Health Workers Strike + Fire Weather Watch + Art Microgrants

Hello, neighbors! It's me again, Jeri Karges, your host of the Concord Daily.

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First, today's weather:

Clear throughout the day. High: 91 Low: 64.

Here are the top stories in Concord today:

1. Healthcare workers at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch and John Muir Health Behavioral Health Center in Concord are planning to strike next month due to poor working conditions, union officials said. Workers are feeling burnt out and exhausted and are blaming staffing levels and issues that pre-dated the pandemic. Workers in a variety of disciplines plan to strike, including mental health counselors, emergency room technicians, phlebotomists, psychiatric technicians, and respiratory therapists, among others. (Claycord News & Talk)
2. Eight elementary school teachers from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District have each received microgrants of $100 or more from the Concord Art Association (CAA) to help expand art education in the classrooms. “Our board of directors voted to increase the budget this year so we could help more teachers bring more art into their classrooms,” says Catherine Hensiek, CAA president. Nearly 300 local children will benefit from the grants with new art supplies and enhanced curricula. "I worry that our fifth-graders aren’t spending enough time on art, which is so healing and therapeutic,” Carol Lutz, a teacher at Gregory Gardens Elementary explains. Floor easels for plein air painting are at the top of Beth Miller’s shopping list for the fourth-graders at Wren Avenue Elementary. “We have lots of outdoor space just outside my classroom where I want to set up art stations,” says Miller. (Pioneer Publishers)
3. Police in Walnut Creek are reportedly investigating the latest incident of gun-related violence in their city after two men apparently wearing ski masks and dressed in all black opened fire on people on Roble Road in unincorporated Walnut Creek. (News 24/680)
4. The danger for fire will increase beginning Sunday night through Tuesday morning in the East Bay hills, the Diablo Range and north into Solano County, according to the National Weather Service. The watch alert was prompted by a forecast for gusty offshore winds that will create drying conditions. (Claycord News & Talk)
5. The East Bay Regional Park District and East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy will be hosting a free, on-site OPEN HOUSE EVENT at the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course in Antioch the morning of Saturday, September 25. This is an opportunity to see the site in person, walk along a section of former golf cart paths, and learn about park planning efforts, design ideas, and habitat restoration for the future Regional Park. (Contra Costa Herald)

Today in Concord:

• Stroller Strides is a total fitness program that moms can do with their babies. It includes power walking and intervals of strength and body toning exercises using exercise tubing, the stroller and the environment. Try the class out for free! Please visit the FIT4MOM website for more information. (9:30 AM)
• Every 3rd Monday of the month Mean Dave hosts a comedy showcase at the esteemed Vinnie's Bar & Grill in downtown Concord with an eclectic lineup of comedians. (7:30 PM)
• See Clint Eastwood's Cry Macho at the Solano Drive-in. (10:00 PM)

Concord Patch Notebook

• The City of Concord is proud to partner with Bay Area SunShares, a program that helps people make their homes more ecofriendly through renewable energy. SunShares is a limited-time program that provides a 15% discount on solar installations and a 10% discount on battery storage to all Bay Area residents, and helps you Opt Up to 100% renewable energy if you can’t go solar.(Facebook)

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• SIR Las Trampas Branch 116 Hosts "Storm Chaser" at September 20 Luncheon (September 20)
• Taxes In Retirement Webinar (September 27)
• Home Remodeling Virtual Seminar (September 30)
• Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead (October 2)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday off right! See you all tomorrow for another update. If you're loving these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors along for the ride. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Jeri Karges

About me: Jeri Karges has been living in and loving the Sacramento region for over 30 years. Her passion is finding new and unique ways to enjoy the city and surrounding areas. On weekends, you can find her pestering her friends to sample the restaurant that doesn't have silverware, or try their hand at throwing an axe. Jeri also enjoys writing about retirement planning at https://rockinretirement.subst...

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Concord Daily? You can contact me at Concord-Ca@Patch.com.