It’s time the Antioch School District had a majority of board members who will put the interests of the students, first while protecting the taxpayers.

Appointed incumbents Fernando Navarro and Alonzo Terry, who have each served less than a year on the board, filling vacancies due to resignations of past board members, have been doing well during their brief time in office. They’ve proven themselves to be good listeners, fiscally responsible and honest about the problems in the district.

Navarro, who has two children in Antioch schools, is the only Hispanic member on the board and candidate in the race, is fully bilingual and bi-cultural. He is the only one who can effectively reach out to that part of our community.

Crystal Sawyer-White, a substitute teacher in another school district and owner of a tutoring business, has a Masters in Education, and a child in the district, as well. She has demonstrated her commitment to the students in Antioch, having served on a site council and LCAP committee.

All three support bringing back shop classes to the schools, as well as entrepreneurship classes, teaching students how to start and run their own businesses. That should serve both the students and our community well, as we work to grow our local economy and create local jobs.

These three are also the only candidates to address the realities of the serious problems facing the district, citing the statistics of how few students are proficient in math and English, as well as the dangers of the district’s continued deficit spending and reduction in the reserves. They will serve the district well and have committed to getting the school board meetings either televised on local TV or at least live streamed on the district’s website – and in their first year in office. That will bring the district and board meetings into the 21st century for greater transparency.

The other four candidates, incumbent Diane Gibson-Gray, former school board members Joy Motts and Gary Hack, and news site publisher Mike Burkholder, joined forces and based upon a false assumption, chose not to participate in the televised candidates’ forum the Herald sponsored. They chose to play politics instead of being available to answer questions from residents and other candidates, and even refused to answer questions we emailed them four days prior to asking them at the forum.

The worst thing is three of them, all but Burkholder, proved to be untrustworthy by offering one reason they couldn’t attend, then the day before stating it was due to their false assumption. Burkholder just simply never committed to attend the forum on Friday night, which is just as bad.

This was after two attempts to reschedule the forum to accommodate their schedules, that week, costing the other candidates money in lost business and child care expenses.

We were both surprised and disappointed in their actions and poor decision-making. Not being willing to answer questions that other candidates are asked and answered from us, the public and fellow candidates disqualifies the four from serving in public office.

We need citizen representatives on the Antioch School Board who will put students first, and protect the taxpayers.

It’s time to put the problems of the past behind us with leaders who are afraid of transparency and the use of 21st century technology to keep the public informed, and move forward with three responsible, respectful and available leaders on the board.

Fernando Navarro, Alonzo Terry and Crystal Sawyer-White are those leaders. We encourage you to join us in voting for them on November 8.

By Allen Payton

The latest campaign financial reports, submitted by candidates in the Antioch City Council race, and due on Thursday, September 29, shows Ken Turnage II in the lead in contributions received for the reporting period and total expenditures made for the campaign. However, Councilwoman Monica Wilson has a slight lead in overall fundraising.

Turnage

The report for the period ending September 24th shows Turnage has raised $10,445 and loaned his campaign $2,000 for a total of $12,445 in total contributions, and has spent $11,249. But, his first report for the year shows an additional $2,950 in contributions bringing the total for his campaign to $15,395.

8:20 PM, 10/3/16 UPDATE: However, Turnage informed the Herald, Monday night, that he had returned the contributions reported on his first form, when he dropped out of the race, this summer. He later re-entered the race and many of his supporters contributed, again. Turnage said he will file an amended 460 form to reflect those refunds and that the amounts reported on his 460 form dated 9/29/16 are correct. While it still means he raised the most funds for the reporting period, the corrected information gives Wilson a slight edge in total fundraising for the campaign. (Please see, below).

8:20 PM, 10/3/16 CORRECTION: Most of Turnage’s contributions are from within Antioch. His largest contributions include $1,500 from Antioch resident Gloria Martin, $1,500 from Gordon Gravelle of Suncrest Homes in Antioch, $1,000 from Michael Lippitt of Danville, and $500 each from Antioch Realtor Rick Fuller and Joe Stokely of Stokely Properties a property management firm in Walnut Creek.

Most of his expenditures were also in Antioch, with his largest individual expense of $4,334 to The Print Club in Antioch. Turnage also paid a total of $5,170 to two southern California companies for slate mailers, as well as $500 to Emily Bernardi an Antioch-based website developer. He ended the period with $1,197 cash on hand.

Wilson

As in her campaign for County Supervisor, earlier this year, almost all of Councilwoman Monica Wilson’s contributions were from outside of Antioch, and most of her expenditures were, as well. She raised $5,445 during the reporting period and a total of $6,897.09 for her re-election campaign, so far this year. But, she formed her committed in 2014 and with the amounts received that year and in 2014, her total amount received is $12,527.09 for her campaign.

While she spent $4,317.75 during the period, Wilson’s report shows she has spent a total of $9,852.29 during her campaign, this year. Her expenditures for her campaign total $11,819.67. However, in February she transferred $5,209.54 to her Supervisor campaign committee. So, Wilson has only spent $6,610.13 on her re-election campaign, placing her in a close third place for expenditures behind Lamar Thorpe (see below).

She has an ending cash balance of $1,127.25 with no accrued expenses or outstanding debts.

Wilson’s largest contributions include $1,500 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, $1,000 from Republic Services, Antioch’s Pacheco-based garbage contractor, $800 from a retired teacher in San Rafael, $500 each from PG&E, political consultant Melody Howe Weintraub of Lafayette, and Louisa Zee Kao, of Hillsborough, the President of the Zika Group, which is the owner and developer of the former Higgins Ranch in Antioch’s Sand Creek area, and $320 from herself. Her only reportable contribution from within Antioch was $100 from school board president Diane Gibson-Gray.

Wilson’s expenditures include $1,568.52 to AABCO printing in Concord, $851.44 at a restaurant in Lafayette, $832 for signs from a printer in Richmond, $700 to a Florida consulting firm for web services, and $665.32 for campaign signs from a company in Kentucky.

Thorpe

In third place for fundraising is Lamar Thorpe with $9,574.33 during the reporting period. He’s in second place for spending, just ahead of Wilson, having spent $6,848.91 and had an ending cash balance of $2,725.42.

Like Wilson, most of Thorpe’s contributions were from outside of Antioch, from people throughout the state and country. His largest contributions were $1,000 from Operating Engineers 3, $972.33 from himself, $527 from his wife, $500 from a business owner in Maryland, and $400 from a businessman in Texas.

Most of his expenditures were also made outside of Antioch. His largest expenses were $2,208 on slate mailers with companies in southern California, $965.60 for advertising on Facebook, $704.51 for a banner from a company in Texas, $621.03 for campaign software, $480.13 on phones, and $479.53 on signs from another business in Texas.

Thorpe appears to believe in complete transparency and full disclosure, as he reported every contribution and expense, even though the rules only require details on those of $100 or more.

Rocha

Councilwoman Mary Rocha’s reports show she had contributions of $8,042 and is in a close fourth place for expenditures at $6,146 for her re-election campaign. However, her latest report is off by $96.82, as Rocha’s expenditures actually total $6,242.82.

Her largest contributions include $2,500 from Republic Services, $1,000 from Antioch landowners and developers Lucia and Monte Albers of Brentwood and $500 from former Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan of Alamo. Only $1,252 of her reportable contributions were from people in Antioch.

Rocha’s largest expenditures were $1,777.62 for printing of a mailer to Markots in Brentwood, $1,395.20 for printing to AABCO in Concord, $700 for advertising to the Herald.

Rouse & Dietzel

Fred Rouse and Karl Dietzel each submitted a form 470 declaring they will receive and spend less than $2,000 in their campaigns.

As of August 10th, candidates are required to report any contribution of $1,000 or more within 24 hours. Those reports and each candidate’s 460’s can be seen, below. NOTE: We will post Wilson’s report(s) from 2014, when she formed her 2016 committee, once they are received.

The next filing period ends on October 22 and the second pre-election campaign finance reports are due on the 27th.

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The three forums sponsored by the Antioch Herald and held, this week, for candidates for Antioch Mayor, City Council and School Board can be viewed on TV in October. The forums will be televised beginning Sunday, October 2nd on Delta TV (Comcast Channel 24 and AT&T U-verse on Channel 99) and the schedule is as follows:

Antioch Mayoral Candidates Forum

Sundays at 5 pm

Thursdays at 2 pm

Fridays at 11 am

Antioch City Council Candidates Forum

Sundays at 7 pm

Tuesdays at 11 am

Thursdays at 4 pm

Antioch School Board Candidates Forum

Sundays at 1 pm

Mondays at 11 am

Thursdays at 6 pm

Efforts to post the forums for viewing on YouTube are also underway. Check back to the AntiochHerald.com for details.

The Contra Costa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is conducting interviews of candidates in the November election throughout the county. The completed videos can be viewed on the group’s Facebook page or heard on SoundCloud.

Below is a list of the candidates who are participating in the video interviews and the release status of their videos.

“We’re aiming to get all the videos released before the ballots hit the mailboxes and Early Voting/Absentee Voting By Mail begins on October 10^th,” said Evodio “Vo” Walle, President-elect and Chair, Government Affairs Committee of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Contra Costa County,

Candidates who would like to be included in the interviews, please contact Walle at (415) 572-3568 or vo@h5c.org, or email GAC@h5c.org.

Also included in the completed videos is Gilbert “Gil” Murillo.

For more information about the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce visit www.hc5.org.

By Connie Woods, Associate Publisher

The Antioch Herald hosted a forum for the Antioch School Board candidates at the City Council Chambers, on Friday evening, September 23rd, to inform the public of their choices for in the upcoming general election.

The twice-rescheduled forum – to accommodate the schedules of a majority of the seven candidates – featured three of the candidates running in November’s election, including  appointed incumbents Fernando Navarro and Alonzo Terry, who was represented by Angel Luevano, and   tutoring business owner Crystal Sawyer-White.  All candidates were invited to the forum and given opportunity to send a surrogate to speak on their behalf, if they could not attend, and to submit answers to the questions emailed to them the Monday prior.

But four candidates, incumbent and Board President Diane Gibson-Gray, former school board members Joy Motts and Gary Hack who had stated they had previous commitments, and news website publisher Mike Burkholder, later refused to attend or answer the emailed questions. They cited a “perceived bias”, claiming that Herald Publisher and Editor Allen Payton had endorsed Navarro and they didn’t think it was fair that their answers would be used as the basis for determining the Herald’s endorsements. But, Payton stated he had not endorsed any candidates and wouldn’t until the publishing of the October issue of the paper.

The videotaped forum included  opportunities for the candidates to ask two questions of their opponents and offer two rebuttals, as well.

Questions of the evening from both the panelist and audience, ranged from the budget and deficit spending to retaining students, increasing graduation rates, and campus safety The event was upbeat, friendly, non-antagonistic, with lots of ideas about what could be done to take Antioch’s educational system forward.

Navarro, a husband, father of two, bilingual and bi-cultural says he can assist with “demographic changes” facing the district. An entrepreneur and business owner of 20 years, he wants to improve education, have safer schools, and higher graduations rates for students. Since his appointment Navarro has had the opportunity to see how the district works, and said he is “critically concerned”.

Crystal Sawyer-White says she has “a new vision that will meet college and career readiness and prepare them [students] for a global economy.”She has lived in Antioch for 12 years, and is a parent of a fourth grader in the district.

“Decrease of student enrollment is not acceptable,” she said. “Antioch has not been transparent.”

“Budget funds have been appeasing to the status quo,” Sawyer-White continued, then mentioned retaining teachers is crucial, and she “will advocate for teachers.”

Luevano, reading Terry’s statement, said he had19 years of service for the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department,  primarily working with youth and a former substitute teacher. The changes he wants are to make decisive action for academic achievement, teacher retention and mutual respect between students and teachers.

The forum can be viewed on TV in October, beginning Sunday, October 2nd on Delta TV (Comcast Channel 24 and AT&T U-verse on Channel 99) and the schedule is as follows: Sundays at 1 pm, Mondays at 11 am and Thursdays at 6 pm.

by Connie Woods, Associate Publisher

The four candidates for Mayor of Antioch gathered in the City Council Chambers to address the Antioch community during the a forum hosted by the Antioch Herald, on Tuesday, September 20th and to share their plans of how they would lead the City of Antioch if elected or re-elected.  Participants included Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchok, Dr. Sean Wright, Gil Murillo and a brief appearance by Mayor Harper who spoke for a few minutes, before exiting the forum. He did not stay to answer questions, although some in the audience had already submitted a few for him.

The candidates were seated in random order and gave their opening statements. Harper was the last to offer his.

“You know, I’m tired of the biased reporting in our city by the Antioch  Herald and I think it’s got to change,” he stated. “No more gotcha politics…I will not participate in a biased forum by the Antioch Herald…I am protesting this event. So, thank you for your time.”

Harper then left the dais and the Council Chambers, and did not participate in the remainder of the forum.

Each of the candidates had the opportunity to answer questions by panelist Paul Burgarino of the County Elections Office, the audience and each other, as well as offer two rebuttals, each.

Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock is a real estate agent, wife, mother of three, and a long term resident of 45 plus years of the city of Antioch who”works, play and pray in our community”.  She said she has built strong relationships in the community and is very excited about new ones. “I look forward to removing the negativity from our city, one issue at a time”. Ogorchock said she is the “best person to be the face of the community”, and that she’s here, all the time and won’t be an evening mayor but will be available at all times for the community.

Regarding the budget, Ogorchock stated that she stays within the city    budget. Although it is thick, and hard to read citizens can call her, the mayor or any council member if they have a question about the budget.

“I’m a team player,” she said and “want my community to be safe.”

Dr. Sean Wright, a local chiropractor and CEO of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce believe it’s time for a leadership change. He’s worked on Economic Development with “great success” and said they’re [the Chamber] is “filling in where the holes have been in the city”.  He’s proud of what the Chamber has accomplished on a budget of $180,000.  He’s worked collaboratively with schools, police department, and economic development.

Wright said he wants to be the mayor “because the city lacks that leadership right now”.  He spoke of the challenges of what Antioch can become and believes it to be “the diamond” of the county. Wright thinks the city budget needs to be simplified for citizens to understand and to know how money is being spent. In closing statements he said there are city problems that are unaddressed and he’s tired of the status quo. Wright spoke of the issues of crime, blight, number of police officers, and that he feels change has not occurred and he’s worked in collaboration with education, police, and regional economic development efforts with great success.

Businessman Gil Murillo wants to improve education, bring higher paying jobs, and start looking at strategic planning for the future of Antioch like how to bring business into our city.  He would like to address planning for the next generation.

“Tomorrow’s economy is here today and if we don’t plan for that today we are going to miss it again,” Murillo stated. Some other important issues that he spoke of were the jobs lost, businesses shut down, and said “we need leadership; someone to be on point,” and to take ownership.

“I can’t give the 40 hour a week that Lori can,” he stated. “But what I can give is the knowledge and expertise that’s necessary for this position.”

The forum can be viewed in its entirety in October, on Delta TV (Comcast Channel 24 and AT&T U-verse on Channel 99), beginning Sunday, October 2nd and the schedule is as follows: Sundays at 5 pm, Thursdays at 2 pm and Fridays at 11 am.

By Connie Woods, Associate Publisher

Five of the six candidates competing for two seats on the Antioch City Council, faced off Tuesday evening, September 20th in the City Council Chambers to present their ideas on issues facing Antioch and its residents at a forum sponsored by hosted by the Antioch Herald.

Challengers Lamar Thorpe, Karl Dietzel, Kenny Turnage, Fred Rouse and incumbent Mary Rocha participated in the lively debate answering questions presented by panelist Paul Burgarino of the County Elections Office, the audience and each other. The other incumbent in the race, Monica Wilson was a no show.

Some of the questions discussed at the forum included the budget and the hot topic of how measure C and O funds are collected and spent which includes tax monies already received for funding new police officers; how to attract more businesses and jobs to Antioch, and views on new housing development.

Lamar Thorpe, a former member of the Economic Development Commission and university administrator, said he loves being involved with policy.

Councilwoman Mary Rocha, who was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Contra Costa County Women’s Commission, feels crime is the number one issue facing Antioch. She spent much of the time defending her record from the     others’ comments and questions.

Kenny Turnage, is a local construction company owner, Economic Development Commission member, president-elect of the Antioch Rotary Club, and was named 2015 Antioch Citizen of the Year.

Fred Rouse is a member of the City’s Board of Administrative Appeals. He decided to run when the media started referring to Antioch as something that it wasn’t, and wants to make a change.

First-generation American Karl Dietzel has lived in Antioch since 1989 and says he wants his city back. He also says Antioch is number four in the Bay Area as the most dangerous city.

Crime: Thorpe said that at the beginning of Measure C there were 89 sworn police officers, so with an additional 22 officers that were promised, that should have brought that number to 111 sworn police officers, which was not done. Most of the other candidates also agreed that more officers should have been hired with Measure C funding.

New homes and commercial   development: Thorpe stated in bringing companies to Antioch “that the trade-off should be jobs not homes”.

Turnage said that the “city needs to negotiate better with developers,” and he would even like to see some eight-story high rises by the waterfront to encourage businesses to come in.

Dietzel did not support any new housing developments and said that the city needs to take care of the 120,000 residents that are already here.

Rocha supports development and some gated communities. We now have the road systems, she mentioned. Rocha also said she has had the opportunity to bring in subsidized childcare to Antioch, which brings in $50,000 to the annual budget.

Attracting more businesses:  Thorpe said there should be tax incentives, smart growth development, and good quality of life for employers. Dietzel said crime and blight needs to be addressed or no one will come.

Turnage said we should work on perception of the city. Rouse suggested the city identify a need that Antioch can fill.

The forum can be viewed in October, beginning Sunday, October 2nd on Delta TV (Comcast Channel 24 and AT&T U-verse on Channel 99) and the schedule is as follows: Sundays at 7 pm,  Tuesdays at  11 am and Thursdays at 4 pm.