Voice

By MANJIT SAPPAL Martinez Police Chief We sent out information on auto thefts in the last newsletter. I wanted to remind everyone to take the suggested steps to help prevent vehicle theft. I thought I would also provide an update on our approach to homelessness. We have been working on …

Dear Editor, I have closely followed the Pine Meadow Golf Course development. I follow Friends of Pine Meadow Facebook and articles and letters in the local newspapers and on social media. I am now aware to the omissions and selected material presented by Friends of Pine Meadow on social media.  …

Dear Governor Brown: We, the undersigned courts, have had the opportunity to review your proposed budget for the judicial branch for Fiscal Year 2017-18. We are seriously concerned with the lack of additional funding proposed for trial court operations and our ability to provide adequate access to justice for those …

Most of the City built before 1960 in the downtown area is in the 100 year floodplain. Flood insurance is required for properties with mortgages, and insurance is recommended for the rest. Flood insurance is very expensive. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), which generates the 100 year flood maps, also …

Dear Editor, With regard to the mayor’s recent article about Pine Meadow as open space, please note a few points. The mayor says Pine Meadow is not open space, but: • Livermore is converting its Springtown Golf Course to open space. What do they know that we don’t? • Abused …

By ROB SCHRODER Mayor of Martinez NOTE: The following is an excerpt of Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder’s State of the City Address, presented Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. For the last several years, California, the Bay Area and Contra Costa County have been in the midst of a housing crisis. Rents …

In the November 2016 election Martinez voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 64 (Legalizing Recreational Cannabis). According to the County Election Department, the Martinez vote was 63 percent to 37 percent to approve the proposition. So why is the City Council not respecting the loud voice of their constituents? The Council is …

Dear Editor, We believe the City Council is wrong in rewriting Pine Meadow history – wrong on the facts and wrong on the process. Rewriting history is very serious.  The City Council decided at their Jan. 18 meeting that Pine Meadow’s designation as open space was an error made 43 …

Portable electric space heaters can be a convenient source of supplemental heat for your home in cold weather. Unfortunately, they can pose significant fire and electric shock hazards if not used properly. Fire and electrical hazards can be caused by space heaters without adequate safety features, space heaters placed near …

By ROB SCHRODER Mayor of Martinez Just a little over a week into the new year and Martinez experienced its first flood in a decade. After days and days of heavy rains saturating the surrounding hills and several king tides, Alhambra Creek surpassed its capacity to drain the watershed, and …