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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 21, No. 50
City hears Hwy 4 complaint
Hark! The littlest angels sing
by Kyle Szymanski
see Complaint page 22A
Welcoming The Season
Check out last-minute gift ideas, holiday events and more in ‘Tis The ONLY Season special section. Page 1B
Staff Writer
The flood of complaints from Brentwood residents about Highway 4 noise has prompted the city council to act. Brentwood leaders unanimously directed city staff to explore conducting a sound study in residential areas affected by noise from Highway 4, stretching from Lone Tree Way to Marsh Creek Road. “A sound study needs to be done, and not a sound study at peak hours, but a 24-hour sound study that gives us a real picture of what that noise is along Highway 4,” said Councilmember Karen Rarey, who spearheaded the idea last month in response to complaints from residents living in a number of commu-
December 13, 2019
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Photo by Tony Kukulich
T
he City of Brentwood held its Christmas tree lighting at City Park in Brentwood, Friday, Dec. 6. The event included musical and dance performances as well as a visit from Santa Claus. To view a video and a slideshow of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia
Brentwood Union School District middle school teachers recognized with state honors. Page 5A
Davis Camp – a piece of East County history New Coach by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
Sitting largely unnoticed alongside Brentwood Boulevard is a nondescript building, boarded up and falling into disrepair, with little left to indicate the central role it played in the lives of many families who moved to Brentwood during the early part of the last century. Descendants of families who passed through those now-shuttered doors and shopped in what was once a grocery store and gas station are still common in East County. One man, Frank Davis, is the nephew of O.R. “Cal” Davis, who built that general store and camp that grew up around it: Davis Camp. “Cal Davis came on out to California because we were all starving to death in Oklahoma,” said Frank Davis. “The Depression hit. They
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Frank Davis, seen here with his wife Hiwanah, shared his memories of growing up in Brentwood’s Davis Camp. Frank’s uncle, O.R. “Cal” Davis, opened Davis Camp in the late 1920s. were losing their farms left and right. So, Cal and his brothers and two sisters came to California ... They could
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find work in the fruit fields. That’s what brought us out here.“ Davis Camp was situated along
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Marsh Creek, on the southeast corner of Brentwood Boulevard and Sunset Road. In the days before the Highway 4 bypass was built, Brentwood Boulevard was Highway 4, and the paths of it and Sunset Road have been moved in the years since the camp got its start. When Cal Davis arrived in the late 1920s, the property was used as a dump. Frank Davis explained that Cal Davis cut a deal with Contra Costa County to take over the property in exchange for cleaning the area. Using scrap materials, Cal Davis began building the Davis Log Cabin Grocery, small cabins and other facilities at the camp. The population quickly grew as farmers from the Midwest — primarily Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas — fled the Dust Bowl in search of the promise see Camp page 22A
Holiday Joy
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The Brentwood Community Chorus is preparing for annual holiday concerts.
At Freedom
Former Final Four player Michael Moses takes over as Freedom’s new basketball coach. Page 15A Classifieds..........................19A Cop Logs.............................13A Education ............................4A Entertainment.................... 9A Food....................................... 8A Holiday Happenings..........8B Opinion...............................14A Adopt A Pet.......................10A Sports..................................15A
Triathlon Time
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Sign-ups are underway for the popular Discovery Bay Triathlon.