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Vol. 22, No. 2
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Plans in works for landmark site by Kyle Szymanski
January 10, 2020
Healthy And Fit In 2020
Staff Writer
A little piece of Brentwood’s history that had long since fallen into disrepair was recently reduced to a pile of memories. Now the wait is on to see what’s next for the property. The Hi-Way Rooms — an 82-year-old building at 8460 Brentwood Blvd. that had degraded into an unoccupied eye sore — was razed in November, but the current owner hasn’t decided what’s next for the land. “I am going to go to the city to see what they want,” said Brentwood resident Rakesh Kumar Bhargav, who purchased the building from longtime owner Frank Byron Bonnickson in 2016. The former 3,956-squarefoot building, constructed in see Landmark page 26
This week’s special edition offers tips, tricks for looking great, feeling fit in new year. Page 13
Raising Up The Flag Barn
Photo by Robin Mayoff
The well-known Hi-Way Rooms building was recently demolished, and the new owner is working on plans for the property.
Preparing for the 2020 U.S. Census by Deanna Gordon Staff Writer
Efforts have been ramping up across East Contra Costa County to make sure residents will know what to expect with the coming 2020 U.S. Census. The census count, which takes place every 10 years in the United States, determines the number of seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is used to draw district lines and determine federal and state funding. According to a George Washington University study, California and local governments lose $2,000 for each person not counted. While the census count is the responsibility of the U.S. Census Bureau and the federal government, Contra Costa County promotes it. It is vital to get an accu-
“ The challenge is to locate them ... to make sure they can trust the process. We’re relying on trusted partners to get the word out.
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District 3 Supervisor and Contra Costa County Census Committee Chair, Diane Burgis rate count of how many people live in the county, District 3 Supervisor and Contra Costa County Census Committee Chair Diane Burgis says, not only to maintain funding and representation, but also to know the composition of the people who live here. “It’s a way of acknowledging and celebrating diversity,” Burgis said. While the county has grown throughout the past decade, some reports estimate California’s popu-
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lation as a whole has decreased, meaning the state could lose a seat in the House of Representatives. “I want to make sure we don’t lose any representation we don’t need to lose in Contra Costa County,” Burgis said. Contra Costa County faces certain challenges in its census count, chief of which are its hardto-count community members, many of whom fall into one or more demographics: children 5 and under, students, people for whom
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English is not their first language, seniors, veterans, people who live in areas not zoned as residential, college students, those mistrustful of government, the homeless and more. Burgis says census officials are taking extra efforts to ensure these individuals are counted, including issuing grants to schools, public agencies and tax-exempt organizations that can help. “The challenge is to locate them ... to make sure they can trust the process,” she said. “We’re relying on trusted partners to get the word out.” Some partners Contra Costa County is entrusting to help include local organizations that have experience working with these hard-to-count community memsee Census page 26
Pet Services
www.thepress.net/news/webextras
Contra Costa Animal Services has revised fee structure for 2020.
Community outreach program in connection with park district is revitalizing Vasco Road icon. Page 5
Mastering The Hoops
Liberty girls’ basketball defeats Dixon and finishes strong in Stonebarger Tournament. Page 18 Calendar................................27 Classifieds.............................21 Cop Logs................................25 Food........................................10 Milestones..............................8 Adopt a Pet.............................7 Sports.....................................18
Living Large
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A new exhibit, “Living Large,” opens at the Bankhead Gallery in Livermore.