City of Antioch proposed organization chart following Council action on Sept. 22, 2026.
Leaves City with no continuity plan for top leadership, only an Acting City Manager until June 30, 2027, and no Assistant City Manager
By Allen D. Payton
The City of Antioch will once again have a separate Economic Development Department. During their meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the Antioch City Council agreed to re-establish the department and remove it from the current combined Community Development and Economic Development Department. Plus, the council agreed to have a stand-alone director without a dual role as assistant city manager, after the position remained vacant for a year then only an acting director for the combined department for half of the past year.
Public Comments
Resident and council candidate Andrew Becker spoke during public comments saying, “The easiest way to answer the question is…we go online and see what’s up for sale in the city of Antioch. Every business, every commercial property is up for sale in the city of Antioch, every single one.”
“The newest thing to go up for sale in the city…is the FoodMaxx on Lone Tree. They pay a million dollars a year,” he said. “Who would be part of that process? The economic development director. And get rid of the Mallet & Sons Jewelers sign next to the FoodMaxx that’s been hanging there for the past 15 years after they left.”
“How can we take 20 percent of their time away for other things. Is that responsible?” he asked. “We need something clear and concise, that’s an economic development department.”
Resident and local Realtor Melissa Case also argued for a separate position and to not combine it with the assistant city manager position.
However, this reporter also spoke and again suggested a combined position as the City had in the late 1990’s, but only temporarily, until the position of assistant city manager can be filled in order to have a continuity plan, as the City currently only has an acting city manager and no assistant city manager.
Council Comments & Direction to Staff
“When was the last time did we have an assistant city manager that also served as economic development director?” Torres-Walker then asked.
“The late 1990’s,” Freitas responded, to which both Torres-Walker and Wilson laughed.
Yet, more recently, from June 2023 until October 2024, the City had an employee in the dual role of Economic Development Director and City management, specifically, Kwame Reed. District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson was one of three council members who voted to appoint him as Acting City Manager during a meeting when Torres-Walker was absent, and he served in the position for a year and five months. He was then promoted to Assistant City Manager by the new city manager until he left earlier this year for a position with the County.
“I am definitely in the stand-alone camp. I am not for a split,” Wilson stated.
“Clearly, I am one of those who advocated for a split decision,” Freitas said. “Number one, structurally, we need an assistant city manager. One of the problems is authority. We need very quick actions. That individual…would have the authority to have things move quickly and not get mired in bureaucracy. Chances are things will move quicker.”
We’ve already gone out twice with the salaries we have, twice…it’s the lowest paid,” Freitas said. “It’s not going to happen at this salary. It also has internal impacts for all the department heads. We need to address the salary.”
“You really are creating a brand-new department. We need a very experienced individual,” he continued. “There cannot be on-the-job training.”
“There’s no sense in fighting. I will support a stand-by itself economic development department,” Freitas added.
“One of the reasons it did fail was because the positions were combined…it was difficult to find someone with experience in both city management and economic development,” Acting City Manager Ana Cortez stated.
“The public deserves to have high expectations. You pay for what you get,” Torres-Walker stated. “We need opportunity here for someone who’s going to come in and propel Antioch forward.”
Based on the consensus of the four council members present, as District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha was absent while attending the California League of Cities conference, current Acting City Manager Ana Cortez said she will bring back to the Council at their meeting on Oct. 13th, an entire package to move forward with forming the department, again and the recruitment process for the director position.
The decision by the council leaves the City with no continuity plan for leadership, only an acting city manager through June 30, 2027, and currently no assistant city manager.
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce and City of Antioch will hold the annual Antioch Business Expo on Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 5pm – 7pm at the Antioch Community Center in Prewett Community Park located 4703 Lone Tree Way. The Business Expo will allow local businesses and organizations to introduce their products or services to the local community.
It also offers businesses to market and create a business-to-business network that is often overlooked in distinct network venues. The Antioch Business Expo will showcase over 50 local businesses, organizations, non-profits, government entities and community business resources. The Business Expo is designed to create an environment for East County businesses to grow, prosper, and learn how to build meaningful relationships with the community and other businesses and organizations.
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Antioch demonstrates both the City and Chamber’s intention of supporting local businesses and the continued planned economic growth of Antioch and the surrounding area. Securing a booth at this event is a great opportunity to connect your business or services with the community. Proceeds from the Antioch Business Expo will help support the Antioch Chamber member initiatives and other Chamber events.
This month, the Downtown Antioch Association meets somewhere special — the old lumber yard building on W. 2nd Street, now home to Prime Vintage Realty. A piece of Antioch history, still standing strong and serving our community today.
Home-based businesses, storefronts, big or small — if you’re a local business owner in Antioch, we want you at the table. Join us for our monthly DAA meeting: mixer at 5:30 PM, meeting 6:00–7:30 PM.
Wants it to include broader option of other parts of city
By Allen D. Payton
Following meetings held with downtown business owners and community members regarding hours of operation, patrol locations, scope of services and other identified needs and issues, during their meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the Antioch City Council discussed restoring private security services to the City-owned parking lots in downtown Rivertown. But the discussion expanded to other issues and possible broader private security services throughout the city.
First approved by the Council in 2023, according to the city staff report, the contract with Brentwood-based Shield Protection & Public Safety, Inc., DBA Spearhead Protection, for private security services of City-owned assets and parking lots in the Rivertown area was for an amount not to exceed $50,000 in fiscal year 2023-24 (ending June 30th) and $100,000 in fiscal year 2024-25. It was renewed for the 2025-26 fiscal year and the private security contract ended on June 30th.
Under Item 6, on the agenda, the Council was asked to discuss downtown security services for City owned parking lots, property and public areas, and provide direction to staff on whether to initiate a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process for private security services in the Rivertown/Downtown area.
Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas was the first council member to speak saying, “Frankly, this issue came to us from the Downtown Antioch Association. Because…there have been more and more reports since the security has stopped. We began asking a lot of questions…and all of us received input from the DAA and Chamber of Commerce.”
“They complimented the police department and some of the crime prevention efforts,” he continued. “But crime has risen since the services have stopped.”
“Clearly the hours from their perspective, about 30 people were in attendance and 60% said they wanted different hours,” Freitas said. “There are a lot of issues that came out of this. Conceptually, yes, I believe services should be provided. But I don’t know what should be provided. There are a lot of options: Hours of operation. There are businesses that were under contract but did not perform.”
Acting City Manager Ana Cortez responded saying, “What I’m seeking tonight is direction. Does Council want to continue with private security services? If yes, we’d have to proceed with a request for proposal process, since the previous contract ended. We would put all the input into a scope of services.”
“Private security services represent one aspect,” Freitas continued. “The lighting in the downtown, the homelessness issue, the cleanliness. All of that was discussed extensively by the business owners and private residents. This should be comprehensive and not just in the downtown.”
“But, we said, there needs to be a public-private partnership,” he stated. “This cannot be just the City of Antioch. This cannot be just the General Fund. This needs to be a collaborative effort.”
“What’s really confusing about the process is that…it explicitly says security services will be used for City-owned properties and parking lots…it will not be to patrol privately-owned property,” District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker stated, asking “Is their focus, City-owned property downtown? If I see somebody breaking into a business, do I ignore it?”
“I think they would report that to the police department,” Cortez responded. “That’s something that would be included in the scope of work.”
“I expected to see a fully drafted Request for Proposal…and that’s not here,” Torres-Walker continued. “In addition to a public-private partnership.”
She then spoke of an overlay district and said, “I know that’s a longer-term strategy.”
“This does involve a bigger discussion,” she continued. “I know the mayor pro tem and I are appointed to the Downtown Standing Committee. What I would request…is that we as a City, we might want to reassess the potential of that standing committee and establish an ad-hoc committee. Is the standing committee still necessary? What would a task force look like? It’s kind of hard to have dialogue and workshop in a standing committee.”
District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson then said, “Although there is a list of what the private security will do…then there’s also the expectations of our businesses which don’t align. A lot of this seems to be more of a police department issue.
“This is about public property, not a private business,” she continued. “How are we going to make this work with the expectations of
“It’s a Code Enforcement issue, it’s a Public Works issue…we got into a parking issue and turns out, some of the worst offenders are the business owners,” Freitas stated. “Frankly, one of the parties is the railroad. That is a big issue in the downtown and we seem to ignore it until we handle it until the next time. I think we need to have a broader discussion.”
“I don’t want to dismiss the issue of needing security in downtown, right now,” Torres-Walker added. “It needs to include a larger community voice.”
“I can come back to the next council meeting with an RFP,” Cortez responded.
“One of the other issues that isn’t addressed, necessarily in the current parking lots, at the water treatment plant, we’ve had calls for service…if there are other areas of the city that are having issues,” Mayor Ron Bernal stated.
“This is about one security guard. Is one enough?” he asked. “Not just in downtown.”
“I think we also need to look at the Downtown Specific Plan…I think that would be important,” Bernal added.
“We do want to include the entire city, not just the downtown,” Cortez stated.
“In talking to the chief, I included other parts of town…it should be expanded,” said Bernal.
“We need to hear from Public Works, Code Enforcement…if the hours are correct. I think the way we had it did not work,” said Freitas.
“Moving those around is the best model,” Bernal interjected.
“I thought it was very good for all council members and staff, the chief to hear these dialogues…having that dialogue was very, very helpful,” Freitas stated. “Some things came up that we never hear. I think an ad hoc is better than a steering (he meant standing) committee which has other rules.”
Torres-Walker then asked what about businesses in other parts of Antioch.
“Are security officers armed, are they not armed, do they have lights on their patrol cars?” Bernal asked.
“And what businesses are already paying for private security?” Torres-Walker asked. “They might be in a commercial lot with other private businesses. She then reiterated her proposal for a public-private partnership.
“It started as a focus on the downtown,” Cortez explained. “It turned out to be a bigger issue.”
Cortez will return with a proposed RFP or RFQ for discussion at the Council meeting on Oct. 13th.
Catch the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile at Antioch’s 7th Annual Big Truck Day.
Explore big trucks up close and see the legendary Wienermobile.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind Big Truck Day!!
September 17th, 4PM-8PM.
Antioch Community Center parking lot at Prewett Community Park, 4703 Lone Tree Way.
For more information about Antioch’s 7th Annual Big Truck Day click, here.
Source: Oscar Meyer
Wienermobile Historical Highlights
According to Wienermobile Rolling Through History In 1936 Carl Mayer, nephew of the company’s founder, came up with the idea of a 13- foot metal hot dog on wheels to transport the company spokesperson. General Body Company of Chicago, Illinois, designed the first Wienermobile, which featured open cockpits in the center and rear. It was a common sight on the streets of Chicago as it promoted Oscar Mayer “German-style Wieners.”
In 1952 the Wienermobile made a triumphant return as five new vehicles hit the streets of America. Designed by Gerstenslager of Wooster, Ohio, and built on a Dodge chassis, the 22-foot-long hot dogs were the first to have a sound system and sunroof. A 1952 Wienermobile is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
Source: Oscar Meyer
In 1988, six new 23-foot-long fiberglass hot dogs on wheels, toured the country in style. They featured microwave ovens, refrigerators, cellular phones, and stereo systems that played 21 versions of the Oscar Mayer Wiener Jingle.
Thanks to witness info, technology and detective work
Both held on $100,000 bail
By Lt. Michael Mellone, Antioch Police Department
ANTIOCH, Calif. — The Antioch Police Department has arrested two 18-year-old Antioch residents following an investigation into the August 31 robbery of Antioch Jewelers on Wild Horse Road off Hillcrest Avenue.
At approximately 11:00 a.m. on August 31, Antioch Police officers responded to Antioch Jewelers after two masked suspects entered the business. One suspect sprayed the store owner with pepper spray while the second used a hammer to smash a glass jewelry display case. The suspects removed trays of jewelry and fled from the business.
An important break in the case came from witnesses who observed the suspects and their getaway vehicle. One witness was able to obtain the vehicle’s license plate and provide that information to police. That information, combined with investigative work by responding officers and the Antioch Police Department’s automated license plate reader system, helped investigators quickly develop leads associated with the suspect vehicle.
Later that day, officers and detectives located the suspect vehicle parked and unoccupied in Antioch. The vehicle was seized as evidence as detectives continued working to identify those responsible.
The following morning, September 1, Antioch Police detectives continued pursuing leads developed during the investigation and located 18-year-old Adrian Ramel Cortez in Antioch (born 11/22/2007). Detectives conducted surveillance as Cortez traveled through the city before coordinating with uniformed officers to take him into custody near West 4th and K streets.
Photo: Antioch PD
At the time of Cortez’s arrest, officers recovered a significant amount of jewelry from a bag he was carrying. The store owner later identified the recovered jewelry as property taken during the robbery. Officers also discovered a concealed .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun in Cortez’s possession following his arrest.
Detectives continued working the case after the first arrest. Additional investigative efforts led them to identify 18-year-old Zaimarri Tylann Williams of Antioch (born 3/16/2008) as the second suspect. On September 10, Antioch Police detectives served a search warrant at an Antioch residence as part of the continuing robbery investigation. Williams was located during the operation and taken into custody. Detectives also collected additional evidence associated with the investigation.
Cortez and Williams were arrested in connection with the robbery and are accused of violations including robbery (PC 211) and felony vandalism (PC 594(b)(1)).
This investigation highlights the value of community cooperation, technology, and persistent investigative work. The witness who recognized the importance of obtaining the suspect vehicle’s license plate provided officers with a critical piece of information at the very beginning of the investigation. APD’s automated license plate reader system helped detectives build upon that information, and investigators continued developing evidence that led to the identification and arrests of both suspects.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Arturo Becerra at (925) 779-6937 or email abecerra@antiochca.gov.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Case No.: 26-8297
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, eight-inch tall, 145-pound Cortez is non-Hispanic, but also listed as unknown, and is being held in a Custody Alternative Facility on $100,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. in Dep’t. 5 in Martinez.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 11-inch tall 160-pound Williams is non-Hispanic, but also listed as Black, and is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility also on $100,000 bail.
Lovable new mascot will bring fun, fresh ideas and a helping hand to Safeway shoppers, stores and community events
By Kent Streeb, Director of Public Affairs & Communications, Safeway Northern California Division
PLEASANTON, Calif. – There’s a fuzzy new face zipping through Safeway aisles that shoppers will soon be seeing often. Safeway Northern California Market introduced Scoot™, the market’s lovable new mascot and goodwill ambassador. Fun, furry and always ready to help, Scoot will guide shoppers toward great savings, fresh finds and family-friendly fun at Safeway stores and community events throughout Northern California, Northern Nevada and Hawaii.
With bright red fur, a leafy green sprout, signature Safeway visor, and red sneakers, Scoot is easy to spot and hard to forget. Scoot loves kids, people and lending a helping hand. Scoot will appear at community events, support hunger-relief initiatives, champion charitable causes and create memorable experiences for children and families. Whether Scoot is pointing shoppers toward a can’t-miss deal, sharing a healthy fresh dinner idea, or greeting families at a neighborhood celebration, Scoot’s mission is simple: make shopping more helpful, more rewarding and a whole lot more fun.
“Scoot may be new, but what Scoot represents has been a part of Safeway for generations: helping people save money, serving neighborhoods and making quality, fresh food and products easier to find,” said Kelly Mullin, Regional President of Marketing and Merchandising for Albertsons Companies California Region. “Scoot brings that spirit to life in a joyful new way. We believe Scoot will quickly become a familiar and beloved friend to children, families and shoppers throughout the communities we serve.”
Your Shortcut to Savings & Fresh Finds
Scoot will serve as a friendly guide at Safeway, helping shoppers discover:
Special savings and featured promotions
Peak-season produce and fresh food favorites
Freshest dinner ideas
New products and unexpected finds
Opportunities to support local communities and important causes
Shoppers will encounter Scoot in Safeway advertising, on social media, at pop-ins to stores, and at special events. Scoot will help point customers toward featured offers, digital coupons and some of Safeway’s biggest deals.
Showing Up for the Community
Like Safeway, Scoot’s role will extend well beyond the grocery aisle. In 2025, Safeway in Northern California donated $55 million in food and financial support to charitable organizations serving local communities. From food drives and charitable campaigns, to store celebrations and family events, Scoot will bring energy, smiles and a spirit of service to community appearances that will reinforce Safeway’s longstanding commitment to supporting local organizations and helping our neighbors in need. To celebrate Scoot’s arrival, Safeway will donate $5,000 to a local nonprofit.
Follow Scoot’s Adventures
Follow Scoot on Instagram and TikTok at @safewaysscoot for savings tips, fresh discoveries, community appearances and behind-the-scenes fun.
ScootTM word and design trademarks are owned by subsidiaries of Albertsons Companies, Inc.
About Safeway
Safeway is one of the most well-recognized grocery retail brands with a long-standing reputation for quality and service, proudly serving Northern California since 1926. Today, the company operates over 283 stores across Northern California, Nevada and Hawaii, under various banners, including Andronico’s, Safeway, and Pak N’ Save.
Safeway’s Antioch store is located at 3365 Deer Valley Road in the Crossings Shopping Center.
Screenshot of El Campanil Theatre building listing on realty.com 09/02/26.
Community meeting gets heated after pastor, congregants invited in; false accusations made of carrying guns; claim of a police report filed
Protest march to City Hall proposed; City staff looking for possible clause in original 2003 purchase agreement
By Allen D. Payton
Following public outcry after learning a church has purchased the 98-year-old building that houses the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch’s downtown Rivertown, the current owner shared his reasons for selling. In addition, a community meeting held there, Tuesday night, got heated between residents and the pastor and some members of his Legendary Movement Church who attended unexpectedly.
Sold Because Theater Was Going to Close, Then on Month-to-Month Lease
When reached with questions about his sale of the El Campanil Theatre building, current owner Tung Bui, who lives in Washington state, offered his reasons.
“I bought the theater for the purpose of the arts. I have friends who live in Danville and we go to shows nearby. I am a consultant to Rick on the business side in wireless operations,” he shared, referring to the foundation’s former executive director, Rick Carraher who led the effort to raise the funds to buy and renovate the building, and then led that effort, as well. He and his wife, Janis, were the original owners of Rick’s on Second restaurant that was located across the street from the theater. Rick Carraher served as the theater’s executive director until he resigned in 2021 when the couple moved out of state but remained on the board of directors. He is no longer has a role with the theater or board.
“Since then, they have brought in three different chairs and Sharon is the latest, and have had a lot of staff changes,” Bui said. Sharon Sobel Idul is the current president of the Board of Directors of the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation which leases most of the building and operates the theater.
“Last year I spoke with the foundation board,” he continued. “They’re the ones who said they didn’t have the funds to operate until the end of the year.”
But the board never informed the public the building was for sale nor held a fundraising campaign to purchase it, to the dismay of members of the public who expressed it during Tuesday night’s meeting and on social media.
“We’re on a month-to-month lease. I don’t want to own a property where the theater isn’t going to be,” Bui stated. “Who runs a commercial building on a month-to-month basis?”
“I gave them free rent for the first year and then gave them a sweetheart deal because I wanted them to recover,” he shared. “I didn’t raise rents for a certain period of time.”
“They told me they were going to shut down by the end of the year,” Bui reiterated.
Asked about the church buying the building he said, “We had several buyers. I turned down a ton of buyers. I didn’t want someone to buy it and tear it down. I wanted a buyer to have a consistent use of the property. The church wanted to keep it the way it is. They’re going to use it for Sunday mornings and Wednesday night Bible study.”
“As a matter of courtesy, I discussed this with Sharon before I accepted the offer. She knew about it,” said Bui.
“I put it on the market with an agent, Michael Temby. I don’t want to own it,” Bui shared. “My agent approached the City early on.”
“Then they (the board) came back to me at the end (of the fundraising effort) and said they can operate it and asked if I would go on a month-to-month. That’s a death sentence,” he stated. “Even if I could back out (of offering it for sale), I couldn’t because I had a contract with a listing for a certain duration.”
Asked if he owned other commercial properties, Bui said, “Not at all. This would be the first and only property I own. I’m not a commercial guy. I only bought it because of my relationship with Rick. I’m an electrical engineer.”
He then suggested this reporter speak with Temby. However, in response to efforts to speak with the Discovery Bay-based Realtor, he said, “I have no comments at this time while we’re in escrow. Happy to answer any questions after escrow closes.” According to Herrera, that will be on Sept. 29th.
El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation Shares Community Update on Potential Sale
UPDATE 2: On August 20th, Sobel Idul emailed a press release about the potential sale of the theater building (which the Herald unfortunately missed until Thursday, Sept. 3rd).
She wrote, “The El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation (ECTPF) would like to provide some clarity to our community regarding recent conversations about the future of the El Campanil Theatre property.
“ECTPF is a tenant of the theatre property, which is owned by an out-of-state landlord. We are aware of the potential sale of the property and of fundraising efforts being circulated online by a potential buyer. Those efforts are independent of ECTPF and do not reflect the mission of our organization and it is unlikely that we would be able to continue to provide theatre programming at El Campanil Theatre if they acquire the space.
“El Campanil Theatre has been part of this community for nearly a century and we understand how deeply people care about its future. We share that commitment. El Campanil Theatre is a historic gem that should remain as an arts and cultural hub. We hope the city, our community, and artists alike can come together to help maintain our mission, if not we will no longer be able to continue our arts management in this space.
“For now, our focus remains on operating the theatre, welcoming audiences and community organizations, supporting the artists and renters who bring this stage to life, and continuing to be a gathering place for Antioch and the surrounding region.
Community Conversation Becomes Confrontation with Congregation
Screenshot of Monday, Sept. 1, 2026, Facebook post promoting the theater’s Save Our Stage Community Conversation.
After Tuesday night’s “Save our Stage: A Community Conversation”, Rivertown business owner Mike Gabrielson, a former Board President of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, shared a comment about the meeting on the Antioch Herald’s Facebook page, below the post of Tuesday’s article that broke the news the building had sold. He wrote, “I was at the meeting tonight put on by the El Campanil and and it was going great. People were sharing old stories, how much the El Campanil meant to them, sharing how we need to keep the arts alive in our city. Suddenly when the news crew left, the Pastor Eli Herrera from Legendary Church showed up with about 50 people. They barged in and he shared his vision for the El Campanil Theatre which didn’t really include current El Campanil Programing or as he put it ” Legendary plans on putting on it’s own shows and performances and hopes that the El Campanil will stay on as a tenant as long as they can work around their programming…. it’s pretty clear what that means. This is super sad for our community and a final nail in the coffin to our Downtown Economy. Please join us Tuesday Sept 8th 6pm for a friendly protest in front of El Campanil Theatre and a March to City Hall to ask our Council and Mayor to support Saving the El Campanil.. Save Our Stage!”
Screenshot of Mike Gabrielson’s comment about the Community Conversation posted on the Antioch Herald’s Facebook page Tuesday night Sept. 2, 2026, following the meeting.
One person who attended said Jose Cordón, Antioch’s poet laureate tried to prevent the pastor and church members from entering the meeting and they pushed past him and the pastor was acting like he was going to be the savior of Rivertown. Another person who owns a business in Antioch and attended but chose not to be identified said, Cordón was being interviewed by the media outside and invited the pastor into the meeting. That person also said someone came at the pastor and another person in attendance complained that one of the pastor’s men had a gun, that Cordón ended up taking over the meeting and tried to de-escalate things.
Screenshot of Erin Green-Astone’s Facebook post on the Antioch Rants & Raves group page following the Tuesday night meeting.
In a post on the page of the Facebook group Antioch Rants and Raves, another Rivertown business owner, Erin Green-Astone wrote, “I don’t have any words right now. I’m angry that it evolved the way it did. The church members and pastor showed up late to the meeting and shifted the tone greatly. We have passionate folks in Antioch. I hate that it devolved into what it did. I hate more that they brought concealed weapons into the theater and potentially put others at risk. I’m not sure how to heal this community after seeing that.”
Pastor Responds
However, the pastor and the leader of the Downtown Antioch Association who attended Tuesday night’s meeting refuted most of that information, while Cordón confirmed some of it.
Herrera, who said on Tuesday he wasn’t going to attend the community meeting, said Wednesday morning in an audio file sent by text to the Herald, “I’m sure you’re seeing all the news buzzing all over Facebook and online in regards to me and…well, our church goes and prays every Tuesday outside (the theater). I got basically asked and begged to go into that meeting and I said I would do it in a peaceful way. I go in there and it wasn’t peaceful. A guy, named Mr. Cordón, turns the whole audience on me. Very, very misleading. Then in the middle of that, a woman tries to come forward and come at me, physically. Then another man that I found out, named Frank Sterling, comes at me trying to attack me from my back and my men that I had with me. Not only men. I had families, my wife and children were there, all of our families were there. We were there praying outside, and my men stepped up and guarded me. There was no guns. There was no weapons. We have everything recorded.”
“So, I just wanted to share that with you because you’re going to see a lot of stuff buzzing all over the Antioch Rants and all this stuff, which is all lies,” Herrera continued.
“I heard they made a police report after we left. Not sure why they did that. They’re the ones who were attacking us,” he said with a chuckle.
“This is getting out of hand. I wanted to work with the theater operations people. They just, they don’t seem friendly enough to work with,” Herrera stated. “And so, this is very sad.”
Asked about the claims that he and his church members “barged in” and about someone coming at him and that one of his men had a gun, Herrera said, “It was a gentleman who stormed at me. But I just seen he did an apology on Facebook. Frank Sterling.”
“Nobody had a gun,” he emphasized. “We didn’t barge in. We were outside praying and they said, ‘hey, we would love for you to speak.’ So, I got invited into the building. And the 50 people were – we didn’t barge in – it was families. We had kids, mothers, strollers. So, it wasn’t like we barged in to fight. We walked in as family and as a church. It was unfortunate, the whole thing.”
The pastor then reiterated, “For the record, we were invited in by, I believe his name is Jose Cordón, he is a poet, I believe for the city. He is the one that invited us in and said he would love for me to talk and address the crowd and that’s exactly what I did. And then I got attacked and so, then we walked out. We left. We weren’t there to fight. We have footage to prove it. The gentleman came at me, and all our people did was protect their pastor.”
Downtown Antioch Association Leader Offers Her Perspective on Meeting
Asked her perspective on what occurred, Debbie Blaisure, leader of the Downtown Antioch Association, who attended the community meeting at the theater said, “Jose was de-escalating and the pastor came in with members of his congregation. He had his wife and children with him. He was very articulate and very respectful. He was not cocky. He said I am a businessman and a man of God. As a tenant if I have church on Sunday and a performance is on Sunday the church will have priority.”
“I was right there in the front row,” she continued. “He was standing in front of the stage. There was a woman from the audience who said she hadn’t been in the building for 45 years who came at him. That’s what started the whole thing. Some of the pastor’s men from the church stepped in to protect him and then Frank Sterling came from the other side. The congregation circled the pastor. Frank was on the other side. The pastor was the one who was almost attacked. There’s an entire video of the whole thing.”
Asked about others who attended Blaisure shared, “It was a lot of longtime residents telling stories of their experiences with the theater. Someone asked, ‘are they going to shoot old people?’ It was asinine. There was no one with any guns.”
About the proposed protest march she said, “The City has nothing to do with this.”
Regarding the foundation board’s efforts to raise funds for operations that began last year Blaisure said, “I tried to help them. The DAA gave them $3,000 from the fashion show and I told them I could use it to challenge the other businesses to help raise the rest. The theater needed $350,000. The Historical Society raised $150,000 for the (Unity) Bell. So, we could have raised the money. “ Actually, the amount raised in cash was $85,000 and the total, including in-kind donations, was about $106,000.
“But Sharon didn’t want to scare the public, so the board didn’t want to tell the truth. That would have been an opportunity for fundraising and they didn’t use it,” she stated.
“I’m hoping that the theater and the downtown businesses can work with the new owner and, in collaboration, be included in our new efforts for downtown Rivertown restoration. The pastor said he was going to,” Blaisure added.
Antioch’s Poet Laureate Confirms He Invited in Pastor, “Just a Few” Church Members, Tried to De-Escalate
When reached to verify the information said about him, Cordón said, “I did invite the pastor in for the Community Conversation. I think people should hear his story and what to do. But I also said is I didn’t think all of his members there should have come in. Just a few members. I also did try to de-escalate it.”
“Unfortunately, it became confrontational rather than productive, a conversation and an open dialogue,” he added.
Asked if he thought anything good came out of last night Cordón said, “I think that it can. I think if we sit down and get past it for the benefit of Antioch. If we can demonstrate we can still work together, I think that’s positive. I’m open to continue the conversation to make Antioch.”
“One of the first things that Sharon did was apologize. She recognizes the theater made mistakes. Having some recognition of that is good,” he continued. “What I would love to do is to continue the conversation and figure out how to work together. Whatever is best for Rivertown and Antioch.”
He hosted two shows at the theater, “completely free to the public,” Cordón shared. “I flew in people from out of town. I got them hotel stays at the hotel by Auto Center Drive. ‘Poetic Experience’ was the name of the show.”
Screenshot of Frank Sterling’s Facebook post on Wed., Sept. 2, 2026, apologizing for his behavior at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Regular Council Commenter Apologizes for Behavior
In a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Sterling, who regularly speaks during public comments at city council meetings, wrote, “I lost my cool at the meeting last night.. My apologies to everyone. That is not how we should all interact. Whatever/However you see the situation leading up to this moment. It is not the way to handle it. My apologies again.”
Other Comments from Community MembersWho Attended Meeting
When reached for comment, former councilwoman and current District 1 council candidate Joy Motts who also attended Tuesday night’s meeting said, “I would have been screaming from the rafters if I knew it was for sale. How did we get here? Why did we not know? Why didn’t the Council talk about this to let us know what was happening here? Nobody knew.”
“There were people crying,” she said about some of those in attendance.
“This is a tragedy for downtown,” Motts continued. “I have nothing against this church. There are so many other vacant, empty buildings in town, than to take away this arts and cultural venue that means so much to so many.”
“People are upset that they didn’t know. I’m upset that I didn’t know,” she stated.
Regarding the building’s seller notifying the foundation’s board chair, Motts asked rhetorically, “Did he give her a chance? Let them know he had an offer to give them the opportunity?”
Screenshots of Sept. 2nd Facebook post by Carla Baker Marymee.
In a post on her Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, Rivertown business owner and Antioch Historical Society member, Carla Baker Marymee wrote, “I generally don’t rant on Facebook. This time is an exception.
“Last night’s ‘Community Conversation’ at El Campanil Theatre was supposed to be about saving one of Antioch’s most cherished historic landmarks — a nearly 100‑year‑old symbol of culture, community, and riverfront pride. Instead, it became something none of us expected.
“The Antioch Herald reported that a church has already raised $306.500 toward the $1.5 million purchase price, and that the sale is in escrow, closing Sept. 29, 2026. That alone shocked many of us. But what happened inside the theatre was worse.
“Patrons, artists, renters, business owners, and neighbors showed up to ask questions and stand together for the arts in Antioch. We came in good faith. We came to protect a landmark that belongs to the community.
“Then the discussion was interrupted.
“The pastor — the reported buyer — arrived with roughly two dozen members of his congregation. The atmosphere shifted instantly. Tension rose. A confrontation broke out in front of the stage between the pastor, several congregants, and residents. It was chaotic, frightening, and deeply upsetting. I left because I felt unsafe.
“This theatre never should have been sold in the first place.
“El Campanil was purchased in 2003 by the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation with a $500,000 Calpine grant, $750,000 in City redevelopment funds, and $1 million raised under the leadership of Rick Carraher. It was a community triumph — a promise that this building would remain a cultural anchor for Antioch.
“But after COVID, financial struggles led to a quiet sale to an out‑of‑state buyer. Almost no one knew. And now we’re watching a second sale unfold that feels rushed, opaque, and completely out of alignment with what the community wants.
“Let’s be clear: This is not about being ‘against churches’. It’s about protecting a historic cultural space that has served Antioch for nearly a century. There are countless other locations for a church to thrive. This theatre is unique, irreplaceable, and central to Rivertown’s identity.
“A $1.5 million price tag for a building of this significance? That’s not an opportunity — it’s a giveaway.
“If the buyer truly ‘loved Antioch,’ he would understand that forcing this sale through — especially after last night’s confrontation — will leave a permanent scar. The community will not forget what happened. And the building will never be embraced as a church. Because this isn’t about faith. It’s about a real‑estate investment.
“I am praying — truly praying — that local investors step in immediately to save El Campanil and return it to the community that built it, funded it, and loves it.
“Antioch deserves better. Our history deserves better. And this theatre deserves to remain what it has always been: the cultural heart of Rivertown.”
No Seller Carry-Back Financing
While the church has raised the necessary 20 percent downpayment of $306,500, it was reported by the Antioch business owner in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting that someone expressed the belief that the sale can be stopped because it includes seller carry-back financing for the balance of the approximate $1.5 million purchase price. However, when asked about that, Herrera said, “The seller is not carrying the balance. We got a loan.”
Willing to Sell Back Building to Foundation if Church Outgrows Theater Space in Future
Asked if, in a few years, the church outgrows the theater building what are the plans Herrera said, “We’ll have to find a bigger space.”
Asked would the church then be willing to sell the building back to the foundation to once again own and operate it as the theater he said, “If in the future the Lord allows that to happen it could be a possibility.”
City’s Role
The theater during restoration in 2003. Photo: El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation
While some people in the community would like the City to somehow step in and prevent the sale, as previously reported, the City can’t stop the church from buying the building or locating there based on federal law, known as RLUIPA, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. That protects “individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.”
Yet, since Antioch’s current Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas was instrumental in securing the $500,000 donation from the Calpine energy company to purchase the building back in 2003 when he was mayor, as well as the $750,000 from the City’s redevelopment agency to help renovate the theater, he was asked about the agreement with the foundation’s board. Some people are looking to that as a possible way to nullify the sale, as they, like Marymee, claim the foundation shouldn’t have sold the building to a private party three years ago.
On the History page of the theater’s website it shows, “In July 2002, El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation was incorporated as a charitable, non-profit 501(c)3 organization. In early 2003, Calpine Corporation and the City of Antioch entered into an agreement whereby the Foundation received a grant to acquire the Theatre.”
Freitas was asked if he remembers if in that agreement there was a clause that required the foundation to sell the building to the City in some kind of right-of-first-refusal?
“I don’t recall that specific detail (but it certainly would be like me to require it in the agreement),” he responded. “Acting City Manager Ana Cortez told me she understands that may be correct and has been endeavoring to ascertain if it is true. I would suggest you directly contact her regarding this matter.”
Questions were emailed Wednesday night to both Cortez and City Attorney Lori Asuncion asking if such a clause in the agreement exists or if there was anything else in the agreement that gave some form of rights to the City since redevelopment funds were used for the building’s renovation after it was purchased.
Yet, whether or not such a clause exists or rights were retained, the sale of the building by the foundation to a private owner in 2023 might have severed that portion of the agreement.
Efforts to reach Board Chair Sobel Idul for a response to what Bui and others said, were unsuccessful prior to publication time. A call to one member of the Board of Directors, Ron Yarolimek, was also unsuccessful. A voicemail message was left for him requesting a return call, for Sobel Idul’s phone number or for him to pass on this reporter’s phone number to her to call.
UPDATE 1: Yarolimek responded Thursday morning with, “I passed on the information to Sharon. She’s making all public comments for El Campanil” and provided her theater foundation email address.
An email was sent late Wednesday morning to Sobel Idul asking for comment and with questions.
Please check back later for any additional updates to this report.
