California Dolphin

Our readers have enjoyed adventures all over the world in 2024, and they’ve shared their tales and  travel tips from a wide array of tempting destinations, from Italy’s Aeolian Islands to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. This week, we’re hearing from a Pleasanton couple whose recent travels took them to a very famous part of England. Read on for details, then find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/. Wish You Were Here ENGLAND: Pleasanton residents Paul and Carol Christensen’s recent trip to London included a memorable day trip — a bus tour to see Highclere Castle, home of the eighth Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and globally famous as the setting for “Downton Abbey.” “The next series is now being filmed, so we were on one of the last tours (for now),” Paul says. “The furnishings are original to the castle with a few exceptions — table lamps are exchanged to reflect the era being filmed. The kitchen scenes are filmed in a studio in London due to the small size of the kitchen at Highclere. The grounds are extensive — over 1,000 acres — (and)

DEAR JOAN: For the first time, gophers are destroying our vegetable garden. A trapper killed five gophers but has been unable to get one – or more – continuing the destruction. He can’t find tunnels in our tilled garden area, because the soil collapses on any probe holes we try to dig. The trapper suggests we give up and install raised beds with gopher wire underneath and move remaining plants to safety there. What would be your advice? — Denis Cuff, Danville DEAR DENIS: There’s no shame in giving up. You might surrender the battle, but in the end, you win the war. Gophers are wily and notoriously difficult to trap. If you’re intent upon trapping, watch for new mounds, then probe a couple of feet beyond the mound to find the tunnel. When you do, set two traps facing opposite directions. Since the summer vegetable garden season is almost over, you might want to dig up your beds and install hardware cloth or gopher wire beneath the soil, extending it up the edges of the perimeter. Gophers apparently don’t like the smell of coffee, so creating

While you might call this salad a side dish, it deserves to be the main attraction. It’s a sumptuous platter composed of roasted carrots, baby arugula and bright herbs scattered over a bed of toasted pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous). Each component is given respect. The extra step of toasting the couscous lends a golden, nutty flavor to the bowl, which ripples with spice. The natural sweetness of the carrots is amplified by roasting the roots to crisp tenderness. Wisps of baby arugula weave throughout the salad, adding a peppery bite, and an herbaceous shower of garden herbs adds leafy freshness. If possible, use rainbow carrots to add more color to the salad. Make sure the carrots are even in thickness, so they will cook at the same rate. You can halve them lengthwise or cut them in half crosswise on the diagonal. Many herbs will work in this salad, such as dill, chervil, mint, parsley and cilantro. Use what you like. Roasted Carrot Salad With Arugula and Pearl Couscous Serves 4 to 6 INGREDIENTS Extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous

One of Fremont’s multiple council races this November features a councilmember who won a historic election in 2020 facing off against a challenger who says a city “rocked by scandal” needs to remake its government. In District 6, incumbent Councilmember Teresa Cox will try to fend off challenger Raymond Liu. RELATED: Specter of scandals, calls for change hang over competitive Fremont mayor’s race Cox was the first African-American woman elected to the Fremont council in 2020. She is also the first African American woman in the country to hold a degree in nuclear engineering, and served as a trade adviser working on international trade and business under the former President Barack Obama administration. In 2008, she became the first African-American elected to the Ohlone Community College Board of Trustees. Cox is touting her public safety record and endorsements. “As the current Fremont councilmember, and as I run for re-election, I championed for public safety by leading the clean-up efforts of 30 RV encampments around Hirsch and Horner Schools, and 5 at Irvington Community Park. I’m honored to receive the endorsements from the Fremont Police Association and

Thousands turned out for the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce’s StreetFest on Sunday. The two-day event was free to the public and held both Saturday and Sunday at Franklin and 9th streets. The festival, in its 35th year, attracts people from all over the Bay Area to soak up the flavors of Asia, experience the traditions of Oakland’s Chinatown and help support local businesses. There were two stages of musical and dance performances, arts and crafts booths, food, and plenty of beverages on hand for the warm summer weekend. People danced to the sounds of the Groovy Judy Band and Just Jammin’, a longtime local Chinese funk and soul band, among the many other performers. The Sunshine Art Troupe and other cultural performers entertained the crowd on the Pacific Renaissance Plaza stage. Members of Jest Jammin’ perform during the 35th Oakland Chinatown StreetFest in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)  People watch the Sunshine Art Troupe perform on the Pacific Renaissance Plaza stage during the 35th Oakland Chinatown StreetFest in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, August 25, 2024.