Editor’s Note: After two years of work, and with the help of ContraCosta Times columnist Gary Bogue and his readers, on January 8,2007 Save Mount Diablo closed escrow on the 208-acre ManginiRanch. The final requirement of our purchase agreement with theMangini family is that we put up a historic monument about thefamily and the property’s history. Text has been prepared by local

historian Anne Homan,and the monument willbe dedicated June 3rd.

Giuseppe (Joseph)Mangini immigrated tothe United States fromGenoa, Italy, in 1870.Five years later, he sentfor Theresa Rozzi, andthey married here inCalifornia. Giuseppeworked as a laborerwhile they lived inPacheco and later inSomersville at the coalmines. In 1885 hebought his first proper-ty in the Concord hills-only 22 acres, but itwas the beginning oftheir quest for land.

Giuseppe became a U.S. citizen in 1880, signing the document withhis mark. For $2,200 he and Theresa bought 160 acres in October1898 that became their home ranch, the SE ¼ of section 15T1N/R1W. In 1900 Giuseppe is listed in the census as a farmer.

In Giuseppe and Theresa’s search for a better life, why did theychoose the Concord area? Their descendants, who have visited theGenoa area, suggest that the two places have much in common: alandscape of rolling hills that turn brown in summer and green inthe winter, a Mediterranean climate, and proximity to a large bay.

Giuseppe died of pneumonia in 1905 at age 59. The family hadgrown to seven children. Son Dominick moved to Oakland andopened the Mangini Grocery on Grove Street, but the others stayedto work the land. They also acquired more property. The oldestson, Andrew, bought 40 acres and a house from Henry Polley in1908. Andrew’s brothers John and Joe bought the land in section 21

“Irish Canyon is a gateway, in a strategic position to help protectand preserve an important area and to connect it with three differentparks,” said Malcolm Sproul, Save Mount Diablo’s President.

“On November 16th we signed a purchase agreement with twoModesto doctors, Sawtantra and Aruna Chopra, to acquire the heartof Irish Canyon,” saidRon Brown, SMD’sExecutive Director.“We’re buying 320acres for $1.344 mil-lion. It’s a great way tostart the year.”

The half square mileproperty is located nearClayton’s OakhurstCountry Club. It dropsfrom the crest of KellerRidge north acrossIrish Creek before ris-ing toward 1894 feetKreiger Peak. The oldstage road to BlackDiamond MinesRegional Preserve isnow a public trailwhich passes within ahalf mile of the proper-ty. Irish Canyon has great natural resources, an interesting historyand was once part of the Bettencourt Ranch.

“There are literally houses on the ridges overlooking this parcel,”said Brown. “Preserving Irish Canyon will help maintain the bal-ance between development, historic land uses and our own East Baywilderness close to a large and growing population.”

The Mt. Diablo to Black Diamond Mines Corridor“Thirteen years ago SMD bought its 333-acre Chaparral Springproperty stretching north from Marsh Creek Road and Mt. DiabloState Park onto the face of Keller Ridge,” said Seth Adams, SMD’sDirector of Land Programs. “It was our first step in creating a corri-dor between Mt. Diablo and the historic ‘Mt. Diablo Coal Field’ ofBlack Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.”

While the corridor focused on the narrowest open space gap, over toBlack Diamond’s Oil Canyon, Chaparral Spring’s

Save Mount Diablo Protecting the Mountain Since 1971 Spring 2007 No. 43

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Help Preserve Irish CanyonSMD Makes Bold Move to Protect 320 Acres

Family & Land - The Mangini RanchBy Anne Homan

Irish Canyon, Save Mount Diablo’s newest acquisition project (photo by Scott Hein)

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From the Executive Director . . . A Colorful Spring for Diablo and Diablo Watch: It’s almost spring and Diablo’s hills areturning beautiful shades of green. The hills are not the only things to show color. For the firsttime, Diablo Watch is coming to you in color. We have long wanted to use color in order tomore fully portray the magnificent landscapes that our work is about. This is now possible dueto new technologies and equipment that allow us to print Diablo Watch in full color for the

same price that we had been paying for black and white. In the coming issues we hope to be making a variety ofchanges in the format and layout of Diablo Watch in order to take full advantage of the ability to print in color.

A successful 35th year: 2006 proved to be one of the most successful years in SMD’s history. In December wecompleted the Mangini Ranch acquisition and signed a purchase agreement for our newest project, Irish Canyon.These are in addition to our successful acquisition of the Young property, completion of conservation easementsat the Mt. Diablo Gateway and Chaparral Spring properties, development dedications at Claretian Seminaries,Fox Ridge Manor and the Humphrey Ranch, and acquisitions by our East Bay Regional Park District allies atBrushy Peak. Our active participation in the November elections led to the approval of Prop 84 (a $5.4 billionbond measure for water and land conservation); the defeat of Prop 90 which would have been a devastating blowto environmental regulations, zoning and land use planning; and the passage of Measure L, a county urban limitline and a requirement for all cities to adopt voter approved growth boundaries.

Our new office has allowed us to be more productive and to provide work space for volunteers to assist with ourland, administrative and fundraising projects. During 2006 volunteers donated more than 4,000 hours ofwork, leading hikes, managing our properties, helping at events and doing a variety of tasks at the office.

Our fundraising events (Four Days Diablo, Moonlight on the Mountain, Mt. Diablo Bike Challenge, and the TrailAdventure) all exceeded their goals for participation and funds raised. The success of these events made it possi-ble to achieve significant progress in our land conservation efforts.

Another year…New challenges and exciting opportunities: Our Land Committee and Board of Directors arecurrently reviewing a number of new acquisition projects, including several that are very high on our priority list.Simultaneously, Seth Adams and our volunteer Land Associates are reviewing and responding to a significantnumber of development proposals--more than 30 of them--including major projects in Pittsburg and at theConcord Naval Weapons Station. Plans are well underway for this year’s fundraising efforts and Four DaysDiablo is already sold out.

Save Mount Diablo believes that its success is linked to the overall health and vitality of our county. If the econ-omy is strong, our work is easier. We work to ensure that there is an appro-priate balance between development and land and resource conservation.We continue to work collaboratively with many homebuilders, unions, elect-ed officials, environmental organizations and housing and transportationadvocates to ensure that we achieve this balance. We are encouraged by thesupport we receive from an expanding and diverse list of business sponsorsand by the continued and growing financial support we receive from ourmembers.

We appreciate the encouragement and supportthat we receive from all of you. Thanks foryour continued help.

From one of our Members . . . Kathryn Lescure, one of Save Mount Diablo’s members, made this beau-tiful quilt, showing two sides of Mt. Diablo. Kathryn is a descendant oftwo of Contra Costa County’s pioneer families, the Trembaths, settling in1853, and the Heidorns in 1868. Her family enjoyed Mt. Diablo, ridingwith George Cardinet’s Trail Ride Association, and enjoying the moun-tain’s many faces. She created the quilt as a tribute to her grandmother,Kate Heidorn Trembath. As Kathryn tells us:

“When I was young and stayed with my grandparents at the ranch, Ilooked forward to the special afternoons on the screened front porch.This is when grandma would peel apples for us and tell us stories of oldAntioch and Contra Costa County history. We would listen while rockingin the rocking chairs, staring out across the vineyard at beautiful Mt.Diablo in the distance. These wonderful hours would always be conclud-ed with our favorite teasing game, ‘My side of the mountain.’ Grandmawould begin by saying: ‘My side of the mountain is much more majesticthan yours with its craggy top and steep sides.’ As I lived in Lafayette atthat time, I countered with: ‘No, my side is more beautiful with itsrolling hills.’ We would keep this good-natured banter going, changingadjectives and getting more creative as the game went along.”

“My Side of the Mountain” Quilt made by Save Mount Diablo

member Kathryn Lescure. Color changes symbolize time of day and season.

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Board of DirectorsMalcolm SproulPresidentArthur BonwellVice-PresidentAllan PragerVice-President

David TrotterSecretaryFrank VarenchikTreasurerBurt BasslerDon deFremeryDana DornsifeCharla GabertClaudia HeinScott HeinMichael HitchcockDavid HustedJohn MercurioAmara MorrisonDavid OgdenDave SargentSharon Walters

StaffRonald BrownExecutive DirectorSeth AdamsDirector of LandProgramsJulie Seelen Events/VolunteerCoordinatorMonica OeiAdministration &Finance ManagerVeronica PottsAdministrative AssistantPublisherSave Mount Diablo1901 Olympic Blvd. Ste 220Walnut Creek, CA 94596925-947-3535 fax 925-947-0642www.savemountdiablo.orgFounded in 1971, Save MountDiablo has been instrumentalin expanding preserved natu-ral lands on and around themountain from 6,788 acres tomore than 89,000 acres.Masthead Panorama: Dragon Oaks 550, Stephen Joseph

Diablo Watch is printed on recy-cled paper with a soy base ink andcan be recycled.

CONTAINSSOYOIL

SMD Staff: Veronica Potts, Ron Brown,Monica Oei, Seth Adams, Julie Seelen

Scott Hein; www.heinphoto.com

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Directions: From Walnut Creek or Danville enterMt. Diablo State Park and drive to the summit. Thetrailhead and parking are just before the last steep1/8 mile climb to the Summit Museum.Distance: 0.7 miles, 1/3 paved, disabled accessible,almost flat, 30-60 minutes.Attractions: Spectacular views, outstanding botany.Notes: The Mt. Diablo Interpretive Assoc. has pub-lished a guide to the trail coordinated with numberedposts, heading north and clockwise around the peak.Drinking water & toilets at summit parking lots.

This may be the single easiest, most spectacu-lar trail on Mt. Diablo. On Aug. 2, 1977 twoyears of drought, and lightning strikes at EaglePeak, sparked into one of Mt. Diablo’s biggestfires. Over the next three days most of themountain’s north side burned, including morethan 6,000 acres from Clayton to the summit,and on to Morgan Territory Road.

Soon after the fire, the Contra Costa Times leda public fundraising drive to revegetate themountain, collecting more than $17,000. Ledby Save Mount Diablo, cooler heads advisedthat the mountain would recover on its own.The funds were used to construct a FireInterpretive Trail around the summit. Part ofthe trail was paved and, to avoid blasting andsensitive plant species, trestles were can-tilevered around cliffs on wooden decks. Dr.Mary Bowerman, a botanist and SMD’sfounder, opposed the trail but it was nonethe-less dedicated in her honor May 22, 1982.

You can see burned manzanita and other treetrunks thirty years later but as vegetation hasrecovered the trail’s fire interpretive elementshave faded. The trail has been renamed forBowerman, who passed away on Aug. 21,2005. On Jan. 27, 2007 there was a “softopening” for the trail; when interpretive panelsare in place there will be a small dedication.

Stop 1: Begin at the picnic table through ashaded tunnel of oaks bonsaied by the peak’sharsh conditions. There are interior live oakwith flat oblong leaves, and canyon or mauloak, with leaves whose undersides are lightblue-green or golden.

Stop 2: In fall the ground may be covered inthe fallen red leaves of poison oak, in winterthe chubby bare stems, which were used byIndians in basket making, may include remain-ing clusters of white berries which birds love.

In spring the shiny, oily foliage is more vis-ible but either way, “leaves of three, letthem be.” You can also see ceanothus, graypine and the endemic Mt. Diablo sunflower.

Stop 3: The rock along this part of the trailis crumbly greenstone, altered 100 millionyear old submarine volcanic sea floor rockswhich weather to gray or brown. As viewsopen up you can see Mitchell and BackCanyons with Eagle Peak between andBlack Point and quarried Mt. Zion beyond,Lime Ridge descending toward downtownConcord, with more distant views all theway to Suisun Bay and Carquinez Strait.

Stop 4: Greywacke, a sandstone sedimen-tary rock, is located on the right side of thetrail, smoothly fractured versus the crumblygreenstone. Look for spiny gooseberrywith its fuschia like flowers. A chaparralcovered ridge below has a ridge top fireroad-it’s Meridian Ridge-between Back andDonner Canyons, misnamed because theMt. Diablo meridian is located on the eastside of Donner, directing your view acrossHonker Bay to Solano’s Montezuma Hills.

Stop 5: The distinctive red-brown rockuphill of the trail is chert, made up ofsiliceous skeletons of marine microorgan-isms called radiolarians accumulated on theocean floor. It is inter-bedded with shalelayers and veined with white quartz.Pipestem clematis weaves through thebrush, creamy yellow flowers and powderpuffs of seeds. You can see evidence of the1977 fire around you. If you follow thehigh Eagle Peak ridge to its bottom abovethe Mitchell Canyon flats you can seeunusual groves of Coulter pine, at its north-ernmost limit. The canyons concentrated itsheat of the fire like blast furnaces, somegroves were killed and the soil sterilized,and pine seedlings migrated down slopes.

Stop 6: A good rest stop with views north-west to the Lone Star quarry and its 165million year old diabase, mined as roadbase and foundation rock. On the cliffbehind you is more shale, splitting into thinchips, and miniature bay laurel.

Stop 7: We turn the corner into views ofthe Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta andNorth Peak. On clear days you can see vol-canic Mt. Lassen far to the north, andsnow-covered stretches of the Sierra. Aswe leave the north facing slope, the sun’sinfluence increases and the vegetationbegins changing. The outlying hills dipaway from Mt. Diablo which pushed themback on their sides as it was thrust throughthe overlying sedimentary layers.

Stop 8: The pavement ends and we enterdrier chaparral community. Bush daisy,yarrow and elderberry become more com-

mon and more rock is exposed. The chapar-ral plants often have waxy leaves to cutwater loss, but are more flammable. Theyhave evolved to depend on fire.

Stop 9: Just before the large tower-Devil’spulpit-are talus slopes of chert. Please don’tclimb on them, they’re habitat for rare plantsincluding the cactus-flower like blossoms ofthe bitterroot. If you’re lucky you may hitthe few weeks in May-June when it blooms.In latin, Lewisia rediviva refers to its name-sake Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark.Most of the year it lives as roots in rockcracks, then small leaves appear followed bythe flowers. Devil’s Pulpit is a good place topause and feel the breezes.

Stop 10: Past Devil’s Pulpit you circle ontomore dry southern exposures and grasslandwith juniper, and views past Livermore. Thegray pines have strange jaundiced pinemistletoe. This is the only place on themountain where you see sagebrush lizard.

Stop 11: The views southeast are incredible,across Curry and Riggs Canyons to MorganTerritory; closer at hand lichens brighten therock outcroppings with oranges and yellows.The parallel ridges of Highland Ridge andMorgan Territory Ridge direct your viewsoutheast to the black oak-capped BrushyPeak Regional Preserve-protected landsstretch all the way to Highway 580 east ofLivermore.

Stop 12: As you pass more and morejuniper, you’ll notice lots of scarletzauschneria blooming in the rocks. It’s oftencalled “hummingbird flower.” Large solitaryand native cobweb thistles appear too, withpink flowers as opposed to the purple of themany non-native ones.

Stop 13: The dark green varnished leavedplant is Yerba Santa; its undersides are gold-en brown in good summers. Spanish priestsimpressed with usefulness in treating coughsand colds gave it the name “holy weed,” andused it in herbal cough syrups.

Stop 14: Chamise, the most common shrubon Mt. Diablo, dominates as the exposureand temperatures rise on this south exposure.

Part of the infofor this traildescription isexcerptedfrom the Mt.DiabloInterpretiveAssociationbrochure,“MaryBowermanTrail.”

Mary Bowerman Trail

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The prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus), acousin to the celebrated peregrine falconwhich was reintroduced at Mt. Diablo, hasdeclined in the East Bay. Efforts are under-way to halt the decline so that both speciescan survive, as well as many others that usethe same habitats.

In 2004, a check of 19 historical nest cliffs inContra Costa and Alameda counties revealedthat fewer than half were still occupied bybreeding pairs of prairie falcons, thoughmany of these cliffs are on protected lands.Although many factors may be responsiblefor the decline of the falcon, a primary causeappears to be the loss of grassland habitat.

Studies on diet and foraging habits supportthe hypothesis that prairie falcons requirehealthy grasslands with a sufficient preybase, such as ground squirrels. Precisely suchrange lands are being lost to development inthe East Bay. We need to identify the eco-logically most valuable areas for preserva-tion. Radio-tracking will help determine that.

The East Bay Regional Park District(EBRPD), with financial support from SaveMount Diablo and other backers such as theContra Costa County Fish & WildlifeCommission, has embarked on a radio-telemetry study of several pairs of prairie fal-cons that nest in the East Bay.

Most of the pairs nest on Mt. Diablo StatePark or EBRPD lands. A primary goal of thiseffort is to identify where the falcons forage.Telemetry studies on prairie falcons nestingat Pinnacles National Monument haveshown that the falcons require much largerhome ranges and travel greater distanceswhile foraging than previously thought.Lands far from a nest site may be just as vitalto the success of a falcon nest as the cliffitself.

Being a wide-ranging species that seeks out

the grassland ecosystems it needs for forag-ing, the prairie falcon represents an “indica-tor species.” It can serve as a gauge for thehealth and condition of habitat at the largerlandscape level and help answer the ques-tion, “Does the grassland habitat in the EastBay support sufficient biodiversity?” Theirground squirrel prey represents a “keystonespecies,” because a host of species aredependent upon it for food, (falcons, kitfoxes and golden eagles), or its burrow sys-tems, (burrowing owls, California red-legged frogs and California tiger salaman-ders).

By identifying and working to preserve keyforaging habitats for an indicator speciessuch as the prairie falcon, we will ensurenot only its long-term persistence in theEast Bay but also lend umbrella protectionto the entire assemblage of grassland andrange-dependent species. In addition, theinformation gained will assist land man-agers in determining vegetation manage-ment strategies on public lands.

Radiotelemetry studies require trapping thefalcon, attaching a transmitter and thentracking it. For the first steps we rely onthe skill and patience of Brian Latta of the

Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group.Brian’s method of capturing a falconinvolves setting up nets near a falcon nestcliff, placing a live (non-releasable) great-horned owl in front of the nets, and thenwaiting for the resident falcon to return.The owl is a mortal enemy to falcons andthey respond to its presence by trying todrive it away, becoming caught in the nets.

Once caught, the falcon is quickly hoodedto calm it. A small backpack transmitter isharnessed to the falcon and the harnessstraps are sewn together with biodegradablethread. It weighs 9-12 grams, about thesize of half a finger, and is less than 3% ofthe bird’s weight-the equivalent of a 200 lbman wearing a six pound backpack.

Upon release, the falcon quickly preens theharness below its feathers such that only theshort antenna remains visible. Tracking isaccomplished via airplane during weeklyflights. The backpacks fall off in 2-3 years,leaving the falcons unscathed. Some fal-cons are deft at removing the harness.

Falcon locations from the first season’stracking have been mapped via GIS byEBRPD staff. The maps are kept confiden-tial to protect both the falcons and landowner property rights. Preliminary resultsshow some interesting trends. Prairie fal-cons in the East Bay are wide-ranging andseveral birds overlap in their use of forag-ing areas away from their nest locations.

The falcons use both public and privatelands. Public lands which are grazedappear to be very important for prairie fal-con foraging. For example, one falcon thatnested at Mt. Diablo State Park frequentedCowell Ranch State Park, a park that is cur-rently grazed, to take advantage of its abun-dant ground squirrels. It seems clear thatprairie falcons avoid developed areas.

If funding is raised, we will continue to col-lect data on the falcons through the winter,and hope to track more birds next year.(Note: SMD has pledged another $10,000in 2007 for the study.) The data will be ana-lyzed in greater detail once we have com-pleted two or more seasons of tracking.

The timing of our work is extremely impor-tant, as the region faces many challenges inland use planning and management asdevelopment proceeds. We believe theinformation will assist in realizing the goalsof the East Contra Costa County HabitatConservation Plan, a blueprint for regionalhabitat planning and development.

There is also a greater meaning to ourwork. The prairie falcon has persisted inthe drier areas of the East Bay Area for mil-lennia. Indeed, the Plains Miwok recog-nized the prairie falcon as “wek-wek” andbelieve that “wek-wek” helped create theirpeople and “everything, everywhere, sothey can live.” It would be a loss to us allif there came a time when “wek- wek”could no longer persist on the Mountain.

Falcons are small, fast fliers but easy to seeat Mt. Diablo with binoculars. Nestingtakes place Jan-July on rock cliffs. It’s ille-gal to disturb peregrines; to avoid doing soplease don’t climb on rocks during thatperiod-better views are afforded fromacross canyons or below. You have a goodchance to see falcons below Castle Rock inPine Canyon, or along the Oyster Point

Tracking Prairie Falconsfor Conservationby Douglas A. Bell, Ph.D., Wildlife Program ManagerEast Bay Regional Park District

Save Mount Diablo would like toespecially thank Bruce Smith, RickOlson and Dave Osorio at PeregrineLending, and Elizabeth and KenPelletier for their support of the proj-ect. Bruce and Randy Smith largelyfunded SMD’s reintroduction of pere-grines at Mt. Diablo from 1989-1991.

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that includes the 208 acres recently pur-chased by Save Mount Diablo. John, Joe,and younger brother Matthew boughtanother 160 acres in section 16 in October1919.

They planted a vineyard and Andrew wastheir winemaker. Their stately oldVictorian farmhouse at 5484 Pine HollowRoad still has a large wine cellar. WhenProhibition came in 1919, they tore up thevines and planted walnut and almond trees.Five years ago the family replanted a vine-yard on the home ranch.

When Theresa Mangini died in 1915 at age65, the Martinez Daily Gazette describedthe funeral procession of more than 70 car-riages that transported friends and familyfrom her home to St. Catherine’s church inMartinez. Son Andrew had married AnnieLavezzola in 1904, and after Theresa’sdeath, Andrew and Annie became the cen-tral figures of the family.

The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic hit thefamily hard. Dominick Mangini’s wife andinfant daughter died. So did his sister,Jennie, who had married John Lavezzola.Five-foot three-inch Annie LavezzolaMangini served as a mother not only to herown three children, but also to her singlebrothers-in-law, John, Joe, and Matthew“Gip” Mangini, her brother John, and five

nieces and nephews, the motherlesschildren of Dominick and Jennie.

Joe and Gip served in World War Iand then returned to the ranch inConcord.

Days at the ranch were long; everyonerose about five o’clock to begin theirchores. The children went to schoolin a buggy with a grain pack for thehorse. In the summer the childrenslept in beds on a screened-in porch;in the winter, they slept in the house.Annie would heat bricks in the woodstove in the evening, wrap them innewspaper, and put them in the beds.The only sources of heat in the housewere the fireplace and the wood burn-ing stove until the house was renovat-ed in 1986.

After lunch, Annie and the men alltook about an hour nap before startingback to the day’s tasks. Her brother,John, worked as a punch press opera-tor at the shipyards in Bay Point, butthe rest labored on the ranch.Granddaughter Karen said of theDepression years, “I think it’s a good

thing they had this land because I think theylived off the land.”

The men hunted deer, and with the help ofGerman short-hair retrievers they broughtback quail, pheasants, duck, and doves.Annie raised chickens and squab and main-tained a large vegetable garden. They bredpalomino horses for the army during WorldWar I and II.

Andrew died during surgery in 1935. Soonafter, his son “Toby” took a lien on thehouse to buy a 1936 tractor for $1,500.This made the work of growing hay mucheasier.

“They all had these goofy names,” saidKaren. “My grandmother’s name wasAnnie, but Toby called her ‘Liz.’ My fatherwas ‘Cookie,’ but his given name wasRaymond-when Uncle Dominick came tothe ranch on weekends to see his boys, hebrought cookies in his pockets for the kids.My dad was always the one who picked hispocket for the cookies. Thus the nicknameCookie. Toby’s given name was Leslie, butwhen he was little he had this little dognamed Toby. They said at meal times you’dcall the dog and they’d both come running.Somehow, Toby became the name of theboy as well.”

Annie taught her granddaughter Karen thesecrets of Italian cooking. She learned tomake ravioli by hand and watched Anniemake gnocchi. “She could just roll them off

Family & Land -The Mangini Ranch (cont. from page 1)

Wedding of Annie Lavazolla & Andrew Mangini (sitting);Jennie Mangini & Joe Lavazolla, sister & brother

witnesses (?) standing; 9-14-1904 (CCC Hist. Society)

her fingers. I can’t do that.” Karen learnedthat the secret to good polenta is never toleave the cast iron pot, but to “stir, stir, stir,stir,” even when some of the boiling ingre-dients pop out occasionally and burn thecook. Annie made wonderful bread everySaturday in the wood stove. She churnedher own butter, wrapping it in waxed paper.Some of her instructions were difficult tofollow because she cooked with measure-ments like a “handful” or “two pinches” or“just a little bit.”

Karen and her brother Joe recalled the won-derful family get-togethers. “There werealways lots of people and lots of noise. Ithink that is very Italian.” The childrenplayed Annie’s player piano and familymembers sang along-the treasured heirloompiano still plays. Everyone gathered in thebig kitchen for an Italian meal and thenplayed cards-pinochle or pedro.

At Christmas time, Karen said, the familycelebrated with “lots of love, loads of laugh-ter, many blessings. It was not a materialis-tic time, but a special time for family togather.” Karen admired the generous natureof her grandmother, who often welcomedfriends and neighbors to her table. “On aSaturday night you couldn’t believe howmany people were here.”

In 1953 easier times came for Annie and thefamily when Kaiser signed a long-termlease to mine gravel on the Mangini parcelin section 16 up on Mt. Zion. “It changedtheir lives dramatically because all mygrandmother had was Andrew’s meagersocial security benefits,” said Karen. Anniedied in 1969; her brothers-in-law had diedearlier in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, as family members passedon, the heirs had to sell land to pay theinheritance taxes. When Joe died, the fami-ly had to sell the Myrick Ranch (500+acres) to Newhall Land DevelopmentCompany for $250,000. Newhall later soldthat land for the Crystyl Ranch develop-ment. Another property that the familycalled the Winter Ranch had to be sold in1966 when Gip died.

Now the surviving heirs have sold some oftheir land to Save Mount Diablo rather than

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crosses onto another private parcel. There are old bridge foundations acrossthe creek, some retaining walls and an oldwell, a few gnarled old fruit and nut trees.What’s less obvious is that previous own-ers cut a significant area of blue oakwoodland above the homestead for fire-wood and family livestock. Poison oakacts as a nurse plant for young oaks, start-ing the progression back toward wood-land. It’s an ideal site for oak restoration.

Another road veers across the middle forkof Irish Creek and climbs around the toeof a smaller central spine of a ridge out ofthe canyon and into expansive views. Itrises past one wetland seep after another,through a strange abandoned fence linehalfway across the property’s width to asecond home site near a pond and anincredibly beautiful oak grove. This“Atkins” home site is less obvious, just aclearing and a stone walled well. Thegrassland slopes rise off the property tothe steep cliffs of 1894’ Kreiger Peak.

Two home sites on one property? Why?It turns out that the property was once twoparcels of 160 acres each--the NE quarterof Section 18 and the NW quarter ofSection 17, and wasn’t combined untilearly in the 20th century, before it becamepart of the Bettencourt Ranch.

“Life Should Be Simple”Speculation was rampant throughoutContra Costa from World War II until1990. In Clayton, the 1300 acre KellerRanch was sold in 1972 to the PacificCoast Construction Co. and the little townstruggled with growth. Finally Oakhurstwas approved, doubling the city’s size.

In the late 1980s it seemed like the adja-cent Bettencourt Ranch might follow thesame course. It was passed to heirs, then

northern boundary crosses Keller Ridgeinto upper Irish Canyon, which drops westto Clayton’s Oakhurst development.

Chaparral Spring narrowed a 2.5 mile gapbetween the parks and in 1999 SMDworked with the Regional Park District toacquire the adjacent 1,031 acre ClaytonRanch at the top of Irish Canyon. TheDistrict acquired two more parcels in 2001and 2005, leaving just a quarter mile gap.Unlike the District’s nearby trail, the oldNortonville road which climbs 2.6 milesfrom Clayton to Black Diamond, the Mt.Diablo to Black Diamond Mines corridorwill be a true wildlife corridor from oneopen space to another.

Irish Canyon was threatened by develop-ment but may be saved because of endan-gered species. “The purchase is a boldmove,” said Adams, “because Irish Canyonis surrounded by 2,000 acres of privateland but within one or two parcels of threedifferent preserves.” We’re just beginningbiological investigations but we know thatthe property has significant wetlands, onelisted species and potentially a dozen rareones, and a wide range of habitats.

“Although Irish Canyon is located a stone’sthrow from the City of Clayton, it has anisolated turn-of-the-century feel,” saidScott Hein, Chairman of SMD’s LandCommittee, “The parcel is sublimely beau-tiful and affords dramatic panoramic viewsacross Keller Ridge to the mountain, to thepeninsula, and to Carquinez Strait.”

“A perennial stream that provides water toIrish Canyon and Peacock Creek through-out the year originates at a permanent pondhigh on the property’s slopes. Abundantwater is an unusual feature in an arid, inte-rior location,” said Sproul.

“We know the property has red-leggedfrog; it’s almost certain that it also hasAlameda whipsnake and California tigersalamander. There is suitable habitat and

they’re confirmed nearby.It’s great foraging habitat forgolden eagle, red-tailedhawk, Great horned owl,American kestrel. The prop-erty will provide habitat forlarger wide ranging speciesthat are found on neighbor-ing properties. It’s part ofthe territory they occupy.”

Given that SMD acquired its208 acre Mangini propertyfor $7,000/acre, IrishCanyon’s $4,200/acre repre-sents a very good deal. We

recently ended investigations of the proper-ty and released a $450,000 down payment.Three additional $175,000 payments aredue every six months, with a final paymentof $369,000 due on November 27, 2008.Needless to say we’ll need your support toraise these funds over the next 21 months.

“An opportunity presented itself,” saidBrown, “and we were able to sign the dealwithin three months-much more quicklythan public agencies can move, even if theproperty were part of their General Plans,which takes even more time. SMD hasmore flexibility and we can move quickly.”

Irish CanyonWhen you hike to Irish Canyon you canstart at the downtown Clayton library, uppast the Oakhurst fountain and onto thestage road. The trail passes between thecountry club and golf course followingPeacock Creek, which was fenced andrestored as a condition of Oakhurst, thickwith riparian vegetation. The eastern mostpart of Oakhurst, named for the creek and ahistoric mine, is almost out of site above,through a steep blue oak woodland.

In winter the lower canyon is in shadow andthe puddles might stay frozen until midday.After a half mile, Irish Canyon and a secondfire road branch to the east as the stage roadcontinues up Peacock Creek. In summerit’s obvious that sinuous Irish Creek is pro-viding most of the water. The oak wood-land continues on the northern face ofKeller Ridge but the view opens up tograssland rising north, rumpled with land-slides.

The Irish Canyon fire road continues alongthe creek for another half mile, past a sideroad up to the old Bettencourt Ranch houseand the canyon slopes narrow again as youenter the new property, the creek banks sud-denly solid with wild rose. The site of theold Evans home, known more recently as“the Jones House” is very obvious in theshort distance before the main canyon road

Oakhurst, the Bettencourt ranch house & Irish Canyon (Scott Hein)(Continued from page 1)

Kreiger Peak & perrenial pond (Scott Hein)

broken up and sold to investors. 320 acresincluding the old ranch home was boughtby one group. In 1988 Sawtantra andAruna Chopra purchased another 320 acres.

“I’m proud to lose money to Save MountDiablo,” said Sawtantra Chopra. “I boughtthe property in 1988, before the OakhurstCountry Club was built. The realtor whosold it said Clayton would be growing inthat direction in the next ten to fifteen yearsbut that didn’t bear out.”

In 1990 Contra Costa County votersapproved Measure C and the County’s firstUrban Limit Line. The old BettencourtRanch, including the two properties, wasoutside of the line. The Chopras continuedto hold the parcel for the next decade asspeculation quieted. Finally in 2005 theydecided to sell to use the proceeds on otherproperties they own. “Aruna has a lot ofarthritis and aches and pain, and she says‘The second half of life should be simple.Life is not all growth, life is fun as well.’”

The Mitigation MarketThe Chopras could have sold the propertyfor a small number of large houses. In themeantime a new market had begun todevelop: the sale of sensitive properties todevelopers needing endangered species mit-igation to balance impacts of their projectsinside of the Urban Limit Line, along withrealtors familiar with this new approach.

The Chopras hired Lesli Fellman, an expertin mitigation realty at Colliers Internationalas their broker, conducted biological stud-ies, documented rare species, and marketedthe property for endangered species preser-vation. “My son Sanjiv did a lot ofresearch with Lesli to explore what wecould do with the property. After discus-sions with many others we thought mitiga-tion might be a venture worth pursuing.”

Despite their good intent, the housing mar-ket declined and the new mitigation marketslowed. “That’s where Lesli helped, bring-

7

ing SMD to the table andopening up discussions.”SMD staff and Fellmanwere colleagues and theorganization began investi-gating the property inAugust. SMD made anoffer in September, negoti-ations ensued, and threemonths later the partiesreached agreement.

Sawtantra said, “It’s awonderful piece of proper-ty, great views, great natu-ral value. Selling to SMD

meets our goals in keeping other projectsgoing. SMD is a charitable organization; itfeels good that they will make better use ofthe property than I would in my lifetime.It’s a good feeling to know that we can dosomething for the community.”

Next StepsThe purchase price for Irish Canyon is$1.344 million, with $450,000 as downpayment. Luckily, the generosity of SMDdonors meant that SMD’s Land Fund wasadequate to cover this first installment. Bythe New Year, SMD completed its due dili-gence and investigations of the property(discovering the two homestead sites, forexample) and released the down payment.

Over the next 21 months, SMD must raise$894,000. Three additional $175,000 pay-ments are due on May 27, Nov. 27, and onMay 27, 2008, with a final payment of$369,000 due on November 27, 2008.

“This is a priority mitigation area in theEast County Habitat Conservation Plan, toprotect habitat for rare species, and if thecreation of the the HCP is approved, itmight provide funds” said Sproul. “If youlook along Irish Creek, there’s a lot of val-ley oak regeneration, lots of seedlings andyoung oaks. With a little judicious fencingyou could rapidly establish a valley oakriparian woodland along that stream.”

SMD will be competing for a variety ofgrants over the coming months and we’rehopeful that funds from Proposition 84 maybe available for part of the remainder need-ed. Your financial assistance and that fromother members of our community, showingbroad based support helps us in acquiringlarge foundation grants and bond funds.

Visit Irish CanyonIrish Canyon is closed to the public untilSMD completes its purchase. However, wewill be leading a variety of hikes, includingone on Saturday March 31. Call 947-3535for information.

Irish Canyon, Keller Ridge & North Peak in August (Scott Hein)

Sawtantra and Aruna Chopra . . .. . are two well respected doctors from Indiawho live in Modesto with their children’sfamilies nearby. Sawtantra, 59, a charminggregarious man who clearly enjoys life,immigrated to teach at UCLA in 1974.

Sawtranta is a pulmonologist, or lung doc-tor. “I became Asst. Professor of Medicineat UCLA in 1978. It was very enjoyable butI couldn’t pay my bills so I came into pri-vate practice in Modesto in 1979.” Aruna,53, was a General Practitioner. She is anattractive woman of 5’4” with sparklingbrown eyes, who appears to be in her late30s.

Sawtantra laughs while describing the suc-cess of his 34-year marriage to Aruna. “Wewere married on June 2, 1974, two weeksbefore we came to this country. We hadnever met, it was a totally arranged wed-ding. I wanted to come here as a single per-son, but my parents and brother suggestedthat I should come here married so I couldconcentrate on my career. It’s worked outpretty good.”

They both became American citizens andafter a few years in the U.S., Aruna gave upmedicine to manage the family’s financesand investments, along with their sonsSanjiv, 26, a lawyer and real estate develop-er, and Rajiv, 29, who continues the familytradition as a radiologist and who will bemoving to UCSF in June.

Within weeks of arriving in L.A. theChopras bought and fixed up their firsthome, no money down, then resold it. Itwas the first of many such investments.Sawtantra Chopra also laughs that the par-cel the couple purchased in Irish Canyon isthe only one on which they ever lost money.

“Initially I was skeptical but once I met per-sonally with SMD my heart and mindopened up. I like the goals of the organiza-tion, I felt very comfortable, even at a loss.It’s a great organization with a great reputa-tion. I felt with their involvement the prop-erty would be well taken care of.”

SMD’s 320 acre Irish Canyon project includes the NE quarter of Section 18 and the NW

quarter of Section 17, in close proximity to three different preserves. (Map by SMD)

D i a b l o C e l e b r a t e d

Artists for Action paint Mangini RanchOctober 21, 2006

Shirley Nootbaar a long time supporter of SMD is also an organizer of “Artists for Action” a group of painters who use their talent to help bring attention to land-scapes in need of preservation. The group got together at the Mangini Ranch to paint their support; paintings were auctioned off on Dec. 1 to support the project.

Bay Nature Hike at Mangini RanchSeptember 24, 2006

Bay Nature Magazine collaborated with Save Mount Diablo on an insert about the mountain in its July issue. In concert with the insert, Seth Adams, SMD Directorof Land Programs, led a hike for magazine subscribers. Over fifty attended, enjoying the Ranch’s beauty as they looped up to Lime Ridge and back.

The 6th annual Trail Adventure included a Run to the Summit for the first time:Kevin Sawchuck finished in 1:31:46, Patty Campbell was the 1st female 2:02:43.

8

Trail Adventure & Summit RunNovember 5, 2006

Runners at the start including Luther Pugh, Jake Cunningham, Shahed Locatelli (youngest participant at 12) and his dad Ernest, Shahed finished in1:19:19 beating his dad by 16 minutes; Volunteers registering participants; Terry Fontes; Domonique Kiernan, Kelly Stelday, Sara Lim, Erin Siebercrossing the finish line in the 10K Speed Hike; Runners starting the various races; 10K Run winner Kevin Jensen, finished in 47:19 (to the right ofthe Jamba Juice pop-up); Marcus Wong; Laura Eriksson and Mandi Semple on the trail in the 10K Run.

D i a b l o C e l e b r a t e d

Mary Bowerman Trail Hike & “Soft Opening”January 27, 2007

Special Donor Hike at Young CanyonNovember 19, 2006

On a chilly, foggy January day, Susan D’Alcamo led more than forty people on a walk around Diablo’s summit on the newly renamed Mary Bowerman Trail. Thetrail is always interesting even when its spectacular views are obscured. If you’d like to hike the trail, please refer to the description on Page 3.

Scott Hein, Chairman of SMD’s Land Committee, led a hike for special donors to Young Canyon just as winter rains were beginning. They viewed the serpentine out-crops and meadows. Hein will lead another hike to Young and the Mt. Diablo waterfalls on March 24 when the property’s spring wildflowers should be spectacular.

Three beautiful slideshows: Bob Larson - Capturing Mt. Diablo; Scott Hein - Saving MountDiablo; Stephen Joseph - Images of Vasco Caves. Music: Steve Sturman & Rod Watkins.

Capturing Mt. Diablo - 35th AnniversaryDecember 1, 2006

Malcom Sproul, Art Bonwell, Peg Kovar, Walnut Creek Mayor Kathy Hicks presenting the proclamation, Ron Brown; SMD board member DanaDornsife & Dave Dornsife; Tom Morrish and friend in front of the sponsor sign; Bob Larson, Scott Hein & Stephen Joseph, the photographers pro-viding the beautiful images for the three slideshows; Flora Baumann, Sally Jasperson & Teresa Onoda; Jerry Hicks & Rolf Kvalvik; Kathy Hicks,Seth Adams, Amy Worth; Carol Mason, Nancy Hanna, Brenda de la Ossa, Jo Ann Hanna, Shirley Nootbaar.

9

It’s not clear how Irish Canyon got itsname. Nor is it entirely a canyon; the feder-al government rates the drainage as a valley.The 7.2 mile Irish Canyon fire road wasonce a short cut to Brentwood. It passedthe houses of miners and farmers thendropped over the hill into Long Valley andBriones Valley, cutting two to three miles--asubstantial difference on horseback--off theMarsh Creek route over the “Divide” intoDark Canyon and Cañada de los Poblanos.

Imagine it’s the mid 1860s and you’renewly arrived in Contra Costa, probably ayoung man alone, maybe with your family.In Central County most residents are farm-ers but chances are that you’re an immi-grant, illiterate, Welsh, Irish or English,maybe Italian, Mexican or Portuguese, onyour way to the Mt. Diablo Coal Fieldmines. Nortonville and Somersville, thetowns there, will soon be the largest in theCounty.

The land around Mt. Diablo will be subdi-vided and deeded to railroad interests,granted to homesteaders, bought with mili-tary script by veterans, among them immi-grants who first arrived at the mines.

Mt. Diablo Coal Field In 1848 gold is discovered and Californiabecomes an American state two years later,its population grown from 10,000 to 93,000.By the mid to late 1850s more than 300,000“Forty-niners” have arrived at the goldmines. Many of them later move on to theComstock Lode in Nevada, or disperse,mostly to Northern California.

Locally, coal is reported for the first timenear Antioch and by the late 1850s miningis well established in the hills south of NewYork of the Pacific (founded in 1839, laterknown as “Black Diamond” then in 1911 as

had been quartered and its NE quarter,including the canyon bottom and slope upKeller Ridge, was owned by Lancelot Evans,bought with a Military Scrip Warrant, proba-bly from Civil War service. Evans, a 45 yearold miner who first showed up inNortonville in November 1868, and his wifeHannah, 42, were from Glamorgan, Wales;their family included five boys and two girlsaged 3-14. Lance had been unemployedthree months of that year and he couldn’tread or write--the census taker misspelled hisname “Lanclot”--but he clearly valued edu-cation, since all of his older children were inschool down in Clayton.

Meanwhile, McLaughlin sold the NW quar-ter of Section 17, the part of Irish Canyonadjacent on the east to Evans and includingthe property’s highest elevations, and itended up in the hands of a 42 year oldGerman farmer, Bruno Alvensloben, and his19 year old wife Rosa. In addition to theirdaughter Annie, the household includedWilliam Atkins, a 44 year old miner fromEngland. Atkins had himself arrived inNortonville in July 1871, but by 1885 he had

10

Pittsburg) and Antioch (foundedin1851). In 1857 Joel Clayton, intenton profiting from the mines, foundedhis own town just to the south, a ham-let previously known as “Deadfall.”Charles Rhine and Clayton tossed acoin and Deadfall was named“Clayton.”

The Transcontinental Railroad won’tbe completed until 1869, so you’vecome overland on foot or horseback.Or by boat, across Panama throughsteaming jungles or around SouthAmerica in a grueling 5-8 month voy-age. Each route involved great dan-ger--Indians, typhoid or cholera, ship-wreck. From San Francisco you’vetaken a ferry to Martinez where you

start your walk or in later years take a stagecoach, stopping at Concord, at Clayton, thenrising up Peacock Creek past Irish Canyon.You climb past the San Francisco Mine westof the road, and the Peacock Mine east of it--neither of them ever turned a profit--beforecrossing the ridge into Nortonville.

The mines were an industrial wasteland, allthe trees cut, cascades of coal tailings every-where, streams black and acid with runoff.The dangerous grueling work there, and themining towns with clashing cultures andregular epidemics, were often just a stop.Soon they were exporting homesteaders,farmers and ranchers who could make amore comfortable living nearby even if theycontinued mining. Like Lancelot Evans,William Atkins, and John and Ben Jones.

Charles McLaughlinThe 320 acre Irish Canyon property is madeup of one quarter each of two square milesections, Sections 18 and 17, the latter for-merly owned by Charles McLaughlin.

A stagecoach operator during the Gold Rushthen a railroad contractor and agent for theCentral Pacific, McLaughlin was murderedfor sharp business dealings. He and hisheirs were absentee landowners in IrishCanyon from c. 1871 till about 1938. In1870 odd-numbered square mile “sections”surveyed from the top of Mt. Diablo weredeeded to McLaughlin--including on themountain and within Irish Canyon--as partof federal compensation he received forconstructing the Western Pacific Railroad.

McLaughlin is a common Irish name, butthe family owned far more land outside ofthe canyon. By the time of the first officialContra Costa survey parcel map in 1871,McLaughlin’s holdings hadn’t yet shown up;the only place name in the canyon was thePeacock Mine near the ridgeline.

By the time of the 1880 census Section 18

Who lived in Irish CanyonAnd why is it called that?

Bob Jones (outside left) at the Jones House in IrishCanyon, December 26, 1958 (c. of Beverly Hansen)

Contra Costa’s First Professional Baseball PlayerBeverly Hansen reminisces about the“Jones House” in Irish Canyon, “UncleBob, Robert Walter Jones, was the firstprofessional baseball player out of ContraCosta County. He played with the DetroitTigers with Ty Cobb, he was born in thathouse.” Bob Jones was born in IrishCanyon in 1889. Six ft and 170 lbs, hebroke into the Big Leagues in 1917 at age27, and played for the Tigers until 1925,first, second and third base, center fieldand short stop.

Bob Jones (center) was born in Irish Canyon in 1889, shown here c. 1909

cour

tesy

of B

ever

ly H

anse

n

(cont. on pg 11)

and the Oakhurst subdivision, clearly visi-ble from the end of Peacock Creek Drive.

The neighbor remembers “The Bettencourtswere a big family that were raised on theproperty, about three generations of them,they grew up there. When they split it, thatwas an estate, it wasn’t too many yearsago, the Bettencourt girls got that and soldit…then they moved to Oregon, up byBurns, Oregon. They’re a ranching family,they bought a bunch of acres up there.”

Beverly Hansen remembers that around1965, “My husband and I were drivingback down from the Nortonville cemeterypast Irish Canyon and we saw a rancher atthe gate. I asked him where the Jonesproperty was and if we could visit the oldcabin. I think it had to be FrankBettencourt. He said ‘I’m sorry but thecabin’s been torn down, the cows were get-ting in it.’ I was so sad. I’m just thrilledthat the site will now be protected.”

Much of this summary of Irish Canyon historywas developed from U.S. Census records.Special thanks to Janet Easton, Enroy Gomez,Beverly Hansen, Anne Homan, and East BayRegional Park District’s Traci Parent and JohnWaters.

11

become owner of the property and was now a farmer. In 1900 he was living alone, thelast known inhabitant of the parcel.

Further up the canyon off SMD’s propertywere more homesteaders, an increasingnumber of them Irish. In those days placenames were often simple and very literal.Those Irish residents are the most likelyorigin of the canyon’s name.

The Jones HouseJohn Davidson Jones bought the Evanspiece. John and his wife Gwenllyan lived inPlacer County in the mid 1860s. In 1874their adopted daughter Mary Ann Thomasmarried Benjamin A. Jones, another minerwho had arrived in 1866. All four werefrom Wales. Ben and Mary Ann’s first childof eight was born soon afterwards, in SanFrancisco. John and Ben both worked inthe mines at Nortonville; three more kidswere born there and the four youngest inIrish Canyon. All twelve members of thefamily lived in the small Evans house.

Beverly Jones Hansen, Ben’s granddaugh-

ter, lives in Lafayette, and knows many ofthe family stories. “Somebody got hurt andthey decided no more mining, and mygrandfather’s father-in-law bought or leasedthe 160 acres in Irish Canyon.” John D.Jones died 16 January 1896, and the landpassed to Gwennie. By the 1900 census Benwas a 59 year old farmer, Mary was 44 andGwennie was 82. Six kids, aged 5-18, stilllived at home.

Gwenllyan died in 1902. Her estate probatedescribed the property: 160 acres, $1500 inimprovements, 80 cultivatable acres, the restpasture land; a one-acre orchard containingfruit trees of various kinds; a one-story, 7-room dwelling in fairly good condition; 2barns & several small outbuildings.

Mary Ann passed away in 1907. Ben and thekids moved on to Oakland. By 1914 theAtkins and the Evans-Jones quarter sectionshad been joined into the 320 acre Bailey par-cel, but little is known about the Baileys. Inthe years following, the Jones house evident-ly passed to a succession of renters.

According to a current neighbor in his 70s,“I remember the house, it was there - fallingdown. It was a frame house, one of thesestandard ones, not too big by today’s stan-dards. A lot of these old places they didn’thave a terribly big house but they’d have 12or 14 kids. There were several houses there,where the culvert crosses the creek. The1938 County public road map, it’s shown asa public road up till that time, a dirt road, noevidence of gravel or paving.”

The Bettencourt RanchBy 1914 the Bettencourt family, normally aFrench name but one also prevalent inPortugal, had bought 325 acres at IrishCanyon’s western edge. Landowners ofPortuguese background--many of them fromthe Azores, hired to tend cattle--werebecoming increasingly common in the area,including the Clayton Bettencourts.

By the 1930s the Bettencourts have acquiredthe Irish Canyon property. Their old ranchhouse is still standing between Irish Canyon

(Cont. from page 10)

Gwenllyan, Mary Ann Thomas Jones and JohnDavidson Jones (courtesy of Beverly Hansen)

Benjamin A. Jones, Mary Ann Thomas Jones

to a developer. This hilly section, whichthey called the Railroad Ranch, includesthe headwaters of Galindo Creek and risesfrom about 500’ elevation to heights of1000’ at Lime Ridge and over toward Mt.Zion. Views extend over most of centralContra Costa County and beyond. It con-tains rare species such as the Alamedawhipsnake, horned lizard, and was a his-toric location of the recently rediscoveredMount Diablo buckwheat.

Cliff and Bill Matthews, two reclusivebrothers, owned a neighboring property butlived in an old house on the Mangini parcel.The family used the Railroad Ranch for cat-tle and some hay. They used to hunt upthere. Their brand, LL (from the Lavezzolafamily), was registered in 1915; they stillown the brand and use it now on the fewcattle that they raise. Grandson Joe com-mented that they have one of the old 250-pound, 5-wire hay bales from the RailroadRanch, in the barn.

Karen explained the family’s decision: “Ithink I am speaking for the entire familywhen I say that respect for the land and ourtemporary use and care of it has beenpassed down to us from past generations. Itwas that sense of respect for ‘mother earth’that motivated us to work with Save MountDiablo. The land that we are releasing wasa gift to us. We inherited the land as did thegeneration before us. It was entrusted to usto care for and now we are entrusting it to alarger group to care for and appreciate.”

Family & Land - The Mangini Ranch(Cont. from page 8)

(cou

rtes

y of

Bev

erly

Han

sen)

12

This past fall, Artists For Action - alocal group of plein air painters who helpwith landscape conservation - depicted SaveMount Diablo’s Mangini Ranch, to helpraise the last funds needed to purchase theproperty. The beautiful paintings created bythe 25 participating artists were displayed atThe Valley Art Gallery in November andthen sold at SMD’s 35th anniversaryCelebration on Dec. 1.

As a result, SMD and the Gallery decided tocollaborate on the 4th exhibition of Slopesof Diablo, a juried competition of twodimensional art works (no photo or comput-er generated work) to be exhibited in May2007. Carrie Brewster, curator of the HearstGallery at St. Mary’s College in Moragawill select the awards. According to JoEllenBean, curator for the Valley Art Gallery’ssecond Slopes of Diablo show in 1990,“Although group exhibitions are more oftenorganized around style or medium, thisexhibition is organized around place - thelandscape in which Diablo stands as a visi-

ble center ofour daily lives.From 40 milesaway, on allsides, we knowwe are homewhen we seethe mountainrising beforeus. Steadilythrough thevivid seasonaland atmospher-ic changes, themountain serves

as a beacon when we return home. It is afocus, a background, a varying but stead-fast element for us all. Here, then, withdiverse approaches - we celebrate thislandscape, this mountain, this place, andthe artists who so eloquently record it forus.”

The show opens May 20 and will be dis-played until June 30. The deadline forartists who wish to participate is April 7;for details, check the Gallery website orcall Betty Wells at 925 284-9179.

Save Mount Diablo is co-sponsoring theexhibition’s opening reception on SundayMay 20 from 3 pm - 5 pm. RSVP request-ed, please email your name(s) and phonenumber to smdinfo@savemountdiablo.org.

Valley Art Gallery1661 Botelho Dr., Suite 110

Walnut Creek, CA 94596Tues - Sat from 11am -5 pm

“Slopes of Diablo 2007” - Valley Art Gallery ExhibitionCosponsored by Save Mount Diablo

May 20 - June 30, 2007 - Reception Sunday May 20, 3-5 pm

S p o t l i g h t o n S t a f f & S p o n s o r s Saving theMountain,One Cupat a TimeMike and LaurenDuensing live inAlamo and ownYellow WoodCoffee & Tea,Save Mount

Diablo’s official Coffee Sponsor for 2006and 2007. Yellow Wood generously sup-plies us with its special blends of java forevents such as Four Days Diablo,Moonlight on the Mountain, Mount DiabloChallenge, and Trail Adventure. You willalso find Yellow Wood coffee fueling staffand volunteers in the SMD office.

Opened in 2005, Yellow Wood quicklyestablished itself as a popular communitygathering place in Alamo Plaza. The com-fortable, serene space and delicious coffeeattract everyone from early-morning walk-ers on the Iron Horse trail to solo businesspeople tapping away on their laptops. Nextdoor to Yellow Wood, Lauren runs SageTerrace of Alamo, which features a uniqueselection of gifts and home décor.

“We are very pleased to be Save MountDiablo’s coffee sponsor,” said Mike. “I’veparticipated in the Mt Diablo Challengebike ride, so we already were familiar withthe organization when we were asked to bethe coffee sponsor. We love the mountain,and are impressed by the great work thatSMD does to keep natural lands preserved.An important part of our vision at YellowWood and Sage is to support and beinvolved with our community. Save MountDiablo is a wonderful part of that vision.”

Yellow Wood Coffee & Tea215-E Alamo PlazaAlamo, CA 94507

(925) 837-1234

Veronica Pottsjoins SMD Veronica joined thestaff at Save MountDiablo as our newAdministrativeAssistant in Novemberof 2006. She grew up

in Lafayette and went to high school in SanFrancisco, where she later earned a BS inBusiness Management from San FranciscoState University.

Veronica lives with her fiancé Tony and her4 year-old daughter Anaya in Walnut Creek.Growing up, her family often went oncamping trips to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra.

She still enjoys traveling to the Tahoe areaas well as gardening, knitting with herdaughter, spending time with her mom,sister and nieces, watching movies, andriding her bike with Anaya to local parks.

After working in the city for several years,Veronica wanted to work closer to home.“I wanted to work in the non-profit fieldthat is working with the local community.”

“Everyone knows Mount Diablo, a beauti-ful land mark. I am excited to work for anorganization that strives to improve thelocal area, involving and educating thelocal community members. I want to lookback in ten years and be proud of what Ihave done, having made a difference.”

2004 award winning painting by Paul Kratter

Seth Adams , SMD’sDirector of Land

Programs, accepts acheck for $4,950

from REI Concord’sstore manager Doug

Tracey. The grantwill help pay for

fencing on theMangini Ranch.

SMD receives REI Foundation Grant

13

Summit Club($1,000 or more)B.T. Rocca, Jr., TrusteeBarth FoundationBlackhawk-Nunn AAC of

BrentwoodBraddock & Logan ServicesChevron Industries, Inc.Cinlexico FoundationCoit Family FoundationConcord Feed & Pet SupplyContra Costa NowCyto Sport, Inc.Delco Builders & DevelopersDiablo Motors Auto SalesEast Bay Regional Park Dist.Empire Realty-Dana WeilerENGEO, Inc.Gagen, McCoy, McMahon &

ArmstrongGaraventa EnterprisesIBEW Local Union 302Jamba JuiceJohnson & Louise Clark

Charitable FoundationLSA Associates, Inc.Maisel FoundationMcCorduck PropertiesMerrill LynchMonte Vista High School -

Track TeamMorgan Miller Blair, LLCPacific Coast CarpetPegasus Bicycle WorksPeregrine LendingPlumbers & Steamfitters UA

Local 159Rivendell Bicycle WorksShapell Industries of No. Calif.Shaughnessy FarmsSheet Metal Workers Local 104Shell Oil CompanySmith Land & Development Standard Pacific HomesSunset Development CoTerry McDaniel TeamThe Capital Group Companies

Charitable FoundationThe Mechanics BankThe Morrison & Foerster

FoundationThe Strong FoundationUnion Bank of Califorina, N.A.Walnut Creek Chamber of

CommerceWalnut Creek Open Spaces

FoundationWhole Foods MarketYoung & Burton, Inc.Penny & Jim AdamsCeasar AlbertRollin & Millicent ArmerRhonda BartlettChristine Beck & Connie Chose

Bryant & Inga BennettDawn BlockBurt BogardusMalcolm & Sylvia BoyceCarolyn ButlerGene & Frances CoburnRick & Suzanne CordesJohn & Rosemary DanielDon de FremeryDavid DevineDave & Dana DornsifeRichard & Betty FalckKent Fickett & Rebecca

BeemerBruce Fogel & Linda AndersonElizabeth GirgichLee GlasgowBrenda GoodrichCharles GreshamNancy Guard EvansJanice & David HammondJo Ann & Ralph HannaKarl & Billi HaugScott & Claudia HeinCharles & Kim HelgansEric & Debbie HinzelPeggie HowellDonald HuntLon & Mary IsraelVirginia Ives & Paul OrsayDorothy Jernstedt & Dick

BecherJeffrey & Kathleen JohnsonMartha KimJohn Kinney & Cynthia

CampanileAlan & Joan KunzJoan & Gary LawrencePaul & Cheryl Liu David & Linda LoveallEugene Malone & Cora Jane

McFarrenPerry & Buddy MaxwellSteve & Linda MehlmanJohn MillerRobert & Liz MillerGordon & Donna MonroeClark & Amara MorrisonKaren & Thomas MulvaneyCheryl NiccoliDan & Peggy NormanBob & Kris NunnDavid Ogden & Sandy BiagiCharles & Anne OlsenSylvia & Eugene OnopkoCharles OrrDonald & Georg PalmerLawrence & Mary PeiranoAllan & Kit PragerDylan SavidgeJames & Patricia ScofieldMarian ScottJoan & Lynn SeppalaWilliam Sikkema & Linda

Young

Kay SmithRichard & Sandra SmithMildred SnelsonMalcolm & Casey SproulHenry StaufferGeorge & Helene StraussJeanne ThomasDavid & Deborah TrotterMaryellen TylerJohn WaggonerA.C. Weber & Glorya Anderson-

WeberEarl & Marlys Worden

Peak Guardian($500 or more)Acne Treatment ClinicAdvanced Laser Skin Care

CenterBank of the WestBlackhawk Bloomers

Castle Hill CommunicationsDiablo Analytical, Inc.DK ConsultingEichleay EngineersFlying Colors Comics & Other

Cool StuffJax Kneppers Associates, Inc.Kennedy/Jenks ConsultantsMary Jane’s Pre-School &

KindergartenMills AssociatesMt. Diablo National BankPlant DecorThe PMI FoundationRegional Parking, Inc.Rosendin Electric, Inc.Sharp BicycleUnited Food &Commercial

Workers Union - Local 1179Walnut Creek Homeowners

CouncilArthur AbelsonJohn AllenPaul & Joan ArmstrongWillard BallengerBurt BasslerStephen & Karen BeckGeoffrey & Sally BellengerTim CleereJennifer CookKaye DeckerAshley DelgadoRaymond & Laura DePoleJill DresserAbbe Eaton

Harry & Cynthia Ann EisenbergJohn & Robbin EudyStephen EvansSusan FlauttCharla Gabert & David FraneCarmen GaddisJohn & Tena GallagherLawrence & Jerri GinochioJames & Roberta HadleyBob & Becky HazletonRon & Ann HendelDick Heron & Sue PitsenbargerBrian HiraharaMichael HitchcockRichard HoedtTom & Mary Anne JordeJohn & Linda JuddJoyce KellyDoug Knauer & Jennifer

BabineauxJohn & Diane KopchikPaul & Vivien LarsonWayne LawsonNorman & Kathryn LescureDavid Lingren & Ilana SchatzLois LippincottTom Logue & Heidi BosselmanBob & Joan MarxMark & Helene McElyeaWilliam MeadenJohn & Jill MercurioJay & Jasmin MumfordKathryn MurrayJohn & Katy NicholsonCraig NielsenShirley NootbaarThomas & Nancy PattenBob PennyRobert & Susan PhillipsMarjorie & Ted PlantDon & Sharon RitcheyWilliam RobinsonDave & Helen SargentJoyce SattlerJean Nicol SaylorAlan & Lynn SeigermanJanine SeniorMarilyn & Daniel SmithMorgan & Sarah SmithSamuel SperryPaul & Bea StunzChristian & Sara TruebridgeJacob Van Akkeren & Leslie

BartholicCarl & Lynne WalterBarbara WaltersSharon & Bill WaltersDavid & Alan Whippy

Mountain Saver($250 or more)Close to HomeDone Right Plumbing, Inc.Jeff Schwarck ConstructionRose Associates

Membership Matters

Paintbrush, Larkspur (Scott Hein)

SCI Consulting GroupSteve & Michelle AgazziScott AhrendtWard AlterAlan & Helen ApplefordMary BaldwinJack & Anne Belvedere Claude & Carol BenedixJay & Susan BennettJoel BergerArthur BonwellPaddy BradleyGlenna BreslinDiane BrownPatrick & Shirley CampbellCarla Carmona & Steve

MatthewsRichard CarterReno & Shea CervelliLiz Charlton & Jamie WassonCharles ClemPatricia CoffeyDina Colman & Dave

LuczynskiSuzanne D’ArcyBradley & Carol DavisLeslie De Boer & Ronald

WichmannHope DickGeorge Doddington &

Elizabeth HudsonAudrey DownDuane & Linda DuchschererAnthony & Marie EmersonKaren EricksonTom Fannin & Ann CarsonVirginia FereiraPaul & Kathy FitzpatrickSid & Linda FluhrerHarold & Donna FogelW. J. FrankMorris FraserPaul & Marilyn GardnerDavid & Diane GoldsmithSidney & Suzanne GoldsteinJulie GrishamPeter & Judith HagenThomas HaglerLiede Marie HaitsmaCarlyn Halde & Carol HallBruce & Sharon HammonJanuth HayashiDonald & Claire HayesJerry & Kathy HicksHarlan & Gayl HirschfeldJohn & Heather Hopfner

We deeply appreciate and thank all our members. Your generous support makes it possible for oursmall organization to meet the many demands that come with increasing population and develop-ment pressures in the area. As one of our members writes: “Every time I drive around the area and catch glimpses of Mt. Diablo, I vow to do whatever I canto prevent any more encroaching development. That’s why I’m already a member of Save MountDiablo.” We hope we can count on your continued support and help in recruiting new members tosupport our cause.Blue-eyed grass (Bill Sattler)

Mariposa lilies (Bill Sattler)

14

Michael & Janet StevensonDean StokerSandor & Faye StrausPatricia ThomasElinor TomRobert & Marci WaldmanMilton WatchersSusan WatsonMr. & Mrs. Wenzel Shawn WillisMarilyn & Ed WojcikPhil WrightT.R. & Leslie WyattMilo Zarakov & Deborah Long

Diablo Donor($100 or more)

571 Donors contributedat the $100. We feelvery fortunate that wehave so many generousdonors. Unfortunately,space limitations pre-vent us from listing allthe names of these won-derful supporters. Wehope you understand.

Trail Blazer ($50 or more) 481 donors have con-tributed in this category

Friends ($35 or more)362 donors have con-tributed in this category

Barbara JenningsDarryl & Beverly JohnsonGiselle Jurkanin & Kristin

CooperDave & Lois KailDeborah & Steve KaplanRichard KawinRobert KieckHeferSteven KliegmanIvy KnottGerald & Rosette KochFrederick & Margaret KovarPhilip Lathrap & Roberta DavisJonathon LawlisMarston & Anne LeighCatherine LewisJanet & N.C. LuhmannGrace MacNeillMichael MagnaniMary MahinBarbara MahlerKathryn Martin & David

KurtzmanFred Massell & Linda MaxonJohn McGeheeChristopher & Barbara McLainDiane MeadeConnie MelaniJames & Sharon MooreBill & Adrienne MorrisonJoyce MunsonThomas & Phyllis NagleHoward Nelson Jr.Richard Ober & Tina NunesBruce Tarter & Gabriela OdellKendall & Monica OeiIola O’GradyStephen & Susan OhanianAlbert & Pam PalitzJacquelin & Werner PelsPaul PopenoeJay & Cheryl PowellJames & Patricia PrayKevin & Dorothy PriceJeff & Joyce RadiganCynthia and Mark RahnConstance RegaliaJim RichardsDouglas RichardsonWalter & Mary RogersMax RohnMichael & Lisa RomeroAl & Mary Anne SanbornPeter & Maureen SanseveroDaniel & Janet SchalkAlan SeidelmannCarlo & Margareta SequinDavid & Eileen ShortBob SlykerJesse SmithMaurice SmithDavid Smith & Theresa BlairPeg Steunenberg Larkspur (Bill Sattler)

Membership Matters (Continued from pg 13)

In-Kind Donors

Artists For Action

McE CorporationRobert PickerRichards- The Creative Market

Place in AlamoValley Spokesmen - Bonnie &

Bob Powers

Flora Baumann, Ruth Beeve,Robert Chapla, Mary LouCorreia, Suzanne D’Arcy,Susan Dennis, CatherineFasciato, John Finger, PamGlover, JoAnn Hanna, PegHumphreys, Geri Keary,Ramona Kennon, Paul Kratter,Rosewitha Kress, Sherril MillerShirley Nootbaar, Janis Ong,Teresa Onoda, CharlottePanton, Greg Piatt, SusanaScarborough, Gerry SeversonLinda Sutton, Dulcynea Wilson

Estate Planning . . . Remember SMDA bequest to Save Mount Diablo can be accomplished with a simple statement inyour will, or in a codicil to an existing will, or a revocable/living trust.

For example, you may make a specific bequest: “I give and bequeath to SaveMount Diablo, Walnut Creek, California, the sum of $___________ to be usedfor the general purposes of the organization.”

OR a residual bequest: “I give and bequeath to Save Mount Diablo, WalnutCreek, California, ____% of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate forgeneral purposes of the organization.”

Do you have a used car that you want to donate?If so, call Car Donation Services at 925-229-5444 and tell them that youwant to donate your vehicle - for the benefit of Save Mount Diablo. Allpaperwork and vehicle pick-up will be taken care of quickly and profession-ally. After liquidation of the vehicle, SMD will receive a cash donation thatwill represent your charitable contribution.

Remarkable Opportunities Available in 2007to Help Save Mount Diablo

The federal Pension Protection Act of 2006 offersnumerous incentives for landowners and for SaveMount Diablo donors.

Donate IRA Distributions - Tax FreeIf you are at least 70 and a half years of age and arerequired to take mandatory distributions from yourIRA, you can have the distribution directed to Save

Mount Diablo and the distribution will not be taxable to you (i.e., it is excludedfrom your gross income). There is a limit of $100,000 per taxpayer per year.

Donate Conservation EasementsThe Pension Protection Act also changed the tax incentive for voluntary conser-vation donations – donations by private landowners that relinquish developmentrights to protect significant wildlife, scenic, and historic resources.

That change enables family farmers, ranchers, and other moderate-incomelandowners to get a significant tax benefit for the donation of these conservationeasements, which simply wasn’t possible under prior law.

The 2006 Tax law:• Raises the maximum deduction a donor can take for donating a conservation

easement from 30% of their adjusted gross income (AGI) in any year to 50%. • Allowes qualified farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their AGI. • Increases the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 5

years to 15 years.

Under prior law, an agricultural landowner earning $50,000 a year who donated aconservation easement worth $1 million could take a total of no more than$90,000 in tax deductions! Under the new law, that landowner can take as muchas $800,000 in tax deductions – still less than the full value of their donation, buta significant increase.

Only Valid in 2007These tax benefits are only available through the end of 2007 unless they areextended. A bill to extend the act is being prepared for sumbission to Congress.

Individuals interested in making donations should contact their personal tax advi-sor or financial planner. Or, contact us at SMD if you would like more informa-tion about conservation easements or donating the manadory disbursement fromyour IRA.

Mt. Diablo Globe Lily (S. Hein) Western Thistle & Bumblebee(Bill Sattler)

15

AIG Matching Grants ProgramBank of America Matching

Gifts ProgramBank of the WestClorox Gift CampaignDel Monte FoodsIBM Corporation Matching

Grants ProgramMicrosoft Matching Gifts

ProgramNike Employees Charitable

Giving ProgramOracle Corporation Matching

Gifts ProgramThe Rockefeller GroupSBC FoundationThe Charles Schwab

Corporation FoundationTCF FoundationValero Refining CompWellPoint Associate Giving

Campaign

Foundat ions

Corporate Match

Jay AbrashAnne-Lise Peachee

Erwin AnthoferKeith & Susi Farmer

Shirley AxelsonJean Saylor

Marlene & Bob BakerBetty Lou Bates

Philip BartlettRhonda Bartlett

Albert Raymond BelangerJames & Marian Pfohl

Mary BowermanSusan Steinberg

Robert F. BrownVirginia Heiderick

Riley James BrunsonSamuel & Suzanne Abbott

James P. Butler, Jr. Carolyn Butler

Dorothy BuzziniJon Bergstrom

Michael ConcannonJune Wall

Ralph & Cecil Cross &Ralph L. Cross III

Betty & T. FrangoulisBetty Curtola

June WallJoannie Doebler

Ronald & Marcia CarlbergMarcy Dubow Howard

Philip & Henrietta DubowShirley Earl

Pamela Sue CurlRobert Lewis Erdmann

June WallBetty M. Ericsson

Dorothy FosterLeon Fay

Patty Fay-Pejovich & Susan Lewis

Anna Louise FerriLawrence Ferri

Bud FitzgeraldE.A. TompkinsElaine & Henry IkedaGrace & Robert PadenLinda HiattMarion BoydPatricia & Gordon

SchroederRosemarie & Jack NeeleyVilma & Gerald SharrockWildine & Robert Rice

Nez W GeorgeJune Wall

David GoldbergAndreina Goldberg

Doug GoodrichBev & Mary Schaefer Betty

B.T. Rocca, Jr. FoundationCinlexico FoundationCoit Family FoundationJohnson & Louise Clark

Charitable FoundationMaisel FoundationSchwab Fund for Charitable

GivingStrong FoundationBarth FoundationTri-Valley Community

FoundationWalnut Creek Open Space

Foundation

& Linda ValenteCalvin DareLaw Offices of Dennis

PedersenEd BucklandK.M. & L.D. Cunningham Lynn & Mike DeckertSavage & Browning, LLCJan WarrenWilliam GrayJeffrey & Kathryn ParishKaty & J.C. BahekRebecca & Christian Eirich Julia Parish & Virginia

DvorakMegan Sandri

Gene HarrisonJean Nicol Saylor

Jean P. HauserBarbara Hauser

Olga & Dorward HendersonScott & Wendy Henderson

Raymond HendmanJo Ann Hanna

Will HensleyRobina Masterson

Miriam HoffmanNancy Content

Thomas E. HoganPatricia Derickson

Toby JohnsonDonald & Carole Johnson

Cecil KissingerBarbara Hayworth

Ronald KorstadAnnabelle Cloner

John LayeJeanne Laye

C. Don MacNeillGrace MacNeill

J. Michael Mahin Sr.Mary Mahin

Peggy MahlerRuth Dixon-KimBarbara Mahler

Jean Mangini Danna Saunders

Gary McCurdyGrant Petersen

Francis R. MeischLynn Meisch

Robert Milam JrMerilyn Milam

Joey MooreJoseph & Jerilyn Moore

Senator John NegedlyGeorgean Vonheeder-

LeopoldMarvin & Ruth EpsteinSusan Watson

Maryjane & Arthur NelsonScott & Wendy Henderson

Ken NelsonRuth Chapton

Seana O’NeilBill & Kay O’Neil

Carole PadillaJulie Padilla

John A. RaventosGerald & Patricia Donegan

Lester RodVivian Kremer

Bill & Jen Sattler Henry Segrove

Chuck Schaefer Mary Knodt

Lee ShewryJean Nicol Saylor

Martin & Mary Jansen’s 50th anniversaryMartin & Mary Jansen

Seth AdamsShirlee Loret

Peggy AyersMarilyn Ayers

Mary Jo BatesThe Capital GroupCompanies Charitable Foundation

Paul & Elizabeth BaxterCarol Baxter

Evelyn & Bill BensonBob and Sue Benson

Gary BogueRichard & Gayle BuxtonShirlee LoretKaren & John Pontrelli

Art BonwellNeal & Lind Higgins

Lt. Mark Breugem, USAREugene Malone & Cora

Jane McFarrenPatty Bryant

Gregory & Mary Beth ReadCats: Bandit & Fellow

Vi Louise BrueneDT’s Awesome Blossom

Richard ShengBirth of Emily Anne Ferri

Lawrence FerriTina Filsinger

Bea Boorey-ChristolosGirl Scout Camp

Judith Nelson & Shenay Jorgenson

Diana GrandosNancy & James Tatum

Bill & Charlotte HeddingSusan Kessler & Devon

HeddingClaudia & Scott Hein

Michael & Jane LarkinCarla Lynch

Reta SimmonsMr. & Mrs. Glen Mackenzie’s

60th wedding anniversaryJohn & Thelma Dana

Jean ManginiVern & Josephine Ward

Jane M. ManningSara Manning

Connor, Keely, Riley, andKatie McCormickJay & Susan Bennett

Mount DiabloFrances Zurilgen &

Georgia WilliamsGary, Tut, and Newman

Charles & George Anne Coyle

Jennifer PhillipsCamille Phillips

Marti RoachSara & Mike Romano

Steve SimmonsReta & Duane Simmons

The J.J. Tantillo FamilyRose Marie Tantillo

Ashley & Taylor Linda & Norvel Bradley

The marriage of Andy VanHorn & Kris ChaseDavid & Sandra Anderson

In Memory of

Rhoda SimonJohn & Isabel Wilhelmy

Bruce B. SmithKay Smith

Ethel Doris SmitsAn Mari Ericsson

Fred StringerSuzanne & Sam Abbott

Dr. Hooshang TajbiRichard & Mary Bowers

Wayne D. WiestFred & Susan Donecker

Terry Erle WilsonJune Wall

Lowney & Helen YoungNancy& James Tatum

Virginia YoungDAR Mt Diablo Chapter

AnnabelleCharles & Lee McCaffree

EsperanceJohn Anderson

JohnPatricia Nargang

Joseph Grossman’s MotherSusan & Bruce Kaufman

My FatherMary Ambrosino

Mary AnnJames & Carol Frane

Peekaboo Charles Orr

David Theis - 50th birthdayDebra Witter & Richard

GelbardHenry MarkmanJoseph Saah & Shary NunanSarah SatterleeJacqueline & Paul RoyceAndrea RosenthalWendy Stern & Jonathan

LeichtlingMorton & Artice SilvermanChristie Smith

Baron, Paul, & Kim Walsh Donna Walsh Sumner

Sharon WaltersGlenna Breslin

Dorothy WrightPatrick & Shirley

CampbellGeorge Zurilgen

Frances Zurilgen Tanya Parmley, KarenPollak, Cindy Silva, Tiffany Hoover, Karen Cichurski, Karen Douglas, Tricia Riske, LoAnn Winkler, Jan Robertson, Sandi Smith-Grove, Wendy Yuan, Kathi Pastor, Jean Karavidas, Reine Anderson, SusanStrong, Laurie Alamillo, and Tricia Carella

Jill Dresser

All contributions weremade from August 1 -

December 31, 2006

H e r i t a g e T r e e sIn Memory of Jack,

Matt Hall’s DogMax, Garrison, Lauren,Melissa, David, Hannah,Stacey & Billy.

In Honor of Jim & Terri Truel’sweddingConnie Melani

Grove: In loving memory ofDr. John A. PianfettiNancy Evans

Grove: In loving memory of Dr. Miriam E. RoginNancy Guard Evans

Grove: Fremont BankFoundation

Shooting Star (Bill Sattler)

In Honor of

If we have inadvertantly omit-ted or misspelled your name,please call us as (925) 947-3535 and we will be sure tocorrect our records.

California Poppies (Bill Sattler)

Baby Blue Eyes (Bill Sattler)

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

1901 Olympic Blvd., Suite 220Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Concord, CA

Permit No. 525

16Save Mount Diablo’s Mission ... To preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks and surroundingfoothills through land acquisition and preservationstrategies to: protect the mountain’s natural beauty,integrity, and biological diversity; enhance ourarea’s quality of life; and provide recreationalopportunities consistent with protection of naturalresources.

In support of our mission, we:· Protect natural lands through purchases, gifts and

cooperative efforts with public and private entities· Educate the public regarding threats to the moun-

tain’s flora, fauna and rugged beauty, as well as

the history and heritage of the mountain and itssurrounding foothills.

· Work with landowners to preserve their prop-erty and to ensure that they receive fair valuein any transaction aimed at preserving theirland.

· Work in partnership with Mt. Diablo StatePark, East Bay Regional Park District, andother public and private entities to increaseand manage public lands and to identify miti-gation opportunities.

· Participate in the land use planning process forprojects that could impact Mount Diablo andits surrounding foothills.

· Aid in the restoration of habitat and the protec-tion of rare species.

· Offer technical advice to community andneighborhood groups regarding preservation ofnatural lands.

· Raise funds and sponsor events to build publicawareness and to carry out our programs.

· Temporarily own and responsibly managelands prior to their transfer to a public agencyfor permanent preservation.

· Encourage recreation and public enjoyment ofMount Diablo’s park lands consistent with theprotection of their natural resources.

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Nia Dance Fundraiser for Save Mount DiabloApril 22, Sun, 2pm - 4pm

Leader: Charla Gabert & Shelly RossCharla: 925-256-0968, Shelly: 510-6538995 Charlagabert@yahoo.comRenaissance Club Sport, 2805 Jones Rd.,Walnut Creek

Celebrate Earth Day by learning aboutSave Mount Diablo and enjoying a funafternoon of Nia, a “fusion” fitness classbased on dance and martial arts. RonBrown, Executive Director of SMD, andCharla Gabert, SMD Board Member, willmake short presentation about SMD.Seven new Nia instructors from the BayArea will then lead routines that showcasethe variety and joy of this mind-body-spiritfitness practice. Light drinks and snackswill follow. (Nia is a barefoot workout;however, if you want to keep your shoeson, please wear soft soled non-markingshoes.) Come prepared to have fun whilemoving to great music. Read more aboutNia at: www.nianow.com Suggested donation: $20

Irish Canyon Bioblitz - Saturday April 21, 2007BioBlitz is a race against time to see how many wildlife species wecan find and count in a 24-hour period. BioBlitz brings together scien-tists, naturalists and volunteers to document biodiversity present in our community.BioBlitz is a unique opportunity to explore, discover, educate and investigate the tremen-dous amount of biodiversity that surrounds us in our local environment, in this case atSMD’s newest acquisition project Irish Canyon.Public Invited 10 am - 4 pm, park at Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton RoadTo find out more about Bioblitz or to register visit www.savemountdiablo.org

Moonlight on the Mountain Sat. August 25, 2007Save Mount Diablo 36th anniversary celebration and

presentation of the Mountain Star Awards. Dinner, silent and live auction, and live music by aja vu.

Tickets $200 per personTo RSVP or request sponsorship information call (925) 947-3535