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.

Members of the Deer Valley High Business Tech Academy and instructor Kristofer Freeman. Photos by AUSD.

From Antioch Unified School District Facebook Page

It’s an elite group, which Deer Valley’s Business Technology Academy now belongs. The DV team was recently named a 2019 California Partnership Academies Distinguished Academy.

The good news recently came from the California Department of Education. The congratulatory letter noted after more than “30 years of commitment to the implementation of high-quality educational programs mixing core academics and career technical education for thousands of California’s at-risk high school students, this is the fourth time this honor has been bestowed and will be imparted to less than 2% of the CPAs.”

“I am extremely proud of our team and, especially, our students,” said Kristofor Freeman, Business Technology Academy Lead. “While all of our CTE classes are fantastic, at the end of the day, it was our amazing students in The Den and the Virtual Enterprise class that impressed the review team with their hard work and exceptional skills.”

The letter added that all 406 CPAs were “scrupulously reviewed.” Then each making the first cut were visited by experts in the Partnership Academy to “review and certify each component of the model for quality of implementation.”

The Den is an on campus store operated by students in the Marketing class.

It also stated that the “dedication, professionalism and compassion required to develop and implement a program achieving (all requirements) is without parallel in education. … You (and your academy) stand among the best of the best. It’s truly an accomplishment worth celebrating.”

The vision of the academy is to ensure students are educated for the jobs of the 21st century through work based learning projects and simulations, access to technology, and the development of professional characteristics.

The mission of the Business Technology Academy is to promote learning relevant to both a technical and academic education.  It also further develops the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will enable students to be successful in school and beyond.

Supervisor Diane Burgis

Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis’ surgery to replace her aortic valve was a success. (See related article).

The surgery performed on Monday, February 25 by a medical team at John Muir Hospital Concord began at 8 am, with the valve replacement completed just before noon. Supervisor Burgis was up and making jokes with friends by early evening.  She will be in the hospital for one week and then recovering at home before returning to work.

“We are excited and relieved that the surgery was such a success,” said Mark Goodwin, Supervisor Burgis’ Chief of Staff. “I’ll be speaking with her regularly over the next few weeks. I’m not sure what the greater challenge will be, keeping her away from the work she loves while she recovers or keeping up with her when she gets back, but I look forward to both. We’re grateful to the medical team at John Muir Hospital Concord and to everyone who has reached out to express their support.”

Goodwin will be the primary point of contact during Burgis’ recovery. Cards and well wishes may be sent to her main office, 3361 Walnut Boulevard, Suite 140, Brentwood, CA 94513.

Supervisor Diane Burgis represents District 3, the largest of the five Contra Costa County Board of Supervisor districts, which includes Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, and Oakley in East Contra Costa County and Blackhawk, Diablo and Tassajara Valley in the southern portion of the district.

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

Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announces that a Coroner’s jury has reached a finding in the June 12, 2018 death of 52-year-old Phillip Andrew Jacobson of Antioch. The finding of the jury is that the death was a suicide.

Jacobson was arrested on booked into jail on July 11, 2017 by the Antioch Police Department. He was being held on eight counts of child molestation. (See related article).

The Coroner’s jury reached a unanimous verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by hearing officer Matthew Guichard.

A Coroner’s inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: Accident, Suicide
Natural Causes,  and At the hands of another person, other than by accident.

The Cornerstone Christian School Cougars varsity boys basketball NCS Championship team. Photo from Cornerstone’s Facebook page.

By Allen Payton

Antioch’s Cornerstone Christian School boys’ varsity basketball team won Saturday’s North Coast Section championship game against Jewish Community of the Bay Area from San Francisco, by a score of 66-53. It’s the first time the Cornerstone Cougars have won NCS.

The game was played at Cornerstone against the visiting Wolves and the win has earned the Cougars a spot in the state tournament.

The game was a part of the “NCS/Les Schwab Tires Boys Basketball Championships – Division 6 “ tournament. To see the results of each of Cornerstone’s games this season click here.

Please check back later for more details from the game.

By CHP-Contra Costa

Early this morning at about 2:02am, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a solo vehicle collision on the L Street off-ramp from eastbound HWY-4.

Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, it was determined that a 2011 Toyota Corolla was driven off the roadway and into the metal guardrail on the off-ramp. The solo female driver was unresponsive and transported by ambulance but unfortunately was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of her identity.
In the initial investigation, it appears that the solo female driver (42 years old from Hayward) of the 2011 Toyota Corolla was traveling eastbound on HWY-4 at an undetermined speed and then exited on the L Street off-ramp. For unknown reasons she veered the Toyota off the roadway and drove into the metal guardrail, causing major damage and injury. Upon emergency personnel arrival, she was transported by ambulance to a local hospital but was pronounced deceased once at the hospital.

It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs are a factor in this collision as it is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, (925) 646-4980.

From Cornerstone Christian School’s Instagram account.

By Allen Payton

Antioch’s Cornerstone Christian School Cougars varsity boys basketball team won their way to the North Coast Section Division VI Championship game at home, tonight Saturday, Feb. 23 against the Jewish Community High of the Bay Area Wolves.

Cornerstone beat the El Sobrante Christian Eagles 88-44 in Round 1, then beat the Emery Spartans 81-62 in Round 2. Then during the semi-finals on Wednesday night at home, the Cougars beat the Mendocino Cardinals 67-51.

The winner of the game was guaranteed a spot in the NorCal tournament. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for seniors and students. The school is located at 1745 E. 18th Street in Antioch.

Check AntiochHerald.com later for the results.

Supervisor Diane Burgis. Herald file photo.

In an open letter to District 3 residents, Supervisor Diane Burgis, who has served the district since 2016, issued the following statement regarding her health.

“When I count the things I am grateful for, representing you is right up there with my family, friends and good health. I am humbled and honored for the trust that you have placed in me, and I take the responsibility that comes with that trust very seriously.

That is why I want you to know that I am having heart surgery on February 25 to replace an aortic valve due to aortic stenosis, or a narrowing of my aortic valve. What some don’t know is that when I was seven years old, I had this same procedure, and my surgeons told me then that I would likely need another surgery later in life. The good news is that due to my overall health, the operation is happening much later than they predicted.

My doctors, who have performed hundreds of these procedures, assure me that my prognosis is excellent and that I will be better than new after the surgery. I will be in the hospital for approximately one week and then at home for recovery.

In the meantime, I promise that you will receive the same high level of service, sound decision-making, and representation as always. My staff and the County staff will keep me updated on the issues, and my office will continue the vital work that we are doing, in consultation with me, and under the leadership of my Chief of Staff, Mark Goodwin.

I also want to put everyone on notice – if you think it’s hard to keep up with me now, just wait!! I look forward to continuing our work together to create opportunities and find solutions to our challenges in Contra Costa County.

I also can’t wait to ride my bike on the Marsh Creek trail, hike up Mount Diablo, kayak on the Delta, chase my beautiful grandson, and get back on the tennis courts!

I am ready for more adventures in this terrific life!

Thank you for your support, and well wishes.”

Mark Goodwin, Burgis’ Chief of Staff will be the primary point of contact during Supervisor Burgis’ surgery and recovery. Well wishes may be sent to Supervisor Burgis at her main office, 3361 Walnut Boulevard, Suite 140, Brentwood, CA 94513.

Supervisor Diane Burgis represents District 3, the largest of the five Contra Costa County Board of Supervisor districts, which includes Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, and Oakley in East Contra Costa County and Blackhawk, Diablo and Tassajara Valley in the southern portion of the district.