FIRST DAY OF
g n i r p S
MARCH 20
YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS | SERVING EAST COUNTY
Vol. 23, No. 12
Students return to campus by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
Byron Union School District Superintendent Reyes Gauna helps students check-in as in-class learning restarts for secondthrough fifthgraders at Timber Point Elementary School in Discovery Bay, Monday, March 15.
DISCOVERY BAY Elementary students at the far end of East County returned to their campuses this week and last, and schools are looking forward to welcoming back secondary students after the March spring break. In the Knightsen Elementary School District, Superintendent Harvey Yurkovich said their initial reopening on March 8 – which included transitional kindergarten through third grade – went well. Students in fourth through eighth grades will return on March 29, after the district’s two-week spring break. “It was way better than expected,” Old River Elementary Principal Veronica Polk said. “Naturally, with uncharted territory, you try to plan for any possible bumps in the road, but being able to reach out to families
down last March on a way to safely bring students back to campus. He has had all necessary safety and personal protection equipment in place, and adjusted the district’s reopening plan multiple times, each time the state, county and CDC updated their guidelines. “We are thankful for the
“ I am just playing by the rules the county
Staff Writer
BRENTWOOD Leaders in Brentwood are formally urging the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to uphold the county planning commission’s denial of a cannabis cultivation permit for an unincorporated Brentwood business some say is too close to the nearby Sunset Park Athletic Complex. The county zoning administrator approved the proposed Sellers Avenue facility last year, but the city appealed that decision to the county’s planning commission. That commission
established. These are not my rules. These are the county’s rules.
”
Bob Nunn, Diablo Valley Farms voted to halt the endeavor because it’s located just 170 feet east of the Brentwood park. Diablo Valley Farms owner Bob Nunn has appealed that decision to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, which is expected to rule during a public meeting in late March or early April. Brentwood Vice Mayor
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Johnny Rodriguez said he’s not in favor of the pot farm being built near the park. “My understanding is we have 93,000 young people that utilize Sunset Park on a yearly basis,” Rodriguez said. “I understand it is very close to homes.” In 2019, the supervisors invited Diablo Valley Farms and other storefront cannabis retail-
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Tony Kukulich
ers and commercial cannabis cultivators to submit land-use permit applications. This followed a county interdepartmental panel’s analysis and scoring of several prospective businesses, based on factors including ownership qualifications, location, submitted business and operating plans, proposed security, sustainability, and community and economic benefit. Now Diablo Valley Farms’ ultimate approval appears to hinge on whether the same Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors believes Brentwood’s Sunset Park Athletic Complex,
community and the perspective that has been shared,” he said. “We knew we wanted to get kids back for the longest time, and we are grateful to finally do that. This is our first step back to normal.” Yurkovish said 69% of
City urges supervisors to deny pot farm by Kyle Szymanski
County improves, variants emerge
REGIONAL Even as pandemic-related restrictions eased in Contra Costa County this week, health officials are warning that a highly contagious variant of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been detected in the county. Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) revealed Tuesday, March 16, that laboratory tests confirmed the first two known cases of the U.K. variant, believed to have originated in the United Kingdom. According to CCHS, this variant is thought to be more easily transmitted and possibly more deadly. “This is a reminder that even though COVID numbers are falling, we need to continue using all our tools to prevent another surge,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, CCHS health officer. “Wear masks in public. Continue to physically distance. Avoid both indoor and large gatherings, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn.” COVID-19 case rates and positivity rates – the percentage of COVID-19 tests that return a positive result – have been declining steadily in the county since they peaked in early January. The county’s equity metric – the test positivity rate in economically challenged areas of a county where the pandemic has had a disproportionately large
Photo by Tony Kukulich
and staff and have a clear lens of what to expect was great.” Polk joined Old River’s administration team in September and was able to meet many of her students in person for the first time last week. Yurkovich said he and everyone on his staff have been working since the initial shut-
March 19, 2021
East County Real Estate
Broadway Actress Comes Home
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