Supervisor Karen Mitchoff's August e-Newsletter

At the July 21st Board of Supervisors meeting, we presented a resolution to Cancer Support Community in recognition of their 25th Anniversary serving residents of Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Bay Area.

My staff attended Cancer Support Community's 25th Anniversary Celebration at their center in Walnut Creek on June 10th. We learned that Cancer Support Community has provided comprehensive integrative care and free support services to over 25,000 individual patients, family members, and caregivers since 1990. They help to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community and as such provide critical and essential services to cancer patients and their families through support groups, healthy lifestyle classes, exercise programs, meditation classes, counseling sessions, and educational programs.

District IV staff at the 25th Anniversary Celebration at

Cancer Community Support Center in Walnut Creek

For more than two decades, Cancer Support Community has assisted countless cancer patients and their families throughout Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Bay Area serving as a place of inspiration during a difficult time. I am happy to have had the opportunity to recognize an incredible organization and highlight their commitment to the greater health and well-being of and continuous support to those facing cancer. If you would like to learn more about Cancer Support Community, please visit: http://cancersupport.net.

Board of Supervisor's with Mats Wallin, Director of Philanthropy

for Cancer Support Community.

Contra Costa Tobacco Prevention Partnership

Efforts to reduce tobacco exposure on youth in Contra Costa County

The Public Health Division's Tobacco Prevention Project, in the Community Wellness and Prevention Program, was recently awarded a $990,000 grant over five years from the California Department of Public Health, Tobacco Control Program. This grant will help to reduce both youth tobacco influences and secondhand smoke exposure in our county.

Contra Costa's application was very strong, scoring highest of 36 applications across the state of California. This grant funding will go towards our Tobacco Prevention Project to three cities: Richmond, San Pablo and Concord, with two partner community based organizations, Bay Area Community Resources and Monument Impact.

The Contra Costa Tobacco Prevention Partnership was developed in 2013 in response to a community tobacco prevention needs assessment that was conducted by staff, the Tobacco Prevention Coalition, and other community partners. While 87% of Contra Costa residents are non-smokers, smoking-related diseases account for over $334 million per year in excess healthcare costs in the county, and many residents are still exposed to secondhand smoke. Specific populations, especially youth, are targeted by the tobacco industry in their communities, and these populations are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related health disparities. 90% of people who smoke begin by age 19, so youth continue to be an important population to address with tobacco control interventions.

The Tobacco Prevention Program continues to be committed to a comprehensive approach to tobacco control in the county by educating our community about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke, reducing youth tobacco influences, providing smoking cessation resources and providing technical assistance to cities on local tobacco prevention policies. Since 1984, Public Health staff and the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors have been leaders in adopting policies that regulate tobacco influence and exposure to secondhand smoke. These policies include: tobacco retailer licensing, designating all county owned properties to be smoke free areas and regulating the use of electronic smoking devices, which has been used as a model policy across the state. I congratulate Public Health staff on this successful grant proposal and I look forward to their continued work on this important issue in our community.

To learn more about Tobacco Prevention Programs or the Tobacco Prevention Partnership in your community contact Lia Bristol in my office at 925-521-7100.

District Attorney Welcomes New Interns

Every summer, from the end of the school year to the first week of August, the District Attorney's office here in Contra Costa County provides students in college and high school with the opportunity to intern at their offices. This year, 20 college students and 14 high school students occupy all units of the District Attorney's office. The process begins when students send in a cover letter and resume between the months of January and March. After March, prospective interns are interviewed and intern selections are made. Once accepted, students are placed in an office and are supervised by a Deputy District Attorney. Common intern tasks include transcribing materials, resolving victim restitution, and aiding prosecutors by assisting in the preparation of their cases. This year, the interns will also attend field trips to further enrich their experience, such as touring coast guard facilities and observing the Contra Costa County crime lab.

By giving these students the unique experience of interning at a District Attorney's office, they gain first hand experience in the field and better equip themselves for a career in law. We welcome the new interns to the District Attorney office and to Contra Costa County and hope their experience is rewarding and enriching.

To learn more about the internship program, email Dominique Yancey at click here.

Contra Costa County District Attorney Dominique Yancey, District IV Chief of Staff Krystal Hinojosa, and the District Attorney Summer Interns.

Certificate of Achievement Awarded

to Auditor-Controller

Congratulations to our County Auditor-Controller, Robert Campbell, for receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for the comprehensive annual financial report. This non-profit professional association represents finance officials in the United States and Canada.

This award recognizes departments/individuals that go beyond what is expected of them to prepare all-inclusive annual financial reports. Acquiring this award serves to show a momentous accomplishment by the Contra Costa County's Auditor-Controller.

Contra Costa County Library's

Annual Book Giveaway

Our County Library will be holding their annual book giveaway this month! This is an opportunity for you to come and pick up books for free. It is always a huge success and allows these books to be put back into the community, which helped to purchase them through County funds. This is the best solution we have found for disposing of books that are no longer part of our county library collection.

Around the District

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Pleasant Hill Welcomes the Flame of Hope

On July 14, 2015, the city of Pleasant Hill was honored to serve as a passing location for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The torch, the Flame of Hope, travels from city to city until it arrives at its final destination at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where it will be displayed as part of the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

The torch is carried by 126 members of a hand-selected team of law enforcement personnel from around the world, representing 23 nations and 95 law enforcement agencies, along with 10 Special Olympics athletes who have gathered to carry the Flame of Hope the length and breadth of California.

Residents of Pleasant Hill lined the streets leading up to City Hall to support and cheer on the torch runners as they entered the city for a ceremony on July 14th. The ceremony featured an array of community leaders including reporter John Sasaki, Chief of Police John Moore, Mayor Ken Carlson and local special Olympic athletes. Each speaker took a moment to recognize the importance of the Special Olympics and the contributions of law enforcement to its success. "When we entered our careers in law enforcement," said Chief John Moore, "our intentions were to make a difference in the community that we served."

The community involvement on display is the very reason why the Torch Run begun. The Special Olympics, said John Sasaki, "is the means by which people with intellectual disabilities are empowered to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all." The campaigns of fundraising and public awareness done by the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics has made a positive impact in the lives of athletes with disabilities and has raised spirit in the regions it has reached.

The city of Pleasant Hill, has cultivated an inspiring amount of support and enthusiasm to raise the spirit of those with intellectual disabilities. In the words of Chief John Moore, "You have cultivated hope."

Mad City Money

Financial Literacy Event

On Friday, July 17, Travis Credit Union hosted a financial literacy event for teens at Diablo Valley College called Mad City Money. This 3½-hour simulation gave high school students an opportunity to experience the role of adulthood and fiscal responsibilities through a real hands-on money management workshop.

Each participant was assigned a temporary identity, including occupation, salary, debt, credit score, marital status, children, etc. With the help of community volunteers, including Lisa Chow and Lindy Lavender from my office, students visited nine "merchants" in Mad City to choose housing and transportation and to purchase necessities and wants. The goal is to simulate the realities of approaching financial responsibilities and enable them with the tools to learn how to manage their money.

District IV Representative Lindy Lavender working the clothing merchant booth

& helping a high school student purchase necessities.

For many teens that attended, this was the first time they wrote a check or balanced a checkbook. This simulation gave students an opportunity to evaluate their decision making process and prioritize their needs in a safe environment. I believe it is never too early to start teaching young people the financial skills they will need for life. Wise financial planning encourages wise spending and saving for the future. Learning these habitats can have a profound impact on a child's life and the lessons will last well into adulthood.

Our office was honored to have participated in this workshop and acknowledge the value to the community.

For more information about the Mad City Money event please Damian Alarcon, Financial Education Officer at (707) 469-4985 or by email at click here.

High school students learning how to use a checkbook.

Temporary Reopening of

Downtown Concord Fire Station

In July, Station 6 in downtown Concord was staffed back to two companies (a truck and an engine). This is a temporary measure through October 31st, the peak of this year's fire season.

Station 6 has been down-staffed since May of 2012 (with an engine and two-person medical response squad) due to financial constraints, so the reopening of this unit is providing much relief during an extremely intense fire season and anticipated high heat throughout the rest of the summer.

2015 Chinese American

Political Association Internship Program

(A Note from the District IV 2015 Summer Intern)

My name is Kaylee Wong, and I am an incoming junior at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon. This summer I began an internship at District IV Supervisor Karen Mitchoff's office through a program known as CAPA-CEF (Chinese American Political Association Community Education Fund). Though it was initially created for Chinese Americans, its purpose has evolved to immerse all Asian Americans in government and to promote civic engagement. One of the ways they do this is by placing high school students in internships in various political offices in Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Francisco.

The process began with a written application, and then potential interns were invited to undergo an interview with CAPA's board of directors. Even during the interview process, we were given tips and valuable advice as to how to be successful in not only the CAPA interview, but in interviews in the future as well. Once we were accepted into the program, we attended an orientation that also acted as a training session. At this session, I met the other interns and we were taught how to function in a professional environment. Also at this session, we were given our office placements, which was when I discovered that I would have to become a part of the dreadful commute from San Ramon to Concord.

Disregarding the commute, I could not have asked for a better internship experience. CAPA continues to hold meetings once in a while where all of us interns discuss our experiences at our offices, since all of our experiences are unique and our own. Though no two internships are alike, it is a common trend that we all learn a lot and enjoy the program. CAPA has given me an incredible opportunity to work with a friendly and helpful office and as well as the incredible experience of gaining firsthand knowledge of the political process.

To learn more about the CAPA program click here.

Supervisor Mitchoff with Kaylee Wong

~Our office has enjoyed having Kaylee as our sum mer intern. From day one she took initiative and was eager and willing to learn all about the functions of a County Supervisor's office. Thanks Kaylee for spending your summer with us! The experience was as rewarding for us as we hope it has been for you.

7th Annual Mayor's

Healthy Cook-off Challenge in Concord

Promoting healthy cooking and healthy eating is a great cause, but creating a live competition for cities makes the 7th Annual Mayors' Healthy Cook-off Challenge something special. On Thursday, July 23rd a handful of Contra Costa Mayors gathered in Concord's Todos Santos Park, where they concocted meals from a mystery bag of well-balanced ingredients. Each mayor was aided by the masterful hands of recent graduates of Mt. Diablo High School's Sustainable Hospitality Pathway and a restaurant from their city.

Contra Costa County's Agricultural Commissioner, Chad Godoy, was on hand to help judge the competition. He was impressed by the food choices and the creativity of Mt. Diablo students remaking that "It's great to see students using locally grown food."

Antioch Mayor Wade Harper represented the winning team who created a dish that included stuffed chicken breast with quinoa, leek served with a smoke cherry tomatoes sauce.

Other awards included:

* 1st Place for Creativity - Clayton and Danville

* 1st Place for Presentation - Pleasant Hill and Concord

* 1st Place in Healthiness - Danville and Walnut Creek

* 1st Place in Taste - Antioch

The 7th Annual Mayors' Healthy Cook-off Challenge is a project of Wellness City Challenge, a non-profit working to mobilize community resources, empower citizens, and improve health through nutrition, education and physical activity.

Check out the pictures from the participants of District IV.

Judge Chad Godoy, County Agricultural Commissioner visits with the
City of Clayton representative.

City of Concord's Mayor Tim Grayson (left) and Vice Mayor Laura Hoffmeister (right) work with their chefs.

City of Pleasant Hill's Mayor Ken Carlson plates
his dish with assistance from his chef.

City of Walnut Creek's chef from Lark Creek in the
midst of cooking at Todos Santos Park

Community

Announcements

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Celebrating National Night Out

National Night Out (NNO) is an annual community-building event, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. It occurs annually on the first Tuesday of August, and this year's it is on August 4th.

Communities around the country participate in this event aimed at promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. Together we can bring back a true sense of community.

I hope you'll take some time out of your evening to attend one of the following events in the Cities within District IV. If there isn't an event planned in your neighborhood, please lock your doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outdoors on porches, lawns and front steps with neighbors and police officers. You can also check with your local Neighborhood Watch group to see if they're planning any events.

Clayton:

Where: Eagle Peak Place Court

When: Tuesday, August 4, 7:00 pm

Pleasant Hill

Where: Lawn at City Hall

When: Tuesday, August 4, 6 to 8 pm.

The community can enjoy free BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs and explore a police vehicle, fire truck and ambulance, and K-9 demonstration. Children will enjoy a bounce house and face painting. Local organizations will provide educational booths, snacks, desserts, and entertainment. For more information contact Shel White, PHPD Community Outreach, (925) 288-4637 or email.

VetCon is August 17th in Concord!

Do you know a local veteran? There is something for everyone at VetCon.

VetCon is an opportunity for Veterans to gather and network with employers, educational institutions, Veterans health and benefits, and most importantly, each other. Veterans are the greatest resource for each other and the goal of VetCon is to not only help Veterans and their families access the benefits, resources and information they need, but to create an environment where Veterans can tell the story of the transition from military life to the career, hobby, or interest they are passionate about today.

VetCon understands and appreciates Veterans' service to this nation while assisting them and their family members toward a successful post-military adjustment in their community.

Our office will be on hand to assist and look forward to seeing you there!

When: From 9am-2pm, Monday August 17, 2015

Where: Concord Hilton Hotel, 1970 Diamond Blvd Concord, CA 94520

For more information contact Lindy Lavendar in my office at 925-521-7100.

Volunteer Literacy Tutor Training

Help an Adult Learn to Read!

Would you like to help an adult learn to read, write, and spell better? Project Second Chance (PSC), the Contra Costa County Library adult literacy program, announces training for volunteer one-on-one literacy tutors.

Training starts on Wednesday, September 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. and continues September 19 and 26 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. All 14 hours are required. Training takes place at the PSC Pleasant Hill office, but ongoing tutoring meetings can take place at the library of your choice.

No previous teaching experience is necessary, but registration is required and opens on August 5. For more information, please visit the PSC website at www.ccclib.org/psc or call the office at 925-927-3250.

Together we can make a difference!

Commission Vacancies

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has established many boards, committees, and commissions to which it appoints Contra Costa residents to serve, on a volunteer basis, to advise the Board on the myriad of programs and issues under the Board's jurisdiction. Contra Costa residents are encouraged to participate in their County government, and to put their expert knowledge and experience to work in their communities by applying to serve on a Board advisory body.

Supervisors appoint individuals to various boards within their district. Currently there are vacancies for District IV representatives on four different boards, as follows:

1. Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board

2. Contra Costa Centre Municipal Advisory Committee

3. Emergency Medical Care Committee, Alternate Seat

4. Local Planning Council

If you or someone you know might be interested in applying for a seat on one of these commissions, please visit my website for further information or contact my office at (925) 521-7100.

District IV Supervisor Karen Mitchoff

                         2
                         151 Salvio Street, Suite R
                        

                         Concord, California 94520
                        

                         (925) 521-7100
                        