General News
Firefighters quickly douse brush fire near Alhambra Creek
A small brush fire was extinguished Wednesday morning near the Martinez train station. Firefighters put out the fire between the two railroad bridges crossing Alhambra Creek. The site is believed to be a homeless encampment. (photos by Robert Perry/Martinez News-Gazette)
Council unanimously agrees to move forward with annexation exploration
MARTINEZ, Calif. – At the end of a well-attended, Oct. 23 public study session, the City council directed staff to investigate the feasibility of annexing four areas contagious to city boundaries. Those areas are Mountain View, Vine Hill, North Pacheco, and a portion of Alhambra Valley. Reportedly a previous effort to annex North Pacheco failed. […]
Brush fire causes evacuations near Forest Way and Alhambra Ave.
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Evacuations were ordered in Martinez Sunday afternoon after a fast moving brush fire broke out around 4 p.m. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District responded to the two-acre blaze in the vicinity of Alhambra Avenue near Forest Way, about a mile south of Highway 4. By the time the fire was […]
Nine injured in Downtown Martinez when winds knock down tree
MARTINEZ – Nine people were injured when a 25-foot Australian Willow tree at the Plaza in the 700 block of Main Street came crashing down. The people were shopping at the Sunday Farmers’ Market when the tree fell, , because of high winds, at 10:15 a.m according to Martinez police Sgt. Steve Gaul. Shortly after […]
New Fire Truck 14 makes its debut
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District introduced the new Fire Truck 14 to Martinez city leaders and members of the public ahead of the last night’s city council meeting. Martinez Police Department was on-hand to affix a placard in memory of Police Sergeant Paul Starzyk who lost his life in the line of duty […]
Community Focus
At Home With Vivian: Pick one!
My older sister Brenda was visiting last weekend from Washington State. We shopped on Main Street, rode the Vallejo Ferry to San Francisco, and enjoyed the Harvest Festival Craft Fair in Pleasanton. Brenda had never heard of “Trunk or Treat” so, on Sunday after church, we walked through the Farmer’s Market and checked out the […]
The Hometown Herbalist: Herbal support during fire season
By ANNA MARIE BEAUCHEMIN Martinez News-Gazette Columnist In light of the smoke-filled skies we’ve been experiencing in many parts of California, I decided to put this month’s column out a few days early to offer some herbal info related to the fires. These past few weeks have been a challenge: refinery fires, wildfires, evacuations, power […]
Park It by Ned Mackay: Monarch butterflies
The season is approaching when monarch butterflies congregate at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont and several other Bay Area locations, where they overwinter as part of their multi-generational migratory life cycle. Ardenwood schedules a series of programs from late November through February during which visitors can search for the clusters of butterflies in the park’s […]
Homelessness Forum: A discussion on impacts of homelessness in our community
By CITY OF MARTINEZ Press Release MARTINEZ – Have you ever wondered about the issue of homelessness? Do you want to learn more about the problem regionally and in Martinez? Do you want to learn more about what the City is doing to address the issue and do you have any thoughts or ideas? Would […]
Rotary Club continues fight against polio
The Rotary Club of Martinez along with millions of Rotarians worldwide will mark historic progress toward a polio-free world while urging the community to help end the paralyzing disease. World Polio Day is Thursday, October 24. The Rotary Club of Martinez has been actively participating in taking action to raise awareness, funds, and support to […]
History
Martinez Historical Society cookbook includes family favorites
Mary Goodmann said, “We started this endeavor in the spring of 2018 when we realized that foods we grew up eating and memory’s associated with them were being lost. We tried to capture everything from an all day affair of making ravioli to a quick meal put together by a single working mother with two […]
Underground Echoes: Meet the cemeterians
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette Our column this week is different, however fear not, new biographies are in the works. The huge interest in genealogy has inspired nationwide cemetery restoration to become a large growing movement. Today as we have chosen to focus on conversations with three remarkable individuals. They are […]
Underground Echoes: Where is Velda Dunn?
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette Velda Lillian Dunn-Acker, 20, gave birth to her only son Donald Jay Acker, February 27, 1934 in Los Angeles but died during the delivery. Her siblings retrieved her body for burial in Martinez and broke off all contact with her husband and son. This past July, […]
Underground Echoes: Bricks and sticks
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette MARTINEZ, Calif. – City of Martinez’s Annual Spring Cemetery Cleanup. Due to the numerous winter storms, there was quite the renaissance of those pesky annoying plants we all call “weeds” and the accumulation of numerous fallen branches. Although much was accomplished, more still needs to be […]
Underground Echoes: In our outdoor museum, past lives matter
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette There is something very serene and introspective about working in the Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery, both as the oldest known cemetery in Contra Costa County and as a wonderful outdoor museum. For one thing, the residents are very quiet. The other reasons include the beautiful views of […]
Sports
Alhambra Girls Volleyball vs Miramonte
Photos by Mark Fierner (Martinez News-Gazette) Miramonte beat the Bulldogs 3 games to 1
MJHS volleyball
Lady Bullpups took King in straight sets, making history with Grayson Muraoka serving a perfect set 25-0 to start the match. Team roster Sydnie DeMartini #2 Aiyana Filippi #7 Maelin Funk #8 Schelby James #13 Indie Johnson #9 Jaiden Johnson #12 Kylie Long #3 Grayson Muraoka #11 Jordan Parrish #14 Jenna Payne #5 Isabela Porché […]
Oakland Raiders vs Chicago Bears Photo Gallery
Photos by Neville Guard ( Martinez News-Gazette ) Oakland Raiders beat the Bears in London 20-21
AHS fishing team competes in Delta Open
The Alhambra Bulldawg Bassin’ team recently competed in the Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing California Delta Open. 59 teams competed in the event. Above, from left to right: Emmett Gargaro, James Alderman, Cole Davis, Callie Hernandez, Austin Trantham, Luke Beaty, Tommy Grijalva, and Ryan Tate. Here are the final results of the AHS teams: […]
Opinion
Column 1: Got a favorite??
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez Gazette Columnist GOT A FAVORITE?? Another 2020 political debate for the presidential nomination for the Democrat Party is coming. Who do you like at this point? No favorites? No one looks like a presidential candidate from their appearance on stage or from the words they say? Their policies don’t make […]
Letter to the Editor: Alhambra Valley still opposed to annexation
The Alhambra Valley Improvement Association has always opposed the annexation of Alhambra Valley. The Valley lies south west of the city, from south of John Swett School to the T at Reliez Vallely Road and Alhambra Valley Road, east to just beyond the curve on Reliez and west to the pig farm at the crest […]
Column 1: Why Blue Angels?
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist WHY BLUE ANGELS? The elite U. S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration flying group thrills hundreds of thousands of spectators each year across the United States with its exciting aerial maneuvers. Thus was the case last weekend as they performed over the Bay Area for the annual Fleet Week […]
Column 1: Unbelievable
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez Gazette Columnist UNBELIEVABLE (maybe not) were the words of the occupant of the office of the most powerful leader in the world: “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I […]
Letter to the Editor: Downtown Density Workshop
“Discussions, day trips offer visions for downtown Martinez” (East Bay Times Aug. 2011) “City Officials Pleased With Results Of ‘Downtown Matters’ Workshops” (Patch Nov. 2011) These are just two headlines during the Downtown Matters workshops; a series of workshops spearheaded by former Redwood City’s Redevelopment Manager, Susan Moeller. These workshops were part of the overall […]
Arts & Entertainment
Curtain call for Danville theater; road trip to Oregon
By CHARLIE JARRETT Martinez News-Gazette Columnist This week’s reviews are unique indeed in that you only have to drive 9.7 miles to the first show reviewed (in Danville) or 300 miles and spend one or two nights in Ashland, Oregon to see them. You might ask, why is this guy suggesting that we travel to […]
National Park Service hosts free campfire program
“My fire was in all its glory about midnight…I had nothing to do but look and listen and join the trees in their hymns and prayers.” – John Muir, Travels in Alaska Join the National Park Service for a free campfire program on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at John Muir National Historic Site (NHS) in […]
‘Insignificance’ at the Campbell Theater is an elegant, thoughtful piece of historical fiction
By SCOTT BABA Art and Entertainment Editor It’s always an interesting thought experiment to consider what it would have been like if historical figures from different spheres of influence met each other. What would they think of each other? What would they have to say? That’s the premise of “Insignificance,” the new play currently running […]
Witty and thought-provoking production shines at Campbell
By CHARLIE JARRETT Martinez News-Gazette Columnist This week’s promise of double billed theatrical events has turned out to be two excellent productions being reviewed. However, only one will be available over the next two weekends. The Eugene O’Neill foundation’s premier production of Eugene O’Neill’s Nobel prize-winning play, Long Day’s Journey into Night, opened this past […]
‘Camping With Henry and Tom’ a tightly crafted character study at the Campbell Theater
By SCOTT BABA Art and Entertainment Editor In television there is a narrative device called the “bottle episode.” Originally conceived of as a way to cut costs, a bottle episode usually involves finding a way to keep the characters in a single location and giving them little to do besides bounce off of one another. […]
