In brief: Apply for Walnut Creek police chief’s Community Advisory Board

WALNUT CREEK

The city of Walnut Creek is asking interested residents to apply for several openings on the police chief’s Community Advisory Board. Advisory board members are seated in rotating two-year terms, bringing fresh perspectives and more opportunities for additional residents to serve.

The board serves as a resource for the Walnut Creek police chief in the formation of strategies, developing community policing concepts, increasing public awareness, furthering engagement and transparency efforts and identifying best practices. Established in 2020, the board provides the police chief with feedback from a valuable community perspective and has influenced policies and procedures.

“The chief’s Advisory Board helps me recognize blind spots we might not see within the department and offers me a valuable outside perspective,” said Jamie Knox, Walnut Creek’s police chief.

Knox says he hopes for a broad representation of viewpoints on public safety from those who apply, adding important voices to the current board. Members’ terms last for two years, and the board meets monthly at City Hall.

Interviews for candidates will be conducted in January. The openings are available to Walnut Creek residents. Applications are available on the city’s website at walnutcreekca.gov or directly online at surveymonkey.com/r/PLPFNZX.

— city of Walnut Creek

Garden club to hear from nursery professional at meeting

The Walnut Creek Garden Club (WCGC) will hold its free monthly meeting Jan. 8 in the city’s Elks Lodge. Registration will start at 9:30 a.m., followed by a brief meeting, social time and an educational program, Complimentary tea and coffee will be available.

Shawna Anderson will speak during the meeting’s special program, “Let’s Give Some Winter Interest to Our Pots!” Anderson owns Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers (thrillersfillersandspillers.com) and is an advanced California certified nursery professional for Lafayette’s Orchard Nursery. She has her own styling tips that will jazz up your pot designs.

The Elks Lodge is at 1475 Creekside Drive in Walnut Creek. Members welcome the public to visit their meeting and join the club. For more information, visit walnutcreekgardenclub.org online.

— WCGC

CONCORD

Youth scholarships to provide recreational opportunities

The city of Concord’s Recreation Services Department has relaunched its youth scholarship program to provide recreation opportunities for young residents.

Through this program, underserved Concord youth can experience traditional summer recreation activities, including group swim lessons and Splash Camp at Concord Community Pool, Lil’ Explorers day camp for preschoolers, Backyard Explorers day camp for elementary students, East Bay Explorers day camp for middle school students and the Counselor-in-Training program for teens ages 12 to 15.

The Youth Scholarship Program is open to all Concord residents younger than 18 who meet financial qualifications and submit a completed application. Awardees will pay a nominal enrollment fee of $10 to $50 per program. Participation is limited and based on funding availability.

“We are delighted to bring back the scholarship program for Summer 2024, creating more opportunities for Concord youth to experience our most popular summer programs,” said Steve Voorhies, the recreation services director.

Applications will be available starting Jan. 10 and will be accepted until spaces or funding are exhausted. To learn more about the program online and to apply, visit cityofconcord.org/youthscholarship.

Funding for this program was made possible by the one-time allocation of federal funds through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Concord received $27 million from the act, and the Concord City Council directed $7 million into various city projects and initiatives, including this scholarship program, which received $100,000.

— city of Concord

BRENTWOOD

Apply in February for student intradistrict school transfers

To balance enrollment among the comprehensive school sites in the Liberty Union High School District (LUHSD), attendance areas for Liberty, Freedom and Heritage high schools were established.

Students who live within the LUHSD boundaries but would prefer to attend a school not designated for their residential area must each apply for an intradistrict transfer. The “open enrollment” period will be the month of February for students and parents to complete intradistrict transfer requests for the 2024-25 school year. Decisions regarding these requests will be made by May 15.

Intradistrict Transfer request forms will be available online at luhsd.net or can be picked up from the school district office at 20 Oak St. in Brentwood starting Feb. 1. For any questions, call Valerie Noble at 925-634-2166, ext. 2021.

— LUHSD

LAFAYETTE

Garden club will meet Jan. 11, discuss landscape design

The next monthly meeting of the Lafayette Garden Club (LGC) will start at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 11 for social time and nibbles before a short business meeting at 10 a.m. Club member Wendy Shively will then give a short discussion on the care of orchids.

At 11 a.m., two of the club’s members, landscape designer Laurie Callaway and floral designer Valerie Ow, will share their knowledge of landscape design and cutting plants for optimum floral arranging.

The club meets in the Lafayette Veterans Hall at 3780 Mount Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. The meeting will be free to attend, and the club welcomes guests. Visit lafayettegardenclub.com online for more information.

— LGC

CONCORD

DeSaulnier, others introduce bill for gun safety technology

U.S. Reps. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, and Don Beyer, D-Virginia, recently announced the introduction of the Advancing Gun Safety Technology Act (H.R. 6697), a bill that would help bring life-saving gun safety technology to the market.

Specifically, the bill would create a $10 million pilot program at the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice to support private-sector commercialization of gun safety technology. This legislation is supported by the Brady, Everytown and Giffords advocacy groups.

Gun safety technology — such as is used in smart guns, user-authorized handguns, childproof guns, personalized guns and safes and locking devices that include personalized technology — is designed to reduce the likelihood of an accidental or unauthorized use of guns.

According to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, nearly 500 people die each year in the United States from unintentional firearm injuries, which also account for 37% of nonfatal firearm injuries.

“With gun violence taking such a devastating toll on our communities, and as the son of someone who took his life by gun suicide, I strongly believe that we need to use every tool in the toolbox to address the gun violence epidemic,” DeSaulnier said.

“Gun safety technology will help reduce accidental shootings and gun suicides while protecting responsible gun owners, and this bill will help make that technology available to more people. I am grateful to join with my colleagues in introducing this important legislation.”

The legislation was previously introduced by former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo. For information online, visit bit.ly/3GQ7Oz2.

— U.S. Rep. DeSaulnier’s office

ORINDA

AAUW chapter meeting Jan. 16 to discuss food insecurity

The American Association of University Women, Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette Branch, will hold a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 16 in the Orinda Community Church at 10 Irwin Way in Orinda. The meeting is open to the public, and the topic will be food insecurity in Contra Costa County.

A panel of speakers will drill down on this topic and examine and discuss ways that the AAUW branch can support families with food Insecurity in Lamorinda and Contra Costa County. Speakers at the meeting will be Daniel McCarthy, the Gael Pantry coordinator at St. Mary’s College in Lafayette; Janette Kennedy, of Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa County; and a representative from the Contra Costa Food Bank.

— Marilyn Evans

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