So This Happened…July 18 through 24, 2022
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 24, 2022) — Pleasant Hill Mayor Michael G. Harris couldn’t be prouder of the city’s new library, set for a grand opening 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, July 30.
“After years of amazing effort, we are finally opening the doors to you, our community,” he wrote in his Pioneer column. “Our city staff have done a fantastic job bringing this zero-energy, carbon-neutral, green project online (and within budget) despite the pandemic and supply chain issues.”
Concord development updates: Residents can join a community meeting via Zoom on Thursday, July 28, with Master Developer Concord First Partners regarding the Base Reuse Project at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. Meanwhile, City Councilmember Edi Birsan explains why Brookfield was the wrong developer for the North Concord BART station area. High on his list of complaints: Brookfield didn’t even begin to negotiate a union contract and they never reached out to the immediate neighbors or the community at large.
Tracking BART’s history: In July 1962, Contra Costa County Supervisor Joe Silva held the deciding vote on whether the county would support a new regional rail system – known now as BART. After Marin and San Mateo counties dropped out, a successful bond measure here was essential. While Contra Costa voters passed the bond in 1962, it would be another 10 years before the first train hit the tracks.
More stories
Here are some other stories the Pioneer covered in the last week:
Concord Council committee considers renaming Kirker Pass on Aug. 3.
U.S. House seeks exoneration for Port Chicago 50.
From Sal’s to Parma – now that’s Italian.
Low inventory means housing bubble won’t burst.
Fans flock to Contra Costa Con 4 to celebrate pop culture.
Honoring the world of drag, from Shakespearean theater to “Pose.”
Exploring the fine art of medicine.
Bill Ralston earns All-America baseball honors for second time.
Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Grace and Brady Cannon, Walnut Country Swim Team.
Center for Elders’ Independence celebrates 40 years in the community.
If you would like to check out past weekly roundups, click here.
Bev Britton
Bev Britton graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota and moved to the Bay Area with her soon-to-be husband Jim in 1986. She was features editor at the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek before becoming managing editor of the Contra Costa Sun in Lafayette in 1995. She retired from newsrooms in 2001, but an ad for the Clayton Pioneer drew her back in. The family moved to Lake Wildwood in the Gold Country a few years ago - but working at the Pioneer keeps her in touch with her old neighborhoods in Concord and Clayton.