YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 17, No. 47
READ NEWS YOU CAN TRUST AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET
Locals place in top culinary competition by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
Two members of Discovery Bay’s culinary community recently teamed up to compete at the World Food Competition (WFC) last month in Dallas, Texas. Roberto Rose and Michael Callahan traveled with their families to compete in the WFC’s Chef category and came out fourth overall out of 50 teams. Rose – who owns the Byron Inn Café in Byron and co-owns Vin Alegro in Discovery Bay – said it was the trip of a lifetime. “To be in the Top 10, I almost fainted,” Rose admitted. “It
was crazy, and it was the best feeling of accomplishment I’ve ever had.” Callahan works a 9-to-5 job from home and also owns Callahan’s Coffee and Cones in Discovery Bay, where he makes his own ice cream from scratch. The Dallas native made the perfect partner for Rose. His ability to play with and pair flavors perfectly complemented Rose’s skill, execution and palate. He also knows Dallas well, knowledge that came in handy when the pair shopped for ingredients. “Chef asked me if I would be interested in being a sous chef, and I didn’t realize the magnitude
A Show Of Support
Two local charities step up to offer support, friendship and a special wish. Page 6A
Here Come The Holidays Photo courtesy of Roberto Rose
Discovery Bay residents Michael Callahan and Roberto Rose, with Rose’s son Tony, competed in the World Food Competition in Dallas, Texas, last month. of the competition at the time,” Callahan explained. “I’m from Dallas, so I knew I could show him around, give him the best
places to shop. When I arrived, I realized, oh my gosh, this is big.” see Competition page 22
County supervisors ban vaping sales by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has extinguished the sale of vaping, flavored tobacco and menthol cigarette products in the wake of nationwide safety and youth addiction concerns. The prohibition, which includes both tobacco and cannabis vaping products, applies to unincorporated county areas only. It comes as vaping products have been blamed for many nationwide lung ailments and deaths, and widespread evidence suggests flavored tobacco and electronic cigarettes are driving up youth smoking rates. “While there have been many successful efforts to reduce under-
“ Vaping was kind of marketed as a transition product to get out of smoking, and what we are seeing now is it’s been an entry level into tobacco.
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District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis age tobacco use, the growing availability of electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco products has reversed positive trends in public health,” said Ryyn Schumacher, the county’s tobacco prevention manager. Most alarming is a nationwide increase in serious and sometimes fatal lung injuries tied to electronic cigarettes or vaping product use, county health officials said this week.
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In recent months, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have documented 1,888 such cases, including 37 deaths. California alone has documented 150 cases (two in Contra Costa County) and three deaths, said Dr. Chris Farnitano, a county health officer who noted the cases have been tied to multiple devices and products, including cannabis vaping, cannabidiol (CBD) oil and nicotine.
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“There are probably multiple factors and multiple causes of this that we are still trying to understand,” he said. “Until we know more about the causes and which vaping devices and products, if any, are safe, the prudent measure is to place a moratorium on all vaping sales until we can learn more about the safety.” The sale of menthol cigarettes, vaping solutions and other flavored tobacco products were already prohibited within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds and libraries in unincorporated parts of the county, but the new regulations will ban all unincorporated county sales. Virtually all tobacco vaping products sold today entered the market after 2007 and are considsee Vaping page 22
Citizen of Year
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Nominations are open for Antioch’s Citizen of the Year and other honors.
The holidays are here, and The Press has a list of local events to make the season bright. Page 11
Lions To Take On Pirates
Liberty Lions defeat Cal High 50-18, setting the stage for rematch with Pittsburg. Page 15 Calendar................................23 Classifieds.............................20 Cop Logs................................18 Entertainment.....................11 Food........................................10 Milestones..............................9 Opinion..................................14 Pet of the Week...................13 Sports.....................................15
Laying Wreaths
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Wreaths Across America program is coming to East County.