So This Happened…Week of April 28 through May 3, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 3, 2025) — Nothing says summer like a vine-ripened tomato. But to savor that flavor, you need to get planting now.
The Pioneer’s Garden Girl offers up a variety of great varieties, from Champion to San Marzano and Celebrity. Of course, there’s the even-popular Early Girl along with heirlooms like Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold.
Any way you slice it, it’s gonna be good! Read the complete story.
Time to hit the trail: Kevin Parker provides a glimpse into the labyrinths to be discovered in Lime Ridge Open Space. “The labyrinth itself is a symbol of spiritual growth and discovery with the path leading to the center and then back outside to the world again,” he notes. Read the complete story.
A community stalwart: Since opening his Italian restaurant 25 years ago, Rocco Biale has become known for donating to fundraisers for local groups. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took it upon himself to deliver pizzas to local health-care workers. But the centerpiece of Rocco’s remains top-notch pizza, says Pioneer columnist Richard Eber. Read the complete story.
More local news
Here are some other stories the Pioneer covered recently:
In state government: Grayson receives Radke Award for decades of park advocacy, while also championing strong protections for California’s working families.
In the county: Board moves toward 2026 Urban Limit Line vote.
For book lovers: Clayton Community Library Foundation Book Sale planned May 16-18, plus Bradshaw brings along a friend for “Saratoga Backtalk.”
Health update: John Muir’s Concord Medical Center ranks first in state for heart bypass surgery outcomes, and CDC’s vaccination stance shifts mid measles outbreak.
Local dining: Claytonville fires up the grill for national BBQ month.
Timely reminder for pet owners: Avoid foxtails at all cost.
From the police: Concord Police Association announces annual college scholarship award program, along with the latest arrest reports from Concord and Clayton.
Read past installments of “So This Happened…”: Click here.
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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.