Letter: Barbanica Highlights Solution Aimed to Reduce Sideshows in Antioch District 2

In the following letter to the editor, Mike Barbanica highlights a recent solution to reduce sideshows on Somersville Road at James Donlon which was recently approved by the City of Antioch. Barbancia also announces he is running for Antioch City Council in District 2.

Residents of Antioch District 2:

I’m a retired police lieutenant, a local small business owner and a lifelong resident of Antioch, where my wife, Kristine, and I raised our three children. I’ve never before run for office. This is my formal announcement of my intention to run to represent District 2 on the Antioch City Council. I am asking for your vote for two reasons: First, we need new blood on the City Council – individuals who can investigate out-of-the-box solutions to our many challenges. Second, our city needs leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up and initiate change to GET ANTIOCH BACK ON TRACK.

In this COVID-19 era, and in general, Antioch has substantial challenges around public safety, dilapidated properties, the homeless, the need for jobs for our residents, saving small businesses, etc. I am not going to use this announcement to make promises around our challenges, as many politicians often do.

Instead, I’d like to announce a solution we’ve recently accomplished together as a community, addressing a problem we’ve been having in District 2 – the proliferations of sideshows. Sometimes there are as many as 20 instances a day of cars racing and spinning donuts on our streets, while being filmed by the participants. Residents in District 2 can hear them and sometimes they occur at 3 AM, waking the neighborhood.

Community members have been sending me videos of these sideshows, which I’ve been forwarding to the City. Finally, we took things into our own hands, and with the assistance of our neighbors, we drafted up a plan to prevent sideshows at Somersville Road and the entrance to Black Diamond Mines. This plan includes a raised barrier within the turnaround and speed humps leading up to the turnaround to stop cars from racing through this area.

After presenting this plan to the Antioch Police Department and the City Public Works Department, we received word Monday that our plan has been approved and the City will move forward with going out to bid to construct these barriers.

That is what city leaders are supposed to do: Listen to the residents they represent and look for real-life solutions to problems that effect people’s lives. If elected as your District 2 City Council representative, that is the kind of action-oriented leadership you can demand and expect of me.

We need to GET ANTIOCH BACK ON TRACK so our residents can be proud of the city in which we live. I am ready and able to take on this task and would be honored to have you join me.

Mike Barbanica
[email protected]
 Cell (925) 584-8121