Save Mount Diablo Protecting the Mountain Since 1971 Winter/Spring 2002. No. 32

Gary Bogue presents Dorothy Wright with a $590,000 checkfrom the Coastal Conservancy

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Two Ballot Measures Need YourSupport On March 5!!

VOTE YES ON PROP 40!The California Clean Water,Clean Air, Safe NeighborhoodParks, and Coastal ProtectionAct of 2002

Prop. 40 will provide $1.275 billion for land conservation andimproved air and water quality and an additional $1.325 billion forstate and local parks, recreation and historic and cultural resources.Included in the Prop 40 funding will be an allocation of $225 mil-lion for State Parks, and 40 million for the San Francisco Bay AreaConservancy, both of which can benefit Mount Diablo State Parkand its surrounding regional and local parks.

VOTE YES ONMEASURE KThe East Bay Regional ParkDistrict Measure to ProvideOperations & Maintenance

Since the Measure AA acquisition bond was approved in 1988, theEast Bay Regional Park District has purchased thousands of acresof land. Many of these areas will be land banked without publicaccess until funds are generated to operate them.

Measure K will provide long-term funding for park operations andmaintenance - to open up newly acquired parks, restore and protecthabitat, rehabilitate aging facilities, and add more rangers andwildlife biologists.

Since 1988 the District has almost doubled its acreage, without aproportionate funding increase for operations and maintenance.Measure K calls for $12 a year per residential parcel, or $1 amonth. Renters will pay just 69 cents a month. The money raisedwill fund a list of priority projects put together with advice of theenvironmentalists and park visitors, including the opening of a num-ber of new parks. At least 30% of the funds raised will go for the

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Wright Property AcquiredSeth Adams, Save Mount Diablo’s Director of Land Programs,opened Save Mount Diablo’s 30th anniversary celebration with aslide show detailing the accomplishments of the past thirty years.Seth’s final image seemed a bit puzzling. . . a 1946 shot of Martinand Dorothy Wright peering out of the Curry Creek Park snack bar.

The reason for the 56 year old image became clear later in the pro-gram as a special presentation was made to Dorothy Wright. NadineHitchcock, Program Manager for the Coastal Conservancy’s S.F. BayArea Program, and Contra Costa Times columnist Gary Bogue pre-sented a five-foot long $590,000 check to Dorothy to completeSMD’s purchase of the 76-acre Wright Canyon property. SMDoptioned the parcel in January 2001. Last spring Bogue held a ten-week campaign in his column to raise the option funds necessary tohold the $640,000 acquisition. Nine hundred donors responded, twothirds of them new to SMD. SMD had two years to raise the remain-ing funds, but on December 6th, four days before the 30thAnniversary event, the Coastal Conservancy Board approved a$590,000 grant.

The grant is a testament to the great work of the Conservancy and itsproject manager Mary Small, who were involved in acquisitiondetails with SMD even before a deal had been signed. The Wrightproperty closed escrow on December 31st and is now owned bySMD. Dorothy Wright retains life estate and can live out her life onthe property. Although the property is closed to the public until theproperty is transferred to the State Park, a condition of theConservancy grant is that SMD conduct two public hikes each year.The first of these hikes, to be led by Gary Bogue on March 23rd, canbe found in the April on the Mountain schedule.

s a v e MOUNT DIABLO

Board of DirectorsMalcolm SproulPresident

Arthur BonwellVice-President

Allan PragerVice President

Amara MorrisonSecretary

John MurcurioTreasurerBurt BasslerMary L. BowermanDonald de FremeryStephen JosephDoug KnauerRobert MarxSteven MehlmanRobert NunnDave SargentDavid Trotter

StaffRonald BrownExecutive Director

Seth AdamsDirector of Land Programs

Suzanne BitzOffice Manager

PublisherSave Mount Diablowww.savemountdiablo.org

Masthead PanoramaOak Flat, Mt. DiabloPhoto by Stephen Joseph

Diablo Watch is publishedby Save Mount Diablo, anon-profit organization dedi-cated to preserving land onMt. Diablo and educating thepublic to the mountain's nat-ural values.

Diablo Watch is printed onrecycled paper with a soybase ink and can be recycled.

CONTAINSSOYOIL

From the Executive Director . . .Save Mount Diablo? We often get asked, “What are you saving it from?” or“Why does it need saving?” or “Isn’t it saved yet?” We love to get those ques-tions because they give us an opportunity to educate the questioner . . . to sharewith them our mission and vision. We challenge them to picture the future ofour community with a dramatically increased population and countless new pres-sures and strains on our lives. Mt Diablo and its surrounding parks offer a coun-terpoint to these challenges.

How much preserved land is too much? What is the proper balance between development andpreservation of open space? There are no exact answers to these questions. It is for each of us toreach our own decisions, and to leave it to future generations to determine if we truly achieved“smart growth” and preserved enough land. Wouldn’t we rather err on the side of having preservedmore open space and natural resources than not enough? The cost of accomplishing our objectivesis great - in terms of the number of hours and people it will take, and in the incredible number ofdollars necessary to acquire these new lands. Can we fail to answer the call to not raise or donatethese funds? The future cost of reclaiming land is a price we might not be able to pay. Once openspace and wildlife are gone, they may be gone forever. Preserving these resources today - that is thelegacy that we owe our children and our children’s children.

As John Muir said,“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find outthat going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” We must continue tochallenge ourselves to work and advocate for these special places. . . to preserve our wilderness.

“My dream is that the whole of Mount Diablo, including its foothills,will remain open space . . . that the visual and natural integrity will be sustained.”

Dr. Mary Bowerman, Founding Member, Save Mount Diablo

As Save Mount Diablo begins its 31st year, we hope that it will not take another 30 years to accom-plish Mary Bowerman’s dream. Regardless, won’t it be worth it to save our wilderness and to insureour community’s quality of life . . . to SAVE MOUNT DIABLO?

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Save Mount Diablo Events

Place your credit card order by phone (925) 947-3535, (Master Card, VISA, American Express),or by mailing a check to SMD: 1196 Boulevard Way, #10, Walnut Creek, CA 94595.

Merchandise can be purchased and picked up at SMD’s office or shipped for a $5 charge.

T - Shir tsNavy Blue or Gray

(100% cot ton)Adult Sizes:

S , M, L, XL, XXL$12.50

Coffee MugsAvailable in Gray

$7.50

Support the cause by purchasing

Save Mount Diablo Mountain Merchandise

Mountain Adventure, Saturday June 1: (HalfMarathon and 7 mile hike) 8:00am at Castle RockRecreational Area, Diablo Foothills Regional Park.Call for details.

Hikes at Black Diamond Mines to viewAntioch’s proposed Future Urban Area #1: thefirst Saturday March through June. See the AprilOn The Mt. schedule for details, or call SMD.

Gary Bogue and the Wright Property, SaturdayMarch 23. Join Gary and meet Dorothy Wright at acelebratory walk on SMD’s newest acquisition, the76-acre Wright property, acquired on December 31,2001. See the April On The Mt. schedule fordetails, or call SMD.

Visit Mount Diablo And Celebrate Spring!!!

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his way to California and by chance camein contact with his father.

The Cowell Foundation’s proposal includ-ed construction of 5,200 homes, a businesspark, schools, a community college andtrails and recreational areas. The voterapproved Measure C in 1990 excluded halfthe Ranch from a new County Urban LimitLine, the area the Foundation had proposedfor open space. County Supervisors andCity Council members were eager cheer-leaders for the project but the environmen-tal sensitivity of the property delayed con-sideration and community opposition gath-ered force. Greenbelt Alliance and theSierra Club led that opposition, while SaveMount Diablo considered which areas weremost significant and proposed preservationof much of the ranch as part of a wildlifecorridor from Round Valley to BlackDiamond Mines. New County SupervisorsDonna Gerber and (now Assemblyman)Joe Canciamilla began questioning theneed for the development and proposedexcluding Cowell in a tightening of theCounty’s Urban Limit Line (ULL).

Marsh had a huge three-story stone housedesigned for his bride, by San Franciscoarchitect Thomas Boyd, of stone quarriedfrom nearby hills. Marsh, widely known asa cheapskate, was murdered by severalcowhands on September 24, 1856 forunpaid wages, including Felipe Morenowhose brother-in-law Ygnacio Sibrian hadlost a lawsuit to Marsh a month before.Sibrian offered to pay the cowhands to killMarsh. Neither John nor Abby Marsh,who died before it was completed, everlived in the house, which he had named“Brentwood” for the family’s ancestrallands in England. Alice Marsh marriedJohn Camron, one of the builders of Mt.Diablo’s toll roads, and they later owned

Mesa and Jose Miguel Garcia.

Cowell Ranch is a beautiful expanse ofalmost treeless, rolling grassland hillsbisected east-west by Briones Valley, drain-ing from west of Deer Valley Road east tothe Marsh creek reservoir, and north-southby Marsh creek and a significant riparianwoodland. The John Marsh home is nearthe reservoir and orchards bound the east-ern property line, with quarries beyond.Round Valley and Morgan Territory’s dra-matic woodland ridges rise to the south,with Diablo towering above to the south-west. Cowell is prime habitat for the fed-erally endangered San Joaquin kit fox, andits creeks, vernal pools and ponds arehome to three other listed animal species.

After applying for naturalization as aMexican citizen, in 1837 Dr. John Marshbought Rancho Los Meganos’ 13,285 acresfrom Jose Noriega for $500. Marsh wasContra Costa’s first American settler andCalifornia’s first doctor. He settled on therancho the following year and his rudeadobe holdings became known as Marsh’splace, or Farm of Pulpones. The canyondrainage of Marsh creek, Arroyo de losPoblanos (1824) or “Canada del losPoblanos” as at least the USGS still knowsit, are all derivatives after the name of thelocal Volvon Indians. In 1851 Dr. JohnMarsh married Santa Clara school teacherAbby Tuck, and in March 1852 they had adaughter, Alice. Charles Marsh, a sonfrom an earlier marriage, eventually made

By the end of 2002, most of the remnantsof Rancho Los Meganos—CowellRanch—may be the Diablo foothills’newest preserve, almost 4,000 acres sur-rounding the State owned John Marshhome and the County Flood ControlDistrict’s Marsh Creek reservoir. The pastfifteen years have meant a remarkable turnaround from 1987, when the S.H. CowellFoundation proposed a huge developmenton its 4,491 acre Ranch. Cowell’s preser-vation would bridge most of the remaininggap in public open space from RoundValley and Los Vaqueros, northwest toRoddy Ranch Open Space and BlackDiamond Mines Regional Preserve.

Huge expanses of sand dunes once fringedthe Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers,from Oakley to Pittsburg, before thedamming of rivers began starving thedunes of their riverine sand supplies.Agriculture, industry and development fol-lowed. Rancho Los Meganos’ name wasderived during Captain Luis AntonioArguello’s boat voyage up the Sacramentoriver, in a May 24, 1817 entry in FatherDurán’s diary: “A paraje que llaman losMéganos” ‘place called the sand dunes’,using a variant spelling of ‘médanos’.Situated in what is now the Brentwoodarea, it was one of two Los MedanosRanchos. They were later differentiated asLos ‘Meganos’ in 1835 to Jose Noriega.Rancho Los ‘Medanos’ in the Pittsburgarea was granted in 1839 to Jose Antonio

Briones Valley view of Cowell Ranch west to Mt. Diablo and Black Diamond Mines

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Rancho Los MeganosWill Cowell Ranch Become A Park?

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much of the land in the present day commu-nity of Diablo.

The stakes were very high and it wasincreasingly thought that the Foundationhad missed its chance for development buta major opportunity might be lost, too,since much of the very valuable Ranchwould have been preserved as a conditionof development. Public acquisition wouldbe difficult, even if the Foundation agreedto sell. In 2000, during the heat of theUrban Limit Line fight, the equationshifted. Amidst distrust on all sides,just days before a decision on theULL, the Foundation withdrew itsplans and Mary Metz, its president,made a dramatic proposal: if rough-ly 475 acres of the 4491 acre Ranchwere left within the ULL, theFoundation would option theremainder to the San Franciscobased Trust for Public Land (TPL).Proposition 12, the largest stateresources bond in history had recent-ly passed and a price was set at$13.5 million, to be raised bySeptember 2002. The remainingacreage was optioned to SignatureHomes which, however, dropped itsoption this past December.

Marsh’s letters to friends and newspapersback east had attracted emigrant attention,and Mount Diablo’s distinctive peak was aneasy landmark to use in locating his ranchat its foot. Fifty years after his overlandexpedition became the first pioneer party toreach California, John Bidwell describedthe scene at Rancho Los Meganos onNovember 4, 1841: “Dr. Marsh’s ranch,the first settlement reached by us inCalifornia, was located in the easternfoothills of the Coast Range Mountains,near the northwestern extremity of the greatSan Joaquin Valley and about six miles eastof Monte Diablo, which may be called thegeographical center of Contra CostaCounty. There were no other settlements inthe valley; it was, apparently, still just as

The John Marsh home at present and inneed of restoration

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Brentwood: the John Marsh home in better days

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new as when Columbus discoveredAmerica, and roaming over it were count-less thousands of wild horses, of elk, and ofantelope.”

The decision ostensibly rested with theBoard of Supervisors and environmentalistswere wary of any development proposal orhow it would affect the Urban Limit Linefight. The real decision would be made bySupervisor Joe Canciamilla in whose dis-trict the Ranch is found. He was already asure winner of the Assembly seat beingvacated by Assemblyman Tom Torlakson,who was running for State Senate, and wasinsulated from pressure by both circum-stance and temperament. He quickly beganreaching out to all the parties and the dealwas made. The Urban Limit Line wastightened to exclude twenty-two squaremiles, but to leave in Cowell’s northern-most 475 acres. Most of the Ranch wasoptioned to TPL.

Henry Cowell (1819-1903) arrived in SanFrancisco during the Gold Rush and withhis brother operated a drayage and storage

business. Like most of San Francisco’sbusinesses housed in structures built of tim-ber, Cowell’s burned in one of the city’s fre-quent fires. Cement and mortar buildingswere uncommon because lime for mortar,plaster, stucco and cement had to beshipped around Cape Horn. Albion P.Jordan, whose father had been a lime man-ufacturer in the east, and Isaac E. Daviswere working on a Delta steamboat whenthe two men acquired some lime rock fromthe Mt. Diablo area. They burned the rockin the furnace of the steamboat, discoveredit to be of high quality and were soon inbusiness. Cowell followed in their foot-steps and eventually bought a share of theirbusiness, becoming the largest supplier ofthe single most important ingredient for thestate’s rapidly developing constructionindustry.

The remaining obstacles were and are sig-nificant: $13.5 million and an agency will-ing to manage a huge new area, home to alarge array of rare and endangered speciesand adjacent to the State’s fastest growingcity. TPL’s project manager Tim Wirth,already father of a new baby, suddenly hadmore reasons to lose sleep. Newly electedSenator Tom Torlakson got involved, alongwith Canciamilla, sponsoring appropriationsfor a “Pioneer Park” honoring Dr. JohnMarsh and centering around the 14-acreState Park site where his house has slowlybeen disintegrating. TPL deserves atremendous amount of credit. Save MountDiablo has offered some aid in negotiationswith agencies, swallowing hard at the com-petition for funds. The CoastalConservancy, Caltrans and the Departmentof Parks and Recreation have each madesignificant financial commitments and theWildlife Conservation Board is consideringanother. East Bay Regional Park District iscontemplating taking over as manager ofthe land if it can pass Measure K in March,a maintenance and operations fundingmeasure.

Charles Marsh inherited his father’sranch, sold it to James Sanford in1871, and the next year it passed tothe Brentwood Coal Company. In1911 it was sold to Balfour GuthrieInvestments. Meanwhile, HenryCowell and his son Samuel Henry(S.H. or ‘Harry’) Cowell were buy-ing key lime and sandstone holdingsaround the state for the manufactureof their Cowell Portland cement.Cowell family holdings eventuallytotaled 82,491 acres in fourteencounties. Many of these areasturned out to be squarely in the pathof future development. Two of themost important ‘Cowell Ranches’

were located north and east of Mt. Diablo.One was near present day Concord (LimeRidge), where the town of Cowell was builtfor workers at the Henry Cowell Lime andCement Company. In 1924 S.H. Cowell

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On the battle front: Cowell and the Urban Limit Line.

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purchased another just south of Brentwood(Cowell Ranch) for its rich silica sands.The sand mining operation ended in 1946.Henry Cowell’s children died without heirsand S.H. Cowell’s bequest created The S.H.Cowell Foundation in 1955. TheFoundation received the family’s remainingassets, including substantial real estatesuch as the Brentwood Cowell Ranch.

As of this writing, $7 of $13.5 million hasbeen committed and another $3.5 million isunder review. TPL has until September toraise the remaining funds and Prop. 40, anew State Resources bond on the Marchballot, may provide some help should itpass. Environmentalists made no commit-ments on the remaining 475 acre area with-in the ULL and various proposals havebeen floated to swap land on either side ofthe ULL to make a more palatable projectfor Brentwood. Either way, any projectwill face significant opposition and envi-ronmental review. We’ll all know more inthe next few months.

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CONTRA COSTAWIND SYMPHONY20TH ANNIVERSARYCELEBRATION CONCERT -APRIL 27It was late Fall when composer StevenReineke visited the area to meet the moun-tain. He wanted to become intimatelyinvolved with Mt. Diablo as part of hisresearch to fulfill a commission receivedfrom the Contra Costa Wind Symphony incelebration of their 20th anniversary.Duane Carroll, conductor of the WindSymphony, and long time Walnut Creekresident, was fascinated by the many sto-ries he had heard of the mountain’s histo-ry, and pictures of areas not usually seenby the general public.

In commissioning this work it wasCarroll’s thought to add another dimensionto the interpretation of the mountain.“There are texts, wonderful poems, andstunningly beautiful photographs of themountain; I thought it would be nice ifthere were a musical interpretation in themix depicting the millions of years of Mt.Diablo history, the wonderful folklore ofits inhabitants and the varied splendor ofour mountain.”

Carroll will begin rehearsing the newmusic in January, and Reineke will returnin late March to work with the WindSymphony in rehearsal. He will returnagain to conduct the premiere April 27.Tickets are on sale now at the Dean LesherRegional Center for the Arts ticket office,and may be purchased by calling (925)943-SHOW. The concert is expected to besold out so it is suggested you call earlyfor tickets. All seats are reserved and are$15 General, $13 Seniors (age 62+), and$11 for Youth (age 17-).

Steven Reineke & Duane Carroll

Cowell Ranch is not yet publicly ownedand is closed to the public. Save MountDiablo will be offering previews of theRanch this Spring. SMD members at theMountain Saver level of $250 or moreannually receive invitations to special pre-views, but others can view Cowell Ranchfrom the roads closely encircling it—fromDeer Valley road east on Marsh Creekroad. Marsh Creek road crosses the ranchgoing north (and past the John Marshhome and the County Marsh Creek reser-voir), while Camino Diablo continues tofollow the Ranch’s southern edge to WalnutAve. and back to Marsh Creek. ConcordAvenue and Briones Valley Road (bothsometimes closed) follow the northernboundary back to Deer Valley south.

Diablo view from the Marsh Creek reservoir, along Marsh Creek Road and adjacent to the JohnMarsh Home State historic site. Cowell Ranch surrounds the reservoir and the John Marsh Home.

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Representatives of the Trust for Public Land,DPR, DFG, EBRPD and Save Mount Diablo meetwith the Wildlife Conservation Board inSacramento

United WayDonor Option

You can designate Save Mount Diabloas the recipient of your United WayPledge. When you are asked to makeyour annual workplace donation,please consider designating it to us. Ifasked, our federal tax ID number is94-2681735.

BusinessContributions

Many companies will match yourcharitable contributions to Save MountDiablo. Ask your employer if theyhave a matching gift program. Alsolet us know if your employer has afoundation or corporate donation pro-gram to which we can apply.

ing lemon bars. Campers awoke eachmorning to the aroma of fresh coffee com-pliments of Starbucks Coffee in TodosSantos Plaza.

Thanks to these businesses for their support.Please frequent these businesses and thankthem for their support of Save MountDiablo. Prima, 1522 North Main Street,Walnut Creek, 925-935-7780 , www.primaw-ine.com; La Cigale, 2195 N. Broadway,Walnut Creek, 925 937-8800; SunriseBistro & Café, 1355 California Blvd.,Walnut Creek, 925 930-0240; StarbucksCoffee, 2118 Willow Pass Road, Concord,925-689-5357.

Dinner At The Summit MuseumThe hottest auction item at Save MountDiablo’s 30th Anniversary Kickoff lastMarch at the Shops at Blackhawk was adinner for eight on the outside upper deck ofthe State Park’s Summit Museum. Theitem, which required a special permit, wasdonated by former Park SuperintendentLarry Ferri and SMD Executive DirectorRon Brown. When the bidding reached$550 the two put their heads together anddecided that if the top bidders—Jackie Pelsand John Keifer—were agreeable, they’daccept both bids at $550 and do two din-ners. On September 15th Jackie and sevenof her best friends, and John and seven ofhis, arrived at the summit for their feast.

After a quick walk on the Fire InterpretiveTrail (led by sommelier Seth Adams), horsd’oevres were served with a sunset back-drop of the best 360 degree panorama in theBay Area. Peggy Shumway, RebeccaBrown and Jeff Johnson served salad,grilled salmon, vegetables and crepessuzette. Ron and Larry cooked and pre-pared the meal two floors down on the backdeck. During dinner fog could be seenflowing in rivers across the Bay toward theEast Bay hills. One of the most dramaticsights, as city lights appeared in all direc-tions around the pitch black open space, wasthe narrow width of the dark open spacecorridor stretching southeast throughAltamont Pass to the Diablo range, withLivermore and Tracy lights on either side.

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“Four Days Diablo” To BeRepeated April 11-14Perfect weather accompanied Save MountDiablo’s first Diablo Trail fundraiser onOct. 11-14. Sixteen eager participants,ranging in age from 33 to 72, made thefour day, 30-mile trek from Walnut Creekto Brentwood across some of the moun-tain’s most beautiful and diverse land-scapes.

Hikers carried daypacks, water and lunch,while gear was shuttled between campsites.Each evening included gourmet dinnersand wine, courtesy of Prima and La Cigalein Walnut Creek, while guest lecturersBeverly Lane, Ken Lavin and Anne Homantalked about Native American history,Diablo geology and the Morgan Territoryarea on successive nights. Coyotes sere-naded the group every night; on the lastday one of them waited for us in thecanyon leading from Round Valley toMarsh Creek road, as if to say ‘goodbye’.The group had so much fun that severalmembers have already signed up for thenext trip. A reunion dinner was held atPrima the following month to thank triporganizers Ron Brown and Seth Adams.

Special thanks to Dave Husted, owner ofOutside Interests for donation of daypacks,a huge camp stove, and the loan of tents forthe trip. Volunteers included Art Bonwell,Scott & Claudia Hein, Doug Knauer, BobMarx, Dave Sargent, Guillermo Velez, andPhil Winslow.

A Spring “Four Days Diablo” has beenscheduled for April 11-14, limited to twogroups of 10. Please call the SMD officefor more info; the trip is $750 and adeposit of $250 per person is required tohold your place.

Prima, La Cigale, SunriseBistro & Starbucks Feed “Four Days Diablo”There was a time when Walnut Creek’sbest restaurants could be counted on onehand. Prima, founded in 1977, and LaCigale, in 1974, are among them and theyrecently brought a little Italian and Frenchinfluence to Diablo’s slopes. They donatedmeals for the twenty hikers participating inSMD’s “Four Days Diablo”, Diablo Trailfundraiser.

Prima server Rory Harrington volunteeredto cook for night #1 at Mt. Diablo’sBuckeye Group Camp. Rory whipped up asalad of heirloom tomatoes, orrechiettepasta with sautéed cauliflower, grilled pail-lard of duck breast with porcini sauce, can-nelini beans and dinosaur kale, and carmelbudino for desert. Prima fan DaleHaukland worked along side Prima ownerMichael Verlander setting tables, servingfoods and pouring wine. The followingnight, Michael and Lou Francone (winespecialist at Southern Wine and Spirits),drove to Save Mount Diablo’s Silva Ranchand cooked a chanterelle risotto, grilledsalmon and seared asparagus for the group.Katrina Rozelle Bakery donated deserts.

La Cigale, which serves classic French cui-sine took care of Saturday night’s dinner atthe new Morgan backpack camp located onin Morgan Territory Regional Preserve.Owners Jacques & Yvonne Jakovleski pro-vided fresh baked bread, bib lettuce salad,leek soup, beef Bourguignon and steamedvegetables, and an amazing apple strudel.

Sunrise Bistro & Café’s Cindy Stein-Gershen donated four days of lunches andlinens, and there was hot competition forher turkey cranberry sandwiches and amaz-

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Jackie Pels and John Keifer, winningbidders for the Dinner on the Summit.

Outside Interests“We’re hosting a talk which will benefitSave Mount Diablo. Would you come tothe event to pick up a check?” ThatNovember 2000 call was Save MountDiablo’s introduction to Dave Husted.Outside Interests, Husted’s outdoor equip-ment store (and much more) opened inDanville in February 2000. At age 30Dave had already decided that he wasn’thaving much fun commuting fromDanville to the corporate world of SiliconValley, and he wanted to own a business inhis hometown that would capitalize on hislove of the outdoors. Outside Interests’motto is “Improving people’s lives throughthe outdoors”.

Two years later, Outside Interests’ friendsand customers are among the most enthusi-astic supporters a business owner couldhope for, attending evening clinics andtalks, or one of an ongoing series of hikesand other trips the store sponsors, organ-ized by Events Coordinator LorrieSullenberger. Many of the trips include afee, but the store also sponsors free hikesweekly and family walks monthly. ThisSpring, these hikes and walks will takeplace on Mount Diablo as part of “AprilOn The Mountain.”

In the past year Outside Interests hasbecome one of Save Mount Diablo’sstrongest small business supporters.Numerous fundraising events have benefit-ed SMD, including evening clinics; hikes;

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“Get Dirty” a hike and half marathon lastJune from Castle Rock up Pine Ridge; andthe store’s recent February 4th secondanniversary. Outside Interests also spon-sored SMD’s “Four Days Diablo” back-packing trip on the Diablo Trail. OutsideInterests, 422 Hartz Avenue, Danville, 925837-1230, www.outsideinterests.com

Knobcone Point with OutsideInterestsOn November 3rd, Outside Interests spon-sored a special Mt. Diablo hike to benefitSave Mount Diablo. Seth Adams, SMD’sDirector of Land Programs, led the way toone of the mountain’s least known andmost spectacular areas. With permissionfrom the neighboring landowner, the grouplooped up from the Blackhawk Ridge Roadand back past Balancing Rock on theKnobcone Point Road. The area is home tomountain lions and peregrine falcons.

Greg Francisco & HealthwiseVisit Wright CanyonHealthwise Personal Trainer GregFrancisco has helped Seth Adams, SMD’sDirector of Land Programs, manage a badback for the past five years. Last year Sethintroduced Greg to landowner DorothyWright, who was also having back trouble,with similar success.

On October 21st Greg and his wife Cindyinvited Healthwise clients and friends for ahike on the 76-acre Wright property, whichSMD acquired on December 31st, and tobecome SMD members. Seth led seventyfit individuals around the property andmore than $2000 was raised. You canreach Healthwise and the Body Sculptinggym at 925 930-4584.

Contra Costa Times columnist Gary Boguewill lead the next hike on the Wright prop-erty on March 23rd; details can be found inthe April on the Mountain schedule.

The Morning Side Of TheMountainA standing room only crowd of more than200 gathered on August 15th at theClayton Library, for a book signing andslideshow by Anne Homan, author of TheMorning Side Of Mount Diablo: an illus-trated account of the San Francisco BayArea’s historic Morgan Territory Road.Many Morgan Territory area landownersreceived a special invitation to the SMDevent. A smaller crowd of about fiftyattended a second showing at DVC onNovember 8th. Homan’s book, publishedby SMD member Jackie Pels’ HardscratchPress and designed by David R. Johnson,received the prize for best design at theBumbershoot Festival for the Arts inSeptember. The Morning Side Of MountDiablo will soon be reprinted.

Founders Ridge UnveiledOctober 20th was a perfect day for a hike:the first public tour of the new Elworthyand Clyma properties on Highland Ridgein Morgan Territory Regional Preserve.The two properties, totaling 400 acres,were added to the Preserve in June andSeptember. It was a sunny breezy day andhikers climbed west to the crest ofHighland Ridge. One special participantwas Manny Lindner, who celebrated his82nd birthday by visiting the newest addi-tions to the Preserve he had helped to cre-ate in the mid 1970’s. The East BayRegional Park District renamed a sectionof Highland Ridge as “Founders Ridge” onNovember 20th.

Outside Interests’ friends at ‘Indian Cave’

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Anne Homan signing her book

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Founders Ridge NamedAt the 30th Anniversary gala, SMD’s founders andhonorary founders were called to the stage and animage of Highland Ridge appeared on a screen. Itshowed an incredible view stretching from MorganTerritory to both Diablo peaks. The view capturedmuch of SMD’s collaborative work with the Stateand East Bay Regional Park District in recentyears. The founders were joined by Park DistrictDirectors Beverly Lane and Ted Radke, whoannounced a special honor for Save Mount Diabloand its founders: the renaming of a portion ofHighland Ridge as “Founders Ridge.”

When SMD was formed in December 1971 itsfounders outlined goals including extension of pub-lic lands from the summit of the mountain south-east to include Morgan Territory and HighlandRidge. In 1975 Morgan Territory RegionalPreserve was created and over the years SMD, theState and the Park District closed in on that goal.This past summer the Park District accepted adonation of the Elworthy property including thecrest of Highland Ridge.

We thank the District for this honor, especiallyDirector Beverly Lane, who sponsored the effort.

The Founders of Save Mount Diablo are: ArthurBonwell & Mary Bowerman, Barbara Benedict,Robert Canning, Robert Doyle, Edward Earl,Florence Klinger, Peg Kovar, Mary Lou Laubscher,Donald Merchant, Connie Rehr, Jean Richmond,William Sattler, Genevieve Sattler.Honorary Founders are: Jane Helrich, Bill House,Jean Laird, Jane Stimpson, Mina Lou Taylor, BettyZilen

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County Supervisor Donna Gerber summed up the 30th AnniversaryGala this way: “It was as if you had a committee that came up with abunch of great ideas and then decided to do all of them. It came offwonderfully.” Cattleman John Ginochio, whose family was honoredfor 125 years of land stewardship, put it another way, “I was preparednot to have a good time and ended up having a great time.”

In little more than two and a half hours Save Mount Diablo held pre-and post-show receptions for 450 guests; put on two slideshows;heard remarks from Senator Tom Torlakson, Assemblyman JoeCanciamilla, County Supervisor Donna Gerber, Dept. of Parks andRecreation Director Rusty Areias and East Bay Regional Park DistrictGeneral Manager Pat O’Brien; presented thirty-one awards; renameda ridge after SMD’s founders; and bought a property.

SMD Executive Director and MC Ron Brown and President MalcolmSproul welcomed thecrowd and kept the pace

Save Mount Diablo Celebrates 30 Years450 Attend Black-Tie Gala

Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Prints of Mt. DiabloIn honor of SMD’s 30th anniversary, Stephen Joseph printed four limited edition 13”x 19” color panoramas of Mt. Diablo. Signed & numbered, at the special price of$75 each (plus $6.19 sales tax; 20% of the proceeds to SMD). Our black & whitenewsletter can’t do the images justice. Center top, and then left to right, they’re #1Mt. Diablo from Highland Ridge, #2 Vasco Caves, #3 Mt. Diablo from Windy Point,and #4 North Peak from Clayton Ranch. The prints can be ordered and picked up atSMD by calling 925-947-3535, or send a check to SMD for $81.19 made out to:Stephen Joseph. Include your telephone number or E-mail address.

From top, counter-clockwise: Steven Phillips, Chris Anderson, Laura Anderson & Nancy Myrick; NancyHanna, Gayle Landis, Joyce Payne & Ralph Hanna; Sylvia Adler & Sharon Brown in 3-D glasses; SMD

Director Allan & Kit Prager, Frank Varenchik & Barbara Halkett; Top center: Founders Ridge view of Mt. Diablo and North Peak across the Blackhills, Riggs and Curry

Canyons. Founders Ridge is the crest of Highland Ridge in Morgan Territory Regional Preserve.All photos this page by David Ogden (except 3-D glasses shot by Kim Weinstein, and landscapes by

Stephen Joseph)

Continued on page 9

Scott Hein and SMD President Malcolm Sproulassist SMD co-founder Mary Bowerman after

the naming of Founders Ridge.EBRPD Directors Beverly Lane and

Ted Radke flank other founders.

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moving. A slideshow of SMD’s accomplishments followed, includ-ing spectacular images of the mountain and its many parks. Theaccomplishments of the thirty Mountain Star award winners wereinspiring, as was the presence of co-founders Mary Bowerman andArt Bonwell and other founders. Seth Adams, SMD’s Director ofLand Programs received a special ‘Mountain Saver’ award.

The real credit, however, goes to Mt. Diablo, to Stephen Joseph andto the Diablo Wind Symphony. Joseph’s incredible eight-projector,two screen 3-D slideshow, accompanied by the rousing perform-ance of the 60-piece Symphony, closed the event. Stephen’sslideshow was exhilarating and deeply moving and was given spe-cial life by the Symphony’s music, conducted by Dr. DuaneCarroll.

Behind the scenes, SMD Office Manager Suzanne Bitz kept a myr-iad of details in order. Volunteers included Burt Bassler, ArtBonwell, Donna Gerber, Scott & Claudia Hein, Doug Knauer, BobMarx, John Mercurio, Amara & Clark Morrison, Bob Nunn, AllanPrager, Dave Sargent, Malcolm Sproul, Dave Trotter, and FrankVarenchik.

Thanks to the SponsorsThe 30th Anniversary gala netted more than

$42,000 for Save Mount Diablo’s programs. Wegratefully acknowledge the following sponsors for

generously underwriting the celebration.

Oak Sponsors $5,0003 Anonymous Donations

Sil Garaventa & Garaventa EnterprisesInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers -

Local 302The Murdy Foundation

Manzanita Sponsors $2,500Bowles & Verna - LLP

Jeanne ThomasShapell Industries

Buckeye Sponsors $1,000Blackhawk Corporation

East Bay Regional Park DistrictMarx & Associates

Merrill LynchPlumbers & Steamfitters - Local 159

Windemere

Bay Sponsors $500Burt Bassler, Blanding, Boyer & Rockwell,Diablo Analytical, ENGEO, John Kiefer,

LSA Associates, The Picnic People,Sycamore & Associates

Media SponsorsContra Costa TimesDiablo Publications

Seth Adams, Contra Costa Times columnist Gary Bogueand the Coastal Conservancy’s Nadine Hitchcock present

Dorothy Wright with a check from the Conservancy to com-plete the purchase of the Wright property

Black-Tie Gala Continued from page 8

Senator Tom Torlakson &SMD co-founder Art

Bonwell

former Senator John Nejedly,Walnut Creek Mayor Sue Rainey

& former Senator Richard Rainey

From bottom, counter-clockwise:SMD Executive Director Ron Brown, Judy Adler & SethAdams; reception at the Regional Center; Senator Tom Torlakson, SMD Director Amara

Morrison & Clark Morrison; Contra Costa County Supervisor Donna Gerber & Brenda de laOsa; Chiori Santiago & Art Bonwell; Dan de la Cruz & SMD Director Bob Marx.

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Save Mount Diablo’sMountain Star Awards

...were created to recognize those individu-als and organizations whose efforts havebeen the most significant in helping toachieve Save Mount Diablo’s mission thesepast thirty years. Nominations were solicit-ed from a number of different sources andnearly eighty were received. Save MountDiablo worked long and hard to narrow thelist, but selection of the recipients was notan easy task.

The Mountain Star Award program will con-tinue each year as a means of recognizingindividuals and organizations that work forthe preservation of Mount Diablo and thequality of life in our community.

Alliance AwardsAgencies and organizations which makecontinuing contributions to land preservationin concert with Save Mount Diablo.

Contra Costa Building & ConstructionTrades CouncilThere was a time when construction unionssupported development projects as a matterof course. The Contra Costa Building &Construction Trades Council has recognizedthe importance of their role of working withconservationists to protect our area’s qualityof life by opposing ill-conceived projects.

East Bay Regional Park DistrictOur organization has worked hand in handwith the East Bay Regional Park Districtsince 1972. The District has created tenpark units and many regional trails in theDiablo foothills, and worked with SMD toconnect these areas in scenic wildlife andrecreational corridors. Its efforts have dra-matically expanded the parks around MountDiablo.

Greenbelt AllianceGreenbelt Alliance has been Save MountDiablo’s strongest grassroots ally on many

land use efforts. Together, we have workedon projects that have included ClaytonRanch, Cowell Ranch, the PittsburgSoutheast Hills annexation, Roddy Ranchand the tightening of the Urban Limit Line.

California Department ofParks and RecreationThe California Department of Parks andRecreation has been Mount Diablo’s mostimportant ally since before SMD wasformed. For the past thirty years ourorganization and this agency have workedas a team to more than triple the size of Mt.Diablo State Park. Meanwhile, theDepartment’s stewardship has meant thatprotected lands and resources enjoy greatlyimproved ecological health.

Legislative AwardsSignificant contributions to the mountainby elected representatives.

Senator John Nejedly & Senator DanBoatwrightFor decades Mount Diablo enjoyed thesupport of Republican John Nejedly andDemocrat Dan Boatwright, allies on eitherside of the aisle in Sacramento, first in theAssembly and then the Senate. They eachsponsored a long series of resource bondsand then worked together to legislativelyappropriate significant funds to the State,Regional and local parks on Mount Diablo.Their efforts resulted in funding for theacquisition of tens of thousands of acres.

Senator Tom TorlaksonAs a member of the County Board ofSupervisors, Tom Torlakson was SMD’sbiggest ally. In the Assembly, he convenedthe first meetings to protect Clayton Ranchthen helped fund its purchase. In bothhouses, he helped pass the largest Stateresources bonds in history and as a Senatorhas helped fund a variety of acquisitionsincluding Cowell Ranch. All this whilemaintaining a 100% voting record on theLeague of Conservation VotersEnvironmental Scorecard.

Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla‘Hard working Joe’ did the unthinkable as amember of the Board of Supervisors: heproposed slowing growth until transporta-tion and infrastructure caught up. He sup-ported a strengthened Urban Limit Line,opposed a variety of large developments,negotiated a dramatic compromise on theCowell Ranch project and now, as a mem-ber of the State Assembly, has aided effortsto pay for its acquisition.

Supervisor Donna GerberBefore her first election as a CountySupervisor, Donna Gerber vowed to changethe way development takes place in ContraCosta. In short order she helped stop theTassajara Valley Project, led the successfuleffort to tighten the county’s Urban LimitLine, and became the County’s leading pro-ponent of Smart Growth.

Leadership AwardsIndividuals who have made difficult andvisionary contributions.

Joann HannaThe Save Mount Diablo movement wascatalyzed in 1970 with the approval of theScott project, which would have removedninety feet of Shell Ridge to fill IndianValley for development. Joann Hanna,“mother of the Walnut Creek Open Spacesystem”, was a planning commissioner whohelped lead the effort to stop the projectand then to create the city’s open space sys-tem.

Manfred LindnerIn the early 1970s, Manny Lindner of theContra Costa Park Council fell in love withMorgan Territory. His efforts resulted inthe creation of the 970 acre MorganTerritory Regional Preserve. He recentlycelebrated his 82nd birthday by viewing thenewest addition to the preserve, nowincluding 5000 acres.

Susan WatsonMary Bowerman asked Susan Watson to

EBRPD President John Sutter,CCBCTC’s Greg Feere, DPR Director

Rusty Areias, Greenbelt Alliance’s Evelyn Stivers& Save Mount Diablo President Malcolm Sproul

Manfred Lindner, Susan Watson,Senator Tom Torlakson & Joann Hanna

Continued on page 11

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help stop communication towers on Mt.Diablo and before long she had becomepresident of the group. She led SMD fromaround a kitchen table through its growthto become a larger staffed organization.She was also instrumental in taking thefirst steps toward the creation of the corri-dor from Mt. Diablo to Black DiamondMines Regional Preserve.

Public Service AwardsSignificant contributions to land preserva-tion by government employees.

Jim CutlerMuch of Save Mount Diablo’s land usesuccess can be traced to former ContraCosta Advanced Planning Chief Jim Cutler,who never missed a chance to look out forthe mountain even as the Contra CostaCounty Board of Supervisors consideredallowing its development.

Hulet HornbeckFew people can match the record of HuletHornbeck. In 1964 he served as CentralCounty chair for the campaign to annexContra Costa County to the Regional ParkDistrict. He later became the District’sChief of Land Acquisition, beginning manyof the mountain’s regional parks such asBlack Diamond Mines and DiabloFoothills. Forty years later he helps witheach new ballot campaign.

Warren WestrupIn Sacramento, elected officials and agencychiefs come and go. Luckily WarrenWestrup, Acquisition Section Chief for theCalifornia Department of Parks andRecreation, has survived the changingadministrations, working with SMD onevery addition to Mt. Diablo State Park inthe past twenty-five years.

Cornerstone AwardsLarge and precedent-setting contributions.

Ken BehringThey were known as the Blackhawk Wars,and controversial though it may have been

in the 1970s, Ken Behring’s Blackhawkproject also meant the largest donation everat that time to the California State Park sys-tem. Spectacular lands from Wall Point toOyster Point were donated, increasing thesize of Mt. Diablo State Park by twenty-five percent.

Charles GreshamWe had never met Charles Gresham whenhe first contacted us. After a single hike hedonated substantial funds necessary tosecure the Silva Ranch. His continuedcommitment to Save Mount Diablo hasbeen significant and enduring.

City of Walnut CreekLime and Shell Ridges are the backdrop forthe City of Walnut Creek. No city of itssize in California has done a better job firstin protecting and then in managing its openspace.

Interpretive AwardsSignificant contributions to public educa-tion.

Judy AdlerThe Diablo Summit Building was builtfrom 1939-42 by the Civilian ConservationCorps, of porous native rock that leakedduring intense rains. Judy Adler of MDIAtook on the task of raising funds for restora-tion and new interpretive exhibits. Becauseof her work the renovated Summit Buildingwas reopened and is now the mountain’smost well used educational facility. Judy isalso acknowledged for her continued educa-tional and interpretive programs.

Mount Diablo Interpretive AssociationThe Mount Diablo Interpretive Associationwas founded in 1974 and soon began co-sponsoring SMD’s annual hike series, AprilOn The Mountain. MDIA’s Mountain Star,however, is for their Mt. Diablo map andpublications which provide the most com-prehensive education for Diablo visitors.

Stewardship AwardsSignificant contributions to the mountain’songoing ecological health.

The Ginochio FamilyThree Ginochio brothers arrived in ContraCosta from 1867 to 1876. The family’sranching operations expanded to includethousands of acres surrounding Mt. Diablo.When you enter the State Park’s Northgateentrance, for example, for the next mileand a half you’re crossing Ginochio prop-erty. Almost all of the land the family hassold has been added to public parks.Without 125 years of stewardship by theGinochio family, much of what we recog-nize as Mt. Diablo could have been devel-oped.

The Thomas FamilyThe Mt. Diablo Coal Fields attracted min-ers after the Gold Rush, including the firstmember of the Thomas family in 1862.The family has owned land around BlackDiamond Mines since 1867, and has resis-ted Pittsburg’s efforts to annex and developtheir ranch lands. Without their commit-ment to their land, the scenic BlackDiamond foothills of Mt. Diablo wouldhave long since been paved over.

Trail Blazer AwardsSignificant contributions to public recre-ation and enjoyment of the mountain.

George Cardinet92-year old George Cardinet is probablythe State’s most well known equestrian andis the “Father of the Trail System inCalifornia.” A founder of the Concord-Mt.Diablo Trail Ride Association, the HeritageTrails Fund, the California State Riding &Hiking Trail and the Juan Bautista de AnzaNational Historic Trail, George has createdmore trails on Mt. Diablo than anyone.

Don de FremeryExcept for the two leading founders ofSave Mount Diablo, this year we’re onlyrecognizing one current member of our

Jim Cutler, Warren Westrup & Hulet Hornbeck

Walnut Creek Mayor Sue Rainey &Steve Beinke (accepting for Ken Behring)

Gloria Thomas, her brotherWayne Thomas & John Ginochio

Continued on page 12

Continued from page 10

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continued from page 11

hard-working Board of Directors. Don deFremery volunteers for a wide variety ofoutdoor organizations, and has arguably ledmore public hikes in Contra Costa thananyone else these past thirty years. He wasinvolved in the creation of the 30-mileDiablo Trail and has also built many trails.

Restoration AwardsSignificant and unusual improvements inresource protection and enhancement atMount Diablo.

Gary BeemanWildlife biologist Gary Beeman proposedto his wife in one of Diablo’s historic pere-grine falcon nests, years after the birds haddisappeared from the mountain. For fouryears beginning in 1989, Beeman was theperegrine lover who helped make SaveMount Diablo’s falcon reintroduction pro-gram a reality.

Charli DanielsenFormer SMD Board member CharliDanielsen brought a love of native plants tothe organization. She pioneered the group’sfirst stewardship efforts at Chaparral Springand has led an ongoing project to restorenative bunchgrasses at the State Park.

Ralph KraetschWhen you walk through the Walnut CreekOpen Space, you often see white tubes withyoung oak trees growing out of them. In1991 Ralph Kraetsch of the Walnut Creek

George Cardinet & Don de Fremery

Open Space Foundation began the success-ful oak restoration program on MountDiablo, which has expanded to include otherrestoration projects as well.

Steve SlavinOver Save Mount Diablo’s protests, SteveSlavin of Chevron won a permit extensionfor Chevron’s communication tower onNorth Peak. He listened to the protestshowever, and when the presence of thetower was no longer necessary, Chevrontook the initiative for removing the towerand related facilities, and restoring the siteto its natural condition. Chevron’s towerremoval in 1999 was a precedent; the firsttower site to be removed from the mountain.

Media AwardsSignificant media contributions to publicawareness of Save Mount Diablo and of themountain.

Gary BogueFor most of SMD’s history, the ContraCosta Times’ columnist Gary Bogue hasurged his readers to enjoy, to respond, tovote and to donate to meet Mount Diablo’sneeds. Gary’s loyal readers have regularlycontributed the option funds necessary tohold land until remaining funding could bedeveloped, most recently with $77,000 incontributions for the $50,000 Wright proper-ty option.

Contra Costa TimesMore than most mountains or small organi-zations, Mount Diablo and SMD receive agreat deal of publicity, much of it in theContra Costa Times. For the past thirtyyears the Times has covered acquisitions,land use efforts and everything from sunriseevents, to peregrine falcon births, to hun-dreds of hike announcements. They alsounderwrite SMD publications and donate adspace and staff expertise.

All photos in this article are courtesy ofDavid OgdenGary Beeman, Charli Danielsen

& Ralph Kraetsch

Stephen Joseph, a member of Save MountDiablo’s Board of Directors since 1993, hasbeen called the Ansel Adams of MountDiablo. He’s an amazing photographerwho has specialized in 3-D and panoramicphotos, often taken with reconstructedantique cameras. In the past several yearshe’s also joined the digital age. Stephenreceived his Bachelors of Fine Arts and hisMaster of Fine Arts from the CaliforniaCollege of Arts and Crafts. He has taughtthere and at Civic Arts in Walnut Creek.

Stephen introduced himself to SMD in1992 by sending a postcard of one his pho-tos with this note on the back, “I loveMount Diablo and take a lot of pictures ofit. Can you use any of them?” We’ve kepthim busy ever since, relying on hundreds ofhis volunteer hours each year. Stephen’swork is often found in these pages and hisspectacular 3-D slideshows are the center-piece of many SMD events; he was theheadliner at SMD’s 30th Anniversary. Youcan see his work at area galleries, at hisPleasant Hill home studio (call 925 934-2128), at Black Diamond Brewery inWalnut Creek, or on SMD’s or his ownwebsite:

www.stephenjosephphoto.com.

“Landscape photography requires knowinga place in a very intimate way. MountDiablo is my favorite place to photographand hike. It feels like home to me. Diablois so close it affords me the luxury of goingback over and over. I’ve been hiking therefor so many years and know the mountainso well, I use it to create really goodimages.”

“Since the 1800s, throughout the history oflandscape photography, there’s been a tradi-tion that photographers should give back tothe land. I’ve gotten so much out of Mt.Diablo over the years that I wanted to carryon that tradition, I wanted to give some-thing back to the mountain. Using my pho-tographs to help save Mount Diabloseemed very natural.”

Gary Bogue and John Armstrongof the Contra Costa Times

Spotlight on SMD Volunteers:

Stephen Joseph

Susa

n B

risee

Anna BoileauMary & Richard Bowers

Betty Lou BoswellPaul & Linda Salsgiver

Susanne BuecheJo Ann & Ralph Hanna

“Corny”Charlie & Marge Evans

Anna FerriLarry Ferri

Greg GitchellDan, Roberta & Eva Schoenholz

“Gramps”Robert Schwartz

Otto HaubensakPatricia Anne BaranHarry & Marilyn FinsonR. LandauRebecca Mallon

Jean HauserBarbara Hauser

Viola HertzbergEmily Fowler

In Honor of

In Memory of

General Donat ions

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Mariposa Lily

Doyle HeatonCarlyle HedrickNancy HillyardHarlan & Gayl HirschfeldA. Holly HollingsworthScott & Frances HoveyDave HustedRich JuricichDoug KnauerGiselle Jurkanin & KristinCooperRay Katz & June MaselbasEmma KolokousisCharles & Sharon KruegerWilliam & Clotilde LarkinsTheodore & JaniceLassagneAnne LeBlancEdward L. LeechMarston LeighEdwin LitsingerPaul & Carol LouJanet LuhmannMal Warwick & Associates John and Marti MasekGloria McLaughlinDaphne L. MillerWilliam . & Susan MillerSamuel & Mary MillsCarolyn & Bob MillsBarbara MolloyRichard & Carol MortensenDenise & Bruce MuirheadPaul NancarrowAnthony & Marcia NeweyHelen E. NewmanDavid Ogden/Sandi BiagiMark Ory & DianaMinnickB J & Elizabeth OttenHubert & Joan ReberJean ReynoldsJim RichardsBarr & June RosenbergElisabeth RothschildRaymond SalonenBill SchaafMarvin & Carolyn SchickJames & Patricia ScofieldPeggy ShaferMarion SheehanRobert & Carol ShueyCheryl I. SibthorpMatthew & Mary Smith

Jack and Diana AndersonWm. & Margaret AndrewsLouise BaldwinBank of America MatchingGifts ProgramGreg & Joanne BartowBetty Lou BatesHenry BeckEva BerekDouglas & Betty BevansFrank & Dorothy BindtJanet BisbingJennifer B. Brodie &Robert BrownbridgeConstance BurgessHarry & Beth ByrneCarol CampbellEmily CampbellLoren CastroRobert Clear & BarbaraJuddAlan & Kathleen CluteBetty & Howard CoatesConcord Garden ClubGeorge & VirginiaConstableDevereux CorlettLeonard & Virginia CosterSharon CumminsVickie L. DawesWayland & MarionDawsonWallace & DabneyDeWaalConrad & ShirleyDiethelmRoy & Isako EgawaRobert & Margaret ElliottGeraldine FerringOra Nell FolkmanBruce & Ellen FraserGordon & Susan FreemanMichael GendelmanElwood GerritsRoy & Elsie GlotfeltyFred & Elaine GrabRobert & Beverly GrunderPaul GrunlandRand GurvitzSydney & Helen HammillJudith HanksCynthia & W.R. HardieJohn & Esther HarrisKathleen Harrison

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All contributions were madefrom August 15, 2001 through

January 22, 2002

Correction: The Fall 2001 Diablo Watch failed to includePhyllis and Harvey Ceaser as donors to the Gary Bogue campaign.

Our apologies

Burrowing owl

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Mt. Diablo Globe Lily

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Roger & Helen SmithTerry & Gloria SonicoPaul D. SpiegelJames & Barbara StevensSandor & Faye StrausJo & Jack SudallDan SuzioPaul SwatekJeanne ThomasPatricia ThomasB.M. & Gloria TiernanPat Tom & James ComptonMariam TranesDavid TrotterJacob Van Akkeren & LeslieBartholicJohn & Linda Van HeertumThomas M. WagnerPhyllis WainwrightWalnut Creek Garden ClubAlfred P. WeilerPeter & Ann WhiteheadStephen & Margaret WilcoxDoug & Frances WoodardCarole WoodsPhilip & Barbara WrightJames & Sieglinda WylesFrances Zurilgen

Land FundPenny & Jim AdamsBarbara AlexanderJoyce Anderson &Sharon LloydBedell InvestmentCounselling,LLCMark & Silvia BelotzBertell & Mary BlackMary BowermanDiane C. BrownPauline BrowneRobert & Gail BurnettRuth & William CollinsHope DickFred & Susan DoneckerKen & Sandra DuckertMimi Frood- FroodGraphics & IllustrationKaren FryeJerry GerichElizabeth GirgichRobert & Bette HillMary HookGail JordanYola Y. LiangEdwin LitsingerJames McCallChris & Margaret PantonHubert & Betty PaulFred & Virginia PetersonBrad & Trish PiattNorman & Inge RobertsonBob RyonGlendoris SargentHazel SawyerMarvin & Mary SchinnererJ. Donald SeaverRichard & Sherry ShandrewWilliam SharpBarbara & Leonard SongsterRick & Caren SteffensBeatrice & Paul StunzRick ThurberWilliam WilburEd & Carolyn WoodJohn Wright Real Estate

Helen Ballock’s 90thBirthday

Michael & Judith AlvarezRobert & Lloydine GrahamEdward & Mary JensenRaymond & Dorothy Merritt Rick & Armida PetrettiValerie & Gene ReadRobin Schoenthaler, MDJanet & Brian SteffyEleanor WilberRobert & Jo Ann Wilber

Jane ManningSally Manning

The McLaughlin FamilyThe Swanson Family

Anne MorganBarbara Riggins

Matthew O’Neil, whoenjoys riding his bike onthe mountain trails.

William & Phyllis O’Neil (Dad & Mom)

Ami Rådström-Ditzel’s 50thBirthday

Roger & Irene HarrisGunilla LehmkuhlSolweig Sandell

Ken & Catherine SmithMarcy Howard

Philip & Henrietta DubowWalter Jennings, “in memo-ry of my dear husband”who lost his battle withParkinson’s Disease

Barbara Jennings Iris Lounds

June RichertMartha Miller

Dr. Linda MillerNorman Ponte

Joyce KellyWm. & Genevieve Sattler

Joyce SattlerMarion Shoemaker

Fonda KarelitzLynn Turner

Ruth ChaptonStevie Wilson

Lisa & Mo Dadgar“All the Loved Ones welost on Sept. 11. Let theMountain stand for thosewho fell..”

John & Susan Tullis

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Summit Club($1,000 or more)John & Jane AusmanBraddock & LoganServices Joe & Betty GoldsteinDouglas & Cindy LaceyAllison & Mike RobinsonMeredith RoseJames & Patricia ScofieldDiana SeligMildred SnelsonBenson TongueGeorge & SarahZimmerman

Peak Guardian($500 or more)Bryant & Inga BennettLee GlasgowScott & Claudia HeinPeggie HowellJean MasonekDean MorrisDavid Ogden & SandyBiagiFrank & Barbara VarenchikBetty Woolverton

Mountain Saver($250 or more)2 Anonymous MountainSaversJudy & Andy AdlerGlorya Anderson-WeberBill & Joyce AshurstMary BaldwinLesley BennLynn & Rick BergquistDonna BuessingJames & Carolyn ButlerDavid FraneLiana Genovesi & ScottAhrendtCarol GreavesPeter & Judi HagenEric & Debbie HinzelSandy HoodDavid & Lois KailJohn KieferDavid LampeJames & Beverly LaneJohn McCorduck Steve and Linda MehlmanGordon & Donna MonroeAmara MorrisonTheron NelsonThomas O’Brien

Peter OakeshottLawrence PeiranoWalter & Mary RogersHoward & Gene RudigerSteve Savin & ChandraSmithStewart & Bette SchusterHenry StaufferJim ThompsonKathleen Toups & DorianLiepmannDavid & Deborah TrotterEarl & Marlys WordenPauline Yan

Diablo Donor($100 or more)6 Anonymous Diablo DonorsArthur AmosMartin AbramsPaul & Hanako AndrewsAlan & Helen ApplefordRollin & Millicent ArmerStephen & Joyce ArnonAndy AstonDavid BaerWayne & Karen BarkerWilliam & Diane BarleyLance BartleJames Bartlett & Mimi FoordBurt BasslerPatty BattersbyClaude & Carol BenedixEdward & Mildred BennettWilliam BernellBette BoatmunMarchetta BowdleMalcolm & Sylvia BoyceDon & Jeanne BoydKate BoyleLynn & Butch BrearAnne BrockDiane BrownPauline BrowneRaymond & Patricia BuckR.M. & Lois BunyardBill & Kelly BurmeisterJanet CaldwellJohn & Jane CambusPatrick & Shirley CampbellHarvey & Phyllis CeaserAlan & Kathleen CluteFlorence ColeNancy CollinsJanice CostellaPhillip & Jean DavidHarold DavisBradley & Carol Davis

Save Mount Diablo’s annual operating expenses are underwritten by the financial support we receivefrom membership revenue. In addition to providing financial support, the number of members wehave is a statement to legislators and others about the level of community support for our projects.

We would like to thank the following individuals who have become members since mid-Decemberof 2000. We invite you to join them in supporting Save Mount Diablo’s efforts to preserve openspace.

Mic

hael

Sew

ell

Richard Davis & SandraJonesVickie DawesJames & Patricia DayDon de FremeryDonald & Charlott DeamJohn & Susan DeanJohn DeemingCarl Dinerman & MarianneWhiteCarl & Audrey DownMichael & Chryl DumasJohn EdwardsTony & Marie EmersonRiley & Karen EtheridgeGus & Sugar FiliceGeorge FingerPaul & Kathy FitzpatrickSusana FousekisLisa & Paul FrancisJack & Maureen FritschiKathy FullerJohn & Teena GallagherMaridale & Gary GarrenAl & Pat GavelloBarbara GeorgeDonna GerberBingham & Larry GibbsDavid & Betty GiffordGarrett and Cathy GirvanDavid & Diane GoldsmithSusan GrayCharles GreshamDonald & Melinda GroomCathy GrossuRichard & Faye GuarientiLiede-Marie HaitsmaSydney & Helen HammillMona HansenRuss & Cindy HarrisonKathy HartDonald HayesRonald & Ann HendelMichael & NadineHitchcockDonald & Sandy HoffmanHarmon & Joan HowardNoel HurdSusan InmanR.John JeffreyJames & Toril JelterJackiel Joseph & GailGordonJohn & Linda JuddPam & Mark KanRobert KatzRichard Kawin

Joyce KellyDoris KleinTed KlothHans KorveRobin KreskeJesse & Sharon KriderRichard LarsonPhilip LathrapRobert & Lynne LeachTom LeeJeffrey & Deborah LeightonLillian LemonJames LingelMichael & Jennifer LloydDavid LoebPatricia LopezBob & Eleanor LoyndMichael & Joanna LyonDavid Marcus & KarenFriedmanBunny MartinBob & Joan MarxJames & Phyllis Mc DonaldPatty McClainJames McClaskeyWinton & MargaretMcKibbenMark McLaren & NancyNorlandJohn & Jill MercurioBarbara MonslerWayne MontoyaJames Rolph MooreMaynard MungerDavid & Margaret NicholasCraig NielsenHenry NigroElizabeth O’SheaNigel OgilvieMichael OglesCharles & Ann OlsenOrinda Hiking ClubVerna OsbornTom & Nancy PattenStephane PelchatFred & Virginia PetersonBrad & Trish PiattE.L. & Carol PollockD. E. PrieweJeffrey RadiganBill RalphJames & Melissa ReaseEd & Gwen RegaliaConnie RegaliaCharles RickenbacherJohn & Sandra RitchieMichael Rosenblum

Membership Matters

Leslie RosenfeldJames & Ann SaavedraAl & Mary Anne SanbornEdgar & Jean SandersonSheryl SankeyMartin SargentEd & Julie SattlerDaniel & Janet SchalkLeo & Maryann SchindlerArlene ScolesRich & Ann SextonDavid ShortRobert SiebenSierra Club- Mt. DiabloGroupHeidi SlocombKathryn SmithDave Smith & Terry BlairGregg & Anne SorensenMalcolm & Casey SproulDean StokerJack & Jo SudallKevin Sullivan & TamaraThompsonKermit SveenPatricia ThomasTom & Jill ToffoliRose TomDavid & Kristen TriskoMary UlrichFrank & Edith Valle-RiestraVerne Van VlearNestor VaschettoBarbara WaltersSharon WaltersValerie WarburtonMitchell & Ann WardDouglas & Ruth WatermanDick & Margo WatsonTom & Carolyn WesthoffDavid WhippyHugh & Alice WhiteMartha WhittakerKenneth WintersAnn WitterBernice WoodheadJohn & Betty WoodwardMilo Zarakov & DeborahLongDonald & Carolyn Zerby

Friends ($35 or more):577 individuals or familieshave joined in this category.

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restoration, protection and enhancement ofwildlife and wildlife habitat.

The District's land acquisitions have beenfunded through the 1988 Measure AA, butthe AA bond money will soon be exhausted(these funds can only be used for capitalprojects). Passage of Measure K is neces-sary for the renewal of AA and additionalacquisitions.

For information on Measure K, visit<<www.yesforparks.com>>, or contact thePark District Public Information Supervisor

at (510)

Continued from page 1

Yes on Measure K

Individual DonorsAngels ($5,000+)2 Anonymous Donors

Patrons ($1,000+)Don & Georgia Palmer, Marian Scott,Richard & Sandra Smith

Supporters ($500+)John & Rosemary Daniel, David Ogden &Sandi Biagi, Allan Prager, Verne Van Vlear

Contributors (under $500)Kenneth Ahl, Glenn Alex, H. Ward Alter,Paul & Joan Armstrong, Robert & MarilynAston, Richard Bachenheimer, Carol Baier,James & Mary Ballard, Margy & LarryBanfield, Bank of Walnut Creek, PatriciaCurtin, Margot Bevis, Mark Bole, JohnBouyea, Marcheta Bowdle, Madaline Boyes,Doug & Kristine Brady, Alan & KristiBranum, Marty & Cameryn Breen -ForwardMotion Sports, Donna Buessing-DiversifiedCaptial Services, Ronald & Barbara Buffi,Joan Casey, Johnson & Louise ClarkFoundation, Charles Clem, Annabelle Cloner,Patricia E. Coffey, Contra Costa CentralLabor Council, Sherrill Cook & Richard S.Stephens, Bradley & Carol Davis, John S.Deeming, Ernest & Florence Dickson, Dave& Dana Dornsife, Thomas & Jane Dunphy,Susan M. Flautt, Harold & Donna Fogel,Ruthann Frank, Friends of Mark Peterson, Al& Pat Gavello, Wing & Christine Gee,Camile & Le Roy Ghilarducci, Kenneth &Elizabeth Giannotti, Austin & Mary Givens,

Our sincere thanks and appreciation goes to the following businesses, organizations, andindividuals for their generous financial support in honor of our anniversary celebration.

Susan Gray, Charles Gresham, MarjorieGriffin, Judith Hanks, Janess Hanson, ClaraHarris & Steven Eckert, John & Mary AnnHayes, Tamra Hege, Nadine & MichaelHitchcock, Richard Hoedt, Margaret &William Hughes, Justine Hume, Andrew &Barbara Imbri, Peyton I. Jacob, Peter & JulieKaldveer, Elias Katz, Ph.D., A.M. Kern, Boise& Lucy Ketcham, Arthur & Selma King,Gerald & Rosette Koch, David Lenehan,Catherine Locke, Jay & Caroline Lutz,Suzanne & Nathan Lutz, Hugh & CarolMaiocco, Ed & Carol Margason, Andrew &Lynne Marshall, James A. McCall, DennisMcCormac, Martin & Helen McLaren, MiriamMellen, Amara & Clark Morrison, MaynardMunger, Herbert F. Neller, Richard & DorothyNichols, Robert & Shirley Nootbaar, BobNunn, Robert & Patricia Partridge, JoycePayne, Ada Lou Peterson, Steven Phillips,Marjorie & Theodore Plant, TomaszPotworowski, Mauricia Price, Gloria Pulido,Norman & Inge Robertson, Donald J. Rose-Rose Associates, Al & Mary Anne Sanborn,Ernest & Dorothy Sattler, Jean Saylor,Anthony Schilling, Andrew and Linda Schneit,Arlene Scoles, Carlo & Margareta Sequin, AnnShanck, Sharon Singer, Matt & Mary Smith,Suzanne Stanke, Rick & Caren Steffens, HelenStevens, Irene & Jason Sutton, Roger & PollyTroxell, Frank & Barbara Varenchik, MartinVitz, Rob & Marci Waldman, Barbara Walters,Susan Watson, Nancy Wenninger, SonjaWilkin, Elizabeth Zilen

In-Kind Gif tsAsyst Computers: HP printer/fax/scannerBoyd & Jean Ballenger: Mt. Diablo photosLisa Carroll: Osprey watercolor Ann Mari Faut: Eureka vacuumScott & Claudia Hein: digital camera; label-er; photo developingMount Diablo State Park: deskAl & Dorothea Schoenstein: Lithographs

30th Anniversary Donors

Wish ListYou can help Save Mount Diablo bydonating the following items:• Combination TV/VCR • Lap TopComputer and projector for PowerPoint presentations • Phone system (4line/6 phone) for SMD office

Volunteers NeededSave Mount Diablo needs volunteersin the following areas:

Regular Office Assistance: Severalhours per week - routine office chores- filing, light typing, phones, etc.Project Help: For periodic mailingprojects. Archivist: to help catalogue,label and file photos and documents.Events: Coordination and help of allsorts; solicit auction/raffle items;obtain business/corporate sponsors.Graphic Arts: To help design flyers,invitations and visual displays.

In 1999 the voters passed Prop. 12 whichprovided funding for our area, to assist inthe purchases of Clayton Ranch, SilvaRanch and the Wright Property, as well asa number of additional restoration andwildlife protection programs. Prop. 12was passed after a dozen years of no fundsbeing available for these purposes. As aresult of the backlog of projects, Prop. 12funding was rapidly depleted. Without anew bond some of our most priceless treas-ures will be lost, along with opportunitiesto provide cleaner air and water.

Leaving a LegacyBy including Save Mount Diablo as abeneficiary in your will, trust or lifeinsurance policy, you can support ourwork even after you are no longer withus. No matter which option youchoose, your bequest will help insurethat Save Mount Diablo has theresources needed to continue our workof protecting and preserving the naturalresources of our community in theyears to come. For more information onhow to bequeath a gift to Save MountDiablo please contact us at (925) 947-3535, or talk with your financial adivi-sors.

Visit the Save Mount Diablo Web Site at< www.savemountdiablo.org >

To receive email updates about land use issues, events,

or purchases,

call our office at 925-947-3535 to give us your email

address,

Continued from page 1

Yes on Proposition 40

We Invite You to Host “An Evening With Diablo”Treat your friends, neighbors or relatives to a special event. Host a gathering in yourhome and Save Mount Diablo will treat your guests to a slide show and presentation aboutMount Diablo. We can focus our presentation on history, geology, development threats,or just the varied recreational and scenic opportunities that the mountain provides. Shareyour love for the mountain with your guests, and hopefully they will join you in support-ing the efforts of Save Mount Diablo. We can help you with invitations and other eventdetails. Call Ron Brown at 925-947-3535 to discuss your party plans

s a v e M O U N T D I A B L O

1196 Boulevard Way, Suite 10Walnut Creek, CA 94595

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Concord, CA

Permit No. 525

16

Save Mount Diablo's Mission . . To secure through acquisition and preserva-tion, the open space necessary to support thefull range of biological diversity and to insurethe integrity of Mt. Diablo's natural beauty.

Founded in 1971, Save Mount Diablo hasbeen instrumental in increasing open space onand around the mountain from 6,788 acres tomore than 81,000 acres.

In support of our mission, Save Mount Diablo:• Creates dedicated open space from landacquired through gifts, purchases & coopera-tive efforts with public and private entities;• Educates the public about threats to themountain;• Works with landowners to preserve theirproperty while realizing economic benefits;• Works in partnership with Mt. Diablo StatePark, East Bay Regional Park District, and

other organizations to increase open space;• Monitors land-use planning;• Aids in the restoration of habitat and preser-vation of rare species;• Offers technical assistance to agencies andneighborhood groups with regard to securingopen space;• Works diligently to raise funds necessary tosupport Save Mount Diablo's mission.

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In March the County Board of Supervisorswill consider the ‘combined Tassajara proj-ects’ stretching south and east fromBlackhawk. In 2000 the Board tightenedthe County Urban Limit Line but left insidethe line 1000 acres proposed for develop-ment by Shapell, Braddock & Logan andPonderosa Homes. The project would gen-erate 13,000 car trips daily, strain watersupplies, destroy wildlife habitat andimpact the Urban Limit Line and agricul-tural lands.

Supervisor Donna Gerber opposes develop-ment in this area, but Supervisors MarkDeSaulnier, Gayle Uilkema and John Gioiaall voted to allow a General PlanAmendment study to move forward. It isbelieved that there is a Board majority infavor of the development. The CountyPlanning Commission and the San RamonValley Regional Planning Commissionheard the project jointly and split on it, theSRVRPC recommending denial and theCounty Planning Commission approval.The project fails every smart growth test

and there is no need to allow developmentin this area at present. Greenbelt Allianceand the Sierra Club are leading opposition.Save Mount Diablo’s concerns are specificto which areas should be preserved. On theeast, Shapell’s Alamo Creek project woulddestroy a major ridgeline, abut the UrbanLimit Line and agricultural lands without abuffer, and narrow the open space corridorfrom Hidden Valley open space northtoward Mt. Diablo and Morgan Territory.

Please Write, Fax, Call or E-mail…the Supervisors (please cc us and Sup.

Gerber so we’ll have copies, and for thehearing date) and urge them, should theychoose to approve this development, to:—Protect the ridgeline on Alamo creek,without development, —Add the Alamo Creek ridgeline area andlands to the south to Hidden Valley OpenSpace, and—Require a significant (at least 300’) openspace buffer and trail corridor along theUrban Limit Line connecting from HiddenValley north to Camino Tassajara.

Save Tassajara ValleyWe Need Your Help:

Please Write, Fax, Call orE-mail the Contra CostaCounty Boardof Supervisors Today

CONTRA COSTA COUNTYBOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Mark DeSaulnier (Concord, PleasantHillWalnut Creek)925-646-5763, FAX925-646-57672425 Bisso Lane, #110, Concord, CA 94520Dist4@bos.co.contra-costa.ca.us

John Gioia (Richmond, El Cerrito)510-374-3231, FAX510-374-342911780 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530Dist1@bos.co.contra-costa.ca.us

Federal Glover (Pittsburg, Antioch)925-427-8138, FAX925 427-8142315 E. Leland Road #100, Pittsburg, CA94565Dist5@bos.co.contra-costa.ca.us

Gayle B. Uilkema (Martinez, Lafayette,Moraga, Orinda)925-335-1046, FAX925-335-1076County Administration Building 651 Pine St.,Room108A, Martinez, CA 94553Dist2@bos.co.contra-costa.ca.us

Donna Gerber (San Ramon, Danville,Walnut Creek, Brentwood)925-820-8683, FAX925-820-6627309 Diablo Road, Danville, CA 94526Dist3@bos.co.contra-costa.ca.us

Please send copies of any letter to us at:Seth Adams, Save Mount Diablo1196 Boulevard Way #10, W.C., CA 94595(925) 947-3535, FAX 925-947-3603mtsaver@aol.com

Evelyn Stivers, Greenbelt Alliance1601 N. Main St., Ste. 105, W.C., CA 94596(925) 932 7776, FAX 925-932-1970estivers@greenbelt.org