Our Town

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS Oranges are coming into season this month at your Martinez Farmers Market. This delicious and healthy fruit can be prepared in a myriad of ways, from tangy sweet marinades and sauces to salads and desserts. Oranges are also perfect for decorating your home for the holidays. …

On the rainy morning of October 21, 2021, our beloved “Auntie Nina” went to join her family in heaven. She lived through more history than any of us could ever imagine. She experienced WWI and WWII, not to mention the Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Gulf Wars. She lost her …

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS This Thanksgiving, take a break from your traditional recipes and change it up with some new and interesting side dishes to serve with the big bird. Yes, it’s nice to enjoy favorite dishes that have been handed down through the generations for this special day, but …

At 66, Dianne never imagined she would depend on others to do her grocery shopping. Walking is difficult for her, which makes going to the supermarket challenging, and because she lives on a fixed income, she faces yet another obstacle to obtaining healthy food. “I didn’t plan on my life …

BY JUDIE & JOSEPH PALMER This column is different than our previous submissions for instead of an Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery decedent’s bio or focusing on its history, we will be addressing the folklore contributed to one of its residents – Eliza Nottingham. She is alleged to have saved “Abe” when …

Our dear beloved mother left the earth peacefully this past September 6th with family by her side to go to the family table in Heaven where they toasted her arrival. She will be so greatly missed by family and friends. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Thomas …

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS The sky begins to lighten as the sun rises over the rolling hills above Martinez, filtering light through the pear trees. It’s going to be another hot dry day at Alhambra Valley Pears & Beef, a farm nestled in the beautiful Alhambra Valley/Briones Valley Agricultural Preserve …

Martinez resident Freda Keat-Grillo passed away with her family by her side on July 14, 2021. She was born in Visalia, CA. and moved to Martinez with her family when she was a young child. Freda was a member of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Martinez, and a member …

A local Taekwondo competition team representing Dae Han Martial Arts Center in Martinez recently won four medals at the USA Taekwondo Grand Prix West held in Las Vegas. The team is coached by Master Christina Tam, a former member of the Peruvian National Taekwondo Team, Master Joon Tae Kim, Master …

BY JUDIE & JOSEPH PALMER Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery’s eight acres reside on Carquinez Scenic Drive with its Potter’s Field (three acres) located west of the main entrance at the bottom of the hill. We’re often asked when working at the site, “Is this a military cemetery ?” “Are they veterans …