Contra Costa Herald

Newly appointed Contra Costa County Superior Court Judges Hann Fakhoury and Amanda Karl. Photos: Office of the California Governor

By Office of the California Governor

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday, March 27 2026, his appointment of two more Superior Court Judges in Contra Costa County, Hanni Fakhoury and Amanda Karl.

Hanni Fakhoury, of Contra Costa County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Contra Costa County Superior Court. Fakhoury has worked as a Partner of Moeel Lah Fakhoury since 2021, where he works in white collar and federal criminal defense as a trial attorney and mediator. He served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender at the Federal Public Defender for Northern District of California from 2015 to 2021. Fakhoury worked as a Staff Attorney and Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation from 2011 to 2015. He worked as a Trial Attorney at the Federal Defenders of San Diego from 2007 to 2011.

According to his Linkedin profile, “Fakhoury is an accomplished litigator who represents individuals and companies in criminal prosecutions and government and regulatory investigations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Northern California Super Lawyer. In addition to litigation, Hanni serves as a mediator in the Northern District of California’s ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) program and is a co-lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law.”

According to his bio on his law firm’s website, Fakhoury is a “Bay Area native” and “proudly serves the Northern District of California as a member of its Criminal Justice Act (“CJA”) trial panel, representing indigent criminal defendants. He was also selected by the Northern District bench to serve on the court’s Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility, Criminal Rules and Practice Committee, and CJA Administration Committee.”

“A sought-after teacher, Hanni…co-teaches a seminar on white collar crime. He has presented and lectured at over 100 legal conferences to wide audiences, including judges, attorneys and the public at large.”

Fakhoury received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles S. Treat. Fakhoury is a Democrat.

Amanda Karl, of Alameda County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Contra Costa County Superior Court. Karl has worked as a Partner at Gibbs Mura since 2022, where she also worked as an Associate from 2016 to 2021. She served as a Law Clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2015 to 2016 and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2014 to 2015.

According to her profile on the Gibbs Mura website, Karl “represents consumers, employees and others who have been harmed by corporations. She has prosecuted a wide range of complex cases, including product defect, failure-to-warn, wage and hour, data breach, sexual assault, and securities cases, within a variety of industries. In 2024 she was honored as a Rising Star by Law360, a highly selective award that recognizes top attorneys under the age of 40.

“Outside of work, Amanda serves on the Board of Directors of the East Bay Community Law Center, a legal nonprofit organization that is the largest provider of free legal services in the East Bay Area. She also enjoys reading, strength training and exploring new places and foods with her husband and kids.”

Karl received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law as a member of the Order of the Coif, a national honorary scholastic society, which extends invitations to the top 10% of Berkeley Law’s graduating J.D. students by grade point average.

Also, according to Gibbs Mura, “During law school, she served as the Managing Editor of the California Law Review and Director of the Workers’ Rights Disability Law Clinic. Karl worked as a Clinical Law Student at the East Bay Community Law Center, assisting with litigation targeting criminal record reporting violations, and as a law clerk at Equal Rights Advocates, working on women’s employment issues. Following graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard A. Paez, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to the Honorable Claudia Wilken, Northern District of California. Amanda received her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in Sociology and Human Rights from Columbia University in 2009.”

She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles B. Burch.  Karl is a Democrat.

The annual compensation for each of these positions is $244,727.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Before and after photos of the Nellie Hannon Gateway project in Emeryville. Source: DTSC

Including 43 units in Richmond

For low-income and unhoused residents

By California Department of Toxic Substance Control

EMERYVILLE – More than 2,100 new affordable homes for low-income and unhoused Bay Area residents will be available thanks to state-funded cleanup of contamination on otherwise unusable land across the region.

Bay Area residents in need are beginning to move in. The opening of 90 new homes was celebrated today when state leaders and local officials gathered at the Nellie Hannon Gateway in Emeryville. Thirty-nine of the rental community’s units are reserved for individuals exiting homelessness. The development also includes a food bank on the ground floor. Seventy-six additional affordable homes will open later this spring at the newly constructed Native American Health Center in Oakland. Forty-three homes opened early this month at Legacy Court in Richmond.

The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) provided funding and oversight of the removal of contamination at these sites.

“Cleaning up contamination is an essential but often invisible part of solving California’s housing crisis. We are transforming places once dominated by pollution into places of endless possibilities. This complex will be more than a place to live. It will be home for dozens of new residents.” – DTSC Director Katherine Butler

Thousands of properties across California sit vacant because of pollution left behind by gas stations, auto repair shops, dry cleaners and industrial facilities. The Nellie Hannon Gateway was once the site of a dry cleaner. The Native American Health Center site was an auto repair shop. Richmond’s Legacy Court site was a gas station and junkyard. Cleanups at these sites are made possible through DTSC’s Equitable Communities Revitalization Grant program. DTSC is the state agency that oversees the investigation and cleanup of contaminated properties in California.

This work has made once unusable land safe for future residents — an often-overlooked opportunity for developers who otherwise see an insurmountable obstacle to building affordable housing in communities with high pollution burdens and economic disadvantages.

DTSC helps local governments, nonprofits and developers clean up and reuse contaminated properties — known as brownfields — for housing, parks, retail and community spaces. Statewide, DTSC is investing more than $130 million for the cleanup and reuse of more than 150 sites across 49 cities, preparing them for new life in communities that have historically faced environmental and economic barriers.

DTSC is part of a statewide effort, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, to address the need for affordable housing and homelessness.

Rendering source: Eden Housing

Richmond’s Legacy Court

According to Eden Housing, Legacy Court, located at 1243, 1300 & 1329 Fred Jackson Way, is a 43-unit new construction family project in Richmond, CA. The proposed development will serve 42 low-income households earning 30-60 percent of the area’s median income (AMI).

The project will set aside thirteen units to support residents who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of experiencing homelessness and residents in need of mental health services. Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services will provide additional support services for these units, including case management, peer support, mental health care, substance use services, and benefits counseling and advocacy.

The development is designed as seven two to three-story buildings that will be situated across three different sites, all of which are located within one block from each other at the intersection of Fred Jackson Way and Sanford Avenue in North Richmond. The project will include a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. One of the units will be set aside for a live-in community manager, helping ensure that the property is well-managed at all times. On-site project amenities for residents will include a community room, community kitchen, laundry rooms, computer lab with high-speed internet, and bike parking. The common area amenities of the development will facilitate the socialization and sense of community that is important to successful developments and will serve as spaces for resident gatherings, community meetings, social events, programming for resident services such as exercise, health and wellness programs, and art, educational, and cultural activities.

Legacy Court is designed as all-electric and will incorporate energy-efficient appliances, and green elements maximized to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

Reversing Decades of Inaction on Homelessness

Governor Newsom is creating a structural and foundational model for America:

✅ Creating shelter and support — Providing funding and programs for local governments, coupled with strong accountability measures to ensure that each local government is doing its share to build housing, and create shelter and support, so that people living in encampments have a safe place to go. This week, through a $77 million investment from California’s cap and invest program, Los Angeles announced the expansion and redevelopment of the largest public housing project in the region, the Jordan Downs Project.

✅ Addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness — Ending a long-standing 7,000 behavioral health bed shortfall in California by rapidly expanding community treatment centers and permanent supportive housing units. In 2024, voters approved Governor Newsom’s Proposition 1 which is transforming California’s behavioral health systems. When fully awarded, funding from Proposition 1 bonds is estimated to create 6,800 residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral health care.

✅ Creating new pathways for those who need the most help — Updating conservatorship laws for the first time in 50 years to include people who are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care, in addition to food, clothing, or shelter, due to either severe substance use disorder or serious mental health illness. Creating a new CARE court system that creates court-administered plans for up to 24 months for people struggling with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, often with substance use challenges.

✅ Streamlining and prioritizing building of new housing — Governor Newsom made creating more housing a state priority for the first time in history. He has signed into law groundbreaking reforms to break down systemic barriers that have stood in the way of building the housing Californians need, including broad CEQA reforms.

✅ Removing dangerous encampments — Governor Newsom has set a strong expectation for all local governments to address encampments in their communities and help connect people with support. In 2024, Governor Newsom filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending communities’ authority to clear encampments. After the Supreme Court affirmed local authority, Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing state entities and urging local governments to clear encampments and connect people with support, using a state-tested model that helps ensure encampments are addressed humanely and people are given adequate notice and support.

In 2025, just a year after he issued an executive order urging local governments to better address encampments, the Governor announced his SAFE Task Force to address encampments in California’s ten largest cities. In just a few months, the task force has addressed encampments in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Sacramento, and Fresno — connecting dozens of people with shelter. Since 2021, Caltrans has removed more than 19,000 encampments on state right-of-way and collected approximately 354,000 cubic yards of litter and debris.

About Department of Toxic Substance Control

DTSC’s Mission is to protect California’s people, communities and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products. Learn more about the department at About DTSC | Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The stolen Glock and magazine, and mushrooms, marijuana and hash oil gummies confiscated by police. Photos: Brentwood PD

Arrested with almost 1,000 grams of drugs, stolen gun; already out of custody with no charges filed

By Brentwood Police Department

What started as a simple traffic stop near Lone Tree Way and Highway 4 at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, 2026, quickly turned into much more…

Officers spotted a vehicle with registration expired for over a year. A traffic stop was conducted, and officers contacted the driver, a 21-year-old male out of Stockton.

Due to the expired registration, the vehicle was towed—but that’s when things really took a turn.

During an inventory search, officers located a stolen Glock 9mm firearm hidden under the driver’s seat. The firearm had been reported stolen out of Richmond back in November 2022.

And that wasn’t all…

Officers also recovered:

• Over 400 grams of mushrooms
• 185 grams of marijuana
• Over 400 grams of hash oil gummies

Needless to say, the driver was taken into custody for multiple firearm and narcotics-related offenses and later booked at the Martinez Detention Facility.

According to the Brentwood Police CitizenRIMS, the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 175-pound Santalucia is Black. The Case Number is 2601090 and the charges included 25850(a) Pc: Carry Loaded Firearm In Public Under Specific Circumstances (Felony), 25400(a)(1) Pc: Carry Concealed Weapon In Vehicle (F), 496(a) Pc: Receive/etc Known Stolen Property (F), 11378 Hs: Possess Controlled Substance For Sale (F), 11357(b) Hs: Possess Marijuana Over 1 Oz/28.5 Grams (Misdemeanor).

According to localcrimenews.com, he was previously arrested by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputies in 2023 for shoplifting of less than $950.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, as of March 18th, Santalucia is out of custody with no charges filed.

Sometimes it’s the small violations that lead to big discoveries. Great work by our officers, staying proactive and keeping our community safe!

By Matt J. Malone, PIO, Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa

New Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Carole Bosch. Photo source: Office of the California Governor

The Contra Costa Superior Court is pleased to announce that Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Carole Bosch as the Court’s newest judge. She took her oath on March 20, 2026, and began presiding in Department 3 on March 23, 2026.

Since 2021, Judge Bosch, of Alameda County, has served as an administrative law judge with the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board since 2021, an independent administrative judicial agency charged with resolving disputed unemployment, disability, and employment tax determinations from the Employment Development Department. She was Vice President and Training Committee Co-Chair for the Administrative Law Judge Association. Simultaneously, she taught as an adjunct professor of legal writing and research at Golden Gate University.

Before serving as administrative law judge, Judge Bosch worked as a civil trial lawyer, including as a managing attorney at Hildebrand, McLeod and Nelson from 2017 to 2021, a partner at Paul & Hanley from 2007 to 2011, and an attorney at Kazan McClain Satterley & Greenwood from 2013 to 2016, in cases involving complex product liability litigation and catastrophic injury. Bosch also worked as a Partner at Minnard Bosch from 2016 to 2017 and at Farrise Law Firm from 2012 to 2013. Early in her legal career, she was an annual attorney with the California Supreme Court in 2007and worked as a Clerk at Hersh & Hersh from 2005 to 2007.

Judge Bosch is graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of Birmingham in Great Britain. Judge Bosch fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patricia Scanlon. Bosch is a Democrat.

The annual compensation for her position is $244,727.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

The minor was riding a Sur-Ron Light Bee e-Moto bike when the crash occurred. Photo: sur-ronusa.com

They “allowed the minor to repeatedly ride the e-moto from age 14-17”

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a mother and father with child abuse related to the operation of an electric motorized bicycle, known as an e-moto bike, by an unlicensed minor who suffered injuries after crashing into another vehicle in Walnut Creek.

58-year-old Steven Leroy Crews and 58-year-old Jeanna Marie Gabellini of Benicia will be arraigned on March 27th at 8:30 am in Martinez on one count of child abuse [PC 273a(a)], which is a misdemeanor.

Mr. Crews and Ms. Gabellini are alleged to have willfully and unlawfully permitted a child to be injured or placed in a situation where the child’s health is endangered on or between October 19th, 2024, and September 18th, 2025.

It was on September 18th, 2025, around 3:05 pm, that a John Doe minor related to Crews and Gabellini crashed his Surron Light Bee e-Moto bike into a minivan on Treat Boulevard and Arkell Road in Walnut Creek. The minor suffered severe injuries that required emergency care at a local hospital. The driver of the minivan was uninjured and stayed at the scene.

Walnut Creek Police investigated the collision, and through witness statements and other evidence, determined the child was unlawfully riding the e-moto on Treat Boulevard in an unsafe manner and at unsafe speeds prior to the crash. Moreover, Crews and Gabellini allowed the minor to repeatedly ride the e-moto from age 14-17, ignoring repeated citations and warnings from law enforcement.

District Attorney Diana Becton said, “E-bikes and e-motos are more prevalent on city streets. Now that California has new laws on the books to address public safety offenses related to e-bikes and e-motos, parents must understand the dangers these vehicles can pose to children if operated unlawfully and without proper driver education.”

The City of Walnut Creek has helpful information on the different classifications of e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters, e-dirt bikes, and how to operate them safely and lawfully.

Case No. 01-25-04762 | The People of the State of California v. Steven Leroy Crews

Case No. 01-25-04777 | The People of the State of California v. Jeanna Marie Gabellini

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California – Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton and other District Attorneys in the State of California reached a settlement with Walgreen Co. for $6,000,000 for violations related to expired baby food, drugs, and overcharging customers.

The civil case and settlement centered on the company violating state law by charging their customers more than the lowest price posted or advertised price. The allegations that the company was in violation of these laws were based on inspections of scanners. Moreover, the civil lawsuit led to a resolution that Walgreens failed to comply with laws that prohibit the selling or offering to sell over-the-counter drugs, infant formula, and baby food products beyond the expiration date.

The court ordered Walgreen Co. to pay $5.4 million in civil penalties and $600,000 to reimburse state district attorney offices for the cost of investigations, attorneys’ fees, and other costs associated with enforcement. Contra Costa County will receive $612,000 of the civil settlement and $10,000 to cover the costs.

Walgreen Co. will also implement a three-year program to promote pricing accuracy and the removal of expired products from its store shelves. This program requires store managers to conduct monthly checks of all aisles and shelves of medication, baby food, and formula, and remove any expired items. Managers must also conduct weekly store walks and remove signage displaying inaccurate sales tag information and post signs informing customers of Walgreens’ Price Promise Guarantee. The Price Promise Guarantee means that if a customer notices a scanned price is higher than the advertised price, the customer will be charged the lower price.

District Attorney Diana Becton said, “Customers should have confidence that companies that sell food and formula to infants and children are doing so by being scrupulous about the safety of the products in their stores. The same goes for medications that are sold beyond their expiration dates. The work of my office and those of other district attorney offices in the state shows that when we work together to enforce laws, we not only ensure compliance – we’re also restoring trust and safety in our communities.”

Case No. 1-13-CV-239110 | The People of the State of California v. Walgreen Co., an Illinois Corporation

Photo source: MTC. Credit: Karl Nielsen

Roadmap toward transit recovery and an affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant region for all

By John Goodwin, Assistant Director Of Communications & Leslie Lara-Enríquez, Assistant Director, Public Engagement, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) today unanimously adopted Plan Bay Area 2050+ and certified the plan’s associated Environmental Impact Report — giving final approval to the Bay Area’s long-range plan for transportation, housing, economic resiliency and environmental sustainability.

Plan Bay Area 2050+ was adopted unanimously by the Association of Bay Area Governments’ (ABAG) Executive Board last week. The votes by both boards cap a nearly three-year process during which over 17,600 Bay Area residents, community organizations, advocacy groups and public sector partners contributed to the development of the new plan, which MTC and ABAG are required to develop jointly.

Defined by 35 strategies for transportation, housing, the economy and the environment, Plan Bay Area 2050+ lays out a suite of policies and investments that define what it would take to make the nine-county region more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and economically vibrant for all residents through 2050 and beyond. From housing and transportation strategies that would reduce cost of living and construct more affordable housing to investments in public transit that prioritize service improvements in Equity Priority Communities, the goal of a more equitable Bay Area is interwoven throughout the plan. With a major focus on climate change, strategies also are crafted for resilience, including protection from hazards such as sea level rise and wildfires.

Source: Plan Bay Area

ABAG Executive Board President and Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos, who also serves as an MTC Commissioner, acknowledged some of the region’s biggest challenges the plan seeks to address. “Today, our communities face rising costs, widening inequality and persistent housing shortages,” said Ramos. “This is not the future we want for the generations of Bay Area residents to come. Plan Bay Area 2050+ charts a course for how we can bring about our shared vision for a Bay Area where everyone has access to opportunity and a better quality of life.”

Unique to this plan cycle is the parallel Transit 2050+ planning effort, developed in partnership with Bay Area transit agencies, which culminated in the first-of-its-kind plan to re-envision the future of public transportation across the region.

“Plan Bay Area 2050+ will help shape the vital service improvements and funding solutions we need to keep Bay Area transit running, while also making it faster, more frequent, more reliable, safer and better connected,” explained MTC Commission Chair and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember Sue Noack. “Plan Bay Area 2050+ lays the groundwork for how our region can meet the challenges of today, while also advancing a shared vision for an even better tomorrow.”

Plan Bay Area 2050+’s policy and investment framework has the potential to strengthen the region for decades to come, representing a major step toward a stronger, more resilient future.

ABAG is the council of governments and the regional planning agency for the 101 cities and towns, and nine counties of the Bay Area. Contra Costa County is represented by District 4 Supervisor Ken Carlson, District 5 Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, El Cerrito Councilwoman Lisa Motoyama and Walnut Creek Councilwoman Cindy Silva.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Contra Costa County is representatives include Chair Sue Noack Mayor of Pleasant Hill representing the cities of Contra Costa County and District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen representing Contra Costa County.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Suspect used hatchet to kill 34-year-old Christopher Jaber

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Butte County man with the murder of a Lafayette resident.

35-year-old David Swank Prince is scheduled to be arraigned in court on March 25th for the murder of 34-year-old Christopher Jaber. Prince unlawfully and with malice aforethought took the life of Jaber with the use of a hatchet.

On March 21, 2026, around 11:30 am, a relative of Christopher Jaber called 911 to report a suspicious individual with a hatchet in the backyard area of their property. The caller told dispatch that the individual was breaking into an Accessory Dwelling Unit where Jaber resided. When officers from the Lafayette Police Department arrived at the scene, they located Prince a short distance from the ADU, where he was detained and subsequently arrested. (See related article)

The murder appears to be a targeted act. The investigation into the motive for the murder and whether Prince and Jaber were acquainted is ongoing.

Prince is set to be in court at 1:30 pm in Martinez on Wednesday, where he could enter a plea to the murder charge and enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon. He is currently in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility.

Case No. 01-26-01746 | The People of the State of California v. David Swank Prince

35-year-old David Prince held on $1M bail, has history of 23 previous arrests including 11 last year

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office & Lafayette Police Department

On Saturday morning, March 21, 2026, at 11:36, Lafayette police officers were dispatched to a suspicious subject at a residence on Westminster Place in Lafayette. Officers arrived and entered the home finding a man who was deceased. A person walking nearby was detained for further investigation in connection with this incident and was later arrested.

He is identified as 35-year-old David Swank Prince (born 12-18-1990) of Chico, California.

Detectives from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office homicide unit and the crime lab responded to the scene.

Saturday evening, Prince was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on one count of murder. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

The victim in the homicide is identified as 34-year-old Christopher Jaber of Lafayette, CA.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the six-foot, one-inch tall, 170-pound Prince is Hispanic.

According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of 23 previous arrests dating back to 2016 by multiple agencies for crimes including battery, vandalism, shoplifting, petty theft, DUI, resisting arrest, reckless driving, evasion with wanton disregard for safety, public intoxication, driving with a suspended license and evasion of public transit fare payment. In addition, Prince has lived in a variety of cities including Walnut Creek, last year, Pleasant Hill in 2023, as well as Berkeley, San Francisco, Oroville and Modesto.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Learn about the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition in Contra Costa County and throughout California as the Declaration of Independence was being signed

By LeighAnn Davis, Executive Director, Contra Costa County Historical Society

As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, land managers, historians, educators and civic leaders across the East Bay formed the East Bay Anza 250 Symposium committee dedicated to exploring a parallel milestone: the 250th anniversary of the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition. This journey profoundly shaped California’s history and continues to influence our communities today.

Anza Expedition Map. Source: National Park Service

According to the National Park Service, the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail covers over 1,200 miles through the homelands of 70+ Tribal communities including in Contra Costa County. It follows the historic route of the 1775-76 Spanish colonizing expedition from Sonora, Mexico to San Francisco, CA. Whether urban or rural, the trail offers adventure, diverse cultural perspectives and an opportunity to experience history.

Painting by David Rickman. Courtesy of U.S. National Park Service

On June 27, 1776, as the Declaration of Independence was being signed in Philadelphia, the colonists of the Anza expedition arrived at their destination in what would become San Francisco. Both of these events would dramatically shape the cultural and political landscapes of the United States. In 2025 and 2026, the Anza Trail invites communities along the historic path of the 1775-76 colonizing expedition to commemorate the complicated and evermore fascinating history of the paths and events that make up this National Historic Trail.

Third leg of the expedition from Mission San Gabriel to Monterey including campsites 99, 100 and 101 in Contra Costa County. Map created by Emanuel Delgado. Source: National Park Service

Campsites and Trail in Contra Costa County

A map of the Third Leg of the Anza Expedition shows three campsites in Contra Costa County with the Arroyo del Puerto Dulce campsite 99 in Rodeo, the Arroyo de Santa Ana del Flugino campsite 100 in Concord and the San Ricardo campsite 101 along the Antioch/Oakley border.

According to the Juan Bautista de Anza Historic Trail website, “On April 1st (1776) the group camped at a small stream. Today, the campsite is at the conjunction of Parker and San Pablo Avenues and Rodeo Creek. A commemorative marker from the 1976 reenactment is on Parker Road between 4th and 6th Streets in front of the post office in the town of Rodeo.”

The Anza Expedition campsite 99 historic marker in Rodeo, campsite 100 historic marker in Concord and campsite 101 historic marker at the Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline. Photos by Andrew Ruppenstein. Source: The Historical Marker Database HMdb.org

According to The Historical Marker Data Base, a marker designating campsite 100 in Concord is located on Grant Street south of Olivera Road. The marker designating campsite 101 is located in the Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline park at the end of Bridgehead Road.

The East Bay Park District’s Delta de Anza Regional Trail is named to commemorate the route taken during de Anza’s expedition into the Delta region of today’s East Contra Costa County. The paved, multi-use hiking, bicycling and equestrian trail currently spans over 15 miles of the planned 25-mile length. When completed, it will generally follow the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s corridor and the Contra Costa Water District’s canal.

This trail connects communities in central and eastern Contra Costa County and provides access to regional and community parks, many schools and Los Medanos College. It intersects Antioch’s Mokulumne Trail and the Marsh Creek Regional Trail in Oakley. It connects the cities and communities of Concord, Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch and Oakley and provides access to Contra Loma Regional Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve through Antioch’s Worth Shaw Community Park. See driving map of Anza Historic Trail

Symposium

The East Bay Anza 250 Symposium will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026, 9AM-4PM and is a collaborative gathering that explores the expedition’s impact on the East Bay, honors Indigenous legacies, and fosters dialogue about how this history informs our present.

The symposium will include:

• Live Performances
• Keynote Speakers
• Panel Discussions that Dive into the History, Teaching, and Environmental Impacts of the Expedition.
• An Exhibit Hall Filled with Cultural Exhibitions and Displays

Symposium registration is $30 for General Admission and $20 for students and seniors.

Lunch is included in your registration fee if reserved before April 1st, 2026.

To register, please visit the Eventbrite site for Grassroots Poetry using the QR code.

Keynote Speakers: Our speaker series brings together a vibrant tapestry of voices to explore the multifaceted legacy of the Anza Expedition. By pairing the scholarly insights of local historians and naturalists with the deeply personal narratives of expedition descendants, we aim to provide an inclusive history that honors the trail’s complex past.

Panel Discussions: Join our interdisciplinary panels, featuring local historians, expert naturalists, and descendants of the expedition, for a compelling look at the impact of Anza 250 years later. These sessions bring together diverse voices to explore the environmental, cultural, and personal history of the trail, offering a unique, in-depth, and engaging perspective on this historic journey.

Exhibit Hall: Our Exhibit Hall is a testament to the power of community partnership. The exhibit hall is a collaborative space showcasing exhibits and information from local historical societies and land management agencies. Connect with local experts in this dedicated space for a deeper, context-rich understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the Anza Trail.

Event Information:

The Event is Saturday, April 11th, 2026, from 9AM until 4PM with a lunch break at noon.

An optional walk will take place along the trail that intersects with the LMC campus at 8AM.

All members of the community are invited to join us and enjoy the speakers, poets, and music guests!

About our location:

The Los Medanos College Student Union is located on the campus at 2700 East Leland Road, Pittsburg.

We encourage all symposium attendees to consider alternate ways to get to campus. You can bike, walk, carpool or take public transportation. If you plan to arrive by car, parking is free on the day of the event. More information about how to get to campus here: LMC Transportation and Parking Information

Thank you to all our partners for your support:

• Grassroots Poetry
• Independent Arts and Media
• Los Medanos College Honors Program
• National Park Service
• Anza Trail Foundation
• Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy
• Contra Costa County Historical Society
• Museum of the San Ramon Valley

For more information contact Dwayne Eubanks, Chair East Bay Anza 250 Symposium at EastBayAnza@gmail.com.

This event is brought to you by Grassroots Poetry and Los Medanos Honors Program and fiscally sponsored by Independent Arts Media, a 501(c)3 organization.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.