Frazier donates final $2,000 to achieve $25,000 goal

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Antioch received Christmas gifts from PG&E and Assemblyman Jim Fraizer, today through donations to help rebuild City Park playground equipment, following the fire damage by arson, back in September. As of today, all the funds have been raised to pay the $25,000 deductible.

At a brief ceremony at the park, this morning, attended by community leaders, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Company’s East Bay Senior Government Relations Representative Tom Guarino presented a check to Take Back Antioch Founder Brittney Gougeon and local officials, for $12,500. Then before the ceremony was over, PG&E Government Affairs representative Tom Guarino committed another $2,000 and Assemblyman Jim Frazier, committed the final $2,000 to reach the $25,000 goal.

Immediately upon hearing about the fire damage, Take Back Antioch took the lead in raising the needed funds, through a Facebook message, a fundraiser at Uno Chicago Grill and other efforts.

“This is huge for the community. There really have been so many families affected by this, and when PG&E contacted me about the donation, I was sincerely speechless,” Gougeon said. “I could not be more thankful for PG&E’s outpouring of support through a matching donation for our fundraiser to rebuild City Park.”

That’s the deductible amount the city has to pay before the insurance pool will meet the other $125,000 for the total $150,000 estimated replacement price.

Part of the play structure was burned on September 17. Two Antioch teens have been arrested for arson in the case.

“This senseless act of arson and vandalism does not help the community,” Frazier said.

In addition to Frazier and Gougeon, in attendance were Mayor Pro Tem Mary Rocha, Council members Gary Agopian, Monica Wilson and Tony Tiscareno, as well as Antioch Chamber CEO Dr. Sean Wright.

“A lot of leaders have stepped up when we needed them,” said Rocha. “This park has a lot of history with the stone walls built during WWII. The neighborhood…in the past couldn’t even come to the park.”

Six years after being constructed by a team of volunteers from PG&E and the Antioch community, a local playground was destroyed by arsonists. Today, PG&E announced that it will contribute a $12,500 matching grant to local community organization Take Back Antioch (TBA) to supplement its fundraising efforts to rebuild the park.

“This area of the park was built by the community,” Agopian stated. “Now, in spite of the arson and the violence done to this park, we’re going to do it, again.”

“We have excellent citizens in Antioch,” said Tiscareno. “This park is where I grew up at. Now to have my grandkids to come play here and to see the playground burned down is just heart breaking.”

“This shows great pride in our community,” Wilson shared. “Thanks to Brittany who didn’t wait to be asked to help. We are proud of living here.”

“It was more than just burning down of a playground. It was burning down of something the community built,” Wright said.

Along with many other community volunteers, Wright and his children helped paint the playground.

“This isn’t the only thing that PGE does for our community,” he added. Then listed a few other things PG&E has done for Antioch.

Guarino said “Because our Gateway Generating Station is in Antioch we’re going to throw in another $2,000.” That brought PG&E’s total contribution to $14,500.

“How much is left?” Agopian asked.

The answer was $2,000 and Assemblyman Frazier committed to make up the difference.
So now all the funds needed have been raised to cover the $25,000 deductible.

The total cost is $150,000 according to Community Development Director Ron Bernal. Now that the deductible has been raised the insurance company will provide the $125,000 balance, bids will be let, the contractor hired and the work can begin.

“Organizations like Taking Back Antioch are inspiring examples how neighbors can come together to make a real difference in their communities,” said Ezra Garrett, vice president, community relations, PG&E. “PG&E is proud to partner with Brittney Gougeon and Taking Back Antioch to help rebuild City Park and once again make it a safe place for families to gather and play.”

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ and www.pgecurrents.com.

In anticipation of light ridership during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, BART typically modifies its schedule by selectively reducing service where lower ridership is expected.

Accordingly, BART will trim peak-commute weekday Pittsburg/Bay Point trains that usually run in the early morning hours and in the mid-afternoon. Instead of running trains five minutes apart on the Pittsburg/Bay Point (Yellow) line, trains will run every 10 to 15 minutes. This modified commute-time schedule will be in place from Monday, December 24, through Friday, December 28, as well as on Monday, December 31, 2012.

Check BART’s real-time departures throughout the day for trains in service, or on your mobile device at BART’s mobile website.

BART to extend hours, provide special service on evening of New Year’s Eve

For the evening of New Year’s Eve, BART will extend its hours until 3 a.m. and provide special service. Read more about the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day service.

2013 – 2015 Term

As part of BART’s Environmental Justice and Title VI compliance, the Office of Civil Rights is creating an Environmental Justice and Title VI Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee). The Advisory Committee will serve as a forum for public participation for BART on issues related to its Environmental Justice and Title VI Programs.

The objective of the Advisory Committee is to:

• Ensure that BART takes reasonable steps to incorporate Environmental Justice and Title VI Policy principles in its transportation decisions-making process.

• Provide input on the most effective methods to engage and respond to Environmental Justice and Title VI populations.

• Ensure meaningful involvement in BART’s transportation decision making process by promoting collaboration and problem solving on issues related to Environmental Justice and Title VI.

To start, the Advisory Committee will meet every other month. Members should be able to attend 50% of meetings, annually. The Committee will have up to 12 members, selected from community-based organizations (CBOs) within the District’s four-county service area. Applicants must be members or active participants of CBOs that are involved in advancing Title VI and Environmental Justice issues on behalf of low-income, and minority populations.

BART is currently seeking candidates for its Environmental Justice and Title VI Advisory Committee. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and a completed Advisory Committee application to:

Office of Civil Rights

300 Lakeside Drive, Suite 1800

Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 874-7333

(510) 464-7587 (fax)

officeofcivilrights@bart.gov

Application Deadline: January 4, 2013.

The application is available by clicking here.

Completed application documents can be submitted either by email or regular mail. Applications can be downloaded from the BART website at Bart.gov/EJcommittee. For additional information please contact Seema Parameswaran, Senior Administrative Analyst, at sparame@bart.gov or (510) 464-6189.

The BART Board of Directors welcomed two newly elected members on Thursday, December 20, 2012 and voted to elect Director Tom Radulovich as President and Director Joel Keller as Vice President of the Board.

During today’s meeting, Rebecca Saltzman, elected by voters in November to represent District 3, was administered the oath of office by Oakland City Councilmember Libby Schaaf. Zakhary Mallett, elected to represent District 7, was sworn in by State Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose).

“It’s an exciting time to serve on the BART Board and as the newly elected President, I am pleased to welcome Directors Saltzman and Mallett to our dais,” said Board President Radulovich. “Both are transit advocates with years of experience connecting the dots between transit, the environment and a healthy regional economy.”

Rebecca Saltzman, District 3

Saltzman, who lives in Oakland, is a public transit and policy advocate who also works as a government affairs manager for a statewide environmental organization. Saltzman also serves as Vice-Chair of the Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, where she advises the City of Oakland on pedestrian and bicycle policy and infrastructure. She graduated with a BA in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Zakhary Mallett, District 7

Mallett, a Bay Area native residing in El Sobrante, is a City/Transportation Planner by profession. A transit advocate for more than ten years, he has participated civically in several transportation study initiatives while advocating for investments that allow transit to be a viable and competitive alternative to driving. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Stanford University and has a Master of City Planning (MCP) degree with a Transportation Planning emphasis from the University of California, Berkeley.

Keller joined the BART Board when voters elected him in November 1994. He was sworn into office on December 14, 1994. His colleagues on the BART Board of Directors chose him to serve as President in 2002 and 2005, and Vice President in 1998, 2001 and 2004. Director Keller represents the 2^nd BART District, which includes Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Clyde, Concord (partial), Discovery Bay, El Sobrante, Knightsen, Oakley, Pacheco (partial), Pittsburg and Vine Hill (partial).

Director Keller serves as Chairperson of BART’s Engineering and Operations Committee and is a member of the Board’s District Security Advocacy Ad Hoc and eBART Policy Advisory, as well as other committees.

For more information on Keller, click here.

Will Give Local Firefighters and First Responders the Resources They Need for Five Years

Congressman Jerry McNerney’s (D-Stockton) bipartisan bill, the United States Fire Administration Act of 2012, passed the U.S. House of Representatives, on Thursday, December 20 with broad bipartisan support as a part of the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). McNerney introduced the bill in July to reauthorize the United States Fire Administration (USFA) for five years, allowing the USFA to continue administering grants, creating good-paying and critical jobs at fire departments across the country. The bill will also allow the USFA to continue to provide resources to train and educate the public about fire safety, prevention and preparedness.

“The USFA provides our nation’s firefighters with the tools they need to keep the public safe and reduce the damages caused by fire and other emergency situations.  Not only is this legislation critical for public safety, it will ensure that we preserve and create good-paying jobs in communities across America,” said Congressman McNerney.

On December 5, 2012, Congressman McNerney wrote to Rep. Buck McKeon, Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, to encourage the committee to include the text of his legislation in the NDAA. Upon passage in the House, the NDAA will proceed to the Senate for consideration before traveling to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Over the last decade, nearly $5 million has been awarded to the region encompassing Congressman McNerney’s district through programs administered by the USFA, improving public safety and education. For example, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants program created or saved the jobs of over 1200 firefighters across the country in 2009. The program allowed 566 workers who had been laid off to be rehired, prevented an additional 139 workers from being laid off, and created nearly 400 new jobs in our nation’s fire departments.

“The USFA provides important public safety information that helps prevent costly and damaging fires. Increasing preparedness and keeping our friends and neighbors safe is a responsibility we all share. I am glad that this important legislation passed the House today, moving us one step closer to making sure our first responders have the tools and resources they need,” said McNerney.

The USFA was created in 1974 with the goal of reducing the number of fire-related deaths by half. This goal was met in 1988. According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2010 there were 1,331,500 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused 3,120 civilian deaths – down from 12,000 per year in 1973 – as well as 17,720 civilian injuries and $11.6 billion in property damage.

The United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2012, H.R. 6229, was originally co-introduced by Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL).

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Antioch Mayor Harper and the Council majority made their decision, tonight and appointed Tony Tiscareno, a retired steelworker, former labor union leader, and 42-year Antioch resident to the vacant City Council seat.

The seat is the unexpired term of Harper, who stepped down mid-way through his first term on the Council after being elected Mayor.

Tiscareno was one of nine applicants, including former Mayors Jim Davis and Don Freitas, as well as former Mayor Pro Tem Manny Soliz, Jr. who sought the appointment.

Following three-minute presentations by each of the candidates, and comments from the public, the council deliberated, with the guidance of City Attorney Lynn Tracy Nerland, on how to proceed with the appointment process.

After three rounds of votes to advance or eliminate applicants, only two candidates emerged with at least three votes of the council members: Freitas and Tiscareno.

Recently rumored to be a favorite, along with Antioch Planning Commissioner Vincent Manuel, the 56 year-old Tiscareno was chosen on a 3-1 vote, with Councilman Gary Agopian dissenting. Following the vote, Agopian asked that he be allowed to make it unanimous to show solidarity on the council and support for the newly appointed councilman. The official vote was changed to 4-0 in favor of Tiscareno.

He was then given the Oath of Office by City Clerk Arne Simonsen.

Tiscareno worked for 33 years as a steelworker, and served as the Political Director for the Contra Costa Labor Council, until March of last year. He then served as Campaign Director, this year, for newly elected Assemblyman Jim Frazier, who was in attendance during tonight’s council meeting. Tiscareno also used to own a small business in Antioch, in the 1990’s, trading sports cards. He stated he had coached youth sports in Antioch, as well. He is married and has a daughter and a son.

In his appointment application statement, Tiscareno said he will focus on public safety, youth, economic development and public works.

Congratulations to Antioch’s newest council member, Tony Tiscareno. Good luck, God bless and do well.

 

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Newly elected Antioch City Clerk returned from Scotland, this week and was sworn in on Thursday, December 13 in the City Council Chambers by outgoing Clerk Denise Skaggs, before a small group of family, friends and supporters.

His parents Otis and Betty Simonsen held his grandfather’s Bible upon which he took the oath.

Before taking his oath, Simonsen joked “I just hope the Mayor won’t call me Madame Clerk.”

Following the brief ceremony, Simonsen offered treats from Scotland to those in attendance. One humorous moment occurred when he was questioned whether it was appropriate for an elected official to give out “Flake” chocolate candy bars. (They’re made by Cadbury and are tasty). Former Mayor Don Freitas, who was in attendance, said “It only matters if you eat one.”

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Nine Antioch residents have submitted the required paperwork to be considered for appointment to the City Council to fill the final two years in Mayor Wade Harper’s vacant seat.

The Council voted on December 4 to appoint the fifth council member, instead of appointing former Mayor Jim Davis who was the third highest vote-getter in the November election or have an election next June.

The applicants are Davis, former Mayor Don Freitas, former Councilman Manny Soliz, Jr., Planning Commissioner Vincent Manuel, Antioch Chamber of Commerce CEO Sean Wright, two-time Antioch School Board candidate Debra Vinson, former Political Director for the Contra Costa Labor Council Tony Tiscareno, Robert Miller and Jonathan Hernandez, a 24 year-old bail bondsman who was going to run for city council, this year, but didn’t.

They each submitted an application, Nomination papers with at least 30 signatures of registered Antioch voters, a Candidate Statement of up to 400 words and a Statement of Economic Interests form.

Documents for each of the nine candidates will be posted on the City’s website as part of the Council’s Agenda packet on Friday. To see the entire packet with details of all the applicants, click here.

The current four council members will make their decision at next Tuesday’s special council meeting, which starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Antioch Council Chambers, 200  H Street in downtown Rivertown.

Following the appointment of and Oath of Office ceremony for the new council member, the council will decide appointments to various committees and boards.