Firefighters and officials help push in the new truck at Station 81 in Antioch, including Deputy Chief Brian Helmick and Chaplain Fr. Robert Rein, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Photos by Con Fire
“Push-in ceremony” held on Thursday
By Allen D. Payton
Contra Costa Fire welcomed their newest tiller fire truck into its home at Station 81 in Antioch on Thursday, June 20, 2024. This new truck will serve our communities in Battalions Eight and Nine.
Deputy Chief Aaron McAlister speaks as the Station 81 crew listens during the push-in ceremony.
Known as a “push-in ceremony”, the event was attended by Antioch Councilmembers Lori Ogorchock and Mike Barbanica, Contra Costa County District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis, Manuel Vincent, representing District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover and Con Fire leaders. Father Robert Rein of Antioch’s St. Ignatius Catholic Church, a fire department chaplain, blessed the truck during the ceremony. They all then helped push the truck into the station, located at 315 W. 10th Street.
A fire truck push-in ceremony is a long-standing tradition in the fire service. It dates back to the days of horse-drawn equipment when firefighters had to physically push the equipment back into the station after returning from a call.
According to firesafetysupport.com, “Tiller Trucks are the most common and versatile fire trucks.They have a large scoop that can be used to pull water from a hose and transport it to the fire scene. They are also equipped with a ladder that can be used to reach high spots or rescue people trapped in a burning building.”
Con Fire PIO, Captain Chris Toler contributed to this report.
Hosted by Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department at Antioch Senior Center, 415 W. 2nd Street, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.
“Not any business, including any business I worked for would take a deposit at night” – Craig Cannon, Contra Costa County Fair Board President
Shares more details, says policies and procedures will be discussed at next Board meeting June 12
Positive Fair news: Mexican rodeo group working to bring Hispanic-themed events to former arena
By Allen D. Payton
Following the armed robbery of proceeds from the Contra Costa County Fair during an attempted bank deposit early Monday morning, May 20, 2024, after the end of this year’s fair Sunday night, on Thursday, Fair Board President Craig Cannon shared additional details about the incident. (See related article)
Asked to confirm the amount of $90,000 that was stolen he said, “I got it as a little under $100,000. I got that from the police. (Fair CEO) Joe Brengle’s not even talking to me.”
However, according to another board member, John Pence, Brengle sent out an email Wednesday night to him and the other board members about the matter. Cannon said he hadn’t seen it.
“Not any business, including any business I worked for would take a deposit at night,” Cannon continued. “It’s unusual. It’s one of the things I want to get the board together to talk about. Why would you make such a poor decision? The only one who has a deposit key is the fair manager.”
“A lot of information is not being shared when it’s supposed to be,” he stated. “It all boils down to the fair manager. He handles the overall money receipts, personnel, hiring and firing. But Joe works for the board. We hire and fire him.”
Asked if insurance will cover any of the loss, Cannon said, “I don’t believe so because it wasn’t during Fair hours or on property and it wasn’t in the bank. There’s a really thin line, there.”
Asked why the people depositing the funds weren’t joined by armed escorts by either the contracted security firm or county sheriff’s deputies, he responded, “That’s the question I’m trying to find out. But he’s (Brengle’s) not being forthright. That’s what we will discuss at the next board meeting. I’ve talked to the State of California, and they said I can’t have an emergency meeting. In my eyes, almost a hundred grand is a major crime against us.”
About the security firm, Praetorian and this year’s Fair, Cannon said, “They were great. This year’s fair was a good one and safe.”
He then reiterated what was shared with other media, that the loss of that amount of money could impact the fair’s music headliners and animal attractions for next year.
“This whole thing stinks,” he stated.
Two Temporary Staffers Handled Deposit
Asked who handled the deposit Cannon said, “Two temporary staffers hired by the Fair, this year in charge of parking and ticket sales. That’s another red flag. Something’s really wrong. Joe seems like a sensible guy. I don’t know why he would make that decision.”
Asked why the money wasn’t left in a safe on the fairgrounds and deposited during daylight, he said, “That’s a decision for the fair manager” and shared that the Fair, technically state’s 23rd District Agricultural Association, currently only has two full-time employees, Brengle and an administrative assistant who works in the office with him.
Since it’s the public’s money Cannon said, “That’s my concern. I also suggested the state bring in the CHP which oversees county fairs in the state. They delegate the authority to the county sheriff’s office.”
“I don’t work for the state,” he explained. “I’m appointed by the governor. Not this governor, the past one. The appointments are renewed. We can barely have a meeting quorum. If someone is sick, we can’t hold a meeting. The governor’s busy with the budget.”
Asked why the funds weren’t taken to the bank by the fair manager and a board member for a check and balance and if there is a procedure in place Cannon stated, “There will be. The Fair Board is all about policies and procedures. The manual is about 50 pages. But we don’t handle the day-to-day. Taking funds to the bank during daylight hours should be the policy.”
“He (Brengle) hasn’t been forthcoming to anyone on the board about this,” the fair board president reiterated. “This is crazy. It makes no sense at all.”
One positive thing Cannon shared is that a Mexican rodeo group is working to bring Hispanic-themed events to the former arena that was used as the paintball park.
The next board meeting, which is open to the public, will be held Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fair Board Directors’ Room at the Contra Costa Event Center (fairgrounds) located at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch.
ByActing Sergeant Kristian Palma #6286 Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau
On Monday, May 20, 2024, at approximately 2:18 AM, Antioch police officers responded to the 2500 block of Somersville Road for the report of an armed robbery.
When officers arrived, they contacted two victims. Officers learned the victims were employees of the Contra Costa County Event Park (Fairgrounds). The Contra Costa County Fair had ended, and two employees were tasked with conducting the night deposit. While conducting the night deposit at the BMO Bank they were approached by an unknown suspect. The suspect robbed the victims of the money and personal belongings at gunpoint.
Other news reports have pegged the amount stolen at $90,000. When asked, a county fair representative offered no comment but didn’t know how that amount was known by other media. Questions were emailed late Wednesday night to Fair CEO Joe Brengle asking if that’s correct, why the deposit was made at that time instead of leaving it in a safe on the fairgrounds and waiting until Monday morning to make the deposit, what is the usual procedure and for any additional information he could share.
We are asking for anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau. Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Sgt. Palma at (925) 779-6876 or by emailing kpalma@antiochca.gov.
Additional questions were emailed to Brengle Thursday afternoon including:
“Shouldn’t the deposit of such an amount be made with an armed escort, such as staff from the security company, Praetorian hired by the Fair this year or county sheriff’s deputies? Does the Fair have policies and procedures in place for handling deposits? Were they followed? What are they? What amount does the $90,000 (or more) represent of the Fair’s proceeds? Will the Fair’s insurance cover any or all of the loss? What impacts will it have for the Fair’s future?”
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
By Isiah Thompson, Departmental Community and Media Relations Coordinator, Contra Costa County Probation Dept.
Martinez, CA – Contra Costa County Probation has renewed their partnership with California Highway Patrol (CHP) to prepare and develop responsible young drivers. The partners will host the CHP’s Start Smart classes at 50 Douglas Drive, Ste. 200, in Martinez. Dates will be offered in the future and will be posted on the Probation Department’s website and social media sites.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading cause of death for Americans 15-20 years old is motor vehicle collisions. The California Highway Patrol’s goal is to reduce the death rate among teenagers caused by these collisions. Start Smart provides teens and their parents/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class that will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a vehicle can affect the lives of numerous people. Start Smart also focuses on the responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, the responsibilities of parents/guardians, and the collision-causing elements for new drivers, especially males, such as excessive speed, driving under the influence, and distracted driving. Start Smart teaches what precautions to take to stay safe, such as seatbelt safety, collision avoidance techniques, and what to do when involved in a collision.
“We are excited to host Smart Start. This partnership with California Highway Patrol provides youth in Contra Costa County with the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge, that ultimately creates safer drivers, and safer communities,” said Esa Ehmen-Krause, Chief Probation Officer.
The classes are FREE to the participants, who will receive a certificate of completion that may be utilized to reduce vehicle insurance fees.
Before, During & After Wilbur Avenue homeless encampment cleanup. Campers and vehicles on March 4, 2024. Source: Video screenshot courtesy of ContraCosta.news. RV towed and City of Antioch workers during clean up on March 19, 2024. Photos courtesy of Mike Burkholder. Photos following the cleanup. Source: City of Antioch.
“No other areas were suggested for them in Antioch or elsewhere.” – Acting City Manager Kwame Reed
Homeless advocates not happy they weren’t notified to be there to help the residents
“…they have just displaced these souls with absolutely no solution as to where they should go” – Nichole Gardner
By Allen D. Payton
On Tuesday morning, March 19, 2024, City of Antioch staff cleared out 70 vehicles and “approximately 100” people from the eastern end of Wilbur Avenue near Hwy 160, between the power plant and vineyards.
A post on the City’s Facebook page reads, “Teaming up to revitalize our community.
Today, numerous City departments partnered to clean up Wilbur Avenue. With a coordinated effort that included our Code Enforcement team, Police Department, Public Works, Public Safety & Community Resources Department, the Angelo Quinto Crisis Response Team (AQCRT), Parking Enforcement, and Antioch Animal Services the Wilbur Avenue area has been abated. In total, 70 vehicles were cleared, and support services were offered to people and pets at the location. Together, we can make a difference!
We would also like to thank our Contra Costa County partners for their support leading up to today.”
Questions were emailed Tuesday after work hours to Public Safety and Community Resources Department Tasha Johnson and Unhoused Resident Coordinator Jazmin Ridley. They were asked how many individuals were living there and how many of them were school-aged children.
They were also asked if another location in Antioch or elsewhere has been offered for the motorhomes and campers. Finally, they were asked what “support services were offered to people and pets at the location” as written in the post. But neither responded. On Wednesday, the questions were then sent again to them and Acting City Manager Kwame Reed.
On Friday, March 22, Reed responded there were “approximately 100” people moved from the Wilbur Avenue encampment. But he shared that information on the number of school-aged children “was not tracked.”
Reed also said, “No other areas were suggested for them in Antioch or elsewhere.” Yet, “over the past 2-3 weeks, staff in association with the Care Team and County’s CORE (Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement) Team, visited the location to provide assistance.”
The Antioch Care Team (ACT) was formed in 2021 “to reduce non‐warrant arrests that result during a 911 response; reduce the number of individuals transported to the emergency department for non-life threatening medical-related issues that could instead be addressed in a prehospital care setting; and reduce the number of behavioral health and lower acuity medical calls traditionally responded to by Police and Fire.”
It’s now referred to as the AQCRT.
Advocates Not Happy They Weren’t Informed
In addition, local volunteer homeless advocates, Andrew Becker and Nichole Gardner were asked if they were aware of the cleanup before it occurred and for their comments on the City’s efforts.
Gardner responded, “No. It was unfortunate too because our team would have gladly helped with making sure that the folks that were there knew that the city was clearing out the area (if they did not receive a proper notice) and would have been there to support by supplying bags and helping them pack up their belongings. We could have also provided food, drinks and supplies as it takes a physical toll on folks having to move everything they had on short notice.”
“We know that these sweeps that the city does causes emotional and physical trauma to people in encampments who are dealing with mental illness and hoarding disorders,” she continued. “We have seen individuals break down in tears because they are so emotionally attached to their items.”
“One of the lieutenants at APD used to call us to let us know when there would be a big sweep such as this, we were surprised that he did not reach out after knowing such a large sweep was going to take place,” Gardner shared. “I was told that APD was there which I was confused about because we have the Mental Health Crisis Response team (purple people) for a reason. There was no crime being committed so therefore I don’t know why we are wasting police resources on clearing out encampments, especially when we are lacking so many officers. “
“I am not naïve to think that this area did not need a good cleaning,” she stated. “Some people in encampments tend to suffer from hoarding disorders and hoard things that others consider garbage, but I am disappointed that when these clean ups take place, they not only don’t have a place for people to go for shelter but no safe parking lot for these RV’s. What is more upsetting is that they show up with tow trucks to tow away the only place that they call home and leave them to be in the elements without shelter.”
“It was sickening seeing the City Facebook page about how they cleared the area. The city bragged about cleaning up the area to appease the community members while forgetting that they have just displaced these souls with absolutely no solution as to where they should go,” the local homeless advocate said. “We need a safe parking lot for these RV’s with staff to be sure that they are maintained and people are not bringing in anything that does not fit in their RV.”
“If the city spent more time focusing on being proactive by putting money into mental health, affordable housing, shelters, and safe parking with porta potties and dumpsters and stop spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year into cleaning up encampments all over the city we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Gardner added.
Becker responded, “I was not aware of the abatement that took place, no notice was given by the City to advocates, locally. We had multiple conversations with the City, previously regarding abatements. We had been told we would be notified as well as CORE.”
“When I arrived at the site at 12:30 pm, 90% of the individuals and their property had been removed,” he continued. “CORE was not on site, only APD and neighboring law enforcement agencies. Beyond the update the City posted online, I have no knowledge of what resources were made available. I also do not know whether individuals’ items were stored or disposed of. There were no alternative temporary encampment locations made available to the residents to my knowledge.”
Later, in response to the information provided by Reed, Becker asked, “Does that assistance mean placement? How many of those people were placed?”
“There were limited services. They said Animal Services was out there. But I had to wrangle two chickens, myself and took them to Animal Services,” he added.
Hosted by Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls
(Martinez, CA) – The Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls is partnering with hosting Making Herstory 2024: Inspiring Women in Nontraditional Jobs and Professions on March 23.
The panel will feature women who have navigated careers seen as ‘nontraditional’, trailblazing in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), public safety, skilled trades, and beyond. The Commission encourages participation of women, supporters, and especially young women and girls.
Keynote Speaker: California State Treasurer Fiona Ma
Youth Speaker: Krisha Singhani, Entrepreneur and creator of FEmale, menstruation-induced anemia detection non-invasive device
Panelists:
Sabina Zafar, Founder and CEO of AI Cloud Consulting and former Fortune 100 Executive
Swati Mohan, Aerospace Engineer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Shawnay Tarquinio, Firefighter, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
Eva Allen, Founder-CEO and Executive Chef of Full Belly Bakery
Faye Maloney, Police Sergeant and Chair, Contra Costa Commission on the Status of Women and Girls
Rachel Shoemake, Electrician, IBEW Local Union 302
For further information about the Making Herstory 2024 panel and the Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls, please email cccwomenscommission@gmail.com.
