By Allen Payton
An anonymous email on Tuesday morning, November 8th, with the signature line reading “Voiceless Employees of the Contra Costa Community College District,” took the Board of Governors to task for a “Lack of Transparency in Chancellor Selection Process,” as was written in the subject line of the email message. Board President Vicki Gordon disputes that and says the process was participatory and fair.
The email message read as follows:
“To Whom it May Concern,
We write to you today sharing the voices of many within the Contra Costa Community College District whom believe the existing Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees has, with malicious intent, manipulated the recent search process that led to the selection of Dr. Fred Wood for Chancellor of the district.
The Board selected its own Board President, Vicki Gordon, to serve as chair of the search committee. Board policy (BP 2057) outlines that the Board is to appoint a chair of the committee, not to appoint itself as the chair of the committee. This unprecedented move to have a Board member, no less the sitting Board President, serve as the chair of the initial screening interview process and then as Chair of the final interview process eliminated the opportunity for district employees, through their representation on the search committee, to have a true voice in the process.
Board President Vicki Gordon then violated the intent and practice of the Brown Act, calling a special meeting of the Board to announce its decision, without providing the normal 72 hour public notification. While it is understood that Special Meetings are allowed with only one day’s notice, the rush to announce a selection was unnecessary, as a regular Board meeting is scheduled to take place on November 9th. Both Vicki Gorgon and Greg Enholm are up for re-election on November 8th.
The Board interviewed the final candidates and did not consult with the screening interview committee regarding the committee’s feedback on the finalists. These committee members all serve as representative voices of the various governance and labor groups within the district. Instead, the Board relied entirely on Board President Vicki Gordon’s account, whom again placed herself at both levels of the interview process, as Chair of the committees.
IF the Board had held a transparent evaluation of the final candidates, it would have become clear that there remained significant concerns about the qualifications of Dr. Wood:
– Dr. Wood has never worked within the California Community College system, except for a brief graduate teaching assignment over 30 years ago. Dr. Wood has never served in any post-graduate administration or faculty role within any community college.
– Dr. Wood has never served as a President of any community college.
– Dr. Wood currently serves as Chancellor, which is a President level position in California, at a rural four year institution in Minnesota that serves 1,800 students, 900 of which are online students. In comparison the Contra Costa Community College District serves over 50,000 students and has more employees than the institution Dr. Wood currently serves.
– Dr. Wood was forced out of his position as Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at UC Davis after the infamous pepper spray incident in 2011/12 and proceeding fall out, yet no reference or any background checks on this situation were conducted.
The Contra Costa Community College District, despite the incompetence of its current Board of Trustees, continues to be one of the most successful and well respected community college districts within California. It is appalling that the Board would manipulate the Chancellor selection process to hire an individual that should have never even been in consideration as a finalist. Dr. Wood may be a qualified leader in the world of four year higher education, but his experience is not a match for the needs and complexity of the Contra Costa Community College District.
Sincerely,
Voiceless Employees of the Contra Costa Community College District”
A reply message to the email address of origin from @guerrilamail.com, asking for the identity of the senders, did not receive a response. That’s because Guerrilla Mail is a “Disposal Temporary Email Address” as it describes itself on the website. It offers the promotional message of, “Don’t want to give them your real email? Use a temporary email. No registration, lasts 60 mins. Protection from Spam.”
When reached for comment, Board President Vicki Gordon said, the college district has “participatory governance, which means everyone has the opportunity to participate, our students, our faculty and staff, the community and the process was really, really open.”
“The passage of AB1725 gives all constituent groups a role in the governance of higher education,” she explained. “I have been reaching out to all of the groups who are concerned and talking with them about the process. But reaching out has been taking longer than I thought.”
Asked if faculty and staff participated in the process, Gordon replied “They did.”
“We held public forums which were announced in local media,” she stated. “We had a search committee, following our policy, comprised of faculty and staff, and two college presidents, and community members. That got us to the three final candidates.”
“Each candidate participated in four forums. So we had 12 forums scheduled,” Gordon continued. “We also videotaped the forums at Contra Costa College and played those live and recorded them so people could go to the website and view them. And people did and made comments and we collected that input, as well.”
She said the Board did follow the state’s open meeting law, known as the Brown Act.
“As the Board President and Chair of the committee, I worked very hard to ensure inclusion, to ensure the process was true, ensure all voices were heard and that it was fair,” she stated. “I’m ecstatic with the results and happy with the Board. We had a difficult time making this decision. We talked about it extensively at the Board level. I’m very proud of our Board members for putting in the time and energy.”
“Dr. Fred Wood brings not only a new, fresh outside look, but a hometown view as well,” Gordon said of the new chancellor, who not only attended Diablo Valley College as a student, he graduated from College Park High School in Pleasant Hill. “He walked the path that many of our college students are following and working to accomplish. We look forward to having him on board, soon.”
Dr. Wood is expected to start his new position in January.
Read MoreBy Allen Payton
In a post on Facebook, Monday evening, Antioch resident Angrett Davies shared how she narrowly escaped being hit by a woman who drove her car into her husband and two others, outside a family court house in Martinez, Monday morning. A short time later the woman jumped to her death from the Benicia Bridge.
“I praised the Lord for my life tonight,” Davies wrote. “This morning as I went to Martinez family court building, I started praying parts of Psalm 91 for no reason other than I felt the urge to pray. I kept speaking and praying these words as I drove.”
“When my appointment was over, 30 seconds after I crossed the street where the white van is located, the women (sic) waiting at that intersection to hurt her husband saw her husband in the intersection crossing and she hit the gas peddle to run him over,” Davies shared. “I was spared by 30 seconds. I was in the crosswalk she went through to hit him.”
“I cried and sang praises all the way home and cried more when I told my family,” she added. “I am so grateful to God and Jesus. Thank God those people were not killed.”
Davies, who was recently certified as a new chaplain in the county, then quoted verses 3-15 from the passage in the Bible in her Facebook post.
The woman apparently waited outside of the Family Court Center and drove her car into her estranged husband and two others, before later committing suicide by jumping off the Benicia Bridge.
According to a press release by Commander Eric Ghisletta of the Martinez Police Department, “at 10:33 a.m., Martinez Police Dispatch received a call of an injury accident at the intersection of Court St. and Main St. The reporting party advised the suspect had fled in a light blue vehicle.
Upon MPD arrival, several Contra Costa County Sheriff Deputies were already on scene rendering first aid to three injured subjects. In speaking with witnesses, it appears the suspect intentionally struck three pedestrians in the crosswalk and then fled the area. All three subjects were transported to local hospitals with moderate injuries.
It appears one of the victims left a family court hearing at the Family Law Center (751 Pine St.) just prior to the incident. He was accompanied by two friends and as they were crossing the street, the victim’s estranged wife accelerated her vehicle toward the three subjects in the crosswalk. The drive struck all three pedestrians then stopped the vehicle and reversed directions. She struck one of the victims a second time with her vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Approximately twenty minutes later, Benicia Police Department received a report of a female that appeared to have jumped from the Benicia Bridge. Martinez PD, Benicia PD, CHP and the United States Coast Guard responded to the area where they located a deceased female under the bridge. A vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle in the hit and run was located on the bridge in the area where the female had jumped.
Based on all indications, it appears the female who jumped from the bridge was also the driver of the vehicle who struck the pedestrians. Her name is being withheld until positive identification from the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office.
Investigation is ongoing.”
A call into Detective Miles Williamson who is investigating the case, received a response from Detective Craig Schnabel who said he had no updates, at this time. He has a call into the hospitals but has not heard back. He also stated that the woman’s name has not yet been released.
Please check back later for updates to this story.
Read MoreFirst numbers will be available shortly after 8:00 pm
You won’t have to wait long to get updated election results from Contra Costa County Elections Division on Tuesday night.
Results of vote-by-mail ballots for the Presidential General Election that have been returned through last Friday will be available shortly after the polls close at 8:00 pm on Election Night.
Meanwhile, with results being collected from precincts throughout the County, the first update can be expected at about 9:30 pm, with results updated about every 30 minutes until all precincts report.
The availability of updated reports will be communicated via Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #CoCoVote2016. Changes to the reporting schedule, if any, will also be communicated on these social media sites.
The Contra Costa Elections Division social media pages are:
https://www.Twitter.com/CoCoElections
https://www.facebook.com/EngageContraCosta/
https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaElections/
Election results will be posted to the Elections website, www.cocovote.us, throughout the night and will be updated by 5:00 pm on Thursday November 10th and then every Friday until the election is certified.
The county has until December 6th to certify the Presidential Election and until December 8th to certify all other items on the ballot.
Local election results will also be available throughout Election Night on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 9:00 pm on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.
Read MoreContra Costa voters will have one more quick and easy way to return their vote-by-mail ballots on Election Day.
The Contra Costa Elections Division is hosting a drive-thru ballot drop off site outside of its office, located at 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. The drive-thru will be located along northbound Alhambra Avenue, just north of Escobar.
The drive-thru will be open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday, and 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on Tuesday.
The goal of the drive-thru is that drivers won’t have to get out of their car or find a parking spot.
Early Voting will continue to available in the Contra Costa Elections Office on Monday and Tuesday; 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday and 7:00 am to 8:00 pm Tuesday.
Additionally, vote-by-mail voters can continue to drop off their ballots at “CoCo Vote-N-Go” drop-off boxes at all 19 city hall buildings, select branches of the Contra Costa Library and the County Administration building on 651 Pine Street, Martinez.
For more information, visit www.cocovote.us.
Read MoreDear Editor:
With Election Day almost here, I’d like to take a moment to say thank you. This campaign has reaffirmed for me how proud I am to live in this community, and it’s the people that make our community so great.
I am very proud of the campaign we ran. My campaign stayed positive throughout the campaign, even when I was being attacked and my record was being distorted. This was a commitment I made to the community when I started the campaign, and I’m proud to have seen it through.
Over the last few months, as well as last spring during the primary election, I have walked door to door across most of the district. I walked so much I actually wore through two pairs of shoes. And by knocking on so many doors and meeting so many in the community I hope you saw firsthand the energy I bring to the job and how involved I would be in the actual community.
It was a pleasure meeting and talking with so many of you, and I learned a lot about the different communities within our community, as well as the daily struggles, the frustrations with policy, and the desire for actual change. Most of all I saw that the learning process is never over, and that there is always a need to be out in the community working directly with the people we serve. This job can’t be done, stuck behind a desk.
And now that the campaign is coming to a close, I’d like to make one last ask for your vote. Representing you at the County would be a privilege, and a partnership that can get results for our community. Thank you.
Steve Barr, Candidate for County Supervisor
Brentwood
Read MoreAssemblymember Jim Frazier, whose 11th Assembly District includes much of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, has called upon a state board to reject a change in water rights as proposed by proponents of the Delta twin tunnels project. frazier-waterfix-letter-nov-2016
“My constituents expect to be protected by the State of California,” Frazier said in a six-page letter to the State Water Resources Control Board, which is considering a petition to divert water from the Sacramento River into the tunnels that would be built by the California WaterFix Project.
The project requires a change in water rights. A petition for that change was filed this summer by the state Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which want to ship water to Central and Southern California by going around the Delta via twin tunnels.
With public hearings on the petition continuing this month and into the new year, Frazier denounced the proposed diversions, saying they would “devastate Delta communities that rely on a healthy Delta environment to ensure a thriving local economy.”
Frazier asserted that the WaterFix Project does not meet the requirements of the 2009 Delta Reform Act, which established the co-equal goals of providing a reliable water supply while protecting, restoring and enhancing the Delta – “in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource and agricultural values of the Delta.”
“This language was not just provided as an idle consideration for the administration, but represents a high-level declaration of policy that must be satisfied,” he wrote.
Frazier criticized the WaterFix Project, stating that it does nothing to increase or ensure a reliable water supply, nor does it take into consideration that the water it proposes to take is needed by those who live and work in and around the Delta. The diversions, he said, will endanger the livelihoods of those who depend on Delta farming, fishing and tourism, as well as the millions of Californians who get their drinking water directly from the Delta.
And a proposal to backfill the diversion by taking water from farmers and communities in other parts of the state is also unacceptable, he said.
“I urge the administration not to take water from farmers and communities around the state to give it to the Delta just so that the administration can turn around and justify shipping approximately the same volume of water to Southern California,” Frazier added.
To contact Assemblymember Frazier please visit his website at www.asmdc.org/frazier or call his District Offices at 707-399-3011 or 925-513-0411. Follow Frazier on Facebook and “Like” him for updates on events and happenings in the 11th AD.
Read MoreOperation Ceasefire is a problem-oriented policing intervention aimed at reducing youth homicide and youth firearms violence. Began in Boston, it has been adopted by Chicago, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and these cities achieved reductions in gun homicide of 25 to over 60 percent. In California, Stockton reduced gun homicide by more than 43 percent between 1998 and 2001. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has been operating a pilot program in Richmond for several years.
“We have been monitoring the success of Ceasefire in Richmond since I chaired the Public Protection Committee,” of the county, said Supervisor Federal Glover. “There has been a significant drop in violent crime in Richmond and we want to spread the program countywide.”
This strategy, based upon extensive research and experience, has evolved from a primary focus on deterring serious gang and youth gun violence, to a comprehensive approach that combines deterrence with workforce training, employment, and other services.
According to the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office, “The Operation Ceasefire model is being used in California under the program name Safe Community Partnership (SCP). The SCP is a partnership among the Governor’s Office, private funders (including the California Wellness Foundation, the California Endowment, and Kaiser Permanente, Community Benefits, Northern California Region), the Public Health Institute, and six California cities (Modesto, Stockton, Oakland, Salinas, Oxnard and Union City). These partners are working together to implement an evidence-based, data-driven approach designed to reduce serious gang violence in the near term and on a community-wide level. In addition to Oakland and Salinas in the Northern District, East Palo Alto, Richmond and Union City have been added to the Safe Community Partnership/Operation Ceasefire program.”
Contra Costa County is searching for a coordinator for the Ceasefire program, which will be run out of the County Administrator’s Office and work across the various county departments, including the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, Probation and Health Services. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been issued for individuals interested in the position of coordinator.
Interested individuals can view the RFQ at: http://www.cccounty.us/2366/Services-Programs
Final responses will be due at 651 Pine Street, 10th floor, Martinez, CA 94553 by noon, Nov. 17, 2016. Questions about the RFQ can be submitted to lara.delaney@cao.cccounty.us by 12 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2016.
“Reaching out to these gang members, or people who are thinking about joining a gang, might make them think twice before they break the law or commit an act of violence,” said Glover. “Ceasefire will help reduce incarceration and, in the end, reduce the social and financial costs for our society.”
For more information about Operation Ceasefire, click here.
Read MoreDear Editor:
In yesterday’s mail I received an attempt at a smear ad for one of our local candidates for County Supervisor, Diane Burgis. The claim, in bold red font, states that she intends to draw a salary and benefits for that position, paid for by the taxpayers. Does candidate Steve Barr, therefore, intend to forfeit his salary and benefits if elected?
Further, it attempts to slam her for drawing a salary as Executive Director of Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed (FOMCW). She can’t be chastised for drawing a salary for that work, as she is paid with grant funding to organize and mobilize volunteers, engage in community outreach, run successful creek cleanups of our local watershed, and support academy internships for local students. FOMCW saves the County money, especially with the trash cleanups. She has done a fine job linking people of all ages to their local environment and to the scientific community.
I find the ad misleading, lacking integrity, and unprofessional. I hope fellow community members see through the lame attempt by big oil and so-called “criminal prosecutors” to discredit a person who has fought for improved health of our local environment. I doubt these folks from Sacramento have ever organized a community volunteer force like Diane Burgis has.
I’m going to donate more money to FOMCW out of spite for this negative political ad. The community organization has done a fantastic job over the fifteen years I’ve been familiar with it, and it is an honor to continue to support FOMCW as well as Diane Burgis for County Supervisor.
Sincerely,
Spencer Holmes
Brentwood
Read MoreThe Contra Costa Community College District (District) Governing Board held a special public meeting on Friday, November 4, 2016, to announce they reached a unanimous decision to select Dr. Fred E. Wood as the next chancellor.
“All three finalists demonstrated strong leadership skills,” said Governing Board President Vicki Gordon. “In the end, Dr. Wood was chosen because of his focus on student success, building programs and services to help community college students successfully transfer to a four-year institution, experience working collaboratively with business on career technical education, and successful fundraising abilities.”
The announcement was made following a nationwide search, that began in May 2016. Potential candidates were reviewed and three finalists were selected to participate in public forums and final interviews this week.
Governing Board President Vicki Gordon recognized the dedication and work conducted by the Search Committee. “In addition, we were also very pleased and want to thank the faculty, staff, managers, and community leaders who attended the public forums and provided input on the candidates. Their feedback was important in making our decision.”
The District will begin negotiating the contract with Dr. Wood with the goal of placing the item on the December 14, 2016, Governing Board meeting agenda for review and approval.
“As a Diablo Valley College (DVC) alumni, I am humbled and extremely honored to be selected to serve as the next chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District,” says Dr. Wood. “My DVC experience changed my life, and I am living proof of the power and impact community colleges can make. I am excited to work with my colleagues throughout the District to transform the lives of all our students who strive to achieve their higher educational goals with us.”
Wood presently serves as Chancellor at the University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC). UMC, which was a two-year technical college beginning in 1966 and transitioned to a baccalaureate granting institution in 1993, is a work-force focused campus of the U of M system of which half of the degree seeking students are on-campus students and the other half are on-line. UMC offers an experiential learning based curriculum where on-campus students are required to complete an internship and currently offers 14 degrees fully on-line.
Chancellor Wood joined UMC after a 26-year career at the University of California, Davis, where he served as vice chancellor of student affairs from 2007 to 2012, leading one of the largest student affairs portfolios in the nation. His career at UC Davis included other leadership positions, as well, such as interim vice provost for undergraduate studies and associate dean of the College of Letters and Science, while concurrently serving as a faculty member in chemistry.
He began both his college education and professional career at the community college. Prior to UC Davis, Dr. Wood was a faculty member at North Idaho College and his first teaching assignment during graduate school was at Diablo Valley College.
A first-generation college graduate, Chancellor Wood earned an A.A from Diablo Valley College, and B.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Davis. He is married and has three grown children. He enjoys hiking, biking and skiing with his family.
Wood will oversee the Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD), which is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez.
Read MoreDear Editor:
When I made the difficult decision to not seek reelection to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, my choice was made easier by the fact that Diane Burgis would make an extraordinary County Supervisor. She is a smart and dedicated public servant, and I have been proud to work with her for many years.
I wanted to take a moment to cut through some of the smear tactics and tell you about the Diane Burgis that I know and trust.
I was surprised to see the recent hit pieces mailed by real estate developers and “Big Oil”/petroleum interests that support Diane’s opponent and attack Diane Burgis. These ridiculous mail pieces accuse Diane of “climbing the ladder.”
Well, – that’s what capable people do – when opportunities arise they move up to greater positions of responsibility and governance. Talented people, such as Diane Burgis, are recruited by the community, and by those leaving office, to carry on the work that must be done in the publics’ best interests.
That is why I asked Diane to run for County Supervisor. She has proven to be a thoughtful, regional leader, one who brings people together to find workable solutions.
The campaign process is well known as “silly season”. It is to be expected. However, I believe we are beyond the point of telling one of our most respected female leaders that she should stay put and know her place.
I believe Diane will make an excellent County Supervisor. She is talented, compassionate and hardworking. She will work every day to improve our community by reducing traffic, boosting public safety and defending our precious Delta.
Please don’t fall for the dirty tricks. Join me, Sheriff Livingston, District Attorney Mark Peterson, local Firefighters, Deputy Sheriffs and many other community leaders in voting for Diane Burgis for County Supervisor.
Mary Nejedly Piepho
County Supervisor
Discovery Bay
Read More