YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 32
Including Nearby Communities
www.thepress.net
Pittsburg rattles road-fund saber by Dave Roberts Staff Writer A pair of vital East County transportation projects could be in jeopardy if Pittsburg officials follow through on a threat to back out of a financing agreement unless they get more money. The widening of Highway 4 east of Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch and construction of an eBART rail line from the Bay Point BART Station to Hillcrest Avenue both receive funding from the East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority (ECCRFFA). Pittsburg officials are seeking $27 million to extend James Donlon Boulevard, which currently ends near Somersville Road in Antioch, to the west to Kirker Pass Road, a project that currently has no ECCRFFA funding. “Should ECCRFFA decide not to authorize expending full potential funding of this (James Donlon) Project within the next five years, the City of Pittsburg requests that you provide information on how the city may withdraw from ECCRFFA,” wrote Pittsburg City Engineer Joe Sbranti in an April 30 letter to ECCRFFA. ECCRFFA, which is comprised of the county and cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley and Pittsburg, raises funds from fees on new development in East County. As of the
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August 7, 2009
THIS WEEK
Hard knocks on the Delta
A pair of accidents on the Delta left two dead and six injured last weekend.
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Photo by Dave Roberts
Pittsburg officials want to extend James Donlon Boulevard, which currently ends near Somersville Road, west to Kirker Pass Road in order to relieve congestion on Buchanan Road. If it doesn’t get funding, Pittsburg might withdraw from ECCRFFA. beginning of this year, it has committed $213 million for transportation projects, nearly all of which has gone to the Highway 4 Bypass. Another $80 million has been committed to the widening of Highway 4. No funding has been allocated to construct the James Donlon Extension, which is designed to reduce the traffic congestion on
Buchanan Road in Pittsburg – (the project used to be called the Buchanan Road Bypass). And that worries Pittsburg officials, who have contributed $16 million to ECCRFFA, but feel that they have not gotten enough local bang for their bucks.
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Professional perspective
see Funding page 22A
Council asked to study anti-cop charges by Dave Roberts
“ If you have specific charges, you need to
Staff Writer The Antioch City Council may be scheduling a community forum to discuss crime-intervention programs, as long as it does not involve accusations, fingerpointing or predetermined conclusions asserting racial profiling or brutality by the police. Frederick Muhammad, who said he represents a group that has gone door-to-door in Antioch listening to complaints about Antioch police abuse, asked the City Council last week to hold a community meeting to look into it. “We heard the crying and moaning and groaning of community people by the hands of a harsh task master coming out of the police department,” said Muhammad
bring those to our attention. I wouldn’t host or facilitate a study session where accusations and finger-pointing are going to happen.”
” Mayor Jim Davis at the July 28 council meeting. “We hear reports of racial profiling, police brutality, criminalization, socio-economic profiling – that’s when based on your ZIP code determines whether you get justice or no justice at all. And this has come to affect the white demographic. We are learning that the civil rights of community people are being violated. The school district and police department are working to-
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gether to label children criminals without due process. “Now, in my estimation, we have to get to the bottom of these issues. We want this issue agendized so we can fact-find and plunge the depths of it. And if it’s wrong, and the Antioch Police Department is without spot or blemish, then that should be acknowledged. But if there is injustice, that should be acknowledged. But the only way
we can get to the bottom of these issues is if we come together as a community respectfully and sit down and dialogue.” Councilman Reggie Moore said he supports having a community dialogue, but is concerned about where that dialogue could lead. “If it were to degenerate into a finger-pointing exercise where we were placing blame on individuals, I have no interest in that,” he said. “I would be hopeful to have continued dialogue with my council mates to move toward something. I know you have shown interest in enhancing the quality of life in Antioch. I feel very comfortable that there’s an effort to improve the quality of life in Antioch from you see Council page 22A
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The NFL’s loss is Antioch High School’s gain, as a Niners’ stalwart trades in the pads for the coach’s whistle.
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INSIDE Arts...................................13A Business ...........................12A Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................14B Cop Logs ..........................16A Entertainment ................11B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty ............... 8B Milestones ......................... 7B Opinion ...........................15A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A