Former Brentwood mayoral candidate to attend University of Oxford
By Sean Tongson Correspondent
Ryan Raimondi reflects back on his run for mayor of Brentwood in 2020 at the age of 18. Inspired and fueled by his parents who taught him and his siblings the value of service to others, Raimondi says that the values of empathy and purpose dedicated to leading others was always instilled in him. Today, those same qualities and passion for public service have Raimondi attending the University of Oxford, where he plans to pursue a master’s degree in Public Policy.
“They have dedicated much of their lives to others, particularly to my three older sisters and me,” Raimondi said of his parents. “Fortunately, I had the advantage of watching my three older sisters live out these values every day.
Remembering when the population of Brentwood was about 20,000, the year he was born in 2002, Raimondi says he grew up watching new schools, housing developments, and businesses popped up across Brentwood, his home for 18 years. Raimondi can’t help but compare it to today, with the population about 66,000. In spite of this growth, Raimondi said that Brentwood has always maintained a strong sense of community.
“I have lived in Brentwood my entire life,” Raimondi said. “I lived off Garin Parkway and attended Garin Elementary, Edna Hill, and eventually, Liberty High School. When I was getting my first growth spurt around 2006, Brentwood’s population grew at one of the fastest paces in the country, nearly 1,500 percent.”
Following his 18th birthday, Raimondi says he felt a sense of responsibility to serve the community that had given so much to him; that that sense of belonging and gratitude drove him to run for mayor of Brentwood “head-first” before he even graduated high school. Raimondi calls that campaign easily one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.
“For eight months, I knocked on hundreds of doors, attended the Saturday Farmers Market, conducted interviews, and met with dozens of community leaders,” Raimondi said. “While I had my campaign priorities, each Brentwood citizen had a unique issue they wanted to discuss. They wanted to say what was on their mind and I had the privilege of being the receiving person on more than one occasion. Some I could help, others I couldn’t. Regardless of how the conversation went, those I spoke with respected that I was willing to sit down and hear their concerns about the city. These in-
teractions, I learned, were at the heart of what I loved about the Brentwood community and service.”
Ryan’s father Brian said that Ryan was active in student government while attending Liberty High and also at the state level, starting a club at Liberty that participated in mock student government around the state. Brian says that it was his passion for public service that sparked his run for mayor.
“He gives everything he cares about
with extreme effort and energy,” Brian Raimondi said. “He made so many incredible connections with leaders and citizens in the community. He learned so much about himself and the entire process. Time will tell, but he is still passionate about politics, and I have no doubt when his service commitment is complete, he will start to pursue that dream again.”
While Raimondi did not win the mayoral election in 2020, Raimondi says looking back, it opened up another door for him; the opportunity to attend the United States Naval Academy. After graduation and pursuing his Master’s Degree, Raimondi will serve as a Marine Corps Officer, where Raimondi will lead a platoon.
“I’ve been fortunate to continue serving the Brentwood community in a new capacity, and I’m deeply grateful for it,” Raimondi said. “Once I am finished with my service obligation, I am not sure where my path will take me. However, I committed to a life of public service and intend to continue that in the civilian sector.”
Raimondi says he hopes to run for office again one day, but is unsure of when and where. In the meantime, Raimondi credits the drive and support from the community along with his family for helping to shape who he is today.
RAIMONDI
Preventing mental health crises...
City, county and state offer resources
By Taylor Shepherd Correspondent
The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 4 adults experience a mental health illness each year in the U.S. and 1 in 8 people live with a psychiatric disorder globally. As May is Mental Health Awareness month, the city, county and state make their resources readily available for individuals and family members. City and County resources
While individual cities don’t receive funding from the state for mental health services, Brentwood Interim City Manager Darin Gale and Oakley Assistant City Manager Danielle Navarro said Contra Costa County handles available services.
Oakley Mayor Shannon Shaw mentioned mental health in a press release addressing her goals for 2025.
“Mental health is a pressing issue for all communities,” Shaw said. “I am committed to collaborating with the county and neighboring cities to expand mental health services in the far east county. This will include increasing counseling services, offering more community-based programs, and working to
reduce the stigma that often prevents people from seeking help.
To find out more about the Oakley Mayor’s goals, visit https://bit.ly/4k9uBYp.
In 2012, La Clínica at 2005 Main St., Suite #C, opened the Oakley Specialty Mental Health Clinic with support of Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services. It’s open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., with closure every Friday for two hours for an administrative meeting. “The Casa de Luz clinic is well known in Oakley, Brentwood and Antioch schools and the Concord Family Justice Center,” according to the website. “Since opening in 2012, the Oakley Specialty Mental Health program has provided services to over 1,000 youth and their families and hopes to serve many more in the years to come.”
To find out more about La Clínica, visit https://bit.ly/4m43b7W.
The Contra Costa Crisis Center at 307 Lennon Lane in Walnut Creek provides 24hour care, with programs and resources such as Help Me Grow – a free, family support program for children up to age 5.
Contra Costa Health at 1220 Morello Ave, Suite 200 in Martinez, has a 24/7 response team called A3 Crisis Response. “A3 is Contra Costa County’s innovative approach to provide timely and appropriate mental and behavioral health crisis services to ‘anyone, anywhere, at anytime’ in the county,” according to their website. “If you or someone you know is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, call the A3 Miles Hall Crisis Call Center at 844844-5544, available 24/7.”
Additional resources on their website include calling 911, 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or texting ‘HOPE’ to 20121. The Contra Costa Crisis Center
Another resource is The Contra Costa Crisis Center at 307 Lennon Lane in Walnut Creek. The Crisis Center pro-
vides 24-hour care, with programs and resources such as a 211 database, “a free searchable database of local health and social services with a GIS map,” according to their website crisis-center.org.
A free, family support program for children up to age 5 is also offered. “Help Me Grow is a system focused on early detection, referral and treatment for children with developmental or behavioral concerns,” according to their website.
By calling 211 or 800-830-5380 for a free phone referral, on-call specialists can help residents locate housing, parenting classes, emergency services, child development services and more. To find out more, visit cchealth.org.
Additional resources from the state California offers various resources to support individuals and families, including:
• California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI)- cybhi.chhs.ca.gov.
• Mental Health First Aid- MentalHealthFirstAid.org.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline –988lifeline.org.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - samhsa.gov.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)- nami.org.
• Mental Health America- mhanational.org.
To view a video, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia
Contra Costa Health
Photo courtesy of Contra Costa Crisis Center
He’s called ‘the angriest man in jazz’
Welcome back….
In jazz, the instruments that drive the group, whether it is a quartet, trio, sextet, etc. are the bass and drums. The drums primarily help to keep the rhythm, but the bass is what keeps the group in a steady groove (or gets it to ‘tippin,’ a term we discussed in a previous article) so that it can really swing.
Explorations in Jazz
There are many great bass players in jazz: Jimmy Blanton, Slam Stewart, Ray Brown, Oscar Pettiford (the only Indigenous jazz player) up to modern times with players like Jimmy Garrison, Buster Williams, Ron Carter, Percy Heath, Christian McBride. When I talk about bass players in jazz, I consider true bass players to be those who play double bass (this is just my opinion).
But I’m excited about this article because it gives me a chance to talk about, in my eyes and ears, the greatest jazz bass player ever –Charles Mingus Jr. Now, some may say, ‘Why Mingus?’ Well, not only was he an exceptional player on the instrument because of his finger/bowing technique, but he was also an accomplished composer, a band leader, pianist, and author. He was one of the early pioneers of improvisation in jazz and founded The Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop, which gave the new wave of free-form jazz musicians a place to stage their work.
Mingus, despite all his accomplishments, is also considered to be the angriest man in jazz as is reflected in some of the titles of his compositions, as well his antics on and off the stage.
Some of Mingus’s titles to his compositions expressed how he felt about his life, which allowed him to play in a free-form style of what some considered total chaos, to unparalleled beauty in harmonic structure. Some of those titles are ‘Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me,’ ‘The Shoes of the Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers,’ to his masterpiece ‘The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady,’ which is a largescale composition that used overdubbing to intensify his song (it set a new standard for large-scale compositions) to the very beautiful ‘Reincarnation Of A Lovebird’ with the bright notes of the piano and sax. It shows how the transition of jazz from Bebop, to mainstream jazz, with the bass setting the tone of tempos that would become free-form music.
But to really get a feel for how much of a genius Mingus was is to simply listen to his most famous composition ‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’, which is dedicated to the late great saxophonist Lester Young ( Prez) whom he simply adored.
Let’s take a dive into what Mingus was about. Mingus was an iconoclastic visionary, probably the greatest bass player in jazz, composer, and pianist. Mingus established a movement within modern jazz that marked a departure from bebop and helped chart bring about the style of avant-garde jazz.
His biggest inspiration in jazz was Duke Ellington (whose band he was in for a short
period of time until he ran on stage during a performance at Carnegie Hall just as the curtain was going up; Duke had started the countdown to ‘Take The ‘A’ Train’). He attempted to attack Juan Tizol, a trombone player with a fire axe due to a feud they were having. That forced Ellington to ask for his resignation from band Ellington in an elegant manner said “Charles, this type of behavior is unacceptable, so I regret I must ask you to resign from my band.”
Years later, Ellington, Max Roach, and Mingus would record one of the most important albums in jazz, ‘The Money Jungle.’ In 1956, Mingus released for ‘Pithecanthropus Erectus’ based on a four-movement tone poem. This composition, according to Mingus, traced the rise and fall of human evolution as he saw it. Mingus has a catalogue of compositions that, like Ellington/Strayhorn, have been played by just about every major player in jazz. The compositions include ‘Haitian Fight Song’ (a blues-based composition), ‘Better Git It In Your Soul’ (which has the instruments depicting a call and response, which is common in the Baptist Church), ‘Good-bye Pork Pie Hat,’ ‘Wednesday Prayer Meeting,’ and one tune that is my all-time favorite, ‘All The Things I Could Have Been If Sigmund Freud’s Mother Was My Mother’ (a nod to the fact that Mingus was mentally unstable, and had been admitted to a mental hospital on several occasions.)
Mingus was a musical genius despite his unusual behavior, such as when he was being evicted from his New York apartment/studio, he barricaded himself inside as the New York police attempted to evict him and kept them at bay with several firearms that he indicated he had. This whole scene was turned into an award-winning documentary.
Because of Mingus’s personality, his writing skills and his ability to play across all aspects of jazz, his very precise bowing and fingering on the instrument, and being able to keep up a pace that pushed his band Jaki Byard, Dannie Richmond, and Charles McPhearson to play music that was way ahead of its time, when you listen to him you will know why he was the greatest bass player in jazz, and because of his antics also the angriest.
So, until next time, remember: “Fine jazz is when a tenor man lifts his foot in the air. Great jazz is when he heaves a piercing note for 32 bars and collapses on his hands and knees. A pure genius of jazz is manifested when he and the rest of the orchestra run around the room while the rhythm section grimaces and dances around their instruments.”
Charles Mingus
tEd turnEr
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Three years after Sergio Soto’s passing – an update
It’s been three years since Sergio Soto passed away, and his story continues to leave a lasting mark.
Widely covered by media outlets including Good Morning America, Brentwood Press, Bay Area news stations, and publications in Mexico, Sergio’s life — and the love we shared — touched thousands. Since then, I’ve received countless messages through my blog asking for an update. As Brentwood Press helped bring our story to light, I felt it was time to share what’s come next.
Editorial
Sergio passed on Jan. 11, 2022, after a courageous battle with cancer. In the six months we were given after his diagnosis, we packed a lifetime of adventures into every moment. I remember asking him one day, “Anything else you want to do?” And with peace in his voice, Sergio simply said, “Nah.” Tragically, our final chapter came when he developed a severe
Younger generation should be taught empathy in school
Editor:
Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In these past few years, it seems as if empathy is being demonstrated much less in children. They’ve been growing up with a lack of it compared to other generations. Every child is known to be taught many values at home, empathy being a major one. But how effective is empathy truly on younger generations?
Many argue that with the rise of technology, many children have started to isolate themselves from the world. As humans, we rely on social interactions to go on with our lives. Many have begun to stray away from verbal interactions
pulmonary infection. He held on for several days, surrounded by love, until he took his last breath in my arms, with friends and family nearby.
Before he passed, Sergio asked me to share this message:
“Even if this illness takes me, just know that I’m okay — and I’ll be fine. I can do this, and I’ll always be here, no matter what.”
Kindness was always at the heart of who Sergio was. In 2017, while attending La Paloma High School, he wrote an essay titled “The Types of Kindness.” In it, Sergio reflected: “It reminds me that I made a lot of people happy… and that doing so made me happy, and I want to continue to help people.” That simple, yet powerful, belief guided how he lived his life — and how he faced death. Even in the hardest moments, he chose compassion, connection, and joy.
Since his passing, I’ve begun a new chapter of my own. I’m now in nursing school at the University of San
Francisco, one of the most competitive BSN programs in the country. It was my journey with Sergio — our love, our challenges, and the lessons I learned through his care — that formed the foundation of my application and helped me get accepted. Our story became a testament to compassion, resilience, and purpose — all values that are at the heart of nursing.
Inspired by Sergio’s strength, I’ve become deeply involved in advocacy work — particularly for bereaved families and children battling cancer. I work closely with One At A Time (@campaignoaat), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer patients and their families.
In the fall 2022, I attended the RiSE Festival in Las Vegas, where thousands gather in the Mojave Desert to release sky lanterns in memory of loved ones. I joined other grieving families, many of whom had lost children to cancer, to honor those we’ve lost and continue our advocacy. Sergio’s legacy lives on in these efforts,
Letters to the editor
for conversations through a screen. This has made many lose communication with kids and interactions decrease.
Moreover, there are pros to that argument. As an empathetic person, empathy is, and always will be, what makes a person human. Having any type of empathy will make a person reinforce stable relationships and better communication. Children have been keener on adapting to empathy.
As a solution to this, adding classes in schools to teach empathy would work. Starting children off at an early age can help mold them to be people who are more than understanding.
We would see a potential decrease in bullying and better comprehension about others’ struggles.
Children being able to be there for
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others is more than enough to be a good person. Empathy is a wonderful value to have, and its effectiveness can be shown in those who care for others.
Mia Torres Brentwood
Trump, Harris, and their voters have opposite morals
Editor:
Hallie
Munoz,
the author of the May 2 letter in The Press (“Your Vote is the Same as Your Morals”) put it perfectly.
Her example that Kamala Harris has “woke” morals, therefore, her voters are seen as having “woke” morals is spoton. And that’s a good thing, because “woke” means to be aware of racism and bigotry (and to be against them). That means that people against “woke” show
continuing to inspire those still in the fight.
In 2024, we said goodbye to another fighter — Karim Pena, a close friend of Sergio’s who battled MELAS, a rare and devastating genetic disorder. Karim looked up to Sergio throughout his illness, and his story is a powerful reminder of the strength and solidarity within this community.
Today, I volunteer at George Mark Children’s House in San Leandro, offering support to families caring for children with life-limiting illnesses. It’s a place where I can give back the same kind of love and empathy Sergio carried so effortlessly — and where I can help others feel less alone.
This isn’t just a story about loss. It’s a story about continuing, about purpose, and about love that refuses to fade. Sergio may be gone, but the impact of his life continues to shine — through advocacy, healing, and the quiet moments of kindness shared in his memory.
Isabella Cristobal
us that they are in favor of racism and bigotry, whereas Trump’s morals are: He is a court-decreed racist, an adjudicated rapist, a convicted felon, a police loathing, veteran/military hating, Hitler-quoting Nazi sympathizer who inspired an antiAmerican insurrection where cops were beaten and later died.
So since their vote is the same as their morals, Trump voters showed us that they agree with morals of racism, rape, pro-criminals, anti-American domestic terrorism, and Nazi sympathizers. Trump supporters voted for those morals, which means that those are their morals, as well. That’s sad for them, and dangerous for our country.
Kevin Cunningham Brentwood
Hometown SportS
Heritage underclassmen get first taste of NCS volleyball playoffs
By Juan Cebreiros Correspondent
The Heritage boys volleyball team, the 8th seed, has now won playoff games in consecutive years and looked to make the NCS semifinals for the second year in a row with a win on Thursday over 16th seed Irvington.
The Patriots advanced to the North Coast Section quarterfinals by beating visiting Campolindo 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-14, 25-23) in the opening round.
“I’m excited for them,” Heritage head coach Janet Hannigan said following the playoff win. “It feels good. It was important, especially for the underclassmen to get a feel of this atmosphere and I think a lot of people learned a lot.”
Against Campolindo, the Patriots dropped the opening set after Campolindo scored the match’s first four points. After the first set, Heritage limited their mistakes, and capitalized on the Cougars’ mistakes.
“The first set wasn’t clean,” Hannigan said. “We made a lot of our own errors, and I think at one point (Campolindo) only earned six points.”
Serving errors had been a problem for Heritage all season and were the deciding factor in several matches. However, Tuesday night, the Patriots committed just five ser-
vice errors for their fewest in any game on the season. “It was really good,” Hannigan said of the team’s serving. “I wouldn’t say our serving is super tough. So if you’re not going to serve it tough and you’re going to miss, there’s going to be a problem.”
Senior hitter Sapond Mashal led the team with 17 kills and was the only Patriot
in double figures. Hannigan said that effort, along with strong performances from the underclassmen, enabled the playoff victory.
Hannigan added that she believes the 14-10 regular season record doesn’t represent the growth her team had throughout the season. Four of Heritage’s losses came with them forcing a deciding third set in
tournament matches, or fifth set in official matches.
“There’s been so many times that it could have gone either way on games,” Hannigan said. “It was good to see them be able to dig themselves out of a hole. We haven’t always had that this year.”
While the underclassmen have stepped up throughout the season, Hannigan said she has been pleased with the versatility of her team. She said junior libero Alvin Ella traditionally plays as a setter, but has made the transition to libero this season.
“I love how versatile the players are,” Hannigan said. “Almost everybody on this team can set a ball up and let somebody else take over, and you saw that tonight, it was great. They’re calm about it and they are all very comfortable.”
Despite the playoffs having begun, Hannigan still wants her players hungry for their playing role on the roster. Several times during the match on Tuesday, she pulled a player right after a mistake to send a message to that player.
“The team’s got to be willing to go with the flow and understand if you’re putting forth a good effort out on the court, you’re going to stay,” Hannigan said. “If you’re not, we’ll try something else. It doesn’t mean you’re bad. Just try something else and see what works.”
Liberty volleyball takes playoffs ‘one match at a time’
By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer
The saying goes: “Slow and steady wins the race.”
For Liberty’s boys volleyball team, they’ve taken that approach in their own right, “one match at a time.”
The 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 25-19) win Tuesday night over Granada in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 1 playoffs was a good example of it. It showed what may come should the Lions continue to progress in the playoffs as the eighth-seeded Lions prepare for their quarterfinal matchup at top-seeded Northgate in Walnut Creek on Thursday.
“All we can do,” Liberty head volleyball coach Haylie Bustamante said. “Just take it one match at a time and hopefully that carries us through a long way.”
Senior Tyler DeGuzman thinks that the Lions could take that “slow and steady” approach a step further.
“We’ve got to take it one step further and go one point at a time with the things that we can do,” he said. “We have to pay attention to what we can do in the present time, rather than the future.”
The NCS playoffs already had one of its top seeds get upset Tuesday night as 16seed Irvington (Fremont) beat top-seeded College Prep (Oakland) in the Division 2 bracket Tuesday night. If the Lions needed a sign that anything is possible, this was it.
“We just have to believe that we could (beat top-seeded Northgate),” Bustamante said. “Any team can beat any team on any given night. It just depends on who’s going to show up, have the heart, want it more, and not give up. As long as we go in and don’t give up, then that’s all I can ask of them.”
Mason Villaroman
and Nikolas Bernal (right) celebrate after scoring the final point in the Lions’ NCS volleyball playoff match against Granada Tuesday night in Brentwood.
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
The Lions return to the postseason this year for the seventh-straight full season since 2016 (not including the 2020 season cancelled because of COVID-19 and the shortened 2021 campaign). Last year, following a 29-win season and a share of the Bay Valley Athletic League title, the Lions reached the NCS semifinals, falling 3-0 to, then-second-seed Castro Valley on the road.
This year, however, is different.
Throughout the regular season, the Lions have shown a level of maturity that they didn’t have a year ago that not only sprung
them toward an outright BVAL title, but something that also gives them confidence going into the quarterfinals.
The maturity showed after the first set Tuesday night against the Matadors. Liberty came out a little overexcited and committed several errors in the set that kept Granada close. However, the Lions eked out the win to start the night on the right foot. They calmed down in the second set and looked more like the consistent team that won 23 games this season.
“(Bustamante) just said to stay confident, stay calm, and stay consistent,” DeGuzman said. “That’s our ‘three C’s.’ Do what we can because we know we can, and do what we’re capable of and trust your teammates.”
DeGuzman, who was a junior on last year’s NCS semifinal team, added that the victory on Tuesday gives the Lions a nudge heading to Northgate, but some things need to be cleaned up.
“(Tuesday night’s win) gives us confidence,” DeGuzman said. “But we know we gotta move on and be a lot more fundamental with what we do.”
To view a video and a slideshow, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia
Liberty’s
(left)
The Heritage boys volleyball team celebrates during their North Coast Section playoff game against Campolindo Tuesday night in Brentwood.
Photo by Juan Cebreiros
News iN Brief
Newsom expands affordable housing, support for rural Californians with $118.9 million in federal funding
The California Department of Housing and Community Development has announced nearly $118.9 million in awards from three federally funded programs to address homelessness by paying for development of 487 affordable rental homes, supporting emergency shelters and homeless outreach, and providing rapid rehousing and supportive services needed to help low-income Californians buy and keep their homes.
In 2021, the U.S. Congress appropriated $5 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act to reduce homelessness nationwide, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Of that amount, $512 million was awarded directly to California cities by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Another $155 million went to HCD to implement HOME Investments Partnerships American Rescue Plan programs in California for those non-entitlement jurisdictions—specifically rural communities and unincorporated areas — that did not receive funding directly from HUD.
The program announced 10 awards totaling $89 million, including two awards to Tribal Entities. The Yurok Indian Housing Authority
and Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians received a combined $18.7 million to pay for 31 units.
“Housing affordability and homelessness affect all areas, not just our large, metro areas,” said Tomiquia Moss, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Secretary. HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez added: “By providing much-needed resources to rural and tribal communities, these awards help address our homelessness crisis and meet the critical needs of these residents. Federal support ensures the state continues its stride toward providing housing stability and affordability for all.
Survey seeks input on future of East Bay Regional Parks
The East Bay Regional Park District is developing a District Plan for the future of the parks and people.
The plan will set priorities and guide how the Park District manages and protects parks, open space, and community resources across the East Bay. Take a short survey, explore the project timeline at ebparks.org/district-plan.
In other parks news:
– May is National Wildfire Awareness Month, a time when the East Bay Regional Park District and other agencies highlight the importance of preparing for the upcoming wildfire season. While the Park District works year-round to reduce wildfire risks, it’s everyone’s collective efforts and vigilance that can make the difference. Make sure to follow all
safety rules in parks and maintain defensible space around your home. For more information, visit ebparks.org/fire-safety.
– New boat inspection and banding policies took effect May 7 in response to increasing concerns about the presence of invasive golden mussels in the Delta. The band program will now use lake-specific, color-coded bands. Watercraft returning to the same lake or reservoir with an intact lake-specific band and a copy of the prior inspection documents will receive an abbreviated inspection and will not be subject to an inspection fee. Boats without a lakespecific band will require a full inspection and associated fee. Boaters coming from a different waterbody should plan on additional time for inspections. The inspection process for car-top watercraft such as kayaks, canoes, and inflatables has not changed; they are inspected each time they enter a lake, and a fee is charged only once every 30 days. Visit ebparks.org/mussels for more information.
– Have you taken photos of East Bay Regional Parks? The Park District seeks highquality photos that capture the natural beauty of the East Bay. Photos with iconic views and vistas, awe-inspiring park landscapes, eyecatching wildlife, and visitors enjoying nature are needed. Photo resolution of 300 pixels per inch is preferred. Photo credit will be given to photographers whenever possible.
Selected photos may be used in Park District publications, including a chance to be featured in the Park District’s 2026 wall calendar. To be considered for the calendar, the photo must be a minimum 300 ppi (600 ppi is preferred) and 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high. Photos selected for the annual wall calendar will receive photo credit and a $100 honorarium. For more information, visit ebparks.org/ submit-a-parkpic.
Newsom’s new tax credits will generate $2.1 billion investment in world’s 4th-largest economy
Gov. Newsom has announced that the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) awarded $30.5 million in California Competes Tax Credit (CalCompetes) awards to seven companies, supporting the creation of new jobs and spurring more than $2.1 billion in new private investment
across the state, the governor’s office said in a press release.
The awardees represent a diverse range of sectors critical to California’s future; none are in East County.
Since 2013, California Competes has awarded tax credits to more than 1,200 businesses, creating nearly 160,000 jobs, and resulting in more than $50 billion of private investment across the state.
Free narcan to treat opioid overdose available at 3 County libraries, including Antioch
Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is now available at three County Library locations. Naloxone is a medicine that quickly reverses an opioid overdose. The medication is free and available in self-service stands in the public areas at the Antioch, Pleasant Hill, and San Pablo libraries. Doses are available during library open hours; no registration, identification, or proof of insurance is required, according to a press release from the county.
Opioid-related deaths in Contra Costa and California have steadily climbed over most of the past decade, although rates dropped in 2024. Many of those overdoses, especially in recent years, have involved the use of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Drug overdoses were the leading cause of death for adults aged 25-54 in Contra Costa from 2020-22. The County recently launched its OD-Free Contra Costa campaign to combat this trend, raise awareness, and connect people to resources like narcan.
“This initiative helps ensure that anyone, at any moment, can step in and save a life, making our communities safer for everyone,” said District IV Supervisor Ken Carlson.
Added District V Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston: “This program is about compassion and action. By making naloxone free and easy to access, we’re empowering everyday people to help those in crisis and offering hope at a moment when it’s needed most.”
The naloxone doses are available because of a partnership between Bay Area Community Resources and the libraries.
For more information, contact Library Public Information Officer Brooke Converse at brooke.converse@library.cccounty.us or (925) 329-8414.
C lassifieds & l egals
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0001736 The name of the business(es): THE WOODS COLLECTION ENTERPRISE Located at: 4518 DOE WAY In: ANTIOCH CA 94531, is hereby registered by the following owner(s):
1. DARREN EUGENE WOODS
2. NAKIESHA SHUNELL WOODS. This business is conducted by: A Married Couple. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: DARREN WOODS. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 03/31/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 03/30/2030
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0001938 The name of the business(es): Metropolitan Physician Associates Located at: 2035 Windward Point In: Discovery Bay, CA 94505, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Metropolitan Physician Assistant, Inc This business is conducted by: A Corporation, State of Incorporation: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Robert Hsu, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/11/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires
04/10/2030
Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0001680 The name of the business(es): Gallen Consulting Firm Located at: 8946 Great Rock Cir In: Sacramento, CA 95829, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Shannon Janelle Allen. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Shannon Allen, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 03/27/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires
03/26/2030
Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0002000 The name of the business(es): Home-Aid Cookies Located at: 3037 Carey Lane In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Kris Baker. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Kris Baker, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/14/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires
File No. F-2025-0001738 The name of the business(es): EXTRA COSMETICS Located at: 8510 Brentwood Blvd Apt #213 In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s):
1. KENNEDY WILLIAMS
2. NAKIESHA WOODS. This business is conducted by: Co-Partners. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Kennedy Williams, General Partner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 03/31/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 03/30/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0002034 The name of the business(es): Defender Pest Control
Located at: 835 Railroad Ave #22, In Pittsburg, CA 94565 is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Junior Duarte. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or
names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Junior Duarte, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/15/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 04/14/2030
Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2025-0001945 The name of the business(es): EAST COUNTY CUSTOMS Located at: 420 Beatrice Ct., Ste. E In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Nor-Cal Fleet Management Corporation. This business is conducted by: A Corporation, State of Incorporation: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Deane Sheppard, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/11/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 04/10/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2025-0001657 The name of the business(es): Calvary Chapel Discovery Bay Located at: 1555 Riverlake Rd., Suite Q In: Discovery Bay, Ca 94505, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Discovery Bay Calvary Fellowship, Inc. This business is conducted by: a Corporation, State of Incorporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on . Signature of registrant: Melissa Morrison, Secretary. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 03/26/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 03/26/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2025-0002131 The name of the business(es): Julie’s Korean Kitchen Located at: 7760 Brentwood Blvd, Ste E In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Jujip Holdings Inc. This business is conducted by: A Corporation, State of Incorporation: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Kwang Suk Ju, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/21/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 04/20/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2025-0001967 The name of the business(es): Brentwood Senior Concierge LLC Located at: 314 Wintergreen Dr. In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Brentwood Senior Concierge LLC. This business is conducted by: A Limited Liability Company, State of Organization: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Vicki Ulrich, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/11/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires
05/26/2025 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT File No. F-2025-0001916 The name of the business(es): East Bay Mobile Country Vet, Inc Located at: 1950 Arabian Ln In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): East Bay Mobile Country Vet, Inc. This business is conducted by: A Corporation, State of Incorporation: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 08/21/2015. Signature of registrant: Tina Faulkner, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/10/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires
04/09/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0001853 The name of the business(es): Brentwood Ice Cream Co. Located at: 5421 Lone Tree Way, Suite 101 In: Brentwood, CA 94513, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): KAYA WORLD FOODS INC. This business is conducted by: A Corporation, State of Incorporation: CA. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Xin Chen, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/07/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 4/6/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0002073 The name of the business(es): Cocoa and Ivory Bridal Couture Located at: 4832 Highlands Way In: Antioch, CA, 94531, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Julie Anne Carlson. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Julie Carlson, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/17/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 04/16/2030 Antioch Press No. 06-1617
Publish Dates: May 9, 16, 23, 30, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0002037 The name of the business(es): Superior Consulting Located at: 1008 Morning Glory Way In: Oakley, CA 94561, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Steven Christopher Hrones. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Signature of registrant: Steven Hrones, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/15/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 04/14/2030 Oakley Press No. 03-0477
Publish Dates: May 9, 16, 23, 30, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0002129 The name of the business(es): Cornelius Cards and Collectibles Located at: 191 Escondido Dr In: Martinez, CA 94553, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Brian Clifford Cornelius. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 10/01/2023. Signature of registrant: Brian Cornelius, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 04/18/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires 04/17/2030 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: May 9, 16, 23, 30, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. F-2025-0001644 The name of the business(es): HORNE Located at: 381 Parkfield Way In: Oakley, CA 94561, is hereby registered by the following owner(s): Kevin Winston. This business is conducted by: An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A.
Signature of registrant: Kevin Winston, Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Contra Costa County on: 03/26/2025 by Deputy Clerk Expires
03/25/2030 Oakley Press No. 03-0477
Publish Dates: April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME
PETITIONER OR ATTORNEY: Sarah Lindahl SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 PETITION OF: Sarah Joy Lindahl, Sarah Joy Lindahl CASE NUMBER: N25-0843 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:
1. Petitioner Sarah Joy Lindahl, Sarah Joy Lindahl filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name:
a. Sarah Joy Lindahl
b. AKA Sarah Lindahl to Proposed Name: Sarah Joy Lindahl, Sr.
2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 08/01/2025 Time: 9:00am Dept.: 30 Room: 201 b. The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Brentwood Press Date: April 24 2025 Judge of the Superior Court Brentwood Press Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME PETITIONER OR ATTORNEY: Adriana Bermejo & Jorge Diaz SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 PETI-
TION OF: Adriana Bermejo & Jorge Diaz
CASE NUMBER: N25-0797 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:
1. Petitioner Adriana Bermejo & Jorge Diaz filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: a. Citlalli Lizeth Diaz Bermejo to Proposed Name: a. Citlalli Lizeth Diaz
2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.
NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date:
07/18/2025 Time: 9:00 AM Dept.: 30 Room: 201 b. The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Brentwood Press
Date: April 18 2025 Judge of the Superior Court Brentwood Press Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME
PETITIONER OR ATTORNEY: Jerome Eugene Nunes SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 PETITION OF: Jerome Eugene Nunes CASE NUMBER: N25-0699 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:
1. Petitioner Jerome Eugene Nunes filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: a. Jerome Eugene Nunes to Proposed Name: Jeremy Nunes
2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 7/2/2025 Time: 9:00 a.m. Dept.: 30 b. The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive
weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Brentwood Press b. Type info here if box is checked or delete this sentence if not. Date: April 8, 2025 Judge of the Superior Court Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273
Publish Dates: April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 2025 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME PETITIONER OR ATTORNEY: Aalya Monet Vanzego SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 PETITION OF: Aalya Monet Vanzego CASE NUMBER: N25-0434 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioner Aalya Monet Vanzego, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: a. Aalya Monet Vanzego to Proposed Name: Aalya Monet
2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 05/28/2025 Time: 9:00a.m. Dept.: 30 b. The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Brentwood Press Date: 2/27/2025 Judge of the Superior Court Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Publish Dates: April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 2025
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Oakley Planning Commission nominates new TRANSPLAN panel members
Harvey is primary member, Oliveros is alternate
By Connor Robles Correspondent
The Oakley Planning Commission nominated two of its members, Kerry Harvey and Yared Oliveros, to serve as their primary and alternate representatives, respectively, on the TRANSPLAN Committee, which coordinates transportation planning in East Contra Costa County, at their May 6 meeting.
Harvey and Oliveros will serve along-
Amtrak from page 1
side Oakley City councilmember Aaron Meadows, who is also the vice chairman of the TRANSPLAN Committee. Brentwood, Antioch, Pittsburg, and Contra Costa County as a whole also send representatives to the committee.
Harvey and Oliveros are the two newest members of the Oakley Planning Commission, having been selected at the commission’s Jan. 28 meeting to replace Jimmy Ramirez and Jeanne Krieg. The pair expressed interest in representing Oakley on the TRANSPLAN Committee before being unanimously approved as the new representatives. Commissioner Oleksii Chuiko was absent from the meeting and did not participate in the vote.
The committee “is very important…
The station also has reportedly been plagued with violence and homeless people living there, creating concerns of an unsafe environment. Originally earmarked for closure upon completion of the Oakley Amtrak Station, Baird says the City of Antioch is seeking conversations with relevant agencies and decision-makers to advocate for the station’s continued operation. While Baird said the closure is still under consideration, the city hopes that advocacy and public engagement will change that status. However, until a final decision is announced,
NOTICE INVITING BIDS
1. Bid Submission. The City of Brentwood (“City”) will accept sealed bids for its Downtown Alley Rehabilitation – Helen Myers Way (Midway) & Park Way Project, CIP No. 56256414 (“Project”), by or before May 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at its City Clerk’s office, located at City Hall, third floor, 150 City Park Way, Brentwood, California 94513, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at City Hall, Council Chamber, 150 City Park Way, Brentwood, California 94513.
Bids that are hand delivered must be handed directly to the City employee staffing the City Hall third floor window. If the window is not staffed, you must contact the City Clerk by dialing 5440, using the phone at the third floor window, and hand deliver it to the City employee answering the door.
2. Project Information.
2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located at Helen Myers Way alley from Pine Street to Birch Street and Park Way alley from Birch Street to Chestnut Street, and is described as follows: This project consists of the installation of new water, sewer, and storm drain facilities and either the removal or replacement of existing infrastructure.
2.2 Time for Final Completion. The Project must be fully completed within 365 calendar days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about July 21, 2025, but the anticipated start date is provided solely for convenience and is neither certain nor binding.
2.3 Estimated Cost. The estimated construction cost is $4,000,000.
3. License and Registration Requirements.
3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): Class A.
3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.
4. Contract Documents. Bidders must request and obtain an electronic copy of the plans, specifications, bid forms and contract documents for the Project, and any addenda thereto (“Contract Documents”) directly from the City (at no charge) by completing and submitting the “Document Request Form” located on the City’s website at: http://www.
brentwoodca.gov/projects-bids-rfps. The City may reject a bid submitted by a bidder that did not obtain the Contract Documents from the City as required.
5. Bid Security. The Bid Proposal must be accompanied by bid security of ten percent of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Potential Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, valid Certificates of Reported Compliance as required under the California Air Resources Board’s In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation (13 CCR § 2449 et seq.) (“Off-Road Regulation”), if applicable, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents, including information regarding local purchases and local labor if required by the Instructions to Bidders, using the form provided with the Notice of Potential Award, and as specified in the Notice of Potential Award.
6. Prevailing Wage Requirements.
6.1 General. Pursuant to California Labor Code § 1720 et seq., this Project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which the Work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform the Work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, apprenticeship and similar purposes.
6.2 Rates. The prevailing rates are on file with the City and are available online at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR. Each Contractor and Subcontractor must pay no less than the specified rates to all workers employed to work on the Project. The schedule of per diem wages is based upon a working day of eight hours. The rate for holiday and overtime work must be at least time and one-half.
6.3 Compliance. The Contract will be subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the DIR, under Labor Code § 1771.4.
7. Performance and Payment Bonds. The successful bidder will be required to provide performance and payment bonds, each for 100% of the Contract Price, as further specified in the Contract Documents.
8. Substitution of Securities. Substitution of appropriate securities in lieu of retention amounts from progress payments is permitted under Public Contract Code § 22300.
it gives [members] an idea of what’s going on with plans, not just here [in Oakley], but throughout the county,” said Oakley Planning Commission vice chairman and former TRANSPLAN Committee member Leonard Price.
He also mentioned that TRANSPLAN meetings are typically over quickly, despite their “thick” agendas, and are often canceled, as the most recent scheduled meeting was.
In other commission news:
• The commission adopted a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the City of Oakley’s Climate Action Plan. The city began drafting the plan in 2024, and received feedback on it at two workshops in November 2024 and
the future of the station remains uncertain.
“The Antioch community has expressed strong support for keeping the station operational,” Baird said. “For many, it is more than a transit point; it represents accessibility, economic opportunity, and a vital connection to the region. The City shares those concerns and is committed to preserving this important transportation resource.”
Baird said that residents are encouraged to make their voices heard (they can contact the
9. Subcontractor List. Each Subcontractor must be registered with the DIR to perform work on public projects. Each bidder must submit a completed Subcontractor List form with its Bid Proposal, including the name, location of the place of business, California contractor license number, DIR registration number, and percentage of the Work to be performed (based on the base bid price) for each Subcontractor that will perform Work or service or fabricate or install Work for the prime contractor in excess of one-half of 1% of the bid price, using the Subcontractor List form included with the Contract Documents. 10. Instructions to Bidders. All bidders should carefully review the Instructions to Bidders for more detailed information before submitting a Bid Proposal. The definitions provided in Article 1 of the General Conditions apply to all of the Contract Documents, as defined therein, including this Notice Inviting Bids. 11. Bidders’ Site Visit. A bidders’ site visit will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., at the following location: the intersection of Park Way Alley and Chestnut Street to acquaint all prospective bidders with the Contract Documents and the Worksite. The bidders’ conference is mandatory A bidder who fails to attend a mandatory bidders’ conference may be disqualified from bidding. Note: Public Contract Code § 6610 prohibits any mandatory pre-bid conference, site visit, or meeting from taking place sooner than five days after the Notice Inviting Bids is published for the first time. CITY OF BRENTWOOD /s/ Amanda McVey, City Clerk; Dated: 5/1/2025 Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 94812 Publish Dates: May 9, 16, 2025.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Brentwood will hold a public hearing at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits, on May 13, 2025 to consider the following matter: Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Brentwood 1) amending the FY 2023/24 Cost Allocation Plan and Schedule of City Fees; 2) making certain supporting findings, including the inapplicability of the California Environmental Quality Act to these actions; 3) implementing new Tobacco Retail License Fee 4) implementing a new Tobacco Retailers Wind-Down Permit Fee 5) implementing a new no-fee Tobacco Retailers Wind-Down Permit
and 6) implementing Administrative Fines for violations of Brentwood Municipal Code Chapter 5.76, Licensure of Tobacco Retailers
This action has been found to be exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4), as it relates to the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities, which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. Further information or viewable copies of the draft plan and schedules may be obtained from the City Clerk’s office at City Hall, 150 City Park Way, Brentwood, California 94513 (925) 516-5400.
City Council Members will be participating from the Council Chamber. Members of the public are invited to attend and participate at: the Council Chambers, 150 City Park Way, Brentwood CA
As a courtesy and technology permitting, members of the public may provide remote public comment during public hearings and on business items via the City’s Zoom Platform. However, the City cannot guarantee that the public’s access to teleconferencing technology will be uninterrupted, and technical difficulties may occur from time to time. In those instances, so long as the public may still attend the meeting in person, the meeting will continue. In addition, the Zoom participation option is provided to the public as a courtesy in order to facilitate participation. If Zoom participation is not enabled, the meeting will continue with public attendance in person only. Members of the public desiring to provide comments as a part of the meeting are encouraged to either submit written comments by 3:00 p.m. prior to the meeting or to attend the meeting in person.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The public is invited to participate in the City Council meeting using any of the following methods:
1. IN PERSON:
a. Members of the public can provide inperson comments in the Council Chambers. Members of the public are encouraged, but not required, to fill out a speaker card. The Council Chambers will have seating available for members of the public to attend in person up to full seating capacity.
2. REMOTE (if enabled): Remarks by members of the public participating via
March 2025. The plan will provide guidelines on climate adaptation, greenhouse gas emissions, climate action budgeting, and eco-friendly transportation planning, among other climate-related matters.
• The panel also approved the final development plan of the Cypress Ranch housing development between Knightsen Avenue, East Cypress Road, and Jersey Island Road. The development will have 191 single-family homes ranging in size from 1,438 to 2,566 square feet in three distinct styles, each with three distinct color schemes. Cypress Ranch will also have two distinct subdivisions: the Landing, located in the west, will have smallerlot homes, while the Meadows, in the east, will have larger lots.
city at www.antiochca.gov/recreation/contact-us/), and to support the city’s advocacy efforts, adding that the city will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. The City of Antioch has been contacted multiple times since last week for further clarity on some numbers and statistics, but they have not responded.
“The city is committed to transparency and will share any developments regarding the station’s status,” Baird said.
Zoom are limited to speaking on items listed under public hearings; business items; and requests for future agendas items, existing requests. Zoom participation during the general public comment period will not be accepted, except in the event a City Council Member is participating remotely under the provisions of Government Code § 54953 (f).
a. Zoom: www.brentwoodca.gov/vcc or Zoom Webinar ID: 760 1397 0037
b. Zoom Phone Numbers. Dial Toll Free: (833) 548-0276 or (833) 548-0282 or (877) 853-5247.
c. During the meeting, each period for public comment will be announced, and participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature on Zoom to request to speak. (If you need instructions on how to use this feature, please contact the City Clerk by noon of the meeting date at cityclerk@brentwoodca.gov or 925.516.5182.)
3. E-MAIL
a. Public comments can also be submitted via e-mail to cityclerk@brentwoodca.gov. Any public comments received up until 3:00 p.m. of the meeting date will be:
1. distributed to the Council via email before the meeting,
2. posted online for public inspection at www.brentwoodca.gov/meetings and 3. later summarized in the meeting minutes. b. As e-mails containing public meeting comments are part of the official record, note that personal contact information may be published if it is included with your e-mail.
4. TO WATCH OR LISTEN ONLY: The public may view the meeting via oneway video feed by selecting the video option at the City Council Agendas’ link on the City webpage at www.brentwoodca.gov or via the City’s YouTube Channel: https://www. youtube.com/c/cityofbrentwoodca If you challenge any City Council actions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence or voicemail delivered to the Brentwood City Council, at or prior to, the public hearing. Dated: May 2, 2025 May 9, 2025 /s/ Amanda McVey, MMC City Clerk. Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 94769 Publish Dates: May 2, 9, 2025.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Brentwood will hold a public hearing at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits, on May
27, 2025 to consider the following matter: PRESENTATION OF VACANCY STATUS AND RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES PER AB 2561
There is a 90-day limit for the filing of a challenge in court to certain City decisions that require a hearing by law, the receipt of evidence, and the exercise of discretion. The 90-day limit begins on the date the decision is final (Code of Civil Procedure §1094.6).
Moreover, if you challenge the any of the matters listed under ‘Public Hearings’ in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Brentwood City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing. How to View and Participate City Council Members will be participating from the Council Chamber. Members of the public are invited to attend and participate at: Council Chambers, 150 City Park Way, Brentwood CA As a courtesy and technology permitting, members of the public may continue to provide live remote oral public comment via the City’s Zoom Platform. However, the City cannot guarantee that the public’s access to teleconferencing technology will be uninterrupted, and technical difficulties may occur from time to time. In those instances, so long as the public may still attend the meeting in person, the meeting will continue. Members of the public desiring to provide comments as a part of the meeting are encouraged to either submit written comments by 3:00 p.m. prior to the meeting or to attend the meeting in person.
HOW PARTICIPATE
The public is invited to participate in the City Council meeting using any of the following methods: 1. IN PERSON: a. Members of the public can provide inperson comments in the Council Chambers. Members of the public are encouraged, but not required, to fill out a speaker card. The Council Chambers will have seating available for members of the public to attend in person up to full seating capacity.
1. REMOTE: a. Zoom: www.brentwoodca.gov/vcc or Zoom Webinar ID: 760 1397 0037 a. Zoom Phone Numbers. Dial Toll Free: (833) 548-0276 or (833) 548-0282 or (877) 853-5247.
1. E-MAIL
a. Public comments can also be submitted via e-mail to cityclerk@brentwoodca.gov. Any public comments received up until 3:00 p.m. of the meeting date will be:
1.distributed to the Council via email before the meeting, 2. posted online for public inspection at https://www.brentwoodca.gov/councilmeetingonline, and 3. later summarized in the meeting minutes. b. As e-mails containing public meeting comments are part of the official record, note that personal contact information may be published if it is included with your e-mail.
1. TO WATCH OR LISTEN ONLY:
a. The public may view the meeting via oneway video feed by selecting the video option at the City Council Agendas’ link on the City webpage at www.brentwoodca.gov or via the City’s YouTube Channel: https://www. youtube.com/c/cityofbrentwoodca
a. During the meeting, each period for public comment will be announced, and participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature on Zoom to request to speak. If calling in via Zoom use *9 to raise and lower your hand. The meeting host will call on you, by name, and enable your microphone when it is your turn to speak. In order to ensure the orderly administration of the meeting using this method, providing your name is encouraged, but is not required. (If you need instructions on how to use this feature, please contact the City Clerk by noon of the meeting date at cityclerk@brentwoodca.gov or 925.516.5182.)
past for being part of the discussion after residents pointed out that Johnson had accepted money from a firefighter PAC during his recent mayoral campaign.
Those who spoke during the public comment period included veterans. They have been a consistent opponent of the proposed fire station due to it being next door to the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building and the perceived negative impact it would have on them due to traffic, noise and the annexation of a portion of their property. The veterans’ rallying cry, seen on signs across town, has been “yes to the station, no to the location.”
After the March meeting delaying a decision, Deputy Fire Chief Aaron McAlister characterized the roughly 400 square feet of land that the veterans would lose as undeveloped gravel, while also saying that the county had offered to build a storage building for the veterans and provide them with parking spaces that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The offer remains on the table, he said at the time.
The veterans have consistently suggested that a former proposed location for the fire station on Sand Creek Road would be a more viable option than next to their location but the fire district has maintained that developing that location would slow down the project at taxpayers’ expense.
According to McAlister in March, the plot of land on Sand Creed Road had been ruled out before Contra Costa
County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) annexed the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District in 2022. During the annexation process, all documents identified the First Street location as the planned home for Station 94, McAlister said. He added that during the annexation process, the county did not acquire the Sand Creek property, despite preparations that had been made by the city for a fire station, and that Con Fire had inherited the decision from the previous fire protection district.
This was due, in part, to the previous fire district determining the Sand Creek location to not be viable partly because its placement would be near where Sand Creek Road deadends just past Garin Parkway. The lack of a through street would slow response times to some areas as a result.
Ultimately, the design of the building gave commissioners as reason for its denial rather than anything directly related
carried out by the Contra Costa County Public Works Department, the county government as a whole, and engineering firm Woods Rodgers.
According to the presentation, funding for the study comes from the Department of Transportation’s Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program grant, dedicated to improving infrastructure in non-urban areas.
The study’s goal is to identify “cost-effective solutions” to safety, traffic, infrastructural, and environmental issues along Vasco Road, which, according to attendees, is overloaded with high-speed traffic, pitted with large potholes, and covered in drain-clogging trash. The study will take place from May to October, starting with the first workshop, with the final report coming out in November.
The presentation noted that a previous project to install concrete median barriers on a section of Vasco Road was completed in 2012. But the second phase of the project has still not yet been funded due to the money, $15 million in total, being tied up in an unspecified lawsuit for over a decade, according to civil engineer Carl Roner.
The money is now usable due to the lawsuit’s resolution. But due to inflation it is no longer enough to cover the barrier construction, which may require more than $40 million, Roner said. Another project to install centerline rumble strips from Walnut Boulevard to Frisk Creek Bridge and new reflective signal heads at two intersections along that stretch is set to begin construction in August or September of this year.
According to the presentation, 17 severe crashes (those that caused deaths or severe injuries) occurred on Vasco Road from 2019 to 2023, the year with the latest complete data set and also the year with the most severe crashes, at five.
A total of 211 collisions occurred during the same time period, with the most common type being rear-end collisions between cars and the second most common being cars hitting a stationary object.
Unsafe speed and improper turning are the most common causes of crashes; the former is more common in the northern section of Vasco, while the latter is more common
A sign protests the fire station posted at the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building next door.
to the veterans’ concerns.
“The proposed development does not create a well-composed urban design,” the text of the draft resolution to deny the design proposal reads. “The massing is too bulky for the site and the architectural style does not relate harmoniously to the other structures in the immediate downtown area.”
The commissioners got more specific with their reasoning by pointing out specific elements that clashed with the surrounding area. They included:
• The size and brick facade “does not reflect the agricultural character” of downtown Brentwood.
• The project “does not provide adequate landscaping as required by the Downtown Specific Plan.” The Downtown Specific Plan is described on the city’s website as a plan intended “to ensure [downtown] evolves to embody the community’s vision for a vibrant, active, and beautiful city district.” To this end,
in the central section, according to crash density maps. Most crashes on Vasco also involve people under the age of 29, and are most prevalent among people under 24. They also primarily take place during daylight hours, especially morning and evening rush hours, and are most common on midblock sections between intersections rather than at the intersections themselves. The area with the most crashes on the road is the midblock section to the southeast of Vasco Road’s intersection with Walnut Boulevard.
After the presentation, attendees asked questions about the study and Vasco Road’s issues. People asked why improvements were not made sooner, with one questioner blaming the “anti-road politics in this state” for preventing upgrades to the overloaded Vasco despite decades of knowledge of its dilapidated state and excessive traffic. Roner replied that environmental requirements were partly to blame, but said that he accepted such requirements as the cost of doing business in California. He also said that the county had worked for years to upgrade Vasco.
“Vasco originally went through Los Vaqueros. When the reservoir was built, the water district was required to build an alternate route,” Roner said. “Since it was turned over to Contra Costa County, the county has tried to upgrade what was a winding mountain road.”
Other attendees were frustrated with what they called the slow pace of road work, calling the efforts to fill potholes “ridiculous[ly] pathetic” and saying that they had to either take their chances at popping a tire on a pothole or hug the centerline and risk hitting oncoming vehicles.
Still others were concerned that the statistics used by the county were incomplete. They were primarily from the California Highway Patrol, which may not know of all minor crashes on Vasco, and some criticized including the years of the pandemic, when fewer people were driving. Tsai said that there were some additional sources of data that could be used, such as cellphone data from after a crash, and that the COVID years were not significantly different from any other years on Vasco in terms of safety.
Tsai and Roner also discussed the planned construc-
it has a number of aesthetic standards to ensure a consistent look to the area.
County Supervisor Diane Burgis commented on the decision the following day.
“It’s clear that the Planning Commission just doesn’t want to approve this station, which would improve crucial fire protection and medical response services in Brentwood and East County,” she explained in a statement via email. “The station design was a result of Contra Costa Fire’s long-term engagement with Brentwood city staff and staff’s input on what designs were the best fit for Downtown.”
Burgis added that the vote will further delay construction of a “desperately needed” fire station that would improve fire and medical response for Brentwood and East County residents.
“Every day that Contra Costa Fire is not allowed to start construction is another day that the public is less safe and the taxpayer-funded cost of building Station 94 goes up,” she said.
Following the May 6 decision, the applicant – in this case, the fire district – has 10 days to appeal the decision. A member of the City Council may also flag the decision to be reviewed at one of their meetings as well if they choose. As of press time, neither the applicant nor members of the council had confirmed if they had any plans to do so.
The full meeting can be watched at https://bit.ly/3Z7gafj
tion of Highway 239, which will connect Highway 4 and Interstate 580 and overlap with both Vasco Road and Byron Highway. They said the new route will also help alleviate traffic on Vasco.
Once the survey data is analyzed and initial projects are planned, there will be a second workshop in the same location as the first that will discuss “safety countermeasures … and improvement projects,” according to Tsai’s presentation, and a third will follow a few months later to discuss “safety project concepts, alternatives, and [to present the] draft report and feedback.” Neither of these upcoming workshops has a set date.
Among the attendees of the workshop were Cynthia Loredo and Tammy Zickuhr of Vasco Forever Helping Families, a charity that raises awareness of safety issues on Vasco Road and helping the families of crash victims with expenses incurred after severe crashes.
Loredo and Zickuhr founded their organization on Nov. 6, 2024, the seventh anniversary of the death of Loredo’s husband in a crash on Vasco, the aftermath of which saw Loredo saddled with over $1 million in medical bills in seven hours, Loredo said.
Zickuhr also lost her daughter in a Vasco Road crash in 2009; together, these two incidents would inspire the two of them to found Vasco Forever Helping Families.
“We want to work with the county, we want to work with Public Works to get some funding, get a cement median up to prevent collisions,” Loredo said of their involvement with the workshop.
Vasco Forever Helping Families also plans to hold talks about road safety at local high schools, targeting students who plan on getting their driver’s licenses–as Zickuhr said, road safety “starts with the kids.”
The Vasco safety project’s website is www.contracosta. ca.gov/10431/Vasco-Road-Corridor-Safety-Improvements-. It includes a digital version of the survey passed out at the first workshop and a digital safety hazard mapping tool. Vasco Forever Helping Families can be found at www.vascofhf.org.
