YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 14
Including Surrounding Communities
www.thepress.net
Oakley faces 10-percent water cut by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
It appears that all of those rain dances that Oakleyites have been doing on their lawns and in their backyards have paid off. Significant rains in February and March have put a damper on fears of drought and talk of mandatory water rationing. As a result, residents in the Diablo Water District (DWD), which includes all of Oakley, might be asked to voluntarily cut their water usage by only 10 percent in the coming year rather than take the more drastic mandatory measures that had been contemplated. California’s water situation was looking gloomy in early February, when the water content of the Sierra snowpack was dipping to levels not seen since the 1976-77 drought, according to Mike Yeraka, DWD general manager, in a presentation to the Oakley City Council on March 24. “That was the very bad drought we had,” he said. “It was just above that (level). That’s why all of the water managers were so scared. It was horrible; it was bleak.” But that was before the rain gods smiled on the Golden State. Now the snowpack water
April 3, 2009
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Photo by Dave Roberts
This water well in Oakley can provide Diablo Water District customers with as much as 2 million gallons of water per day, helping offset cutbacks from the Contra Costa Water District. content is around 90 percent of normal levels. The water level in Lake Shasta, which flows into the Delta and from there to our water taps, is close to 60 percent of capacity, which is far below the normal 80-percent level, but
close to last year’s level. “So we are still below average, but we are a lot better off than we were,” said Yeraka. see Water page 21A
Health-care cuts to impact East County by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer Undocumented immigrants living in Contra Costa County took a health-care hit this week when the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to cut $6 million in primary care services from the county’s Basic Health Care Program. The decision will eliminate non-emergency services for nearly 6,000 illegal residents, the largest percentage coming from East County. “Supervisor Glover made a vote that he didn’t want to make,” said Ed Diokno, public policy analyst for Glover’s office. “But he feels he has to support it because he believes you can’t spend money the county doesn’t have (for the Basic Health Care Program).” County Health Services Director William Walker, who presented the proposal to the Board of Supervisors, said the decision was difficult: “It’s the hardest thing
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Photo by Rick Lemyre
Emergency departments such as Kaiser Permanente in Antioch, above, might soon see an influx of patients due to the Board of Supervisors’ recent cuts to the county’s Basic Health Care Plan. I’ve ever had to propose in my 34 years in the county, the reduction of access to patients.” In an effort to educate the public about the provisions of the proposed cuts, the Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organizations (CCISCO) held a series of town-hall meetings last
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month to help families who will be affected better understand their options. Families with young children, as well as adult children, attended the events and voiced their concerns. “We held these town-hall meetings to help people understand what is going to happen,” said
Nancy Marquez, youth organizer for CCISCO. “What we are saying is that it’s a really bad policy. These people cannot afford these cuts. It’s a really horrible situation.” Under the new provisions of the plan, pregnant women and children will still be eligible for primary care and can receive treatment for other conditions as well, including communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and the flu. Paid for out of the county’s general fund, the Basic Health Care Program is designed to provide medical services to low-income uninsured residents. Those who qualify must be seen at either the county’s free medical center in Martinez or at one of its health centers located throughout Contra Costa. The termination in services to undocumented residents needing medical care means they will be forced to seek treatment at local see Health care page 21A
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Waging war on cancer A Relay for Life team is championing a cause close to home in an upcoming fundraiser.
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Wildflower Challenge
Prizes await blossom buffs who can identify the flamboyant flora of our local parks.
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