🌱 Patch AM: How Martinez will honor Dr. King at the county’s January ceremony

Hello again Martinez! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How Martinez will honor Dr. King at the county’s January ceremony
• Driving Franklin Canyon Road next week? Here’s what you should expect
• Which unforgettable 2025 photos captured life in Martinez?

Also on today's calendar: Local playwrights looking for teen actors and 2 more events.

Today's riddle: Playing golf is bad for your brain. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Periods of rain, with a high of 61 and low of 50 degrees.
• Friday: Remaining cloudy and breezy, temps: high: 62, low: 52.
• Saturday: Breezy with periods of rain, with a high of 63 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. 48th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ceremony (ca.gov) — An important countywide celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is coming to downtown Martinez on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers on Escobar Street. Residents can attend in person, watch live online or on local cable, and stay afterward for a free buffet lunch while county leaders honor the 2025 Humanitarian and Student Humanitarian of the Year.
   

2. Franklin Canyon Road Survey Work (ca.gov) — Survey crews will be working along Franklin Canyon Road near McHarry Ranch Road in the Martinez area from Tuesday, Jan. 6 through Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Minor traffic control will close the shoulder, and while major delays aren’t expected, drivers are urged to slow down and stay alert through the work zone.
   

3. 2025: A look back at Bay Area images that made our year (marinij.com) — Several striking 2025 images spotlight Martinez, from quiet moments at Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline to a dramatic refinery explosion and a moonrise over Hidden Lakes Park. Framed within a broader Bay Area year-in-photos, these scenes capture both everyday calm and high-impact news right in Martinez.
   

4. E-bike risks, worry grow (dailydemocrat.com) — A Martinez mother’s struggle to safely buy her 13-year-old an e-bike highlights how confusing and risky today’s electric two-wheelers can be for local families. Officials from nearby cities warn that unclear marketing, varying e-bike classes, and high speeds are leading to serious injuries, and urge parents to research carefully before buying. The story also notes new restrictions some Bay Area communities are adopting.
   

5. Former SRVUSD teacher sentenced to 3 years, 8 months in child sex abuse case (pleasantonweekly.com) — A Contra Costa County judge at the A.F. Bray Courthouse in downtown Martinez has sentenced former San Ramon Valley teacher and cheer coach Nicholas Moseby to three years and eight months in prison for multiple child sex offenses. The judge rejected a probation recommendation, citing lack of remorse and the lasting impact on victims, while related civil litigation continues.
   

📸 Around Martinez

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Martinez

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Saturday January 3

• Martinez Library Storytime
  Martinez Library , 740 Court Street , Martinez
  10:00 am

Tuesday January 6

• Tarot Social Meetup
  Martinez Library , 740 Court Street , Martinez
  6:00 pm
• Local playwrights looking for teen actors
  Hillcrest Congregational Church , 404 Gregory Ln , Pleasant Hill
  6:00 pm

Saturday January 10

• Martinez Library Storytime
  Martinez Library , 740 Court Street , Martinez
  10:00 am
• Read to a Dog
  Martinez Library , 740 Court Street , Martinez
  12:00 pm

📣 Martinez Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday January 1

• Storytime Junction
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
  10:30 am

Friday January 2

• Puzzle Swap
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette

Saturday January 3

• Martinez Library Storytime
  Martinez Library , 740 Court Street , Martinez
  10:00 am
• Empower Thyself - Initiation into the lineage of King Salomon
  Modern Mystery School Northern California , 1630 Contra Costa Blvd #212 , Pleasant Hill
  11:00 am
• Lego Builders Club
  Contra Costa County Public Library , 1750 Oak Park Boulevard , Pleasant Hill
  2:00 pm

Monday January 5

• Guessing Jar Game
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
• Monday Book Club
  Contra Costa County Public Library , 1750 Oak Park Boulevard , Pleasant Hill
  1:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Martinez PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• LOST CAT ALERT!
  Have you seen this pet? Gizmo was lost on December 25, 2025 and was last seen near Martinez, CA If you have information on their location, please… (Nextdoor Hidden Lakes)
• UPDATE: WE DID USE LAP OF LOVE & GOT THE LAST IF NOT ONLY APPT.
  ON NYE. THE EXPERIENCE WAS GOOD, CONSIDERING, AND $150ish LESS THAN SAGE WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN 900 OR SO, without having to go to Sage. (original… (Nextdoor Martinez)

• Government Jobs posted a job opening for Police Officer Trainee - Open to Applicants seeking Academy sponsorship in Martinez. Apply here.
• Ross Stores posted a job opening for Area Supervisor in Martinez. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Martinez here.

Ok Martinez! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just heard a golfer say he had four strokes on the first hole!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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