Contra Costa Herald

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

DeSaulnier says “rash” U.S. airstrikes in Syria “not sufficient”

By Leave a Comment

Washington, DC — Today, Friday, April 7, 2017 Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) made the following statement on the U.S. Airstrikes in Syria.

“The atrocities carried out by the Russian-backed regime of President Bashar Al-Assad in Syria on its own innocent men, women, and children are uncivilized and unconscionable. Over the past six years, nearly ten million Syrian civilians have been displaced and driven from their homes, and almost four hundred thousand Syrians have lost their lives. The latest use of chemical weapons on its citizens by the Assad regime demands action by the international community.

The ability of the United States Administration to respond to these attacks is hindered by the relationship between President Trump and the Russian government, which has compromised his moral authority. These rash airstrikes alone are not sufficient to combat the war crimes perpetrated by the Assad regime. President Trump must provide a clear and rational strategy that will not only aid Syrian citizens, but also keep safe the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces. This strategy must include consulting with Congress and seeking an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), as required by the Constitution.”

Questions were sent to DeSaulnier asking what other actions he would suggest President Trump take in response to Al-Assad’s attacks on his own people and if they should include more U.S. ground troops in Syria. Please check back for his response.

Frazier touts hard work paying off as transportation bill, gas tax increase he co-authored, passes

By Leave a Comment

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D – Discovery Bay) led his colleagues today, Friday, April 7, 2017 in passing Senate Bill 1 and Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 with the required two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate. SB 1 now heads to the Governor for his approval and ACA 5 will head to the voters for their approval.

“Our roads are terrible, costing each person at least $760 in repairs, and the state was really just putting a Band-aid on a broken bone,” he said. “After two years of discussions and negotiations, passing SB 1 today is a testament to efforts to build a remarkable and diverse coalition to improve our transportation system that truly benefits everyone.”

SB 1 will resolve the long-term shortfall in transportation funding by provide new funding to make necessary road safety improvements and repair local streets, freeways, bridges, and overpasses. New revenues will generate on average $5 billion per year to improve efficiencies and effectiveness of transportation maintenance throughout the state. Roughly $3 billion annually will be allocated to fix roads, half of which will be directly allocated for local needs. The remaining $2 billion is split among other transportation-related programs.

Revenue sources for SB 1 include a 12 cent per gallon gas excise tax, ending the annual Board of Equalization adjustment, a 20 cent diesel excise tax, a 4% diesel sales tax increase, a per vehicle transportation improvement fee of no more than $50 for 87% of vehicles, a $100 fee on zero emissions vehicles, and $100 million gained in Caltrans efficiencies.

To ensure that these new revenues are allocated as intended, Frazier authored Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5. ACA 5 locks up transportation-related revenues from vehicle fees for use only for transportation maintenance and improvements, and prohibits use toward paying principal and interest on state transportation general obligation bonds.

An after-hours question was sent to his staff asking if Frazier had first considered reprioritizing existing state spending before pursuing tax increases. Please check back later for his response.

Sen. Glazer explains vote against transportation bill, gas tax hike

By 1 Comment

Cites failure to ensure reliable transit & ineffective use of funds

Senator Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) who represents most of Contra Costa County in the California State Senate, issued the following statement today, regarding his vote against SB-1, the transportation funding bill which included a 12 cents per gallon gas tax increase, as well as increases to the Vehicle License Fee. He was the only Democrat in the Senate and only one of two in the entire legislature to vote no.

“I want to thank Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, Sen. Jim Beall and Gov. Jerry Brown for their hard work in addressing the problem of crumbling roads and aging transportation systems.

My constituents are particularly dependent on good roads and highways and reliable transit systems, so I agree we need additional transportation investments.

But this transportation package did not have the support of my district, for good reasons. Even after a multi-million dollar lobbying effort supporting the $52 billion bill, sentiment in my district ran two-to-one opposing these new gas taxes and car registration fees.

My constituents have told me loud and clear that they want any new taxes to be spent more wisely and effectively. For instance, it doesn’t make sense to spend billions of dollars on an unpopular High Speed Rail system that backers claim might be completed by 2029 when it could go for transportation improvements today.

Beyond the issues of setting better spending priorities and taxes, I also believed this bill could have been improved. We need to be more forward thinking, where we recognize the role technology can play in allowing us to use our roads and highways more efficiently.

And we need a plan that provides commuters with the confidence and assurance that reliable transit will be there for them every day of the year.

This bill also failed to ensure that any new transportation funding given to local transportation agencies be used only for the purposes intended and not diverted to other uses.

I was also concerned about last-minute amendments to this bill that the environmental community and air quality regulators say will unwisely limit our ability to control diesel pollution from trucks. These changes have never been fully vetted and deserve more scrutiny.

I look forward to continued discussions with the governor in which we take into account the need to modernize our approach to transportation in an efficient and reliable manner.”

The bill passed both the State Senate and Assembly and awaits the signature of Governor Brown. To learn more about the bill, click here.

Supervisors consider improving aircraft rescue, fire safety at county airports

By Leave a Comment

By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa supervisors plan to revisit a personnel proposal that could boost aircraft rescue and firefighting readiness conditions at the county’s two airports when supervisors reconvene on April 18.

“This item needs more work,” County Administrator David Twa informed supervisors Tuesday upon recommending delaying action on the safety item concerning the county’s two airports:  Buchanan Field in Concord and Byron Airport.

But according to Airports Director Keith Freitas, the proposal to create four Airport Safety Officer classifications to replace three 1980’s drafted classifications of Airport Operations Technician, Airport Operations Specialist, and Lead Airport Operations Specialist will bring the airports into compliance with current significantly increased regulatory standards and changes in aircraft rescue and firefighting training, certifications, and protocols.

The proposal will cost the county about $168,809 in extra annual salary and pension expenses because it calls for the creation of four Teamster classified positions, not three classifications as the county currently pays.

Freitas pointed out the four new classifications, may also turn around the county’s “dismal” retention rate among fire rescue personnel.

“Contra Costa County has a retention rate of 60 percent over the last four years,” he told the Contra Costa Herald.  “Many candidates simply decline to interview or, if hired, consistently resign their positions after a few years for much higher paying opportunities at other local airports.”

The high turnover has become a financial drain on the Airport Enterprise Fund because training costs exceed $100,000 per employee during their first year of employment.

“The most significant responsibilities of this job were heightened with the recent start of scheduled service by Jet Suite X to Burbank and Las Vegas,” Freitas added.  “The new service has upgraded Buchanan Field to an active status commercial service airport.”

Storm Damage Tops $9.5 Million

In other action, supervisors voting 4-0 with supervisor John Gioia absent declared costs associated with damage from the January and February storms will exceed $9.5 million, an initial estimate.

The action was necessary to maintain the county’s eligibility for disaster relief funds to cover emergency storm-related repairs to Alhambra Valley Road, Marsh Creek Road, and Morgan Territory Road.

Young Antioch man killed after being hit by three cars on I-680 in Pleasant Hill, Saturday morning, identified

By Leave a Comment

On Saturday morning, March 25, at around 4:40am, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a hit and run traffic collision on northbound I-680 south of Monument Blvd. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival it was determined a pedestrian (19-year-old male from Antioch) was struck by three vehicles. The first vehicle to strike the pedestrian left the scene.

The first vehicle to strike the pedestrian was described as possibly being a white Acura Integra. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene of the collision. On Monday, the victim was identified by the Contra Costa County Coroner as Dyshon Douglas.

In the initial investigation, it appears that the pedestrian was standing in the lanes of northbound I-680 just south of Monument Blvd. It appears as though a white colored sedan collided with the pedestrian and continued northbound on I-680. Immediately after the initial collision the pedestrian was struck by an Audi SUV (driven by a 29-year-old male from Oakley) and a Toyota Corolla (driven by a 22-year-old female from Concord). The drivers of the Audi and Toyota stopped on scene and provided statements to officers.

At this time alcohol or drugs do not appear to be a factor in this collision. This collision is still under investigation and if anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Officer Mitchell at Contra Costa CHP (925) 646-4980.

Supervisors proclaim March as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month

By Leave a Comment

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approved a proclamation on Tuesday to observe Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, part of a statewide effort to draw attention to an epidemic that causes thousands of deaths nationwide every year.

Also Tuesday, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) issued a health advisory regarding prescription opioid misuse. CCHS works closely with local medical providers and community partners to combat the prevalence and misuse of opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone (Norco), oxycodone (OxyContin), morphine and fentanyl.

The advisory urges all local medical providers to follow the prescribing guidelines developed by the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association and already in use at all county hospitals and urgent care clinics.

Contra Costa is also working to expand the availability of substance use disorder treatment programs and medication-assisted treatment to combat opioid addiction, and working with community partners to offer training and access to Naloxone, a drug that can reverse life-threatening opioid overdoses.

The most recent data from the California Department of Public Health show that annual incidence of accidental drug overdose deaths has surged in Contra Costa County, from 53 in 2003 to 111 in 2014. Prescription drugs were involved in the majority of those cases in 2014.

Read the health advisory at cchealth.org/providers/

Up-to-date information about California’s opioid epidemic, including county statistics for deaths, overdose-related visits to emergency departments, and per-capita prescriptions for opioid medications, is available through the California Department of Public Health’s new Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard: pdop.shinyapps.io/ODdash_v1/

Contra Costa Public Health Director Dan Peddycord, Alcohol & Other Drugs Program Director Fatima Matal Sol and April Rovero, chair of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse are available today for interviews regarding the local impact of prescription opioid abuse.

Making Waves gets $45 million in support from Supervisors for charter school

By Leave a Comment

By Daniel Borsuk

Up to $45 million in tax-exempt California Municipal Finance Authority revenue bonds aimed at renovating three existing buildings and constructing five academic buildings for the nonprofit Making Waves Academy in Richmond sailed through the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

As a consent item, supervisors voted 3-0 to approve the issuance of non-public, tax-exempt bonds for the big charter school project.

Supervisors John Gioia of Richmond and Karen Mitchoff of Pleasant Hill were absent.

The big charter school project will renovate and add up 204,500 square of space for the school that was founded in 1989 to enroll students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District into an accelerated academic program designed to boost students’ admission to four-year colleges.

“Ninety percent our graduates go onto college,” Making Waves Academy Chief Operating Officer Steven Roth told the Contra Costa Herald.

Some 400 Making Wave Academy graduates have gone on to college, he said.  Graduates have gone on to the University of California, California State University, Stanford University, Ivy League schools and other prominent four-year institutions of higher education.

With 780 students now enrolled in grades eight through 12, Roth could not estimate how much enrollment will increase with the expanded campus.

Roth expects ground to be broken for the first phase of construction sometime next year.  The project is planned to be completed by 2019 or 2020.

The Contra Costa County Office of Education that has served as the charter school authorizer since 2007 recently reauthorized the academy’s charter for an additional five years with the California Department of Education.

Before the charter school can proceed on the construction, the Contra Costa County Board of Education must also sign off on the project since the county office is the school’s charter school authorizer, said Terry Koehne, chief communications officer for the county office of education.  The county board is expected to take up the Making Waves expansion in ensuing months.

“We issued a letter of support to the board of supervisors,” Koehne said.  “Making Waves has met and exceeded its fiscal and academic requirements.”

“The board of supervisors’ action means that the county is off the hook,” said Anthony Stubbs, a CMFA advisor.  Since the funds backing the bonds are from the private market, the supervisors’ action clarifies no public funds are at risk in connection with the Making Waves project.

“The county served as the official hearing body for the nonprofit school for its CMFA application,” said Kristen Lackey of the Contra Costa County Conservation and Development Department.

“Our function is pretty limited to holding public hearings on this project,” Lackey said.  “No one showed up for the March 6 public hearing that we conducted.”

The charter school project involves the renovation of three existing school buildings at 4123 Lakeside Dr., the construction of a 47,000-square foot, two-story building, a 21,500-square foot one story gymnasium building and a new sports field adjacent to the Making Waves Academy at 4075 and 4123 Lakeside Dr.

The academy plans to erect two new two-story middle school buildings, one a 72,000 -square foot structure at 2925, 2930, and 2975 Technology Court and a 39,000-square foot building along with a one- story gymnasium building with 25,000 square feet at 4301 and 4175 to 4197 Lakeside Dr.

The charter school also plans to construct and equip a new sports complex at 2600 Hilltop Dr.  The complex will consist of 13 acres with a swimming pool, sports fields and baseball fields.

Adult Literacy Grant Approved

Also at the meeting, the Supervisors flashed the green light for Contra Costa County Librarian Melinda Cervantes to apply for a California State Library Grant of up to $80,000 to fund the library’s adult literacy program, Project Second Chance, from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.  Since its launch in 1984, PSC has helped more than 5,600 county residents to learn to read.

Supervisors also approved a $73,173 contract with the city of Pleasant Hill for the county Health Services Department to provide homeless outreach services from March 1 2017 through June 30, 2018.

East County wine among seven to earn gold from government leaders in wine competition

By Leave a Comment

Nominated by Assemblyman Jim Frazier, Foundation Gala raises funds for student scholarships

SACRAMENTO – In a friendly and entertaining wine competition featuring 30 red and white wines from 23 California wineries, legislators and elected officials awarded gold medals to seven wines. The competition was held during the annual California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Foundation Gala, which raises funds for scholarships to children of California winegrape grower workers.

Winning Wines

Viognier

2015 Viognier, Bloomfield Vineyards, Contra Costa (wine nominated by Assemblyman Jim Frazier)

Chardonnay

2015 Chardonnay, Rusack Vineyards, Santa Catalina Island (wine nominated by Sen. Ben Allen)

Other White Wines

2015 Vermentino, Ponte Winery, Temecula (wine nominated by Sen. Jeff Stone)

Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Paso Robles (wine nominated by Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham)

Pinot Noir

2012 Seven Twenty Eight Pinot Noir, Fiddlehead Cellars, Lompoc (wine nominated by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson)

Zinfandel

2014 Mountain Zinfandel, Opolo Vineyards, Paso Robles (wine nominated by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin)

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Assemblymember Jim Frazier. “The Bloomfield family has long farmed our region with great results. I nominated Bloomfield Vineyards for this competition because I knew its wine would more than hold its own against wineries across our Golden State. After all, east Contra Costa County is an up-and-coming wine producing area, as more residents and visitors are discovering every day. We not only have wonderful cherries, asparagus, stone fruits and Brentwood sweetcorn, but also award -winning wine and wineries. I’m just glad that other legislators are finally learning what I’ve known all along.”

It’s another prestigious win for Bloomfield’s 2015 Viognier, which earned a double gold at last summer’s California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition and was deemed the Best of the Greater Bay White wines.

“We appreciated being nominated by the Assemblymember,” said Becky Bloomfield. “The viognier has always been my signature wine, and I’ve been making them for 14 years. I’m super excited that it won!”

The boutique winery, based in Brentwood, produces only about 200 cases of viognier a year, among a total of 500 to 700 cases of wine. Most of the grapes the fourth-generation farming family grows on its 200 acres of vineyards are sold to other wineries.

About the CAWG Foundation: The foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that awards scholarships to high school seniors whose parent or legal guardian is employed by a California winegrape grower. The foundation awards at least seven scholarships each year and has awarded $373,000 since its inception in 1998. For more information, visit www.cawgfoundation.org.

About CAWG: CAWG provides industry leadership to advocate for public policies, research and education programs, and sustainable farming practices to enhance the business of growing California winegrapes. The organization represents the growers of more than 50 percent of the gross grape tonnage crushed for wine and concentrate in California. For more information, visit www.cawg.org.

Following planned sale of Richmond Post Office, DeSaulnier offers amendment to Postal Reform Bill

By Leave a Comment

Closure notice on window of Nevin Avenue Post Office in Richmond. Photo courtesy of Richmond Standard

In January, a note was posted on the Richmond Main Post Office window announcing the building would be sold and the post office closed, according to an article by the Richmond Standard. Augustine Ruiz, a USPS spokesperson, confirmed the planned closure. The post office is located at 1025 Nevin Avenue.

In response, a measure authored by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) was unanimously adopted by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee as a part of the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act (H.R. 756), which has been years in the making. Congressman DeSaulnier’s amendment would require the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide Congressional offices with at least 10-days of advance notice regarding any closure, sale, movement, or reduction of operations of a post office in their district. H.R. 756 is expected to be voted on in the House of Representatives in the near future. This amendment, which was praised by both Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) along with other Republican and Democratic members of the committee, was the only modification included to this landmark piece of legislation in the markup.

“Currently there is no requirement for USPS to notify Members of Congress when changes to a postal facility are made in their district. I discovered this missing link in January when residents from Richmond saw a notice posted on the door of the Nevin Avenue Post Office, but USPS had not advised my office of the pending sale,” said DeSaulnier.

“USPS has an obligation to keep Congress updated on any plan to sell, close, or alter facilities and operations so Congressional representatives can share this information with their constituents. Proper and expedient notification is critical as the comment period for the public to share thoughts and concerns is 15-days for the sale of a building and 60-days for a full postal closure. USPS is responsible for processing and delivering over 500 million pieces of mail a day and changes in operations can negatively impact people and businesses. My amendment will help ensure the public has advance notice to make their voices heard,” he concluded.

“Residents here and across the country care about the decisions made by the federal government that impact important local community facilities,” said Richmond Mayor Tom Butt. “I was shocked to learn about the proposed closure of the historic downtown post office over social media without having been notified by the postal service. Residents expect federal and local government officials to coordinate to avoid significant impacts; this measure does just that. Congressman DeSaulnier took the steps needed to ensure transparency around important postal service decisions. We are thankful for the Congressman’s leadership to pass this measure and represent the community’s best interests.”

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Lafayette police arrest suspect for Tuesday afternoon kidnapping

By Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at about 1:53 PM, Lafayette police officers were dispatched to a suspicious circumstance at the Chase Bank at 3492 Mt. Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette.

A customer apparently came into the bank and told staff that someone had threatened and beat him while he was at his home on Sweet Drive and told him to withdraw money from his bank account.

The suspect took a shotgun from the victim’s home and forced him into the suspect’s car. They then drove to the bank. The suspect waited in the vehicle while the victim went in and notified bank staff.

Officers arrived at the bank and detained the suspect at gunpoint.

He is identified as 26-year-old Manuel Bustos. Detectives are interviewing him at this time. He will later be booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges that include kidnapping, robbery, burglary, and stolen automobile.