YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 19, No. 43
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Resident’s messy bird saga resolved
Scarecrows in City Park
Staff Writer
A Brentwood family’s life went to the birds for the last several months, but it appears the city has stepped in to clip the problem. The city recently cut down three large oak trees and two smaller trees on Crossridge Court, one of which was the scene of a scaled-down, real-life version of the movie, “The Birds,” for Danielle Witrykus’ family. For the better part of seven months, upwards of 40 egrets and herons lived and nested in a city-owned oak tree, squawking 24 hours a day and coating portions of the family’s home
Marsh Creek Fish Kill Photo by Lauren Huffmaster
B
rentwood residents and organizations turned straw into art and put it on display for the annual scarecrow exhibition at City Park. The event started six years ago and has gained recognition and participation each year, with locals and visitors strolling through the park to enjoy the festive creations. It’s a fall reminder of Brentwood’s farming and agricultural roots. To view a slideshow, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows.
LUHSD outperforms state English scores by Aly Brown Staff Writer
Liberty Union High School District (LUHSD) 11th-grade students recently took part in statewide testing and scored higher than the state average for English language arts (ELA), but the district has room to grow in mathematics. As a whole, students in the LUHSD who met or exceeded the standards for English and math were 68.35 percent and 31.92 percent, respectively. According to LUHSD Superintendent Eric Volta, two components for improvement revolve around students becoming more accustomed with how the tests are administered in addition to understanding the new way in which they are being assessed. The tests were taken on the computer this year, which for some was
45.91%
Heritage
83% 34.33%
Liberty
72.12% 23.56%
Freedom
6.12% 30.61%
0%
40%
60%
80%
Source: www.caaspp.cde.ca.gov
a struggle in itself. “I don’t want to understate the importance of these tests, nor give them more credence than they’re due, but you’re looking at a once a
First Five
Kaiser Honors
100% Press graphic
year test that is computer adapted,” Volta said. “Not a lot of students have had experience. You have kids for the first time ever taking the test this way. So there’s something to be
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Heritage boys’ and girls’ water-polo teams take league championships. Page 21
see LUHSD page 30
17.19% 20%
Water-Polo Champions
Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................27 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................10 Food........................................11 Health & Beauty..................14 Milestones............................18 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................15 Sports.....................................21
0%
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English
59.76%
Independence
Officials investigating cause of numerous dead fish found in Marsh Creek. Page 4
Math
32.14%
California state average
La Paloma
Percentage of local high school students who met or exceeded state standards.
62.01%
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Fire Relief Donations
Local groups, individuals and businesses step up efforts to aid North Bay fire victims. Page 6
by Kyle Szymanski
see Bird page 30
October 27, 2017
said about the modality of which it is taken. Over time, more and more students will improve.”
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Talking, reading and singing are the stepping stones to a child’s success.
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Kaiser Permanente wins top honors for Medicare health plans.