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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 12, No. 10
City to vote on expansion by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer The Brentwood City Council next Tuesday will consider the potential effects of a proposal to add almost 750 acres of housing, commercial development and parks to its boundaries, and is expected to order it placed on the June 8 ballot. County election officials this week confirmed that the proposal’s backers had submitted 5,244 valid signatures on petitions to put the proposal before voters, better than 1,500 more than were needed. Tom Koch, a spokesperson for the landowners, was pleased that the signature gathering went so well. The effort was completed in only 27 days – the law allows for 180. “We are encouraged by the enthusiastic response that the people of Brentwood had to our proposal,” Koch said.
“It was clear from comments made by numerous signers that Brentwood’s control of its own future and fixing Balfour/American Avenue are very important. However, the campaign is just beginning and we have a long way to go.” The proposal would allow for about 1,300 homes, tax-generating commercial uses, designated areas for schools and a possible $2.4 million sports complex. It would also widen Balfour Road and allow for a roadway to fix school-related traffic problems on American Avenue. Other incentives – extra money for police equipment, a hiring preference to make sure local workers get construction jobs, and cash for a citywide jobs program – make the proposal more attractive than Measure see Vote page 18A
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March 5, 2010
This Week Pulling out all the stops
Bell ringers
A local musician is jumping into the arena with both feet – for fulfillment, not fame. Page 3A
Photo by Richard Wisdom
he Brentwood Kiwanis Club last week awarded certificates, breakfast and $250 scholarships to the outstanding players in this year’s Bell Game football tilt between Liberty and Freedom high schools. The club recognized, above from left, Freedom’s Jesse Smith, Liberty’s Garrett Slocum and Antonio Johnson, and Freedom’s Michael Ray (who could not attend), who were singled out by coaches and peers as the game’s defensive and offensive standouts. The Bell Game tradition has included the Kiwanis luncheon for both teams’ seniors prior to the game, as well as the awards breakfast, for each of the last nine years. Freedom won this year’s Bell Game, played in November, 35-6.
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How do you spell CHILD? The Celebrating Heritage Is Living Diversity event will stress the need to move beyond mere tolerance. Page 10A
Patriotic payback
‘More students’ budget idea flunks by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer Of the budget cuts still on the table to help the Liberty Union High School District (LUHSD) meet its projected $3.8 million shortfall next year, an idea to allow students from other districts to transfer in has been ruled out. “Where this all started was that back in January we did some brainstorming about different ways to reduce the budget,” said LUHSD Superintendent Jerry Glenn. “So we were tossing around the idea that we could take more kids – and therefore
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additional revenue – into the district, unless of course they had a bad record or had been expelled. But there quickly became a public outcry of concern from
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parents in the district, and because we are about serving our residents in our community, we took that idea off the table; it’s no longer a consideration or on the list of proposals.” What is on the list, however, and will be presented at the March 10 regular school board meeting, is the first of three recommended cuts designed to allow for some financial wiggle room should the governor’s budget revision in May be less devastating than expected. “What our board decided to do rather than take action now was phase in the cuts,” said Glenn. “By March we will have
Flagpole fix
go to news/WebExtras! Sometimes an ordinary repair job can read like a fable from ancient lore.
the first reductions of $1.2 million, and then another chunk by May of up to $2.5 million and we’ll leave the last bit until the governor’s revise and see where we are.” Included in the first round of cuts, are non-staff reductions such as the elimination of summer school for ninth-graders, the reduction of site allocation funding by 10 percent (discretionary dollars given to campuses each year), and the raising/lowering of classroom and office thermostats by 2 degrees for a savings of $25,000. Increasing class sizes see Students page 18A
Net gain
go to news/press releases Diamond Hills is offering a youth tennis league to non-members at a price to love.
Heritage beat its arch-nemesis and advanced to round three of the NCS playoffs. Page 1B
Plus: Business ............................... 8A Calendar ............................ 23B Classifieds ......................... 14B Cop Logs ............................14A Food .................................... 12B Health & Beauty .............. 10B Milestones ........................ 21B Outdoors ............................. 6A Opinion ..............................13A Sports ................................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Safe shelter
go to multimedia/videos Shepherd’s Gate offers abused women and children asylum and compassion.