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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 12, No. 9
Event keeps the spirit alive by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer Cortona Park senior Living Center helped keep the Spirit of ’45 alive last weekend with fabulous ’40s music by Vocal Ease and the Heritage High Jazz Band, dancing, displays and dignitaries. For many, though, it was the haunting memories of veterans that they’ll remember the longest. “We wanted to give an opportunity for the seniors who were in the war in 1945 to tell us their stories and work with kids in local high school … and those will be kept on the record forever so we can share with the whole world the powerful stories we’ve heard today,” said Lisa Pinguello of Cortona Park. Sponsored by Cortona’s parent company, Brookdale Senior Living, the event was part of a national effort to capture the spirit of those momentous times through interviews conducted by Heritage students and uploaded to the archive site, www.spiritof45.org. Charmed by the dulcet tones of Vocal Ease’s repertoire of classics from the period and by the smooth jazz sounds of the Heritage Band, many young-at-heart Cortona residents showed they could still cut a rug. Irene Barr, one of the dancers, said her
Leonard Angus, who fought against the Japanese in World War II, was one of several veterans whose memories were recorded for posterity at Cortona Park Senior Living Center last weekend. Photo by Rick Lemyre
thoughts turned her husband, George, who served in the Army during World War II. “He loved to dance,” Irene said as she put her dance partner, Pinguello, through the paces. “I’ve been thinking about him all day today, and shedding a few tears.” One veteran who shared his story was Leonard Angus. The 86-year-old was a mem-
ber of the Army’s Americal Division, the 182nd Infantry. Angus fought in the Philippines and the Solomon Islands, and at times had trouble maintaining his composure as he told his story. “It brings back memories, bad memosee Spirit page 18A
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February 26, 2010
This Week Local lass spreads cheer
NFL fans in Europe got a Super Bowl Sunday bonus when the Niners’ Gold Rush Girls made a morale-boosting appearance. Page 4A
Bridal bash Local businesses will converge downtown to get brides ready for their big day. Page 12A
Lions jilt the jinx
Mini crime wave hits police seawall by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer Brentwood police this week made four arrests that might help solve a number of recent robbery and burglary cases in the city. Last Saturday, two juveniles were arrested for armed robbery in the downtown area, and police are investigating their possible connection to a series of similar crimes in recent months. Detective Sgt. Mark Misquez said the police were called at about 10 p.m. Saturday to the 600 block of Diablo Way – in the vicinity of three armed robberies in December
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“ We’ve been pretty busy. My people have been working hard.
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Detective Sgt. Mark Misquez and January – for a robbery that had reportedly just occurred. After searching the area, police officers located and a 16-yearold and a 17-year-old, both residents of Brentwood. “We recovered a firearm in the area, along with other evidence linking the suspects to the robbery,” Misquez said. “There are similarities between one of the suspects and at least one of the other robberies.”
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Both suspects were on probation, he added, and both are being held at the County Juvenile Detention Facility in Martinez. Then on Tuesday, police arrested Andrew Izvernari, 21, and Aaron Lawson, 39, of Tracy on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen goods. The bust came after an attempted truck burglary was broken up by an alert citizen.
Winter showcase go to news/WebExtras!
Special Gateway students laced ‘em up and found that ice can be nice.
Police converged on the area, stopped a car that matched the suspects’ vehicle and found items linking the suspects to at least seven recent vehicle break-ins. According to Misquez, “There might be others” victimized by the two suspects, who focused their efforts on Ford pickup trucks. Other possible victims should call 925634-6911 and ask for Detective Mark Louwerens. The arrests in the two cases come on the heels of others made last month. Daniela Rodriguez, 18, of Antioch; Sergio Eovva, 19, of Brentwood; Ansee Crime page 18A
Student art
go to news/press releases Antioch’s Lynn House Gallery devotes major wall space to aspiring talent.
A high-achieving but playoffcursed soccer team finally posted a W when it mattered most. Page 1B
Plus: Business .............................12A Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 12B Cop Logs ............................15A Entertainment ................. 10B Health & Beauty ................ 6B Opinion ..............................14A Sports ................................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Epic memories
go to multimedia/videos World War II veterans helped keep the monumental events of 1945 alive.