YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 7, No. 23
Including Surrounding Communities
Utility bills rising in DB
www.thepress.net
rs
Na t
pe
ion
June 5, 2009
THIS WEEK
Prancing pup
At the head of the class
by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer The CSD Board voted last week to increase water and sewer rates to all Discovery Bay residents – metered and non-metered – by 3.1 percent for the coming fiscal year. The rate hike is intended to help keep the town financially solvent. The CSD Board called an emergency meeting on May 28 following a budget impasse at the its regular meeting May 20. Directors at the earlier meeting were divided on a list of six possible operating and capital improvements budgets for 2009-13. The May 28 meeting was held in order to make a timely decision on the 2009/10 budget. Proposition 218 stipulates that a rate increase of more than 3.1 percent requires a public hearing 45 days in advance – in the case of the CSD, set for July 15. Without the increase, town coffers would have experienced a shortfall in the coming fiscal year of approximately $145,000 due to ongoing projects and proposed improvements. Some of the proposed budget plans called for as much as 8- to 9-percent increases, but the agreed-to 3.1 percent hike – an average of about $1.40 per month for residential users – will allow the district to remain in the black. If the additional dollars are not see Bills page 12A
High school valedictorians and salutatorians tell how they got where they are – and where they go from here.
Page 9A
Pool of talent Photo by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com
iffany Zamora, right, and daughter Jenna watch their Chihuahua puppy Chilee frolic late Monday at Diablo Shores. The possibility of thundershowers was expected to be gone by this weekend, clearing the way for more fun in the sun in far East County.
T
Kids have a blast at County Fair by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
Photo by Dave Roberts
A goatish Mona Lisa smile appears on the goateed face of this County Fair participant.
Coupons To Go!
SHOP LOCAL. SAVE MONEY.
One of the attractions packing them in at this year’s County Fair, which ended Sunday in Antioch, was the shark show, featuring a diver who played one shark like a banjo, waved its fin at the audience and danced with it while another shark swam through a hoop. The first show on Thursday, the fair’s opening day, began with a demonstration of the unbreakability of the shark tank to reassure the audience. David Farrell of Concord, a week short of 5 years old, was chosen from the audience to tap on the glass. The tank, of course, sprung a fake leak, surprising and soak-
ing Farrell as he tried to plug it with his hands, and spraying some in the audience before the water was turned off. “He was certainly surprised. He thought he was doing something wrong for a second,” said his father Robert. “I really just thought it was adorable; they handled it well. He will never forget it for his entire life.” The Farrells were among hundreds who took advantage of the fair’s free admission before 3 p.m. on opening day. They spent a lot of time in the Kids Zone building, which offered youngsters hands-on things to do – similar to San Francisco’s Exploratorium. see Fair page 21A
Check out the impressive array of East County athletes named to the BVAL All-League Swimming First Team.
Page 12B
Creating a cart apart
Meets the minds that took conventional electric carts and converted them into miniature classy classics.
Page 3A
INSIDE Calendar ..........................27B Classifieds ........................18B Cop Logs ..........................17A Entertainment ................13B Health & Beauty .............10B Milestones ......................... 8B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras! ....................... 1B
Find it inside today’s paper. Print more on thepress.net. Didn’t get a coupon book? Call 634-1441
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A