Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - BrentwoodPress_07.18.08 - Index

YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 10, No. 29 Including Surrounding Communities www.brentwoodpress.com July 18, 2008
CornFest crowd catches a break
by Rick Lemyre
Staff Writer
Driven indoors for a week
by a triple-digit heat wave, locals
emerged from their air-conditioned
homes by the thousands
last weekend, fl ocking to City
Park for some slightly cooler
temperatures and the 2008 edition
of the Brentwood Corn-
Fest.
“I thought we would be
toast,” Brentwood’s Dawn Copeland
said as she enjoyed the
cool breeze just prior to the Friday
night fi reworks. “We really
caught a major break with the
weather.”
Offi cial numbers were not
available as of Wednesday, but
Harry York, CEO of the Brentwood
Chamber of Commerce,
which hosted the event, said attendance
was up from last year’s
40,000, despite the increase in
admission prices from $6 to $10.
“It cost us $30 just to get
in, but that’s not so bad when
you think about it,” said Nancy
Parker as she and her husband
Mya Samaniego, 5, sinks her teeth into an ear of roasted corn during last weekend’s
Brentwood CornFest. About 40,000 people attended the event.
Charlie watched their son Chad,
8, and daughter Darla, 6, enjoy
a romp in the Kids Zone. “It’s
going to cost you $50 just in gas
to go anywhere even near here.
Why not spend the money here
on corn-on-the-cob and beer
instead of pumping out the tailpipe
of my car?”
A crowd estimated at more
than 10,000 on Friday alone apparently
agreed, and packed City
Park for the highly anticipated
fi reworks show. They were not
disappointed.
“I heard nothing but raves
see CornFest page 14A
Incumbents to seek re-election
by Rick Lemyre
Staff Writer
Brentwood voters this November will
see at least a trio of familiar names when
they get set to mark their ballots in the races
for mayor and City Council.
Following through on the pledge he
made on election night two years ago, Mayor
Bob Taylor pulled nomination papers
Monday for what he hopes will be his second
term. The fi ling period, which opened
Monday, will continue until Aug. 8.
In addition to tapping Taylor in 2006,
voters also doubled the mayoral term from
two years to four, matching the terms of the
rest of the council. That change becomes effective
in this election.
“I’m very blessed (to have been elected
in 2006),” Taylor said. “I am defi nitely running
again.”
As of Wednesday, no challengers to
Taylor had emerged. Former councilwomen
Annette Beckstrand and Ana Gutierrez,
who fi nished second and third, respectively,
in 2006, both said they did not plan to seek
offi ce this time around.
In the City Council race, incumbents
Bob Brockman and Erick Stonebarger both
said this week that they would seek to retain
their seats.
“I’ve been involved with the council
longer than anybody else who’s sitting
there,” said Brockman, who was elected in
2004. “I think it’s important to have history
(on the council). That’s what keeps things
level; you don’t get lost trying re-create
things.” Brockman added that he couldn’t
spare the additional time away from his
business required to serve as mayor. “I’ll
have to wait until maybe next term” to take
a shot at mayor.
Stonebarger, who was appointed to the
council when Taylor moved into the may-
Photo by Richard Wisdom
or’s seat in 2006, said he still has things he
wants to accomplish.
“There’s a lot going on,” he said. “I
want to fi nish a few things up.”
In addition to shepherding the city
through the current fi nancial crisis, the
council is also directing the new Civic Center
project. The project includes a new city
hall, community center, library, parking
structure and City Park layout, among other
items. Pre-bid construction and fi nancing
documents are currently being put together
for the $72 million project, and decisions
about how much of the project to build and
when to build it are expected to be made
late this year or early 2009.
In 2006, a total of 10 candidates ran
for the two council seats ultimately won by
Brandon Richey and Chris Becnel. Stonebarger’s
appointment came as the result
of his third-place fi nish. Gene Clare, the
fourth-place fi nisher, said this week he did
not plan to run again this year, as did Mike
Hyde and Mark Underwood. The remaining
four candidates could not be reached.
To comment on this story, visit www.
thepress.net.
National Award Winning Newspapers
THIS WEEK
From bus to
bandwagon
A new mobile party gym is on
a roll, giving kids the ride of
their lives.
Page 5A
Magnet
memorabilia
Find out how your neighbors
accessorize their refrigerators.
Page 6A
Muscular
mechanics
The ultimate muscle car is a fusion
of aesthetics and mechanics,
and one shop in particular
is up to speed – Mach 1, that is
– on the process.
Page 1B
INSIDE
Business .......................... 5A
Calendar ........................23B
Classifieds ......................15B
Community .................... 3A
Education .....................10A
Entertainment .............17A
Food ..............................12B
Health & Beauty........... 10B
Milestones .......................8B
Opinion ........................18A
Public Notices ................18B
Siren Sounds ................19A
Sports ...............................1B