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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 8, No. 8
Tree removal project underway by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
If you traveled the west side of Discovery Bay Boulevard or along Sandpoint Road last week, you likely noticed some changes in the scenery. A number of Aleppo pine trees, 43 to be exact, were being dug up and ground down in the name of public safety. The removal of the pine trees – many more than 30 years old – was not at the top of new Discovery Bay Landscape Manager Fairin Perez’s priority list. But when one of the enormous pines – some weighing as much as 30,000 pounds – fell and narrowly missed hitting a home last November, and then again two weeks ago when a branch from another dropped onto Discovery Bay Boulevard, the project became Job 1. “Many of these trees (because of the winds in Discovery Bay) are horizontal to the ground, and over half of them are diseased, which we’ve identified as a potential hazard,” said Perez. “A majority of them lean into each other and if you
This Week Prescription for placidity
High price to pay
Photo by Richard Wisdom
These 30-year-old trees, shown here along Discovery Bay Boulevard looking south from Sand Point Road, are just a few of the dozens of potentially hazardous trees being removed. remove just the diseased ones, then the others are left with no support and would eventually become their own hazard. So we decided to remove them all and
start with a clean slate.” ValleyCrest Landscaping Company submitted the lowest bid for the job – approximately $6,000 – and is removing the
by Ruth Roberts
“ We need to continue the outreach to the
The Discovery Bay-based group San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation (SFBDF) is hosting a town forum next month to update the public and local business community on the controversial 2Gates project and provide an overview of California’s ongoing water issues. The California Delta Water Meeting will be held March 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Discovery Bay Elementary School gymnasium. The event features special guest speaker
community, to let the public know that it’s not over.
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February 19, 2010
A longtime East County doctor has set his last bone and delivered his last baby. Page 3A
pines along the west side of Discovery Bay Boulevard at Seal Drive, continuing to and see Trees page 18A
Effort to scuttle 2-Gates continues Staff Writer
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SFBDF Publicity Chairman Mike Guzzardo Supervisor Mary Piepho; Susanna Schlendorf, district director for Assembly member Joan Buchanan; and Environmental Water Caucus representative David Nesmith. The meeting will provide information on a variety of waterrelated topics, including a short
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history of the Bay and Delta, a summary of major Delta water projects, water conveyance and storage, and will address concerns over a possible peripheral canal. According to SFBDF Publicity Chair Mike Guzzardo, “The purpose of the meeting is to let the
Open house
go to news/WebExtras! Students and parents sampled a buffet of career and college choices.
community know what a great job they have done so far with (fighting) the 2-Gates project, and give them a good overall picture of what is going on now and what is most likely going to happen in the future. We need to continue the outreach to the community, to let the public know that it’s not over.” The 2-Gates project, a five-year experimental program designed to save the Delta smelt by rerouting them away from the water pumps on Old and Middle rivers, was delayed in December by the Obama see 2-Gates page 18A
Weekly briefing go to news/press releases
New statistics give an inside look at the state of housing in East County.
In an era of deep budget cuts, school officials’ pay could raise some eyebrows. Page 6A
No doubt about it
A convincing payback victory made the Lions’ league crown fit more comfortably. Page 1B
Plus: Calendar ............................ 23B Classifieds ......................... 16B Cop Logs ............................14A Entertainment ................. 12B Health & Beauty .............. 10B Opinion ..............................13A Sports ................................... 1B
Ban on packin’ go to multimedia/videos
Some shops are prohibiting the open carrying of sidearms on premises.