YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 17, No. 33
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Mosquitoes Celebrating decades drive students of community indoors O
n Aug. 9, the first “We Are Community” event occurred in Knightsen to celebrate the long, rich history of Knightsen Elementary School. Alumni from 1940 to present attended the event, which included a car show, BBQ competition and live music. Hundreds of alumni and teachers attended and shared their favorite memories of the school. The photo shows Freddie Craggs, a Knightsen Elementary alumnus from the 1950s with her great-granddaughter, Jersie Ogren, who currently attends the school. They are holding a picture of Craggs when she was in the second grade 70 years ago.
by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
Last week, the Town of Discovery Bay was swarmed by a scourge of mosquitoes. Likely hatched in nearby flooded fields, the inland floodwater mosquitoes caused enough trouble to trigger comments on social media pages and forced students at Old River Elementary (ORE) to spend their lunch and recess inside on Wednesday and Thursday. “The kids (were) getting bit like crazy over here,” said ORE principal Ray Witte. “The kids are having a little bit more reaction to the bites, so we just said we are keeping them inside so they don’t get bit.” Witte explained that his instructions came from the Knightsen district office, which was in contact with the Contra
August 16, 2019
Breaking The Glass Ceiling
East County entrepreneurs share their stories in this week’s coverage of Women In Business. Page 1B
Growth At John Muir
Photo courtesy of Katrina Ogren
see Mosquitoes page 22A
Being prepared ahead of emergencies by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
In just the last few weeks, East County residents have experienced a pair of earthquakes along with a fire that burned more than 700 acres before it was extinguished, and incidents like these serve as reminders of the potential for a widespread, critical emergency occurring in the area. “You’re never going to avoid (emergencies) 100%,” said Gus Vina, Brentwood city manager. “Sometimes we get very focused on earthquakes, but then the event is a truck that overturns with chlorine or a shooting. We’re in this environment where a lot of bad stuff that can potentially happen. Nobody should ever think they’re immune. It can happen anywhere at any time, for many reasons.” People in the business of responding to emergencies of ev-
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“ You need to have the expectation in a
substantial event that fire, police and EMS response times are going to be extremely delayed. That’s the reality of it.
”
Fire Chief Brian Helmick ery kind stress the importance of preparation and planning to mitigate risks, improve the odds of survival, and reduce the strain on emergency response systems in the event of a city- or county-wide incident. Every household should prepare and maintain a fully-stocked emergency kit that contains items like flashlights, medical supplies and a battery-powered radio. Food and water for each member of the household for three days should also be stored, and the needs of pets should be included in any
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preparations. The kit should be stored in a location that’s easily accessible in the event a quick evacuation is necessary. PG&E has a useful guide for creating an emergency kit at www. bit.ly/thepress_emergencykit. The Red Cross is also a good source of information on disaster preparation, and emergency kits and supplies may also be purchased at redcross.org/store/preparedness. “(Disasters) can strike without warning, at any time of year, day or night,” says Jennifer Lucas, disaster preparedness manager for
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the Red Cross in Contra Costa County. “Be prepared by making an emergency kit, and keep it updated, working with all of your family members to create a plan in case of emergency, and staying informed through local channels, including Red Cross apps and the website.” While each city has plans for emergency response, Vina said the county is primarily responsible for developing a response template and managing incidents. The role of each city is to integrate with the county’s plan. “Like other cities, we have a comprehensive emergency response plan and will coordinate with other agencies and entities to respond to the needs of the community during an earthquake or other emergency,” said Bryan Montgomery, Oakley city man-
Brentwood’s health care facility is undergoing an expansion to better serve residents. Page 5A
Playing For The Pros
Former Antioch High basketball star Eric Donaldson has signed with a professional team in Italy. Page 15A
see Emergencies page 22A
Calendar............................... 2A Classifieds..........................17A Cop Logs.............................21A Health & Beauty ..............10A Milestones.........................11A Opinion...............................14A Pet of the Week................10A Sports..................................15A
New Gun Laws
7-Eleven Suit
www.thepress.net/news/webextras
Bill would impose a statewide excise tax on handgun and semiautomatic rifle sales.
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$1.525 million civil settlement with Texas-based 7-Eleven over state violations.