Stockton, Calif – Eddie Lira has been appointed to the executive team of locally-owned BAC Community Bank as Executive Vice President, Chief Business Development Officer.  Eddie is a commercial banking professional with over 15 years of experience in leadership, portfolio management, and business development.

Most recently, Eddie worked for a large national bank, overseeing a team of business professionals across the Central Valley. This team was focused on providing business lending, cash management, and deposit solutions for customers under their care.  Eddie’s past responsibilities include serving as Vice President, Commercial Banking Officer for six years at BAC Community Bank.

“We welcome Eddie back to BAC, and we are excited to see him in this new role,” said BAC’s Chief Executive Officer Dana Bockstahler. “His business banking expertise and years of delivering exceptional service and solutions will be of great value to our customers.”

As a member of the bank’s executive team, Eddie will be working directly with Dana Bockstahler, Chief Executive Officer; Janet Jenkins, Chief Credit Officer; Paul Haley, Chief Lending Officer; and Jackie Verkuyl, Chief Administrative Officer.

Committed and invested in the local community, Eddie volunteers for local non-profit organizations and currently serves as a board member of the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Eddie can be reached at (209) 473-6827 or eddie.lira@bankbac.com.

About BAC Community Bank

BAC Community Bank, first headquartered in Brentwood, California, now operates 11 branch offices throughout San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and eastern Contra Costa counties including in Antioch at 3448 Deer Valley Road, and is identified as “one of the strongest financial institutions in the nation” by BauerFinancial, Inc.

The bank is now centrally headquartered in Stockton, California and is continuously recognized for banking excellence through local awards and banking industry accolades.

BAC Community Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and is an Equal Housing Lender. More information available online at www.bankbac.com.

 

Get your tickets, now!

By Allen Payton

Under new ownership, the Antioch Speedway is back and open for spectators with races each week. This week, on Wednesday, May 5th, owners Chad and Tina Chadwick will be hosting the IMCA Speed Week Night #5.

Located at the Contra Costa Event Park (fairgrounds) at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch, the speedway will feature races including IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks.

Spectator Gate Opens at 4:00 p.m.

Tickets available at the Ticket Booth and on MyRacePass.com

Adult Ticket: $20.00

Child Ticket (Under 12): $15.00

Senior Ticket (60 and over): $15.00

Military Ticket: $15.00

Children 5 and under: Free

(Please remember that any time we are out of our seats, we must be wearing masks and follow the social distancing guidelines.)

The Mother’s Day race will be held this Saturday, May 8 and will feature Mini Vans, Wingless Sprint Cars, IMCA Stock Cars and Dwarf Cars.

View the entire season’s race schedule and watch past races on AntiochSpeedwayTV.

Antioch Speedway – Where Action is the Attraction!

 

By Jaime Coffee, Information Officer II, California Highway Patrol

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The warming weather and increasing number of vehicles traveling on California’s roadways offer a timely reminder of the importance of motorcycle safety awareness for motorcyclists and motorists alike.  By recognizing May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) emphasizes safe riding and driving practices for everyone.

“Motorcyclists who are responsible, informed, and properly equipped can help reduce rider deaths and injuries,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said.  “Motorists are also key to reducing crashes by being aware of the dangers and challenges of motorcycle riding.  Taking the time to look twice for motorcyclists can save a life.”

“Motorcycle riders are more vulnerable out in the elements, which is why it is important for drivers to always be mindful of riders,” California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said.

With more than 1.4 million licensed riders, motorcycles are a popular mode of transportation for Californians, another reason motorcycle safety awareness is paramount.  Preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System show more than 500 people were killed in motorcycle-involved crashes in California in 2020 and more than 11,500 people were injured.

As part of its continual motorcycle safety program, the CHP strongly encourages all riders, new and experienced, to enroll in the California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP).  The CMSP has 98 training sites throughout the state and trains approximately 55,000 motorcyclists each year.  For more information or to find a training site near you, visit californiamotorcyclist.com  or motorcyclesafetyca.com.

Motorcyclists can help protect themselves by always wearing the proper safety gear, including a U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmet, observing the speed limit, riding defensively, and always riding sober.  Drivers should always look at their mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and always keep a safe distance.

The CHP promotes motorcycle safety with the Get Educated and Ride Safe (GEARS) program, funded by a $750,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  All eight CHP field Divisions will hold outreach events to promote motorcycle safety throughout 2021 under the GEARS grant.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

Aging in place: Caring for an aging parent

By Rachel Heggen, Community Relations & Development Specialist, Meals on Wheels, Diablo Region

In honor of National Occupational Therapy Month Yvonne Tweeten, Occupational Therapist with Meals on Wheels Diablo Region’s Fall Prevention Program, talked about the work we do with seniors to keep them safe at home.

Difficulty climbing stairs, feeling unbalanced, or being unsure about getting in and out of the bathtub are everyday problems that Yvonne has addressed for the past ten years at MOW Diablo Region. These are common issues for aging seniors who have difficulty accepting that everyday tasks that once were simple are now challenging. For many seniors, this can be extremely frustrating and for their adult children, it can be worrisome. The Fall Prevention Program focuses on helping seniors age safely in their home.

“We are an ally to the adult children,” says Yvonne. “I assess the home and point out potential fall risks. I also observe how the senior is getting around.” Once the assessment is completed, Yvonne works with a licensed contractor to make needed home modifications “We might recommend a ramp, railings, or a tub transfer bench. We develop trust with the senior and the adult children who are often the main caregivers. We also provide education to keep the senior safe.”

An analysis by the Center for Retirement Research found that 10 percent of adults ages 60 to 69 serve as caregivers to their aging parents, as do 12 percent of adults aged 70 and older. Having an Occupational Therapist as a part of the support team is important when it comes to caring for an older parent and helps the elderly parent maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Yvonne has a special understanding of concerns many may have with an aging parent. Her mom is 90 and lives in Wisconsin. “It’s important that a senior age with dignity, and that’s what Meals on Wheels Diablo Region’s Fall Prevention Program helps them to do.”

To learn more about Meals on Wheels Diablo Region’s Fall Prevention Program, visit https://www.mowdiabloregion.org/fall-prevention

By Antioch Police Department

On Friday, April 30, 2021 at around 2:52 pm, APD Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call reporting an aggravated assault with a motor vehicle in the area of Wilbur Avenue and Cavallo Road. A male was reportedly ramming his Honda into another car occupied by a female. While responding, the caller reported the male was chasing the other car in his Honda. Officer Hughes located the involved vehicles on West 10th and G Streets. He attempted a traffic stop on the Honda, but instead, the driver began fleeing and tried to ram another police vehicle in the area. Officers pursued the Honda onto westbound Highway 4 and requested assistance from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Air Unit STARR3, who immediately launched from Buchanan Field Airport in Concord. APD dispatchers coordinated with STARR3 to take over the pursuit from the air, which allowed our officers to back out. (See pursuit video).

STARR3 followed the vehicle into Berkeley and contacted the Berkeley Police Department, who had members of their Bike Force in the area. Once the suspect abandoned his vehicle, deputies radioed his location to BPD Bike Force officers, who swooped in for the arrest. Instead of giving up, he decided to start hopping fences, but was NO match for the much faster BPD officers. Just before being detained, the suspect tossed a loaded firearm, which was found to have a scratched-off serial number. The suspect was arrested by Berkeley PD officers and APD will be working with them on prosecution.

APD would like to thank the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Air Unit, California Highway Patrol, and Berkeley Police Department for their assistance with this incident. This is a classic example of police agencies working together across city and county borders to keep our communities safe. STARR3 is an invaluable service to the communities of Contra Costa County and we are VERY fortunate to have them.

(Video courtesy of Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, radio audio courtesy of Berkeley PD)

The mayor and council also owe apology to them and other, current minority Antioch property and business owners

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Will the Antioch mayor and council apologize for their unfair treatment of the largest landowning Chinese Americans and other minority landowners in Antioch, today for supporting the effort to devalue their property by over 97%? If not, they’re being seriously hypocritical.

Due to what is occurring elsewhere in our nation, Mayor Lamar Thorpe is concerned about the anti-Asian racism and attacks that occurred in our city in the late 1800’s, specifically the burning down of Antioch’s Chinatown in 1876, even though he admits he learned about them years ago. Last month, the Antioch City Council approved a resolution denouncing anti-Asian hate and racism. Then, he proposed the council formally apologize for what Antioch residents did to their fellow Chinese residents in the city’s early years. I support something being done about it, including an apology, which apparently hasn’t been done by any Antioch officials in the past. I also proposed reparations for the descendants of those property owners. Especially since the city now owns the land where our community’s Chinatown was located. (See related article)

Yet, just last year, the mayor, two other current council members, and the voters supported reducing the property value of Chinese American and Hispanic American landowners in Antioch by over 97% and without compensation! In legal terms that’s referred to as a taking. So, Antioch residents, with the support of all five of last year’s council members, tried to take those landowners’ property. Where’s the apology for that?

Louisa Zee Kao and her family own 640 acres on the west end of the Sand Creek Focus Area, with a zoning of two homes per acre but, aren’t allowed to build the 1,100 homes on it as first planned. She reduced the total to 750 homes but that still was too many. With the city under threat of a lawsuit by the East Bay Regional Parks District, Kao then reduced the total to now 338 homes, even though the neighboring property owner, Richland Development was approved by the council last summer for The Ranch project with 1,177 homes on just 551 acres.

The mayor and two current council members, including Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson and Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, voted for that project while at the same time publicly endorsing the effort to downzone Kao’s land, to just one home per 80 acres, through Measure T. They supported the efforts of the out-of-town environmentalists which would have resulted in the devaluation of the property by 97.6%. (That’s 8 homes divided by 338. It’s a devaluation of 99.375% if you divide 8 by 1,280 homes.) The reason? The politicians did it to protect themselves for re-election. The environmentalists did it so the Parks District could buy the land for pennies on the dollar. Some of the politicians, like Wilson also supported that surreptitious plan according to her answers to the Yes on T campaign’s candidate questionnaire. (Ogorchock didn’t provide answers to the questionnaire and those for the mayoral candidates have been deleted).

The ballot measure has forced Kao and her family to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on attorneys, over the past three years, to fight the City of Antioch and Save Mt. Diablo over the Let Antioch Voters Decide: The Sand Creek Area Protection Initiative, which was on the ballot as Measure T, as well as another ballot measure by Richland. So far, they and an adjacent property owner have been successful in court, multiple times.

Measure T also applied to other Chinese American landowners, the Leung family who own land south of The Ranch project. According to city staff until just recently, Measure T also applied to one of, if not the largest female, Hispanic landowners in Antioch, Lucia Albers, who plans to build a 301-home gated, senior community, on the east side of Deer Valley Road south of the Kaiser hospital. That’s in spite of the fact the leaders of Save Mt. Diablo claimed the measure only applied to land west of Deer Valley Road. But the language in the measure wasn’t clear about that.

Fortunately, the California Department of Housing and Community Development stated in a letter to the city last month that Measure T “cannot…be adopted, implemented or enforced” because it violates state law. The worst part is all five council members knew that, last year and were warned several times that Measure T could not go into effect. But they all chose to endorse it anyway. (See related article)

So, the voters were duped by the out-of-town environmentalists and misled by Antioch’s elected officials and other candidates who participated in the candidates’ forum, answered their questionnaire and chose to be followers instead, afraid it might negatively affect their elections – all except former Antioch Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Manny Soliz, who refused to endorse Measure T – which possibly cost him the election in District 1. The Antioch voters chose to support the devaluation of the land and worse, without compensating the landowners for it! (On a side note, the environmentalists continue to lie to Antioch residents. Their latest appeal claims Richfield/Oak Hill Partners are continuing their lawsuit against Measure T “because they want to build thousands of houses on the hills of the southern Sand Creek Area”. However, according to the City’s Planning Division Current Projects list, the developer’s application includes only 370 homes in their Bridle Hills project. Worse, the environmentalist want you to ask the council to violate state law and deny the housing projects, which will cost the city a minimum of $10,000 per home not approved, and those funds must be used to pay for more low-income housing in Antioch).

Neither Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker nor Councilman Mike Barbanica took a public position on Measure T during their campaigns, last year, nor participated in the Yes on Measure T campaign candidate’s forum.

But it is rather ironic and hypocritical for Torres-Walker to attend the mayor’s press conference and call for an apology of what Antioch residents did in the 1870’s including burning down their homes and businesses, when one, she won’t apologize for what she said about Antioch Police officers, just this year and two, she tried to burn down the apartment complex she was evicted from, for which she was arrested and went to jail for. I wonder if she ever apologized for that.

So, while Mayor Thorpe is asking the council to apologize for what Antioch residents did to Chinese residents and property owners in our city over 140 years ago – and not by the founding community members which he falsely wrote on social media and stated in his press conference, earlier this month – it’s time he also asked and did the same for what the residents of Antioch attempted to do to our city’s Chinese American and Hispanic American property owners, with his and two other council members’ support. just last year.

While they’re at it, the council needs to also apologize to the former owner of Humphrey’s on the Delta restaurant, a Hispanic woman, Eva Romero, for our city government basically driving her out of business by spending our tax dollars to go into competition with her, not once, but twice. First, on the expansion of the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center and then on construction of the Antioch Community Center at Prewett Park, and then holding almost all city events at those facilities instead of in Humphrey’s banquet hall. That was in spite of the fact the restaurant sat on city owned property at the time, and the lease gave the city an incentive for her success, as the rent was based on whichever was greater, between a flat rate and a percentage of sales. The city staff’s own report in 2012 claimed the Community Center competed with Lone Tree for business. It didn’t mention that it was also in competition with Humphrey’s. Later that year, on Christmas Eve, the restaurant closed its doors for good. (See related article)

The unfair treatment by the city of local minority property and business owners continues to this day. Just this month, the council voted to spend $40,000 on a logo and marketing campaign for the new Rivertown Dining District with a San Francisco agency, instead of giving an Hispanic man who owns a graphic design firm in Rivertown, and an African American web designer in Antioch, the opportunity to even bid on the job.

While the mayor and council members consider righting the wrongs of the past, it is just as important, if not more so, to right the wrongs of the present that they’re committing, today and stop repeating them. Otherwise, they’re guilty of hypocrisy.

By Antioch Historical Museum

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time for recognizing the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans.

In 1992 Congress designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The Month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the US on May 7, 1843 and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. It was officially changed in 2009 to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Chinese History in Antioch – Past & Present

Chinese Immigrants began arriving in the United States in significant numbers during the California Gold rush of 1848 -1855.

When gold was discovered in the American River at Coloma there were approximately 350 Chinese in California, by 1865 their total population was more than 50,000. The Chinese came searching for gold after a decade of oppression from the Qing empire. They were lured with flyers from shipping agents who described California as Gum San (“Gold Mountain”).

When they arrived in California the San Francisco Chinese merchants (six companies) organized them provided supplies and transportation to the diggings. The Chinese banded together in groups of 50 or more per mining site. They settled in camps scattered along the river tributaries where gold was found. In 1850, the state imposed a foreign miner’s tax that was targeted at the Chinese and Mexican miners.

It was in 1865 that the Central Pacific Railroad decided to hire 50 Chinese laborers to supplement their work force. Railroad management was at first uncomfortable with this decision due to the growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the state, but to the railroads surprise the Chinese proved to be good workers.

By the end of that year the Railroad had employed about 7,000 Chinese which was about 78% of the workforce.

When Chinese groups arrived at the City of Antioch a small “Chinatown” was established consisting of homes and stores on both sides of Second and First Street. In May 1876 the anti-Chinese sentiments of the Antioch community reached a boiling point. The Chinese were asked to leave and a resistance led to Chinatown being destroyed which was chronicled (May 2nd) in the Sacramento Bee and the Daily Evening Express.

Today the only remnants remaining of Antioch’s Chinatown are the tunnels beneath downtown Antioch. The Palace Hotel demolition in 1926, to make room for the El Campanil Theatre, uncovered a large section of the Chinese tunnel.

A 1851 county law prohibited Chinese from appearing on the streets after dusk. The tunnels are said to have been used by Chinese service workers to travel to work without walking the streets. The use of the tunnels is one of the examples of the patience and endurance of the Chinese people to persevere and overcome challenges.

Although it is well documented the unjust treatment Chinese residents were subjected to, it would be wrong and one-sided to give the impression that the community’s view of Chinese in Antioch was entirely negative, there were positive images as well.

Two examples, Ah Young and the collaboration between West Shore Canning and Hickmott Company. Contemporary Antiochians fondly recall Ah Young, a Chinese farmer “gardener” who owned a successful business growing and selling vegetables door to door in the 1920’s and shipped the excess to San Francisco and Stockton by ferryboat. His “garden”, located in the marsh behind the current Antioch Historical Society Museum location, is now part of the Dow Wetlands Preserve.

There was also the West Shore Canning Company that existed from 1920 to 1931 in Antioch which was part of a 60/40 consortium of American (The Robert Hickmott Company) and Chinese owned (West Shore Cannery) businesses. The Cannery was situated at the end of “B” Street on the river. The Chinese owned West Shore Cannery (Lew Hing -Owner) was a fruit canning operation that leased the property after the Hickmott’ s canning season ended.

The West Shore Cannery went back to Oakland consolidating into the Pacific Coast canners.

Modern Era Chinese In Antioch

There are many successful and prominent citizens in Antioch of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. For our purposes here, we would like to introduce Mr. Hansel “Hans” Ho. He is a Museum member & volunteer and has been an Antioch resident since 1995. His story is exemplary of the best of American and Chinese traditions.

Hans was born in Hong Kong in1950. The bankruptcy of his family’s business in the mid 1960’s meant an abrupt change in lifestyle but, in retrospect, the key to his later successes. His family immigrated to the US in 1967, landing in San Francisco with next to no money.

Hans was fortunate to be able to attend St. Paul’s College, the earliest and most prestigious Anglo-Chinese school in Hong Kong. This quality education contributed to his subsequent success in higher education. He obtained degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and later earned his PhD in Chemistry. During these times, he managed to scrape a living through scholarships, loans, grants, and entry-level part-time work.

It paid off – The degrees enabled him to make a good living and advancements in his career. Since 1974 Hans’ career was in the petroleum industry, starting as an entry level chemist, promoted to the research department and shortly after promoted to management.

He achieved executive rank at Neste (national oil company of Finland) and in 1994 became the Technical Director and Division Manager for Telfer Oil Company, a local family-owned company based in Martinez with satellite terminals throughout California – Retiring in 2017 after 23 years with the Company.

In testament to his community consciousness, he’s served as Co-Chair of the CALTRANS Pavement Preservation Task Group, selected to be Industry Co-Chair of the Center for Pavement Preservation (CP2) at CSU, Chico and invited to guest lecture there to the graduate students in the Engineering Dept.

In 2004, he was appointed by Mayor Don Freitas to the Antioch Crime Prevention Commission and served both as Chair and Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. He continues to serve as Neighborhood Watch Coordinator and as Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Coordinator today.

Han’s Philosophy

Did I have to overcome racial prejudices? Of course, I did. My way was to show my peers, despite their misgivings, that I can perform my duties better and work harder than anyone else around me. I believe truly that respect is earned, never given.

The Antioch Historical Museum is located at 1500 West 4th Street in Antioch. For more information call (925) 757-5326 or visit www.antiochhistoricalmuseum.org or their Facebook page.