By Allen Payton

So far, the strategy of powerful interests to clear the field of Republican candidates and elect Orinda mayor Steve Glazer to the 7^th State Senate seat, appears to be working.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting in both Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, according to the California Secretary of State’s website, Glazer was in first, during Tuesday’s special election to fill the seat vacated mid-term by now-Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, with 32.8% of the vote.

Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla was in second place with 24.9% of the vote, followed by former Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan with 22.6%.

Michaela Hertle, the only Republican on the ballot, who dropped out without campaigning and endorsed Glazer, was in fourth place with 17% of the vote, followed by two-time unsuccessful Concord City Council candidate Dr. Terry Kremin with just 2.8% of the vote.

However, as of Wednesday morning there were still over 13,000 ballots left to be counted in both Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.

In a comment via Twitter, at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday night, Glazer wrote “Positive evidence that voters want a fiscally responsible bi-partisan problem solver who is independent from powerful special interests.” Then, a few minutes later, he wrote “The deception and manipulation by the BART unions and their allies had an impact but failed.”

When reached for comment on Wednesday, Bonilla said “I am pleased with the results of this very close race. My volunteers were exceptional and worked effectively to communicate my message and who I am to the voters. I want to thank my broad base of supporters and I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to represent the families of our community.”

The top two finishers will face off against each other in the General Election to be held on May 19, 2015. Whichever candidate wins that election will have to run for reelection, next June for a full four-year term.

For the complete election results, click here.

By Allen Payton

In a small shopping center in the northeast part of Antioch is a unique restaurant offering Peruvian and Salvadorian food.

Los Delfines Restaurant was opened two years ago, by Martín Delfine to provide customer a different type of cuisine.

They serve breakfast items, such as pan conchicarron, which is pork with sweet fried potatoes and onions, and papa rellena, which is mashed potatoes, chicken egg and olive.

They also serve lunch and dinner, with main courses including ceviche and other seafood, duck, steak, goat, chicken and hen, plus desserts.

Located at 1139 East 18th Street and open Mon., Tues., and Thurs., 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Fri., 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat., 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.., Sun. 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and closed Wednesdays. Call 754-1623 for reservations.

By Allen Payton

Opened in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown in June, 2015 by Debbie Blaisure and Toni Lincks, Oddly Unique is just as the name says.

It’s a collection of antiques, collectibles and vintage items that will meet anyone’s tastes.

They offer furniture, jewelry, glasswear, toys, home decor, clothing, LP’s (that’s vinyl records for you CD generation types), and dolls by Frank Bruno.

Oddly Unique also offers something for the guys in their mancave including fishing, golf and camping items.

Debbie and Toni, who both have full-time jobs, started out at an antique co-op in downtown Brentwood. Then after five years, had outgrown the space and decided to open their own store.

“This is our passion,” Debbie said. “We feel that we can do a lot for the community, our loyal customers and friends.”

The store had a variety of shoppers on a recent Saturday afternoon. One was Mary Frederickson, a long-time resident of Antioch.

“I’m so excited for this,” she said. “The activity is back downtown.”

The store, located at 209 G Street, is open Monday through Friday from 2 to 9 pm and weekends Noon to 6.

State Senate District 7 candidate Mayor Steve Glazer and his supporters will be gathering at La Piazza Restaurant, 15 Moraga Way in Orinda to watch the election results starting at 8:00 pm, Tuesday, March 17.

“We have worked hard for many weeks and I’m looking forward to joining with my supporters as the results start to come in,” said Glazer.

The March 17 primary election will decide the winner of the State Senate District 7 election if any one candidate receives 50 percent or more of the vote.  If none of the candidates receives this margin of victory, a runoff election will be held on May 19.

Glazer currently serves as the Mayor of Orinda and a Trustee of the California State University 23-campus system. During his tenure on the Orinda City Council, Glazer has helped balance budgets while making improvements to schools, libraries and roads.

State Senate District 7 includes the communities of Alamo, Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, Dublin, Lafayette, Livermore, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Sunol and Walnut Creek.

For more information visit www.GlazerForSenate.com.

By John Crowder

At the March 10, 2015 meeting of the Antioch City Council, a resolution was approved authorizing City Manager Steve Duran to execute a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Rehabilitation Services of Northern California (RSNC), transferring the Bedford Center property located at 1811 C Street for one dollar.

The resolution to sell the Bedford Center property was part of the regular agenda which was undertaken during a relatively short (the entire meeting was concluded in under an hour) and otherwise uneventful meeting that was led, for the first time, by Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock due to the absence of Mayor Wade Harper.

According to the staff report submitted to the council by Duran, “This recommended action will eliminate the need for the City to manage and maintain the property, which is not a core service.” He also said that the transfer of the property will, “allow the nonprofit to not only continue but expand their services of providing adult day care to disabled seniors, particularly those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.”

Duran also noted in his report that the facility had been deeded to the City of Antioch in 1989 for one dollar. He went on to say that the transfer would allow RSNC to raise the capital necessary to undertake a needed remodeling of a currently unoccupied part of the building, thus allowing the nonprofit agency to increase capacity.

During his comments to the council prior to their discussion of the matter, Duran said that, included in the Agreement, was a ten-year restriction on RSNC requiring them to utilize the facility for the same purpose as it is being used today, an adult day care.

Only two people spoke about the transfer of the property during public comments. Antioch resident Jaime Ray said she had, “great confidence” in those running the Bedford Center.

“I think it’s a wise investment,” she said, “They can deliver what they say they can deliver.”

Debbie Toth, Chief Executive Officer of RSNC, also addressed the council.

“We can respect our elders, and treat them with dignity,” she said and then thanked the council members for their support.

Following public comments, members of the City Council spoke positively about the Bedford Center program. Council Member Mary Rocha said that she looked forward to the building being well-used. Council Member Tony Tiscareno spoke about how pleased he was with their operation when he toured the facility. Council Member Wilson, also referring to a tour of the facility, said, “I was very impressed with what I saw. It’s going to be a benefit to our community.”

Following council comments, Rocha made the motion to approve the resolution, Wilson seconded, and it was passed on a vote of 4-0.

Toth, following the vote, had additional comments. She explained that the program undertaken by her organization is designated as Adult Day Health Care (ADHC), and that they are licensed health providers through the California Department of Public Health.

“ADHC was created to provide an alternative to nursing home placement,” she said. “It provides respite to caregivers while providing a safe and therapeutic environment for frail people with multiple chronic conditions to socialize and receive much-needed services. All possible barriers to independence are examined when we serve someone. We go into their homes to assess their fall risks, care systems, medication management routine, nutrition access, and more. So, while services are provided at the Bedford Center, our reach goes far beyond to ensure we talk to their physicians, caregivers, get meals delivered, arrange for transportation, and so much more.”

Expressing her gratitude to city staff, interested residents, and the council, Toth added, “East Contra Costa has a huge unmet need for services for the rapidly growing aging population and the City has now made it possible for us to begin our expansion to work on meeting the needs of our community.”

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council will take place on March 24. Meetings are held at the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 200 H Street, and typically begin at 7:00 p.m.

Joseph E. Canciamilla, the County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, announces that all polling places for the 7th State Senatorial District Special Primary Election will open at 7:00 am and close at 8:00 pm on March 17, 2015. Voters are encouraged to pre-mark their choices in their sample ballot booklet and take it with them to their polling place, to use as a reference. To avoid excessive wait times at the polls, voters are advised to vote mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

The 7th Senatorial District includes voters in Antioch and the rest of East Contra Costa, the Lamorinda and San Ramon Valley areas, Concord, Walnut Creek, and Clayton. To view a map of the 7th Senatorial District, go to http://sd07.senate.ca.gov/district-map.

Polling place locations and directional maps, as well as information regarding sample ballots and candidates, are available on the Elections Division website at www.cocovote.us/current-election.

City Clerks have volunteered to assist voters who need help finding the correct polling place. They will be available for assistance on Election Day, Tuesday, March 17th until 8:00 pm, unless otherwise stated.

County Elections Office – (925) 335-7800 or toll free 1-877-335-7802

City of Antioch – (925) 779-7008 available 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Local election results will be available on Election Night, beginning at 9:00 pm on the Elections Division website at www.cocovote.us/current-election/mar17-2015-election-results/ and on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 9:00 pm on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32, and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.

The California Department of Education (CDE) recently announced that the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) has received a $1.4 million block grant to directly implement improvements to its county’s preschool education programs for low-income children. Contra Costa was one of sixteen California counties to receive this grant.

The block grant was included in California’s 2014-15 State Budget and provides $50 million in ongoing funding to support quality improvements in California preschools. The goal of the grant funding is to increase the number of low-income children attending high-quality preschool programs, which research shows prepares children for success in school and life.

The CDE block grants were designated for the California counties currently piloting a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), a uniform system to rate, improve, and communicate levels of child-care quality. Contra Costa is a QRIS pilot county and currently has 100 child-care programs participating. 

Per the CDE block grant, funds must be used to support California State Preschool Program (CSPP) sites. These are preschool programs that receive state subsidies to serve low-income children. There are 58 CSPP sites in Contra Costa County, primarily run by nonprofit child-care centers and school districts. More than half of the CSPP programs in Contra Costa already participate in the QRIS rating system.

Funds from the CDE block grant will be used to recognize providers who score high QRIS ratings and to help programs with lower scores raise quality. The incentives are designed to improve and maintain quality by keeping teacher/child ratios low, paying for qualified staff, and supporting strong teacher/child interactions.

Contra Costa County’s $1.4 million grant will support:

·      Stipends between $2,500 to $5,000 to all CSPP sites participating in the QRIS

·      Site quality improvement mini-grants for sites seeking help reaching top ratings

·     Quality grants to CSPP providers who successfully score in the top two ratings

·     Training and support for CSPP sites not currently participating in QRIS

·     A public awareness campaign about the nature and importance of quality preschool

·     Monitoring and rating of new QRIS participants

The CDE block grant builds on the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge funding First 5 Contra Costa received to pilot a QRIS in Contra Costa County, along with funds the CCCOE allocated over the last 15 years to increase the education and training of Contra Costa’s child-care workforce.

In addition to CCCOE’s fiscal role, the agency will be responsible for the monitoring and rating of sites’ participating in Contra Costa’s State Preschool QRIS Block Grant. Other quality improvement services and support are implemented in partnership with First 5 Contra Costa, Contra Costa County’s Community Services Bureau, and the Contra Costa Child Care Council.  All above mentioned partner agencies make up Contra Costa’s QRIS Consortia members who regularly interface to coordinate services for current and potential participating CSPP sites. First 5 Contra Costa is the lead consortia agency for the block grant.

For additional information about the grant and/or QRIS program, contact First Five Contra Costa Early Childhood Deputy Director Cally Martin at (925) 771-7322 or Ruth Fernandez, CCCOE, at (925) 942-3413

By John Crowder

At the March 11, 2015 meeting of the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Education, the trustees approved sending four staff members to the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative. They also heard from a teacher at Marsh Elementary who was concerned about projectors not working, received a report from the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) regarding Measure B and Measure C expenditures, and pulled from the consent calendar an addendum to the REACH Project Vendor Agreement.

Stanford Education Leadership Initiative

In a March 2, 2015 letter from the Co-Directors of the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, Dr. Donald Gill, AUSD Superintendent of Education, and three of his staff were invited to attend the one-year Executive Program for Education Leaders (EPEL). According to a report submitted to the board by Gill, the program, “includes a mix of on-campus and distance learning sessions incorporating case-study and research-based presentations, discussions, and exercises led by…faculty” from both the Graduate School of Education and Graduate School of Business.

Also according to Gill, the $84,000 cost of four administrators attending the program will be paid for by two grants, one from EPEL for $76,000, and the other from the James Irvine Foundation for $8,000.

After some questions from the trustees concerning the source of funds and choice of administrators attending, the trustees approved the request on a 5-0 vote. Attending the program will be Gill, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, Stephanie Anello, Coordinator, Community Outreach and Engagement, Cheryl Domenichelli, and Director of Educational Services, Jason Murphy.

Broken Projectors

During public comments only one speaker came forward, a teacher from Marsh Elementary School. She said that projectors at the school were, “going out,” and, without them, teachers were unable to implement the curriculum as intended. Following her statement, board member Debra Vinson stressed the importance of having the projectors working, and Tim Forrester, Associate Superintendent, Business and Operations, said he would follow up on the matter.

Bond Measure Reports

The board received a report from the Dale Hudson, chairman of the seven-member CBOC regarding the expenditure of funds for Measure B and Measure C. The CBOC, established in accordance with the voter-approved Proposition 39, which lowered the voter approval requirement from 2/3rds to 55% for school district bond measures that meet certain conditions, is charged, along with other things, of ensuring that, “bond funds are used for legally authorized purposes.”

Measure B is a $56.5 million school bond, passed on November 6, 2012, for the purpose of renovating and modernizing Antioch High School buildings and classrooms, including the athletic stadium.

Measure C is a $61.6 million school bond, passed in June, 2008, “to address critical renovation and modernization needs at schools that have served Antioch for more than forty years.” Among other items, it provided funding to replace roofs, plumbing, heating and air conditioning units and upgrade the district-wide technology infrastructure.

According to Hudson, all requirements of Proposition 39 are currently being met with respect to the two bond measures.

REACH Program

After considerable discussion, the trustees decided to pull an item from the consent calendar, an addendum to the REACH Project Vendor Agreement on behalf of Marsh Elementary.

An affirmative vote from the trustees would have added another $15,541 to the contract, revising the total not to exceed amount to $199,716. Money spent on the program comes from “site restricted categorical state funds (Title 1),” and have, “no impact to the unrestricted general fund,” according to a staff report submitted to the board.

Trustee Walter Ruehlig was the first of the board members to address the item when it was brought forward. Noting that fellow Trustee Barbara Cowan, had in previous meetings questioned how the program was being measured, he asked staff, “Where are we with metrics?”

Vinson also questioned how the program was being measured.

“There is no way to know what they’re doing,” she said.

Following her statement, Ruehlig said, “I agree wholeheartedly.”

Cowan addressed not only REACH, but other service providers in her comments.

“The only thing REACH does is very vague,” she said. “I would really like to see some required metrics for all vendors that serve students directly.”

Board President Claire Smith then followed up on Cowan’s comments, saying, “My problem with REACH is exactly that. I have never seen a measurable outcome in twenty years. I don’t see any proof in the pudding.”

Board Vice President Diane Gibson-Gray, though, supported approving the addendum. Not wishing to deny Marsh Elementary the use of REACH when so many other schools were using their services, and concerned that the rules were being changed for one school mid-year, she suggested she would make a motion to approve. As it became clear, however, that at least three of the board members would vote to table the item, she decided not to follow through. The item was then tabled for a future meeting, and the board went on to pass the rest of the consent calendar on a 5-0 vote.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the AUSD Board of Education will take place on March 25. Meetings are held at the school district office at 510 G Street, and begin at 7:00 p.m.