🌱Recall Thorpe Campaign Has 7,500 Signatures + Taste of Oakley

Happy Tuesday, Concord! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

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First, today's weather:

Breezy in the afternoon. High: 60 Low: 43.

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Here are the top five stories in Concord today:

1. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District announced an arrest in connection with an intentionally set dumpster fire that burned into an adjacent business in the 1500 block of Clayton Road in Concord Friday. Fire investigators arrested Robert Acuff, 40, a transient in Concord, on suspicion of arson to a structure, a spokesperson for Con Fire said. Surveillance video from a nearby convenience store revealed a man with scruffy hair, no shirt and baggy blue jeans igniting cardboard and putting it in the closed dumpster before leaving the area. Acuff was taken to the Concord Police Department where he was interviewed by the fire investigator. He was then booked into the Martinez jail on the arson charge. (Concord Patch)
2. On Monday, the proponents to recall Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe announced that they have collected approximately 7,500 signatures as of April 10 – which is nearly 75% of signatures required. The deadline to collect 9,511 valid signatures is May 11, however, the group is aiming to collect nearly 11,000 signatures as a precaution against invalid signatures or duplicates. The recall has been a long process after Thorpe was originally submitted with his notice of intention to circulate a recall petition on September 24, Ellie Householder, city clerk, rejected the template on multiple occasions—she now potentially faces her own recall as she was served this week. (East County Today)
3. The former and well-known "Friends of the Wagner Ranch Nature Area" has a new name, "The Friends of Orinda Nature Area." This is a change in name only, not operations. The Friends, a 501(c)(3) organization independent of the School District, adopted the new name to clarify that its programs are for all the District's schools. It is currently working with the District to resume class visits safely in the coming months. (The Orinda News)
4. Prior to announcing a resignation agreement with the district's chancellor two months ago, trustees and cabinet members at the Contra Costa Community College District received the findings of an investigation report that supported several concerns officials and employees had been raising with Bryan Reece's actions during his short tenure at the helm. The investigation into allegations against Reece, conducted by the office of Scott Kivel, was summarized in a report by the district's legal counsel Jeff Sloan, and made public this week. Investigators found evidence to back up allegations of improper conduct from Reece in his role in facilitating a situation in which the same companies assisting with a request for quote (RFQ) process were given an unfair advantage in bidding for a $10 million contract. The report also concluded there was evidence to support allegations of a "quid pro quo" situation between the chancellor and the district's former legal counsel. (danvillesanramon.com/ subscription may be required)

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Today in Concord:

• It's pea season! Come out to the Concord Farmer's Market at Todos Santos Plaza and take a pea (or two)! Then, check out this article from Pioneer Publishers on the varieties you might find and what to do with them. (9:00 AM)
• Get outside with your toddlers on this FREE nature play program at Black Diamond Regional Park in Antioch hosted monthly by Black Diamond Mines Naturalist Ashley Adams! (10:00 AM)
• Don't miss the food trucks at Eats and Beats at Giacomelli Park in Pittsburg. (5:00 PM)
• It's Family Fun Night at the Solano Drive-in in Concord. Adults $5.75, $2 for kids 5-11. Most screens are double features - two movies for one price. (5:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The Concord Historical Society invites you to read this short history of this great city.
• You can support public relations at the Contra Costa Public Library from the comfort of your home by volunteering as a Social Media Ambassador. No application is required. Simply sign up to receive Social Media Ambassador emails. They'll come once or twice a month. Each email will include information about library initiatives and topics. Ambassadors will be asked to post about the library in their own words and to share stories about what they love about the library.
• The annual Taste of Oakley will be held on Saturday, May 14 at the Oakley Recreation Center, 1250 O'Hara Avenue. Tickets are $12 and are available at: https://secure.rec1.com/CA/oakley-ca/catalog This event typically sells out, so be sure to purchase your ticket early!

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with 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...