YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 7
Including Surrounding Communities
www.oakleypress.com
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February 13, 2009
Planners put out of commission Ironies of an THIS WEEK
by Dave Roberts
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Staff Writer
At the beginning of Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Carol Rios read proclamations honoring Oakley’s planning commissioners for their hard work and service to the city. An hour later, the council gave the commissioners a reluctant heave-ho. The tough economy is forcing city officials to make budget cuts to avoid a looming deficit. Disbanding the Planning Commission is expected to save the city’s $13 million budget about $10,000 annually as well as free up staff time to work on other projects. The council will take over the commission’s duties until the commission is reinstated when the economy improves. None of the commissioners spoke against the decision to eliminate their service to the city, and only one resident, Paul Seger, raised objections. Seger noted that the city still has a healthy reserve fund of 30
Our 16th president was a man more likely to fight the current than go with the flow.
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Photo by Dave Roberts
Before disbanding the Planning Commission, Mayor Carol Rios, holding the microphone, reads proclamations honoring commissioners David Huerta, Iris Obregon and Don Scheer. Not shown is Commissioner Ed Person. percent (city policy is to maintain at least a 20-percent reserve) and argued that many important planning issues are coming before the city that could use the commission’s input. “I really think this is a really
bad decision,” he said. “There are an awful, awful lot of development decisions coming up: EIR’s coming up, there are zoning changes going on. As I recall in the River Oaks (Crossing) development discussions, it was
said that the General Plan is like the Constitution of the city. “It’s the development tool that leads you guys how to make your decisions – what goes where see Commission page21A
From the web press to Press on the Web It’s been nearly 150 years since offset printing and the zig-zag arrangement of rollers and plates known as the “web press” revolutionized the news business by making it possible to produce newspapers at a rate of 10,000 copies per hour. Technology has since improved, but the web press has remained the primary engine for the dissemination of the news, sports, ads and features that newspaper companies provide. But now, in addition to the web, there’s the Web. This week the Brentwood Press and Publishing Corporation is rolling out an all-new Web site, thepress.net, that will do for readers today what the high-speed
printers did for them back in the 19th century. “The new site is a platform that allows us to have more depth in what we offer,” Publisher Greg Robinson said. “It helps make a broader connection between the reader and the community because the space limitations are gone, and it can be accessed anywhere, any time.” Production Manager Lonnie de Lambert is the new site’s Webmaster as well as the driving force behind its creation. To her, the site goes beyond just the information it provides. “This is good for our community,” she said. “What we are doing here is not just rolling out another product. We’re
looking for a way to bring the community closer together. It’s more than a news source; it’s a place for the community to enhance their lives by knowing each other.” The new site offers the kind of local content found in the print edition, and a whole lot more. There are polls, blogs and forums where you can read others’ opinions or offer up your own. Slide shows and videos offer lots of images of East County happenings, and a new community calendar could become an important first stop for anyone thinking of holding an event. “You can post something in the Calendar up to 13 months ahead of time,” Robin-
For a guide to the features on our new Web site, see page 12A in today’s paper. son said. “If enough people use it, then maybe there won’t be so many great things happening at the same time as other great things.” There are lots of advertising options at thepress.net, including free classified listings for registered readers. A brand new, searchable Business Directory will make it easier for merchants to get their messages out, and easier for customers to find them when they’re see Web page 21A
Deliberations documented A citizen armed with initiative – and a video camera – has put City Council meetings on the Web for all to see.
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Rumblin’ in the rain
Freedom’s soaked soccer warriors walked off the field with a tied game – and season – against Antioch.
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INSIDE Business ...........................14A Calendar ..........................19B Classifieds ........................14B Cop Logs ..........................17A Education ........................10A Entertainment ................12B Food .................................10B Health & Beauty ............... 7B Milestones ......................... 9B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B WebExtras! ....................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A