Our Town

BY JUDIE & JOSEPH PALMER One of the rough gems of the Alhambra Cemetery is the cement remnants of what once was a very large water container. It is unknown exactly when it was installed, by whom, its eventual abandonment, or its complete structure and appearance. Unfortunately, no records or …

Janet Marie Spinale, age 81, of San Francisco, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2020, at her residence in Martinez, CA. She was born October 7, 1939, in San Francisco, the daughter of the late William and Elsie Baroncini. Janet was preceded in death by her husband of almost 50 …

After decades of regional cooperation and planning, the Bay Area has a new shoreline destination opening for the public to enjoy. The new shoreline park is located at the eastern touchdown of the Bay Bridge and provides spectacular views of the entire bay and new eastern span of the Bay …

Jean Sonnikson Francis passed away on September 26, 2020 at her home in Martinez at the age 84. Jean was born in Healdsburg, CA to Emmet and Emma Sonnikson on April 8, 1936. She was raised in the Alexander Valley (just outside of Healdsburg) and was a farm girl who …

Contra Costa County has moved into the Red (Substantial) Tier under the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which allows schools to consider reopening after two weeks if certain conditions are met. If Contra Costa County remains in the Red Tier for 14 consecutive days, schools in the county have …

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region is pleased to announce a partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to provide critical food support to individuals who experience food loss during natural disasters and Public Safety Power Shutoff events (PSPS). Under the agreement and new for 2020, PG&E will provide MOW …

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS Farmers and the farmers markets they attend have been quite resilient for the last six months, despite the restrictions that the coronavirus pandemic has forced upon them. But fall is here, winter is coming, and many farmers markets are beginning to close for the season. There …

The City of Martinez is excited to announce the purchase of the historic Bank of Martinez building (a.k.a. Union Bank building) located in downtown at 634 Ferry Street. The building has been purchased by the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union (“Cooperative Center FCU”) and will serve as the Credit Union’s …

A new lawsuit filed on behalf of Concord-based developer Albert Seeno, III & Discovery Builders could delay the East Bay Regional Park District’s ability to move forward with implementation of its plans to provide public access at a new regional park at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. On July …

Mamie M. Hirasawa peacefully passed away on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. She was born on February 2, 1926 in Sebastopol, California to the late Katsuki and Shina (Miyamoto) Horita. She along with her family were interned at Amache, Colorado during World War II. Some years after the war Mamie moved …