The opening of the bids for Brentwood’s new civic center might have been good news to city officials, seeing as how the bids came in far below – as much as 36 percent below – what was expected. But that’s not the only reason for fiscal feelin’ good. Last month, Standard and Poor’s issued Brentwood an AA Rating for it’s economic health. The second-from-the-highest rating, rare for a city Brentwood’s size, means the interest rates of the bonds the city will issue to build the civic center will be low, saving the city millions of dollars over their lifetimes.

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If you’ve ever been pulled over by your friendly neighborhood peace officer for an apparently trivial infraction such as a broken tail light, keep in mind: the officer’s attention to minutiae can lead to fascinating discoveries. On O’Hara Avenue at Central Boulevard in Brentwood recently, an officer thought a certain vehicle’s registration tabs looked a little funny. So the officer stopped the driver and discovered that … well, take a wild guess:

A. The registration tabs were false.

B. The driver was DUI.

C. The driver was under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant.

D. The driver was in possession of a concealed firearm.

E. All of the above.

You guessed it.

Minor infraction – the gift that keeps on giving.

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Antioch Animal Shelter’s Volunteers 4 Volunteers Pet Event fundraiser last weekend turned out to be a great success, as more than 30 animals found homes with loving families. The event, aimed at raising awareness for the shelter and its programs, also raised nearly $800.

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In case you haven’t heard, District 10 congressional candidates John Garamendi (D) and David Harmer (R) will most likely face each other in the run-off election Nov. 3. The open congressional seat became available in June when Representative Ellen Tauscher (D) was confirmed as U.S. State Department Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security. Thus ends one of the most crowded elections – 14 candidates ­– in recent memory. Those of us at the Press are even more excited about the fact that, at least for now, the barrage of press releases from the wannabe senators will now slack off.

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While most stores are beginning to assemble their Halloween displays, the decorations at Bailey Rentals & Hardware in Brentwood are a bit behind the times. While the patriotic decorations (the ones left over from the Fourth of July) on display in the side yard along Central Boulevard are fitting – as next week marks the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 – the rabbit in the race car is out of place. The lone Easter decoration has been there since March and shows no sign of speeding off, taking the longest pit stop in the history of bunny motor sport competition.

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In case you were wondering: the Brentwood Parks and Recreation offices haven’t left town, they’ve just left the building. The building next to City Hall, to be precise. They’ve moved on over to the Tech Center, 101 Sand Creek Road, next to the Los Medanos College Brentwood Center. The old offices will be torn down to make room for the new civic center, but they’re still eager to serve, and they’re at the same phone number, too: 925-516-5444.

–Compiled by Press Staff