Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Antioch Mayor Thorpe charged by DA with DUI on April 1, announced May 20

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“Most DUI cases…take around 60 days” – Ted Asregadoo, PIO, CCCDA’s Office

By Allen D. Payton

Two months after Antioch Mayor Thorpe was arrested for DUI on March 19, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office announced on Friday, May 20, 2022, that was charged on April 1. Thorpe was charged with two offenses including “Driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage VC 23152 (a)” and “Driving with a .08% blood alcohol content VC 23152 (b)”. See related articles here, here and here.

Following is the press release from Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer for the DA’s office:

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe was charged with two Misdemeanor counts of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol on April 1, 2022.

The Office of the District Attorney of Contra Costa County received a referral from the California Highway Patrol on March 23, 2022, on two violations of California Vehicle Code 23152 (a) and 23152 (b) that occurred on March 19, 2022, in Pleasant Hill.

After an evaluation, a charging decision was made on the following counts:

Count 1 – Driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage VC 23152 (a)

Count 2 – Driving with a .08% blood alcohol content VC 23152 (b)

The case has been submitted to the Superior Court of Contra Costa County and a Notice to Appear will be issued by the Court.

DA’s Office Responds to Questions About Timing of Press Release and Charges

The following questions were sent Saturday morning to District Attorney Diana Becton’s personal email and through Asregadoo:

“Why, if Mayor Thorpe was charged on April 1, did you just send out the press release about it, yesterday? Was it favoritism for a political ally? Did he ask you to hold it until after the May 11 deadline for submitting his recall signature petitions? Did you choose to hold it for that reason without his request? Or does the process usually take that long in a DUI case? Are elected officials, either political allies or not, treated like any other person your office prosecutes?”

Asregadoo responded, “To inform the public that misdemeanor charges were issued against Mr. Thorpe April 1, 2022. Last week, some media outlets echoed false claims the DA’s Office was not filing charges. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office fairly, ethically, aggressively, and efficiently prosecutes those who violate the law. Most DUI cases (from arrest to issuance of charges) take around 60 days. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It depends on how many DUI cases a Deputy DA is managing. The mission of the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is to seek justice and enhance public safety for all our residents by fairly, ethically, aggressively, and efficiently prosecuting those who violate the law, and by working to prevent crime.”

Regarding the charges they were asked, “how does your office know Mr. Thorpe only consumed ‘an alcoholic beverage’ that night? Do you have witness testimony from whom he claimed to be having dinner, and/or the server or bartender at the establishment who served them? Do you know for sure that he wasn’t at any other establishment(s) consuming alcoholic beverages with others? Is the second charge a standard charge for a BAC of .08% or higher? Or is that the exact level that the CHP measured in his chemical test they administered to him, that night?”

Asregadoo responded simply, “We don’t comment on evidence related to an active court case.”

Questions for Thorpe Go Unanswered

The following questions were sent Saturday morning to Thorpe via email giving him or his attorney until 3:00 p.m. to respond:

Do you have any comments you would like to include from either you or your attorney?

Also, what was your blood alcohol content that the CHP measured in your chemical test they administered? Was it only .08% as stated in the DA’s press release or was it higher and if so, what was the level?

Why if you were charged on April 1 was this just released by the DA’s office, yesterday? Did you ask them to hold it until after the May 11 recall signature gathering deadline?”

Thorpe was asked additional questions that he had previously been asked but have to date gone unanswered:

“Did you have more than one drink that night? With whom did you have dinner and a drink Friday night/Saturday morning? Is that friend willing to corroborate your claim of you only having one alcoholic beverage?

Where did you eat dinner and have a drink? Will the server or bartender corroborate your story?

How long were you at the establishment? Did you go to more than one restaurant or bar that night? Did you or the person you had dinner with pay with cash or by credit/debit card? Did either one of you keep the receipt(s) from your dinner and drink?

Are you willing to provide copies of the receipt(s) for the public to see to support your claim of only having one drink? At what time do you remember having the drink and finishing it?

Did you consume any alcoholic beverages at those or any restaurants or bars, either in Antioch or anywhere else on Friday, prior to leaving Antioch and East County and arriving at the location where you claim you had dinner with a friend and ‘the drink’?

Who drove you home from the CHP office in Martinez? Were you still inebriated at that time? Have you ever been stopped before for driving under the influence? Have you ever claimed to be inebriated at the time you were accused of another crime?”

No responses were received from Thorpe as of 1:30 PM on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Kammermann gets first win at Antioch Speedway

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Devan Kammerman #18d finally picked up his first ever Delta Dwarf Car Main Event win. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Ryland, Robles, Newton are other winners

By Don Martin II, DCRR Racing Media

Antioch, CA…May 21… Devan “The Hammer” Kammermann picked up his first career 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event win Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. With incoming leader Danny Wagner being eliminated in an early crash, Kammermann was able to pull to within four points of the lead in the championship battle.

The Main Event got off to a rough and tumble start with a pair of yellow flags before things got going. Travis Day led the way on the opening lap ahead of David Rosa and David Michael Rosa. An inside move in in Turn 3 gained the younger Rosa second from his father with Kammerman following into third. Day already had about a half-straightaway lead, and Kammermann went low in Turn 2 on Lap 6 to take second from Rosa. The battle for the lead soon began as an inside pass on the backstretch put Chance Russell into third on Lap 10. Day had his hands full with Kammerman when a yellow flag waved for Joe Tardiff and David Michael Rosa on Lap 12. Kammermann went low in Turn 2 on the restart lap and Day pushed high. Kammermann emerged with the lead over Russell and David Rosa. Russell surrendered second to David Michael Rosa on Lap 19, but Kammermann wasn’t giving up the lead as he brought it home to the satisfying win. David Michael Rosa ended up second. Russell faded late as Day ended up third ahead of Toby Brown and Kylee Johnson.

Fred Ryland #7j collected his second IMCA Stock Car win of the season as he closes in on a combined 70 wins in his career at Antioch Speedway. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Fred Ryland was awarded his second 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event win of the season after apparent winner Andrew Pearce was disqualified in post race tech. Ryland had to start back in the fifth row as heat race winner Dan Gonderman led IMCA Sport Modified point leader Pearce and Dave Hill early on. Pearce made an inside pass on Gonderman for the lead on Lap 4.  Joe Gallaher went low in Turn 2 for third on Lap 9. The yellow flag waved for debris, and Pearce continued to lead Gonderman and Gallaher on the restart. Ryland soon found his way into fourth and had a big 14th lap that saw him go low in Turn 4 to take second from Gonderman. However, a yellow flag flew for Jason Jennings moments later. Pearce led Ryland and Gonderman on the restart, but Gonderman lost third to Travis Dutra on Lap 16. After Pearce and fourth place finisher Gallaher were disqualified, Ryland got the win ahead of Dutra, Gonderman, Jason Robles and Jennings.

Kenneth Robles #78 got the win in the Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Kenneth Robles won the 20 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. Incoming point leader Misty Welborn was the early leader ahead of Brad Coelho. Following a yellow flag on Lap 2 for multiple tangles in Turn 4, Welborn led Robles on the restart. Coelho brought out a yellow flag to end his race moments later. Welborn continued to lead Robles on the restart with the battle heating up. Robles and Welborn were going side by side when a yellow flag waved for Jess Paladino on Lap 8. Robles took the lead from Welborn on the restart, and Welborn would end up pitting during a Lap 10 caution. On the next restart, reigning champion Larry McKinzie Jr moved into second behind Robles as young Aiden Ponciano held third. Robles went on to the victory with McKinzie a much needed second as he recharges his championship hopes. Poinciano was a career best third, followed by Mitchell Dana and Jason Ryan Jr.

2019 champion Shannon Newton #2 won the Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Shannon Newton won the 15 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. It was a short field due to a scheduling conflict. As James East took the early lead, Zack Neeley, Bob Newberry and Newton battled fiercely for second. Newberry went low in Turn 3 to grab the spot, and Neeley brought out of a yellow flag moments later. East continued to lead Newberry on the restart, but Newton began to make his presence known. Newton went high in Turn 1 to grab second and made an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 10 to take the lead from East. Newberry headed for the pits as Newton stretched his advantage over East in victory. Neeley settled for third.

Racing continues this Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds back in action along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, the Xtreme Limited Late Model Series and the Super Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochpeedway.com.

Antioch Speedway Unofficial Race Results May 21

Delta Dwarf Cars

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Danny Wagner, Chance Russell. Main Event (20 laps) – Devan Kammerman, David Michael Rosa, Travis Day, Toby Brown, Kylie Johnson, Chance Russell, Joe Tardiff, David Rosa, Ellie Russo, Danny Wagner.

Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Trevor Clymens, Brad Coelho, Misty Welborn. Main Event (20 laps) – Kenneth Robles, Larry McKinzie Jr, Aiden Ponciano, Mitchell Dana, Jason Ryan Jr, Misty Welborn, Grayson Baca, Colten Haney, Jess Paladino, Michaela Taylor.

IMCA Stock Cars

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Andrew Pearce, Dan Gonderman. Main Event (20 laps) – Fred Ryland, Travis Dutra, Dan Gonderman, Jason Robles, Jason Jennings, Dave Hill, Kellen Chadwick, Scott Foster, Andrew Pearce DQ, Joe Gallaher DQ.

Wingless Spec Sprints

Heat Winner (8 laps)-Shannon Newton. Main Event (20 laps) – Shannon Newton, James East, Zack Neeley, Bob Newberry, Rick Panfili DNS.

Danville student named local 2022 Congressional Art Competition winner

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2022 District CA-11 Congressional Art Competition winner, “Growing Up” by Menglin Cai. Source: Office of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

Winner’s art will be displayed in U.S. Capitol; second and third place finisher’s art will be displayed in Congressman DeSaulnier’s Walnut Creek and Richmond offices, respectively

Walnut Creek, CA – Today, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced that Monte Vista High School Sophomore Menglin Cai is the winner of the 2022 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 11th Congressional District. Her watercolor painting entitled “Growing Up” will be displayed in the United States Capitol. The art competition is open to all high school students residing in California’s 11th Congressional District.

“It was a joy to host the Congressional Art Competition again this year and to see the incredible talent demonstrated by our community’s young artists,” said DeSaulnier. “I’m excited to congratulate Menglin and all of the other students who participated in the 2022 competition. I am inspired by the creativity of every artist who submitted a piece this year and look forward to seeing Menglin’s art representing Contra Costa County in the halls of Congress.”

2022 District CA-11 Congressional Art Competition virtual reception with Rep. DeSaulnier (top left) and winner Menglin Cai (top center). Source: Office of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

Second place was awarded to Joseph Pak from the College Preparatory School in Oakland for his charcoal piece, “Uprising” and third place was awarded to Concord High School Senior Amelia Porter for her quilted fabric collage, “I’m Not Okay.” Their art will be displayed in Congressman DeSaulnier’s Walnut Creek office and Richmond office, respectively.

Twenty-three pieces were submitted from various high schools across CA-11. The pieces were evaluated by a panel of judges from the Contra Costa Community College District, Los Medanos College, and Contra Costa College. Since 1982, more than 650,000 high school students around the country have participated in the Congressional Art Competition, allowing Members of Congress to recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

 

Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers recognized for providing safe patient care

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Antioch, Walnut Creek receive A grades, Richmond receives B

The Leapfrog Group’s biannual safety report gives Kaiser Permanente hospitals top scores for limiting patient injuries, reducing medical errors, and preventing infections 

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Antioch, Calif., May 23, 2022 – The Leapfrog Group recognized Kaiser Permanente’s Antioch Medical Center with a top score of “A” in its biannual Hospital Safety Grades report, which examined and graded nearly 3,000 hospitals throughout the United States.

A total of 16 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals received “A” grades including: Antioch, Walnut Creek, Fremont, Fresno, Manteca, Modesto, Redwood City, Roseville, San Francisco, San Jose, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South San Francisco, Vacaville and Vallejo. Additionally, Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Richmond, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Leandro received “B” grades.

“Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do here at the Antioch Medical Center,” said Chris Boyd, senior vice president and area manager of Kaiser Permanente’s Diablo Service Area. “We are honored to be recognized as a leader in patient safety, which is a testament to the steadfast commitment of our physicians, nurses and staff members.”

“What an honor to receive an ‘A’ from the Leapfrog Group,” said Sharon Mowat, physician in chief of the Antioch Medical Center. “This aligns with our mission of preventive care and keeping our patients safe. Our integration allows us to build systems to do the right thing the first time, and it and allows us to catch issues early.”

More about the Leapfrog Safety Grades

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, released its Hospital Safety Grades after examining publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors and infections at U.S. hospitals. The report includes data collected by national health care organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scores are calculated based on more than 30 publicly available measures, and hospitals are then assigned A, B, C, D or F grades for their safety records. The grades are released as a free resource to help patients and their families make informed health care decisions.

For more information and a complete list of the hospital safety grades, visit Leapfrog.

 

Contra Costa DA candidate Knox challenges out-of-state funds from billionaire George Soros supporting incumbent, again

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The first Form 496 finance report by California Justice & Public Safety PAC submitted on May 14, 2022, showing over $200,000 in support for Diana Becton. Source: Netfile.com

D.C.-based California Justice & Public Safety PAC with major funding from Soros has reported more than $400,000 in spending to influence voters in the 2022 Contra Costa DA Race

Knox also benefits from out-of-county funds, but most are from within Contra Costa including $170,000 from Deputy Sheriff’s Association PAC

George Soros at the 47th Munich Security Conference 2011 crop (link) by Harald Dettenborn is licensed by creativecommons.org 3.0 de (link). Source: InfluenceWatch.org

By Allen D. Payton

Over $400,000 has been spent by the California Justice & Public Safety Political Action Committee based in Washington, D.C. to support Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton’s re-election campaign. According to a Form 496 report filed on May 14 by the committee on the Netfile.com website, $206,700 in expenditures were made for “Digital Advertisement Production Supporting Diana Becton”. An additional $201,387.03 was spent by the independent expenditure committee according to another Form 496 report filed on May 14 on “Digital Advertisement Production Opposing Mary Knox”.  California Justice & Public Safety PAC Form 496 051422 #1   California Justice & Public Safety PAC Form 496 051422 #2

According to influencewatch.org, “California Justice & Public Safety PAC is a left-of-center PAC that was created in 2018 to fund the campaigns of progressive Democratic candidates for district attorney in several cities in California. The organization is the California branch of the vast ‘Safety and Justice’ network, a project of left-leaning billionaire George Soros that used a network of similarly named state-level PACs to finance the campaigns of progressive Democratic candidates for district attorney in more than a dozen of America’s cities.”

Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton from her 2022 re-election campaign website.

According to the Justice & Public Safety PAC website, the Soros-backed effort has been “winning races in 14 states over the last 6 years.” Also according to influencewatch.org, “Justice and Public Safety PAC is a left-of-center PAC that focuses on supporting the campaigns of progressive district attorneys in the Commonwealth of Virginia. [1] The PAC receives most of its funding from left-leaning billionaire George Soros and Democracy PAC, which also receives much of its funding from Soros. [2] It is one of several similarly-named PACs that receive substantial funding from Soros and contribute to the campaigns of progressive district attorneys across the U.S.”[3]

They include Becton both during her 2018 campaign, and now, this year’s. The progressive Democrat DA’s also include San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin and Los Angeles County’s George Gascon, both of whom are facing possible recalls. Becton formed a statewide organization with them and San Joaquin County DA Tori Verber Salazar, entitled Prosecutors Alliance of California.

Pages 1 and 2 of the second Form 496 finance report by California Justice & Public Safety PAC submitted on May 14, 2022, showing over $200,000 opposing Mary Knox. Source: Netfile.com

Knox’s Campaign Also Benefits from Out-of-County PAC Funds, But Most to Independent Committee from Within Contra Costa

Knox’s campaign was also the beneficiary of out-of-county political action committee funds, including $10,000 from the Oakland Police Officer’s Association PAC on May 5. According to the Netfile.com website a Form 496 was filed by the Contra Costans for Progress and Justice, a coalition of business, labor and people that care about public safety in support of Mary Knox for District Attorney 2022 showing $50,096 was spent on a “Mailer (Estimated Costs)” and showing the “Cumulative to date total $70,684.75” which the Oakland POA’s PAC helped pay for.  Contra Costans for Progress & Justice PAC Form 496 050322    Contra Costans for Progress & Justice PAC Form 496 050522 Contra Costans for Progress & Justice PAC Form 496 051922

Contra Costans for Progress & Justice PAC Form 496 p.3 submitted May 3, 20222 showing $130,000 in contributions to support Mary Knox’s campaign. Source: Netfile.com

However, according to a separate Form 496 report filed on May 3 by the independent expenditure committee most of their funds spent were from within Contra Costa County, including $170,000 from the Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Independent Expenditure PAC, $7,500 from Alves Ranch Property Holdings, LLC in Alamo, $10,000 from the Concord Police Association PAC, $3,000 from the Brentwood Police Officers Association PAC and $2,500 from the Walnut Creek Police Association PAC (WCPA PAC). Contributions of $500 each were received from the Moraga and Pleasant Hill Police Officers Associations PACS. A total of $3,600 in contributions included in that report were received from sources outside of the county. The report shows $20,588.75 was spent on digital ads to support Knox’s campaign.

The most recent Form 496 report filed on May 19 by the Contra Costans for Progress and Justice committee shows an additional $20,000 contribution from the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff’s Association PAC, $20,000 from the Peace Officers Research Association of California PAC (PORAC PAC) Small Contributor Committee based in Sacramento and an additional $2,500 from two Contra Costa County residents. The report also shows an additional $29,316 was spent on a mailer and shows cumulative to date total expenditures of $100,000.70.

Contra Costans for Progress & Justice PAC Form 496 p.2 submitted May 3, 20222 showing $50,000 in contributions to support Mary Knox’s campaign. Source: Netfile.com

Questions for Becton Go Unanswered

Becton was asked for comment about the spending by the PAC and funds from Soros via email Friday morning, May 20. She was also asked if it is good to have so much out-of-county and out-of-state funds spent to influence an election in Contra Costa County. Becton did not respond.

Knox Issues Statement

Knox’s campaign issued the following this week:

In light of recently reported contributions from an out-of-state PAC funded by George Soros, Mary Knox, candidate for Contra Costa District Attorney released the following statement:

“An out-of-state billionaire is now spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to influence voters and drown out the voices of local donors in the District Attorney’s race,” said Deputy District Attorney Knox. “Our grassroots campaign has deeply resonated with Contra Costa voters who want to see our DA focused on restoring safety and reducing crime. It’s clear that my campaign has made an impact that is now driving out-of-state spending in this race. I remain focused on ensuring our message reaches voters across our county.”

Knox has served as a prosecutor in the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office for 37 years and has extensive trial experience. Knox has earned the endorsement of every law enforcement agency in the County, as well as state and local organizations such as the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, PORAC, the California Narcotics Officers Association and the California Gang Investigators Association. Mary has advanced social justice while preventing crime in Contra Costa County. She brought anti-bias training to the District Attorney’s Office and has fought to end discrimination against women in the Contra Costa County’s District Attorney’s Office.

Mary Knox and the incumbent are the only candidates running for election as District Attorney. Since this election will be won by a simple majority, the election of the next District Attorney of Contra Costa County will be determined by the votes cast on June 7, 2022.

Deputy District Attorney Mary Knox. From her campaign Facebook page

About Mary Knox

Mary Knox has dedicated her life to making Contra Costa County safer. For more than 37 years, Mary has served as an experienced prosecutor and advocate for crime victims. As a lead prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office, Mary has won high profile cases against some of the most notorious criminals in Contra Costa County history. She worked to dismantle the criminal gangs who have preyed upon our most disadvantaged communities, and she has engaged in meaningful violence reduction by instituting effective strategies to reduce crime and prosecute violent criminals. To discourage freeway shootings, she secured $3.5 million for freeway security cameras. She brought in $3.5 million in federal funding to combat sex trafficking. And, after recent smash and grab robberies, Mary developed a three-point plan to hold organized crime syndicates accountable and prevent future crimes.

Born and raised in Walnut Creek, Mary Knox attended UCLA and then Pepperdine Law School.

During law school, Mary worked as a law clerk in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in the Sexual Assault Unit and in a second clerkship in the Juvenile Unit. Once Mary graduated from law school, she came home and has worked as a prosecutor in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s for the past 37 years while raising her son, Darien, as a single mother.

Key Endorsements (for a complete list visit maryknox4da.com):

  • Crime Victims United
  • Police Officer Research Association of California (PORAC)
  • California Narcotic Officers’ Association (CNOA)
  • California Correctional Peace Officers Association
  • Central Coast Gang Investigators Association
  • National Latino Police Officer Association – Contra Costa County NLPOA Advocacy Chapter
  • Chinese American Political Association (CAPA) PAC
  • Contra Costa County Sheriff, David Livingston
  • Mitchell Celaya III, Calistoga Police Chief
  • Douglas Krathwal, Retired San Pablo Police Chief
  • Joseph Aida, Retired San Pablo Police Chief
  • Walt Schuld, Retired San Pablo Police Chief
  • John Moore, Retired Pleasant Hill Police Chief
  • Dan Lawrence, Retired Clayton Police Chief
  • Tom Holt, Former Police Lieutenant from the Contra Costa Community College District
  • Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association
  • Contra Costa District Attorney Investigators Association
  • El Cerrito Police Officer Association
  • Hercules Police Officer Association
  • Martinez Police Officer Association
  • Oakley Police Officer Association
  • Pinole Police Officer Association
  • Pittsburg Police Officer Association
  • Pleasant Hill Police Officer Association
  • San Ramon Police Officer Association
  • Antioch Police Officer Association
  • BART Police Officer Association
  • Brentwood Police Officer Association
  • Richmond Police Officer Association
  • San Pablo Police Employees’ Association
  • Clayton Police Officer Association
  • Concord Police Officer Association
  • East Bay Regional Parks Police Officer Association
  • Walnut Creek Police Officer Association

To learn more about incumbent DA Becton’s campaign, click here. The election is June 7.

Bay Area health officials share guidance to navigate the infant formula shortage

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Source: CDC

By Contra Costa Health Services

There continues to be a shortage of infant formula nationwide due to supply chain issues and a recall of infant formula due to bacterial contamination in the Abbott manufacturing plant in Michigan. The federal government is currently working on strategies to increase production of formula and help families access existing stock.

Compared to other states California is faring better, but the shortages are still of concern.

Babies need the right balance of nutrients- not too much or too little of anything- to grow and be healthy. It is important for your baby’s health to use products that meet federal standards to ensure the formula is safe and free of harmful bacteria.

During this challenging time, the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and the City of Berkeley encourage parents and families to:

  • If you are currently breastfeeding, continue if possible. We recognize this optionmay not be viable for everyone. If someone is partially breastfeeding, they may consider reaching out to a lactation care provider (in-person or by telehealth) to help ensure that they maintain or increase their milk supply by breastfeeding more.
  • Talk to your child’s doctor aboutsubstituting formula brands. For most babies, if their regular brand of formula is not currently available, it is OK to substitute with a similar version. Also consult your child’s pediatrician if your baby requires a specialized formula, (therapeutic or metabolic formula for an infant with a medical condition requiring different caloric or nutrient content), before making any substitution. Your pediatrician may recommend a milk bank referral. If you have questions about which formula is acceptable, contact your child’s pediatrician or your local WIC agency. (In Contra Costa County, call (800) 414-4WIC.)
  • Avoid making your own formula at home, watering down formulato make it last longer, using expired formula, using cow, goat, or plant-based milk for formula, or giving toddler formula to infants. Doing so can reduce the amount of nutrients a baby receives and can lead to potential serious health complications. If no other options are available to feed your baby, children over six months may be eligible for whole, pasteurized, cow’s milk, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is not ideal and should not be done for more than one week. Talk to your pediatrician if you need to give your baby cow’s milk for a week to see if this option is appropriate for your child.
  • Apply to theWIC program. About half of all births in California are in low-income families who qualify for the WIC program, and income-eligible clients can receive a WIC card and use it to purchase a limited amount of formula at participating retail stores. WIC offices are staffed by individuals with close ties to their communities. Existing WIC clients should use their benefits for formula earlier in the month in case they run into shortages near the end of their benefit period.
  • Find out what resources exist in the communityand share those resources widely. If you see infant formula in stock when you’re shopping, make it known within your network.

Health officials will continue to monitor the shortage and provide updates as new information is available.

 

DA files murder charge against homeless Concord man

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By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Martinez, CA – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office files a murder charge against a homeless man in Concord — plus an enhancement for intentionally firing a handgun that killed a Walnut Creek resident.

29-year-old Guadalupe Jose Robles is currently in the Martinez Detention Facility for the murder of 25-year-old Shafi Kevin Qasimi. Mr. Robles was unhoused and camped in a creek area near Diamond Boulevard and Willow Pass Road in Concord when the incident occurred.

On May 5th, 2022, Robles got into an altercation with Qasimi — who went by the nickname, “Active.” Robles believed that Qasimi used Bear spray on Robles’ friend earlier that day and threatened to do the same to Robles during the argument. At one point, Qasimi walked away from Robles’s campsite, while Robles and two others followed him.

Robles was handed a small handgun — which has not been recovered — and he fired one shot that hit Qasimi in the head, killing him. Robles and others used a stolen vehicle to move Qasimi’s body from Concord to Oakland in the Grizzly Peak area — where it was eventually found by Oakland Police on May 12th after receiving a 911 call from an individual who was sightseeing with his family.

Robles was arraigned yesterday in Martinez. Docket Number: 01-22-00577.

According to localcrimenews.com, Robles has a list of arrests dating back to 2015.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

50 years of service: BART could have been an elevated monorail and other fascinating facts from the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report

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A rendering of a “basic supported system” train from the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report of 1956.

In celebration of BART’s 50th anniversary this year, we’re looking back at the transit system’s five decades of service and innovation in a new series of stories. BART celebrates 50 years on Sept. 11, 2022.

Rendering of a BART car cross section.

Deep in the BART archives at Lake Merritt Station, an unassuming large format book has been gathering dust. Just over 100 pages, the green cover has now faded, the pages yellowed. The cover title reads: “Regional Rapid Transit: A Report to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Commission.”

Published in January 1956, the report is a crystal ball, peering into an idealized future of BART and the Bay Area of the 21st century. The New York-based engineering consortium Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and Macdonald researched the report from 1953 to 1955. Within its pages emerges a portrait of a burgeoning Bay Area – population ~3 million– in desperate need of a high-speed, grade-separated regional transit system.

“We are firmly convinced that the answer to ever-increasing traffic congestion in the Bay Area lies in the utilization of … interurban rapid transit,” the report’s cover letter reads.

Since 1956, the Bay Area has more than doubled in population, with an estimated 7 million people now residing in the region’s nine counties and 101 municipalities – many of which are now served by a BART system born of the forward-looking Parsons-Brinckerhoff report.

The report is a significant document as it was the first major publication to envision what BART could be. In the 1950s, many were keenly following this yet-to-be-built mass transit system, according to Liam O’Donoghue, a local historian and the host of the podcast “East Bay Yesterday.”

Comprehensive Plan for Regional Rapid Transit, prepared for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Commission by Parson Brinckerhoff Hall & MacDonald from 1956 shows extensions to Brentwood in East County and Crockett in West County and beyond, as well as to Livermore in Alameda County. Source: Erica Fischer | Flickr

“One of the reasons there was so much national attention on BART is because it was the first mass transit rail system to be constructed in the U.S. for 60 years,” O’Donoghue said. “It was not only a milestone for public transit, harkening to a new era, it was also a test case for urban mass transit rail systems moving forward.”

O’Donoghue said the report is significant for multiple reasons. For one, it provided a blueprint for one of the biggest construction projects in California in half-a-century. It also helped “sell” the transit system to a skeptical, tax-paying public.

“The report really had to make the case for BART to the public,” O’Donoghue said. “BART came very close to not happening, so the people promoting BART needed the informational ammunition.”

Devin Smith, a volunteer at the Prelinger Library in San Francisco, recently got a shock when a Parsons-Brinckerhoff report from 1956 was donated from the private collection of Jay Bolcik, a former BART Manager of Schedules and Services. The library contains many trade periodicals, including plentiful materials on transportation, so the donation fit well with the library’s existing collection.

Smith said he found the report “incredibly fascinating,” and was especially impressed by its size and scope.

“It’s always interesting to look at reports like these and contextualize why this one proposal got picked over other,” he said. “Seeing the BART system at such an early stage…it’s just amazing.”

The Bay Area, the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report concludes, required a rapid transit system to complement the area’s already-established network of highways. Traffic, even in the 1950s, proved a sore spot for the region.

“Today’s age of automobiles has brought with its miracles a level of travel discomfort, cost, and hazard that is critical,” the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report summary reads. “In the Bay Area, home now for some 3 million people, traffic problems are aggravating.”

Renderings of a supported car from the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report.

The report uses a series of phrases to stress the car problem: “heavily burdened,” “chaos,” “ever-mounting barrier.” Interurban transit would serve as a balm to soothe the Bay’s gridlock headache, while also facilitating urban development.

“The report is important now because the problem that BART was meant to deal with then – traffic – is still a problem here,” O’Donoghue said. “We need to keep expanding on projects like BART, whether it’s additional lines or some sort of connectors. We need to keep building these public transit systems because individual car use is really a dead end.”

The Parsons-Brinckerhoff engineers specify in the report that the new trains needed to travel at speeds of at least 45 miles per hour (BART trains now travel an average of 35 miles per hour with stops and can reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour). The report also states the new BART system needed to contain “comfortable seats for all passengers” on trains, provide service at short intervals, and construct stations at conveniently located and strategically positioned areas.

One fascinating aspect of the report is its portrait of a BART that could have been. BART as a monorail? BART trains with pneumatic tires? Nothing, at this stage in the transit system’s development, was overruled or overlooked.

Some train models the report examined include the suspended monorail in Wuppertal, Germany, the oldest elevated railway with hanging cars in the world; the Talgo Train, with its in-between carriage bogies; and a “Carveyor,” or continuous conveyer belt with cars atop. BART eventually nixed all these ideas for various reasons, including cost, feasibility, and reliability. The transit system settled on self-propelled cars that draw power from an electrified third rail and operate – perhaps notoriously — on a non-standard gauge width.

The report also puts forth four options for constructing the system with the following keep the system low cost, attractive, and as unobtrusive as possible.

“Low cost is always predominant and in the public interest; the aesthetics of the rapid transit structures is a major factor in determining general public acceptance of its form and its impact upon the value of adjacent properties,” the report states. “These basic objectives are often in conflict, however. The ideal combination of invisible structures at zero cost is impossible, and we must therefore make compromises.”

Construction options included surface transit, open-cut transit, subway transit, and elevated structure transit. Today, BART uses a combination of all four options.

As for the trains, the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report outlines that the system most likely to serve the Bay Area would be a “basic supported system,” with high-speed, lightweight cars featuring steel wheels on steel rails, powered by electricity. But the report didn’t write off alternative systems, such as suspended trains or rubber tires. It included renderings of some alternatives, which you can view above.

A potential design for the interior of the cars.

“The question of appearance,” the report notes, “always involves personal taste.” Future reports would outline in greater detail the look and feel of BART, but the renderings the report does provide depict transit specifically born out of the Space Age, with sleek and futuristic-looking bodies.

The report concludes with a simple thesis: “Some form of interurban transit [for the Bay Area] is necessary.”

“Unless it is willing to accept sustained congestion and the retardation of economic growth that would result, the Bay Area has no choice but to accelerate its transportation planning and construction,” the report concludes, continuing, “Concepts of large metropolitan cities served only by private automobiles are in the realm of physical and economic fantasy.”

Just under two decades later, many of the Parsons-Brinckerhoff report’s findings and recommendations would be put into action. Some of the original concepts continue to serve the Bay Area and its transit riders today.

According to O’Donoghue, the report serves as a reminder of what is possible.

“If we’re going to solve the Bay Area’s problems, like traffic, we have a whole playbook from BART history about how people were approaching these same issues in previous generations,” he said. “And that matters.”

If you’d like to read the report yourself, you can access a hard copy at a handful of libraries and historical societies around the Bay Area. You can view them on WorldCat by clicking here.

Oakley woman to run as official write-in candidate for Congress against DeSaulnier

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Katherine Piccinini

Oakley resident Katherine Piccinini announced that she has filed paperwork with the Contra Costa Elections Division and is certified as an official Write-In Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, 10th District race in the June 7th Primary Election.  The 10th Congressional District was recently changed due to re-districting and now includes much of Contra Costa County, including Oakley, Brentwood, parts of Antioch and Central Contra Costa County, as well.

If she gets enough voters to write her name on the June ballot, it will appear on the November ballot.

“I am a mother, a grandmother, and a Constitutionalist,” Piccinini stated. “I am concerned about the direction of our great nation.”

She said she was concerned no viable challenger had filed paperwork to run against incumbent, liberal Congressman Mark DeSaulnier in the Primary.

“DeSaulnier has voted yes to budget after budget where America has overspent beyond our means, incurring 10’s of trillions in debt that our children and grandchildren will be forced to pay back,” Piccinini said as one of her reasons for the challenge.

She also discussed other parts of DeSaulnier’s voting record, noting he even voted no on the ‘Infants Born Alive Protection Act’ H.R. 4712 which would have required health care professionals to provide life-saving care to babies born during botched abortions.

Shortly after announcing her candidacy, Piccinini received numerous endorsements from several community groups including the East Contra Costa Republican Women Federated, where she serving as president in her third year; Lamorinda Republican Women Federated and the San Ramon Republican Women Federated; the California Delta Region Republican Party organization on social media; Rachel Hamm, candidate for Secretary of State; David E Burton San Diego East County Conservatives; George Yang, candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Congressional District 9 candidate Jim Shoemaker; Assembly District 16 candidate Joe Rubay; Assembly District candidate Janell Proctor; Assembly District 14 write-in candidate Rich Kinney and former AD-11 Assembly candidate Erik Elness.

Piccinini outlined several of her platform issues, including financial accountability, such as reigning in our $30.4+ trillion dollar national debt by auditing, reducing spending and advancing a balanced budget amendment, support for the Bill of Rights, including the Freedom of Speech, Religion, and our Right to Bear Arms, as well as supporting federal voucher efforts for school choice, reducing federal restrictions on water for California’s Central Valley farmers, closed borders and stopping federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

Piccinini stands for individual liberty and Constitutional government with Congress exercising the “power of the purse” to control spending, as well as encouraging pride in the founding principles that make America exceptional.

“Speaking with fellow citizens, so many are frustrated and very concerned with the lack of honesty, integrity and morals of our elected representatives in Washington DC,” she also stated, “We the people deserve better than that.”

Piccinini has been involved with her community as a soccer mom and coach for the youth; a parent advocate, and property manager. She worked and served at the Delta Community food bank for 4 years. In 2019, she took the initiative to support the East Contra Costa Women’s Republican club, increased the membership by 50% and then became President of the organization. Her commitment is to stand for truth and freedom and represent District 10 with honor.

You can follow Katherine Pinnicici’s campaign on Facebook at Piccinini 4 Congress and on Instagram at piccinini 4 congress.

To vote for Piccinini in the June 7, 2022 Election, fill in the bubble in the “write in” area and neatly print her name, “Katherine Piccinini” on the write in line.