Oakley Press 07.04.14

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 14, No. 27

City Council passes budget

13 ing 1913-20

July 4, 2014

Delightfully delectable

Fun in the sun

by Corey Hunt Correspondent The Oakley City Council got its financial house in order this week, unanimously approving the City’s budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year, which City Manager Bryan Montgomery describes as “balanced, but tight.”

“We have developed the recommended budget with restraint and a focus on core services,” said Montgomery, explaining that gradual economic and real estate improvements creating new sources of revenue are threatened by rising costs such as Oakley’s contract for police services. “Overall, we are not able to include all that we know is on the City’s wish list, but the budget presented here is lean, balanced and remains true to current strategic priorities.”

After making several amendments to a preliminary draft budget discussed at the May 27 council meeting, Finance Director Paul Abelson and his staff came before the council during

Get the scoop on East County’s latest culinary masterpieces in The Dish. Page 1B

Photo courtesy of the City of Oakley

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see Budget page 18A

oak up some fun at Summer Blaze Day Camp. The program, hosted by the City of Oakley Recreation Division, returns July 7.

Campers play games, sports, make arts and crafts and participate in lots of water-based activities to keep them cool in the summer heat. Camp takes place at three different locations each week, including the Freedom High School pool for swim days. The camp runs Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July 18. Admission is $10 per day. For more details, call 925-625-7044.

Measure E dollars fund LMC makeover

by Kellie McCown Correspondent Facilities at Los Medanos College (LMC) will be getting a makeover thanks to Measure E, a $450 million bond measure Contra Costa County voters passed in the primary election earlier this month.

The bond raises Contra Costa Community College District’s (CCCCD) annual fee on property owners from $13 per $100,000 assessed value to $26.

CCCCD is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. Alongside LMC and its satellite campus in Brentwood, the district also includes Diablo Valley College (DVC) in Pleasant Hill and its satellite campus in San Ramon, and Contra Costa Community College (CCCC) in San Pablo.

Currently, 55,000 students attend colleges within the

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Facilities at Los Medanos College (LMC) will be getting a makeover thanks to Measure E, a $450 million bond measure Contra Costa County voters passed in the primary election earlier this month.

CCCCD in core academic classrooms that are deteriorating and are stocked with outdated equipment and laboratory technology.

Nursing, fire science and technical programs are also being held in facilities that lack the modern

equipment needed to properly train students.

“In the past, LMC has had a significant portion of the prior bonds,” said LMC Workforce and Programs Director David Wahl. “That’s how we have a

brand new library, math, and science building.”

Despite getting priority in past bond funds, facilities at LMC Pittsburg and the Brentwood Campus are still out of date. Measure E will provide approximately $85 million in additional funds.

“We will be able to retrofit and update the College Core Complex as well as begin construction on buildings for student life and performing arts as well as modernize our gym and aquatic facilities,” said Wahl.

“But something we are very happy about is that we will be able to begin construction on the Brentwood Center. That is something we’ve been waiting for.”

Currently, the LMC Brentwood campus is housed inside of a former grocery store see Measure E page 18A

Brown is the new green

A local golf course is taking on a unique strategy to save water during the drought. Page 5A

Olympic potential

A young gymnast hopes to represent the U.S. in an international competition. Page 15A Artist Block ......................... 7A Calendar ............................ 11B Classifieds ........................... 7B Cop Logs ............................ 10B Food ...................................... 4B Milestones ........................13A Opinion ..............................14A Outdoors ............................. 8A Sports .................................15A The Dish ............................... 1B

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Before your next road trip, make sure your car is ready for the journey.

CAL FIRE urges residents to use caution when celebrating with fireworks.

JULY 4, 2014

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NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS & EVENTS

OMMUNITY

Got an interesting photo or breaking news story? E-mail your information to editor@brentwoodpress.com.

City to unveil new veterans sculpture The City of Oakley will host a special event Saturday, July 12 for the unveiling of the eagle sculpture which will be the centerpiece of the city's future veteran's memorial. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m.

Attendees will be among the first to see the completed white granite sculpture and meet the artist Scott Luken, who will be making some of the final cuttings of the piece at the event.

The sculpture is a rendition of a bronze eagle monument established in commemoration of WWI, which stood in Oakley until 1976 before being relocated to the Antioch fairgrounds. Attendees will also get to take home small spoils, or unused pieces of granite, out of which the sculpture was crafted.

Residents will also have the opportunity to buy their own personalized bricks to be incorporated into the veterans

memorial. Bricks are $125 each. The deadline to purchase a brick or to become a business sponsor is July 31. Business sponsorship opportunities range from $1,000 to $3,000.

Plans are on track to commence construction and unveil the monument during Oakley's Veterans Day Observance on Nov. II .

The memorial will be installed at the corner of Main Street and Norcross Lane and will be complimented by five red granite columns surounding a blue granite base upon which the American flag will fly. Each of the representative columns will bear the insignias of the five branches of the U.S. military: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

For more information, call Nancy Marquez-Suarez at 925-625-7007 or e-mail marquez@ci.oakley.ca. us.

Citizenship success

Photo courtesy of You, Me, We= Oakley

his year's You, Me, We = Oakley Community Citizenshi p Drive held in May was so successf ul th at th e nonprofit organizatio n decided t o host a second event last w eekend t o help Oakley residents fulfi ll t heir dreams of becoming lega l citizens. Volunteer Esther Barcenas (rig ht) helps residents f ill out the necessary citizenship paperwork during th e June 28 Cit izenship Drive Part II event. In part nership w ith Internat ional Inst itute of t he Bay Area and Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organizatio n, You, Me, W e = Oakley has been hosting annual citizenship drive events f or th e past t hree yea rs. In this yea r's two -part event, 55 residents w ere assisted in their quest for citizenship.

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JULY 4, 2014

COMMUNITY

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Have a safe Fourth

Soroptimist turns 30 Soroptimist International of the Delta recently held its officer installation dinner at Abby’s Gourmet Studio at Trilogy. The Founder Region Governor Dona Gaddis-Wolf presided over the event, installing Jan Schults as president, Kathi Regan as vice president, Leanne Sarmento as secretary and Mary Morris as treasurer for the 2014-15 year.

Soroptimist International is a global women’s nonprofit organization whose 80,000 members volunteer to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

Soroptimist International of the Delta was chartered in 1984. The club is celebrating 30 years in the community thanks to the Soroptimist International of East Contra Costa County, which sponsored the charter.

Soroptimist International of the Delta meets on the first Tuesday of the month (except

in June, July, August and November) at Dad’s Café in Brentwood at 6 p.m.

The East Contra Costa County club meets at Dad’s Café on the first Thursday of the month for dinner meetings as well as the third Thursday of the month for lunch meetings.

Soroptimist International is hosting a clothes collection drive for Dress For Success, a nonprofit that provides business attire to disadvantaged women so that they can be successful in job interviews. Clean and ready-to-wear business attire in all sizes as well as handbags and new, unopened make-up are accepted. Donations may be dropped off at The Brentwood Press office, 248 Oak St. in Brentwood, through July 21.

Women interested in finding out more may e-mail Soroptimist International of the Delta at siofthedelta@yahoo.com or Soroptimist International of East Contra Costa County at sieastcontracostaco@soroptimist.net.

Many Californians will be celebrating our nation’s independence with fireworks, but CAL FIRE urges extreme caution during California’s drought emergency.

It can take hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to control a large wildfire. Effective July 1, CAL FIRE Chief Ken Pimlott ordered a ban on open burning throughout the 31 million acres of responsibility protected by CAL FIRE due to the elevated threat of wildfire caused by the drought emergency.

“We are urging the public to celebrate our nation’s independence by attending a professional fireworks display,” said Chief Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE. “For those who choose to use fireworks to celebrate, make sure fireworks are allowed in the area of use and follow all safety precautions. You don’t want to ruin your celebration by becoming financially responsible for a fire caused by your activities.”

California has a zero tolerance policy for the sale and use of illegal fireworks. Illegal fireworks include sky rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and other types that explode, fly into the air or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner.

It is illegal to sell, transport or use fireworks that do not carry the “Safe and Sane” seal, as well as pos-

sess or use any fireworks in a community where they are prohibited.

If convicted, a violator could be fined up to $50,000 as well as sent to jail for up to one year.

There are nearly 300 communities within California that allow Safe and Sane fireworks.

CAL FIRE is asking the public to take the following precautions: • Check that fireworks are allowed in the area of use.

• Make sure the firework has the State Fire Marshal “Safe and Sane” seal.

• Purchase fireworks only from legitimate organizations authorized to sell.

• Have a bucket of water or sand, or a garden hose available at firing site.

• Read all instructions before use.

• Never alter, modify or enhance fireworks – use only in the manner intended.

• Make sure fireworks have proper clearance from flammable materials including dry grass and brush.

CAL FIRE has already responded to more than 2,500 wildland fires this year – a large increase in the average number of fires for the same time period. Residents are urged to visit www.ReadyforWildfire.org for tips on how to prepare their homes and family for wildfire. The website also links to important water saving tips, a resource critical to the control of wildfires.

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JULY 4, 2014

COMMUNITY

Seen in Italy

C

raig Leighty and Brenda Wallace were married during a cozy backyard wedding at their Oakley home in the Summer Lakes division. For their honeymoon, the couple enjoyed a two-week trip to Italy and they let the Oakley Press tag along.

The couple posed with their Hometown Weekly Newspaper in Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome.

Thank you for sharing your magical vacation with us, and we at The Press wish you a long and happy marriage.

Congratulations!

Budget from page 1A a special meeting on Monday night to submit a finished plan that organizes nearly $40 million in total funds to cover the expected costs of operating the city and cover any unforeseen expenses that might come up along the way.

“Following our (May) work session…we went back and updated the budget document with the changes that were suggested, including $2 million that we appropriated for fund balance, as well as some other changes,” Abelson said to the council.

The allocations are broken down into five catego-

Measure E from page 1A on Sand Creek Road. The location caters to students in far East County, but the facility is no longer large enough to meet the student population. Measure E funds will cover the planning, design and construction costs for the new $34 million Brentwood Center, which will be located

ries of funding: General, Special Revenue, Debt Service, Capital Projects and Internal Service. It was primarily General Funding that saw some rearrangement before final approval as $2 million originally earmarked for reserves was transferred to “one-time type expenditures” – a sign that city leaders are feeling comfortable enough with current financial conditions to engage in new spending. The reason the money could be moved was because reserve funds were at 34 percent of the General Fund budget, a substantial amount above the 20 percent required.

Minor revisions were also made to transfer some re-

on district-owned land off of Marsh Creek Road.

LMC Vice President Kevin Horan says beginning construction on the new campus that will span 17.5 acres is something the district is hoping to start as soon as possible.

“The Brentwood Center is our No. 1

serve money for lighting and landscaping due to muchneeded upgrades in these services throughout the city.

Councilman Kevin Romick expressed satisfaction with the proposal before he and his colleagues voted unanimously to make it official: “I think we’re doing the right thing with our $2 million, and with finding places – deserving places in the community – to spend the money,” he said. “As I’ve said in the past, we’re not here to build up giant fiefdoms or kingdoms of dollars, we’re here to take the tax dollars that are collected and spend them wisely, and I think we have done that with this budget.”

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

priority project,” said Horan. “We have allocated approximately $42 million from Measure E to go towards the center.”

Other district upgrades include seismic retrofitting at CCCC as well as a new science and health building for the San Pablo campus and new engineering and performing arts buildings at DVC.

The passing of Measure E comes on the tails of two wins for similar bond measures in 2000 and 2006 that provided funding for the updating of facilities at all district campuses. Residents can prepare to see the property fee increases in 2015.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.