Archive for January, 2011

Take Back Antioch to Hold First Meeting

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Also First Saturday – Community Clean Up Day on February 5th

By Donna Wilson

Take Back Antioch (TBA) is holding its first “Quality of Community” meeting on Friday, February 4th at 7pm in the Antioch Police Department’s Community room located at 300 “L” Street.

We invite you to join us in this forum style community feedback meeting. Members of our leadership team will lead the meeting and discuss many of the topics that have already been addressed on our Facebook page.

Please join us in coming up with lasting solutions that will lead to positive change in our city!

To learn more about Take Back Antioch, you can visit the fan page on FB. As of this morning, there are 1,597 supporters. For those who are not FB fans you can also check out the main website at the www.TakeBackAntioch.com or just click on the ad on the left side of this page.

Take Back Antioch was created to promote SOLUTIONS to the growing problems of our community, and it cannot exist unless we support each other for the common goal(s). Please help be a part of the solution and help get involved.


Don’t forget that there is also a community clean up – AKA First Saturday Clean Up – scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5th from 9-11 am at Meadow Creek Park on Vista Grande (behind Carmen Dragon Elementary School).

We have bags, gloves and supplies so just bring your friends, neighbors, family!

The Cash Tribute Show Featuring James Garner

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

El Campanil Theatre presents 
The Cash Tribute Show Featuring James Garner
Date: Saturday February 5, 2011  Time:  8:00pm

Location: El Campanil Theatre; 602 W. Second Street, Antioch. 
Seating: Adults: $25  Seniors (62 & over): $22  Students/Youth: $10

Tickets and Information: 925-757-9500 or

www.elcampaniltheatre.com.

The Cash Tribute Show featuring James Garner delivers the Man in Black’s music with conviction, accuracy, sincerity, and honesty. James Garner not only takes his audience through a musical journey of Johnny Cash’s biggest hits, but also on an ex.pedition of the Man in Black’s legendary life. Between accurate performances of Cash’s songs, Garner recounts the stories of Johnny’s childhood, entrance into the music business, and the highs and lows Cash experienced in a career that spanned 48 years. Most importantly, audience members will definitely find themselves tapping their toes and singing along with the train-like rhythm that became synonymous with the songs of Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Three.

While James Garner is not a Johnny Cash impersonator, his musical tribute will remind audiences of the energy, power, and excitement that graced the stage every night the Man in Black walked out and said, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” Johnny may have walked off the stage for the final time in 1997, but audiences today can get a glimpse of what Cash concert-goers of yesteryear might have experienced when James Garner takes to the stage with strong conviction, historical accuracy, heartfelt sincerity, and musical honesty in his tribute to the great Johnny Cash!

Deer Valley High School Football/Athletics Crab Feed

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

The Deer Valley High School Football program is holding a Crab Feed and Auction on February 12 at 6 pm at the Veterans Hall in downtown Antioch. The Deer Valley High School Football program is looking to raise money to offset budget cuts to the program.

Tickets are just $40 and include all you can eat crab, pasta, salad and bread.  Along with dinner, there will a live and silent auction, and various raffle items as well!  A good mix of sports memorabilia, celebrity collectibles and gracious donations from many of our local businesses!  Something for everyone!  There will also be some authentic Deer Valley Football items for purchase!.

Tickets are available by contacting Coach Rich Woods at Deer Valley High School (925) 756-6705

Support Professional Theater in Antioch

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

One of the best kept secrets in our city of Antioch is that we have a professional theater company in Rivertown!  The four year old Hapgood Theatre Company’s latest show, a musical revue entitled, “Side by Side by Sondheim” opened last Friday evening at the Nick Rodriguez Theater. The show runs Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm and Sunday’s at 2:00pm through February 6th.  For a bit more than the cost of going to a movie we can enjoy live theater in our own town.  No need to go ‘over the hill’ for an evening of quality entertainment! 

Whether or not you are familiar with the name Stephen Sondheim you’re probably familiar with many of his songs, and definitely with his lyrics.  For example, Sondheim wrote all the lyrics for the musical “West Side Story” and “Gypsy.” 

The four person extremely talented cast includes Kelly Ground, Juliet Heller, Stewart Lyle and Erez Shek and the production was directed by Jeremy Messmer.  You may purchase tickets online at www.HapgoodTheatre.org, at the box office before a performance or by calling 925-219-8545.

Next up, from March 4th through March 20th is “The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged).” This is an uproarious fast-paced 90 minute romp through the Bard’s plays!  It has been said that if you like Shakespeare you’ll like this show, if you HATE Shakespeare you’ll LOVE this show!

Bonni Bergstrom

Hapgood Theatre Board member

Side by Side by Sondheim

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Erez Shek, Kelly Ground, Stewart Lyle and Juliet Heller (Photo by Sierra Young).

Hapgood Theatre in Antioch presents the genius of Stephen Sondheim, Broadway’s most innovative and influential artist, who is at the center of this revue. It’s a dazzling array of some of the composer’s landmark shows that revolutionized the musical theatre with their masterful craft and astounding creativity.

After the fabulous response that last season’s Forever Plaid received, the theatre promised that musicals would continue to-2011 Season. The sophistication, wit, insight, heart and-lyricist’s best-known songs features numbers from Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, written with musical theatre giants Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Richard Rodgers, and Pacific Overtures, not to mention the classics West Side Story, Gypsy called “the greatest talent writing contemporary musicals,” and Do I Hear A Waltz?

Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, Richard Rodgers(Music & Lyrics), Ned Sherrin (Book), Jeremy Messmer (Director),(Scenic Design), Kirk Stefferud (Costume Designer), Jason Miller (Lighting), Josy Miller (Artistic Director)

Side by Side by Sondheim runs through February 6, 2011.

*Special performance with talkback on Thursday, February 3 at 8pm.*

All performances are at the Nick Rodriguez Theater, 213 F Street in Antioch.

Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm.

Tickets: $25 for Adults/ $15 for Seniors & Students. Tickets are available through the box office at 925.219.8545 andwww.hapgoodtheatre.org.

Press Quotes:

“These witty, romantic, perceptive songs confirm, if confirmation were needed, Sondheim’s unrivaled place in today’s musical theater.”

—THE NEW YORK TIMES

“If there was any doubt that Stephen Sondheim is the greatest talent writing contemporary musicals, this show erased it.”

—WILLIAM RUHLMANN

Eagles Tribute Band “Hotel California” Plays El Campanil

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

The Eagles tribute band Hotel California performs at Antioch's El Campanil Theatre on Friday night, January 21.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

A nice crowd enjoyed the songs of the grammy-award winning rock band, the Eagles, as the tribute band “Hotel California” performed at Antioch’s historic El Campanil Theatre, in downtown Rivertown, last Friday night, January 21, 2011.

The band played the Eagles’ chart-topping songs including Desperado, Take It Easy, Tequila Sunrise, Already Gone, One of These Nights, Lyin’ Eyes, Life In The Fast Lane and Take It To The Limit, among others during the two-and-a-half hour show.

The band members hit all the high notes and played all the familiar guitar rifts, and drum beats, pleasing the original band’s fans in attendance. They finished their final set with the song for which they’re named, “Hotel California,” before returning to the stage with a three-song encore.

The El Campanil Theatre hosts concerts, comedy shows, classic movies, symphony, ballet, live theater as well as presentations by local groups, throughout the year. To learn more or purchase tickets for upcoming events, visit www.elcampaniltheatre.com or call (925) 757-9500 or simply click on their ad at the top of our home page.

Hotel California playing the song "Hotel California"

New “Take Back Antioch” Group to Form as Non-Profit, Seeks Help

Monday, January 24th, 2011

By Allen Payton, Publisher

The new, grass-roots organization, known as “Take Back Antioch” formed under the leadership of Antioch resident Brittney Gougeon is now seeking formal, non-profit status and needs your help.

They’re raising $850 to pay the registration costs.  According to a post on Facebook, today, they raised 13% of that in just one evening, for a total of $119.

To learn more about the group visit their website at www.TakeBackAntioch.com. If you’d like to contribute to the effort, simply click on the “Chip In” button in the “Non-Profit Status (501c3)” box on the lower right side of the page.

In addition, supporters can purchase “Take Back Antioch” shirts in either black or red, by clicking on the “Store” button at the top of the page.

For more information, contact Gougeon at info@takebackantioch.com.

Marijuana grow operation busted

Monday, January 24th, 2011

On January 20 at approximately 11:20 a.m., Antioch Police were notified of an occupied suspicious vehicle in front of a house in the 4500 block of Imperial Way. The concerned reporting party stated that the vehicle was unfamiliar to the neighborhood.

Upon arrival, patrol officers located the vehicle and contacted a sole male inside. The male stated he was there because he was hired to clean up a house. Officers went to the house to confirm the story, and were greeted at the front door by another male. Patrol officers immediately recognized evidence of a marijuana grow operation inside of the house. Three males were inside of the house.

Detectives were called to the scene and determined the operation to be an illegal grow that had recently been processed. The occupants inside of the house were in the process of dismantling the equipment. The marijuana grow had consisted of approximately 500 plants. Several bags of the plants were still on scene, yielding approximately two pounds of finished product.

While on scene, a fifth individual arrived in a moving truck, and was arrested along with the four individuals being detained. The house appeared to be a rental. The actual owner has yet to be determined.

Arrested were Duong Tran, 44; Thiet Nong, 46; Vinh Tran, 46; and Cuong Hoang, 28 – all San Francisco residents  They were sent to the Martinez Detention Facility on charges of illegal marijuana cultivation – with the exception of the subject in the suspicious vehicle, who was released pending further investigation.

This is another example of teamwork between the alert citizens of Antioch and the Antioch Police Department.