BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Vol. 20, No. 41
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Gorilla Rilla turns alien for Marvel movie promotion by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
Brentwood resident and Oakland Raiders die-hard fan Mark Acasio benched his iconic Gorilla Rilla costume for the first time in 23 years during the team’s Sept. 30 home game against the Cleveland Browns. But the primate’s one-game replacement was equally as intriguing – one that garnered him some Hollywood acclaim. Sony Pictures, the production company behind the “Venom” movie, paid Acasio an undisclosed amount to don a Venom
costume in his famed Oakland Alameda Coliseum Black Hole seat for the duration of the Sept. 30 Raiders game. Sony then sweetened the deal with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Southern California red carpet premiere of “Venom,” complete with access to the film’s actors and a host of celebrities. “What made my decision (to bench the Gorilla Rilla character) that much quicker was when the Raiders picked up and said they are going to Vegas,” said Acasio of the Raiders impending move. “To me it’s a business decision, just like it was for (the Raiders)
A Twisted Pig Tale
The owner of the famed Delta pigs seeks legal aid in the fight to redeem his animals. Page 4
Photo courtesy of Mark Acasio
Oakland Raiders superfan Mark Acasio, also known as Gorilla Rilla, recently traded his gorilla suit for a Venom alien costume that also earned him a trip to Hollywood. moving to Vegas.” Sony officials told Acasio, who plays Gorilla Rilla as the official mascot of the Coronasponsored Black Hole hard-core Raiders fan group, that he represented an ideal way to promote the movie. Sony officials did not re-
spond to requests for comment as of press time. “An executive told me pretty much (Sony Pictures) wanted to step out on the edge a little bit with the Raider Nation, the fans,” Acasio said. “They know how we see Movie page 30
Abandoned boats threat to Delta Abandoned vessels like this one near Holland Tract are part of a state assembly bill aimed at removing dilapidated boats.
by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
If there’s a single story that serves as the poster child for the problem of abandoned and derelict commercial vessels in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta, it’s that of the Spirit of Sacramento – an 87-foot paddle wheel boat that had seen better days when it last went up for auction in 2016. “It ended up in a marina in the Bay Area,” said Gary Madison with the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff marine patrol unit. “The former owner stopped paying the dock fees, and it was auctioned off to some guys that had no idea what they were doing. Somehow they ended up in Franks Tract, and we gave them citations for many violations. They started it up, and it proceeded to sink and leave a huge diesel slick.” When the Spirit of Sacramento capsized in September 2016 it was estimated to be carrying 600 gallons of diesel fuel that threatened
Photo by Tony Kukulich
to leak into prime Delta habit. The vessel that had been purchased at auction for $1,000 created an environmental hazard and cost the U.S. Coast Guard approximately $1.6 million and Contra Costa County $100,000 to remove. Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D - Discovery Bay) sponsored a bill that seeks a solution to the problem of abandoned commercial
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vessels in the Delta, and it was recently signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. There are programs that fund the removal of recreational vessels, but no such program exists for commercial vessels. The passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 2441 directs the State Lands Commission (SLC) to complete three principle
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see Abandoned page 30
Spooky Weddings www.thepress.net/news/webextras
Clerk-Recorder offers the opportunity to be married by characters on Halloween.
Community Supports Tia
Fundraisers continue for the Edna Hill student grievously injured last month. Page 6
Heritage Fore The Win
Heritage girls’ golf team takes BVAL league title for sixth consecutive year. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................25 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................13 Food........................................12 Milestones............................15 Opinion..................................20 Pets...........................................8 Sports.....................................21
Candidate Forum www.thepress.net/news/press_releases
Marsh Creek Democratic Club hosts candidate night on Oct. 21.