Contra Costa Pulse Newspaper October 2024 by Richmond Pulse

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Contra Costa Voters Given Info to Prepare for Election

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

Voters across Contra Costa face several decisions come Election Day Nov. 5 — a new county District 5 supervisor following Federal Glover’s retirement after 24 years, the battle for Antioch’s mayoral seat and three City Council seats in Richmond that could help shape how a $550 million Chevron settlement is spent.

Across California, voters will be asked to pass judgment on measures covering such issues as minimum wage, affordable housing and rent control, how crimes are punished, wildfire prevention and formally protecting same-sex and interracial marriage. Also on ballots will be races for state and U.S. Senate, state Assembly, Congress, various other local offices, including school board positions, and, of course, the presidency — the last of which could have major consequences for the environment, the economy and much more, perhaps even the future of democracy in this country. With so much at stake, the task of voting can be daunting, but preparation can make it easier.

Have questions, comments, or want to get involved? Contact us at:

info@ccpulse.org www.ccpulse.org

The Contra Costa County Elections Office and Vote411.org, a voter information network, teamed up Sept. 19 in a webinar sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the Contra Costa County Library and Contra Costa TV to prepare Contra Costa voters for the election.

As of Sept. 26, Contra Costa County election officials sent out voter information guides to all registered voters, which include a sample ballot, a map of ballot drop-off locations, early voting locations and information regarding local and county measures and races.

Guides also include candidate statements of those running for office in your local and county races and arguments for and against local measures.

In general, voters must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of California, and 18 years of age or older to vote in elections across Contra Costa.

Unhoused residents can also vote in the election but still must provide a location to determine which contests they can vote in. The Elections Office says this can, for example, be a church, cross streets or a shelter. The mail can be sent to a shelter,

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The Contra Costa Pulse is a community media project focusing on local and health news coverage in West and East Contra Costa County. The project is supported by STRONG Collaborative Fund.

a friend’s house or even a shipping store where the unhoused resident has a personal mailbox.

Official ballots are mailed to all registered voters Oct.7.

Voters can also pick and choose which contests to vote in, according to Nolan, so if you don’t want to vote in a certain race, you don’t have to.

“Leaving a contest blank is fine and it doesn’t get your ballot disqualified,” said Helen Nolan, Contra Costa County’s assistant registrar.

Once you’ve completed your vote-bymail ballot, you can return it by mail, at a secure ballot drop-off box, at any polling location on Election Day or at the Elections Office.

Nolan says voters by mail also have a new option this year. Instead of simply surrendering their ballot at a polling place on Election Day, voters can now fill out the vote-by-mail ballot at the polling location.

All vote-by-mail ballots must be signed with a signature that matches the one the elections office has on file, which, according to Nolan, is usually the one on your license or state ID.

If a ballot’s signature does not match or

you forget to sign, officials will send you a letter to fix the problem. If a problem is not fixed, votes on the ballot will not be counted.

Sharon Stone of the League of Women Voters of California says its Vote411. org site provides personalized voting information.

Entering your address on the Vote411 site shows you what’s on your ballot, can show you local debates, and allows you to check your voter registration. You can register to vote online at registertovote. ca.gov.

The League also publishes an Easy Voter Guide that is intended for voters who may not be well-versed in voting but are interested in learning more.

“This is a great way to get them involved because it is what I call ‘snacksize information,’ ” said Stone. “Just little pieces of information written in plain language.”

The Easy Voter Guide is offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese and can be accessed online at cavotes.org/easy-voter-guide/.

In June, the Contra Costa County Elections Office launched a campaign to

Joyce Redd stands outside Easter Hill United Methodist Church in Richmond after voting in the 2022 midterms. (Denis Perez-Bravo / The CC Pulse file)

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The Contra Costa Pulse is a community media project founded by New America Media, focusing on local and health news coverage in West and East Contra Costa County.

The project is supported by The California Endowment and the STRONG Collaborative Fund.

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Local Leaders Ask for Public’s Help to Stop Rising Copper Wire Theft

BY JOE PORRELLO

In Richmond, 220 copper wire

thefts have been reported since last September — 200 more than the 20 reported in the 12-month period from September 2022 to 2023.

Richmond Police Chief Bisa French shared those statistics at a press conference Sept. 3 in North Richmond, joined by Contra Costa County District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, other local law enforcement and business representatives to address this increase in thefts.

This is neither a new problem nor confined to Richmond. Back in 2008, the FBI said that copper wire thefts and the prolonged outages they can cause pose “a threat to public safety and to U.S. critical infrastructure.” It said “targets include electrical substations, railroads, security and emergency services.” It described specific incidents in which copper theft prevented people from being warned of a tornado, thousands were left without power, and communications between pilots and air traffic control were threatened.

Locally, French said, “these thefts affect people’s lives every day, from having the ability to stay connected on the internet, the ability to access local 911 services, the public safety hazards that come with down traffic signals and lights.”

In June, emergency lines in Pinole, Hercules and San Pablo were out for a week when 16,000 wires along an AT&T communication cable were cut by thieves to steal 400 feet of copper wire.

Those same cities, along with Richmond and El Cerrito, now have a group of network security cameras meant to deter and catch people stealing copper, says El

Cerrito Police Chief Paul Keith.

Since last September, Richmond Police has teamed up with local businesses, utility providers and residents to combat the problem — leading to 10 arrests in that span. But often the thieves are too quick.

“We receive calls, and by the time officers get there, they’re gone,” said French.

The Richmond police chief says drug addiction is one of the main linchpins behind copper theft, and that it happens all hours of the day without a pattern or connection from one thief to the next.

“We found that a lot of the thefts are involving unhoused people that are just selling on their own,” said French.

“For everybody that we arrest, there’s somebody coming right behind them the next day to do the same thing.”

Those illegally cutting cables also risk their own safety, as cutting the wrong wire can be fatal.

Now, Richmond’s police force has begun a “See Something, Say Something” public campaign to help draw awareness to the issue and let residents know to call 911 if they see something suspicious.

Chief Keith says to look out for activity around power poles outside of business hours like late at night, weekends and holidays, along with unmarked vans or covered license plates.

“To the general public: We want your help,” Gioia said.

But it will take help from businesses too.

Some recycling companies knowingly accept illegal copper and look the other way, according to Gioia, directly going against state law AB 844. Passed in 2008 to counter such practices, the law requires

all recycling centers that buy copper to catalog sellers’ faces, thumbprints and merchandise by photo or video, and deal with checks in lieu of cash for a paper trail to follow if necessary.

Tedi Vriheas, vice president of external affairs for AT&T in California and Nevada, says crooked recycling businesses are a big part of the problem because they create a market and incentive for copper to be stolen.

Earlier on Sept. 3, her employer filed a lawsuit against ALCO Iron and Metal — one of California’s largest recycling companies — for allegedly purchasing illegally obtained copper with knowledge of its origins.

West Contra Costa is not the only region in the state trying to fight this issue.

According to the L.A. Times, Los Angeles tripled funding n August for its copper wire task force to $600,000 after law enforcement made 82 arrests and recovered 2,000 pounds of stolen copper. Gioia said he wants to follow a similar strategy in Contra Costa County.

Such strides against copper thievery in Contra Costa and other California counties could be pivotal, especially now. With fire season in full force, as Keith noted, it is crucial for critical communications infrastructure to remain intact so that emergency services and evacuation plans are accessible to those in crisis.

Vriheas said AT&T is offering $5,000 rewards in counties across the state, including Contra Costa, for information on copper theft that leads to conviction. People can report such information by calling AT&T Asset Protection at (800) 807-4205. •

Dueling Measures on Richmond Ballot Propose Changing Way to Elect Mayor, City Council

BY TONY HICKS | BAY CITY NEWS

Richmond voters will decide in November if the city will change how it elects its mayor and City Council in 2026 and beyond.

Candidates now win elections in Richmond by simply getting the most votes, also known as the plurality system. That could change if voters enact Measure J or Measure L. Both measures require majority votes to be approved, and if both pass, the measure receiving the most votes will be implemented, city officials said.

Measure J asks voters if they want to amend the city’s charter by requiring winners to have at least 50% of the vote. If no candidate gets the majority of the vote in a primary election, the measure would change the system so the two candidates with the most votes and face each other in the fall general election.

Measure J was placed on the November ballot after an initiative petition received enough signatures.

The ballot arguments made for Measure J note that the format is already used for county supervisor, state legislative and federal elections in California. The proponents say a primary system of voting is “easy to administer, inexpensive, easy to audit, and easy to understand. That means more people will participate and more Richmond voices will be heard.”

They say the system’s 50% threshold will force candidates to reach out to more voters and give them a chance to see

clear distinctions between the two top candidates, with more time to see debates and get information.

Measure J’s prominent supporters include former mayor Tom Butt, former councilmembers Maria Theresa Viramontes and Jeff Ritterman, and Benjamin Therriault, the president of the Richmond Police Officers Association.

The opponents on the ballot argument against Measure J called it “a power grab” that disenfranchises voters of color and will “benefit the biggest polluters in Northern California.”

The anti-Measure J side says it would create a system that benefits the “rich and the powerful,” would be expensive, and would decrease voter participation with an extra election.

Measure J is opposed by Yvette Williams Barr, the Richmond chapter president of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Union Local 21; Gregory Everetts Jr., the Richmond chapter president of Service Employees International Union Local 1021; David Sharples, the director of Contra Costa County for the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action; and Lio Meng Saeteurn, the Contra Costa political director for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

The other proposal on the ballot, Measure L, asks voters if they want to amend the city charter to allow ranked choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting.

Ranked choice voting aims for a

winner with more than 50% of the vote but it would require only one trip to the polls. Ranked choice offers voters the opportunity to rank candidates by preference on their ballots. When votes are tallied, if a candidate wins more than 50% of first-preference votes, they’re declared the winner. But if no candidate wins a majority of firstpreference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. Ballots showing the eliminated candidate as their first choice are then reevaluated and counted as first-preference ballots for the next-highest-ranked candidate in that round.

The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority.

Proponents in the ballot argument for Measure L, which was placed on the ballot by the City Council, say would ensure the will of the majority in a single election and strengthen democracy. They say it eliminates “spoiler candidates,” maximizes voter turnout and is used throughout California and Canada.

Supporters also say it saves money and creates a stronger, more diverse group of candidates and makes elections less negative. Measure L’s supporters include Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez; Everetts, the Richmond chapter president of SEIU Local 1021; Catherine Skinner, an authorized representative of FairVote Action, a nonprofit that advocates for ranked choice voting; and Sharples from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action. Those opposed to Measure L said in

Richmond,

Political News Is in Its ‘DoubleChecking Era’

BY DANIELLE PARENTEAU-DECKER

Artificial intelligence can create increasingly realistic pictures, videos and audio that are wrong or dangerously misleading.

Ethnic Media Services on July 12 hosted a trio of experts to discuss the impact this disinformation could have on voters.

“We’re now entering the first A.I. election in which A.I. deepfakes and A.I. disinformation has the power to inundate our political discourse and create images, audio and video that voters don’t know if they can trust,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause.

So it’s up to people to be skeptical and verify whether what they’re seeing or hearing is actually real.

“We are in a double-checking era of political news,” he said. “If you see an image that is too good to be true, if you see a video that helps one political party or one political candidate too much, or something that just doesn’t pass the smell test, I think you have to go offline or get out of the social media environment and Google it, see if it’s being reported in other places.”

However, panel moderator and EMS associate editor Pilar Marrero pointed out that now even Google’s top results are A.I.-controlled, making it even more important to scroll down and look carefully for legitimate results.

Mehta Stein said many people could avoid the issue by changing how they get their news in the first place.

“Just get off social media, and get your news from real news sources,” he said. “The answer to fake news is real news.”

The panelists said disinformation is hard to fight, in part, because there’s just so much of it and not enough resources to fight it.

“One of the very goals of disinformation campaigns is to — what Steve Bannon referred to as ‘flooding the zone,’ which is creating so much untrustworthy content that citizens and voters and communities don’t know what to trust at all,” said Brandon Silverman, co-founder and former CEO of CrowdTangle.

CrowdTangle is a tool that lets users track misinformation on Facebook and Instagram. But not for much longer. Meta, which owns the tool and both platforms, announced in March that

Antioch Expands Renter

CrowdTangle would no longer be available after Aug. 14.

And that may be part of a larger pattern.

“As the problem is peaking, many social media platforms are walking away from their responsibility to address it,”

Mehta Stein said.

But when platforms do try to stop disinformation, Silverman said it’s hard because a lot of it doesn’t break any rules and “falls into a gray area of misleading but not technically untrue.”

“It is the difference between saying, ‘The moon is made of cheese’ and saying, ‘Some people are saying the moon is made of cheese,’ ” he explained. “And when you get into the misleading gray area, it gets very hard for platforms to enforce with the degree of clarity and speed and action they can on the directly false ones.”

Mehta Stein said disinformation is a “particular threat to voters of color” as well as immigrants and low-income people.

“For centuries, people have tried to deceive our voters and disenfranchise them and make it harder for them to exercise their right to vote,” he said.

“Now, today, with A.I., there are new and crafty ways of doing this.”

Jingxia Niu, manager of the first Chinese-language fact-checking site in the U.S., said a lot of the disinformation she sees has been “directly translated

from English social media.”

The same isn’t true when it’s discredited.

Sometimes, you can find in English whether something has been disproven, “but the translated ones are staying unchecked,” she said. “No one is doing the garbage cleaning work when it comes to in-language (material).”

Niu said she’s asked why she and her colleagues aren’t doing that work themselves.

“We don’t have the capacity,” she said, adding that her site simply doesn’t have enough staff, especially to deal with A.I.generated images.

One such image she said Chinese rightwing social media influencers widely shared was a fake photo of Donald Trump surrounded by Black supposed supporters.

Two other examples Mehta Stein talked about were a deepfake video that seemed to show President Biden saying the U.S. was reactivating the military draft and sending young men and women to fight and fake photos of Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci. The last of which were shared by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign.

He said there are signs that a visual is fraudulent. In a deepfake, for example, the words being “spoken” — he made air quotes as he said this — may not match the movements of the speaker’s mouth.

A.I.-generated images can stick out

See News, pg. 6

Contra Costa County Launches Expanded Basic Health Care Coverage

BY MICHAEL J. FITZGERALD

ontra Costa Health announced Sept.

5 it is offering affordable health care coverage to uninsured county residents who don’t qualify for Medi-Cal or Covered California, regardless of their immigration status.

Basic Health Care offers coverage for primary care, medications, X-rays and other medical needs. CCH has a list of covered benefits, limitations and exclusions. Members will also have 24/7 access to an advice nurse.

The new coverage is particularly expected to help undocumented residents.

Even though Medi-Cal has expanded its eligibility criteria to include undocumented people of all ages in California, some earn too much money to qualify, and their immigration status makes them ineligible for the Covered

California program.

“We’re still seeing some people in our community fall through the cracks, unable to get health insurance,” Gilbert Salinas, chief equity officer for Contra Costa Health, said in a Sept. 5 press release. “Basic Health Care will help fill that gap and give people access to medical care.”

Undocumented residents have been eligible for public healthcare in Contra Costa, but that changed in 2009 when the county made legal status a requirement to qualify.

The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in April to rescind that requirement and make an estimated 10,000-plus undocumented county residents eligible for Basic Health Care.

To qualify, residents must have incomes below 300 % of the federal poverty level.

(Income eligibility for Medi-Cal, on the other hand, only goes up to 138%.) One also cannot already be a member of an

HMO or PPO health insurance plan.

Enrollees pay a quarterly premium on a sliding scale of up to $20 a month, depending on their income. That means the maximum annual cost for adults aged 19 and up is $240; for those 18 and under, $60.

For immigrants, enrollment in Basic Health Care will not be considered as part of the public charge test.

Enrollees in the program can access medical services at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and county outpatient health centers.

“By improving access to primary medical services through Basic Health Care, we aim to reduce unnecessary visits to local hospital emergency departments,” Salinas said.

Residents who believe they may qualify can call 1-800-771-4270 to talk with a counselor about enrolling. More information is available at cchealth.org/ basichealth. •

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

The Antioch City Council unanimously passed a just cause eviction ordinance Aug. 27. that will expand upon renter protections in the city.

The vote comes after years of advocacy from community groups and residents — which has also resulted in rent stabilization and tenant antiharassment ordinances — and only months after advocates criticized a draft ordinance for not providing enough protections for tenants.

“The fact that we’ve made it this far speaks to the good work of our staff and the tenacity of our City Council,” said Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe. “But more importantly, more importantly, I want you to know that the increase in capacity to do this work has come because of people like you who decided to stay involved.”

The ordinance furthers protections already offered under state law by expanding the number of tenants eligible for protections and includes requirements for tenant buyout agreements. The ordinance also incorporates feedback from advocates asking for protections against the Ellis Act, which allows an eviction if an owner wants to go out of the rental business, and owner move-ins.

If found to be in violation of the ordinance, landlords can be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each violation, imprisonment in county jail for up to six months or both.

Ethan Silverstein, an attorney for the California Center for Movement Legal Services has been advocating for the ordinance and was critical of the previous draft ordinance, but said Tuesday a robust public process with stakeholders on both sides changed that.

“This is an example of what’s possible in this city and other cities when there’s collaboration with tenants,” said Silverstein. “What we have now is a pretty good ordinance.”

Silverstein said the ordinance wasn’t exactly what he would have drafted as a tenant advocate but noted that it incorporated previous feedback of advocate groups and that an agreement had been met on “pretty much all of the major policy concerns.”

What’s especially impressive about what’s included in the ordinance, according to Silverstein, is the protections regarding tenant buyout agreements.

Under the ordinance, tenants receive protections against buyout agreements to ensure landlords are not coercing tenants into the agreements.

“There are some protections for that abuse,” said Silverstein, “while still allowing people to engage in these contracts if they feel it’s right for the family.”

New City Manager

The Antioch City Council appointed Bessie M. Scott, previously the city of Seattle’s deputy inspector general for public safety, as the new city manager. Scott will replace Acting City Manager Kwame Reed, who has been in the role for over a year.

The appointment of Scott, a Black woman, sparked controversy ahead

SCREENSHOT BY CC PULSE

“Just get off social media, and get your news from real news sources,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein of California Common Cause at a July 12 Ethnic Media Services briefing on A.I.-generated disinformation. “The answer to fake news is real news.”

Crab, Lobster and Alligator: Pittsburg Seafood & Music Fest Pleases Palates

STORY AND PHOTOS • MARCOS LOPEZ

The Pittsburg Seafood and Music Festival returned for its 37th year, continuing to bring together the best of local music, food and community since its relaunch in 2023. Thousands of East County residents came out to downtown Pittsburg for this year’s event, which showcased vibrant Latin and jazz bands, various local vendors, an outstanding performance by the Pittsburg High School Marching Band, and an assortment of tasty treats for all the seafood lovers.

Unlike last year’s event at which Pittsburg’s own Pete Escovedo performed and was honored, bigname headliners were not part of this year’s lineup. Nonetheless, the music part of the festival didn’t miss

a beat. The Max Cortes Sextet, a Latin music band, and DangerAte, a jazz-funk band, kept the energy high. Attendees pulled up lawn chairs and spread out blankets to enjoy the music while watching the stage from the grassy field of John Buckley Square.

Keeping the rhythm going, Pittsburg High Marching Show-Band and Drumline continued a tradition of excellence that has earned them local recognition for years.

On the food side of things, lines started to wrap around different culinary experiences. One popular stand, Chicken and the Farm, drew crowds with its lobster fries. Owner Brett Edwards has been serving at the festival since 2018 and said “it brings him joy being part of this event.” Other food vendors offered festival

favorites like the always popular fried alligator, grilled oysters, seafood pasta, fried catfish and red snapper, crab, fish tacos and lobster rolls.

Wolfgang Croskey, CEO of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, reflected on why he loves coordinating this event every year. “I love systems and processes and building things… For me it is great seeing the work come together all of these people enjoying this beautiful Old Town Pittsburg, enjoying each others company, enjoying great music and great food.”

The Pittsburg Seafood and Music Festival is more than just a long-running summer celebration; it’s a testament to the spirit of community as it continues to bring people together with the talent from local performers and the dedication of vendors — plus their tasty food. •

The Pittsburg High School Marching Show Band and Drumline was in lockstep as it performed entering the festival.

The many food offerings had the many festival attendees lining up for more.

Lobster fries — one of the big hits — were among the culinary variety offered, along with fried catfish, grilled oysters and more. There was even alligator to be had.

The recently installed Gateway Arch marked the entrance to the 2024 Pittsburg Seafood & Music Festival, held Sept. 7 and 8 at John Buckley Square in historic Old Town Pittsburg.

The Max Cortes Sextet is a Pittsburg band that plays salsa, cumbia and Latin jazz.

Pittsburg Police Officers Yi, left and Melgoza were on hand to help maintain order and keep the public safe.

Old Town Pittsburg, enjoying each other's company, enjoying great music and great food," said Wolfgang Croskey, CEO of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce.

‘I’ve Produced Results’: Antioch Mayor Makes Case for Second Term

INTERVIEW • MALCOLM MARSHALL

Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, a Democrat, is running for reelection against former city manager Rowland “Ron” Bernal Jr. and Rakesh Kumar Christian. Bernal and Christian are both registered with no party preference, though Bernal was a registered Republican from 2000-23.

In his Instagram bio, Hernandez-Thorpe, 43, calls himself a “soldier in the political revolution.” He says that means he’s fighting for social, racial, economic and environmental justice.

“We're fighting for a change in our political process that's been swallowed up by big money interest,” he told the Pulse. “I don't think our politics should be so consumed with money that it silences hundreds of thousands of people in the interest of money.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Contra Costa Pulse: Why did you decide to run for reelection?

LHT: I'm running to continue to build an inclusive city that's safe with walkable streets and a clean environment and welcoming to everybody. We had the FBI investigation of our police department, and so there's still a lot of work to continue to work through that and to continue to, again, build a city that's inclusive of all people.

CC Pulse: What is the No. 1 issue facing Antioch right now? How will you address this?

LHT: Housing and homelessness. A lot of people are one paycheck away from being homeless. I think everybody's concerned with rising housing costs and most people are concerned about public safety, though it may mean different things to different people. In one community, it could mean needing speed bumps; in another, it could be car break-ins. In other communities, it could mean the need to get individuals experiencing homelessness the care that they need.

CC Pulse: If reelected, what would your top three priorities be?

LHT: Homelessness, housing and public safety tend to be top three.

Being able to usher through the impacts of this FBI

Antioch...

Continued from page 3

of the meeting after several of her old social media posts were shared. Some in the community took issue with Scott’s comments, saying she was racist towards white people. Some online made antiBlack comments.

Community members were also critical of Scott’s experience, saying she was not qualified to serve as a city manager.

According to the Mercury News, some of those posts “referenced systematic racism and social constructs that benefit only one race,” and Scott has degrees in public administration and law, society and philosophy along with “a wide range of experience, having worked in public safety, housing programs and municipal policy administration.”

Her LinkedIn profile shows leadership positions at the Seattle Community Police Commission and Public Defenders Association, among other roles.

Scott, not present at the meeting, was appointed to a two-year term and will receive a salary of over $263,000 annually.

The council voted 3-2 on the appointment, with council members Michael Barbanica and Lori Ogorchock voting against. •

investigation is going to be critical. We're still not out of it.

CC Pulse: What has changed with the Police Department? Are you satisfied with the changes that have occurred? Are Antioch residents of color safer when it comes to police than they were a few years ago?

LHT: A lot has changed. The Antioch Police Department of today is not the Antioch Police Department of yesterday, and it's still in transition. We're hiring officers. I'm pleased with some reforms we've made: body cameras, oversight commission, banning techniques that can cause positional asphyxiation; the list goes on and on. Ultimately, the culture needs to change. I see hints of that, but we still have a long way to go.

CC Pulse: Grade the council on its performance in the last two years. Where has council excelled, and where has it been lacking?

LHT: In my first year as mayor, the council took 525 votes. In my first year as a City Council member, with the last mayor, we took 335 votes. The remaining three years averaged about high 300s in votes we took. Most votes tended to be 92% unanimous, meaning 5-0 or 4-0 votes.

So from that vantage point, I would give us an A-plus because productivity increased.

As a result, we doubled the size of code enforcement. We launched the county's first 24-hour community crisis response. We're the only city that provides homeless services directly to residents on the streets. We provide transitional housing, showers, all these things.

We launched the city's first public safety community

News...

Continued from page 3

because of their imperfections — one speaker mentioned people given six fingers — or because they’re too perfect.

“People look sort of cartoony. Everyone has a perfect sheen. Everyone’s skin is perfect. No one has a pore. Every hair is in place,” Mehta Stein said.

But he said these things can be hard to spot if you’re scrolling fast, on a small screen, aren’t looking closely, or don’t know what to look for. And “the technology is getting better and more realistic.”

That is why, again, people need to “more finely tune their B.S.-meters,” Mehta Stein said.

“They need to be more skeptical. They need to be double-checking. They need to be fact-checking. They need to be making sure that something is real before they share, repost or believe.” •

Election...

Continued from page 1

resources office, which is modeled after Richmond's Office of Neighborhood Safety. That includes youth programs, gun violence interruption, homeless services, environmental resources, and other things.

We were the first city to apologize to early Chinese immigrants for our historic wrongs. We were the first city to fly the Progress Pride flag 360 days out of the year. We saw many former officials of our city trashing the LGBTQ+ community, and we wanted everybody to know this is a place for you.

CC Pulse: How can racial tensions in Antioch be eased?

LHT: Any racial tensions are part of the maturation process. Up until the 1990s, [Antioch] was exclusively white. And it wasn't by accident; it was by design. Thirty years later, we are the second-most diverse city in the San Francisco Bay Area for various factors, including race and socioeconomic background. So this idea of racial tensions absent of any larger context, I wouldn't agree with. This is exactly what should be happening, because this is an evolving city. We're becoming a stronger, better city.

I think there is a small group of people in Antioch who have not gotten over the fact that, No. 1, the Civil War was won by the North, and No. 2, their city has changed. And I think people in that position tend to be the loudest because they have no other recourse.

CC Pulse: Why should voters choose you to lead the city again?

LHT: I ran to produce results. People didn’t vote for me for any other reason than to produce results. I’ve produced results. •

fight election mis- and disinformation amid a “growing tide” of misinformation across the country.

The over $700,000 campaign hopes to reassure voters “of election integrity and security,” a June 18 release says, “by shining a light on the comprehensive steps taken to deliver on that promise.”

The number of steps taken to ensure the security of elections? 48.

“We think it’s imperative that the public understands what we do,” Kristin Connelly, Contra Costa’s clerk-recorder, said at the Sept. 19 webinar, “and has faith in our work.”

Campaign funding comes from a $2 million grant awarded to the Elections Office after being selected as one of 10 Centers for Election Excellence nationwide by the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence.

Among the steps taken by the team to ensure a secure election process are: requiring two people to be present with ballots, partnering with local law enforcement to secure facilities, ballot security features, such as tamper-evident seals, and staff only having access to systems needed to do their job.

You can view all the ways the county

Richmond...

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the ballot argument that it’s a failed system that enables local politicians to keep getting elected with less than 50% percent of the vote. They also say it’s overly complicated for voters and uses a closed system that’s difficult to monitor and audit.

They also say errors in the system make it easier to declare the wrong winner, which can take months to determine. They say language in the measure empowers the City Council to decide whether to implement it.

People opposing Measure L include the former councilmembers Viramontes and Ritterman; retired labor activist and union president Don Gosney; and Therriault, the Richmond police union president.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. •

"I’m running for reelection to continue to build an inclusive city that’s safe with walkable streets and a clean environment and welcoming to everybody," Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe told the Pulse. (Campaign photo via lamarthorpe.com)

Residents Celebrate Renovations of Montalvin Park But Want to See More

STORY AND PHOTOS • DENIS PEREZ-BRAVO

Dozens of children and their families visited the renovated Montalvin Park on Aug. 24 to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a new playground. Residents also took the opportunity to share what more they want to see for the park in the unincorporated area of Montalvin Manor outside San Pablo.

Attendees gathered around the center play structure where some kids still climbed as the crowd formed.

Supervisor John Gioia and Public Works Department representative Rochelle Johnson spoke to and heard from people.

“So while we spent about $200,000 of county dollars and state dollars to invest in this new equipment, we now have more funding available for parks in the unincorporated area like this park,” said Supervisor John Gioia.

Alongside Gioia’s office, the Contra Costa County public works and health departments, which hosted the event, wanted to garner public input on future plans for Montalvin Park.

Some community members wanted, at least, a small

soccer field to practice in. Because of the uneven land, a full soccer field seems financially unlikely, Gioia said, but residents said a small field would still be beneficial.

“Every time we want to play (soccer), we need to go use the Making Waves Academy field,” one resident said. “Sometimes it’s open; sometimes it is closed.”

Others hoped for a renovation of the tennis courts in the upper side of the park. Some called for a garden, a carousel and more trees. Many urged for bathrooms to be installed.

Raseel Alawadi longs for more things to climb on.

“One thing I like about the new playground is that it’s fun. You get to climb on it and maybe even jump off,” the child said.

She enjoys the shade from the cover on top of the structure as well, she said.

And asked what she would like to see in the park, Raseel said, “We can add a little rock climbing somewhere here and probably climb.”

Raseel, her siblings and their family also enjoyed visiting the tables from Contra Costa Health and Public Works.

At a CalFresh table, people could pedal a stationary bike to power up a blender ready to make smoothies.

Immunizations were also available as the health departments set up a mobile clinic.

Get It Girl Fitness also energized the crowd as owner Latonya Whitaker hosted a dance workout.

“When I walked up,” Whitaker said, “I already had a vision of a field day, like adults’ kickball, things like that.” It was Whitaker’s first time at Montalvin Park, but she hopes it will not be the last time she or the county are here for an event. And as a mother herself, Whitaker knows what a park can provide.

“These kids are inside too much. They’re not outside. I got three boys, you know, they need to be outside. They need to have more family time,” she said.

Montalvin Park is set to get another upgrade with the installation of American With Disabilities Act-compliant parking, benches and landscaping in the upper parking lot of the park. The renovations are scheduled to be complete by Nov. 25, according to the Public Works website.

The park will remain open during this time, but fences will be installed around the work area for safety reasons and park users might encounter staff and equipment during the work hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. •

San Pablo resident Ella Mok, 6, sits on the bear statue on Montalvin Park’s new playground.

Children pose as Supervisor John Gioia cuts the ribbon on Montalvin Park’s new play structure.

Kids play in the new play structure during the Montalvin Park ribbon cutting event on Aug. 24 in the unincorporated area of Montalvin Manor near San Pablo.

Samaa Alawadi rides the stationary bike at the CalFresh table to power a blender and make a smoothie during the Montalvin Park ribbon-cutting event.

This aerial view of Montalvin Park was captured via drone. The park is getting additional renovations that are scheduled to be finished by Nov. 25.

Get It Girl Fitness owner Latonya Whitaker instructs a dance workout session during the Montalvin Park ribbon-cutting event.

‘Kamala IS Brat’: Will Gen Z Rally Around Kamala Harris?

BY NATASHA KAYE

f you ask anyone what the quickest way to Gen Z’s heart is, the most likely answer would be memes. And the eruption of memes once Vice President Kamala Harris announced her bid for the presidency in 2024 in July after President Biden dropped out is living proof of that generational enamorment with viral internet moments.

From her now iconic “you think you just fell out of a coconut tree” quote, to remixes of her speeches with songs from pop stars like Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, Harris’ virality has garnered millions views on social media, making her a nearly inescapable figure for anyone on the internet.

Her campaign has tapped into the power of these memes, with X and TikTok accounts like “Kamala HQ”, an official Harris campaign account, re-creating videos with viral TikTok sounds and even updating its X banner to be a nod to Charli XCX’s hit summer album “Brat.”

But will internet savviness popular with the youth be enough to secure her the win?

The Contra Costa Pulse spoke to several members of Gen Z to see how they’re feeling about the new presidential candidate.

Sylvie Gizzi, a 24-year-old law student from Oakland, said Harris’ ticket gives her more hope than Joe Biden’s.

“I’m feeling a little better about it now than I probably did a month ago when Joe Biden was the candidate,” Gizzi said. “I think she has her issues. Obviously, I think every single politician has their issues, but I like that she’s younger. I obviously like that she’s a woman, especially a woman of color.”

As the first woman, the first Black person and the first South Asian person to be elected into the vice presidential seat, Harris has already broken countless boundaries in politics. These aspects of her identity have been a green flag for many Gen Z voters, like Gizzi and Sarah Hamza, a 22-year-old recent UC Berkeley graduate from Tustin, Calif.

“We’re ready, like as a nation, especially the amount of young voters who are coming out and who are so excited. We are so ready for a woman of color president,” Hamza said. “Me and all of my friends are kind of just sick of this, old white man versus old white man. I think we need something new, something different, and this is exactly what we needed.”

For other young voters, the identity politics don’t

Pinole Chief of Police Retires After 36 Years

BY BAY CITY NEWS

inole Police Chief of Police Neil Gang retired in September after spending 36 years in law enforcement.

“It has been an honor and a blessing to serve the Pinole community,” Gang said in a statement Sept. 5. “Together with the outstanding officers of the Pinole Police Department, we have worked to make this city a safer, stronger, and more connected place to live. I look forward to the next chapter, but will always cherish the

hold the same value. For instance, Zachary Andrews, a 24-year-old grassroots organizer from Washington, is not convinced Harris will be any different from her presidential counterpart, Biden.

“I voted for Biden in 2020 and I feel like I’ve kind of come to regret that, given what the administration has done on a lot of things, especially around Palestine in the last 10 months,” Andrews said, “and Harris hasn’t indicated that she’s going to have any different kind of approach, which makes me feel like nothing is going to change.”

The ongoing war in Gaza has proven to be a major issue in the upcoming election, especially amongst young voters. For a generation raised by the internet, the images of the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians at the hands of Israel have been difficult to ignore.

“A lot of people my age are waiting to see what she’s going to speak out about in terms of the war in Israel and in Gaza,” Gizzi said. “Part of me feels like, if she is able to make even just the slightest bit of progress, like getting a cease-fire or something, that could drive up enough voters to maybe seal the deal.”

Speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22, Harris said, “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.” She made similar remarks in July after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also saying, “We cannot

relationships and achievements made in Pinole.”

Gang earned a reputation as a reformist leader in the police department over his tenure, pioneering programs like what Pinole says was the nation’s first Video Reporting Program and the Asher Model-7 Point Approach to a Culture of Wellness. He introduced social and emotional intelligence into hiring and promotional processes as well, according to the press release.

“Chief Gang’s tremendous impact will resonate long after his retirement,” said the city’s press release. “His innovative programs and leadership models have left a lasting legacy across multiple areas of public safety and city governance across the City of Pinole.”

His reforms earned Gang the California Police Chiefs Association’s Joe Malloy Award in 2023 and led to him being named Public Safety Hero of the Year by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020.

Gang began his work as a police officer in West Windsor, N.J., in 1988 before moving on to leadership positions in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Surprise, Ariz., according to the press release. Gang served as a canine

allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.”

In addition to the turmoil occurring in the Middle East, other hot button topics like inflation, gas prices and abortion access are the biggest issues swaying young voters’ minds. In fact, one Statista poll from 2023 said inflation and gas prices were the most important issues for Gen-Z and millennial voters.

“I just want to be able to afford gas, man,” said Carlos Mendoza, a 26-year-old mechanic from Castro Valley. “I don’t like either of them, really, but I don’t think Kamala is going to be lowering the gas prices anytime soon.”

Gas prices are not up to the president, however, nor are the prices of anything else. NACS, the association for convenience and fuel retailing, says gas prices are something presidents “have very little control over.”

“Yes, policies and legislation can certainly play a role,” it continues, “but gas prices are largely dictated by oil prices and oil prices are dependent upon supply and demand.”

Whether or not these big ticket issues will be enough to bring Gen-Z to the polls this November remains to be seen, though the voting habits of younger demographics have historically swayed left.

With Election Day fast approaching, Harris only has about a month to convince young voters, and the rest of the country, of her strengths. Perhaps her team’s internet savvy will be enough to secure her the vote, though only time will tell. •

handler, field training officer and lieutenant before joining Pinole police.

He became chief just a year after joining the Pinole Police Department as a commander in 2013. Later, he served as fire chief from 2017 to 2019 and as interim city manager for 11 months, with his interim tenure ending earlier this summer.

Gang attended Northwestern University School of Police Staff Command, where he was class president. He later earned a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership at UC San Diego, after earning a bachelor’s degree in justice administration at Wayland Baptist University.

Then-California Sen. Kamala Harris poses with a young person at a 2017 healthcare rally at the U.S. Capitol. (“Future VP Kamala Harris in 2017” by Mobilus In Mobili / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license)

‘My Simple Existence Is Political’: Why Voting Matters to Me at 19

COMMENTARY • AMERICA LEON

rom news articles discussing the presidential race to speeches at each party's national political convention to edits and memes about presidential candidates on social media, information surrounding the upcoming election has been just about everywhere. Although the present media frenzy has evoked some excitement in me as a first-time voter, and I largely credit my high school AP Government teacher with helping me understand the importance of political involvement, the prospect of voting has been atop my mind for several years.

As an elementary school student, I marveled at the pride and enthusiasm of those around me when Barack Obama was reelected president in 2012. In 2016, I witnessed the anxiety of friends and loved ones who expressed immense fear for their livelihoods in the wake of Donald Trump's presidency. At the age of 15, I watched as tragedy spread throughout the country in 2020 due to the pandemic and horrifying police brutality, followed by dangerous attempts at undermining American democracy by Trump in the final days of his presidency. And earlier this year, like many people I questioned whether President Biden would be the ideal Democratic presidential candidate due to his age and detrimental handling of the war in Gaza.

Reflecting upon the impact each of these moments has had on me and my loved ones, I realize how my life has always been, and remains, deeply intertwined with politics. So the commonly regurgitated sentiment that presidential elections do not directly impact anyone's life and, therefore, it does not matter who the president is is one I disagree with firmly. As a first-generation American, daughter of immigrants, and woman of color, my simple existence is political.

I have listened to government leaders and politicians question whether I am a legitimate American due to my family's immigration status, express their intent to strip away my bodily autonomy as a woman, brush off the

San Pablo City Council Gives Elected Officials a Raise, Renames Columbus Day

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

blatant environmental racism rampant in predominantly low-income communities like my own, and support policies perpetuating systemic barriers to education for people of color. This, which is my reality, empowers me to vote.

As a newly eligible young voter, however — part of a group with historically low voter turnout — I understand why youth voter hesitancy is so prevalent. In real time, I have seen the immense harm that the power wielded by politicians and government leaders can cause. Feeling overwhelmed or stressed about one’s decision and questioning whether politicians even have young people’s best interests at hand is valid. Still, I would be wary about abstaining from voting entirely. Aside from the presidency, the future of the Supreme Court and ballot measure outcomes are also at stake in this election.

In recent years, I have seen the Supreme Court strike down Roe v. Wade and affirmative action in higher education, both of which disproportionately impact socioeconomically disadvantaged and systemically marginalized individuals. Based on the outcome of the presidential election and the subsequent future of the Supreme Court, same-sex marriage is also at risk of being overturned, as conservative Justice Clarence Thomas expressed an intent to revisit the Obergefell v. Hodges decision.

The San Pablo City Council passed an ordinance Sept. 16 raising the salaries of the town’s elected officials, including council members, making them some of the highest-paid city officials in Contra Costa County.

Council members voted 4-1, with Mayor Patricia Ponce voting against, to approve the first reading of the ordinance. The increase means council members, including the mayor, who is appointed by the council, will be paid a monthly salary of $1,422 by the end of the year.

The change is a 30% increase to the current council member salaries and accounts for a 5% increase per year, which is the maximum allowed under state law, since the last pay adjustment in 2018.

Salaries also change for the city clerk and city treasurer under the ordinance, increasing them both to a monthly salary of $312.

With the increase, San Pablo council members are only paid less than council members in the cities of Antioch and Concord, according to data obtained by the city.

The ordinance, which still needs to undergo a second reading on the council’s consent calendar at a later meeting, would go into effect in December.

And, in California, voters could make positive strides for educational equity by voting to build and repair public schools, economic equity by voting to raise the minimum wage, and criminal justice system reform by voting to end involuntary servitude as punishment for crimes, dismantling the remnants of slavery that exist in U.S. prisons.

So while we recognize that oppressive systems exist in the country and within our government, now, more than ever, we must use our voices and votes to advocate for ourselves and our communities.

In this election, my vote and the first ballot I will cast will not only reflect my interests but also the interests of my family members who do not have the privilege of voting, public school kids who learn in underfunded classrooms and highly polluted communities, and women across the country whose liberties and rights to privacy and healthcare are in danger.

Political awareness and involvement are imperative because all our lives are inherently political. We should continue to educate ourselves on social justice issues, critically assess the statements, speeches, and upcoming debates of presidential candidates, research ballot measures to decide what we align with, and equip ourselves to vocalize the criticisms we have of the government leaders meant to serve us. •

Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day renaming

The San Pablo City Council unanimously voted to rename Columbus Day, a city-recognized holiday falling on the second Monday of every October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day following a recommendation from the city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Officers.

The renaming aligns with “the City’s values of inclusivity and respect for all cultures,” according to the resolution. “It would provide a platform for Indigenous communities to be recognized and celebrated, fostering greater cultural understanding and engagement within the City.”

The move will also further change the name of the holiday in a few agreements between San Pablo and various employees, referring to the holiday in those agreements only as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“In recent years, there has been a growing movement to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” an agreement between San Pablo and the Association of Intermediate Employees reads, “to honor and acknowledge the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous communities, while also recognizing the impact of colonization.” •

"The commonly regurgitated sentiment that presidential elections do not directly impact anyone's life and, therefore, it does not matter who the president is is one I disagree with firmly."

Long After Stepping Off the Mound,

BY JOE PORRELLO

ince he retired from Major League Baseball at age 24 because of shoulder problems, the routine “Play ball!” Les Cain had grown up hearing turned into “Order in the court!”

In 1976, a few years after his playing days had ended, a Michigan judge ruled that Cain’s shoulder injury was the Detroit Tigers’ responsibility and ordered the team to pay Cain $111 per week in workman’s compensation for the rest of his life.

Although the national news was considered a landmark case many observers thought would make teams more cautious about player injuries, Cain says, “Nothing really changed.”

In part two of this series, Cain spoke about the multiple times he was sent to the minors, including times in which he says he was injured.

The judge ruled he was an MLB player at the time of his injury and should have maintained his status instead of being sent to the minor leagues, Cain says. The days of service Cain lost due to being demoted — instead of being put on the major league injured list — would have put him over the threshold to receive an MLB pension that would total roughly $1.5 million.

“You can’t turn your back on what workman’s comp says, because it’s based upon the same injury,“ he said. “They took away or did not give me a year and a half of time.”

Four years of service are needed for Cain to be vested as an MLB player, a total of 172 days for each year including 162 games played and 10 days off.

The MLB Players Association, the athletes’ union, says Cain is 43 days short of his pension. It did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

According to BPI Wealth, the average monthly MLB Pension Plan payout is around $7,500 per month. The pension can be “turned on” as early as age 45, but those who wait until age 62 can receive about $265,000 yearly. Adding insult to injury, the minimum annual salary for MLB players — the least they can be paid under the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the union — the year after Cain got drafted in 1967 was $6,000, according to Baseball Almanac; today it is $740,000, according to the Associated Press.

After stints in Spring Training with the San Francisco Giants, Cain’s and former Tiger’s teammate Ozzie Virgil — the first Black player with Detroit — introduced him to Horace Stoneham. Stoneham, who owned the Giants for 40 years through their move from the Polo Grounds in New York to the Bay Area, got Cain a job as an insurance salesman — a position he kept for parts of the next 35 years.

Cain also opened three laundromats in the East Bay but sold them and left his insurance job to care for his wife, Vera, who was diagnosed with cancer. Before she died from her illness in 1996 at 46, Vera urged him to

start working again.

On her last day alive, Cain passed an exam to become a San Francisco Muni bus driver and did the job for nearly a decade until his daughter, named Leslie like him, died of cancer in 2006. Cain’s made an unofficial pension request came after wife’s death; the second after his daughter’s — neither received replies from the MLBPA.

He says Vera believed the pension Cain deserves would eventually be given to him.

“Do I still think she’s correct? Yes,” he said. “The one thing (MLBPA and Tigers) weren’t expecting is that I’d still be living.”

In 2010, Cain started receiving annual gratuity checks of $8,000, but until he was assured by the MLBPA in 2017 that cashing the payments would not affect his pension, he sent them back with letters detailing his dilemma. The gratuity payments started as a result of a lawsuit filed against MLB on behalf of other players in situations similar to Cain’s.

One of them, Gary Cooper, who played for the Braves in 1980, missed the cutoff by a single day of service.

Cain says unlike a pension, the gratuity checks’ downside is that they do not include any benefits and stop when a player dies, so they cannot pass on to family. Cain’s son and only living direct relative, Brian, turned 55 in August.

In 2018, Cain sent a letter to the MLBPA and says he was ignored again.

The last time he requested his pension was in 2019. A year later, he says he received a letter from an MLBPA insurance company denying his request and was told there was no record of his years of prior inquiries.

If three official pension appeals are made, Cain’s case would then turn to civil court, he says. In the last five years, he has contacted several attorneys about his case but they won’t take it.

“They’re all afraid of Major League Baseball,” he says. Recently, however, a legal services program out of Sacramento called the Western States Pension Assistance Project took on Cain’s case.

Despite the struggles, the man known as “Sugar” says he’s not bitter. Things could be worse, he says, noting the lives of many inmates he played baseball against at San Quentin prison.

Cain says instead of dwelling on his hardships, he likes to focus on the positives and how far he has come. “You know how Forrest Gump meets the president and ends up in places he shouldn’t be?” Cain said. “That’s how my life feels.”

He credits those who guided and motivated him along the way, like his father and former coaches and players.

“I’m the sum of all the people I’ve run into; that’s who Les Cain is,” he said. “People who care about you are watching you no matter where you go.”

His favorite job was not playing in front of thousands of cheering fans — they were too far away in the stands. Rather, Cain says what he enjoyed more than anything were his jobs that allowed him to talk with people oneon-one and strengthen his emotional intelligence.

As a Muni driver, he says passengers frequently jockeyed for the seat closest to him to chat about their life — Cain doubling as a therapist of sorts. At his laundromats, he learned the schedules of his regular customers and would often greet them with coffee, snacks and conversation.

Looking back on his baseball career, Cain remembers one of his most memorable matchups was when he faced Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and sent him back to the dugout after striking him out with a curveball.

He also points to his relationships with Tiger teammates, a handful of who are still alive. In particular, Cain talked about his bond with Earl Wilson, who died in 2004. “We were brothers until the day he died,” he said.

Wilson is one of 15 Black Aces, the name the late Jim “Mudcat” Grant gave to Black pitchers who had won 20 games in a season, himself included.

On Mother’s Day (also his wedding anniversary), Cain went to El Cerrito and visited the graves of his wife and daughter, where his name is already on a headstone next to theirs.

The following day, he attended his first MLB game in over two years. (In Oakland, the A’s lost to the Houston Astros.)

“It brought back so many memories,” Cain said. Cain today is a mellow man who just wants the MLB pension he believes he rightfully earned — and to which he is entitled. •

JOE PORRELLO

Retired MLB pitcher Les Cain sits at the Oakland Coliseum to take in an Athletics game in May, which he says “brought back so many memories.”

Native Americans Often Excluded From Voting

BY JOE PORRELLO

For a predominantly Native American community in South Dakota, their assigned polling place was a chicken coop. Elsewhere in the U.S., Indigenous people can struggle to vote because they can't get to their polling places or because they may go long stretches without mail service.

Racism and poor infrastructure alike combine to disenfranchise Native Americans. Native American Rights Fund senior staff attorney Jacqueline De León, who leads the Native American Voting Rights Project, discussed the issue during a March 20 meeting of the California Commission on the State of Hate.

Just getting on the voter rolls can be a challenge.

“We saw that registration opportunities were much, much less equitable — if they occurred at all on Indian reservations,” she said. “We may have 2,000 eligible voters and less than 250 registered, and that’s because voter services aren’t on the reservation.”

So along with California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, NARF helped lead an effort to make 638 Native American Indian Health Services facilities into designated national voter registrations sites.

After co-leading nine field hearings in California on voting with 120 witnesses from Indian reservations, De León said one common theme emerged: Voting services are not accommodating to Native Americans.

This contributes to the percentage of Indigenous voters being lower than any other ethnicity, noted De León. Their numbers can be so low they’re often not officially counted in voter demographics.

“We get labeled with this idea that Native American communities are apathetic and just don’t want to vote, but I think what all of these factors are showing is that Native communities… are being told over and over that the system is not for them,” said De León.

She said voter turnout is also low among Natives because polling places can be practically inaccessible.

“Traveling great distances on poor roads is very difficult,” she said. “If you don’t have a vehicle because you’re impoverished, it can make travel impossible.”

And voting by mail isn’t necessarily any easier as many Native Americans don’t have traditional mailing

Pittsburg’s Dream Courts Get Closer to Becoming Reality

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

Contra Costa County’s largest indoor basketball center just got an operator for at least 10 years, moving one city closer to tapping into an over $100 billion sports tourism industry.

Pittsburg’s Dream Courts — a 45,000-square-foot complex made up of five basketball and multipurpose courts — will be under the operation of the Ultimate Basketball Fieldhouse, LLC once construction finishes. In addition to regular operation and maintenance, the operator will host community clinics, Jr. NBA practices and games and corporate events on the courts.

The Pittsburg City Council unanimously approved the agreement with the Ultimate Basketball Fieldhouse at its

addresses or regular postal service.

“It’s not as easy to just drop your ballot outside your door if you don’t have mail delivery,” she said.

De León said some Native American communities in California can go months without their mail being picked up, and they don’t feel confident their votes will be counted.

“We get testimony that the vote-by-mail services in rural areas in California were less trustworthy than outside areas in cities and that tribal communities do not trust their mail service,” said De León.

Those who do overcome these and other barriers are frequently met with racist hostility.

“They just don’t see Native Americans as part of the system that is entitled to vote,” she said.

That’s when De León brought up the chicken coop in South Dakota and a hotel there that as recently as 2022 had a sign forbidding Native Americans.

“To say that we’re back in the 1960s level of discrimination is not an overstatement,” she said.

One Montana county offered in-person voting services during the pandemic to one 90% white town but not on a reservation because they “didn’t want to catch COVID from a Native person,” De León said a worker told her.

“People that are willing to take risks for people who look like them but not take risks for Native Americans … ,” she said, is “racism that affects the types of voter services that they get.”

In areas surrounding reservations, Indigenous people often experience discrimination because of political differences and “long-rooted racial tensions.”

Sept. 16 meeting.

The approval is the final piece in creating a successful youth sports facility, according to Mayor Juan Antonio Banales.

The Dream Courts first broke ground at the end of 2023 after council members approved an additional $5.75 million to fund the facility that summer.

Construction is expected to finish in the winter of 2025.

Ultimate Basketball Fieldhouse has maintained another sports complex in Walnut Creek since 2015, hosting basketball clinics and tournaments. Under its operation, the Walnut Creek facility was named to the Jr. NBA’s Flagship Network, one of only 18 nationally recognized youth basketball organizations that are “committed to pursuing the highest standard of operation in the industry.”

Mike Samuels of Ultimate Basketball Fieldhouse said they’ve considered other locations for sports facilities outside of Walnut Creek but Pittsburg was the “perfect fit.”

“We just think that Pittsburg is ready for a facility like this,” Samuels said.

Vice Mayor Jelani Killings and council member Shanelle Scales-Preston agreed with Samuels, saying that many East County youth, especially in Pittsburg, are involved in sports and already travel to Ultimate Basketball’s Walnut Creek facility.

City officials’ vision for the Dream Courts has been to offer youth opportunities and increase economic development through the expected increase in traffic

Similarly, tribal members who spoke during the California field hearings said they felt uncomfortable in border towns because of microaggressions they encountered.

“In our border town, we often experience a lot of racism and hate, so it was very vital my members were going to get that opportunity to vote in a place where they felt comfortable; they felt respected,” said Regina Cuellar, chairwoman of the Shingle Springs Miwok Indians, referring to the efforts to bring voter services to IHS facilities.

“The community sentiment in these border towns can be fairly clear, and that in itself is intimidation in the voting context,” De León said.

And that may be a sign of a larger problem to come.

“There is fear that in this upcoming election, Native populations — in rural areas especially — may be subjected to intimidation and, worst case, violence,” she said.

In response, NARF will monitor polling places on Election Day, as it has in the past.

Barriers to voting are not the only way Native Americans are excluded from the political process.

For example, said De León, “we’ve seen voter officials backdate false complaints to get Native American candidates kicked off of ballots.”

She said more people need to recognize that Native Americans are both sovereign — i.e., self-governing — and U.S. citizens as well as full members of their counties and states. And as such, they are entitled to seats of government and equal rights, including voting. •

from traveling athletes to participate in tournaments. Travel-related spending totaled $1.9 billion in Contra Costa last year, according to data from Visit California’s 2023 Economic Impact Report, and had steadily increased for years before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I can’t wait until the building is up,” said council member Shanelle Scales-Preston. “I’ll be the first one with a ball in my hand to shoot the first shot.”

Approval of Hotel Funding Furthers Economic Development

The funding approval for a 115-room hotel, according to Banales, was “another piece of the puzzle” in boosting the city’s economic development.

Council members unanimously voted to approve a city-funded loan of up to $1.5 million and a grant of up to $599,999 to construct the hotel. Grant funding will come from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The proposed hotel, a Home2 Suites by Hilton, would be located at 2112 Loveridge Road and is expected to generate around $500,000 annually from the transient occupancy tax. Revenue would go into the city’s general fund.

One of the largest revenue streams among travel-related spending in the county last year was accommodations, according to that same 2023 Economic Impact Report, bringing in over $200 million in revenue. •

Campaigns like this one in 2014 have tried to get out the vote in Indigenous communities, but racism and poor infrastructure still make it hard for many Native Americans to exercise their right to vote. (Alyssa Macy / Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon, via Flickr)

WCCUSD Hopes if It Can Build Housing, Teachers Will Come

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

Low salaries and other financial challenges have made it difficult for many schools to hire new teachers or keep the ones they have. So the West Contra Costa school board hopes to use housing to attract educators.

On Sept. 11, board members unanimously pledged to pursue the development of workforce housing for WCCUSD educators, hoping to ease the housing costs that they say have prevented educators from being able to live in the community they teach.

“The West Contra Costa Unified School Board believes all students deserve the highest quality education,” the adopted resolution states, “which shall include attracting and retaining the best, brightest and most qualified teachers and support staff, despite the severe teacher/ educator shortage.”

WCCUSD has struggled with teacher shortages for years because of district and state challenges, impacting student learning and resulting in a lawsuit that alleges students’ civil rights have been violated.

The shortage is a “multilayer problem with varying solutions,” according to the board, that can be addressed by easing burdens, many of them financial, through assistance with student loans, hiring bonuses or paying for tuition.

For WCCUSD, which continues to fight off insolvency and must make more cuts to maintain local control of its finances, additional financial support for its educators is hard to come by.

Future workforce housing in the district could be funded through Contra Costa County’s Measure X funds, a 20-year voter-approved sales tax that supports emergency services, community health centers and essential county services.

Additional funding could come from other government sources, according to the resolution.

To research potential workforce housing locations, a team made up of district staff, which could include board members, Superintendent Kenneth

“Chris” Hurst and facilities staff, is set to apply for the California School Boards Association’s 2025 Education Workforce Housing Workshop Series.

The workshop series offers educational agencies guidance on workforce housing and connects them with relevant partners.

“It’s not going to be easy; it’s a long process. It’s really going to be a long time,” said Trustee Leslie Reckler. This first step will “at least put a toe in the water” to begin the process.

New Student Trustees Join Board

With a new school year underway, the WCCUSD school board welcomed two new student trustees who will serve through the year’s first semester.

Lucas Wilson and Jorge Espinoza Jr. took over as student trustees at Wednesday’s meeting, succeeding Camillie Paucar and Lola Abdugapparov. Paucar and Abdugapparov finished their terms at the end of the 2023-24 school

year.

Espinoza and Wilson are the first to begin their term under WCCUSD’s new student trustee policy, which pays a student trustee $500 a month.

Because the policy is retroactive to Jan. 1, Paucar and Abdugapparov are eligible for compensation, but the policy was just adopted in July.

WCUSD’s student trustee compensation policy is one of the few in the region and state to offer monetary payments in addition to mileage compensation and elective course credit.

In an effort to hear from a more diverse set of student voices, the new policy also requires that at least one of the sitting student trustees come from a school where 60% of the student body qualifies for the Free/Reduced Lunch Program. If this is not possible, the policy allows a student to be elected from a school with 40% eligibility. •

‘Pedie’

Perez May Soon Have Richmond Street Named for Him

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

The Richmond City Council unanimously voted Sept. 10 to move forward with a proposal to rename a street in honor of Richard “Pedie” Perez III, who was killed 10 years ago by police.

The renaming “would serve as a reminder of the sanctity of life,” according to the agenda report from council member Soheila Bana, who brought the item forward, “and the need to strive towards change that fosters a relationship of trust and respect between its law enforcement and the community they serve.”

A section of Spring Street where a Perez family business is located, south of Cutting Boulevard, would be renamed to Pedie Perez Avenue if approved at a later public hearing.

Bana recognized the work of Perez’s family in creating change at the local and state levels.

“Hopefully this will be the last killing by police in the city of Richmond,” she said. “The family who lost their only child managed to put their sorrow and channel it into activism.”

Among the changes their advocacy has pushed for are giving the Community Police Review Commission in Richmond more investigative power and state law SB 1421, which allows the release of police office use-of-force incident records.

Council member Gayle McLaughlin shared Bana’s appreciation of the Perez family.

“It’s not easy to have to relive a story of the loss of your loved one over and over again, but it’s important,” said McLaughlin, “and now renaming this street is going to be a way of keeping the name Pedie Perez as it should be — front and center for our community.”

A public hearing will be held at the Sept. 24 meeting on the proposed street name change.

Council Tries to Keep City Politics From Being a Family Affair

Council members approved a nepotism ordinance that prohibits immediate family members of council members, department heads and the city manager from sitting on boards, commissions, committees and task forces.

The ordinance, which passed in a 6-0 vote with council member Doria Robinson recusing herself, will go into effect 30 days after its adoption. Relatives who currently sit on commissions or boards are allowed to serve out their current term but are unable to be reappointed.

The ordinance is meant to “include wider participation on City bodies, and limit undue influences or the appearance of influence by the elected City official over the board member, commissioner, or task force member.”

Those restricted from appointments to boards, committees and other bodies include parents, spouses, children and in-laws.

In addition, the ordinance prevents the appointment of business associates.

The ordinance defines business associates as: “Any person who receives income, whether from investments or as compensation from the same entity, whether it be a commercial or nonprofit entity, as a currently seated City Council Member, City Manager, or City Department Head.” •

Unable to offer much in the way of financial support to teachers and potential hires, the WCCUSD hopes to entice educators with workforce housing. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy)

Taxpayer Advocates Recommend Voters Take an Astute Approach to Local Measures

BY RUTH DUSSEAULT | BAY CITY NEWS

This November, Bay Area voters will see dozens of tax and bond measures on local ballots designed to fund everything from sidewalks to school computers.

According to taxpayer advocates, voters should be mindful of the way those measures are written. Their impacts and costs should be clearly stated, and they should never be promoted using taxpayer dollars.

With the whittling of federal post-pandemic recovery funds from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, cities, counties and school districts are looking for new sources of revenue.

“Anytime there’s a presidential election, you’re going to see more tax and bond measures on the ballot because the big turnout is viewed as favorable,” said David Kline, spokesperson for the California Taxpayers Association. CalTax, the oldest taxpayer association in California, also runs a nonprofit nonpartisan research foundation.

Their research found nearly 500 local tax and bond measures on ballots throughout California, including sales taxes, business taxes, parcel property taxes and transient occupancy taxes.

“Hotel taxes are always popular because you could argue that you’re going to tax out of towners, not the people who are actually voting,” said Kline. “A lot of parcel taxes will increase the cost of owning property.”

Each tax is described as needed for some noble purpose, he said, but they all ultimately are paid by the taxpayer, and it raises the cost of living in California.

“Any tax on a business is going to come out of the pockets of people who buy things from that business or contract with that business,” he said. “Businesses still need to hire people, and they still need to pay for any machinery they might be using, insurance, the costs of keeping the doors open. If the tax is going up, that just means they must try and recoup that money somewhere, and generally that’s going to mean higher prices.”

The California Fair Political Practices Commission

Vegan Chili Reigns Supreme At Rodeo Chili & Salsa Cook-Off and Car Show

BY MALCOLM MARSHALL

A Rodeo tradition, the Chili & Salsa Cook-Off and Car Show returned to Lefty Gomez Field for another year of cooking — and consuming

classic cars and community.

is a five-member independent, nonpartisan office that administers the Political Reform Act, which regulates campaign financing, conflicts of interest, lobbying and governmental ethics. It was created in the wake of the Watergate scandal in 1974 when voters approved Proposition 9.

The commission prosecutes hundreds of cases a year. It issues fines for violations like the misuse of campaign funds and failure to include correct disclosure statements on advertisements. Flyers and print mailings must include the words “Ad paid for by” followed by the name of the campaign committee.

The commission’s website has a heat map of violations statewide that drills down to list the actions and fines for each case.

“People should remember that the local governments get to write the ballot question, so they often use biased language,” said Kline. “A lot of school districts and local governments use their official websites to try and promote a yes vote. We’re always on the lookout for that.”

The 19th annual Chili Cook-Off on Sept. 8 brought out close to 2,000 people, according to Sylvia Villa-Serrano of the Bayfront Chamber of Commerce, host of annual the event, making it the most successful to date.

The baseball field — named for the late Hall of Fame pitcher, who was from Rodeo — was turned into an open kitchen with eight teams preparing chili and salsa (four contestants for each) on-site while tasters voted for their favorite of each.

Also vying for the day’s top prize were 130 classic car owners, who brought out their meticulously restored prized possessions and shared their stories with attendees.

A DJ spinning tunes kept the mood upbeat and lively as local businesses and nonprofits set up booths to promote products and services available to the community. Villa-Serrano said while the event has remained essentially the same, it keeps getting bigger and bigger every year.

“It has just become a larger event,” she said.” I think it resonates because it’s a community event. It’s folks just getting together with their neighbors and enjoying the day.”

Kline urges voters to let the Fair Political Practices Commission know if they see illegal campaigning using tax dollars.

“Groups are allowed to do educational outreach, but what they are not allowed to do is to give biased information,” Kline said.

“If they’re not giving the tax rate, for example, and they’re just saying this will modernize schools and promote quality education and make outstanding this and that; if they don’t mention any of the costs or the potential effects of the measure, like changes in property values, that is not a fair representation. Under the law, if an ad has the tone and tenor of a campaign piece, then it can be considered illegal.”

This year’s awards went to Laura Hulse of Walnut Creek who won both the people’s choice and judges’ awards for her vegan chili. Her slow-cooked, hearty chili seemed simple but was still satisfying and flavorful with a touch of heat. It came topped with cilantro and onion. Hulse beat out her own husband, whose chili did contain meat and was topped with cheese and sour cream. It’s not the first time he’s come so close to tasting victory; last year, he lost by one vote.

In the salsa competition, Bernadette Sanchez of Hercules won the judges award, while Christina Holmes and Adriana Hernandez of Pinole claimed the people’s choice award. And in the car competition, Ed Santos won Best in Show with his beautiful 1937 red Ford Roadster.

The Bay Front Chamber of Commerce represents the business communities in the cities of Hercules, Pinole and Rodeo. The cook-off and car show event was also a fundraiser for the Bayfront Scholarship Fund, which gives scholarships to students from the three local high schools: John Swett, Pinole Valley and Hercules. Phillips 66, El Sol restaurant and the Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council sponsored the event. •

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