HAPPY EASTER FROM YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 21, No. 16
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Response times on the rise
Every Fifteen Minutes
Rallying for Ramzan
by Tony Kukulich
Students at Heritage High School participate in Every 15 Minutes program. Page 8
Staff Writer
Upcoming changes to the automatic-aid agreement between the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) will likely degrade ECCFPD response times and service levels. As ConFire deals with increasing demand on its resources within its own district, the new agreement attempts to reduce the number of units sent from ConFire to assist ECCFPD. ECCFPD will accomplish this, in part, by reducing the number of engines dispatched to a structure fire from the current county standard of five, to three. “For the start, it will be our three engines (with) nine firefighters, which is nowhere close to the industry standard that we need to keep
Honoring The Volunteers Photo by Tony Kukulich
A
sia Chaudhry joined a rally in support of her husband, Ramzan Chaudhry, at the business owned by the couple in Brentwood, Saturday, April 13. Ramzan Chaudhry, who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on February 14, is facing deportation. According to Asia, the father of three has been applying for residency since 1994. His application was denied without explanation in 2017. He was summoned to the Immigration Court in San Francisco in February, where he believed he would receive a hearing for residency. However, according to Asia, he was taken immediately into custody and transferred to a Yuba City detention center where he remains. To view a video and a slideshow of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia
see Response page 30
Changing tech industry a girl at a time by Aly Brown Correspondent
While other teens were likely sleeping in last Saturday morning, Heritage High School junior Xenobia Weber stood before a room of young girls, asking those present to raise their hands if anyone had been a coder before she’d met them. A few glanced around before lifting hesitant arms. “And how many of you are coders now?” she asked. Every child held her hand in the air. That response was part of Xenobia’s goal to expose local girls to computer science — a goal she achieved through launching a free program,
“ I really wish to inspire in these kids a huge love of math and science. These little girls need this kind of program to make it known that their interests are valid.
” Xenobia Weber
Girls Who Code, through the Brentwood Library. Girls Who Code is a program-based movement with a mission to close the gender gap in the tech industry, inspiring young girls and fostering their natural love for computer sciences. Xenobia teaches three Saturdays a month, providing lessons on code, science and legendary women who paved the
SAVE NOW
way for future generations. She teaches roughly 24 girls from elementary school through eighth grade, at different intervals of time. “I really wish to inspire in these kids a huge love of math and science,” Xenobia said. “These little girls need this kind of program to make it known that their interests are valid.”
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Even though she’s a junior and enrolled in courses through Los Medanos College, Xenobia should technically be a sophomore (had she not skipped a grade) and has loved science and math since she was a little girl. A coding class she took in seventh grade sparked her interest in the field, and her mother, Tamara Weber, helped her attain her goal of giving back to the community by tracking down information for the Girls Who Code program. “We broadcasted on social media and through the schools,” said Tamara, who helped her launch the program at the lisee Girl page 30
Volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters of the East County fire districts honored. Page 7
Baseball Heartbreaker
Liberty baseball loses tough game to North Coast Section’s Acalanes. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................25 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Health & Beauty....................6 Milestones............................12 Opinion..................................20 Pets.........................................18 Sports.....................................21
Maritime Training
Burgis Meeting
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Grays Historical Seaport, is accepting students for Merchant Mariner course.
Diane Burgis will convene an East County Nonprofit Roundtable on April 29.