Your Hometown Web Site www.thepress.net
ward Winning News al A pa
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 12, No. 50
Rodrigues: A career of service Stalwart Park and Rec commissioner to retire by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer You can’t last nearly a halfcentury in any endeavor without being able to get along with others. Ernie Rodrigues has proven he has that knack in Brentwood, in Livermore and even in the woods near Ft. Bragg. The son of a logging camp operator, Rodrigues lived among the lumberjacks of Northern California until he was 15. When he was about 8, a family outing to a nearby blueberry patch was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a full-grown bear. “The women started screaming and banging their pots together to scare the bear, and they lost all their berries as they ran
Photo by Rick Lemyre
Ernie Rodrigues stands with a few of the accolades he’s received in almost 50 years of public service. His term on the Brentwood Park and Recreation Commission ends Dec. 31. away,” said Rodrigues, who refused to join the exodus. “I figured if I didn’t bother the bear, he wouldn’t bother me, either. He just wanted some berries, and he probably wondered why all those ladies
were going crazy.” Rodrigues, 80, will term out at the end of the year after nine years as a member of the Brentwood Park Commission. Earlier, he had served more than 40 years
as a member of the Livermore Parks and Recreation District, exhibiting an ability to bring disparate people together and a lifelong passion for parks, recreation and people. “Since the first time I met him, I’ve told him he was trouble,” said Craig Bronzan, Park and Rec director in Brentwood. “He’s so passionate about parks and rec, sometimes he gets ahead of himself in what he wants accomplished. He sees the finish line from the start.” It’s that vision that has helped Brentwood gain national renown for its parks, bike paths and even the Park Commission itself. In 2004, Rodrigues was part of the group recognized as the nation’s top citizen commission for a city Brentwood’s size by the National Recreation and Park Association. During his career in Livermore as a radiation specialist for General Electric, Rodrigues found himself drawn to parks and recreation, and was elected to help run it. By the time he left, his work had
rs
Na t
pe
ion
December 10, 2010
This Week Guidelines for gifting
Hoping to wrap up your holiday shopping swiftly and smoothly? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide. Page 1B
Budget thins cop coverage Less police presence makes Antioch vulnerable to more violent crime. Page 3A
Taking it to the mat
see Rodrigues page 26A
Community mourns Lenny Byer by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
LENNY BYER JAN. 5, 1933-DEC. 2, 2010
Online Now!
Lenny Byer never met a cause he didn’t like or an effort he could resist, and this week a grateful and appreciative community gathered to pay final respects to the man who spent a lifetime supporting the communities and residents he loved. Oakley resident, Brentwood businessman and community volunteer Byer, 77, passed away Dec. 2 following a long battle with cancer. “Lenny was just such a great man and a huge part of the community,” said Tom Williams, general manager of the Ironhouse Sanitary District, for which Byer had served as president and board trustee starting in 1970. “I learned a lot from him. I’ll miss being able to call him up and bounce things off him. We’ll all miss him; we really will.” Born in Farmington, Ark. in 1933, Byer moved to Brentwood with his parents and five sib-
www.thepress.net Your Hometown Web Site
lings in 1941. He met his future wife Joanne as a student at Liberty High School, where she spotted the handsome young Lenny in P.E. class. “I thought he was kind of cute, and I thought: I’ve got to date him,” said Joanne, a trustee of the Liberty Union High School District. The attraction was mutual and marked the beginning of a romance that spanned nearly 60 years. Lenny’s calm demeanor and easy-going nature seemed to complement Joanne’s admittedly different temperament. “He never really got angry, but I’m a little more vocal,” laughed Joanne. “But it’s hard to argue with someone who won’t argue back – that’s no fun. So our disagreements never lasted very long.” Following high school, Lenny served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant stationed in Salzburg,
Glee decreed
go to news/WebExtras! An ensemble from Cornell will bring tidings of great joy to Liberty High School.
see Byer page 26A
Be warned
go to news/press releases Crooks are pulling a scam masquerading as advocacy for a worthy cause.
Bay Valley Athletic League teams are grappling with lofty goals as the wrestling season commences. Page 21A
Plus: Arts .....................................15A Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 12B Entertainment ................. 10B Food ...................................... 9B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ........................17A Opinion ..............................18A Sports .................................21A
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Limbs get lit
go to multimedia/videos Watch the annual switch get flipped for a city’s communal conifer.