HAPPY EASTER FROM YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 16
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Response Searching for signs of spring times set to increase
April 19, 2019
Every Fifteen Minutes
by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
Upcoming changes to the automaticaid agreement between the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) will likely degrade ECCFPD response times and service levels. As ConFire deals with increasing demand on its resources within its own district, the new agreement attempts to reduce the number of units sent from ConFire to assist ECCFPD. ECCFPD will accomplish this, in part, by reducing the number of engines dispatched to a structure fire from the current county standard of five, to three. “For the start, it will be our three engines (with) nine firefighters, which is nowhere close to the industry standard that we need see Response page 30
Students at Heritage High School participate in Every 15 Minutes program. Page 8
Honoring The Volunteers Photo by Tony Kukulich
N
ora England, Benjamin England and Emory McQuade studied flowers during April’s Big Break Littles program at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. Participants in the program – intended for children aged 1 through 5 – planted seeds, learned about bees and got a close look at plants, flowers and insects in the park with the help of park staff and volunteers. To view more photos of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows
Oakley community projects growing by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Oakley’s long-awaited recreation center officially opened to the public last Saturday. But a number of other community improvement projects are also on the way, according to the city’s recently released Capital Improvement Program third quarter report. The update forecasts roadway improvements, continued work on a future downtown train platform station and parking lot, remodeled buildings, American with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements, an athletic field at Nunn-Wilson park and other enhancements. “In a very frugal and paced manner, the city is delivering a number of capital projects that enhance the quality of life and help make
Oakley an even better community,” said Nancy Marquez-Suarez, human resources manager and assistant to the city manager. Now that the city has officially opened its 9,000-square-foot recreation facility at 1250 O’Hara Ave., the future downtown Amtrak train station platform and connected elements---on course to be constructed by the end of 2020---appear to be the next high-profile project. The grant-funded platform station will be situated north of Main Street, between 2nd Street and O’Hara Avenue. A transit center connecting existing transit service to the station, a 300-space parking lot, a plaza, expected to be used for civic events, and new roadways designed to streamline access, circulation, parking and drop-offs will also be included nearby. The city will be responsible for
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funding the roadway design and construction, parking lot and public infrastructure adjacent to the platform station. Funds to cover the undisclosed costs are expected to be included in the 2019-2020 city budget, according to city documents. “There are a lot of exciting things happening in downtown Oakley,” said Public Works Director Kevin Rohani. A fair amount of construction activity should commence in late summer or early fall, right around the time crews wind down a series of Laurel Road improvement projects, Rohani said. The roadway enhancements include widening and signalizing the Laurel Road and Rose Avenue intersection and widening Laurel Road from Rose Avenue to Mellowood Drive.
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The heavy-traffic intersection currently functions as a four-way stop---which is not ideal---with one lane of traffic in each direction, while the Laurel Road segment between Rose Avenue and Mellowood Drive is a narrow, two-lane road struggling to accommodate the community’s traffic demands, according to the report. Future residential developers will also widen the south side of Laurel Road to the west along the Aspen Place development site---a few hundred feet west of the Rose Avenue and Laurel Road intersection on the south side---and other developers will pay to widen the south side of Laurel Road to the east of Rose Avenue as part of the Duarte Ranch project. “We are certainly excited to see Projects page 30
Volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters of the East County fire districts honored. Page 7
Baseball Heartbreaker
Liberty baseball loses tough game to North Coast Section’s Acalanes. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................25 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Health & Beauty....................6 Milestones............................12 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................18 Sports.....................................21
Maritime Training
Burgis Meeting
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Grays Historical Seaport, is accepting students for Merchant Mariner course.
Diane Burgis will convene an East County Nonprofit Roundtable on April 29.