Brentwood Press_4.03.09

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa

Vol. 11, No. 14

Including Surrounding Communities

www.thepress.net

Community fetes Citizen of the Year by Rick Lemyre

Brentwood Chamber of Commerce President Karen Spann presents Citizen of the Year Gene Clare with his award, jokingly warning him about the sharp point at the top. Clare, who suffered severe injuries in a fall last December, was incessantly kidded about his accident during the dinner in his honor last weekend.

Staff Writer The Brentwood Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year isn’t the sort of honor that one falls into easily. It requires years of work and a selfless dedication to helping others. But in the case of this year’s honoree, Gene Clare, a fall or two made the presentation of the award a whole lot more fun. “Gene could eat ice cream and hurt himself,” longtime friend Duane Schnittker joked at last Saturday’s soirée in Clare’s honor. It was one of countless references made by a steady procession of attendees to the microphone at the event held at the Nines restaurant at the Brentwood Golf Club. Among those poking fun was Mayor Bob Taylor, who was on the Liberty Union High School Board of Trustees when Clare was made principal of Liberty High School. “When we he hired this man, little did we know we were taking on a tremendous liability,” Taylor said, a reference to a nasty fall Clare had taken from the roof of his house last December while hanging Christmas lights. The result was eight broken ribs,

Photo by Rick Lemyre

a broken collarbone, a punctured lung and a vow to find a different way to decorate for the holidays. “You know, Gene, there’s a guy you can pay fifty bucks to do that for you,” Taylor quipped. Clare’s lengthy résumé of public service

includes eight years (and past presidency) with the Brentwood Rotary, board memberships with Police Activities League, CLARO (a computer-learning charity), A Place of see Citizen page 21A

Health-care cuts to impact East County by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer Undocumented immigrants living in Contra Costa County took a health-care hit this week when the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to cut $6 million in primary care services from the county’s Basic Health Care Program. The decision will eliminate non-emergency services for nearly 6,000 illegal residents, the largest percentage coming from East County. “Supervisor Glover made a vote that he didn’t want to make,” said Ed Diokno, public policy analyst for Glover’s office. “But he feels he has to support it because he believes you can’t spend money the county doesn’t have (for the Basic Health Care Program).” County Health Services Director William Walker, who presented the proposal to the Board

Photo by Rick Lemyre

Emergency departments such as Kaiser Permanente in Antioch, above, might soon see an influx of patients due to the Board of Supervisors’ recent cuts to the county’s Basic Health Care Plan. of Supervisors, said the decision was difficult: “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to propose in my 34 years in the county, the reduction of access to patients.” In an effort to educate the public about the provisions of the proposed cuts, the Contra Costa Interfaith Support-

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ing Community Organizations (CCISCO) held a series of townhall meetings last month to help families who will be affected better understand their options. Families with young children, as well as adult children, attended the events and voiced their concerns.

“We held these town-hall meetings to help people understand what is going to happen,” said Nancy Marquez, youth organizer for CCISCO. “What we are saying is that it’s a really bad policy. These people cannot afford these cuts. It’s a really horrible situation.” Under the new provisions of the plan, pregnant women and children will still be eligible for primary care and can receive treatment for other conditions as well, including communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and the flu. Paid for out of the county’s general fund, the Basic Health Care Program is designed to provide medical services to lowincome uninsured residents. Those who qualify must be seen at either the county’s free medical center in Martinez or at one of its health centers located see Health care page 21A

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April 3, 2009

THIS WEEK

Wildflower Challenge

Prizes await blossom buffs who can identify the flamboyant flora of our local parks.

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Local cinema a reel deal While mega-cineplexes flash the glitz, one venerable movie haven offers low prices and neighborly charm.

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Lions let one slip away

The table was set for a sixthinning feast, but Liberty’s hitters suddenly lost their appetite.

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INSIDE Business .............................6A Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................17B Entertainment ................14B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty .............11B Milestones ......................... 9B Opinion ...........................16A Outdoors ........................... 8B Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras! ....................... 1B

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MOVIE TIMES PAGE 5A


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