YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 18, No. 5
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Farmers allege railway spraying damaged crops by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
A group of grape and almond farmers in Oakley is suing BNSF Railway, alleging that the company used herbicides along its tracks to eradicate weeds and vegetation that damaged their crops. Mulehead Growers LLC states that the chemical application caused the group to suffer unspecified losses to its trees and crops at various spots around the city, including a 5.67-acre site near 3231 Main St. and on 88.76 acres near Bridgehead Road. BNSF, one of North America’s largest freight railroad network operators, owns or utilizes railroad property
and rights of way abutting the farmers’ properties. Mulehead Growers LLC first noticed symptoms of damage in March 2016. Stephen Snider, attorney for Mulehead Growers LLC, had not returned requests for comment as of press time. “While the full extent of the resulting damages are being evaluated, the observable damages have been widespread,” Snider wrote in the complaint. BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent said this week that the company has yet to receive the complaint. The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, also names the vegetation management companies Ferrosafe LLC, Rumble Spray Inc. and Alli-
Calling All Guys, Dolls
Brentwood Teen Theater offers rendition of the iconic musical “Guys and Dolls.” Page 10
New Bilingual Content Photo by Tony Kukulich
Mulehead Growers LLC, a group of Oakley grape and almond growers, has filed a lawsuit against BNSF Railway, alleging the company’s use of herbicides to kill weeds and vegetation damaged crops. gare LLC as defendants. All are believed to be licensed pest-control advisers that recommended, applied and supervised the herbicide mixture application. Representatives of Ferro-
safe LLC, Rumble Spray Inc. and Alligare LLC did not return requests for comment. The complaint claims that BNSF purchased a mixture of see Farmers page 30
Seeing science the Google way
Heading To The Top
Staff Writer
Students can’t take field trips around the solar system, but the prospect of bringing the solar system to them is becoming more of a reality – just ask the students at Oakley Elementary School. Google’s new Augmented Reality Expeditions programs landed on the Oakley campus last week, giving teachers the opportunity to supplement their traditional curriculum with cuttingedge technology. The specially designed equipment allows students to soar into the planetary system using handheld devices
Photo by Tony Kukulich
see Google page 30
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Local Oakley teen shares feature story in both English and Spanish. Page 14
by Kyle Szymanski
Arisbetth Loza appears next to a simulated volcano as students at Oakley Elementary experiment with Google’s augmented reality program designed to enhance the educational experience.
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February 2, 2018
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Trail Challenge www.thepress.net/news/webextras
East Bay Regional Park District celebrates 25 years with a free trail challenge.
Freedom soccer girls score on Pittsburg High School to stay on top of BVAL standings. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................26 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................12 Health & Beauty....................8 Milestones............................15 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................18 Sports.....................................21
Fire Update
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ECCFPD Chief Brian Helmick outlines district’s recent accomplishments.