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April 16, 2021
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Only one-third of high school students so far returning to on-campus learning JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
Late last month students in local public schools got the greenlight to return to campus in hybrid schedules that combine continued distance learning with limited on-campus instruction that is slated to continue through the end of the school year in less than seven weeks. Initial reports show that Mt. Diablo Unified School District elementary school students have returned to their campuses in substantially larger numbers than teens in middle and high schools. Officials note that classroom attendance increased day by day and they anticipate larger numbers this week after Spring Break on MDUSD campuses and at Clayton Valley Charter High. MDUSD spokesman Austin Breidenthal said, “Attendance trended slightly upwards during the [first] week, seeming to match a comfort level with safety assurances.”
See School, page 5
BEV BRITTON The Pioneer
A.J. Chippero
Mt. Diablo Elementary School students head back to school after being kept off campus since last March by COVID-19 precautions.
Concord waterpark site of new mass vaccinations
cent of residents reportedly choosing to get it. The first step in the appointment process is submitting the interest form through www.cchealth.org.
Officials ask that recipients do not arrive to Hurricane Harbor before designated appointment times in order to avoid traffic jams leading from Willow Pass Road. The parking lot for Hur-
ricane Harbor, 1950 Waterworld Parkway, opens for the day’s first appointments about 7:45 a.m. Wait time is 30-45 minutes upon arrival to the waterpark. Drivers will undergo a prescreening for allergies. Once each car is told to pull up to an available station, county health, Kaiser and National Guard personnel will request information. If the recipient of the jab happens to be a passenger, that person can get out of the vehicle and sit in a chair to receive the vaccine at the station. Afterward, drivers pull forward to an observation area to ensure there are no adverse reactions to the vaccine and to receive support if necessary. The county’s mass vaccination operation is the first in the state to allow individuals as young as 16 to receive the
“Vegetation is already dry much earlier,” warned fire marshal Steve Aubert, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. “Without more rain, we are in a world of trouble.” Wildfires and evacuations are a way of life for the 300 or so homes in the heavily wooded Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek hills and valleys—an area FEMA deems a high-risk Wildland Urban Interface Zone. Preparation and defensible space are critical to surviving the kind of fire that swept the Sonoma Valley last year, says Aubert. Led by 51-year-old Morgan Territory native John Khashabi, the Morgan Territory Community Association is actively helping neighbors prepare for and manage this constant threat. The 150member non-profit has amassed a fleet of trucks, a fire truck, water tender, bull-
dozers, and other emergency equipment. Volunteers, many with firefighting and emergency training, will show up wherever they are needed, says Khashabi. “We bridge the gap until the fire department or EMTs can get there,” he said. Once loosely organized as the Morgan Territory Volunteer Fire Department, Khashabi’s truck would often arrive first on a fire, red lights flashing and siren blaring. Unsanctioned, the rogue volunteers were a thorn in the side of ECCFPD and CalFire. The volunteers were operating outside the law, ECCFPD Chief Brian Helmick explained. “Without training and legal status, they were impersonating a firefighter,” Helmick said. “They were putting themselves and others in danger and the liability is just too great.” As the Morgan Territory
Community Association, however, Khashabi and the volunteers are recognized and supported by ECCFPD. “We are working well together,” Helmick said. “Better than we ever have.” Sanctioned by ECCFPD, the group’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is assisting with logistics at vaccination sites. The group is bringing the Firewise USA wildfire reduction training individual neighborhoods. MTCA members are ready to assist with evacuations if necessary. They will be asking residents for waivers this month to allow access to private property in the event of an emergency. Without the waiver, says MTCA safety officer, Doug Fountain, we can’t help. “I love the MTCA,” said resident Kelly McDougal. “I know John and the others are
DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Health officials hope to hit COVID-19 like a hurricane with the mass vaccination site now up and running at Hurricane Harbor. At its peak, Contra Costa County will administer up to 16,000 doses a week in the effort to get all residents fully vaccinated. The site offers all three vaccines by appointment at stations set up in the parking lot of the outdoor water amusement park that has sat idle since it was ordered closed one year ago. Those receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will automatically get an appointment for the second dose. The figure now stands at about 375,000 residents still needing the vaccine, with 80 per-
Concord chief, council worried about DA’s lack of prosecutions
David Scholz
A National Guard member talks to a passenger waiting for the COVID vaccine in the Hurricane Harbor parking lot.
vaccine. Those underage need verbal or written consent by a parent. County deputy health officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli said it was a simple decision to open the site up to a wider population. The Centers for Disease Control has approved the vaccines for individuals 16-49, so Tzvieli said there was no reason not to move forward to get the county to a post-pandemic state faster. Concord Mayor Tim McGallian voiced pleasure that his city, the largest in the county, was able to serve as a staging area for this important effort. He echoed others in attendance at a press conference in encouraging family and friends to help those who might not be as tech savvy to get signed up and make appointments as soon as possible.
there if I need help.” Membership in MTCA is open to all, not just residents. There are no dues, but donations are welcome, Fountain said. The group is applying for grants but in the interim, indi-
As the Concord City Council reviewed updated crime statistics on Mar. 23, Police Chief Mark Bustillos and council members expressed frustration about the lack of prosecution for repeat offenders. “Over the course of the last few weeks, we’ve pretty much seen the same person – or one or two people – and they’ve hit the same businesses and they’ve actually caused damage to now five or six places,” said Mayor Tim McGallian. “And it’s even the same person that decided to come into City Hall and actually broke into City Hall and robbed City Hall.” According to city attorney Susanne Brown, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has opted not to prosecute certain misdemeanors – so-called “quality of life crimes” such as narcotics possession, petty theft, shoplifting and disorderly conduct. “The reason was to focus on high-level crimes such as gang violence and felonies,” Brown told the council during the virtual meeting. “The issue is that while they’re not high-level crimes in terms of what the district attorney is dealing with, they directly affect the quality of life of us community members in Concord.” CONSIDERING LOCAL PROSECUTION
Councilman Edi Birsan asked Brown for an update on a proposal to have a Concordbased adjudication court. “If they’re not gonna do it in Martinez, maybe there’s some way that we can do it here that will give us a sense of justice – and justice quick,” he said. Brown said it may be possible for the city to prosecute
See Crime, page 7
Morgan Territory braces for another year of fire and smoke TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
Go-bags packed with toothbrushes, medications, pet food, account numbers and passcodes sit by the front door. Mowers and ‘tillers kick up dust clouds as acres of dry grass disappear under their blades. Family heirlooms and picture albums rest safely in a storage units miles away. Noses are turned to the wind and Pulse Point is on every phone. This is fire season on Morgan Territory. And with the lack of rain, it’s looking to be even worse than last year.
vidual members maintain all the equipment at their own expense. For more information, email morganterritorycert@gmail.com or visit on Morgan Territory Community Association Facebook.
Tamara Steiner
Morgan Territory native John Khashabi leads a growing association of volunteers who are often first on the scene of a neighbor’s emergency, ready to assist until authorities arrive.
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