By Allen Payton

As part of February’s Black History Month, the Antioch City Council will recognize the first African American to live in Antioch, back in the 1800’s, Thomas Gaines.

Council is asked to approve a proposed resolution to declare February 9, 2016 as “Thomas Gaines Day” in Antioch

The resolution states “In the 1860’s an emancipated slave named Thomas Gaines came to Antioch and worked as a laborer on the Antioch docks; and…was the only African American resident of Antioch between 1860 and the 1940’s; and…He lived in a red brick shack on the waterfront in the back of the Antioch Lumber Company; and…On February 28, 1875, Thomas Gaines became a member of the First Congregational Church by profession of faith; and…Thomas Gaines was highly regarded around town for his noble work and his caring attention towards others – he regularly walked women and children home from church for safety…”

According to the First Congregational Church of Antioch’s 150^th anniversary website page, from last year, Gaines “was the only African-American allowed to live in Antioch, and he lived in a red brick shack on the waterfront in back of the Antioch Lumber Company. The shack was formerly part of the Joost Distillery.”

City’s First Gated Community

Also on the agenda for council approval will be the Vineyards at Sand Creek, a proposed 641-home, gated community on the most southeastern side of Antioch, by Blackhawk-Nunn. The partnership is the same one that built the Apple Hill Estates development, Brentwood’s first gated community. The new homes are projected to be in the $500,000 to $600,000 range and will each pay an annual fee for more police. If approved, the project will be the first gated, single-family home community in Antioch.

Shopping Cart Ordinance

The Council will also consider a new shopping cart ordinance that “requires that all operators of business that offer shopping carts install an identification plaque that identifies the cart owner and states that it is unlawful to remove the cart from the premises…and contain the telephone number and address of cart owner.”

It also allows a City official who discovers a cart two options. They can either inform the cart owner and “notify them of the location of the shopping cart” and give “three business days to retrieve the cart.” Or, “the City official could impound the cart, contact the owner” and give them three business days to retrieve it from the City.

If they don’t retrieve it within that time, then the business “will be subject to impound and storage fees.” The fine is to be determined, later, to give businesses “an education period while the program begins.”

The ordinance further states “Repeat offenders who have three violations in a six-month period, may also be subject to a $50 fine for each occurrence.”

The proposed ordinance is modeled after one adopted by the City of Oakley.

Card Room Initiative

A privately funded initiative to limit the number of card rooms in Antioch to two and expansion of the current one, and require voter approval for any changes, has obtained the necessary votes to be placed on the ballot. The City Council can decide to either pass it, at Tuesday’s meeting, or allow it to go to the June ballot. However, if it goes to the ballot, the initiative will cost the City’s General Fund between $132,771 and $177,028, according to City Clerk Arne Simonsen.

The effort is being funded by the California Grand Casino in Pacheco to limit competition and led by Antioch residents Lamar Thorpe, a member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission and unsuccessful candidate for the Antioch City Council in 2012, and his wife Patrice Guillory.

The Council previously voted to reduce the number of allowable card rooms in Antioch from five to two, but currently there is only one operating in town.

The city staff report on the item reads as follows:

It is our understanding that the initiative is sponsored/supported by the card room industry and certainly has the intended purpose of: 1) maintaining the status quo for the existing one card room; and 2) making it difficult to allow new or enlarged card rooms. These two factors would benefit the existing local card room as well as other existing card rooms within the trade area, which includes Pacheco and Livermore.

The limitation of card rooms to the status quo may be something that a majority of voters would support. There was widespread community opposition to a proposed Indian Casino in town several years ago and the idea was dropped.

Additionally, there is no apparent organized opposition to the initiative, but the initiative supporters could be expected to campaign in support of it. Thus with expected vigorous campaigning for the measure and little or no expected opposition, the measure could easily pass (only a majority vote is required).

These factors argue in favor of having the Council simply adopt the ordinance without amendment Reconfigured Ordinance, 1 Attachment #4. State law speaks in terms of the Council “adopting” such measures, so there is no introduction with reading waived step in the process, as would be typical.

However, adopting the ordinance would eliminate the City’s option in the future of trying to attract, or acting on an application, for a new or enlarged card room. If the City Council wishes to keep open the option of entertaining a new or larger card room in the future, and believes that such option is worth the expense of the election, then the Council should reject the idea of adopting the ordinance and it should call the election.

Also, it should be noted that if Council adopts the ordinance, it cannot be amended in the future without approval of the voters. The same rule applies if the measure is submitted to the voters and passes, i.e. the City Council cannot subsequently amend it without further voter approval.

The Antioch City Council meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, located between West 2nd and 3rd Streets at H Street in downtown. It can be viewed on Comcast local cable channel 24 or AT&T Uverse channel 99, or via live stream on the Council meeting page on the City’s website.

LOCAL STREET CLOSURES:

There will be lane closures in the northbound and southbound directions of A Street/ Lone Tree Way between the State Route 4 on and off ramps on Thursday and Friday evening from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

State Route 4:

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org.

County shelters experiencing overcrowding due to increased owner surrenders, department developing intervention program to support families in keeping animals in their homes

Effective Wednesday, February 3rd, Contra Costa County Animals Services Department (CCCASD) will be temporarily ceasing the acceptance of owner surrendered animals at their shelters in Martinez and Pinole due to the volume of animals at both facilities. Certain exceptions to this temporary freeze will be made for animals that are injured, unhealthy, under twelve weeks of age, or as otherwise required by law. The agency has also indefinitely closed its night deposit boxes for animals that are surrendered during hours that the department is closed to the public.

“Surrendering an animal to the shelter should be a last resort,” says Beth Ward, Contra Costa County Animal Services’ Director.  “High owner surrender rates leads to overpopulation in our shelters, which increases the possibilities that animals will get disease and/or experience behavior problems. Properly managing shelter inventory and the health of the pets in our care improves the chances of finding homes for the animals in our care.”

CCCASD expects this temporary freeze on accepting owner surrendered animals to be in effect for roughly a month, during which time the department will be developing an intervention program to help support families in keeping their animals in their homes. During this period, CCCASD will continue to receive and impound animals that are sick, injured or abandoned, as well as strays and animals that are confiscated as a result of active investigations or impounded by other law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa County.

Families in need can email asdweb@asd.cccounty.us or call (925) 335-8300 to determine if CCCASD can accept their pet. There is a fee of $50.00 for unlicensed animals surrendered by their owners. The fee for surrendering a licensed animal is $30.00.

County residents can visit www.ccasd.org to view a list of online resources to support them in keeping their pets.

To adopt a pet, call them at (925) 335-8300 or visit the shelter at 4800 Imhoff Place in Martinez.

Contra Costa Animal Services is the largest animal welfare organization in Contra Costa County. The department operates two shelters, in Martinez and Pinole, where they provide high-quality animal care services, shelter homeless, abandoned and lost animals, place animals in safe, caring homes, and provide education and services to enhance the lives of people and their animal companions. Additionally, the department’s Field Services Division plays a crucial role in protecting the health and safety of all people and animals in our community through enforcement of state and laws, protecting the public from animal injury and working to prevent animal cruelty, abuse and neglect.

By Nick Goodrich

During its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 26th, the Antioch City Council voted 5-0 to approve a letter of intent to lease the Humphrey’s restaurant location. Taking Humphrey’s place will be an Everett & Jones restaurant, the family owned barbeque place that has been a favorite in Oakland since its founding in 1973.

If the lease is approved by the Council, the former Humphrey’s site in Antioch will become Everett & Jones’ fourth location, with other restaurants in Berkeley and Hayward in addition to the original in Oakland. Dorothy King, daughter of the original founder Dorothy Everett, and Len Turner of Turner Construction Group were on hand to accept the resolution from City Council.

“It is such an honor to even have the opportunity to accept this offer,” said King, who went on to give an account of the original restaurant’s founding and the hardships it entailed.

“We think it’s a diamond in the rough. We think it’s beautiful,” Turner said.

City Manager Steve Duran was excited to announce Antioch’s intent to lease the building to Everett and Jones.

“We wanted someone that was a regional draw, with a background in the restaurant business, and a proven track record of success,” he said.

Mayor Wade Harper stated that Antioch has searched for an anchor location to draw more business and enthusiasm to the downtown area, which many residents have been less than impressed with in recent years. He believes that Everett & Jones is a great fit, and later revealed that he is a huge fan of their acclaimed barbeque sauce.

“I buy it at the store, the hot, medium, and mild, all of it,” he said with a laugh.

While the letter of intent is not an official lease to the restaurant chain, it states that the city intends to do so, and the formal lease will be presented at the next Council meeting on February 9th.

Annual Police Chief Report: Violent Crime Down

Earlier in the meeting, Police Chief Allan Cantando made another appearance before Council to present the Police Statistics for 2015. Cantando noted that from the years 2014 to 2015, Antioch experienced an increase of arrests but a 9.2% decrease in violent crime, a trend that has been observed in Antioch for the past several years.

Cantando attributed the increased effectiveness of the APD to both assistance from nearby law enforcement agencies and a surge in Antioch police staffing, and both he and the City Council commended the continued dedication and hard work of the Antioch police officers in making the city a safer place to live.

He also brought attention to the 33 hires the APD has made since November of last year, a number he was certain that not many other police agencies had been able to meet – due to retirements, terminations, and other factors, the net change in staffing resulted in nine additional sworn officers.

Council Addresses Noisy Rooster Complaints

In 2014, the City of Antioch annexed land from Contra Costa County in a bid to incorporate the industrial park on its northeast border. However, the County mandated that such an annexation would have to include the residential area around Vine Lane, Viera Avenue, Walnut Avenue, and Bown Lane—the same area in which Jaycee Lee Dugard was held captive for 18 years.

Since even before the annexation, residents in the area have been dealing with an over-population of wild roosters and hens, and complaints about the birds have been ongoing for several years. But, the County didn’t resolve the issue.

At the meeting on Tuesday, one resident said that an aggressive rooster that entered his backyard could have seriously hurt his infant grandson. Other residents are complaining about the noise and inconvenience the animals present.

Chief Cantando estimates that upwards of 60 or 70 hens and roosters are currently loose in the area, and stated that if nothing is done, they will continue to multiply.

However, no one in the area has yet taken responsibility for the birds, according to city staff. Police officers’ attempts to contact several of the residents about the situation have been met with varying degrees of frustration and hostility, many have told the police that they would not allow officers onto their properties to trap the birds. And Animal Services can’t help get rid of them, as the birds are non-vicious animals and thus don’t fall under their jurisdiction. So, while the city has allotted more than $7,000 to help trap the birds and clean up the area, the city’s hands are tied until residents cooperate with the Police Department.

“When we’ve had animal issues in the past, the community has come together to solve the problem,” said Council Member Mary Rocha, referring to Antioch’s longstanding feral cat population. “But this doesn’t seem like it’s pulling together.”

Council Member Tony Tiscareno and Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock both volunteered to speak with the homeowners and try to reach a resolution. Harper, noting that many of the area’s residents were against annexation by the City of Antioch in the first place, stated the importance of providing leadership in the community and reaching an understanding that satisfies both the city and the area’s residents.

Follow-Up List of Requested Agenda Items

At the request of Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock, the City Council reviewed its “Follow-Up List” of items that council members have requested to be placed on a council meeting agenda in the past, but either have not been agendized yet or have not been fully resolved. City policy requires that once items have been requested, the mayor and city manager have six months to include them on an agenda. Yet, several items have remained on the Follow-Up list for six months or more.

Ogorchock, who requested the inclusion of the list on Tuesday’s agenda, stated “We are listening to citizens, and we’re trying to work on these items.”

Mayor Harper noted that while many Antioch residents feel that their concerns are being ignored, the Follow-Up List includes those concerns and helps the Council and city staff, continue to work toward resolving the issues.

One of the items on the list for more than six months was a request for an ordinance to limit the number of smoke shops in the city, requested last February and another is on the donation bins and illegal dumping, requested last April.

Another item, regarding shopping carts, requested last August is expected to be on one of the Council meeting agendas in February.

Commission Appointments

The Council also voted to appoint three Antioch residents to the Planning Commission and Economic Development Commission. Reappointed to the Planning Commission for a second term was Kerry Motts, a lifelong resident of Antioch and Chairman of the commission at the time his application and new member Sedar Husary. The Council also appointed to the Economic Development Commission Robert Kilbourne, who previously served on the Antioch Police Activities League as a member and founder.

Council weighs in on trade treaty

Toward the end of the meeting, the Council discussed a resolution to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement among twelve Pacific Rim countries, including the United States. Harper added the resolution to the agenda, at the request of local unions, stating that the agreement means a loss of jobs in America and could affect Antioch as well.

“I don’t support outsourcing jobs from the community,” he said.

He was joined in his dissent by several steel mill workers and other job-holders in Antioch, who stated that the deal had far-reaching consequences regarding the loss of jobs, from the area.

The Council voted to approve the resolution in a 4-0-1 vote, with Ogorchock abstaining. While she was reluctant to oppose such a resolution, Ogorchock wanted more information on the deal and its meaning for Antioch before proceeding with an affirmative vote. Tiscareno, who worked in the steel business for more than 20 years, felt strongly about the resolution and strongly opposed the TPP trade agreement and voted in favor of the motion.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Today, Mayor of Oakley, Kevin Romick endorsed fellow Oakley Council Member and small business owner Doug Hardcastle for County Supervisor in District 3.

“Possessed with the values inherited from his family and those he picked up being a long time Oakley and East Contra Costa resident Doug Hardcastle will bring with him a straight talking, tell it as it is approach to the Board of Supervisors,” Romick stated. “The job requires a commitment to purpose that Doug has demonstrated in his current and previous elected positions.”

“I am sure that Doug will serve the citizens of District III with distinction,” he continued. “I am proud to endorse Doug Hardcastle for Supervisor.”

Romick is the Data Center Manager at USS Posco in Pittsburg where he has worked for nearly 28 years. He serves as a Member of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and was Oakley Citizen of the Year in 2007.

“I appreciate the support of my colleague on the Oakley City Council, Kevin Romick,” Hardcastle shared. “I’m committed to continuing to work with him on solutions for our county, especially on transportation issues, creating local, well-paying jobs, and the safety and well being of all we represent.”

Romick’s endorsement adds to the growing list of community leaders supporting Doug Hardcastle for County Supervisor.

Doug Hardcastle was elected to the Oakley City Council in 2012 and just completed a year as Mayor. From 2000 to 2012 he served as a Director on the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board, for which he served as President in 2010-2011. He currently serves on both the Transplan Committee and the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors. Doug and his wife Lyn own Hardcastle’s RV in Oakley. Doug was selected Oakley Business Person of the Year in 2006. He’s a life-long resident of Contra Costa County. For more information visit www.doughardcastle.com.

Supervisor District 3 includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Blackhawk, Diablo, Camino Tassajara, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen and part of Antioch. The election is on June 7, 2016.

The Eastern Contra Costa County Transit Authority, better known as Tri Delta Transit, will be handing out over 1,000 umbrellas to East County residents in anticipation of El Niño rains.

“The rain has already begun and more is expected to fall in the coming months. We want our customers to stay dry while waiting for the bus,” said Mike Furnary, Director of Marketing and Customer Service. “While we have a number of shelters located throughout our service area, many bus stops don’t offer protection from the elements. An umbrella is a great way to provide personal protection from the rain, and sun, and can be put to use anywhere.”

Every winter, Tri Delta Transit receives an increase in the number of requests to install shelters at bus stops where there is no overhead protection. Unfortunately, funding and space requirements limit their ability to add shelters. The umbrellas will provide immediate protection to over a thousand Tri Delta Transit customers.

“Plus, the shelter provided by the umbrellas will be available to our customers wherever they go. We refer to them as ‘mobile bus shelters’,” Furnary added.

Back in 2008, Tri Delta Transit provided umbrellas to bus patrons during the summer months as a means to escape the brutal heat of the Eastern Contra Costa sun. “Revising this giveaway seemed like the right thing to do given the forecast for such a wet winter” said Furnary.

The umbrellas are both a customer appreciation gift and useful tool for Tri Delta Transit customers. Patrons are encouraged to bring the umbrellas with them every time they ride the bus. They are light and compact so they’ll easily fit in a purse or back pack. Having one handy will provide protection on a moment’s notice in both sunny and rainy conditions. “It’s just a practical tool to have with you if you ride the bus. We’re very happy to be providing them,” said Furnary.

Tri Delta Transit staff will be canvassing East County over the next couple of weeks distributing umbrellas on buses, at bus stops, park and ride lots and at BART. Bus drivers will be handing them to customers as they board their bus, and riders can pick one up at Tri Delta Transit’s administrative offices on Wilbur Avenue in Antioch while supplies last.

So if you see an abundance of blue and white umbrellas on a rainy el Niño day this winter, you’re sure to find some very happy and much more comfortable people underneath them, compliments of Tri Delta Transit.

Tri Delta Transit was named small bus operator of the year in 2014. They provide over 3,000,000 trips each year to a population of over 250,000 residents in the 225 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County. They operate 13 local bus routes Monday – Friday, 4 local bus routes on weekends, door-to-door bus service for senior citizens and people with disabilities, and shuttle services to community events.

For additional information about Tri Delta Transit, please visit www.trideltatransit.com.

By Nick Goodrich

A protest march by Antioch teachers was held before the Antioch School Board meeting Wednesday night, January 20th, during its first meeting of the new year. Holding signs that read things they’ve been speaking about at recent school board meetings, such as “Show Value to Your AUSD Teachers and Students,” “$ Recruit and Retain,” “Use Class Size Money to Lower Class Size,” and “Our Special Education Students Deserve Safe Class Sizes,” the teachers marched on the sidewalk surrounding the parking lot in front of the School Services Building, for a half hour before the meeting began. They chanted “What do we want? Respect. When do we want it? Now.”

The Board then began the meeting holding a ceremonial oath of office for new board member Fernando Navarro, and voted on a search firm to help select its new Superintendent on a 3-1 split, with Navarro dissenting. Trustee Debora Vinson was absent.

Navarro, who officially took his oath of office for his position on December 9th, last year during a special, early Board session, reenacted it so his family could witness the ceremony.

The January 20^th meeting marked his first session as a participating member of the board, and he was the lone dissenting voice in several Board decisions throughout the evening. The meeting was also Diane Gibson-Gray’s first as President of the Board, with Walter Ruehlig serving as Vice President.

The meeting began with public comments from District employees, moved to the forefront due to the number of teachers that came to speak before the Board. Most of the teachers were protesting the District’s use of funds in the wake of Governor Jerry Brown’s newly released state budget.

Tech-certified teachers, who teach computer skills in elementary and middle schools, benefitted the most from the budget, receiving greater pay than many teachers who have worked in the District for 20 or 30 years, but without tech certification. In some cases, one teacher claimed, tech-certified teachers were being paid twice as much as veteran teachers.

“To keep new teachers coming in, the District needs to treat veteran teachers better,” she said.

Bob Carson, another teacher, noted that the Governor’s new budget marked the largest ever increase in the District’s budget, and that all Antioch teachers should benefit.

Other teachers decried the large class sizes of special education classes, telling the board that unless they adhere to a 20:1 ratio of students to teachers, then prospective teachers will be less attracted to the District and harder to hire.

One speaker, however, had something positive to say. Resident Frank Deluna spoke before the board and told of how his daughter, a student at Deer Valley High School, had been failing out of her Algebra class. After three weeks of enrollment in DVHS’s new after-school, math-intensive program, which received funding from the District late last year, Deluna reported that she was now getting A’s in her math class. He spoke highly of the program.

“She’s improved so much,” Deluna stated. “I would like for this program to be continued.”

After looking over the Governor’s new budget, the Board noted that they were in the midst of a 12-year decline in enrollment across the District, with most of the losses occurring in grades 9-12. Trustee Claire Smith asked the Board staff, as she has in previous meetings, where the students are leaving to; and was not pleased when there was as yet, no answer.

“The answer is always, ‘I don’t know,’” she said. “The City Council needs to get out in front of this. We have an image problem and a reputation problem. Maybe it’s time to get real.”

Board Hires Superintendent Search Firm

The Board discussed the institution of more comprehensive exit surveys to better discover where and why students are leaving, and plans to take action in future meetings.

The Board did, however, take action in its search for a new superintendent. After a thorough selection process, the School Board settled on the search firm Leadership Associates from among three candidates. Smith found that Leadership Associates were “highly professional” and was impressed at the level of experience they brought to the table. Ruehlig and Gibson-Gray agreed.

“We wanted the best and the brightest,” said Gibson-Gray.

Fernando Navarro was the sole dissenter in the 3-1 vote that brought Leadership Associates onboard. He argued that the Board should potentially look, first within the District for a new superintendent, rather than search for an outside hire, which would cost the Board significantly more than promoting someone from within and would bring in someone who knows the District well.

However, Smith stated that during conversations she had with several potential inside-hires, none were interested in the superintendent position, and Gibson-Gray added that she was willing to bear the extra cost of the search firm if it meant they could find the best talent in the state.

During the meeting, Navarro also brought up the possibility of moving the school board meetings to larger accommodations.

“This chamber seems a little small to meet our needs,” he noted.

Board meetings have been held in several different locations before, but none stuck. Board members cited a few reasons that they have remained in the School Services Building on G Street; cost, microphone and visual setups, and longer driving distances, were chief among them. Navarro mentioned the possibility of holding Board meetings in the City Council Chamber in downtown Antioch, but a possible location switch was not discussed further.

He also brought up the idea of televising Board meetings or webcasting them online, saying it could be a good idea to increase exposure to the Board and allow residents to be more informed and involved in District decisions. While the most of the Board seemed open to the idea, Smith said the Board had been over that before and it was just too costly. But, since it wasn’t on the agenda, the idea could not be fully discussed and would have to wait for a future meeting.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

FULL FREEWAY CLOSURES:

State Route 160:

There will be full freeway closures in the southbound direction of State Route 160 between Main Street/E. 18th Street and the State Route 4/State Route 160 connector ramp on Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am.

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

State Route 4:

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Contra Loma on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

State Route 160:

There will be highway lane closures in the northbound direction of State Route 160 between the State Route 4/State Route 160 connector ramp to Main St. off ramp on Tuesday through Wednesday from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the southbound direction of State Route 160 between 18^th St. on-ramp to State Route 4/State Route 160 connector ramp on Tuesday through Thursday from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm.

For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org.