Antioch Citizen of the Year Sean Wright

Ruehlig Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

The Antioch Chamber of Commerce honored civic stars at their annual Inaugural Gala Dinner held March 9th at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center, naming Antioch chiropractor Sean Wright as Citizen of the Year – Most Impact for 2011, for his work in rebuilding and revitalizing a struggling Chamber and for his considerable youth mentoring. Also nominated for Citizen of the Year were Kirkland Smith, Pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship and Debbie Walls, Manager of Umpqua Bank.

The Citizen of the Year – Lifetime Achievement award was given to School Board Trustee and Antioch Music Foundation President Walter Ruehlig for his considerable array of civic involvements. Youth of the Year honors was garnered by Antonio Hernandez, a senior at Dozier Libbey Medical High School and President of the California Health Occupations Students of America. The other nominees were Krist Jensen, Manager of the Dow Wetlands Team, and community volunteers Wayne and Carole Harrison.

Small Business of the Year status was awarded to Clay, Millias Co., LLP for significant community pro bono work with eighteen charitable organizations, assisting in tax returns and helping many non-profits in management transition by guiding them on proper accounting systems. Other nominees were Antioch Veterinary Hospital and Wild Orchids the Salon.

Corporate Business of the Year honors went to Allied Waste for their illegal dumping cleanups, intensive recycling efforts and for being a helping neighbor on innumerable community projects. Also nominated was the Antioch Unified School District.

The event was emceed by Chamber mainstay Michele Copeland of American Trophy. She was assisted in event organization by Jacqueline Clarke, Patty Deutsche, Diane Gibson-Gray, and Jennifer Victor; by staff members Martha Goralka and Jack Monroe; and by the Chamber Ambassadors, Monica Ambriz, Clay Baskin, Bonnie McKean, Sandy Henry, Josh Sauberman, Verna Sanz and Jeff Scalier.

Public officials present were Mayor Jim Davis, Mayor Pro Tem Wade Harper, and City Council members Mary Rocha and Gary Agopian, Supervisor Mary Piepho and Maurice Delmer representing Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla. Former citizens of the year gracing the audience were Rick Carraher, Barbara Herendeen and John Slatten.

The Chair was turned over from Sean Wright to Donna McGee of Kaiser Permanente. Donna also won the Chairman’s Award for best assisting the Chamber throughout the year. The Ambassador’s award went to Gwen O’Neill from Juice Plus.

Sean Wright Biography

Sean is most proud of his role as husband to his beautiful wife Lani and father to his five children Haley, Tyler, Dylan, Colby and Rylie. Their love and support has allowed him to spend time in community service but even still, he has never lost sight of the importance of time spent at home and the impact it has in their lives.

Last year came in like a storm after he took the opportunity to serve as the Chamber’s Chairman-Elect in 2009. He quickly realized the challenges he faced when his first unfortunate task as Chairman was to let all of the staff go to avoid financial ruin for a Chamber that has been around for more than 70 years. With the help of volunteers and a terrific Board of Directors he went to work to create a new vision and direction to better serve our Chamber members and our community. He played a key role in reshaping the mission, creating a new website, adding business learning opportunities, organizing the office and by the end of 2012, the chamber will have paid off all of the past debt.

Sean has always loved Antioch and is proud to live, raise his family and run his chiropractic business here. He decided to take action that would make a difference by creating a forum to celebrate the good things that are happening in our schools, through our police force and in our community. This forum, “A Celebration of Antioch,” gave our Mayor, our Police Chief, and our Superintendent of Schools the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the things that make Antioch great and the reasons that we have hope for a positive future.

Sean also had the opportunity to serve as a commissioner on Antioch’s Economic Development Commission where positive changes and a new direction are taking place with a focus on Antioch and East County’s competitive advantages. In addition, working together with the Antioch Unified School District the Chamber has begun to create opportunities for businesses to go into the schools and help our students see real world application of the things that they are learning. Sean serves on the Leadership Team for the Antioch Unified School District’s Linked Learning and Pathway Program where he is a cheerleader for our schools and the great efforts and groundbreaking programs that are being created. His voice is being used to bring business thoughts and understanding into the classroom.

Sean is also the Scoutmaster for Troop 28 in Antioch, on the board of the Antioch Chichibu Sister City Organization, coaches a baseball team for the Delta Baseball League, along with coaching numerous Delta Youth Soccer teams for four of his children. Other volunteer efforts include the Youth Intervention Network, the El Campanil Theatre, Kiwanis of the Delta and the Delta Youth Soccer League.

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Walter Ruehlig

Walter Ruehlig Biography

Walter Ruehlig wears many hats. Walter is a veritble cheerleading fixture around town with twin passions in youth mentoring and diversity. Walter counsels adults with disablilties seeking workforce re-entry and has given career workshops to over 6,000 East county residents through the Antioch One Stop Career Center.

Walter is in his eighth year as an Antioch Unified School District School Board Trustee. He has been Antioch’s Representative to the County Library Commission for seven years, securing large book donations and is the former President and five-year representative on the Citizen’s Mello Roos Board. In 2011, Walter helped revive the Rivertown Fourth of July Parade. He co-chairs the 2012 Parade/Fireworks Committee.

Walter is a newspaper guest columnist and initiated www.volunteer4antioch.com. He is St. Ignatius’s Communications Director. A Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, he has co-organized the Knights’ Police Officer/Firefighter of the Year Luncheon.

Walter co-founded the Antioch Music Foundation and since 2005 has donated eight pianos and raised over $80,000. The Foundation annually sends 250 students to the SF Symphony and 1,600 students to the El Campanil Theatre to see Percussion Discussion and organizes competitions like East County Idol.

Walter was the 2004 California Columbian Squire Chief Counselor of the Year. He is on the Advisory Board of community Resources 4 Youth and has mentored through Scouts, Little League and PTA. He assisted Antioch’s Katrina Relocation Project, volunteers with two Filipino-Americans Clubs, chaired the county Human Releations Commission and sits on the Advisory Board of the Interfaith Peace Project. He chaired the 2010 and 2011 Peace Celebrations, bringing together twelve diverse faiths and planning a Peace Pole at City Hall.

Walter was the 2004 Center for Conflict Resolution Peacemaker of the Year and the 2004 County Board of Supervisors Martin Luther King Humanitarian of the Year. One local official aptly calls him an “ambassador of good will.”

Between Loveridge Road and Contra Loma Blvd.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening State Route 4 (SR-4) through Pittsburg and Antioch. As part of this construction work, the contractor for the Somersville Road project will close all lanes on eastbound SR-4 between Loveridge Road and Contra Loma Boulevard for several hours beginning Thursday, March 8 at 11:59 pm until 5:00 am on Friday, March 9 to move concrete barriers.

In addition, Somersville Rd. will be closed in both directions between Century Blvd. and Delta Fair Blvd. beginning tonight, Thursday, March 8 at 10:00 pm until 5:00 am Friday, March 9 for the contractor to switch traffic signals and apply striping.

Signs will be in place to direct motorists to alternate routes. Please be alert and carefully follow all directional signs when encountering detours.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive with caution through the detour and leave a safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current information on all SR-4 corridor closures please visit our web site at: http://widensr4.org.

Major Milestone Reached on Highway 4 Widening Project

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) are widening State Route 4 (SR-4) through Pittsburg and Antioch. A major part of this project involves the reconfiguration of the G Street interchange to remove the on-ramp and off-ramp at G Street and to construct a new wider G Street bridge for local traffic.

On March 12, the project will reach a major milestone with the permanent closure of the highway ramps at G Street. The westbound ramp will close at 11:00 pm on Monday, March 12. The eastbound ramp will close at 11:00 pm on Tuesday, March 13. Prior to closing the eastbound off-ramp, operational improvements will be made to the eastbound off-ramp at Contra Loma Boulevard.

The reconfiguration of G Street will be combined with a full service interchange at Contra Loma planned for project completion in spring 2015. Together, these changes will provide better access to the highway and improve local traffic circulation.

Caltrans and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority have been working with the City of Antioch and the Antioch Unified School District to notify residents of this construction and provide safe routes to school.

Signs will be in place to direct motorists to alternate routes. Please be alert and carefully follow all directional signs when encountering detours.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute. Please drive with caution through the detour and leave a safe traveling distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you. Caltrans and CCTA appreciate your patience as we work to improve the highways. For the most current information on all SR-4 corridor closures please visit our web site at: http://widensr4.org.

By Antioch Police

On Tuesday, March 6, 2012 shortly after a young male suspect attempted to commit a residential burglary, the effectiveness of our Neighborhood Watch Program proved just how useful it truly is. The burglary suspect repeatedly rang a front door bell and then knocked on the door. When the resident didn’t answer the door, the suspect attempted to kick in the front door. The resident yelled at the suspect and the suspect fled on foot.

Soon thereafter an officer arrived in the area, located the suspect and then the chase was on. A neighbor, who happened to be a Neighborhood Watch Block Captain, had witnessed the attempted burglary and she started to follow the suspect while driving her vehicle. She temporarily lost sight of the fleeing suspect, but soon relocated him as she came across the pursuing officer. The Neighborhood Block Captain noticed that the suspect had quite a lead on the pursuing officer, so she pulled up alongside the officer and ordered him into her car. The pursuing officer happily obliged and the Neighborhood Block Captain drove the officer up next to the fleeing suspect and the officer promptly jumped out of the car and pounced on the surprised would be burglar. The suspect was arrested without incident thanks to the assistance of the Neighborhood Watch Block Captain.

A Neighborhood Watch Program can put the “Neighbor” back into a neighborhood by creating a sense of community. It brings citizens and law enforcement together to reduce crime. Neighborhood Watch allows us, community members and the police department, to effectively communicate about criminal activity in a particular neighborhood. It provides a network or set of contacts throughout the community, which serves to enhance the communication between the citizens and members of the police department.

This is an example of how a concerned neighbor helped multiply the resources of the police department, which in-turn helps reduce the incidence of crime and improves the quality of life for all.

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By Acting Lieutenant Diane Aguinaga, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department

Shahin Ahoorai (In-Custody)

On 2/11/2012, at about 9:14 PM, Antioch Police Officers responded to the Antioch Women’s Club (509 ‘G’ Street) for a report of shots fired. They arrived and found two (2) victims, including a 49 year old woman, and 26 year-old man, suffering from gunshot wounds. Preliminary investigation revealed the victims were attendees of a religious baptism reception. Individuals present at that reception began physically fighting with a lone male victim in the street, in what has been determined to be a gang-related assault. When the victims tried to separate the parties involved in the fight, at least two of the involved individuals produced handguns and began shooting. Both gunshot wound victims were hit by errant gunfire and transported to local hospitals for non life-threatening wounds.

Zachary Cook

Subsequent investigation led to the identification of Shahin Ahoorai, a resident of Oakley and San Jose. Ahoorai was located by investigators at his jobsite in the city of Santa Clara and arrested. During a subsequent interview, he confessed to his involvement in the incident, and also admitted being the getaway vehicle driver. He remains in-custody at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez on three million four hundred thirty-three thousand dollars bail ($3,433,000). The investigation also led to the identification of Zachary Cook and Raul “Jo Jo” Pena, both residents of Oakley, as co-participants in this incident.

On 2/21/2012, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed multiple felony charges against Ahoorai, Cook, and Pena, including: Two (2) counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and enhancements for being criminal street gang members.

Cook and Pena are currently at-large and believed to be concealing themselves from law enforcement. Both have felony warrants for charged offenses and should be considered armed and dangerous. Investigators are currently following up on several leads regarding their whereabouts, but are seeking the public’s help in this endeavor.

Raul "Jo Jo" Pena

Anyone with information regarding this incident, or the whereabouts of Cook and Pena are asked to contact Detective Mike Mellone, (925) 779-6930, or the Antioch Police Department Dispatch Center, (925) 778-2441. Anonymous tips can also be made to Bay Area Crime Stoppers via their toll free tip-line, (800) 222-TIPS, or website, bayareacrimestopers.org. Anonymous text-tips can also be sent to 274637 with the word “CRIMES” in the subject line.

By James Ott

This November Antioch voters may not have to bother with electing a new mayor. On Tuesday City Council voted 4 to 0 (Brian Kalinowski absent) to place a measure on the June 5 ballot that would replace the elected mayor’s position with a annual rotating mayoral seat among the council members.

Of the 482 incorporated California cities, only 149 still have a directly elected mayor. 14 cities in Contra Costa County have a rotating mayoral seat, with only Antioch, Brentwood, Richmond, Martinez, and San Ramon still directly electing their mayor. Antioch has had a directly elected mayor since 1972, but the position was rotated prior to that.

“Being the current mayor, you might think I would be against this, but I support it because it gives five different individuals the chance to share their ideas,” said Mayor Jim Davis, whose four-year-term ends this year.

The idea to switch to a rotating mayor was brought before the council at the previous council meeting by former council member Martha Parsons, who said that the change would benefit Antioch by “giving us a different vision” more often than every four years.

As far as power is concerned, the mayor has the same voting rights with other council members, is a member of the Delta Diablo Sanitation District board and represents Antioch at the annual county Mayor’s Conference. The mayor also helps the city manager prepare each council meeting agenda.

The mayor and all council members get a $450 monthly salary, but the mayor alone gets a $100 monthly travel stipend and $50 per month for communication expenses.

If a majority of Antioch voters pass the ballot measure in June, all candidates for Mayor will have to run for a council seat instead.

The council also voted to place another measure on the June ballot that would let the voters decide if the city clerk and city treasurer should become appointed by the council instead of elected. One ballot measure would have cost the city $105,000, so the council members said they felt it was a good cost savings to put both on the June ballot together as the two measures will cost an additional $10,000.

Also at the meeting:

* The city voted 4-0 to hire three full-time and up to five per diem officers to the city’s police force. According to Police Chief Allan Cantando, the per diem officers will be retired policemen who will be half the cost of community service officers for the positions because they will not receive benefits.

Cantando was quick to point out that the per diem hires will also only work about half the hours of community service officers, but he thinks they will be a big help to the police force until more money is secured for more permanent hires.

* The council voted to seek an alternate funding source for the $90,000 per year cost of watering the Lone Tree Golf Course. The course is seeing lean times due to the downturn in the economy and the building of newer golf courses in the area.

* The city reached an agreement with current computer gaming and internet access stores in town by voting to allow them to continue operations while the city implements an Urgency Zoning Ordinance to decide how to zone and manage such businesses in the future.

T’s Internet Cafe, who’s owner Tricia Simmons was present at the meeting, had previously caught the city’s attention when complaints of illegal activity were claimed against it. City staff claimed that police service calls to the area around T’s went from 137 calls from February to August 2008 to 240 calls in that same time in 2009.

The city will initiate a 45-day study to determine how to zone and regulate such businesses in the future. While the study is ongoing, no similar business will be allowed to open in Antioch.

The computer gaming and internet access stores asked for no changes to the current staff suggestions on how to move forward, except that they wish to remain open until 2 a.m. Simmons and a representative for another internet gaming store both said that they should be allowed to stay open till 2 a.m., just like other bars and restaurants in the city. The council approved the staff recommendations minus the 2 a.m. closing time.