Contra Costa Herald

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

Save Mount Diablo expands free Discover Diablo hikes and outings program for 2022

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Hikers trekking through Curry Canyon Ranch in May 2021. Photo by James Fong.

By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo  

Explore some of the East Bay’s premiere hiking spots with Save Mount Diablo in 2022, including areas rarely open to the public. The Discover Diablo hikes and outings series offers guided hikes and themed walks; mountain biking, rock climbing, and trail running events; and property tours, all free to the public. Trailblazers of all ages and skill levels are welcome.

In response to growing demand, Save Mount Diablo is offering hikes as well as new activities in the series for a total of 36 excursions. New offerings will include a plein air painting walk and a trail run.

The ever-popular tarantula walk will be offered twice, and we are offering three meditation hikes in 2022. We will also be offering rock-climbing and mountain-biking events, and bilingual hikes in Spanish and English.

Generously sponsored by the Martinez Refining Company, the 2022 Discover Diablo free public hikes and outings series will begin on January 22nd.

“Through the Discover Diablo series, people are fortunate to be able to explore and discover the beauty of Mount Diablo with experienced guides,” said Ann Notarangelo, Community Relations Manager for the Martinez Refining Company. “Our refinery has sponsored these hikes since 2017 in the hopes people will enjoy learning more about the mountain, while spending quality time with family and friends.”

The Discover Diablo program was started by Save Mount Diablo in 2017 to connect local communities with the amazing natural world of the Mount Diablo area and to build awareness about land conservation.

Hikes take place on one of Save Mount Diablo’s conserved properties or on a collaborating partner’s land that Save Mount Diablo helped to protect in years past. These include Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, and Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation lands.

Discover Diablo hikes are guided by experts steeped in the natural history and lore of the region, who both educate and entertain while emphasizing the breathtaking beauty that the Diablo Range has to offer.

Save Mount Diablo hopes the Discover Diablo series will spark a passion for the Diablo Range and deepen people’s connections to the land and nature. All Discover Diablo hikes are subject to, and will honor, all applicable COVID-19–related restrictions then in place for our area.

According to Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, “It is the goal of the Discover Diablo program to build connections between people, Save Mount Diablo, and the land, helping our communities develop a strong sense of place and a deepened appreciation for our collective backyard. Most importantly, we want to cultivate a love of the land in participants, as that is what it will take to ensure the precious Mount Diablo natural area is taken care of for generations to come.”

There is something for us all to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo, so be sure to hit the trails in 2022 and find your own individual inspiration!

RSVP required. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes and outings in March onward will open two months prior to each hike’s date.

See our full schedule of upcoming hikes and outings; view and RSVP online here: bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar

You can also download and print a flyer of the schedule here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverDiablo

Be Exceptional to hold Winter Ball for those with special needs Dec. 10th in Brentwood

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Be Exceptional is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide recreational classes and social events for people facing developmental, physical, and emotional challenges.

They currently hold classes in the following three locations:

  • Elite Dance Center at 304 G St., Antioch
  • Antioch Community Center at 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
  • Brentwood Community Center at 35 Oak St., Brentwood

For more information visit their website.

 

Park district turning Black Friday green with FREE Park Day

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Special Visitor Center activities planned

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

For the past seven years, the East Bay Regional Park District has celebrated Green Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, as a healthy outdoor alternative to Black Friday holiday shopping. To encourage time in nature, the Park District is again making Green Friday a FREE Park Day, meaning all District fees are waived for park entrance and activities, including parking, dogs, horses, boat launching, fishing, as well as entry to Ardenwood Historic Farm.

“Time in nature improves physical and mental health and is a great way to relieve holiday stress,” said Park District Board President Dee Rosario. “The day after Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to get outside and spend time with family and friends.”

The fee waiver does not include State fees for fishing licenses and watercraft inspections for invasive mussels or privately operated concessions such as the Tilden Merry-Go-Round and Redwood Valley Railway steam train.

The Park District’s Green Friday is part of the “#OptOutside” movement that started in 2015 when REI closed its doors on Black Friday and encouraged its employees and the public to explore the outdoors instead of shopping. Millions of people and hundreds of organizations now participate in #OptOutside each year.

Visitor Center activities planned for Green Friday include:

To find a park or activity, visit www.ebparks.org/parks.

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.

Delta Conveyance (tunnel) Project Case Study Workshop on community benefits programs Nov. 17

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Proposed Delta Conveyance Project Facility Corridor Options. From Scoping Summary Report.

Learn from other projects

Haga clic aquí para ver este aviso en español.

As part of ongoing development of the Community Benefits Program for the proposed Delta Conveyance (tunnel) Project, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is holding a virtual workshop on Wednesday, November 17th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm to hear and learn from representatives of several different example community benefits programs around the country. (See related articles here and here)

Members of the local Delta community are encouraged to attend this event and hear firsthand experiences about the development and implementation of these programs, including different organizational structures, development timing, important milestones and lessons learned.

There will also be an opportunity to ask the panelists questions and engage in dialogue about their experiences and insights. Although these types of programs are not uncommon, there are various ways to go about setting them up. This workshop gives both DWR and the local community the chance to learn more about how it could be done for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project. (See details of the proposed system, here)

The workshop panelists represent a diverse set of projects and community benefits programs from different parts of the country:

  • Oakland, California, Partnership for Working Families 
    • Ben Beach, Legal Director
  • North Charleston, South Carolina, LowCountry Alliance for Model Communities Port Authority Redevelopment and Transfer Station
    • Omar Muhammed, Executive Director, LowCountry Alliance for Model Communities
  • Morro Bay, California, Castle Offshore Wind Project 
    • Scott Collins, City Manager, City of Morro Bay

While no other project or community benefits program exactly matches the specifics of the proposed Delta Conveyance Project and what might be most appropriate for the Community Benefits Program for this project, the example projects that will be discussed in this workshop offer different and valuable perspectives and examples with varying structures, locations and challenges. In preparing for this workshop, DWR researched community benefits programs for large infrastructure projects that had long-term construction impacts, where the benefits of the project were not local, but impacts of the project were, and where location and potential for environmental justice and economically disadvantaged community concerns were also involved.

Photo: CA Dep’t of Water Resources.

Workshop Details & Registration

  • Wednesday, November 17, 2021 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm | REGISTER HERE
  • Workshop will be conducted on Zoom with a call-in option available

Agenda

  • Welcome and Introductions
  • Presentations from the three project representatives
  • Focused panelist discussion:
    • How did the idea develop in your project?
    • How did the community come together to provide input?
    • When in the project lifecycle did people come together?
    • How did you solicit priorities?
    • How did you formalize the program?
    • How are community benefit funds distributed?
    • How are you measuring and monitoring community benefits?
  • Public questions/discussion

Participation Accommodations & Additional Information

  • Closed captioning will be provided
  • Workshop materials will be available in English and Spanish, and a simultaneous Spanish translation will be offered
  • Workshop access information and materials will be sent out prior to the workshop through Eventbrite
  • If you cannot participate in the workshop but have questions, please email us at DeltaConveyanceCBP@water.ca.gov
  • A recording of the workshop will be posted on the project website, along with the background material, when available

To register, click here.

Explore your town during the 2021 Summer Bike Challenge

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Enter to win an iPad in the Grand Prize Drawing

By Marie Arce, Member, Advisory Committee, East Bay Regional Parks District

Looking for free summertime recreation and fun for the whole family? Check out 511 Contra Costa’s Summer Bike Challenge. From June through August, riders of all ages can explore their hometowns on two wheels. Simply bike to each destination and cross off the squares as you go. Pick up free prizes on select dates, take weekly Bonus Challenges, and enter the iPad Grand Prize Drawing.

The Summer Bike Challenge is free for people of all ages.

How to Play:

  1. Register& play for free! You’ll be entered in the iPad Grand Prize drawing.
  2. Select your city below and download your gameboard.
  3. Bike to as many squares as you can June-August. Can’t bike to certain Squares? Substitute any square with a bike-able destination of your choice.
  4. Collect prizes at in-person events, find details on your gamecard.
  5. Complete Weekly Bike Ride Challenges, sent to your inbox, for chances to win extra prizes every week.

Ready to roll? Visit 511cc.org/go to get started.

Brentwood Golf Club to host NCGA Championship Qualifying Tournament Friday

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The Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) has announced that the 39th Annual Mid-Amateur Championship Qualifying tournament will be held at the Brentwood Golf Club this Friday, April 30th at 8:30 am. With over 180,000 members, the NCGA supports and promotes the game of golf in Northern California.

Rex Choe, Chief Operating Officer of the Brentwood Club, said he is “very excited” about the upcoming event and is pleased that the association has chosen the Brentwood Club to hold this qualifying event.

The 120-year-old association is made up of golfers who like to golf, whether daily, once a week or even once a year. Located at 100 Summerset Way, the golf course has had many improvements made to the playing area, this past year and Choe is happy to showcase them for the golfers of Northern California.

“The community is welcome to join their neighbors for an exciting day of golf,” Choe said.

For more information about the event contact Carl Thorenson, NCGA Rules Official, at (925) 368-9500 or click here.

Smitty Ardrey is Contra Costa’s 2021 Bike Champion of the Year

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Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days (BTWD) organizers have named the winners of the 2021 Bike Champion of the Year awards. Given to individuals for inspiring bicycling in their Bay Area communities, this award recognizes an individual (or in one case, a whole family) from each of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties for their commitment to bicycling as the primary mode of transport.

Smitty Ardrey. Photo: MTC

The 2021 winners include Smitty Ardrey, from Contra Costa County, who can be found every Thursday in the summer fixing bikes at Bike Concord’s Bike Tent at the Concord Farmers Market in Todo Santos Plaza. Nominator Claire Linder says: “He has organized bike rodeos, pop-up bike repair clinics, and since 2019, a bike education class at Olympic High School in Concord. His drive, foresight and commitment have made biking more accessible in central Contra Costa County, bringing to life [Bike Concord’s] mission of MBOB (More Butts on Bikes)!”

Daniel Wood and his triplets – Hazel, Alden, and Malia – from Santa Clara County, who can be seen riding their bikes to and from school each day. According to nominator Sharlene Gee, “I am so proud of them for using their own power to get to school on time, in good moods and ready to learn. I’ve seen their road skills and awareness rapidly and organically grow. They set a powerful example for everyone at the school.”

2021 MTC Bike Champions of the Year

Here is the complete list of 2021 Bike Champion of the Year award winners:

  • Contra Costa County: Smitty Ardrey helped organize advocates passionate about cycling in Concord into Bike Concord, which is now an integral part of the bicycle movement in the city and surrounding areas.
  • Alameda County: Lionel McNeely first taught himself how to ride when he was 7, and his work with bikes hasn’t stopped since. He laughs, “I took my first bike apart when I was 10 years old and got it back together when I was 12.” An 11-year volunteer with youth empowerment program Trips for Kids in Marin, he leads monthly art rides with Oakland collective Rock Paper Scissors and has ridden and fundraised with AIDS/LifeCycle three times, among other achievements.
  • Marin County: Hilary Noll has a vision of bicycling in the future: “People from ages 8 to 80 feeling comfortable biking for everyday needs. More women riding, especially as commuters. More women- and minority-owned bike shops. A cycling culture in which everyone – from elite riders to everyday folks getting started – are welcomed and empowered.”
  • Napa County: Kate Miller started bike commuting in the mid-1980s when she lived in Seattle and never stopped. She recalls being mistaken for a bike messenger, because in major cities like Seattle, those were the only people found riding around the city.
  • San Francisco County: Lydia Francis moved to the city in 2018 and took up cycling at the start of the pandemic. Getting a bike transformed her perspective of San Francisco, encouraging her to explore new neighborhoods and master the geography of the city. “Overall, biking has given me a deeper sense of belonging here in San Francisco,” said Lydia, “both to the literal geography of this place and the people I meet while exploring on two wheels.”
  • San Mateo County: Sonia Elkes, avid bicyclist and founder of the advocacy group San Carlos Bikes, is referred to as “the voice for bicyclists in San Carlos.” She is constantly working to improve the state of biking in San Carlos and increasing the number of people who bicycle for their health and the environment.
  • Santa Clara County: Daniel Wood and family (see above) encourages other parents to get their kids out on bikes and set an example, while making sure everyone knows and follows the rules of the road. “I think with everything it just starts with changing one mind and then that person hopefully changes one other,” says Daniel.
  • Solano County: Cande Medrano, now 71, rides everywhere: from dental appointments to grocery stores, even all the way to Berkeley for doctor appointments. In 2020, Cande logged more than 14,000 miles.
  • Sonoma County: Sherry Adams is not just a passionate cyclist, but a champion of social justice. She volunteered at local nonprofit Community Bikes – a reuse and repair training program and worked as a bike mechanic at the ReCyclery Bike Thrift Shop operated by Trips for Kids. Her biggest and most recent achievement has been the creation of Changing Gears, an educational program for inmates at the Sonoma County jail.

Each winner will receive a Tailgator Brake Light and water bottle from Mike’s Bikes, a bicycle-only membership for 24/7 roadside assistance from Better World Club, a laminated, boxed set of San Francisco Bay Trail map cards from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), and a cycling jersey from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). Read all about the winners here.

Details about Bike to Wherever Days can be found online at Bayareabiketowork.com. Follow us on Facebook at @biketoworkday, Twitter @BikeToWorkSFBay, and Instagram @biketoworkday_bayarea.

Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days is presented by MTC (the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area), and 511 (the region’s traveler information system). BTWD 2021 also receives regional support from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), as well as from many sponsors at the local level. Prizes for the Bike Champion of the Year winners were donated by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), Better World Club and Mike’s Bikes.

Paradise Skate Roller Rink in Antioch reopens Wednesday night

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WOW, it has been 400 days since we had to close Paradise Skate Roller Rink in Antioch. We get to open TONIGHT. Catch is you have to make a reservation, sign a release. Bring that release, your energy, your mask and most important your smiles. We start at 7:30 pm.

Click here to make that reservation. Paradise Skate Antioch – A PartyWirks Partner

We’re located at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch.

Follow us and Like our Facebook page.