outdoors
Photo courtesy of Brett Corrie
Bright ideas
“Whaddaya lookin’ at, wise guy?” Brentwood resident Brett Corrie found a burrowing owl perched on a lamppost on Sunset Road across from the sports park last week and sent us the photographic proof...
Jun 11, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 47 47 recommendations | email to a friend
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Discovery Bay resident Claudia Hull tends to one of her two plots in the new community garden. The garden is part of an ongoing Earth Day project sponsored by the town.<br>Photo by Ruth Roberts
Public garden grows community spirit
During a recent afternoon of trellising green beans, Claudia Hull waxed poetic on the joys of watching her garden grow. “Well, it’s so much fun,” said Hull. “Of course, my husband says you can’t th...
Jun 07, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 42 42 recommendations | email to a friend
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Families can enjoy a quiet day on the water by renting kayaks from Kayak City in Oakley.<br>Photo courtesy of Dave Biron
Kayaks offer leisurely way to enjoy the Delta
The Delta is East County’s most precious resource, but if you don’t own a boat, how are you supposed to commune with the Delta’s natural beauty? Kayak City in Oakley, located at Big Break Marina, r...
May 31, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 26 26 recommendations | email to a friend
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Dawn atop Round Valley Regional Preserve sets the stage for two sets of common fractals: waves and branches, seen in ripples of clouds and a blue oak’s relentless iterations, in which a branch off the trunk – and a branch off that branch – is an approximate replica of the whole tree.<br>Photo by Ger Erickson
Fractal lens brings wonders into focus
The world is filled not merely with patterns, but patterns within patterns.
May 30, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 27 27 recommendations | email to a friend
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Mayors to public: ‘Take it outside’
In a regional move to counter the national epidemic of obesity and related health problems and costs, elected officials are taking the Mayors Trails Challenge to residents of Contra Costa and Alame...
May 26, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend
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Photo by Angelo Garcia Jr.
Sizzling spokes
A pack of professional cyclists cruised from Livermore to Mt. Diablo during Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California last Saturday. The 91-mile stage looped riders through Bryon, Livermore and even...
May 23, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend
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Photo courtesy of the City of Oakley
Cleaning up Crockett
The City of Oakley’s Adopt-A-Park program has expanded, adding a new partner in New Lifeline Ministries, which adopted Crockett Park. “We’re striving to better serve this community and are pleased ...
May 11, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend
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Gehringer Elementary School’s Extended Day Learning Center students learn about science and nutrition in the school’s community garden, which they help maintain.<br>Photo courtesy of Lindsay Bertolucci
Community garden yields life lessons
Most kids don’t get excited about vegetables, but students at Gehringer Elementary’s Extended Day Learning Center (EDLC) are anxiously waiting to make their own salads with fresh veggies grown in t...
May 09, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 14 14 recommendations | email to a friend
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Photo courtesy of Linda Ciaramitaro
Near escape
A towering eucalyptus tree was no match for the recent furious East County winds. Brentwood’s Linda and Paul Ciaramitaro woke up Thursday, May 2 to find parts of their tree strewn in several direc...
May 09, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
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Photo by Rick Howard
Planting the seeds
Discovery Bay CSD President Ray Tetreault lent some muscle to the cause during last weekend’s Earth Day celebration at the new community center. Local officials and volunteers began building flowe...
Apr 25, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend
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travel
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Hitting the road? Apps to pack to avoid summer brain drain
(BPT) - Warm weather and sunshine are putting families across the country in vacation-planning mode. Whether traveling by train, plane or automobile, mobile devices are typically the first thing p...
Jun 12, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 974 974 recommendations | email to a friend
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Three ways to bring added entertainment to your outdoor experiences
(BPT) - There’s a reason it’s called the “great” outdoors. Nothing can quite compare with the beauty and majesty of wild places. When summer rolls around, the urge to explore grows for many people...
Jun 12, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1078 1078 recommendations | email to a friend
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Moving in the military? How to make the process easier
(BPT) - Moving can cause stress for family members, especially military families that are required to move frequently and potentially without a lot of warning. Sometimes these moves are within a b...
Jun 10, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 636 636 recommendations | email to a friend
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Disciplined and committed candidates wanted to serve in the elite United States Submarine Force
(BPT) - Sailors silently gliding underwater while patrolling the ocean depths in a nuclear-powered sub and the pride of earning the coveted Submarine Dolphins. This is the exciting and challenging...
Jun 10, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 695 695 recommendations | email to a friend
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1,000 shades of green: Nature made sexy in the Pacific Northwest
America's West Coast has allure to spare: stretches of ocean highway, famously laid-back and inviting cities and beaches galore. But the northern half of the coast, the Pacific Northwest, is argua...
Jun 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 25 25 recommendations | email to a friend
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Tuscany travel: For curious travelers, an Italian feast for all the senses
Some say that travel is about the journey more than the destination. And for a growing number of travelers, it’s all about the experience - both on the journey and within the destination. Traveler...
Jun 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 29 29 recommendations | email to a friend
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Iconic Hotels in Europe
Accommodations often take a backseat during the planning stages of a vacation. However, sometimes the places you stay can end up being the best part of your getaway. In Europe, travelers can reser...
Jun 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 28 28 recommendations | email to a friend
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The 5 best natural attractions in the Pacific Northwest
America's West Coast has allure to spare: stretches of ocean highway, famously laid-back and inviting cities and beaches galore. But the northern half of the coast, the Pacific Northwest, is argua...
Jun 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 30 30 recommendations | email to a friend
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Stay safe on the road this summer
(BPT) - As you hit the road for this year’s vacation, you may see an increasing number of vehicles on the sides of the highway broken down either with mechanical problems or flat tires. Don’t dera...
Jun 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 41 41 recommendations | email to a friend
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What famous European hotels would Gatsby visit?
Accommodations often take a backseat during the planning stages of a vacation. However, sometimes the places you stay can end up being the best part of your getaway. In Europe, travelers can reser...
Jun 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 34 34 recommendations | email to a friend
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