Contra Costa Herald

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

Congressman DeSaulnier receives “A” from National Education Association

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Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), the only Bay Area member on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, received a perfect grade on the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual report card for the first session of the 114th Congress. The NEA is made up of 3 million members who are teachers and staff that work in every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs. Their Legislative Report Card measures Members of Congress’ overall support for public education and educators, with each Member receiving a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F.

“We know student success is highly dependent on early investment in their education. In my first year as a Member of Congress, I fought for a high quality and affordable education for every student in every classroom across the country. I am deeply honored to receive an A from the National Education Association and look forward to continuing to work with the NEA to improve our schools and prioritize student’s academic success,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.

“We commend Congressman DeSaulnier for listening to educators and getting the job done for students during the 114th Congress,” said Mary Kusler, NEA director of government relations. “The Congressional passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, which Rep. DeSaulnier supported, is a direct result of what is possible when legislators from both sides of the political aisle put students ahead of partisan politics especially in an era of gridlock in Washington. This result also is an unequivocal recognition that many lawmakers still believe educators – those who know the names of their students – are the most trusted professionals best equipped to make school and classroom decisions to ensure student success regardless of ZIP code. We hope that the bipartisanship displayed at times last year will lead to greater future collaboration. We will continue to work with all elected officials to ensure the success of every student in America.”

Congressman DeSaulnier’s measures to improve Head Start programs, protect student athletes from concussions, and strengthen students’ access to support and “wraparound” services like tutoring, counseling, and other extracurricular activities were successfully included in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Additionally, Congressman DeSaulnier recently completed his Education Listening Tour, during which he visited every school district and in California’s 11th Congressional District.

Belle ballot statement lie case continued to December, may change plea or face trial

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By Allen Payton

The latest court hearing in the Contra Costa District Attorney’s case against Contra Costa County School Board Member Jeff Belle, over a lie on his ballot his statement in 2014, was held on Monday, October 17th.  However, according to Deputy D.A. Steve Moawad, “it was put over” and “the next court date is December 15th.”

At that hearing, Belle will have to either change his plea from not guilty or the judge will set a date for trial, Moawad explained.

Belle was charged with lying on his candidate’s statement in his campaign for school board in 2014, for writing that he had a college degree, when he had not yet obtained one. That fact was revealed in an interview with this reporter for an article posted on the Antioch Herald website.

If convicted, the maximum penalty for lying on a ballot statement is a fine of $1,000.

Belle represents Area 5 on the county school board, which includes Bethel Island, Clyde, Knightsen, Oakley, and parts of Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, and Pittsburg

State Voter Information Guides in process of being mailed

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By Allen Payton

Some voters, including this writer, are wondering why we don’t have our copy of the State Voter Information Guide, yet, since absentee ballots are being mailed, beginning this week, and we already have a copy of the county voter information guide. (Yes, I know that was a run-on sentence. So, apologies to my high school English teacher, Jo Fyfe).

According to the California Secretary of State’s Elections Division, mailing of the State Voter Information Guides started on September 29th and ends on October 18th.

The Secretary of State’s office mails the state voter information guides to voters who are registered before the 60 day cut off. After that the counties mail them out.

If you don’t receive one by October 18th call 1-800-345-VOTE to get a hard copy mailed to you. In the meantime, you can read or hear the information in the guide online at http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/en/alt-versions/.

 

Contra Costa voters can drop off mail-in ballots at Vote-N-Go boxes, including at county libraries, beginning this week

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Residents can save postage and time with this expanding vote-by-mail program

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Elections Division

Contra Costa residents will find it easier to vote in the upcoming November 8th Election, as the Contra Costa Elections Office once again partners with local agencies to provide convenient “CoCo Vote-N-Go” drop off locations, prior to and on Election Day.

There are six new drop-off locations in Contra Costa County for the November 2016 Election; the Discovery Bay Community Center, the Kensington Library, the El Sobrante Library, the Crockett Library, the Ygnacio Valley Library and the Dougherty Station Library.

Starting the week of October 10th, voters will find the drop-off boxes at these new locations, in addition to all Contra Costa city halls and the County Administration Building, located at 651 Pine St. in Martinez.

“We are excited to expand the CoCo Vote-N-Go program into some of Contra Costa’s local library branches for voters to safely drop off their vote-by-mail envelopes,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters.  “We urge voters to take advantage of this service.”

“The drop off locations at our libraries stretch into the deep parts of the county,” said County Librarian Melinda Cervantes. “We are thrilled to take part in this program and provide an additional service to our communities.”

Contra Costa voters can drop their ballots at any location, regardless of where they live. The distinguishable boxes will be available during the location’s normal business hours.

The postage for vote-by-mail envelopes this election is 68 cents; however, the drop-box service eliminates the need for those stamps. Staff members will have the popular “I Voted” stickers available for those who drop off their ballots.

For more information about voting by mail, call 925-335-7800 or visit the Elections Office website at www.cocovote.us.

New Orleans Coroner may not release cause of College Board Trustee Nejedly’s death for two to four months

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John. T. Nejedly

John. T. Nejedly

By Allen Payton

In an effort to determine the cause of death of Contra Costa Community College District Trustee John T. Nejedly, while he was in New Orleans over the weekend, following a conference, inquiries were made to both the New Orleans Police Department and New Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, today.

“The New Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office releases the names of victims,” said Dawn Massey, Senior Public Information Officer in the New Orleans Police Public Affairs Division. “We’ve had a couple of unclassified deaths that came in over the weekend.”

Unclassified means there was no obvious signs of death.

When asked for information about Nejedly’s death, Gayell Johnson of the Coroner’s Office said, “Once the person is autopsied it takes awhile to determine the cause of death. That is not something we know at this time.”

The Nejedly case “came in as a UI which is ‘under investigation’,” she added.

When asked how many days that will take, Johnson replied, “You mean how many weeks. The usual time is eight to sixteen weeks” for the results of the autopsy to be released.

However, his body can be released once the autopsy is completed, which is within 24-48 hours, so a memorial service can be held, she added.

John T. Nejedly, Contra Costa Community College Board Member and scion of political family, has died

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John. T. Nejedly

John. T. Nejedly

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) sadly announces the passing of Governing Board (Board) member John T. Nejedly this past weekend.  Mr. Nejedly represented Ward 4 which includes Blackhawk, Byron, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, San Ramon, and parts of Alamo, Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, and Concord.

“Our prayers and sympathies are with the Nejedly family and friends,” says Board President Vicki Gordon.  “Mr. Nejedly’s long tenure on the Board demonstrated his support of the community college mission.  He will be missed.”

Mr. Nejedly was first elected to the Board in 1994, and was serving his sixth consecutive term of office.  He is only the fourth member to represent this area since the District was created in 1948.

“We are saddened and shocked by his passing and will miss his consistent, rational approach to issues facing the District.  The success of our students was his top priority,” Chancellor Helen Benjamin said.

After graduating from Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in Construction Management, Mr. Nejedly completed his education at John F. Kennedy University School of Law, where he received his law degree.  In addition to being a member of the California State Bar, he was a California licensed Real Estate Broker and licensed General Engineering Contractor.

The oldest son of the late State Senator John A. Nejedly, he was the brother of County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho and Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Board Member James Nejedly.

He first ran for public office, in 1992, but unsuccessfully for the Danville Town Council. He also ran for County Assessor in 2010, losing to incumbent Gus Kramer.

“Trustee Nejedly was the only Board member who worked on the passage of all three District bond campaigns, Measures A 2002 and 2006, and Measure E 2014,” said Board member John Márquez who has served on the Board with Mr. Nejedly for six years.  “His construction knowledge and experience provided a sound and critical voice as we modernized our campus facilities to improve the learning environment for students.”

He grew up part of his life in Walnut Creek and was a resident of San Ramon. Mr. Nejedly and his wife have three children and enjoyed spending time in the mountains and playing golf.

Breast cancer community comes together at the Cow Palace during annual Grand National Rodeo

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Stacey Freitas of Galt, CA placed 2nd in the barrel racing competition during the 2016 Grand National Rodeo. photo by Allen Payton

Stacey Freitas of Galt, CA placed 2nd in the barrel racing competition during the 2015 Grand National Rodeo. photo by Allen Payton

‘Tough Enough To Wear Pink’ Day, Friday October 21st

Free tickets for breast cancer survivors and their families from the Contra Costa Herald!

Pink Plate founders, including co-founder Chere Rush (second from right) of Discovery Bay.

Pink Plate co-founders, Carla Kimball (center) and Survivor Sisters of Contra Costa County (L-R) Deborah Bordeau, Heather McCullough, Chere Rush and Heather Solari. photo courtesy of pinkplate.org.

For the first time ever the 70th Annual Grand National Livestock Expo, Horse Show, and Rodeo announces Friday, October 21, 2016 as “Tough Enough To Wear Pink” Day, and plans to bring together the Breast Cancer community in a day of solidarity and awareness. As a national campaign, Tough Enough to Wear Pink Programs in rodeos across the nation have raised almost $10 Million dollars. But the biggest asset of the program is that the money stays in local communities.

The Grand National Rodeo has partnered with Bay Area Cancer Connections, and California Pink Plate. To get involved attendees can stop by booths in the Western Marketplace to learn about early detection and other resources for cancer patients and survivors. Bay Area Cancer Connections is a nonprofit that provides free programs and services that address survivorship needs of all those facing breast and ovarian cancer in the Bay Area, including early breast cancer detection services for low-income uninsured young women and men.

By partnering with the California Pink Plate organization, the Grand National hopes to help the organization reach the DMV requirement of 7,500 paid orders which will then move the Pink Ribbon license plate into production. The Pink Plate is almost halfway to their goal, with nine months left until the deadline, the Grand National can play a big part in helping to make the plate a reality. All proceeds from the pink license plates goes to the ‘Every Woman Counts’ initiative, which provides underserved women all over California the opportunity to get free screenings, something that the founder of the pink plate feels is the key to beating the disease.

pinkplatecar“I am a nine-year stage IV breast cancer survivor and I ignored my lump for several months. I don’t want that to happen to another woman/man. What better way to remind people everyday about early detection than on the California roadways. Pink Plate can become a part of the solution. This is an opportunity to save countless lives and remind people daily about the importance of early detection. We are all in this together, and excited to partner up with Tough Enough to Wear Pink and the Grand National Rodeo this year! I don’t think about myself as a breast cancer SURVIVOR, I think of myself as a breast cancer FIGHTER! I know we’ll meet our goal and encourage Rodeo fans to purchase or gift a Pink Plate through our website www.pinkplate.org, so we can reach our goal of 7,500!” – Chere Rush, California Pink Plate Co-founder

For 70 years the iconic Cow Palace Arena & Event Center has been celebrating the old west and inspiring youth to take part in the agriculture industry through their annual Grand National Livestock Exposition, Horse Show and Rodeo event. From top to bottom, the Cow Palace is filled with the ultimate western experience including an agriculture exhibition, a professional Rodeo in partnership with the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association), and a classic western marketplace – including mechanical bull rides, live music, BBQ, shopping, and more.

The family-friendly event takes place all day over two, action-packed weekends on Oct. 14-15 and Oct. 21-22, 2016. Although tickets must be purchased for the Grand National Rodeo in the main arena, the Livestock Exposition, Horse Show, Interactive Agricultural Area, and Marketplace are FREE to the public.

Use coupon code ‘PINK’ to receive $6.00 off reserve Dress Circle tickets or $11.00 off reserved Box Seat tickets to the Oct. 14-15 & 21-22 rodeo performances. Tickets can be purchased on the Cow Palace website (cowpalace.com). For more details contact info@cowpalace.com or call 415-414-4100.

Event Schedule, Friday Oct. 21 – ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink Day’

NCA Dog Trials

PRCA Rodeo

About California Pink Plate:

Pink Plate’s mission is to educate, promote and raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness in California. Early detection saves lives. We can think of no better way to spread this message than through the California Pink Ribbon License Plate. All funds generated from sales of the California Pink Ribbon License Plate will be deposited into the Breast Cancer Control Account, which funds the Every Woman Counts (EWC) program (click here). EWC is administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and provides free clinical breast exams and mammograms to California’s underserved women.

About Bay Area Cancer Connections

Bay Area Cancer Connections is a nonprofit organization that supports people touched by breast and ovarian cancer by providing comprehensive, personalized services in an atmosphere of warmth and compassion. The nonprofit provides free programs and services that address survivorship needs of all those facing breast and ovarian cancer in the Bay Area, including early breast cancer detection services for low-income uninsured young women and men. Learn more at www.bcconnections.org.

Free Tickets

If you know a breast cancer survivor who would like to attend the Grand National Rodeo with their family on Friday, September 21st for free, contact the Contra Costa Herald at info@contracostaherald.com and we’ll reserve a ticket good for them and four guests. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition, we also have a free General Admission ticket good for any of the four days, available to each of the first four readers who contact us.

See the full schedule of the 2016 Grand National Rodeo, by clicking here: www.cowpalace.com/p/grandnational

Special education teacher in Antioch strives to bring “Safety Town” to her students and campus

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Along with so many national politicians these days, special education teacher (and non-politician) Jordan Rice is looking for many votes. But as all political parties will agree, Rice’s campaign is certainly worthy of everyone’s votes, because her “platform” will empower the special-needs students at her Turner Elementary Special Education School, in Antioch.

Due to her creative vision and impressive application, Rice is now a finalist of the 2016 Farmer Insurance’s Dream Big Challenge, under the $100,000 grant category. Out of hundreds of applicants, her Safety Town project is now a finalist, along with 14 other nation-wide submissions. When all of the national votes are tabulated at the end of this month, six of the fifteen $100,000 projects will be funded.

About Safety Town:

“Safety Town is a different and creative way to motivate and engage students who have significant learning needs,” says Rice. Housed on the school’s campus, Safety Town will be a miniature town that will feature about eight small playhouses that the students and adults can enter inside. Each playhouse will be designed as a miniature bank, police station, fire station, school, grocery store, etc.  Safety Town reinforces concepts that begin in the classroom, by bringing them to life in a new relatable environment.  This setting closely resembles one that they will encounter in the real word and allows for easier generalization, or transition, of the skills learned in class. “For example, the grocery store will include learning objectives such as money concepts, answering wh- questions, sorting, colors, matching, and collaborative learning.”

For additional information about Rice’s project, please view this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn7ppxWNYDc

About the Election:

As of October 1, 2016, those who would like to vote for Safety Town coming to Turner School can now do so. Everyone who is 18-years or older can cast their vote once a day, from the same email address. The online votes can be made, through October 31, at https://www.farmers.com/thank-americas-teachers/vote-for-a-teacher/vote-100k-proposal.

Remember, there are no district precincts in this national vote.

“Please vote for our Safety Town proposal. It will give our students the resources and skills they need to become meaningful and engaged active participants in our community,” Rice added.

D.A. Peterson announces arrest of Orinda child psychologist for possession of child pornography

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Kenneth Breslin

Kenneth Breslin

On Wednesday, October 5th, 2016, investigators arrested 68 year old Lafayette resident Kenneth Allen Breslin for Possession of Child Pornography. The arrest stems from an investigation conducted by members of the Contra Costa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force consists of detectives from the Martinez, Walnut Creek, Moraga, Concord, Pleasant Hill and San Ramon police departments; along with investigators from the Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, and the District Attorney’s Office.

Investigators served a search warrant in the 3400 block of Moraga Blvd in Lafayette.  During a search of the residence, a significant quantity of child pornography was located on Dr. Breslin’s computers and other storage devices.  A subsequent search of his office in Orinda yielded additional files of child pornography.

Dr. Breslin was arrested and booked at the Martinez Detention Facility. His bail was initially set at $200,000.   The case is being reviewed by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Dr. Breslin has been a psychologist for over 30 years and maintains a practice in Orinda called “A Child’s Point of View.”

Anyone with information should contact Contra Costa District Attorney Senior Inspector Darryl Holcombe at 925-957-8789.

County Social workers, eligibility workers extend unfair labor practice strike to fifth day

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On Wednesday, Contra Costa County social workers and eligibility workers announced a one-day extension in their strike, protesting intimidation by County Executives. Workers announced last Friday that they had intended to strike for three days but are now preparing to enter an unprecedented five-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike in Contra Costa.

Two of those picketing offered their concerns and reasons for participating in the strike.

“I am here today because we are fighting for the resources to serve the community and to have a safe working environment for employees,” said Vicky Dominguez, Medical Social Worker at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. “We want to be able to continue serving the community. To be able to have enough medical social workers at the hospital to help people with issues like domestic violence, child abuse, elderly individuals that need placement in skilled nursing facilities or assistance with mental health challenges and homeless individuals that need help with transition back to the community. These are things we deal with on a daily basis.”

“I have been with the County for 11 years,” said Sharon Taylor, Eligibility Worker with CalWorks. “It is not just related to our ULP, but there was $21 million lost because the county has not provided enough workers. I know as a worker myself of being overloaded, stressed out and clients are not getting their services like they need to and deserve to and that is what we’re striking about. It’s about the community and the people we serve, and that’s why we are out here.”

Nearly 1,000 of social workers and eligibility workers and their community supports are expected to continue picketing in front of the county Administration building at 651 Pine Street in Martinez, beginning Thursday at 9:00 a.m.