Join us for Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, where we will create a space to remember, honor and celebrate those in our community with a lived experience of homelessness who have died in the past two years. As part of the event, we will be reading their names and stories. You are invited to share the names of people whom you would like to be remembered here: https://forms.gle/ksauQ1dwxKT2j2rR7.
This hybrid (in person and online) event will take place:
Event co-hosted by Antioch Seventh Day Adventist Church, Bay Area Rescue Mission, City of Antioch, Contra Costa Council on Homelessness, NAMI Contra Costa, and Safe Organized Spaces Richmond.
At these events each year, we remember those who have died and we strengthen our resolve to work for a world where no life is lived or lost in homelessness. We state clearly, together with others in scores of communities across the nation, that no person should die for lack of housing.
About NAMI CC – Support. Educate. Advocate. Outreach.
Mission Statement – To provide support, outreach, education, and advocacy to individuals impacted by mental illness, their families, and the broader community.
NAMI Contra Costa is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing outreach, education, support and advocacy to individuals living with mental illness, their families, and the broader community. We have been serving in Contra Costa County and beyond for over 35 years. All our programs are free, so get involved today and help make a difference in your life, others’ lives, and in the local community.
NAMI Contra Costa is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. We are unique in our independence with long history of supporting individuals living with mental illness, their families, and the broader community.
NAMI CC has a commitment to serve the needs of all impacted by mental illness. We have staffed our agency to be reflective of those who are unserved, underserved, and inappropriately served. We have many support groups, classes, and services for these communities. Additionally, to help reach much of the homebound community, we provide almost all of our groups and classes via Zoom, and now more are in-person. So please visit our calendar page for group dates and times.
NAMI Contra Costa was named the 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year.
About the Delta Bay Wellness Hub
NAMI CC is committed to ensuring ALL individuals impacted by mental illness have their needs met and no one is left behind. We, therefore, lifted the 40 Voices Campaign to advocate for an African American Holistic Wellness & Resource Hub to improve outcomes for the African American community. Despite 40 Voices’ successful advocacy for a total of $8.9 million dollars from the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, we have been asked to wait until 2029 for the physical site of the hub to be realized. We cannot afford to wait. NAMI CC CEO and Founder of the 40 Voices Campaign, Gigi Crowder, decided to move forward with the hub – primarily using her own personal funding and securing donations from others.
If you would like to support this important effort, you can Zelle a payment (510-990-2670) or mail in a check (2151 Salvio Street, Suite V, Concord, CA 94520) or simply go to ww.namicontracosta.org/donate to make a donation. All donations are tax deductible. Donations of $40 dollars or more will be recognized on a poster as a “Founding Contributor” of the 40 Voices African American Holistic Wellness & Resource Hub at Delta Bay. The renovations have resulted in a beautiful healing space.
Join former 49er Jeremy Newberry for Newberry’s B.L.O.C.K. 2025 Toy Drive & Car Show! Sunday, Dec. 14. 11am– 3pm at Lumpy’s Diner at 5891 Lone Tree Way in Antioch.
Your $25 donation or unwrapped gift for a child gets you a delicious barbecue lunch by Kinder’s BBQ and entrance to the So-Low Riderz Car Show.
If you’re unable to make it, we also accept Venmo donations @NewberrysBlock we’re a 501c3 organization 100% of your donations go toward underprivileged children. Thank you.
Newberry’s B.L.O.C.K. is a non-profit organization providing underprivileged children the opportunity to participate in sports by sponsoring scholarships and equipment to youth programs Benefiting Leagues Offering Children Kindness.
It’s community building at its best. In partnership with Antioch High School and Rebuilding Together East Bay Network, the Big Skills Tiny Homes program is a hit.
Brandy Mazariegos, site manager, said the project (which started in the fall) is “going wonderfully! The students are doing an amazing job and showing off their new skills every day.”
Big Skills students build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as part of their hands-on learning experience, gaining real-world construction skills while contributing to affordable housing solutions. These student-built ADUs are then placed in local communities, showcasing the power of youth, craftsmanship and community impact.
The program provides students with “meaningful skills while also creating affordable housing for low-income community members,” she shared. The goal for Brandy and the 26 AHS woodshop students is to finish the two wee homes by June of 2026.
Brandy said “As site manager, I have the privilege of supporting the students on the job site, guiding them through hands-on learning, and keeping the project running smoothly. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see their growth — not just in technical abilities but also in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.”
We look forward to following this amazing construction project over the next few months and sharing the final product with everyone this summer.
About Rebuilding Together East Bay Network
Rebuilding Together East Bay Network is a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, California serving the San Francisco Bay Area. We coordinate donors and volunteers to meet critical needs for our neighbors to receive repairs, renovations, safety modifications, housing and workforce development.
Following complaint from one grant recipient’s leader, mayor challenges panel’s decision; opens rift with City Manager who finds matter “concerning…alarming”;City Attorney issues opinion
“…none of the proposers are entitled to any City funds and every group was given the opportunity to be heard and was equally assessed in determining the awards.” – City Manager Bessie Scott
Celebrate Antioch Foundation has history of working with, receiving funds from City for community events; was not going to receive funds, but Torres-Walker secured a small amount
Misinterpretations of language in Request for Proposals
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, the Antioch City Council will again reconsider Citywide Economic Development Initiative grants totaling $60,000 to three community organizations awarded in September. The matter has become controversial with Mayor Ron Bernal challenging the decision during the Council’s Nov. 20th meeting. two council members were absent and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker left the dais during discussion of the agenda item to prevent a vote. (See 1:59:38 mark of video)
According to the City staff report for item #1 on Tuesday’s agenda, “The Mayor instructed the City Manager to bring for discussion the 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Citywide Economic Development and associated Grants which were awarded on September 12, 2025, outside of the 90-Day City Council Request List.”
The RFP states that the goal was “to award up to three (3) grants of $20,000 each to the best projects” to help with the City’s economic development efforts. Instead, after a panel, consisting of Torres-Walker, City Manager Bessie Scott, then-Assistant City Manager Brad Helfenberger, then-Interim Community and Economic Development Director David Storer, Public Information Officer Jaden Baird and then-Economic Development Program Manager Bret Sweet, reviewed the proposals, they chose to allocate two grants in the amount of $27,500 each and one in the amount of $5,000. The first two were awarded to Delta Business Group, to support the efforts by the newly organized Downtown Antioch Association of business owners, and Prison From-The-Inside-Out. The smaller grant was awarded to Celebrate Antioch Foundation because the Review Panel determined their proposal “did not align fully with the parameters of the RFP.”
Purpose of Grants
The RFP solicited qualified organizations, nonprofits and business support entities to implement projects that aim to achieve at least two or more of the following outcomes:
• Increased Economic Activity – Boost foot traffic, sales, or commercial occupancy rates in key corridors.
• Business Retention or Expansion – Provide support or services that result in business stabilization, retention, or physical/operational growth.
• Entrepreneurial Development – Foster new business creation, especially among underserved populations or within underutilized areas.
• Job Creation or Workforce Upskilling – Generate new employment opportunities or improve job readiness among residents.
• Community Engagement – Increase stakeholder participation, visibility of small businesses, or community pride in economic corridors.
Grant Awards
The process included a Blind Review with a group discussion at the end. According to the staff report, the Review Panel chose to issue the following grants for their proposed efforts:
• Celebrate Antioch Foundation– $5,000to perform Antioch Farmers’ Market promotion and signature event promotion. Although this proposal did not align fully with the parameters of the RFP, the organization was awarded an amount due to their services being complimentary to city services such as the farmers’ market.
• Delta Business Group– $27,500to work with the Downtown Antioch Association to build city-wide business-centered digital infrastructure development, city-wide and downtown capacity building, community building, collaboration and transition planning.
• Prison From-The-Inside-Out– $27,500to perform commercial corridor revitalization, city-wide community engagement, workforce development and job creation, and workforce upskilling.
Celebrate Antioch Foundation Leader Appeals Smaller Grant
But former Antioch Councilwoman Joy Motts, who is president of Celebrate Antioch Foundation (CAF), was not satisfied with the amount of her organization’s grant and shared her concerns with Bernal. He in turn chose to bring it to the City Council for a decision that could override the allocations by the Review Panel. The matter was first placed on the Nov. 20th meeting agenda for discussion and a possible decision. That’s when things turned controversial.
CAF has a history of working with and receiving funds from the City for the multiple, annual community events they’ve organized, mostly in downtown Rivertown including annual July 4th Celebration. They worked together on this past Saturday’s Holiday Delites Celebration. CAF’s largest project with the City was the year-long Sesquicentennial Celebration with multiple events in 2022. This year, the group added the Farmer’s Market on Sundays, for which their grant application was focused.
According to a report by City Finance Director Dawn Merchant, CAF received $95,000 in City funds for the Sesquicentennial events, including a $25,000 Administration Fee, and $50,000 for the 2022 July 4th event. (For full disclosure, this reporter named and helped form CAF).
City Attorney Gets Involved
Before the meeting, the City Attorney’s Office reviewed the RFP, along with emails from Motts and all attachments included in the agenda packet. According to Scott’s staff report, in the opinion of Interim City Attorney Derek Cole, “there is no legal issue with the way the City handled this RFP” which “clearly outlines the scope of the services being sought and the amount of the award does not exceed the amount authorized” of $60,000.
Furthermore, Scott states, “none of the proposers are entitled to any City funds and everygroup was given the opportunity to be heard and was equally assessed in determining the awards.”
City Manager Finds Mayor’s Challenge “Concerning…Alarming”, Claims it Diminishes Her Authority, Independence
Scott’s staff report further addressed the mayor’s challenge of the panel’s decision writing, “The City Manager finds it concerning and alarming that members of the City Council would request to diminish her legal and longstanding authority to award routine contracts and grants regardless of value, even if it is within her signing authority amounts. At no time in the past was this authority questioned of prior City Managers, including when the Mayor himself was the City Manager.”
Bernal served as Antioch City Manager from 2017-21. (See related articles here and here)
Scott wrote, “Within the Findings (of the Grand Jury Report), it is stated that a new City Manager’s success will depend, in part, on the Mayor and City Council creating an environment that while maintaining the oversight required by city ordinances, enables the City Manager to operate with independence, as also mandated by city ordinances.”
The City of Antioch has a Council-Manager form of government in which the council members are policy makers and hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The only other staff member the Council hires is the City Attorney.
“The actions described in this Staff Report reflect a departure from the governance structure mandated by the Antioch Municipal Code, as well as the essential duties and functions as outlined in the City Manager’s job description, and they pose significant operational, legal, and ethical risks,” Scott’s staff report states. “Continued encroachment on administrative authority undermines organizational stability and exposes the City to liability.”
She also claims Bernal’s challenge of the grant decisions is delaying the City’s economic development efforts.
“Too, non-adherence to established protocols has caused a significant delay in the carrying out of the 2025 Citywide Economic Development Initiative Grant Awards, as we push for, and desperately are in need of, economic development initiatives across the city,” Scott wrote. “Ensuring a well-functioning government requires that both the City Council and the City Manager operate within their defined roles and collaborate together with a shared goal of moving the city forward.”
Misinterpretations of Language in RFP
During public comments, Motts pointed out that Scott’s staff report incorrectly quotes that, “the RFP states that the goal was to award three groups up to $20,000” because it actually reads on page 4, “This RFP aims to award up to three (3) grants of $20,000 each.”
Yet, Motts was also incorrect in stating, “the RFP is clear that the City will award $60,000 in $20,000 grants to up to three projects. It does not say up to $20,000 and it does not say the grants will be changed to fit a project application.”
“Why would you manipulate the intent of the RFP?” she asked, directing her question to Scott.
However, the word “will” is not included and by using the word “aims” the language in the RFP allowed the panel to award all of the $60,000 allocated for the program to just one group or split the total among two organizations. They didn’t have to award funds to all three and the panel didn’t plan to according to Torres-Walker.
Concerns Politics Involved but Torres-Walker’s Efforts Result in Funds for CAF
Some residents are concerned that politics may be involved in the panel’s decision, since Motts ran unsuccessfully for city council placing second against Torres-Walker in 2020 and 2022, when the difference between the two was just four votes following a recount, and is expected to run against the incumbent councilwoman again, next year. But it was actually Torres-Walker who argued in favor of the $5,000 grant to CAF.
During council discussion of the item on Nov. 20th, Torres-Walker said, “I’m the only panelist who gave Celebrate Antioch a high score because they have been in the community and doing a lot of work in downtown…when others on the panel were considering completely denying the group’s proposal.”
“The proposal was not innovative. But I really appreciated the Farmer’s Market,” the councilwoman continued. “After hours of deliberating and actually only choosing two applicants – we did not choose a third applicant – Celebrate Antioch’s proposal was not going to be funded. I made a proposal…through the City Manager to staff that we at least consider a small grant to support the efforts of the Farmer’s Market, which was new and innovative to the City of Antioch,” Torres-Walker explained. “Staff deliberated and agreed with my proposal and moved forward as such.”
Options for Council
The council members can choose to approve the Review Panel’s grant awards by voting for the resolution included with the agenda item, choose different grant amounts for each of the three groups, or scrap the entire program.
The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall located at 200 H Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. It can also be viewed via livestream on the City’s website and the City’s YouTube Channel, on Comcast Cable Channel 24 or AT&T U-verse Channel 99.
Join local communities, friends and family take a step for health at the 49th Annual Holiday Run & Walk for Health – a memorial to Paul Schorr – at Contra Loma Regional Park, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.
Hosted by Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch and Rotary Club of the Delta (Antioch), this cherished community event that promotes fitness and well-being was founded 49 years ago by Tom Torlakson, former Antioch Councilman, County Supervisor, State Assemblyman, State Senator and California Superintendent of Public Instruction. The event honors the legacy of Paul Schorr, a dedicated race director who passionately supported local runners as well as local Kiwanis and Rotary members, who passed away on April 12, 2023.
2013 Holiday Run 3-mile race participants begin. Herald file photo
Participants of all ages are encouraged to lace up their shoes and enjoy a day of fun camaraderie and holiday spirit. Come be a part of this time-honored tradition.
Race Schedule:
7:30 AM – Registration Opens
9:00 AM – 1 Mile 9:35 AM – 5K Run/Walk
10:15 AM – Kid’s Dash with Santa
Holiday Run Course Map.
The event is located at Contra Loma Regional Park – 1200 Frederickson Lane, Antioch. As you enter the park, you will stop at a parking booth. Tell them you are here for the Kiwanis/Rotary Run and they will tell you were to park. The race will take place in the parking lot of the swimming lagoon.
Mike Conklin, Chairman and CEO of Sentinels of Freedom presents the donation check to LMC President Pamela Ralston on Nov. 6, 2025. They were joined by Tara Sanders, LMC Foundation Director (left), Melissa Jackson, LMC Veterans Services Program Coordinator (right) and LMC student veterans affiliated with the Veterans Resource Center. Photos: LMC
Funding to support in-person math tutoring
By Juliet V. Casey, Director of Marketing, Los Medanos College
Pittsburg, Calif. – Mike Conklin, chairman and CEO of Sentinels of Freedom, came to Los Medanos College Nov. 6, 2025, with words of wisdom and a hand-written check worth $5,000 for LMC’s Veterans Resource Center.
Just ahead of presenting the check, Conklin spoke to students attending LMC to gain the skills and education needed to transition from military service to civilian life.
“I’m here to tell you, people in this community want to see you succeed,” Conklin said, after sharing personal stories about the military service of his son whose combat injuries resulted in a stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “They all respect your service and sacrifice for this country.”
Mike Conklin speaks with the LMC student veterans.
He noted that Sentinels of Freedom, a nonprofit organization of veterans, aims to help wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans transition into civilian life. Through personalized support, the group provides guidance to veterans pursuing higher education, establishing careers and working toward self-sufficiency. The donation, he said, would support in-person math tutoring for student veterans at LMC. The college has 168 student veterans enrolled this fall.
Conklin also led a workshop for the group on budgeting and financial planning.
“Many veterans return to college after years away from the classroom, often facing challenges in subjects like mathematics as they transition back into academic life,” said Rikki Hall, LMC director of Admissions and Records. “This grant provides essential, targeted support to help them build confidence, strengthen foundational skills, and ultimately succeed in achieving their educational goals.”
Los Medanos College Veteran Services focuses on meeting the needs of military-affiliated students, while honoring their distinct experiences and contributions. LMC is approved for education and training under applicable federal and state laws administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
About Sentinels of Freedom
The San Ramon, CA-based Sentinels of Freedom are committed to empowering severely wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans during their transition into civilian life. Through personalized support, they provide guidance to each veteran in pursuing higher education and establishing fulfilling careers, facilitating their seamless integration into society and self-sufficiency.
The idea for Sentinels for Freedom began with our founder, Mike Conklin, whose son Kris was wounded in Iraq. While visiting Kris in the hospital, Mike spoke with others who were also wounded. It when then that he realized the tremendous physical and emotional hurdles these war–torn men and women faced when transitioning back to civilian life. Conklin established the organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2007. For more information visit https://sentinelsoffreedom.org.
About Los Medanos College (LMC)
LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood. For more information visit www.losmedanos.edu.
The Antioch Scouts Troop 153 will be out this Saturday, November 15, picking up food donations as part of the Scouting for Food project, one of the largest food drives in the nation. With today’s food insecurity for so many families, please help and donate.
Pick up is November 15, 2025, between 9:00 and 11:00 AM. A scout or parent will pick up your donation. See the flier below for more information. Cash donations can be made using the QR code on the flier or visit https://goldengatescouting.org/scouting-for-food/.
According Scouting America, Scouting for Food began in St. Louis in 1985 as a council-wide service project. Starting in 1988, it became a national Scouting America program. Today, many councils across the country participate, collectively gathering hundreds of thousands of pounds of shelf-stable goods for food-disadvantaged residents of their local communities.
Scouting for Food takes place on two consecutive weekends. On the first weekend, Scouts distribute bags and/or door hangers to let their neighbors know about the drive. On the second, Scouts revisit those houses to pick up bags full of canned food, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, juice and other nonperishable items.
That’s the genesis of Scouting for Food, the annual food-collection drive run by local councils. It’s another reminder to our local communities that Scouts are here, doing good turns.
