By CCC Office of the Sheriff

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has recently approved additional sergeant and specialist positions for the Office of the Sheriff. They will be used to help handle the backlog of requests for concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits.

Since the Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen on June 23, 2022, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office has been inundated by requests for CCW permits. The ruling struck down New York’s restrictions on applicants for CCW’s to show a compelling need to carry a concealed weapon in public. That meant that similar restrictions requiring applicants to demonstrate “good cause” in some states, like California, were unconstitutional.

Prior to the Bruen decision, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office would typically receive about 20 CCW applications each month which would be processed by one employee. Since the decision, the Sheriff’s Office has been receiving several hundred applications a month and now has a backlog of over 1,000 CCW applications.

Obtaining a CCW is a multi-step process that requires a detailed application, California Department of Justice fingerprints, background check, interview, and training class. There is also a fee of $160 that is paid after the applicant completes the training class. In addition to new applications, the Sheriff’s Office handles the ongoing renewals for about 500 current CCW holders.

The Sheriff’s Office is now in the process of filling the new positions. We regret the delay and are processing applications as quickly as possible. Click here to Apply for a CCW Permit | Contra Costa Sheriff, CA (cocosheriff.org)

 

Charles Edward Smith

July 18, 1949 – November 11, 2022

With humble acceptance of God’s will, we announce the passing of Charles Edward Smith on November 11th, 2022. Beloved husband of Betty Jean Waldrup Smith, and legendary father, grandfather, father-in-law, godfather, brother, uncle and friend will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Due to the upcoming holidays, and to allow proper travel time for out-of-town family members, the Celebration of Life for Charles Smith will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 11am at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, 301 East 13th Street, Antioch, CA 94509. Further updates will be sent in the weeks to come.

Our family would also like to thank everyone for the thoughtful flowers, gifts, meals and offers of help during this very difficult time. It is comforting to know that we are not alone in our grief.

“Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and forever dear.”

Publisher’s note: Charles was a photographer for the Antioch Press between 2001 and 2005.

By non-student, non-resident

By Acting Lt. Michael Mellone #4323, Antioch Police Support Services Division

The Antioch Police Department was made aware of a threat of violence at Dallas Ranch Middle School yesterday, evening, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022.

We took immediate steps to investigate the threat and have determined it was made by a non-student who does not live in the area. While the investigation remains ongoing, officers will be working with school officials to provide ongoing extra patrol of the campus and surrounding area.

Our officers are trained to address threats at school campuses, giving absolute priority to protecting human life. Anyone who sees anything suspicious on or near any school campus is asked to contact us at (925) 778-2441 or 9-1-1 if an emergency. You can also a text an anonymous tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH.

UPDATE: Antioch Unified School District Superintendent Stephanie Anello was asked for additional details and what the school and district personnel did in response.  Lindsay Lopez–Wisely, Director of Educational Services, Secondary Support for AUSD shared the following Thursday afternoon:

“At 7 am this morning Principal Spires received a message from a parent regarding a threating Instagram post. The parent confirmed that the police were contacted late last night. Principal Spires then contacted me, and we immediately called the APD dispatch and they put us in touch with the supervising officer – Officer Hughes.

Officer Hughes worked with both Principal Spires and myself as we immediately investigated the source of the social media post. We discovered immediately that the post was from a non-student who had moved out of the area. We were able to reach a guardian and confirm the student was safe and did not have any weapons. APD worked directly with that police department and assured the district that there was no threat against the DRMS campus or students. They kept several officers out front as an added safety measure during morning drop off. We also placed additional security personnel (STM) to start the school day. We immediately notified parents on the Remind App about the situation.

This was a great example of parents, school administration, and our police department working together to keep our students safe. When any school stakeholder sees something suspicious on social media or anywhere in the community it is important to say something. We would like to thank the parent for acting quickly contacting police and administration.

Here is the Remind Message we sent out to families:

‘Yesterday evening, a former student decided to write a threat on social media.  A parent saw the post and immediately contacted Antioch Police Department and our Administrative team.  Through our immediate action and the swift APD response, we have verified that there is no viable threat. We would like to thank the Antioch Police Department and the parent who notified us.  Student safety is our top priority, out of an abundance of caution we will have additional officer support on the campus. As always if you have questions, please contact the school office at 925-779-7485.’”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

During final board meeting says student achievement “abysmal”, district “failing students”

By Allen D. Payton

During her final meeting as a member of the Antioch School Board, Trustee Ellie Householder offered prepared, farewell remarks in which she mentioned her accomplishments and criticized the district for the low performance of students in math and English. “We are failing our students, especially those who are Black, Brown, poor, or historically marginalized,” she said and that she was leaving the role with a “sense of feeling accomplished, but unsatisfied. A feeling of happiness but being misunderstood.” Householder said her focus on the board has been “about our students”.

She also defended her actions during the year she was board president and the post on her Twitter feed in support of the protest over the approval of six School Resource Officers for which Householder was later censured by her fellow board members. One of her first actions as board president was an unsuccessful attempt to terminate Superintendent Stephanie Anello.

At one point during that year, she wouldn’t allow Anello to speak claiming, “you’re not recognized” which was met with criticism and derision from teachers and members of the public. Some wore shirts with that phrase emblazoned on them while attending future board meetings.

Householder spoke of receiving a “seemingly endless barrage of online hatred and threats” for which she offered some examples. She also mentioned two attempts to remove her as board president as well as facing recall, which began last year but the effort was dropped by organizers earlier this year.

Householder later said she obtained the statistics shared in her comments from California Department of Education website at: https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ 

Householder’s Prepared Remarks

Following are her complete, prepared remarks:

“I say this with the utmost sincerity: it has been an honor to represent our community as the youngest ever elected to the Antioch Unified School District, Board of Education, Trustee. And again, as the youngest ever to serve as AUSD Board President.

As a product of AUSD, and proud continuation high school graduate, the depth of love and responsibility I have felt for this role cannot be overstated.

My love, however, as many here well know, rarely comes in the form of something sugar coated and sweet. And is more often, and aptly, described as a splash of cold water to the face, a wakeup call. As I have said, many times, on this Board, that in order to truly love something, you must be able to be critical of it.

My critiques or suggestions, or observations, or whatever one wishes to label it has always had the intent to simply speak truth to power. Meaning… to stand up for what’s right; to focus on what is happening; and share how I believe things can change.

The heartbreaking reality is the student achievement in this district is abysmal.

According to the District’s most recent testing, 64% of our students are not meeting Math standards; 48% of our students are not meeting English standards.

These numbers are even more alarming when we disaggregate the data 63% of the African American students are not meeting English standards; 54% of economically disadvantaged students are not meeting English standards; 77% of the African American students are not meeting Math standards; 69% of economically disadvantaged students not meeting Math standards. This means, a vast majority of our students are not graduating with the skills they need to become productive members of our society.

Regardless of the narrative spin that has often been made in regards to this data these numbers don’t lie. We are failing our students, especially those who are Black, Brown, poor, or historically marginalized. Period.

In response to these numbers, I have used my vote and my power to fight against the status quo, and the way things have always been done, because the way things have always been done isn’t working.

• I spearheaded the initiative to establish a student board member representative
• I made many attempts to reach across the aisle to my colleagues to develop a set of shared board goals
• I have called for the fair and transparent evaluation of district leadership
• I ensured the fair treatment of charter schools
• I introduced the Pride Month Resolution, which led to the first Pride Flag being flown in AUSD.
• I voted against the firing of librarians, counselors, and other essential staff.

Even in my losses, for which there have been plenty, I never threw away a vote, or avoided difficult decisions. I voted based on principal and conscious, always. Whether it was against using supplemental and concentration grant funds for mediocre photographers or against unfair raises, I always used my vote, my voice, to make a point.

Yet, somewhat ironically, I leave my role as school board trustee, today, with such an eerily similar feeling to the one I had when I graduated high school in this district. This sense of feeling accomplished, but unsatisfied. A feeling of happiness but being misunderstood.

I believe what I have endured in my short few years here is unlike many others. Countless hours, and I mean hours, of hate filled comments during board meetings.

Additionally, I’ve received a seemingly endless barrage of online hatred and threats, one of which was a message sent to me from an anonymous account of a photo of a close relative’s home here in Antioch, their address, and laughing emojis; followed shortly by another message from another anonymous account with a gun.

• I was censured over a tweet that supported student protestors fighting against cops in schools
• There was not just one attempt to remove me as board president, but two
• There was even a failed recall attempt to remove me from the board

All because I refuse to stay silent and fall in line.

How do you do it? Well, it’s simple. It’s not about me. It’s about our students. And the abysmal outcomes they have here in our district.

Regardless of the continued attack over the last four years I have remain steadfast in my belief that we can, should, and could be doing more for the children of the Antioch unified school district.

Again, the majority of students of color, economically disadvantaged, and students with special needs are failing in AUSD.

I would like to express my desire that individuals on this board, and in our community, listen for understanding and not be so quick to judge.

I also hope that current members and future members of this board do their homework read the budget reports, read the LCAP, look at the data.

It’s okay to be bold and it’s okay to not agree.

What is not okay is the race and class disparities that undeniably exist for students within this district.

As Desmond Tutu said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this roller coaster four years.

My family. My brother and sister, whose unwavering support and belief in me is the only reason I sit here today. My mom, dad, stepmom, and stepdad, for showering me with love and admiration.

An extra special shout-out to Mr. Willie Mims, who, since my first day on this Board, has provided support and guidance.

Thank you to everyone who believed in me, and heard me out, sent me love, prayers, and ideas.

I want to officially end by saying three things:

1. Black Lives Matter,
2. Climate change is real; and
3. Our kids deserve better.

Thank you.”

When Householder concluded, it was met with silence as no applause was offered by the audience in the packed board meeting room.

A video of her remarks can be seen on the Antioch Herald Facebook page.

Anello presented Householder with her photo that hung in the school district office that had a large bow on it.

At their next meeting on December 14, the board will welcome new member Dr. Jaguanana “Jag” Lathan, elected without opposition in the district’s new Area 2 and welcome back re-elected Trustee Mary Rocha who won in the new Area 5. Both will be administered their oaths of office that night.

Has year to raise $500,000 to close deal

By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo  

Save Mount Diablo has secured an option agreement to purchase the Krane Pond property, a 6.69-acre parcel directly adjacent to Clayton and Mount Diablo State Park. The property is part of the “Missing Mile,” a square mile of private land on the slopes of North Peak and Save Mount Diablo’s fourth acquisition project there. The Krane Pond property has been a priority for 50 years, includes a large spring-fed pond that is very important for wildlife, and is adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park. In addition, an on-site building pad, neighboring subdivision, and fragmented ranchette landscape nearby all indicate what might take place if the property isn’t protected.

A jewel within Mount Diablo, the Krane Pond property has been a priority since Save Mount Diablo was founded in 1971. If Save Mount Diablo can raise $500,000 within the next year—two $25,000 options to hold the property, a $400,000 purchase price, and $50,000 for initial stewardship—then the Krane Pond property will be permanently protected.

“The Missing Mile is one of our high priority land acquisition areas. This area is roughly a square mile made up of numerous privately owned open space acres that have not yet been conserved or developed. The Missing Mile is on the slopes of Mount Diablo itself, and the area is contiguous with important conservation lands like Mount Diablo State Park.

“Over time, we have successfully done multiple land acquisition projects in the Missing Mile: we successfully acquired a perpetual conservation easement on almost 154 acres of the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association land earlier this year; in 2016 we got about 88 acres of North Peak Ranch under an agreement that will have us acquire that land in fee simple title in 2026; and in 2006 we acquired the fee simple title to the 17.62-acre Young Canyon property.

“Thus, amidst our 50th anniversary celebrations, it was very special to recently secure an option to purchase, and a purchase and sale agreement on the Krane Pond property, which is located in the Missing Mile. Now we have one year to raise the necessary funds to ensure this important Krane Pond property is permanently protected,” said Save Mount Diablo Executive Director Ted Clement.

In 1978, Walter and Roseann Krane purchased 6.7 acres of land on the outskirts of Clayton bordered by Mount Diablo State Park and the meridian on the west side, Mount Diablo Creek on the north side, and property held by ranchers to the east. The parcel is accessed by a little bridge that crosses over Mount Diablo Creek. The Kranes originally had plans to build a house for themselves and their two boys on the mountainside lot, which has grand views and great oaks, and back then had a 25-foot-deep lake. It’s become shallower over the years.

“Instead of building a house,” said Roseann Krane, “we decided to preserve the land. Walt loved the outdoors and our family camped and fished all over California. Walt adored our boys and was an Assistant Scoutmaster for 11 years. He bought 200 bass and stocked the lake and helped the kids build a dock. We spent time with Indian Guides, Boy Scouts, soccer, and many friends picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, and horseback riding at the site. Wildlife we observed visiting the property included many deer, bucks, songbirds, ducks, ground squirrels, rattlesnakes, and a great blue heron.

“We have been long-time supporters of Save Mount Diablo. When Walt retired in 2000, he became a professional artist and donated his oil paintings to Save Mount Diablo’s Moonlight on the Mountain fundraiser.

“Last May 2021, Walt passed away from leukemia. I thought that the best way to honor Walt’s memory and love of the outdoors, was having our open space preserved by Save Mount Diablo, and eventually be part of the state park system.”

The Krane Pond property is part of North Peak’s Young Canyon and is bordered by a small spur ridge. Its ecological significance eclipses its size. The property includes one of the largest ponds on the north side of Mount Diablo and is critically important for Mount Diablo’s wildlife. It can help sustain a multitude of species from ground squirrels to mountain lions and even rarer endangered species such as California red-legged frogs and Alameda whipsnakes.

Development has carved its way into Diablo’s foothills below the property’s border. Krane was threatened by Clayton’s Marsh Creek Specific Plan 30 years ago while a neighboring parcel was developed into the Oakwood Estates subdivision. Save Mount Diablo helped shrink the specific plan, and the county and Clayton’s Urban Limit Lines gained strength over the years. Krane is adjacent to the Clayton city limits but just outside the Urban Limit Line.

Had developers acquired this property, they would have graded the ridge and developed much of the acreage. Protecting this property halts development in its tracks, saving more of Mount Diablo’s open space.

Beginning in 1971 SMD’s co-founder, botanist Mary Bowerman, began creating acquisition priority lists based on her decades of research on the mountain. The Missing Mile properties, including Krane, were high on the list.

During the fundraising period for the $500,000, Save Mount Diablo will survey the property boundaries, which will be necessary for work on property fencing and dam repair. If fundraising is successful, initial stewardship will include fence repair and maintenance of the pond’s earthen dam.

Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

Aspire Visual & Performing Arts Academy is performing at the Pittsburg High Creative Arts Building on Saturday, December 10 with a cast of some 100 scholars, grades Kindergarten to 12th grade from across Contra Costa County for our annual holiday production of Joy – The Urban Nutcracker!  This urban take on the classic ballet, The Nutcracker, is a fun filled, colorful and moving, holiday production that includes singing, dancing and acting.

Tickets available at joytheurbannutcracker.eventbrite.com.

 

“To aid in solving and reducing violent crime” – City staff report

97% accuracy rate

By Allen D. Payton

During a special meeting, tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, the Antioch City Council will consider approving the purchase and deployment of a gunshot detection and location system for specific areas in the city. The meeting replaces the regular meeting scheduled for last Tuesday, Nov. 8 since it was Election Day.

According to the staff report on the item (#6 on the agenda), the ShotSpotter, Inc.’s Respond Services technology is designed to give the Antioch Police Department an effective tool and resource to aid in solving and reducing violent crime in the city. It will operate 24 hours a day and allows officers to respond precisely to the location the gunshots originated.

It’s a cloud-based service, and the agreement includes warranty, support, repair, and maintenance of the ShotSpotter owned acoustic sensors that will be installed in the coverage area. The Antioch Police Department, in collaboration with the ShotSpotter Development Team, identified three critical coverage areas in the city.

The council is being asked to approve either a five-year purchase agreement for deployment of the technology for a total of $1,060,000 or $1,410,000 depending on the service selected. Funding is proposed to be from “re-allocating police department salary savings in the Fiscal Year 2022/23 General Fund budget to fund the first-year cost per the agreement selected.”

The first proposal offers a coverage area of three-square miles, which identifies two of the most critical areas in the City. The second proposal offers a coverage area of foursquare miles, which identifies an additional area of coverage in southeast Antioch. The first proposal is considered the priority, and the second proposal would be the next priority.

According to the company’s FAQ’s sheet, ShotSpotter “uses an array of acoustic sensors that are connected wirelessly to ShotSpotter’s centralized, cloud-based application to reliably detect and accurately locate gunshots using triangulation. Each acoustic sensor captures the precise time and audio associated with impulsive sounds that may represent gunfire. This data is used to locate the incident and is then filtered by sophisticated machine algorithms to classify the event as a potential gunshot. Acoustic experts, who are located and staffed in ShotSpotter’s 24×7 Incident Review Center, ensure and confirm that the events are indeed gunfire. They can append the alert with other critical intelligence such as whether a fully automatic weapon was fired or whether there are multiple shooters. This entire process takes less than 60 seconds from the time of the shooting to the digital alert popping onto a screen of a computer in the 911 Call Center or on a patrol officer’s smartphone or mobile laptop.”

Furthermore, “The ShotSpotter system is highly accurate at detecting outdoor gunshots. In 2019 the system had a 97% aggregate accuracy rate across all of our customers including a very small false positive rate of less than 0.5% of all reported gunfire incidents.”

See how the ShotSpotter system works in a company video.

The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall located at 200 H Street or can be viewed on Comcast channel 24, AT&T U-verse channel 99, or live stream at www.antiochca.gov/government/city-council-meetings.

See the complete agenda packet, here.

CHP helicopter assists

By PIO Darryl Saffold, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department

On Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, at approximately 7:40 PM, Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Texas Street for a report of an armed carjacking that had just occurred. A 45-year-old male reported that three teenage boys, one age 15 and two age 16 all from Antioch, took his vehicle after one of the teens produced a firearm during an interrupted vehicle burglary.

Antioch officers began circulating the area and located the vehicle near Sycamore Drive and Auto Center Drive, approximately one hour later. The California Highway Patrol’s Air Operations Unit was notified and was overhead within minutes. With the assistance of the Air Operations Unit, officers were able to safely follow and monitor the vehicle as it went onto westbound Highway 4, where they conducted a traffic enforcement stop. The driver yielded and the three occupants were taken into custody without incident.

After a search of the vehicle, a rifle and a replica pistol were recovered. All three boys were transported to Juvenile Hall for their crimes.

We are grateful for our partnership with the California Highway Patrol for the exceptional service they provide communities like ours with their Air Operations Unit.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.