Will celebrate Inaugural Asian and Pacific Islander Lunar New Year, honor City of Antioch’s Sesquicentennial

By Daniel Borsuk

An ordinance concerning Contra Costa County’s affordable housing status and other proposed ordinances designed to boost election campaign funding for Supervisors and Non-supervisor candidates along with an Inaugural celebration recognizing the Asian and Pacific Islander New Year will be some of the Agenda Items the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will either take action on or pay tribute to at a meeting on Tuesday, February 1.

The Supervisors will meet remotely, starting at 9:00 a.m.  Proceedings will be televised on Comcast Cable twenty-seven, ATT/U-Verse Channel 99 and WAVE Channel 32 and can be seen live online at www.contracosta.ca.gov.

Public Hearing on Inclusionary Housing Ordinance

Supervisors will hold a hearing to determine if the county’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is “Consistent with the State’s definition of low-income household and qualifying income units and exempt community care facilities from the County’s Affordable Housing Requirements,” according to the report from the Contra Costa County Conservation and Development.

In effect since 2006, the proposed ordinance would align the County’s Ordinance with changes in the state’s definition of extended low, very low-, low- and moderate-income households and their respective qualifying income limits.

The proposed ordinance would exempt Community Care Facilities from the County’s Affordable Housing Requirements.

Election Campaign Ordinance

Supervisors will consider an Election Campaign Ordinance for Supervisorial and Non-supervisoral candidates increasing individual donations from $1,675 to $2,500.  The County’s Election Campaign Ordinance was first adopted in 1984 and was last revised in 2005.

The Election Campaign Ordinance also applies to other County Elected Positions such as Recorder-elections, Treasurer, Assessor, District Attorney, and Sheriff-Coroner.

A few weeks ago, when Supervisors first reviewed this ordinance, they had briefly studied the idea of raising donations to $5,000, the state limit, but decided to not go that route.

Inaugural Asian and Pacific Islander New Year Celebration

The Board of Supervisors will conduct their inaugural Asian and Pacific Islander New Year Celebration with Susan Kim, executive director of the Contra Costa Family Justice Center, and Professor Kent Wong, Director of the University of California Los Angeles Labor Center, as speakers.   The multi-cultural ceremony will feature dance, music, food, and unique customs of many of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities represented in Contra Costa County including Nepalese, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Tai, and Indian communities.

“We want to recognize one of the most important celebrations for our Asian and Pacific Islander communities and dismiss monolithic stereotypes by featuring the diversity in our Asian communities,” said Board Chair, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff. “Contra Costa County will make history on the first day of this year’s Lunar New Year, February 1st, with the inaugural event as we honor and celebrate the many different Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and traditions. As an important and integral part of our County family, we celebrate the new year with you, and wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year!”

The Asian and Pacific Islander New Year Celebration will be shown at www.contracostaca.gov/6068 or www.contracostatv.org. The community can watch on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) Channels; COMCAST Cable 27.

Rodeo Senior Housing Project  

Supervisors will hold a hearing on a proposal to permit Conservation and Development Director John Kopchick to sign a Development and Loan Agreement between the County and La Loma Rodeo EAU LLC for the sale of county owned property at 710 Willow Ave. in Rodeo.

The Rodeo development calls for the construction of a PA 67-unit affordable unit senior housing project with community space. The developers will receive from the county a $4,450,000 loan from the Housing Succession Low Moderate-Income Funds for construction of the building. The County would sell the County-owned property to La Loma Rodeo for $980,000.

Will honor City of Antioch’s Sesquicentennial – 150th Anniversary

District 3 Supervisor Dianne Burgis who represents portions of Antioch, will present her resolution for adoption that recognizes the City of Antioch’s Sesquicentennial or 150th Anniversary of Incorporation. Antioch was founded as Smith’s Landing in 1849 when the twin Smith brothers purchased land from John Marsh, owner of Rancho Los Medano, who had constructed a landing on the San Joaquin River. Following the death of Reverend Joseph Horton Smith in 1850, the residents, under the leadership of Rev. William Wiggins Smith, gathered during the July 4, 1851 picnic and renamed the town Antioch after the biblical city in Syria where the followers of Christ were first called Christians.  The City of Antioch was incorporated on February 6, 1872, becoming Contra Costa County’s original city. (See related article)

 

Witness who heard explosion, felt blast and saw smoke says another man was standing next to victim

Considered a suspicious death by APD, not homicide

Woman killed in Saturday night double homicide not pregnant

By Allen D. Payton

According to Antioch Police Strategic Communications Officer Darryl Saffold, an unknown Caucasian man appearing to be in his mid-50’s died from apparent self-inflicted wounds to his upper body caused by an improvised explosive device, Monday morning. The incident occurred at the south end of F Street near W. 17th Street near Live Oak High School and just outside the fence line of Antioch Middle School.

The APD Dispatch first received a call about 7:30 AM after someone discovered the body. Officers arrived on the scene, but no identification was found on the body.

It was first believed to be the city’s fourth or fifth homicide of the month and year, and early reports claimed the man died from gunshot wounds due to the placement of multiple, yellow, plastic evidence markers. But according to Saffold, those “indicate items of importance such as matter”, meaning pieces of the body of the deceased, and no shell casings were located at the scene.

The man’s body showed he had “suffered severe trauma to his face and right hand” and was “possibly homeless,” Saffold stated. “There were wires near the body. The way the body was positioned he was on top of the wires.”

As a result, the Walnut Creek Police Bomb Squad was called out.

Saffold held two press conferences about the incident on Monday. View them on the Antioch Herald Facebook page, here and here. (Apologies for the poor sound quality. Please be sure to turn up your speakers.)

Live Oak Classes Cancelled, Students Shelter in Place at Nearby Schools

Classes were cancelled at Live Oak and the teachers were sent home about 9:15 AM. as APD expanded the crime scene. Asked why, one officer said “We have reasons to believe there are safety reasons. They’re calling the bomb squad.” Up until that point APD was not sure the cause of the man’s death.

At 9:30 AM, an announcement could be heard from the neighboring Antioch Middle School loudspeaker for the students to shelter in place and their parents were being called.

Students at the adjacent Fremont Elementary Schools were also required to shelter in place. In addition, the “Out of an abundance of caution” Saffold said, APD asked all people within the area of “F Street between West 11th to West 17th Streets” to shelter in place, as police from several agencies, including Homeland Security, searched for other possible explosive devices. The shelter in place was lifted at 2:27 PM.

Live Oak Principal Tim Cooper said the students will return to school, tomorrow.

Witnesses Heard Explosion, Saw Smoke, One Felt Blast Saw Second Man at Scene

Sean Ledesma, who lives on W. 19th Street near the Antioch Library on W. 18th Street, said he was outside at the time having a smoke before getting ready to go to work, and heard an explosion at 5:45 AM.

“I jumped and immediately looked over in the direction of the schools and saw smoke rising up and the smoke reached as high as a nearby tree,” he said.  “It shook the ground. It was so close I felt the blast. It was immediate.”

“I saw a second man, there. He looked like he was in shock,” Ledesma continued. “It didn’t look like he was in a hurry to leave, and I was wondering why, if a bomb just went off.”

“I’ve heard explosions in Antioch, before. This one was different,” he stated. “I thought someone was just messing around with M-80’s. But what threw me off was how high the smoke went up and just stayed there.”

“I wondered, what was he doing between schools? Did he have bigger plans? Did the bomb go off accidentally?” Ledesma shared. “I took it that the other guy standing there didn’t expect as large of an explosion.”

Asked if he had spoken to police about what he had witnessed, Ledesma responded, “I haven’t spoken to police, yet.”

An APD Community Service Officer was nearby and took Ledesma’s name and information.

Another Antioch resident, named Mike, who said he was collecting recyclables on F Street near the corner of W. 17th Street at the time of the man’s death, also heard the explosion. He left the area before any additional information could be shared while Ledesma was being interviewed by the Herald.

Woman Killed Saturday Night Not Pregnant

It was also later shared by Saffold, that the 30-year-old female victim in the double homicide, Saturday night, was not pregnant, as was both rumored, as well as believed by District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker who shared that view with the Herald on Sunday night.

“I knew these humans. I worked with the mother and the son she was looking forward to (a) healthy baby,” the councilwoman wrote.

Asked if the woman had other children, Torres-Walker responded, “No. But she was looking forward to this baby.”

“This didn’t have to happen, but I guess politics matters more than people,” the councilwoman also wrote, referring to Mayor Lamar Thorpe not supporting or placing her proposal on a council agenda of hiring four more officers for the Sycamore area of Antioch, where the double homicide occurred. (See related articles here and here)

Saffold reiterated that the male suspect and woman who was killed were in a relationship. He added that they from Georgia where the suspect had outstanding warrants for domestic violence against her. (See related article)

The city’s second and third murders of the year; police seek the boy’s father as suspect

By Strategic Communications Officer Darryl Saffold, Antioch Police Department

On Saturday, January 29, 2022, at approximately 8:18 PM, Antioch Police Department Dispatch received a request for a welfare check on the 2100 block of Lemontree Way. A concerned citizen had not seen or heard from their neighbor in several days and was worried about them.

At approximately 8:21 PM, Antioch Officers arrived in the area and looked through a window to the apartment, when there was no answer at the front door. Upon looking through the window, Officers could see a Black 15-year-old juvenile unresponsive on the floor.

Due to the concern for life, Officers forced entry into the apartment and found the juvenile was deceased. Worried for any other occupants inside the apartment, Officers searched for other people and located a 30-year-old Black female deceased in an upstairs room. Both victims suffered from obvious trauma and this incident was determined to be a homicide.

Antioch Investigators and Crime Scene Investigations Unit responded to the scene and were able to develop suspect information, which was broadcast to other police agencies throughout the Bay Area. An alert Redwood City officer located the suspect at a train station in Redwood City and took him into custody.

It was determined through this investigation that the 34-year-old Black male suspect was in a relationship with the 30-year-old female and the 15-year-old male was the suspect’s biological son.

No other information is being released at this time including the names of the victims or suspect.

Heartbreaking incidents like this can have a profound effect on our community. The Antioch Police Department would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of this unspeakable tragedy.

Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Whitaker at (925) 779-6890 or by emailing wwhitaker@antiochca.gov. Anonymous tips or information about this – or any other incident – can be sent via text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ANTIOCH.

150 years since Antioch became Contra Costa’s first city in 1872

First of yearlong calendar of events

Read about the City of Antioch incorporation history 

By Allen D. Payton

On February 6, 1872, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors were petitioned by the town of Antioch for incorporation. Antioch was granted incorporation “for police purposes, and other purposes” and became the first city in the county. Next Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, will be the 150th anniversary or sesquicentennial of that event. To celebrate, City leaders and the Celebrate Antioch Foundation will hold a ceremony to acknowledge Antioch’s incorporation date, Contra Costa County’s original city and one of the oldest cities in California, at the Birthplace of Antioch monument at the foot of F Street. A proclamation will be read, and a rededication held, followed by light snacks and drinks at the Antioch Senior Center.

Antioch’s Incorporation Day event will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and is the first of many events, this year to celebrate the City of Antioch Sesquicentennial.

City of Antioch Incorporation History

According to the book entitled, Antioch To The Twenties by Elise S. Benyo and published by the Antioch Unified School District, “the petition for the incorporation of the town of Antioch” submitted to the Board of Supervisors included the names of 101 electors. The document and the names read as follows:

“We, the undersigned (being a majority of the Town of Antioch, and qualified electors and residents thereof for more than thirty days last past, the said town containing more than two hundred inhabitants,) do now most respectfully petition Your Honorable Body to incorporate the said town, under the name of Antioch, the same being about one mile in width by about three miles in length (but not exceeding the same), and situated on the San Joaquin River, adjoining the New York grant in this county, as per plate or map hereto attached; said town to be incorporated for police purposes, and other purposes. Pursuant to the statutes of this State. And your petitioners will ever pray, etc.

Donlon, S. Franklin Pitts, Henry N. Baker, Joseph Galloway, J. T. Cossan, Charles Peers, M. A. Morrisey, Van W. Phillips, Ferdinand Stain, Cyrus Cheney, Joseph Ott, W. A. Brunkhorst, William Jones, Robert West, George P. Rockford, Oliver Wolcott, F. Wilkening, George Thyarks, H. Gardner, James Martin, James Conroy, M. S. Levy, G. B. Robbins, George Gruenwald, W. Rountree, William C Johnson, Albert Brinck, J. C. McMaster, James Ewing, G. W. Kimball, Charles Kohn, Frederick Vollmer, T. N. Willis, J. J. McNulty, I. Lobree, D. Mayon, H. W. Fassett, Charles Wein, H. H. Dearien, George Miller, D. McCartney, D. N. Cleaves, G. S. Carman, Joseph Scheirwelup, J. E. Bollinger, R. B. Hard, J. R. Howard, R. J. Wally, Stephen Jessup, H. Rietoro , R. G. Houston, Francis Williams, Oscar M. Jessup, James T. Cushing, Abraham Low, H. L. Farland, John W. Strickler, Stephen Abbott, P. Griffin, George Perry, Job E. Warren, J. H. Lewis, S. S. Pitts, T. O. Carter, A. Brown, J. Nicholson, Jay Tuttle, S. T. Page, M. H. Jacobs, George McCoy, H. W. Brewer, T. Aug. Heinoch, J. A. Chittenden, Joseph L. Smith, John B. Turner, George W. Brown, R. R. Fuller, Thomas Martin, A. M. Marble,  Peter Donlon, R. Taylor, H. B. Reed, Christian Humble, S. B. Joslin, J. P. Abbott, Frank McFarlane, Warren Abbott, Joseph Baules, H. A. Foster, M. Homburg, James Gard, P. McDermott, J. Strickfield, John Tappeinen, H. Williamson, G. E. Wright H. Seers, Joseph P. Barron.”

Official Notice of Incorporation, Town Limits

The official notice of incorporation was published in The Antioch Ledger on Saturday, February 10, 1872, and described the city limits.

“It is therefore ordered that said town be, and the same is hereby declared Incorporated, and to be known by the name of Antioch, the corporate limits of said town to be as follows: Commencing at a point on the bank of the San Joaquin river, at the intersection of the line dividing Sections 14 and 15, Township 2 north, Range 1 east, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, running thence from said point south on the said dividing line between Section 14 and 15, 22 and 23, one and one half miles to the South west corner of the North west quarter of Section 23, thence running East thee miles, to the South east corner of the North east quarter of Section 19, Township 2 north, Range 2 east, thence north, to the San Joaquin river, thence along the line of the ordinary high tides on the South bank of the San Joaquin river in a westerly direction to the point of beginning, and containing three square miles.” (Antioch is now almost 30 square miles).

First Board of Trustees (City Council) and Meeting Place

An election was held on February 24, 1872, held at the National Hall, on Main Street (now, I Street), according to a notice published in The Antioch Ledger, to elect the five members of the first Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Assessor and Marshal. Roswell Butler Hard, T. N. Willis, James Ewing, J. C. McMaster and George Gruenwald were elected as trustees. M.S. Levy was elected the city’s first clerk.

Hard’s home on Front (now First) Street, which is still standing, today, served as the meeting place of the first board of trustees of the newly incorporated City of Antioch on March 2, 1872. At the meeting, Hard was elected president (mayor).

According to the book entitled, Images of America – Antioch by the Antioch Historical Society, the mayor was “an influential businessman in Antioch. Hard owned six lots and built his large, two-story brick house on Front (First) Street” on one of the lots. “It was considered one of the handsomest and most costly houses in the county.” In addition, “the Hard House was the first building in the city to be recorded on the National Registry of Historic Places.”

Hard had held public office, previously as the elected County Supervisor in 1866 and 1868 and County Sheriff in 1867 and 1869. He held both jobs concurrently.

First Ordinance Prevented Livestock to “Run at Large”

On March 14, of the same year the By-laws were passed. Ordinance No. 1 prohibited owners of (live)stock to suffer (allow) the same to run at large within the limit of the town. An ordinance was passed regulating the use of firearms. A motion was passed to have Mr. Hard to furnish and repair the town prison.

Disincorporated and Incorporated Again

One interesting historical fact is, according to the book entitled, History of Contra Costa County California, Antioch “was first incorporated in 1872. Later it was disincorporated, but was again incorporated in 1890.

Special thanks to Jacquelyn Higgins, Adult/Teen Services Librarian of the Antioch Community Library for her research assistance for this article.

 

Fliers posted throughout community

By Oakley Police Department

The Oakley Police Department received a call of a missing person, under suspicious circumstances, on January 27, 2022. The missing person is identified as Alexis Gabe, 24, of Oakley. She was last seen on Benttree Way in Antioch.

Gabe is described as an Asian female, 5’7”, 170 pounds and last known to be wearing a white tank top, silver/black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and green/white shoes.

Oakley Police patrol personnel and detectives began immediate efforts to locate Gabe. The Oakley Police Department has been in contact with Gabe’s family and have spoken to key people who were last known to be with her. The efforts to locate Gabe are continuing as detectives analyze evidence and patrol personnel continue to field tips and conduct physical searches for Gabe.

Fliers of Gabe have been posted throughout East County over the past two days.

Please report any credible sightings of Gabe, or any information that will lead to her discovery by calling the Oakley Police Department at 925-625-8060.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Approaching critical phase – but few people seem interested, participating

The BART redistricting process is reaching a critical phase, with just one more virtual meeting for public outreach, scheduled for 6 pm on Wednesday, February 2nd. Few people seem interested in participating in the process in spite of the significant impact redistricting has on who will run for office and be elected over the next 10 years. Only two people offered public comments at the last BART meeting on redistricting, including the publisher of the Herald, Allen Payton.

Join the virtual meeting on 2/2/22 at 6pm on Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82168419186
Webinar ID: 821 6841 9186

Or Telephone US: +1 669 900 6833  (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499

BART election districts are redrawn every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The primary purpose of redistricting is to ensure population equality among districts.

Once the public outreach has concluded, the BART Board of Directors will continue to discuss the process and advance the work at upcoming Board meetings, including a special meeting of the Board of Directors. Meetings and agendas will be announced in advance. Sign up for Board meeting notices here.

BART has provided the following draft maps and census population and race/ethnicity data:

BART Board Districts Map Plan A

BART Board Districts Map Plan B

BART Board Districts Map Plan C

Census population and race/ethnicity data by District (Current, Plan A, Plan B, Plan C)

BART has rolled out mapping tools to enable public input for redistricting.

BART interactive mapping tool for redistricting: This tool gives residents the ability to create and share a Community of Interest and/or draft Board Member districts. Map submissions will appear in the gallery on the main landing page, enabling residents to view public input for redistricting.

BART Districts and Demographic Data: This web mapping tool is for visualizing BART districts and demographic data.
In addition to the interactive mapping tool, BART is providing a Community Input Map to allow residents to identify and provide supplemental information regarding their Community of Interest. This feature can be used on a mobile device and is offered in English and Spanish (Español), providing residents with an app that can be used to submit community information in their language of choice.

Community Input Map: English

Community Input Map: Spanish

Learn more about BART Redistricting at bart.gov/redistricting.

This process is guided by traditional redistricting principles as well as the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, the federal Voting Rights Act, the BART District Act, and the Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions (FAIR MAPS) Act.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Daniel Borsuk

A housing boom in the single family and multi-family residential construction sectors will jump start Contra Costa County’s economy in the post-COVID 19 era, economist Dr. Christopher Thornberg told the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors during their retreat on Tuesday.

“Housing, housing, housing is the wave of the future for Contra Costa County,” Dr. Thornberg of Beacon Economics said during a two-hour remote presentation entitled “The Post-Covid New World Order: It’s a seller’s market for now.”

In 2021, Contra Costa County outpaced other Bay Area counties especially San Francisco and Alameda counties in issuing single family and multi-family residential permits, the economist said.  Housing construction serves as an economic sparkplug for the local economy – stores and services, especially public schools.

From this increased economic activity, the county will draw increased sales tax revenue particularly from the newly voter approved Measure X sales tax measure.  County officials estimate Measure X will pump in $170 million of additional revenue for county health and social programs for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Contra Costa County had issued 1,687 permits in 2021 for single family residential units, an increase of 466 permits from 2019 and 1,336 permits for multi-family residential units, an increase of 580 units from 2019, based on statistics that Dr. Thornberg showed.

In the meantime, San Francisco City and County issued only 86 single-family housing permits in 2021, an increase of only nine permits from 2020, and 2,075 multi-family residential unit permits in 2021, a decrease of 552 permits, from 2020.

Residential construction in Alameda County was down in both categories. Single family was declined 41 permits with 1,241 permits issued overall in 2021.  Multi-family residential construction was also down 126 units to 2,953 units multi-family residential unit permits overall.

“Offices are going to take a beating in the suburbs,” the economist forecast. More people are working from home, and it appears this remote trend is here to stay for a while, he said.

In San Francisco’s Financial District, where it is nearly deserted because of the pandemic, there are office buildings that are practically empty of workers, Thornberg said.  He said it would be very costly to convert unused office buildings into residential buildings in the city.

79.8 Percent Fully Vaccinated 

Meanwhile, Contra Costa County Health Services Director Anna Roth reported that 79.8 percent of the county’s population is fully vaccinated.

“Mask-wearing has become a priority and wearing cloth masks are not that protective,” said Roth

Even then there has been a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the county Deputy Health Officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli said with 281 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or the Omicron variant.

Supervisors also learned the county on average administers 12,000 COVID-19 tests daily.

Nino Recommends Postponing $59 Million of American Rescue Plan Funds

Supervisors also, on the recommendation of County Administrator Monica Nino, voted 5-0 to postpone the acceptance of $59 million of the second-year allocation of American Rescue Plan funds “until the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and related impacts on Contra Costa County is better understood in January 2023,” she stated.

In the meantime, some $53 million in year two American Rescue Plan funds be accept by the county.

Nino had cited bureaucratic red-tape issues both at the state and federal levels for temporarily halting portions of the federal funds used for rental assistance, employment assistance and other federal government subsidy programs developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

One suspect named Sir Stephen Forbes demonstrates lack of nobility concealing weapon; another suspect had multiple warrants

By Darryl Saffold, Strategic Communications Officer, Antioch Police Department

Last night, while everyone was hopefully sleeping 🛌, our Blue Swings crew was out searching for things that go bump in the night. On three separate stops, by three separate officers, four illegal handguns were recovered.

There are no code reds 🚨 in Antioch, meaning we will be proactive in making sure our streets and citizens are safe! Thankfully we have a few good men and women who make it so we can all rest a little easier.

DATE: 1/27/22  TIME: 6:06 PM

LOCATION: Peppertree Way at Sycamore Drive

Officer Nutt conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle being driven by Sir Stephen Forbes (22 years old). A probable cause search was conducted, and a loaded firearm was located inside a fanny pack belonging to Sir Stephen. The gun was registered to Sir Stephen but he was illegally concealing the firearm and did not have a concealed carry permit. Sir Stephen was subsequently cited and released from the scene for the MISD weapons possession.

DATE: 1/27/22  TIME: 10:38  PM

LOCATION: G Street at W. 13th Street

Officer Miller conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle being driven by Taylor Michelson (30 years old). A records check showed Michelson to have multiple warrants for his arrest. Michelson was taken into custody without incident and a subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a loaded Glock pistol. Michelson was transported to MDF.

Two other illegal firearms were recovered last night through police efforts. No additional details will be provided to protect identities of parties involved.