During the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s annual Gala on Friday, March 24, Executive Director Daniel Sohn read the following about the 2022 Antioch Youth of the Year Mateo Castro: “He may not be an Antioch native, but Mateo Castro has certainly made this city his beloved home. The Antioch High School senior grew up in San Francisco and moved with his family as a seventh grader attending Park Middle for two years before making his way (with a big impact) to Panther Country.

A key member of AHS student government, Mateo is Antioch High’s Student Body president.  In this position, he helps direct all student-hosted activities…and there are a lot of them!  The long list includes a variety of events from freshmen orientation and homecoming spirit week to assisting with graduation.  For Mateo, it also includes nearly everything in-between.

He said sometimes having such a busy schedule is stressful, “but in the end, it always pays off.  Helping people drives me.  I love helping those in need any way I can.”

Mr. Wisely, the lead activities instructor, states that Mateo is a phenomenal kid.  He pours his heart and soul into Antioch High.  He has a unique ability to be a leader and a selfless helper.  He always goes the extra mile for our school.  I wish we could clone him because he will be hard to replace.”

Principal John Jimno also admires Mateo.  “He is a leader, who stands up for what he believes in and is considerate of his school community.  He maintains a level head while courageously championing his peers through student government.”

After graduation, Mateo plans to attend a four-year school to earn a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field.

“We’re so proud of him. This is an example of…the future of the city,” said Antioch School Board Area 5 Trustee Mary Rocha.

“I’m extremely grateful to be honored as this year’s Youth of the Year,” Castro said, “I have to say a big thank you to Mr. Wisely. Him in combination with Miss Trine Gallegos. She has been the coordinator for all of my events.”

He also thanked his teachers and “my best friend Billy Pisco who has always pushed me out of my comfort zone. I want to thank my parents…for always being my biggest supporters. Thank you, mama and papa.”

Castro received a $1,000 scholarship with $500 each from the Antioch Rotary and Delta-Antioch Rotary Clubs.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report which first appeared in the April/May print edition.

Grace Closet Food Pantry & Clothing Closet will host a Community Resource & Health Fair on Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 11am to 3pm. All ages are welcome and there are resources that everyone could use.

The event will be held at of Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Antioch, 3415 Oakley Road in Antioch.

Ongoing Events:

GRACE CLOSET Food Pantry & Clothing Closet

Wednesdays, 4PM – 6PM & Saturdays, 12PM – 2PM

3415 Oakley Road, Antioch, CA 94509

Free Food, Clothing Giveaway, Resources and Computer Center.  

Contact 925-522-2017 for more information. 

OVERCOMERS Recovery Program

Every Thursday, 7PM – 8:30PM, Classroom 6

3415 Oakley Road, Antioch, CA 94509

Receive weekly support in overcoming Addiction, Habits, Hang-ups, Hurts or Strongholds. Contact 925-522-2017 for more information. 

During the annual Gala on Friday, March 24, Antioch Chamber Executive Director Daniel Sohn read the following about the 2022 Antioch Corporate Business of the Year: “TreVista Senior Living houses seniors of all needs and backgrounds. They are participants in the community at large via community events such as local car shows, blood drives, etc.

TreVista supports the Antioch Chamber of Commerce as a Chairman Circle cash sponsor and supports the Annual Gala. Teresa Glenn has not only served as Chief Ambassador, but now serves as a Chamber board member.

Other organizations TreVista serves as a beacon of support are: Elderly Wish Foundation, various donations throughout the year to support wish grant efforts, the Alzheimer’s Association, Bedford Center and Changing in Ages.They are also set up to serve as participants in the Red Cross Blood Drive.

TreVista has partnered on many different occasions with other groups, supporting the elderly and hosting workshops that inform their seniors about the importance of fraud and scams, grief and depression and so much more.  They have also held events at the Antioch Senior Center and for older adults in the community.

We thank and honor you for all that you do for our seniors and their families.  We stand here tonight and recognize all that TreVista does to make this a better community for all of our     elderly that have serious needs that are so unexpected.”

“Thank you to the Chamber. It is tremendously great we have such a   relationship with them,” said Executive Director Alberto Maldonado. “We’re just so blessed to get this honor, tonight for something we love to do.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report that first appeared in the April/May issue of our print edition.

Thorpe, Torres-Walker, Wilson claim they voted to hire legal counsel after being told not to by city attorney three times according to Barbanica; Ogorchock claims no formal action was taken; mayor says she’s “playing games”

By Allen D. Payton

At the beginning of the regular meeting of the Antioch City Council on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, City Attorney Thomas L. Smith reported out from Closed Session that there was “no reportable action” on the lawsuit against the City, six police officers and three police chiefs over the racist texts and other actions. There was also no reportable action on the performance evaluation of the city attorney.

Then, during the Consent Calendar portion of the agenda, District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock requested Items C, M and O be pulled and voted on separately. The council removed those three items and approved the other items on a 5-0 vote.

The only matter of contention during the meeting was Item O on the Consent Calendar, regarding paying fees totaling almost $39,000 to an outside attorney hired on a procedurally invalid contract by City Manager Con Johnson. (See related articles here and here)

Resident Andrew Becker was the only member of the public to speak on the item. He said, “I don’t understand why the mayor is having communications with outside counsel, outside these chambers. There are no report outs.”

Mayor Lamar Thorpe laughed in response saying, “Mostly inaccurate, Andrew. But thank you.”

District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica said, “I’ve gotten a lot of calls about this. I can’t talk about personnel matters. This is titled an invalid contract. I want to make it crystal clear. I have not supported this contract. I don’t support this contract. The city attorney has warned us three times we can’t support this invalid contract. But this is why we ended up where we are.”

“I too did not vote on this,” Ogorchock stated. “There was no formal council action on this. I, too, do not believe in this contract.”

“I just want to let the public know I did vote on this, and we are supposed to have legal counsel to notify what we can or can’t do,” Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker said. “Who is watching over the people who are watching over the people?”

“I too voted for this because we needed outside oversight,” District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson said.

“I can only say ‘ditto’ to what the two council members said,” Thorpe said. “Not asking questions is how we got to where we are.”

“Our city manager and city attorney work for this body. Period. They are not our veto power. They don’t tell us what to do. We tell them what to do,” he continued. “Was there maybe something procedurally done, here? I don’t give a damn. We’re going to do what we need to do to ensure we have accountability in this city. It doesn’t matter who it is…if it’s the city attorney. We’re going to fix this and bring back a proper process.”

Ogorchock said, “I’d like to know what that meeting was about…and the half hour meeting.”

“I know the game you’re trying to play, Councilwoman Ogorchock…I get the little games. We’re not playing the games,” Thorpe shot back.

“It was to brief us on the very packet that was put on the agenda. I included Mayor Pro Tem Torres-Walker because I was in and out because of my father,” Thorpe responded.

The second one, the conversation had to do with personnel matters so I’m not going to discuss it,” he added.

“There are people who believe in accountability and there are those who don’t. We do,” Thorpe stated.

The motion passed 3-2 with Barbanica and Ogorchock voting no.

City’s first transitional housing program; Mayor Thorpe to present four women with Keys to the City

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe cordially invites the public to the official ribbon cutting ceremony of the city’s first transitional housing program at the Executive Inn at 515 East 18th Street. (See related articles here and here)

The program aims to provide chronically homeless adults with a safe place to stay while connecting them with resources to transition into more stable or permanent housing.

The ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 26, 2023. It will include invited special guests Vicki Proctor, Nichole Gardner of Facing Homelessness in Antioch, former Assistant City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore, and former Councilwoman Joy Motts who were instrumental in their support for the project. They will each be presented with a Key to the City – Antioch’s highest and most respected honor and recognition – by the mayor.

Posts on Thorpe’s official Facebook page read, “All four of you played a major role in realizing the transformation of the Executive Inn into a place of hope and opportunity for unhoused residents. From planting the seeds of growth to overseeing its development. It has been a long and painstaking journey, but the time as arrived to officially open its doors. Congratulations.”

According to the event’s invitation, “In 2020, then Councilmembers Lamar Thorpe and Joy Motts proposed the city lease the Executive Inn to help get homeless people out of encampments and into temporary housing.

Long in the making, Antioch will be launching its first Non-Congregate Bridge Housing Program. The program aims to provide chronically homeless adults with a safe place to stay while connecting them with resources to transition into more stable or permanent housing.

Trained staff will be on-site at the motel 24/7.

The program will work closely with Contra Costa County’s homelessness response program and will be geared towrds adults without children who have been staying outdoors or in vehicles. A maximum of 45 people can be housed there at a time, with the typical stay expected to be 120 to 180 days. This means that about 135 individuals can be served throughout the year.”

To RSVP for the ribbon cutting click here.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe will participate in a Community Conversation entitled Race Matters hosted by Delta Bay Community Church along with Dr. James L. Taylor, chair of the Politics Department at University of San Francisco. The conversation begins at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and will be moderated by Pastor Dr. Lamont Francies. The church is located at 55 E.18th Street in Antioch.

NOTE: Apologies for the delay in publishing this press release which was not viewed in our email until today, Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, April 20, 2023, Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) and John Garamendi (CA-08) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the Antioch Police Department (APD) in Antioch, California following extremely troubling reports of racist, homophobic, and illegal conduct by law enforcement officers, demonstrating a pattern of unconstitutional discrimination, use of force, and violations of the constitutional rights of Antioch citizens.

“The recent report from the joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office revealed shocking and disturbing text messages and communications involving nearly four dozen former and current Antioch officers. In these messages, officers used racial slurs, shared homophobic and sexist comments, made threats against the Mayor, and revealed blatant violations of citizens’ constitutional rights. In one example, an APD officer admitted that he has falsified police reports to indicate that a suspect confessed when they had not. The messages also reveal disturbing images shared between the officers of citizens they have assaulted in hospital beds, and alarming comments and photos depicting and referencing African Americans as gorillas and monkeys,” the Members wrote.

“From this report, we know that at least 45 officers are involved in the specific text messages referenced, which is over half of the total 99 sworn officers currently employed by the Antioch Police Department. The messages in this report paint a clear picture of a systemic culture of racism, intolerance, and cruelty at the Antioch Police Department that is unacceptable for those sworn to protect and serve their community.”

“Given the egregiousness of the behavior outlined in the joint FBI and District Attorney’s report and the number of officers involved, we request that the Department initiate a Section 12601 investigation, or any other appropriate investigative or remediation effort, and respectfully request a response to this inquiry by May 5, 2023.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.

DeSaulnier took to social media to further express his feelings about the actions by Antioch police officers. In a tweet of a video of him speaking on the matter on his official Twitter feed on Thursday, DeSaulnier wrote, “I am horrified by the reported conduct of officers in the Antioch Police Department.”

Garamendi appeared on Al Sharpton’s Politics Nation show on MSNBC on Sunday to discuss the matter. In a tweet on his official Twitter feed on Monday, Garamendi wrote, “The despicable, racist, and immoral statements made by Antioch Police Department officers must be thoroughly investigated by the United States Department of Justice.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

During the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Gala on Friday, March 24, 2023, Executive Director Daniel Sohn read the following about the 2022 Antioch Small Business of the Year:

“Debbie Blaisure and Toni Lincks, owners of Rivertown Treasure Chest (RTC), are true ambassadors of the City of Antioch.  On May 1, 2023, they will celebrate operating a thriving business downtown for more than 9 years.

Regarded as two of the most influential and respected promoters of economic growth and revitalization of the region. They operate a successful vintage and collectible co-op with 13 independent vendors and mentor each of them for increased sales.  Working as a team, RTC is an inviting, relaxed and fun place for people of all ages and backgrounds to gather, share a laugh and a cup of coffee.

To name a few, they have sold donated items in the store and given the proceeds to the following organizations: Antioch Woman’s Club, K-911 Rescue, Special Haven, An Elderly Wish Foundation, Antioch Chamber of Commerce Galas and mixer raffles, and any other organizations.

Well done, RTC! We honor you tonight!”

“It’s been 15 years since we started this crazy business,” Blaisure said. “All of our lives we’ve been training for this role. I want to thank the Chamber for the honor. It’s been a long time coming.”

She thanked “my partner, Toni. She’s always in the background. I’m the speaker she’s the worker.” She also Blaisure also thanked 13 vendors whom she referred to as “a cast of characters”.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this more detailed report which first appeared in our April/May print edition.