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General News

Eye of Diablo removed for restoration

Eye of Diablo removed for restoration

The “Eye of Diablo,” the historic aviation beacon which sits atop Mount Diablo and shines in honor of those who served at Pearl Harbor each Dec. 7, was lifted off its perch Tuesday, June 11, to undergo much needed rest­oration. During recent budget cuts and tightening of belts, a precedent setting partnership has formed to [...]

Breaking down barriers: Local youth awarded scholarships

Breaking down barriers: Local youth awarded scholarships

The Pleasant Hill-Martinez branch of American Assoc­iat­ion of University Women (AAUW) presented college scholarship and Tech Trek camp awards to eight students from local schools. It is the mission of AAUW to break down barriers for women and girls by promoting education and supporting their personal and professional growth. Each recipient was honored by members, [...]

Column One: Phone bill problem?

Column One: Phone bill problem?

PHONE BILL PROBLEM? Tried this week to get an itemized copy of our phone calls.. No problem, we’re told. Just take it down to our store in Pleasant Hill and they can do it for you. Terrific! However, after a half hour of discussion and lots of background noise from speakers with would-be customers trying [...]

Crockett swears in new postmaster

CROCKETT, Calif. – Annette Ashford will follow a proud tradition dating back to 1883 when the first Post Office was established in Crockett. On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, 10 a.m., Ashford will raise her right hand to take the official oath of office at the Crockett Post Office, 695 Pomona St., Crockett. The oath of [...]

Sports

Bocce Scores: Week eight, June 15, 2013

Bocce Week 8 June 15 2013 Gazette Week 8 June 15 2013 Gazette

Livestrong, Armstrong, Nike are the good, the bad & the ugly

By JOHN FULLER Gazette Columnist Livestrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong, and Nike is a case of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. With very little fanfare Nike dropped their support of the Livestrong Foundation over the last couple of weeks. It barely made a blip on the human radar. Yet, it should have. Let’s review how [...]

CrossFit comes to Martinez

CrossFit comes to Martinez

As Barry Thompson is finishing his jump rope sets, coaches look on and challenge him, telling him if he speeds it up he’ll beat his son. Thompson is finishing a CrossFit workout comprised of power snatch (a lift where athletes raise a barbell over their heads from a hanging position) and jump rope double unders [...]

US Soccer tops qualifying group

US Soccer tops qualifying group

The United States Men’s national team made a huge leap towards qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which is now less than a year away. The Yanks got a huge 2-0 over Panama Tuesday evening in Seattle, with a raucous crowd chanting and singing songs to the players, led by the famous group [...]

Arts & Entertainment

Nolan & Snyder deliver super Man of Steel

Nolan & Snyder deliver super Man of Steel

Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate here: I am not a Superman fan. I find him to be an incredibly outdated superhero who hasn’t changed much in the core of his character since his incarnation in the late 1930s. Superman more than any other hero has always felt, to me, out [...]

Local singer, songwriter Lucas Ohio set to release third LP July 5

Local singer, songwriter Lucas Ohio set to release third LP July 5

A hometown release party at Armando’s is scheduled for July 5 to celebrate Lucas Ohio’s much anticipated new LP, “Slingshot Kid.” Featuring 12 new songs, supporting Lucas Ohio in this effort is a band made up of some of the Bay Area’s best rock talent including John Howland on slide and lead guitar, Andrew Gibson [...]

Art contest draws 82 kids

Art contest draws 82 kids

MARTINEZ, Calif. – The Martinez News-Gazette held its 33rd Annual Art Contest this week with a great response from the locals. Eighty-two contestants from five different schools entered the competition, which prompted children to answer the question, “What’s your favorite book or story?” in a drawing. Children in kindergarten through 6th grade were eligible to [...]

Clarinet Fusion to play at Martinez Senior Center

Clarinet Fusion to play at Martinez Senior Center

Clarinet Fusion, a most unique collaboration of clarinetists, will perform on Sunday, June 30, at 2 p.m. at the Martinez Senior Center. The group features 10 superb musicians playing seven different clarinets. They range from the A-flat Piccolo clarinet, only 14 inches long, to the Double B-flat Contrabass clarinet almost nine feet in length. This [...]

Home & Garden

A tousle haired tot and her pop

A tousle haired tot and her pop

Big brown eyes peeped over the back of a pew three rows in front of me before church services started at St. Catherine’s of Sienna last week. The tousle haired toddler soon stood up backwards on the pew between her mom and dad. Cute as a bug’s ear, as my mother would have said. The [...]

Copy+pasta

What fun I had this weekend, harvesting my garlic. Planted in early spring (though it could have been planted in the fall) I finally got to pull these beautiful bulbs out of the dirt. By the way, if you have dirt, you can plant garlic, and onions for that matter. Such a great use of [...]

Countdown to summer vacation

Countdown to summer vacation

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks! It’s count down time! Just a few more hours until Martinez school hallways are filled with shouts of glee to be free! Joy and glad tidings will ring from every classroom, office, bus and cafeteria. Summer vacation is within view. So close. Oh, so [...]

It’s berry time!

It’s berry time!

Berry time is here, and with an abundance of lovely berries I search for new recipes to showcase this bounty. But some of these recipes are foreign to me. Berry grunts, buckles, flummeries, betty’s. These are old fashion recipes using what most folks had on hand, showcasing simple recipes with fresh, beautiful berries. This is [...]

History

This week in history: June 2

This week in history: June 2

May 28, 1754: Lieutenant Colonel George Washington begins the Seven Year’s War Twenty-two-year-old George Washington, lieutenant colonel of the Virginia militia, defeats a party of French and Native American scouts in Pennsylvania. Virginia was attempting to lay claim to the territory for its settlers. Washington had been sent by Virginia Governor Robert Dinwiddie, to build [...]

This week in history: May 26

This week in history: May 26

May 21, 1932: Earhart completes transatlantic flight Five years after aviator Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot to accomplish a nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, female aviator Amelia Earhart became the first pilot to repeat the feat, landing her plane in Ireland, ending her flight across the North Atlantic. She traveled 2,000 miles in [...]

This week in history: May 5

April 30, 1789: First presidential inauguration One of America’s great military leaders of the American Revolution, a head commander of the colonial army, George Washington is inaugurated as the first president of the newly formed United States. He was unanimously chosen by all sixty-nine electors in February 1789. The following month, the newly drafted constitution [...]

This week in history: April 28

This week in history: April 28

April 22, 1915: Germans introduce poisonous gas to the battlefield German Forces shocked Allied soldiers along the western front by firing more than 150 tons of lethal chlorine gas against two French divisions at Ypres Belgium. This was the first major gas attack used by the Germans. The French had used small amounts of tear [...]

Opinion

Anonymous to MUSD leaders: ‘Ssshhh!’

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter regarding the graduation ceremony for Martinez Junior High School on Thursday, June 6. I was a guest at the graduation and was sitting on the lawn next to where the staff, board members, and district office personnel were seated. I was appalled to see the Superintendent, Rami Muth, [...]

‘The treasonous acts of the Republican Party’

Now believe me, it’s actually not at all easy writing up this entry considering the fact this could go for a WIDE range of people that tend to think they’re actually doing the country a great benefit. However, just as I had thought of the fact that we happen to have communists that have gotten [...]

Right to the Point: Non-existent marina restaurant

Right to the Point: Non-existent marina restaurant

Well, I can see that our Martinez City Council and our mayor, along with staff, has got your minds off the marina (again). See, they come out and tell all of you, what would you all think of a brand new restaurant right down at the waters edge? Right here in Martinez? Well, we will [...]

Column 1: Foster kids are special

Column 1: Foster kids are special

FOSTER KIDS are special and have special needs. The article by editor Erin Clark recently speaks well to the subject. All too often those special needs are not met, nor even addressed in foster homes which are not providing the support required. Too many cases per social worker can be a detrimental factor and harmful [...]