60 years ago
Brentwood council flip-flops: In last week’s Twice-Told tales, it was reported that 60 years ago last week, the Brentwood City Council had abruptly voted to fire the city’s chief of police, James Hanratty, after a fallout from an unrelated meeting agenda where the public reamed them for voting to fire a different police officer weeks earlier. But Hanratty didn’t stay out of work for long.
The following week, the council held a special meeting to unanimously rehire Hanratty as chief of police, at the same salary. Councilman Everett LeMoin, who had originally introduced the motion to fire Hanratty, put forth the motion to reinstate him.
So, just to recap: First, the Brentwood City Council voted to fire one of their three police officers so they could hire an administrative assistant for the city.
Then, after public outcry, they reversed that decision. But at the same meeting, they decided at the last minute to fire Hanratty, inexpiclably and out of the blue. Then, the following week, they reversed that decision and rehired Hanratty.
25 years ago
Homeless shelter opens in Pittsburg despite city’s attempts to shut it down: A county homeless shelter opened in Pittsburg during the first week of December 1989, despite multiple attempts by the city to shut it down. City officials even hit the shelter with a temporary restraining order, saying that it would lead to increased crime and worsen problems throughout the city. But shelter officials disagreed.
“Basically, people are good,” said Georgette Williams, the shelter’s program director. “They are not made to feel they can’t be trusted. If you treat people with respect and common courtesy, they’ll help.”
The city had lost its first court battle to close the shelter. The shelter reported that only about 15 people stopped by on the first night, and that they had strict rules forbidding alcohol, drugs, and violence.
— Brentwood News and Daily Ledger news files
