Contra Costa Herald

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

Respite stays offered at TreVista Senior Living & Memory Care in Antioch

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Is your loved one or patient on the path to recovery from an injury or illness, yet facing challenges in safely returning home after being discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility? TreVista is here to provide the support and care needed during this crucial healing phase.

🏡 Safe Haven for Recovery: TreVista offers a safe and secure environment, allowing your loved one or patient to focus on recovery without the worries of returning home prematurely. Our furnished guest rooms and comforting common spaces create a supportive atmosphere.

👩‍⚕️ Expert Care Around the Clock: Rest assured, our dedicated care staff, supervised by experienced nurses, is available 24/7 to provide the highest level of support. Your loved one’s or patient’s well-being is our top priority.

💪 Accelerate Recovery with Physical Therapy: TreVista is committed to facilitating your loved one’s or patient’s recovery journey. Take advantage of our supportive services while your focus remains on essential physical therapy, ensuring a stronger and safer return home.

🍽️ Nourishment for Healing: Delight in our delicious home-cooked meals, thoughtfully prepared to provide the nutrition needed for a speedy recovery. A healthy diet is integral to the healing process.

🌈 Tailored Services for Holistic Care: Our respite program offers additional services, including medication management and personal assistance, to address individual needs. We tailor our support to enhance the overall well-being of our residents.

📅 Flexible Admission for Your Convenience: TreVista understands the urgency of recovery. Our flexible admission process allows for a seamless transition, even on weekends. Your journey to healing starts when you need it.

🎁 Special Offer: Stay for 3 Weeks, Get The 4th Week Free! 🎁*

TreVista’s Respite Program is more than just a temporary stay; it’s a transformative experience leading to a stronger, safer return home. Contact us today to embark on this journey of recovery, where care and support redefine the path to wellness.

For details contact Tamsen Meierdierck, Senior Living Consultant – TreVista Antioch at (925) 470-3395.

TreVista Senior Living & Memory Care is located at 3950 Lone Tree Way in Antioch. To learn more visit trevistaseniorliving.com/trevista-at-antioch.

*Terms and conditions apply. Offer subject to availability.

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Brentwood Police holding DUI checkpoint Friday, Dec. 29

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Source: Brentwood PD

The Brentwood Police Department will hold a DUI Checkpoint on Friday, December 29th from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Balfour Road.

Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired.

During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The Brentwood Police Department is committed to keeping the traveling public safe.

Brentwood PD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving or ”operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Why do police announce checkpoints?

You’d think that a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint would work best if it had an element of surprise behind it. After all, if someone is driving under the influence and they come across a checkpoint they didn’t know about, they would have a much higher chance of being caught.

So in short here’s the answer as to why police agencies notify the public in advance of DUI/driver’s license checkpoints….it’s the law. The state Supreme Court has ruled that DUI/driver’s license checkpoints are legal but they mandated checkpoints be publicized ahead of time.

Once you are at a checkpoint, vehicle code section 2814.2(a) requires that all drivers stop and submit to these checkpoints.

The goal of these checkpoints is public safety and deterring drivers from driving under the influence. Hopefully that clarifies some questions we’ve had in the past.

 

Oakley man and his dog die in car after striking tree in Antioch

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By Lt. Rick Martin, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department

On December 26, 2023, at approximately 2:45 a.m. Antioch Police Officers responded to Wilbur Avenue near the intersection of Apollo Court on a report of a vehicle on fire after having collided into a tree. Officers along with the Contra Costa County Fire Department arrived and were able to extinguish the fire, unfortunately the driver, a 28-year-old male from Oakley and his dog succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced deceased at the scene.

We are withholding the name of the decedent until proper family notifications have been made. It appears speed and alcohol were factors in this incident. No further information will be provided at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lieutenant Rick Martin at (925) 779-6972 or the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441.

Opinion: CCTA experiment with “low cost” transit option could prove costly

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Glydways podcars and station rendering. Source: Glydways

By Marc Joffe

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) has announced plans to install a new type of transit system in a suburban area 45 miles northeast of San Francisco. The system, created by transportation startup Glydways, offers some compelling efficiencies, but its application in a relatively low‐​density area does not appear to be cost‐​effective. As such, CCTA’s plan merits a hard look from both local and federal taxpayers who will be obliged to fund it.

Glydways’ system uses small driverless vehicles (with a capacity of up to four passengers) on a narrow, dedicated guideway. Because the vehicles use rubber tires, there is no need to install rail tracks. Vehicles are available on demand, typically within two to five minutes of being summoned on the Glydways app.

The Glydways solution addresses several criticisms of traditional rail transit projects, which involve large (often empty) vehicles operating on fixed schedules piloted by operators entitled to generous pension benefits. Projects of this type, including New York’s Second Avenue Subway and BART’s Silicon Valley extension, not only cost billions to build but they are also expensive to operate.

As such, Glydways offers much needed innovation in public transportation, perhaps because it is looking at the challenge from a startup lens. Formed in 2019, the company has raised over $70 million from a group of investors that includes Bill Gates and Vinod Khosla. Their solution is an interesting attempt to apply ideas pioneered by Uber and Waymo to the requirements of public transit.

But innovation alone is no assurance that government will use taxpayer money effectively. Incentives also have a role to play. When companies simply sell products and services to a public agency, they do not have a strong motive to economize. Indeed, they often benefit from cost overruns.

But the CCTA project promises to resolve this incentive problem by using the public‐​private‐​partnership (or P3) model. The P3 charged with delivering the East Contra Costa County Dynamic Personal Micro Transit (DPMT) project includes Glydways and four other companies, along with CCTA and the local public sector bus operator.

Under a P3, companies are supposed to take some ownership of the project. If a P3 truly transfers risk to the corporate partners, their interests better align with those of the taxpayer. In a transportation context, risk transfer means that private sector players should be required to absorb construction cost overruns, excess operational costs, and lower‐​than‐​expected fare revenues. But from the CCTA press release, it is not clear what risk Glydways and the other companies will be expected to shoulder.

And the risks are substantial. Because this is a system that has yet to be tried in a real‐​world setting, a lot can go wrong with the vehicles and the dispatching technology. The unattended vehicles will be especially vulnerable to vandalism, which, unfortunately, is common in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Further, the cost and ridership projections for DPMT do not look promising. A 2021 presentation listed an annual ridership estimate of seven million, which works out to about 20,000 rides per weekday. The same presentation provided a capital cost estimate of $451 million. That seems like a lot of money to transport not too many people, and this is before operating costs are considered.

Further, if these numbers were re‐​estimated in 2024, they will probably look worse. General inflation has pushed up costs for all construction projects. Meanwhile, ridership on the connecting mass transit line (known as eBART) is running about half of 2019 levels. Since the ridership model for DPMT appears to be based on 2019 transit utilization rates, it is likely that a new model based on post‐​COVID transit use would project more modest ridership.

Potential utilization for DPMT is limited by the area’s relatively low population density. The four cities that would be served by the new transit system average about 4000 people per square mile, compared to over 7500 in Oakland and 17,700 in San Francisco.

Applying a new transit solution to this area sounds intriguing, but the relatively limited number of potential users may be more economically served by a new multi‐​use trail with shared e‑scooter and e‑bike stations.

This column first appeared on the CATO Institute website.

A resident of Walnut Creek, CA Joffe is a Federalism and State Policy Analyst with the CATO Institute.

 

Oakley man arrested for hit-and-run of bicyclist

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Timmy Hudson in a photo posted on his Facebook page on Dec. 2, 2023. and photo of his car that was taken prior to the incident. Car photo source: Oakley PD

Police seek assistance in locating suspect’s car; out of custody

By Oakley Police Department

On Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, shortly after midnight, Oakley police officers were dispatched to the area of Bridgehead Road and Main Street to investigate a male lying in the roadway. Our officers arrived and located an adult male victim lying in the road next to a bicycle. Officers rendered aid and summoned Emergency Medical Services. It was determined the victim was riding his bicycle home after getting off work and the victim was struck by a vehicle, unfortunately the victim succumbed to his injuries.

Oakley traffic investigators have reviewed several forms of digital media in the area and determined the vehicle involved in the collision fled the scene and did not stop to check on the victim. Traffic investigators have determined that vehicle to be a silver 2015 Toyota Camry, CA license plate # 8ERS961. The registered owner of the vehicle, Timmy Lee Hudson (55, Oakley), has been taken into custody in connection with this case, but he has not been forthcoming on where his vehicle is. Investigators have been actively attempting to locate Hudson’s vehicle but have been unable to do so up to this point.

Our efforts have included making contact with family members, searching his home and checking with auto body repair shops. Hudson is known to frequent the Oakland area as well as Oakley. The vehicle is believed to have sustained front end and windshield damage. It is possible the license plates are no longer attached to the vehicle at this point. We have checked local auto body shops, but we also realize there are dozens of auto body shops outside of our immediate area.

We are seeking the assistance of the public and we will do everything possible to be respectful of anonymity. If you have any information regarding this case or the whereabouts of Hudson’s vehicle, please contact Traffic Investigator Palmer at 925-625-8831 or Oakley PD Dispatch at 925-625-8060. We are additionally asking anybody associated with an auto body repair business to be on the lookout for a vehicle like Hudson’s in their shop.

For reference we have attached a photo of Hudson’s vehicle that was taken prior to this incident.

According to Hudson’s Facebook page, he works as a dishwasher at Drake’s Dealership and in maintenance at Groge M Martin Co., which is believed to be George M. Martin Company, in Emeryville, and claims to be a “loving father and husband.” According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, he is booked on Thursday, Dec. 21 and out of custody on bond as of Friday, Dec. 22.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Brentwood man, two teens arrested for Hayward carjacking

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Screenshot of dashcam video shows the carjacking suspects with their hands up being stopped on Balfour Road just west of John Muir Parkway on Dec. 15, 2023. Source: Brentwood Police

Weapon possibly used in crime confiscated; third arrest this year for one of the teens

By Brentwood Police Department

On Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, a Brentwood Officer was patrolling the area of Balfour Road and West County Club Drive when he was alerted to a vehicle that had just committed a carjacking in the City of Hayward.

The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the car, however the car attempted to flee from the officer. Fortunately, all occupants from the vehicle were safely detained at Balfour Road and John Muir Parkway.

The driver, identified as 21-year-old Zane Malakai Vincent of Brentwood, was placed under arrest. A weapon believed to be used in the commission of the crime was located. Hayward PD later responded to complete their investigation and the other two occupants, 18-year-old Christian Grajales of Hayward and 19-year-old Wilberth Yair MartinezHerrera of Newark, were identified as the suspects involved in the carjacking. (See dashcam video)

Crime has no borders and luckily, the officer was proactive in preventing the potential for additional crime in our city.

According to localcrimenews.com, Vincent was arrested for receiving stolen property – motor vehicle. According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, he bonded out on Dec. 16.

Also, according to localcrimenews.com, in addition to carjacking, Grajales was arrested for committing a felony while released on bail or own recognizance, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault with a deadly weapon or assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm and false imprisonment by violence.

It was his third arrest, this year as Grajales was arrested the day before by Newark Police for robbery and resisting, obstructing and/or delaying a peace officer. He was also arrested by Hayward Police on July 24, for exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm. According to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, he is in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

According to localcrimenews.com, MartinezHerrera was arrested for driving without a license, hit-and-run resulting in property damage, DUI and being a minor driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of .05% or more.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Oakley pizza delivery driver shot and killed identified

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Gabriel Stewart. Source: GoFundMe

GoFundMe account established to support mother of Freedom High grad, Los Medanos College student; police seek suspect

By Allen D. Payton

The Contra Costa Coroner has identified the pizza delivery driver who was shot and killed in his car in front of his Oakley home on Wednesday night, Dec. 20, 2023 as Gabriel Stewart. (See related article)

Police still seek the suspect in the homicide.

A GoFundMe account was established on Friday by Court Russ to support Stewart’s mother and offers details about the young man’s life:

“This fundraiser is being organized to support Carol Stewart, during this overwhelmingly difficult time, following the tragic death of her only son, Gabriel, who was just 24 years young. It is my hope and intention that we can collectively provide monetary support so Gabriel’s mother and family can focus their time and attention on their grieving process, under these extremely difficult circumstances.

Words cannot express the tremendous depth of heartache that Gabe’s mother and family are enduring. Just last weekend they gathered for their annual gingerbread house decorating contest and holiday festivities, and now – when they should be preparing for Christmas together- his family is instead planning a funeral and grieving the loss of their son/brother/uncle.

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To give some insight to the young man that Gabe was and the things that brought him joy in life, his family shared the following…

“He was Gabe to us….he loved his family, was a devoted son, brother and uncle. He was a wonderful friend. There are no words to describe how much he loved his mom and siblings.

Gabe was funny and had a competitive spirit, infectious laugh and loved to hang with friends and family. He had a large group of friends who he played basketball with and went to the movies & played video games with. (He loved playing Apex Legends and Madden on X-box!)

He loved the 49ers, especially Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. He was also a devoted fan of Russell Westbrook, following his career and whatever basketball team he played for.

Gabe was really into Jujutsu Kaisen and would get so excited every Thursday when a new episode would come out, watching it first and then running to tell his sister about it.

He was also a HUGE fan of Naruto and just finished re-watching the whole series, and loved, loved, loved Naruto!!

He loved riding his bike around town, discovering new places and going on vacation.

Gabe graduated from Freedom High School and was in his final semester at Los Medanos College before transferring to Cal State East Bay. He was employed as a delivery driver with Dominoes for the past 4+ years as he worked his way through college.

Gabe loved music, loved cats & hated spiders! He had a sweet tooth and loved chocolate!

We miss him immensely.”

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Please keep Gabriel’s family in your prayers. If it is on your heart to do so, please contribute any amount that you are able. Your consideration is appreciated more than words can possibly express.

On behalf of the Stewart family, thank you for reading, sharing and words of support.

—————-

As of Saturday morning, Dec. 23, $4,983 had been contributed toward the effort’s $10,000 goal.

2024 Contra Costa County Fair to run May 16-19

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Exciting arena events, concert series, carnival rides, livestock, exhibits and more!

ANTIOCH – Save the date for the 2024 Contra Costa County FAIR happening May 16 – 19 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.

To FAIR and Beyond is the theme for a fun planned four-day event for fair-goers of all ages.  The Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, exciting arena events, delicious food, carnival rides, animals and hundreds of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment at affordable prices!

Main stage entertainment at our 2024 FAIR concert series is FREE with admission to the FAIR.

The Contra Costa Fairgrounds are located at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch.

Visit www.contracostafair.com for more information.

 

Christmas Eve services at Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood

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Learn of the Advent during Sunday morning services

Candlelight Services at 7:00 pm and 11:30 pm

Join us at Golden Hills Community Church on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023. Come celebrate Jesus with us as we explore what this season of Advent is all about during our normal Sunday morning services at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. There will be no kids’ classes that morning. We encourage all ages to sit in the service with their family.

Then join us that night and worship the Lord during one of our annual Candlelight Services. We will sing Christmas songs of worship and hear from God’s Word as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Our first service will be inside the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm. We will offer ASL interpreting at this indoor service.

Our second service will be outside on the plaza at 11:30 pm. Please bring your own chair and wear something warm!

These services are for the whole family. Each service will last 30–45 minutes.

For more information visit Christmas | Golden Hills Community Church. The church is located at  2401 Shady Willow Lane in Brentwood.

Brentwood athlete earns spot on 2024 U.S. Olympic Taekwondo team

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80Kg Gold Medalist Carl CJ Nickolas’ first flag run after he won the Taekwondo competition at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games October 22, 2023 in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Mark Reis, USOPC.

Former Heritage High student ranked #2 in the world

By Allen D. Payton

Former Brentwood resident and Heritage High student, Carl “CJ” Nickolas, has earned one of two spots for men on the U.S. Taekwondo team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris next summer. It follows him earning several medals this year. In June he won silver at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was the first U.S. male taekwondo medal at the World Championships since 2009.

In addition, CJ won gold at the Pan American Games 2023 in Santiago, Chile in October, gold at the President’s Cup Pan America in Rio de Janeiro in September, and this month won bronze at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix 2023 Final in Manchester, England. He competes in the -80 kg division and as of October, CJ was ranked #3 in the world in the sport but is now #2.

According to the World Taekwondo Federation during his competition at this year’s Grand Prix Final, “In the bronze medal match…CJ Nickolas of the USA won bronze after facing Jordan’s two-time Grand Prix gold medalist and (Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist) Saleh Elsharabaty. The American kicked off the scoring with two push kicks to the body and later extended his lead in the closing 15 seconds with a head kick to take round one 8-2. Before contesting the second round, Elsharabaty, who had been struggling physically in the first round, conceded the match to Nickolas.”

“It was the event that qualified me for the Olympics,” CJ shared.

The 22-year-old, 6-foot-3½-inch athlete was a student at Heritage High School in Brentwood where he competed in track. Until he turned 18, CJ was trained by his father, Ed Givans, who previously owned Givans Taekwondo in Antioch but relocated to Las Vegas a few years ago. Yet, CJ credits his mother, Denise Nickolas, as his biggest inspiration. She still lives in Brentwood while their son has been living and training in Colorado since 2019 where he was a member of the USATKD Academy team. CJ recently moved to North Carolina where he trains at the United States Performance Center.

CJ started taekwondo at age three with his whole family and began competing at age six but started to become serious about the sport around age 11. He has a history of experience and victories in his career which includes participation at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships, the 2022 Paris Grand Prix where he won bronze, and the 2021 and 2022 Pan American Championships in Cancún, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, respectively, at which he won back-to-back gold medals. CJ also won gold at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games held in Cali, Colombia.

“I won three bronze medals at the Grand Prix, which is a series of four competitions, this year,” he shared. “We knew going into the finals, all I needed to do was to have a solid performance, to qualify for the Olympic team. I was already locked in, and number two in the world.”

“But me being me, I wanted to make a statement,” CJ said with a laugh. “I had lost in the semi-finals. It was repachage, which allowed me to fight again for the bronze medal. Elsharabaty and I had been in the same division for so long but that was the first time we fought.”

CJ Nickolas of Team USA took the Gold Medal in 80Kg Taekwondo competition bites his medal Rafael Nadal-style at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games October 22, 2023, in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Mark Reis, USOPC.

“At this point I think I’ve beaten all the top guys in the division,” he stated. Except the number one ranked athlete, Simone Alessio of Italy.

CJ lost to him at the World Championships. Asked if he expects to face him again at the Olympics, CJ said with a chuckle, “I’ll either catch him at the semi-finals or finals – if he makes it.”

He has an older sister who is supportive of him, just like his parents.

“And my coach, as well, Gareth Brown, who I’ve been with since 2019. He’s been imperative to my development as an athlete and as a man, from age 17 to now. He’s British and moved his entire family to America to serve the team. He was originally the coach for the British Olympic Taekwondo team and was at the forefront of the development of the academy program in Colorado.”

CJ on the medal stand at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2023. Photo by Jose Villalpando, U.S. Performance Center

Mom, Denise was asked if she’ll be attending the Olympic games next summer to watch her son in person.

“You bet. I wouldn’t miss it,” she replied. “His competition is Friday, August 9, 2024. Near the Champs-Elysées in the heart of Paris.”

“The whole experience has been surreal,” Denise stated. “Am I super surprised? No. CJ has always been the hardest working person I know. He’s always said this is where he’d end up. So, here we are.”

She referred to a 2020 Herald article (AH) which mentioned him preparing for the 2020, then the 2024 or 2028 Olympics.

2020 Herald article (CCH)

“It’s definitely not luck,” she continued. “He’s worked his butt off all these years. I’m pretty proud of him.”

“You know it’s always been a dream of his and his will is greater than anything,” Dad, Ed stated. “He was supposed to go to the Olympics in 2020 but he grew from 5’10” to over 6’3” and he couldn’t hold the weight for his division. Then they extended the Olympics for a year because of COVID and there was no way he was going to be able to hold that weight for a year.”

“Then they told him he was going to be too small for the -80 kg division and now he’s number two in the world,” Givans shared. “So, I made a movie about the two of us entitled ‘The Journey of Dreams’ about me overcoming PTSD and him making his way to the Olympics. We’re waiting for the outcome next summer before finishing the film.”

Asked if he’s going to the Olympics to watch his son Givans said simply, “I’m going.”

“I’m just proud of him. He’s worked so hard for it,” he continued. “Going to the Olympics is extremely hard. They only take two men and two women from each team except the host country’s team. In 2028 since we’re hosting the Olympics, we can take four each. But being in the top two in the U.S. is extremely hard.”

CJ takes it all in following his quarter final match at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2023. Photo by Jose Villalpando, U.S. Performance Center

CJ has his own Wikipedia page and athlete’s page on the Team USA website, where more photos can be viewed of the athlete in action. He has a rare anomaly in his C1 vertebrae called “os odontoideum” yet, it hasn’t stopped CJ from competing. His hobbies include film analysis, photography and singing.

CJ offered “A big thank you to my family and all those who supported me over the years. I could not be here without my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

“I feel like I’m watching my own journey roll out. I’m having so much fun,” he continued. “It’s so entertaining to see where God puts me with the people I meet.”

“I just want to be the best person I can be and keep working as hard as I can, so I can continue to be blessed with these opportunities,” CJ added.