Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - DiscoveryBayPress_07.18.08 - Index

YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 6, No. 29 Including Surrounding Communities www.discoverybaypress.com July 18, 2008
Election
season
begins
by Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer
The upcoming Nov. 4 general elections
promise to be noteworthy on a national level,
but here in East County, local residents
will also be watching with interest as a variety
of school and special district board seats
are fi lled.
In Discovery Bay, two seats on the
Community Services District (CSD) Board
are open for a four-year term. Incumbent director
Bob Doran said he will “absolutely”
run again, while Treasurer Patty Knight will
not seek re-election.
Doran, one of the original founders of
the CSD and a board member since 1998,
said he is running again for the CSD Board
because “I want to serve my community. I’m
really not politically-oriented, but I think
we’ve done a lot of good things over the
years, and I’d like to see that continue. It’s an
enjoyable position and an important one.”
Knight said increasing job responsibilities
and commitments prevent her from
running for re-election to the CSD board in
November. “I started a new job this year and
I just really have to cut back on things,” she
said, “and this (CSD) is very time consum-
Irrigation district adjusts ethics policy
by Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer
After nearly two years of
verbal sparring and approximately
$9,000 spent in district
funds, the legal and ethical tugof-war
between a director of the
Byron-Bethany Irrigation District
and its remaining directors
over issues of privacy appear to
have been resolved.
In a 7-to-1 vote, the district
board approved on Tuesday an
amendment to Section 14 of the
district’s ethics policy stating
that a California driver’s license,
along with proof of insurance,
must be submitted by all employees
– including directors – as
a condition of employment.
“We are here to look out for
the well-being of the district,”
Party plunge
Kelly Chance takes a dip to cool off at sunset in Discovery Bay’s Willow
Lake during our recent heat wave. Kelly and her husband, Stacey,
were at Jay and Trish Wisner’s on Beach Court for a surprise
birthday party for Kelly when the guest of honor took the plunge and her
husband took the picture.
ing. But it was a good experience for me;
very interesting and very challenging.”
A CSD board member since 2005,
Knight said that while she will miss her time
on the board, it’s time to pass the torch, and
she cautioned the next new CSD member to
keep an eye on the pulse of the community.
“I would say to whomever takes my place
that it’s important to be prepared to be fo-
“ I think it’s a big privacy issue, and
privacy is privacy. I’m very picky about
my driver’s license – it’s how people get
their identities stolen.
”
Sandra Fredrickson
said District Board President
Charles Spatafore Jr., “and that
is what this is all about.”
Since approximately September,
2006, Sandra Fredrickson,
Division 1 director for the
irrigation district, has refused to
comply with the board’s voluntary
request to submit her California
driver’s license, as part of
the district’s vehicle insurance requirements.
The district also requires
proof of insurance, which
Fredrickson has submitted.
The board’s interest in securing
the extra precaution of
a driver’s license in addition to
proof of insurance is intended
as a safeguard against possible
litigation should an employee
become involved in an accident
while attending to district business,
said Rick Gilmore, general
manager for the irrigation
district. Gilmore added that the
remaining board members have
Photo by Stacey Chance
cused more on the community side of things
and the communication aspects. Those seem
to be very important to people.”
At the Byron Union School District
(BUSD), two seats will also be fi lled in November,
but only one incumbent will be running
for another term. Current BUSD Board
see Election page 25A
all submitted their driver’s licenses
to be placed on fi le with
the district.
Fredrickson said that because
she does not take the
monthly stipend of $80 for her
service to the district, she is not
considered a district employee,
and therefore shouldn’t be required
to submit her driver’s license.
“I think it’s a big privacy issue,
and privacy is privacy,” said
Fredrickson. “I’m very picky
about my driver’s license – it’s
how people get their identities
stolen. When I chose not to take
pay, it (drivers license) was not
required because I am not an
employee.”
Not so, said Gilmore, who
see Policy page 25A
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
Blast from
past on tap
East County festival goers get
to relive the ‘50s this weekend
as an annual Bash rocks out.
Page 8A
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