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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 18, No. 43
Mayor praises city’s progress by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Many residents who attended the Brentwood State of the City address this week said they enjoy living in the town. Mayor Bob Taylor was one of them, but he said the best could be yet to come for city residents. Taylor used his 10th-annual address this week to outline several projects that are expected to enhance the community. “When you move here, I feel it is a luxury,” Taylor told the capacity crowd at the Community Center. The biggest splash of the night came when Taylor announced that Great Wolf Resort Inc. – North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts – might open a Brentwood location. “It would be awesome to land this,” said Taylor, who recently visited the company’s Southern California location. The organization operates 13 parks around the nation, with locations featuring an indoor water park, hotel, family-entertainment centers, restaurants, retail stores and meeting rooms equipped for conferences and seminars. It is believed that Brentwood is competing with Gilroy in Santa Clara County for the Northern California location. If Brentwood is chosen, the 50-acre park
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor addresses residents and local officials during the annual State of the City address Tuesday evening. would likely be built along Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road, right off Highway 4. The facility would generate 600 to 700 jobs and pay $8
million a year in property taxes. While the future of the resort is not entirely certain, several other projects are on solid ground. The city’s new library, slated for construction on Oak Street, is expected to open in July of 2018. The 20,000-square-foot structure will include a partial second story, an outdoor courtyard and a stand-alone community room. Inside, patrons can expect to find 30 computer stations, a laptop-lending machine with 16 laptops, two private all-glass study rooms and an additional conference room. “It’s going to be a magnificent library for the City of Brentwood,” Taylor said. “You all will be very, very happy with it.” Before the library opens its doors, the city will roll out its own police dispatch center in April of next year. Opening the facility is expected to clear up a wide range of problems associated with contracting with the Antioch Police Department, Police Chief Mark Evenson has said. Brentwood police have received numerous complaints from residents on a wide range of matters about current dispatch services, including unanswered 911 calls, being put on hold for long periods of time and rude operators. The safety of Brentwood officers is also a concern, because they are often competing for airtime on their see Mayor page 30A
Mobile clinic rolls onto school campuses by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
For the past several weeks, students at Liberty and Freedom high schools have had access to the Contra Costa Mobile Health Clinic – a recent addition to the Liberty Union High School District (LUHSD), but a longtime program in school districts throughout the county. The clinic is designed to provide students who are uninsured or low-income with services ranging from sports physicals and screenings to well-child exams, hearing and vision screenings, immunizations and treatment of minor infections and illnesses. However, students with insurance
“ This is about providing care for students
who might not otherwise have access to health care.
”
LUHSD Superintendent Eric Volta coverage can also arrange to meet with healthcare professionals. The clinic currently serves more than 40 campuses throughout Contra Costa County. According to Kelly Manke, Freedom High School principal, response to the program has been positive. “The mobile health clinic has been very well received by our students, faculty and the com-
munity,” said Manke. “We are so happy that our students are able to receive the care that they might not otherwise have been able to receive, including sports physicals and vaccinations. Our parent community has been very supportive with this new opportunity, and Contra Costa Health Services Department and their support staff have been a wonderful addition to our site.”
Manke added that the need for services has been so great the once-a-week clinic will be coming to campus twice a week on a temporary basis. According to Menke, there have been approximately 50 visits to the clinic in the past few weeks. “I believe there is an increased need for services because of the accessibility and the realization that the mobile health clinic is a safe place for students,” Manke said. “Most of the requests are for physicals and confidential services.” The confidential services component of the program provides reproductive healthcare see Clinic page 30A
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Election Day Information
The Press gives you the scoop on all the local candidate races and advisory measures. Page 1B
Trouble In River City
Local teens star in upcoming theater production of “The Music Man Jr.” Page 10A
Racing To The Finish Line
Discovery Bay resident and crew win Catalina Ski Race for second year in a row. Page 22A Business................................ 8A Calendar.............................31A Classifieds..........................26A Entertainment..................10A Health & Beauty...............14A Milestones.........................18A Opinion...............................20A Pets......................................12A Sports..................................22A
Cards For Troops
Recycle Mattresses
Rep. McNerney announces start of annual “Holiday Cards for Our Troops” program.
The Bye Bye Mattress program recycles mattresses for free, saving raw materials.
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October 21, 2016
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