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Community Corner

🌱 San Ramon Teens Found + Buy Local Asparagus! + Park Concerts

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Concord.

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Jeri Karges, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Good day, people of Concord! Jeri Karges here with the Wednesday Concord Daily.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and remaining warm. High: 78 Low: 50.

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Here are the top five stories today in Concord:

  1. The Concord City Council is considering giving itself a pay raise, the first time it's done so since 2018. The proposed raise is 3 percent, taking council members' salaries from $1,352 per month to $1,433 per month. A city ordinance has to be amended and the new rate wouldn't take effect until after the November 2022 city council election. (Claycord.com)
  2. San Ramon Police said Sunday night they found the pair of teens missing since last week. Marybel "Ruby" Gonzales, 16, and Aaminah "Mina" Khan, 14, were believed to be runaways. Their parents reported them missing on Wednesday. Both girls were found in good health and have been reunited with their families. (Claycord.com)
  3. Once called "the king of vegetables," asparagus has become harder to find in the Delta's fields. Thousands of acres of asparagus used to cover the Stockton-Brentwood area with soft green spears every spring, but urban sprawl and other crops have stealthily replaced them. In the last 20 years, California's asparagus acreage has plummeted. In 1995, Contra Costa County harvested 20,000 acres of asparagus. In 2017, that figure dropped to a mere 1,300 acres. There are no better climate or soil conditions, plus California growers have a deep knowledge of growing asparagus, so don't give up on California-grown asparagus just yet. Farmers still have difficult choices ahead, but as long as we continue to buy asparagus grown in California to support them, we may continue to see fields of asparagus growing in Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Salinas and other areas of the state for years to come. (Pioneer Publishers)
  4. Since Tuesday, BART has restored Red Line service between Richmond and Millbrae. Red (Richmond-Millbrae) and Orange (Richmond-Berryessa) line trains will run with five cars. Restoring the Red Line will help alleviate crowding by offering more frequency and by eliminating the need to transfer to the Yellow Line for trans-bay service, despite running shorter trains. BART will continue to run five-car trains while crews repair and ultimately replace power cables. (East County Today)
  5. On Tuesday, the Oakley City Council is set to consider an application to increase residential solid waste collection rates by 23.39% over the next 5-years. According to the staff report, 17.41% of the proposed increase is being directly tied to Senate Bill 1383 which is an unfunded State mandate aimed at reducing the statewide disposal of organics by 75% by 2025. It requires that each jurisdiction redefine and develop methods for managing, tracking, regulating, procuring organics, and more. (East County Today)

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Today in Concord:

  • Calling all brainiacs! Come out for Geeks Who Drink Trivia at Side Gate Brewing. (6:00 PM)
  • Tommy T's has LA To The Bay Headlining Lou Lou Gonzalez (7:30 PM)
  • Try your voice at karaoke night at Vinnie's Bar in Concord. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Don't forget to vote for our local businesses in Diablo Magazine's Best of the East Bay! Deadline to vote is March 31. Get your vote in today! (Facebook)
  • El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Join Contra Costa County Library in celebrating Día all month long with crafts, virtual story times, and a prize drawing.
  • The City of Oakley announced Monday its Oakley Concert in the Park Series that will begin in May. From May through October, the City will be hosting Friday Night Bites in partnership with Foodie Crew. The series will feature local bands and food trucks on the first Friday of May, June, August, September, and October. (East County Today)
  • Not to be outdone by its neighbor city, the City of Brentwood has finalized its 2022 Concerts in the Park Series which will kick off in June at City Park from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. (East County Today)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

  • Virtual Remodeling Seminar (March 24)
  • Walnut Creek Bead & Design Show (March 25)
  • Folk Rock "Jamgrass" Stars: Dead Winter Carpenters (March 25)
  • Huge Neighborhood Yard Sale Event! (March 26)
  • Local history - Rebels At The Gate: S.F. during the Civil War, a CCCHS virtual event (March 26)
  • Sassy Sister Folk: T Sisters (March 26)
  • Taxes in Retirement Webinar (March 28)
  • Taxes in Retirement Webinar (March 29)
  • Add your event

Gigs & services:

Housing:

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday off right. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next 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...

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