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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 12, No.15
April 9, 2010
New season for Farmers’ Market by Samie Hartley Staff Writer
For East County folk, sunnier skies and warmer temperatures are a welcome harbinger of the Brentwood Farmers’ Market. Those with a taste for down-home produce and downtown fun will be marking their calendars for Saturday mornings, when First Street (between Oak and Chestnut streets) is transformed into a marketplace, concert venue and community gathering spot. The 2010 season of the Brentwood Farmers’ Market kicks off tomorrow – Saturday, April 10 from 8 a.m. to noon – with a flourish that’s sure to stun the taste buds. Chefs Sim and Mario from the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market’s “Fresh and Simple Cooking” will be working their outdoor demonstration kitchen to
show hungry locals just how easy it is to prepare scrumptious meals using the market’s freshest ingredients. A free tasting will follow each 30minute demonstration, and visitors will get to take home a printed copy of the recipes to test out in their own kitchens. As always, the Brentwood Farmers’ Market features produce from dozens of local Harvest Time growers as well as other producers from the Bay Area. Throughout the year, market visitors will find fresh fruits and vegetables, warm baked breads, locally produced olive oils and honey as well as home-grown floral arrangements. The roster of vendors changes each weekend, so visit www.pcfma.com for updated information. The market is held every Saturday through Oct. 30 except CornFest weekend, July 10.
Press file photo
Big crowds were commonplace at last year’s Brentwood Farmers Market. Fans of fresh food – and the folks who provide for them – will be back on First Street starting this Saturday.
by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Forty isn’t typically a milestone that people fuss over too much. Usually the 50th anniversary – the golden celebration – gets all the attention. But one Brentwood elementary school isn’t waiting another decade for a reason to throw a party. Brentwood’s second elementary school, Garin, turns the big 4-0 this year, and to celebrate, the school is pulling out all the stops, especially after the passing of one of the Brentwood Union School District’s most beloved icons. “Life is too short, and we never know what tomorrow will hold,” said Principal Stacy Joslin. “After the passing of (former Garin principal and BUSD superintendent) Bill Bristow this past year, we realized that we are all
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Photo by Samie Hartley
It might seem like a trash can, but it’s a Garin School time capsule holding memories and artifacts from 1984. getting older, and we want to celebrate each momentous occasion as it comes. Forty years is quite an accomplishment in itself. We’re see Garin page 22A
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This Week Time for hope and prayer
A courageous kid and his family are doing their part. All that’s left is for a providential donor to materialize. Page 4A
Garin to go over Proposal may keep Old River flowing the hill in style by Samie Hartley
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A local developer has approached the Knightsen School Board with a proposal to convert the soon-to-be closed Old River Elementary into a charter school – possibly as soon as September. Brentwood resident Ron Nunn and a coalition of local supporters presented the idea to the school board during a special workshop meeting on March 31. “We’re just kind of developing the idea at this point,” said Nunn, who has longtime roots in East County. “But the prospect of a using a vacant school that is very nice, and the opportunity to provide some alternative sites in East County, is appealing.” Knightsen School Superintendent Vickey Rinehart agreed that a charter in Knightsen could be a good option for students county-
Top trainer
go to news/WebExtras! A Los Medanos athletic trainer was honored as one of best in the state.
wide, and can’t deny the possible financial boon to her district that has struggled to make ends meet since opening Old River in 2008. The district owes an annual $265,000 on a bank loan that was secured to finish Old River School, and Rinehart has said coverage of that loan through a lease with Nunn’s group would be a powerful incentive. “One of the obvious benefits to Knightsen would be to have the yearly payments on our loan covered,” said Rinehart. “It would also be an advantage to other students who live in any area that touches Contra Costa County because they would be able to enroll in the charter. It (a charter) offers the possibility of drawing kids from a variety of sources that might not otherwise be available.” Funded with public money, charter schools fall somewhere see Old River page 15A
Rehab garden
go to news/press releases An ingenious outdoor environment will make rehab more fun – and realistic.
Dedicated to diversity An upcoming event will expose visitors to the food, entertainment, arts and crafts that enrich our multicultural community. Page 3A
Clash of Titans
The Patriots shone in a showdown between the league’s two best teams. Now everyone’s angling to knock them off their pedestal. Page 1B
Plus: Calendar ............................ 27B Classifieds ......................... 18B Cop logs .............................17A Food & Entertainment .. 12B Health & Beauty .............. 10B Milestones ........................ 16B Opinion ..............................16A Sports ................................... 1B
Having a ball
go to multimedia/videos A recent bash honored the men and women who put their lives on the line.