Diablo's Week in Review October 17-24, 2009

Survivor Yul Kwon goes to Washington, no criminal charges for Raiders head coach, and East Bay Parks reaches a major milestone.

No charges for Oakland Raiders head coach: Tom Cable will not face criminal charges, stemming from an August 5 argument in which assistant coach Randy Hanson broke his jaw. The argument erupted at a Napa hotel where the team was holding its preseason training. At first, Hanson refused to tell authorities what happened but went to police last week to press charges against Cable. The Napa County District Attorney’s Office concluded that things got heated during a discussion about Hanson’s future, and Hanson fell back in his chair and probably injured his jaw. Hanson is still on the team payroll but is not presently on the coaching staff.

Clayton—yes, Clayton—gets a professional basketball team: The American Basketball Association has welcomed a new team to it league: the Clayton Showtime. Apparently, a bunch of guys playing rec ball has “progressed into a full-fledged ABA team,” according to an ABA press released. “The games will be played at the YMCA Basketball Gym in the beautiful city of Clayton.”

East Bay's Survivor winner scores another coup: Walnut Creek native Yul Kwon, the first Asian-American to win the reality TV show Survivor, and the owner of Walnut Creek’s Red Mango frozen yogurt franchise, is going to work in the Obama administration, at the Federal Communications Commission. His new job will be Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Besides being included in one of People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issues, Kwon, a graduate of Northgate High and Yale Law School, has previously worked as an attorney in private practice and for Senator Joseph Lieberman. He has also clerked for a federal judge, and served as a host for the Discovery Channel, a special correspondent for CNN, and a guest lecturer for the FBI. In an e-mail, he tells us that he is very excited to be returning to public service and to be involved in re-shaping the FCC to be “a more consumer-friendly agency.”

East Bay Regional Parks reaches 100,000-acre milestone: As the parks district celebrates its 75th anniversary, it announced that it will add about 1,100 acres to its land holdings. The new acquisition is an area known as Tyler Ranch, next to the Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park and Sunol. It extends for nearly 3.5 miles along Sunol Ridge, and preserves critical wildlife.

Former Lawrence Livermore lab scientist accused of spying: Stewart David Nozette, who is credited with helping to discover evidence of water on the moon, was arrested this week on charges of attempting to pass along classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer. Nozette, 52, worked in various jobs for the U.S. Energy Department and NASA.  At the Livermore lab, he developed highly advanced technology from 1990 to 1999.

Former sex crimes prosecutor indicated in alleged rape of colleague: A criminal grand jury has indicted Michael Gressett, a former Contra Costa County sex crimes prosecutor, in connection with the alleged rape and sodomy of a former junior prosecutor last year. The alleged attack occurred at Gressett's condo during a lunchtime break.Gressett, who worked in the District Attorney's Office for 23 years before being fired, claims the sex was consensual. He remains free on $23 million bail.

Fire department trustees approve cuts in controversial pension payouts: San Ramon Valley Fire trustees agreed to limit what department administrators can count towards final calculations for their pension rates.  The decision comes following revelations that some former managers make more in retirement than they did on the job. Four former managers currently make more than $245,000 a year.

Willow tree crashes into Pleasanton apartments: A 35-foot tree became uprooted Monday night and crashed into the side of the nearby Las Ventanas Apartments, breaking windows and ripping off rain gutters. No one was injured in the crash near downtown Pleasanton. 

Hospice of the East Bay and George Mark Children's House work together to help terminally ill kids: The two nonprofits have signed an agreement to expand and coordinate end-of-life and respite care for Bay Area children and their families. Both the Hospice's Comfort for Kids program and George Mark provide medical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological support to children with life-limiting illnesses. The partnership will give families, despite their ability to pay, the option of caring for the child at home or at George Mark, in the hills above San Leandro, with the same team of caregivers.

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