By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office wants to remind all residents that price gouging is illegal while our community is under a State of Emergency from the emergence of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19.
Price gouging is when a retailer or seller is attempting to take unfair advantage of the public during an emergency by increasing prices in an unreasonable manner for essential consumer goods and services. California’s anti-price gouging statute, Penal Code Section 396, prohibits raising the price of many consumer goods and services by more than 10 percent after an emergency has been declared.
Members of the public are encouraged to report any instances of gouging to our Consumer Protection Unit by email at DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org. Individuals may also fill out a consumer complaint form on our website. Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The DA’s Office is charged with enforcing this statute. Additional civil enforcement action may also be taken by our Office to protect consumers. The California Attorney General’s Office also issued information on price gouging during this emergency.
Read MorePossible recreational gateway to Curry Canyon
Clayton, CA – Save Mount Diablo (SMD) has successfully entered into a purchase agreement to buy and protect the beautiful and strategic 28.73-acre Smith Canyon for $650,000, east of Clayton. It could be a recreational gateway to Curry Canyon from Morgan Territory Road if the purchase is completed. The nonprofit land conservation organization is working quickly to raise funds because the purchase must be completed in just 28 days, by early April. It is one of several properties Save Mount Diablo hopes to protect with the final $2 million in fundraising of its $15 million Forever Wild Capital Campaign.
Protection of 28.73-acre Smith Canyon will provide legal and practical access from a public road to Save Mount Diablo’s conserved 1,080.53-acre Curry Canyon Ranch. Narrow Curry Canyon and Curry Canyon Road have been contemplated as an eastside entrance to Mount Diablo for more than 110 years, but complicated legal access issues have made public access difficult. Smith Canyon would provide a second, alternate access route into Curry Canyon with clear legal access rights.
“The Smith Canyon property is an incredible recreational gateway to the magical Curry Canyon on the east side of Mount Diablo,” said Ted Clement, SMD’s Executive Director. “But what also strikes me about the property is that it has great potential as a beautiful stand-alone preserve by itself.
“You can imagine groups of school children experiencing it, working with volunteers to replant trees to restore former building pads, taking care of the land together, and hiking its trails up to the stunning view spots where they can sit to appreciate and connect with nature. I didn’t expect the beautiful vistas of North Peak and Mount Diablo that we discovered on the high points of the land.”
“How often do you get to save an entire canyon,” said Seth Adams, SMD’s Land Conservation Director. “Smith Canyon is lovely. It’s one main lushly wooded stream canyon with several smaller drainages rising to ridges on either side and toward a small peak on our neighboring Curry Canyon Ranch.
“Despite limited rain over the past month, it’s bright green and spring wildflowers are appearing everywhere. There were several approved subdivisions on the property that luckily never took place, but the large building pads show how threatened it has been. Its purchase would be another piece in our Curry Canyon puzzle and end that threat forever.”
In addition to its value for recreational and other access, Smith Canyon is important from a conservation perspective. The land has blue oak woodland and a live oak-bay riparian corridor. California red-legged frog and Alameda whipsnake are special status species likely to be present on the property. Further, the land is contiguous with Save Mount Diablo’s conserved Curry Canyon Ranch, so its protection will add to the important corridor of conserved lands in the Mount Diablo area, which is critical for wildlife and water resources. The land also affords beautiful scenic vistas to passersby on the public Morgan Territory Road.
Further, the oak woodland, oak savanna, and grasslands on the property serve as a carbon sink. In August 2019, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a new report, Climate Change and Land, that focused on how land is under increased pressure from humans and climate change but also noted land is a critical part of the solution to climate change. Land conservation mitigates against climate change in lasting ways. For example, forests and other undeveloped lands absorb greenhouse gases, thereby acting as carbon sinks, keeping those gases out of the atmosphere.
“We’re looking for angels,” said Karen Ferriere, SMD’s Development Director, about the immediate need to raise $650,000 in 28 days, “and talking to everyone we can.”
The money that Save Mount Diablo must raise for this proposed acquisition project will be part of the organization’s Forever Wild Capital Campaign. This campaign has an ambitious $15 million goal to help Save Mount Diablo expedite its land acquisition efforts while also giving the organization the resources to steward and defend its conserved lands in perpetuity. To date, almost $13 million has been raised against the $15 million goal. These funds have enabled Save Mount Diablo to do strategic land acquisition projects, like its Curry Canyon Ranch and North Peak Ranch projects, while also building a sizable permanent Stewardship Endowment Fund for the ongoing care of the organization’s protected lands.
As part of the Forever Wild Capital Campaign, Save Mount Diablo also recently signed an option agreement that will give the organization two years to raise over $1.04 million so that it can purchase a perpetual conservation easement on about 154 critical open space acres on the northeast slopes of Mount Diablo, a mile-wide property owned by the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Association.
History
Curry Canyon became well-known to generations of East Bay residents visiting the Curry Creek Park picnic area, which operated from 1925 to 1979, and then to the present day as a small trailer park. Sylvester Olofson, his wife Louise, and his brother Albert Olofson bought 1,430 acres on Curry Canyon in 1895; ran cattle; and in 1925, opened Curry Creek Park. Over time Curry Canyon was divided between the two brothers’ heirs. After World War II, Curry Creek Park and neighboring Wright Canyon were owned and operated by Sylvester and Louise Olofson’s grandson, Martin Wright, and his wife, Dorothy. The larger part of the property was a cattle ranch run by Albert’s sons Raymond and Robert Olofson.
In 1961 Ettore and Geraldine Bertagnolli bought most of the Olofson cattle ranch and renamed it Curry Creek Ranch, but it included limited access for anything but ranching. Ettore Bertagnolli soon started proposing small subdivisions, but he was blocked by the Wrights’ ownership of the road lower in the canyon. In 1968 he subdivided Smith Canyon off his property but retained a 60’ road easement, to be located and constructed later. He used that “paper road” to complete several subdivisions in the canyon.
Albert and Bouwina Reyenga bought Smith Canyon in 1968 and proposed a four-unit subdivision there. Roads and large building pads were graded but without professional engineering.
The subdivision was approved in 1970, but subject to various improvements including engineering improvements to the roads and pads, and paving of the access easement to the Bertagnollis’ Curry Creek Ranch. The improvements were never completed, and the approval lapsed.
The same subdivision was proposed again by the Reyengas in 1992, but building regulations had become more stringent. For the first time Save Mount Diablo was involved, requesting that a public access into Curry Canyon be reserved.
The second subdivision wasn’t completed, once again because of the cost of the roads and other building improvements. In 2000 the Reyengas sold the property to the current owners, E & B Farms, who faced similar constraints including the access easement into Curry Canyon.
In 2013 Save Mount Diablo bought the 1,080-acre Bertagnolli property and renamed it Curry Canyon Ranch. The purchase included the partly improved and unrestricted access easement up Smith Canyon. Purchase of Smith Canyon would eliminate the threat of houses and further subdivision and avoid potential conflicts with access and recreational use.
About Save Mount Diablo
Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, and watersheds through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide recreational opportunities consistent with the protection of natural resources. Learn more at www.savemountdiablo.org.
Read MoreBy Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, Human Trafficking Unit, is seeking the identity of the pictured subject related to an ongoing Human Trafficking investigation. Anyone with information regarding the identity of this subject is requested to contact Sr. Inspector Kevin Coelho at (925) 957-8629.
Read MoreThe U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared a disaster area as a result of economic impacts from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in many California counties, including Contra Costa. The SBA is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to California small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus. Eligibility for Economic Injury Disaster Loans is based on the financial impact of the Coronavirus.
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.
Applicants may apply online at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela
Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. The deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 16, 2020.
For more information about available SBA resources and services, please visit: SBA.gov/coronavirus
From the Antioch Chamber of Commerce:
Has your business been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak?
With the County-wide response to the COVID-19 outbreak the County Emergency Operations Center and Health Services Department Operations Center have activated to respond to the Operation Area’s needs as this situation evolves.
Cal OES has requested assistance from us to begin to assess the impact on the private sector business community. Please read the below information. Cal OES in cooperation with the Small Business Administrations is starting the process of developing resources to assist our community address and mitigate the financial impact this health emergency is causing to businesses.
We are looking for businesses to submit an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Declaration.
By submitting, there is no guarantee that financial assistance will happen, but this starts the process for your business to qualify.
Applications can be submitted to: rkova@so.cccounty.us
Issued 3/17/2020
By Dave Mason, East Bay Regional Park District
A “Shelter in Place” order has been issued through Tuesday, April 7, 2020 for six Bay Area counties – San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda – prohibiting non-essential business and directing residents to stay inside their homes and away from others as much as possible.
Based on the “Shelter in Place” order, and by an emergency order of East Bay Regional Park District General Manager, for the health and safety of the public and our employees, Park District environmental education centers, visitor centers, and many of our developed public facilities, including bathrooms, water fountains, and other amenities, are temporarily closed. All Regional Trails are open. Per the “Shelter in Place” order, outdoor activity is allowed, such as walking, hiking, and running – as long as specific social distancing requirements are followed. Studies show outdoor activity benefits physical health and helps reduce stress and anxiety.
The COVID-19 health emergency is an unprecedented and evolving situation. Please be aware, additional precautions and closures may be necessary.
If you do visit a trail in a Regional Park, please follow all Social Distancing Requirements and bring water and hand sanitizer. Due to minimal staffing, bathrooms and water fountains will not be available. Additionally, please do not congregate in parking lots or at trailheads per the “Shelter in Place” social distancing requirements.
“Shelter in Place” Order Social Distancing Requirements:
- Maintain at least six-foot social distancing from other individuals
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently as possible, or use hand sanitizer
- Cover coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands)
- Regularly clean high-touch surfaces
- Not shaking hands
We understand the closure of building facilities and amenities may be challenging. Together we can get through this difficult period and ask our visitors to follow all guidelines. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The health and safety of our employees and the public is our top priority. Temporary closure of some Regional Parks was necessary on Monday, March 16, due to limited staffing and to address “Shelter in Place” order needs.
Please see the FAQ below to answer your most immediate questions.
Can I visit Regional Parks?
Yes, however, only trails will be open for use. All building facilities will be closed, including bathrooms, water fountains, and other amenities. Visitors must follow “Shelter in Place” order social distancing requirements (see above).
What building facilities and amenities are closed?
Building Facilities: Bathrooms, Water Fountains, Visitor Centers and Facilities, Indoor Rental Facilities, Campgrounds, and Swim Facilities.
Visitors Centers/Facilities: Ardenwood Historic Farm (Fremont), Big Break Visitor Center (Oakley), Black Diamond Mines Visitor Center (Antioch), Coyote Hills Visitor Center (Fremont), Crown Beach Crab Cove Visitor Center (Alameda), Garin Barn (Hayward), Sunol Visitor Center (Sunol), Tilden Botanic Garden (Berkeley), Tilden Environmental Education Center (Berkeley), Little Farm (Berkeley).
All Indoor Rental Facilities: Brazilian Room at Tilden Park (Berkeley), Shoreline Room at Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline (Oakland), Fern Cottage at Kennedy Grove (El Sobrante), Beach House at Lake Temescal (Oakland).
All Campgrounds: Anthony Chabot and Del Valle
All Swim Facilities: Contra Loma, Cull Canyon, Don Castro, Castle Rock, Lake Anza at Tilden, Lake Temescal, Shadow Cliffs, Robert’s Regional Park, Quarry Lakes
What can I expect when visiting a Regional Park during the “Shelter in Place” Order?
Visitors can expect buildings, bathrooms, and water fountains to be closed. There will also be no trash collection, so we are asking all visitors to pack out all trash they bring into Regional Parks (Pack it in, Pack it out). Visitors may also see fewer Park District staff in parks. The Park District will be at minimally required staffing levels while the “Shelter in Place” order is in effect.
What parks are affected?
All Regional Parks are affected by the closure of building facilities and amenities. Trails remain open in the following parks.
Anthony Chabot Antioch/Oakley Bay Point Big Break Bishop Ranch Black Diamond Mines Briones Brushy Peak Camp Arroyo Carquinez Strait Castle Rock Claremont Canyon Contra Loma Coyote Hills Crockett Hills Crown Beach Cull Canyon |
Leona Canyon Little Hills Martin Luther King Jr. San Pablo Bay |
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Out of an abundance of caution and in continued response to the COVID-19 virus, the East Bay Regional Park District is canceling all programs and closing all Visitor Centers, rental facilities, campgrounds and swim facilities through April 12,2020.
Currently, all regional parks and trails (except those listed below) remain open to the public. We understand that nature is a great place to get exercise and rejuvenate the mind, body and soul – especially in time of crisis. A walk on a trail, around your neighborhood or private backyard will allow you to breathe fresh air and help to reduce stress and anxiety
Public and employee safety is a priority to us! Out of an abundance of caution in continued response to the COVID-19 virus planning, East Bay Regional Park District is implementing facility closures to protect the public and our employees to reduce the potential for exposure to COVID-19.
Effective at 5 pm Sunday, March 15, Park District facilities that WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL APRIL 12, 2020 are:
All Visitor Centers
Ardenwood Historic Farm (Fremont), Big Break Visitor Center (Oakley), Black Diamond Mines Visitor Center (Antioch), Coyote Hills Visitor Center (Fremont), Crown Beach Crab Cove Visitor Center (Alameda), Garin Barn (Hayward), Sunol Visitor Center (Sunol), Tilden Botanic Garden, Environmental Education Center AND Little Farm (Berkeley).
All Internal Rental Facilities
Brazilian Room at Tilden Park (Berkeley), Shoreline Room at Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline (Oakland), Fern Cottage at Kennedy Grove (El Sobrante), Beach House at Lake Temescal (Oakland).
All programs, paid or free
This includes all school programs, recreational programs and naturalist-directed programs.
All campgrounds
Anthony Chabot and Del Valle
All swim facilities at
Contra Loma, Cull Canyon, Don Castro, Shadow Cliffs, Lake Anza at Tilden, Lake Temescal, Pool at Robert’s Regional Park, Quarry Lakes
As a reminder, currently, all regional parks and trails (except those listed above) remain open to the public. If you do visit, please be prepared by bringing your own water and hand sanitizer.
We understand that nature is a great place to get exercise and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul – especially in time of crisis. A walk on a trail, around your neighborhood or private backyard will allow you to breathe fresh air and help to reduce stress and anxiety.
For more information visit www.ebparks.org/news/releases.htm.
Read MoreBy Timothy Leong, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District
The Governing Board of the Contra Costa Community College District (District) has paused the search for the next Chancellor for 30 days due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the ability to serve students quality and affordable higher education.
“The selection of the Chancellor is one of the Board’s most important jobs,” says Governing Board President Rebecca Barrett. “I join my fellow trustees in deciding to pause our search for 30 days. We need to give our District leadership, staff and students time to focus on the COVID-19 crisis as we transition our classes and support services to a mobile format as a result of restrictions resulting from efforts to minimize the rapid spread of the Coronavirus.”
Assisting the District in the Chancellor search is Collaborative Brain Trust and Dr. Brice Harris, a longtime California community college educator and Chancellor Emeritus of the California Community Colleges. The goal remains to complete the search process and selection by the beginning of May 2020, with a start date of July 1, 2020.
For more details about this search, contact Dr. Brice Harris at harrisbrice@att.net or cell phone at (916) 715-7272. Progress reports and updates will be posted on the District website at www.4cd.edu.
Read MoreFrom Deborah Cooper, County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters
The Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department remains open to provide essential services, but access to buildings and in-person services is limited. The counting of remaining ballots from the March 3 Presidential Primary election will continue until complete.
Those who want to observe the count are still welcome, but they need to call to make an appointment. The Elections Division is hoping to certify the election, this week. As of last Friday’s update, there were still 30,500 ballots remaining to be counted in the county.
The Department is urging customers to use online services in an effort to help reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission. In-person services are currently limited to transactions that cannot be done online, over the phone or through the mail.
Elections Division: Most information and election services are available online at https://www.cocovote.us/
For any necessary in-person visits please call and arrange an appointment. Contact the Elections Division for assistance with voting or election information, state or local petition delivery, or other needs at 925-335-7800.
Clerk- Recorder Division: Customer assistance for Clerk or Recording services is available by calling (925) 335-7900. Normal hours of operation are 8 am to 4:30 pm (subject to change).
Clerk Services: Most Clerk services are available online, with few exceptions. Civil marriage ceremonies will not be performed in the office until further notice. County Clerk services information is available on the department website at https://www.contracostacore.us/
Recording Services: Customers are encouraged to mail documents for recording to Contra Costa County Recorder at 555 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 92553 or place documents in the drop box at the building entrance. Prior to mailing documents for recording, documents may be emailed for review and fee information to crwebmaster@cr.cccounty.us.
Recording information is available at www.contracostacore.us/
For updates related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), visit www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/.
Read MoreUnwavering Focus of Company’s 23,000 Employees, Many of Them Represented Members in the Field, is Providing Safe and Reliable Gas and Electric Service during COVID-19 Pandemic
PG&E Opens Emergency Operations Center to Coordinate, Facilitate Company’s Response
Planned Outage Repair Work in the Six Bay Area Counties Suspended for Next Three Weeks
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting countries and industries world-wide and is having many local impacts. People are rightfully concerned about the health and safety of their family and friends, the education of their children and their finances as more businesses temporarily close.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has this message for our customers: “We’ll keep working hard every day to keep the power and gas on for you.”
“Our 23,000 employees remain focused on delivering safe and reliable gas and electric service to our customers. You’ll continue to see our blue and white trucks and our hard-working crews in the field engaged in important work to safely supply energy to our customers,” said Andy Vesey, PG&E Utility CEO and President.
“We see our role at PG&E during this very difficult time as helping to maintain essential services, no matter what. With inclement weather continuing across Northern and Central California, right now that means tracking weather systems and working with our workforce in the field to stage resources, inspect our equipment, make needed repairs and ensure we’re prepared for what comes next,” Vesey said.
Today, in its continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PG&E announced:
- It has formally activated its Emergency Operations Center to facilitate and coordinate the company’s response to the spread of the virus. The company has had an Incident Management Team monitoring and responding to the virus for three weeks.
- In an effort to maintain continuity of gas and electric service, the company has proactively determined that it will not engage in system upgrades or other work that results in a disruption of gas or electric service through April 7 in the six Bay Area counties under the shelter-in-place directives. This includes San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
- All PG&E’s customer service centers where customers can normally pay their bills will be closed as of tomorrow (Tuesday, March 17). This follows guidance on social distancing. Customers who typically pay their bills at one of these centers can call 1-877-704-8470, mail payments to PG&E, P.O. Box 997300, Sacramento, CA 95899, or go to go to pge.com to learn how to pay online or to find nearby Neighborhood Payment Centers.
Tom Dalzell, business manager of IBEW Local 1245, which represents most of PG&E’s electric and gas workers, agreed that ensuring customers have the energy they need for their lives is more important than ever.
“We stand with PG&E during this challenging time, and the men and women of IBEW will be working as hard as ever to make sure the grid is working safely, gas is flowing reliably and that we are here for PG&E’s customers,” said Dalzell.
Power in PG&E’s portfolio remains readily available and more than 80 percent GHG-free. PG&E operates several natural gas power plants, a nuclear plant in San Luis Obispo County and the country’s largest privately held hydropower system. Additionally, the company gets power from solar and wind farms and other renewable sources. It all flows to our customers via electric transmission lines and gas transmission pipelines and then through distribution lines to homes and businesses.
On March 12, PG&E announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has voluntarily implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment, effective immediately. This suspension will apply to both residential and commercial customers and will remain in effect until further notice. Please visit www.pge.com/covid19 for more details and to see how the company is supporting its customers and employees.
About PG&E
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 more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
Read MoreSacramento- Governor Newsom on Monday asked law enforcement across the state to exercise discretion for 60 days in the enforcement of driver license and vehicle registration expiration dates beginning March 16, 2020 in response to the extraordinary circumstances the state is facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In light of this pandemic, it is vitally important that our constituents practice social distancing. Our seniors and vulnerable populations should not risk their lives because their driver’s license or registration are expiring,” said Assemblymember Jim Frazier. “I commend Governor Newsom on his actions to ensure people do not have to rush to a DMV office as they are asked to shelter in place in my district. I also want to thank DMV staff for continuing to provide vital services for the people of California.”
The DMV has taken several actions to encourage social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. DMV field offices are asking individuals for their phone numbers so they can wait in their cars and receive a text alert as to when DMV employees are ready to help them. The department is also encouraging people to use online services, DMV Now Kiosks, or a DMV business partner for transactions that do not have to occur in a DMV Field Office.
Assemblymembers Frazier (D-Fairfield) and Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) Introduced AJR 28 in February, a resolution asking the Department of Homeland Security to delay REAL ID implementation for domestic air travel by at least three years.
“More and more Californians are being asked to shelter in place with fewer eligible to fly in October,” Frazier said. “I urge the federal government to make sure our travel industry does not take a double hit this year and extend the REAL ID deadline so people do not have to come into a DMV office during this crisis to get a new ID.”
The American Travel Association estimates that 57% of Americans are unaware they need a REAL ID to fly and that the U.S. economy will lose out on nearly $300 million of travel related economic spending in the first week of REAL ID implementation.
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