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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 9, No. 19 Including Nearby Communities www.thepress.net May
8, 2009
Natio
nalAwardWinning Newspapers
THIS WEEK
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
High-voltage victories
The East Diablo Lightning 93 made the short list of local teams
whove reached the states Sweet 16.
Page 4B
Calendar ..........................23BClassifieds
........................17BContest
............................10BCop Logs
..........................17AEntertainment ................14BFood
.................................12BHealth & Beauty
...............7BMilestones .......................11BOpinion
...........................16AOutdoors
...........................6ASports
.................................1BWebExtras!
.......................1B
INSIDE
Casualties of road protocol Bicyclists will honor their comrades
and urge motorists to share the streets.
Page 4A
Flu restraints lifted, schools open
Schools throughout the county reopened this week earlier than
expected following the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
an-nouncement Tuesday that a suspected strain of the swine fl u, or
H1N1 virus, was less virulent than originally feared.
What I can tell you is that we are no lon-ger closing schools
and that we are following the guidelines of the CDC, said Kate
Fowlie, spokesperson for the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department. However, we are still recommending that anyone who is
sick stay home.
At press time, a total of 11 cases of the H1N1 virus were confi
rmed in Contra Costa County. In East County, two schools Brent-wood
and Lone Tree elementaries closed their doors on Monday, May 4,
following one probable case at each of the schools. Later in the
week one case was confi rmed at Edna Hill Elementary, but the
school has, and will re-main, open.
The CDC relaxed its guidelines this week, stating that schools
should remain open as long as the number of absences doesnt affect
the schools general operation.
Superintendents from local districts, in-cluding Byron Union,
Brentwood Union and
Liberty Union High School, sent letters home to families
reassuring them that the situation was being carefully
monitored.
Dana Eaton, director of student services for the Brentwood Union
School District, said he received the call from the county health
de-partment on Saturday, May 2, and within 45 minutes all 8,300
families in the district had
been notifi ed of Brentwood Elementarys planned closure Monday
morning.
We have a great autodial system that sends messages in Spanish
and English and we were able to get the word out very quickly, said
Eaton. At this point we havent had any
by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer
see Flu page 21A
Markstein unveils distribution plant
In 1919 Albert Markstein bought a horse, wagon and six cases of
beer and started his own business making beer deliveries to bars,
restau-rants and stores in Oakland. Ninety years later his
great-granddaughter built a $15 million, 126,000-square-foot
facility off East 18th Street in Antioch to make beer deliveries in
Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
Hundreds of people and a Budweiser Clydesdale horse braved a
gentle rain last Fri-day afternoon to offi cially welcome the
business, which outgrew its facility of 30 years in Pittsburg along
Highway 4, bringing 125 full-time employ-ees and much-needed tax
dollars to Antioch.
Ten years ago during the heady dot-com boom, the relocation of a
beer distributor sev-eral miles down the road might not have
received much notice. But in a down economy, this rare piece of
economic good news was as welcome as a tall, frosty Bud on a
100-degree day in August, bringing out a state senator plus current
and for-
mer council members to the ribbon-cutting cer-emony and
receiving well wishes from the state attorney general and state
treasurer.
We are just very happy to be in Antioch, said Laura Markstein,
president of Markstein Sales Company. Its a great location for us
and everybody has been welcoming.
Laura is taking over control of the compa-ny from her father
Robert, who took over con-trol of the company from his father
Albert, who with his two brothers took over control of the company
from their father Albert, who bought the horse, wagon and six cases
of beer and sur-vived Prohibition by selling cider, soft drinks and
near beer.
There are two reasons for the companys longevity: attention to
customer service and Americans unquenchable thirst for beer, even
in or perhaps because of a punch-drunk economy.
I really believe in providing the best cus-tomer experience we
can out there and do what
by Dave RobertsStaff Writer
see Markstein page 21A
Photo by Richard Wisdom
Lone Tree Elementary School Principal Wanda Apel peeks around
the corner at her schools empty playground this week. The school
was closed Monday and Tuesday after receiving probable con rmation
of a case of the swine u.
Photo by Dave Roberts
A Budweiser Clydesdale horse was on hand to lend celebrity star
power to the Markstein grand opening in Antioch last Friday.
Coupons To Go!oupons To Go!Coupons To Go!oupons To Go!SHOP
LOCAL. SAVE MONEY.
Print coupons on thepress.net.
Aerial observances
The citys Memorial Day festivities will feature a visit from
some vintage war birds .
Page 8A
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MAY 8, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A
1300 Central Blvd. Brentwood
Lori Abreu(925) 216-6317Owner/Broker www.DeltaRanches.com
Cerelle Carstairs(925) 382-4307
Real Estate Agent
8 Madrid Place, Antioch
3654 Whispering Creek Circle, Stockton
This Beautiful custom home down a private country lane is on
5.98 acres. Single story home with an upstairs loft. Beautiful tile
floors throughout. Views and Sunsets you wont want to miss!
Priced at $610,000
9671 Deer Valley Rd., Brentwood
This property has an elegant tree lined drive, fenced pasture,
RV parking, swimming pool and much more! There are 7 level acres, 7
acres for grazing or planting PLUS plans for a 2nd home. Call Lori
for details. Price reduced to $599,000
4901 Briones Valley Rd., Brentwood
Huge Price Reduction! New Price at $849,000 gets it all! Now
includes home on 3.5 acres, barn, plus approved conditional
sub-division map by city of Oakley for two 1 acre parcels to be
split off. Almost 1200 sf of living space, featuring 3 over sized
bdrms. and 2 ba. Priced at $849,000
91 Lozoya Way, Oakley
Two story with nice size yard for entertaining. Five bedrooms, 3
baths, 2,516 sq.ft home has wood floors, nice kitchen w/plenty of
cabinet space and work area. Kitchen opens up to family room with
fireplace. Loft upstairs. $237,500
2921 Bowens Lane, Tracy
Awesome Rose Garden home with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and 3129
square feet! Custom features throughout! Large open floor plan.
Huge patio in rear yard. 3 car garage. Must see!
1623 Marina Way, Brentwood
Large two story home with 5 bdrms., 3.5 baths, 2,310 sq.ft, and
4 car garage. Kitchen has breakfast nook area with dark cabinets.
Backyard is large for entertaining with pool
1524 Thistle Court, Oakley
ASK A
BOUT
OWNER
FINANC
ING!
Darling ranch property on 1.31 acres with a 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1402
sq.ft home. Offers a cozy family room with fireplace, large country
kitchen and yard is fenced with a storage barn. Landscaping
complete and views of Mt. Diablo. Must see.
2960 Poe Lane, Brentwood
5 level acres w/your own private pavered driveway to your custom
3,000 sf single level home. 4 bdrms, 2.5 baths w/open floor plan,
vaulted ceilings, and formal dining rm. In-ground pool w/pool hse.
Huge full power shop w/overhead lighting and concrete floor; has
open area for hay storage, horses or parking. This property also
has its own fully lit sports court that kids of all ages will love.
Priced at $950,000
155 Eagle Lane, Brentwood
Features newer appliances with separate dining area. Lots of
storage. Priced to sell! 2 bedroom, 1.5 baths, 1251 square feet
with gated patio. $62,900
Wonderful family home in Brookside, a gated community in
Applebrook! Community pool, 24 hr security, common areas. Nice open
floor plan. Ready for new owner!! $205,000
COMING
SOON
COMING
SOON
COMING
SOON
Weathering the storm for a cure
Battling wet and windy weather, more than 500 people came out to
support Oakleys inaugural Relay For Life last weekend. Taking the
track at Freedom High School were 34 teams that raised more than
$60,000 to benefi t the American Cancer Societys research to fi nd
new treatments for the millions who fi ght cancer.
Event co-chairperson and cancer survivor Joe Ballard said the
event was a huge success, setting the foundation for even bigger
events: Despite the rain, there where no problems at all.
Everything went smoothly; everyone had a great time. People came
together and they did it with style. These people walked the track
for the entire 24 hours in the rain-soaked fi eld.
Cancer does not sleep. Im proud to live in this community, and
Im even more proud of the people who supported this event, and will
support it more in the years to come.
The dark skies didnt damp-en the spirits of Oakleys Relay for
Life participants, above, who battled the elements to help raise
money for cancer research. Hundreds of Relay for Life walkers
passed by the Fight for Cure Garden, far left, during the 24-hour
event. Kris Clark, center, team coordinator for B.A.T.B.O.C.
(Bringing Awareness To Beat Out Cancer), takes cover with the rest
of her team at Oakleys Relay for Life event.
Photos by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com
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4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MAY 8, 2009
A group of Discovery Bay friends, above, recently cleaned out
their closets and their neighbors and coworkers closets as well for
a worthy cause. Gently worn business suits, shoes and attire were
gathered during a recent get-together at Julie Rathbuns house in
Discovery Bay. The women collected two large coat racks of clothes,
27 pairs of shoes and 16 purses. All proceeds will be donated to
Wardrobe for Opportunity and the Bay Area Womens and Childrens
Center. Way to go, ladies!
Cleaning for a cause
Photo by Dave Bruntz
Within the last year, a bicyclist was killed on Davison Drive in
An-tioch and another was injured in a hit-and-run incident on Lone
Tree Way at Canada Valley Road.
To honor and remember those who have been injured or killed
while cycling on public roadways, many Antioch bicyclists will
participate in the international Ride of Silence on May 20
beginning at 7 p.m. The ride is short, made at no more than 12 mph
and in silence. Cyclists who have lost someone will wear black
armbands, and cyclists injured by automobiles will wearing red
arm-bands. The event, which will take
place simultaneously worldwide, was inaugurated in 2003.
In Antioch, cyclists will meet in the parking lot at Antioch
City Hall, ride a short loop and return to City Hall. No sign-ups
or fees for partici-pation are required.
This isnt critical mass, or a demonstration against automobile
drivers, said cyclist Curtis Corlew, who is assembling the Antioch
ride. Its a way to remember those weve lost, and at the same time
its a plea to the non-cycling public to share the road with us.
For more information, visit www.rideofsilence.org.
Remembrance ride
The third season of the 2econd Saturday series of free events
kicks off May 9 at City Park in Antioch with the Rivertown
Moonlight Movie in May, featuring an outdoor screening of the
Oscar-winning WALL-E, the G-rated Disney/Pixar animated fi lm about
a robot who teams up with his friends to save the Earth.
The movie begins at about 8:30 p.m. Papas Kettle Korn will be on
hand, selling sweets and treats, and event attendees are strongly
encour-aged to bring blankets and/or chairs.
The movie starts at dusk, but we hope people will show up early
so their kids can play on the one-of-a-kind, community-built
playground before settling in for the movie, said Brian Nunnally,
economic develop-ment analyst for the City of Antioch and one of
the events planners.
The 2econd Saturday events are hosted by Rivertown merchants
with support from the City of An-tioch. For more information, visit
www.rivertownevents.com or call 925-779-6168.
Moonlight Movie
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Peace of mind
Early detection is the key to prevention.
Since almost 50% of people who have a heart attack die from
their fi rst one...Can You Wait?
STATE-OF-THE-ART ULTRASOUND AND ECHOCARDIOLOGY SERVICES
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Each Cardiovascular Screening only: $99 - Stroke/Carotid Artery $75
- Peripheral Artery Disease $99 - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Special
cost for all 3 screenings just $199
Screenings held at Delta Spine and Sportcare Center: Antioch, In
Shape Health Club, 4099 Lone Tree Way Wednesday, May 20 from
9am-5pm
Call today to schedule your screening (925) 567-6494. Visit our
web site atwww.cadigicom.com.
Thousands of East County homeowners are needlessly losing their
homes to foreclosure. If the value of your home is now less than
your loan, if your adjustable monthly mortgage payment has
increased or if you are behind on payments, Brule & Rooney can
negotiate with your lender to stop foreclosure and modify the loan,
often with low xed interest rates for 30 or 40 years and even
reducing the balance owed! Your home is important.
Let Brule & Rooney, LLP, licensed local attorneys, represent
your interests in negotiating a loan modi cation with your lender
for a reasonable xed fee-- no surprises. Call now for a free 1/2
hour consultation with an attorney.
Danville Antioch
The Loan Fitness Counselors
925-934-7400www.BruleRooney.net
Feel like your home Feel like your home is sinking?is
sinking?
Loan Modifi cation help Loan Modifi cation help is one call
away!!is one call away!!
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6A | THEPRESS.NET OUTDOORS MAY 8, 2009
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Antioch: The Orchard at Slatten Ranch (925) 779-1844
Rendezvous with raptor a private affair
The sound startled me, as if someone had crept up from behind,
fl ung out a sheet of canvas and snapped it like a bedspread. In
that high and windswept place, it could be only one thing: the
sound of a birds wing. A large bird.
I wheeled on my heel and scattered glances skyward. Nothing; not
a creature in sight. The only other place to look was down. Way
down.
I was standing at 1,360 feet above sea level, my back to the
cliffs edge on Flag Hill at Sunol Regional
Wilderness, my calves still burning from an attempt to beat my
personal best time to the top. I had been looking north, watching
the twin fangs of Maguire Peaks puncture a sky of palest blue, when
the wing churned the air behind me. I spun around, looked up and
around at empty sky, took three long strides over to the sandstone
escarpment and looked down.
There, 200 feet below, black against searing green, sped the
classic
confi guration of a turkey vulture, wings half-folded. The bird
and the human watching him from on high must have caught the same
cool blast from the southeast, for just as I felt it whip my face
and nearly tear off my cap, the raptors 6-foot wingspan snapped
fully spread like a drag chute behind a space shuttle. The big bird
shot upward for a moment, stabilized and hung absolutely motionless
above the steep meadow about a hundred feet below me muscle,
feather and hollow bone leaning in immaculate balance against the
teeth of the breeze.
The raptor must have swooped up Flag Hills south face, crested
the ridge and found himself right on top of me. Airspeed spent, his
best option was to execute a twisting bank and dive. I thought back
to a similar encounter a quarter century ago at Kettle Moraine in
Wisconsin. I was hiking a trail that split a rolling prairie from
an old oak forest when a turkey vulture curled low around a bank of
oaks not 30 yards ahead. Like the bird at Sunol, he hadnt been
expecting a human to materialize right in front of him. Instead of
barnstorming me, he had fl inched, lost airspeed and decided to
reverse course. Quill and
TAKE ITOUTSIDE
GERERICKSON
see Raptor page 15AViewed from the apex of Flag Hill, the twin
spires of Maguire Peaks rise above the rolling terrain of Sunol
Regional Wilderness.
Photo by Ger Erickson
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MAY 8, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 7A
Advertisement
Each week it seems like there is a new pro-gram out there to
help kick-start the real estate market. Tax credits, loan mod
programs, raising and lowering conforming loan limits. It makes
your head spin trying to keep them all straight.
If you are a buyer, you need to be aware that there are two BIG
tax credits available to you if you buy a home right now, and if
you qualify for both of them, it can be up to $18,000! Ill explain
them briefly below, and then give you a place to go to get the rest
of the details (there is a lot of fine print, and you should check
with your tax profes-sional). But most importantly, you should know
that a tax credit is MUCH better than just a tax deduction. A tax
credit can reduce the amount of tax you pay dollar for dollar, so
this is huge!
The first is a Federal tax credit of up to $8,000 if you are a
first-time home buyer (means you havent owned a principal residence
for the past 3 years) and you buy a principal residence between
January 1, 2009 and November, 30, 2009. You dont need to pay the
credit back if you live there at least 3 years. The second is a
California
tax credit of up to $10,000, but this only applies to new home
purchases. This one applies to pur-chases from March 1, 2009, to
February 28, 2010, unless they run out of money. You dont need to
be a first-time home buyer, but it does need to be your principal
residence. You dont need to pay it back if you live there at least
two years. The Federal credit does phase out if you are over
cer-tain income limits. The California credit does not phase out
with income.
I have a chart with lots more info on these programs, you can
stop by my office at the corner of Fairview and Balfour and pick up
a copy. Or, go to www.SharpHomesSell.com/TaxCredit to download a
.pdf version of the same file. On the right side of the screen you
will see a box with the word Downloads and right below that will be
a link that says Tax Credit Summary.
If you have questions on this or any other real estate topic,
call me at (925) 240-MOVE (6683). To search the MLS for free and
view virtual tours of homes for sale, go to:
www.SharpHomesOnline.com. Sharp Realty
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Oakley Mayor Carol Rios read a proclamation honoring Contra
Costa County Fair Queen Jennifer Chivers at last weeks City Council
meeting. Chivers, a Freedom High graduate currently attending Los
Medanos College, will preside over the festivities at the County
Fairgrounds in Antioch May 28-31.
Queen proclaimed
Photo by Dave Roberts
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8A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MAY 8, 2009
The thunder of vintage war birds will augment the crack of 21
rifl es, the fl utter-ing wings of doves, the roar of veterans
motorcycles and the solemn silence of prayer at the annual Memorial
Day ob-servation in Oak View Memorial Park this year.
Set for Monday, May 25, the event has grown larger each year.
This year, in addition to the speakers, music, dove re-lease, gun
salute, laying of a wreath and more, the Collings Foundation Wings
of Freedom Tour will fl y by with a trio of World War II aircraft:
a Boeing B-17 Fly-ing Fortress (heavy bomber), a Consoli-
dated B-24 Liberator (also a heavy bomb-er), and a North
American P-51 Mustang (fi ghter). The B-17 is one of only nine in
fl ying condition in the United States. The B-24J and dual-control
P-51C Mustang are the sole remaining examples of their type fl ying
in the world.
Oak View Memorial Park is located at 2500 E. 18th St. in
Antioch. The Me-morial Day observances will begin at 10 a.m. The
precise time for the fl yover has yet to be determined. Look for a
full schedule of events in next weeks Press, or log on to
www.antiochthunder.org for more details.
Skies to come alive on Memorial Day
Photo courtesy of The Collings Foundation
This P-51 Mustang is one of three vintage WWII air-crafts that
will y over this years Memorial Day obser-vances in Antioch.
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This year join your friends and neighbors at Diamond Hills
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10A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MAY 8, 2009
Brand-new park stretches its wingsBlue Goose Park, the childrens
play area
with the whimsical name, opened last month amid cheers along the
OHara Avenue cor-ridor from neighbors who have been eagerly
awaiting the arrival of the farm-themed play park.
Brentwoods 54th public park was named for the Blue Goose packing
shed company that gathered the areas apricots and other fruits in
the 1900s. In honor of the regions ag-ricultural heritage, the park
is farm-themed, from the climbing structure in the shape of a red
barn and the ride-on spring toys fashioned as barn animals to the
climbing wall (created to look like a large rock) and the
rope-scaling structure painted a deep barn-red.
The main attractions however, are the towering water features:
fanciful fl owers in brightly colored reds, yellows and greens,
de-signed to cool and delight on the hottest of days.
Weve been getting such a kick out of watching the kids play and
enjoy this park especially the water aspect, said Barry Margesson,
landscape and facility supervi-sor for the City of Brentwood. I
know that when the park was being designed, planners were really
pushing for the water feature and the whole farm theme. Its a fun
and unique play area.
On one unseasonably cold and blus-tery day last week, the spray
feature at the
park was turned off (good news for parents wondering if the
water button could be ac-cessed by little hands) but for the
children who braved the elements, there were plenty of other places
to play.
Weve been waiting for this (park) to open, said Matt Durfl
inger, accompanied by his children Skylar, 5 and Landen, 3.
There
is lots of different stuff to play on, and my son is into
Spiderman right now, so the rope climbing works for a spider web.
Its a nice park.
Steve Larocque, who lives just a few blocks away from the Blue
Goose, said the park has quickly become his 2-year-old daughter
Rachels playground of choice.
This is our favorite park, said Larocque. Its got all this great
climbing stuff and slides and water. She (Rachel) gets very excited
when we come here. The fact that we live just a few blocks away is
also a huge bonus. Well be here a lot this summer.
Blue Goose Park is located at 1765 Adams Lane, just off of OHara
Avenue.
by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer
Above left, the new Blue Goose Park in Brentwood takes its name
and the design of its play structures from the citys agri-cultural
heritage: Blue Goose was a longtime fruit-packing facility along
what is now Brentwood Boulevard. Above right, Faith Villanulva, 6,
sprints through jets of water at the recently opened Blue Goose
Park in Brentwood as Sarah Lacastro, 8, and Faiths brother Ethan,
9, get ready to follow.
Photo by Richard WisdomPhoto by Ruth Roberts
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MAY 8, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 11A
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12A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MAY 8, 2009
Make your own salad bar Chicken Apple Crisp Cobb Hail to Caesar
Asian Chicken
Buffalo Chicken Greek BBQ Chicken Brentwood House Salad
We also offer Wraps (Roast Beef, Turkey, Ham, Veggie), Paninis,
Soups and cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory.
2565 Sand Creek Blvd., Ste. 100 Streets of Brentwood
240-2835
FEAT
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Oakley concerned about eBART impactHires law firm for advice on
legal options
This cash-strapped city is putting its money where its mouth is
over concerns that the planned Hillcrest eBART Station and
surrounding development will result in traffi c congestion in
Oakley and provide inadequate parking for eBART riders.
Although Oakley has laid off its Planning Commission and closed
City Hall one day per month to save money due to a budget
shortfall, the City Coun-cil agreed last week to pay a law fi rm
$325 per hour for advice on legal options after eBART concerns were
not addressed to the councils satisfaction.
The outside counsel (Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley) is being
hired because City Attorney Bill Galstan has a confl ict of
interest, having once also been the city attorney for Antioch,
where the planned eBART station and nearby transit village would be
located.
On Nov. 3, Oakley City Manager
Bryan Montgomery sent a letter to BART commenting on the draft
environmental impact report (EIR) for the eBART sta-tion. It asked
for more information on the anticipated ridership and its impact on
the amount of parking at the station, which Oakley feels is very
inadequate, as well as the traffi c impact on local roads.
The response in the fi nal EIR states there will be fewer daily
riders in the year 2030 at the Hillcrest eBART station (8,200
riders) than currently at the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station
(10,000), but more parking spaces at Hillcrest (2,600 spac-es) than
there are at Pittsburg/Bay Point (2,000).
It also states that a little more than one in fi ve of the
riders will come from Oakley, while nearly half will come from
Antioch and about a quarter from Brent-wood. Tri Delta Transit will
provide in-creased bus service from far East County to the
Hillcrest Station.
That response did not satisfy Oakley offi cials, so on April 14,
Community De-velopment Director Rebecca Willis wrote a more
detailed letter to Antioch Assis-tant Economic Development Director
Victor Carniglia that emphasized Oak-leys concerns about the
increased traffi c
see eBART page 13A
by Dave RobertsStaff Writer
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MAY 8, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 13A
Brentwood Golf ClubMonday, June 8, 2009Shotgun Start:
12:30p.m.
$125 Per PlayerAll proceeds to support IHM Center and
Programs
available to the entire Brentwood Community
Immaculate Heart of Mary ChurchItalian Catholic Federation &
Knights of Columbus
The 6th Annual The 6th Annual Charity Golf
Tournament & Banquet
Limited to the fi rst 144 Amateur Players (36 Foursomes)Tee
Prizes for everyone, Raffl es during banquetFormat: Four person
scramble handicap and Calloway divisions
To reserve your spot or make a charitable donation, contact
Denny Hagberg at (925) 513-4736 or e-mail [email protected]
Participating Sponsors: Brentwood Press ECC Bank Harvest Park
Bowl The Survivors
congestion and decreased safety the city fears will occur on
rural, two-lane Oakley Road, which may become one of the main
routes to the station and transit village.
Willis pointed out that the transit vil-lage would be a major
development, pos-sibly including 1 million square feet of retail
space, 1.2 million square feet of of-fi ce space and 2,500
apartments and con-dos. The children living in the village will
likely be attending the K-8 Orchard Park School in Oakley walking,
bicycling and being driven to and from school on Oak-ley Road.
Oakley Road is currently a two-lane, rural road without
sidewalks from High-way 4 to Live Oak Avenue, Willis stated. We
feel the EIR does not adequately address the impacts to traffi c
and circu-lation, including safe routes to school, that may be
caused by the change in land use (to a transit village). Therefore,
it is unknown if Oakley Road is adequate to handle the traffi c in
its present condition or needs to be expanded to accommodate the
change in use.
The station/village plan shows Oak-ley Road becoming a four-lane
thorough-fare on the west (Antioch) side of the An-tioch Bridge but
remaining two lanes on the east (Oakley) side of the bridge. Why is
there no longer a need for four lanes of traffi c, a median and
sidewalks within the Oakley City limits? Willis asked.
She concluded by asking Antiochs City Council to not approve the
EIR and station/village plan until these concerns
are addressed. But the Antioch council did approve those at its
April 14 meeting after Carniglia said he thought the EIR adequately
addresses Oakleys con-cerns, but as a courtesy he would meet with
Oakley offi cials to further discuss them.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Carni-glia said that he has been
talking with Oakley offi cials. I think where we have been going
with this thing is probably working toward a memorandum of
un-derstanding between the two cities, he said. Essentially coming
up with a strat-egy to talk about how to address their concerns
when actual development does come forward out in the area.
The plan was not an actual devel-opment plan. We dont have any
devel-opment applications in. The concerns they raise relate to how
things would be handled when actual development came in. Thats been
the focus of what we have been talking about. I am not sure exactly
where its headed, but one likely result would be an MOU between the
two cit-ies to address the issues they raise in their letter.
Despite the Oakley council having just given the OK to bring in
legal muscle, Montgomery emphasized comity in an e-mail when asked
to comment on the situation: We have been meeting with the folks
from the City of Antioch on the Hillcrest EIR, and it looks like we
are on a path to resolve our concerns. We have a good relationship
with them and are con-fi dent things will work out.
eBART from page 12A
-
14A | THEPRESS.NET MAY 8, 2009
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feather sliced the dense Midwest summer air with a zzew, zzew,
zzew that sounded more electronic than organic. As he lurched over
the treetops, his bald red cowl hinged leftward and the black bead
of an eye shot me a farewell glance.
My thoughts fl ew back to the present as I felt my hamstrings
tense up on Flag Hills precipice. I took a couple steps back and
followed the raptors glide around the warp of the cliffs southwest
face and out of sight.
I had come to the hill that day to get my systems in tune for a
long and hard Yosemite trek in mid-May. Conditions at Sunol were
ideal for a swift ascent: cool, breezy no need to break stride
pulling out a second water bottle. Though the climb is no walk in
the park, the beauty paired with Flag Hills beast is sweat equity
you can take to the bank: a giddy glimpse back down the valley cut
by Alameda Creek; beyond, a sweep of Mission Peak, Calaveras
Reservoir and the acute undulations of Sunol Wilderness in
gradations of green too subtle to register. If the hike is killer,
so is the scenery. That I had fallen 40 seconds short of my best
time didnt bother me a bit.
Atop Flag Hill rises another hill, a shallow knoll graced by a
bench for cooling the heels and internalizing the awe. On Thursday,
April 23, 2009 the knoll was smothered in the purple of ookow and
bush lupine, the orange of California poppy, the violet of
storksbill fi laree. The vulture visitation was an overture. The
main opera of fl oral opulence was well into Act II. Sunlight
diffused through high clouds settled with silver luminescence on
the corolla of a wildfl ower called blue-eyed grass ultramarine
petals brushed with thin purple stripes surrounding a bright yellow
center. Buttercups and wallfl ower swaying on tall stems glazed
Sunols hillsides in shimmering gold and amber.
But nowhere I looked could I spot another human. The parks
patrons were probably congregating over on Canyon View Trail, where
the wildfl ower expo is as intensive as anywhere in the East Bay. I
prize my privacy on the trail, and yet it was strange to be the
only human visible from this lofty and lovely place.
By the time I abandoned my perch and began the descent, the wind
had turned from southeast to southwest, easing me against the
unwelcome impetus of gravity. Still no sign of humanity, no
opportunity to encourage or taunt hikers huffi ng and puffi ng
their way up that ridiculous incline.
The hill bottomed out as I reached Alameda Creek. Thats when I
heard the fi rst hint of Homo sapiens a schoolteacher and her
students down in the creekbed studying the habitat. The trail took
me right past them, though a thin wall of foliage separated us. At
a gap in the bramble I stopped and watched them. Should I get their
attention and say hi? No, my isolation had been textbook. The only
creature aware of my existence out here was a turkey vulture.
Surely hed keep it to himself.
Raptor from page 6ALike most carrion creatures, turkey vultures
avoid contact with humans. When a turkey vulture swoops down on you
with a lean and hungry look, it means youre dead.
Photo by Ger Erickson
-
16A | THEPRESS.NET MAY 8, 2009
OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY Nat
ional Aw
ardWinning Newspapers
Have you got something to say? Visit thepress.net and let your
thoughts be known.
PLAs boost quality, save moneyIgnorance and bias can be a very
dangerous com-
bination, especially when you misrepresent the truth, as in
Union-only agreement will cost taxpayers by Kevin Dayton, the
non-union, out-of-town ABC (Associated Building Contractors)
representative.
I would have hoped for a little research and some up-dated facts
and dates, but sadly we heard the same old hot air with bogus,
factless propaganda.
To set the record straight, the ABC represents only non-
union contractors, and they have opposed every PLA (Project
Labor Agreement) in Contra Costa County and have failed every
single time. They also opposed Davis-Bacon regulations, which are
supported by the NAACP, National Womens Political Caucus and the
Mexican American Unity Council. The ABC also tried and failed to
lower the wages of California apprentices.
Federal, state and local governments for the last six decades
have utilized PLAs. In Contra Costa County alone, there has already
been over $14 billion in projects constructed with a PLA, including
the new Brentwood Water Treatment Plant, and signifi cantly every
project has
been completed on schedule, on budget and more impor-tantly,
done safely.
On the other hand, ABC non-union contractors are responsible for
some of the most inferior construction projects in Contra Costa
County. The most recent failure was the new Rodeo Hills Elementary
School, better known as the School from Hell, which is literally
falling apart, with millions of dollars in repairs and litigation.
John Swett Unifi ed School District voted 5-0 to use a PLA on all
of its future projects because of this boondoggle failure, over the
objection of Kevin Dayton, Nichole Goering and Eric Christen of the
ABC.
Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall actually doubled the projects
costs to taxpayers with shoddy non-union construction, litigation,
and the project went two years over schedule. The Contra Costa
County Board of Su-pervisors voted unanimously to use PLAs on their
future projects over the objection of Kevin Dayton and the ABC. The
Contra Costa County PLA has been in effect for six years; all
projects have been on schedule, on budget and no litigation.
The infamous USS Posco Steel Project in Pittsburg was in fact
the worst ABC-built project in the history of Contra Costa County.
It was a $300 million modernization project. It had a $100 million
cost overrun; out-of-state
workers were killed on this project. OSHA even came in and
actually shut the project down because of major health and safety
violations.
Local union building tradesmen and tradeswomen had to be brought
in at a cost of approximately $60 mil-lion to fi x this plant that
wouldnt operate. I almost forgot the non-union ABC out-of-state
contractor on this project also ended up trying to sue the owners
of USS Posco. Could this be why PLAs are so successful and widely
used throughout Contra Costa County to prevent these disas-trous
types of non-union construction projects from ever occurring
again?
In fairness and openness I would like to invite the Brentwood
mayor, City Council members and the Brentwood Press to inspect the
various union building trades apprenticeship schools and then
compare this to the ABC non-union training programs. You will then
have a clearer perspective as to why our congressional
representatives, Board of Supervisors, city councils, water
districts, school boards, refi neries, power plants and local offi
cials have all used and voted to support PLAs, which have been
proven to be of benefi t and cost savings to our local
taxpayers.
Greg Feere is the CEO of the Contra Costa Building and
Construction Trades Council.
by Greg Feere
GUEST COMMENT
LETTERS TO THE EDITORSupervisors, do your job
Editor:They still dont get it. After attend-
ing the supervisors emergency meeting on Tuesday the 28th, I
came away with the thought what is wrong with these people?
They want to put the blame on the dis-trict attorney for doing
his job. The supervi-sors are responsible for this mess. For the
past 12 years they have catered to the unions and given wage and
benefi t packages that have been obscene. Retirement and medical
benefi ts that are ridiculous.
Instead of putting money aside, they gave it away like drunken
sailors and thought they could do it forever, despite the advice of
actuaries. It is time to end this
madness. They are in negotiations with sev-eral unions, but the
unions say the supervi-sors are not negotiating and the unions are
more than willing to take cuts and get this over.
I have a suggestion: a 20-percent cut in pay across the board.
Shift a larger portion for benefi ts to the employees, including
retirement. I know it is rough, but we need to get back to reality
here. They should consider they had it good for a long, long time,
but these are bad times and getting worse!
Supervisors, do your job. The 20-per-cent cut in pay should
include you. The district attorney just took a cut in pay; it is
required of you, too. It shouldnt hurt too bad you just gave
yourselves a 50-percent increase a while back!
Martin FernandezAntioch
A plan for progressive reformEditor:
I am writing to introduce myself to the residents of
Congressional District 10, which includes Antioch. I am a Dublin
resi-dent, husband and father of two, San Fran-cisco investigator
and longtime churchgoer. I am running for Congress because I
believe it is time for everyday working people to take back the
reins of power in Washington.
Ive got a clear plan for bringing an activist agenda to
Congress. Ill fi ght to end the drug war, to bring our soldiers
home, for equal federal rights for all citizens, and for labor
protections in all trade deals. Big bank bailouts are bad business
for all of us, and at the top of my agenda will be progressive
economic reform to protect the working class.
Around District 10, youll hear my plans for turning the economy
around for people like me and my family people like you and your
family and for changing the American health care system and fully
fund-ing our public schools.
And I expect to hear from you. Your thoughts and ideas are as
important as any citizens, so please share them. My e-mail is
[email protected], and my cell phone is 925-895-3744. We are
all in this together, and we get the government we are willing to
fi ght for. Thank you.
Adriel HamptonCongressional Candidate
Dublin
Dont let unions break BrentwoodEditor:
As a non-union contractor, I am great-ly concerned about the
City of Brentwoods consideration of incorporating the PLA (project
labor agreement) into its upcoming Civic Center project.
Our fi rm currently employs 35-40 persons, many of whom live in
Brentwood, due to its affordability, excellent quality of life and
proximity to work. The PLA issue is a job killer for these people,
as it intends to unfairly require bidders to either be union
contractors or forces them to join unions in order to work on these
projects. In its purest sense, this is restraint of trade, and
more-over, hurts the very residents of Brentwood, your
constituents.
This says nothing of the added cost with no appreciable benefi t
to the city or
the taxpayers who pay the bill. In nearly all cases where PLAs
have been instituted, cost overruns and marginal quality issues
have been the norm.
Unions are quick to point out that their contractors are
craftsmen and that non-union fi rms are the equivalent of two guys
with a mower in the back of a pick-up, driving around looking for
their next cash job. This ridiculous analogy could not be further
from the truth, and is proven out time and time again on
competitive bidding projects around the country. In nearly all
cases, the successful (competitive) bidder not only completes the
project on time and per specifi cation, but most importantly, under
budget.
The primary difference between union and non-union projects is
cost. Like the auto industry, non-union fi rms are not burdened
with the legacy costs of so many poor decisions by the union upper
echelon that neither understands the line-level worker nor cares
to. Their primary concern is continuing to line their
special-interest coffers with as much money as they can garner off
the backs of the workers, which continues to enslave them for
decades to come.
The unions broke GM and Chrysler through their outrageous
demands, non-cooperation and inability to understand that open
competition breeds quality, success and cost savings to the city
and the taxpayer.
The question is: can the City of Brent-wood really afford to let
the unions do the same here as they have in Detroit?
The Press Newspapers are adjudicated in the the cities of
Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, and the Delta Judicial District
of Contra Costa County.
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trade without written permission from the publisher.
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Main Office / Brentwood248 Oak St. Brentwood, CA 94513
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see Letters page 18A
-
MAY 8, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 17A
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Best of Brentwood AttorneyRetired Superior Court Judge
JOHN M. ALLEN
1210 Central Blvd, Suite 115, Brentwood (925) 240-2700
JOHN M. ALLENATTORNEY AT LAW
Serving East Contra Costa County
Personal Injury Business Litigation Real Estate
Construction Wills & Trusts Mediation/Arbitration
Probate Litigation DUI
A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East
County police departments.BRENTWOODApril 26, 1:12 a.m. At a
business on Lone Tree Way, an unidentifi ed person stole a 12-pack
of beer.April 26, 1:25 a.m. Three unidentifi ed persons stole three
bags of chips from a business on Lone Tree Way.April 26, 6:51 a.m.
An unidentifi ed person broke into a business on Brentwood
Boule-vard and stole cash and a digital camera.April 26, 12:17 p.m.
A subject was seen within 100 yards of a residence on Pinegrove Way
in violation of a domestic-violence restraining order.April 26,
2:46 p.m. An unidentifi ed person set fi re to a play structure on
San Jose Avenue.April 26, 5:18 p.m. A resident of Sand Creek Road
reported that a subject made several threatening telephone calls to
her.April 26, 11:33 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole a vehicle
from the front of a residence on Elm Street.April 27, 7:46 a.m. On
Brentwood Boulevard, a spare tire exploded, causing damage to
ve-hicle.April 27, 12:53 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole laundry
from a business on Walnut Bou-levard.April 28, 8:21 a.m. A resident
of Amberleaf Way reported that more than 20 online ac-
counts were opened in her name.April 28, 3:31 p.m. An unidentifi
ed person stole a wallet off a counter at a business on Brentwood
Boulevard.April 29, 8:40 a.m. At the Brentwood Police Department, a
subject turned in a weapon in response to a court order.April 29,
4:25 p.m. A four-car rear-end col-lision occurred on Balfour Road
at Foothill Drive.
April 29, 7:37 p.m. On Brentwood Boulevard at Sunset Road, a
subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found to be under
the in-fl uence of a central nervous system stimulant. He was
arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.April 30,
3:55 p.m. On Deer Creek Lane at Fawnbrook Drive, two license plates
were dis-covered lying in the grass.April 30, 10:24 p.m. On Walnut
Boulevard,
an off-duty deputy spotted a trailer that had been reported
stolen. The victim responded and took possession of his
trailer.
To view the Brentwood Police Depart-ments public logs on the
citys Web site, visit
www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pd/reports/index.cfm.ANTIOCHApril
30, 2:48 p.m. Antioch resident Desean Dyer, 19, was at Williamson
Ranch Park on Lone Tree Way with several friends when he was jumped
by a single black male adult, who started beating Dyer with an
unknown object. Dyer fl ed one way and his assailant another. When
offi cers of the Antioch Police Department arrived, all parties had
vacated the scene. A short time later, the department received a
call that the victim was at Kaiser clinic suffering from injuries
to the back of his head and multiple injuries to his face. Based on
the seriousness of his injuries, he was transported to an area
hospital. Hos-pital staff advised that one of the injuries might
have been the result of a gunshot. Dyer is expected to recover. As
of press time, the investigation into this matter is ongoing and no
arrests have been made. Those with information regarding this
incident should call the Antioch Police Department dispatch at
925-778-2441.
For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit
www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police.
COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS Three unidentifi
ed persons stole three bags of chips from a business on Lone Tree
Way.April 26, 1:25 a.m., Brentwood
-
18A | THEPRESS.NET MAY 8, 2009
In this current economic climate, I am certain that the answer
is no.
George Peter Forni IIConcord
Make concessions in bad timesEditor:
It is interesting to see the cat-and-mouse game between the
Contra Costa Board of Supervisors and the DAs Offi ce. The typical
scare tactic used to threaten loss of life and property when
budgets are cut. I remember recently that the DAs Offi ce secured a
handsome raise for the staff. Now it is asked to lay people
off.
While our local government is play-ing with each other, the
public is becoming more and more frightened. The antisocial thieves
are lurking in the shadows to see which county they can steal from
with-out recourse. Publicly threatening to stop prosecuting crime
is the same as when fi re districts and police districts threaten
more fi re-related deaths or murders unless they get more
money.
The fact remains that unless the public-servant sector becomes
more effi cient and less demanding of tax dollars, these types of
threats will never end. We will be taxed out of our homes. When I
say generous, go to
www.cocotax.memberlodge.org/content/documents/document.ashx?docid=11555.
There are over 1,500 county employees making more than $100K.
The fi rst page starts with someone at $590,000 and contin-ues with
a mirage of salaries over $200,000 a year. The supervisors
themselves just raised
their salary over 60 percent.What is more important than all
of
the above is that everyones got an excuse why they deserve more.
Tell that to the thousands of people losing their homes. Tell that
to the homeless camps sprouting up. Then, in addition if you are an
employee of Contra Costa, you can double dip. Toward the end of
your retirement (at only 50 years old!) you can spike your annual
retirement income. This pyramid-type scam will cost our children
dearly to correct unless it is banned immediately.
I strongly compliment Contra Costa DA Robert Kochly for taking
the fi rst step in the right direction by offering to cut his pay
10 percent in order to help offset budget problems in these
economic times. His gesture will help keep lowlife predators from
having a fi eld day in our county. Now if only other respectful
department heads, unions and politicians would step up to the plate
like Mr. Kochly, there would be no budget crisis but merely a
budget adjust-ment.
Do not get me wrong: when times are better, give it back to
those employees. This is what the private sector has to do without
a choice in order to stay afl oat. What makes our public employees
better? Receive in good times, make concessions in bad. More people
will keep their jobs and the public will be more satisfi ed with
government.
John A. GonzalesKnightsen
Letters from page 16A
see Letters page 19A
-
MAY 8, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 19A
For more information, contact Delta Hazardous Waste Program
(925) 756-1990 www.ddsd.org
Accepted:batterieshousehold cleanerspaintmotor oilpesticides
& insecticideschemicalsfluorescent tubeselectronic waste CPUs
monitors TVs
Not Accepted:appliancestiresradioactive or infectious
materialsmarine flaressharps
Tips for Transporting Your Waste Do not mix materials
Keep in original containers
Pack in a sturdy box or tub with newspaper
Transport a maximum of 15 gallons or 125 pounds
When you arrive stay in your car!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
9:00 am - 2:00 pmDupont Parking Lot
6000 Bridgehead Road, Oakley Event is open to all
residents of East Contra Costa County
Household HazardousWasteCOLLECTION DAY
Event Sponsors:
Household Hazardous Waste
OAKLEYDISPOSAL
IN OAKLEY
Union-only outrage must endEditor:
Any Brentwood City Council member who does not support all
workers having the right to work on the $75 million,
taxpayer-funded Brentwood Civic Center should resign from offi ce
now before we even hit the next election cycle.
On these local construction projects, taxpayers like me want the
best bang for their hard-earned dollar, and the only way to ensure
that is to reject union-only Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) across
the board. I did not help elect a City Council just so they could
be pushed around by a bunch of union bosses who want a monopoly on
all our work. No way.
Mayor and Brentwood City Council members, you had better
understand what this warning means. Your community mem-bers are
watching and counting on you to protect us from unfair, union-only
PLAs.
Brentwood City Council members and the mayor have to decide: Do
they believe in the politics of business or the business of
politics? The politics of business would dictate that they do the
right thing and weigh the best interests of Brentwood citizens
against their own ideological agenda while fostering fair and open
competition. The business of politics would demand that they carry
on with their myopic attempts to secure union-only monopoly
agreements (PLAs) no matter what the cost to Brent-wood taxpayers.
So which one is it?
This consideration of trying to get the $75 million Brentwood
Civic Center to be
union-only is an outrage and needs to end. Dont allow our city
to become another Vallejo or Richmond, where union bosses hold all
the power and elected offi cials are mere stooges for their corrupt
ways. Put Brentwood taxpayers and citizens ahead of discrimination
and waste. I must implore you to look beyond their lies. Realize
that PLAs will only cripple our Brentwood community.
Lisa HuntBrentwood
PLA OKEditor:
I am a local Electrical Contractor and I am completely in favor
of a PLA for the upcoming Brentwood Civic Center.
Beth MillerDiscovery Bay
Puzzling PLAEditor:
We live in America! A PLA amounts to discrimination by
special-interest groups. I dont get it.
Tim OBrienSacramento
Support for PLAEditor:
I totally support the mayor and City Council for doing the PLA
study on the Civic Center. We dont want to face that same failure
that occurred on the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall, which
doubled construction costs and involved a two-year delay on the
project.
Letters from page 18A
see Letters page 20A
-
20A | THEPRESS.NET MAY 8, 2009
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More recently, there was the newly con-structed Rodeo Elementary
school, known as the school from hell, which is literally falling
apart. Both projects were the result of poorly qualifi ed non-union
contractors and unskilled non-union workers.
Ben Cerruti needs to do his homework and a little research
because the Public Works rules and regulations do not allow a
union-only agreement. Plus, the City of Brentwood and the Contra
Costa Water District just fi nished our 110-percent suc-cessful
Brentwood Water Treatment Plant with a Project Labor Agreement
under schedule, on budget and with fi rst-class local construction
workers.
Ken VanBuskirkBrentwood
End the vendettaEditor:
I would like to thank Mr. Dawson for speaking out for the
regular residents of Discovery Bay. For years now I have seen the
same letter writers dividing our commu-nity, and its about time
someone stood up against them.
This group of people has never used its excessive amount of free
time and resources to improve our community. It is time for this
vendetta against the Piephos and against any-one that stands up for
progress to come to an end. Discovery Bay is a wonderful commu-nity
and we all should be proud to live here.
I think its time we start drafting men and women like Mr. Dawson
to run for the CSD and help bring real change to Discov-ery Bay.
Thank you again, Mr. Dawson, and
thank you, Discovery Bay Press, for printing a different point
of view.
Kevin DavisDiscovery Bay
Smoking gunEditor:
This responds to Brian Dawsons May 1, 2009 (Orchestrated
mudslinging) letter to the editor.
It is no secret that I emphatically dis-agree with the political
beliefs and tactics of our elected representatives, David and Mary
Piepho. However, no one can tarnish their reputations. Only they
can do that.
As usual, Brian, you do not point out any factual errors in Don
Flints letter. You merely obfuscate and divert, which gets us
nowhere.
Incidentally, how can your smoking gun (my document) be acquired
from you by the Press readers? I would not want anyone to miss
having it.
William R. RichardsonDiscovery Bay
On cloud NinesEditor:
I am writing this on behalf of the entire Ron Nunn Parents Club.
My name is Heidi Erickson and I am the secretary on the Ron Nunn
Parents Club this year. In January, I decided I would chair or
co-chair a spring event to raise money for our school. Count-less
hours and many, many phone calls from all of the board to many
local businesses paid off!
Letters from page 19A
see Letters page 22A
-
MAY 8, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 21A
LIST OF Bank-Owned Properties
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ndersite.com
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the
Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or
as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits on May
19, 2009, hold a public hearing to consider the following: An
application for a design review (DR 09-04) for a 2,491 square foot
Jack in the Box restaurant and a conditional use permit (CUP 09-02)
for its drive-through component. The center is generally located at
the northeast corner of the in-tersection of Balfour Road and
Fairview Avenue.Applicant: Stantec ConsultingSaid hearing will be
held at the City Council Chambers, 734 Third Street, Brentwood,
California.Further information may be obtained from Associate
Planner Debbie Hill [(925) 516-5135 or [email protected]] in
the Community Development Depart-ment of the City of Brentwood, 118
Oak Street, Brentwood, California 94513.Before any court challenge
of Planning Commission decisions, you are required to appeal the
decision to the City Council no later than the time period provided
under the Citys Municipal Code. In ad-dition you may be limited to
raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public
hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence
de-
livered to the Brentwood Planning Com-mission at, or prior to,
the public hearing.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish Date: May 8,
2009
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the
Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or
as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits on May
19, 2009, hold a public hearing to consider the following: An
application for a conditional use permit (CUP 09-10) to operate a
beauty salon known as Salon Vitor, within a 2,439 square-foot
tenant space in the Brentwood Junction shopping center located at
6560 Lone Tree Way, Suite D (APN 019-010-059).Applicant: Sansome
Paci c PropertiesSaid hearing will be held at the City Council
Chambers, 734 Third Street, Brentwood, California.Further
information may be obtained from Assistant Planner Tim Nielsen
[(925) 516-5151 or [email protected]] in the Community
Development Department of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street,
Brentwood, California 94513.Before any court challenge of Planning
Commission decisions, you are required to appeal the decision to
the City Council no later than the time period provided
under the Citys Municipal Code. In ad-dition you may be limited
to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the
public hearing described in this notice, or in written
correspondence de-livered to the Brentwood Planning Com-mission at,
or prior to, the public hearing.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish
Date: May 8, 2009
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the
Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or
as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits on May
19, 2009, hold a public hearing to consider the following: An
application for a conditional use permit (CUP 09-04) to place an
off-site directional sign for the Grace Bible Fellowship on private
property located on the east side of the intersection of McClarren
Road and Walnut Boulevard (APN 012-170-006).Applicant: Grace Bible
FellowshipSaid hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers,
734 Third Street, Brentwood, California.Further information may be
obtained from Senior Planner Jeff Zilm [(925) 516-5136 or
[email protected]] in the Community Development Department
of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood, California
94513.
Before any court challenge of Planning Commission decisions, you
are required to appeal the decision to the City Council no later
than the time period provided under the Citys Municipal Code. In
ad-dition you may be limited to raising only those issues you or
someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice,
or in written correspondence de-livered to the Brentwood Planning
Com-mission at, or prior to, the public hearing.Brentwood Press No.
02-1273Publish Date: May 8, 2009
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the
Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or
as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits on June
2, 2009, hold a public hearing to consider the following: An
application for the development of an approximately 5.26-acre site,
with a project known as the Rock of Brent-wood church, located
south of Grant Street, east of Adams Lane, and west of Lone Oak
Road. The applicant is re-questing approval of a design review (DR
08-20) and a conditional use permit (CUP 08-31) to allow the
construction of a 20,687 square-foot multi-purpose building, a
triplex totaling 4,413 square feet, a parking lot, landscaping, and
re-lated improvements. A mitigated nega-
tive declaration has been prepared for this project, pursuant to
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to assess
potentially adverse environmen-tal impacts.Applicant: Mark DukeSaid
hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, 734 Third
Street, Brentwood, California.Further information may be obtained
from Assistant Planner Tim Nielsen [(925) 516-5151 or
[email protected]] in the Community Development
Department of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood,
California 94513.Before any court challenge of Planning Commission
decisions, you are required to appeal the decision to the City
Council no later than the time period provided under the Citys
Municipal Code. In ad-dition you may be limited to raising only
those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing
described in this notice, or in written correspondence de-livered
to the Brentwood Planning Com-mission at, or prior to, the public
hearing.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish Date: May 8, 2009
RIGHT TO FARM DISCLOSUREThe City of Brentwood has declared its
policy to protect and encourage agricultural operations in its
General Plan and has adopted a Right to Farm
Ordinance. If your property is located in the City, near an
agricultural op-eration, you may at times be subject to
inconvenience or discomfort arising from those operations,
including noise, odors, fumes, dust, smoke, insects, the operation
of machinery (including air-craft) during any time of day or night,
the storage and disposal of manure, and the ground or aerial
application of fertilizers, soil amendments, seed, herbicides, and
pesticides. These and other similar in-conveniences will not be
considered a public nuisance if they are conducted according to
proper and accepted cus-toms and standards. The Right to Farm
Ordinance establishes a grievance pro-cedure to help resolve any
disputes be-tween agricultural operators and their neighbors. This
is only a summary of the Right to Farm Ordinance. If you wish
further information about the meaning or effect of the ordinance or
the grievance procedure set forth in it, please contact the Citys
Community Development De-partment at 118 Oak Street Brentwood, CA
94513 or call (925) 516-5405.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish
Date: May 8, 2009
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the
Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or
as soon thereafter as
the normal course of business permits on June 2, 2009, hold a
public hearing to consider the following: Consideration of the
Draft Supple-mentary Environmental Impact Report (Clearinghouse No.
2000122013) and Response to Comments regarding a proposed amendment
(RZ 09-01) of the Agriculture Land Conservation Ordi-nance, Chapter
17.730 of the Brentwood Municipal Code.Applicant: City of
BrentwoodSaid hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers,
734 Third Street, Brentwood, California.Further information may be
obtained from Hazel Wetherford [(925) 516-5106 or
[email protected]] in the Community Development
Department of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood,
California 94513.Before any court challenge of Planning Commission
decisions, you are required to appeal the decision to the City
Council no later than the time period provided under the Citys
Municipal Code. In ad-dition you may be limited to raising only
those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing
described in this notice, or in written correspondence de-livered
to the Brentwood Planning Com-mission at, or prior to, the public
hearing.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish Date: May 8, 2009
LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL
NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES
more cases, and our philosophy is to rely on the expertise of
the health department; we followed their directions to a T.
But for parents like Kristin Croteau, news of the schools
closure was met with mixed emotions.
We were a little shocked when we got the call that the school
was closing, and at the very beginning of all this, it was a better
safe than sorry kind of attitude, said Cro-teau, who has two boys
at Brentwood El-ementary. But I did have to take the week off and
work from home, so that was a little tough. But its just one of
those things that happens; you make adjustments.
Wee Care Childcare Development Center in Brentwood was also
forced to make adjustments. Since the facility serves families from
Brentwood Elementary, when news of the schools closure was
announced, Wee Care Director Adrianne Lough made some hard
decisions.
Our policy started out that families with students at Brentwood
Elementary could in fact bring their children here un-til we had
more information, said Lough. But as I contacted and began
speaking
with the county, they advised those fami-lies not to come here,
so I had to send some children home, which you hate to do.
Our parents have been so cooperative and understanding, but its
been an ordeal. You are on all sides of the fence because you want
to help the parents, but you also dont want to get into the
hyper-frenzy of what is happening, but you also want to be
respect-ful and responsible. Its been hard.
Local hospitals such as Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch
set up triage tents outside their facilities over the week-end in
order to accommodate the infl ux of residents fearful they might be
ill with the virus. According to Angela Lombardi, spokesperson for
Sutter Delta, the staff saw an increase in walk-in traffi c last
week from patients with fl u-like symptoms.
We did activate our hospital incident command system, which
means that we go into emergency mode, said Lombardi. Our numbers
were that on Sunday, May 1 we saw approximately 200 patients
any-thing over about 160 is considered above normal traffi c, so we
did see an increase. But we have now resumed normal operat-ing
procedures and we are so proud of how
our employees and staff have handled the situation. Our care has
been seamless and transparent.
When news of the schools early re-openings were announced
Tuesday, offi cials such as Antioch Superintendent Deborah Sims
breathed a collected sigh of relief.
I was pleased to announce to the Lone Tree school community that
the school would re-open. I would like to ex-press my sincere
appreciation for the staff and parents at Lone Tree Elementary for
their support and cooperation during this time, wrote Sims in a
press release.
Throughout the episode, nervousness and fear even among health
care profes-sionals prompted at least one premature diagnosis.
In Oakley, a suspected case of the H1N1 virus turned out to be a
false alarm when the pediatrician of a sick child at Oak-ley
Elementary School prior to the return of swab tests reported that
the child most likely had contracted swine fl u. Results later
showed that the child not only tested nega-tive for the swine fl u;
she hadnt contracted any kind of fl u. Rick Rogers, Oakley Union
School District Superintendent, said the ex-
perience should serve as a cautionary tale.Im not going to
armchair quarter-
back the decisions that were made, said Rogers, but I believe
that the lesson is that we should take a look at what we did and
how we handled the situation for the future. Its a wobbler; if
there is a question (about whether to close a school), you are
always going to err on the side of student safety and the publics
well being, but I think we can all learn from this experience.
As for the missed school days, Eaton said the Brentwood
Elementary students will not need to make up for the lost time.
Brentwood Elementary will fi nish out the year at the same time as
the rest of the dis-trict. We will not extend the school year.
All of which is good news for parents such as Susan Wallace, who
has two chil-dren at Brentwood Elementary. Im a stay-at-home mom,
so I was easily able to keep my boys home, but it defi nitely
affected what Ive been able to get done at home, she said. I think
Brentwood did a great job of notifying us about what was going on
and I appreciate it. But Im ready for them to go back to school; Im
not quite ready for summer yet.
Flu from page 1A
we can to earn our customers respect and loyalty, said Laura
Markstein. We are do-ing fi ne. Even in these tough economic times,
people still have that one little pleasure and want to be able to
buy a six-pack of beer.
The chances are that if youve imbibed a Bud, Bud Light,
Michelob, Corona, Stella Artois, Becks, Bass Ale, Sierra Nevada or
Black Diamond beer in East County, it fi rst passed through the
Markstein facility before passing through your digestive
system.
Although beer is in her blood, Laura Markstein didnt originally
plan on joining the family business. In 1991 she was attend-ing med
school when her father asked if she could help out on her summer
break with the companys public relations. Soon she was
working in every aspect of the business and transferred to St.
Marys College, where she earned a business degree.
Shes now 43 and has been in the family business for 17 years.
Her 22-year-old brother Ian and recent college-graduate daughter
Jes-sica are getting involved as well with perhaps some day her
10-year-old son Ethan joining them.
Our plan is to, hopefully, keep it for the generations to come,
said Laura. Its incred-ibly rare that you can have a family-owned
business thats lasted for 90 years and have it pass from generation
to generation. Its a real blessing. My grandfather always taught me
to give back to the community that has given you so much. I will
continue to keep the legacy going.
Markstein from page 1A
Laura Markstein gets
ready to cut the ribbon last Friday for the
grand opening of the $15 mil-lion Markstein Sales Company
facility in Antioch.
Photo by Dave Roberts
-
22A | THEPRESS.NET MAY 8, 2009
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Wonder where to invest in a Down Economy?In a Smile that lasts a
Lifetime I have to say that we could not have succeeded in this
event without the gener-
ous and overwhelming support of Nines restaurant and its
manager, Frank Silva. My co-chair and I met with him in early
January and they really came to the party with a level of
generosity and grace that was overwhelming. I was astounded. We all
spent months planning this event.
The Ron Nunn Elementary Par-ents Club held its inaugural Spring
Fling at Nines on Saturday, May 2. This was intended to be a
community event, and boy was it! As the rain poured Saturday
morning, I didnt know if it was all going to work out. After
several very stressful hours I started to crack.
The General Manager at the Nines, Ray Wunder, and his staff of
amazing managers (Lisa and Kym) glued me back together and we all
rallied to make the event one to remember. MamaLuke! was so
gen-erous with its time and put on quite a show. Nines Executive
Chef Vince Moore laid out the spread, and the food was delicious.
Thousands of dollars worth of community-donated items were raffl ed
and auctioned
off and we had such a successful event.With so many budget cuts
last year
in our education system, and the fear and realization of more
next year, it was so important for us as a board to go out with a
bang and really leave our positions wit