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Vol. 15, No. 32
Unanswered fire calls increase in July
August 11, 2017
Keeping The Lights On
Many thanks
by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The closure of one of four East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) fire stations in July is affecting the district’s ability to respond to calls, according to statistics. The number of hours that all three engines were tied up and unavailable to respond to incidents jumped from four in June to 15 in July. The number of calls that went unanswered by district fire engines also increased, from nine to 31. “I know that having no engines for 15 hours is something that none of us wants; it’s just a fact of life with a three-station department,” said ECCFPD Board President Joel Bryant. The district’s fourth station in Knightsen closed on July 1, when supplemental multijurisdictional funds given to the district in May 2016 ran out – leaving only three stations to cover 114,000 residents and 249 square miles of property in the cities of Brentwood and Oakley, along with the unincorporated areas of Bethel Island, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen and Marsh Creek-Morgan Territory. The district’s average response time when units were availsee Fire page 30
Brentwood’s Del Sol Energy fine-tunes products to meet the needs of utility users. Page 10
Teens Sing In New Musical
T
Photo courtesy of Richard Wisdom
he Discovery Bay Lions Club recently awarded a $500 check to the Discovery Bay River Otters during an awards ceremony in the community center. Seen here, from left, River Otters President Rick Pierce presents Lion Richard Wisdom with a plaque of appreciation as Wisdom hands off the check.
Abandoned trailer a public hazard
On Aug.11, the Brentwood Teen Theater Company presents “High School Musical.” Page 8
Grappling On National Stage
by Tony Kukulich Correspondent
An abandoned travel trailer sitting in the middle of Knightsen is at the center of an ongoing effort by Contra Costa County officials to have it removed. The trailer is on a wedge of BNSF Railway-owned land adjacent to the Knightsen Elementary School on the southeast corner of Knightsen Avenue and Delta Road. Its dilapidated condition, with boarded-up doors and broken windows, is not only an eyesore say officials, but a potential public hazard as well. Bits of broken glass litter the carpet and hypodermic needles, bottles of prescription drugs, stained pillows and cans of food are strewn throughout the dark interior.
East County wrestlers do well at Marine Corps Junior Nationals in North Dakota. Page 21
Photos by Tony Kukulich
A dilapidated trailer abandoned on BNSF Railway property in the center of Knightsen, above, has been called a threat to public health and safety by county officials. The interior of the trailer, right, is littered with broken glass, prescription bottles and other hazards. County Supervisor Diane Burgis is leading the effort to have it removed. In a letter to the BNSF Railway, dated July 28, Burgis wrote
the following: “Your property has become a dumping ground and is a public nuisance for the Town of Knightsen
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and those who drive through it … This is an urgent public-safety and see Trailer page 30
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