YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS SUNDAY
Vol. 17, No. 44
READ THE DAILY NEWS AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET
November 1, 2019
L Multiple fires rage across East County Measure Goes To Polls by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
High winds and red flag conditions roared into East County in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 27, sparking four significant fires in the region and prompting the evacuation of parts of Bethel Island, Oakley, Knightsen and Morgan Territory. A press release issued by the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) Wednesday afternoon placed the blame for two of the fires – the Bethel Island and Oakley incidents – on PG&E. The press release said video evidence and eyewitness statements indicated that malfunctioning transformers were casting sparks into the tinder-dry vegetation below at the location of both of these fires. As of press time, PG&E did not respond to a request for comment regarding the origin of the East County fires. Peak wind gusts were estimated at 75 mph, while sustained winds exceeded 30 mph, said ECCFPD) Fire Chief Brian Helmick. Despite the challenging weather and the number of incidents that occurred over a relatively short time frame, only
With the special election looming, voters take a last minute look at Measure L. Page 5
Scarecrows In The Park
Photo by Tony Kukulich
High winds and red flag conditions contributed to the outbreak of four fires in East County, Sunday, Oct. 27. one minor injury was reported, and minimal property damage occurred. Helmick credited an emergency staff increase and the tactics implemented by fire crews — from multiple agencies that responded to the area — with pro-
tecting the lives and property of area residents. The district’s extra staffing was expected to remain on duty until Wednesday, Oct. 30, due to a second high-wind incident expected to blow through the area.
“Utilizing emergency recall and having our members respond back to the jurisdiction, we were able to upstaff an additional three engines to be able
The community came out to enter their straw creations. See who won this year’s competition. Page 13
Game, Set And Match
see Fires page 26
Town receives CSD distinction award by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
The Town of Discovery Bay has reason to celebrate this month — the California Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) has awarded it the platinum level District of Distinction for sound fiscal management policies and district operations. As the town’s general manager, Mike Davies was a key part of the process, putting in the time to meet various qualification thresh-
“ With nearly (2,300) special districts in
California, there are only a few having the distinction of platinum level status … This is huge for our town.
” Bill Mayer, CSD president
olds, including management experience, higher education degrees, professional training credits and community volunteerism. Community Service District (CSD)
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board members also played a part, satisfying a variety of training requirements in public governance, ethics and harassment prevention. Platinum is the highest lev-
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el of distinction a district can achieve and CSD president Bill Mayer expressed pleasure at being part of such an elite group. “With nearly (2,300) special districts in California, there are only a few having the distinction of platinum level status,” said Mayer. “This is huge for our town. The effort that Mike Davies, our town’s general manager, put in to getting this award is second to none. The board is extremely proud of his
Heritage girls’ tennis team has wrapped up another league title. Page 19
see Award page 26
Calendar................................27 Classifieds.............................23 Entertainment.....................13 Food........................................12 Milestones............................11 Opinion..................................17 Pets of the Week...................8 Sports.....................................19
Shelter Drill
Goodguys Show
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18th annual countywide shelter-in-place drill coming to East County.
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Popular Goodguys Car Show is coming to the Alameda Fairgrounds.