Dear Editor:

Over five years ago, in 2015 the Antioch City Council approved the Downtown Specific Plan Update and finalized it in 2018. Yet nothing has happened to implement those plans since then. During Tuesday night’s Antioch City Council meeting incumbent Councilwoman Monica Wilson offered no action items for the rest of the council to vote on to help improve Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown. It was just more talk from the council’s Waterfront subcommittee that she serves on.

Worse, the committee did not include all the business owners that have been trying to improve the downtown Rivertown or would like to upgrade their buildings. They have not publicized their meetings so that other Rivertown business and building owners can attend and give their input and ideas.

Monica has done more harm than good for our city’s downtown. Earlier this year she marched with protesters all the way down the middle of W. 2nd Street to the police station, blocking the road to traffic in front of businesses that were struggling even before the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some of those businesses boarded up out of fear of looting and damage to their store windows. But Wilson did not care about the Rivertown businesses and the impacts of the protests. She was trying to score points with the protesters for another future run for higher office, which is what she really wants. Wilson wanted to be mayor, this year, and was unsuccessfully when she ran for Supervisor in 2016.

What has Wilson accomplished in her eight years on the council? For Rivertown, only one thing, when she voted in August to spend $15,000 on barriers for the restaurants to have outdoor dining where the parking stalls are located in front of their businesses. They have barely been used so that was a big waste of money. But that is it. Plus, the portable toilets for the homeless who stay in Waldie Plaza and along the railroad tracks.

That’s another thing she has done nothing about, other than vote to apply for five FEMA trailers from the state which arrived in March but are still sitting in the city’s maintenance yard, and to spend our tax dollars on consultants and a new city staff member. Monica voted last December to allocate over $500,000 to do something about the homeless problem in our city but then voted to spend $73,000 of it to hire a consultant on homelessness to help develop a plan to hire an Unhoused Resident Coordinator at a cost of $100,000 per year. Then, before anything was done with the rest of the money, Wilson voted to spend as much as $1 million to create a homeless hotel on E. 18th Street.

We need people on the city council who are going to take action and quit talking about improving Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown and actually do something about the homeless issue in our city. Plus, not promise us 22 police immediately then take six years to deliver on that commitment.

That is why I am running. If you want action and results and not just more talk and delays and kicking the can down the road, eventually getting around to it, I ask for your vote for Antioch City Council in District 4.

Thank you,

Sandra White

Antioch

Dear Editor:

Daniel Borenstein, in his editorial, endorsed candidate Fernando Sandoval for Contra Costa Community College Board of Trustees Ward 5. But he has left out very important assets and characteristics of Mr. Sandoval that I would like to mention for those who would like to hear of his good character and important background that he would bring to the college board which I have found to be very inspiring.

As a person of color, I’m excited to know that we have a chance to elect Mr. Sandoval who will bring equity, diversity and inclusion to everyone entering their first year of upper education in addition to faculty and staff. Mr. Sandoval’s priority will be to keep first year students engaged and motivated to move on to either universities or well-paying skilled jobs. I have worked on community education projects with Mr. Sandoval where he has displayed his motivation, passion, sensitivity, and creativity to work with youth or those wanting to go back to school to improve their jobs and careers.

He has also recently written a book that inspires those to move on and improve their lives. He has spoken on identity, motivation and achievement to young students using his book as his historical journey. He also provides this book as a gift to others. I am a retired person now and I was even inspired by his book.

In addition to his passion for education, Mr. Sandoval also has a 25-year career in information technology and finance consulting with worldwide banking institutions and research corporations providing management strategies and budgeting models for economic recovery.

With this background, Mr. Sandoval will increase fiscal accountability and transparency to manage District funding that will support our taxpayers’ investment in our community colleges.

With Mr. Sandoval’s background, he has inspired many of us to support him including Faculty and Classified Professionals including over 40 Community Educators and Leaders and many elected officials. These important individuals are gravely disappointed in the incumbent and are looking to replace him with all that Mr. Sandoval offers; finding a breath of fresh air, commitment and inspiration with Mr. Fernando Sandoval.

Linda Olvera

Martinez

 

Editor:

Antioch Voters should not vote for Sandra White for the City Council. She has failed us as Chair of the Crime Prevention Commission and has chosen the wrong person as part of her campaign. Choose someone else!

Her choice of former Police Chief Allan Cantando as part of her campaign is telling. As Chief he did not do his job or carry out his responsibilities of protecting the public from wrongdoers, to include Felonious misconduct by some of his Officers. He, in actuality, instead berated and ‘shot the messenger’ whistleblower who submitted detailed reported various criminal acts by some of his Officers. He was interested only in covering for them and did little to investigate what they did or even contacting the Victims harmed.

Former Captain Allan Cantando I had pushed for him publicly early on to be appointed chief, believing he would straighten out the crimes and misconduct by his officers. Boy did he shortly after becoming Chief did he reveal his true colors. Under his watch and documented knowledge his involved officers continued with their misconduct and victimization of our documented citizens. They got away with it with his obvious uncaring inactions. It isn’t over yet though and with him behind her I suspect she will do as he would advise her, to the further detriment to our community.

As the Chair of the Crime Prevention Committee she has really done little in pushing for the safety of our city. Contrary to what she and the others claim the City of Antioch is not safer and the people are still being victimized like before. Really, what has she done but have a title, have meetings, rub shoulders even with those officers involved in misconduct, and we still are greatly undermanned in Police manpower. Is that what her relationship with Allan Cantando has accomplished? She should give it up and open her eyes to the realities, instead of the ‘shine’ of questioned certain persons.

She does not have what it takes to be a top elected leader official for Antioch. She may be a good person and one liked by a number of people. But being a councilperson in these times requires fortitude, integrity, and knowing when you are going to be used for the same directions that has gotten Antioch in the negative areas we know about.

There will be some very important Police matters that are going to be disclosed soon and her being backed by former Chief Cantando, who will be exposed also, makes her the least acceptable person who would have to deal with it. The ‘train’ is coming soon, and it will be ugly! The exposures involved may not exempt all involved, and it is about time that it happens. Once the public is informed, they will see the value of not voting for her at a minimum.

Ralph Hernandez

Antioch

Our current mayor, Sean Wright and his partner, Councilman Lamar Thorpe have brought disaster upon our city, and nothing will change until we replace them.

They hired an Economic Development Director at a cost of $300,000. What do we have to show for his efforts?

Sears closed, Macy’s ran away, the AMC theaters closed down, the Big Kmart is gone, so is Staples  – even before COVID-19. Everywhere you look it’s a disaster.

Under their mismanagement, those and more businesses have closed. The city has become looking desperate. People are looking for hope, but they have made us hopeless.

They hired a homeless consultant and it ended up bringing more homeless to Antioch. Now Thorpe wants to spend $1 million on the homeless motel. We can’t afford that.

They approved the marijuana businesses, and Sean and Lamar appear to be acting like drug dealers to put Antioch in the pot business.

They’ve hired other consultants and a new assistant city manager for $100,000’s per year that we also can’t afford. In 2016 they asked for more police and they got them. Now they want 20 more police. Why? I don’t understand their failures. We cannot afford them.

They’re insulting us that we are the bad people in Antioch.

How can we trust it when these leaders give us a bad reputation and they want to run things, when they are the bad people.

Who is the bad and who are the good? You make the call, Antioch.

We can’t afford to have our reputation damaged day after day, thanks to their idiocy and mismanagement. They make us look so bad in the state.

They’ve let us down and they want to degrade Antioch more.

How can you trust that kind of leadership when they’re calling us the bad citizens and they’re wanting to run us? In fact, we are the God-fearing people, and we are a great community.

We can’t afford division, demolition, or degraded reputation for Antioch for no reason. This is the second largest city in Contra Costa County.

My job, I want to bring back the truth, build up the reputation of Antioch, that we are the great, God-fearing, law abiding people in California. Antioch is the best and I will bring the best of Antioch, so that it will be declared the greatest in the world.

With leaders like Lamar and Sean who have forgotten us, and they always have lame excuses, who don’t do anything, but they take no responsibility. But they’re blaming us, the citizens of Antioch. Underneath their watch the city has become worse and everywhere you see there’s garbage dumped, here and there.

They have no plans, at all. We don’t have new businesses or jobs.

We need to take action to get the city cleaned up, make it attractive to businesses, and I will make sure Antioch is recognized as the number one city with the best reputation.

I will bring a four-year university to Antioch with a full medical degree, B.S. in Nursing and an RN program. I want to also bring the skilled degree programs for rapid technology growth and computer science.

Antioch, I ask you to consider voting for me for new leadership. Help me to get things straightened out. For more information please email me at info@RakeshKumarChristian.com or call me at (510) 786-8909 and I’ll be glad to listen to your ideas to implement them.

Sincerely,

Rakesh Kumar Christian

Candidate for Mayor of Antioch

 

 

 

Dear Editor:

In order to combat untruths from both the Antioch Police Officers Association and from the election campaign of Antioch’s current mayor, I offer the following facts relating to homeless issues in Antioch, particularly with respect to the proposal that the city convert to Executive Inn on 18th Street near Cavallo to transitional homeless housing.

1. A city-wide survey of Antioch residents indicated that homelessness was among the top issues of concern in the city. The city declared homelessness to be a crisis last year.
2. The Antioch City Council that was seated after 2018 elections voted to appoint an Ad Hoc Committee to study homeless encampments.
3. The Homeless Encampment Ad Hoc Committee composed of Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts and Councilman Lamar Thorpe began their research, visiting encampments and talking with homeless residents. They set up study sessions a.) to explore the impact and cost of homelessness on existing city services, businesses, AUSD, local hospitals, and BART; b.) to learn about the work of Contra Costa County Health, Housing and Homeless Services and community groups that serve the homeless; c.) to get information on programs that have had successes in other cities; and d.) to hear from homeless residents themselves and, very poignantly, from city leaders who themselves endured periods of homelessness. (These sessions were open to everyone; I attended nearly all of them.)
4. The most obvious solutions for Antioch that came out of these studies were: a.) the need to coordinate the various organizations helping homeless in Antioch, thus the need for a city coordinator position; b.) the need for more drug abuse and mental health resources for homeless in Eastern Contra Costa; and c.) housing first is the most successful and least costly way to address homeless issues. Temporary stop gap solutions considered in Antioch included designated parking areas for safe overnight sleeping for homeless with cars or RVs, and managed camp sites.
5. Antioch received five FEMA trailers from the state and began the process of finding a place to put them to house up to five people in each, most likely families.
6. Ad Hoc committee member Thorpe met with the Executive Inn owners to discuss a bridge housing proposal and they were open to it. Currently the inn works with the county providing crisis housing to individuals and families with children. Golden Hills Community Church currently feeds homeless next door weekday evenings.
7. Motts and Thorpe have proposed the city work with the motel to provide transitional or bridge housing to homeless. There are 32 rooms plus places to put the five trailers. The project would happen only with wraparound services such as meals, security, custodial, as well as essential behavioral health and health care services through other agencies and non-profits including COC, Sutter Health, Love Never Fails, Shelter Inc, similar to what the county is doing with Motel 6 in Pittsburg. These services help to incur a positive outcome. It is not permanent housing. It is a step towards permanent housing. Residents receive any needed mental health and/or addiction services as they recover from life on the streets, find employment, and move on to permanent housing elsewhere. The lease cost is approximately one million per year, about what the city spends now breaking up homeless encampments. Committing to and proceeding with the project means Antioch would likely attract financial support from other sources including the state. The council has voted to pursue a feasibility study. Cities such as Livermore and Santa Clara are going forward with similar proposals.
8. The only school within a quarter mile of the Executive Inn, Rocketship Charter School on Cavallo Rd., has welcomed any children from families that would move in there.
9. Some in the city say we should rely on the county and the state for homeless services. We have, but that has not got us very far. Rather we need to work with the county and the state. Those opposing the proposal have offered nothing in its place.
10. Both the Antioch Police Officers Association and Mayor Sean Wright have claimed the Executive Inn is one quarter mile from four Antioch schools and the Antioch Youth Sports Complex. This is not true. There is only the one I named above, Rocketship. The next nearest school, Kimball Elementary, is one half mile away. The sports complex is over a mile and a half away. Antioch Middle School is seven tenths of a mile away, and the high school is a full mile away. Children of the newly housed families would not have too far to go. Also, the APOA said it was permanent housing. It is not.
11. The motel would not be housing homeless, because with a place to live, the people are no longer homeless.

Homelessness is Antioch’s most pressing issue right now. We need to elect leaders who are actually addressing the issue with very doable solutions. Lamar Thorpe for Mayor, Joy Motts in District One are obvious choices, though other candidates may support the transitional housing plan. Nichole Gardner of the non-profit Fighting for the Homeless in Antioch is the best candidate in District Three, as Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock voted against the proposal. Councilwoman Monica Wilson in District Four supports the proposal.

Lucy Meinhardt

Antioch

Dear Editor:

I am proud to endorse Jim Davis for another four-year term as Treasurer of the City of Antioch. Jim is a class act. He is dignified, professional, knows money and city governance. I first met him 11 years ago when he was working in the banking industry and sharing his expertise in the role of Antioch’s Mayor. I know him to be smart, honorable and able to connect with people across all levels of the government and the community.

Perhaps the one memory of Jim which stands out most to me when it comes to his commitment to the people of Antioch, is high-level meetings we attended in Washington DC advocating for funding and legislation which supported the economic growth of East Contra Costa.

What I know of Jim, I believe he is the best candidate to serve in the role of Treasurer and help Antioch move forward securing opportunities and addressing challenges for the finances of Contra Costa County’s second-largest city.

Angela Lowrey

Oakley, CA

Editor:

It is very important that I make myself clear.  Regardless of the fact that there are photos of me on early positive flyers supporting Sean Wright’s campaign, before the attack flyers against Lamar Thorpe  were designed and distributed, I had shifted my support to Gabriel Makinano for Mayor and here is why.

Back a few years ago when many of us in the community were trying to find a better way forward for our youth of all race and ethnic groups, I met  a young man named Gabriel Makinano who had the same mission and passion as the rest of us and aligned  and partnered his organization with the Youth Intervention Network team.

Most of you know about the work YIN was able to accomplish with youth who were struggling  and it was recognized by the United Nations and Attorney General Eric Holder after we saw the first 100 youth of all colors and economic status who finished the initiative go from a 1.0 GPA to an average of 3.5 and go to college after graduation.

This city was united with our police department, beginning with Chief Jim Hyde, and later Chief Allan Cantando, and now Chief Tammany Brooks. Over 300 residents of all racial backgrounds spent a full 40 hours with our Northern Irish team and then went through background checks to work with families.

During all of this, Gabe and his team were strong participants, allies and partners. He and his organization have and continue to make a tremendous contribution to our youth and our community.

Gabriel Makinano is loving and humble, and will be an amazing mayor

Iris Archuleta, JD

Antioch

Editor:

Ward 5 of the Community College Board needs change – Enholm must go!

Ward 5 of the Contra Costa Community College District, including Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen and Bethel Island, is badly in need of new leadership. The current Trustee for this area, Greg Enholm, has engaged in poor decisions, erratic behavior, and unethical acts that have not served the District, Los Medanos College in particular, very well.

This is not new, but enough is enough.

When the Board of Trustees approved in a 4-1 vote the building of the new Campus located in Brentwood, on donated land, with an approved Bond Measure E in 2014, Enholm continued to oppose its construction. An alternative site would have taken years for approval adding costs for acquisition of land and increased taxes. The new campus was needed as the existing leased building in a retail district of Brentwood was over-capacity. In 2016 Enholm also recommended the residents of the nearby Trilogy community sue the District to keep its construction at bay.

This opposition caused numerous delays, added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost due to litigation, and for a time imperiled the use of the approved Bond as expenditures needed to begin within an approved time. Covid-19 has impacted its opening, but the students will be served well by this new educational facility.

Especially troubling has been allegations of multiple ethics violations by Enholm that have recently come to light. He has not denied the allegations. The allegations were found to be true by an investigator of the District which included inappropriately trying to get a friend re-classified to be considered for a top-level position as well as ghost-writing an email to the District. As part of the investigation it was noted that Enholm went directly to the Chancellor to ask him to reconsider his friend for the position even though the person was already deemed to be unqualified for the position.

Of late, with the District facing challenges due to COVID-19, he also voted to terminate upper-level district managers, ignoring numerous requests from faculty and classified staff to reconsider that decision. Enholm has stopped listening to the faculty, staff, and his constituents and has engaged in recent actions that have put our District’s financial future at risk.

It is time for new leadership on the Contra Costa Community College District Board: Elect Fernando Sandoval.

Valerie T Lopez

Pittsburg