PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID MARTINEZ, CA PERMIT NO. 235 94553-9998
Volume 162 Issue 47
IMPORTANT Message from the publisher Hello readers, I want to address a few things and let you know what the plans are for the future. Many of you have received seven weeks of the Martinez News-Gazette as a free trial. I hope you have enjoyed our re-birth and new look. We’ve made quite a few changes and kept the things we thought made the Gazette a great community news source. Please consider subscribing if you have not already. To those who have, thank you so much. I am also aware of delays in subscribers receiving the newspaper. I am working with the post office to remedy those problems. I appreciate your patience during this unprecedented time. When I re-launched the Gazette my goal was to keep costs to a minimum while still providing a publication Martinez would be proud of. I was inching my way to covering costs but then the coronavirus pandemic altered life as we know it. I am not sure what the next few issues will look like as we continue focusing on covering the COVID-19 pandemic. Gazette revenue sources have cratered – legal notices and advertising - and I will be exploring all options to keep publishing while daily lives have grinded to a halt. I encourage you to visit martinezgazette.com and our facebook page, www.facebook.com/martinez. newsgazette for the latest news and updates. Again, I appreciate your continued support. When the news broke late last year the Gazette would be ceasing publication there was a lot of discussion about how the paper could be saved late last year. The first step in saving the Gazette is to subscribe. Go to martinezgazette.com or call 925-293-9471 to sign up. Stay well everyone. Rick Jones - Publisher
NEWS BRIEFS California governor says virus likely to curb state spending
SACRAMENTO, CA. - With nearly 40 million people stuck at home because of the coronavirus, California’s governor on Tuesday warned state agencies to prepare for less money from the government that will likely postpone many of the state’s ambitious spending plans. Citing a “severe drop in economic activity,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget director wrote in a letter to all state agencies that they “should have no expectation of full funding for either new or existing proposals.” That means some of Newsom’s plans aided by a projected multi-billion dollar surplus could be on hold. His January budget proposal included plans for California to manufacture and sell its own generic drugs, create at least four new state agencies and give government-funded health insurance to low-income seniors living in the country illegally. “We will review everything,” Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said. California is the latest state to signal budget troubles because of the coronavirus. Arkansas is facing a $353 million shortfall while states such as New York, New Jersey and Oregon have all warned about shrinking revenue. California is particularly vulnerable because it depends so much on capital gains taxes from the wealthy. Nearly half of the state’s personal income tax
See NEWS BRIEFS on page A3
Established in 1858
Friday, March 27, 2020
$2.00 TAX included
Officials adapting to new 'normal' of stay-at-home order While we discourage large, organized sporting events, we want our community to know that the park is open.”
DONNA BETH WEILENMAN | STAFF REPORTER
OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST CROWDS AT PARKS Although the statewide lockdown during the COVID-19 virus pandemic makes exception for outdoor walks and hikes, some Martinez park users are ignoring rules about congregating in large numbers and staying at least six feet apart to reduce chances of exposure to the disease. That’s forced Martinez staff to close playgrounds, shut off water fountains and lock restrooms. If people still gather in in parks in violation of shelter-in-place rules, they could jeopardize other park uses, according to a city statement. Residents have been ordered this month by Governor Gavin Newsom and Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano to shelter in place, leaving only for essential reasons that have been listed in Governor Gavin Newsom’s proclamation. Even during the lockdown, health officials have noted outdoor activity has benefits. But Martinez residents and all Californians are prohibited from attending gatherings of more than 10 and must maintain distance from anyone outside a person’s household. Some aren’t complying. “In light of recent reports of park users ignoring the directives…the city is taking an additional measure of closing all playgrounds,” the city statement said. That decision has been backed by County Health. Water fountains have been turned off and restrooms are locked. “The parks remain open for the
MANJIT SAPPAL
MARTINEZ POLICE CHIEF
INSIDE THIS EDITION
LOCAL NEWS
Where is the toilet paper? Antibacterial hand gel, paper towels and now certain food items have been hard to find for at least a couple of weeks...
See TOILET PAPER on page A2
CALMATTERS
Gazette photo Martinez Farmer's Market returned after a one-week closure. Shoppers practiced heightened sanitary practices and social distancing.
time being, but this decision will be evaluated on a regular basis based on community compliance,” the city announcement said. “You can go for walks, go to the park and engage in other similar activities, but must maintain social distance (more than six feet away from those not in one’s household) when on walks and in parks to avoid spread of the virus,” the city statement said. Those using city parks can expect to see police patrols, especially at Hidden Lakes Park, where people were seen playing soccer, Martinez Police Chief Manjit Sappal said in his
own statement. “While we discourage large, organized sporting events, we want our community to know that the park is open.” Furthermore, playgrounds are what he called “high-touch surfaces,” and should be avoided. “While our public works personnel are doing a great job sanitizing areas in the city, they cannot be everywhere all the time,” his statement said. He encouraged those who see city staff or his officers to greet them – from a safe distance. “We’d like to help educate our community with
See ADAPTING on page B10
In the middle of a pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on Pacific Gas and Electric Corp.’s $57.65 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan Friday, after winning shareholder...
See P&GE on page A4
BUSINESS
After a one week hiatus the Martinez Farmer's Market reopened. Deemed to be 'essential' after a clarification of the new stay at home guidelines, many Martinez residents...
Molly's Market providing supplies during pandemic
See FARMERS MARKET on page A6
DANA GUZZETTI | STAFF REPORTER
“Sheltering in place” and “Social Distancing” has ironically linked neighbors who did not know each other and turned a new owner’s corner market into a community. Customers are finding what they need and getting to know each other, - from a distance. Two months before the coronavirus came to California, Sal Salman took over as a new owner of Molly’s Market at the corner of Shell Avenue and Martinez Avenue. His dream was to build a business like the one he grew up in, his father Al’s small corner grocery store. “My grandfather had a store, too,” Sal said. “We knew our customers and they knew us.” He said we were like a family. “If someone could not come in, we would take their groceries to them. If they needed something, we ordered it.” The recollection brings a smile to his face as he begins to explain how the Cal State East Bay graduate in International Business abandoned the corporate world to recreate the family store of his childhood. “It was more than a store. It was a community,” he said. When Sal bought the run-down property he cleaned,
EDITORIAL & OPINION
Gazette photo Molly’s Market at the corner of Shell Avenue and Martinez Avenue.
painted and uncovered the windows. His wife and mother helped him get the deli going, and one of the first things he did was to survey the neighbors. Sal said he wanted to focus on products other than just liquor, candy, cigarettes and chips. “I asked what they would like to find at the corner store. We had 300 comments,” Sal said. “We started fresh two major suppliers, bringing in the items our customers wanted.” Then came the coronavirus. They had to go to the next level to provide for their customers. “Now we have at least
We knew our customers and they knew us. If someone could not come in, we would take their groceries to them. If they needed something, we ordered it.”
See AT HOME on page B7
six suppliers. We have merchandise that other stores don’t have because of the relationships my father established in his business,” Sal said. “Some of them (wholesalers) won’t deliver. We go and pick up the products we need and pay cash for them.” Sometimes they do not make a profit on certain products, according to Sal, but even now store shelves are filled with the essentials for baking including cake mixes, baby food, milk, butter, eggs, charcoal, motor oil, paper towels, toilet paper, fresh bread, an array of ice cream novelties, frozen meals, and cleaning products. Michelle Chatman has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years. She came in on Monday to buy a freshly made tur-
The pot of invested money used to pay for hundreds of thousands of California public employee pensions has shrunk by $69 billion as coronavirus has squeezed global markets...
See MOLLY'S MARKET on page B10
See CALPERS on page B8
SAL SALMAN NEW OWNER OF MOLLY’S MARKET
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I never expected to become a fulltime stay-at-home mom. But when it happened, I was thankfully prepared for the job. It made me a much better teacher too. From the age of twelve...
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