🌱Lafayette BART Reopens + Willow Pass Road Maintenance

Welcome back, Concord! I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know that's going on in town. In today's issue:

• Mount Diablo School District kids have an amazing cafeteria!
• A two-alarm fire took the life of one individual in Dublin on Monday.
• Concord's dog parks will close for maintenance.

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sun. High: 62 Low: 39.

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Here are the top stories in Concord today:

1. Concord's kids are eatin' good! The Mount Diablo School District cafeterias are the envy of students far and wide. The district's chef (none other than Josh Gjersand, "a veteran of Michelin-starred restaurants") prepares meals fresh daily with many ingredients sourced locally. "'I love the idea of serving students better food,' said Gjersand, who quit restaurants during the pandemic, when serving a wagyu-beef-and-caviar crowd lost its luster. 'School cafeterias should feel like restaurants, and not fast food chains.'" Almost makes me wish I was back in high school again. (PBS NewsHour)
2. The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office announced Monday that an Antioch man was convicted of sexual abuse and impregnating his daughter, who is a minor. Staff at the Concord hospital where the minor gave birth to a full-term stillborn baby, notified authorities. "Julian Chenychen was convicted Friday by a Contra Costa jury for his actions on all charges and faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole." (Concord Patch)
3. BART sent out an alert just before 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday that the Lafayette BART station was closed due to "a potential collision between a train and a person in the trackway." Authorities believe the person intentionally entered the tracks and was killed by the oncoming train. No foul play is suspected. Trains resumed their normal stops at the station by late Tuesday morning. (Claycord.com)
4. The City of Concord is scheduled to perform maintenance on Willow Pass Road in the eastbound direction, between I-680 and Diamond Boulevard on Thursday. Drivers should find alternate routes due to anticipated traffic congestion in the area. (Claycord.com)
5. Firefighters were called to a home in the 7000 block of Mayan Court in Dublin on Monday around 3:45 p.m. The fire quickly advanced to two alarms. Unfortunately, one of the victims died "despite receiving life-saving measures at the scene," according to authorities. (News 24/680)

Today in Concord:

• It's Wine Wednesday at Smith's Landing Seafood Grill in Antioch. Get half off select bottles of wine. (All Day)
• "Moraga Art Gallery ignites the new year with 'Fire and Light.' Featuring Lucy Beck, fine art photographer; Donna Arganbright, ceramicist; and guest artist, John Hopper, watercolorist." (Noon)
• Play Head Games Trivia at Headlands Brewing Co in Lafayette. (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Kitakami, Japan, is Concord's Sister City. "A nonprofit group called @concordambassadors has been promoting mutual exchanges in the fields of education, culture, social affairs and economics between the cities for nearly 50 years." Learn more about our sister at Visit Concord. (Visit Concord via Instagram)
• The Monument Crisis Center wants you to know it will host pop-up food distributions on several Thursdays from 12-2 pm at Community Presbyterian Church - 200 E. Leland Road in Pittsburg. (Monument Crisis Center via Facebook)
• "The City of Concord’s two dog parks are scheduled to be closed for annual turf renovation and general maintenance." First, Newhall Dog Park will be closed from February 6 through March 13. Then, Baldwin Dog Park will be closed from March 14 through April 17. (City of Concord, California via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Blackhawk Museum - Dr. Gary Moulton - The Lewis and Clark Expedition (January 28)
• Open House - 327 Gladys Drive, Pleasant Hill (January 28)
• The history of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe - lunch and program (February 11)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new 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