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March 18, 2022
LAFCO gives final approval for critical East County Fire District annexation to CCCFPD
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Move over Gordon Ramsay, Mt. Diablo High’s Cindy Gershen is cooking on TV JAY BEDECARRÉ The Pioneer
TAMARA STEINER The Pioneer
Contra Costa County’s Local Agency Formation Commission gave the final go ahead for the annexation of East County Fire Protection District to the greater Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The unanimous vote ended the underfunded district’s decades long struggle to find an adequate, sustainable revenue stream. CCCFPD will complete the operational and administrative consolidation of the two entities by July 1. CCCFPD will absorb East County’s firefighting staff, support staff, facilities and equipment, and the newly merged organization will provide improved fire and emergency services to the more than 128,000 residents of eastern Contra Costa County. “Annexation together with the allocation of Measure X funds, will double the number of stations serving East County residents, with additional stations opening as soon as this summer,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis. Station 55 in Oakley will reopen immediately followed by two new Measure X funded stations in Brentwood within the next two to three years. The eastern part of the county should have nine stations to be adequately protected says ECCFPD’s Steve Aubert. It is currently limping along with three. “(Annexation) has rightly been characterized as a historic achievement, resolving service deficits that have plagued East County for decades,” Burgis said. “Response times will improve, fire apparatus will arrive with a paramedic on board, and slowly but surely, improved ISO rating will help residents and businesses save money on annual fire insurance,” said Brian J. Oftedal, President of the ECCFPD Board of Directors. Residents in some of the more remote areas of eastern county have been faced with skyrocketing costs for fire insurance, if they could get it at all. While the two districts already work very closely on mutual aid assignments across current borders, each maintains separate operations, training and administrative functions, annexation will allow for achieving economies of scale by bringing the separate operational entities under one administrative structure.
Next issue, Apr. 15, Deadline, Apr. 4
Jay Bedecarré
“Farm to Taste” is a new weekly TV show filmed at Mt. Diablo High School co-hosted by culinary arts teachers Rose Stein (left) and her mother Cindy Gershen (right). Last week’s show featured Dr. Robert Lustig as the group spoke about the ills of sugar and healthy eating habits for America’s youth while cooking a delicious, healthy meal on camera.
Mt. Diablo High School teacher and long-time local restaurateur Cindy Gershen loves teaching her Mt. Diablo High School students how to cook and eat healthy foods. She’s now expanding her passion for educating young and old alike on eating healthy with a television show called “Farm to Taste,” co-hosted by her daughter and fellow culinary arts teacher Rose Stein. The fifth episode was recorded last week in her classroom on the Concord school’s campus with two special guests, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig from UCSF and Mt. Diablo Unified School District director of food services Dominic Machi. While Chef Cindy and the others prepared a luncheon menu including stuffed salmon, stuffed bell peppers, Romanesco, leeks and fresh seasonal fruit for dessert, the
See Cooking, page 7
The Heroes Among Us
Volunteer ‘hooked’ on clean up DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
Hero is a word often bantered about these days, almost to the point where its true significance has been diminished. But what else would you call individuals who are willing to crawl out of warm beds in the early morning hours on the first Saturday of each month to pick up trash? Alex Diaz, a resident of North Concord near Hillcrest Park, has been doing it since 2016 – when he got “hooked” after participating in a cleanup put on by his Neighborhood Watch group. Since then, he has mobilized a dedicated crew of volunteers to join him in tidying up their little corner of planet
Earth, specifically targeting the streets and underpass areas around Highway 242 near Solano Plaza. “Almost every time our group is out picking litter, someone gives a honk, thumbs up or a ‘Thank you’ in appreciation of our efforts. Those small gestures of support go a long way to keeping our group motivated,” said Diaz, who has seen their numbers slowly climb over the years. Diaz praises Stephen McCaffree, Dea Smith, Carlyn Obringer, Daniel Zarazua and Jason Pfister, to name a few, who are rising early for the cause. “Unfortunately, the amount of trash seems to be outpacing our group’s growth,” he added.
A NEVER-ENDING EFFORT The variety of trash he sees never ceases to amaze him, noting they have picked up every wrapper imaginable. “I had no idea that Swisher Sweets came in so many different flavors,” Diaz mused. The group takes photos of larger items, such as abandoned furniture left “for free” on sidewalks, and submits them to the Concord Public Works Department for pick up later. Reflecting on the experience, Diaz pointed to the “before and after” as being extremely satisfying. “To arrive at an area that is totally trashed and leaving it looking nice and clean feels great,” he said. But for all the inroads he
See Hero, page 7
David Scholz
For six years, Alex Diaz has spent a Saturday morning every month cleaning up his North Concord neighborhood
County raises penalties for illegal dumping Pile after pile of illegally dumped garbage, construction debris, old mattresses and abandoned furniture line the county’s scenic routes from Clayton to Brentwood Marsh Creek, Morgan Territory, Deer Valley and Camino Diablo Roads are among the more familiar sites. Dumped debris and trash is not only ugly, it’s an environmental nightmare and threatens not only the wildlife and waterways but the economy and quality of life of the entire community. “In East County alone, the Public Works Department cleans up more than 15-cubic yards of illegally dumped trash each week,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis. Burgis hopes stiffer penalties and better surveillance will
convince dumpers that the recycling and disposal fees are cheaper than the fines. Recently Burgis and Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) introduced a state bill that
would drastically increase the penalties and the pain level for illegal dumping. AB2374, aimed primarily at commercial offenders will raise the maximum fines from $3000 to $5000 for the first
conviction, from $6000 to $10,000 for the second and from $10,000 to $20,000 for the third. And if money isn’t enough incentive to pay the disposal and recycling fees, illegal dumpers will have to pay for the cleanup and could lose their business license. But higher penalties alone won’t curb illegal dumping unless the dumpers are caught. “It’s a question of investing in cameras, license plate readers, and personnel; prosecuting offenders; and educating the public,” Burgis said. Late last year, the CC Sheriff ’s Department received a grant to purchase more surveilCC County lance cameras for the area Supervisors hope higher penalties and more surveillance from Marsh Creek/Morgan cameras will discourage illegal dumping in the county’s un- Territory to Deer Valley and incorporated areas. Camino Diablo. The project is
currently out to bid. Residents in the area are fed up with the illegal dumping and have lobbied hard for more cameras. Morgan Territory resident Kelly McDougall said she and another neighbor were considering sponsoring the cameras on their own. “I’m glad to hear the county is following up on this.” If you see someone illegally dumping, call the Sheriff ’s Office ASAP, 925.646.2441. Without endangering yourself, try to get the license number. To report existing dump piles, use the Contra Costa Mobile Citizen App which you can download in the App Store. Tamara Steiner and Pamela Michael contributed to this story,
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