Deadline: March 11th

By Juliet V. Casey Geary, Director of Marketing & Media Design, Los Medanos College

We are pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2026 César Chávez Awards is open. The awards celebrate the life of labor leader and human rights activist César Chávez and recognize East Contra Costa County community members who follow his example of service, activism and non-violent social change. 

Nomination form and event details are available on the event web page. Nomination deadline is Wednesday, March 11. 

See our call-to-action video.

Save the date for the awards ceremony, which this year will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3 in the Student Union at the LMC Pittsburg Campus, 2700 E. Leland Road. The event is free and open to the public, though space is limited.

Values of César Chávez:

• Service to Others:  Empowering individuals by engendering self-determination, self-sufficiency and self-help, rather than charity.
• Sacrifice:  Recognizing the obligation every individual has to contribute to their community, despite having to endure great hardship.
• Help the Most Needy:  Supporting efforts to reach those in need, those dispossessed, and those most forgotten individuals.
• Determination:  Instilling an attitude that through steadfast commitment, patience, and optimism, people can overcome great adversity. 
• Non-violence:  Achieving social and economic justice and equality through bold and courageous action.
• Tolerance:  Promoting and supporting ethnic and cultural diversity as a means toward informing and strengthening communities.
• Respect for Life:  Holding land, people, and all other forms of life in the highest regard.
• Celebrating Community:  Sharing expressions of cultural identity through art, song and dance.
• Knowledge:  Pursuing self-directed learning, the development of critical thinking, and constructive problem-solving.
• Innovation:  Creating strategies and tactics to resolve problems and situations that often seem insurmountable.

Awards recognize recipients in the following categories: 

César Chávez Award for Exemplary Community Service

The César Chávez Award for Exemplary Community Service recognizes a local resident who demonstrates a long-standing commitment to service and who best represents the core values modeled by César Chávez: Service to Others, Sacrifice, Help the Most Needy, Determination, Non-Violence, Acceptance of All People, Respect for Life and the Environment, Celebrating Community, Knowledge and Innovation.

East County Educator Award 

The César Chávez East County Educator Award recognizes a member of the educational community who demonstrates the qualities of César Chávez and a commitment to student success and equity, particularly for students of color and those from low-income families.

Chávez Spirit Award 

The César Chávez Spirit Award recognizes an emerging student leader who embodies the spirit of César Chávez and who within the past year affected change in the areas of advocacy and social justice.

About Los Medanos College (LMC): LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District, serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.

With four Easter Egg Hunts!

By Antioch Recreation Department

Antioch families, plan to hop on over to your neighborhood park for a community-wide egg hunt on Saturday, March 28th!

The Recreation Department invites residents to enjoy a free egg hunt and festive photos with the Easter Bunny at a park near you. We will be coming to each district in the city, so gather your baskets, bring your friends and neighbors, and celebrate the season right in your own backyard. Take a look at our list of parks to locate the park closest to you:

Eggstravaganza – Easter Egg Hunts

Saturday, March 28, 2026

10AM-11AM

Contra Loma Estates Park | Mahogany Way

Gentrytown Park | Monterey Drive

12PM-1PM

Meadow Creek Park | Vista Grande Drive

Diablo West Park | 2000 Prewett Ranch Drive

For inquires contact recreation@antiochca.gov or call our front desk at (925) 776-3050.

Let’s fill our parks with smiles, laughter, and community spirit. We can’t wait to see you there!

Former interim director will return to the position; posting for new assistant city manager will occur soon

By Allen D. Payton

After just shy of six months on the job, the City of Antioch Community and Economic Development Director Zach Seal is longer in the position as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026. As previously reported, he started on Oct. 6, 2025.

When informed of Seal’s possible departure, City Manager Bessie Scott was asked, Tuesday afternoon, if Seal had been terminated and for any details. She did not respond. City PIO, Jaden Baird was asked about the matter, but he was not aware of it and said he would contact Scott.

Then thanks to a resident who shared a copy of it with the Herald at 7:59 PM and chose to remain anonymous, it was revealed that Scott sent the following email entitled, “Staffing Update: Community and Economic Development Department” to “All City Employees” at 5:55 PM:

Hello Team Antioch,

I want to share an important staffing update. As of today, Zach Seal, our Community and Economic Development Director, is no longer with the City. We thank him for his service during the time that he was here and wish him well in his future endeavors.

While leadership transitions are never easy, our focus remains on maintaining continuity in the important work of supporting Antioch’s economic growth and business community. In the meantime, we will be continuing with the ongoing economic development activities that are currently underway while we begin a formal recruitment process for a new Community and Economic Development Director. David Storer will be the Interim Community and Economic Development Director for the time being. 

Economic development remains a top priority for the City. We will continue advancing efforts to attract investment, support local businesses, and position Antioch for long-term economic vitality.

I appreciate the professionalism and dedication our staff brings to this work every day. As we move through this transition, I will keep you informed of next steps in the recruitment process.

Thank you for your continued commitment to serving our community. ~Bessie

Bessie Marie Scott, EMPA, CIG

City Manager

————

However, no announcement was provided to the local media to inform the public.

The following questions were then sent to both Scott and Baird:

“Was he terminated or did he voluntarily resign?

Why after just six months on the job?

Did he not meet expectations?

Was he supposed to accomplish something that he didn’t?

What did he actually accomplish during his brief tenure?”

They were also asked for anything else they could share.

City Limited in What Can be Shared About Personnel Matters

UPDATE 1: In response, Baird wrote, “The City can confirm that Zach Seal is no longer employed with the City of Antioch. As the City Manager shared with staff earlier this evening, we thank him for his service during the time he was here and wish him well in his future endeavors.

“Due to the confidential nature of personnel matters, the City is not able to comment on the circumstances surrounding an employee’s separation, including whether it was a resignation or termination, performance-related matters, or internal discussions.

“Economic development work will continue uninterrupted. David Storer will serve as Interim Community and Economic Development Director while the City begins a formal recruitment process for the position.

“This reflects the information the City is able to provide at this time. Thank you for your understanding.”

Baird and Scott were pressed further and asked, “If he was terminated, did he have a severance clause in his employment agreement, was that triggered and how much is that costing the City?”

New City Attorney Lori Asuncion started on Monday. Asked last week if she had considered, lately hiring an assistant city manager, Scott responded, “Yes! Posting coming out soon.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

By Allen D. Payton

According to the Contra Costa Health Department’s Environmental Health Division, Hidden Dragon Chinese restaurant in Antioch was shut down last April for violations including insects, rodents referred to as rats and mice, birds or animals present. It was shut down again on Dec. 9th for some of the same problems. Both times the owners were instructed to, “Cease and Desist all food activities.”

Located at 4106 Lone Tree Way in the same shopping center at Dallas Ranch Road as the former Rite Aid and now closed Sherwin-Williams Paint Store, the restaurant reopened Dec. 12th following a re-inspection. Then, the owners voluntarily and permanently closed the restaurant in January. An Environmental Health inspector did not learn of that until attempting a re-inspection, yesterday, Monday, March 2, 2026.

The Food Facility Routine Inspection Report dated April 23, 2025, showed a Minor Violation for not having “6. Adequate hand-washing facilities: supplied and accessible. Minor Observations: A) Soap dispenser in employee restroom observed inoperative. B) No paper towels in wall-mounted dispenser in employee restroom. – Ensure all handwashing stations are accessible and stocked with soap and paper towels in mounted dispensers at all times. Corrective Action: Adequate facilities shall be provided for hand washing with soap & towels or drying device provided in dispensers; dispensers shall be maintained in good repair (113953, 113953.1, 113953.2).”

The Major Violation was listed as “22. No insects, rodents, birds or animals present.”

The Dec. 9th Inspection Report showed two major violations. It read:

13. Food in good condition, safe and unadulterated Corrected On Site

Observations: Observed 1 bag of adulterated walnuts (rodent chew marks on bag) on shelf in dry-storage room.

– Discard all adulterated food products.

– Inspect facility for adulterated food (e.g. with rodent chew marks) and immediately discard.

– Protect food from contamination.

*Corrected on site: Operator discarded adulterated bag of walnuts.

Corrective Action: Any food is adulterated if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it impure or injurious to health (113967, 113976, 113980, 113988, 113990, 114035, 114254.3).

22. No insects, rodents, birds or animals present

In addition, the report included details of the violations, including:

“A) Observed 1 dead rat on glue board on floor underneath shelving in dry storage area.

B) Observed 1 dead rat on glue board on floor underneath wooden cabinet behind front counter.

C) Observed 5 german cockroaches, and rodent fir on glue board placed on bottom shelf of prep table at cook line.

D) Observed 2 baited (and set off) wooden rat snap traps on drain board near high-temperature dish machine.

E) Observed rodent fur on wire shelving in dry-storage room.

F) Observed rat droppings”

The restaurant was again instructed to, “Cease and Desist all food activities.

– Remove dead rodents, dead cockroaches, and all rodent droppings from facility.

– Thoroughly clean and sanitize all affected areas (including but not limited to floors, shelves, dishes).

– Remove glue boards and snap traps from shelving and from dish-machine drain board. Do NOT place snap traps and glue boards on shelving or on drainboard for dishes.

– Obtain professional pest-control service. Email pest-control report to Daniel.Chavez@cchealth.org. Maintain copies of pest-control reports on site, available for review during inspections.”

County Health Staff Provide Details

When asked about the closure, Karl Fischer, Communications Coordinator for Contra Costa Health asked if there was a red placard in the window. When informed there was just a handwritten sign he said, “It sounds like they might have closed themselves. When we shut down a restaurant, we usually require them to post a red placard in the window.”

“Restaurants are required to close down if they don’t have water or if they have insects,” Fischer continued. “They might be shutting down because they know they have a problem and shouldn’t be serving food, right now.”

Contra Costa County uses a color-coded Placard Program for Permanent  and Mobile Retail Food Facilities to publicly report the results of food safety inspections, which includes green, yellow and red placards. Colors are determined based upon inspection findings with green meaning Pass, yellow meaning Conditional Pass and Red meaning Closed. A white placard stands for Placard Pending.

“As soon as they take care of it, they’re back in business. After a day or two, they’ll call us for a reinspection,” he added.

When informed of the report in April 2025 Fischer said, “The restaurant also got shut down on Dec. 9th for rodents.”

According to Kristian Lucas, the County’s Director of Environmental Health, “We regularly encourage all food facilities to self-close when there are any major issues that may affect public health and their food service as a result. Therefore, it may very well be that this facility chose to close on their own volition if Env Health did not officially close the facility.”

In an email, Tim Kraus, Supervising Environmental Health Specialist for Contra Costa Health then shared, “We did not close them permanently. It appears Inspector Daniel Chavez attempted an inspection yesterday and found the same sign mentioned below. His report indicates he communicated with the former owner via text message, who indicated they closed permanently in January of their own volition.  I’ve attached a copy of the report from yesterday since it doesn’t appear to have worked its way through to the website yet.  I’ve also attached the 12/9 routine inspection that resulted in a closure and the 12/12 reinspection where they were re-opened.”

“The last activity prior to yesterday’s inspection attempt that I see in our system was the re-opening inspection on 12/12/25,” he added.

The restaurant was incorporated as Sweet Rice Union, LLC. But the owners’ names are not listed on the Bizapedia page.

Join the Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch Club for the Annual Romano Marchetti Memorial Dinner fundraiser on Saturday, March 14th, 2026. Profits of the dinner, opportunity drawing and auction contribute to the support of Kiwanis community and youth charities.

The event will be held at the VFW Hall at 815 Fulton Shipyard Road in Antioch and begins at 5 PM with Social Hour and Silent Auction, 6 PM Dinner which includes two kinds of meat, pasta, baked beans, cole slaw, salad, ice cream and all the trimmings, catered by Chef Archie S&Q.

Plus, Opportunity Drawing and Live Auction!

Tickets are $60 each.

For tickets and information call: Archie Smith Jr. (510) 367-3452 archiesandq@gmail.com

Tickets are also available to purchase in person at Willow Park Mercantile 205 G Street, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

Thank you to our sponsors! Dr. Ali Shirani Dentistry, Snug As a Bug, East Bay Community Foundation and Beswick Family Fund.

Kiwanis is the Premier Community Service Organization Celebrating over 110 years serving the Children of the World, One Child, and One Community at a Time.

For more information about the club visit Kiwanis Club of The Delta-Antioch.