oakley press_11.12.10

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N a t i o n a l A w a r d W in n in g N e w s p a p e r s Your Hometown Web Site www.thepress.net Vol. 10, No. 46 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER November 12, 2010 This Week FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A Not uptight over uprights The rosters of Freedom and Antioch are graced by athletes who find the pressure of their positions a real kick. Page 4B Plus: Business ............................. 20A Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 14B Cop Logs ............................ 17A Entertainment ................. 10B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones .......................... 9B Opinion .............................. 16A Outdoors ........................... 19A Sports ................................... 1B Auditor cites flaws in fund accounting A report by the Contra Costa County auditor-controller stating that the policies, procedures and accounting of the Keller-Canyon Mitigation Fund (KCMF) are inadequate is drawing fire from county supervisors who say the report is incomplete. “As a result of this examina- tion we determined that there are sufficient deficiencies in following the policies, procedures, account- ing and allocation of the process to warrant a closer look,” said County Auditor-Controller Steve Ybarra of the 49-page report re- leased Nov. 5. The five-month examination of the fund’s transactions was prompted by complaints by four Discovery Bay residents – Mark Doran, Carol Jackson, Don Flint and William Richardson – who al- leged that the KCMF is being used as a personal political slush fund for District V Supervisor Federal Glover, whose office oversees the fund, and District III Supervisor and Discovery Bay resident Mary Piepho. Doran, Jackson, Flint and Richardson all refused to com- ment for this story. “I met with them (Doran, Jackson, Flint and Richardson) and requested that they submit in writing their specific allegations and that we would take a look at them and see if it was something we would look into further,” said Ybarra. “I said to myself that hopefully at the end (of the exam- ination) we would find that most of the accusations are unfounded. Unfortunately, I found it to be just opposite.” The KCMF, which has dis- bursed $14.3 million over the past decade, was established to help those communities most affected by the location of the Keller Can- yon Landfill off of Bailey Road in Pittsburg. In recent years, recipi- ents of the fund have expanded to include special community servic- es districts as Discovery Bay and Knightsen. Throughout the years, KCMF has been used to offset the cost of a variety of community programs and services, including the East County Boys & Girls Club, the Delta Science Center and the First Baptist Church. Ybarra’s report said too much money had been paid out. “There has been a deficit in the fund balance for the last four years …” the report states. “Ex- penditures occurred each year without specific KCMF allocation Board approval.” The report iden- by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer see Auditor page 22A The release of the report has drawn sharp criticism from both Piepho and Glover, who contend the report is less than complete. F reedom Players Austin Perry (21) and Nico Davila (88) get a healthy helping of tri-tip Monday from members of the Oakley and Brentwood Kiwanis clubs, part of the activities surrounding the annual Bell Game gridiron tilt between the Falcons and their lunch- mates for the day, the Liberty Lions. The two squads clash pads at the Bell Game this weekend. Lunch Bell Photo by Richard Wisdom New school site dismissed A school might one day be built at the corner of Sellers Av- enue and Delta Road, but it won’t be the comprehensive high school that the Liberty Union High School District Board first envi- sioned five years ago. The LUHSD Board of Trust- ees voted Oct. 27 to look elsewhere for a place to build its fourth school, and return 38 acres to John and Jerilee Geddes. The site has been at the center of a legal dispute between the board and the Geddeses since April. The family originally agreed to a $3 million price for the 38-acre parcel, but af- ter switching legal representation prior to signing over the land, was informed that the land was worth an estimated $13 million. The Geddeses upped the asking price and filed suit against the district. Narrow country roads and lack of other infrastructure at the site has also been a problem. The school was expected to host about 2,200 students and open in 2012, but the economic slowdown has chilled growth and the need for a new school is not as imminent. “When we first proposed the site, we got a big reaction from the county and the cities of Brentwood and Oakley because they were concerned about pub- lic safety and traffic issues,” said LUHSD Superintendednt Jerry Glenn. “As the board reviewed the EIR for finalization in August, it became very clear that Site 4 isn’t the best place for a comprehensive high school like we had originally hoped. Since the site doesn’t seem like a viable option, there was no point in continuing with the (Ged- des) lawsuit.” Frank Spinelli, who lives near the Delta-Sellers intersection, was see School page 22A by Samie Hartley Staff Writer Perfection of presence A principal has challenged his students to achieve the unthinkable. Page 10A Back in business Our local fire protection district recently reopened a rural station. Page 4A Online Now! www.thepress.net Your Hometown Web Site A display of daring derrieres takes place on the waters of Bethel Island. Glacial glutes go to news/WebExtras! A local sanitation district won a national award for its excellence in procurement. Super sanitary go to news/press releases Locals gave the 235th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps a hearty hooah! Corps lore go to multimedia/videos

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  • Natio

    nalAwardWinning Newspapers

    Your Hometown Web Site www.thepress.net

    Vol. 10, No. 46 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER November 12, 2010

    This Week

    FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

    Not uptight over uprights

    The rosters of Freedom and Antioch are graced by athletes who find the pressure of their positions a real kick. Page 4B

    Plus: Business .............................20ACalendar ............................ 19BClassifieds ......................... 14BCop Logs ............................17AEntertainment ................. 10BHealth & Beauty ................ 8BMilestones .......................... 9BOpinion ..............................16AOutdoors ...........................19ASports ................................... 1B

    Auditor cites flaws in fund accounting

    A report by the Contra Costa County auditor-controller stating that the policies, procedures and accounting of the Keller-Canyon Mitigation Fund (KCMF) are inadequate is drawing fi re from county supervisors who say the report is incomplete.

    As a result of this examina-tion we determined that there are suffi cient defi ciencies in following the policies, procedures, account-ing and allocation of the process to warrant a closer look, said County Auditor-Controller Steve Ybarra of the 49-page report re-leased Nov. 5.

    The fi ve-month examination of the funds transactions was

    prompted by complaints by four Discovery Bay residents Mark Doran, Carol Jackson, Don Flint and William Richardson who al-leged that the KCMF is being used as a personal political slush fund for District V Supervisor Federal Glover, whose offi ce oversees the fund, and District III Supervisor and Discovery Bay resident Mary Piepho. Doran, Jackson, Flint and Richardson all refused to com-ment for this story.

    I met with them (Doran, Jackson, Flint and Richardson) and requested that they submit in

    writing their specifi c allegations and that we would take a look at them and see if it was something we would look into further, said Ybarra. I said to myself that hopefully at the end (of the exam-ination) we would fi nd that most of the accusations are unfounded. Unfortunately, I found it to be just opposite.

    The KCMF, which has dis-bursed $14.3 million over the past decade, was established to help those communities most affected by the location of the Keller Can-yon Landfi ll off of Bailey Road in

    Pittsburg. In recent years, recipi-ents of the fund have expanded to include special community servic-es districts as Discovery Bay and Knightsen.

    Throughout the years, KCMF has been used to offset the cost of a variety of community programs and services, including the East County Boys & Girls Club, the Delta Science Center and the First Baptist Church. Ybarras report said too much money had been paid out.

    There has been a defi cit in the fund balance for the last four years the report states. Ex-penditures occurred each year without specifi c KCMF allocation Board approval. The report iden-

    by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

    see Auditor page 22A

    The release of the report has drawn sharp criticism from both Piepho and Glover, who contend the report is less than complete.

    Freedom Players Austin Perry (21) and Nico Davila (88) get a healthy helping of tri-tip Monday from members of the Oakley and Brentwood Kiwanis clubs, part of the activities surrounding the annual Bell Game gridiron tilt between the Falcons and their lunch-mates for the day, the Liberty Lions. The two squads clash pads at the Bell Game this weekend.

    Lunch Bell

    Photo by Richard Wisdom

    New school site dismissed

    A school might one day be built at the corner of Sellers Av-enue and Delta Road, but it wont be the comprehensive high school that the Liberty Union High School District Board fi rst envi-sioned fi ve years ago.

    The LUHSD Board of Trust-ees voted Oct. 27 to look elsewhere for a place to build its fourth school, and return 38 acres to John and Jerilee Geddes. The site has been at the center of a legal dispute between the board and the Geddeses since April. The family originally agreed to a $3 million price for the 38-acre parcel, but af-ter switching legal representation prior to signing over the land, was informed that the land was worth an estimated $13 million. The Geddeses upped the asking price and fi led suit against the district.

    Narrow country roads and

    lack of other infrastructure at the site has also been a problem. The school was expected to host about 2,200 students and open in 2012, but the economic slowdown has chilled growth and the need for a new school is not as imminent.

    When we fi rst proposed the site, we got a big reaction from the county and the cities of Brentwood and Oakley because they were concerned about pub-lic safety and traffi c issues, said LUHSD Superintendednt Jerry Glenn. As the board reviewed the EIR for fi nalization in August, it became very clear that Site 4 isnt the best place for a comprehensive high school like we had originally hoped. Since the site doesnt seem like a viable option, there was no point in continuing with the (Ged-des) lawsuit.

    Frank Spinelli, who lives near the Delta-Sellers intersection, was

    see School page 22A

    by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

    Perfection of presence

    A principal has challenged his students to achieve the unthinkable. Page 10A

    Back in business Our local fire protection district recently reopened a rural station. Page 4A

    Online Now!

    www.thepress.netYour Hometown Web Site

    A display of daring derrieres takes place on the waters of Bethel Island.

    Glacial glutesgo to news/WebExtras!

    A local sanitation district won a national award for its excellence in procurement.

    Super sanitarygo to news/press releases

    Locals gave the 235th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps a hearty hooah!

    Corps lorego to multimedia/videos

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  • 4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

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    Fire district reopens Sunshine station

    The East Contra Costa Fire Pro-tection District has reopened one of three fire stations recently closed due to budget woes.

    On Monday, firefighters reported back to work at the Marsh Creek/Morgan Territory area station known as the Sunshine Station. Staffed by Cal Fire crews during the fire season, the station had historically been kept open from Nov. 15 to May 15 by means of $366,000 paid by the ECCFPD.

    In June, however, the ECCFPD board voted to discontinue the Cal Fire contract, as well as close stations in Discovery Bay and Byron, as a way to cope with inadequate funding. De-spite the closures, the district might still run out of money by 2012.

    Residents in the Sunshine Sta-tions coverage area organized and came to the Nov. 1 ECCFPD meeting to plead their case. As a result of the stations closure, insurance rates had skyrocketed and some homeowners even faced foreclosure because their homes were uninsurable.

    Its fair to say we werent fully informed of some of the insurance implications (and) the foreclosure risk, said ECCFPD Chairman Erick Stonebarger. We also had an orga-

    nized group that came and communi-cated their position, which we didnt have in June.

    Stonebarger said he did not ex-pect additional information to come forward that might affect the status of the other two shuttered stations. The effort to provide service at levels the public wants will continue to be a struggle until more money is forth-coming, most likely from a tax in-

    crease.The funding structure of this

    district doesnt work, Stonebarger said. The district in general will real-ize that very quickly as we run out of cash in 2012.

    The only way to save the district from even more dire circumstances, he said, was for residents to inform themselves about the situation.

    Everyone needs to be engaged

    and realize the implications of the votes they are going to cast over the next few elections, he said. Those votes could include a new tax to cover district shortfalls, and Stonebarger said he would prefer to see an elected board put in place at the same time so residents have more direct con-trol over their district. The ECCFPD board is appointed, and includes four Brentwood City councilmen, three City Council representatives from Oakley, and two at-large representa-tives from the unincorporated areas of the district.

    Stonebarger said the ECCFPD would soon conduct a poll to deter-mine what level of service constitu-ents are willing to pay for, as well as how they feel about various funding options. The ECCFPD covers 250 square miles of East Contra Costa, including the cities of Brentwood and Oakley, and the communities of Dis-covery Bay, Byron, Knightsen, Bethel Island and points between.

    Stonebarger credits ECCFPD Chief Hugh Henderson with quick action that enabled the Sunshine Sta-tion to reopen weeks ahead of expec-tations. Henderson said Santa Clara Cal Fire Unit Chief Steve Woodill and Division Chief Shana Jones were also key in expediting the reopening.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    ECCFPD Engine 58 sits quietly behind locked rehouse doors in Discovery Bay. The ECCFPD has voted to reopen the rural Sunshine Station near Clayton, one of three closed due to a lack of money, but it doesnt expect 58 or Station 57 in Byron to be similarly restored until nances improve.

    Press File Photo

    by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A

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    Scouts take to the sky

    When Daniel Melot of Oakleys Boy Scout Troop 152 heard from fellow Scout Tony Parsons that an aviation merit badge course was being held at the Paci c Coast Air Museum in Santa Rosa, he jumped at the oppor-tunity.The two, along with Scout Travis Karbowski, took the classroom portion a couple of weeks ago, but weather post-

    poned the ight time until Nov. 6. Daniel and Travis climbed into the back seat of the four-passenger plane while Tony sat up front with the pilot and was able to actually take control of the plane a couple of times.

    On the day of their ight, from left, stand Tony, Daniel and Travis. In the photo above right, Daniel captures the planes shadow on a cloud, circled by a rainbow.

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  • 6A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Premier Dental CenterDr. Jasdeep Johl

    100 Cortona Way, Suite 110, Brentwood(925) 513-7333 www.PremierDentalBrentwood.com

    Practicing the art of dentistry since 2003, Dr. Johl provides the finest quality dental care avail-able today. In addition to cos-metic and restorative dentistry, she offers an exceptional full-service dental practice.

    Dr. Johl has established a reputation for promoting proper dental care and hygiene by allay-ing her patients dental-related anxieties. Her caring and gentle way helps her patients relax while theyre being treated.

    Our equipment is definitely high tech, says Dr. Johl, but our

    traditional approach is warm and friendly. She describes it as advanced technology with a personality.

    Dr. Johl offers excellent den-tal care at a very reasonable cost: a 15-percent discount for all her senior patients as well as patients without dental coverage.

    Dr. Johl believes its im-portant to be a part of the com-munity and help out in difficult times. She and her outstanding team look forward to meeting you.

    Advertisement

    The Summerset Veterans Club has been sending boxes of personal items to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for several years. This weeks Veterans Day will see shipment of the 1,000th box, seen above with volunteers, from left, Connie Conover, Pat Earle, Joni Meyer, Summerset Veterans Club President Len Bregman and his wife, Elly. The club has received numerous thank-you letters and commendations from combat unit personnel over the years and elected of cials who appreci-ate what the club is doing. To donate money or items to be shipped, call Len Bregman at 925-516-2831.

    1,000 and counting

    Photo by Ray Carter

    Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, 2485 Sand Creek Road in The Streets of Brentwood, is running a Fudge for Troops promotion through the month of November.

    For every pound of fudge bought in the store, an additional pound will be donated to Blue Star Moms and included in care pack-ages sent to our service men and women overseas. Our troops give so much every day that we wanted to give something back and let them know how much we appreciate all

    they do, said Craig McKnight, owner of the Brentwood Rocky Mountain Chocolate Fac-tory store.

    Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory specializes in handmade chocolates, caramel apples, dipped strawberries, specialty gifting, fundraising, special events and corporate events.

    For more information about the Fudge for Troops event, call 925-513-3384 or visit www.brentwoodchocolates.com.

    Fudge for Troops

    Pvt. Dylan James Alvey is one of our nations newest Marines. A 2010 graduate of Heritage High School, Alvey recently gradu-ated from boot camp at Marine Corps Re-cruit Depot San Diego as part of the Honor Platoon. He was accepted into the Basic Re-connaissance Course, which he will attend after he completes the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton. After graduating boot camp, Alvey came home and fulfi lled his goal of eating 55 different foods hed been craving during his three months at boot camp. His parents, Craig and Shellie Hirsch, along with other local Marine families, have started East

    County Marine Families. In addition to pro-viding support for other Marine families here at home, the group plans to adopt a Marine outfi t this Christmas. To learn more, e-mail [email protected].

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 7A

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    Well, here is your chance! I am chair-ing the annual Golden Hills Community Churchs FREE Thanksgiving Dinner for Brentwood. We serve a hot meal of turkey, ham, and all the fixins. We also try to send everyone home with a bag of food and some clothes. This will be at the Brentwood Vets Hall at 757 First St. from 10:30 to 2:30 on Thanksgiving Day. All are welcome to attend.

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  • 8A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Homeless Animals Lifeline Organiza-tion (HALO), an Antioch-based dog and cat rescue, is hosting Pets for Vets, which provides the men and women of our armed forces with free dog and cat adoptions. The event will be held on Nov. 13 and 14

    Pets for Vets was developed in the spirit of the Maddies Fund Adoptathon that took place in June of this year. Understanding the importance of companionship and the heal-ing bond between man and his furry friends, HALO will match qualifi ed veterans with pets at no charge.

    In this way, HALO hopes to raise awareness about pet education and promote the bond between people and animals, said HALO President Tamara Reed. We work

    with many local organizations in creating a no-kill nation and look forward to the day when every pet has a loving home.

    There are just as many pets in need of loving homes as there are people in need of loving pets, said HALO Cat Manager Ver-lene Leonardo. This event will give us the opportunity to bring the two together.

    Veterans who wish to take advantage of the Pets for Vets special event should contact HALO to arrange a meeting with the available animals. Proof of veteran status is required at the time of adoption. There is a limit of one pet per vet during this event, and normal adoption procedures still apply.

    For more information about Pets for Vets, call HALO at 925-473-4642.

    HALO providing pets for veterans

    Over the River and Through the Woods, a Joe DiPietro comedy that enjoyed a popular off-Broadway run, will be performed this Sunday and Wednesday at Antiochs El Campanil Theatre.

    The cast includes Dick Augusta, Dante Charlton and Teresa Grosserode of Antioch, Karen Duvall of Vacaville, and Martinez resi-dents Gary Mutz and Deborah Black.

    Nick Cristanos four grandparents con-cern for the young mans impending cross-country move to Seattle inspire them to con-

    coct zany schemes to change Nicks plans, such as Grandma Emmas attempt to make a match between Nick and Caitlin a strategy that misfi res with hilarious consequences.

    The curtain goes up for Over the River and Through the Woods on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.

    General admission is $15, $12 for se-niors and $10 for youth 17 and under. The El Campanil Theatre is located at 602 W. Second St. in Antioch. For tickets, visit www.elcampaniltheatre.org or call 925-757-9500.

    Over the River in Antioch

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 9A

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    The clouds over Heritage High School began to darken to a dismal deep grey as a group of students hud-dled around a tiny machine. Its alive! chuckled one of the students as the oth-ers joined in with appropriate evil-scien-tist laughter.

    But these students arent making a horror fi lm. Theyre preparing for the Northern California Regional Qualifi er of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge, in which teams of stu-dents design and operate a robot. The 10 Heritage students are busily working on their creation, which theyll enter at the qualifi er on their home turf, the Heritage gymnasium, on Sunday, Nov. 21.

    Heritage teacher Robert Pardi is helping organize the event as well as coach the local team, a task both chal-lenging and exciting.

    This is our second year in compe-tition, Pardi said. The fi rst year was a fantastic learning experience for the team. They got to meet with other stu-dents and learn about other techniques. Each year theres a different challenge, and its interesting to see how different teams tackle a problem. So there was a lot to learn, and now theyre using that experience to prepare for this competi-tion.

    Pardi was introduced to FIRST fi ve years ago when he was a teacher at Northgate High in Walnut Creek. He helped guide two teams to the world championship, so when he came to Heri-tage in 2008, he decided to introduce the program to Brentwood. First he began the Heritage Robotics Club, and a year later developed a robotics engineering course in which students explore the interaction of science and technology while applying mathematics and prob-lem-solving skills.

    The Robotics Club has been work-ing on its robot, Mont (climbed in French), since September, preparing for the Get Over It challenge in which stu-dent teams are asked to build a robot that will climb over a series of hurdles, collect plastic pipes from a dispenser and return over the hurdles to place the batons in a series of receptacles. The Heritage team will form an alliance with another team to battle against another alliance to see which pair can work best together.

    Some batons are equipped with special sensors inside that the robot is programmed to locate. An alliance earns extra points by retrieving a baton with a sensor and placing it in a specially marked receptacle.

    But the Tech Challenge is more than kids messing around with robots. Pardi believes the process is a unique learning opportunity. Theres more to the com-petition than building a robot, he said. Students work through an entire pro-cess, from brainstorming how to attack the challenge, building and testing pro-

    Robotics competition comes to Brentwood

    Photo by Samie Hartley

    Members of the Heritage High School Robotics Club, from left, Roman Yousof, Brandon Herbst, Matthew Mondaca, Michael Kintscher, Jacob Olsen and Joseph Cliscagne and their robot, Mont will battle teams from 15 Bay Area high schools at the FIRST Tech Challenge, held at Heritage on Nov. 21.

    by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

    totypes, and building a fi nal product.But FIRST challenges students in

    other ways. The students have to work on their communication and leadership skills to work together. Once theyre in sync with each other, they go to com-petition and have to work with a team from another school, so they have to adapt and be able to work together.

    The program is a great way for students to use their math and science skills, but students grow as a whole by participating in this program. They have to practice goal setting, time manage-

    see Robotics page 14A

  • 10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Principal promotes perfect presence

    On the day of the Giants parade in downtown San Francisco last week, 94 of Delta Vista Middle Schools 910 students were absent. And while Principal Greg Het-rick isnt claiming the absenteeism was the equivalent of a blue or in this case, an orange and black fl u, he has his suspicions.

    Not everyone absent that day was at the parade, said Hetrick. But I defi nitely got some phone calls from parents who said their child was sick, and you could hear the BART trains in the background.

    Spurred by an overall rise in school absenteeism, Het-rick decided to challenge his students to come to class by offi cially declaring Nov. 17 Perfect Attendance Day. The goal is to achieve 100-percent attendance for all students, teachers and support staff at Delta Vista something Het-rick in his nine years as principal has yet to witness.

    The average kid misses about 10 school days a year, said Hetrick, who added that Delta Vistas absentee num-bers are slightly higher than the average. And I under-stand some of it. If a student gets strep throat, thats a week no ifs ands or buts its a week. But having said that, some students also just have poor attendance records, and we want to try and change that pattern. This (perfect attendance day) is just one way to create a campus climate of support.

    And fi guring that theres no time like the present, Het-rick enlisted the aid of leadership students to design and create posters and fl yers to spread the perfect attendance challenge. Staff also sent home letters asking parents for their support in getting their students to school on Nov. 17.

    With the Thanksgiving break coming up and then

    Christmas vacation, I fi gured this would be a good time to do this, said Hetrick. Do I expect 100-percent attendance every day? No, thats not realistic. But how cool would it be to have one day where everyone came to class?

    On Nov. 17, theyll fi nd out. And if the goal is reached, the campus will mark the event with music and celebration during the lunchtime hour.

    So might Perfect Attendance Day become a regular happening?

    Sure, I would love to do something like this every quarter to encourage attendance, said Hetrick. The bot-tom line is that the kids need to be here I think everyone would agree with that. And as funny as it sounds, school attendance is a habit. If you show up one day, then that turns into two days and then three days and before you know it, school becomes a habit. Were just trying to foster that attitude.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    On Nov. 17, students at Delta Vista Middle School will participate in Perfect Attendance Day. The goal of the one-day event is to support 100-percent attendance for students and staff year round.

    Photo by Ruth Roberts

    by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 11A

    HealthGrades, the nations leading health care ratings

    company, has recognized Sutter Delta Medical Center with

    the 2010 Emergency Medicine Excellence Award. Sutter Delta ranked

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  • 12A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Do you have a Junior Mortgage on Your House?Lien Stripping in Chapter 13by Joan Grimes, Esq.

    Advertisement

    One of the great advantages of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy at this time is ability to strip a lien on your principal residence that does not attach to any equity. Here is a common example: Principal residence has current fair market value of $300,000. Th e fi rst mortgage has a balance of $400,000 and the second mortgage has a balance of $100,000. Because the second mortgage does not attach to any equity in the property, the lien can be avoided or stripped in a Chapter 13 thereby removing the balance of $100,000 at the completion of the Chapter 13 case.

    When does a Chapter 13 lien stripping case make sense? First, the principal residence must be your principal residence i.e. where you sleep at night. Second, you dont want to fi le a Chapter 13 to strip a lien unless you really, really want to stay in this house. Th ird, the balance on the junior lien needs to be large enough combined with other debt to make a Chapter 13 advantageous i.e. you dont want to fi le Chapter 13 to avoid a lien of $10,000.

    If a Chapter 13 is sounding like something that might work for you, there are several other things to consider. First, we must make sure all of the owners of the property and all of the people who signed on the mortgage note at we need to strip are fi ling bankruptcy. For example, if the property is owned by both you and your spouse, we cannot strip off the mortgage unless both of you are fi ling bankruptcy. Second, in order to strip off the mortgage, we have to prove that your real property is not worth more than the payoff balances on the other senior mortgages. Th at is, we need to prove that there is no value, not even one dollar, left in your real property to

    secure the mortgage we are trying to strip in the Chapter 13. Th ird, you need to have a real senior mortgage or at least a reasonable hope of you through a modifi cation. Th e best senior mortgages for lien stripping cases are 30 year fi xed that you can really aff ord or a mortgage that has been modifi ed into a loan you can aff ord. If the senior mortgage is going to reset into a payment you cannot aff ord in 1,2,3 or 4 years, there is no reason to spend the money to strip a junior lien and then lose the house to a foreclosure by the senior lender later.

    In conclusion, there has never been a better time for Chapter 13 lien stripping cases. Home values are low and the number of junior liens that do not attach to any equity are at an all time high. Th is is truly the lemonade out lemons recipe if you are intending on staying in your current residence and meet the requirements for a Chapter 13. Prior to simply walking away for your current residence, it may be a good idea to consider a Chapter 13 and see what it can do for you.

    WE ARE A DEBT RELIEF AGENCY. WE HELP PEOPLE FILE BANKRUPTCY RELIEF UNDER THE BANKRUPTCY CODE. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PROVIDED AS LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON IN MAKING A DECISION REGARDING A VOLUNTARY DEFAULT, SHORT SALE, FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBTAINING TAX & LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. 2010

    Law Offi ce of Joan M. Grimes. 8660 Brentwood Blvd., Suite B, Brentwood, California 94513 (925) 323-7772

    Following the failure of Measure P, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase tick-eted for Antiochs general fund, the city will need to make tough cuts to balance the budget.

    One of the major recipients of Mea-sure P money was to be the Antioch Police Department, currently at a 35-percent va-cancy rate. Capt. Allan Cantando said to counteract a defi cit of roughly $450,000, the department will be forced to make changes.

    According to Cantando, between fi ve and 10 Antioch offi cers might be laid off, but he doesnt know when that decision will be made. The department would like-ly re-assign some investigations offi cers to patrol and scale back the investigation of property and narcotics crimes, focusing instead on violent crimes.

    As it stands now, reports of grand theft of less than $1,000 involving no leads are not suffi cient to set an investi-gation in motion. Cantando said that the department might raise that threshold.

    At an October City Council meet-ing, Police Chief Jim Hyde went through a list of programs that had already been cut, such as School Resource Offi cers and the Police and Citizens Togetherness Team.

    Its extremely unfortunate, but the public will see noticeable changes within the police department, Cantando said. Its totally based on a lack of staffi ng.

    So far this month, the department has cut its front desk payroll in half. Its current hours are Monday through Thurs-day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The department has also eliminated its monthly neighbor-hood cleanup program, staffed mainly by volunteers. Hyde and two patrol cars cus-tomarily attended the event.

    Despite the cancellation, Antioch resident Dena Jeglum and her husband, Dennis (a retired Alameda County police offi cer), organized a volunteer effort last weekend to restart the planned cleanup for the area near East 16th Street and August Way. Jeglum said that while only 12 people came out for Octobers cleanup

    see Cuts page 13A

    by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

    Antioch government, cops face tough cuts

    Dennis Jeglum, left, and Antioch City Councilman-elect Wade Harper were part of the volunteer effort to continue a community cleanup program cut by the Antioch Police Department in order to save money.

    Photo courtesy of Dena Jeglum

  • 14A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

    640

    Advertisement

    Congratulations to our World Champion San Francisco Giants! Th e wait has been long the last World Series championship came in 1954 when they were the New York Giants but the win was well deserved. As one of the older baseball teams, the Giants have won the most games of any team in the history of American baseball, and any North American professional sports team. Th ey have won 21 National League pennants and appeared in 18 World Series championships, both tied with rivals Los Angeles Dodgers for most in the league. Th e Giants have been invited to the World Series an NL record 19 times, but boycotted the event in 1904. But what does any of that have to do with the number 640?

    As with the above information this next Giants fact is not too well known: Th e Giants maintenance crew uses the Toro 640 Series for all of their irrigation needs. According to Toros website this Series of sprinkler is considered the most durable, heavy-duty commercial sprinkler available, the 640 Series is the traditional, proven veteran for athletic fi elds and other large commercial applications. In other words the 640 is a professional grade sprinkler for a professional grade baseball team. Great you say, but what does that have to do with the lending industry?

    As of Wednesday, November 03, 2010, we will no longer accept FHA insured borrowers with a middle FICO score below 640. As you may have already heard through your nightly news channels the mortgage markets secondary investors have implemented further restrictions and overlays to the FHA lending program. As a result many lenders now including Pacifi c Funding Group have issued new guidelines which result in minimum FICO score requirement of 640 for all FHA programs. Th is includes purchase, refi nance, and streamline transactions. Th is change is hopefully temporary as banks across the board are actively searching out new investorsour goal at Pacifi c Funding Group is to resume lending down to a 600 FICO score before the end of 2010. In the meantime please take note of this HUGE change and check with your lender, or call me, to ensure you are still a pre-approved buyer. Th e Giants didnt win the World Series overnight; their championship was a direct result of their preparation. If you were initially pre-approved with a low FICO score and simply waiting for your short-sale off er to be approved now is the time to do your homework.

    If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, dont hesitate to write me at [email protected] or call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

    East meets West at world-class fitness club

    A delegation from the Korean Ministry of Culture and Sports made a recent tour of the Delta Valley Athletic Club, 120 Guthrie Lane in Brentwood. The delegation traveled to Northern Californias outstanding sports facilities to learn about management, mar-keting and the successful operation of world-class facilities.

    In addition to choosing Delta Valley Athletic Club as the top private health club to tour, the delegation chose UC Berkeley for its state university visit and Stanford University for its private university visit.

    The 30-member delegation, consisting of fi eld specialist, agents, marketers, develop-ers, Korean Sports Promotion Foundation offi cials and corporate CEOs, were shown the

    Delta Valley Athletic Club by former General Manager Mike Davis, a respected industry consultant with 30 years of experience. The group was impressed that a world-class health club could be located in a small town such as Brentwood such facilities are uncommon in Korea and usually found only in large cities.

    The delegations tour was arranged by Dr. Russell Ahn and Visiting Professor Duke Kim, who served as interpreter for the in-depth question-and-answer interaction conducted by Davis. The group left with a greater understanding of how such sports facilities are successfully managed and oper-ated to provide superior service and value in the management of good health and an ac-tive lifestyle.

    Members of the Korean Ministry of Culture and Sports take pictures of the spinning room at Delta Valley Athletic Club in Brentwood during a visit con-ducted by the clubs former General Manager, Mike Davis, right.

    Photo by Richard Wisdom

    Robotics from page 9Ament, confl ict resolution and other life skills that arent always taught in the classroom, so theres more to this pro-gram than most people realize.

    The Heritage Robotics Club will battle 15 other Bay Area teams for a chance to advance to the NorCal Cham-pionship event in January. If they suc-ceed at the state level, club members will advance to world championship held in St. Louis in April.

    Regardless of the teams perfor-mance, Pardi is excited to host a quali-fi er at Heritage and hopes the commu-nity will come out to support the event. We saw earlier this school year how the community will rally around athletics, but its important to encourage academ-ic competition as well, he said.

    Odyssey of the Mind has gained momentum in this area, but there are plenty of other competitions just as deserving of the communitys support. FIRST gets students excited about math, science and technology, and the commu-nity should be excited about that too.

    The competition begins at 10:30 a.m. and the fi nal elimination rounds are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, so Pardi encour-ages everyone to come out and support Heritage in its bid to go to the cham-pionship. Diggers Diner will be on site selling food and refreshments during the event. For more information, visit www.norcalftc.org.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 15A

    It was six months in the making, cost nearly $800,000 and is the fastest-producing one of its kind in Discovery Bay. But for Water and Wastewater Manager Virgil Koehne, the towns new water well is more than a splendiferous display of plumbing perfection its a great Plan B.

    It is nice to have a backup well; its really nice, said Koehne. This took some time from beginning to end about 18 months but we budgeted for it and planned for it, and now its here. Its gives us a nice little cushion.

    The new well, located at the site of the main treatment plant next door to the town offices, is Discovery Bays fifth well. Producing 2,600 gallons per minute (the other wells range from 900 gallons to 2,400 gallons per minute), the well will serve primarily as a back-up in case of an emergency, or for use when one or two of the other wells are undergoing routine maintenance.

    The new well provides an extra layer of security in the event that we have an emergency or one of our other wells goes down, said Discovery Bay General Manager Rick Howard. If we didnt have this, we would have to use

    our storage tanks. And if it was during peak times, we could potentially have a problem. But now we have a backup.

    The new well is 400 feet deep. Its submersible pump head reaches down 250 feet (the other wells pump heads descend to 170 to 200 feet), bringing up a better quality and clarity of wa-ter. The well is expected to be up and running within the week once the ini-tial testing phase is complete, and from there will most likely be used as the pri-mary well, at least for awhile.

    I think for the first nine months to a year well use this well as the main well, said Koehne. Its our best pro-ducing one and it uses the latest tech-nology, so it makes sense to use it and see how it runs.

    Koehne added that five wells in Discovery Bay are sufficient, at least for the time being. However, as the community continues to grow, adding homes and extra infrastructure, there might one day be a need for additional help.

    Its enough for now, he said. The town is currently working on a water masterplan. Once that is done, well have a better idea of what we may need in the future. But for now, were fine.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    Towns newest water well ready to flow

    by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

    According to Discovery Bay General Manager Rick Howard, the towns new water well will provide the town with backup reserves in case of an emergency or if another of the communitys wells requires maintenance.

    Photo by Richard Wisdom

  • 16A | THEPRESS.NET NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY National

    AwardWinning NewspapersHave you got something to say? Visit www.thepress.net and let your thoughts be known.

    LETTERS TO THE EDITORA few choice words

    Editor:Ninety years after gaining the right

    to vote, women continue to battle the same gender-based (albeit subtle) bias as our corseted sisters.

    The Oct. 20, 2010 editorial of the Contra Costa Times implied that as trustee for the County Board of Education, my decision will not be independent from my husband, Walter, a trustee for the Antioch School Board.

    I have no need to defend myself and give credibility to this chauvinistic, discriminatory and unfounded insult to women who, through hard work and perseverance, have earned a rightful place in society. Eve may have been cre-ated from Adams rib, but she was not joined to his hips.

    I have repeatedly declared, includ-ing in a June, 2010 letter to the editor, that I am a clerk and proud member of

    the working class. Humbly, though, I am known for years of volunteer work as nonprofi t administrator for the An-tioch Music Foundation. A two-year study to earn a nonprofi t management certifi cate in 2008 from the California State University East Bay attests my dedication to this pursuit.

    Nonetheless, the editorial printed the libelous statement Ruehlig misrepresents herself as a nonprofi t administrator. Am I defi ned by what I do to earn a living rather than what I do to serve the community? Is Jesus the carpenter grossly misrepresented as the Christ?

    Our community schools are in shambles, having failed the states program improvement requirements. Displaced schoolchildren get only four hours of daily instructions and, in some cases, no free lunch or trans-portation allowance for fi nancially

    challenged families. As a mother, im-migrant, fi ve-time foster parent and employee of the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility and Children and Family Services, I am uniquely equipped with real-life experience to effectively advocate for changing these conditions.

    If an excuse was needed to favor my opponent, couldnt the editorial fi nd something good to write about in his lethargic 20-year incumbency, rath-er than engage in circulation-boosting tabloid sensationalism using innuendos to unjustly smear my family name?

    I intentionally kept silent during the campaign to keep the focus on is-sues rather than controversies. With the election over, I have a few choice words to describe the editorials Jurassic mindset. On second thought, tuck back the claws lest I be accused of hot-fl ash-ing.

    To my 21,717 supporters, thank you for the victory.

    Cynthia RuehligAntioch

    Fiscally responsible searchEditor:

    Recently Antioch Mayor Jim Davis was heard stating the city of Antioch may hire a head hunting agency to aid in the search for a new police chief.

    My question is this: What part of we have no money does he not under-stand?

    There are very competent people in this city whose expertise could be called on to sit on a review panel. These are vol-unteers and would cost the city nothing.

    Would this not be a fi scally respon-sible solution, given our budget woes? Just wondering!

    Sue TiernanAntioch

    City of Brentwood City Manager and City Council City Hall708 Third St.Brentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-516-5440www.ci.brentwood.ca.us

    City of Antioch City Manager and City Council City HallThird and H streetsAntioch, CA 94509Phone: 925-779-7000www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/administration

    City of Oakley City Manager and City Council City Hall3231 Main St.

    GOVERNMENT OFFICIALSOakley, CA 94561Phone: 925-625-7000www.ci.oakley.ca.us

    Town of Discovery BayTown Manager and Community Services District 1800 Willow Lake RoadDiscovery Bay, CA 94505Phone: 925-634-1131www.todb.ca.gov

    County Supervisor, Dist. III Mary N. Piepho1200 Central Blvd., Suite BBrentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-240-7260 [email protected]

    County Supervisor, Dist. VFederal Glover315 E. Leland Ave.Pittsburg, CA 94565Phone: [email protected]

    State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier Seventh State Senate DistrictState CapitolRoom 2054Sacramento, CA 95814Phone: 916-651-4007 1350 Treat Blvd., Suite 240Walnut Creek, CA 94597Phone: 925-942-6082www.dist07.casen.govoffice.com

    Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan15th District

    P.O. Box 942849Sacramento, CA 942493231 Main St., Oakley, CA 94561 Phone: 925-679-2715www.democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a15

    Gov. Arnold SchwarzeneggerConstituent AffairsState Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-445-2864 www.gov.ca.gov/interact#email

    U.S. Rep. Gerald McNerney 11th Congressional District

    2222 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 7 Stockton, CA 95207 Phone: 209-476-8552Fax: 209-476-8587

    Washington office:312 Cannon HOBWashington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-1947Fax: 202-225-4060www.mcnerney.house.gov

    U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240San Francisco, CA 94111Phone: 415-403-0100 Fax: 415-956-6701

    www.boxer.senate.gov

    U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein1 Post St., Room 2450San Francisco, CA 94104Phone: 415-393-0707Washington office:331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-3841www.feinstein.senate.gov

    President Barack Obama1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington, D.C. 20500Phone: 202-456-1111 Fax: 202-456-2461

    The Press Newspapers are adjudicated in the the cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, and the Delta Judicial District

    of Contra Costa County.

    No part of this publication may be reproduced for commerce or trade without written permission from the publisher.

    BRENTWOOD PRESS & PUBLISHING CORPORATIONNational Award Winning Newspapers

    Founder & President Jimmy ChamouresPublisher & General Manager Greg Robinson

    Executive Editor Rick LemyreProduction Manager & Webmaster Lonnie de Lambert

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    Main Office / Brentwood248 Oak St. Brentwood, CA 94513

    Phone 925-634-1441 Fax 925-634-1975Web site: www.thepress.net

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    Editorial e-mail [email protected]

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 17A

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    Everything In Stock

    A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police de-partments.

    ANTIOCHNov. 8, 10:30 a.m. Detectives of the An-tioch Police Departments Narcotics Unit, who had been conducting investigations into several local rock-cocaine dealers, at-tempted to pull over a vehicle being driven by 33-year-old Pittsburg resident Quincy Ford, who had an outstanding felony war-rant for narcotic violations. He failed to stop and led offi cers on a pursuit through Antioch. Ford was arrested minutes later in Pittsburg while attempting to fl ee on foot. He was found in possession of rock cocaine. A fi rearm belonging to Ford was located at one of his residences during a subsequent service of a search warrant. In connection with the arrest of Ford, detectives respond-ed to a local Antioch hotel on West 10th Street at approx 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 9 and arrested two additional cocaine dealers as they prepared to leave in their vehicle. Sever-al ounces of cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy were located in their possession. They were identifi ed as 39-year-old Martinez resident Timothy Davis and 25-year-old Pittsburg resident Johnny Denton. All subjects were taken to the Martinez Detention Facility and charged with drug violations. Ford will also be charged as a felon in possession of a fi rearm.

    For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police.OAKLEYOct. 25 On Calisesi Court at La Casa Drive, a subject was found in possession of more than 1 ounce of marijuana.Oct. 25 A vehicle was stolen from the 2200 block of Canterbury Lane.Oct. 25 On Keith Court at Malicoat Av-enue, subjects were arrested for interfer-ing with public offi cers.Oct. 25 Arrest warrants were served on Live Oak Avenue at Nut Tree Lane and on Main Street at Vintage Parkway.Oct. 25 A vehicle parked on the 4800 block of Carrington Drive was burglar-ized.Oct. 25 A residence on the 1800 block

    of Hemlock Drive was burglarized.Oct. 26 A subject was found in pos-session of drugs on the 1100 block of OHara Avenue.Oct. 26 An arrest warrant was served on the 1100 block of Quail Valley Run.Oct. 26 On Main Street at Miguel Drive and on West Cypress Road at Empire Av-enue, subjects were arrested for driving under the infl uence of alcohol.Oct. 26 An assault with a deadly weap-on was reported on the 3900 block of Creekside Way.Oct. 26 A residence on the 100 block of Hemlock Drive was burglarized.Oct. 26 A subject was found in posses-sion of burglary tools on Contra Costa Canal at Sellers Avenue.Oct. 26 Petty thefts occurred on the 2500 block of Main Street and the 1600 block of Wildcat Way.Oct. 27 A vehicle accident with property damage was reported on Hill Avenue at Main Street.Oct. 27 A vehicle was towed from Main Street at Vintage Parkway.Oct. 27 Terrorist threats were made on the 1900 block of Chardonnay Drive.Oct. 27 A residence on the 2000 block of Garden Court was burglarized.Oct. 27 Grand theft from a vehicle took place on the 1800 block of Hemlock Drive.Oct. 27 An incidence of fraud was re-ported on the 100 block of East Bolton Road.Oct. 28 A prowler was reported on the 100 block of Henry Court.Oct. 28 On the 100 block of Henry Court, a subject was found in possession of dangerous drugs.Oct. 28 On Hazelnut Drive at Mello-wood Drive, a subject was cited for driv-ing on a suspended license.Oct. 28 A vehicle was towed from the 4900 block of Teakwood Drive.Oct. 28 Domestic battery was reported on the 100 block of Butler Lane.Oct. 28 A residence on the 4600 block of Salvador Lane was burglarized.Oct. 28 A subject was found in receipt of stolen property on the 4500 block of Rose Avenue.

    Oct. 28 On the 100 block of Henry Court a subject was found loitering on private property.Oct. 29 On the 3800 block of Brown Road, a subject was arrested for interfer-ing with a public offi cer.Oct. 29 A vehicle was towed from Alder Drive at Gamay Circle.Oct. 29 An arrest warrant was served on the 900 block of Walnut Drive.Oct. 29 On Chianti Way at OHara Av-enue, on Delta Road at Sellers Avenue, on the 1000 block of Main Street and on Gateway Drive at Sequoia Drive, subjects were arrested for DUI.Oct. 29 Fraudulent documents were re-ported on the 2500 block of Main Street.Oct. 29 On East Home Street at OHara Avenue, a subject was arrested for public intoxication.Oct. 30 An arrest warrant was served on the 400 block of Almondtree Circle.Oct. 30 On East Cypress Road at Ru-bens Way and on Laurel Road at Main

    Street, subjects were arrested for DUI.Oct. 30 Domestic battery was reported on Laurel Road at Neroly Road.Oct. 30 Shoplifting was reported on the 2000 block of Main Street.Oct. 31 A subject was found to be under the infl uence of drugs on the 5300 block of Live Oak Avenue.Oct. 31 An arrest warrant was served on the 300 block of Star Street.Oct. 31 A misdemeanor hit and run was reported on the 800 block of Fetzer Court.Oct. 31 On Big Break Road at Main Street, a subject was arrested for DUI.Oct. 31 Domestic violence with injury to a spouse occurred on the 1200 block of Fetzer Lane.Oct. 31 An incidence of grand theft occurred on the 3200 block of Crismore Drive.Oct. 31 On the 400 block of E. Home Street, a subject was arrested for public intoxication.

    COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS Three subjects suspected of cocaine dealing were arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Nov. 8-9, Antioch

    The Brentwood Police Activities League (PAL) recently held its rst Mentoring Program at Scrumdillyumptious Yogurt in Brentwood. The program pairs at-risk youth with adult mentors to build healthy relationships and provide them with positive activities. The Mentoring Program is funded through a grant provided by the National Police Ac-tivities League. Those in attendance enjoyed tasty yogurt donated by Scrumdillyumptious owners Dan and Robin. Those interested in being a mentor or know of a young person who would bene t from mentoring should call Of cer Roger Wilson at 925-809-7768.

    Mmmm as in Mentor

  • 18A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Richard Dietrich, D.V.M.Small Animals - Exotics - Fish

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    Brentwood residents Dr. Paul and Beverly Krey celebrated their 50th

    wedding anniversary with their Hometown Weekly Newspaper at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reconstructed tem-

    ple in Nauvoo, Illinois. The building originated in 1846 and was rebuilt in 2002 to the original speci cations. The Kreys trip was part of a nine-day church history tour that included visits to Palmyra, New York, Kirkland, Ohio and Independence, Mo. Thanks, folks, for giving The Press the his-tory road trip.

    Seen in Illinois

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 OUTDOORS THEPRESS.NET | 19A

    Its HomebuyingSeason!

    Mark your calendar for the NOVEMBER 20th

    GRAND OPENINGof ANCHOR BEND at SUMMER LAKE

    OAKLEYCypress Rd.

    Main S

    t.

    Map not toscale.

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    Make this a Fall to remember. Visit the Grand Opening of Anchor Bend and discover a community youll want to call home.

    tOFX4JNQMZ4NBSU4FSJFTQMBOTGSPNUPTRGU with up to 5 bedrooms.t:PVSIPNFZPVSXBZTUBSUUPmOJTIJOEBZTo(VBSBOUFFEt/FTUMFEJOBNBTUFSQMBOOFEDPNNVOJUZDFOUFSFEBSPVOE BBDSFMBLFt-PDBUFENJOVUFTGSPNUSBJMTQBSLTNBSJOBT#FUIFM*TMBOE and the Delta.t4QFDJBM(SBOE0QFOJOHQSJDJOHGSPNUIFVQQFST

    Join us Saturday, Nov. 20th for Grand Opening fesivities including:.PEFMIPNFUPVSt3FGSFTINFOUTt'VOGBNJMZBDUJWJUJFTt3BEJPSFNPUF

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    (866) 675-9383www.MeritageHomes.com

    Broker CoopWelcome

    Anchor Bendat Summer Lake

    *Broker Co-op paid at closing. Broker MUST accompany buyer on 1st sales oce visit. Prices, terms, conditions and availability subject to change without notice or obligation.

    1033 Clear Lake Drive, Oakley, CA 94561

    Lets face it, not many people these days can say they arent stressed out. The good news is that 65 million Americans have discovered a great stress reliever boating! And stress reduction is just one of boatings many great benefi ts, as it offers

    a lifestyle full of fun and personal enrich-ment.

    The opportunities for developing new and exciting skills are limited only by your interest. The top three activities most boat-ers participate in are fi shing, water sports and cruising. Many boating families enjoy

    a combination of all three, but often start off getting their feet wet with cruising.

    Cruising is like going for a drive through the country. Its a way to escape from day-to-day congestion, see some wildlife, get a little sun and breathe in fresh air. When Im on the water, its almost like being in another world. I often tell people its my form of therapy.

    A boat cruise can have purpose, such as patronizing a waterside eatery or meeting up with other boaters and anchoring out for a BBQ. (Yes, there are BBQs for boats.) Or it can simply be an opportunity for fam-ily or friends to connect without the distrac-tion of video games and e-mail. Working on your tan, going for an exhilarating swim and splashing water at each other is healthy, old-fashioned fun in my book.

    Delta waters offer an amazing fi shery for bass, both largemouth and stripers. Fishing can be as simple or technical as you want to make it. Serious bass anglers buy specialized boats and gear to compete in fi shing tournaments. However, simply trolling a rubber grub behind the boat with a Barbie fi shing pole will delight any youngster when the spring striper spawn is underway.

    Water sports are a hit with the X-Games generation. Back in my day, slalom skiing was the thing, considered tame and boring by todays standard. The current rage is wakeboarding. Boats designed for this activity generate a monstrous wave (wake) that boarders can perform some amazing jumps from, including complete fl ips.

    Dont forget the endless number of pull-behind contraptions that youngsters of all ages can enjoy. The simple ones are basically large inner tubes (equipped with handles) that you lie on top of; the elabo-rate are contraptions resembling fl ying saucers featuring seats for a small crowd. I have yet to pass one without seeing grins from ear to ear.

    Living in Delta communities affords us premier boating right in our own backyard. For many, its a shorter drive than going to the movies. The season is long and warm. Hundreds of miles of waterways are avail-able for exploring and claiming as your own, if for only the day.

    If you like the outdoors, spending quality time with family and friends, enjoy wind in your hair on a warm summer day

    Discover boating in your own backyardand can use a little stress reduction, then dis-cover boating (www.discoverboating.com).

    You might also be excited to know that boating is both affordable and easy to learn. Have a look but be warned: fresh air and warm water can be addictive. If you have already discovered this Delta treasure, invite that boatless neighbor or colleague from work out on the water and expose them to our world of refuge. Have fun and boat safe.

    Jonathan Bloom is a USCG licensed Master and ASA certifi ed sailing instructor. He can be reached via www.baydeltafun.com. To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    ON THEWATER

    CAPT. JONBLOOM

    Drinking water while on the water will help ensure a safe, good time for your family.

  • 20A | THEPRESS.NET NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    SPOTLIGHT N BUSINESS Spotlight on Business, provided each week by The Press, presents news and information about our business community. To contribute to this section, e-mail [email protected] hosts wine-tasting

    Meritage Homes new Anchor Bend neighborhood will host an exclusive wine and cheese event next Friday for its VIP Realtors. Since theres still time to be included on the invitation list, local Realtors are encouraged to visit any existing Meritage community today to sign up for the companys Realtor Circle Program.

    Members of the program receive the latest informa-tion on Meritages new green building technology and upcoming new neighborhoods. Realtor Circle members will also receive a special invitation for a sneak peek of Meritages newest community, Anchor Bend at Summer Lake in Oakley, which will offi cially open to the public on Saturday, Nov. 20.

    Anchor Bends VIP realtor event will take place Fri-day, Nov. 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. and include a casual wine and cheese tasting affair. Realtors who sign up for the Realtor Circle Program will be automatically enrolled in Meritages exclusive 4-percent tiered commission program.

    Anchor Bend at Summer Lake features four new sin-gle- and two-story home designs ranging in size from 2,232 to 2,876 square feet with up to six bedrooms, four bath-rooms and a three-car garage. The homes boast estate-style architectural elements throughout, such as covered front entries, vaulted ceilings, formal dining rooms, elegant mas-ter suites and options for a loft or den.

    The homes also feature gourmet center-island kitch-ens overlooking the adjoining great room, making the fl oor plans perfect for entertaining and everyday living. A variety of customizing and fl exible room options are avail-

    able that allow homebuyers to personalize the homes inte-rior and exterior spaces to refl ect their personal style and desires.

    Meritage Homes energy-effi cient and environmen-tally friendly standard green features included in every An-chor Bend home feature Low-E windows, programmable thermostats, Energy Star appliances, high-performance showerheads and faucets, low-VOC carpets, paint and fi n-ishes, and more. These price-included features combine to make all new Meritage homes 20-30 percent more energy effi cient than homes built to the current International Resi-dential Code. In addition to lowering utility bills and using fewer natural resources, these homes also provide better indoor air quality for a healthier living environment.

    To visit Anchor Bend from Oakleys Main Street, turn left on Cypress and continue straight into the Summer Lake community. Turn right on Summer Lake Drive, left on Lake-wood Drive, and right on Clear Lake Drive. For sales offi ce hours and additional information, call Danny Menther at 866-675-9383 or visit www.meritagehomes.com.

    The economic stress of the lingering recession has forced thousands of local residents to abandon homeownership and enter the home rental market. Their desire to stay close to ex-isting schools, shopping and commute routes presents a tre-mendous challenge to these families.

    Foreclosure and short-sale participants now fi nd that a damaged credit history will signifi cantly restrict their lifestyle for years. Federal lending guidelines dictate two to three years before a new mortgage is an option and credit scores must meet higher minimums. Prospective tenants are subject to income and credit screening when dealing with professional agencies.

    The inventory of available rental homes remains low and has already begun to push rents upward. Earnest investors are purchasing bank-owned properties at reduced prices and real-izing the positive cash fl ow potential of rental income. Finding good tenants, maintaining rental properties and knowledge of applicable landlord laws has presented challenges to owners.

    One local company with a depth of experience and a breadth of services is positioned to help with the challenges facing tenants and owners. A sister company of Coldwell Banker Amaral & Associates, A. Meadows Property Man-agement specializes in leasing and managing single-family residences in East Contra Costa County and is committed to providing the highest standard of professional quality services in the industry. A. Meadows Property Management fi nds de-sirable homes for potential renters and assists owners in fi nd-ing, leasing and maintaining rental properties.

    For more information, call 925-625-7975 or visit www.ameadowspropertymanagement.com.

    Housing market going rental

  • Downtown Brentwoods Road to Revi-talization Project offi cially began last week with the demolition of sidewalks, removal of existing trees and implementation of one-way traffi c on Chestnut Street between First Street and Brentwood Boulevard.

    This project will include improved util-ity systems and new streetscape amenities such as wider sidewalks for outdoor din-ing and merchandising, new furniture and street lights, new trees in the downtown area plus the undergrounding of existing overhead utilities on Chestnut Street. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011.

    Traffi c lanes will be temporarily re-duced to one lane in each direction on por-tions of Chestnut, Oak and First streets for the length of the project in an effort to main-tain vehicular circulation in and around the downtown area.

    One-way traffi c will be implemented incrementally as demolition and construc-tion begin on each new street and block. Work will be performed on one side of the street at a time, allowing entry to shops and restaurants.

    Pedestrian access to all downtown properties and businesses will be main-tained at all times after sidewalk demolition. Construction activities will be stopped each Friday afternoon to allow construction-free zones for weekend shopping and dining. Though inconveniences will arise due to the nature and scope of the work, businesses will remain open.

    New 36-inch boxed trees have already been selected and are continuing to grow at the nursery to provide the largest possible tree at the time of planting in the spring of 2011. The primary street tree species were selected for their open and upright branch-ing characteristic, fall colors, early growth, minimal debris droppings and heat toler-ance. Small fl owering trees were selected as colorful corner accents.

    For additional information, call Senior Community Development Analyst Kwame Reed at 925-516-5304 or e-mail [email protected]. You can also use the comment section of the projects website at www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/streetscapes.

    NOVEMBER 12, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 21A

    4APR.308%* *Rate and APR are based on a FHA 30 year xed rate mortgage for a home with a purchase price of $450,000 and a 3.5% down payment from the buyer. APR includes a 1% origination fee. Not all buyers will qualify, and buyer may be responsible for some closing costs. Program only applies to select homes in each community. To nd out which homes this applies to, please contact the Community and speak with a Shea Homes Representative. Interest rates quoted as of 11/2/10, and are subject to change without notice. Rate/Program based on buyer having a minimum FICO score of 620. Program only offered to well qualied buyers when obtaining nancing with Shea Mortgage Inc., an independent member of the Shea family of companies. Shea Mortgage Inc. is licensed by the California Department of Real Estate License, License No. 01197403. Not available with all loan programs. Additional conditions, restrictions and limitations apply. See your Shea Mortgage Loan Originator for additional details. Purchase Agreement must be written no later than 11/15/10 and home must close escrow no later than 12/30/2010. **Brokers must accompany prospects on their rst visit to register.

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    Courtesy of City of Brentwood

    The new Art Gonzales

    Memorial Fountain will be located where the original is, at the

    corner of Oak and First streets.

    A&J Hauling and Les Schwab Tires of Oakley are teaming up to hold an e-waste collection event on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Les Schwab, 89 Carol Lane.

    Plasma TVs, VCRs, computers, print-ers, cell phones, telephones, radios, lap-tops, monitors, portable DVD players and small and large electronics such as copiers and fax machines will be accepted.

    Participants in the event will avoid expensive landfi ll fees and help keep land-fi lls free of recyclable and reusable prod-ucts and materials.

    For more information, visit www.ajhauling.com.

    E-waste dropoff

    Downtown on Road to Revitalization

  • 22A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    New state park plan faces roadblocks

    State and local park offi cials have draft-ed a general plan for a state historic park south of Brentwood, but funding problems could make it hard for the park to open any-time soon.

    The area for the Cowell Ranch/John Marsh State Historic Park is located near the Highway 4 Bypass and Marsh Creek Road. Offi cials from the California State Parks Diablo Vista District and the City of Brent-wood Parks and Recreation Department held a third public meeting recently to review the general plan and environmental impact. The fi rst two meetings were held in 2007 and 2006.

    Roland Gaebert, a sector superintendent for the Diablo Vista District, said the public was satisfi ed with the overall plan for the park and excited about what it could bring to the community.

    About 35 to 40 people showed up at the Brentwood Senior Activity Center to exam-ine the documents and ask questions.

    It was a very good, engaging meeting with the public, Gaebert said. The general feeling was very positive, very forward look-ing. Especially given these times when the fi -nancial times are so diffi cult, it was nice to see

    a community coming together and having a very positive outlook.

    The preliminary general plan for the park provides for roughly 3,600 acres in an area north of Round Valley Regional Park and the Los Vaqueros Watershed. About 60 acres, Gaebert said, are within Brentwood city limits.

    If approved, the park could feature a rehabilitated John Marsh House, trails, park-ing, restrooms, campsites, a visitor center,

    picnic facilities, a ranger station and several other amenities.

    We are very happy with the plan to include the John Marsh House as a center-piece of learning in the park, said Alexandra Ghiozzi, a board member on the John Marsh Historic Trust. The plan will benefi t not only Brentwood residents, but all Californians who visit the park. They will have a chance to experience great recreational activities and learn about a true California pioneer.

    The preliminary general plan calls for the facility to be used for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, picnicking, wildlife viewing and environmental study.

    Some land might also be available for organic farming. I think parklands are get-ting less and less available as the urban sprawl continues, Gaebert said. This is really an opportunity to take over 3,000 acres and turn it into an environment that will both preserve the cultural value thats evident in that area as well as the natural resources.

    The next step, Gaebert said, is to take public comment into consideration and sub-mit a fi nalized general plan to the state parks commission, likely in the spring. However, Gaebert wasnt sure how much money would be available for the park, which might need to be opened in phases.

    Gaebert wasnt sure how much the park would cost, as its hard to put a price tag on it right now. It depends on funds being available to make the opening happen, he said. The purpose of the general plan is to identify and envision cultural and natural re-sources, making it available to the public.

    The preliminary general plan and draft EIR are available for public review online until Dec. 9 at www.parks.ca.gov or at the Brentwood Public Library, 104 Oak St.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

    The John Marsh Stone House will be the cen-terpiece and interpretive center for the states newest park, once money is found to implement the plan.

    Press file photo

    tifi es a total of $634,000 in KCMF dollars that have been used, but not approved, by the County Board of Supervisors over the past decade, an assertion that Glover dis-putes.

    All of the dollars are accounted for, said Glover. Every dollar we spent was in-deed approved by the board.

    Among the items examined by Ybarras offi ce were a list of allegations that included claims of inadequate paperwork, inappro-priate use of the mitigation funds and a lack of checks, balances and overall reporting.

    The release of the report has drawn sharp criticism from both Piepho and Glover, who contend the report is less than complete. Piepho called the report irre-sponsible and nonsense, adding that she also believes the report vindicates her from the accusations of those who approached Ybarra in the fi rst place. She added that numerous e-mails and phone calls made to Ybarras offi ce to discuss the report were not returned.

    If anything, this (report) is clearly a refl ection of how the county auditor has not done his job, said Piepho, noting that she believes it was Ybarras offi ce that is re-sponsible for any defi ciencies tracking the fund.

    Glover said that had Ybarras offi ce given him the opportunity to read the report prior to publication, many of the outstand-ing questions could have been answered: These issues could and should have been resolved if only someone from the auditors offi ce had asked the question or even al-lowed us to comment on the reports fi nd-ings. I intend to review the report in great detail, and in the event there are areas where we can make improvements, we will do so.

    But I wish to make very clear that all mon-ies handled through my offi ce have been managed in a professional, fair, legal and appropriate manner.

    Ybarra conceded that some of the intricacies of the KCMF might have been overlooked prior to his examination. Its (the KCMF) a very small piece, very small corner of our $1.3 billion budget, said Ybarra. And up until this group of citizens brought it to our attention, it was way be-low our radar.

    Despite the blowback, Ybarra, who is set to retire in a few months after 28 years on the job, maintains that the report was a fair, unbiased examination, and stands by his work. This was very compelling to me, said Ybarra. The residents we talked with were all very thoughtful and well-spoken. But it was really more than that. When my assistant spent her time calling the various offi ces that this group (of residents) had al-ready been in touch with, there was a lot of defensiveness and lack of cooperation.

    There were those who did not want me to do this report and there were those who asked me not to release it. But its not about making the county look good or making me look good. Its about being responsible and responsive to this group and the general public. Im proud of the work we did.

    Piepho said she had asked Ybarra to hold the report until it had been reviewed by County Adminstrator David Twa, coun-ty counsel and Local Agency Formation Commission. Until the report has been peer vetted, said Piepho, It has absolutely no value. She added that Twa is expected to receive a copy of the report next week and will review the fi ndings.

    Rick Lemyre contributed to this story. To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    Auditor from page 1Aone of several members of the community who spoke out against Site 4. I am very pleased with the boards decision to aban-don this site, he said. I would like to thank them for making this tough and important decision. I would hope that in the future, the board would be more transparent when se-lecting sites for our schools and get the pub-lic and local city offi cials involved in the site selection process before a site is purchased.

    The district still owns 38 acres at the corner of Sellers Avenue and Delta Road, and although that isnt enough space on which to build a large school, that doesnt mean the land will never be used for an edu-cational facility, according to Glenn. The land could be used for a second continua-tion high school or a satellite school such as Dozier-Libbey Medical High School in the Antioch Unifi ed School District.

    Glenn said the district has put out some feelers to get an idea of where Site 4 could be located, but there are no formal plans to set up a new site: With the slowing of the economy, there is no urgency to build another high school in the next few years. Right now, the board is revisiting the idea of building the fourth high school in Oak-leys Cypress Corridor, but were evaluating all the options. Were essentially starting all over.

    Board Member Steve Barr said Oak-leys Cypress Corridor would be an ideal place for a high school. Since signifi cant residential development is planned for that area, residents there will need a high school. Oakleys only high school, Freedom, is al-ready over capacity, serving more students than Heritage or Liberty in Brentwood.

    Nothings offi cial yet, but I think the district needs to work with Oakley to fi nd

    a spot along the Cypress Corridor, Barr said. Thats where the growth is going to be. Site 4 at Sellers and Delta just presented too many problems. Traffi c was a big con-cern. We dont want another American Av-enue on our hands, and since the roadways wouldnt be improved in the near future, the board decided not to approve the EIR, and returning the land is just the next step.

    While the Oakley City Council has op-posed the Sellers-Delta location from the beginning, City Manager Bryan Montgom-ery expressed some concern about building a high school in the Cypress Corridor. Site 4 has been reduced to 38 acres, but it still has potential, said Montgomery. There needs to be road improvements, but a school might still work at that location.

    My concern for building a school along the Cypress Corridor is that there is already a lot of traffi c at Cypress and Main fi ve days a week, two times a day (as stu-dents travel to Iron House Elementary and Delta Vista Middle School), and adding a high school would increase traffi c.

    Our main concern is public safety and safe routes to school. There arent many ar-eas left in Oakley to build a high school of that size. There are areas for smaller satel-lite schools, but these are all options that the district needs to consider. They need to evaluate all of their options before moving forward.

    If the district needs an additional high school in the next few years and Site 4 hasnt been relocated, according to Glenn, the dis-trict could precede at Site 5 in Discovery Bay. Barr, however, said that since a high school in Discovery Bay would not reduce the over-population at Freedom High School, such a move would be a last resort.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    School from page 1A

  • NOVEMBER 12, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 23A

  • 24A | THEPRESS.NET NOVEMBER 12, 2010

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  • 2B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS NOVEMBER 12, 2010

    Big second half lifts Patriots over Panthers

    It took Heritage Highs varsity football team just 12 sec-onds to silence an upset-minded host Antioch on Friday.

    In the third quarter of the Patriots 55-21 win, Heritage broke a 21-21 tie with a nine-yard touchdown run by senior halfback Kruger Story Jr. A Panther player dropped a short kickoff, giving the ball right back to the Patriots, who scored a few seconds later on a 43-yard Story Jr. run.

    Following those big touchdowns, Antioch lost any mo-mentum it had gained, and Heritage, clad in new white uni-forms, proceeded to roll.

    I was just thinking that we had to go out and get a drive together, Patriot head coach Jeff Haagenson said. We thought we could score every time we have the ball. We feel that way every time.

    Story Jr.s 156 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns led the Heritage offense. Senior RB Treyvon Hanna ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Jeremiah Poti also contrib-uted 53 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots, who advanced to 7-2 overall (3-1 Bay Valley Athletic League). Heritage is now ranked No. 10 in the North Coast Section.

    Senior quarterback Brent Eikanas passed for 187 yards, completing 5-of-7 including a 25-yard TD pass to senior re-ceiver Dorian Hardy.

    We didnt expect them to tie it up with us; we expected to just come out and put them away, Hanna said. Were a second-half team, so we came back and put them away. We found a way.

    Prior to the two quick touchdowns, Antioch threatened to make it a competitive game. Down 21-7 in the second quar-ter, Shamawn Wright blazed his way down the fi eld for a 90-yard kick return to make the score 21-14.

    Early in the third quarter, another big play electrifi ed the

    home crowd on senior night and planted the thought of an upset in the minds of the Panthers. Wright caught a pass from senior QB Billy Cloninger, zigged and zagged, then ran for an 85-yard score to tie it up.

    We hung with a very good team; we did very well, An-tioch head coach John Lucido said. The whole team was very excited, but I think we made a mistake and kind of took the air out a little bit. Im proud of them.

    Cloninger threw for 181 yards (118 to Wright), one touch-down and one interception.

    The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-8 overall (0-4 BVAL).The Patriots face a tough league opponent in Deer Valley

    on Friday while the Panthers host Pittsburg on Saturday for the Big Little Game.

    Heritages junior varsity team also claimed a win, 27-21, over Antioch. The Panthers looked poised to at least tie the game with about two minutes left. A big gain by running back

    Elbert Hamilton put Antioch deep into Patriot territory, but a fumble on the next play gave the ball back to Heritage.

    The Patriots advanced to 6-3 overall while the Panthers fell to 2-7.Pittsburg 23, Freedom 21

    Field goals were the difference maker in Freedoms bid for an upset over BVAL stalwart Pittsburg on its home turf. A fourth-quarter kick by Pirate junior Irvin Chivichon gave Pittsburg a fi nal 23-21 lead in a game the Falcons led 14-6 at halftime.

    Freedom senior kicker Robert Melena had a chance to put his team ahead with 37.2 seconds left in the game, but was unable to connect on a potential game-winning fi eld goal. De-spite the sour ending, Falcon head coach Kevin Hartwig was happy with the way his team hung in against the Pirates, who were crowned BVAL champs.

    Freedom sophomore QB Dante Mayes continued to impress, throwing three touchdown passes to senior Cam-eron Short, junior Jordan Sheppard and junior Stephen Ro-driguez.

    Thats the best we played all year, Hartwig said. To go into Pitt and play the way we did, Im so proud of our kids.

    With the loss, the Falcons dropped to 4-5 overall (1-3 BVAL). Pittsburg is now 4-5 overall, but a perfect 4-0 against league opponents.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

    Weve meshed and we know how to push hard against really hard teams, said Quinn. Its our intensity and how much we all wanted it. We all wanted the leag