Contra Costa Herald

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

CA State Parks Week: Weeding for Biodiversity on Mt. Diablo Friday, June 17

By Leave a Comment

Diablo Overlook. Panorama photo by Elise McFarland. Source: CA State Parks

9:00 am FREE

As part of Stewardship Day during California State Parks Week, learn about the amazing variety of plant life at Mount Diablo State Park which includes species that are only found here. Threatening this rich diversity are some species that can turn an area with many types of plants into an area where there is only one. You can help as we pitch in with our park biologist to remove one of these invasive plants from an area of the park. Reservations required. Group size limited to 15.

Meet at 2675 Mt Diablo Scenic Blvd. in Danville.

For reservations and information email sharon.peterson@parks.ca.gov or visitcastateparksweek.org/event/weeding-for-biodiversity/.

There are more opportunities to participate in State Parks Week on Friday and during Partnership Day / Volunteer Day on Saturday, June 18. Enjoy the over 279 park units, from the redwood forests on the North Coast to the sunny beaches in Southern California, that preserve and protect the best of California’s natural and cultural history, from natural features and ecosystems to historic structures and cultural resources.

Richmond Promise 5K run to raise funds for scholarships Saturday, June 11

By Leave a Comment

In a tweet on the West Contra Costa Unified School District Twitter feed it reads, “Haven’t heard? @RichmondPromise is throwing a #5k! Join on June 11th for a little family friendly competition and a whole lot of fun. Snag your ticket today at tinyurl.com/RPFunRun. Can’t wait to see you there! @cranewaypavilion @assemblemarketplace”

According to their website, the Richmond Promise works to increase the number of students, particularly low-income students and students who are the first in their family to go to college who:

  1. Are exposed to college resources, role models and experiences throughout K-16
  2. Successfully transition to an accredited university/college directly from high school
  3. Successfully transfer from community college to 4-year university
  4. Complete an Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, or career + technical education

The non-profit organization believes “all students deserve access to higher education and the tools to achieve their dreams.”

The Richmond Promise Scholarship is a $1,500 college scholarship, renewable for up to 4 years. Students may attend a 2-year or 4-year college, and/or pursue a Career Technical Education Certificate at any not-for-profit institution in the United States.

CHP helicopter rescues injured mountain biker on Mt. Diablo on Monday

By 2 Comments

CHP helicopter H-30 locates injured ATV rider on Mt. Diablo Monday morning, May 30, 2022. Photo: CHP-Golden Gate Division Air Operations

After rescuing another injured mountain biker in Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa

According to a post on the CHP-Golden Gate Division Air Operations’ Facebook page, Monday afternoon

“Earlier today, H-30 responded with CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire Department and AMR Napa County to report of an injured mountain biker in Skyline Park. H-30 located the patient and transported him to the trailhead for transport by ground ambulance.

H-30 departed that rescue and assisted Con Fire and San Ramon Valley Fire with an injured mountain biker on Mount Diablo. H-30 was able to locate the rider who was ejected off trail. H-30 landed near the rider and assisted until firefighters arrived at the scene. H-30 departed that rescue and headed to Milpitas for a third pending rescue.”

San Ramon Art & Wind Festival is back Sunday & Monday, May 29 & 30

By Leave a Comment

“Let’s go fly a kite!”  at The San Ramon Art & Wind Festival, the BEST festival in the East Bay. The Art & Wind Festival is scheduled for Sunday and Monday, May 29–30, 2022 in San Ramon’s Central Park, 12501 Alcosta Boulevard from 11am to 6pm both days.

This annual event features fine arts, crafts and specialty food vendors, three entertainment stages headlining international music, party bands and variety entertainers, children’s shows, gourmet food courts, family amusement zones, professional choreographed kite flying demonstrations, and free kite making workshop. 

The Art and Wind Festival is a pet friendly, bike friendly and family friendly event!

For more information about the event click here.

 

Limited swim facilities available at regional parks for Memorial Day Weekend, 2022 Swim Season

By Leave a Comment

Cull Canyon Swim Complex. Photo by Jennifer Vanya. Source: EBRPD

All regional parks in the East Bay will be open this Memorial Day for annual holiday gatherings and celebratory festivities. Parks are anticipated to be busy and some at full capacity early, so park staff recommend arriving early to secure first-come, first-served, non-reservable picnic sites.

Many lifeguarded swim areas will also be open for visitors, including Castle Rock Pool at Diablo Foothills in Walnut Creek, Cull Canyon in Castro Valley, Don Castro in Hayward, and Lake Temescal in Oakland. Non-life-guarded beaches include Keller Beach at Miller Knox Regional Park in Richmond and Robert Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda. Unfortunately, many of the Park District’s most popular swim areas, including Del Valle, Shadow Cliffs, and Lake Anza will be closed due to water quality, low water conditions, or construction and maintenance repairs.

“We regret the inconvenience and limitations on the public’s use of all of our swim facilities,” said Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor.

Park District swim facilities face ongoing challenges related to climate change, including cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and low water levels. Water quality is tested regularly during the swim season to ensure it is safe for the public. Visitors should check the status of swim facilities before they go by visiting www.ebparks.org/swimming.

Open Swim Facilities for Memorial Day Weekend:
• Castle Rock Pool – OPENING May 28
• Cull Canyon Swim Lagoon – OPEN
• Don Castro Swim Lagoon – OPENING May 28
• Lake Temescal Swim Beach – OPENING May 28

Swim areas that are Closed for Memorial Day Weekend:
• Contra Loma Swim Lagoon – CLOSED for swim season due to required maintenance and safety repairs.
• Lake Anza Swim Beach – CLOSED due to scheduled maintenance and ongoing water quality uncertainty.
• Del Valle Swim Beach – CLOSED due to Blue-Green Algae.
• Quarry Lakes Swim Beach – CLOSED due to Blue-Green Algae.
• Roberts Pool – CLOSED for renovation and new pool facility construction.
• Shadow Cliffs Swim Beach – CLOSED due to extreme drought and low water levels.

Swimming fees vary by facility. However, swimming is free for Regional Parks Foundation members. For information about becoming a Regional Parks Foundation member, visit regionalparksfoundation.org.

Walk-ins for all open locations will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. Cull Canyon and Don Castro also offer optional swim entry registration on weekends and holidays to guarantee admission. To reserve your all-day swim entry, register at www.bit.ly/3NtZnLk.

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 more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Save Mount Diablo opens its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve to the public

By Leave a Comment

Students gather around a giant oak at the Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve. Photo: Scott Hein.

First of its kind in Contra Costa County; 207.8-acre preserve available for free to local schools, groups

By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo

On March 30, 2022, Save Mount Diablo opened its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve to the public, the first of its kind in Contra Costa County. People gathered at a special ceremony at the preserve during which Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Save Mount Diablo Board President Jim Felton cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening.

The 207.8-acre preserve is situated between the Crystyl Ranch residential development in Concord and Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek.

Save Mount Diablo’s Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve is available for reservations free of charge to a variety of local schools and community groups, of all ages and backgrounds, pursuing educational purposes. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • environmental science classes
  • nature photography courses
  • yoga classes
  • plein-air artists gatherings
  • addiction recovery groups
  • acoustic music in nature ensembles
  • meditation classes
  • grief counseling support groups
  • church groups
  • homeowners association groups
  • hiking, trail running, and mountain bike clubs

Interested groups can submit a request to reserve the property for a day up to six months in advance by utilizing the online form on Save Mount Diablo’s website. The size of a group must be at least three people to no larger than 100 people. The preserve is day-use only (no camping). Location and access will be provided upon reservation. A docent will be on-sight to provide access, an overview of the property and any assistance.

The preserve includes grassland, stream canyons, blue oak woodland, chaparral, and oak savannas.

It’s home to rare species such as the northernmost stand of desert olive, rare Hospital Canyon larkspur, and threatened Alameda whipsnake. Deer, coyote, burrowing owls, kestrels, and lots of other wildlife live here too.

The preserve’s high ridgeline provides views of most of central Contra Costa County and to Marin, Sonoma, and Solano counties.

As you move away from the staging area of the preserve and into the open space along Galindo Creek and up the ridgeline, the sounds of cars and radios fade. They become birdsong and gentle breezes rustling through trees.

Here you will find you are transported into another space where senses are heightened and connecting to nature is inevitable.

About Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission

to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

Park District presents design of new regional park on former Roddy Ranch golf course in Antioch

By 1 Comment

Roddy Ranch regional park Preferred Concept Birdseye View and location map. Source: EBRPD

By Eddie Willis, Planner, East Bay Regional Park District

Greetings Regional Park supporters!

Notable features of the preferred design concept include:

  • Approximately 4 miles of new trails, including a 1.6-mile accessible loop
  • Dedicated equestrian and bus parking
  • An interpretive pavilion and shade structure
  • An upper and lower picnic area
  • Two acres of enhanced seasonal wetlands and vernal pools
  • 7 miles of channel restoration/creation/enhancement

Roddy Ranch regional park Preferred Concept Plan. Source: EBRPD

These design documents can be directly viewed on the project webpage, and here is a brief summary of each:

  • Preferred Concept – Video Overview: a short video explaining the main elements of the preferred design concept.
  • Preferred Concept – Map: The preferred concept focuses on maximizing wetland habitat and drainage channels by directing water to existing wetlands and by creating new vernal pool and pond features. Runoff at the top of the watershed will strategically flow along the surface and underground toward the wetlands at the base of the hills. Recreational improvements are concentrated toward the east and allow the open landscape to be experienced toward the west. A short accessible loop welcomes users at the entrance and is paved with concrete, reminiscent of the former golf course cart paths. The trail network also includes an additional accessible trail, as well as overlooks and longer earthen trails that lead visitors through a variety of experiences.
  • Preferred Concept – Bird’s Eye View: This is a perspective view of the preferred trail alignments and restoration features of the future park at the former golf course. The view is looking northwest toward Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in the distance. The future staging area is at the bottom center of the image.
  • East Overlook – Rendering: This image shows the reuse of a former golf tee box as an informal overlook. Mt. Diablo is not visible from all locations onsite, but it is from this overlook. Informal multi-use trails are shown meandering across the hillside in the background.
  • Staging Area – Rendering: This image shows the new multi-use accessible trail and the shade pavilion in the background with the new parking lot/staging area marked by the grove of trees to the far right.

If you have any comments or questions on the preferred design concept, the project team would be happy to receive them through the project page’s Comment Box here.

Thank you for supporting the Park District and Habitat Conservancy’s efforts to develop this 230-acre former golf course into Antioch’s newest Regional Park, and please feel free to reach out to me directly at ewillis@ebparks.org or 510-544-2621.

 

Officials, bicycle advocates celebrate groundbreaking of Mokelumne Trail overcrossing in Brentwood

By Leave a Comment

City of Brentwood and transportation officials ceremonially break ground for construction of the Highway 4 overcrossing for the Mokelumne Trail in Brentwood on Friday, March 18, 2022. Photo by Allen D. Payton

Will close gap caused by Hwy 4, complete Contra Costa section by early 2023

“This is one of my dreams that really did come true.” – former Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor

By Allen D. Payton

Officials from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), State Route 4 Bypass Authority and the City of Brentwood celebrated the beginning of construction on the Mokelumne Trail Bike and Pedestrian Overcrossing Friday morning, March 18 with a ceremonial groundbreaking. The multi-span bridge will connect two sides of the Mokelumne Trail, providing safe access to cyclists and pedestrians across Highway 4 for recreational travel and commuting. When completed, the overcrossing will provide access to the future Brentwood Transit Center and BART Station.

When completed, the overcrossing will also provide access to the future Brentwood Transit Center and BART Station. It is part of the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail which includes the Delta de Anza Regional Trail that runs through Antioch and Oakley.

Also in attendance at the groundbreaking were local bicycle advocates including Bruce Ohlson from Bay Point, who rode his bike to the event.

It’s been the plan since the right-of-way for the Highway 4 Bypass/extension between Lone Tree Way and Balfour Road was purchased in 1998 to provide a connection to both sides of the trail and close the gap with an overcrossing.

“The highway splits the trail that was not in place but merely planned at the time the first phase of the Bypass was built in 2002,” said Dale Dennis, Program Manager for the State Route 4 Bypass Authority. “With the understanding that the regional trail would connect. and we would have to provide that connection in the future.”

“The Bypass Authority did the right of way acquisition for the trail,” he added.

Construction on the $8.6 million project is expected to be completed by early 2023 if not sooner. Funding has been provided through the county’s Measure J half-cent sales tax dollars, the Bypass Authority, and regional bridge toll funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).

The project will have one of the shortest construction timelines in CCTA’s history. The 850-foot bridge structure includes a wider trail width of sixteen feet to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians using the trail or accessing potential future transit and meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to support use by all community members.

“Total construction costs are $8.6 million with total project costs of $13 million,” said Timothy Haile, CCTA Executive Director. “It’s turned into a focal point for the community….for transit in Eastern Contra Costa County…for the transit center…and for Brentwood’s Innovation Center” for commercial development and employment.

Supervisor Federal Glover spoke representing the MTC saying, “This is going to be major for some visionary individuals as we connect to other areas. It’s been a very collaborative effort and very well thought out through the years. But it doesn’t happen until someone brings the money together.”

He acknowledged and thanked former Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor, “who was banging on the door of (former CCTA Executive Director) Randy Iwasaki and Tim Haile asking, ‘how…are we going to get the money to get this done?’”

Glover then thanked the partners and all those who helped

“I started working with the City of Brentwood in 2017” Haile said, then thanked the city staff “and the city council that has been very supportive.”

Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant said, “the overcrossing is part of a greater vision…part of a larger Mokelumne to Crest Trail. This is very exciting. We have a lot of residents who are pedestrians and bicyclists.”

“We provide everything the future is going to need as far as economic development and living as the Bay Area moves our way,” he added.

Bryant acknowledged his predecessor, Mayor Taylor and said, “this is his project that he handed to us”.

“I made a promise 16 years ago that I would do this,” Taylor then said. “I was very naive. After 10 years, I said ‘we’re going to do this’. After 12 years, ‘we’re going to do this’. Well, we’re going to do this.”

“This is not just a Brentwood thing. It couldn’t have been done without a whole lot of people,” he continued. “This is one of my dreams that really did come true.”

“When I came to CCTA the first thing that happened was Bob came into my office and asked how we were going to get the Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing?” Tim Haile added to the credit given to Taylor for the project.

“This new bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing will improve the community’s connections to nature, jobs, housing, and transit opportunities – and serves as an example of what can be accomplished through collaboration,” said Contra Costa Transportation Authority Board Chair Chris Kelley. “But just as important, this bridge is designed with the future in mind and could accommodate potential future autonomous shuttles as well as bicycles and pedestrians to help local residents get where they need to go.”

Options for Brentwood’s East County Intermodal Transit Center are currently being evaluated as part of the East County Integrated Transit Study. The overcrossing also provides a connection to the planned Innovation Center at Brentwood, a 200+ acre parcel that city officials have zoned for employer and development partners to create a workplace community.

According not the trail map website, “For 28 years, dozens of citizens and government agencies have been working to complete the 300+ mile-long Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. First envisioned by ‘Father of CA Trails’ and ‘Grandfather of National Trails’ George H. Cardinet, Jr., the Trail Council is proud to share three open sections for day hikes and more.”

 

East Bay Park District lifeguards wanted for 2022 swim season

By 1 Comment

Photo: EBRPD

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

Monday, March 7, 2022 (Oakland, CA) – The East Bay Regional Park District is actively seeking 50 new lifeguards for the 2022 swim season at its 10 East Bay swim facilities, which include lakes, lagoons, and pools. All new lifeguard positions are seasonal, full-time positions from May through September. Anyone 16 and over before April 23, 2022, are encouraged to apply. Starting pay is $20.17 per hour.

There are six different testing dates scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays during the last three weekends in March. Participants will be asked to swim 550 yards in under 10 minutes, carry a rescue board 50 feet, retrieve three dive rings under 4-7 feet of water, tread water for two minutes using only their legs, and retrieve a 10-pound brick from under water. There will also be a short informal interview after successful completion of the swim test on the same day.

Participants who pass the tests will be invited to the Park District’s Lifeguard Academy beginning Saturday April 23rd, 2022, where they will receive paid training and certification in open water lifeguarding. The Lifeguard Academy takes place over five consecutive weekends in April and May, with the swim season beginning in late May for most facilities.

“Promoting water safety and educating park visitors on how to safely recreate in, on, and around the water is paramount in what a lifeguard does,” said East Bay Regional Parks District Aquatics Manager Pete DeQuincy. “Working as a lifeguard is one of the few ways a young adult can give back to their community and learn about public service.”

Lifeguards can work at any of the Park District’s swim facilities throughout cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, such as Antioch, Concord, Livermore, Hayward, Castro Valley, Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley.

Testing Schedule

  • Saturday March 12th, Buchanan Pool, Pittsburg
  • Sunday March 13th, Buchanan Pool, Pittsburg
  • Saturday March 19th, Mills College, Oakland
  • Sunday March 20th, Mills College, Oakland
  • Saturday March 26th, Granada High School, Livermore
  • Sunday March 27th, Granada High School, Livermore

More Information and How to Apply: bit.ly/2022EBRPDLifeguard

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 more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.