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YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS | SERVING EAST COUNTY
Vol. 23, No. 18
April 30, 2021
Oakley school superintendent to retire County by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
OAKLEY Oakley Union Elementary School District (OUESD) Superintendent Greg Hetrick announced Monday that he will be retiring at the end of the school year. “With a heavy heart, I am sharing with you today that I have decided to retire as your superintendent at the end of this school year,” Hetrick wrote in a letter to the district’s families. “There is really never a good time to retire as a superintendent, as the work will never be done, but for me and my family, the time is right.” Hetrick has spent more than three decades in education and came to the Oakley district in 2002 as assistant principal at O’Hara Park Middle School. He worked in the Brentwood Union School District from 2014 to 2016, then returned to Oakley as superintendent, where he has served through a housing
Oakley Union School District Superintendent Greg Hetrick has announced he’ll retire at the end of this school year.
Press file photo
surge, new school construction, distance learning, hybrid learning and a scandal that led to the resignation of the entire board of trustees. With a new board in
place, the search for a new superintendent can begin. “The Board of Trustees will discuss in future meetings the next steps in the search for
a new superintendent,” stated a letter from the board released Monday. “We want to thank Susee Hetrick page 18
Fire district receives long-awaited grant by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
REGIONAL After a year-long delay, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) received a $500,000 grant that was initially earmarked for the district in Oct. 2019. Championed by Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-11, the grant is the first step in establishing training facilities for the fire district. He presented a ceremonial check to ECCFPD officials during an event held at Station 53 in Oakley, Friday, April 23. “I’m happier than they are,” Frazier said. “This means the world to me that I can be a part
of their success, training and efficiency. Not only does this give the community a well-trained firefighting department, but it’s safety for them. It’s a really good opportunity for everybody.” In remarks made during the ceremony last week, ECCFPD Fire Chief Brian Helmick noted that in the approximately 100year history of fire service in East County, there have never been training grounds for new firefighters or existing firefighters who are advancing in the ranks. “We have not been able to give you a controlled environment or dedicated training see Grant page 18
Adopt-A-Pet........................................ 19 Business................................................. 2
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Photo by Tony Kukulich
Assemblymember Jim Frazier recently presented a ceremonial check to the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District that will go toward the construction of training facilities for the fire district.
Calendar.............................................. 19 Classifieds........................................... 15
Cop Logs................................................ 9 Legals................................................... 16
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reaches COVID-19 vaccine milestone by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
REGIONAL When it was announced in January, the county’s goal of administering one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the Fourth of July seemed aspirational at best, but this week Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) announced they had achieved that goal months ahead of the original deadline. “Hitting the one million vaccine doses administered mark so far ahead of schedule is a testament to the great work being done every day by Contra Costa Health Services staff and our many community and health system partners,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis. “I frequently receive great feedback from constituents on the positive experience they had at one of our clinics. This is certainly something to celebrate, but our work isn’t over yet.” The county’s first doses of the vaccine were administered to healthcare workers Dec. 15, and when the million-dose goal was announced a little over one month later, less than 40,000 doses had been administered. While county officials remained optimistic about their ability to create the infrastructure to support a widespread vaccination effort, concern focused on obtaining a sufficient supply of vaccine. see Vaccine page 18
Milestones.......................................... 13 Sports................................................... 10
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City may build youth center
Opening day on the Delta
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