Contra Costa Herald

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

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Writer asks Senators to support National Alzheimer’s Project Reauthorization Act

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Shares story of caring for her mother for National Family Caregivers Month in November

I’d like to begin by reminding all of you that November is National Family Caregivers Month. It’s a time to recognize the incredible dedication and sacrifices of those who care for their loved ones, particularly those grappling with dementia, in any of its forms. I come to you not just as a speaker but as someone who has experienced the profound impact of dementia firsthand, a journey that started when my mother asked for my help back in 2014.

My mom’s story is one that many of you might find familiar. She was a vibrant woman who, as she approached her 68th birthday, began exhibiting signs of something amiss. Her social withdrawal, erratic medication intake, and a fainting episode that led her to the hospital in Walnut Creek were all red flags. It wasn’t until 2019 that a diagnosis was finally confirmed – vascular dementia. A young, dismissive doctor delivered the news, but our suspicions had been growing for years. The truth was that my mom had been prescribed what I’ve come to call “the dementia cocktail” in 2012, when she was just 61. It consisted of Aricept and Memantine, but her decline was slow, leading to moments of despair. By 2019, she had reached a point where she couldn’t care for herself, yet medical professionals seemed hesitant to make the diagnosis, leaving me feeling isolated in my role as her advocate.

However, my journey took an unexpected turn on my 40th birthday. That day, my mom embarked on a 36-hour odyssey across the Bay Area, signifying her fading independence. She drove across the Bay Bridge twice and even crossed the Golden Gate Bridge once. She was found disoriented and alone, wandering along Alemany Boulevard in Daly City at 3 am, having left her car in front of someone’s house, a silent testament to her deteriorating condition.

My 40th birthday celebration was anything but joyful; it marked the beginning of a deeply personal battle to protect and care for the woman who had once cared for me. My mom’s story is a vivid reminder of the complex and urgent challenge that dementia presents. It’s a disease that not only affects individuals but also places tremendous emotional and physical strain on their caregivers.

In addition to November being National Caregiver Month, let us also acknowledge the importance of the National Alzheimer’s Plan. This initiative has played a vital role in advancing research and support for individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. However, we cannot afford to let this plan expire. We must ensure its continued existence and strength.

I call upon our new Senator Laphonza Butler and Senator Alex Padilla to take a stand in this critical moment. I urge them to cosponsor the bipartisan NAPA (National Alzheimer’s Project Act) Reauthorization Act (S. 133) to renew and bolster the National Alzheimer’s Plan, ensuring that the needs of those affected by dementia are met, and research into this disease continues to progress.

In closing, if you or someone you know needs information or assistance in caring for a loved one with dementia, please reach out to the Alzheimer’s Association at 800.272.3900. Together, we can provide the support and resources needed for those battling this heart-wrenching disease. Thank you for your attention and let us work collectively to make a difference.

Latrice Phillips Brown

Pittsburg, CA

 

 

Writer says county COVID health orders discriminate, segregate

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Dear Editor,

Following is a letter I sent to Contra Costa County officials about the discriminatory and segregationist COVID mandates, with a few additions. I encourage other residents who are also fed up to join me and do the same. While there is an online form on the Contra Costa Health Services website, since there are no email addresses provided, I chose to fax my letter to the county health director, as well as the health officer who issues the mandates. I sent a similar letter to the Brentwood Mayor and City Council, City Attorney and City Manager at citycouncil@brentwood.gov; cityattorney@brentwood.gov; togden@brentwoodca.gov.

Anna Roth, RN, MS, MPH, Director

925-957-5403

 925-957-5409 fax

Chris Farnitano, MD, Health Officer

925-957-5403

925-957-5409 fax

Diane Burgis, District 3 Supervisor

supervisor_burgis@bos.cccounty.us

This is an open letter to you all.

I am emailing you to request our county be independent from the unlawful COVID mandates and to stop the discrimination and segregation.

I believe our governor and county have grossly overreached their authority. Unequal treatment for those unvaccinated is not okay. Taking rights away from people until they agree to do what the government says isn’t giving them a “choice” It’s punishing them until they concede to their demands. Normally we would refer to this type of behavior as manipulation or abuse. The CDC says, “vaccinated people can still become infected and have the potential to spread the virus to others” This is just like the unvaccinated. The science proves everyone should be treated equal-whether that be unvaccinated or vaccinated.

Since Dec 2020 there have been 946,463 reported adverse reactions to the vaccine. That is 200,000 more than any other vaccine since 1990. Masking up has been proven not to work and actually makes you unhealthy by not allowing enough oxygen into your system. To coerce citizens into taking a procedure that may end with dire consequences in order to participate in the common everyday occurrences such as eating indoors, buying food at the movies, working out at the local gym, this is segregation pure and simple. This is cruel and unusual punishment.

Segregation and unfair treatment violats both our Bill of Rights and the International Bill of Rights.

Fourth Amendment – “The right of the people to be secure in their persons”.

Fifth Amendment – “No person shall be…deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…

Article 5 – International Bill of Rights – “No person shall be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment.”

These unfair mandates have discriminated against me, my family and others in the community. The unkind comments while shopping at a local store, the staring, the learing, the blocking of shopping. Being shamed in public by community members just for living our lives. Being asked to leave a place of business. The threat of arrest and fines is despicable.

Having our city and county representatives pushing vaccines on the community and being told through social media we must do this to support our neighbors. This is segregation .. again. Being ostracized for not complying goes against our rights as citizens.

This is a pure example of the government overreach. I am demanding the county end these mandates! Let us choose. Give us what America was founded on…freedom.

We look forward to hearing from you all in hopes to stop this gross overreach of authority by our governor, county, etc.

Thank you,

Eileen Erickson

Brentwood

OpEd: Who will speak for me? Reflections of a classroom teacher during a pandemic

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By Elizabeth Terry, Antioch High School science teacher

My day starts early, and I do mean early. Stumbling into my kitchen, groggily grinding the beans, trying to clear the leftover fog of sleep, I begin to think about the day ahead. It’s 3:30 am when that god touched ichor finally hits and I’m thinking clearly enough to do my daily crosswords. I find the Washington Post’s crossword extremely difficult, but the NY Times’ puzzle fairly mundane. At 4 I’m ready to get myself ready for the day, have breakfast, then make the 30 second commute across the hall to my digital school room readying myself for the day’s lessons. It is now 5:30. As I power up my computer, the new one which I purchased to meet the moment of this odd teaching year, I’m reminded of an earlier time when I would get to school at 6 am ready to prepare the day’s labs, and I again wonder at how drastically different, yet still similar this school year has been. I click on Facebook and begin to again read the hateful comments on our local “news” outlet about how lazy teachers are being. Despite an overwhelming sense of crushing depression, I snap out of it and begin the day’s grades, with the news on in the background.

My ears perk up when the anchors are talking again about school closures. The anchors are railing against teachers, and I sit stunned, when the guests on the program again echo the anchor’s sentiments. The familiar anger takes over and I wonder who will speak for us. Who will advocate for our lives? After all, I remember a few short months ago at the end of last year when my profession was lauded and celebrated. Now, I feel spat on daily, hesitant to declare that I’m a teacher. The depressing part is that this is oftentimes coming from our friends and our families. I question how a profession who has one of the lowest ratios of education to salary could possibly be the cornerstone of society, as if somehow the fate of western society rests on our underpaid shoulders. I, like many of us are angry, burnt out, and frustrated because no one in power, not in the government, not in the CDC, nor in the current administration is actually sticking up for our lives. Instead, we are being vilified, crucified on the altar of the economy. Our efforts over the last year aren’t even seen let alone recognized. It’s enough to make a person quit.

They say we aren’t working. These comments are made by folks who took what happened last year as their measure of what is happening this year in our virtual classrooms. But what many people don’t know is that teachers have actually very little voice in the decisions that county health and school board make. During the March lockdowns, we were told that we couldn’t teach any new concepts, instead it was review only. More importantly, the students were told that they would pass regardless of their activity. And as teenagers often do, they did nothing. There was no incentive to do anything other than that. As a classroom teacher, I worked very hard to put together lessons that would inspire my students, even in a pandemic, I created digital lessons which were fun and engaging. Lesson that few students even showed up for. This included my AP kids. We were told to offer grace, which we did, and we did what teachers always do, we made it work. This was, of course, not ideal, but we made it work with what we had. I look back and think of all the glowing praise of our efforts and smile. It felt good to finally be recognized for the hard work we were putting in. But as a veteran teacher of 17 years, I knew the public good will wouldn’t last.

During the summer, myself and several colleagues and friends trouble shot the new program that we would be working on. We learned entirely new platforms, we taught ourselves how to use the district tools that were provided (without training I might add). We then taught our colleagues their uses as well. We waited anxiously to know how, when, and in what form we would start school again – we were quite literally, the last to know. The school board decided to delay opening, which meant the following year we would not have much of a summer, but what the board wants, the board gets.

The start of school saw a steep learning curve. As our students had never had technology before, we are in a title-1 school district after all, they had zero knowledge on how a PC operates. It was a brand-new digital world for them. We taught them how to use their computers. Soon they were using Word, PowerPoint, chatting in Teams, saving, and using the new programs. It was a struggle, but we made it through. We had to create all of our lessons over again, this time figuring out how to make it work in a digital environment. I teach 3 laboratory sciences. I had to completely redo all of my documents so that students could use excel to graph their data. Then I had to teach them how to use excel. Though frustrated at the drastically slower pace of learning, our students were learning and progressing through our curricula. This was hard, but we did it.

On top of our teaching duties, we had to reach out to students who were not coming. We had to figure out a way to get them into the classroom. We had to simultaneously offer grace, while holding high expectations. We had to speak for our students and watch out for their mental health, while no one was watching ours. And still, we did it. My students have tracked horse evolution through 65 million years, they have learned how to calculate carrying capacity, they have made survivorship curves using gravestone data and compared it to covid numbers. My biotech students have done Gel electrophoresis, learned how to use a spectrophotometer and have done macromolecule assays. All online, all virtual. However, if you read the public comments, we are lazy, the students aren’t learning anything, and we should take our slothful butts back into work or quit.

It’s now 8 am. I’m done entering grades, and I need to set up the electrophoresis chamber for the lab I’ll be doing in 1st period. On tap today is a DNA fingerprinting lab for first, and we will be doing a case study in my ecology class on competitive exclusion of bullfrogs. At 8:40 I am in class. I teach for an hour, going back and forth between my kitchen/lab, to my office/classroom. At 9:40, I finish up my attendance logs, and take a break between classes. At 9:50 am I get an email about a student who won’t attend today because she’s feeling blue. I call her and we chat for a few minutes in between classes. At 10:20 its time for class number two, followed by a short lunch break. During my break, I catch up on emails and grade the class warm-ups that were submitted by the first two classes. At 12:30, I teach my last class of the day. But I’m not done yet. I have office hours in the afternoon where I tutor struggling students. I send chats to those whose homework I’m missing, in the vain hope that at least some in my fourth period will turn in their work. And then I make the mistake of checking my Facebook.

“DISBAND the CTA (California Teachers Union)” I see in emblazoned headlines across my news feed. I know I shouldn’t but I click it anyway. Apparently, as a teacher I am do-nothing, morally bankrupt individual who just doesn’t want to work. Huh, I think, I wonder what I’ve been doing all day? I’m so tired of this. What the petitioner doesn’t understand is that teachers have little voice in the decisions to go back to school. This is a decision run by school boards. Additionally, it isn’t the school board’s decision either, rather the decision is made by the county health department. The county decides whether or not we can open based on the case data. The parents should be pointing the fingers at themselves. If they want the school to open, they should be wearing masks, using social distancing measures to drive down the cases.

The originator of the petition stated that “there has been no instances of Covid being transmitted from children.” You see I know, according to the Covid Monitoring project, that there ARE cases of high school students not only acquiring covid, but also transmitting it to their families in an asymptomatic way. As of this writing, 657,667 cases of students and staff have acquired Covid . Locally, I have 3 high school kids who are positive, and one was very sick. I also know that as a person who is on the older side, with an autoimmune disorder, I’m likely to die from this disease. If any of those three had come into school we would have all been on quarantine. In my house, which frankly I don’t go out from, I have zero chance of picking up COVID. Going back into the classroom increases my risk by 100%. Teachers are merely asking for two things before going back. One, to be vaccinated, have people in their households vaccinated and to have the safety items in place. I think to myself I didn’t sign up to be killed at work. Also, as stated, we don’t have anything to do with the decision to lock down anyway, but the public, frustrated, have no one else to blame but us. I’m just so tired, and I think, who will speak for us?

Teachers don’t want to be out of the classroom. We desperately want to see our students. However, we also don’t want to potentially die from our employment. Other professions have safety standards, why can’t we? Many of us work in dilapidated conditions, left behind from years of little to no improvements, left behind for getting equipment we need to do our jobs. As a science teacher I routinely spend at least 1000 dollars every year on supplies. No other profession is asked to pay for their supplies. Imagine telling a firefighter that she has to purchase her own hose…yet that is what we tell teachers to do. I had to purchase all the equipment I use to do my job. Why? Because the district laptops have 8gbs of ram, and the program we use, Teams require 8gbs, so you can’t have anything else running on your laptop, otherwise the whole computer crashes. Along with that computer, I bought two monitors, a webcam, and more. Yet, I’m being greedy and lazy, according to the authors of this asinine petition.

The CDC says teachers can go back to school, without being vaccinated IF proper mitigation is in effect. That IF is important, I can’t open my windows in my classroom, and neither can my friends because the one window pole we had has been lost. Therefore, no-one in my hall can actually open their windows. We are lucky that we HAVE windows as some of my colleagues teach in an interior classroom. Our school won’t have the “proper mitigation” any time soon. The good news is that the vaccines are starting to roll out. But it takes a minute to get an immune response. By the time our teachers are vaccinated, and we would have gotten immunity, there will literally be a month and a half left in the year. It is my suggestion to just ride it out. I think this for two reasons. First, the students are now used to the routine. If we came now, it would be a huge disruption, and if we went into quarantine due to a case, that would be worse. Secondly, hybrid offers us 1 day of instruction. I’m barely covering enough curriculum on 2 days per week, I can’t even imagine how little I will get through with one day of instruction.

I am sick of people, including folks in the Biden administration saying teachers should go back because “this is who they are.” As if we are all Mother Teressa. Um no, this is my profession. This is what I was trained to do, this is my art and my craft. But more importantly, this is my job. This job pays for my house, my children, my car, etc. I don’t work for free, and it is unfair to expect me to. We don’t expect doctors to work for free because its “who they are.” The only reason it happens to us teachers is because, in my opinion, teaching is viewed as “women’s work.” I guarantee if this profession was dominated by males, our salaries and our respect would rise dramatically.

Finally, I would ask the public to understand that unions, those that are meant to protect the health and well-being of our sector are made up of people. Men and women who sacrifice their sleep, their money, and their time to the education of your children. We are the people who make up the “union” and deserve some small measure of the respect that we are due. For all the days that we work during our unpaid summers, to the endless nights that we stay up grading papers, for the donated time we put in making phone calls to struggling students. Because if we don’t get that respect, if we are not recognized for the value that we bring to society, if we are not paid a fair wage that recognizes our talent and contributions, you may just find your students being educated by google – and that would be a tragedy.

It’s 5:25 I finally log out of my computer. That’s a 12-hour shift.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Terry is the Antioch High School Science Department Co-chair, Biology Chairwoman, Biotech program Lead, teaching AP Biology, Lab-Based Ecology and repeater Biology. She’s been a teacher at the school since August 2009. According to her teacher profile Terry’s education includes a Teaching Certification – 2003; BA Biological Sciences – 2001 and AA – Liberal Arts 1998 – Foothill College; AA – Liberal Arts 1998 – De Anza College; and an EMT Certification – San Francisco Community College 1992.

Writer concerned with Brentwood Councilwoman volunteering for and promoting sister’s non-profit

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Editor:

Below is a letter I am submitting to Brentwood Coty Council. It is something residents should be concerned with.

I am writing in concern to the amount of time Councilwomen Rarey and Mendoza spoke about their work with Las Hijas del Campo.

As much as I appreciate the hard work Las Hijas are putting in, it is important to recognize that Councilwoman Mendoza has a conflict of interest allocating so much time and accolades to her sister’s organization.  In fact, since I wrote my initial comment, it has come to my attention that Councilwoman Mendoza is a founder of the organization.

The simple fact Councilwoman Mendoza has given public space and allocated her work as a public servant to a non-profit she has founded is a horrible use of her time as an elected official and a clear red flag. She is using her status as a public servant to highlight and provide accolades to an organization that she not only founded, but she is still doing a ton of work with.

Had Councilwoman Mendoza even taken the time to disclose her relationship to the organization, her capacity to make fair, unbiased decisions would not be in question.

Yet – it is clear she is using her position as a public servant to benefit personally.  At first, I was questioning her stance due to the immediate family relationship – yet the simple fact she is a founder and active shows there is a direct conflict of interest in her touting the organization and her position as a public servant.

It is a clear conflict of interest and unethical for her to dedicate most of the weekly reports (from the City Council meeting on Feb 9, 2021, at approximately the 30-minute mark of the meeting) to her contributions to the community to her sister.  In fact, Las Hijas del Campo is not yet a formalized, legal non-profit 501(C)3 entity. Currently, they have no federal or state documentation.  They do nice local work – however, it reflects poorly on the council, specifically Councilwoman Mendoza and the non-profit.  In fact, it looks poorly on the entire council when there is time allocated to an organization that has not taken the correct legal steps to work as a nonprofit.  And an organization in which Mendoza is a founder and has not taken the time to state her relationship with the organization as a founder.

There are dozens of certified, legal non-profit organizations in Brentwood. It would be wonderful if our elected officials would dedicate their time to actual organizations that are not directly associated with a family member — and the organizations that will not directly benefit from the free support of the local, elected officials because they are family.

I am the founder of a non-profit that has worked tediously with the local homeless population, including the same “campesino” population that Las Hijas de Campo works with.  Not only do I work with an overlooked population, but I have also sat down with Brentwood City leadership to seek support and partnership, including the City Manager, Chief of Police, and officers dedicated to the homeless.  I partner regularly with the City of Brentwood Parks and Recreation to provide food for feeding programs in the city and was able to work with the local fire department to provide Christmas trees to local families in need. My nonprofit also works with the students at Los Medanos in their weekly food distribution program.

It is a direct conflict of interest that Councilwoman Mendoza is using her platform as an elected official to support and give accolades to her organization.

Las Hijas can benefit directly from the support of Councilwoman Mendoza, in terms of financial gain, status, and increased opportunities for more support and access to resources. Councilwoman Mendoza is not disclosing the family relationship or the simple fact she is a founder. Why is she hiding this fact?

Her negligence in non-disclosure has shown she is untrustworthy and using her role as a public servant for personal gain.

Please reach out to me with more questions.  My non-profit was founded in 2013 and is in good standing with both federal and state government entities and serving the Brentwood community in collaboration with leadership.  Ms. Mendoza should be mindful of using her power for the personal gain and benefit of her family. It is unethical, makes Brentwood’s leadership look undesirable, and makes me question the other ways Ms. Mendoza will use her power to answer to her personal agenda and personal gain.

George A. Guevara

Founder of My Angel’s Inc

Brentwood

Letter writer calls on Oakley School Board members to resign – and they did

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Editor’s Note: This is an open letter to the, now former, Oakley School Board  members who each resigned on Friday but sent prior to that being announced.

Kim Beede,

When will you be resigning from the Oakley Elementary Unified District board? Your threatening comments of violence are unacceptable. You obviously do not care about what parents have to say and take a holier than though attitude, as well as having no class at all. You do not represent our community and need to step down now! Your behavior and lack of empathy are outrageous.
Hey Richie Masadas,

You stated your brother or whoever sells pot to parents YOU say sit at home while kids are in school. Your comments are derogatory towards parents and show a gross lack of empathy and understanding of the issues. And you were visibly laughing during the threats and other comments. YOU need to resign from the Board NOW!

Superintendent Hetrick, what are you going to do about this!! When will Kim Beede and Richie Masadas be removed from the School Board! I am waiting for your response!

Kim Beede, you had the nerve to post a quote on your Facebook page as though you are a victim being attacked. You made attacking statements towards parents and are full of it.  It’s disgusting to see you trying to get sympathy on Facebook. You have no business being on our school board! Leave now! The public will not rest until you are gone from the Board! You are condescending and a disgusting representative. Resign now!

There will be a rally at Oakley City Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at noon!

All those from the media, please watch this video and you will see the disgusting behavior of this Board.  https://video.foxnews.com/v/6233561714001#sp=show-clips

Michelle Webb

Oakley

 

Letters: Writer says DA Becton is supposed to be an example, shouldn’t have violated COVID-19 restrictions

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Editor:

An open letter to Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.

Ms. Becton, have you ever read John Chapter 8 about the woman who was caught doing something wrong? According to the law, she should have been punished.  No, she should have been killed because she went against the law. As a lawyer, a judge, and a manager, you are supposed to be a servant of the law in CCC.  You hold people accountable to the law and you punish them for breaking it.  But who are you to judge them when you put yourself above the law? Do you consider yourself “more privileged?” You are supposed to be an example.

In August 2020, when the governor mandated the county to avoid “gatherings of any size” because of a high health alert for Covid-19, you, nonetheless, disregarded that order and organized an event with 20 – 30 people in attendance.  In addition, you announced your plans to all of your neighbors so they could expect a lot of cars in the neighborhood.  You say, “I had a wedding in my yard that was really based upon the love that we shared.”  Really?  Love?  Not on the “scientific data?” Not on the state regulations? What about the love for a dying person in the hospital and the spouse is forbidden to be at their bedside? Shouldn’t they be allowed in “for love?” Are you the same person whose office is part of a task force cracking down on violators of state and county coronavirus guidelines?  How could you have not known “the rules” for public gatherings?  Really?

You are a violator. And you’re in the wrong profession.  You should step down.  You do not hold the line of integrity this county needs. You have broken trust with the public.  You are living a double standard and NOT living by the oath you took in September 2017.  You deliberately defied the governor’s order.  But the real question is this: Did you knowingly disregard the order because you really don’t believe the coronavirus is truly a serious threat to our society?  Perhaps you really believe that the governor is using Covid as an excuse to “mandate” his agenda for the state. Maybe you really believe that having a wedding reception IS a safe event for everyone who attended.  Maybe you shouldn’t be on the task force representing state and county “guidelines.”

You took an oath and said, “I solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of an attorney and counselor at law to the best of my knowledge and ability.” Your actions prove otherwise, and you now join the ranks of hypocrites with our governor and his co-horts.

As C.S. Lewis once said, “Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real right and wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him, he will be complaining, ‘It’s not fair’ before you can say Jack Robinson.”

Laquetta Franz

Antioch

 

Writer wants Brentwood Council to choose application process, not waste money on special election or appoint Rarey to vacancy

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Dear Editor,

Former Councilmember Karen Rarey knew that if she ran for mayor and lost, instead of running for re-election in District 3, she’d no longer be on the city council. She took that risk, ran and lost. Councilmember Susannah Meyer was elected in District 3 to replace her. Now, Meyer, the other new Councilmember Jovita Mendoza and their special interest group are trying to get Rarey appointed to Mayor Joel Bryant’s empty council seat to have three votes to the council. That’s not right.

Do we want a small, local, special interest group to control the majority of our council? Of course not. They need to accept the fact that Rarey lost. And she needs to be respectful of the people’s vote, gracious in defeat and step away, instead of trying to get back on the council and be the leader of a new majority coalition for a seat she can’t even run for in two years!

It’s time to give the new leadership that the people voted for a chance. Joel Bryant is that leader. The council needs to hold an application, interview and appointment process, not waste $200,000 of our tax dollars on a special election, and not appoint Rarey to his open seat.

They say politics is the art of compromise. Jovita and Susannah need to remember that and learn to compromise and find common ground with Mayor Bryant and Councilmember Johnny Rodriguez and appoint someone, preferably from District 4 to fill the seat for the next two years.

Please take the City Council survey on the city’s website by next Monday, Dec. 28 at www.brentwoodca.gov/gov/council/council_survey.asp. Join me in telling the council we want them to hold an application and appointment process, not a special election and not appoint Rarey. Thank you.

Pauline Giles

Brentwood

Writers say Brentwood Council should choose application and appointment process for vacancy

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Dear Editor:

The City of Brentwood is now undergoing a process to decide how the vacant council seat should be filled.

Three options are now under consideration. The first, to hold a general election for the empty seat, which will be for a two-year period when the District 4 seat will again become available. This is a terrible choice. The city, now suffering a serious deficit due to the COVID-19 crisis, would incur more debt that could easily cost $200,000. By the time that all the election rules are put in place, the eventual winner may not get seated until mid-year 2021 and serve only one-and-a-half years in place. The election would potentially be open to all Brentwood residents as the seat would be an at-large position. When 2022 comes along, the person in place may not live in District 4 and not be eligible to run or be seated.

The second is to select one of the candidates that did not win during the past election, with the primary choice being the person that got the second most votes in the mayor’s race. However, each of those who lost in the council races may ultimately be a better choice but, got fewer votes simply because they only appeared on the district ballot in which they lived and ran. There is an ultimate unfairness in this approach.

The third, which appears to be the most fair, is to open the candidacy with an application to the city council for the temporary position in writing, allow the seated council members select the top five (or three or seven) and have them interview with the council for the best fit.

While it seems to be a lot of work on the part of the council, this should be more equitable to fill the council and most beneficial to the people of the City of Brentwood.

John Case

Olga Vidriales

Brentwood

East County Imam writes to give thanks to Allah

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Dear Editor:

My name is Khalid Khan, serving as Imam of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Bay Area. I reside in Bay Point. Please find below my letter regarding Thanksgiving.

“On Thursday, millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving—a day of reflection and thankfulness for all that we have. As Ahmadi Muslims we are thankful to God for living in America and having the rights to exercise religious freedom and all the things he has provided for us. Allah says in the Holy Quran that “Surely, Allah is gracious towards mankind, but most of them are not thankful” (10:61). The Holy Prophet (saw) has also stated that, “One who is not thankful to people, is not thankful to Allah.”

Even though many families might not be traveling this year because of the pandemic to be with their loved ones during this holiday, nonetheless, we should be grateful that our loved ones are safe and sound. May God keep everyone safe during this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Thanks,

Imam Khalid Khan

Bay Point

 

Writer, private investigator questions investigation, prosecution in 15-year-old murder of Lafayette woman

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She was the wife of a famous attorney; writer claims neighbor was falsely accused and wrongly convicted, case should be investigated by DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit

Dear Editor:

Fifteen years ago, Lafayette resident Pamela Vitale was repeatedly and savagely bludgeoned, and stabbed numerous times within her home by those responsible for her violent death. I believe, and am of the opinion, that it was an incomplete, flawed, inadequate, and unfortunately misdirected investigation(s), initial defenses and prosecution. In the investigations’ haste the neighborhood’s poor teenager, Scott Dyleski, was quickly and questionably focused on as being the responsible party, to the exclusion of any others, even though law enforcement’s own leads and evidence suggested someone else, perhaps even two others, was/were responsible for her brutal death.

Vitale was the wife of famed attorney David Horowitz and friend of television host and legal commentator, Nancy Grace, who ran an episode about the case during a TV show, last year. Horowitz was an early suspect in the murder.

It is my opinion and belief that this murder case, with some notoriety involved, was where much investigative evidence was ignored and/or discounted in order to quickly bring someone forward as the responsible before the numerous news media and press that had pounced on the case. Scott Dyleski unfortunately was brought before the public and prosecuted as the responsible!

Years ago, I was hired by Scott Dyleski’s two appeals attorneys for the purposes of assisting them in their representation of Scott Dyleski’s conviction appeals and defense. it was my impression then, and still is, that the killing of Pamela Vitale was a personal rage type of murder by one who closely interacted with and knew her.

This very brief summary position is of my case analysis, evidence, investigation, opinion and beliefs, concerning the then investigations, defense and prosecution of the quickly suspected, accused, and I believe wrongly convicted Scott Dyleski in the vicious murder of Pamela Vitale. Scott Dyleski has been incarcerated for 15 years for a crime that he is seriously believed to NOT have committed, with the responsible(s) having yet to be clearly identified by law enforcement, held accountable, or brought to justice.

There’s so much that the case suggests and points to as to the sequence of events that fateful day. One significant part is, I truly believe, based upon the information and evidence, that the brutal victimization of Pamela Vitale was not a single continuation of events. No, the evidence points to there having been separate phases that ultimately led to her violent and savage unwarranted death. This I say with my own 50-plus years of hands-on public safety investigative training and experiences, which includes numerous Homicide investigations. I have been a state certified Homicide Investigator since 1980.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office reported in June 2019 that it had established the Conviction Integrity Unit to review cases where it’s suspected that someone may have been convicted of a crime that they did not commit. I quickly submitted a request in writing to the D.A.’s unit and to the Public Defender’s Office over a year ago. I haven’t heard from them since. This case definitely cries out for such reopening and renewed investigation of the case, including both the defense’s and prosecution’s involvements. I believe, and am of the opinion, that it was a serious injustice and unfortunately misdirected case investigation(s), his defense and prosecution.

It is my opinion and belief that this case cries out for a full and proper reopening and re-investigation of the case, including the activities of the police, the defense’s and the prosecution’s involvements. Not only is Scott Dyleski the loser in all of this but so is the foundation of our society wherein we all are entitled to a just and equal expectation of a fair, complete, and unbiased administration of Justice. Pamela Vitale’s death and Scott Dyleski deserve real Justice!

Your assistance in demanding such from the D.A.’s Office and Public Defender’s Office is more than warranted. Fifteen years of Scott’s young life has already been denied him and he still faces many more if this very serious matter is again just ignored by all. Her murder deserves that the whole truth is determined, not ignored! And those really responsible should be brought to justice!

Ralph A. Hernandez

Antioch