General News
Matt Chamberlain chosen new AHS principal
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Matt Chamberlain, who has been principal of San Ramon Unified School District’s Venture Independent Study School, will be Alhambra High School’s new principal. He succeeds Tom Doppe, who was hired as the Martinez Unified School District’s director of Educational Services. Chamberlain received unanimous support Monday night from the Martinez Unified School District […]
Subcommittee to review Measure D pavement program
MARTINEZ, Calif. – The Martinez City Council’s Franchise/Public Infrastructure Subcommittee will review Thursday the Fiscal Year 2018-19 paving program that will be underwritten by Measure D funds. Measure D is the half-cent sales tax approved in 2016 by Martinez voters. Its revenues must be used for the city’s local roads’ maintenance and repairs. The tax […]
Detective named county’s woman of the year
Hercules Detective Connie Van Putten is U.S. Representative Mike Thompson’s chosen Contra Costa County Woman of the Year. Thompson annually issues Fifth Congressional District women of the year to recognize those who make exceptional impacts in his constituents’ communities. A Napa Democrat, Thompson represents a portion of Martinez in the House of Representatives. Van Putten […]
East Bay Park District to acquire Roddy Ranch golf course
The East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors has decided to acquire the 230-acre Roddy Ranch Golf Course. The acquisition, approved by the Board April 3, is being made in partnership with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, which is paying the bulk of the purchase price, according to announcement made by the […]
Dodd bills would bolster data breach protection, DUI prevention
Two bills from California Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) would strengthen California laws that protect the public from data breaches, and would double funding for California Highway Patrol’s programs combatting chemically-impaired driving. Dodd represents Martinez in the state Senate. He was inspired in part by the 2017 Equifax data breach to compose Senate Bill 1121, said […]
Community Focus
Earth Day, Muir’s birthday, NPS Centennial celebrated
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Environmentalist John Muir, who was instrumental in launching the National Park Service and helped found the Sierra Club, would have been 180 years old this year. His birthday, the 47th anniversary of Earth Day, the National Park Service Centennial and the 62nd anniversary of the John Muir Association were celebrated Saturday in […]
MUSD’s Salas finalist for county teacher of year
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Andrea Salas, who has been an Alhambra High School teacher for 19 years, is among the four finalists for Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year. Another finalist, Shanna Gagnon, is a former teacher in the Martinez Unified School District. The four were chosen from 22 nominees. A native of Los Angeles, […]
At Home With Vivian: The Drowsy Chaperone
(Additional photo gallery) Live musicians! Glorious costumes! Intricate sets! Show stopping song and dance numbers! Mix in two people in love on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a distressed theater producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan, a tipsy chaperone, and a skater skating […]
Rotary Report: IF THERE’S ANY DOUBT — CALL 911!!!
By PAUL CRAIG Special to the Gazette If someone around you shows signs of a heart attack or stroke, don’t wait for a moment, call 911. Right now. Immediately. Time is of the essence. Clot busters have improved enormously in recent years. These are administered in the hospital. Thus, it’s important to get to a […]
St. Catherine of Siena Church celebrating 145th Feast Day
MARTINEZ, Calif. – St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church will be celebrating the 145th feast day this month of the saint for which the church is named. The church will have a procession from Susana Park at 10 a.m. April 28, and return to the church at 11 a.m. to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. A […]
History
Underground Echoes: From sorrow to joy
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette In our last installment it stated on November 14, 1872, the Rice family grew when Aaron’s 26-year-old son Nathaniel married 18-year-old Rebecca Donzel with no family members present. Also mentioned in an announcement regarding churches on March 18, 1871 published in the Napa County Recorder, Rev. […]
Our Town: The Gazette moves to Pacheco
By HARRIETT BURT Martinez News-Gazette Contributor Happy New Year 1859 to readers of the Contra Costa Gazette/Martinez News-Gazette. 1859’s first news is about the establishment of an annual County event now beginning its 160th year. January 1, 1859 – Contra Costa Agricultural Society formed at Lafayette. First County Fair was inaugurated October 11, 1859, and […]
Underground Echoes: Rice’s grow in Napa
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette To recap Aaron Rice and his family’s story since they gained their freedom, we created a list of the important events we have covered to date. We started with their first Holidays as free people in 1860, the loss of their son Lewis in 1862, the […]
Our Town: Headlines from the earliest issues of the Gazette
By HARRIETT BURT Martinez News-Gazette Contributor “The establishment of a newspaper in Contra Costa County was an important factor in its upbuilding and development,” stated the publisher of the Historic Record’s 1926 History of Contra Costa County. He was introducing Chapter XVIII, entitled “Gleanings from the Files of the Contra Costa Gazette, 1858-1926”. Not only […]
Underground Echoes: Citizenship finally acquired
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette Picking up where we left off with Aaron Rice’s story, we had discussed how he and his family along with others had founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Not only did it serve as a place for worship, but it also served as their community center […]
Sports
Warriors Move On To Next Round
Warriors finish Spurs 99-91, advance to Western Conference Semi-Finals Warriors are now 13-6 all-time versus the Spurs in playoffs By Felicia D. Purcell Martinez News-Gazette Without their beloved head coach Gregg Popovich, who missed the last two games due to his wife Erin’s untimely death, the Spurs came back from as much as 16 to […]
San Francisco Giants vs Washington Nationals photo Gallery
The San Francisco lost to the Nationals 15-2 on Wednesday Photos by Gerome Wright Martinez News-Gazette
New Look Raiders
New look Raiders with some old faces. Oakland Raiders hold their first Veteran mini camp. Jon Gruden looks to get the Raiders back to their winning ways. Photos by Tod Fierner
Alhambra Softball vs College Park Photo Gallery
Alhambra lady Bulldogs softball beat College Park 2-0 Photos By Mark Fierner
Opinion
Letter to the Editor: Elections have consequences
I work outside of Martinez and depending on the level of stress from the past week I tend to hunker at home on the weekends to decompress as such I am not entirely sure when the sign favoring Tim Platt’s land grab initiative over the city’s parks protection measure went up on Alhambra Ave. With […]
Letter to the Editor: Marijuana dispensaries
The Martinez city council is acting as if there is no mutual understandings between themselves and others such as myself with regard to permitting the opening of more marijuana dispensaries than the one say they had to open earlier this year due to failed zoning protections. I hope this is not another gun to the […]
Message from the Mayor: Let’s play ball
By ROB SCHRODER Mayor of Martinez At a special meeting of the Martinez City Council, the license agreement between the city and the Martinez Clippers, LLC was approved. Professional baseball is coming to Martinez, and opening day is Thursday, May 31. The Martinez Clippers will host the Sonoma Stompers at the newly rebuilt Joe DiMaggio […]
Noralea Gipner: Information on Marin Clean Energy (MCE) program
Today I am going to write about the benefits of the MCE program as I understand it. In 2006, the California legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), which set the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. In 2015, Governor Brown issued an executive order that further requires […]
Letter to the Editor: Stevens positioning for mayoral run?
As I picked a copy of the Gazette at a friend of mine’s house I came upon John Stevens’ article. It’s rather disturbing because it certainly sounds like he is positioning himself to run for Mayor while downplaying the accomplishments that have made by Rob Schroder and the council (past and present) for building the […]
Arts & Entertainment
Salvaged plastics become art, not ocean trash
A giant patch of garbage that covers twice the area of Texas is growing exponentially in the Pacific Ocean between Hawai’i and California, according to Scientific Reports. And much of the debris are tiny pieces of plastic, which is why the patch wasn’t discovered until 1997 by yachtsman Charles Moore when he sailed through the […]
Entertainers from Martinez, Benicia perform at Rakkasah West
Rakkasah West, one of the largest belly dance festivals in the world, featured performers from multiple countries from around the globe as well as from as close as Martinez and Benicia. A longtime celebration of Middle Eastern and North African dance and music, the festival features both dancers and musicians. Its workshops give practitioners a […]
Finding owls …
While I was out hiking after our last major storm I came across two downed owls, the one pictured a Great Horned Owl and the other a Barn owl. Heavy rain can be hard on them. Interesting fact: Owl flight feathers have comb-like fringed edges, making them feel much softer, that enable these hunters to […]
Martinez students engage at Eugene O’Neill Studio Retreat
By CHARLIE JARRETT Special to the Martinez Gazette Between March 10 and 17, five gifted and inspired students from Alhambra High and Briones High took up the challenge offered by the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, in partnership with the Eugene O’Neill National Park, to express themselves in a free artistic enrichment program for high school students. […]
Artu4ia’s final show to be its ‘Last Hurrah’
Artu4ia will have its final exhibit at its downtown area workshop and gallery, and its award-winning owners John Kleber and Carol Ludwig Kleber are calling it the “Last Hurrah” Art Show. Artu4ia will be closing at the end of the month, and the Klebers will be moving to Pennsylvania. Open for the past five years, […]
