🌱 Hwy. 4 Arsonists Arrested + Memorial Day Mt. Diablo Beacon Lighting

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

I'll be taking tomorrow off, but I'll be back in your inbox bright and early Monday morning!

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First, today's weather:

Plenty of sun. High: 89 Low: 56.

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Here are the top five stories in Concord today:

1. Authorities in Contra Costa County arrested four people suspected of sparking dozens of small brush fires in just a matter of hours over the weekend. Investigators said 33 small fires were started across 48 hours over the weekend. The fires stretched from Concord to Hillcrest Park in Antioch not far from Highway 4. (CBS San Francisco)
2. A Contra Costa County firefighter has recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he helped other first responders there bring closure to families and provided search and rescue training. "Since the war started, just being a firefighter, we all have the urge to help where help is needed," said David Zalutskiy, an East Bay fire engineer. For more on the story, including a video, please click the link. (Patch)
3. Our very own Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Employee and Retiree Access to Justice Act to ensure that individuals have meaningful recourse when they are denied retirement and health benefits. They are working to keep "bad actor" employers from using tools such as forced arbitration and class action waivers to work around employee rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). (Claycord.com)
4. Good news! You'll get to see the beautiful, meaningful beacon on Mt. Diablo lit up on Memorial Day this year and in future years. A joint proclamation was signed on Feb. 25 at the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville that the Beacon on Mount Diablo will be lit to honor veterans on Pearl Harbor Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The lighting will happen shortly after sunset on Memorial Day and it will be extinguished shortly after sunrise on May 31. (Claycord.com)
5. For the second time in several months, a search warrant was served at a home in the city of Antioch in connection with missing Oakley woman Alexis Gabe. Chief Beard called this case heart breaking. He continues to ask for help from the public. The police department is asking the community to report any credible sightings of Gabe, or any information that will lead to her discovery by calling the Oakley Police Department at 925-625-8060. For a full timeline of events and announcements since she went missing, see this article from East County Today. (East County Today)

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Today in Concord:

• Opening Day on the Strait presented by Benicia Yacht Club and Benicia Marina is open to the public. There will be lots of festivities and an opening day welcome at 1:30 p.m. and a Blessing of The Fleet and Decorated Boat Parade from 2 to 5 p.m. (10 a.m.)
• Each year Contra Costa Family Justice Center hosts its "Building Safety Through Community" event. This year's event will be an outdoor music festival held at the recently renovated Rankin Park in Martinez. (3:00 PM)
• The annual Taste of Oakley will be held at the Oakley Recreation Center, 1250 O'Hara Ave. This event gives Oakley-based restaurants and caterers an opportunity to highlight their cuisine and allows guests a chance to sample dishes from a variety of local businesses in one location. (6 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• The League of Women Voters and two Contra Costa County agencies are offering a Zoom webinar to give voters the tools they need to stay informed and make decisions based on facts. Offered 4 - 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, "Making Democracy Work: Tools for Finding the Facts" will help voters learn strategies to find reliable and accurate election information. Register at programs@lwvdv.org. (Pioneer Publishers)
• Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is holding a celebratory Juneteenth event on Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In partnership, Amtrak San Joaquins has scheduled special trains, bookable at a 50 percent discount rate to bring travelers to the historically significant Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. Amtrak_Juneteenth_2022 (Antioch Herald)
• For the ballerina in your life, slow down for an hour with them and watch this mesmerizing performance from the Diablo Ballet.

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More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• 2022 Hike for Hope (May 14)
• New Orleans Roast Beef Poboy on Garlic Toast French Bread Sandwich (May 14)
• Blues, Soul & R&B: Tia Carroll at Almost Famous Wine Lounge (May 14)
• ONLINE WAREHOUSE SALE: MAY 13 - 15 (Le Marché Pop Up Spring 2022) (May 15)
• Contra Costa Blue Star Moms Day at Rocco's Ristorante Pizzeria (May 19)
• Women In Construction (May 20)
• Book Sale! Free books. Rare books. Lots of books for $2.00 (May 21)
• Ygnacio Valley High School Class of 1971 50th (+1) Reunion (May 21)
• Mt. Diablo: A Symphonic Portrait (May 22)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (May 24)
• Add your event

Gigs & services:

• Soot! Oh No! (Details)
• Add your gig or service

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— 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? Contact me at Concord-Ca@Patch.com