Contra Costa Herald

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

County issues $100 million in bonds; Morgan Territory Road repairs to cost at least $2 million

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Supervisors to hear ban on juvenile hall residential fees

By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa County has closed a $99,810,000 lease revenue bond transaction as a result of an innovative agreement with Wells Fargo Bank.  The transaction closed on Friday, March 3.

Some $9.7 million will fund capital improvement projects within the county’s health services department, including its hospital and clinic system.  The remaining $90.1 million will be used to refinance existing county bond debt at historically low interest rates.  Ultimately, the county and Wells Fargo negotiated a 10-year term at an interest rate of 2.33%.  This will save taxpayers more than $9.1 million in today’s dollars.

“The county’s ‘AAA’ bond rating through Standard and Poor’s has allowed us to take full advantage of the low interest rate environment and maximize cost savings for our taxpayers,” board chair Federal Glover said.  “Ultimately, this means more tax dollars are available to provide services to our residents.”

“Through the strong leadership of the board of supervisors and assistance of our employees, the county has been able to emerge from the Great Recession on a sound financial footing,” County Administrator David Twa said. “The willingness of Wells Fargo to purchase close to $100 million of our bonds at such a favorable interest rate is evidence of that.”

Contra Costa County is rated “AAA” by Standard and Poor’s and “Aa2” by Moody’s Investor Service. Both credit rating agencies have attributed their high ratings for Contra Costa County to very strong financial management, with policies and practices well-embedded in county operations.  They have also pointed to a strong local economy with a large, diverse tax base.”

Morgan Territory Road Repair Resolution

The County Public Works Department received its marching orders from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, when they passed a resolution calling for the “expeditious” repair and reopening of storm-damaged Morgan Territory Road.

The board voted 4-0 in adopting the resolution introduced by Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood.  Supervisor Candace Anderson of Danville was absent.

County Public Works Directors Julia Bueren told the Contra Costa Herald preliminary repair costs for Morgan Territory Road that was destroyed by rain-soaked landslides during late January’s torrential rainstorms, could cost $2 million to $2.6 million in state emergency funds.

“Even that is a preliminary estimate,” Bueren said.  “This is a large and complex slide.”

The February torrential rainstorms damaged the road when the hillside slid onto the thoroughfare, causing mounds of dirt 100 high and 300 feet wide.

The massive landslides also caused the disruption of water and PG&E service to residents living in the area.

Supervisors recognized Ruben Aguilar (left) and Michael Stevens (right) for their 56 years of combined service with the county Public Works Department. Photo by Daniel Borsuk

Bueren said the county is studying three alternate routes for up to 1,000 residents living in the area of the damaged roadway.  “This is of the highest priority,” she added.

Supervisor Burgis said Morgan Territory Road is subject to additional destruction.

“There is a hillside that is still moving,” she said.

Board Vice Chair Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill noted Morgan Territory Road residents are still living under difficult conditions.

“The Contra Costa Water District couldn’t get water there for seven days so they began to provide bottled water,” she said.

Glover credited the various county departments, including the Sheriff’s Department, Public Works, Contra Costa Fire, and San Ramon Fire that worked together during the Morgan Territory Road disaster.

“The county was doing what it does best, acting as a team,” he added. Also at the meeting, the Supervisors recognized Ruben Aguilar and Michael Stevens for their 56 years of combines service with the Public Works Department. Aguilar has 36 years with the department and Stevens has 20 years of service. Both men responded to the initial closure of Morgan Territory Road when it was damaged in the storm in late January.

Ban Proposed on Juvenile Hall Residential Fees

A Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors committee voted on Monday to recommend to the full board that a permanent moratorium be imposed on charging residential fees for incarcerated juveniles.

Citing financial hardships on parents of youths held as wards of the county at either the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in Oakley and Juvenile Hall in Martinez, the Public Safety Committee directed the Probation Department and County Administrator to bring before the full board by May a resolution to stop the practice of charging fees to juvenile residents.

The Probation Department first began assessing the fee in 2003 at a rate of $17.03 per day per minor until 2010 when the state permitted counties to increase the fee to $30 a day.  The state passed legislation so counties could assess fees in order to recover costs for the actual cost of care of a minor in detention at a juvenile hall facility.

But the increasing fees made it difficult for the county to recoup costs from parents or guardians of juveniles held in county facilities.  The Probation Department has $16.9 million in accounts receivable outstanding through June 30, 2016, David Twa, County Administrator noted in a report presented to the committee.  He attributed $8.55 million to Juvenile Fees and $8.34 million to Public Defender fees.

If the full board adopts the committee’s recommendation to make the moratorium permanent, the county will join Alameda, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Kern counties that do not assess juvenile hall fees.

“These fees cause great economic burden on families of juveniles incarcerated in our facilities,” Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond said.

“At some time we had to put an end to collecting these fees,” said Glover, the committee chairman.

Information in Twa’s report revealed flaws in the way the county assessed the juvenile hall fees.  There are cases where an undisclosed number of families are due refunds because of being overcharged as far back as 2011.

“Families were improperly assessed and billed,” said Rebecca Brown, president of the nonprofit organization Further The Work.  Brown said the financial impact of these juvenile hall housing fees charged leave have a big financial impact on the families of youths incarcerated in county juvenile hall facilities.

“Earlier efforts to remedy these financial problems were impossible to accomplish,” she said.

Shared autonomous vehicles make U.S. debut at Bishop Ranch as part of pilot program

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EasyMile @ Bishop Ranch. Photo by Noah Berger

San Ramon, CA – Bishop Ranch, EasyMile, GoMentum Station and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) announced Monday that two EZ10 Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAV) will begin operation at Bishop Ranch, northern California’s premier business park in San Ramon. This marks the beginning of the second phase of testing for a pilot demonstration project authorized as part of California Assembly Bill 1592, which enables testing of electric, low-speed, multi-passenger, autonomous vehicles that are not equipped with a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator or operator. This is the first such pilot program in California.

“We are excited to be at the cutting edge of innovation in driverless technology with the United States’ first pilot demonstration for EasyMile shuttles here at Bishop Ranch,” said Alexander Mehran Sr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sunset Development Company. “We’re continuously striving to find ways to elevate the customer experience at Bishop Ranch and deliver innovative and valuable amenities. Autonomous shuttles have the ability to improve safety, benefit the environment, reduce congestion and make existing roads more efficient.”

“The Contra Costa Transportation Authority and GoMentum Station look forward to partnering with Bishop Ranch and EasyMile to test the next generation of transportation in Contra Costa County. This technology offers an innovative new approach to helping travelers get to transit stations, business districts, and other local amenities without the hassle of driving and parking. We expect that EasyMile SAVs will solve the so-called “first-and-last-mile” challenge — a solution that could be replicated by many urban and suburban communities across the United States,” said Randell Iwasaki, CCTA’s Executive Director.

“At EasyMile, we are proud of our work to transform the way people move through cities around the world. Our shuttles allow commuters to quickly, easily, and safely get where they need to go, without having to depend on a car. We are excited to partner with Bishop Ranch, GoMentum Station and First Transit as our operating partner in bringing this technology to the United States,” said Gilbert Gagnaire, EasyMile President.

Founded in 2014, EasyMile is a high-tech company specialized in developing software for the automatization of all kind of transportation systems, powering autonomous vehicles for both goods transportation and smart mobility solutions. They have already successfully deployed SAVs in Finland, France, Spain, Norway, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Dubai, Singapore, and Switzerland. The Bishop Ranch pilot program marks the U.S. debut of the EasyMile SAVs, which if successful, is poised to become the first publicly accessible SAV technology for Mobility-on-Demand (MOD) in the country.

About EasyMile

EasyMile is a high-tech company specialized in developing software for the automatization of all kind of transportation systems. The company provides shared driverless transportation for the last mile that complement mass transportation solutions, the EZ10. This ‘green’ service addresses short distances that are too long to walk to, from a transport hub to a final destination where cars are either ‘off limits’ or where parking space is limited or non-existent. It also provides a service for short distances within confined sites. EasyMile autonomous vehicles operate either on demand or follow a set route calling at all stations.

About GoMentum Station

GoMentum Station in Concord, California is where the Contra Costa Transportation Authority leads and facilitates a collaborative partnership among multiple automobile manufacturers; original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers; communications suppliers; technology companies; researchers and academia; public agencies and other partners. At GoMentum Station, technology, innovation and commercialization will converge to define the next generation of transportation network infrastructure. More information about GoMentum Station is available at gomentumstation.net

About Bishop Ranch

Bishop Ranch, owned and operated by Sunset Development Company, is built on a legacy of sound planning and smart growth. Located on 585 acres in the San Ramon Valley, it is the largest mixed-use business community in Northern California. For nearly four decades, Bishop Ranch has continually, carefully grown to become a dynamic center for the modern business. Today, the prosperous surrounding communities — 192,000 residents within a six-mile radius — enjoy an average household income of $162,000.

We are home to 30,000 employees at 600 companies in more than 30 industries. Among the tenants are many Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, Chevron, General Electric, IBM, PG&E, Robert Half, Bank of the West, Toyota and Berkshire Hathaway. Numerous small businesses in high tech, bio/clean tech, and social software, such as Affiliated Computer Services, Aon eSolutions, Cognizant Technology Solutions and AGIS Network have chosen to locate in this diverse and thriving business environment. Bishop Ranch offers a unique flexibility for the space requirements of companies large and small, and its tenants occupy spaces from 150 square feet to more than 1 million square feet.

Employees at Bishop Ranch enjoy a wide range of amenities and on-site services, including award-winning transportation programs, high-end food options, professional seminars and networking opportunities, special offers and discounts, gourmet food trucks and a farmers market.

About The Contra Costa Transportation Authority

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.

Movie filmed in Antioch last summer by director from Antioch to premier Sunday on TV

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Forgotten Evil starring Kyle McKeever and Masiela Lusha shot in Antioch, will air this Sunday night on LMN. photo courtesy of LMN

By Allen Payton

A film shot in Antioch, last fall by Antioch High School graduate and director Anthony C. Ferrante – of Sharknado fame – will premier on Lifetime’s LMN TV channel, this Sunday night at 8:00 p.m.

Director Anthony C. Ferrante and crew shooting outside scenes at Antioch’s historic El Campanil Theatre in downtown Rivertown in August, 2016. photo by Allen Payton

Entitled, “Forgotten Evil” the movie was filmed in various locations in Antioch for a few weeks in August, including Antioch High School and the historic El Campanil Theatre in downtown Rivertown and included Antioch residents as extras. (See related Herald article.)

The movie synopsis is, as follows: Renee awakens, sinking underwater inside a tightly tied sack. Struggling, she somehow breaks out from her underwater coffin. When she awakens again, she remembers nothing. Without a past, she is released from the hospital and forced to start a life anew. Amongst the new faces that enter her life, there is an old one, one that she does not recognize–her husband. As he grows closer and closer, those around her fall victim to deadly accidents. Now Renee must remember her past if she is to have a future.”

The film stars Masiela Lusha and Kyle McKeever in the leading roles, as well as Angie Teodora Dick, Adrian Bustamante and Jeff Marchelletta. To learn more about the full cast and crew, click here.

It is scheduled to show again at Midnight from For more information about the film, visit http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/forgotten-evil and for show times, click here.

Oakley Council discusses reallocating property tax funds for East County fire district

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By Bryan Scott

At their February 28th meeting, the Oakley City Council discussed the community’s inadequate funding of fire and emergency medical services and decided to advance a reallocation program that has a goal of transferring $7.8 million of area property tax funds to the fire district.

“I believe we need to do something now,” said Vice Mayor Randy Pope towards the end of the spirited discussion.

The council agreed to have City Manager Bryan Montgomery draft a letter endorsing the need for improved fire and emergency medical services and supporting reallocating area property tax funds as a solution.

The group also discussed setting aside a 1% share of the city’s growth in property tax funding, approximately $45,000, to be transferred to East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD).  ECCFPD is the local fire department that is struggling to provide adequate services with a funding level set 35 years ago when services were provided by volunteers.

Taking action was argued against by City Manager Montgomery.  He said that even though the reallocation program sounds simple, it is not workable because so many government entities need to participate, and that the area school district superintendents have gone on record opposing their participation in the program.  He also said Oakley residents need to chime in on the issue, and that action needs to come from elsewhere, at the state or county level.

“You won’t be popular with our partners (if you do this); the schools are not going to like this,” he told the Council towards the end of the discussion, appealing to the human instinct to be loved.

Also discussed by the Council was a meeting Councilmember Kevin Romick attended that was also attended by Contra Costa County Supervisors Diane Burgis (Dist. 3) and Karen Mitchoff (Dist. 4).  The meeting’s purpose was to discuss last-minute strategies to keep the fourth ECCFPD fire station open beyond this June, when its temporary funding runs out.

Current ECCFPD funding provides for three fire stations to cover a service area of 250 square miles where over 110,000 people live.

Councilmember Romick said that the agency most involved in providing fire and emergency medical services, ECCFPD, did not attend the meeting.  Consequently, the same group will come together again on March 21st to review the fire district’s plans and budget.

Scott is Co-Chair of East County Voters for Equal Protection, a non-partisan grass roots citizens action committee formed to address the unequal funding of fire and emergency medical services existing in 249 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County.  About 110,000 residents, as well as those who work and play in Eastern Contra Costa, have services funded at a level one-fourth to one-third of those levels in other parts of Contra Costa County.  For more information contact committee Co-Chairs Hal Bray at hal.bray@pacbell.net or Bryan Scott scott.bryan@comcast.net.    Connect with them and learn more on their Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/EastCountyVoters/

Deer Valley High student wins county “Poetry Out Loud” contest, again

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Kiara Chapman with her winner’s certificate.

Kiara Chatman advances to state finals in competition that emphasizes language skill and public speaking

In a remarkable achievement, Kiara Chatman, a senior at Deer Valley High in Antioch, took first place in the Contra Costa County “Poetry Out Loud” competition for the second year in a row. The event was held in the lovely Las Lomas High School Theatre in Walnut Creek on February 11th.  The Runner-up position went to senior Camila Morales-Jimenez from El Cerrito High in El Cerrito, and Third Place to sophomore Wesley Little from Monte Vista High in Danville.

The three were among thousands of students across the state to participate in the national recitation contest, a program started by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and run by the California Arts Council and locally by the Arts & Culture Commission of Contra Costa County (AC5) to engage high-school students in the presentation of poetry through memorization and performance.  Chatman advances to the California state finals in Sacramento on March 12 & 13. At stake are hundreds of dollars on the state competition level and thousands at the national finals of Poetry Out Loud.

This is Contra Costa’s tenth year of Poetry Out Loud competition, and many attendees commented that the recitations just keep getting better and better.  Among the many fine recitations, Ms. Chatman’s “The Gaffe” by C.K. Williams, Ms. Morales-Jimenez’s “One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII” by Pablo Neruda and Mr. Little’s “Cartoon Physics, part 1” by Nick Flynn helped secure the final outcome.

The very competitive pool of finalists included students from eleven county high schools: College Park High in Pleasant Hill, Deer Valley High in Antioch, El Cerrito High in El Cerrito, Independence High in Brentwood, Las Lomas High in Walnut Creek, Monte Vista High in Danville, Northgate High in Walnut Creek, Pinole Valley High in Pinole, Truthtrackers Co-Op in Walnut Creek and Making Waves Academy and Salesian College Preparatory, both in Richmond.  Countywide, over 2500 students memorized a poem for the program this year.

“To learn a great poem by heart is to make a friend for life,” said John Barr, president of the Poetry Foundation. “The national recitation program brings fresh energy to an ancient art form by returning it to the classrooms of America.”

The Poetry Out Loud program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry: recitation and performance. Poetry Out Loud competitions start in the classroom, then at the school, region, state, and national finals, similar to the structure of the spelling bee. The national initiative is part of an attempt to bring literary arts to students, a critical need in U.S. schools, according to a 2004 NEA report Reading at Risk that found a dramatic decline in literary reading, especially among younger readers.

More information can be found at http://www.cac.ca.gov/initiatives/pol.php and www.poetryoutloud.org.

McNerney introduces bill to strengthen Internet of Things security, protect consumers

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Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, March 2, 2017, Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-09) introduced H.R. 1324, the Securing IoT Act, which requires that Internet of Things (IoT) devices be certified to be in compliance with cybersecurity standards. The bill directs the Federal Communications Commission, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to develop standards that address cybersecurity throughout the lifecycle of the IoT device.

“The proliferation of IoT devices creates immense opportunities for our society, including new jobs and efficiencies in all aspects of our everyday lives. However, the security of these devices has not kept up with the rapid pace of innovation and deployment,” said Rep. McNerney. “Security vulnerabilities in IoT devices are likely to pose threats to our national security and endanger our nation’s economy. This is especially concerning given that at least 20 billion devices are anticipated to be in use by 2020. My legislation, the Securing IoT Act, helps to address this issue by requiring that security standards be established for IoT devices and that these devices be certified to meet those standards. The legislation will help strengthen this market and protect consumers, business, and all the benefits that IoT devices offer.”

Last fall, McNerney raised concerns about the distributed denial-of-service attack on Dyn’s servers, which resulted from security weaknesses in IoT devices, and he joined his Democratic colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee in calling for a hearing to examine the matter.

Alameda Co. Deputy Sheriff, Antioch resident, who died last week to be eulogized at Concord Pavilion, Friday

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Deputy Michael Foley. photos courtesy of the Alameda Co. Sheriff’s Office

By Allen Payton

The funeral service for Michael Foley, an Alameda County Deputy Sheriff and Antioch resident, will be held this Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the Concord Pavilion.

The 60-year-old was struck by a bus at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on Wednesday, February 22 and died from his injuries, the next day. Foley worked for the Concord Police Department for 29 years, prior to his service with Alameda County.

A message was posted on the Sheriff’s Facebook page on Thursday: “It is with great sadness we report that Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Michael Foley has died from his injuries. Mike started his law enforcement career in 1978 as an Officer with the Concord Police Department. After a long and successful 29 year career there, he retired and was hired by ACSO in 2007. Michael was one of the hardest working Deputies on this agency. He used his experience and wisdom to mentor countless numbers of young officers throughout his career. He was an extremely kind man who loved his family, friends, co-workers and community. He believed in public service and making the world a better place. All of us who were touched by his life will never forget him. He is a role model and a great example for others to follow. Our hearts are broken today. Please keep Mike and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Sheriff’s escort for Deputy Foley’s body on Sunday, Feb. 26.

On Sunday, Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs escorted Foley’s body from John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau, according to a post on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Facebook page.

He is survived by his wife Tammie, and children Michael and Tonya. A GoFundMe account has been set up to benefit the Foley family and verified by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. http://www.gofundme.com/deputy-mike-foleys-family-fund According to that site, Foley “chose to work as a deputy at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to put his son, Michael Jr., through college.”he chose to work as a deputy at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to put his son, Michael Jr., through college. After 29 years with the Concord Police Department, he chose to work as a deputy at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to put his son, Michael Jr., through college. We are hoping to lighten the burden of this sudden loss. After 29 years with the Concord Police Department, he chose to work as a deputy at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to put his son, Michael Jr., through college. We are hoping to lighten the burden of this sudden loss.

In addition, the San Francisco Police Credit Union has established an account under the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County Charitable Foundation for the benefit of Deputy Sheriff Michael Foley. Contributions may take place in person at a local branch, mail or electronically utilizing account #1387350 S5 M Foley Memorial Fund.  Funds may be forwarded to SFPCU via mail or electronically as follows:

ACSO DSA Charitable Foundation for Michael Foley 2550 Irving St San Francisco, Ca 94122 Acct#1387350 S5 Routing#321076496

Teen arrested for filming others in locker room at Walnut Creek health club

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On Tuesday, February 21, 2017, at about 11:40 AM, the Office of the Sheriff was dispatched to a report of harassment that occurred at a fitness center on the 2800 block of Jones Road in unincorporated Walnut Creek.

A Deputy Sheriff spoke to the male victim who was apparently secretly recorded with a cell phone while in a locker room. This happened on February 20, 2017. The video and photos were posted to Snapchat.

The Deputy contacted the 17-year-old suspect, who is not being identified. The suspect was later arrested for invasion of privacy. He was cited for violation of California Penal Code 647(j) and then released to his parents. The investigation into this incident is continuing.

Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message or email: tips@so.cccounty.us.

California Superior Court judges send letter to Gov. Brown asking for more money

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By Allen Payton

In a strongly worded letter, judges from 49 of the 58 superior courts in California, including Contra Costa County, informed Governor Jerry Brown last week, of their displeasure with the amount of funding for the state’s judicial branch in his proposed budget. They believe the lack of an increase in their budget will have an impact on the communities they serve and are asking for an increase of $158.5 million to the $3.6 billion Brown has proposed in his budget. Courts Letter to Gov Brown 02-16-17

Each of the 58 counties in the state have a trial court, known as a superior court. The judges added their efforts to those by California “Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye and the Judicial Council of California…and support their efforts to seek additional funding for the judicial branch.”

Brown’s proposed budget projects a $1.6 billion deficit. According to an L.A. Times article, Brown told reporters at the state Capitol…as he unveiled the state’s budget, that “The trajectory of revenue growth is declining.” As a result his “$179.5-billion plan seeks to resolve the budget shortfall by slower-than-expected growth in public school funding and through rolling back a series of one-time expenses discussed during last year’s budget negotiations.”

All the members of the State Senate and Assembly were copied on the letter from the judges, which states: “We, the undersigned courts, have had the opportunity to review your proposed budget for the judicial branch for Fiscal Year 2017-18. We are seriously concerned with the lack of additional funding proposed for trial court operations and our ability to provide adequate access to justice for those in need of California’s court system,” and “…we wish to inform you and the Legislature about the impact this proposed budget will have not only on the many trial courts throughout the state but, more importantly, on the communities that we serve.”

According to Brown’s budget summary, “the Budget includes total funding of $3.6 billion ($1.7 billion General Fund and $1.9 billion other funds) for the Judicial Branch, of which $2.8 billion is provided to support trial court operations.” That is $200 million less than the $3.8 billion Brown proposed in his budget and $100 million less than was approved for the current fiscal year, which was an increase of $300 million over the previous fiscal year.

The letter cites increases in costs and changes in laws will mean Brown’s budget will have the effect of a “net decrease” to the budget for the superior courts.

“This is due to, among other things, the rising cost of doing business in California (e.g., utility costs, rents, vendor expenses, employee salaries). It also results from governmental actions such as elimination of Proposition 47 funding, additional workload from voter-approved initiatives such as Propositions 57 and 64, legislative changes such as AB 2839 that considerably increase workload without accompanying offsetting funding,” the letter stated.

“The proposed elimination of a court’s ability to place a hold on a traffic defendant’s driver’s license for failure to pay or appear, the latter of which appears to have the unintended consequence of reducing revenues to the trial courts, counties and the state. In Solano and Contra Costa, two courts that have imposed a moratorium on driver’s license holds, both courts have seen an approximate 25% reduction in collections.”

The letter concludes with the requested increase in the proposed state budget for the superior courts.

“We respectfully request that the trial courts be treated in an equitable fashion with the Executive Branch and that the trial courts be funded with a modest annual increase.  An increase of $158.5 million—which is the amount requested by the Judicial Council to address baseline cost increases, but which was not included in the Governor’s Budget for next fiscal year—would allow us to keep pace with rising costs of doing business in California and, more importantly, allow courts to preserve the public’s access to justice.”

The budget is expected to be approved by the state legislature and sent to Brown for his signature by the end of June.

To see Gov. Brown’s proposed budget summary for the judicial branch, click here.  To learn more about California’s superior courts, click here.

Antioch girl places third in nation at NFL Punt, Pass & Kick contest during Pro Bowl weekend

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Kori Margain with her Third Place trophy in the national 2016 NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition.

By Allen Payton

Antioch nine-year old, Kori Margain brought home the bronze by placing third at the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition during the Pro Bowl weekend in Florida, on Saturday, January 27, 2017. She was one of four girls to represent the Oakland Raiders nationally, but one of only four girls in the eight- and nine-year-old age group to make it to the finals.

According to their website, NFL Punt, Pass & Kick is “the oldest grassroots initiative at the NFL” and allows children ages 6-15 “to experience the fun of learning football fundamentals in an engaging and supportive non-contact environment.”

“Kori, a fourth-grader, started last November in a local competition,” said her mother Melissa Margain, a former field representative for County Supervisor Mary Piepho. “She won first place, there and moved up to sectionals and team competition, which was held in the Oakland Coliseum before the Raiders game in December.”

Since she was the winner of that competition, Kori earned the right to go the Raiders game, later that day and of course, Mom went with her.

The scores from that day from all the sectionals across the country were then sent to the NFL for comparison.

“They took only the top four scores from each of the 32 teams for each age group to determine who would go to the national finals,” Melissa explained.

Kori competed in the competition for eight- and nine-year-old girls and was one of the top four competitors from the Raiders.

The NFL selected the top four scores in the nation for each age category and Kori’s score was one of them, earning her a spot in the final competition.

During the competition on Saturday, “she placed third in the nation for her scores,” Melissa stated

“They sent the competitors to the Pro Bowl weekend for four days, including a trip to Disney World, interviews by the football players during a media day, and they got to attend the Pro Bowl,” said Melissa.

Asked if Mom got to attend, as well, Melissa responded with a laugh, “I did.”

This was Kori’s second year competing in the contest.

“I participated, last year, too,” Kori said. She made it to the team competition but not to the finals, the first time. Then, for this year’s competition, she said “I practiced with my family” to improve her skills.

“I competed on Friday and went to Disneyworld on Saturday,” Kori shared. Then they went to the game on Sunday.

The most fun Kori said she had was hanging out with her new friends from the competition.

“One from the Oakland Raiders, one from the Chicago Bears, one from the Seattle Seahawks and one from the Chargers,” she said.

Asked if she thinks other kids should participate in the competition, Kori responded, “Yes, it’s fun, you make good friends.”

Kori with some of her new friends from the competition.

Her favorite subjects in school are math and reading, and when asked if she wants to play on the high school football team, Kori replied, “No. I’m more into basketball.” She wants to be a WNBA player when she grows up.

A message was posted on the Antioch Unified School District’s Facebook page congratulating Kori for her success in the competition.

“Congratulations to Kori Morgain, 4th grade student at John Muir Elementary, who recently competed in the National NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick competition where she placed third in The United States. Prior to the national completion, Kori beat out thousands of other children in her age category and placed first in her local, sectional, and team competitions. More than 300,000 children throughout The United States participated in the event where they represented a professional football team. Kori represented The Raiders who recognized her at a recent game. Congratulations Kori!”

For more information on the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition, visit www.nflppk.com.