Antioch Police Motorcycle Officers of traffic enforcement. Photo by APD.

By Antioch Police Department

Antioch, we hear you! You want more traffic enforcement; here is an update!

You may recall we received a grant for our motor unit from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Funding from this grant has already led to an increase in motor officer training and operations. (See related article)

On November 2nd, using funding from this grant, our motor unit conducted a Traffic Enforcement Operation. We targeted well-known areas for speeders, thanks to the many tips we get from YOU!

The operation resulted in:

29 citations issued, including…

3 suspended license citations

2 unlicensed driver citations

2 distracted driving citations (put down the cell phones!!)

Keep those traffic tips coming, we are working hard for you!

For more information on the Go Safely campaign from the California Office of Traffic Safety, visit: https://gosafelyca.org

Antioch Sports Legends Museum inside the Antioch Historical Society Museum.

By Tom Lamothe

We are excited to offer this unprecedented opportunity of supporting the Antioch Sports Legends Museum and Program with an online auction event from November 19-22. For the first time in our 14-year history, we have the potential of connecting with all our alumni from across the nation for a fundraising event.

As this is just before Christmas, it’s the perfect time to buy gifts for you and your loved ones and help California’s best hometown sports museum.

This auction will have something for everyone. We have collected several one-of-a-kind Antioch sports memorabilia, along with home goods, electronics, national and international trips, sports memorabilia, lifetime experiences, and so much more. There are over 150 items in our auction!

All proceeds benefit the Antioch Sports Legends Museum and Program to cover our overhead with the Antioch Historical Society Museum and for displays, apparel, website cost, office supplies, and administrative expenses and to set us up for future success and projects.

Please register for the auction at: https://yourcharityauction.com/ASL

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep yourself up to date on what is happening at the Antioch Sports Legends Museum. We’re located downstairs, inside the Antioch Historical Society Museum at 1500 W. 4th Street at the curve of Auto Center Drive. For now we are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. For more information visit www.antiochsportslegends.com or call (925) 238-0565.

Jennifer and Rick Fuller and The Rick Fuller Team, 2019 Antioch Small Business of the Year. Photo courtesy of Rick Fuller.

This is a second in a series of articles on the annual awards presented Friday night, Sept. 24 by the Antioch Chamber of Commerce during its Gala Dinner. It was held virtually, this year and honored the city’s most outstanding residents and organizations with their annual awards.

Business of the Year

The Business of the Year is chosen based on the way the company gives back to community outside its normal business practice. Recipients usually support multiple groups in our community and realize that a strong local economy is based on a strong community. This category has been divided into Large/Corporate and Small Business Categories.

Rick Fuller speaks as his wife and business partner Jennifer looks on thanking the Chamber for the honor. Photo courtesy of the Chamber.

Small Business – Rick Fuller Team

Rick Fuller grew up in Antioch and graduated from Antioch High School in 1994.  Rick and his wife Jennifer have three amazing daughters: April, Autumn & Summer.  Rick serves the City of Antioch on the Economic Development Commission.

The Rick Fuller Team is dedicated to providing the kind of service their clients would be happy to tell a friend about. With passion and hard work, the Rick Fuller Team had the privilege of serving over 250 families in 2019 and have received nearly 1,000 five-star reviews online.

The Rick Fuller Team has raised over $1.25 Million and served over 2100 local homeless and foster children through the nonprofit Royal Family Kids since 2001.  Royal Family Kids provides camps, clubs and mentoring for homeless and foster children.  In 2019, With community support, they also raised $100,000 in 12 weeks for a young lady named Malysa (Melissa) who desperately needed a second heart transplant.

Travis Credit Union Antioch Branch Manager Marivel Branco and Assistant Vice President & Regional Manager Jennifer Victor receive the plaque and honors from Mayor Sean Wright, COO of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of the Chamber.

Large Business – Travis Credit Union

Travis Credit Union works every day to make a difference in the lives of the people they serve. As a secure and trusted financial institution, they advocate for the financial education and wellbeing of each of their members, assist the underserved, and invest in our communities. Travis Credit Union has offered free financial education seminars for over a decade, which has resulted in many community members of all ages educated and financially literate. Monthly financial education seminars provided in partnership with the Antioch Public Library cover topics such as Building Budgets, Understanding Credit, ID Theft and Prevention, Organizing Financial Records, and many more.

As part of their efforts in educating the communities we serve, Travis Credit Union focuses on the underserved population of young adults. Travis Credit Union has offered Mad City Money to over 10,000 young adults, which include residents of Antioch. Building skills that will last a lifetime, participants in Mad City Money learn how handling adult finances doesn’t have to be difficult. The 3Y,-hour simulation allows young adults to make decisions about budgeting, spending, borrowing, and saving in an assigned-life scenario. Financial education is not part of the school curriculum, and it is our responsibility as a community to ensure young adults are walking into adulthood with the tools necessary to be financially healthy.

Travis Credit Union is passionate about changing lives and lifting communities through financial well ness. What sets Travis Credit Union apart from the rest is its commitment and dedication toward building authentic community impact through its “Awesome Cause”- Financial Education, Financial Literacy, and Financial Advocacy. Through the Awesome Cause, Travis Credit Union has established partnerships with many non-profit organizations such as; Opportunity Junction, The Lighthouse Mentoring Center, Courageous and Emerging Leadership Academy (CELA), Antioch Parks and Recreation, and Antioch Public Library to name a few.

Further demonstrating their commitment to the Antioch community, the local branch staff engages in community events such as the Antioch 4th of July Parade, Chamber Mixers, and many fundraising events.

Travis Credit Union has established many local partnerships, including the city of Antioch, to be able to offer Mad City Money to young adults between the ages of 14-24. Each participant receives a temporary identity, including occupation, salary, debt, marital status, children to give participants a sense of adulthood, and paying bills. Participants visit “merchants” in Mad City to choose housing, transportation, necessities and wants. The goal is ultimately to simulate the realities of approaching financial responsibilities and teach the tools to make better financial decisions. The Antioch Chamber of Commerce has participated for many years providing volunteers to become merchants at Mad City Money. Having the business community involved and allowing the youth to see their local merchants is positive community engagement. Mad City Money is more than just financial education. It is an opportunity for the entire community to come together and support the new generation.

Tamisha Walker (left) now leads Councilwoman Joy Motts (right) by 12 votes according to the Semi-Official Results Update #1 from the Contra Costa Elections Division as of Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, 2020. From Walker’s campaign Facebook page, CoCoVote.us and Herald file photo of Motts.

Clerk, Treasurer races tighten; 70,000 ballots left to count in the county; next update Friday the 13th

By Allen Payton

In the Friday afternoon Semi-Official Results – Update #1 from the Contra Costa Elections Division, newcomer and challenger Tamisha Walker has overtaken first-term Councilwoman Joy Motts in the District 1 race for Antioch City Council. The latest count shows Walker with 2,247 votes to 2,235 for Motts. Former Antioch Mayor Pro Tem and current Planning Commissioner Manny Soliz, Jr. is in a close third place with 1,946 votes.

The previous update on Tuesday night at 11:44 p.m. had Motts in the lead by 50 votes with 1,563 votes to Walker’s 1,513.

In the City Clerk’s and Treasurer’s races the gaps between the incumbents and their challengers narrowed. Incumbent City Clerk Arne Simonsen saw his lead decrease from 526 votes to 398 on Friday, over Antioch School Board Trustee Ellie Householder. Dwayne Eubanks is still in a distant third at 6,291 votes behind Householder.

Householder congratulated Simonsen in a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon in effect, conceding the race. However, in light of the latest results she was asked Friday evening if she is now thinking of reconsidering and hoping for a victory but. Householder responded, “Because of the way the numbers were trending on Tuesday, I am not expecting a win. While the new numbers look promising, with the number of remaining outstanding votes, I don’t see a path to victory. I will say, I am delighted at the overall voter turnout!”

Appointed incumbent City Treasurer Jim Davis saw his lead decrease from 1,075 votes on Tuesday night to 764 votes over newcomer and challenger Lauren Posada.

In the race for Mayor of Antioch, Councilman Lamar Thorpe increased his lead over incumbent Mayor Sean Wright by 3,489 votes expanding his lead by 1,241 votes since Tuesday night. Thorpe now has 16,169 votes to Wright’s 12,680. Julio Jesse Mendez, Gabriel Makinano and Rakesh Kumar Christian trail in distant third, fourth and fifth places with 3,484 votes, 2,941 votes and 1,220 votes, respectively. Thorpe currently has five more votes than Wright and Mendez combined.

In the District 2 Council race, Mike Barbanica’s lead over former Councilman Tony Tiscareno increased by 111 votes since Election Night, now with 4,528 to 3,856 votes.

In District 3, incumbent Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock increased her lead over newcomer and homeless advocate Nichole Gardner by 75 votes, with 3,842 to 3,177 votes. Parks & Recreation Commission Chair Marie Arce trails in third place by 1,069 votes with 2,108 followed by Administrative Appeals Board Member Antwon Webster with 1,700 votes.

In the District 4 race, two-term incumbent Councilwoman Monica Wilson still has almost double the votes her main challenger and Police Crime Prevention Commission Chair Sandra White has, at 5,408 votes to 2,723 expanding her lead by 698 votes since Tuesday night. Newcomer and zero-dollar campaign candidate Alex John Astorga, is in third place with 1,672 votes.

In the Antioch School Board races in Area 1, newcomer Antonio Hernandez expanded his lead over incumbent Board President Diane Gibson-Gray by 192 votes to 432, with a total of 2,279 to her 1,847 votes. Alexis Medina who dropped out of the race and gave her support to Hernandez is in third place with 1,100 votes trailed by the third newcomer and challenger George Young who is in fourth place with 818 votes.

Finally, in the Area 3 school board race, Dr. Clyde Lewis, Jr. also expanded his lead by 353 votes now leading incumbent Trustee Crystal-Sawyer White by 1,128 votes in his second try for the position. He now has 3,569 votes to her 2,441. In third place is Kenny Turnage with 1,621 votes.

Asked if she was ready to concede and congratulate Lewis now that his lead has increased, Sawyer-White did not respond before publication time.

Please check back later to her and Householder’s responses and any other updates to this report.

According to county Elections office staff there are about 70,000 ballots left to count in the county, including 65,000 vote-by-mail ballots and 5,000 provisionals. The next results update won’t occur until next Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. You read that correctly – Friday the 13th!

Decorate your car to show veterans your support!

By Gerald J.R. Wilson, Jr., President, Antioch Veterans Day Committee

Antioch Herald file photo.

Every year on Veterans Day, November 11, Antioch becomes the jewel of the California Delta with a whole day of events to recognize those that have served our great country.  We would be honored for you to be a part of this great Veterans Day Celebration.

The day’s festivities start off at the Antioch Veterans Memorial with a Drive-In Style Ceremony beginning at 10:00 at the foot of L Street next to the Antioch Marina and boat launch parking lots.

Please be parked by 9:50 A.M.  You will be able to tune into the ceremony on your radio at FM 87.9. We will have a Flag Raising Ceremony, our main speaker will be Dr. Dan Helix, we will be introducing the Antioch Lifetime Veteran of the Year and the Antioch Veteran of the Year for 2020/2021, and we will be introducing the artist for the Antioch Veterans Memorial Mural.

This year unfortunately, we will not be having a Veterans Day Parade, However, that doesn’t mean you can’t let our veterans know how much you support them by decorating your car in a patriotic theme. We ask that after the ceremony you take a self-guided tour in your patriotic decorated car to other Antioch veteran spots:

1. Antioch Veterans Memorial
2. Antioch Historical Society
3. WWI Veterans Memorial at the CCC Fairgrounds
4. Oak View Cemetery Veterans Memorial
5. Ending at the Antioch VFW

U.S.S. ATR-28. Sept. 28, 1944. Photo by Fulton Shipyard.

Antioch has a long history of supporting our local troops, The Fulton Shipyard, located on the historic waterfront, built ships for the U.S. Navy ships during World War II and the Korea Conflict (war). Fulton Shipyard began operations in 1924 on the western portion of the grounds. Frank Leslie Fulton and Angeline Fulton Fredericks purchased the property in 1924 and began doing business as Fulton Shipyard, a predecessor of Fulton Shipyard, Inc. in 1928. Shell Oil Company owned and operated a fuel transfer station on a portion of the Site. Fulton Shipyard, Inc. purchased it from the Shell Oil Company in 1942.

During WWII, the U.S. government confiscated the terminal and later transferred it to the Fulton family. Prior to the war, the shipyard primarily built and repaired small wooden and metal boats, mostly tugs and river freighters. During both wars they built a variety of ships including two Aggressive Class minesweepers. In later years, the shipyard focused on sandblasting and painting vessels, while engine repair work mostly ended in the 1970s. It closed in 1999.

City staff has put together a great video highlighting our past Veterans Day Parade and Celebration.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL7VIWDRVIg

As in years past, the City of Antioch has partnered with the veterans’ community to bring this celebration of our veterans.  We want to recognize the City of Antioch departments and staff that have worked so hard to make sure the day’s events occur without a hitch.  THANK YOU!!!!

Please abide by the Contra Costa County COVID-19 health orders. Social distancing and please wear a mask at all times.

Suspect’s car, gun found under his seat on Thursday, ,Nov. 5, 2020. Photos by APD.

Queue the song “I Can’t Drive 55” or 35

By Antioch Police Department

There’s no such thing as a “routine” traffic stop…

Thursday, at around 10:20 am, Officer Erickson was doing speed enforcement on East 18th Street near Biglow Drive. He clocked a Mercedes going 67 MPH in a 35 MPH zone and decided to flip on the red and blues to have a conversation with the driver about why he was driving like he was on a freeway. He soon learned the driver was on parole, which is a type of offender supervision where one receives early release from jail or prison but, agrees to be searched by law enforcement for any reason. Individuals on parole can have their person, vehicle, residence and anything under their control searched without a warrant.

Officer Erickson searched the vehicle and located an unregistered pistol under the driver’s seat, which the driver was not allowed to have because of his prior convictions (and his parole status). Said driver was fitted with a set of chrome bracelets and brought to the County Jail, so he could tell others why they should obey the speed limit in Antioch (and not drive around with unlawfully possessed firearms!).

Our violent crime rate is down 39% since 2012 and -10% since last year. One way we accomplish this is by conducting proactive enforcement, along with probation and parole compliance checks. If you have information on a crime occurring in our city, you can call our Dispatch at (925) 778-2441 or send an anonymous text-tip to 274637 with the keyword ANTIOCH. Thanks for helping us keep Antioch safe! #antiochpdca

By Sergeant James Stenger #3604, Antioch Police Violent Crimes Unit (Investigations Bureau)

On Thursday, November 5, 2020, at about 4:06 pm, Antioch Police patrol officers were notified of a shooting that occurred in front of 9 W. 20th Street. A 40-year-old male was located suffering from a single gunshot wound to his torso. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was declared deceased.

The Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau responded and took over the investigation of this case. It was determined the victim and a 32-year-old male suspect were involved in a physical fight. After the fight was over, the suspect produced a handgun and shot the victim one time. The suspect was located at a residence on Poplar Drive in Concord and he was taken into custody for this homicide. This was an isolated incident and the suspect and victim were known to each other.

Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Bledsoe at (925) 779-6884 or by emailing lbledsoe@antiochca.gov. Anonymous tips or information about this – or any other incident – can be sent via text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ANTIOCH.