By Allen Payton

The building that houses Paula’s Family Florist, located at 1412 A Street in Antioch, was destroyed by fire at about 4:30 a.m. Monday morning. Owner Paula Franchetto-Trotta, husband Chris Trotta, her parents Bob and Mary Franchetto, and Fr. Roberto of Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church were on hand at about 9:30 a.m. to assess the damage to the business.

It’s believed the cause was some homeless people starting a fire in the dumpster, Paula said. It’s a total loss, Chris said.

The business has been in the family for three generations and at the A Street location for over 50 years, Bob said, starting with his father. Cottage Florist is the former name before Bob and Mary sold the business to Paula.

Fortunately, Bob was late getting there, Mary said. He’s usually in by 4:00 a.m. and they believe the fire started about 4:30 when neighbors called the fire department. Bob said firefighters told him they had a hard time getting through the roof.

“I built the roof,” Bob added.

The family said they will move into and operate temporarily from the storage unit on the back lot of the property until all the insurance company can pay to rebuild. (See more photos on the Herald Facebook page)

 

By Robbie Pierce

The main focus during the Dec. 13 Antioch Board of Education meeting was the election of the President and Vice President, however several other items were discussed by the board that night. Colorful and festive Christmas decorations created by local schoolchildren adorned the district office as deliberations went on. It included the mid-year budget report showing the district will face “manageable” deficits for the next three years.

In addition, Christine Ibarra, the new Associate Superintendent, was welcomed to her position by Superintendent Stephanie Anello during her report, in which she also congratulated music students and teachers for their recent “amazing concerts”, noting that the Board’s efforts to improve music education “really paid off.”

Martin Luther King Day Events & Essay Contest Announced

No student delegates offered reports due to finals, however three individuals spoke during public comments. Velma Wilson stepped up to congratulate Ibarra for her “passion” as well as to formally invite the trustees to and make a general announcement about a Dr. Martin Luther King Day event being held Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 by the AUSD and the City of Antioch at 1:00 p.m. at Deer Valley High School. The theme of the event is “The Power of One, the Strength of Many: Building a Better Community” and will feature local student skits and artwork as well as a middle and high school level essay contest, with the deadline for student work – which can be submitted at the district office or electronically – being Jan. 8. She also made announcements for an NAACP Prayer Breakfast the same day at 8:00 a.m. at Martin Luther King Junior High School.

Concerned Parents

Nina Yellama and Laurie Holly both spoke about two unrelated incidents regarding mismanagement of their children’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Yellama told of her experience of having to fight unrelentingly for her child to be taught with the rest of the class when not receiving specifically individual instruction. She asked the Board to consider changing some policies to make inclusion for children with IEDs easier and more of a goal.

Holly spoke about issues with her child’s required Occupational Therapy (OT) sessions, which they were not receiving due to understaffing problems. Furthermore, not only was her child not receiving as many sessions as they were supposed to, she was not even being informed of this fact. To make manners more complicated, a friend of hers who faced a similar issue was informed of it and given a resolution immediately. She asked the Board to investigate the therapist staffing issue in schools and try to find a solution to the problem.

Board Approves Various Contracts

Of the Consent Items, 11.P, the board split on approving a $195,000 “Master Contract with Bayes Achievement Center” regarding legally required services, including a residential nonpublic school placement and associated transportation costs, for a transfer student’s IEP. It was pulled for a separate vote, where it later passed without much discussion or issue with a vote of 4-1, with trustee Gibson-Gray voting no as she would have preferred more time to examine it.

The remaining 22 items were passed with a 5-0 vote after some minimal questioning about the following items: Item 11.J, a change order consisting of a near $50,000 increase to the projected cost for a project involving the “Modernization of Classroom Wing 1100 at Antioch High School” due to unforeseen issues such as bad plumbing as explained by an official on the project.

UC Davis Math, UC Berkeley Science Teacher Training

Also approved under Item 11.Q, was a contract for a professional development program for math teachers with the University of California, Davis.

“[Math is] definitely going to be an area of focus for us,” Ibarra said of the program, discussing the district’s recent problems, including low test scores in math and English.

Vice President Vinson stressed a desire to make sure the district is “getting our bang for our money” with the program, and that it will provide relevant information and techniques that teachers can actually use and apply, “not training just for training.”

“We have to find out what’s really going to work for our teachers,” she stated.

Anello pledged to gather and forward links for the contract and data relevant to it, such as the test scores of students who were enrolled in classes impacted by similar training programs.

The board also approved an agreement with the U.C. Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science to provide professional development training for district science teachers, focused on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

District Finances & Budget Report

The board also heard the First Interim Report on district finances and the budget, which showed, among other things, that the district expenditures were actually lower than originally projected. The report also included a multi-year projection for the district’s finances over the next two school years, predicting that the district will see a 4% increase in CalSTRS spending and a 5% increase in CalPERS spending, both forms of employee benefit, as well as a general reduction in teacher expenses due to factors such as contract expiration between now and 2020. The report also predicted that revenue would increase despite lower enrollment due to state-level government budgeting shake-ups.

The most notable part of the report was the prediction that the district will engage in three school years of deficit spending due to voluntary choices and programs, though an official tied to the report described it as being at a “manageable” level, with the district’s fund balance reducing from $16.5 million now to $12.6 million at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

Vinson stated that she appreciated the inclusion of the ending balance numbers, and Gibson-Gray remarked that the deficit spending was not an issue for her as “if we have money, I’d rather spend it than save it.”

The board eventually gave the district a Positive certification, meaning that, in their eyes, the district will be able to meet financial obligations for the current as well as the next two fiscal years, by a vote of 4-1. Vinson voted no, stating that she “just [needed] more time to look at it.” (Please see the forms the district is required to submit to the state, here.)

Vinson Appointed as Liaison to County School Board

Aside from the tumultuous President and Vice President elections previously covered by the Herald, Gibson-Gray and Vinson were elected unanimously to the positions of “Board Representative to CFD (Community Facilities District) 89-1” also known as the Mello-Roos District, and “Board Member Liaison to Contra Costa County School Boards” respectively.

Laptops Approved for Board Members

The last major items were discussion on providing laptops for board members and creating a new nutrition program for the next school year, with both topics raised by Trustee Crystal Sawyer-White. The former was approved via consensus after an overview of the implications, with board members allowed to check out the same laptops they had in front of them at the meeting for take-home use, though strictly for business purposes only and with the taker of the laptop personally liable if it is lost or damaged. Trustees would not be allowed to install any programs on the laptops, however full suites of Microsoft Office would be provided, as well as email services.

Creation of Healthier Nutrition Program Discussed

For the latter, the board discussed creating a new contract with Revolutionary Foods to create a new nutrition program that would be healthier and less expensive than the current one – according to Sawyer-White, the San Francisco Unified School District saved money when they switched to a contract with Revolutionary Foods. No immediate action was taken, however Anello volunteered to provide several reports on the current program to aid any future deliberation.

11 Schools Pass Annual Williams Site Visits

The Board approved the annual Williams Settlement Site Visits Report, in which the 11 district schools visited were found compliant with standards for academic sufficiency. According to the staff report, at the beginning of each school year, the Contra Costa County Office of Education visits all schools within the County that rank in deciles 1 to 3 on the Academic Performance Index.

The visits are to determine the sufficiency of standards-aligned instructional materials in all four core subject areas; that there are no facility conditions that post an emergency or urgent threat to the health or safety of pupils or staff; and to ensure that accurate data is provided on the school’s accountability report card related to instructional materials and facilities.

According to the ACLU website, Eliezer Williams, et al., vs. State of California, et al. “was a lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the State of California because of the terrible conditions in many of its public schools. Parents, students, and teachers argued that the State failed to provide thousands of public school students, particularly those in low-income communities and communities of color, with the basic necessities required for an education.

They argued that the State’s failure to provide these bare minimum necessities to all public school students in California violated the state constitution, as well as state and federal requirements that all students be given equal access to public education without regard to race, color, or national origin.”

The case was settled in 2004 and as a result five bills were passed to implement the terms of the settlement known as the “Williams Settlement Legislation” and included an increase of almost $1 billion in state education spending.

The following district schools were visited in August and found to be in compliance: Belshaw, Fremont, Jack London, Kimball, Marsh, Mission and Turner Elementary; Antioch Middle and Park Middle, and Antioch and Prospects High Schools.

Revise Board Development Policy

In final action, a revision to the Board Policy 9240 for Board Development strongly encouraging that every member of the board attends at least one training conference annually, with costs covered by the district, was passed by consensus after brief debate. The maximum expenditure agreed to earlier this year is $3,000 per trustee. It was the fourth time the policy was on the agenda and discussed by the Board over the past year.

President Walter Ruehlig ended the meeting by wishing everyone in the district a “blessed holiday season.” The next school board meetings will be held Jan. 24 and Feb. 21.

To read the entire Board Meeting Agenda for Dec. 13, click here. To hear the audio of the meeting, please visit the District’s YouTube Channel.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Captain Tony Morefield, Antioch Police Support Services Division

On December 15, 2017 at 11:04 AM, an Antioch Police Officer responded to an apartment complex on Hudson Court on a report of an unknown male trespassing and sleeping in his vehicle. When the officer approached the suspect, the suspect fled on foot into a neighboring apartment complex in the 3900 block of Delta Fair Blvd. The suspect, a 36-year-old Antioch resident, who fled was identified to have a warrant for his arrest for a Domestic Violence, Burglary and Assault with a Deadly Weapon case out of Antioch. As the suspect fled, he forced his way into an apartment on Delta Fair Blvd. threatening the residents that he had a gun.

The residents were able to escape the apartment leaving the suspect barricaded inside. Antioch PD Patrol Officers were then able to quickly surround the apartment and evacuate all of the neighboring units. After multiple attempts to order the suspect out of the apartment over the loud speaker, the Antioch PD SWAT and Hostage Negotiation Team were called in and took over the scene.

After a several hours-long stand-off with the suspect, he was located by SWAT Team members in one of the neighboring apartment units after he had tunneled through a narrow, ceiling crawl space and broke through the ceiling into that unit. The suspect was arrested without further incident and taken to the County Jail in Martinez to be booked on his warrant and additional charges from today’s incident.

No further information will be released at this time.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

On Saturday, December 9th, the Kiwanis Club of the Delta, Antioch held its 41st Annual Holiday Run and Walk for Health at Contra Loma Regional Park. Four hundred and fifty runners and walkers participated in a 1-mile, 3-mile or 10K run, and schools of all grade levels sent teams to participate in the School Challenge. First through fifth place finishers were awarded medals and each participant received a ribbon. Top male and female finishers in each race category received a handsome trophy for their strong efforts. Ages of participants ranged from three to over seventy, and children ages 3-7 could run with Santa in the Kid’s Dashes.

Long-time coordinator, Paul Schorr, presided over the event and California State Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson served as the starter for the races and ran in the 3-mile event. Tom was one of the originators of the first Holiday Run forty-one years ago.

Proceeds from the Holiday Run are committed to youth services and youth organizations within the community, and include high school Key Clubs, Aktion Club and Builders Club. In addition, monetary contributions are made to local libraries. The School Challenge recognizes the top three elementary, middle and high schools with the most represented participants. The top three winning schools in each category are presented monetary awards as well as a trophy at the Awards Breakfast which will be held at Lone Tree Golf Course on January 16.

The 2017 Holiday Run sponsors included: Beswick Family Fund and East Bay Community Foundation; East Bay Regional Park District; City of Antioch; SUNPOWER; Starbucks; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and Republic Services. Many thanks to our sponsors and to all of the Kiwanians and friends who volunteered to make this community event so successful. 

Following are the top finishers in the School Challenge.  Each school will receive a monetary award as well as a trophy.  Presentations will occur at the Kiwanis Holiday Run Awards Breakfast, beginning at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center.

HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION

1st Place:    DVHS

2nd Place:  Antioch H S

3rd Place:   Liberty H S

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION

1st Place:    Dallas Ranch M S

2nd Place:  Park M S

3rd Place:   Antioch M S

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DIV.

1st Place:    Marsh

2nd Place:   Belshaw

3rd Place:   Kimball

LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION

Contra Costa County Police & Sheriff’s Academy

Due to censure, discipline earlier this year; possible lawsuit; board “needs a year to heal”; Sawyer-White unanimously elected VP

By Robbie Pierce

Many items – over three dozen in fact – were covered during the Wednesday, Dec. 13 meeting of the Antioch Unified School District Board of Education. But one of paramount focus, importance and contention was the election of the President and Vice President of the Board. It resulted in a contentious, split vote of 3-2, with the board majority bypassing Vice President Debra Vinson and instead electing Trustee Gary Hack as the new President of the Board for the coming year. However, Trustee Crystal Sawyer-White, the top vote-getter in last year’s election was elected Vice President on a unanimous, 5-0 vote.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about this,” stated Trustee Diane Gibson-Gray, speaking first on Item 12.B, the President’s election. “We need somebody that will help to bring consensus to the board.”

Gibson-Gray went on to nominate Trustee Gary Hack, citing his experience and the fact that he has served as Vice President but never President. President Walter Ruehlig seconded her motion, but the item was opened to public comment before they could vote on the nomination. The speakers were supposed to speak before the board when the item was first brought up, but were skipped initially due to a clerical error.

Jeff Belle, Contra Costa County Board of Education trustee and Vice President, spoke first, about history, precedent and inclusion.

“History has been very kind to us, and also has been very unkind to a lot of us in different ways,” he began. “Do keep in mind that history is very important in terms of precedent… tonight, just for the record, the Contra Costa County Board of Education voted two African-Americans to lead as President and Vice President.” According to Belle, the vote he described marks the first time the Contra Costa County Board of Education has appointed an African-American to either of those positions.

“We know there are individuals who are qualified to lead the board,” he continued. “It would be my pleasure to see individuals who are qualified, of color, to lead boards, and that was not even a tough discussion with the county tonight… I hope we will see the same thing here… We know that Antioch really needs it.”

Antioch resident Velma Wilson spoke next, describing that she came before the board as “a community member and… as a parent in this district, a very active parent with two students in this district.” However, Wilson also stated that despite her community and familial ties, she was “talking on behalf of Velma Wilson.”

“As an African-American mom I can’t sit idle and say that I am pleased with the representation. The color of our skin does not determine our skill set,” she stated. “The color of our skin doesn’t determine how well we form and how well we advocate for the needs of everybody, collaboratively, collectively, not [divisively] for our students.”

Wilson stated that she would be glad to see upward movement for Hack, but pointed out to the board that “we have to be fair, and we cannot make a decision based on one’s skin color… we need to make a decision based on what’s going to be best for everyone, collectively.”

The focus then shifted back to the board’s own internal discussion, in which Trustee Crystal Sawyer-White stated she was “not in agreement with the motion” of Hack’s nomination, and motioned to postpone the election, expressing her agreement with the public commenters and support for electing Vice President Debra Vinson to the presidency.

“Two of the board trustees have attended governance training, the other three have not… It is not about race, it’s about qualifications,” she expressed. “How many years’ experience have you actually taught in the system? Your educational background, your credentials… I think Debra Vinson is qualified to be Board President.”

Vinson spoke next, explaining a “system” that has been followed for some time in the district in which the current Vice President, if they have not previously served as President, is elected ceremonially to give them the opportunity to serve.

“I’d really like to see this board do something that is equitable and fair,” she stated, highlighting the need for inclusion and collaboration. “It’s important that we practice what we say and that we say what we mean… I look forward to this board making an equitable decision, following the process that we’ve always followed… to move this district forward positively and in a manner that’s going to work for all staff.”

The board’s deliberation was interrupted by one final public commenter, Odessa L., who questioned “why would we change the direction of things we’ve always done in the past” in regards to Gibson-Gray not nominating the sitting Vice President.

“I want trustee Gray to explain to me and to the residents of Antioch… why would we deter from [the old process].”

“I was going to do that, and I’d be happy to do that,” Gibson-Gray responded immediately after discussions shifted back to the board.

“In the history of Antioch… for as far back as I remember when I lived here, we’ve never had a censured Vice President,” Gibson-Gray explained. While there is a ‘system’ in place to nominate the sitting Vice President for the position of President automatically, Vinson is a unique situation, having been formally censured by a majority of the board earlier this year “for allegations of bullying and intimidating staff members” according to a Herald article from earlier this year.

“That is my reason for not going with Vice President Vinson,” Gibson-Gray stated firmly. “You can’t do one thing and then say, ‘oh, by the way, it’s ok, we’re going to make you president.’ Perhaps next year, but there has to be a lesson learned here.”

Possible Lawsuit

The explanation did not resolve the situation however, as Sawyer-White mentioned that she consulted an attorney about the censure and remarked that “this is going to end up being a lawsuit.”

Vinson is an elected official, not a hired district employee, and thus according to Sawyer-White’s research and claims, “the [censure] is non-valid… based on the board by-laws… she cannot be censured.” Sawyer-White also pointed out that Gibson-Gray’s comment of ‘perhaps next year’ is null and void as this is Vinson’s last year serving on the Board.

“What is your reason, aside from the censure-ship, that [Vinson] is not qualified for this position?” Sawyer-White asked Gibson-Gray.

“I feel that trustee Hack would be a better President,” Gibson-Gray began. “The censure is a big one for me.” She paused briefly before going on to accuse Vinson of calling her “racist” and of being “not nice to staff”, stating that the board needs “a year to heal” with Hack as president.

“I need to respond, I’m sorry, I can’t leave those comments out like that,” Vinson said, overstepping President Ruehlig’s attempt to call a vote on the motion of nominating Hack.

“I’m going to be quite frank with you,” Vinson said toward Gibson-Gray. “I have received numerous comments and postings from community members that have felt you present yourself as racist based on your comments and based off your actions.”

Vinson Defends Herself

Vinson pointed out that Gibson-Gray denied several of Vinson’s invitations to get coffee, which Vinson hoped to use as opportunities to pass along that information to Gibson-Gray. Vinson also alleged that Gibson-Gray previously pledged to support Vinson when it was her “time” to be president.

“It’s pretty clear that you’re not ready to keep your word based on false information of a censure,” Vinson stated. “This is not a game, this is about our children’s lives, this is about what’s at stake for the staff, and this is about practicing what we say we’re going to do to make this district a really positive and open district… it’s unfortunate that you’ve made it personal.” Vinson re-extended her invitation to coffee in hopes of working out some of her and Gibson-Gray’s apparent issues, noting that she’s only had coffee with one member, and went over some of her qualifications for the presidency and agreed with Sawyer-White’s notion that a lawsuit might be brewing.

“I really think that I am next in line to be Board President,” she stated in conclusion. “And I really would like to see this board follow through on that action.

“I apologize, I must have missed the invitation, I haven’t received it,” Gibson-Gray responded. “Regardless, I just feel that the behavior that led to the censure is a reason that I am nominating Gary Hack… unless there is further conversation, there is a motion on the table.”

The board eventually voted Hack to the presidency with a 3-2 vote, with Gibson-Gray, Ruehlig and Hack himself voting yes and Vinson and Sawyer-White voting no.

Sawyer-White Unanimously Elected VP

The election for Vice President was much less of an affair. Gibson-Gray again spoke first, mentioning that “Crystal Sawyer-White has indicated an interest to educate herself” and nominating her in order to give her “more opportunities to understand the processes.”

Encouraged by Hack and Vinson, Sawyer-White made a brief statement before accepting the nomination.

“I am about the kids for Antioch,” she stated. “I wish this board could be more cohesive… things need to change.” In reference to a training conference she recently attended, she mentioned “in Southern California, people are aware of what’s going on in this board, and I was really shocked that they feel that we’re not supporting one another.”

Sawyer-White pledged to be the “best leader [she] can be” and was elected by a 5-0 vote.

Vinson Congratulates New President, VP says “Vengeance belongs to God”

“Although I’m disappointed that this board failed to make an equitable decision, I will congratulate trustee Hack and trustee Sawyer-White,” Vinson commented. Ruehlig expressed a genuine desire for Vinson to be president next year, but Vinson restated that she will not be in office next year.

“That probably was a part of the design,” Vinson stated. “But I’m not really worried because vengeance and justice will be served. Vengeance belongs to God, so I don’t really have to be here and take it personally… I would hope that this board is capable of putting children’s needs first and that they take this job seriously… I know that the truth is coming.”

 

Recently the Antioch Police have had inquiries from citizens who have received calls from persons claiming to be with the courts or Sheriff’s Office and threatening them with jail time if they don’t pay a fine for missing jury duty. Please be mindful and don’t fall victim. Below is information from the Contra Costa County Courts website (www.cc-courts.org) regarding this scam. If you do receive one of these calls, please follow up with the Jury Commissioner’s office at the number listed below.

Public Notice – Jury Scam Alert

Past or prospective jurors are NEVER contacted by phone regarding failure to serve jury duty. All communication regarding failure to serve jury duty is done via U.S. mail. No court jury staff or Contra Costa County Sheriff’s staff ask past or prospective jurors to pay a fine or provide financial details including, credit card numbers, bank account, social security numbers or other personal information. Please do not provide this type of information to anyone.

If you receive a telephone call, from someone identifying himself or herself as a court employee or an employee of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department regarding a failure to appear for jury service, THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT PROVIDE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION, OR PAY THEM ANY MONEY!

If you are contacted, please call the Jury Commissioner’s office at 925-608-1000.

By Allen Payton

According to Antioch Police Sgt. Smith, two males entered Ron Jewelers inside Somersville Towne Center at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday night, Dec. 12, pepper sprayed the clerk, smashed the glass display cases and left with an undisclosed amount of jewelry.

This is the second time this year that the jewelry store was a victim of a smash and grab robbery. The previous robbery by four suspects occurred on July 19. (See related article).

Police have video footage of both the crime and suspects, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441.

By Allen Payton

With the completion of the expansion to their G St. Mercantile store in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown, owners Michael Gabrielson and Brandon Woods wanted to celebrate. And they did, with a ribbon cutting and by hosting the monthly Antioch Chamber Mixer on Thursday, November 30.

“I want to extend a big thanks to Michael and Brandon,” said Antioch Chamber of Commerce CEO, Richard Pagano. “I’m super excited to be here.”

He then introduced Gabrielson who offered his thanks to all who have contributed to the success of the business, which opened in January 2016. (See related article).

“I want to thank everyone for being here,” he said. “For us it’s a really special occasion. With the expansion of an addition 1,000 square feet it makes us one of the largest cops in East County.”

“Thank you very much to our dealers,” Gabrielson said. “We have 20 very creative dealers. Without them…”

“We wouldn’t look this good,” Woods said, finishing his partner’s sentence.

“You’re part of our family, part of our journey and we love you,” Gabrielson continued.

“We want to thank the Downtown Merchants,” he said. “The Rivertown shopping area is becoming a destination.”

He then mentioned the downtown’s newest store, Bella’s Vintage House boutique, just down the street.

“We’re getting people from Vacaville, Tracy, San Francisco, Livermore and San Jose,” shopping in Rivertown, Gabrielson shared, and thanked the other downtown merchants “for being a collaborative and supporting each other.”

“Thank you to our City leadership that are also conducive to what’s happening in Rivertown,” he concluded.

G St. Mercantile is located at the corner of G and W. Second Streets. Stop and shop, today or for more information visit www.gstmercantile.com or call (925) 732-3877.