JUN 24 Concord Pioneer 2016

Concord residents areinvited to celebrate Independ-ence Day in downtown Con-cord, where there will be fami-ly-friendly events from dawnto dusk around Todos SantosPlaza and at Mt. Diablo HighSchool.

This daylong celebrationwill begin at 8 a.m. Monday,

July 4, with the 7th annualStars and Stripes 5K in TodosSantos Plaza, sponsored by theConcord Police Association.

The parade, celebrating its25th anniversary, kicks off at10 a.m. It starts near Mt. Dia-blo High School on GrantStreet at Almond, continuesdown Grant to Willow PassRoad, loops around TodosSantos Plaza and finishes alongMt. Diablo Street.

Former mayor Colleen Collfounded the parade. “Themembers of the ConcordDowntown Business Mer-chants Association were theorganizers of the inaugural 4thof July parade,” Coll recalls.

As an employee of Con-cord Commercial Bank and aCity Council member, she wasan active member of the asso-ciation. “My boss at the bankwas very civic minded and was

very proud of our bank’sinvolvement,” she notes. “Ourgoal was to honor our military.As business merchants, weproudly joined our nation’ssweeping patriotism of theaccomplishments of our mili-tary’s achievements afterDesert Storm.”

Another goal was to

IT’S YOUR PAPERwww.concordpioneer.com June 24, 2016 925.672.0500

State budget proposalwould silence the voiceof residents

See Mayor, page 6

InsideCalendar . . . . . . . . . . . .17Community . . . . . . . . . . .2From the desk of . . . . . .6School News . . . . . . . .19Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Performing Arts . . . . . .16

LAurA HOFFMEISTEr

MAYOR

From the desk of... CHS teens build Tiny HouseFor students in Tom Trow-

bridge’s Concord High Schoolwoodshop and constructionclasses, DIY moved from realityTV to the classroom last semes-ter when the teens completedconstruction of a 8’ x 20’ tinyhouse.

Last week, Mayor LauraHoffmeister, city council mem-bers and the Chamber of Com-merce joined Trowbridge andthe students at an Open Houseand dedication of the completedproject.

Trowbridge, who teacheswoodshop and construction atConcord, thought for manyyears about taking on the tinyhouse as a class project, but itseemed there were always justtoo many unanswered questions.This year, he decided to goahead anyway.

“I didn’t have any moreanswers, but I figured we’d justfigure it out as we went along.”

The building began with atrailer and a set of plans donat-ed by Tumbleweed TinyHouse Company. Early class-room work included videos

Tamara Steiner/Concord Pioneer

CONCORD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TOM TROWBRIDGE’S WOODSHOP class spent the spring semester constructing a 135square foot “tiny house.” The students were excited to unveil the project at a June 16 Open House for city dignitaries,Chamber of Commerce and parents and friends. Pictured from top: Teacher Tom Trowbridge, Patrick Handy and MarlonDoppe. Lower: Brianna Furtado, Curt Murphree, Travis Dunn, Kathleen Bautista Silva and Ian Ellingboe.

GoMentum site test drives the futureThe future is here. Or

nearly.And it’s in an unlikely

place.Out on the edge of Con-

cord, the Concord NavalWeapons Station sits patient-ly waiting for the first shovelof dirt to signal the land’srebirth as the clustered vil-lages of the Reuse Project.

But it doesn’t sit idle. Thecity of Concord has leasedabout half of the 5,000-acremothballed base to the Con-tra Costa TransportationAuthority. CCTA has teamedwith Honda, Acura and otherautomobile manufacturers ina unique partnership to createone of the largestautonomous vehicle (AV) and

connected vehicle (CV) testsites in the world.

In early June, CCTA exec-utive director Randy Iwasaki,Honda and other automakersinvited the press to tour theGoMentum Station andwatch the cars at work.

The base makes perfectpractice grounds, with its 20miles of paved roads, pot-holes and decrepit infrastruc-ture. Everything is there totest the intelligence and met-tle of the self-driving cars.

Several sensors on thecars allow them to “see” whatis around and in front ofthem. A high-resolution GPSantenna makes for precisemapping. On the roof, a lidar(a laser that works like radar)does contour mapping that

July 4, an old fashioned, all day celebration

TAMARA STEINERConcord Pioneer

Tamara Steiner/Concord Pioneer

AUTOMAKERS LIKE HONDA AND ACURA SEE BIG BENEFITS to autonomous and connected vehi-cles: safer roads, improved traffic flow and reduced fuel consumption. Honda and Acuraare currently testing the vehicles at the GoMentum Station, a joint venture with ContraCosta Transportation Authority and the city of Concord.

CARLYN OBRINGERSpecial to the Pioneer


See Tiny House, page 4

See July 4th, page 6

See GoMentum, page 9

See Campaign, page 2

As I write this, there’s aserious governor’s proposaltucked into the state budgetunder consideration by thestate Legislature.

What is proposed is theelimination of local land usepublic hearing processes formultifamily housing, which istwo or more housing units that

Torlakson,Grayson tosquare off inNovember

In the waning days of theCalifornia primary election,many mailboxes looked like acage match with the negativemailers directed at 14th Assem-bly District candidates MaeTorlakson and Tim Grayson.So it made some sense that thetwo would end up facing eachother in the November generalelection for the seat vacated bySusan Bonilla.

Torlakson edged outGrayson for the lead with 31.8percent of the votes, or 21,069.Grayson had 30.1 percent ofthe votes with 19,979. DeborahAllen, the lone Republican inthe race, came in a close thirdwith 28.4 percent of the voteswith 18,803, while Dr.Harmesh Kumar garnered 9.3percent, or 6,171 votes.

The vitriolic mailers direct-ed at both of the leading candi-dates were put out by organiza-tions fueled by IndependentExpenditures, and neither can-

See East Bay Regional ParksActivity Guide Inside

PEGGY SPEARConcord Pioneer

Local veteran Don Carlsontook a short flight back in histo-ry recently when he sat at thecontrols of a B-17 bomber,identical to one he flew inWWII.

Carlson was a guest of theWings to Freedom Tour on aflight from Napa to Concord forits exposition at Buchanan Fieldin early June. He was just 20when he served as the lead bom-bardier of the 15th Air Forcestationed in Bari, Italy.

“I kept asking myself: Did Ireally do this – zero in on criticaltargets such as oil refineries andrailroad yards on 24 missions athigh altitude?” Carlson won-dered while on the recent flight.“Another thing I thought aboutwas how lucky I was that noneof the bursting antiaircraft gunshells hit me or our plane.”

“This was a lot of responsi-bility for a 20-year-old,” saidCarlson’s friend, Rich Radigon-da, a docent on the USS Hornetdocked in Alameda. He arrangedfor Carlson’s flight with Wingsof Freedom.

When parked on the tarmac,with engines roaring, the B-17seemed the same as in 1944-’45,Carlson noted. “I climbedthrough the plane ‘window’ mid-ship using a step-ladder,” he said.“The walk forward toward thebombardier’s seat in the Plexi-glass nose was a little challeng-ing, as it wasn’t easy to maneuveraround and/or under two orthree structures.”

Exiting the plane on the lad-der wasn’t much easier. “It’s sortof an obstacle course if you’renot 19 or 20 years old,” he said.

The B-17, B-25 and B-24were the backbone of theAmerican effort during the warfrom 1942 to 1945. They werefamous for their ability to sus-

tain damage and still accom-plish the mission.

“His squadron is the onlyone I know of that was protect-ed by the famous Tuskegee Air-men,” Radigonda added. TheTuskegee Airmen is the popularname for the African-Americanmilitary pilots who fought inWorld War II. Officially, theyformed the 332nd FighterGroup and the 477th Bombard-ment Group of the U.S. ArmyAir Forces.

The Wings of FreedomTour travels the nation as a flyingtribute to the flight crews whoflew them, the ground crewswho maintained them, the work-ers who built them, the soldiers,sailors and airmen they helpedprotect, and the citizens andfamilies that share the freedomthat they helped preserve.

For more information, contactHunter Chaney [email protected] or800-568-8924.

Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com June 24, 2016

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Vet relives war era with historic flight

Sean Liming

WWII veteran, Don Carlson, sits in the nose section of a B-17 bomber at the Wings to Freedomdisplay at Buchanan Field earlier this month.

Through nine years, student hasn’t missed a day

Matthew Ware, a 13-year-old Concord student, hasachieved nine years of perfectschool attendance whileattending Monte Gardens Ele-mentary and Sequoia MiddleSchool. Matthew, who willenter Concord High Schoolthis fall, possesses an enthusi-astic attitude toward schooland has attained a 4.0 GPA.

In his leisure time, Matthewenjoys being a Boy Scout, read-ing, hiking, camping and par-ticipating on a recreationalswim team. This summer, helooks forward to traveling toMoab, Utah, for a 10-day

canoeing expedition with hisScout troop. Matthew is theson of Kent and Marina Wareof Concord.

didate knew what was goinginto them, Grayson said.“These groups are separatefrom our campaigns,” he said.

Indeed, if you ask each ofthe two leading candidates, eachexpressed nothing but good tid-ings for the other. “I have noth-ing but respect for Mae,” saidGrayson, a Concord city coun-cil member and former mayor,who was mired in controversyin the election because ofalleged illegal lobbying byLennar Urban, the companyselected as the Master Develop-er for the Concord NavalWeapons Station. Last summercompanies associated withLennar gave money toGrayson’s campaign, which hereturned when he realized thesource.

And now it’s time to roll up

the shirt sleeves and do it allagain as Grayson and Torlaksonprepare for the Novembershowdown.

“We’ll hit the ground run-ning,” says Torlakson, whoadmitted she was very happywith the results of the primary,despite the negativity of the IE‘hit-pieces.”

“I have to be sure to fightback,” she says. “But the truthwill come out in the end.”

Torlakson, who is servingher third elected term on theboard of the Ambrose Recre-ation and Park District, whichprovides recreation services to28,000 residents of Bay Pointand the Oak Hills communityof Pittsburg, says that she willfocus on issues in all the com-munities covered by the 14thdistrict — no matter what they

are. “I will look at issues inRodeo and in Concord, all thedifferent cities in the district,and try to help those people.My campaign is about makinglife easier for my constituents.”

She says that despite the dis-parate communities she wouldserve, there are five main issuesthat resonate with voters: hous-ing costs, transportation, educa-tion, economic growth and theenvironment — especially pro-tecting the Delta waterways.

She says she feels that hertime in public office and herexperience in education makeher the strongest candidate forthe position. “I identify with alot of people in the district,”she says. She also says that shehas an edge because she wasendorsed by the DemocraticParty.

It’s public service thatGrayson says sets him apartfrom his November opponent.

“I have served as a councilmember, vice mayor andmayor,” he says. “I have servedon many regional boards andcommissions, so I have the gov-ernment experience necessaryto serve the people of the 14thDistrict.”

He says he believes the neg-ative campaign mailers servedto turn-off many voters to theidea of “politics” in the elec-tion. “I think people are trulyinterested in the issues, and howwe stand on them.”

Grayson says he is still put-ting together his campaignstrategy for November, and wasnot yet ready to say what thatwill be. But like Torlakson, heexpects a “brutal” campaign,despite the respect the candi-dates hold for one another. Andmuch of that brutality willcome from circumstances theycan’t control.

Campaign, from page 1

Late summer 1960. Rome. Two young athletes com-

peting in the Games of theXVII Olympiad would eachwin gold medals that year. DonBragg, then 25, set a new worldrecord in pole vault. CassiusClay, who would later embraceIslam and change his name toMohammed Ali, was not yet 18when he stunned the worldwith a gold medal in lightheavyweight boxing. Theunlikely pair began a friendshipthat year that lasted more thanfive decades.

While their careers wouldtake widely different directions,their friendship was constant.Don Bragg, now 81, is retiredand lives in Clayton with hiswife, Theresa. After Ali’s deathlast week, the two sat downwith us to share some very per-sonal and special memories.

In the late 1960s, the Brag-

gs had a summer camp inSouth Jersey for kids. Everyyear Ali would visit the campfor a few days and work withthe kids. Don Bragg was alwayskidding him about “taking himout” in a fight. He prodded athim every year, until finally, Alisaid “Okay” and they put onthe gloves.

“We danced around thering for a few minutes, pokingand swinging until I saw mychance,” Bragg recalled. “Idelivered the punch I’d beenpracticing in my dreams foryears.”

“It landed,” Theresa Bragglaughed. “And it bloodied hisnose.”

“I scored a first,” Donsaid.” I was the only one toever give The Champ a bloodynose.”

Theresa sais they couldnever bridge Ali’s namechange. “He was always Cas-sius to me,” she said. “Icouldn’t call him Mohammed.

So, we just always called him‘The Champ.’”

It was during that same visitthat Ali’s wife Belinda, whowas expecting twins, went intoearly labor. Ali had no driver’slicense. It had been revokedalong with his boxing licensewhen he refused to be induct-ed into the Army and go toViet Nam.

It was up to Theresa to gethim to the hospital in Philadel-phia, an hour and a half away.

They set out in her brandnew Pontiac station wagon andmade great time until they hitthe city traffic. “We were crawl-ing and The Champ was fran-tic,” Theresa recalls. “Hebegged me to let him drive. Hedidn’t have a license, but hewas insistent.”

Ali took the wheel andpromptly went up on the side-walk where a motorcycle coproared up beside them. WhenTheresa rolled down the win-dow, Ali yelled at the cop “Mywife is having a baby. I have to

get to the hospital.”The surprised cop didn’t

hesitate, Theresa said. “I gotthis, Champ,” he said and goton the radio.

“The waters parted. We hadan eight-cycle escort throughthe Philadelphia traffic. Wemade it to the hospital in time,but The Champ was a mess,”she said.

“We sat in the waitingroom, just the two of us, andhe asked me to pray with him.I did and it was a very special,private moment that I willnever forget. With both Godand Allah working for us,Belinda delivered the girls andeveryone was fine.”

Four years ago, Theresaand Don attended TheChamp’s 70th birthday party.The twins were there andTheresa was able to tell themthe story of the day they wereborn.

And how their father wouldalways be, in their eyes, “TheChamp.”

June 24, 2016 Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com

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Lifelong friendship starts with Gold Medal wins

CLAYTON RESIDENT DON BRAGG, a 1960 Olympian, struck upan unlikely friendship with Cassius Clay, and even bloodiedThe Champ’s nose in a friendly bout.

While the Contra CostaWater District may not be say-ing the drought is over, theyare loosening up conservationefforts, thanks to El Nino’sonslaught this past winter.

Los Vaqueros Reservoir,which is used by CCWD, isfilling up and replenishing thewater supply that was used inthe drought, said CCWDspokesperson Jennifer Allen.

“Certainly the winter rainshelped, but we never knowwhat next year will bring,” shesays.

But the winter’s rains wereenough to have the districteliminate its “Mandatory Con-servation Target,” whichrequired residents to conservea specific percentage of watercompared to their 2013 use. Itis also eliminating its“Drought Charge” on waterbills after June 6.

Gardeners and gardenlovers will be happy to knowthat they are no longerrequired to limit outdoorwatering to two days per week.Wasteful water uses, like creat-ing excess runoff or wateringbetween 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,remain prohibited.

Other water use prohibi-tions — like washing carswithout an off-valve — arestill permanently prohibited.

To enforce the prohibi-tions, CCWD is keeping inplace the established fines.Customers violating waterruse prohibitions first receivea warning. A second violationmay result in a $250 fine. Athird violation may result in a$500 fine. Further violationsmay result in suspension ofservice.

“Luckily, because of thedrought, customers havelearned to use water wisely,”says Allen. “Conservation

efforts that may have seemedhard at first have now becomeroutine.”

She also says that manyresidents have embraced tech-nological advances — likelow-flow toilets — so thatconservation is “a way of life”for many residents.

CCWD is still asking cus-tomers to monitor for leaks,irregular water landscaping,and to seek out other water-use efficiencies on their web-site at www.ccwater.com/con-serve. For questions, visitwww.ccwater.com or call 925-688-8044.

CCWD loosens up water restrictionsPEGGY SPEAR

Concord Pioneer


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The housing situation inConcord is becoming so crit-ical that leaders — from localgovernment to the clergy —are finally strategizing onhow to solve the problem.

Two public workshops areplanned in the next week. OnSaturday, June 25, is “Raisethe Roof,” a housing forumto be held from 9 a.m. to12:30 p.m. at St. BonaventureCatholic Church, 5562 Clay-ton Rd. in Concord.

Then on Monday, June 27,the City of Concord’s Hous-ing and Economic Develop-

ment Committee will hold apublic hearing on housingissues in Concord. It will beat 5:30 p.m. in the City Coun-cil Chambers, 1950 ParksideRd., Concord.

The latter meeting was ahard-fought victory for coun-cil member Edi Birsan, whospent several meetings tryingto convince his colleaguesthat the rent issue was badenough that it needed to beaddressed by the city. He wasjoined by council memberRon Leone, but it wasn’t untilcouncil member Dan Helixagreed that the issue had gotout of hand that the boardvoted unanimously to send

the issue to committee.Now, all council members

are on board. “We believe thesituation in local housing hasrisen to a critical level,” coun-cil member Tim Graysonsaid. “Housing affordabilityhas become out of reach formany of the residents ofConcord.”

He said that the city hastried to ease some of the painby making it easier for prop-erty owners to turn second-ary units into rentable prop-erty.

He said that it’s importantthat at the June 27 hearing,

and lectures on safety, toolsand how to measure.

Sophomore KathleenBautista, was surprised at thevariety of skill levels of studentsstarting the project. “Some ofthe kids didn’t know how tomeasure, so we spent time onthat,” she said. Kathleen workedon the framing, insulation andloft.

The students have come along way, says Trowbridge. Ofthe 25 in the woodshop andconstruction classes that workedon the tiny house, he estimates10-12 of them plan careers inconstruction, from constructionmanagement to any number ofthe building trades.

When they finish his classes,they are fully employable, hesays. “These kids have actual on-the-job experience, not justclassroom time.”

Junior Marlon Doppe hasalready put his new skills towork. “I learned how to use newtools I hadn’t known about.Even around the house, I knowhow to do most projects.”

The going wasn’t all easy.The students learned muchfrom their mistakes. “We hadtrouble with the doors and weput the siding on backwards sowe had to take it off and do itover,” Kathleen said. And, she

said a lot of the pieces of thewood didn’t fit—proving theold saw “measure twice andcut once.”

Probably the most importanttake-away from the project, saysMarlon on the blog he andTrowbridge kept of the project’s

progress, “is learning that noth-ing happens without organiza-tion.”

The community was onboard with the project rightfrom the concept, says Trow-bridge. Most of the lumber forthe rough framing was donatedby Ashby Lumber of Concord.

“West Coast Window andDoors really stepped up by notonly providing windows for theproject, but by ordering thesizes, quantities, color, and stylescalled for in the plans,” Trow-bridge said. “We did not have tolearn about sizing and orderingwindows while also learningabout change orders in thefield.”

Trowbridge plans to sell thefinished house on the open mar-ket to finance next year’s project.He expects the tiny house, whichhas a kitchen sink, bathroomand sleeping loft, to net around$35,000

For more about the project, see thestudent’s blog athttp://chstinyhouse.blogspot.com

Slated to open in September,Oakmont of Concord is cur-rently taking reservations forapartment homes and potentialresidents are invited for tours.

Oakmont, at 1401 CivicCourt, also will hold a job fair onJuly 27 and intends to employ 70local residents. They will be hir-ing care providers, housekeep-ers, dining services staff andmedication technicians.

The community features 54assisted living apartments, rang-ing from studios to one- andtwo-bedrooms units. Eachapartment includes either a fullkitchen with stove top and con-vection microwave oven withgranite counters, or a kitchenettewith a refrigerator, microwave,sink and granite countertops.

The accompanying Tradi-tions neighborhood is a 26-

apartment secured memory caresection for those who requireadditional redirection, individu-alized engagement and care dueto cognitive impairment.

An expansive foyer with 30-

foot ceilings and a bistro with alarge fireplace welcomes resi-dents. A concierge will answerquestions, provide informationabout the day’s activities and din-ing selections and assist residents

in making an appointment.Just past the grand staircase,

a comfortable living roomincludes a fireplace, numerousseating areas and floor to ceilingwindows to let in natural light.

The area also includes a library,where a chess or card game maybe in progress in front of a thirdfireplace. Just down the widehallway is the activities room,where a painting class, entertain-er or a fun game of bingo canbe found. Oakmont will offerresidents excursions, includingwine tasting, area casinos, sport-ing events and the Lesher Cen-ter for the Arts.

The Wellness Center has alarge gym with senior-friendlyequipment, a massage room, afull-service beauty salon and anoffice for the concierge MD,who can see residents in thecommunity. The WellnessOffice will also be home to amobile dentist and a mobilepodiatrist.

Oakmont specializes in man-aging diabetes. The four-point

program includes nursing care,diabetic-friendly cuisine, an exer-cise program and a diabetes sup-port group.

Just beyond the WellnessCenter is the dining room, fea-turing an exhibition kitchen withwood-burning fireplace forhand-crafted pizzas, anotherfireplace and floor to ceilingglass doors to let in sunlight.Residents can also visit the out-side terrace to enjoy al frescodining. Each meal is cooked toorder, not mass-produced.

Residents can reserve a pri-vate guest suite for visitors.Guests may join residents in aprivate dining room, perfect forfamily reunions or holiday get-togethers.

For more information, call 925-798-4004.


Live Band, Classic Car Show, free hors d’oeuvres, $6 wine glasses, themed food kiosks, and Pro Shop Sale

672-9737 Register guests with [email protected] Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton www.oakhurstcc.com

August5

New Oakmont looking for employees, tenants

Artists rendering courtesy of Oakmont of Concord

OAKMONT OF CONCORD, A NEW RETIREMENT COMMUNITY just off Willow Pass next to Waterworldis scheduled to open in September. The facility will have studio, one- and two-bedroomapartments and a state of the art memory-care unit. The facility is currently hiring.

Two public forums to address housing crisis

PEGGY SPEARConcord Pioneer

Tiny House, from page 1

THE INTERIOR OF THE TINY HOUSE is equipped with storage,bathroom, kitchen sink, sleepign loft and living area. Pic-tured, student Brianna Furtado with teacher Tom Trowbridge.

See Housing, page 9

Photos from the CHS blogsite

IN COMPLETING THE TINY HOUSE PROJECT, woodshop and con-struction students learn to read and interpret plans andapply classroom lessons to a real world jobsite


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Remodeled 585 Mt. Olivet Pl.PICTURE PERFECT! Elegant Dana Hillshome features 4 bedrooms and 3 NEW re-modeled baths! Impressive Master Suite, hugewalk-in closet & views! One bed/bath downstairstucked away for privacy. Large living room w/vaultedceilings, large dining room and chef’s pantry! Serenelocation abuts open space. Landscaped large yards

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They may not have beenpopping champagne and doingcartwheels, but the ConcordCity Council couldn’t help butbe pleased to hear positivebudget news for the city.

In the first year of the city’stwo-year budget cycle, budgetofficer Janell Hamptondetailed the proposed expensesand revenues for fiscal year2016-’17 at the June 14 CityCouncil budget workshop.

Thanks to a rosy economythis past year, revenues are upabout $2.06 million in the$94,039,500 million city budget.

The bad news – or chal-lenge, as Councilman Edi Bir-san said – is looking at the 10-year projected budget and see-ing how the city can establishsustainability without relyingon Measure Q funds. The half-cent sales tax sunsets in 2025.

Measure Q provide strongassistance to the city, adding $7.5million in revenue. Sales taxesare the biggest piece of thebudget pie, contributing $32.4million, while property taxes add$22.93 million. Franchise feesadd $6.02 million, and chargesfor services add $7.78 million.The rest of the revenue is madeup of business license fees, tran-sient occupancy taxes and mis-

cellaneous items.“You can see how reliant

the city is on property andsales taxes,” Hampton told thecouncil.

She credits robust car salesand more development as rea-sons why the city’s doing sowell in that area. The city isalso benefitting from the“triple-flip,” payback from thestate for money it took fromthe city several years ago.

Under the proposal, on theexpense side, $52.4 million willbe directed to the police force,mainly because it has the largeststaff of any city department.Economic and communitydevelopment will receive $7.8

million, public works will get$7.4 million, and parks andrecreation will receive $5.3 mil-lion. Other expenses includethose related to the city attor-ney’s office, human resources,the city manager’s department,the finance department and var-ious non-departmental services.

Hampton and financedirector Karen Reid brokedown the new revenue as: $1.3million in sales tax, including$983,400 in sales tax (ongoing)and $316,000 in “triple-flip”payback (one-time); $393,000in franchise fees (ongoing);and $367,000 in charges forservices due to increases inplanning fees and parks and

recreation fees (ongoing).With some of the extra

funds, Hampton and Reid sug-gested the city spend moneyon staffing, including $317,100for two full-time planningpositions and $104,00 on tem-porary and seasonal staff inparks and recreation, due tothe state-mandated increase inthe minimum wage. Theseinclude lifeguards and swiminstructors, something Hamp-ton said helped improve thequality of life in the city –which is a priority for Con-cord.

The planning staff needsthe assistance because of anumber of projects, including

the city’s bike and pedestrianplans, improvements aroundTodos Santos Plaza and thePark and Shop and the down-town specific plan.

Councilman Dan Helix saidhe would like to see a newadministrative position addedto assist council members. “Idon’t feel like I’m doing asgood a job as I can,” he said.“The council members needthe extra support.”

Birsan asked the staff tofind a way to fund cameras forpolice officers and perhapsreopen a police substation.

The council will vote on thefinal 2016-’17 budget expendi-tures at the June 28 meeting.

Concord sees increased revenues in 2016-’17 budgetPEGGY SPEAR

Concord Pioneer

Even before she became amilitary mom, Loretta Masna-da thought about honoring aConcord High student whodied in Iraq.

Now with her help, theContra Costa Blue Star Momsplan to place granite memorialsat local high schools to honorfallen warriors. All told, 16 sol-diers, Marines and airmenfrom 11 local high schools diedin combat in Operation IraqiFreedom and OperationEnduring Freedom.

Their names will be includ-ed on the memorials at Antioch, Berean Christian,Clayton Valley Charter, CollegePark, Concord, De la Salle, LasLomas, Liberty, Mt. Diablo,Olympic and Ygnacio Valleyhigh schools.

“The Contra Costa BlueStar Moms are very proud tobe able to bring this honor andremembrance to reality so thatgenerations to come will know

of the sacrifices that weremade here at home for theirfreedoms,” said Masnada, carepackage coordinator for thegroup.

Masnada’s son, Sgt. Antho-ny Noble of the U.S. MarineCorps, deployed with L. Cpl.David R. Baker to Afghanistanin 2009. Baker, an Ohio resi-dent, was killed there.

“Tony dedicated a Lafayettecross to David,” Masnada said,referring to the memorial nearthe BART station. “WhenTony later trained in Quantico,we visited Arlington and foundDavid’s grave.”

In 2004, Masnada read inthe newspaper that MarineCpl. Mick Bekowsky, a Con-cord High graduate, had diedin Iraq. Masnada’s older sonhad already graduated fromConcord High, and Tony wasstill a student there. “I felt thatsomething should be done atConcord High to honor this

graduate,” Masnada recalled.A few months ago, she met

Bekowsky’s mother, Joan, anddecided it was time to do

something. She discussed itwith club president Carol Prell,

and they decided to honor all16 warriors from the Blue StarMoms area.

“We think a stone memori-al will always be there toremind students and all othersof those who made thesupreme sacrifice,” Masnadasaid.

Each memorial will costabout $5,000. The groupopened a GoFundMe account,and anyone may donate with acredit card. Seegofundme.com/23ta7d84.

Checks made out toCCBSM may be mailed to P.O.Box 6379, Concord, CA94524. Donors should note“high school memorials” in thememo field.

For more information, contactLoretta Masnada [email protected]; 925-686-3944, or Carol Prell [email protected]; 925-683-2433.

Blue Star Moms aim to memorialize local grads who died in war

Photo courtesy of Loretta Masnada

TONY NOBLE OF CONCORD PAYS HIS RESPECT TO FELLOW MARINE DAVID R. BAKER at ArlingtonNational Cemetery. Tony’s mother, Loretta Masnada, is a member of the local Blue StarMoms.

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complement the popular three-day “Singing Flag” celebrationCalvary Temple Churchlaunched in 1989. It featured atwo-hour variety show eachday that promoted patriotism,celebrated the FoundingFathers and honored the mili-tary.

At the inaugural 4th of Julyparade in 1991, the captain ofthe Concord Naval WeaponsStation served as grand mar-shal. All veterans’ organiza-tions were invited to partici-pate, a tradition that continuesto this day.

“I’ll never forget when theVietnam veterans wereannounced,” Coll says. “Sever-

al onlookers ran up to themand thanked them for theirservice, to loud applause fromthe crowd.”

In 2014, Calvary TempleChurch announced that the“Singing Flag” would be end-ing so they could focus on pro-viding services to the commu-nity through Convoy of Hope,an annual community eventthat provides free groceries,dental and eye exams, haircutsand activities for children.

That’s when Todos SantosBusiness Association (TSBA)Arts Foundation chair and cur-rent city treasurer Tim McGal-lian launched a fundraisingcampaign to put on a 4th of

July festival and fireworksshow downtown.

“We couldn’t let the com-munity down,” he says. “Thecity needed a partner to helpprovide Independence Dayfestivities, and the TSBA wasthe obvious choice.”

Thus began a new Concord

4th of July tradition.This year’s festival begins at

4 p.m. and will feature a kids’carnival, food booths, vendorexhibits and live entertainmentby Police cover band, Stung,on stage at Mt. Diablo HighSchool. The day will concludewith a fireworks show at 9 p.m.

For more information, tovolunteer for the parade, festi-val or fireworks, or to sign upfor the parade or 5K, visitwww.concordjuly4th.com.

Obringer is chair of the

Traffic is thick as I sit at alight on Willow Pass Road, try-ing to get to a staff meeting.My first thought was that a fireengine code threw off the tim-ing of the lights. But no, thiswas just normal late afternoontraffic.

As I move forward a fewblocks at a time, I flashed back

to my days in a patrol car. Forsome reason, I could get toplaces faster when I was in apatrol car. My focus was alwaysgetting somewhere fast. Thepolice were needed. Therewere problems to be solved,panic to be calmed, people tohelp.

Now, I notice more thingsabout the activity around me.People were playing kickballwith their children in the park.Off the Grid was set up on thestreet and selling lots of food.They shut off a whole block ofvehicle traffic. Maybe after themeeting, I could pick up din-ner. I should text my wife tomeet me at the park.

As it happened, discussionat the meeting swirled aroundapartment complex develop-ment in the downtown area.

This is exciting news. New res-idents help the local economy.It means community memberswalking to restaurants, movies,shopping and just exercising.And just as important, morepeople out on foot is a greatcrime deterrent.

But slower vehicle trafficalso comes along with thisadded population in the down-town area. If you are used todriving through certain partsof Concord at a specific speed,that could change. Morepedestrians may be crossingstreets, riding bicycles andpushing strollers. And thesenew residents will have cars aswell.

As I leave the meeting, Idrive back through downtown.I see the benefits of newdowntown living and how it

will help thwart crime. I alsosee vehicle traffic getting thick-er at certain hours.

There are routes you taketoday that could change in afew years. It may take youlonger to get somewhere.That’s the good and the bad ofgrowth.

As I pull up to the famouswhite fence on Galindo, thereare remnants of a previoustraffic accident. Part of thefence is missing again. My traf-fic lieutenant later tells me theprimary cause of the vastmajority of accidents at Con-cord Boulevard and GalindoStreet: speed.


Guy SWANGEr

POLICE CHIEF

Guy Swanger is Concord’s Chief ofPolice. Send questions or comments [email protected].

F r o m t h e d e s k o f . . .Downtown growth may slow traffic — and crime

include 10 percent low and 5percent very low income units.

This issue will likely betaken up in the wee hours ofthe night, so that the statebudget can be approved beforemidnight. The budget onlyrequires a simple majority tobe approved.

This plan eliminates publicnotification for such projects.This would be where residentsvoice concern that can beaddressed through a publicprocess. Instead, city staffwould approve these projects,eliminating public review, proj-ect-level environmental reviewand restricting design review.This includes exceptions tosetbacks, lot coverage, heights,parking requirements, trafficand other potential impacts.

Concord and other citiesthroughout the state firmlyoppose this change. We believeit should not be part of thestate budget proposal released

just 30 days ago. Over the years, we’ve had

many dictates from the state –from mandated requirementswith no funding to implementto the taking of local redevel-opment funds to balance thestate budget. Now, the statewants to take away local inputand local land use control inmultifamily projects.

Eliminating public reviewof these major developmentprojects goes against the prin-ciples of local democracy andpublic engagement. It isthrough community involve-ment at public hearings thatproposed projects are adjustedto respond to the valid issuesand concerns of residents.This results in a project thatfits into the community andneighborhood, as well as prop-erly addressing impacts to localschools and traffic.

Beyond the city’s GeneralPlan, we have design guidelines

and zoning requirements toensure the character of pro-posed multifamily is enhanced.The Planning Commission andDesign Review Committeeprocess guarantees that projectare in compliance with safevehicle, bicycle and pedestrianaccess, landscaping, etc. Allow-ing these developments withno public notification andinput can create impacts orprojects that do not fit in withour community.

The governor’s proposal isdisappointing. Prior last-minute budget proposals hadunintended consequences, cre-ating detrimental impacts suchas Redevelopment Dissolu-tion. This took local economicdevelopment programs andaffordable housing backwardby eliminating our ability toreinvest and enhance olderareas.

Usurping local land useauthority by allowing multi-family housing by right under-mines public input, environ-mental and design review. Andwhat does the governor pro-

pose for taking away residents’voices? A one-time, $400 mil-lion statewide affordable hous-ing fund, which won’t createmore affordable housing inany substantial way.

To balance the state budg-et, the governor is avoidingworking with cities to achieveongoing affordable housingfunds taken when he eliminat-ed redevelopment.

I believe residents deserve avoice in shaping our communi-ty. I’ve let the governor’s officeand our state representativesknow that the city of Concordopposes this measure. Othermayors in the area andthroughout the state, theLeague of Cities, labor, envi-ronmental, business and hous-ing organizations have alsovoiced objections.

I encourage you to contactyour state representatives andlet them know your thoughts,as the state Legislature contin-ues to consider this matter.

Contact the Mayor [email protected]

Carlyn Obringer is a member ofthe City of Concord Planning Commis-sion. Professionally, she focuses on Cal-ifornia education issues as an Educa-tion Policy Analyst. Carlyn resides inConcord with her husband, Justin, anddog Crystal. Contact her by email at [email protected].

CArLyN OBrINGEr

PLANNINGCOMMISSION

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New Marsh Creek trail wouldconnect Clayton, Brentwood

Contra Costa County resi-dents are fortunate to be sur-rounded by scenic landscape andmiles of open space. These out-door spaces provide charmingbackdrops to communities aswell as opportunities for hiking,biking and nature walks.

I believe it’s important thatresidents of District IV haveaccess to family-friendly outdoorspace, which is why I am sup-porting the effort to construct atrail near Marsh Creek. Thismulti-use trail would connectClayton and Brentwood, a nearly17-mile stretch.

As a member of the ContraCosta Transportation Authority,I often hear from constituentsadvocating for new bike routesand safer paths. The growth inthe Bay Area has increased the

need for designated bike andwalking paths across the region.

Those who want to experi-ence the beautiful scenery ofMarsh Creek must use MarshCreek Road, a major thorough-fare that can be dangerous forbike and foot traffic. This newtrail would provide a safe andenjoyable alternative. It wouldserve as a transportation corri-dor and would support variousforms of non-motorized travel,including pedestrian, equestrianand bicycle users.

In crafting this proposal, itwas important to me that thetrail encourages and accommo-dates a multitude of user groups.I hope to one day see both seri-ous cycling teams and familieswalking on the Marsh CreekTrail. Ideally, once the trail and

adjacent paths are completed,there will be a continuous non-motorized trail from downtownConcord to Oakley.

The project is in the earlydevelopment stages. My col-league Mary Piepho and I areleading the effort and havedirected county staff to proceedwith planning and identifyingpotential funding sources. Thecreation of the trail wouldrequire partnerships withnumerous agencies and stake-holders, including some privateproperty owners.

This project would be donein conjunction with the MarshCreek restoration project, afunded project aimed at creatinghabitat and enhancing floodprotection around Marsh Creek.The trail would be constructed

in a sensitive manner thatreflects the scenic and naturalresources of the area.

I am confident that countyresidents will share in my enthu-siasm for this project and thequality of life benefit it wouldprovide for our region.

For more information, signup for my newsletter atwww.cccounty.us/mitchoff.

KArEN MITCHOFF

COUNTYSUPERVISOR

Karen Mitchoff is Contra CostaCounty District IV supervisor. Emailquestions or comments [email protected]


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Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . .672-8717

Construction and TradesAppliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500Italian Heritage Tile & Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9000J.A. Ronco Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872-3049Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679

Dining and EntertainmentClayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440Clayton Theatre Company . .claytontheatrecompany.comOakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737

EventsChronic Care Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .407-0888Clayton Community Church – Movie Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.claytoncc.com

Concerts in the Grove – City of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cityofclayton.org

Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . . .800-949-3276Todos Santos Business Assoc. – July 4 Celebration . . . . . . . . .www.concordjuly4th.com

Financial, Insurance and Legal ServicesDuRee, Daniel – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . . .210-1400

Geraghty, Colleen – Prudential . . . . . . . . . . . . .305-0321

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Van Wyck, Doug – State Farm Insurance . . . . .672-2300

FuneralsOuimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242

Health and WellnessKomor, Peter – DDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-5055

Home and GardenDiablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757

Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920

Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955

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Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334

Mailing ServicesThe UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245

PhotographyRochellez Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-677-4170

Real Estate and Mortgage ServicesBennett, Nancy – Keller Williams . . . . . . . . . . .606-8400

Clayton Fair Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-0324

French, Lynne – Windermere Real Estate . . . .672-8787

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Hayes, Diane and Bill – Better Homes Realty . .890-4701

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A fast moving grass fire,whipped up by 25-30 mphwinds, charred 50 acres in Mt.Diablo State Park last Monday,June 13.

The fire started in a pondnear the Mitchell Canyon stag-ing area and quickly spread.The flames came perilouslyclose to dozens of homes inthe Clayton subdivision ofDana Hills, but were stoppedshort by a 30-foot fire breakplowed just days before.

A number of houses on Mt.

Olivet Pl. would have beenengulfed when winds kicked upan advanced burn area behindtheir homes had the fresh newfire break not been in place.

According to Robert Mar-shall, public information officerfor the Contra Costa Fire Pro-tection District, the first alarmcame in at 11:04 a.m. The firstengines from Clayton’s Station11 and Concord’s Station 22were dispatched 2 minutes later.

The fire started at the pondin the Mitchell Canyon area of

the park and quickly spreadacross bone-dry grass. Heavygusts carried embers in all direc-tions, sparking additional fires,said Marshall.

Response was fast and furi-ous, said Marshall, with 10engines, bulldozers and aircraftcoming from both CCCFPDand CalFire.

Neighbors in Dana Hillsbordering one of the fire out-breaks behind Mt. Olivet Pl. andMt. Everest Ct. were quickly onthe fire line with shovels and

hoses, battling thick smoke andthreatening flames.

A Mt. Everest Ct. residentwho had moved into their homethe day before were shockedwith flames scorching their backfence. A neighbor came over tohelp quell the threat.

The fire was fully containedin less than an hour. Mop upcrews were on the scene all day.

Cause of the fire is stillunder investigation, accordingto the media officer at CalFirein Morgan Hill.

Grassfire threatenes Clayton homesadjacent to Mt. Diablo State Park

In an effort to prevent anutrition gap, the Contra CostaCounty Library and the Mt. Dia-blo Unified School District havepartnered to serve free summermeals at the Concord Library.

The Lunch at the Libraryprogram is part of a statewidecollaboration between the Cal-ifornia Library Association(CLA) and the California Sum-mer Meal Coalition. The goalis to keep kids healthy andengaged when school is out.

After a successful launchlast year, this is the second yearfor Lunch in the Library at theConcord Library. KimberliBuckley, senior communitylibrary manager for the Con-cord Library, piloted the coun-

ty’s first Lunch at the Libraryprogram in Pittsburg in 2014.

“I’ve seen the difference thisprogram can make in children’slives,” Buckley said. “I saw achild almost in tears, thankingthe library staff for his summerlunch. It was a very touchingmoment and proves that thesummer lunch program is anincredible way for the library toreach out to the children andteens in the community.”

In many California commu-nities, summer break can meanan end to learning or enrichmentopportunities and limited accessto healthy food – an issue withgreatest impact on the state’slow-income children. CaliforniaFood Policy Advocates reports

that in 2012, only 17 percent ofchildren in California receiving afree/reduced-price lunch duringthe school year also participatedin a summer meal program.

Lunch in the library will beavailable 1-2 p.m. Tuesdays,Thursdays and Fridays throughJuly 15. The lunches are avail-able to Mt. Diablo School Dis-trict children up to age 18. Nodocumentation or enrollmentis required.

The meals meet U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture nutritionguidelines. The David and LucilePackard Foundation helps sup-port the program.

In addition to lunch, theConcord Library will offer freeprograms such as board games,

arts and crafts, musical per-formances, Lego play andmovies. For specific informa-tion on programs, visitccclib.org/locations/ andselect the Concord Library.

“Children find refuge intheir libraries, particularly inthe summertime,” said CLApresident Deborah Doyle.“How fitting that they can findfood for their bodies as well astheir minds through this col-laborative program.”

For more information about theConcord Library’s Lunch at theLibrary, call (925) 646-5455. Formore information about the project,visit www.cla-net.org orwww.sum-mermealcoalition.org.

Concord Library’s free summer lunchprogram boosts nutrition for kids

To tell the truth: Politicalhit pieces aim to deceive

Hit pieces in campaignshave been exploding lately.Here are some examples:

What’s in a name? In my2010 and 2012 campaigns forthe City Council, I am listed onthe ballot as Ed Birsan. My mid-dle name, Ersalesi, was left out.Ersalesi is derived from the Sale-sian Brotherhood of Italy butinterpreted by some as Iranian.

In order to help out herjoint candidates in the 2012election, a campaign managerwent to a third party, the policeunion, and launched a hit piecethat spent half a page saying Iwas lying about my name. Itsaid the entire police depart-ment wanted you to know

about it. After all, if you are onthe ballot as Ed Birsan and yourfull name is Edi Ersalesi Birsan,it must mean something evil.Meanwhile, the same consultantand police union had no prob-lems with a Tim, Ron or Danon the ballot with or without amiddle name or even initial.

In addition, using a 20-year-old business license from SanFrancisco and an old mail boxdrop in the Castro, I was basical-ly asked if I was an Arab homo-sexual living in San Francisco.

Neither of the two candi-dates knew about this hit piece,and that is certainly true withthe current wave of hits fromindependent expendituregroups. However, it seems inde-pendent groups have no limitson how far they will go.

Ethics. A political operativeobtained a campaign contribu-tion from a bidder on a govern-ment contract, but he did not tellthe candidate the origin. Whenthe candidate found out, hereturned the money and checked

with the city attorney to see ifthere was a breach of the citycontract. He is informed therewas no violation. The matter ispublicly acknowledged and theoperative is chastised (laterfired). This candidate handledthe situation ethically. Thenenter a second lawyer, whomakes a report that disagreeswith the first and say that therewas a breach. The candidate,while disagreeing, recuses him-self from a vote. Again, he madean ethical response. Yet the hitpieces accuse him of beingunethical because someone elsemisbehaved.

Twisting the words. I have along-standing position of beingan independent voice and notwanting staff or any group ofbureaucrats to tell me what todo in major policy issues. If Iwant their opinion, I will ask forit. Otherwise just give me thefacts, outline various optionsand let the council argue anddecide. So hit pieces describethis as “suppressing the recom-

mendation.”Misdirection. Republican

Assembly candidate DeboraAllen was featured in a piecethat initially looked like it wasfor her. It compared what couldbe taken as her positions tothose of Mae Torlakson onsome hot button issues. How-ever, there was a footnote thatsaid the positions were takenfrom the platform of theRepublican Party. So whileAllen espoused being pro-choice, she was described asbeing in favor of overturningRoe v. Wade. Though presentedas a pro-Allen piece, it was actu-ally being sent to independentsand Democrats to help energizethe opposition.

There are many more casesof hit pieces gone wild. Thething to remember is that if wedon’t let them sway us, they mayjust go away.

With a pet by your side, you’ll never be lonely

Life can be dreadfully lonelywhen you suddenly find yourselfon your own.

After living happily fordecades with a significant other,people can feel abandonedwhen the partner dies or the

relationship ends. The worldthey knew doesn’t exist anylonger.

For some, the mourning canseem to go on forever. But thereare ways to make the transitionfrom couple to single more bear-able.

Staying active and keepingbusy may help you adjust to aloss. There are a plethora ofpursuits, from finding a hobbyto visiting family or friends.The Concord Senior Centerand Concord Senior CitizensClub offer many classes, toursand functions. You may take acasino trip, enjoy a tour, shootbilliards, practice woodwork-ing or play bingo, ping pong orcards. The center also has a

decent-sized library.However, there are only so

many hours to fill with pursuits– trying to stave off what’s com-ing at day’s end. The rubbermeets the road emotionallywhen the house is quiet andyou’re lying in the dark with onlyyour memories to keep youcompany. I have ruined a fewfeather pillows by hugging themfor solace.

Since I’m not ready to date, Idecided to get a pet for compa-ny. Happiness truly is a warmpuppy. And if I change my mindabout dating, my philosophy willbe: “Love me, love my pet.”

I’m the type of person wholoves feeling needed. Caring fora homeless animal is a wonderful

way to fulfill that desire. Thebenefits of being loved uncondi-tionally, warts and all, far out-weighs any concerns you mighthave about bringing a pet intoyour home.

The Animal Rescue Founda-tion (925) 256-1273, the ContraCosta Humane Society, (925)279-2247 and or PetSmart (925)687-7199 all offer opportunitiesfor adoption.

EDI BIRSANPULSE OFCONCORD

Send comments to [email protected] or 510-812-8180or visit www.PulseOfConcord.com

CHrISTINE KOGuT

SAVVY SENIOR Christine Kogut is a marketingdirector for the Concord Senior Citi-zens Club. She has lived in the areafor 40 years and formerly worked forthe Contra Costa Times.

To find out more about the Con-cord Senior Center, call (925) 671-3320 or see the city’s website at concord.ca.us

In May, Sunvalley ShoppingCenter opened its new 23,000sq. ft. food court, featuringseven fast-casual fare diningestablishments.

Located on the lower levelnear JC Penney, the food courthas seating for 525 customers.It offers a bright, contempo-rary design and includes charg-ing spots for electronicdevices.

Blaze Pizza also opened inMay at 1110 Concord Ave.This LeBron James-backedpizza chain has doubled itsnumber of restaurants from 50

at the end of 2014 to 105 bythe end of 2015, with morerestaurants opening everymonth. It is now the fastest-growing restaurant chain in thecountry.

They offer a huge selectionof signature pizzas, as well asbuild-your-own pizzas thatcook in the blazing-hot ovenfor only 180 seconds. Gluten-free crust is available, and thereare many choices of meats,veggies, cheeses and sauces.

Another great addition toConcord is Buffalo WildWings Grill & Bar at 2090 Dia-mond Blvd. It all started withone restaurant in 1982 inColumbus, Ohio, and nowthere is a restaurant in everystate and they are continuing toexpand around the world. Buf-falo Wild Wings is a great placeto get together with friends,watch sports, drink beer andeat wings.

Regus, with ready-to-gofully furnished office spaces, isalso new to Concord. You canrent short-term or long-termoffice space, corporate officesand executive suites or use

meeting rooms as needed.Regus has more than 3,000locations in 900 cities in morethan 120 countries. Officespace is available for a fraction

of the cost of setting up yourown space. Regus is at 1320Willow Pass Road, Suite 600.

Check the Concord Cham-

ber of Commerce website atwww.concordchamber.com orvisit the Facebook page to keepup-to-date with the newestbusinesses coming to town.


For more information on becom-ing a member of the ConcordChamber of Commerce, please visitwww.concordchamber.com or call(925) 685-1181.

MELISSA rEA

CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE

B U S I N E S SSunvalley food court, Blaze Pizza and Wild Wings new to Concord

Grand Opening

Professional Installation of Tile, Stone and Glass Mosaics

Certified Fabrication of all Quartz material

Complete Remodeling Service

Showroom Hours:T/TH/F 11-6; M/W 12:30-6; Sat 11-3. Or by appointmentClosed Sunday

925.672.9000; Showroom925.822.7037; Installation

www.italiantileandstone.comClayton Valley Shopping Center • 5420 Ygnacio Valley Rd Suite #40, Concord

next to OSH and FrameWorks • Locally Owned by Clayton Residents

10% Off$500+

New tile store a family affairFrom the family quarries in

Italy to a sleek, modern tilestore in Clayton, Sal Santange-lo has a long history with mar-ble and stone.

At 12, he was working inthe family quarries mining therich, cream colored marblestones that would be craftedfor homes all over Europe andthe Middle East.

In 1977, he brought hisexperience and skill to the BayArea, and started a tile installa-tion business.

Over the years, it seemed alogical progression to the retailtile business was inevitable.

“Our customers kept askingus for advice on where to buytheir stone and tile,’ says Sal’swife, Cori Santangelo.

When they moved to Clay-ton two years ago, “it justseemed time.”

They found a good locationin the Clayton Valley ShoppingCenter and started orderinginventory. Italian Heritage Tileand Stone opened last fall.

Their showroom is beautiful.The walls and aisles are linedwith enough gorgeous marble,tile and stone samples to satisfyevery home decorating appetite.

Daughter, Jacklyn Santan-gelo is the store’s full timemanager.

Raised in the business, thisDVC student knows her stuff.From choosing the right prod-uct, finish and color to propercare and maintenance, she hasyou covered. And when you’vemade your selection, Sal andhis crew will handle all detailsof the installation.

Sal, Cori and Jacklyn live onMorgan Territory Rd. in Claytonwith son Vincent, a Diablo ViewMiddle School student.

They moved in two years agoand have been working non-stop

on remodeling and landscapingprojects.

Italian Heritage Tile andStone is in the Clayton ValleyCenter, 5420 Ygnacio ValleyRd., Concord, toward the back,next to OSH and Clayton Valley Frameworks.

Visit their website at www.ital-ianstoneandmarble.com to view theirgallery of projects and learn moreabout the family’s history.

Or stop by the store to browseand give a welcome to the new localbusiness.

For hours, see ad this page.

The Sterling Organization of Palm Beach,Fla., has acquired Olivera Crossing shoppingcenter in Concord for $11.987 million.

The 47,571 sq. ft. center, anchored by a newPlanet Fitness, is at the intersection of PortChicago Highway and Olivera Road. Developedin 1960 and renovated in 2005, Olivera Cross-ing is currently 77 percent occupied. West Val-ley Properties was the previous owner.

“We are pleased to be able to expand ourgrowing California portfolio with the additionof Olivera Crossing. The property is a funda-mentally sound retail real estate asset that servesa dynamic and growing Bay Area submarket,”

said Brian Kosoy, managing principal, presidentand CEO of Sterling Organization. “We believeOlivera Crossing represents a solid opportunityto add value through lease up, and our teamintends to leverage off of the increased dailytraffic to the center resulting from Planet Fit-ness’s recent occupancy.”

Olivera Crossing is Sterling’s second acquisi-tion in California in the last eight months. InSeptember 2015, the firm purchased the gro-cery-anchored shopping center OceansideTown & Country in San Diego County.

The firm and its principals own almost 8million sq. ft. of retail and other commercialreal estate across the United States, exceeding$1 billion in value.

The Sterling Organization is a vertically inte-grated private equity real estate firm that pro-vides risk-adjusted returns to its partners, inboth relative and absolute terms. The compa-ny’s national platform is focused on investing invalue-add retail real estate assets and stabi-lized/core grocery-anchored shopping centersin major markets across the United States onbehalf of Sterling’s principals in partnershipwith high-quality institutional investors.

SUN VALLEY’S NEW FOOD COURT REGUS OFFICE SPACE DOGO KRAV MAGA SELF DEFENSE SCHOOL

BLAZE PIZZA BUFFALO WILD WINGS GRILL AND BAR

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

ITALIAN HERITAGE TILE AND STONE’S onsite manager, JacklynSantangelo, with mom, Cori Santangelo. The new businessis in the Clayton Valley Shopping Center.


Florida firm buys Olivera Crossing

FREE ESTIMATES

925-250-0334

OwnersDustin & Kim WaranerContractors Lic #879423Arborist Lic WE-7372A

www.waranertreeexperts.com


P.O. Box 12466200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorPETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignBEV BRITTON, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports Editor PAMELA WIESENDANGER, Administration, Calendar Editor

STAFF WRITERS: Peggy Spear, Pamela Wiesendanger, Jay Bedecarré

CORRESPONDENTS: Cynthia Gregory, Kara Navolio, John T.Miller

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

Tel: (925) 672-0500Fax: (925) 672-6580

Tamara [email protected]

Send Ads [email protected]

Send Sports News [email protected] School, Club and Cal-

endar Items to [email protected]

The Clayton Pioneer and theConcord Pioneer are monthlypublications delivered free tohomes and businesses in 94517,94518, 94519 and 94521. ZIPcode 94520 is currently servedby drop site distribution. Thepapers are published by ClaytonPioneer, Inc., Tamara and RobertSteiner, PO 1246, Clayton, CA94517. The offices are located at6200 Center St. Suite H, Clayton,CA 94517

LET US KNOW Weddings, anniversaries,

births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric ofour community. Please let usknow of these important events.We ask only that the announce-ment be for a resident in ourhome delivery area. Submit onour website and be sure to attacha JPG photo that is at least 3 MB.

Also on the website are formsfor calendar items, events & pressreleases.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORBoth Pioneer newspapers

welcome letters from our readers.

As a general rule, letters shouldbe 175 words or less and submit-ted at least one week prior topublication date. Letters concern-ing current issues will have priori-ty. We may edit letters for lengthand clarity. All letters will be pub-lished at the editor’s discretion.Please include name, addressand daytime telephone number.We will not print anonymous let-ters. E-mail your letter to edi-tor@concord pioneer.com.

Letters must be submitted viaE-mail.

CIRCULATION The Concord Pioneer is deliv-

ered monthly to 30,000 homesand businesses in 94518, 94519and 94521. Papers are deliveredby carriers for ABC Direct aroundthe last Friday of the month. Tostop delivery for any reason, callthe office at (925) 672-0500 .

If you are NOT receiving thePioneer, please check the distribu-tion map on the website. If youlive in the shaded area and arenot receiving the paper, please letus know. If you are not in theshaded area, please be patient.We will come to your neighbor-hood soon.

The Clayton Pioneer is deliv-ered by US Mail to 5,500 homesand businesses in 94517 aroundthe second Friday of the month.

SUBSCRIPTIONSTo subscribe to either the

Clayton Pioneer or the ConcordPioneer, call the office at (925)672-0500. Subscriptions are$35/year for each paper,$60/year for both.

Immediate Openings forCable Installers!

No experience Necessary. We will Train.$2000 bonus with sufficient experience.

Must have clean DL.

Call 916-215-9309 to apply.

For LeaseConcord – Commercial OfficesActive business complex featuring a variety of commercial businesses. Wellmaintained with friendly atmosphere. Ex-cellent location including ample parking.

Contact Maureen (925) 685-0324

Clayton FairProperties

sees shapes in the areaaround it. The cameras cannot only tell when somethingis “out there,” but preciselywhere it is.

In the road demonstra-tion, an Acura RLX and apedestrian set up a typicalstreet situation. As the carapproached at about 25 mph,the pedestrian stepped out infront of it to cross the street.The Acura swerved aroundthe pedestrian and then con-tinued to the corner, stoppingat the stop sign before mak-ing a right hand turn – allwithout the driver’s hands onthe wheel or foot on thebrake.

As technology moves for-

ward, self-driving cars mustbe able to safely share theroad with other vehicles andcommunicate with eachother, says John Bozella,president and CEO of Glob-al Automakers.

“V-to-V communication iswhen vehicles speak or talk toeach other continuously, 10times a second,” Bozella said.“… It allows drivers to bewarned, but it also allowsvehicles to automaticallyavoid collisions.”

According to Jim Keller,Honda’s chief research anddevelopment engineer,Honda plans to have vehicleson the highways, entering andexiting freeways and changing

lanes with no driver control,within four years. “We arereally on the cusp of a newrealm of mobility.”

The biggest challenge forthe new “cooperative carsociety” is not technology,say the developers, but regu-lations — or the lack ofthem.

California clearly sees thefuture, Bozella said. Butnationally, the technology ismoving faster than the gov-ernment can write laws. Rightnow, the national scene is apatchwork with some stateshaving some regulations, oth-ers none and many in conflict.

Current California lawrequires a vehicle on the roadto have a steering wheel,brake pedal, accelerator and

operator. AssemblywomanSusan A. Bonilla (D-Con-cord) is sponsoring legisla-tion to authorize CCTA toconduct low-speed testing ofmulti-passenger, sharedautonomous vehicles notmeeting current requirementsin a privately owned businesspark or at the GoMentumStation. A Senate committeepassed AB1592 last week.

“I want to ensure that Cal-ifornia maintains its status asthe epicenter for innovationand investment and becomesthe home to the next genera-tion of safer, cleaner andmore efficient transportationoptions,” Bonilla said.

For more information on thetesting station, go towww.gomentumstation.net.

GoMentum, from page 1

Negotiation is key to a successful home purchase

Q. As a homebuyer,what are some negotiatingtips I should use?

A. To enhance your nego-tiating position, learn the sell-ers’ motivation. Sellers whomust move quickly due to ajob transfer, divorce or con-tract on another home aremore inclined to accept alower price to speed theprocess along.

Remember that the listingor asking price is what theseller would like to receivefor the home. It is not neces-sarily what the seller willaccept. It’s important tounderstand a home’s value.Before you make an offer,check recent sales and listingprices of comparable neigh-borhood homes and comparethem to the asking price.

Also find out if the selleris going to receive moreoffers than yours. In thatcase, you will have to figureout if you want to or are able

to offer over the asking price.Try to find out how manyoffers are in the running.Remember that the terms youare offering could be asimportant as the offeringprice.

Other tips are: Be flexible.Never say “take it or leave it”because that can sour negoti-ations and ruin the deal.Don’t show your hand orreveal your next step. Eachtime you increase your offer-ing price, ask for somethingin return – such as repairs,appliances, even lawn furni-ture. If you plan to pay cashor have a tentative loan com-mitment rather than loan pre-approval, use your strongfinancial position as a negoti-ating tool.

And finally, don’t let emo-tions such as pride, fear, loveand anger get in the way ofnegotiating the best deal.Leave irrational feelings athome.

Q. What is something Imight overlook when pur-chasing a home?

A. Insurance is somethingyou might not think of rightaway, so here are some tips

for buying homeowner’sinsurance.

Since lenders as well astitle/escrow companiesrequire proof of homeownerinsurance before closing, awise home buyer will beginshopping for it as soon as thepurchase offer is accepted.Before you contact an agent,know when the home wasbuilt, the square footage andthe roof type. Find out theage of the plumbing andelectrical, if possible, and beprepared to describe thehome’s location.

Most agents use a costestimator to determine costreplacement estimates.Remember that you are buy-ing insurance for the homeonly, and not for the land.

Most policies today desig-nate a percentage over theinsured amount to coverreplacement costs, which mayincrease over time due toinflation. Many companiesrecommend 125 percentreplacement cost coverage.Some agents may recommendeven a higher percentage forreplacement coverage, butthat is your decision once theparticulars are explained to

you.You can save money by

having a higher deductible onyour policy. Most insurancecompanies will start offeringdiscounts at a $500deductible. The discountincreases as the deductiblegoes up, although manymortgage companies will notallow you to exceed a $1,000deductible. Check with yourlender before deciding.

Ask about discounts forwhich you may be eligible ifyou have an alarm thatreports to a central system,for example, or if you are asenior citizen. A multi-policydiscount may save you moneyif, for example, you combineyour home and auto insur-ance with the same company.

It is a good idea to reviewyour policy with your agentevery three years to be sureyour coverage is still ade-quate.

Send your question and look foryour answer in a future column. [email protected]. French isthe broker/owner of WindermereLynne French & Associates. Contacther at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200Center St., Clayton.

LyNNE FrENCH

REAL ANSWERS

“everyone can come to thetable — renters, propertyowners and the general pub-lic” to educate people aboutmany of the issues.

“Property owners were hithard by the recession, and nowthey see rent increases as a wayto upgrade their property,” hesaid. “But we have to makesure those rent increases aredone in a manageable way, andnot all at once.”

George Fulmore, a com-munity activist and member ofthe Monument Democratswho has spoken out regularlyat council meetings on thesubject of rent hikes andaffordability, said there areseveral issues that aid rentersin the Concord area. One isthat the city has several subsi-dized developments by suchorganizations as Eden Hous-ing. “It is important that these

complexes continue to add toour rental stability. The badnews is that few units open upin these complexes. They arefull.”

He also added that heknows of several renters whohave had their Section 8allowances raised to coverrent increases. “I'm told thatSection 8 will go up to $1,700for a two-bedroom unit,” hesaid. “This program adds sta-bility for many.”

He also said he believedthat there should be a RentStabilization ordinance in the

city, and that it needs toinclude:• no more than one rent

hike per year;• a maximum annual rent

increase percentage peryear;

• an eviction control com-ponent;

• a way of collecting rentaldata in The Monument;

• a form for reportingunreasonable rent hikes;

• an oversight entity in theCity of Concord govern-ment for rent hikes andoverall rental costs stability.

Housing, from page 4

Local schools honoredtheir 2015-16 athletes of theyear as the high school seasondrew to a close and the gradu-ating seniors reflected on theirhigh school careers and lookedahead to a new chapter of theirlife in college.

The Diablo Valley and EastBay athletic leagues announcedtheir spring sports all-leagueteams with all local athleteslisted below.

BEREAn CHRIsTIAnFemale Athlete of the

Year: Emily Dutton was firstteam all-league in soccer. Shewas an NCS meet of Champi-ons qualifier in the 4x100 relayas the Berean girls quartetbroke the school record. Shealso graduated with honorsand was one of the schoolyearbook editors.

Male Athlete of the Year:Jack Chillemi was first teamall-TCAL for the historic NCSfinalist Eagles football teamlast fall. Also Chillemi was aDVAL champion who finishedseventh at the NCS wrestlingchampionships at 195 pounds.

CARonDELETsenior Athlete of the

Year: Kaylie Collins wasselected East Bay girls soccerplayer of the year. TheCougars goalkeeper from Clay-ton, who is headed to USC thisfall, had 10 clean sheets and112 saves while her team wentundefeated all the way to over-time of the NCS champi-onship game before they wereupset by East Bay AthleticLeague rival San Ramon Valley.

student Athlete of theYear: Angela Bagasbas. Thisaward is presented to the mostoutstanding athlete of the2015-2016 school year. Bagas-bas was a leader on and off theplaying field, and her clearsense of purpose has helped togrow the program and the

sport itself. scholar Athlete of the

Year: Madelyn Murphy settwo individual and one relayrecord at this spring’s NorthCoast Section championshipmeet in Concord. She set Sec-tion marks in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle and also waspart of a record-breaking 200free relay for the Cougars. Shealso won the 100 butterfly. As afreshman in 2013 was on theNCS 400 free relay record-set-ters and helped the Cougarswin the 400FR all four years.The Cal-bound swimmer isgearing up for the US OlympicTrials beginning June 26.

CLAYTon VALLEYCHARTER

Male Athlete of the Year:Anthony Vines accumulatednine varsity letters (2 waterpolo, 3 soccer and 4 swim-ming) during his time atCVCHS. He was all-DiabloValley Athletic League for fouryears in swimming and secondteam all-league in water pololast fall. He clocked Top 10 all-time in four different swim-ming events and was a three-time Eagles varsity swimmingcaptain. Also a water polo cap-tain last fall. Had a 4.24 GPAwhile being involved in numer-ous school, community andchurch activities.

Female Athlete of theYear: Claire olson was two-time North Coast Section per-former in cross country andwas CVCHS team captain incross country and track. Shewon DVAL frosh/soph 1600meters as a freshman and wassecond in frosh/soph crosscountry as a sophomore. Inaddition to academics (4.26GPA) and athletics, Olson wasa member of Team Blue, reg-ularly organizing beachcleanups throughout the BayArea.

Irvine scholar Award(Combination of athleticsand academics): Ryan Levy

was varsity swimming andwater polo for four years each.He was two-time swim captainand 2015 MVP winningnumerous all-league honors inboth sports. Levy, who is head-ed to US Santa Barbara in thefall, is a CVCHS Top 10 all-time swimmer in six differentevents. Most improved waterpolo player as a freshman,sophomore and junior. Firstplace in 50 freestyle this springat DVALs. Scholar athlete allfour years in both swimmingand water polo, completing hishigh school career with a 4.33GPA.

ConCoRDFemale Athlete of the

Year: Ally Roberts competedeight varsity seasons, earning“White” Block C. She playedone year of water polo, threeyears of soccer and four yearsof swimming. She was all-DVAL in water polo and soc-cer this year. Jose Soltero, theCHS soccer coach, said, “Allyexhibited a strong work ethicthat made her the successfuland productive soccer playerthat earned her OffensiveMVP for this year's varsity soc-cer team as well as all-leaguehonors. Ally was a joy to coachfor three years and she will bemissed, especially her conta-gious and wonderful smile.” Inswimming she finaled atDVAL in both the 50 and 100freestyle as well as anchoringboth the 200 medley and freerelays.

Male Athlete of the Year:Patrick o’shea is a multi-sport athlete who has compet-ed three basketball and twobaseball seasons. Corey Battle,basketball coach said, “Pataveraged just under 10 pointsand seven rebounds a game.He was our team captain andbest defender. He earned all-league honors and was votedthe ‘Most Inspirational’ by hiscoaches.” He helped both hissquads get to the North Coast

Section playoffs, earning all-league honors in both sportsand being a leader on the courtand field.

DE LA sALLEAthlete of the Year:

Devin Asiasi. The Michigan-bound football standouthelped the Spartans to anotherState CIF football champi-onship last December. Thetight end and defensive endwas first-team all-EBAL, all-East Bay and all-State whilebeing one of the most sought-after recruits in America.

Athlete of the Year:Jonathan Harvey. A StateMeet finalist in the 110 highhurdles, Harvey compiled topNCS times in both the 110 and300 hurdles this year. He wonleague and section titles in the300 hurdles for two years andwas NCS 110HH winner thisyear. He was also the secondleading receiver for the StateChampion football team whilescoring four touchdowns.

noRTHGATEEric Griffin Memorial

Female Athlete of the Year:Tatum Turetzky was co-MVPduring the fall water polo sea-son for the Broncos andhelped her team to the secondround of the NCS tourna-ment. Northgate was undefeat-ed DVAL champion in waterpolo and swimming. She wason the NG 400 free relay thatwon the DVAL meet title aswell as taking second in the500 free and fifth in the 200free.

Eric Griffin Memorial

Male Athlete of the Year:Ian Morford had quite thesenior year, winning all-DVALhonors in football, wrestlingand lacrosse. The linebackerwas a leader as the Broncoswent to the NCS football play-offs and then was a repeatDVAL wrestling champ. Hewent on the NCS wrestlingtournament and finished sec-ond at 172 pounds beforesplitting four matches at State.In track and field--- while healso played lacrosse--- he wasfourth in the shot put and sixthin the discus at league meet.

YGnACIo VALLEYFemale Athlete of the

Year: sophia Campos playedon 10 varsity teams while atYVHS. She was on varsity soc-cer four years and three eachfor cross country and lacrosse.Campos was first team all-DVAL in soccer and lacrosse.She capped all three seasonsthis year at the North CoastSection championships. Hersoccer team this year andlacrosse team last year bothwon a NCS game, each a firstfor Ygnacio Valley. She willattend Fort Lewis College inDurango, Colorado to major inpublic health.

Male co-Athlete of theYear: Andrew Leonard wastabbed as an athlete of the yearfor the second year. He playedtwo years as YVHS varsityquarterback and on varsitytrack plus three years on varsitybasketball. He was first-teamall-DVAL in all three sports


SPORTSAthletes of the year, spring sports all-league teams saluted

JAY BEDECARRÉConcord Pioneer

Photo courtesy Phil Walton/SportStars MagazineJONATHAN HARVEY

DE LA SALLE CO-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

SOFIA CAMPOS, JORGE VELAZQUEZ AND ANDREW LEONARDYGNACIO VALLEY ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Jay BedecarréKAYLIE COLLINS

CARONDELET ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

CLAIRE OLSONCVCHS FEMALE ATHLETE

OF THE YEAR

See Athletes, page 13

Photo courtesy MDSA

MDSA REBELS U10 GIRLS SOCCER TEAM just wrapped up a busy spring season with a second—place finish at the Davis World Cup. The girls earlier won Concord Cup XXIII,were second also at the Comstock Shoot-out in Carson City and the AySO AreaSelect Cup plus third in the San Jose President’s Cup. The rebels include, front row fromleft, Julia Pauline, Julia Lovelace, Emery Stephens, Layla Solis, Gabrielle Vela; back row,coach Matt Stephens, Natalya Modawar, Jessica Nielsen, Ellie Aragon, Anja Perreira,Jackie Contreras and coach Dylan Perreira.

Photo courtesy Concord AySO

CONCORD UNITED UNDER 16 BOYS played six games at the Davis World Cup on the MemorialDay Weekend without giving up a goal, culminating in a 1-0 victory over Millbrae in thechampionship match. Concord united also took first place in this season’s AySO PacificCoast Soccer League which has teams from Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Penin-sula. The champs include, front row from left, Miguel Martinez, Aaron usi, Marco Hidayat,Ami Melendres, Charlie Salazar; middle row, Adres Avila, Jason Morgan, Vincent Sanchez,Pedro Carillo, Ivan Campos; back row, coach Manny Ortega, Adrian Ortega, Juan Her-nandez, Daniel Orea robles, Griffin Henley, Nick Armstrong, Delio romano, Manny Or-tega, Mario Avila and assistant coach Mario Avila.

2 local teams earn soccer hardware at Davis World Cup

Practice for high schoolfootball begins Aug. 8 and theother fall sports kick off oneweek later so preparations forthe new Diablo AthleticLeague are racing ahead whilefinal administrative tasks forthe soon-to-be defunct DiabloValley and Diablo Foothill ath-letic leagues are being complet-ed.

During the past school yearlong-time Amador Valley Highfootball coach Rick Sira hashandled the melding of the 12schools who were aligned intothe new DAL super leaguethrough the quadrennial NorthCoast Section alignmentprocess. He’s now turned overthe process to recentlyappointed DAL commissionerPat Lickiss, who served asDFAL commish for the pastsix years and Las Lomas Highprincipal for 17 years. Lickiss isrelishing his new assignment.

The final NCS alignmentfor 2016-2020 placed the sevenDiablo Valley Athletic Leagueschools (Clayton Valley Char-ter, College Park, Concord,Ygnacio Valley, Northgate,Berean Christian and Mt. Dia-blo) with five Diablo Foothillteams (Acalanes of Lafayette,Alhambra of Martinez, Cam-polindo of Moraga, Las Lomasof Walnut Creek and Mira-

monte of Orinda). The first step in setting up

the new league was splittingsports into two conferences tocreate the most competitivelyequitable playing opportunitiesfor the schools. Except forboys and girls lacrosse eachsport was split into two confer-ences—most with six schoolsin each—-that are designed tomake for better competitionfor the member schools.

The Valley Conference ineach sport will have the highestperforming schools fromrecent years as determined by acommittee of two principalsand two athletic directors dur-ing the past school year. Thewinner of each DAL confer-ence will get automatic qualifi-cation to NCS play, regardlessof what NCS division thatteam is placed in based onenrollment.

In most sports the majorityof the schools in the ValleyConference come from theDFAL. DVAL schools are themajority of the Valley flight inboys soccer, softball andwrestling. Boys volleyball andboth basketball divisions aresplit evenly with three schoolsfrom each former league.

Boys and girls lacrosse willhave a single flight of eight ornine schools, respectively. Thetrack and field conferenceshave yet to be determined.

Northgate, Campolindo

and Las Lomas each have 20teams in the Valley Conferenceamong the 22 sports (exclud-ing track and field). CollegePark (13) and CVCHS (eight)are placed in Valley Confer-ence the next most timesamong DVAL schools.

When the DAL footballleague season begins Oct. 7after five weeks of non-leagueaction, Concord and ClaytonValley Charter from the DVALwill be squaring off withAcalanes, Campolindo, LasLomas and Miramonte of theold DVAL. The competitionshould be fierce.

Both Campo and CVCHSare coming off two straightState Bowl appearances (theCougars won the 2014 statetitle), Concord has four NCSchampionship game appear-ances since 2010 and LasLomas was a two-time NCSwinner in 2003 and 2005. Cam-polindo has won three of thepast five NCS Division IIIchampionships and has movedup to DII (along with Con-cord) this fall while ClaytonValley has three of the pastfour DII crowns and is now inDI. Acalanes, Las Lomas andMiramonte are in DIII.

This fall the boys and girlswater polo season has Alham-bra, College Park, Concord,Ygnacio Valley and ClaytonValley also facing Hercules,Pinole Valley and St. Patrick-St.

Vincent in the Foothill Confer-ence.

The Miramonte girls playedfor the CIF Open Divisionbasketball championship thispast season and Northgate onthe inaugural CIF boys swim-ming title in 2015.

For more information onthe DAL visit the league’s newwebsite www.dalathletics.com.

FALL SPORTSFootball – Valley: Acalanes,

Campolindo, CVCHS, Concord,Las Lomas, Miramonte. Foothill:Alhambra, Berean Christian, Col-lege Park, Mt. Diablo, Northgate,Ygnacio Valley.

Boys & Girls Cross Country –Valley: Acalanes, Campolindo,College Park, Las Lomas, Mira-monte, Northgate. Foothill:Alhambra, Berean Christian,CVCHS, Concord, Mt. Diablo,Ygnacio Valley.

Girls Tennis – Valley:Acalanes, Campolindo, LasLomas, Miramonte, Northgate.Foothill: Alhambra, CVCHS, Col-lege Park, Concord, Ygnacio Val-ley.

Girls Golf – Valley: Acalanes,Campolindo, Las Lomas, Mira-monte, Northgate. Foothill:Alhambra, Berean Christian,CVCHS, Concord, College Park,Mt. Diablo, Ygnacio Valley.

Girls & Boys Water Polo –Valley: Acalanes, Campolindo,Las Lomas, Miramonte, North-gate. Foothill: Alhambra, CollegePark, CVCHS, Concord, YgnacioValley, Hercules, Pinole Valley, St.Patrick-St. Vincent.

Girls Volleyball – Valley:Acalanes, Campolindo, CollegePark, Las Lomas, Miramonte,


“It’s not whether you get knockeddown, it’s whether you get up.” Leg-endary football coach Vince Lombardiis credited with that simple statement.Northgate sophomore swimmer AlexLitvinov was excited by achievingNorth Coast Section qualifying timesin the 50- and 100-meter freestyleraces at the Diablo Valley AthleticLeague meet, taking fifth in the finals

of each event. Just days later helearned that although his times wereunder the NCS standards he wasn’t inthe top 40 times for either event andthus he wouldn’t get a chance to com-pete individually at the Section meet.Instead of throwing in the towel theBronco swimmer redoubled his effortsas a member of three Northgate relaysat NCS. He anchored the 200 medley

relay to first at DVAL and sixth atNCS while the young Northgate 400free relay was second in league andninth at Section. Litvinov then swamat the second CIF State meet in themedley and 400 free relays. “He didnot let missing the top 40 cut in 50 and100 free deter him from being animportant relay member,” Bronco co-coach Jeff Mellinger said. Besides highschool, Litvinov is a member of therenowned Terrapin Swim Team, sohe’s no stranger to competition. TheConcord resident also played for theNCS Division II champion Northgatewater polo team last fall.

The Concord Pioneer congratu-lates Alex and thanks Athlete spot-light sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey &Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who havebeen serving the Clayton and Con-cord area for 25 years at FamilyVision Care optometry.www.laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete who shouldbe recognized? Perhaps he or she has shownexceptional sportsmanship, remarkableimprovement or great heart for the sport. Sendyour nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spot-light today to [email protected].

Athlete Spotlight

Alex LitvinovGrade: SophomoreSchool: Northgate

Sports: Water Polo, Swimming

Clayton Valley Charter off NCS probation

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DVAL schools seeded into new Diablo Athletic League conferences


North Coast Section commissioner GilLemmon informed Clayton Valley CharterHigh School officials last month that theschool has completed its two-year NCS pro-bation.The issue first arose in June 2014 when

the football team held practices for the fallseason before the 2013-14 NCS seasonhad finished, causing the school to beplaced on one year’s probation. Later thatyear the eligibility of six athletes who trans-ferred to the school and joined the footballteam was challenged. Eventually three ofthe players were ruled ineligible includinghighly-touted lineman Kahlil McKenzie whotransferred from De La Salle.NCS then imposed an additional year’s

probation through the end of this 2015-16school year.The school appointed new co-athletic

directors early in 2015. In Lemmon’s letterending the probation he said, in part, “Theschool hired co-athletic directors to bettercomply with the challenges of transfers andstate mandated enrollment policies outlinedfor charter schools. The athletic administra-tion met with the NCS Commissioner onmultiple occasions to review eligibility rulesand processes, as well as other NCS poli-cies. There have been countless phones calls

and emails to and from the NCS Office todiscuss eligibility situations. CVCHS co-ath-letic directors Tom Sparks and Eric Bam-berger have done an excellent job.”The commissioner further noted numer-

ous meetings and workshops attended bythe school’s staff and coaches concerningtransfer and eligibility policies. He addedthat during the probation period there wasone violation about a freshman boys bas-ketball player failing to file a transfer waiver.The team forfeited a game and was penal-ized games the following basketball season.Lemmon wrote, “No other violationsoccurred and great effort was made to fol-low all eligibility processes concerningwaivers and reporting of pre-enrollmentcontact.“The school has worked very hard to

adhere to all CIF and NCS policies. I thankMr. [Executive Director Dave] Linzey and Mr.[Principal Jeff] Eben for their leadership.While compliance is a never endingprocess, based on the above I believe Clay-ton Valley Charter High School has met theconditions of probation established by theSection and commend the school on theirefforts to comply with all CIF and NCS rulesand regulations.”

-Jay Bedecarré

See DVAL, page 12

When Ben Krauth was get-ting ready for eighth grade atFoothill Middle School he grewtired of spending most of thetime on the bench in Continen-tal Little League juniors so hetook a year off from baseball,which he had played in the localyouth program since he wasseven-years-old. Instead hespent his summer playing a lotof golf.

Following that year offKrauth played baseball forNorthgate High, Connie MackLeague Delta Indians, DiabloValley College and the past twoyears for Kansas University.

Nine years after his baseballhiatus he boarded a plane lastFriday bound for Arizona tosign a professional baseball con-tract and begin his career in theCleveland Indians organization.The Jayhawks lefthanded start-ing pitcher from Concord hadcaught the eye of major leaguescouts resulting in his selectionin the 14th round (of 40) of theMLB draft earlier this month.

His two years pitching forDVC proved very beneficial.Vikings head coach Steve Wardused to match wits with Kansashead coach Ritch Price whenPrice coached at DeAnza Col-lege. Ward recommendedKrauth to Price, who offeredhim a scholarship. This past sea-son the southpaw threw his wayto All-Big 12 first team honorsas the cornerstone of the Jay-hawk pitching staff.

In conference games Krauthstarted, KU posted a 5-3 recordand he became just the sixthplayer since 1955 – first since2012 – in Kansas history tostrike out 100 or more batters in

a single season, finishing withthe fifth-best total at 103 in 92innings on the mound.

Last fall “five or six MLBscouts interviewed” him abouthis post-college plans. Duringthe spring season teams tend toleave college players alone toconcentrate on baseball but theIndians sent a top official for anApril interview “that went reallywell.” Again Ward played a partas he had connections with anIndian scout.

Krauth graduated in Maywith a KU degree in communi-cations a couple weeks beforehis senior season ended. Thenhe waited for the June 9-11 draft.

“I have dreamed about thisday ever since I picked up abaseball 16 years ago,” Krauthsaid.

Krauth moved with his fam-ily to Concord when he wasthree.

He was a two-time all-DiabloValley Athletic League second-team selection. As a senior heposted a 1.17 ERA for coachTim Jochner. That year HercPardi was Clayton Valley headcoach and vividly recalls histeam’s battles with Northgate.“We beat Northgate two ofthree times in 2012. We openedNCS at home against North-gate. Ben went eight stronginnings (4 Northgate errors)...we beat ‘em 4-3 in the bottom ofthe eighth. Ben was a crafty lefthander, very durable.”

Krauth says he now has fourpitches and four speeds that hehopes will make him successfulat the next level. His out pitch isa split finger changeup. He sayshe doesn’t light up the speedgun, topping out “once in awhile at 90 mph.” He alsothrows a “12 to 6” curveball andthis year developed a slider.

Northgate grad draftedby Cleveland Indians

Photo courtesy Jeff Jacobsen, Kansas Athletics

NORTHGATE 2012 GRADUATE BEN KRAUTH capped his careerwith the Kansas Jayhawks by being drafted this month inthe 14th round by the Cleveland Indians. The All-Big 12first team southpaw was the cornerstone of the Jayhawkpitching staff this year. He became just the sixth playersince 1955 – first since 2012 – in Kansas history to strikeout 100 or more batters in a single season, finishing withthe fifth-best total at 103.


DE LA sALLE HIGH suMMER CAMPs oFFEREDDe La Salle High School will host athletic camps in football,

water polo, baseball, track and field, wrestling, volleyball, basket-ball, strength and conditioning, swimming, soccer and lacrosse.The camps are open to boys and girls in fourth through ninthgrades. For complete information call (925) 288-8100 ext. 7090or email [email protected]. Registration is open atdlshs.org (athletic tab).

JuLY InVITATIonAL sWIM MEETsAT WALnuT CounTRY, DAnA HILLs WARMuP

CoMPETIToRs FoR 50TH CITY MEETThe 22nd annual Devil Mountain Pentathlon on the July 9-

10 weekend hosted by Dana Hills Swim Team in Clayton and the16th annual Crossings Challenge at Walnut Country in Concordon Saturday, July 23, help local swim teams gear up for the land-mark 50th Concord City Swimming Championships Aug. 5-7.

Many local teams tune up for the end-of-season meets bytaking part in the Devil Mountain Pentathlon. The unique for-mat has over 1000 boys and girls from six and under through 15-18 age groups swimming five events each with their cumulativetime determining award winners in A and B divisions. For com-plete information visit danahillsotters.com.

The Crossings Challenge is the premier B swim meet in thearea and is designed to recognize the effort and achievements ofswimmers who have not yet achieved A times. Six of the 10 par-ticipating teams are from the Concord/Clayton area: Vista Dia-blo, Ygnacio Wood, Bishop Estates, Springwood, Dana Hills andhost Walnut Country. Over 750 swimmers will be taking part.They can compete in up to three individual events and one relay.

21sT RED DEVILs GoLF CLAssIC TEEs oFFTHIs FRIDAY

The Red Devil Golf Committee is holding its 21st annualRed Devils Golf Classic this Friday, June 24, at Diablo CreekGolf Course in Concord. Proceeds help athletic and academicprograms at Mt. Diablo High School. Registration starts at 11a.m. followed by lunch, golf, dinner and raffle/silent auction.For last-minute more information contact Lou Adamo (212-9332) or Ralph Vallis (825-7593).

BEREAn CHRIsTIAn sCHEDuLEs suMMER CAMPsBerean Christian High School is offering boys basketball,

girls soccer and softball and FCA football camps featuring NFLand college players and coaches as instructors will be offered inJune or July. Basketball, softball and football camps are open tothird through ninth graders while the soccer camp is for all ages.Registration is taken online at bereaneagles.org underathletics/camps.

FooTBALL oFFICIALs AssoCIATIonsEEKInG nEW MEMBERs

If you’ve ever thought you might want to learn more aboutfootball from the real inside the Contra Costa Football OfficialsAssociation can teach you. CCFOA provides officials for localhigh school and youth games along the I-680 and Hwy. 4 corri-dors. They are looking for new members for the upcoming fallseason. Training is provided with new member evening sessionsstarting in mid-June. There is an all-day clinic Aug. 14 in prepa-ration for the new season. For more information visit ccfoa.com.

ALL GIRLs BAsEBALL TEAMs FoRMInG In AREAFoR nATIonAL TouRnAMEnT In sAn FRAnCIsCoBaseball for All is an international organization promoting

baseball for girls and its national tournament July 23-30 in SanFrancisco. Pat Noonan of Continental Little League is helpingform East Bay teams in 8U and 10U. The teams will begin prac-ticing after the Little League season ends. For more informationcontact Noonan [email protected] or call (925) 708-0761. Baseball for All is on the web at baseballforall.com.

DIABLo FC soCCER CAMP FoR PLAYERs 5-14 Runs JuLY 18-21 In ConCoRD

All skill levels are welcome to participate in the Diablo FCsoccer camp July 18-21 at Tesoro Fields in Concord. Players willbe grouped by age and skill levels to learn key fundamentals tobeing a successful soccer player. The camp will teach dribbling,passing, trapping, shooting, defending and give the players plen-ty of opportunities to practice what they learn in small-sidedgames. Diablo FC professional staff will be the instructors. Toregister go to diablofc.org or email director of coaching ZachSullivan at [email protected].

MT. DIABLo HIGH sCHooL HAs VoLLEYBALLCoACHInG PosITIon oPEn

Athletic director Bryan Shaw has announced that Mt. DiabloHigh School has the head varsity coaching position open this fallfor its girls volleyball team. If you are interested in either open-ing contact Shaw by email [email protected] or phone (925)682-4030 ext. 87428.

REGIsTRATIon oPEn FoR ALL ouT sPoRTs LEAGuEssuMMER, FALL PRoGRAMs

Summer and fall programs offered by All Out SportsLeagues in Clayton are taking registrations. The summer pro-grams include adult softball and volleyball leagues plus youthbasketball and football camps and youth leagues for volleyballand basketball. For complete information on All Out Sportsprograms, visit alloutsportsleague.com.

sKIP IPsEn MEMoRIAL BoCCE TouRnAMEnTIn CLAYTon JuLY 9-10

The inaugural CBCA Skip Ipsen Memorial Bocce Tourna-ment is accepting applications for a 16-team modified Swiss for-mat tournament in Clayton the July 9-10 weekend. Ipsen, thefounder of Skipolini’s Pizza, passed away in March, less than twoyears after he helped dedicate the Ipsen Family Bocce Court indowntown Clayton adjacent to his first Skipolini’s restaurant.Visit www.claytonbocce.org for details on the tournament,which will award cash prizes to the top three teams.

ConCoRD AYso TAKInG FALL REGIsTRATIonsConcord AYSO is accepting registration for fall soccer league

for boys and girls up to 18 years of age. Players can also registeron line at concordayso.org. Fees are currently $140 and willincrease to $160 after July 1. For more information [email protected], call (925) 603-3861 or visit eayso.org forregion 305 to register.

ConCoRD HIGH sCHooL HAs FALL CoACHInGPosITIons AVAILABLE

Concord High School is seeking girls JV volleyball and waterpolo coaches. All coaching positions come with a stipend.Coaching requirements include MDUSD fingerprint, current TBand First Aid/CPR, coaching principles course, concussioncourse and sudden cardiac arrest course. Interested coaches cansend resume to CHS athletic director Megan Coddington at [email protected].

ConCoRD CoBRAs FooTBALL PRACTICEBEGIns JuLY 11

Concord Cobras tackle football program is taking signups forits fall season online. The football program is open for youth fiveto 14 years of age. The first official day of practice is Monday,July 11. For more info email [email protected] visit concordyouthfootball.com.

MDsA TAKInG WAITLIsT REGIsTRATIonTHRouGH JuLY 31

Boys and girls 4-18 years of age wanting to play in Mt. DiabloSoccer Association fall league can register for the waitlistthrough the end of July. Fall league practice begins Aug. 1 whenall registration closes. Families are requested to sign up for vol-unteer duties to help the organization offer its AYSO program.For complete information visit mdsoccer.org.

TAKInG WoRLD BY sToRM soCCER CLInIC sATuRDAYConcord Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla will host her largest

district event of the year this Saturday, June 25, at Arbolado Parkin Walnut Creek from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the fifth annual Tak-ing the World by Storm girls soccer clinic. Over 200 girls ages 8-16 of all skill levels will take the field in this year’s Storm clinic.Young girls will be involved in various skill building drills andscrimmages, coached by semi-professional women soccer play-ers from the California Storm. The event will include a healthpresentation and workshop on sports-related injuries for par-ents. Last-minute registration is at tinyurl.com/2016STORM.

JR. EAGLEs FInAL DAY FoR REGuLAR sIGnuP PRICEJunE 30 FoR YouTH FooTBALL, CHEER

CVAA Jr. set June 30 as the final day to register at the regularprice for its fall football and cheer squads. There is a mandatoryparent and player day on July 16 and fall practice begins Aug. 1.Visit their website cvaajreagles.com for more information and toregister.

ConCoRD RECREATIon HosTInG VARIETYoF suMMER sPoRTs CAMPs

Concord Parks & Recreation Department is offering a widevariety of youth sports camps, clinics and classes this summerincluding Gymnastics + More, Kidz Love Soccer, Make Me APro camps in cheerleading, flag football and basketball, Pee WeeCheer, Skateboard Camp, many Skyhawk camps, Water PoloCamp and World Cup Soccer. Concord Rec has on-going sportsclasses like swim lessons, junior tennis, Taekwondo (Little Drag-ons) and more. For more information on any of these youthsports programs, visit concordreg.org.

ConCoRD PIonEER WAnTs To PuBLIsHYouR sPoRTs nEWs

Please let us know about your sports news, special events,fund raisers, tryouts, signups and accomplishments. Youthleagues, clubs, schools and adult programs are all welcome tosend us a rundown on what you’re doing. Tell us about local ath-letes who are competing in college or elsewhere out of the area.Include all the necessary details (too much information is betterthan too little!) and your contact information. It’s as simple assending an email to [email protected].


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What a time to be a BayArea sports fan! The GoldenState Warriors and San JoseSharks made it to NBA andStanley Cup Finals in theirrespective sports and the SanFrancisco Giants are leadingthe NL West.

With so much success inother professional sports inthe area, the Raiders and 49ersenter the summer looking tomatch the success of theirpeers.

Raiders – This really feelslike the year the Raiders final-ly return to the postseason.The Silver and Black addedguard Kelechi Osemele, line-backer Bruce Irving, corner-back Sean Smith and safetyReggie Nelson via free agency.

General manager Reggie

McKenzie was finally able tolure high-profile free agents toOakland, in large part due tothe already established corewith Derek Carr, Khalil Mackand Amari Cooper.

McKenzie continued toadd young talent through theNFL draft. With their first-round pick, the Raiders select-ed bone-crushing safety KarlJoseph. The self-proclaimed“hitman” out of West Virginiahas received comparisons toPro Bowl safety Earl Thomas,due to his prowess in stoppingthe run and his ability to coverreceivers as well as a slot cor-ner.

The Raiders also draftedheavily on the defensive line,adding Jihad Ward out of Illi-nois and Shilique Calhoun ofMichigan State. Ward willmost likely be utilized as adefensive tackle on passingdowns, while Ward could beeither a defensive end or aweakside linebacker.

The Raiders are filled tothe brim with talented footballplayers. The last time some-one could say that with astraight face was almost 14years ago, but the Silverand Black are back, baby.

49ers – The 49ers had a

rough season last year, to putit mildly. Chip Kelly is the newhead coach. General managerTrent Baalke hired him hop-ing Kelly learned from hismistakes in Philadelphia.

The 49ers might not be aplayoff team this coming sea-son, but there is a goodamount of young talent onthe roster. The strongest partof the 49ers right now is theirfront seven and that’s in largepart thanks to their first-

round draft pick DeForestBuckner.

As per usual with a ChipKelly team, the 49ers selectedan Oregon Duck, but make nomistake about it, Buckner is anabsolute stud. The guy is aphysical freak, standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 290pounds. He can play a bit highat times due to his height, butif he gets coached to use hispad level to his advantage hecould be a pro bowler in the

near future.Buckner will line up on the

opposite side of college team-mate and 2015 first-roundpick Arik Armstead, whoflashed a lot of potential lastseason.

The 49ers will need to findan answer at quarterbackthough, before they can eventhink about competing in theNFC West.

There is so much to beexcited about as a Bay Area

sports fan and now it’s timefor the Raiders and 49ers tostep up to the plate and try tomake it to a conference cham-pionship game.

Raiders and 49ers look to continue Bay Area dominance

S p o r t s S h o r t s

Northgate. Foothill: Alhambra,Berean Christian, CVCHS, Con-cord, Mt. Diablo, Ygnacio Valley.

WINTER SPORTSBoys & Girls Basketball – Val-

ley: Acalanes, Campolindo, Col-lege Park, Las Lomas, Miramonte,Northgate. Foothill: Alhambra,Berean Christian, CVCHS, Con-cord, Mt. Diablo, Ygnacio Valley.

Girls Soccer – Valley:Acalanes, Campolindo, CVCHS,Concord, Las Lomas, Miramonte.Foothill: Alhambra, Berean Chris-tian, College Park, Mt. Diablo,Northgate, Ygnacio Valley.

Boys Soccer – Valley: Cam-

polindo, CVCHS, College Park,Las Lomas, Northgate, YgnacioValley. Foothill: Acalanes, Alham-bra, Berean Christian, Concord,Miramonte, Mt. Diablo.

Wrestling – Valley: Alhambra,CVCHS, College Park, Las Lomas,Northgate. Foothill: Acalanes,Berean Christian, Campolindo,Concord, Miramonte, Mt. Diablo,Ygnacio Valley.

SPRING SPORTSBaseball – Valley: Acalanes,

Alhambra, Campolindo, CVCHS,College Park, Northgate. Foothill:Berean Christian, Concord, LasLomas, Miramonte, Mt. Diablo,

Ygnacio Valley.Boys Golf – Valley: Acalanes,

Campolindo, Las Lomas, Mira-monte, Northgate. Foothill:Alhambra, Berean Christian,CVCHS, College Park, Concord,Ygnacio Valley.

Boys Lacrosse – Acalanes,Alhambra, Campolindo, CVCHS,College Park, Las Lomas, Mira-monte, Northgate.

Girls Lacrosse – Acalanes,Alhambra, Campolindo, CVCHS,College Park, Las Lomas, Mira-monte, Northgate, Ygnacio Val-ley.

Softball – Valley: Alhambra,Berean Christian, CVCHS, Col-lege Park, Concord, Northgate.Foothill: Acalanes, Campolindo,Las Lomas, Miramonte, Mt. Dia-blo, Ygnacio Valley.

Boys & Girls Swimming &Diving – Valley: Acalanes, Cam-polindo, Las Lomas, Miramonte,Northgate. Foothill: Alhambra,Berean Christian, CVCHS, Col-lege Park, Concord, Mt. Diablo,Ygnacio Valley.

Boys Tennis – Valley:Acalanes, Campolindo, CollegePark, Las Lomas, Miramonte,Northgate. Foothill: Alhambra,Berean Christian, CVCHS, Con-cord, Mt. Diablo, Ygnacio Valley.

Boys Volleyball – Valley:Berean Christian, Campolindo,College Park, Las Lomas, Mira-monte, Northgate. Foothill:Acalanes, Alhambra, CVCHS,Concord, Mt. Diablo, YgnacioValley.

TYLER LEHMANSPORTS TALK

Tyler Lehman is a recent graduateof San Francisco State University anda 2012 CVHS graduate. Hemajored in print/online journalismand wants to be a sports writer. Emailyour comments or questions [email protected].

DVAL, from page 11

De La Salle High complet-ed a sweep of the three major2015-16 North Coast Sectionsports championships whenthe Spartans baseball team beatupstart Castro Valley in thesection finals earlier thismonth on the same day as thestate track and field meet inblazing hot Clovis rang to aclose the California highschool sports calendar.

The Spartans were alsoNCS football and basketballchamps, in addition to golf,track and field, volleyball andwrestling title winners.

Baseball — De La Salleavenged a loss in last year’sNCS championship game toCollege Park 17-1 in thisspring’s semi-finals and thenthe top-seeded Spartansdefeated 14th rated Castro Val-ley 7-3 in the Division I finalsto claim another Section title.

It was the Spartans third base-ball crown in five years andthey’ve been in the NCS DItitle game six years running.

Northgate was seededninth but went all the way tothe NCS Division II champi-onship game before losing 4-2to Livermore. Clayton ValleyCharter was a seventh seed intheir 18th straight NCSappearance but fell to Heritagein the DI quarterfinals.

softball — Alhambra ofMartinez won a third straightNCS championship and alongthe way the Martinez powereliminated DVAL co-champConcord in the quarterfinalsand Carondelet in the semis.DVAL co-champ CVCHSEagles lost their NCS openerto Liberty.

swimming & Diving —At the second CIF StateChampionships. DLS boyswere 14th, defending champi-on Northgate 38th andCVCHS 49th. Clayton Valley’s

points were scored by their200-meter freestyle relay ofAnthony Vines, Niklas Weigelt,Ryan Levy and Cal Brown.Forest White was fourth in the100 backstroke and fifth in 200free to help the Spartans, whoalso were 12th in the 400 freerelay.

Carondelet’s third-placeNCS finish featured record-breaking performances fromMadelyn Murphy in the 50 freeand 100 butterfly and shehelped the Cougars win the200 and 400 free relays. Caron-delet has won the 400 free relayseven consecutive years atNCS including Murphy’s fresh-man year when they set anational record. Carondeletowns nine of the 11 all-timeNCS swimming records.

Murphy was in final prepa-ration for the US OlympicTrials and skipped the StateMeet where she was defend-ing 100 fly champion. TheOlympic Trials begin Monday

in Omaha.Track & Field — Hurdler

Jonathan Harvey of De LaSalle was eighth in the 300 hur-dles at the CIF State Meet.Harvey had swept both hur-dles the NCS Tri-Valley meetand won the 300 at the NCSMeet of Championships,where Clayton Valley Charter’sJordan Velasquez won the 100meters to go with his leagueand Tri-Valley titles.

DLS won the boys teamtitles at the NCS Tri-Valley andMOC meets with Clayton Val-ley second at Tri-Valley andseventh at MOC. Carondeletwas second at Tri-Valley andfourth at MOC girls.

Boys Golf — De La Sallerepeated as NCS championsand took fifth at the NorthernCalifornia championship withJosh McCarthy, Ethan Ather-stone, Nick Orecchia, TravisMitchell, Jack Gardner andCade Mayer representing theSpartans.

this year. He was the league-leading scorer in basketballwith a 20.1 ppg and won theleague high jump title thisspring. He plans on going toDiablo Valley College in thefall playing football and basket-ball while majoring in educa-tion.

Male co-Athlete of theYear: Jorge Velazquez is thepremier high school long dis-tance runner in the area. Hegarnered five varsity letters inpast two seasons (two each incross country and soccer andone in track). He was DVALMVP in both track and crosscountry in this 2015-16 schoolyear. He won the DVAL crosscountry finals as a sophomoreand senior. He was fourth atthe NCS DIV cross countrychampionships and qualifiedfor the CIF State meet last fall.He was part of the WarriorsDIII soccer champions, thefirst in the school’s history. Hewon the DVAL 1600 and 3200meter races this spring and alsowas second in the 800. He willrun cross country and track forAmerican River College in thefall.

LoCAL ALL-LEAGuEATHLETEs

SWIMMING & DIVINGDVAL Boys First Team — Max

Bottene, Cole Welsh, AndrewRodriguez, Alex Litvinov (North-gate), Nikolas Weigelt, Ryan Levy,Cal Brown, Anthony Vines (Clay-ton Valley Charter). Second Team— Chase Mitchell (CVC), EvanStanziano (Concord). HonorableMention — Jerron Miller, AnthonyVizental, Shawn Broussard,Cameron Brandt (CVC), ConnorSeip (NG), Adonis Thomas (Ygna-cio Valley).

EBAL Boys De La Salle FirstTeam — Forrest White, JacksonGabler. Second Team — DanielO’Connell, Ryan Iannaccone,Jake Simpson. Honorable Men-tion — Driscoll.

DVAL Girls First Team—Danielle Arauzo, Rebecca Proctor,Carlie Polkington, Maddie Jochn-er, Piper Sterling, Bryn Mcgowan,Seraph Woodbury, Victoria Stahl,Delanie Gearing, Taylor Cossu,Emma Smethurst (NG), TaylorFair, Melissa Schoell (BereanChristian). Second Team — EricaduLong, Julia Wickware, GabbyMancini, Kaylie Walker (CVC),Tatum Turetzky (NG), AlyssaHouse, Audrey Aitelli, KaraHoward (BC). Honorable Mention— Jordan Balek, Kaley Ng, AnnaWeines, Karlee Kronquist, RaynaStanziano, Mickayla Sayre (Con),Camille Cline, Brooke Johnson,Melissa Cark, Alina Weigelt(CVC).

EBAL Girls Carondelet FirstTeam—Samantha Coloma,Madelyn Murphy, Malorie Han.Honorable Mention — HollyWilliams.

BOYS GOLFDVAL First Team — Daniel

Schaefer (CVC); Jacob Ricafrente,Steve Harvey (NG), John ScottSenz (Con), Woojin Gallo (BC).Second Team — Tyler Blazer,Larry Dombrowski (CVC), GrantSandburg (NG), Mike Cosmi(Con), Ben Smith (BC). HonorableMention — Marcellus Medrano(CVC), Josh Quiamboa (NG),George Speris (Con), Otto Stein-dorf (YV), Grayson Pulver (BC).

EBAL Boys De La Salle FirstTeam — Josh McCarthy, EthanAtherstone.

BOYS TENNISDVAL First Team — Leonard

Markiwiecz, Andrew Miller,Amadeo Ashe-Ramirez, NoahZakaria (NG), Matt Osterkamp,Dylan Kies (CVC).

EBAL De La Salle First Team

— Daniel Nomura. HonorableMention — Bebarta, C. Trinkus.

TRACK & FIELDDVAL Boys First Team —

Brandon Abon, JordanVelasquez, Aidan Jackman,4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay, JakeKing, Jack Fouts (CVC), AndresReynoso (Con), Edwin Flores(NG), Jorge Velazquez, AndrewLeonard (YV). Second Team—Tommy Kauffman, Dylan White(CVC), Eli Skinner (BC), RyanLaChance, Peter Michiels (NG),Ian Ellingboe, 4x100 Relay (Con).Honorable Mention — SayedOpeyany, Jason Rogers (CVC),Jesiel Guzman, AntonioRodriguez, Kionte Zerai (YV),Anthony Dulay, Michael Wheeler,4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay, Jack-son Smith (NG), Mark Baros,Davion Smith (Con).

EBAL Boys De La Salle FirstTeam—Obasi Dees, HarrisonFisher, Isaias De Leon, JonathanHarvey, 4x100 Relay.

DVAL Girls First Team — JadeDavis, Bridget Hyland, KierstenFouts, 4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay(CVC), Jessica Dong, Amy Chris-tensen (NG), Kaylee Chaffey (BC),April Frantz, Rayna Stanziano,Rylie Person (Con). Second Team— Jessica Johnson (CVC), ElizaCashman, Megan Chappell,4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay, JuliaHagedorn, Michelle Hahn (NG),Adelle Meyer (Con). HonorableMention — Kelly Osterkamp,Claire Olson, Katie Rangel (CVC),Becca Jones (BC), Ellora Easton,Gabby Anderson, Asha Byrne-Berry (NG), 4x100 Relay.

EBAL Girls Carondelet FirstTeam — Katie Kern, Avery Avina,4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay. Sec-ond Team— Julianna Ruotolo.Honorable Mention — HannaColoma.

BOYS VOLLEYBALLDVAL MVP — Bailey Mundy

(BC). First Team—Matt Zamolo(BC), Anthony Tara (Con), LiamTotten, Frank Stringer, Zach Han-son (CVC). Second Team—JoeNelson, Chris Neely (CVC), Lan-don Nortune, Duncan Morrison

(BC), Conner Burr, Lucien Ger-hardt (Con). Honorable Mention— Christian Bulanadi, JustinLavezzoli (CVC), Sky Lopez (Con),Kenji Kamiya, Evan Benson (BC).

EBAL De La Salle MVP — Bai-ley Militar. First Team—RyanByrne, Darius Monsarrat-Ford.Second Team — Nick Adiao.Honorable Mention — Matt Voll-man.

BASEBALLDVAL MVP — Nicholas Sim-

mons (NG). First Team—BrianWright, Ian Villars, Ryne Mannie,Kevin Clancy (NG), Nick Nunez,Jesus Hernandez (Con), CaseySchwitters (BC), Manny Alcantar(YV), Bill Ralston, James Biles,Jack Miller (CVC). Second Team— Daniel Glorioso, Will Batz,Chris Gotz (BC), Chris Rogan,Anders Capener (NG), RyanParisi, Patrick O’Shea, JohnathonStover (Con), Eli Zurita-Haber,Alejandro Lopez (YV), Rob Towne,Doug Bermudez, Justin Roper(CVC). Honorable Mention —Dre Avizenis (BC), AndrewAbbott, Milan Mijanovic, KevinSnyder (CVC), Matt Tortolani, Jor-dan Aguallo, Jacob Samuels (YV),Danny Bonano (NG), Aaron Byrd,Zach Corkran (Con), KendrickUtt, Scott Lewis (BC).

EBAL De La Salle MVPs—Conner Roberts, Conner Red-mond. First Team— Nick Sparks,Joe Vranesh, Ryan Cole, TraceTammaro, Gabe Biosso. SecondTeam — Armani Smith. Honor-able Mention — Mason Behiel,Cullen Kafka.

SOFTBALLDVAL MVPs — Morgyn

Wynne, Juliana Pichardo (Con).First Team—Veronica Castaneda,Elvis Alvarado, Aleya Rath (Con),Alyse Butterfield (BC), MorganBatesole, Hannah Brajkovich(NG), Tyce Miranda, TammyMason, Sophie Wheeler, AthenaFranklin (CVC), Isela Garcia (YV),Melissa Odriscoll (Mt. Diablo).Second Team — Cami Cohen,Nikki Mason, Cheyenne Harman(CVC), Lucy Decker, Haley Ran-dall (NG), Taylar McCullough,

Sadie Whatley (BC), SarahClifton, Julia Kiester (Con), Brian-na Klopatek, Rebecca Dodenhoff(MD), Angela Garcia, AdrianaGonzalez (YV). Honorable Men-tion — Angela Garcia, FranciscaRodriguez (YV), Angelina Perez,Gabriella Tapia (MD), KirstenKennon, Lauren Simitz (NG),Maya Berry, McKenna Martin(CVC), Molly Kolander, MadisonKincaid (BC), Alaina Tonna, FionaWalsh (Con).

EBAL Carondelet First Team—Sierra Blair, Giovy Webb. SecondTeam — Keleva Salt, Sofia Earle.Honorable Mention — EmmaMcLaughlin.

LACROSSEDVAL Boys: First Team—

Dakota Harman, Ryan Alimagno(CVC). Second Team—Torin Neal,James Essex (CVC), Ian Morford,James Madden (NG). Honorable

Mention—Jack Morse, Cole Car-bone (CVC), Will Bitner, AndrewLentz (NG).

EBAL Boys De La Salle FirstTeam—Brook Rideau. SecondTeam—Ben Allen, Johnny Colet-ta. Honorable Mention—SeanRigley, Michael Balousek, ConnorLencioni, Ross McDonald.

DVAL Girls: First Team—Cameron Adams (NG), SofiaCampos (YV). Second Team—Josie McGregor (NG), RyleeHeinz (CVC), Marcia Seguras(YV). Honorable Mention — Kory-na Boudinot, Ashley Shepard(NG); Sydney Wheeler, MarlindaRamirez (CVC), Natalie Hastings(YV).

EBAL Carondelet Girls FirstTeam—Sophia Panella, OliviaPereira. Second Team—Mia Mal-oney, Katie Kuptz. HonorableMention—Lauren Zelnik.


Athletes, from page 10

DLS wraps up banner year with NCS baseball title

Photo courtesy Dennis Lee/SportStars Magazine

Conner roberts wasn’t the winning pitcher but he startedthe game as De La Salle High won the North Coast Sectionbaseball championship earlier this month over upstart Cas-tro Valley 7-2 in the Section finale. Despite suffering fromsome wildness in the title game roberts was 10-0 this sea-son with an ErA of 0.79 as the Spartans won their final 17games to complete a 25-3 season as the top ranked teamin the Bay Area and earning their third NCS crown in fiveyears. roberts is committed to uC Santa Barbara in the falland the Gauchos qualified for the College World Series thismonth.


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Kitten season is here, andshelters are flooded with kittens.

Cats are prolific. A female catcan become pregnant as early as5 months old and can have morethan one litter in a year. Each lit-ter averages 4-6 kittens. That’s alot of babies in one year.

Although kittens are moredesirable to potential adopters,most shelters don’t have theresources to care for very youngkittens. Neonate kittens, thosewho are 2-3 weeks old, must be bottle fed every few hours if

they don’t have a mother. Theymust be placed with someonewho is trained to care forneonates. If the shelter can’t findadopters or fosters quickly, thekittens are often euthanized.

Kittens older than 3 weeksstill require extra care. Theirimmune systems aren’t strong,so they must be placed in a spe-cial area of the shelter to protectthem from disease and illness.

Every shelter needs help tosave kittens. But if you findneonate kittens, don’t immedi-ately scoop them up and takethem to a shelter. That’s the

biggest mistake people make. Leave the kittens where they

are and keep an eye on them tosee if the mother is around. Ifyou see her, it’s best to let hertake care of her kittens until theyare old enough to eat on theirown.

How long you should wait tointervene depends on the age ofthe kittens. If they are youngerthan 4 weeks old, only waitabout six hours before you con-sider taking them to a shelter. Ifthe kittens are older, wait a daybefore taking them.

Another way to help kittensis to volunteer as a foster parent.

Rescue groups will provideeverything you need, includingfood, beds and litter boxes.When the kittens are oldenough, they will go to adoptionevents where potential familiescan meet them. Fostering is arewarding experience.

If your home is full, you canencourage friends and familymembers to foster or adopt.And always remember to spay orneuter your own pets.

Debbie DeMello is a dog trainerand owner of Who’s TrainingWho in Walnut Creek. Contacther at [email protected]

DEBBIE DEMELLO

PAUSE FOR PETS

Too many kittens spells trouble for shelters

Getting your dog to sit, stayand walk without pulling orlagging can be a challenge. YetZane Flynn of Concord canget 25 dogs to do it all – and atthe same time.

Flynn started his dog walk-ing company, Z Animal Lovers,three years ago. His pack hasgrown to the maximum he canfit into his van per day.

Passersby often stop, aston-ished, to see how he works withthe dogs. Flynn is at the head ofthe pack with all 25 leashes inhand. Each dog knows his placeas they journey on a 1½ hourhike each day. They watch himand follow his lead.

Flynn starts his day at 8a.m. and spends about twohours picking up his chargesfrom homes in Walnut Creek,Concord, Clayton and Pleas-ant Hill. When he arrives athis walking spot, he methodi-cally allows one dog at a timeto exit the van. Each dog haslearned to take his turn, andthen Flynn tells him to sitwhile the rest exit.

The obedience is remark-able. Flynn uses a calm andpraising voice, with affection

and eye contact for reinforce-ment. He does not use treats.

It doesn’t take long for anew dog to learn the ways ofthe pack. Still, he only takesone new dog at a time so hecan help it adjust.

When the pack stops forthe inevitable potty breaks, alldogs sit and stay and makeconstant eye contact withFlynn while he cleans up.

He knows every dog’sunique personality. Some

require a little extra urging onoccasion, and he’ll call them byname, “Sit Lady, Sit Piper, SitMax.” They obediently fall inline.

Many of the dogs are homealone, so this is a chance forthem to socialize as well as getexercise. “The mental exercisethey get from following com-mands is just as important asthe physical exercise we get,”explains Flynn.

Jamie Bailey of Walnut

Creek has been using Flynn forthree years to care for Murphy,MacKenzie and Sebastian.

“When we are at work, wefeel lucky to have our pets inthe hands of Zane. He under-stands our dogs’ personalitiesand always has full control,”Bailey says. “The dogs love him.He is a real dog whisperer.”

Flynn, a graduate of SantaClara University, had a


3-year-old Kasumi is asweet, but shy dog that islooking for an adopter thatwill give her the gentle encour-agement she needs to be your‘fur’-ever friend. Psst - sheloves laps too! Kasumi has apositive history with otherdogs. We recommend Kasumitake a Basic Manners classwhere she can learn politeways of seeking creature com-forts in life. She currentlyweighs 9 pounds.

The adoption fee for dogsis $250 and includes a dis-

count on the first six-week ses-sion of a manners class.

10-week-old Lord Varys isas loveable as any kitten can be.He is a real cuddle-bug andenjoys curling up in a warm lapas much as he enjoys playingwith his wand toys. He’ll bringyears of fun and love to hisforever home. He is suitablefor a first time cat guardian.Lord Varys has a positive his-tory with cats.

The adoption fee for kit-tens less than 6 mos is $125.

Meet your forever friend at

Tony La Russa’s Animal Res-cue Foundation, 2890 MitchellDrive, Walnut Creek, duringadoption hours: Noon to 6 pmWednesday & Thursday, Noonto 7 pm Friday, and Noon to 6pm Saturday & Sunday.

Would you like to be part of theheroic team that saves the lives ofrescued dogs and cats? Can youshare your talents to connect peopleand animals? ARF volunteers aremaking a difference! For more infor-mation see our website,www.arflife.org, or call (925) 256-1ARF.

Kasumi and Lord Varysare this month’s ARF stars

KASUMI LORD VARYS

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Dog walker has it covered, from A to ZKARA NAVOLIO

Correspondent

Kara Navolio/Concord Pioneer

“SIT, STAY,” AND ZANE FLYNN ISN’T WHISPERING as he keeps the attention of the 25 dogs onhis daily walks. Flynn abandoned an unsatisfying career in finance to start a new careeras a professional dog walker.

See Dog Walker, page 15

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By the sixth X-men film,the formula is pretty much set:good mutants battle badmutants. Guessing which badmutants will switch sides endsup being the only mystery.

This simple blueprint doesnot necessarily mean the filmsare poor. When done well, theX-men films are the best ofthe superhero bunch. Theyoften seamlessly blend comicbook action with tacklingsocial issues. This is the rareseries that wants to talk aboutsomething while simultaneous-ly blowing things up.

The director most synony-mous with the films, BryanSinger, returns to direct “X-men: Apocalypse.” While itdoes not reinvent the genre,“Apocalypse” certainly pro-vides an enjoying conclusion tothe second trilogy of the X-men series.

The previous two X-men

films used the Cuban MissileCrisis and xenophobia as theirrespective backdrops. “Apoca-lypse” leaps forward to 1983,right in the middle of the ColdWar. A 10,000-year-old being,En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac ina fearsome role), awakens andwants to cleanse the planet. Hedoes not believe the people incharge have earned their posi-tion. To him, they are too weakto have so much power.

Like an omnipotent media-tor in the nuclear arms race,En Sabah Nur does not pick aside; he just levels the playingfield by removing all the nukesfrom the equation. If only thereal Cold War could have beensolved so easily.

While En Sabah Nur gath-ers his Four Horsemen (Storm,Angel, Psylocke and a recently-turned-evil-again Magneto),Mystique reluctantly returnsand recruits a handful of good

mutants under the tutelage ofProfessor Xavier (JamesMcAvoy). We get a modicumof backstory on some of ourfavorite mutants, like Cyclops(Tye Sheridan) and Night-crawler (a jovial Kodi Smit-McPhee), but we know mostof them already so they don’treally need any introductions.

The previous entry, 2014’sexcellent “Days of FuturePast,” provided a handful ofmutants new to the film series– creating a lot of dread when-ever they were endangered.With “Apocalypse” using somany familiar characters, weknow that most of the mutantsfound in 2000’s “X-men” arein no danger. The action –specifically during a cameoappearance by a belovedmutant – is great, but the sus-pense is mostly absent.

The film works despitesticking to the X-men formula.

Yet one thing that has becomefar too formulaic in the seriesis the reliance on the ambiguityof Magneto’s disposition. He isa tortured soul, and MichaelFassbender is excellent convey-ing his pain. However, toomuch of the film is spent withMystique and Professor X try-ing to convince Magneto tospurn evil, just like in the lastmovie.

Had Singer steered awayfrom this plot device, the restof “Apocalypse” feels freshenough to stand fine on itsown. Now we await the nextfilm, which will surely explainwhy Magneto and Mystiqueturned bad prior to “X-men.”Sometimes, connecting theplot dots can be worth theeffort. B

Ruta Sepetys' latest novel,“Salt to the Sea,”returns to thetopic of World War II, but it isnot about any famous battlesor generals. It is about people:Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians,Germans, Jews, and otherBaltic nationals fleeing fortheir lives as a bent-on-revengeSoviet Army approaches fromthe east and a desperate no-holds-barred German Armyfrom the west. Sepetys writesof the sad and inevitable terrorof those left to face either thevictorious and bloodthirstySoviets or the desperate Ger-man army now conscriptingeven children to fight to thebitter end.

The refugees attempted towalk from whatever war-torncity or village they came fromto the Baltic port of Goten-haven, where they had beentold that retrofitted German

ships were waiting to transportto safety those fleeing, bothwounded soldiers and refugees.They came by the thousands,hoping their papers, forgedand real, would gain themaccess to what they believedwas their only means of sur-vival. This is the story of whathappened aboard the WilheimGustloff.

Sepetys is a master at draw-ing the reader into storiesbroad in their scope, but inti-mate in their telling by charac-ters who move and are movedby the events within the tale.“Salt to the Sea” is fiction,brought to life through thecharacters of Joana, a youngLithuania woman now fleeingGermany, Florian, a Germanyouth of mystery, Emilia, aPolish teenager, and Alfred, ayoung German soldier, asociopath who mentally createsand lives in a world based onMein Kampf. These charactersare the only fiction in a truestory about what happened tothose thousands of men,women and children.

“Salt to the Sea” is a cross-

over novel, a book to be appre-ciated by both youth andadults. Based on Sepetys' pre-vious books, “Between Shadesof Gray” and “Out of theEasy,” I turned off my phone,never went near my computerbefore finishing the book andgave up an entire day to read. Iam still shaking my head. Howcould we not have heard ofthis tragic event before now?That the author could skillfullycreate so few characters toconvincingly represent thou-sands is a stroke of genius, and

based on her Author’s Notesand Acknowledgments,Sepetys' research of theseevents is formidable.

Now seventy-one yearslater, through global medianews coverage, we see againthousands of men, women,and children, fleeing their war-torn homes for their lives, put-ting themselves in the hands ofthe makers of promises thatcannot be kept. Sepetys’ novelgives us not a nudge, but apush to look into the faces ofthese modern day refugees,those who make it safely toforeign shores and those, wholike so many aboard the Wil-heim Gustloff, do not. Sepetyshas given voice to those whovoices are no longer heard anda hauntingly beautiful life totheir stories. “Salt to the Sea”should find a wide and devotedreadership.

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‘Salt to the Sea’ shines lighton lesser known tragedy

Sunny Solomon is a freelancewriter and head of the Clayton BookClub. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latestrecommendations or just to ‘talkbooks.’

SUNNY SOLOMON

BOOKIN’ WITHSUNNY

‘Apocalypse’ a worthy addition to X-men series

Jeff Mellinger is a screen writerand film buff. He holds a BA inFilm Studies and an MFA in filmproduction. He lives in Concord.Email comments to [email protected].

X-Men in training members Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee)and Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan) prepare to battle an ancient mutant and rescue theirfriends in Bryan Singer’s ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

JEFF MELLINGER

SCREEN SHOTS

successful career in financebut felt something was miss-ing in his life. While playinggolf one day, his life changed.He found a stray dog whilesearching for his lost golf ball.He named her Cali after theCalloway golf ball. Flynn tookher home – and knew whathe’d been missing.

Not long after, while walk-ing Cali on Ocean Beach inSan Francisco with his fiancéLisa McCormick, he met aprofessional dog walker witheight dogs. He realized hecould make a living beingaround dogs all day.

A year later, when Cali hadan unplanned litter of pup-pies, he made the plunge –quitting his job and starting ZAnimal Lovers. His businesshas grown so much thatMcCormick now works withhim too. She takes a pack ofsmall dogs, while Flynn takesthe larger ones. They have awaiting list for the daily walksand also provide dog-sittingservices.

“Seeing the dogs evolvefrom shy or rambunctious towell-behaved and happy is thebest part of my job,” saysMcCormick, who gave up her

job as a server eight monthsago to join the business.

“Every day I get to spendtime with dogs, out in nature,doing what I love,” Flynn adds.“That hollow feeling I hadwhile working in finance isnow filled.”

When the walk is over, thedogs wait patiently to becalled by name and loadedinto the van. Once they areall returned to their homes,Flynn and McCormick gohome with Cali and Pearl(one of Cali’s puppies),thankful for another day sur-rounded by dogs.

For more about Zane, go towww.zanimallover.com

Dog walker, from page 14

The California Arts Coun-cil will award $20,000 to Dia-blo Ballet as part of its JUMPStArts program. Diablo Bal-let is one of 27 granteesstatewide.

The grants support artseducation and artists-in-resi-dence programs for at-riskyouth within the juvenile jus-tice system. Activities will takeplace in classroom, after-school, social services or incar-

ceration settings throughoutCalifornia. Projects aredesigned and developed by anarts organization and a juvenilejustice/social services entity.

Diablo Ballet will use thegrant to support its PEEKExtension arts education toteenagers within the ContraCosta County juvenile justicesystem. In partnership withMt. McKinley School at theJohn A. Davis Juvenile Hall

maximum-security detentionfacility, Diablo Ballet willincrease the residency workingsessions to 20 over eightmonths.

Based on state Board ofEducation standards, the pro-gram allows the artistic direc-tor, the PEEK associate direc-tor and the professionaldancers to guide 21 youngwomen in using movement toexpress emotions and experi-ences.

“I couldn’t be more thrilledthat we have been awarded thisgrant for the second year in arow,” said Lauren Jonas,

Diablo Ballet’s artistic directorand co-founder. “It has been alife-changing experience forDiablo Ballet and the 21 girlswe worked with last year.”

The project aims to trackand reduce the recidivism rateover time.

“At-risk students withaccess to high-quality artsengagement tend to havehigher career goals, betterworkforce opportunities, bet-ter academic results andincreased civic engagement,”said Donn K. Harris, chair ofthe California Arts Council.

It’s time again for the annu-al Chevron Family TheatreFestival at Walnut Creek’sLesher Center for the Arts.

The 10th annual festivaltakes place July 16, with lots offree outdoor events and low-priced indoor performances.The street in front of theLesher Center hosts a day-longextravaganza of fun, arts andentertainment – complete withDisney princesses and othercharacters mingling with thecrowd.

Events include the magic ofAlex Ramon, Fantasy Forum’s“Wizard of Oz,” the PushcartPlayer’s “Peter and the Wolf,”Artrageous’ amazing team ofartists painting at electric speedaccompanied by vocals, cre-ative choreography and highenergy music and much more.For more information, go towww.lesherartscenter.org orcall 925-943-SHOW.

Here’s a great opportunityto improve your performanceskills and have a fun summerwith Pittsburg CommunityTheatre (PCT) SummerWorkshop Programs. Now inits third year, the workshopshave expanded to includeImprov for Actors (July 11-Aug. 1) for ages 10-18 andMusical Theater Dance forchildren 6-12, with a morecomprehensive workshop forteens/adults. Dance work-shops take place on Aug. 20,with children in the morningand teens/adults in the after-noon.

PCT will also bring backits popular Audition Work-shops, where performers learnwhat to expect during an audi-tion – including appropriatebehavior/attire, song sugges-tions, short cold read sessionand basic dance moves. Theworkshop for ages 6-12 takesplace July 23, with theteen/adult workshop on July30 and Aug. 6.

With your performing skillshoned, you could audition forone of PCT’s shows this sea-son or at least enjoy them fromthe audience. The scheduleincludes “Fiddler on theRoof ” (September), “MisterRoberts” (November), Home

for the Holiday’s (Dec. 17),“Blithe Spirit” (March) and“Hairspray” (May). All per-formances take place at theCalifornia Theatre in Pittsburg.For complete information onthe workshops or the season,go to www.pittsburgcommuni-tytheatre.org/workshops.htmlor call 925-439-7529.

Clayton Theatre Com-pany will hold a three-weekcamp for youngsters 6-16.The Summer Stage programfocuses on musical theater inpreparation for “A TripDown Broadway, Jr.,” whichculminates the camp. Per-formers will learn musicalnumbers from “Annie,”“Mary Poppins,” “School ofRock” and “Seussical theMusical,” to name a few. Inaddition, each performer willhave a professional head shottaken and receive a sampleresume.

Camps run July 11-15, 18-22 and 25-27 from 10 a.m.-1p.m. On July 28, the day runsfrom 10 a.m.-3 p.m., with theperformance at 2 p.m. It alltakes place at Endeavor Hall inClayton. For more informa-tion, go to www.claytonthe-atrecompany.com or call 925-222-9106.

For some fun under the sun(or stars), try CaliforniaShakespeare Theatre’s“Fences.” August Wilson’sfierce drama about family, loy-alty and forgiveness featuresAldo Billingslea as the charis-matic baseball player turnedsanitation worker and MargoHall as his wife. The show runsJuly 6-13 at the beautiful BrunsAmphitheatre in Orinda.

Bring a picnic and enjoy thebeautiful grounds or purchase

something yummy from thecafe, which includes a full bar.For more information, call510-548-9666 or go towww.calshakes.org.

There’s still time to catchthe Orinda Starlight VillagePlayers’ production of AgathaChristie’s “Murder on theNile.” The company alwaysstarts its season with an AgathaChristie mystery, and this oneis nicely done. Martinez’s KenSollazzo and Melanie Watersare excellent as the honey-moon couple stalked by thehusband’s former girlfriend.Well-paced by director SuzanLorraine, this productionmakes for a lovely eveningunder the stars at the OrindaCommunity Center ParkAmphitheatre.

Speaking of stars, theStarlight Players even have ahigh-powered telescope avail-able for viewing not only thestars but also the planets dur-ing intermission. “Murder onthe Nile” plays 8:30 p.m. Fri-days and Saturdays, 4 p.m. June26 and 8 p.m. June 30. For tick-ets, call 925-528-9225.

I had never heard the term“rock/jukebox musical” until Iattended Center Repertory’s

powerhouse of energy “Rockof Ages.” It’s certainly an aptdescription of Chris D’Arien-zo’s musical featuring classicrock songs from the 1980s,playing at Walnut Creek’s Lesh-er Center for the Arts throughJune 25.

Superbly directed by DyanMcBride, this story of Sherrie(Elise Youssef), an actresswannabe who comes to Holly-wood’s Sunset Strip, and rockstar hopeful Drew (Nikita Bur-shteyn) is a delight from startto finish. Expect great vocals,stunning costumes, colorfulcharacters, dazzling set and afabulous rock band.

If you love the music ofJourney, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sis-ter, Pat Benatar and the like,this is the show for you. But,remember this is a rock musi-cal. It’s loud and outrageous attimes but thoroughly enjoy-able.

Call 925-943-SHOW or goto www.lesherartscenter.orgfor tickets.


T H E A R T S

SALLY HOGARTY

STAGE STRUCK

Sally Hogarty is well knownaround the Bay Area as a newspa-per columnist, theatre critic andworking actress. She is the editor ofthe Orinda News. Send commentsto [email protected]

Focus is on musical theater in preparation for thesummer musical — “A Trip Down Broadway, Jr.”

Performers will learn musical numbers from:“Annie,” “Mary Poppins,” “School of Rock”and “Seussical the Musical”

Theater Program is for Children ages 6 — 16July 11-27, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Final performance July 28, 2 p.m.

Musical theater training and preparation instructed by CTC’s Artistic Director La Tonya Watts and

Managing Director Roxanne Pardi

REGISTER NOW

www.ClaytonTheatreCompany.com

Charlie Jarrett

Melanie Waters as Kay Mostyn, Brook Robinson as theship’s steward and Ken Sollazzo as Simon Mostyn in OrindaStarlight Village Players production of “Murder on theNile.”

Disney princesses, little girls and the Chevron Family The-atre Festival bring fun for the whole family to Walnut CreekJuly 16.

Photos courtesy www.mellophoto.com.

Jacob Judd as the sound engineer, Will Springhorn Jr. as afamed rock club owner and Nikita Burshteyn as a rock starwannabe in Center Rep’s “Rock of Ages.”

Alessandra Mello

James Carpenter, Safiya Fredericks, Denmo Ibrahim, Anthony Fusco, Rami Margron, LanceGardner and Stacy Ross appear in CalShakes streamlined and updated version of Shake-spear’s comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing,” at the Bruns Amphitheater through June 19.

Theater festival hits the street in Walnut Creek

Diablo Ballet grant to help at-risk youth

IN CONCORDMondays Off the GridRotating lineup of food trucks. 5 – 9 p.m. 2151 SalvioStreet. offthegridsf.com.

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

Tuesday Nights in JulyBlues SeriesSome of the best blues in the Bay Area. July 5, AnnieSampson; July 12, The Fargo Brothers; July 19, Willie G.6:30 – 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord.Free. cityofconcord.org.

ThursdaysMusic and MarketThursday night live music and farmers’ market. Music: June30, Kingsborough; July 7, Bay Bridge Beat; July 14, HotelCalifornia; July 21, Dakila. Market 4 – 8 p.m.; music 6:30– 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. cityof-concord.org.

3rd SundaysAntique FaireAntiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. –4 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free ad-mission. concordantiquefaire.com.

On Sale NowConcertsThe Concord Pavilion is located at 2000 Kirker PassRoad. livenation.com. Concert schedule for 2016:

July 9, Bryan Adams, 8 p.m. July 12, Taste of Chaos, 6:30 p.m.July 28, Sublime, 6:35 p.m. July 30, New Edition, 7:30 p.m.Aug. 13, Slipknot, 6:30 p.m.Aug. 19, Disturbed, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Outcry Tour, 6 p.m.Aug. 28, Snoop Dogg, 7 p.m.Sept. 4, Hot Summer Night Feat, 4 p.m.Sept. 10, Fifth Harmony, 7 p.m. Sept. 18, Daryl Hall and John Oates, 7 p.m.

July 4CelebrationPancake breakfast, Stars and Stripes 5K fun run/walk, pa-rade, festival, fireworks. Events start at 7 a.m. Todos SantosPlaza, downtown Concord. $30 race; $5 breakfast. Formore details, go to starsandstripesrun.com and concord-july4th.com.

July 5Cool Concord CarsAnnual car show on opening night of Tuesday Night Blues.5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord.Free. cityofconcord.org.

IN CLAYTONSaturdays, thru Sept. 24, except Sept. 3Farmers’ Market8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Diablo Street between Main and Centerstreets, downtown Clayton. New location in Clayton in Julyto be announced. pcfma.org.

July 2, 9, 16, 23Saturday Concerts in the GroveJuly 2, Pride and Joy; July 9, Retromaniax; July 16, TheHouserockers; July 23, Larry Lynch and the Mob. 6 – 8:30p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free.cityofclayton.org.

July 6, 20Wednesday Classic Car and Concerts in the GroveJuly 6, Mixed Nuts; July 20, Tone Pony. Car show, 6 – 8p.m. Concert, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clay-ton. Free. cityofclayton.org.

July 4Pancake Breakfast and ParadeThe day begins with the Clayton Valley/Concord SunriseRotary pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. at Endeavor Hall, 6008Center St., followed by the parade down Main Street at 10a.m. Breakfast: $7 adults; $5 kids. No registration for Kid-die Parade. Register for main parade at cityofclayton.org.

July 11 – 27Summer Stage 2016Clayton Theatre Company’s drama camp for children ages6 – 16. Camp covers acting, singing and dancing and cul-minates in a performance of “A Trip Down Broadway, Jr.”10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton.For fees and registration, go toclaytontheatrecompany.com.

ON AND AROUND THE MOUNTAINMount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed arefree with the exception of park entrance fee. Go tomdia.org and click on Event Calendar for more information.

June 24, July 1Common Poorwill Bird WalkHike near upper portion of White Canyon listening forthe common poorwill and local owls. 7 – 10:30 p.m.Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations re-quired: [email protected].

July 15Night Hike AdventureExcursion looking for night time critters. 7 – 9:30 p.m.Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENTThru June 25“Rock of Ages”Musical featuring big bands, big egos and even biggerhair. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. $37-$65. centerrep.org. 943-7469.

Thru July 2ShowcaseClassical dance and music of South India presented byKalanjali Dances of India. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Free. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

June 24 – 26“C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert”Presented by Fellowship for Performing Arts. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $34-$94. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

June 25ComedyPerformed by Erik “Awesome” Alston. 8 p.m. CaliforniaTheatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $10-$15. pitts-burgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

June 25 – 26“On Broadway! Summer Showcase 2016”Pittsburg Performing Arts Academy’s annual recital. Califor-nia Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $12. pitts-burgcaliforniatheatre.com. 427-1611.

June 26“Reminisce”A Bharatanatyam dance concert presented by Nava DanceTheatre. 5:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek. $17.75. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

July 2“Kalimba”Tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire. 8 p.m. El Campanil The-atre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $15-$27. elcampanilthe-atre.com.

July 8Young Actors Studio ShowcasePresented by The Ballet School. 6:30 p.m. Lesher Centerfor the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $15. lesherarts-center.org. 943-7469.

July 10“Curtain Up”Presented by The Golden Follies. 2 p.m. El Campanil The-atre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $12-$25. elcampanilthe-atre.com.

July 15 – 31“Oliver!”Pathos, drama and outstanding musical numbers. Allan E.Jones Performing Arts Center, 850 Second St., Brentwood.$8-$25. thebrentwoodtheater.org.

July 16Chevron Family Theatre FestivalA day of affordable, high-quality, family entertainment.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.$5. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

July 17Port Chicago Naval Magazine National MemorialCommemorate the 72nd anniversary of the Port Chicagoexplosion and celebrate the centennial of the National ParkService. 3:30 - 8 p.m. Future Visitor Center at ConcordNaval Weapons Station. Shuttle from Pittsburg/Bay PointBART only. Free. Reservation required:portchicago72.eventbrite.com. 228-8860, ext. 6424.

July 19Summer “Pops” Concert 2016Presented by Walnut Creek Concert Band. 7:30 p.m.Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek.$17. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

July 22Piano DuoPerformed by Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe. 7:30p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., WalnutCreek. $29. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

July 22“That’s Amore! A Tribute to Dean Martin”Presented by Chris Gardner. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center forthe Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $35. lesherartscen-ter.org. 943-7469.

July 23“A Salute to Lou Rawls”Nicholas Bearde in concert. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre,602 W. Second St., Antioch. $25. elcampaniltheatre.com.

July 23Leslie Odom, Jr.Odom’s Bay Area solo concert debut presented by Fein-stein’s at the Nikko. 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $45-$85. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

July 24, Aug. 6RecitalBelly dance certification performances by SalimpourSchool. 7:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 CivicDr., Walnut Creek. $16.50. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

CHURCHES AND RELIGIONJuly 8, 15, 22, 29, Aug. 5Moonlight Movies July 8, “Pan;” July 15, “Inside Out;” July 22, “Aladdin;” July29, “Cinderella;” Aug. 5, “War Room.” Bring a lawn chair,blankets, invite friends and neighbors and join us at sunsetfor a surround sound spectacular evening. Activities beginat 7:30 p.m. Movies start at 8:45 p.m. Clayton CommunityChurch, 6055 Main St. Free admission. claytoncc.com.

FUNDRAISERS2nd and 4th SundaysPancake BreakfastVeterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public:Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post1525, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 childrenunder 12. vfwpost1525.org.

June 27Baking for a CureBake sale for Relay For Life Clayton. 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Star-bucks, Clayton Station. relayforlife.org/claytonca.

July 16Relay For Life ConcordAmerican Cancer Society fundraiser. Join a team or walk asan individual. Activities for participants and spectators. 10a.m. - 10 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord.Register at relayforlife.org/concordca.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are freeunless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at cc-clib.org or 646-5455.

June 24, 28, 30; July 1, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15: Lunch at the Library, 1 p.m.

June 27: LEGO in the Library, 7 p.m.July 7: Origami, 4 p.m.July 9: AARP Free Tax Assistance, 10 a.m.July 14: Introduction to 3D Printing, 6:30 p.m.July 19: Arts and Crafts, 4 p.m.July 22 - 24: Book Sale, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.;

Sunday 1 – 3 p.m.

The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs arefree unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events atclaytonlibrary.org or call 673-0659.

Thru July: Veterans’ Self-Portrait DisplayJune 27, July 11: Clayton Knits, 1:30 p.m.June 27: Movie Night, 7 p.m.July 13: Watercolor Paint Along, 6:30 p.m.July 14: SAT Practice Test, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.July 20: Portrait Demo in Charcoal Pencil,

6:30 p.m.

GOVERNMENT1st, 2nd and 4th TuesdaysConcord City Council6:30 p.m., Council Chamber, Concord Civic Center, 1950Parkside Dr. cityofconcord.org.

1st and 3rd WednesdaysConcord Planning Commission7 p.m. Council Chamber, Concord Civic Center, 1950Parkside Dr. cityofconcord.org.


Meeting dates and times for local clubs and or-ganizations are listed at concordpioneer.com.Click on ‘Links’

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. JULY 13 FOR THE JULY 22 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO [email protected]

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There’s a full weekend ofnaturalist-led, kid-friendlyactivities coming up at theEnvironmental Education

Center in Tilden Nature Areanear Berkeley.

It all starts with a“Trekking With Tots” excur-sion from 10:30 a.m. to noonon Saturday, June 25. This is ashort first nature hike forsmall children accompaniedby their parents. Parents willlearn some fun trail activitiesthat will keep the youngstersinterested in exploring thegreat outdoors.

Insects are the quarry of asafari from 2 to 4 p.m. onSaturday, June 25 in a pro-gram for ages six and older.The group will turn over logsand use nets in ponds tocatch (and release) some ofthe many insects that inhabitthe Nature Area.

And there may still bespace available in a tule bas-ket-making program con-ducted by naturalist AnthonyFisher from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Sunday, June 26. The groupwill make berry-gatheringbaskets out of tule reeds andlearn about the many uses towhich Native Americans putthe plant.

The program is for agesnine and up. Registration isrequired and there’s a fee of$5 per person ($7 for non-district residents). For regis-tration and information, call888-327-2757. Select option

2 and refer to program num-ber 13098.

“The butterfly necessi-ties” is the theme of a pro-gram from 2 to 3 p.m. onSunday, June 26, led by inter-pretive student aide BriannaContaxis-Tucker. Caterpillars,butterflies and craft makingare all on the agenda.

From butterflies to drag-onflies: in a program from 3to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June26, Anthony Fisher willreveal the world of thesebeautiful airborne insectpredators.

The center is located atthe north end of Tilden’sCentral Park Drive. For moreinformation, call 510-544-2233.

SEAWEEDElsewhere in the regional

parks, seaweed is the subjectof Family Nature Fun hourfrom 2 to 3 p.m. on both Sat-urday and Sunday, June 25and 26, at Crab Cove VisitorCenter in Alameda. Learnabout seaweed’s uses, thenchurn some ice cream.

Crab Cove is at 1252McKay Ave. off Alameda’sCentral Avenue. For informa-tion, call 510-544-3187.

On the last day of school,I asked the kids, “Guess whatwe’re gonna do this after-noon to celebrate all yourhard work this year?” Theywaited, wide-eyed withexcitement. “Bike ride?” thelittle one said. “Yes, you gotit,” I answered.

The 6-year-old darted upthe stairs to his room to grabsocks. The 9-year-old threwher hands in the air with a bigsmile, screaming, “Yessss!” asshe ran up after her brotherto change.

It’s always a flurry ofactivity as we gather what weneed for a bike ride. I have alot of reminders for the kids:“Did you get your water bot-tles? Gotta stay hydrated.Here’s some sunblock foryour noses …”

The kids grab their yellowneon biking gloves out oftheir helmets and carefully

pull them over every fingerfor a snug fit. We readjusthelmet straps, clipping themon securely. Straddling thetop bars, the kids are alwaysfirst on their bikes out to thedriveway. They wait whiletheir dad and I strap ourbikes full of supplies, snacks,extra water and locks for thejourney.

“Ok, what do we dobefore we get into thestreet?” one of us will ask.

“Look to see if it’s clear,”they shout, each competingto say it before the other.

“OK, to the left … herewe go.”

Through our first pedalstrokes, I always love seeingthe smiles on all of our faces.We ride alongside each othersaying “Hi” like we juststepped into another worldtogether. We snake throughthe neighborhood streets,

practicing our signaling, stay-ing to the right when carspass, moving from group rid-ing formations to single fileand following each other’swheel-lines.

The kids have learned torespond quickly to our cuesand directions over the years,and we are constantly teach-ing them new aspects ofcycling, like passing on theleft and keeping a safe dis-tance between your bike andothers.

Our destination, the IronHorse Trail, was 1.2 milesfrom home. We navigatedtwo busy roads to get there.It took focus and workingtogether to get through safe-ly.

As we approached the trailentrance, I started ringing mybell and yelling, “Summervacation – wooo hoooo!”Everyone else joined in.

I turned it into a chant:“When I say summer, you sayfun …”

“Summer!”“Fun!”“Summer!”“Fun!”A victory bike ride was an

awesome way to kick offsummer for my family. We are

lucky that we have a few trailswhere we can feel free andprotected from looming carsand speeding traffic. In thecoming months and years,I’m hoping to see more pro-tected and separated bikehighways and lanes where we

can ride as a family and feelfree, having fun together.

Maryam Roberts is a member ofBike Concord, a volunteer organiza-tion of residents working for safe,convenient and enjoyable bicycling inour community. Find out more at

BikeConcord.org.

Bike Concord is sponsored byConcord resident Colleen Geraghty,a financial advisor with PrudentialAdvisers. You can reach her at(925) 302-4033, or by email [email protected].

Feeling free while riding as a family

MARYAM ROBERTS

BIKE CONCORD

Sponsored by Colleen Geraghty

Whether you call it a bluebelly, a swift, a spiny, a West-ern fence lizard or Scelo-porus occidentalis, it is all thesame to the little gray-brownlizard commonly seen in backyards and local parks.

This was the first lizard Iencountered as a child. Iwould find them running upand down oak trees, sunningthemselves on fallen logs androck piles or sitting on top ofa fence post – hence thename fence lizard. It isextremely fast and elusive, or“swift,” when warmed by thesun.

Like all reptiles, lizards arecold-blooded and are affect-ed by the ambient tempera-ture. They move in or out ofthe sun and shade to regulatebody temperature. Theselizards possess a “third eye”on the top of their heads thatworks like a thermostat toassist in this.

The color of these lizardswill change from darkgray/almost black to a lightgray-brown with smallchevron-like makings as theywarm up. The dark colorationabsorbs more heat in theearly hours, while the lightercoloration reflects some heatlater in the day.

As children, we used tinynooses to snare these lizards.Or, we’d spend hours chasingone before catching it byhand. Anyone who hascaught one of these lizardsknows that its tail is detach-able and will break off veryeasily if grabbed. Thisdefense mechanism is com-mon to many lizard species asa means to escape predators.They then grow a new tail.

These “spiny” lizards alsohave keeled scales, makingthem feel rough like sandpaper. If you catch one, it’seasy to see why they arecalled blue bellies. The malelizards have bright bluepatches on both sides oftheir bellies and under theirthroats, as well as a yellowmarking on their hind legs.Female lizards are nowhere asbrightly colored, but they dohave light blue patches ontheir under side.

It’s fascinating to observethese lizards doing “push-ups” on a sunny perch inspring and summer, declaringto other lizards and the worldthat this is their territory. Ifanother male challenges forthat location, a melee ensues– with the lizards wrestlingand holding each other withopen jaws.

This can last for severalminutes, until one retreats.The other returns to the

perch, again doing push-ups,flashing its blue undersidesand declaring to any femalelizard or other male that he isthe most macho lizard in theland.

Rarely is either individualinjured. It is more like playingking of the mountain and tir-ing out the opponent.

Females observing thesefights are more attracted tothe winners. After matingApril through July, the femalewill lay up to a dozen eggs.These hatch in August orSeptember.

These lizards feed on avariety of arthropods, includ-ing flies, beetles, spiders,crickets and caterpillars. Con-sider yourself fortunate ifyou have them in your yard,because it is a sign of a bal-anced ecosystem.

Do not use pesticides orother poisons around lizards.Cats are their No. 1 predatorin inhabited areas, followedby habitat destruction.

The scientific name Scelo-porus occidentalis simplymeans Western spiny lizard.But whatever you call them,lizards are an intricate part oflife in Contra Costa Countyand they should be encour-aged and protected.

Western lizard a common yetimportant sight in yards, parks

MIKE MARCHIANO

MOUNTAIN MIKE

Mike Marchiano is a naturalistwith the Mt. Diablo InterpretiveAssociation. Contact him [email protected]

Take the kids to Tilden

NED MCKAYPARK IT

See Park It, page 20

It was warm in the AyersElementary School multi-useroom, but not nearly as heatedas the meeting inside. Angryparents confronted Mt. DiabloUnified School District repre-sentatives about housing theRocketship Charter School onschool grounds in the comingschool year.

Under California’s Prop.

39, school districts must findspace for charter schools locat-ed in their district – even if thedistrict opposes them.

MDUSD denied Rocket-ship a charter in April 2015.Rocketship took its plea to theContra Costa Board of Educa-tion, which denied it in Octo-ber. They appealed to the stateBoard of Education in Febru-ary. Despite strong oppositionfrom representatives ofMDUSD – including parents

and district staff – the stateapproved the charter school.

Rocketship hopes to bringin students from the Monu-ment Corridor and is lookingfor a location closer to thatarea. In the meantime, districtstaff determined that six relo-catable buildings will be put atAyers – a good distance fromthe Monument Corridor – tohouse Rocketship. And thathas parents fuming.

The meeting was held the

second-to-last week of school,timing that did not sit well withmany of the parents attendingthe information session. Dis-trict staff admitted that thereshould have been a meetingearlier. From now on, theprocess would be “more fre-quent and more transparent,”said district representativeUrsula Leimbach.

That didn’t appease angryparents, who often heckled thedistrict staff explaining the situ-ation and who threatenedeverything from lawsuits to tak-ing their children out of school.

“I’m seriously thinking oftransferring,” said TiffanyChinn, with children in fourthand second grades. “Drop-offis already insane, and with 150more (Rocketship) students, itwill be even more madness.”

“This is a difficult andunwelcome discussion,” saidMDUSD Superintendent Nel-lie Meyer. “But we wanted toexplain the process that wasused to select Ayers.”

She said she and districtofficials walked every elemen-tary school in the district tofind a location for the relocat-able (portable) buildings thatwill house Rocketship. In theend, it came down to Ayersand Silverwood.

Rocketship vetoed that ini-tial idea but came back and saidAyers was acceptable.

Most in the audience want-ed to know why Ayers waschosen, rather than housingthe charter school in one ofMDUSD’s shuttered elemen-tary schools, Glenbrook orHolbrook, which closed in2011. Parents thought otheroptions could be a Monumentarea school, such as MeadowHomes or Cambridge.

Tim Cody, the district’sdirector of maintenance pro-grams, was charged with find-ing space for Rocketship. Hetook the brunt of the burningcrowd’s questions – and theheckles.

He said that to prepareeither Holbrook or Glenbrookwould cost $1.2 million to $1.5million, but the cost of puttingRocketship at Ayers wouldonly be $350,000-380,000.

That didn’t seem to appeasethe audience, who had othersuggestions, such as the fieldsat Sun Terrace Elementary.

Most of the questions wereshouted by the crowd, despiteattempts by the district to runthe meeting smoothly. Initially,large sticky-notes were put ontables where parents couldwrite down questions. Theyranged from “Why Ayers?” toquestions about safety, drop-off and pick-up, and interac-tions between students of thetwo different schools.

The notes were hung andthe district staff tried toanswer them, but questionsshouted from the audiencedrowned out those efforts.

Meyers said they were con-sidering staggering drop-offand pick-up times of the twoschools, but that didn’t appeasesome parents who were stillconcerned about the schoolssharing the library, play-grounds and multi-use room.

Loma Vista was also sug-gested as a possible site, butCody said the kitchen wouldnot accommodate elementary-age children.

Rocketship representativesaid Ayers was not their firstchoice because they wanted tobe housed in the MonumentCorridor. But they hoped that“good communication” wouldalleviate some of the problemsAyers parents foresee.

“We are running shuttlesfrom the Monument area tohelp alleviate the traffic, andwe will be starting at 8:05 a.m.while Ayers starts at 7:45 a.m.,”Rocketship’s Chief Growth &Community Engagement Offi-cer Cheye Calvo told the Pio-

neer. “We will be situated in ourown area, so we hope to mini-mize any impact we have onthe school.”

Despite the opposition, thedistrict and the charter schoolfinalized a plan on June 13 tohouse the school at Ayers.

Rocketship is known foropening in traditionally under-served areas and working withstudents in the lower socio-economic sphere as well asEnglish language learners.Calvo says that results in otherareas, such as East San Jose,have been successful – some-times improving test scoresmore than five time over thatof traditional district schools.

Critics of Rocketship haveclaimed that the school is “tooacademic” and “teaches for thetest,” with hours spent in frontof computers. Calvo disputedthat claim earlier in a Pioneerstory, saying that Rocketship’semphasis was on educating the“whole child” and that therewere many opportunities forstudents to engage in activitiesother than strict academics.


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SCHOOLS

Congratulations, Jack, on your honors degree inNeuroscience from RegisUniversity in Denver, Colorado! From HolyRosary School to AyersElem to Mt Diablo Elem toDiablo View to ClaytonHigh to De La Salle toRegis...what a life full ofsuperb academic experi-ences! So Proud!

Love, Mom and Maddey

Jack McGrane

At school or at home, summer learning is crucial

This summer, the Mt. Dia-blo Unified School District ishosting some really “hot” sci-ence and technology camps, aswell as physical education andother classes for students whoneed extra academic support.

Students can take summerschool at all levels, along withan opportunity to enroll in acamp for science, technology,engineering and math.

Summer is a great time forstudents to continue to learnand discover on their own withtheir families. Many locallibraries offer summer readingprograms, which is a smart wayto get a jump start on the nextschool year. Keeping a summerjournal helps keep writingskills sharp for all ages.

Continuing activities thatincorporate math are alsoimportant in the summer.Research shows that the sum-mer gap had a greater effect onmath skills. It’s easy to incor-porate math into summeractivities.

These resources can giveyou some ideas on how tomake learning a year-roundactivity: • Fun and free summer

learning: http://www.edu-topia.org/blog/summer-learning-resources-matt-davis

• Simple tips for summermath learning:www.pbs.org/parents/edu-cation/math/math-tips-for-parents/summer-math/

• 25 activities to keep kids’brains active in summer:http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev073.shtml

Summer learning is thefoundation toward college andcareer opportunities. We wouldlove to hear how you plan toincorporate reading, math, sci-ence and art into your summer.Send an email and pictures [email protected] we’ll share your ideas onour website and Facebookpage.

DR. NELLIE MEYER

MDUSD SUPERINTENDENT

Dr. Nellie Meyer is Superintendentof Schools for MDUSD. Email questions or comments [email protected]

Rocketship to land at Ayers this fall, despite complaintsPEGGY SPEAR

Concord Pioneer

Charter school lauds its first graduating class

Clayton Valley Charter HighSchool concluded another excit-ing school year as we honorednearly 500 graduates in 100degree weather at the ConcordPavilion on June 3.

It was an amazing evening,with thousands of family mem-bers celebrating the graduates’achievements and academic

accomplishments. The two-hourceremony involved a cast ofgreat speakers, including stu-dents, teachers and administra-tors sharing a common theme offriendship and praising theunique bonds created during thehigh school experience.

As I addressed the new grad-uates, I asked the Class of 2016to go forward with hope for abright future and to acknowl-edge the impact of their familysupport network – the oneestablished at school and athome. I can’t overstate theimportance of the parents,

teachers, coaches and counselorswho provided constant supportand encouragement for all ofthe graduating students todepart with Ugly Eagle pride.

It was also a great honor topresent CVCHS staff memberSunny Shergill and communitymember April Winship with theRay Schultz Memorial Award fortheir community service andinspiration to the Class of 2016.We owe so much to their leader-ship efforts.

It is remarkable that theClass of 2016 began their highschool journey as the first fresh-

man class when CVCHS openedits doors as a charter four yearsago. This year’s graduation rateof 99 percent highlights the stu-dents’ hard work.

We have a lot to be proud ofat CVCHS this year. The gradu-ating students reveal the best ofthe school community. And asour young leaders advance intothe real world, I am confidentthat CVCHS has diligently pre-pared them for success in the21st century.

Send comments and questions to [email protected]

JEFF EBEN

CVCHS PRINCIPAL

Parents frequently askwhen is the right time to startplanning for college.

Students should start think-ing about college as freshman,so they can plan their course-work and extracurricular activ-ities appropriately. Selectingcolleges, writing essays andprepping for tests does notneed to start until the end ofsophomore year or beginningof junior year. However, don’twait until senior year to begin.

When mapping out highschool courses, studentsshould select classes that arechallenging but still allow themto have a personal life. Theyshould focus on higher-levelclasses in areas where theyalready excel. For instance, if achild is a strong writer but dis-likes science, encouragehim/her to take AP Englishand other writing intense class-es such as history – but don’tpush for an all AP and Honors

schedule.Colleges look for well-bal-

anced students, therefore, theyneed time to pursue otherinterests. And that can’t bedone if they are taking toomany advanced classes. Theexceptions are students pursu-ing elite schools like Stanford,MIT or the Ivies.

When doing activities out-side of homework and school,students should focus on their

interests. Too many people docommunity service, join multi-ple clubs or play a sport solelybecause they believe it will lookgood on college applications.The truth is that colleges wantto see depth, not breadth. Thismeans they are looking atextracurricular activities as away of getting to know the stu-dent beyond GPA and testscores.

If the activities are brief,unrelated to each other andconvey no sense of passion,the application readers inter-pret that as unfocused andlacking any real purpose.

Encourage children to findwhat matters to them and thenjump in with both feet. If theywant to be engineers, findclubs or contests where theycan build things and show offtheir ingenuity. Future doctorsand nurses could volunteer inplaces where they can take careof others. Science majors

could work as a counselor at ascience-based children’s camp.

Don’t worry if your child isundecided on a college majorand career path; more than halfof high school students are inthe same boat. I urge studentsto explore what interests themon a day-to-day basis and fig-ure out a way to turn that intoa hobby, club, project or part-time job. I know a student wholoves to play video games, andhe found a way to get paid toplay his favorite games.

If you have questionsabout college, contact me and Iwill incorporate the answersinto future columns.

Lisa Spencer provides collegeadvising and career counseling tohigh school and college students. Sheis the owner of Next Phase. Youcan reach her at [email protected] or 925-726-1209. Formore information, go to www.next-phase.net.

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Take a measured approach to college prep

LISA SPENCERCOLLEGE BOUND

Cabinets an integral part of any home projectWhether it’s custom

designed, refinished, repur-posed or purchased at a bigbox store, cabinetry should befunctional and aestheticallypleasing.

New cabinetry may notalways be the first priority in adesign project. You may havea perfectly organized kitchen,with sturdy cabinet frames,doors and drawers – but thecolor is dated. No matter howmany accessories you add tocountertops, that neon-like,golden yellow oak just takesover.

Instead of new cabinetry,consider refinishing. If you’rehandy and artistic, chalk paint

may be the answer to a freshnew look. If you’re more of atraditionalist, painting or re-staining cabinetry may be bet-ter options.

Whether you have fearless

DIY confidence or prefer towork with a contractor andpainter, refinishing cabinetryis a smart way to update alook. When playing with glaz-ing and distressing, neverassume that a color will be“fine.” Always test, and retest,colors to ensure a perfect out-come.

Cabinetry redesign can bean exciting project. In thekitchen, it means customizinghow you’d like to use yourwork space. Consider placingcooking tools at various cook-ing and prep stations andadding specialty storage forsmall countertop appliancesand food items.

In the garage, custom stor-age may mean creating spe-cialty cubbies for paint cansand supplies, or a one-of-a-kind workbench. Opt forclosed pantry type doors foroutdoor brooms, rakes andshovels, or storage bins forclothing and toys.

In the bathroom, customiz-ing storage may include a plugon the interior of a drawer fora hair dryer or curling iron, ora mini-appliance garage forshaving sets or electric tooth-brushes. Pullout shelves formakeup and towels are great,as is a lowered countertop for achic makeup vanity.

Custom cabinetry is just

that: designing not only theexterior but really thinkingabout how the interior designcan benefit your functionalneeds. Online sources likePinterest and Houzz can pro-vide amazing ideas. They alsomay offer feedback on ideas

that seem great in theory, butjust aren’t worth the time orbudget.

Function is always a goodplace to start. Make sure cabi-netry not only has a great coloror unique finish but also pro-vides a specific function to

enhance your daily routine.

Jennifer Leischer is the owner ofJ. Designs Interior Design based inClayton. Contact her with questions,comments and suggestionsat [email protected].

JENNIFER LEISCHERDESIGN & DÉCOR

Saturday July 9, 1 p.m.Harvest House Health Food Store 2395 Monument Blvd., Concord

925-407-0888You must reserve a seat to attend

This FREE, one-hour doctor presentation on what you can do to reestablish normal blood glucose levels NATURALLY, will be hosted at the

Harvest House Health Food Store, Saturday afternoon @ 1 p.m.

Write Your Own Life Storywith Memoir Coach Jill Morris

Leave your grandchildren a family history they will treasure.

Author and memoir coach Jill Morris leads 5-day memoir-writing workshops this summer

in Lafayette, Orinda, and Walnut Creek for those who want to put their life stories

down on paper.

Summer Classes Open for RegistrationJune 27 - July 1, 10 am – 1 pm, Orinda LibraryJuly 25 - 29, 10 am - 1 pm, Lafayette Library

Aug. 22 - 26, 10 am - 2:30 pm, Walnut Creek Community Center

For further info, go to www.yourlifeyourwords.com


Ned McKay is Public Informa-tionSupervisor for EBRPD. Emailhim at [email protected]

GEOLOGY AND CRAFTSGeology is the topic of

Family Fun Hour from 2 to 3p.m. on Saturday, June 25 atCoyote Hills Regional Park inFremont. Cord-making andpine nut beads are the activitiesat the same time on Sunday,June 26. The Sunday programis for ages five and older; par-ent participation is required.

Also on Saturday, naturalistKristina Parkison will lead aprogram from noon to 3 p.m.showing how to prepare wooland practice making yarn withdrop spindles. The program isfree, for ages 10 and older, andregistration is required. To reg-ister, call 888-327-2757, selectoption 2, and refer to program13177.

Coyote Hills is at the end ofPatterson Ranch road offPaseo Padre Parkway. The pro-grams take place at the visitorcenter. For information, call510-544-3220.

BUILD A SOLAR OVENBuilding a miniature solar

oven will reveal the great orb’spower in a program from 2 to3 p.m. Sunday, June 26 at BigBreak Regional Shoreline inOakley. The park is at 69 BigBreak Road off Oakley’s MainStreet. For information, call888-327-2757, ext. 3050.

EXPLORE AREA PARKSTuesday Twilights are a

series of naturalist-led walks toexplore various regional parks.There’s a walk from 7 to 9 p.m.on June 28 at Las TrampasRegional Wilderness. Expectsome steep hill climbing andbeautiful evening scenery.

Meet at the north end ofBollinger Canyon Road offCrow Canyon Road in SanRamon. For information, call510-544-3249.

Another occasional hikingseries is the Wednesday Walks.There’s one from 9:30 a.m. tonoon on June 29 at DublinHills Regional Park, led by nat-uralist Susan Ramos. Theobjective is to complete one ofthe Trails Challenge hikes. It’s amoderate, four-mile round tripon open grassland; bring a hatand water.

Meet at the Donlon PointStaging Area on DublinRoad. For information, call510-544-3182.

Park It,from page 18

Now that I am dressingmen as well as women, Idecided it’s time to lookahead to fall.

Street style frommenswear’s fall/winter 2016collections features rich,warm colors and materials.Here are a few trends thatwill keep you looking yourbest during the coolermonths:

Emerald green. This hasstood out as a top colorchoice in the street stylescene across the globe. Withits depth and versatility whenpaired with other traditionalhues, emerald green is theultimate staple for fall/winterwardrobes. The color workswell for statement jackets andaccessories but has alsoenjoyed a revived popularityin suits. Adopt the trend infitted suit styles and don’tfear a brighter take on thecolor to boost the modernappeal of your look. Emeraldgreen scarves also workeffectively to lend a jolt ofcolor to simplistic casualwear,amplifying your look.

Cardigans. A qualitycardigan is something you’llmost certainly need for thecolder months. Wear a cardi-gan with a typical T-shirt andjeans combination to add a

novel touch. If you’re out fordinner or a movie, it willground your look and addcharacter. Cardigans layeredover turtlenecks and othercable knit styles are perfectfor winter dressing.

Statement jackets. Boldgraphics and statement slo-gans have emerged as a con-sistent feature in jackets,emboldened with vivid colorsand textures. Statement jack-ets don’t stand out for theircolor alone; these jackets areadorned with literal state-ments and bold graphics. It’sa playful take on sartorialpropaganda. The trick topulling off this trend is tocommit to the look, so don’tbe afraid to pair bolder jack-ets with classic staples for aninteresting casual look.

Novelty sweaters.Whether in a cartoon motifor a kitschy retro advertise-ment, novelty sweaters havebeen playfully featured on thestreets – lending personalityto the simplest of looks. Thekey to choosing novelty

sweaters is to adapt them toyour personal style. Wearthem in a classic way byselecting versatile and tradi-tional colors. All shades ofgray ground the look, makingyour outfits subdued asopposed to overtly wacky.

’50s shirts. Oversizedpolos and textured ’50s shirtswere a big hit during FashionWeek in New York. Balanceout this trend with tailoredpants for a true ’50s vibe.This silhouette works per-fectly in darker tones as wellas powder hues, but contrastis key when combining colorsto obtain a polished look.

Bomber jackets. Use the’50s bomber jackets from thespring/summer 2016 collec-tions as a style reference andtry one in a darker hue.Bomber jackets are versatilefor casual days; they lookcool and keep you comfort-able. To keep things contem-porary, channel this trendwith the variety of new col-ors and materials available.

Susan Sappington is the areadevelopment manager for Etceteradesigner clothes from New Yorkand a stylist for J.Hilburn cus-tomized menswear. Contact her [email protected].


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Remodeling Specialist

Diablo View

ConstructionMen can opt for street style this fall

Whether you want to tackle the urban aesthetic look or go all out on a tonal green num-ber the choice is yours. Liven up your look and give one or two of these trends a whirl.

SUSAN SAPPINGTON

CLOTHES UP

Why advertise inthe Pioneer?Since I started advertising in the Clayton andConcord Pioneers, my business has exploded.I can hardly keep up with the calls.

Kevin Schmidt, General Contractor

Diablo View Construction


Nancy Bennett, Realtor @ Keller Williams Realty#1 Agent in Concord, #1 Team, Keller Williams East Bay#5 Team Nationally (U.S. & Canada) Keller WilliamsAgent Leadership Council, Mentor, Faculty Member and Community Sponsor [email protected] 925.606.8400 BENNETTBETTER.COM

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Unparalleled Trust NecessaryBefore Listing Your House

You and your family have decided to sell your house. It is now time tochoose a real estate professional to help with the process. One of themajor attributes this agent must possess is trustworthiness. To what degreedo you need to trust them?You must have enough trust in them that you feel comfortable they will

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shown that the equity many families have in their home is the largest per-centage of that family’s overall wealth. 2. Set the correct market value on that assetPricing is crucial even in the best of markets. You want to get the best

price for your home without putting your house at a value that buyers willhave little interest in.3. Set the time schedule for the liquidation of that assetYour family probably has a certain timetable for the sale of your house

and the move into your next home. Coordinating the home sellingprocess to meet certain schedules can be tricky.4. Set a fair fee for the services required to liquidate that assetYou will need to pay a commission to an agent for selling the home

and coordinating all elements of the selling transaction, including possi-ble future negotiations (ex. with a home inspector or appraiser).That’s a lot of trust. Let’s get together to discuss the difference hiring a

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Coming Soon!

Let’s hear it for lantana,one of Clayton’s most sum-mer-hardy families of plants.

Lantana boasts prolificblooms of gold, purple, pink,red, orange and white fromearly summer through late fall.Lantana plants are easy togrow, water-wise and long-blooming.

The most common lantanasold is the trailing purplegroundcover. It has a small,

oval, dusty green, texturedleaf. Woody stems stretch out3-4 feet and are covered withnickel-sized, grayish-purpleglobes of tiny flowers. Trail-ing purple lantana puts onsome height as it matures, soexpect piles to eventuallyreach more than 2 feet tall.The height appears morequickly if you have to controlthe width.

Trailing white lantana isalso popular. This selectiongrows just as well as the pur-ple, with all the same growthhabits. The leaf color and tex-ture are the same, but theflower is white.

New Gold is an exciting,bold yellow trailing Lantanawith dark green, small, tex-tured leaves. Its superior yel-low color really stands out inthe landscape. Consider mix-ing New Gold lantana aroundred foliage plants for a nice

contrast.Bush lantanas are desir-

able, with more color selec-tions. They tend to developslowly into shrubs, reaching 2-4 feet tall and wide. This willtake some time, because ourcold winters slow the process.Dallas Red, Confetti and Ireneare the most popular bush col-ors. They have been aroundfor years and are predictableand reliable.

Dallas Red’s color takes ajourney. The globe-shapedflower begins as a group ofsmall red flowers with somegold and orange in the mix.As the flowers mature, thegold and orange turn to abright, yellow-based red.

Confetti starts out as oneshade and changes into anoth-er. The flower begins as agroup of pastel pink and yel-low, with just a couple ofwhite tiny flowers creating its

globe. Within a day, the multi-colored pastel blossomchanges to nice light pink.Confetti isn’t the showiest lan-tana, but when planted againsta dark backdrop, like an oldfence, it comes alive.

Irene starts off as a globeof mostly magenta pink, witha handful of tiny orange andyellow accent flowers. Theblossom matures to a solidmagenta. This bold colorworks well with red foliage

and blue flowering plants.Colorful lantana thrives in

Clayton landscapes and gar-dens June through November.During the winter, it canappear dry and dead.

Treat it like a perennial.Enjoy the lantana when it’sbeautiful, and don’t fret whenit rests. In the middle ofMarch, cut back the dry,woody stems to make roomfor the new season’s growth.

Lantana attracts bees andbutterflies and is also pest-and disease-tolerant. It is agreat installation for anyoneneeding blasts of bold colorin their summer landscape.

Bright and bold, lantana sparks up any garden

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden.You can contact her with questions orcomments by email at [email protected]

There’s nothing betterthan the taste and smell ofonions on the grill. Unless it’sa juicy peach picking up somegrill marks and sending outsweet aromas.

Grilling fruits and vegeta-bles intensifies flavors andadds wonderful color tomeals.

The local farmers markethas a variety of farmers fromwhich to choose the bestfruits and vegetables to tosson the grill. Resendiz Farmsand J&J Ramos Farms, bothfrom Hughson, have awe-some stone fruit, while J&M

Farm from Reedley andBorba Farms from Aromashave fantastic fresh vegeta-bles. Don’t forget to pick upfresh sweet corn for the grillfrom G&S Farms of Brent-wood.

Here are some tips forgrilling produce:• Fruit is best grilled when

the coals have begun todie out or when placed onthe outer edges of thegrate, using indirect heat.

• Brush vegetables withvegetable oil or butter toprevent sticking to thegrill, or brush oil on a coldgrill.

• Firm vegetables, such as

potatoes, may need to becooked before grilling.This is especially impor-tant when grilling firmvegetables with softer veg-etables, to ensure that theyall finish cooking at thesame time.

• Experiment with differentcooking times. Soft fruitssuch as peaches and apri-cots should be cooked 5-8minutes, with hard fruitsgrilled a little longer. Zuc-chini and other summersquash, onions, corn andpeppers should be grilled10-12 minutes.

A selection of chunkedvegetables can also be sea-

soned and cooked in alu-minum foil for 15-20 min-utes.

GRILLED PEACHES4 large peaches,

halved and pitted4 T. melted butter

Baste fruit with butter andgrill over moderate heat, facedown, for about 5 minutes.Baste with butter again, turnover and grill another 2 min-utes or so, until tender.

Serve with vanilla icecream or whipped cream.

Fruits and veggies pick up new flavors on the grillDEBRAMORRIS

Pacific Coast Farmers Market

BRUSH PEACH HALVES with oil or butter and grill until goldenbrown and just cooked through.

LANTANA IRENE

The Concord Farmers Market is inTodos Santos Plaza Tuesdays &Thursdays.

JUN 24 Concord Pioneer 2016

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