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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 20, No. 3
January 17, 2020
Gala award winners announced
New SRO On Campus
by Dawnmarie Fehr Correspondent
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce announced the names of its 2019 Gala Award Winners Monday, Jan. 13. The chamber offers nine awards in six categories, including Citizen of the Year and the recently added Veteran of the Year. Richard Pagano, president and CEO of the Antioch Chamber, said each year he has been involved is more exciting than the last. “We always say, man, it’s going to be tough next year, I don’t know who they’re going to nominate,” Pagano said. “Then next year, we are saying the same thing all over again . . . we have so many great people in our community, and they are all doing so much to push us forward.” At the top of the awards list is Citizen of the Year, broken down into two categories: Lifetime Achievement and Most Impact. At this year’s upcoming gala, Wand Hom will be recognized with the Most Impact award for her work with the Deer Valley High School Educational Foundation Gala and Every 15 Minutes. Before she began working for the school as an accounting activities specialist, Hom was a par-
Photo courtesy of Ralph Garrow
Ralph Garrow is the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Citizen of the Year, Lifetime Achievement. He and fellow honorees will be recognized at a gala event Friday, March 13. ent who saw a need for her children and their fellow students. She began her work on the gala 14 years ago.
“Over the 14 years, we have donated about $200,000 to the high school for various programs and materials for the students,” Hom said. “The other thing I do is I am the coordinator of the Every 15 Minutes program. This is for drinking and driving prevention.” Hom further noted she was pleased to be recognized, though she didn’t relish the spotlight. “I will always feel that there are more deserving people in Antioch, but definitely feel honored and glad to put Deer Valley High School in the spotlight,” she said. Pagano is part of the process of sifting through the nominations each year and choosing a winner. He and the other board members are often tasked with the job of digging deep into the charitable and philanthropic work of their fellow community members to choose one winner for each category. He said he looks forward to the process each year as a reminder that Antioch isn’t just the crime-ridden city it is often portrayed as. “There’s these people who are doing such great things despite whatever negativity may be out there,” he said. “It’s just really inspiring to see Winners page 22
State seeks input on water plan by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
As Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration attempt to establish a comprehensive and cohesive water policy for the state, officials are seeking public input on the draft water resilience portfolio released earlier this month. The document was issued in response to Newsom’s April 2019 executive order directing his administration to inventory and assess a wide range of water-related challenges and solutions. Completed jointly by the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the draft offers
“ We are disappointed that the portfolio
includes the Delta tunnel because the tunnel does not increase water resiliency for the state.
”
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta more than 100 recommendations designed to help the state manage drought, floods, threatened fish populations and aging water-delivery infrastructure, among other threats. “California’s water challenges are daunting, from severely depleted groundwater basins to vulnerable infrastructure to unsafe drinking water in far too many communities,” Newsom said in a press release related to
SAVE NOW
the executive order. “Climate change magnifies the risks. To meet these challenges, we need to harness the best in science, engineering and innovation to prepare for what’s ahead and ensure long-term water resilience and ecosystem health. We’ll need an all-of-above approach to get there.” Goals and actions of the portfolio are organized in four categories, including: maintain-
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ing and diversifying water supplies, protecting and enhancing ecosystems, improving the physical infrastructure for moving and storing water and preparing for threats to the water supply. Additionally, it identifies three priorities of the Newsom administration that complement the portfolio: clean and safe drinking water, voluntary agreements on waterflow level in Delta rivers and the construction of a single tunnel in the Delta. Erik Vink, executive director of the Delta Protection Commission, opposed the twintunnel plan known as WaterFix, and expressed concern that a tunnel project is still part of the state’s plan. Others Delta advo-
Officer Jackie Veillette is the new school resource officer at Liberty High School. Page 5
Healing With Written Word
Local author publishes first book using life experiences to help others. Page 6
Changes On The Pitch
New Liberty boys’ soccer coach looking to invigorate and build up program. Page 14
see Water page 22
Calendar................................23 Classifieds.............................19 Cop Logs................................20 Education ..............................5 Food........................................12 Milestones..............................8 Opinion..................................11 Adopt a Pet...........................10 Sports.....................................14
Save Mt. Diablo
BART Safety
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‘Discover Diablo’ hike program seeks to build awareness of conservation.
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BART increasing personnel on trains to address concerns about safety, security.