Concord to Host Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Mayor’s Sing-Along Dec. 5
By Colleen Awad, Community Relations Manager, City of Concord
The City of Concord will kick off the holiday season with its annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Mayor’s Sing-Along, a free community event, on Friday, December 5, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Todos Santos Plaza.
The Christmas Tree Lighting & Mayor’s Sing-Along is a family-favorite event that features a number of traditional holiday festivities, including an official tree-lighting, real reindeer, a holiday music sing-along, crafts, shopping at Santa’s Village, and photos with Santa.
Enjoy a night filled with live performances, including Concord High School’s The Honeytones and The Evergreens, Concord Salvation Army Band, Westwood Elementary Chorus Club, Queen of All Saints Children’s Choir with special guest Mayor Carlyn Obringer on the piano, D’Ann’s Dance Academy, Queen of All Saints cheer Team, and fan-favorite The 925 Band.
New this year, the City of Concord has partnered with KultureCity to make the event Sensory Inclusive! KultureCity will be providing a pop-up sensory room. These resources are designed to help individuals of all ages and abilities with sensory needs feel more comfortable and supported during the event.
The City of Concord thanks its sponsors: Realm Real Estate, Concord Police Association, The Todos Santos Business Association, and The Makers Boulevard.
The Christmas Tree Lighting & Mayor’s Sing-Along will be live-streamed on the City of Concord’s TV channel (Comcast channel 28, Astound channels 29 and 1026, and U-verse channel 99) and the City’s YouTube channel, with the official tree lighting scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Holiday Sip N’ Stroll with Visit Concord
In addition to the City’s event, Visit Concord will be hosting a “Sip ‘n’ Stroll” through downtown Concord restaurants and establishments with treats and drinks for guests ages 21+. Tickets are $20 per person and include food and beverage samples from participating businesses. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Danville Police, Marine Corps to hold Fill the Cruiser toy drive Dec. 5, 12
Toys for Tots – Help Us Brighten the Holidays!
By Danville Police Department
The Danville Police Department is proud to partner once again with the Marine Corps Reserve for this year’s Fill the Cruiser Toys For Tots toy drive!
As you’re out shopping this season, please consider purchasing a new, unwrapped toy to help bring joy to a child in need. All toys collected will be donated to children within Contra Costa County.
You can find us collecting donations at Marshall’s at Fostoria Way and Camino Ramon on Friday, December 5th and 12th from 12-5 PM, or you may drop off toys at the Danville Police Department through December 15th.
Thank you for helping make the holidays brighter for families in our community!
Concord Police to hold Toy Drive Collection Saturday, Nov. 29
By Concord Police Department
Help Us Bring Holiday Magic to Local Kids!
We’re hosting our Concord Police Department Toy Drive Collection and we’d love your support!
Target – 560 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill
Saturday, November 29
7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Join us in making the holidays brighter for local families.
Come on out — we’ll see you there!
Rep. DeSaulnier to host Town Hall on improving transportation, education in San Ramon Dec. 6
By Mairead Glowacki, Communications Director, Office of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
Walnut Creek, CA – Today, Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced that he will host a town hall in San Ramon to discuss improving transportation and education in the East Bay on Saturday, December 6th from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT.
As a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Education and Workforce, Congressman DeSaulnier will provide updates on his work to improve quality of life in the East Bay by reducing commute times and supporting families, students, and public education. He will also take questions from constituents.
“Two of the issues that impact people’s lives most are transportation and education,” DeSaulnier said. “I’ll highlight my work as a senior member of @EdWorkforceDems and @TransportDems and how I’m working to reduce commutes, make transportation safer, and invest in quality public education to make life better for our whole community.”
Town Hall on Improving Transportation and Education in the East Bay
Saturday, December 6th
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Live Oak Elementary School
The event is open to the public and press. To RSVP or request special accommodations, visit https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call (925) 933-2660. Please note that space is limited.
This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 253rd town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress in January 2015.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
4th Annual Danville Veterans Day Mt. Diablo Beacon Lighting Ceremony Nov. 11
Flyover of WWII aircraft by Valiant Effort Foundation
By Sean Gannon, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 75
The Beacon on Mount Diablo will be lit at sunset on Tuesday, November 11th, 2025, to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Military.
Join local veterans and the Mayor of Danville Renee Morgan at 4:40 pm by the Flagpole in front of the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville as they press the button at 5:00 pm to light the Beacon on Mount Diablo, followed by a flyover from WWII aircraft from Valiant Effort Foundation!
The Veterans Memorial Building will be open to the public from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. A proclamation was signed on February 25th, 2022, in the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville to light the Beacon on Mount Diablo not only on Pearl Harbor Day, but also on Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day.
The event is sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 75. Special Thanks to California State Parks, Save Mount Diablo and the Town of Danville for all their amazing support to honor veterans!
VFW Craft & Gift Fair in Concord Nov. 15
For more information about the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1525 visit www.facebook.com/LtJerryNovakovichPost1525.
Donors urged to give thanks by giving blood to help patients through the holidays
Photo: Vitalant
Two Vitalant donors in November will win $10,000
By Kevin Adler, Communications Manager, Vitalant
Every two seconds, a patient in the U.S. needs blood but fewer donors give as end-of-year holiday activities start to fill calendars. That’s why nonprofit Vitalant is urging all eligible donors to give thanks for their good health and make an appointment to give blood this November. Just an hour time commitment helps ensure every patient’s blood need can be met all through the holidays.
It takes donors of all blood types to keep the blood supply stable, especially type O and platelet donors. O-negative blood can help any patient. O-positive, the most common blood type, can help anyone with a positive blood type.
Blood Helps Even the Littlest of Patients
November is also National Prematurity Awareness Month. Premature infants commonly have anemia and need blood transfusions to help them thrive. The National Institutes of Health cites more than 80% of extremely preterm infants need at least one transfusion in their first month.
Vitalant is thanking donors in November with a chance to win one of two $10,000 prepaid gift cards in the Shopping Spree Giveaway.
Learn more and make an appointment to give by visiting vitalant.org, download the Vitalant app or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).
Upcoming Blood Drives in Contra Costa County
November 4, Tuesday – Walnut Creek, Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
November 11, Tuesday – Pleasant Hill, Stokley Properties, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
November 12, Wednesday – Martinez, Alhambra High School, 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
November 19, Wednesday – Antioch, Kaiser Sand Creek, 9:00 AM – 1:15 PM
November 22, Saturday – El Cerrito, Sycamore Christian Preschool, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
These are just a few of the nearly 100 community blood drives being held in November. Donors can also give at any of the six Vitalant donation centers in the area.
About Vitalant
Vitalant (Vye-TAL-ent) is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations, providing hospitals and patients across the U.S. a safe blood supply, specialized laboratory services, transfusion medicine expertise and world-renowned research. Individuals generously donating blood, volunteering and giving financially are essential to our lifesaving mission. Learn more at vitalant.org.
Pinole officially named a Clean California Community
Photo: City of Pinole
From Caltrans’ Clean CA initiative as a leader in California’s Zero Litter movement
By City of Pinole
The City of Pinole has officially earned the unique designation as an official “Clean California Community” from Caltrans’ Clean CA initiative. This makes Pinole one of 30 communities to earn the designation so far in the state.
This designation reflects the City of Pinole’s role as a leader in California’s Zero Litter movement to reduce litter and keep all parts of the state as clean, healthy and beautiful as possible. Proving its leadership over the last few years, Pinole rallied more than 250 volunteers and neighbors to implement an array of long-term, zero-litter policies in support of litter prevention, beautification, and environmental enhancement. As a result, over 3,000 pounds of trash and recyclables have been removed from the Pinole Creek watershed and surrounding areas.
Mayor Cameron Sasai stated: “We are proud that Pinole is among the first cities to earn the Clean California Designation — a direct result of our community’s collective efforts to keep our city clean. This designation is the start of a partnership with the State of California that opens the door to new resources that will expand beautification, tackle litter, and build a vibrant Pinole that we can all be proud of.”
The Clean California Community Designation Program is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s $1.2 billion Clean California initiative, which was launched in 2021 by Caltrans to clean up, reclaim, transform, and beautify public spaces statewide. The program was developed in partnership with Caltrans, Keep America Beautiful and Keep California Beautiful.
To earn the Clean California designation, the City of Pinole completed at least 10 of 15 criteria to clean up and beautify Pinole, including Litter Assessment and Measurement, and Enforcement. Earlier this year, Pinole enacted a new ordinance which eliminates single-use plastics in retail and food services, underscoring its commitment to protect the environment and the community’s health.
In recognition of their dedication to a cleaner community, Pinole will receive “Clean California Community” signage, educational resources, automatic membership with Keep California Beautiful, and statewide recognition.
The City of Pinole encourages other communities throughout California to join the program and continue to clean up and transform California. For more information about the program and to take the pledge, visit CleanCA.com/Designation.
For more upcoming cleanup events and activities from the City of Pinole, please visit Pinole.gov/calendar/.
Grayson Creek Cleanup in Pleasant Hill Oct. 18
Help protect Grayson Creek and improve habitat for birds, turtles, otters, and other riparian species!
Please join The Watershed Project, the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District and volunteers from Friends of Pleasant Hill Creeks for a creek cleanup and wildlife observation event.
Grayson Creek is home to more than 100 bird species and also provides habitat for river otters, western pond turtles, and even beavers! Help protect this important community resource by removing trash from the creek banks.
Date: Saturday, October 18 · 9am – 12pm PDT
Event location: Driveway north of 250 Cleaveland Road, Pleasant Hill.
Age Restriction: Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. All volunteers under 18 years old must have parental permission to participate or be accompanied by an adult.
-See sign-up link for details and safety information
Details, Instructions & Directions
Dress appropriately for outdoor work. Wear long sleeves and long pants, sturdy shoes, and wear sun protection (hat and/or sunscreen). All cleanup supplies, water, and light refreshments will be provided. Please bring a reusable water bottle and your own gloves if you have them.
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. All volunteers under 18 years old must have parental permission to participate or be accompanied by an adult.
Directions to site: Use Google maps to navigate to 250 Cleaveland Road in Pleasant Hill. There is a driveway just north of there. Drive west down the driveway through the opened Flood Control District gate. Park alongside the road.
Contact Paula White paula@thewatershedproject.org for more information.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grayson-creek-cleanup-tickets-1716934951659?aff=oddtdtcreator.
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