The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has chosen a Minnesota county manager as its new top executive.

David Twa (pictured on right) will take over the duties of County Administrative Officer when John Cullen retires in the fall. The supervisors have been interviewing top candidates for the past month.

Given California’s deep financial troubles facing public agencies, one might ask why any normal person would want this job? But then again, Contra Costa is pretty nice place to live … and it doesn’t have winter, not like a real winter in Minnesota.

Photo downloaded from the Ramsey County web site.

Read more for the full county press release issued a few minutes ago. Read the rest of this entry »

The less restrictive of the dueling statewide eminent domain measures is winning in early returns.

With about 12 percent of returns posted on the state’s web site, Prop. 99 was winning with 65 percent while the opposing measure, Prop. 98, was losing 55 percent to 44 percent.

Both sides poured scads of money into these races. I figured all that fighting would turn off voters and they would send both of these measures packnig.

Last November, I heard from my daughter the horrible news that her step-sister’s husband, U.S. Army Spc. Sean K. Langevin of Walnut Creek, had been killed in Afghanistan in a firefight.

At the time, his wife, Jessica Freeman Langevin, was seven months pregnant. (By way of our complicated family tree, Jessica is the step-sister of my three step-children.)

The next few weeks would be among the most heartbreaking times for a family that not only came together for each other but saw a tremendous outpouring of community support. Words cannot express how grateful we all are. As a journalist who has covered the untimely deaths of soldiers and others in the line of duty, I suddenly found myself looking through the lens from the other direction.

Today, we again had the chance to feel the community support. Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, presented in his Concord office in a small intimate gathering a U.S. flag to Jessica and Sean’s two-month-old daughter, Zoe. The flag flew over the U.S. Capitol on the day of her birth, Feb. 4, in honor of her father’s service to our country.

Click here to read reporter Tanya Rose’s news story of the event.

Pictured in the photo, taken by Times photographer Sherry Lavar, clockwise from the front left, is Joey Freeman, Sarah Vorderbrueggen Regudon, Donna Freeman, Joe Freeman, Jessica Freeman Langevin (holding Zoe), Rep. George Miller, Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Scott Langevin and Nicole Freeman.

Zoe was bright-eyed and happy and when the tears threatened to flow in the rest of us, we only had to look at her little face. Here are a few more pictures:

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, will host two Congress at Your Corner meetings this month, the first in Stockton on March 19 and the second in San Ramon on March 26.

Constituents can visit with the congressman during the sessions on a variety of subjects. McNerney is seek re-election to a second, two-year term.

Stockton: March 19, Cibo di Vido, 1825 Pacific Ave., on the Miracle Mile, Stockton, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

San Ramon:  March 26, Border’s, 120 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Rep. Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton, also one of the 796 super-delegates nationwide who will help decide the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, remains uncommitted today to either Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

“He hasn’t decicided how he’s going to decide yet,” said spokesman Andy Stone. “He’s letting the process play out.”

With neither of the candidates anywhere close to securing the number of required delegates through the primary election process, the decision could come down to these super-delegates.

California has 71 super-delegates, including members of Congress such as McNerney. Others have have pledged to a candidate — Rep. Ellen Tauscher supports Clinton while Rep. George Miller and Barbara Lee are behind Obama.

So, why is McNerney so quiet? Because he’s a Democrat in a Republican-leaning congressional district who faces a stiff re-election campaign of his own November. His endorsement won’t do much for either of the presidential hopefuls but it could anger one faction or the other among Democrats and remind the Republicans of his party registration. There’s nothing super about that.

UPDATE: Curious about the whole super-delegate thing?  San Ramon resident Rick Klau has created www.superdelegates.org, a very cool web site that provides the full rundown of where delegates stand and biographical information about them.

Jennifer Maddux is not happy about the Republican Party’s decision to exclude non-members from its presidential primary.

She writes, “Since I’ve been of the age to vote, I’ve been ‘non-partisan’.  Normally,upon approaching the polling station, I’m asked which ballot I would like, Democrat or Republican.  This primary election, I was only given the option of either not voting or voting Democrat.  Republican is not an option.

Upon further inquiry, I was advised that this was due to the Republican Party opting not to accept the votes of non-partisan voters. 

It’s frustrating enough to have to choose one ballot, to have my choices further stripped is really disheartening.  The rights that soldiers have shed blood for are reduced more and more.”

The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors will hold its 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Commemoration and Humanitarian of the Year Award Program on Jan. 15.

The county’s theme this year is “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” with a goal to inspire collective advocacy for civil liberties, social justice, peace and non-violence.

The public is invited to attend.

Keynote speakers include ABC 7 reporter Alan Wang, San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson and attorney John Burris.

The program begins at 11 a.m., 651 Pine Street in Martinez.

The official holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 21.

NOTE: Photo is of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as it appears on the King Center’s web site, http://www.thekingcenter.org/mlk/index.html

Real estate appraiser Joe Rubay has dropped out of the running for the Republican nomination in Assembly District 15.

That leaves just four Republicans actively campaigning for the hotly contested seat that has attracted a cavalcade of candidates. Seven Democrats have created campaign committees and are raising money for the race, too. Incumbent Assemblyman Guy Houston, R-San Ramon, will term out next year and run for the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Rubay is personable and fun but he’s new to the political scene and he just couldn’t keep up with his more experienced colleagues, particularly when it came to raising money and attracting endorsements.

As for Rubay’s part, he says he will “support the Republican primary winner 100 percent.”

Concord is abuzz today over rumors that ex-city manager Ed James will temporarily occupy the top management spot after the departure of city manager Lydia Du Borg later this month. Check out this post on www.claycord.com.

The City Council is not confirming or denying James’ return, says our Concord reporter Tanya Rose who put in a round of calls.

But if it’s true, it’s a good idea. A city the size of Concord needs someone at the helm and a familiar face will help ease tensions and keep the city off the rocks while the city searches for a new manager.

Du Borg resigned after the City Council delivered her performance review in closed session earlier this month. There had been talk for months that Du Borg and some members of the council were clashing on management style and policies. But since the announcement of resignation, the members of the City Council have offered little in the way of a plausible explanation for her departure other than a few weak platitudes.

The silence is not sitting too well with residents who have a lot of questions about the turnover at City Hall. In the past few months, the city has lost or will lose its top manager, deputy city manager, human resources director and two people working on the planning for the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Concord City Manager Lydia Du Borg has resigned from her $205,000 a year job, Times reporter Tanya Rose confirmed a few hours ago. (Click here to read Rose’s story.)

There’s been talk for weeks that some members of the City Council were dissatisfied with Du Borg, a 30-year employee of the city who took the top job about three years ago, over her management of city issues such as the Concord Naval Weapons Station and union contracts.

The council conducted her performance review recently in closed session and while no one is talking about what took took place, Du Borg is leaving rather than placing a renewal of her contract on the agenda for a vote.

City managers have precarious jobs, of course.

They are at-will employees who must cater to the often conflicting demands of politicians and residents while leading a diverse government operation under tight budget constraints. Du Borg’s predecessor, Ed James, was a master ringleader of this public circus and following in his footsteps would have been a tough job for anyone.