General News
Board of Education to vote on labor pact, see 2018-19 budget
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Martinez Unified School District Board of Education will decide Monday whether to approve a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council that would prevent work stoppages during construction of many Measure R-funded projects in exchange for other concessions. The pact would require non-union contractors to […]
City’s open space protection measure has narrow lead
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Martinez voters showed Tuesday they want a say if open spaces are to be developed, but by a 75-vote margin so far, indicate that such referendums should not apply to privately-owned properties. Measure F, placed on the ballot by the Martinez City Council, has received 2,762 “yes” votes and 2,542 “no” votes, […]
Martinez youth arrested after Pleasant Hill school threatened
A 13-year-old Martinez youth has been arrested after he was accused of threatening to kill multiple people at the Pleasant Hill school he attended, school and law enforcement officials said. The boy used Snapchat to send a message to another student in which he promised to kill “at least 30 people” during the final class […]
Council approves DeNova residential development documents for former golf course
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Martinez City Council, with Vice Mayor Lara DeLaney abstaining, have approved development documents Wednesday associated with DeNova Homes’ proposal to put 92 homes on the former Pine Meadow Golf Course. The vote Wednesday night came during an extended appeal of a unanimous Planning Commission vote that also approved the mitigated negative declaration, […]
Friday update pushes Measure I on top; 60k ballots yet to be counted
A razor thin margin of four votes shows Measure I ahead of Measure F in the duel of opposing open space measures following a Friday afternoon update provided by the Contra Costa County election department. Election night results showed Measure F on top by 75 votes. Election officials informed there was over 80,000 ballots left […]
Community Focus
The Hometown Herbalist: Medicinal Tea
By ANNA MARIE BEAUCHEMIN Special to the Gazette Of all the wonders that the herbal world bestows, my favorite medicine almost always comes in the form of tea. Putting the kettle on, choosing the herbs, waiting for the brew to complete, and finally – the settle in and sip. No matter how you lay it […]
Pirates descending on Vallejo Father’s Day weekend
MARTINEZ, Calif. – Ahoy, ye salty sea dogs! Keep a weather eye on the horizon – especially toward the Carquinez Strait. Pirates are coming to invade the Vallejo Waterfront Park Father’s Day weekend, June 16 and 17. And those sea rogues and privateers have been doing just that for a dozen years, giving fathers and […]
Adopt a Pet: Nacho and Bonnie
These pets are available for adoption from the Contra Costa County Animal Services shelters. Nacho, No. A0910764, is a willing companion who is ready to accompany someone in any activity. He’s described as a 3–year-old, easygoing lovebug type of dog who is happy to do anything so long as a human companion is involved. He […]
People’s Choice award added to Chamber of Commerce King of the County Barbecue
MARTINEZ, Calif. – People who have attended the annual Martinez Chamber of Commerce’s King of the County Barbecue Festival have often said they wanted to do more than watch the Backyard Barbecue Competition. And the Martinez Chamber of Commerce has heard them. For the first time, attendees can participate in selecting a “People’s Choice” winner, […]
At Home With Vivian: School’s Out
No more pencils No more books No more teacher’s Dirty looks! It’s count down time! Just a few more hours until Martinez school hallways will be 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, […]
History
Don Ignacio Martinez: Rancho Culture
By HARRIETT BURT Martinez Gazette Contributor In the little more than 25 years that Mexico ruled over the southern and central coast and neighboring inland area of California, the mission system was replaced by the land grant rancho system where over 600 grants of vast land holdings were made from San Diego to Petaluma and […]
Our Town: Don Ignacio Martinez
There’s a lot more to know about him than we realize By HARRIETT BURT Martinez News-Gazette Contributor Editor’s Note: There are so many interesting topics for a column like this. But just when this writer thinks she has a manageable list, a new idea pops up that can’t wait for a few months. Such is […]
Underground Echoes: Found, hidden treasure update
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette Since we last wrote about the potential finding of the lost African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Napa from 1867 – 1892, a lot of new information has come to light creating a number of unresolved questions regarding the building, its exact location, and wither it […]
Why Joe left town
By JAMIE JOBB Special to the Martinez Gazette Before he turned three years old, Joe DiMaggio and his family had left Martinez for good. Joe often returned to the town of his birth after he retired from baseball, but San Francisco gets to call itself Joe’s hometown. That’s where Joe and his brothers Vincent and […]
Ten bucks for one field of dreams
A brief history of pro ball in Contra Costa county By JAMIE JOBB Special to the Martinez Gazette “Bush League” – Also see “Bush-leaguers”. Adj. 1) being of an inferior class or group of its kind : marked by a lack of sophistication or professionalism Some folks toss out the term “semi-professional baseball” to describe […]
Sports
A Golden Parade of Fun!
Warriors celebrate third championship in four years with fans By FELICIA D. PURCELL Martinez News-Gazette It was quiet a year for the Warriors, injuries to Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala and for the first time in four years they went into the postseason without home court advantage. After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA […]
Clippers drop heartbreaker to Silverado’s 4-1 (photo gallery)
Photos by Mark Fierner ( Martinez News-Gazette )
Oakland A’s vs KC Royals Photo Gallery
Chris Bassitt had everything but luck on his side. Making his first appearance on a big league mound in nearly two full years, Bassitt did almost everything right in a 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals Saturday at the Coliseum. The A’s are know 33-32 on the year. Photos by Tod Fierner ( Martinez […]
Opinion
Column 1: Yahoo!!
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist YAHOO!! The 2018 June 5 election finally ‘heated up’ with the controversial issue over how will we decide what to do with open space in the years to come. Lots of $$$ spent on the very colorful campaign material mailed out. Letters to the editor by citizens with […]
Letter to the Editor: Five top reasons to vote yes on Measure I – the citizen initiative
We urge Martinez voters to join us in voting YES on Measure I on June 5. Here’s why: 1. Measure I protects all Martinez parks and open space—when the City Council votes to convert them to development, voters will make the final decision 2. Martinez scenic and recreational lands are valuable assets and essential to […]
What if I want a granny unit?
The East Bay Times editorial (on Measure I and Measure F) is an excellent summary of the history of the debate and the shameful actions by the City in this battle over land use decisions in Martinez. The editorial is timely, focused, and leaves no doubt about the Council’s efforts to thwart the will of […]
Eminent Domain by citizens
I am voting YES on Measure F and No on Measure I because it is no more than Eminent Domain by Citizens. My reasoning is simple. Eminent Domaine is physically taking of private property or “devaluing” private property by the government against the will of the property owner. The government sets the value or price […]
Yes on F – No on I: Why the East Bay Times Editorial completely misses the mark
The May 29th editorial in the East Bay Times completely misses the mark on Measures F and I on the June ballot. In addition to being blatantly one-sided, the information presented by Dan Borenstein in the editorial was missing the facts. I am writing this letter to clear up some relevant issues. Measure I is […]
Arts & Entertainment
BottleRock 2018
Article by Steve Langsam ( Martinez News-Gazette ) Photos by Steve Langsam The Napa Valley Expo continues to provide a fantastic venue for BottleRock year over year. The constant improvements with larger grass areas, bigger viewing areas for the Jam Cellar Stage and Midway Samsung Stage allow more crowds to stay engaged. The William Sonoma […]
Upcoming at the Campbell Theater
By THE CAMPBELL THEATER We have a lot of exciting events coming up in June at the Martinez Campbell Theater. Starting the month off, on Friday, June 1, we have a Singer-Songwriter Showcase featuring Fooling Marie, Anchors Up, Eli Moody, Uncle Jimi, Roezi Rebel & John Todd. This ages 21+ show is only $5 and […]
Martinez designer-entertainer returning home for book signing
MARTINEZ, Calif. – A Martinez native whose career has made him a widely recognized decorator is coming home next month to celebrate the publication of his second book. But Nathan Turner, who is known for his appearances on Bravo’s cable program “Million Dollar Decorators,” didn’t write about designing or how to make a home more […]
Collection of romantic comedy one-act plays at Campbell
By SCOTT BABA Art and Entertainment Editor Onstage Theater closes out its 40th season this month with “A Funny Little Thing Called Love” at the Campbell Theater, a series of one-act plays written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, the writing trio that is sometimes collectively know as Jones Hope Wooten. Jones Hope […]
BottleRock’n Napa Valley
by Steve Langsam For the sixth straight year Napa Valley is prepared to rock with over 86 musical acts filling the airwaves of the Napa Valley Expo for BottleRock May 25th through May 26th. This year features some of the best acts the festival has had including The Killers, Muse, Bruno Mars, The Chain Smokers, […]
