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Vol. 16, No. 32
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Fourth fire station still not enough
Dancing To The Music
The Thin Blue Line
R
esidents traveling around Brentwood this week may have noticed a number of blue ribbons tied around lampposts and trees. The ribbons, shown here in front of The Press building on Oak Street, show support for the peace program called The Thin Blue Line. Sponsored by the community and not affiliated with the police department, the blue ribbons are part of a grassroots movement taking place this week showing support for law enforcement.
by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
East Contra Costa Fire reopened its Knightsen station in July, but critical issues remain for the fourstation district, Fire Chief Hugh Henderson told the fire board this week. “We are still averaging about eight hours a month that we have no resources, so we are no where from fixing this problem,” Henderson said. “We need to continue to focus on letting people know the situation that we are in.” Response times district wide improved by six seconds to 8 minutes, 21 seconds with the fourth station in service in July, but many calls went unanswered due to all resources being tied up. Eight times during July, all resources were tied, totaling 11 hours, 38 minutes of time where no district engines were available to respond to calls. During that period, ambulances handled medical calls, and mu-
Photo by Tony Kukulich
see Station page 30
City sprucing up downtown area by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The City of Oakley has embarked on a series of projects in its continued effort to make downtown a friendly place for businesses and pedestrians. The improvements are slated for Main Street from Norcross Lane to Second Street, and are expected to include a signal at Norcross Lane, a new sidewalk, increased street lighting and landscaped medians. “This is a continuation of the pedestrian- and business-friendly downtown that is more walkable and safe,” said Oakley City Manager Bryan Montgomery The effort follows the installation of a new storm drain line on
Main Street, which began in midJuly and is expected to run until early September. The more noticeable improvements are expected to begin in the fall and last three to five months. Both projects are being done at night to minimize the impact on residents and merchants, Montgomery said. The completed storm drain will collect storm-water runoff to reduce flooding and keep it off the streets, while the hardscape improvements will provide a more pedestrian-friendly corridor, with wider sidewalks and increased street lighting. The additional signal will be coordinated with the Vintage Parkway and O’Hara Avenue signals to improve the flow of traffic along Main Street.
The combined projects are expected to cost about $3.8 million and will be paid for through a variety of funds, including a federal grant and Measure J monies, stemming from the passage of a half-cent sales tax that passed in 2004 for county transportation programs and projects. “With the current improvements, we are focused on developing a vibrant, walkable downtown that will be recognized as a place where people can congregate, enjoy shopping and dining, walk and bike, allowing for future economic growth,” said Mayor Kevin Romick. “The improvements are the next step in this ongoing transformation.” At least one area merchant agrees.
“We like the idea of developing a little city here,” said Alan Peterson of Peterson Studios, which moved into its Main Street location in 1978, when the city’s population was 3,500. “With today’s population of 35,000, you’d better have some kind of downtown.” Main Street, from Norcross Lane to Second Street, will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., from Sunday to Thursday, until early September for completion of the storm drain project. A similar schedule will be in place during the next stage of the work. For more information, call Project Manager Jason Kabalin at 925-625-7040. To comment, visit www. thepress.net.
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August 5, 2016
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Contra Costa Library offers free mass transit passes with Discover & Go.
From classic rock and pop, to country and blues, it’s all here for area music lovers. Page 6
Hunting For Stories
Brentwood Library hosts first StoryWalk, inviting residents to stroll and read. Page 4
Chasing The Olympic Dream
Heritage tae kwon do fighter CJ Nickolas is pursuing a place in the 2020 Olympics. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................26 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Health & Beauty..................14 Milestones............................25 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................15 Sports.....................................21
Delta Diablo
go to news/press releases Delta Diablo expands residential recycled water fill station hours on Wednesdays.