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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 8, No. 13
Directors clash on comment letter by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
A letter providing the comments from the town’s board about a proposed development in Discovery Bay has been delayed a second time, this time by the director most dismayed by the first delay. CSD Vice President Mark Simon asked the board at its March 17 meeting to suspend action on the letter, which was in response to the county’s request for comments on the proposed Newport Pointe project, located between Newport Drive and Bixler Road. The comments had been generated at the board’s Jan. 20 meeting – at which Director David Piepho was absent
– and included a comment from Town Manager Virgil Koehne that the town did not have sufficient capacity to serve the development’s proposed 67 homes. Simon said that he believed the comments made on Jan. 20 had been stronger than was reflected in the letter, which he said “felt like they (comments) were being softpeddled and I didn’t like it.” Simon also objected to the original delay, which he attributed to Piepho. According to Koehne, who had been directed by board President Kevin Graves to write the comment letter, Piepho contacted Koehne a few days after the meeting see Letter page 15A
Scramblin’ for eggs
Photo courtesy of Amanda Dove
ids sprint for the spoils at last year’s Discovery Bay Easter Egg Hunt. Hundreds of children are expected to attend this year’s event, which takes place April 3 at 9:30 a.m. in Cornell Park. (Some early publicity incorrectly stated that the event would be held on April 11.) For more details and a list of other Easterrelated activities, see page 3A in this week’s Press.
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High-tech transit proposed for East County by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
When eBART was initially proposed in 2000, transportation officials envisioned that by 2010 there would be light-rail, dieselpowered trains traveling 23 miles from the Bay Point BART Station to Byron, stopping at stations along the way in Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood. Unfortunately, the most that will be happening this year is construction of an eBART transfer platform at the Bay Point BART Station. The $500 million project was delayed and scaled back a couple years ago when Union Pacific Railroad refused to allow eBART trains to travel on its Mococo Line through far East County. Without access to an existing track, officials agreed that there was only enough funding to extend eBART 10 miles down the Highway 4 median from Bay Point BART to Antioch, with stations at Railroad and Hillcrest avenues.
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Source: eTranzUSA
A private company is proposing to provide mass transit, possibly to Discovery Bay, for half the cost of eBART. It could take many years for eBART to reach Oakley, let alone Brentwood or Byron, unless hundreds of millions more transportation dollars are found – a tall order for a federal government mired $12.6 trillion in debt and California struggling with a $20 billion deficit. But a private company has come forward offering to provide
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a better mass transit alternative that would reach Oakley, Brentwood, Byron and possibly Discovery Bay for the same cost as it would take to get eBART just to Antioch. CyberTran International officials have been making presentations to East County leaders touting an innovative system with smaller, lighter, electric-powered, computer-controlled cars that
Frugal unions
go to news/WebExtras! A financial pro says banks aren’t the only lending institutions in town.
don’t need drivers. The cars, which hold 24 passengers, can be accessed like an elevator: you push a button and go straight to your destination without stopping at stations along the way. And it promises to provide many more stations, perhaps one every mile or two. Because the cars are so much lighter (about one-tenth the weight of light rail), CyberTran’s construction cost could be as little as $25 million/mile, which is half the cost per mile of eBART and a fraction of the $200 million per mile of BART. Officials from CyberTran, which is short for cybernetic transportation, brought their proposal to the East County transportation board Transplan a couple months ago, to the Antioch City Council on March 9 and to the Oakley City Council on Tuesday. They are seeking letters of support, and have already received a couple dozen from federal and state leaders as well as the city of
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March 26, 2010
This Week Auto lovers get it in gear
Looking for a reliable mechanic or some deals on wheels? Our Spring Auto Care guide puts you in the fast lane. Page 1B
Details of detour Construction on Highway 4 will channel motorists into not-sodelightful diversions. Page 5A
Dial in the drama
Our Sports Links hook you up with a colorful collection of athletic adventures. Page 20A
Plus: Auto Care Guide................ 1B Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 13B Entertainment ................... 9B Food .................................... 10B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ........................11A Opinion ..............................16A Sports .................................19A
see Transit page 15A
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Tuition tuneup
Diabetes defied
go to news/press releases A vehicle maintenance service is helping high school seniors pay for college.
go to multimedia/videos
Active 4 Diabetes held an event that raised awareness – and a little sweat.