Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Martinez: Briones Trails Pilot Project Community Dig Day Saturday, June 1

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Source: EBRPD

Briones Regional Park, Alhambra Creek Staging Area 9 AM – 2 PM

By East Bay Regional Park District

The Briones Trails Pilot Project is a unique opportunity to give back to the parks you love! Help us maintain and enhance Briones Regional Park and create exciting new recreational opportunities on single-track trails and repair impacted natural resources during our Dig Days. The next one will be on Saturday, June 1, 2024. We will make improvements to the P9 Trail (AKA the Desert Hiking Trail) including establishing a more sustainable trail route and restoring a steep and eroding segment.

The two-yearpilot project is intended to test a variety of trail management strategies. The pilot project is limited to a portion of Briones Regional Park in the northeast corner of the park. See Project Map (or below). The pilot project was launched on Friday April 21, 2023.

The Briones Pilot Project establishes specific rules limiting trail use within the Pilot Project Zone and for two trail segments adjacent to the Pilot Project Zone, such as hiking only, biking only, or biking/hiking only and direction of travel. On weekends, trail use within the Pilot Project Zone will alternate days between bicycle and equestrian use based on even and odd calendar dates (see table). A key component of the Project is the restoration of illegally built “bootleg” trails to protect natural habitat for wildlife.

Please make sure to bring a water bottle and be prepared to work! There is poison oak in the area, so please wear work pants, long sleeves and good close-toed work shoes.

You are welcome to ride in, but you will need to provide your own bike and helmet.

June 1st Dig Day – 9:00 AM meet-up and post-dig lunch at Alhambra Creek Staging Area, 273-181 Brookwood Drive in Martinez.

Registration and Info: ebrpd.samaritan.com/custom/501/opp_details/6729

  • Age Restrictions: Youth under the age of 18 must have a signed permission by parent or legal guardian. Youth under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Description: Join us to maintain and improve select trails and restore habitat! Learn the basics of restoration and trail work during our dig-days lead by Regional Parks staff.
  • What to Bring: water bottle, helmet, mountain bike, gloves, and PPE.
  • What is Provided: Necessary tools. We will have work gloves and protective eye wear for participants.
  • Weather: Heavy rain or unsafe wildfire smoke conditions cancel the program. Please wear layers as Bay Area weather can be unpredictable.

The Briones Pilot Project reached its one-year mark on April 21, 2024. The two-year pilot project was planned and created to test new ways to safely share trails and improve the trail experience for all users while protecting habitat, wildlife, and watersheds. The pilot project is limited to a portion of Briones Regional Park in the northeast corner of the park. Share your thoughts and feedback on the past year of progress at the next in-person check-in meeting on June 15. Members of the community are invited to Briones to discuss the pilot project’s progress and share ideas with District staff and other trail users.

Briones Pilot Project Zone Map. Source: EBRPD

Why a Pilot Project?

Over the last decade, the number of visitors to District parks has increased significantly. The rise in numbers of visitors getting out onto trails has increased the potential for conflict between different types of trail users. Although the Park District is seeking to open new parks and provide more trails to reduce crowding on trails, the trail development process takes time. The pilot project will test some new ways to safely share trails and improve the trail experience for all users while protecting habitat, wildlife, and watersheds.

Project Objectives:

  • Protect Resources, Habitat, Wildlife, and Watersheds: The expansion of illegal bootleg trails is a significant issue for Briones and other East Bay regional parks. These user-built trails are often not built to sustainable trail standards with appropriate drainage and avoidance of sensitive natural habitats. Illegal trails can have negative impacts on wildlife and watersheds. The project will include a robust monitoring and patrol program to document and prevent the expansion of bootleg trails in the pilot project zone.
  • Restore Natural Habitat by Closing Illegal Bootleg Trails in the Pilot Project Zone: A primary objective of the project is to engage with the trail user community to join park staff in restoring natural habitats already impacted by illegal bootleg trails.
  • Enhance the Trail User Experience: The trail management strategies being tested during the two-year pilot project are intended to allow users to safely enjoy trails by providing specific days when certain user types are limited to create more space on trails.
  • Increase Volunteer Engagement in Trail Maintenance and Habitat Restoration: Community volunteers play an important role in helping park staff monitor and maintain park trails. The pilot project provides volunteer opportunities for trail users to join in trail maintenance and habitat restoration activities.

For more information visit Briones Trails Pilot Program or call Volunteer Services at (510) 544-2229.

Orinda: Grand Opening of Alder and Leatherwood Creek Restoration and Public Access Project & Eastport Staging Area Thursday

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The newly restored and daylighted Alder Creek flows through the former McCosker property in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. Photo: EBRPD

Ribbon cutting for largest creek restoration project in East Bay Regional Park District’s history.

At Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

By Flora Csontos, Acting Public Information Specialist, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

Join East Bay Regional Park District on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 11 A.M. to celebrate the completion of the Alder and Leatherwood Creek Restoration and Public Access Project at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve – the largest creek restoration project in the Park District’s history. The Alder and Leatherwood Creek Restoration and Public Access Project removed several culverts and opened up 3,000 linear feet of creek to a more natural run. The event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the restoration project and the reopening of the Eastport Staging Area.

Speakers will include East Bay Regional Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth, Board President Ward 1 Member Elizabeth Echols and Ward 2 Board Member Dee Rosario.

The Alder and Leatherwood Creek Restoration and Public Access Project, previously referred to as the McCosker Project, provides natural habitat for special status or protected species, including the California red-legged frog, California foothill yellow-legged frog, Alameda whipsnake, San Francisco dusky-footed wood rat, golden eagle, Cooper’s hawk, loggerhead shrike, northern harrier, and white-tailed kite. Water quality and streamflow were also improved by the project, providing new habitat for rainbow trout.

Stabilizing jute protects the creek’s soil while plants begin to grow in December 2022. Photo: EBRPD

The project (Alder Creek Project), which began construction in 2020, daylights, or opens up and restores to natural conditions, approximately 2,900 linear feet (approximately half a mile) of previously culverted, or buried, creek and restores riparian habitat along portions of Alder, Leatherwood, and San Leandro creeks. The 250-acre site is situated within a deep canyon of dense oak woodland at the bottom of a ridgeline of rolling grassland hills.

The restoration also created habitat for the rainbow trout (a native salmonid species) by creating stream corridors, using a step-pool system that incorporates a mix of cascades and resting and pocket pools in steeper areas. This newly created stream channel with riparian vegetation and pool riffle complexes, allows sediment transport, slows flows and helps reduce erosion to provide benefits to aquatic organisms and provide spawning sites for rainbow trout. In fact, a young-of-year (juvenile) rainbow trout was observed in the channel in spring 2021. Engineers designed the restoration project using fundamental concepts in fluvial geomorphology and engineering principles to meet the goal of creating a dynamically stable and self-maintaining creek channels that require a low level of adaptive management and maintenance practices.

Plants sprout along the newly daylighted creek in January 2023. Photo: EBRPD

The restoration project also increased the carbon sink, flood capacity on site, removed invasive species, enhanced habitat, and added revegetation. In support of inclusive public access, additional enhancement work included new nature trails and future amenity areas.

The restoration area within Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve is now opened to the public. It includes an 11-car staging area along Pinehurst Road, with trail connections for a loop trail (the McCosker Loop Trail) and trails that follow the creeks on the property.

The project was made possible through $4 million in funding secured by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan in the 2019 state budget. Additional funding came from the Park District’s voter-approved Measure WW and other state and federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CA Natural Resources Agency, Wildlife Conservation Board, Coastal Conservancy, California State Parks and voter-approved Propositions 1, 84 and 50 allocated by the California Natural Resources Agency.

Source: EBRPD

The Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve and Eastport Staging Area are located at 920 Pinehurst Road in Orinda.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Parks district issues tick season advisory

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Source: EBRPD

It’s better to be ticked off than ticked on

By East Bay Regional Park District

Whether you’re hiking in East Bay Regional Parks, venturing into nearby open spaces, or simply relaxing in your own yard, it’s important to be wary of ticks, which are often present in tall grass, brush, and wooded areas. Visitors are encouraged to keep tick safety precautions in mind when visiting East Bay Regional Parks throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

Ticks carry germs that can cause a number of diseases, including Lyme disease. Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted by the bite of a tick. It may be treated and cured with early diagnosis, but if not properly treated, it may persist in the body for years. Visit www.bayarealyme.org for more information.

What Does a Tick Look Like? In California, the western black-legged tick is the major carrier of Lyme disease. The adult female is reddish brown with black legs, about 1/8 inch long. Males are smaller and entirely brownish black. Both are teardrop shaped. Most ticks can’t fly or jump. They wait on the tips of grasses and in shrubs along well-used paths. With their front legs outstretched, they easily climb aboard unsuspecting hosts when they brush by.

Tick Safety Tips

  1. Wear long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toe shoes.
  2. Tuck shirt into pants, and pants into socks.
  3. Use insect repellent on shoes, socks, and pants.
  4. Check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks thoroughly and frequently.
  5. Keep children and pets nearby. For maximum safety, consider keeping your dog on a leash.
  6. Stay on trails. Avoid brush and grassy areas.

What To Do If Bitten By A Tick

  1. Pull the tick gently from the skin using a tissue or tweezers (not with bare hands).
  2. Scrape to remove any mouthparts left behind. An item such as a credit card can be used.
  3. Wash hands and the tick bite with soap and water; apply antiseptic to the bite. Prompt removal of ticks may prevent disease transmission.
  4. See a physician immediately if you think you have found a tick attached to your skin and you have any of the above symptoms. Early symptoms may include a spreading rash accompanied by fever, aches, and/or fatigue.

Download the Park District’s Living with Ticks brochure. Additional information is available at ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Concord YouTuber found guilty of reckless driving, speeding, fleeing police

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Posted videos of his 2022 actions exceeding 120 mph on 680, other Bay Area freeways

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office & Officer Andrew Barclay, PIO, California Highway Patrol

On April 3, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office convicted a Concord man for multiple incidents of extreme speeding and reckless driving on Contra Costa freeways, which culminated in a police pursuit through a residential area in Concord.

In late spring of 2022, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) received public complaints about a gray BMW speeding and driving recklessly on Interstate 680 between Contra Costa and Solano counties. The CHP opened an investigation, which led officers to a YouTube channel belonging to 33-year-old Scott Andrews Kitfield (born Jan. 17, 1991). The channel contained numerous dashcam videos posted by Kitfield. These videos documented his dangerous driving behavior, including speeding well over 100 mph on Bay Area freeways, racing other cars, and weaving through traffic at high speeds while endangering nearby commuters. Kitfield’s comments on the channel further confirmed his disregard for safety by boasting about his reckless actions.

CHP investigators identified Kitfield as the reckless driver in the BMW and YouTube videos.

The investigation also confirmed Kitfield frequently sped on I-680 and other Bay Area freeways, exceeding 120 mph.

Photo: CHP Golden Gate Air Operations

On July 14, 2023, investigators from CHP’s Golden Gate Investigative Service Unit (ISU) planned an operation to arrest Kitfield and stop his reckless driving. A CHP aircraft tracked his car as he drove home from Solano County to Concord in the afternoon. CHP officers saw Kitfield speeding over 110 mph on Interstate 680 as he crossed the Benicia-Martinez bridge. He even went faster than 120 mph while racing another car through Martinez.

Just after passing a CHP patrol vehicle, Kitfield swerved abruptly across the freeway and exited at Willow Pass Road and drove into a residential area. A CHP officer in a marked patrol car followed him and tried to pull him over as he turned around at a dead end. Instead of stopping,

Kitfield led the CHP officers on a chase before finally stopping his car and surrendering. Officers from the Solano County Sheriff’s Office also helped with the arrest.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of May 12, 2024, Kitfield was being held under Supervised Custody in “Another Facility”.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Concord man among three arrested for at least 11 robberies in East Bay

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Images are from two robberies that occurred in Hayward, along with two handguns that were recovered during search warrants related to this collaborative investigation. Source: Hayward PD

Multi-agency effort

By Hayward Police Department

Three arrests have been made related to a string of 11 robberies that took place in the Eastern San Francisco Bay Area over a span of seven months from August 2023 through February 2024.

The 11 robberies occurred in multiple cities in the East Bay including seven in Hayward, one in Livermore, one in Fremont, one in San Leandro and one in Castro Valley.

With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the following individuals have been taken into custody for various charges including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated kidnapping, and various weapons violations:  

  • 42-year-old Oakland resident Jaray A. Washington was taken into custody on Feb. 13, 2024. Washington is believed to be responsible for all 11 robberies.
  • 24-year-old Oakland resident Cameron Jamary Watkins was taken into custody on Mar. 11, 2024. Watkins is believed to be responsible for two robberies in concert with Washington.
  • 26-year-old Concord resident Deante Hunt was taken into custody on Apr. 4, 2024. Hunt is believed to be responsible for two robberies in concert with Washington.

During each robbery, at least one subject brandished a firearm. In some cases, the subjects moved employees and/or customers to other parts of the businesses and forced employees to hand over cash from registers and/or safes while being held at gunpoint. The subjects also forced employees and customers to hand over their personal property while at gunpoint before the subjects fled the scene. 

The coordinated effort amongst multiple agencies, including the support and resources provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States (US) Marshals Service, was instrumental in the identification and apprehension of those believed to be responsible for these crimes. We extend our gratitude to the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service for their invaluable assistance. 

Hayward Police Chief Bryan Matthews commented on the arrests, stating, “I am so proud of the hard work throughout this investigation. The coordinated effort between our law enforcement partners shows the steadfast commitment to ensure the safety and well-being, not just in our respective communities, but for the entire Bay Area.  

I personally want to commend the hard work and dedication of our Hayward detectives and detectives from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, San Leandro Police Department, Fremont Police Department, and Livermore Police Department. Your tireless efforts, thorough investigative steps, and unwavering commitment were instrumental in bringing these cases to successful resolution.  

Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work diligently so communities feel safe where they work and live. I commend everyone’s hard work to bring those believed to be responsible for these crimes to justice.” 

“I want to thank the detectives for their hard work and coordination with our allied agencies,” said Livermore Police Chief Jeramy Young. “Jaray Washington is a violent repeat offender who has been previously convicted for armed robberies in the South Bay Area. We will be tracking this case as it moves through the criminal justice system.”

According to localcrimenews.com, the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 195-pound Washington is Black and has a history of arrests dating to 2019 for various crimes including residential robbery and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, Watkins is five-foot, 10-inches tall, 152 pounds and is Black; and the six-foot, two-inch tall, 160-pound Hunt is Black and was also arrested in 2018 by Emeryville PD for a warrants or holds only.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Adult suspect arrested for shooting man multiple times in Brentwood Saturday night

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By Lt. Chris Peart, Brentwood Police Department

On Saturday, March 16, 2024, at approximately 8:00 pm, Brentwood officers responded to a report of a shooting at the 400 block of Orchard Drive. When officers arrived, they located an adult male victim who had been shot multiple times. The victim is recovering in a local hospital and is expected to survive.

After speaking to the victim and witnesses in the area, officers identified an adult suspect who was taken into custody without further incident.

This was an isolated incident and there is no further threat to the community. This investigation is ongoing and should you have any additional information to provide, please contact Detective Bascom at (925) 809-7822.

Park Happenings for March

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News from the East Bay Regional Park District

By Dave Mason, Acting Community Relations Manager, East Bay Regional Park District

Before logging in the mid-1800s, the East Bay had expansive redwood forests with huge trees. Ship captains sailing near the Golden Gate wrote about two redwoods at the top of a ridge in the Oakland hills that towered over others. At the time, they used the tall redwoods as landmarks to navigate their ships around the treacherous Blossom Rock, hidden just beneath the surface of the bay between Alcatraz and Yerba Buena Islands. Today, redwoods in the East Bay are mostly second and third-growth – still tall and magnificent.

Where you can see redwoods in the East Bay:

  • Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley– Walk the meandering paths through redwoods in the Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
  • Roberts Regional Recreation Area, Oakland– Walk Roberts Ridge Trail to find the Old Growth Redwood Heritage Viewing Deck and Interpretive Exhibit. Have a picnic in Redwood Bowl.
  • Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, Oakland– Stroll past ferns and along Redwood Creek on the paved Stream Trail. You will see the descendants of the original Blossom Rock forest.

Source: EBRPD

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate and honor the accomplishments and contributions of the groundbreakers and trailblazers who have improved and advocated for parks, nature, and the environment. There are two naturalist-guided programs scheduled that celebrate women in parks, including Wonderful World of Women Naturalists on Saturday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Big Break in Oakley, and Bay Area Women in Botany on Sunday, March 17, at 9:00 a.m. at Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve in Oakland. Both programs are drop-in; no registration required. For more information or to learn more about the contributions of women to the Park District and its mission, visit the District’s Women’s History Month page at www.ebparks.org/we-celebrate/womens-history-month.

Special 90th Anniversary “Explore Your Parks” Adventure Programs

Explore nature at your own pace and in your own way at Big Break’s All Abilities Day on Tuesday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A special 90th Anniversary presentation will kick off the fun! This free drop-in program is inclusive and for all abilities, offering something for everyone. American Sign Language and Spanish interpreters will be on site.

Other March “Explore Your Parks” Adventure Programs include Day by the Water at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore on Saturday, March 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and 90th Anniversary Sunday Stroll and Picnic at Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland on Sunday, March 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. For more information, visit the Park District’s 90th Anniversary webpage at www.ebparks.org/celebrating-90-years.

Spring Means Wildflower Season in Regional Parks

Each year, from the end of March to the beginning of May, a rich diversity of wildflowers bloom throughout the Regional Parks. Visit Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve, Ohlone Wilderness Regional Preserve, or Black Diamond Regional Preserve, where the hillsides and meadows come alive with a kaleidoscope of colors, from the cheerful orange of California poppies to the delicate purple of lupines. These floral displays delight the eye and provide essential nectar for native pollinators like bees and butterflies. To see these impressive displays of flowers and celebrate the season, visit a park or join a variety of naturalist programs, including wildflower walks and hikes, videos, and art activities. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “wildflowers.”

The East Bay Regional Park District is a major employer of youth in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, with seasonal employment opportunities ranging from lifeguards to park gate attendants. The Park District is a great place to work for those who care about parks, nature learning, and enjoy outdoor recreation. The District is currently hiring lifeguards, recreation leaders, interpretive student aides, public safety student aides, and student laborers/gate attendants. For more information, visit www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ebparks and search for “seasonal.”

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

 

Non-union construction coalition warns of Project Labor Agreements being considered by local governments in Contra Costa, East Bay

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By Allen D. Payton

The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) issued a warning this week about Project Labor Agreements being considered by local governments throughout the state, including two in Contra Costa County, as well as by the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (East Bay MUD).

PLA’s First Implemented in Contra Costa County

According to CFEC, “In 1992, California construction trade unions were given a new scheme for regaining their severely-eroded market share and making extra money on projects. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that governments could act as a ‘market participant’ to negotiate and sign Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and then require contractors to sign those union agreements as a condition of work.

In 1994, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 for the first government-mandated Project Labor Agreement in California. At the instigation of unions, local governments throughout the state soon followed, with their own Project Labor Agreement mandates on public works contracts. These Project Labor Agreements were discouraging bidders, increasing costs, and reducing bid participation from minority and women-owned small businesses.”

CFEC Executive Director Eric Christen claims “PLA’s rob workers of their hard earned pay” and explains the organization’s position in a YouTube video from a presentation to the San Gabriel Unified School District which “illustrates how the non-union worker loses out on over $10,000 in hard earned pay working under a PLA as opposed to working without one.”

Less Than 11% of Construction Workers Nationwide are Union Members, 21% in Contra Costa

The organization offers a variety of studies about the costs of union-only PLA’s. They also shared a Jan. 31, 2024, report entitled, “A Record 89.3% of the U.S. Construction Industry Is Not Part of a Union”. It claims, “According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 Union Members Summary released Jan. 23, 2024, a historic low of 10.7% of the construction industry belongs to a union, a decline from 11.7% in 2022.”

Asked for the statistics in Contra Costa County Christen responded, “according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CC County has a 21% union density level in the construction industry.”

CFEC warns of three agencies considering PLA’s including, “City of Hercules: This Bay Area city has begun looking into the use of a PLA. Mount Diablo Unified School District: This Contra Costa County school district is considering a Project Labor Agreement for all its bond work. East Bay MUD: This Bay Area entity continues to look into the use of a PLA for some of its work. CFEC and our allies have worked hard to keep it PLA-free for decades.” The organization asks for those interested to contact them to help keep the local governments “PLA-free”.

ABOUT CFEC

Non-union and union contractors, business and community leaders, and taxpayer advocates recognized Project Labor Agreements as a looming threat to fiscal responsibility, fair and open competition, and freedom of choice in training in California. In May 1998, state leaders attended a strategic conference in Sacramento to develop a plan to protect fair and open competition in the awarding of construction contracts.

By the end of the year, the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) was incorporated. Its sole responsibility: protect fair and open bid competition on construction contracts through education. When the California Supreme Court in 1999 permitted the San Francisco Airport Commission to continue its Project Labor Agreement mandate, the educational role of CFEC became extremely important to stopping this union favoritism.

The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction is dedicated to guaranteeing genuine accountability and results for taxpayers by ensuring a fair and competitive construction industry. CFEC educates taxpayers and public officials about waste, fraud and abuse associated with lobbyist brokered Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). It’s our right and responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable for pushing special interest backroom deals that favor special interests over the public interest. That’s what we do.

Through education and advocacy, CFEC stands up for taxpayers, construction workers, contractors and developers so that the public can get the best quality work at the best price. To learn more visit http://opencompca.com/.

 

 

East Bay parks district adds 20 new trails for annual Trails Challenge program

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By Jen Vanya, Public Information Specialist, East Bay Regional Park District 

For the past 31 years, the East Bay Regional Park District has encouraged the public to explore their Regional Parks through its annual Trails Challenge program. The free program connects people with nature and healthy recreation by providing 20 designated trails for each year’s challenge.

The 2024 Guidebook includes 20 trails available for all levels of fitness, ranging from easy and moderate to challenging. There are trails open to hikers, bicyclists, dogs, and equestrians. Trails Challenge 2024 also offers increased accessibility with trails that have been evaluated and identified as usable by persons with mobility limitations.

To complete the challenge, hike five of the 20 trails, or 26.2 miles (the distance of a marathon) of trails within East Bay Regional Park District. You can submit your log, online or by mail, by December 1, 2024, and receive a commemorative pin, while supplies last.

Trails Challenge is made possible in partnership with the Regional Parks Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, who have both sponsored Trails Challenge since 2005.

Download the 2024 Trails Challenge and learn more at ebparks.org/TC.

Tips for the Trails

East Bay Regional Parks are popular with hikers, bikers, equestrians, and nature viewers, among others. Help keep trails enjoyable for all by following these tips for the trails:

  • Hikers:Stay to the right and stay alert
  • Bikers:Slow down around others and call out or ring your bell when passing
  • Equestrians:Keep to the right around other trail users and let them know how to pass your horse safely

More tips for trail safety can be found on our Trails are for Everyone webpage: www.ebparks.org/about-us/whats-new/news/trails-are-everyone.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

California Faculty Association to picket CSU East Bay in Hayward during system-wide strike

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California Faculty Association protest. Source: Facebook posted on June 1, 2023.

Jan. 22-26 calling for “Equity and fair labor conditions to meet the needs of our students.”

Teamsters support effort announce settlement; Associated Students also support strike

By Kevin Pina, calfac.org

In a decisive move for educational equity and fair labor conditions, the California Faculty Association (CFA) has announced a strike set to take place from January 22-26, 2024. CFA is a union of 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches who teach and provide services to the California State University system’s 485,000 students.  During the strike, members of CFA will be picketing the entrances of California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) in Hayward California (Carlos Bee Blvd. & Harder Rd). This decision comes after extensive negotiations and discussions with the California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s office have broken down. 

To kick off the first day of the strike at the CSUEB Hayward campus on Monday, January 22, Assemblymember Liz Ortega, California 20th Assembly District and Keith Brown, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO, will join the rally at Carlos Bee Blvd. in support of CFA’s bargaining positions.  

The primary focus of the strike is to draw attention to how poor working conditions and remuneration for CFA members negatively impacts the education offered to California State University (CSU) students. The CFA is advocating for a 12% wage increase for all faculty, reasonable workload requirements, longer parental leave, and broader access to campus facilities. The goal is to create an environment that fosters academic excellence, while ensuring the well-being of those who dedicate their careers to shaping the minds of the next generation. 

A Dec. 20, 2023, post on the CFA Facebook page claimed the strike is also for “more mental health counselors…and safe campuses.”

The decision to strike was not taken lightly, and the CFA has exhaustively engaged with the CSU leadership to seek alternative solutions. Unfortunately, the inability to reach a mutually beneficial agreement has led to the inevitable decision to strike. 

The strike garnered the support of the Teamsters of CSU which announced a settlement with CSU in a post on the CFA Facebook page on Saturday, Jan. 20th.

Source: CFA Facebook page

The strike is also supported by the Associated Students, Incorporated of Cal State East Bay. The following “Solidarity Statement” was posted on the CFA Facebook page on Friday.

The CFA remains committed to open dialogue with university administrators and encourages them to prioritize the needs of faculty members and our students. CFA believes that through collective efforts, a resolution can be achieved that benefits both faculty and the institutions they serve. 

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.