Ivette Montes from her Facebook page.
By Allen Payton
At 11:47 pm Monday night, emergency personnel from the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District responded to a single vehicle roll-over accident on Balfour Road east of Deer Valley Road, according to Interim Battalion Chief Ross Macumber. The accident took the life of a 51-year-old Hispanic woman from Tracy.
The Contra Costa Coroner’s office identified her as Ivette Montes.
“As our units were leaving CHP was actively investigating,” Macumber stated.
According to Officer Nathan Johnson of the CHP Contra Costa office, the victim was “partially ejected and declared deceased at the scene. Although it’s not been ruled out, alcohol does not appear to be a factor at this time.”
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By Jesus Cano
SACRAMENTO—The Pittsburg High Pirates had the opportunity of winning its first state football championship in school history, but they blew a 21-point halftime lead.
Pittsburg lead 21-0 midway through the second quarter. The Pirates felt pumped and excited as they were in good position. But by the end of the night, they were disappointed with tears running down many of the players faces as they had to witness the Narbonne Gauchos, of Harbor City in Southern California, hold the CIF 1-A State title trophy high in the air after 28-21 loss against Narbonne.
“I’m disappointed for our fans and I’m disappointed for our kids,” Head Coach Victor Galli said. “We had a 21-point lead and with our defense we’re not supposed to lose.”
The game was won on a 70-yard touchdown return by Logan Taylor, off a botched field goal attempt by Pittsburg’s Miguel Romo, making it 28-21.
The game was tied earlier in the fourth quarter when Jalen Chatham hit Aaron McGee for a seven-yard touchdown pass.
With less than minute late in the clock, Pittsburg looked to be in business for a comeback, but were quickly shut down as junior Willie Harts III threw an interception straight into the hands of Demonti Peoples.
Pittsburg started off the game strong. Junior Willie Harts was by far the Pirates star player this ahem, and he made his presence felt at Hornet Stadium as he intercepted a pass in the first drive of the game.
It resulted in setting Pittsburg scoring first in a drive that ended with Darrion Bartley slamming in home for a one-yard touchdown run.
Pittsburg added another touchdown, Harts was involved in It as well. Harts received a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Boyd.
The Boyd to Harts connection struck again in second quarter for another touchdown, but that was the last time the Pittsburg offense got to sniff the end zone.
With the wind hitting hard, Harts was only able to punt the ball one yard. Narbonne took advantage of it, and after a few player Jermar Jackson found the end zone on a four-yard touchdown.
A field goal in the second quarter by Edgar Ramos had Narbonne going 21-10 into halftime.
A tough loss indeed, but many people stated this was going to be a rebuilding year for Pittsburg.
Instead, they won the Bay Valley Athletic League title in undefeated fashion, while also qualifying for state championship for the first time ever
“I would have loved to really prove them wrong with a win,” Galli said. “We’re going back to the drawing board as coaches and work hard for next season.”
Pittsburg has graduated top players like A’Jae Boyd, Timorese Finau, Michael Pryor and Justin Sanders, but they return a lot of young talent.
Justin Boyd returns for his senior campaign, and will battle it out for the starting position against Trey Turner who went down with an ACL injury earlier in the year.
Defensively, Linebacker Jack Lacy III and four staff recruit Jacob Bandes will continue to be forces for the Pirates.
“A lot of rookies from this year will look back at this year and say they could do it better,” Bandes said. “I’m going to lead those rookies next year, so we can do better.”
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A percentage of your purchases will benefit the Delta Contra Costa American Association of University Women scholarships to LMC students and Tech Trek for middle school girls. bnvoucherflyer2017
Please see related article about Eddie Hart, here.
Outside investigation to begin
The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) has contacted CalPERS, the state government employee pension fund, to determine what actions, if any, are required to address a situation impacting some district retirees who are CalPERS members.
The district has identified a long-standing practice of converting unused vacation to sick leave which in some cases led to retirees receiving excess service credit upon retirement. An initial review indicates that corrections may be needed for a small subset of CalPERS retirees who retired after 2000. An external firm will be hired to investigate this matter including the extent of the reporting errors, what corrections are required, and how the corrections should be accomplished.
The district is working to mitigate any impact on the district’s CalPERS retirees, and is taking steps to ensure this problem does not happen again.
The CCCCD is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California serving a population of 1,019,640 people. 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.
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Public Notice – Jury Scam Alert
Past or prospective jurors are NEVER contacted by phone regarding failure to serve jury duty. All communication regarding failure to serve jury duty is done via U.S. mail. No court jury staff or Contra Costa County Sheriff’s staff ask past or prospective jurors to pay a fine or provide financial details including, credit card numbers, bank account, social security numbers or other personal information. Please do not provide this type of information to anyone.
If you receive a telephone call, from someone identifying himself or herself as a court employee or an employee of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department regarding a failure to appear for jury service, THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT PROVIDE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION, OR PAY THEM ANY MONEY!
If you are contacted, please call the Jury Commissioner’s office at 925-608-1000.
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Discovery Bay entrance sign. By communityrealestateagent.com
By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, C.C.C. Sheriff’s Office
Wednesday morning, Dec. 13 just after midnight, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report of a burglary/suspicious person at the Discovery Bay Elementary School at 1700 Willow Lake Road in Discovery Bay.
Security at the school contacted a subject, who then fled and climbed onto the roof. Deputies arrived and were able to get the subject to come down and surrender.
Deputies interviewed the subject, a 14-year-old boy from Discovery Bay. He admitted to an earlier incident at the school Monday morning when Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a burglary. Apparently two laptops and other items were taken. There was also some vandalism at the school. One of the laptops was later recovered. He admitted graffiti and comments written by him were a prank. The boy is not being identified.
He was later arrested for burglary and vandalism.
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League members gather to donate and share food at The Trinity Center in Walnut Creek. Left to right are members Fred Sullivan, Suzan Requa, Carol Woods, Allan Woods, Ashley Coates, Marian Shostrom, Audrey Albrecht, Harry Baker, Barbara Hill, Ann Flynn, Renee Zeimer, Bob Hill, and Gail Murray. Not shown: Members Martha Goralka, Sue Brandy, Leslie Stewart, Lee Lawrence, and Barbara Kuklewitz.
The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley includes women and men committed to strengthening their communities. In keeping with this year’s focus on Affordable Housing and Homelessness, members collected donations at their annual holiday party for the Trinity Center in Walnut Creek. The Trinity Center provides a safe place off the street for the homeless and working poor. Its programs include food, showers, laundry, clothing, and referrals to other services.
The Trinity Center operates at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek and also operates the winter shelter at the Walnut Creek Armory. For more information please visit the League’s website at lwvdv.org.
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Live, Local Veterans’ Voices TV Show Goes on the Road Monday, December 18;
Join Us for a Town Hall at the California Theatre in Pittsburg at 7:00 p.m.
Veterans’ Voices is going on the road next week. We’re bringing our live, local talk show to Pittsburg’s California Theatre, and we invite you to take part in our first Town Hall event. We’ll be pulling back the curtain on the myths and the realities of being a veteran in today’s society. Talk with community and VA leaders about what matters most to you as a veteran.
Our Town Hall will involve our studio audience at the theater, and you can always still participate as part of our viewing audience from home. You can email, call, chat or text with questions or comments during the show.
We’ll also have a special segment, titled “If you really knew me.” We’ll use it to invite veterans to share more about who they really are, and help us break through some of the stereotypes that still surround the veteran community.
Tickets are available now for purchase and to reserve your spot in our audience. Find out more by visiting the California Theatre website. The show will run from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 18, 2017. The Theatre is located at 351 Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg. We hope you can join us! We’ll also be broadcasting live online, on Facebook and on Contra Costa Television, CCTV. Doors open at 5:30 – come see us before the show.
Veterans’ Voices is a joint production of the Contra Costa County Veterans Service Office and Contra Costa Television (CCTV.) It is underwritten by a grant from the California Department of Veterans Affairs. CCTV can be found on Comcast Channel 27, Astound Channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 throughout Contra Costa County. Catch prior shows or watch the show live online by visiting: http://www.contracostatv.org/veteransvoices.
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Supervisors approve $17 million in bonds for Richmond senior housing project; $1.6 million for Walnut Creek affordable housing project
Example of an ankle monitor. Photo by securitycameraking.com
By Daniel Borsuk
Beginning next month, 6,000 and as many as 12,000 Contra Costa County residents will receive letters from the county that they could be entitled to refunds to be disbursed because the county Probation Department overcharged them fees for Juvenile Cost of Care and Cost of Electronic Surveillance of Minors. (See agenda item, here.)
County Supervisors initiated the notification process at Tuesday’s board meeting on a 4-0 vote. Letters printed in English and Spanish will be mailed to up to 6,000 individuals who may be due a refund because they may have been overcharged when they had a juvenile housed at a county juvenile hall facility from 2010 to 2016. The county ceased assessing the fees in 2016. The letters will instruct the recipients how to file for a claim.
District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville was absent for the vote.
The county estimates parents of juveniles held in county juvenile hall facilities were overcharged $8.8 million dating back to 1990.
The board’s Public Safety Committee will review whether another 6,000 residents living in the county between 1990 and 2010 might be eligible for refunds. Supervisors would also establish a procedure whereby residents could claim money that was improperly withheld when youths were detained in juvenile hall facilities. Supervisors will determine if the county improperly overcharged for electronic monitoring fees.
Assistant County Administrator Timothy Ewell told supervisors there are about 12,000 cases that the county has identified from 1990 to 2016 that might be entitled to refund checks averaging $262 per account because of the work by Contra Costa supervisors did, and support from citizen organizations like the Racial Justice Coalition, statewide to make juvenile hall housing fees illegal on racial and financial hardship grounds.
Contra Costa is the first county in the state to begin the procedure of refunding money to parents or guardians of juveniles who were held in juvenile hall facility and were overcharged.
“No one is expecting a mad rush of people to file claims,” said District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond, who was a key player at the county and state level in igniting the juvenile hall overcharge refund movement.
District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff said it should be up to the claimants to show proof in the form of canceled checks, bank statements or some other proof of payment when filing a claim.
“Family members should never have been penalized,” admonished Willie Mims of the East County Branch of the NAACP. “You should have the records and not lay that responsibility on the persons who might receive these letters.”
The fiscal impact to the General Fund is projected to be $136,000.
Supervisors OK Bonds for Multi-Family Housing Projects
Site of the approved Heritage Point Senior Apartments in North Richmond.
On a 5-0 vote, supervisors flashed the green light for construction to get underway for a $27 million senior housing project in North Richmond fronting the east side of Fred Jackson Way between Grove Avenue and Chelsey Avenue. The 42-unit, Heritage Point Senior Apartments will be financed by the county with up to $17 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds.
It is a project of the Community Housing and Development Corporation of North Richmond (CHDC). According to their website, the organization was “founded in 1990 by local leaders…to eliminate blight, improve housing opportunities for current and future residents, and create better economic conditions.” It has since “added over 200 owner-occupied homes to the Richmond area along with street improvements, public services, senior and family rental housing.”
According to the staff report, there is “No impact to the General Fund. At the closing for the Bonds, the County is reimbursed for costs incurred in the issuance process. Annual expenses for monitoring of Regulatory Agreement provisions ensuring units in the Development will be rented to low income households will be reimbursed through issuer fees established in the documents for the Bonds. The Bonds will be solely secured by and payable from revenues (e.g. Development rents, reserves, etc.) pledged under the Bond documents. No County funds are pledged to secure the Bonds.”
Supervisors were informed that financing for the Heritage Point development is secure. However, future affordable housing developments might be in jeopardy depending how the 2018 United States budget reform bill shapes up. Contra Costa County could potentially lose $3.5 million in bond financing for the North Richmond project if the budget reform bill is passed by Congress, said Maureen Toms of the Contra Costa County Conservation and Development Department. Fortunately, the county has enough money in reserves to fill in funding gaps for projects like the Heritage Point development, she added.
Riviera Family Apartments. Rendering by RCD.
“This could be the tip of the iceberg on the potential elimination of public funding for future affordable housing developments,” Gioia warned.
In addition, the board approved converting $1.6 million in taxable bonds into tax-exempt bonds for a 58-unit, multi-family affordable housing apartment project in Walnut Creek. The Riviera Family Apartments will be located on two separate parcels, at 1515 and 1738 Rivera Avenue. The County had previously approved $19.2 million in tax-exempt bonds for the development in May 2016. The developer is Resources for Community Development in Berkeley. According to the staff report, no County funds are pledged to secure the bonds.
Honor 35-Year County Employee
In other action, the board honored Carmen Piña-Delgado who is the Supervising Real Property Agent with the Public Works Department in the Real Estate Division for her 35 years as a county employee. She started her career with the County Administrator’s Office as a Clerk-Experienced Level under the Affirmative Action Officer and due to budget cuts was let go. But, then in October, Piña-Delgado was rehired by the Health Services Department as a Clerk-Experienced Level in the Public Health Division.
In January 1992 she was promoted to the position of Real Property Technical Assistant in the Real Estate Division, where she has worked for the remainder of her career. In May 2001, Piña-Delgado graduated from Los Medanos College completing the Associate of Science Degree in Real Estate in order to qualify for advancement into the Real Property Agent Series. The resolution adopted by the Board recognizing her service states, she “has a great work ethic and has made a difference in the Public Works Department by delivering quality services in each division, County-wide, and with outside agencies/consultants.”
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Mitchell Lee Bacom, now and as he looked in the 1980’s. Photos courtesy of APD
“Justice for Suzanne” means “Antioch is safer, tonight”
Suzanne Bombardier. Herald file photo
By Allen Payton
At around 5:00 p.m. Monday evening, the family of Suzanne Bombardier whose kidnapping, rape and murder had gone unsolved for 37 years, finally had closure when Antioch police arrested 63-year-old Mitchell Lynn Bacom at his home in Antioch. During a press conference Monday night, Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks announced the arrest saying he was “ecstatic” and credited retired Captain Leonard Orman, DNA testing by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Lab and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
Bacom, an Antioch resident, was arrested without incident in front of his house in the 300 block of West Madill.
“This closes the oldest, open cold case homicide on record with the Antioch Police Department,” Brooks stated, and then thanked “Suzanne Bombardier’s family for not giving up hope,” although “it would not bring Suzanne back.” He further said it was solved through “patience and persistence.”
Orman was brought back to work on the case, earlier this year after the DNA was sent to the crime lab two years ago and got a hit by CODIS, the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, in May. Interim DA Diana Becton gave credit to Paul Holes, her office’s Cold Case Investigator and Chief of Forensic and the Safe Streets Task Force.
“Justice may not have come as swiftly as we would like,” she stated, and said her office will be filing charges against Bacom tomorrow of “murder with use of a deadly weapon and additional charges, as well.”
Bombardier was taken in the middle of the night from her sister’s home at 3421 Hudson Court in Antioch while babysitting. She was missing for approximately five days and eventually found deceased in the San Joaquin River near the Antioch Bridge. Her cause of death was determined to be one stab wound to the chest which penetrated her heart. Evidence at the time indicated she had been sexually assaulted.
Numerous suspects and persons of interest were developed and investigated over the years. Some were eliminated while others remained unresolved until recently. Bacom was one of the original suspects in the case, “the prime suspect” according to former Antioch Detective Greg Glod who worked the case, along with retired Detective Ron Rackley who first took the report that initiated the investigation in 1980.
Two years ago, during the 35th anniversary of the murder, they and retired Antioch Sgt. Larry Hopwood asked then Chief Allan Cantando to reopen the case and offered to serve as a volunteer cold case squad. They launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the cold case. (See related article). Later that year the DNA was sent to the crime lab for testing.
Through that DNA testing, one of the suspects, 63-year-old Mitchell Lynn Bacom of Antioch, has been determined to be responsible for these heinous crimes. He is currently being held on the charges of murder, kidnapping, rape and oral copulation.
“He was never off the suspect list,” Brooks stated, and that “he was known to Suzanne and the family.”
“That’s who we always suspected,” Rackley stated, when reached for comment following the press conference. “We can finally sleep again.”
“I knew this all along,” Glod said when reached at his home in the Washington, D.C. area, where he now works for the U.S. Secret Service as an instructor at their academy. “He was clearly the prime suspect, clearly in my mind, from the beginning.”
Suspect Had History of Violent Crime
Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks was joined by (L-R) Antioch Police Captain Diane Aguinaga and retired Captain Leonard Orman, as well as Paul Holes, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Investigator and Chief of Forensics, and Interim Contra Costa DA Diana Becton.
In 1973, Bacom was arrested in Mountain View, Ca. for rape, robbery, assault with intent to commit murder and oral copulation. As a result of that investigation, he was convicted in 1974 of first and second-degree burglary, assault with intent to murder and sodomy. He was sentenced to five years to life.
In February of 1981, Bacom was arrested for robbery and rape in Isleton, California. As a result of that case, he was convicted of first degree burglary, robbery, rape and sodomy. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
In 2002, Bacom was convicted in Contra Costa County of failing to properly register as a sex offender and sentenced to four years in prison. This conviction was the result of a Pittsburg PD investigation.
When the biological evidence was originally collected in this case, DNA testing did not exist as a method of determining guilt in our justice system. Over the years, the Antioch Police Department and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office have monitored developments in DNA testing in the hopes that advancements would be made allowing this evidence to be processed and a DNA profile developed. In 2015, the decision was made to submit the biological evidence to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Laboratory in an effort to develop a DNA profile. This lab was equipped to conduct some of the most advanced available DNA testing. In early 2017, the department was notified that a CODIS hit was made tentatively identifying Mitchell Lynn Bacom as the perpetrator. Additional testing was required in order to confirm the identification.
Glod spoke about Bacom’s history of crime, saying, “I’m amazed how he got out of prison on the first one” and that “he was on parole when this took place,” referring to the Bombardier murder.
Media from throughout the Bay Area was in attendance for the Tammany Brooks’ first press conference as Antioch Police Chief.
He gave credit to former Antioch Detective Guy Worth, who is currently battling cancer, and “is probably dancing, right now. He was instrumental…he did all he could to keep this case alive, in spite of all he’s going through.”
Glod also thanked the media for their articles and TV news segments in 2015 and 2016.
“I appreciate people like you (referring to the Herald), Henry Lee from KTVU, the Contra Costa Times and Jennifer Gibbbons, the author who wouldn’t let this go,” he stated.
“Although we are ecstatic an arrest has been made in this case it will not bring Suzanne back into her family’s lives,” Brooks said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Suzanne Bombardier’s family and we hope this mystery being solved offers some level of comfort for them.”
“Although in recent years there was some question relative to our commitment regarding this investigation, we never gave up on bringing this case to a resolution,” he shared. “The reality was that science had to make advances in order for a positive identification of the killer to be made. It was through patience, persistence, networking, modern investigative techniques and scientific advances that this case was solved.”
“I’m glad that people didn’t forget, the Antioch Police Department and District Attorney’s Office,” Glod said. “They were instrumental in solving this. It’s a good day for Antioch. Antioch did not forget their citizen. It’s great news for the family and all the friends who have been traumatized by this. We finally got some justice for Suzanne Bombardier.”
“It’s bringing some closure for me in my life,” he added. “This is a great moment for me. I’m glad to see it was him they arrested. This is big news.”
More Work Still To Be Done
When reached for comment, Orman said, “It was good to see it to this point,” knowing that there is still more work to be done following the arrest. “Antioch is safer tonight and that’s what matters,” he added.
“This does not constitute the end,” Brooks confirmed during his first press conference since becoming Chief in May, stating that the department needed to determine if Bacom has been involved in any other crimes.
As such, the Antioch Police Department will be networking with other law enforcement agencies in an effort to determine if Mitchell Lynn Bacom has been involved in other murders and/or sexual assaults. We encourage anyone with information regarding this case to contact the Antioch Police Department. Additionally, we are hoping to hear from any of Mitchell Lynn Bacom’s past victims, including those who may have never made reports to law enforcement.
Anyone wanting to provide information relative to Mitchell Lynn Bacom’s criminal conduct may contact Detective Leonard Orman at (925) 779-6918. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH
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Ivette Montes from her Facebook page.
By Allen Payton
At 11:47 pm Monday night, emergency personnel from the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District responded to a single vehicle roll-over accident on Balfour Road east of Deer Valley Road, according to Interim Battalion Chief Ross Macumber. The accident took the life of a 51-year-old Hispanic woman from Tracy.
The Contra Costa Coroner’s office identified her as Ivette Montes.
“As our units were leaving CHP was actively investigating,” Macumber stated.
According to Officer Nathan Johnson of the CHP Contra Costa office, the victim was “partially ejected and declared deceased at the scene. Although it’s not been ruled out, alcohol does not appear to be a factor at this time.”
Read MoreBy Jesus Cano
SACRAMENTO—The Pittsburg High Pirates had the opportunity of winning its first state football championship in school history, but they blew a 21-point halftime lead.
Pittsburg lead 21-0 midway through the second quarter. The Pirates felt pumped and excited as they were in good position. But by the end of the night, they were disappointed with tears running down many of the players faces as they had to witness the Narbonne Gauchos, of Harbor City in Southern California, hold the CIF 1-A State title trophy high in the air after 28-21 loss against Narbonne.
“I’m disappointed for our fans and I’m disappointed for our kids,” Head Coach Victor Galli said. “We had a 21-point lead and with our defense we’re not supposed to lose.”
The game was won on a 70-yard touchdown return by Logan Taylor, off a botched field goal attempt by Pittsburg’s Miguel Romo, making it 28-21.
The game was tied earlier in the fourth quarter when Jalen Chatham hit Aaron McGee for a seven-yard touchdown pass.
With less than minute late in the clock, Pittsburg looked to be in business for a comeback, but were quickly shut down as junior Willie Harts III threw an interception straight into the hands of Demonti Peoples.
Pittsburg started off the game strong. Junior Willie Harts was by far the Pirates star player this ahem, and he made his presence felt at Hornet Stadium as he intercepted a pass in the first drive of the game.
It resulted in setting Pittsburg scoring first in a drive that ended with Darrion Bartley slamming in home for a one-yard touchdown run.
Pittsburg added another touchdown, Harts was involved in It as well. Harts received a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Boyd.
The Boyd to Harts connection struck again in second quarter for another touchdown, but that was the last time the Pittsburg offense got to sniff the end zone.
With the wind hitting hard, Harts was only able to punt the ball one yard. Narbonne took advantage of it, and after a few player Jermar Jackson found the end zone on a four-yard touchdown.
A field goal in the second quarter by Edgar Ramos had Narbonne going 21-10 into halftime.
A tough loss indeed, but many people stated this was going to be a rebuilding year for Pittsburg.
Instead, they won the Bay Valley Athletic League title in undefeated fashion, while also qualifying for state championship for the first time ever
“I would have loved to really prove them wrong with a win,” Galli said. “We’re going back to the drawing board as coaches and work hard for next season.”
Pittsburg has graduated top players like A’Jae Boyd, Timorese Finau, Michael Pryor and Justin Sanders, but they return a lot of young talent.
Justin Boyd returns for his senior campaign, and will battle it out for the starting position against Trey Turner who went down with an ACL injury earlier in the year.
Defensively, Linebacker Jack Lacy III and four staff recruit Jacob Bandes will continue to be forces for the Pirates.
“A lot of rookies from this year will look back at this year and say they could do it better,” Bandes said. “I’m going to lead those rookies next year, so we can do better.”
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A percentage of your purchases will benefit the Delta Contra Costa American Association of University Women scholarships to LMC students and Tech Trek for middle school girls. bnvoucherflyer2017
Please see related article about Eddie Hart, here.
Outside investigation to begin
The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) has contacted CalPERS, the state government employee pension fund, to determine what actions, if any, are required to address a situation impacting some district retirees who are CalPERS members.
The district has identified a long-standing practice of converting unused vacation to sick leave which in some cases led to retirees receiving excess service credit upon retirement. An initial review indicates that corrections may be needed for a small subset of CalPERS retirees who retired after 2000. An external firm will be hired to investigate this matter including the extent of the reporting errors, what corrections are required, and how the corrections should be accomplished.
The district is working to mitigate any impact on the district’s CalPERS retirees, and is taking steps to ensure this problem does not happen again.
The CCCCD is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California serving a population of 1,019,640 people. 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.
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Public Notice – Jury Scam Alert
Past or prospective jurors are NEVER contacted by phone regarding failure to serve jury duty. All communication regarding failure to serve jury duty is done via U.S. mail. No court jury staff or Contra Costa County Sheriff’s staff ask past or prospective jurors to pay a fine or provide financial details including, credit card numbers, bank account, social security numbers or other personal information. Please do not provide this type of information to anyone.
If you receive a telephone call, from someone identifying himself or herself as a court employee or an employee of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department regarding a failure to appear for jury service, THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT PROVIDE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION, OR PAY THEM ANY MONEY!
If you are contacted, please call the Jury Commissioner’s office at 925-608-1000.
Read MoreDiscovery Bay entrance sign. By communityrealestateagent.com
By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, C.C.C. Sheriff’s Office
Wednesday morning, Dec. 13 just after midnight, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report of a burglary/suspicious person at the Discovery Bay Elementary School at 1700 Willow Lake Road in Discovery Bay.
Security at the school contacted a subject, who then fled and climbed onto the roof. Deputies arrived and were able to get the subject to come down and surrender.
Deputies interviewed the subject, a 14-year-old boy from Discovery Bay. He admitted to an earlier incident at the school Monday morning when Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a burglary. Apparently two laptops and other items were taken. There was also some vandalism at the school. One of the laptops was later recovered. He admitted graffiti and comments written by him were a prank. The boy is not being identified.
He was later arrested for burglary and vandalism.
Read MoreLeague members gather to donate and share food at The Trinity Center in Walnut Creek. Left to right are members Fred Sullivan, Suzan Requa, Carol Woods, Allan Woods, Ashley Coates, Marian Shostrom, Audrey Albrecht, Harry Baker, Barbara Hill, Ann Flynn, Renee Zeimer, Bob Hill, and Gail Murray. Not shown: Members Martha Goralka, Sue Brandy, Leslie Stewart, Lee Lawrence, and Barbara Kuklewitz.
The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley includes women and men committed to strengthening their communities. In keeping with this year’s focus on Affordable Housing and Homelessness, members collected donations at their annual holiday party for the Trinity Center in Walnut Creek. The Trinity Center provides a safe place off the street for the homeless and working poor. Its programs include food, showers, laundry, clothing, and referrals to other services.
The Trinity Center operates at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek and also operates the winter shelter at the Walnut Creek Armory. For more information please visit the League’s website at lwvdv.org.
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Live, Local Veterans’ Voices TV Show Goes on the Road Monday, December 18;
Join Us for a Town Hall at the California Theatre in Pittsburg at 7:00 p.m.
Veterans’ Voices is going on the road next week. We’re bringing our live, local talk show to Pittsburg’s California Theatre, and we invite you to take part in our first Town Hall event. We’ll be pulling back the curtain on the myths and the realities of being a veteran in today’s society. Talk with community and VA leaders about what matters most to you as a veteran.
Our Town Hall will involve our studio audience at the theater, and you can always still participate as part of our viewing audience from home. You can email, call, chat or text with questions or comments during the show.
We’ll also have a special segment, titled “If you really knew me.” We’ll use it to invite veterans to share more about who they really are, and help us break through some of the stereotypes that still surround the veteran community.
Tickets are available now for purchase and to reserve your spot in our audience. Find out more by visiting the California Theatre website. The show will run from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 18, 2017. The Theatre is located at 351 Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg. We hope you can join us! We’ll also be broadcasting live online, on Facebook and on Contra Costa Television, CCTV. Doors open at 5:30 – come see us before the show.
Veterans’ Voices is a joint production of the Contra Costa County Veterans Service Office and Contra Costa Television (CCTV.) It is underwritten by a grant from the California Department of Veterans Affairs. CCTV can be found on Comcast Channel 27, Astound Channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 throughout Contra Costa County. Catch prior shows or watch the show live online by visiting: http://www.contracostatv.org/veteransvoices.
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Supervisors approve $17 million in bonds for Richmond senior housing project; $1.6 million for Walnut Creek affordable housing project
Example of an ankle monitor. Photo by securitycameraking.com
By Daniel Borsuk
Beginning next month, 6,000 and as many as 12,000 Contra Costa County residents will receive letters from the county that they could be entitled to refunds to be disbursed because the county Probation Department overcharged them fees for Juvenile Cost of Care and Cost of Electronic Surveillance of Minors. (See agenda item, here.)
County Supervisors initiated the notification process at Tuesday’s board meeting on a 4-0 vote. Letters printed in English and Spanish will be mailed to up to 6,000 individuals who may be due a refund because they may have been overcharged when they had a juvenile housed at a county juvenile hall facility from 2010 to 2016. The county ceased assessing the fees in 2016. The letters will instruct the recipients how to file for a claim.
District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville was absent for the vote.
The county estimates parents of juveniles held in county juvenile hall facilities were overcharged $8.8 million dating back to 1990.
The board’s Public Safety Committee will review whether another 6,000 residents living in the county between 1990 and 2010 might be eligible for refunds. Supervisors would also establish a procedure whereby residents could claim money that was improperly withheld when youths were detained in juvenile hall facilities. Supervisors will determine if the county improperly overcharged for electronic monitoring fees.
Assistant County Administrator Timothy Ewell told supervisors there are about 12,000 cases that the county has identified from 1990 to 2016 that might be entitled to refund checks averaging $262 per account because of the work by Contra Costa supervisors did, and support from citizen organizations like the Racial Justice Coalition, statewide to make juvenile hall housing fees illegal on racial and financial hardship grounds.
Contra Costa is the first county in the state to begin the procedure of refunding money to parents or guardians of juveniles who were held in juvenile hall facility and were overcharged.
“No one is expecting a mad rush of people to file claims,” said District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond, who was a key player at the county and state level in igniting the juvenile hall overcharge refund movement.
District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff said it should be up to the claimants to show proof in the form of canceled checks, bank statements or some other proof of payment when filing a claim.
“Family members should never have been penalized,” admonished Willie Mims of the East County Branch of the NAACP. “You should have the records and not lay that responsibility on the persons who might receive these letters.”
The fiscal impact to the General Fund is projected to be $136,000.
Supervisors OK Bonds for Multi-Family Housing Projects
Site of the approved Heritage Point Senior Apartments in North Richmond.
On a 5-0 vote, supervisors flashed the green light for construction to get underway for a $27 million senior housing project in North Richmond fronting the east side of Fred Jackson Way between Grove Avenue and Chelsey Avenue. The 42-unit, Heritage Point Senior Apartments will be financed by the county with up to $17 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds.
It is a project of the Community Housing and Development Corporation of North Richmond (CHDC). According to their website, the organization was “founded in 1990 by local leaders…to eliminate blight, improve housing opportunities for current and future residents, and create better economic conditions.” It has since “added over 200 owner-occupied homes to the Richmond area along with street improvements, public services, senior and family rental housing.”
According to the staff report, there is “No impact to the General Fund. At the closing for the Bonds, the County is reimbursed for costs incurred in the issuance process. Annual expenses for monitoring of Regulatory Agreement provisions ensuring units in the Development will be rented to low income households will be reimbursed through issuer fees established in the documents for the Bonds. The Bonds will be solely secured by and payable from revenues (e.g. Development rents, reserves, etc.) pledged under the Bond documents. No County funds are pledged to secure the Bonds.”
Supervisors were informed that financing for the Heritage Point development is secure. However, future affordable housing developments might be in jeopardy depending how the 2018 United States budget reform bill shapes up. Contra Costa County could potentially lose $3.5 million in bond financing for the North Richmond project if the budget reform bill is passed by Congress, said Maureen Toms of the Contra Costa County Conservation and Development Department. Fortunately, the county has enough money in reserves to fill in funding gaps for projects like the Heritage Point development, she added.
Riviera Family Apartments. Rendering by RCD.
“This could be the tip of the iceberg on the potential elimination of public funding for future affordable housing developments,” Gioia warned.
In addition, the board approved converting $1.6 million in taxable bonds into tax-exempt bonds for a 58-unit, multi-family affordable housing apartment project in Walnut Creek. The Riviera Family Apartments will be located on two separate parcels, at 1515 and 1738 Rivera Avenue. The County had previously approved $19.2 million in tax-exempt bonds for the development in May 2016. The developer is Resources for Community Development in Berkeley. According to the staff report, no County funds are pledged to secure the bonds.
Honor 35-Year County Employee
In other action, the board honored Carmen Piña-Delgado who is the Supervising Real Property Agent with the Public Works Department in the Real Estate Division for her 35 years as a county employee. She started her career with the County Administrator’s Office as a Clerk-Experienced Level under the Affirmative Action Officer and due to budget cuts was let go. But, then in October, Piña-Delgado was rehired by the Health Services Department as a Clerk-Experienced Level in the Public Health Division.
In January 1992 she was promoted to the position of Real Property Technical Assistant in the Real Estate Division, where she has worked for the remainder of her career. In May 2001, Piña-Delgado graduated from Los Medanos College completing the Associate of Science Degree in Real Estate in order to qualify for advancement into the Real Property Agent Series. The resolution adopted by the Board recognizing her service states, she “has a great work ethic and has made a difference in the Public Works Department by delivering quality services in each division, County-wide, and with outside agencies/consultants.”
Read MoreMitchell Lee Bacom, now and as he looked in the 1980’s. Photos courtesy of APD
“Justice for Suzanne” means “Antioch is safer, tonight”
Suzanne Bombardier. Herald file photo
By Allen Payton
At around 5:00 p.m. Monday evening, the family of Suzanne Bombardier whose kidnapping, rape and murder had gone unsolved for 37 years, finally had closure when Antioch police arrested 63-year-old Mitchell Lynn Bacom at his home in Antioch. During a press conference Monday night, Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks announced the arrest saying he was “ecstatic” and credited retired Captain Leonard Orman, DNA testing by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Lab and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
Bacom, an Antioch resident, was arrested without incident in front of his house in the 300 block of West Madill.
“This closes the oldest, open cold case homicide on record with the Antioch Police Department,” Brooks stated, and then thanked “Suzanne Bombardier’s family for not giving up hope,” although “it would not bring Suzanne back.” He further said it was solved through “patience and persistence.”
Orman was brought back to work on the case, earlier this year after the DNA was sent to the crime lab two years ago and got a hit by CODIS, the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, in May. Interim DA Diana Becton gave credit to Paul Holes, her office’s Cold Case Investigator and Chief of Forensic and the Safe Streets Task Force.
“Justice may not have come as swiftly as we would like,” she stated, and said her office will be filing charges against Bacom tomorrow of “murder with use of a deadly weapon and additional charges, as well.”
Bombardier was taken in the middle of the night from her sister’s home at 3421 Hudson Court in Antioch while babysitting. She was missing for approximately five days and eventually found deceased in the San Joaquin River near the Antioch Bridge. Her cause of death was determined to be one stab wound to the chest which penetrated her heart. Evidence at the time indicated she had been sexually assaulted.
Numerous suspects and persons of interest were developed and investigated over the years. Some were eliminated while others remained unresolved until recently. Bacom was one of the original suspects in the case, “the prime suspect” according to former Antioch Detective Greg Glod who worked the case, along with retired Detective Ron Rackley who first took the report that initiated the investigation in 1980.
Two years ago, during the 35th anniversary of the murder, they and retired Antioch Sgt. Larry Hopwood asked then Chief Allan Cantando to reopen the case and offered to serve as a volunteer cold case squad. They launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the cold case. (See related article). Later that year the DNA was sent to the crime lab for testing.
Through that DNA testing, one of the suspects, 63-year-old Mitchell Lynn Bacom of Antioch, has been determined to be responsible for these heinous crimes. He is currently being held on the charges of murder, kidnapping, rape and oral copulation.
“He was never off the suspect list,” Brooks stated, and that “he was known to Suzanne and the family.”
“That’s who we always suspected,” Rackley stated, when reached for comment following the press conference. “We can finally sleep again.”
“I knew this all along,” Glod said when reached at his home in the Washington, D.C. area, where he now works for the U.S. Secret Service as an instructor at their academy. “He was clearly the prime suspect, clearly in my mind, from the beginning.”
Suspect Had History of Violent Crime
Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks was joined by (L-R) Antioch Police Captain Diane Aguinaga and retired Captain Leonard Orman, as well as Paul Holes, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Investigator and Chief of Forensics, and Interim Contra Costa DA Diana Becton.
In 1973, Bacom was arrested in Mountain View, Ca. for rape, robbery, assault with intent to commit murder and oral copulation. As a result of that investigation, he was convicted in 1974 of first and second-degree burglary, assault with intent to murder and sodomy. He was sentenced to five years to life.
In February of 1981, Bacom was arrested for robbery and rape in Isleton, California. As a result of that case, he was convicted of first degree burglary, robbery, rape and sodomy. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
In 2002, Bacom was convicted in Contra Costa County of failing to properly register as a sex offender and sentenced to four years in prison. This conviction was the result of a Pittsburg PD investigation.
When the biological evidence was originally collected in this case, DNA testing did not exist as a method of determining guilt in our justice system. Over the years, the Antioch Police Department and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office have monitored developments in DNA testing in the hopes that advancements would be made allowing this evidence to be processed and a DNA profile developed. In 2015, the decision was made to submit the biological evidence to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Laboratory in an effort to develop a DNA profile. This lab was equipped to conduct some of the most advanced available DNA testing. In early 2017, the department was notified that a CODIS hit was made tentatively identifying Mitchell Lynn Bacom as the perpetrator. Additional testing was required in order to confirm the identification.
Glod spoke about Bacom’s history of crime, saying, “I’m amazed how he got out of prison on the first one” and that “he was on parole when this took place,” referring to the Bombardier murder.
Media from throughout the Bay Area was in attendance for the Tammany Brooks’ first press conference as Antioch Police Chief.
He gave credit to former Antioch Detective Guy Worth, who is currently battling cancer, and “is probably dancing, right now. He was instrumental…he did all he could to keep this case alive, in spite of all he’s going through.”
Glod also thanked the media for their articles and TV news segments in 2015 and 2016.
“I appreciate people like you (referring to the Herald), Henry Lee from KTVU, the Contra Costa Times and Jennifer Gibbbons, the author who wouldn’t let this go,” he stated.
“Although we are ecstatic an arrest has been made in this case it will not bring Suzanne back into her family’s lives,” Brooks said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Suzanne Bombardier’s family and we hope this mystery being solved offers some level of comfort for them.”
“Although in recent years there was some question relative to our commitment regarding this investigation, we never gave up on bringing this case to a resolution,” he shared. “The reality was that science had to make advances in order for a positive identification of the killer to be made. It was through patience, persistence, networking, modern investigative techniques and scientific advances that this case was solved.”
“I’m glad that people didn’t forget, the Antioch Police Department and District Attorney’s Office,” Glod said. “They were instrumental in solving this. It’s a good day for Antioch. Antioch did not forget their citizen. It’s great news for the family and all the friends who have been traumatized by this. We finally got some justice for Suzanne Bombardier.”
“It’s bringing some closure for me in my life,” he added. “This is a great moment for me. I’m glad to see it was him they arrested. This is big news.”
More Work Still To Be Done
When reached for comment, Orman said, “It was good to see it to this point,” knowing that there is still more work to be done following the arrest. “Antioch is safer tonight and that’s what matters,” he added.
“This does not constitute the end,” Brooks confirmed during his first press conference since becoming Chief in May, stating that the department needed to determine if Bacom has been involved in any other crimes.
As such, the Antioch Police Department will be networking with other law enforcement agencies in an effort to determine if Mitchell Lynn Bacom has been involved in other murders and/or sexual assaults. We encourage anyone with information regarding this case to contact the Antioch Police Department. Additionally, we are hoping to hear from any of Mitchell Lynn Bacom’s past victims, including those who may have never made reports to law enforcement.
Anyone wanting to provide information relative to Mitchell Lynn Bacom’s criminal conduct may contact Detective Leonard Orman at (925) 779-6918. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH
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