The Shadelands Scene
Community news, updates, and insights
EXPERT ADVICE FOR
GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS
The Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau continues to host informative twice-monthly Back to Business webinars that address critical issues of the pandemic and its economic impact on businesses, nonprofits, educational systems, and major aspects of daily life for individuals, families, and communities.

2nd & 4th Tuesday
+Bonus Tuesday Webinars
9 – 10am, via Zoom

Visit Walnut Creek Chamber for details about the upcoming July 14 & 28 webinars and to register for the events.

Topics and agendas are subject to change.
SPEAKING OF GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS . . .
As people prepare to return to the office, those with pets should also prepare their companion animals. Many pets have grown accustomed to having their people home—it’s part of their new routine.

Adjusting to a sudden absence could cause stress and undesirable behaviors. Adding daily training into a pet’s routine now, will help in the weeks and months to come as shelter-in-place orders are lifted.

Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) recommends training pets to become accustomed to spending time by themselves with the goals of proving to pets that they are safe and showing them that alone time can be fun.

With proper management and training, separation anxiety can be avoided.
2890 Mitchell Drive
Walnut Creek
925.256.1273
Read the full press release with suggestions for preparing your pet for your return to the office. Watch ARF training videos for more guidance about alone training.
ENHANCING E-COMMERCE EXPERIENCES
Object Edge (OE) is an award-winning digital commerce consulting agency based in Walnut Creek since 1994. In 1997, Object Edge moved to Shadelands, first to 315 Lennon Lane, and then to its current home at 488 N. Wiget Lane. OE purchased the 14,000-SF building and remodeled 7,500 SF as modern, open office space where its staff of 28 software engineers, business analysts, and management personnel can work independently or collaborate in teams.

“Object Edge helps retailers shine in the digital age by helping them with the maturity of their digital needs," says Jags Krishnamurthy, who joined OE three months into incubation and has been its CEO since 2011, "We help organizations adapt to compete effectively in an increasingly digital environment."

OE works with large retailers, including Gymboree, Chico’s, and Mortorola Solutions, enhancing the retailers' e-commerce websites to maximize their customers’ online digital experience. That means helping customers find products online faster, easier. That means streamlining ordering, checkout, and payment processes. That means helping retailers reach potential customers who are like their current customers. OE's mission is to create exceptional digital shopping and purchasing experiences for retailers' customers—experiences that make customers happy and loyal.
 
OE also works with businesses that are just entering the digital world of e-commerce, under the microscope these days as the pandemic has shuttered brick and mortar shops and kept people at home. With no other way to get the products they want or need, customers are purchasing online in mass numbers—even those who are newbies to e-commerce.

“During the last ten years, the amount of online shopping has steadily increased,” says Jags. “During the four months of COVID, we've seen increased activity in our business comparable to what we’ve seen the past four years."

He sees an even greater increase in e-commerce competition and activity in the future.

“When retailers see how much people like browsing and shopping online—even as we come out of the pandemic—they will scramble to attract and retain customers. In the digital setting, the customer experience is everything. You can make or lose a customer in an instant. That’s why we focus our work on helping clients focus on their customers' digital experience.”
Object Edge employees enjoy open spaces, with room for independent work.
Roomy, hi-tech demonstration spaces allow clients and team members to interact.
488 N. Wiget Lane
Walnut Creek
925.943.5558
Object Edge space is designed for community and collaboration.
‌
This past May, Object Edge launched CurbSpot , a smooth and seamless solution for fast, safe, easy, and contactless curbside pickup for any business—any size, any industry.

Having seen businesses struggle with clunky curbside pickup, OE developed CurbSpot, an intuitive web-based application that runs easily on a smartphone or desktop and can be launched quickly. Even post-pandemic, this amenity is a draw for customers who can't or don't want to leave their vehicles to pick up purchased items.

IN THE FACE OF SHELTERING, APPRECIATION ABOUNDS
When shelter-in-place was ordered in March and employees left offices dark and empty, the few businesses that remained open in Shadelands found themselves operating without the hustle and bustle of clients, customers, and faithful fans. Gabriel Zumot, owner of the popular Z’s Cafe on Shadelands Drive in Walnut Creek Executive Park is one such business owner.
 
The cafe was built initially, three years ago, to serve the tenants of the Executive Park building and the general Shadelands community. When the building emptied, Gabe and his staff immediately felt the impact. Fortunately, construction crews were still working across the street on the new Viamonte Senior Living site.
 
“The construction workers were keeping me going," says Gabe. "There were no tenants in the building, so it was the construction workers who came in every day and kept the cafe going. And I greatly appreciate them for that.”
 
Crews ordered tasty, freshly made hot and cold dishes, breakfast sandwiches and burritos, deli sandwiches, side salads, and beverages —d elicious offerings of American, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern flavors. The appreciation went both ways, no doubt.
 
Though Z’s Cafe has seating for 35 people, during shelter in place, Gabe is providing take-out and delivery only. Once he is allowed to open in-cafe dining, he'll do so at 25% capacity. “Most of our business, about 85%, is take-out already, so we’re not concerned about seating capacity. What I look forward to is seeing our favorite customers again and filling orders that make them happy customers.”
 
In addition to take-out, Z’s Cafe offers an extensive catering menu, capable of handling orders for 200 people in a ten-mile radius. All menu items — with mouth-watering photos — are online, as are the forms for individual and catering orders.
Check out Z's Cafe
online and in person.


2820 Shadelands Drive, Suite 100
Walnut Creek Executive Park
Walnut Creek
925.472.0220
Ana Negrette and Gabrel Zumot welcome guests to Z's Cafe.
Crews working on Viamonte Senior Living across the street kept Z's Cafe busy.
Seating inside Z's Cafe will be at 25% when in-cafe dining resumes.
MEDICAL DETECTIVES AND PROBLEM SOLVERS
Did you know that we have a group of renowned infectious disease experts right here in Shadelands?

The medical detectives of the Infectious Disease Doctors Medical Group (IDD), a division of BASS Medical Group since 2015, are specialists in identifying, treating, and managing infections caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and the process of finding medications to treat infections safely and effectively.

IDD has been located in Shadelands since 2008 and its physicians have
been serving the needs of patients and consulting for public health and healthcare communities in all aspects of infectious diseases management for decades.

Infectious disease expert Ron Wasserman, MD, is one of the eight ID physicians who work with patients with complex medical problems and infections that are difficult to diagnose or resistant to routine courses of antibiotics. They treat patients with infections that require long-term care, such as HIV/AIDS and chronic hepatitis. “When someone has an infection that their doctors don’t know how to identify, or treat, or manage, they’re referred
to us.”

Located at 365 Lennon Lane, Suite 200, in a 3,600-SF environment of peace and calming, IDD has the only robust outpatient infectious diseases program and infusion center, not academically or Kaiser Permanente-based, in Northern California.

The infusion center treats people on a daily basis, and as regularly and frequently as needed, keeping people out of hospitals for treatment, and allowing people to return home early from hospital stays even if they still require intravenous antibiotics.

Since the onset of the pandemic, IDD has been advising hospitals and healthcare systems regarding management of patients with the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and safety and prevention of its spread within facilities and communities.

“While the public health department has that authority to make policy," says Dr. Wasserman, "our job is to employ the health directives in as best and as competent a way as possible. For a while, for instance, we were short on PPEs (personal protective equipment) and we advised on how to best institute policies with a lack of PPEs."

Dr. Wasserman acknowledges that the learning curve was steep, "especially early on when there was so much mystery surrounding this new virus and we were all, literally, learning new things day by day."

Treatments for severely ill COVID-19 patients are available. "The goal, however, is to develop therapies that can be initiated as soon as somebody gets sick. Early onset is when therapies are most likely to be effective," says Dr. Wasserman.
Nurses tend to patients in the IDD outpatient Infusion Center, with five chairs and privacy curtains.
Four exam rooms, one specimen collection room, and private offices for the eight infectious disease doctors.
365 Lennon Lane, Suite 200
Walnut Creek
925.947.2334
The IDD Infusion Center also provides ambulatory pumps (l) and self-infusors (c).
Patients are seen Monday through Friday for exams, counseling, and therapies.
While the world waits for safe and effective treatments and a vaccine that can be widely distributed, "listening to state and county public health departments about how to minimize transmission is the best practice," says Dr. Wasserman.

Citing the magnitude of the pandemic's impact on the world's 7.8 billion people, he states, "There is not a single person on this earth who has not been affected by COVID-19."
CONTRA COSTA CRISIS CENTER:
OPEN 24/7/365
"Our 'We’re open' story has a twist—we’re always open and we’ve been open throughout the pandemic,” says Tom Tamura, executive director of the Contra Costa Crisis Center . “The Crisis Center is available 24/7/365 and we have continued to be here for all residents of Contra Costa County."

Tom says he and the Crisis Center were grateful to be recognized as front line support by the Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation, which provides assistance through its COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund to organizations with the ability to swiftly deploy the funds to support populations in the County that are most vulnerable to economic and health risks during the pandemic.
 
The Contra Costa Crisis Center's phone and text capacity helps reach many of the most vulnerable regarding food support (with an innovative geographic information system, GIS, mapping tool to help residents find the nearest food assistance program) and housing.

In the coming months, the Crisis Center will have information about PSPS (Public Safety Power Shutoff), fire safety, and more.

The Crisis Center continues to provide counseling for anyone in need of support, including those who are struggling with distress caused by the isolation, loss, and impact of the COVID19 pandemic.


If you are in a crisis and need help, call 211 or 800.833.2900 .
Or text HOPE to 20121 .

Doing so will quickly connect you with a Contra Costa Crisis Center
Call Specialist.
“Our call specialists are here, ready to listen and help any hour of the day or night," says Tom. "We’ve seen an uptick in all types of calls, and we are always hopeful that anyone thinking of harming themselves, or someone else, will call instead of acting on those thoughts. We are open, and we are here for every individual and every family.”
SUMMER ART FUN!
Camp Community Arts offers creative arts experiences for ages 5–14 years in a fun, supportive environment exposing children to arts-based skills through process-based learning. Campers will engage in a mix of arts activities in small groups under the instruction of Community Arts teaching artists.

Camp Community Arts offers half-day and full-day camps, and all camps take place at the Shadelands Art Center.


111 N. Wiget Lane
Walnut Creek
925.943.5846

Camp 1
July 6–July 17

Camp 2
July 20–July 31

Camp 3
August 3–August 7
for more information.
Camp Community Arts will follow safety practices and protocols that have been outlined by Contra Costa Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control.
MORE SUMMER ART FUN!
The Center for Community Arts is offering more than 60 Zoom-based online Virtual Arts Classes this summer including specialized classes in drawing, painting, digital media, dance, music, drama, creative writing, and more. Join Community Arts teaching artists in hands-on arts classes.

View the catalogue of virtual online classes and register here .
111 N. Wiget Lane
Walnut Creek
925.943.5846
SUMMER PET PHOTO CONTEST
Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) has launched a Sit, Stay, Smile Photo Contest , which runs through August 31, 2020. Submitted photos and votes raise funds for life-changing programs to save animals and enhance the human-animal bond.

ARF programs include animal rescue and adoptions, veterinary care for low-income families, disaster relief, shelter-to-service dog training program for veterans, and more.

• Submit a favorite photo of your dog or cat.

• Encourage your family and friends to vote for your photo.

• The top six vote-getters in each category (dog and cat) win a place in ARF's 2021 calenda r.


For more information, visit

2890 Mitchell Drive
Walnut Creek
925.256.1273
SHRED DAY, JULY 11 @ ARF
Out with the old, in with the new! Take your old papers to ARF's Shadelands campus to be securely shredded for $5 per box on July 11, 10am–Noon. Boxes can be dropped off early that morning. Proceeds support ARF's life-enriching programs for pets and people.

Saturday, July 11
10am–Noon
Early bird drop-off 9:30am
$5 per box
(size of a banker's box)
2890 Mitchell Drive
Walnut Creek


[Hosted in compliance with shelter-in-place. Event subject to change. Check Shred Day webpage before arriving.]
2890 Mitchell Drive
Walnut Creek
925.256.1273
A SAFE AND HEALTHY 4th!
The Shadelands Scene Team wishes everyone a safe and happy July 4th!

In lieu of the beloved Walnut Creek 4th of July celebration in Civic Park with the Walnut Creek Concert Band (which has been canceled this year), you might consider PBS's annual television presentation, "A Capitol Fourth," which returns this year for a special 40th anniversary. It won't be the traditional live event, but music will fill the air throughout our country and fireworks will light up the night sky in Washington D.C.
Happy July 4, 2020!
Write to us at Shadelands@walnut-creek.com.
Subscribe here , if you haven't already done so.
Please forward The Shadelands Scene to community friends and colleagues.
If this copy was forwarded to you, click here to subscribe.
Click Archives to enjoy past issues of The Shadelands Scene .