YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 17, No. 38
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September 22, 2017
Chamber Belting out the blues endorses plan for new school
From Farm Fresh To Table
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Rocketship Public Education’s plan to build and operate a new, state-of-the-art, elementary school in Antioch. The approximately $14 million investment by Rocketship in the Antioch community was approved by the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Trustees last December. The facility proposed by Rocketship will be the first Net Zero Energy charter school to be built in the U.S. Its construction on Cavallo Road near 18th Street is expected to help spark revitalization of the area while allowing access to a educational opportunity for disadvantaged students. The school is scheduled to open fall 2018 with about 300 students and to ultimately serve 600. Rocketship has an impressive history of helping students achieve academically throughout the San Jose area and other parts of the country. Their schools feature extended school days with imbedded learning labs, effectively providing every student with the opportunity see School page 30
Attraversiamo, Brentwood’s newest farm-friendly restaurant is open for business. Page 10
Tunnels Take Another Hit Photo by Tony Kukulich
T
errie Odabi takes the stage for a powerful set during the Delta Blues Festival in Antioch, Sept. 16. To view a slideshow of the festival, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows.
Council shoots down fireworks ordinance by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Oakley City Councilman Randy Pope’s suggestion that the city allow safe and sane fireworks was met with explosive no’s from his fellow councilmembers last week. Pope, an Oakland police sergeant, suggested the city explore allowing safe and sane fireworks – loosely considered those that don’t fly or explode – as a way to curtail widespread use of the louder, aerial and highly dangerous variety that have plagued Oakley for years, despite being illegal countywide. His idea was shot down by fellow councilmembers Doug Hardcastle, Claire Alaura and Kevin Romick, who ex-
“ We have tried everything from zero tolerance to zero action and have had blowback from the community in both cases.
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Chris Thorsen, Oakley police chief pressed doubt that allowing lower-grade alternatives would prevent the use of other options. “I don’t think having sparklers will dissuade anyone that wants to blow off an M80 or a quarter stick of dynamite,” Romick said. “For people who want that boom, a sparkler and a couple of the ugly things that glow in the dark and burn on the ground aren’t going to satisfy the need to blow something up.”
About 200 calls poured into the Oakley Police Department last July 4, despite a stepped-up campaign of press releases, social-media notifications and fliers informing the public of the zero-tolerance stance on fireworks – along with a plea to consider the noise trauma to pets and local veterans. Police made 111 fireworkrelated contacts that day, issued 11 citations and carried out 86 confiscations. Pope told the council that
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not only could the sale of safe and sane fireworks possibly cut down on use of higher-grade fireworks, but it could also provide a fundraising opportunity. Safe and sane fireworks are legal in about 295 California communities, including nearby Dublin, Newark and Union City. “I think on one side that, because we don’t allow anything, people are more apt to go to the bigger stuff,” Pope said. “In a way, safe and sane would be a pressure relief valve or an outlet for families with kids that want to do a little something on the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve.” Alaura said if the city carried out Pope’s suggestion, Oakley would become the go-to see Fireworks page 30
Droning On
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Highway 4 commuter project proceeding with help of new drone technology.
Delta Tunnels opponents file third lawsuit in ongoing effort to stop project. Page 19
Patriots Blast Past Vikings
Heritage starts slow but finishes big in homecoming win against Edison Vikings. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds............................27 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................10 Food........................................11 Health & Beauty....................7 Milestones............................15 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................18 Sports.....................................21
West Nile Alert
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County, local officials remind residents the West Nile Virus is still around.