CIVIC MENTOR Bulletin Board -- Experimental: City Miscellaneous

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Monday, April 16, 2012

TEMPORARY NON-DELIVERY OF CITY E-NEWS

Dear Readers,

1. Due to a recent key City personnel change, I am informed that the City's E-News input to this blog will be delayed. Best wishes to former Assistant City Manager, Marc Fox.

2. Once things are moving again, I understand that any still-relevant E-News back-log will be forwarded.

3. As you may know, this blog gets much of it's City-specific information through automatic distribution from the City Manager's Office (E-News). You can also get this material, directly, by signing up at the City's website.

4. But, this blog also blends E-News with particulars from many other sources, so it's hard to imagine that we will ever be short of useful material to provide you.

5. Still, E-News is missed.

Thanks for your patience,

David Nelson

Thursday, March 15, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Historic theater organ key to Pittsburg efforts at replicating Oakland Fox project

Historic theater organ key to Pittsburg efforts at replicating Oakland Fox project

Posted Date: 3/15/2012

By Sean Maher
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 03/14/2012 02:30:42 PM PDT

Updated: 03/14/2012 04:42:15 PM PDT

They don't make them like they used to, as the saying goes, but in the case of Pittsburg's massive, historic theater organ, that's a solvable problem.

About $120,000 is needed to refurbish and reinstall a Robert Morton organ in the California Theater, itself a landmark of Pittsburg history. A local nonprofit called Pacific Community Services is fundraising that money, spearheaded by an organ aficionado named Tom LaFleur, who says his vision is a smaller-scale version of what the massive Fox Theater project did for Oakland.

"The California (Theater) is a very important project to downtown Pittsburg," he said. "Much like in Oakland, where (then-mayor) Jerry Brown wanted to bring in housing and support the arts and night life and entertainment, Pittsburg is focused on more housing, high-density units, opening restaurants, book stores and services to make it a destination, an art and entertainment center for the whole region."

The organ was actually in the California in 1928, but removed in the 1950s, LaFleur said. It's replacement was serviceable but no comparison, he added.

"Robert Morton organs are known to be more powerful and have a lot more flexibility," he said. "There are a wider range of instruments attached to it. You could mimic an entire symphony orchestra with the thing. They're very impressive."

An example of just how impressive it is in a video on the website YouTube under the title, "Westminster's Pipe Organ Turns Into a Train." In it, Dave Moreno -- who is signed on to refurbish the Pittsburg organ -- plays along with a silent Buster Keaton movie, using the organ to perform a spot on impression of a train disaster.

Once the money is raised, the restoration of Pittsburg's organ should take less than a year, Moreno said.

"It's going to need total restoration, plus we're going to employ a computer that allows the organ to also play by itself. If we play a concert there, it'll play the actual pipes just as if there were somebody there at the keys," Moreno said.

Perhaps the most time-consuming aspect will be re-leathering, he added. Leather pieces inside the organ act almost like balloons inside the wind shafts, he said, helping the organ play notes.

The city of Pittsburg bought the organ back about a year ago for $15,000, but another $120,000 will be needed to repair, refurbish and install it along with some new infrastructure to the building, LaFleur said, and the next step for that is a fundraiser with a similar "everything old is new again" theme.

Louis Prima Jr., whose father voiced King Louie in the Disney movie "The Jungle Book" and sang classic swing hits like "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" and "Buona Sera," is playing a fundraiser show March 23 at El Campanil Theatre in Antioch. Proceeds will benefit the Pittsburg Historical Society Museum and The California Historical Theatre Foundation.

"He brings his famous father's music to life, with an energetic performance and the unique, firsthand perspective of being the son of a music legend," according to the theater's website. "It is an exciting stage show, in which you will fall in love all over again with the amazing music, as well as discover some gems that you may not have heard before."

LaFleur says the hope is to raise $3,000 or $4,000 to begin the campaign.

Tickets are available online via www.elcampaniltheatre.com or by calling 925- 757-9500.

Contact Sean Maher at 925-779-7189. Follow him on Twitter at @OneSeanMaher.

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City of Pittsburg: Neighbor: LMC science teacher Mitch Schweickert takes real-life approach to work

Neighbor: LMC science teacher Mitch Schweickert takes real-life approach to work

Posted Date: 3/15/2012

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

Posted: 03/14/2012 02:21:12 PM PDT

Updated: 03/14/2012 02:21:12 PM PDT

Offering a "service learning" approach to teaching has long been a practice of Los Medanos College chemistry Professor Mitch Schweickert.

In the early 2000s a friend approached Schweickert to work with a group to develop the Kirker Creek Watershed plan. This opened the door to introduce his students to a real-life example of their studies.

The plan took three years to complete and now offers a place where students can continue studies by testing waters and develop a GPS mapping project. The experience also offered a foray into the environmental sciences for Schweickert, who now runs Los Medanos College's small ecology sciences department.

"I really believe that it is important to get the students out of the lab and working in outdoor activities," Schweickert said.

Schweickert began working for Los Medanos College in 1979 as a chemistry professor. While chemistry has been his main study, he has always been interested in ecology. He has long been a member of the Sierra Club and has spent countless hours volunteering for the local chapter.

As soon as Schweickert began working at Los Medanos College, he became involved in collaborating with the staff at Dow Chemical Co. in Pittsburg. As part of the community advisory panel for Dow, Schweickert helped in forming the Dow Wetlands Preserve in Antioch, which opened in 1989.

Today, as a part of the 30-member community advisory panel, which also includes Dow employees, retirees and other community members, Schweickert helps to determine the enhancements and restoration efforts on the site.

"Dow's wetlands program is outstanding," he said. "The site gives students a chance to see firsthand the ecology of the Delta."

During his time on the Dow Wetlands project, Schweickert has seen the eagerness of the teachers and the students who come to visit the preserve.

In his efforts, Schweickert meets once a week to plant native plants and take out invasive species. The group is continuing to build the existing trail all the way to the Antioch Marina park site. Schweickert also brings his students out to the Dow property to work with invasive species and do water quality testing, which is yet another example of his service learning teaching style.

Schweickert was raised in Livermore where his father also worked in the chemistry field. He moved to Pittsburg in 1981 once he became settled in his job at Los Medanos College.

In our "Neighbors" series, we give you a personal look at the people who are serving your community. If you would like to nominate someone for this column, contact Judy Prieve at 925-779-7178 or e-mail jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Pittsburg's Brenden Theatre to close; re-open as Maya Cinemas

Pittsburg's Brenden Theatre to close; re-open as Maya Cinemas

Posted Date: 3/14/2012

By Paul Burgarino
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 03/13/2012 07:02:39 PM PDT

Updated: 03/14/2012 06:39:30 AM PDT

A longtime Pittsburg cinema complex will soon have an alternate ending.

Brenden Theatre Corp. is closing its 16-screen cinema next month after 22 years in the East Contra Costa city. It was the company's first theater. Brenden's lease with property owner Sierra Pacific Properties Inc. is up April 15.

The company has "a couple others things on the map" and is focused on building elsewhere, said Bruce Coleman, Brenden's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

"We had a good run there, but we're looking forward into our new expansion plan," Coleman said.

Other Brendens, including the one in Concord, are not closing, he said.

The Pittsburg theater, at the west end of Century Plaza near the Pittsburg/Antioch border, will not be empty for long, though. Maya Cinemas has agreed to lease the building and keep the show going.

"We're very excited to have a replacement theater moving in," said Doug Messner, Sierra Pacific president.

Maya Cinemas plans to renovate the theater inside and out once the Brenden closes, said Frank Haffar, company president and chief operating officer. The goal is to reopen by Memorial Day weekend or early June, he said.

"We don't just plan on giving it a paint job; we plan on a drastic retrofit that will give (patrons) a completely new experience," Haffar said.

Among the changes Haffar listed are new reclining seats, sound systems and a digital projection system with larger screens inside the theater. The outside will also get a new look.

Maya Cinemas has two theaters in Salinas and Bakersfield. Sierra Pacific liked Maya's vision for the theater, Haffar said.

According to the company's website: "Maya Cinemas intends to become the premier film exhibitor by building new megaplex theaters in areas with strong moviegoing demographics in Latino-centric, family-oriented communities in underserved urban and rural areas."

The Brenden Theater Corp. opened its first eight-screen theater in Pittsburg in spring 1990, making it the largest theater in the region. Tickets were $6.50 for adults at the time. It expanded to 12 screens two years later and was remodeled in 1997 to include 16 screens.

Other theater complexes have been built in East Contra Costa since the Pittsburg Brenden. Regal Cinemas opened a theater at Antioch's Deer Valley Plaza in 1999; AMC Theatres took over operations in 2010.

Rave Cinemas opened at The Streets of Brentwood in 2008.

Brenden Theatres are also located in Concord, Modesto, Vacaville, Las Vegas, Laughlin, Nev., Kingman, Ariz., and Rifle, Colo.

Contact Paul Burgarino at 925-779-7164. Follow him at Twitter.com/paulburgarino.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Youth Summit 2012

Youth Summit 2012

Date: 3/31/2012 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Cost: Free

Location: Los Medanos College
2700 E. Leland Road
Pittsburg, California 94565

Each year Contra Costa County District V Supervisor Federal D. Glover sponsors a summit for the youth of Contra Costa County. The 2012 Youth Summit will be held on Saturday, March 31st. It will again be located at:

Los Medanos College
2700 E Leland Road Pittsburg
8a.m.- 3p.m
It will unite sixth through twelfth grade youth with local dignitaries, mentors and community leaders for an incredible day complete with exploration, education, and entertainment. The event will be a community effort to build healthy attributes such as self esteem, honesty, and integrity. Our goal is to assist our students in constructing the foundation they need to be successful by equipping them with experiences that will enhance their personal and social standards. The interactive workshops provided at the Summit will offer life skills, assist with career development and provide a venue for appropriate activities that reduce the risk of undesirable behavior.

for participation in this year's summit. After all RFP's have been received and reviewed you will be notified as to the status of your proposal.

In order to provide our youth with a valuable experience this year,
We need your assistance!

These summits are a collaborative community effort and there are a multitude of opportunities available for you/your agency to be involved.

To ACCESS information about last year's 2011 YOUTH SUMMIT AGENDA, please click on the HyperLink below:

2011 Contra Costa County Youth Summit Agenda

The day will begin with a keynote session, followed by a forum with elected officials. The remainder of the day is segmented into three tracks and lunch.The event incorporates a vast spectrum of topics and activities as our young constituency is extremely diverse. There is no cost to the youth to attend or participate in any activities, including eating lunch and receiving a t-shirts.

Workshops in the first track primarily address acedemic/educational subject matter, career opportunities, employment related information and topics pertaining to matters that cause the students to project and give some consideration to their future.

The second track introduces a number of workshops that evoke self awareness, analysis and acceptance in addition to hobbies or activities that are a positive utilization of time. Some previous summits have included workshops that adressed time/money management, manifestation of a positive attitude, disucssions regarding internet usage, substance abuse, depression, dating, violence, gangs, helathy choices and healthy boundaries. We have also offered workshops with instruction on CPR, photography, videography, radio personalities, personal hygiene and more.

The third track includes workshops with a physical component- dancing, basketball, track, maritial arts zumba and various types of athelically based activities. Lunch time is teaming with entertainment, opportunities to receive an air brush tattoo or manicure, community information and free food.

Visit us on YouTube and Facebook to view a promo for this year's summit:

See us on Facebook

If you would like to present a workshop, volunteer your time, donate a raffle item, assist with advertisement and promotional matters, provide an activity during the lunch hour or if your agency would like an information table during lunchtime.

Register Now...

It does in fact take a village to provide opportunities for our youth.

Your consideration and time is deeply appreciated.

Together we can make a difference.

Monday, March 12, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Pittsburg street repairs in need of cash

Pittsburg street repairs in need of cash

Posted Date: 3/10/2012

By Sean Maher
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 03/07/2012 02:28:03 PM PST

Updated: 03/09/2012 02:11:12 PM PST

As the fallout from losing redevelopment funds continues to unfold, the city of Pittsburg is scrambling to make up for an annual $2 million no longer available to help fix potholes and maintain roads.

The city needs about $3 million a year to keep its roadways' condition level, City Manager Joe Sbranti said. But when the city's redevelopment agency was dissolved Feb. 1 -- as Sacramento lawmakers redirect certain property taxes into the state budget -- the lion's share of that money evaporated.

Now the city is forced to find other ways to find the money, Sbranti said.

In one effort, the City Council Monday approved shifting county funds around and funneling about $820,000 to road repair projects that will target areas of West Leland and Loveridge roads and 10th Street.

Beginning that work may not be possible until April, when warmer weather allows the street patching material to chemically bond the right way, Sbranti said.

Meanwhile, he added, city staffers are searching for new grants and other creative ways to make up the money.

Road repair is generally most cost-effective when it's done early --- numerous studies recommend vigilant maintenance and pothole repair over letting streets deteriorate until they need to be replaced, and that deterioration happens at an exponential rate once potholes begin surfacing.

Pittsburg generally sticks to that ethic, with a heavy focus on using slurry seals to patch up areas that are becoming vulnerable to water, then laying a seal across the top.

"It's comparable to a wall in a house with a bunch of hole in it," Sbranti said. "You'd putty up the holes, then paint over it. That's functionally pretty similar."

Pittsburg was founded over a century ago and many of its 170 miles of road are quite old, Sbranti added, necessitating more care. On a 100-point rating scale, Pittsburg streets tend to be graded between 50 and 70, he added.

A good warning sign, he said, is what engineers call alligator cracking, or alligatoring.

"If you look at alligator skin shoes, you'll see the alligator skin tends to have a pattern on it that's kind of irregular," he said. "If you look at pavement that is starting to fail, it has a similar pattern."

Residents who notice potholes may alert city staffers at 925-252-4936. Those who want their neighborhood streets considered for full rehabilitation should call 925-252-4930.

Contact Sean Maher at 925-779-7189. Follow him on Twitter at @OneSeanMaher.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Pirate Baseball 6th Annual Crab & Chicken Dinner

0310 1000 -- I had a delicious breakfast at County Waffle Restaurant, at Harbor and Atlantic, just now. On the way out, I spotted this flyer and thought I should post it here. As it turns out, Jim Watkins, named on the flyer, is on the City's Community Advisory Commission -- the same team that brought us CERT training --- hmmm... tight, community-spirited "little" town we have, no?

-- Decian

Friday, March 9, 2012

City of Pittsburg: PG&E Schedules Natural Gas Line Work

PG&E Schedules Natural Gas Line Work

Date: 3/12/2012 9:00 AM - 3/23/2012

Location: Golf Club Road and Buchanan Road
Pittsburg, California

PG&E has scheduled work on the natural gas pipeline located at Golf Club Road and Buchanan Road beginning Monday, March 12th. The work will initially begin by PG&E removing all of the gas so that work on the pipeline can begin on Tuesday, March 13th. Customers might notice an additional odor near this intersection, and PG&E is using specialized equipment to minimize the noise and the odor. No customers will lose gas service.

PG&E's 24-hour support line is 1-800-PGE-5000 (or 1-800-743-5000).

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Pittsburg OKs spending $820,000 to fix streets

Pittsburg OKs spending $820,000 to fix streets

Posted Date: 3/6/2012

By Sean Maher
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 03/05/2012 08:14:12 PM PST

Updated: 03/06/2012 06:55:39 AM PST

The Pittsburg City Council approved plans Monday to spend about $820,000 on fixing up some of the city's roads.

The decision was critically timed because without making plans to spend the money before July of this year, the city could have been forced to return some funding to the state, according to a report submitted by Pittsburg City Manager Joe Sbranti.

Fixing the roads includes patch paving and slurry seals, Sbranti's report said.

"Slurry seals fill small cracks, prevent water from penetrating the surface, and provide a new black wearing surface," the report said. "It is an effective maintenance treatment used to extend the life of asphalt pavement.

"Crack sealing is a necessary preparatory step for the slurry seal program. Cape seals are a two-step process applied to streets too severely aged and weathered to be rehabilitated with a single application of slurry seal."

Streets already identified for repairs include areas of West Leland Road, Loveridge Road and 10th Street. "Other locations may be added as funding allows," Sbranti wrote.

Friday, March 2, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Courthouse kids waiting room to open in Pittsburg

Courthouse kids waiting room to open in Pittsburg

Posted Date: 3/2/2012

By Sean Maher
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 02/29/2012 03:01:31 PM PST

Updated: 02/29/2012 03:01:31 PM PST

As much fun as going to court can be, it's not necessarily a delight for children -- but that's about to change.

The Contra Costa Superior Court will open its first children's waiting room Monday at the Arnason Justice Center in Pittsburg, serving kids aged 2 to 12. The service will be available for free to any parents doing business in the courthouse, whether they're heading to trial or filing some paperwork, as long as they can pick their kids up in time for the lunch hour, court spokeswoman Mimi Lyster said.

"The courthouse, number one, isn't terribly interesting to children, and number two, it's not always necessarily appropriate for children," Lyster said.

"The true advantage of this, of course, is that children who can't be cared for in another way will have a separate space to hang out and play and be cared for while their parents or guardians are either attending court hearings, or transacting business at the window," Lyster said.

Taking charge of the children who get dropped off will be employees at Kidango, a 30-year-old Bay Area nonprofit, which cares for 2,500 children daily across nine cities in Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties.

Kidango will not serve children meals, but "they will have snacks, age-appropriate toys, games, activities, and patient good cheer in abundant supply for young visitors," Lyster said.

It's not clear yet exactly how much this will cost or how many children can be served, Lyster said, since this program is a first for the county. It's being paid for by a fund of about $1 million collected over about five years by taking small percentages of civil filing fees, she added.

Pittsburg is getting first crack at the service because the $65 million Arnason center, which opened in November 2010, was built deliberately to house a space suitable for children, Lyster said.

The only court-going parents to whom the service will not be available, Lyster said, are jurors, who require separate services.

The new room opens will the rest of the courthouse Monday morning and will close daily for lunch at the end of the day at 4:30 p.m.

Contact Sean Maher at 925-779-7189. Follow him on Twitter at @OneSeanMaher.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

City of Pittsburg: California Theater 3/23 Organ Restoration Event

California Theater Organ Restoration Event

Louis Prima Jr. with "Keely and Sam" and the "Witnesses"

Date: 3/23/2012 8:00 PM

Location: El Campanil Theatre
602 W. Second Street
Antioch, California

The Pittsburg Historical Museum and the California Theater Organ Restoration Committee is sponsoring an evening with Louis Prima Jr. (!!!), with "Keely and Sam" and the "Witnesses"!

Louis Jr. will be playing his father's music and doing many of his routines. We have seen clips of his show, and they are going to rock the roof off of the theater! George Cardinale recommended them, after he saw them perform in Monterey to a sold out house and they will be playing in St. Helena the day after ours, to another sold out house! They are coming to us directly from Las Vegas. This will be a ONE DAY, ONE PERFORMANCE show.

The date is Friday March 23, at 8:00 in the evening, at the El Campanil Theatre in Antioch. (Unfortunately, we couldn't book anything in Pittsburg as that date was taken.) Ticket prices are: first 3 rows in Orchestra - $50.00, the rest of the Orchestra Section and all the Lodge Section - $40.00, and the Opera Section - $30.00.

There will be wine and soft drinks for sale at the theater. Tickets are on sale at the El Campanil Theater Box Office at 602 W. 2nd. St. in Antioch or online at www.elcampaniltheatre.com.

It is open to the general public, so tell your family and friends about it. The proceeds will go to the Pittsburg Historical Museum, and the California Theater Organ Restoration Committee. It promises to be a fun night and I can't wait for it!

For more information, contact the El Campanil Theatre at (925) 757-9500.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Longtime Pittsburg man shared memories of being prisoner of war in WWII to help others

Longtime Pittsburg man shared memories of being prisoner of war in WWII to help others

Posted Date: 2/28/2012

By Paul Burgarino
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 02/24/2012 03:03:51 PM PST

Updated: 02/25/2012 03:02:30 PM PST

Much of Vincent Silva's life was shaped by his three-and-a-half years as a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II.

But it wasn't until his later years that the longtime Pittsburg resident opened up about his experiences.

Silva, who died last week at 93 of natural causes, started sharing the story of his experience in the Bataan Death March once his wife, Rose, passed away in 2005.

"I think he had tried to move them into the back of his mind," daughter Penny Cannon said.

Cannon surmises the New Mexico native was trying to keep her mother from being saddened by his horrific tales.

"I remember him telling me, 'If I hadn't lived through this, I wouldn't have believed it myself,' " Cannon said.

Silva shared many of his tales in a 2008 memoir titled "Senso Owari (The War Is Ended)." He also recited poems he wrote years ago.

"I hope I have somewhere near his memory at that age," said Ray Ansick, a member of several East Contra Costa veterans groups, who met Silva at a Memorial Day event three years ago.

"It really was an honor to know him," said Ansick, who convinced Silva to tell his story at several local speaking events.

After returning home in late 1945 to join Rose in the East Bay, Silva worked in construction, building new homes and churches in the growing suburbs of Contra Costa County.

Silva later became head of the city of Concord's carpentry shop where he worked for more than 20 years before retiring in 1982. Among the facilities he helped build were the Concord Pavilion and City Park.

The northeast New Mexico native left the coal mines to become a member of that state's National Guard. Silva was dispatched to the Philippines three months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. As an anti-aircraft gunner, the Army sergeant's job was to help defend the island from invasion.

Silva and others fought against Japanese forces and starvation for more than four months. Cut off from supplies, their commanding officer offered up surrender on April 9, 1942.

Silva became one of 75,000 U.S. and Filipino troops who marched 100 miles through the jungles in the Bataan Death March. Along the way, hundreds dropped from exhaustion and starvation and were left to die. Others were executed. Those who survived were imprisoned in labor camps.

Silva told this newspaper in 1995 about the 50-year anniversary of the end of the war: "I might say that I could forgive them, but I'll never forget. It was just too much. We just went through too much to forget."

"He was a man that suffered more than we'll never know, but was he wasn't a bitter man," Ansick said.

Cannon chokes up when talking about some of her father's shared memories: being loaded like sardines into cattle cars, seeing human heads on the fence posts of towns they entered as a warning, and how he carried rosary beads given to him by his wife through his imprisonment -- even when a weapons-toting Japanese soldier questioned him about it while searching belongings.

"That brought him through the war," Cannon said.

A vigil will be held 4 p.m. Sunday at Pittsburg Funeral Chapel, 2295 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. Local veterans will stand outside the ceremony with flags Sunday and lead a motorcade to his burial in San Pablo on Monday, Ansick said.

Contact Paul Burgarino at 925-779-7164. Follow him at Twitter.com/paulburgarino.

Vincent Silva
Born: April 12, 1918, in New Mexico
Died: Feb. 16 in Antioch
Career: Worked as the head of Concord's carpentry shop for about 20 years, along with several construction jobs. Served in the Army during World War II, was a prisoner of war for 3 years in the Philippines. Silva received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge.
Service: A visitation begins at 3 p.m. followed by a vigil at 4 p.m. Sunday at Pittsburg Funeral Chapel, 2295 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg; committal services at 10 a.m. Monday St. Joseph's Cemetery, San Pablo
Survivors: Children Linda Gregoire, Penny Cannon, Vincent Jr. and Marjorie. Seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Preceded in death: Wife Rose and son Richard

Friday, February 24, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Pittsburg college seeks nominees for Cesar Chavez awards

Pittsburg college seeks nominees for Cesar Chavez awards

Posted Date: 2/24/2012

By Sean Maher
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 02/23/2012 02:02:14 PM PST

Updated: 02/23/2012 02:02:14 PM PST

A Pittsburg college is looking for the next Cesar Chavez -- three of them, in fact.

Los Medanos College is preparing to host its annual "Celebrating the Life of Cesar Chavez" awards ceremony at the end of March. The ceremony honors Chavez as "a true American hero, (who) exemplifies service to community and nonviolent social change."

As part of the ceremony, the college will be awarding three honors in Chavez's name:

The LMC Cesar Chavez Award for Exemplary Community Service is awarded to a local citizen who best exemplifies the core values of service to others, sacrifice, helping the most needy, determination, nonviolence, tolerance, respect for life, celebrating community, knowledge and innovation.

The East County Educator Award honors a local educator who demonstrates those same values as well as a "commitment to student success and educational equity, particularly for low-income students and students of color."

The Chavez Spirit Award seeks an "emerging leader" making an impact in advocacy and social justice.

Residents can nominate somebody by going online to www.losmedanos.edu/chavez/nominate or contacting Eileen Valenzuela at evalenzuela@losmedanos.edu or 925-439-2181, ext. 3103. The deadline for nomination is March 15.

The awards ceremony is open to the public and planned for March 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the college's Music Recital Hall at 2700 E. Leland Road in Pittsburg.

Contact Sean Maher at 925-779-7189. Follow him on Twitter at @OneSeanMaher.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

City of Pittsburg: Pittsburg troupe deserves kudos for hilarious musical revue

Pittsburg troupe deserves kudos for hilarious musical revue

Posted Date: 2/23/2012

By Judith Prieve
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 02/22/2012 02:52:20 PM PST

If you enjoy a little music, a few dance moves and a whole lot of laughter, no doubt you'll like Pittsburg Community Theatre's latest offering, "The Kids Left. The Dog Died. Now What?"

Betty Brown and David Ward direct the Carole Caplan-Lonner musical revue, which opened last Friday, and wraps up this Sunday at a small makeshift stage at Pittsburg City Hall.

The 8-by-8 stage at the troupe's temporary venue makes little difference in this show because here it's all about the humor and music and the actors have little trouble engaging the upclose audience in their rib-tickling and often heartfelt adventures. Geared for grown-ups, this musical features some 15 songs that tell the day-to-day adventures of the over-50 "empty nest" crowd -- from health problems to midlife crises, the arrival of the AARP membership card, dating and divorce, grandparenting and more.

The show begins with the nine actors -- playing 30 roles -- fretting their advanced age, singing the snappy "Now What," setting the stage for the adventures of this "over-50" set dealing with their kids having left, mothers moved in and backs going bad.

Mark Hinds is hilarious in "Doctors" -- a theme that will be repeated -- about an older man losing his pep, dealing with colon trouble, a bad back and knee, not to mention learning how to golf better ("put golf in front of your family," he squeals with delight). He gets to strut his comic stuff again in the "Computer Dating" and "Computer Chat," during which he plays a newly widowed man who tries his hand at making a match on the Internet. Across the stage from him is Dorothea Rastegar as the reluctant widower who gets coerced by a friend into online dating. The two eventually get together in the touching "New Firsts," following their grandchildren's baseball game.

Also having a hard time with change to great comic effect is Marlene Ward playing beside her husband, David, in "Who Says Progress in Good?" No doubt audience members can relate to her one-liners as she bemoans constantly changing technology: "It's not a present if it comes with batteries" and "There's something wrong with society when you can't turn on the TV set at someone else's house." The two get more laughs, together with the talented Robert Brown and Lisa Luttinger in "Headlights, Tailights," in which the couples race around preparing for their grandchildren's visits.

And then there's the hilarious "Everybody's Got a Cheap Spot" featuring the Wards, along with the ever-comical Siobhan O'Brien and John Gishe, making fun of everyone's little idosyncracies. After all, who doesn't sometimes tear a paper towel in half, reuse a plastic bag or refuse to check in his jacket at the theater?

Betty Gregg, meanwhile, is hilarious in "If You Want to Stay Married," with a glass of wine in one hand, cordially smiling as her husband drives her nuts.

One of the younger cast members, the effervescent Luttinger, shines in "AARP," in which she opens a birthday card from the AARP and a choir above her sings to her the card's contents, reminding her of her advanced age. She's even funnier, however, in the over-the-top "Casserole Stroll," when she struts her dish along with Ward and O'Brien, all trying to capture the attention of a newly widowed -- and highly available -- man.

With so many comic lines and memorable music, this modern, fast-paced comedy is bound to appeal to baby boomers but likely will impress adults of all ages. Under the able direction of Brown and Ward, the troupe deserves kudos for putting together such a delightful, entertaining show -- and doing so in such a small space with few props.

Reach Judith Prieve at 925-779-7178.

IF YOU GO
What: "The Kids Left. The Dog Died. Now What?"
When: 8 p.m. Feb. 24, 25; 2 p.m. Feb. 26
Where: Pittsburg City Hall, 65 Civic Ave.
Cost: $12 (seniors and students); $15 general admission
Info: 925-439-PLAY