Contra Costa Herald

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

Long-awaited Discoveries and Revivals reprise includes stirring symphony connected to films Alien, E.T., Boss Baby

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Geoffrey Gallegos to conduct the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra in Orinda May 21st

On May 21, conductor and music director Geoffrey Gallegos and the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra will reprise a rousing concert following a late-February postponement due to a certain well-known virus. Unwilling to deprive concert-goers of such an enchanting and enriching musical experience, the orchestra offers an encore well worth the twelve-week wait.

The first discovery on the program is a spirited piece entitled Anniversary Overture by the accomplished composer Anthony Doherty, who is an Antioch resident. Doherty’s numerous compositions have been performed around the world and include two notable commissions by Bay Area orchestras.

Also on the program is Max Bruch’s opulently romantic and light-hearted Concerto for Clarinet, Viola, and Orchestra. This rarely performed composition will be a new discovery for some listeners and a revival for others.

The concert will close with Howard Hanson’s lyrical and uplifting Symphony No. 2, also called “Romantic.”  Since its premiere in 1930, this work has been performed many times in traditional orchestral settings and then rediscovered, revived, and reconfigured as part of the soundtracks for the films Alien, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Boss Baby.

Sunday, May 21, 4:00 pm, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stephen’s Drive, Orinda

Tickets: ContraCostaChamberOrchestra.org or at the door (Adults, $20; Seniors, $15; Students, $7)

Source: CC Chamber Orchestra

About the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra

The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra is comprised of volunteer musicians ranging in age from teens through octogenarians. Among them are a scientist, lawyer, x-ray technician, engineer, plumber, CPA, physicist, and a graphic designer, as well as sales representatives, students, homemakers, teachers, and artists.

The orchestra’s mission is to provide multigenerational avocational musicians opportunities for lifelong learning, collaboration, and enjoyment while providing high-caliber, affordable entertainment and enrichment to their communities.

Formed in the late 1970s, the orchestra has established a robust presence in the county. The group plays familiar as well as uncommon musical works, often featuring a professional soloist. In addition to performing at the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch, the orchestra also plays at the gorgeously remodeled St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Orinda and at special events for residents in Rossmoor. The group also performs annually in a sing-along of Handel’s Messiah at various locations in the county.

The organization is a 501(3)c non-profit and is entirely financially reliant on ticket sales, grants, and contributions from players and audience members. To make a donation, go to www.ContraCostaChamberOrchestra.org/support.

About Geoffrey Gallegos

A San Francisco native and sixth generation Californian, Geoffrey Gallegos has been a fixture in the San Francisco Bay Area music community for over 30 years. From 1985 to 1990, Maestro Gallegos served as Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Chamber Players Orchestra. In 1991 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra and continued in that capacity until 1993. He resumed his association with the SFCO from 2000 – ‘06 as Principal Guest Conductor. In 2003, he was engaged as Assistant Conductor of the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra (N. CA) and served in that position until 2008. It was also in 2003 that Maestro Gallegos made his debut with Golden Gate Opera in San Francisco conducting I Pagliacci and was subsequently invited to become Music Director and Principal Conductor. During this tenure he conducted the majority of GGO productions including Gianni Schicchi, The Telephone, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Suor Angelica, Hansel and Gretel and the world premiere production of Lincoln & Booth. In 2004, following an extensive search, Maestro Gallegos was invited to become Music Director and Conductor of the Kensington (CA) Symphony Orchestra, only the third in the Orchestra’s 44 year history, a position he holds currently. In 2015, following a year long search, Maestro Gallegos was engaged to become Music Director and Conductor of West County Winds, a symphonic wind and percussion ensemble in residence at Contra Costa Community College and serving West Contra Costa County.  He was invited to guest conduct the opening of the 49th season of the Diablo Symphony Orchestra (CA) and has also guest conducted numerous ensembles throughout the Bay Area, US and in Europe.

Maestro Gallegos has a deep commitment to music education. In 2001, he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Golden Gate Philharmonic, an all-city string youth orchestra in San Francisco that offers an integrated program of orchestral and chamber music performance as well as music theory. More recently, he has assumed the new titles of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor and Acting Executive Director of the GGP. From 2001-2010, he also participated in the Artist in Residence program at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (S.O.T.A.) where he served as guest conductor of the orchestra and wind ensembles, and taught music theory and sight singing. During the 2000-01 academic year, Maestro Gallegos was appointed Conductor of the San Francisco State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In the summer of 2002 he was invited as a Guest Conductor of the Orchestra at Cazadero Music Camp and was reengaged for the 2004 summer session. From 2007-2010, Maestro Gallegos served as Instrumental Music Coordinator and Liaison at The Nueva School in Hillsborough where, among many duties, he oversaw the prestigious Menuhin/Dowling instrumental music program and organized and managed the Menuhin/Dowling Competition for Young Musicians. Maestro Gallegos has served as an adjudicator for numerous youth competitions, masterclasses and workshops throughout the Bay Area, and was invited to participate as a jury member for the 2014 annual Parade of Orchestras Festival held in Honolulu.

Maestro Gallegos studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Preparatory School and San Francisco State University, completing, with honors, a Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Education and Conducting.  Advanced studies in orchestral and operatic conducting continued at the University of Iowa School of Music, where he received a Master of Arts degree with High Distinction and served as Conductor of the University Chamber Orchestra.  Four times he was awarded fellowships, chosen from a large international pool of applicants, to the prestigious Conductors Institute held at West Virginia University and the University of South Carolina. In 1991, Maestro Gallegos was nominated for the Annual Conductor’s Guild Thelma A. Robinson award. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Music Center in San Francisco where he began his music lessons on the trumpet at the age of nine.  He currently resides in San Francisco with his wife Julie.

 

Local transit CEOs take BART, buses, even an electric trolley during Earth Day ride-along event

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Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman (left), BART General Manager Robert Powers (center), and Director of Transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Jeffrey Tumlin are pictured at Orinda Station. Source: BART

“Our systems are more aligned now than ever”

By BART Communications Staff

On Friday, April 21, ten transit CEOs from across the Bay Area gathered for a multimodal, three-hour-long voyage that carried them from the green hills of Orinda to the dry heat of Pittsburg.  The “All Aboard with Transit CEOs” event was held in celebration of Earth Day as well as the ongoing coordination and collaboration of local transit agencies in the face of immense financial challenges.  Members of the public were invited to join the ride-along to meet and ride with the CEOs.

Following the success of the first “All Aboard” event in September, which carried the CEOs from Oakland to San Francisco and back, the second ride-along saw the travelers ride a bevy of East Bay transit operators, including BART, Tri-Delta Transit, and County Connection. Leaders in attendance included BART General Manager Robert Powers, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Executive Director Andy Fremier, Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman, Director of Transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Jeffrey Tumlin, SamTrans General Manager/CEO April Chan, County Connection General Manager Bill Churchill, Tri Delta Transit CEO Rashidi Barnes, WestCAT General Manager Robert Thompson, Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller, and  Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Timothy Haile.

Ride-along attendees and transit riders fill a County Connection Route 14 bus. Source: BART

The ride-along kicked off with a press conference at BART’s Orinda Station, where regional leaders stressed the importance of securing long-term sustainable funding for public transportation.

“At the heart of any region’s economy is public transit. As goes public transit goes the economy,” said BART General Manager Robert Powers, who noted that regional transportation systems “are more aligned now than ever.”

MTC Executive Director Andy Fremier urged the state legislature to “pass a new budget that supports transit operations … to keep us going so we have a multi-year transit recovery program we can count on.” (Reference this handy Twitter thread to learn more about the distinction between transit agencies’ operating and capital budgets.)

“California cannot meet its climate goals unless we do something about getting people on transit,” Fremier added, acknowledging the Earth Day holiday. “Part of that involves advocating aggressively to keep transit operating.”

“Every Day is Memorial Day” exhibit at the Lafayette Library

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Photographs of the Lafayette Crosses by Jeff Heyman

The City of Lafayette’s Public Art Committee has selected “Every Day is Memorial Day,” a collection of nine black and white photographs of the Lafayette Crosses by East Bay photographer Jeff Heyman, for an exhibit at the Lafayette Library’s Public Art Gallery through summer.

“Every Day is Memorial Day” focuses on the somber experience of walking among the Lafayette Crosses, or Lafayette Hillside Memorial, and contemplating the lives lost during war. Heyman found inspiration for the photographs from his own experience in war zones while he served with United Nations Peacekeeping.

The exhibit runs May 4 through August 30, 2023. There will be an opening reception and artist’s talk Monday, May 22, from 6:00-7:00 p.m., prior to the Lafayette City Council Meeting. The Public Art Gallery exhibit is on display in the Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, Calif. For hours, please call the library at 925-385-2280.

First taking photography classes at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Calif., Heyman went on to earn a degree from San Francisco State University in Fine Art Photography. He studied under the photographers Catherine Wagner, Don Worth, Jack Welpott and Melanie Walker, and painters Paul Pratchenko and Robert Bechtle. “Every Day is Memorial Day” is Heyman’s third solo exhibit. See his photos here: https://heymanfoto.smugmug.com/Exhibits/Jeff-Heyman-LLLC-Memorial-Day-Exhibit/

“These photographs of the Lafayette Crosses really capture for me the feeling of forgotten wars and vanished lives,” Heyman said. “We should never forget war and those we have lost – in a very real way every day is Memorial Day.”

To view more of Heyman’s work visit his website at heymanfoto.smugmug.com or on Instagram @heymanfoto.

 

Park District launches Trail Use Pilot Project at Briones Regional Park

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Source: EBRPD

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

Today, April 21, 2023, the East Bay Regional Park District is launching a temporary, two-year pilot project at Briones Regional Park, in the hills between Lafayette, Pleasant Hill and Martinez, to test a variety of trail management strategies. The Briones Pilot Project will provide new temporary access to some trails for recreational use, while also restoring illegally constructed “bootleg” trails to protect wildlife and enhance natural habitats.

The pilot project is limited to a specific zone in the northeast corner of Briones Regional Park (see map). Project objectives include protecting resources, habitat, wildlife, and watersheds; restoring natural habitat by closing illegal bootleg trails in the pilot project zone; enhancing the trail user experience; and, increasing volunteer engagement in trail maintenance and habitat restoration.

“The goal of the pilot project is to identify options that balance recreational needs and environmental protection, given that the use of parks and trails has increased significantly in the Regional Parks over the past several years,” said Park District Board President Dennis Waespi. “The project will test innovative ways to share the trails, reduce conflicts, and improve the overall visitor experience, while also preserving natural habitat and protecting wildlife.”

The Briones Pilot Project establishes specific rules limiting trail use within the project zone and for two trail segments adjacent to the zone, such as hiking only, biking only, or biking/hiking only, and direction of travel. On weekends, trail use within the Pilot Project Zone will alternate days between bicycle and equestrian use based on odd and even calendar dates (see table).

Source: EBRPD

Pilot Zone Schedule & Restrictions

The special rules below apply ONLY to trails within the pilot zone. Additional information on pilot project schedule and restrictions, visit the project webpage at ebparks.org/briones-pilot-project.

Restoring Illegally Built “Bootleg” Trails:

Another key component of the project is the restoration of illegally built “bootleg” trails to protect natural habitat for wildlife. These trails are often not built to sustainable trail standards with appropriate drainage and avoidance of sensitive natural habitats. Illegal trails can have negative impacts on wildlife and watersheds.

“Protecting wildlife and restoring natural habitats are top priorities of the Park District and this pilot project,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “The project will test a variety of trail management strategies. It will be a dynamic process as data gets collected to help inform ways for users to share trails and enjoy our parks recreationally. As we launch this pilot, we look forward to the public’s feedback and cooperation.”

How Trail Users Can Help:

Engaging with the trail user communities to maintain trails and restore habitat is one of the pilot project’s objectives. There will be many opportunities for people to volunteer to improve select trails and restore habitat. The first Briones Pilot Project Public “Dig Day” is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Alhambra Creek Staging Area. Sign up at www.ebparks.org/parks/briones/briones-pilot-project#Event

For more information about the Briones Pilot Project, visit ebparks.org/briones-pilot-project.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Evidence of Lafayette man wrongfully convicted in 2005 high-profile murder presented to city council

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Antioch private detective helps compile report, seeks public’s help in pressuring officials

By Robert J. Hansen

Scott Dyleski at age 16 in his Lafayette home. (Courtesy of scottdyleski.org)

In 2005, 16-year-old Scott Dyleski was arrested and subsequently convicted for the murder of Pamela Vitale, the wife of nationally-recognized legal analyst and attorney Daniel Horowitz.

Private detective Ralph Hernandez and another seeker of justice, John Fitzgerald, presented a wealth of information suggesting Dyleski is innocent and was possibly framed for the murder to the Lafayette City Council at its April 10 meeting, urging the council to pressure the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office to review Scott’s case.

“The actual murderer, or murderers, are still walking around Lafayette,” Fitzgerald said. “One of them was married to the woman that was murdered.”

Of the evidence Fitzgerald shared, the most convincing was the three K-9s who repeatedly led officers to a trailer on the property rather than following the trail that led back to Scott’s house.

“Nobody found out about this because it was never reported,” Fitzgerald said.

In the trailer were pinkish-red water in the sink, clothes soaking with blood on them, and a picture of the victim on them, according to Fitzgerald.

Many key items of potentially exculpatory physical evidence were not properly examined, according to a 2009 forensic report.

“These are items that were likely used by or associated with the offender during and after the commission of the crime. Flawed methodology and subsequent false testimony are beneath best practice, and raise the specter of potential fraud,” the report said.

Hernandez has over 50 years of investigative experience in public safety matters and is considered a national expert on investigating homicides. He began investigating Dyleski in 2011, six years after Dyleski was arrested, prosecuted and convicted of a murder Hernandez believes he did not commit.

“Scott Dyleski did not murder Pamela Vitale in your city, somebody else did,” Hernandez told the council.

Hernandez submitted a request to the Contra Costa DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit to review Scott’s case over four years ago.

After a couple of years and not hearing back from the Contra Costa DA office, Hernandez wrote a formal complaint about the DA to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

The complaint to the county, Hernandez said, has also gone unanswered.

Lafayette city council has not told Hernandez what they thought about the evidence he showed them, nor if they have any plans on getting involved.

Fitzgerald said his and Hernandez’s comments to the council sparked a community response that has led to several phone calls being made to the Contra Costa DAs office.

Scott Dyleski was sentenced to Life Without Parole in September of 2006 and transferred to San Quentin Prison on his 18th birthday, becoming the youngest inmate in the California prison system at that time.

He has since been moved to Kern Valley State Prison.

Hernandez says the public’s help is going to be needed in pressuring their elected officials to take action.

“As elected officials, they have sworn an oath to make sure the government works for the people, including the District Attorney’s Office,” Hernandez said.

This story is part of a rolling-investigative series.

Robert J Hansen is an investigative journalist with The Davis Vanguard, Newsbreak.com and is published in The Sacramento Observer.

CA Supreme Court allows City of Lafayette’s approval of Terraces apartment project

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The planned Terraces of Lafayette apartment project. Source: O’Brien Homes

Denies request to review lower court’s decision, ends litigation, leaving in place earlier rulings that the City acted properly in approving the development

“This decision is a win for housing, but the fact that this project has taken so long is exactly why we have such a catastrophic housing shortage” – Sonja Trauss, President and Founder of YIMBY Law

By Suzanne Iarla, Communications Analyst/Public Information Officer

After more than two years, litigation against the City of Lafayette and developer O’Brien Land Company (O’Brien) regarding the City’s approval of the 315-unit Terraces of Lafayette development project has ended and is in favor of the City and O’Brien.

In 2020, Save Lafayette, a citizens group, sued the City and O’Brien to overturn the City’s approval of the Terraces of Lafayette. In November 2021, the Contra Costa County Superior Court rejected Save Lafayette’s claims and upheld the City’s approval of the Terraces of Lafayette. Save Lafayette appealed the Superior Court’s decision.

In November 2022, the Court of Appeal issued a unanimous opinion holding that the City’s environmental review complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and that the City properly followed the Housing Accountability Act in approving the project. Save Lafayette requested that the California Supreme Court exercise its discretion and review the Court of Appeal’s decision.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the California Supreme Court denied Save Lafayette’s request for review, making the Court of Appeal opinion in favor of the City the final word in the long-running dispute.

“The Courts have once again affirmed that the City complied with the Housing Accountability Act and the California Environmental Quality Act in its environmental review and approval of this 20%-affordable housing project. The litigation is over, and we should now focus on welcoming new residents to our community,” said Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri.

Now that litigation has ended, O’Brien will be able to proceed with the development of 315 for-rent apartments, including 63 below-market-rate units on a vacant a 22-acre site at the southwest corner of Pleasant Hill and Deer Hill Roads, adjacent to Highway 24 in Lafayette.

Terraces of Lafayette rendering. Source: O’Brien Homes

In response O’Brien Land Company issued the following press release regarding the court decision:

In a landmark victory for housing rights and state housing law, the California Supreme Court denied review of the unanimous California Court of Appeal ruling in favor of the Terraces of Lafayette

As the last step to finally end the litigation over the Terraces of Lafayette apartment community, the Supreme Court of California denied Save Lafayette’s request to review the First District Court of Appeal’s unanimous ruling that upheld the City of Lafayette’s project approvals. In a published opinion, the Court of Appeal rejected in full Save Lafayette’s lawsuit challenging the Terraces of Lafayette, a 315-unit apartment community by O’Brien Land Company. After nearly 10 years of processing and 120 public hearings, the Lafayette City Council had finally approved the project by a 4-1 vote in August 2020.

The Court’s decision can be found here. Project information can be found at https://www.terracesoflafayette.com.
The project site is in an urbanized area adjacent to Highway 24 and located one mile from the Lafayette BART station. With 20%, or 63, of its dwelling units set aside for lower income households, the Terraces is considered an affordable housing project under the Housing Accountability Act (HAA). This will substantially assist Lafayette in meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the lower income categories assigned to it by long-standing state law.
Despite the project’s robust legal protections under controlling state law, Save Lafayette has actively opposed the project and all development on the project site for years. The anti-development group also opposed a 44 single-family home compromise project the City approved in 2015 after the City and O’Brien contractually paused processing of the apartment project to consider an alternative the group might accept. Save Lafayette responded by filing litigation and a ballot referendum that overturned the smaller project. Once the voters rejected the smaller project, O’Brien and the City resumed processing the apartments.

“Despite the fact that the project, located on a former quarry site, is supported by the Sierra Club and Greenbelt Alliance, and provides critically-needed, affordable housing, it took 12 years to get to this point after finally getting the project approved and through this and other wasteful litigation,” said Dennis O’Brien, President and Founder of O’Brien Land Company. “It’s been disheartening the last few years to have to tell local residents and workers that we weren’t yet able to build the apartments the City approved. People have long been in need of housing like this for themselves, family members, and local workers, and all we could do was add their name to an interest list and ask them to be patient while we saw the project through an incredibly difficult and time-consuming process. We are elated that we can now move forward.”

Although the apartment project included a full environmental impact report, Save Lafayette’s lawsuit claimed the City’s approval violated the California Environmental Quality Act, a law frequently employed by anti-development NIMBY groups to challenge new housing. The lawsuit also claimed the project was not entitled to the protection of the HAA, which protects housing developments from changes in local land use laws after an application is deemed complete by, among other things, substantially curtailing the circumstances under which a housing project may lawfully be disapproved. As the Superior Court did in 2021, the Court of Appeal rejected Save Lafayette’s arguments and agreed that the City complied with the law in approving the project.

Matt Regan, Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the Bay Area Council added his voice in support of the Supreme Court’s decision saying, “When anyone asks why we have a housing affordability crisis in California, I just show them the history of the Terraces in Lafayette. This is a site where the City said they wanted housing, a developer offered a proposal that met their requirements, and here we are 12 years later after multiple plan changes, referendums, lawsuits, delay after delay after delay, needless costs piled on top of needless costs, and still no homes,” he added.

“The team at O’Brien Homes should be given every credit for refusing to be bullied and sticking with this project.”

The Court of Appeal recognized the HAA’s statutory mandate to interpret and implement the HAA to “afford the fullest possible weight to the interest of, and the approval and provision of, housing” and accordingly held that the trial court “rightly refused to disturb the City’s approval of the project.”

About the decision, Sonja Trauss, President and Founder of YIMBY Law, stated, “This decision is a win for housing, but the fact that this project has taken so long is exactly why we have such a catastrophic housing shortage. The people involved with Save Lafayette should be ashamed of themselves. They have denied housing for more than 700 middle income people for the last 10 years while they fought this project. Imagine if Save Lafayette had spent their time and money actually helping people.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

 

New Lafayette Postmaster installed at special ceremony

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Postmaster General Louis DeJoy also installs 31 other Postmasters in California

New Lafayette Postmaster Linda Shelton was sworn in on Oct. 24, 2022. Photo: USPS

LAFAYETTE, CA — Linda Shelton raised her right hand and took the official Oath of Office as the Postmaster of the Lafayette, CA Post Office on Monday, October 24, 2022, in a special ceremony. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy administered the Oath to Shelton alongside 31 other Postmasters throughout California.

Shelton, a proud 36 -year postal employee is passionate about building lasting relationships not only with her team but the community she serves.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to build that comradery and pass along my hard work and dedication to the Postal Service as the Postmaster for the city of Lafayette,” said Shelton.

As outlined in the USPS Delivering for America plan, the postal service is committed to modernizing and continually adapting to the evolving needs of all customers. As the Postmaster of the Lafayette Post Office Shelton is prepared to serve his community with that development in mind.

The History of the Postmaster Position

The title, “Postmaster” carries with it both a Noble Heritage and a Vital Responsibility.

Originally, the word Postmaster was referred as the one who provided post horses.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, postmaster means “master of the posts, the officer who has charge or direction of the posts.”

William Penn established Pennsylvania’s first post office in 1683. However, the real beginnings of a postal system in the colonies dates from 1692 when Thomas Neale received a 21-year grant from the British Crown authorizing him to set up post roads in North America.

In 1707, the British Government bought the rights to the North American postal service, and, in 1710, consolidated the postal service into one establishment.  The principal offices of the new British Postal Service were in London, England; Edinburgh Scotland; Dublin, Ireland, and New York.

In 1737, Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster at Philadelphia.  He laid out new post roads, helped expand mail service from Canada to New York and instituted overnight delivery between Philadelphia and New York City, a distance of 90 miles. In 1774, Franklin was dismissed from office because of his efforts on behalf of the patriots.

When the Continental Congress met in May 1775, they named Franklin as postmaster general for the 13 American colonies.

From 1775 until the early 1800s, Postmasters were appointed by the postmaster general.  In 1836, postmasters were appointed by the president, but this of course changed whenever a new party was elected.  It was not until August 1970, with the signing of the Postal Reorganization Act, which took effect in July 1971, that the patronage system was finally removed from the postal service once and for all.  Postmasters began being appointed on merit alone. The act also permitted upward mobility for line employees, allowing them to be promoted to the position of Postmaster.

Along the way, there have been several famous individuals, who have served as postmasters. In 1833, Abraham Lincoln was appointed postmaster of New Salem, IL.

Other notable individuals who served as postmaster included abolitionist John Brown, businessman Conrad Hilton, novelist William Faulkner, and humorist Bill Nye.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

 

Contra Costa Sheriff identifies victim in Wednesday homicide as young Lafayette man

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March 24, 2022 – The victim in Wednesday’s shooting death in an unincorporated area between Pleasant Hill and Lafayette has been identified as 20-year-old Basel Jilani of Lafayette. (See related article)

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office investigates shooting death in area between Pleasant Hill and Lafayette

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By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County

At about 1:06 PM, Wednesday, March 23, 2022, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the unincorporated area of Taylor Blvd. and Gloria Terrace between Pleasant Hill and Lafayette.

Deputies arrived on scene to find bystanders providing lifesaving measures to a person on the ground near a vehicle. The victim, who appeared to have been shot, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He is not being identified at this time.

The investigation by Sheriff’s Office Homicide Detectives and the crime lab is ongoing. The suspect is outstanding at this time.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Rep. DeSaulnier announces re-election campaign for California’s new 10th Congressional District

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The newly drawn California 10th Congressional District. Source: wedrawthelinesca.org.  Rep. Mark DeSaulnier. Official photo.

Pledges to continue work in Congress for Contra Costa; lists his endorsements

CONTRA COSTA, CA – The DeSaulnier for Congress Campaign announced the launch of the congressman’s re-election effort for California’s newly drawn 10th Congressional district, as approved by the California Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (CCRC) on Monday, Dec. 20th. Mark DeSaulnier has represented Concord and Contra Costa County in Congress since 2015 and vows to continue to work hard for his constituents, fighting for working families.

Th 10th District encompasses most of Contra Costa County, including Lamorinda, the San Ramon Valley, Concord, Clayton, Clyde, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and portions of Martinez in Central County, and in East County, Brentwood, Oakley, Bethel Island, Knightsen and portions of Antioch, plus portions of Dublin in Alameda County.

“Throughout my time in Congress, my guiding principle has always been this: I work for you,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “It’s been my honor to represent this area for nearly three decades, on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, in the California State Legislature, and for the past six years as a Member of Congress. My priority has always been serving the people of Contra Costa and making our voices heard during the tough fights, when it matters most.”

DeSaulnier lives in Concord where he raised his two sons, Tristan and Tucker, and opened and operated a small business, TR’s restaurant.

He’s also spent three decades as a public servant: representing his community on the Concord City Council, as Mayor of Concord, as a three-term Contra Costa County Supervisor, in the California State Legislature, and currently as a Member of Congress.

As Supervisor, he served on the California Air Resources Board, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. He was elected to the State Assembly in 2006 where he served one term and received the distinction of being the first freshman in history to chair the Assembly Transportation Committee. DeSaulnier was elected to two terms in the California State Senate in 2008 and 2012 where he served as Chair of the California State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. During his time in Congress, DeSaulnier has been honored to represent California’s 11th Congressional District including Richmond, El Cerrito, Kensington, and Pittsburg, now in the new 8th District, and looks forward to continuing to serve them in 2022.

Congressman DeSaulnier is running for re-election to fight against the reckless Republican agenda and move our nation forward by:

  • Ensuring every American has access to quality, affordable health insurance and care;
  • Confronting racial injustice;
  • Creating national common sense gun violence reforms;
  • Helping America’s students receive a quality education without being shackled by debt;
  • Protecting Medicare and Social Security;
  • Safeguarding the environment;
  • Overseeing the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in modern history, and
  • Ensuring government is accountable to the public.

The campaign is proud to announce the following endorsements:

  • Alex Padilla, United States Senator for California
  • Karen Bass, United States Representative (CA)
  • Jared Huffman, United States Representative (CA)
  • Barbara Lee, United States Representative (CA)
  • Doris Matsui, United States Representative (CA)
  • Eric Swalwell, United States Representative (CA)
  • Mike Thompson, United States Representative (CA)
  • George Miller, Former United States Representative (CA)
  • Rosa DeLauro, United States Representative (CT)
  • Betty T. Yee, California State Controller
  • Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner
  • Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California
  • Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Tom Torlakson, Former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Steve Glazer, California State Senator
  • Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, California State Assemblymember
  • Tim Grayson, California State Assemblymember
  • Diane Burgis, Supervisor, Contra Costa County
  • Federal Glover, Supervisor, Contra Costa County
  • John Gioia, Supervisor, Contra Costa County
  • Karen Mitchoff, Supervisor, Contra Costa County
  • Diana Becton, District Attorney, Contra Costa County
  • Lynn Mackey, Superintendent of Schools, Contra Costa County
  • Holly Tillman, Vice Mayor, City of Clayton
  • Julie Pierce, Former Mayor, City of Clayton
  • Dominic Aliano, Mayor, City of Concord
  • Carlyn Obringer, Council Member, City of Concord
  • Edi E. Birsan, Council Member, City of Concord
  • Tim McGallian, Council Member, City of Concord
  • Newell Arnerich, Mayor, Town of Danville
  • Teresa Gerringer, Mayor, City of Lafayette
  • Susan Candell, Council Member, City of Lafayette
  • Cameron Burks, Former Council Member, City of Lafayette
  • Rob Shroder, Mayor of the City of Martinez
  • Lara DeLaney, Council Member, City of Martinez
  • Mark Ross, Council Member, City of Martinez
  • Dennis Fay, Mayor, City of Orinda
  • Amy R. Worth, Council Member, City of Orinda
  • Inga Miller, Council Member, City of Orinda
  • Kevin Wilk, Council Member, City of Walnut Creek
  • Cindy Darling, Council Member, City of Walnut Creek
  • Michael Harris, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill
  • Sue Noack, Council Member, City of Pleasant Hill
  • Matthew Rinn, Council Member, City of Pleasant Hill
  • Ken Carlson, Councilmember, City of Pleasant Hill
  • Merl Craft, Council Member, City of Pittsburg
  • Tom Butt, Mayor, City of Richmond
  • Gabriel Quinto, Mayor, City of El Cerrito
  • Lisa Motoyama, Mayor Pro Tem, City of El Cerrito
  • Janet Abelson, Council Member, City of El Cerrito
  • Paul Fadelli, Council Member, City of El Cerrito
  • Rita Xavier, Mayor, City of San Pablo
  • Abel Pineda, Council Member, City of San Pablo
  • Linda Mayo, Trustee, Mt. Diablo Unified School District
  • Mae Torlakson, Vice Chair, Ambrose Recreation and Park District in Bay Point
  • Judy Walters, Ph.D., President, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board
  • Fernando Sandoval, Vice President, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board
  • Rebecca Barrett, Board Trustee, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board
  • Andy Li, Board Trustee, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board
  • John E. Marquez, Board Trustee, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board