of Camp Curry. She attended San Francisco State University where she earned a BA in Art, and an MA in Education. Later on, she earned an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from Contra Costa Community College. After an episode of temporary blindness in her 20s, Petal found her calling. For 45 years, she taught blind students in the Mt. Diablo School District, at the Lighthouse for the Blind and the Orientation Center for the Blind. She mainstreamed her young students in classes, making sure they completed their California Missions and Egyptian Mummy models as well if not better than any sighted student. She taught newly blind adults practical skills, frequently taking them shopping at Berkeley Bowl, teaching them how to choose fruits and vegetables and then how to prepare meals, all the while developing in them the confidence and courage to live their lives fully. Cooking, catering, and throwing parties was Petal’s avocation. There was no significant birthday, graduation, wedding or retirement of a friend or a friend’s child
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that wasn’t celebrated by a party thrown by Petal. Numerous weddings took place at her Alhambra Valley home, but she liked to say she’d only allow people to get married there if she knew they would be together forever. She regaled us with stories of cooking for Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead while living in the Haight Ashbury in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and would always finish each one by stating, “But I never did any drugs.” Petal was the wife, partner, best friend, and lover of the late Everett Turner. Together, they generously supported The John Muir Land Trust and Save Mount Diablo, causes they both held dear to their hearts. While she had no children of her own, if anyone asked her she would respond that she had “about 700” referring to all the students she truly cared for as her own. Petal was taken from us too soon. After a hard-fought four-year battle with cancer, she took her last breath from the cool night breeze wafting through her own bedroom window, surrounded by her closest family and friends. A Celebration of Life honoring Petal will be held at Diablo Valley College on September 29, 3-5pm. Please see https:// petalturner.squarespace.com/ to register to attend and for additional details. The family thanks Hospice of the East Bay, particularly the nurse angels who attended Petal at home during her last days. Petal helped us to see without sight, to taste with joy, and to walk bravely and confidently into our uncertain futures. She lived her life with fearless vigor and changed the lives of all she knew forever.
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Exhibit of Bridal Growns
Walnut Creek History Tour
Walnut Festival Twilight Parade
Treasure Fest
On view at the Shadelands Ranch Museum are 14 exquisite dresses from 1870 to the 1970s. The exhibit is open Wednesdays and Sundays from 1 to 4pm, last tour at 3:30, at 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. Admission includes of a docent led tour of the museum.
Guided walking tour of downtown Walnut Creek is an easy 90-minute tour on city sidewalks that brings to life the early times of Walnut Creek. Meet at 9:30am at Liberty Bell Plaza, 1430 Mt. Diablo Blvd, WC. www. wchistory.com
82nd annual parade takes place in Downtown Walnut Creek at 6pm.
september 5
september 8
september 20
september 29
Walnut Creek First Wednesdays
Wine and Whiskers
Walnut Festival
2nd Annual Autofest
ARF’s15th annual event from 5-8pm at ARF Headquarters on Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek. Food, wine, auctions and live music. Tickets start at $100 and can be purchased at arf. ejoinme.org/wineandwhiskers.
4-day festival with rides, music, artists, craft beer and much more, at Heather Farm Park. $10 per person, free for kids 5 and under.
Beer garden, food booths and music at the Martinez Yacht Club, 111 Tarantino Dr. Registration at 7-9am. Show at 9am. Trophies presented at 2pm. $25 pre-register, $35 day of.
september 7
september 9
september 23
october 6 & 13
Carlos Reyes & Friends
Sunday Streets
9th Annual Wildlife Fundraiser
Tutor English Workshop
Fine food, wine, company and animal ambassadors. 5-8pm at Va de Vi Bistro in downtown Walnut Creek. $150 tickets at lindsaywildlife. org/vadevi.
No teaching experience required. English need not be your first language. We will teach you. Please commit to two hours per week. 9am1pm, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 4000 Clayton Rd., Concord. Register at www.dvlc4esl. org
Festival on Cypress Street is full of live music, dancing, food trucks, wine and beer, Kids Fun Zone, interactive games, and free prizes. Free admission. 5:30 – 8:30pm. Walnutcreekdowntown.com
World-renowned violinist and harpist Carlos Reyes applies his classical training and more to a program of diverse blues, rock, jazz, and traditional forms. Cost: $35. Devil Mountain Coffee House, Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, 8 – 11pm, 55 Eckley Ln., Walnut Creek.
Sunday Streets transforms one to four miles of normally congested streets into car-free spaces where kids can play and adults can stroll and mingle. Fillmore and sections of Fulton and Baker Streets, 11am - 4pm, San Francisco. www.sundaystreetssf.com
One part shopping, one part feasting, and one part music and entertainment. Treasure Fest (formerly Treasure Island Flea) is a unique monthly festival that showcases the best of the Bay Area. Pier 1, 10am - 4pm, Treasure Island, SF. www.treasurefest.com.
september 7 & 28
september 15
september 23
ongoing
Movies Under the Stars
Tinkers and Thinkers
Bridal Faire
For those curios about all things Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) Free family event showcasing robots, rockets, drones, DIY and other tech! Engage with a variety of “hands-on” make-and-take activities. 11am-3pm at Pleasant Hill Park.
Vendors include caterers, bakers, DJs, photographers, event planners, hairdressers, and many more. If you are interested in being a vendor, please contact christinebaltzley. wchs@gmail.com. Hosted by the Walnut Creek Historical Society. wchistory.org
Volunteer with Seniors
Bring a picnic under the stars with live music at 5:30pm. 9/7: Lion King will be showing on 9/7 at 7:30pm at Tice Valley Park. The Jungle Book will be showing on 9/28 at Civic Park at 7pm. WalnutCreekRec.org
Spectrum Community Services is looking for individuals who would like to work as volunteers in senior centers all around the East Bay. Please call Spectrum Community Services at 510-881-0300 ext. 242 or fill out an application at www.Spectrumcs.org. BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE
FREE
Admission Parking at BART Shuttle to Event Bike Valet Take BART to the Festival!
Saturday, September 15, 10am-7pm Sunday, September 16, 10am-6pm Benefits Local Education
4 Stages • Live Music
Annie Sampson • Deep Blue Jam Neon Velvet • Bob Athayde & Friends Toree McGee • East Bay Mudd Sunny and the Black Pack Extra Large • ZEBOP! • The Spazmatics The Sun Kings • Rock City The Ripplers • 3day Weekend Juke Joint • Bay Bridge Beat The Big Jangle 3 Kid Zones - Rides, Activities, Entertainment Presenting Sponsors
Festival Sponsors
LAFAYETTE CHAMBER Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek
www.LafayetteFestival.com