Oakley Press_11.20.09

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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa

Vol. 9, No. 47

Including Surrounding Communities

www.thepress.net

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November 20, 2009

’Tis the season to be giving by Samie Hartley Staff Writer After a successful inaugural year, the Friends of Oakley organization has expanded its Christmas Basket Program to provide for 250 families, and the effort to collect donations is underway. The goal is to provide families in need with holiday meal fixings and gifts for the children. Barrels to collect donation items have already been placed around town at City Hall, local schools and select local businesses. Friends of Oakley member Pat Anderson said the group expanded its goal to account for families who have fallen on hard times due to the recession. The expanded goal also allows for more opportunities to reach out to the senior community. “This is a labor of love, and we want to provide for as many families as we can,” Anderson said. “We saw what the Brentwood Regional Community Chest was doing with their program, and last year, they were gracious enough to help us jump start our program. We provided for 125 families last year, and now the goal is 250. It’s so important that we take care of the members of our community, and it feels good to know you’re helping those in need.” Kevin Romick echoed the need to sup-

THIS WEEK

The past personified

Press file photo

Friends of Oakley member Jim Frazier unloads turkeys during last year’s inaugural Christmas Basket Program in Oakley. The organization plans to provide for 250 families this holiday season. port the community. “I think that it’s important for us as a community to join together and support those among us who are struggling to meet the demands of the Christmas season,” he said. “Our goal is to provide everyone who needs help with a basket of

food and a gift for each child in the home. “We’re simply looking to make the Christmas season a little brighter for as many as we can, for all of this is an exsee Season page 26A

A local history museum will soon be displaying artifacts from the legendary Donner family.

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Answering the Bell

Highway widening, eBART to (re)start by Dave Roberts Staff Writer

Photo by Dave Roberts

At a meeting of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce last week, Susan Miller of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority discussed the widening of Highway 4 that is scheduled to restart next spring.

There’s good news for thousands of East County commuters stuck in a bumper-to-bumper grind every weekday morning and afternoon. More than a year after the completion of the widening of Highway 4 to Railroad Avenue, construction on the widening will begin again in a few months. Work is scheduled to start in February or March on the highway widening from Railroad Avenue to Loveridge Road. The $172 million Loveridge Project will provide eight lanes (four in each direction), including a car pool lane, room for eBART tracks in the highway median and a new bridge at Loveridge. As occurred with the past widening,

there will be delays and detours, mostly after midnight, during the three years of construction. “Obviously, there’s going to be slowdowns,” said Susan Miller, project director for the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. “I’m just optimistic that people will be so excited to finally see construction going on that they will deal with it.” Motorists haven’t seen much construction in a while because the past year has been devoted to redesigning the widening to accommodate an eBART line in the median from the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station to Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch, acquiring additional land right-of-way, relocating see Highway page 26A

Fast finds! Search the business directory. Shopping, dining ... anything you need. Find it in the business directory at www.thepress.net. See page 22A.

A victory over the Lions meant the Falcons got to keep the Bell trophy for yet another year.

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INSIDE Business ...........................22A Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................14B Cop Logs ..........................19A Entertainment .................. 9B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty ............... 8B Milestones .......................24A Opinion ...........................18A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A


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