Contra Costa Herald

Supes close to forming Office on Racial Justice and Equity; hear from County Clerk-Registrar of Voters urging vote-by-mail for November Election

By Daniel Borsuk

While critics of Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston and his department again blasted the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors with complaints over the $2.8 million in proposed increased funding for the 2020-2021 fiscal year at their meeting Tuesday, no one paid any attention to an important Grand Jury report on “Police Department Staffing” that supervisors unanimously approved as a consent item during the same meeting.

In other action, Supervisors Federal Glover of Pittsburg and John Gioia of Richmond announced the potential formation of a County Office of Racial Justice and Equity for the upcoming 2020-2021 fiscal year. The board also received a progress report on the 2020 November election from Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder Debi Cooper that heavily endorsed voters to mail ballots.

Grand Jury Report on Police Staffing

“The Grand Jury found that relatively low authorized sworn officer levels and ongoing unfilled officer positions contribute to mandatory officer overtime, reduced level of police services such as traffic enforcement and school resource officers, and longer response times,” the Grand Jury report stated.

The Grand Jury report found that the Sheriff’s Office and 15 municipal police departments have difficulty recruiting, hiring and retaining officers. “Fewer applicants than in the past are applying to law enforcement due to different career expectations, the availability of less dangerous jobs, and negative perceptions of policing,” the report stated.

The Contra Costa Herald contacted Sheriff Livingston’s office for comment about the Grand Jury’s findings, but there was no comment from the Sheriff’s Office by deadline

“Accountability is needed,” demanded Pittsburg resident Don Hernandez. “You guys (i.e., the Board of Supervisors) need to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”

Hernandez was one of more than 18 speakers opposing increased funding for the Sheriff’s Office, but one unidentified caller supported extra funding for the sheriff saying without extra resources sheriff deputies will not be able to properly respond to emergencies when they arise.

County worker Christopher Brown said “Racism is systemic. Something needs to change. Mental health is a huge issue. Mental health deserves to be a bigger part of the budget, not the sheriff.”

“We need a criminal justice system that does not go backwards. We need a system that solves problems.” said Walnut Creek resident Karen Perkins. “I urge you to drive away funds from the Sheriff’s Office and form a racial justice commission.”

Based on 2019-2020 data, the Sheriff’s Office and 15 cities are below the state ratio of 1.48 patrol officers per 1,000 residents. Only the cities of El Cerrito with a 1.77 ratio and San Pablo with a 1.85 ratio were above the state average. The Sheriff’s Office had a 1.06 ratio.

The report also found that every police department except Clayton, Moraga, Oakley and Walnut Creek had unfilled positions mainly as a result of retirements, officers on leave, lateral transfers of the department and resignations.

The Sheriff’s Office had the most number of unfilled positions due to resignations at 65, with Richmond having 15 unfilled positions, Antioch 10 unfilled positions, Martinez and Concord each six unfilled positions, El Cerrito 5 unfilled positions, Brentwood and San Ramon each 4 unfilled positions, Pleasant Hill 3 unfilled positions, San Pablo 2 unfilled positions, and Pinole, Pittsburg, Lafayette and Danville with 1 unfilled position each.

Even then, supervisors received a number of complaints from citizens that the sheriff does not deserve a proposed $2.8 million increase in 2020-21 funding, even though later on during the meeting County Administrator David Twa forecast that the Sheriff’s Office might lose $13 million in state Proposition 72 funds later this year.

“The sheriff will have less money next year,” said Twa, who gave a gloomy fiscal forecast. The District Attorney Office’s budget might be down $6.2 million, he predicted. The county hospital is losing $60 million in revenue and earlier this month the county laid off 30 library workers.

Yet, with all this gloomy financial news, Twa announced that after two years of labor negotiations, the county and the 9,000 members of the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority and SEIU Local 2015 have agreed to a new labor pact that ends in 2022.

Proposed Office of Racial Justice and Equity Moves Forward

After listening an hour-long presentation from supporters for the formation of a County Office of Racial Justice and Equity, Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg and John Gioia of Richmond said they plan to soon present to the full Board a new Office on Racial Justice and Equity.

Both supervisors serve on the Public Protection Committee where the proposal to form an Office on Racial Justice and Equity Is taking shape.

“One thing we will bring is the discussion of the formation of an Office of Racial Justice and Equity. Your voice has been heard. We plan to bring this proposal before the Board in the near future,” said Glover.

Gioia said it is possible supervisors can consider a proposed office at its next board meeting on July 14. “It’s a matter of listening to the community in Contra Costa County. There should be a community process on how it should be done. There will be a lot more community input.”

In what is shaping up to be a difficult fiscal year, proponents of an Office of Racial Justice and Equity called on Supervisors to defund the Sheriff’s Office and transfer those funds to the new office to assist residents of color with a 14.5 percent unemployment rate in Contra Costa County on April 2020 compared to 3.1 percent on February 2020.

Additionally, 45 percent of African Americans, 57 percent of Latinx, 26 percent Asian/Pacific Islanders, 29 percent Native Americans and 20 percent White households were financially precarious before the pandemic, according to an Insight Center study.

County Recorder-Registrar of Voters Urges Vote by Mail

Contra Costa County Recorder-Registrar of Voters Debi Cooper informed supervisors it is untrue that voting by mail promotes fraud. “Despite what you hear, voting my mail does not increase fraud, she said. Outreach and education to vote by mail has been increased. The postage is free.”

Cooper described how the department she leads that will have 45 drop boxes and six polling locations throughout the County on Nov. 3. She said voting by mail will be the safest way to vote because COVID-19 will still be present.

Cooper expected to mail 700,000 ballots and more than 500,000 ballots will be returned by voters.

“I find it unacceptable to have six polling locations in the county,” said supervisor Gioia of Richmond. “I would reevaluate churches. Churches would be willing to be polling locations and to have equipment on locations for four days.

County elections officials expect about 150,000 voters will show up at the polls to cast ballots. There were 85,000 voters at the polls in the March election.

Bowling Alleys, Bars, Hotels to Open July 1 – Possibly

With word that the Contra Costa County Department of Public Health reported 34 new COVID-19 cases last week, department director Anna Roth said the county is still moving ahead to open hotels, bowling alleys and bars on July 1 and starting on July 15 movie theaters, card rooms and banks will open.

But the news was not all that great. The county is on the state watch list because of a spike in cases. Last week the county reported 34 new COVID-19 cases bringing the county’s grand total to 2,454 cases. There have been 52 deaths in the county. “Clearly there’s been an increase,” said Roth, who attributed the rise to persons in low income communities and living in long term care facilities.

Deputy County Health Director Dr. Sarah Levine said there has been an increase in the number of young patients being diagnosed positive with COVID-19 mainly because they do not practice the main hygiene principles – constantly washing hands, covering mouths, social distance, and staying home.

However, based on the announcement by the Contra Costa Health Services on Friday, that date for those activities is in doubt. (Please see related article).

Offered on Facebook Live at www.Facebook.com/NAMICONTRACOSTA and

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Learn more about the history and meaning of Juneteenth, here: http://juneteenth.com/history.htm.

Timeline for July and August now contains qualifier

Friday, June 26, 2020 – Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) is evaluating whether the county should continue its current reopening timeline, due to recent data showing COVID-19 activity is increasing in the community. The timeline for the reopening of businesses and activities scheduled for July 1st and 15th, as well as the school reopening scheduled for July and August include an asterisk and the following qualifier: “In light of rapidly increasing case numbers and hospitilizations, anticipated re-opening dates may need to be postponed. Our community’s actions are more important than ever to stop the spread.”

CCHS is closely monitoring key data indicators that show how the virus is spreading in the county and will announce a decision about the timeline Monday.

During the past seven days, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the county has increased 42%.

The seven-day average number of newly identified COVID-19 cases has increased from 39 a day to 68 a day. The positivity rate of test results – the percentage of COVID-19 tests that came back positive – has also increased. This suggests the change is not simply due to more testing, but indicates a true increase in community spread.

We are also seeing a shift with more young people testing positive. In June, 55% of cases were 40 years and under compared to 38% for that group in April. It’s a sign that younger people are playing a major role in driving the increase in new cases and potentially infecting vulnerable individuals. This highlights why it’s important for everyone to avoid social gatherings, observe physical distancing and wear masks or face coverings when around others.

CCHS encourages all residents to get tested. Increased testing for COVID-19 is a critical part of the community effort to slow local spread of the virus, and necessary to continue reopening in the future.

Contra Costa’s data are consistent with increases in COVID-19 activity now being experienced in communities across the state and the nation. To view the Contra Costa Health Services Coronavirus Dashboard for more statistics, click here.

There is concern that these increases may lead to a surge in very ill people that could overwhelm the local healthcare system. We realize many people are eager to resume normal activities. However, if we adjust the reopening timeline, it will be because we have a chance to prevent the pandemic from getting out of control in the county.

Any change to the timeline would immediately affect businesses and activities that are currently scheduled to resume July 1, including indoor dining, bars, gyms, hotels and some personal care services, including nail salons and tattoo parlors.

CCHS is releasing this information today to provide businesses and residents as much time as possible to prepare for a potential change to the timeline.

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching, CCHS also reminds everyone that it’s a healthy choice to observe physical distancing when outside the home – maintain six feet of space whenever possible – and to wear face coverings. Anyone who feels sick should stay home. People should also wash their hands frequently.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Graphic by Carotid Restraint Training Institute.

Legislation also introduced to ban carotid restraints by law enforcement statewide

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney

Martinez, Calif. – Today, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton issued a new policy for peace officers within the DA’s Office to ban the use of the carotid hold technique. The DA’s Office employs peace officers as senior inspectors within the Investigative Unit. The ban is effective as of June 23, 2020.

“The use of the carotid hold has proven to be an unnecessary and deadly police technique and will not be used by members of my Investigative Unit. The risks associated with this technique far outweigh any potential benefit. This important policy change reflects a positive move forward in police community relations and reinforces the continuous need to focus on de-escalation, training, and tactics,” stated Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.

In addition to Becton’s ban for her staff, earlier this month, in response to the death of George Floyd, Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) introduced AB 1196, making it illegal to use a carotid artery restraint tactic to forcibly detain a suspect.

The “bill would prohibit a law enforcement agency from authorizing the use of a carotid restraint or a choke hold, as defined,” according to the text of the legislation.

As used in the legislation, “carotid restraint” means a vascular neck restraint or any similar restraint, hold, or other defensive tactic in which pressure is applied to the sides of a person’s neck for the purpose of restricting blood flow to render the person unconscious or otherwise subdue or control the person.

AB 1196 passed the Assembly and is now awaiting hearing before the CA State Senate.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton

Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo in his arrest photo from August 2018. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

A court hearing in the case of the People vs. Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the East Area Rapist and Golden State Killer, will be held in Sacramento on Monday, June 29, 2020. He is expected to plead guilty “to 13 murder and 13 kidnap for robbery counts, as well as admit responsibility for 62 other rapes and crimes that prosecutors say were committed in 11 California counties from 1974 through 1986,” according to the Sacramento Bee. Those include felonies from his alleged attacks of kidnapping during the course of a robbery in Contra Costa County from 1978 to 1979. It is reported DeAngelo’s plea will spare him from the death penalty.

The 74-year-old former Auburn Police Officer was arrested at his Citrus Heights home in August 2018 and the Contra Costa DA’s Office announced that he had been charged with his alleged crimes in this county, that same week. For thos crimes in Contra Costa County DeAngelo could have faced four life sentences plus ten years, if he was convicted. (See related Herald article)

The cases were prosecuted jointly by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office in Sacramento County. The joint prosecution also included cases from Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Tulare Counties. An amended complaint, charging crimes from all six counties was also filed in August 2018.

Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton will participate in a multi-agency press conference immediately following the hearing, at approximately 3:00 p.m., that day. She will be joined by Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer, Sacramento County D.A. Anne Marie Schubert, Santa Barbara County D.A. Joyce Dudley, Tulare County D.A. Tim Ward and Ventura County D.A. Gregory Totten.

The court hearing is expected to begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be livestreamed on Sacramento Superior Court’s YouTube for Department 24 linked here. The press conference will be livestreamed on the Sacramento County District Attorney’s YouTube channel linked here. Both the court hearing and the press conference will be held in the Sacramento State Ballroom, large enough to accommodate the over 150 victims, their families and the media and due to the concerns of the coronavirus and need for social distancing.

By John Fout, Community & Media Relations Specialist, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants who are interested in serving on its 18-member Racial Justice Oversight Body (RJOB). The Racial Justice Oversight Body has a current vacancy for a Community Representative who has prior personal criminal or juvenile justice system involvement.

The RJOB is a multi-agency advisory body established by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to oversee the implementation of the recommendations made by the Racial Justice Task Force and accepted by the Board of Supervisors to reduce racial disparities in the justice system. The RJOB also reviews local criminal and juvenile justice data to identify and report on racial disparities.

The Racial Justice Oversight Body is composed of the following 18 members:
Four (4) Ex‐Officio Members:
1. The Sheriff or his designee;
2. The Chief Probation Officer or her designee;
3. The Public Defender or her designee;
4. The District Attorney or her designee;
Five (5) Other Appointed Members:
5. A representative from the Superior Court, as a non-voting member;
6. A representative from a local law enforcement agency, nominated by the Contra Costa County Police Chiefs’ Association;
7. A representative from the Contra Costa County Office of Education;
8. A representative from a Local School District;
9. A representative from Contra Costa County Health Services Department;
Nine (9) community-based representatives selected and appointed by the Board of Supervisors:
10-11. Community Representative Seats 1 & 2: two (2) members of the Contra Costa Racial Justice Coalition;
12-13. Community Representative Seats 3 & 4: two (2) individuals with prior personal criminal or juvenile justice system involvement;
14. Community Representative Seat 5: one (1) representative from a community-based organization that works with justice-involved youth
15-16. Community Representatives Seat 6 &7: two (2) representatives from community-based organizations that work with justice-involved populations, any age;
17. Community Representative Seat 8: one (1) representative from a faith-based organization;
18. Community Representative Seat 9: one (1) representative that is either a school age young person, or from a community based organization who provides services to school age youth.

The Board of Supervisors is seeking applications for one (1) of the seats identified above:

Community Representative Seat 4: one (1) individual with prior personal criminal or juvenile justice system involvement.

Appointments to the Racial Justice Oversight Body are for a term of two years. The appointment to Seat 4 is a mid-term appointment ending December 31, 2020. The full RJOB meets on a quarterly basis with its three subcommittees meeting on a monthly basis. Members serve without compensation, stipends, or reimbursement of expenses. The community-based representatives should reflect the geographic, ethnic, and racial diversity of the County.

Applicants will be interviewed by the Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee: Supervisors Candace Andersen, District II, and Federal Glover, District V. The nomination for the Racial Justice Oversight Body appointment will then be submitted to the full Board of Supervisors for action.

Below is a timeline of the recruitment process for the one (1) vacancy:
• July 21, 2020: Final Day of the Application Period, due by 5:00 p.m.
• July 27, 2020: Public Protection Committee Meeting: Interviews
• August 4, 2020: Board of Supervisors Appointment

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 335-1900 or by visiting the County webpage at http://www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418/. Completed applications should be emailed to ClerkoftheBoard@cob.cccounty.us. Applications can also be mailed to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 106, County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553.

Photo by Sutter Health.

It’s time to get the care you’ve been waiting for at Antioch’s Sutter Delta Medical Center

By Monique Binkley Smith, Sutter Health News Bureau Communications Manager

ANTIOCH, CALIF. — California is slowly reopening, but like so many unknowns with COVID-19, it’s unclear how long the return to routine will last.

“A surge in virus spread and infected patients could occur this fall or winter,” says Bill Isenberg, M.D. chief quality and safety officer for Sutter Health. “If this happens, and overlaps with the normal flu season, there could be a significant strain on healthcare services.”

With this in mind, medical experts agree that if you had an appointment postponed or canceled due to COVID-19, now is the time to reschedule it.

Pittsburg resident Norma Lester-Atwood is a mammographer, so she knows the importance of catching breast cancer early. Lester-Atwood is typically right on schedule for her own mammogram, but this spring, shelter-in-place orders delayed her mammogram by two months. As soon as she could, she had the screening procedure and she’s glad she did, because her mammogram and a subsequent biopsy revealed a Stage 0 (non-invasive) tumor in one of her breasts. After a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, Lester-Atwood feels she is well on her way to recovery.

“As a mammographer, I tell my patients that it’s important to come in for a mammogram because I’ve seen patients who developed fast-growing tumors between screenings,” says Lester-Atwood.

As Lester-Atwood’s experience shows, timing is everything when it comes to staying healthy. Getting cancer screenings at the recommended intervals can help spot early signs of tumor growth before it turns into advanced cancer.

“Some women don’t realize that mammograms are needed regardless of your family history, because most women with breast cancer have no family history or other identifiable risk factors,” says Octavio De La Rosa, manager of Medical Imaging Services at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch, part of the Sutter Health not-for-profit integrated network of care.

Screening for colorectal, prostate and lung cancers are also vital. “Simply put, screening saves lives,” says De La Rosa. “Delayed screenings can postpone detection of cancer, which may translate into needing more intensive treatment and a more difficult path for patients.”

Taking Steps to Protect Patients and Staff

Sutter Delta’s imaging center, located inside Sutter Delta Medical Center at 3901 Lone Tree Way, has resumed screening mammogram services and is taking steps to protect patients:

• Mandatory Masking – Staff, patients and visitors must wear masks at all times.
• Isolation – Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms is isolated from waiting areas, patient rooms, entrances and spaces the general population uses.
• Cleaning –Increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting in all spaces.
• Screening – Everyone is screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before entering.

Resources to Help with Health Insurance Disruption

Health insurance coverage can be disrupted by wage or job loss, but there are options available.

In California, the Every Woman Counts program covers mammograms and cervical cancer screening for women with no or limited insurance who meet other eligibility criteria. Call 1-800-511-2300.

Other options include extending employer-based coverage through COBRA and CalCOBRA, shopping for plans and applying for premium assistance through Covered California or Medi-Cal. Charity care and financial assistance may also be available.

Google Maps of California and Imperial County, showing location of and distance to Contra Costa County.

By Allen Payton

In response to some concerns by county residents and questions to county Supervisor Candace Andersen and health services spokespeople, it was revealed this week that Contra Costa is accepting patients from hospitals as far away as Imperial County along the border with Mexico. That’s because our county has mutual aid agreements with that and other counties in the state.

In response to a resident’s question “is CCC getting patients from other counties that are overloaded (such as Imperial County, or other counties)?” Gayle Israel, Chief of Staff for Board of Supervisors Chair Candace Andersen, wrote in an email, “We have two patients in Contra Costa hospitals from Imperial County. Also have 15 Contra Costa residents in Alameda County Hospitals. Reporting shows hospitalizations by county where hospitalized, not by residency. So, we are +13 beyond what is reported on our hospitalized dashboard.”

Asked by the Herald why the patients from Imperial County are in Contra Costa, Will Harper, Communications Specialist for Contra Costa Health Services responded, “We took on these patients as part of a mutual aid agreement to provide relief to hospitals in Imperial County,”

Asked if there are patients transferred to hospitals in Contra Costa County from any other county in the state, he responded, “Yes. We have mutual aid agreements with counties and offer help when they become over capacity.”

In addition, the resident asked Supervisor Andersen, “how many of the hospitalizations are from the four active nursing home outbreaks, and how many of the deaths are from the nursing home outbreaks?”

Israel responded, “Ten of the 11 deaths since Friday were from congregate care facilities, nine from the same facility. Had a record number of cases over the weekend, but also hit target for first time for tests per day – higher amount of tests = higher cases. Health Officer says we have the data for # of hospitalizations from congregate care facilities, but he didn’t have at his fingertips. We are asking for that information – however, we have been told all along that those critically ill in skilled nursing facilities are not typically transferred to hospitals, so that number is likely low.”

As a result, communications staff for county health services were asked by the Herald if a statistic can be included on the County Health Services’ Coronavirus Hospital Dashboard that shows in which other counties Contra Costa patients are located and which patients in Contra Costa hospitals are from other counties, Harper responded, “currently, there is not, though we are always working to expand the amount of data on our website and have added many dashboards over the past 1-2 months.”

Some county residents have expressed concern that people are crossing the border from Mexico, which for now is closed to non-essential travel, testing positive and filling up hospitals in California, and might be increasing the state’s Coronavirus statistics, resulting in a negative impact on decisions by government officials regarding reopening businesses, schools, sports and other activities. In addition, a video about what is happening in Riverside County, that COVID-19 patients are being flown in from Imperial County, raised questions about how the patients arrived in Contra Costa County.

The following additional questions were sent to county health services spokespeople late Tuesday night: People are wondering are those patients you referred to American citizens, or at least residents of Imperial County, or are they Mexican citizens or residents who have come across the border and entered the hospitals, there? Also, how did they arrive in Contra Costa? Do you know if they were flown, here to our county?

Please check back later for answers to the questions and any other updates to this report.

TCU scholarship recipients from Contra Costa County (l to r) Serena Connel, Kassandra Ruiz and Yesenia Roman. Screenshots from TCU video.

Including three recipients from Contra Costa County

Travis Credit Union (TCU) recently awarded 20 local high school students the Mary Keith Duff Memorial Scholarship. TCU offers the annual scholarships to assist its young members with the increasing cost of higher education and to reinforce its commitment to the financial success of our country’s future leaders.

All of the winning students received a ‘Gala in a Box,’ which included the scholarship award announcement of $2,000 to help with college expenses, as well as a $200 gift card that could be used towards a family dinner celebration. TCU board members as well as executive leadership members coordinated live Zoom calls with the families to join with them virtually in opening the ‘special delivery’ box and celebrating their achievement.

Scholarship recipients in Contra Costa County include Serena Connel of Clayton Valley Charter, Kassandra Ruiz of Pinole Valley High School, and Yesenia Roman of Pittsburg High School.

“We’re so appreciative of the recognition of all the hard work these kids put in,” says Rikki Rivera, mother of scholarship winner, Kennedy Rivera. “My husband and I were both recently furloughed due to the pandemic – so financially this scholarship has helped us out more than we anticipated when she first applied. This is very helpful to our family.”

The TCU Board of Directors established the scholarship program in 2004 and named it the Mary Keith Duff Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of a long-time board member. To date, TCU has contributed $437,000 to the program and will continue to award $40,000 annually.

“As a credit union, we are founded on the philosophy of ‘people helping people,’ and we stand behind the principles that promote human development and social responsibility,” says Patricia Moreno, chairman of the board for TCU. “Offering these scholarships is just one way we are assisting young members.”

To apply for the scholarship, college-bound high school seniors, who are TCU members in good standing, needed a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) as well as a 500 word personal statement essay, expressing their plans for the future.

“These student’s achievements in school and community signify that they have the dreams and determination to make a difference in the lives of others,” added Barry Nelson, president and CEO of Travis Credit Union. “We are proud to honor them and be part of their plans for the future.”

A video featuring the honored students can be found here.

Headquartered in Vacaville, California, Travis Credit Union is a not-for-profit cooperative financial institution serving those who live, work, worship, or attend school in in Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Merced Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties. Currently, Travis Credit Union is the 13th largest credit union in California with more than 214,000 members and more than $3.3 billion in assets. As one of the leading financial institutions in Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Yolo and Merced Counties, Travis Credit Union’s strength lies in its faithful commitment to its members and the community; its solid, secure history; and its long-standing track record of dedicated service.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Dougherty Valley High grad

By Kayla Turnbow, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Lt. j.g. Andrew Zhao. Photo by U.S. Navy.

NORFOLK, Va.- A 2013 Dougherty Valley High school graduate and San Ramon, California, native returned home June 16, marking the end of a seven-month deployment aboard USS Harry S. Truman. Since departing its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia in November 2019, the aircraft carrier sailed in the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Lt. j.g. Andrew Zhao is an electrical division officer aboard the carrier. As an electrical division officer, Zhao is responsible for ship-driving and supervising electricians.

“The best part about my job is seeing the professional and personal progress of the electricians as they learn their trade, gain leadership skills, and sailor-ize,” said Zhao.

Following a scheduled return from deployment in March, after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations, Truman remained underway in the Western Atlantic as a certified and ready carrier force ready for tasking. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, the Truman continued to conduct operations underway, minimizing the potential spread of the virus aboard the ships, in order to maintain maritime stability and security and ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

151226-N-AO823-031
STRAIGHT OF HORMUZ (Dec. 26, 2015) — Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) transits the Straight of Hormuz. Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class M. J. Lieberknecht/Released)

Truman sailed more than 56,000 nautical miles, deploying dynamically to support dual-carrier operations, air defense exercises, anti-submarine warfare exercises, and interoperability with joint services and with allies and partners. The ship also completed multiple strait and choke point transits, to include the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal and the Bab-el Mandeb Strait, while operating under three Combatant Commanders – U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), U.S. European Command (EUCOM), and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

“During deployment, my proudest accomplishment was being able to go every day on a multiple-extension deployment with a smile and be encouraging to fellow officers in the wardroom and be a light in the division as well,” said Zhao.

Truman demonstrated the Navy’s continuing regional commitment to EUCOM and CENTCOM areas of responsibility by hosting 80 embarked guests, including political and military leaders from eight ally and partner nations. These embarks directly supported U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet theater security objectives and greatly enhanced U.S. relationships and partnerships with multiple NATO ally and partner nations and Gulf Cooperation Council members.

“I’m so very proud of all our sailors!” said Capt. Kavon Hakimzadeh, commanding officer of Truman, “Their resilience, perseverance, and utter dedication to mission has been nothing short of exemplary. It has been my greatest honor to serve as Truman’s commanding officer this deployment!”

According to Navy officials, maintaining maritime superiority is a vital part of a Navy that is present today and prepared for tomorrow. The impact affects Americans and their interests around the world, as more than 70 percent of the Earth is covered by water and 90 percent of all trade travels by sea.

The foundation of the Navy the nation needs includes a focus on warfighting, warfighters and the future of the fighting force.

Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Truman. More than 6,000 men and women serve aboard the ship during deployment keeping all parts of the ship running smoothly. Each crewmember performs a number of tasks outside of their traditional job or rating.

“As an electrical division officer, I am in an administrative and supervisory role for the electricians onboard the Truman,” said Zhao.

Throughout the deployment, Truman performed numerous training exercises to develop tactical competencies. From carrier strike force operations as the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, to exercises with partner navies and forces, the ship developed key skillsets to maintain readiness and interoperability. While conducting stability operations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, the strike group was called upon during an international crisis to assert American commitment to the region and act as a primary de-escalatory catalyst.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Zhao, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“I joined the Navy to serve the country since I came from an immigrant background and our family was thankful for the opportunities here,” added Zhao.