YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 18, No. 25
READ NEWS YOU CAN TRUST AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET!
June 22, 2018
For Planting a sense of community Honored His Service On June 10, the Antioch Rotary Club planted 54 trees – one for each member of the club – at the Dow Wetland Preserve in Antioch. The project was in response to a challenge from Rotary International President Ian H.S. Riseley who encouraged clubs across the world to plant one tree for every member of their club. “It is my hope that the result of that effort will be far greater than the environmental benefit that those 1.2 million new trees will bring,” Riseley said. “I believe the greater result will be a Rotary that recognizes our responsibility not only to the people on our planet but to the planet itself.” In response, the Antioch Rotary Club planted a variety of Red Willow Oak and Walnut Trees around the Dow Wetlands Preserve. The project was led by Ro-
tarian Graeme Darlington, who coordinated the efforts to negotiate a location, find trees and assist with volunteer efforts. “It seemed like a fun project to get involved with and help the community with more trees,” said Darlington. “Seeing all the people turn out to help with all the trees and materials – it made it worthwhile just to see it in action.” Rotarians also planted the trees and put up the protective fencing. “It’s great to see local Rotarians rise up to the challenge put in front of them by Rotary International,” said club President Ken Turnage II. “There was an effort for trees being planted and our club followed through by replanting trees in the recently damaged Dow Wetlands. As club president, I could not be more thrilled with the efforts displayed by Rotarians on Sunday.” To comment, visit www.thepress.net
Fire Captain Dan Baio was recently recognized for his 30 years in the fire service. Page 5
A New Twist On Pizza Photo courtesy of Antioch Rotary Club
Members of the Antioch Rotary Club recently planted 54 trees in the Dow Wetland Preserve as part of an international challenge made by Rotary International to plant one tree for each member of a local Rotary Club.
Fire district holding town forums by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District’s funding shortage prohibits it from providing adequate service, but organization officials are forging ahead to find solutions. That’s what Fire Chief Brian Helmick told a crowd at Bethel Island’s Scout Hall during the first of four town hall meetings to discuss the state of the organization ahead of a strategic planning session in July. The agency, comprising three stations, is charged with serving over 249 square miles and 114,000 residents in Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Byron, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory. That service demand leaves
“ We have too few stations. We have
three resources that are constantly running throughout the system.
residents and property at risk, said Helmick, noting that response times are below industry standards of four minutes for urban areas and eight minutes for suburban and rural locations. “Right now the jurisdiction, at 250 square miles, is just too much area to cover,” Helmick said. “We have too few stations. We have three resources that are constantly running throughout the system.” Ninety percent of the time in the month of May, it took engines 17 minutes to respond to calls in www.thepress.net/ marketplace BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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Fire Chief Brian Helmick
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Discovery Bay, Byron and Bethel Island, 13 minutes in Knightsen and Marsh Creek, 10 minutes in Brentwood and nine minutes in Oakley. Those long wait times loom large considering that fires double in size every two minutes as long as combustible fuels are present; flashover (when a room is consumed by fire, killing anyone inside) occurs in seven to nine minutes; and the mortality rates for trauma patients and stroke victims increase rapidly if they don’t reach an operating ta-
ble within an hour of the incident, Helmick said. “Bottom line is this: Proper response times save lives and property,” Helmick said. The district, however, is trying to stem the tide. In January, the agency hired a legislative advocacy firm to improve communication with local and state officials and assist in identifying alternate revenue and growth options. The district is also creating a strategic plan to define future service levels, along with the cost and time to implement those changes. That plan, which will incorporate public input, should be completed by the time a new fivemember elected board is installed in December. see Fire page 30
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County clerkrecorder’s office to stay open late on Thursday nights.
Chicago Pizza offers a specialty menu featuring authentic Indian spices and toppings. Page 10
BVAL’s Best Of The Best
The Bay Valley Athletic League has announced its lineup of spring superstars. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................24 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................10 Food........................................11 Kid Scoop................................9 Milestones............................15 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................19 Sports.....................................21
Texting 911
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County Office of the Sheriff is now able to handle texts to 9-1-1.