YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 17, No. 27
WWW.THEPRESS.NET | FAMILY FRIENDLY NEWS!
July 7, 2017
A World War II hero honored
Farm, Ranch, Harvest Fresh
by Aly Brown Staff Writer
District 11 Veteran of the Year, a 93-year-old World War II Marine named Enrico “Rico” Cinquini, was scheduled as of press time to attend Knightsen’s Diablo Valley Farm Center escorted by the Warriors Watch Riders for a reception in his honor on Thursday, July 6. The reception was planned by Assemblyman Jim Frazier after Cinquini was named Veteran of the Year at an event in Sacramento, which pulled a crowd of nearly 400 veterans from various eras. “There were a lot of vets from different wars, but when they asked for World War II veterans to stand, there were only about three of us who stood,” Cinquini said, noting one of the men to be 102 years old. “We’re known as the old breed, and the old breed is dy-
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Enrico “Rico” Cinquini was named District 11 Veteran of the Year for his service in World War II, and the war stories he shares are like history come to life. ing out.” At first, Cinquini wasn’t sure about arriving to his special evening flanked by the club
of motorcyclists that offers to accompany veterans to various events. “I thought, that’s going
overboard,” Cinquini said, modestly, but as one of the few remaining veterans from World War II, with a legacy of stories, his friends convinced him to take the offer. At only 18 years old, a young Cinquini decided to enlist in the Marines, telling his parents in Italian he wanted to serve his country. But his battle-hardened father, who had served in World War I, looked over his son and said, “È morto.” Meaning simply “he’s dead,” Cinquini’s mother broke into tears, but he was determined to return despite the coming hardships. While fighting in Peleliu, Cinquini was a runner to Col. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, who was a highly decorated legend of a Marine. “I fought in the same foxhole with that guy there,” said see Hero page 30A
July Fourth celebrations marred by illegal fireworks, violence by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
Despite a safety awareness campaign, a zero-tolerance stance and an increased police presence on the Fourth of July, Oakley police officials are calling this year’s incidence of fireworks and calls of disturbance the city’s worst to date. “We had a plan in place, we had quadruple the force out there, but (incidents of fireworks) seemed worse than last year,” said Oakley Police Lt. Eric Navarro. According to Navarro, there were over 200 calls to police dispatch regarding fireworks on July 4, as well as 111 contacts
“ We had a plan in place, we had quadruple
the force out there, but (incidents of fireworks) seemed worse than last year.
”
Oakley Police Lt. Eric Navarro made by police, 11 citations and 86 confiscations. Fireworks are illegal in Contra Costa County. The July 1 Cityhood celebration at the Freedom Basin drew hundreds of visitors to the family-oriented event, but this year, an altercation between officers and disorderly individuals resulted in injuries to officers, including Navarro who suffered a concussion and some soft-tissue
damage. Mutual aid was requested from the Brentwood Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office, and the fireworks show was delayed while officers dealt with the situation. “For about 30 minutes it was chaos,” said Navarro. “Thank goodness for help from Brentwood and the Sheriff’s Office and the K-9 team who helped create a presence.”
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City Councilmember Doug Hardcastle said he was disappointed that the family-friendly event and holiday was marred by a few individuals. “It’s a shame that a few people can screw everything up,” he said. “Where is everyone’s common sense? Maybe we are going to have to arrest people, because this (zero tolerance) sure isn’t working.” In recent years, fireworks on the Fourth of July have become an increasing problem and one the city council has continued to address. This year, a steppedup campaign of press releases, social-media notifications and
All you need to know about the area’s bounty of fresh, healthy and delicious foods. Page 1B
Station 94 Signs Off
East Contra Costa Fire Protection District officially shutters Station 94. Page 6A
Teen Takes Bass Tourny
Liberty High sophomore wins big at Russo’s Marina and moves on to national competion. Page 23A
see Fireworks page 30A
Calendar.............................31A Classifieds..........................27A Cop Logs.............................29A Entertainment..................10A Food.....................................11A Health & Beauty...............14A Milestones.........................20A Opinion...............................22A Pets......................................15A Sports..................................23A
Changes Ahead
Tobacco Tax
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The Concord Naval Weapons Station is undergoing a complete public renovation.
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Law goes into effect raising taxes on tobacco products other than cigarettes.