Park Ridge subdivision park, Valeriano and Guiseppina Jacuzzi Knolls Open Space

By Allen Payton

One of the family members that helped develop the Jacuzzi name into a global recognized brand in the hot tub business, and his wife, will have their legacy of farming and land ownership in Antioch honored with the naming of a 25-acre open space inside a new home subdivision off the future extension of Laurel Road. The city council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the Valeriano and Guiseppina Jacuzzi Knolls Open Spacee and Park Ridge subdivision park. Park Ridge park & Jacuzzi Knolls Open Space ACC11-10-20

The 525-unit new home project by Davidon Homes will feature both the 8.22-acre park in the Park Ridge development. It will also have a trail to connect to the Delta de Anza Trail as well as the Jacuzzi open space.

The park will include a dog park and is expected to be completed by first quarter of next year a representative of Davidon Homes shared.

“Exciting for Antioch exciting for the project,” Mayor Sean Wright said following the presentation.

“It looks like it’s a beautiful park with a lot of open space. So, thank you for that,” said Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock. “The only ask is that the playground structures be all access. I just want to make sure it’s put into the resolution so that it gets done.”

“It’s a beautiful park and what a great amenity to the subdivision,” added Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts who followed her comments by making a motion to adopt a resolution of approval for the park and open space.

The council then voted unanimously 5-0 approving the motion.

Valeriano and Guissepina Jacuzzi and Family History, and Ties to Antioch

According to former Antioch Mayor Joel Keller, the Jacuzzi family members started in Antioch and East County about 100 years ago. They were farmers, and then some family members left for Sonoma County and entered the vineyard and wine business.

“When they moved to Antioch is when they worked on their pump and started the Jacuzzi hot tub business,” he shared.

“The family still owns many acres of land in both Antioch and Brentwood,” Keller added.

Valeriano Jacuzzi was born on December 16, 1887 and died in 1973. Guiseppina, known as “Pina”, was also born on December 16, but in 1898. The year of her passing could not be found in a search prior to publication time.

According to the history of the Jacuzzi family on the Jacuzzi Vineyards website, “The Jacuzzi trek to America started in 1907, when Valeriano and Francesco Jacuzzi, the second- and third-born sons of Giovanni and Teresa Jacuzzi, immigrated to Washington to work on the railroad. A warmer climate beckoned and the pair eventually made their way to southern California. Years later, they were joined by four other brothers and eventually all went to work in the aviation industry. Soon they would make American history.

In 1911 their father, Giovanni, a skilled wood worker and vineyard farmer joined them. Two weeks was enough to convince him that his sons would never go back. He then returned to Italy with Valeriano to gather up the rest of the family.”

According to the Jacuzzi Wikipedia page, “Jacuzzi Brothers was founded in 1915 by seven Italian brothers from Casarsa della Delizia in Northern Italy, led by Giocondo Jacuzzi and Candido Jacuzzi. The company made wooden propellers under military contracts” at their location on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley.

According to the vineyards’ website, “World War I intervened and the trip was delayed until the war’s end. During this time, Valeriano had met Giuseppina and fell in love, married and had their first child. Valeriano’s new family, parents and remaining siblings departed from Italy in 1920.

Soon after their arrival in early 1921, Valeriano started working with his brothers at their Jacuzzi Brothers factory. A tragic crash, over Modesto, of Jacuzzi’s first enclosed monoplane took several lives, including that of Valeriano’s brother, Giocondo. At this time, Giovanni asked his sons to cease making planes. Valeriano moved his family to Northern California and purchased a 161-acre farm in (Antioch) Contra Costa County.

During the depression, Valeriano, with help from his older children, planted a portion of the open farm fields with grapes and in 1936 he applied for a license to make wine for home consumption.

“In 1937, Valeriano returned to work with his brothers at Jacuzzi Brothers, Inc…where they manufactured water well pumps and eventually, the bath and spa that bears their name.”

Valeriano’s grandson, Fred Cline started Cline Family Cellars in 1982 in Oakley, making his first vintages from original plantings some of which dated back to the 1880’s. Those vineyards can still be seen, today along the north side of the city next to the railroad tracks.

“Cline opened Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in 2007 as a way of honoring his beloved grandfather Valeriano Jacuzzi. As a teenager and young man, Fred was taught by Valeriano how to tease magic from the soil” and “the fine art of old-world winemaking.” Two of the wines sold by  Jacuzzi Family Vineyards are named Valeriano and Guiseppina as tributes to his grandparents.

According to the Jacuzzi hot tubs company website, “the Jacuzzi brothers revolutionized the pump industry by developing a pump for orchards. Many inventions later…when a young Jacuzzi family member was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis, the brothers designed a pump that could be submerged in a bathtub to provide pain-relieving hydrotherapy treatments,” creating a hydromassage pump. “In 1968 Jacuzzi created the world’s first integrated jet whirlpool bath” and “the portable hydrotherapy pump turned any normal bathtub into a relaxing and rejuvenating hydro-therapeutic spa and changed the lives of people around the world.”

In 1979, the Jacuzzi family sold the business (and the name) to a large corporate conglomerate, and Valeriano and Guissepino’s son Remo remained president of Jacuzzi Brothers until 1982. Remo Jacuzzi started and owns Jason International, a  hydrotherapy company named from a combination of Jacuzzi and the word “son”.

Now, the 25-acre open space in Antioch will bear the Jacuzzi family name, specifically as a legacy to one of the inventive, hardworking farmer and vintner brothers, Valeriano and his bride, Guissepina, who have added to Antioch’s rich history as the county’s oldest city.

 

Walker expands lead over Motts in Council District 1;

Davis’ lead shrinks to 50 votes over Posada for Treasurer

By Allen Payton

In a surprise update on Tuesday afternoon posted on the Contra Costa Elections Division website, the race for Antioch City Clerk has flipped with Antioch School Board Trustee Ellie Householder pulling into the lead by just 30 votes, with 11,323 to incumbent Arne Simonsen’s 11,293 votes. She had previously conceded the election, last week, congratulating Simonsen on what was believed to be a victory. (Please see related article)

UPDATE: Asked if she was surprised by today’s update and if she wins will she step down from the school board, Householder responded, “I am happily surprised! And no, I won’t step down.” If Householder ends up winning, she will probably be the first elected official in Antioch history to hold two elected offices at the same time. (The Herald will have to research that).

However, not all the votes in the county have been counted, yet and another update is expected on Friday by 5:00 p.m. elections office staff told the Herald. Antioch Councilman and Mayor-elect Lamar Thorpe shared the figure of 10,000 votes left to be counted.

When reached for comment to confirm that figure Assistant Registrar of Voters, Scott Konopasek said, “we expect about 10,000 votes are left to be counted countywide for the whole election, plus about 5,000 provisionals.”

“The 10,000 are mostly ballots that are damaged that have to be duplicated,” he continued. “We’re getting ballots that were dropped off in other counties.”

Ballots can continue to arrive until November 20th and still be included in the county including military ballots.

“I’s not just military, it’s all ballots,” Konopasek said. “We aren’t going to report the provisionals until the 20th. They still have to be processed.”

“Then there are about 2,000 military ballots that were faxed to us, which have to be duplicated. But those are included in the 10,000,” he continued. “On the 20th, we will count all the provisionals and we should be 99.9% completed.”

Asked why the update today, Konopasek responded with a bit of joviality, “We’re taking tomorrow off for Veterans Day. I’m a veteran and I don’t work on Veterans Day!”

In the Antioch City Council District 1 race, newcomer Tamisha Walker expanded her lead to 191 votes over incumbent Joy Motts. Walker now has 2,788 votes over Motts’ 2,597. The head had previously been just 12 votes as of the first semi-official update last Friday afternoon. (See related article)

In the City Treasurer’s race, appointed incumbent Jim Davis’ lead was cut to just 50 votes over challenger Lauren Posada. It’s the second time the gap has closed, beginning with 1,075 votes difference as of Election Night, then down to 764 between the two as of last Friday’s update. Davis now has 20,679 votes to Posada’s 20,629.

No other significant changes occurred in the other races for Antioch City Council with Mike Barbanica’s lead over former Councilman Tony Tiscareno’s lead dropping by just six votes to now 666 in the District 2 race, and Councilwomen Lori Ogorchock and Monica Wilson winning handily in Districts 3 and 4, respectively. While Ogorchock’s lead dropped by 115 votes to just 550 over newcomer Nichole Gardner, Wilson increased her lead by 844 votes to 3,169 over Police Crime Prevention Commission Chair Sandra White in her first campaign for public office.

In the mayor’s race, Thorpe continued to increase his lead by another 1,080 votes over incumbent Dr. Sean Wright. The lead is now 4,569 votes, now with 19,363 for Thorpe to 14,794 for Wright.

“No (Antioch) mayoral candidate has won with more than 15,000 votes,” Thorpe mentioned.

So, three of the current incumbents will return for another term, Wilson for just two years as her seat will be up for election in 2022, as will the District 1 seat.

In the Antioch School Board races there were no changes, as Antonio Hernandez expanded his lead in Area 1 over incumbent Trustee and Board President Diane Gibson-Gray, and Clyde Lewis expanded his lead over incumbent Trustee Crystal Sawyer-White.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Retail stores 100 people or 50% max;

Gyms reduced to 10% capacity;

Office workspaces must operate remotely;

No changes to indoor worship, theaters from previous order

In response to evidence that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Contra Costa, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today moved the county back into the red tier of its Blueprint for a Safer Economy, restoring more safety requirements to slow the virus and save lives.

The state’s action today adds these additional requirements, effective starting Friday, Nov. 13 in Contra Costa:

• Retail stores that operate indoors must scale back their maximum occupancy to 50% or 100 people, whichever is lower.
• Indoor shopping malls must reduce their occupancy and reduce the occupancy of food courts to 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Office workspaces must operate remotely.
• Higher education institutions must keep indoor lectures and student gatherings to 25% occupancy or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Gyms and fitness centers must scale back their indoor occupancies to 10%.
• Communal indoor pools must close.
• Indoor family entertainment centers, such as bowling alleys, must close their indoor operations. Amusement parks cannot operate.
• Most live outdoor theatrical, musical or artistic performances are prohibited.

The average daily number of new, confirmed COVID-19 is on the rise in Contra Costa, and across the Bay Area and the U.S. Health officials urge county residents to consider how they are protecting themselves and their families from the virus, and what they can do to make the holiday season safer.

“The most critical way to protect against COVID-19 is to wear a face covering whenever you are near people who do not live with you, and whenever you go in a building that is not your home,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa Health Officer. “Face coverings help prevent people who do not know they are infected from spreading the virus to others. My mask protects you. Your mask protects me. Masks also provide some direct protection for the wearer.”

Most new COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa are spread within the home, with an infected member of a household passing the virus to people with whom they live. Face coverings in public reduce the risk of bringing COVID-19 into the home, where people usually do not mask or practice physical distancing.

Data from Contra Costa show that the average daily number of newly identified COVID-19 infections has risen steadily since the county entered the orange tier of the state’s plan on October 27.

On Tuesday, the 7-day average, per-capita number of new cases (the “adjusted case rate”) was 5.3 in Contra Costa, higher than permitted for counties in the orange tier for a second consecutive week. That triggered the county’s shift back into the more restrictive red tier, effective today.

Other data show an alarming rise in local cases. On Nov. 8, for example, there were 46 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Contra Costa – the highest one-day total since September.

In response to the data, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) issued a local health order last week that restored red-tier safety restrictions for a number of businesses and activities, though the county remained in the orange tier at the time.

Those changes remain in place today, including requirements for reduced occupancy during indoor worship services and for indoor dining and movie theaters, and the closure of bars that do not serve meals with alcohol. Cardrooms are required to operate outdoors only.

The tier change does not affect the ability of schools to reopen for in-person instruction, following state and local health guidelines. Outdoor playgrounds may also remain open.

Visit cchealth.org/coronavirus for local information about COVID-19. For questions about details of state or local health orders in Contra Costa County, visit our online FAQ or call 1-844-729-8410.

 

Fight began over a woman friends say

By Antioch Police Department

On Thursday, November 5, 2020, at about 4:06 pm, 40-year-old Curtis Gaines and 32-year-old Steven Wade were involved in a physical fight in front of 9 W. 20th Street in Antioch. After the fight was over, Wade went to his car and retrieved a pistol. Wade fired one round at Gaines, hitting him in the lower torso. Gaines was transported to a local hospital where he was declared deceased. (See related article)

The Antioch Investigations Unit, Special Operations Unit, and Problem Oriented Policing Unit tracked Wade to a residence on Poplar Drive in Concord, where he was taken into custody without incident.

According to people who knew both men, they were ex-brothers-in-law and the fight began over an issue with a woman.

On Monday, November 9, 2020, this case was presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and Wade was charged with murder, along with an enhancement for use of a firearm. He was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wade is currently being held at the Contra Costa County Jail with bail set at two million dollars. #antiochpdca

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

By Antioch Police Department

Antioch, we hear you! You want more traffic enforcement; here is an update!

You may recall we received a grant for our motor unit from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Funding from this grant has already led to an increase in motor officer training and operations. (See related article)

On November 2nd, using funding from this grant, our motor unit conducted a Traffic Enforcement Operation. We targeted well-known areas for speeders, thanks to the many tips we get from YOU!

The operation resulted in:

29 citations issued, including…

3 suspended license citations

2 unlicensed driver citations

2 distracted driving citations (put down the cell phones!!)

Keep those traffic tips coming, we are working hard for you!

For more information on the Go Safely campaign from the California Office of Traffic Safety, visit: https://gosafelyca.org

By Tom Lamothe

We are excited to offer this unprecedented opportunity of supporting the Antioch Sports Legends Museum and Program with an online auction event from November 19-22. For the first time in our 14-year history, we have the potential of connecting with all our alumni from across the nation for a fundraising event.

As this is just before Christmas, it’s the perfect time to buy gifts for you and your loved ones and help California’s best hometown sports museum.

This auction will have something for everyone. We have collected several one-of-a-kind Antioch sports memorabilia, along with home goods, electronics, national and international trips, sports memorabilia, lifetime experiences, and so much more. There are over 150 items in our auction!

All proceeds benefit the Antioch Sports Legends Museum and Program to cover our overhead with the Antioch Historical Society Museum and for displays, apparel, website cost, office supplies, and administrative expenses and to set us up for future success and projects.

Please register for the auction at: https://yourcharityauction.com/ASL

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep yourself up to date on what is happening at the Antioch Sports Legends Museum. We’re located downstairs, inside the Antioch Historical Society Museum at 1500 W. 4th Street at the curve of Auto Center Drive. For now we are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. For more information visit www.antiochsportslegends.com or call (925) 238-0565.