Contra Costa Herald

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

Vehicle crashes into Blackhawk building – public’s assistance sought in identifying driver

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Damage from vehicle crash into building in Blackhawk on August 18, 2017. photos courtesy of CCSheriff

On Friday, August 18, 2017 at around 10 PM, a black, newer-model Land Rover with paper plates was involved in a hit and run collision into an office building in the Blackhawk Executive Center, directly across from the Blackhawk Plaza. The vehicle fled and then crashed into two parked cars on Center Way near the Chevron Station in the Town of Danville. There was major damage to the office building.

The Land Rover was driven by a white male described as being in his early 50’s wearing a floral Hawaiian shirt. There was also a white female passenger possibly named “Gloria”. According to witnesses, the Land Rover was later towed from the corner of Indian Rice Road and Goldenrod Lane in Danville.

The male driver was last seen waving down cars on Crow Canyon Road.

If anyone has any information about the vehicle (which should have sustained major damage), its occupants, or the name of the tow truck company, please contact the Blackhawk Police Department at (925) 736-1018. You can also call the anonymous tip line at (866) 846-3592. Tips can also be emailed to: tips@so.cccounty.us.

Gov. Brown signs Assemblywoman Baker’s In-Home Support Services bill

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Assemblywoman Catharine Baker (R-San Ramon) announced Governor Brown has signed her Assembly Bill 1021.  This measure will modernize the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) application process to help the elderly and disabled apply for in-home services in the most modern, efficient methods, the same way they could apply for CalFresh benefits.

The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program provides services for low-income individuals who are blind, disabled, or 65 years old or older. Approximately 464,000 Californians currently receive these services, which include personal care services (toileting, bathing, and grooming), domestic and related services (meal preparation, housecleaning), paramedical services, and protective supervision. IHSS is an alternative to much more expensive and disruptive out-of-home placement, such as assisted living or nursing facilities. The program is funded by state, county, and federal dollars.

Currently, most counties allow customers to apply only by phone for IHSS applications. AB 1021 would provide that an IHSS applicant can apply for IHSS benefits with the same process that he or she uses to apply for CalFresh benefits. County human services agencies shall accept applications for benefits by telephone, by fax, in person, or by email, or, if the county is capable of accepting online applications for benefits, by other electronic means.

“IHSS programs help the blind, disabled, and elderly in our community live more independently, and at much less expense than nursing homes and assisted living,” said Assemblywoman Baker. “This bipartisan bill makes the program more efficient and accessible, and that’s good government.”

AB 1021 received unanimous, bipartisan support in both the Senate and Assembly prior to receiving the Governor’s signature.

Baker represents the 16th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Alamo, Danville, Dublin, Lafayette, Livermore, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek.

C-SPAN to visit San Ramon school on Wednesday, April 19 to honor StudentCam documentary national winner

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National Winner from Gale Ranch Middle School will be honored in a ceremony, in partnership with Comcast

WASHINGTON (April 18, 2017) – C‑SPAN and Comcast will visit Gale Ranch Middle School in San Ramon, on Wednesday, April 19 to honor a local winner for C‑SPAN’s annual student video documentary competition, StudentCam. During the visit a C‑SPAN representative will present a StudentCam certificate of merit to Sanjana Ranganathan during a ceremony in front of classmates, teachers and family members to recognize her winning achievement in the national competition and an Honorable Mention prize of $250. The winning video will also be viewed during the congratulatory event.

The 8th Grade student’s topic was entitled, “Clicking Forward.”

StudentCam encourages middle and high school students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and nation. This year, students were asked to create a 5-7 minute video documentary about the topic, “Your Message to Washington: What is the most urgent issue for the new president and Congress to address in 2017?” In response, C‑SPAN received 2,903 video submissions from over 5,600 students in 46 states and Washington, D.C. 150 student and 53 teacher prizes were awarded, totaling $100,000 in prize money. Visit www.studentcam.org to watch all the winning videos for 2017.

“Comcast is honored to partner with C-SPAN on their annual documentary contest, StudentCam, and are happy to congratulate local winner, Sanjana Ranganathan . These next generation documentary filmmakers tackled an issue that was important to them, their community and our nation after a historic election year. Education is important to Comcast, and we applaud C-SPAN as they continue to offer educational opportunities to young leaders to voice their opinions,” said John Gauder, Regional Vice President of Comcast California.

In San Ramon, C‑SPAN programming is provided by Comcast on channel 22, 29; C‑SPAN2 on channel 109; and C‑SPAN3 on channel 110 as a commercial-free public service. All funding for C‑SPAN operations is provided by local TV providers.

About C‑SPAN

Created by the cable TV industry and now in nearly 100 million TV households, C‑SPAN programs three public affairs television networks in both SD and HD; C‑SPAN Radio, heard in Washington, D.C, at 90.1 FM and available as an App (Android, iPhone, Blackberry); and a video-rich website offering live coverage of government events and access to the vast archive of C‑SPAN programming. Visit http://www.c‑span.org/. Visit http://www.c‑span.org for coverage and schedules; like us on Facebook/cspan and follow @cspan on Twitter.

About C‑SPAN Classroom

C‑SPAN Classroom is a free membership service dedicated to supporting educators’ use of C‑SPAN programming and websites in their classes or for research. Members of C‑SPAN Classroom may access free Timely Teachable Videos and video clips for use in the classroom, as well as lesson plans, handouts and ways to connect with other C‑SPAN Classroom members. C‑SPAN Classroom has reached more than 1 million students since its inception in 1987. For more information on C‑SPAN Classroom, visit: http://www.c‑spanclassroom.org/, or follow us on twitter: @CSPAN_Classroom.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Shared autonomous vehicles make U.S. debut at Bishop Ranch as part of pilot program

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EasyMile @ Bishop Ranch. Photo by Noah Berger

San Ramon, CA – Bishop Ranch, EasyMile, GoMentum Station and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) announced Monday that two EZ10 Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAV) will begin operation at Bishop Ranch, northern California’s premier business park in San Ramon. This marks the beginning of the second phase of testing for a pilot demonstration project authorized as part of California Assembly Bill 1592, which enables testing of electric, low-speed, multi-passenger, autonomous vehicles that are not equipped with a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator or operator. This is the first such pilot program in California.

“We are excited to be at the cutting edge of innovation in driverless technology with the United States’ first pilot demonstration for EasyMile shuttles here at Bishop Ranch,” said Alexander Mehran Sr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sunset Development Company. “We’re continuously striving to find ways to elevate the customer experience at Bishop Ranch and deliver innovative and valuable amenities. Autonomous shuttles have the ability to improve safety, benefit the environment, reduce congestion and make existing roads more efficient.”

“The Contra Costa Transportation Authority and GoMentum Station look forward to partnering with Bishop Ranch and EasyMile to test the next generation of transportation in Contra Costa County. This technology offers an innovative new approach to helping travelers get to transit stations, business districts, and other local amenities without the hassle of driving and parking. We expect that EasyMile SAVs will solve the so-called “first-and-last-mile” challenge — a solution that could be replicated by many urban and suburban communities across the United States,” said Randell Iwasaki, CCTA’s Executive Director.

“At EasyMile, we are proud of our work to transform the way people move through cities around the world. Our shuttles allow commuters to quickly, easily, and safely get where they need to go, without having to depend on a car. We are excited to partner with Bishop Ranch, GoMentum Station and First Transit as our operating partner in bringing this technology to the United States,” said Gilbert Gagnaire, EasyMile President.

Founded in 2014, EasyMile is a high-tech company specialized in developing software for the automatization of all kind of transportation systems, powering autonomous vehicles for both goods transportation and smart mobility solutions. They have already successfully deployed SAVs in Finland, France, Spain, Norway, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Dubai, Singapore, and Switzerland. The Bishop Ranch pilot program marks the U.S. debut of the EasyMile SAVs, which if successful, is poised to become the first publicly accessible SAV technology for Mobility-on-Demand (MOD) in the country.

About EasyMile

EasyMile is a high-tech company specialized in developing software for the automatization of all kind of transportation systems. The company provides shared driverless transportation for the last mile that complement mass transportation solutions, the EZ10. This ‘green’ service addresses short distances that are too long to walk to, from a transport hub to a final destination where cars are either ‘off limits’ or where parking space is limited or non-existent. It also provides a service for short distances within confined sites. EasyMile autonomous vehicles operate either on demand or follow a set route calling at all stations.

About GoMentum Station

GoMentum Station in Concord, California is where the Contra Costa Transportation Authority leads and facilitates a collaborative partnership among multiple automobile manufacturers; original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers; communications suppliers; technology companies; researchers and academia; public agencies and other partners. At GoMentum Station, technology, innovation and commercialization will converge to define the next generation of transportation network infrastructure. More information about GoMentum Station is available at gomentumstation.net

About Bishop Ranch

Bishop Ranch, owned and operated by Sunset Development Company, is built on a legacy of sound planning and smart growth. Located on 585 acres in the San Ramon Valley, it is the largest mixed-use business community in Northern California. For nearly four decades, Bishop Ranch has continually, carefully grown to become a dynamic center for the modern business. Today, the prosperous surrounding communities — 192,000 residents within a six-mile radius — enjoy an average household income of $162,000.

We are home to 30,000 employees at 600 companies in more than 30 industries. Among the tenants are many Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, Chevron, General Electric, IBM, PG&E, Robert Half, Bank of the West, Toyota and Berkshire Hathaway. Numerous small businesses in high tech, bio/clean tech, and social software, such as Affiliated Computer Services, Aon eSolutions, Cognizant Technology Solutions and AGIS Network have chosen to locate in this diverse and thriving business environment. Bishop Ranch offers a unique flexibility for the space requirements of companies large and small, and its tenants occupy spaces from 150 square feet to more than 1 million square feet.

Employees at Bishop Ranch enjoy a wide range of amenities and on-site services, including award-winning transportation programs, high-end food options, professional seminars and networking opportunities, special offers and discounts, gourmet food trucks and a farmers market.

About The Contra Costa Transportation Authority

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.

Diablo Road closed due to fallen tree, Wednesday morning

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According to the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff,  Diablo Road between Green Valley Road and Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard remains closed after a fallen tree took down power lines and blocked the road early this morning. That section of Diablo Road is expected to be shut for much of today as repairs are made and the tree removed.

Local traffic will be diverted. Motorists heading to Blackhawk are advised to use Camino Tassajara.

Southbound Rudgear Road on-ramp closed Mon & Tues nights, Jan 30 – Feb 1 for I-680 Express Lanes construction

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Summary

Upcoming construction activity for the Express Lanes on I-680 between Walnut Creek and San Ramon requires a temporary, nighttime ramp closure. The construction activity will include asphalt repair work for the on-ramp. The following ramp closure is scheduled:

Things to Know

Detour route for the southbound I-680 Rudgear Road on-ramp closure:

  • Enter northbound I-680 from Rudgear Rd.,
  • Continue on northbound I-680,
  • Exit on the Olympic Blvd. off-ramp,
  • Continue west on Olympic Blvd.,
  • Enter southbound I-680.

When traveling near the construction site:

  • Always use caution,
  • Be prepared to reduce speeds,
  • Follow posted signs.

Construction is a dynamic process and information is subject to change without notice. Work is subject to weather conditions.

For more information about the I-680 Express Lanes project between Walnut Creek and San Ramon, click here.

Supervisor Burgis announces committee, board and commission assignments

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Last Tuesday, January 10, 2017, County Supervisor Diane Burgis was officially sworn into office, representing District Three on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. The district includes most of Antioch, and all of Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron and Knightsen in East County, as well as Blackhawk, Diablo and Camino Tassajara in the San Ramon Valley.

“It’s truly an honor to have earned the trust and confidence of the voters of District Three,” said Supervisor Diane Burgis. “I’m excited to follow in the footsteps of East County’s loyal advocate, Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho, and to work hard for my constituents defending the Delta, improving public safety and strengthening our local economy.”

During last Tuesday’s meeting each board was also appointed to various county committee and regional boards and commissions. Supervisor Burgis was appointed to the following posts:

Chair:

  • Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee

Vice Chair:

  • Airport Committee
  • East County Transportation Planning (TRANSPLAN)
  • Internal Operations Committee
  • Legislation Committee
  • Open Space/Parks & East Bay Regional Parks District Liaison Committee
  • State Route 4 Bypass Authority

Commissioner:

  • Delta Protection Commission

Director:

  • Tri Delta Transit Authority Board

Member:

  • California Identification System Remote Access Network Board
  • City-County Relations Committee
  • Dougherty Valley Oversight Committee
  • East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy Governing Board
  • East Contra Costa Regional Fee & Finance Authority
  • East County Water Management Association
  • eBART Partnership Policy Advisory Committee
  • Northern Waterfront Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee

Alternate Member:

  • Association of Bay Area Counties Executive Board
  • Contra Costa Transportation Authority Board
  • Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
  • Mental Health Commission
  • Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Board

In her first term, Diane’s policy priorities include:

  • Transportation infrastructure improvements and expansion
  • Responsible stewardship of natural resources, open space and the Delta
  • Preservation and revitalization of the county’s agricultural core
  • Faster police, fire and emergency response times
  • Efficient and effective delivery of county services

Prior to her election as a County Supervisor, Diane was the Executive Director of Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed and also served as:

  • Ward 7 Director of the East Bay Regional Park District
  • Oakley City Councilmember
  • Delta Protection Commission Member
  • Association of Bay Area Governments Regional Planning Committee Member

District 3 includes most of Antioch, and all of Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron and Knightsen in East County, as well as Blackhawk, Diablo and Camino Tassajara in the San Ramon Valley. Click here for additional information about the office of Supervisor Diane Burgis.

Tree crashes into Diablo area home, Tuesday afternoon

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Photos courtesy of C.C. Sheriff

A 40-foot tree fell onto a home on Alameda Diablo in the Diablo area this afternoon. The tree damaged the roof above the garage. Fortunately there were no injuries.

Rain is in the forecast the next few days. There are also some flood and high wind advisories. Please monitor local media for the latest updates on the weather.

For anyone needing sandbags, please visit: http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/5976/Sandbags

Here are some tips for the storms:

-Be careful of standing water, localized flooding, and fallen branches and trees.

-Do not drive through any flooded roadways.

-Never touch a downed power line. Treat them as if they are energized and dangerous.

-Call 911 for emergencies only.

-Please take extra time to get to your destination.

-When driving during a storm, please slow down and keep more distance between vehicles.

-Speeding and slippery roads are a dangerous combination.

-If your windshield wipers are on, your headlights must also be.

-Use your seatbelt and make sure children are properly buckled into their car seats.

 

Community invited to new County Supervisor Diane Burgis’ reception, open house, Tuesday evening

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Burgis, Glover, Andersen to take oaths of office as Supervisors, Tuesday morning

Newly elected County Supervisor Diane Burgis will take her oath of office, along with re-elected Supervisors Federal Glover and Candace Andersen, at a ceremony during the regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors at 9:00 a.m. in Martinez, Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

Burgis will then hold a Community Reception and Open House later in the day.

“Thank you for electing me to represent you on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. I am incredibly honored to have this opportunity to fight for you and our local priorities,” Burgis said. “I hope you will be able to join me, my amazing staff and our neighbors in celebrating the new year at my first District 3 Community Reception and Open House this Tuesday, January 10, 2017 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“I promise to have an inclusive and accessible office so that we can strengthen our community together. The first step is getting to know each other,” she added. “See you soon.”

The oath of office ceremony will be followed by a reorganization of the Board, with the election of the new Chair, which is expected to be Glover and Vice Chair, expected to be Karen Mitchoff. The Board will then vote on Glover’s nominations of the board members to various county committees and regional boards.

DETAILS:

Oath of Office Ceremony

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 9:00 am

Board Chambers, Room 107, Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Martinez

Burgis Community Reception & Open House

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Office of Supervisor Diane Burgis, 3361 Walnut Blvd., Ste 140, Brentwood

RSVP appreciated at dist3@bos.cccounty.us.

District 3 includes most of Antioch, as well as Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron and Knightsen in East County, as well as Blackhawk and Camino Tassajara in the San Ramon Valley.