Contra Costa Herald

After a rigorous review of 117 applications, Supervisor Federal Glover announced the recipients of the $1.5 million in grants from the Keller Canyon Landfill Mitigation Fund. The Board of Supervisors approved the expenditures on Tuesday morning, July 19, 2016 at their meeting in Martinez.

Among the Keller grants this year was $100,000 for electronic surveillance of Highway 4 from Bay Point to Antioch where gang-related shootings have occurred the past year. It will be shared with the law enforcement agencies that line that roadway segment.

In all, the grants for the fiscal year 2016-2017 were awarded to 82 recipients providing a wide range of activities from a Christmas party for Bay Point’s children to a full-time resident deputy to crossing guards for Bay Point schools.

“The allocation set aside for to monitor Highway 4 – possibly including cameras and license plate readers – will be used by law enforcement to keep our residents safe,” says Glover.

The amount of available funding varies from year to year because the Keller fund is based on the tonnage delivered to the Keller Canyon Landfill located in the hills off of Bailey Road south of Pittsburg and Bay Point.

The county supervisors created the mitigation fund when voters in the early1990s approved the location of a landfill site in the hills south of Bay Point and Pittsburg. Since the landfill was located in District 5, the district 5 supervisor was given the responsibility of administering the fund. The fund helps alleviate some of the landfill’s impacts to the neighboring community.

In 2011, at the recommendation of the Auditor, Supervisor Glover reformed the distribution of the funds by limiting its use to the impacted area and instituting a fully transparent system for determining who is granted the awards and to ensure that the money is used for what it is intended.

The grants will be awarded August 18 after the recipients sign their contracts with the county. The programs or events that will benefit from the grants include:

• Bay Point holiday celebrations
• Field trips from Bay Point teenagers
• Antioch Rivertown Jamboree and Delta Thunder Boat Race
• A full-time deputy as a school resource officer in Bay Point schools.
• Bay Point Spring Derby Memorial Day Parade and Festival
• World Music and Arts Festival for Bay Point and Pittsburg elementary school students
• RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic
• Ambrose Park Aquatic Center Project.

This year’s fund of $1,507,000 is based on the anticipated tonnage that will be delivered to the landfill for the fiscal year 2016-2017.

This is the second year in a row that the Keller fund has shown an increase, which might be an indication of an improving economy, said Glover.

“The grant awards are always difficult decisions because there are so many good services being provided by local agencies,” he added.

The Ceasefire Lifelines to Healing Community invites you to come out and help us spread the message that we want everyone in our community to be alive and free.  Join us for this Citywide Walk to continue to share our love across the City of Richmond.

Let’s make this our best year ever as we walk to express our message: “Alive & Free.”

The East Bay Performing Arts Center will be walking with us to bring sounds of joy and hope, as we walk through our communities that have experienced pain because of the gun violence and crime. Come join us in an expression of love.

CEASEFIRE NIGHT WALK

Friday, July 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church

  321 Alamo Ave., Richmond

  COMING UP

Friday July 29th New Hope Missionary Baptist 321 Alamo Ave., Richmond

For more information contact Rev. Donnell “Rickey” Jones:  510-331-3605  or donnell@ccisco.org

Minimal impact on crime rate

By Allen Payton

In a letter to Pittsburg Police Chief Brian Addington, on Friday, July 15, 2016, Contra Costa District Attorney Mark Peterson informed him that of the 204 reports in 2015 listed by the Pittsburg Police Department as “suspicious circumstances” 103 should have been listed as crimes.

Following a request by Addington seeking an opinion by the District Attorney’s office, one deputy district attorney and one deputy sheriff performed an audit, reviewing each of the reports. They determined that 40 of those 103 reports should have been listed as Part I crimes and 63 as Part II crimes. Part I crimes include murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

Peterson’s letter states “Although the police reports listed the applicable crime, apparently your department did not the 103 incidents as crimes to the FBI.”

The reclassification of those crimes, will increase the total Part I crimes the Pittsburg Police Department will have to report to the FBI for 2015, changing the statistics to better reflect the true crime rate in the city.

The letter, however also states, “It should be noted that during the 2015 calendar year, the Pittsburg Police Department wrote 9,975 reports. Thus, the 103 police reports we have discussed are only 1% of all the police reports written that year.”

The result is an increase of 0.5% in reportable Part I crimes and 1% in Part II crimes.

Peterson concluded that “had the 103 Suspicious Circumstances cases been correctly classified as crimes reported to the FBI, there would have been minimal impact on city’s crime rate.”

To read the entire letter and audit, click here: Pittsburg PD 2015 Audit

On Thursday, July 7, 2016, Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark A. Peterson released a report requested by the Richmond City Council describing the investigation into the death of Richard Perez III who was shot and killed by a Richmond Police Officer on September 14^th, 2014. The report also outlines the reasons why criminal charges were not filed against the officer.

For over 30 years Contra Costa County law enforcement agencies have utilized a county-wide protocol to investigate incidents when officers or civilians are shot or killed during law enforcement encounters, or when officers are accused of crimes. The formal process is entitled the “Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incidents Protocol,” and informally known as the “Protocol” system.

The process was adopted by the county’s Police Chiefs’ Association and the District Attorney’s Office early in the 1980’s, and since then hundreds of “Protocol” cases have been investigated under this approach. The approach has proven to be a very effective means to conduct such sensitive probes and joins a team of District Attorney inspectors with investigators from the involved agency to jointly investigate all such incidents. Their work is overseen by a senior Deputy District Attorney.

Pursuant to the county-wide Protocol, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff/Coroner holds Inquests following virtually every death involving law enforcement officers. These Inquests are open to the public, and are conducted by a private attorney acting as the hearing officer for the Coroner’s Office.  Such hearings are held in front of a jury of citizens randomly selected from the Superior Court jury pool.

The death of Mr. Perez was investigated pursuant to the county’s Protocol. The report is attached which describes the investigation, and the reasons charges were not filed against the officer.

Inquiries concerning the death of Mr. Perez, or the Protocol process can be directed to Deputy District Attorney Barry Grove who oversees the District Attorney’s Protocol team. He can be reached at (925) 957-2200.

Read the complete report, here: CCDA Report on Perez shooting

State funds support arts education at Meadow Homes Elementary celebrating cultural diversity

The California Arts Council announced, on Wednesday, that it plans to award a grant to Meadow Homes Elementary in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) as part of its Artists in Schools program.

The Artists in Schools program supports projects that integrate community arts resources—artists and professional art organizations—into comprehensive, standards-based arts learning projects for California’s students. This year, the California Arts Council’s Artist in Schools program will allow 144 arts organizations to hire 580 teaching artists that will serve a total of more than 43,000 students in 323 schools across California.

The $6715 grant was awarded jointly to Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education, along with MDUSD’s Meadow Homes Elementary and Tice Creek School in the Walnut Creek school district to offer high-quality, after-school arts learning communities for at least 50 students in grades 1-6.  In series of workshops, students will receive standards-based arts instruction in two disciplines, one visual and one performance-based, draw connections between them, and hold a community-based culminating performance/exhibition.

“Civic Arts Education is excited about this opportunity to work with local schools whose goals so closely align with ours. Teaching artists from Civic Arts can’t wait to share visual and performing arts like anime and African drumming to help Meadow Homes students explore their creativity,” said Linda Johnson, Civic Arts Education Program Manager. “We’re grateful to the California Arts Council for making it happen!”

Dr. Nellie Meyer, Superintendent for MDUSD, praised the Artists in Schools grant as a valuable tool to contribute to student achievement and success in school and beyond.

“A strong arts education promotes the skills our students need to be successful, and is essential to promoting self-directed learning, and critical and creative thinking skills.  We believe firmly that what students learn in arts education helps them to master other subjects, including mathematics, language arts, and science,” said Meyer.  “We could not be more excited about the opportunities this grant will open up for Meadow Homes’ students and families.”

Meadow Homes Elementary serves approximately 900 students, representing 19 different ethnic groups.  Principal Sandra Wilbanks applauded the Artist in Schools grant for providing the campus an unparalleled opportunity to expand their existing arts education program to further celebrate the school’s cultural diversity.

“When you tie arts education into all areas of the curriculum, you create a rich environment for student learning that truly celebrates and honors students’ cultural backgrounds and traditions,” said Wilbanks. “Having diverse arts experiences is empowering for students. By exercising creative expression in all subject areas, students can be proud of who they are and how they are developing as young learners and future leaders.”

Wilbanks says Meadow Homes’ existing arts initiatives and grants have had unexpected but happy consequences in promoting second language development among its English Learner population, which accounts for approximately 78% percent of its 900 students.

“What we’ve seen is that, through the arts, students have a stronger connection to school, especially for English Learners.  This has, in turn, improved the home-to-school and school-to-home engagement with our families,” she added. “We are absolutely elated about the grant and very excited about being able to partner with the California Arts Council on something that will be so meaningful for our families.”

The news of Meadow Home’s grant was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, which can be viewed online at http://arts.ca.gov/news/pressreleases.php.

“California Arts Council grants provide vital support for projects in diverse communities across our state,” said Craig Watson, Director of the California Arts Council. “This was an historic year of state arts support. We are proud to invest more than $8.5 million in funding 712 grant projects that will stimulate local growth and prosperity, and meet the needs of our communities through deep engagement with culture and creative expression.”

The California Arts Council will continue to grow the reach of its programs in the coming year, as the result of a significant one-time state arts funding increase for 2016-17 announced last week.

Nestled at the base of Mt. Diablo in the suburban East San Francisco Bay Area, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District is one of the largest school districts in the state of California, with over 56 school sites and programs serving 150 square miles, including the cities of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton; portions of Walnut Creek, Martinez and Pittsburg; and unincorporated areas including Lafayette, Pacheco and Bay Point. The district is among one of the more ethnically-diverse in California, with students and their families representing more than 50 languages and dialects.  Learn more at www.mdusd.org.

For over 50 years the City of Walnut Creek’s Civic Arts Education program has been the regional center of arts learning — promoting new visions, supporting exploration, stimulating creative thought and encouraging self-expression.  Last year more than 8,000 adults, youth and children enjoyed beginning through professional level classes and programs at the Shadelands, Civic Park and Heather Farm campuses. Learn more at by clicking here.

The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts; fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California’s diverse populations; serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts; and providing effective and relevant programs and services. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Somersville Road/ Auto Center Drive and Railroad Ave. on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and the State Route 4 / State Route 160 connector ramp on Monday through Friday from 4:30 am to 12:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between L Street / Contra Loma Boulevard and the State Route 4 / State Route 160 connector ramp on Monday through Friday from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between L Street / Contra Loma Boulevard and the State Route 4 / State Route 160 connector ramp on Monday through Friday from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am.

LOCAL STREET CLOSURES:

There will be lane closures in the eastbound and westbound directions of Larkspur Drive between Hillcrest Avenue and Wildflower Drive on Saturday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be lane closures in the northbound and southbound directions of Hillcrest Avenue between Larkspur Drive and Sunset Drive on Saturday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be lane closures in the northbound and southbound directions of A Street/Lone Tree Way between Rossi Avenue and E. Tregallas Road on Saturday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

There will be lane closures in the northbound and southbound directions of Somersville Road / Auto Center Drive between Delta Fair Boulevard and Century Boulevard on Saturday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org.

The Sugartown Festival is sponsored by the Crockett Chamber of Commerce and is celebrating its 8th year.  It is held the third Sunday of July, this year July 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

It is a great outdoor music festival and street fair.  It is family friendly, has great arts and crafts, food, beer, wine and live entertainment.  Stroll through a shady street, enjoying the food and wine, shopping the great arts and craft vendors while enjoying wonderful music, with two stages to choose from.

The Sugartown festival features two stages with well known artists.   Seating and dancing spaces are available.

Lagunitas Brewing Company is the choice beer at the Lagunitas beer gardens.  Wine and icey cold Margaritas are also sold to quench your thirst.

See the Arts Calendar at AC5.org for more information.

FContact the Crockett Chamber of Commerce at either P.O. Box 191, Crockett, CA 94525 or by calling 510-787-1155.

Steve Barr

Today, Thursday, July 14, 2016, the Contra Costa County District Attorneys’ Association announced their endorsement of Steve Barr for County Supervisor in District 3.

The District Attorneys’ Association represents more than 75 Deputy DA’s who serve our community as prosecutors in the District Attorney’s office.

Aron DeFerrari, the group’s president, said the decision came down to Steve’s direct and open style, as well as his financial skills.

“Steve is very honest and tells you exactly how it is,” said DeFerrari. “We don’t always agree on everything. But we think his direct and open style is going to make him a great partner as we work on a lot of tough public safety issues.”

“Having a small business owner who understands finances and has a track record of using public money responsibly, was also very attractive to us,” DeFerrari continued. “We don’t have unlimited resources and need leaders who can make sure our public safety officers and prosecutors have enough money to do their jobs effectively. Steve Barr has our full trust.”

Barr said the endorsement was great news.

“Their vote of confidence means a lot and the role of prosecutors play in the county is vital,” he said. “I really look forward to working with them throughout this campaign and beyond.”

Barr, who was the top vote getter in the primary, is currently in the runoff election that will be held November 8^th. As a Brentwood City Councilman he has made public safety a top priority, and his campaign already has the support of the Brentwood Police Officers’ Association.

Please visit www.SteveBarrForSupervisor.com for more information about the campaign and www.ContraCostaProsecutors.com for more information about the District Attorneys’ Assocation.

On July 7, 2016, a Grand Jury in Contra Costa County indicted twenty-seven year old Danville resident Nickolas Robert Thurston on charges he distributed and possessed child pornography, conspired to access protected computer systems and used the identities of multiple women in an attempt to unlawfully gain access to their “cloud” computer accounts.

Following indictment, Danville police arrested Thurston at his home on July 12, 2016 and he is currently in the custody of the Contra Costa County Sheriff with bail set at 1.5 million dollars.  Thurston will make his first appearance in court on July 12, 2016 in front of the Honorable Patricia Scanlon.

The indictment alleges that between January 1, 2016 and May 24, 2016, Thurston conspired with an unnamed co-conspirator to unlawfully access the protected “cloud” accounts of women and girls that he knew in an attempt to gain revealing photographs of them and distributed their personal information in order to further the plan.  The indictment further alleges that Thurston operated a website to distribute child pornography and directly distributed images of a nine-year-old girl engaged in sexual activity via email.

On May 24, 2016, investigators from the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant on Buena Vista Drive in Danville.  During the course of that search warrant service, investigators developed probable cause to arrest Thurston and numerous items of evidence were seized from his house.

Thurston has been indicted on two counts of distribution of child pornography in violation of California Penal Code 311.2(c), one count of possession of child pornography in violation of California Penal Code 311.11(a), four counts of identity theft in violation of California Penal Code 530.5(a), three counts of accessing or attempting to access a protected computer system to steal files in violation of California Penal Code 502(c)(1) and conspiracy to commit computer theft in violation of California Penal Code 182(a)(1).

The maximum penalty for the above charged offenses is approximately five years and a requirement to register as a sex offender.  An indictment is an allegation that a crime has occurred and all charges must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.  All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.