Antioch Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Daniel Sohn read the following about 2022 Citizen of the Year Most Impact, Martha Goralka during the annual Gala Friday, March 24, 2023.

“When you need help or assistance, we are always told to look for someone who is ‘busy’.  Over the years, Martha Goralka is not only someone who is ‘busy’, but she knows how to get it done and does it correctly.

She is a 50 plus year member of the League of Women Voters.  She has served as a past president, past co-president and for the past six years has served as the Voter Service Co-Chair in charge of candidate forums and Roundtables, as well as a variety of duties.

As a 34-year member of the Rotary Club of the Delta/Antioch, she was Charter president in 1989 and carries a perfect attendance record.

She participated in building casitas in San Luis Rio Colorado, delivered wheelchairs in Mexico City and Monterey, Mexico.  Worked the ‘Polio Plus Vaccination Day’ for children in India as well as visiting Rotary projects in Uganda and Zambia, Africa.  She has participated in ‘Home Team’ projects doing minor repairs for seniors, Meals on Wheels deliveries, Bedford Center pandemic deliveries and much more.

Other areas she has tirelessly worked in:  Chapter QS of the P.E.O. Sisterhood raising money for women’s scholarships, grants, loans and a woman’s college, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce both as an employee and a volunteer, Delta Learning Center, Antioch Schools Education Foundation, Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, the PTA, the Bond Oversight Committee and the list goes on and on.

At this Gala, we celebrate you tonight, Martha. Thank you for all you have achieved over the years.”

“Others I’ve worked with seem to believe ‘Martha really doesn’t do anything she just shows up.’ I’ve come to think of myself as a catalyst that everything else happens around,” Goralka said. “In Antioch people donate their time, their treasure and their talent.”

She said when she first started at the Antioch Ledger newspaper, she met “Leo Fontana who has been an inspiration.”

“Antioch is a big, small town. Everybody seems to know everybody else,” Goralka continued.

She said she met her husband, Joe through their participation in Rotary.

“My whole family has been behind me, and I so appreciate it,” said Goralka.

She volunteers most of her time at the Delta Learning Center she shared.

“There are so many of you that I know and wanted to mention,” Goralka added.

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

The Antioch Chamber of Commerce will honor the 2022 Citizens of the Year at the annual Gala Friday night, March 24, 2023 as well as the Businesses, Non-Profit and Youth of the Year. Martha Goralka was named the Citizen of the Year for Most Impact and Mary and Bob Franchetto, were named the Citizens of the Year for Lifetime Achievement.

Rivertown Treasure Chest will be honored as the Small Business of the Year and TreVista Senior Living is the Large Corporate Business of the Year. Mateo Castro, a senior at Antioch High School was named the Youth of the Year and the Delta Learning Center was selected as Non-Profit of the Year.

2022 Veterans of the Year who were honored on Veterans Day last November are Pat Jeremy for Most Impact and Autrey James received the Lifetime Veteran of the Year award. They will also be honored Friday evening.

The Chamber will also install the new president and board of directors and announce the organization’s Ambassador of the Year.

Photos of and details about each of the winners will be published following the event to be held at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center.

One of seven Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s 459 semifinalists from Contra Costa County for highly competitive undergraduate transfer scholarship

Other college scholarship programs offered for middle, high school students

By Julia Florence

Lansdowne, Virginia – On March 9, 2023, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced 459 semifinalists for the highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Brentwood resident Ryan Mattson, in his last semester at Sacramento City College and was selected as the only representative of the Los Rios Community College District to be named a semifinalist.

The native who grew up in Pittsburg, CA and is a 2006 graduate of Antioch High School is one of seven semifinalists in Contra Costa County. The six other community college students named semifinalists are Eliette Bustos Barocio and Hosna Ramzi from Los Medanos College and Ivan Hernandez, Jessica Kim, Karla Morales De Leon and Mayari Lanz Amezcua from Diablo Valley College.

The Foundation awards community college students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, service and a determination to complete their bachelor’s degrees at top four-year institutions.

“I was accepted into Columbia University in New York City and await confirmation or denial from Stanford, Yale and UC Berkeley,” Mattson shared.

He plans to study political science and history but has not finalized his major at Columbia.

Mattson has worked in the trades, specifically automotive repair and maintenance at Winter Chevrolet in Pittsburg and has a 15-year-old son who attends Liberty High in Brentwood.

“I believe the reason for my singularity comes from students not being informed of this scholarship opportunity,” he said. “If the community knew age did not matter and scholarships were available to the determined, I believe our community would garner not only the nation’s best minds but also the most driven individuals.”

This year’s semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,700 applicants and attend 215 community colleges in 38 states. Some of the latest research from the American Talent Initiative estimates that roughly 50,000 high-achieving students from low income backgrounds could transfer to four-year colleges each year but don’t, often due to cost. The Cooke Transfer Scholarship is designed to create a clear pathway to a four-year degree by offering up to $55,000 per year along with academic advising and access to a network of peers.

“By lifting the financial burden of pursuing a four-year degree off their shoulders, our goal is to help students take full advantage of a four-year college experience without taking on student debt,” said Seppy Basili, Executive Director of the Cooke Foundation. “This year’s selected semifinalists reflect the deep bench of talent across our community colleges today, and we’re looking forward to getting to know them better in our final application review process.”

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship offers unparalleled support to community college students. In addition to the generous financial support, selected Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive educational advising from the Foundation’s Deans of Scholar Support to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their future endeavors. They will also have access to opportunities for internships, study abroad, graduate school funding, and the incomparable connection to a robust network of more than 3,000 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

According to the foundation’s website, scholarship recipients earned a 3.92 average community college GPA, 70% participated in an honors program or pursued honors coursework and 67% held a leadership role in a club or activity. They will be announced in April.

A list of this year’s Cooke Transfer Scholar semifinalists, their respective community colleges and hometowns can be viewed here. To learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, visit the website here.

Named for and Funded by Canadian-American Businessman

According to Wikipedia, “Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian-American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and newspapers in Canada. Cooke moved to the United States and built a business empire in broadcasting and professional sports franchises. Cooke was the owner of the Washington Redskins (NFL), the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), the Los Angeles Wolves (United Soccer) and Toronto Maple Leafs (IL minor league baseball team). He also developed The Forum in Inglewood, California, and FedExField (named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium when it opened, months after his death) near Landover, Maryland.”

According to the foundation’s website, Cooke was born in Canada in 1912. “As a young man, he was an athlete and musician, with a love for ice hockey, the saxophone, and the clarinet. He dreamed of pursuing a formal education, but that dream was cut short when he left high school during the Great Depression to work full time to help support his family. Nonetheless, Mr. Cooke believed education was a life-long pursuit. He was a passionate student his entire life and was knowledgeable in fields as diverse as literature, music, sports, and architecture. When he died in 1997, Mr. Cooke left the bulk of his fortune to establish the Cooke Foundation and provide remarkable students with the chance to soar.”

More Scholarship Programs for Middle, High School Students

The foundation also offers three other scholarship opportunities. The Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program is the largest undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities. The high school seniors will receive up to $55,000 per year for up to four years to complete a bachelor’s degree. They will also be eligible to apply for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship after graduating with their bachelor’s degree, which is worth up to $150,000.

The Cooke College Scholarship Program is available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities.

This year’s 45 recipients entered the Cooke Young Scholars Program as 8th graders in 2019. As a cohort, they have attended two residential summer programs together. During the summer before 8th grade, Young Scholars spent three weeks at the University of Pennsylvania exploring social and political issues through project-based service-learning and academic study. This past summer, Scholars took part in an inquiry‐based enrichment experience at the University of Connecticut, participating in experiential research projects.

The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-performing 7th grade students with financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report. 

During School Day S.T.E.A.M. Fest 2023!

Velma Wilson of Antioch will sing the National Anthem before the Santa Cruz Warriors game at Chase Center Saturday night, March 4. Wilson was the Contra Costa County 2021 Humanitarian of the Year.

Gather your family and friends and join us for School Day STEAM Fest 2023 as your Santa Cruz Warriors (NBA G-League Affiliate) take on the Cleveland Charge! Join us on West Concourse Terrace for our STEAM Fest where a variety of vendors will be showcasing educational and interactive activations for you and more!

By Trine Gallegos/AUSD

A big congratulations to Antioch High’s Pamela Swicegood, who’s been named Teacher of the Year for the Antioch Unified School District.

Pamela first visited Antioch High in 1986 to judge cheerleading tryouts.

She said she was struck by the energy, the school spirit and the interactions with the kids. “Everyone was so welcoming and friendly I knew this was the place I wanted to be. And that is where the ‘official’ journey began.”

She said she was born to teach and was one of those kids “who read all the time and did school workbooks for fun. I loved school and had wonderful teachers, and I wanted to grow up to be like them.”

Fast forward 34 years and she proudly claims to be a Panther through and through.

During that time, she’s taught English, Jazz Dance, ELD, Creative Writing, and Poetry, and coached cheerleading, track, lacrosse and a competition dance team. She also produced two dance shows a year for 20 years, sponsored the AHS Poetry and Short Story contests and has been the advisor for the Pantheon Literary Magazine since 1991.

Most recently, she started the Shakespeare & Scones Society, an after-school club designed to make the Bard fun and accessible for kids. Students watch Shakespeare movies while sipping English tea from fine china and nibbling scones with lemon curd and clotted cream. In August, they took a road trip to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and another to see “King Lear” at the California Shakespeare Festival. She currently teaches English 11CP, Creative Writing, and Poetry.

“After working with so many outstanding administrators and fellow teachers over the years, it is truly humbling to be singled out for this recognition. It is an honor and a privilege and I am so very grateful.”

 

Assistant City Manager leaves community with experienced leadership vacuum

“This is a huge loss for the city,” District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica

By Allen D. Payton

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Piedmont City Council (see 10 minute mark of video) voted unanimously to hire Antioch Assistant City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore as their new city administrator. Item 3 of the regular meeting agenda it reads, “Consideration and Adoption of a Resolution Appointing Rosanna Bayon Moore as City Administrator and Approving the Employment Agreement Between the City of Piedmont and Rosanna Bayon Moore.” Please see Item 3 of the attached or here – City of piedmont (civiclive.com)

She will be paid an annual salary of $275,000 plus any cost-of-living adjustments to lead the 11,270-person city.

After serving as city manager in Brawley, CA for nine years, Bayon Moore was hired by former Antioch City Manager Ron Bernal in September 2020 in what appeared to be part of his succession plan 15 months before his retirement. But instead of promoting her to the position of interim and then permanent city manager, the Antioch council voted 3-2 to hire retired San Francisco Police Lieutenant Con Johnson as interim city manager. They then made his position permanent last fall in a three-year contract.

During the Piedmont Council meeting and before the vote Bayon Moore said, “Very excited about this opportunity to work with you…to work with amazing and engaged residents and city staff on this next chapter on this journey. Look forward to learning so much more about this amazing place and very, very hopeful and optimistic that I have something to offer you that is going to help us all grow and be stronger together. The best is in the days ahead.”

That was followed by a 5-0 vote of the council.

The Piedmont City staff report on that council’s agenda item reads, “Following a formal recruitment process, Rosanna Bayon Moore was identified by the Council as the candidate most qualified to perform the duties of City Administrator. Ms. Bayon Moore has extensive experience in city government, and currently serves as the Assistant City Manager to the City of Antioch, a role she has held since September of 2020. In this role, she has worked alongside the City Manager to provide fiscal and management oversight to an agency with over 350 full time employees (“FTE”), and a General Fund budget of $85 million. Ms. Bayon Moore directly oversees the Finance, Economic Development, Parks & Recreation and Information Services Departments, as well as provides special support to the recently established Department of Public Safety & Community Resources. Prior to her work in Antioch, Ms. Bayon Moore served as the City Manager to the City of Brawley, California from September 2011 to August of 2020. In that role, she supervised and oversaw all city departments, comprised of 140 FTEs with a General Fund budget of $15 million and overall budget of $48 million. Ms. Bayon Moore received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Berkeley.”

Bayon Moore’s employment will begin on April 6, 2023.

She was contacted via email Friday evening, Feb. 17 asking if she had any comments regarding her new position and about her two-plus years with the City of Antioch. Bayon Moore did not respond as of Thursday, Feb. 23.

Questions for Antioch City Manager Go Unanswered

The following questions were sent Friday evening Feb. 17 to Antioch City Manager Con Johnson and all five council members: Do any of you have a comment on the departure by Assistant City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore to become the new Piedmont City Administrator as of their council vote Tuesday, Feb. 21? How long were you aware of her pursuits of the new position and possibility of losing her experience and expertise from the city staff? Is there a plan to hire her replacement? Will that include using an executive search firm for a possible nationwide search? Or do you have someone in mind from the current city staff? Has there been any thought to combining the positions of Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Director as the City previously had?”

Barbanica Calls it a Huge Loss for the City, Wants Nationwide Search for Replacement

“This is a huge loss for the city,” District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica said when reached for comment. He was the only council member to comment on Bayon Moore’s departure. “It’s Piedmont’s gain but our loss. I’m very sad to see her go. I’ve worked with a lot of city managers and assistant city managers in Pittsburg and here, as well and I can tell you she was a fantastic assistant city manager.”

“One thing I respected about working with her, she’s not intimidated by positions on the council, or the mayor and she’s not afraid to tell any of us ‘no’. She’s willing to stand up for what she believes in and knows to be the best thing for the city.”

Asked how long he knew about this he responded, “About 10 minutes” having first been informed by the media.

Asked if he supported having a nationwide search using a professional recruiting firm for a new assistant city manager Barbanica said, “I absolutely do. I just want the best person for the job.”

By Josef Britschgi, Marketing & Communication Administrator, BAC Community Bank

December 29, 2022 – Stockton, Calif – Josh Hill has joined locally-owned BAC Community Bank as Senior Vice President and Retail Banking Officer. Hill is a results-driven financial services professional with more than 28 years of extensive leadership experience.  He has most recently led and grown retail banking teams within the BAC Community Bank footprint and Northern California.

“We are excited to be working with Josh,” said Jackie Verkuyl, Chief Administrative Officer, “the skills and insight he brings complement BAC’s future-focused strategic path.”

Working with other seasoned members of management, Hill is responsible for the overall success of the relationship banker and deposit service specialist teams, as well as leading BAC’s branch operations and ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality customer banking experiences.  He also assists in developing and overseeing retail policies and strategies while working with team members to improve and implement new retail products and services.

Hill holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Financial Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

About BAC Community Bank

BAC Community Bank is California’s 10th oldest state-chartered bank. Established in 1965, BAC operates branch offices throughout San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Contra Costa counties, including a branch in Antioch at 3448 Deer Valley Road, and is identified as “one of the strongest financial institutions in the nation” by BauerFinancial, Inc.

The bank is centrally headquartered in Stockton, California, and is continuously recognized for banking excellence through local awards and banking industry accolades.

BAC Community Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Equal Opportunity Employer. Member FDIC. More information is available online at www.bankbac.com.

By Justin Llamas

Our amazing voice teacher, Nuhad Levasseur, is fighting cancer. And we believe she’ll win. This video is dedicated to Nuhad, a woman who has changed us all for the better. Merry Christmas!

In the Light Voice Studio students, in singing order:

Christina Jardine

Lauren Mariscal

David Morgan

Stevie Rae Stephens

Mikayla Thompson

Christian Abrojena

Jessica Montez

Hailey Schneider

Stephen Morgan

Justin Llamas (me)

Marcus Delgado

Ashley Morgan

Ali Travis

Brian Joksch (no solo, seen in second chorus)

Levasseur has owned In The Light Voice Studio since 1992, first in Antioch and now, in Marietta, Georgia where her family moved last year. She previously sang in the choir and performed solos at Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood.