YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 7, No. 16
Including Surrounding Communities
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Stand-up sport sweeps Delta by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
If you’re ever looking for Discovery Bay resident Tim Martin, it’s a fair bet you’ll find him on the water. Whether he’s enjoying the calm of the Delta or catching a wave in Santa Cruz, the scenery might change, but Martin’s passion for a sport called Stand Up Paddle (SUP) remains unwavering. And he’s not alone. Enthusiasts around the globe are literally hopping onto the SUP bandwagon – a kowabunga, surf’s-up experience that has found its way to East County. Appealing to hard-core surfers, weekend warriors and even the decidedly non-athletic, SUP, with its easy-tolearn, low-impact core workout, is a sport that nearly everyone can enjoy. “It’s a fantastic full-body workout, which, if you are doing it correctly, is really very relaxing,” said Martin. “You can go out onto the Delta and paddle for a couple of hours, stop and visit friends, and hop back on. It’s a very social sport. I love paddling around out here.” Known under the nomenclatures Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Beach Boy Surfing or Stand up Paddle Surfing, this sport de jour is actually an ancient form of surfing that has its roots in Hawaii and Polynesia. “It’s something that came back on the scene a few years ago,” said Martin. “The Maui-ites
Staff Writer Oakley officials, who are in charge of one of the few California cities with a shoreline on the Delta, have decided to become more active in the water war currently being fought in the state, including opposing the proposed peripheral canal. The City Council Tuesday night pledged support for efforts by Councilman Bruce Connelley and resident Roger Mammon to fight the proposal to build a canal along the edge of the Delta. The canal would take fresh water from the Sacramento River in the north Delta and ship it south to Central Valley farms and Southern California residents, bypassing the rest of the Delta. “If they build a peripheral
April 17, 2009
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Photo courtesy of Tim Martin
Discovery Bay resident Tim Martin, above with his son on a recent trip to Tahoe, enjoys the flexibility of Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP), a surf-type experience designed for both smooth waters, such as the Delta, and the more turbulent surface of the ocean. started pushing it again, and once companies started making production boards in 2006, that’s when the sport really took off. A lot of celebrities enjoy it. I saw Kate Hudson out there when I was in Maui a few years ago. It’s very popular with the stars.” Celebrity notwithstanding, where you stand
on the sport depends upon, well, where you’re standing. The ocean experience, says Martin is vastly different from the Delta- variety, but each brings with it a unique experience. “Delta or ocean? I don’t know; they’re both see Sport page 21A
Oakley to fight peripheral canal plan by Dave Roberts
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“ If they build a peripheral canal and start exporting water around the Delta, our west Delta is going to be a stagnant, saltwater pool. It’s going to be contaminated with agricultural runoff … for you and I to consume.
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Roger Mammon canal and start exporting water around the Delta, our west Delta is going to be a stagnant, salt-water pool,” said Mammon. “It’s going to be contaminated with agricultural runoff … for you and I to consume. “What will happen to the property values out there? Who’s going to want to buy a home by a cesspool? There’s families here
and recreation interests here – and the people who want the water (in southern California) just don’t care. “The city of Oakley needs to get more involved because we are a Delta city and have the largest tidal estuary on the west coast of North and South America right out our front door – and they are going to kill it if we let them. Oakley needs
Sound off!
to get more involved because it’s the right thing to do.” The canal, which was rejected by California voters in 1982, is making a comeback due to widespread agreement that the current system isn’t working. The Delta ecosystem has been in decline and many fish, particularly endangered species, are dwindling. Some Delta levees are expected to fail in the coming decades, especially if there is a significant earthquake in the area, which could contaminate the Delta. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan has been proposed to help protect endangered fish while still guaranteeing a reliable water supply for about 25 million Californians. Several options are currently under environmental study, with the strong possibility that a see Fight page 21A
Top planner appointed A Discovery Bay resident was recently tapped to take a seat on the East County Regional Planning Commission.
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Installed in the Hall
For some athletes, fame is fleeting. For others, it’s as permanent as a place in history.
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