The Press 06.09.2023

Los Medanos College kicks off Pride month with flag-raising ceremony

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

REGIONAL For the first time in three years, Los Medanos College has celebrated the beginning of Pride month, unfolding the updated rainbow flag with the added brown and black colors and letting it fly.

Even with the college starting its summer hours this week and students having graduated and off for the summer since mid-May, students and faculty made their way to the flagpole in the parking lot at the Pittsburg campus for LMC’s flag raising ceremony to kick off June’s Pride month.

“It’s important for us to be coming back onto campus and to be celebrating who we are,” said. Pamela Ralston, Ph.D., the president of Los Medanos College. “This is an important time for

us, for the month of June to recognize our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty.”

“It’s really awesome, really lovely to have (the event),” LD Green, an English and Social

Justice Studies professor at LMC said. “There’s just a lot of hope and optimism in this moment, even though we’re in these really scary times nationally.

The updated rainbow flag

that was raised by police aides Alex and Nathan Garcia. It flies alongside the flag of the United States on campus. It recognizes the LGBTQ+ community, along with the black and brown indigenous people of color.

“Symbols have a lot of power,” Green said. “So, yes, it’s just a flag. A flag is also really powerful. We’re in a symbolic war, we’re in a war of language, we’re in a culture war. What is culture by symbols and language?”

While the flag-raising event was a start to recognizing LMC’s LGBTQ community, some felt that the school wasn’t doing enough. Although the timing of things can’t be controlled with Pride month being in June and school getting out in late-May, students and faculty agree that while this is a good step forward in the

see Pride page 22

Report on water tunnels called flawed

By Sean Tongson Correspondent

‘Some very big changes’

Ralston takes helm at LMC

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

REGIONAL In less than a month, Pamela Ralston, Ph.D. will have the interim tag removed and head into the fall in her first full academic school year as the permanent president of Los Medanos College.

“I was really excited to step into the interim role and to come into a college that was so financially healthy,” Ralston said. “I really enjoyed the interview process. It was very quick and efficient, and designed to help bring in somebody pretty quickly. I felt informed and supported. LMC feels open minded and collegial, and people are excited about where we will go next.”

REGIONAL

The Delta Protection Commission has recently discovered that the draft environmental impact statement on the Delta Conveyance Project has failed to adequately describe the potential effects of the planned twin water tunnels.

According to recent comments the Delta Protection Commission sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on March 15, the Commission has recommended that the Corps adopt a “No Action” alternative as opposed to approving permits necessary for the tunnels due to the

project’s potential significant and unmitigated damage to cultural and historic resources in its path. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a federal regulator that decides whether to authorize the project. The recent en vironmental report was developed under the National Environmental Policy Act to evaluate the environmental impacts on the planned Delta tunnels if they are constructed. The Delta Protection Commission’s mission is to protect the health of the Sacra mento-San Joaquin Delta in California.

The Delta Tunnels project, along with variations of a third canal-like structure to reallocate water from Northern California to major population centers elsewhere in the state, has been controversial since its inception.

Pushed for and championed by previous governors Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and current governor Gavin Newsom, the proposed, $16 billion project would construct two 40-feet-wide, 30-mile-long tunnels 150 feet underground through the center of the Delta. According to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the primary proponent of the project, much of the infrastructure consisting of hundreds of miles of aqueducts, channels, and dams was constructed more than 50 years ago, and they need to be modernized to withstand seismic activity and potential uncertainty and unpredictability of extreme weather.

The draft environmental report de-

see Tunnels page 22

Ralston’s hiring marks a first for the college and for the district as a whole. She said she will take the helm as the first permanent female president in Los Medanos College history.

“I am very proud to be part of people making some very big changes,” Ralston said. “If we think about glass ceilings and what it means to start being transformative, I think that it’s very powerful.”

Ralston takes over the permanent spot from Bob Kratochvil, who retired last December.

Ralston’s upcoming appointment as president, the Contra Costa Community College District will have female presidents throughout each of the three community colleges for the first time

see Changes page 22

Los Medanos College President Pamela Ralston gives her speech during the college’s Pride flag raising ceremony on campus in Pittsburg Monday morning.

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE!

Ballot Closes Monday, June 12 at 5:00 p.m.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK UP AND VOTE for your favorite Oakley and Bethel Island business or person. Who is your favorite hair colorist, doctor, dentist, personal trainer or loan officer? Where do you get your car fixed? Who’s your dog groomer, painter or plumber? You get the idea – now get voting! We list more than 150 categories to help you weigh in on the Best of Oakley.

2 2023 3

OA K LEY THE PRESS You Can Win a

$50 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO

just by taking the time to fill out and submit a ballot. We will be awarding three lucky voters who submit their ballots by Monday, June 12 at 5 p.m.

Rules to follow so your ballot counts:

1. Vote for Oakley and Bethel Island-based businesses only.

2. Vote for a minimum of 10 categories.

3. Provide your name, email and phone number on the ballot.

4. Full-sized, 11 x 17 photocopied newspaper ballots are OK, but entries must be written by hand in ink.

* Additional paper ballots are available at The Press, 248 Oak Street, Brentwood.

5. When voting for a person, enter the person’s FULL name AND their COMPANY’S name.

6. When voting for a company, enter the company’s complete name.

Vote online: www.thepress.net/boo_ballot

to avoid going out

By Rene De Amaral Staff Writer

Art Guild of the Delta, Inc. has been the area’s local non-profit arts organization for the past 10 years. But the Delta Gallery, which is part of the guild, at the Streets of Brentwood shopping center, is running out of money and seeks the community’s help to stay in business.

The Delta Gallery at 2485 Sand Creek Road, Suite 128, had sustained itself primarily through fundraising through Brentwood’s Art, Wine & Jazz Festival, their open studios, classes and workshops. The guild’s fundraising efforts were “greatly diminished with the pandemic and the loss of Art, Wine & Jazz festival,” which supported its yearly costs that include PG&E, internet, phone, insurance, website and basic maintenance for $2,200-$3,000 monthly. This despite the shopping center letting the gallery use the former Banana Republic rent free, according to gallery cofounder Rosie Grejsen.

According to Art Guild of the Delta’s co-founder Mary Lamb, their organization hoped Delta Gallery would eventually sustain itself. “But it never has been able to,” she said. “It was supported by the fundraising. With COVID, like all busi-

nesses, we felt the slowdown from that and closed our doors for about six months during 2020. With closing, it’s not only a loss of opportunity to sell art but also a loss of income from the fees that artists pay to show their work.”

A donation/sponsorship of $12,000 would help the gallery stay afloat through 2023, and allow them to focus on additional fundraising opportunities, Grejsen said.

The gallery and guild have encouraged and inspired creative influences among local residents while developing community art programs such as Banner

Up!, raising funds for high school and community college art scholarships and more, according to a press release.

“Over the course of these 10 years, we have given back more than $45,000 to our community in scholarships and support of other art organizations and nonprofits,” Grejsen said. “We are very proud of our accomplishments and strive to continue our efforts to be an impactful arts organization.”

Delta Gallery has become the resource in arts awareness and arts education with a schedule of events that includes:

• Regional and local artist quarterly art shows.

• Classroom art instruction from local artists.

• Local community college and high school art shows.

• Brentwood Rotary Club youth poster contest.

• UnCorked!, a wine themed show that engages our local wineries.

• Various non-profit shows, to include California Watercolor Association, John Marsh Historic Trust Foundation, Soroptimist of the Delta, P.E.O. International, Local Plein Air group shows.

• Los Medanos Community College Occupational Work Experience Program providing student art interns each semester.

Not only will the loss of the gallery mean a loss for local artists to exhibit their work, it will also mean a loss for the community and nonprofits to gather, take affordable art classes and of a designated space to appreciate art, Lamb said.

The gallery is open Thursday-Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

If you want to donate via their GoFundMe page, visit bit.ly/43vnAtc.

To view a video, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia

The Delta Gallery at the Streets of Brentwood shopping center is running out of money. It seeks a donation/sponsorship of $12,000 to stay in business through 2023, and allow them to focus on other fundraising opportunities.

Press file photo

i N B

Riders with disabilities can ride Tri Delta Transit for free

Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit riders using Tri Delta Transit services may be eligible for free paratransit rides. Households eligible for assistance programs should call 211 in Contra Costa County to see if they qualify.

This East County Ticket pilot program lasts through September 2023 or until program runs out of money.

If information is needed in another language, call 925-754-6622.

Application period for 2023 Fall Community Academy open

Contra Costa County District Attor-

ney Diana Becton is opening applications for the 2023 Fall Community Academy.

The free, nine-week course will be held at the District Attorney’s Office at 10 Douglas Dr. in Martinez from 6-8:30 p.m. every Wednesday starting Sept. 6. “One of my goals as District Attorney is to be more transparent with the community about what our office does in the criminal justice system,” said Becton. “The Community Academy is an integral program that strengthens our community through education, information, and understanding.”

Participants in the academy will get an in-depth view of the criminal justice system by hearing from deputy district attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, support staff, community-based organizations, and justice partners.

Moreover, people will learn firsthand how the DA’s Office files cases, will meet with a Superior Court judge during a court tour, gain knowledge about prosecutions and in-

vestigations, visit the Martinez Detention Facility, and understand the office’s outreach efforts for children, parents, and victims.

The academy is open to residents 18 and older who live or work in Contra Costa County.

To apply, go to contracostada.org by June 30.

State offers free training for healthcare workers

SACRAMENTO In an effort to continue to build California’s healthcare workforce, the California Department of Aging is launching the CalGrows workforce training and development program.

CalGrows is open for registration with hundreds of courses available to caregivers working with older adults and adults with disabilities, helping support Californians on a path to a career in health care and ensuring the state retains highly-qualified health care workers.

CalGrows said direct care jobs can be a gateway into a variety of personal and professional advancement opportunities. The innovative program brings together dozens of training providers offering hundreds of virtual and in-person courses for caregivers across California. Courses cover a range of topics, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia, Cultural Diversity, Food Safety, Infection Control, Provider, and Consumer communication and more, with courses available in multiple languages.

“CalGrows training courses empower caregivers across California to learn valuable

skills to improve the lives of those in their care and help further their careers,” said Susan DeMarois, Director of the California Department of Aging. “As California’s population ages, we’ll need hundreds of thousands more direct care workers. The CalGrows program is an important milestone toward ensuring the state has the home care aides, care managers, dementia care specialists, activities coordinators, and other important roles necessary to support our aging population.”

“Care workers are more likely to be women and people of color, who are also at a higher risk for age-related illnesses,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency. “CalGrows demonstrates the State’s commitment to support caregivers, as well as those they care for, by providing training in six languages at launch, with more added soon, as well as career growth opportunities. This program is essential to help California achieve our goals in the Master Plan for Aging: to build a California for all ages and abilities.”

CalGrows can help build individual skills, job satisfaction, and growth opportunities to help further careers and the retention of skilled, experienced caregivers for older adults and people with disabilities. Qualified applicants can also receive up to $6,000 in financial incentives.

Free training for paid direct care workers, Home and Community-Based Services caregivers, and unpaid family and friend caregivers is available through the CalGrows website at www.calgrows.org. Most courses are available online, with others offered in person and are searchable by topic, location, language, and incentive.

Orchestra club strikes a chord for students

Adams Middle School ensemble fulfills a need in Brentwood

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

BRENTWOOD When Beau Reed and her family were moving to Brentwood from Connecticut, one of the biggest things they looked for in a school for their kids was one not just with a band program, but also with an orchestra program.

They found Heritage, where her daughter, Maya, was a part of the Heritage orchestra up until her graduation this week. It wasn’t a perfect transition from school in Connecticut to here.

“Her experience at Heritage was lacking what we had experienced in Connecticut,” Reed said. “(In Connecticut), there was a big orchestra program where at the end you auditioned up, similar to Heritage’s Jazz Band.”

Reed and others are aiming to not just fill this orchestra hole in the school music scene, but grow starting at Adams Middle School.

Adams’ string orchestra club just finished their first semester, capping it off with a two-night concert in front of family and friends at the gymnasium a few weeks ago. The program consisted of about 40 students who practiced twice a week for an hour after school on Wednesdays and Fridays since January leading to the concert.

The students provide their own equipment like violins and cellos, which they recognize could have been a deterrent to some families considering that Adams orchestra is, technically, a club and not a set program.

Maria Zichil ’s son, Evan, is going into the seventh grade next year at Adams, and is a member of the band program and the orchestra club. She says that because of the current lack of interest from the city of Brentwood in orchestra, that she has to rent her son’s cello from Pleasanton.

“Music brings joy to my son,” she said. “All of the music shops in town don’t have cellos because they said there was no interest, so they just don’t have them available.”

Andi Isaac, the orchestra director and volunteer teacher at Adams, wanted the program so that her daughter, a violinist, could have somewhere to play outside of just private lessons.

“I wanted to start this program so that my students and my daughter, who’s also a violinist, can have a place to play in a group because it’s a lot more fun to play in an ensemble than just to play solo pieces by yourself in

your room,” Isaac explained. “There’s no orchestra class in any of the middle schools in Brentwood, and there’s only one orchestra class at Heritage High School, in all of the high schools at Brentwood.”

Playing in an orchestra and the kids playing together is one of the biggest positives for the program, organizers said.

“When you do a private class or instrument, you don’t get the opportunity to play in a concert,” Zichil said. “The (spring concert) for Adams there was a full gym packed with people. It’s amazing for the kids to be able to showcase what they’ve learned.”

Isaac directs the orchestra with help from Reed, a reading intervention teacher at Adams, and music teacher Kevin Fallon. What they originally thought was going to be a small club, a one-month kind of program, took over the entire spring semester with more kids than they thought they would attract.

“We thought we were going to have a little, three-week after school thing,” Isaac said. “Then all of these kids show up with orchestra instruments and just a can-do attitude. The quality of kids that came to this program and the dedication they had, just their willingness to learn and their enthusiasm speaks volumes.”

The orchestra is another chapter for Fallon’s overall music program at Adams. His band program has continued to grow during his time and he’s expecting about 250 kids next school year along with the orchestra. He said that while music and band are important parts of the school culture in Brentwood, string orchestra has kind of been forgotten about.

“It’s just something that’s just never existed in this community,” he said. “This community has amazing choir programs, has amazing band programs, lots of amazing music is happening here.

“But it’s very obvious that there was a hole, and I know with the way my program is structured with all of these bands – so many kids in band and these big choirs, we can tell all these kids were big and say ‘I play violin. Do we have a spot for me,’ and I, for the longest time, would say, ‘Unfortunately we don’t have a string class, but would like to have you in band.’”

Demand has been there for orchestra to become a part of the music curriculum in Brentwood – from families and teachers, and even more so from the kids in middle school and late in elementary school, the teachers said. Isaac has gone to several school board meetings and tried to plead her case to include orchestra.

“I had reached out to the districts

see Orchestra page 18

MIKE’S ESTATE PLANNING MINUTE 20 2021 1

By Michael J. Amthor, Esq.

CONSIDERING DIVORCE? REVIEW YOUR ESTATE PLAN!

At a minimum, it takes at least six months for a divorce to be completed. Divorces routinely last a year or longer. What do you do regarding your estate plan before, during and after divorce?

Before filing for divorce, you should always review your estate planning documents and review what happens to assets when you die. You should also review your power of attorney and health care directive. Now that you are contemplating divorce, do you still want your spouse managing your finances if you are unable? Do you want your spouse making health care decisions if you are unable to make your own decisions? In other words, do you really want your estranged spouse having the power to “pull the plug” or make other important health care decisions?

Filing for divorce does not prevent these documents from taking effect. They must be formally revoked and new documents prepared. Once a divorce case has been filed, your ability to change or revoke a trust is limited. Neither party is allowed to change beneficiaries on life insurance, retirement accounts or pensions

while the case is pending. If your will names your spouse as the beneficiary of your assets, upon death those assets go to the spouse you were in the process of divorcing. Similarly, if your spouse is named as beneficiary of your retirement account or life insurance, your estranged spouse (not your children) receives those funds if you die while your divorce is pending. Since this is something that cannot be changed once a case has been filed, it is important to make these changes prior to filing for divorce. Finally, once the divorce is final, you must revisit your estate plan and make a new plan. If your children are under 21, make sure their assets are held in trust. Otherwise, your ex spouse will have control over funds earmarked for your children. Can you trust your ex with assets you wanted to go to your children? If not, it is vitally important to see me and make sure your post-divorce estate plan is set up properly. If you have questions on this or any other estate planning topic, call me at (925) 516-4888. East County Family Law Group, 1181 Central Blvd., Ste A, Brentwood www.eastcountyfamilylaw.com – Advertisement

Bass fishing tourney on Father’s Day

By Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent

Families will have the opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day on the water by participating in the Discovery Bay Community Foundation’s (DBCF) Big Bass Fishing Tournament on June 18.

The annual event swims back into town for the sixth year, bringing with it the opportunity for fun in the sun and some prize money.

The fishing tournament will take place Sunday, June 18, from 6 a.m. to noon, at the Discovery Bay Marina, 5901 Marina Road, in Discovery Bay. Registration is $100. For more information, visit www.dbcf.info or email jim@dcbf.info.

“Fifty percent of the money raised goes to the foundation for mental health programs for local youth, and 50% will

go to prizes for the tournament,” said Jim Mattison, DBCF president. “And we will have raffles with gift cards from places like the Steakhouse and Callahan’s Coffee and Cones. Have your kids bring you out. It’s a great morning activity, and then you have the rest of the day.”

Discovery Bay resident Darin Ganem participates in the tournament each year with his daughter, Jianna. He said hunting the largemouth bass is a tradition they savor.

“These tournaments, they’re great for kids and families to get out and be together to enjoy the water,” Ganem said, noting expensive bass equipment isn’t necessary. “It’s not like the professional tournaments where you can’t talk and can’t have fun. It’s just about getting on the water and enjoying your family and having fun.”

Law Office of Ruth N. Buzzard

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Our office takes a comprehensive approach to Estate Planning. If you pass away intestate (without a will/ trust) the State of California has statutory provisions that will divide your estate, often these provisions are not aligned with your wishes. As you mature and acquire assets, don’t forget to plan for how those assets will be managed and divided upon your departure from this world.

Trust Administration: After your loved one has passed and you have been left in charge of handling their affairs, the task can be daunting. Let our office guide you through this process effectively and minimize the stress you are already going through due to your loss.

729 First Street, Suite D Brentwood • 925-516-7459

Photo courtesy of Jim Mattison

Two participants in last year’s Discovery Bay Big Bass Fishing Tournament display their catch at weigh-in. Sponsored by the Discovery Bay Community Foundation, the event raised money for projects and grants in the local community.

For print, email your events to calendar@brentwoodpress.com one week prior to publication. For online, post your events for free on The Press Community Calendar www.thepress.net/calendar.

On the Horizon

Wednesday, June 14

Brentwood Library Exploration Stations for All Ages

The Brentwood Library at 104 Oak St. is hosting a free event for all ages to learn about sustainability through free learning activities at the library and Brentwood City Park. Guests include the Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society and animals from the Lindsay Wildlife Experience. For more information and to register, visit https://bit. ly/43LNOY7.

Saturday, June 17 through Sunday, June 18

Juneteenth: A Freedom Celebration

Making Moves and the city of Antioch are hosting a Juneteenth celebration at Grace Bible Fellowship Church at 657 McClarren Road, from 11a.m.-4:30 p.m. on June 17 and at Williamson Ranch Park from noon-5 p.m. Both events will feature food, drinks, vendors, and live entertainment. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3CdZWFt.

Saturday, June 17

Oakley Juneteenth Celebration

The city of Oakley is hosting a Juneteenth celebration at Civic Center Plaza at 3231 Main St. from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The event will feature music, food, craft and food vendors and stage performances. For more information, contact Alicia at oleary@ ci.oakley.ca.us.

Death Near Dead Man’s Holler

The Antioch Historical Society Museum at 1500 W. 4th St., is hosting a dinner and mystery show from 5-9 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is at 6 and the show begins at 7, and includes a no-host bar, along with prizes for best costumes and best detectives. Tickets are $75, and are limited to the first 100 tickets sold. To purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/3MORvoR.

Funeral for a Gangster mystery at historical society museum

Recalling the rollicking Roaring Twenties fun time at the pre-COVID “Funeral for a Gangster,” put on by Caught in the Act Theater in September, 2019, the Antioch Historical Museum is bringing back the theater with their Western-themed mystery to solve, “Death Near Dead Man’s Holler” on Saturday, June 17 from 5-9 p.m.

Attendees will gather in the Museum’s Riverview Room, dressed in their Western finest, ready to dine on Western barbecue vittles at 6, then solve the mystery. A no-host bar will be in the Saloon Room. There will be prizes for the best costumes and best detectives.

Tickets are $75 and are available through Eventbrite, or by mailing a check for reservations to the museum, 1500 W. 4th St., Antioch, CA, 94509. For details, call the museum at 925-7571326. Eventbrite link is https://www.eventbrite. com/e/death-near-dead-mans-holler-mysterydinner-tickets-628263682587.

Sunday, June 18

Antioch Father’s Day Car Show

The Celebrate Antioch Foundation is hosting a car show on 2nd and G streets in downtown Antioch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Awards will be given for Best in Show, Hot Rod, Classic Low rider, Sport, Truck and People’s Choice. The event will also feature music, street vendors, food, beer and wine and family activities. Car entry is $25. For more information and to register, visit https://bit. ly/3VIxxAa.

Discovery Bay Big Bass Fishing Tournament

The Discovery Bay Community Foundation is hosting a fishing tournament at the Discovery Bay Marina at 5901 Marina Road #1, from 6

a.m.-noon. All boats will be allowed to fish in Discovery Bay’s 32 bays and all waters only in Contra Costa County. Payouts and raffles will be held in front of the Marina Bar & Grill following the tournament at 1:30 p.m. The total purse is $10,000. The entry fee is $100 per boat. For more information and to register, visit https://bit. ly/3Nbs0j8.

Saturday, June 24

Self and Restoration Site Care Workshop

The Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed is hosting a workshop promoting caring for plants and nature journaling along Marsh Creek Trail at 566 Sungold Court. The event will begin at 9 a.m. with restoration and maintenance done on Chan’s Strawberry Stand. A short nature walk will take place at 11 a.m. The event will conclude with guest speaker Michelle Fullner from Golden State Naturalist. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/43d6NLf.

Swing Fore a Cause Golf Tournament

Soroptimist International of Antioch is having their eighth annual golf tournament. The tournament is a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The cost is $175 pers person, and includes registration fees, cart, green fees, range balls, breakfast, lunch and contest entries. Proceeds go to programs and scholarships for women and girls. For more information and to register, contact Gina Moore at ginamoore1964@gmail.com or (510) 719-0071. Market in the Park Car Show & Crafts Market in the Park and Midnighters Nor Cal are hosting a car show and crafters event in Brentwood City Park from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The event will feature a car show with awards, games, a DJ, food and character photos. For more information and to reserve a spot, visit https://bit.ly/43iLXtR.

Saturday, June 24

Soroptimist Uncorked

Dine and dance with Soroptimist of the Delta at DeLuna Ranch at 7540 Balfour Road from 5-9 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include six-ounce wine tasting from Ruby Hills, Steven Kent, Mitchel Katz, Fields Winery, Michael David, Tanner and more, wine pairing appetizer bars, Sweeney’s buffet dinner and dessert auction, all accompanied by live music from Joey Torres. Dinner also will include raffle prizes and a silent and live auction. For details and how to buy tickets, visit https:// gurskyranch.com/.

Brentwood Lions Club Pancake Breakfast

The Brentwood Lions Club is hosting a pancake breakfast fundraiser at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church at 500 Fairview Avenue, from 8-11:30 a.m. The cost is $15 and it benefits St. Vincent de Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit https://bit. ly/3qk5z22.

Sunday, June 25 (rescheduled date)

Miles for Mayo 5K

The second annual Miles for Mayo 5K will be at Veterans Park at 3841 Balfour Road. The race starts at 9 a.m. and benefits the Delta Limitless youth running program. This event has been rescheduled from its previously listed date. For more information and to register, visit https://bit. ly/3VL8bBZ.

Saturday, July 1

Summer Fest in Oakley

The city of Oakley is hosting their annual Summer Fest at Civic Center Plaza at 3231 Main St. from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The festival will include a 5K road race in the morning at the Ironhouse Sanitary District with live music, a kids area, local artisans and food vendors. To register for the 5K, visit https://bit.ly/43kbTFG.

Ongoing Events

Widow and Widower Grief Support Group

A widow and widower grief support group from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church meets every Thursday from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at the church library at 500 Fairview Ave. in Brentwood. The group focuses on finding a new normal as attendees walk the grief trail with others experiencing the same loss. For more information, contact Mary Ann Smith at 925-240-1706 or Sandy Heinisch at 925-513-3412.

East Contra Costa Historical Museum

Season Open

The East Contra Costa Historical Museum at 3890 Sellers Ave, season is open till Oct. 28 from 2-4 p.m. The museum features displays of early pioneer life in the Byer/Nail House built in 1878, lessons in the Eden Plains schoolhouse and a variety of outdoor activities. For more information visit https://eastcontracostahistory.org/.

Hope Hospice Support Group Meetings

Hope Hospice is hosting virtual support groups every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through July 5. The support groups include the General Grief and Loss of a Child support groups are from 6-7:30 p.m. on Mondays until June 26 and Spousal/ Partner Loss groups on Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. until June 27 and Wednesdays from 1:30-3 p.m. until July 5. Call 925-829-8770 to register and learn more about teen support group information.

East County Rotary Club Meetings

Brentwood: The Brentwood Rotary Club meets

weekly on Monday at noon at the Wedgewood Banquet Center at 100 Summerset Drive in Brentwood. For more information, visit https://www. brentwoodrotary94513.com. Oakley: The Oakley Rotary Club meets weekly on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at Black Bear Diner, 3201 Main St. in Oakley. For more information, visit http://rotaryclubofoakley.com. Antioch: The Antioch Rotary Club meets weekly on Thursday at noon at Lone Tree Golf Course & Event Center, 4800 Golf Course Road in Antioch. For more information, visit http://www.antiochrotaryclub. com/. The Rotary Club of the Delta meets weekly on Wednesday at 7 a.m. at Denny’s, 4823 Lone Tree Way in Antioch. For more information, visit https://www. rotaryclubofthedelta.org/.

East County Lions Club Meetings

Brentwood: The Brentwood Lions Club meets the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Straw Hat Pizza on Lone Tree Way. For more information, visit: https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/brentwoodca/ Oakley: The Oakley Lions Club meets the fourth Wednesdays of every month at 7 p.m. at the Oakley Senior Center, for more information, visit https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/oakleyd/. Antioch: The Antioch Lions Club meets every second and fourth Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Denny’s on Delta Fair Blvd. Discovery Bay: The Discovery Bay Lions Club meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Discovery Bay Yacht Club. For more information, visit:https://discoverybaylions.com/ who-we-are/meetings/ Byron: The Byron Delta Lions Club meets every first Friday of each month at 10 a.m. at St. Anne’s Church for more information https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/byron_delta/.

WILL A HEGGSTAD PETITION BE APPROPRIATE?

By Todd W. Moeller, Moeller

The court in Estate of Heggstad, a 1993 California case (16 Cal. App. 4th 943), permitted the inclusion of assets into a trust after death. A Heggstad petition also incorporates California Probate Code 850 and occasionally California Probate Code 17200. Sometimes, the dead person fails to transfer all of his or her assets to their trust prior to dying. The successor trustee will have to clear the title so the property can be sold, re-financed or deeded to the rightful beneficiary. A full probate is one option, but sometimes a Heggstad petition will work.

In the Heggstad case, Mr. Heggstad died with a trust. Even though he had a trust, Mr. Heggstad’s home was not properly titled in his trust. Mr. Heggstad initially titled the property in the name of his trust. In order to refinance the property, he transferred the property back into his name. Unfortunately, before he was able to transfer it back into the name of the trust, Mr. Heggstad died. He did, however, have a schedule of assets attached to his trust that specifically named his home as being an asset of the trust. The court held that having the home listed

A Split in Time

Estate

Law

on a schedule of assets attached to the trust signified Mr. Heggstad’s intent to include the home in the trust. This rule of law has expanded over time to include assets that are not listed on a schedule of assets but the decedent has shown other forms of written intent to include in trust.

When evaluating whether a Heggstad petition will work, we analyze and review all the documents to see if they are sufficient to support a Heggstad petition. Occasionally, there are other options that make more sense. A Heggstad petition, however, is generally the correct remedy when dealing with an unfunded trust.

If you have questions concerning your existing estate plan or setting up an estate plan, please contact Todd W. Moeller at (925) 3018840 or Todd@MoellerEstateLaw.com.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this advertisement is provided for general information only. Todd W. Moeller is licensed to practice law in the State of California only, and any information contained in this advertisement is based on general principles of California law. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship.

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The leadership team for Liberty High School’s Public Art and Design Academy had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 6 to celebrate the unveiling of their new mural, A Split in Time. The tile mural, painted on the water equipment shed in City Park, measures 54 inches by 72 inches. It features art of First Street in Brentwood that includes the Delta Theater and the surrounding buildings, with a sepia tone representing the past in contrast with vivid colors to reflect the present.

To view a video and a slideshow of the event, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia

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EDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY

O pini O n

Brentwood Chamber seeks nominees for awards

Who do you love? Let me clarify: Who do you love to do business with? Who are the invaluable members of Brentwood’s community? What non-profit organization is doing amazing things for this city that you’d like to shine a light on? Is there a youth, a start-up business that is making life better and brighter? Now is the time to nominate these people or organizations as the Chamber prepares for a gala to celebrate Brentwood.

What business has gone over and above to provide ultimate customer service? Who is that business owner that is always out there helping and supporting other organizations, willing to lend a hand or help with sponsorship?

Who do you know - whether it be a teacher, a counselor, or a coach - who is always ready to be a part of the

Brentwood City Council still divided

Editor:

The Brentwood City Council missed a great opportunity to show the community that they were truly willing to work together.

In The Press article on May 26, a choked-up councilmember Jovita Mendoza is quoted as saying “I don’t want to censure you” while discussing the topic. “But we need

solution, uplift the people around them; an unsung hero who performs acts of kindness, charity, or initiates positive change with a superhero mindset?

What is the nonprofit organization that exemplifies its purpose to serve its community?

Let us know who they are, so they can be recognized and rewarded for their devotion and commitment to Brentwood.

The Chamber will celebrate the top two nominees and announce the winner on July 30 in the community center in downtown Brentwood. But without you letting us know by June 30, we have no one to celebrate.

Imagine you just launched your dream and opened your business in March of 2020.

The Start-Up Business of the Year award is designed specifically for new businesses from 1-3 years old

Letters to the editor

to do something. It needs consequences.”

It was poor behavior on the part of councilmember Tony Oerlemans. He has apologized for his behavior. I quote from the same article: “I guarantee you it won’t happen again.”

The fact that Oerlemans has received backlash from the council and the community has sent him a strong wake-up message.

LETTERS

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Send correspondence to The Press, 248 Oak St., Brentwood, California, 94513; or email editor@ brentwoodpress.com.

and kept their dream alive, and surpassed surviving to thriving. Your nomination supports a new business and introduces the community to a fantastic find.

The nomination process is simple. Just go to https:// www.brentwoodchamber.com/events/details/2022-celebrating-brentwood-gala-event-11548 or scan the QR code below. Nominations close on June 30.

We will be announcing the top three nominees around July 4, and that’s when the tickets will go on sale for an Oscar-style Celebrate Brentwood Gala in July.

I look forward to seeing you there to celebrate the superstars who help make our town of Brentwood shine.

Denise Duran Chamber President

I applauded Mayor Joel Bryant for taking the high road and forgiving Oerlemans. After all, the angry outburst was against the mayor. Contrary to the opinion of the letter writer to The Press [in the June 2 edition], it took leadership and courage to be the peacemaker when all those around him wanted to see some punishment. The mayor made clear that any future misbehavior by any councilmember would lead to no other option but censure.

So the self-admonishment motion was not useless. However, some humility on the part of all councilmembers, and a 5-0 vote on the motion would have convinced the community that the city council is turning a new page and is willing to work together to do the job they were elected to perform.

Isaac Montanez Brentwood

Beware of thieves while shopping at Slatten Ranch

Editor:

Our “new normal” seems to require acceptance of crime.

California’s Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act (Proposition 47) served to reduce the charge for theft below $950 and embolden thieves.

Politically correct society now pretends: a) criminals don’t exist; b) criminal acts aren’t, in fact, criminal: or worse, c) criminals are actually victims; and d) unhoused persons don’t commit crime.

Case in point: Slatten Ranch has a large homeless encampment behind the fence near the Target store. This fence has openings to allow shoppers. Occasionally, the tents get removed, but they always come back.

Target combats theft by storing products in locked cases (inconvenient, much?), but shoppers need to beware, too. Cars should be parked in a visible place with any valuables hidden from view. Cyclists can just expect to have their bikes stolen. There is no real security, just a disclaimer that stores are not responsible for custom-

ers’ lost or stolen property.

Certainly, we can choose to avoid shopping at places that become too slum-like, but the real issue is the amount of lawlessness our community accepts.

Who is in charge? How long before people say ‘Enough is enough?’

Annie Ray Antioch

Don’t spend $900,000 on Discovery Bay official buildings

Editor:

I appreciate the work the Discovery Bay Board of Directors does for our community. However, I have a strong objection to the recent Board action to allocate $900,000 for building plans to erect a new Town office building, with an estimated total cost of $13 million. I acknowledge the need for new offices. However, I believe that the expenditure of $900,000, and potential for $13 million more, to develop a limited-purpose building is an excessive use of public funds, and not in the best interest of the community.

I support the idea of developing space for new town offices to better serve the needs of our community directors and staff. Considering the current economic climate and the limited scope of this project, I believe it is essential to exercise fiscal responsibility and explore more costeffective alternatives.

I kindly request the Board reconsider and reverse the decision made on May 17 to allocate $900,000 for building plans. Instead, I support the formation of a new ad-hoc committee that includes members of the public.

This committee could be responsible for conducting a thorough analysis of available options, including the potential purchase of one of the two large empty parcels in Discovery Bay.

By involving members of the public in the decision-making process, we can ensure that the community’s needs and opinions are adequately represented.

Brian McDonald

Hometown SportS

Discovery Bay MX racer places fifth in consolation race at Pro Motocross event

By Mike Subocz Correspondent

Round 2 of the AMA Pro Motocross championship was held at the Hangtown National track near Rancho Cordova on June 3.

Discovery Bay Pro Motocross racer Hunter Cross competed in the 250 Pro class. Despite an injury, he raced on his 125cc, 2-stroke machine. He normally races his 250cc 4-stroke bike. The lighter 125cc bike was more manageable based on his condition and is fun to ride.

Cross qualified 37th out of 65 racers. And with the top 36 racers going directly into the 2 moto race program, he was just a fraction of a second off the pace.

Up next was the consolation race, and Cross needed to finish in the top 4 spots to qualify into the 2 moto 250 Pro motocross championship race later that afternoon. Some 28 racers started, and Cross was mired mid pack around the first turn. During the 4-lap race, he charged toward the front, resulting in lap times up to 2 seconds faster than anybody else.

He finished fifth only a few bike lengths behind fourth place. Cross is scheduled to compete in round 3 in Colorado.

The winner of the 250 Pro race was Hunter Lawrence, followed by Justin Cooper and rookie Hayden Deegan.

Brentwood cornhole tournament winners

The Downtown Business Coalition held its third annual Bags & Brews cornhole tournament on May 28 in downtown Brentwood at First and Oak streets. Newcomers were in the Backyard division while veterans were in the Competitive division. The $75 entry fee covered both players on each team and a donation to local veterans organizations and custom event gear designed by Purpose-Built! About 80 teams competed in the roundrobin style tournament with the top three winning prizes. Competitors lined the streets of downtown Brentwood. Winners in the Backyard division: 1st- Ryder Maltbie and Devin Cozart, 2nd- Ryan Decker and LJ Decker, 3rd- Cole Philley and Chris Moyer. Winners in the Comp division: 1st- Ty Morris and Spencer Fabionar, 2nd- Hank Bonaparte and Danny Locatelli, 3rd- Tim Helms and Oscar Reyes.

visit www.thepress.net/multimedia

Discovery Bay Pro Motocross racer Hunter Cross placed fifth in a consolation race on June 3.

Photos by Mike Subocz

Photos courtesy of Downtown Brentwood Coalition To view a video of the event,

Submitted photo

Brentwood Pony Pinto Jr. Champions

After their season started in April, the Brentwood Pony Pinto Jr. Giants won both playoff games this last week to make it to the championship game in which they beat the Tigers. The players are 5-7 years old.

Here are the Giants players:

Adrian Ristau

Blake Crammer

Caanan Halog

Essa Fazli

Fabio Martin

Graham Rioux

Isaac Ramirez

Landon Peralta

Myles Nelson

Owen Garber

Ryan Fiance

Coaches:

Chris Ristau

Kevin Rioux

Nate Nelson

Jordan Halog

Jarrod Fiance

Dan Crammer

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EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS

Cop logs

A vehicle burglary was reported on Salice Way. The reporting party’s boyfriend’s vehicle was vandalized during the night, and tools were taken.

Brentwood – May 21, 3:19 p.m

The following is a selection of recent law enforecement activity:

OAKLEY

May 21, midnight. Suspicious circumstances were reported on Teakwood Drive/Fernwood Drive.

May 21, 6:06 a.m. A welfare check was conducted on Zinfandel Court/Zinfandel Drive.

May 21, 6:18 a.m. A suspicious person stopped at the McDonald’s in Oakley.

May 21, 6:39 a.m. A traffic hazard was reported on Neroly Road/Placer Drive.

May 21, 7:17 a.m. Terrorist threats were reported at the McDonald’s in Oakley.

May 21, 8:07 a.m. A civil disturbance was reported at the 5100 block on Claremont Lane.

May 21, 8:31 a.m. An arrest warrant was served on Main Street/E. Cypress Road.

May 21, 11:18 a.m. A brandishing of a weapon was reported at the 40 block on Monticello Court.

May 21, 11:58 a.m. A case of disturbing the peace was reported at the 100 block on Malicoat Avenue.

May 21, 1:14 p.m. A hit and run misdemeanor was reported at the 4100 block on Richard Way.

May 21, 1:26 p.m. A domestic disturbance was reported at the 70 block on Spotted Hen Court.

May 21, 1:53 p.m. A suspicious person was stopped at the Arco in Oakley.

May 21, 2:22 p.m. A reckless driver was reported on Stonegate Circle/Concannon Drive.

May 21, 4:34 p.m. A civil problem was reported at the 3800 block on Longhorn Lane.

May 21, 8:53 p.m. A welfare check was conducted at the 1000 block on Laurel Road.

May 21, 9:36 p.m. Suspicious circumstances were reported at the 2900 block on Terra Verde Lane.

May 21, 10:57 p.m. Suspicious circumstances were reported at the 1200 block on Sierra Trail Road.

May 21, 11:22 p.m. A possible shooting was reported at the 4500 block on Waterford Way.

May 22, 1:23 a.m. A suspicious vehicle was reported on Laurel Road/Empire Avenue.

May 22, 1:56 a.m. Suspicious circumstances were reported at the 300 block on Lakespring Place.

May 22, 6:10 a.m. A welfare check was reported at the 60 block on Carol Lane.

May 22, 7:01 a.m. A suspicious person was reported at the 4300 block on Neroly Road.

May 22, 8:20 a.m. A suspicious vehicle was reported at Laurel Elementary.

May 22, 9:30 a.m. A case of identity theft was reported at the 4100 block on Cherry Court.

May 22, 10:07 a.m. A case of brandishing a weapon was reported at the 40 block on Monticello Court.

May 22, 10:30 a.m. Suspicious circumstances were reported at the 40 block on Monticello Court.

May 22, 10:53 a.m. A case of credit card fraud was reported at the 5400 block on Neroly Road.

May 22, 12:13 p.m. A welfare check was conducted on Main Street/7th Street.

May 22, 12:15 p.m. A welfare check was conducted at the 300 block on Hazelnut Lane.

May 22, 2:49 p.m. A civil disturbance was reported at the Starbucks in Oakley.

May 22, 4:17 p.m. A missing adult was reported at the 4500 block on Tokay Drive.

May 22, 6:43 p.m. A reckless driver was reported at the 1200 block on Sierra Trail Road.

May 22, 8:31 p.m. A reckless driver was reported on Laurel Road/Empire Avenue

May 22, 8:42 p.m. A case of disturbing the peace at Carl’s Jr. in Oakley.

May 22, 8:52 p.m. A verbal dispute was reported at the 600 block on Marathon Drive.

May 22, 9:26 p.m. A threats complaint was reported at the 4300 block on E Summer Lake Drive.

May 22, 10:10 p.m. A suspicious person was reported at the 1200 block on Sierra Trail.

BRENTWOOD

May 21, 12:16 a.m. A fight involving seven males was reported on Oak Street.

May 21, 4:24 a.m. A petty theft was reported on Walnut Boulevard. Someone stole a bottle of wine and left.

May 21, 9:45 a.m. A case of vandalism was reported on Ranchwood Drive.

May 21, 10:59 a.m. A case of vandalism was reported on Pasco Drive.

May 21, 3:19 p.m. A vehicle burglary was reported on Salice Way. The reporting party’s boyfriend’s vehicle was vandalized during the night, and tools were taken.

May 21, 3:42 p.m. A hit and run with no injuries was reported on Second Street. A black Infiniti hit the reporting party’s vehicle while parked. The reporting party’s son-in-law witnessed the driver looking at the reporting party’s vehicle and then took off.

May 21, 4:39 p.m. A case of disturbing the peace was reported on Lone Tree Way. Woman bought a beer and was sitting and screaming at employees and customers inside the location.

May 21, 7:52 p.m. A case of forgery/fraud was reported on Lone Tree Way. The reporting party deposited money into an ATM. They later discovered fraudulent charges on the card from different states.

May 21, 10:44 p.m. A petty theft was reported on Salice Way. The reporting party’s catalytic converter was stolen.

May 21, 11:47 p.m. An armed robbery was reported on Chestnut Street. The reporting party’s son was robbed with a knife, his bag and wallet were taken.

May 22, 1:01 a.m. A case of disturbing the peace was reported on Brentwood Boulevard.

May 22, 8:13 a.m. An accident involving a school bus versus a facilities truck with no injuries was reported on Crawford Drive.

May 22, 10:23 a.m. A petty theft was reported on Sand Creek Road.

May 22, 2:55 p.m. A petty theft was reported on Balfour Road. Someone left with a large bag full of alcohol bottles.

May 22, 3:50 p.m. A case of vandalism was reported on Summerwood Drive.

May 22, 5:49 p.m. Suspicious circumstances were reported on Beau Avenue.

The reporting party stated an unknown juvenile showed up at their residence and said someone was chasing him and going to beat him up.

May 22, 6:32 p.m. A grand theft was reported on Sand Creek Road.

ANTIOCH

May 21, 1:22 a.m. A vehicle theft was reported at the 1200 block on San Jose Drive.

May 21, 3:35 a.m. An auto burglary was reported at the 300 block on Texas Street.

May 21, 5:54 a.m. A grand theft was reported at the 2500 block on Somersville Road.

May 21, 8:07 a.m. A vehicle theft was reported at the 0 block on Marine Plaza.

May 21, 10:40 a.m. A traffic accident with injuries was reported on Appaloosa Way/ Country Hills Drive.

May 21, 11:57 a.m. An auto burglary was reported at the 3100 block on Lone Tree Way.

May 21, 12:10 p.m. A grand theft was reported at the 1500 block on Crestview Drive.

May 21, 1:00 p.m. A grand theft was reported at the 5700 block on Lone Tree Way.

May 21, 2:25 p.m. An unwanted guest was reported at the 2400 block on Shadow Lane.

May 21, 3:51 p.m. A shooting at an occupied residence was reported at the 1800 block on Terrace Drive.

May 21, 5:05 p.m. An armed robbery was reported at the 4600 block on Lone Tree Way.

May 21, 5:19 p.m. Suspicious circumstances were reported at the 2900 block on Winding Lane.

May 21, 5:45 p.m. An armed robbery was reported at the 2800 block on Lone Tree Way.

May 21, 7:38 p.m. A traffic accident with injuries was reported on Lone Tree Way/ Deer Valley Road.

May 22, 12:34 a.m. An armed robbery was reported at the 3700 block on Sunset Lane.

May 22, 6:39 a.m. A residential burglary was reported at the 200 block on W. 7th Street.

May 22, 8:03 a.m. An aggravated assault was reported on Larkspur Drive/ Hillcrest Avenue.

May 22, 8:52 a.m. A threats complaint was reported at the 0 block on Spartan Way.

like ‘Hey, I think orchestra would be great,’” she said. Isaac added that the districts would deny the requests citing the area’s “band tradition” when it came to music education.

“I’m learning that Brentwood doesn’t have as many different school programs in general,” Zichil said. “If you look at what schools offer in places like San Ramon and Dublin, they have more programs. I feel like having the orchestra this year just proves that there are a bunch of kids and parents that are loving these programs that we should have.”

Brentwood Unified School District President Dana Eaton says that it’s not possible to add string orchestra into the curriculum due to the Governor’s budget cutting funding for music and arts programs.

“The board would have to decide to allocate resources for that,” Eaton said. “Right now there’s no additional resources for them to allocate. But I know that our board is going to look at having equitable programs, so they wouldn’t just have it at Adams, it would be at all the middle schools if that was a priority for them.”

If the district wants proof of how successful and beneficial adding orchestra to the music curriculum could be, they need to look no further than Adams’ Spring Concert on May 24.

“We had to do two nights because we had so many parents show up,” Fallon said, explaining that because of how big the music program has become with orchestra that they couldn’t fit all of the parents in the gym, along with all of the students.

Pet of the Week THE PRESS

Whether your dog is staying the day or the week, everyone becomes part of the pack at Delta Dog Camp in Antioch. The camp prides itself on one-on-one attention, helping your dog become confident with other dogs (big and small) and humans. Camp Staff keeps the dogs on a daily routine, and these pooches never get bored – just tired. Rain or shine, the pups play all day!

“The end goal was to give them a place to play together,” Reed said. “That’s what you play those instruments for, to play in a band. Musicians play together, so that’s the goal.”

To view a video, visit www.thepress.net / multimedia

The Adams Middle School string orchestra poses for a group photo with Beau Reed (standing right), one of the club’s coordinators and teachers at the school.

Photo courtesy Maria Zichil

Jessie A. Nudelman promoted to Partner

Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that Jessie A. Nudelman has been elevated to Partner. Nudelman is an accomplished Northern California trial attorney with extensive experience representing clients involved in complex tort litigation. Her expertise has been utilized in a wide range of the firm’s practice areas, across multiple industries, including general liability matters, motor vehicle and trucking accidents, premises liability, construction and design defect, fire loss, wrongful death, and landlord-tenant disputes. On behalf of our entire partnership, our congratulations to Jessie A. Nudelman on her well-deserved achievement. To reach Murchison & Cumming go to www.murchisonlaw.com

Milestones Milestones

Have you or someone you know recently reached a “milestone”?

If so, we’d like to know about it!

To place your announcement, complete the form at www.thepress.net/announcements

925-634-1441

Photo courtesy of Murchison & Cumming, LLP

Local group declares Brentwood area as ‘U-Pick Capital’

By Jake Menez Staff Writer

Harvest Time, a Brentwood organization that promotes agriculture tourism, has declared the Brentwood area the “U-Pick Capital” as a way to celebrate its long agricultural history.

The self-designated title comes after four years of research, according to Harvest Time President Jessica Enos. The organization looked into the history of the Brentwood area and other areas across the country to determine whether or not Brentwood was the oldest U-pick area in America. They found that it is the second oldest – behind an apple orchard in New York – but the oldest “this side of the Appalachian Mountains,” according to Enos.

“I think that for our area, it gives us a tangible name for something that we all already knew,” Enos said of the title. “We could not be more proud.”

Brentwood’s agricultural history dates to the 1940s, according to Enos, when housewives from other areas came to Brentwood for the peach crops to use in canning. The interest in U-pick really blossomed in the 1970s when large cherry crops, still a staple of the area today, became ripe and there was not enough labor to harvest the cherries. Harvest Time also came to be in the 1970s as a direct response to the popularity of U-pick.

Since then, U-pick has been a staple of the community, Enos said. Locals often frequent the farm stands during the week, while out-of-towners come by on weekends.

“People want to know where their food comes from,” she explained of the popularity of U-pick. Enos also said that Harvest Time frequently hears stories from people as far away as New York and Vietnam who come to the area to visit family and plan their visits to be around the same time as their favorite harvests.

Harvest Time will be celebrating the U-Pick Capital title with a series of video vignettes to premiere at events throughout the year and on their website. The videos will feature a history of the organization as well as a history of the area’s relationship with agriculture.

More information on Harvest Time, including an interactive map of in-season U-picks and more local agricultural history, can be found at https://harvestforyou. com/ and https://upickcapital.com/

To view a video, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia

ENOS

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college’s aim towards inclusivity, that more can be done.

“(The event) was really nice,” said Jeffrey Bui, a Class of 2023 graduate from Los Medanos and the previous student-body president. “It’s just a bit difficult because most of the people here are faculty. We have a couple of students, but I’d personally love to see more students, but it’s just hard because it’s the summer. Maybe there could be another day within the semester for students to come and organize with them like this.”

Rosa Armendariz, the Interim Dean of Equity and Inclusion at LMC, confirms that more events like Monday’s flag-raising ceremony are in the works at the college.

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“We’ve worked on different components, but we’re still building quite a bit on the campus,” Armendariz said. “For this initiative with the Pride work, we’re also thinking about designating certain months nationally that are important so we’ll do the activity like today, but throughout the year. We’ll continue to have sessions, whether it’s documentaries, events, celebrations, experiences with students, and we’ll support that throughout the year.”

The ceremony comes at a time when the LGBTQ community around the country has been constantly under attack, especially from several state governments.

“LGBTQ students make up at least 15 percent of our (school’s) population,”

scribed examples of some of the historic and cultural resources damaged by the planned Delta tunnel including not recognizing the Delta’s status as a cultural landscape valued by California Native American tribes, Delta residents, and its visitors.

Additionally, the environmental report focuses on built environment resources such as historic buildings and archaeological sites rather than the larger cultural landscape surrounding them. The Chinese residents of the Delta community of Locke, as an example, worked the orchards and farms surrounding the town. The commission argues that damage to these orchards and farms could potentially harm Locke’s status as a National Historic Landmark.

Furthermore, the report identifies built resources that the tunnel would damage, such as parts of the Sacramento River town of Hood, the Victory Highway (Highway 160), historic riverside orchards, and Roberts Island.

Additionally, the report’s assessment of factors that would damage the setting for historic properties is also deemed to be inadequate by the commission, failing to take in account noise and visual impacts through the introduction of project facilities and consequential removal of structures and vegetation. However, the environmental report has also acknowledged that the proposals to alleviate these impacts would not prevent significant harm.

A survey of cultural resources affected by the potential construction of the Delta Tunnel was completed in March 2023 to ensure the commission’s efforts to protect the Delta’s historic resources from damage by the tunnel were based on the best available information.

The survey proposes that areas in the Delta affected by the planned tunnel are part of a “significant cultural landscape,” it identified more than 60 historic resources in the

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in history. Ralston joins the ranks along with Diablo Valley College president Susan Lamb and Contra Costa College president Kimberly Rogers.

“Susan Lamb and Kimberly Rogers are absolutely exceptional human beings, and it feels like we work together well,” Ralston said. “I’m very excited about working with them.”

Part of Ralston’s initial challenges at LMC is addressing how to increase the school’s enrollment. Ralston explained that while community college enrollment is declining nationally, some of the schools in California are starting to stabilize, and that there’s “a lot more to do.”

Ralston and her team have put together a to-do list as she transitions into the permanent role as president.

“We made some preliminary plans, we have a list together of what we wanted the permanent president to tackle, and now that we’ll have a permanent president, we’ll start

Green said to those attending. “We have to talk back to the talking points and say that our existence isn’t up for debate.”

The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 491 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S., a majority of which are based in the U.S. and throughout the South and also a majority of which are education and healthcare related. The ACLU also reports that there have been more than 100 bills attacking transgender people introduced in state legislatures since 2020.

In California, Assembly Bill 1314 was defeated in committee in April. It would have required California school districts to notify parents if they discover that the student’s gender is different than that as-

Delta potentially affected by the tunnel, drew on information from the Commission’s Delta Narratives report and further supplemented by additional staff research and reviews by historians, landscape architects, Delta community organizations and residents, and staff at the affected counties.

The survey also describes types of features that the tunnel may affect such as:

• landscapes, much of which is agricultural

• communities

• people

• structures

• adjoining farms and riverbanks along the Sacramento River and Highway 160

• the tunnel boring machine launch shaft sites and tunnel muck storage sites on Twin Cities Road and Roberts Island

• tunnel boring machine retrieval shaft sites in San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties.

In the meantime, the Delta Protection Commission, affected Delta counties, and the United Auburn Indian Community are meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers about protecting cultural and historic resources under the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 while DWR and the engineers are preparing responses to public and agency comments on the state and federal environmental reports.

The Corps has prepared two drafts of a Section 106 agreement, a first step to comply with Section 106. They lay out key steps in applying Section 106 to the tunnels project, a general timeline for compliance, as well as the roles of the responsible agencies, while also including opportunities for the public to participate.

According to a newsletter from the Delta Protection Commission, The United Auburn Indian Community, Delta Protection Commission staff, and affected Delta counties

working our way through that,” she said. “It includes things like more concrete planning for the next year, developing and improving on our marketing plan, and working with our partners. The transition feels like getting to make more formal commitments and giving a follow-through on some big ideas that we talked about.”

She said she aims to do the same thing as her recent experience as president at Santiago Canyon College (SCC) at LMC starting this fall. At SCC, she worked closely with that community to develop the partnerships with the school, including businesses and the other K-12 schools until she left there in August 2021.

“We’re located right in the middle of everything in Pittsburg, and now at our new site in Brentwood,” she said. “What we’re kind of pulling forward with us is how we’re reengaging after the pandemic. We are building back on some of our previous strengths and reconsidering what the com-

signed at birth.

“We want people to be proud of who they are,” said Robyn Kuslits, a transgender Navy veteran and the president of the Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County in Concord. “It’s really disappointing to see a lot of these attacks on young people and our youth.”

Pride Month is celebrated in June in honor of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, the spark of the modern-day LGBTQ+ rights movement. It recognizes and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community while also acknowledging the continued struggles for equality and acceptance.

have responded with comments that ask the Corps to:

• Recognize the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area and evaluate the Delta as a historically significant cultural landscape.

• Avoid arbitrary limits on the area evaluated for potential harm to cultural resources and instead evaluate impacts from the full range of tunnel effects including noise, visual impacts, traffic congestion, and potential building abandonment.

• More thoroughly describe how Delta residents can review and comment on information about historical properties affected by the project, including historic property surveys, findings of effect, and historic property treatment plans.

Share all but confidential reports prepared about cultural resources and their protection with other parties to the agreement, including the commission, counties, and tribes.

Additionally, the public can get signing up for the Delta Protection Newsletter by following this link at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CNRA/signup/31774, and are further encouraged to share the newsletter with Delta historians, community groups, and those who are knowledgeable about Delta history and have an interest in its future.

In the meantime, the Army Corps of Engineers is considering and preparing responses to comments on the environmental report from the Commission and others. The final environmental statement is anticipated to be completed and published in 2024, according to the Delta commission newsletter.

For more information on the Delta Conveyance Project, visit https://water.ca.gov/deltaconveyance.

For more information on the Delta Protection Commission, visit https://delta.ca.gov/ To comment, visit www.thepress.net

munity needs of us now.”

“We’ll be doing kind of more targeted enrollment approaches in the next couple of years,” she added. “We have noticed a dip in our older working adult population. The economy has been in a transitional period. Usually when the economy struggles, our enrollment goes up because people think that if they’re not working enough right now, they should consider education as an opportunity.”

Along with what Ralston plans to do with LMC going forward, she emphasized the importance and the value that community colleges bring to its own community.

“What community college can do is absolutely transformative work for every single person that our community can benefit from,” she said. “We’ve helped our business communities by creating incredible staff and we’re sometimes an incubator and a thought partner for what could happen next.

“I want us to be a community across

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the eastern part of our county. We accept everyone. We have a 100 percent acceptance rate, and what we’re able to do for students is life changing.”

Los Medanos College’s fall semester starts on Aug. 21.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net

Fire season is back, and how to prevent blazes

For The Press

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District says it is returning to full fire responses for all grass, vegetation, and wildfires across the district because of the arrival of seasonal fire weather, Con Fire said in a press release.

Full responses include a minimum of five firefighting apparatus and crews. Since November 16, 2022, such responses had been limited to a single engine based on the reduced threat during winter months.

Con Fire also reminds residents to weed their lawns to reduce the amount of fuel for a fire.

These are the most important things owners can do to ensure firefighters have the time and ability to better defend their properties from wildfires. If not already done, now is the time to ensure properties meet or exceed – and continue to meet or exceed throughout seasonal fire danger weather – all weed abatement and defensible space requirements.

This week, fire prevention inspectors are conducting compliance inspections across the district, and issuing citations if necessary for non-compliant properties that put owners and their neighbors in danger. After a brief notification process, properties in continued violation will be abated by the district at considerable owner expense that will appear as a tax lien on their property.

“Seasonal fire danger is once again upon us, later than in recent years, but potentially more dangerous with what will clearly be an abundant crop of dried fuels resulting from winter rains,” said Fire Chief Lewis Broschard, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “I urge all residents to prepare for wildfires now by practicing weed abatement and defensible space creation and reviewing plans for evacuation, including learning your new evacuation zone.”

Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal Chris Bachman, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. added: “Experience shows the resident who abates weeds, creates defensible space, and hardens structures to resist wind blown embers today can make a difference. “Owner preparation of properties is the single most effective thing that can be done to save homes and businesses from wildfire threats,” Bachman said. “Investment in fire safe preparation today can buy the time tomorrow for firefighters to arrive and protect homes and businesses from wildfire loss.” This year’s return to full vegetation fire responses comes a few weeks later than the previous year owing to extended rainy spring weather.

Though a delayed start, spring rains, preceded by winter rains, are resulting in an exceptional crop of vegetation across the county and the threat of a challenging wildfire season.