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Martin Luther King Jr. Day JAN. 20
Vol. 20, No. 3
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
January 17, 2020
Summer Lake nears opening date
New SRO On Campus
by Deanna Gordon Staff Writer
Summer Lake Elementary School in Oakley — originally slated to open in time for the 2019-20 school year — has still not opened its doors, though the date when it can draws closer. After excessive rain delayed construction last spring, Oakley Union Elementary School District (OUESD) decided to house Summer Lake’s students at Iron House Elementary School until the new site is ready. Although there is no official opening date at this time, progress has been steady. OUESD Superintendent Greg Hetrick hosted a meeting see Summer Lake page 22
Officer Jackie Veillette is the new school resource officer at Liberty High School. Page 5
Healing With Written Word Photo courtesy of Oakley Union Elementary School District
Summer Lake Elementary School, located at 4320 East Summer Lake Drive in Oakley, is still waiting on an official opening date.
State seeks input on water plan by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
As Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration attempt to establish a comprehensive and cohesive water policy for the state, officials are seeking public input on the draft water resilience portfolio released earlier this month. The document was issued in response to Newsom’s April 2019 executive order directing his administration to inventory and assess a wide range of water-related challenges and solutions. Completed jointly by the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the draft offers more than 100 recommendations designed to help the state manage drought, floods, threatened fish populations and aging water-delivery infrastructure, among other threats.
“ We are disappointed that the portfolio
includes the Delta tunnel because the tunnel does not increase water resiliency for the state.
”
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta “California’s water challenges are daunting, from severely depleted groundwater basins to vulnerable infrastructure to unsafe drinking water in far too many communities,” Newsom said in a press release related to the executive order. “Climate change magnifies the risks. To meet these challenges, we need to harness the best in science, engineering and innovation to prepare for what’s ahead and ensure long-term water resilience and ecosystem health. We’ll need an all-of-above approach to get there.” Goals and actions of the
SAVE NOW
portfolio are organized in four categories, including: maintaining and diversifying water supplies, protecting and enhancing ecosystems, improving the physical infrastructure for moving and storing water and preparing for threats to the water supply. Additionally, it identifies three priorities of the Newsom administration that complement the portfolio: clean and safe drinking water, voluntary agreements on waterflow level in Delta rivers and the construction of a single tunnel in the Delta. Erik Vink, executive director of the Delta Protection Com-
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mission, opposed the twin-tunnel plan known as WaterFix, and expressed concern that a tunnel project is still part of the state’s plan. Other Delta advocates shared Vink’s concern. “We are disappointed that the portfolio includes the Delta tunnel because the tunnel does not increase water resiliency for the state,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, a Stockton-based environmental advocacy organization. “It will perpetuate dependence on the Delta instead, and create a water market for water transfers that will make the special interests that control special water districts even richer. We wanted to see a portfolio without a tunnel at least analyzed against a portfolio with a tunnel. Without that, the question will never be settled fully. We also believe that see Water page 22
Save Mt. Diablo www.thepress.net/news/webextras
‘Discover Diablo’ hike program seeks to build awareness of conservation.
Local author publishes first book using life experiences to help others. Page 6
Changes On The Pitch
New Liberty boys’ soccer coach looking to invigorate and build up program. Page 14 Calendar................................23 Classifieds.............................19 Cop Logs................................20 Education ..............................5 Food........................................12 Milestones..............................8 Opinion..................................11 Adopt a Pet...........................10 Sports.....................................14
BART Safety
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BART increasing personnel on trains to address concerns about safety, security.