B-17 Bomber thrills at Buchanan Field

As I was flying in the Aluminum Overcast, a B-17 World War II bomber on a brilliant spring afternoon, buzzing the Mt. Diablo foothills, the cities of Concord and Walnut Creek and the Benicia Bridge, I was struck by one thought: How would it have felt to be a 19- or 20-year old soldier squeezed into one of these for hours, facing a known enemy and an uncertain outcome? ...

The Emergency Room Pro

Last month, I wryly told a colleague that in almost 18 years of parenthood, I have made about 10 trips to local emergency rooms. A month later, make that 13. ....

Reinventing study spaces for tech savvy students

In the 1930s, UC Berkeley’s Moffitt Library was known as the place to go to get a date. In the 1980s, it was known as a place for socializing, mainly among the school’s Greek community. In 2015, the library, while still an active meeting space, is becoming known as an intellectual hub or incubator, thanks to renovations currently happening to the venerable building. ...

Hayward creates business-friendly environment

To succeed in today’s business climate, many companies need the help of a partner. The City of Hayward understands that, and has provided several avenues where it and its other public partners can lend a hand, almost as a “silent partner” to success. ...

Family adventures await in Calaveras County

It might be hard to imagine a place that features folk music, Shakespeare, ax throwing, multiple award-winning wines and leaping amphibian celebrations, but the folks of Calaveras County just call that place home. ...

Camps let kids learn real-life skills, play, relax

Summer camp 2015 will not mirror our mother’s — or even our own — camp experiences. These days, summer camps teach children how to build robots, make a movie, create gourmet meals, design video games or perform in a musical, while still learning to ride horses and play Capture the Flag. ...

Nursery in urban oasis supports gardeners

With its 10 feral cats, butterfly gardens, chicken coops and aviary, the Ploughshares Nursery seems more like a zoo than one of the most original and serene garden centers in the East Bay. But the local inhabitants are just part of its charm. ...

Super Bowl 50: How to make the party fun for kids, too

The revelers at Jason and Kristen Roberts’ family Super Bowl party missed the infamous “Nipplegate” incident at the 2004 Super Bowl because they were enjoying other festivities: Daughter Avery, 4, and her best friend, Kendall Rajan, 3, were performing their own halftime skit. ...

Tri-Valley Cuisine Scene: Dublin’s Kabul Kabob skewers the competition

At 22, Asia Baharistani seems too young to run a bustling restaurant, but don’t let her age fool you. Whether it’s waiting tables, designing menus, balancing account books, designing a new website or painting the restaurant walls, this young dynamo is making sure that Dublin’s Kabul Kabob and Grill is a success. ...

Bad Mothers, Unite

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine and I were talking about things we’ve done that will undoubtedly land our children in therapy. I laughed. What haven’t I done? ...

When racing gives you LeMons: Walnut Creek man’s love of a good-humored, yet competitive, endurance race

The frigid air of the early Sonoma County morning didn’t stop the more than 180 cars — including a Checker cab, a Reliant K-car with a Christmas tree on top, an old camper and a “Volvrolet” spinning fake Rotisserie Chickens on the hood — from racing around the course at Sonoma Raceway last Sunday, picking up where they left off the day before. ...

Tri-Valley Cuisine Scene: Fat Maddie’s inspired by Greeks, named after goat

Patrons at Fat Maddie’s Grille don’t have to worry that the restaurant’s namesake will make an appearance at lunch or dinner. The frisky goat — who has been known to jump on cars and eat PG&E bills — is safely ensconced back at owner Pete and Kelli Stephanos’ Tassajara property. ...

New Jet Service Soars into Buchanan

Contra Costa County is taking off, quite literally, as a new charter jet service roars to life at Concord’s Buchanan Field. JetSuiteX, a new venture from private jet company JetSuite, launched their first flights from Concord to Burbank earlier this week, offering round-trips, up to three times daily, as well as a weekend jaunt to Las Vegas.

Are You a Bad Mother?

A few years ago, writer Ayelet Waldman became the poster child for the words Bad Mother. She didn’t commit murder, lose her kids at an airport or embezzle thousands of dollars from the PTA, but she did something way worse. She admitted she loved her husband more than her children. ...

Tips to pick a perfect summer camp experience

It may not seem like it with the rainy winter drenching the Bay Area, but summer is hurtling toward us. For parents, this realization can strike fear as they contemplate what the kids will do for three long months. ...