YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 50
Including Surrounding Communities
Final curtain to fall at venerable Bristow Theater by Samie Hartley Staff Writer This weekend’s final performance of the Christmas play “Bah, Humbug” will be the last to grace the stage of the Bill Bristow Community Theater at Edna Hill Middle School. After more than 30 years of serving as a prime location for concerts and theatrical productions in Brentwood, the theater, which has become a community icon, will close its doors to make way for the new state-of-the-art Theatre at Edna Hill – three times the size of the existing theater – scheduled to open in January. The Bristow Theater will be torn down in March during spring break, but no plans have been made for the vacant space. Edna Hill drama teacher Bart Schneider said the closing of the theater brings about the same emotions as saying goodbye to a dear friend. “I know it’s just a building,
but this place is special and means a lot to a lot of people. As soon as you walk through the main doors you just know that this is a magical place. I’m really going to miss it.” But before the theater closes its doors forever, Schneider has planned a special farewell event, inviting students past and present to share their stories and memories of the theater on Saturday, Dec. 19. “It will be a very spontaneous evening,” said Schneider, who has run the drama department since 2002. “There’s no script to follow. We’ll open the doors and just let people be in the theater and enjoy these final moments in a place that is full of 30 years worth of memories. If some students come up to me and say ‘Hey Mr. Schneider, let’s sing ‘Grease Lighting,’’ I’ll say ‘sure’ and we’ll have an improvised performance. The event is scheduled to run from six to nine, but if people still want to hang out afterward, that’s OK, too. I know
www.thepress.net
December 11, 2009
THIS WEEK
Holiday hills
Guidelines for gifting
Hoping to wrap up your holiday shopping swiftly and smoothly? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide.
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Photo by Richard Wisdom
ast County awoke to a vision of winter Monday as snow blanketed Mt. Diablo and dusted its foothills lower and earlier than it has in years, giving photographer Richard Wisdom a chance to capture the rare spectacle of the mountain clad in white, top to bottom. We’re pretty sure a lot of snow shots are swirling out there, and we’d love to post them on our Web site. To upload yours, visit www.thepress.net/pages/submit_ article.
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it’s going to be hard to walk away from this place.” Bill Bristow, the theater’s namesake, brought the theater to Brentwood in 1975 when he was superintendent of the Brentwood Union School District. The district purchased the theater from
Diablo Valley College, located in Pleasant Hill, for $3,001 and had the theater transferred over to Brentwood in labeled sections. Bristow’s wife Patty, who was a physical education teacher at
by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer
The City Council said yes to a parking fine hike, picked four new fire district directors, continued a sign moratorium and said goodbye for the year. According to a staff report on parking fines, the penalties for parking violations in Brentwood have not changed for more than a decade, remaining at $20 for most offenses. Recently, however, the state has ordered that cities contribute up to $4.50 from each parking ticket to help build and refurbish superior-court facilities in the state. To prevent the loss of $6,400 in fine revenue, the council agreed 4-0 (Erick Stonebarger was absent) to raise the minimum parking fine to $35, which is in line with nearby
Keep carin’ for Aaron A courageous 4-year-old doubletransplant candidate will benefit from an upcoming fundraiser.
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Logan D puts lock on Lions
see Theater page 30A
Who’s the Turkey? Council calls it a year The time has come for everyone to see what $8 can do to a mayor, and help each other out at the same time. Next Friday, Dec. 18 at Brentwood Elementary School, 200 Griffith Lane, the Brentwood Regional Community Chest will be doing its annual Christmas Basket sorting between 4:30 and 9 p.m., and the call has gone out for volunteers. “Every year we need a couple of hundred volunteers, and we worry they won’t show up until, lo and behold, they do,” said Rick Lemyre of the Community Chest. Most years, the reward for volunteers is that I-just-helped-someone feeling, but this year there’s another one: Mayor Bob Taylor will be on hand to pay up on his The Mayor Is a Turkey fundraiser by wearing a turkey suit, part of which is seen here. He picked up more than 700 of the $8 bird donations, and trust us: you won’t want to miss him in that outfit. If you can’t attend Friday’s sorting event, Gobbler Bob will be back helping the volunteers on Saturday (grown-ups and older kids are needed) when the baskets are handed out.
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cities. Based on last year’s total of 1,410 parking tickets (and the city’s 12 to 31 percent share of parking fine revenue, depending on the ticket), fine revenue is expected to increase next year by $21,000. The council also named councilmen Stonebarger Chris Becnel, Bob Brockman and Mayor Bob Taylor to serve as Brentwood’s representatives on the currently forming board of directors for the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. Councilman Brandon Richey will serve as alternate to the board, which will assume control of local fire service in February. Oakley also named its representatives (councilmembers Kevin Romick, Jim Frazier and Mayor Pat Anderson) on Tuesday. The see Council page 30A
Liberty’s hardwood warriors got a tutorial in tenacity as the Colts hung an L on the Lions’ season opener.
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INSIDE Calendar ..........................19B Classifieds ........................12B Cop Logs ..........................13A Entertainment .................. 8B Food ................................... 9B Health & Beauty .............18A Holiday Gift Guide ........... 1B Milestones .......................10A Opinion ...........................12A Sports ...............................21A
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A