Petition approved by deputy city clerk on Monday; second recall Householder faces including possible removal as school board trustee, third in city with Thorpe also facing possible removal as mayor

Antioch City Clerk Ellie Householder.

By Allen Payton

Ellie Householder made local history, last year by becoming the first person to be elected as both an Antioch School Board trustee and a City of Antioch official, when she was elected city clerk. This year, she’s made history, again – as the first person in Antioch to face recall from both positions. On Monday, Deputy City Clerk Christina Garcia, a Certified Municipal Clerk, informed recall proponent, and former Antioch School Board Trustee Diane Gibson-Gray that the petition submitted 10 days ago was approved – on the last legal day required, because Garcia was on vacation, last week. Householder City Clerk Recall Petition Certification Letter -122721 – redacted

The organizers can now begin gathering the necessary 9,521 valid signatures of registered voters in the city to place Householder’s second recall on the ballot. They have 160 days collect them, which gives them until June 6, 2022. However, if enough signatures are gathered sooner, the recall election could be placed on the June Primary Election ballot.

This is the third recall being faced by an Antioch elected official, with signatures already being gathered to remove and replace Mayor Lamar Thorpe, who is Householder’s political ally. The organizers for his recall must have the same 9,521 signatures to place his name on the ballot.

In their message to Householder, the recall proponents included their reasons for the recall on the petition. SUBMITTED-PETITION FOR HOUSEHOLDER CITY CLERK RECALL

It reads, “The grounds for the recall are as follows: You violated the California Public Records Act (Government Code 6253) by failing to provide a copy of a public document to the records department at Antioch City Hall and thus hindered a constituent from their right to inspect a public record. You rejected the first drafted petition to recall the Antioch mayor without including a statement of what alterations to the petition were necessary (Elections Code 11042(c)). You then rejected a second petition citing election code 107(b), which is not applicable to the recall effort. You ignored the proponents request to send your findings via email, instead choosing to send them via certified mail at a cost to the city and cited elections code 11224 as your reason to not email them. Election code 11224 refers to the certification process of approved petitions that have already been signed by registered voters and was erroneously cited. You omitted emails from a Public Records Request, once again violating the California Public Records Act. This misuse and misapplication of Election Codes and continued violations of Government Code 6253 illustrates your inability to do the job in which you were elected and warrants your removal.”

In addition, the recall supporters provided a timeline of the process for obtaining approval for Thorpe’s recall petition. It took Householder almost two months, from October 11 until Dec. 2nd to approve the petition, on the organizer’s fourth attempt. (See related article).

Timeline of steps taken by organizers in the process for the recall of Antioch Mayar Lamar Thorpe. Source: Lindsey Amezcua

Householder was served with the notice to recall her on Nov. 30 while awaiting Thorpe to arrive for one of his press conferences. She had the opportunity, within 10 days, to provide a written answer in response to the allegations against her on the petition, but like the mayor, she chose not to. (See related article)

Some supporters of the mayor’s recall have speculated that the California Secretary of State’s Office communicated with and directed Householder, in response to the third submittal of the petition by the organizers of the mayor’s recall, to provide more details of what the city clerk’s office was requiring them to do in order to comply.

Householder and Garcia were asked via email Monday night, if that is true and, if so, to provide a copy of the communication between the Secretary of State’s Office and their office. Householder was specifically asked, if not, why did she finally decide to provide those details that she didn’t provide in her first two response letters.

In addition, Householder was asked via email and phone message, Monday night, “now that the petition for your recall as City Clerk has been approved for signature gathering, since you didn’t provide a written ‘Answer’ in response to the recall notice that would have been printed on the petition, as you were allowed, would you like to respond now? What do you want to say to the voters about the multiple allegations against you, written in the petition?”

As of Tuesday morning, at 10:50 a.m., neither of them had responded. An additional attempt to reach Garcia Tuesday morning was also unsuccessful.

A Public Records Act request was made by the Herald to Deputy City Clerk Garcia, for copies of any and all communication between Householder and the California Secretary of State’s Office regarding the recall of Mayor Lamar Thorpe. Garcia has 10 days to provide any document(s) or a reason why they can’t be provided.

Organizers have set up a Facebook page to support their efforts to recall Householder as city clerk.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Juvenile Foothill yellow-legged frogs look similar to adults except for their smaller size, more contrasting dorsal coloration and lack of significant yellow on their undersurfaces. Credit: Rebecca Fabbri, USFWS

Four of the Six Distinct Population Segments of the Frog Warrant Protection; comment period Dec. 27, 2021 – February 28, 2022

In response to a Center for Biological Diversity petition and lawsuit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for four geographically and genetically distinct population segments (DPS) of the Foothill yellow-legged frog.

“At last, these little lemon-legged frogs, who are such an integral part of our natural stream ecosystems, have gotten the protection they need to survive,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center. “Protecting these precious creatures will also help safeguard the coastal and Sierra foothill rivers and creeks we all rely on for clean drinking water and recreation.”

The Foothill yellow-legged frog, named for its yellow belly and underside of its rear legs, is found from the Willamette Valley in Oregon to the Santa Lucia mountain range in southern California and from the Pacific coast to the western slopes of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains. The amphibian faces several threats, including altered waterflows related to water infrastructure; competition with and predation by non-native species; disease; precipitation and temperature changes related to climate change; high-severity wildfires; water-related recreation; and habitat conversion and degradation.

“We closely examined the condition of each DPS and the threats they face. Using the best available science, we determined which populations warranted protections under the ESA and where future recovery efforts should be focused,” said Michael Fris, field supervisor of the Service’s Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office.

To assess the condition of each DPS, the Service evaluated data collected on the frog’s occupancy of streams in its historical range. The Service is proposing to list the South Coast DPS and South Sierra DPS as endangered due to a strong pattern of declining stream occupancy, as well as rapid reductions in occupied range. The North Feather DPS and Central Coast DPS are proposed to be listed as threatened due to decreasing levels of stream occupancy and the potential for a variety of threats to cause additional declines. The North Coast DPS and North Sierra DPS are not warranted for listing after the data showed high levels of occupancy in streams located throughout their ranges, making them more resilient to environmental changes and catastrophic events.

“Our goal is to help the foothill yellow-legged frog recover across its range,” said Fris. “Ongoing collaboration with a number of partners will result in positive conservation gains and put this frog on the road to recovery.”

The Service is working closely with partners at the Oakland Zoo, U.S. Forest Service, Garcia and Associates, Pacific Gas and Electric and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to raise foothill yellow-legged frogs in captivity and release them into Plumas National Forest. The first group of captive-reared frogs, 115 in total, was released in July 2020. A second group of 36 was released in April 2021.

A copy of the finding will publish in the Federal Register on December 28, 2021, and is available for public inspection now. The Service plans to develop and propose critical habitat at a later date. The public can submit comments on the proposed listing and read supporting information at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket Number FWS–R8–ES–2021–0108. Comments should be submitted by February 28, 2022.

About USFWS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about our work and the people who make it happen, visit the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office website. Connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/. Connect with our Facebook page, follow our tweets, watch our YouTube Channel and download photos from our Flickr page.

Meghan Snow, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office and Herald Publisher Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Antioch Police at 7-11 and the suspect’s knives on Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. Photos: APD

Canine Purcy on Christmas. Photo: APD

By Antioch Police Department

While you were enjoying your holiday, thought you’d like to know that a team of dedicated officers were patrolling the town day and night stopping Grinches in their tracks.

Earlier Christmas day, one such Grinch pulled out a knife while shoplifting alcohol and snacks from the 7-Eleven at Hillcrest and East Tregallas. The introduction of the knife turned this petty theft misdemeanor into a felony armed robbery. The employee got on the phone right away with 9-1-1 and spoke to one of our highly skilled dispatchers, who put the call out immediately. The employee obtained a great description, which allowed Officer Amiri and his faithful companion Canine Purcy to sniff him out quickly.

When officers contacted said Grinch, he did not want to give up right away, so they used de-escalation skills, and the presence of Canine Purcy to get him safely into handcuffs without any further malfeasance. It was off to the County Jail and our Blue Day Shift team handed the reins to our evening shift to watch over our fair city.

Merry Christmas Antioch! Call us if you need us.

Download a copy of the Good News Press – Christmas/Winter Edition: Good News Press December 2021

More than $125 million in grants nationwide

SAN FRANCISCO –The Department of Justice announced, Thursday, nearly $126 million in funding to advance school safety under the STOP School Violence Act. The grants, awarded by the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), will help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts, provide training to school personnel and students, and implement evidence-based threat assessments.

The Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) received $492,451 in COPS funds and was the only district in the county, and only one of 10 in the state to be awarded a grant.

AUSD will use the funds “for safety and security infrastructure, upgraded cameras, radios, lighting and more,” said Superintendent Stephanie Anello. “This grant will free up funding that would have gone to safety and security infrastructure so that we can hire private security.”

The Students, Teachers and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (the “STOP School Violence Act”) gives the Justice Department the authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs. It also provides grants to ensure a positive school climate by helping students and teachers recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence.

The COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is a competitive award program that provides up to 75% of the funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools. The COPS Office received 285 applications from jurisdictions in 47 states. COPS SVPP Awards Fact Sheet

The 153 SVPP awards, totaling almost $52 million, are statutorily obligated to be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security.

The 78 BJA annual awards, totaling $73.7 million are intended to support training and education for school personnel and students on preventing violence against others and themselves, including anti-bullying training and specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises. Funds also help develop and implement multidisciplinary threat assessment or intervention teams and design technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems, hotlines and websites.

“The Justice Department has no greater responsibility than protecting Americans from harm,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Schools must be safe places to learn, and today’s investment of more than $125 million under the STOP School Violence Act will help ensure that they are.”

The full list of SVPP awards can be found here:  https://cops.usdoj.gov/svpp-award.

A list of BJA awards, as they are made, can be found on the OJP Grant Awards page.

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Source: Kaiser Permanente

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

The holidays can be a joyful time filled with good tidings and cheer, but not everyone feels happy during the busy holiday season. Whether it’s the pressure of gift-giving, an increase in obligatory events or the worry of the COVID-19 pandemic, the holidays can spike an uptick of depression and anxiety. The holidays also leave many people feeling isolated and lonely.

The “holiday blues” is a real phenomenon that can lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as excessive drinking, overeating and insomnia.

“The holidays can be a very difficult time of the year,” said Curtis Arthur, MFT, director of addiction medicine and recovery services at Kaiser Permanente, Walnut Creek. “We see individuals on a consistent basis using substances as a way to manage their holiday stress. This coping mechanism can be problematic and have unintended negative consequences. Due to the difficulty associated with this time of year, having healthy options to manage one’s stress during the holidays is of paramount importance.”

Here are some stress management coping tips for the holidays:

• Get support when mourning the loss of loved ones: The holidays can seem extra hard when you are facing the loss of a loved one. Seek out the support of family and friends who can help you during this difficult time. Or seek out a professional or grief support group. Try not to isolate yourself; it’s OK to ask for help and let others be there with you through the grieving process.
• Be realistic: Try not to put pressure on yourself to create the perfect holiday for your family. Focus instead on the traditions that make holidays special for you. Discard the rituals that you don’t truly enjoy but may feel obligated to do, such as sending out holiday cards to everyone, extensively decorating or preparing a six-course meal.
• Know your spending limit: Money worries are among the biggest causes of stress during the holiday season. Try to resist the “holiday hype” of retailers. Set a budget, and don’t spend more than you’ve planned. Resist buying gifts that you’ll spend the rest of the year trying to pay off.
• Learn to say no: It’s OK to say “no” to events or gatherings that aren’t meaningful to you. This will give you more time to say “yes” to do the things that bring you the most joy.
• Give something meaningful:You can show love and caring with any gift that is meaningful and personal. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. The gift of shared time or experiences creates lasting memories. A photo album or scrapbook of those experiences can also be meaningful.  You might want to express your appreciation with a handwritten letter. Use words instead of an expensive gift to let people know how important they are to you.
• Get enough sleep: Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule. Get at least eight hours of sleep per night to ensure you are well-rested and energized, which can help improve your mood.
• Exercise regularly: Even a brisk 10-minute walk a couple of times a day, can help to get your heart rate up and clear your head. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
• Limit alcohol.Taking care of yourself will help you deal with stressful situations during the holidays. Drinking too much can affect your mood and amplify negative feelings.

For more information about Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Services, visit www.kp.org/mentalhealth

Tire marks in the intersection of L Street and Sycamore Drive in Antioch from the sideshow on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, also resulting in damage to a police vehicle windshield and one vehicle impounded for 30 days. Photos by APD.

By Antioch Police Department

Last weekend, APD and several agencies in our region, were plagued with large groups of more than 100 vehicles taking over intersections and doing sideshows. When we arrived to deal with the problem, some of the participants threw items at officers and damaged a police vehicle.

Last Sunday, a group attempted to take over the intersection of ‘L’ Street and Sycamore Drive, but officers were able to successfully disperse them. Four participants were issued citations and a vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

APD continues to work with our law enforcement partners and our community to address the continual problem created by these sideshows.