Antioch Delta Skimmers invites you to come and try out for the 2012 swim team.  For ages 4-18, Swim try-outs and sign-ups will be held at the Los Medanos College Pool.  2700 East Leland Rd, Pittsburg.  Dates for tryouts are:   March 24^th and April 7^th, from 10:00am to 1:00 pm.  Parents must accompany child and show proof of age when signing up. Don’t forget a towel, a swim cap and goggles! Go to www.antiochdeltaskimmers.com for more info!

From the Office of Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla

It is anticipated that the BART Board will award the contract to build BART’s $3.4 billion fleet of new train cars to the lowest bidder, Bombardier Transportation, a Canadian company, which priced a single car at $2.95 million, 2% below Alstrom, a French firm, and 4% below Hyundai Roten, a South Korean manufacturer.

Bids were to be scored on several factors, price being the number one factor, experience, design, approach to work, delivery speed and energy efficient the other factors of importance. (Federal law requires transit agencies must buy rail cars from companies that produce 60% of the car’s total value in the United States.)

However, there may be a fly in the ointment – the quality of the product.
Perhaps the cheapest bid isn’t always the best, especially when you consider what happened when the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) chose Bombardier to manufacture 706 new train cars.

The 40 new CTA rail cars which debuted in Chicago in April 2010 were taken out of service shortly thereafter after inspectors found flaws in the wheel components manufactured by one of Bombardier’s Chinese suppliers. Bombardier and CTA immediately began more inspections and found issues with other castings. The plant shut down production and CTA took the trains containing the flawed parts, out of service. Bombardier ultimately agreed to replace parts in all 52 rail cars already delivered to CTA. Molly Sullivan, a spokeswoman for CTA downplayed a Chicago Tribune report regarding possible derailments and Maryanne Roberts, another spokeswoman for bombardier, said BART riders shouldn’t worry about the safety of the company’s rail cars.

Frankly folks, if BART gives the go ahead to Bombardier I think I either drive to wherever I’m going or just wait for the long anticipated Antioch ferry service.

New BART Train Car exterior

BART has published an update on the design of BART’s Fleet of the Future. The Conceptual Design Update and Community Survey Results report incorporates feedback from nearly 10,000 customers so far.  After getting initial public input at “seat labs” in May and June 2011, BART worked with BMW Group Designworks USA to develop conceptual designs for the new train cars.

The public was then invited to provide feedback on these conceptual designs in August 2011 through a series of community forums including nine “open house” meetings, 14 station events, neighborhood festivals, and other events held throughout the Bay Area.

The design concepts described in the report are the starting point for a design and engineering collaboration with a car builder. As of March 16, 2012, BART announced that Bombardier Transit Corportation is the apparent top scorer in a bid to build the cars. (The early notification is not a recommendation of award of the contract). Bombardier has other hurdles to clear, including submitting required Buy America Pre-Award documentation and undergoing an audit. It is possible that authorization by the Board of Directors to award the contract could come as early as May 2012. Read more in the FAQ.

New BART Train Car interior

Over the next few years, the designs will continue to evolve to ensure that the next generation of BART trains is reliable, cost effective, and comfortable for our riders. To ensure that the new BART train cars meet your requirements, we need your continued input.  As you read through this report, please note your questions and comments and submit them to us through our email feedback form, or email them to us at FOFdesign@bart.gov.

Mayor Jim Davis posted an event on Facebook, today, inviting everyone to attend a Town Hall Meeting this Thursday evening, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Community Center at Prewett Park on Lone Tree Way in Antioch.

Following is the message on the event page:

Antioch Townhall Meeting/ Neighborhood Watch Recruitment.
Come and learn how to get involved and how you can make Antioch a safer community.
Hosted by Mayor Davis.

High school senior Cayson Renshaw auditions for East County Idol 2012 singing "New Shoes" by Paolo Nutini

The first round of East County Idol auditions were held March 17th at Somersville Towne Center before Antioch Music Foundation judges (left to right) Linda Thompson, Rudy Fernandez and Sharon Vela.

Final audition opportunity for East County high school students will be held at the mall this Saturday, March 24 from 10 am to  3 pm.  Finalists will perform on April 20th at the El Campanil Theatre. (photo by Walter Ruehlig)

By Walter Ruehlig

A record-breaking crowd of 206 attended the 14th annual Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 6 Delta Charter awards dinner ceremony held March 8th at Lone Tree Golf and Event Center. Represented were Antioch, Brentwood, Byron, Knightsen, Liberty, Oakley and Pittsburg School Districts.

Diablo Vista Principal Melanie Jones emceed the event which was organized by ACSA Region 6 Board of Directors President Essence Phillips, Principal at John Muir Elementary; Secretary Jan Steed and Treasurer Yolanda Mendrek, with assistance from Representatives Laura Albano, Kelly Basmagian, Debra Harrington, Roger MacDonald, Cardenas Shackleford and Jeff Varner.

Guidance was also given by Jon Searles, Region 6 Consultant and Bob Gianni, Region 6 Executive.

Paul Rataczak, teacher from Park Middle School, provided the entertainment and Becky Bloomfield donated wine for all the honorees.

Honored were Anne Allen of Oakley Elementary School District for Curriculum and Instruction; Eileen Alterman of Antioch Unified as a Confidential Employee; Pat Boss of Liberty Union as a Central Office Administrator; Dorothy Epps of Pittsburg Unified for Personnel Human Resources; Amy Farias of Antioch Unified as Continuation and Educational Options; Erik Faulkner of Liberty Union as Secondary Principal; Dr.Merrill Grant of Brentwood Union as Superintendent; Roger Macdonald of Oakley Union as Middle Grades Principal; Bev Nicolaisen of Byron Union as Confidential Employee; Enrique Palacios of Pittsburg Unified for Business Services; Essence Phillips of Antioch Unified as Elementary Principal and Phyllis Thivierge of Brentwood Union as Classified Leader.

The group did extraordinary work in extraordinarily trying times.