In brief: Walnut Creek golf tournament to raise funds for children in need

WALNUT CREEK

Yours Humanly will hold its fourth annual Tee Off for Education Golf Tournament at 10 a.m. July 17 on Walnut Creek’s Rossmoor Golf Course, followed by a silent auction, raffle and awards presentation dinner.

A Walnut Creek-based global nonprofit, Yours Humanly (yourshumanly.org) transforms the lives of children in need around the world by providing access to quality education and equitable resources. Proceeds from the fundraiser will support Yours Humanly’s programs and initiatives that lift children out of poverty and other challenging situations through the power of education.

“This is a great way to be outdoors enjoying the game of golf with friends and family while being a part of something very special for children in need,” says Sunny Singh, Yours Humanly’s president and chief executive officer.

Registration will start at 10 a.m., at which time the putting green and practice range will be open for registered golfers. The putting contest will begin at 11 a.m., followed by scramble format tournament play beginning at noon. The awards dinner will follow at 5 p.m.

The golf course is at 1010 Stanley Dollar Drive in Walnut Creek. For more details or to register, visit bit.ly/TOFE2023 online.

Yours Humanly receives $213K grant from city of Concord

Yours Humanly has received a $213,000 grant from the city of Concord to fund a comprehensive literacy project that will benefit more than 4,000 students across 10 Concord elementary schools through the Yours Humanly Literacy Program.

Through a larger federal grant program, Concord allocated a total $7 million in one-time funds to 22 local nonprofits serving the city, including Yours Humanly. While classrooms are considered homogeneous for grade level, they are heterogeneous for reading ability — within a grade, students are at different points in their reading skills.

To promote early literacy and grade level proficiency, Yours Humanly will use the funds to provide picture books, chapter books, leveled reading books and bilingual books for students and classrooms in need and host two on-campus Family Literacy nights per school (fall and spring) to encourage parent engagement and reading at home.

— Yours Humanly

OAKLEY

Big Break Regional Park’s Otter Festival set for July 20-23

In Oakley, Big Break Regional Park’s Otter Festival highlights one of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’s most charismatic mammals. Play like otters in the East Bay Regional Park District’s (EBRPD) hands-on stream tables, get creative with thematic crafts and test your otter athletic skills at the festival.

Otter Play Days will be July 20-21 from 10 a.m. noon; Otter Storytime wil be from from 10:30 to 11 a.m. July 22; Otter Crafts will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 22; and the Otter Olympics will be from from 11 a.m. to noon July 23. For more details, visit ebparks.org/calendar and search “Otter.”

— EBRPD

BRENTWOOD

‘Citizenship Preparation’ class runs Aug. 21 until Nov. 13

Are you interested in becoming a U.S. citizen but intimidated by the process? Liberty Adult Education (LAE) in Brentwood is offering a free “Citizenship Preparation” class to improve your success with the testing process. The class will cover U.S. history and government, the “100 Questions” and include a practice interview.

Participants must be able to read, write and speak English at a high intermediate level of English as a second language. The class will meets from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Aug. 21 through Nov. 13 in the Community Education Center at 929 Second St. in Brentwood. Call 925-634-2565 or visit libertyadulted.org online to register.

— LAE

PLEASANT HILL

Council OKs hiring of new city manager at recent meeting

The city of Pleasant Hill is pleased to announce its City Council’s approval June 26 to hire Assistant City Manager Ethan Bindernagel as its new city manager. Bindernagel takes over for outgoing City Manager June Catalano, who retired June 16 after a 17-year career with the city.

Bindernagel came to Pleasant Hill in 2021 after spending 14 years working for the city of Walnut Creek. He began his career in government in 2000 at the federal level as a Congressional aide in the U.S. House of Representatives before attending graduate school and then transitioning to urban planning in 2005.

Bindernagel has extensive experience in economic development, housing and land use planning. In his time in Walnut Creek, he served as the economic development manager and planning manager. He has a master’s degree in community planning, is a member of the International City/County Management Association and is a graduate of the Local Governance Summer Institute at Stanford University.

“I am looking forward to stepping into this vital role as I continue to serve Pleasant Hill in a new capacity,” Bindernagel said. “This is a wonderful, vibrant city, and I am very excited to work with the City Council, the community and city staff to help it continue to grow.”

Bindernagel resides in Lafayette with his wife, Becca, and two children, Rose and James.

— city of Pleasant Hill

CONCORD

City facilities switch to clean electricity this month

The Concord City Council voted unanimously June 13 to opt the city’s facilities into Marin Clean Energy’s (MCE) Deep Green 100% renewable energy service option. With this action, the city is expected to eliminate 2,729 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to taking 607 cars off the road.

The city’s accounts currently served by MCE’s 60% renewable Light Green service will be upgraded to 100% renewable Deep Green service, currently powered by 50% wind and 50% solar. MCE invests half of the Deep Green premium collected in local projects and programs that benefit the community, such as rebates for newly purchased and leased electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging ports and electric water heaters.

“We’re taking bold actions to fight climate change by increasing our commitment to renewable energy,” said Concord Vice Mayor and MCE Board Director Edi Birsan. “This is just one of the ways we are moving to deal with climate change, and we look forward to adding more steps to a better future.”

The transition to Deep Green Service started Saturday, will cost just 10% more annually than the city’s current energy bills for its accounts; and adds to a growing list of the city’s sustainability initiatives.

These initiatives include replacing street light fixtures and traffic signals with energy-efficient lighting; receiving the SolSmart Gold designation for solar projects; improving bike lane design in the downtown corridor; and installing a stormwater capture system at Hillcrest Park and a bioretention system along Salvio Street.

“Concord joins eight other cities in Contra Costa County who are choosing to power their facilities with 100% renewable energy, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing millions of dollars toward an equitable clean energy transition,” said Dawn Weisz, MCE’s chief executive officer.

To learn about the city’s sustainability initiatives, visit cityofconcord.org/sustainability online. For more information about MCE’s Deep Green 100% renewable energy option, visit mcecleanenergy.org/100-renewable.

— city of Concord

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