Spotted at a Liberty Bell kiosk in downtown Walnut Creek.
Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
Saturday, July 20th, 2013
10:00am – 4:00pm | Free (tickets on sale for individual performances)The 7th annual Chevron Family Theatre Festival welcomes you and your family to a day of affordable, high quality family entertainment.
This year’s entertainment line-up brings some exciting new performances including headliner Aga-Boom whose slapstick silliness and physical comedy promises a riot of unrestrained laughter from children and adults alike. Another new addition is Alex Ramon Magic, who will captivate audiences of all ages with his fresh approach to modern day magic.
Other favorite artists returning to the festival include Sesame Street star puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble, who will perform Robin Hood, and the Pushcart Players who will perform Stone Soup and Other Stories, a blend of folk tales from around the world.
Plenty of free activities and entertainment will be available, including sock puppet making in the Bedford Gallery, face painting and performances on the outdoor stage.
Photo by Flickr user LA Foodie
Thanks to a reader for sending word that The Melt food truck is going to be in downtown Lafayette every Saturday from 3pm to 10pm at the Roundup Saloon parking lot. Check out the menu here. Gluten-free option are available.
Last Saturday, I was driving on 24 right behind The Melt food truck into Lafayette and was wondering why they stopped at the Saloon parking lot. I’m glad they’ll be there every Saturday as I always wanted to try one of their grilled cheese sandwiches.
1539 N Main St, Walnut Creek
Back in March I noted that the kitchen and bath studio At Home with Baystone would be opening in downtown Walnut Creek and they have now opened. In addition to selling cabinetry, countertops and tiles they also have several in-house designers to work with and plan people’s remodels. The official opening won’t be until September but there is an ongoing ‘soft’ open now.
Moraga Commons Park
1149 Moraga Rd, Moraga
Thursday, July 18th, 2013
6:30pm – 8:30pm | FreeThe Cal Alumni Big Band is a nonprofit musical organization founded by and for Cal graduates and friends of the local jazz community. The Band is a venue for musicians to continue their quest to play big band jazz and to provide financial and organizational support for students of the University of California Jazz Ensembles educational program. Browse the band’s website and view them on YouTube!
The Moraga Park Foundation invites you to join your friends and neighbors for evenings of family fun at the park. Bring your picnic blanket or lawn chairs to the grassy hillside in front of the bandshell and enjoy the music while your children enjoy the park. The volunteers of the Moraga Park Foundation will be serving delicious dinners at the concession stand.
Last October I pointed out how ridiculous it was that Starbucks was selling $6 juice drinks. I would like to apologize for that post as apparently $6 juice drinks are now considered a bargain judging by the juice drinks being sold at the Lafayette Whole Foods. $12 for a Cashew, vanilla, cinnamon, agave drink, $8 for a Lemon, cayenne, agave drink. Maybe I should stick with the black water instead.
Town Hall Theatre
3535 School St, Lafayette
Friday, July 19th – Sunday, July 21st, 2013
8:00pm (2:00pm Sunday) | $15THE presents Much Ado About Nothing – Widely regarded as Shakespeare’s finest comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing” focuses on Beatrice and Benedick–two sharp-tongued exes whose friends plot to make one fall in love with the other. Add to that two young lovers thwarted by rumors, a jilted brother and an insane watchman, and you have one of the funniest stories ever told.
The City of Walnut Creek has released the confidential investigative report about the Lesher Center employee who was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with children. Read the entire report here.
From the city website:
At the direction of the Walnut Creek City Council, the City today is releasing an independent investigator’s report that examines City employees’ actions, or failure to act, upon learning of alleged improper and/or illegal behavior by part-time employee Jason Pedroza. The report is available on the City’s website.
The report states that on Nov. 3, 2012, certain City staff learned of allegations that Pedroza, 28, sent inappropriate texts and Facebook messages to a 13-year-old Danville girl he met while both were actors in a Contra Costa Musical Theatre production, a non-profit theatrical company that performs at the Lesher Center.
City staff took “proactive steps” to “protect minors at the Lesher Center for the Arts, not to hinder efforts by any law enforcement agency – including the Walnut Creek Police Department – to investigate suspected child abuse,” the report states.
Those steps included terminating Pedroza on Nov. 8, and removing him from the cast of an upcoming Center REP production.
In addition, the report notes that staff knew the Danville Police were investigating the Nov. 3 allegations.
The internal investigation also finds in part that:
- The Danville Police concluded on Nov. 11 that no crime had occurred in relation to Pedroza’s messages to the 13-year-old girl.
- Until Nov. 3, none of the witnesses interviewed was aware of, or suspected, that Jason Pedroza had been acting appropriately in any way with minors.
- No witness interviewed had observed, or was aware of, inappropriate contact between minors and adults at the Lesher Center for the Arts.
The internal investigation also finds that the City Manager and Assistant City Manager knew about the Nov. 3 allegations and did not share that information prior to being interviewed in connection with the internal investigation.
