YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 28
Including Surrounding Communities
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Tea Party takes to the streets by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer A pair of self-described “stay-at-home moms” drew about 250 people to City Park Saturday to hear speeches, sign proclamations and let it be known that they were sick and tired of the status quo in government. Jill Price and Allison Quaintance organized the Brentwood Tea Party, part of a national movement to regain control of a government that “has gone out of control like a dog off its leash at a birthday party,” according to the group’s Web site. The overall message: From collecting too much tax to ignoring the will of the people, the particulars that put America in its current condition can’t be allowed to continue. Speaker Steve Cichosz urged the crowd to stop being “consumers” and start thinking of themselves as “contributors.” It’s a minor semantic change, he said, that makes a big difference in attitude. “I don’t need to pay higher taxes as a good American to benefit my country,” he said to shouts of approval from the audience. “I need only turn my attention toward what I give to my society and the contributions of those around me to regain the camaraderie that was once ours as a nation working together in appreciation of one another’s qualities rather than their misgivings. “In being a contributor, I am a part of something larger and providing value rather than being a consumer and outside of that something feeding from it like a young swine
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July 10, 2009
THIS WEEK
Voice from the heavens
A second lieutenant’s oath of commission was administered by an unlikely source from an unlikely altitude.
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A proclivity for activity Photo by Rick Lemyre
A total of about 250 people participated in the Brentwood Tea Party on Saturday, protesting taxation and the way the government runs. Above, some of about 200 registrants sign on to be a part of the movement. on its mother’s teat.” Sean Ackley said the actions of the federal government under Barack Obama were not only bad for the country; they were illegal. “The federal government was created by the states to form a republic, not a democ-
racy. A democracy is mob rule and is not mentioned in the constitution,” he said. “A democracy is when two wolves and a sheep sit down to decide what’s for dinner. A republic is when that sheep has a gun.”
A Brentwood Youth Commission survey suggested that the city needs to expand its menu of activities for teens.
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Exchange rates high
see Protest page 18A
A Historical Fourth by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer
Photo by Rick Lemyre
World War II veterans Carl Garcia, left, and Nash Gamino identify classmates in a photo of Knightsen School’s Class of 1936 in the research room of the ECCHS Museum on Saturday. In addition to bolstering the record of far East County’s past, the two were honored for their service in the war at the museum’s July 4 celebration.
Even if you hadn’t checked your calendar, it was easy to tell it was the Fourth of July at the East Contra Costa Historical Society’s Byer-Nail Museum last weekend. In addition to the flags and bunting, there were hot rods galore, salutes to the military, root beer floats and people keen on celebrating, and learning, their heritage. “This is really something,” said Penny Lange, who stopped by to check out the goings on with her husband Terry. The couple had recently moved to
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Byron from Texas, and were delighted at what they found. “You don’t see this kind of detail in a lot of small-town museums,” she said, taking in the recently restored kitchen of the house built in 1877. “You can really get a feel for the area, and you can see the people are proud of their roots.” Front and center inside the museum was its newest attraction, a tribute to local veterans. Newspaper accounts of various conflicts stood alongside uniforms and mementos donated by locals who had lived through see Fourth page 18A
Local soccer players have invited a delegation from Japan onto the field – and into their homes.
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INSIDE Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................16B Cop Logs ..........................16A Entertainment ................14B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty .............10B Milestones ......................... 8B Opinion ...........................15A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B
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