By Timothy Leong, Public Information Officer, CCCCD
The Contra Costa Community College District (District) has extended the remote delivery of instruction and student services at its colleges – Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College-Pleasant Hill and San Ramon Campus, Los Medanos College and Brentwood Center – for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.
On March 31, 2020, Contra Costa Public Health (CCPH) updated its shelter-in-place order through at least May 3, 2020. The District’s decision to continue remote operations through the end of the spring semester is necessary to be in alignment with the shelter-in-place extension, and provides greater clarity in meeting the higher education goals of its students.
“We are trying to do our part to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) by suspending face-to-face interactions with our students,” said interim chancellor Gene Huff. “This has been a challenging time for both our students and staff as we transitioned to remote operations. We want to thank our students for their perseverance and flexibility, and our staff for their tremendous effort to transition to a fully remote operation. We believe this decision balances the need to stay safe and healthy during this time and informs students and staff on what to expect for the rest of this semester.”
The CCPH shelter-in-place extension acknowledges social distancing as the most powerful weapon in slowing the spread of COVID-19. CCPH continues to encourage the following practices to stay safe and healthy during this time:
- Stay home and limit essential activities where possible.
- Wash hands often with soap and water.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Wear face coverings when out in public (not medical-grade masks).
- Adhere closely to social distancing guidelines.
- Contact your doctor or healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.
The District will be offering a summer session of instruction and student services remotely, with a plan to offer face-to-face classes should the shelter-in-place order is lifted and deemed safe to do so. Summer course registration will begin on Monday, April 20, 2020. To view what classes may be offered, or to understand operational changes made as a result of COVID-19, visit the college website of your choice or the District website at www.4cd.edu for more information.
Read MoreBy Laura Kindsvater, Communications Intern, Save Mount Diablo
WALNUT CREEK, CA—Mount Diablo State Park’s Beacon will be lit after sunset in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Easter Sunday, April 12. Thereafter, until the pandemic crisis is over, the Beacon will be lit every Sunday after sunset and shine brightly until sunrise the next day.
Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, stated, “Lighting the Beacon every Sunday is a way to honor our heroes in this global pandemic struggle, to pay our respects to the dead and those suffering, to lift our eyes to higher ground and the light and be reminded of the healing power of nature and our Mount Diablo, and to bring our communities together during this difficult time.”
Save Mount Diablo staff and volunteers will be working on lighting the Beacon every Sunday, and turning it off every Monday after sunrise, in close coordination with their good partners at California State Parks. Physical distancing will be followed throughout. This effort has also been coordinated with the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 5.
Save Mount Diablo; California State Parks; the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 5; California State University – East Bay (Concord); and others organize the annual lighting ceremony of the Beacon every December 7 in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
Eduardo Guaracha, Diablo Range Superintendent of California State Parks, said, “As we look up in the sky, let this beacon remind us we are not alone. Our thoughts and support are with the heroes, healthcare and emergency workers, and all those affected by this worldwide pandemic. Let the light give us hope for a better future and remind us to keep our heads and spirits up.”
The Beacon on Mount Diablo was originally installed and illuminated in 1928 to aid in transcontinental aviation. It is one of the five guiding beacons installed along the West Coast by Standard Oil of California and is the only one known to still be operational.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Beacon’s light was extinguished during the West Coast blackout, for fear it might enable an attack on California. It stayed dark until Pearl Harbor Day, 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces during World War II, relit the Beacon in a commemorative ceremony and suggested it be illuminated every December 7 to honor those who served and sacrificed.
Since that day, Pearl Harbor veterans and their families have gathered every December 7 to see the Beacon light shine once again.
The Beacon now shines brighter than ever since it underwent an extensive restoration process in 2013 thanks to a campaign led by Save Mount Diablo to ensure it continues to shine for many more years.
Read MoreMore cases in people ages 41-60 than any other age range
By Allen Payton
As of Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) is reporting a total of 530 cases of COVID-19/coronavirus, and two more deaths for a total of 11 in the county. There are 37 people diagnosed with the virus currently hospitalized.
A total of 6,938 people have been tested for the virus.
The majority of those who have been diagnosed are ages 41-60 with 195 cases, 165 cases for those ages 21-40, 126 cases among those ages 61-80, another 26 cases of those ages 81-100 and 17 cases of those age 20 and under.
To see the all the statistics provided by CCHS, click here.
Read MoreLast night, April 10, 2020, at approximately 9:32 pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a solo vehicle collision on SR-242 northbound at SR-4. Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, a 63-year-old female passenger of the vehicle was unconscious and unresponsive. Life-saving procedures were attempted but unsuccessful and tragically the female passenger was declared deceased at the scene. The 20-year-old driver and two children in the backseat, 11- and 13-year-old girls, all family from Antioch, were not injured.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased female.
Upon further investigation at the scene, it was determined that this was not a collision. While the 20-year-old male driver was proceeding northbound on SR-242 and approaching SR-4 in a grey 2004 Volkswagen Jetta, it was determined that a heavy object (“brick”) came crashing through a window of the vehicle and struck the 63-year-old female passenger seated in the right front seat. The male driver realized the woman was injured and pulled off the freeway and called 911. Tragically the female passenger died at the scene. At this point, it is unknown where the “brick” came from and/or how it ended up in the Volkswagen.
The cause of this incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this incident, the events leading up to it, or saw anyone within the immediate area, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980.
Read MoreBy Kim McCarl, Assistant to the Director, Communications, Contra Costa Health Services
Contra Costa County is preparing to use the Contra Costa Event Park in Antioch as a site to care for COVID-19 patients, should the need arise.
As part of local emergency preparations, the county has been exploring and preparing “alternate care sites” in preparation for the likely surge of patients in local hospitals who test positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19). The building, which is normally used as an exhibit hall during the annual county fair, is located in the Contra Costa Event Park at 1201 W. 10th Street and has capacity for 43 people who test positive for COVID-19 and need medical care, but do not need to be hospitalized.
“The fairgrounds alternate care site is a great example of state, county, city and non-profit agencies coming together to create increased capacity to care for patients needing fewer resources, which frees up critical hospital beds in our healthcare system to fight COVID-19,” said Federal Glover, District V Supervisor.
Contra Costa and other Bay Area counties recently extended a regional stay-at-home order through May 3 hoping that continued physical-distancing measures will reduce the impact of COVID-19 on area hospitals.
“The Contra Costa Event Center, City of Antioch and the Red Cross really stepped up to help make this site happen,” said Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor. “This site would not be possible without their assistance.”
The Red Cross has shared expertise in standing up critical care sites for individuals displaced by emergency situations with County officials working on the Fairgrounds site.
“The Red Cross is proud to be working closely with our government and public health officials to support their efforts to keep our community safe with the planning and opening of the alternate care site in Antioch,” said Briana Taylor, Regional Disaster Chair for the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “It is impressive to see the whole community work together during this stressful time.”
The Craneway Pavilion in Richmond is equipped with 250 beds for COVID-positive patients who do not require hospitalization. Should a surge require the facility to open, COVID-positive patients are likely to be housed at the Craneway Pavilion first. (See related article) The Concord Shelter and Philip Doran Respite Center will house individuals who may not need hospitalization but require closer observation than provided at Craneway Pavilion. The county anticipates that Contra Costa Event Center will be the last facility to open.
“Although the City of Antioch did not request for the county to select a site within our city, we understand the gravity of the moment,” said Antioch Mayor Sean Wright. “In the fight to save lives, the world has been asked to step up and do more, Antioch is no exception to this reality. By working together, we will hopefully be able to minimize the number of lives lost to this horrible pandemic.”
The 23rd District Agricultural Association is home to the Contra Costa County Fair that has hosted hundreds of thousands of guests for over seventy-five years. The Event Park celebrates all that is best in Contra Costa County while preserving the agricultural heritage of the community.
“The Contra Costa Event Park is here to help the community during this time of need, and happy to work with the County of Contra Costa as we all work together to end this pandemic,” said Joe Brengle, chief executive officer of the Contra Costa Event Park.
“The county has been working in two of our buildings to prepare them should the need arise,” he told the Herald on Wednesday.
The Fair Board cancelled this year’s fair during their meeting on March 18. (See related article)
Contra Costa County and the Board of Supervisors continue to work in real time to respond to community needs while preparing to meet the challenges ahead.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreFriday, April 10, 2020
Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) reminds the public that county residents should observe their faiths at home while the health officer’s stay-at-home order remains in place, though this month is a time of significant religious activity for many people.
The health officer order, a measure to protect our community from the spread of COVID-19, requires Contra Costa residents to stay home except for essential trips, such as to find food, healthcare or to provide care for someone who cannot leave their home, or to go to and from an essential job.
The order lasts through May 3, a period that may affect important observances for many faiths, such as Good Friday, Holy Week, Orthodox Easter, Passover, Ramadan, and others.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives, and we empathize with anyone who is unable to practice their religious traditions and celebrations as usual during this challenging time,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer. “However, to protect everyone in the community, we must avoid gatherings outside of one’s immediate household to reduce the spread of the virus.”
CCHS thanks the county’s faith community for helping to keep their members safe from COVID-19 and urges faith leaders to continue to suspend in-person gatherings and not bring large groups of people together while the health order remains in place.
Suspending in-person gatherings does not mean suspending worship. Many organizations continue to observe together, through livestreaming or by watching recorded services online.
Learn more about COVID-19 in Contra Costa County, including how to protect yourself, at cchealth.org/coronavirus, or call the Contra Costa Coronavirus Call Center with questions at 1-844-729-8410. The call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Read MoreAfter being suspended in March due to the Shelter in Place Order, the Danville Farmers Market will be returning this Saturday, April 11, 2020 at the Railroad Avenue Parking Lot.
The Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association (PCFMA) and the Town of Danville have worked to create guidelines under which the farmers market could return to provide residents with fresh fruits and vegetables. These guidelines include:
- Limitations on the number of vendors and booths with plenty of space in between
- No non-essential vendors or activities. This would include entertainment, hot food, and community booths (including the Town Council booth)
- No self-serve or sampling allowed
- A hand-washing station will be supplied at the information booth
- Restrooms will not be operational
- Customers may not touch any sale item prior to purchase
- Producers may not touch customers’ reusable bags
- Unpackaged food and cash may not be handled by the same person
- Customers are asked to wear masks, adhere to social distancing and follow any other regulations posted at the Farmers Market
Operation LOVE Friday & Saturday
On April 10 & 11, 2020 residents can bring needed medical supplies to the Village Theatre & Art Gallery, 233 Front Street as part of Operation LOVE. The donation drive will run from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and residents will be able to drive up and drop items off. A volunteer wearing safety attire will take the donation. Operation LOVE seeks to help out frontline medical workers in need of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Items being sought are: 1. Masks; 2. Goggles; 3. Disinfectant wipes; 4. Gloves; 5. Gowns; 6. Hand Sanitizers; 7. Brown lunch bags (nurses store their masks in them)
SRVUSD Schools Closed for Rest of the Year
As a result of the coronavirus and the ongoing shelter order, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District has elected to suspend school through the remainder of the school year. All school-related special events are cancelled. For more information on this closure, go to https://www.srvusd.net/coronavirus
Maintaining Good Social Distancing
One of the common concerns expressed to us has to do with children and teenagers not maintaining good social distancing and getting together in large groups in the parks, on the trails and in parking lots. The shelter in place order prohibits group gatherings outside of the family unit (this includes sports practices, training, or social gatherings), and requires individuals to maintain the six-foot social distance. These guidelines are in place to help limit the spread of the coronavirus and help to flatten the curve. Parents are asked to speak to their children about this serious issue and try to get everyone to work together to curb the spread.
Read MoreCalifornia’s next big conservation story right in our backyards
By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Intern, Save Mount Diablo
Save Mount Diablo has launched a campaign to connect Mount Diablo to the whole of the Diablo Range, a 150-mile long mountain range and biodiversity refuge that’s next door to millions of people, but that most people know nothing about.
“The Diablo Range is the missing piece of the California conservation map,” says Save Mount Diablo Land Conservation Director Seth Adams. “It’s California’s next great conservation story.”
“Seventy-five percent of the ecologically important area around Mount Diablo has been preserved,” explains Edward “Ted” Sortwell Clement, Jr., Save Mount Diablo’s Executive Director, “while in the full 150-mile range, only 24 percent of the landscape has any protection. We’re going to change that. Save Mount Diablo’s first step is defining the range as a whole for the conservation community and the public and educating them about its importance.”
Save Mount Diablo’s public educational efforts will include the full 150-mile Diablo Range. As part of this campaign, Save Mount Diablo helped to sponsor a newly published cover story and supplement about the Diablo Range in Bay Nature magazine, with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. “The Spine of California,” by Bay Nature Digital Editor Eric Simons, explores the most rugged, plant-rich stretch of California you’ve never heard of.
The cover story is the first article ever published specifically about the Diablo Range, and it includes the first ever published map of the public and protected lands of the Diablo Range. “Our first effort is to put this place on the map,” notes Adams.
Also, as part of the campaign, Save Mount Diablo recently expanded the geographic area in which it now does its land use advocacy; it now includes the three northern counties of 12 crossed by the Diablo Range. The organization’s primary acquisition focus remains north of Highway 580 and around the main peaks of Mount Diablo. The organization recently announced two acquisition projects on the main peaks, the 154-acre Trail Ride Association conservation easement on North Peak for which it needs to raise a little over $1,040,000 and the $650,000 Smith Canyon project adjacent to Curry Canyon.
In addition to working in Contra Costa County between Highway 680 and the Byron Highway, Save Mount Diablo now also works in southeastern Alameda and southwestern San Joaquin Counties.
This area includes an essential, 10-mile-wide wildlife corridor (Altamont Pass is part of it) that connects Mount Diablo to the rest of the Diablo Range. It also includes one of the most important and vulnerable biodiversity hotspots in California.
According to Simons, “The 150-mile range of mountains from the Carquinez Strait to the oil fields of the southern San Joaquin Valley holds some of the largest remaining wild places in California. It is a rugged, remote, difficult realm, a biodiversity ark incised by the San Andreas Fault. It is a historic mixing place, where Central Valley Yokuts and coastal Ohlones traded and danced, where California’s ever-more-diverse future residents will seek escape and recreation. And it is nearly unparalleled in ecological significance.”
The Diablo Range stretches from the Carquinez Strait all the way to the Antelope Valley in Kern County and contains some of the largest remaining unprotected wild places in California. The mountain range is huge, rugged, and remote. Bounded by Highway 101 to the west and Interstate 5 to the east, the 150-mile long, 40- to 50-mile wide area is a blank spot on the map for the public focused on its outer grassland foothills.
“Five miles in and 500 feet up,” Adams says, “oaks and chaparral appear, and it’s Mount Diablo multiplied.”
The Diablo Range covers 5,400 square miles and has many peaks, some of which are taller than Mount Diablo. The tallest one is San Benito Mountain at 5,241 feet. Mount Diablo measures at 3,849 feet.
The range is extremely important for wildlife, crossed only by two major highways at Altamont and Pacheco Passes. It serves as a reservoir of biodiversity, a core habitat for wildlife in California.
Although golden eagle populations are declining in western North America, they’re stable in California because of the Diablo Range.
The northern Diablo Range supports the highest density of golden eagles on the planet. The Diablo Range could also be the source for replenishing the genetic diversity of mountain lion populations in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Tule elk, nearly hunted to extinction in the 1970s, have recovered quickly in the Diablo Range. Bay checkerspot butterflies have their last stronghold along Coyote Ridge just above San Jose. And the Diablo Range offers great habitat for California condors to expand into as they recover from the brink of extinction.
The Diablo Range is threatened by energy development (both alternative and fossil fuel-based energy), suburban sprawl, and proposed dams and reservoirs. Wind turbines endanger golden eagles and other birds. And the Panoche Valley, part of the Diablo Range, now has a 4,800-acre solar farm.
This mountain range harbors incredible biodiversity that supports many rare, endemic (plants or animals found nowhere else), or disjunct species (plants that are cut off from other populations and not expected to be there). It contains large swaths of land with serpentine soils, on which rare plant species that live nowhere else grow. And some of the soils are “vertic clays,” which also support rare and endemic plant species.
Although the Diablo Range is right next to some large cities, large areas of it have limited to no cell phone coverage, light pollution, or major roads, an indication of its habitat connectivity.
Read more about the Diablo Range and Save Mount Diablo’s work to protect it in the Bay Nature cover story.
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 MoreThe SBA is hiring temporary employees to assist with disaster relief efforts. Bilingual language skills a plus. Must be a U.S. citizen.
Join our team! The SBA is hiring additional employees to assist with disaster relief efforts. Bilingual language skills are a plus. Remote jobs are available nationwide.
- Call Center Customer Service Representative (CSR)
- Document Preparation/Legal Review/ Loan Closings
- Loan Processing/Credit Analysis/Mortgage Underwriting
- Program Support
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, SBA is hiring for a number of positions.
Call Center Customer Service Representative (CSR)
Customer Service Representatives are needed with backgrounds in finance, credit, banking, accounting, and mortgage lending. Students of business/finance may also apply. Strong computer skills are a must. Texas notaries with experience closing loans, legal documents, etc. are also desired. Spanish speaking is a plus.
Disaster Recovery Specialist (Supersedes previous announcement, EXC-20-054-CSC-10752837, to amend duty location)
GS-0301-07/09; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Customer Service Center; Duty Station Negotiable.
Open to United States Citizens
Document Preparation/Legal Review/ Loan Closings
Attorneys/Paralegals are needed to review and close SBA Disaster Loans. Real Estate experience is a plus. Individuals waiting on bar results may apply. Attorneys must present a current bar card, but may be licensed in any state.
Paralegal Specialist
GS-0950-09/11; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Processing Disbursement Center (PDC); Fort Worth, TX;
Open to United States Citizens
Attorney Advisor (Gen)
(Supersedes previous announcement, EXC-20-057-PDC-10755112, to amend duty location)
GS-0301-09/11; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Processing and Disbursement Center (PDC); Duty Station Negotiable.
Open to United States Citizens
Legal Assistant
GS-0986-06/07; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Processing Disbursement Center (PDC); Fort Worth, TX;
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Processing/Credit Analysis/Mortgage Underwriting
Credit Analysts, Loan Officers, and Mortgage Underwriters are needed with experience evaluating financial information; determining creditworthiness and repayment ability; and making loan decisions (or recommendations) based on overall financial condition.
Loan Specialist (Commercial) – Virtual
GS-1165-12; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Virtual.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Specialist (Commercial) – Virtual
GS-1165-12; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Virtual.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Specialist (Commercial)
GS-1165-09; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Various Duty Stations.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Specialist (Commercial)
GS-1165-09; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Various Duty Stations.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Processing Assistant
GS-1101-07; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Various Duty Stations.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Servicing Assistant
GS-1101-07; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Various Duty Stations.
Open to United States Citizens
Supervisory Loan Specialist (Commerical)
GS-1165-13; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Various Duty Stations.
Open to United States Citizens
Supervisory Loan Specialist (Commerical)
GS-1165-13; Full time (Temp)
Office of Capital Access (OCA); Various Duty Stations.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Specialist (Gen) (Supersedes previous announcement, EXC-20-065-PDC-10753859, to amend duty location)
GS-0301-09/11; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Processing and Disbursement Center (PDC); Duty Station Negotiable.
Open to United States Citizens
Loan Assistant
GS-1165-05/07; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Processing Disbursement Center (PDC); Fort Worth, TX;
Open to United States Citizens
Program Support
Program Support Assistant
GS-0301-05/06/07; Full time (Temp)
Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA); Processing and Disbursement Center (PDC); Fort Worth, TX.
Open to United States Citizens
By Brooke Converse, Library Public Information Officer
The Contra Costa County Library is launching new storytime content in two different platforms aimed at providing families with library programming during the COVID-19 health crisis.
Online Storytime is a series of videos created by some of the Library’s best storytellers. Each storyteller films a 10-minute video from home that includes reading books, singing songs and having fun. A new video will debut every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. on the Library’s Facebook page (@ccclib).
Video Storytime is an ongoing series for the library and the first episode of season two is live on the Library’s YouTube channel (theccclib) right now. Video storytime includes singing, rhymes, finger plays and more. A new playlist will debut every Wednesday. Video Storytime was created in partnership with Contra Costa Television (CCTV) with funding provided through a Pacific Library Partnership Innovation Grant. The segments are produced and edited by library staff.
“We have so many amazing people on our staff and they are eager to share their storytime talents with families,” said County Librarian Melinda Cervantes. “We are very busy behind the scenes creating new content and testing ideas to serve people with and without library cards while we all stay safe at home.”
All 26 branches of the Contra Costa County Library are closed and staff is actively working on new ways to provide library services remotely during the closure. The Library website includes links to many free online resources including eBooks, streaming movies, tutoring, newspapers, magazines and much more. Library staff are curating booklists and resources to help parents who may be homeschooling their children.
Those without a library card, can sign for an eCard and get access to many of the same resources.
For questions about Library services and programming or account information, contact the library via online Chat Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit ccclib.org.
For the latest information about COVID-19 in Contra Costa County and tips on staying healthy, visit contracostahealth.org.
Read More