Oakley Press 07.25.14

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 14, No. 30

Changes downtown Tradition honored boost local economy by Corey Hunt Correspondent

Oakley leade rs a re feeling optimistic as a revitali zed downtown begins to draw new inves tme nts a nd invites opportunities for loca l j o b c reatio n. Ma ny o f these positive views a re centered a ro und a re novated a nd imp roved Oakley Plaza , wh ere a nchor sto re A ce H a rdwa re officia lly open ed its d oors this month. The changes highlight a shift away from the city's trad iti onal ro le as a commuter community to o ne that focuses o n its own eco nomy. "As Oakley has experie nced grow th , the eco no mi c d eve lo pment program h as g rown with it," said Economic Development Ma nage r Dway ne Da lma n. "The city

has partnered with private la ndowners and businesses to make a substa ntial investment in the downtown corridor with the d evelopment of the C ivic Cente r Plaza, the Oakley Plaza and neighb oring commercia l uses." The de mo lition of th e o ld Centro Ma rt building is se t to begin in th e coming wee ks in order to make room for a G ro cery Outlet, a project seen as co mplime nta ry to Ace H a rd wa re a nd ripe with potentia l as a loca l retaile r. " Bo th o f these projects will co ntinue the positi ve momentum that is occu rring toward c rea ting a downtown des tina ti o n fo r e mpl oy me nt, e nte rta inment, shoppin g and dining," said D alma n.

Photo by Anthony Quiroz

ore than 700 years of Portuguese tradition was celebrated last weekend during the Holy Ghost Festival in Oakley. The annual affair celebrates the miracle of Queen Isabel of Portugal. Th e event features the crowning of the junior and senior Holy Ghost Festa Queens. Pictured are senior side maid Alyssa Sequeira (far left), senior side maid Olivia Furlo ng (center left), senior queen Alexandria Felipe (front left) junior queen Hailey Felipe (front right), junior side maid Sarah Sarmento (center right) and junior side maid Allie Sarmento (far right).

Contra Costa Sheriff's Office Marine Services welcomed two new vessels to the f leet. Page 3A

see Economy page 26A

Correspondent

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Protecting the Delta

M

by Corey Hunt

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Living well at any age

Learn more about how to enjoy your senior years in this week's special section. Page 18

Friends celebrate watershed success Ten years ago, Marsh Creek was little more tha n a ditch running through Brentwood and Oakley from the east side of Mount Diablo. Its messy appearance convinced passersby to treat the natural resource as an unofficial dumping ground. Trash piled up along the banks, a nd as the two cities bega n to grow a nd open to residential development, the creek beca me a n eye sore rather tha n a selling point for prospective homebuyers looking for a p leasa nt suburban lifestyle. A group of scientists with a grant to work on water issues changed everything in July of 2004. Encouraged by the

July 25,2014

Photo courtesy of Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed

The Marsh Creek Restoration Project at Creekside Park is one of the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed's greatest accomplishments in its 10 years as a community o rganizati o n.

state, they began small cleanups a nd wate r monito ring ope rations, pulling together to form Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed (FOM CW). Visions of a

resto red creek with a n emp hasis on wildlife were abunda nt a mong the Friends, but it wasn't until Executive Director Dia ne Burgis entered the fold in 2006

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that things really sta rted to take off. Her first order of business was to establish FOMCW as an official nonprofit agency. "There were so ma ny ideas about how to move fo rward," Burgis said. "Everyone talked about restoration. They wanted more volunteers and things li ke yea rlong water mo nitoring a nd a fish ladder. We ma naged to bring it all together to get it all incorporated into this a mazing organization that has more opportu nities than we can keep up with." C urrently, Burgis is the only paid staff member. The rest of the team - including the board of directors - commits its time as volunteers. All together, more than 1,000 people are connected see Watershed page 26A

Pass to play go to news/WebExtras! Muir Orthopedic Specialists host free physicals f or student athlet es in -~- August.

Swinging for the fences

Antioch's Big League Al l Star team has its eyes set on going to Delaware . Page 19A Business Spotlight .... ..... . 24A Calendar ...... ..... ...... ..... ..... . 19B Classifieds ... ..... ....... .... ..... . 15B Comics ............... ..... ............ 14A Cop Logs ... ... ..... ..... ...... ..... . 18B Entertainment ....... .... ..... . 1OA Living 50 Plus .. ..... ............ .. 1B Milestones .. .. ... .......... ...... . 25A Opinion ....................... ...... . 18A Sports ................................. 19A

Take a seat go to news/press releases Seats are available on several county commissions and advisory boards in District 5.


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