So This Happened…Week of Dec. 18 through 24, 2023
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Dec. 24, 2023) — Beth Ward is stepping down as director of Contra Costa Animal Services on Jan. 19, saying her family is moving out of state.
“I am grateful for Ms. Ward’s many years of service to the county,” said Supervisor Ken Carlson. “She has done extraordinary work to improve the well-being, safety and health of animals in our community.”
One tree, two trees, there are lots of trees: Certified arborists are combing the streets of Concord in an effort to inventory the city’s trees. You’ll see the workers from Consultants PlanIT Geo and American Tree Medics around town through April 2024, identifying potential threats to the city’s urban forest.
Clayton’s once-thriving wine industry: In the late 1800s, three prestigious wineries were based in Clayton. You can blame a phylloxera aphid invasion and Prohibition for their demise.
More stories
Here are some other stories the Pioneer covered recently:
For the holidays: Give a book that celebrates all that is family, plus Lone Tree’s prime rib perfect for festive gatherings.
From the police: Kohl’s shoplifter pretends to order pizza to evade Pleasant Hill police, and the latest report from Concord PD.
Contra Costa Board of Education selects new president.
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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.