Contra Costa Herald

Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek locations

The voter registration deadline has passed, but you can still register and vote in one transaction. Several convenient locations will be available leading up to and during Election Day for you to register to vote and cast your ballot.

Contra Costa Elections Division offers Conditional Voter Registration as a safety net for those who were unable to complete or update their voter registration before the deadline.

“We want to make sure that everybody who is eligible to register to vote has ample opportunity to cast their ballot,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters.

The Conditional Registration steps include going to an eligible county location, filling out a form that includes your name, address, date of birth and either the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your driver’s license number, and casting your ballot.

Conditionally voted ballots are processed once our office completes the verification of the voter registrations and confirms no ballot has already been voted.

This service will be available starting today at the Elections Office during normal business hours and on Election Day from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Conditional Voter Registration will also be available at the following Regional Early Voting locations on November 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th:

• Antioch: Antioch Community Center, 4703 Lone Tree Way
• Richmond: Bay Hill Community Church, 4000 Klose Way
• Walnut Creek: Walnut Creek City Hall, 1666 North Main Street.

Regional Early Voting will be available from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on the weekdays and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, November 3rd. These locations are available to all Contra Costa voters looking to cast their ballot ahead of time and avoid the Election Day rush. Any Contra Costa voter can vote at any one of the Regional Early Voting locations.

For more information, call 925-335-7800.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

Tuesday morning at about 3:26 a.m., Delta Station Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a female screaming for help on the 3500 block of Wells Road in unincorporated Oakley.

One person reported seeing a naked man holding an infant. The man was struggling with a female for control of the infant.  Additional callers reported the female had passed the infant over to them and they had secured the infant in a nearby condominium.

The female continued to struggle with the male, who was attempting to throw her off of the balcony. Four neighbors arrived and were able to control the male after a struggle. The female fled to safety.

Deputies arrived on scene seeing a person on the ground who was being held down by others. After securing the person in handcuffs, Deputies found that he was unresponsive. Deputies unhandcuffed the subject and began CPR.  AMR arrived on scene and performed life-saving measures for approximately 10 minutes. The subject was transported to a local hospital.  The infant was also transported to the hospital as a precaution.

The investigation is ongoing. The subject is not being identified at this time. Additional details are pending.

On Thursday October 25, 2018, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged 21-year-old Martinez resident Aaron Kurtis Mikkelsen with multiple felony violations including committing lewd acts with a minor under 13, producing child pornography, as well as selling and distributing child sexual abuse material online.

On October 23, 2018, the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant in Martinez related to Mikkelsen selling child pornography on social media. During the search, investigators located evidence that Mikkelsen had sexually abused a child under 13 years old. Investigators located a significant amount of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone and in various social media accounts.

Mikkelsen will be arraigned in Martinez at the Contra Costa County Superior Courthouse this morning. Mikkelsen remains in the custody of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office on $500,000 bail. Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Kolko is prosecuting the case on behalf of the People.

The investigation was conducted by a multi-agency Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and Inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.

Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children, and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org or our website for further information.

Case information: People v. Mikkelsen, Dockett Number 01-187610-1

Panthers to host Pirates for the historic rivalry

By Luke Johnson

One of the greatest high school football rivalry games will likely decide who gets a playoff bid and who doesn’t.

“If we lose tomorrow, we shouldn’t be in the open division,” said Pittsburg head coach Vic Galli.

The No. 1 and 2 seeds for the North Coast Section Open Division appear be locked in for De La Salle (9-0) and Liberty (9-0, 4-0 BVAL). In contention for potentially one of the other two seeds are Antioch (7-2, 2-2) and Pittsburg (6-3, 3-1), who play in the 100th Big Little Game Saturday.

Galli said Antioch’s greatest strength is its quarterback Willem Karnthong, who has passed for 1,120 yards and rushed for 406 this season.

Karnthong has 43 career touchdown passes and is seven away from breaking the Panthers’ all-time record.

The Pirates have to overcome injuries from star players to win the contest. Washington-bound nose guard Jacob Bandes and starting quarterback Tre Turner are ruled out for the game.

“Pittsburg’s greatest strength is the front seven — specifically, that triangle that anchors the middle: [Jack] Lacy, Bandes and [De’Jon] Benton,” said Antioch quarterback coach Juan Corral. “All 3 of those guys are Top 5 all time in their school’s history at their positions.”

Another weapon in Pittsburg’s arsenal is Willie Harts III, who has scored touchdowns via passing, rushing, receiving, interception, kick return and punt return this season.

Other key players for the Panthers consist of wide receiver Gaudie Campbell and linebacker Vinny Ballardo. Campbell is tied for most all-time receiving touchdowns at Antioch with 18 and Ballardo has averaged 100-plus tackles per season since he was a sophomore.

Game time is 1:30 p.m. at Antioch High School’s Eels Stadium at W. 18th at L Streets.

On Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 10 AM to 2 PM, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your pills for disposal at the following sites du ring the National Prescription Drug TAKE BACK DAY. The DEA cannot accept needles or sharps, only pills, patches, and liquids sealed in their original container. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

DROP OFF LOCATIONS:

-Office of the Sheriff Muir Station, 1980 Muir Road, Martinez. (Field Operations Building)

-Office of the Sheriff Bay Station, 5555 Giant Highway, Richmond. (West County Detention Facility)

-Danville Police Department, 510 La Gonda Way, Danville.

-Lafayette Police Department, 3471 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette.

-Orinda Police Department, 22 Orinda Way, Orinda.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish at home are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take Back event, go to the DEA Office of Diversion Control website at: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, at approximately 12:17 p.m., the Lafayette Police Department received a call of a suspicious subject in the area of School Street and 1st Street, near Lafayette Elementary School. The citizen reported a male adult sitting in a vehicle touching his genitals while staring at children.

The citizen provided a description of the subject and the vehicle as the subject drove away. Officers were able to locate the vehicle on eastbound Highway 24 prior to Pleasant Hill and conducted an enforcement stop. The driver was positively identified as the reported subject and was detained.

Currently, there have been no reports of children seeing the subject and the citizen caller was an adult.

The suspect is identified as 33-year-old Franklin Rivera of Bay Point. He was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for indecent exposure. He is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call Lafayette Police Detective Sergeant Rossberg at (925) 299-3234 or send an email to 94549tip@gmail.com.

Send letter to Homeland Security Secretary over changes to federal “public charge” rule changes which could adversely affect illegal immigrants

By Daniel Borsuk

Unlike 15 years ago, a new study with a potential crackdown on illegal dumping in unincorporated Contra Costa County might succeed, with an infusion of money, the possible assistance from the county’s two chief trash collectors, and the installation of surveillance cameras at hotspots where illegal haulers go to dump their loads.

Even though the county launched earlier this year its permit program for private haulers, there are telltale signs the program might be in trouble because not enough haulers can afford to buy the permits to legally pickup, haul and dump trash at authorized sites.

Supervisors are scheduled to receive an update from the county Health Department on the new trash haulers license program at their Nov. 6 meeting.

“I’ve seen haulers park their trucks in residential neighborhoods because they have no other place to go,” said District I Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond, whose district receives most of the illegally dumped litter in the county. He speculates those haulers probably illegally get rid of their hauls by dumping their load in empty dumpsters.  “There is more illegal dumping in North Richmond than anywhere else,” said Gioia.

Bay Point places second in luring the most illegal dumping. Bay Point is so serious that in less than a year the Bay Point Blight Program collected more than 13 tons of trash, the Illegal Dumping Think Tank County Interdepartmental Team reported. “Illegal dumping in Bay Point is so bad that at time it spills onto streets and sidewalks,” the report stated.

The illegal dumping problem is so bad countywide that last July the county launched a $1.82 million interdepartmental team activity to identify strategies to wipe out the county’s chronic illegal dumping problem that cost the county more than $1.2 million to clean up litter in 2017-2018, but had only budgeted $400,000 for a part-time private contractor to pick up illegal litter for the current fiscal year.

District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg said he saw many of the same recommendations 15 years ago when another anti-litter study was conducted.

“We have not found the right mechanism that fits,” he said. “We still have the illegal haulers.  They can still pick up and dump illegally, especially in Bay Point.”

Supervisor Gioia agreed with Glover that 90 percent of the task force’s recommendations resemble those proposed in a 2003 study, but county Conservation & Development Department Director John Kipchak, who lead the illegal dumping think tank effort, listed six of the 55 recommendations that supervisors should pay particular attention.

Those recommendations include setting aside $10,000 for public outreach, budgeting $58,000 for mandatory garbage service, establishing a free mattress recycling program, on-call right-of-way debris removal by Public Works and on-call right-of-way clean-up by franchise haulers (Republic Services and Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery that will require increased garbage rates), dedicate two law enforcement deputies to investigate dumping crimes at an additional cost of $566,000 and the installation of surveillance high definition, license plate reader cameras at a cost of $50,000.

Supervisors were interested in in hearing how the city of San Pablo has curbed illegal dumping with the installation of 165 cameras located in strategic hotspots in a in a city that is six square miles, said city Public Works Director Jill Mercurio.   San Pablo has plans to install more cameras, Mercurio said, because they have proven to help law enforcement arrest the illegal dumpers at an economical cost.

Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery representative Sal Evola, who also serves on the Pittsburg City Council, said while the company and the county’s other major commercial garbage hauler, Republic Services, have not been involved in the county’s illegal dumping initiative, both companies would be willing to provide input at future meetings.  Getting the two garbage haulers involved in the county’s trash initiative could give the county’s illegal trash initiative an extra incentive.

Supervisors learned the county has a private contractor who picks up illegal dumped trash around the county at a yearly price tag of $400,000.  Contra Costa County Public Works Department Deputy Director Mike Carlson was unable to exactly answer supervisors’ questions as to how frequently the on-call contractor picks-up litter, but he said the contractor actually picks up litter two days a week for the county and the contractor may take up to four to six weeks before the contractor gets to a reported litter area for cleanup.

Supervisors Oppose Proposed Rules Changes to Federal Public Charge

Concerning a new United States Department of Homeland Security published proposed change to the “public charge” in the Federal Register, the Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to instruct staff to send a letter to the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Senate and House leader and the Contra County Federal Congressional Delegation to declare the board’s opposition to the proposed rule change to public charge.

A public charge is someone who is likely to become dependent on the government for subsistence.

Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Director Kathy Gallagher, Contra Costa County Health Services Director Anna Roth, and Contra Costa Housing Authority Director Joseph Villarreal recommended that the rule change would impose “grave economic and health consequences” to the county’s immigrants.

“While the proposed public charge changes are primarily directed toward applications for Legal Permanent Residency for those already in the United States, there could be an overall chilling effect of causing uncertainty and confusion among immigrant families about using public programs for themselves and their children,” Contra Costa County Human Services Director Gallagher wrote in her recommendation to the supervisors.  “Not only would disenrollment or foregone enrollment lead to worse health outcomes and greater poverty risk for the families foregoing benefits, but public health at-large could be affected by sicker individuals in the community, increased emergency room use and uncompensated care.”

Rene Zimmer of the Contra Costa County Economic Opportunity Council urged supervisors to oppose the rule change by labeling it a “disturbing rule.”

Antioch City Councilman Lamar Thorpe said that this rule change promotes “unnecessary fear” in community.

$1.2 Million Landscaping Contract Awarded     

Supervisors awarded Dominguez Landscape Services, Inc. a $1.2 million contract to provide landscape maintenance services countywide from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2021.

The county is searching for ways to reduce water usage at county facilities.  The contractor will convert the grass and green ground cover to drought resistant plants that require less water.

Capital Road Program OK’d

The county’s Capital Road Improvement Preservation Program for 2018/2019 to 20124/2025 was unanimously approved without comments from the public.  The county road improvement program for the next seven years is paid through state gas tax revenue, a source of revenue state voters will decide on the Nov. 6 ballot with Proposition 6.  The CRIPP lays out road projects for the Contra Costa Public Works Department for the next seven years.

Pictured with the Supervisors are representatives of community and law enforcement organizations including D.A. Diana Becton, (rear left) present at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting. Photo by Daniel Borsuk

At their Tuesday, Oct. 9th meeting, County Supervisors recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Supervisors urge residents to participate in efforts to stop domestic violence in our homes, schools, and in our community. About 40 percent of California women experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. In 2017 state law enforcement agencies received 169,362 domestic violence-related calls and had 90 domestic violence deaths, 80 were females and 10 were males.

Fire Chief Jeff Carmen (center) is joined by County Supervisors and members of ConFire staff on Oct. 9, 2018. Photo by Daniel Borsuk

Also honored by County Supervisors

Fire Chief Carman

By Daniel Borsuk

During their meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors honored Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Carman for receiving the Ronny Jack Coleman Fire Chief of the Year Award from the California Fire Chiefs Association (CalChiefs).

Carman was presented the award at the association’s annual conference in Sacramento on Friday morning, Sept. 28.

The California Fire Chiefs Association established the award in 2000 to recognize an outstanding member of the state fire service leadership community. The award recognizes a single individual who is a role model for all fire chiefs in the state as demonstrated through leadership and management locally, regionally and statewide.

“The prestigious Ronny Jack Coleman Fire Chief of the Year Award recognizes our member who is a role model for all fire chiefs statewide,” said Jeffrey Meston, President Elect, CalChiefs and Chief, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department. “And, owing to his leadership, and the accomplishments of his district under that leadership, I am pleased to award Jeff Carman this year’s Fire Chief of the Year award on behalf of CalChiefs.”

Carman leads a 400-member ConFire in providing fire and emergency medical response to more than 1 million people in a 304-square-mile area in Contra Costa County.

During his nearly five-year tenure, the chief and his staff have reopened four stations that were closed during the recession, staffed the fire rescue boat, and improved overall fire response times. They also planned and executed implementation of the Offices of Emergency Services Type 2 Hazardous Materials Response team, and developed and expanded a joint venture with the Sheriff’s Office helicopter program for short-haul rescue and firefighting.

Chief Carman and his staff were also created a unique 911 emergency ambulance system called Alliance, a private-public partnership with AMR, which supervisors credited for saving tax dollars and providing improved response times.

“I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of the men and women of our district whose dedication, professionalism and selfless service have made all our accomplishments possible these last five years.,” said Jeff Carman, Fire Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “I’m also thankful for the leadership and vision of our county administrator and his staff, and our incredibly supportive fire board members who have, together, created the collaborative environment essential to our success on behalf of the citizens of Contra Costa County.”

Supervisor Karen Mitchoff said Carman has been a “strong voice on statewide mutual aid” at a critical time of large, widespread fires.

“I really appreciate the leadership you have demonstrated, to bring ConFire out of a very challenging situation,” Supervisor Candace Andersen said.

Carman added, “I’m eager to continue our work here, and with my fellow fire chiefs, across the state, to challenge the status quo and continue to drive change in how we deliver better and more effective fire and EMS services to the citizens of our state.”

About Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is a recognized fire service leader providing fire and emergency medical services to more than a million people across a 304 square-mile area, in and around the 20 cities of Contra Costa County, California. In 2017, the District responded to nearly 74,000 fire and EMS emergencies and provided expert medical care in the conduct of more than 75,000 ambulance transports. The District with 25 fire stations and nearly 400 employees is dedicated to the preservation of life, property and the environment.

About California Fire Chiefs Association (CalChiefs)

CalChiefs is a professional association whose vision is to be the voice of the California fire service covering the spectrum of fire and EMS delivery, actively engaging in legislation that affects service delivery throughout the state, including national issues. CalChiefs membership includes leaders at all levels from the more than 800 municipal fire service agencies and fire districts (paid, combination & volunteer), state and federal government agencies, and corporate fire brigades operating in the state of California and associated colleagues from fire service support organizations and vendors. 

Allen Payton and the Richmond Standard contributed to this report.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host a town hall meeting at Lovonya DeJean Middle School in Richmond on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.

This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 74th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress in January 2015. During the town hall, Congressman DeSaulnier will provide a legislative update on what is happening in Washington, take questions from constituents, and discuss the services his office can provide.

Richmond Town Hall
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Lovonya DeJean Middle School
Multipurpose Room
3400 Macdonald Avenue
Richmond, CA 94805
Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.

This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling 925-933-2660. To request ADA accommodations, translation services, or for more information, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Richmond or Walnut Creek.