Contra Costa County, in partnership with the City of Antioch and Supervisor Diane Burgis, is bringing its annual Block Party to East County.
Contra Costa County, the Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department, the Employment & Human Services Department, County Public Works and Contra Costa Health along with the City of Antioch are partnering to provide a fun, festive event that offers a wide variety of on-the-spot government services at one single location. This will be the seventh year of the increasingly popular event, providing opportunities throughout the County to learn what’s available to you as a Contra Costa County resident. Please submit your request at least 72 hours in advance to help ensure availability.
Available services at the Block Party include: Sign-ups for CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and CalWORKs, information about childcare and preschool options, Records within Reach from Clerk-Recorder’s Office, Voter Registration, Contra Costa Television (CCTV) — and many more County programs.
County Departments & Programs
4 Our Families Navigators (EHSD)
Clerk-Recorder-Elections
Community Services Bureau (EHSD)
Contra Costa Television
Information & Assistance (EHSD)
Public Works – Flood Control District
Public Works – Transportation Engineering
Supervisor Diane Burgis, District 3
If you require an accommodation to participate in the Contra Costa County Block Party, please contact Diane Truong, Public Facilities ADA Program Manager, at (925) 335-1436 or email Diane.Truong@riskm.cccounty.us.
Dr. Colfax brings decades of experience in health leadership and a deep commitment to health equity, innovation, and community-centered care. He most recently served as the Director of Health for the City and County of San Francisco, where he guided one of the nation’s most robust local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. He previously served as Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy during the Obama administration and as Director of HIV Prevention and Research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
While in San Francisco, Dr. Colfax led a 9,000-person health department with a $3.2 billion budget, overseeing an acute care hospital and Level 1 trauma center, behavioral health, primary care, detention health, and population health.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Harvard College and a Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Colfax to Contra Costa County,” said Board Chair Candace Andersen, District 2 Supervisor. “His visionary leadership and deep understanding of public health systems will be invaluable as we work to expand access to care, address longstanding health disparities, and support the overall well-being of our communities.”
Dr. Colfax replaces Dr. Ori Tzvieli, who served as interim director during the executive search and will remain Contra Costa County’s Health Officer.
“We thank Dr. Tzvieli for his steadfast leadership during this time of transition, and I want to express my gratitude that he will continue as the County’s Health Officer,” Supervisor Andersen added.
Dr. Colfax will oversee a comprehensive integrated health system that includes a nationally recognized public hospital, regional health centers, behavioral health services, emergency medical services, environmental health, and public health operations serving over 1.2 million county residents.
“I am honored to join Contra Costa Health and to serve a community that values collaboration, compassion, and equity,” said Dr. Colfax. “I look forward to working with the incredible staff and partners across the County to improve outcomes and ensure that every resident—regardless of background or circumstance—has access to quality, dignified care.”
The cost to fund the Director of Health Services for the remainder of the fiscal year is about $619,000. Annual ongoing costs are estimated at about $708,000. These expenses are budgeted for the 2025–26 fiscal year.
Asked about those figures Contra Costa County PIO Jourdan responded, “That $708,000 figure includes salary plus benefits. The $619,000 is what’s available given the time left in the fiscal year.”
About Contra Costa Health
Contra Costa Health (CCH) is a comprehensive county health system committed to providing high-quality services with a focus on equity and access. From its nationally ranked Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers to its innovative Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Emergency Medical Services divisions, CCH serves as a cornerstone of wellness for more than a million residents across the county.
Former Antioch City Clerk Melissa Rhodes (official City photograph) and her resignation letter on July 30, 2025.
Public informed today in meeting agenda for City Council which will discuss filling vacancy created by Melissa Rhodes less than one year into her position – in April election or appointment until Nov. 2026 election.
“There are some things to learn from this and we’ll correct it.” – Mayor Pro Tem Louie Rocha
UPDATE:Freitas says a draft press release was prepared but it announced a special election this November
By Allen D. Payton
After less than a year in her new position Antioch City Clerk Melissa Rhodes resigned effective immediately on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, without explanation or announcing it to the public. Instead, it was revealed in the City Council meeting agenda for next Tuesday, which was issued today, Friday, August 8, 2025.
According to the City staff report for the item, #3 on the agenda, “Ms. Rhodes submitted her written resignation on July 30, 2025. The City Council must accordingly take action to fill the vacant council seat by no later than September 30, 2025. Effectively, this means final action must be taken by the Council’s second September meeting on September 23, 2025.”
In her letter Rhodes wrote without explanation:
“July 30, 2025
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
I hereby resign effective July 30, 2025 from the seat of the City Clerk for the City of Antioch.
It has been my honor serving the constituents of the City of Antioch. I am hoping for the continued success of the City.
Respectfully,
Melissa Rhodes”
———-
The City staff report also explained, “As noted, the Council may appoint the vacant position. To ensure a fair and transparent process, the City Council may choose to solicit applications from interested individuals and conduct interviews to determine the most qualified candidate. The City Council may also consider input from the public and other stakeholders during the appointment process. The appointment would need to occur in the open session of a City Council meeting.
“But there is an important qualification. Because Ms. Rhodes has resigned during the first year of her term, the appointment would only be effective for the first half of her term. In other words, the appointment would only last through the end of next year. A special election would need to be called during the November 2026 General Election and the appointment term would end once the results of that election are certified.
“The vacant City Clerk position may also be filled by the calling of a special election” and for the City of Antioch, “the next election date is April 14, 2026.”
Efforts to reach Rhodes asking why she resigned and why she didn’t announce it to the public, since they’re the ones who elected her were unsuccessful prior to publication time.
Attempts to reach Mayor Ron Bernal, District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, City Manager Bessie Scott, Jaden Baird, the City’s Public Information Officer late Friday afternoon, asking why she resigned and why it wasn’t immediately announced to the public, also were initially unsuccessful.
However, when reached for comment about why there was no public announcement the day she resigned Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha said, “I’m not sure if there was a press release. We all (council members) got notification. I think I first saw it on August 1st.”
“I don’t know about the protocol procedures of what former councils have done with such vacancies. It’s the first time I’ve been in this seat as an elected official dealing with this,” he shared and pointed out, “We have a public information officer.”
“If you’ve been watching you saw she didn’t attend the last couple of meetings,” Rocha continued. “I wasn’t aware of her reasons. There must have been something going on behind the scenes.”
“The last meeting the city clerk from Clayton stepped in to help us and at another meeting the County Clerk helped out,” he stated.
“Ron, Don and I coming in are all about transparency. There are some things to learn from this and we’ll correct it,” Rocha added.
Freitas Says Council Received Resignation Letter from Rhodes via Text, Press Release was Prepared
UPDATE: Later, when asked why the public wasn’t informed immediately of Rhodes’ resignation Freitas said, “I have no idea. The first time I learned about it was on Facebook. I got a text later on July 30th from Melissa with her resignation letter.”
“The first thing I received from Bessie was on August 1st. She was basically telling the council of a draft release ‘for your review,’” the councilman continued. “The prepared press release read, ‘The City of Antioch will hold a special election on November 4th.’”
“That was not her decision,” he stated. “I immediately told her this is a policy matter that should be on the next City Council meeting agenda for discussion.”
“My bias is not to have a special election because of the costs, and the City Council should open it up for application and appointment for about one year,” Freitas added.
He said the press release also mentioned Assistant City Clerk Christina Garcia will serve in the interim position.
UPDATE: City Manager Scott responded later with, “We added this topic to our meeting on this upcoming Tuesday, August 12th as an emergency addition. Given that there needs to be a council discussion to vote on how to proceed, we felt that it was more transparent to have this discussion in public.
We had to wait on this due to summer absences among Council and Staff. Internally our staffing levels are being increased within the Clerk’s Office as well, so the Council will also discuss who should be Acting City Clerk for now when we meet on Tuesday.”
The Council’s regular meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street in historic, downtown Rivertown. It can also be viewed via livestream on the City’s website, on Comcast local access cable channel 24 or on AT&T U-verse channel 99. See the complete meeting agenda packet.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
Angel G. Luévano. Photo by Luis Nuno Briones. Source: Todos Unidos
Luévano Consent Decree determined in 1981 written civil service test unfair to Black and Hispanic applicants
“Today, the Justice Department removed that barrier and reopened federal employment opportunities based on merit—not race.” – U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon on Aug. 1, 2025.
“The Decree has had its usefulness and a tremendous effect on the country. Millions of minorities and women hold jobs because of that class action lawsuit. It wasn’t DEI. It didn’t just benefit minorities and women. The (alternative) Outstanding Scholar Program…was actually used 70% by whites.” – Angel Luévano
By Allen D. Payton
On Friday, August 1, 2025, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon announced that the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) had ended a 44-year-old decree mandating race-based government hiring. It’s named for Antioch resident Angel G. Luévano, who, with a group of attorneys in 1979, brought a class action lawsuit on behalf of African Americans and Hispanics over the Professional and Administrative Career Examination (PACE). They claimed disparate impact against them based on their test results violated Title VII’s equal employment opportunity provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Dhillon claimed the decree “imposed draconian test review and implementation procedures” on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The 1979 Luévano v. Campbell lawsuit, against the then and first Director of the Officer of Personnel Management, Alan Campbell, resulted in a settlement during the final days of President Jimmy Carter’s Administration, just prior to President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, eliminating use of the PACE test. According to court documents filed in March 2025 by the USDOJ, “on January 9, 1981, after two years of litigation, Plaintiffs and OPM jointly moved for ‘an order granting preliminary approval to a Consent Decree.’ Luevano, 93 F.R.D. at 72. The parties signed the Decree eleven days prior to the change in administration, and the Court accepted the Decree on February 26, 1981.”
In addition, according to the Civil Rights Litigation Clearing House Case Summary, in the Decree the “federal government in part agreed to…establish two special hiring programs, Outstanding Scholar and Bilingual/Bicultural.”
The lawsuit title was later changed to Luevanov. Ezell, named for Charles Ezell, the current Acting OPM Director. This year’s court filing reads, “Federal law requires many federal jobs be filled based on merit alone. Beginning in 1974, OPM employed a test to do just that. The Professional and Administrative Career Examination (‘PACE’) was a challenging, written examination that measured cognitive and other skills. It quickly proved an effective way of predicting future job performance, thereby increasing the efficiency and capability of the federal workforce. But it did not last long.”
In a Aug. 1 post on Dhillon’s official X (formerly Twitter) account she wrote, “Another federal government DEI program bites the dust! Today, the @CivilRights Division ended a 44-year-old decree that bound the federal government to use DEI in its hiring practices” and shared the news release from the USDOJ announcing the end to the decree:
“Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division ended a court-imposed decree initiated by the Carter administration, which limited the hiring practices of the federal government based on flawed and outdated theories of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In Luevano v. Ezell, the Court dismissed a consent decree based on a lawsuit initially brought by interest groups representing federal employees in 1979. The decree entered in 1981 imposed draconian test review and implementation procedures on the Office of Personnel Management—and consequently all other federal agencies—requiring them to receive permission prior to using any tests for potential federal employees, in an attempt to require equal testing outcomes among all races of test-takers.
“For over four decades, this decree has hampered the federal government from hiring the top talent of our nation,” said Dhillon. “Today, the Justice Department removed that barrier and reopened federal employment opportunities based on merit—not race.”
“It’s simple, competence and merit are the standards by which we should all be judged; nothing more and nothing less,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “It’s about time people are judged, not by their identity, but instead ‘by the content of their character.’”
Luévano Responds
In response to the decree’s dismissal, Luévano said, “I agreed to vacate the Decree through the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) because I don’t want to make bad law. There are two interveners on the other side that wanted to broaden the attack.”
Asked when he agreed to it, he said, “Last week. Attorneys for both sides met with the judge last Thursday to resolve the matter.”
“The Decree has had its usefulness and a tremendous effect on the country,” Luévano continued. “Millions of minorities and women hold jobs because of that class action lawsuit. The Decree affected 118 job classifications in federal hiring nationwide.”
“I’m extremely proud of the effect that it has had on federal hires and getting minorities and women into federal jobs,” he stated. “It affected my decision to join, it was the key for me to join federal civil rights compliance in the Labor Department.”
Asked why he was the lead plaintiff he said, “I took the PACE exam because I wanted to get into a federal job. I achieved an 80 on the test – a passing grade, even though it’s been reported I flunked the exam. That’s not true. The result was I did not get referred to federal openings. They were only referring people with a 100 on their tests to jobs.”
“I learned about the case through the Legal Aid Society which had brought many cases in the construction industry. Our unit was successful in getting the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to be effective. I went to them and said, ‘that happened to me’ in the Office of Personnel Management. That’s the lead HR department in the federal government. They’re the gatekeepers to federal employment.”
“I asked them, is there something we can do about this. They said, ‘funny you should ask. We are looking for someone to do something about this’ and we began working on the lawsuit,” he shared.
“One of the things I was able to achieve was alternatives to merit selection in federal employment, the Outstanding Scholar and Bilingual/Bicultural programs that each agency implemented,” Luévano stated.
“I gave up back pay and also the class, to get them to agree to the decree,” he continued. “When you win a case, you usually get a settlement. But I was the one who gave up back pay for myself and for the class to get those two remedies. That was really big. That is huge. Who gets alternatives to merit-based hiring at the national level? They used it to bring in minorities and women.”
“It wasn’t DEI. It didn’t just benefit minorities and women. The Outstanding Scholar Program as an alternative to discriminatory merit-based hiring was actually used 70% by whites,” he stated. “But that’s OK. I wanted to crack the discriminatory employment barriers to federal hiring.”
“When I was in D.C. I met with the second in command at the OPM, while we were in Puerto Rico. He said, ‘Angel, you know it’s not what you know. It’s who you know. I said to him, ‘I know you!’ He replied, ‘But I don’t have any power.’ I’ve learned that every where I’ve gone. As you go up the ladder it gets narrower and narrower and harder and harder.”
“We used the impact theory to prove there was discrimination. There are only two theories, that one and disparate treatment,” Luevano explained.
“I negotiated through my lawyers,” he continued. “We had a lot of attorneys. They included the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights out of D.C., MALDEF, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund, NOW, and the Legal Aid Society of Alameda County where I worked out of Oakland as a senior law clerk in the impact litigation unit.”
He started as a summer management intern with the General Services Administration as a GS-5 employee in 1972 while in law school. Then he went to work for the Department of Defense compliance division in Burlingame.
They merged all the compliance divisions under the Labor Department.
“They leaped me from a GS-9 to a 12,” he stated. “So, I skipped 10 and 11. I met all of the qualifications.”
He ultimately rose to the level of a GS-15 as Deputy Director of Program Operations for the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
“I was number four in the agency nationwide and retired after 30 years in government,” Luevano shared. “That happened to a guy who wouldn’t have even gotten into a federal job because of PACE. Yet, I was qualified, I earned it and I moved up.”
“I had a great career. I helped write the regulations on how to detect employment system discrimination and I trained the trainers nationwide,” he continued. “That was because of my law background. I went to Hastings for four years. Even though I don’t have the degree, I have the equivalent of a Master’s in Law.”
About the timing for the lawsuit settlement Luévano shared, “Our lawyers showed up. Their lawyers showed up, the attorneys for the outgoing Carter Administration. The attorneys for the Reagan Administration showed up and wanted to put a stop to the resolution of the Consent Decree. The judge said, ‘No, you’re not in power, yet.’”
“We were all happy, we signed the Decree and made history,” he stated. “I’m humbled by this tremendous achievement.”
Luévano was recognized for his efforts at one of the conferences of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, in which he later rose to the level of California State Director and V.P for the Far West. Image de California gave him an award during one of their conferences at which he spoke about the Consent Decree.
“If we hadn’t accomplished that we’d still be back in the dark ages of discrimination,” Luévano stated.
“I’m actually writing a book, a memoir about it,” he added. “I’m working with Harvard on that.”
He and his wife Argentina have been involved in the Antioch community with the Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch, where he was president last year and Argentina is currently secretary. They both also served as Lt. Governors for the organization in Division 26, Area 9 in Northern California. Then Angel was elected as Trustee for the entire Division which includes California, Nevada and Hawaii.
In addition, since May 2004, Angel has also served as Executive Director for Todos Unidos, an Antioch-based non-profit organization established to raise the educational, economic, health and social outcomes of underserved communities along the Suisun Bay and the greater San Joaquin Delta area.
1 Civil Engineer, 1 Electrical Engineer and 1 Certified Public Accountant
By San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
BART is recruiting volunteer candidates to fill three vacant seats on the Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee. The committee provides diligent and public oversight of the expenditure of funds from bond sales associated with Measure RR, which is a $3.5 billion bond measure approved by BART District voters in 2016 to rebuild the system’s core infrastructure. Members of the Bond Oversight Committee represent a diversity of expertise, geography, and demographic characteristics. BART is looking for candidates to fill the electrical engineer, civil engineer, and Certified Public Accountant seats on the committee. All committee members are unpaid volunteers.
Candidates must live in either Alameda County, Contra Costa County or San Francisco City and County.
Source: BART
About Measure RR
Voters approved Measure RR, a $3.5 billion bond, in November 2016. The bond proceeds fund a portfolio of projects including replacing 90 miles of severely worn tracks, repair tunnels damaged by water intrusion and upgrade the aging train control system. Learn more at bart.gov/rebuilding/projects.
About the Committee
The independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee consists of five professionals in the areas of engineering, auditing, public finance, construction project management, and two members from the League of Women Voters. Learn more at bart.gov/bondoversight.
Committee Responsibilities
Members of the Committee are responsible for the following:
• Assess how bond proceeds are spent.
• Assess that work is completed in a timely, cost effective and quality manner.
• Communicate its findings and recommendations to the public.
• Publish an annual report.
Source: BART
Time Commitment
The minimum time commitment is about 10 to 15 hours per year. There are typically four in person meetings annually, which are open to the public
Compensation
Committee members are volunteers. However, BART will compensate members for their travel on BART to and from meetings.
Will talk about state’s 30 lawsuits against Trump Administration
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-10) announced he will host a virtual town hall with special guest California Attorney General Rob Bonta on defending constitutional rights and protecting Californians from the Trump Administration’s harmful policies on Tuesday, August 5th at 5:45 p.m. PT.
According to DeSaulnier, “Amid the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, federal funding, environmental protections, and more, A.G. Rob Bonta has been a staunch defender of the rule of law on behalf of us here in CA-10 (California’s 10th Congressional District) and across California. He’s joining us for a virtual town hall.”
Since President Trump was inaugurated in January, Attorney General Bonta has filed more than 30 lawsuits on behalf of Californians against what he claims are the Administration’s illegal and unconstitutional policies. DeSaulnier and Bonta will discuss recent successes in the courts and in Congress and the path ahead to check what are believed to be the President’s abuses of power. They will also take audience questions live.
The City of Antioch presents Resource Recovery Ambassadors: a fun training program for all who live, work or play in Antioch to become experts in sorting discards for recycling and composting to help combat climate change! Participants can receive $75 after completing the 2-part training.
Antioch 2025 Independence Day – July 4th Celebration. All photos by Allen D. Payton
To celebrate signing of Declaration of Independence and nation’s 249th birthday
Parade winners announced,U.S. Senator makes appearance, SWAT’s presence explained
By Allen D. Payton
Hundreds of Antioch residents lined the streets of historic, downtown Rivertown on Independence Day, during the annual celebration Friday afternoon, to enjoy the July 4th Parade, Kids and Family Zone, food from local restaurants and food trucks, live music by “Sade of the Bay”, the Ariel Marin Band, and The Purple Ones – Prince Tribute Band who ended their performance with a solid rendition of Purple Rain to the delight of the crowd in Waldie Plaza, as the fireworks show over the river began about 9:20 p.m.
During a break in the music, Mayor Ron Bernal thanked those who gathered for the celebration.
Thousands gathered on the Promenade and Uril E. “Compy” Compomizzo Fishing Pier along the Antioch waterfront to enjoy the show shot from the barge on the river. It floated too far east and had to be called to head back west just in time for the spectacular grand finale. (See video)
Source: City of Antioch Recreation Department
2025 Antioch Independence Day – July 4th Parade Winners
The three Antioch Independence Day – July 4th Parade Judges, Assistant City Manager Brad Helfenberger, former Antioch School Board Trustee Alonzo Terry, and Rivertown Treasure Chest co-owner and Downtown Antioch Association leader Debbie Blaisure, determined the following winners in each category:
“Three very deserving winners!” Blaisure said. “The crew did a great job working together,” Terry added.
Antioch 2025 July 4th Parade judges, Brad Helfenberger, Alonzo Terry, and Debbie Blaisure.
In a post on the Antioch Recreation Department’s Instagram page City staff wrote, “Thank you so much to every single one of our parade participants!”
U.S. Senator Adam Schiff made an appearance in the parade while Antioch Police SWAT members watch along the route.
Senator Schiff Shows Up, SWAT’s Presence Seen
During the parade, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) participated, waving to the crowd while walking with a group holding signs with his name on them.
Some people speculated he was the reason for the Antioch Police Department SWAT Team’s presence along the parade route and throughout the celebration. However, according to Lt. Mike Mellone, that wasn’t the case.
More politicians plus, some protesters participated in the parade. (Upper left) Antioch District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, (top right) one side of the protest sign in red pants is District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, (bottom left) Assemblywoman Anamarie Avila-Farias (D-Martinez) and (bottom right) District 4 County Supervisor Shanell Scales-Preston.
“We had planned for a tactical presence at the parade well before we were made aware of Senator Schiff’s attendance. This decision was based on the elevated threat environment tied to ongoing world events, as well as adherence to best practices for securing large-scale public gatherings,” he shared.
“There were no specific or credible threats made in advance of the event. Our department worked closely with regional and federal partners to monitor for any potential risks and ensure the safety of all attendees,” Mellone added.
The grand finale. Video screenshots by Allen D. Payton
