YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 10
Including Surrounding Communities
www.brentwoodpress.com
Church offers Day of Compassion by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
Charity, as the saying goes, begins at home, and the adage is especially true in these tough economic times. So in keeping with the spirit of giving, members of the Harvest Time Assembly of God, along with local volunteers, will be hosting a communitywide event this weekend. And while it’s unlikely that organizers will be turning water into wine, they’ll most certainly be providing sustenance – and hope – to those in need. It’s called the Day of Compassion, and will be held on Saturday, March 7 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of the Harvest Time Assembly of God in Brentwood. The event is open to the public and will provide bags of groceries, free haircuts and complimentary dental and medical screenings to anyone
Photo by Ruth Roberts
Pastor Dennis Reynolds, in background, of Harvest Time Assembly of God Church, watches as food is unloaded off a truck for Saturday’s Day of Compassion event. who shows up. “People are hungry, and especially right now, with the hardness of what’s going on,” said Pas-
tor Dennis Reynolds. “So we got this idea to have one big event, and it’s really taken on a life of its own. It’s going to be fabulous.”
Reynolds and his congregation began gathering interest, along with food and pledges, last October while making their way throughout the community in their mobile food wagon. Realizing that the need was greater than they could handle, the congregation decided to host an event on the ample church grounds. “The response to this has been overwhelming,” said Reynolds. “We’ve got about $20,000 worth of groceries, and dentists have said they will provide free vouchers for those who need dental work. We’ve even got students and faculty from Los Medanos College coming to help out. It just keeps growing and growing.” Other local businesses involved in the event include Delta Fence, Rancho Furniture, Oakley Chiropractic and Miller see Church page 21A
City to design new trash transfer site by Samie Hartley Staff Writer
The Brentwood City Council has voted to proceed with the design process for a new solid-waste transfer station that will be located farther away from playing fields at Sunset Park. The existing transfer station, located north of Elkins Way, where waste collected from brown, blue and green cans is taken to be sorted before it’s removed from the city, is outgrowing its location. City staff began planning for an expansion of the current site, but later determined that building a new station on a new site, while the current station continues to operate, would be a better solution. Assistant Public Works Director Paul Eldredge told the council at its Feb. 24 meeting that the proposed design process is estimated to cost more than $200,000, part of the $7.4 million budgeted for the expansion. Funding for the project has been part of the city’s garbage rates for years, and therefore will not
“We’ve adapted to these conditions over the years, but we can’t stay at this location forever.
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Paul Eldredge require an increase in current rates. The proposed site will be more efficient because it will be a fullyenclosed station, unlike the current station that is open to the elements and subject to delays due to weather conditions, Eldredge said. An enclosed facility prevents waste from blowing around or becoming saturated with rain water, which makes waste materials more difficult to load into removal trucks. “We’ve adapted to these conditions over the years, but we can’t stay at this location forever,” Eldredge said. “The weather conditions slow the operations down and impact the overall efficiency of the facility. With an enclosed facility, we wouldn’t have that problem.”
An enclosed facility would also limit noise pollution and the odor emitted outside to the nearby ball fields. The new site would also feature a drop-off recycling area for use by the public, and allow for citysponsored Free Dump Days, where residents could drop off specified waste. The existing site is closed to the public. The new facility is proposed to be built 1,000 feet north of the current site, expanding the facility from 2.8 acres to 5.7 acres. Since the proposed site is so close to the existing location, the city will be able to save on an environmental impact report, since staff will be able to utilize most of the key information from the re-
port done for the current site. While the proposed expansion and relocation will improve the transfer station’s efficiency, moving the site to a new location will also reduce the current facility’s aesthetic shortcomings. If the transfer station is moved, the current site could be cleaned up and used for an expansion of the sports complex. After 30 minutes of discussion, the council approved the proposal with a 4-1 vote, Councilman Brandon Richey opposing. Richey said while he supports moving the transfer station away from the ball fields, he was unsatisfied with the unanswered questions presented in the proposal regarding the project’s ultimate cost, questioning whether approving the proposal was the financially responsible move. He suggested that the city consider contracting with a regional transfer station rather than spending the money to build a new facility. “There are some questions
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see Trash page 21A
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March 6, 2009
THIS WEEK
Council coup enlightening
A group of high school students stormed the council chambers and found some big seats to fill.
Page 4A
All’s Fair in science expo Penny planes and balsa bridges dominated the handiwork at a recent science soirée.
Page 12A
Beneficial beginning
The Lions pounced back from a one-run deficit to win their leadoff game of the season.
Page 1B
INSIDE Calendar ..........................19B Classifieds ........................14B Cop Logs ..........................17A Education ..........................7A Entertainment ................12B Food .................................10B Health & Beauty ............... 9B Milestones ......................... 8B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras! ....................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A