Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_05.09.08 - Index

18A | THEPRESS.NET MAY 9, 2008
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EDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY “ I believe that it was offi cially the most
OPINION
National
beautiful day of the year.
Michelle Lenahan ”
Thanks for the memories
Editor:
This is an open thank-you to all
the guests that I have waited on during
my employment with Hiro’s Steak &
Sushi for the past two years.
I will admit, I am bad with names,
but I do know what everyone eats and
drinks, such as the cool couple with
fi ve kids that would come in and ask
for me. They would then dine on steak
and lobster and fi nish with Patron Silver.
There were also the ladies I served
on the Friday night of last year’s Corn-
Fest. They wanted to see the fi reworks,
but were having such a great girls night
out they just stayed there and enjoyed
each others’ company.
There was the wonderful couple
that would come in with their son and
grandchildren that were here from
Arizona. Again, I apologize for not remembering
names. Mom would always
have her bottle of white zinfandel,
which I would open for her and pour
two glasses and wrap the rest for her to
take home. Dad ordered the merlot.
There was also the couple that
Grazie’s sent over to Hiro’s after our
fi rst closing and we laughed when they
ordered pomegranate martinis, saying
that it was a good way to get their antioxidants.
There was also the Moto-
Cross rock star. His lovely lady drank
Grey Crane, and him, beer.
There are a few names I know, like
Ed Drury and his lovely lady, Joyce. I
have served them since the golf course
and did not realize how much they
liked sushi. The Baca family and their
great friends had the banquet room all
to themselves, and I must say they had
City of Antioch
City Manager and City Council
City Hall
Third and H streets
Antioch, CA 94509
Phone: 779-7000
Contra Costa Water District
District Center
1331 Concord Ave.
Concord, CA 94524
Gen. Mgr. Walter Bishop
Phone: 688-8000 Fax: 688-8122
Delta Diablo Sanitation District
2500 Pittsburg/Antioch Highway
Antioch, CA 94509
Gen. Mgr. Gary Darling
Phone: 756-1900 Fax: 756-1961
County Supervisor Federal Glover
315 E. Leland Ave.
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone: 427-8138
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
such a great time!
Dustin, Scott, it was always a
pleasure to wait on you. Justin, I will
never hear a piano play “My Chemical
Romance” like you played it. Thanks
also to Ryan, Jake and Ian; you all
rock and ditto to your ladies. Thanks
also to Jim Wagerman, his lovely wife
and to Jane from Allstate; your kindness
is appreciated.
There were of course all the great
people that would come in to the bar,
such as Cynthia, Keith, Scott, Sherry,
Auntie, Bill and Bob. I will miss seeing
your faces when I come to work. And
to Keith and Donna, I will also miss
you both. To me, you were part of the
Hiro’s employee family.
Hiro’s was a very unique restaurant
and in all my years of serving the
public, I have never felt compelled to
thank so many people for making my
going to work such a great feeling! I
hope we will all see each other around
town: at Safeway, Quickstop, the gym,
etc. Once again, thank you all.
Sandi Smith
Brentwood
Downtown – the perfect
weeknight hangout
Editor:
I enjoyed the article about downtown
Brentwood merchants staying
open late on Thursdays. I personally
like the idea of something special
that isn’t tied into a weekend (like the
Farmers’ Market or the Starry Nights
concerts on Fridays). Why not close
First Street every Thursday (like the
Farmers’ Market on Saturdays) and
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
State Senator Tom Torlakson
Seventh State Senate District
Antioch City Hall
Third and H streets
Antioch, CA 94509
Phone: 754-1461 Fax: 754-1874
Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier
11th District
815 Estudillo St.
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: 372-7990
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Constituent Affairs
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2864
Fax: (916) 445-4633
U.S. Representative
Ellen Tauscher
10th Congressional District
420 W. Third St.
Antioch, CA 94509
Phone: 757-7187
Washington office:
1034 Longworth House Office
Building, Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1880
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 403-0100
Fax: (415) 956-6701
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
1 Post St., Room 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 393-0707
Washington office:
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841
have a gourmet food festival each
week?
Renee Anderson
Brentwood
The facts about
Vista Diablo residents
Editor:
Obviously the writer of your editorial
about the folks at the Vista Diablo
Mobile Home Park did little research.
They do not make $70,000 to
$80,000 a year. These folks, many
are 70 to 80 years old, some ill and
less than one half of a social security
check away from eviction. They are the
proudest people you could ever meet.
They had to ban together against an
unscrupulous landlord who had threatened
and terrorized them for well over
a year, perhaps two years.
Several of them have been ill, hospitalized
and their homes taken away
from them because they could not sell
them. Would you want this to happen
to someone you know?
These men and women, many
single, have been honest, hardworking
people like most of us for their whole
lives and are not on the dole from
the city of Antioch. They have qualifi
ed for a program offered by the city
because no one else would help them
and they tried.
They fi lled the council chambers
for several meetings, working with
the council and their landlord. City
staff and the attorney spent hours and
hours dealing with the landlord who
failed to cooperate or respond to deadlines.
Month after month this went on.
We followed the entire process with in-
terest and are proud to say the council
and city staff were fantastic.
Your editorial was a slap in the
face to these wonderful people and
to the city of Antioch. You should be
ashamed of yourself.
Martin and Nancy Fernandez
Antioch
Nunn doesn’t walk the talk
Editor:
Over the past two weeks, several
residents have come forward and
submitted letters to the editor expressing
great concern regarding District
5 Supervisor candidate Erik Nunn.
Regrettably, I share their concerns and
belief that Mr. Nunn’s less than truthful
campaign statements clearly implies
that he is willing to say or do anything
to become our next county supervisor.
In a recent campaign mailer,
Erik Nunn states that he was the fi rst
person to oppose the Antioch prison
site. Really? Apparently, Mr. Nunn
refuses to acknowledge the fact that
the Antioch School Board, the Antioch
City Council, the Antioch Chamber of
Commerce and numerous residents of
our community sent letters and e-mails
to the Board of Supervisors vehemently
opposing the placement of a prison
re-entry facility in our community.
As a matter of record, when
Antioch residents Gary Agopian, Jim
Conley, Brian Kalinowski, Devi Lanphere,
Allen Payton, Walter Rueling
and myself were speaking out against
the prison proposal during the Board
of Supervisor meeting on Tuesday,
see Letters page 19A