CASA Information Session Friday
An information session for those interested in becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children in Contra Costa County foster care will take place at 12:30 p.m. Friday, June 7 at CASA of Contra Costa County 2151 Savio St., Suite 295, Concord.
CASA’s related website is https://cccocasa.org/menus/become-a-volunteer.html. There is no cost for this session.
A similar webinar will be available at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 10. Registration for the webinar can be made online at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/736c01ea7a0f138334538d7d4481ef37.
CASA volunteers make sure foster children receive needed health, education and therapeutic services, social and recreational opportunities as well as consistent support.
Main Street Martinez’s Downtown Summer Wine Stroll Saturday
The Main Street Martinez Downtown Summer Wine Stroll starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Main Street Plaza in the 600 block of Main Street next to Starbucks.
Tickets are available in advance online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-martinez-summer-wine-stroll-2019-tickets-61122491016?aff=website and are $25 plus tax and service fee. Any tickets that have not been sold previously will be $35 the day of the event.
Those attending will be able to stroll from business to business, stopping in participating stores and restaurants for food and wine samples.
Summer Bike Challenge Continues Sunday
The Martinez Summer Bike Challenge continues from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Martinez Farmers Market on Main Street .
Free Market Money and valet bicycle parking will be available to anyone riding ab icycle to the farmers market.
Promoted by 511 Contra Costa, the Bike Challenge is encouraging people to get out of their cars and make trips on their bicycles.
The bike challenge is open to anyone, and allows participants to have free premiums during their rides. They also may compete for an entry in a drawing for an iPad.
Travel isn’t limited to Martinez; Pleasant Hill, Brentwood, Concord, Walnut Creek, Oakley and Pittsburg also have excursion destinations through August. A full list of those destinations is available at https://511contracosta.org/sbc/ and https://511contracosta.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SBC_FreeStuff_AllCities2.pdf.
Martinez Chamber Announces New Members
Homage, 712 Main St., which grew from Tim Hammack’s passion for cooking and good food, has cjoined the Martinez Chamber of Commerce.Hammack has trained at Bouchon under Thomas Keller and has worked at Chez Panisse Café before managing kitchen and cooking programs at the Bay Area Rescue Mission.
Homage’s website is https://homagemartinez.com/.
Ruhe CPA also is a new member.
Rachel Ruhe has been involved in business accounting and tax work since 2005. She is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California. Her company offers such sCPA services as reviewing financial statements to preparing tax returns and internal management financials.
The business website is https://www.ruhecpa.com/.
Another new member is Lunchbox Sandwich Shop, 35 Howe Road.
The restaurant serves sandwiches, hamburgers, salads and other entrees. It’s open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Its Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Sandwich-Shop/Lunchbox-Sandwich-Shop-1050574251756590/.
California Gets High Ratings For Economy
WalletHub has announced California has the fourth best state economy after completing a study of a variety of economic factors in the United States.
Already the fifth largest economy in the world, California also received several high marks for its economy in WalletHub’s 2019 Best and Worst State Economies report.
The personal finance website looked at 28 indicators before issuing its rankings. California was sixth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, 19th in exports per capita, sixth in startup activity, fifth in percentage of jobs in high-tech industries, 10th in change in non-farming payrolls and sixth in Government Surplus/Deficit per Capita.
A copy of the full report is available online at https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-economies/21697/.
In its study for the report “2019’s Best and Worst States for Jobs, WalletHub ranked California ninth best state for jobs.
That study determined that California is 24th in employment growth, which is about average in the United States, and fifth in average length of a work week measured in hours, 12th in employees’ job satisfaction, 11th in automation risk, fifth in availability of internships and the top state for four-star job opportunities per total people in the labor force.
The full report is available online at https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-jobs/35641/.
East Bay Leadership Council Names Award to Honor Ellen O. Tauscher
The East Bay Leadership Council is naming its top individual award after the late Ellen O. Tauscher, former U.S. Representative, Undersecretary of State and University of California Regent, whose celebration of life will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.
She died April 29.
In her memory, the Council will present its highest individual honor in her name at its 2019 installation dinner, the Ellen O. Tauscher Distinguished Service Award.
The installation dinner will recognize exceptional leadership within the Council. In addition to the Tauscher Distinguished Service Award, the organization will select recipients for the ast Bay Leadership Medal and Outstanding Task Force Co-Chairs Award.
Members of the Board of Directors will be recognized, and new members will be welcomed. The 2019-2 executive committee will be introduced.
Therese McMillan, executive director of the Metropolitan Tranportation Commission, is the guest speaker.
Registration to attend must be made by 5 p.m. June 24, online at https://members.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com/events/details/2019-installation-dinner-3198.
The installation dinner will start at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Contra Costa Country Club, 801 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill.