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Contra Costa Council News The Contra Costa Council is a public policy advocacy organization that promotes the economic vitality of Contra Costa County and the region.
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Upcoming Events |
Joint Work Session Organized by the East Bay's
Business Councils & Chambers
The Housing & Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Actions local government can take to protect communities and keep families in their homes Thursday, February 14 2 to 3:30 p.m. Conference Center, 19th floor Wendel, Rosen Black & Dean LLP 1111 Broadway, Oakland
Welcome by Mike Brown, Principal, Morgan Miller & Blair and Vice Chair of the East Bay Economic Development Alliance. Moderated by Jim Jakel, City Manager, Antioch Panel featuring: Framing the housing & subprime impact on the East Bay: Dr. Cynthia Kroll, Senior Regional Economist, Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics State and federal actions under consideration: Preston DuFauchard, Commissioner, Department of Corporations, California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
Family support featuring local government best practices: panelist TBA Role our community foundations play to support families: Carole Watson, Chief Investment Officer, United Way of the Bay Area Group discussion. There is no cost to attend this event, and pre-registration is not required. For more information, please contact Bruce Kern, [email protected] or call East Bay EDA at 510-272-3874.
............................................. Contra Costa Council's State of the County Address by Board of Supervisors Chair Federal Glover
Friday, February 15 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Holiday Inn 1950 Burnett Avenue, Concord
Presented
by the Contra Costa Council Co-hosted by AT&T, ConocoPhillips, Shapell Homes and Tesoro Sponsored by Archer Norris, The Bowlby Group, Chevron, Contra Costa Water District, Emerald Consulting, Gray Bown and Company, Inc., John Muir Health, Morgan Miller Blair and Zell & Associates Members and elected officials: $35; nonmembers: $50. Reservations and payment required by February 12.
Register here by February 12 ...
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For information about any Contra Costa Council event, please contact Suzanne Schoenfeld at 925-246-1880. |
CCUSA 2008 on CCTV
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Contra Costa Council's CCUSA 2008 will air on CCTV
Comcast
Channel 27 and Astound Channel 32
Will Durst, Political Satirist
Monday, February 11, 8 p.m. Friday, February 15, 10 a.m.
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Stanford Professor Stephen H. Schneider and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's Alan H. Sanstad, Ph.D.: Global Warming: Is the Science Settled Enough for Politics?
Will Travis, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission: Climate Change Strategy for the San Francisco Bay Region
Monday, February 11, 9 p.m. Friday, February 15, 1 p.m.
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Christopher Thornberg, Beacon Economics: Peering Over the Edge: Housing and Why It's Hurting the Economy
Tuesday, February 12, 9 p.m. Friday, February 15, 1 p.m.
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To check listings, visit CCTV's program guide at www.contracostatv.org. |
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Join the Contra Costa Council and help guide our economy and quality of life. Visit our websiteor call 925-246-1880. |
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News & Comment
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CCUSA 2008: A stellar
event with an ample measure of science, economics and politics
Judging by the strong praise and approval from numerous
audience members, CCUSA 2008, the Contra Costa Council's signature event, was
one of the most topical and informative events the Council has hosted to date.
What's more, it was fun!
"CCUSA is an event with great history and relevance, and
this year was no exception," said Council Chairman of the Board Steve Lesher of Shell Oil Products, who
served on the CCUSA Steering Committee with James
Brandt of UBS Financial Services, Inc., and Sue Rainey, Walnut Creek City Councilwoman, along with Council
staff.
The 22nd annual day-long conference, CCUSA
(shortened from Contra Costa USA),
was held on Thursday, January 24, at the Concord Hilton, drawing between 200 and
500 people at each of the presentations. Highly entertaining speakes and an array of exhibit booths and tables completed the successful
mix. Exhibitors and organizations--ranging from Chapman University
to the East Bay Regional Park District to Treadwell & Rollo--provided
information about their organizations, and handed out favors that included
brochures, newsletters and other promotional items. (For a full list of event
sponsors, exhibitors and table patrons, see below.)
Bay Area political satirist Will Durst was first on the agenda, warming up the crowd for the
day's events and showing little mercy with his political and social lampooning.
The science of global
warming
Durst was followed by a presentation on the science and
economics of global warming, titled Global Warming: Is the Science Settled
Enough for Politics?, by Professor Stephen
Schneider, Melvin and Joan Lane Professor for Interdisciplinary Environmental
Studies, Professor of Biological Sciences, Professor (by courtesy) of Civil and
Environmental Engineering and a Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the
Environment at Stanford University. He was joined by Alan Sanstad, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Environmental Technologies Division,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Dr. Schneider (www.climatechange.net),
who is internationally recognized for research, policy analysis and outreach in
climate change, said that no one piece of data proves or disproves global
warming, yet "the preponderance of
evidence does point to global warming." He noted that Arctic
Sea ice, measured in
millions of square kilometers, is dropping at a faster rate than expected, which
is considered part of a long-term trend, and while the polar bear is not
extinct, the polar bear ecosystem is
extinct. "There is no clinical trial . . .
and no data on the future, only data on the past," he observed. Dr.
Schneider added that determining the cost to stabilize the atmosphere, which he
pegged at as much as $400 trillion by 2100, requires comparing today's costs to
the economy of the future, not that of today. The bottom line, he said,
is that costs do matter, but climate policy is "more an ethical-equity judgment
than an economics issue," and public understanding is critical.
Observing that the U.S. has a national policy to deal
with climate change, Alan Sanstad of Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory offered a balanced view of various points of view about global warming. He referred to The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism,
by Christopher Horner, noting that the chapter titled "The Cost of the Alarmist
Agenda," does not say, e.g., "Nothing should be spent on CO2 abatement
because global warming is a hoax/myth/natural phenomenon out of our control."
Over time, he said, developed economies require less energy per unit of
economic output, CO2 per unit of economic output is declining and the available
evidence strongly suggests that this pattern will emerge in developing
economies as they mature. He discussed S. 280, the Climate Stewardship and
Innovation Act of 2007 (McCain-Lieberman III), which would establish a
comprehensive, long-term emissions cap and trade system, and by 2050 would reduce
U. S.
greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 44% from a "reference" level.
There has to be agreement between the developed and the developing
world, Sanstad said. China is very much aware of what's coming--with the greatest potential damage likely to affect agriculture in Asia
and Sub-Saharan Africa. He cited a "supreme irony" in the climate debate where climate
models are criticized while economic models are treated as oracles. Take what you see about costs in the mass media with a grain of salt, he
advised. We don't know for certain what it will cost to decrease CO2 emissions.
Keepers of the Bay
Following a break for attendees to explore exhibitor booths, Will Travis, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development
Commission, or BCDC, addressed the topic, Climate Change Strategy for the
San Francisco Bay Region. "Our job is to keep the Bay from getting smaller," he
said. "We know that Bay levels will continue to rise; we just don't know how
fast." Using the example of San
Francisco's Crissy Field, now part of the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area, Travis pointed out that coastal restoration projects have
actually expanded areas of the Bay. Yet San Francisco and Oakland international airports, as well as Silicon
Valley, are all built on levels that are sinking from fresh-water
extraction. In addition, the Sierra snowpack will bring more water into the
Bay, and salty water will continue to reach farther into the Delta.
"We're in much the same position as the captain of the
Titanic," said Travis. It is too late to prevent
climate change and the rise in the sea's level. He reported that an important partnership has been created among the four regional agencies--the Bay Area Air
Quality Management District, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission and BCDC--that is working to develop a
new plan for the region. This plan is expected to require the building of levees
strong enough to withstand seas and floods in addition to earthquakes. Tidal
wetlands will also play a big role in the plan, and low-lying areas scheduled
for development also need to be looked at. Designing resiliency into new
shoreline projects can provide a secondary benefit--if new private development
provides flood protection, he said. "Our strategy needs to be bold and
audacious . . . We need to plan and design the Bay for the way it will be in
the future--with different chemistry and different species," he said. "The issue
is not to play God. The problem is, how do we get it right?" (For more
information, visit www.bcdc.ca.gov >
Climate Change Planning.)
Peering over the edge
Following lunch, economist Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, addressed the topic, Peering Over the Edge: Housing and Why It's Hurting the Economy. A dynamic speaker, Thornberg cautioned against confusing the trends with the bends of the economy. According to Thornberg, trends are
long-run growth patterns driven by demographics, productivity and policy; bends
are short-run fluctuations in the economy driven by imbalances. He said that
the East Bay is likely to be hit harder than
other parts of the Bay Area housing market, yet noted that the Bay Area is
still one of the richest economies around.
Pointing out that 2001 was "one of the mildest recessions we've had," Thornberg said that downturn did not start with consumers but with business. Consumers never pulled back from spending, yet jobs haven't returned from their previous peak. He discussed the mortgage
market, the financial meltdown and the increase in notices of default and
foreclosures--up in Contra
Costa County
by 533% in the fourth quarter 2007 over the year earlier, as compared to
483% in the Bay Area.
Thornberg said a recession has arrived, with weakness in both the consumer and
business sectors, in addition to the fact that exports will not be sufficient to offset the imbalance. Problems driving the current recession scenario include
turmoil due to the credit crisis and foreclosures, secondary financial shocks
(commercial, autos), oil prices/the fall of the U.S. dollar, job losses driven
by construction declines and the slowing of consumer spending and a shift to a
"different" economy, the inequality of losses and the cyclical impact of
inventories.
In summary, he said that the East
Bay's strengths of 2001, when the region
was at the center of the housing market, account for tough times today. In the long run, however, the picture is still bright. What kind of a recession
will it be? Not huge: a 2% decline followed by a period of doldrums. It might
get worse, though, depending on financial markets.
An upbeat Tony Snow
Last but not least, Master of Ceremonies at the evening portion of the program was Bay Area television newscaster Mark
Curtis, who recently established his own firm, Mark Curtis Media, providing freelance news reporting
and public relations and political analysis.
Curtis introduced dinner speaker Tony Snow, former White House Press
Secretary (pictured above), who engaged the capacity audience with his remarks on the "damndest
presidential campaign," his life in Washington and his bout with colon cancer. If you've been
somebody that people enjoy throwing rocks at, you develop a special
appreciation for people who "put it on the line at the local level. It's one of
the reasons why I'm deeply optimistic about America," said Snow.
Commenting on the current presidential campaign, Snow said that Hillary Clinton's big
problem is her "rapscallion husband," who is trying to take the heat off the candidate by being
the center of attention, a hugely risky strategy. Hillary has superior money
and organization, he noted, and is someone "my former boss" might call
"somebody you should never misunderestimate." He said that Barack Obama is the
only person who "gets it" in terms of a message of hope and optimism. "He's
like lightning in a bottle. He has captured what a lot of people want," said Snow,
adding that Obama is deeply vulnerable on a number of issues.
He also commented on Republican candidates Rudy Giuliani,
who has "made himself irrelevant"; "the smoothest customer" Mike Huckabee; "fringe
candidate" Ron Paul; Republican Party "maverick" John McCain; and Mitt Romney,
whom he described as wooden and perhaps "too pretty to be president."
Taking on Bush politics, Snow said the United States is winning the war on terror, the
nation's economy is "a thing of wonder" and the troop surge in Iraq is
working. As reported in the Contra Costa
Times, he took some light-hearted jabs at his two former White House
bosses. "President Bush and George H.W. Bush bothhad common enemies--Saddam Hussein and the
English language," he said. "The current president speaks English and Spanish
the same way--they're both second languages."
"It's easy to be cynical at a time like this," said Snow,
but tough times manage to draw good things from leaders. It's a great and
wonderful country and a time for optimism and determination." When asked about
his fight against cancer, he responded, "Cancer creates a perspective . .
. My marriage is stronger than it's ever been. I've got three kids, ages 15, 12
and almost 11 . . . I feel so lucky!" Sponsors: The
Council thanks all CCUSA sponsors, including Chevron (title sponsor); The PMI
Group, Inc. (premiere sponsor); Comcast, Contra Costa Times, John Muir Health,
Morrison & Foerster, Shell Oil Products and Wells Fargo; Air Products,
Allied Waste Services, Citibank, City of Concord, ConocoPhillips, First
Republic Bank, Miller Starr Regalia, PG&E, Sunset Development Company,
Sunvalley Shopping Center and Workforce Development Board (sustaining
sponsors); and Delta Diablo Sanitation District, Foley & Lardner LLP,
Hilltop Mall and Stoneridge Shopping Center, The Mechanics Bank, Mirant, LLC,
Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott LLP, Praxair, Inc. and Tesoro (contributing
sponsors).
Exhibitors
included 511 Contra Costa, Chapman University, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District,
Citibank, City of Concord, Comcast, Contra Costa
Child Care Council, John Muir Health, Mt.
Diablo Region YMCA, Opportunity Junction, PG&E, Sunvalley Shopping Center,
Treadwell & Rollo, Wells Fargo and Workforce Development Board.
Table patrons included
AAA, California State University
East Bay,
Contra Costa Community College District, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP,
Diablo Valley College Foundation, The Dow Chemical Company, East Bay Municipal
Utility District, Gray Bowen & Company, Kaiser Permanente, Loving &
Campos Architects Inc. and Safeway.
Supporting sponsors were
AlphaGraphics, Walnut Creek,
Archer Norris and Eichleay Engineers Inc.
Tony Snow photo by Stahlberg Photography |
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CEO Viewpoint
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Dr. Willard Daggett inspires Business/Education Leadership Summit
By Linda Best, President and CEO,
Contra Costa Council
More than 100 attendees at the Contra Costa Council/Contra
Costa Economic Partnership's 2008 Business/Education Leadership Summit were
inspired by the words of keynoter Dr.
Willard Daggett. His riveting two-hour presentation at the January 10 event
focused on the need to provide rigor and relevance in education as well as on
the importance of our education system to respond to today's rapid
technological change. President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, Dr. Daggett is known worldwide for his efforts to move the education system toward more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for all students.
He has worked on school reform initiatives in several states as well as education
ministries and institutions in other countries.
As a result of Dr. Daggett's visit to Contra Costa
County seven years ago,
the Economic Partnership's Business/Education Collaborative was established
under the leadership of April Treece, bringing together business,
education and labor to coordinate activities to secure a pipeline into
high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers in our economy.The Contra Costa County Office of Education,
under Superintendent Joe Ovick's leadership, and the Contra Costa
Community College District, under Chancellor Helen Benjamin's leadership, are essential partners in this effort.
Following Dr. Daggett's presentation, the group broke into
small groups to plan the action steps for the Collaborative in the coming year.
The luncheon
program was keynoted by Congressman George
Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, who echoed Dr.
Daggett's themes and spoke about No Child Left Behind and the need to amend the
act to more accurately gauge student progress.
As testimony to the successful work of the Collaborative
over the last seven years, nearly 50 people plan to attend Dr. Daggett's
workshop in February to learn more about model schools that have achieved
success in bringing rigor and relevance to students' education. They include teams from several schools
districts, as well as business and labor representatives.
Many thanks to the Summit Organization Committee, also known
as the "Daggett Doers," and to the leadership of April Treece and Keith Archuleta,
Co-Chairs of the Council's Workforce Development and Education Task Force, for
presenting this excellent event.
And last, but not least, thanks to our sponsors who made the
event possible! These include John Muir Health, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, NECS/IBEW and the City of Concord. |
Task Force Briefings |
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Transportation Task Force . . . Tuesday,
February 5, 8 a.m. . . .
Jim Melino, Esq., of Bell Rosenberg & Hughes LLP discusses trends in public private partnership (P3)
development in California.
PMI Building, 3003 Oak Road, Walnut Creek.
(Next Transportation Task Force meeting is Tuesday, March 4.) Contacts: Hank Haugse or Terry Bowen
Water Task Force . . . Tuesday, February
19, 8:15 to 10 a.m. . .
. Experts will address the decline of fisheries in the Delta. Morrison
& Foerster, 101 Ygnacio Valley
Road, Suite 450 (opposite Walnut Creek BART). Contacts: Ann Spaulding or Bob Whitley
Nonprofit/Business Task Force . . .
Thursday, February 28, 8 a.m.
. . . Chapman University
College, 2950 Buskirk Ave., Room 307, Walnut Creek. Contacts: Mike Erwin, Mark Hughes or Terry Shoaff
Environmental/Manufacturing Task Force .
. . Friday, March 7, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Presentation by Jeffrey Jacobs of Chevron Technology Ventures, based in San Ramon, on Chevron's alternative energy programs. Brown
and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive., Suite 300, Walnut Creek. Contacts: Peter McGaw or George Smith
New and prospective Council members are
welcome to attend Task Force events. Please notify a Task Force chair prior to the meeting.
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Other Events & Briefings |
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Congresswoman Ellen O. Tauscher's
2008 Small Business Government Contracting Seminars . . . Offered in conjunction with
the U.S. Small Business Administration, Contra Costa Small Business Development
Center, Solano College Small Business Development Center and the Federal
Technology Center. For more information, call 925-932-8899 or 707-428-7792. - Marketing to
Government: Thurs., February 14, 3 to 5 p.m.,Solano County Government Center, Supervisors
Chambers, 675 Texas St., Fairfield; and Thurs., February 28, 3 to 5 p.m.,
Walnut Creek City Hall, City Council Chambers, 1666 N. Main St., Walnut Creek.
- Introduction to Federal Contracting:
Tues., July 8, 3 to 5 p.m., Walnut Creek City Hall, City Council Chambers, 1666
N. Main St., Walnut Creek; and Thurs., July 10, 3 to 5 p.m., Solano County
Government Center, Supervisors Chambers, 675 Texas St., Fairfield.
Contra Costa Council's State of
the County Address . . . Friday, February 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. . . . Annual address from Contra
Costa County Board of Supervisors Chair Federal
Glover. Holiday Inn, 1050 Burnett Avenue, Concord. $35 members, $50
nonmembers. Register online by February 12. Contact: Suzanne Schoenfeld, 925-246-1880.
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Member News |
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Council appointment . . . Clark Morrison of
Cox Castle & Nicholson has been appointed by the Contra Costa Council's Executive Committee to
represent the Council on the East County
Habitat Conservation Plan Advisory Committee; Mitch Randall of Morrison & Foerster LLP was appointed as the alternate.
The Council was actively involved and ultimately supported the adoption of the East
County Habitat Conservation Plan.
Director on the move . . . Merle Gilliland of Gilliland Consulting, a longtime, active member
of the Council's Board of Directors, has moved to Spokane, Washington,
and has resigned from the board. He will be missed.
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Corporate Member Spotlight |
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Foley & Lardner LLP provides a full range of legal services to the business community
Foley & Lardner LLP is a highly regarded, national law firm
providing innovative client-focused services for its business clients. Foley brings a wealth of technical experience and industry
knowledge to its client representation, enabling the firm to serve a diverse
client base, from global multinational to small entrepreneurial
companies. Practice areas encompass a range of legal services, including corporate
governance and compliance, intellectual property and IP litigation, securities,
labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, and tax. The firm's attorneys
are recognized as leaders regarding these and many of today's most complex
business issues. An innovative spirit pervades all aspects of the business--from the
emerging industries Foley attorneys serve to the landmark subject matter they
address to, and most especially, a cutting-edge connectivity with clients.
Foley's commitment to world-class interactivity has earned the firm accolades
from various industry experts as an award-winning technology trendsetter.
Continually evolving to meet the changing legal needs of its
clients, Foley's team-based approach, proprietary client service technology and
practice depth enhance client relationshipsthrough the most complex legal challenges.
Foley is committed to providing pro bono services. These
activities run the gamut from providing services to individuals, legal aid
societies or civil rights organizations, to representing non-profit
organizations in strategic projects and litigation matters. In recent
years,Foley attorneys have provided
significant representation in matters referred to the firm by such public
interest firms as the AIDS Legal Clinic, Pro Bono Advocates and Public Counsel.
With more than 1,000 attorneys in 22 offices and some 50
practice areas, Foley offers high-caliber business and legal insight. The firm
has a substantial presence throughout California, with offices in San
Francisco, Silicon Valley and Sacramento. Locally, Foley can be counted on to
understand the business and legal needs of the Bay Area and East Bay Area
business communities, and on its commitment to supporting organizations such as
the Contra Costa Council that promote the economic vitality of Contra Costa
County. Partner Michael Delehunt has
been a member of the Council's Board of Directors since 2003.
For
further information, please contact Michael Delehunt at [email protected], or visit the Foley
& Lardner website.
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New Members
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Please welcome these new Contra Costa Council members!
David
Dolter, Principal Legacy Land Strategies 383
Diablo Blvd., Suite 100 Danville,
CA 94526 [email protected] www.legacyland.org
John D. Davi,
Realtor Prudential California Realty 2331
Walnut Road Walnut
Creek, CA 94597 [email protected] www.prurealty.com/johndavi
Garry Joe
Bolin, General Partner Ultimate Home Solutions 668 Doral
Dr. Danville,
CA 94526 [email protected]
Mary C. Hanson Wealth Strategies Group/Metlife 2001
North Main St., Ste. 380 Walnut
Creek, CA 94596 [email protected] www.marychanson.com
For
information about joining the Contra Costa Council, visit our website or call our office at
925-246-1880.
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Our Mission
The mission of the
Contra Costa Council is to provide advocacy on public policy issues
affecting the economic vitality and quality of life in Contra Costa
County.
The Council engages on issues of critical importance to the business
community and residents of Contra Costa County, balancing the needs of
a diverse county though policy efforts that provide for economic
development while retaining our quality of life. The Council also produces top-tier events, including Contra Costa USA,
the premier business event in the County, featuring major national
speakers as well as providing a local perspective on current events.
The Council retains a close relationship with local, state and federal
elected officials. These relationships provide regular opportunities
for our members to interact with their political representatives and
other business leaders.
For more information about the Council, please visit our website.
To comment about items in this newsletter, please contact Linda Best at the Contra Costa Council.
This issue was edited for the Contra Costa Council by Molly A. Walker of Walker Communications.
� 2008 Contra Costa Council
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