Washington, DC – Today, Wednesday, June 27, 2018, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) issued the following statement in response to news that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it will not be moving forward with a detention center at the Concord Naval Weapons Station.
“I am pleased the effort to turn Concord Naval Weapons Station into a detention facility has been halted. As we advised the Administration, the Concord Naval Weapons Station is an unsafe and inhabitable environment, and to propose housing almost 50,000 people there was both dangerous and immoral. We fought this proposal along with our local officials and dedicated community and will continue to fight against the inhumane and unjust policies proposed by this Administration. It is important not to let our guard down as one tweet can change things.”
Congressman DeSaulnier voiced concerns to the Administration about creating a detention facility on Concord Naval Weapons Station and led an effort of California Members in asking for the release of a proposal identifying Concord Naval Weapons Station as a possible detention site. News of Concord making the list of proposed facilities first broke in Time Magazine and Congressman DeSaulnier immediately contacted local officials to work with them to fight this effort. He also held a Facebook town hall to answer questions from area residents.
Read MoreMitchoff calls for calm over proposed Concord detention center
By Daniel Borsuk
Contra Costa County voters will get a crack at voting on a tax measure in November on how much the county should tax commercial cannabis enterprises, now that the board of supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance establishing zoning regulations for the cultivation, distribution and selling of recreational marijuana in most of unincorporated Contra Costa County.
Six areas where cannabis enterprises would be prohibited from setting up shop include Bethel Island, Sandamound Slough, Contra Costa Centre, Acalanes Ridge, Saranap and Alamo. During the proposed ordinance’s public hearing process there was community protests especially from Alamo residents opposed to the establishment of commercial cannabis enterprises in their community mostly for public safety concerns.
Supervisors will consider proposed tax and health ordinances linked to the commercial cannabis ordinance at their July 10 meeting.
While the commercial cannabis ordinance charts regulations established in the Framework for Regulating Cannabis in the Unincorporated Area of Contra Costa County that supervisors approved in April, at Tuesday’s meeting supervisors were more focused on how the cannabis growers can conserve water, especially underground water, for a crop known to require high volumes of water to grow at a time California seems to permanently undergo drought conditions.
As a last-minute change, supervisors were handed an alternative water service plan provided by county planner Ruben Hernandez. This water service alternative earned the stamp of approval from supervisors and establishes rules on how commercial cannabis cultivation operations can use groundwater but must comply with regulations aimed at conserving groundwater. For instance, a commercial cultivation business could pump groundwater when “the retail water supplier does not provide retail water service at all times during the year.”
All five supervisors signed on and supported the water service alternative even though one prospective cannabis cultivator, Israel Martinez, a Brentwood farmer, said the county’s proposed groundwater revised rules are “too restrictive” and he said he supported the earlier Planning Commission’s groundwater rules because “cannabis uses a minor amount of water.”
“I don’t support any water alternative.” said East county rancher Eric Thomas. “I’d like to see a cap on cannabis cultivation. This does not use any water recapture. Why not truck in water? You can recapture as much as 90 percent of the water used,” Thomas said.
All five supervisors approved the groundwater use alternative presented by the Department of Conservation and Development and therefore they unanimously approved the commercial cannabis ordinance.
“This is not the gold rush or green rush, but there is a significant investment that’s involved in establishing these types of businesses.” remarked Supervisor Diane Burgis whose rural oriented District 3 in East County, would be a big beneficiary of the potential new cannabis ordinance should it go into effect.
Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg, Supervisor Candance Andersen of Alamo, and Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond were willing to move forward on approving the commercial cannabis ordinance and accept the Department of Conservation and Development’s last-minute groundwater use proposal.
Board chair Karen Mitchoff also joined the other supervisors even though initially she preferred to wait and find out what state legislators were going to do about proposed legislation that would change the way county tax measures are passed either by a two-thirds vote or a majority vote.
Glover Unveils Keller Canyon Landfill Investigation Funding Source
Supervisor Glover announced that he has identified funds in the Keller Canyon Mitigation Fund, a fund used for an assortment of community activities in the Pittsburg and Bay Point area, to be spent for the county’s investigation into findings that there have been illegal deliveries and deposits of radioactive debris from the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. A price tag has not yet been disclosed for the investigation.
The mitigation fund that landfill operator Republic Services finances will spend the money associated with covering costs of hiring a specialist to conduct an independent investigation into whether there were more than two documented cases where debris from the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard wound up at the landfill off of Baily Road.
Mitchoff Calls For Calm Over Concord Naval Weapons Station Use
Board Chair Mitchoff urged citizens to refrain from protesting at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, a site that the Trump Administration plans to house detained immigrants. Should the President’s plans materialize at the closed weapons base, the government plans to spend as much as $233 million to construct housing for detained immigrants, U.S. Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) first disclosed the Administration’s plans last week.
The Navy has refused to disclose whether there are any plans to house as many as 47,000 detained immigrants at the closed military base.
“I specifically ask that no one march or protest,” Mitchoff said. “This may convey the wrong message to the Administration in Washington.”
Other than a protest planned in El Cerrito later this week, no protests have yet been planned at the shuttered weapons station.
$300,000 Contract Awarded from Animal Benefit Fund
On a 5-0 vote, supervisors approved a $300,000 contract to Unconditional Dog to provide animal enrichment services to dogs at the Pinole and Martinez animal shelters, but supervisors pulled the consent item for discussion because of concern over the Oakland-based company’s practices and whether County Animal Services will be accountable.
“I do support Ms. (Beth) Ward’s efforts, but the point is we need accountability,” said Dee Good. “There should be some accountability.”
Another animal shelter observer, Carol Mason, also said the Unconditional Dog contract lacks accountability. “What kind of accountability is there at the shelters? Accountability is still important.”
Ward told supervisors her department awarded a three-month contract to Unconditional Dog in April to see if the company’s animal enrichment program does a better job in taming difficult dogs and thereby driving up the animal adoption rate at shelters. Ward said the trial program showed some progress.
The Animal Benefit Fund will cover the contract costs. No public funds are involved in the contract.
Supervisors asked that Ward give a report on the Unconditional Dog program in March 2019.
Read MoreEmergency council meeting to be held today at 1:00 p.m.
By Allen Payton
On Monday, Concord Mayor Edi Birsan sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer outlining his opposition to a proposed detention center at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station for as many as 47,000 illegal immigrants, who will be housed there pending their court dates. (See related article.)
Birsan reminded Spencer of Concord’s work “with the Navy for the last 12 years” and spending “millions of tax payers dollars (both federal and local) in negotiations for the sale of the property.” The city has plans for as many as 12,000 homes on the land south of Highway 4.
He also pointed out the challenges with environmental cleanup of the former nuclear weapons that were stored at the site.
An emergency meeting of the Concord City Council has been called for 1:00 p.m., today in the Council Chambers at 1950 Parkside Drive.
Following is the complete letter from Birsan:
June 25, 2018
The Honorable Richard Spencer
Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, DC 20350-1000
Dear Mr. Secretary,
On behalf of the Concord Community, Concord City Council and Local Reuse Authority, and as Mayor of the City of Concord, I am requesting your assistance in obtaining factual information regarding a draft Navy memo reportedly considering the placement of a detention center housing more than 47,000 immigrants at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS). Concord residents and leaders have numerous questions about the detention center proposal and we would welcome you or an authorized representative to come to a City Council meeting to clarify the situation, including the decision making process, current status and timing.
The City of Concord has worked in partnership with the Navy for the last 12 years through the BRAC process and spent millions of tax payers dollars (both federal and local) in negotiations for the sale of the property, planning for the site, and environmental permitting and remediation of the site. Our current negotiations with Navy staff anticipate first transfers of property over the next few months. Property that is not being transferred in the first transfers lack clearance from the federal government as “suitable” for transfer, which means that these lands are not suitable for public habitation either.
The CNWS is neither rural nor remote, rather it is directly adjacent to existing Concord neighborhoods and the largest active Army ammunition and explosives depot at Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) on the West Coast.
Below, I’ve outlined these concerns a bit more.
Basic Concerns
• The location of the CNWS directly adjacent to our residential community and to MOTCO.
• Significant acreage within the CNWS is still undergoing assessment and clean-up of Navy contamination and is not suitable for transfer nor human occupation.
• The City and the Navy have been working together over the last 12-years through the BRAC process and we are within months of transferring property to the City and the East Bay Regional Parks District for development of parkland and housing and commercial uses.
• The CNWS currently has no useful infrastructure to provide water, sewer, or electricity.
These concerns, individually and collectively, make the CNWS unsuitable for consideration as a detention facility.
BRAC Process and Property Transfer
Over 12 years ago the City of Concord was designated as the Local Reuse Authority (LRA) under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) and began a partnership with the Navy to facilitate the transfer and redevelopment of the CNWS. This partnership has spent millions of local and Federal taxpayers’ dollars to engage the local community in a vision for the project; prepare the necessary environmental assessments, pursue the required resource agency permits; and secure a Master Developer willing to plan and finance the creation of jobs and housing at the site. To now withdraw from that process and shift to a transfer enabling a detention center would negate all those honorable efforts and reflect poorly on future negotiations here and elsewhere for the Navy.
Concord’s Historic Background
This July 4th Concord will be also celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. When the nearby town was totally destroyed by the Hayward Fault earthquake, Don Salvio Pacheco and his Mexican-American family initiated the plans for the city, and gave their land away for a $1 to the survivors and refugees of the destroyed town so that they may build together a new community which the people quickly called Concord, as in living in concordance with one another.
Future Collaboration and Information Sharing
Concord residents would appreciate any information the Navy can provide us with regards to the draft memo identifying the CNWS as a potential detention center or future considerations of this concept. We have appreciated the Navy’s close collaboration with us on our efforts to plan for the reuse and redevelopment of the CNWS. Clearly, we do not think the CNWS is an appropriate location for a detention center and will gladly provide the federal government with any information they may require in this decision making process.
Thank you for your consideration on these matters. I repeat, again, our offer for you or your authorized representative to come to the City Council and explain in detail where the Navy intends to go in this regard.
Yours truly,
Edi Birsan
Mayor of the City of Concord, California.
Copy to:
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Kamala Harris
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Phyliss Bayer
State Senator Steve Glazer
State Assemblymember Tim Grayson
County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff
Concord City Council and Staff
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA11) will host a Facebook Live Town Hall tomorrow, June 26th at 11:30 a.m. PST on immigration, the Trump Administration’s plan to house detained immigrants at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, and family separation.
To submit questions in advance, visit our event page and write them in the comments section.
Immigration Facebook Live Town Hall
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST
To participate please visit our Facebook page
Read MoreBy Daniel Borsuk
Some 400 Bay Point and Pittsburg residents exited a community meeting at Ambrose Community Center with more questions than answers Thursday night about stories that radioactive materials had been mistakenly delivered to the Keller Canyon Landfill, located in southeast Pittsburg off of Baily Road. (See related article).
With representatives from county, regional, and state agencies and the Navy in attendance, but no one on hand from TetraTec, the contractor responsible for the removal of nuclear waste material from the former shipyard, residents learned that TetraTec has rejected a request to pick up the bill to pay for an independent investigation into how radioactive material waste entered the landfill on at least two instances.
Those two documented instances where radioactive materials from the shipyard were delivered to the landfill included the January 2014 case when 42 trucks dumped tainted soil with elevated lead. The case was not considered to be an RCRA hazardous waste situation. “All contaminated soil was removed from Keller Canyon Landfill,” said Scott Anderson a Deputy Base Closure Manager of the U.S. Navy Base Realignment. “The Navy wants the community to know that the public is safe.”
In another instance, February 2015, Anderson said the Navy cleaned up at Keller Canyon Landfill after 218 tons of radioactive asphalt that had been delivered to the landfill. “All the asphalt plus 102 tons of dirt were removed,” he said.
Residents were uncomfortable with the responses that the Navy, and especially Rick King, general manager of Keller Canyon Landfill, offered. King defended how the landfill properly screens trucks loads with debris from multiple departure points, including Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
Some speakers like Jeanette Burgess questioned if the landfill operator rigged the monitors at the entrance to allow truck laden with radioactive materials to enter. “I question your testers,” she said.
“I don’t know where you get your information,” rebutted King, who defended how the Republic Services Co. personnel monitors the testers and that they meet regulations.
Contra Costa County Environmental Health Director Marilyn Underwood said while there is the possibility Republic Services, operator of the Keller Canyon Landfill, might have to redraft an environmental impact report, she said the county is in the midst of searching for an independent consultant to assess the two documented events as well as other potential radioactive deliveries.
Supervisor Federal Glover, whose District 5 includes Keller Canyon Landfill, urged attendees to ask questions. “Don’t leave here without asking your questions,” he said. “We’re trying to get an independent investigation. We’re trying to get the information.”
Since TetraTec has refused to pick up the tab to pay for the independent investigation, Dr. Underwood of the county environmental health department said Supervisor Glover is looking into other potential sources to pay for the investigation.
Read MoreBy Allen Payton
It was revealed on Friday that according to a copy of a draft memo obtained by TIME, the U.S. Navy is considering establishing a detention center for up to 47,000 illegal immigrants at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. It would be one of four remote bases in California, including at Camp Pendleton, as well as Alabama and Arizona as part of the Trump Administration’s new zero tolerance policy of prosecuting and detaining all those who cross our border illegally, even for the first time.
The immigrants, including families with children, would remain in a “temporary and austere” tent city as the Navy memo describes it, according to the TIME article, until their court hearing, including those seeking asylum. The estimated cost to construct all of the facilities would be $233 million.
It’s not clear where the facility would be located on the former weapons station site. The land south of Highway 4 is now labeled the Concord Reuse Project and includes plans for as many as 12,000 homes in four transit villages, elementary school, office park and open space, with the 500-acre first phase by Lennar Urban planned for 4,400 homes. Attempts to reach Guy Bjerke, Concord’s Director of Community Reuse Planning for more details, were unsuccessful.
In the Executive Order he signed on Wednesday banning the separation of families apprehended at the border for crossing illegally, President Trump stated “The Secretary of Defense shall take all legally available measures to provide to the Secretary (of Homeland Security), upon request, any existing facilities available for the housing and care of alien families, and shall construct such facilities if necessary and consistent with law.”
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA11) whose district includes Concord, released a statement on Friday regarding the proposed detention center.
“STOP! The Administration needs to take a time out,” he stated. “This is no way to effectuate intelligent immigration policy, including for those seeking asylum. This is absolute madness and I oppose it wholeheartedly. If the Administration wants to have a rational dialogue about fixing our immigration system, I am happy to do that, but making up immigration policy on the fly is just wrong. We will fight this in every way we can.”
In addition, Margarget Hanlon Gradie, Executive Director of the Contra Costa AFL-CIO Labor Council, released the following statement on Friday opposing the proposed detention center.
“Working families oppose the proposal to jail asylum seekers anywhere in Concord, Contra Costa County, or America.
“We have worked for a dozen years to create a new vision for the Concord Naval Weapons Station that brings benefits to our community — not prisons. We believe this land – the public’s land, belonging to the people of Concord – should be used for schools, hospitals, affordable homes and good jobs, not the criminal abuse of human rights.
We stand with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier and other elected leaders in their call to reject cynical political posturing. Our federal government needs to restore DACA for our Dreamers and create a path to citizenship in a functional immigration system that supports workers’ rights, family reunification, and the needs of local and global economies.”
Anna Roth, Director of Contra Costa Health Services also released a politically-laced statement on Friday regarding the proposed detention center.
“Contra Costa Health Services learned through media reports on Friday that the former Concord Naval Weapons Station may soon be used as a detention facility for as many as 47,000 undocumented immigrants.
As principle guardian of public health in Contra Costa County, charged with protecting all people who live here, Contra Costa Health Services condemns this dangerous, immoral proposal – not just the location of this facility, but its existence.
Whether the despicable practice of caging young children separately from their parents continues or family members are imprisoned together, there is no place in Contra Costa or any civilized society for these types of facilities.
We know as health professionals the irrevocable harm caused by family separation, a trauma that leads to higher incidence of addiction, mental illness and chronic disease among survivors. The consequences to the health of prisoners, particularly children, are not hard to predict.
The health impacts of institutional violence against immigrants also extend to residents of our county. As Health Services Director, I hear from patients and employees every day who are under duress because of recent immigration practices.
Many Contra Costa residents live in fear, documented and otherwise. Patients miss appointments because they’re afraid ICE will be waiting for them in the doctor’s office.
This climate of fear adversely affects our community’s health, and would only worsen with this detention facility pitched in the center of our county. For the health of all Contra Costans we demand that a detention camp not be located in our county.
Furthermore, we call for an immediate end to the practice of imprisoning undocumented immigrants, particularly children.”
Sincerely,
Anna M. Roth RN, MS, MPH Director | Contra Costa Health Services”
Immigrants who cross the U.S. border illegally and are detained awaiting their court hearing, are part of a backlog of 700,000 immigration court cases according to a report by Mother Jones, including those seeking asylum. But, according to a Washington Times article, the backlog is closer to one million cases. “James McHenry, the director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which handles immigration cases, said Tuesday that the backlog of active cases is over 692,000 and that the courts have an additional 330,000 cases that have been put into ‘administrative closure,’ but that are still before the courts.”
The asylum process takes more time, causing the immigrants to remain in detention longer, which can be extended further if they arrive without documentation. (See requirements for being granted asylum). In order to seek asylum it must be done in the U.S., including at a port of entry, an embassy or consulate in the immigrant’s home country, or in another country, such as Mexico.
Those seeking asylum cannot work while they await the decision by the government until after 150 days have passed, according to information on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ website:
“You cannot apply for permission to work (employment authorization) in the United States at the same time you apply for asylum. You may apply for employment authorization if: 150 days have passed since you filed your complete asylum application, excluding any delays caused by you (such as a request to reschedule your interview) AND No decision has been made on your application.”
According to a 2016 report by then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson during the final year of the Obama Administration, there has been an increase in families from Central America crossing the border illegally and being apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
“Unaccompanied children and families have presented new challenges in our immigration system,” he stated.
Those figures show an increase from 15,000 families crossing illegally in 2013 to almost 78,000 in 2016.
The first time an immigrant crosses illegally they are charged with a misdemeanor. Each subsequent illegal crossing it is a felony. Previously, the parents of those crossing as families for the first time have been apprehended, cited and released, pending their court hearing. But, many of them never appeared for their court date. Instead, the Trump Administration, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ new zero tolerance policy, requires the arrest and detention of even those who cross the border illegally for the first time.
According to the press release by the Department of Justice, the “policy comes as the Department of Homeland Security reported a 203 percent increase in illegal border crossings from March 2017 to March 2018, and a 37 percent increase from February 2018 to March 2018—the largest month-to-month increase since 2011.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Statistics Yearbook for 2016, each year, on average the U.S. allows in one million “foreign nationals who are granted lawful permanent residence (i.e. immigrants who receive a ‘green card’), admitted as temporary nonimmigrants, granted asylum or refugee status, or are naturalized.”
Please check back later for updates to this report.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is committed to preventing gun violence in our communities and educating youth about the dangers and consequences of gun possession. This month, the District Attorney’s Office is collaborating with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the American Academy of Pediatrics in the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Gun Safety Campaign to educate parents and children about gun safety.
Nationwide, approximately 1.7 million youth live in a home with an unlocked, loaded gun. More than one in five U.S. teenagers (ages 14 to 17) report having witnessed a shooting, and an average of seven children and teens under the age of 20 are killed by guns every day. The ASK campaign is a nationwide effort which includes numerous leading national organizations, including education, healthcare, and law enforcement groups who are dedicated to stopping gun violence in America.
“We must address the growing trends of gun violence, not only in our schools but on our streets and in our homes. Common sense gun safety laws do work along with educating parents and guardians on how they can best protect their children at home. My office will continue to partner with law enforcement, our schools, and our community to ensure we are doing all we can to keep our kids safe and to prevent further gun violence,” stated District Attorney Diana Becton.
In honor of the annual summer “ASK Day” kickoff this week, representatives from the District Attorney’s Office will host tables at the Farmers’ Markets in Pittsburg and Martinez on Saturday, June 23rd and Sunday, June 24th to provide the community with information about the risks associated with unsafely stored guns in their homes.
In partnership with the Contra Costa County Probation Department, the District Attorney’s Office will continue to teach the Gun Information for Teens (“GIFT”) Program to youth throughout the county. In 2012, the GIFT Program started as an initial pilot to educate youth about gun violence and prevention, which focused on the intersection between gangs, guns, drugs and youth in our county. The GIFT Program expanded in 2015 remains an important tool for our office to empower students to protect themselves and their communities from gun violence. Representatives from the District Attorney’s Office and Probation Department currently teach this 6-course anti-violence curriculum to approximately 1,000 students each year.
All school district administrators are encouraged to join this collaborative effort to keep our schools and neighborhoods safe; to schedule the GIFT Program at your school, please contact Deputy District Laura Delehunt at ldelehunt@contracostada.org. Courses will be tailored to address the specific needs at your school site and will provide students with valuable skills to make positive choices.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, June 20, 2018 a Contra Costa County jury found defendant Todd Andrew Mayer guilty of two felony counts of stalking family members. The jury also determined Mayer was guilty of six misdemeanors for violating restraining orders that were issued by the court for the protection of his mother. Mayer lived out of state but, his family lived in Danville. He was arrested by Danville Police.
Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Chris Sansoe prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. Sansoe is a prosecutor in the Domestic Violence Unit. The jury trial lasted eight days before the Honorable Nancy Stark. Sentencing for the defendant will occur on July 20, at 9:00 a.m. Mayer could face up to 11 years in state prison.
“I am glad the jury was able to see the defendant’s actions for what they were, terrifying. I hope that the victims and their families can find some peace after this long struggle,” said DDA Sansoe.
In September 2016, after years of verbal and emotional abuse, Mayer’s wife filed for a restraining order for herself and children. She followed the procedures of the Contra Costa County Superior Court and was awarded a restraining order. Within days of receiving the order, Mayer violated the order.
Mayer then began to threaten other members of his family, including his brother and his mother. In March of 2017, Mayer’s brother had applied for and received a restraining order as well. This order prohibited Mayer from contacting his brother, or his brother’s family. Mayer’s mother would also apply for and receive a restraining order. As with his wife, the defendant violated these orders within days. Because of his violations of the restraining orders, his family members blocked his phone number and stopped responding to his violations.
After being blocked from calling or texting by the victims, Mayer switched his harassment to email form. Between March 25, 2017 and his arrest on October 10, 2017, Mayer sent his wife, brother, and mother hundreds of emails. The victims did not respond to these emails. As time passed, Mayer’s emails became more and more threatening in nature.
These threats included statements that Mayer would murder his former wife, brother, and his brother’s family. As time progressed, Mayer’s threats became more descriptive and detailed. On October 3, 2017, Mayer threatened to murder his brother’s wife and child in front of his own brother. In addition, Mayer used the film “Law Abiding Citizen” and its theme to threaten his brother. On October 6, 2017, Mayer sent an email to his family members, in which he threatened to do a Las Vegas type shooting. This threat was five days after the mass shooting occurred on the Las Vegas strip.
Stalking is a serious crime that is often an indicator of other forms of violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that 81 percent of women who were stalked by a current or former husband or cohabitating partner were also physically assaulted by that partner; 31 percent of women were sexually assaulted. 75 percent of women murdered by an intimate partner were stalked first; 85 percent of women who survived murder attempts were stalked. Nearly 3 out of 4 victims know their stalkers in some capacity and the most common relationship between the victim and the perpetrator is a current or former intimate partner. 1 in every 6 U.S. women and 1 out of every 19 U.S. men have been staked in their lifetime.
Abusers use stalking to intimidate and control their victims and the pattern of threats and harassment can come in many forms as it did in this case. Victims can get help by reporting the conduct to the police, by calling the STAND! for Families Free of Violence 24-hour toll free crisis line at 1-888-215-5555 or visiting the Family Justice Centers in Richmond (256 24th St.) or Concord (2151 Salvio St., Ste. 201). In any life-threatening emergency, victims should always call 911.
Case information: People v. Todd Andrew Mayer, Docket Number 05-180613-2
Read MoreConcord woman, three children injured
On Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 6:38 PM Concord Police Department received numerous calls of a two-vehicle collision on Concord Blvd. near 3rd Street. Officers arrived on-scene along with Paramedics and Firefighters from Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
The driver of one of the vehicles was pronounced deceased at the scene. The identity of the deceased driver is not being released at this time pending positive identification and notification of next of kin by the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 32-year old female from Concord, was transported to the hospital by ambulance with serious injuries. Three children who were passengers in that car (ages 8 years, 8 years, and 10 months) were also transported to the hospital with serious injuries that were not believed to be life threatening.
The female driver is cooperating with the investigation. At this time, alcohol/drugs are not believed to be a factor in this collision.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation. Preliminary investigation has revealed that both vehicles were traveling east-bound on Concord Blvd. prior to the collision.
Concord Blvd. was closed between 3rd Street and Parkside Drive for approximately three hours to perform roadway measurements, collect evidence, and conduct the investigation.
Additional details are not being released at this time.
Anyone with information or who may have witnessed this collision is encouraged to contact Officer Ghaznawi at (925) 603-5931.
Read MoreFun and laughter for the entire family
Finally, a comedy show that caters to the entire family. The Family Friendly Comedy Show, in Brentwood on Saturday, June 30, will be a night filled with food, fun and laughter.
Headlining will be Donald Lacy from BET’s ComicView and HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, Featuring G. King one of the nation’s funniest and fastest rising comedians, Special Guest Jay Rich straight off the Paul Mooney & Friends Tour, Hosted by Comedian and Award-Winning Actor of Stage and Screen Lenard Jackson from Antioch. Music provided by DJ Oasis.
Saturday June 30, 2018, 8:00 pm doors open at 7:00 pm. Admission $20. at Brentwood Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 757 First Street in Brentwood. Brought to you by Rick Sullivan & C.O.G.H. This is a Rick Sullivan Production.
Producer and Promoter Rick Sullivan believes that there is a desire for comedy shows that cater to the entire family and decided to fill that void. Now parents and kids can come out and enjoy a comedy event together.
For the full line up and tickets for this event, please visit: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3475085 or contact Rick Sullivan at 510.228.7038. Food and beverages will be available to purchase at the show.
Read More