YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS | SERVING EAST COUNTY
Vol. 22, No. 48
Peaceful protesters decry racism by Aly Brown Staff Writer
DISCOVERY BAY Protesters peacefully gathered in Discovery Bay, Nov. 21, following a racially charged incident that was caught on camera and later went viral. The protest generated about 40 participants and sought to “tell Discovery Bay that racism anywhere is unacceptable and that Black lives in White majority neighborhoods matter.” This message came on the heels of Discovery Bay resident Adana Dean’s actions, which were caught on camera by her neighbors, the Jones family. In footage posted to social media, Dean is seen telling members of the Jones family that they were “acting Black in a White neighborhood” over a dispute about the Jones’ dog. Dean claimed the family’s dog had attacked her dog, although the family’s surveillance footage showed otherwise. The protest began at Discovery Bay Presbyterian Church, with protesters marching to the gates of the Discovery Bay
Staff Writer
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Jariell Jones leads protesters down Discovery Bay Boulevard, Saturday, Nov. 21. Jones and her family were confronted by a White neighbor who made racial comments outside their home in Discovery Bay. Country Club. Family members took a moment to share their perspective. “Today we march for change to prove that hate like that, which was displayed this
past Monday by Adana Dean, cannot be tolerated and that if you decide to act that way, you will be held accountable,” said Jariell Jones during the protest. Jariell is the sister of the
“ The events of the last semester have shown
by Aly Brown Staff Writer
just how important the ritual of going to school is to a vast majority of our students.
REGIONAL While the Liberty Union High School District’s (LUHSD) hopes for a January return to the classroom were dashed in the wake of surging COVID-19 cases, the board still approved its hybrid reopening plan. The plan received approval at its Nov. 18 meeting. According to LUHSD Superintendent Eric Volta, the first quarter grades illustrate a desperate need to return to campus in order
for students to take advantage of on-site interventions. Volta reported that, when compared to figures in 2019, the rise of students right now with a GPA below 1 has raised from 4.38% to 13.9%; students with a GPA
below 1.99 has increased from 14.35% to 27.61%. “The events of the last semester have shown just how important the ritual of going to school is to a vast majority of our students,” he wrote in a
Adopt-A-Pet.........................16 Classifieds.............................20
Cop Logs................................15 Entertainment.......................8
Food..........................................9 Health & Beauty..................10
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homeowner Gerritt Jones, who was also seen in footage engaging with Dean. Jariell further noted that her family does not see Protesters page 22
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letter home to families after the meeting. Volta later pointed out the struggle of attempting to reopen the district when the state has shut down schools with clear timelines and offered guidance to reopen but hasn’t provided a set time of return — leaving the question of “when” to hang in the air. While he pondered the long-term effects of keeping students away from the structure of the classroom, he also recog-
OAKLEY City officials have approved possible alterations to a 2,789-unit housing project along Oakley’s eastern boundary that involve the addition of two-story town homes and senior housing. Alterations could possibly include the removal of commercial land uses and a planned elementary school. The proposed changes involve two of four project segments — totalling 2,488 units — slated for the northwest corner of Bethel Island and East Cypress roads and near Summer Lake South. The project’s final maps and design review are likely to go before the council for approval sometime before December 2025, when the development agreements expire, said Nancy Marquez-Suarez, assistant to the city manager. At least some of the proposed land plan changes stem from the environmental permitting process that required extensive wetland and open-space preservation. In turn, the overall planned unit count has been reduced by 74 — to the current 2,789 from its original plan of 2,863 units. “As a result of that environmental permitting, they had to scale back substantially in order to preserve wetland and also open space for the development,” said Community Development Director Joshua McMurray. Project alterations on the table include replacing an estimated 14.7 acres of planned commercial land uses with 234 two-story at-
see GPA page 22
see Housing page 22
Legals ...................................21 Milestones............................18
Opinion..................................13 Sports.....................................14
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Eric Volta, LUHSD superintendent
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Housing plan under city review by Kyle Szymanski
District approves reopening plan as GPAs drop
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November 27, 2020
Road Rage Couple Charged
County Extends Eviction Deadline
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