Nichole Gardner for Antioch City Council-District 3

Founder & Director, Facing Homelessness in Antioch and LMCHD Board Administrative Assistant

Top Issues: Homelessness and Affordable Housing, Cleaning up blight and City beautification, and increase high-quality youth programs to keep kids out of trouble.

Top Accomplishments: Fought for the establishment of public health measures to deal with homeless encampments like porta-potties, dumpsters, and sharp   dispensers. Coordinated community clean-ups throughout the city including homeless encampments and shopping centers. Launched after school events that focused on anti-bullying.

www.nicholeforantioch.com

Facebook.com/nicholegardner forcitycouncil2020

Phone:925.414.4222

n.gardner4antiochcitycouncil@gmail.com

Instagram: nichole_gardner4citycouncil

By Patrick McCarran, Real Estate Broker

Is there still a value to owning a home? Can I still get down payment assistance? Is buying now a good idea? My answer is absolutely YES. I believe in home ownership and not because I sell them, actually I am in real estate   because of my belief in the value of owning real estate. America is one of a handful of countries where ANYBODY can own property, the PRIMARY reason to own a home is UNCHANGED.  The age of Corona will pass and America will recover    because that what we do. The WHY you should own is relatively easy. It seems like every day there are news reports of someone displaced by high rents or the building is sold to a new owner and they are forced to move. Rents are at a high and with the strong resistance to building they will continue to rise and be unpredictable, when you own you know what the payments will be and it your home not the landlord to dictate rules.

Mortgage interest will most likely remain the largest deduction for the middle class. Mortgage interest rates remain historically low and there is affair amount of inventory from which to choose. Long-term homeownership continues to be one of the best ways for the typical American to build wealth.

So, what’s holding you back? Down Payment? Many people are intimidated by the widely publicized 20-percent down-payment requirement. They don’t realize that there are many federal programs and other methods designed to help homebuyers with grants and secondary loans. Interest is at an all time low and this translates into increased buying power or lower payments.

For example, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have loans available to first-time buyers with as little as 3-percent down payment and the FHA has similar programs that require 3.5 percent down and payment. If you qualify there are a number of programs and grants that can help with the down payment.

With a seller credit for closing costs I have gotten buyers into a home for as little as $1500 out of pocket. For veterans, the VA program has no-down-payment loans available for qualifying military members and veterans that can close with almost no out of pocket money.

Why wait? What’s the worst that could happen if you buy a home now? You’ve already seen it, the 2007 mortgage crisis. It will take generations, if ever, before the government lets the banking systems get that far out of hand again. It is far more likely that home prices will steadily climb as they have been. So, don’t be blinded to the future by your past experiences.

The American population will continue to grow and build families of all types, creating more demand for housing. Don’t view your home as a trading vehicle or a one-way-up investment. Instead, look at the home-ownership benefits that are mostly forgotten by today’s potential homebuyers — the chance to build equity (instead of throwing rent down the drain) and the opportunity to customize your own environment.

That’s what has always motivated Americans to own their own home. And it isn’t going to change in the long run. Grab the American Dream now. Start building wealth and stability. Call a REALTOR or a Loan officer you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Patrick McCarran is a local Realtor and Broker DRE# 01325072. He can be contacted  pmccarran@yahoo.com, by phone or text at  (925) 899-5536 or at www.CallPatrick.com. An independently owned and operated office. In association with Realty One Group Elite DRE# 0193160. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Editor:

Ward 5 of the Community College Board needs change – Enholm must go!

Ward 5 of the Contra Costa Community College District, including Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen and Bethel Island, is badly in need of new leadership. The current Trustee for this area, Greg Enholm, has engaged in poor decisions, erratic behavior, and unethical acts that have not served the District, Los Medanos College in particular, very well.

This is not new, but enough is enough.

When the Board of Trustees approved in a 4-1 vote the building of the new Campus located in Brentwood, on donated land, with an approved Bond Measure E in 2014, Enholm continued to oppose its construction. An alternative site would have taken years for approval adding costs for acquisition of land and increased taxes. The new campus was needed as the existing leased building in a retail district of Brentwood was over-capacity. In 2016 Enholm also recommended the residents of the nearby Trilogy community sue the District to keep its construction at bay.

This opposition caused numerous delays, added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost due to litigation, and for a time imperiled the use of the approved Bond as expenditures needed to begin within an approved time. Covid-19 has impacted its opening, but the students will be served well by this new educational facility.

Especially troubling has been allegations of multiple ethics violations by Enholm that have recently come to light. He has not denied the allegations. The allegations were found to be true by an investigator of the District which included inappropriately trying to get a friend re-classified to be considered for a top-level position as well as ghost-writing an email to the District. As part of the investigation it was noted that Enholm went directly to the Chancellor to ask him to reconsider his friend for the position even though the person was already deemed to be unqualified for the position.

Of late, with the District facing challenges due to COVID-19, he also voted to terminate upper-level district managers, ignoring numerous requests from faculty and classified staff to reconsider that decision. Enholm has stopped listening to the faculty, staff, and his constituents and has engaged in recent actions that have put our District’s financial future at risk.

It is time for new leadership on the Contra Costa Community College District Board: Elect Fernando Sandoval.

Valerie T Lopez

Pittsburg

 

Claims Wright is “out of touch”…“with Antioch’s values” because of positions on issues his political party has taken, not him; Thorpe admits one attack was incomplete, referring to it as “A small error…”

By Allen Payton

During the continued battle for votes , in an email sent out on Saturday, October 10, Antioch Councilman Lamar Thorpe, a candidate for mayor, attacked Mayor Sean Wright giving misleading statements about two of Wright’s votes on the council, and injected more partisan politics into the race for the non-partisan position.

Following is the portion of Thorpe’s email that includes the attacks on Wright.

Date: October 10, 2020 at 7:39:46 AM PDT

Subject: WOW! Republican Endorsements…
Reply-To: Lamar Thorpe for Mayor! <lamar@lamarthorpe.com>

At the bottom of Thorpe’s email it reads, Paid for by Lamar Thorpe, Antioch Mayor 2020  FPPC: 1432877

Thorpe’s email refers to a postcard Wright’s campaign mailed to Democrat voters in Antioch the previous week with endorsements by local, registered Democrats with the words, “Mayor Sean Wright Shares OUR VALUES”.

Thorpe’s email reads about Wright, “WOW!!! Last week TRUMP REPUBLICAN candidates like my opponent Mayor Sean Wright wanted you to believe they were Democrats. They are not. Although I’m not surprised, he did vote against my police reform proposal, voted against housing homeless families, voted against cannabis retailing and manufacturing, and the list goes on.”

Thorpe admits the latter attack on Wright’s votes on cannabis businesses was incomplete, saying it was “A small error on my part.”

While Wright voted against forming the Cannabis Business Overlay Districts on May 22, 2018, then again on June 26, 2018 (see related articles, here and here), he voted for all four cannabis businesses that have applied for permits in Antioch. Wright voted with three other council members in favor of the first cannabis retail store in the city on April 23, 2019, located on W. 10th Street, with only Councilmember Lori Ogorchock opposing. (See related article) Then he, along with the rest of the council members voted for another retail cannabis store on W. 10th Street on June 25, 2019. (See related article) Wright also voted for a cannabis business on Wilbur Avenue which was approved by the city council on Sept. 10, 2019 on a 4-1 vote with only Councilmember Lori Ogorchock opposing. That location includes cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, dispensary and delivery. (See related article)

Regarding the police reform proposals, while Wright didn’t support Thorpe’s two-councilmember ad hoc committee on police reform, whose meetings could be held in secret and not required to follow the state’s open meeting laws, Wright supported having all five council members participate in forums on police reform and race relations in Antioch. Thorpe and fellow Councilmember Monica Wilson opposed that, and Thorpe went silent for the remainder of the council meeting when asked for his input and ideas on and who to include in the forums. (See related article)

Earlier this year, Thorpe proposed 13 reforms for the police department, including those that are part of the 8 Can’t Wait national effort, five of which, according to Police Chief T Brooks, that have been or are already being implemented. (See related article) Thorpe’s own press release about it admits two of the 8 Can’t Wait reforms are “already an Antioch policy”. (See related article) In addition, the first of the eight, “Ban police use of chokeholds and strangleholds, including the carotid restraint”, was recently banned statewide by the governor signing into law a bill on the issue.

The attack, while misleading, is accurate because the vote on forming the ad-hoc committee did include Thorpe’s five reform proposals. However, Wright did not support approving any of them before receiving input from the public through the forums.

Thorpe Explains, Admits to Incomplete Information

When asked about his email and why it contained information that was clearly false, Thorpe responded in an email clarifying his accusations.

“Sean did vote against my police reform proposal,” he wrote. “My proposal to establish a police reform ad-hoc (committee) was very clear and specific and was voted down in a 3/2 vote. Following is a quote from my press release, which you have cited on multiple occasions: ‘At the Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Antioch Council meeting, Councilmember Thorpe will call for the formation of a City Council Ad-Hoc Committee on Police Reforms to be composed of council members, legal advisers, police leaders, police union representatives, and community advocates. The role of the committee will be to examine potential long-term reforms in the following areas: 1. Demilitarize our local police 2. Increase police accountability 3. Improved police hiring practices 4. Excessive use of force 5. Budget appropriations.’ Here is the vote: https://www.antiochca.gov/government/city-council-meetings/06-18-20/”

“On June 18, 2020, the council majority opted for a ‘larger conversation’ that is now called ‘Bridging the Gap’ and seems to be rooted in the idea of police-community relations,” Thorpe explained. “Please note, after almost five months, no larger conversation has taken place because of the bureaucratic process, which we could have bypassed with my police reform proposal to establish an ad-hoc.”

“In terms of cannabis retailing and manufacturing, I’m talking about policy, not applications, Sean did vote against the cannabis policy and zoning overlay. I should have included the word ‘policy’, ‘legislation’, ‘proposal’ or ‘ordinance’ following that phrase. I did use these phrases on my website and campaign material. A small error on my part.”

“Here is the meeting where he voted no and specifically attributed his ‘No’ vote to cannabis retailing: https://www.antiochca.gov/government/city-council-meetings/05-22-18/,” Thorpe shared. “The Herald reported about it here: http://antiochherald.com/2018/05/22-ah03/”

“Had we moved in the direction Mayor Wright recommended, the council would not have been able to consider the cannabis retail applications that followed,” he stated. “These retailers have resulted in the creation of high wage jobs, over $1 million in new city revenue, thousands of dollars to support local nonprofits like Beat the Streets, and additional revenue for the police department.”

“We were in a rush to get that out and I should have included that information,” Thorpe added about the email message.

Attempts to reach Wright for comment were unsuccessful prior to publication. Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Includes grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured property losses, more

WASHINGTON – Oct. 16, 2020 – 9:20 PM EST – FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of California to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires from Sept. 4 and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego and Siskiyou counties.  Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to the state, tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego and Siskiyou counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Willie G. Nunn has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of damage assessments.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY

Hosted by The Yellow Heart Committee

Moderators include Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, NBC Bay Area’s Candice Nguyen

Citizens will have opportunity to be a party to political leaders discussing sexual assault prevention and survivor empowerment

Zoom – This town hall is to allow survivors, politicians, and non-profit leaders to engage and brainstorm tangible policy changes and actions to support survivors. We look forward to holding a space to hear potent testimonies of the struggles victims have endured post attack, to listen to the demands of victims, and to address the flaws in our criminal justice system. This will be a platform for a conversation and a chance for leaders to reflect on the direct impact they could have on victims’ lives through their policy decisions.

“I knew we needed to get the people who can make change happen in the same room,” said The Yellow Heart Committee Founder N’dea Johnson. “Getting people together, especially during COVID, is never easy. But the work we’re doing, and the education we’re spreading, it’s just too important to wait.”

The virtual town hall is scheduled for October 17th, 2020 at 4 PM PST/7 PM EST. It consists of three panels: Urgency of the Issue, Reimagining Support for Survivors, and Addressing Necessary Policy Changes. In addition, there will be testimonials from survivors, and a panel of political figures. They are listed below.

Speakers:

US Congressman Eric Swalwell

US Congressman Mike Thompson

CA State Assemblymember Rob Bonta

CA State Assemblymember Shirley Weber

Panelists:

CA State Assemblymember Tim Grayson

SC State House Candidate Dr. Jermaine Johnson

Antioch City Council Member Monica Wilson

Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan

President of Alliance For Hope International Casey Gwinn

CEO of Love Never Fails Vanessa Russell

President of SF Pride Carolyn Wysinger

Moderators

CA State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

NBC Investigative Reporter and Survivor Candice Nguyen

Suisun City Vice Mayor Wanda Williams

Event Details:

What: Virtual Zoom Town Hall

When: Saturday, October 17, 2020

Where: Zoom. Register Here: https://bit.ly/3mJ9yiv

For any additional information, please contact us at yellowheartcommittee@gmail.com

The Yellow Heart Committee is an organization that is mobilizing to help survivors of trauma through policy making and community outreach. For more information, please visit and get involved at https://www.yellowheartcommittee.com/

My name is Marie Arce and I am running for Antioch City Council District 3.

My priority for Antioch is to improve the quality of life in our community. We can accomplish this through growing our small business community, supporting Antioch Police to reduce crime, ensuring taxpayer accountability, and cleaning up our dirty streets.

We need to grow our small business community through approaches such as:

• Expanding our small business grant program to include home-based businesses
• Develop a database to collect data points on the types of business, number of jobs, and success rates of businesses located in Antioch. This data can be used to attract the right mix of businesses.
• Work with the Chamber of Commerce to be a resource for our business community by providing support services and a complimentary introductory membership.

In addition to my small business platform I want to ensure that our community feels safe. I support fully funding our police to ensure that we have the number of officers that Chief Brooks has recommended. I want to work with the Chief to invest in the latest law enforcement technologies such as body cameras to improve the safety for both our officers and community.

We need to ensure that “Measure W” is used for police services and business growth as the voters intended. For blight the city will need to take a tougher stance on those who trash our city.

Antioch is my hometown. I was raised here went to school here and restoring Antioch pride is personal to me. I hope that I earn your vote.

Contact me: Facebook @Marie Arce for Antioch City Council District 3 | Instagram @MarieArceCityCouncil | http://www.mariearce.com

PLEASE JOIN US.

Supervisor Federal Glover was there for our firefighters and our residents during the massive fires we experienced the last couple of years. We wholeheartedly support Supervisor Glover’s re-election and look forward to working closely with him for another term.