Antioch Press_03.19.10

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Vol. 10, No. 12 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER March 19, 2010

This Week

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Puttin on the squeeze

In a hard-fought NCS playoff clash, Deer Valleys ferocious defense made North Salinas cry Stop the presses! Page 1B

Plus: Calendar ............................ 19BClassifieds ......................... 13BEntertainment ................... 9BFood .................................... 10BHealth & Beauty ................ 8BOpinion ..............................10ASports ................................... 1B

Center offers free income tax assistance

Nothing is certain except death and taxes, as the grim saying goes. The deadline for the former is unknown for most of us; but as for the latter, we know all too well that the taxman cometh on April 15. Which means most of us will be spending many hours in the next few weeks struggling with things like entering on line 5 the total of any amounts from Form 2555 lines 45 and 50; Form 2555-EZ line 18; and Form 4563 line 15 while making sure to exclude in-come from Puerto Rico.

Fortunately, if youve been unfortunate enough to earn less than $52,000 in 2009, you can avail yourself of free help in fi lling out your tax forms. There are seven

locations in East County where a volunteer will personally help you fi ll out the forms or where you can join a group led by a person guid-ing you through those forms. The

service is part of the United Ways Earn It! Keep It! Save It! pro-gram that last year helped 47,166 Bay Area households claim $47 million in refunds.

Rene Tucker, site coordina-tor for the Eastbay Works Career Center in Brentwood and An-tioch, has been involved in the tax help program for more than seven years. As the economy has worsened, the interest in getting free tax help has increased, she said. Last year the Brentwood site helped prepare 170 tax returns. As of last week they had already assisted 160 people in Brentwood and nearly as many in Antioch with still a month to go before the fi ling deadline.

One of the big advantages of the program is that it helps ensure you get as much of a refund or tax credit as you are owed, assuming you qualify. Last year the Brent-wood center helped clients receive

see Income tax page 8A

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

Claire Partida of Antioch, left, receives tax help from Rene Tucker, site coordinator for the Eastbay Works Career Center in Brentwood.

Photo by Dave Roberts

Sneak peek at community centerAbout 100 people braved the Arctic wind

whipping through the skeleton of the Antioch Community Center Saturday morning to consume refreshments, listen to speeches and preview the long-awaited facility in Prewett Park.

The sneak peek was the fi rst opportunity for the public to view up close the structural foundation of the $26 million center that in-cludes a gymnasium, community hall and kitchen accommodating 300-plus people, preschool rooms, meeting rooms, a technol-ogy lab, outdoor patio, amphitheater and a library annex known as the Gateway Center for Learning (GCL).

The community center has been a gleam in the eye of city offi cials for more than 20 years. I think I was just out of diapers when we had the fi rst groundbreaking (for Prewett Park), joked gray-bearded Deputy Recre-ation Director Dave Sanderson at the centers groundbreaking a year ago.

The facilitys cost has been borne by thousands of southeast Antioch residents who have been paying additional Mello-Roos taxes on their property for much of the past

two decades. City offi cials, led by former Mayor Don Freitas, tried several years ago to get the tax extended in order to pay for both a community center and a full library. But the Mello-Roos Board rejected that idea, prefer-ring to pay off the tax earlier and provide only a community center.

Gary Agopian, chairman of the GCL committee that sponsored Saturdays preview, made sure to thank Mello-Roos residents for making the center possible. We have been paying for this facility for some time, and now


see Center page 9A

Gary Agopian addresses the hardy souls who turned out on a cold Saturday morning to preview the Antioch Community Center, which is due to open in November.

Photo by Dave RobertsMagnificent metropolisA grass-roots movement plans a citywide cleanup to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Page 6A

Dollars and Census

Many residents dont realize that if they ignore the 2010 Census, federal funds will ignore them. Page 3A

Online Now!

www.thepress.netYour Hometown Web Site

Folks get needed money for uneeded stuff at Yesterdays Treasure.

Consigned to cash go to multimedia/videos

New statistics offer an inside look at the state of home sales in East County.

Housing updatego to news/WebExtras!

Environmental reports for the Los Vaqueros expan-sion are in the books.

Water wideninggo to news/press releases

MARCH 19, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

2010 Census is more than a head countHave you sent in your 2010 Census questionnaire

yet? More than 120 million households received Census forms this week, and the U.S. Census Bureau is encour-aging everyone to respond as soon as possible.

The Census takes place every 10 years, as it has since 1790, to get a head count of the nations popula-tion, but since the number of a states representatives in Congress is determined by its population, Census data is also used to determine that crucial fi gure. The other function of the Census is to guide government agencies in the allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds to state and local governments.

Using Census data, money is distributed to com-munities across the country to fund public works proj-ects, enhance education, provide additional emergency services and retrofi t hospitals. Money is also given to state and local governments to build and fi x roadways. On a broader scale, the Census serves as a snapshot of America, spotting economic and social trends.

Brentwood resident Roland Fernandez, a Census partnership assistant based out of the Contra Costa County Census headquarters in Concord, said the motto of this years Census is its easy, its safe and its important. According to Fernandez, each person in Contra Costa County who participates in the Census will bring $11,450 in funding for local programs.

If 100 people return the form, thats more than a million dollars in funding to be used in the county. So the more people who participate, the more money well get to support our local programs.

Fernandez added that fi lling out the Census form is required by the Constitution.

Thursday, April 1, is Census Day. In a perfect

world, the Census Bureau will have received all of the Census forms by then, but chances are, as with the last Census in 2000, more than 40 million households will fail to respond. In 2000, Contra Costa County record-ed a participant rate of 75 percent, while Californias

was 73.Replacement forms will be sent to households in

April as a friendly reminder to encourage participation, and if the Bureau hasnt received anything from you by May, the Non-response Follow-up process begins and a Census taker will visit your residence.

Fernandez said the 2010 Census form is so easy to fi ll out (the questionnaire is only 10 questions long) that it will take no more than 10 minutes to complete quick work compared to the 50-plus question Census forms of the 19th century.

Census assistants understand that some people, es-pecially illegal immigrants, might be reluctant to par-ticipate in the Census, consider the questionnaire an invasion of privacy, and question how the information will be used and who will have access to it. Fernandez responded that by law, Census information is kept con-fi dential. Members of the Bureau take an oath to pro-tect respondents individual information. As the Census is used to provide demographic statistics not single out individuals federal agencies such as the FBI and IRS may not request to look at the Census fi les.

To emphasize the importance of participating in the Census, the City of Oakley showed an information-al video at last weeks council meeting and posted mes-sages about the Census to rotate on the plasma screens located in the Council Chambers.

The Census is the way for communities like Oak-ley to make sure we get our fair share of federal and state distributed revenues, said Oakley City Manager Bryan Montgomery. We know some are hesitant to fi ll out the forms, but it is a civic duty, whether you are a citizen or immigrant.

For more information about the Census, visit www.2010.census.gov.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

The 2010 Census should have arrived in your mail-box this week. Filling out the 10-question form will help bring millions of dollars to East County to help fund public works projects, emergency services and education programs for public schools.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MARCH 19, 2010

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3 Bedr -2 bath on a corner lot. Family room has a cozy fireplace and separate living/dining room for entertaining.

Antioch $164,900

Nice home, Some updating in kitchen, some newer custom cabinets, new counters, hardwood floors, fireplace in living rm. new A/C and heater with permits Cabinets in garage , lots of fruit trees.Pittsburg $110,000

Summerset IV stunning Cascade. No need to preview this beauty. Two master suites w/full bath + office/den.Wood floors in kit & entry, stainless appl, w/walk in pantry, granite counter tops. Park like backyard. Brentwood $599,000

Great floor plan 3 bedroom - 2 bath. Kitchen has tiled counter tops including a breakfast bar and kitchen nook.area and for extra guests entertain in your formal dining room.

Brentwood $249,900

Wow! 4 bedroom - 2 bath home on a large 13,100 Sq. Ft. lot with great size side yard access.

Oakley $224,900

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Brentwood $529,000

Cute 3 bedroom - 2 bath single story w/ great location. Walking distance to school. Nice yard w/ covered patio, open kitchen, living, dining & family rooms.

Oakley $210,000

Lions Club speech winner moves ahead

Whenever Kristina Wegryn feels those fi rst fl ut-ters in her stomach, she knows success isnt far be-hind.

Im used to that feeling and I know what it means, said Kristina, a senior at Heritage High School. Its when I dont get them that I know Im in trouble.

Luckily for Kristina, the butterfl ies were in abun-dance on March 11 as she stepped up to the podium to deliver her speech on heath care reform at the Li-ons Club Student Speaker competition. The 73rd an-nual event held at locations throughout East Coun-ty and divided into regional and district competitions is a springboard for high school students looking to improve their public speaking skills and, in some cases, their bank accounts. Cash prizes for the multi-tiered program total more than $20,000.

Its a longstanding program whose purpose is to foster independent thinking and give students an op-portunity to speak on a number of topics, said Joyce Sutay, chair of the student speaker competition. So many doors can open for you if you can express your-self well, if you are organized and can say what you want to say with confi dence. This program offers that opportunity to students.

And Kristina has taken full advantage of it. Shes a phenomenal writer and speaker and shes done a really great job with this (competition), said Kathi Timmons, Kristinas mom. Shes very focused; shes kind of an old soul.

This latest competition was Kristinas third go-around at the Lions speech contest, an event she be-

came involved with as a freshman at the urging of her English teacher Roger Haley.

My interest was really sparked by Mr. Haley when he introduced me to the speech competition, said Kristina. He knew that I loved writing and he liked my essays. Hes really been a kind of mentor to me.

Since her fi rst speech, Kristina has waxed poetic on a number of topics for the Lions competition, in-cluding global warming, immigration and the Califor-nia water crisis. This years topic health care reform has placed Kristina in the running for the regional competition in April. If successful, she will move on to the district level where fi rst prize is $4,500 and then on to the area fi nals, where the prize is $6,400. The fi nal state round will garner the winner $10,000.

Any winnings Kristina receives will go into the Brentwood residents bank account while she heads off to the Air Force Academy next winter and pur-sues a career in linguistics. I just want to get high school out of the way and move on, she said. For now, Kristina is focusing on graduation and polish-ing her speechcraft for the next round of competi-tion.

What I like about the (speech) competition is that its something different that no one else really does, she said. I like to speak in public, and I like to voice my opinion, so this is good for me. Its defi -nitely helped me become more confi dent in front of people.

Im just so excited to hear that Kristina has won and will move on, said Sutay. Shes a very focused, articulate young woman. I think shell do very well; I think she has what it takes.


by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

Kristina Wegryn will be competing in the next round of the California Lions Student Speaker Contest. If success-ful, the Heritage High School senior could win a total of $20,000.

Photo courtesy of Kathi Timmons


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Scout honored for tribute project

Oakley City Council meetings dont typically feature brief intermissions for photo shoots, but last weeks meeting was different.

After Mayor Pat Anderson delivered a proclamation to soon-to-be Eagle Scout Carl Smith, Councilwoman Carol Rios stepped down from the dais to play hon-orary photographer, snapping photos of Smith and his family posing proudly with Anderson.

The City of Oakley honors Eagle Scout recipients on a regular basis, but Smiths story, like the council photo-op, is different as well. As a Boy Scout of Troop 93, Smith earned 36 badges when only 21 are required for Eagle Scout promotion. Smith, a senior at Liberty High School, also decided to make his community service project, a requirement to achieve Eagle status, a personal mission to honor one of his best friends, Tyler Toal.

Tyler Toal was a friend of mine who had passed away in an accident, and the student body felt he needed to memorial-ized, Smith said at the council meeting. So I had the idea of making a bench for him at the center of our quad.

Smith came up with the design for the bench and had it specially ordered, using money garnered during a car wash fundraiser at Liberty last summer. The cardinal-colored bench, inscribed with

the message In Loving Memory of Tyler Toal, was installed at Liberty last No-vember.

Toal died Feb. 4, 2009 in an ATV accident. He was known for passion for extreme sports including dirt biking, snowboarding, wakeboarding and wake surfi ng. He was only 16.

Smith said that he and his friends sit at the memorial bench every day at lunch unless its raining.

Its a great part of Liberty High School and its always going to be there, Smith said.

Anderson applauded Smith for his tribute to his friend, saying that it was a wonderful way to honor Toals memory.

Smith will offi cially achieve his Eagle Scout status during a special court of honor held on Sunday, April 11 at Brent-woods Veterans Hall.


by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Future Eagle Scout Carl Smith of Boy Scout Troop 93 received a proclamation from the City of Oakley read by Mayor Pat Anderson at last weeks council meeting.

Photo by Samie Hartley

A grass roots effort to help keep Antioch clean is taking off, and now participants will also have a chance to take off for the Magic Kingdom.

The Keep Antioch Beautiful effort, spearheaded by City Councilwoman Martha Parsons, piggybacks on the Antioch Police Department and Rivertown Preservation Societys monthly neighborhood cleanups by organizing a one-day citywide cleanup on April 17 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day (April 22).

Among the individuals and organizations supporting this event are the Antioch Unifi ed School District, Kiwanis of the Delta, Antioch Military Families & Friends, Antioch Historical Society, Neighborhood

Watch members, the Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, UCBN, Target

Stores, and the Crime Prevention Commission.

The committee is actively seeking volunteers to help

promote a cleaner and safer Antioch. To sign up for the event, visit www.art4antioch.org or call 925-779-6137. You can also

follow developments on the Keep Antioch Beautiful Group on Facebook (which has already attracted more than 200 friends). As of Tuesday, the total number of volunteer sign-ups was

approaching 500. Sponsorships from Allied Waste

($4,100) and from PG&E ($3,500) have defrayed the costs to the City of Antioch and its staff in these tough economic times. In addition, Allied Waste will also provide dumpsters and cleanup supplies such as trash grippers, latex gloves and buckets for glass. Honeywell is sponsoring a thank-you lunch at Contra Loma Regional Park for the events volunteers who work in the morning.

Antioch Unifi ed School District schools are providing the gathering locations for each neighborhood, and dumpsters will be located on school property. Teachers will be incorporating the effort into curriculum, supporting a student poster contest and encouraging students and their families to be involved in the cleanup.

Those interested in helping with this effort by volunteering or through sponsorship should call Parsons at 925-890-2665 or e-mail [email protected].

Effort growing to Keep Antioch Beautiful


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FEBRUARY WINNER

Ken Bergmanns Percussion Discussion is a hysterical romp through the worlds of percussion instruments, traditional and uncanny; music from Bach to rap; a simulated rock concert, Hollywood sound effects and vintage radio shows. Through a grant from the Keller Canyon Mitigation Trust Fund, the Antioch Music Foundation sponsored three shows on Feb. 26 at the El Campanil Theatre for 1,600 third-graders from the Antioch Uni ed School District. Here, Ken demonstrates how to get a head in ones work.

Percussion Discussion

Photo by Malcolm Hunter

Antioch Historical Societys Sports Legends Program will offer four $500 scholarships to male and female athletes at Antioch and Deer Valley high schools for the fi rst time this year. Seniors gradu-ating in June of 2010 are invited to apply.

Students must earn a 3.0 grade point average or above and have participated in a varsity sports program.

Applicants must be seeking full-time enrollment at a community college, four-

year college, or vocational school. Ap-plicants may stop by the career center at either high school to pick up an applica-tion packet. Applications may also be picked up at the Antioch Historical Soci-ety Sports Legends Offi ce on Wednesday or Saturday between 1 and 4 p.m. The deadline for application is March 21. Ap-plicants will be reviewed and selected by a committee of the Antioch Sports Legends Program.

Legendary scholarships


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NEW SHORT SALE PROGRAMThere is a new government program that

goes into effect April 5, 2010 called HAFA, which stands for Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives. This could either be sweeping change that completely revolutionizes the way that short sales are handled in a positive way, or it could be another well-intentioned government program that sounds good at first, but falls flat during implementation because of the fine print.

THE GOOD NEWS: HAFA tries to force lenders to consider a short sale before they can foreclose if your loan modification doesnt work out. Lenders will have to let you know what amount they will take on a short sale PRIOR to you putting it on the market, whats called a pre-approved short sale. They also cant pursue you after the short sale for a deficiency. They will pay up to $3,000 to satisfy any junior liens, and theyll even give you $1,500 relocation funds to help you move.

THE BAD NEWS: Not every loan qualifies for this, and not every lender is participating. The property must be your principal residence, only applies to first liens taken out on or before

1/1/09, must be delinquent or you are about to default, current balance must be equal to or less than $729,750, and your total mortgage pay-ment must exceed 31% of your gross income. Even if your loan qualifies, its still up to your lender to decide if a short sale or a foreclosure is in their best interests, and what price they put on the short sale. And while you are in the HAFA program, you have to start making payments to your lender equal to 31% of your gross income. Another concern is that if the short sale isnt successful, you may be agreeing to an automatic deed-in-lieu of foreclosure action. And lastly (and this could be the biggest glitch by far) if you have a 2nd loan on your home, and they wont accept the $3,000 and/or they wont agree to give up the right to pursue you after the short sale, your HAFA short sale may fall apart. More info to follow

If you have questions on this or any other real estate topic, call me at (925) 240-MOVE (6683). To search the MLS for free and view virtual tours of homes for sale, go to: www.SharpHomesOnline.com. Sharp Realty

Museum set to openThe East Contra Costa Historical Soci-

ety holds its annual Opening Day Celebra-tion on March 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., fea-turing new displays of the Byron Hot Springs and Donner Party, WPA paintings of John Marsh, and a 1920 magicians costume from the Brentwood Theater. The Society has also recently restored a 1947 Dodge truck used by the Byron Fire Department, and welcomes visitors to get their picture taken with it.

Opening Day guests are also invited to bring their cars of interest for all the see at the celebrations car show. Music will be pro-vided by popular DJ Jared and his family, hot dogs will be fi red up by Ed and his Angels, and vendors will offer handmade items for sale.

The event also features tours of the 1878

farmhouse, originally owned by the Byer and Nail families; plus antique farm tractors, Model Ts, a caboose, fi re trucks, Homers Tool Shed and the museum store. The stores collection includes books about Camp Tracy (the prisoner of war camp located at By-ron Hot Springs), the original Byron Hot Springs resort and many others pertaining to East County and the Delta. Museum tours are free, but donations are appreciated. Pro-ceeds go toward keeping the Society and its museum in operation for another year.

The East Contra Costa Historical Soci-ety Museum is open every Saturday and the third Sunday of the month, April through October, from 2 to 4 p.m. For more informa-tion, call Dave or Joyce at 925-679-1024.

Relay status: Code PurpleThe American Cancer Societys Relay

for Life is a life-changing experience that gives people in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fi ght back against the disease.

Oakleys Relay for Life will be held May 1 and 2. To raise awareness, Oakley Relay or-ganizers and volunteers will be painting the town purple beginning Monday, March 29. The goal of the campaign is to place purple ribbons throughout the community in front yards and on businesses to remind residents about the upcoming Relay event.

Participants may pick up purple ribbon at Civic Center Plaza, 3231 Main St., on March 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. or decorate with their own materials. Everyone is welcome to join in this weeklong campaign.

If you choose to participate, remem-ber to get permission before putting up decorations on private property. For safety purposes and in order to adhere to Oakleys municipal code, residents are asked to not decorate light poles, stop signs, stop lights and telephone poles.

For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org/oakleyca.


more than $76,000 in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refunds, and more than $200,000 in total federal refunds.

A lot of low-income people arent aware that they qualify for the EITC and wind up missing out on thousands of free federal dollars, according to Tucker. To qualify, you need to be 25 or older, have a social security number and earn $13,000 or less if you have no children (you can earn more, depending on the number of children, and still qualify). Many might also miss out on the new making work pay credit of up to $400 ($800 for a married couple).

While its not a lot of fun poring through the minutiae of tax forms, sched-ules and worksheets, its worth it to be able to help people in need. One of the reasons I volunteer at all is the more human side, said Tucker, citing the example of a young woman with several children. She had lost her job and, while waiting for her appoint-ment for tax help, availed herself of the career center resources and found a job. She was able to save up enough money to purchase her fi rst home with the help of a federal tax credit. When she found out she was going to get $10,000, she jumped up and grabbed the volunteer, said Tucker. She was ecstatic. Thats really the reason why we do it.

The following locations offer free tax help at the following times (appointments are recommended) for those who earned less than $52,000 last year: The Eastbay Works Career Center, 281 Pine St. in Brentwood; phone: 925-427-

8516; hours: Wednesday, 5-9 p.m., Thurs-day, 5-9 p.m. The Eastbay Works Career Center, 4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch; phone: 925-706-4830; hours: Tuesday, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday, April 5 and 12, 5-9 p.m. Mt. Diablo Regional YMCA, 1250 OHara Ave., Oakley; phone: 925-625-9333; hours: Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Brentwood Senior Center, 195 Griffi th Lane, Brentwood; phone: 925-516-5444; hours: Wednesday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Antioch Senior Center, 415 W. Second St., Antioch; phone: 925-778-1158; hours: Thursday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Brighter Beginnings, 512 W. Fifth St., An-tioch; phone: 877-427-7134; hours: Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Opportunity Junction, 3102 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch; phone: 925-776-1133; hours: weekends and evenings (see the schedule at www.opportunityjunction.org/taxes).

Youll need to bring the following items: photo identifi cation (for you and your spouse, if fi ling jointly); Social Secu-rity card or ITIN for each family member; W-2 forms for all jobs held in 2009 and all 1099 or 1098 forms; child care provider in-formation; landlords name, address and phone number for the California renters credit; a voided check for direct deposit of your refund; and last years tax return.

For more information on the tax help program, go online to www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.


Income Tax from page 1ATrevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

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Th is previous weekend amazing weather and all I headed out on the infamous Delta for the fourth time in my entire life. Aft er each adventure, aft er we dock the boat for the day and Im driving home, I always think to myself, there is so much untapped land throughout this area. Certain pockets of the Deltas canals are legally zoned as rural areas, and as such allow for special fi nancing off ers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Th ese loans, known as USDA Home Loans, are very unique in that they are one of the only remaining ways to obtain 100% fi nancing thats right, there is no down payment required. In theory, the government is allowing for the foundation in which this nation was built to stay alive. By off ering low to moderate income families the ability to purchase new (constructed within the last 12 months), or existing (constructed more than 12 months ago) homes in cities that have a population of no more than 10,000, the spirit of the mid 1800s is truly still alive. Certain areas with a population up to 25,000 can still be consideredeach USDA Home Loan is run through the nationwide to system

to see ensure the property is eligible. Either way, our local areas such as Knightsen, Bethel Island, and even parts of Discovery Bay are very much able to participate in this federally insured program.

For this program, you dont need to be a fi rst time home buyer you just need to be a low- to moderate-income buyer. If your annual income is less than $95,000 for a family of 1-4 people, or less than $125,400 for a family of more than 4 people, you may be able to take advantage of this 100% fi nancing program.

Mark Twain and Will Rogers alike shared a sentiment. As Twain stated, Buy land, theyre not making it anymore. Our current fi nancial markets are in turmoil and constantly looking to rebound, however one thing is for sure, the value of land will rebound. With the Federal Government truly off ering no money out of pocket purchasing, now could very well be the best time since Mark Twains death in 1910 to purchase a home!

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, dont hesitate to write me at [email protected] or call me directly at 925-726-1444.

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it is being built, he said. Im very excited about that.

The GCL Committee has been raising funds to provide desks, chairs and comput-ers in the 1,500-square-foot library annex. More than $20,000 has been raised so far from Dow Chemical, the Keller Canyon Landfi ll Mitigation Fund, Dow Credit Union and Antioch residents.

County Librarian Anne Cain noted that the GCL isnt quite the $12 mil-lion full-scale library once envisioned for Prewett (although there is room next to the community center for it if funding becomes available), but she welcomed the annex as a major addition to library services in a city with a large number of children. Currently Antioch has only one library, a heavily uti-lized facility on East 18th Street.

We are really, really excited about this, said Cain. If you cant have every-thing that you want, what is it that you can do with what you have? Thats exactly whats happened here. In building the com-munity center here, the City Council asked that we try to provide library services and do the best that we can.

The GCL will provide a take-out and drop-off service for the 1.4 million books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and other items circulating throughout the countys 25-li-brary system. Cain noted that much of the rest of the center would also provide usable space for library activities, particularly the technology lab, classroom spaces, outdoor patio and amphitheater.

Theres a big focus in public librar-

ies now in making sure that very young children are ready for their reading skills, she said. Well be focusing on some early literacy programs both here and at the li-brary in downtown. So the Gateway con-cept is for both of the libraries bringing together the technology hubs in both of them, focusing on early literacy and then focusing on popular, heavily used collec-tions that will be here. So we are really, re-ally thrilled.

Agopian noted the popularity of the expanded after-school hours at the Deer Valley High library across the street from the community center. The turnout has been amazing, he said. You would not believe how many kids are studying, get-ting resources and doing better in school because of their ability to access that li-brary. So having this facility here (at the community center) is a key part of mak-ing our community a better place to live. Maybe it will be the genesis of a full-blown library in the future.

The center is scheduled to hold its grand opening in early November. One of the big questions yet to be answered is where the funding will come from to pro-vide ongoing operation and maintenance for it. City offi cials have been making ma-jor budget cuts, including laying off staff, to deal with a defi cit, and more cuts are expected in the budget year starting in July. Money to keep the center staffed and open all day every day could be tight.

For more information, go online to www.antiochgatewaycenters.org.


Center from page 1A

10A | THEPRESS.NET MARCH 19, 2010

OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY National

AwardWinning NewspapersHave you got something to say? Visit www.thepress.net and let your thoughts be known.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORRaises disappointing

Editor:Open letter to Dr. Merrill Grant

Brentwood Union School District:Dr. Grant, we received your letter on

Friday regarding the budget cut at Brent-wood schools. I have to say that this is the most disappointing letter that I have ever received.

My husband and I are very familiar with step increases, as he has been a fi refi ght-er most of his life and is currently employed with a local fi re department. My husbands COLA increases through the union were deferred so that their budget wouldnt take such a big hit with the struggling economy.

I myself have forgone pay increases and bonus monies so that I can keep my employ-ment. I must say that I am quite ashamed of your behavior and the behavior of the other board members who took money from a struggling school district to pay yourselves.

While I understand step increases, I would think that in this economy, instead of making my children suffer and have teachers lose their jobs, you and the other board members should have shown more honorable behavior. Your vision of centering the academic program on the whole child should have included doing everything you can to keep quality teachers, art programs, music programs and smaller class sizes. Instead, you gave yourself a raise. Bravo.

Jana AubertBrentwood

Thanks for benevolent burrowingEditor:

We have something special in Antioch! In addition to the beautiful new community center being built, we have a lovely new nature area right behind it. The City of An-tioch has created a 24-acre preserve that will be forever protected and cared for by using the interest made from an endowment fund. I am especially fond of this area because it

is home to feathered friends of mine called burrowing owls. Burrowing owls are 9 inches tall and live in the ground. The burrowing owl is declining and is listed as a bird of special concern in the state of California.

It delights me that Antioch is the fi rst city in the East Bay to have created some-thing this unique. It has done an outstand-ing job making this area attractive to the burrowing owls. While this is not the most ideal living situation for burrowing owls, it is adequate for them and they dont seem to mind being surrounded by development.

This past weekend, with a little help from friends, we installed six nesting boxes in the ground. Now the owls have choices be-tween natural burrows and a few manmade burrows. This was a very labor-intensive job but we got the job done. So, many thanks to Lonnie Karste, the community centers project manager, for allowing me to add these new owl homes.

Many thanks to the Friends of Marsh Creek for getting so many volunteers on short notice. Many thanks to the Burrowing Owl Preservation Society, which graciously donated all the materials, and many thanks to all the volunteers who came out with such enthusiasm and their shovels to help with this project. We never could have done it without you!

Some day I hope to add some solar cameras inside the nesting boxes so that life inside them can be viewed from inside the community center. I think this would be a great addition to the educational part of the nature area. But fi rst I need to think about how to raise money for that project.

Dee VieiraAntioch

Better fire/paramedic staffing achievable

Editor:Why is it that the East Contra Costa

Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) is under-staffed, only provides basic life support and is among the lowest paid in the Bay Area? If you look at the numbers, we can staff all ECCFPD fi re engines with the minimum standard of three people (all but two of the engines are staffed with two persons), pro-vide advanced life support (ALS) capabili-ties and pay personnel a fair wage for their services.

If you read newly formed fi re board member Kevin Romicks blog, dated Feb. 9 (www.romickinoakley.wordpress.com), it stated, The new fi re board outlined the districts lack of revenue to provide staffi ng levels in urban areas. He also stated, The district currently has an operating budget of $12.3 million and that the district covers eight stations and one Cal-Fire station on Marsh Creek Road with a total area encom-passing 250 square miles.

ECCFPD is the second-largest fi re dis-trict in Contra Costa County. Of the $12.3 million, $1.7 million is being pulled from the districts reserves. The International As-sociation of Firefi ghters has recommended a minimum of three-person engines as a more effi cient means of providing service and increasing fi refi ghter safety.

If we were to raise the property tax just 3 cents for every dollar of assessed property value across the board for all cities covered by ECCFPD, it would generate approxi-mately $6.14 million in additional revenue and would cost approximately an additional $90 for a $300,000 home. With the addition-al $6.14 million in revenue, they (ECCFPD) would be able to make all their engines ALS staffed with three persons and stop the need to dip into the reserve funds.

ECCFPD would need to hire ap-proximately 19 people most, if not all, would need to be paramedics to achieve adequate staffi ng levels for urban areas. With the addition of paramedics on the engines, there would no longer be a need for the three quick-response vehicles (QRVs), which do not transport patients to hospitals, that AMR staffs at three of the fi re stations. By eliminating the QRVs, it would force AMR to put more transporting ALS ambulances on our streets, thus reducing the time it takes to get our communities residents to a hospital.

Having been a paramedic and EMT for the last 18 years and a fi refi ghter-para-medic for the last fi ve, as well as a taxpayer in Brentwood for the last fi ve years, I hope that my family and property would be covered by the same standard that everyone around us seems to have. Arent we worth it?

Ronald BellBrentwood

Breaking ULL not the answerEditor:

Breaking Brentwoods urban limit line will not solve the American Avenue problem. If the ULL initiative is passed, it will be at least four more years until American Avenue is completed.

Why dont we try to draw a more conservative ULL to solve the school traffi c problems? Why push the ULL all the way to Deer Valley Road to fi x the traffi c problems at the schools? We are told Antioch will take the land if we dont vote to break the current urban limit line. However, Antioch would have to vote to break its own urban limit line in order to try to claim the land in question.

Does anyone really believe Antioch wants this land? Antioch has enough of its own development and money problems without adding more to the mix. The City of Brentwoods fi scal analysis states the city would receive a net gain of $800,000 a year whenever the proposed development is

completed.Sounds good, doesnt it? Now ask your-

selves: how much money will be made by the landowners including the biggest land-owner, Mission Peak Development (a home builder based in the South Bay)? Please read the initiative when your ballot arrives and de-cide for yourself if it agrees with your vision of Brentwood.

Gretchen KlausBrentwood

Not releasing prisoners a criminally dumb idea

Editor:The federal judiciary has ordered

the state of California to reduce its prison population to alleviate severe overcrowding. Because of bad management and incredibly sweet union contracts for guards, the cost of warehousing inmates in California pris-ons approaches the room rate of the Four Seasons hotels. Prison guards in California make almost 2 times what a fi ve-year veteran elementary school teacher makes. Go fi gure.

The answer is not to build more expen-sive prisons staffed by overpaid guards, nor is it to farm out the prison management to a for-profi t private company. The term for-profi t should be self explanatory here.

The answer is to carefully cull the prison inmate population to manageable numbers. Release the poor slob serving time for possessing a joint, release the fi rst-time non-violent offenders who were railroaded by overzealous district attorneys and over-worked, poor-performing public defenders. Release the ones who are not a threat to me or my neighbors and are costing the taxpay-ers a fortune to keep inside.

The courts have ordered the reduction in prison population; its up to us, the tax-payers, to see that the reduction is handled well. At the risk of repeating myself: The answer is not building more prisons staffed with very expensive guards!

And while we are talking about over-paid public employees, lets take a hard look at the Brentwood Union School District. To give Dr. Grant and his cronies a raise in these tough economic times is almost criminal! Dr. Grant is way overpaid already while the in the trenches teachers work long hours in overcrowded classrooms with pay scales that make burger fl ipping look good. You should be ashamed of yourself, Merrill!

Maybe it is time for the community to take a long, hard look at the school board members and their relationships with these three overpaid administrators?

And fi nally: How about we try some-thing really novel here in Brentwood? Lets widen Balfour out to Deer Valley without

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see Letters page 11A

MARCH 19, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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approving 1,300-plus new homes. And while we are at it, lets make the Highway 4 Bypass four lanes from Lone Tree to Balfour like it should have been all along. The planning and execution of road and street building here in Brentwood has been a disaster for at least the last 10 years.

Bill SumnerBrentwood

Pained at the distractionsEditor:

These are the times that try mens souls, said Thomas Paine. While today he might have used the term peoples souls, I wonder what he would have to say about to-days global issues the war in Afghanistan, the health care debate, the fi nancial system crises, the economy, etc. Imagine Thomas residing in Summerset or Deer Ridge or the Rose Garden, or Eskaton, and examining our local issues raising chickens in your undersize backyard, allowing the open carry-ing of weapons in our coffee shops, having to consider again changing the urban limit line. These latter issues are at least distractions that try our souls but at least the chicken issue is resolved.

Now we move on to open carry and the urban limit line (ULL). I agree with the lady who wrote to the editor expressing her disapproval of open carry; and I castigate Starbucks for allowing open carry (with ammo two seconds away). Im simply not comfortable taking my family into a restau-

rant that allows guns other than law enforce-ment (unless they have a Wyatt Earp at the door to check those guns). Its good to have a Peets close by

I also agree with the other lady who wrote to the editor about her disapproval of changing the ULL. Why in the world would we want to annex property and develop up to 1,300 more homes in the area west of Her-itage High? Well, those who stand to make money one way or another on the project would want it. But we the people do not need more traffi c and pollution, to the tune of thousands more cars. There are already too many homes on the development queue. The ULL initiative almost cleverly contains amenities, such as improving Balfour to Deer Valley and providing better access into and out of the schools in that area; but funds for such improvements would be years away when, and if, development fees roll in. How about considering a smaller area to annex so that American Avenue can be completed, and considering a bond issue to raise funds for the road improvements, or applying for stimulus money to solve the problems? The ULL initiative is shaping up to be a classic battle between developers/builders and the rest of us.

Thomas, where are you when we need you? (By the way, I hope this letter isnt considered my Age of Reason. Thats what ruined Thomas Paine).

Kermit SveenBrentwood

A lack of visionEditor:

After reading the recent article Balfour project heads for ballot I couldnt help but write another letter to the editor expressing my strong objection to this plan.

Let me say it again, nothing about this project will benefi t the existing residents of Brentwood. How this project is being proposed and the deceitful manner in which its conveyed to Brentwood residents should be an indication of why it should be soundly defeated.

What was that petition you hurriedly signed for again? Expanding American Avenue? Mmmmm. Its curious that Brian Swisher would say that opponents to this ex-pansion lacked vision. Its a lack of vision that compels anyone to suggest adding 1,300 homes and new commercial buildings to one corner of the city is a good idea. Not to men-tion the apartments/condos also in the plan.

Widening Balfour means nothing if you dont also widen the Highway 4 Bypass. All that extra traffi c brought on by all these new homes/apartments/condos/businesses is going to funnel into an already congested single lane heading north and south. Its bad now; what will it be like when this project is complete? Talk about a lack of vision!

I challenge Mr. Swisher to share his vision of the benefi ts this expansion has to those of us who live in the area. Mr. Swisher should rely on the merits of the project to

Letters from page 10A

see Letters page 14A


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Why You Should Consider a Short Sale Versus a Foreclosureby Joan Grimes, Esq.

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When a person is behind on their home loan, it is easy to get discouraged and think that a foreclosure sale will be better than a short sale. It will be easier to walk away and just let the Bank take back the property. However, all too oft en, walking away from a property is not the best option.

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make his case rather than attack those of us who oppose it.

We should also take care not to be spurred into some sort of knee-jerk reaction whenever Antioch is brought up. A buffer is not an impenetrable wall that keeps away the bad guys. In this case, a buffer is a sales tactic meant to draw upon the fear of what might happen. This type of sales job is coming from Mr. Tom Koch, who happens to represent the only benefactors of this project. The landowners. I wont go much further with Mr. Koch. His inten-tions should be clear considering whom he represents.

Think about what this level of expan-sion means to your quality of life. More homes/businesses equal more cars and people. Thats an undeniable fact. Can anyone really say this is good for us? If so, prove it with more than talk of buffer zones and American Avenue. If this project is truly in the best interest of Brentwood residents, then supporters should clearly explain how that area is going to support all the new cars and people that come with construction and habitation of so many new dwellings. Good luck.

Please vote no on whatever this ballot is eventually named. It lacks vision.

Chris Wakefi eldBrentwood

Dude wheres my gym towel?Editor:

Californias system to fund its schools is broken. It is not just a broken funding system; it has a governance problem as well.

First, a short walk back in time: When I was in junior high and high school after P.E. class each day I got a fresh, clean

towel to use after I showered. After sports practices or games, participants dropped off the dirty jerseys only to collect a clean one the next day. The right of passage for every junior high school boy was to bring home to his father an ashtray he made in metal shop. My school always had a full-time school nurse and there were counselors for each grade level. Summer school offered a full array of courses, from band and art to core academics. For those students that wanted to graduate early, they could take extra classes during the summer.

In the late 1970s, Proposition 13 was passed. In a mere three years, California went from being one of the top fi ve states in funding its schools to the bottom 10, never to recover.

The fi rst cut? My gym towel! This cut seemed so trivial at the time. Next came the elimination of many elective classes. Sum-mer school may be the microcosm of this systematic dismantling of public education funding; we went from a full offering of courses to, more recently, only classes for those students in jeopardy of failing. And this year there will be no summer school with the exception of special-education classes.

School funding has gotten a lot of focus over the last two to three years during this Great Recession. But the reality is this has been in the making for 30 years.

Now, do I advocate for the repeal of Proposition 13? Absolutely not! However, people need to understand the unintended consequences of Proposition 13. During pre-Proposition 13, most property taxes generated locally for schools stayed local. Local school boards also had signifi cant say over their resources and their own policies. In Post-Proposition 13, virtually all of our

money for local schools went to Sacramen-to. Our local education dollars now were up for grabs with other state priorities.

It is very clear that funding and gov-ernance need to get back into alignment. I offer two options:

1. Since most of the current money resides in Sacramento, we create a single State of California School District with one Board of Education. All business, payroll and personnel functions would move to Sacramento. Yes, and create a statewide system of collective bargaining. Sacramento would then have the ability to fund any salary schedule changes. Currently, local districts only really have control over their expenditures; they have virtual no control over their revenue.

2. Return local control. Keep the current local school board governance struc-ture, but require that all local taxes collected to support local schools stay local. Provide the ability for the local community to sup-port and fund local schools. Allow for a very minimal level of state oversight.

Rick RogersSuperintendent

Oakley Union School District

Thanks for high-flying helpEditor:

On behalf of our veterans, I would like to thank the following people who donated to my Eagle Scout project so that Veterans Hall in Brentwood could have a brand-new, lighted bulletin board: Claridge Products & Equipment; American Alarm; Hershey Electric; SpeeDee Oil Change & Tune-Up on Brentwood Boulevard; Glenn and Janelle Gruner of Image Construction & Management; Greg and Judi Chan; Baskin

Robbins Ice Cream on Brentwood Bou-levard; Greg and Debbie Castro; Lee and Linda Hershberger; Joe and Cyrena Park; Heidi Osborn; Julie Hubbard; and Maurice and Patty Hernandez.

Preston MillerTroop 93, Brentwood

Thank you to our sponsorsEditor:

For the past few years, our seventh- and eighth-grade class has gone out into the community to intern with a variety of businesses for a three-day period of time. This experience has taught our students many things, including: what it takes to be involved in their community, what it takes to get and keep a job, plus what it will take to reach their career goals.

We would like to thank the following businesses that sponsored a student this year: Bases Loaded, Old River Elementary, Zanko Renovations, Kaiser, East Hills Veterinary Clinic, Sandoval Home Day Care, Sutter Elementary, Highlands Ranch, Coca Cola, Antioch Pediatric Dentistry, UC Berkeley, Zenzis Cosmetology, Pets Frolic Inn, Antioch Charter Academy, Varian Inc, Silverback Network, In-Shape, Trucks Training, Woodland Fire Station 532, Pacifi c States Aviation, East Bay Auto Spa, Sweet Medical Corp., Paradise Skate, Biozone Lab, Best Buy, Justice Clothing for Girls, De La Salle, His & Hers Formal Wear, UCSF Citywide Case Management, Richard Hobin Law Offi ce, Deer Valley High, Brentwood Oaks Equestrian, Earth Friendly Walls, and the Antioch Police Department.

Edna Heller, Shauna Cramer and Peggy Wunderly

Antioch Charter Academy I

Jump from page 11A

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

AND AVAILABILITY OF A NEGATIVE DECLARATION

Notice is hereby given that the Plan-ning Commission of the City of Brent-wood will, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon there-after as the normal course of business permits on May 4, 2010, hold a public hearing to consider the following ap-plication: A resolution of the Planning Commis-sion of the City of Brentwood recom-mending adoption of the negative dec-laration and nding that the proposed 2010/11 - 2014/15 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget is consistent with the adopted General Plan and speci c plans of the City of Brentwood as required by sections 65402 and 65403 of the government code.A Negative Declaration has been pre-pared for this program pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, to assess potential environmental impacts. The ranges of projects in-cluded in the CIP are: improvements to roadways; parks and trails; water and wastewater systems; community facilities, drainage systems; and de-velopment- nanced improvements. Project sites are not on any of the lists of sites enumerated under Section 65962.5 of the Government Code as re-lated to hazardous materials.The draft Negative Declaration, initial study and copy of the CIP Budget are available for public review and com-ment for thirty (30) days beginning on March 26, 2010 and ending on April 26, 2010. Documents are available for review at the following locations: City of Brentwood Public Works and Com-munity Development Departments, 118 Oak Street; City Administration, 708 Third Street; Parks and Recreation, 101B Sand Creek Road and the Library, 104 Oak Street. Applicant: City of BrentwoodSaid hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, 101B Sand Creek Road, Brentwood, California.Further information may be obtained from Associate Planner Debbie Hill (925/516-5135 or [email protected]) in the Community Development Department of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood, California 94513. Before any court challenge of Plan-

ning Commission decisions, you are required to appeal the decision to the City Council no later than the time period provided under the Citys Mu-nicipal Code. In addition 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 Planning Commis-sion at, or prior to, the public hearing. Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Publish Dates: March 19, 2010

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALETS No. 09-0133845 Title Order No. 09-8-397128 Investor/Insurer No. 153457830 APN No. 055-530-036-7 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 09/28/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROP-ERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by DWAYNE D. HUNT AND NICOLE HUNT, HUSBAND AND WIFE, AS JOINT TENANTS, dated 09/28/2006 and recorded 10/18/06, as Instrument No. 2006-0330375-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 04/16/2010 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully de-scribed in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 5371 MOJAVE WAY, ANTIOCH, CA, 94531. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrect-ness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the ob-ligation secured by the property to be

sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $561,383.65. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will ac-cept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and autho-rized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condi-tion, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, pos-session or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charg-es and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 12/10/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By:-- Trustees Sale Of- cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3486707 03/19/2010, 03/26/2010, 04/02/2010 An-tioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates March 19, 26, April 2

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALETS No. 09-0128892 Title Order No. 09-8-384698 Investor/Insurer No. 202398517 APN No. 098-383-007-6-01 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 06/02/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROP-ERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by JOSE L NAVA, A MSRRIED MAN AS HIS SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY, dated 06/02/2005 and recorded 06/13/05, as Instrument No. 2005-0210944-00, in

Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 04/16/2010 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 130 SHARON PLACE, BAY POINT, CA, 94565. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $410,649.50. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will ac-cept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and autho-rized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condi-tion, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, pos-session or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charg-es and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 12/03/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By:-- Trustees Sale Of- cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is

a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose.ASAP# 3488523 03/19/2010, 03/26/2010, 04/02/2010 Antioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates: March 19, 26, April 2

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALETS No. 09-0110386 Title Order No. 09-8-320817 Investor/Insurer No. 137154328 APN No. 076-263-032-5 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 05/10/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROP-ERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by SHANE M PETERSON, A MARRIED MAN AS HIS SOLE & SEPARATE PROPERTY, dated 05/10/2006 and recorded 05/18/06, as Instrument No. 2006-0156775-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 04/16/2010 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 2838 SEVILLE CIRCLE, ANTIOCH, CA, 945094520. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrect-ness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the ob-ligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $404,029.66. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will ac-

cept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and autho-rized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condi-tion, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, pos-session or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charg-es and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 10/31/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By:-- Trustees Sale Of- cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3487624 03/19/2010, 03/26/2010, 04/02/2010 An-tioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates: March 19, 26, April 2

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALETS No. 09-0114503 Title Order No. 09-8-331881 Investor/Insurer No. 115826750 APN No. 073-270-064-6 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 11/23/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROP-ERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CON-TACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursu-ant to the Deed of Trust executed by JOSE LUIS NIEVES MARTINEZ, AN UNMARRIED MAN, dated 11/23/2005 and recorded 12/09/05, as Instru-ment No. 2005-0474200-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of- ce of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 04/16/2010 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA

94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully de-scribed in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 2080 MORRO DRIVE, PITTS-BURG, CA, 94565. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the obligation secured by the prop-erty to be sold plus reasonable esti-mated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $464,153.20. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the to-tal indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebt-edness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charges and ex-penses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 11/06/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By:-- Trustees Sale Of cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3486871 03/19/2010, 03/26/2010, 04/02/2010 An-tioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates:March 19, 26, April 2


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It would be diffi cult for a baseball team to have a better season than Freedoms 2009 campaign. The Falcons fi nished 23-4 overall, 14-1 in league and won the NCS champi-onship over De La Salle a game in which Freedoms star pitcher Billy Wardell received a nasty gash over his eye in the second inning, convinced the manager to let him stay in the game, went on to pitch a shutout, celebrated the victory with his teammates, then went to the hospital to receive 19 stitches.

Gutsy, gutsy, gutsy, said Freedom Manager Gary Alexander of Wardells he-roic performance. Most people would have been going to the hospital in the second in-ning. He wasnt going anywhere. Last year was a dream season a lot of talented se-niors, and they got the most out of their po-tential. It was a lot of fun.

But now its a new season; Wardell has graduated and is starting for the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Asked how many oth-er starters he lost to graduation, Alexander said, It would be easier to say who we didnt lose. (We lost) the whole starting lineup, ev-erybody. I have three people returning this year, and they werent starters last year. Were starting fresh. Were talented, but very inex-perienced and young. At this point I have three freshmen on the varsity team, a couple of seniors, a couple of juniors maybe and sophomores too.

One returning star is Joe Navilhon, who as a freshman threw hard and did an excel-lent job in relief, posting a 1.42 ERA in 24 innings. He played a pretty important part last year, relieving-wise, said Alexander. Hes going to start this year. Also return-ing to the mound is Ryan Petrangelo, who notched a 4.95 ERA in fi ve innings as a ju-nior. He didnt get a lot of innings last year, but did get varsity experience. Those two we hope do well.

Andrew Garner, a junior who is well known to Freedom basketball fans, is mak-ing his debut with the varsity baseball team. Hell be pitching and has the ability to play infi eld or outfi eld. Well see what best fi ts for him, said Alexander. This years Navil-hon could well be Dante Mays, a freshman who is very talented at pitching and center fi eld. He does both really well.

Freedoms inexperience showed in a 1-6 season-opening loss to a tough Bishop ODowd team that has the potential to vie for the NCS championship this year. We held our own, said Alexander. It really probably should have been a 2-1 loss. But we walked some batters in, we beaned some bat-ters in, we had a few balks, we had a couple of errors that brought batters in. So, if we get rid of those problems well be all right thats just young things.

You might expect Alexander to be con-tent with a .500 year in this rebuilding sea-son, but hes actually looking to repeat. Im hoping for a league championship, he said.

I dont think anything less. I think weve got a group of guys that if they come together I think we can do some damage. Theres a couple of good teams in this league that can have a say in that matter. Well see. I think well be able to compete.

The whole thing is being able to gel as a team. I dont know the players that well; they dont know each other that well. So far it looks like its going to gel pretty good. Im

still fi guring out whos playing where, whos going to be the starters and whos coming off the bench. So far its a great bunch of guys that I think have unlimited potential. Well see where it goes. Were young; were going to make our mistakes. But hopefully well learn from them and can get better.

League action starts at home at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 25 against Liberty.



Freedom baseball Manager Gary Alexander is hoping for another NCS champi-onship despite the rebuilding season ahead.

Photo by Dave Roberts

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Patriots sink Cowboys

On Friday, the Heritage swim and dive teams worked their way through the inclement weather to handily defeat the visiting Livermore Cowboys. The Lady Patriots won 123-59 and the boys won 105-78.

The scoring in swimming calls for depth. A team can boast the winning swimmer in an event only to lose the race in points. The Heritage boys had no problem showing off their depth Friday, winning nine out of 11 events and tying another.

Coach Craig Carson believes his teams greatest weakness is the boys100-yard backstroke the only race that the boys lost (3-13). Their only other blemish came in the 50-yard freestyle, which they tied 8-8. The Patriot dive team was also outdone 3-10.

Thomas Hally was the leading point-getter for the boys as he won the 50 free (24.92), 100 free (57.80), and was a part of two of the Patriots successful relay teams. Kurt Holzmuller showed impressive all-around skills by winning the 100 back (1:01.99) and the 500 free by nearly 30 seconds (5:21.80).

The boys, despite being the defending league champs, are still relatively young, but produced the winning swimmer in six of the eight individual races. They

also won all three of the meets relays.Carson feels good about his

teams chances at repeating as league champions. I think that our guys are probably the strongest in the league. We lost three of four really good varsity boys last year. But we still have a few good ones and we have a few good freshmen. Weve got a lot of depth on the boys.

Like the boys, the girls lost the diving portion of the meet but that didnt stop them from outscoring Livermore in all races but the butterfl y and producing the winning swimmer in all events except the breaststroke. A season ago, the Lady Patriots fi nished second, between Deer Valley and Liberty. Carson believes his team can overtake Deer Valley this year but expects competition from the same two opponents.

Maddison Applegate, who placed in two events at NCS last year, was the star of the meet for the girls. She won the 100 free (55.01), 200 free (1:56.95) and was a part of the winning team in two of the three relays, racking up 28 points for Heritage.

Between boys and girls, JV and varsity, Heritage fi elds 107 swimmers. Despite its triple-digit roster, Carson said, The team is a closely knit team. They do a lot of things together and theyre a really fun group to coach.


by Michael DixonCorrespondent

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CYO meet gives Freedom track a workout

Normally its the athletes on the Freedom High track who get the workout as they run around it. But on Saturday it looked like it was the track itself getting a workout as it did its best to support the pounding of more than a thou-sand young feet in a fi ve-parish CYO practice meet while hundreds of family members fi lled the stands to watch the kids run.

Excellent, was the response of Darren Newell, head coach for St. Bonaventure CYO Parish, when asked how the event was going. We have an excellent group of assistant coaches, great volunteers and just a real wonderful core group of parents as well that are very supportive. Albeit its competitive, everyone here is very, very coop-erative and supportive of watching the kids enjoy and have a good time out here.

Between 500 and 600 kids participated in the

CYOs fi rst meet of the season, including some from Brentwoods Immaculate Heart of Mary and Antiochs