Vol. 28, No. 25
Friday June 19th
Sunday, June 21st
Observing Juneteenth
Happy Father’s Day!
YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS SOURCE | WWW.THEPRESS.NET
June 19, 2026
Brentwood denies Emporium alcohol license By Jake Menez Staff Writer
On the heels of a similar ruling made by the Brentwood City Council last week, the Planning Commission voted 5-0 to deny an alcohol sales license to Vinnie’s Emporium during their June 16 meeting. They cited its lack of adherence to the city’s Downtown Specific Plan. “The plan is there for a reason and I’m going to stand by the plan,” Commissioner Anita Roberts said during the discussion. “As a commissioner, I’m here to uphold it.” The Downtown Specific Plan is described on the city’s website as a plan intended “to ensure [downtown] evolves to
The Brentwood Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny a new type of alcohol sales license for the Emporium that would have turned it into an adult-oriented business.
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
embody the community’s vision for a vibrant, active, and beautiful city district.” As pointed out by Councilmem-
ber Jovita Mendoza in the June 9 City Council meeting, the Downtown Specific Plan bars downtown businesses from be-
ing exclusively adult oriented. During that meeting, the City Council had reviewed alcohol sales licenses for another
proposed downtown business, The Grove public market, and elected to approve all but one of those licenses. The denied license was a type 42 license, which is issued to bars and taverns to allow the sale of beer and wine. One of the conditions of that license is that minors are not allowed on the premises, creating an adult-oriented venue. This same potential for creating an adult-oriented venue is what ultimately led the Planning Commission to deny the license for Vinnie’s Emporium, which had requested a type 48 license instead of the type 41 it currently has. A type 48 license is issued to nightclubs to allow see Emporium page 22A
Eaton prepares for countywide role after 13 years leading Brentwood schools
After more than a decade leading the Brentwood Union School District, Dana Eaton Ed.D is preparing for a broader role in Contra Costa County education. Eaton, Brentwood’s superintendent for the last 13 years, is set to become the next Contra Costa County superintendent of schools in January. The move will take him from a district of just over 10,000 students to a countywide role serving nearly 170,000 students across 18 school districts. For Eaton, he says that the transition is both exciting and bittersweet. Now, he
said, the opportunity is to take what he learned from his time in Brentwood into a county office role focused on oversight, support, advocacy and student services. The Press: What did it mean for you to be elected county superintendent? Dana Eaton: It’s exciting. I’m really excited to take on a new challenge. It’s a little bittersweet because I love Brentwood. I’ve been fortunate to be here for a significant amount of time, and it’ll be hard to leave. But I’ll continue to live here and continue to be part of the community. TP: What does the county superintendent’s job entail? DE: The county superintendent is a unique role. It oversees the finances of the 18 school districts. It also approves the local control accountability plans, which are the plans school districts make to support students who are experienc-
ing homelessness, students in foster care, English learners and students below the poverty line. The county office also runs independent programs. It runs special education programs that support students through-
Automotive......................................14A Briefs..................................................15A
Calendar..............................................9A Classifieds.........................................18A
Milestones........................................11A Opinion................................................7A
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length. The full interview can be found at https://youtu.be/eO8Ye4KP-C8
By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer
To subscribe, visit www.thepress.net/subscribe
Activity Guide INSIDE
Service • Repair • Installation
SI
SI
ER MEDAL LV D
AWAR
D
G
D OL
AL
AWARD
DG
THE PRESS R E D MEDA O O LN T WL O
AWARD
THE PRESS Y OA KEDLALE M LD THE PRESS OAWARD Y OLA E DM KDLALE O AWARD THE PRESS Y OA K LE THE PRESS Y OA K LE
G
FAIRVIEW HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
AWAR
THE PRESS R E D MEDA O O WL OLN T D AWAR THE PRESS OA EY EDL MK
B
www.ebparks.org/activities/rin/default.htm
15 % OFF
ER MEDAL LV D
2025 20 2025 20 20244 20 20244 20 20233 20 20222 20 20211
B
SAVE NOW
REPAIRS OVER $100
|
G
|
G
Serving East County
EATON
Contractor’s Lic. #533790 C-20
925-625-4963 • www.fairviewair.com
out the county, as well as professional development programs for teachers and administrators. It’s an opportunity to be in a place that can better support all 18 school districts. TP: What has being Brentwood superintendent meant to you? DE: The awards are nice, but the reality is that a superintendent doesn’t do anything by themselves. Those awards are more a reflection of the people I’ve been able to work with and the school board that has been so supportive for so many years. We’ve also had obstacles. One of them is that we’re such a low-funded district compared to others. Trying to preserve programs that keep kids connected to school has been a fight. We’re proud that we still have music, drama, art, see Eaton page 22A
Pets.......................................................6A Sports.................................................12A
To advertise, call 634-1441
Liberty football opens camp
Summer Wedding & Event Planner
Page 12A
Page 1B