Join us for the 6th Annual Team Jesus Outreach Ministries Fundraising Gala on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 5:00 PM–10:00 PM at Lone Tree Golf & Event Center, 4800 Golf Course Road in Antioch.
Come enjoy a beautiful evening with a delicious buffet dinner, carving station, silent auction, raffle, special Guest speakers and great company, all while supporting a wonderful cause.
Tickets are $100 each. You can purchase your tickets in person or simply scan the QR code on the flyer to purchase online.
Your support helps Team Jesus Outreach Ministries continue providing food and essential resources to families in our community.
Save the date for the East Bay Men’s Recovery Center’s Car Show + Trunk or Treat Oct. 31st, 10am- 4pm in Downtown Rivertown, Antioch!
Vehicles will be displayed on G Street from the river (bulb) to 4th Street and on W. 2nd Street from I (eye) Street to F Street.
We’re excited to spend time in our community, create a safe space for kids to get their candy, and raise money for our recovery program!
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Give us a call or send us a message at 1-800-418-6139 or info@ebmrc.net.
The East Bay Men’s Recovery Center works to give “men struggling with addiction a hand up, not a handout” offering a 12-month program at their location in Antioch. For more information about ebmrc.net.
Savor Local Flavors. Support Local Kids. Strengthen Our Community.
By Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch
It’s that time of the year friends. The Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch is excited to announce the date to our next Restaurant Tour is November 1st!
Tickets are just a $20 which gets you sizable samples from each of our 11 restaurants. Believe us when we say you will not leave this event hungry. All proceeds benefit local charities.
Food and drinks are not allowed to leave each restaurant and tickets cannot be shared.
Make sure to get your ticket punched to be eligible to win a prize.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Kay Power at (925) 202-3519.
According to documents available on the Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County website, a private security company based in Antioch sued The Greater Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce and “Does 1-50” to get paid a little more than $15,000 for providing services to the Pittsburg Seafood Festival in 2023. The annual event was organized by the Chamber for which Wolfgang Croskey, a current Pittsburg City Council candidate, was and is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
While the organization’s new website offers no mention of him, on the page of Croskey’s campaign website entitled, “The Record” he lists, “Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, CEO 2020 onward.”
In his role as CEO, Croskey signed the agreement with Strategic Threat Management, Inc. in August 2023 for the security services provided to the festival the following month. Yet, Croskey and the Chamber refused to pay, even after being sued and losing in court in 2024, until now.
While the contract total was for $26,561.60, the company sought $15,173.60 in their lawsuit, filed April 23, 2024, and the default judgment was issued and filed a little over a year later, on April 29, 2025. It required the Chamber to also pay the company pretrial interest at an annual rate of 10%, plus, attorneys fees and other costs for a total of $18,555.30.
Asked why the difference between the contract total and amount in the lawsuit, Strategic Threat Management’s president, Lawrence Treat explained, “He paid 50 percent as a deposit.” The additional amount sought in the lawsuit was to cover interest before it was filed. “He totally ghosted us. The judgment was by default. He completely ignored the court.”
On Monday, October 12, 2026, Treat shared with the Herald that Croskey had paid his attorney on Friday which was confirmed today. Asked what Croskey said to him, Treat said, “He didn’t say squat. No apology. It’s an absolute insult. It couldn’t have come at a better time. More important is the principle. You can’t do that to honest people. We’ve been in the community for a long time. It was absolutely uncalled for. It goes to his character. Heaven forbid he ends up in office. He’ll be in charge of city finances.”
“How timely was that?” Treat added asking rhetorically.
When asked why the Chamber still hadn’t paid Strategic Threat three years after their services were rendered and 18 months after the judgement was issued,Croskey said on Monday, “That’s been taken care of and paid.”
Asked if there was a dispute, he said, “No dispute at all. Just a revenue issue. The last couple of festivals have taken out of the Chamber. We’ve lost the steel mill and Corteva. We’ve lost some major sponsors. It’s been hard. We’ve never disputed the item or their services. The Chamber doesn’t get any money from the City and hasn’t for the past two years.”
The 2024 festival was the final year of the annual event that was first held in 1984.
Asked why the Chamber did not respond to the lawsuit in 2024 Croskey said, “There was nothing to dispute. Just took a little bit longer than expected. But it was paid 100 percent in full.”
As staff and supporters look on, tutor and acting Executive Director Michael Meyer with Ben Fong, the longest serving tutor who just turned 94, cut the ribbon to celebrate Delta Learning Center’s 50th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Photos: DLC
By City of Antioch
An iconic non-profit recently celebrated its golden anniversary with community, staff and its board members.
Held on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, the Delta Learning Center hosted a gathering to mark 50 years of tutoring students.
The West Tregallas Road center, across from the Antioch main Post Office, is one of oldest educational resources in East County.
Its mission statement notes it “prides itself on delivering the highest quality credentialed teacher tutoring services at an affordable rate.”
Don Watson, Delta Learning Center’s longest serving board member (left), and DLC Executive Assistant Martha Goralka with Nora von Ubin, Executive Director of An Elderly Wish Foundation which rents a room in the building.
The center offers tutoring for K-12 students by credentialed teachers.
One parent at the event said her daughter, a senior and student leader at an AUSD high school, benefited greatly from DLC.
The Center’s Executive Assistant, Martha Goralka spoke during the ceremony and shared the following prepared remarks.
“Good morning and welcome to the Delta Learning Center’s 50th Anniversary celebration. We have come to honor those visionaries who 50 years ago decided that it was imperative that ALL students be given a chance to learn to the best of their abilities. And honor those visionaries who have supported us with their time, talent and treasure over the past 50 years.
“Retired Antioch Unified school psychologist Julia “Bess” Combs knew that students with learning disabilities needed extra help. That was a newer concept in the 1970’s. She recruited her retired teacher friends to start one-on-one tutoring in 1976. The mission of the Center has expanded to include ALL students of every age; TK through adult. The Delta Learning Center tutors have only earned minimum wage for their dedicated commitment to our East County students of all ages and all needs. As you might guess, only the most committed teachers are willing to work for such a low wage. In fact, over the years, several of our tutors have donated back their wages to our scholarship fund; so, our most needy students can attend.
“In 1989, 13 years after the Center was founded, the board decided that building a building to house the Center would ensure that the Center could avoid rent increases at churches. It was important that the building not look like a school, but like a whimsical, fun place to come after school, hence the triangle and odd shaped windows. The Center had moved from Bess Combs garage to church Sunday school rooms to this amazing building built by our entire community with donations, discounts and donated services.
“The longest serving board member in the History of the Delta Learning Center, Antioch Lion’s Club member Don Watson, told me that because Bess was a Soroptimist, that organization took the lead and if the operations account ran low, Ethel Balbi, a Soroptimists from San Rafael would say, “How much do you need?” and would write a check. We don’t have those Angels anymore, but we do receive grants and a gift that keeps us going including from an anonymous donor. We are grateful to the Antioch Community Foundation, St. John’s Luteran church, Keller Canyon fund, local service clubs, including the Soroptimist International of Antioch, GWFC Woman’s Club of Antioch, Rotary Club of the Delta/Antioch, Rotary Club of Antioch, Rotary Club of Brentwood, Rotary Club of Oakley, Antioch Lion’s Club, Delta Advocacy and so many more. Thank you, East Contra Costa County! And thank you Rotary Club of Cupertino, that arranged for us to install solar panels so that we can afford PG&E!
“Former board members will tell you what a miracle it is that we have survived all these years. And so will our miracle working former executive directors. We are currently working without an executive director. It is hard to recruit when you are offering just over minimum wage and a list of responsibilities a mile long.
“We are especially grateful for our tutors, Ben Fong, our longest serving tutor who works miracles with Algebra and geometry middle school and high school students, Ben has his 94th birthday on October 7th and plans to work until he is 100 or so; Sonia Spohrer, who works with Spanish speakers learning English and grade school students; Barbara Klein who works with ELA, special ed grade school students; Lynne Wheelock, who works with K through 4th grade students and Karen Bouskill who works with college, special education and 4th through adult. Michael Meyer tutors all subjects for High School and adult students including GED – his schedule is always full. Our administrative assistant, Moriah Green, coordinates our tutoring assignments. She graduated from Dozier Libbey Medical High School, the Opportunity Junction clerical program and is finishing at Los Medanos College before applying to an Historically Black College. We couldn’t operate without her.
“Our board members are Antonio Hernandez, president (school board member and medical student) Sandra White (Past president of the Rotary Club of Antioch and City Council candidate) Sophia Macha (Secretary and former student, currently studying at UC Davis) Michael Meyer (Tutor and acting executive director) and Martha Goralka (Vice President and acting assistant executive director; currently the longest serving board member – she knew Bess Combs)
Goralka then acknowledges the representatives of elected officials who were able to attend the ceremony including Kayla Turnage with Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías’ office, Theresa Anderson with State Senator Tim Grayson’s office and Dominique King with Congressman Josh Harder’s office.
Rescued produce sorted at White Pony Express before delivery to community partners in Contra Costa County. Photo: WPE
Guest Commentary
By Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate, White Pony Express
On Friday afternoon, for a student who eats breakfast and lunch at school, the dismissal bell does more than end the school day. It starts a 68-hour clock. The last dependable school meal of the week has just been served. The next one won’t arrive until Monday morning.
We hear from our school partners what those hours can mean. As one parent liaison put it: “My thinking was that if I can give them a meal for Saturday, then they only have to get through Sunday. That lessens the need.”
California has done something remarkable. In 2022–23, it became the first state in the nation to guarantee every public school student access to free breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income. Nearly 3.5 billion school meals have been served since the program began.
It works. And at a time when changes to federal nutrition programs are putting additional pressure on some California families, it’s an achievement we must protect.
But hunger doesn’t follow a school calendar.
California’s universal meals program feeds children during the school day. Children still need to eat Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, holidays and school breaks. California has also embraced summer grocery benefits for eligible families, another important piece of the solution. But summer assistance does not solve the gap that arrives every week between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
For a family already choosing between rent, utilities, transportation, and groceries, those aren’t simply gaps in a schedule. They can be the days the refrigerator runs empty. That’s where White Pony Express makes an enormous difference.
Every day, White Pony Express drivers collect surplus food from grocers, farms, wholesalers, and restaurants – high-quality food that is perfectly good but has nowhere to go. We sort it for quality the same day and deliver it, free of charge, to neighbors throughout Contra Costa County. Of the 135,000 people White Pony Express serves each year, nearly one-third – about 40,300 – are children.
Photo: WPE
Our School Pantry Program brings fresh groceries directly into 23 school communities where 80 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Families shop at no cost, with no forms and no questions asked.
One pantry coordinator remembers a young mother raising three children alone after losing her husband. She came to the pantry for groceries, including peanut butter and chicken.
“She doesn’t have money to buy much,” the coordinator told us, “but she told me it’s a blessing to have White Pony Express helping us.”
Since the School Pantry Program began in 2015, White Pony Express has delivered more than three million pounds of food to school communities – the equivalent of roughly 2.5 million meals.
The model works because it connects two resources that already exist: good food that would otherwise go unused and trusted neighborhood schools where families already gather.
It also demonstrates something larger. Public programs and community organizations do not have to compete with one another. They can complete one another.
Photos: WPE
California has shown what is possible when we make a public commitment to feed children at school and then build a system capable of doing it at an extraordinary scale. Now we need to look just as honestly at the hours the school cafeteria cannot cover.
More than two million California children still lack reliable access to healthy food. For them, the problem doesn’t begin Monday morning. It begins Friday afternoon, when the bell rings. And that is a gap communities like ours can – and must – close.
To volunteer, donate food, or support the School Pantry Program, visit whiteponyexpress.org.
MOMS Clubs are for Moms Offering Moms Support. Join us for a family-friendly afternoon of Halloween fun while supporting an incredible local nonprofit!
This year’s Trunk or Treat will benefit Be Exceptional Programs, which provides inclusive and adaptive programs for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Families can look forward to:
Decorated trunks
Candy and non-candy treats
A petting zoo
Sensory-friendly activities
Children’s games and activity stations
Food vendors
Crowd-favorite trunk voting
More seasonal fun to be announced!
Admission is free, but preregistration is encouraged so we can plan for attendance, candy, and supplies. Optional donations will benefit Be Exceptional Programs.
Businesses, organizations, families, and community groups to host decorated trunks
Donations of individually wrapped candy and non-candy treats
Volunteers to help with setup, activities, parking, check-in, and cleanup
Community sponsors and in-kind donations
Food vendors interested in participating
Trunk hosts are encouraged to create child-friendly themes, carnival-style games, and interactive experiences.
Decorations may not include blood, gore, graphic imagery or realistic weapons.
Guests will be able to vote for their favorite trunks by making donations, with all voting proceeds benefiting Be Exceptional Programs. Prizes will be awarded to the trunks receiving the highest donation totals.
Interested in hosting a trunk, volunteering, sponsoring, or donating?
Follow this event page for vendor announcements, volunteer opportunities, attraction updates, parking information, and other event details as October approaches.
Children must remain under the supervision of their accompanying adult throughout the event.
We can’t wait to celebrate with our East County community!
