Northern California Gateway Rotary Club meets online instead of at weekly sit-down meetings

Rotary International District 5160 Governor Jon Dwyer visited Northern California Gateway Rotary’s Charter reception at the Elks Lodge in Pittsburg, Wednesday March 6, to personally welcome the 25 diverse members of the area’s newest and most novel Rotary Club.

The club’s composition is extraordinary, 12 women and 13 men, with an average age of 42 years, one a former President of a Rotary youth group. The objective of the club is to connect committed, community minded volunteers in the pursuit of service through friendship without the traditional meeting constraints of the past, thus the name Northern California Gateway.

Victor Georgiou, of the Danville Rotary Club, was the Governor’s Representative tasked with guiding new members through the Charter process, over recent years. Joyce Chiu, a former Danville Rotarian, was also active from the beginning. While there are 71 other clubs in the district with over 3,500 members, population growth has outpaced Rotary’s growth, in part because of the culture shift away from the weekly sit-down-meal meeting.

The new club concept embraces engagement over meeting attendance, retaining the network of community-minded friends’ approach that is the core of Rotary. Participation in projects is a large part of attendance. Members may also attend meetings online.

But don’t get the new members wrong: As flexible as the club may be in terms of presence, the focus on joint implementation of social projects is paramount.

Like all new ideas, there was some early resistance to change. That has largely gone away as other clubs are coming to view the new club as an asset to their efforts Northern California Gateway Rotary received its official charter in December 2018. District Governor Jon Dwyer, and his wife Bonnie, congratulated each member of the new club. DG Dwyer also emphasized the club’s status as a role model:

“Rotary club of Northern California Gateway stands for a new generation of Rotary clubs – the kind of clubs I consider necessary so that Rotary can continue to grow,” he said.

In his thanks to Gateway Rotary, new club president Daniel Lopez clarified the future path of the club.

“Together we will interpret the Rotary idea in new ways, design and start new projects and make new friends,” he said. “In this process, we will be guided by our Rotary values and the idea that is expressed in our club name.”

“We all had a great entertaining and humorous evening with good conversations among friends and families,” Lopez continued. “After all the words of praise, it is time now to grow together as a club, to get the first projects off the ground, to get active in the region, and to contribute to the development of the Rotary family – both internally and externally. All in the spirit of the club name: Rotary Club of Northern California Gateway.”

To learn more visit http://gatewayrotary5160.org.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney

On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, District Attorney Diana Becton and staff attended an event in New York City to announce the end of the backlog of untested sexual assault kits in Contra Costa County. These results come from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participation in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Elimination Grant Program, a three-year grant program to test sexual assault kits.

Our Office was one of 32 grantees funded, totaling $1,841,535 to test 1,246 kits since 2015. The testing of these kits allowed for DNA evidence to be uploaded to the national DNA databank to assist in investigations and identify offenders.

“We partnered with 24 law enforcement agencies in our community to erase the backlog of sexual assault kits in Contra Costa County,” said Becton. “I want to express my gratitude for our partners working with our office to end the backlog. Testing these kits can help bring closure and justice to sexual assault victims. We are going to continue working on this issue to ensure we never have a backlog in our community again.”

To ease the burden of testing these kits, through this grant our Office collected the untested kits from participating agencies and sent the kits to Sorenson Forensics in Utah. The collaboration between Sorenson Forensics, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Crime Lab and our Office allowed for a more efficient process of testing these kits.

Due to state law in California, law enforcement agencies have mandated reporting timeframes to test these kits. If an agency chooses not to test, they have to substantiate their reasons to the California Department of Justice. Our Office will continue to monitor the progress of all agencies in Contra Costa County to ensure state law is followed and no kits remain untested.

Overall, the Manhattan District Attorney’s program tested 55,242 kits and resulted in 18,803 DNA profiles uploaded into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Locally, the results here for our kits were:

• 1,246 kits DNA tested (1978 to 2016)
• 182 DNA profiles entered into CODIS
• 122 Confirmatory hits
• 51 Offender hits
• 8 Cases reopened for further review by law enforcement agencies
• Full compliance of all participating agencies

Rep. DeSaulnier

Washington, DC – On the House floor today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11) managed the rule to begin consideration of H.Con.Res. 24, a straightforward Democratic resolution sponsored by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY-10), expressing the sense of Congress that the report by Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the American public and to Congress.

Highlights of Congressman DeSaulnier’s remarks are included below and video of the full speech is available here.

“When the Justice Department named Robert Mueller to Special Counsel for the Russia investigation, acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said, ‘A special counsel is necessary in order for the American people to have full confidence in the outcome. Our nation is grounded on the rule of law, and the public must be assured that government officials administer the law fairly.’

This resolution does not predetermine the outcome of the Mueller investigation. It simply expresses that the report of the Special Counsel should be made available to Congress and to the American people.

The public, including my constituents in Contra Costa, wants to know what happened. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans – in both parties – say the Mueller investigation should produce a full, public report on the findings.

Not only do people want to know, but they deserve to know.

To date, Mueller’s investigation has resulted in:

o   34 people and three companies being criminally charged;

o   Nearly 200 charges filed;

o   Seven guilty pleas;

o   And one conviction following a jury trial.

o   The investigation cost over $25 million, but recovered approximately $48 million in assets from tax evasion.

Eight federal and congressional intelligence and national security groups believe Russia interfered in the election. With the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the F.B.I., and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluding that Vladimir Putin personally ‘ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election’ to ‘undermine public faith in the democratic process.’

The last time our country had a Special Counsel operating under the same rules as the Mueller Probe was in 1993 to investigate the Waco siege and allegations of government wrongdoing. Prosecutors posted their final report directly on the Internet with hundreds of pages of exhibits and timelines.

The American public should receive the same transparency when the Mueller report is released.

I encourage my friends across the aisle to support the release of the Mueller report. We have commitments to support it from three House Republican Leaders including the Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Republican Conference Chair, and I hope all of the Republican Caucus will join Democrats in this vote to ensure we share one of the most important investigations of our time within these halls and with all of America.”

DeSaulnier is also a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which is investigating any possible criminal activity related to President Trump or his associates.

DeSaulnier represents portions of Contra Costa County including portions of Antioch.

By Lieutenant J. Fortner, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Saturday, March 9, 2019 at approximately 9:12 pm, Antioch police officers responded to West 19th Street near “D” Street on the report of several gunshots in the area. While officers were responding, dispatchers received information that two subjects had been shot. When officers arrived at the scene, they located a 25-year-old male gunshot victim in the street, and a 20-year-old male gunshot victim near the front of a residence.

Officers immediately provided first aid to the victims until ambulance and Contra Costa County Fire paramedics arrived. Paramedics transported both victims to a local area trauma center. The 25-year-old victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and the 20-year-old victim ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect fled the area prior to police arrival and was not located. Currently, this homicide is under investigation and evidence is being collected.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441, or Detective Bledsoe at 925-779-6884. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Herald file photo.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney

On March 4, a Contra Costa County jury found defendant Kamani Stelly of Antioch guilty of five felonies, including the attempted murder of four victims and shooting at an occupied motor vehicle that contained innocent passersby, all stemming from a shooting committed by Stelly in broad daylight in December 2016. (See related article).

In the late morning of December 19, 2016, Stelly opened fire on a group of men at the corner of Cavallo Road and East 18th Street in Antioch. Stelly fired 18 shots from a semi-automatic pistol at the group of men as he paced from Cavallo Road towards the men at a nearby Little Caesar’s Pizza. One member of the targeted group was injured from Stelly’s shooting.

The busy intersection in Antioch is surrounded by local businesses and homes. One of Stelly’s bullets hit an innocent victim while she rode as a passenger in a moving car. As a result of the shooting, this young woman lost an eye and will use a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Stelly now faces a maximum sentence of 160 years to life in state prison. Sentencing will occur on April 12, 2019 in front of the Honorable Nancy Stark – Department 20 of the Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez. Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Richard Ewenstein prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. The case originated in the Office’s Community Violence Reduction Unit.

“The defendant’s decision to resolve an argument with gunfire gravely wounded two people and endangered countless others. We are grateful to the members of the jury for their service and attention to this case and to the victims and witnesses of this crime for their courage in testifying,” stated DDA Ewenstein.

Stelly’s half-brother, Ronvell Scheneck pleaded no contest last year to being an accessory after the fact to the shooting and was sentenced to two years in prison. Another co-defendant, Cody Moss, will be sentenced to 12 years in state prison for his role in the attack.

Case information: People v. Kamani Stelly, Docket Number 05-171136-5

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The investigation into the in-custody death at the Martinez Detention Facility is continuing. The investigation is being conducted by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Sheriff per the in custody fatal incident protocol.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at about 11:09 PM, a Deputy Sheriff found an inmate who was unresponsive during a room check at the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF). The Deputy immediately called for jail medical staff to respond. Life-saving measures were performed on the inmate. An ambulance and the fire department responded to MDF. The inmate was transported to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. He was later pronounced deceased.

The 65-year-old male inmate is identified as Leartis Johnson of Antioch. He was originally booked into the MDF on May 16, 2018 by the BART police. His original charges included attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery.

His death appears to be health related.

By Steve Padilla, Director Contra Costa County Public Works Department

March 6, 2019, Clayton, CA – Marsh Creek Road is closed in both directions, between the Clayton city limits and Morgan Territory Road due to rock and mud slides.  We anticipate re-opening the road by early afternoon. Please take alternative routes to avoid this area.

By Daniel Borsuk

With Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood absent from the meeting because she was recuperating from successful heart surgery on Monday, Contra Costa County Supervisors voted 4-0 to approve a variety of consent calendar agenda items during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26. They included the following, the first two of which will benefit Antioch residents:

Kirker Pass Road Truck Lane Funding

Supervisors awarded a $14,153,763 contract to Granite Rock Company to construct the Kirker Pass Road Northbound Truck Climbing Lane project. Construction is set to begin this summer to add a truck lane on Kirker Pass Road from the Concord Pavilion to Hess Road. The addition of the lane is designed to reduce accidents caused by trucks traveling up Kirker Pass Road. Other contractors and their bids at the Jan. 22 disclosure were: Bay Cities Paving & Grading, Inc., $14,886,666; Ghilotti Construction Company, Inc., $15,225,077. 60; Gordon N. Ball, Inc. $15,528,038.20; Flatiron West, Inc. $15,528,038.20; Granite Construction Co, $16, 073, 185.10; O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc. $16,073, 788 and DeSilva Gates Construction, $17,500,000.

Waterfront Initiative Funding

Supervisors approved the new funding allocations of $142,500 to implement approved Northern Waterfront initiatives planned for 2019-2020. Those expenditures included $50,000 for the Hercules site exploration for bioscience, $12,000 for a May forum, $10,000 for State Lands/Crockett waterfront access, $70,000 for collaborative marketing and a marketing video. Supervisors had budgeted $500,000 in 2017 to cover Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative projects. Since the initiative’s launch, the only expenditure since then has been the $263,000 to consultant contracts or grant match.

Hazardous Materials Response Vehicle Funding

Spending $1.3 million from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District budget to buy a Type I Hazardous Materials Response Vehicle that will be owned and operated by the county fire district. The acquisition of a new Type I Hazardous Material Response Vehicle will allow the fire district to own and operate its own vehicle. Since the formation of the county’s Hazardous Materials Team in 2016, the team has operated a vehicle on loan from the California Office of Emergency Services. That vehicle was recently out of service for over 30 days while it received warranty related repairs in Sacramento. That compromised the Contra Costa County team’s ability to respond to hazardous response incidents. Buying this vehicle will permit the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to respond to future hazardous material response incidents.

Emerging Aeronautical Technologies to Be Promoted at County Airports

Supervisors permitted County Airports Director Keith Freitas to promote and market Buchanan Field and Byron Airport as testing locations for emerging aeronautical and aeronautical related technologies. There will be no financial cost to the county general fund associated with the promotion and marketing campaign. Airport staff and any county counsel staff time will be charged to the Airport Enterprise Fund.

Paying Additional $11,000 to Winchester for Sheriff’s Department Ammunition

Supervisors agreed to pay an additional $11,000 to buy Winchester ammunition for the Office of the Sheriff because after more than 20 years, Winchester has changed its ammunition distributor in Northern California from Adamson Police Products to Dooley Enterprises. In 2017, the Office of the Sheriff executed a new purchase order with Dooley Enterprises as the new Winchester ammunition distributor to meet future training and duty ammunition demands. As a result of the change in the purchase order. the county will have paid $411,000, not $400,000 for the purchase of ammunition for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.