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Community Corner

🌱Walnut Creek Sees Nob Hill Out Noble In + Martinez Martinis!

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)

Hello, neighbors! Jeri Karges here with a brand-new copy of theConcord Daily.

First, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 71 Low: 42.

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Here are the top five stories today in Concord:

  1. The Ygnacio Valley Library in Walnut Creek reopened Monday after being closed since August 2020 to serve as a state-run COVID-19 testing site. The Contra Costa County Library system also decided to go ahead with a long-awaited parking lot upgrade project while the pandemic was keeping library users home. The branch's new hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The branch will be closed Sundays. (Claycord.com)
  2. Management at Nob Hill Foods announced last month that the company would be closing its San Ramon and Walnut Creek locations early in March. Don Routh, a member of the neighborhood group Citizens Against Marketplace Development (CAMPAD), said that while the announcement was disappointing, it was not a surprise to himself or others who had been tracking and opposing proposed developments at the Marketplace Shopping Center in San Ramon. The San Ramon store is set to close on March 12, a week after the Walnut Creek location on March 5. (danvillesanramon.com/ subscription may be required)
  3. The City Council got one step closer to finalizing new council district lines as it reviewed eight plans on Feb. 1. The city must consider redrawing district lines every 10 years, based upon Census data. The current boundaries still meet the legal criteria, so the Council could stick with the status quo. The council also is looking at altering the Cowell Road area, making the road the boundary for District 4 by changing its boundaries with Districts 2 and 5. None of the new plans call for wholescale changes, with 88 percent of the city remaining in its current districts under even the most far-reaching option. (Pioneer Publishers)
  4. It was a sad day six years ago when Barnes & Noble closed in downtown Walnut Creek, but those sad days are over! It will be coming back to downtown, this time where Forever 21 used to be, at Plaza Escuela. (beyondthecreek.com)
  5. Are you or a relative aging in Contra Costa or the East Bay and looking for housing and resources? At some point, parents may have to make a move from their familiar home into a place for older people; and, of course, at some point, we all are likely to face the same decision for ourselves. Diablo Magazine has put together a fantastic checklist of things to consider as you are choosing your housing options for aging, and they have an extensive list of options in the region for you, too! (Diablo Magazine)

Today in Concord:

  • Don't forget the farmer's market today at Todos Santos Plaza! Grab something for a picnic in this beautiful sunshine! (9:00 AM)
  • The Concord Library says "Roses are red, Violets are in bloom, If you want to make some awesome Valentine's Day cards, Register…. then meet us on Zoom!" for its Valentine's Day Cards for Teens event. (4:00 PM)
  • Join The Walnut Creek Library as it hosts award-winning mystery writer Rachel Howzell Hall, for a discussion about her latest thriller, These Toxic Things. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • During the days of the "Gold Rush," in 1849, a miner struck it rich and was returning to San Francisco. The miner, arriving in Martinez, wanted to celebrate. He walked into the town bar and asked for Champagne, a beverage which was not available. However, the bartender told him that he had something much better than Champagne and served a drink which the bartender said was a "Martinez Special." The miner liked it and took the recipe with him on his travels back to San Francisco and, thus, the martini was born! (I had no idea!) Learn more about this, apparently, local beverage at this City of Martinez page. Fascinating! (City of Martinez)
  • With Pleasant Hill City Hall resuming in-person visits, a new system is being installed that will allow for ease of scheduling, and to keep both staff and the community safe by spacing out visits. To assist residents with getting service as efficiently as possible, Pleasant Hill is introducing a new online appointment system called QLess that will help to enhance the customer service experience at City Hall. This new online tool will allow customers to choose appointment times online and avoid lines and wait times for City services upon arrival at City Hall.
  • After receiving a threatening letter from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the neighboring town of Woodside in San Mateo County has lifted its ban on Senate Bill 9 housing developments. Woodside had found a clause in SB9 — a bill that encourages more housing development in established neighborhoods — prohibiting development in the habitat of an endangered species. Local officials claimed the entire town was a habitat for mountain lions. Bonta was terse in a letter sent to the town threatening legal action. A few hours after the letter was published online, Woodside announced a complete surrender. (SF Gate)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning 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...

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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