General News
Creek Monkey Tap House burglarized
By DANA GUZZETTI Martinez News-Gazette Reporter MARTINEZ, Calif. – Before dawn on Sunday morning, burglars robbed Creek Monkey Tap House, a popular downtown Martinez business. According to the business owner Jim Blair, thieves took whatever they could find that was of value at the popular pub. Blair said an employee called him at the airport, […]
Funds for infrastructure mean lighting and road projects
By DANA GUZZETTI Martinez News-Gazette Reporter MARTINEZ, Calif. – With the passage of municipal Measure D and funds from California State SB1, there has been road work all over Martinez this summer. Deputy Director of Public Works Don Salts gave the City council Infrastructure Subcommittee an update on the projects, answered questions about the quality […]
Martinez City Council debates Northern Waterfront cities collaboration
By DANA GUZZETTI Martinez News-Gazette Reporter MARTINEZ, Calif. – The Martinez City council will consider a plan to collaborate with Contra Costa County and six other waterfront towns to execute a Strategic Action Plan aimed at creating dynamic economic growth along the 60-mile northern county waterfront. The Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative (NWEDI) is a […]
Agreement reached on Pine Meadow
MARTINEZ – On July 10, 2019, the City of Martinez, DeNova Homes, Inc., Civic Martinez LLC, Meadow Creek Group LLC, Friends of Pine Meadow, and Martinez residents Tim Platt, Kerry Kilmer and Mark Thomson reached agreement on a settlement of all outstanding disputes about the disposition of the former Pine Meadow Golf Course and the […]
SB 1383 makes cities enforce waste law
By DANA GUZZETTI Martinez News-Gazette Reporter MARTINEZ, Calif. – By 2022, California cities will begin phasing in compliance enforcement of SB1383 waste management regulations that go into effect before then, according to Susan Hurl’s report to the City council, July 2. The state law sets goals of a 50 percent reduction in landfill organic waste […]
Community Focus
At Home With Vivian: Remembering Port Chicago
“Oh my,” was all my mother could say. We drove slowly through the desolate landscape of what had once been her childhood home town of Port Chicago. Weeds grew through cracks in the sidewalk. Potholes dotted the former town streets. Only bare traces of concrete foundations remained where homes once stood It was the early […]
At Home With Vivian: Awash in anticipation
As I write my column this morning (Monday), my cell phone is turned to the loudest setting and is sitting right here beside the keyboard. I’m waiting for an important call from Nebraska. A special call indeed. My son just texted the family that they are on the way to the hospital. Baby Boy Roubal […]
Park It by Ned MacKay: Lots to do in regional parks
As the summer season reaches its peak, there’s lots to see and do in all of the East Bay Regional Parks. For instance, original work by local artists will be showcased in an exhibit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays July 13, 14, 20 and 21 at Big Break Regional Shoreline […]
Welcome aboard, Dana
Dana Guzzetti has returned to reporting local news for the Martinez News-Gazette. She began writing local news in this area for Gibson Publishing 18 years ago, and most recently her stories appeared in the East Bay Times. Guzzetti’s prior writing included a children’s book, business sales book, and marketing/media publications. Her career change to news […]
PG&E hosting regional Open House in Walnut Creek for Community Wildfire Safety Program
WHAT Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is hosting open house in Walnut Creek for customers in Contra Costa county to share information about its Community Wildfire Safety Program. Topics will include expansion of the Public Safety Power Shutoff program, accelerated safety inspections of electric infrastructure, enhanced vegetation management around power lines, and hardening the […]
History
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 […]
Underground Echoes: Aaron Rice: The final chapter (1880-1906)
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Martinez Gazette Contributors From our last column, we discovered Aaron had siblings. Although his sister Judy Schlesher (58) was never found, (nor could we find any record of her) his older brother William (62) and family, were located living in McKinney, Collin County, Texas. We additionally found them enumerated in […]
Underground Echoes: Family: Love, loss & found
By JOSEPH & JUDIE PALMER Special to the Gazette When we last left Aaron and his family, they were living blissfully. They had become in a relative short period: property owners, industrious entrepreneurs, founders of Napa’s AME Church, ardent voters and proud US citizens. As proof of their accomplishments an announcement published in the Napa […]
Sports
A’s play long ball in 10-2 win over Mariners
Photos By Tod Fierner (Martinez News-Gazette) Mark Canha and Jurickson Profar each hit two home runs and Homer Bailey pitched six solid innings in his Oakland debut as the host Athletics defeated the Seattle Mariners 10-2 on Wednesday afternoon. Chad Pinder and Ramon Laureano also homered for the A’s, who scored all of their […]
Cal Bears More Than A Football Game
From pregame concerts to bobbleheads, fans attending Cal football games at Memorial Stadium this fall will be treated to a host of activities, promotions and giveaways to help make gamedays in Berkeley more enjoyable for the entire Cal family. “We want our football gamedays to be more than just about football,” said Joe Mulford, Cal’s […]
San Francisco Giants Take Two Of Three From Saint Louis Cardinals
Photos by Guri Dhaliwal (Martinez News-Gazette)
Sports legend Joe Gibbs inducted to Sonoma Raceway’s ‘Wall Of Fame,’ reflects on career after Truex victory
Joe Gibbs, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Washington Redskins who as race team owner has won four NASCAR Cup Series championships has been inducted to the Sonoma Raceway’s Wall of Fame. “I’m thrilled to be on the wall. It’s an honor,” Gibbs said. The owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, Gibbs also is a 2020 […]
Cal introduces March to Victory Pass
by Stephen Langsam Cal Athletics introduces the March to Victory Pass (MVP) as an innovative and new way for fans to attend all six Cal football home games at California Memorial Stadium during the 2019 season. MVP is designed to give fans access to all home games through an affordable experience tailored around current trends […]
Opinion
Letter to the Editor: Questions unanswered about gun range
Editor: I attended the informational meeting scheduled by Brandon Varise about his plans to open an indoor shooting range in the historic old opera house: The Telfer-McMahon building. Brandon twice asked the question what market research or study he had done regarding the business viability of his proposal. The question was never directly answered. He […]
Column 1: 102 years
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist 102 YEARS is a long time to live. Verner R. Anderson, long time Martinez resident, did it, passed away on June 20 at his home. He was a quiet dignified dapper gentleman who, with his lovely wife, Barbara, were well known in the community. A lovely friendly couple. […]
Letter to the Editor: “More people die in swimming pools than from guns.”
Editor: “More people die in swimming pools than from guns.” That odd bird of a statement was casually flipped into the fray of Brandon Varise’s recent “informational meeting” at City Hall regarding his application for a zoning variance to allow an indoor gun range within a downtown storefront he is developing in the former McMahon-Telfer […]
Letter to the Editor: Proposed Gun Range in Downtown Martinez: It’s Not Too Late to Say No
Thursday night at City Hall was standing-room-only as citizens came to hear Mr. Brandon Varise and his firearm experts present information about his proposed sporting goods store and his desire to have an indoor gun range as part of it. Mr. Varise seemed genuinely surprised when an overwhelming number of citizens opposed a gun range […]
Column 1: More memories
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist MORE MEMORIES recalled; some good, some not so good, all interesting to this aging columnist because he was there. A first-hand experience of history, one might say. A recent memory recall goes back to September 1941, moving day for the Sharkey Family coming from Sacramento to Martinez to […]
Arts & Entertainment
Victoria Theater production of ‘Hairspray’ not to be missed
By CHARLIE JARRETT Special to the Gazette How many of us still remember Dick Clark and the American Bandstand show in the mid-50’s? It formulated in Philadelphia until it was moved to the ABC television Center Los Angeles in 1964. At much the same time, there was another similar show hosted by Winston “Buddy” Deane […]
Main Street Arts Gallery chooses the work of two new artists to display at its downtown gallery
By DANA GUZZETTI Martinez News-Gazette Reporter Main Street Arts Gallery has chosen the work of two new artists, Paula Oesterling, and Jared Foster, to appear now, through July 31 at the downtown gallery in Martinez, now through July 31. Paula Oesterling’s Hawaiian floral subjects and vivid colors, and Jared Foster’s blend of architectural features bathed […]
Business highlight: In Motion Dance Center
By DANA GUZZETTI Martinez News-Gazette Reporter MARTINEZ, Calif. – Businesswoman and dancer Cynthia Berning will celebrate her first year in Northern California as the owner of In Motion Dance Center in August. It seemed like an understatement when she said, “ The transition and adjustment were so smooth and the families at the studio are […]
Bring the kids! Two great shows for the family
By CHARLIE JARRETT Martinez Gazette Contributor The Woodminster Summer Musical series production of Walt Disney’s “Newsies” and the California Shakespeare Theater’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s thought-provoking parable, “The Good Person of Szechwan”, are equally stunning and worthy of a “too good to miss” declaration. In the 1890s and early 1900s, newspapers played a major role […]
Reviews: ‘The Fitting Room’ and ‘A Chorus Line’
By CHARLIE JARRETT Special to the Gazette This week I will invite you to experience a delightful evening of changing room silliness, in Kathryn G. McCarty’s delightful comedy, “The Fitting Room”, right here in the Campbell Theater. This is not your typical plot driven story, but rather a character driven story that seems to be […]
