It’s Coming! Thanksgiving Day 2013 is almost here! Join us on Thursday, November 28th for the 21st Annual Forma Gym Turkey Trot in Walnut Creek. Your Thanksgiving morning will be filled with enthusiasm and fitness while helping raise much-needed funds for Walnut Creek schools (WCEF & P.E.A.K), The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County, The Wellness City Challenge, the Forma Kids Foundation, and the San Pablo Corridor Coalition, which supports underprivileged children in Oakland.
Start Times – Thursday, November 28, 2013
8:00 AM – 5K and 10K Start
10:00 AM – Kids’ Fun Runs start (multiple heats based on distance & age)
Location – Civic Park in Downtown Walnut Creek
Register Today! Register to participate in the event today by selecting a division below. All entries include a race bib, short-sleeve cotton t-shirt, chip timing (5K/10K), eligibility for age group awards, post race refreshments and a great run or walk. All kids’ run finishers will receive a ribbon.
We also offer registration in-person at Forma Gym (located at 1908 Olympic Blvd.) as well as via US Mail. An entry form may be downloaded from their website (see below).
For more information please visit their website for further race information, such as a course maps, participant lists, a printable entry form, directions, past results, photos and video. You can also connect with them on Facebook by following the event here.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQM) has declared it “unlawful” to burn today and today is just the beginning.
In more recent years, Bay Area residents have begin to noticed a startling trend; the BAAQM seems to be attacking Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. In the days surrounding these holidays, Spare the Air alerts have been documented as “No Burn Days” in the past few years. This means the 7 million Bay Area residents will have to forgo offering seasonal fires to guests during the upcoming holiday season.
BAAQM claims that the Spare the Air alerts are issued depending on air quality conditions, however, it seems as though particular holidays are targeted every year.
Unfortunately, no fires for the holidays is just the beginning. If caught you could face being reported by neighbors, facing fines upwards of $400, forced to attend a Spare the Air school (paid by tax payers) and even forced evacuation of your home with the possibility of it being condemn or seized. To add insult to injury, we were unable to find any California law that states it’s unlawful to burn wood anytime, even on Spare the Air days (If you find one, let us know!).
For those that are wondering what the public thinks of the fireplace police,
it’s not good. According to March 2012 ABC article, “Residents have called the inspectors “communists,” “disciples of Hitler,” “a disgrace to this country,”
“inconsiderate,” “obnoxious” and “out of control.” In one (letter), the writer
said he’s “enraged” that they’ve “ruined every holiday…” Another told them
they’re going to hell.”
To find out more information on the Spare the Air legal issues, who’s supporting it and how this costly program affects its residents and how they feel it about it, click here.
The team at DiabloReporter.com will continue documenting the alerts as they correspond to the holidays and publish our findings in our upcoming Spare the Air reports. And since we can’t enjoy the real thing today (unless you’re a rebel 🙂 ) perhaps this will help a little.
Tell us what you think about the issue? Is this program for the greater good or another system to control the lives of millions?
The holidays are coming! That means that kids and parents across Contra Costa County will be out of school and off work for Thanksgiving break, Christmas vacation and New Years. If your looking for something fun and amazing to do consider a visit to the gem of Monterey, the Monterey Bay Aquarium!
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is set right on the Pacific Ocean coast and draws in over two million visitors per year. The Aquarium features over 35,000 plants and more than 600 species of wildlife, from penguins and otters to crabs, sardines and fluorescent jellyfish. See the sea otter in the video below.
According to Touropia, this nationally recognized aquarium comes in at number 6 of the Top 10 Largest aquariums in the world! The Monterey Bay Aquarium features an array of exhibits one of them being a 33ft high (1.3 million liter) tank, which holds a number or large aquatic animals including sharks.
Here’s the scoop if your thinking about going:
Plan at least half a day to see it. In general no matter what day you visit, after 12pm be prepared for lots of kid activity. If you want to have the whole aquarium basically to yourself then plan for a morning visit. Also the aquarium has no public parking but there are spaces all around Cannery Row and two large public parking structures a couple of blocks away.
For a wheelchair traveler the aquarium has all the modern ADA upgrades to make your visit comfortable. There are elevators and accessible restrooms all over the aquarium’s two floors and there’s even a telescope at a level for a wheelchair user on the second floor look-out patio. The Monterey Bay Aquarium does have handicapped parking for those with a disabled placard or license plate but very limited (around 6 spots). The hidden parking lot is located off Cannery Row at the stop sign right before reaching the aquarium.
The aquarium has four bookstores including the largest bookstore in Monterey. They stocked with an extensive assortment of books on marine life, the California coast, ecology and biodiversity. A self-service cafe is open form 11:00 – 5:00 pm and the newly renovated Cindy’s Waterfront restaurant is open from 11:00 – 3:00 pm. Food can be a little pricey for those on a budget but being located so close to Cannery Row there are many great local places to eat as well.
The Aquarium displays 14 species of sharks and rays. The Sharks are a popular exhibit that draws crowds all day long and can be found in a number of tanks. Many are smaller sharks but a couple of massive tanks showcase the power of larger ones, like the Hammerhead Shark in the “Outer Bay” exhibit that is a 4.5 million liter tank.
The Jellyfish Exhibit is electrifyingly beautiful! These graceful neon creatures are a must see for this aquarium visit and are in their own right a living piece of art that makes you feel weightless.
The volunteers are friendly and informative. They can assist you with questions and many are bilingual as seen on their name tags. They can help you experience the soft, prickly and jelly like touch pond full of living sea creatures just waiting to be touched.
There were many kid friendly areas placed throughout the aquarium. This includes multiple kids play and discover areas as while as child photo stations. There’s even various learning centers like the one in the video below.
Feeding demonstrations take place daily at the sea otter, kelp forest and penguin exhibits. The staff gives an informing, entertaining presentation about various animals. Check out this clip from the penguin feeding presentation.
Make sure that you spent a tranquil moment in the wave room to hear the roar of the tide coming in over head and before you leave check out the outside patiowith breath-taking views of Monterey Bay.
The Monterey Bay Aquariums Ticket Prices:
Child Admission (3–12, under 3 free)
Adult Admission (18–64 and not in college) $34.95
Senior Admission (65+) $21.95
Student Admission (13–17 or college ID) $31.95
Aquarium Tickets or One Year Membership passes will excellent stocking stuffers. With the one year membership passes the excitement and learning can continue all year long! For more information on membership passes, click here. Plus each pass includes discounts at the bookstores and gift shop. Military can receive discount tickets, click here for more information. All in all this is an awesome way to spend the day! It’s beautiful, educational and an amazing adventure for adults, kids and even couples alike.
Tell us what you think? Have you ever been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium? Would you go again or like to go? Do you have any tips or suggestions for visitors? Got an amazing photo or video of your experience to share? Send it to Diabloreporter@hush.com and we will post it. Planning a trip to Monterey? Check back for our upcoming article, Monterey: The Beautiful, Historic & Full of Life.
Apparently there’s a glitch in the matrix. A computer malfunction has prevented all BART trains from running. Stations are open and employees are present, however, none of the regular trains are running.
It is predicted that the lack of running BART trains will interfere with traffic and may create more congestion and a longer commute. It’s advised that you make other travel plans for getting to work if BART was your plan.
Our readers have just notified us of a smog checkpoint going on today in Concord. The checkpoint is located on Treat Blvd & Citrus Ave near San Simeon (heading towards Concord). This checkpoint is run by California Highway Patrol. They are stopping vehicles and detaining them for up to 20 minutes to conduct an on-site smog check investigation.
If you happen to pass this, email us (diabloreporter@hush.com) pictures or video of the event and let’s get the word out so that unsuspecting driver’s are not surprised.
The Supreme Court has ruled the checkpoints unconstitutional; however the state can perform these checkpoints as long as they follow particular guidelines including making a public announcement with location prior the checkpoints. It also requires drivers have a way to leave the checkpoint without being forced to pass through. For more information on checkpoints and the legal issues that surrounds them, please visit our DUI Checkpoint Frequently Asked Questions Page!
We have received several emails about this incident and the public isn’t happy. What do you think? Waste of time and money? Should this be happening on the streets of Concord? For information and pictures from Concord’s last Smog point, click here.
If you would like to be updated on DUI checkpoints in Contra Costa, it’s HIGHLY recommended that you joining our email list, Facebook page,twitter feed or bookmark us and check back often! We will continue to make people of Contra Costa County aware of DUI Checkpoints, Smog Checkpoints, Saturation Patrols, and other travel related events. As far as we know, DiabloReporter.com is the ONLY site that gives out specific times and locations of checkpoints in the County.
Learn tips and tricks from the experts! Navlet’s gardening classes are free, and each covers a timely topic in the garden. So learn from the pros, meet new friends, and have some fun. Classes are held at one of Navlet’s four East Bay garden centers, located in Concord, Danville, Martinez, and Pleasant Hill. Class size is limited, however, so it’s best to call ahead and reserve your space.
Gardening Class: Winterize Your Gardens
What needs to be done in your garden after Daylight Savings Time has ended? Buzz Bertolero, the “Dirt Gardener” will cover ant controls, saving flower and vegetable seeds, frost protection, dormant spray, fertilizing, controlling next year’s unwanted vegetation now and planting seasonal color.
Class Location: Pleasant Hill Date: Saturday, November 16 Time: 2:00p.m.
Class Location: Concord Date: Saturday, N.ovember 16 Time: 10:00a.m
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