Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) announced he will host his 60th town hall and mobile district office hour since taking office in January of 2015. The town hall will be held at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord tomorrow, Saturday, March 3rd at 11:00 a.m.

“I am proud to represent this community that is so civically engaged and invite all constituents to attend our 60th town hall to share their thoughts, opinions, and questions.”

Concord 60th Town Hall

Saturday, March 3, 2018

11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Ygnacio Valley High School

755 Oak Grove Road

Concord, CA 94518

DeSaulnier’s regular and frequent practice of holding town halls was among the reasons his office was recently nominated by the Congressional Management Foundation as a finalist in the first-ever Democracy Awards for outstanding Constituent Service. 

To confirm attendance, please by RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call 925-933-2660. To request ADA accommodations, translation services, or for more information please contact one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

DeSaulnier’s district includes portions of Antioch.

A prolific writer since the age of fifteen, James Sanford has employed his prose to author numerous books, articles, stories, and one motion picture project. He sold his first short story to DC Comic Books, when he was fifteen. His book, Storm Treasure, inspired a major motion picture in 1999.

Now, his latest book, While the Gods Slept, demonstrates his profound knowledge of history, as well as his love for travel. Sanford will be holding a book-release signing of his historically-based, science-fiction work at Tailgaters in Antioch, this Saturday, March 3 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

While the Gods Slept brings together many of the disparate anomalies, myths, and religious beliefs that confound and confuse those who would like answers to age old questions. The story begins some four hundred thousand years into our past, when a great civilization occupied this planet. After a great cataclysmic event, the few survivors begin a project to rebuild and repopulate the Earth. Their efforts are recorded throughout the book, but there is a parallel story. One that is taking place around our globe today.

Sanford holds a B.A. Degree in Mass Communications and an M.A. Degree in Communication Arts from California State University, Chico. He has also earned a PhD. In Education. For the past forty-two years, he has worked as a Teacher and Education Administrator in various venues, including junior high, high school, community college, and within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He has taught science, English, creative writing, art, reading, Adult Basic Education, and Substance Abuse Education. In all, of these settings, Sanford has used his communication skills to teach, mentor, and coach individuals to express themselves through writing, music, poetry, and art. During his final years in education, James had the privilege of supervising and mentoring teachers who worked in jails and parole offices throughout California.

After retiring from full time employment as an educator with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he has focused on his own creative endeavors and focused on his two great passions, travel and history.

While the Gods Slept is Sanford’s most ambitious effort to date. His capability to weave together real, historical facts with plausible fiction is masterful. He, has the ability, to take Dan Brown’s and Clive Cussler’s historical fiction to a new level. His chronicles are riveting, and his characters are memorable.

Sanford enjoys debating history, politics, and science. He claims it stimulates his writing process and forces him to keep up to date on various topics. His comprehension of what he studies, and reads is evident in every page of his books.  Sanford lives in Antioch with his wife and constant traveling companion Linda. They have two daughters, five grandchildren, and a great granddaughter.

Meet James and Linda Sanford and purchase an autographed copy of his book, this Saturday night at Tailgaters, located at 4605 Golf Course Road at the corner of Lone Tree Way.

Book Synopsis

In While the Gods Slept, one man, Simon Krall, is discovered to have unique DNA. His DNA could hold the secret to increased longevity, immunity from most diseases, and the end to dementia and Alzheimer’s. He meets a beautiful scientist named Dr. Irina Bronstine, who wants to study his unique genetic make-up. When Simon travels to Washington, DC for some physical tests, it sets off a chain reaction of deceit, betrayal, and chaos.

With Dr. Bronstine at his side, Simon travels half way around the world to escape from an eccentric billionaire who wants to dissect his body for all its secrets. Pursued by cruel and merciless men, Simon begins to tell a tale that is so fantastic, that Dr. Bronstine believes he is crazy or delusional. Through Simon’s on-going chronicles, a few scientists begin to see the possibility that Simon was preprogrammed genetically.

Aided by a growing number of scientists and researchers around the world, Simon’s story slowly comes out. He answers questions that have plagued curious minds for ages. Some of the answers are difficult to accept. Others are completely outrageous to his listeners. All responses he shares come straight from information programmed into his DNA thousands of years ago.

Recorded history goes back a mere five thousand years, yet researchers keep finding evidence of older structures, cultures, art, and remains. Much of what is being discovered today does not fit the accepted account of human history. Debates continue to rage between archaeologists, paleontologists, geneticists, paleo archeologists, geologists, and scientists from many other fields. In addition to arguing amongst themselves, they are also bombarded with theories from those who believe ancient aliens created mankind.

One theory, that has always held intrigue for those interested in the subject, is that there were great advanced civilizations here long before recorded history. There is a belief that an earlier society gave us our knowledge of engineering, math, astronomy, agriculture, and science. The question has always been asked, but never answered. How did a group of nomadic farmers suddenly develop the skills and knowledge to build the great monolithic structures found around the world?

While the Gods Slept gives plausible answers to the questions of the ages. It is an intriguing, fictional story wrapped in real history. The many characters in this book are based on real people who ask the hard questions about man, every day. Buckle up and hang on, you are about to go from outer space to the Earth and back.

By Daniel Borsuk

With the health consequences of second-hand smoke to children and the elderly well-documented, Contra Costa County is on the verge of becoming the 42nd jurisdiction in the state to ban smoking in dwelling units of apartment buildings, hotels, and motels once supervisors approve the ordinance that’s slated for the board’s March 13th meeting.

In a lopsided meeting where supervisors did not hear any opposition against the proposed ordinance, District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond asked Contra Costa County Public Health Director Dan Peddycord whether the proposed ordinance will also apply to short-term rentals.  Short-term rents have become a hot button issue in most part of the county and have impacted the county’s housing crisis.

Peddycord answered that the proposed ordinance will not apply to short-term rental units.

The full impact of the proposed county ordinance will require apartment owners and hotel and motel operators to post no smoking signs in dwelling units and to apply measures designed to eliminate second smoke from drifting into dwelling units where children and the elderly reside and are most susceptible to the respiratory effects of tobacco smoke.

The cities of Danville, El Cerrito, Richmond and Walnut Creek and the counties of Sonoma, San Mateo and Santa Clara are some of the jurisdictions that have already adopted second hand smoke prohibition laws.

In the county Public Health Department’s research on the proposed ordinance, officials garnered the full support from the California Apartment Association.  Health department officials drew a 50 percent endorsement from four major homeowners’ associations in the county.

In the department’s research, officials learned four major hotels in the county are already in compliance with the proposed law by posting no smoking signs in guest rooms and common areas.  Those hotels are the Burlington Hotel in Port Costa, the Crowne Plaza in Concord, Embassy Suites, and the Renaissance Hotel in Walnut Creek.

In Contra Costa County there are approximately 10,000 individual dwelling units that would be affected by the new ordinance supervisors will very likely approve at the March 13 meeting.

According to the Public Health Department, a majority of the 120 second hand smoke complaints received by the department’s Tobacco Prevention Program over the last three years continue to emanate from multi-family housing residents.  During that period, 96 complaints were filed concerning unit-to-unit and outside-to-unit drifting smoke during that period.

“We are very happy to support this ordinance,” said Randy Uang of Breathe California, a San Francisco-based non-profit health organization.  “This ordinance will help in reducing chronic breathing and lung ailments, especially among children in Contra Costa County.”

Stephanie Robbins, an apartment dweller in unincorporated Walnut Creek, told supervisors the proposed ordinance will help people like her who lives in an upstairs apartment unit and has to constantly endure second-hand smoke from a downstairs neighbor.  “I’ve already spent $2,000 in hiring an attorney,” Robbins said.  “I endorse this ordinance because it will help me and my child fight against second hand smoke.”

The ordinance will go into effect July 1, 2019 after Public Health Department officials have educated and trained apartment owners.  The program will be funded by state Propositions 99 and 56.

Round Hill Police District Tax Hike Election Approved – A 150% Increase

The 1,296 registered voters in the unincorporated Round Hill area of Alamo, will have the opportunity to vote on whether the county should hike their property taxes from $330 per parcel to $812 per parcel in order to maintain two county sheriff’s deputies and a patrol car.

With no one speaking during the public speaking portion, supervisors approved on a 4-0 vote to have Round Hill residents vote in the June 5 election on whether to boost taxes on 739 parcels in order to raise $596,820 in tax revenue to cover increased patrol expenses on a yearly basis.

The measure will require two-thirds voter approval to pass during the June election.

Supervisors also approved, on a 4-0 vote, the acquisition of up to $2 million of solar panels to be installed over the 651 Pine Street parking lot for a 10-year period, Feb. 27, 2018 through Feb. 28, 2028.  The county will buy the solar panels from ENGIE Services U.S. Inc.  ENGIE Services will also install the solar panels.