YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 30
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Waterfront project gears up
Soul men play City Park
by Kyle Szymanski Contra Costa County and seven nearby cities, including Brentwood and Oakley, are expected to join forces on a long-range plan to enhance the economic vitality of the area’s northern waterfront. The regional economic development strategy will position the county’s northern waterfront — the 55-mile stretch along the shoreline of the Carquinez Straits and Suisun Bay, to the confluence of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers, parallel to State Route 4 — to be a 21st-century economic asset, attracting unique companies and advanced manufacturing jobs. Research shows the area’s proximity to the water, large resident workforce and location at the
Preserving, Remembering Photo by Tony Kukulich
M
arten Benatar as Elwood Blues and Michael St. John as Jake Blues fronted the Briefcase Blues Band as they brought their Blues Brothers To view a video tribute to City Park in Brentwood, Friday, July 19. and a slideshow of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia
see Waterfront page 30
Brentwood election process changing Staff Writer
The way Brentwood city councilmembers are elected has officially changed. In the face of mounting legal pressure, the Brentwood City Council officially adopted plans to replace the current at-large election procedure with a system in which councilmembers will be elected by representative districts. The mayor will still be elected atlarge. A divided four-area election map will be used, starting with the 2020 election, with candidates chosen by, and representing, districts in which they live. Candidates in districts 1 and 3 will be elected in 2020, with districts 2 and 4 filled in 2022.
“... a large portion of Brentwood’s neighborhoods lacked representation because the councilmembers were so concentrated geographically.
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Scott Rafferty, attorney Current councilmembers, however, will not have their terms extended or shortened by the process – meaning that 2018-elected council members Joel Bryant and Johnny Rodriguez will retain their at-large seats through November 2022. The terms of fellow councilmembers Claudette Staton and Karen Rarey are up in 2020. The change comes on the heels of Walnut Creek attorney Scott Rafferty’s threats to sue the
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city over claims that Brentwood’s voting system violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) by fostering an arrangement that dilutes the Latino vote. The CVRA, signed into law in 2002, bans at-large election methods that impair a protected class’s ability to elect its selected candidates or influence an election outcome. “I had studied racial vote dilution in our county for some
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Health Hut Changes Hands
Longtime owner Barbara Guise sells her iconic downtown business. Page 6
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time, and initially took action based on concerns in the Latino community,” Rafferty said this week. “But without regard to race, a large portion of Brentwood’s neighborhoods lacked representation because the councilmembers were so concentrated geographically. Brentwood had also grown to the point where it had become very expensive to contest a council seat. For all these reasons, neighborhood elections will serve Brentwood well, so I am pleased.” Brentwood officials have publicity stated they feel the city’s former election method didn’t violate the CVRA, but not switching put the agency at financial risk. The move cost the city about see Election page 30
Park Cleanup www.thepress.net/news/webextras
Park district to ban controversial pesticide from park areas by 2020’s end.
Memorial service honors Port Chicago’s history and highlights property’s future. Page 14
A Swimming Success
Aquaknights win A and B divisions of East County Invitational. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................26 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.......................9 Food..........................................8 Health & Beauty..................19 Milestones............................11 Opinion..................................20 Adopt A Pet..........................15 Sports.....................................21
Hosts Needed
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Pro-American Educational and Cultural Exchange program looking for host families.