YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 8
Including Surrounding Communities
Fine art thrives in innovative gallery by Samie Hartley Staff Writer Brentwood’s largest art gallery is probably also the best-kept secret in town. In fact, Saunie Fridley, owner of Fridley Art Gallery, said most people discover her art room by accident. “A lot of people don’t know we’re here,”Fridley said as she walked the halls of Valverde Plaza. “People will stop by Prevot’s for lunch, and they just happen to stumble onto our gallery. Then they tell their friends. People are finding out about us through word of mouth, but we still seem to be a secret from most of the community.” Fridley Art Gallery is officially a single room located on the second floor of Valverde Plaza on First Street, but the work of 46 local artists graces the walls of the entire building, covering the walls in the hallways
and stairwells. If there’s a naked surface, Fridley finds a piece to hang on it. The result is a collage of more than 150 items of art throughout the plaza. “I don’t think people realize how many talented people live in this area. I feature work from artists throughout the Bay Area, but many of the artists are from Brentwood, Discovery Bay and Antioch. People who come by ask what the theme is, but there’s no conceptual theme – the local artists are the theme.” With no set parameters, Fridley hangs art of all media, from the paintings of Marilyn Pellouchoud to the metal sculptures of Oakley resident Michael Geltz. An amateur artist herself, she also features some of her paintings in the gallery. All items in the gallery are for see Arts page 21A
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Diablo deep-freeze
THIS WEEK
Local history comes alive
Page 4A t dawn on Saturday, Feb. 14, the Summit of Mt. Diablo was shrouded in clouds, preventing East County folk from admiring the peak’s snowcapped splendor. Inside the cloud, however, Press columnist Ger Erickson captured up close the Summit’s pale and severe scenery, such as these ice razors whipped horizontally by the wind along stems of chamise. For an account of the adventure, see page 6A.
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Hatred takes no holidays A local mom discovers that the election of an African-American president doesn’t mean the era of racism is over.
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by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
Photos by Dave Roberts
PG&E News Representative Tamar Sarkissian and Project Manager Tom Allen check out the industrial scenery on a media tour last week of the Gateway Generating Station. which looks like a gigantic carport. Instead of gigantic cars under the roof, there are five enormous fans, three of which were revolving during the media tour while the other two took a coffee break. The dress requirements for the tour were sturdy, closed-toe shoes
February 20, 2009
A museum that packs a punch for fans of the past is ramping up for its season opener.
New plant brings power to the people PG&E’s recently opened power plant on Wilbur Avenue is big, imposing, noisy, metallic, tubular, gray and sculpturally magnificent. One thing it’s not: sexy. So when PG&E sent out a press release to Bay Area newspapers, radio and TV stations, offering a tour of the Gateway Generating Station last week before it was unveiled to local dignitaries and the public yesterday – the media yawned and stayed away in droves. But this newspaper and another local paper showed up for what became a private tour of PG&E’s first new power plant in more than 20 years in this energy-thirsty state. The powerful behemoth has been slowly rising for the past two years at 3225 Wilbur Ave., next door to the gigantic smokestack at a Mirant-owned plant. PG&E’s plant can’t compete with the stature of that smokestack, but it features an emblem of its own,
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and long pants – the better for wading through the numerous water hazards puddling the grounds after recent rains – a hard hat, goggles and a fluorescent vest. “We take our safety very seriously here,” said Randy Livingston, PG&E vice president of power gen-
eration, who led the tour. A sign on one of the towers reinforced that message: “It’s Better To Lose A Second Of Your Time Being Safe Than To Lose Your Life In A Second Being Unsafe.” The $386 million plant, which began construction two years ago, went commercial on Jan. 5, producing up to 530 megawatts – enough electricity for PG&E’s nearly 400,000 northern and central California customers. The 7-acre plant site produces the same amount of energy as 4,800 acres of solar panels. The plant is state-of-the-art and efficient. It uses 97 percent less water than older plants, produces 96 percent less discharge and yields 35 percent less carbon dioxide per megawatt hour, according to PG&E. This conventional power plant might not be as sexy as solar, but when the temperature hits triple digits this summer and everyone from see Power page 21A
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The Liberty soccer squad was in a giving mood and presented Freedom with a big goose egg.
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