Samantha Olive Barnhouse (with glasses). Photo courtesy of City of Antioch.

By City of Antioch

We’re honored to share that Antioch resident Samantha Olive Barnhouse has recently been awarded the Carnegie Medal for an extraordinary act of heroism.

Thirty-year-old Samantha Olive Barnhouse saved Lobis Burton, 78, from a burning house on Feb. 17, 2018, in Antioch. Alerted to the fire, Barnhouse, who lived across the street from Burton’s apartment building, entered Burton’s apartment. She moved past the burning kitchen to reach Burton, who was sitting in a wheeled desk chair in a bedroom, unable to move due to an injured hip.

Barnhouse pulled the desk chair through the bedroom and into the hall, and as flames and smoke intensified, she moved the chair past the kitchen and to the front door. The chair became stuck, and Barnhouse pulled on it, freeing it and causing her and Burton to fall outside beneath flames issuing overhead through the doorway.

Within a minute, the apartment’s windows shattered due to the heat. Burton was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and a broken hip, but he was no burned. Barnhouse was treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation; she recovered

About Carnegie Hero

The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. With this final announcement of 2018 recipients, a total of 10,062 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Pittsburgh-based Fund’s inception in 1904. Commission Chair Mark Laskow said each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant. Throughout the more than 114 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $40.5 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.

To get more information about Carnegie Hero, visit their website: https://www.carnegiehero.org/

Antioch Citizens of the Year – Most Impact Trine Gallegos and Lifetime Achievement Gordon Gravelle with his wife Molly and their grandkids. Photos from Facebook.

The Antioch Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2018 Award winners:

Citizens of the Year

·         Most Impact 2018 – Trine Gallegos

·         Lifetime Achievement – Gordon Gravelle

Veteran of the Year

·         Ernie Rodriguez – US Marine, Vietnam Veteran, Past VFW Post 6435 Quartermaster and current VFW club manager, and lifetime member of Antioch American Legion Post 161

Youth of the Year:

·         Jewelina Culcasi of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School

·         Claryssa Wilson of Antioch High School

·         Runner-up: Sage Bennett of Antioch High School

Business for the Year

·         Small Business – County Market

·         Large Business – Kaiser Permanente

Non-Profit of the Year

·         Meals on Wheels Diablo Region

Ambassadors of the Year:

·         Michael Pohl, Mike and Mike Media

·         Cyndee Paulson-Heer, Heer’s Music and Sound

·         Justin Heer, Heer’s Music and Sound

Each award winner will be honored at the annual Chamber Gala, which will be held on Friday March 8, 2019 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person, or $700 for a reserved table of eight which includes a full-page advertisement. Purchase of gala tickets can be made online at https://antiochchamber.com/2019-inaugural-gala-and-awards-ceremony/, by calling (925) 757-1800, or emailing frontdeskadmin@antiochchamber.com. Ticket sales will end March 1, 2019 at 5 p.m.

We look forward to celebrating with you and each of our award recipients.

Arne Simonsen at a League of California Cities event.

Antioch City Clerk Arne Simonsen has been reappointed to the League’s Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations (GTLR) Policy Committee. This committee has the lead responsibility for recommending to the League board of directors’ policy positions on state issues involving transparency, technology (open data), healthcare, elections and political reform, pension and workers compensation reform as well as other labor related issues. The reappointments were announced by League President Jan Arbuckle, council member, Grass Valley.

He was also reappointed to the League’s Housing, Community and Economic Development (HCED Policy Committee. This committee has the lead responsibility for recommending to the League board of directors policy positions on state issues involving general plans and zoning, housing, rent control, Subdivision Map Act, residential care facilities, other land use regulation, development fees including school fee adequacy, annexation and incorporation policy, development agreements, building standards including seismic safety standards, economic development policy including redevelopment and enterprise zones, military base closure and reuse, mobile home regulation and sign regulation.

As a committee member, Simonsen will play a key role in shaping the League’s policy positions on issues facing California cities and advocating for cities at the State Capitol.

This is Simonsen’s 11th year serving on the HCED Policy Committee and third year serving on the GTLR Policy Committee. He previously served eight years on the Revenue & Taxation Policy Committee, chairing it in 2006; four years on the Administrative Services Policy Committee; and four years on the Employee Relations Policy Committee.

“I am proud to have Arne Simonsen join the League’s Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations Policy Committee and, Housing, Community and Economic Development Policy Committee on behalf of his residents,” said League President Jan Arbuckle, council member, Grass Valley. “We will work together as a team, comprised of local frontline leaders from across the state, to ensure that the local perspective guides the outcome of state policy decisions.”

The leadership of the 2019 GTLR committee consists of Chair Richard Constantine, Mayor Pro Tem, Morgan Hill, and Vice Chair Jess Talamantes, Council Member, Burbank; and the leadership of the 2019 HCED committee consists of Chair Stacey Mattina, Council Member, Lakeport, and Vice Chair Blanca Pacheco, Council Member, Downey.

For more information on the League’s policy committees, visit: www.cacities.org/polcomm.

Photos by Antioch Police Department.

From the APD Facebook Page

Today, (Wed., Dec 26, 2018) is a bittersweet day for us as we congratulate Sergeant Will Dee on his well-earned retirement, but we also have to say good bye to him as well.

Will was born and raised in Florida, and ultimately found his way to California after enlisting in the United States Coast Guard In 1987. During this time, he was stationed in Alameda, but also did law enforcement patrols up and down the west coast of California and as far north as Alaska. After serving for five years, Will then attended the Napa Valley Police Academy.

Upon his graduation from the academy, he was hired with the Moffett Field Police Department in 1993, where he stayed until he joined us in 1995.

During his time with Antioch, Will has held multiple assignments including patrol, community policing, fraud investigator, homicide investigator, SWAT, Field Training Officer, and firearms instructor. Will was promoted to the rank of Police Corporal in 2002, and later again to Police Sergeant in 2008 where he has remained since.

After he signs off for his final graveyard shift, he can know he’s touched many of us, made lifelong friends, and most definitely left this place better than he found it 25 years ago. We wish Sergeant Dee, the happiest of retirements and hope he enjoys it with his wife, children and new grandchild!

Jim Boccio, Sr. (fourth from right), with his wife Phyllis and Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, is surrounded by his family and friends at the presentation of the plaque to be placed next to his tree in City Park. Photo by City of Antioch.

Friends and family, including Council Member Lori Ogorchock and representatives of The Bedford Center, met at City Park last week to present the dedication plaque to much-beloved champion of volunteering, Jim Boccio who selflessly devotes his time serving our senior community.

The plaque will be placed next to Jim’s tree which City of Antioch Public Works has been caring for and nurturing since the planting ceremony in September.

The Bedford Center offers Alzheimer’s Care, Adult Day Care, Assisted Living, and Nursing Care senior care options for elderly adults in Antioch. It is located at 1811 C Street.

MERCED, Calif. — Over 140 students took part in UC Merced’s Fall Commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 15, at The Art Kamangar Center in the historic Merced Theatre in downtown Merced. Students receiving their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees were honored together at commencement, with accomplished alum, and member of UC Merced’s first graduating class, David Do (’09) serving as the commencement speaker.

Graduates included Marlon Wilson of Antioch with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

This was the second year that UC Merced held a fall commencement ceremony.

UC Merced opened in 2005 as the newest member of the University of California system, and is the youngest university to earn a Carnegie research classification. The fastest-growing public university in the nation, UC Merced enjoys a special connection with nearby Yosemite National Park, is on the cutting edge of sustainability in campus construction and design, and supports high-achieving and dedicated students from the underserved San Joaquin Valley and throughout California. The Merced 2020 Project, a $1.3 billion public-private partnership that is unprecedented in higher education, will nearly double the physical capacity of the campus and support enrollment growth to 10,000 students. 

California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues President and CEO Diana Dykstra presents the Leagues’ Distinguished Service Award to Rob Greaff, CEO of Delta Schools Federal Credit Union in Antioch. He was honored for his work within the credit union industry and outstanding youth financial education efforts at local schools.

Rob Greaff, CEO of Delta Schools Federal Credit Union in Antioch, was among those honored at this year’s California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues’ REACH Conference.

Greaff received the Leagues’ Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes credit union professionals’ service to the industry particularly within the last three years. He was honored during the annual meeting and convention for the Ontario, CA-based trade association for the two states, held Nov. 6-9 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

Greaff was recognized for his work within the credit union industry (which spans some 25 years; 15 of those as CEO of Delta Schools FCU) as well his outstanding efforts in the arena of financial education. At the 2014 REACH Conference, Greaff attended his first “Bite of Reality”, a financial reality fair offered by the Richard Myles Johnson (RMJ) Foundation, the Ontario, CA-based foundation for credit unions in California and Nevada. The program aims to teach youth the basics of money management through a hands-on simulation.

The experience inspired Greaff to create one of the most robust and successful financial literacy programs in the state. Under his leadership, Delta Schools FCU has sponsored more than 7,000 students through the “Bite of Reality” program over the past three years. In a single session, his credit union reached a record 725 students. With more than 20 sessions to date, the credit union has developed a priority to teach financial literacy to students throughout the local school district.

Greaff is so passionate about “Bite of Reality” and youth financial education, that in 2015, he was asked to serve on the RMJ Foundation board. He was grateful to receive the award.

“Having been nominated by a colleague and recognized by my peers, for my service to this industry that I love, makes this award an incredible honor,” he said.

Antioch resident and 49ers Gold Rush Cheerleader Kayla Morris takes a knee Thurs., Nov. 1, 2018. Photo source unidentified

Protest before the Battle of the Bay

By Luke Johnson

It happened at the Battle of the Bay, which should come as no surprise.

From Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ black panther salute during the 1968 Summer Olympics to Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem — sports activism is ingrained in the Bay Area culture

Kayla Morris became the first NFL cheerleader to take a knee during the Star Spangled Banner, according to Business Insider. It happened during Thursday’s nationally-televised game between the 49ers and Raiders at Levi’s Stadium.

The 49ers Gold Rush member is from Antioch and graduated from Deer Valley High School in 2012.

49er cheerleader kneels. Screenshot from a KTVU Fox2 News report.

Her action is presumably in support of the aforementioned Kaepernick, who began protesting in effort to bring attention to racial oppression and police brutality in 2016.

The 49ers have yet to comment about Morris.

In the past, 49ers Owner Jed York has been supportive of players who protest.

This was not the first time a 49ers cheerleader took a knee. In another photo online, former 49ers cheerleader Maria Mendez, dressed in a Santa’s Helper Christmas outfit, can be seen taking a knee before the Dec. 24, 2017 game according to a report by KTVU Fox2 News.

Read more on KRON4.com

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

A photo posted on the @gatorlenny Twitter feed shows Morris kneeling before the game at Levi’s Stadium, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.