By NED MacKAY Special to the Tribune Johnny Appleseed isn’t just a figment of American folklore; he was an actual person. His real name was John Chapman. Born in 1774 in Pennsylvania, he became a pioneer nurseryman as an adult, establishing apple tree nurseries in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and other …

Contra Costa County has closed a $99,810,000 lease revenue bond transaction as the result of an innovative agreement with Wells Fargo Bank. Roughly $9.7 million will fund capital projects within the County’s health services department, including its hospital and clinic system.  The remaining $90.1 million will be used to refinance …

Owner of Barrel Aged and Barrelista, Arash Pakzad, has opened yet another downtown eatery in Martinez – this time focusing on good home cooking. “Cuff & Collar” (pictured above) has opened in the former Boscoz Burgerz location at 1500 Pacheco Boulevard, just past the S curve near the courthouse. They …

MARTINEZ, Calif. – Famous in the world of dog care and training, John and Kate O’Connor are one of Martinez’ best-kept secrets. John revealed some of his insights on dog training, based on lifelong work with canines that began in Ireland. With John’s award-winning dog training work in the Irish …

By PAUL CRAIG Special to the Tribune NOTE: Rotary Report is an update about featured speakers at Martinez Rotary Club meetings. Rotary meets once a week at Grace Episcopal Church, 130 Muir Station Road. For meeting times and other inquiries, visit www.martinezrotary.org. Bar Cava is bringing a “big city” feel …

MARTINEZ, Calif. – Many throughout the downtown noticed the smell of natural gas late last week. The possible cause? An oil truck carrying the additive that gives natural gas its odor. Shell Martinez Refinery released a statement March 3 that Shell crews investigated both the refinery and the downtown overnight, …

MARTINEZ, Calif. – The American Association of University Women (AAUW), is a national organization which advances the equity for all women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. The Pleasant Hill-Martinez branch gives college scholarships to students from our local high schools. Four scholarships in the amount of $1,000 …

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: COLE GIFFORD Alhambra High School junior Cole Gifford is this week’s Tribune Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Matthew C Rinn of State Farm. Gifford has pitched in the Bulldogs’ two victories this season, and in both appearances he didn’t allow a single run. In fact, …

The Martinez Indoor Winter League consists of 58 teams, and over 500 players participating. Courts are located at NorCal Courts, 360 Ferry St., Martinez. Standings current as of Friday, March 4, 2017.

Advertorial Technology has given many artists a brand-new platform to share themselves and their work. Martinez local, Michael Figueroa is a man of many talents – storyteller, director, comedian and musician. Yet when asked what he does, he just says, “I am a creator.” Figueroa is quickly gaining popularity online …