Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host five more town hall meetings in the communities of Danville, Orinda, Rossmoor, Concord and Pittsburg during the month of August. He held his first in Richmond on Monday night. One of DeSaulnier’s top priorities is to be accessible to his constituents. Since being elected to Congress in January 2015, Mark has hosted 23 town hall meetings and mobile district office hours throughout Contra Costa County.

“Hearing directly from the residents of Contra Costa County helps make me a better representative. It is my hope that these town hall meetings will serve as a place for constituents to share their thoughts and opinions on issues important to our community. I invite you to join me at a town hall meeting to listen to a Congressional update on key policy issues, learn about our legislative work in Congress, and discuss the broad range of services we can provide,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.

Danville Town Hall
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
(Check-in begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Veterans Memorial Building
Community Hall
400 Hartz Avenue, Danville

Orinda Town Hall
Saturday, August 6, 2016
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
(Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m.)
Orinda Library Auditorium
26 Orinda Way, Orinda

Rossmoor Town Hall
Saturday, August 6, 2016
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
(Check-in begins at 12:30 p.m.)
Rossmoor, Fireside Room
1001 Golden Rain Road, Walnut Creek

Concord Town Hall
Monday, August 8, 2016
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
(Check-in begins at 6:00 p.m.)
Concord City Council Chambers
1950 Parkside Drive, Concord

Pittsburg Town Hall
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
(Check-in begins at 6:00 p.m.)
Pittsburg Senior Center
300 Presidio Lane, Pittsburg

For more information or to request ADA accommodations, please email CA11.RSVP@mail.house.gov or call (925) 933-2660

Antioch Award Program Honors the Achievement

Contra Loma Estates Home Owners Association has been selected for the 2016 Best of Antioch Award in the Condominiums category by the Antioch Award Program. The Contra Loma Estates are located at 1203 Sycamore Drive in Antioch.

Each year, the Antioch Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Antioch area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2016 Antioch Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Antioch Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Antioch Award Program

The Antioch Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Antioch area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Antioch Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy. For more information about the Antioch Awards Program visit www.awardconnect.org.

For more information about the Contra Loma Estates Home Owners Assocation, visit www.contraloma.com.

On Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., the Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission will be sponsoring “National Night Out” throughout the City of Antioch. “National Night Out” is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;  generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals, letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back. This is a non-alcohol activity. Look for an event in your neighborhood.

A variety of residents play Pokémon Go near the Veterans Memorial at the entrance to the Antioch Marina in downtown Rivertown, Thursday evening, July 21st. photo by Vanessa Hellman

By Allen Payton

A report by the Antioch Police on Wednesday, July 13 stated they responded to a call from security at 10:45 pm “regarding a large number of teens (100+) in and around the Antioch Marina. Upon arrival, it was learned they had gathered playing on the Pokémon Go APP. All of the kids remained calm and peaceful. They left a short time later.”

In an email message on Thursday, July 21st, Antioch business owner and resident Vanessa Hellman stated, “I think it’s really great how this Pokémon Go app is bringing people out and and about. I saw so many people down at the marina this evening from kids to older people all laughing together and sharing what they’ve ‘caught’ on Pokémon. I know it’s just a game but in a way I feel it’s bringing the community together.”

After a rigorous review of 117 applications, Supervisor Federal Glover announced the recipients of the $1.5 million in grants from the Keller Canyon Landfill Mitigation Fund. The Board of Supervisors approved the expenditures on Tuesday morning, July 19, 2016 at their meeting in Martinez.

Among the Keller grants this year was $100,000 for electronic surveillance of Highway 4 from Bay Point to Antioch where gang-related shootings have occurred the past year. It will be shared with the law enforcement agencies that line that roadway segment.

In all, the grants for the fiscal year 2016-2017 were awarded to 82 recipients providing a wide range of activities from a Christmas party for Bay Point’s children to a full-time resident deputy to crossing guards for Bay Point schools.

“The allocation set aside for to monitor Highway 4 – possibly including cameras and license plate readers – will be used by law enforcement to keep our residents safe,” says Glover.

The amount of available funding varies from year to year because the Keller fund is based on the tonnage delivered to the Keller Canyon Landfill located in the hills off of Bailey Road south of Pittsburg and Bay Point.

The county supervisors created the mitigation fund when voters in the early1990s approved the location of a landfill site in the hills south of Bay Point and Pittsburg. Since the landfill was located in District 5, the district 5 supervisor was given the responsibility of administering the fund. The fund helps alleviate some of the landfill’s impacts to the neighboring community.

In 2011, at the recommendation of the Auditor, Supervisor Glover reformed the distribution of the funds by limiting its use to the impacted area and instituting a fully transparent system for determining who is granted the awards and to ensure that the money is used for what it is intended.

The grants will be awarded August 18 after the recipients sign their contracts with the county. The programs or events that will benefit from the grants include:

•Bay Point holiday celebrations

•Field trips from Bay Point teenagers

•Antioch Rivertown Jamboree and Delta Thunder Boat Race

•A full-time deputy as a school resource officer in Bay Point schools.

•Bay Point Spring Derby Memorial Day Parade and Festival

•World Music and Arts Festival for Bay Point and Pittsburg elementary school students

•RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic

•Ambrose Park Aquatic Center Project.

This year’s fund of $1,507,000 is based on the anticipated tonnage that will be delivered to the landfill for the fiscal year 2016-2017.

This is the second year in a row that the Keller fund has shown an increase, which might be an indication of an improving economy, said Glover.

“The grant awards are always difficult decisions because there are so many good services being provided by local agencies,” he added.