Contra Costa Herald

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

County Sheriff’s Crime Lab receives grant for equipment to help with DUID cases

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Example of a Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry instrument. Photo by Polimerek – Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=425348

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Forensic Services Division Crime Laboratory has received a state grant for “Improved Technology for Identification of Impairing Substances in DUID Cases”.

This $207,100 grant will fund the purchase of two new Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) instruments. These instruments will have the ability to routinely identify and quantitate compounds that are commonly encountered in driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) cases.

The two new GCMS instruments offer increased sensitivity and will be replacing older instrumentation within the Crime Lab. The new instruments will enable the Forensic Services Division to provide analysis in alignment with recommendations set by national organizations for DUID cases.

“The new GCMS instruments will allow the Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab to provide more comprehensive and timely results for the investigation and prosecution of DUID cases in Contra Costa County,” said Forensic Services Chief Pam Hofsass.

On January 1, 2014, changes to driving under the influence laws (Sections 23152 and 23153 of the Vehicle Code) went into effect making it unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any drug to drive a motor vehicle; this not only includes illegal narcotics and stimulants, but also some legal prescriptions, herbs, marijuana and over-the-counter drugs.

The purchase of these instruments and method validation is anticipated to take ap-proximately one year. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Olympic Gold Medalist, Pittsburg resident Eddie Hart pens book about his tragedy and triumph at the ’72 games

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Eddie Hart with his new book entitled “Disqualified”.

Meet the two-time World Record-holder at Barnes & Noble in Antioch Monday, Dec. 18

By Allen Payton

Having previously equaled the World Record, Martinez-born and Pittsburg-raised Eddie Hart was a strong favorite to win the 100-Meter Dash at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. The inexplicable happened, he was disqualified for arriving seconds after his quarterfinal heat. Ten years of training to become the “World’s Fastest Human.” The title attached to the Olympic 100-meter champion was lost in a heartbeat. How could this have possibly happened on athletics’ biggest stage, the Olympic Games?

Hart provides his story in a new book he’s written with the help of friend and former Oakland Tribune sports reporter, Dave Newhouse, entitled “Disqualified – Eddie Hart, Munich 1972, and the Voices of The Most Tragic Olympics.”

A Champion Since High School

Hart moved to Pittsburg when he was eight years old, and attended Village Elementary and Central Junior High. He graduated from Pittsburg High in 1967 where he lettered every year as a member of the track team, in the 100, 200 and long jump. He won “the conference in four events, including the 4×100 relay in 1966, then he repeated in the 100 and 200 in 1967,” Hart shared.

He then went on to attend Contra Costa College in San Pablo.

“That’s where I really blossomed,” Hart said.

It’s where he won the 100 and 200 at the junior college state meet in 1969.

Hart then transferred to U.C. Berkeley where he majored in Physical Education, because he wanted to be a track coach. In his first year, he won the 100-meter race at the PAC-8 championships and placed second in the 200.

Then at the NCAA national championships that year, Hart won the 100 and running anchor, helped his team win the 4×100 relay, as well.

One of his teammates, Isaac Curtis, who went on to play wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, came in second in that same 100-meter race, making it the only time in NCAA history that teammates from the same school placed first and second in the championship race.

“At the end of that year I made the U.S. national team and toured Europe for six weeks competing in various meets,” Hart shared. “We competed in France, in Russia and Oslo, and Sweden, also.”

Champion in the 5,000-meter Steve Prefontaine was on that same team.

“I knew Pre, well,” Hart said.

First Major Challenge

Then in 1971 he placed second in the 100 and third in the 200 at the NCAA Championships due to an injury earlier in the year, having missed half the season and not even competing in the conference championships.

First Comeback

Hart withdrew from school to train for the Olympics and became an assistant to the head track coach in 1972, at the same time. He entered open competition that year and during the meets Hart made the qualifying times in the 100. In fact, he missed the World Record by just 1/10th of a second running 10 flat at the West Coast Relays in Fresno.

Second Major Challenge

Three weeks before the Olympic trials Hart injured his right hamstring while running in the 200 at the U.S. Championships in Seattle. He couldn’t do any starts between that injury and his first race at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon.

“It was terrifying,” he said. “It was tough.”

Then at the trials, “It was a nightmare,” Hart said. “Each race, everyone was ahead of me.  I just kept pulling up.”

Asked if he was hesitant, he replied, “Oh, very much so. I was afraid I was going to reinjure myself.”

“You have to run four races,” Hart explained.  “A heat, a quarterfinal, a semi-final and then the final.”

Second Comeback

In the semifinal I was fourth and they only took four to the final. “I barely made it,” he stated.

“It was a wind-aided race and the first five guys ran a 9.9 in the 100 meters and the fifth-place guy didn’t even qualify,” Hart continued. “I was the fourth guy and I was scared to death, because from the finals they only took the top three.”

In the blocks at the starting line, he was still thinking about his leg, which was bothering him.

“This was all the marbles right here, there was nothing to save,” he shared.

“The gun went off and I was in a dream,” Hart explained. “I ran the best race of my life.”

Before or after, “Ever,” he said. “That was it.”

“I was an Olympian, an Olympic trials champion and the World Record holder at 9.9,” Hart stated proudly.

“It was legal, not wind-aided,” he added.

Hart had equaled the World Record in the 100-meter dash, which had been achieved by only two others before. It wasn’t broken until 1991 when Carl Lewis ran it in 9.86.

He also qualified for the Olympics as the anchor for the U.S. Men’s 4×100 relay team, which was made up of the four finalists in the 100-meter race.

From Triumph to Tragedy

About a month later he was with the U.S. Olympic Team in Boden, Maine for a few weeks to train in similar weather as Munich, Germany. They then competed in Oslo, Norway, France and Italy before arriving in the Olympic Village just a few days before the Opening Ceremony.

A few days later he ran and won his heat.

“It was easier to make it to the finals at the Olympic games than it was to make the finals at the Olympic trials,” Hart shared. “Of the top 10 to 15 sprinters in the world, the top 10 were in the  U.S. at that time.”

After all three U.S. sprinters had won their heats, the coach said “let’s go back to the Olympic Village and rest” Hart explained, “because there was so much time between races. But, that was his schedule.”

The Village was only about a mile or less away from the Olympic Stadium. But, the coach had the incorrect time for the start of the quarterfinals.

They rushed back to the stadium, but it was too late for Hart.  He had missed his race and was disqualified. Thus, the title of his book.

Tragedy Ends in Triumph

Hart’s Olympic story didn’t end there. The following week after the tragic murder of the 11 Israeli team members had halted the games for a day for the memorial, Hart once again ran anchor for the U.S. 4×100 relay team. They won that race in World Record time and he became an Olympic Gold Medalist and a World Record holder, once again. See video of Hart’s leg of the race here.

Returning to Pittsburg he was met with celebrations by the Mayor of Pittsburg and the city.

Hart returned to college to complete his degree, and became a paid assistant track coach at Cal Berkeley. He has since started his philanthropic efforts through his Eddie Hart All In One Foundation which holds an Olympian Track Education Clinic at Pittsburg High, each year.

Faith has been a big part of his life, all of his life. Hart has been a member of Stewart Memorial Methodist Church in Pittsburg since elementary school. He’s taught Sunday School for 35 years and for the past 20 years he’s taught the men’s class.

Asked if faith played a part in his Olympic journey, Hart responded, “In every aspect. I grew up in the church, it couldn’t have been any other way.”

“I never prayed to God for success in track,” he shared. “I asked God to give me strength in life to face the challenges as they come.”

“My prayer is that His will be done. God is interested in spiritual things, in our soul not our flesh,” Hart continued. “Ultimately at the end of the day whatever physical things we’ve accomplished here will be left here. It’s about our souls which are eternal. Our flesh is going to burn up. The Bible is clear.”

Asked if his story will become a movie, Hart said, “We’re working on it.”

But, he has to think about who will play the part of him, he shared with a laugh.

His book includes a foreword by Harvard professor, Dr. Cornel West who has been a friend since high school, and whose brother Cliff was Hart’s roommate at Cal.

See Eddie Hart and get your copy of his book signed on Monday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble book store in Antioch at 5709 Lone Tree Way.

 

Interim Contra Costa District Attorney Becton announces she will run in next year’s election

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Board of Supervisors Chairman Federal Glover with Interim D.A. Diana Becton following her oath of office ceremony on Sept. 18, 2017. Photo by David Fraser, Office of Supervisor Federal Glover

Today, Wednesday, December 6, 2017, District Attorney Diana Becton issued the following statement:

“It’s official: today, I filed my papers to run for District Attorney of Contra Costa County.

“I was selected as District Attorney by the Board of Supervisors to restore faith and trust in the District Attorney’s Office in the wake of scandal. I have rolled up my sleeves and I am hard at work. I am committing to restoring integrity to the office. I am confident that I will succeed. I am a collaborative leader who knows how to get things done.

“We cannot continue to look at the criminal justice system in a vacuum. We need a broad, universal approach to how we prevent crime, make our communities safe, and treat everyone fairly.

“As a longtime judge of the Superior Court in Contra Costa County, I am proud of my reputation for hard work, fairness, and integrity. I will bring these qualities to the campaign trail – and to the job.”

In September, Becton was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to fill the position made vacant by the resignation of Mark Peterson. She joins Contra Costa County Senior Assistant District Attorney Paul Graves and Santa Clara County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Patrick Vanier who announced their campaigns and entered the race prior to Peterson’s resignation. The Primary Election will be held June 4, 2018. If no candidate receives a majority of vote, the top two candidates will face off in the General Election in November.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Investigation continues into complaints by female ICE detainees at West County Detention Facility in Richmond

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Sheriff David Livingston, center, speaks with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (to his left) and staff during a tour of the West County Detention Facility in Richmond on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Photos by CCCSheriff

Rep. DeSaulnier and staff, other officials tour facility

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The investigation by the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff continues regarding complaints made by several female ICE detainees held in the West County Detention Facility (WCDF) in Richmond, California.

WCDF is a dormitory-style, program-based facility where all inmates are free to leave their rooms to go to educational and vocational programs, medical appointments or visits; the amount of free time all inmates receive exceeds state requirements.

The West County Detention Facility in Richmond.

“Although complaints such as excessive ‘lock down’ time or improper use of bio-hazard bags are extremely rare within the jail system’s 1,600 inmates and detainees, the fact that some ICE detainees have made such allegations demands a full and thorough investigation, which is well underway,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “We routinely pass stringent state and federal jail inspections and are com-mitted to running safe, secure and Constitutionally compliant detention facilities.”

To date, Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Investigators have conducted over 110 interviews of both inmates and staff, reviewed hundreds of hours of building surveillance video, identified and inspected physical/documentary evidence (such as log books, booking information, bio-hazard red bag storage, etc.), and inspected the cells, bathrooms and open areas of the women’s dormitory.

On Monday, Nov. 27, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, (D, CA-11), and his staff, toured WCDF and was invited to view any area he wished to visit and speak to any detainee he liked. A number of other state and local officials have also recently visited the facility.

“Congressman DeSaulnier can now publicly call for any additional investigation he wants,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “However, as the political rhetoric from some around this issue continues to boil, we remain undeterred in providing professional and diligent custody services for our county inmates and federal detainees.”

The Office of the Sheriff has been in close communication with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and his staff as it is working to complete this investigation. A.G. staff have already met with us and conducted a tour once, on November 16, 2017, and will be conducting another review at the facility soon. The Sheriff’s Office will make its investigatory materials available to the Attorney General and have asked that he review our full investigation, and findings therein, when we complete the investigation on or about December 15, 2017.

 

Lafayette man, a former Oakland Fire Captain pleads guilty to child porn possession

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Richard Chew from his now deleted LinkedIn profile. Herald file photo.

On Tuesday December 5, 2017, Richard Chew, a 58-year-old resident of Lafayette, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.  As a result of his guilty plea, Chew was sentenced to 150 days in jail, three years of probation and was ordered to register as a sex offender.  Chew has been out on bail since his arrest and was ordered to surrender at a later date to begin serving his sentence.

On August 19, 2017, the Contra Costa Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force launched an investigation into Chew. Agencies involved in this investigation include the Office of the Sheriff, District Attorney’s Office, and Lafayette and Concord Police Departments.

During the investigation, search warrants were served on Chew’s home on Harper Court in Lafayette and at his office at the Oakland Fire Department. Child pornography was found on a laptop computer belonging to Chew.  On September 7, 2017, Chew was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography by the District Attorney’s Office.  By his guilty plea, Chew admitted that on August 31, 2017, he possessed photographs and videos depicting minors engaged in sexual activity.

ICAC is a multi-agency task force managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord, and Moraga police departments, the Office of the Sheriff, County Probation Department, and District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.

Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org for further information.

County Supervisors finally crack down on illegal trash haulers

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Efforts since 2011 to pass ordinance

By Daniel Borsuk

After years of foot-dragging by the county officials and Contra Costa’s two major solid waste haulers – Republic Service and Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery – county supervisors voted 4-0 to pass an ordinance aimed at cracking down on illegal solid waste hauling activities in unincorporated parts of the East Bay County.

District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen left the board meeting before the vote because she had a medical appointment.

With “dozens” of unsanctioned truck drivers illegally hauling trash and, in most cases, illegally dumping their loads in unincorporated East or West county locations at public expense for appropriate removal and disposal, supervisors finally took the bold step to crack down on the illegal activity.

For obvious reasons no one spoke in opposition to the ordinance up for consideration at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting and, for that matter other than representatives for the two major waster haulers, no one from the general public spoke in favor of the ordinance too.

Even then the ordinance’s passage did not come easily.  Attorneys for Republic Service and Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery insisted on five last minute wording changes that supervisors agreed to in order to move forward the law that has been on the drawing boards for at least six years.

“This ordinance will be a tool for county code enforcement officers to use to clean up this illegal activity,” said Sal Evola, representing Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery.  “We’ve been attempting to put a stop to this illegal activity since 2011.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” concurred board vice chair Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill, who played a key role in finally getting the ordinance passed.  “We’re basically telling illegal haulers that they will have to play by the same rules as the legal haulers.  We view this as an economic development issue.”

“East County is definitely affected by illegal dumping,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood. “This ordinance means the county is taking the appropriate steps to hold these people accountable.”

Beginning March 2018, the ordinance will be enforced mainly by the Contra Costa County Health Service Department.  The county Sheriff-Coroner Office and local police departments will play law enforcement roles.

The county ordinance spells out what is considered to be a solid waste hauler under terms of the law.  The ordinance establishes vehicle inspection procedures, annual permit renewal will be required every December, revocation procedures, setting liability insurance requirements with policy limits of $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate, and requiring drivers to hold performance bonds.

The county ordinance requires permit holders to transport solid waste load and recycled waste to properly licensed solid waste and recycling facilities.

It is too early to tell how much revenue the county will generate from the new ordinance.

$2 Million Waste Clean-up Contract Approved

In other action, supervisors approved as a consent item a $2 million contract with Pacheco-based Debri-Tech Inc. to do trash and abandoned waste cleanup and removal for the Contra Costa County Watershed Program.  The contract with Debri-Tech has been doubled from $1 million because the contract has been extended two years rather than one year.

Supervisors gave the District Attorney’s Office the green light to apply for $1.2 million in state funding for the county’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program.  The funding will be spent from Oct. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018.

In addition, supervisors approved the issuance of an additional $1.6 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee for the completion of the 58-family unit apartment development at 1515 and 1735 Riviera Ave. in Walnut Creek.  In March 2016, supervisors approved the $19.2 million development, but learned additional tax-exempt funds were needed to complete the construction.

Rep. DeSaulnier hosts End of the Year Town Hall in El Cerrito Mon. Dec. 4

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Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced he will host an End of the Year town hall meeting in El Cerrito on Monday, December 4th at 6:00 p.m. Since taking office in 2015, Mark has hosted 53 town halls and mobile district office hours throughout Contra Costa County, interacting with over 17,500 constituents.

Following a busy year filled with controversial actions by the Trump Administration and Republican Leadership, Congressman DeSaulnier invites residents to attend his final town hall of 2017. During the town hall constituents will be provided with a legislative update, and have an opportunity to ask questions or share their thoughts on issues of importance.

El Cerrito Town Hall
Monday, December 4, 2017
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Harding Elementary
Auditorium
7230 Fairmont Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530

Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling (925) 933-2660. For more information or to request ADA accommodations, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

College district selects former Diablo Valley College vice president Susan Lamb as new president

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New DVC President Susan Lamb

MARTINEZ, CA – The Contra Costa Community College District (District) has selected Susan Lamb as the next president of Diablo Valley College (DVC).

The announcement was made following a nationwide search that began in May 2017. Potential candidates were reviewed and four finalists were selected to participate in public forums and final interviews last week.

“I was extremely impressed with all four finalists. They are all strong leaders with a unique skillset and experiences” said Chancellor Fred Wood. “In the end, I chose Susan Lamb because of her deep understanding of the California community colleges and her understanding of both DVC and the District, having worked at both Contra Costa College and DVC in progressively complex administrative roles. In addition, we will benefit from her leadership experience as interim chancellor/president at City College of San Francisco where she successfully led that college through financially challenging times, the restoration of accreditation, and developed strong partnerships with the community.  Those are major accomplishments, and we welcome her back to DVC and the District.”

 The District will begin negotiating the contract with Ms. Lamb with the goal of placing the item on the December 14, 2017, Governing Board meeting agenda for review and approval.

 “I am so pleased and humbled to be selected as the next president of Diablo Valley College,” says Ms. Lamb. “My last four years at City College of San Francisco gave me the opportunity to learn and grow as a leader, and I am now better prepared to lead DVC. I have deep respect and look forward to returning to this great college, and joining my colleagues to transform the lives of our students.”

Diablo Valley College (DVC) is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District. For nearly 70 years, Diablo Valley College has provided quality education to the community it serves. The larger of DVC’s two campuses is located in Pleasant Hill while the newer San Ramon Campus serves the south county in Dougherty Valley. Between its two campuses, DVC serves more than 22,000 students each semester with a wide variety of program options. DVC is not only recognized as one of California’s best community colleges, but it also leads the state in transfer to four-year institutions. For more about DVC, visit www.dvc.edu.

 The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon.  The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez.

Orinda company opens 19th senior living facility in Antioch, offers Club-Med like experience

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The senior assisted living facility formerly known as Cypress Meadows is now TreVista Antioch.

Working to make every day “magical,” a pioneer in senior assisted living 

By Allen Payton

Opening their 19th location with their acquisition of the former Cypress Meadows Assisted Living facility in Antioch, Agemark Senior Living Communities of Orinda has renamed it TreVista Antioch and is bringing a new approach of a Club Med-like experience for seniors to East County.

The 10-acre campus is “not a skilled nursing facility,” but offers “both assisted living and memory care to enhance the lives of our residents,” said Senior Care Consultant Amanda Stewart.

She mentioned “many changes are happening, including a new water feature, a new theater,” making the place “more resident friendly and focused.”

The entrance to TreVista Antioch.

They’re part of “a multimillion dollar renovation project that will truly establish TreVista Antioch as the Bay Area’s premier senior living community,” according to their website,

When asked why they chose Antioch, Agemark co-founder and CEO Richard Westin said, “There are a lot of people who need our services in town.”

The Orinda-based company is a pioneer in senior assisted living having introduced the type of facilities to the market.

“We’ve been doing this for 35 years,” Westin explained. “When we first began nobody knew what assisted living was. In the 1980’s it was educating the public.”

The only options were retirement homes of up to six beds or convalescent homes.

“The concept of vibrant, assisted living for people whose average age is 87 didn’t exist other than a convalescent home which was really no place that anyone wanted to go to,” he stated. “It gave senior housing a steep road to climb, because of the significantly, negative reputation that convalescent hospitals had. They (seniors) were just being stored, because people couldn’t take care of them at home.

“The world has changed,” Westin said. “We recognize every one of our residents has a story to tell and wisdom to provide the next generation. There are wonderful opportunities that assisted living provides that didn’t previously exist, that allows people to thrive.”

Agemark does things differently than other facilities. According to their website, their mission and the “Promise” includes the following: “It is our mission, privilege and responsibility to provide the kind of care we want for our own loved ones, fostering a healthy body, agile mind and joyful spirit. We promise to ‘Nurture and grow our communities and the people who work and live in them,’ ‘Actively listen, constantly innovate, and serve with pride and joy,’ and ‘Empower and encourage staff to respond to residents and their families with compassion and respect.’”

Richard Westin, Founder & CEO of Agemark

“My background is Club Med,” Westin (who said he is unrelated to the hotel chain of the same name) shared. “I used to teach sailing in the summer and skiing in the winter in Europe. I was the first American to ever work for Club Med. It started in 1954 and I started working for them in 1961 at age 20.”

“I didn’t realize at the time I wasn’t teaching people to sail and ski,” he continued. “I myself was learning the hospitality business and 55 years later I’m able to provide a Club Med-like experience for 87-year-olds.”

“First it was for 20-year-olds now it’s for 80-year-olds,” Westin said with a laugh. “Fun is fun. Dancing and going to the zoo, high school and semi-professional sporting events, depending on the location.”

“Engaging with kindergartners and older folks in meaningful activities is really a valuable thing,” he added.

Westin then shared his philosophy of how the facilities operate, with the goal of making every day magical for their residents

“Whenever you say ‘good-night’ to one of our residents it may in fact be ‘good-bye’. So, it is our responsibility to make sure that their previous day was magical,” he stated. “And if we can do that every day we will have made a difference in the lives of the people we take care of and will have accomplished our goal.”

“I’m passionate about what I do,” Westin continued. “At 76 I get up every day and I’m delighted to go to work because I care about the wellbeing of our residents and their families because I know they’re going through a difficult time. We don’t just get a resident we get a family. They never need to call because we’re always ready to show them a clean, happy environment.”

Westin shared about an experience one of their facilities offered to a resident who had never been to a game of her favorite major league baseball team. She got to throw out the first pitch, meet the players after the game and was greeted with a

“We try to do that all the time,” he shared

They’re going through the approval process for six additional locations all in California.

It’s a family run business.

“My son (Forrest) is my business partner and it’s great,” he added.

His partner Jesse Pittore is retired but his son Michael Pittore, a graduate of De La Salle High – who was part of the football team that kept their winning streak going to 101 games – is also part of the ownership team.

“So, we have the two younger generation and me,” Westin shared. “And if I’m healthy I plan to work another 20 years.”

TreVista is located at 3950 Lone Tree Way across the street from Sutter Delta Medical Center. For more information call (925) 329-6296 or visit www.trevista-antioch.com.

FOG – the unwelcome guest in your home this holiday season

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With the holiday season upon us, it is a good time to remember the only people we want visiting our homes are family and friends – not plumbers and wastewater professionals. Disposal of unwanted food waste and fats, oils and grease (FOG) down your kitchen drain, dishwasher and garbage disposal can lead to overflowing pipes, sewage spills, and emergency calls to plumbers.

Traditional holiday foods such as turkey, ham, meats, gravy, potatoes, sauces, vegetable or olive oils, salad dressings, baked goods and dairy products are sources of FOG. With family and friends celebrating together, it often means bigger meal preparation and cleanup with a lot of scraps incorrectly disposed of though pipes that may already be partially clogged and go unnoticed until guests overload the system.

People mistakenly believe their garbage disposal and dishwasher are effective methods of dealing with food and FOG; however, these devices only shred it into smaller pieces or wash it further down pipelines where it hardens in areas which require professional plumbers or wastewater professionals to remove safely.

Grease is one of the leading causes of residential sewer blockages. These blockages can cause costly, unpleasant sewage overflows that can damage our homes, and potentially find its way into our local waterways damaging local fish and wildlife habitat.

Delta Diablo reminds customers that prevention is the best way to tackle an unpleasant FOG experience in your home, and offers tips for this holiday season and throughout the year to reduce overflows, backups and clogs:

•Never pour FOG down kitchen sinks, garbage disposals or into toilets.

•Keep a heat-proof container in your kitchen to capture all FOG after cooking. When cooled, safely secure it and bring it for proper disposal at the Delta Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

•Scrape grease and food scraps from plates, pots, pans, utensils and grills into a compost receptacle or the regular trash before washing.

•Wipe pots, pans and plates with paper towels to capture any leftover grease before handwashing or placing into dishwasher.

•Use a strainer or place paper towels over the kitchen drain to help keep grease and food scraps out of your plumbing system. Home garbage disposals and dishwashers do not help, not even with running hot water.

For more information about safely disposing of FOG, or services provided by the Delta Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, please visit www.DeltaDiablo.org or call 925-756-1990.