Opinion

Column 1: Say what?!
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist SAY WHAT?! Now we are somewhere back to square one with the Traditions at the Meadow development (old Pine Meadow Golf Course) on Vine Hill Way with a suit against the City of Martinez over a delay in grading for the sewer and drainage system for the 65-homes […]

Column 1: We’re going to pot???
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist WE’RE GOING TO POT??? Sounds like the decision has been made to sell ‘weed’ on Alhambra Avenue to make it convenient for purchasers. The decision by the City Council (4-0 with the Mayor recusing himself due to conflicts) has met with great concern (and surprise!) by the Martinez […]

Letter to the Editor: City Council didn’t think about children
As a kid that grew up in Los Angeles, I have seen the story that played out at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. Let’s sell drugs just outside the high school because the district can’t do anything. We will carry guns to make sure we protect our product and cash. In addition, we will imply favors […]

Letter to the Editor: How can the Gazette be saved?
Dear Editor, I do not want to see this newspaper go away. It reflects so much of our town’s personality. The pages contain expressions of conflict as well as lovely, heart-filling articles of people going about their daily lives, today and from the past. The paper draws it’s readers into their society. It informs and […]

Column 1: Historic tragedy
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist HISTORIC TRAGEDY is unfolding in our community. It will become apparent after the Sunday, December 29 final edition of this 161-year-old newspaper is printed and delivered. A record of 161 years of continuous publication, longest in California, according to researchers at the Bancroft Library at U. C. Berkeley […]

Letter to the Editor: The time to fight for the Gazette is now
Dear Editor – I was extremely concerned to read over the weekend that the Martinez News Gazette will stop publishing at the end of the year. The MNG is the only newspaper to cover in detail many of the neighborhood, business, and political issues with which the Martinez community engages. Larger regional papers are unlikely […]

Letter to the Editor: More on St. Catherine’s
Mister Fuller: I hope that this is our last outing because the Church organ has finally arrived at St. Catherine’s and we will be busy listening to God’s music as we pray and contemplate things other than your personal struggle to build a gym for us. Now back to the facts of your letter. Many […]

Letter to the Editor: Against the vitriol being aimed at St. Catherine’s Church
As a Parishioner at St. Catherine’s Church, I’m a little put off by the vitriol being used in the opinion section of the newspaper to publicly humiliate both our Bishop, Michael Barber, and Pastor, Father Anthony Le. As a life-long Catholic, I, for one, would prefer to put the salvation of my soul in the […]

Letter to the Editor: Parish and school both part of Martinez Catholic history
Mr. Fuller, in your recent letter to the editor, you attempt to separate the St Catherine Parish School from the St. Catherine Parish. They are both part of the same Body of Christ. They are both under the supervision of the Bishop of Oakland and governed through the Chancery office in Oakland. The Parish School […]

Letter to the Editor: Independent review of monies needed
It seems that I have upset a few people. I could counter all the attacks, but that would take all day and be counterproductive to my main request: that Bishop Barber and St. Catherine’s church leaders hire an independent third-party fiduciary to unwind the campaigns. However, I want to specifically address a couple of items. […]