YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 7, No. 41
Including Surrounding Communities
www.thepress.net
CSD opts Seal sighting to appoint members
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October 9, 2009
THIS WEEK
Smokin’ spokes
by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer The three remaining members of the Discovery Bay CSD Board unanimously agreed in a special meeting on Sept. 30 to appoint, rather than hold a special election, to fill the two seats left empty by the resignations of Treasurer Dave Dove and Director Shannon Murphy-Teixiera. “I will urge that we appoint (to fill the two seats) because it would be fiscally irresponsible not to,” said CSD President Ray Tetreault at the meeting. It is estimated that a special election would cost the Town at least $40,000. “We need to get people back on this board.” CSD Director David Piepho agreed. “I go along with Ray that our past history is to appoint … I would be inclined to appoint, but all three (remaining directors) have to agree, and I’m OK with that.”
Photo by Richard Wisdom
n increasingly frequent phenomenon was caught recently by Press photographer Richard Wisdom: a non-resident fisherman plies the waters of Lido Bay in Discovery Bay. Seals and sea lions are unpredictable and can become aggressive quickly. They have sharp teeth and may bite, particularly if cornered or harassed. If you encounter one, do what Wiz did: take a picture with a zoom lens and stay clear.
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Because three votes are required for the CSD to make official decisions, and because two of the five seats are currently empty, all votes must be unanimous in order for an item to pass; one dissenting or abstaining member would mean the item fails. Also, one member’s absence from a meeting would mean there would be no quorum, and thus no official meeting could
be held. In accordance with CSD law, the seats must be filled by appointment or special election within 60 days of the vacancies. MurphyTeixeira resigned on Sept. 18; Dove on the 23rd. Should the board not select the two new members by the end of the 60 days, the decision will go before the Board of Supervisors, who are given an additional
30 days to appoint or call for a special election. In the event that the Board of Supervisors does not take action, the town is required to hold a special election. The CSD Board is accepting applications from now until Oct. 28 and plans to appoint the two new directors at the regularly see CSD page 22A
The medals are nice, but the true reward is soldarity with his fellow cops and firefighters.
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What’s new with the flu H1N1 flu vaccine has come to town, and health officials are urging the public to use it.
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Lion taming’s a tall order
East County unemployment on the rise by Dave Roberts Staff Writer The unemployment rate varies depending on where you live in East County – from the nearly non-recessionary 6.5 percent in Byron to the Great Depression level of nearly 20 percent in Knightsen – but unemployment has steadily increased this year in all areas. Worst off by far are Knightsen at 19.9 percent unemployment and Bethel Island at 19 percent, according to the August figures from the California Employment Development Department. Both rural communities have worsened more than the rest of East County, increasing by about 3½ percentage points since January compared to an increase of about 2 percentage points in most other areas. Linda Weekes, chairwoman of the Knightsen Town Council, said she’s not aware of her community having a significantly high unemployment problem. She suspects it might be due in part to
the seasonal nature of farming. “Being agricultural and coming to the end of the year as far as produce, picking and working in the fields has now subsided,” she said. Knightsen resident John
Gonzales agreed that out-ofwork farm workers probably account for the high unemployment rate in his community. He also speculated that the statistics might be skewed because in a small population of 700 to 800, a
small increase in unemployment can significantly bump up the numbers. In East County cities, Oakley is the winner with an unemployment rate just over 8 percent. That’s nearly 2 points better than Brentwood’s 10 percent and 4½ points better than Antioch’s nearly 13 percent rate. Oakley Chamber of Commerce President Steve Nosanchuk, whose photography business is located in Brentwood, doesn’t find much solace in Oakley’s standing, however. “I think everybody is hit hard equally,” he said. “I don’t think people in Oakley are more or less employable than Antioch or Brentwood. I don’t think people in Knightsen or Bethel Island are less employable than Antioch or Oakley. I think everybody is hurting. I just talked to a daycare school today – she’s down 65 percent. That’s nuts. How do you possibly support yourself on a drop in your income of 65 percent? see Unemployment page 22A
A Liberty volleyballer’s aptitude for altitude keeps her head and shoulders above the competition.
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INSIDE Arts.....................................7A Calendar ..........................27B Classifieds ........................17B Cop Logs ..........................17A Entertainment ................13B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty ............... 8B Milestones .......................10B Opinion ...........................16A Outdoors .........................18A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A