YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 6
Including Surrounding Communities
www.brentwoodpress.com
Sun sets on eucalyptus grove by Samie Hartley Staff Writer
Photo by Richard Wisdom
Workers removed the last of what once was a grove of eucalyptus trees in City Park last weekend. The 80-year-old tree suffered from trunk rot and had been deemed a safety hazard by arborists.
City Park’s oldest resident moved out last weekend after setting down roots in Brentwood more than 80 years ago. The park’s last eucalyptus tree, once part of a grove inhabiting the park, was cut down Jan. 31 after it was diagnosed with heartrot, a condition that would eventually cause a large portion of the tree to break off, risking the safety of the public. Brentwood Parks and Recreation Director Craig Bronzan said he was disappointed that the tree needed to come down on his watch since he remembers when City Park was a wonderland of eucalyptus where he played as a child. Bronzan walked through the park every day on the way to school, but if a tree fell down overnight, there was a chance that he’d be late to class – unable to resist the desire to climb on the dormant trunk. “It was like a play structure, a kids’ adventure,” Bronzan said. “Kids would climb all over it. Back in the ’60s, if a tree came down, it would take a few weeks for the city to remove it, so all the kids in the area would go to the park to climb and play on it.”
Bronzan recalled that the park once boasted more than 20 eucalyptus trees, whose aroma filled downtown Brentwood. When the park caretaker raked leaves to burn them in the park fire pit, the fragrance of eucalyptus could be enjoyed for miles, “clearing the lungs of everyone in town for two weeks.” While there was a medicinal fringe benefit of the burning eucalyptus leaves, Bronzan said it was a signal of another opportunity for play. “When we (kids) smelled the eucalyptus in the air, we’d run to the park because we knew there were piles of leaves to play in. We were kicking leaves around faster than the caretaker could rake them up. He never got mad, though, or told our parents. He just worked around us.” In the 1920s, City Park was known as Brentwood Grove because of all the eucalyptus trees. It was a popular place for people to sit and enjoy the shade on hot summer days, especially before the advent of air conditioning. Barbara Bonnickson said she remembers when the large trees made the park the ideal place to spend an afternoon.
Staff Writer
The tiny Knightsen School District, known for its small-town appeal and quality education, is facing some not-so-tiny financial straits. The potential hardships are so severe that Knightsen’s superintendent has opened merger talks with the larger and more financially solvent Brentwood Union School District. Facing a district shortfall of approximately 15 to 20 percent of the district’s $4.5 million annual operating budget, Knightsen Superintendent Vickey Rinehart says that
“It’s scary and it’s sad but it’s also hopeful. In the long term, I have to do what’s best for the children and I believe this is it.
” Knightsen Superintendent Vickey Rinehart
unless some decisions are made, and made soon, the district could be facing bankruptcy. “This is a difficult decision and one many school districts throughout the state are facing on some level,” said Rinehart, “but there is no piggy-bank lying around here and I felt I had to make some deci-
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sions that were in the best interests of the district and the students. It’s a bittersweet decision, and new territory for both (Knightsen and Brentwood) of us. We have a long way to go before we make any decisions, but I do feel our philosophies and curriculums are similar and it has the potential to be a good mar-
February 6, 2009
THIS WEEK
Takin’ the ‘cue from kings
Brentwood lent some sizzle to Super Bowl festivities and lent a hand to worthy causes.
Page 12B
East County gets juiced Our grape growers keep winning awards, and our longawaited first winery is about to open its doors.
Page 3A
Discouraged by a draw
see Eucalyptus page 21A
School districts begin merger talks by Ruth Roberts
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riage. We’ll see what develops.” Talks between Brentwood Union School District (BUSD) Superintendent Merrill Grant and Rinehart started late last year when Rinehart began exploring possible options for her district’s financial shortfall. Thanks to the now infamous state budget cuts and the likelihood of additional cuts next year, Rinehart said she believed the time for action was sooner rather than later. A looming $3.3 million loan outstanding on the new Old River Elementary School was also a consee Districts page 21A
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The mighty Lions didn’t lose to the underdog Panthers. But they sure didn’t win.
Page 1B
INSIDE Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................18B Cop Logs ..........................17A Education ..........................8A Entertainment ................14B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty ............... 7B Milestones .......................11B Opinion ...........................16A Outdoors ...........................6A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras ......................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A