-
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 7, No. 35 Including Surrounding Communities
www.thepress.net August 28, 2009
Natio
nalAwardWinning Newspapers
THIS WEEK
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
As rugged as rugby
Water polo attracts a tough, high-achieving player with the
heart of a Lady Lion.
Page 1B
Better bypass the Bypass Check out the details of the Highway 4
Bypass impending closure.
Page 18A
Arts.....................................6ABusiness
...........................15ACalendar
..........................23BClassifieds
........................16BCop Logs
..........................14AEntertainment ................11BFood
.................................12BHealth & Beauty
...............8BMilestones .........................7BOpinion
...........................13ARecreation
.........................8ASports
.................................1BTalk About Town
..............5AWebExtras! .......................1B
INSIDE
New principal leads by example
During last months back-to-school night at Excelsior Middle
School, Principal Charles Millers elbow got quite a workout.
I must have shook 400 hands that day, laughed Miller. But it was
great; I wanted to be there to meet the families and students. This
is a great community and a great school. Im very happy to be
here.
Miller, who took over from outgoing principal Ben Scinto, comes
to Byron from the Antioch Unifi ed School District, where he spent
two years as assistant superintendent of educational services.
For the former classroom teacher and elementary school
principal, arriving at Ex-celsior is like coming home. I love the
daily interaction with the students, staff and teach-ers, said
Miller. The students are bright and positive and the parents are
involved. Its a very close-knit community.
And thanks to a proactive superintendent Eric Prater (a
visionary, said Miller) and an exceptionally hardworking staff,
Excelsior was in good shape when Miller arrived, allow-ing him to
focus his energies on touchstone topics such as instructional
reform and stu-dent support.
Weve been working on a coherent aca-demic program that includes
the essential standards such as reading comprehension and math and
science skills, he said, adding that the academic benchmarks will
be met through an action plan of deliverables must-prove
plans developed by staff that will eventually bring all students
up to a mastery level of the basic core standards. Miller believes
that those academic foundations all happen here
by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer
Charles Miller is the new principal at Excelsior Middle School
in Byron.
Photo by Ruth Roberts
see Principal page 18A
Boaters claim 2-Gate is too much
In three months, two gates may be constructed in the Delta in a
fi ve-year experiment to deter-mine whether they will help save the
endangered Delta smelt while continuing to allow the pumping of
water south to Central Valley farms and southern California
residents.
But some local boaters are concerned that the gates will
re-strict their access to the Delta, and believe the 2-Gate Fish
Protection Demonstration Project is part of an ongoing water grab
that is harming the Delta.
One of those boaters is Jan McCleery, who has been boat-ing on
the Delta for 40 years and moved with her husband to Dis-covery Bay
three years ago from Sunnyvale to be closer to the wa-ter. On most
weekends they hop onto their 43-foot Bayliner yacht and sail off to
idyllic Mildred Is-land, where they anchor and hang out.
Normally they get there by
going under the Bacon Island Bridge, which has a lift mecha-nism
allowing them to pass under it on Middle River. When that bridge
lift is not in operation they must travel a route that is planned
to be blocked part of the year by a
gate at Connection Slough on the north side of Bacon Island.
McCleery is concerned that the gated channel wont be deep enough
to accommodate her boat even when the gate is open. And its unclear
the exact hours when
the gate will be closed.It will make it very diffi cult
to tell if we can get back or when and how, she said. My other
concern is I dont think environ-mentally they are protecting the
smelt. Its to allow them to pump more water its the fi rst step
to-ward the peripheral canal.
The gates project is a collabo-ration of the California
Depart-ment of Water Resources, the fed-eral Bureau of Reclamation
and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It has
not yet been approved, however the environmental studies are due to
be released soon, which will allow opportunities for public comment
before a fi nal decision is made.
But the current schedule is for construction to begin in
September and for the gates to begin operation on Dec. 15. One gate
would be on Connec-tion Slough and the other on Old River north of
Rock Slough between Bacon Island and Hol-land Tract, which is about
fi ve
Jan McCleerys family and friends enjoy anchoring out at Mildred
Island and are concerned that a plan to put gates in the Delta
could block their access.
Photo courtesy of Jan McCleery
see Gates page 18A
by Dave RobertsStaff Writer
Brave kid hangs tough
A slew of fun events is slated to raise funds in support of a
courageous boy awaiting a heart and kidney transplant.
Page 12A
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Isnt this gorgeous? Donna deFrates said as she navigated through
the crowd dur-ing the Senior Stars Fashion Show, sporting a design
sold at Oak Street Boutique.
Beaming ear to ear, deFrates was just one of nine ladies who
gracefully glided around the Brentwood Senior Activity Center on
Aug. 14, showing off the latest trends for women this fall.
Brentwood Senior Citizens Club Presi-dent Lynda Oliver she was
delighted by the turnout of more than 130 people to the clubs third
annual event. This was a great event for seniors in the community
to see what the club and the senior center are all about, she said.
You know, there arent many occasions to get all dressed up once you
hit a certain age. We seniors dont get to go to proms, so this is a
fun way for the ladies to get dressed up and be admired.
All women love to play dress-up, and what a treat for them to
get to walk around on the arm of a handsome gentleman. Now these
ladies have photos to show their friends and family that clearly
illustrate that they do not live a dull life. They are active and
involved, and that is what the club is all about.
Models Elaine Allen, Stella Brown, Lydia Campos, Marlene Cook,
Laura Jara-millo, Hermie Rasey, Bev Rossi, Dolcie Tullis and
deFrates took turns donning formal and casual wear, walking around
the senior center as audience members enjoyed lunch. As the
ladies twirled to show off the seasons latest styles, members of
the crowd clapped and some men even cheered and whistled when they
saw something they liked.
Tullis, who has modeled in the past, said it was fun to be part
of the show, especially since it helped draw more people to the
center.
Oliver said the event was a win-win for the seniors as well as
the participating local businesses. The show featured fashions sold
at Chicos, Coldwater Creek, TJ Maxx, Cat-
walk, Oak Street Boutique, and His and Her Formal Wear. More
than 20 other local busi-nesses donated items for a raffl e, and
all pro-ceeds were donated to the seniors club.
Councilman Bob Brockman, who served as an escort during the
event along with Brentwood Press Publisher Greg Rob-inson and
Brentwood Recreation Supervisor Mac Kaiser, auctioned off two
dinner parties in which the winners, along with three of their
friends, were invited to dine with Brockman
and his wife at Shutters Brasserie. The dinners went for $100
each.
Bev Rossi, who also modeled in the show, was one of the winners.
She said she was more than happy to bid on the prize as the money
went to a good cause, and signing the check was a lot easier than
modeling.
It was fun to get up and play dress-up, but it was nerve
wracking, Rossi said. Lyn-da convinced me to do it. Ill do anything
to support the club and the center, though. This is such a nice
place the seniors have here, and I
want to support that.Oliver said the commu-
nity and business support to put the event together is
testa-ment to the community spirit that is unique to Brentwood.
Businesses went out of their way to help us, and that just goes to
show that it is a privi-lege to live in this commu-nity, she said.
Brentwood is so kind to its seniors, and this new senior center is
such a wonderful gathering place. You wont fi nd a place like this
anywhere else.
Oliver said she was pleased with the num-ber of new people she
met at the event and hopes more seniors in the area will be
encour-aged to join the seniors club and participate in upcoming
activities held at the center.
Up next, the senior center, located at 193 Griffi th Lane, will
serve as the stage for a per-formance of On Golden Pond presented
by the Vagabond Players on Wednesday, Sept. 23. For more
information, call Brentwood Parks and Recreation at
925-516-5444.
AUGUST 28, 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
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
ASK A
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Private secluded paved road leads you to this lush ranch
property. Large trees, green grass and your own vegetable garden.
Workshop in garage, 4 bdrms 2.5 baths, 2159 sf on 2.10 acres.
$599,000
Great deal, 5.98 acres with custom single story 3 bdrm. 2 ba.
home located down private lane. Beautiful tile floors and loft
upstairs. Mountains are surrounding this retreat in paradise.
$610,000
Newer 4 bdrm. 3 bath home with upgrades including gourmet
kitchen, granite counters and cherry cabinets. Bank owned/reo.
Close to shopping and schools $373,000
This is a 5 bdrm. 3 ba. 3,662 sf home on a large lot with pool.
Located in Deer Ridge, its close to schools.
Priced at $391,050
Priced to sell! Great opportunity, darling country 3 bdrm. 2 ba.
home on private road surrounded by nice custom homes. Huge
barn/shop on property. Close to town and shops. $360,000
Newer 4 bdrm. 3.5 bath, 3,558 sf home is looking for a family.
Kitchen has tile countertops with black appliances and maple
cabinets. Bank owned.
Nice single story 4 bdrm., 2 bath, 2,093 sf home and 3 car
garage in the gated Brookside Community. Large backyard and close
to a park.
4901 Briones Valley Rd., Brentwood 3150 Crismore Drive, Oakley
9671 Deer Valley Road, Brentwood
142 Pescara Blvd., Brentwood 2800 Blue Oak Court, Brentwood 91
Lozoya, Oakley
25 Grove Court, Oakley 5109 Doverton Drive, Stockton
Own beautiful delta land, 1 acre with tons of potential. Minutes
from boating, all usable land, owner to carry w/ the right offer!
Views of agricultural land around, great opportunity. $200,000
Bank owned, 5 bdrm., 3 bath, 2,808 sf home behind Krey School.
This home has a lot to offer including being close to medical
offices, shopping, golfing, and easy commute access. $345,000
0 E Cypress Road, Oakley 2180 Cristina Way, Brentwood
This two story, two car garage, 5 bdrms. 3 ba. home has 2,388
sf. Backyard has concrete patio for entertaining. Inside needs a
little TLC. Priced at $184,000
2823 Sunflower Circle, Stockton
PENDIN
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PREFERRED VENDOR: Dan Peterson, Home Mortgage Consultant, FHA
Specialist with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Free appraisal at close
of escrow if you utilize Dan Peterson at 5611 Lone Tree Way, Suite
150, Brentwood. Please call his office at 925-516-3367.
PENDIN
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COMING
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COMING
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Donna deFraters, on the arm of escort Mac Kaiser, shows off one
of the new fall fashions available at Oak Street Boutique in
Brentwood, above. Dolice Tullis, inset, escort-ed by Brentwood
Councilman Bob Brockman, models a de-sign sold at Catwalk during
the Senior Stars Fashion Show held Aug. 14.
Photos by Samie Hartley
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
Seniors shine at fashion show
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4A | THEPRESS.NET BUSINESS AUGUST 28, 2009
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AUGUST 28, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A
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
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TALK ABOUT TOWN Have an item?
[email protected] Ioane, seen here with Free-dom
High football coach Kevin Hartwig, left, and boys basket-ball coach
Drew Torres, has some-thing new to say should anyone ask him how he
rolls these days: he rolls in a brand new $26,930 Ford Mus-tang,
his reward for having scored a hole-in-one on the third hole at
Freedoms recent Run & Gun Golf Tournament on Bethel Island. The
event bene ted the Freedom High School basketball and football
pro-grams, and was sponsored by Hilltop Ford, Bethel Island Golf
Course, Nor-Cal Promotion, Hitchens Home Team Real Estate, Caps Oak
Street Grill, John Torres Golf Clubs, Freedom Ath-letic Booster
Club, Brentwood Golf Club, Diamond Hills Country Club, Angelinas
Tax Service, Black Bear Diner, Nines Restaurant, Hook, Line &
Sinker, Lucky Store, Walmart, Gina Khan Salon, Edible
Arrangements/Frutation, The Carvery, Rock Bottom Records,
Tailgaters, Centr-O-Mart, T&B Sports and Cold Stone Cream-ery,
all of whom will be given a turn using Johns new wheels. Not
really.
Some stories cry out for further factoids. An enterprising thief
recently stole copper wiring which fetches a pretty price on the
black market on Garin Parkway at Jen-
nifer Street in Brentwood. The ca-veat: this offender didnt cop
the copper by meticulously pulling it out of a streetlamp. He stole
the whole streetlamp! Now, thats what we call going to great
lengths as in atbed truck in order to make a living in the weird
world of crime.
Oakleyites will get a chance to party like its l999 at the
Oakley Librarys 10th anniversary celebra-tion on Saturday from 1 to
5 p.m. at the Freedom High School location on Neroly Road. The
Happy Hook-ers (crochet group) will be there, but most likely not
the Artist For-merly Known As Prince. There will, however, be cake,
a magic show and
other surprises.
Decidedly cool: Proprietors of the Holiday on Ice skating rink
have announced that theyll be back this year. Located at the
Streets of Brent-wood, the rink last year attracted just over
22,000 paying skaters, said Lynn Roberts of Holiday on Ice. This
years goal is to attract 30,000, which Lynn said could help it
become a successful annual event for win-tertime family fun in
Brentwood for years to come. The dates this year: Nov. 14 to Jan
10. Anyone interested in sponsoring the rink should call Lynn at
925-998-5356 or visit www.brentwoodholidayonice.com.
Compiled by Press Staff
925-809-0030 Brentwood Hwy 4 Bypass & Sandcreek Rd.
Group Sales & Events, Field Trips 1-866-878-7068Times Good
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9:15pThe Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard - R9:50pPonyo - G 1:40p 4:20p
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AUGUST 28, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 7A
Advertisement
DTI and Loan Mod/Short SaleLast week I wrote about how DTI
(debt-to-income ratio) was back in vogue in real estate lending.
Lenders actually have the audacity to check to see if the borrower
can afford the payment before making a loan now (gasp!). To recap,
some rough guidelines are that your housing expenses (principal,
interest, tax, insurance, HOA) are not over 35% of your gross
income, and that your total installment payments of any type not
exceed 45%.
In the past, we only talked about debt ratios in regards to
getting approved for a new loan. But now there are two other
situ-ations where debt ratios come into play, and those two are
loan modifications and short sales. When you apply for either a
short sale or a loan modification, your lender will ask for a
pretty complete set of financial infor-mation from you. As part of
their decision-making process, they will look at your debt ratio.
But there is a big difference between what they are looking for
between these two.
For a loan modification, it will help
if your debt ratio is high now, but not too high. They want to
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If you have questions on this or any other real estate topic,
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view virtual tours of homes for sale, go to:
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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
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The volunteers at the Antioch Ani-mal Shelter are inviting the
community to a day of fun aimed at supporting the shelter. The
event takes place tomorrow, Aug. 29.
We are hoping to recruit more vol-unteers to help at the shelter
because of the huge budget cut that our small city shelter just
received, said longtime shel-ter volunteer Shellie Robertson.
The Volunteers 4 Volunteers Pet Event will feature adoptable
animals from the shelter as well as representatives from about a
dozen animal rescue organizations that the shelter works with on a
regular basis. There will be raffl e prizes and music, plus face
painting and balloons for the kids.
Groomers from Hairy Hounds in Oakley, in addition to donating
raffl e prizes, will be visiting the shelter on Fri-day (when
theyre closed) to groom some of the animals to make them more
appeal-ing to potential adopters. At the event, the Groomers will
be trimming cat/dog nails for a donation, which will be given to
the shelter.
To top it all off, the shelter will be of-fering a one-day
amnesty on dog licens-ing. Antioch residents wishing to license
their dog can do so without any late fees/penalties.
The Volunteers 4 Volunteers Pet Event will be held from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at Antioch Animal Services, 300 L St.
Dog and cat days of summer
A variety of adoptable animals, including Daisy, left, and Fritz
will be available for adoption at the Antioch Animal Services
Volunteers 4 Volunteers event this Saturday.
Photos courtesy of Shellie Robertson
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8A | THEPRESS.NET RECREATION AUGUST 28, 2009
Photo by Samie Hartley
From right, Dustin Baughman, Jackie Kerlegan and Zoraida Finlez
share a laugh with instructor Toni Todd, left, during a recent
belly dancing class at Red Door Dance Studio in Brentwood.
Red Door opens to dancers
While most of Brentwood is settling into the quiet of a Monday
evening, the Red Door Dance Studio is coming to life, as rhythmic
drum music fl oods through the red doors onto First Street as 12
women sway to the beat.
Toni Todd, owner of the studio, calls out the eight-count as her
dancers shimmy across the dance fl oor during a Dansoleil belly
dancing lesson. After an hour of practice, the women execute a new
routine to round out the session and celebrate their accomplishment
with cheers and applause. The smiles of their faces are what Todd
en-joys most about her job.
I love seeing my dancers get excited
when theyve learned something new, Todd said. Belly dancing
allows women to get in touch with a deeper part of them-selves and
express whats in their hearts. Modern women lose themselves in
their daily routines since they juggle so much, but this dance
allows them to let go and get in touch with their feminine
side.
Its like dance therapy. They always seem so much happier after
class, and belly dancing isnt just for girls who look like Barbie
dolls. I have women of all ages, shapes and sizes come to my
classes and I love working with them and watching them all grow and
fi nding confi dence not just with their dance abilities but with
themselves.
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
see Dancers page 9A
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AUGUST 28, 2009 RECREATION THEPRESS.NET | 9A
Todd, who has been dancing all her life, discovered belly
dancing 10 years ago and used it as a way to condition her body
back to dancing form following surgery. Once she was back in shape,
she knew she wanted to teach belly dancing, but fi nding a space to
hold class wasnt easy.
She taught classes through Brentwood Parks and Recreation and
developed a dance troupe that traveled around the Bay Area
performing belly dance routines, but she always dreamed of owning
her own studio, so when she found the location on First Street and
the rent prices came down due to the failing economy, she took the
opportunity to make her dream come true.
Ive lived here for 22 years, and Ive wanted to be a part of
downtown Brent-wood for so long, Todd said. When this space opened
up, I couldnt refuse. It was still scary to fi nally make all of
this hap-pen, but my dancers kept encouraging me, and Im so glad I
listened to them. This re-ally is a dream come true. I get to do
what I love and share dance. What could be bet-ter?
Todd partnered up with Cozette Hileman, a local dance instructor
who was also looking for a place to call her own, and in March they
opened Red Door Dance Studio, named for the front doors that were
already painted red.
Hileman, a certifi ed dance instruc-tor who specializes in
ballroom dancing, taught at other dance studios in the area, but
was looking for a more intimate setting to hold her lessons, so the
partnership with Todd was ideal.
I wanted to be involved with a small-er studio, and the location
is perfect., Hileman said. It is so wonderful to be a part of
historic downtown Brentwood. To-gether, Toni and I offer a variety
of classes, so there is something for everyone.
While Todds belly dancing classes are ongoing and people can
join at any time, Hilemans classes change every four weeks. She
also hosts a dance party on the third Saturday of every month, when
she gives a dance lesson and then invites people to stay and dance
the night away.
Its great for people who dont live in the area, Hileman said.
Couples can come out to Brentwood and enjoy a nice dinner and then
come over to the studio, have a little dance lesson, and then spend
the evening dancing. Its a fun idea for a date night.
While Red Door is home to Todd and Hilemans classes, they also
rent the studio out to other instructors who teach dance classes as
well as dance-inspired fi tness classes such as a youth hip hop
class and a Zumba fi tness class, which incorporates forms of Latin
dance such as salsa into a cardio workout. In September, a yoga
in-structor will join the Red Door team, and Todd says she hopes to
expand the dance card and fi nd more instructors to offer as
diverse a selection as possible.
In addition to the classes that are held Monday through
Saturday, Red Door Dance Studio also hosts a monthly work-shop to
introduce different dance styles to novice and experienced dancers.
This Sat-urday, Aug. 29, Todd has invited a tribal
belly dance instructor to run a workshop on the more primitive
style of belly danc-ing, a style that is quite different from the
Americanized version Todd teaches.
The biggest goal with the classes and the workshops is to share
the love of dance, Todd said. Dancing is just like anything else
you have to learn. It takes practice, and Ive tried to create the
most positive atmo-sphere possible to foster a learning
environ-ment that makes the dancers feel safe. Ev-eryone can dance;
they just have to have the patience to fi nd the dancer within.
Red Door Dance Studio is located at 817 First St. in Brentwood.
For more in-formation and a schedule of classes, visit
www.reddoordance.com or call 925-516-3667.
Dancers from page 8A
A wholehouse in the$200 s? You can do this.
Grand Opening Saturday, August 29th from 11- 4
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These smiling third-graders recently celebrated their rst Lucky
Hat Day at Timber Point Elementary School. The idea came from a
story about three young children and their search for lucky hats.
Students liked the idea so much they decided to hunt for their own,
and judging from the varied selection, it looks like everyone had
success.
A hat-worthy idea
Photo courtesy of Timber Point Elementary
Based on Ovids transformation myths, Metamorphoses by Mary
Zim-merman subtly mixes the ancient stories of pathos and tragedy
with contemporary language, humor and thought, all enacted in and
around a large pool of water in the center of the stage. The themes
of love, the inevitability of change, and the hu-man ability to
adapt to change are time-
less, amply demonstrated by the eerie similarity of some of
plays vignettes to Ovids original text, which still resonates with
modern viewers.
Performance dates are Sept. 4, 5, 10 and 11 at 7 p.m., and
Sept.12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $9.50 and available online at
www.lhsplaymakers.com or by phone at 925-634-3521, ext. 5489.
Metamorphoses opens
-
Most East County schools showed in-creases in academic profi
ciency, according to the states recently released Standardized
Test-ing And Reporting (STAR) results.
The fi gures, which track student achieve-ment, are part of the
2002 No Child Left Behind Act that requires students to
demon-strate profi ciency in math and English-lan-guage arts. The
STAR test measures student progress toward achieving the
state-adopted content standards, which describe what stu-dents
should know and be able to do in each grade and subject tested.
The Antioch Unifi ed School District saw profi ciency numbers
hovering around 50 per-cent in grades two through 11 for both math
and English-language arts, with a fl uctuation of less than 1
percentage point, in most grade levels.
In Oakley, most numbers were bumped up as well, the biggest
gains coming in Eng-lish-language arts up in some cases as much as
5 percentage points over last year. Algebra students increased in
their profi ciency nearly 20 percentage points, from 33 percent in
2008 to 52 percent in 2009.
Oakley Union School District Super-intendent Rick Rogers credits
the districts overall increase to a major effort last year,
especially in math. Weve made some ex-cellent growth in math, and
part of that is because we were able, despite diffi cult fi nancial
circumstances, to hold onto our
math specialist, said Rogers.We also have really improved our
stu-
dent assessments in the classroom and estab-lished good pacing
guides for all the grade levels. Our students, parents and staff
are to be commended; theyre the best and Im very proud to be
associated with them.
The Knightsen School Districts (KSDs) results were a mixed bag.
The district improved signifi cantly in second-grade
English-language arts profi ciency 83 percent over last years 46
percent. But algebra continued to be a struggle for eighth-graders,
whose profi ciency rate was 20 percent, down from 2008s 35
percent.
KSD Superintendent Vickey Rinehart isnt sure what happened with
the math scores.
I dont know why those scores are low, she said. We have the
students divided into special groups and they get daily instruction
and intervention, so Im not sure what hap-pened, but we will
continue to look at student growth and assess student needs.
Overall, though, we had gains at most levels and Im very proud of
our students and teachers.
Merrill Grant, superintendent of the Brentwood Union Elementary
District is proud as well, noting that students in all grade levels
maintained or increased in English-lan-guage arts (around 55
percent) and scored an 81-percent profi ciency in algebra.
We are up across the board in all grade levels in math and
language arts, said Grant. I am really proud of our results and our
teachers. Theyve all been working very hard and its starting to pay
off.
At the Liberty Union High School Dis-
trict (LUHSD), English-language arts scores were down for
freshman (56-percent profi -cient over last years 67), but up for
juniors (43 versus 39 in 2008). Algebra 1 scores are up for both
freshman and juniors (17 and 15 percent profi cient, respectively),
but still far below the countywide profi ciency percentage of
71.
Weve had some growth in certain ar-eas and were certainly
pleased with that, said Mary Vinciguera, director of curricu-lum
and instruction for the LUHSD. She acknowledged that the Algebra 1
scores were low, but added that they did represent a four percent
improvement. Of course, you always want to increase and do
better,
she said. We are defi nitely improving, and our goal is to
continue improving.
The Byron Union Elementary School District showed a signifi cant
increase, in math profi ciency particularly, with a 41 percent rate
in Algebra 1 compared with 2008s 17 per-cent.
The middle school did really, really well in algebra, and were
very pleased with those numbers, said the Byron districts
Super-intendent Eric Prater. What that means to me is that early
intervention is working. Our teachers and staff are really rolling
up their sleeves and doing the hard work in spite of all the (fi
nancial) challenges. I commend all of far East County for the work
educators are doing. Theyre walking the walk and talking the
talk.
STAR test results mostly upby Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer
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12A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY AUGUST 28, 2009
Enter the Brentwood Downtown Thursday Night Harvest Festival
Scarecrow Contest!
September 17th, 5-8pmFirst Street, Downtown Brentwood
Thursday, Sept. 24th, 5-8pmFirst Street, Downtown Brentwood
Open to all agesSong lengths - 3 minute maximum
No profanity or innuendoAppropriate (G-Rated) attire please
Check-in at stage (Center of First Street)Prizes awarded at
7:30pm
To register or for more information on these or other events
visitwww.brentwooddowntown.com
Downtown Thursdays sponsored by The Downtown Downtown Thursdays
sponsored by The Downtown Brentwood Coalition and the Brentwood
Chamber of Commerce.Brentwood Coalition and the Brentwood Chamber
of Commerce.
Rules & Guidelinesorn Must be hand-made, not taller than six
feetorn Must be free standing orn Must be in Good Tasteorn Must be
registered before Sept. 16thorn Check-in no earlier than 4PM
(Chestnut Street side)orn Prizes awarded at 7:30PMTwo Groupsorn
Kids under 12orn Adults/Business Entries
Aaron Tanner, the 4-year-old Brent-wood boy awaiting a heart and
kidney transplant, is expected to be fl own from UCSF to UCLA
within the next few days and be placed on an organ donor waiting
list.
Aaron was born with only a partial-ly functioning heart.
Although doctors predicted he would eventually become a candidate
for a new heart, they didnt anticipate Aaron would need the
sur-gery until he was into his 20s. But when the preschoolers
kidneys began failing last month, causing subsequent pressure on
his heart, it became clear that Aaron would need the rare double
transplant surgery.
In an interview with the Press this week, Aarons mother
Elizabeth said her son is holding on despite his ordeal: Hes
(Aaron) about as stable as they can get him right now. Hes on a lot
of pain medi-cation and he sleeps a lot, but hes hanging in there.
This has been such a nightmare. Once hes got his heart and kidney,
we can relax. Im so ready for this to be over.
As the Tanners continue to pray for a miracle, the community
continues to rally behind the family, hosting a variety of
fundraisers and events.
The most recently planned event is scheduled for Sept. 23 from 5
to 10 p.m. at the Hanoum Estate in Oakley. Mike and Vickey Fagan,
owners of Mikes Beef n Brew, are co-organizers of the benefi t,
which will include a barbecue dinner, live music and a Texas hold
em tournament. Tickets for the event are $50 and include dinner and
a buy-in for the poker tourna-ment.
We expect this to be a great event, said Mike. Its a gorgeous
spot that the owners have generously donated, so were hoping to
gather a lot of local sponsors and donations. Were just going to do
whatever we can to help this family who has stopped everything to
save their son. We want to make things a little easier.
Support for Aaron gains momentum
AARON TANNER
see Aaron page 16A
by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer
-
Commissions sunsets the factsEditor:
In response to recent comments by Don Flint of Discovery Bay
regard-ing the non-renewal of two Regional Planning Commissions in
Contra Costa County, Id like to share with your read-ers the actual
historical record so they may judge the situation for themselves
and not Mr. Flints allegations.
These planning commissions, the San Ramon Valley Regional
Planning Commission and the East County Re-gional Planning
Commissions (ECRPC), were initially scheduled to sunset in October,
2007. Even though the record at that time indicated dwindling
issues and frequently canceled meetings, I sought and received
support from my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors to actually
extend both of these commissions, on two separate occasions, for a
total of two years, to a sunset date of October, 2009.
More currently, the board received a letter of support from the
chair of the East County Regional Planning Com-mission, Bay Point
resident Edmond Ste-venson, by a unanimous vote, requesting the
commission be allowed to sunset. Mr. Edmond Stevenson was appointed
by Supervisor Glover, not me. This request letter came from the
ECRPCs experi-ences as indicated by the substantial re-duction in
development activity we do not fi nd that there is suffi cient
benefi t provided by continuing the Commission, particularly given
the importance of reducing costs for the County and the majority of
our meetings have been can-celled due to the lack of planning
items. Again, the vote to disband was unani-mous from the East
County Regional Planning Commission itself.
This record differs from Mr. Don Flints representations,
particularly the fact that there was no recent action taken by the
Board of Supervisors to sunset these commissions, that action
actually occurred in 2008, identifying the Octo-
ber, 2009 sunset date.The Board of Supervisors greatly ap-
preciates the many, many volunteers who have served diligently
on these boards from the very beginning. These appoint-ments come
with terms as well and are routinely scheduled to sunset, as in the
case of Mr. Walter MacVittie. We recog-nize very clearly that large
development projects will need to be heard locally, and will ensure
that happens, as discussed at the board. The reality is that the
county must run more effi ciently and effectively in signifi cantly
tight budget times.
We are working diligently to fi nd revenue to keep deputies on
the streets, district attorneys for prosecution, and funding for
4-H and UC Cooperative Extension programs. It is time for us to
build a better structure of county operations, to meet the needs of
our citizens while creating higher levels of cost effectiveness and
service effi ciency. I will continue to keep the public engaged
during this process.
Once again, if any member of the public has any questions as to
the facts or background to any issue before the Board of
Supervisors, my offi ce can be contacted at 925-240-7260 and we are
conveniently located in downtown Brent-wood off of Sand Creek
Road.
Mary Nejedly PiephoContra Costa County Supervisor
District III
Garamendis geography gapEditor:
I got a rude awakening last week when I learned that
congressional candidates are not required to live in the district
within which they run for offi ce. Thats just illogical to me!
A representative should under-stand where I live, know my
concerns and then vote accordingly. How can Garamendi say he
understands this district when the fi rst time he faced the
nightmare traffi c of Highway 4 was for a candidate forum in
June?
Garamendi says hes passionate about the issues in Washington; I
want a representative who is passionate about representing me and
solving the chal-lenges we both face in our district. As the local
candidate who has been account-able to us for more than 25 years,
Mark DeSaulnier has my vote for Congress on Sept. 1.
Cathy NelsonAntioch
Bunch is best on ballotEditor
After much consideration, reading about and listening to the
various can-didates in the race for the 10th Congres-sional
District, I have decided to give my public support to Chris
Bunch.
He is a small business owner who
understands directly the impacts of taxation and government
regulation and is committed to reducing both. Bunch understands
what it takes to create jobs and wealth, and how the government can
easily take those away. He, like many of us, has been directly
affected by the current economic downturn. So he can relate to the
common person in this dis-trict and America.
With his military background, hav-ing served in both Iraq and
Afghanistan, Bunch understands the need for ending both wars with
victory and bringing our troops home quickly.
Closer to home, Bunch is commit-ted to bringing solutions and
funding for our transportation needs here in Contra Costa, Alameda
and Solano counties and opposes the construction of the peripheral
canal, which would send our water to Southern California and
destroy the Deltas environment.
I share his values and most of his views, and believe Chris
Bunch is the best choice for Congress. Please join me in
sup-porting him with your vote next Tuesday.
Allen PaytonAntioch
Sustaining the showEditor:
The Senior Citizens of Brentwood would like thank the following
sponsors who helped to make the Senior Fashion Show and Luncheon
held on Aug. 14 a huge success:
Ace Hardware; Bagel Street Caf; Betty Boop Beauty Shop;
Brentwood Caf; Brentwood Fine Meats; Brentwood Wine Co.; Brentwood
Frame Shop; Crme dela Gem (fi ne) Jewelry; Food-Maxx; Firestone
Auto Care; Gabbys Grind Caf; Hampton Inn; Mimis Caf; Prevots Oyster
Bar & Grill; Perkos Caf; Ribbons & Roses Florist; Scrap
Diva; Su-san Myers Private Quarters; The Classy Cottage; The
Vintage House; Tracy D. Benhamon, DDS; Tres Jolie Salon & Spa;
and The Shepherds Kitchen.
We would also like to thank our cloth-ing fashion suppliers: Cat
Walk; Chicos; Coldwater Creek; Kohls Oak Street Bou-tique; T.J.
Maxx; and His & Hers Formal Wear, which supplied the
tuxedos.
Tove JohnstonSenior Citizens of Brentwood
Super advocacyEditor:
I wanted to take a brief moment to say thank you to Supervisor
Mary Piepho for all the hard work she is doing to pro-tect our
Delta and the communities that rely on its health and safety. Her
work as spokesperson for the fi ve Delta counties has made our
concerns and issues heard on the state level.
At Delta Team County Staff Meet-ings, Mary Piepho has been
instrumental
to our cause by discussing Contra Costa Countys action almost
every Monday for the last few months. She was com-manding and
precise at the Save the Delta press conference in Sacramento and my
family and our community here in Dis-covery Bay cant thank her
enough. Youre doing a great job, Supervisor Piepho!
Chayce Byrne12th-grader
Discovery Bay
Defending Delta with democracyEditor:
I live in Discovery Bay on the Delta waterway. For the last 10
years, the fi shing and boating communities on the Delta have
noticed a rapid decline of the Delta estuary and have reported this
to the DWR, Department of Fish and Game, and our state legislators.
It seems that our politicians and the governor are more concerned
with selling water than the quality of water.
I am over 60 years of age and have lived and fi shed the Delta a
very long time. I know the governor would like to get something
done but his advisers are clearly giving him bad advice. He is not
giving the people a chance to be represent-ed on his
decision-making committees. Just look at his Blue Ribbon Panel
selec-tions: not one person lives on the Delta or even understands
the fragile freshwater fl ow that keeps it alive.
We are fed up with this political at-titude and we are ready to
fi ght the battle with the water distributors. Our state leaders
are charged with a sacred trust to protect and sustain our Delta
estuary, and they have traded this sacred trust to sell water and
make millions of dollars. Just ask where all this money is going.
To pre-serve the Delta? I think not because it is clear the water
quality has been declining for the past 10 years.
We just had our Million Boat Float to the capital. This
represented a million people in support of saving the Delta. On
Aug. 17 we organized a protest rally on the Capitol steps with 20
guest speakers and 300 protesters. The photo was one street corner
group advancing the cause of awareness to the people.
Yes, we are ready to fi ght. More peo-ple are becoming aware of
the governors intentions to build a 52-mile long steel barrier
canal 1,000 feet wide through the center of the Delta.
Wake up, Northern California; they have already started to core
drill into the earth and collect dirt samples that will allow them
to start building as early as 2011. What will happen when they try
and fi ll this monstrosity? The salt water will in-trude into the
Delta up into Franks Tract and kill the natural plant life and fi
sh we love so dearly.
AUGUST 28, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 13A
The Press Newspapers are adjudicated in the the cities of
Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, and the Delta Judicial District
of Contra Costa County.
No part of this publication may be reproduced for commerce or
trade without written permission from the publisher.
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Phone 925-634-1441 Fax 925-634-1975Web site:
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see Letters page 17A
-
14A | THEPRESS.NET AUGUST 28, 2009
A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East
County police departments.BRENTWOODAug. 19, 10:41 a.m. An
unidentifi ed person threw a Molotov cocktail into the roadway on
Robin Street at Kingfi sher Road.Aug. 19, 11:12 a.m. An unidentifi
ed person broke into a residence on Dainty Avenue and stole power
tools.Aug. 19, 4:17 p.m. On Minnesota Avenue, an unidentifi ed
person forced entry into a bike rack area and stole three
bicycles.Aug. 19, 5:39 p.m. On Balfour Road at Fair-view Avenue, a
driver rear-ended another ve-hicle and fl ed the scene.Aug. 19,
5:51 p.m. Three security alarms were found near a trash can on
Shady Wil-low Lane at Amber Lane.Aug. 19, 11:04 p.m. On Brentwood
Boule-vard, a passenger in a vehicle stopped for code violations
was found to have a no-bail warrant for his arrest. He was arrested
and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Aug. 20, Midnight An
unidentifi ed person entered an unlocked vehicle parked on
Som-ersby Way and stole a GPS unit.Aug. 20, 4:23 p.m. On Country
Glen Lane, an unidentifi ed person was found in posses-sion of
gang-related clothing in violation of his probation.Aug. 20, 5:38
p.m. On American Avenue, two subjects kicked and punched one victim
in the head and punched another in the face, causing injury to
both. They were arrested and released on juvenile affi davits.Aug.
20, 8:11 p.m. A trailer was taken from the driveway of a residence
on Thompsons Drive.Aug. 20, 8:14 p.m. A suspicious-looking de-vice
seen on First Street was eventually con-fi rmed to be used for
mosquito surveillance.
Aug. 21, Midnight An unidentifi ed person forced entry into a
residence on Sand Creek Road and stole cash and jewelry.Aug. 21,
1:41 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole a purse from an unlocked
vehicle parked on Second Street.Aug. 21, 1:12 p.m. A subject was
evicted from a residence on Broderick Drive and remained in the
apartment, stealing power from laundry room.Aug. 21, 3:09 p.m. An
unidentifi ed person stole a trailer parked on Beverly Place.Aug.
21, 11:25 p.m. On Second Street, two subjects contacted after fl
eeing from an of-fi cer was found in possession of stolen alco-hol.
They were arrested and released to their parents on juvenile affi
davits.Aug. 22, 2:19 a.m. On the Highway 4 Bypass at Balfour Road,
a subject stopped for ve-hicle code violations obstructed offi cers
dur-ing a DUI investigation. He was arrested and taken to the
Martinez Detention Facility.Aug. 23, 7:15 a.m. On Balfour Road at
Min-nesota Avenue, a driver hopped the median, struck some trees
and fl ed the scene.Aug. 23, 8:45 p.m. A subject contacted on
Walnut Boulevard was found to have an ex-traditable warrant out of
Arizona. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Deten-tion
Facility.
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.ANTIOCHAug.
17, 1:05 p.m. An offi cer of the Antioch Police Department heard
several gunshots and saw a male later identifi ed as 27-year-old
Concord resident Jerode Griffi n standing on Somersville Road near
Highway 4 shooting fi ve to six shots from a handgun across the
lanes of traffi c. It is unknown exactly what
he was shooting at. The subject then fl ed the scene in a white
sedan East onto Highway 4. The car then crashed on Highway 4 just
East of the Somersville Road on-ramp. Two sub-jects fl ed from the
car and after an extensive search, were located and arrested. A fi
rearm was recovered from the car. At this time police are unable to
locate any persons or property hit by the gunfi re. Griffi n was
booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the charges of
shooting into an inhabited dwelling/vehicle and for violation of
parole. Vincent Johnson, a 20-year-old Antioch resident, was
identifi ed as the driver. He was also booked for shoot-ing into an
inhabited dwelling/vehicle.Aug. 18, 9:45 p.m. Offi cers of the
Antioch Po-lice Department were dispatched to the Rite Aid at 4100
Lone Tree Way on the report of an audible alarm. Upon arrival, offi
cers saw a subject, later identifi ed as 29-year-old Shon-del
Johnson, running out of a side door of the closed business carrying
a backpack and a computer tower. When Johnson saw the offi -cers,
he attempted to get into a vehicle, driven by 20-year-old Kellina
Brown, parked behind the business. Johnson was unable to get into
the vehicle, and fl ed on foot, dropping the backpack and computer
tower. Offi cers ap-prehended and detained Johnson and Brown at the
scene without incident. Upon inspect-ing the backpack, offi cers
found cash and checks from Rite Aid. Johnson and Brown were taken
into custody and booked into the Main Detention Facility in
Martinez.Aug. 20, 9:54 p.m. An unidentifi ed person fi red several
rounds at a 13-year-old male An-tioch resident, a 21-year-old
female Antioch resident, a 17-year-old female Pittsburg resi-dent,
and a 30-year-old male Antioch resident as they were leaving an
apartment complex in the 2200 block of Sycamore Drive. The vic-tims
were in a vehicle and at least some of
the rounds hit and shattered the back wind-shield. None of the
victims were injured. The investigation of the incident revealed
that a week earlier, the suspect a 15-year-old male Antioch
resident had threatened to kill the 13-year-old, who lives in the
same apartment complex. The suspect was located at a dif-ferent
apartment complex in the 2200 block of Sycamore Drive. He was
arrested for at-tempted murder and terrorist threats. A 17-year-old
male suspect was located in the same apartment and was arrested as
an accessory to the crime.Aug. 23, 1:05 p.m. Offi cers of the
Antioch Police Department responded to the report of suspicious
chemicals, suspected of being part of a methamphetamine lab,
located in a broken-down van on Sunset Lane in Antioch. Upon
arrival offi cers found the meth lab in the van. A subsequent
investigation revealed that 52-year-old Steven Michael Woodhouse
had access to the van and was residing in a rented room at a nearby
house. Chemicals and small amounts of methamphetamine were found in
the bedroom. Also located in the bedroom was a rifl e and
ammunition. Woodhouse is prohibited from possessing fi rearms or
ammunition in part due to a previous 1999 conviction for
manufacturing methamphet-amine. Antioch narcotics detectives along
with agents from the California DOJ Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement
responded to the scene to process the methamphetamine labo-ratory.
Woodhouse was located and arrested in the parking lot of Contra
Loma Reservoir and booked at the Contra Costa County Jail for
methamphetamine manufacture and be-ing a felon in possession of a
fi rearm and am-munition.
For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit
www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police.
COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS A
suspicious-looking device seen on First Street was eventually confi
rmed to be used for mosquito surveillance.Aug. 20, 8:14 p.m,
Brentwood
-
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Bankruptcy Code.
Old becomes new at Tummies to Tots
Jeannette Hemenway sets high stan-dards for the quality of items
she sells at her consignment shop Tummies to Tots in Brent-wood, so
dont get freaked out if she smells the clothes youre trying to
sell.
I know its weird and I get weird looks when I smell the clothes,
but its what the customers are going to do anyway, Hemen-way said.
I dont want to sell something that smells like its been in your
garage for fi ve years. It needs to look and feel brand new.
Along with scent, Hemenway also checks to make sure there are no
stains, miss-ing buttons or faulty zippers on items people try to
sell through her store, which opened in July. But Tummies to Tots
is more than a clothing store. Its a one-stop shop for help-ing
families get through those early years. Hemenway sells everything
from cribs and car seats to books and educational toys.
Customer Kaila Cutshaw of Brentwood said shes excited to have a
consignment shop close to home where she can shop for her
11-month-old Myles. Im so glad this place is fi nally open. Ive
been waiting very patiently to shop here. And I really appreciate
that the owner has such an attention to detail. Its so important to
provide your children with safe and sanitized things, so as a
parent, Im really happy that she has such a strict clean
policy.
Hemenway got the idea for Tummies
to Tots two years ago when one of her girl-friends discovered
she was pregnant and asked about consignment shops that catered to
expectant mothers and their offspring. Hemenway knew of only a few
and none of them were in far East County, so she did some research
and decided to bring a con-signment shop to Brentwood.
The closest shops were in Walnut Creek and Lafayette, and
driving all that way can end up taking up your whole day, and
families cant afford to do that especially now, Hemenway said.
Plus, kids clothes become expensive because theyre constantly
outgrowing their clothes, and you have to buy more. When I go out
to get out my win-ter clothes this season, the clothes from last
year are still going to fi t me. That wont be the case for my
4-year old.
While families are tightening their belts and watching their
budgets, dressing their children remains a priority, and theres
no
way around the need to fi nd new clothes that fi t children
comfortably.
Kids need clothes. Thats all there is to it, Hemenway said.
There is so much life left in these clothes since kids get to wear
them for only a short period of time, so its like buying them brand
new but you get it at such a great price. Plus, you are support-ing
your community by shopping locally and buying from people in your
community.
Hemenway sells maternity clothes as well as clothes for children
up to age 6. Since kids can grow fast, many of the items Hem-enway
brings in still have the tags on them the original owner grew too
big to wear them even once. Items sold at Tummies to Tots are 50 to
75 percent off the retail value, and when that involves name brands
such as Gap, Gymboree and Carters, those savings are huge.
Hemenway already has a wait list of people hoping to sell their
used items. While she has plenty of clothes to sell, shes always in
need of furniture such as high chairs and car seats. To get on the
wait list, Hemenway asks potential consigners to come in to meet
with her fi rst at the shop and then shell alert them by e-mail
when she has room on the fl oor for specifi c items.
Tummies to Tots, located at 3860 Bal-four Road, Suite A, is open
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information,
visit www.tummiesto-totsofbrentwood.com or call 925-513-6556.
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
While owner Jeannette Hemenway helps customers at Tummies to
Tots, her daughter Miranda, left, plays with Audrey Smith, whose
mom Denise came into the shop to inquire about consigning.
Photo by Samie Hartley
-
16A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY AUGUST 28, 2009
Advertisement
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Brentwood Veterinary Hospital
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Kindergarteners through eighth-grad-ers are invited to attend
the annual Future Freedom Falcons Cheer Clinic from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Thurs-day, Sept. 3 in the upper gymnasium
at Freedom High School. Participants will also perform during
halftime of the Fal-con varsity football game against Ama-dor
Valley on Friday, Sept. 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Participants will be grouped accord-ing to age and be taught
cheers by the schools varsity cheerleaders and coaches. The cost
for this fundraiser is $50, and
each girl will be provided a T-shirt, pom-poms, snacks and
water. All proceeds benefi t the trust fund for Ally Jenkins, a
Freedom cheerleader who recently re-ceived new lungs in her fi ght
with a dead-ly cardiopulmonary disease. Parents are welcome to
observe, or may drop off and pick up participants.
Registration forms are available in the front offi ce at Freedom
High School, 1050 Neroly Road in Oakley. Late registrants may sign
up at the door on Tuesday, Sept. 1. For more information, call
adviser Les-lie Runzler at 510-304-2000.
Cheering for Ally
When told of the upcoming event, Elizabeth said she continues to
be over-whelmed by the public outpouring of support.
We thank God every day for our wonderful town and community and
all the prayers that have been coming our way. We are so
grateful.
For more information on the Sept. 23 fundraiser, call Mike Fagan
at 925-628-9657 or Noelle Young at 925-759-7538.
Other Tanner fundraisers include:Saturday, August 29:
Community
Bake Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 408 Pinenut St. in Oakley
(call 925-679-9437 or e-mail [email protected]). Please bring
any baked goods or items to sell be-fore Saturday.
Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13: Aaron Tanner Dunk
Booth at the Oak-ley Almond Festival (call 925-759-7538).
Friday and Saturday, September 18 and 19: Rummage Sale, 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, at Coldwell
Banker, 3775 Main St. in Oakley (call 925-759-7538).
Thursday, September 17: Pizza Night at Straw Hat, 6680 Lone Tree
Way in Brentwoods Winco shopping center (call 925-634-3664).
For those able to help in other ways, other options are
available. A fund has been set up at the Bank of Agriculture (c/o
Aaron Tanner Heart Foundation), 2251 Balfour Road in Brentwood.
Contri-butions may also be made online at
www.saveabrokenheart.com.
Aaron from page 12A
-
Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey
MHA Check Up
Advertisement
Th e Making Home Aff ordable (MHA) program was fi rst announced
on February 18th with guidelines released to lenders through the
United States Treasury on March 4, 2009, and, according to Treasury
Secretary Tim Geithner in a press release dated May 14 2009, In
just over two months, the Making Home Aff ordable program is up and
run-ning, helping our economy recover and mak-ing a diff erence in
the lives and livelihoods of thousands of American homeowners. As
of this writing, the program includes fourteen mortgage loan
servicing companies, includ-ing the fi ve largest. Between said
servicers and loans owned or securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac, more than 75% of all mortgage loans in the country are now
under the Making Home Aff ordable blanket.
So with roughly four months of operat-ing under our belts, just
how is the program performing?
Of course you will always fi nd stories on both sides of the
fence but according to struggling home owner Nicholas Tekpertey, In
February, I was facing foreclosure, Mak-ing Home Aff ordable
changed my situation, and gave me my home back. All homeown-ers who
are worried about their mortgage payments should do what I did.
Call your lender. See if you qualify. Th is program is real, and
this program works. To further back Mr. Tekperteys personal
experience are Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs actual fi gures. Since
the launch of Fannie Maes new automated underwriting system
233,000
eligible refi nance applications have been run through Desktop
Underwriter (DU) Refi Plus the automated system set in place April
4, 2009 specifi cally for the Making Home Aff ordable program with
over 51,000 of those applications having loan-to-values between 80
and 105%. Freddie Mac has also seen success with over 1500 Home Aff
ordable closed and delivered to the government entity.
Don Bisenius, Executive Vice President of Freddie Mac, was
pleased to announce up-dated guidelines aimed to further the
success of President Obamas MHA program, stating on June 5th, We
are responding to consum-ers desires to have more refi nancing
options. As an added benefi t, we are expanding the program and
providing greater fl exibility in fi nancing closing costs. Freddie
Mac is com-mitted to doing everything we can to bring the benefi ts
of the Administrations Making Home Aff ordable program to as many
bor-rowers as possible. Freddie Mac is now fol-lowing what Fannie
Mae put into play from the start...allowing borrowers who attempt
to participate in the program to work with any lender, not just
their current servicer.
Overall the Making Home Aff ordable program is slowly but surely
showing posi-tive results. For further information on said program
and to see if qualify to refi nance up to 125% of your homes value
please do not hesitate to call me directly, or write in at
[email protected]. You can also visit www.makinghomeaff
ordable.com
22 888882008
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18A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY AUGUST 28, 2009
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LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL
NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of
Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the normal
course of business permits on September 8, 2009, hold a public
hearing to consider the following:Consideration of an appeal by the
ap-plicant, Don Sabin of a condition of approval associated with
the Planning Commissions approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP
09-06) to allow a sec-ondary housing unit, located at 751 Bea-trice
Street (APN 012-063-011). Appellant/Applicant: Don Sabin Said
hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 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.In any court challenge
of City Council decisions, 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 delivered to the
Brentwood City Council at, or prior to, the public
hearing.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish Date: August 28,
2009
NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALETS No. 09-0046963 Title Order No.
09-8-140987 Investor/Insurer No. 088200823 APN No. 055-390-030-9
YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 01/05/2005. UNLESS
YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A
PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE
PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is
hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly
appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by:
KERRY W BURNHAM, AND JUDY A BURNHAM, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS COMMUNITY
PROPERTY, dated 01/05/2005 and recorded 01/11/05, as Instrument No.
2005-0010894-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce
of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California,
will sell on 09/17/2009 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to
the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court
Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder
for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of
sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it
under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County
and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed
of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any,
of the real property
described above is purported to be: 5217 FEATHER WAY, ANTIOCH,
CA, 94531. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any
incorrectness of the street address and other common designation,
if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with
interest thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be
sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the
time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is
$477,317.99. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening
bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. In addition to
cash, the Trustee will accept cashiers checks drawn on a state or
national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or
a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association,
savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of
the Financial Code and authorized to
do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS
condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied,
regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the
indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder,
with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note
secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in
said Note, plus fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of
the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. If required by the
provisions of section 2923.5 of the California Civil Code, the
declaration from the mortgagee, bene ciary or authorized agent is
attached to the Notice of Trustees Sale duly recorded with the
appropriate County Recorders Of ce. DATED: 07/16/2009 RECONTRUST
COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA
93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information
(626) 927-4399 By: - Trustees Sale Of cer RECONTRUST COMPANY,
N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any
information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3240435
08/28/2009, 09/04/2009, 09/11/2009Antioch Press No. 06-1617Publish
Dates: August 28, September 4, 11, 2009
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGNotice is hereby given that the City
Council of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon
thereafter as the normal course of business permits on September 8,
2009, hold a public hearing to consider the following:Consideration
of an appeal by Jackie Waters of the Planning Commission approval
of an application for a condi-tional use permit (CUP 09-09) to
allow the operation of a 5,000-square-foot lounge/nightclub, known
as Club O, in a 10,000-square-foot commercial/retail
building within Lone Tree Crossings, located at 6830 Lone Tree
Way (APN 019-010-064).Appellant/Applicant: Jackie WatersSaid
hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 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.In any court challenge of City Council decisions, 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
correspon-dence delivered to the Brentwood City Council at, or
prior to, the public hear-ing.Brentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish
Date: August 28, 2009
in middle school.Yet other milestones occur in middle
school, some of which are more personal. This (middle school) is
such a critical phase in a students maturation, he said. They are
constantly wondering: do I fi t in, do I have friends? This is the
age of moral development and consciousness.
And the age of respect. Miller sub-scribes to the tenent that
respect is earned, and he works to instill that axiom in his
students by leading by example.
I earn student respect with respect, he said. Even if theyre
coming in to see me because theyre in trouble, its still a
re-spectful conversation; there is no berating. If their parents
need to be called, I make them get on the phone. They do the heavy
lifting; I just guide them.
Already this year Miller has guided not only the curriculum but
the extra-curricular as well. Procedural changes on campus have
made it so that every student is supervised every minute of every
day, he said.
I probably tightened things up from a supervising standpoint and
in doing so the
students are clear where they can go and where they cant. The
expectation, the core understanding, is that all behavior will be
positive, and that means they will be safe, responsible and
respectful.
In an effort to give students as many positive outlets as
possible, Miller has opened up the library during lunchtime,
al-lowing students to check out books, use the computers or even
just socialize out front. Two new foosball tables as well as
ping-pong have been added to the playground area, and special
events on Fridays, such as the recent surfer day, creates more
op-tions.
We (staff) even get out there and turn the jump ropes, said
Miller.
The bottom line, said Miller, is that we want students to enjoy
learning, and so far his stint at Excelsior has been a learning
experience for the married father of two as well. Im working hard,
Im put-ting in a lot of 12-hour days right now, but Im enjoying it,
he said. While I enjoyed the two years I was in Antioch, Im happy
to be here. Ill do this for as long as theyll have me.
Principal from page 1A
miles north of Discovery Bay.The gates are planned to be
continu-
ously open from mid-April to mid-May and from July through
November. From December to March they would be closed one to two
hours per day. In March to mid-April as well as mid-May through the
end of June, the gates are planned to be closed up to 10 hours per
day during fl ood tides, then opened during ebb and slack
tides.
The goal is to prevent the spawning smelt from traveling down
Old and Middle rivers into the water pumps south of Byron, killing
them as water is sucked out of the Delta and sent south. The gates
would be in place for at least fi ve years while their
ef-fectiveness is studied.
David Breninger, president of the Rec-reational Boaters of
California, sent a letter July 30 to the project proponents that
ap-plauds doing research on ways to save the smelt but which also
expresses numerous concerns about the gates project, particu-larly
the closure of the gates in the spring.
These are prime boating times, espe-cially for the residents in
the area south of the gates, Breningers letter states. Dis-covery
Bay, a water-oriented community of some 10,000 residents and some
3,700 homes, would be impacted the most when the gates are closed,
particularly when trav-eling by water to the western Delta. They
would have very limited water exit or en-trance to and from their
community.
Also of concern is the need of law enforcement and U.S. Coast
Guard boats for rapid and unencumbered access. In addition, access
and ease of movement is needed by working vessels such as barges,
tugs and other vessels involved in possible emergency levee repair
or maintenance as well as farm barges to transit the area
with farm equipment and workers.The publics long established
right of
vessel passage under the public use doctrine to transit the
Delta waterways unimpeded by gates or barriers must be fully
mitigated to satisfy the needs of a wide variety of boats of all
sizes.
In a phone interview, Pete Lucero, spokesman for the Bureau of
Reclamation, said that boaters would have an opportuni-ty to
express their concerns during the envi-ronmental review process for
the project.
That day is coming very soon where the public will be able to
make a comment and provide their voices to what the plans may be,
he said. We are certainly open to hear everyones point of view on
this and make sure that the intended purpose of the project meets
the needs of the greater good.
The Bay Area news media will be notifi ed when the environmental
docu-ments are released along with the sched-ule of the public
comment meeting(s), he said. For more information, go on-line to
www.science.calwater.ca.gov/events/reviews/review_2gates.html.
Gates from page 1A
Photo courtesy of California Department of Water Resources
The gates project is planned to pro-tect the endangered Delta
smelt.
Commuters should be prepared to do without a segment of the
Highway 4 Bypass for nearly three weeks, beginning Monday.
Crews will be adding a rubberized as-phalt overlay extending
from the Balfour Road/Bypass intersection in Brentwood to the Marsh
Creek Road/Bypass inter-
section south of Brentwood. The work will require the closure of
the Bypass from Balfour Road to Marsh Creek Road from 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. on weekdays from approximately Aug. 31 through Sept. 18. A
detour will be provided utilizing Bal-four Road, Walnut Boulevard
and Marsh Creek Road.
Bypass to undergo temporary closure
-
20A | THEPRESS.NET AUGUST 28, 2009
-
Cornerstone Christian School doesnt get quite the press about
its sports programs that public schools get, but interesting things
are happening there nonetheless, such as the launching of its
eight-man tackle football program.
The eight-man game is similar to re-gular football, but its
played on a smaller fi eld 80 yards long and 40 yards wide with fi
ve players on the line and three in the backfi eld. Fielding
smaller teams makes sense for smaller schools like Cor-nerstone,
which has just 60 high school students (and another 340 in grades
K-8).
Its defi nitely a little more wide open because you have less
guys on the fi eld, even though the fi eld is shorter, said
Cornerstone Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Casey
Copeland, who was a defensive back at San Diego State.
Athletics at a small, private school re-quires the wearing of
several hats on the part of administrators Copelands assi-stant
coaches are Principal Logan Heyer and Pastor Steve Miner. The
players ran-ge from those who grew up playing Pop Warner football
to those who are putting pads on for the fi rst time in their
lives.
Its been a rewarding experience, said Copeland at a practice
last week on the teams home fi eld at Orchard
Park Elementary School in Oakley, just a couple miles down East
18th Street from Cornerstone Christian School. Theres a lot of
patience involved in teaching the-se kids. But they show up, they
practice every day and want to get better and are learning, and its
nice to see.
The Cougars fi rst-ever tackle foot-ball game (they played fl ag
football in junior high) will be Saturday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. at
Orchard Park Elementary on Live Oak Avenue, and the public is
invited.
If people want to come see a little different brand of football
than the tra-ditional, they should check this out, said
Copeland. Its huge in Texas and Los Angeles. Theres some really
good teams out there, especially on the Peninsula and South Bay and
the Chico and Redding area.
The seven-game schedule includes a trip to Reno to play Pyramid
Lake High. Its an ambitious schedule for a team that didnt even
exist in April. But theyve been training at Trucks Training
facility in Antioch along with practicing every weekday, and
Copeland has seen a lot of progress in just a few months.
Yesterday was one of the best prac-tices we have had, he said.
We saw kids
who are very green using pads and ma-king tackles. We probably
have about six kids that are good enough to make a pu-blic school
team. The rest are green and still learning. But its coming
together. Its starting to click now. Our goal is to get the
(novices) to the next level if we do that, we are successful.
Hell be looking to several players to help lead the team in its
inaugural season: running back/linebacker Luke Miner (son of Pastor
Steve), wide receiver/free safety Erinn Love and quarterback/kicker
James Maldonado.
Copeland, who lives in Brentwood, has two children attending the
school: his daughter Brooklyn, who is in sixth grade, having
attended for the past fi ve years, and his son Braxton, who is in
third grade.
The school is awesome, said Cope-land. Its very scripturally
sound and has all kinds of accreditations. The church is doing
really well over there. What I love about the school is its a
family there. My third-grader last year could walk on the campus
and theres kids in 11th grade, who say, Hey, Braxton. I love that
about the school. Now we want to really elevate our athletic
program.
In addition to fl ag and tackle foot-ball, the school offers
girls softball, boys and girls varsity basketball (the girls went
18-0 last season), varsity soccer and girls varsity volleyball a
team that made the playoffs last year.
2B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS AUGUST 28, 2009
Cornerstone launches football program
Cornerstone Christian School quarterback James Maldonado takes
off on a keeper as Assistant Coach and Pastor Steve Miner cheers
him on in a practice last week.
Photo by Dave Roberts
by Dave RobertsStaff Writer
22 888882008
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AUGUST 28, 2009 SPORTS THEPRESS.NET | 3B
22 888882008
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Deer Valley golf star Haley Edwards recently shot a hole-in-one
on the fth hole at Lone Tree Golf Course. The fth is a 100-yard par
three, and Haleys club of choice was a pitching wedge. For her ace,
she received a trophy from Lone Tree. Haley is entering her third
year on the Wolverine golf team.
Ace in the hole
Photo courtesy of Lisa Edwards
-
4B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS AUGUST 28, 2009
Saturday, September 5