Gary Agopian

By Allen Payton

According to a post on Facebook by his wife Robin, Antioch Councilman Gary Agopian passed away, at 1:00 a.m. Monday morning, July 28, 2014, following a 10-month battle with brain cancer. He was 57.

In her post, Robin said “Good Morning ~ Everyday the Lord provides us with the grace that we need. Today He will provide us with extra special grace because at 1:00 am the morning, Gary ~ my husband, best friend, and father to Heather, Corey, and Jason took his last breath. We have been blessed to have each and everyone of you share in this 10 month journey…you’ve shared your love through meals, gift cards, cards, phone calls, visits, housecleaning, prayers and so much more. We know that Gary is absent from the body but present with the Lord. We are so thankful for the love of Jesus!!!”

Agopian grew up in Covina, California and was a 1980 graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in Business Administration.

He worked for Sears for 24 years. He and his family relocated from Prescott, Arizona to Antioch in 1995, when Gary was promoted from store manager to Human Resources Director for Northern California. He then changed careers and became a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Coon & McCreary Realtors, which later became Prudential California Realty.

He served on the Antioch Economic Development Commission from 2003 to 2006. Then, in 2004 he ran for and was elected to the Antioch School Board. The formation of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School is one of Agopian’s major accomplishments as a Trustee.

In 2008, he ran for County Supervisor to replace Federal Glover and came in third in the Primary election. Following the death of fellow candidate Erik Nunn, who had come in second in the Primary, Agopian became Glover’s challenger in the General election, that fall. He was unable to beat Glover in that race.

Then, in 2010, instead of running for reelection to the school board, Agopian ran for the Antioch City Council and was elected.

In 2011, he toyed with the idea of running for Congress, but later decided against it.

As councilman, Agopian helped lead efforts to clean up graffiti in Antioch and led the effort to renegotiate the city’s police contract, in 2012, that changed the retirement plan for new hires, saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

Later that year he decided to run for Mayor of Antioch, but came in second, behind Wade Harper.

Agopian was an active member of Golden Hills Community Church, where he served as a greeter on Sunday mornings. He had also been involved in the Youth Intervention Network as a family counselor.

Agopian leaves behind Robin, his daughter Heather, son-in-law Ryan Renard and their baby, and sons Corey and Jason, and Gary’s mother Nancy.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, August 9 at 2:00 p.m., at Golden Hills Community Church, 2401 Shady Willow Lane off Lone Tree Way, in Brentwood.

By Sergeant Tarra Nissen, Antioch, Police Community Policing Bureau

On Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at approximately 11:22 PM, Antioch Police dispatch received a call from a 12-year-old reporting party (RP) advising that a family member, who is a 43-year-old Antioch resident, was at the residence, in the 200 block of Sherman Court, with a firearm and was refusing to let her and six family members leave. While officers were responding, the RP advised that the family was able to escape the house and get into their vehicle. They fled from the house and were being chased by the responsible, who was in his vehicle. Officers arrived as the two vehicles were leaving the residence, the responsible vehicle chasing after the RP and her family.

Officer’s pursued the responsible but he refused to yield to the officers and continued to follow the RP and her family. At dispatches’ request, the RP and her family led the responsible and the pursuing officers to the front of the Antioch Police Department, where an officer was able to get a patrol vehicle between the responsible’s vehicle and the RP’s vehicle and stop the pursuit.

Once the responsible was not able move his vehicle, he locked himself inside and refused all of the officer’s commands to exit the vehicle. Officers were forced to break the driver’s side window and remove the responsible from the vehicle. Several firearms were located inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

The RP and her family were not injured in the incident. The responsible was taken into custody without further incident.

This incident is still under investigation.

By Barbara Zivica

The City of Antioch is currently seeking bids for lease of a city owned restaurant space at One Marina Plaza, formerly home of Humphrey’s on the Delta restaurant. Bids from experienced and well financed restaurateurs, sufficiently capitalized to fund a complete makeover of the premises, are due by August 19th.

Back in the mid-1980s the city obtained $6.3M in loans from the state’s Dept. of Boating and Waterways to develop and construct a 285 berth marina. The marina, with an accompanying privately owned restaurant and public fishing pier (half of which was paid for by a state grant of $54,000) and four commercial lease spaces was expected to reach a break even cash flow within five years. Didn’t happen.

What did occur, however, was that past city councils made a number of unwise decisions e.g. deferral of state loan payments for the marina both during construction and during the first few years of operation. When the city finally decided to start repaying the state loans around 1990 it was discovered that payment was $234,000 more annually than had been budgeted and capitalized interest brought the loan to approximately $7.3M. The City has been playing catch up every since.

The City sunk more than $1 million in parking, decking and piling along the waterfront to support Humphrey’s, whose original owner signed a 35-year lease requiring he pay the city $2,500 a month or 2% of gross, whichever was greater, and receive a rent increase every five years, based on the rate of inflation in the preceeding four years.

Humphrey’s was purchased in 1995 by Eva and Gilbert Romero who sold it in 2009, taking it back in 2012 when the purchaser defaulted. Subsequently the Romeros, too defaulted on their loan for Humphreys and filed bankruptcy in 2012. The restaurant remained vacant pending a decision by Wells Fargo, holder of Romero’s loan, as to taking ownership of the property or turning it over to the city. The bank note was purchased by Antioch resident John Majidi, in 2013. But, he has yet to do anything with the restaurant.

Apparently the City of Antioch is, once again in charge. Good luck this time around.

Congressman Jerry McNerney will host an open house on Monday, July 21 from 4 to 5:30 pm at his Antioch District Office, located at 4703 Lone Tree Way, inside the Antioch Community Center.

The congressman and members of his staff will be on hand to provide information to residents of the Antioch area about the services and assistance his office can provide.

WHERE: Antioch Community Center, 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, 94531

WHEN: Mon., Jul. 21, 2014, 4-5:30 pm

Collections to Help Hungry Families Throughout California

America’s Tire Company is partnering with The Salvation Army to host its first-ever “Summertime Fill the Barrel Food Drive,” which runs through July 31.

The employee driven “Summertime Fill The Barrel Food Drive” encourages America’s Tire Company customers to donate non-perishable food items to help feed hungry families in local communities with the help of The Salvation Army.

Collection bins are set-up at more than 40 participating America’s Tire Company locations in Northern and Central California. This includes:

2402 San Jose Drive, Antioch

5551 Lone Tree Way, Brentwood

Non-perishable food in greatest need this summer include canned meats, canned soup, canned vegetables or fruit, chili, peanut butter, pasta, beans, rice, or cereal.

Year round, The Salvation Army works to serve those in need, providing food boxes, hosting food pantries, and serving meals in communities around Northern and Central California. It relies on the generosity of the local community to help meet the needs of the less fortunate. Last year, The Salvation Army served nearly 6.4 million meals and helped more than two million individuals in California alone.

Charles Johnson III

By Acting Lieutenant Morefield, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Saturday, July 5, 2014 at approximately 4:50 PM, Antioch Police Department officers responded to a report of a shooting at Williamson Ranch Park at 5000 Lone Tree Way. The officers arrived to find a 17-year-old male, Bakersfield resident suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. This victim was with two others (both 19-year-old male, Antioch residents) who were fired upon, as well, but not struck by gunfire. The injured victim was taken to a local area hospital for treatment and later released.

During the investigation into the incident, information was developed that helped to identify Charles Herbert Johnson III, a 23-year-old Antioch resident, as the suspect.

Several days later, on Wednesday, July 9^th, Johnson was located by officers and arrested for this shooting. He was taken to the Contra Costa County Detention Facility in Martinez on charges of PC 245(A)(2) – Assault with a deadly weapon (firearm).

The case is currently being prepared for filing with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Hewitt with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6933. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Acting Lieutenant Morefield, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at approximately 2:34 PM, Antioch Police Department officers responded to a report of a shooting at an apartment complex in the 3900 Block of Delta Fair Blvd. The officers arrived to find a 23-year-old Pittsburg man inside a vehicle in the parking lot suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

At the same time, other calls came in of a second shooting victim down in a neighboring apartment complex on Hudson Court. Officers responded there, as well, and located the 28-year-old Antioch man also suffering from a gunshot wound. Medical personnel arrived on both scenes and tended to the victims.

The victim located on Hudson Court was transported to a local area hospital for treatment; however, the victim found on Delta Fair Blvd. was pronounced deceased at the scene. As initial information was being developed, it was learned the shooting actually took place in the parking lot of the apartment complex on Delta Fair Blvd., but the surviving victim had fled to the neighboring apartments on Hudson Court where he was ultimately located by responding officers.

As of this writing, this second victim is still in surgery. We are in the preliminary stages of this investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Lowther with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6943. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.