The Press 10.06.2023

Homelessness needs ‘various approaches’

LMC panel discusses growing problem

By Hemananthani Sivanandam Correspondent

The growing homeless population along the Delta needs more than just affordable housing to help those struggling with housing issues as it demands various approaches that go beyond bricks and mortar and requires economic and other resources for people to afford housing.

Local elected officials talked about these conclusions at a panel discussion called “A

Tough Climb” on homelessness and housing at the Los Medanos College on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

The 2023 Contra Costa County Homeless Point-in-Time count estimated that 2,372 people are homeless on any given night across the county.

Brentwood Vice Mayor Susannah Meyer said ‘wrap-around services’, which are designed to provide comprehensive support and resources for individuals and families, are a huge component for residents to obtain long-term housing stability.

“We threw money at homelessness for so many years without doing anything to help someone have a sustainable, long-time success in their lives,” said Meyer at a panel discussion.

see Housing page 22A

Family fights to get hearing aids for children covered

By Hemananthani Sivanandam Correspondent

Six-month-old Gage Roscoe Warford’s bright blue eyes light up when his mother Alise puts on Ponto, a hearing aid that sits on a soft headband helping give him access to sound on his right ear. Gage is among thousands of children in California who depend on such devices, but it is not covered by many insurance companies, according to the Let California Kids Hear and California Health Report.

This is because California stands among the only 18 states that do not mandate insurance companies to provide coverage for hearing aids when they are medically necessary for children diagnosed shortly after birth, according to that same report.

Gage was born with Microtia Atresia, a congenital birth defect. His right ear did not fully form, and he does not have an ear canal,

preventing his cochlea from accessing sound without the use of a bone-anchored hearing device.

As soon as Gage was born, a team of doctors and specialists ran a battery of tests and found that the cochlea on his right-side works, and the use of a bone anchor hearing device helps him hear well.

“Every doctor and every specialist that we saw with Gage said the sooner we can get him the bone-anchored hearing device, the better it is for him,” said Alise Warford. “We found out that 90% of insurances in California do not

Hate speech plagues local council meetings

By Jake Menez Staff Writer

Six-month-old Gage Roscoe Warford, wears his hearing device, with his mom Alise and dad, Joel Micheal Warford.

Submitted photo

cover hearing devices and in the fine prints, we were told that Gage can have a hearing device covered once it is implanted surgically.”

But such a surgery cannot be done until a child is 5 years old, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

“Insurance has decided that his hearing, speech and language development is not important… that he doesn’t have to have a hearing device for the first five years of his life, (despite being) told that it

see Fight page 1A

The Brentwood City Council is expected to discuss potential changes to how the public can engage during council meetings following an incident during the Sept. 26 meeting involving hate speech.

The incident in question involved a number of speakers who attended the meeting via Zoom and used the public comment portion of the meeting to express anti-Semitic rhetoric, including references to Adolf Hitler and calls for violence, leading the council to shut down Zoom comments for the remainder of that meeting.

“During several City Council meetings throughout the State, and recently at a Brentwood City Council meeting, those in attendance were subjected to vile, racist, and offensive comments from anonymous public participants virtually through Zoom,” he wrote in the city’s monthly newsletter posted on its website. “Brentwood

is a diverse and supportive community for all living and working here. Our community will not stand idly by tolerating any form of discrimination based on race, religion, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, immigration status, or any other group.”

As a result, the council is expected to take some time during their Oct. 10 meeting to determine how public comments will be handled going forward, according to City Manager Tim Ogden.

“The cover sheet that discusses how this process works describes the Zoom public comments as a courtesy. It’s not a requirement,” City Attorney Damien Brower said during the Sept. 26 meeting. “As a courtesy, there’s no requirement that you necessarily need to continue that for this evening.”

Brower was asked whether the potential removal of comments via Zoom could have legal ramifi-

see Meeting page 22A

Left to right: Meyer, Thorpe, Copeland, Arrington, Lemus, Clayton, and Scales-Preston at the “A Tough Climb” discussing homelessness and housing at the Los Medanos College.

Photo by Ray Kopf

News iN Brief

‘Roll Model’ program unveiled during October – National Roller Skating month

Roller Skating Association (RSA) is unveiling its latest endeavor for the celebration – the “Roll Model Program.” This initiative for National Roller Skating Month is poised to revolutionize communities across the nation. The RSA is a prominent advocate for anti-bullying, mental health awareness, and the myriad health benefits of roller skating, which continues to pave the way for positive change within the industry.

The design, developed in collaboration with the pilot program Young Men United’s Major Sk8 Therapy Program in North Carolina, enables roller skating rinks to recognize and reward outstanding student role models within their local and national skating centers. In addition to fostering an inclusive and supportive skating environment, the program aligns with the RSA’s commitment to addressing social issues.

Locally, skaters can visit the Paradise Skate Roller Rink at 1201 West 10th St. in Antioch. For more information about the rink, call 925-779-0200.

There also will be a series of events this month, including:

1. Learn to Skate Day on Oct. 7: Roller rinks nationwide welcome newcomers.

2. Cha Cha Slide Day on Oct 14 at 4 p.m. pays tribute to the late DJ Casper, the creative genius behind the Cha Cha Slide.

3. Sock it to Cancer Fundraising Campaigns all month long: This nationwide fundraising campaign dedicates proceeds from sock sales to local cancer associations to support research and awareness.

For more information, visit www.rollerskating.org, or www.facebook.com/rollerskatingassociation.

Man with arrest warrant hospitalized after officer-involved shooting in Antioch

One person who had a warrant out for his arrest was hospitalized after he fled Antioch police on Sunday.

At about 7:40 a.m. on Oct. 1, police were investigating a suspicious vehicle in the 200 block of W. 3rd St. when they found a man inside with a firearm. Officers gave commands to the man, but he would not comply. He tried to run from the vehicle with his unnamed weapon when officers shot him.

He was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive, police said in a news release. He had a warrant for his arrest for homicide, which occurred earlier this year in Antioch. Antioch Police Detectives along with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office and the Contra Costa County crime lab are conducting the investigation.

All officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave. Police did not release any more information, including the name, age and hometown of the victim, because the investigation is preliminary and ongoing.

Dream Courts facility breaks ground in Pittsburg

Residents and basketball fans broke ground recently on a new set of basketball courts called the Discovery Homes Dream Courts in Pittsburg.

The $9 million facility at Stoneman Park at 2225 John Henry Johnson Parkway will offer modern courts, a fitness area and studies and flexible space.

“This project headlines the immense efforts of my colleagues on the City Council and I to bring new opportunities to the youth and young adults in our Pittsburg community.

To submit a news item for this page, send it to editor@brentwoodpress.com

We are also greatly appreciative to Discovery Homes for their efforts and contributions to see this project come to life,” Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston said in a press release.

County Public Law Library Board of Trustees seeks members

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants for the Public Law Library Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees was established to maintain a law library in Martinez and a branch library in Richmond.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body for the Law Library with the authority to determine personnel, fiscal, and administrative policies to fulfill the legal information needs of the community. County residents who are members of the State Bar and have an interest in public policy and library administration are encouraged to apply for this nonpaid volunteer opportunity. The County Board of Supervisors will appoint someone to fill one vacancy for a one-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2024. The Board of Trustees meets monthly for a midday meeting, time and date to be decided by the Board.

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or the application can be completed online by visiting the County website at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418.

Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553 by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27. Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews to be conducted virtually via Zoom on Monday, Nov. 13.

For details, call Carey Rowan at (925) 646-2783 or email Carey.Rowan@LL.cccounty.us , or visit the Law Library website at http://www.cccpllib.org.

Two Heritage juniors are ready to fly away

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

Heritage High juniors Samara Salamy, 16, and Isabel Koehne-Bentler 15, better known as “KB,” both share a sky-high dream. They both want to be commercial airline pilots.

Both are part of the Patriots Jet Team Foundation, have had flying on their minds ever since they could remember.

“When I was little, I always loved planes and I loved the sky,” Isabel said. “So when I got to the Patriot Jet Team Foundation and I realized I could be a pilot, I wanted to be a pilot.”

Samara also had a dream of a career in the skies, but not originally in the way that her best friend Isabel did. Both joined Heritage’s JROTC as freshmen, but for different reasons, initially.

“Freshman year I joined my high school’s Air Force JROTC program,” Samara said. “In my head, I was like ‘I’m going to be a flight attendant because I want to travel the world and get paid for it.’ Then my mom actually made me realize that I wanted to become a pilot because flying the plane is so much better than working on it.”

Samara said she loves to fly because ‘being up there is, like, so much different; it’s like a whole new world.”

Isabel said: “When I was little, I always loved planes and loved the sky.”

Both recently spoke about their experience and what they’re looking forward to after graduating during the foundation at the PJTF’s 10th annual benefit gala two weeks ago.

“(The speech) was very nerve wracking,” Isabel said. “I’ve never spoken in front of that many people so it made me very nervous. But I’m proud of myself for doing it.”

“I’m very grateful to have found the (Patriots Jet

Team Foundation), especially so young, because I wouldn’t have even known that I wanted to be a pilot without the Patriots Jet Team. They’ve really just helped me figure out my actual career path and the smartest way to go about it.”

Both girls have grown together in their aviation journey and hope to eventually fly together one day.

“To be able to fly together would be the final step,” Isabel said. “It would just be amazing.”

According to a study in 2022 by the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB), women make up less than 20 percent of the aviation workforce. It says that much of the aviation industry also lacks ethnic and racial diversity. In their 2021 study, the WIAAB also adds that

of the women in the aviation workforce, 79.2 percent of them are flight attendants. Only 4.6 percent were pilots.

Both girls hope to play a part that starts to change that statistic and inspire other girls to join the aviation field as well.

“We can be role models for other little girls,” Samara said. “It would mean the world to me knowing that I inspired somebody else, another girl to go for a dream of becoming a pilot. It’s very important to me, especially women, to know just not to listen to anybody else, because if I had listened to other people who talked down to me and told me that it wasn’t achievable, and being a pilot was really difficult for me, I wouldn’t be where I am.”

Isabel KoehneBentler, left, and Samara Salamy, right, pose for a photo in front of one of the jets at Byron Airport.

Photo courtesy of Samara Salamy

Happy birthday to the Brentwood Library

The “new” Brentwood Library

celebrated its fifth anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 30. The festivities opened with a speech from Mayor Joel Bryant, who says his love of music was born at his public library when he was growing up. After the mayor’s speech, the guests sang Happy Birthday. Different, celebratory activity stations were set up, including card making – both traditional and STEM, ice cream making, and storytime with Bryant and Miss Lindsey, a guest favorite, who normally runs the children’s story times. Attendees were also invited to have some birthday cake. To view more photos of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/ slideshows

Photos by Melissa van Ruiten

Cancer patients can catch symbolic ride with Project Pink Wheels

By Melissa van Ruiten Staff Writer

Project Pink Wheels got its start three years ago, thanks to retired Contra Costa Fire Protection District Captain Chris Leimpeter, whose wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

“Contra Costa Fire has several of our people battling cancer now,” stated Leimpeter in an email. “Cancer is now the leading cause of firefighter fatalities. It used to be Cardio-Vascular disease, but now it’s cancer.”

Since then, Project Pink Wheels has ballooned into a county-wide program designed to show people battling cancer that they are seen, honored, and supported in their fight, according to Leimpeter.

“Covid put a small stranglehold on what we do best, and that’s give rides to our cancer patients,” Leimpeter stated. “To date we’ve given a few dozen rides and also been at numerous cancer events throughout our county, as well as neighboring counties.”

Leimpeter is referring to the decommissioned Con Fire engine that has been painted bright pink. While the color pink symbolizes breast cancer, the intention is to include all cancers in this project, according to the Project Pink Wheels website. The truck is available for use at community events, health fairs, and fundraisers. But any resident residing in Con

Chrome Coffee prepares to open downtown

Brentwood location

Fire’s district who is being treated for cancer can request a free ride for themselves and one family member, to attend their final chemotherapy or other treatment appointment.

“We also have our survivors, and those who’ve lost their battle, memorialized by signing the engine,” stated Leimpeter. “Those lost have family put their loved ones’ names on it.”

The project is available only to county residents, but Leimpeter hopes it will eventually grow to a national scale. For more information, visit https://www. contracostafirefighters.org/news/projectpink-wheels

Moriah Mesina, along with the help of Brentwood Reprographics, puts the finishing touches on her new location on First Street in downtown Brentwood. This will be Mesina’s second brick-and-mortar location, with the first being in downtown Antioch. Mesina also operates a mobile coffee trailer. The Brentwood location will hold its grand opening this Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Submitted photo

Photo byMelissa van Ruiten

Project Pink Wheels is a county-wide program designed to show people battling cancer that they are seen, honored, and supported in their fight.

NO DICE FOR MGM VEGAS AS IT BATTLES RANSOMWARE ATTACK DOWNTIME

By Seana Fippin,

An estimated $52 million and counting in lost revenue, a cyber-attack on MGM Resorts International, a $14 billion Las Vegas gaming empire with Hollywood-famous hotel spreads like the Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, Excalibur, Luxor, and the MGM Grand itself, had the house brought down by a perfect example of vishing…took only one 10-minute phone call. Gamblers could not gamble. Guests could not access rooms. Lights went out. The attack led to 10 days of delays in guest check-ins and affected electronic payments, key cards, thousands of slot machines, ATMs, parking, and other systems all down.

This happens to small- and medium-sized businesses more often than it does to enterprise companies like MGM. It is happening to businesses every 11 seconds.

What happened? Cybercrime happened. Social engineering happened.

A member of the criminal group used the identity of an MGM employee found easily on LinkedIn, called the MGM help desk and asked for a password change. The IT person working on the help desk happily complied, and the hacker went into business, leaving no chips on the table. Your local, friendly tech team, Red

Red Box Business Solutions

Box, uses an MFA technology, as part of their world-class cybersecurity stack, that would have made this type of hack impossible.

Paying ransoms to cyber attackers as Caesars did recently does not guarantee recovery of encrypted data, The FBI advises against making such payments to extortionists for fear of encouraging further attacks.

The most effective approach to safeguarding organizations against ransomware attacks?

A long list of best practices that entails implementing security measures like phishingresistant MFA, data encryption, and frequent employee security awareness training with monthly phishing security tests.

By prioritizing these measures, organizations can enhance their resilience against ransomware attacks and avoid potential business interruption, loss of reputation and customer confidence, and thousands to millions in damages to your business.

Join us for our Mindblowing AI Webinar to actually grow you business and productivity on Thursday, October 26th @ 10-11am. Register TODAY at MindblowingAI.Eventbrite.com

LMC releases fall schedule for lifelong learning adult lectures

Los Medanos College has released its fall 2023 schedule for the Lifelong Learning Center Adult Lecture Series for locations in Pittsburg and Brentwood featuring new courses and the return of popular ones.

The series is geared toward people interested in personal growth and enrichment. These fee-based, not-for-credit lectures will be presented by Los Medanos College professors, along with non-faculty professionals and experts in the topics they present.

This semester’s series includes 17 lectures on a wide array of topics, such as social and political science, local history, popular culture, art and architecture, historical mystery fiction, and East Contra Costa indigenous peoples. Lectures typically last two hours in the afternoon or evening and cost $19 each.

The $3 parking fee is waived for Lifelong Learning Center participants.

Something new

RUFF DAY

This semester debuts local author Dan Hanel, a long-time resident of East County and author of four mystery novels. His lecture explores the people, places, and events behind some of Contra Costa County’s most extraordinary history. This four-part program presents little-known tales of the past with links to the present.

Also new this semester, LMC art professor Nick Nabas discusses art and architecture with three lectures titled, 1) “Art Crime: Is it Really that Bad?” (spoiler alert, it really is), 2) “Concrete Knowledge: Los Medanos College Architecture in 1974,” and 3) “Googie Architecture in the Atomic Age.”

Stories behind the story

Local historian and author Carol Jensen returns to the lecture series, bringing her knowledge of East Contra Costa and the

Delta to life, covering “Chinese in Agriculture: Levees, Asparagus and Bayside Cannery,” “Agriculture: Meet a Farmer,” “The History of Winemaking in Contra Costa County,” and “Water Wars: Water History of California to the Delta Tunnels.” Jensen is well-known for her depth of knowledge of local history and her “all-in” presentation style.

This semester features LMC professor emeritus Jeffery Matthew from the LMC Library Community Room on the Pittsburg campus presenting a two-part lecture that touches on the milestones of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) history and culture, from ancient times to the present.

LMC welcomes anthropologist and former museum director and popular lecturer David Stuart to the series. Stuart presents two lectures, 1) “Colonial California History and Indigenous Peoples in East Contra Costa and the Delta,” and 2) “Traditional Lifeways of Indigenous Peoples in East Contra Costa and the Delta.”

Responding to a special request from TEACH (Together, Educating, Advocating, Coaching, Helping) in Brentwood’s Trilogy community, LMC philosophy professor Edward Havens has teamed with LMC Political Science professor Ryan Hiscocks to present a two-part lecture focused on the subject of “the threat to our democracy.” The lectures, titled, “Threats from Within: The Fragility of Democracy,” and “Divergent Democracy: Parties, People, and Paralysis” are scheduled for early October.

Visit www.losmedanos.edu/communityed/adultlectures.aspx for the full schedule of lectures. To subscribe to the LMC Community Education newsletters, visit https:// tinyurl.com/LMCCommunityEdNewsletter.

– Advertorial

For print, email your events to calendar@brentwoodpress.com one week prior to publication. For online, post your events for free on The Press Community Calendar www.thepress.net/calendar.

This Week’s Events

Friday, Oct. 6

Oakley Concerts in the Park Bands perform in free concerts from 5–9 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza at 3231 Main St.

On this Friday Maya Latin Roots bring Latin Old School music to Oakley. Food trucks will be on hand. Guests may bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy their meal and concert in the park. No outside alcohol is permitted. For details, visit https://www.facebook.com/ events/2155736094627441 or contact Alicia at 925-625-7044 or email: oleary@ci.oakley.ca.us

Sunday, October 7

Bethel Island Health and Wellness Fair

The East County Senior Coalition presents the Bethel Island Health & Safety Fair from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Scout Hall at 3090 Ranch Lane. Seniors who attend this free event will have access to health screenings and vaccinations on site. There will also be 30 organizations that serve seniors present to provide information and answer questions about how they help our elders to live a happier, healthier life.

Wine in the Bay at St. Anne in Byron

The 19th annual Wine in the Bay wine tasting will be at the Community Life Center, 2800 Camino Diablo Road, in Byron from 1-5 p.m. Thirteen wineries, two breweries, local artisans, appetizers and desserts, as well as silent and live auctions will be featured. Tickets priced at $60 are available at www.anne.church. Must be 21 or older. For details, email lucyp44@ gmail.com or call 925-437-9675.

Walk to help prevent suicide

Volunteers from Contra Costa County are joining the thousands of people who are gathering in cities and towns across the United States to promote suicide prevention awareness and resources. The Oakley Out of the Darkness Community Walk, hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Greater San Francisco Bay Area Chapter will be at 8 a.m. at Civic Center Park in Oakley. This gathering will support AFSP’s education, research, and survivor support programs. In addition to raising awareness and funds to fight suicide. More information can be found at afsp.org/oakley.

Bethel Island Health and Safety Fair

A health and safety fair is scheduled for Bethel Island from 10 a.m-1 p.m. at Scout Hall and Community Park, 3090 Ranch Lane. Information and services from more than 30 vendors, agencies and service providers will be available for everyone, including health screenings, information and referrals, veterans services, mental health services, safety information, social and senior services, and recreation. Refreshments will be available, and there will be a free raffle. For details, call Mark Whitlock at 925-351-3759.

Community kickoff to build a custom home for former Marine Homes for Our Troops is sponsoring a Community Kickoff on Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Delta Community Presbyterian Church, 1900 Willow Lake Road in Discovery Bay. The event is an opportunity to meet Marine Sgt. Kyle Garcia for whom a custom adaptive home will be built in Byron. For more information, call 508-789-3501 or email jphipps@hfotusa.

Oakley Senior Center Octoberfest flea market

The Oakley Senior Center announces the Octoberfest Flea Market Extravaganza at 215 Second St. from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Vendors are welcome to set up between 7:30 and 8:30.. Vendors provide new and used items, collector items, antiques and more. For information, call

925-626-7223.

Blessing of the Animals

The Brentwood Community United Methodist Church hosts the Blessing of the Animals service from 10–11 a.m. The free event is at 809 2nd St. Drop by the Maple Street side of the church with your pet to receive a blessing from Pastor Lee. For details, visit http://brentwoodumc.org

Fall Festival & BBQ Cook-Off in Antioch Willow Park Mercantile will host a free festival and barbecue cook-off from 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. in the Rivertown District. Live music performed by Lando Davidson, Blind to Reason, & The Blues Healers Band. There also will be a kids zone, artisan vendors, local wine and beer Entry fee is $75. The Kids Zone wristbands are $20 each to play all day. BBQ Cook-Off Entry: https://form.jotform.com/231056815410144

For details, visit http://celebrateantioch.org/

On the Horizon

Saturday, Oct. 14

Oktoberfest in Brentwood

There will be carnival games, a themed market, a biergarten and weingarten and local art from 1-7 p.m. downtown from City Park to 1st and Oak streets. Admission is free, Event proceeds go to preserving historic downtown Brentwood and to support small local businesses. For details, visit www.brentwooddowntown.com/oktoberfest-2023.

Holiday Fall Boutique in Oakley

Oakley Recreation Center presents a Holiday Fall Boutique all day. Free admission. Gifts, decorations, jewelry, clothing, raffle prizes, 50/50 and more in this fundraiser for Oakley Seniors at the Oakley Recreation Center, 1250 O’Hara Ave. For more information, call 925 997-1855.

Friday, October 20

‘Be The One’ veterans Dance in Brentwood

A family-friendly veterans dance is scheduled for Oct. 20 at the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building at 757 1st St. “Be The One’ starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person or $20 for a family. There will be raffle prizes, and drinks and snacks will be available. All veterans are welcome to this event hosted by the American Legion District 9, Post 202, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Marine Corps League.

To buy tickets and for more information, call Phil Pezzela at 925-354-2868.

Saturday, October 21

Holiday BOOtique - Discovery Bay

Yacht Club Splashers

The Discovery Bay Yacht Club Splasher host a Holiday BOOtique from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with more than 40 vendors featuring crafts, jewelry, clothing, home decor, pet products, skin Care and more. Lunch is available on the patio, along with Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas. Costume Parade for children and furry friends is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live music from Double Shot 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $55. All proceeds benefit “Helping One Woman” Discovery Bay Chapter. https:/www. facebook.com/howdiscoverybay. For more information, visit http://www.dbyc.com

Boots & Spurs Country Music Festival

The Boots & Spurs country music festival at the Campos Family Vineyards, 3501 Byer Road in Byron, will kick off this year’s Country Fest to Cure ALS festivities with an extended festival lineup featuring local country music favorites, Toree McGee, the Whiskey Hillbillies, and the Carousel Cowboys followed by Nashville

recording artists Josh Melton and Jason Blain from 2-10 p.m. Josh Melton and Jason Blaine headline Boots & Spurs. Josh will be performing with his smooth baritone voice delivering songs from his newly released album titled “Bottom of the Lake,” along with other classic country hits. Canadian country music star, Jason Blaine (www.jasonblaine.ca) will headline Boots & Spurs bringing his driving country music beat to the Campos stage treating the audience to country hits and songs from his newly released album including his Top 40 smash single “The Road That Raised You Up” and the timeless favorite “Dance With My Daughter.” VIP dinner and general admission tickets and sponsorship packages are available at camposfamilyvineyards.com/ wp-event/boots-and-spurs-country-musicfestival. Tickets are $49 to 149. Oaktober Festival on Bethel Island

The 15th Oaktober Festival is from Civic Center Plaza from noon to 4 p.m. The festival is revamped this year to include beer and wine, a family-friendly costume parade, canine parade, a pumpkin decorating contest, and more. About 30 vendors, food trucks, will be there. For details, visit https://www. facebook.com/events/165945839824877

Sunday, October 22

Meals on Wheels Oktoberfest fundraiser

Meals on Wheels tries to reach its $50,000 goal for 2023 with its Inaugural Meals on Wheels Oktoberfest family fun day. Delta Sports Bar & Grill is hosting this event at 6210 Bethel Island Road in Bethel Island from 1-5 p.m.. There will be authentic German food, beer and wine. Children’s entry 4-12 years old for $10 per person. Hot dog, chips and soda. Otherwise, tickets are $25. A costume contest, beers to try, adult games, family games, children’s games, relays, bouncy house, prizes and music. All proceeds to go directly to the local Meals on Wheels. For details and tickets, contact Patricia at 510-396-6937 or mowfestsjyc@gmail.com for information and tickets.

Saturday, October 28

Ruff Day Rescue presents

Pawstoberfest

Ruff Day Rescue invites the public to Pawstoberfest at Veterans Park at 3841 Balfour Road from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be a beer garden b y 4 Leg’s Brewery and Brentwood Craft Beer and Cider, plus artisan and pet booths, food trucks, a puppy pen and dog park and an on-site adoption event. Live music from Dawglips. For details, visit ruffdayrescue.com.

Sunday, October 29

Halloween Hoopla

Resurrection Ministries invites kids to wear costumes for safe trick-or-treating, play games to win prizes and make Halloweenthemed crafts at Resurrection Ministries, 1275 Fairview Ave., in Brentwood.from 3–5 p.m. The event is free. For details, visit w ww.rezministry.org

Tuesday, October 31

Fall Fest at The Bay Church

Brentwood

The free annual Fall Fest event from 6-8 p..m. at The Bay Church, Brentwood Church at 2200 Ventura Drive. A fun, safe, and candy-filled time with entertainment, trunk or treat, and activities such as face painting, hay rides, bounce houses, and more.

Friday, November 10

Veterans Day Dinner and Texas

Hold ‘Em Night

A Veterans Day Dinner and Texas Hold ‘Em Night will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 500 Fairview Ave. in Brentwood. Check-in at 5 p.m., dinner at 5:30 and the tournament runs from 7-10:30 p.m. Buy-in is $75 for dinner and game only, and $25 for dinner only. For more information, email knights7467@gmail.com . Checks are payable to Knights of Columbus, #7467 and mail to Richard Alward, Knights of Columbus, 18 Oak St., Brentwood, CA 94513.

West Delta Chapter ’s

When:

Ages: 4-15 Time: 9:00 am - Noon

Where: Waldie Plaza, Downtown Antioch *Kids

OBITUARY

Sally Marie Flynn

May 2, 1943 - Sept. 30 2023

It is with the heaviest of hearts that the family of Sally Marie Flynn announce her passing on Sept. 30, 2023, surrounded and embraced by her loving family and loyal dog. As anyone who knew her can attest, Sally had the kind of authentic warmth and grace that made you feel seen and special.

Lucky are those who were brought into one of her tight hugs, and luckier still were those who were held at her arm’s length for her meaningful eye contact and sage advice. Sally did not grow up in a nurturing environment, and had a difficult childhood as an Army brat, moving often - from 1950s Germany to Massachusetts, California, Texas and back to California.

From a young age, she knew any future children or grandchildren she had would know only the stability of unconditional love and unwavering support.

While in elementary school in San Lorenzo, Calif., Sally walked into her new third-grade class and met the love of her life.

A blond, blue-eyed, Cub Scout named Barry Flynn stole her heart. Despite more relocations for Sally, as young teens they found each other again, and never let go. This spring, Barry and Sally celebrated 60 years of loving marriage with friends and family.

In addition to jobs Sally held to help put Barry through college and support her young family, she also helped found the family

energy consulting firm, and spent four decades on its board, helping manage its success.

Sally brought her indomitable enthusiasm and skills to several causes, including sewing and crocheting blankets for Project Linus and Delta Community Services. The blankets brought warm comfort to children and adolescents in need.

Amazing wife, mother, grandmother and friend, longtime dog lover, enthusiastic fan of the Cal Bears, Warriors, 49ers and San Francisco Giants (“Her Boys”), graceful dancer, organizer extraordinaire – Sally wore many hats, and often they were silly ones.

She was never afraid to bring her inimitable sense of humor and unwavering positivity to any situation.

When friends and family talk about Sally, it is her glowing smile that is almost always mentioned. It was a smile that could not only light up a room, but could power happiness in all who came in contact with her.

Sally will be terribly missed by her husband Barry Flynn, her daughters Bonnie Boccignone and Tammy Flynn Seybold, her “Sons-in-Love” Doug Boccignone and Scott Seybold, and her adored grandchildren, Nick Boccignone, Megan Boccignone, Luke Seybold and Devon Seybold. To carry on Sally’s giving spirit, in lieu of flowers please consider a donation to either of these causes which were close to her heart: Delta Community Services www.deltacommunityservices.com, or Smile Train www. smiletrain.org.

Sally’s family will be planning a Celebration of Life soon.

Photo courtesy of Connie O’Neill

Delta Cinemas on track to reopen in early 2024

McCauley focused on “getting it right” with theater

By Melissa van Ruiten Staff Writer

A year after the initial planned opening date, progress is being made on downtown Brentwood’s Delta Cinemas, with local business owner Sean McCauley and his team looking towards an opening date in early 2024.

“The Delta theater is one of the most iconic buildings in the downtown district of Brentwood,” McCauley said.

McCauley and his business partner, Ron Harrison, purchased the historic theater at 641 First St. in 2020, envisioning it as something that would draw people downtown. “The city staff, as well as my staff, wanted to get it right.”

Construction began during the COVID-19 shutdown, with a projected reopening date of fall 2022, but was delayed due to hurdles brought on by the pandemic, an economic downturn, and challenges with city staff turnover.

“COVID changed the way movie theaters operate,” McCauley said. “Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. really destroyed the large theater experience. So now, everyone can just order their movies right in their own home.”

This forced theaters, especially small theaters, to reorganize how they operated, said McCauley, who is focused on ensuring a good product when everything is finished, hopefully exceeding what other small, venue-type theaters have to offer.

McCauley said he is committed to maintaining the Art Deco retro charm of the theater, which opened in 1937, while offering modern amenities such as reclining seats, loveseats, and an updated sound system.

“Back in 1996, there was a remodel done on that place, and there was a storefront put in,” McCauley said. “To us, it took away from that charm of a downtown theater. We are putting it back to the original facade of the theater, back to when I was a kid.”

“That’s the number one factor that is going to really bring the Delta theater back to looking 10 times better than it was.”

For the inside, McCauley said he is excited about restoring the foyer to its original grandeur. He says his marketing and design teams have been able to include comforts that have become more common offerings from larger theaters – food, beverages, a license to serve beer and wine, and updated restrooms, alongside decor that maintains the “retro vibe.”

McCauley, who owns about a dozen

downtown properties, is passionate about making sure the Delta is set up for success and elevates the “downtown experience.”

“We want to take people from eating downtown, to going to a movie, to going out for a drink after,” said McCauley, who started buying properties in an effort to revamp and revitalize downtown. “It was a well-thought-out process. We specifically put in tenants that would make that downtown thrive, and because of that, it is what it is today.”

McCauley is thankful that residents have been patient during the construction process, despite it taking longer than expected. He also said that he’s committed to keeping ticket prices low for the two screen, 205-person capacity venue. Once the theater opens, it’s projected to bring 600-800 people a day on the weekends, according to McCauley, with an average of 150-200 people per day during the week.

“I feel like the product that we’re going to have when we’re open is going to be something special for Brentwood,” McCauley said. “It’s going to be a really unique downtown experience, because we have such a quaint downtown area... There’s nothing like Brentwood.”

A WILL IS NOT THE ANSWER by Martin C.

Johnson, Attorney at Law, MBA,RMA®, EA

Back in the day, for the average person the common estate plan was a Will, a Power of Attorney, and Healthcare Directive. If you were wealthy, you might have a Trust. But for most people if you weren’t wealthy, there was going to be very little in the way of assets left after their death, so a Will was going to be fine.

However, we are now living in a world where the average house that sold last month in this county was $770,000. Unlike our parents, it is estimated that we will be transferring between $30-$40 Trillion in wealth to our children and beneficiaries. A standard Will is not going to work for this kind of transfer of wealth.

Here are just a few of the problems with Wills:

Where there is a Will, there is a Probate. Unless the total value of your assets that need to be probated is less than $184,500 and you have no real property, you will need a probate.

Probates are expensive and time consuming. The average probate in California takes over 1 year. The statutory fees are 4% of the first $100,000 of the estate, 3% of the next $100,000, 2% of the next $800,000. Fees are not on equity in property, but rather the fair market value. To make matters worse, these fees are paid to the attorney and the person who is the executor. This means that if you have an estate valued at $1 Million dollars at the time of your death, $46,000 will be paid to the attorney and your executor to probate your estate.

If you become incapacitated prior to your death, a Will is not going to help you because a Will is only effective after you die. Without a Trust, there is not a mechanism for you to

appoint someone to be in charge of you and your finances.

A Will cannot hold assets for the benefit of a third party If you have a beneficiary that is receiving governmental benefits, may receive governmental benefits in the future, or needs a third party to control distribution of assets, a Will is not going to be able to do this without a court establishing a separate trust and providing for control of the trust after you die.

Real Property cannot be transferred by Will without court approval. If you have real property, it is still going to be cheaper and faster to have the property in a trust than going through the probate process.

A will is not a substitute for a trust. Even if you do not own real property, most people need to have a trust in order to avoid a conservatorship if they become incapitated prior to death. It is much better for you to select the people who will be in charge of you and your finances versus the court making that determination at your expense.

If you have questions about estate planning or need help reviewing your Trust, we offer FREE 30 minute consultations in our Walnut Creek office. This article provides only general legal information and not specific legal advice. The information contained is not a substitute for a personal consultation with an attorney. 360 Estate Planning, Inc, Phone (925) 289-8837; 1600 S. Main St., Suite 100, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. © 2023 Martin Johnson

DRINK&

Publication Date: Oct. 20, 2023

Deadline for space reservation: Oct. 10, 2023

The Press’ East County

Press file photo

Oakley supports draft plan for new park

By Melissa van Ruiten Staff Writer

A third design draft for the Oakley Regional Community Park was presented to the City Council, Tuesday, Sept. 26. This is in addition to the original two options that had previously been presented.

During a work session at the meeting, Brian Fletcher of Callander Associates, the design firm hired by the city, outlined a new plan that would remove the sports fields and associated parking. Both of the previous draft plans included options for active and passive recreation, such as multi-use trails, sports fields, playgrounds, and lots of shaded areas. They also included options for a boat launch and fishing deck. The eastern edge of each plan has options for weddings and events at the historic GIlbert House, orchards/vineyards, and a new city corporation yard.

After further research and new information regarding the progressing development of Dal Porto Ranch Park, which is slated to be built as part of the new Summer Lake North development, Fletcher wanted to design an option that would allow for more open space, trails, and other potential recreational amenities.

The design for Dal Porto Ranch Park includes three baseball/softball fields– two Little League and one high school-sized, and a separate large, adultsized soccer field, which can be divided

into four smaller soccer fields.

“This coming onboard certainly would take the pressures off the need to have it at the regional park,” Fletcher said.

Despite residents indicating that they’d like to see sports fields included in the park use plan, specifically baseball and soccer fields, Fletcher pointed out that there were already 16 city-owned

Left: Councilmember Hugh Henderson pointed out that the tentative Oakley Regional Community Park uses a piece of property that showcases Oakley’s access to the Delta. “Making that the priority in this is very important,” Henderson said. Above: Earlier drafts of the regional park included space for sports fields before the design firm noted that Oakley has more parks per resident than surrounding communities, such as Brentwood and Antioch.

baseball/softball fields, including the aforementioned three in development, and 13 school-owned fields. Some of the existing fields are also being used for soccer, according to Fletcher.

“We took a look at how this compares to Antioch, how this compares to Brentwood, and Oakley right now has more fields per resident than those two communities,” Fletcher said.

The 2020 Census figures show that Oakley has one field for every 2,700 residents, according to Fletcher. Brentwood has one field for every 6,400 residents, and Antioch has one field for every 5,700 residents.

“Really, what (Oakley) could do is create a really unique, more of a naturethemed, kind of space that took the pressure off of trying to do too much within this zone,” Fletcher said. “It’s a large park, but we’re trying to cram a lot in there. So once you remove the ballfields and the portion of parking that’s associated with the ballfields, what could go in there?”

More multi-purpose trails and trail networks, a bike pump track or skatepark, a full disc golf course, or more open space for the camping facility that was included in the original second alternative draft were all possibilities that Fletcher proposed for the 55-acre space.

“Based on the information we got since then, we just wanted to show you this other potential third alternative for discussion,” Fletcher said, highlighting that there were grant opportunities that the design company had been pursuing to help with funding the park buildout, but had been unsuccessful.

“There are other grant opportunities that these new alternatives would open ourselves up to.,” Fletcher said. “There are Department of Boating and Waterways grants for boat launch facilities. There are a lot of grants out there for trail networks and open space, urban agriculture. These are some of the other things that we could then leverage a plan like this to actually get some funding and get people actually using the space.”

Overall, City Council members supported the vision of the newest draft plan, with Mayor Aaron Meadows reiterating his stance that “less is more.”

“I don’t want to see the park loaded up with a bunch of stuff just to load it up,” Meadows said.

Vice Mayor Anissa Williams said initially she was “all ballfields, all the time.” But after talking with other baseball moms, and learning how tournaments are run, she changed her stance. Williams also recounted a conversation with a local angler who was excited about the water recreation possibilities that the park will offer.

Councilmember Hugh Henderson pointed out that it’s a piece of property that showcases Oakley’s access to the Delta. “Making that the priority in this is very important,” Henderson said.

Since this presentation was part of a work session, no vote was taken. There will be one more council meeting to review the third draft of the master plan at the end of this year, and the final master plan is anticipated to be finished and presented in early 2024, according to the presentation.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net

Images are courtesy of city of Oakley

A sip of Germany coming to downtown Brentwood

Oktoberfest set for Oct. 14 at City Park

Get ready to don your lederhosen and dirndls as the annual Brentwood Oktoberfest presented by Purpose-Built, returns for another exciting year of Bavarian festivities. This event, known for its lively atmosphere and authentic German traditions, takes place Saturday, Oct. 14, from 1-7 p.m. at City Park in downtown Brentwood.

Downtown Brentwood Coalition’s annual Oktoberfest has become a cherished tradition, bringing together locals and visitors alike to celebrate the rich heritage of Bavaria. With its vibrant decorations, traditional music, and of course, an array of delicious German cuisine and beverages, this event promises an unforgettable experience for all who attend. Highlights of the festival include:

• Alpine Sound takes the stage to kick off the event. Dance and enjoy the rhythmic sounds of live Bavarian music. Dance along to traditional folk tunes and immerse yourself in the spirit of the festival. The Floorshakers take the stage for the second half of the event.

• Food and German-inspired cuisine: Indulge your taste buds with a mouthwatering selection of food from Lockeford Sausage, and giant pretzels from Pure Grain Bakery, plus a dozen food vendors with a wide variety of flavors.

• Crisp, fresh Beer and refreshments: Raise your stein and join in the “Prost!”to celebrate the Oktoberfest tradition of toasting with friends old and new. A wide selection of German and other popular beers, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, will be available.

• The Contra Costa Wine Growers Association hosts the Weingarden in the shade of beautiful City Park. Try de-

licious local wines and celebrate with your friends and family.

• – VIP Beer & Wine Experience passes are available at www.brentwooddowntown.com/oktoberfest-2023 or on Eventbrite. VIPs will enjoy beverages, Oktoberfest merchandise by PurposeBuilt, fast passes and more.

• Family-friendly activities: The Brentwood Oktoberfest is a familyfriendly event that offers activities for all ages. From carnival games and complimentary face painting and balloon animals. New for 2023 is the FunZone presented by East County Performing Arts Center. Grab $10 FunZone passes in advance and enjoy the Giant Slide and the carnival games.

• Bring your weiner dog in a costume and head to the Main Stage around 2pm to sign up for the costume parade. The winning wieners will receive prizes and adoration.

• The Hops Market presented by The Makers Boulevard: Explore the Ba-

varian-themed market on First Street featuring a range of fall and harvestthemed crafts, souvenirs, and traditional items. Find gifts or mementos to commemorate your Oktoberfest experience.

• Stroll through historic downtown Brentwood and visit the shops and stops. Enjoy photo opportunities throughout downtown as you sip and explore the small businesses who make this event possible. Shop the sales and get your holiday shopping crossed off the list early this year.

• Games and contests: Embrace the Oktoberfest spirit by dressing in traditional Bavarian attire. We will pick a winner for the “Best Dressed”. The fan favorite, Beer Stein Obstacle Race will take place near the Main Stage, and new for this year, the Beer Stein Holding Competition. “After the hot Brentwood summers, we all look forward to the fall. It’s a time for us to cool down, reset and appreciate our

friends, family, and the community we live in. Oktoberfest brings that spirit to Downtown Brentwood, and we look forward to seeing everyone come together in the heart of our City.” Downtown Brentwood Coalition Executive Director, Amy Tilley said. “The event brings visitors from all over the Bay Area, so it is a perfect opportunity to showcase Brentwood as an outstanding place to live, work and play. For locals, it celebrates the fall harvest and our agricultural roots as a community.”

Admission is free for Oktoberfest. But for those wanting to elevate their experience,

VIP Experience passes and FunZone passes can be purchased at https:// www.brentwooddowntown.com/oktoberfest-2023 . A limited quantity of VIP Passes and FunZone Passes will be available on-site at the start of the event. For more information, including VIP Experience passes,an be purchased at ttps://www.brentwooddowntown.com/oktoberfest-2023

The Downtown Brentwood Coalition’s annual Oktoberfest is a cherished tradition, bringing together locals and visitors alike to celebrate the rich heritage of Bavaria.

Photos courtesy of Downtown Brentwood Coalition

Hometown SportS

McKendry’s game improves after injury

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

Liberty High senior wide receiver Ryan McKendry and his mom, Jen, remember the day like it was yesterday.

In last year’s intersquad scrimmage, McKendry caught a screen pass and ran up the sideline. When he was about to go out of bounds, he was caught from behind and tackled by his legs.

“I fell down and hit my shoulder,” he said. “I was in pain, but I didn’t really think anything much of it because it didn’t really hurt that bad. It was just one of those things.”

The trainers looked at him and saw nothing sticking out. So they said he was okay, but something still felt off.

“Then I couldn’t take off my pads. I couldn’t hold anything,” he said. “So that’s when it started to really hurt.”

McKendry and his mom went to the doctors and the emergency room at a nearby hospital and that’s when they discovered that he had a broken collarbone.

“I saw him out on the sidelines and he kept holding his collarbone, and a couple of coaches came over and I could just tell that he was hurting and he wasn’t wanting to go back in, which is very unlike Ryan,” Jen McKendry said. “It was devastating because physically he was in pain, which is not fun. But I think it was more emotionally and his junior year of high school, like when it really counts, and he’s so devoted and passionate about football.”

McKendry was nearly forced to miss the whole season with the broken collarbone, but came back in time for the Brentwood Bowl matchup at Heritage.

“They told me 9-12 weeks, and I im-

mediately thought like there’s no way, I gotta be back sooner than that,” he said. “I wanted to do everything I could to get back as soon as possible.”

McKendry added that he originally came back in Week 5, just seven weeks after the initial injury, but re-injured it during practice that week.

“I felt like I was very careless with what I was doing,” he said. “Because it was my junior year, I thought I had all the time in the world. Once I got my injury, I really saw I only have 10 more games left, so that really kicked in. Breaking my collarbone was a blessing in disguise.”

He made an immediate impact in the 2022 Brentwood Bowl, catching five balls for 60 yards with a touchdown in his return.

In Liberty’s first-round playoff matchup against Pleasanton’s Amador Valley, he caught three balls for 117 yards with a touchdown in the Lions’ 35-21 win, and caught two passes for 62 yards in Liberty’s semifinal loss against Clayton Valley Charter.

This season, he’s picked up where he left off.

McKendry took the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown in Liberty’s win at Enochs, and caught three passes for 51 yards with a touchdown on the day as well.

This season, he’s caught 24 passes for 555 yards with seven touchdowns entering the bye week. He’s scored a receiving touchdown in five of the six games Liberty has played this season, except in their 5314 win against Will C. Wood back on Sept. 8, where he had a 93-yard rushing touchdown in the win.

His 555 receiving yards are ranked seventh in the North Coast Section, and he’s just three yards shy of fourth place on the list (Wesley Timmel, San Marin), five yards shy of third place (Jack Davis, St. Vincent de Paul), and 20 yards shy of second place in the section (Nick Fox, California).

Tamalpais’s Andrew Gordon leads the NCS in receiving yards with 779 yards.

In last Friday’s Bell game, McKendry caught three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in the first half where he got open behind the Falcons’ secondary for the easy score.

This year, he’s worked with former NFL – New York Jets, Chicago Bears, the then-Oakland Raiders, and the thenWashington Redskins – wide receiver Kenny Shedd, who McKendry says has really shaped his game to a new level.

“He’s changed the way I run some routes,” McKendry said. “Every single day we play catch more. Last, year we didn’t play catch at all, so I feel like my hands have gotten better because of the fact I’m catching more balls now. He’s helped me out a ton.”

“It’s been an absolute pleasure coaching and mentoring Ryan this season,” Shedd said.

“I made it a point to make sure Ryan was mentally ready to return to the gridiron and not be apprehensive due to the injury he suffered last year. All my concerns went out the window immediately after he ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown in our season opener.

“He works extra hard in practice, doing everything he could do to catch every ball thrown his way, run highly polished and effective routes and be the type of leader his team and his receiver squad need him to be.”

McKendry is getting recruited by San Diego State, where he’s going for a visit at the end of this month. Nonetheless, he still credits his success, injury included, to his time at Liberty.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said. “It’s had its ups and down, but overall it’s been a great four years.”

view a video, visit www.thepress.net/

Freedom puts Sims on administrative leave

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

Freedom High School football coach Zach Sims is out as head coach of the school’s varsity football program.

According to school sources and confirmed by Freedom principal Steve Amaro, Sims was put on administrative leave from coaching on Monday and will not coach the remainder of the 2023 season. Sims is still teaching at Freedom.

Although Amaro could not explain the reasoning for putting Sims on leave from coaching because it’s a personnel issue, he did tell The Press that “there were some things that came up and we thought (relieving him from coaching) would be better for our students.”

Although Amaro confirmed to The Press that Sims’ leaving the program was not “performance-based,” the Falcons struggled under Sims. Freedom went 6-19 under Sims since his arrival to Oakley in 2021, a far cry from the 2017 and 2018 NCS championship game years.

“We are going to move forward in the best way possible,” Amaro said.

Former Falcons head coach Kevin Hartwig and

Scott Sbranti, a physical education teacher and golf coach at Freedom, will coach the team together for the rest of the season as Freedom prepares for their next game against Pittsburg in Oakley on Friday, Oct. 13. The Falcons have four BVAL games left in the season starting next Friday.

“I’m thankful that Hartwig and Sbranti stepped up in time for the students’ needs,” Amaro said.

Hartwig, who spent 16 years coaching Freedom, stepped down after the 2017 season for family reasons.

His 2017 Freedom team went 9-3 in his final season on the sidelines, losing to Liberty in the NCS Division 1 championship game. He earned his 100th and final victory a week prior against Antioch in the NCS Division 1 semifinals.

Hartwig hasn’t been too far from the sidelines this year, coaching Freedom’s first varsity girl’s flag football team that’s 3-4 (3-2 BVAL) midway through their season.

Sims was unable to comment for this story because he said it’s a personnel issue.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net

Zach Sims looks at his playsheet during last Friday’s Bell Game between Freedom and Liberty. He was put on leave from coaching on Monday.

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

To

Liberty’s Ryan McKendry runs a route in last Friday’s Bell Game at Freedom.

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

Freedom girls volleyball rebounds from being swept to sweep over Deer Valley

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

The 2023 Freedom High Falcons girls volleyball team is on pace to possibly do something they haven’t done in eight years - return to the playoffs.

They took another step forward to a possible postseason return after sweeping Deer Valley in straight sets 25-15, 25-16, 25-22. The 3-0 win comes just days after the Falcons fell at Heritage in straight sets 3-0, ending their six-match win streak and 18-set win streak as well.

“(The win) was huge,” Freedom head coach Elizabeth Rivas said. “(Heritage) was an eye opener for us. We walked in overconfident and at that point our libero was out. So not only did it hurt us in the game, but it impacted us mentally.”

The win improves Freedom to 11-7 on the season, 4-1 in the BVAL with five matches left in the season as of Tuesday night.

“(The team came in) today with a different mindset that we needed to play our game and set the tone and needed to be determined to win no matter what,” Rivas added.

The win also marks the team’s 10th sweep of the season, officially outdoing the nine sweeps they had last year.

“This was a really big game for us,” Freedom senior Kyla Powell said. “After the Heritage loss, it had us rethink a couple of things, and we really came together in this game. This game showed us that we can come back together and win as a team.”

After taking control of the first two sets, Freedom found themselves down 13-9 midway through the third set. Rivas called a timeout as Powell explained that Rivas called them in to fire them up in the third set.

“During the timeout, we just kind of realized our energy was kind of down during the game,” Powell explained. “We had way better energy during the first two sets, and it kind of died down after so many mistakes were made.”

Pet of the Week THE PRESS

Doggie Depot

Pet Grooming, Spa and Boarding Doggie Depot offers full-service and express grooming, nail care, pet bed laundry and spa packages. The friendly, talented staff is constantly upgrading its education through competitions, classes and seminars, providing your four-legged friends with new styles and trends. Doggie Depot is the leader of the pack in pet care, voted Best Pet Groomer for 20 years in a row.

Following the timeout, the Falcons rallied back to eventually tie the game at 20-all, taking a 21-20 lead after a mishit by the Wolverines. On match point, Powell’s block at the net led to the final kill of the match. Powell led the Falcons on the night with 14 kills and seven aces. Freedom takes to the road for their next two matches at Liberty Thursday night and at Pittsburg next Tuesday. To view a slideshow, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/ slideshows

For more information, email contacthalo@ yahoo.com or visit www.eccchalo.org

Meet Duke

Duke is a male Terrier/Chihuahua mix, born July 8, 2012. This big love bug is starving for love and attention, and he really deserves it because he is a great dog. Duke will tolerate other dogs, but he really wants you all to himself. If you have children, he would like them to be 10 years of age or older so that they will not be too rough with him. For more information about Duke, email: starshalodogs@ yahoo.com.

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

Driver arrested and hospitalized after police pursuit is identified

By Melissa van Ruiten Staff Writer

The driver of a vehicle who was arrested, then hospitalized after his car crashed into a tree in Oakley on Thursday, Sept. 28, has been identified.

What began as a traffic stop on Laurel Road in Oakley of a vehicle driven by Brandon Gentry, 32, of Stockton and Antioch quickly escalated into a pursuit at an “excessive speed” and crossed over into Brentwood, according to Oakley Police Sgt. Casey Minister.

The pursuit ended when his car crashed into a tree on Empire Road in Brentwood, west of Shady Willow Lane,

shortly before 6 p.m.

“The driver of the vehicle didn’t have any license plates on the vehicle,” Minister said. “He pulled into the driveway of a residence, got out of the vehicle, and the officers contacted him.”

While parked in the driveway of a residence on Harvest Circle, Gentry, who was driving the white Infiniti FX35,, exited his car and spoke with Officer Williams. He requested that Gentry get back into the car. Gentry complied, but became argumentative, according to a press release from the Oakley Police Department. At that point, Gentry put the car into reverse and attempted to back over Officer Burton, who had been standing at the rear of the vehicle. Burton was able to duck

out of the way and avoid injury.

“The suspect vehicle took off,” Minister said. “The officers were involved in a pursuit, which came into the City of Brentwood.”

During the pursuit, Gentry drove into the opposing traffic lanes multiple times, resulting in the police supervisor ending the chase. At that point, Gentry’s car crashed into a tree, before he jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.

Gentry ran about 100 yards, before Officers Williams and Hernandez, who had arrived to assist, caught up to him. Other than tackling Gentry to stop him, there was no other use of force, according to the press release.

Emergency personnel from Contra

Costa Fire Protection district assessed the injuries to Gentry and his passenger. Gentry was determined to be in critical condition and was airlifted to John Muir Medical CenterWalnut Creek, according to Con Fire officials. Police also found a loaded firearm in the car and was listed as a vehicle involved in a felony case of evading officers in Alameda County, according to the press release. Gentry was also found to be carrying two grams of suspected methamphetamine and $4,200 cash. Gentry was placed under arrest and then admitted to the hospital. Later, Gentry was released from custody due to his medical status, but detectives will work on pursuing appropriate charges upon his release from the hospital, police said.

Dukellis Real Estate puts their clients first

Dukellis

Brentwood is a family-owned and -operated real estate brokerage providing residential services, including listing, selling and relocation referrals.

Mary Jane Dukellis and Lisa Dukellis-Mitchener share a passion for real estate and love seeing their clients smile when they find just the right home for them.

They prioritize their clients’ wishes and best interests,

Happy Fall Y’all!

which they assess by asking pertinent questions and listening carefully, and are diligent in securing clients’ qualifications to purchase a property within their desired price range.

The company, which belongs to three property listing services, focuses on senior and first-time home buyer clientele, with some of its business coming from referrals.

As members of state and national rRealtors’

associations, Dukellis Real Estate has the latest information from the legislature as well as the economic outlook of the housing market.

For more information, call Mary Jane Dukellis at 925948-5191, email her at maryjane@dukellis.com or Lisa at 925-775-8060; email Lisa@dukellis.com. Visit their website at www.dukellis.com.

EDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY

oP inion

Have something to say? Post a comment or submit a letter to the editor at www.thepress.net/site/forms

City manager condemns hate speech at meeting

Editor’s note: The following opinion piece was originally published in the city of Brentwood’s monthly newsletter.

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Norman & Rhoda Rossman

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Catherine Senior

Guest comment

During several City Council meetings throughout the state, and recently at a Brentwood City Council meeting, those in attendance were subjected to vile, racist, and offensive comments from anonymous public participants virtually through Zoom.

The City of Brentwood unequivocally condemns these attacks and stands united in speaking out against any form of hate. Such hateful speech has no place in our community, and we are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all residents.

Brentwood is a diverse and

supportive community for all who live and work here. Our community will not stand idly by tolerating any form of discrimination based on race, religion, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, immigration status, or any other group.

Further, we reject the hateful comments directed at the mayor and City Council, city staff, and the public at the last council meeting.

In future meetings, the City Council and city staff will continue to demonstrate their priority on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging strategies, reinforcing a safe and inclusive community for all.

We invite all Brentwood residents to stand with us in unity for peace and harmony.

City Manager Tim Ogden CityManager@brentwoodca.gov

Letters to the editor

Writer laments ‘slow decline’ of Brentwood

Editor:

Sadly, it seems Brentwood is in a slow decline as we all just seem to watch or get used to the slow deterioration and accept it.

Whether it’s the growing homeless encampments, graffiti, criminal behavior, panhandlers at street corners, broken windows at closed stores, people standing in the middle of Lone Tree Way selling goods to cars speeding by, or the deterioration of our parks, it’s all a sad decline of the once proud standard our city was

known for.

It seems even our city leaders (and even law enforcement whose hands may be tied) just seem to accept, tolerate, ignore, or excuse away this trend that is so obvious to everyone who lives here. I only wish we had some leaders who had the courage to stand up to this trend and say, “No more” before it’s too late.

Sadly, these leaders seem to be in very short supply these days.

For the first time in 15 years, our family is actually considering leaving Brentwood.

Mike Hinchcliff Brentwood

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NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE UNDER DEED OF TRUST Loan No.: EWL6718/ALDUENDA ARIAS RESS Order No.: 2023-78177 A.P. NUMBER 034410-046-6 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 08/22/2022, UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that on 10/16/2023, at 01:30 P.M. of said day, At the north side of the Pittsburg Civic Center near the grass located at 65 Civic Avenue, Pittsburg, CA 94565, RESS Financial Corporation, a California corporation, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to the power of sale conferred in that certain Deed of Trust executed by JOEL ALDUENDA ARIAS AND LILIANA ALDUENDA HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS recorded on 08/29/2022, in Book N/A of Official Records of CONTRA COSTA County, at page N/A, Recorder’s Instrument No. 2022-0132893, by reason of a breach or default in payment or performance of the obligations secured thereby, including that breach or default, Notice of which was recorded 6/9/2023 as Recorder’s Instrument No. 2023-0055249, in Book n/a, at page n/a, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, lawful money of the United States, evidenced by a Cashier’s Check drawn on a state or national bank, or the equivalent thereof drawn on any other financial institution specified in section 5102 of the California Financial Code, authorized to do business in the State of California, ALL PAYABLE AT THE TIME OF SALE, all right, title and interest held by it as Trustee, in that real property situated in said County and State, described as follows: Lot 46, as shown on Map of subdivision 8541, filed 11/16/2004, in Map Book 470, Page 24. Refer to Deed of Trust for full Legal Description. The street address or other common designation of the real property hereinabove described is purported to be: 248 YELLOW ROSE CIRCLE, OAKLEY, CA 94561. The undersigned disclaims all liability for any incorrectness in said street address or other common designation. Said sale will be made without warranty, express or implied regarding title, possession, or other encumbrances, to satisfy the unpaid obligations secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest and other sums as provided therein; plus advances, if any, thereunder and interest thereon; and plus fees, charges, and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of said obligations at the time of initial publication of this Notice is $207,093.67. In the event that the deed of trust described in this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is secured by real property containing from one to four singlefamily residences, the following notices are provided pursuant to the provisions of Civil Code section 2924f: NOTICE TO

POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder

at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee’s sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 916-939-0772 or visit this internet website www.nationwideposting.com, using the file number assigned to this case 2023-78177. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not be immediately reflected in the telephone information or on the internet website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. NOTICE

TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an “eligible tenant buyer,” you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. If you are an “eligible bidder,” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to exercising this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call 916-939-0772 for information regarding the trustee’s sale, or visit this internet website https://www. nationwideposting.com for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case 2023-78177 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee’s sale. Third, you must submit a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 45 days after the trustee’s sale. If you think you may qualify as an “eligible tenant buyer” or “eligible bidder,” you should consider contacting an attorney or appropriate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase.

Dated: 09/11/2023 RESS Financial Corporation, a California corporation, as Trustee

By: ANGELA GROVES, TRUSTEE SALE

OFFICER 1780 Town and Country Drive, Suite 105, Norco, CA 92860-3618 (SEAL) Tel.: (951) 270-0164 or (800)343-7377

FAX: (951)270-2673 Trustee’s Sale Information: (916) 939-0772 or www.nationwideposting.com NPP0440541 To:

OAKLEY PRESS 09/22/2023, 09/29/2023, 10/06/2023 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 91192 Publish Dates: September 22, 29, October 26, 2023.

That The Oakley Chamber of Commerce will not be responsible for the services furnished or provided or used in any manner or way to “The Oakley Chamber of Commerce” or its predecessor organization, the “Oakley Chamber of Commerce,” prior to the organization’s reinstatement in good standing with the State of California Francise Tax Board dated and effective June 6, 2023.

Dated: September 9, 2023. Oakley Press No. 03-0477 91175 Publish dates: September 15, 22, 29 and October 6, 2023.

NOTICE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

Publish Dates: September 29, October 6, 13, 20, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. F-2023-0004632 The name of the business(es):

1. Lone Tree Gas & Food

by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Macy Jardin, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/08/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/07/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

FICTITIOUS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-000XXXX The name of the business(es): LoTrain Consulting LLC Located at 112 Terranova Drive, Antioch Ca 94509, is hereby registered by the following owners:

1. Lynette J. Hart

2. Jeffrey A. Loman. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business names listed above on:

XX. Signature of registrant Lynette J. Hart -President of Company. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa on: 9/25/2023 by Deputy Clerk expires 9/25/2028.

Publish Dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004926 The name of the business(es): READ TAX SERVICES Located at: 1311 BROOKTRAIL DR In: PITTSBURG, CA 94565, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): DAO TRAN. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: DAO TRAN, OWNER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/19/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/19/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0005137 The name of the business(es): Shapability Behavior Consulting Located at: 1380 Mandarin Ct. In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Shapability, LLC. This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company, State of Organization. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Ashley Curtin, Chief Executive Officer. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 10/02/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 10/01/2028 Brentwood Press No. 021273

Publish Dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004169 The name of the business(es): Liberty HS Class of 2003 Reunions Located at: 872 Redhaven St In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Mary Ann Federico. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Mary Ann Federico, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/09/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/08/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

2. Sinclair Lone Tree Gas & Food Located at: 3720 Lone Tree Way In: Antioch, CA 94509, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Shiv Divankni Ventures and Investments Inc. This business is conducted by: a Corporation, State of Incorporation: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 08/25/2017. Signature of registrant: Asha Jain, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/31/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/30/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. F-2023-0004913 The name of the business(es): The Ugly Cactus LLC Located at: 3591 Yacht Drive In: Discovery Bay, CA 94505, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): The Ugly Cactus LLC. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/01/2023. Signature of registrant: Patricia Guerrero, Owner and CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/18/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/17/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. 2023-0005115 The name of the business(es): Nicole Arroyos Located at: 3860 Balfour Road, Suite C In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Gazelle Ventures Inc. This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company, State of Organization. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 04/01/2019. Signature of registrant:

Nicole Arroyos, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/29/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/28/2028 Brentwood

Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. F-2023-0004758 The name of the business(es): San Ramon Dance Fitness Located at: 278 Saint Christopher Drive In: Danville, CA 94526, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Julie A. McGill. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Julie McGill, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/11/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/10/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 22, 29, October 6, 13, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004425 The name of

the business(es): Brentwood Mobile RV Repair Located at: 7960 Brentwood Blvd, Suite E In: Brentwood, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): RV & Yacht Repair, INC. This business is conducted by: a Corporation, State of Incorporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/01/2023. Signature of registrant: Michael Meloni, Ceo. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/24/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/23/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. F-2023-0004534 The name of the business(es): Detailed Pest Control Inc Located at: 1140 Saranap Ave In: Walnut Creek, CA 94596, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Detailed Pest Control Inc. This business is conducted by: A Corporation, State of Incorporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Darren Sant, CEO, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/29/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/28/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004627 The name of the business(es): Concord Mobile RV Repair Located at: 1528 Farm Bureau Rd In: Concord, CA 94519, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): RV & Yacht Repair, INC. This business is conducted by: a Corporation, State of Incorporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/01/2023. Signature of registrant: Michael Meloni, Ceo. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/31/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/30/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004036 The name of the business(es): Metal Maniac Prints Located at: 628 Greystone Dr In: Antioch, CA -4509, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): David Earley. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 08/02/2023. Signature of registrant: David Earley, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/02/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/01/2028 Brentwood Press No. 021273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29,

October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004728 The name of the business(es): Jardin Lifetime Enterprises Located at: 148 Cardinal Lane In: Discovery Bay CA 94505, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Macy Jardin. This business is conducted

Publish Dates: September 22, 29, October 6, 13, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004867 The name of the business(es): Superior Roofing Services Located at: 72 Canal Drive In: Bay Point, CA 94565, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Angela Rachelle Oroquita. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Angela R. Oroquita, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/15/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/14/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 29, October 6, 13, 20, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004640 The name of the business(es): SONS FURNITURE AND RESTORATION Located at: 1371 Berry Ln. In: Brentwood,CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Kenneth Anthony Brossard Jr.. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on . Signature of registrant: Kenneth Anthony Brossard Jr., Owner / Operator. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/01/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/01/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004629 The name of the business(es): Ysela’s Esthetics Located at: 675 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Suite B101 In: Walnut Creek, CA 94596, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Ysela Oralia Howland. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on . Signature of registrant: Ysela Oralia Howland, Owner.

the business(es): Contra Costa Mobile RV Repair Located at: 384 1st Street In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): RV & Yacht Repair, INC. This business is conducted by: a Corporation, State of Incorporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 01/01/2023. Signature of registrant: Michael Meloni, Ceo. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/31/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/30/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004509 The name of the business(es): JIM ORANGE’S MAGICAL TIME Located at: 707 Revenna Way In: Brentwood, Ca 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Christian Richardson. This business is conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on . Signature of registrant: CHRISTIAN RICHARDSON-INDIVIDUAL, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 08/29/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 08/28/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2023-0004890

The name of the business(es): Katz Krochet Co. Located at: 124 Clear Lake Ct. In: Oakley, CA 94561, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Kathryn Marie Dexheimer. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Kathryn Dexheimer. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 09/18/2023 by Deputy Clerk Expires 09/17/2028 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273

Publish Dates: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

Cop logs

An adult was arrested following a report of indecent exposure on Indiana Ave. The suspect was outside, naked, and harassing people.

Brentwood – September 20, 6:47 p.m.

The following is a selection of recent law enforcement activity:

OAKLEY

September 17, 3:33 a.m. A restraining order violation was reported at an unknown address.

September 17, 4:24 p.m. Theft of an access card was reported on the 1700 block of Teresa Lane.

September 17, 7:47 p.m. A case of vandalism was reported on the 900 block of Rhine Way.

September 17, 10:11 p.m. An accident with property damage was reported at O’Hara Ave. and Brownstone Road.

September 18, 11:28 a.m. A case of counterfeit was reported at the Chevron on Main St. and Bridgehead Road.

September 18, 2:56 p.m. A case of vandalism was reported on the 1700 block of Gateway Drive.

September 18, 4:52 p.m. A case of petty theft was reported at an unknown address.

September 19, 4:34 a.m. A vehicle theft was reported on Winchester Drive.

September 19, 11:55 a.m. A misdemeanor hit and run was reported on 4th St. and Las Dunas Avenue.

September 19, 12:08 p.m. A verbal dispute was reported on the 5400 block of Sunset Meadows Lane.

September 19, 12:10 p.m. A domestic disturbance was reported in the area of Vintage Parkway and Concannon Drive.

September 19, 5:31 p.m. A warrant arrest was made at Main St. and Live Oak Avenue.

September 20, 1:44 a.m. A domestic disturbance was reported on the 4000 block of Wilbur Avenue.

September 20, 4:13 p.m. A misdemeanor DUI was reported at Delaney Parkway and East Cypress Road.

September 20, 7:57 p.m. A domestic disturbance was reported on the 200 block of Hill Avenue.

September 20, 11:28 p.m. An individual was placed under arrest for failing to obey a police officer at Crockett Park.

September 21, 2:48 a.m. A warrant arrest was made on the 1300 block of Tuolumne Way.

September 21, 8:47 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 4500 block of Lariat Lane.

September 21, 3:13 p.m. A domestic disturbance was reported on the 300 block of 2nd St.

September 21, 5:23 p.m. A case of auto burglary was reported on the 400 block of Hazelnut Court.

September 21, 5:50 p.m. A case of burglary was reported on Walnut Drive.

September 21, 9:40 p.m. A domestic disturbance was reported at Skipolini’s Pizza on Main Street.

September 22, 9:49 a.m. A case of grand theft was reported at Freedom High School.

September 22, 2:44 p.m. A case of shoplifting was reported at Lucky on Main Street.

September 22, 2:48 p.m. An auto accident with injury was reported on the 300 block of Delta Road.

September 22, 4:13 p.m. A case of felony vandalism was reported at Raleys on Main St.

September 22, 5:42 p.m. A case of vandalism was reported at McDonald’s on Main St.

September 22, 8:42 p.m. A domestic disturbance was reported on the 30 block of Rustic Court.

September 22, 11:31 p.m. A misdemeanor

DUI was reported on Main Street and Teakwood Drive.

September 23, 2:17 p.m. An accident with property damage was reported at West Cypress Road and Bordeaux Drive.

September 23, 8:25 p.m. A case of unauthorized possession was reported at Laurel Fields.

BRENTWOOD

September 17, 5:50 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on Century Oaks Drive. The reporting party heard the alarm on their red and black Camaro go off before hearing the vehicle get driven away.

September 17, 9:51 a.m. A case of burglary from a vehicle was reported on Montecito Drive. The vehicle’s window was broken and a passport was taken.

September 17, 10:09 a.m. A non-injury hit and run was reported on Lone Tree Way.

September 17, 10:11 a.m. A case of burglary from a vehicle was reported on Wildcat Lane. The reporting party’s and his girlfriend’s vehicles were broken into.

September 18, 8:40 a.m. A case of grand theft was reported on Balfour Road. A Comcast box and back-up battery was broken into and battery units were stolen.

September 18, 10:00 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on Brentwood Boulevard. The reporting party said his truck had been stolen over the weekend.

September 18, 11:43 a.m. A case of vandalism was reported on Boone Drive. A vehicle was keyed.

September 19, 4:30 a.m. An adult was reported missing from Gamay Lane. The reporting party’s husband, who suffers from slight dementia, had been missing since 2:15 a.m.

September 19, 7:56 a.m. A case of grand theft was reported on Summerwood Drive. A catalytic converter was stolen from a Toyota Prius.

September 19, 7:57 a.m. A suspicious circumstance was reported on American Avenue. A former teacher at Heritage High School said on an Instagram Live that he was planning to do something on the campus at 8:20 a.m. that would “go down in the history books.”

September 19, 4:56 p.m. A non-injury hit and run was reported on Brentwood Boulevard.

September 19, 10:10 p.m. An adult was arrested following a verbal dispute and possible physical altercation on Prominent Drive.

September 20, 1:56 a.m. A case of vehicle

tampering was reported on Breakwater Way and Lagoon Court. Three males were cutting a catalytic converter out of a lightcolored vehicle.

September 20, 6:40 a.m. A non-injury accident was reported on Shirley Street.

September 20, 8:03 a.m. A physical fight was reported on Walnut Boulevard. The reporting party witnessed a male suspect push down a homeless person and an argument ensued.

September 20, 12:40 p.m. A physical fight was reported on Ghiggeri Drive. No weapons were seen, but 3-4 male suspects were seen fleeing the area.

September 20, 1:38 p.m. A non-injury accident involving a tractor trailer was reported on Lone Tree Way.

September 20, 1:39 p.m. An adult was arrested following a physical domestic dispute on Second Street.

September 20, 2:29 p.m. A case of commercial burglary was reported on Guthrie Lane. The reporting party said that someone broke into his storage unit and stole about $7,000 worth of his work tools.

September 20, 6:47 p.m. An adult was arrested following a report of indecent exposure on Indiana Ave. The suspect was outside, naked, and harassing people.

September 21, 5:51 a.m. A case of commercial burglary was reported on Brentwood Boulevard.

September 21, 2:10 p.m. An accident with minor injuries was reported at Sand Creek Road and Stony Creek Drive. A bicyclist was struck and complaining of back pain.

September 21, 4:45 p.m. A case of forgery/ fraud was reported on Centennial Drive. The reporting party bought and gave $400 worth of gift cards to a person impersonating her pastor on the phone.

September 21, 5:03 p.m. A male adult was arrested after shooting down a drone on Pacifica Drive.

September 21, 5:38 p.m. A case of burglary from a vehicle was reported on Ford Street. The reporting party’s work truck was broken into and tools were taken.

September 21, 19:55 A case of vehicle theft was reported on Brentwood Boulevard. The reporting party’s black with red stripes 2017 Yamaha motorcycle was taken the day before.

September 21, 11:35 p.m. A non-injury hit and run was reported at Balfour Road and Highway 4. A black BMW hit the reporting party’s car and drove off.

September 22, 2:25 p.m. An accident with minor injury was reported at Vineyards Parkway and Fairview Avenue. A solo gray vehicle crashed into a light pole.

September 22, 3:23 p.m. A case of grand theft was reported on Applewood Common. The entire community mailbox was stolen.

September 23, 11:04 a.m. A residential burglary was reported on Meadow Brook Drive. The reporting party could see a flashlight moving around, but it’s unknown if

anything was taken.

September 23, 11:55 a.m. A case of forgery/ fraud was reported on Malbec Lane. The reporting party lost over $200,000 in a Publisher’s Clearing House scam.

September 23, 5:50 p.m. A case of grand theft was reported on Sand Creek Road. A gray Infiniti with dealer plates left the scene traveling on Sand Creek towards Highway 4.

ANTIOCH

September 17, 1:10 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 2700 block of Alamo Court.

September 17, 4:19 a.m. A case of gunshots being fired was reported on the 300 block of Greystone Drive.

September 17, 5:51 a.m. A Shotspottr alert detected a case of aggravated assault on the 2400 block of Sunset Drive.

September 17, 7:28 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 2400 block of L St. September 17, 11:37 a.m. An adult was reported missing on the 4400 block of Shannondale Drive.

September 17, 12:19 p.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 3100 block of Buchanan Road.

September 17, 5:08 p.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 3000 block of Pear St.

September 17, 6:21 p.m. A non-injury hit and run was reported on L St. and Sycamore Drive.

September 18, 12:41 a.m. A case of simple assault and battery was reported on the 3900 block of Lone Tree Way.

September 18, 7:19 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 100 block of East Madill St.

September 18, 8:17 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 1200 block of Tulip Drive.

September 18, 8:28 a.m. A traffic collision with injury was reported on Fairside Way and Lone Tree Way.

September 18, 12:09 p.m. A case of simple assault and battery was reported on the 1500 block of D St.

September 18, 3:26 p.m. A family disturbance was reported on the 4800 block of Belford Peak Way.

September 18, 9:27 p.m. A family disturbance was reported on the 900 block of West 7th St.

September 18, 10:21 p.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 100 block of Sunset Drive.

September 19, 5:41 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 1100 block of James Donlon Blvd.

September 19, 6:21 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 1100 block of James Donlon Blvd.

September 19, 7:08 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 1200 block of St. Frances Drive.

September 19, 8:09 a.m. A case of vehicle theft was reported on the 3600 block of Markley Creek Drive.

NOTICE

Housing from page 1A

“We gave them the roof and the walls, but we did not give them the support system. We do not help them understand how to (manage) their financing, or how to feed their kids, how to dress for work to have a career.”

Also present during the discussion were Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, Pittsburg Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston, Contra Costa Housing and Community Improvement Assistant Deputy Director Gabriel Lemus, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action leaders Christian Copeland and Nicole Arrington as well as student Reese Clayton.

Meyer said cities and counties should help non-profits operate programs because they have a pulse on the issue and are connected to the homeless population. She said these organizations are often underfunded.

“So the mistake is throwing money at building more and more housing…Help (non-profits) do the work,” she added.

Despite introducing numerous legisla-

Fight from page 1A

tive bills on affordable housing, Meyer said affordable housing remains a struggle as the houses are priced at market rates. She added that wrap-around services in cities and counties are pivotal to helping the homeless people.

In Brentwood, there were about 80 homeless people in 2020, but it has been reduced to 37 this year, Meyer said.

The city also has a homeless response team as part of its police force to help them and prohibit in-lieu fees, which are fees developers could pay to exclude affordable housing from their projects.

Meyer said Brentwood tries to provide resources and affordable housing.

“We want people to be welcome across the city. We want people to be inclusively and collectively living together side by side without any idea of who’s living in affordable housing and who isn’t,” she added.

Thorpe said housing instability encompasses several challenges when individuals and families are forced to spend the bulk of their household income on housing.

was medically necessary for him to have a hearing device,” said the 39-year-old middle school teacher.

Gage was lucky as his grandmother, an audiologist, was able to get a loaner device, the Ponto through Oticon Medical.

Warford and her family are among hundreds advocating for Senate Bill 635, called the Let California Kids Hear Act. The bill, introduced by Sens. Caroline Menjivar and Anthony Portantino would require private insurance companies in the state to cover hearing aids and services for children younger than 21, addressing it as a developmental emergency. The bill sailed through the Legislature with unanimous support and now sits on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk to possibly be signed into law. Newsom has until Oct. 14 to act.

In 2019, a similar bill – Assembly Bill 598 – by Assemblyman Richard Bloom and Sen. Ben Allen from Santa Monica was met with strong opposition from the California Association of Health Plans. Newsom’s administration however came up with an alternative state-run program called the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program launched in 2021 providing hearing aid coverage to eligible children and youth.

However, according to the California Department of Health Care Services, there have been 458 applications from July 1, 2021, through Aug. 2, 2023, and has enrolled a total of 255 out of the 7,000 eligible children into the program.

Warford said she and her family want to spread as much awareness on the matter and continue to support the different bills to provide hearing aid coverage for those in need.

Meeting from page 1A

cations for reasons of accessibility. He was working on providing a detailed response, but had not done so as of press time due to being out of the office.

Zoom’s “acceptable use guidelines” says:

“You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender

CORRECTION A Sept. 26 article misspelled the name of Brentwood resident Rosa Chang as Rosa Chan and misidentified Brentwood Senior Activity Center’s activity director Amanda Chaney as Amanda McVey.

“We are all probably one paycheck away from being homeless…historically, what we are experiencing today, homelessness on our streets is not something that happened overnight.

“This is decades in the making,” said Thorpe.

He said Antioch has allocated 3,016 new homes to be built. Out of that, 792 are for very low income, 456 for low income, 493 for moderate income and 1,275 for above moderate income.

“Now the hypocrisy in all this is that currently, the city of Antioch is constructing 5,340 housing units in progress,” he said. “None of these homes are going to impact very low-income or even moderate-income (households) because these homes are probably selling for $800,000-plus,” he said.

Thorpe said Antioch has approved some policies to help the community, such as rent stabilization, and will soon be signing an ordinance that creates anti-harassment policies against renters by landlords.

According to Thorpe, Antioch is the

“We want people to know how important this is and hopefully it will encourage Newsom to sign it (Senate Bill 635) into law,” said the mother of three.

Michelle Marciniak, the co-chair and co-founder of activist group Let California Kids Hear said only one in 10 children have hearing aids, which can average $6,000 per pair, covered by private health plans, putting a strain on many families to either find a way to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for them, delay time-sensitive treatment, or forgo them altogether.

“It’s urgent, we can’t kick this down the road anymore. We urge him (Newsom) to sign it. It will give 20,000 kids the opportunity to hear, the freedom to learn and thrive in California. Our kids can’t wait any longer. The absence of a solution is devastating for children,” she said.

Hildy Silverman, a senior Digital Marketing Manager with Oticon Medical, said the company has a loaner program for families who are waiting for insurance to come through and cover their devices. Each month, about five or more devices are lent as part of its program. The devices are lent directly either to the patient or through an ears, nose, and throat specialist who then lends it to the patient.

“But they must go through the insurance process. (Not many insurance cover hearing aid. According to this California Health Report story, which quotes Children Now advocacy group, only 10 percent of California children insured under commercial health plans are covered for hearing aids and services. For children insured under Medi-Cal, the total cost of hearing aid benefit services, including sales tax, is covered up to only $1,510.

only city that spends about $2.2 million a year from its General Fund to provide hotels as transitional housing and wraparound services for chronically homeless people as a means into permanent housing and runs a non-police community response team.

Lemus said the cost of living in the Bay Area has skyrocketed, and those in lowerpaying jobs, especially in the service industry, are struggling to keep up with the cost of not owning a house.

Copeland said people in California seem desensitized to homeless people and often misjudge them as someone with mental health issues or substance addiction problems.

“You can literally be working and getting a paycheck and still be homeless. I feel we should stop judging. If you see a homeless person, reach out to them and give them a couple of dollars.

“Don’t judge what they will do with the money,” she said.

To view a video, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia

If not approved by insurance, they have to return the Ponto,” said Silverman, adding that the price of the Ponto processor, depending on the model, could average between $6,000 and $8,000 per device.

According to Silverman, private insurance rarely covers traditional hearing aids, “A lot of times with traditional, regular hearing aids, they actually consider them optional. They (insurance companies) consider them unnecessary for a person’s health and well-being, which is ridiculous,” Silverman said. But the Ponto is categorized as a durable medical equipment that are frequently covered, especially for children.

She said families that face difficulties in getting insurance support for their children younger than 18 can contact their hearing care professionals or Oticon’s insurance support services team.

Apart from Senate Bill 635, the Warfords also support Ally’s Act, a bipartisan bill reintroduced in March at the national level that would help kids and adults up to age 64 suffering from hearing loss to get hearing devices, including cochlear implants and bone-anchored hearing aids.

The bill was sponsored and introduced by Rep. Joe Neguse in Colorado in 2019 after receiving a letter from Ally Tumblin, then a 9-year-old, who asked him to help her advocate to hear better.

Her mom, Melissa, created the local non-profit Ear Community when Ally was just 6 months old after the latter was born without her right ear and ear canal. The organization helps children and adults with microtia, atresia, congenital aural, and other forms of hearing loss get hearing devices and support, according to the Ear Community website.

identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease. We reserve the right to consider and add additional categories. You may not use your username, display name or profile information to abuse or threaten anyone. Accounts that do so may be permanently suspended. Moreover, there is no place on Zoom for organizations that promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.”

According to Ogden, the comments were not an isolated incident in Brentwood, and many cities throughout the state have experienced the same issues.

Other local cities, such as Oakley and Antioch, do not allow for public comments

“The City of Oakley does not have tele-

conferencing options for public comment,” Assistant City Manager Danielle Navarro said about how the city would attempt to prevent a similar incident. “Public comment may be submitted electronically or comments may be provided in person verbally for up to 3 minutes during the open public comment periods.”

Discovery Bay

The Discovery Bay Board of Directors meetings allow for public comment via Zoom, but they have “never encountered” a situation involving hate speech, according to the board secretary. Commenters have to be given the ability to speak by the secretary and, if a similar incident were to occur, she would be able to cut off the speaker.

Ogden’s statement can be read in full on page 15A

to be submitted via Zoom. Oakley

OGDEN

A first-class customer experience

Exceptional customer service is the essence of how Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage does business. This promise lies in their meeting or exceeding each customer’s expectations every time.

The company is dedicated to quality, transparency and consistency. Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage holds itself to high standards in all of these areas, focusing its efforts on creating an executive-level, high-class facility and successfully delivering on their promises.

“I’ve wanted to work in this business since I built an RV & Boat storage facility for a customer in 1990,” said Robert Hayworth, innovative entrepreneur and owner of Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage. “What inspired me was the opportunity to create a state-ofthe-art, class A facility with premier amenities and a real contribution to my customers’ enjoyment.”

The facility, which launched its Phase 1 in 2013, has developed a local reputation of having a friendly staff, beautiful and impec-

cably maintained grounds and a highly secure environment for those who wish to store their RV’s, boats, ATVs, trailers, and more.

“With a waiting list that has opened up for the first time in years due to the opening of Phase 3, we now have the privilege of storing over 550 RVs and boats each month,” Hayworth said.“ Customer satisfaction that drives our fast lease-up continues to assure us that we are on the right track.”

The development of Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage into what it is today was not always easy.

“Keeping up with the demand has been a really big challenge,” said Hayworth. “On the development side, getting the entitlements was challenging initially. However, once the City of Oakley saw the added

benefit of the solar portion of the project, they rallied their support and were instrumental in helping us bring this project to fruition.”

The addition of the solar panels to the company’s facility is a bonus not just for customers but also for the community of Oakley as a whole.

“Ours is a purpose-driven business, where the benefit is enjoyed by the customer, the owner, the city, the community and the environment,” said Hayworth of the highlights of his experience building the company. “We are grateful to be able to provide exceptional service to each customer and to know that the solar element on the canopies is adding value beyond our customers, to the entire Oakley community, powering over 800 homes with solar energy every month via the

utility power buyback program.”

As part of the storage lease, the fully paved facility offers access to a private dump station, complimentary ice, air,  use of a power washer, and more!  With an emphasis on security, every space is covered and secured behind a 14-foot-high perimeter fence and under 24-hour security surveillance.

Hayworth said the three most important values of the company are: “Customer satisfaction, delivering value and contributing exponentially to our customers’ experience of fun and enjoyment.”

The positive impact on the company’s customers and surrounding community is rippling outward as it creates a standard of sustainable growth and connection.

Concerning the expected growth of the company over the next few years, Hayworth said: “When you are lucky enough to design, develop and deliver a business that offers exceptional customer satisfaction, growth comes to your door. “With the opening of Phase 3, our physical expansion is complete for now. Our growth for the future will be coming from our vision and focus, which is to continue improving our customers’ experience and delivering enjoyment and satisfaction.”

Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage is at 5220 Neroly Road in Oakley. For more information, call 855-MY-RVBoat or visit www. oakleyrvboat.com

Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage uses solar modules for shade.

Photo by Melissa van Ruiten

What to know about buying, insuring electric vehicles

The popularity of electric vehicles (EV) has continued to grow in California and nationwide, with no signs of slowing down.

According to statistics from Bloomberg. com, EV sales represent 22 percent of all new car sales in California; a 20 percent increase over the last five years.

More recently, EV sales in California jumped 70 percent in the last fiscal quarter, according to Bloomberg. Tesla, which used to be based in the Bay Area, has been the leader in for the last several years with the two of their models being the two top selling-vehicles in California (Model Y and Model 3), and recently overtaking Toyota as the state’s top-selling vehicle brand.

Mike Bushel, Internet Sales Manager of Winter Honda in Pittsburg, says that cost for EVs are relative, but concedes that the true difference between gas and electric vehicles is in the maintenance.

“One can buy a new electric vehicle for under $30K and pay over $100K for another make and model of a new electric vehicle,” said Bushel. “A new gasolinepowered vehicle can range from $20K to over $100K. But maintenance is way better on electric cars. Brake fluids, brake pads, and rotor changes are less frequent because of the nature of the brakes on electric cars. The cost and time spent to take it to maintenance facilities are day and night, literally. There’s no oil and filters changes, no transmission fluid changes as opposed to an internal combustion engine vehicle, and aside from changing windshield wipers once, in-cabin microfilters twice, and a set of tires done, there’s nothing else.”

According to data from ConsumerReports.org, the average price for a new EV is $60,000 – tens of thousands more than the average gas or hybrid vehicle. It is expected in the years ahead however, for EV models to gain parity with gasoline models due to reduction of battery and production costs as well as more vehicle manufacturers building more electric models.

ConsumerReports.org estimates that by the end of 2024, there will be more than 70 models of EVs on the market; representing a massive increase from 2020 when there were only six models.

Rob Brandt, Dealer Principal of Bill Brandt Ford, says that all of the major vehicle manufacturers are getting now into the game for EVs, while adding that maintenance of an EV is easier due to not having as many moving parts.

ShipleyEnergy.com statistics show that consumers save an average of $632 per year if they choose an EV over a gas-

powered vehicle.

“California is leading the charge for the rest of the country with EVs,” said Brandt. “California has more electric vehicles than any state in the country. The West Coast and East Coast are the biggest players in the market. Rivian, another California-based company, is getting in on strong, as they are going to deliver about 50,000 trucks and SUVS in California.”

Local physician Hsien-Wen Hsu, an electric vehicle owner since 2018, has championed electric vehicles due to the savings he has enjoyed, while highlighting the little maintenance and savings at the gas pump.

“I absolutely would recommend it,” Hsu said. “The fuel cost savings will make a premium vehicle cost equal to a Toyota. If you happen to have solar at home, I pay no more than $400 in fuel cost for a total of 120,000 miles since 2018. The cost is only because I have to charge when I am on a road trip.”

While cost of a new EV may vary and maintenance contrasts with that of a standard gas-powered vehicle, insurance rates for EVs tend to be higher.

Generally, EVs tend to cost more to insure, although the costs can vary.

Insurance comparison website The Zebra data shows that a Nissan Leaf ($37 more) and a Chevrolet Bolt ($78 more) per year to insure than a Hyundai Ioniq Blue, whereas

a Tesla Model 3 costs $470 more to insure than an Audi A4.

There are some exceptions however, as the Nissan Leaf also costs $35 less to insure than a Toyota Prius.

According to Chris Alito, owner of Casey’s Auto Body in Brentwood, the higher insurance rates are because specific repair guidelines make repairs cost more.

“A lot more goes into safety and special tooling,” Alito said. “That’s why a lot of these EV companies are coming out with their own insurances, so they can insure the correct parts are used. They want to make sure it is repaired to their guidelines, which can make sure it is a better repair.”

Mark Murray, an Insurance Broker from State Farm, says that while insurance rates for EVs tend to be higher, it’s based on per vehicle and on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. “The insurance industry is very cyclical,” said Murray. “It has its ups and downs. I think as the market becomes more saturated with EVs, I think there could be some adjustments. As the vehicles continue to get more modernized, there is more electrical ingenuity to goes into them. The pricing and technology follow in the similar path. The cars become more costly to repair and replace, which is going on right now, that will have an effect on the pricing.”

Despite being a proponent of EVs, Hsu advises prospective EV owners to choose a credible insurance company that knows their car value.

“Most insurance companies do not know how to evaluate the car,” said Hsu. “Most of the body shops do not know how to handle these kinds of cars. I chose to renew my insurance with Tesla, who are known for having zero customer service, but at least they know how to evaluate a vehicle.”

More information (including graphs) to compare insurance rates for gas versus electric vehicles can be found at https://www. consumerreports.org/money/car-insurance/ electric-vehicles-cost-more-to-insure-thangasoline-powered-a6372607024/.

Additional information on EVs can be found at https://www.shipleyenergy.com/ resources/energy-guides/cost-to-charge-anelectric-car-how-it-affects-your-electric-bill/.

SEAN TONGSON

Photo courtesy of Metro Creative

How technology can make you a safer driver

Technology has touched all aspects of modern life, including the way people drive. For example, the days of printing directions in advance of long car trips are long gone thanks to global positioning systems (GPS) that are now built into cars or easily accessible via smartphones. But technology hasn’t just made it easier to get from point A to B. It’s also made such journeys safer.

Modern automobiles are loaded with bells and whistles, many of which are designed to make it safer to operate and travel in moving vehicles. In recognition of the effectiveness of safety features like advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), many insurance companies offer significant discounts to drivers who use them. Researchers with the insurance comparison website Insurify note that some insurers offer 10 percent discounts on premiums to drivers who use features like an ADAS while driving.

Drivers interested in technologybased safety features for their vehicles can consider these options.

Night view assistance

Many drivers admit to experiencing difficulty driving at night. Night view assistance technologies have been offered by luxury automakers for several years, and these devices offer more visibility than standard headlights. Some systems employ infrared emitters in headlight buckets and mounted infrared

cameras that identify and detect animals, pedestrians and other objects at night. Drivers simply activate their systems on their vehicle dashboards and are then alerted when the systems detect objects drivers may not see on their own.

Warning systems

Warning systems have long been a standard in modern vehicles. Such systems

Technology is helping to make driving safer for motorists and their passengers. Using systems and apps designed to improve safety on the road can reduce drivers’ risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents.

use sensors and motion technology to alert drivers to potential problems. Lane assist technologies alert drivers when their vehicles begin to drift out of their lanes and also when they are attempting to change lanes. These systems are now widely available, but they can be turned on and off, so drivers should make sure their systems are always on.

– Courtesy of Metro Creative

Photo courtesy of Metro Creative

Best practices for winterizing your ride

One of the beautiful things about being a motorcyclist in California is the weather.

Northern California in most years rarely sees a reason to put away the bike for the winter season. In fact, most of us who ride daily to work, or for fun will likely brave the winter season if we are not in the middle of a heavy rainstorm and if winds are manageable. But if you’re a new rider and may not be ready to ride for the winter season just yet, or if you’re a seasoned rider, and just prefer the warmer months to enjoy your ride, here are some best practices gleaned from experience and local dealers.

Battery maintenance: AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) maintenance-free batteries are one of the most common batteries used in motorcycles. When properly charged during a non-use period, they will last 4-6 years. If a battery is left connected the internal clocks and instrument cluster can create a static draw when connected to a motorcycle, so I like to use a trickle charger every 2-3 weeks during storage. If the battery is disconnected from the bike, I’ll perform a trickle charge once every four weeks.

“Maintaining the performance of your AGM battery demands correct charging. The internal structures of your AGM battery can be damaged due to overcharging,” according to Lifelinebatteries.com.

Using “Maintenance” battery chargers should not be plugged in indefinitely. Experts recommend connecting overnight and then disconnecting when your charger indicates a fully charged battery.

Should you start the engine every week or not? We don’t exactly struggle with cold start issues in California like they do in many parts of the country. However, I find that unless you are going to actually ride your bike, and get your engine through a proper heat cycle, I recommend that you just leave it off during long storage.

“Not only is a cold start hard on the motor, but if you aren’t running it under load up to full operating temperature, moisture condenses out of the air into places water doesn’t belong,” according to RevZilla.com.

Speaking with my local dealership, they also explain that it is important to add a fuel stabilizer when storing a motorcycle for a long period of time. Most modern

fuel-injected motorcycles have in tank fuel pumps, and it is important to store them with a full tank of gas that has been treated with an appropriate additive. A product like Star Tron is particularly effective with ethanol, which breaks down quickly.

Wash it: Ideally, bikes should be cleaned regularly, and definitely before long storage. Doing so gives you a chance to visually inspect your bike looking for any dents, scrapes, leaks, or loose bolts. Wash away any grime that can eat away at rubber seals, or cause moving parts to rust or get stuck. Clean and lube your chain if it’s chain driven, lightly applying some lubrication on your levers, cables, and a light coat of WD40 on the fork legs can help prevent oxidation and water stains. It’s always a good feeling to see a nice shiney bike resting easy during the off season. Cover it: Bike covers offer many great benefits whether you are storing your bike indoors or outdoors. If you do not have access to a garage, using a proper bike cover helps keep rain water and moisture off your ride preventing mold and mildew from growing, and blocks harmful UV rays protecting sensitive electronics that are affected by long-term exposure to the sun. Consider covering your exhaust pipe(s) as well, with Saran Wrap, this can help keep mice and other pests from nesting and potentially clogging your exhaust system. This is particularly useful for low-hanging exhausts.

Read your manual: This is where studying your owner’s manual comes in handy. Don’t just glance through the manual, but take some time before, during, the off season to know what your bike is going to need before you get back to riding. Most manuals have a detailed calendar of when certain maintenance procedures should be performed. This will keep your bike healthy and keep you informed.

It’s highly recommended you speak with your mechanic or manufacturer to know what should be done according to your bike’s specific make and model before, during, and after long storage, so do your due diligence and make sure you know what your bike needs.

Photo by Andrew Rulloda

Factors to consider before leasing in the current economic climate

Leasing was once a gateway to a new car for millions of drivers. However, the automotive experts at Edmunds note that leases made up 18 percent of transactions involving new vehicles in the middle of 2022.

That figure represented a 27 percent decline from a year earlier. That decline could be a byproduct of several variables, including the value of trade-ins. Edmunds notes that the average trade-in value of cars leased in 2020 is 19 percent higher than the predetermined

residual value, which means it makes sense for some motorists to purchase their vehicles at the end of a lease rather than turn it in.

Despite the decline in leases, the option to lease can still make sense for some drivers.

♦ Trade-in value: The value of trade-ins is very high. However, that value could be vulnerable to considerable fluctuations. The spike in average trade-in values was related to supply-anddemand issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those issues have lingered, which means the supply of new vehicles is still lagging with some manufacturers. With fewer new vehicles to sell, the value of vehicles coming off a lease could be much higher than

the predetermined price lessees would pay to purchase the vehicle outright when their lease expires. In the current economic climate, it makes sense to determine the market value of a trade-in when their lease is set to expire.

♦ Budget: Millions of motorists prefer leasing because monthly lease payments on new vehicles tend to be significantly less than it would cost them to purchase the vehicle and finance it through a bank or credit union. And that still holds true, as data from Experian indicates the average monthly payment for a financed vehicle is $667, which is $127 more than the average monthly cost of leasing a car or truck. That’s a considerable cost benefit of leasing,

particularly at a time when high inflation has forced millions of households to cut back.

♦ Maintenance: Lessees are responsible for maintaining the vehicle during the lease terms, but new vehicles do not typically require the level of upkeep that older vehicles need. Drivers who are considering purchasing a leased vehicle when the lease expires should factor in the costs to maintain the vehicle in the years ahead, particularly if the manufacturer’s warranty is due to expire soon. Substantial maintenance costs could compromise drivers’ budgets, and that’s unlikely to happen if drivers turn in a leased car and begin a new lease.

– Courtesy of Metro Creative