Pinole councilman facing recall threatens citizens group with lawsuit

PINOLE, December 2007 - Councilman Stephen Tilton, the subject of a recall in Pinole brought about by the citizens group Concerned Citizens of Pinole (CCOP), has threatened the CCOP with legal action as the recall heads into its final six weeks before the February 5, 2008, election.

Tilton and the former mayor, Maria Alegria, who still sits on the council, are the subjects of the recall. A third Pinole councilman, David Cole, was also a target, but he resigned his seat before he could be recalled. CCOP volunteers collected more than enough valid signatures on petitions to recall all three.

In an e-mail letter to CCOP spokesman Jeff Rubin, Tilton said, "I need a physical address where my attorney can serve papers. As the spokes person, I am asking you who should receive legal papers that are being drawn up? Kindly respond in a timely manner. As you know, it can not be a P.O. box.

"I have been threatened and intimidated and it does not feel good. I have simply asked several people, besides you, to address lies on the web site or at least delete them and it has never been addressed. So my attorney is now addressing it in the proper forum."

"The CCOP web site features numerous articles that were published in the Contra Costa Times over the last year," says Jeff Rubin, spokesperson for the CCOP. "The lies he says that appear on our web site appeared in the Times and other newspapers that are part of the Bay Area News Group, which include the Oakland Tribune and San Jose Mercury-News. If Tilton has a problem with the information in those articles, he should be suing the newspaper, not us.

"Since the recall began during the summer, Alegria and Tilton have said that it is based on lies, innuendo, political agendas, and personal vendettas. All of their anti-recall flyers carry the same message. So, I'm not surprised that Tilton has threatened us with legal action. I expect that Alegria will do the same in January.

"If Alegria is recalled her political life, at least as an elected official, will be over. I expect Alegria, with the help of her consultant Kevin Reikes, who boasts about producing political hit pieces, will use everything in her bag of tricks to try to mislead the voters and demean recall proponents at the same time. It seems to be the only way she knows how to campaign."

The Concerned Citizens of Pinole (CCOP) is a grass-roots group that is spearheading the recall of former Mayor Maria Alegria and Tilton. Their efforts began in June, when volunteer recall supporters began circulating petitions for citizens' signatures. In only two months, CCOP volunteers had collected several hundred more valid signatures from registered voters in Pinole than needed to have the recall placed on the February 5 ballot, the same day as the California Presidential Primary

The League of Women Voters and Common Cause, in partnership with the Contra Costa Times, will sponsor a recall debate and candidates' night on Thursday, January 10, 2008, at the Pinole Senior Center. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a debate between Alegria and Tilton vs. two recall proponents. The candidates' debate will follow.


JEFF RUBIN
Spokesperson
Concerned Citizens of Pinole for the Recall of
Maria Alegria and Stephen Tilton
(510) 724-9507, office and home (try this first)
(510) 303-2700, cell
jeff@thenewsletterguy.com
http://www.PinoleRecall.com

Virginia Fujita Enters Pinole Coucilman Race

PINOLE, November 24, 2007 - The Concerned Citizens of Pinole (CCOP), the grass-roots group that is spearheading the recall of Mayor Maria Alegria and Councilman Stephen Tilton, is pleased to announce that Virginia Fujita, a retired personnel specialist for the city, has entered the race to replace Tilton.

Fujita, who retired last year and was re-hired by the city this year on a part-time basis without benefits, is the first Japanese-American to ever run for the council in Pinole. She will be elected if Tilton is recalled, as she is the only candidate running.

Two candidates are running for Alegria's seat; one will be elected should she be recalled. They are former Councilman Roy Swearingen, who served from 1987 to 1990, and machine shop owner Steve Denlis. Denlis has endorsed the recall but is not a CCOP member.

In a separate special election for former Councilman David Cole's seat, the candidates are Pinole Planning Commissioner Debbie Long and former Pinole Camber of Commerce Executive Director Ivette Ricco. Cole resigned his seat in August.

Ricco has a long association with Alegria and Pear Street Bistro owner/former Chamber of Commerce President Gary Wong, whose failure to make monthly payments on nearly half a million dollars on his Pinole Redevelopment Agency loans for more than two years was a catalyst for the recall.

All three elections will be on Tuesday, February 5, the day of the California Presidential Primary.

The League of Women Voters, in partnership with the Contra Costa Times, will sponsor a recall debate on Thursday, January 10, 2008, at the Pinole Senior Center. The time will be announced. Alegria, Tilton, recall spokespersons, and the candidates running in all three elections will be invited to participate.

JEFF RUBIN
Spokesperson
Concerned Citizens of Pinole for the Recall of
Maria Alegria and Stephen Tilton
(510) 724-9507, office and home (try this first)
(510) 303-2700, cell
jeff@thenewsletterguy.com
www.PinoleRecall.com

Pinole Recall of Maria Alegria and Stephen Tilton

Concerned Citizens Of Pinole for the Recall of Maria Alegria and Stephen Tilton

The members of the Concerned Citizens Of Pinole are a group of
Pinole citizens striving to recall Mayor Maria Alegria and Councilman Stephen Tilton

Our main reasons are: • THE PEAR STREET BISTRO FIASCO HAS GONE ON TOO LONG without the owner paying anything, and this has inflamed Pinole citizens and business owners alike. People in Pinole view this act by the City Council as favoritism. We want this to stop — this is taxpayer money. Source: West County Times, 1/25/07, 4/25/07, 4/24/07, 5/31/07. • THE UNFAIR TERMINATION OF A CITY MANAGER for no particular stated reason and for allowing her to become a “scapegoat” for politicians who cannot make a decision. Belinda Espinosa provided a 200-page chronology at the behest of citizens to show her efforts to rectify the Pear Street Bistro loan situation. For her efforts, she was let go. Citizens want a competent city manager at the helm who cannot be bullied by politicians and special interests. Alegria, Tilton, and former Councilman David Cole all voted for Belinda’s ouster. Source: West County Times, 5/15/07, 6/1/07. • ACCORDING TO POLICE REPORTS, MAYOR MARIA ALEGRIA WAS INTOXICATED AND INTERFERED WITH a police stop on January 17, 2007. She invoked her standing as Mayor and threatened to interfere with the police budget as the officer was carrying out his duties to cite a driver who made an illegal turn and was not carrying a license or insurance. Source: West County Times, 6/22/07. • ALEGRIA, TILTON AND/OR FORMER COUNCILMAN DAVID COLE ARE STILL UNDER SCRUTINY with various authorities such as the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office, the Contra Costa County Grand Jury and the state Fair Political Practices Commission. Source: West County Times, 6/9/2007. CITIZENS OF PINOLE WANT FAIR, HONEST, AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT! The status quo must go! Please Join us! Concerned Citizens of Pinole for the Recall of Maria Alegria and Stephen Tilton Call (510) 587-3225 to get involved Send contributions to: Post Office Box 758, Pinole, CA 94564

Pinole Recall www.pinolerecall.com

Submit your articles for publication consideration today to the editors of the San Ramon Tribune.

Habitot Children’s Museum Looking to Relocate to Brentwood

OCTOBER 18, 2007 (Brentwood, CA) – The Find a Way Foundation of Brentwood and Habitot Children’s Museum of Berkeley today announced plans to explore relocating Habitot Children’s Museum to East Contra Costa county. An open meeting has been scheduled for Thursday evening, November 15 at 6:30 pm at the Delta First 5 Center at 760 1st Street in Brentwood to assess community interest in the idea. Childcare will be provided.

Recently, Steffany Lohn, president of the Foundation, and Gina Moreland, founder and executive director of Habitot met with the Vice Mayor of Brentwood, Bob Brockman, about the possibilities.

“The area has experienced tremendous growth since 1995 – 20% of our population is now children under 10 years old. A children’s museum would be a great asset for our community.”

Lohn and Moreland both share a passion for enhancing the lives of children and their families and to strengthen the community as a whole. Lohn and her husband, Paul Levin, have a three year old son with autism and have a strong interest in serving children with special needs in a discovery-based museum setting. Moreland founded Habitot Children’s Museum in 1998 when her children were small. The museum today welcomes over 80,000 visitors to its Berkeley facility a year and has outgrown its current space. The museum has been looking for a new home since 2005.

For more information, please check Habitot’s website, www.habitot.org and the Foundation’s website http://www.findawayfoundation.org