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 […]
Letter to the Editor: Concerns over indoor gun range
Brandon Varise recently submitted a letter to the Gazette outlining the purported benefits to his proposal to open an indoor shooting range in downtown Martinez. This would be housed in the same building as a sporting goods outlet that would also sell guns and ammunition. That letter missed several setbacks to this proposal that I […]
Response to Sporting Goods Store Letter
Next week the Martinez community will get to hear for themselves the plans for the Ferry Street building in downtown Martinez. Much has been written about these plans, with many concerns raised. Some legitimate, some bordering on hysteric, but all based on one common theme the utter dislike of firearms. For me personally, I am […]
Forum to address downtown sporting goods store
To My Neighbors, Thank you to the many members of the community who have voiced their views about my proposal to open a flagship outdoor sporting goods store in the 604 Ferry Street building. Specifically, much of the discussion has been about the proposed underground shooting range that would be located in the basement of […]
Shell Refinery GM Rizzo to retire
Dear Friends, I wanted to let you know Shell Martinez General Manager, Tom Rizzo, has elected to retire. His last day at Martinez will be July 3. Tom has over 35 years of experience with Shell in both Refining and Chemicals, as well as corporate, strategy and Projects & Technology roles. Tom has a held […]
Column 1: Distressing
By BILL SHARKEY III Martinez News-Gazette Columnist DISTRESSING, disgusting and disappointing are three terms which come to mind immediately when reading the details of the behavior of students at Martinez Junior High School, as reported from the recent meeting of the Martinez Unified School District Board of Education. The situation is appalling to those of […]
