Pictured from left to right at the Concord Hilton 2011 Teacher of the Year awards dinner are AUSD Board Trustee Walter Ruehlig, Superintendent Dr. Donald Gill, Board President Diane Gibson-Gray, Antioch Teacher of the Year Tom Gravert and his wife Gina Lombardi-Gravert. The dinner was sponsored by the Contra Costa County Board of Education and emceed by County Superintendent Dr. Joe Ovick.
(Photo courtesy of Tim Forrester.)

Mike Rose's Auto Body transformed a formerly blighted corner of 10th Street and Auto Center Drive.

With all of the publicity that businesses and corporations have gotten over the last several years from “cooked” books, golden parachutes, and excessive profit taking by management, it was very refreshing to get to spend some time with a business that is doing it right – Mike Rose of Mike Rose’s Auto Body.

I was fortunate enough to get to sit recently with Mike and his son Brennan in their new store on the corner of 10th Street and Auto Center Drive in Antioch. Not only is the facility cutting-edge and beautiful, it has taken a beat-down, vacant spot and turned into a beautiful testimony to smart business and good planning.

It’s funny in that I didn’t start out this interview looking to be doing what seems to be a commercial for Mike and his family, but it will probably turn out that way. You see, I’m one of the guys who write about the decline of business ethics, integrity, and compassion. In fact, even after writing my book “The Corporate Samurai,” I still had yet to meet a CEO of a business who fit the model of integrity, honesty, service, and compassion for not only his employees but their customers as well.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Mike’s organizational philosophy revolves around integrity and customer service. It wasn’t always easy and even though Mike and his family now have several successful stores, they still have to jump through hoops to get things done when it comes to working with city governments.

For example, according to Mike and Brennan, it wasn’t until a former mayor of Antioch left office and the new one stepped in that they could come into Antioch and revitalize a vacant and virtually dead corner.

“We had been trying to get in here for over a year,” Brennan said. “But the previous administration thought we were going to build a big high-rise and cause problems. We built a beautiful facility, poured in a bunch of money, brought in jobs, and made this a beautiful corner in Antioch. There was nothing left in here. The place was stripped bare.”

It still isn’t all roses for the family, though, as they are still dealing with governmental politics. They haven’t been given their final clearance even though they’ve been in the space for a year. “It’s funny,” Mike said, “we’ve gotten great support from everybody downtown (at City Hall) except one person.” He pauses and sighs and then a smile comes back on his face. “But we’ll get through.”

The work ethic of the business started with Mike as he originally worked for Jim’s Auto Body, but broke out on his own as more and more friends asked him for help. Brennan remembers nights and weekends when he and his siblings would be down at the shop helping out.

“It’s always been a family business,” Mike said. “In fact, I know that Brennan and his sister Ragen (Ortland) will take the business well past where I could have ever taken it.” That encouragement and confidence in the core management team is evident as they rarely, if ever, promote outside of the company. They groom their people to move up and take on new roles and responsibilities.

One of the things that I asked about was their community involvement and if that was important to them. “Absolutely,” Brennan said enthusiastically. “We do a lot of the basics like sponsor soccer, volleyball, and little league teams but we also have something called the benevolence program.”

Unsure of what that was, I asked Mike to provide some details. What he shared comes right out of the textbook of great business practices: “We donate around 25 cars a year in which we have our employees sign and volunteer to work on these donated cars. They do it on their time and they do a great job. We get our vendors to also donate to help make the car as beautiful as can be. We have a very simple little process in which people write in and explain why they are in need of a car and many are awarded one of these beautifully restored cars.

“We usually do it around Christmas time, and we bring in our employees and we call the families who won. The call is put on a speaker phone so everyone can hear. The excitement, gratitude, and tears are felt by not only those who win the car but also the employees who get to hear, feel, and witness what it is like to be a part of helping souls who truly need a break and feel that heaven answered their prayers when they get the call finding out they’ve won. There is not a dry eye in the house when we make those calls.”

While every business has its ups and downs, Mike and his family are building a business that is rooted in the right things. I hope that Mike and his style of business become common-place in a world where gouging the customer for profits, hoarding one’s profits and misrepresenting oneself appear to be the norm. As someone who provides free business analysis, I found this to be one business in which I don’t need to make suggestions.

Ray Faulkenberry, Ph.D. is a business analyst, consultant, author, coach, and entrepreneur and can be reached at www.rayfaulkenberry.com or rayfaulkenberry@comcast.net.

What the site used to look like.

By Harry Stoll

Rick’s on Second is a first choice to eat a good lunch with elegance sans attitude. This soulful spot in the heart of Antioch is across from the El Campanil Theater.

A block of white-outlined black tiles runs over the two large windows with white tied-back curtains. Slanted windows of the covered entry invite you into the intimate dining room. Ecru tablecloths cover the generously spaced tables with a vase of flowers at center. Bentwood chairs bend to your body.

You can start off with sliced carrots and cucumbers to dip in a pretty bowl of ranch dressing. Prices are from $9 to $10.75 with a choice of soup — quiche of the day — five different salads — Shrimp Louie — and several sandwiches, including meatless. Sandwiches are served with fruit and a cookie. They keep it simple; they keep it good. The waitresses are attentive, the light delightful, and the décor charming.

Rick’s on Second is the place to lunch with friends, or old or new acquaintances, or anybody who will become part of the everybody who comes to Rick’s.

Janice and Rick Carraher opened Rick’s in 1986. It has been a clean leisurely lunch place ever since. In January they decided to sell and wanted a buyer who would carry on the tradition. Customer Connie Komar was selling her restaurant in Danville, so it was a deal. Connie took over on July 1. She will carry on the rich Rick’s heritage, but will extend the hours.

Rick’s is available for private affairs and does catering.

Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 619 West Second Street. Reservations recommended, call 925-757-5500.

Sutter Delta Medical Center’s Advanced Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center has reached a one-year milestone in healing patients who suffer from chronic wounds in East Contra Cost County. Offering the latest in advanced wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the center has treated and healed more than 300 chronic wounds since opening in September 2010.

“This center is another example of Sutter Delta’s continued commitment to serve the residents in our communities by bringing the latest, most advanced technology to our area,” says CEO Gary Rapaport. “Our residents now have the convenience of staying close to home to receive the care they need. You can’t put a price on not having to travel out of the area when you don’t feel well.”

About six million Americans suffer from chronic, non-healing wounds each year. Consequently, chronic wounds are quickly emerging as a very critical health issue and are often caused by other underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity and other circulation or mobility problems.

Treating skin wounds requires input from a number of specialists coordinating seamless care for a patient. For example, diabetic patients with chronic wounds need to work with wound care specialists who closely collaborate with their primary care physician and endocrinologist to help control their blood sugar levels, so their wounds can heal.

“Each wound requires a multidisciplinary approach,” says Dr. Ray Rassai, the center’s medical director. “We have a highly trained team that includes general, vascular and plastic surgeons; podiatrists; wound care nurses; and an HBOT safety director. Each member of our team utilizes the latest techniques in wound care management to accelerate the healing of chronic wounds and to reduce the rate of amputations.”

Even after a year, we are still working hard to meet with the many medical professionals serving our East County community — including dentists, primary care doctors, nurse practitioners, podiatrists, surgeons, oncologists and others — to let them know about our wound care services and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which we can now provide to their patients close to home.

Sutter Delta Medical Center is located in Antioch, Calif., and has been serving East Contra Costa County’s communities since 1967. With more than 900 employees and 300 physicians on staff, Sutter Delta’s services include 24-hour emergency care, a family birthing/women’s health center and advanced cardiovascular care. Sutter Delta Medical Center is a proud member of the Sutter Health network of doctors, not-for-profit hospitals and other health care service providers.

I’m not an Occupy Wall Street protestor but I do have some complaints I’d like to express.

First is the decision by the Contra Costa Community College District on a vote of 4-1 vote (John Nejedly opposed) to approve a “project labor agreement” for the $286 million Measure A bond approved by voters in June 2006. PLAs are discriminatory and anti-competitive and increase project costs by 12-18% because bidders must agree to abide by union work rules, pay union wages and contribute to union health and retirement funds, whether or not the employees they hire belong to a union.

The Concord Council is also considering mandating PLA agreements for development of Concord Naval Weapons Station land, and Governor Jerry Brown just signed legislation to “prohibit” measures passed by local governments that ban government-mandated PLAs. Antioch built its new community center/library without a PLA, enabling the project to come in consideraby below the anticipated cost of the project.

Politicians know that labor unions can get out the vote and contribute to election coffers. But what they might not realize is that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 the union membership rate was 11.9% – down from 12.3% a year earlier. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, union membership was 20.1%. Of note is the fact that in 2010 union membership for public sector workers was substantially higher than the rate for private sector workers (6.9%).

Secondly, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission continues to allege that it has outgrown its Oakland space and is still pursuing the purchase of a building in San Francisco, which its advisers say has a value of about $96 million. A state audit to determine whether it’s legal to use bridge toll money to do so is not yet completed.

Regrettably, MTC now has at least one ally. The Bay Area Toll Authority, which would share the building, voted 8-6 to approve the move. However, the Association of Bay Area Governments, also expected to share the building, voted not to join the move. Good for them.

Interesting to note is that the building MTC wishes to purchase sold for $60 million in 2010, meaning it has appreciated by more than 30% in one year. Since we all know our homes have depreciated the past few years and commercial buildings stand vacant, something seems more than a little off to me. Maybe it’s the appraiser.

Speaking of decisions that don’t add up, Supervisor Federal Glover, who was chastised by outgoing county Auditor Steve Ybarra for overspending Keller Canyon Mitigation Fund monies, creating a deficit which has to be repaid and for distributing grants outside the areas impacted by the landfill, is still administering the fund.

Due to the deficit, grants have been cut to $766,796 this year vs. $1.37 million last year. So what does Glover do? He decides to use $132,604 from the fund to hire an employee in his office to “deal with Bay Point issues.” This is outrageous. According to Indeed.com, the cost of an auditor in Martinez is $84,000, 18% higher than average auditor salaries for job postings nationwide.

Astonishing flips, spins and acts of gymnastic levitation are the rule when China’s renowned Golden Acrobats take the stage Saturday October 29 at 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm. They’re the same breathtaking precious acrobats who wowed the crowds at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, only this time the stage is Antioch’s El Campanil Theatre. The colorful spectacle includes acrobatic stunts, dance and ancient and contemporary music.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats represent the best of a time honored tradition that began more than twenty-five centuries ago. The Golden Dragons are recognized throughout the United States and abroad as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company of today.

The reputation of the company is solidly rooted in a commitment to the highest of production values and an attention to artistic details that is unparalleled in the art form. World renowned impresario Danny Chang and choreographer Angela Chang combine award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.

Adults: $28, Seniors: $24, Children (under 18): $12. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W Second Street Antioch. Phone: (925) 757-9500. Online: www.ElCampanilTheatre.com.

For the second year, schools came out on top in the competition for the Dow Community Advisory Panel (CAP) Community Grant Program. Forty-four applicants (an increase of 25 percent over last year) vied for the funds and focused primarily on projects that impacted education, science and/or the environment.

The Dow CAP is pleased to announce the four organizations that will be receiving this year’s grants. The grants vary from $3,450 to $4,436 each for a total of $15,831. The recipients are:

· Antioch Charter Academy (Antioch) – Creating the Great Eco-Spherience project which involves purchasing equipment to collect rainwater, to compost and to study habitats by raising, ants, silk worms, tad poles, butterflies and lady bugs.

· Riverview Middle School (Bay Point)– Purchase Lego Mindstorm kits to benefit the After School Robotics Enrichment Class

· Independence High School (Brentwood) – Purchasing books for an underutilized library including literary masterpieces but also reference books for science, literature and health & fitness.

· Regents of the University of California – Purchase EarthBox Container Gardening systems and education kits to bring the “Healthy Eating from Seed to Table” program to Pittsburg and Antioch schools.

The successful applicants designed projects that combined all of Dow’s criteria – education, science and the environment –, would reach a large number of residents and would have staying power; projects that, though the funding would be used in one year, would continue to have an impact for many years. CAP members were please with the variety of applications they reviewed and expressed their hope that the ideas won’t die just because they don’t get funded.

Members of the CAP Grants Committee ranked applications based on sustainability, overall impact, benefits to the community, emphasis, and the strength of their partnerships.

Michele Copeland, a member of the Dow CAP, participated in the grants review process. “The grant applications provide such a positive glance at what is taking place in our surrounding communities,” Copeland said. “I so appreciate Dow for allowing the Dow CAP to further the dreams and visions of many teachers and students in the coming year and I look forward to seeing the results.”

About Dow
Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in approximately 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. In 2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.5 billion and employed approximately 46,000 people worldwide. The Company has 150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and produces approximately 3,300 products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in 2008, 98 manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately 15,000 employees worldwide. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About Dow’s Pittsburg Operations
The Dow Chemical Company purchased the Pittsburg facility in 1939 from the Great Western Electrochemical Company. It is one of more than 150 manufacturing sites located in 37 countries around the world and supports two of Dow’s eight global businesses – Dow AgroSciences and Performance Chemicals. The Pittsburg facility produces a variety of products used in personal care products as well as a variety of crop protection products and intermediates.

About the Dow CAP
The Dow Community Advisory Panel (CAP) is comprised of 14 members of the East Contra Costa community who serve to advise Dow on issues affecting both the community and Dow’s operations in the community.

Come join Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando on Saturday, October 22nd from 9:00-11:00 A.M. in a casual setting to discuss public safety issues, crime statistics, etc. You will also receive information about Disaster Emergency Preparedness, which will be presented by Lonnie Karste of Karste Consulting, Inc. Open communication about community issues is encouraged.

The location for this casual “Coffee with the Cops” workshop will be held in the Antioch Police Department Community Room located at 300 L Street. Members of the Antioch Crime Prevention Commission will be in attendance, and make themselves available to answer questions with a focus on enhancing Neighborhood Watch programs for Antioch residents.

The “Coffee with the Cops” concept is a pilot program implemented by the Antioch Police Department in an effort to improve communication between the Police Department and the citizens they serve. These meetings will consist of a “one-on-one” type format with a member of the police command staff and members of the community. The format of these meetings has been designed to be informative.

The Antioch Police Department is dedicated to promoting the quality of life in Antioch in partnership with our community, by proactively reducing crime with integrity and commitment to excellence.