Weekly Update - April 26, 2024

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The second annual Earth Day Festival was held on Sunday, April 21st at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville, hosted by Interfaith San Ramon Valley (I-SRV). The goal of Earthfest is to bring together the local interfaith community and partners of civic, school, and community organizations.

There were fun and educational opportunities throughout the afternoon with art, music, speakers, booths, and activities. A spotlight was put on their eco-success stories, drawing hope from one another, and inspiring ongoing local commitment to action.

Pictured above right, Supervisor Andersen enjoys visiting with volunteers from Sustainable Contra Costa at the festival.

The Board of Supervisors has selected Ben Winkleblack as the next County Animal Services Director. His formal appointment was approved Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting. His start date is Monday, May 6.

Animal Services plays a crucial role in protecting the health and safety of all people and animals in Contra Costa County through the enforcement of state and local laws, protecting the public from animal injury, and working to prevent animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect.

“I’m excited to carry on the department’s commitment to ensuring quality services and prioritizing the well-being and safety of the people and animals of Contra Costa County,” Winkleblack said. “I’m honored to serve our community in this role and to lead such an experienced team at Animal Services.”

Winkleblack’s appointment permanently fills the role held in the interim by Captain Jane De May Andreotti, who stepped in to lead the team following the retirement of former Director Beth Ward.

Winkleblack began his career with Santa Cruz County in 2006 as an animal health technician before being promoted to shelter manager in 2010 – a role he held for a decade. In 2020, Winkleblack served as Assistant Director for the City of Oakland Animal Services department helping to modernize field services by implementing best practices focused on promoting owner retention of animals, support of unsheltered populations, and increasing low-cost spay-neuter programming to residents in need. Most recently, Winkleblack consulted for the Humane Society of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hansamo Bay Area hosted another outstanding event Saturday, April 20th, in San Ramon. Hansamo is a San Ramon based, student lead, non-profit organization that empowers middle and high school students to explore their passion for Korean music, dance, art, language, and culture. Since 2011, they've been learning, performing, and sharing their love of Korea with the community.

Pictured top right, Supervisor Andersen, San Ramon Mayor Dave Hudson, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board Vice PresidentAndy Li, and Nancy Chen from Tri-Valley APAPA.

In honor of our Country’s 250th Anniversary (in 2026), the Acalanes Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) dedicated a plaque at the Lafayette Veteran’s Memorial building commemorating those who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Supervisor Andersen, pictured on the left with DAR leaders, Terry Lucido, and Mary Carrillo, was pleased to attend this important commemoration.

Free Caregivers Retreat at the Mt. Diablo Center, 490 Golf Club Road in Pleasant Hill, on Saturday, May 4 from 8:30 AM - 12 PM.

Topics to be discussed:

• Behavior Modification
• Artificial Intelligence with Caregivers
• Self-Care for Caregivers

To RSVP click on BPORTER@CHOICEINAGING.ORG.

On April 19th, Supervisor Andersen attended the Red, Blue & Gold Awards Banquet held at the Blackhawk Country Club. This annual event honors exemplary first responders in the Tri-Valley and is hosted by the Knights of Columbus.

Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert, Michele Haubert, Livermore Mayor John Marchand, Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez, Supervisor Candace Andersen, San Ramon Vice Mayor Scott Perkins, and Livermore Councilmember Ben Barrientos honored first responders at the Red, Blue & Gold Awards banquet.

Contra Costa Health (CCH) continues to expand and develop the Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime (A3) program, which provides an alternative to law enforcement responding when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. They are pleased to announce the launch of the A3 data dashboard.

This new resource, updated weekly, centralizes A3’s reporting on call volume, mobile response details, client demographics, and other key metrics. Users can filter data by city, number of individuals served, total calls, or mobile responses.

The dashboard also features charts showing when and how A3 interacts with law enforcement and the agencies who have called A3 for support. Please explore the new A3 data dashboard and send any comments or questions by emailing a3@cchealth.org.

Livorna Park in Alamo was created nearly 30 years ago and plans to renovate the park are now underway. The Contra Costa Public Works Special Districts division is leading this project and will be attending a special meeting of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) on Tuesday, May 7th at 5PM at the Alamo Women's Club to present draft designs and solicit feedback from the community. 

 A second town hall will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, May 15th at 6PM. Please visit our Alamo County webpage for more information and to view the proposed designs www.contracosta.ca.gov/3595/Alamo.

The public is invited to attend the celebration at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Board Chambers at 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez. The celebration will also be televised live on Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse Channel 99, Astound Channels 32 & 1027, streamed live at www.contracosta.ca.gov or www.contracostatv.org.

Orinda Rotary’s 75th Anniversary Gala, was held on April 20th at the Wilder Art & Garden Center. It was a fantastic evening with Rotarians, friends and community members.

The gala was also a benefit for the Rotary's endowment, which is the money used to fund things like the Spring Egg Hunt, Field Day, scholarships for Miramonte students, and all the good work the club has done over the last 75 years.

Pictured above with Supervisor Andersen are Orinda Mayor Darlene Gee on the left and Vice-Mayor Latika Malkani on the right. In the background, the Orinda Rotary gathers for a photo.

BART crews will work around the clock to advance several trackway improvements near Orinda Station on the weekend of April 27-28. To create a safe work space for the team, there will be no train service between Rockridge and Lafayette stations that weekend. Instead, free buses provided by AC Transit and County Connection will move riders between Rockridge, Orinda, and Lafayette stations. Orinda Station will be closed but buses will still serve the station. Riders can expect delays of 20-30 minutes in the work area on the shutdown weekend of April 27-28.

This upcoming work is part of BART’s overall effort to improve the safety and reliability of the 131-mile, 50 station system. There are now more rebuilding projects happening across BART than at any point in its more than 50-year history. You can learn more about the progress of this work by reading the 2023 Measure RR Annual Report published by the independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee.

Keep up with the latest updates for trackway repair projects that impact service by going to the Alerts and Advisories page. BART’s Trip Planner has been improved to show the full customer journey including bus bridges.

The Contra Costa Chorale will present its Spring 2024 concert, “Make Our Garden Grow,” on Saturday, May 11, at 5:00 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington; and on Sunday, May 12, at 5:00 p.m. at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, 1801 Lacassie Avenue, Walnut Creek. 

The program features two special highlights:

There will be a World Premiere of “Seed” by renowned choral composer Joan Szymko, based on a poem by Elsa Gidlow, commissioned to celebrate Artistic Director Cindy Beitmen’s 12-year tenure with the Chorale.

The concert also showcases guest artists Rev. Carolyn Anderson and the Community Fellowship Choral Ensemble singing gospel presentations of the historical ‘Spirituals’ and joining the Chorale in singing the final piece on the program.

For tickets (both live and livestream) go to cocochorale.

Crow Canyon Road is closed to through traffic between Mile Marker (‘MM’) 5.25 and the County Line (Bollinger Canyon Road) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The road is being closed to facilitate reconstruction of the roadway and replacement of three cross culverts at MM 5.83, 5.91 and 6.10. The closure is in effect through August. 

Drivers are encouraged to avoid the construction area and use alternative routes. It is recommended that motorists use I-580 and I-680 as the detour route between Castro Valley and San Ramon. 

For more information on the project, visit the project page, email info@acpwa.org, or call the construction hotline at (510) 670-5591.

Cancer Support Community's Hope Walk, is their largest community event of the year. It is coming up on Saturday, May 18 at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek.

Registration and event details can be found at hopewalkbayarea.net.

The Walnut Creek Watershed Council, Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and Contra Costa Resource Conservation District are working together to create a Watershed Restoration Plan for the Walnut Creek Watershed. This Plan will identify restoration opportunities in and near creeks and wetlands to improve natural habitats for fish and wildlife, improve water quality, reduce fire risk, and minimize maintenance.

We are looking for ideas to improve the health of the Walnut Creek Watershed and its habitats. For example, you might know of a location that could be planted with native California plants, or perhaps you know of an area that is experiencing erosion. Now is a great time to pass on your ideas!

Please complete this brief survey to share your ideas.

On Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., the AAUW DAW Branch is holding its annual Garden Tour.

Tickets are $40 per person before May 1, and $45 thereafter.

Proceeds provide college scholarships for local women, STEM camperships for middle school girls, and educational programs in the community.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the branch webpage at:

2024-garden-tour.

Community Advisory Board (CAB) on Public Safety Realignment

Central County Residents Preferred

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) on Public Safety Realignment was established by the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) Executive Committee in December 2012 to provide input on community needs; assess implementation of the realignment plan; review data on realignment outcomes; advise the CCP on community engagement strategies; offer recommendations for ongoing realignment planning; advise County agencies regarding programs for implementation in the County; and encourage outcomes that are consistent with the County’s Reentry Strategic Plan. 

Submit an Application Online here. Questions? Contact: The Office of Reentry & Justice, by phone at (925) 313-4087.

For more information on CAB membership duties and activities, please visit their website contracosta.ca.gov/4165/Community-Advisory-Board-CAB. 

Serve as an At Large or At Large Alternate member of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s (CCCFPD) Advisory Fire Commission. Further information about the Advisory Fire Commission can be obtained by contacting Latonia Ellingberg at lelli@cccfpd.org or (925) 941-3300 x1200 or by visiting the website www.cccfpd.org/advisory-firecommission.

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or by visiting the County webpage at www.contracosta.ca.gov.

Mental Health Commission - https://cchealth.org/mentalhealth/mhc/

The primary purpose of the Commission is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors and to the Mental Health Division and its staff. Mission Statement: To influence the County's Mental Health System to ensure the delivery of quality services that are effective, efficient, culturally relevant, and responsive to the needs and desires of the clients it serves with dignity and respect; and to be the advocate with the Board of Supervisors, the Mental Health Division, and the community on behalf of all Contra Costa County residents who need mental health services.

Find out more information about volunteering for an advisory body here co.contra-costa.ca.us/3418.