Almost $700,000 spent on renovations

By Allen D. Payton

City of Antioch officials held a Grand Re-Opening of the renovated Jacobsen Park in the northeast part of town Friday afternoon, Aug. 21, 2026. Mayor Ron Bernal, Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, City Clerk Michael Mandy, Parks and Recreation Commissioners including Chari Dorothy Ellis, , Recreation Director Shahad Wright, Public Works Director Scott Buenting and other City staff were joined by children and residents from the nearby neighborhoods to cut the ribbon.

As Bernal welcomed those in attendance and thanked City staff for their work on it, and Wright who thanked “the Public Works team” for their “support and dedication” and gave “a shout out to Buenting,” children enjoyed climbing on the play structure. Following the ceremony, adults and youth played basketball in the nearby half-court. Wright also acknowledged former Parks & Recreation Director Brad Helfenberger, who is now the City’s Information Systems Director, for initially leading the effort for the renovations.

Former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Domonique King, spoke on behalf of Congressman Josh Harder as his District Representative. “It is an honor to be here and celebrate the ribbon cutting of Jacobsen Park. If you know the Congressman, if he could be here, he definitely would be here, especially as he has two young girls who would have loved to enjoy this park, today. Congratulations and hope this park continues to be the center of the community that surrounds it.” Harder doesn’t currently represent portions of Antioch in the U.S. House of Representatives but is running for re-election in the newly drawn district.

According to the City, “A vintage neighborhood park received a much-welcomed makeover. Jacobsen Park’s many renovations and additions were revealed on Friday afternoon to an appreciative group of families from the Garrow Estates neighborhood.

“At one point in the 1960s this park, one of the oldest in Antioch, had a decommissioned front portion of a jet as its centerpiece attraction. Long-time residents still lovingly refer to this area as ‘Jet Park’.” Wright said children played on the jet.

“Jacobsen Park is now sure to offer new warm memories as was evident by the many children enjoying the newly installed play area.”

Approved by the City Council on August 27, 2024, the work by Frontline General Engineering Construction, Inc. of San Lorenzo was budgeted at a total of $695,830.55 and involved a full renovation of the existing park, including:

• Clearing, grubbing and grading
• Landscaping and irrigation facilities
• Removal and installation of concrete flatwork
• Basketball court rehabilitation
• Hardscaping
• Installation of underground utilities
• Site furnishings and shade structures
• Traffic control measures
• Water pollution control

The play area has a rubberized flooring that offers a significant cushion when stepped on, and one shade structure includes a barbeque pit.

“This has been a project that’s been under works for a little while,” Buenting shared. “It’s a good example of when our departments come together working through our operations and the Parks and Rec Department to get it designed and then get it built. On our side within the Capital Improvements department Nicky Cruz was out here, daily, with these crews making sure the work was done properly as our inspector, as well as our team of engineers, Mitchell Loving, (Assistant Engineer) Robert Pizarro and Paul Fuentes all had some involvement in this project.”

“I think it turned out great,” Buenting continued. “I’m super excited about the attendance that we had today. Thank you all for coming.”

Jacobsen Park is located near Jacobsen Street & Azevedo Street.

“Thanks to all who attended this grand opening and much appreciation to the many City of Antioch crews who made it come to life,” the City added.

Day after mayor announces it, invites community to attend

“We are calling ALL clergy of all nationalities, not just Clergy of African Descent to stand up and speak out against racism and anti-blackness in our community.” – Genesis Church Pastor Damon & Shantell Owens

By Allen D. Payton

After Antioch Mayor Ron Bernal announced Thursday an open forum discussion following “recent events involving racist and hateful statements by one of our residents toward his neighbors” (see related article) to be held this Sunday evening, and inviting the community to attend, the organizer, Genesis Church, abruptly cancelled it Friday morning. Pastor Damon Owens and his wife, Shantell, who lead the church, wrote in a post on his personal Facebook page, of a flier for the event entitled, “United We Stand” with the word “Cancelled” across the front and the message that begins, “This event has been cancelled until further notice…”

The event was to be held at the church’s Genesis Family Life Center on E. 18th Street, that opened in February.

The original flier was posted on the church’s Facebook page on Thursday, Aug. 20th and described the event as “An Open Forum Discussion Addressing Human Rights, Racial Equality, Solidarity.” Toward the bottom of the flier it reads, “United in Purpose. Stronger Together.”

The post included the message, “We stand united in complete opposition to racial slurs, racism, racial discrimination, and anti-Blackness in Antioch, California…and we refuse to remain silent when our neighbors are being harmed and dehumanized.

“Racial slurs are not harmless words. Words have consequences. They can wound individuals, traumatize families, divide communities, and create environments where discrimination becomes easier to accept.

“Racism is not a difference of opinion. Anti-Blackness is not something we should tolerate, excuse, minimize, or normalize.

“When racial hatred is expressed….whether publicly, privately, online, in the workplace, in schools, in government, in law enforcement, or in our neighborhoods…we must have the courage as a community to confront it.

“There is no place in our community for language, violence, behavior, policies, or practices that demean, dehumanize, intimidate, or discriminate against Black people or any other racial or ethnic community.

“Antioch must not merely be a diverse city, but a city where every person can live, work, play, learn, raise a family, and participate in community life with dignity and without fear of racial hatred.

“Amazed By His Grace,

Pastor(s) Damon & Shantell Owens”

Antioch Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, in whose District 1 the residents live, also posted the original flier on her official Facebook page Thursday afternoon with the message, “The Community is hosting this event in Response to a call to action to protect black women and stand in solidarity against hate.

“Our responsibility as representatives of the City of Antioch is to show up, actively listen, and drive people-centered policy and initiatives that address human rights and racial equity for those harmed by past and recent events.

“I would like to thank everyone who has shown up thus far and will keep showing up.”

Cancellation Messages

Owens’ Aug. 21st cancellation message continued, “This event was meant to stand in solidarity with a young Black Mother who was being verbally abused with racial slurs and anti-black violence in the City of Antioch….not a political debate.

“Racism should NEVER be tolerated and accepted as normal.

“We are calling ALL clergy of all nationalities, not just Clergy of African Descent to stand up and speak out against racism and anti-blackness in our community.

The Lord called us according to Micah 6:8, ‘to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God’.

“We also must do our best to build BRIDGES, not walls.

“Amazed By His Grace,

Pastor(S) Damon & Shantell Owens”

Torres-Walker also posted the same “Cancelled” version of the flier Friday morning with the message from the Owens.

Efforts to reach Damon Owens asking why the meeting was canceled, if it was because the mayor announced it and who was building the walls referred to in the last sentence of Friday morning’s message, were unsuccessful prior to publication time.

Asked if it was a mutual decision to cancel the event and about the reference to building a wall, Bernal responded, “This was Genesis’ event, so they didn’t consult me before canceling. My desire was to invite the community to something that could bring a discussion and hopefully some healing. Not sure what he meant about building a wall.”

UPDATE 1: Friday afternoon, Bernal issued a follow-up statement about the cancellation. He reiterated some of his previous comments and wrote:

August 21, 2026

“Yesterday, I shared a message with our community that included an invitation to an open forum scheduled for Sunday, August 23, at Genesis Family Life Center. I had been invited to attend and participate in that independently organized event and was looking forward to joining the conversation.

“I have since learned that the organizers have decided to cancel the forum. I respect their decision and appreciate their willingness to create an opportunity for dialogue in our community.

“While this particular event will not move forward, the need for meaningful conversation remains.

“My position has not changed: racism, discrimination, intimidation, and violence have no place in Antioch. At the same time, building a stronger community requires more than condemning what divides us. It requires listening to one another, treating one another with dignity, and being willing to engage in difficult conversations constructively.

“I remain hopeful that there will be opportunities in the near future for our community to come together for thoughtful and productive dialogue and the role each of us can play in strengthening Antioch.

“We will not always agree on policies, priorities, or the direction of our city. Healthy disagreement is part of democracy. But our disagreements should never prevent us from recognizing the humanity and dignity of our neighbors.

“There is much work to do. I remain committed to being part of that work and to helping create opportunities for our community to move forward together.”

Ron Bernal

Mayor

UPDATE 2: Later, in a comment posted on the Antioch Herald Facebook page, Shantell Owens explained the reason for the cancellation. She wrote, “We were hosting [the] event to give community members a safe space to share & strategize on ways to support one another and heal. It quickly turned into a negative political platform. Racism is real, pain is real and the focus should be on healing those most harmed. We will reschedule and gather soon.”

“Let us reject racism, reject hatred, reject retaliation” – Ron Bernal

August 20, 2026

Recent events involving racist and hateful statements by one of our residents toward his neighbors have brought attention to conduct that is deeply troubling and inconsistent with the values we should expect from one another in Antioch. (See related article)

There is no place in our community for racism, hatred, or language intended to demean someone because of who they are. When a member of our community is subjected to racist and hateful remarks, we should be unequivocal in saying that such behavior is unacceptable.

We must also recognize that responding to wrongdoing with violence does not move us toward justice, understanding, or healing. Acts intended to intimidate, threaten, or harm others only deepen division and create new wounds.

Antioch is one of the most diverse communities in the Bay Area. We come from different cultures, faiths, backgrounds, experiences, and walks of life. Those differences are not something we should merely tolerate but rather embrace. They are part of what makes our city unique and desirable.

Moments like this test who we are as a community. They ask us to decide whether anger will drive us further apart or whether we will choose the more difficult and meaningful work of standing against hate while refusing to perpetuate it ourselves.

As Mayor, I am calling on our community to choose the latter.

We can condemn racism without hesitation. We can hold one another accountable without resorting to violence. We can disagree without dehumanizing one another. And when something happens that causes pain or division in our community, we can respond in a way that reflects the Antioch we are working together to build. I invite you to Genesis Family Life Center (525 E. 18th Street) this Sunday, August 23rd at 5:30 pm for an open forum discussion addressing human rights, racial equality and solidarity.

Our city is stronger when every resident knows they belong here and can live with dignity and respect. That requires more than words from anyone elected official. It requires all of us.

Let this moment remind us that our differences do not have to divide us. Let us reject racism, reject hatred, reject retaliation, and continue the work of building an Antioch where respect, accountability, and our shared humanity are stronger than the forces that seek to pull us apart.

Ron Bernal

Mayor

Despite sanctuary state laws; part of Operation Take Back America

Almost all charged with illegally re-entering U.S. following removal

By Allen D. Payton

In an Aug. 12, 2026 post on X by First Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal A. “Bill” Essayli, he wrote, “Last year I launched Operation Guardian Angel to force sanctuary jurisdictions to hand over criminal illegal immigrants. It’s been a tremendous success. We’ve picked up hundreds of criminal illegal aliens from local CA jails despite state law making it illegal for local law enforcement to cooperate with us. This program is a model for the rest of the nation and a proven strategy to compel states to hand over criminal illegal immigrants to @ICEgov.”

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s webpage, “the Central District of California serves the seven counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. This includes a population of nearly 20 million people – the largest of any federal judicial district in the country. The role of the Office is to enforce the laws and defend the interests of the United States. It does so through three primary litigating Divisions: Criminal, National Security, and Civil.”

A former California State Assemblyman, Essayli, “leads a team of 500 lawyers, special agents, and staff members enforcing federal criminal law.”

Contra Costa County is located in the Northern District of California led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian.

The operation was launched in May 2025, as “a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them.” The announcement claimed, “The Central District of California…is home to an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens. Among this population are gang members and other dangerous felons.”

According to a May 19, 2025 FOX News report the operation is “a task force, made up of assets from ICE, HSI (Homeland Security Investigations), DEA, FBI, ATF and Border Patrol.”

An article by the California Post, published earlier Wednesday, entitled, Inside feds’ stealth mission to deport California killers, rapists and child molesters, shared additional details about the operation.

“Federal authorities snared a child molester, a rapist and an accused killer in a sophisticated operation that has rid Southern California of hundreds of criminal illegal migrants” and “has so far collared 362 previously deported illegal migrants using federal law to defeat California’s controversial ‘sanctuary state’ rule prohibiting local police from cooperating with immigration agents even if they wanted to.”

An announcement on Wednesday by the Central District office’s PIO, Ciaran McEvoy, provided details about the operation.

“Since its launch last year, Operation Guardian Angel, a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy, has resulted in 362 arrests of criminal illegal aliens from county jails into federal custody in the Los Angeles area, the Inland Empire, and the Central Coast.

“Operation Guardian Angel’s goal is to apprehend criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails, (who are) prohibited by ‘sanctuary state’ laws from cooperating with federal immigration officials. SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, signed into law (by Gov. Jerry Brown) in 2017, limits state and local police cooperation with federal immigration officers and restricts local resources from being used to remove illegal aliens – including violent felons.

“Operation Guardian Angel works by securing federal arrest warrants for aliens recently arrested by local law enforcement. Once issued, local jails are legally required to honor the arrest warrants and must hand over the criminal illegal alien in their custody to the federal government. 

“The operation began in May 2025 and has resulted in 769 arrest warrants issued, and the actual transfer of 362 defendants – 347 of whom are federally charged with illegally re-entering the United States following removal, or another federal offense. Other federal charges include unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, using a firearm in drug trafficking or a crime of violence, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

“Broken California ‘sanctuary state’ policies endanger the public and cannot go unchallenged by the federal government,” said Essayli. “Operation Guardian Angel is an answer to these misguided policies. Through this task force we are forcing California to do the thing it hates most: handing hundreds of criminal illegal aliens into federal custody to face justice and deportation.” 

“ICE ERO’s mission is to identify, arrest, detain, and remove those who are in the United States illegally,” said Thomas Giles, Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Los Angeles Field Office for Enforcement and Removal Operations. “Unfortunately, California’s politicians are forcing local law enforcement agencies to release criminal illegal aliens back into our communities to create more American victims. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in the Central District of California through Operation Guardian Angel allows us to keep rapists, gang members, and murderers, who shouldn’t be in the U.S. at all, off the streets of California. We will not be deterred. We are not going away. We will continue to enforce the laws passed by the people’s representatives in Congress here in California and everywhere in the United States.”

“Among the defendants taken into federal custody under this program are:

• Jaime Rodríguez Ladesma, 70, of Long Beach, an illegal alien from Mexico who was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2023 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and who was removed in December 2023. He subsequently illegally returned to the United States and was convicted of being found in the U.S. following removal. He was removed to Mexico in March 2026.
• Héctor Bueno-Moreno, 55, of San Luis Obispo, an illegal alien from Mexico who was removed in September 2001 and January 2020, whose criminal history includes a 1995 rape conviction in Kern County Superior Court. He was arrested in August 2025 by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office on a bench warrant out of Santa Barbara County prior to his federal arrest. He pleaded guilty last year to improper entry by an alien. He was removed to Mexico in September 2025.
• Ricardo López Jaramillo, 50, a.k.a. “Sharky,” of Pasadena, a five-times-deported illegal alien from Mexico and gang member whose criminal history includes multiple felony robbery convictions in Los Angeles Superior Court, and a 2007 conviction in San Diego federal court of three counts of illegal entry, for which he was sentenced to three years in federal prison. In November 2025, he was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a single-count information charging him with illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal. He was removed to Mexico in June 2026.
• Alejandro Lima Ramírez, 46, a.k.a. “Fidel Garcia Vasquez,” of Santa Maria, a four-times-deported illegal alien from Mexico, whose criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking, stalking, domestic violence, robbery, theft, and driving under the influence. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office transferred him to federal custody last year after Lima was arrested for drug-and-traffic violations. He is serving a 30-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal.
• Andrés Velásquez Ocampo, 37, of Santa Ana, an illegal alien from Mexico who was deported in January 2019 and was arrested in South Gate in May 2025 on drug charges. His criminal history includes convictions for carjacking and hit-and-run with property damage. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, he was removed to Mexico in December 2025.
• In February 2025, José Cristián Saravia-Sánchez, 31, of Mexico, shot and killed an Inglewood man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter. Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request. While his state criminal case is pending, he also faces federal criminal charges of illegal alien found in the United States following removal and alien in possession of a firearm.

“Operation Guardian Angel is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”

About Operation Take Back America

Established in March 2025 as a single initiative, Operation Take Back America combines the resources of the DEA’s Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, launched in 1982, and the USDOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, launched in 2001, to implement core policy objectives established by President Trump and the Attorney General which were outlined in a memo, here. The focus of the operation is “to address the Justice Department’s core enforcement priorities: stopping illegal immigration, eliminating Cartels and TCOs (Transnational Criminal Organizations)  and ending illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings.” According to the memo, “In a February 5, 2025 memorandum, the Attorney General established a charging policy around a core principle: in the absence of unusual facts, prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.”

The operation includes “all efforts to target TdA (Tren de Aragua), MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Northeast Cartel (Los Zetas), New Michoacan Family, United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, and any other Cartel or TCO designated pursuant to the process established in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”

By Trish Heaney, Marketing and Communications Manager, Steve Spraitzar, Public Relations, and Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate, White Pony Express

ANTIOCH, Calif. – White Pony Express (WPE) and Kaiser Permanente partnered to hold a Drive-Thru Giveaway Saturday on August 1, 2026, at Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, distributing groceries and essential goods to 200 local families while marking a milestone of 32 million meals rescued and delivered to Contra Costa County residents since WPE’s founding.

Families were connected to the event through 20 Antioch-based nonprofit partners served by WPE. Each family received two bags of fresh groceries along with hygiene kits, toys, children’s books, and treats. In total, WPE distributed 5,075 pounds of groceries and more than 2,500 hygiene and beauty kits and children’s gifts.

“Extraordinary things are possible when we commit to the shared belief that every one of us belongs to one human family and when one person thrives, we all thrive,” said White Pony Express CEO Eve Birge. “This drive-thru is more than a giveaway — it’s a celebration of a community showing up for itself, with love at the center.”

Antioch Mayor Ron Bernal, who attended the event, pointed to White Pony Express’s outsized role in the city.

“I didn’t realize Antioch gets the most food from White Pony Express out of the whole county,” Bernal said. “This is a great way to address not just food insecurity but having quality food for people — because that’s really the missing element.”

Antioch Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker, a longtime WPE community partner, echoed that sentiment.

“White Pony Express has always showed up and showed out and made sure our families had what they needed,” Walker said. “You bring White Pony Express together with Kaiser Permanente, you get two organizations that are caring for people in very practical ways to make sure their families are healthy.”

Events like the August 1st giveaway come as food insecurity continues to climb across Contra Costa County driven by CalFresh cuts, rising grocery and housing costs, and stagnant wages.

White Pony Express was founded on the idea that hunger is not caused by a lack of food, but by a failure to connect existing surplus with the people who need it. Each day, WPE’s staff and 2,000+ volunteers rescue fresh food and essential goods from local grocers, farms, and businesses and deliver it within 24 hours to families across the county — a model that allows the organization to scale and respond quickly as hunger grows more widespread.

About White Pony Express

White Pony Express is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner on a simple, radical belief: hunger is not a scarcity problem, it’s a logistics problem. Our mission is to end hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance already all around us to our neighbors in need — with love. Every day, WPE’s staff and 2,000+ volunteers rescue fresh, healthy food and essential goods from local grocers, farms, and businesses, redistributing it within 24 hours to families across Contra Costa County. To date, we’ve recovered and delivered more than 38 million pounds of food through partnerships with 140+ nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations, guided by the mantra “all of us taking care of all of us”.

City of Antioch’s General Plan Visioning Survey closes Monday, August 17

By City of Antioch

The City’s General Plan will help guide decisions about Antioch’s future, including how our community grows, develops, and evolves in the years ahead.

The City of Antioch is updating its General Plan, which provides goals, policies, and guidelines for the physical development of the City for the next ten to twenty years. The General Plan is intended to reflect the goals, values, and priorities of the Antioch community. The following questions will help the City gain a broad perspective of views and values in the community to help craft a General Plan that is reflective of local concerns and priorities. Your opinion and input are greatly appreciated. Please complete one survey per person. 

This survey is available in English and Spanish. Please use the language selector at the top left of the survey to choose your preferred language.

Esta encuesta está disponible en inglés y español. Utilice el selector de idioma en la parte superior izquierda de la encuesta para elegir su idioma preferido.

Your input matters. If you haven’t taken the survey yet, now is the time to make your voice heard.

Take a few minutes to share your priorities and vision for the future of Antioch, by clicking, here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/39bd9883638640bd9e9c07cd33578f3e.

Your Voice. Our Future. Help shape Antioch!

For more information visit Antioch General Plan.

By City of Antioch

You’re invited to the Jacobsen Park Ribbon Cutting to celebrate its reopening. Join the City of Antioch as we celebrate improvements on Friday, August 21, from 4:30–5:00 p.m.

Approved by the City Council on August 27, 2024, the work by Frontline General Engineering Construction, Inc. of San Lorenzo was budgeted at a total of $695,830.55 and involved a full renovation of the existing park, including:

• Clearing, grubbing and grading
• Landscaping and irrigation facilities
• Removal and installation of concrete flatwork
• Basketball court rehabilitation
• Hardscaping
• Installation of underground utilities
• Site furnishings and shade structures
• Traffic control measures
• Water pollution control

Jacobsen Park is located near Jacobsen Street & Azevedo Street.

Light refreshments will be served.

We hope to see you there as we celebrate another investment in Antioch’s parks and community spaces!

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Antioch Police Department

We will be hosting a community meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Worth Shaw Community Park, 801 James Donlon Blvd. We encourage you to attend, as this is a valuable opportunity to ask questions, receive helpful information, and engage directly with your Police Department. A photo of the meeting location is attached for your convenience