YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 21, No. 5
READ THE DAILY NEWS AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET
Drilling into area’s rich oil history by Kyle Szymanski
February 1, 2019
Building For The Future
Staff Writer
A large swath of private county land, once a boon for oil seekers in the 1960s and beyond, apparently holds a surprise. Sunset Exploration Inc. is in the process of draining leftover oil reserves that were not captured by the Shell Oil Company and Occidental Petroleum Corp. in the 1960s and ’70s. The drilling is taking place on Deer Valley Road open land, between Balfour Road and Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center. Sunset Exploration Inc. drilled its first commercial well in August see Oil page 22
Construction has begun on the Interstate 680 and State Route 4 Interchange. Page 4
Honoring The Volunteers Photo by Tony Kukulich
Along Deer Valley Road, Sunset Exploration Inc. is in the process of draining leftover oil reserves not captured by the Shell Oil Company and Occidental Petroleum Corp. in the 1960s and ’70s.
Bringing human trafficking to light by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The City of Brentwood and a local coalition plan to highlight human-trafficking prevention through a free interactive and informational event. The activity, scheduled to take place during a Brentwood Farmers Market, is intended to spread awareness about human trafficking, said Justin Gomez, a communications specialist with the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition, which is spearheading the event at no cost to the city. The Brentwood City Council signed off on the plan during a recent meeting. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Human trafficking involves people being exploited for the commercial purpose of sex or labor through fraud, force or coercion according to the coalition, a public-private
“ Human trafficking is a problem in every city and something we need to stay on the forefront of – and we do.
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Brentwood Police Chief Tom Hansen partnership of over 20 county public and nonprofit service providers and law enforcement agencies that aim to eliminate the illegal activity. “This (future event) is probably one of the most widely engaging tools that we have for the public to interface with the issue,” Gomez said. Coalition partners assisted 250 human-trafficking victims countywide in 2017 according to its latest available statistics. Statewide, 1,305 humantrafficking cases were reported that year with 5,147 reported nationally through the first six months of 2018. Brentwood Police Chief Tom Hansen said no community
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is exempt from the possibility of such crimes. “Human trafficking is a problem in every city and something we need to stay on the forefront of – and we do,” he said. “Our detectives are trained, and they have a good relationship with our District Attorney’s office. Any report of that is taken absolutely serious.” During the coalition’s Brentwood event, passersby will be invited to spread nontoxic red sand into sidewalk cracks – symbolizing the world’s vulnerable trafficked population that falls through the cracks – while learning about the complex issue. The sand packets will be
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accompanied by information sheets, and attendees will have the chance to delve deeper into the issue with on-site staff or in nearby training sessions. The sand eventually disappears as it’s subjected to the outdoor elements. “When we spread red sand in these cracks, it’s akin to a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness or wearing a yellow wristband for the Livestrong brand,” said Gomez. “It’s a symbolic reminder for people and broaches the topic of human trafficking within their psyche so they hopefully learn more about it.” The coalition has held similar successful events in Antioch and Martinez and has also spearheaded educational documentary screenings and organizational staff trainings. Brentwood City Councilmember Karen Rarey, who prompted officials to explore bringing an event to the city, said a series of local incidents highlights see Trafficking page 22
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East Contra Costa Fire Protection District to recognize volunteer firefighters. Page 8
Lucky 13 For The Lions
Liberty High boys’ basketball team wins 13th straight game over Heritage, 66-44. Page 15 Calendar................................23 Classifieds.............................18 Cop Logs................................21 Education..............................10 Food..........................................9 Health & Beauty....................5 Milestones............................11 Opinion..................................14 Pets.........................................12 Sports.....................................15
Banker Retires
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William R. Trezza, of BAC Community Bank (BACCB), retires after 37 years.