Letter writer supports a 110-acre college near Antioch, Enholm for College Board

Dear Editor:

Should work start on a Far East County 110-acre community college near Antioch/Oakley/Brentwood at a future eBART location or at the 17-acre non-expandable campus site proposed for the southernmost end of Brentwood at the Trilogy gated-resort-retirement community?

That is the major decision on the future of East County education for most voters living the East County cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, and Pittsburg as well as the unincorporated communities of Bay Point, Bethel Island, Byron, Clyde, Discovery Bay, and Knightsen in the November 6th election.

58-year-old College Professor Greg Enholm is the candidate for Ward 5 Trustee on the Contra Costa Community College Board (5 elected Trustees who control Los Medanos College (LMC), Diablo Valley College, and Contra Costa College). He has proposed taking the financial resources identified for the 17-acre Trilogy campus to start an 110-acre college, using that same initial Trilogy building plan, with construction starting in 2015 but taking 30 or more years to complete; just as happened at the other colleges.

Professor Enholm wants the same high level of community involvement in the planning of the 110-acre campus as happened when he represented East County on the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) reuse planning committee for 2006-2009.  So far, the College District has held no community input meetings on the Trilogy proposal.

21-year-old Education Program Analyst candidate De’shawn Woolridge strongly supports the 17-acre Trilogy campus and is opposed to having a 110-acre college for Far East County believing the District cannot afford it.

Professor Enholm notes Far East County taxpayers paid to build, and continue to pay taxes, to operate the current 3 colleges. But, the only facility they have had since the District was founded 62 years ago is the tiny converted-grocery-store Brentwood Center on Sand Creek Road opened in 2001.

Enholm believes the growth in Far East County will justify the full college just as the opening of the 110-acre LMC in 1974 was justified by subsequent growth.

65-year-old Editor Daniel L. Borsuk (defeated for re-election to the County Board of Education in 2010) is the third candidate but has not been actively campaigning. He has decided to support Enholm’s proposed 110-acre college over the 17-acre campus.

For more detailed information on all three candidates and their proposals, see www.smartvoter.org/2012/11/06/ca/cc/race/3221/.

I have known Greg Enholm since the early 2000s.  He has been a strong advocate for Antioch as our District 5 County Library Commissioner and as Antioch’s representative on the CNWS committee.

I ask you to vote for Greg Enholm for College Board Ward 5 Trustee.

Richard Mossman

Antioch


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