Manual tally to begin Monday, Antioch School District’s Measure T still too close to call

By Allen Payton

With the latest, Interim Update 3 from the Contra Costa County Elections Division from the March 3rd Presidential Primary posted Friday, March 13, there are still approximately 30,500 votes remaining to be counted in the county.

Supervisor Federal Glover gained on his two opponents and is now less than 0.12% from winning re-election outright. He now has 49.89% of the vote for a total of 20,330 votes. His next closest opponent, County Assessor Gus Kramer has 25.62% of the vote or 10,440 votes, followed closely by Martinez Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley with 24.49% or 9,981 votes.

If Glover doesn’t end up having 50% plus one vote, he will face the second-place finisher in a November General Election run-off.

Three of Six Tax Measures Passing

Three of the six tax measures on the ballot in Contra Costa are passing, as of the latest update.

The election for the Antioch Unified School District’s Measure T school improvement bond, covering the former Mello-Roos District 89-1, is still too close to call. It needs 55% of the vote to pass and currently has 53.13% with a margin of 1,511 votes.

In the Lafayette Measure L school district parcel tax election, which requires a 2/3’s vote to pass, it’s succeeding with 72.6% of the vote and a lead of 4,589 votes.

In the Moraga School District, the Measure M parcel tax election, which also requires a 2/3’s vote to pass, is succeeding with 70.27% of the vote and a margin of 2,731 votes.

In the West Contra Costa Unified School District Measure R school bond election, which requires a 55% vote to succeed, it is passing with 57.3% of the vote and leading the No votes by 8,009 votes.

The Pleasant Hill Park and Recreation Department’s Measure A bond measure, which requires a 2/3’s vote to pass, is failing with only 59.55% of the vote, but leading by 2,463 votes. It needs an increase of 6.12% from the remaining votes.

The countywide Measure J half-cent sales tax for transportation, which requires a 2/3’s vote to pass, was also failing with just 50.6% of the vote, and barely leading by 3,472 votes out of 288,644 counted so far.

Danville Development Referendum Passing

In the Town of Danville’s Measure Y referendum, which will approve the development of 69 homes on 410 acres and requires a simple majority to pass, is winning with 54.26% of the vote and a margin of 1,477 votes.

Following are the estimated number of ballots that remain to be counted as of Friday, March 13.

500          Other

29,200     Provisional

800          Conditional Voter Registration

30,500     Total Estimate

Manual Tally

Beginning Monday, March 16 the Elections Division will conduct a manual audit of ballots cast in the March 3rd Presidential Primary. The public is invited to observe the count.

By Allen Payton

As of Friday, March 13, 2020, the schools in the Antioch Unified School District will close for the remainder of the month beginning Monday, March 16.

In a Facebook post Friday morning she wrote:

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SUPERINTENDENT ANELLO REGARDING COVID-19 AND SCHOOL CLOSURES (3/13/20 @ 10:20 am)

Good Morning,

After careful consideration, the Antioch Unified School District will close all schools beginning Monday March 16th. School will resume following Spring Break on March 30th. However, we ask that families have a contingency plan for the week of March 30th should it be necessary to keep schools closed. At this time, we do not know if the missed days will need to be made up at a later date, but will keep our families informed once we confirm that.

Schools will remain open today. However, parents/guardians who feel more comfortable not sending their child to school and/or picking up their child can do so and the absence will be excused.

During the March 16th through March 27th closure of schools, students who receive free and reduced lunch can get meals Monday through Friday at any of the following locations and at the following times (please note the meals will be ‘grab and go’):

Belshaw Elementary: 8:00-8:30 am, 12:00-12:30 pm

Fremont Elementary: 8:00-8:30 am, 12:00-12:30 pm

Lone Tree Elementary: 11:30-12:30 pm

Marsh Elementary: 8:00-8:30 am, 12:00-12:30 pm

Muir Elementary: 8:00-8:30 am, 12:00-12:30 pm

Park Middle School: 8:00-8:30 am, 12:15-1:00 pm

Turner Elementary: 11:30 am -12:30 pm

We will provide an update to all families no later than Saturday, March 28th. At this time, please contact your child’s school should you have further questions. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Anello

Both Anello and Board President Diane Gibson-Gray were informed by this reporter Friday morning, before the decision was made, that the former director of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Dr. Scott Gottlieb recommended not closing schools.

“…closing schools has its own impact on social lives and an impact on public health that could be adverse and could potentially even worsen the epidemic,” he was quoted as saying by Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-2) in a post on Twitter. “…So broad preemptive school closures, I personally wouldn’t recommend.”

“That’s probably why all schools have not closed,” responded Gibson-Gray at 10:07 a.m. “Stephanie is working closely with the CDE (California Department of Education) before we make any decisions.” However, a short time later, Gibson-Gray sent a text with the message, “See my update on Facebook,” which was a post of Anello’s announcement

When reached for comment, later Gibson-Gray wrote, “Stephanie is the one whos been in contact with the CDC, so you should talk to her.”

When asked “who made the decision, you or the board and why,” Anello said, “I made the decision.”

When asked why, in light of the information shared with her this morning from the former director of the FDA, and what are the parents or guardians of the students who work are supposed to do with the children, Anello responded, “In light of the pace of the pandemic and as we continue to receive information regarding the spread of the virus, we do not want to risk having any children or staff members exposed to the health risks. We regret that this may have a negative impact on some of our families who may have child care issues, but we are doing what we believe is in the best interest of all students and staff at this time.”

She also shared Board Policy 3516.5 Emergency Schedules which gives the superintendent the authority to close the schools: “In order to provide for the safety of students and staff, the Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent or designee to close a school site, change the regular school day schedule, or take any necessary action when hazardous environmental or weather conditions or other emergencies warrant.”

Following the decision by AUSD, leadership for Rocketship Delta Prep charter school in Antioch also decided to close their school, along with the rest of their schools nationwide, according to Marie Issa Gil, Rocketship Bay Area Regional Director. “Rocketeer Families – In alignment with our local districts, school will be closed as of Monday, 3/16,” was the announcement to parents, Friday morning.

Martinez, CA – As more cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) are identified in California, the Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) has provided additional guidance to its three colleges, two centers and District Office in an effort to protect students, faculty, employees and visitors. To date, there are no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus at any CCCCD location.

Consistent with guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health and Contra Costa Health Services, CCCCD confirmed that all colleges and centers will remain open, and instruction and operations will continue, with modifications, as listed below.

Effective immediately, and through April 30, 2020, unless otherwise noted, CCCCD is taking action in the following areas:

Travel – CCCCD is curtailing all non-essential travel for students, faculty and employees.

Events – CCCCD locations will cancel or postpone gatherings of 50 or more people, especially events attended by older adults and people of all ages with compromised immune systems.

Employee Leave – CCCCD is encouraging students, faculty and employees to stay home if they are sick and adhere to any quarantine guidance provided by a physician in consultation with county health services.

Instruction – CCCCD, in consultation with the Academic Senate and United Faculty leadership, is reviewing remote instruction options for lecture-based classes targeted for March 16, 2020, with evaluations and adjustments made accordingly thereafter.

Student Services – Student Services will continue on-site at campuses, and CCCCD is reviewing technologies and tools to provide remote access as necessary.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to provide updates to our campus communities when any new relevant information warrants a change in our response to this issue,” said Eugene Huff, Interim Chancellor. Additionally, a centralized District Coronavirus web page is now available at www.4cd.edu/covid19 and will be updated regularly to reflect the latest public health guidance.”

The following message was sent by the Antioch Unified School District staff on Tuesday evening, March 10:

“In light of recent COVID-19 guidelines from Contra Costa Health Services related to “social distancing”, the Board Meeting scheduled for 03/11/20 has been cancelled. Thank you for your

understanding as this situation is ever-evolving.”

By Allen Payton

Following a 1:00 p.m. meeting with the high school principals in the district, Antioch Unified School District Supervisor Stephanie Anello issued the following update on canceling or postponing school activities, Tuesday, March 10, 2020:

Good afternoon,

A short time ago, Contra Costa Health Services issued “Interim Guidance for Social Distancing” in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. It includes the following:

• Cancel or postpone large gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, celebrations, conventions, religious services and community events where 50 or more people are within arm’s length of each other.

• Cancel or postpone events for or attended by older adults or others who are at a higher risk for severe illness.

In accordance with these guidelines and until further notice, all events outside of the school day that may be attended by 50 or more people have been cancelled. Additionally, all schools will consider postponing or cancelling events in which less than 50 ppl are expected in attendance if the event is not essential. Please contact your child’s school should you have any questions.

We will continue to update you as new information becomes available.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Anello

County health officials are expected to issue updated guidance Tuesday afternoon following a 2:00 p.m. press conference. Please check this website or cchealth.org/coronavirus.

More events and activities might be cancelled; No cancellations of Deer Valley High’s activities.

Following is a post on the Antioch High School Facebook page on Monday, March 9, 2020:

“A message from Principal Louie Rocha:

‘In light of the potential spread of the Coronavirus 19, Antioch High School is postponing this Friday’s Powder Puff flag football game. It will be rescheduled later this month.

Additionally, the Grad Night Disneyland field trip has been cancelled. It will not be re-scheduled due to health and safety concerns for our graduates attending the theme park with the general public. Antioch High learned today that if Grad Night were to be cancelled at a future date, there would be no refunds available to those who purchased tickets. Class of 2020 students will be notified on the process for receiving a refund for tickets purchased later this week.

Cancellations of school events and activities are difficult. However, when it comes to the best interests of our students and school community, we choose to err on the side of caution. I will continue to update you on any other school activities that may be rescheduled or cancelled.’”

No such announcement has been made by Deer Valley High School, according to the school’s office staff, Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: Superintendent Stephanie Anello said she would be meeting with the district’s high school principals at 1:00 pm today “as the CDPH (California Department of Public Health) just sent out new guidance for ‘social distancing’. I expect a more formalized and coordinated effort of cancellations moving forward,” she said. That update will be posted later on this website.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Antioch native Payton Burke, left, received her United States Army commission from Salus University president Dr. Michael Mittelman on Feb. 29, 2020, during a ceremony on the university campus in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Photos by Mike Morsch/Salus University.

Payton Burke will complete her fourth-year rotation in audiology at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Bethesda, MD.

Elkins Park, PA – When Antioch, California native, 2011 Deer Valley High and 2016 Penn State grad, Payton Burke decided to go into the United States Army, it wasn’t a big surprise to her mother, Joanie Burke. Payton’s grandfather, Leonard Horn, was in the Army and stationed at Redstone Arsenal Army base in Huntsville, AL In fact, Payton’s mother was born at that Army base in Alabama.

The family generational pull toward the Army took another step in providing service to the country recently when Burke, ’21AUD received her commission to the Army from Salus University president Michael Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, at a ceremony attended by family, friends, faculty, administrators and an Army recruiter Feb. 29, 2020, on the University’s Elkins Park, PA campus.

“My gosh, it’s amazing. I’m emotional, excited and proud,” said Joanie Burke, who had flown in from Antioch, with Payton’s brother, Ethan Burke, the day before the ceremony honoring her daughter. “She called a few years back and said this was what she was thinking of doing and asked how I would feel about it. I was a little nervous at the beginning and I told her, this is your life. You’ve made the right decisions all along your journey so far and I was confident she would make the right decision now.”

Payton asked Dr. Mittelman, a retired Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, to administer the oath. Although it’s somewhat unusual for a Navy officer to commission an Army recruit, Dr. Mittelman was honored to oblige a Salus student.

“Payton has been a wonderful student leader. Everything that she’s touched has been successful. She’s mature, she’s intelligent and she really understands what serving in leadership is all about. That’s why I’m thrilled to be able to do this. The Army is really getting a winner here,” said Dr. Mittelman, who also provided a brief history lesson before the ceremony of the oath, its meaning and the subtle differences on what the oath means to each branch of the military.

James Caldwell, OD ‘89, FAAO, EdM, dean of Student Affairs and assistant professor at Salus, has worked with Burke in a number of capacities as a student leader and is not surprised that she’s going to serve the country.

“When she hit campus as an enrolled student here, she raised her hand, she was curious about opportunities for leadership, and she rose into those positions. She represents her profession of audiology in an outstanding way. But most importantly, she really embraces our ‘One Salus’ mindset. Everything she did as a student leader, not only took care of her fellow audiology students, but she was really interested in creating a broad Salus community,” said Dr. Caldwell, who attended the ceremony. “It’s not at all surprising now that she’s going to serve our country. In my mind, it just fits into who she is as an individual, as a person and soon, as a healthcare provider. We’re so proud of her.”

Those words are echoed by Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD, dean of the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA), who also attended the ceremony to see one of her own students advance her career path.

“This is our second audiology student to go through this ceremony, so this is pretty exciting,” said Dr. Aravamudhan. “The discipline and core values (in the military) are something that they learn a lot about. “I’m confident that Payton will enjoy everything, learn a lot and go on from there.”

For her part, Burke said she’s ready for the next step. She’ll have a four-week officer’s training commitment in Oklahoma this summer after which she’ll complete her fourth-year rotation at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Bethesda, Md. After that, she’s committed for three years as a military audiologist wherever the Army decides to send her.

“I feel like I’m ready. This ceremony meant so much to me and warmed my heart. I was just so happy to see everybody that came here today to share this with me,” she said.

About Salus University

Salus University, founded as the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1919, today is a diversified, globally recognized professional academic center of learning that offers a wide range of degree programs in the professions of Optometry, Audiology, Physician Assistant, Public Health, Blindness and Low Vision Studies, Biomedicine, Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology. Salus operates four clinical facilities in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties that provide highly specialized vision, hearing and balance, and speech-language pathology services. The University has more than 1,200 students, and more than 14,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, please visit www.salus.edu. Salus is currently celebrating a century of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, its founding school. For more information about the legacy, please visit www.salus.edu/centennial.