Community Corner

Week In Review: Cell Phone Towers, Fire Stations, Hardware Stores

Here are some of the stories that made news this past week in the Pinole-Hercules area.

The Pinole City Council on Tuesday night rejected a proposal by Verizon Wireless to build a 78-foot cell phone tower in Pinole Valley Park. The city would have received more than $26,000 a year in lease payments, but council members had concerns about some of the terms in the agreement as well as the location of the structure.

The Pinole City Council also turned down a $1.24 million federal grant that would have provided funds to re-open Fire Station #74 in Pinole Valley. Council members expressed concerns about ongoing costs once the station opened. Mayor Debbie Long also exchanged words with union leaders over a post they put on the Contra Costa Times website that criticized the council.

The Orchard Hardware Supply store in Pinole survived the first round of cuts being made by the retail chain. Orchard announced earlier this month it was filing for bankruptcy. Lowe's Department stores will reported purchase Orchard's assets and leave some stores open. Orchard operates 91 stores in California. It announced the closure of eight of them this past week, but the Orchard on Fitzgerald Avenue was not one of them.

A fire that reportedly was ignited by a burning candle damaged a home in Pinole on Monday night. Six people escaped unharmed from the blaze on Fahey Court. The fire caused an estimated $80,000 in damage.


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