Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla announced, today that she has received the endorsement of the California Small Business Association, adding to the growing support for her campaign for State Senate by Democrats and Republicans, business and labor.

“Susan Bonilla is a fiscally responsible leader with a strong record of partnering with small businesses, giving them tools to succeed and create good jobs,” CSBA President Betty Jo Toccoli said. “The California Small Business Association is proud to endorse Susan Bonilla for Senate.”

The California Small Business Association is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit, non-partisan organization that provides small business with a meaningful voice in governments, advocating on a range of issues including: regulation, access to credit, insurance, taxes and budgets, affordable health care, and workforce education.

Their endorsement adds to the growing support for Bonilla from Democrats and Republicans, business and labor. Bonilla has recently earned the support of Republican leaders including Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern and Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor, as well as earning the support of Democratic state leaders including Attorney General Kamala Harris.

A full list of endorsements, as well as statements of support from community leaders, can be found at www.susanbonilla.com/endorsements.

By John Crowder

Students representing 120 schools from throughout Contra Costa County came together to compete at the 39th Annual Contra Costa County Spelling Bee sponsored by the Contra Costa Times, on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Antioch was well-represented at the event, as students from elementary and middle schools in the city, both public and private, vied for the top prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held in late May.

Two of the young spellers attending Antioch schools, Eddy Crowder (this writer’s son) and Cassidy Derita, made it to the second round in the written competition. Although both were ultimately thwarted from reaching their goal of advancing to the national level, each expressed their excitement and desire to continue competing in the future.

Eddy, an 11-year-old 6th grader who attends Paideia Academy, comes from a family of spelling bee participants. One of his uncles was a second-place finisher in a state spelling bee, and other uncles and aunts had also reached the state level. This was the second year that Eddy had competed at the county level, and he placed 36th in the contest, going out on the word, facetious.

Asked about his experience, Eddy said, “It was scary and exciting. I like spelling, because I like learning the new words.”

Eddy, whose hobbies include reading, Pokemon, and building with LEGO blocks, plans to continue studying and compete again next year. After college, he hopes to become a video game designer or a teacher (following in the footsteps of his mother and father).

Cassidy Derita, a 5^th grader from Marsh elementary, and daughter of Krishanna and Kurt Derita, also has spellers in the family.

“My older brother was in the spelling bee when he was my age,” she said. “My family gave me the confidence.” They inspired her to take up the spelling challenge.

Cassidy ultimately finished 55th in the bee, a strong showing in her first attempt at the county level. She went out on the word, rhinoceros.

When asked about her experience, Cassidy described it as, “challenging.”

“I studied with my parents and grandparents every night!” she said.

Like Eddy, Cassidy is planning to study and participate again, next year. Cassidy’s hobbies include reading, playing games, and bowling. Her near-term goal is to make it to the National Spelling Bee, and, after college, she hopes to be a veterinarian.

Given the strong work ethic these two, and many others in our local community display, Antioch will surely be represented with distinction at the County Bee next year, and in years to come.

Who: Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)

What: A series of public open houses for Bay Area residents to learn about an update to the region’s long-range transportation and housing roadmap known as Plan Bay Area 2040. Participants will view displays and offer comments on long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light-duty trucks, house the region’s projected population, improve public health, maintain the region’s transportation infrastructure and preserve open space, among others. Displays will also feature the schedule and key milestones for the plan update, offer information on how new housing and employment is forecast, and offer information on transportation improvements in the works at the county and regional level.

When & Where:

Contra Costa County: Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek

Alameda County: Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Alameda County Fairgrounds, Palm Pavilion, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, Pleasanton (Wheels will run extended bus service on Route 53 between West Dublin/Pleasanton BART and the Fairgrounds.)

Check the plan website at www.planbayarea.org for updates.

Can’t Attend an Open House?

Join the online discussion at planbayarea.org or share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter. Note that if you need an interpreter or other assistance in order to participate, we require three days’ notice in order to provide reasonable accommodation. For more information, call (510) 817-5757 or (510) 817-5769 for TDD/TTY.

 

By Allen Payton

The Antioch City Council will consider budget matters for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which begins July 1,during a 5:30 p.m. special study session before their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14.

One of the items on the list for consideration is a first-ever proposal of hiring a part-time assistant for the mayor, although the position is not included in the proposed budget.

Another item listed but not included in the budget, are the three Community Service Officers requested by Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock in January.

What is included in the budget is a pay raise for police of between 2% and 4.25%, and allocating the remainder of Measure C tax revenue for sworn police officer funding of 102 for fiscal year 2015-16, vehicle purchases for Police Officers totaling $450,000 and the purchase of body cameras and tasers for Police Officers totaling $225,000.

Following are the proposed budget items to be discussed during Tuesday’s study session.

Positions Requested But Not Included In Proposed Budget:

– Three (3) Community Service Officers (CSOs), with .25 funded out of the Abandoned Vehicle Fund, at a General Fund budget impact of $274,600.

– One (1) Police Records Technician at a budget impact of $86,545.

– One additional (fourth) Code Enforcement Officer at a budget impact of $122,030.

– Two (2) General Laborers assigned to Code Enforcement with two pick-up trucks at a budget impact of $173,960 for salary and benefits and approximately $50,000 for two vehicles.

– One (1) Assistant Development Services-Engineering Technician position requested in Code Enforcement. This position would replace two part time positions at a net budget impact of $79,800.

– One (1) Administrative Assistant position to be split between the City Manager, Human Resources and City Clerk’s offices with a budget impact of $84,780. Approximately $19,000 of this cost would get allocated to various non- General Fund funds through the cost allocation plan.

– One (1) Deputy City Attorney position requested at a budget impact of $193,340. Approximately $30,500 of this cost would get allocated to various non-General Fund funds through the cost allocation plan.

– One (1) Public Works Inspector position requested at a budget impact of $139,770. This position would have partial cost recovery for time charged to capital projects and any developer reimbursable projects.

– One (1) Associate Planner position requested by Community Development at a budget impact of $143,250. This position would have partial cost recovery for any developer reimbursable projects.

– One (1) Irrigation Technician to be funded 50% out of General Fund and 50% out of the Water Fund. Budget impact unknown at this time as the position does not currently exist, however, staff estimates that the minimum General Fund impact would be $50,000.

– One (1) part-time, temporary Office Assistant in the Mayor’s Office at a budget impact of approximately $16,000.

To view Tuesday night’s complete meeting agenda, click here.

By Barbara Zivica

It’s April – time for spring cleaning. Start by signing the recall Mayor Wade Harper petition. We’ll deal with the rest of council later when they’re up for re-election. Please, folks stop re-electing the same people over and over. It’s obvious conditions in Antioch haven’t improved under their watch.

When Measure C, the seven-year, half-cent sales tax measure passed in 2013, the official ballot stated the measure was “to fund all essential city services, including increased police staffing to reduce crime and gang activities and improve 911 emergency response time; restored code enforcement to clean up blighted properties; and local economic development and job creation.”

At that time the police department was stating they had 87 full-time sworn police officers, only 75 who were at full duty capacity, although they were authorized for 102 officers.

In 2014, Measure O, a business license tax which updated the existing business license tax to include a residential landlord business license tax, was passed. Again the sales pitch was to increase police staffing levels.

However, a recent report from the Sales Tax Citizens Oversight Committee, appointed to oversee disbursements of Measure C funds, states that at present Antioch has 87 sworn police officers and one per diem Police Captain, five more officers than Antioch had in 2013, based on information given to the committee.

Huh? True the city may have hired five new officers but, as the report states, attrition has been happening almost as fast as hiring, We’re back to the same number of officers we started with in 2013.

As for Measure C fund accounting, it appears the City is using Measure C money to pay for police pay raises and promotion costs. The city’s General Fund should be paying not only for the 87 police officers and their raises but for the 102 officers authorized for hire at that time. Measure C money should only be paying for the 103rd officer hired and so on.

As for the funds generated by passage of Measure O, the money, like the money generated by Measure C, technically goes into the General Fund and can be used for any legitimate governmental purpose. The reason the city never put a dedicated police tax measure on the ballot is because it would require 2/3 voter approval to pass rather than a 50% plus one vote. Only 11,175 residents voted in regard to Measure C and 10,236 in regard to Measure O (5,208 voting yes and 5,028 voting no).

Incidentally, the council just passed a resolution to use General Fund reserves to fund an expenditure of $1,827,000 to purchase, install, program, maintain and train on hardware, software and radio equipment in order to become a participating agency in the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority. The expenditure was not included in the approved LFY 2014-15 budget.

 

Antioch, CA – Paul Guglielmoni knew Jeff Decker had beaten him time and time again, but he wasn’t about to have that happen in Saturday night’s DIRTcar Late Model Stock Car main event at Antioch Speedway. Guglielmoni drove perfectly to score his first win in the nationally sanctioned division, out-running Decker and Troy Foulger in a spectacular finish.

Guglielmoni, from Vacaville, saw the front nose of Decker’s car along side his driver-side door going into the turns lap after lap – and through several restarts – but he was able to pull away as they headed down the straightaways.

“Jeff (Decker) was fast, and he raced me clean,” Guglielmoni said in victory lane. “I just kept watching the score board and tried not to make any mistakes. I don’t think I’ve been able to beat him on a restart in a few years. I just tried to be consistent and hit my marks.”

Guglielmoni drove flawlessly. Decker, from Morgan Hill, tried the low side of the track, but it did not give him the traction needed to get past Guglielmoni in the turns.

“I’m glad Paul (Guglielmoni) won – he deserved to win,” Decker said. “Paul ran the perfect line. I tried to get underneath him to pass, but my car couldn’t get enough bite down low. I was driving offensively and defensively at the same time – trying to pass Paul and stay ahead of the guys behind me.”

One red flag flew when the car driven by Dennis Souza of Pescadero flipped going into the first turn. Souza was freed from the upside down late model and unharmed by the 100 mph crash.

Guglielmoni maintained the lead at the restart, while Troy Foulger of Martinez worked his Oakley based Bill Bowers late model through the pack. Foulger pressed hard to get by Chico’s Richard Papenhausen.

Closing ground on Guglielmoni and Decker, Foulger was making a run for the win. With the white flag waving, it was Decker on the inside and Foulger on the outside – both sharing Guglielmoni’s back bumper. Papenhausen was right behind the top three to cross the line in fourth. Danny Malfatti of Hayward scored his best finish to date in taking home fifth place.

“What a race!” Foulger said as he congratulated Guglielmoni after the victory. “That was fun. Paul (Guglielmoni) had a perfect run.”

Guglielmoni thanked his crew chief, Milt McGinnis, after the race.

“We had a great car, a smooth track, and clean racing – that made the difference,” Guglielmoni said.

A Different Ryland Victorious in IMCA SportMod Feature

Everyone was wondering if IMCA National point leader Fred Ryland of Brentwood would continue his streak and win a 10th IMCA SportMod feature event Saturday night.

But it was a different Ryland who took the checkered flag – Fred’s wife Patti scored her first career win on her third time out in an IMCA SportMod racecar.

Patti Ryland, who works in the aerospace industry, was launched to stardom in the speedway’s hobby stock division and became one of the division’s most winning drivers. This year she moved up to the IMCA SportMods.

“My goal was to finish in the top five,” Patti Ryland laughed in victory lane. “I guess a win is a top five finish.”

Fred Ryland was stuck back in the pack, working his way up to the front. He was in the new car number ‘7J’ and his wife was driving his old number ‘7’ car.

“I kept waiting for Fred to show up,” said Patti Ryland. “I looked at the scoreboard lap after lap and never saw another ‘7’ appear. I was wondering what happened to him.”

Right behind Patti Ryland was Antioch’s Ron Brown, who was sporting a colorful new SportMod.
“Second on my second day driving – not bad,” quipped Brown. “A few changes and I will have this down.”

Brown moved from the speedway’s limited late model division to the SportMod division.

Ryland’s local rival, Keith Bown, Jr. of Pittsburg finished third in a valiant drive to catch Ron Brown (no relation).

“Everybody was fast tonight,” Keith Brown, Jr. said. “The bottom of the track was not all the way in yet. I did what I could down there.”

Paul Mulder of Pleasanton was fourth, with Fred Ryland challenging him at the finish.
Fred Ryland leads the nation in the hotly contested IMCA SportMod division. His goal is to be the first national champion from California.

“I have my plan in place,” Ryland said. “The guys from Iowa will be the ones to watch as their season gets into full swing. I know what I need to do to win the championship, and will be trying my best to do it.”

High School Sophomore Teves Wins in Dwarf Car Division

Concord’s Adam Teves, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, scored his second win of the year in the Dwarf Car division. Teves was able to build a lead that Bay Point’s Danny Wagner could not shrink.

“I wasn’t worried at all about who was behind me,” Teves said in victory lane. “I just decided to race the track – and drive the fastest I could by finding the best line lap after lap.”

Wagner was bearing down on him at the finish.

“It was just too late by time I got to him,” Wagner said. “I was hung up in traffic and he (Teves) was pretty fast.”

Fisher Fast

Veteran Roy Fisher of Antioch won the Wingless Sprint Car feature unchallenged.

“This is the best track surface that I have ever raced on,” he said in victory lane. “It is the smoothest it has ever been – which suits my driving style.”

Ryan Sieverling finished second, with Marcus Smith third. NFL star Jeremy Newberry scored fourth, followed by Rick Panfilli.

Hobby Stock Feature Under Review

Brian Zachary of Oakley unofficially won the Hobby Stock feature. No official results will be posted until track officials review technical inspection findings on all of the top five cars.

Saturday Night, April 18 at Antioch Speedway

IMCA Modified stock cars headline the program at Antioch Speedway on Saturday night April 18, with the Northern All Stars Wingless Sprint Car, Limited Late Model, Hobby Stock, and Dwarf Car divisions each in a full program of qualification races and feature events.

Antioch Speedway is located within the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, 1201 W. 10th St. in Antioch, Calif. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $10 for children 6-12. Children under six years old are admitted free. A family four pack of tickets is $40. Secured parking is offered by the Fairgrounds for $5. Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit the Antioch Speedway’s Facebook page, here.

Race Results for Saturday night, April 11, 2015

Late Models

Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen

Main Event (20 Laps)-Paul Guglielmoni, Decker, Troy Foulger, Papenhausen, Danny Malfati.

Sport Modifieds

Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Chuck Golden, Patti Ryland

Main Event (20 Laps)-P. Ryland, Ron Brown, Keith Brown Jr., Paul Mulder, Fred Ryland.

Hobby Stocks

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Kimo Oreta, Danny Jones

Main Event (20 Laps)-Brian Zachary, Jason Jennings, Nick Baldwin. Jeremy Jennings, Calvin Louis Jr.

Wingless Spec Sprints

Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Kyle Bakkie, Jeremy Newberry

Main Event (20 Laps)-Roy Fisher, Ryon Siverling, Marcus Smith, Newberry, Rick Panfili.

Dwarf Cars

Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Jack Haverty, Kevin Miraglio, David Teves.

Main Event (20 Laps)-Adam Teves, Danny Wagner, Thomas Leiby, Miraglio, Mike Corsaro.