Oakley Press_03.19.10

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 10, No. 12

Cops investigate Scarlet spectacle gunfire reports by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer

Local police are beefing up patrols in a normally quiet Oakley neighborhood following reports of an exchange of gunfire outside a residence on Sunrise Meadows Lane. No injuries were reported. Police responded to a call on the evening of March 6 from a resident who reported several gunshots fired outside her house during a neighbor’s party. “My husband and I arrived home just after midnight and found a party going on at our neighbor’s house across the street,” said the resident, who requested anonymity.

“There were some teens hanging out in front of our house and my husband said it was OK if they stayed there as long as they kept the noise down. Just as we went inside, we heard gunshots. A car drove by and shot at the kids in front of our house and they (the teens) shot back. It was very frightening.” Oakley Chief of Police Chris Thorsen said units responded to the call and found three shell casings on the ground. Several individuals were contacted but none were tied to the incident. Calls were also made to area hospitals, but no gunshot wounds had been treated. see Gunfire page 6A

Photo by Ger Erickson

he vernal equinox – astronomical spring – arrives tomorrow at 10:32 a.m., and our wet winter has set the table for an extravagant banquet of wildflowers flooding meadows and hills with the sights and scents of the new season. The Indian paintbrush above was captured on the Juniper Trail at Mt. Diablo State Park.

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2010 Census is more than a head count by Samie Hartley Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau

The 2010 Census should have arrived in your mailbox this week. Filling out the 10-question form will help bring millions of dollars to East County to help fund public works projects, emergency services and education programs for public schools.

Online Now!

Have you sent in your 2010 Census questionnaire yet? More than 120 million households received Census forms this week, and the U.S. Census Bureau is encouraging everyone to respond as soon as possible. The Census takes place every 10 years, as it has since 1790, to get a head count of the nation’s population, but since the number of a state’s representatives in Congress is determined by its population, Census data is also used to determine that crucial figure. The other function of the Census is to guide government agencies in the allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds to state and local governments. Using Census data, money is distributed to communities across the country to fund public works projects, enhance education, provide additional emergency services and retrofit hospitals. Money is also given to state and local governments to build and fix roadways. On a broader scale, the Census serves as a snapshot of America, spotting economic and social trends. Brentwood resident Roland Fernandez, a Census partnership assistant based out of

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the Contra Costa County Census headquarters in Concord, said the motto of this year’s Census is “it’s easy, it’s safe and it’s important.” According to Fernandez, each person in Contra Costa County who participates in the Census will bring $11,450 in funding for local programs. “If 100 people return the form, that’s more than a million dollars in funding to be used in the county. So the more people who participate, the more money we’ll get to support our local programs.” Fernandez added that filling out the Census form is required by the Constitution. Thursday, April 1, is Census Day. In a perfect world, the Census Bureau will have received all of the Census forms by then, but chances are, as with the last Census in 2000, more than 40 million households will fail to respond. In 2000, Contra Costa County recorded a participant rate of 75 percent, while California’s was 73. Replacement forms will be sent to households in April as a friendly reminder to encourage participation, and if the Bureau hasn’t received anything from you by May, the “Non-response Follow-up” process begins and a Census taker will visit your resi-

Housing update go to news/WebExtras!

New statistics offer an inside look at the state of home sales in East County.

see Census page 6A

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March 19, 2010

This Week Stone house: ‘Beam me up’

Beams, braces and buttresses will move a historical treasure from life support to recovery and restoration. Page 6A

Ribbons of resistance The war on cancer is being ramped up with a prominent profusion of purple. Page 7A

Back to square one

Having lost last season’s starting lineup to graduation, Freedom will find its 2009 title a tough act to follow. Page 2B

Plus: Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 13B Entertainment ................... 9B Food .................................... 10B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Opinion ..............................10A Sports ................................... 1B

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Water widening Consigned to cash go to news/press releases

Environmental reports for the Los Vaqueros expansion are in the books.

go to multimedia/videos

Folks get needed money for uneeded stuff at Yesterday’s Treasure.


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