Discovery Bay Press 10.7.16

Page 1

www.thepress.net | Mobile-friendly news!

Vol. 14, No. 41

YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Foundation champions town causes

A groundbreaking event

Correspondent

Photo by Tony Kukulich

T

he official groundbreaking for the new Byron community park was celebrated this week with a public event, which included food, games and a performance by the Excelsior Middle School choir. The park, which will include an all-abilities playground and an educational and interpretive center, will be paid for with Measure WW funds and a $600,000 grant from the East Bay Regional Park District. Pictured from left to right are Betty Sanchez, Diane Stewart, Jill Sprenkel, Debbie Gold, Diane Burgis, Mary Piepho, Mark McBride, George Escutia, Jr., Erica Rodriguez-Langley and Colleen Isenberg.

see Foundation page 30A

ECCFPD holds fire chief for a day contest by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer

East Contra Costa youth who dream of being a fire chief may get their chance sooner than they think. The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) is hosting four station open houses over two weekends in October, which includes a random drawing that will allow one East County youngster to be the fire chief for a day. “I don’t want to tip my hand too much, because we have lots of fun things planned for them,” said ECCFPD Board Member Meghan Bell. “We are very, very excited for that.” Fire Chief Hugh Henderson did speculate the winner might take part in morning briefings,

It’s exciting to give a student who lives in the district an opportunity to see how the fire district works for a day.

ECCFP Chief Hugh Henderson attend public events, inspect a station and be along for the ride for whatever pops up during the day. Entrants must be between the ages of 5 and 13 and live within the fire district, which includes Oakley, Brentwood, Bethel Island, Discovery Bay, Byron, Knightsen, Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek. “It’s exciting to give a student who lives in the district an opportunity to see how the fire district works for a day,” Henderson said. Budding chiefs can sign up for the drawing by attend-

ing fire station open houses in Oakley on Oct. 9, in Brentwood on Oct. 15, or in Discovery Bay or Knightsen, on Oct. 16. Visitors will get a chance to tour the stations, try on firefighter gear, see the inside of a fire engine and create emergency home-exit plans. “It not your average school tour, we are really trying to bring more to the table,” Bell said. The events coincide with fire prevention month and come during a time when district officials are ramping up their public education efforts.

The ECCFPD’s four stations are responsible for protecting 105,000 residents over 249 square miles. The Knightsen station will close in June of 2017 if additional revenue is not found. The district’s attempts to bring in more money – a parcel tax in 2012 and a proposed benefit assessment last year – both failed. However, the cities of Brentwood and Oakley are putting utilityuse taxes on the November ballot, which could bring the number of stations to six. “For the first time, we are in a position where we can focus solely on public education,” said Bell. “In the past we have always had to divide our energy between educating the public on a specific measure or assessment for funding and education.” see Fire page 30A

Ballot Selfies

go to news/WebExtras!

CONNECTING PARKS TO PEOPLE

✔Plan your weekend. ✔Join a class. ✔Register for sports.

LOOK INSIDE FOR THE NEW

Find & Post Events for FREE!

Activity Guide

Shattering The Ceiling

Women-owned businesses are on the rise. Meet some of them in this week’s edition. Page 1B

by Dawnmarie Fehr Living in Discovery Bay is a little like living on a secluded island. While some find the small-town atmosphere desirable, and many enjoy the ‘live where you play’ lifestyle, the unincorporated community doesn’t always offer all the amenities found in a larger town. Local resident Jim Mattison decided to address these gaps when he founded the Discovery Bay Community Foundation (DBCF) in 2014. “Since Discovery Bay isn’t a city, we are kind

October 7, 2016

thepress.net/calendar

Gov. Brown signs AB 1494, legalizing ballot selfies, digital images of voters’ ballots.

Closing In On Centennial

Brentwood resident Jerri Brillhart celebrates milestone 99th birthday. Page 4A

Heritage Takes Bowl

Patriots unleash a 51-14 win against Liberty in the annual Brentwood Bowl. Page 23A Calendar.............................31A Classifieds..........................27A Education............................. 7A Entertainment..................11A Food.....................................10A Health & Beauty...............14A Milestones.........................13A Opinion...............................22A Pets......................................12A Sports..................................23A

Energy Awareness go to news/press releases Energy Awareness Month is devoted to the benefits of energy efficiency .


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.