YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 2
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January 11, 2019
Aid Raising awareness, saving lives Friends Fire Victims by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
There is a quote about the fickle nature of life written by journalist Mary Schmich in a 1997 column for the Chicago Tribune. “Don’t worry about the future,” wrote Schmich. “Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.” Brentwood resident Cynthia Loredo was blindsided by her troubles around 4 p.m., though it was an idle Monday in November 2017 when a phone call delivered devastating news. A social worker from a hospital told her that her husband had been admitted after a serious auto accident. Castulo Loredo Jr., known to his friends and family as Jr, had been headed south on Vasco Road in his silver Audi A4 that aftersee Awareness page 22A
Furry Friends Pet Relief continues its commitment to aid fire victims’ pets. Page 5A
Let The Crab Feeds Begin
Photo by Tony Kukulich
A memorial on Vasco Road commemorates Castulo Loredo Jr. who was killed in an auto accident in November 2017.
Police hold active-shooter training by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
From a statistical perspective, school shootings involving multiple fatalities are rare occurrences, but threats made earlier this year against staff and students at Freedom High School and the discovery this week of a plot to commit a school shooting in the Napa Valley Unified School District underline the importance of constant vigilance and preparedness. The Oakley Police Department (OPD) started off the new year by conducting active-shooter training at O’Hara Park Middle School on Jan. 3. All of the department’s available officers participated in a half-day session that included classroom instruction and live drills in which they practiced a variety of strategies and techniques for responding to active-shooter incidents. Many of the new strate-
gies were developed in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado, in which two heavily armed students killed 13 and injured 24. “There has been a significant transition in the way that law enforcement responds to these types of events,” said Oakley Police Chief Eric Christensen. “One of the primary changes was Columbine. What Columbine did was essentially tell us was that the tactics of setting up a perimeter and holding, waiting for tactical teams to arrive wasn’t going to be effective in saving people’s lives.” According to Christensen, new tactics encourage officers responding to an active-shooter incident to enter the scene and work toward three objectives – stopping the killer, aiding the wounded and evacuating people from the scene. Tactics continue to evolve as experts review the effectiveness of police responses to
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Championship Keepsake
Check out The Press’ commemorative Liberty High football state championship section. Page 1B
see Training page 22A
Calendar.............................23A Classifieds..........................17A Cop Logs.............................21A Education ..........................15A Entertainment.................... 9A Food....................................... 8A Health & Beauty................. 7A Milestones.........................10A Pets......................................16A
Youth Job Fair
New Leadership
Sgt. Robert Roberts leads a contact team during an activeshooter training exercise at O’Hara Park Middle School in Oakley on Jan. 3. more recent incidents and integrate the lessons learned into updated strategies. “I don’t think we can wait anymore,” said Brentwood Police Chief Tom Hansen. “We’ve come a long
The new year signals the start of East County’s local crab feed events and fundraisers. Page 8A
way since Columbine. Tactics have changed. We’re police officers. We need to respond. If there’s someone in there with a gun hurting our
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East Bay Regional Park District will host two Youth Job Fairs in the East Bay.
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Lynn Mackey has been sworn in as the new Superintendent of Schools.