YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 7, No. 7
Including Surrounding Communities
www.discoverybaypress.com
CSD director admits ‘I screwed up’ Dove to issue mea culpa in leak of memo by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
CSD Treasurer Dave Dove, who distributed an internal board document from the town’s attorney to members of the public last summer, admits he unknowingly violated the client/attorney privilege and says he will publicly apologize to both the board and the community at the next CSD meeting. “This was one of those things where at the time I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” said Dove. “I was just sending along information to Mark (Doran) as part of a research project he was working on and nothing more. But I have since learned that anything a lawyer does is confidential and as such I broke the client/attorney privilege. I was definitely a
Photo by Richard Wisdom
CSD Director Dave Dove, left, shown here in a meeting from last year, has come under fire for disclosing privileged client/ attorney information to members of the community. bad guy and I screwed up. I’ll be apologizing for it at the next meeting.” Dove copied an e-mail from CSD Counsel John Stovall to the CSD Board and General Manager Virgil Koehne regarding
the Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) policies – and how they apply to Discovery Bay – and sent it to residents Mark Doran and William Richardson last July. The CSD was in litigation with Richardson at the time of
the correspondence. The note on the top of the e-mail sent by Dove, who was vacationing in Mexico, reads: “Good Morning Gentlemen, I am forwarding this e-mail to you as I feel it is relevant to Mark’s research. Interesting … to my knowledge no additional direction has been given to John S. Dave.” CSD President Ray Tetrault said he believes Dove’s mistake was an honest one, made by his relative inexperience with local governance. “As the board president I called him (Dove) and voiced my displeasure about what happened,” said Tetrault. “Mr. Dove doesn’t have the years of experience on the board that others of us have; it’s not something I would have done, but no, there was no malice intended. It’s been handled.” CSD Director Shannon Murphy-Teixiera said she looks forward to a formal explanation see Director page 21A
From the web press to Press on the Web It’s been nearly 150 years since offset printing and the zig-zag arrangement of rollers and plates known as the “web press” revolutionized the news business by making it possible to produce newspapers at a rate of 10,000 copies per hour. Technology has since improved, but the web press has remained the primary engine for the dissemination of the news, sports, ads and features that newspaper companies provide. But now, in addition to the web, there’s the Web. This week the Brentwood Press and Publishing Corporation is rolling out an all-new Web site, thepress.net, that will do for readers today what the high-speed
printers did for them back in the 19th century. “The new site is a platform that allows us to have more depth in what we offer,” Publisher Greg Robinson said. “It helps make a broader connection between the reader and the community because the space limitations are gone, and it can be accessed anywhere, any time.” Production Manager Lonnie de Lambert is the new site’s Webmaster as well as the driving force behind its creation. To her, the site goes beyond just the information it provides. “This is good for our community,” she said. “What we are doing here is not just rolling out another product. We’re
looking for a way to bring the community closer together. It’s more than a news source; it’s a place for the community to enhance their lives by knowing each other.” The new site offers the kind of local content found in the print edition, and a whole lot more. There are polls, blogs and forums where you can read others’ opinions or offer up your own. Slide shows and videos offer lots of images of East County happenings, and a new community calendar could become an important first stop for anyone thinking of holding an event. “You can post something in the Calendar up to 13 months ahead of time,” Robin-
For a guide to the features on our new Web site, see page 12A in today’s paper. son said. “If enough people use it, then maybe there won’t be so many great things happening at the same time as other great things.” There are lots of advertising options at thepress.net, including free classified listings for registered readers. A brand new, searchable Business Directory will make it easier for merchants to get their messages out, and easier for customers to find them when they’re see Web page 21A
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February 13, 2009
THIS WEEK
Ironies of an icon revealed
Our 16th president was a man more likely to fight the current than go with the flow.
Page 4A
CSD submits P-6 wish list Discovery Bay residents got to weigh in on how dollars earmarked for enhanced police services will be spent.
Page 7A
Grappling with glory
Liberty took seventh in a field of 62 teams – including an individual first-place medal – in a recent wrestling tournament.
Page 4B
INSIDE Business ...........................14A Calendar ..........................19B Classifieds ........................14B Cop Logs ..........................17A Education ........................10A Entertainment ................12B Food .................................10B Health & Beauty ............... 7B Milestones ......................... 9B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras! ....................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A