YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 7, No. 43 Including Surrounding Communities www.thepress.net October 23, 2009

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THIS WEEK

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Good time toget it in gear

From customizing classics to winterizing your vehicle, our Fall Auto Care guide puts you in the fast lane.

Page 1B

Lions tamed by Panthers

Whats past became prologue when a hot-off-the-preseason Liberty squad got cooled off by Antioch.

Page 21A

Business .............................6ACalendar ..........................27BClassifieds ........................17BCop Logs ..........................19AEntertainment ................13BFall Auto Care Guide ........1BFood .................................14BHealth & Beauty ...............9BMilestones .......................12BOpinion ...........................18AOutdoors ...........................4ASports ...............................21ATalk About Town ..............5A

INSIDE

DBPOA gets fresh faces Four seats on the Discovery Bay Property Owners Association board are no longer empty.

Page 3A

CSD OKs agenda pick-up location

Discovery Bay CSD meeting agenda packets will now be available to the public on the Friday before a scheduled Wednesday meeting, even after the CSD offices close.

In the past, the public has been invited to pick up packets at the town offices as they became avail-able, but there have been times when the packets were completed just as the town offices closed on a Friday afternoon, making it impossible for some residents to pick up a copy un-til the following Monday.

At the Oct. 7 regular meeting, CSD Vice President Mark Simon suggested a box be placed outside the town offices where agenda pack-ets could be placed on Friday after-noons when the packets are prepared

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Agenda page 26A

Tens of thousands of criminals will be re-leased early onto the streets of California in the coming years to help relieve prison over-crowding, and local police are concerned it will result in increasing crime.

I know from the Contra Costa Police Chiefs Association, we do have a concern that if the state of California is going to be releas-ing between 20,000 and 40,000 inmates to the California streets, whats the plan for re-entry (into society)? said Antioch Police Chief Jim Hyde. We havent heard a serious plan other than the folks will be assigned to parole offi -cers and all that.

If you release them from state prison and they dont have any place to go to, then they are homeless. If they are homeless, they are in a desperate state and they tend to re-offend and turn back to a life of crime as a way to

live.The prisoner-release program was an-

nounced last month in response to a three-judge U.S. District Court ruling in August that state prisons, which are at nearly double their capacity, have two years to reduce overcrowd-ing to no more than 137.5 percent of the prison space. That would require a reduction of about 40,000 prisoners.

State offi cials responded with a plan that takes three years to nearly meet that goal through a variety of measures. Those include sending fewer parole violators back to prison, reducing the time that prisoners serve, deport-ing illegal immigrant prisoners, reducing to a misdemeanor thefts less than $950 and allow-ing low-risk offenders to serve the last year of their sentence under house arrest.

Antioch Mayor Jim Davis, whose city has been struggling to keep a lid on escalat-

Cops concerned about state prisoner releaseIn last weeks edition, the Press reported a legal opin-ion from the California First

Amendment Coalition that meetings of the Town of Dis-covery Bays Community Center Subcommittee (CCS), whose six members until recently includ-ed three directors of the CSD Board, were subject to the post-ing and reporting requirements of the Brown Act because the committee is a standing com-mittee, not an ad hoc commit-tee as asserted earlier by Presi-dent Ray Tetreault.

The status of the CCS is correct, but the Press was in-correct in reporting that the Act applies to meetings that 1) do not involving all three of the CSD Board members who are on the CCS, or 2) that do

Retraction

see Retraction page 26Asee Prisoners page 26A

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

For a few days beginning next weekend, Vasco Road will be closed in both directions as part of the Vasco Road Safety Project. For details, check out the story on Page 17A.

Vasco to be no-go

Press file photo

OCTOBER 23, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

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Upstairs condo 2 bdrm. 2ba. w/fam. rm, fireplace & laundry. Sits in a park setting. Walking distance to shops, restaurants and parks. Easy freeway access. Lots of HOA amenities. $225,000

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. $315,000

Great floor plan, 4 bdrm. 2.5 bath, two story bank owned home, 2,683 sf. Good shape, kitchen has tile counter tops and walk in pantry. Garage has nice work bench area.

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Brentwood double-organ candidate makes A-list

Double-transplant candidate Aaron Tanner, 4, has cleared another hurdle in his quest for a new heart and kidney. This week, the Brentwood toddler is expected to be placed on the organ wait list at UCLA Medical Center, where he will receive A1 status, making him the top priority for organ donation.

Speaking by phone this week from UCLA Medi-cal Center, Aarons mother Elizabeth said she remains hopeful and grateful: Aaron is stable at the moment and he should be (donor) listed this week. Once that happens, doctors have told us that honestly it could be four to six months before a size and blood match be-come available, but were hoping for sooner rather than later.

Aaron and Elizabeth arrived at UCLA two weeks ago from UCSF, where they had been living since June. The move was a prerequisite for fi nal approval from the UCLA surgeon who will perform the risky surgery, and from the insurance carrier covering Aarons procedure.

This week, the green light was given for both, and while insurance wont cover all of the estimated $2 to $3 million surgery, it will defray a substantial portion.Aaron Tanner, 4, is currently residing at UCLA Medical Center

awaiting rare heart-and-kidney-transplant surgery.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Tanner

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see A-List page 15A

Four seats on the Discovery Bay Property Owners Association (DBPOA) board have been fi lled following last months election, and President Domi-nic Carano hopes the combination of fresh and familiar faces will make for a more productive and successful organi-zation.

Our board has changed completely in the past year, said Carano. Its ba-sically a whole new board and I dont necessarily think thats a bad thing. I see it all as a positive. Im hoping for good things.

Two incumbents, Jack Parker and Omar Hindiyeh, were re-elected to the two-year term, and newcomers Bobbi Nugent and Shirley Tilton secured the remaining seats. Positions on the board have not yet been determined.

Nugent, who was the highest vote getter, is looking forward to making a constructive difference. Im happy to be here and excited to help move this board in a positive direction, said Nugent,

DBPOA gets new directors

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Directors page 15A

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Tis the season for tarantulasNo self-respecting haunted house can

operate without them. Our fear of them exerts a visceral power; our revulsion is automatic. When we want to make the

skin crawl, we know what to do. Trot out the spiders.

After decades of attempts to intellec-tualize my way out of it, Im still a card-carrying arachno-phobe. The spider is a creature grotesquely unlike me. It sports eight legs and way too many eyes for my taste. It wears its

skeleton on its sleeve and its abdomen in its back pocket. And it dines with a grue-some gentility, paralyzing its prey with venom, wrapping the hapless victim in silk while its innards liquefy, and return-ing later to sip away with a straw. No writer of horror fi ction has dreamed up a beast more bizarre.

The Nightmare on Arachnid Street might feel like a primal emotion, but some experts arent so sure. Recent studies suggest that our disgust at the image of a spider is a form of disease-avoidance response with historical and geographical roots. When plague swept through Europe during the Middle Ages, spiders came to be associated with the plague. The real

culprits were certain rat-infesting fl eas, a fact not established until the 19th century. But in a house struck down by plague, the spiders proximity to the rat made it a prime candidate for blame. (Spiders often hung out in areas of the house, such as the thatched roof, also occupied by rats.) Fear of the plague clouded peoples judg-ment, and their natural aversion to spiders

at fi rst no greater than to other crawling things soon went haywire.

In short, arachnophobia got its start as a displaced anxiety and became en-trenched as an unconscious vestige of that anxiety. To augment this theory, research-er Graham C.L. Davey of City University, London points out that the tendency of Europeans and their descendants to

be fearful of spiders does not seem to be shared by people in many non-European cultures. In fact, many non-European cultures revere spiders as symbols of wisdom or good fortune. Prominent in the folktales of the Ashanti of Ghana, West Africa is the character Anansi the Spider, a lovable trickster similar to the god Loki in Norse mythology.

Also in some areas of Africa, as well as Indo-China, the Caribbean, and among Native Americans and the aborigines of Australia, spiders are kept as pets, released at weddings as a token of good luck (and lovingly laid in the bed of the blissed-out couple), and even gobbled down (were talking lethally venom-ous spiders here) as a culinary delicacy. Mmmm.

One non-fi ctional spider that inspires fear way out of proportion to its actual menace is the tarantula: huge, hairy, scary and gentle as a lamb unless youre an insect.

The male tarantula stops growing at about age 7, at which time he sheds his exoskeleton for the last time. Normally a nocturnal creature, the mature male leaves the protection of his burrow in September and October and goes looking for a mate in broad daylight. That procreative im-pulse is good for the species but hazard-ous to the suitors health. Out in the open,

A male tarantula cruises for chicks at Mt. Diablos Donner Canyon. No, hes not a 10-legged arachnid. Those two small frontal stirrups are used for hooking and neutralizing the females fangs before mating.

Photo by Ger Erickson

see Outside page 13A

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TALK ABOUT TOWN Have an item? E-maileditor@brentwoodpress.com.Bill Kirk of Kirk Weld-ing, right, studies his creation in front of his Brentwood Boulevard shop. The 16-foot sculpture includes a motion sensor that triggers reballs in its head and hand. Kirk plans to use his pyrotech-nic pumpkinhead monster as a decoration for an upcoming party, but for now its been turning heads in town.

Rumors were ying at last weeks Rotary Trade Club Dinner about who might be running for the Liberty Union High School Board of Trustees next year. Speculation is that the ballot might just include a three-person slate: Donna Bec-nel, Pam Taylor and Lea Brock-man, wives of the three city councilmen who were served with papers announcing that petitions to recall them would be circulated by resident Kathy Fredenburg. Asked if they were indeed planning to run, and if they were, why, the women just smiled, declining to con rm or deny the reports.

Sometimes you just gotta conduct a wholesale clearance. On Oct. 9 at 1:47 a.m., a Brentwood police of cer

pulled over a vehicle and found the in-terior such a mess that he cleared it all out. By mess, we mean: A) the driver was drunk; B) one of the passengers was also drunk; and C) the third passenger was subject to an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The of cer cleared out the interior and deposited the whole mess in the Martinez lockup bin for recycling.

Looking for a fun and safe way to spend Halloween? Take the kids to the Streets of Brentwood on Oct. 31 from noon to 4 p.m. to enjoy trick or treating, a parade and costume contest, face painting, bounce houses, pumpkin art and a haunted bus, sponsored by Tri Delta Transit. For those look-ing for a less spooky bus ad-venture, the Tumble Time Bus will also be on site for hours of fun. For more information, vis-it www.streetsofbrentwoodca.com.

If youre looking to weigh in on the proposed Oakley Generating Station, a power plant awaiting approval from the California Energy Commis-sion, mark your calendar for Monday, Nov. 9. Members of the commission will be at Oak-ley City Hall to lead a public informational hearing at 5:30

p.m. to discuss the project to be built at the old Dupont property. The com-mission, not the City Council, will de-cide whether the station will be built in Oakley, so if you want to put in your two cents, make sure youre there in November.

Compiled by Press staff

Photo by Richard Wisdom

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Improved medical records is in the cards

When patients are admitted to the emer-gency room, medical professionals must make split-second decisions sometimes without the medical history necessary to make a thor-ough diagnosis. But one Brentwood company is trying to change that.

Mike Williams, president of the medical supplies store MedSolutions, knows the im-portance of easy access to medical records in an emergency.

Last year my dad was experiencing heart complications and was taken to the emergency room, Williams said. It took doctors a while to come up with the best course of treatment because they didnt have access to all his medical records right away, so it got me thinking: why cant people take per-sonal control of their records?

Williams devised MedIDCard, a prod-uct the size of a credit card with a retractable USB fl ash drive that stores pertinent medical information that might come in handy dur-ing an emergency. The MedIDCard software, MedIDWare, is built directly into the card and can be accessed from any computer with no downloads necessary. As the cards auto-run software is both MAC and Windows compatible, medical professionals can access the cards information at all times regardless of their computers operating system.

MedIDCard users may input as much or little information as theyd like. Williams said the 2GB (2 billion bytes) on the card provides more than enough storage space for all your information. There are pages to enter infor-mation manually, but the card is also capable of storing PDFs of scanned medical records, X-rays and even legal documents such as wills and power-of-attorney declarations. There is also a print and e-mail function so informa-tion from the card can be sent to a doctor in a

non-emergency case.Its like an insurance policy in your

pocket, Williams said. You never know when youll be in an accident and need access to this information. With the MedIDCard technology, you can keep all of this with you on your person. You can list your allergies and medications, your blood type, family history, immunizations, insurance contact informa-tion you can list if youre a donor. Its all the critical information that doctors will need to know to accurately treat you. Its all there. The MedIDCard speaks for you when you cant.

Jane Schmitz, a rehab product special-ist from Alameda, heard about MedIDCard from Williams and decided to try the product to keep track of her grandmothers health re-cords.

My grandma is 91 years old and shes very independent, but this card helps us keep track of all her medications and store updat-ed information about doctors visits, Schmitz said. Shes on at least 20 different medica-tions, so this allows us and the doctors to have

all her information right at our fi ngertips. This way, no matter who takes her to a doctors ap-pointment, weve got all the needed informa-tion right on the card.

Schmitz said she was also surprised about how easy the card is to use: Im not very tech savvy, but the program is so simple to under-stand and the drop-down menus make it easy to plug in all your information. You never know when something might happen and you need access to all this information for yourself or a loved one, and its helpful to have it all with you in your purse or wallet. After seeing how much its benefi ted my grandma, I think I might even get one for myself.

According to Sutter Delta Medical Cen-ter Communications and Marketing Manag-er Angela Juarez-Lombardi, We are always very encouraged when patients proactively collect important information regarding their medical history, and the product appears to take patients down that track. Depending on a patients condition or treatment plan, there can be a lot of information and paperwork

collected, so the idea of putting it in one place is a great idea.

She also mentioned that while the prod-uct is defi ned as universal, some computers in shared community areas such as an emergen-cy room might have the USB port disabled to prevent the transmission of computer viruses, so a device like this might be more suited for private physicians until technology like this becomes more common.

Williams knows it might take a while for a product like MedIDCard to catch on, but hes confi dent that people be will drawn to the cards ability to help people take control of their health records.

Having control of your health care is a big issue these days, he said. Most people all of us, frankly rely on the medical com-munity to maintain our medical records. Not that we shouldnt trust medical professionals. Of course we should, but this allows you to take control of your own records so that you

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Mike Williams, owner of MedSolutions in Brentwood, displays his latest product MedIDCard, a credit-card-size device that stores all your medical records in one easy-to-use gadget.

Photo by Samie Hartley

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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SHADOW?We keep hearing that there is another

large wave of bank-owned homes about to hit the market. These are all the homes that the banks have foreclosed on (or should have foreclosed on by now), but havent been put on the market yet.

Why havent they been put on the market? There are a variety of reasons. First, there were all the government-imposed moratoriums mixed in with the banks imposing foreclosure moratoriums on themselves. This is similar to how there are some programs in the stock market that put a halt to trading if the market trades down by more than so many points in a day. Sort of a cooling-off period to prevent catastrophic panic selling. A second reason is that many of these banks are just overwhelmed and cant keep up with the workflow to process all these foreclosures. It may sound silly, but a lot of them may be just sitting in a pile on someones desk, waiting for them to wade through the hundreds, if not thousands, of files they are responsible for.

The third reason is a bit more complex. It has to do with the banks reserve requirements

from the Federal Reserve. They are supposed to keep so much cash on hand to offset their bad loans. Well, a lot of banks dont have enough cash, so they are delaying foreclosing on these homes to keep their reserve account intact. If they were to take on too many foreclosures, the Federal Reserve could declare them insolvent, and take them over.

All these factors have combined to keep many bank-owned homes off the market this year, which has artificially depressed the number of homes for sale. The big question is when will they all finally get released onto the market? No one knows for sure. And now we are starting to wonder if the banks and the government are going to be able to keep finding ways to trickle the inventory out slowly, instead of in a big glut? If they have, then this IS the bottom of the market.

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

The Mayor Is A Turkey fundraiser announced by Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor last week is well on its way to reaching its goal. Taylor is collecting $8 contributions as he attends events and makes his way around town, enough to buy a turkey for each family in the Brentwood Regional Community Chests annual Christmas Basket program. Taylor has promised to appear in a turkey costume at the Dec. 19 basket distribution if he can get 300 donations. Hes got 120 in just over a week; better start practicing your gobble, Mr. Mayor. Cash donations may be dropped off at the Brentwood Press offi ce, 248 Oak St. Checks should be written to BRCC, and may be dropped off or mailed to P.O. Box 845, Brentwood CA 94513. Donations are tax-deductible.

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Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Sweeping Changes

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With us being smack-dab in the middle of fall, it seems more is chang-ing than the color of the leaves or the outside temperature. Th e Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is fall cleaning and revamping the guidelines on their increasingly popular FHA Streamline Refi nance. In September Mortgage Bankers Association re-ported that government-insured loans meaning FHA and VA fi nancing, but mostly FHA loans represented 36 percent of all loan applications the largest market penetration since 1990. With that said, and with rates still con-tinuing to hover around all time lows, it should be no surprise that the almost paperless Streamline Refi nance is see-ing more applications than ever.

However, the FHA has now revised its guidelines, and beginning Novem-ber 17 less than one month from now it will be more diffi cult for borrow-ers to qualify. Historically the FHA had accepted people for its Streamline Refi nance program without regard to employment, proof of cash needed for closing, or full appraisals. Starting No-vember 17, 2009, all borrowers under this program must: (1) be employed at the time of their application; (2) show proof of cash available for closing costs; and (3) obtain a full appraisal if they

want to add-in their closing costs as part of the Streamline Refi nance. In addition, starting early next year, the FHA may begin to deny Streamline Re-fi nance requests based on the borrow-ers employment and income, too little assets, or too low an appraised value.

You can be sure a lot of todays credit-approved homeowners will be wishing they acted sooner. Th e previ-ous refi nance approach was to help its (FHAs) homeowners to lower pay-ments however possible. By helping homeowners to lower their monthly mortgage payment, the FHA was also lowering its overall credit risk. Th at is no longer the case and the last thing youll want to do is wait too long to act! If you have an FHA mortgage - just for the heck of it - research your stream-line refi nance options against todays guidelines. You never know whatll turn up, but youll be guaranteeing yourself peace of mind by exhausting all of your resources before fall is gone and the broom comes out for spring cleaning.

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, or wish to speak with a Streamline expert dont hesitate to write me at tfreymortgages@yahoo.com. You can also call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

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ON THE WATER!!

Recent typhoons have impacted more than 4 million Filipinos and killed nearly 300. Members of the Filipino-American communi-ty of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, seen here, re-sponded by holding a collection drive at the church on Oct. 18 to aid the ood victims. In a single day of collection, the Fil-Am members were able to ll more than 33 large boxes with clothing, shoes, towels, bed-ding, canned goods and medicines. The boxes were immediately trans-ported to Concord, where the Catholic organization Couples for Christ will manage the distribution when the supplies arrive in the Philippines. The Fil-Am thanks all those who generously provided the supplies and volunteers for the relief effort.

Aiding typhoon victims

Photo courtesy of Jan Bantique

10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION OCTOBER 23, 2009

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Independence hosts BardFive professional actors from the San

Francisco Shakespeare Company inspired Independence High School students with a 55-minute performance of Shakespeares Hamlet on campus last week.

The audience of students, faculty and staff was thoroughly engaged and trans-ported to the medieval court of Denmark through the production, complete with sets, props, costumes and sword fi ghts. A light-hearted question-and-answer period fol-lowed the performance, offering students insight into why most contemporary artists hold Shakespeare in such high esteem.

As part of the touring production, teachers were provided standards-based

curriculum weeks before the perfor-mance 15 lesson plans indexed to state standards for language arts and drama. Written especially for teachers, the guides served as a valuable resource to help stu-dent audiences more fully appreciate and enjoy the performance. A workshop was also provided in which students were en-couraged to interact with the profession-als, experience a bit of stage fright and enjoy a little performing of their own. The performance, free to the school and district, was made possible through an NEA grant received by the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival.

Contributed by Sarah Singrin

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival actor David Abad performs a scene from Shakespeares Hamlet for Independence High School students.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Singrin

OCTOBER 23, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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of their surroundings and stand up for each other and speak up when they see others being wronged, Johnston said. And we want to ac-knowledge those students who take action.

The Phantom Mascot program is evolving on campus as more students hear about it. Ini-tially, students spotted by a Phantom Mascot were awarded with a balloon and some candy, but the balloon was confused with a birthday memento, so now students receive a bag of candy, said sophomore Shannon Foster.

The efforts to promote camaraderie dont end there, either. The Freshmen Leadership Training Class is also designing a series of posters to be placed around the clocks in each

classroom to serve as a constant reminder to do the right thing.

Students should have a positive attitude and get involved on campus, so we want to put messages and posters around all the clocks, since thats a place every student is going to look, said senior Muriah Disney, who leads the Promotions Committee. Hopefully these motivating messages will help students live the message that we learned on Challenge Day and Be the Change.

The Be the Change campaign promoted on Challenge Day encourages students to stop waiting for things to change and starting acting now by being the change theyd like to see in

the world. The theory behind the movement, which originated in the Bay Area 20 years ago, is that if a handful of students commits to one act of kindness per day, others will be inspired and change their attitude as well.

Principal Erik Faulkner has noticed a positive change on campus this year. The leadership class has made great in roads to-ward helping all students transition into high school, be a positive part of high school, and be recognized as having played a positive role towards others, he said. From Challenge Day outreach to Phantom Mascot, our campus has seen a decrease in student discipline issues and an increase in positive behaviors.

Falcon Leadership issues a challengeby Samie Hartley

Staff WriterEach year, Freedom High School stu-

dents participate in Challenge Day, a nation-wide program designed to inspire students to put aside their differences and treat each other with kindness and respect.

While this years Challenge Day has come and gone, Freedoms Freshmen Leadership Training Class has designed its own campaign to keep the programs message Be the Change alive on campus.

Challenge Day is about challenging the students to be better human beings, said Leadership Advisor Dana Johnston. Its all about peeling away the layers to show that deep down, students have a lot of things in common. Theyre all going though the same kinds of problems, so it doesnt matter if youre popular or not. Everyone can relate on a deeper level, and this years Freshmen Leadership Training Class is trying to carry that message and extend its application through the entire school year.

Each week, the Freshmen Leadership Training Class challenges the entire campus to take part in an act of kindness such as giving out 12 hugs a day or 15 compliments. When students complete a weekly challenge, they fi ll out a card and submit it to the offi ce. Each week the leadership students collect the cards and reward the challengers with candygrams.

Senior Leikin Poppino, who works in the Freshmen Leadership Training Class, said the weekly challenges are designed to help students open up and be more friendly with their peers: We want students to feel comfortable as soon as they set foot on campus. These programs are a way to carry out the purpose of Chal-lenge Day and get people involved. Its a way to spread the love.

Another strategy to spread the love is the introduction of the Phantom Mascot. While only one person can sport the Falcon costume, each student is encouraged to be a beacon of Freedom pride and serve as an honorary mas-cot by acknowledging fellow students who do good deeds and promote school spirit. As the Phantom Mascot, students nominate their peers who embody the spirit of Challenge Day by going the extra mile to be a role model.

We want students to be more aware

Folks with traveling on their mind are invited to book their next Disney vacation with Almost There Travel. When they do, a donation to the Liberty High School Choir will be made for each package booked.

The partnership is a fundraising effort of 80VOLTS (80 Voices of Liberty Tour Singers), a committee of family and friends of the Liberty High School Choral Program. Its primary focus is to raise the funds neces-sary to keep the Choral Department func-tioning at its best possible level by covering expenses for performance attire and music, plus festival, busing and touring fees.

Please mention Liberty High School Choir when booking your Disney vacation. The fundraiser runs through April of 2010. For more information, call 925-238-0001.

80VOLTS gets booking

12A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY OCTOBER 23, 2009

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Bond sale saves Brentwood $14.6 millionThe City of Brentwood has completed the sale of

bonds to fi nance the downtown civic center at a record-low interest rate of 4.97 percent, which will free up approxi-mately $14.6 million over the 30-year life of the bonds for use on other projects.

This is the lowest yield the city has ever received on any bond issuance, Director of Finance and Information Systems Pam Ehler said in a memo to the City Council last Thursday. The bonds will be repaid with existing revenue streams, Ehler added, and will not require additional taxes.

The news on the interest rate comes on the heels of last weeks awarding of the civic center construction contract to Lathrop Construction for $28.6 million, which is $16.4 million below city estimates.

The city will spend a total of $55.6 million on the civic center project, which includes a new city hall, community center, a new surface parking lot, re-vamping of City Park and an expanded library. The fi gure also includes the al-ready-completed construction of the new Senior Center next to Veterans Park.

The citys other major downtown project is the $11.5 million overhaul of the downtown streetscape and utilities, which will be undertaken simultaneously with the civic cen-ter project. The streetscape project is being fi nanced with cash on hand, Ehler said, and will require no borrowing or increased taxes.

Whereas the savings generated by the bond rate means the city will make lower payments, the $16.4 million savings on the construction contract is in cash, which can be used immediately for other purposes. The City Council will con-sider options for that money over the course of the coming months, Ehler said.

This has been a very long roller coaster ride, wrote City Manager Donna Landeros in an e-mail message. It is thrilling to see all of the pieces come together better than we ever imagined. The Citys conservative fi nancial policies made it happen! Now lets get to work and get it built!

Groundbreaking for the civic center will take place on

Nov. 10. Both the civic center and the streetscape project are expected to take about two years to complete.

During the construction period, meetings of the City Council will be held in temporary facilities at the citys Tech-nology Center, 101 Sand Creek Road, next to Los Medanos Colleges Brentwood campus.

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

Tech assistant Joe Ruzon works on installing the dais in the temporary City Council Chambers in the citys Tech Center at 101 Sand Creek Road, next to Los Medanos Colleges Brentwood campus. Beginning Oct. 27, the council will meet here during construction of the new downtown civic center.

Photo by Richard Wisdom

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14A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY OCTOBER 23, 2009

2-Gates Fish Protection Demonstration Project Draft EA/FONSI Available; Three Public Meetings Scheduled The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Draft Environmental Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) for the proposed 2-Gates Fish Protection Demonstration Project for public review. The document was developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Reclamation will hold three public meetings to provide information on the proposed Demonstration Project:

Fresno: Monday, October 26, 2009, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Piccadilly Inn, 2305 West Shaw Avenue

Discovery Bay: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Discovery Bay Elementary School, 1700 Willow Lake Road

Stockton: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Stockton Scottish Rite, 33 West Alpine Avenue.

The proposed Demonstration Project is a 5-year experiment to validate a new delta smelt behavioral model and study the effects of modifying flows in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) to protect delta smelt and other sensitive aquatic species from entrainment in Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) export pumps. Research suggests that the pre-spawning migration of adult delta smelt is tied to sediment/suspended particles in the water (turbidity). Temporary gates would be placed across Old River and Connection Slough in the central Delta and operated from December to March to keep turbid water away from the CVP and SWP export pumps, thus keeping adult smelt away from the pumps, and in March and June to prevent larvae and juvenile delta smelt from being entrained by the export pumps.

The Draft EA/FONSI is available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=4472. Additional information is available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/2gates/. If you have problems accessing the document, please contact Public Affairs at 916-978-5100 or e-mail mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.

Comments are due by close of business Tuesday, November 17, 2009, and should be sent to Mario Manzo, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-730, Sacramento, CA 95825, or faxed to 916-978-5094, or emailed to mmanzo@usbr.gov. For information or a copy of the Draft EA/FONSI, please call 916-978-5060 (TDD 916-978-5608). To be added to the mailing list or if special assistance is needed to attend a meeting, please contact Janet Sierzputowski at 916-978-5112 (TDD 916-978-5608) or email jsierzputowski@usbr.gov.

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AT&T is known nationally as a commu-nications provider, but the company recently went before the Oakley City Council to plant a tree.

The council last week approved the instal-lation of a 77-foot monopole wireless telecom-munication facility, which will be disguised as a pine tree. The faux tree cell tower will go up behind the Golden Chopstick restaurant on Main Street within Oakley Town Center.

The tree will be installed within an exist-ing landscape island where two trees currently exist and will remain at the construction site, reported Oakley Senior Planner Joshua Mc-Murray. The tree will have three levels at which antennas may be placed. AT&T antennas will occupy the 70-foot level, with two additional carries to be located at the 50- and 60-foot lev-els.

The pole will be textured and painted to look like bark, and synthetic branches will be installed to make it look as lifelike as possible.

The antennas will be hidden within the branch-es and painted to match the tree needles to cre-ate a uniform design.

Councilwoman Pat Anderson questioned why the tower was designed to look like a pine tree since the city is named for its heritage of oak tree groves, but the AT&T representative told the council that an artifi cial pine tree pro-vides better camoufl age and height for anten-nae and looks more realistic than an artifi cial oak.

Councilman Bruce Connelley joked that the tower would look like a large Christmas tree and asked the representative if the city could decorate it for the holidays. The representative said it was possible but discouraged the idea.

Since the cell tower will resemble a tree, warning signs will be posted around it to dis-courage climbing. A 7-foot block wall will also be built around the tree to prevent tampering.

After the 4-0 vote (Councilman Kevin Romick abstained since he lives within 300 feet of the build site), Mayor Carol Rios said, I hope some of you will be happy now that youll have better service with your AT&T.

Also during last weeks meeting, the coun-cil approved to hire two consultants to help the city better understand the California Energy Commissions study involving the proposed power plant at the former Dupont Property on Bridgehead Road.

The city hired Manuel O. Caalita, who has more than 35 years of experience in the electrical transmission and generation indus-try, and the law fi rm of Jarvis, Fay, Doporto & Gibson, which is familiar with CEC procedures and power plant proposals. Radback Energy, the company that has proposed to build the Oakley Generating Station, agreed to pay the consultants fees for as long as their services are retained by the city.

Although the proposed plant is located within city limits, the city of Oakley has no vote on whether or not the plant will be built. Since the decision rests entirely with the CEC, all Oakley can do is be involved in the overall discussion surrounding the proposed plant. The CEC investigation is expected to take 12 to 18 months, but in that time the commission will host a series of public hearings and work-

shops to get input from city staff as well as the public.

Caalita told the council the fi rst step in the process is to be present at the fi rst site visit, which is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9. A pub-lic informational hearing and environmental scoping meeting will be held following the site visit at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. During this time, members of the commission will be available to discuss the project and take comments from the public and city staff. For more information, visit www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/contracosta.

PG&E announced earlier this month that it plans to buy the plant if the CEC approves construction.

In other news, the council approved a con-ditional use permit allowing Antioch residents David and Kerry Dorn to open Delta Dog Camp at the old Bonanza building on Main Street. The dog boarding and doggie daycare facility is expected to be open by the end of the year.

The council also voted to lease City Hall offi ce space for use by a fi eld representative for State Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan.

Oakley approves faux tree cell towerby Samie Hartley

Staff Writer

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Supervisor Piepho lauds local stars of State Fair

Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Piepho re-cently presented two resolutions congratulating and rec-ognizing the 2009 Contra Costa County state fair booth for receiving a Silver award and the Bloomfi eld Vineyard for winning Best of California at the 2009 California State Fair.

The Contra Costa County 2009 state fair booth received a Silver award and $4,413.52, which was desig-nated to the Contra Costa UC Cooperative Extension. The booth was inspired and designed by East County constituent Deborah Spinola, and built by Spinola, Ja-net Caprile, farm advisor from the Contra Costa UC Cooperative offi ce, and Piephos staff members Lea Castleberry and Karyn Cornell.

The Contra Costa County 2009 state fair booth was built with a budget of zero dollars by volunteers us-ing donated and reclaimed materials provided by local businesses.

Bloomfi eld Vineyards, located in the Brentwood area and owned and operated by Tom and Becky Bloom-fi eld, received the distinguished award of Best of Califor-nia for its 2008 Viognier and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2009 Grape & Gourmet competition, which cel-ebrates and highlights the best wines of California.

Bloomfi eld Vineyards 2008 Devils Daughter White Wine received a Silver award, Best of Class and Best of Greater Bay Appellations. Bloomfi elds 2007 Pinot Noir received a Bronze award.

Vasco Road will be closed from the evening of Oct. 29 through the morning of Nov. 2 to allow for the safe completion of the Vasco Road Safety Project. The project includes the construction of a new and re-aligned roadway segment.

During the closure, construction crews will connect the new roadway with the exist-ing roadway at the northern and southern ends, and remove a large rock outcropping.

Vasco Road will be closed from 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 until 6 a.m. Mon-day, Nov. 2. The closure encompasses the

segment north of the Republic Landfi ll Drive to south of the entrance to the Los Vaqueros Reservoir. The suggested alterna-tive route for northbound traffi c is to take I-580 east toward Tracy for 8.8 miles, merge into eastbound I-205, continue for 2.4 miles, exit at Mountain House Parkway, continue northbound for 2.2 miles, turn left onto By-ron Road/Highway, continue for 8.4 miles, turn left onto Camino Diablo Road, and in 2.0 miles turn right onto Vasco Road.

For southbound Vasco Road traffi c, turn left onto Camino Diablo Road, con-

tinue for 2.0 miles, turn right onto Byron Highway/Road, continue for 8.4 miles, turn right onto Mountain House Parkway, con-tinue for 2.2 miles, enter I-205 westbound, and in 2.4 miles merge with I-580 west-bound, which connects with Vasco Road in 8.8 miles.

For additional information, e-mail info@acpwa.org. Project updates will also be provided on the Alameda County Public Works Agency Web page, www.acgov.org/pwa, and on the Agencys 24-hour Project Information Hotline, 510-670-5712.

Vasco to be closed next weekendPlanners putting together the second

annual Veterans Day Parade in Antioch are accepting applications for people in-terested in participating in the parade, and reaching out to veterans to serve as hon-ored guests.

The parade, a regional event being held in downtown Antioch, would espe-cially like to contact World War II veter-ans, or those who have been prisoners of war. Prisoners of War is the theme of this years observance.

To let the committee know of veter-ans who would like to participate, or to get more information on the Veterans Day Pa-rade, call Jim and Susan Davis at 925-757-2020 or e-mail jd4antioch@aol.com. Ap-plications for parade participants may be downloaded from www.art4antioch.org.

Veterans Day Parade needsparticipants

OCTOBER 23, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 17A

Small pets, large responsibilityEditor:

After reading Vicky McKennas Han-gin in There column on Oct. 16, I was greatly disappointed and saddened that any editor of the Brentwood Press would allow this article to be printed for public review.

Before Vicki McKenna should yell and complain to the veterinarian and demand a refund for Marleys death, she should take a very hard look in the mirror and ask, Was I a good pet owner for Marley? If she cannot come up with the answer to this question, I recommend that Vicki reads her article again.

Vickis article is a classic example of buying a cute furry pet for $12 at the local pet store and are nave as to how to care for this animal. Then the $12 pet has a health problem; now the owner is unwilling to pay for the extra veterinary expense. Oh, by the way, that cute $12 hamster is not a cute fur ball in a cage; it is a life and you take on the responsibility to properly care for that life.

Vicky reluctantly takes Marley to a vet-erinarian after its condition has progressed to losing most of its hair and has trauma-tized its skin from excessive scratching. Marley was diagnosed and treated for mite infestation and secondary skin infection.

Mite infestations usually occur in animals that have a compromised immune system from either another preexisting condition and/or chronic stress. Skin infec-tions resulting from a long duration of mite infestation can be potentially life threaten-ing, especially in small patients such as a hamster.

This article has inspired me to en-courage all pet owners to obtain as much knowledge and information about the care of your particular pet. Establishing a rela-tionship with a veterinarian is an excellent source for acquiring proper health care for that animal. I recommend all pet owners to have their pets evaluated by a veterinarian with a minimum once a year and ideally twice a year exam.

If the pet is very young or very old it

may need more frequent veterinary exams. If you obtain a new pet from the pet store, breeder or friend, please take that pet to a veterinarian for an initial wellness exam to assure the exact health of that animal at the time of acquisition. Even if a pet is free to good home it can come with underlying health problems that without early detection could possibly cost the life of that animal.

This may seem outrageous to even consider taking any pocket pet including hamsters to a veterinarian for an initial wellness exam; however, early recognition of unnoticed health problems oftentimes improves the quality of life and survivability for that animal.

Renee Golenz, DVMBrentwood

Speak out on 2-Gates projectEditor:

The 2-Gates project is being pushed forward, now supported by Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer as part of a California Water Crisis initiative using U.S. stimulus money.

The 2-Gates will close off Old River and Connection Slough periodically from December through June 30, up to 10 hours per day (Old River) and 20 hours per day (Connection Slough). Since the closing is tide-based and varies, it will be diffi cult for boaters to know when they are open and when they are closed.

This will severely impact recreational boating, impact safety rescue operations (coast guard, marine sheriffs could cost lives), impact local economies, (e.g., increased time/cost to get pile drivers down from Bethel to Discovery Bay, marina operators will lose business when boaters cannot get from one Marina to their favorite boating/fi shing sites, etc., etc.).

The list of concerns and issues with installing gates in primary navigation wa-terways is long and signifi cant. In short, the gates will isolate Discovery Bay by periodi-cally closing off the only un-bridged water-way from here to the rest of the Delta; thus could easily end up impacting our home values as well as our boating safety.

And for what reason? The purpose be-hind installing the 2-Gates is to increase the export of water from the Delta to Central and Southern California even though the past years of excessive exporting of water has been steadily ruining the entire Delta ecosystem, resulting in a ban on commercial salmon fi shing along the entire Califor-nia/Oregon coast in the past two years, and will eventually impact the water in our own back yards, changing our fresh water river to brackish, salty, polluted water. Which will pollute our wells, our drinking water. A very scary thought!

The current approaches are not the right way to solve Californias water crisis.

What can we do to stop the spending of money on short-sighted measures that are destroying the Delta and will signifi -

cantly impact our Delta communities and our way of life?

First, the Draft Environmental Assess-ment (EA) for the 2-Gates Fish Protection Demonstration Project is now posted on the Bureau of Reclamations 2-Gates Web site, www.usbr.gov/mp/2gates/ for a 30-day pub-lic review and comment period. Second, the Bureau of Reclamations will hold a hearing on the 2-Gates Project at the Discovery Bay Elementary School, 1700 Willow Lake Road, on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 6:30-8:30pm. Show up.

Jan McLeeryDiscovery Bay

Help bands be heard in HawaiiEditor:

If there were ever a doubt that the music program in the Liberty Union High School District is phenomenal, that doubt can certainly be erased.

Both Heritage High School and Lib-erty High School bands have been invited to the Pacifi c Basin Music Festival in Hono-lulu, Hawaii in March, 2010. A maximum of 10 instrumental ensembles are accepted (by audition only) to the music festival each year. For two Brentwood high schools to comprise 20 percent of the total participants in the festival is an amazing accomplish-ment and an honor to the entire Brentwood community.

For one week, the bands will compete with eight other high school and college bands from around the world in adjudicated group festival performances, full ensemble workshops and group reading exchanges. In addition to enhancing their musical talents, the students will have the opportunity to spend social time with other musicians from different cultures who share the common bond of a love for music.

Needless to say, the cost of sending over 100 students, plus chaperones, to Ha-waii over spring break is enormous. Airfare alone is running over $600 per person, plus the cost of shipping large instruments.

Each band is currently holding fund-raising events to help cover the costs, includ-ing car washes, performances at Farmers Market and other locations. Several local restaurants and other retail establishments are also partnering with the bands to donate a percentage of their proceeds on specifi c dates to the music festival trip.

Heritage Performing Arts Boosters is also sponsoring a Car Raffl e in partnership with Bill Brandt Ford, with the lucky winner receiving a new Ford Focus or a $10,000 cash payout. Only 150 tickets will be sold and are available by calling Pam Collins at 925-759-6138 or Lisa Ellingson at 925-516-7303.

The bands are also available for hire for private parties. Small ensembles and jazz combos are perfect for more intimate gatherings, and the full bands are available to perform at larger venues. To schedule a performance by one of the bands or to

offer other fundraising opportunities, please e-mail Steve Ernest at Heritage High School at ernests@libertyuhsd.k12.ca.us or Carrie Hurst at Liberty High School at hurstc@libertyuhsd.k12.ca.us.

As a community we can acknowledge the accomplishments of these exceptional musicians by helping to send them to the Pacifi c Basin Music Festival. Go, Brent-wood!

Kathi ReedBrentwood

Rein in DBPOAEditor :

I am a 25-year resident and homeown-er in Discovery Bay. I am a member in good standing of the Discovery Bay Property Owners Association and was awarded the DBPOA Hero award for my support in 1987.

After many years of watching this self-serving organization, witnessing the arrogance and rudeness of some elected and appointed directors to residents, myself included, I feel that we need to pull in the reins. While attending the ballot counting at the Presbyterian Church of the recently failed DBPOA election to change the bylaws and raise the dues, I watched a DBPOA offi cial lay his hands on and to try to deny access to a gentleman and resident who was also there to witness the ballot counting. I say enough is enough.

Many residents of Discovery Bay believe that the DBPOA maintains the Dis-covery Bay entrance but the facts are that it manages no common interest property. None!

The landscaping at the entrance is managed by the CSD.

If fi nances were an issue, why wasnt this request for an increase of dues included with the recent director ballot? This would have saved the cost of postage. If $125 were needed six months ago, why only $50 now? The reason the organization needs more money is due to its own fl awed ac-tions. Look at the money that is spent on attorneys and legal. Even the insurance companies must be worried, as evidenced by the premiums that are charged to cover the actions of the directors and offi cers.

I encourage you to visit www.dbpoac.com for the facts and history of the DB-POA.

This DBPOA member in good stand-ing is Voting NO.

Edwin F. Coats Jr.Discovery Bay

The railroading of RosewoodEditor:

As a result of the Oakley City Councils action Tuesday night, Oct. 13, 2009, to approve the second vote to rezone Discovery Builders proposed Rosewood project, we, a group of local residents of

18A | THEPRESS.NET OCTOBER 23, 2009

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OCTOBER 23, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 19A

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A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police de-partments.BRENTWOODOct. 11, 1:08 a.m. On Pistachio Place, a sub-ject was assaulted and sustained a serious injury to her arm. The assailant was appre-hended and released to her father on a Juve-nile Affi davit.Oct. 11, 9:21 a.m. On Sunset Road at Sell-ers Avenue, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was arrested for driving on a license suspended for DUI.Oct. 11, 1:48 p.m. An unidentifi ed person en-tered a residence on Berkshire Lane through an open front door and stole personal prop-erty.Oct. 11, 2:48 p.m. On Brentwood Boulevard at Broderick Drive, offi cers mediated a vehicle repossession.Oct. 11, 3:39 p.m. An unidentifi ed person en-tered the open garage of a residence on Lav-ender Drive and stole a bicycle.Oct. 11, 5:06 p.m. On Lone Tree Way at Em-pire Avenue, a subject stopped for an expired registration tab on his vehicle was found to be unlicensed.Oct. 11, 6:13 p.m. On Grant Street at Lone Oak Road, a subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found to be driving with-out a license.Oct. 12, 12:47 a.m. In a parking lot on Bal-four Road, a subject observed removing wire from a garbage dumpster was contacted and found to be in possession of suspected meth-amphetamine. She was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Oct. 12, 10:45 a.m. On Empire Avenue at Shady Willow Lane, a driver became distract-ed and struck two trees in the median.Oct. 12, 4:44 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole mail from the mailbox of a residence on Presidio Drive.Oct. 12, 5:26 p.m. An unidentifi ed person took decorations from the front yard of a resi-dence on Longleaf Court.Oct. 13, 1:44 a.m. Two unidentifi ed subjects entered a business on Balfour Road, pointed a handgun at an employee and demanded money. The employee opened the cash regis-ter, the subject took cash from it and fl ed store in an unknown direction.Oct. 13, 10:19 a.m. A rear-end collision oc-

curred on Balfour Road at Fairview Avenue.Oct. 13, 10:22 a.m. On Apricot Way at Strathaven Place, a driver lost control of his vehicle due to speed, drove over the curb and struck a tree and light pole. Public Works was notifi ed of the damage, and the vehicle was towed from scene.Oct. 13, 11 a.m. At a business on Sand Creek Road, a forged signature was discovered on a document.Oct. 13, 2:35 p.m. An unidentifi ed person changed the bank access information of a resident of Brentwood Boulevard without her knowledge.Oct. 13, 3:44 p.m. An unidentifi ed person falsely reported that she was a victim of a crime that never occurred.Oct. 13, 5:58 p.m. An unidentifi ed person left harassing messages on the answering machine of a resident of La Sata Drive.

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.

ANTIOCHOct. 13-14 Antioch Police detectives served fi ve search warrants on several stores recently identifi ed as possessing and selling counter-feit merchandise. The merchandise included such items as clothing, shoes, jewelry and sun-glasses. All of the counterfeit products were in violation of issued trademarks. The stores will often sell the items as the real product at a quarter of the normal asking price. The prob-lem is widespread in the United States, and combated by such entities as private investi-gation services that work for clothing com-panies. During the service of these fi ve search warrants, approximately $250,000 of coun-terfeit merchandise was seized. The stores in violation of these trademark laws were Dol-lar Store on Contra Loma Boulevard, Saigon Moon on Contra Loma Boulevard, Above All Fashions on Contra Loma Boulevard, S&L Creations on Delta Fair Boulevard, and The Fashion Statement on Sunset Drive. The store owners were arrested for felony trademark violations due to the amount of items in their possession. During the service of the search warrant at The Fashion Statement, a mari-juana grow was located in a locked portion of the business. The plants had already been

harvested and removed, but evidence of the grow remained. Through investigation, it was determined that the marijuana grow was also connected to the next-door business, Grow It Yourself. A search warrant was served at this location and marijuana was located. Three fi rearms were also found and seized in con-nection with these two searches. Three adults were arrested as a result of the investigation at Grow It Yourself. Charges ranged from weap-ons violations to marijuana sales.Oct. 15, 10:30 p.m. A 21-year-old female em-ployee of Blockbuster Video on 2890 Delta Fair Blvd. was leaving work to meet her hus-band in the parking lot when she was con-fronted by a black male adult armed with a knife. The suspect knocked her to the ground and took her purse. There was a short struggle on the ground, during which the assailant cut the woman on the neck. The victims husband came to her aid and chased off the suspect, who fl ed on foot. The victim was transported to the hospital. On Oct. 16 at approximately 5 p.m., Antioch police contacted 48-year-old Antioch resident Alonzo Stevens in front of the Hospice Thrift store, 2742 Delta Fair Blvd., in the same shopping center as the Blockbuster Video store where the original robbery and stabbing occurred the night be-fore. Offi cers recognized Stevens close match of the description of the suspect, and Stevens was subsequently identifi ed by witnesses. He was booked at the Antioch Police Depart-ment on charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, and transferred to the Main Detention Facility in Martinez. The victim has since been released from the hospital.

For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police.

OAKLEYOct. 5 A vehicle was stolen on Empire Av-enue.Oct. 5 At the intersection of Harvest Drive and Laurel Road, a subject presented a false ID to police.Oct. 5 On Main Street at Malicoat Avenue, a warrant was issued for an interstate fugitive.Oct. 5 A subject was found to be driving under the infl uence of alcohol on Big Break Road at Main Street.Oct. 5 False evidence of registration was

presented by a subject on the 4900 block of Fuschia Way.Oct. 6 Two vehicles were stolen from the 600 block of Heathrow Drive.Oct. 6 On the 100 block of Carol Lane, a subject was found in violation of a court or-der.Oct. 6 A vehicle accident with injuries was reported on the 3300 block of Main Street.Oct. 6 Burglaries were reported on the 1900 block of Gamay Drive and the 4300 block of Lorenzetti Drive.Oct. 6 On the 100 block of Simoni Ranch Road, a subject presented forged, fraudulent documents.Oct. 6 Credit card fraud was reported on the 1100 block of Deerpark Road.Oct. 6 A case of misdemeanor vandalism occurred on the 1100 block of OHara Av-enue.Oct. 7 A subject created a disturbance and made threats on the 1400 block of Kale Court.Oct. 7 A petty theft occurred on the 300 block of Shady Oak Drive.Oct. 7 Vandalism was reported on the 900 block of Rosemary Lane.Oct. 8 A subject was caught selling marijua-na on Lowell Court at Salvador Lane.Oct. 8 On Gardenia Avenue at Wildcat Way, a subject was found to be under the infl uence of drugs.Oct. 8 Arrest warrants were issued on Em-pire Avenue at Laurel Road, on Laurel Road at Main Street, and on the 3200 block of Main Street.Oct. 8 An incident of misdemeanor battery occurred on the 1400 block of Gamay Circle.Oct. 8 On the 2000 block of Main Street, a subject was arrested for public intoxication.Oct. 9 Subjects were found in possession of dangerous drugs on East Bolton Road at Main Street, and the 4500 block of Main Street.Oct. 9 At the intersection of Main and Rose Avenue, a subject was found in possession of an unlawful weapon.Oct. 9 A subject interfered with an offi cer on the 500 block of Norcross Lane.Oct. 10 Subjects were charged with DUI on Live Oak Avenue at Main Street, on Hill Av-enue at Main Street, on Delta Road at Doyle Road, and the 5600 block of Main Street.

COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS An unidentifi ed person falsely reported that she was a victim of a crime that never occurred.Oct. 13, 3:44 p.m. in Brentwood

20A | THEPRESS.NET OCTOBER 23, 2009

the City of Oakley, have organized as the Committee to Stop Rosewood Project Re-zoning and have begun a petition drive to get enough signatures to allow the residents of Oakley a vote on this terrible project.

We will be soliciting signatures throughout Oakley over the next three weeks. This is very similar to the petition just run by residents of Knox Lane for the same reasons. But we do need and ask for the residents support for our petition.

Discovery Builders is trying to put 76 homes on less than 14 acres at Laurel and Rose, just east of Laurel Ball Fields, and not even add anything to Laurel Ball Fields. This project is way too dense for Oakley, is badly designed, will create bad traffi c problems and an unsafe neighbor-hood. It should be zoned Single Family Medium at most.

The council refused to provide the residents a planning commission hearing, and instead had the zoning vote at its fi rst hearing on Sept. 22, 2009. Over 100 people appeared to oppose the project; no resident spoke in favor of it other than the council itself. The mayor refused to read our ver-batim comments into the record. All fi ve councilmembers told us that it was too late to change the project. Yet this was the very fi rst hearing we were ever given.

We were and remain shocked at the cavalier and disrespectful attitude of the council and city staff toward us. We invite the public to see it online. Just Google Oakley archives Rosewood and go to the various councilmember comments to see

for yourself.On Oct. 13, 2009, we appeared for the

required second vote on the rezone and all but one of us were denied a chance to speak at all. The one was only allowed to speak after a heated exchange with the mayor. Again the council voted to proceed. Check Oakley Archives; this meeting will be online very shortly.

Under the law we must proceed by petition or give up. With the publics support, we can keep Oakley a nice small town without the crowding we all tried to move away from. Please support the petition. If you want to help, please e-mail stoprosewood@sbcglobal.net.Brad Nix, Ann Corridon, Denise Morford,

Debbie Retzloff, and many more Oakley residents

Hospice serves community, depends on community

Editor:On Nov. 8 at Veterans Park in Brent-

wood, corner of Balfour and Griffi th, the annual Hospice Tree of Lights tree lighting ceremony will be held. This free event is open to the public and will start at 5 p.m.

Hospice of the East Bay is a not-for-profi t, local agency that has provided medi-cal, emotional and practical support for the past 32 years. Our specialized programs include Comfort for Kids, serving the emo-tional and practical needs of children with a life-threatening illness and the children and teens of our adult hospice patients. Additionally, our Footsteps program pro-

vides group grief counseling and support available to any child in the community.

Our Bruns House inpatient facil-ity features six private bedrooms, 24-hour nursing care, physicians in attendance or on call around the clock, and unlimited visiting hours for family, friends and pets. Since our founding in 1977, we have served more than 15,500 patients and their families, and we take pride in the ability to serve them regard-less of their insurance or fi nancial status.

The Tree of Lights is a way for families to celebrate and memorialize the lives of their friends and loved ones. This year, 15 trees throughout Contra Costa will be part of this annual commemoration, includ-ing the four beautiful redwood trees at the entrance to Brentwoods Veterans Park. By making a suggested donation of a minimum of $20, people can honor their loved ones while also raising funds for patient care.

Because a full array of services is of-fered to patients and families, regardless of their ability to pay, Hospice of the East Bay is dependent on community donations to support our programs. We thank you for being part of that support. We would also like to thank the local veterans organiza-tions that unanimously gave their approval of our presence in their park and support of the work we do.

Jeff SchultsBrentwood

DBPOA a bargain at twice the priceEditor:

The residents of Discovery Bay should not be shortsighted when considering the

proposed modest increase in dues to the DBPOA. The DBPOA is the only body charged with enforcing the provisions of the CC&Rs and with the responsibility for protecting our quality of life and property values by requiring homeowners to main-tain their properties, not create nuisances and not take actions which adversely affect their neighbors views and enjoyment of their properties.

Unfortunately there are many DB residents who, in the absence of the DBPOAs enforcement of the CC&Rs, would take actions which obstruct their neighbors view of the water, fail to maintain their yards and allow their properties to become eyesores littered with old cars, trailers, motorhomes and other detritus.

Others would create nuisances with noise and lights, keeping neighbors awake at night.

It is often dangerous to confront neighbors about such problems and prohibitive to institute lawsuits against those who violate our CC&Rs. The DB-POA does both on our behalf. We have owned property in DB since 1989 and our dues have never increased. It is certainly reasonable to pay another $25 per year for protections such as this. Suggesting that the DBPOA stop placing liens on homes and refrain from suing homeowners as was done in a recent postcard sent to all hom-eowners could destroy our community as an upscale, desirable place to live.

Sandra and Conrad RogersDiscovery Bay

Letters from page 18A

The Deer Valley High girls volley-ball team beat Freedom 3-0 last week, but to listen to both coaches afterward, you might think it was the Falcons who were victorious.

They dug a lot of balls, said Deer Valley Coach Lou Panzella. I thought they played really well, and made us not look so good at times. We had more un-forced errors than wed like to have; we missed a lot of serves. But maybe some of that was because we were forced to try to serve tougher to score points. I thought Freedom did a really good job tonight. I thought they played really well. Defensive-ly they just frustrated us. Our (hitters) took some really good swings and the ball just kept coming back. So good for Freedom; bad for us. Good job by them.

Freedom Coach Erin Smedley said, Im really happy with how my girls played. Deer Valley is obviously the top team in the area, not to mention our league. And Im just happy we hung with them the fi rst two games. We played great really happy.

All three games were fairly close. Free-dom dropped one point per game as the

match ensued, losing 25-21, 25-20 and 25-19. For one brief, shining moment the Fal-cons were up 9-8 in the second game before the Wolverines took command on kills by Sandra Foster and Kara Stark and strong

serving by Tasia Kwa, who takes four run-ning steps, tosses the ball high and leaps in the air to smash it over the net.

Stark ended up with a team-high 11 kills and also notched 14 digs. Kwa wound

up with 15 service points, six aces, 10 kills and 16 digs. Foster scored seven kills and made 11 digs. Helping make all of those kills possible was Keesh Tolentinos 34 as-sists.

The win kept Deer Valley perfect at 8-0 in league play and 11-6 overall. The Wol-verines, who won the league title last year, look like theyre on course to repeat. But Panzella, while acknowledging its been a very good season so far, isnt counting his kills before theyre smashed. Weve got a lot of play to go yet, he said.

Smedley wasnt sure of her league re-cord, but thought it might be 4-8 after the Deer Valley loss. I do wish we were win-ning more games, especially the close ones, she said. Im happy that were starting to take more teams to four than we have in the past. So we are winning more games. We took a game off Heritage; we took a game off Liberty both times we played them things we havent done in the past.

So we are defi nitely improving as a team on the whole, which Im defi nitely happy to see. I just hope that that plays out true for the future and we can continue to improve and eventually win in fi ve. I think it would be a huge plus.

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October 23, 2009

Antioch Panthers maul Liberty Lions

Liberty Highs football game Friday night had an eerie feeling of dj vu all over again. Last year after an OK 2-3 preseason, the wheels fell off when the Lions faced league opponents, beginning with Antioch, which beat them 49-14. This year, after a better than OK 3-1-1 preseason, the wheels again fell off for the Lions in league action, this time in a 47-3 loss to Antioch.

As the score indicates, the Panthers dominated in all phases of the game, begin-ning with an offensive line that opened holes for Antiochs powerful, swift running backs, and a defensive line that squelched the Lio