SAN LUIS OBISPO – For the second consecutive year, Cal Poly ITE, a student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, has been named the institute’s international chapter of the year.

The student group – including chapter events coordinator Kelsey Littell from Anitoch – was honored at the ITE annual conference, held August 2-5 in Hollywood, Florida.

“I don’t know specifically what put us over the top again this year,” said Kevin Carstens, chapter president. “But my guess is that, in addition to our increase in membership and activities, it was our acquisition of the Transportation Engineering Student Project Area. It’s a new space in Cal Poly’s Bonderson Projects Center, which is now dedicated to transportation engineering projects and research.”

In addition to Carstens and Littell, the 2014-15 Cal Poly ITE chapter officers included Krista Purser, vice president; Karl Schmidt, treasurer; Alex Chambers, secretary; Monica Fiedler-Ross, firm tours coordinator; Bobby Sidhu, marketing coordinator and Engineering Student Council representative; and Troy Kawahara, historian and webmaster.

The club also won the title and $2,000 in the ITE Collegiate Traffic Bowl Grand Championships, competing with teams from each district in Canada and the U.S. The University of Manitoba and Purdue University placed second and third, respectively.

“Winning the Traffic Bowl was the cherry on top of this year’s Student Chapter of the Year award,” said Anurag Pande, faculty advisor for the club.

“We may not play schools like Purdue on the gridiron, but this was almost as exciting—– the three finalists turned it into a very close contest,” he said. “The Jeopardy-style event has a traffic and transportation engineering theme, and the winning question was ‘What is a sharrow?’” (Answer: A lane marking that tells drivers where to expect to share the lane with bicyclists).

Cal Poly contestants in the Traffic Bowl competition included chapter officers Carstens, Purser, Chambers and Sidhu.

The Institute of Transportation Engineers is an international association of nearly 17,000 transportation professionals and more than 140 student chapters.

Related links:

Cal Poly ITE Student Chapter www.calpolyite.com.

Institute of Transportation Engineers http://www.ite.org/

By Allen Payton

The Antioch Chamber of Commerce honored Rodney and Ursula Lal, owners of Prime Vintage Realty, with one of their Community Champions awards, during a brief ceremony on Thursday morning, for their purchase and renovation of the old Antioch Lumber Company building in downtown.

Chamber CEO Dr. Sean Wright said the award was bestowed for “the work that Rodney and Ursula Lal have put into this building and downtown.”

Local officials were also on hand for the ceremony.

Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock spoke on behalf of the city.

“Thank you to Prime Vintage Realty for opening up, here,” she said. “This has been a historical area for a long time here. I expect to hear some success stories coming out of this building.”

“The process was slow,” Wright explained. “It took a long time. There was not only a lot of time and money, but love and dedication that has gone into this building.

“Thank you for improving downtown and for your time, dedication and service to Antioch,” he added.

Rodney Lal then offered his appreciation for the award.

“Thank you on behalf of my family, Ursula, [son] Devin and [daughter] Nicole and awarding me this community champion. This is a great award. But the reason we bought this building…is from love.

“The reason I got into real estate was to buy buildings and improve them,” he continued. “It’s unique. It’s built with tender loving care. It’s just so beautiful. You haven’t seen the best, yet. Our city will prosper. You will see this building prosper. You will see people drive by here. The river has so much to offer. My goal is to beautify this city. I just love it. Thank you.”

The late Henry “Hank” F. Beede, the last owner of the Antioch Lumber Company and building, passed away in 2010. In attendance at the ceremony was his widow, Leora Beede and their daughter Priscilla Fremering, who assisted in the sale of the building to the Lals.

Fremering stated the building was built in the 1860’s.

Kelly O’Brien the great, great granddaughter of Henry F. Beede and cousin to Hank Beede, provided the cake in the shape of the building.

Curt Holzer, who has had an insurance office in downtown since 1995, shared a little history.

“It was the oldest operating business in the county,” he stated. “I used to insure this building when Hank was in it. I asked him, ‘when will you stop coming down here?’ He said ‘The day I die.’”

“It’s definitely cleaned up the entrance to downtown,” Holzer added.

The Lals invested approximately $500,000 to improve the building, including shoring up the foundation, which was sloping toward the river.

“I guarantee you this building will last another 100 years, the way we built it,” Rodney stated.

This is the third Community Champions award presented to an Antioch business, including Mike’s Auto Body and Mountain Mike’s Pizza, earlier this year since the Chamber instituted the recognition program.

By Mitch Stephens, Antioch Sports Legends Staff Writer

After nine years of honoring the area’s finest athletes and community leaders, one thing is certain said Antioch Sports Legends founder/adviser Tom Menasco.

“The community hasn’t forgotten the rich sports history of the area,” he said. “We just want to maintain and grow that interest while hopefully enlightening new Antioch residents.”

With the Oct. 10^th celebration of the 2015 Class at the Ninth Annual Induction Ceremony at Lone Tree Golf Course & Event Center, the legends group will have honored 127 athletes and nine championship teams since 2007.

This year’s class features former NFL offensive lineman Frank Beede, two high-level minor league baseball players, Jerry Bertolani and Brian Oliver, along with a pair of multi-talented females named Johnson — Courtney and Keisha (not related).

Antioch Sports Legends coordinator Tom Lamothe said a single trait connects the 2015 class.

“When I think of this class I think blue-collar workers,” Lamothe said. “Most of them got by largely on grit and determination which was definitely reflective of the community they came from.”

Here is a snapshot look at the 14 individuals and one team from the Antioch Legends Class of 2015, all of whom either graduated or for coached at Antioch High.

Jerry Bertolani (baseball 1982) — A junior varsity player until late in his junior year, the versatile shortstop outworked everyone to become one of the best players the city has ever known. Bertolani was a first-team All-League player as a senior, an All-State performer at LMC and played six minor-league seasons with the White Sox.

Frank Beede (football 1991) — One of the most recognizable names in Antioch, the three-sport prep standout went on to play 11 football seasons professionally, five with the Seattle Seahawks and six with the San Jose Sabercats. After a successful college career at Cal and Oklahoma Panhandle State, the guard and center was the first free agent in Seattle history to earn a starting job. He coached and taught at Antioch and Freedom and in 2010 the NFL named him “Teach of the Year.”

Craig Carson (swim coach) — Since 1975, Carson has compiled a 380-92-3 overall record, won 17 league championship and coached 36 All-Americans and 100 individual and 60 relay league champions. Before great success at Deer Valley and Heritage, he was 115-37-2 at Antioch was the 1987 Diablo Valley Athletic League Swim Coach of the Year. Carson was named the Bay Valley Athletic League Coach of the Year for all sports in 2012.

Gerald Gamble (track and field, 1984) — At 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Gamble was on the small side for a weights athlete. But that didn’t stop him from being ranked the best discus thrower (183 feet, 3 inches) and second best shot putter (59-9½) in school history. He won a NCS Meet of Champions discus title as a senior and placed sixth at state in the shot put.

Courtney Johnson (basketball 1997) — Johnson was a four-time All-League guard in basketball who finished as the career scoring leader with 2,035 points. She was also a second-team All-League softball player and team Co-MVP in volleyball before embarking on superb four-year basketball career at Cal, where she was team MVP in 1999 and 2000.

Keisha Johnson (all-around 1993) — From an illustrious three-sport prep stint at Antioch to an All-Pac 10 Conference volleyball career at the University of Arizona to coaching in college, Johnson always moved upward. Her best sport as a prep was basketball where she averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior.

Marcus Murray (basketball 1995) — The brother of NBA All-Star Lamond Murray and cousin of NBA veteran Tracy Murray, the 6-5 forward earned All-BVAL honors three straight years. He was one of two Antioch players to earn league MVP honors when he averaged 20.1 points and 9.3 rebounds as a senior. Called the greatest player 40-year coach Bob Fisher ever coached, Murray later starred at Los Angeles Southwest JC and the University of New Orleans.

Joe Olenchalk (community service) — As a 36-year award-winning educator at Antioch junior and senior high schools, a championship cross-country coach, a boosters club president and a chairman, researcher and docent of the Antioch Sports Legends Hall of Fame, Olenchalk has given more to one community than many neighborhoods have combined.

Brian Oliver (baseball 1985)— Listed as one of the top five shortstops by Baseball America before his senior year, Oliver led the Panthers to back-to-back NCS titles before stellar collegiate career at Cal, where he boasted a .358 career average with 60 extra base hits. A fourth-round pick of the Angels, he was one of just 13 Antioch area players to reach at least the AA-level.

Stephen Parks (football 1971) — The tenacious running back was a two-time All-DVAL performer who earned a scholarship to Oregon State. He led the Panthers to a 20-0 win over Pittsburg in 1969, breaking a 22-year losing streak in the series. As a senior he rushed for 917 yards, won the team’s Ron Pritchard award and led the Panthers to a co-league title.

Mike Reale (All-around 1981) — All-DVAL in football and baseball and a state-qualifier in wrestling, Reale earned eight varsity letters. He went on to excel in football at Cal State Hayward, under future Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, before earning a Master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Sacramento State.

Pat Sweeney (wrestling 1988) — The 132-pounder placed second at NCS and third at state, helping the Panthers win their first and only state championship in 1988. He won four tournaments that season and finished 41-4, taking more individual matches than wrestler on that historic team.

Michael Vera (golf 1996) — A four-time Antioch team MVP and four-time All-BVAL first-team performer, Vera was one of the program’s greatest golfers. He won the NCS title in 1994. He was also a two-year starter on the basketball team before earning a golf scholarship to UCLA, where he lettered four seasons.

Kraig Walker (wresting 1983) — Known as “The Mauler,” Walker was the first Panther to place at the State meet, taking fourth in the 148-pound division his senior year. Walker went 81-14 while take two DVAL crowns. At San Jose State he won the PCAA title in 1984-85, qualifying him for the NCAA tournament.

Antioch football 1977 — This team had it all: speed, power, depth, a Hall of Fame coach and most of all, camaraderie. It won 10 straight games before losing in the NCS finals. The defense, led by 305-pound nose guard Ferris Anthony and linebackers Jerry Jones and Doug Jones allowed only 107 points. The offense was ignited All-NorCal fullback Bill Douville and fleet backs Tony Lang and Mike Shaw.

By Acting Lieutenant Tom Fuhrmann, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Monday, August 31, 2015 at 2:43 PM an Antioch Police Officer spotted a stolen vehicle passing the Antioch High School on W. 18th Street. The vehicle had been reported stolen on Friday, August 29, 2015 in Antioch. The officer got behind the vehicle and, as it was leaving the area of the schools, the officer initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle fled in an attempt to evade officers, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. At one point the vehicle headed back toward Antioch High School, and the pursuit was terminated for safety as school was getting out.

The stolen vehicle got caught up in gridlock traffic, attempted to make a U-turn, and collided with another vehicle occupied by a 29-year-old female and her two-month-old daughter. The driver of the stolen vehicle was blocked in by traffic at this point and had nowhere to go. APD Officers were there, quickly and took the driver into custody. The female driver and baby in the other vehicle involved in the collision were uninjured, but were taken to an area hospital as a precaution.

The driver of the stolen vehicle was identified as Sonny Mitchell (41 yrs) from Richmond and was found to be on parole. A search of Mitchell’s phone discovered numerous images of child pornography that appear to have been downloaded from the internet by Mitchell.

Mitchell has an extensive criminal history. Mitchell was booked into the Contra Costa County Jail and, on Wednesday, the District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges on Mitchell for Auto Theft, Evading Police and Possession of Child Pornography.

This case is still under investigation. No further information will be released at this time. Anybody having information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Det. Perkinson at (925) 779-6932. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6939.

By Allen Payton

In response to questions from the public about the City of Antioch’s nice, new brochure that was mailed out to both residences and businesses, this week, Herald staff asked City Manager Steve Duran about it. He responded via email, today.

“Regarding your question as to how much the City Report cost:

It cost $12,695 for production and $6,132 to mail to every residence in Antioch, for a total cost of $18,8270. That’s approximately 17 cents per resident, using 108,298 population from State Dept. of Finance.”

Duran explained the reasoning behind the mailer.

“Excerpt from Strategic Plan (page 20):

The City conducted a series of Community Café’s and Focus Groups over a number of months to get community input and prioritize the efforts of City government. What was evident throughout the Café’s was that, in addition to effective administration, the City needs to improve communications with the community in order to build greater trust.

Strategy L-1: Improve community communications and trust in City government and keep the community well informed as to the activities of the City departments.”

Additional copies will be used to promote the city, as well.

“We have about 2,500 copies on hand for economic development purposes,” Duran added. “We plan to do this once a year to update the entire community on the status of key activities.”

The cost is about 50 cents per household and business in Antioch, based on approximately 37,000 postal customers in the city.

That’s not a bad price for a full-color, eight-page, coated stock brochure that’s mailed citywide.

Donald Blomberg, DVM

May 9, 1924 – August 6, 2015

Don Blomberg, long time Antioch resident, passed away August 6, 2015, in his cottage at Upper Post Lake, Wisconsin. Although a California native, he cherished his summer visits to Wisconsin. Most important to him were the relationships and sense of community that developed during the years.

Don, affectionately known as Doc by many, was born in Berkeley, CA on May 9, 1924. His family moved around to various cities in California but finally settled for good in Sacramento. Don attended McClatchy High School, graduated from University of Southern California and University of California School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, class 1958.

He practiced veterinary medicine with William Stansbury and eventually purchased the Antioch Veterinary Hospital & Clinic. During his 50 year residency in Antioch, Don participated in Kiwanis, Storyland Theatre, AFS, President of Contra Costa Veterinary Association, Board Member & President of Contra Costa Veterinary Emergency Clinic.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marleen who always called him “the world’s greatest father”. When his own kids weren’t around, Don would read to or spend time with neighboring children. Other surviving family include sons Craig (Darien), Lars (Deb), Sven (Laura), grandchildren Daniel, Jeremy, Jed, John, Stella, Elsa, and Annalise, and three brothers.

A celebration of life will be held October 18, 2015 from 11 am to 3 pm at Lone Tree Golf Course in Antioch.

Donations can be sent to School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis in honor of Don Blomberg, Class of 1958, P O Box 1167, Davis, CA 95617 or any charity of your choice.

By Ofc. R. Solari #2372, Antioch Police Traffic Division Community Policing Bureau

On Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 2:43 PM, Antioch Police along with the Fire Department were dispatched to 2707 W. Tregallas Road for a report of a vehicle into a residence. Preliminary reports were that two people were trapped in the vehicle. When Officers arrived, both occupants were determined to be uninjured and were extricated from the vehicle. The collision caused major damage to the residence.

A construction crew was called to the location by the property owner to shore up the residence so the vehicle could be removed. The residents were temporarily displaced when the house was tagged by the City of Antioch Building Department.

The collision investigation is on-going. Speed was determined to be a factor in the collision as the driver was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Luke Johnson

Both high schools from Antioch, Deer Valley and Antioch High, pulled out wins with double-digit deficits, last Friday night in their season openers for football. Antioch hosted Acalanes from Lafayette for a 62-7 clobbering, while Deer Valley traveled to Granada in Livermore for a 20-7 triumph.

Running backs Najee Harris and Nick Perry, and wide receiver Ryan Payne score two touchdowns each for Antioch. The number one running back in the country, Harris, had 187 rushing yards and 15 carries, and sat out for the final 16 minutes of regulation due to a 54-7 lead. His backup, Perry, who some consider the best second string running back in the Bay Area, complimented him well and rushed for 123 yards. Off just three carries, Payne was able to collect 83 yards on the ground.

Offensive coordinator Brett Dudley was most impressed with his o-line which features five new starters. He said during practice the team picked up the intensity by squirting a syrup bottle (filled with water) into the air every time a player executed a pancake block, and the players fed off of it.

The Panthers played locktight defense as well; only allowing 127 yards from the Dons’ offense, along with forcing five turnovers. This all happened during the opening of their $7-million stadium, where they sported new, modernized matte black jerseys; much different from Antioch’s traditional, classic look.

All that was on Deer Valley lineman and team captain Troy Decuir’s mind heading into the first game of the season was to get the W, and prove all the doubters wrong affixed off of last year’s lackluster season. He and the Wolverines turned at least some of them into believers with a solid performance against the Matadors of the East Bay Athletic League.

Deer Valley’s defense had three interceptions (Jalen Threatt, Adrian Dolo, Ronald Holmes) and a fumble recovered in the end zone by defensive tackle Antonio Johnson. Running back Rai-Shyan Alexander carried most of the load for the offense, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns through 15 attempts.

The Wolverines head into a bye week, but prepare for reigning Division-III State Champions Campolindo in week three at Moraga.

“We really have to strap it up, play a great game and channel or offense and defense to beat State Champions,” said Robert Hubbard, who just earned his first victory as a varsity head coach.

Antioch will also face tougher competition as the Panthers host Milpitas, who finished 12-1 last season, on Friday, Sept. 4.