Opinion
Column 1: Welcome aboard
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist WELCOME ABOARD, Eric Figueroa, our new City Manager, arriving soon from San Ramon’s Assistant City Manager position. We all know he will be an asset to our community, and will be a ‘happy camper’ in Martinez. With a name Figueroa, he will feel right at home, right? He […]
Letter to the Editor: Be the change
I took a democratic party online poll the other day. One of the questions asked me to check the boxes for the 3 issues that are the most important to me. I was surprised and disappointed to see that “halting our endless wars” was not one of the choices. “Fighting terror” was. What happened to […]
Column 1: Blessed are we
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist BLESSED ARE WE who live in the United States of America. Be we citizens, non-citizens, legal, not legal. We all benefit from the umbrella of security over us by being here. Not many across the globe can say the same and be certain of it day-to-day. Some never […]
Letter to the Editor: City council loses major lawsuit
The City Council has lost the Pine Meadow Rewrite History lawsuit. The Contra Costa County Superior Court states in their February 8 ruling: “… no reasonable person could have reached the conclusion the City did in 2017 that ‘the Subject Property has a residential land use designation’….” The Court goes on to state: “… it […]
Coffee Talk: Rain clouds parting soon
By JOHN FULLER Martinez Gazette Columnist Good morning Martinez! How are we doing with all this rain? There should be no talk about a drought for a while. Or at least, I hope not. With all this rain, I have been going nuts staying indoors, a little stir crazy. All this indoors and Netflix has […]
Column 1: Money talk
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist MONEY TALK this week was, as always, a head scratcher for most of us who are not in the arena of big spenders. Case one: The San Diego Padres signed a deal with an outstanding player for 10 years and $300 million. Name is Machado, and he is […]
Coffee Talk: Youth movement?
By JOHN FULLER Martinez Gazette Columnist Morning coffee thoughts at Barrellista this morning. It has been a while since I have been here, and I am glad to be back. I always enjoy the atmosphere and the coffee. A big shout to Alhambra High School, nice job to all the teams that qualified for NCS. […]
Column 1: Water, water, everywhere
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE, and plenty to drink. But it will cost you more per swallow in the Martinez Water System. Untreated water supplies flow through the canals and pipelines from the source up in the Delta, but it is not free. Thus, the City needs to increase some […]
Column 1: Awesome
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist AWESOME is one term to express the efforts of the Martinez Education Foundation for the past three decades, since 1985, when it provided $1,000 for computer software/printer, the first grant by the MEF. This year’s grant program of $165,193 brings the total of aid to teachers and classrooms […]
Coffee Talk: No replay in life
By JOHN FULLER News-Gazette Columnist Every now and then while I drink my coffee, I think what could have been. During my lifetime there has been several events that have directed my life one direction or another and I really had no choice in the matter. Life just happens. It happens to all of us. […]
