District 2 Chief of Staff Gayle Israel attended Hansamo's 5th Annual Korean Cultural Showcase and Award Night at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center on March 3rd. Hansamo is a non-profit Korean American parent organization created to promote Korean culture in the region.

Showcase acts included performers of all ages and art forms, highlighted by the Hansamo Performance Team. The Hansamo Performance Team (percussion and dance) is comprised of Tri-Valley Korean students and is the most renown traditional Korean Performance team in the Bay Area.

Students were recognized for outstanding scholarship, community service, and participation in Korean Cultural learning.

To learn more about Hansamo, go to www.hansamo.org

On March 25th, the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation held their annual Student Recognition Awards at the Valley Theater in Danville. Supervisor Andersen was happy to attend and acknowledge the many wonderful and talented students in the county.

Pictured with Supervisor Andersen are San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board Members, Greg Marvel and Susanna Ordway.

Mayor Inga Miller provided an update on all of the latest projects and issues facing Orinda at the annual State of the City Luncheon on March 20th.

She is pictured here with Supervisor Andersen and former Lafayette Mayor Don Tatzin

To learn more about Orinda and current events, go to their website www.cityoforinda.org

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 27th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. National Take-Back Day is a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. 

The last Take-Back Day brought in more than 900,000 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication. 

This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by the DEA since the fall of 2010 to 10,878,950 pounds.

Check DEA's official Take Back Day website takebackday.dea.gov for more information and to find year-round collection sites near you.

The Board of Supervisors enjoyed music and dance by Mariachi Monumental, Ballet Folklorico Netzahualcoyoti, and Kennedy High School Symphonic Band at the 26th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Commemorative Celebration on March 26, 2019.

In 1994, the County Board of Supervisors established the Youth Hall of Fame to recognize students who make valuable contributions to our communities. Pictured above, along with the Supervisors, are the 2019 Youth Hall of Fame recipients honored at the Ceremony.

On Friday, March 22nd, Supervisor Andersen, in conjunction with Meals on Wheels Diablo Region's annual March for Meals campaign and their 2019 Community Champions Week ride-a-longs, joined volunteer Janice Kelly as she delivered meals to participants on her weekly route in Lafayette.

On the left Supervisor Andersen stands with Janice Kelly, volunteer, in green jacket, and Susannah Meyer, Meals on Wheels Community Engagement Director. 

Meals on Wheels is a wonderful program; to learn how to be a volunteer, visit their website www.mowdiabloregion.org.

Ridesharing is a growing trend in both the US and the San Francisco Bay Area. In Contra Costa County, we are committed to offering incentives to encourage drive alone commuters to switch to a commute alternative, such as vanpooling.  There are over 100 vanpools with an origin or destination of Contra Costa County. The 511 Contra Costa Vanpool Program offers incentives to new vanpool passengers. For those commuters who start a new vanpool, there’s a startup incentive in addition to a vanpool driver bonus up to $1,000 for vanpools that maintain 6 passengers, for 12 consecutive months.  

 

To qualify for an incentive, the vanpool must have a Contra Costa County origin or destination.  If you have any questions regarding the 511 Contra Costa Vanpool Incentive Program, contact Darlene Amaral at 925-973-2655 or visit the 511 Contra Costa website 511contracosta.org/driving/vanpool/.

Benefits for vanpool participants include:  

 

•     Save time using Express Lanes and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes

•     Save money on gas and parking

•     Reduce wear and tear on your personal vehicle

•     Work, read or nap on the way to work

511 Contra Costa programs are funded by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (Measure J) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Transportation Funds for Clean Air.  

Supervisor Andersen made opening remarks at the fifth annual Redefining Mobility Summit on March 8th in San Ramon. GoMentum Station, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), and their partners hosted the annual event.

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) takes great pride in offering innovative solutions to our region's transportation challenges. Over the course of the past five years, CCTA has embarked on an ambitious program to facilitate and accelerate the development of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies that will position Contra Costa at the forefront of innovation and job creation. They have formed strategic industry and government partnerships with automotive, technology and insurance companies, research institutes, and others to collaborate at the largest secure proving grounds in the United States – called GoMentum Station – located on the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Pictured with Supervisor Andersen is Randy Iwasaki, Executive Director of CCTA. To learn more about GoMentum visit their website at gomentumstation.net.

The beautiful San Ramon Valley Creek runs adjacent to the San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church in Alamo. The creek is a wonderful ecosystem that provides a home to countless native creatures and plants. However, the ecosystem is threatened by an aggressive, invasive plant called Arundo Donax. The plant looks like bamboo, grows very rapidly and can reach a height of 30 feet.

(Pictured on left, volunteers removing Arundo from San Ramon Creek - note the height of the reeds.)

This plant was introduced into America by early European settlers for use as thatched roof material. Later it was used for erosion control along creek banks, but it has since been demonstrated that its spreading habit can contribute to erosion by diverting the stream flow. Today, it is crowding out native plants; it is a fire hazard; it can impact the flow of the creek to the point where flood control can be a concern; and it is deleterious to the habitat of fish and other wildlife. It is listed as a noxious weed in California and Texas. State and local environmental and water departments have been concerned about this invasive plant for many years and encourage property owners to remove the reed and replace it with native species. 

With input from experts at the Contra Costa County Department of Public Works, a team comprised of volunteers from the Methodist Church, the Friends of San Ramon Creek (a local volunteer organization), local Boy Scout Troops, local High School students and other volunteers, has developed and tested appropriate protocols to remove Arundo in an environmentally protective manner from the banks of the creek on church property. Protocols include cutting the reeds by hand as access to the creek by machines is not practical or appropriate in order to protect the habitat. The reeds are cut just above the ground level, hauled out of the creek by volunteers, and transported to a green waste disposal facility. Access to the creek should be limited to dry weather, generally between June 15 and October 15. Care must be taken not to leave any cut reeds on the ground as they might take root and particular care must be taken to minimize damage to the native vegetation. The next step is to control regrowth by careful spot treatment of the new shoots with an herbicide approved for use near creeks. Then native species will be planted, such as willow to protect against erosion and to enhance the ecosystem. 

You can be part of the solution! State and County Resource Conservation Authorities encourage property owners who own part of the creek to remove the invader and plant native species. However, when conducting any work in a creek bed, care must be taken to protect the creek and regulations may apply. 

The Friends of San Ramon Creek, as part of the Walnut Creek Watershed Council, have mapped the entire Walnut Creek watershed using satellite imagery to show the enormous extent of the invasion. They are also available to provide advice to property owners on how to remove the invader. More information is available from www.ccrcd.org/fosrc.html.

The Orinda Association along with the Orinda Community Foundation honored the Orinda Citizen of the Year and the William Penn Mott Jr. recipient at the Annual Dinner on March 10th.

Bill Hudson, pictured here with Supervisor Andersen's Orinda liaison Jill Ray, was honored with the William Penn Mott Jr. Award for his dedication to the natural and historical resources in Orinda. Carole and Andy Amstutz were recognized as the co-Citizens of the Year for their many years of combined efforts in the clean-up and beautification of Orinda.

Bobbie Landers and Andy Radlow received Volunteer awards for their long-time commitment to the Orinda community.

The Town of Danville held their annual State of the Town address on Thursday, March 28th at the Crow Canyon Country Club.

Mayor Robert Storer gave the address and honored community leaders. Lee Halverson, life-time Danville resident, was honored as the Citizen of the Year.

Pictured at left are Danville Town Manager Joe Calabrigo, Supervisor Candace Andersen, Mayor Robert Storer and his wife Sandra.

At the March 19th Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board recognized the hard work of County staff, the MEDS Coalition, and volunteers who work to educate the public on the prescription drug epidemic.

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors supports April 27th as “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” as declared by the DEA and encourages residents to locate their local collection site and safely dispose of their accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs.

To learn more about Prescription Drug Abuse and the MEDS coalition cccmedscoalition.org.

Supervisor Andersen joined the Soroptimist International of the San Ramon Valley as they held their Annual Awards Presentation on March 20th at the Crow Canyon Country Club.

Several women were honored for their volunteerism, activism in the community and educational achievements.

To learn more about Soroptimist of San Ramon Valley www.soroptimist-sr.org

At the Saturday, March 23rd Boy Scouts of America Meridian District’s Annual Dinner, Jeff Smith was honored with the Award of Merit. Jeff had served as a Unit Commissioner and a member of the Danville Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Young Men’s Presidency, and also served for a long time as a Varsity Coach, successfully helping his team members achieve their goals.

The County, the Town of Danville, and the City of San Ramon were also recognized for their ongoing support of scouting programs.

District 1 BART Director Debora Allen was the guest speaker at the March 13th Exchange Club of the San Ramon Valley meeting in Danville,

Director Allen updated the audience on BART current issues including parking lots, new trains, new tunnels, fare evasion, future stations and all things BART.

Pictured in the photo with Supervisor Andersen are, from left to right, Catherine Kaufer with therapy dog Theo, Danville Town Council Member Karen Stepper, Debora Allen, and Exchange Club President Tim White.

On March 18th, Supervisor Andersen joined the Alamo community at The Museum of the San Ramon Valley for a special "Alamo Night at the Museum.” The attendees enjoyed the "Sixties at Fifty" exhibit and all of the memorabilia the Museum had on display.

To learn more about the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, and their current exhibit, go to museumsrv.org.

On Friday, March 22nd, the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce honored former Mayor Don Tatzin at the annual Citizen of the Year event, held at the Lafayette Park Hotel.

Over the years, Supervisor Andersen had recognized Don with certificates and proclamations many times, so she took a more personal approach at this event. Since Don is a master chef, known for his wonderful homemade chocolate truffles, Candace gifted him with personalized baking utensils, each one with its own saying; a spatula that is inscribed “Don - Always Smooths Things Over;” a whisk that says “Don - A Transportation Whisk Taker;” and a spoon that declares him “Don - Chocolate Maker Extraordinaire!”

Local Saranap residents gathered at Parkmead Elementary School on March 19th for a fourth public meeting with Supervisor Andersen and County Staff to finalize language for a proposed general plan amendment to define future development in the Saranap Avenue/Boulevard Way area.

This year long process followed the Board of Supervisors approval of Saranap Village, a mixed-use housing project in unincorporated Walnut Creek. The draft general plan amendment language not only reflects public input from the previous meetings, but hours of collaborative work put in by members of the Saranap Community Interest Group, which included members of the Saranap Homeowners Association and Saranap Community Association. 

District Attorney Diana Becton and staff attended an event in New York City on March 12th to announce the end of the backlog of untested sexual assault kits in Contra Costa County. These results come from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participation in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Elimination Grant Program, a three-year grant program to test sexual assault kits.

 

The Contra Costa office was one of 32 grantees funded, totaling $1,841,535 to test 1,246 kits since 2015. The testing of these kits allowed for DNA evidence to be uploaded to the national DNA databank to assist in investigations and identify offenders.

 

The DA's office partnered with 24 law enforcement agencies in our community to erase the backlog of sexual assault kits in Contra Costa County. Testing these kits can help bring closure and justice to sexual assault victims. The office is going to continue working on this issue to ensure there is never a backlog in our community again.

 

To ease the burden of testing these kits, through this grant the DA's office collected the untested kits from participating agencies and sent the kits to Sorenson Forensics in Utah. The collaboration between Sorenson Forensics, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Crime Lab and the DA's office allowed for a more efficient process of testing these kits.

 

Due to state law in California, law enforcement agencies have mandated reporting timeframes to test these kits. If an agency chooses not to test they have to substantiate their reasons to the California Department of Justice.

 

Overall, the Manhattan District Attorney’s program tested 55,242 kits and resulted in 18,803 DNA profiles uploaded into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Locally, the results here for kits were:

 

·     1,246 kits DNA tested (1978 to 2016)

·     182 DNA profiles entered into CODIS

·     122 Confirmatory hits

·     51 Offender hits

·     8 Cases reopened for further review by law enforcement agencies

·     Full compliance of all participating agencies

 

Supervisor Andersen was up bright and early on March 22nd to speak to the Lafayette Sunrise Rotary.

Candace discussed current County issues and topics of interest to the Lamorinda area.

In honor of her guest appearance, a prosthetic hand will be donated to someone in need as part of the club's LN4 Hand Project, which provides, free of charge, a light, durable, functional prosthetic hand to every person globally who wants one and will benefit from it. Richard Shearer makes the presentation in the photo to the right.

The Sunrise Rotary meets every Friday at 7:00 a.m. at the Lafayette Park Hotel. To learn more about the Sunrise www.lamorindasunrise.com.

On February 28th, the San Ramon aquatics and teen staff received the Outstanding Recreation Program Awards from the California Parks and Recreation Society District 3. These awards were for the Star Guard Aquatic Camp, and the Teen Government 101 programs.  

The Star Guard Aquatic Camp was created in 2009 to introduce lifeguarding for participants age 9-12. After years of success, participation was declining. In 2016 the program was redesigned utilizing weekly themes, fun activities, and projects for participants to engage with, while learning important life skills and lessons. Participants gain confidence in and around the water, improve swimming abilities, build social skills and foster positive growth as a member of the community. Since the Star Guard Aquatic Camp was redesigned, it has seen an increase in participation by 213%.  

Teen Government 101 was created by the Parks & Community Services Department and City Clerk’s office to meet the changing needs of the community. The City received a number of requests for opportunities for students to learn and gain experience working with the government. This free program for high-school students included department presentations, which gave a brief overview of responsibilities and projects. Teens also participated in breakout sessions with staff to work through a mock proposal of a large event reaching across multiple city departments. Live polling was utilized at the beginning and end of the day to see if personal opinions could be swayed after seeing what goes into putting on a large citywide event. Teens enjoyed the interactive approach to learning about city government, and 100% of the students expressed they would recommend the program to a friend in the future.

The California Parks and Recreation Society www.cprs.org/ Outstanding Recreation Program Award recognizes outstanding initiatives by local agencies in their effort to deliver the highest level of recreation and leisure programs and services that embody and embrace the values and mission of the profession.  

Supervisor Andersen attended a screening of student-produced films about suicide prevention and mental health awareness at the Rheem Theater in Moraga on March 25th.

The event was sponsored by Directing Change and Culture to Culture, and included a Q&A panel featuring suicide prevention experts and the youth filmmakers.

The Directing Change Program and Film Contest was launched as a demonstration initiative as part of Each Mind Matters: California’s Mental Health Movement funded by the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. 

The Culture to Culture Foundation, which promotes mental health within Asian-American community in the San Francisco Bay Area, partners with Directing Change to include the contest category of Through the Lens of Culture category, for which young film makers are encouraged to explore the topics of suicide prevention and mental health through the lens of a particular culture. 

For more information about these great non-profit organizations that are working hard to increase awareness about mental health issues, visit their websites at directingchangeca.org/ and culturetoculture.org/.

Pictured above, Supervisor Andersen with Culture to Culture Founder Chia Chia Chen and Directing Program Director Jana Sczersputowski.

On March 28th, the East Bay EDA recognized some of the East Bay's best innovators at their annual Innovation Awards.

Pictured left to right is Randy Iwasaki, Executive Director of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, Danville Vice Mayor Karen Stepper, Michaele Hart from Insperity, Supervisor Andersen, and Phil Andersen.

The Assessment Appeals Board conducts impartial hearings on property assessment disputes between taxpayers and the county assessor. Based on the evidence presented at these hearings, the appeals board determines the value of the disputed property or determines other matters of property tax assessment within the board’s jurisdiction.

Contra Costa County is seeking five members to serve as alternates on the Assessment Appeals Board. County residents with experience in real estate, property valuation, or taxation and meet the qualifications below are encouraged to apply for this important volunteer opportunity.

Qualifications:

Applicants should possess five or more years of professional experience in California as one of the following: licensed real estate broker, attorney, certified public accountant (CPA) or public accountant, property appraiser accredited by a nationally recognized professional organization, property appraiser certified by the Office of Real Estate Appraisers, or property appraiser certified by the State Board of Equalization.

Compensation:

This is a volunteer position. Assessment Appeals Board members are compensated for their time at hearings and reimbursed for their mileage to attend assessment appeals hearings.

How to Apply: Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 335-1900 or by visiting the County webpage at http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/3418/. Applications can either be completed online or mailed to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 106, County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553.

For more information about the Assessment Appeals Board, contact Jami Napier in the Contra Costa Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, at (925) 335-1900 or email [email protected].