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BYRON The Byron Union School District has begun its search for a new leader as it says goodbye to Superintendent Dr. Reyes Gauna this summer. Gauna has been part of the Byron district since July of 2019, when he replaced former Super- intendent Debbie Gold. He will start work as superintendent of the Patterson Pass Joint Unified School District – a comprehen- sive kindergarten-12 district – in Patterson Pass, Calif. on July “I wasn’t pushed out,” Gauna said. “I just missed the high school piece, and I was looking for something I could make my home and make it my family, similar to what I have here in Byron. I love the students and staff here and the parents and the community. It’s been an amazing experience here.” Gauna said he is still com- mitted to the district until he leaves, and intended to offer his help to his successor’s process for joining the district leadership. The Contra Costa County Office of Education posted the job on EdJoin – an online educa- tion job board – and in admin- istrative publications in an effort to gather a diverse pool of candi- dates. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Norma
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Vol. 24, No. 17 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS SOURCE | WWW.THEPRESS.NET April 29, 2022
Brentwood blocks oil drilling – for now
by Jake Menez Staff Writer
BRENTWOOD The City Council took its first step toward enacting a permanent ban on oil drilling within city limits with a recent unanimous vote to implement a moratorium on drilling to help protect area residents’ health.
A moratorium would temporarily halt oil and gas drilling from occurring 3,200 feet from “sensitive receptor” areas while staff worked on drafting a permanent ban of the project. Sensitive receptor areas are places such as schools, hospitals and nursing homes that the Environmental Protection Agency identifies as areas whose occupants are more susceptible to harm from pollutants.
see Drilling page 18
Gibson is Officer of the Year
Photo by Melissa van Ruiten
Newly chosen Brentwood Police Officer of the Year Mike Gibson (second from left) stands with Lt. Walter O’Grodnick (far left), Lt. Mike Thompson (second from right) and Captain Doug Silva during the department’s annual Recognition Ceremony at the Brentwood Community Center on April 26. The ceremony included special recognition and life-saving awards, along with Volunteer of the Year, Explorer of the Year, Non-Sworn Employee of the Year, and Officer of the Year. All personnel who received top awards were nominated by their peers. To view a complete list of winners, visit thepress.net. To view a video and a slideshow of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia
Learning garden blossoms at Oakley school
by Melissa van Ruiten Staff Writer
OAKLEY When Melissa Mastrangelo, an instructional paraprofessional (aide), first dreamed of creating a school garden at O’Hara Park Middle School in Oakley, she never could have imagined the community support that would turn her dream into reality.
A chance meeting over a bucket of irises led Mastrangelo and Bill Horn, a senior vice president of landscape company Terracare Associates, to a conversation about the vision for the project.
Mastrangelo already had a small courtyard plot of land set aside for the school garden. But when Horn came to view the location, he knew that they could go bigger. He was drawn to a messy, overgrown corner of the school’s property, a space that measured about 10,000 square feet. After putting together sketches and determining which plants and trees would work best for the space, he met with Mastrangelo and principal at the time Colleen Creswell, to present the plans.
see Garden page 18 In honor of Earth Day, 3 Catalpa trees were donated to provide shade for some south-facing classrooms at O’Hara Park Middle School in Oakley. This is part of an ongoing partnership between the school and Terracare, which helps students learn planting and gardening skills.
Photo by Melissa van Ruiten
Byron searches for new schools leader
by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
BYRON The Byron Union School District has begun its search for a new leader as it says goodbye to Superintendent Dr. Reyes Gauna this summer.
Gauna has been part of the Byron district since July of 2019, when he replaced former Superintendent Debbie Gold. He will start work as superintendent of the Patterson Pass Joint Unified School District – a comprehensive kindergarten-12 district – in Patterson Pass, Calif. on July 1.
Gauna said he is still committed to the district until he leaves, and intended to offer his help to his successor’s process for joining the district leadership.
The Contra Costa County Office of Education posted the job on EdJoin – an online education job board – and in administrative publications in an effort to gather a diverse pool of candidates. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Norma
see Searches page 18
Business.............................................. 19 Calendar ............................................... 7 Classifieds.......................................... 15 Cop Logs............................................. 13 Milestones ........................................... 9 Opinion ................................................. 8 Pets ........................................................ 6 Sports .................................................. 10
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by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
BYRON The Byron Union School District announced its 2021 Classified Staff of the Year.
The three women – technology assistant Michelle Pereira, instructional aide Lori Weeden and custodian Laura Yerena – were honored at the Discovery Bay State of the Town last month alongside the district’s teachers of the year.
Barbara Gonzales serves as the Classified Employee of the Year chair and oversaw the selection process. She said presenting these awards is her favorite part of being on the committee.
“I have had the pleasure of working with all three of our 2021 Classified award winners over the years,” Gonzales said. “They are all hard working, professional, conscientious and dedicated. However, I think the most important quality that they all share is that no matter how many times in a day that they are called upon to handle a situation, they greet you with a smile and a positive ‘can do’ attitude. They are all such a pleasure to work with.”
The honored employees are selected via peer nominations, then voting. Gonzales said all permanent staff within the district may nominate eligible employees. Each of the three district school sites then selects its classified employee of the year through voting.
Michelle Pereira
Pereira is part of Excelsior Middle School’s team. She has been in the district for 15 years and served in different capacities. A Discovery Bay resident, Pereira and her husband, Robert, raised two children, both of whom went through the Byron district. Gonzales said Pereira is known for her hard work helping students and staff cope with ever-changing technology needs. She enjoys gardening, wine tasting and spending time with her family.“As our go-to tech person, Michelle is always ready to help,” said Excelsior Principal Lem Vergara. “She is professional, conscientious and is always on the ball.”
Lori Weeden
Weeden works at Discovery Bay Elementary as an instructional aide and campus supervisor. She also lives in Discovery Bay where she raised four children. She said her favorite part of her job is seeing the smiles on students’ faces and knowing she has been part of their academic growth.
Laura Yerena
Yerena is Timber Point Elementary’s employee of the year. As a child, Yerena attended Discovery Bay Elementary and Excelsior Middle School. She has worked for the district for seven years, and said her mother and brother are district employees as well. Gonzales said Yerena is known for her helpfulness, patience and friendly attitude. She said her favorite part of her job is talking to students during lunch. She enjoys her downtime and spending time with her dog, Panda.
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County Fair is back; tickets now on sale
REGIONAL The Contra Costa County Fair is back at Event Park in downtown Antioch, this year scheduled for May 12-15 at Event Park, 1201 West 10th St.
Fair hours are noon to 9:30 p.m. each day.
The theme for this, the 86th year of the fair, is “Cows, Corn Dogs, and Carnival Rides, oh my!’
“The staff came up with this theme, and just thought it would be fun to do a Wizard of OZ based theme,” said fair Executive Director Joe Brengle via email.
The fair returns after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brengle said the fair is following county and state COVID-19 safety protocols. “We have no requirements of Fairgoers to show proof of vaccine/negative test or wear a face mask,” he said. “We are very excited that we can provide a full fair with all the normal fair attractions for the community after being closed for 2 years. We are always striving to bring new exhibits and attractions to each year’s fair.”
Presale began April 22, and tickets can be purchased at the Fair office, or online at www.contracostafair.com. For ticket information, call 925-757-4400 or visit https://contracostafair.com/
Brengle said he hopes for 30,000 to 35,000 fairgoers this year. “Attendance has gone up and down over the years, “ he said. “In the past 5 years, the highest attendance was 2018, with 35,339 fairgoers.”
He also said he is proudest of being “able to keep door open, and that we are able to have a fair this year ... at a reasonable price. Fairs in general are all doing the same thing. Some are able to offer bigger name entertainment, or feature attractions then others, but all trying to do the same thing for the community they service.”
He said most fairgoers come from the Pittsburg to Brentwood area, and not the western boundary of the county, including the I-680 corridor from San Ramon north to Pleasant Hill. “We do not keep a formal tracking of were fairgoers come from, but we do know that we have fairgoers come from all cities of the county as well as west side of Solano County,” Brengle said. “We do advertise throughout the entire county but put a larger emphasis on a 25-mile radius of the fair.”
For a complete schedule of events and a map of the fair, see the wrap on the front of this newspaper.
East Bay park district: Beware of rattlesnakes
Now that warm weather has made them more active, watch for rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes are an important part of the Bay Area environment, are common in the regional parks and other Bay Area open space, and keep the rodent population in balance. Snakes regulate their body temperature by moving back and forth between sun and shade.
With reasonable precautions and awareness of our surroundings, we can coexist with them safely.
In general, the best way to avoid rattlers is to stay on official trails and refrain from taking shortcuts through tall grass and brush. When you stop to rest, avoid the rock piles, logs and tall grass that are snake habitat.
Rattlesnakes are not aggressive. They will avoid us if at all possible; we’re much larger than the small rodents and lizards that are their usual diet. They may give a warning rattle if we pass too closely. If you see one, give it lots of room and an avenue of escape. And, of course, don’t try to pick up or otherwise disturb the snake.
Dogs can be problematic. They may investigate by running right up to a snake and then get bitten. The resulting veterinary bill will be expensive. So if you see a snake, or a sighting is reported, put your dog on leash.
If you see a rattlesnake in a parking lot, picnic area, or other locale with lots of people around, alert the park staff. A ranger will relocate the snake to an area safer for both snake and people. The rangers have snake tongs designed for this purpose. Gopher snakes look a lot like rattlesnakes. They can bite, too, although their bite is not venomous. Sometimes gopher snakes will vibrate their tails in dry brush and leaves to mimic a rattlesnake’s rattle. Information panels at most park district trailheads have posters illustrating the differences between the two snakes.
If you or a companion is bitten by a rattlesnake, here are some first aid recommendations:
Remain calm and move beyond the snake’s striking distance. Remove jewelry and tight clothing before the affected area starts to swell. Position the victim, if possible, so that the bite is at or below the level of the heart.
Clean the wound, but don’t flush it with water. Cover it with a clean, dry dressing.
Minimize the victim’s movement. If possible, carry a victim who must be transported, or have him or her walk slowly.
The best first aid for a rattlesnake bite is to get the victim to a hospital as soon as possible for anti-venom treatment. First aid procedures such as cutting and suction have long been discredited.
The emergency phone number within the regional parks is 510-881-1121. Using 9-1-1 works too, although it is routed through the California Highway Patrol, so there can be a delay.
The regional park website, www.ebparks.org, has information about rattlesnakes at www.ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters
If you want to see a live rattlesnake under safe conditions, there are specimens in several park district visitor centers. – Ned MacKay
East Bay Regional Park District
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Photo by Melissa van Ruiten Student assemblies were held at three area high schools to honor Liberty Union High School District’s 2022 Graduates of Distinction. This year’s honorees were Chris Calabrese (left), attorney Alicia Kennon (center) and Colby Smith (right).
LUHSD distinguished graduates honored
by Melissa van Ruiten Staff Writer
The 2021-2022 Liberty Union High School District Graduates of Distinction Program recipients were recently honored.
Two Liberty High School alumni — Chris Calabrese (1989) and attorney Alicia Kennon — and one Freedom High School alumnus — Colby Smith (2005) — received the honor.
Honorees have distinguished themselves through their accomplishments or contributions to their profession or community and are recognized for remaining true to the core values taught at LUHSD, according to the district website.
see Grads page 6
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