To the publisher:

You own the newspaper, so you have every right to publish your opinions, but I don’t have to agree with them. I can’t agree with your statements about scripture and sexual orientation in your “Publisher’s Response.”

I feel that your statements are not based on any fact but solely on your opinions. Your response sounded suspiciously like Creationist ideas or Anti-Climate Change arguments.

I also felt, and here I must admit that I have no facts only conjecture, that your article about the McNerny Town Hall meeting had only references to the point of view of one side of the aisle. I suspect that there must have been some comments supportive of Mr. McNerny, but none were referenced in the article.

That said, I will read future issues of your paper, but for the sole purpose of finding out who is advertising in it and be sure to avoid patronizing those businesses.

Disappointed Antioch resident,
Roger Martin

——

Mr. Martin,

Thank you for reading the paper and sharing your thoughts.

In response, you wrote that my “statements are not based on any fact” when I actually cited the American Psychiatric Association’s own website, that there is no proof either way that gays and lesbians are born that way.

I also referred to basic physiology.

Both of those arguments to support my position have nothing to do with “Creationist ideas” and I believe are very strong.

As for them having anything to do with being “anti-climate change” is a complete disconnect to me. I don’t see the two issues as remotely related.

As for the article on Congressman McNerney if you had attended his “town hall meeting” (which was held in a very small room that could only accomodate 20 people at the most – which I believe was intentional, but didn’t mention) you would have recognized it was quite kind toward him.

The meeting was also poorly publicized, but I didn’t mention that either.

I took many pages of notes but had to condense it down to what could fit in the paper and to give the general feel of the meeting.

It was his own fellow Democrats who hammered him on issues, one of which I cited regarding not voting to raise taxes on the rich in Obama’s first two years.

On the question of Medicare the Congressman’s response was rather confusing as he discussed MediCal instead. But I didn’t include that in the article.

He also got questioned on the failure of the No Child Left Behind education policy by administrators from Brentwood school districts, but I had to cut that part out to fit in the paper, due to limited space, unfortunately.

I quoted him exactly and included his verbatim responses to the questions posed to him.

The congressman’s experience was similar to what other Members of Congress have experienced across the country from even members of their own political party and is why some aren’t holding public town hall meetings during the summer recess – because people are upset with Congress in general. Some are holding tele-town hall meetings instead so they can better control the conversation.

So I believe the article was very fair and accurate as to what occurred.

I’m sorry to learn of your response in not supporting Antioch businesses who advertise in the paper because you disagree with either my viewpoint or articles you don’t like. Helping promote Antioch businesses and grow our local economy, as I’m sure you can appreciate, is seriously needed and one of the main reasons I started the paper.

My paper reaches more homes in Antioch than any other.

We didn’t have to run the letter to the editor critical of my article in the July issue. But we’re willing to print both sides of issues and even those critical of me, my views and/or our articles.

We’ll even publish your email on our website and in our next issue, to demonstrate that further.

To be fair, do you apply the same standard to all newspapers and other publications which contain advertising and which you read, if you don’t like their editorials or articles? Do you like or agree with all the articles and editorials in the Times, Antioch News or Chronicle? I seriously doubt it.

But if that’s your policy then you’re going to seriously limit where you can shop, do business and dine in town.

Plus, what you’re doing is demonstrating you disagree with my First Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of the press, because you’d prefer my newspaper go out of business by seeking to keep advertisers from advertising in it.

So is that what you want – an America where only your or one side’s views are expressed? I would surely hope not.

Allen Payton
Publisher

On September 7th, the Antioch Planning Commission is holding a public hearing in regard to Tabora Gardens, Satellite Housing, Incorporated‘s 85 unit affordable senior apartment complex to be located on the southeast corner of James Donlon and Tabora Drive.

The developer is seeking approval for a Senior Housing Overlay District with a density bonus, an exception to the parking ratio, and a variance to provide covered parking and design review.

It’s important to note that if any person challenges the decision of the City in this matter in court, he or she may be limited to raising only those issues that are raised at the upcoming Planning Commission meeting or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Where’s the logic here? If the staff report, which is not yet posted online, is not available for viewing in a timely manner and you can’t make it down to city hall to check out the project, how can you evaluate the entirety of the project and submit your comments prior to the hearing?

I found info on the project by going online to the City’s Planning Department and clicking on current projects, which certainly is enlightening, e.g. Pulte Homes has received approval for a 553 senior housing community on 189 acres at the end of Heidorn Ranch Road.

As delighted as I am to have more senior housing in the City, I have my concerns about the location of the Tabora Gardens project. As a long-time resident, I know how many serious accidents have occurred along James Donlon Blvd, particularly in the area near Tabora Drive near the entrance to the Antioch Community Park and the 240-unit Twin Creeks Apartment complex.

James Donlon is heavily traveled by commuters from southeast Antioch and beyond, and has long been intended to link to the long-awaited thoroughfare known as the Buchanan Bypass, which would run from the intersection of Somersville Road and James Donlon Blvd. to Kirker Pass in Pittsburg.

Walter Ruehlig
Board Trustee, Antioch Unified School District

At church service this past weekend I saw a young lady who appeared to be auditioning for a scantily-clad sojourn to the French Riviera. Seems modesty and restraint have flown the coop in our wildly permissive society. America’s blessing is assuredly personal freedom, but sad it comes imbalanced and with the price tag of run-amok social irresponsibility.

Yes, there is growing credence to the fear that America has more than a debt crisis but a discipline crisis. Our youth are falling behind the emerging Asian countries as we decline in math and science competitiveness, attention span, respect for elders, diet, exercise, dress and manners.

Of course, the building blocks start at home. In the end, though, the schools are asked to pick up the pieces. That said, the Antioch Unified School District is fighting the good fight. We have to start somewhere, and dress is, we feel, a fundamental.

We want our students to see school as their ‘job’ at this point in their life. Our defined mission, in fact, is to “prepare students for college, career and life.” And last time I looked there seemed to be a work ‘uniform’ at most establishments.

Beyond encouraging a Dress 4 Success model, we also see disciplined dress as helping safety through easier campus identification; aiding the fight against gangs; building a sense of esprit de corps; buffeting the ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ attitude; and minimizing campus distractions of provocative dress.

Where, then, is Antioch now? We are, admittedly, still a work of art in progress, but we stand tall as a regional leader. We are certainly giving it the proverbial college try.

All our elementary and middle schools have adopted uniforms. At the high school level our five career-based pathway schools have instituted them as well. Each academy elects their option(s) with student, parent and teacher input. For example, the Dozier-Libbey Medical School students choose scrubs.

Our two comprehensive high schools are in varying stages of implementation towards the ultimate goal of consistency. At Antioch High the Engineering Academy has uniforms. AHS is targeting wall-to-wall academies with all students eventually wearing a uniform. The caveat is that the parents can legally opt out, which is allowed by California Ed Code.

At Antioch High those not in an academy are asked to wear ‘spirit wear,’ which are school colors or club or team wear. Last year only 60 students opted out of uniform or spirit wear – a tribute, in my book, to Antioch High School cohesiveness and site and parental leadership.

At Deer Valley High the Law and Criminal Justice Academy and Delta Performing Arts have their own outfits. The remaining general ed students are encouraged to wear spirit wear. For better or worse, more students opted out than joined in last year, causing a Deer Valley enforcement nightmare. Life, like a football game, is all about making sensible adjustments and retweaking strategy, so the site administration will try different motivations as we move along towards academy buildouts.

The crucial thing is that all schools district-wide will do double time this year to make sure every student adheres to our dress code, whether they are in uniform, spirit wear or opted out. We can’t stop what kids do after school, but on campus we do not accept sagging pants and grossly exposed flesh.

Parents, most of our kids are well-behaved, but some bad apples can cause major disruption. We all want the same thing for our kids; that teachers can concentrate their energies on teaching and not on the likes of defiance, foul language, truancy, tardiness, bare midriffs and exposed underwear.

Now I know that there are those in the community that I could never convince on the Board’s 5-0 voted dress policy. I respect their divergent opinions, as that is what makes this a great country. In fact, I find particular merit in one opposing argument that youth learn by making good choices. That said, I find preponderant enough practical reasons in this oft helter-skelter society to still elect a dress code.

A few parting observations. Our ‘uniform’ policy stresses more the theme of general consistency than a draconian one-shoe-fits-all mode. We are not talking military khakis or even private school blazers and ties. In fact, there are dress choices within the policy that allow for shirts, sweatshirts and jackets (for example, Miliken High in L.A. has some 68 spirit wear options). Antioch schools, as well, have free dress days to mix it up a bit for the kids.

It is also well understood by those who have had the privilege of world travel that this debate is really patently American. Uniforms are, in fact, the norm world-wide. I have seen them in places as disparate as Mexico, the Carribean, Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, India, the Philippines and Japan.

As to the argument that we are stifling creativity, I would really hope that we are teaching our youth that creativity inherently comes from personality and ideas, not from a choice of slacks. I, for one, don’t see myself as a repressive type. In fact, I am fiercely independent and respect free thinkers. I don’t feel that a tie makes me a stiff, non-earthy person or that my wearing a pink shirt, which I did the other day, takes away my masculinity.

My wife is a product of Catholic school uniforms and hasn’t lost her creativity or spunk. Frankly, she doesn’t seem the worse for wear.

I just finished moving from 1,500 square feet to 950 square feet, and let me just sum it all up for you in three words: I’m a survivor.

More specifically, a relationship-survivor. I’m happy to announce that I’m still engaged to a man who had every reason to run-don’t-walk during the last two months of pawing through box after box filled to the brim – okay more like smashed jam-packed – with what I’ve been schlepping around for the last 47 years.

I affectionately call my belongings “things” and “stuff.” My problem began when I was young. Real young. Say around five-ish. I remember begging my mom not to get rid of my priceless collectibles with the strong argument of “that’s my stuff” or “those are my things.”

Stuff like newspapers with my articles in them from 12 years ago. I had no idea newspapers – that many – weighed so much either, since I’ve always had help by strong peeps carrying my boxes of stuff from one storage place to another.

I reasoned that because those articles were not on the Internet back then, I needed to save them, the entire newspaper too, not just my 15 inches of prose on page 7. But for what? I was a crappy writer then. Not that I’m Pulitzer-material now – close, though – I realized that those clips were not going to score me a cover story in the New Yorker.

I found lies in those boxes too. Neatly tucked away in box number 85 was my son’s green and yellow crocheted baby blanky, the one I had told him his dad and I “lost.” He’s 20 years old now, and when I showed him his security blanket, he was miffed. I couldn’t blame him. White lies don’t hoard well.

My claws came out like switchblades when my fiancé questioned why I needed to save 15 remote controls, over 20 surge protectors and makeup from the ’80s. I growled another strong argument of “Back off – or else.”

Thoughts of becoming rich through eBay sales danced through my head. So did thoughts of strangling my fiancé with the 30 extension cords too. I mean, what did he know? This is my life and those are my things and stuff.

In the end, I made progress. I sold about a quarter of my things and stuff during three days of garage sales with his mom’s help; I threw a quarter of it away; donated a quarter of it to Goodwill; and ultimately kept the remaining must-haves-or-I’ll-die stuff.

It felt good. It felt like a weight was lifted. I learned about my problem.

Two months and seven Hoarder episodes later, I realized my problem was in letting go. First step, realizing you have a problem. Second step, finding very good reasons to not let go. Third step, letting go.

Fourth step, hello shopping.

On August 11th, I came across a Notice of Public Hearing stating that the Antioch City Council will hold public hearings on September 13th in regard to the temporary closing of McElhenry Road and Empire Mine Road. The reason for the adoption of a resolution to authorize the closure of both for a period of 18 months being to reduce criminal activity in those areas.

In addition, the resolution would allow closure of McElhenry Road from 6th Street to Fulton Shipyard Road for 8 additional 18 month periods and closure of Empire Mine Road from Deer Valley to Mesa Ridge Drive for 5 additional 18 month periods, each extension requiring a noticed public hearing.

While I applaud the city police dept for conducting a curfew sweep on August 5th and 6th, detaining 35 minors whose parents were abrogating their responsibilities, I’m appalled that our city leaders and police department would condone the closure of ANY street in our city in order to reduce criminal activity.

Folks, that’s like saying we can’t control the crime in those areas so we’re giving up and letting the thugs take over. Retreating from the enemy is admitting defeat. The only way to prevent civil disobedience, rampant, random crime and violence is to clamp down on the problem and STAY TOUGH.

On the Antioch Police Dept. website, new Police Chief Allen Cantando states “ I realize that, in order to truly bring about positive, long-term results, the police department can not do it alone. As President John F. Kennedy said, “The level of crime in a city is in direct proportion to the will of its citizens and law enforcement officers who tolerate it.”

I’m sure most readers will agree, we’re all happy to help whenever possible but it is the responsibility of the police department to serve and protect. We understand you’re a little understaffed at the present time but, if members of the Antioch Police Officer’s Association had agreed to pay more into their generous health and retirement benefits, perhaps you wouldn’t be.

In the interim, try looking at alternative ways of allocating staff, such as the way they are doing it in San Francisco. Allowing the closure of any street in this city in order to reduce criminal activity, is the wrong thing to do.

By Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Restore the Delta

Among many other things you will find in the fifth staff draft of the Delta Plan, issued last week, is the subsidence/earthquake/sea level rise mantra repeated over and over and over and OVER.

Roger Patterson of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), among others, is going around chanting the same mantra.

Facts hardly matter in the face of this kind of religious conviction.

But we’ll put some facts out there anyway. These are from the July 21 draft of the Delta Protection Commission’s Economic Sustainability Plan, Chapter 4 (“Flood, Earthquake and Sea-Level Rise Risk Management”) and Appendix D (“Clarification of Some Basic Issues with Regard to Delta Levees”).

Recent estimates of levee fragility rely on the Delta Risk Management Strategy (DRMS) Phase 1 report, which is based on older test borings and insufficient testing, and which doesn’t take into account ongoing improvements to Delta levees. (People in the Delta have not just been sitting around waiting for the rest of the state to decide what to do with their levees.) Use of decades-old data led to erroneously high failure probabilities. DRMS has been criticized by a number of reviewers, including an independent review panel assembled by the Cal-Fed Science Program.

The Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) notes that although there were many levee failures in earlier years, the majority resulted from overtopping, not collapse. “Improved flood management, in addition to other improvements in the levees, has significantly reduced the rate of failure. Today’s levees, which retain water 24 hours a day, have demonstrated an ability to withstand normal tidal and typical flood loadings regardless of their variability [in construction and composition].”

Regarding vulnerability to tides and floods, “High water elevations resulting from tides and floods can . . . be seen days or weeks in advance so that appropriate emergency measures can be taken. The probabilities of failure due to overtopping that are calculated in DRMS appear to be inconsistent with these realities.”

Regarding subsidence, it is worth remembering that this is a river delta with land protected by levees, and it is not abnormal for the land side to be lower than the water side. Interpretation of the data suggests that problems associated with subsidence, such as impaired drainage, are occurring on less than 14 percent of the area of the Delta; continued subsidence is not a Delta-wide problem.

And anyway, subsidence of even several more feet has little impact on the stability of levees that are already 20 to 30 feet high on the land side.

Sea level rise, meanwhile, can be addressed by routine maintenance of levees improved to the state and federal standards already in place for Delta levees.

But aren’t the Delta levees vulnerable to earthquakes? No more vulnerable than other portions of California through which water transfer infrastructure moves, and maybe less vulnerable.

“Meticulous work by Drexler et al. (2009) indicates that the oldest peat deposits [in the Delta] are in the order of 7,000 years old so that the underlying sands are at least this old.” These sands are not especially susceptible to liquifaction. “The repeated citing of levee deformations that were sustained in the Kobe and Christchurch earthquakes, which had higher ground motions and where levees were founded on very loose and recent alluvial soils, is not particularly helpful. However, although these case histories are not directly applicable to the Delta, they do illustrate that levees do not necessarily breach and release water, even when they are quite badly deformed. In fact, to the extent that the Delta levees are largely composed of peat [which is fibrous], they may be expected to perform better than levees in general under earthquake loadings.”

What about “sunny-day failures”? There has only been one in 30 years due to weaknesses in levees. Two other sunny-day failures in that period resulted from operation of the PG&E gas storage facility under a Delta island.

The Economic Sustainability Plan recommends reducing risks resulting from levee failure by building more robust levees; improving regular maintenance and monitoring; improving flood-fighting and emergency response; and improving preparedness for dealing with failures when they do occur. All this can be done at far less cost and with far less disruption than building a big canal or tunnel.

Much of the money to do the necessary work on Delta levees has already been allocated in voter-approved bond issues. So why hasn’t it been spent?
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One of the motions before the Antioch City Council on Tuesday, August 9th is a consulting services agreement with Karate Consulting.

Lonnie Karste worked for the city’s recreation department back in the early ’90s, but later was transferred to the Antioch Police Department despite heated protests by the unions. He was transferred once again, this time to Prewett Park, before his retirement, after which he incorporated a consulting business.

City Manager Jim Jakel, who has contract authority for contracts under $50,000, has contracted with Mr. Karste to handle a couple of smaller projects such as emergency operations planning and exercises ($10,800) and a study of redevelopment records and transactions ($8,600).

Tuesday night the City Manager will be requesting council to approve a $48,000 agreement with Mr. Karste to oversee the Measure WW funds for three projects over the next year: lighting at the Lone Tree Golf Course, Prewett Aquatics Facility renovation and synthetic turf fields at the Antioch Community Park. Cost for the projects is approximately $3 million with up to 20% allowed for administrative costs.

I disagree with City Attorney Lynn Nerland’s statement to council that “With no staff resources available with the qualifications to handle this project management assignment, the City would be looking to contract it out to someone if not Karste Consulting.” In fact, I find the statement highly objectionable.

The Community Development Director and staff, with involvement from the six members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, should be overseeing these projects. Also why was Mr. Karste doing a study of redevelopment records and transactions? The city has a finance department to do that.