Contra Costa Herald

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

Oakland man re-arrested, charged for murder in February 2021 Concord shooting

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U.S. Marshals assist; held on $2 million bail

By Concord Police Department Major Crimes Unit Investigations Division

On February 28th, 2021, 26-year-old Robert Franklin Currier was found deceased, as a result of gunshot wounds, in the roadway on Concord Avenue near Meridian Park Blvd. Evidence and witnesses were located at the scene; however, the suspects had fled the area. Detectives identified the suspect vehicle and subsequently arrested Viliami Edwardal Ofanoa on March 3, 2021 related to the murder. Ofanoa was released from custody pending further investigation.

Throughout this ongoing investigation, the Concord Police Major Crimes Detectives worked closely with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. A detailed analysis of phone records, DNA evidence, and license plate reader data were used to establish probable cause to re-arrest Ofanoa for the murder of Robert Currier.

In June 2023, Concord Police served the arrest warrant for Ofanoa (of Oakland, now age 37, DOB 06/21/86) with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Contra Costa County Safe Streets Task Force. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Ofanoa and he is being held on $2,000,000 bail for the crime of murder, as well as an enhancement for use of a firearm.

According to locacrimenews.com, Ofanoa was arrested by Oakland Police on August 9, 2021 for being an addict in possession of firearm, possession of ammunition and for carrying a loaded firearm on person or in vehicle while in a public place.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Ofanoa has a hearing scheduled for August 10, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. in Contra Costa Superior Court.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

Rocketship Education issues 2022-23 annual report of activities in California

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By Maricela Guerrero, Executive Director, Rocketship California

As community schools, we deeply engage our families in their student’s academic life and build our school community around our families. Our Care Corps is an expansion of Rocketship’s community schools model, allowing us to support the whole child and families inside and outside of the classroom. Our full-time Care Corps coordinators help our families navigate support systems and get the assistance they need by overcoming language barriers, red tape, and lack of internet access to connect them to vital services that are too often cumbersome and complicated. Care Corps coordinators are fully dedicated to helping families meet their basic needs so their children can thrive in school.

Rocketship Education operates the Delta Prep TK-5th school in Antioch, Futuro Academy TK-5th in Concord in Contra Costa County, and 11 other schools in California, three in Tennessee, one in Texas with a second opening this fall, two in Wisconsin and three in Washington, D.C.

We’re so proud to have once again holistically served thousands of families through Care Corps in the 2022-2023 school year. This past year:

Partnering with the Healthy Kids Foundation and K-12 Health East Bay, we provided free health screenings for 5,655 students across the Bay Area and partnered with Vision to Learn to give free eyeglasses to 618 Rocketship students.

We partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to feed our families – distributing almost 11,000 food kits to families in San Jose and the East Bay.

We partnered with City Team Ministries to offer a pop-up closet for our families at Rocketship Brilliant Minds, helping clothe over 200 households.

We also partnered with Bay Area Urban Barber College to give over 500 Rocketeers and their siblings free school supplies and haircuts.

Partnering with the State of California and the Santa Clara County Department of Health, we hosted a vaccination clinic and community resource fair for our San Jose families.

And last, but not least, our very own Ms. Elena organized a Rocketship folklorico group of 80 students that performed for the community at the Vietnamese Association in San Jose every Wednesday.

Thank you for your continued support of our Rocketeers. Our Care Corps team is excited to continue this important work the next academic year.

For more information visit www.rocketshipschools.org.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office to host Summer Pop-Up Party in Walnut Creek Thursday

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Come and join the excitement at our Summer Pop-Up Party! Get ready for an incredible time filled with games, prizes, and non-stop fun. Mark your calendars for this Thursday, 7/13, because we’ll be taking over the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village on Treat Blvd. in Walnut Creek from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

And that’s not all! Satisfy your taste buds with mouthwatering delights from the amazing BunBao food truck. Don’t miss out on this epic event – we can’t wait to have you there with us!

Contra Costa Health responding to coke dust release at Martinez Refining Company

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Source: Martinez Refining Company

Contra Costa Health’s (CCH) Hazardous Materials program is investigating a hazardous materials release from the Martinez Refining Company (MRC) Tuesday morning.

MRC reported through the Community Warning System (CWS) that the released material was coke dust, a byproduct of the petroleum refining process.

The release left the material on the ground, parked cars, and other surfaces in the surrounding neighborhoods. CCH’s Hazardous Materials team is working to assess potential health impacts.

Wipe samples are being taken and will be sent to a lab for analysis. Results are expected by the end of the week. CCH will provide updates after the results are reviewed.

Coke dust is black and looks like soot. Use soap and water to clean impacted outdoor surfaces.

MRC notified CCH of the release around 10:20 a.m. through the CWS. MRC reported the release took place around 8:30 a.m. and lasted approximately one minute.

“We are very concerned about the delayed notification to the Community Warning System. We are once again responding to a refinery incident and trying to determine the health impacts,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover. “We understand this is an ongoing concern for our community and timely notification is critical.”

CCH requested a 72-hour report about the incident, which will be posted to cchealth.org.

 

Antioch man fatally struck by vehicle while walking in Walnut Creek Monday

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By Lt. Holley Connors, Walnut Creek Police Department

On July 3rd, at 1:21 p.m., a 911 caller reported a vehicle collided with a pedestrian on Ygnacio Valley Road, east of the intersection at Lennon Lane. Officers arrived and found a male pedestrian conscious, but with significant injuries. Preliminary details indicated the driver’s vehicle drifted to the right, hopped the curb, and struck the pedestrian who was doing maintenance work at that location. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured.

Officers and AMR personnel provided medical aid to the pedestrian before he was transported to the hospital. Unfortunately, the pedestrian later succumbed to his injuries. The driver remained on scene and cooperated with responding officers.

According to Bay City News, the victim was identified by the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office as Cornelio Tovar Sanchez, age 54 of Antioch.

The cause of this accident is under investigation. If you have any information about this case, please contact Walnut Creek PD Dispatch at 925-935-6400.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

Pleasant Hill to celebrate Independence Day with Firecracker 5K Run & Walk, parade, Party in the Park, fireworks!

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The Pleasant Hill Independence Day Celebration on Tuesday, July 4th begins with a 5K Run and Walk and Kids 100-Yard Dash, downtown parade, Party in the Park with live music, food and fun for the kids in Pleasant Hill Park and fireworks.

The 2023 19th Annual Firecracker 5K Run and Walk is a fundraising benefit for Pleasant Hill schools. The run has raised over $200,000 and continues to grow each year.  Prizes for the top finishers. So, gather up the family, dress-up in your best patriotic gear, and come out for a run!

7:45am – 100-Yard Dash

100 Yard Dash will be run on Crescent Drive. FREE (7 years and younger – DOES NOT INCLUDE RACE T-SHIRT)

8:00 am – 5K Race

5K – $40 Per Person + Firecracker T-Shirt ($50 after June 23rd)

Be sure to arrive early!  Race starts at 8am sharp!

It’s 3 laps around Downtown Pleasant Hill. To ensure that it is an official 5K, the starting line is on Gregory Lane next to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. $100 gift certificates will be awarded to the top male and female 5K runners.

9:30–10:30am – Downtown Parade

Come to Downtown Pleasant Hill and see the World Famous Pleasant Hill Parade! Bring your friends and family to enjoy an old fashioned parade through Downtown featuring, music, local organizations, and community leaders.

10:30am–1:30pm – Party in the Park 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill

After the parade ends, walk over to Pleasant Hill Park for live music by the New Frantics, food, and fun for the kids including 2 slides and 3 inflatable houses.

11:30am – National Anthem

8:45pm – Fireworks

Viewing party at College Park High School this year. $4 or MORE (per person) is the suggested donation. Fields open at 6:30pm. CASH OR VENMO ACCEPTED

NO ONE MAY LEAVE THE CPHS FIELDS DURING THE FIREWORKS SHOW

VIKING DRIVE NEXT TO CPHS WILL BE SHUT DOWN TO ALL TRAFFIC!

Come to College Park High School to view the best fireworks show in the Bay Area! The fireworks show is presented by Pyro Spectacular!

From Pleasant Hill Police Department

This coming Tuesday, the City of Pleasant Hill will be celebrating the 4th of July with a parade in the morning and a fireworks display in the evening. Another post will be coming soon to discuss the parade route in detail, but today – let us talk about the FIREWORKS DISPLAY!

To accommodate our fireworks event, the Pleasant Hill Police Department will be conducting road closures, detours, and lane changes around the fireworks launch site. As the fireworks event will be held at College Park High School, Viking Drive will be closed to traffic between Norse Dr and Ruth Dr prior to and after the display.

Other areas that will be subject to detours/lane changes include: Taylor Blvd at Civic Dr, Taylor Blvd at Norse Dr, Taylor Blvd at Mercury Way, Norse Dr at Civic Dr, Norse Dr at Viking Dr, Viking Dr at Morello Ave, and Viking Dr at Ruth Dr. An image showing these cross-sections is included, to give you a visual idea about the impacted areas. Keep in mind, if you are entering or driving through this part of Pleasant Hill on the night of July 4th (especially between 8pm – 11pm); expect heavier traffic, detours and delays.

The fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:15pm. Road closures/detours can be expected at least 30 minutes prior to and 30 minutes after the display. Spectators and vehicles will be withheld from entering the surrounding areas immediately following the show until the Fire Inspector has cleared the area. Spectators on foot may not be able to exit the event the same way they entered (through the fallout zone) until cleared by the Fire Inspector – but there will be alternate exits available. It is anticipated that traffic should return to normal near 11:00pm.

Thank you everyone!

For more information visit Pleasant Hill 4th of July (phjuly4.com).

 

Independence Day – The Clayton Way to include pancake breakfast, parade

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Clayton’s 2023 Fourth of July Parade

Clayton’s famous 4th of July Parade and celebration is here. Let’s celebrate our great community and country together as well as enjoy our local time-honored tradition. We want the Parade to be the best ever and enjoyable for all.

Pancake Breakfast: 7 a.m. at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center Street, Clayton

This year’s parade theme is ‘Independence Day – The Clayton Way’.

Parade: 10 a.m. on Main Street.

Kiddie Parade – There is no limitation on the number of kids who may march, no registration required for Kiddie Parade (children, bicycles, roller skates, non-motorized scooters, wagons, strollers, small kids’ battery motorized play vehicles). Kids just line up along Oak Street.

Main Parade follows.

“I want to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July! I hope to see you at the parade tomorrow! All the best,” Bret Prebula, Clayton City Manager

Concord to celebrate Independence Day with 5K & kids fun runs, parade, festival and fireworks!

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The 2023 Concord July 4th 5K & Kids Fun Run, Parade, Festival and Firework presented by Marathon is going to be a day filled with fun. The day begins down at Todos Santos Park at 8am with a kid’s fun run & 5k along with the Rotary Pancake Breakfast, at 10 am will be the 32nd Annual Independence Day Parade, then at 4pm at Mt. Diablo High School the gates will open for our Festival that will include Live Music, a Kids Carnival, local food, and vendor booths. Finally, at 9pm will be a Fireworks Spectacular over Concord. Presented by the Todos Santos Business Association Arts Foundation.

All the days information can be found at www.concordjuly4th.com

Festival & Fireworks Event Notes: No Smoking, No Dogs, No Alcohol. Bags will be checked by security upon entry.

Schedule

Events at Todos Santos Plaza
8:00 am – Stars & Stripes Kids Fun Run
8:00 am – Rotary Pancake Breakfast
8:15 am – Stars & Stripes 5k Run & Walk
10:00 am – Independance Day Parade
Events at Mt. Diablo High School
4:00 PM – Festival Gates Open
9:00 PM – Fireworks over Concord

All the day’s information can be found at www.concordjuly4th.com

Thank you to your sponsors:

Title Sponsor: Marathon

Stripes Sponsor: Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery, The Hop Grenade Taproom & Bottleshop

Stars Sponsor: Pacific Service Credit Union, Johnmuirhealth, AssetMark, Inc.

Blue Sponsors: Brenden Theatres Concord 14, IBEW Local 302, Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104

Special Thanks to: City of Concord, California, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Visit Concord, CA, Greater Concord CA Chamber of Commerce, Tim McGallian & Carlyn Obringer

4th of July Parade and 5K Run/Walk Road Closures

There will be several road closures in place and restricted street parking during the morning hours of July 4th to accommodate the Concord Police Association’s Stars and Stripes 5k Run and Walk and the Concord Independence Day Parade.

Several streets will be closed from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. for the Concord Police Association’s Stars and Stripes 5k Run and Walk. The following road closures will be in place:

  • Grant Street from Willow Pass Road to Pacheco Street.
  • Colfax Street from Willow Pass Road to the parking garage entrance
  • East Street from Willow Pass Road to Pacheco Street
  • Port Chicago Highway from Willow Pass Road to Pacheco Street
  • Salvio Street from Mt Diablo Street in the downtown area to Esperanza Drive
  • Beach Street, Parkside Circle and Parkside Drive from Salvio Street to Baldwin Park
  • Cedar, Date, Elm, Fir and Pacheco Streets south of Baldwin Park will be open but affected due to the run route
  • Esperanza Drive from Salvio Street to N. Sixth Street
  • Bonifacio Street from N. Sixth St to Port Chicago Highway
  • Erie Drive between Esperanza Drive and Claudia Drive
  • Claudia Drive between Erie Drive and N. Sixth Street
  • N. Sixth Street between Claudia Drive and Port Chicago Highway will remain open

The most significant closure for the 5K run will be on Salvio Street between Port Chicago Highway and Mt Diablo Street as participants of all abilities are completing the race. Other streets in the immediate area will be impacted. Many of the above closures will be very brief. The Concord Police Association will have volunteers monitoring the course and will work to accommodate residents and business owners within the closure.

At 9:30 a.m. personnel will set up for the Annual 4th of July Parade. The Parade will start at Mt Diablo High School and proceed toward downtown via Grant Street. The procession will make a right turn onto Willow Pass Road then a right turn onto Mt Diablo Street, heading back to the high school. Streets in the immediate area of the parade route will be closed.

Those arriving for the parade during the 5K Run/Walk are encouraged to park in the parking garage at the intersection of Pacheco Street and Concord Avenue by accessing it from the Pacheco Street side.

The parking garage near Concord Avenue will have the Pacheco Street entrance available all day for entrance only and the Salvio Street side for exit only. The parking garage near Colfax Street will have the Colfax Street side open for entrance and exit all day.

Please enjoy your 4th of July safely!

 

 

 

 

Celebrate Independence Day in Walnut Creek enjoying the annual Concert in the Park

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Plan on spending your Independence Day in Civic Park, with a 6:00 p.m. free concert. The Walnut Creek Concert Band will play all the classics. Bring a blanket or chairs and enjoy an evening of music and fun. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District wants to remind everyone that all fireworks, even sparklers, are illegal throughout the County. There are professional displays in some communities where fireworks can be viewed.

“Happy (early) Independence Day! In Walnut Creek, that means the traditional concert in the park from the Walnut Creek Concert Band,” writes City Manager Dan Buckshi. “I hope you’ll come out, Tuesday to Civic Park. The concert begins at 6:00 p.m. There will be plenty of chairs for visitors, but you’re also welcome to bring a blanket and a picnic as well.

This is one of the Concert Band’s biggest annual events, and the weather should be perfect for an evening of entertainment. It’s a great way to kick off the summer.”

 

Antioch councilwoman running for State Assembly

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Source: Wilson for Assembly campaign.

Second attempt at higher office, seeks to succeed Tim Grayson as part of effort to elect an equal number of women to the state legislature

By Allen D. Payton

On June 1st, Antioch District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson announced her campaign for State Assembly in District 15 which includes portions of Central and Eastern Contra Costa County. Current incumbent, Tim Grayson (D-Concord), is expected to run for the State Senate seat currently held by Steve Glazer who is termed out at the end of 2024. Although California state legislators can now serve a total of 12 years with a combination of time in each house, Glazer won a special election in 2011 to replace Mark DeSaulnier who was elected to Congress in 2015, midway through his term. If Glazer were re-elected for a third term, he would end up serving over 13 years.

First elected to the city council in 2012 then re-elected in 2016 for four-year terms, following the formation of council districts Wilson was re-elected again in 2020 for a two-year term garnering over 55% of the vote against two other candidates. This past year she was re-elected for another four-year term, but the support in her district had dropped to less than 37% in a field of four candidates, including fellow Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock. (See related article)

This is Democrat Wilson’s second run for higher office which included a failed attempt for District 3 County Supervisor in 2016 in which she placed fifth out of six candidates in the primary. (See related article)

The following press release was issued by her campaign:

Four-term Councilmember Monica Wilson announces her candidacy for State Assembly (AD15). Current Assemblymember Tim Grayson is widely expected to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Steve Glazer.

For the past two decades, Monica has served the people of Contra Costa County as a community organizer, high-profile advocate to end human trafficking, and leader in the fight for safe neighborhoods and healthy families.

“I am ready to take my results-oriented leadership to Sacramento – where I can do even more to maintain and improve the quality of life for our Contra Costa County communities and all Californians,” said Wilson. “Too many families are getting priced out due to skyrocketing cost of living and expensive housing. And creating effective solutions to homelessness is not only a regional, but statewide crisis. I have a proven track record of tackling today’s tough problems to provide the leadership every Californian needs.”

“These are all issues I have experienced myself,” she continued. “As your Assemblymember, I’ll fight to address pocketbook issues for the well-being of every Contra Costa County family and residents throughout the Golden State.”

Wilson announced her Assembly candidacy with endorsements from State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, women and human rights advocate Christine Pelosi (Former Speaker of the House and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s daughter) and local leaders including Concord Vice Mayor Edi Birsan and Brentwood Councilmember Jovita Mendoza.

“Monica has led efforts to protect our clean air and water for future generations,” said Board of Equalization Member Lieber. “Monica will lead the fight in Sacramento to make real progress toward the governor’s goal of dramatically cutting carbon pollution to reduce the risk of drought and wildfire.”

“It is more important than ever to elect women with proven track records of results to be our state policymakers. I am thrilled Councilmember Monica Wilson has answered the calls to run,” said Susannah Delano, Executive Director of Close the Gap California, (which is working for “gender parity in the state legislature by 2028”).

15th Assembly District map. Source: Wilson for Assembly campaign.

Assembly District 15 includes the cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, a portion of Walnut Creek and the unincorporated communities of Bay Point and Pacheco.

ABOUT MONICA: Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson champions police reform and safe neighborhoods; solutions to homelessness; expansion of mental health response teams; and bans on new liquor stores. Monica is a regional and statewide leader in the fight against human trafficking, serving as a program manager for a Bay Area nonprofit battling exploitation – and also worked closely with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office to create the County’s Human Trafficking Task Force.

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP & EXPERIENCE:

  • Serving 4th term on Antioch City Council; first African American woman elected
  • Vice Chair, Northern California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus; former Vice Chair, Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
  • Board Member, Tri Delta Transit
  • Staff Advisor, FemDems; Outreach Coordinator, Grateful Garment Project
  • Program Manager, Human Trafficking nonprofit Love Never Fails
  • Staff Member, Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
  • San José – Evergreen Community College District and Mills College professional positions in Workforce Institute and Student Life divisions

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Wilson is also one of five board members for the Celebrate Antioch Foundation which serves as the fiscal agent for her East Contra Costa Women’s Leadership Initiative.

Issues

According to the Priorities page on her campaign website, Wilson’s platform includes the issues of Cost of Living, Affordable Housing and Homelessness, Safe Neighborhoods and Schools and Climate Change.

Accomplishments

Wilson’s main accomplishment as a member of the Antioch City Council was last year’s approval of the pilot program for a mental health response team to assist the police department, which is expected to begin operating this year. In addition, she championed a moratorium on gas and oil drilling in the city, and rejection of the franchise agreement renewal for the natural gas pipeline that runs through the city. That has resulted in an ongoing lawsuit by the operator of the pipeline. The councilwoman is now pushing for a moratorium on new gas stations in the city.

For the past two-and-a-half years Wilson has been the least controversial member of the council majority that has approved rental housing protections, a homeless motel for transitional housing, reversal of a $750,000 grant for six police officers to serve as School Resource Officers on Antioch middle and high school campuses, multiple cannabis dispensaries and businesses, a ban on the sale of certain tobacco products and the sale or transfer of tobacco retail businesses including to other family members, a gerrymandered council district map, hiring their own part-time secretaries, as well as the hiring of the current city manager, who she later voted to place on paid administrative leave pending at least two investigations.

According to her LinkedIn page, Wilson has held a total of six jobs since 2009. She is unmarried and has no children.

For more information about Wilson’s campaign visit www.MonicaforAssembly.com.