On Friday night, Sept. 24 the Antioch Chamber of Commerce held its Gala Dinner, this year virtually, and honored the city’s most outstanding residents and organizations with their annual awards. About 65 people watched from their homes on their computers or phones to celebrate this year’s honorees, while eating a take-out dinner from one of the Antioch restaurants they had to choose from.

“We are honored to be part of a community that has so many involved members,” said Antioch Mayor Sean Wright, the Chief Operating Officer of the Chamber, who served as Master of Ceremonies for the event. “Most often this is done without thought to recognition. The Antioch Chamber of Commerce believes it is important to honor those that help create our dynamic city. The nominees for most awards come from our membership and the community. The extremely difficult job of selection is made by a committee for all but the Chairman’s Award. Often many wonderful citizens and companies seem to be overlooked: but in reality, we simply do not receive a nomination.”

The honorees included Citizen of the Year for Most Impact Wanda Hom, Citizen of the Year for Lifetime Achievement, the late Ralph Garrow who passed away, earlier this year; Small Business of the Year the Rick Fuller Real Estate Team; Large Business of the Year  Travis Credit Union; Youth of the Year, Antioch High School Senior Chris Garcia; Veteran of the Year, U.S. Army, Vietnam Veteran, Past Galt VFW Commander, and current Antioch VFW Post 6435 Commander, Denny Hollison; and Non-Profit of the Year, Fellowship Church and Co-Ambassadors of the Year Jose Solorio and Tom McNell. Garrow was presented with his plaque and other recognitions at his home, earlier this year prior to his passing. (See related article) The awards were announced earlier this year in anticipation of the annual Gala which was scheduled for April, prior to the COVID-19 shelter in place order. (See related article) Each of the other categories will be featured in separate articles on this website, throughout this week.

Citizen of the Year Award

This award has a history dating back to 1947. The Citizen of the Year is now divided into Most Impact for the previous year and Lifetime Achievement, a person who has contributed to the community this year but also someone who has a history of working in the community for the betterment of everyone.

Citizen of the Year – Most Impact Wanda Hom

What does a citizen of the year look like?  What are the values and impacts of a good citizen?  Let me answer those questions by introducing our 2020 Chamber of Commerce Antioch Citizen of the Year, Wanda Hom.

Wanda has lived in Antioch for 31 years with her husband Marty while raising two children, Allison and Kevin who graduated from Deer Valley High School.

Immediately, Wanda began impacting the Antioch community by volunteering and getting involved in the community.  She spent immeasurable time at our Antioch schools volunteering to inspire and prepare young people to succeed and reach their potential.  She was also the face of Junior Achievement fostering our students to be work-ready, become entrepreneurs, and become financially literate.

Fourteen years ago, she helped create an educational foundation for Deer Valley High School and it has since become her passion.  Over these years, the foundation has raised $200,000 that has provided many programs and materials for the high school.  She has also coordinated the Every 15 Minutes Program for 15 years.  This program has reached over 8,000 high school students at a crucial age showing them that decisions and consequences are an everyday reality. We read about unfortunate accidents every day, and this is the strongest tool we have to prevent them.

Wanda follows and respects the rules of our community, she takes care of our environment, she volunteers in community organizations, she is respectful, she helps people in need, she is a good person!  Our 2019 Citizen of the Year – Most Impact is Wanda Hom.

Hom is the Accounting Activities Specialist for Deer Valley High School and works with the student clubs and athletics to manage all the funds they bring in.

“Oh, man, I don’t believe it,” she said with a laugh, when reached for comment when the awards were first announced, earlier this year. “I’m very honored and don’t feel deserving. There are so many others in Antioch who are more deserving. But, I’m happy to highlight Deer Valley High School and all of the things we do, here.”

Asked about her activities in 2019, Hom responded, “it would be our educational foundation and its support for the school and the Every 15 Minutes driving safety program.”

“The Deer Valley Educational Advancement Foundation, which was started by the parents, has been around about 14 years, supporting the school,” she explained. “This year they’ll be raising funds for the choir to pay for risers with backs on them for safety. We’re always a place for homeless and foster students providing them with supplies and materials, such as backpacks.”

Citizen of the Year – Lifetime Achievement – Ralph Garrow Jr

Ralph grew up in Antioch and graduated from Antioch High School in 1970 as Valedictorian and Drum Major of the Panther Marching Band. He then graduated from Stanford University and studied theatre production at the Yale School of Drama, after which he entered the family business as a homebuilder for 20 years and then transitioned to selling and managing real estate as a REALTOR® up to the present day as President of Ralph Garrow Real Estate.

Along the way, Ralph consulted on the creation of the theatre space in the Antioch Community Center downtown, served as 2009 Chairman of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce where he spearheaded the Vision 2020 program, was 2011 President of the Delta Association of REALTORS® and was recognized as the Delta REALTOR of the Year for 2009. He is the current president of Rotary Club of the Delta (Antioch) and is a state appointed director of the California Association of REALTORS. A personal high point was finishing the Honolulu Marathon in 2004. Ralph is a diehard Oakland Athletics and Stanford football fan so attending as many games as possible is his hobby.

Always finding time to volunteer for community service, Ralph coached his sons in CYO Basketball and Little League Baseball. He also served on the boards of the Delta Memorial Hospital Foundation, Antioch Little League (3 years as President), Hapgood Theatre, Building Industry Association, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the Magic Theatre. He served on the Hillside and Measure “C” Subcommittees for the City of Antioch.

Ralph lives in Antioch with Laurie, his wife of 36 years, and they raised two sons, Ian and Alex. Ralph and Laurie enjoy driving a route in Antioch together for Meals on Wheels. They travel often and continue to get involved in community activities and support local organizations as much as they can.

Our 2019 Citizen of the Year – Lifetime Achievement is the late Ralph Garrow.

“I’m honored but I don’t necessarily believe I deserve it. I care a lot about Antioch, so, maybe my life has reflected that,” Garrow said, when reached for comment earlier this year.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton, Editor & Publisher

Easy decisions in both races. The only candidates with the knowledge and experience to bring true reform to improve the education for Antioch students are George Young in Area 1 and Dr. Clyde Lewis in Area 3.

Area 1

While I applaud current Board President Diane Gibson-Gray’s leadership this year in handling the controversies, protests and dissent on the board, three things prevent me from supporting her. One is the lack of progress in test scores among Black and Hispanic students during her 12 years on the board; second was her bypassing three times of two African American, female board vice presidents for board president, one of whom because Gibson-Gray said she didn’t think was ready which was rather condescending; (See related articles here, here and here) and third, because Gibson-Gray opposed all three charter schools, including Rocketship which has proven to far outshine the other schools in the Antioch district.

The new board majority needs to consider what they’re doing at that school which is helping the students advance as many as four grade levels in just one year and adopt their practices in all AUSD schools.

Antonio Hernandez is nice, young man and offers a different perspective having graduated from Antioch’s Dozier-Libbey Medical High School. But this year he’s sided with the protesters and those opposing the long-desired and -awaited School Resource Officers for the six middle and high school campuses in the district. In an Op-Ed he wrote, “Cops are a band-aid solution to under-resourced schools, and a very poor one at that.” In addition, on Hernandez’s campaign website it reads “Children Need Counselors, Not Cops” even though the first plank of his platform reads “We deserve safe schools.” Actually, and unfortunately, these days both are needed on our local campuses and there are already 14 Mental Health Clinicians and 31 School Guidance Counselors employed in the district.

Plus, Hernandez is one of the “East Contra Costa Progressive Wave” and “Our Revolution Contra Costa” candidates which includes Lamar Thorpe who is running for mayor, council candidates Monica Wilson, Tamisha Walker and Nichole Gardner, and controversial Antioch School Board Trustee Ellie Householder who is running for city clerk. They are all wanting to turn our city and school district into something more like Berkeley. That type of thinking doesn’t fit our community.

Young will bring to the position his knowledge and experience from serving on the board of Rocketship Delta Prep. He’s committed to improving the education for the students and their safety on the campus. His military experience is an added bonus, providing the order and discipline a leader needs, and Young will be a good example for all students in the district.

Area 3

Crystal Sawyer-White spent way too much of her four years pursuing her own educational advancement as a board member than the students’. She’s a nice lady and voted right on charter schools, but one term is enough.

Kenny Turnage has served our community well for years and was honored for it as Antioch’s 2015 Citizen of the Year for Most Impact. But Lewis is better suited and prepared to serve on the school board representing Area 3.

Lewis is also the most educated candidate, not only in this election, but in any Antioch School Board election that I can remember. He not only has a master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration, Lewis has been an instructor and works as a consultant in education.

He’s also served the community both on the Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission and most recently as President of the Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch. Lewis is the right person for the job at the right time. I just wish he had won two years ago.

For real change and giving our children a better shot at an improved, quality education, please cast your vote for George Young in Area 1 and Dr. Clyde Lewis in Area 3 for the Antioch School Board.

Gabriel Makinano was raised in Antioch and has spent the last 16 years living in and seeing firsthand the changes and struggles those changes have brought to our community and residents. He has a heart of   integrity and will work to bring the changes to Antioch that are needed to ensure all residents are valued and safe.

He is a father, husband, friend, and is known in the community for being an image of change. As a formerly incarcerated individual, he has mentored youth, men, and women leaving incarceration.

First Priority: Public Safety. To create a safe city, he will work hard with community leaders, law enforcement, and all residents.

Gabriel has worked closely with schools, families, local leaders, churches, and law enforcement to create long-term solutions to gang-related crimes in Antioch. He has worked on the frontlines of the ceasefire movement, unifying community and law enforcement to promote a safer environment for Antioch families.

Gabriel is committed to creating a sustainable plan to combat homelessness, affordable housing, and an environment where businesses can thrive. Antioch residents deserve real solutions to the issues. Antioch deserves a mayor that will represent all peoples of our beautiful city. For vision with action, vote Gabe Makinano.

See his Vision 2020 for Antioch at VoteGMakinano.com.

By Ala Rahman

What does 1940’s Germany have in common with 2020 China? A religious holocaust.

When learning about the reign of Adolf Hitler, many people are automatically outraged and question, “How could the word let this happen? Why didn’t anyone stop it?”.

There is a holocaust happening in China with Uyghur Muslims right now and there is practically no media coverage.

No one is talking about how Muslims are put into ethnic cleansing camps called “re-education camps” that are very similar to the concentration camps of the 1940s. They are forced to drink alcohol, eat pork, forced sterilization, electrocuted, women are being forced to marry non-Muslims, families are being split apart, they have to sing songs about the Communist party, children are being brainwashed, slave labor is happening. These people are being forced to denounce their religion, are being tortured to become atheists all because someone decided that people have to be punished for something they believe in. Why should anyone get to decide how someone else should live?

In fact, the world is so ignorant about what’s happening in China, the popular live action of the movie Mulan was filmed in Xinjiang where Uyghur Muslims are being held in the “re-education campus”. A movie for entertainment purposes was more important to the world than a humanitarian crisis. Many world-renowned companies such as Nike, Gap, Adidas, Calvin Klein, and an astonishing more have been encouraging this genocide through forced labor of the Uyghurs. It’s more important to the United States to get profit than to help people who are constantly being beaten for living their life as they please.

People were appalled that the German holocaust was happening without anyone noticing. Well, a genocide it’s happening again, right under our noses. What will you do about it?

Ala Rahman is a student at Los Medanos College.

By Antioch Police

While you were sleeping. Thursday night Oct. 16, 2020 at about 11:00 pm, Officer Ibanez spotted an Audi reported stolen from San Francisco driving on Highway 4 in our city. He called for backup and our friends at the @Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office showed up to help. A traffic stop was attempted on Highway 4 near 242 in Concord. The driver failed to stop and led us on a short pursuit, which abruptly ended when he popped a tire near the exit to 680. The occupants fled from our infamous bracelet fittings into an open field, but were eventually captured and fitted nonetheless.

Inside the vehicle, officers found three firearms, including an AR-pistol, which the occupants were not allowed to possess due to prior convictions. One occupant was already on probation out of San Francisco for robbery and firearms violations.

Since they had already covered most of the distance to the County Jail in Martinez (before their tire popped), we provided courtesy transportation for those last few miles. Both were booked on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, illegal firearm possession, and probation violation. Our hope was they could also tell others why driving a stolen vehicle through Antioch is not a good idea.

Special thanks to the fine deputies at the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office for helping us with this incident!

Folks, we are seeing double-digit firearm recoveries over the last few days. Stay-tuned for an update on our efforts to keep Antioch safe.

#antiochpdca    CONTRA COSTA SHERIFF-OFFICIAL PAGE

 

 

Lamar A. Thorpe

Position seeking: Mayor of Antioch

Current & past public offices held & years: Antioch Council Member 2016-2020, Eastern Contra Costa County Transit Authority 2017-2020; and Antioch Economic Development Commissioner 2013-2016.

Current paying job: Executive Director, Los Medanos Community Healthcare District & Campaign Manager, Steve Glazer for State Senate

Top Issues: Increasing public safety, reducing homelessness and blight, responsible police reform, expanding before, after school programs, and building a vibrant, family-friendly downtown similar to Concord’s Todos Santos Plaza.

Top Accomplishments:

1. Fought to protect the community’s quality of life by leading the fight to double the size of the code enforcement team, invest an additional $2 million in recreational and youth programs, and develop resources to reducing homeless encampments.
2. Fought for fiscal responsibility, co-authoring the proposal that eliminated Antioch’s $12 million structural deficit, and advancing proposal that reduces Antioch unfunded liabilities and saving taxpayers over $25 million.
3. Fought to keep Antioch safe by authorizing the hiring of 121 police officers, while advancing responsible police reform.

www.lamarthorpe.com, Facebook: lamar.a.thorpe 925-978-4663

 

Editor:

Antioch Voters should not vote for Sandra White for the City Council. She has failed us as Chair of the Crime Prevention Commission and has chosen the wrong person as part of her campaign. Choose someone else!

Her choice of former Police Chief Allan Cantando as part of her campaign is telling. As Chief he did not do his job or carry out his responsibilities of protecting the public from wrongdoers, to include Felonious misconduct by some of his Officers. He, in actuality, instead berated and ‘shot the messenger’ whistleblower who submitted detailed reported various criminal acts by some of his Officers. He was interested only in covering for them and did little to investigate what they did or even contacting the Victims harmed.

Former Captain Allan Cantando I had pushed for him publicly early on to be appointed chief, believing he would straighten out the crimes and misconduct by his officers. Boy did he shortly after becoming Chief did he reveal his true colors. Under his watch and documented knowledge his involved officers continued with their misconduct and victimization of our documented citizens. They got away with it with his obvious uncaring inactions. It isn’t over yet though and with him behind her I suspect she will do as he would advise her, to the further detriment to our community.

As the Chair of the Crime Prevention Committee she has really done little in pushing for the safety of our city. Contrary to what she and the others claim the City of Antioch is not safer and the people are still being victimized like before. Really, what has she done but have a title, have meetings, rub shoulders even with those officers involved in misconduct, and we still are greatly undermanned in Police manpower. Is that what her relationship with Allan Cantando has accomplished? She should give it up and open her eyes to the realities, instead of the ‘shine’ of questioned certain persons.

She does not have what it takes to be a top elected leader official for Antioch. She may be a good person and one liked by a number of people. But being a councilperson in these times requires fortitude, integrity, and knowing when you are going to be used for the same directions that has gotten Antioch in the negative areas we know about.

There will be some very important Police matters that are going to be disclosed soon and her being backed by former Chief Cantando, who will be exposed also, makes her the least acceptable person who would have to deal with it. The ‘train’ is coming soon, and it will be ugly! The exposures involved may not exempt all involved, and it is about time that it happens. Once the public is informed, they will see the value of not voting for her at a minimum.

Ralph Hernandez

Antioch

I’m a 50-year Antioch resident and former Antioch City Councilmember.  Currently, I’m a Personnel Commissioner for the Antioch Unified School District Classified Division.  I have been a Realtor since 2014 and a retired steelworker.  I am running for Antioch City Council in District 2 and am committed to progress in these areas:

Avert a budget crisis:

While on the council, I fought hard to stabilize our city’s finances, add to our police force and keep city hall open five days a week.  COVID-19 presents another budget crisis.  My experience and leadership will help Antioch avoid more devastating cuts that hurt our quality of life.

Banish blight and promote economic development:

This district has many vacant commercial buildings.  I will work with property owners to fight blight and support hiring more code enforcement officers to cite and fine negligent property owners.  I will work to revive the Delta Fair corridor and work to promote local small businesses.

Reduce Homelessness:

I support coordinating services at all levels of government and non-profits to find solutions to homelessness.

Police Transparency and Accountability:

Transparency and accountability of our police force is a must and my top priority for the Antioch Police Department is to purchase body cameras for all officers.

Today requires a new kind of Councilmember – one who has experience and is accessible 24/7.  Please call me anytime at (925) 234-3639.  As your councilmember, I’ll work hard to improve this great city.