YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 21, No. 21
READ NEWS YOU CAN TRUST AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET
Late-season rains threaten bumper crop of cherries
May 24, 2019
All About Your Pets
by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
In late winter and early spring, expectations for an outstanding cherry season were high as the crop began to take shape, but recent cool, wet weather has local farmers scrambling to preserve the promise of high crop yields. The late-season rains present two problems: rain sitting on growing cherries can cause the skin to split, ruining the fruit, and it can cut short the already brief cherry season by dissuading customers from coming out. Muddy parking lots and orchards are less than ideal on U-pick farms, and many farms closed this past weekend or have delayed their opening until the fields begin to dry out. But despite the challenges and some crop loss, farmers remain optimistic about the remainder of the season. “I don’t think we’ve had a total left turn,” said Jessica Enos, marketing director for 5 Star Cherries. “Clearly there’s been rain. Clearly the farmers are out there doing everything they can to mitigate the damage and still see Cherries page 22A
This week’s edition features tips and tricks for caring for our fabulous fur babies. Page 1B
Raising Up The Bus Barn
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Glenn Stonebarger, A business partner in G&S Farms, checks on the efforts to pick cherries in a 13-acre orchard in Brentwood, on Saturday, May 18. Lateseason rains prompted farmers to pick their cherry crops earlier than planned to minimize damage to the fruit.
The Liberty Union High School District’s new bus barn is taking shape. Page 4A
City welcomes new assistant city manager PBA50 Rolls by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
It didn’t take long for Brentwood’s new Assistant City Manager, Terrence Grindall, to earn the trust of his colleagues – about a month into his new job, he was handed the agency’s keys as acting city manager, while Gus Vina was on vacation. The keys weren’t Grindall’s for long, but when he assumes his everyday position, his impact will be felt: he’s gearing up to drive forward the city’s economic development. “I am very excited to be coming to Brentwood,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities here.” The 29-year economic development veteran, who previously served as Newark’s assistant city manager and community develop-
ment director, steps into a longvacant Brentwood role. His annual salary will be $202,024. “He has many years and great experience in land-use policy, community development and economic development,” said City Manager Gus Vina during his official city introduction. Grindall is once again thrust into the center of a city’s economic development, which includes everything from community marketing and retailer attraction, to streamlining development processes and organizing events. Just a handful of early goals include: promoting Brentwood’s development potential; increasing the city’s per-capita sales tax base through retail recruitment; and attracting high-quality local jobs. “It’s very important in this
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community to get quality jobs into the city,” Grindall said. Grindall’s previous industry stints, which included stops in Manteca and San Jose, were characterized by the arrival of high-profile companies, including Facebook and Bass Pro Shops. But he’s quick to point out that his greatest achievement has been behind-the-scenes work to streamline development. One facet of that success, he says, is the rudimentary city processes and plans that recognize and speed up economic development opportunities. He attributes Facebook’s expansion into Newark last year, in part, to a refreshed general plan and zoning update. “Those types of things are gosee Manager page 22A
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Into Town
Senior bowlers gather for tournament this weekend at Harvest Park Bowl. Page 15A
Photo courtesy of Terrence Grindall
New assistant city manager Terrence Grindall, was previously the City of Newark’s assistant city manager and economic development director.
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Calendar.............................23A Classifieds..........................18A Education.............................4A Entertainment....................9A Food.......................................8A Milestones.........................11A Opinion...............................12A Sports..................................14A
Marsh Creek Upgrades www.thepress.net/news/press_releases
County Works Department working on Marsh Creek Road improvements.