The new disc golf course at Prewett Park in Antioch is now open for playing. Built by Bob Liles, Bob Lambrose and Lee Namanny, the course includes nine “holes”. (See map, above)

For those desiring a shorter easier course just play 1, 7 (use the area around basket #1 for the tee box), 8 and 9.

For more information visit Antioch Disc Golf Group on Facebook.

Discs can be purchased at local sporting goods stores. Be sure to watch for formal opening ceremonies in September.

 

Antioch Police Detectives assisted in investigation

On Wednesday, Lafayette police officers arrested 58-year-old Richard Chew of Lafayette. An arrest warrant had been issued for Chew.

On August 19, 2017, the Contra Costa Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force launched an investigation into Chew. Agencies involved in this investigation include the Office of the Sheriff, District Attorney’s Office, and Lafayette and Concord Police Departments.

During the investigation, a search warrant was served on Chew’s home on Harper Court in Lafayette and work location. Child pornography was found on Chew’s computer and other storage devices.

Chew was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for possession of child pornography. He is currently being held in lieu of $200,000 bail. The DA’s Office has already filed formal charges against Chew.

According to his Linkedin profile, which has since been removed, Chew stated that he is a Captain Of Fire for the Oakland Fire Department since 1989 until now and that he’s “Just a regular fire guy living the dream!”

ICAC is a multi-agency task force managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Antioch, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord, and Moraga police departments, the Office of the Sheriff, County Probation Department, and District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.

Anyone with any information about this case can contact Deputy District Attorney Jordan Sanders at (925) 957-8602.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton

Rumors circulating through Antioch over the weekend have been confirmed, today that former First Lady Michelle Obama has been invited to speak at the Mary Allan Fellows Awards Dinner in Antioch on Sept. 19. The annual event hosted by the Antioch Schools Education Foundation will be held at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. Tickets are completely sold out.

In an email from Antioch School Board President Walter Ruehlig, he wrote that he had “heard from one other person that Michelle was invited by keynote guest speaker (National Counselor of the Year), who apparently knows her.”

The ad for the event states that it features “2017 National Counselor of the Year Terry Tchorzynski and Special Guest.” That special guest is presumed to be Mrs. Obama.

Ruehlig also wrote, “Incidentally, still unconfirmed that Michelle is actually coming; nothing yet in writing.”

Although the ad for the event has the Antioch Unified School District’s logo on it, they are not a sponsor of the event. They are a recipient of funds raised by the foundation, Ruehlig explained.

However, none of the board members of the foundation are allowed to speak about it, due to security concerns, according to someone else who did not want to be identified. That person said to call Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks.

It was also rumored that President Barack Obama was also invited, but that was not confirmed.

The four teachers who will be honored as Fellows the event are Tammy Ely-Kofford, 11th Grade Social Science teacher at Deer Valley High School; Jacey Renfroe, 5th Grade teacher at Marsh Elementary; Italo Rossi, 11th/12th Grade Human Anatomy & Physiology and AP Biology teacher at Antioch High School; and Frank Zrinski, Seventh Grade Science teacher at Antioch Middle School.

When reached for comment, Velma Wilson, chairman of the foundation board said about Tchorzynski’s connection to Obama, “She was awarded by Michelle as First Lady at her last speech.”

According to a Time Magazine article, “In 2015, Obama began a tradition of honoring the school counselor of the year as part of her Reach Higher initiative to encourage post-secondary education—an issue she has said she will continue to work on after leaving the White House.”

Regarding the tickets which sell out early every year, Wilson said, “The tickets have been sold out for two weeks. We give teachers first priority, every year.”

“We will be honoring all 35 counselors in the district for the first time ever,” she added as another reason the tickets sold out so quickly.

Attempts to reach Chief Brooks for this article were also unsuccessful.

Please check back later for any updates.

By Angelia Tant

Jesika Anderson was born in Antioch in 1991 and was raised by her mother Kelly Anderson in a little three-bedroom home on Parker Lane located off of Cavallo.  Her mother Kelly owned the home for over thirty-five years and sold it in 2016 to move to Arnold California.  Jesika grew up in this home with her mother and two sisters Jennifer Riley and Karissa Anderson.  Jesika loved their home and their small local town.  Jesika went to elementary, middle school and high school in Antioch.  As a child, Jesika loved to visit the Antioch skating rink.  She loved Antioch and always imagined she would raise her children here just as her mother did.  Jesika has two small children, a daughter named Adelynn age six and a son named Jaxon age nine months whom she raises with her significant other, Kevin Kennedy.

They experienced several strands of bad luck and moved from place to place including Arnold, California where her mother and sister resided.  Finding that stable work was scarce in such a small secluded town, Jesika moved back to Antioch where she secured a job at the Antioch Post Office.  They found a small home to rent but had to move due to the owners wanting to sell the house. They could not find affordable housing in Antioch, be able to pay for daycare for two small children and other living expenses.

This last stroke of bad luck forced them to move from Antioch to Dickinson, Texas where they moved in with Kevin’s brother. Jesika secured a job with the U.S. Postal Service and Kevin was working part-time and caring for the children.

They purchased a car and their luck seemed to be changing when Jesika received the heart-wrenching notice that Hurricane Harvey was on its way.  Eager to evacuate, Jesika was notified by the Post Office that they needed her to stay and work. She was asked to do a 13-mile route of deliveries the day prior to the hurricane hitting. Jesika was notified by her employer that it would only be a hard rain and not a hurricane.  Desperate to retain her employment, she stayed.

The very next day, Jessika and Kevin began seeing the floor in their home slowly fill with water which eventually rose past Kevin’s knees and he’s over six-feet tall.  As they looked outside, the car they had purchased was under water.  Scared with their two small children and other family members in the home they became desperate reaching out for help.  When the emergency crews came to rescue them, they went to the wrong house.  Still seeking help, they reached out to all their family members including the ones located throughout California and used social media to reach out for a rescue.  Frightened, they tried every resource.  Finally, Kevin decided to go and see if his brother’s car would start and it did. The water rose another three feet right after they left.

They fled to Webster, Texas and found a hotel room.  They had found shelter but they weren’t out of deep water yet.  They learned that the hotel was renting rooms out from under people to book other people who were willing to pay higher rates.

Jesika reached out to FEMA.  They stepped in and spoke with the hotel guest services and ensured a secure room for them until the September 26.  Jesika, Kevin, Kevin’s father, brother, sister-in-law and the two small children all shared a room up until FEMA stepped in.  They left with literally the clothes on their back and have only been able to purchase the smallest of life’s necessities, such as warm clothes and items for the children with small gifts of love from their friends and family.  Although every little bit of help is greatly appreciated, it isn’t enough to get them back on their feet.  They have a long road ahead of them.

For those who would like to help Jesika, Kevin and their family financially, a PayPal account has been set up in her name at https://www.paypal.me/jesikaanderson.

As a precaution against potential rail movement, BART will be reducing speeds between noon and 8 p.m. on most outdoor parts of the system for the duration of this regional heat wave. Riders should anticipate travel time increases of 10 to 20 minutes.

BART is taking this unusual step in response to the extreme temperatures forecast for the Bay Area over the next several days. BART rail is heat-treated prior to installation, which allows for thermal expansion and contraction of the rail in the Bay Area’s widely varying temperatures.

However, when actual temperature variations reach extreme levels, the thermal forces exerted on the rail increase, making it possible—though unlikely—that there could be some rail movement. Train speeds are being reduced in targeted parts of the system as a precautionary measure to give Train Operators more time to react to any observed abnormal rail conditions.

BART anticipates these reduced speeds to be in effect through at least Sunday, though the final decision on the duration of these changes will be based on weather forecasts and observed track conditions on the BART system. 

As a reminder, BART crews will be rebuilding trackway in downtown Oakland during Labor Day weekend from the end of service on Friday through Monday, to make the system safer, quieter, and more reliable. No trains will run between 19th Street and Fruitvale stations or between West Oakland and Fruitvale stations and Lake Merritt station will be closed. Riders on the Warm Springs/So. Fremont, Dublin/Pleasanton, and Oakland Airport lines will be impacted.

BART crews cannot complete these critical trackway repairs during the overnight hours when we are normally closed for maintenance, which is why we require this extra time. For more information on the track closure, please visit: http://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170814

Claims state in breach of 1968 agreement with City

On August 25, 2017 the City of Antioch filed a second action in the Sacramento Superior Court this month against the California Department of Water Resources (“DWR”) relating to the proposed California WaterFix Project – e.g. the Delta Twin Tunnel Project. The City previously filed an action challenging the WaterFix Project’s Final Environmental Impact Report. (See video on the WaterFix, here).

In its most recent action, the City contends that DWR breached the 1968 agreement between DWR and Antioch intended to protect the City’s water supply from the impacts of the State Water Project. The 1968 agreement contains a specific provision known as the “me-too” clause requiring DWR to provide Antioch with terms substantially similar to any terms granted to any other agency in the Delta. In 2016, DWR entered into a new agreement with Contra Costa Water District containing terms substantially more favorable than those granted Antioch in its 1968 Agreement. Despite numerous attempts by Antioch to work with DWR to amend the 1968 Agreement, as legally required, DWR has refused to offer Antioch terms similar to those granted to Contra Costa Water District.

Notably, the terms of the 2016 Contra Costa Water District agreement acknowledge the adverse impacts to water quality that will result from the WaterFix Project in the Delta near Antioch. That agreement also directed DWR to “diligently” pursue negotiations with Antioch regarding the adverse impacts of the WaterFix Project – which DWR has failed to do.

Antioch believes that DWR is improperly selecting “winners and losers” with respect to the adverse impacts of the proposed twin tunnels project on municipal water suppliers in the Delta. The City contends that this is exactly the situation that the “me-too” clause in the City’s 1968 Agreement was intended to prevent.

Antioch as a city depends on the Delta for its quality of life, its drinking water supply, recreation and economic future. As one of the largest cities located entirely in the Delta, Antioch has been closely aligned with the protection of the Delta and its restoration. WaterFix and its unmitigated adverse impacts are in conflict with both of these critical goals.

UPDATE: The victim has been identified by the County Coroner’s Office as 23-year-old Jacquelyn Grimaldo of Brentwood.

On Tuesday night, August 29, 2017 at about 10:23pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a two-vehicle traffic collision in the eastbound lanes of HWY 4 at Solano Way. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival, it was determined that a red Honda HR-V collided with the back of an unoccupied flatbed truck within the south shoulder. The female driver of the Honda tragically did not survive the collision and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

In the initial investigation, it appears that the solo female driver of the Honda (23-year-old female from Brentwood) was traveling eastbound on HWY 4, partially within the south shoulder, and collided into the back of the unoccupied International 4700 flatbed truck, which was stopped within the shoulder. The Honda sustained major frontend damage and unfortunately the driver of the Honda succumb to her injuries at the scene. HWY 4 eastbound was shut down for about one hour and 40 minutes for the investigation and removal of the vehicles.

An earlier report that it was a hit-and-run and the truck was located later was incorrect, according to Contra Costa CHP Public Information Officer Brandon Correia.

Alcohol or drugs do not appear to be a factor in this collision but it is still an ongoing investigation. If anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, (925) 646-4980.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Starting its second decade of honoring Antioch’s “Best of the Best”, the Antioch Sports Legends, a program of the Antioch Historical Society, will be honoring its eleventh class of Inductees. Legends Weekend kicks off with the Sports Legends Alumni Golf Tournament, open to all golfers, on October 6th at 12:00 Noon. A welcome reception will follow at 6:00 PM and the culmination of the weekend will be the Induction Gala the following night at 6:00 PM. All events will be at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center.

This year they celebrate and recognize a stellar and diverse group of athletes, a team, a coach and a community service recipient. Antioch Sports Legends Class of 2017 Inductees are:

Brian Boccio, Football AHS 1993  

The speedy running back held school records in single season and career rushing yards and touchdowns for 22 years until Najee Harris eclipsed both.  He was a two- time All-BVAL running back and team MVP as a senior. Boccio went on to the University of Nevada at Reno where he earned three varsity letters and became the Wolfpack’s starting outside linebacker

Daniel Denham, Baseball, DVHS  2001

With a blazing fastball Daniel Denham dawned the young Deer Valley baseball program in 1998. He was a four-year starting pitcher and earned All-BVAL 1st Team in 1999, 2000 and 2001.  Denham was named All-State and 2nd team All-American his senior year.  He was drafted with the 17th pick in the 1st round by the Cleveland Indians and pitched professionally for nine years and was named to three All-Star teams.

Brian White, Cross-Country   AHS 1991

Two-time team MVP White had an amazing senior year finishing 6th overall at the State Cross-Country Championships and followed that up with a blistering track season where he set school records in the 2 Mile and 5,000 Meter Runs.  He won the 1,600 and 3,200 at the BVAL meet and ran the 3,200 at the State Track Meet.   White later went on to DVC and set a school record in the 10,000 Meters and ran in the state community college championships in both sports.

Willis Ball, Track and Field Coach AHS

Ball coached track and field at Antioch High for over 25 years and was instrumental in the growth of so many athletes. His specialty was the Shot Put and Discus and his athletes won over 50 individual league or section titles. Six of his athletes finished in the top eight at the California State Meet.   In 1990 Ball was recognized by his peers as the Honor Track Coach of the North Coast Section.

Angela Lindsay, Water Polo AHS 1996

Lindsay was named to back to back All-BVAL and East Bay first teams and garnered Honorable Mention All-American Honors.  In her senior year, she was one of only 13 players nationally to be selected and play for the Under 17 USA Water Polo team.  Lindsay was a two-time team MVP and selected twice to the Top 50 Female Athletes by the CC Times.  She earned five varsity letters at UC Davis in Water Polo and Swimming.

Horace “Zedo” Catollico, Community Service Recipient

“Zedo” as he is known to so many, started coaching little league baseball in 1970 and his coaching career would continue through the turn of the century.  His teams won over six championships and he led three all-star teams to post season success.  Catollico was also a director for the Junior Giants and Junior Warriors programs and worked with the Antioch Recreation Department for 18 years setting up baseball and softball fields.

Tasha Cupp, Softball AHS 1994

Cupp was named 1st Team All-BVAL and All-East Bay in 1994.  She was the team and leagues Most Valuable Player.  Upon graduation Cupp enrolled at Harvard University and rewrote the Crimson softball record books.   She was named to four All-Ivy League teams and in 1998 she led Harvard to its first post season appearance in school history while earning League Pitcher of the year.  Her perfect game that year is still listed as a top 25 moment in Harvard sports.  Cupp was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club’s Hall of Fame in 2013.

Herb Miles, Wrestling  AHS 1965

A three-sport star at AHS, Miles excelled on the wrestling mat winning the DVAL Championships and placing 2nd at North Coast and going on to wrestle in the Northern California Championships his senior season. After playing baseball for two years at DVC, he embarked on a boxing career that earned him a Golden Gloves Championship and an invitation to the Olympic Trials in 1976 where after two victories a broken hand ended his career.   He was a sparring partner of Heavyweight Champion of the World, George Foreman.

Sheree Ogden,  Track and Field   AHS 1987

Regarded as one of the top weight throwers in Antioch High history. This three time DVAL champion became the first AHS track athlete to qualify for the State Meet in both the Shot Put and Discus in 1987, where her 7th place finish in the discus is the highest ever for a AHS female thrower.  Thirty years later Ogden is still ranked in the top three all time in both events.

Kris Gravelle, All-Around Female Athlete    AHS 1991

A six-time All-BVAL performer, Gravelle mastered three sports Volleyball, Basketball and Softball and capped a fabulous junior season by being named All- League in all three sports.   She then catapulted that success into a three-year varsity Volleyball career at UC Davis.   At UC Davis Gravelle earned All-Conference First Team, and Honorable Mention, was named to the All-Region and All-District Academic teams while leading her Aggie teams to three straight conference titles and NCAA post season appearances.

Chris Hurd, Football    DVHS 2001

The four-year starting quarterback for Deer Valley High earned All-State underclassmen honors as a sophomore and ALL-BVAL as a senior in addition to being named honorable mention “Best in the West”.  His career passing yards of 4,804 is the most ever by any quarterback in Antioch history.  Hurd earned a full ride scholarship to Washington State University where he was a member of the 2003 Rose Bowl team.

Chuck Stapleton, Football     AHS  1948

Stapleton was an All-Contra Costa County Athletic League selection on both offense and defense his junior and senior seasons.   This rugged tackle was a foundation for three of legendary coach Jack Danilovich’s teams of the late 40’s   He was selected to the All-Northern California team in 1946 and ‘47 and was team MVP his senior season. He later went on to be a very successful local business owner and community leader.

Shannon Felix, Wrestling    AHS 1982

Felix was a three-time DVAL Champion, a three-time place winner at North Coast Section and wrestled at the State Meet in 1982.  He followed up his stellar prep career by being named a Junior College All-American in 1984 and earned a scholarship to San Jose State University where he finished third at the Western Athletic Conference Championships in 1985.

Tom Rhoads, Track and Field     AHS 1976

Rhoads won the Diablo Valley Athletic League and North Coast Section Division championships in the discus his senior year setting the stage for a brilliant 5th place finish at the State Meet in 1976 and was named the Contra Costa Times Field Athlete of the Year. After 41 years, Rhodes’ top mark of 173’ 7” is still second-best discus throw of all time at AHS.

Ryan Walker, All-Around Male Athlete     AHS 1991

This amazing all-around athlete was a three-time BVAL and two-time North Coast Section champion in Wrestling and placed 4th at the State Meet in 1991.  He also was a Second Team All-BVAL performer as a ferocious hitting strong safety in football.  Walker capped his amazing senior year by winning the BVAL Diving Championship and took 5th at North Coast.  He accepted a wrestling scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after turning down football scholarships from Hawaii and UNLV.

1995 AHS Boys Volleyball Team

Coach Lou Panzella’s fabulous team rode a perfect 10-0 league record and three Invitational Tournament Championships into the North Coast Section Playoffs where they ran through to the title match versus top-seeded College Park.  The mighty Panthers were too tough that day and downed the Falcons to earn its first NCS Banner.   The team was led by Larry Lentz II, Lawrence Lentz III, Joe Peck, Matt Dunn and Jon Tiernan.

The Class of 2017 will be enshrined on October 7th at the Induction Gala at 6:00 PM at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center. A limited amount of tickets are available for $65 from September 1-17 or when sold out. Checks can be made out to Antioch Sports Legends and sent to Joanne Bilbo, 234 Flagstone Drive, Antioch, CA  94509.

For details on the alumni golf tournament, open to all golfers, contact Steve Parks at (925) 550-3819 or sdparks43@gmail.com

More information about Antioch Sports Legends, the Induction Gala, Golf Tournament and becoming a volunteer is available at www.antiochsportslegends.com  or the ASL Office at (925) 757-1326 Ext. 12.