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January 2022
Vol 6: Issue 1
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The Shadelands Scene
Your place for community news, updates, and insights
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A PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTION FOR A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION
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Rocketship Public Schools is a national organization of charter schools that offers parents in low-income communities tuition-free public school options for their children TK through 5th grade. Founded in 2006 in San Jose, Rocketship has 13 public schools in the Bay Area.
“Our mission is to close the achievement gap in our lifetime. Period,” says Marie Alvarado-Gil, Bay Area Regional Director, Rocketship Public Schools. “It’s no secret that kids in certain ZIP codes don’t have access to high quality public education. We provide that access.
"We’re parent driven—parents organizing parents and coming together, saying 'We want a quality public education option for our kids.'”
The regional office for its two East Bay schools, Rocketship Futuro Academy (Concord) and Rocketship Delta Prep (Antioch), is located in Shadelands' Walnut Creek Executive Park, 2815 Mitchell Drive, Suite 103.
Built on three pillars, Rocketship focuses on Parent Power, Talent Development, and Personalized Learning—meeting students where they are and enabling them to learn at their own pace.
“What's distinctive about our Parent Power approach is the level to which we've elevated our parent leadership," says Christabel Breen, Manager of Parent Leadership & Organizing, Bay Area, Rocketship Public Schools.
“More than just engaging our parents through volunteering and parent-teacher conferences, we train our parents in leadership and work with them to create organizing committees on their campuses to engage with the community, meet city leaders and school board members, learn about education issues, and become involved in an education equity movement that affects their families and communities.”
Rocketship schools have been recognized for education excellence on local and national levels. In 2021, Rocketship Futuro Academy was named one of the best elementary schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
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East Bay Regional Office
Walnut Creek Executive Park
2815 Mitchell Drive
Suite 103
Walnut Creek
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Rocketship tailors instruction, content, and learning experience to enable Rocketeers to learn at their own pace.
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Parent leadership and collaboration with teachers, staff, and community help drive excellence in the classroom.
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“The leadership of parents who are advocating for their kids in their community is what makes all of this happen," says Marie. "That’s the secret sauce."
Rocketship Futuro Academy (Concord) is hosting a Community Open House and School Tour on Tuesday, February 8, 8am. For more information and to RSVP, contact Marie Alvarado-Gil, mgil@rsed.org, 707.312.0752.
View Rocketship's story told creatively in rhyming couplets here.
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BofA BRANCH BANKING COMING TO SHADELANDS
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The 1.19-acre parcel at the corner of Oak Grove Road and Shadelands Drive has been quiet since extensive grading and off-street work, including curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements, were completed several months ago. But activity will pick up soon.
Longtime residents will remember that this is the site of the former HMS Endeavor restaurant, popular in the 1980s, but empty and in disrepair for more than 20 years before it burned in 2010.
Now the site has been cleared for construction of a one-story, 8,014-SF, purpose-built building that will be the new home of the Bank of America (BofA) branch that is currently located across the street in Citrus Center. Joining BofA retail banking at the new location will be Merrill financial advisors.
"The banking industry and the way people bank have changed so much the past few years," says Sheridan Stocke, Branch Manager of the Citrus Center Bank of America.
"Since so much banking is done online, we just don't need the amount of space that we have in this current location. Moving to a building designed for today's customers allows us to right-size and continue to provide the service people want and in ways that meet their banking preferences."
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Artist's rendering of the new Bank of America retail banking center to be located in Shadelands, along with a Merrill financial services office.
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Future home of
2153 Oak Grove Road
Walnut Creek
925.944.3611
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Northwest corner of Shadelands Drive & Oak Grove Road, site of future Bank of America branch in Shadelands.
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Look for construction updates and news of BofA's grand opening in future newsletter issues.
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SHADELANDS POST ACUTE WIDENS THE FOOTPRINT
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Shadelands will strengthen its reputation as a destination for innovative medical services and technology when Shadelands Post Acute opens to patients in early 2022. The purpose-built, hi-tech facility, designed by Darden Architects, will focus on providing intense, short-term transitional care and rehabilitation to individuals who are recovering from surgery or trauma and who need time to heal and recuperate before heading home.
Located at 2765 Mitchell Drive, just east of the John Muir Health Ultimate Fieldhouse, Shadelands Post Acute skilled nursing facility is a 59-bed, all private room, short-term care center. There will be no long-term care or custodial patients.
The facility will provide acute care and rehab for common conditions such as joint replacements, to more complex conditions such as stroke, illness recovery, head injuries, heart surgery, and severe fractures with a focus on active clinical care to get patients home as soon as possible.
In addition to all private rooms, Shadelands Post Acute offers a state-of-the-art therapy gym and an open floor plan with wide hallways to accommodate patient activity and interaction with family, staff, and visitors.
“Many families aren’t equipped to take care of their loved ones who are newly discharged from the hospital,” says Craig Bills, Executive Director of Shadelands Post Acute.
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Artist's rendering of Shadelands Post Acute, opening in early 2022. (Darden Architects)
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Shadelands Post Acute
2765 Mitchell Drive
Walnut Creek
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Construction is complete on Shadelands Post Acute. All rooms are private, designed for patient comfort and accessibility for doctors and medical professionals.
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"We are a resource for the community, providing the care and therapy that aid in recovery, taking the stress off families, who would otherwise be charged with filling medications, managing pain, and doing physical therapy with their family member."
Shadelands Post Acute plans to host community open houses prior to its expected opening in February or March. Look for news and updates in future newsletter issues.
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A PREVIEW OF TASTY THINGS TO COME AT THE ORCHARDS
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The Kebab Shop, a modern, family-owned Mediterranean fast casual restaurant, is targeting a Spring 2022 opening in The Orchards next to Blades Co. Barber Shop.
The Kebab Shop opened its first restaurant in San Diego in 2009 and has grown to 28 locations in seven markets, which, according to Wally Sadat, Chief Marketing Officer of The Kebab Shop, is a testament to the quality of the staff at each restaurant and the positive customer experience that resonates with diners, creating an almost cult-like fan base.
“Our goal is to make Mediterranean accessible for everyone,” says Wally. “We call our menu Mediterranean for all. We use familiar ingredients with Mediterranean flavors and cooking techniques, welcoming everyone to dine with us, even those who have never had a kebab or wrap.”
The Kebab Shop will be open for lunch and dinner, 10:30am to 9pm, seven days a week.
In addition to indoor seating for 40 to 50 diners, the restaurant will offer take-out, delivery, and catering.
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Coming Spring 2022
The Orchards at Walnut Creek
2359 Oak Grove Road
Walnut Creek
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Check out The Kebab Shop's menu here.
More to follow as The Kebab Shop readies to open its doors and lay out the Welcome mat in a few months.
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MORE TASTY THINGS TO COME
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Plucked Chicken & Beer is also coming to The Orchards in 2022, with a menu of fried chicken sandwiches, tacos, tenders, salads, waffle fries, and of course, beer.
From cousins Barrett Gomes and Brenden Scanlan, owners of the popular Sauced BBQ & Spirits in downtown Walnut Creek, Plucked Chicken & Beer will offer dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering.
The Orchards location will join existing San Ramon, Pleasanton, and Livermore restaurants.
Look for news of the restaurant's opening, planned for early 2022, in future newsletter issues.
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The soon-to-open restaurant will be located betwwen Antojitos Taqueria and Gaia Nails.
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CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ARTS IS BACK IN THE STUDIO AND
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
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Join Center for Community Arts back in the studio for Winter 2022 classes. Explore ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, glass, jewelry, weaving, sewing, music, yoga, theater, dance, culinary arts, and more.
Registration is now open with several new classes kicking off as soon as Sunday, January 9.
Check out all upcoming classes here.
Scholarships are available for those who qualify. Learn more about financial aid and apply here.
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Shadelands Art Center
111 N. Wiget Lane
Walnut Creek
925.943.5846
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A YEAR OF CELEBRATING HEROES AMONG US
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At the December 7 meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council, former Mayor Kevin Wilk closed out his year-long campaign to celebrate the everyday heroes among us with the public recognition of final honorees who are, in his words, "truly making a difference in the community in very positive ways."
Honored were Sunny Singh, founder & CEO of Yours Humanly, a global nonprofit that provides children in need access to quality education; Caitlyn Sly, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Diablo Region, a nonprofit that delivers nutritious food to homebound seniors; and the entire workforce of the City of Walnut Creek, who "demonstrated innovation, creativity, and hard work to support Walnut Creek residents throughout the pandemic" so they could continue to receive City services.
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Click here to watch the December 7 Heroes Among Us presentation.
Click here to meet the 15 individuals and groups honored as 2021 Heroes Among Us.
Congratulations to all!
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JANUARY 11, 2022
CIVIC AFFAIRS FORUM
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January 11, 2022
Virtual, 9–10am
Panel discussion
to receive the Zoom link
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Ed Del Beccaro, Moderator
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The panel will discuss the state of life sciences and food tech industries in the East Bay; opportunities for attracting more of these industries to the I-680 corridor; and what steps cities can take to best position themselves to attract and expand life sciences and food tech business to foster economic growth and vibrancy.
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Tag us on your posts and message us with activities, events, and information you want to share.
Use the hashtags #shadelandswc, #workplace, and #lifespace.
Help us share your Shadelands with the greater Walnut Creek and East Bay communities.
#seeyouthere!
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