www.thepress.net Your Hometown Website
ward Winning News al A pa
YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 11, No. 13
April 1, 2011
Controversy swirls around pastor by Ruth Roberts and Rick Lemyre Staff Writers
A local pastor with a history of lawsuits, tax liens and bankruptcy is under fire from parishioners for questionable financial dealings, and has been operating illegally since his church’s nonprofit corporation was suspended in 2009 for failure to pay taxes. On Monday, members of Pastor Jerry Hanoum’s Mountain View Christian Center (MVCC) staff removed supplies and materials as Oakley Union Elementary School District (OUESD) workers changed the locks on seven rooms at Almond Grove School, which is currently being leased by MVCC and Trinity Christian School. Superintendent Rick Rogers said the church had violated a promise made in January to vacate the rooms as part of a deal to reduce the monthly rent from $19,250 to $12,000. Church officials ignored an e-mail from Rogers in early March, and a 48hour notice to vacate the rooms that was e-mailed Friday, Rogers said. About 75 students were relocated
Press file photo
The sprawling Hanoum Estate in Oakley – leased by Jerry Hanoum pastor of the Mountain View Christian Center – has gone into foreclosure. to other rooms as the result of the room closures. “Unfortunately, this is just another example of Mountain View violating the terms of their lease agreement,” said Rogers. MVCC and Trinity have occupied Almond Grove School since 2008. Their lease expires in June. Rogers said there had been no request by MVCC to
extend the original lease agreement. “With only three months left on the lease, our best course of action is to simply let the lease runs its natural course so the students at Mountain View are not harmed.” MVCC has frequently fallen behind in rent payments, reaching a maximum of $156,000 in arrears last year. After making several
promises to pay, Hanoum sent a letter to Rogers on Oct. 5 apologizing for another delay, but assuring him the money was in hand. “Since our last meeting our funds have been deposited and are in our bank,” Hanoum wrote. “They are going through USA and international bank regulation checks, which is required by the security exchange commission (sic) along with other federal regulations.” He closed, “Please be patient as we are subject to these regulation checks, but our funds have been deposited.” But the following day, Hanoum sent a letter to the congregation saying the church was still in “a crisis situation” and in “dire need” of contributions to pay the rent. Many construction workers had been laid off, his letter said, and “This has affected us to the place that the city school board (sic) is threatening to take our facility. We need to raise $400,000 to catch up this year and take care of next year’s facility cost.” This week, Hanoum declined
Staff Writer
In the wake of pink slips issued recently to two popular administrators at Deer Valley High School, Antioch Unified School District officials are determining the next step for the city’s largest school. Co-principals Scott Bergerhouse and Clarence Isadore were among the 52 district employees issued layoff notices in mid-March. Unless the district’s financial situation changes for the better, those layoffs will become official on May 30. District Superintendent Donald Gill made $4 million in ongo-
Online Now!
ing cuts in order to keep the budget in the black for the next few years. Gill felt the team of Bergerhouse and Isadore worked well together, but the district was forced to issue the layoff notices in order to survive. “The two principals are very effective in working together in terms of their personal relationship,” Gill said. “Having things stay the way they’ve always been, I’d love to do that, but my responsibility to the board and the community is to stay financially solvent.” Gill cited declining enrollment at not just Deer Valley, but schools throughout the district as reason see Plan page 17A
www.thepress.net Your Hometown Website
Remote oversight
Off-campus coaches are going high-tech to keep their athletes focused on academics. Page 1B
Lawbreaker on the lam A local schoolteacher hit with a hefty arrest warrant has skipped town. Page 3A
Can’t rain on DV’s parade
see Pastor page 10A
District reviews two-principal plan by Justin Lafferty
rs
Na t
pe
ion
Chilly and slippery conditions didn’t slow down the Wolverines’ dominant track and field squad. Page 21A Business ............................... 4B Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 13B Cop Logs ............................19A East County Life ................ 1B Entertainment ................... 9B Food .................................... 10B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ........................12A Opinion ..............................18A Outdoors ............................. 5A Sports .................................21A
Press file photo
Deer Valley High School co-principals Clarence Isadore, left, and Scott Bergerhouse were two of 52 Antioch Unified School District employees to receive layoff notices.
Wood wizard
go to news/WebExtras! A woodworking instructor was honored for his service to the county’s youth.
Green clean
go to news/press releases Environmental awareness puts the emphasis on “clean” in spring cleaning.
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Odyssey oddities go to multimedia/videos Students put their academic and creative mettle to the ultimate test.