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FROM YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 20, No. 47
READ NEWS YOU CAN TRUST AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET!
City to fund ag programs and projects
Holiday Parade back on
November 23, 2018
A Passion For Princesses
by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The City of Brentwood plans to pour money into a series of agricultural projects and programs in the hopes they will sprout business and renown for the area. The council’s $53,000 pledge to its agricultural business program will be divided among four projects from the nonprofit Harvest Time in Brentwood and the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association and will also involve exploration of a future farm-to-fork program and free U-pick trolley. “The Brentwood Agricultural Business Program includes several ideas, all of which work toward advancing the importance of regional marketing and branding of agriculture and the benefits this brings to the region as well as to the local Brentwood community,” said Brentwood Senior Analyst Peggy Bersee AG page 26
Liberty grad combines her love of Disney and teaching with a new princess venture. Page 11
Team Riding To The Rescue Press file photo
T
he Brentwood Chamber of Commerce has announced the annual Holiday Parade will return to downtown Brentwood Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. The event was canceled last weekend due to poor air quality from the Camp fire in Paradise. Officials are delighted to be able to bring the iconic parade back for another year. “We are so excited,” said Chamber President Kerri Fritsch. “Of course, it was safety first, and it was the right call, but we are thrilled to have it back.” For more information, call the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce at 925-634-3344.
District seeks input on strategic plan by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
A small group of East County residents urged fire district officials to focus on beefing up the force, even if it means they’ll have to open their wallets, during a town hall meeting last week to discuss the agency’s future priorities. “Of course, we all want to reduce response times, because that is that much sooner that people will get the help they need,” said one resident, who identified himself only as Steve. The input of the 20 or so residents, city and county leaders and district personnel may be incorporated into the organization’s evolving strategic plan that indicates the agency’s hopes to reduce response times, ensure financial stability and
“ This is the very first step in determining what
our priorities will be, how we will invest our time.
”
Fire Chief Brian Helmick sustainability, maintain a highperforming workforce, modernize stations, apparatus and equipment, and develop a community risk-reduction program over the next five years. It’s expected that the document, slated for adoption in December, will include those goals and baseline strategies to achieve each one. In March 2019, an action plan will also be adopted to identify precise steps toward each goal’s implementation, along with associated costs and a time line. Crafting of the proposed five-
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year outline, to be updated every three years, began in April last year and derives from stakeholder interviews, surveys and workshops, fire board retreats and the guidance of a hired consultant. “This is the very first step in determining what our priorities will be, how we will invest our time,” said Fire Chief Brian Helmick. Aside from homing in on the need for additional resources and an associated tax measure, residents appeared to favor possible plans to double up station crews, to cut down on brick-and-mortar
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costs; require new development, to contribute increased funds to the district for providing service; going after one-time grant monies; and using two-track planning to shape the district’s future, with and without additional funds. “Even before we go to the public, we need to look at the two-track planning, what the district can live on without new funds and what is needed in order to create the district the area needs,” said Brentwood City Councilmember Karen Rarey. Statistics show that the district needs additional resources to meet current response time standards. Depending on the call area, the agency’s response times, 90 percent of the time, are between see District page 26
Tunnels Update
Local group, Hold Your Horses, joins the fight to save livestock trapped in Camp fire. Page 4
Heritage Takes Title
Heritage girls’ water polo team defeats College Park to win firstever section title. Page 18 Calendar................................27 Classifieds.............................22 Cop Logs................................25 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Milestones............................12 Pets.........................................13 Sports.....................................18
Fire Grant
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Assemblyman Jim Frazier calls for rejection of DWR’s twin tunnels plan.
Local fire districts receive state grant for vehicle extrication equipment.