With support from elected and community leaders, unions and faculty

Representing portions of Antioch, Pittsburg and Brentwood and other East County communities

“My goal is to drive student success for the jobs of the future.” – Fernando Sandoval

East County community leader Fernando Sandoval announces his re-election candidacy for the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees in Ward 5 with support from a strong list of elected officials, labor leaders and community members from throughout the district including: Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover, Contra Costa County Supervisor Ken Carlson, Building and Construction Trades, Central Labor AFL-CIO and the United Faculty of the College District. They join a coalition of college faculty, staff, students, small business owners, civic leaders and community activists in support of Sandoval’s race.

Sandoval is completing his first term on the college board, after being elected in 2020 during his second and successful attempt to defeat then-incumbent Trustee Greg Enholm. Ward 5 includes portions of Antioch, Pittsburg and Brentwood and all of Oakley, Bay Point, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron and Knightsen. (See College District Wards map)

“Fernando Sandoval is a leader who has brought vision, bold leadership and a commitment to educational excellence and equity that will advance the academic opportunities for our students, said Yolanda Peña Mendrek, Liberty Union High School District Board President. She adds, in addition, his 30 years as a finance and banking consultant to top worldwide corporations will make him an experienced voice and strong ally with the Governing Board as it addresses the budget constraints by the State and the continued fiscal aftermath of the global pandemic.”

In 2022-23 Fernando served as President of the Governing Board. During his four-year tenure as Board Trustee, some of his accomplishments in this capacity included bringing in District leadership stability with the hiring of the permanent Chancellor, Mojdeh Mehdezadeh, and Presidents of Los Medanos College and Contra Costa College, restoring a relationship with John F. Kennedy-National University and leading DEI efforts most recently with an innovative model for enrollment with Diablo Valley College, Mount Diablo Unified School District and United Latino Voices.

He has also served as a past member of the Contra Costa Community College District Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee (DEEOAC) to advise on a districtwide commitment to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunities in accordance with California Education Code, Title 5. He also Chaired the Bond Oversight Committee for modernization of schools at Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD).

Sandoval’s community leadership also includes organizing mentoring, tutoring and motivational workshops for K-12 students and Los Medanos College students. He was recognized for his service by receiving the 2020 Cesar Chavez Award for Exemplary Community Service by Los Medanos College.

“I am running for the Contra Costa Community College District Board in my home region because I personally experienced the equity barriers and lack of mentorship for higher education access, particularly for underserved students which still exists today,” said Sandoval. “My goal is to drive student success for the jobs of the future. I want to bring my professional experiences, innovative spirit and commitment to educational excellence and equity to advance real solutions to these issues in collaboration with the Board and through community and philanthropic partnerships.”

The Ward 5 Trustee continued, “I am honored to have the support of educational leaders, local policy-makers and hard-working residents from throughout the East County community college district. We still face unprecedented challenges ahead due to the pandemic’s impact on the district’s budget combined with the long-term racial and social injustice issues facing our region and college district. It has never been more important to have experienced, principled, and responsive leadership now more than ever.”

Background

Sandoval was raised in East County by a hard-working immigrant family who sacrificed and encouraged education as a career pathway. Fernando is a veteran who served in the Vietnam War, where he maintained advanced computer systems on the USS Enterprise. Professionally he was recruited for information technology manager roles by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sperry Rand, Hughes Aircraft Corporation, and managed change at IBM and General Electric among others. He also provided management strategies and policy decisions for economic recovery as a finance consultant to top banking institutions worldwide.

Sandoval is also a published author of his memoir, “From Tortilla Chips to Computer Chips.”

For more information about Fernando Sandoval’s candidacy, visit fernando4collegeboard.com or for questions contact fernando4education@gmail.com.

Sandoval just began raising funds this week, he shared. He faces one opponent in the race, former Antioch School Board Trustee Debra Vinson.

The election is November 5th.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

After employee was rammed with shopping cart

By Antioch Police Department

Antioch Officers were dispatched to Target on Lone Tree Way for a reported theft. When a Target employee tried to intervene, one of the suspects rammed the employee with a shopping cart and threatened them, turning this simple theft into a robbery. Three suspects—one male and two females—fled the scene in a vehicle with the stolen merchandise.

Thanks to quick coordination with the Brentwood Police Department, the suspect vehicle was located at a Safeway in Brentwood, where another robbery had just occurred. Working with the victims in this case, three of the four suspects were positively identified, and the stolen property was returned to Target.

The suspects were booked at Martinez Detention Facility for robbery.

Great work by all involved in bringing these individuals to justice! #CommunitySafety #Teamwork

Plus, other required mitigations for traffic impacts all paid for by developer, expected to be completed this fall

By Allen D. Payton

For those who live or work in East County and haven’t driven on Buchanan Road west of Somersville Road in Antioch, lately, you might not be aware the road is being widened to accommodate a new home development. Seeno Homes’ Tivoli at Tuscany Meadows in Pittsburg will include 917 single family homes and 365 multi-family units on 135.6 acres surrounding the Chevron property. The development was approved in 2015 and 2016 and has some residents concerned about traffic impacts. City of Pittsburg staff say all the mitigations that were proposed in the plans are being implemented. They include widening Buchanan Road to four lanes plus, turn lanes between Somersville Road in Antioch and Meadows Avenue in Pittsburg, as well as nearby affected roads and intersections.

The project will also include an internal collector street, labeled Sequoia Drive, which will connect and provide the new residents access to Somersville Road in Antioch. But the main street in the new development, labeled Tuscany Meadows Drive, will not connect to James Donlon Blvd. using Metcalf Street in Antioch until the long-planned James Donlon Blvd. extension to Kirker Pass Road in Pittsburg is completed. But that project is currently on hold, according to city staff.

City staff also shared, all the mitigations for traffic impacts are being paid for by the developer.

According to the Project Description in the Draft Environmental Impact Report, “Historically the project site was used as an above-ground crude oil tank farm owned by Chevron USA, Inc. However, the tanks and associated piping were removed from the site in 1981.”

According to the City of Pittsburg staff report for the project, the Tuscany Meadows Residential Subdivision consists of 917 single family homes and 365 multi-family residential units on an approximately 170-acre vacant site. The site consists of two parcels bounded on the north by Buchanan Road, to the east by the Contra Costa Canal and Somersville Road, to the south by the Black Diamond Estates residential development (in Antioch), and the west by the Highlands Ranch residential development (in Pittsburg). The project site is located in what was an unincorporated area of Contra Costa County, California between the City of Antioch and the City of Pittsburg limits. In 2011, the City of Pittsburg Urban Limit Line and General Plan were amended, via voter initiative, to reflect and accommodate the proposed project area in anticipation of future annexation and development.

The land was later annexed into the Pittsburg city limits.

Traffic Impacts

According to the Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) for the project, dated July 30, 2014, the new homes “would contribute to LOS (level of service) operations exceeding the established standards at the following seven intersections: Railroad Avenue at Leland Road (Intersection #3) Buchanan Road at Harbor Street (Intersection #7) Buchanan Road at Loveridge Road (Intersection #12) Buchanan Road at Ventura Drive (Intersection #13) Buchanan Road at Tuscany Meadows Drive (Intersection #15) Buchanan Road at the Tuscany Meadows Apartments (Intersection #17) Buchanan Road at Somersville Road (Intersection #22).”

As shown in Table 5 of the TIA, entitled, “Trip Generation Calculations”, the new home development will produce almost 10,500 Average Daily Trips with most of them from the single-family homes.

Mitigation Measures

The TIA included multiple measures to mitigate the traffic impact on Buchanan Road and other nearby roads and intersections.

The report reads, “The improvements listed below are not currently included in the City’s Transportation Impact Fee Program. Prior to construction of the identified improvements the project would mitigate the above-identified impacts by either constructing the required improvements as outlined below or paying a proportionate share of the construction costs, subject to City approval. The intersection mitigations required for the project to meet the established LOS standards include the following:

Railroad Avenue at E. Leland Road – Construction of an additional southbound left-turn lane and associated widening.

Buchanan Road at Harbor Street – Widening of Buchanan Road at the intersection to allow for the construction of two through lanes on the westbound approach as well as two receiving lanes on the west side of the intersection.

Buchanan Road at Loveridge Road – Widening of Buchanan Road at the intersection to allow for the construction of two through lanes on the westbound approach as well as two receiving lanes on the west side of the intersection.

Buchanan Road at Ventura Drive – Widening of Buchanan Road at the intersection to allow for the construction of two through lanes on the eastbound approach as well as two receiving lanes on the east side of the intersection. Alternative Mitigation: Implementation of PM peak hour metering of southbound Kirker Pass Road at Pheasant Drive (the project has a significant impact in the PM peak hour only).

Buchanan Road at Tuscany Meadows Drive – Widening of Buchanan Road at the intersection to allow for the construction of two through lanes on the eastbound approach as well as two receiving lanes on the east side of the intersection. Alternative Mitigation: Relocation of control point metering to this location and implementation of PM peak hour metering of southbound Kirker Pass Road at Pheasant Drive.

Buchanan Road at the Tuscany Meadows Apartments Entrance – Widening of Buchanan Road at the intersection to allow for the construction of two through lanes on the eastbound approach as well as two receiving lanes on the east side of the intersection. Alternative Mitigation: Implementation of PM peak hour metering of southbound Kirker Pass Road at Pheasant Drive (the project has a significant impact in the PM peak hour only).

Buchanan Road at Somersville Road – Construct an additional eastbound left turn lane to allow for a dual left turn movement onto northbound Somersville Road and an additional northbound lane to allow for a dual left turn movement onto westbound Buchanan Road. Alternative Mitigation: Implementation of PM peak hour metering of southbound Kirker Pass Road at Pheasant Drive.

Beyond these intersections, the analysis indicates the project would not cause any other significant impacts to traffic operations in the area. Please note that mitigations are only proposed to address PM peak hour conditions at the signalized intersection of Buchanan Road with Tuscany Meadows Drive. No mitigations are required to address AM conditions at this intersection because, as discussed in Section 5.5, AM peak hour traffic operations on Buchanan Road are covered by a traffic management plan (TMP) which was adopted as part of the East County Action Plan.

Buchanan Road is a Route of Regional Significance

According to the 2017 East County Action Plan for Routes of Regional Significance, Buchanan Road is included in the list, “Between Somersville Road and Railroad Avenue. This route serves as a conduit for traffic from East County communities to get to Kirker Pass Road and from there to Central County. Note that Buchanan Road will no longer be designated as a Route of Regional Significance once the James Donlon Boulevard extension is constructed.”

Pittsburg Public Works Director Provides Additional Details

Questions were sent to Pittsburg Community & Economic Development Director Jordan Davis, Assistant Director John Funderburg and Planning Division Senior Planner Hector Rojas, who is the lead agency contact for the project. They were asked when the widening construction is expected to be completed, how it’s being paid for, if either from the per home developer fee imposed by the East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority (ECCRFFA) or the county’s half-cent sales tax revenue from Measure J, and which traffic mitigations were included in the approval for the project.

Finally, they were asked where things stand in the process for extending James Donlon Blvd. through the Sky Ranch II development and connecting it to Kirker Pass Road. The adjacent 163-acre, 415 home development, planned for the land south of the Tivoli at Tuscany Meadows project and west of the existing homes in Antioch, was approved in 2004 but has yet to begin construction.

Pittsburg Public Works Director John Samuelson provided the answers. He responded, “The widening of Buchanan Road is scheduled to be completed this Fall. These improvements were a condition of approval on the development and is fully funded by the developer. No ECCRFFA or Measure J funds are being used.

All mitigations identified in the traffic study were used as conditions of approval for this development project.”

James Donlon Blvd. Extension from Antioch to Kirker Pass Road on Hold

Samuelson also shared, “The James Donlon Extension Project has been put on hold. There have been some challenges with this project which has caused the City of Pittsburg to change priorities. This is still an important project for this region, and we hope to make progress once development occurs in this area.”

To learn more about new home development and other projects in the City of Pittsburg see the Community Development Department Planning division’s Current Project Pipeline at www.pittsburgca.gov/services/community-development/planning/current-project-pipeline. To learn more about the homes in the Tivoli at Tuscany Meadows development visit www.seenohomes.com/tivoli.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/Bethel.Island.Chamber.

Under investigation; adult female driver not wearing seatbelt

By Allen D. Payton

A two-vehicle collision on Highway 4 in Pittsburg Sunday afternoon, Aug. 11, 2024, occurred following calls to the CHP of “street racing” and “erratic driving” and caused a traffic back up. According to CHP-Contra Costa PIO Dan Gilmore, “The crash occurred on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on Hwy 4 westbound east of Bailey Road.”

“A Silver Lexus driven by an adult female, who was the only occupant side swiped a Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by an adult male, also a sole occupant,” he stated. “While the crash call came out, there were also calls of street racing and erratic driving by the Lexus.”

“The Lexus driver lost control and crashed into the right shoulder guardrail, it overturned and landed on its wheels and came to rest in the right shoulder,” Gilmore continued. “The driver was not seat belted.”

“The crash resulted in minor injuries and complaints of pain. Both parties were transferred to the hospital where they were expected to recover,” he added.

Asked if it was a DUI Gilmore said, “No DUI is suspected.” Asked if the driver of the Lexus was arrested he stated, “Results are pending the investigation which is still ongoing.”

A driver on Hwy 4 at the time shared dashcam video and screenshots showing the Lexus and a Dodge passing by. The driver wrote, “Here is the video of the silver Lexus and burgundy Dodge.”

Check back later for any updates to this report.

Adult education offered in Antioch, East County

By Mallika Seshadri, EdSource.org. Republished with permission.

Despite efforts across various sectors, adults throughout California continue to struggle to access education opportunities that can be critical for their family’s economic mobility. 

The panel at EdSource’s roundtable, “Adult education: Overlooked and underfunded,” discussed how adults and their families can benefit from adult education, the common barriers to access and ways to overcome them. 

“During the pandemic, our emergency room took in some of our most at-need people and triaged them to the right medical care that they need,” said John Werner, the executive director of Sequoias Adult Education Consortium at Thursday’s discussion. “Adult schools do very similar work with education.” 

Barriers to adult education

Panelist Francisco Solano grew up in Mexico, where he earned a high school education but had no interest in continuing his schooling. About 16 years ago, he came to the United States and found himself working for salad-packing companies. 

He eventually enrolled in adult education classes at Salinas Adult School and is now wrapping up a doctorate in molecular biology at UCLA. 

But the road through his adult education was “exhausting” and “not convenient at all.” 

“That’s what I see with my peers,” Solano said. “They are not able to get out of that lifestyle because it’s so difficult for them to be able to have a job that secures rent and food for the families and, at the same time, find time and resources to go to school or try something else.” 

Solano also believes that larger companies do not want migrants like him to succeed because that would take away a source of cheap labor. 

Rural areas — where barriers associated with time and distance are greater — have a high need for adult education.

Steve Curiel, the principal of Huntington Beach Adult School, said not enough conversations about adult education are held at the policy level because most people in elected positions are unlikely to understand the critical role it plays, having experienced more traditional educational journeys.

Raising awareness and marketing 

Carolyn Zachry, the state director and education administrator for adult education at the California Department of Education, stressed the importance of raising awareness and sharing stories like Solano’s among potential students. 

“That gives the courage to come forward and to walk in those doors of that school,” she said. “And once they’re inside those school doors, then that school community wraps around them and really supports them.” 

Werner also emphasized the importance of actively seeking students. He mentioned specific efforts to speak to individuals at local community events, like farmers markets and flea markets. A TV or radio presence can also be helpful, he said. 

Helping communities overcome barriers 

Numerous organizations are enacting measures to expand access to adult education, including creating remote and virtual options as well as providing childcare for students while they are in school.

Several panelists agreed that virtual learning can be a helpful way to bring educational opportunities to adults at home — though Kathy Locke, who teaches English as a second language in Oakland Unified, emphasized the importance of in-person instruction, so adults can learn the skills they need to succeed online. 

“The more marginalized, the greater your need in terms of English level, the harder it is to access the technology to be able to use the technology to do distance learning well,” Locke said. 

To improve access to online learning, Curiel said the Huntington Beach Adult School has provided laptops and channels for internet connection. 

Providing childcare is another way to help reduce barriers for adults. 

“Our classes provide babysitting for our students to be able to come with their children. Their children go to child care, and then they’re able to come and learn,” Locke said. 

“I think that as a district, we really named that as a barrier and really put our money where our mouths were, I think, and made that a priority to get adults in our classrooms, so that they can do the learning that they need.”

Broader benefits of adult education 

Adult education also helps support a child’s education, the roundtable panelists agreed. 

For example, a child’s literacy benefits when parents attend English language classes, Locke said. And parents are more likely to be involved with their child’s education later on. 

“If you want to help a child in poverty, you have to help an adult in poverty,” Werner said. “Only the adult can go get a job tomorrow.” 

Adult Education Offered in Antioch, East County

The Antioch Unified School District offers education for adults to obtain their diploma, GED and High School Equivalency diploma at Prospects High School. The Fall 2024 Semester registration begins July 29th, 2024, Placement Testing begins August 8th and the first day of classes is August 19th. For more information visit https://antiochadultschool.asapconnected.com.

Adult education is also offered by the Pittsburg Adult Education Center. For more information visit https://paec.pittsburgusd.net.

The Liberty Union High School District also offers their Liberty Adult Education. For more information visit https://libertyadulted.org.

Mallika Seshadri covers Los Angeles and LAUSD.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Victim was adult man in East County

One dead bird, five sentinel chickens test positive for virus, all in Oakley

By Contra Costa Health

A Contra Costa resident died this month from West Nile virus infection, underscoring the need for everyone in the county to take precautions against mosquito-borne illness.

The death of an adult man who lived in East County was reported to the county on July 16. It was the first West Nile virus-related death reported in Contra Costa since 2006.

“This is a tragedy, and we offer our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones for their loss.” said Dr. Meera Sreenivasan, deputy county health officer. “This death also reinforces how important it is to reduce risk of West Nile virus infection by reducing our exposure to mosquitos.”

Contra Costa Health’s (CCH) Communicable Disease Program is investigating the case and has not determined where the person became infected. To preserve medical privacy, CCH will not release further details about the case.

The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Contra District (District) has detected other recent evidence of the virus’s presence in East County. One dead bird and five sentinel chickens have tested positive for the virus in Contra Costa County, all located in Oakley. According to the Delaware Journal of Public Health, “Chickens serve as valuable sentinel animals since they are not effective amplifying hosts, and they develop a short and relatively low viremia compared to other bird species when infected by WNV.”

Certain birds can become infected with West Nile virus, and when a mosquito feeds on an infected bird, the mosquito can become infected. An infected mosquito can spread the virus to a human or other animal through a single bite. The infection can be dangerous to humans, with symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, or rash.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Contra Costa County resident to West Nile virus,” said Paula Macedo, Ph.D., district general manager. “This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting ourselves from mosquito bites and supporting community efforts to control mosquito populations.”

West Nile virus activity is typically higher during the summer months. To reduce the risk of mosquito bites, the District recommends using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients:

• DEET
• Picaridin
• The repellent version of Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus
• IR3535

Always follow the instructions on the label when using insect repellent. Wearing long sleeves and pants when outdoors where mosquitoes are present, often at dawn and dusk, can reduce exposed skin and reduce the risk of mosquito bites. And dumping out any amount of standing water in front and backyards and scrubbing the inside of each container to remove mosquito eggs can also help lower the risk of mosquitoes.

The District provides public health services to Contra Costa County residents including a mosquito service of inspection and control upon request. Request a District service by phone at 925-685-9301 or online at www.contracostamosquito.com. Click on “I Want to” at the top of the webpage, then select “Request Services” from the drop-down menu.

Contra Costa County residents can help the District identify areas of potential WNV risk by reporting dead birds to the California Dead Bird Call Center by phone at 1-877-968-2473 or online at westnile.ca.gov. Dead birds are often the first sign of West Nile virus in a particular area. By reporting dead birds, residents provide the District with critical information that allows District employees to set mosquito traps near the site of the dead bird to look for infected mosquitoes. If those mosquitos are found, the District will take timely action to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne disease for neighboring residents.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.