YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 24
Including Surrounding Communities
Marsh legacy preserved with highway name by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer He’s credited with helping to inspire the westward expansion of the United States, sending glowing letters to friends and newspapers back east extolling California’s virtues. The first pioneer to settle in Contra Costa County, his marvelous stone mansion would become a destination for many intrepid travelers. The man was Dr. John Marsh, and last weekend, just yards from the Rancho Meganos homestead he shared with Native Americans, the newest roadway bringing travelers to the area was given
his name. Historians, park rangers, re-enactors, politicians and history buffs came together on the shoulder of the Highway 4 Bypass Saturday to cut the ribbon on a sign bearing the road’s new name: the John Marsh Heritage Highway. The event helped commemorate Marsh’s 210th birthday. “This dedication is a great thing,” said Gene Metz, president of the John Marsh Historic Trust that is coordinating the rehabilitation of Marsh’s stone house. “It took us a long time.” The mansion will be the centerpiece see Marsh page 21A
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June 12, 2009
THIS WEEK
So long, high school Star-spangled spa appeal
Locals take creative fundraising to a new level of luxury when a patriotic hot tub jets into town.
Page 5A
Reality up in smoke Photo by Richard Wisdom
loudy skies couldn’t darken the mood for Ashley Pickell as she claimed her diploma at Liberty High School’s commencement on Friday. For more on Friday’s graduation, see Page 6A and log on to www. thepress.net.
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Scout gives flags dignified farewell
Parents troubled by their teens’ experiments in drug use now have a new substance to contend with.
Page 3A
Fast track to sports galore
by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
Photo by Rick Lemyre
Eagle Scout candidate Zack Friedmann, left, recently provided flag retirement services at a ceremony at Eskaton Lodge in Brentwood. Glenn Stapleton, next to Zack, had been raising and lowering an increasingly tattered flag every day until it was replaced by Congressman Jerry McNerney. The ceremony also included, from the right, Scout Michael Kinstecher, Mayor Bob Taylor, McNerney and Eskaton’s Lindsay Freeman.
It’s something most of us have experienced at one time or another. An item we’ve never noticed before suddenly starts popping up – either literally or conversationally – in our daily routines. Maybe it’s a newly acquired word or phrase, or an innocuous object such as personalized license plates from, say, British Columbia. Zack Friedmann knows that experience, and for him, the recurring item was flags – American flags. “I kept seeing flags wherever I went, all around town,” said Zack, 14. “I kept seeing these old flags that needed to be retired and were basically left in tatters hanging on flagpoles. I thought I should probably do something about retiring them, or at least educating people about how to retire them.” He ended up doing both. Last November, as part of his Eagle Scout project, Zack set up a collection box for worn American flags outside Brentwood Veterans Hall. His original hope – to attract at least a few worn-out flags for retirement – has been exceeded beyond expectation. At last count, more than 200 old flags have found their way into the collection box. “The response has been very, very nice,” he said.
Sell stuff!
see Flags page 21A
You’ll find a plethora of Brentwood athletic activity covered on our new Sports Links pages.
Pages 3-4B
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FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A