Brentwood Press_09.02.11

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 13, No. 35

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September 2, 2011

Idols shine in downtown Brentwood Enriching by Samie Hartley Staff Writer

This year’s Brentwood Idol competition proved you needn’t sing a current hit to become an idol, but it doesn’t hurt to go with something “Popular.” Brentwood resident Charlotte Kinsella, 12, was named the 2011 Youth Brentwood Idol last Thursday for her rendition of “Popular” from the Broadway musical “Wicked.” Her vocal power and animated stage presence made Charlotte an instant favorite with the crowd and judges. Likewise, Discovery Bay resident Holly Durham proved you needn’t look “Over the Rainbow” to find East County’s most talented singers. The Adult Brentwood Idol winner won over the children in the audience of more than 200 spectators by asking them to sit by her while she crooned the “Wizard of Oz” classic and handed out lollipops to the attentive munchkins. Brentwood Idol contestants don’t vie for multi-million dollar recording contracts, but the chance for

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Charlotte Kinsella and Holly Durham were named Brentwood Idol in the Youth and Adult divisions, respectively, at last week’s competition. local stardom and bragging rights continues to draw the most talented East County singers to downtown Brentwood for this signature summer event each year. This year’s event featured three adult competitors and 17 youth contestants, a record high

for Brentwood Idol, now in its third year. Host Gene Clare was impressed by the caliber of this year’s performances. “I’m amazed by the extraordinary talent we have in East County,” Clare said. “Events like this are

what make Brentwood great. This is a fun event for the whole family to enjoy in downtown Brentwood.” Durham, who competed against Eldon Raudebaugh and Kristin Bradshaw, entered the competition because she relished the idea of performing in the heart of Brentwood before a crowd that decided to spend the evening enjoying the revitalized yet quaint atmosphere of the new downtown. The self-proclaimed grandmother of the competitors enjoyed listening to her competitors as much as performing her own number. “I had a great time tonight,” Durham said following last Thursday’s victory. “I was surprised by how talented the contestants are from East County. It’s great that Brentwood offers a venue where people can share their talents with others. I’m so proud to be a part of it.” The abundance of competitors in the Youth division gave judges Jack Gaughan, Emil Geddes, Ike Montanez and Sue Stuart all they

pilgrimage

A local adventurer decided to tour Europe in a decidedly adventurous mode – 500 miles on foot. Page 1B

Fired up over facility The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District recently unveiled its new state-of-the-art station in Oakley. Page 3A

Court’s in session

see Idol page 12A

Delta gates projects still on the boards by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer

Despite fears from some local residents that the installation of fish gates along False River and Threemile Slough in the Delta will be up and running by the end of next year, officials at the Federal Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources (DWR) say the project is far from imminent. “At this time, there are absolutely no construction activities being done nor planned for the coming year,” said Pete Lucero, Reclamation public affairs officer. “This project is still in the very early stages of the process and the EIS (Environmental Impact Study) and EIR (Environmental Impact Report) are

“ We remain focused on the fight and we’ll do all we can to interject reason and protection of the Delta while others focus on using the Delta as a plumbing fixture.

Supervisor Mary Piepho no where near being complete.” The Frank’s Tract project is a joint undertaking between the state and federal government to improve water quality and fishery conditions in the Delta. The DWR and Reclamation are studying and evaluating the feasibility of installing operable gates to control the flow of water at locations up and down the Delta. The Frank’s Tract Project is located at Threemile Slough and False Riv-

er. If eventually installed, the gates would block off False River (near Bethel Island) and force boats coming from Antioch and Pittsburg to navigate in a complete circle around to Bethel Island before getting onto the San Joaquin River, adding potentially hours of extra boating time. “We heard that the DWR is planning on starting the installation of the gates on False River and we are very concerned,” said Karen

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Mann, commodore of the Discovery Bay Yacht Club. “We are going to fight this, but they have a lot of power. Already there are five or six barges out there and we’re wondering what they are doing. Whatever happened to transparency?” Lucero said that activity near Frank’s Tract is most likely exploratory work to determine what materials would be needed for the project. But nothing, insisted Lucero, can be done, determined or decided until the EIS and EIR are complete. “Although the project is still on the table, the EIS/EIR are for figuring out alternatives and options,” said Lucero. “The studies are for seeing if the project is still a viable one.” see Delta page 12A

Top treatment

go to news/press releases A recent study gave Sutter Delta Medical Center high marks for emergency care.

Our BVAL tennis preview explores the prospects of your hometown team recording a net gain. Page 19A Business ............................. 18B Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 13B Cop Logs ............................17A Entertainment ................... 6B East County Life ................ 1B Food .................................... 10B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ..................9A, 18B Opinion ..............................16A Sports .................................19A FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

All jazzed up

go to multimedia/videos Delights for the eye, palate and ear were on display at a popular festival.


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