Honoring the Life, Work & Legacy of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday, January 20, 2025
Vol. 27, No. 3
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January 17, 2025
Group advocates for safer Vasco Road Area non-profit‘s fundraisers to help victims of car crashes
Cynthia Loredo (right) and Tammy Zickuhr discuss Vasco Forever Helping Families, which was established to help bring awareness to the dangers of Vasco Road.
By Nicole Becchina Staff Writer
“It takes less than 30 seconds to change and alter lives forever. It’s 30 seconds that makes your life into a whole new world.” This observation is from Tammy Zickuhr, president of Vasco Forever Helping Families, which was established to help bring awareness to the dangers of Vasco Road. The nonprofit, founded by current CEO Cynthia Loredo, advocates for more safety measures on Vasco and other area highways to prevent car crashes through advocacy, education and action. In 2009, Zickuhr lost her 16 -year- old daughter after she was involved in a car
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crash on Vasco Road. The group plans to honor victims of car crashes on these East County roads by assisting them financially through fundraising. Officials of the non-profit say the money raised will provide assistance with things such as medical bills, hospital expenses, and funeral costs as they strive to ease the burden on families going through the aftermath of a
tragic crash. Loredo husband was the victim of a fatal car crash on Vasco Road in 2017. “My goal is to bring awareness to Vasco Road, to bring awareness and safety measures, go talk to people, talk to schools, talk to kids, help the county and the cities put a cement barrier up on that road, just like they have on the Alameda County side,” Loredo
said. “If I can help one family with a medical bill, with a prescription, with anything, any little bit helps. That’s what I want. I wish there was something in place when I went through it. The bills don’t go away. They add up really fast.” Zickuhr added: “Having the passion to speak about awareness is critical. It just brought us together so close that we want to be able to speak about awareness. It takes less than 30 seconds to change and alter lives forever. It’s 30 seconds that makes your life into a whole new world.” Vasco Forever Helping Families will be holding a private fundraiser in February with delegates and first responders to give an introduction to the nonprofit and its mission. Beginning in March, the nonprofit will host a fundraiser dinner every other month to honor a victim of a car crash who will see Non-profit page 18
Oakley City Council Metal sculpture may be scrapped over higher cost approves police
assistance for Antioch – but only some
Brentwood City Council displeased
By Connor Robles Correspondent
By Jake Menez Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of City of Brentwood
Concept art of “Radiant Convergence,” the sculpture in question. “Radiant Convergence” by Maine artist Seth Emerson Palmiter of Motivated Metal, was originally commissioned by former mayor Bob Taylor during his term that ended in 2020 alongside another
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The Brentwood City Council voted 5-0 at its Jan. 14 meeting to continue the discussion of an art installation to a later meeting after expressing their dissatisfaction with the cost of the potential piece. “I don’t understand why we have to pay more if we already have a contract,” Councilmember Jovita Mendoza said. “It’s just beyond me right now.” The installation in question,
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The Oakley City Council at their Jan. 14 meeting agreed that the Oakley Police Department’s special services team could provide “intermittent and infrequent” aid to the understaffed Antioch Police Department, according to Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard. The special services team would help deal with violent crime “hot spots” in Antioch, with deployment areas changing as needed, Beard said. The team will receive provisional schedules from Antioch police, and will be sent to
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assist only if they are not occupied with other duties in Oakley, and only if the police chief believes that it is necessary and safe enough to send them. They will not be asked to handle routine calls, which Antioch police will still handle. For their help, Oakley police will receive $200 per person-hour of aid rendered, which covers officer salaries, vehicle wear and tear, and fuel costs, according to Beard. In addition to the Oakley police, Pittsburg and Kensington’s police are also interested in assisting Antioch. Pittsburg’s City Council