Learn more about mushrooms at the Tilden Fungus Fair Jan. 20-21

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District

With the return of winter rains, park visitors may have noticed mushrooms popping up in the Regional Parks. Mushrooms are an ecologically important part of our parklands and can look beautiful – but some of them contain dangerous toxins.

The death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata) are two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms, and both can be found in East Bay Regional Parks during the rainy season.

The death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms contain amatoxins, molecules that are deadly to many animals. Symptoms may not appear until up to 12 hours after consumption, beginning as severe gastrointestinal distress and progressing to liver and kidney failure if treatment is not sought immediately. Both mushrooms can be lethal to humans and pets if consumed. They are mainly associated with oak trees and can be found growing anywhere oak roots are present.

The death cap is a medium to large mushroom that typically has a greenish-gray cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem, and a large white sac at the base of the stem. Although the death cap is mainly associated with oak trees, it has been found growing with other hardwoods. It was accidentally introduced to North America on the roots of European cork oaks and is now slowly colonizing the west coast. The death cap is not native to California.

The western destroying angel is a medium to large mushroom that usually has a creamy white cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem that can disappear with age, and a thin white sac at the base. It fruits from late winter into spring. It is associated exclusively with oaks. Unlike the death cap, it is a native California mushroom.

The Park District urges the public to be safe and knowledgeable about toxic mushrooms when encountering them in the parks. Collecting any mushrooms in East Bay Regional Parks is not allowed.

Pet owners should contact a veterinarian immediately if they suspect their pet may have eaten a toxic mushroom.

While the death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms are responsible for most cases of mushroom poisonings in California, deadly toxins can also be found in Galerina and Lepiota mushroom species, which also occur in the Bay Area. For more information about toxic mushrooms, visit www.ebparks.org/safety/trails/toxic-mushrooms.

Learn More About Fungi – Tilden Fungus Fair, January 20-21, 2024

Celebrate the fruits of winter! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, mingle with the mycological community, and enjoy presentations by guest speakers at this two-day special event. Saturday, January 20, and Sunday, January 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/events/tilden-fungus-fair. 

Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch is hosting their Free Annual Toy Giveaway on Christmas Eve at 3415 Oakley Road, Antioch. Call 925-522-2017 for more details. For more information about the church visit www.gbfofantioch.org.

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on the department’s Facebook page Thursday evening, Dec. 21, 2023, the Antioch Police announced the addition of 50 officers for a special enforcement effort to suppress vehicle theft in the city. The post reads:

“Tonight, you may see an extra 50 officers in Antioch. We are hosting VSET (Vehicle Theft Suppression Enforcement Team) These officers will be focusing on sideshow enforcement, preventing auto theft as well as arresting people in stolen vehicles. So far, we have already recovered 4 stolen vehicles and made 3 arrests.”

Unfortunately, one stolen vehicle and its driver got away. At about 3:50 p.m. Thursday, stolen white pickup truck with stolen plates was chased by multiple police vehicles southbound on L Street and Contra Loma Blvd. At least one other vehicle while under the overpass was sideswiped by the pickup which had stolen plates, before the truck turned and headed westbound up the eastbound offramp of Highway 4. The police vehicles could not follow the pickup and headed in multiple directions including westbound on Hwy 4, eastbound on Fitzuren Road and westbound on Buchanan Road.

In spite of the assistance in the search by a Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office helicopter, it was later reported that the truck was lost and possibly dumped near Somersville Road.

Shift your mindset and your profits! Find your purpose and create your legacy. Network with other great minds and grow together every 4th Saturday

Business professionals, receive coaching to form strategic partnerships, build referrals and sharpen your skills to help grow your business and make it both profitable and sustainable at the Entrepreneur Incubator at Genesis Church in Antioch every fourth Saturday of the month.

The next session presented by Bay Area Urban Development Association (BAUDA), in association with Dalet Access Labs, Genesis Church and Urban Business Network, will be held Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

The church is located at 1800 Woodland Drive on the corner of E. 18th Street in Antioch.

Register at Entrepreneur Incubator | Genesis Church.

For more information visit www.bayareauda.com and www.yourgenesischurch.com.

Learn of the Advent during Sunday morning services

Candlelight Services at 7:00 pm and 11:30 pm

Join us at Golden Hills Community Church on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023. Come celebrate Jesus with us as we explore what this season of Advent is all about during our normal Sunday morning services at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. There will be no kids’ classes that morning. We encourage all ages to sit in the service with their family. 

Then join us that night and worship the Lord during one of our annual Candlelight Services. We will sing Christmas songs of worship and hear from God’s Word as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Our first service will be inside the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm. We will offer ASL interpreting at this indoor service.

Our second service will be outside on the plaza at 11:30 pm. Please bring your own chair and wear something warm!

These services are for the whole family. Each service will last 30–45 minutes. 

For more information visit Christmas | Golden Hills Community Church. The church is located at  2401 Shady Willow Lane in Brentwood.

Exciting arena events, concert series, carnival rides, livestock, exhibits and more!

ANTIOCH – Save the date for the 2024 Contra Costa County FAIR happening May 16 – 19 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.

To FAIR and Beyond is the theme for a fun planned four-day event for fair-goers of all ages.  The Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, exciting arena events, delicious food, carnival rides, animals and hundreds of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment at affordable prices! 

Main stage entertainment at our 2024 FAIR concert series is FREE with admission to the FAIR.

The Contra Costa Fairgrounds are located at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch.

Visit www.contracostafair.com for more information.

Permanently protecting almost 7 acres on slopes of Mt. Diablo’s North Peak

By Laura Kindsvater, Senior Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo

CLAYTON, CA—On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, Save Mount Diablo closed escrow on the 6.69-acre Krane Pond property on the slopes of Mount Diablo’s North Peak, permanently protecting it.

The Krane Pond property is part of the “Missing Mile,” a square mile of partly unprotected land on Mount Diablo’s North Peak.

The property has been a priority of Save Mount Diablo’s since our founding in 1971, in part because of its large pond, one of the largest on Mount Diablo’s north side, and its position directly adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park. (See related articles here and here)

Krane Pond is a vital water source for Mount Diablo’s wildlife, one that contains water throughout most summers, unlike many of the creeks and other ponds found on Mount Diablo. The ecological significance of Krane Pond far eclipses its size.

Save Mount Diablo secured the option agreement to purchase Krane Pond in the fall of 2022, with a year to raise the necessary funds to complete the purchase. Save Mount Diablo had one year to raise the $500,000 needed to cover the various project costs for acquiring the Krane Pond property.

We are particularly grateful to have received 257 donations totaling $61,361 from the readers of Joan Morris’s East Bay Times and Mercury News column. Their gifts arrived close to the fundraising deadline, when it was a race against time to acquire the remaining funds to complete the purchase.

A development lies along one of the property’s borders, a very real reminder of how the land could have been graded and paved over had Save Mount Diablo not acquired it.

In 1978, Walt and Roseann Krane purchased 6.69 acres of land on the outskirts of Clayton, bordered by Mount Diablo State Park and the meridian on the west side, Mount Diablo Creek on the north side, and property held by ranchers to the east.

Although the Krane family initially had plans to build a house on the property, they decided to preserve the land and eventually sold it to Save Mount Diablo.

About Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

‘Tis the season to help the American Red Cross now through Jan. 5

Donors receive long-sleeved T-shirt while supplies last

OAKLAND, CA. Dec. 20, 2023 — When blood products are fully stocked on hospital shelves, patients don’t have to wait for critical care. Giving blood or platelets with the American Red Cross in December can help those in need make more holiday memories with loved ones.

This is a busy time for many. Holiday gatherings, travel and seasonal illnesses can all impact donor availability, making it hard to collect enough blood and platelets. Unfortunately, trauma patients in the emergency room, those undergoing cancer treatment and new parents in need of lifesaving transfusions can’t take a holiday break. Donors are needed every single day.  

Those who come to give blood, platelets or AB Elite plasma Dec. 18, 2023-Jan. 5, 2024, will receive an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt, while supplies last. To extend a special thank-you to donors for helping address the need for blood, platelets and plasma during the critical post-holiday time, those who come to give Jan. 1-31, 2024, National Blood Donor Month, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

Making and keeping appointments throughout the month can help safeguard the national blood supply into the new year. Schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.