Contra Costa Herald

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

Luxury Brentwood home for sale

By Leave a Comment

Open House Saturday, April 27

Paid advertisement.

This large, beautiful home has 6 bedrooms, 2 bonus rooms, and 4.5 bathrooms. One highly sought-after feature here is an en-suite (in-law) bedroom on the first floor. The kids can grab some blankets, popcorn, and get nice and cozy in the darkly painted theater room to immerse themselves into an amazing and safe movie experience! While, at the same time, you can escape to your primary suite for a relaxing experience as you soak in the large, jetted tub followed by a movie of your choice in your bedroom-sized retreat.

You will note the class and pride of ownership with upgraded cherry-wood kitchen and bathroom cabinets, 18 square marble tile foyer and kitchen floors, bordered by exquisite Venetian Mosaics, as well as the overall meticulous maintenance. The fireplace can be used by your choice of wood or gas. There are other great features like a water softener (owned), dual zone HVAC serviced annually by Champion, a finished/painted 3-car garage, a sink and cabinets the laundry room, and more! Nestled in the well-maintained Sterling Gate community, this beauty is very near walking trails, shopping, restaurants, and is in the Heritage High School district.

Very quiet inside!

See more photos and details by clicking here.

(Advertise your home for sale on the Herald websites. Email info@antiochherald.com or call (925) 457-5324).

Former accountant for Richmond business charged with felonies for embezzlement, ID theft money laundering

By Leave a Comment

Bail set at $2 million

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

A former accountant for a paver company in Richmond has been charged with a six-count felony complaint related to embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft, and tax evasion.

53-year-old Angela Fae Brown from Olivehurst, CA in Yuba County was arraigned today on charges in Contra Costa Superior Court. Between September 2017 and November 2022, Brown engaged in an embezzlement scheme that bilked over 800-thousand dollars from her employer, Viking Pavers in Richmond. Brown used her accounting skills to exploit financial vulnerabilities in the company to illegally enrich herself for nearly five years. She did this by:

  1. Pretending to be the owner of Viking Pavers and creating a fake online account with a payment processing service linked to her personal bank account.
  2. Generating hundreds of phony invoices for services and sending them electronically to the fake account she controlled.
  3. Brown paid these fake invoices with the company’s funds through the online payment processing platform — which funneled the money into her own account.
  4. Brown’s trusted employee status — and access to various financial controls — allowed her to conceal her embezzlement scheme for a long time.

A manager eventually suspected Brown’s fraudulent actions and confronted her. Richmond Police who, along with financial forensics analysts from the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, investigated Brown’s actions. She was arrested on April 19th, 2024, and is currently in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility. Her bail is set at two-million-dollars. District Attorney Diana Becton said, “In white collar crimes, it’s of paramount importance for our Special

Operations Unit to use forensic tools to recover stolen funds; funds some have gone to great lengths to conceal.”

Case No. 02-24-00513 | The People of the State of California v. Brown, Angela Fae

  1. PC 530.5(a)-felony: Identity theft
  2. PC 186.10(a)-felony: Money laundering
  3. PC 487(a)-f: Grand theft of money, labor, or real or personal property exceeding $950
  4. PC 529(a)(3)-felony: False personation
  5. PC 186.10(a)-felony: Money laundering
  6. RT 19705(a)(4)-felony: Concealing property with intent to evade tax

— Special Allegation PC 186.11(a)(2) : aggravated white-collar crime – taking more than $500,000

San Pablo promoted police captain to chief

By Leave a Comment

Newly appointed San Pablo Police Chief Brian Bubar. Source: SPPD

21-year department veteran Brian Bubar

By Matt Rodriguez, San Pablo City Manager

(San Pablo, CA)  The City of San Pablo has formally appointed Police Captain Brian Bubar, a 21-year veteran of the San Pablo Police Department, as San Pablo’s next Police Chief.

“After an extensive and competitive executive recruitment search, I am pleased to announce San Pablo Police Captain Brian Bubar as San Pablo’s next Police Chief,” stated San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez.

Bubar, selected from a field of 13 applicants, served as the City’s Interim Police Chief following the retirement of former San Pablo Police Chief Ron Raman in late December 2023.  Peckham and McKenney, an executive search firm based in Roseville, CA, was retained in January 2024 to conduct the executive search on behalf of the City.

Since 2016, Police Captain Bubar has served in a number of ascending positions of leadership, responsibility and supervision, including several police command positions within the Police Department.  In August 2021, Bubar earned a Master’s Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego, CA, and previously earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University in September 2018.  Additionally, he is a 2021 graduate of the California Commission of Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Command College Program.

“Police Captain Brian Bubar brings forward a solid, operational reputation and extensive local community knowledge and experience, with his noteworthy leadership credentials to the position of Police Chief.  He is a dedicated law enforcement professional who understands the importance of community engagement practices, progressive law enforcement training, and the Department’s continued use of technology programs in substantially reducing violent crime in San Pablo,” stated Rodriguez.  “He further understands the importance of law enforcement in connecting with our community to build trust, and to make it more safe and prosperous for the future.”

Chief Bubar’s official start date in his new role is Wednesday, May 1, 2024.  He is the City’s first, Asian-American Police Chief appointed in San Pablo since the City’s incorporation in 1948.  His starting annual base salary is $268,488.  Chief Bubar is married and has three children, and is a current resident of Fairfield, CA.

Celebrate Earth Day 2024 in West Contra Costa County Saturday, April 20

By Leave a Comment

Plenty of great community events and ways to serve

¡Celebra el Día de la Tierra 2024! Muchos grandes eventos comunitarios

Community activism is powerful and leads to real change!

By Contra Costa County District 1 Supervisor John Gioia

One of the best aspects of Earth Day is that everyone can participate. Everyone can be great because everyone can do something in their own community.

Join me and your neighbors at one of the great Earth Day events in West Contra Costa County. See you there!

Saturday, April 20, 2024

North Richmond Earth Day 2024: Volunteers will work on service projects at different sites in North Richmond, then come together for a fun community festival from 9am – Noon.

Hope Garden Planting Info Here      Wildcat Creek Clean Up Info Here

El Cerrito Earth Day Celebration: Each year the City celebrates Earth Day with a morning of volunteerism and work parties. Join one of the many citywide work parties from 9 am to 12 noon, and a complimentary seedling giveaway by the El Cerrito Community Garden Network with the El Cerrito Garden Club at the City Corporation Yard (across from the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center) Info Here

Pinole Earth Walk: Join community in a walking pledge to protect the planet, with a three mile loop along the bay and creek starting and ending at Fernandez Park from 9am to noon. Info here.

Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Clean Up: Help cleanup Point Pinole! Bags, disposable gloves, and necessary supplies are provided. Info Here

El Sobrante Earth Day Community Cleanup: Earth Day book displays, gardening, speakers, entertainment and other fun and educational activities! Gather at 9:30am at El Sobrante Library 4191 Appian Way. Info here.

Unity Park Earth Day Celebration (Urban Tilth): The Earth Day Celebration is an event aimed at uniting the community to discover innovative methods for leading sustainable lives and nurturing our planet. Info here.

Wildcat Canyon Regional Park: Join the volunteer effort and a morning of Habitat Restoration at Wildcat Canyon Regional Park from 9am to 12pm! Info here

En Español

¡El activismo comunitario es poderoso y conduce a un cambio real!

Uno de los mejores aspectos del Día de la Tierra es que todos pueden participar. Todos pueden ser geniales porque todos pueden hacer algo en su propia comunidad.

Únase a mí ya sus vecinos en uno de los grandes eventos del Día de la Tierra en el condado de West Contra Costa.

¡Te veo allí!

sábado, 20 de abril

Día de la Tierra 2024 en North Richmond: Los voluntarios trabajarán en proyectos de servicio en diferentes lugares de North Richmond, luego se reunirán para un divertido festival comunitario de 9 am a 12 pm.

Información aquí. (Siembra en el jardín de la esperanza)

Información aquí. (La limpieza del arroyo Wildcat)

Celebración del Día de la Tierra en El Cerrito: Cada año, la ciudad celebra el Día de la Tierra con una mañana de voluntariado y grupos de trabajo. Únete a uno de los muchos grupos de trabajo en toda la ciudad de 9 am a 12 pm, y recibe una planta de regalo cortesía de la Red de Jardines Comunitarios de El Cerrito y el Club de Jardinería de El Cerrito en el Patio de la Corporación de la Ciudad (en frente del Centro de Reciclaje y Recursos Ambientales de El Cerrito). Información aquí.

Caminata de la Tierra en Pinole: Únete a la comunidad en un compromiso de caminata para proteger el planeta, con un recorrido de tres millas a lo largo de la bahía y el arroyo que comienza y termina en el Parque Fernández de 9 am a 12 pm. Información aquí.

Limpieza en Point Pinole: ¡Ayuda a limpiar Point Pinole! Se proporcionan bolsas, guantes desechables y suministros necesarios. Información aquí.

Limpieza Comunitaria del Día de la Tierra en El Sobrante: ¡Exhibiciones de libros del Día de la Tierra, jardinería, oradores, entretenimiento y otras actividades divertidas y educativas! Reúnete a las 9:30 am en la Biblioteca de El Sobrante en 4191 Appian Way. Información aquí.

Celebración del Día de la Tierra en el Parque Unity (Urban Tilth): La Celebración del Día de la Tierra es un evento dirigido a unir a la comunidad para descubrir métodos innovadores para llevar vidas sostenibles y cuidar nuestro planeta. Información aquí.

Parque Regional Wildcat Canyon: ¡Únete al esfuerzo voluntario y a una mañana de Restauración del Hábitat en el Parque Regional Wildcat Canyon de 9 am a 12 pm! Información aquí.

 

Contra Costa County renews partnership with CHP to launch Start Smart

By Leave a Comment

Free class to develop responsible, young drivers

By Isiah Thompson, Departmental Community and Media Relations Coordinator, Contra Costa County Probation Dept. 

Martinez, CA – Contra Costa County Probation has renewed their partnership with California Highway Patrol (CHP) to prepare and develop responsible young drivers. The partners will host the CHP’s Start Smart classes at 50 Douglas Drive, Ste. 200, in Martinez. Dates will be offered in the future and will be posted on the Probation Department’s website and social media sites.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading cause of death for Americans 15-20 years old is motor vehicle collisions. The California Highway Patrol’s goal is to reduce the death rate among teenagers caused by these collisions. Start Smart provides teens and their parents/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class that will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a vehicle can affect the lives of numerous people. Start Smart also focuses on the responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, the responsibilities of parents/guardians, and the collision-causing elements for new drivers, especially males, such as excessive speed, driving under the influence, and distracted driving. Start Smart teaches what precautions to take to stay safe, such as seatbelt safety, collision avoidance techniques, and what to do when involved in a collision.

“We are excited to host Smart Start. This partnership with California Highway Patrol provides youth in Contra Costa County with the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge, that ultimately creates safer drivers, and safer communities,” said Esa Ehmen-Krause, Chief Probation Officer.

The classes are FREE to the participants, who will receive a certificate of completion that may be utilized to reduce vehicle insurance fees.

 

STAND! for Families Free of Violence to hold panel discussions on preventing domestic violence April 30, May 7

By Leave a Comment

Interrupting a lethal moment: A multi-disciplinary panel discussion highlighting collaborative approaches to intervene in potentially lethal domestic violence in Contra Costa.

In Brentwood and San Pablo

This informative event will be held in three locations throughout the county to share information on how STAND!, law enforcement, and medical professionals are working together to interrupt high-risk events and interactions between intimate partner victims and offenders.

Panelists include Ashley Palomino, STAND! Intervention Support Services Manager, local law enforcement representatives, and medical experts in emergency treatment of domestic violence patients.

Registration is free. Register at http://standforfamiliesfreeofviolence.ticketspice.com/lap-speaker-series.

Opinion: It’s time to take a hard look at public libraries

By Leave a Comment

By Marc Joffe

Like mom and apple pie, the public library seems so intrinsically good that it should be beyond criticism. But like any institution that consumes millions of tax dollars, public libraries should not be free from scrutiny. And the facts are that neighborhood libraries have largely outlived their usefulness and no longer provide value for the public money spent on them.

In this fiscal year, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties are collectively spending $270 million to operate their library systems, with some cities chipping in extra to finance extended operating hours. Contra Costa County is spending $20 million of state and county funds to build a new library in Bay Point, and El Cerrito voters may see a sales tax measure on the November ballot, part of which will go to building a new library as part of a transit-oriented development near a BART station.

The public library’s historical functions of lending physical books and enabling patrons to view reference materials are being made obsolete by digital technology. An increasing proportion of adults are consuming e-books and audiobooks in addition to or instead of printed books, with younger adults more likely to use these alternative formats.

In response, libraries have tried to reposition themselves as “third places:” alternatives to homes and offices where people can relax, learn, and socialize. But the private sector offers numerous third places of its own, with coffee houses being the most common.

In Walnut Creek, the public library has responded by adding its own coffee shop, but just a few minutes away, residents and visitors can relax and enjoy free wi-fi at the Capital One Café at no cost to taxpayers and without being required to buy a cup of joe.

While no third place used by the public can be guaranteed to be safe and clean, private operators have a stronger incentive to provide an attractive environment because they otherwise risk going out of business.

They also face fewer legal restraints in enforcing public decorum. A 1991 federal court decision prohibited a New Jersey public library from “barring patrons who are not reading, studying or using library materials, who harass or annoy others through noisy activities or by staring, or whose ‘bodily hygiene is so offensive’ that it is a nuisance to others.”

As the Antioch Herald reported in February, the Antioch library had to be temporarily closed after multiple incidents “including a couple having sex openly in the bathroom, a wanted criminal using a library computer who was later removed by Antioch police, a racist letter left on the service desk and intoxicated library patrons acting aggressively.” The Contra Costa Public Library, which operates the Antioch facility reopened it four days later after negotiating an emergency contract for private armed security and arranging for a patrol car to monitor the exterior.

Library advocates argue that their public terminals offer essential internet access to those in need. But some patrons use free internet access at the local library to view pornographic content, sometimes to the distress of other terminal users including children. And low-income individuals are eligible for the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program which provides a free smartphone with internet access.

Like local post offices, neighborhood libraries once served an important community function but are now becoming increasingly irrelevant. And, as with post offices, libraries continue to receive funding because they enjoy support from a relatively small but vocal segment of the population, while the rest of us are usually too reluctant to question their utility.

Marc Joffe is a federalism and state policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

 

Oakley to celebrate 25th anniversary of cityhood beginning with Birthday Party May 4

By Leave a Comment

The City of Oakley, incorporated in July 1999, is one of California’s youngest cities. Residents enjoy a charming area with an abundant housing supply, quality schools, and a friendly atmosphere that truly make Oakley, “A Place for Families in the Heart of the Delta.” Learn more at either www.ci.oakley.ca.us or www.facebook.com/CityofOakley.

Alexis Gabe homicide to be featured in “On the Case with Paula Zahn” April 24

By Leave a Comment

From City of Oakley

In 2022, our community was gripped with the disappearance of Alexis Gabe, who was a local resident of ours. Our police department became deeply involved in her disappearance and quickly began operating as if Alexis met with foul play. This case ultimately became a case involving several jurisdictions in California and the State of Washington.

The suspect was the ex-boyfriend of Alexis and he was killed during the investigation, further hampering the efforts of local law-enforcement. Partial human remains were found in Amador County later that year and positively identified as those of Alexis. (See related article)

Alexis’ case will be featured on the program “On the Case with Paula Zahn” on April 24, 2024. The program will feature interviews with family members of Alexis and Oakley Police personnel. To see the program, you will need to be able to tune into the Investigation Discovery Channel (ID Channel).