For more information about the Downtown Antioch Association visit downtownantioch.com.

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Join Willow Park Mercantile for our Annual High Tea Party! In The Spirit of Bridgerton we will have lots of fun Bridgerton-themed merchandise! We’ll be serving treats and tea and lots of fun! Dress up if you like and visit the Hen and Drake Tea Room, just across W. 2nd street. Don’t miss this fun event!

“Bridgerton” is a popular Netflix series that follows the romantic escapades of the Bridgerton family in Regency-era London, blending historical drama with modern themes.

Spend an afternoon searching for your next treasure in 4,000 sq. ft. of space featuring an eclectic array or merchandise from a variety of vendors.

The store is located at 205 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. For more information visit willowparkmercantile.com.

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By Allen D. Payton

The City of Antioch is offering an interactive orientation webinar where local, small business owners will learn how to access FREE one-on-one mentorship through Pacific Community Ventures’ Business Advising program.

We’ll walk you through a demo of the platform, highlight key features like the mobile app, and show you how these tools can support your mentorship journey and help grow your business.

Pacific Community Ventures’ BusinessAdvising.org platform connects small business owners across America with free and confidential expert business advising to help them seize opportunities and overcome challenges.

Pacific Community Ventures is a non-profit community investor that unlocks economic opportunity and climate resilience for small business owners and workers. Through access to affordable capital, pro bono business advising, ethical technology and AI, we partner with entrepreneurs to grow, hire, and prosper. For more information visit www.pacificcommunityventures.org.

Register for the webinar here: https://us06web.zoom.us/…/221…/WN_MuWIOAosRQuZifxqY89sGg

Following collision involving DA Senior Inspector killing Antioch assault suspect running on Hwy 4; CHP leads investigation

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California – A fatal traffic collision with a pedestrian is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol pursuant to the County Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident Protocol.

On Monday, December 22, 2025, at approximately 10:35 a.m., in the area of Delta Fair Blvd. in Antioch, a suspect engaged in a disturbance at Delta Bowl. According to Antioch Police, the initial incident occurred at the Comfort Inn, located at 2436 Mahogany Way, where the 27-year-old male suspect had pulled a fire alarm and then struck a 47-year-old male security guard. As police responded, the suspect climbed over a fence and entered eastbound Highway 4 on foot.

The individual was struck in the roadway by an oncoming county vehicle driven by a District Attorney Senior Inspector whose duties were unrelated to the disturbance. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The California Highway Patrol is the venue agency conducting the traffic collision investigation. The California Department of Justice has been notified. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has yielded legal analysis to avoid a potential conflict of interest. The investigation is ongoing.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen D. Payton

During the Brentwood Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 29, 2025, Tiffany Stewart, founder of Antioch-based Virtuous Voices Music Academy, was a featured singer, delighting audiences at one of the community’s most beloved holiday events.

“Coach Tea”, as she’s referred to, performed Jesus is the Reason.

Her performance highlighted the growth of Virtuous Voices, a music program serving diverse students locally and nationwide through online and in-person voice training, group classes and the academy’s signature, Sing Theory program.

“Sharing my voice at the parade is a celebration of what music brings to our communities,” said Stewart. “I hope young singers feel inspired to step into their own musical journey.”

For more information about Coach Tea and Virtuous Voices Music Academy visit www.virtuousvoices.com or see their ad on the right side of this page.

For rental information contact Royal Banquet and Event Halls at (925) 732-3333 or visit www.royalbanquetbayarea.com.

By Willow Park Mercantile

Santa Claus is Coming to Willow Park Mercantile! Join us Dec 13th 2:30pm-5pm and take a Free Selfie with Santa in our antique One-Horse Open Sleigh! We also will have on site a professional photographer offering 4×6 instant pics for only $5.

This event will be fun for the entire family.

Be sure to allow extra time to shop our Winter Wonderland!

Willow Park Mercantile is located at 205 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

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Will have “the original menu…same feel, same ambiance. New bathrooms. More dining. More parking. New kitchen.” – Joe Martinez

New co-owner has history of buying, improving historic Antioch buildings

By Allen D. Payton

A post on the Mac’s Old House Facebook page on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, shared some good news for diners in Antioch and East County community.

It reads, “As most of you’ve heard…we have some exciting news. The legacy of Mac’s Old House will live on!

Mac’s has officially been purchased by Joe Martinez and Ron Harrison. We’re thrilled to share that their goal is to preserve Mac’s as much as possible, with some much-needed updates along the way. They’re aiming for a June 2026 reopening—exactly one year after closing!

As many of you know, the building needs major improvements, including bringing everything up to 2025 code. This is no small task, and we’re incredibly grateful that the new owners are committed to taking it on while honoring the history of the building.

When Mac converted his home into a bar on St. Patrick’s Day in 1956, and later a restaurant, none of us could have imagined how special this place would become. Gary Noe didn’t purchase the restaurant until 1983, and only then did the menu change into what everyone knows and loves today. Mac’s has needed a tune-up for quite some time and we’re all very excited to see the renovations and improvements (including expansion and more takeout options!!!)

Former head chef and manager Rick Cook will be lending his support and passing along all of Mac’s classic recipes.

We always did our best to keep prices as low as possible, and we know the new team is striving for that as well.

We all want the legacy of Mac’s to live on and be as successful as it can be. We’re looking forward to the future and cannot wait to see what 2026 has in store!!”

Martinez Offers Details

When reached for comment, Martinez offered additional details.

“I’ve been eyeballing this property. It’s iconic. It’s been in business for 42 years,” he stated. “I knew it was going to be a lot of work but a good investment for Mac’s Old House and the Antioch community.”

Asked about the menu he said, “We’re going to have the same menu.”

“Rick is going to go there and help with the recipes, show them how to cook the food to make sure we get everything right,” Martinez continued. “We have Sherry who runs Mel’s Diner in Antioch, she’s going to run it, basically. I told her the original menu, the original recipe. She can add a few things.”

About the improvements Martinez said, “We’re going to gut the whole thing. But it’s going to have the columns, the same feel, same ambiance. New bathrooms. More dining. More parking. New kitchen. It’s a substantial investment.”

“We want people to walk in and go ‘wow,” he stated.

A few new aspects will also be added.

“We’ll have a place on the side for DoorDash and we’re going to take credit cards,” Martinez added.

“It closed on the 22nd of June. So, I’m hoping to open a year-and-a-day after that. We might be ready a bit earlier,” he shared. “We’ll start with a soft opening.

“A couple of waitresses said they want to come back, one maybe part-time,” Martinez said.

History of Antioch Building Renovations

Martinez already has a history of buying and renovating buildings in Antioch, including five in downtown Rivertown.

The first one was the yellow painted “J. Ross building at the corner of G and W. 3rd Streets,” he shared. (That was the location of the first office for this reporter’s first newspaper, the Antioch Press).

Second was “the building where Blue’s Club was and Smash Burgers is located now” on the corner of W. 2nd and I Streets.

Third was “the old pool hall, the red brick building” on W. 2nd Street next to Smash Burgers.

Fourth was “the old Masonic Hall where the Antioch Armory is located, now” at the corner of W. 3rd and H Streets across from City Hall.

Then, he “bought and renovated the Casino Building” in Waldie Plaza, near the railroad tracks and river.

He likes to do mixed use with business below and apartments above, Martinez shared

“I’ve been downtown for 26 years, now,” he added.

Regarding the current renovations at Mac’s, Martinez said, “We have people driving by and they’ll honk and wave. We have people stopping by and sharing their stories, like one couple who said they got engaged there. It’s great.”

“It’s going to be nice. We’re excited,” he concluded.

Mac’s Old House is located at 3100 E. 18th Street in Antioch.