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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 14, No. 31
A passionate city leader dies by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Gary Agopia n, a high-energy civil servant with a passion for bettering a nd unifying the community, died this week after a I0-month battle with brain cancer. He was 57. The 19-year Antioch resident, who was elected to the city co uncil in 20 10, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor last September, but never stopped serving his city. H e fiercely advocated for the passage of Measure C, a half-cent sales tax toward public safety, leading up to its approval last November, and attended council meetings until the end of June, the last two escorted in a wheelchair. News of ills death on Monday led to an outpouring of fond memories by ma ny friends and fellow city leaders. "Gary was a likable fellow, a real extrovert and a na tural for governa nce," said Walter Ruehlig ,who was elected to the school board
with Agopian in 2004. " He liked vigorous dialogue and wore the mantle of public service with distinction. When he made a decision, agree or disagree with him, you knew he was corning from a platform of integrity and considered AGOPIAN forethought." A native of Los Angeles, Agopian moved to Antioch in 1995 with his wife and three children in the midst of a 27-year retail management career with Sears a nd then Best Buy before becoming a realtor in 2003. Later that year, he was appointed to the Antioch Economic Development Conunission, where his eagerness to help the community blossomed into his passion. Agopian was elected to the Antioch
School Board of Trustees in 2004, serving as vice president and president during his fouryear term. H e ran unsuccessfully for the District 5 county supervisor seat in 2008 before being elected to the Antioch City Council in 2010. He most recently ran for mayor of Antioch but was beat by Wade Ha rper. "One of the things T liked about Gary was the fact that he was honest and forthright with high energy," said Antioch School Board Trustee Claire Smith, who served with Agopian. " We had a very unified board during those yea rs, so mething that was needed to guide the district through some tough money times." As a councilmember, Agopian was often outspoken, fighting for fiscal prudence, law and order and for the city's water rights. He was a key advocate for the annexation of 600 aceas of land into the city, wruch included the NRG and Pacific Gas and Electric power plants and Federal Dunes Wildlife Preserve.
August 1, 2014
Bountiful harvest
From East County f arms to your t able, let our Healthy Harvest section be you r guide to f inding the best local produce. Page 18
Falcon under investigation
see Leader page 22A
Delta outrage spills into Sacramento water over an alt ercation t hat occured in Oklahoma. Page 4A
by Corey Hunt Correspondent
Delta enthusiasts and concerned East County residents put aside their daily routines on Tuesday to rally outside of the state capitol in Sacramento, delivering a clear message to Gov. Jerry Brown that they will not back down from opposing his Bay Delta Conservation Pla n (BDCP) tunnel project. A cha rter bus carrying East County residents to the protest brimmed with excitement and high emotions as it meandered through the heart of Delta country and up into Sacra mento. While the majority of the protesters were middle-aged and senior citizens, the crowd diversified when the crowds converged on the Capitol Mall, where a number of local college students and young people joined in, including a n aspiring band that played Delta-themed protest songs before
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Kicking it in Carolina
The AJAX East Bay 98 Girls recently compet ed for a national soccer title. Page 17A Photo by Corey Hunt
East Co unty residents traveled to Sacramento this week to protest the Bay Delta Con servation Plan twin tunnel s project .
the speeches began. Braving the hot sun, dozens of East County protesters linked up with other Northern California activists to chant slogans
and listen to speeches by prominent critics of the plan, including Assemblyman Jim Frazier, an Oakley resident. T he rally was timed to ma rk the conclusion of
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the public comment period for the BDCP, a proposal opponents would like to see replaced with a see Delta page 22A
Global education go to news/WebExtras! The American Scandinavian Student Exchange is looking f or host fami lies.
Calendar .. ..... ..... ...... ..... ..... 11 B Classifieds .................... ..... .. 78 Comics ... ... ..... ........... ..... ..... 15A Cop Logs .. ..... ..... ........... ..... 1OB Entertainment ............ ....... 7A Hanging In There ................xB Healthy Harvest ..... .......... .. 1B Sports .. ............... ................ 17A
Best for baby go to news/press releases Contra Costa Health Services celebrates World Breastfeeding Week.