Happy Thanksgiving
FROM YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 18, No. 47
READ NEWS YOU CAN TRUST AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET!
Arrest made in Freedom High threats
A Passion For Princesses
Lending a hand
by Tony Kukulich
Liberty grad combines her love of Disney and teaching with a new princess venture. Page 11
Staff Writer
The Oakley Police Department (OPD) announced on Tuesday night an arrest had been made in connection with threats made against students and staff at Freedom High School. Tristan Amir Curl was arrested in Austin, Texas on Nov. 20, after officers from the OPD traveled there with investigators from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Curl was arrested on charges of making a series of threats over the last several months. The 19-year-old resident of Oakley was attending the University of Texas at the time of his arrest. Curl was booked on the California charges and is awaiting extradition back to the state. According to the press release, investigators recovered a significant amount of evidence
Team Riding To The Rescue Photo by Tony Kukulich
C
apt. Jeremy Copple, firefighters Tom Lococo and Arnulfo Vasquez and engineer Mark Rezac paused for a moment before the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District crew deployed to Ventura County from Oakley last week. The crew was part of a strike team that included units from ConFire and Sonoma County. They returned this week in time for Thanksgiving. To view more photos of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows
see Arrest page 26
Fire district asks for public input by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
A small group of East County residents urged fire district officials to focus on beefing up the force, even if it means they’ll have to open their wallets, during a town hall meeting last week to discuss the agency’s future priorities. “Of course, we all want to reduce response times, because that is that much sooner that people will get the help they need,” said one resident, who identified himself only as Steve. The input of the 20 or so residents, city and county leaders and district personnel may be incorporated into the organization’s evolving strategic plan that indicates the agency’s hopes to reduce response times,
“ This is the very first step in determining what
our priorities will be, how we will invest our time.
”
Fire Chief Brian Helmick ensure financial stability and sustainability, maintain a highperforming workforce, modernize stations, apparatus and equipment, and develop a community risk-reduction program over the next five years. It’s expected that the document, slated for adoption in December, will include those goals and baseline strategies to achieve each one. In March 2019, an action plan will also be adopted to identify precise steps toward each goal’s implementation, along with associated costs and
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a time line. Crafting of the proposed five-year outline, to be updated every three years, began in April last year and derives from stakeholder interviews, surveys and workshops, fire board retreats and the guidance of a hired consultant. “This is the very first step in determining what our priorities will be, how we will invest our time,” said Fire Chief Brian Helmick. Aside from homing in on the need for additional resources and an associated tax measure,
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residents appeared to favor possible plans to double up station crews, to cut down on brick-andmortar costs; require new development, to contribute increased funds to the district for providing service; going after one-time grant monies; and using twotrack planning to shape the district’s future, with and without additional funds. “Even before we go to the public, we need to look at the two-track planning, what the district can live on without new funds and what is needed in order to create the district the area needs,” said Brentwood City Councilmember Karen Rarey. Statistics show that the district needs additional resources to meet current response time see Fire page 26
Tunnels Update
Local group, Hold Your Horses, joins the fight to save livestock trapped in Camp fire. Page 4
Heritage Takes Title
Heritage girls’ water polo team defeats College Park to win firstever section title. Page 18 Calendar................................27 Classifieds.............................22 Cop Logs................................25 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Milestones............................12 Pets.........................................13 Sports.....................................18
Fire Grant
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Assemblyman Jim Frazier calls for rejection of DWR’s twin tunnels plan.
Local fire districts receive state grant for vehicle extrication equipment.