By Lieutenant D. Bittner #3252, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

The Antioch Police Department will be accepting applications for its second Citizen’s Academy. The Citizen’s Academy begins March 16thand applications will be accepted now until February 22nd.

You must be at least age 18 without any misdemeanor violations within one year of applying and no felony convictions. Space is limited to 20 students and you must commit to attending all academy sessions.

Applications can be located at the City of Antioch Police Department web site (www.ci.antioch.ca.us) or at the front counter of the Antioch Police Department (300 L Street). Please contact Lieutenant Desmond Bittner with any questions at (925-779-6999). Please see the informational flyer here: Citizens Academy Flyer 2016.

To learn more about the experiences of those in the last Antioch Police Citizens Academy, click here.

Los Medanos College (LMC) has a thriving welding technology program, with hundreds of students of all ages learning a trade in demand by a wide array of industries. The program has been very popular, so popular that classes fill extremely quickly.

Recently the College has taken steps to help move the LMC Welding Technology Program forward. A new full-time, tenure track instructor (Dann Gesink) was hired this past fall. New cutting-edge equipment was purchased which allows students to be more precise and efficient in their work.

Dann Gesink has been teaching for LMC since 2011 as a part-time instructor. He comes to the college with years of training and experience. He holds an Associate of Arts in Welding Technology from Kalamazoo Valley Community College (Kalamazoo, MI), and a Certificate in Mechanical Drafting from Diablo Valley College. He also attended the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology (Troy, OH) for his certified welding inspector/educator test preparation. Dann has worked in the welding industry his entire career. The last four and a half years, he was employed as a welding inspector/testing technician, working on a wide range of projects, including the Hetch Hetchy water pipeline at the Hayward Fault, the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, the SLAC National Accelerator Lab, Kaiser Oakland, Google and Facebook.

When asked why he began teaching, Dann replied, “I knew from my experiences training others on the job that I liked teaching welding, and when the opportunity to apply at LMC arose, I was excited to pursue it. My first week of teaching confirmed for me that teaching was something I want to do full time, and by hook or by crook, I was going to make that happen. I love the trade and enjoy passing my knowledge on. I’ve benefitted from a handful of generous mentors and co-workers who gave me a chance, a listening ear and a kind suggestion. It’s time for me to inspire others.”

Joe Meyer, LMC’s Welding Department faculty lead, is enthusiastic to have another fulltime faculty member in Welding. He explains, “With another fulltime professor, our evening courses become dramatically stabilized. Students now have the ability to take the same instructor for both theory and lab courses. This develops a much deeper relationship and stability for the students. It also gives the instructor more opportunity to work with the students and educate them to their full potential.”

“And then there’s the fact that our new fulltime professor is Dann,” he continues. “Dann is an exemplary performer. His industry experience and knowledge is an asset to our program. From the time he started here as an adjunct instructor, he has consistently exhibited a high degree of professionalism, commitment and competence as a welding instructor. He incorporates a positive attitude in performing his duties and towards instructing his students. He is very knowledgeable in demonstrating the different welding processes we offer, assisting students with the techniques, and critiquing their progress.  Lastly, his soft skills are what we all desire, someone who is easy to talk to, very approachable, and always passionate in teaching welding to students.”

The new equipment is also very exciting for the Welding Department. Joe explains, “Our new welding equipment will not only help our students succeed in class, but help them develop skill using the type of equipment they most likely will use on the job. This equipment includes shielded-metal arc welding inverter power supplies where students can set their amperage precisely and weld with very smooth arc characteristics. In addition, we have new flux-core arc welding power supplies with digital readouts so students can set their wire feed speed and arc voltage exactly to create quality welds. Our previous equipment was not as precise so it took longer to find the optimum settings. ”

Additional plans include acquiring equipment and tooling to create a “Fabrication Techniques” course where students will learn how to measure, cut, bend, drill, tap, rivet, metal items using hand and power tools. Joe feels this important because “”This would make the students more valuable to employers and lessen their learning curve and oversight in using tools, working to a drawing, and become more productive in their work. Overall, we strive to offer the latest welding equipment and technology thus providing students with the best educational experience.”

Natalie Hannum, Dean of Career Technical Education and Social Sciences, fully supports the efforts to optimize LMC’s Welding Technology Program. She explains, “This is an example of government systems working collaboratively:  Industry indicated it needed more welders; a TAACCCT grant provided funds to expand the lab and obtain state of the art equipment; and the college added capacity by hiring additional faculty to meet the need. It is a win for industry by providing a skilled workforce, and it is a win for students by providing more access to courses by offering night and weekend classes.  Welding is a high wage and high demand job and encompasses numerous industries, so there are a lot of opportunities for students.  It is an admirable career, and today’s welders are key to the California economy.”

As LMC’s Welding Program continues to improve and thrive, courses fill early, students accomplish their goals with the program, and many get jobs quickly once they have earned a certificate and/or degree. Interested in exploring a career in welding? Check out our Welding Technology Program at www.losmedanos.edu/welding.

Los Medanos College (LMC) is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District. LMC prepares students to excel and succeed economically, socially and intellectually in an innovative, engaging and supportive learning environment. It provides quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities to serve the needs of a rapidly growing and changing East County while enhancing the quality of life of the diverse communities it serves. LMC is located on 120 acres between Pittsburg and Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.

Everyone is invited. Saturday, August 27, 2016 from 5:00-10:00 p.m. at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center.

Dinner and no host bar. Tickets are $50.00 per person.

Contact Sue Carris Siino at 925-325-9559.

The Eastern Contra Costa County Transit Authority, better known as Tri Delta Transit, will be handing out over 1,000 umbrellas to East County residents in anticipation of El Niño rains.

“The rain has already begun and more is expected to fall in the coming months. We want our customers to stay dry while waiting for the bus,” said Mike Furnary, Director of Marketing and Customer Service. “While we have a number of shelters located throughout our service area, many bus stops don’t offer protection from the elements. An umbrella is a great way to provide personal protection from the rain, and sun, and can be put to use anywhere.”

Every winter, Tri Delta Transit receives an increase in the number of requests to install shelters at bus stops where there is no overhead protection. Unfortunately, funding and space requirements limit their ability to add shelters. The umbrellas will provide immediate protection to over a thousand Tri Delta Transit customers.

“Plus, the shelter provided by the umbrellas will be available to our customers wherever they go. We refer to them as ‘mobile bus shelters’,” Furnary added.

Back in 2008, Tri Delta Transit provided umbrellas to bus patrons during the summer months as a means to escape the brutal heat of the Eastern Contra Costa sun. “Revising this giveaway seemed like the right thing to do given the forecast for such a wet winter” said Furnary.

The umbrellas are both a customer appreciation gift and useful tool for Tri Delta Transit customers. Patrons are encouraged to bring the umbrellas with them every time they ride the bus. They are light and compact so they’ll easily fit in a purse or back pack. Having one handy will provide protection on a moment’s notice in both sunny and rainy conditions. “It’s just a practical tool to have with you if you ride the bus. We’re very happy to be providing them,” said Furnary.

Tri Delta Transit staff will be canvassing East County over the next couple of weeks distributing umbrellas on buses, at bus stops, park and ride lots and at BART. Bus drivers will be handing them to customers as they board their bus, and riders can pick one up at Tri Delta Transit’s administrative offices on Wilbur Avenue in Antioch while supplies last.

So if you see an abundance of blue and white umbrellas on a rainy el Niño day this winter, you’re sure to find some very happy and much more comfortable people underneath them, compliments of Tri Delta Transit.

Tri Delta Transit was named small bus operator of the year in 2014. They provide over 3,000,000 trips each year to a population of over 250,000 residents in the 225 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County. They operate 13 local bus routes Monday – Friday, 4 local bus routes on weekends, door-to-door bus service for senior citizens and people with disabilities, and shuttle services to community events.

For additional information about Tri Delta Transit, please visit www.trideltatransit.com.

As published in City Manager Steve Duran’s Weekly Report dated January 23, 2016 and provided by Chief of Police Allan Cantando. More serious or interesting crimes highlighted in bold.

Calls for Service & Arrest Summary:

Time Period: 01/14/16 00:00:00–01/20/16 23:59:59

Number of Calls for Service: 1,635

Number of Case Reports: 265

Number of Arrests: 90

Felony: 33

Misdemeanor: 55

Infraction: 2

Arrests with DUI charge: 3

The data is based upon unaudited CAD/RMS data at time of report generation

• ·On 1/20/16 at 7:28 pm, the victim arrived home and found her apartment on Lawton Street burglarized. She spoke with neighbors and based on their statements and seeing a transient around the complex, she provided a description of a possible suspect. An officer completed an area check and located 25 year old Nathan Watson, who matched the description, to the rear of the closed “Dutch Pride” on West Madill / A St. During the contact, the victim’s stolen property was found in Watson’s possession. The rest of her property was located near a dumpster next to Watson. The victim responded and identified Watson as the subject she had seen in her complex earlier and all of her missing property was recovered. Watson was booked into county jail.
• ·On 1/20/16 at 11:42 am, officers saw Deon Slaughter age 39 in the area of 2121 L St and knew he had a warrant for his arrest. Slaughter was detained trying to walk away and lied about his name. His identity was confirmed and he was transported to the county jail.
• ·On 1/20/16 at 5:08 am, officers responded to numerous calls of shots fired in the area Roosevelt Lane and Worrell Dr. Officers arrived and located 5 spent 9mm shell casing in the middle of the intersection. No witnesses, damage or victims were located. There is no suspect information at this time.
• ·1/19/16 10:08 pm, an officer noticed Richard McDonald age 27 lurking around the Dollar General store’s front door at 20 W 10^th St as if he was about to burglarize the business. The officer contacted McDonald and learned he had a no bail warrant for his arrest. McDonald was arrested without incident and booked into county jail.
• ·On 1/19/16 at 6:54 pm, officers were dispatched to the 4000 block of Banbury Way for subjects screaming and loud noises being heard. Arriving officers contacted Loc Ly age 41 at the front door. Ly didn’t appear to understand English and therefore provided no information. Officers entered the residence for a welfare check and located a marijuana grow consisting of approximately 500 plants in various stages of growth. Officers located forced entry to a rear door of the residence and interior doors that were forced. The house was a mess and it appeared as though there was some sort of struggle and someone had removed or attempted to remove several marijuana plants. Officers on scene could still not obtain any information from Ly. APD Investigations responded for the marijuana grow. Ly was arrested and transported to APD. Ly was interviewed by detectives who determined that he did in fact speak some English. He told investigators that 4 adult males armed with handguns broke into his residence and robbed him of marijuana plants and other items.
• ·On 1/19/16 at 1:23 pm, officers were dispatched to Auto Center Dr and Century Blvd on reports of a man with a gun. Officers located Anthony Barela age 32 on Sycamore Dr. He matched the description of the suspect given by the reporting party. Barela did not have a firearm; however he was arrested on his outstanding parole violation warrant. Barela’s identification was confirmed using the mobile fingerprint reader. He was sent to county jail without incident.
• ·On 1/19/16 at 11:03 am, while checking the area for the stolen green Honda from the next entry, an officer observed a different suspicious vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on C Street. The vehicle pulled over before officer could make a traffic stop. The officer contacted the two occupants of the car anyway. Upon further investigation, the officer found the ignition was damaged and the vehicle had false registration tabs. During a search of the car, officers located metal knuckles. The driver, Carlos Morales age 34 was arrested and the vehicle was towed. The passenger was released on scene. An officer attempted to contact the registered owner to see if the car was stolen but could not reach her. Morales was transported to APD for booking. A short time later, the victim called dispatch to report the vehicle as stolen. The vehicle theft report was taken and the charges were added to Morales’ booking paperwork. He was transported to county jail.
• ·On 1/19/16 at 10:54 am, officers observed a green Honda in the parking lot of Quik Stop on Sycamore Dr. They noticed the vehicle did not have license plates and matched the description of a green Honda that was stolen earlier in the day. They conducted an enforcement stop but the vehicle fled. The Honda fled on eastbound Hwy 4 from L Street. The officers terminated the short pursuit due to the suspect’s erratic driving. The Honda was last seen taking the A Street off-ramp. Officers circulated the area with negative results.
• ·On 1/18/16 at 6:40 pm, citizens called to report a DUI driver in a blue Toyota Camry missing the front driver’s side tire. The vehicle was located in front of 5123 Brookcrest Ct. in the middle of the street on fire. The vehicle appeared to have been in a collision and was registered to Loreyna Ruiz, age 24. She was contacted by officers exhibited signs of being under the influence. She tried to go into her house despite orders not to do so. When officers stopped her from leaving she became combative and had to be handcuffed as she was kicking officers. Ruiz was then placed in a patrol car and she began kicking the door and window. She was identified as the driver by two witnesses. Ruiz was sent to a local hospital for medical clearance. Ruiz was released pending further investigation after a blood draw.
• ·On 1/18/16 at 5:53 pm, a citizen called to report Esther Rowlett age 57 was going through the trash cans at Jack’s Car Wash on Fitzuren Road and making a mess. Officers arrived and contacted Rowlett who had an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She was taken into custody without incident and sent to county jail.
• ·On 1/18/16 at 2:57 pm, officers observed Adrian Morales age 21 driving a vehicle with no license plates and a defective windshield. Officers conducted an enforcement stop. Officers found Morales was on searchable probation and was driving without a license. During a search of the car, officers located .4 grams of tar heroin and a glass pipe. Morales was arrested without incident and sent to county jail on drug charges and a probation violation.
• ·On 1/17/16 at 10:48 am, officers were dispatched to the parking lot of Delta Breeze Laundromat at 1092 Sycamore Dr on the report of subjects in front of the business smoking and selling narcotics. Upon arrival, Adam Carpenter age 25 was contacted while seated in his vehicle. In plain sight, officers located marijuana packaged for sales. A search was conducted and more evidence of marijuana sales was located. Carpenter made some admissions to selling narcotics and was sent to county jail.
• ·On 1/17/16 at 9:27 am, Damien Mendez age 22 and Jose Gonzalez-Soto age 19 were seen by mall security and an independent witness breaking into a parked vehicle at Somersville Town Center. Gonzalez-Soto used a hammer to break the vehicle’s window. A license plate was obtained and the vehicle came back to an address in Pittsburg. APD Officers drove to the address and located the responsible vehicle leaving the neighborhood. A traffic stop was conducted and Mendez and Gonzalez-Soto were detained. They were both positively identified as being involved. Stolen property was recovered from inside the vehicle. A third unknown female was with them during the burglary but was not in the vehicle at the time of the stop. A search was conducted at Mendez’ house and more stolen property was located that was taken from a Concord burglary. Both were booked into county jail.
• ·On 1/17/16 at 4:55 am, officers responded to an alarm to the rear yard of Goodwill at 2701 W 10^th St. with the security company advising of a subject walking around. An officer spotted a vehicle leaving the area blacked out. A vehicle stop was made and Brian Sarmento age 30 was contacted. He was found to be in possession of property from Goodwill and matched the description given by the security company of the subject they had seen. He was also driving a car reported stolen out of Stockton. Sarmento admitted to stealing the car and taking items from the Goodwill lot. He was arrested without incident and booked into county jail. While this was occurring, a silver Dodge truck pulled into the business complex adjacent to Goodwill blacked out with the occupants covering their faces with hoods. When they saw one of the officers, they quickly fled the area in the truck. It is not known if they are associated with Sarmento. The truck was located turning into the Days Inn on Auto Center Drive. When officers arrived, Niela Wiley age 35 was entering the motel lobby and was detained without incident. Hotel staff was contacted and provided information that the truck occupants had gone into room 218. As officers were walking to the room to make contact, Danielle Gobert age 34 was at the door knocking trying to get in. She consented to a search of the room. Two large plastic totes full of merchandise believed to belong to Goodwill were located in the room on the floor near the door. Both Wiley and Gobert denied any knowledge of the property and totes. All property was logged into evidence, including a small locked safe from the bed of the truck. Both Gobert and Wiley were released pending further investigation.
• ·On 1/16/16 at 10:00 am, Makineti Sanft age 24 was detained at K Mart on E 18^th St for shoplifting over $1000.00 in goods. The officer who responded recalled that Sanft was a suspect in a recent robbery at Lucky’s on E 18^th St. In that case, Sanft drove a stolen vehicle to Lucky’s, committed a strong armed robbery of liquor, and tried to flee in the vehicle. The vehicle wouldn’t start so she fled on foot. Coincidentally…today… Sanft did the same thing, arriving in a stolen vehicle that she stole 3 days ago in Pittsburg. Sanft admitted to today’s theft and to stealing the vehicle she was in. Afterwards, the officer drove her to Lucky’s and she was positively identified there by the employee/victim. Sanft again admitted to everything involving this incident. She was arrested on both cases and sent to the county jail.
• ·On 1/16/16 at 8:03 am, Julius Edwards age 26 stole a bag of coffee from the Starbucks on A St. Officers detained Edwards just down the street and identified him. Starbucks did not wish to press charges so we gave him a trespass notice, and arrested him for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Edwards was transported to the county jail.
• ·On 1/16/16 at 3:07 am, officers responded to the area of Badger Pass Way and Mount Hamilton after we received several calls regarding shots being fired in the area. A witness was contacted and pointed out the garage door of 1903 Badger Pass Way which had been driven through. They also provided the description of a Toyota Minivan. An officer recalled seeing a van matching the description in the area of Mount Conness Ct and began an area check. He located the van and conducted a traffic stop. The two occupants Jianhong Li age 37 and Chun Mu Li age 34 spoke only Chinese and the driver had a minor head injury from being struck by an unknown object. Neither provided any information and their identification could not be confirmed. Approximately 10lbs of freshly cut marijuana was in the minivan. The van was also found to have several bullet holes in it. Officers returned to Badger Pass Way and found the house fortified and the roll-up garage door driven through. Shell casings were found in the driveway. A security sweep was made of the residence and a large working marijuana grow was discovered. The meter had been bypassed and no one else was found in the residence. PG&E responded and disconnected the power. APD Investigations responded and took over the cultivation investigation. Both subjects were arrested and booked into county jail for possession for sale of marijuana.
• ·On 1/15/16 at 9:51 pm, Kenneth Goodman age 38 was stopped for traffic violations on E 18^th St and Cavallo Rd. During the stop, the Honda was found to have incorrect plates and the VIN was altered. An alternate VIN was located and the vehicle was found to be stolen out of Pittsburg. Goodman was arrested without incident and later transported to county jail.
• ·On 1/15/16 at 8:00 pm, officers were dispatched to 2201 San Jose Dr on a report of subjects inside a vacant apartment. Upon arrival, Officers made contact with Jamal McClinton age 33 and Marlin Pitre age 43 in front of the vacant apartment. Officers knew Pitre had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. When the officers called to Pitre, he fled into the vacant apartment and locked the door. Officers kicked the front door open and took Pitre into custody without incident. McClinton was found to be in possession of a glass pipe for smoking methamphetamine. McClinton was cited and released from the scene. Pitre was later transported to county jail. Property maintenance responded to the scene and secured the residence.
• ·On 1/15/15 at 3:48 pm, an officer located a stolen Honda Civic on E. Tregallas Rd at Harbour Drive. The vehicle being driven by an unknown adult male. The officer followed the vehicle while waiting for cover units to arrive. Once the Honda reached Davison Dr, it took off at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued the vehicle to Sunset Dr, where the pursuit was terminated. The Honda was not located.
• ·On 1/15/16 at 5:47 am, an adult female entered Quickstop in the 2700 block of W Tregallas Rd and brandished a large caliber semi-auto handgun while demanding money and cigarettes. The female fled in a waiting newer white 4 door vehicle southbound on Lone Tree Way. The exact amount of the loss was unknown at this time. An area check was done with negative results.
• ·On 1/14/16 at 6:40 pm, dispatch received a call of a found 18 month old at the gate to Riverstone Apartments in the 2200 block of Sycamore Dr. The reporting party held the child until we arrived. While en route, dispatch received a second call from the grandmother of the child stating someone had taken her granddaughter from her home. Upon arrival we discovered the grandmother had come home from a two hour drive with her granddaughter who was asleep. She was placed on the couch while her grandmother quickly used the restroom. When she returned the child had slipped out of the house. It appears the door was slightly ajar. There was no evidence of abuse or neglect.

At a brief ceremony at the Antioch Police Facility on Thursday afternoon, January 21st, Antioch Police Officers James Stenger and John Fortner were promoted to the new positions of Corporal and Sergeant respectively.

The following information was provided by Chief Cantando about each of the two officers who were promoted on Thursday.

Sergeant John Fortner

Sergeant Fortner has been a police officer with the City of Antioch since August 20th of 2001.  Prior to working at APD he was employed with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department for approximately (2) years, where he was assigned to the Martinez Detention Facility.  While working with CCCSO, he was also a Reserve Police Officer with the City of Antioch starting in January of 2000.

Prior to his career in law enforcement John was enlisted in the United States Air Force from 1990 to 1998 where he received an Honorable Discharge.

Sergeant Fortner was assigned to the Patrol Division from 2001 -2013.  While on patrol he was appointed to the APD’s Honor Guard Team, and became a certified Dispatcher to assist them during low staffing levels.

In 2004, he was assigned to the APD’s Special Weapons and Tactics team, and became a Team Leader.

In 2006, he was appointed as a Field Training Officer, and was assigned to APD’s Special Response Unit.

In 2013, he was assigned to the Investigations Bureau Violent Crimes Unit and was appointed as a Firearms Instructor.

In November 2013, John was promoted to Corporal.  As a Corporal he was appointed to supervise the Reserve Officer Program, the SWAT Team and SWAT Team Proactive Patrol Details, the Explorer Post, Special Events, and the Northern California Special Olympics Torch Run and charitable Tip-a-Cop events.   In addition to those programs

John is a Department Firearms Instructor and SWAT Team Instructor.

Awards

–          Medal of Valor

–          Meritorious Service Award

Corporal Fortner lives in Brentwood and has been married to his wife, Stephany since 1995.  They have twin daughters, Sophia and Jacqueline, who are 12-years-old.

Corporal James Stenger

Corporal James Stenger was sworn into the Antioch Police Department as a Police Officer in September 2002. Prior to becoming a Police Officer he worked as a Part-time CSO while attending the San Joaquin Delta College Police Academy. Before Corporal Stenger started working at APD he served as a US Army Calvary Scout from 1989 – 1992.

Corporal Stenger worked Patrol from 2002 – 2007. In 2005 he was appointed as a Field Training Officer and was appointed as a First Aid/CPR Instructor in 2006. In 2008 he was appointed as an APD Gang Investigator and was appointed to the PACT Team (Police and Community Together Team). Corporal Stenger moved up to Investigations in February 2010 and was assigned as Investigation’s VCU Detective until 2014. In 2015 he served as Acting Sergeant of Investigations.

During his career here at APD, Corporal Stenger has testified over 30 times as an expert witness regarding Criminal Street Gangs, assisted with the investigation of almost 60 homicides, and assisted in the investigation of 15 critical incidents.

Awards

–          1991 Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device for valor from actions during combat

–          2002 Top Academic Award 96.3% and True Grit Award from San Joaquin Delta College Police Academy

–          2010 Meritorious Service Award

–          2011 Officer of the Year

–          2012 Medal of Valor

James and his wife Kimberly have a five children, 22-year-old daughter Alexx, 19-year-old sons Stephen and Jake, 16-year-old son Dominic, and 14-year-old daughter Kyra (sounds like Kierra).

Congratulations to the new leaders within the department.

By Nick Goodrich

A protest march by Antioch teachers was held before the Antioch School Board meeting Wednesday night, January 20th, during its first meeting of the new year. Holding signs that read things they’ve been speaking about at recent school board meetings, such as “Show Value to Your AUSD Teachers and Students,” “$ Recruit and Retain,” “Use Class Size Money to Lower Class Size,” and “Our Special Education Students Deserve Safe Class Sizes,” the teachers marched on the sidewalk surrounding the parking lot in front of the School Services Building, for a half hour before the meeting began. They chanted “What do we want? Respect. When do we want it? Now.”

The Board then began the meeting holding a ceremonial oath of office for new board member Fernando Navarro, and voted on a search firm to help select its new Superintendent on a 3-1 split, with Navarro dissenting. Trustee Debora Vinson was absent.

Navarro, who officially took his oath of office for his position on December 9th, last year during a special, early Board session, reenacted it so his family could witness the ceremony.

The January 20^th meeting marked his first session as a participating member of the board, and he was the lone dissenting voice in several Board decisions throughout the evening. The meeting was also Diane Gibson-Gray’s first as President of the Board, with Walter Ruehlig serving as Vice President.

The meeting began with public comments from District employees, moved to the forefront due to the number of teachers that came to speak before the Board. Most of the teachers were protesting the District’s use of funds in the wake of Governor Jerry Brown’s newly released state budget.

Tech-certified teachers, who teach computer skills in elementary and middle schools, benefitted the most from the budget, receiving greater pay than many teachers who have worked in the District for 20 or 30 years, but without tech certification. In some cases, one teacher claimed, tech-certified teachers were being paid twice as much as veteran teachers.

“To keep new teachers coming in, the District needs to treat veteran teachers better,” she said.

Bob Carson, another teacher, noted that the Governor’s new budget marked the largest ever increase in the District’s budget, and that all Antioch teachers should benefit.

Other teachers decried the large class sizes of special education classes, telling the board that unless they adhere to a 20:1 ratio of students to teachers, then prospective teachers will be less attracted to the District and harder to hire.

One speaker, however, had something positive to say. Resident Frank Deluna spoke before the board and told of how his daughter, a student at Deer Valley High School, had been failing out of her Algebra class. After three weeks of enrollment in DVHS’s new after-school, math-intensive program, which received funding from the District late last year, Deluna reported that she was now getting A’s in her math class. He spoke highly of the program.

“She’s improved so much,” Deluna stated. “I would like for this program to be continued.”

After looking over the Governor’s new budget, the Board noted that they were in the midst of a 12-year decline in enrollment across the District, with most of the losses occurring in grades 9-12. Trustee Claire Smith asked the Board staff, as she has in previous meetings, where the students are leaving to; and was not pleased when there was as yet, no answer.

“The answer is always, ‘I don’t know,’” she said. “The City Council needs to get out in front of this. We have an image problem and a reputation problem. Maybe it’s time to get real.”

Board Hires Superintendent Search Firm

The Board discussed the institution of more comprehensive exit surveys to better discover where and why students are leaving, and plans to take action in future meetings.

The Board did, however, take action in its search for a new superintendent. After a thorough selection process, the School Board settled on the search firm Leadership Associates from among three candidates. Smith found that Leadership Associates were “highly professional” and was impressed at the level of experience they brought to the table. Ruehlig and Gibson-Gray agreed.

“We wanted the best and the brightest,” said Gibson-Gray.

Fernando Navarro was the sole dissenter in the 3-1 vote that brought Leadership Associates onboard. He argued that the Board should potentially look, first within the District for a new superintendent, rather than search for an outside hire, which would cost the Board significantly more than promoting someone from within and would bring in someone who knows the District well.

However, Smith stated that during conversations she had with several potential inside-hires, none were interested in the superintendent position, and Gibson-Gray added that she was willing to bear the extra cost of the search firm if it meant they could find the best talent in the state.

During the meeting, Navarro also brought up the possibility of moving the school board meetings to larger accommodations.

“This chamber seems a little small to meet our needs,” he noted.

Board meetings have been held in several different locations before, but none stuck. Board members cited a few reasons that they have remained in the School Services Building on G Street; cost, microphone and visual setups, and longer driving distances, were chief among them. Navarro mentioned the possibility of holding Board meetings in the City Council Chamber in downtown Antioch, but a possible location switch was not discussed further.

He also brought up the idea of televising Board meetings or webcasting them online, saying it could be a good idea to increase exposure to the Board and allow residents to be more informed and involved in District decisions. While the most of the Board seemed open to the idea, Smith said the Board had been over that before and it was just too costly. But, since it wasn’t on the agenda, the idea could not be fully discussed and would have to wait for a future meeting.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Taylor Pagan

The former Antioch recreation business known as Golf N Games will reopen under a new name, according to Marcus Jefferson, who announced his business plans at the January 12th city council meeting.

Jefferson introduced himself and KangaZoom franchise owner Trina Scott of Atlanta, Georgia during the Announcements of Civic & City Events.

“Since we are new to the Antioch area, we are asking for the city’s support,” he said.

Jefferson said he plans on hiring 20 employees, including veterans and those with disabilities. He also plans on having an after school program for children, as well as a “Mommy and Me” program for stay-at-home moms with toddlers.

In addition to updating the miniature golf course and batting cages, other amenities include a full cafe and free Wi-Fi. However, Jefferson said there would no longer be go-carts.

“It will be a real exciting place and something for all ages to enjoy,” he said.

Mayor Wade Harper said he just had a group of students telling him how it’s good that restaurants are opening up, but they need something for them. He said he can now tell them it’s coming.

“This is exciting,” Harper said. “So we definitely want to know how we can support this.”

He also said a council member who is knowledgeable about work force development would be reaching out to Jefferson.

“I brought the lease with me to let you know we are ready to sign and get going ASAP, and if the Lord says the same we will be open within the next month or two,” Jefferson said.