October 16, 2020
TAMARA STEInER
VOTE
www.PioneerPublishers.com
County’s Red Tier signals more reopenings, fewer restrictions
DAVID SCHOLZ Correspondent
PUBLISHER
VOTE
HopeJohnsonForConcord.com
As we head down the home stretch to Election 2020, it seems as if the earth spins faster and faster the closer we come to Nov. 3. But, as amped up and complicated as things seem to be right now, the message is really simple – VOTE. This election is arguably the most important one facing us at every level – national, state and local – in more than a century. For those who have already mailed or dropped off their ballots, thank you. For those who have yet to decide, I urge you to sit down with a cuppa (nothing stronger, you need a clear head) and your ballot book, and make your voices count. If you aren’t sure about a measure or a candidate, I highly recommend the non-partisan League of Women Voters for information on candidates and measures. Go to votersedge.org. and enter your address to bring up your ballot. Click on any of the candidates or measures for more information. For the Concord and Clayton city council races, the candidates’ positions on the major issues are posted on our website PioneerPublishers.com. Scroll down and click on Elections 2020 to see all of the completed questionnaires. Once you’ve completed your ballot, SIGN IT! Then mail EARLY or drop off at a ballot box. For a list of ballot box locations, go to Contra Costa County Elections https://tinyurl.com/yxfcggdw. See you on the other side.
HOPE JOHNSON People Over Profits
District 2
Concord City Council
What’s Inside
Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 From the Desk of . . . . . . . .10 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . .8 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
David Scholz
Despite the rising temperatures, the long-dormant playground at Todos Santos Plaza and other children's equipment in Con-
cord parks started attracting interest from young residents in early October when the State of California permitted their use again. Public Works staff inspected and prepared all playgrounds, and installed new signage indicating usage rules designed to keep people safe from the spread of COVID-19.
The drop in both the number of Contra Costa County’s coronavirus cases and the percentage of positive tests has moved the county to the Red Tier, resulting in health officials loosening restrictions across a wider spectrum of social settings. The county’s positivity rate is now at 3.7 percent. Red Tier, or “substantial,” is the third highest of the state’s four color-coded reopening tiers. The status means the following sectors can reopen with modifications: Places of worship, restaurants, movie theaters and museums can operate indoors at 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. Gyms can reopen indoors at 10 percent capacity. All personal care services, including massage, can move indoors. Indoor shopping malls can operate at 50 percent occupancy
See Red Tier, page 5
Contra Costa pilots form disaster response team PETE CRUZ The Pioneer
Pete Cruz
Stephen Tucker, front right, and Mike Peterson, left, received PPE supplies brought to Buchanan Field by pilots Doug Fitzgerald and John Sawatzky, background. Once the supplies were delivered to two Contra Costa organizations, the Contra Costa Disaster Airlift Response Team was certified.
When talking to local pilots DeWitt Hodge and Stephen Tucker, it’s hard to say which shines through the most: their love of flying or their enthusiasm for helping people. In September, the pair gathered with a small group of comrades at Concord’s Buchanan Field Airport to complete the last step in becoming California Disaster Airlift Response Team (DART) operators. For the mission, a plane traveled 60 miles from Byron Airport to San Martin Airport near Gilroy early that morning, then took on several boxes of
face shields to fly to Buchanan. The Concord group met the two pilots on the tarmac and then delivered the personal protective equipment (PPE) by car to two local aid groups. Once the trip was certified, Contra Costa DART became operational. “Everyone in the group performed flawlessly,” said Tucker, the new group’s executive director.
HELPING OUT AFTER LOMA PRIETA Various pilot associations and individuals have moved forward the idea of a volunteer airlift assistance program over the years, but Tucker points to the 1989 Loma Prieta Earth-
quake as when the idea likely was born. Landslides cut off roads to Watsonville for weeks, and volunteer pilots delivered urgently needed supplies and medical help to the heavily damaged area. After many years trying to solidify standards for a volunteer air assistance program, one finally coalesced in 2014. Some of the pilots involved in the Watsonville operation worked on forming what is now the California DART network (CalDART). A volunteer board of directors leads a statewide group of volunteer DART operators and supporters at seven
See CCDART page 6
Concord City Council to take first steps to strengthen mental health crisis response
Engagement (CORE) program Currently, Concord and Waland the establishment of a nut Creek share a CORE team Mental Health Evaluation due to limited budgets. According to Mayor Tim team (MHET). CORE served 1,360 people McGallian, extended mental in Concord in 2019, according health services for the housed MAKING CORE TEAM to Barone’s staff report. After FULL-TIME and unhoused populations of conversations with county The CORE program, facili- leaders, Barone suggested that the city could be rolled out as tated by the county, tracks and Concord early as the end of the year. should fund On Sept. 22, the City provides for the needs of the increased hours for the team – Council unanimously directed homeless community within bringing the employees from city manager Valerie Barone to county limits in order to stabi- half-time to full-time – and gather all necessary informa- lize individuals and help them include a social worker for tion to consider the approval seek permanent shelter. CORE added expertise. In the report, of the expansion of Contra teams do not handle crisis Barone said she believes Tamara Steiner/The Pioneer Costa County’s Coordinated response and defer to 911, but A planned expansion of the CORE program and homeless Outreach Referral and CORE can be reached at 211. See Homeless, page 7 services relies on passage of the Measure V tax increase. MELISSA HARTMAN Correspondent
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