by Rev. Austin Miles

The California legislature recently passed the right-to-die law, and Governor Brown signed it into law. It becomes effective on June 9th. This bill allows physicians to supply the pills that will end a life that has become intolerable.

This bill was spurred on by 29 year old Brittany Maynard who suffered painful brain cancer, pleaded to have her life ended to put her out of her misery.

Since California had no such law, she and her husband took up residence in Oregon where euthanasia is legal. Her husband returned to push the Right to die legislation in Sacramento.

While it is understandable that when a life is destined to end, and consists of excruciating pain that cannot be soothed, the individual should be able to make the choice for death with dignity. However, there must be strict guidelines throughout this process.

For example in several countries that have adopted this law, involuntary euthanasia rose, where one is arbitrarily put to death, as laws became more permissive. This has created a mechanism where someone who has become too expensive to government health care assistance, or is simply in the way, a Pandora’s box is flung open. I remember a video showing a man about to be euthanized screaming, “No I don’t want to die.”  Didn’t matter, he was in the way. This is deplorable.

In the Netherlands, 1,040 people have died without their consent. Before legalization, doctors would euthanize patients and then falsely sign the death certificates as “natural causes.”This gives meaning to the Death Panels that Sarah Palin worried about.  Actually we already have active death panels with involuntary euthanasia.  It is called abortion.

The only way this law should go forward, is to add a stipulation that physician assisted suicide  can only take place with the consent to that procedure from the individual targeted, not by  a death panel, not a relative nor anybody else.  This addition to the legislation is mandatory.

Miles is a resident of Oakley, CA

The Bridge Marina Yacht Club in Antioch will present its 66th annual Opening Day Boat Parade at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 2.

Celebrating the 2016 Chinese calendar’s Year of the Monkey, this year’s boat parade theme is “Monkeying Around on the Delta.”

Decorated vessels will sail round-trip from the south base of the Antioch Bridge to the Antioch Marina.  The best public viewing is from the Riverview Lodge restaurant parking lot and I Street pier.

For more information and to enter the April 2 boat parade, please contact Wrenda Sabino at allstarws@comcast.net or (925) 516-2385.

For more information about Bridge Marina Yacht Club visit www.bridgemarinayachtclub.com.

Retired Antioch Police Captain Leonard Orman walks out of the Antioch Police Facility on his final day, past fellow officers and staff. photo courtesy of APD

By Allen Payton

On December 14, 2015 after 30 years and six months with the Antioch Police Department, Captain Leonard Orman retired and the next day was given a farewell by fellow officers, APD staff and Police Chief Allan Cantando.

Born in Antioch, Orman worked at Silveira Lumber in during high school and while attending Los Medanos College. That’s when he got hired by the APD. He later completed his bachelor’s at St. Mary’s College in 1998.

Orman receives a big, farewell hug from longtime friend and fellow officer, Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando. photo courtesy of APD

When asked what was his most memorable case, he shared, “Probably the Scott Duval murder case, who killed his wife and said she was a missing person.”

“It was a lot of legwork and strategy because he was a highly intelligent guy,” Orman stated. “We finally got him to confess that he had killed his wife, cut her up and spread her around the Delta. It’s one of those cases you feel good about solving, with a true victim.”

Asked about his favorite memory, Orman spoke about the department.

“Above and beyond the police work and working cases, having been there on the command staff during the recession, which was really tough. The whole community suffered from that,” he said. “What people don’t recognize is a lot of organizations tend to implode during something like that. I’m really proud of the fact that didn’t happen. Lots of people left but, most hung in there, working overtime, including records, dispatch, management. There was nobody who wasn’t suffering. I wasn’t sure how much longer we could sustain that. Things are much better, now.”

“We did a ton of succession planning during that time,” Orman continued. “It was a group effort and the reality is that the day after I left, Diane Aguinaga got promoted. That usually doesn’t happen that smoothly. To leave like that and have it be fluid, that was the leadership, across the board. I left there with a smile on my face, feeling good with where the organization was. That was what made me feel the best.”

He served under five police chiefs.

“I will say that they were all great chiefs in their time. Antioch’s been really fortunate. To have chiefs who stay five years or longer is pretty good. It’s a lot of stability.”

He’s married with three children and when asked what he’s doing with all his free time, he said “I’m taking some time off. Doing a lot of traveling. More than my wife is used to, with her and our children. But, I plan on going back to work on some level.”

Enjoy live jazz each Sunday evening from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Southern Café, 400 G Street in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown. This Sunday, March 13, enjoy the sounds of Yolandra Rhodes. Get a sample of her singing, here.

Dinner reservations preferred but not required. Full bar available. No cover charge.

“Thank you for voting Southern Café Restaurant as the #1 Soul Food Restaurant in the Bay Area,” says Phillip Bell, owner.

For reservations call (925) 754-1172 and for more information please visit their website at www.SouthernCafe2000.com

By Nick Goodrich

At their regular meeting, on Tuesday, March 8th, the Antioch City Council approved the hiring of a new City Attorney, and extended road closures, and voted to oppose Senate Bill 876, which relates to homelessness in California.

The Council began with the hiring of the new City Attorney, Michael Vigilia, who has served as the City of Hayward as Assistant City Attorney since 2011. He was eager to begin serving the City of Antioch.

“I feel like I made the right decision in coming to Antioch,” Vigilia said.

He has over 12 years of experience practicing law in California, and was approved in a unanimous 5-0 vote by the Council.

City Council also held two public hearings during the meeting, to consider extending the closures of two roads in Antioch that have presented crime issues in the past: a section of Empire Mine Road, and a section of McElheny Road between East 6^th Street and Fulton Shipyard Road.

The section of Empire Mine Road in question was originally closed in 2005, when Antioch resident Jack Roddy – whose property borders the road – came to the city to complain about ongoing crime, vandalism, and the illegal dumping of trash and other debris. The crime had become so bad at that point that in some instances, he reported people shooting at his cattle that grazed alongside the road. Since that time, that segment of Empire Mine has undergone five more extensions of the closure.

City staff recommended, in light of the fact that the crime issues have not yet been fully resolved, that the Council extend the closure of the road for the seventh time. They did so in a 5-0 vote, with the understanding that only 1 more temporary closure can be voted for before they must decide on whether or not to close the section permanently.

McElheny Road has had similar problems. The City Council voted to extend the closure of that section of road as well, which represents the second such closure since crime became an issue there in 2011.

The Council ended the meeting with discussion of State Senate Bill 876. The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Carol Liu in an effort to address the issue of homelessness in California. In effect, the new bill would provide state guidelines – a “one size fits all” approach for cities to deal with homelessness, among other things.

The Council was critical of the bill, with council members expressing their desire to remain in control of solving issues like homelessness in Antioch. The overwhelming sentiment from the Council was that local approaches and solutions to problems like homelessness prove more effective, with local representatives benefitting from an inside look at issues that they work to solve.

The League of California Cities, usually an avid supporter of local governments, brought the bill to the Council’s attention, and recommended that Mayor Wade Harper sign a letter opposing it.

“I understand what the state’s trying to do, to be an aid, but I think it hurts some of the city governments that are trying to do positive things to clean their cities,” Council Member Tony Tiscareno said.

The result of the City Council’s discussion was a unanimous, 5-0 vote authorizing Harper to sign the letter, in an effort to prevent the state from preempting Antioch and other cities like it, in their efforts to address issues like blight and homelessness.

John Herrington

On Thursday, candidate for County Supervisor in District 3, Doug Hardcastle announced he has received the endorsement of John Herrington, a former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Contra Costa County business owner.

“Contra Costa needs Doug Hardcastle’s strong leadership and commitment to solving the problems we face, specifically in the areas of public safety, transportation, local job creation and the county budget,” Herrington said. “He is the only candidate in the race with the combination of experience in business, the military and government we need to make the difficult decisions and be our voice on the Board.”

“Please join me in supporting Doug for County Supervisor,” he added.

John Herrington practiced law privately as an attorney from 1965 to 1981, primarily in San Francisco, and publicly as deputy district attorney of Ventura County.

In the Reagan Administration, Herrington served as Secretary of Energy from 1985 to 1989, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs from 1981 to 1983, and deputy assistant for presidential personnel from 1983 to 1985.

After government service, Herrington was the Chairman of Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, the giant publishing firm, overseeing a $2.8-billion restructuring of the company. Herrington remains active in politics in his home state, having served for a time as Chairman of the California Republican Party.

Herrington currently owns Vic Stewart’s, a nationally recognized steakhouse, with locations in Brentwood and Walnut Creek. He also acts as an adviser to numerous corporations.

His wife, Lois Haight Herrington is a judge with the Superior Court of Contra Costa County, who served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics of the Department of Justice, during the Reagan Administration. She also served as Chairman and Executive Director of the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime.

“I appreciate John Herrington’s service to our nation and state, as a leader in government, business and politics,” Hardcastle said. “He and his wife are two of the impressive leaders Contra Costa has produced over the years. His endorsement and support of my campaign are both welcome and appreciated from someone who has given so much and is well respected.”

Hardcastle was elected to the Oakley City Council in 2012 and recently completed a year as Mayor. From 2000 to 2012 he served as a Director on the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board, for which he served as President in 2010-2011. He currently serves as Chair of Transplan, the East County transportation committee and on the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors. Doug and his wife Lyn own Hardcastle’s RV in Oakley and have operated it in the county for over 40 years. In 2006, Doug was honored as Oakley Business Person of the Year and he’s a life-long resident of Contra Costa County. For more information visit www.doughardcastle.com.

Supervisor District 3 includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Blackhawk, Diablo, Camino Tassajara, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen and a portion of Antioch. The election is on June 7, 2016. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two candidates face off in the General Election in November.