YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 36
READ THE DAILY NEWS AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET
Marsh Creek Trail extension in works by Tony Kukulich
September 6, 2019
The View From Above
Staff Writer
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is looking at options to enhance recreational opportunities in East County by extending the popular Marsh Creek Regional Trail. Passing through Oakley, Brentwood and Contra Costa County, the trail currently runs for 9.2 miles from Big Break Regional Shoreline south to Concord Avenue. The EBRPD plan will extend the trail south from the intersection of Vineyards Parkway and Miwok Avenue to Round Valley Regional Preserve, a distance of about 3 miles. According to Sean Dougan, trails development program manager with EBRPD, Shea Builders will provide a milelong trail link from Concord Avenue to Miwok Avenue. “The intent of this project is to identify the preferred route for a regional trail from Vineyards Parkway in Brentwood, through or next to John Marsh State Historic Park and all the way to the Round Valley Regional Preserve to the south,” said Dougan. “That leads into Round Valley,
The Press’ own Kyle Szymanski shares an up-close look at his first skydiving adventure. Page 6
Ready For The New Year Photo by Tony Kukulich
East Bay Regional Park District is examining plans to extend the Marsh Creek Regional Trail south from the current terminus, seen here, at Concord Avenue.
see Trail page 30
Theater, construction-technology classrooms on tap for Freedom High by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Liberty Union High School District (LUHSD) is getting ready to pull back the curtain on construction of a performing arts center and construction-technology areas at Oakley’s Freedom High School. The project — slated to commence at the end of this month and be completed in January 2021 — is expected to feature a theater with specially designed rooms to accommodate theater and choir classes, as well as separate construction-technology spaces to jumpstart students’ development in that field. “The performing arts center is something that will ben-
efit the community and our students by using a real stage and having a real theater to be able to practice and use for performing, and the (construction technology addition) will give them another CTE — career technical education — pathway, which will benefit them for moving on to college or their career,” said Freedom Principal Kelly Manke. The construction-technology center — featuring a conventional classroom and a second working classroom for hands-on teaching and projects — will be built behind the future performing arts center, located near the school’s current multipurpose room, on the grass near the softball field. Construction costs for both projects will be covered by the 2016 passage of Measure U
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— a $122 million district bond measure, although the school is still seeking a grant to cover curriculum costs, Manke said. District officials said the variety of nearby construction companies and associated student opportunities prompted them to turn to the construction technology route when looking to increase the school’s career technical education offerings. The California Department of Education’s California School Dashboard, which, in part, tracks school and district performance levels, shows that students are more college- and career-ready if they complete a two-year CTE program. The program’s curriculum is still in the planning stages, but one option is to use the nonprofit California Home-
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building Foundation’s free, four-year construction trades program course, Manke said. The key topics covered include the foundation of residential and commercial construction, the study of modern craftsmanship and infrastructure, and energy efficiency and future infrastructure. It requires students to complete a capstone project, which could include the construction of tiny homes that could incorporate design skills, basic construction work and electrical and plumbing elements. The program is CTE-approved and is accepted by the University of California and California State University systems. Oakley City Councilmemsee Freedom page 30
BART Signs
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BART riders will soon see improved features to digital platform signs systemwide.
Local group of residents donates backpacks and supplies for students. Page 7
New Stolen Bases Record
Former Heritage baseball star Gio Diaz breaks summer league stolen bases record. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................25 Cop Logs................................29 Education................................7 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Health & Beauty..................14 Opinion..................................20 Pets of the week...................8 Sports.....................................21
Weather Page
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PG&E has launched a new weather page for localized, detailed forecasts.